Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2004 22:20:28 -0800 (PST) From: Whitney Ross Subject: Soulmates Part 1 This is fantasy fiction intended for an audience of gay males over the age of 18. It contains detailed description of homosexual activity and if you find this offensive you should not read on. This story in no way reflects the true sexual preferences of any of the characters or actors who may have portrayed them and should not, in any way be taken as a true representation of any activities that have ever been performed. Superman and some of these characters are trademarks of and copyright of DC Comics. Smallville, its plotlines, characters and ideas are the property of the WB. ***** It was a warm spring day and right now Clark Kent was wishing it was a little bit cooler. He was repairing a fence in the north pasture and he was in the process of digging a new set of post holes. Even with his great strength and endurance it was hard work and the heat was getting to him. He had stripped off his shirt and sweat poured down his powerful upper body causing his chest to glisten in the sun. Had anyone been watching it would have been quite a show. Each time he drove a post into the ground his muscles rippled and flexed. Clark was angry. Things had finally started to go well for the farm. His friend Lex Luthor had arranged for the Kent farm to get a contract to supply food to the local school districts. A neighboring farmer had decided to retire and was leasing them two new fields, one of which was where Clark was now working. The farm was showing a real profit for the first time in years and they had even discussed hiring some new hands. But all that was now being threatened by his father's illness. A few weeks earlier Jonathan had suffered what he was calling a heart attack but Clark suspected that the deal with Jor El was responsible. Clark had been influenced by exposure to red kryptonite and Jonathan had made a deal with Clark's natural father to gain the power to bring Clark home. Now Clark was sure he was responsible for his father's illness. He wondered how the family would get past this problem. As it so happened, it was at that moment that Martha and Jonathan Kent were discussing that very same thing. They were also concerned, although not just for the farm. They wanted Clark to have a life of his own; they wanted him to go to college, and feared that the illness would threaten that. But it appeared that there might be a solution in the form of a letter from the past. Martha walked into the kitchen carrying the letter. She saw her husband and walked over to him giving him a hug. "Jonathan, do you remember the Kean's ?" she asked. "Of course I do. Little Chris was the closest thing we had to a son before Clark came to us. I just wish that things had...." he replied. Jonathan paused as they both remembered what had happened. Chris had been part of the Kent family. He was about the same age as Clark and Lana and would have been a close friend for Clark. But then came the day of the meteors. A day of blessing and of tragedy for the Kent's. In many ways the meteor shower had been a blessing for the Kent's because it brought Clark into their lives. But it did have several tragic aspects. One of those was the death of the Lang's, Lana's parents. Another was what happened to the Kean's. Several of the meteors had smashed into their home. Susan Kean had been killed instantly when she was buried in the rubble of the home. Thomas had been badly injured, disabled for life. Chris had also been hurt, although not as seriously as his father. He was the last person found, he was trapped in the rubble and was nearly missed, but his body had been imbedded with small chunks of rock that some said made him glow in the dark. "I've just gotten a letter about them, from Chris' grandparents. Thomas died last year", she said. Jonathan was shocked, not just that a close friend had died but that they hadn't known about it. But they'd lost contact with the Kean's. After they were released from the hospital they had gone to live with his parents at a farm near Granville over on the other side of Metropolis. They had tried to stay in touch, but Thomas seemed to want to forget Smallville and the life he had shared with his late wife. "I wish we could have helped them more", he said. "Well maybe we can. The reason his grandparents are writing is because they are too old to keep the farm and are moving to a retirement community. They were wondering if we could help with Chris", she replied. As it turned out Chris had turned into a very good student despite having to work hard to maintain his grandparents farm. He had even graduated from school a year early but had not been able to go to college yet due to a lack of funds. Now with his grandparents selling the farm, he needed somewhere to go to earn some money for school. Remembering how close they Kent family had been to Chris they were now writing to ask if they could offer him some work. It was a perfect match for the situation. They needed help and they had a little extra money so they could pay Chris. Chris could also provide a brother figure for Clark. Someone he could talk to and bond with. In addition they hoped that Chris could provide a good example for Clark and encourage him to go to college. There was the problem of Clark's secret but they felt that if anyone could be trusted it was Chris. They discussed the options for a while but both knew they would decide to bring Chris to the farm. ****** A couple of Fridays later Clark was at the bus depot waiting for Chris to arrive. He had mixed views about the new arrival. On the one hand he was glad to have someone his own age around the farm. It would be nice to have someone to talk with about school, sports and girls. Girls were a particularly tough topic for Clark. He had always felt something for Lana and that was special to him. But the relationship had never gone beyond the flirting stages. His parents assumed it was because of the fact that he had to hide his secret from her. It was true that it was because of a secret, but not the one they thought. He'd always wondered about himself, the way he felt around Lana's ex boyfriend Whitney for example. But it wasn't until his time in Metropolis that he had fully explored his life and he had accepted that he was gay. Of course in a place like Smallville he wasn't able to explore that part of his life, it was just too small of a town. He wondered if Chris would be more open minded about things. Wouldn't it be amazing if he was gay too, or even bisexual? But that was too much to ask. ****** Chris Kean sat on a bus lost in thoughts of his own. He felt like this was just another part of his messed up life. He had vague memories of Smallville and they were pleasant enough, especially about the Kent's. He remembered warm cookies in the kitchen and fishing trips to the lake. But then came the meteor shower and his life changed. His mother was gone and his father was left in a wheelchair. Life at his grandparent's farm was nice enough but it was lots of hard work. His family had done the best they could to give him a normal life. He'd played football and basketball for his high school but he still had little time for a social life. Between working the farm, school and sports there was little time left for anything else. He hadn't even managed to have a steady girlfriend, although there were plenty of chances. But it seemed like all the girls wanted was to say they had slept with a jock. He knew a lot of his teammates took all the sex they could get but he wanted more out of a relationship. But there was never enough time and he never met the right girl. He wondered about this Clark Kent guy. From the phone conversation they'd had earlier in the week he seemed like a good enough guy. Maybe he would be the friend or even the brother that Chris never had. He'd had some good friends at home but he was always on the outside in many ways. His past, the time he spent working on the farm, even his father's illness and mysterious death acted to isolate him from people. Maybe Clark and his family would be different. Maybe. His thoughts were interrupted as the bus pulled into the depot. He glanced out the window and saw a tall and fit looking young man standing there. He assumed it was Clark and thought that there was something unusual about the man. He wasn't sure what it was, but it was something. He got off the bus and the man headed towards him with his hand extended. "Uh hey there. I'm Clark, are you Chris?" the teen asked. Chris shook the offered hand. Chris felt something akin to a bolt of electricity course through his body. Clark was one of the best looking men he'd ever seen and he had eyes that bore into his soul. Chris wasn't sure what was happening but he'd never felt this way before. "Yeah", he finally managed to say. Clark was also taken aback at Chris. Chris was tall, a little over 6 feet tall. He had reddish blonde hair and hazel-green eyes. Clark had always been told what a good-looking guy he was but this Chris was downright beautiful, Clark thought. Clark helped Chris with his bags and they climbed into the truck. Clark gave Chris a brief reintroduction to Smallville. Some things had changed quite a bit although Chris had only vague memories of the town. He did remember Lana as they had spent time in the hospital together and since they had both lost parents they had bonded. He said he doubted she remembered him though. Clark wondered why he would think that but said nothing. They drove out to the Kent farm where Jonathan and Martha were excitedly awaiting the arrival. Martha had prepared a feast that included many of the things she had once prepared for Chris, including piles of freshly baked cookies. The two ran out to greet Chris as he arrived and the next couple of hours were spent eating and talking. Clark initially felt a little left out as they related old stories of Chris but the conversation soon moved to stories of Clark and the two men shared the faked misery of being embarrassed by stories. It was decided that Chris would use the guest room across the hall from Clark's room. It was on the other side of the house from the parent's bedroom and so it allowed the two to have some privacy. It was expected they would spend most of their time in the barn anyway and the two men quickly began to discuss plans to improve the loft area. After dinner the two headed out to the barn to look around. Clark had recently added a workout area so he could exercise. The two decided to get some exercise in before it got too late. Chris let out a small gasp when Clark took off his shirt to reveal his upper body that rippled with muscles. Chris felt somewhat inadequate in comparison but when he stripped down Clark didn't mind the view either. Both men quickly dismissed these thoughts and they moved to exercise. Over the next hour they sweated and traded the jokes and talk that came with athletes and workouts. They found that they had a great deal in common. They both loved living in the country, they both loved basketball. Clark was pleased to learn that Chris was interested in astronomy. Clark had been an avid student of the subject, especially after his visit with Doctor Swann. But he'd never been able to interest Pete or Lex in the subject. It was great to finally have someone else to talk with. Of course Clark could never explain the real reason for his interests, but at least they could discuss the theories. After the workout they headed inside for quick showers. Clark couldn't help sneaking a peek as Chris emerged from the shower. He knew he was attracted to Chris but he figured it would be a fantasy, nothing more. Chris had talked about ex girlfriends during their workout so he assumed Chris was straight. The two talked for several hours as the night grew darker. Clark told Chris that he would take him on a tour in the morning and promised to introduce him to Lana, Pete, Chloe and Lex. Chris hoped that these would be good new friends but he knew that things on the farm would be far too busy for him to do very much. Clark promised himself that he'd do all he could to help Chris so that there would be time for fun. They became so wrapped up in their conversation they lost track of time and it was past midnight. It was a weekend so Clark didn't have to worry about school, but on a farm there is always work to do, and morning comes very early, so they headed upstairs and went to bed. As he lay in his bedroom Chris couldn't help smiling. He was amazed how quickly he felt at home here. Perhaps it was memories of spending time here as a child, but there was something about Clark too. He was so kind, so easy to talk to. He had one of those personalities that made you feel right at home, comfortable. He made you feel like you were the most important person in the world, and that was a gift. And his smile wasn't bad either.