crossoverfic | Fic: Polarity, PG, Smallville/Iron Man (Reply)

Title: Polarity
Author: Azrielle
Fandoms: Smallville, Iron Man (DC/Marvel)
Rating: PG
Spoilers: None for SV/DCU, general for Iron Man
Characters: Clark Kent, Lex Luthor, Tony Stark
Pairings: Clark/Lex friendship with pre-slash undertones
Word Count: 1,990
Summary: Lex has a bad day, Tony has a good day and Clark doesn't know what to do.
Notes: Smallville/Iron Man crossover. Third in the Weld series following Weld and Spark.

polarity:
1. noun the positive or negative reaction to a magnetic, electric, or other field.
2. noun the presence or manifestation of two opposite or contrasting principles or tendencies.

You're at the kitchen island, finishing off the last, orgasmic piece of Martha Kent's Famous Fried Chicken when Lex walks in the door.

Shockingly disheveled, he barks rapid-fire into his cell: "I don't care what it takes. We need. To land. This contract." He shakes his head, annoyed by the reply on the other end. "I know Peterson won't be in until Monday. Prepare the presentation anyway."

Lifting the arm holding his briefcase, Lex rubs his wrist agitatedly against his forehead. There's a dark bloom of ink near the breast pocket of his shirt.

"Yes. No. No. Use the information from the Takahashi file." Lex actually growls, then speaks with patronizing slowness. "Tah-ka-ha-you know what? Never mind. I'll be in tomorrow morning to do it myself."

Lex flips the phone shut and promptly heaves it into wall. The shattering plastic makes you jump and Lex turns toward the movement. His eyes land on your boneyard of a plate with cold betrayal.

"Is that- Was that the last-?"

You try to mumble an explanation around a traitorously delicious mouthful, but Lex chops his hand through the air, rendering you mute.

"I'm going to take a shower." He pauses at the hall closet to deposit his suit jacket and briefcase. Then he's out of view and down the dark hall for all of two seconds when you hear a series of thumps and an exasperated "Motherfucker!"

One of your sneakers sails down the hallway and into a side table, rattling a cluster of fragile statuettes. Nothing breaks, and the master bathroom door slams a moment later.

Even with a front row seat, you can't help but wonder what the fuck just happened.

You're on the couch, munching popcorn and checking e-mail when Lex finally reappears. He's in sweats and a grey hooded Princeton sweatshirt. He has an arm full of comic books, and doesn't look angry anymore, just tired.

Lex sits on the opposite end of the couch, tucking his feet beneath himself and settles the comics in his lap. He turns on the TV and flips for a minute before landing on a science program. The volume is low, but when something explodes, Lex absently mumbles "I've done that." without looking up from his comic.

You just smile and go back to wading through your swamp of an inbox. There are a few lengthy rants from Chloe, some mildly amusing YouTube links from Pete and a slew of embarrassingly unfunny joke forwards from Dad that make you wish they'd never gotten internet on the farm.

There's a particularly green flash from the TV and Lex says:

"Too much potassium."

It's impossible to not stretch a leg out and nudge his shin with your foot.

"Nerd!"

Harrumphing exaggeratedly, Lex recesses further into the corner of the sofa looking so adorable, like a cat in a clothes pile. You're pretty sure he's just playing, pretending to ignore you, so you nudge him again, a little harder, and laugh at his scowl.

Eventually you concede, leg retreating back to your own side. But it's not your fault the hood of Lex's sweatshirt makes a perfect little bowl, practically begging you to fill it with popcorn. You have no choice but to launch an aerial attack.

Lex doesn't play along though, doesn't make it fun. He just reaches back and removes the popcorn piece by piece, flicking it onto the coffee table.

You sigh. Being an ass really wasn't part of your plan for the weekend. You're about to suggest a truce and a around of Metal Gear Solid when your video messenger pings to life.

The laptop's screen is suddenly filled with the head of Tony Stark and a slight blue-ish glow.

"Hey!" You greet Tony, more than pleasantly surprised.

Lex's head lifts in startled confusion. "Clark?"

"Hey yourself, Kiddo," Tony's voice is warm even through the tinny speakers.

The couch jostles slightly with Lex's movements and your silly mood dampens. Lex is stacking his comics and getting up. Your mouth blurts:

"You wanna say hi to Lex?"

Lex freezes at the edge of the room, tugging once at the front of his sweatshirt. He glares at you in a what-the-fuck-are-you-thinking sort of way before turning into the hall.

Blood heats your face as a chill skitters down your spine and you're dizzy, scared, embarrassed. "Uh, never mind. He's… busy."

"We boy genius business moguls tend to be," Tony doesn't seem phased and he leans back, the vague blue glow concentrating into a bright circle in his solar plexus.

"Holy- Tony, are ok? What is that?" X-raying would only show the innards of the laptop, your legs, the couch and possibly whatever's beneath the earth's crust. It's still tempting.

"Ask the Tin Man," Tony grins, sharp and shark-like. "It's just a souvenir from the desert. Well, an upgrade of that." He gesticulates randomly, clarifying: "Basically, a mini reactor keeping shrapnel out of my heart."

You take a moment to consider the fact that you're an alien who is friends with a mutant and a machine. And Lois.

"Oh. Cool."

"Very cool." Tony is understanding and laid back and smiling, and it's so different from the atmosphere of the rest of the evening. However totally unfair it feels, it still feels good.

"What have you been up to?"

Tony cocks his head. "Funny you should ask…" His eyes glint and he gets up, walking stiffly across the workshop. Stopping yards away, his body is now fully in frame. His arms and legs are encased in gleaming metal, the various parts connected by wires and cables. The reactor flares brighter.

The cushions bounce as you sit up abruptly. After fumbling the laptop, you decide it's safer on the coffee table.

"You with me, Clark?" Tony calls. He's standing in front of a gorgeous fleet of sports cars, and appears to be sharing a hushed word with a free-standing robotic arm equipped with a fire extinguisher.

Lex would never do any sort of experiments anywhere near his cars like that. Your heart squishes a little, and you dart a glance down the hall but then your attention is suddenly demanded by flashes and noise from the computer.

"Shit!" Jaw dropped and eyes bugged, you can only stare at what looks like -what is- Tony Stark: hovering. In rocket boots. Elbows on your knees and leaning forward, you are in total awe.

Tony gets over four feet off the ground then lands. He confers with the robot again and announces:

"Let's bring it up to 2.5." Tony lifts off again, higher this time, floating around the room unsteadily, whooping and groaning at every wobble and waiver.

You're used to Lex's experiments, which are more… organic. Manipulating liquids and gasses, creating serums, engineering bacteria, all with the potential to solve hypothetical problems.

Nothing literal, big and solid like honest-to-God rocket boots that fly.

Not that Lex's projects aren't important, because they are; they're just not as exciting. Not to you anyway. Lex getting excited about them, eyes lit up and going on about variables this and statistics that, that's well… different.

This though, flight… it thrills and terrifies you in ways that first kisses and job interviews do.

Still shuttling around the room, Tony drifts dangerously over his cars, then a desk. Papers fly and drift like leaves.

Finally back at center, glowing with satisfaction and a sheen of sweat, Tony hovers for a moment, then unexpectedly clanks to the concrete floor. You jerk away from the screen in surprise.

Leering and cocky like you've seen on magazine covers, Tony says:

"Yeah, I can fly."

And you laugh at the ridiculousness of the fact because:

"Yeah, you can."

After a few more demos with Tony gaining control exponentially each time, his intercom beeps. Tony rolls his eyes, mumbling something about a haranguing, and offers you an apologetic goodbye. You just laugh again, a bit confused, and say good night.

You shut the laptop and turn off the TV. Smiling, you pick up pieces of popcorn from earlier, but it drops from your face so suddenly there's almost an ache. You'd gotten so wrapped up in Tony and his project that you'd forgotten about Lex.

The second he walked in the penthouse you could tell he hadn't been having a good day. The ink stain, the fight you assume was with his new assistant, and who knows what else before that. Then you had to eat his share of dinner, leave your shoes in the hall, bother him and call him names. And offering to introduce him to Tony Stark via webcam, while he's covered in popcorn crumbs and wearing sweats was probably not one of your better ideas.

Feeling like a horse's ass, you pad quietly down the hall. Light shines from under the door so you knock.

"Come in." Not a warm greeting, but not quite murderous, so you open the door, and step inside.

Lex is just in sleep pants now, in the middle of the darkly made bed, surrounded by comic books. There are plastic bags and pieces of cardboard and even though it looks like a chore to you, organizing his collection is one of Lex's favorite things. And these are just the copies he reads.

He looks up at you, defeated, tossing a comic aside.

"I'm sorry I was such a jerk tonight. With the chicken and shoes and popcorn and-"

"Clark it's-"

"-then the thing with Tony..."

Lex wipes a hand over his face. He sighs.

"Clark, it's fine. I was… work wasn't…" Uncharacteristically ineloquent, Lex sighs again. "Today sucked. I guess I really just wanted to be alone and wasn't in the mood."

"To deal with my infantile shenanigans." You add.

The laugh is as tired as Lex is, but he ends up smiling. Sort of. "Yeah."

"I really should have known better than to spring Tony on you like that." Lex looks a little sick, but you continue. "It's just… he's my friend and you're my best friend and…" Wanting to die for sounding like a kid, you try a different track. "You know, you two are alike in a lot of ways."

Lex closes his eyes tight, as if this comparison causes him pain. You don't know what you're doing wrong now, but you can't seem to stop. Maybe you should just derail the conversation before you have the chance to regret anything else.

"Never let them see you in sweats, right Lex?" You're holding your breath, hoping a joke eases the tension.

Lex thankfully laughs again, and shakes his head. "Something like that."

This is one of those wounded moments in your friendship that you want to bandage with a hug. But this time it seems too risky. Too many steps to the bed, too many comics surrounding Lex like a ward. Too awkward the angle. Too high the chance Lex might reject it altogether.

That thought, and the very fact you thought it makes your throat tighten.

"I…"

Lex looks up and holds your gaze with sad, shadowed eyes. Best to quit while you're ahead.

"Good night, Lex."

You turn, needing to go to your room before, God forbid, you start to cry.

"Clark."

You stop and turn back, standing just inside the doorway. Lex has swept the comics aside, as if making to get off the bed.

"Just…" Instead, he seems to lose steam before your eyes, changing his mind and sitting back on his heels. "Good night, Clark."

You nod once and shut the door behind you.

When you fall asleep, you dream you can fly. Tony's there, above you, laughing, twirling in carefree loops.

Lex is on the ground below you. He's frowning, standing still, and getting smaller and smaller as you soar towards the sun.