A FAIRYTALE ENDING

By: Dynlubio

 

Rating: PG

Summary: A future fic/ pure unadulterated fluff/ a discourse on fairy tales

Spoiler: none

Beta: none

Author’s Notes: slightly inspired by the “Balisong” by Rivermaya

 

*****

 

He shouldn’t be here; he knew that more than anything. But he didn’t always care about what he should or shouldn’t do.

 

Looking at her silhouette now, Lex knew he was exactly where he needed to be. Silently, he closed the door behind him. The lights were off and he knew he was hidden in the shadows. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness he saw her clearly, staring outside the window her posture stiff and unrelenting.

 

He stepped towards her. “Lana.”

 

She didn’t move and for a moment he thought she didn’t hear him. But she answered, “I’m fine, Lex.”

 

When two people have become friends for so long, one knows exactly what the other is asking without hearing the question. In Lex’s case he knew exactly what Lana was afraid to say. He knew she wasn’t fine, he felt it. But he rarely called her bluff.

 

“I saw Clark leave,” he said instead.

 

“Me, too… something came up.”

 

He nodded although he was sure she didn’t notice nor cared. “When the guest of honor leaves, the party usually spirals downwards, don’t you think?”

 

“I always believed in fairytales,” she told him. Then a bitter laugh escaped her lips. “That cover of Time made it obvious. Nell always told me fairytales before I went to bed. What did your mother read to you?”

 

Lex didn’t know where the conversation was going but he replied, “Not fairytales.”

 

“I guess Luthors don’t have to believe in ‘happily ever afters’. You just create your own fairytale ending.”

 

Walking towards her, he asked, “Is this about Clark?”

 

“Clark Kent, my prince charming,” she said mockingly. “Once upon a time, in a kingdom far away there lived an orphan princess. One day her prince charming came along and they fell in love. But the prince had to go away and he promised he’d return. Everyday the princess hoped the prince would come back. When it came time for the prince’s return, the princess threw a huge ball to welcome him… do you know how it ends, Lex?”

 

“They lived happily ever after?” he obliged.

 

“Fairytales are just prettied-up pictures of reality. Of course the story won’t say that the prince had lied to the princess countless of times, or that he hid secrets from her, that he rarely answered her calls and that he avoided her for days—“ She stopped herself to take a deep breath. “And what does ‘happily ever after’ really mean anyway? If you ask me fairytales are simply illusions fed to young girls’ minds so they would grow up hoping for prince charming and get heart broken. It’s not real life,” she protested.

 

“That’s why they call it fairytales.”

 

“Well, this sure isn’t a fairytale.” She finally turned to face him. “Clark’s in love with another girl… another princess… so the prince drove away in his red pick up truck to go back to Metropolis to be with her. They lived happily ever after.”

 

He saw it in her eyes—a heart breaking, a fairytale ending and he didn’t know how to make her feel better. “My mother used to believe in fairytales… before she married my father,” he smiled despite himself. “Every night she’d kiss me before I go to bed and say ‘I wish you’d find true love, Alexander’.”

 

Wrapping his arms around Lana, he added, “You see, fairytales end, true love never does.” He looked down on her face, saw the trembling mouth and unshed tears and he brushed his lips on her forehead. “I wish you’d find true love, Lana Lang.”

 

*dynlubio 080404