Poetry in Motion
            by Nymph Du Pave

            Chapter Eight:  The Rest

            Lex crossed his arms.  Now that's how you do it, he thought.  Romantic, funny, and completely honest.

            Pete laughed in the silence of the Talon, but Lex felt the sound's absence of mirth.  He was sure that everyone in the eatery could.

            "Come on, Chloe," Pete started with a smile.  "Don't leave me hanging, here.  I was just kidding when I said it only took me five minutes."

            She broke out in a grin and Lex felt himself relax.  He saw Clark beside him release a deep breath, unmistakably relieved.

            "I knew you lied."  She stood and climbed the stairs to the stage.  "I had no idea, Pete."  Her grin grew wider.  "You really like my smile?"

            He looked at her and Lex realized he'd never seen Pete so serious, even with the gun.

            Of course there's no botanical fever coursing through his system, so he doesn't have that crazed, ill glow about him.

            "I love it, Chloe," he said, the softness of his voice carried by the Talon's stage mike.  "I always have."

            Chloe's smiled faltered and her eyes shown in the overhead lights.  "Oh, Pete.  Why didn't you ever say anything?"

            Lex watched Pete and Clark look at each other, then Clark look down, blushing.  Pete smiled weakly at Chloe.  "Your attention's been elsewhere."

            "Kiss him!!"  Two girls called out and giggles sparsely lit the room.

            The dramatic spell over Chloe and Pete was broken, and she smiled again.  "My pleasure."

            "Wha-"  Pete's reply was cut short by Chloe's lips, pressing to his in a short but sweet and not-so-chaste kiss."

            Everyone in the room exploded in applause and Lex looked warily over to his best friend.  Instead of finding Clark somewhat shocked and upset to see that the girl he was currently trying to court was kissing another guy, he stood to give the couple a standing ovation.

            "Way to go, Pete!"

            Lex stood next to Clark and clapped, utterly confused.

            I thought- But he was-  I could have sworn…

            He couldn't even put his own thoughts together.

            Once Pete and Chloe walked off the stage everyone in the Talon sat and started to calm down.

            Lex watched as Lana stood and Chloe and Pete sat, pulling each other's chairs together.  They sat talking seriously between themselves.  Clark sat with a wide grin on his face watching his two best friends.

            "Clark," Lex whispered, ducking closer.  "Not that I doubt your sincerity, but, well, weren't you kind of- after Chloe."

            Lex didn't miss the blush that threatened to take over his best friend's face, nor did his attentions overshoot the sagacious and stealthy look Chloe shot their way.  She'd heard his whisper apparently.

            "No, Lex.  She kinda realized I had a thing for someone else.  The kind of thing that was more than just a crush or even simple love."

            His heart dropped into his stomach and he sat back sharply into his seat.  Now he didn't give a damn about having good cause to hate Lana.  He'd take his jealousy to the bank.

            "More than simple love, huh?  How wonderful for you, Clark."  He hated it that he couldn't keep the bitterness out of his voice.

            He caught Chloe's smirk and raised eyebrow and wondered what the hell she thought she knew that he didn't.

            +_+_+_+_+

            "Our next creative poet is Clark Kent!"

            Lana and his table gave him an extra cheerful welcome to the stage- even Lex who had been strangely quiet and brooding through everyone else's poems.  Nell's hideous poem about flowers.  Chloe's really witty composition about the school lunch meats and missing meteor-infected people- Clark was sure Lana was not happy about the sudden turn in people's appetites and therefore their likeliness to avoid the meats on the Talon's menu.  He'd even skipped out on the comments about Lana's 'Snow and Death' deal and Whitney's surprisingly adept and imaginative work on the city of Metropolis.

            Clark stood and looked at his three best friends.  Chloe gave him a little wink, Lex gave him a full on smile and Pete a wide grin and a huge thumbs up.  Clark felt guilty about not letting Pete into his world but he was afraid, deathly afraid that Pete and he would not preserve the same exact friendship they had now.  As long as Pete didn't know about his feelings for Lex- feelings he was, after last night, almost completely sure were requited- than their friendship could retain.

            Now, however, was not the time to be thinking of his dishonesty with Pete.  He flushed at all the attention he was getting from the Talon's patrons and looked to the floor, not missing Lex's wide grin at his self-consciousness.

            He stopped in front of the mike and looked to the audience.  His stomach dropped, his hair felt strangely weighted and there was a slight buzz in the air.  This was it.  His poem.  His ode to-  His ode to- well, Lex.

            Lex was attracted to him and they were best friends so Clark had reason to believe that it was more than sexual.  Whether or not Lex was in love with him was yet to be seen, but…  But Lex was an extremely intelligent man.  He would hear the poem and know.

            Clark's heart sped up to a ridiculous speed.  Yes, Lex would know how he felt.  Would know there was something to Clark that held Lex on a pedestal of admiration and fondness.

            Clark didn't need paper.  He cleared his throat and began.

            "This is a poem written for the one I truly love."