sign off

Gah.

Okay, I wanted to comment on the sudden flood of loverly new fic that came in these past several days (especially the bit-o-smut from my grrl grrleloquence Val -- if the link won't work for you, it's because it's friends-locked, but Val's a sweetie and will prolly share if you ask nicely). I also wanted to get some kind of fic of my own whipped into shape and posted, or at the very least send Tham what I have so far on her fisting-fic (because not-smoking is an important thing). Kassie ethrosdemon, if you feel better (and I hope you do!) and feel an irresistible urge to close the Crayola Challenge, sigh, go ahead and grab what I have posted of "Apricot" if you can be bothered. I wanted to do a lot of things I can't now, because I unexpectedly had to leave 12 hours sooner than expected. When one has a mere few hours' notice of such changes, it really throws a spanner in the works.

Anyway, there's an off chance I'll be able to get online at a cafe or library or something while I'm away, though I wouldn't count on it. (There's no way for me to get my email away from home.) I will, however, be in touch with sidewinder via offline means, so any other Philadelphians wanting to leave offline contact info can try her or post a comment here (I'll make a seprate friends-locked entry for anyone leery of giving up such info where anyone can see it but willing to trust 30-odd strangers with it). Grr. Just when I was looking forward to meeting autumnyte from TWoP, this has to happen.

There's also the dim possibility of getting together with some folks in NYC when I pass through on my way home the first week of September (date and time to be determined by how soon I tire of babysitting my cousin's daughter).

Assuming I survive being deprived of internet access and cable for so long, I'll see all of you again in a couple of weeks. I look forward to spending my birthday catching up on all the shiny new fic, meta and other good stuff... and Jenn seperis had just better be back, hale and hearty and writing, because otherwise who will I stalk?

more 2040 (WIP)

Okay, I have an extra 3 minutes, so y'all get some Jackficlet after all.

The first section of this can be found here.

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Moving closer, Clark wrapped his arms around Lex, pressing himself against the silkily loose skin of Lex's back, blanketing him with his body in a way that emphasised his nakedness instead of hiding it. He pressed a kiss to Lex's shoulder, dipped his forehead down to cover the spot. Lex's left hand came up to fix itself around Clark's forearm, squeezing once, then just holding it against his chest. A faint tickle teased the skin exposed between Lex's fingers in time with the rhythmic rise of Lex's shoulderblades against his chest, the way Clark's own exhalations must be teasing down his back.

They stood that way awhile, minutes he neither bothered nor wanted to count, before Lex raised Clark's arm, kissing his knuckles before letting both limbs drop. Gently, almost coaxing, he turned Lex around with a hand on one shoulder, and felt a smile warm his own face at the sight of Lex's. He touched his lips to Lex's temple, brushed them along lines across Lex's forehead that were faded almost to invisibility in repose.

Lex stayed silent as Clark kissed away the line that pinched itself between his eyebrows, lingering first over the scar in the right brow that had given Lex his first silver hairs a lifetime ago, then across to the single still-new white hair, on the opposite side, that had been put there by time instead of trauma. Lex's breath caught as Clark traced the softness and the one novel coarse strand with his tongue, and Clark felt him about to pull away, so he broke the contact instead, capturing Lex's gaze with his own. The grey eyes were unchanged, full of fire and mystery as the day they'd met.

Resisting the urge to tell Lex how beautiful he was, the words sounding too silly even inside his head, he let his fingers say it instead, tracing the altered yet familiar contours of Lex's face, the curves of lips that parted at his touch. Clark's fingers slipped down to tease Lex's collarbone, and the parted lips were an invitation, tempting him in, but Clark's mouth found the lines graven beside them instead. Cupping Lex's neck in both hands, Clark tilted his head back to lave an open-mouthed kiss to the slightly slackened flesh along Lex's jaw that, in just a few more years, would develop into defined, distinguished jowls. Lex found his voice at that, saying "don't" again, but Clark just shook his head and moved his mouth to Lex's, letting that be his answer for the moment.

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PS Kitty put me in the acknowledgments for "Freak"! I nub Kitty.

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