The Prompter the Refusal, the Less the Disappointment (SV, PG-13)

[buggery]

The title is a quotation from Publilius Syrus.

Thanks to Victoria musesfool for her discerning beta eye.

Oh, and spoilers for "Phoenix," season 3 episode 2.

Remainder of author's notes follow the story.


The Prompter the Refusal, the Less the Disappointment

He had a response prepared, the wording carefully chosen, the delivery to be calm but firm. "No, Dad. One of the things our new partnership means is that you don't touch me like that anymore."

But days went by, the first week, then the second, and Lionel didn't so much as stand inappropriately close to him. No suggestive looks, no subtle double-entendres; even inanimate objects were free from his father's habitual fondling.

The oddest part of it was that Lionel hadn't stopped touching him entirely. There would be a hand on Lex's arm to draw him away from the negotiating table for a brief whispered conference. They stood shoulder to shoulder at press conferences. Lex got a literal pat on the back when his ideas resulted in unexpected profits from various LuthorCorp divisions and ventures.

Months went by. The two of them drank themselves tipsy at the Metropolis penthouse one night, no mean feat for Luthor constitutions, and helped each other to bed arm in arm without incident.

Shaking off sleep and the mildest of hangovers during his morning workout, he wondered if all it ever would have taken for Lionel to stop was for Lex to stop fighting him.


Other thoughts about the story...

Boring factoid out of the way first: It's exactly 200 words, which was coincidentally exactly as many as I needed.

Watching the end of "Phoenix," quel surprise, I wondered what sort of effect the apparent reconciliation was going to have on Luthor incestfic. I went to bed thinking about it, got up and wrote "Prompter" in between finishing and doing the first revision of "These City Walls" but didn't get around to giving this its final polish until tonight.

I didn't think there'd been an actual death-knell for the Lex/Lionel pairing, by any means; and "Slumber" would've disabused me of that idea even if I had thought so. This is just one way it could go, and it seems to fit the Lionel-fucking-with-Lex's-head form of Lexonelfic. (There are four forms: (1) Lionel fucking with Lex's head, (2) Lex fucking with Lionel's head, (3) both of them fucking with each other, and (4) any two guys re-named Lex and Lionel Luthor and hairstyled accordingly.)


more frolicking with these two and Jack's other favourite characters

Comments

[r1cepudding.livejournal.com]

*shiver*

Such a delicious, complex little morsel. I love the almost-disappointment of the mood. The very fact that Lex is matter-of-fact about all this is what makes it so creepy.

By completely avoiding any sensationalism you've made it almost *routine*, which is absolutely riveting. And that Lex is literally cataloguing the touches his father bestows on him is more than a little heart-breaking.

Gah. How did you do all that in just 200 words?

[buggery.livejournal.com]

Wow, thanks, Bexlove. Your feedback is almost lengthier than "Prompter" itself! Your observations give me new insights into my own story.

How did you do all that in just 200 words?

Like I said, that was exactly as many as I needed.