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It was the Warrior Angel valentine that started it all. Bright purple, with "Sexy Lexy" written on the envelope in sparkly letters. .Lex's administrative assistant, Cherie, passed it along to him with the morning mail.
Her raised eyebrow said volumes, and it was only because of the holiday that he didn't fire her on the spot. She damn well wasn't going to get the dozen yellow roses he'd planned on giving her. Well, maybe she was. She was instrumental at keeping Lionel's voice away from Lex's ears; he supposed she deserved the flowers, at least.
Garishly colored in Barney purple, school bus yellow, and ketchup red, the card was small, with a "secret Warrior Angel Code Ring" one could pop out and wear - if one was eight.
Obviously part of a package, it was the sort of Valentine that schoolchildren scribbled their fellow students' names on, and dropped into decorated shoebox mailboxes.
Lex had unpleasant memories of such things: his boxes often only held a few valentines, with "Richie Rich," or "Happy Valentine's Day, Baldy" written on them. He could tell when a kid's mother had made him or her include Lex, and it hurt, more than not getting one at all.
Lex couldn't prove where this card had come from, but he had a pretty good idea. It was the sort of thing that he once would have called annoying, sentimental tripe, but really it made up for years of "Richie Rich", or "Hey, Kojak". Even in the best schools, kids could be assholes.
Not their kid, though. With Clark as a father (and Martha and Jonathan's influence as well) Lex knew she'd be a sweetheart. He only hoped his own role in her life would help make her strong and intelligent. He vowed to be a hands-on father, but still let her make her own choices in life.
The masculine "Happy Valentine's Day, Lex" was very familiar, but even more so was the large thumbprint on the envelope. It was sticky, and smelled like apple pie spices. Obviously someone had zipped home to see his mother.
Lex smiled, and put it back in his desk drawer, away from all the other "important" mail he'd gotten that day at work. Still, it was that ridiculous " I'll be your Devilicus, if you say I-Will-icus" note that stuck in his mind all day.
By ten A.M, Lex wanted nothing more than to get away. The office was buzzing with holiday talk, much of it about him, Lex was certain, judging by the odd looks random employees were giving him. It was just a card. These people clearly needed lives. Lex vowed to give them more to do, if they had this much time to gossip.
He figured out why when he walked out into the main hallway, and found his next gift. There were what looked like fifty silver, gold and purple helium balloons, attached to a child's toy plastic ship. The note attached said, "You float my boat." Lex groaned, and said, "Well, I seem to have an admirer." Then he told Cherie to pass the balloons around to the employees who had kids. Privately, he couldn't wipe the grin off his face.
Lex had really wanted to spend his Valentine's Day lunchtime with Clark, but it wasn't going to happen the way he'd hoped. Instead, he spent it at the annual LexCorp Blood Drive.
This year was special. Superman was going to be there to give his stamp of approval on the whole deal. They had five times as many sign ups because of that. Each person who donated got to get a photograph with the hero. 'The Man of Steel Isn't Scared of a Little Needle" had proven to be a compelling slogan.
Thanking Superman for his help (and promising a more personal gratitude later, in a voice only Superhearing could discern) Lex spoke to the crowd. The Julian Luthor Children's Hospital would not have to worry about their blood supply running out for a long while.
The afternoon passed slowly. Busy with contracts for the new HDTV Channel LexCorp was launching, Lex didn't have time to think about Valentines.
At least not until he opened the middle drawer on the right hand side of his desk, and instead of finding his stapler and voice recorder, discovered it filled to the top with conversation hearts. They tasted chalky and unnatural, but Lex thought they were delicious.
Really, though, the bears were the last straw. He and Clark were going to have words when he got home. He found the first one when he went to his parking spot on the way home. It was sitting on the passenger seat of his Ferrari -- the new Crimson one he had driven to work for the first time that day. The first time he'd driven it anywhere, actually. In point of fact, the lavender Care Bear wasn't just sitting. It was belted in. The note attached said, "Be 'Careful'. I couldn't 'bear it' if anything happened to you, today."
The second bear, clearly well loved and well worn, was soft and cuddly. It wore a red plaid flannel shirt, and tiny denim pants. Its tag, with "Property of C.J. Kent" in a feminine hand, was crossed out to read 'L.Luthor", instead.
Lex smiled; picturing the little boy Clark had once been, loving and sweet. That hadn't changed when he reached adulthood, though Lex would be glad when their daughter was born, and Clark could divert some of his sappier leanings towards a more appropriate target.
He made a note to send Chloe roses, and a gift certificate for a massage and spa day. He still couldn't believe the generosity of the gift she was giving them. Three more months, and the nursery he and Clark, Lana and Martha had helped paint - Lana's vote for all pink had been quickly vetoed -- would be filled with new life. It looked good now, but only the expected infant would make it complete. Thinking about the changes ahead scared Lex a little, but all in all, it was a good thing.
When Lex walked into their bedroom, and saw the final part of Clark's Valentine's Day gift, he could hardly stop himself from laughing. Clark was naked - well, mostly naked - on their bed. He'd covered the bed in what looked like red velvet, something Lex was sure they hadn't owned before. But what really broke Lex up, what in fact brought tears to his eyes was the dark chocolate ganache, spread over Clark's cock. The line of white frosting looping over the length of it sent him completely over the edge.
"Is that for me? You shouldn't have. No. Really. You shouldn't have."
"Happy Valentine's Day, Lex. I got you a treat!" Clark beamed.
"Looks more like you're the one who wants a treat. Care to explain yourself? Though after all your little gifts today, you deserve something."
"Well, remember how you once told me about the code candy manufacturers use to tell people what's inside their chocolates?"
"Yes, and how I had to point out that everybody can't X-ray them like you can, just to avoid the dreaded coconut."
"Well, yeah. So, um, I'm a big chocolate, just for you." Clark giggled. Lex could swear he was the one with the pregnancy hormones, even though Clark had no genetic connection to their baby at all.
Lex laughed, too, as he made quick work of taking his own suit off. He bent down to kiss Clark, careful not to jostle him just yet. "I've got one question, for you. What's this particular pattern supposed to mean?"
Clark blushed. 'I couldn't remember the real code, so I just took my cue from the package of Hostess Cupcakes I found in Lois' desk."
"Cream filling?" Sometimes Lex thought Clark was still seventeen, at heart.
"Why don't you come down here, and find out?"
And Lex did just that, and it was delicious.