capable_of | Affectionately called, Lex is an idiot

Lex was cold.

There was really no other thought going through his head at the moment. Or really, it summarized everything well, with the shivering, and chattering, and coughing, and overall ache that went along with being so very cold.

He had been on his way to see Anatoly for another of their Russian lessons. Not wanting Anatoly to have to cart all the learning materials they had acquired up to the compound, Lex had insisted on continuing to come to his hut, now yurt, despite the change in weather. And he was prepared for it, in boots, thick pants, heavy shirt, sweater and coat, gloves and even a scarf in glaring primary colors. The only thing he'd forgone was a hat but that was thanks to Luthor pride. He never covered his head, never hid his difference so no one could use it against him. Plus, the fact he had it meant he couldn't sick.

Up until the island but Lex had conveniently forgotten that one small detail.

He'd told himself he'd just stop for a minute to take a rest. A Luthor would not be beaten by cold weather and Lex was determined to make it to Anatoly's yurt. Leaning against a tree, he closed his eyes and just huddled in on himself for a moment. A moment that turned into many long ones.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Hours later, Lex woke up slowly. He laid there for a long time, just registering everything in his head. The last thing he really remembered was walking to Anatoly hut and just becoming so overcome with cold that he couldn't move. He vaguely remembered Anatoly's voice.

Now, he knew he was somewhere warm. But while warm, he still felt an overall ache in his body, especially in his lungs, throat, limbs and nose. He hadn't felt this downright sick since...before the meteor shower. He knew was inside, undercovers and most importantly, there was someone laying next to him.

Finally, he opened his eyes and looked into the sleeping face of Anatoly. He couldn't help thinking back to another time he'd opened his eyes into the face of someone who'd saved his life in the face of his own idiocy. And just like that last time...he felt a connection. A deep one. All the testing and touches, they led up to this moment of clarity.

Struggling with the blankets for a moment, Lex slowly brought his hand up and lightly brushed the curls out of Anatoly's face with a small smile on his chapped lips.

Anatoly stirred at the touch, his eyes slowly fluttering open. He caught Lex's eye, and for a few moments, he could do nothing but gaze at him. "I don't know whether to hug you or shake you."

Holding off on doing either for the moment, he took Lex's hand, wincing at how it still felt and held it to his chest - for warming purposes, of course. "How are you feeling?"

Catching the look, Lex just looked back into brown eyes before he managed a more impish smile despite how he felt. "Your not the first one to feel that way, believe me." Of course, the soft voice turned into a small fit of coughing that he muffled by turning his head into the pillow.

When he turned his head back, he took a moment to marvel at how warm his hand felt against Anatoly's chest. "I feel like something ran over me in a freezer." He ran his tongue over his lips, as he paused a moment to rest his rasping voice. "I apologize, it's been years since I've been anything close to sick. I'd forgotten what it feels like."

"I suspect you're going to find out," Anatoly said wryly. He rubbed gently at Lex's fingers, trying to bring some warmth back into them. "Whatever possessed - no. I am not going to yell."

Not while Lex was recovering, at least. As angry and worried as he had been, he was just relieved that Lex was here, safe if not quite sound. Illness was a minor thing, considering what could have gone wrong.

"But if you ever do anything like that again, freezing to death will be the least of your worries."

Lex had the decency to look properly ashamed of himself, the blush making his already red cheeks brighter. "My father always did say my pride would be the death of me."

He watched Anatoly rub his fingers for a moment, before he spoke softly again. "Thank you." There was an emotion in his voice the he wasn't sure he could name, but was there all the same.

Anatoly paused for a moment to let the hand he'd been holding go so he could take care of the other one. "There's nothing to thank me for."

He met Lex's eyes again. "You are my friend, my closest friend, perhaps. How could I do anything less?"

Lex swallowed a lump in his throat that had nothing to do with how much it hurt from the no doubt mild case of hypothermia he had. "Then I have a lot more to thank you for. Because close friends are something I've never really had." Till Clark. And even then, Lex knew he was already closer to Anatoly then he'd ever been with the teenager.

Anything else Lex meant to say was buried in a fit of coughing that erupted as he covered his mouth with the hand Anatoly had just released.

Alarmed at the coughing, Anatoly sat up, still holding Lex's hand to his chest. "Would you want me to get you some tea? It might help with the coughing."

Hopefully, the cough was just a side effect from being outside for so long, and not a signal of anything more serious.

As much as Lex really didn't want Anatoly to leave, the mention of tea sounded positively heavenly. He nodded since he wasn't sure if he could speak with out coughing at that moment.

The coughing also made him feel extremely weak again and he just wanted to curl under the covers and go back to sleep. But of course, instead he tried to sit up. "Please?" He finally asked in a soft, rough voice.

Anatoly hated to leave, particularly with Lex looking as miserable as he was, but the tea wouldn't make itself. "I'll be back as soon as I can, I promise."

Reluctantly, he let go of Lex's hand and slid out from underneath the covers and prepared for the journey outside. "And you'll stay here, I hope, and not try venturing outside again?"

He didn't think that was likely, but then, he hadn't thought anyone would leave their head uncovered in the snow, so there it was.

Giving up on sitting up, Lex instead curled up into the blankets again, already half asleep again. It could be noted later that he'd curled up right into the warm spot Anatoly had left without even noticing. "I promise, I won't move from this spot." He said in his soft raspy voice as he yawned and closed his eyes again.

Pensively, Anatoly glanced down, pulling the covers a little closer around Lex. His hand hovered briefly over his forehead, but he refrained from actual contact. Lex needed rest, and he needed to get the tea.

"I'll be back soon," he said again, then left, gently shutting the door behind him.

Affectionately called, Lex is an idiot

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject