(Untitled)

[kal_el_clark]

I hadn't seen much of anyone but Shannon since coming to LA. Sure I saw Harry briefly after he came back from New York but between all the things going on in his life and his work he's mostly been gone. I liked Shannon, even if half the time she did make me feel incredibly awkward and terribly farm boy for some reason. But she was easy to be

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[ny_city_boy]

I left my meeting with James feeling wicked relieved and confused. Every time I think I have him figured out, he surprises me, and well usually I'm the unpredictable one. It was hard to know where I stood with him. Guess that was way he was sure to keep me on my toes.

I entered the penthouse and dropped my bag off in my room. Darla and Shannon appeared to be out or sleeping, but I immediately caught sight of Clark on the balcony. Shrugging out of my jacket, I hung it up, before walking over to where Clark was gazing out at the city.

Leaning against the door to the balcony, I asked in a quiet tone, "Not quite as beautiful as Manhattan, but it has it's charm don't you think?"

I'd been careful not to be around him too much when I first dosed up because I didn't want him to get any residuals of the drugs. Now I felt settled enough that as long as I wasn't bleeding, I didn't think I would be a risk to him.

[kal_el_clark]

I'd been so busy listening to the city and tuning in to hear specific things he'd actually managed to startle me a little. I jumped slightly and turned to look at Harry over my shoulder.

"I don't know if I'll ever be at home in a city honestly. But this place has it's own feel to it." Lex is more at home in his city of glass and steel and Harry belongs in the tall buildings of manhattan. I belong in a cornfield apparently.

"Do you like it here? I know how you feel about New York."

[ny_city_boy]

Did I like it here? That was a good question. I walked out and stood next to him, staring out at the buildings. There was still a couple hours before sunrise.

"Sometimes it feels more like home than Manhattan. I'm always going to be a New York City boy at heart, but that penthouse never really felt like home."

Not that this place really felt like home. I could bring Clark, Shannon and Darla here, but it wasn't the same as the hotel with Faith, my kids, Angel, Connor and everyone was. That had been my first real home.

"I think I'm a gypsy by nature. I'm never going to feel comfortable in one place too long even if I give in to the illusion that I have finally found a place that I belong. How are you adjusting to living here?"

[kal_el_clark]

"Well, I let Shannon take me places and call me crazy for not having a car. And she's started throwing out my clothes and replacing them by the way." But is that really an answer about adjusting? Will I ever adjust to anything now that Dad's gone? I don't think Harry's as gypsy like as he is claiming either.

"About as well as I can I guess. Sometimes I just want to follow the sun around the world and never stop running. But that's not really an option."

[kal_el_clark]

I'd forgotten it was almost sunrise, and that it made a difference. I would have to start remembering that someday. I wondered what was behind his own eyes when he was looking at me like that.

"I just got up actually, it's 2 hours later in Smallville and my internal clock is kind of set to get up and do chores." I wanted to stay in bed late my whole life and when I can I don't. It felt like I could feel the sun rising back home and it just drove me out of bed.

[ny_city_boy]

That was all I needed to hear to turn and walk into the penthouse knowing that he would follow me. No clue if Shannon was in my room or her private room, but I decided not to chance it. Instead I went into his room and held the door open for him.

Once he was inside I closed it and locked it. Even though I didn't think Darla or Shannon would disturb us.

"I don't sleep anymore," I told him honestly. "They have me on the performance enhancers again. Don't worry, I don't plan to bleed around you. But they can't hurt me anymore and well they make sleep kind of impossible."

I kicked off my shoes and flopped down on his bed, watching him as he took in the information. "Sophia is on them too. They're trying to perfect the drug here. Make it so it can't kill people so who better to try it out on than vampires?"

[kal_el_clark]

What the hell? I could feel the anger start up, no wonder the both of them were so strong.

"It's not any better to turn you two into guinea pigs!" they couldn't know that anything that worked on vampires would on humans without killing them. It would be like saying hey this didn't kill a horse so it's safe for a parakeet. "How can you be so matter of fact about this Harry?" And I knew Lex was involved in this and it just brought back all that happened to kill our friendship last time. I had to throttle down the impulse to just go over and demand answers from him.

[ny_city_boy]

"Because the drug can be fixed. It can't hurt either of us, and there is an antidote anyway. It's science, Clark. I feel more comfortable having a say in my father's drugs than letting the firm do whatever they want with it and I have no influence."

I shrugged when he looked angry. It was one of the least dangerous projects that the firm had going on. Yeah, he was innocent alright.

"It was my father's life work. It's what he sold me out to this firm for. If it cost me this? I want to be sure it's fixed properly. Otherwise what the fuck did I even die for?"