Just Plain Wrong Just Plain Wrong by Peggy Title: Just Plain Wrong (1/1) Author: Peggy Email: mchallen@shaw.ca or pegchallen@hotmail.com Rating: PG Pairing: Lex/Clark Character: Jonathan Disclaimer: Yup, they belong to me. Sure do. I also have some oceanfront property in Saskatchewan I can sell you at a bargain price. Feedback: Can't stand the stuff. I'm allergic to it. Some things are just plain wrong: pesticide, the Sharks at the bottom of the league, the IRS, Ricky Martin, and Lex Luthor living in Smallville. The IRS and pesticides are big enough problems that Jonathan can't summon too much indignation about them. They're inevitable, and they affect all his friends and neighbours as well. He knows it's not personal. The dismal showing of the Sharks this season is tragic, but he'd long ago given up daydreaming about a scout showing up on the doorstep, saying, "Suit up and save the day, Kent." Well, he'd given up thinking it was a realistic daydream. And since he'd taken a stand about Martha's strange taste in music, she'd agreed not to play her Ricky Martin CD's when he was within earshot. But Smallville's newest resident wasn't a problem that could be either shrugged off or solved. It was a pity he couldn't just shoot the bastard, but that would be wrong. Also, it would be illegal. Plus, he would probably get caught, and he didn't think wiping the smug smirk off Luthor Jr's face would be enough consolation to get him through thirty years in prison. When he'd first heard that Lionel Luthor's kid would be Gabe's new boss, he'd been incredulous. There was no way Luthor would send the heir apparent out to a nothing town like Smallville. The plant might be the economic mainstay of the town, but it was only a drop in the LuthorCorp ocean. After he thought about the news for a while, he became suspicious, figured this college kid was being sent to close the plant down and sell it off for parts. Then he met Lex, and it occurred to him that maybe Lionel must hate Smallville even worse than Jonathan had ever guessed. That could be the only explanation for Lex being dumped here. Lionel was trying to aggravate the whole town to death, and Lex was his secret weapon. Never mind that the boy drove like a Grand Prix racer with epilepsy. Never mind that he seemed to be laughing at everybody behind his polite veneer. Never mind that he swaggered around town in his weird clothes. He wore mauve, pink, and even freaking violet like it was normal for a man to dress like that. Jonathan was a man's man. Appropriate attire was a sports jacket and khakis for church and the loan officer, flannel and jeans for every other occasion. He shouldn't even know what words like violet meant, and here he was. Damnit, Lex was infecting him now. He'd already infected Clark. Thank God his son hadn't picked up Luthor's dress habits. But he was spending a disturbing amount of time at the mansion, doing Lord knows what. Jonathan wanted to forbid it, but wasn't sure how to without looking like a fool. That was another obnoxious thing about Lex Luthor, his ability to make Jonathan feel like an idiot without saying a word. Martha thought he was paranoid for wanting to lock the whole family in the storm cellar whenever he caught a glimpse of that bald head. Lex was a good customer, ordered lots of produce even in the lean times, and always paid his bill on time. Deliveries were part of Clark's chores, and had been for a while. It got Jonathan's goat knowing that Clark engineered his route so Lex was always the last stop, then spent time getting corrupted before coming home for dinner. He'd tried to talk to Clark about it, tried to warn him, but had always ended up hopelessly embarrassed. The way Lex looked at Clark gave Jonathan the creeps; the only thing worse was the way Clark looked at Lex. And if Jonathan were to put ideas in Clark's head... Well, the results didn't bear thinking about. So they carried on, a touch of frost in Jonathan's voice every time Clark mentioned Lex's name, a touch of frustration in Clark's voice every time he defended Lex to his father. Maybe Jonathan was worrying over nothing. Clark was just a kid, a sweet, nave kid. He just had an intense case of hero-worship for an older boy, that was the explanation for those looks. That was all there was to it. Yup. But Jonathan still thought it was just plain wrong that Lex Luthor was living in Smallville. If you enjoyed this story, please send feedback to Peggy