Kain's toughts

Fandom: Smallville
Pairings/Characters: Clark/Lex
Rating: E
Length: 103,242
Creator Links: toomuchplor
Theme: Marriage of convenience
Content notes: The author has a note for this, but there are two attacks on women, one of which is a sexual assault. These are not graphic, nor do they involve main characters. There is mention of (poorly managed) mental health care facilities and life in them.

Summary: A long story about Froot Loops, celery salt, dorkdom, and -- oh yeah -- marriage.

Reccer's Notes: I first read this fic twenty years ago (!!) on LJ, and loved it. I was skeptical about whether I'd still like it since I'm not into Smallville anymore, and, you know, twenty years. Reader, it is still good. I stayed up late reading. I was nearly late to appointments because I was reading. It's that kind of story. Surprisingly few things seem dated. The phones are not smart, of course, and there's maybe more attention paid to Clark's bisexuality than would occur now. But, other than that, it has held up remarkably well, and only has about five typos. 🥰

Essentially, Lex's father, Lionel, has disowned him, and Lex needs to be married for a year in order to get an inheritance set aside by his mother. Clark needs money for college. They sign an agreement to be married for a year.

The trajectory of the story is absolutely what one would expect from this trope, but what sets the story apart is the quality of the writing. The plot is well thought out and the pacing and character development are excellent. I also appreciate that the supporting cast get their screen time: Pete, Chloe, Lois, Lionel, Mr. and Mrs. Kent. (Lana makes an appearance, but her screen time is blessedly minimal.) The story also takes on issues like Clark's abilities--and the ethics of using them--and his development as a reporter.

There's a good amount of humor in this story, too, which is a bonus. I mean, Clark is such a dork, and it's great. The requisite Smallville farm jokes are here for you.

Fanwork Links: Omiai