Promise by Ruby (PG)

[tamalinn.livejournal.com]

ETA: Links have been fixed.

Fandom: SMALLVILLE
Pairing: Clark/Lex, pre-slash
Author on LJ: ruby101
Author Website: Ruby's Writings - deactivated by geocites, so never mind.
Why this must be read:

I was wading through clarklexfic one day long ago, and I came across a request for a fic I'd never heard of. It said something about Lex always keeping his promises to Clark and hotter not!porn than had ever before been written. Immediately I set out to find this story, and, lo, I did, and I read it. And it was good. Really good. Like, reccing on crack_van worthy good, and I was shocked I hadn't seen it recced yet.

First of all, it's College!Clark, a kink for a good portion of fandom. And Lex follows Clark to Metropolis because they're best friends. Well, best friends who are hopelessly in love with one another, but this is pre-slash, so they don't know it yet. But we sure do.

This Lex is my favorite Lex in fanfic. He's got those heartbreaking vulnerabilities, but they're much more subversive here. We see much more of confident!Lex, and a confident Clark to match. They play off one another with such ease and connection, I'm as surprised as all of their friends that they're not banging one another yet.

I should be writing this rec while I'm more awake so that I can better convey to you just how essential this fic is to fandom. It's just so perfectly written. Perfect characterizations, perfect plot, perfect reveal. Perfect friendship that looks like it could lead to perfect lovers.

I'm not quite sure what happened to Ruby. Sometime after posting the sequel to Promise, she vanished from the LJ scene. I mean, her LJ is still there, but she doesn't appear to be. We probably need to stalk her or something to bring her back, because the fandom could benefit from more of Ruby's fanfic.

Promise is here, and be sure to leave Ruby feedback!

Sequel: Not Yet.