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Clark and Xander waste time playing pool in the rec room and talking about life on the island and at home [log with continuation in thread]

Clark Kent was doing pretty well, considering. He'd made a few friends, seen a few familiar faces, and everything was slowly starting to settle his nerves. Did that mean he wanted to stay? No. He needed to go home. But...there were worse places, he could be. Slipping into the rec room, Clark had a seat and looked at all of the options. The rough part of being "new" was that...you were new, and people had a tendency to ignore the new kid. It's like the first day of school all over again, but Clark was just there to check things out. So, it wasn't too awful.

It wasn't that Xander was ignoring Clark, it was more he was just oblivious to whoever was in the room as he walked in whistling softly. He headed over to the bookshelf to see what it had to offer today. It seemed to stay on it's theme of Demon books (in demon languages even), Teen Titan comic books and the Narnia series that it normally had when he walked in. Shaking his head, he turned around and then spotted Clark sitting there. He grinned brightly as he walked over. "Clark ole' buddy! How ya doing?"

Clark had vaguely noticed Xander. Not that Xander wasn't noticeable, mind you, but he was just busy trying to figure out what he wanted to do. The rec room had OPTIONS. "Hey," he said, standing up and grinned slightly. At least he wasn't alone, anymore, right? "I'm okay." Beats being dead.

"Settling in okay?" It was a standard question given the situation, because god knows the island took alot of getting used too. Even Xander still found things that were unsettling, even for someone Sunnydale born and bred. Then he raised a playful eyebrow. "Should I be worried about you just sitting blankly in the rec room?"

"No, I was just checking things out. The rec room is surprisingly nice." With lots of things to do. "Usually, when you end up on an island that's 'deserted'," in a sense, "you don't think rec rooms or a compound."

Xander just laughed. "Because there's nothing usual about this place, believe me. It's been pretty tame since you arrived, what with just changing scenery and all." Then he looked around the rec room himself, glad the jukebox was being blissfully silent, when his eyes set on the pool table. He hadn't played pool since the unfortunate incident with Brian and Anya and he didn't think he had to worry about unwanted kissage from Clark. "Hey, want a game of pool?"

"Sure," he replied. "I haven't played in a while." He followed Xander's lead as he thought about his time here. "I kind of don't know what to expect anymore." He's not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.

"That's a good mindset to stay in." The grin on Xander's face as he said this wasn't reassuring, no doubt. "And me either. So we should be evenly matched." He started racking up the balls.

"Do you guys play a lot of games," he asked, innocently. He couldn't remember the last time he just played...games. For fun. Football not withstanding, of course.

Xander shrugged slightly. "Well, what do you mean by games? Bart and I play video games occasionally, but other then that, not really. We just kinda hang out." After the balls were racked and the triangle put away and he moved to get a cue. "There's a basket ball hoop outside but I don't know who has the ball if that's your thing and oh! We go swimming alot." He just rattled off things as he thought about them.

"I dunno," he said, but glanced at the pool table. "This place feels like there'd be mean games of Monopoly going on." Though, to be fair, Clark sucked at Monopoly.

"It would help if we had a game of Monopoly to play. I think we have the money in the games closet but that's it. Of course, you could always make your own I guess. Hey that could be fun!" It was sad when he got excited about the thought of making a monopoly board. "Wanna break?" Xander moved to lean against the wall to watch.

Clark nodded as he took the stock and sized up his options. "I don't think I have the monopoly board," he began, sizing up his aim, "memorized enough," he shot and....nothing. Damn. "To make a whole new board," he replied. He chuckled. "But if you did, you could make an Island Monopoly game."

: Moving around the table, Xander clapped him on the shoulder. "Don't worry my friend, I'm not that good either. Good thing we're not playing for anything right?" He gave Clark a playful look as he moved to set up in his own shot. "Yeah, alls I remember of the game is 'Go to Jail. Go Directly to Jail. Do Not Pass Go. Do Not Collect Two Hundred Dollars.'" He took his shot, sinking a stripe. "I was never very good at either. When your best friend can whoop you in 20 minutes, it doesn't get very fun anymore."

"I think the last time I played pool there was alcohol and an illegal marriage," he replied. And no power on this earth would make him say more.

Xander blinked. "Wow...that worse them my accidental kissage and then an ex thinking I was gay." And Xander didn't pry. No power on this earth meant something to him too.

"Oh, so you're not gay," Clark replied. "Not that I thought you were, but someone told me that there was something in the water...?" She had a bird at the time.

"Yea, I've heard about that too. I was afraid there for myself for a while. But no, I have a very nice girlfriend thanks." Xander considered himself lucky to have found Jill because he was afraid that he'd succumb to the water. He didn't have the best kind of luck with women afterall.

"That's nice," Clark replied. "That you found someone." Hell, Clark had issues keeping Lana and not having girls get murdered. Kind of put a damper on his dating life.

Xander was used to the opposite. Girls trying to murder him. Jill was quite the refreshing change. Still, he couldn't help a silly smile coming to his face as he sank another stripe then missed. "It really really is. She's...she's amazing."

Well, then. It couldn't be all that bad, now could it? If Xander could smile like that then...maybe there was some hope. Who knew? Clark leaned against the pool table, pondering his next move. "My girl's still there," he said, distractedly. He hadn't actually meant to say that.

"Oh really?" Xander raised a playful eyebrow in a gossiping tone that had taken years of Willow's friendship to develop. Was it his fault his best friends were girls? "What's she like?" This was Clark Kent afterall, he wondered if this was Lois he was taking about or what.

"Sweet," Clark said. "Smallville's princess." He smiled softly. "She hates that, though. She doesn't want to be a princess."

"And here I thought all girls wanted to be princesses." Xander said teasingly, remembering playing that game often with Willow. Then he playfully elbowed Clark. "You really like her huh?" He teased lightly

[cont below]

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Clark just smiled sadly and took his shot. "It's complicated," he replied. Complicated was putting it mildly. It wasn't that he just liked her, that would probably be easy, but he kind of loved her. That can't sleep, can't eat, she was all he could think about kind of love. And when you had a terrible secret, one that would change your relationship entirely--what do you do?

Especially if that deep dark secret a) turned you into a freak or b) was the root of her parent's death. Even after 4 years of finding out the truth about who he really was, that was something he could never get over. "So, where do you work on the island?" Do you work? Michael had said that it wasn't a requirement.

That was something Xander had thought about since meeting Clark. His friend seemed so guarded about his powers, didn't make any mention of it like it wasn't there. How would he react when he found out the most of the people on island knew about all of his powers, knew his name and knew his future? Xander wondered if he should tell him...but he just didn't know how really.

"Complicated?" He chuckled now as he leaned against the wall. "Love is always complicated. If it was a easy, I don't think it would be any fun." Well...fun may have been putting it mildly but still. He figured Clark got what he meant.

Then he raised an eyebrow. "Work? What do you mean work? Like a job?"

"Fun" was putting it mildly. It was fun when it was good, and awful at every other point. The points leading up to asking them out could be agonizing--does she like me? does she not like me? what if she rejects me?--plus the awkward moments when it was over. The pain and the anger. "I guess so," he replied, leaning against the stick.

Clark nodded. "Yeah, someone said there were jobs and stuff for people to do?" Clark tilted his head. "I'm still looking around for stuff to do." Since Clark Kent wasn't Clark Kent without doing something. Clark did not sit idly by.

"Hey! Maybe she'll show up here. How much more romantic can you get, a remote tropical island? And with nothing to do really except hang out." Xander hoped something happened for Clark...he just seemed so...sad. Maybe his girl showing up would do it. Or maybe he would meet someone here. Maybe Xander could help with that...

"Oh...oh yeah! I wouldn't really call it jobs, but there's people who hunt and cook and farm and stuff like that. There's a police force and a newspaper...Ummm...that's all I can think off of the top of my head. They all have offices and stuff in the compound or if you ask around, I'm sure you can find something that interests you." Xander on the other hand liked the not having anything to do. After the summer he'd had and the future that had been awaiting him, just hanging out with his friends sounded perfectly good to him.

"The Newspaper is more Chloe's thing," he replied, as an afterthought. Luckily she was here. Clark made it a point not to say anything about Lana coming here. He wasn't sure if he wanted that. As romantic, as Xander put it, as it would be, Clark wanted her safe. He wasn't so sure that would happen here. But...it'd be nice."I could probably do farm stuff." He shrugged.

"I might go to the school," he said, finally. "I heard they have one here." Clark Kent: College Student. Sounded good, no?

Oh really...Guess Clark hadn't gotten bit for the journalism bug yet. Maybe it was his friend Chloe who got him into the whole paper thing...though Xander didn't remember any friend named Chloe...but then he had always been more a sci-fi dork then a comics geek.

Of course, mention of the farm brought a sad look to Xander's eyes for a moment as his thoughts strayed to Anya. He visited her chicks often, chicken now, often picking up Willow and just running his hands through her feathers. "I'm sure they'd love the help."

Then, all sad mood gone, Xander moved to line up his next shot. "Yeah, it's kind of a speciality course kinda thing. I was never a school kinda guy so I haven't really looked into it."

"I was supposed to go to Central Kansas," he replied. "Back home. I could've gone to MetU, but..." Well. "Anyway, I don't do bad at school. My mom and dad want me to go. Especially my mom." His dad would be 100% content with him being a farmer the rest of his life. Clark wasn't sure how to feel about that. Still, his father meant well and he was a good man. That was neither here nor there, though.

"You should check it out," he replied. "It'd be fun and give us something to do." He grinned. "Aside from playing pool badly and hanging out at the beach." Clark Kent, Star Collegiate and Clark Kent's Pal, Xander Harris!

It must be nice, to have parents that cared about things like that. The only thing his ever cared about was whether or not the liquor cabinet was filled and there was beer in the fridge. Plus, even if he been smart enough to go to school, there was no way he could have afforded to go to University of Sunnydale.

"Huh...were you excited about it?" That kind of sucks. To work hard to get into a school and then not be able to go?

Xander just chuckled. "Hey you never know! Playing pool badly could have it's perks...one day I'll think of one and let you know what it is, but still!" Then he rolled his eyes. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to try. Willow would be proud of me, considering classes without her guilt-ing me into it." And it would be nice to have something to do that wasn't watching Buffy or Jill train.

"Well, yeah," he said. "But I was going on scholarship, the farm isn't pulling in the numbers it used to. Even with all Ma's pie sales." Or the Talon work. "Not that we're strapped for cash, but..." They weren't exactly high rollers. "MetU gave me a football scholarship." Clark Kent - star Quarterback. It had been a good senior year.

"Plus, you might find something you're pretty good at," he replied. "Where's the bad in that?" He tilted his head. "Worse case, you don't like what you're doing and you stop. Willow can't fault you if you tried it, right?" Not that Clark knew Willow, but it made sense to him.

"Wait...I thought you said you were going to Central Kansas?" So Metropolis had it's own university huh? Didn't surprise him really, it was probably even right next door to the Daily Planet.

Then Xander chuckled. "Well I guess it couldn't hurt. I hope you don't mind being recruited as my tutor since this is all your fault." Being tutored by Clark Kent. That was too cool.

"Yeah," he replied. "Metropolis University." He grinned. "It's one of the major colleges in the midwest, and the Metropolis Sharks are there. Everyone in Kansas wants to be on that football team."

"Great!" Clark said, slapping him on the back in that good natured farm boy kind of way. "I think I can handle that."

Oh...So Central Kansas /was/ Metropolis University. Gotcha. "SO you were a big football person huh?" His thoughts strayed to Larry for a moment and he felt a small of regret as he remember how the brave footballer had first come out to Xander and then died fighting the mayor at graduation. Poor guy. Came to that huge revelation and didn't get to enjoy it.

He was jostled out of his thoughts by the slap on the back and it took him a moment to get his breath back. Even without the powers, Clark had a pretty good arm on him. "Good..." He croaked out slightly.