Clex Fic Recs - Smallville
Since there's a bit of a Clex Renaissance going on, I decided to repost my fic recs for the pairing. All are based on the show Smallville because it's THE Clex show. (also, did you know the story that made the '5-things' format popular was written for Smallville Clex in 2001? This is the ship that changed fandom history!)
Tragically, some of my faves were lost forever (”Roomies” by bexless was the best college Clex ever! 😢) and some are unfinished but still brilliant! Truly, the amount of talent in this fandom was astounding at its height. Also, it goes without saying that EVERYTHING by these writers is 100% reccable, so try their other stories as well!
Identical Series by lanning (WiP). Behold: my favorite fic of all time. My end all and be all, sucked me into SV without me knowing anything about these characters. The rec list I found it on said ‘hooks you from the very first sentence and never lets go’ and God, so true. I discovered it in 2009 and fell in love even though I knew almost nothing about the canon in was based on. I’d seen maybe two or three episodes of Smallville, but somehow I was completely unaware that it was a show about young Superman, and not just your regular run-of-the-mill show about teenagers with supernatural powers. I hadn’t been really exposed to Superman mythos when I was growing up, so the names Clark Kent, Lex Luthor, Lois Lane were, at best, vaguely familiar. I had no idea who these characters were and how they were connected to each other. When I found out Clark and Lex were destined to become mortal enemies, I was distressed because, thanks to the Identical series, I was already completely head over heels for their friendship. I loved it so much that it’s still influencing what kind of pairings I’m drawn to in my new fandoms. This was a formative pairing for me, and the Identical series was a formative fic because it is literally everything I ever wanted from fanfiction. Plot that is fun, fast-moving and very in line with what we expect to see in the canon universe (except much more coherent and consistent). Beautifully written and well-developed romance. Friendships and family are written to be just as important as romantic relationships. Every character gets a chance to shine (and have a wonderfully constructed character arc). Canon events that broke my heart? Fixed. Intelligent and witty dialogue? Present. Hurt/comfort - so much hurt/comfort! And it’s probably my favorite best-friends-to-lovers story ever written, and the reason I love this trope to begin with. This is the series that has really withstood the test of time for me, and it’s always going to be the go-to story whenever I’m feeling down.
The Middle of Nowhere by Molly, the quintessence of early season Clex dynamic
Contingencies by xparrot, angst with a happy ending, what late season Clark and Lex should have been
The Right of Truth by xparrot, Lex being devoted and self-sacrificing!
For Richer or Poorer by ingridmatthews, hilarious and sweet. Lex loses all his riches and starts to work as a librarian!
Looking Glass Country by astolat, SV Lex trades places with comics Lex. Bittersweet!
Vix Te Agnovi by seperis, based on early season 1, my favorite part is For Remembrance, beautiful and hopeful, with a wiser, braver Clark
Five Things That Never Happened to Lex Luthor by rivkat, exploring possibilites, poignant and lovely
Therefore I am by plnunn. This author makes the impossible happen: they take late seasons (season 8 in this case) with all their fucked-up messages and inconsistencies and FIX THEM without taking sides, giving both Clark and Lex the voice they were deprived of. The very best of enemies-to-lovers. Lots of torture and dub/non-con in their works, though!
The Reciprocation series: Reciprocation, Give and Take, Quality Time, Emergence by plnunn, angsty Clex diverging from season 6, happy ending (may contain non-con and/or graphic depiction of violence)
Reap/What You Sow by plnunn, more angsty post season 6 Clex, happy ending (includes non-con)
Obsessions by plnunn, s2 epic length fic with a great Clark/Lex dynamic also featuring the Kents, Chloe, Pete and Lionel, but it comes with a HUGE caveat in that it features sexual assault and torture (including between redK!Clark and Lex, but they work through it).
Stranded by plnunn, abandoned WiP, but my favorite by this author. Post s7 Clex, all their issues explored beautifully (includes non-con and graphic violence). Ends on a cliffhanger.
A Deeper Season by nifra idril, unfinished! 😭 but so wonderfully written. What if Clark was a bit older when he met Lex? Characterization here is impeccable, and the sex is very hot.
Project Metropolis by roses, a Lex and Pete friendship story with some intense background Clex. One of the best Lexes ever. And canon Clark with all his neuroses is captured so well it’s funny.
Tête-à-tête by bluestalking, a reveal fic. One of the comments sums it up best - ‘Clark is an asshole. Great writing’ 😂
Landscape by seperis, Lex travels between universes. Unfortunately unfinished, but one of the best portrayals of Lex (well, various versions of Lex) and what-could-have-beens.
Manual Transmissions series by bipolypesca, VERY long, but VERY worth it. Canon AU diverging from s2.
Skin Deep by rivkat, THE rule 63 fic.
Complicity by rivkat, angst and the effect of gaslighting. NO HAPPY ENDING!
A Life Less Invulnerable by rivkat, lovely future fic
Incarnadine by rivkat, premise similar to Obsessions, NON-CON, but an amazing exploration of Lex’s character and big Lex-and-Jonathan and Lex-and-Martha feels
I Shatter, Someone to Watch Over Me, Loose Me From Hard Cares, When the Gods Have Been There by various authors, fic based on the episode Shattered
Of Epistles and Epiphanies by nifra idril, AU fix-it of the Rift. Drunk!Lex sends Clark a sincere email.
Left in Life’s Best Bloom by bewaretheides15, Lex gets de-aged into a teenager (underage sex ensues)
Alexander and the Mirror by cjandre, a fairy-tale-ish premise, could have been an episode of SV
Revenge by astolat, hilarious future fic (with some dub con)
Better by astolat, fix-it for Jitters (underage)
turnnoffyourmind
yousharknotpass
gummygunk
s-u-f-j-a-n-s-t-e-v-e-n-s
kianamaiart
