Title: Skin Deep
Fandom: Smallville
Pairing: Clark Kent/Lex Luthor
Categories/Genres: Alternate Universe, Genderswap, First Time, Romance
Length: Long (27573 words)
Warnings: N/A

Author on AO3: rivkat
Author Website: rivkat

Summary:

Clark turns into a girl. Wackiness ensues.

Review:

As a huge fan of pining in romance, I've become pretty familiar with the most common variations of 'I'll take what I can get before it ends'. Typically, it never ends, because there is a grand confession of feelings and blah blah etc, but usually there is a point at which the pining character(s) realize that they're in too deep to pull themselves back out.

Not so for Skin Deep's Clark. This Clark is so thoroughly aware of the transience of his female alter ego's relationship with Lex that the relationship itself seems almost light and airy, not bogged down at all by the feelings for Lex that Clark is simultaneously suppressing and indulging in. There's a kind of contentedness with the superficiality of that relationship, but rivkat takes care to make it seem like genuine happiness. There is always a subtle underlying sense of incompletion on Clark's part that reminds the reader that there is still more to the story.

But what I like most about this Clark is his willingness to walk away from what he has with Lex. He doesn't let himself settle for incompletion or superficiality and instead makes plans to end his fling with Lex as soon as the summer ends. Unlike some characters who seem to lose all rationality in the face of love, Clark holds onto his with a steady, calm grip.

But he's not unfeeling, nor unaffected by his summer with Lex. When his male body is returned to him, he takes a wild risk, betting it all on the favorable outcome of Lex's hypothetical feelings for the real Clark. And Lex, who's spent the entire story being so thoroughly opaque, finally reveals his closely guarded hand. It's at that point that the relationship between the two gains a sense of true depth and honesty.

Skin Deep