The Memoirs

Lionel hissed when Dominic's nails dug into his skin, and with his head down, he missed the first flash, but not the second two. "I am going to have a few words with Lex about the security around this place," Lionel roared, moving to shield Dominic with his body as they moved towards the steps. "Hold on tightly to me, and if I bump you, I am sorry." He made sure that his broad back was between Dominic and the windows. "Keep your head down and tucked to my shoulder."

Dominic reached up and wound his arm around his lovers neck, holding onto him tightly and digging into the flesh of his lovers back as he held on. He pressed his face down into the hollow his arm made against Lionel's chest, and he held it there, tightly, as he held on. "God, we're naked," he whimpered, and the sob caught in his throat at the state of his body for the world to see. "Oh, God."

"Sssh," Lionel murmured, rising out of the water like a god as he carried Dominic, his bare ass lit up by flashbulbs as he kept his lover shielded, and the first thing he did, once he was on the floor, was to sweep up the blanket from the bench, and wrap it over Dominic's body, so that no skin was visible from head to toe as he went into the small room where the Jacuzzi was.

Dominic was shaking like a leaf as Lionel carried him into the room with the Jacuzzi. He squirmed deeper into the blanket, trembling from suddenly being out of the water, and from the person who had taken pictures of him and Lionel like it was okay to. "God, God, who was that? Oh, God."

"I don't know who it was, but I am going to find out and I am going to have them arrested for trespassing on this property," he ranted. Still balancing Dominic against him, Lionel slammed his hand against the intercom button, and his voice raged throughout the whole house. "Alexander Luthor, I don't know where you are or what you are doing, but if you do not have the person or people who are currently outside of the pool house in your personal custody by the time I get Dominic settled upstairs, then you are going to seriously regret it, do you understand me?" He turned the intercom off and cradled his lover close to him. "They didn't see, whomever it was. You're safe."

Dominic held his lover tightly with his free hand, eyes clenched shut as he let go, only for a moment, to pull the blanket across the small patch of his chest still peaking out of the blanket. He swallowed, hard, and closed his eyes tightly as he fought to block the world out and go to sleep. Sleep, where it was safe, where no one but Lionel knew how horrible he looked. And he was fucking freezing. "Cold, cold," he croaked up toward his husband.

"I know. Let's get you into the warm water, and then when it's safe and clear, I'll take you out again." Lionel moved quickly and urgently, lowering Dominic into the whirlpool's hot water. "Mmm, there we go." He found the chair by slamming into it with his knee, and he swore colorfully as he helped his lover into it. "Here, that's the ticket." He latched the harness over his lover's shoulder and upper body, so that it held his weight upright as though he were sitting normally, but allowed his lower body the freedom to float.

Dominic didn't bother mentioning he was still wrapped in the blanket as he sank down in the hot water. His teeth were chattering, but as soon as the very hot, delightful water seeped through the blanket and hit his skin, it was glorious. He was latched in, belted in firmly, and he closed his eyes and opened them after a moment to look up at his lover. "Put some pants on, love. If you're going to go find Lex."

"I'm not going to leave you alone with these animals on the prowl; I wouldn't put it past them to try and break through the windows for their pictures, and I will not leave you alone." He snarled at the quiet intercom, waiting for Lex to tell him that it was safe to go out. "Don't be surprised to see well-publicized photos of my very old ass in the newspaper tomorrow, because I do believe that is all they were able to photograph."

Dominic looked up from his nest of blankets, bubbles all around him, with only his big eyes and shock of blond hair, and gave a small smile. "Its a nice one. 'sides, they can't show an ass in a newspaper."

"They'll try," Lionel snorted, taking down one of the fluffy white robes from the hooks behind the door, and wrapping it around himself. "There's another, if you'd like it."

He shook his head, just hunching down into the hot water. "I can't believe they're on the grounds. Will Lex call the police?"

"If he knows what is good for him, he will!" Lionel was glaring at the intercom. "I can't believe he hasn't already called us and told us that the situation is under control!"

"Lionel, its only been about ten seconds." Dominic said, trying his best to sound reassuring as he closed his eyes. He was so sleepy. "We should get a security post."

"Yes, and it should not take half that for them to apprehend the people responsible for this outrageous invasion of our privacy. We will be getting a security post, as well as a new fence and the windows of the pool and the conservatory will be frosted as soon as I can arrange it."

Dominic, where once he would have rolled his eyes at his lovers precautions, did not say a word now. He was feeling deeply vulnerable lately, so vulnerable, and this hurt him more than he was letting on. He just nodded, though, and looked up, throat bobbing. "I'm warm now. Can we go upstairs?"

Lionel poked his head out, and was rewarded with the flashing of another flashbulb. "They're still out there, but I think that if I bring the wheelchair into the room, and you cover your head and shoulders with the robe, I should be able to get you out without being seen."

He sighed. "No. That's alright. We can wait. Secure the towel on your hips love, I'm getting a flash of ass crack over here." Dominic motioned a hand. "Don't want them getting the idea to climb the pipes on the outside of the castle and get to the skylights."

Lionel looked down and quickly fixed the towel and the robe around his waist, and he growled. "That, at least, is preventable by the spiked gutter guards installed just prior to the wedding. They're for show, mostly, to fit the decor of the castle, but unless whomever is climbing wants to be stabbed? They'll not get that far." He glared at the intercom. "Alexander and I shall be having quite a long discussion about this."

"He might be in the lab, love. If that's the case, he can't hear you," Dominic said, cheerfully, from his blanket and bubbles.

"If that is the case, then I will have his hide for this," he said, stalking back to the door. "I will NOT be pinned in my own house!" Then his eyes narrowed. "Clark should have heard that call, even if they were in the lab; it was certainly loud enough. I heard it echoing myself."

"Clark is preoccupied, love." Dominic yawned there in his cocoon, deeply, sleepily, breaking some of his panic as he looked up at his lover. "Just wait him out. Or call for my Gran, or Shayla."

"Neither one of those fine young ladies are quite capable enough to tackle a full grown photographer, confiscate his film, and bring him bodily into the house to be held for the good Sheriff's arrival!" Lionel glared at the intercom, and snarled into it again. "ALEXANDER JOSEPH LUTHOR, ANSWER ME THIS INSTANT!"

"No, but they could get Lex," Dominic said as his lover bellowed, and sighed deeply. Looked around the room... realized, suddenly, that they were half naked, hiding in a Jacuzzi room from a bunch of ravenous photographers, and the rest of the panic flittered away as he snickered. Just... snickered helplessly, his hand covering his mouth as he did.

Lionel shot a look over his shoulder at Dominic as he snickered, and gave a little smile over his shoulder. "You're amused by all of this."

Dominic nodded, still giggling into his hand helplessly as he looked over it at Lionel. "We're... hiding in a pool house... from photographers... naked... our clothes are across the room... we're stranded here, I'm belted into a Jacuzzi, your towel keeps falling to showcase your bum, and... Lex... he..." He exploded into giggles.

Lionel yanked his towel off entirely and slammed the door to the Jacuzzi room shut, and sat down on the edge of the whirlpool, dangling his feet in the water. "What about my son?"

Dominic's eyes widened and he stopped laughing abruptly. "Not supposed to tell you."

Lionel just shook his head, and pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and his forefinger. "Answer me this, then... is it going to give me a headache?"

"Tremendous one," Dominic answered, and for the first time in the last month and a half, he felt incredibly relaxed. He looked at Lionel and knew it was because of him, and something in him danced at being so casual with his husband again.

"One the size of the headache I got when you and my son decided to zip out on the search of Clark on red meteor rock when you had just barely begun to recover from being shot? Are we talking that kind of headache, little cricket?"

At the nickname, Dominic felt something in him all but explode in happiness, and he peaked over the blanket at him not having felt so light in ages. "Maybe."

Lionel... just sighed. "Then keep your confidences with my blessing, because the last thing I need is a headache. The photographers are enough of one on their own." He glared. "However, we must have a little talk about why Alexander feels you are more accessible to him than I."

Dominic just shrugged his right shoulder, and turned his eyes to the door, where there were four swift knocks, and Clark, looking harassed, out of breath, and angry, stood in the doorway.

"Police are coming. Get dressed. We've got the photographer in the study. You wouldn't believe who it is." And Clark was gone.

Lionel raised an eyebrow at that. "Clark... does not seem happy, little cricket." He climbed into the pool, unfastening the harness from the wall and lifting his lover, wet blankets and all, out of the hot tub and carried him back out to the wheelchair. The wet blankets got tossed into a dripping pile in front of the Jacuzzi, and he picked up a towel, drying his lover off thoroughly, but quickly. "As soon as I get your shirt back on, the harness will go over it, and it'll allow you to sit up in the chair straighter, without stressing yourself."

Dominic nodded even as his teeth began to chatter. His body wasn't used to going from hot to cold quickly anymore, and he shuddered as he grasped on tight to his lover as he was lifted, and then began to be dried. "O-okay," He whispered, swallowing and wishing for heat even as he trembled. "Bloody...bloody cold."

"I know, and we will get you into your clothes and warmed up as quickly as possible." Lionel would have given anything for Clark's heat vision to warm the towel and the clothes, but he made do the best he could, unbuckling the harness before sliding Dominic's shirt on, then buttoning it up and sliding the canvas straps back into place, snugly but not tightly as he attached it to the back of the chair.

The pants were next, then socks and shoes, and Lionel got the other white robe from inside the Jacuzzi room in lieu of a blanket. "Here, this should cover you and keep you warm until we get upstairs; do you want to go and see the photographer with me, or would you like to lie down?"

"I can see him. Its alright. I'm hungry, too." Dominic muffled from under the robe, covered up to his eyeballs, which he pulled close with his good hand. He let Lionel dress him, surprisingly okay with that, as he hugged the robe close.

"I'll just pick up a fresh quilt from the linen closet downstairs then, and get you warm while we're having a talk with our little shutterbug friend," he growled, and tucked the robe warmly around his lover's legs and he started to dress himself.

"Burn his film," Dominic muttered from under the thick cotton, and shivered as he struggled to get warm. He closed his eyes while Lionel got dressed, yawning, and didn't mind too much that he was strapped to a chair. Of course, he was sleepy, so that might have had something to do with it.

"If I don't burn it, I will at least expose it." Lionel's voice was momentarily muffled as he pulled his shirt on, but cleared almost instantly. "Frame by frame, and take the greatest pleasure in doing so. And in possibly smashing the camera."

"Keep the naked butt pictures. I need some uplifting in my life," Dominic muffled from under his igloo of warmth, peaking up. His eyes crinkled with amusement before he yawned behind the white cotton and shivered.

Lionel snickered. "If I expose the film, all the frames will be ruined. Including the pictures of my ass."

"Awee, that's too bad. Oh well. I suppose I could find a photographer somewhere to come take lewd pictures of you." Dominic closed his eyes, trying to relax against the chair holding him in like he'd just climbed onto Space Mountain.

"I'm sure that Clark or Lex would be more than willing to assist with that endeavor, as would any of your sisters, because they're the only people who are getting near me with a camera," he teased, and then he tied his shoes quickly. "Are you ready to go?"

"Mm," muttered quietly. "I'm just very tired."

"I know you are, little cricket, and this will not take long." Lionel turned and took the handles of the wheelchair. "You can steer this thing yourself, if you're so inclined."

He shook his head firmly, still warm, still cozy. "You, please. Lets get this over with."

"I'm honored you trust my driving," Lionel laughed softly, and started pushing the chair through the house, over the ramps until they were in the main part of the house, and they started steering down the narrow halls to the study.

Dominic, as soon as they entered the house, warmed up a bit. It was hotter in here than in the pool house with all the water there, and he pulled the robe down from his neck, swallowing as he looked ahead of them. He was just drained today--he wanted to eat, and go to sleep. Badly. He heard voices in the office, though, and looked up. "I think they're in there."

"You think?" Lionel stopped at the linen closet at the top of the hall, and pulled out a thick down quilt, and spread it over his lover, taking the robe off entirely and folding it over the back of the wheelchair. "There you go; warmer now?" He knocked at the door of the study once they got to it, and pushed the door open.

"God yes." Dominic didn't get a chance to say more, just keeping warm under the thick quilt, before Lionel pushed them both into the library.

The police were there, already, Ethan and his new Deputy, who was a tiny blond woman that oddly resembled a toad. Dominic looked up at them, nodding at Ethan when the man greeted him, and looked at... James Olsen, the photographer for the Daily Planet, sitting in the chair by the desk, looking miserable.

"Oh."

"Sheriff, deputy." It wasn't until they shifted that Lionel got a good glance at who it was. "Mr. Olsen? How nice to see you again, invading my privacy again." He glared at the young boy. "Sheriff, might I have the camera, please?"

"Can't, sorry Lionel," Ethan answered, holding up the evidence bag with the camera in it.

Dominic, warm under the blankets, looked at the boy for a few long moments, before speaking. "Why did you think it was acceptable to break not only the restraining order we have against the press, but to violate Lionel Luthor's privacy?"

"Yes, young man, I'd like to know the answer to that myself," Lionel said, with his arms crossed over his chest.

Jimmy swallowed hard, and he cringed. It felt like Clark was glaring knives in the back of his head, and now these two were yanking his entrails out by force of will, and he was going to be fingerprinted and he was about two steps away from wetting himself and crying. "Gee, Mr. Luthor, I didn't think taking a few pictures would hurt! Mr. White said we needed new pictures to go along with the reprint of Clark's article in the Sunday evening edition, and he sent me to do it! I couldn't get anyone in the house to talk to me or anything, so I just walked around, looking for another door to come in, and then I saw the two of you guys in the pool! So I was going to take some pictures, you know, Big Man at Play or something like that, and the next thing I know, you're naked and yelling and the police are arresting me!"

Clark was growling. Deeply. "You could have rung the doorbell, Jimmy. I would have helped, it could have been done the right way."

Dominic looked up, eyebrow raised as Clark growled, and looked again at the young man trembling before him. Youth was so ignorant. "So you thought it was perfectly acceptable to waltz around our house, skulking in the begonia's while Lionel and I tried to have the first moment of peace we've had together in three months?"

"I-i-i-i-i did ring the doorbell! Nobody answered!!" Jimmy was barely fighting the wetting urge now. "And no! I just didn't want to disturb you, so I took the picture through the window!"

Lionel snarled. "Ignorant boy."

Dominic agreed, and he just rolled his eyes and pulled his free hand out from under the blanket to rub his eyes, falling silent as he did.

"Ah, do you wanna press charges, Lionel?" Ethan had been watching, quietly, and he spoke up now, glancing at Clark who looked positively murderous behind them.

Lionel looked up at Clark. "Clark? What do you think?" Lionel knew he was too angry to think straight, and in this case, trusted Clark's judgment more than his own, despite Clark's obvious anger.

"I don't know," Clark answered, hands fisting tightly. "All I know is that this was a serious lack of judgment, but he shouldn't be arrested. He was just being a knucklehead, and though he should spend the night in jail..."

"You can't quite bring yourself to make him do it," Lionel finished. "I have a deal for you, Mr. Olsen. You surrender your camera to me, and I won't press charges against you."

"B-b-but! That's Daily Planet property! If I do that, the Chief'll have my hide for sure!" Jimmy cried, clutching at the plastic-bag encased camera.

"Do you really think I care, Mr. Olsen?"

"You haven't met Perry, Lionel," Clark answered, but after taking the bag from Jiminy, with a nod from Ethan, he opened the bag, pulled the camera out, and after looking at it for a moment, popped it open. He removed the film, in one long inky string of smelly carbon plastic, and tore it apart. He set it on the desk, clicked the camera shut, and handed it back to Jimmy, giving Lionel the torn strings of what were the photo's.

Lionel snorted angrily. "I've spoken to him on the phone several times. That's quite enough for me." He held his hand out and accepted the film strings. "Mr. Olsen, if you do something monumentally stupid like this again, I will see to it personally that you are fully prosecuted to the extent allowed by the law. Do I make myself clear?"

Wetting was imminent. "Y-y-y-yes sir, Mr. Luthor, sir!"

"Get out."

Dominic watched, trying not to laugh rudely, as the boy scuttled out like he had the balls of fire on his ass, and smiled slightly up at Clark. "That was a decent thing to do."

Clark was in too much of a fettle to say anything. He was fuming. "Sheriff Goodall, Sheriff Adams? I'll show you out." He disappeared behind Jimmy.

Ethan just nodded at Lionel. "Would you like me to have one of my deputies keep an eye on the property tonight, Lionel?"

"Yes, I would, thank you. I'd also like to know when would be a good time to speak with you later, because I'd like to gather as much information as I can about hiring a good, trustworthy gate guard and whom you would recommend."

"Got some time tomorrow, if you like. Just give me a call at the station," Ethan nodded, tipping his hat at both Lionel and Dominic, and after motioning for Adams to follow, left.

Dominic looked up, sadly, at the strings of film left. "Butt shot."

"If the butt shots are that important to you, I will have Clark take them this evening, how is that?" Lionel offered, throwing the ruined film into the trash can.

Dominic was just teasing, but at the words he quieted, shaking his head. "Can we eat now?"

Lionel nodded. "Of course we can. Do you want to eat upstairs, or would you like to join me in the dining room?"

"Wherever is easiest," he said, looking up and hiding a yawn behind his hand.

"If you'd like, we can delay dinner for an hour while you nap, and then Lex, Clark, and I will join you upstairs for a meal together?" Lionel offered.

His eyes widened, and he shook his head. "No. Food. And then we can sleep." Dominic looked up, quietly, then, as the car doors shut outside. "Will you let me sleep in your bed tonight?"

Lionel nodded. "I don't know that it will be comfortable for you, or that it will work out, but you can try it, of course. And if it's not comfortable, then promise me you'll move back to the hospital bed." He stopped pushing the chair forward and rubbed his hand gently over Dominic's shoulder. "I'd love for you too, but not at the risk of your health."

"Okay." He nodded his assent, and reached up to squeeze the hand on his shoulder. "Dinner ho."

"I am not a whore for dinner," Lionel teased, lacing his fingers through Dominic's as he started to push the wheelchair.

Dominic's lips twitched below him, rolling his eyes good naturedly as he squeezed back, and rested his head back against the chair. "Ah… Lex might come. He might not. We'll see." Dominic glanced up guiltily, then back down when he heard the front door close again, and knew Clark had come back in. As he and his lover were just coming down the foyer, he turned his head and caught a glance of furious farm boy. "Don't be angry, love."

"I'm beyond anger, now," Clark said, but then took in a deep breath, held it, and let it out, slowly. "I'll be in the lab with L--" he stopped. Realized Lionel didn't know. Cleared his throat. "Uh.."

"Don't worry about me, Clark. Dominic has already told me, it's going to give me a headache, and as such, I have opted not to ask."

"Good idea," Clark nodded, winced, turned on his heel and skidded out.

Dominic's lips twitched as he watched Clark take off, and looked back up at Lionel again, to see his expression.

Lionel was currently rolling his eyes, though he was slightly curious. "Lex... is all right, isn't he?"

"Mostly." Dominic chirped, thinking back on the soft female who was now Lex, and biting his lip as they began to walk again. "Did the doctors say when it'll be alright for me to get drunk?"

Lionel looked down at his lover. "Not for quite some time, likely after you've finished the therapy and the medication you're on."

"Mmm. I would have liked a brandy," Dominic sighed.

"I know." Lionel started pushing towards the dining room, and was quiet. "Does Lex need... any help? Not that he would ask me for it, but is there anything that I can do for him?"

Dominic thought for a moment. "If they can't get everything back the way it was, probably. But that won't be for a while--he's got a few ideas. Jor is helping them." Firm nod. "Don't worry--its nothing life threatening. Pride threatening, but nothing else."

Lionel nodded, both satisfied and saddened that Lex had the situation well in hand, but yet didn't feel quite comfortable enough to come to him with problems, preferring instead to go to Clark's biological father. "Ah, well. As long as they've got it under control, all is well."

Dominic all but read his lovers thoughtful silence. "Love, it's got something to do with Clark. Ah...well. I can't say more than that. He'll tell you--I believe he's embarrassed. Dear God, that smells good." He looked toward the kitchen right before they walked into the dining room, sighing softly as Lionel pushed.

Lionel shook his head. "It doesn't matter, Dominic. As long as it's under control, they're fine." Little smile. "Yes, yes, that does smell good. And if we're lucky, it's about ready."

"Fabulous," Dominic answered, and then yawned behind his palm sleepily. "So much for our warm bath."

"We'll have it right after your nap. You'll wake up a bit stiff, from what I've read in the brochures Eduard left; I've taken them up to the bedroom so that you can read them too," he said, anticipating the complaint. "Another warm soak should help with the stiffness."

Dominic nodded. "What time is it now?"

Lionel looked at his watch. "Six thirty," he answered, letting his arm drop back down as he settled his lover at the table.

"Mmm. Sleep sounds nice." Dominic murmured, as they sat down. Or rather, Lionel sat and Dominic was pushed up to the part where the chair was gone, and he looked down at the utensils that someone had laid out. He counted eight spoons, forks, and knives. "I used to hate this when I first became your assistant, you know."

Lionel laughed softly. "The formal place settings?"

He made a face and nodded. "When I was growing up, my mama gave us one spoon each. That was our spoon. You guarded that spoon with your life, because if not, you were going hunting for a piece of cardboard to eat, or resort to fingers. I remember, when Graham lost his, he ate with chop sticks he fashioned himself until we could afford another one."

Lionel frowned at that. "That would explain quite a bit about your brother's mentality where the good doctor is concerned," he said, frown turning to a smile. "However, feel free to lose all the spoons you like. They're easily replaceable."

Dominic smiled, then, sadly, at his lovers frown. "I still have mine, in the dresser upstairs. Its got my name on it." But he shook his head, looking at all the spoons and forks and knives. "What are they all for, anyway?"

"There are four forks," Lionel explained easily. "There is a salad fork, a shrimp fork, an entree fork, and a dessert fork. There is a soup spoon and an entree spoon, and three knives, one for each course."

"So I won't use all of it, is what you're saying."

"I don't think I have yet used all of them in a single meal," Lionel agreed. "But I have used them all during different dinners. Tonight you should suffice with one of each utensil."

Dominic's lips twitched sardonically, as he met Lionel's face. "Sans the knife."

"Yes, I believe that Crystabel said that she was going to make sure everything was fork-tender and knives would not be a requirement," Lionel agreed.

"I'd do it with my teeth if need be," Dominic said lightly, just so he could see Lionel smile, something he had missed so, so desperately. He still felt the depression like a niggling little tickle in the back of his throat but ignored it, determined to have a good day.

Lionel did smile at that, and picked up his napkin, spreading it over his lap. "If Lex doesn't see fit to join us for dinner, do remind me to take some of the mushroom beef down to the lab for him, as I believe it's his favorite."

Dominic's eyes widened, before narrowing. "You're not going to sly an answer out of me, you know. You know perfectly well he's hiding."

Lionel nodded. "I'm not trying to sly an answer out of you, Dominic, just make sure that the stubborn little bastard is properly fed." He grinned. "I don't need another headache; I'm not asking." He slid his hand out, and picked up Dominic's with his own.

Dominic squeezed, tightly, around his lovers hand, and smiled at him softly so the corners of his eyes crinkled. "You don't want this headache. What time did Eddie say he would be here tomorrow? Nine?"

"Nine for you," Lionel said with a grin. "He's going to be arriving an hour ahead of time to make sure that everything is set up and ready for your sessions."

"Will you be offended if I ask you not to be there?"

Lionel laughed at that, bringing Dominic's mouth up to his for a kiss, showing that he wasn't laughing at Dominic. "Offended? No, little cricket. I have already been informed, by Eduard, that I am banished from the therapy rooms during your sessions, and I am not allowed to see you until after your post-session hot soak."

He gave a low, long breath, and thanked Jesus. "Good. Not... not that I'm not appreciative," he said quickly, eyeing Lionel, "but I'd rather not have anyone see me make a fool of myself."

"I understand, completely. Eduard said something similar, and added that my continual cosseting and coddling would be detrimental to your progress."

Dominic grinned down at the table. "I agree. You do coddle quite badly, love." Another sideglance up. "I'll try. For you, and Aurora. I promise. I won't give up."

"Yes, I do coddle," Lionel admitted, and when Dominic looked up again, he smiled. "I know you will try. You don't have it in you to give up."

"You'd be surprised."

"Yes, I would be," Lionel answered quietly. "Because I know you. You are not a quitter. You didn't quit after I nearly threatened you into wetting the carpet when you first started working for me. If that didn't make you quit, nothing will."

Dominic's lips twitched. "No, I didn't, did I?" He looked down at there hands again, and he brushed his thumb across the slightly veiny back of Lionel's. "You didn't seem to mind I was young then, and don't now, do you?"

Lionel shook his head. "The only thing I mind about you being younger than me is that it takes me slightly longer to recover for a second round of sex with you than it takes for you to recover," he said softly.

Dominic's lips twitched, very gently. "I don't know about that. You're still king of the bedroom. You've always been fabulous at it, you know."

Lionel tossed his hair, that looked suspiciously like a lion's mane in that moment. "I am king, aren't I?" He fluffed his hair out again with a little toss, aiming for a laugh from his lover.

Dominic couldn't quite get there again, but he smiled anyway, rolling his eyes. "And doubly modest."

"Modesty never gets you anywhere," Lionel said with a little grin, and straightened back up in his chair, moving as close to Dominic as possible.

"When I'm better, will you have me?" Dominic asked, in a very low voice, and couldn't quite bring his eyes up to meet his lovers.

"As often, and as many times, as you will allow it," Lionel said, with complete sincerity.

He nodded, his fingers trembling slightly in Lionel's grasp. "I'll work hard so we can. I promise.?

"Good. And I promise you as soon as you're ready, you'll have all of me you can stand."

A gentle blush traveled over Dominic's cheeks at that, and he nodded, grasping Lionel's fingers gently in his own before letting them go abruptly when noises behind the kitchen door came closer. Ms. Bird and his Gran. He pulled his hand into his lap and swallowed, not looking up, as they came in.

Ms. Bird was humming as she came in, putting down the big silver trays and little pitchers as she unloaded them off the cart she was pushing. "Crystabel, chu should sit down. Chu vorked hard in de kitchen, and chu should rest." She went to the door and bellowed. "MEESTER CLARK! HERR LECKS! DINNER IS SERVED!"

Dominic didn't say a word. He didn't look at her, or his grandmother. He had gone completely stone silent. He did not, in any way, want to talk to these women.

And very suddenly, he did not want to talk to Lionel, or Clark, or Lex, or anyone. He wanted to go hide somewhere. Too bad he couldn't move on his own.

"Aye, I'm fine, Hilde. Hallo, my dears! Aren't you looking refreshed," Gran smiled at their damp hair and quickly set down steaming plates of delicious meats and veggies, and filled two glasses each for them, cold ice tea and water. "There we are. Do not worry over Clark and Lex, Hilde, I saw Clark in the hall and he told me to put it in the fridge." She beamed down at her grandson. At least he wasn't screaming. "How are you feeling, little teacup?"

Dominic didn't look up. "Fine, thank you."

Lionel picked up the mood change immediately, but didn't say anything.

Ms. Bird just harrumphed over in her corner. "Chu go out of chur vay to cook sometink chu know he likes, and dey brush chu off. Ingrates, de both of them." She flicked a beaming smile over to Dominic. "Chu look better, Herr Dominic. Ef I can say so."

"Thank you," Dominic said again, somewhere to the vicinity of his napkin, and didn't say anything else.

Gran shot him a worried look, glanced at Lionel, and then nodded to Ms. Bird. "Come on, love, lets go watch our soap opera's."

Ms. Bird huffed again, and glared around the table for good measure, but let Crystabel hurry her back out again.

Lionel watched the hurried departure, wondering just what the undercurrent of hostility was, but didn't say anything as he looked at the heaped up plates. "This looks quite good, Dominic," he said, putting one of the full plates in front of his lover, and then filling a glass with sweet tea. "I'm not sure where I'm going to begin, and... there's even rolls."

Dominic was hungry. He just didn't think he could hold food down. He didn't look up when Ms. Bird and Crystabel left, instead swallowing hard and picking up his fork with his right hand, glad to be close to the table. "My arm feels stronger today," he offered in apology for his sudden downswing in mood.

"That's very good news," Lionel said, reaching for one of the rolls on the table and watching out of the corner of his eye as he buttered it to make sure Dominic would be able to begin all right. "I'm hoping that after your therapy sessions, you'll feel stronger than you realize, and you'll see there's no need for the hopelessness once you've seen the progress you've made."

Dominic didn't say anything, just slowly beginning to eat. It was very good...it went down easily, and there was no need for knives. He was hungry--he hadn't eaten for a few hours, what with his nap and Lex's problems, so he ate tentatively, slowly, but thoroughly, making sure that everything went down, as the nurses had taught him to do.

Lionel relaxed as Dominic started to eat, and began to dig into his own meal. His stomach was rumbling, and he realized as he looked at the roll in his hand that he hadn't eaten for several days now, and he was hungry. He dug in, with as much gusto as Dominic had careful restraint.

"Lionel...do you ever find yourself tired of pretending? To be something you're not, to hide who you are?" Dominic asked, quietly, as he ate a bit of potato quietly.

"Sometimes, but I have found that over the years, it's much easier not to pretend, and to simply tell the world to go to hell if they don't like you as you are," Lionel answered between bites. "I suppose that doesn't work for everyone, though."

"But what if you do, and they take away something you need, something you need to function?"

Lionel put down his fork at that, and looked at his lover. "Who has taken something away from you?"

"No one." Dominic made a face at him. "I'm asking generally."

"No, you are not," Lionel said, registering several facts at once. "What has Ms. Bird done?"

"Nothing." Something sick and hollow fell into the pit of his gut. "Forget it."

"HILDE BIRD!" Lionel bellowed at the top of his lungs. "I would like to see you for a moment please!!!" He crossed his arms over his chest and waited for the little old woman to appear.

She did, after a few moments, and pushed the door open, hands on her hips. "Vhat do chu vant, bellowing down de house like dis?"

"Lionel, stop it. Stop it, right now!" Dominic cried, as Lionel bellowed, his throat tightening to the width of a needle. "Stop, stop please, don't."

Lionel shook off his lover gently, with a calming grip of his hand. "It's all right, Dominic, don't fret." He pinned Ms. Bird with a black glare. "What have you done to my husband, madam, that has made him feel as though you have taken something from him?"

"Lionel, stop," Dominic begged, his working hand grasping Lionel's tightly and trying to get him to stop as he grasped it hard. "Stop, please stop, don't, please don't, please don't. Don't!"

"Don't what?" Lionel snapped. "Find out what you're talking about? You won't tell me, so obviously I have to find out elsewhere!"

"Or you could respect me, and my wishes!" he cried back, and he knew he was breaking the be nice, be good, they'll help you, even as he struggled to keep his voice low and calm. "Please."

Lionel glared from Ms. Bird, who was saying nothing and looking slightly quizzical to his panicked lover. "Only if you will tell me what is going on!"

"It has nothing… to do... Ms. Bird, you can go," Dominic told the woman, not letting Lionel go as he did it, and all appetite was gone. He felt nausea rise up, instead.

"Stay right where you are," Lionel contradicted, and looked at his lover. "You are going to have to tell me, sooner or later. Now, do you tell me, or do I keep interrogating Ms. Bird?"

"Why, why do you always have to do this? Why can't you just listen to me, why do you have to fly off the handle every time I try and tell you something? Why? Why do you have to bellow and threaten?" Dominic said in a hoarse whisper.

"Ms. Bird? Will you help me back up to my room?"

"Because you do NOT tell me anything! She will not," he said emphatically. "You do not tell me anything. You hint, and when I get close, you stop and say that it's nothing until I badger it out of you or the other involved party! If you would tell me, I would not HAVE to fly off the handle like this!" He glared. "I will take you back to your room; I am perfectly capable of doing it."

Dominic felt his heart shutter, and he let Lionel go, nodding quietly and not saying anything, but for, "I'm sorry."

"You don't have anything to be sorry about!" Lionel thundered, smashing his fist down onto the table as he got up.

He jumped, and his free fingers dug into the quilt and his thigh underneath, grasping it tightly and not saying anything else. Lionel was furious with him--he'd done it again. He'd been terrible, and now Lionel was angry, and wasn't going to help him. He swallowed tightly and stared at nothing, listening to Lionel's angry movements beside him and jumping at each slam. "Okay."

Lionel dragged his fingers angrily through his hair, and exhaled. "Would you like me to have the rest of your dinner sent up to your room, so that you can have a little something to eat after your bath?"

Dominic shook his head, quietly. "No, thank you."

Lionel gritted his teeth. "I thought we were past this absurd politeness," he asked, jaw locked as he moved to stand behind Dominic's wheelchair, and pulled it away from the table.

Dominic just grabbed the blanket, though he was perfectly safe in the wheel chair, his vision swam with the sudden movement, and he kept his eyes closed as they began to move, not bothering to look anywhere but down at his lap.

"And, we are back to the silence again." Lionel's jaw locked even tighter. He had hoped they were beyond this, well beyond it in fact, but apparently, the day's progress had been a fluke, and they were back exactly where they had begun, and neither of them were the better off for it.

Why bother saying anything? Lionel was angry at him, and there was no way anything he said would stop the snit. So he just stayed quiet--why add fuel to the flame? He kept his eyes closed as they bumped and moved to the temporary elevator Lex had gotten installed near the back of the house, and tried not to think about what Ms. Bird must think of him.

Lionel was sure that was the gritting of his teeth audible over the wheels squeaking. "I won't inflict my presence on you longer than necessary; once we've gotten you bathed and settled in for the night, I will be retiring to the office downstairs, where I will be working on reconciling several of our expense accounts. Should you need anything, you can call for it." He balanced both of them carefully in the elevator as it rose to the bedroom floor, and he wheeled Dominic carefully down the hall.

Dominic's throat was hot and painful as his fingers worked in the blanket, grasping it, trying to hold onto a little bit of his sanity. Lionel was furious with him--it meant nothing that he'd bared his body in front of him, tried to talk to him, tried to let him understand. it was gone, all gone, because he'd gotten too comfortable, and now Lionel was furious with him and he'd be alone again, alone all night, where there was no one there, where he couldn't even call if he needed help, and he squeezed his eyes shut, tightly, biting his lower lip.

"What now?" Lionel snapped, seeing the bitten lip and the reaction in the tension of Dominic's body and the reflection of the framed artwork as they passed it by.

It felt like he'd been slapped.

He shook his head, tightly, and didn't bother saying anything. Fuel. Fire. Taking care of him.

Lionel was ready to snap. He had done everything he could possibly think of to accommodate his lover, to take care of him, react the way he was supposed to, and he was frustrated. His hands tightened on the handles of the wheelchair, and he just... didn't say anything else as he pushed open the door to the bedroom, and then wheeled Dominic in before him. "Would you like me to help with your bath or do you want someone else? Perhaps someone you're willing to talk to?"

He shook his head tightly, firmly, biting his lower lip harder before whispering, "I'm trying. I'm trying. I'm sorry."

"You are not trying," Lionel snapped. "You are not trying to talk to me, you are trying to distract me, placate me, and I am tired of it. If you cannot talk to me as your husband, then do not talk to me at all. Please. Do not get my hopes up as you did today and then dash them later, when you feel the need. Do not. If you want to talk to me, that is fine. We will talk. If you do not, tell me now, and I will bring someone who can help you, because you obviously no longer wish my company. The choice, my cricket, is entirely up to you."

Dominic's throat burned with the lump that rose in it, and he was sure his grasping the blanket was going to become a new nervous tick. He didn't know what to say to that, didn't know what he could possibly say to explain how sorry he was over all of this, over getting hurt and being sick, didn't know how he could explain it when he'd just tried downstairs, just tried but he just… he couldn't, he just couldn't anymore. Anything had to be better than this existence, anything. "I didn't… didn't mean to, I didn't… I'm trying, please, I'm sorry."

"If you apologize to me one more time, Dominic, I will not be held responsible for what I do!" Lionel dragged his fingers through his hair. "You are not trying. You are, as i said, trying to distract me, you are apologizing for angering me, which is, to be honest, only upsetting me further, and you are refusing to talk to me or tell me what is bothering you. As such, I can only gather from that that you have, despite today's progress, decided that I am not to be trusted or anything else." He sighed. "I have tried to be agreeable to you, and that only upset you. I have tried to be cranky with you, and that has only upset you. I have tried not being around you at all, and that has seemed to have done the most good. Therefore, come tomorrow, I will be moving back to Metropolis for the duration of your therapy. You seem to do better when I am not around, and as I have been banned from the sessions anyway, this seems the best course of all."

Something broke in Dominic's chest. His vision was swimming from the hot tears that filled them, and he just looked down at his hand, grasping as it was in the blankets, and felt dead inside. If Lionel left, he wouldn't make it through this. Lionel was the only thing keeping him from flying apart in a million pieces, the support he knew was from his lover was the only thing that was holding him together. If Lionel left, he couldn't get through this.

It was all his fault. If he was stronger, better, anything, Lionel wouldn't be telling him he was leaving. He wasn't good enough, he couldn't move, even being nice and good hadn't kept him here. Who could blame Lionel, though? Honestly? Who could blame him? If Dominic were in Lionel's shoes he wouldn't want to be saddled with a shell of a man who couldn't move, couldn't do anything alone, couldn't even spread his thighs for his lover.

He fell silent. He didn't even bother moving. Lionel was leaving, and that was it.

No reaction. Dominic didn't even care. Was probably glad, given the silence, that he was no longer going to have to put up with Lionel's constant coddling and such, seeing as how he'd asked Lionel earlier not to come to the sessions at all.

So this is what being unnecessary felt like.

Lionel didn't like the feeling at all.

"I'll call Ms. Bird to help you with your bath after all while I pack," he said tonelessly, walking over to the house telephone and dialing the kitchen.

The hot, slick slide of a tear fell down his face and splashed on his hand, and he watched it, unseeingly. He wished, more than words could possibly express, that his mother had done what she'd wanted to do. She'd seen the worthlessness in him, had told him more than once how ashamed of what he was. Apparently, everyone else believed the same thing. Mortal horror filled him at the embarrassment he'd related with, and he closed his eyes as he felt the crash of the world fall on top of him.

With Lionel's back to his husband, he had no idea what was going on in the wheelchair behind him, and once he'd finished barking out his orders, he stared out the bedroom door, at the Waterhouse portrait that hung in front of their bedroom door. "I am sorry, Dominic. For what it is worth, I am sorry that I could not be whatever it is you need me to be right now."

He wanted to tell him that he was everything Dominic needed, everything he could ever want, the only person he'd ever loved and he needed him so much right now, but what good what it do? Honestly? What good would it do? No good, none at all. He was beginning to shake in horror, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He would have thrown up, but there was nothing in his stomach, and he felt the blood draining out of his face.

Still silence from the chair, and Lionel refused to turn around and beg for a reply any longer. "Enrique is bringing the Bentley around, and I'll be leaving as soon as I get a few things together. I will let you know before I leave."

Dominic tried to say something, anything, but nothing came out but a rasping little sound he could barely hear himself, and he tried again, struggling to talk around the lump, but nothing would come up, nothing would come out, and his mind was trying to wrap itself around it, struggling to beg for forgiveness, because Lionel was leaving him and he didn't know what to do, didn't know what he could possibly do to stop when he couldn't move. His own inability to do anything was so terrible that it made him want to pull out his barely grown hair in clumps, as panic started to take him over.

Even more silence, and it was tearing him apart. Lionel's knuckles were white as they held on to the door frame. He couldn't believe he'd been so stupid and so naive as to think that he was going to be necessary to Dominic now, when there wasn't a situation he could fix. What he felt for his lover hurt deep in his chest, spreading out like wildfire as it burned.

But if he had nothing else left, no relationship, no husband, he had pride, and pride would not let him grovel at Dominic's feet, not again, when Dominic could barely bear to speak to him or look at him. All the promises made today were just to placate him, and everything he'd said felt like ashes in his mouth as he stared at the painting, silently wondering what in the name of God was taking Ms. Bird so long to get up there.

Finally, finally, because the pain was too much to endure, because his mental state could not, right now, handle being this weak, this vulnerable, and Lionel leaving, he croaked out, "Please d-don't leave me."

Lionel's entire body went rigid. "Dominic... as much as I want to stay, I think it's for the best for both of us if I don't. I'm not helping you get better, I'm making things worse for you, and it's hurting both you and me. I don't know what else to do, other than remove myself entirely."

Dominic's chest seized, and he almost couldn't handle the pain as his free hand grasped the blankets so hard he thought one of his fingers was going to break. He loved Lionel so much, so desperately much, but how could Dominic saddle himself on Lionel? How? Even though it was selfish, even though it was horrible, he tried, again. "Please, please do...n't leave me."

"I have to." Lionel still couldn't turn around, even if he wanted to, because he was not going to let Dominic see him fighting the tears. "Because I can't keep hurting you. I have been drinking the last three nights, trying to sleep for one night without remembering that you can't stand the sight of me. I can't keep doing this, where you make me the promises that I want to hear, just to shut me up and get me out of your hair, I can't. Because I can't stand the meaninglessness you've put on everything we have right now. I know... I know that this is hard for you. I know that, more than I know anything. I have been where you are. I have been blinded, without my sight, and I know how the helplessness overtakes you and makes you want to do anything, even die, rather than rely on someone else. I'm sorry that I can't be the anchor for you that you were for me. Because no matter how desperately I want it right now, you don't. And I can't keep hurting you," he repeated again. "I have to leave."

"No… t hurting, n… ot hu..rting, not, please, don't, please." Dominic had told himself, swore to himself, that when the time came for Lionel to leave him, he wouldn't break down again in front of him. Something hard and painful was going to crack inside of him if it didn't come out, but words fled him as he tried to bring his mind to what he needed to say, what he wanted to say so badly, "I want… ple… ase don't go, don't... don't go, don't go, please, do… n't le… ave me."

"Yes, I am hurting you, Dominic. If you can't talk to me? If you have to make me empty promises because you can't tell me to go away? Then I am hurting you. And I am smart enough to realize this." He leaned his forehead against the door frame.

God, Jesus, please don't, please, please don't take him from me, God please, please don't, God please, not now, not now, please God, please, PLEASE! Dominic was trying to speak, trying so hard, but Lionel wanted to go, he wanted to go and Dominic couldn't let him go, couldn't let him go. "Not... not hurting me, not, you're not, please, please, don't go, please," he begged, hating himself for it but not caring, if it meant Lionel stayed.

"Why do you want me to stay, Dominic?" Lionel just sighed as he stared at the painting, fighting the lump in his throat. "So we can do this again tomorrow night and the next night? So we can continue to avoid each other, lie when we have to be together so that we can stand the pretense of being civil?"

Oh God, oh God, oh God. "Pl… ease, please, not... not just be. cause of being civil, no..t… can't... trying... I'm trying, Lionel, I'm trying, pl..ease… please, pl...please, please, don't l-eave, need you, please."

He had long since given up on wondering where in the hell Ms. Bird was--it was evident she wasn't coming. And he reminded himself to fire her later. "You're not trying anything but placating me in the hopes that I will leave you alone. And I won't live with that, Dominic. I can't. It's tearing a hole inside of me, and it's not helping you either."

"Wha… what… am… am I placating?" Dominic asked it in a croak, as he struggled to keep himself together, struggled not to fly apart, struggled not to die over how powerless he was, over how terrible he felt, vulnerable, so very vulnerable.

"You are telling me what I want to hear. That you won't give up, that you will try in your sessions, that you will come back to me when all is said done. That you want me still, all the things you said today, Dominic, were just to make me happy so I would leave you alone and not bother you. And I am trying to give you that, only you won't let me go." He clenched his fists tighter at that. "You want to keep doing this thing that is hurting us both. And I love you, God knows I do, but I cannot keep doing it."

"W-was truth," It was the truth, it was all the truth, he wanted his lover, he wanted to be better, he wanted to be happy, but that hope which had seemed so close only a while ago was now dark and heavy, clawing at the remnants of his heart. "I w-ant to be better, w-want to try, want." He whispered, and now, finally, felt the hot slide of tears run down his face. "Pl-ease, d-d-on't leave me. Don't wan…t to hurt… you... anymore... hard, because I'm sick, I kn-ow. I'm sorry. I'm so sorr-y."

"It's not because you're sick." Lionel wondered when his voice had taken on the flat, toneless quality he heard echoing in his ears. "If anything, that is the reason for me to stay here beside you. It's everything else that tells me I should go."

Lionel was set on what he wanted to do. He didn't even bother trying to sound like he felt bad over it.

Dominic's world crumbled into one heap, and he felt himself crumble with it. It wouldn't work, no matter what he said, no matter what he did, Lionel wanted to leave him. From the sound of it, for good. Had it just been some marital duty that had kept him by Dominic's side? They weren't even married, there would be no divorce papers, or separations of their things. Lionel was leaving, and that was the end. That was the end. No more. Aurora would go to Clark and Lex, Dominic would go back to his home in Metropolis, where there was nothing, where everything he had wanted, everything he had ever dreamed for, was taken away from him because he didn't know how to be good, how to be agreeable, to be nice. If he could walk and move, this wouldn't be happening, if he could do anything, this wouldn't be happening, if he could think or talk, if he could do anything than try and sort through the jumble in his head, it would be different.

Lionel just swallowed his pride down, and choked it back until he could speak. "Tell me why you want me to stay, Dominic. Don't ask me to. Tell me why you want me, when my being here before hasn't helped you in the slightest."

"Be... cause I lov... e you."

Lionel cracked.

Of all the answers he had been expected--because I'm afraid, I don't want to be alone, I want your help--this is the one he didn't expect, and the lump in his throat shattered into a broken cry as he turned around to face Dominic.

When he did, the tears, the twisted blanket, the chalk-white face, every single thing stabbed into him like a knife, and he fell to his knees beside Dominic's wheelchair, letting his head fall into his lover's lap as he cried.

Dominic began to shake like a leaf when his lover fell beside him, and he swallowed breaths, though he couldn't move at all, he looked down at Lionel and closed his eyes, opened them, closed them again as his husband wept in his lap, and still he couldn't follow him into it. Lionel had almost left him, might still, probably would still, because he couldn't handle Dominic's attitude, his problems. If only he could move, if only he didn't have to rely on other people, if only he could take care of himself, and he just looked down at his lovers head as his fingers, aching with pain from grabbing the blanket on his thigh, let go. They were numb, and he'd held it in a fist so long that they were white and splotchy, but he set his hand on Lionel's head anyway as his lover wept.

Lionel felt the touch in his hair and cried harder still, his arms moving in the chair to wrap around Dominic's waist, holding on as he muffled his cries into the blanket, his entire body shaking hard as he tried not to shake Dominic.

Dominic didn't say a word as he looked down at him, his mind floating in nothing, to nowhere, unable to form a coherent thought as he stroked Lionel's hair through his fingers. He wanted to tell Lionel that if he wanted to go, still did, then it was okay, Dominic would be alright, but he couldn't force it past his throat. Instead he watched Lionel there on his lap, holding him, and he closed his eyes.

Lionel was ignoring the silence as much as he could. It didn't matter; Dominic had said he loved him, and that was enough. He left his head in his lover's lap until he had control of himself once more, breathing hard as he swallowed and straightened up, tossing slightly matted hair over his shoulder as he looked up to see Dominic's eyes closed.

It struck his heart, that Dominic couldn't bear to look at him, but it didn't matter. He just kept telling himself that.

After a moment, when he heard and felt Lionel's head lift, he opened his eyes. He was so tired, he felt so lost and alone, so dead inside, but he looked at his lover silently for a moment, before licking his dry lips and swallowing. "You… don't le...eave?"

"Not as long as you love me," he said in the same gritty voice that Dominic had, though he didn't notice it.

Dominic nodded again, swallowing again and struggling for his voice. "I didn't… I was trying to te... ll you at the table. I didn't… lie about all I told you to..day. I didn't... say it to placate you. I'm not a child, I wouldn't do that to you."

"That's what it felt like," Lionel said softly, sitting on the floor and looking up at his lover. "It felt like patronizing and placating, when all I asked you was what happened, and you couldn't tell me that. It made everything else seem like it was hollow words, just to keep me happy and keep me from asking questions."

God. "Its hard… for me to find my words. I didn't… I didn't want you... I'm trying. I have to be… nice, and good, I want to be." It was the truth. It was how people would help him. "I didn't… mean to h.. urt your feelings like that."

"Why? Why do you have to be nice and good?" Lionel asked, leaning forward so that his temple rested against his lover's un-wounded knee.

"So people… will take care of me," Dominic said, softly, toward Lionel's head on his knee.

"What?" Lionel blinked, and raised his head to look up, because he knew he'd misheard. "So we will take care of you?"

He nodded. "People… don't want to help a surly person. I have… to be good, have… so people will help. I can't... move anywhere... by myself. I… can't help...myself. You… you were goi-ng to leave me here, all… night… because I was terrible. I d-don't want... to be alone."

Lionel blinked again as he tried to assimilate what Dominic had just told him. "I'm sorry if I've given you that impression," he said quietly. "I was going to leave, not because you were terrible, but because I thought I was hurting you. I thought I was the terrible one."

Dominic shook his head, so tiredly. "Not… you. Me. I love you… you're not bad. Only… only thing... keeping me from falling apart."

"You're not bad either," Lionel said, a dim realization growing in the back of his head, and he made sure that his vocabulary echoed Dominic's. "You are not bad at all. And even if you were, we would still help you, because we all love you. Me, Lex, Clark, Ms. Bird, all of us, Dominic. We love you. We will help you."

Dominic nodded, tiredly, letting his eyes close for a moment. "I'm so tired."

"I am too," Lionel admitted. "Do you want to try our bed, or would you rather the hospital one?"

Dominic just nodded. "Our bed," he said softly, licking his lips again. "You won't leave while I'm asleep?"

"I won't leave," Lionel promised, and he pushed himself up to his feet. The chair was already sitting next to the hospital bed, and Lionel moved it the few more inches until it was by their bed. "Put your arm around my neck," Lionel said quietly, getting ready to lift.

Dominic lifted his arm and grasped his lover tiredly around the neck, pressing his face into the hollow of Lionel's throat as he did and closing his eyes sleepily. "You won't do anything to Ms. Bird, either, right?"

"I'll just fire her," he muttered under his breath as he lifted, making sure Dominic was pressed tightly close as he sat down on the bed, and carefully placed his lover on the flat surface.

"No, you won't." But Dominic didn't say anything for a moment as Lionel lay him out, and he winced as his muscles, cramped from the chair, stretched out. It was a terrible feeling, he couldn't even move them, and he struggled for a good position once Lionel had laid him down. It was fluffy, and comfortable, unlike the hospital bed, and he sighed softly as he looked up. "You won't. She didn't do anything. Don't."

"Is she the one who made you think that you have to be nice in order to be taken care of?" he asked quietly, the realization dawning on him much as others had previously.

"No." Liar. "She didn't do anything wrong. Don't be mean to her. Please, Lionel, please."

"You're lying," Lionel said softly, and sat on the other side of the bed, unbuttoning the cuffs of his shirt. "But all right. For your peace of mind."

"Promise?" Dominic begged softly, as he swallowed. "Could you get me some water?"

"I promise, Dominic. For your peace of mind, I will not say anything, nor touch one gray hair on that woman's head." He nodded. "Of course I can." He squeezed his lover's hand gently. "I'll be right back."

Dominic nodded at him, swallowing as he looked toward the left at the terrible hospital bed. He had pillows propped under him like there too, but he was laying down, and it was so comfortable. All his muscles relaxed and he closed his eyes, sleepily, as his lover walked quietly.

Lionel took off his shoes as he stood up, padding across the carpeted floor in bare feet as he went to the bathroom, and filled one of the small plastic cups with water. He brought it back, and held it out to his lover. "Here you go. I'm going to go fill your pitcher up now, but I'm going down to the kitchen for ice."

Dominic opened his eyes and took the cup from Lionel, lifting his head up enough to drink half the glass down in one gulp. The cold water rolled down his throat and he sighed as he handed it back, eyes closing again. He didn't say anything else, rolling in his mood right now, which wasn't terrible... it was calm. Very calm. He closed his eyes and rested, letting sleep beckon him.

Lionel kissed his lover quickly on the forehead. "I'll be back; do you want me to wake you when I come back for your bath, or wait until the morning?"

"Morning," he slurred sleepily, looking up at Lionel quietly. "We're okay now?"

"We're okay now," Lionel said softly. "I think that while you're working with Eduard tomorrow, I'm going to be in the gym downstairs, working out a little myself, in fact, and we can soak in the hot tub together."

"You love me?" he asked, as his eyes fell again, then opened, foggy and glassy.

"I always love you, Dominic." He picked up his lover's hand, and led it to his chest, where his heart beat.

"I always love you, Lionel," Dominic said back, and gave a tug on his lovers shirt where his hand was pressed. "Stay. Don't go. Sleep now. Water tomorrow."

Lionel's fingers stroked over the back of his lover's. "You're sure?"

Dominic nodded, and closed his eyes again. "Yes. Stay with me." He looked up at Lionel quietly. "Help me take everything off? I'm so tired. I want to be close to you. Okay?"

"Okay." Lionel finished shrugging his shirt off, then reached out and started opening his lover's, easing it gently over his head and shoulders as he bared Dominic's chest.

Shoes and socks were next, discarded at the foot of the bed, then workout pants, moved carefully over Dominic's injured knee, and tossed away until he was naked. "There."

Then Lionel stood up, disrobing the rest of the way until he was naked too, and walked around the other side of the bed, climbing in and moving gently towards his lover until he could partially cradle Dominic against him.

As soon as Lionel got close to him, to the left, Dominic let his eyes close, turning his head toward him and using his good hand to bring Lionel closer to him, gently, as he rested sleepily. "Don't go."

"Sssh. I'm not. Sleep, little cricket. I'll be here when you wake," he said, cradling his lover gently against him, sharing their warmth.

"Promise?"

"I promise."

Something inside of him seemed to relax and he nodded, quietly, sleepily, before letting himself drop off quietly, and ten minutes later, he was asleep, breathing deeply and softly.

Lionel didn't get off the hook that easily; he stayed awake, keeping Dominic cradled closely to him, kissing his head softly as guilt churned his stomach, and sleep eluded him.

- = - = -

It was three thirty in the morning when everything finally crashed onto Dominic's shoulders.

He had been completely asleep, having not an unpleasant dream, but not pleasant, either. He was trapped in it, in a closet, where he couldn't move anything but one hand, where he couldn't do anything to help himself. Lex was there with him for some reason, giggling and hiding beside him, Clark and Lionel were looking for him, but he kept telling them to go, because he could move on his own. Except... he couldn't.

He opened his eyes from it, and realized that he actually couldn't move.

There, in the pitch black darkness of the room, everything Dominic had been holding tightly in check seemed to explode. He raised a hand to his mouth to keep the sobs at bay as he began to cry so hard his body was wracked with each movement, each and every sob. There was no way to hide from this, no way he could stop himself from seeing the reality of what was happening to him. And he'd just realized it.

Lionel had finally fallen into a light, restless sleep, waking often to make sure that he wasn't crushing his lover in his sleep.

He had only been sleeping for twenty minutes, maybe half an hour, when he sat bolt upright at Dominic's cry. He shook his head as he turned on the light, realizing that Dominic was actually crying, and it wasn't part of his bad dreams. He gathered his lover up against him, cradling him gently in his lap. "Hush, little darling cricket, it was just a dream."

No. It wasn't just a dream. He let out a howl of misery against Lionel's neck as Lionel held him tightly, and sobbed so hard he couldn't get a breath in otherwise, tightly and hard against his lovers shoulder. He held on with his good hand as he wept, grasping Lionel as hard as he could, grasping his hair and his neck, holding him close, close, as he cried.

Lionel pulled Dominic completely into his lap, moving him carefully until he could hold him tightly, rocking him in his arms. "Ssssh... don't cry, please. I know it's terribly hard. I know it."

No. It wasn't hard. That was just it, it wasn't hard at all. In fact, it was okay, because Dominic knew his limitations, finally understood what had happened to him.

And came to his bloody senses.

It took him almost fifteen minutes to calm, but the sobs calmed to cries, and then those dried up to until he sat there in his lovers lap, completely exhausted, letting himself be held and holding in return. He was exhausted, so very fucking tired, but he couldn't bother to move as his breath hitched.

Lionel petted his lover gently, stroking over his back and shoulders, down his arms, anywhere he could think to pet and soothe. He continued to murmur soft words of reassurance and love, kept his grip on his lover tightly so that Dominic would know he wasn't alone.

He just rocked, and held, and felt utterly helpless as he cared for his husband as deeply as he could.

When Dominic finally opened his eyes and looked up, his eyes were red rimmed but clear, sleepy but understanding. "I'm not well right now. But I will be, won't I?"

"Yes, you will be," Lionel said firmly, offering his lover the tissue box by the bedside. "You will be well again. It won't be an easy road, but you will do it."

Dominic took one of the tissues, but didn't use it, not yet. First, this. "And you'll stay with me, and help me, won't you?"

"Yes, I will." Lionel put the box to the side. "I will stay with you, as long as you want me to, and help you get well."

Dominic nodded, without looking away. "I love you."

"I love you." Lionel kissed Dominic's hand, the good one holding the tissue.

He nodded, smiling a little when his lover kissed his hand, and pushed the tissue up to wipe his nose and his face. "I'm sorry I woke you." A moment. "Well, not really. Only a little sorry."

"You shouldn't be sorry." He kissed again, this time his lover's forehead. "I wasn't sleeping well anyway."

"Why?" He, very suddenly, wanted to talk. A lot. "What's wrong?"

Lionel gave a little smile. "Because my stomach lining is being eaten away by acid in my belly, because I'm afraid I'm going to roll over and crush you during the night, because I'm worried and make myself wake every few moments to check on you."

"You always were a worry wart." Dominic said, taking another tissue and rubbed the stickiness away from his left eye, before tossing the tissue onto the side table and motioned for Lionel to put him back down. "You won't crush me. I can feel everything, I promise. You're on the side of my good arm--I'll elbow you."

Lionel reluctantly put his lover back on his side of the bed, covering him up and fussing with his blankets. "You'll elbow me, you promise?"

"Well duh. I'm not going to lay here and get smushed," Dominic gave him a sleepy smile. It felt like an enormous weight had been pushed off his chest, and though he was aware he wasn't all the way well, something felt… better. Very much so. So he just gave him a roll of eyes to placate him. "I'm okay. Jaheel said 'Im healthy--just can't move."

"Jaheel is an idiot," Lionel said firmly. "You are healthy, and you WILL move again."

"Yes, I will." Dominic answered, back, just as firmly. Because now, now, he believed it. So he just met his lovers eyes and nodded, as he cupped Lionel's cheek. "Thank you, so much."

Lionel closed his eyes, turning to kiss his lover's palm. "No... thank you. I love you, Dominic. And I'm sorry I ever thought of leaving you."

"You gave me a fright," Dominic said, truthfully, sleepily. "You won't leave, though. I know you won't."

"I'm even sorrier I scared you," Lionel said, kissing his hand again. "And no, I won't leave."

Dominic, even after his terrible crying jag, giggled. "Sorrier isn't a word."

"More sorry, then," Lionel amended with a little grin at the giggle.

"Though, you are God. You could probably make sorrier a word."

"No, I think the poor English language has been abused quite enough without me adding to the abuse," Lionel said with a grin. "I think we'll merely stick with more sorry, and blame my son and his lover for giving me grammatical difficulties."

"No, blame my sister, who's idea of English includes making nouns verbs," Dominic amended, as his fingers stroked over Lionel's stubbly cheek, gently touching the warm skin, and up into the wild lions mane. "You're so beautiful."

Lionel gave a little shudder. "Your sister slaughters the language worse than anyone else I've ever met." He closed his eyes again as Dominic stroked over his cheek and hair. "You're beautiful too, little cricket."

He might have snorted, but he coughed at the same time, so one couldn't really tell. "When I get better, and my mind is better, will you let me help you with LuthorCorp?"

"As soon as you're ready, yes, you can," Lionel said instantly. "I think Lex is going to be hiring someone temporarily, to keep the office physically running while he works from home--he and I have spoken briefly and we both agree that the two of us working from home, with a temporary person in the office to coordinate everything is going to be more productive than one of us in the office and one of us here, double-checking every five minutes to make sure that we are not re-doing the same work." Which they'd caught each other doing six times over the last eight days.

"Charlie." Dominic said, instantly, nodding firmly. "And Wally." He didn't bother explaining himself--didn't bother explaining he felt bad that Lionel and Lex were staying at home doing all of this because of him, because he really didn't feel overly bad, as terrible as it sounded. He liked them to be close to him.

"Charlie and Wally have both been kept busy working with myself and Lex, respectively. Wally, in fact, has been bearing the brunt of Lex's frustration the past few days, and I am surprised that he hasn't done anything yet to relieve it, though I suspect that has more to do with the fact that he came well-trained from Mr. Wayne's organization. Charlie has, surprisingly, shown himself to be competent and anticipatory, and you will be surprised, I think, when you see how much he has matured lately."

Dominic wasn't surprised. At all. In fact, he was quite satisfied. "And you told me, if I remember correctly, that I was being too hard on him, I should loosen up on him, I should be gentle and kind." Snort. "Now, look at what my hard work and bad attitude has produced. He's a good lad, isn't he? Good hard worker?"

"Yes, he is," Lionel admitted. "In ten years, he just might remind me of another young man I once employed as my assistant.."

"There is nothing more glorious than Lionel Luthor eating his own words," Dominic said, pretending to look dreamy eyed even as the dimples sank in his hollow cheeks.

"Not even Lionel Luthor eating you?" he asked innocently, his eyebrow raised as his hand stroked innocently down his lover's elbow.

At that, he bit his lip, torn between amusement and... well, amusement "Possibly. Of course, it would be more enjoyable if said edible thing weren't swollen and painful to the touch."

Lionel adopted a very saddened look. "I can wait." He nibbled on Dominic's ear in a very, very soft kiss. "I can wait as long as I have to."

At Lionel's sad look, Dominic's eyes widened. "Hush, you. You never could pull off the sad, innocent look, you know." But at the kiss Dominic's body relaxed, and he sighed, sleepily, quietly. He wanted it, as horrifying as it was, he wanted to be loved, but he couldn't quite. Not yet. "Maybe in a few days? if you still want to?"

Lionel had to laugh. "You're quite right; I was never quite able to look innocent because I haven't been in more time than I care to contemplate." A little snicker, and he nuzzled his lover gently. "I always want to. But we'll see how you feel in a few days; I won't push you until you're ready."

Christ. Dominic's throat tightened, as he opened his eyes to his lovers gentle little nuzzles, and whispered, "If... if you like... maybe a little. If you... only if you want to. Not hard… it hurts a little, still. Its okay that I can't move?"

"No, it's not," Lionel explained softly. "Because I won't take advantage of you."

"Its not...about taking advantage. Because... now I'm thinking about it, and I'm not going to be able to sleep." A line of color rose in thin cheeks. "Please?"

Lionel shook his head. "It is about taking advantage of you. You're not quite strong enough yet, you won't be able to participate, and I will not enjoy it unless you can too." He kissed his lover again softly.

"You're a mean old fart." A little sniff, and a chin dimple. "What, is this initiative for my physical therapy?"

"You could... call it that." Lionel grinned into Dominic's neck, and finally, his stomach settled with a final little growl at him. "You could indeed."

"Eddie told me I'm supposed to think of goals and initiatives for why I'm doing this. You know, I'm not sure he'll appreciate getting sucked off by my partner as one of them." A little, wicked, choked off snicker. "I think I'll tell him tomorrow just why I am."

"I'm quite sure he's heard worse," Lionel snickered.

He turned his eyes to grin into Lionel's. "What's worse than bringing the bedroom into physical therapy?"

"Bringing small furry animals into it," he said with a straight face.

"Where is Freddie, anyway? I haven't seen him since I came home." Dominic glanced over to the floor, as if expecting Freddie to be sitting there. "Has he been hiding?"

"He has, he's been hiding in the room with Clark and Lex's puppies, and when he's not with them, he's down in the kitchen with Ms. Bird and her new kitten."

"When did she get a kitten?" He looked across at his lover perplexedly.

"Oh, she's become a regular Doctor Doolittle, our Ms. Bird. She has a kitten, two mice, and she feeds Clark's dogs half the time like they're hers." He sighed. "I think she got it not long after your fall, actually."

"I don't remember anything about it," Dominic said, softly, there in the safe hollow of his lovers arms, where he was speaking quietly so only the two of them could hear. "I'd like to see Graham tomorrow, if at all possible. And my mother."

"Graham I'll call and have him come over in the evening. He and the Fordman boy have become partners, I believe, and are doing quiet well. Your mother, on the other hand, is no longer welcome in this house, and I refuse to let her cross this threshold. If you wish to speak to her, by all means, feel free to telephone her."

Dominic shook his head softly, tracing the line on his lovers chin, which he could just barely see through the beard. "I need to talk to her. Face to face. Maybe, if it would be alright, could you take me to Grahams house tomorrow?" He stopped, suddenly, eyes wide. "Did someone ever get my jag fixed?"

Lionel laughed softly. "Hans is still working on it; he is waiting to have the rear brake pads and the new transmission box airmailed from Germany."

"Oh. Alright, then." A little breath. "Anyway, I'd like to see Toni, as well. And if Graham will allow it, I can talk to my mother there."

Lionel sighed. "I don't want you seeing your mother, Dominic. The last time she tried to talk to you in the hospital, you nearly had respiratory failure, and she and I both were thrown out of the room."

"I need to see her," Dominic said, a little more firmly. "Please, Lionel."

He sighed. "You're a grown man, Dominic. I can't tell you who you can and cannot speak to. I can say, however, that I don't want her in my home. Ever again."

"I realize that. I thought this was our home, anyway?" Dominic asked, without looking at him, but shook his head after a moment and looked at the ceiling. "If your mother, your own mother, did something like what mine did, wouldn't you need closure too?"

"It is our home, Dominic," he said. "You're right about that; I shouldn't have said it was just mine. But the point remains, I don't want her crossing the threshold of any dwelling we share because of what she has done. And no, Dominic, I don't think I would, because that would have been my closure; she obviously would have held my life for nothing, and as such, I would return the favor."

"I suppose then... I have to finish it my way. I have to ask her why she did it… I have to find closure, I have to find out why, for my own peace of mind." Dominic said, turning his head to look at his husband, his partner. "You'd be surprised how much happens in just two months of time. I feel like I've missed so much of my life."

Lionel nodded as Dominic turned to look at him. "I know. I'll make sure that you get safely to Graham's and stay with you while you're there. I will not promise, however, that I will be cordial to your mother."

"You're lucky, sometimes, you know. Not having any family." Dominic stroked his fingertips gently over Lionel's cheekbone, gently playing with it.

Lionel nodded again. "Yes, I am."

He stopped, for a moment. "That was incredibly insensitive of me. I'm sorry."

"It's also quite true." Lionel kissed his lover's fingertips as they stroked in his beard.

"My family feels like a great burden sometimes. If only they weren't so bloody annoying," Dominic sighed, very softly. "Like my mother, and my brothers and sisters. They're constantly bickering, constantly at one another's throats."

"As a general rule, Dominic? I like your family. Belinda especially, as she seems to be the stable-headed one of the bunch of you. However, with the exception of your mother, your family is entirely... likeable, once you get to know them." He snuggled Dominic close.

"Aren't you a sweet liar," Dominic deadpanned beside him, and leaned his head into the snuggle. "I'm sorry. About before. Before we went to sleep, I mean. I never meant to make you feel...like you weren't helping me, love."

Lionel shook his head. "It's in the past. Done with and over, and I'm not concerning myself with it. Neither should you." He kissed Dominic's cheek softly. "You should not."

"You won't leave me, right?" Dominic asked, softly, stroking his fingers through Lionel's chest hair softly, skimming the nipple gently with his fingertips before back up, to his chin.

"I won't leave you," Lionel confirmed.

Dominic nodded. Good. He used Lionel's shoulder to pull him over to his side a little, sighing as his muscled relaxed like that, and he groaned. "I haven't been on my side in ages. If I ever lie on my back again, it'll be too soon." A yawn cut him off before he could see more, and his eyes flickered closed.

Lionel moved so that his body supported his lover's on the side, and cuddled him close. "You won't have to as long as you're sleeping with me. I'll hold you up."

"Enough with mushy. Four in the morning." He yawned, heard a muffled explosion down through what felt like four floors, and sighed softly, and sleepily, letting himself start to drop off. "He's alright. Go to sleep."

Lionel raised his head at the explosion, then lowered it again. "Why are there explosions happening in my son's laboratory?"

"Mmm. Member, don't wanna know?" Dominic asked from the muffled heat of Lionel's chest, where his cheek was pressed to the gentle rise and fall of hair and muscle, nestled in right where he wanted to be.

"Right. I don't want to know. But I'm beginning to think that I should ask anyway, if he's blowing things up downstairs." Lionel sighed, and kissed his lover's forehead. "Sleep, little cricket."

"Sleep is good. Very beneficial to rest." Dominic muttered, and yawned against his lovers skin deeply before letting his body relax.

"Yes, it is." Lionel cuddled him closer, keeping an ear out for odd noises downstairs.

 

-fin-

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