The Memoirs

An hour later and Dominic was pushing open the door to his apartment open with his foot. In one hand he had a large pizza, a plastic bag with his coke and fajitas hanging off his arm. He had a pile of mail, mostly bills, in hand, and tossed his keys on the counter as he balanced the video's he'd rented on top of the stack.

Moulin Rouge sat right on top.

Dominic turned to make a face at his lover and his dead hunk of cow, as they stepped into his house. it was slightly dusty, as he hadn’t cleaned in a month’s time, but the familiar scents and sights of home put him immediately at ease. "There we are." He walked into the house and set the pizza box and bag down, kicking his shoes off and stripping out of his coat as soon as he had. He pulled his wallet out of his back pocket, set it with his keys, and smiled at his lover. "Make yourself at home. Duh. Set your dead bovine down as well, eh?"

Lionel grinned, and balanced the platter of steak, potatoes, vegetables, and bread as he walked into the living room, and set it down carefully, almost reverently, on the sofa. Then he turned his attention to stripping his jacket and scarf off, making sure his prescription was already tucked away in the jacket before hanging it up. He unbuttoned the first several buttons of his polo top, and sprawled his lanky frame out over the couch.

And Dominic just melted. He loved it. Loved seeing his lover getting comfortable in his house, and he went about washing two glasses for their Dr. Pepper. "the remote is under the second cushion, love." he said over the rush of running water, scrubbing the dust off the glasses before he rinsed and dried them.

He filled them with ice from the ice machine in his fridge, grabbed the liter of soda, the pizza and videos, and very carefully balanced it all on his way to the couch. He set the glasses down, coke following it, and his pizza which smelled *divine*. "Oh. How I've missed you, delicious Sarentino's pizza."

"That smells like a grease pit fried with extra butter and a dose of lard thrown in for flavoring," Lionel pointed out. He barely levered himself up enough to retrieve the remote, and passed it over to his lover without a word as he flipped open his own platter.

The delicious iron tang of blood hit Lionel's nostrils almost immediately. "This, little cricket, is the scent of ambrosia."

He plopped down, tugging his legs up under him, and deposited the roll of paper towels he'd grabbed on the way from the kitchen, glancing at his lover and gagging. "My God. If any of that dribbles anywhere, I’m not touching you ever again. As it is, I don’t think I can kiss you." A face and he popped up again, angling the Moulin Rouge into his ancient VCR before he all but dive bombed back on the cushions, snuggling into his insanely comfortable, very green couch.

Lionel just snorted. "You do not know what you are missing, Dominic." He carved the rare steak with ease, soaking it first in the bloody juices and then in the special house marinade.

He pulled free a slice of pizza, topped to overflowing, and bit into it. And sighed. He'd eaten this stuff every other day for ten years. How the hell he managed to stay as small as he was had to be a gift of God, because he ate pure crap. But God, it was good crap. And ignored the gushing gooshyness from beside him, as he munched and opened the Dr. Pepper with one hand, pouring them both a glass of the fizzy goodness before he plopped back down and watched. "You’re going to hate this movie, I guarantee it."

"Then why are we watching it?" Lionel carefully continued to carve his steak, chewing with delicate motions and swallowing each piece down, savoring it as he ate.

"I don’t really know, actually." Dominic said, offering the pizza to his lover and opening his mouth. "Don’t tell me what it is. Don’t make me think. Just put it in my mouth."

Lionel carved a bite of the prime rib, soaked it in the house marinade, and then with a swift flick of his fork, placed the meat on his lover's tongue and closed his jaw with the tip of a finger. "Chew."

Dominic did it, eyes squinted half closed as he chewed. A slew of tastes filled his mouth. Strange....not entirely good, actually. But he chewed for his lover, cracked an eye open, peered, and closed it again, eating the bit and swallowing it. Wriggled his tongue in his mouth....opened his eyes. "It can never be said I’m not a man who doesn’t try things."

And he took a long gulp of soda.

"Aaaaah... you did try it, for that I'm proud of you. But you should learn to appreciate it." The next piece Lionel speared was particularly bloody.

"My God. I’m going to faint." He glared and offered his pizza, eyebrow raised.

Lionel swallowed hard, and nearly refused the pizza. But, since Dominic had been open minded enough to try the bloody meat, then he could at least try the pizza.

He took a bite, and then passed it back to his lover.

The artificial taste of the tomato paste slammed into his taste buds, fighting with the cheese for dominance as his eyes watered. Too many other flavors to count, and Lionel washed it down with a sip from his glass, and then another bite of his steak. "I think I will stay with my prime rib."

Dominic cracked up, eyes dancing up at his love as he took the pizza back, grinning broadly. He reached up and pressed his mouth to his lovers, kissing him gently but deeply. His tongue slipped in and stroked, the mixture of the icky cow and delicious pizza making… a very strange, but very nice flavor that mixed with their own. Dominic kissed his lover for a few seconds longer… then reached back to cup the back of his head, tipping his head and kissing deeper as he murmured his approval and Christian sang his heart out on the television.

Lionel's hands carefully set his food to the side, spilling not a drop as he leaned into the kiss. His hands came up to cup Dominic's face, then thread through his hair with tight, nearly desperate grip as he thrust his tongue gently into his lover's mouth.

Opposites attract, and Dominic dropped the pizza haphazardly on the rest of it, wiping his hands on his pants, and slipped his fingers into Lionel’s hair. He stroked through and took hold, as well, pulling him closer as they kissed. It became stronger, a little fiercer, and a dark, lusted thrill ran through Dominic’s heart as he stroked his fingers over Lionel’s neck and down his shoulders, sucking on his lovers tongue.

Lionel encouraged it silently, giving into the harsh need of the kiss, tongue pliant under Dominic's intensity, head arching back just a little into the fingers in his hair as they moved, pulled, and directed him. Soft noises that he'd always deny came out of his throat as they kissed.

It was instinct, pure and undirectional, to press his lover back and start to press into him. Masculine to the core in his movements, Dominic stroked his hands down over Lionel’s shoulders, chest, waist and thighs as he pressed close, not saying anything because he--

No.

Dominic stopped and looked at his lover. Laying here, half underneath him, hair askew, eyes foggy. He tipped his head, licking his own kiss swollen lips and biting the bottom one, as he gazed. "Mmm." He sat up, slowly, offering his hands as he leaned back against the arm of his comfy couch.

Lionel was leaning back as Dominic pressed him down, and then looked up with half-closed eyes as Dominic pulled away. Curious and wondering if he'd done something, he held his hands out to Dominic, waiting to see what he'd do next.

Come here. Lay against me...press your back to my chest." Dominic said softly, and smiled. One leg slipped off the side of the couch, the other bent up and leaned against the back rest. He offered his hands, smiling again, and whispered, "Is it okay?"

Lionel nodded. "It's okay." He let himself be pulled over to the couch, and fitted himself against his lover as he was told, pressing his back to Dominic's chest, head to his lover's shoulders, hips nestled between outstretched thighs, and legs tangling with Dominic's. "It's very all right."

"Mmm." Soft groan. Having his lover pressed close to the valley of his thighs had him squirming, pressing close...and his legs wrapped loosely around his love, fingertips stroking down a long chest. "Since the first day I bought this couch....I thought about doing this." He whispered softly, rubbing his lips against a soft earlobe, his goatee scratching against warm skin. "I thought about how you'd feel....how warm you'd be pressing close."

Lionel's hands covered Dominic's as they wound around his waist, and his head leaned back, eyes shut as he felt warmth at his back. A soft sigh, and then he smiled, guard let down. "You're the one that's warm, Dominic. I feel the heat from here."

The silence of the house was magnificent. The gray clouds outside went unfelt... simply the beautiful quiet atmosphere as Christian and Satine met for the first time on the television. Food forgotten, waiting until they were once again hungry, and Dominic just... he snuggled Lionel’s back close, close enough that they almost shared the same skin, and buried his face in his shoulder. "We have an eternity of moments just like this." He whispered, almost silently, smiling into warm skin.

"Yes... we do." Lionel's eyes were still closed, barely paying attention to the movie as he felt Dominic's body pressed against his, hands linked as skin touched, and he was snuggled. Loved.

Dominic stayed just like that, for several long moments. His fingers danced gently over his lovers chest...his belly. They moved like feathers, starting right below his jaw and stroking down...over a long, wide chest, perfect but for the tiny nipple ring, and down, over a concave belly. Slender hips....soft thighs, and Dominic touched until he couldn’t reach, before starting back up. "I love you." Whispered so softly into the shell of an ear before he rubbed his lips over it. Down that stately jaw, over his chin… and wasn’t that spot underneath his lovers jaw a dream? He let his tongue flicker out and lick, as his palms slipped under his lovers shirt and touched hot skin.

 

Lionel arched his throat in accommodation of the questing lips and tongue that sought out the sensitive skin of his jaw line. Hands slid under his shirt, and he reached down, following them up as he pushed his shirt up with them, baring his stomach and chest. His hair lay tossed over Dominic's bicep, brushed out of the way by tender nosing motions of his lover's cheek, and Lionel sighed softly.

"You have the most beautiful body." Dominic murmured, as he let go to press his cheek to Lionel’s. "Look at you. The first time I saw you, in the penthouse… I thought I was going to come in my pants like a fifteen year old." Dominic bared belly and chest, taking pleasure in it, and slowly stroked through the soft hair on his lovers belly before following it upwards. He stroked with wide palms over each pectoral, sliding up over his lovers upper chest before back down, to soft nipples. "N' these. For shame, Lionel." Soft tsk, as he flickered and pinched each one. "They’re hard. Look'that."

Lionel pushed his shirt off entirely as Dominic moved away, and then hissed in pleasure as fingers stroked over his nipples. They hardened at the gentle touch, and then the stroking over his abdomen and his chest brought them completely erect as his cock stirred gently to life. "Can't help it," Lionel whispered.

"I know. This, here." Dominic looped his first finger through the ring through his lovers nipple. "Is my favorite. Or, well, second favorite. I like" His free palm stroked down, gently skimming over the hardening crotch. "Though I must say, lovely, the fact that you have your nipple pierced for me is a very pleasing thing." He tugged at it, gently, working the edges so it hardened even more. And dropped his voice an octave. "Would y'like for me to have one as well?"

Lionel thrust up into the gentle skim of Dominic's hand, and then all but purred as Dominic manipulated his nipple ring gently. "Mmm... we'd match. I'd like that, Jiminy."

Dominic watched him, and gave the nipple ring a hard little tongue, lapping softly at his tongue as his palms stroked down over a long chest. "I think Id like that too. Can I admit something, Lionel?"

"You can... admit anything you like," Lionel growled softly. "Just... don't stop."

And he didn’t. His palms were stroking, soothing, touching, his hips gently pressing up as he did so. "I want to tie you up. To a bed... see how long you can go with hot wax dropping on your bare skin. I have... this small kink with candle wax." Dominic purred quietly, left fingers gently tweaking and stroking a nipple as his right moved restlessly over Lionel’s belly and chest. "I want to hear you scream... every time a drop of wax falls, you thrust up in pain... into me."

Even as Dominic mentioned screams, he shoved the memory of Clark's cries and his son's screams out of his mind, closing his eyes again and enjoying his lover's touch. Dominic relaxed him, he needed this. Not some medication that would put him out of touch with reality, but... his lover.

Dominic felt the pause... watched his lover begin to lose his erection, and swallowed as his fingertips, both now, moved down over his crotch and thighs. "I want to feel you make love to me... I want to fill you up so you can't move, and stroke in and out." He murmured, licking softly as he touched him.

Lionel shook his head gently. "I want... I want to feel you, Dominic. Inside of me, touching me, holding me. Like... like this. Like you are now."

"Then come on." Dominic pressed his palms to his lovers sides, urging him up. "Lets go to bed. We... we haven’t made love in my bed. I want to feel you under my sheets, Lionel." He whispered, blushing softly.

Lionel nodded, and rose to his feet. "Yes," he said back, just as softly. He shivered, just a little, feeling the cool air of the room on his skin after the furnace of two bodies' heats pooled together, and held out his hands, offering to pull Dominic to his feet.

Dominic took his hands, rising... then led Lionel’s palms to his waist, and down, over his ass. "You’re beautiful. Come be with me. I'll make you feel so good, I promise."

Lionel pulled his lover close to his body, using the grip on Dominic's ass and situated him close. His mouth fell to nibble on a delectable throat as his hips rocked gently into his lover's. "You're beautiful, Dominic."

"You're more beautiful." Dominic grinned, softly, and his eyes danced as he gazed up at him as he rocked his hips in. He was hardening, little by little, with the slow, comfortable, easy seduction like fine wine in the blood. He led his lover quietly down the hall, walking backwards so each flex of his ass was felt, and leaned in to nuzzle his lovers cheek, throat, ear as they entered.

A lean over and he laughed, wriggling away from his lover to put the stereo on. A moment and his CD's switched, and his eyes danced wickedly as he glanced back at his lover. Soft music, Rod Stewart singing about love and French gowns as he returned to his lover. The carpet underfoot was spongy, the tall bed wide as a lake and comfortable as hell, and Dominic approached with all the wickedness of a hungry cat. "Hi."

"Hello there." Lionel's fingers unbuttoned the top buttons of his black polo shirt, watching Dominic approach him. "I think I should be... afraid."

"Naaah." A shake of a blond head as Dominic’s fingertips slipped into all that luxurious hair, before both palms open wide slid down a long back to angular, quietly powerful hips. "Think?" Dominic’s tongue had a mind of its own, and it dipped down into the open V of the polo shirt, lapping and licking.

Lionel arched his head back as Dominic's hands slid into his hair, leaving it tilted back as Dominic licked him. "Now I know I should be afraid." His fingers stroked over Dominic's face, teased the licking tongue gently before sliding his hands down to worm under Dominic's shirt. "I know I should be."

"Mmmm." Dominic whispered. The cologne of the day smelled like sin incarnated on his lovely lovers caramel skin, and he lapped at each and every spot. The skin was warm and he was in love... to try and forget about the last few days just for a moment. To harden his love for Lionel, to apologize for the embarrassment and pain he knew he'd caused in the therapy session. Just his lover, to calm the screaming soul, and if Dominic’s capable hands could do it, he would.

He arched, grinning as the pads of hot fingers slid over his slightly cooler skin, and he gave a little shiver as he stroked his hands into Lionel’s back pockets. "Terror. it has a new face... and we'll call it Dominic Senatori."

Lionel spread his legs just enough to steady himself as he thrust against Dominic. "Quite terrifying a face it is, too." His hands slipped further up Dominic's chest under the shirt, seeking and finding taut nipples to tease, and finding soft lips to kiss with his own.

Oh, and Dominic thrust in, easy and sweet, as he arched, like that cool slide of wine going down the belly, bitter yet sweet at the same time. That was how this tasted...sweet, with the edge of tart tanginess on the outskirts. Dominic wouldn’t allow it in.

He took control, easy as if he were handed it freely, stroking and squeezing Lionel’s ass in his pockets as he thrust. His mouth took Lionel’s, thrusting inside that warm, lovely cavern before down, down low .

His palms stroked upwards and without any work at all slipped Lionel’s polo up over that great mane of hair. It got tangled...just for a second, before it fell easily to the floor. "Mmmmm."

Or so he was moaning around Lionel’s nipple ring.

Lionel shivered as the cooler air hit his skin but he didn't even notice it. He was more centered on Dominic's mouth, first as it controlled their kiss and then as Dominic controlled his body, sucking his nipple ring in and bending Lionel to his whim.

It aroused him. Made him feel very... cherished, and trusted. Made him feel good to know that Dominic wasn't afraid of asserting himself, and he encouraged it. He let his body go pliantly weak against Dominic's, supporting his own weight while forming himself against his lover.

Oh, it thrilled him. He gave another soft, grumbling purr in his throat as he sucked, nibbling the hardening, cold nub before he let go to blow a soft streak of cold air on it. A soft kiss and he moved across to the opposite one, lapping and licking at the hard little pebble, tugging it with his teeth before suddenly giving Lionel’s ass a squeeze, tugging him in closer.

He spread his own thighs, allowing his lover close as his palms streaked over a wide chest, and nudged them towards the bed. "Lionel..."

Soft, quiet, but stern, as he unbuttoned the bottom button of slender slacks....and had the pleasure of hearing them pool.

Oh. His favorite part. He crouched down, setting one of Lionel’s palms on his shoulder as he untied a shoe, slipped off a sock, and let the pants fall free. Naked, glorious.

His cheek was rubbing a very hard cock.

Lionel moaned softly as Dominic admonished him, and he was careful to stay still, moving only as his lover dictated to him, the hand not balancing on Dominic's shoulder lightly tugging his nipple ring.

His cock jumped with each tug of the ring, and he murmured Dominic's name softly as he rubbed the wet head against his lover's cheek moaning again and the rough stubble scraping across the sensitive skin of his shaft. "Dominic."

"Shhh." Dominic instructed, sternly, though he ensured his love it was a game with twinkling eyes up.

And he gave the head of the aching cock a soft kiss.

"You are not to speak until spoken to. Clear? We're playing by my rules." Dominic pulled the other shoe and sock off, letting the pants fall easily away before he shimmied up his lovers body. And it pleased him, immensely, that he was still dressed as he nipped and licked his way up, carefully staying away from anything below his loves waist. Lionel’s fingers were around his nipple ring and it didn’t bother him, at all. He just sucked two digits in, as well as the nipple ring. Licking, nipping, lapping, his large green eyes gazing up at his lover as dancing fingers moved around to a soft, bare ass.

Lionel nodded in confirmation of his instructions. "I understand," he whispered softly, letting Dominic undress him and tease him. He moaned harshly as his fingers were sucked inside Dominic's mouth, and his other hand reached up to cup the back of his lover's head as Lionel fucked Dominic's mouth gently with his fingers.

Dominic sucked them softly, lapping at the top of each fingertip before sliding back down, far as he could. The tip of his tongue looped through Lionel’s nipple ring on the up stroke, however, and he stopped, looking up wickedly with his lips curved around the soft digits, playing his teeth back and forth across the warm flesh. Another tug up further... another... before he let go of those fingers and sucked hard at the nipple.

He didn’t stop, sucking and sucking at it, teasing it, as his palms stroked up and down the warm backside. He'd done his research, a few weeks ago... as it was the first time he'd had more then three seconds to himself. And he’d found out some very interesting things about nipple rings, and the level of sensitivity they caused.

He was pushing his lover back on his thick sheets, quilts and fluffy pillows as he sucked, rearing over him.

Lionel arched his chest so that his nipple pushed deeper into Dominic's mouth. The ring was being sucked along with the nipple, and each lick and each tug sent tremors through his cock, and he felt himself starting to leak precome even as Dominic settled him back and climbed over him. He dropped his hands to Dominic's hips, thrusting up against his lover and whimpering with the sucks to his chest.

Dominic reared, the feeling of wet slippery heat between his legs, wet and hot, rubbing against Lionel’s own made him moan in pleasure. He smiled in the easy joy of a man who had too much fun with his lover, eyes lit and his cocky grin in place as he reached down, hummed in innocence, and stroked Lionel’s balls, cupping them in his hand but staying away from the hot erection pressing into his belly as he teased and tugged the soft hairs sprouting from his love’s balls, playing with them as he hummed in his throat. He licked at the nipple ring like a cat, soft, easy, perfect little nipples, as he undulated his hips. "Mmmmm."

"Tease," Lionel bit out, thrusting up against his lover's body. Dominic's hand was hot around his balls, teasing them and playing with them, each tug another shot to his groin and he thrust up against Dominic with each move. His hand moved to hold Dominic's mouth to his chest, pressing his nipple against the hot tongue that teased him.

"Ah. I don’t think so." Dominic said sweetly, pulling away...but not before giving the nipple a hard little bite. "I want...to watch you. Tell me how hot you are...what you want to do." Dominic murmured, stroking over that lovely, long chest, a rich caramel to directly contrast the white comforter. Down, to lap at a sweet little navel as his bare feet stroked over Lionel’s toes.

Lionel's body shivered. "Watch me?" he asked softly, whimpering at the loss of Dominic's mouth but then sighing in appreciation as it returned, on his navel and hopefully down to his aching cock as he thrust up with it, rubbing it against Dominic's stomach.

Dominic grinned, softly, eyes looking up innocently as he nodded. "Watch you." He ground down onto the hot length, murmuring happily at it as he licked, sucked, bit all around that little indent in Lionel’s belly... down an old, faded scar, and to lick and bite at each little hair sprouting at the very top of his little pubic hairs. "What are you thinking about, Lionel?"

"That I wish... you'd suck my cock, because I can't think of anything else right now," Lionel confessed. "You're so hot and smooth... hard and heavy when you lay over me."

"You just had to ask." Dominic murmured, smiling up at him as he dipped down and swallowed him whole.

His lovers cock fit in his throat like a glove, and Dominic pushed him down, further, working his muscles around him as he closed his eyes and concentrated. Up… up, over his gag reflex and back down, slow, mouth stretched open and tight around him as he swallowed. One palm pressed gently against a hip, the other cupping soft balls, and Dominic began to suck, the pre come making moving up and down so easy.

That had been just what Lionel needed. A hard arch as he started thrusting into Dominic's mouth, hand sliding down to lock in what was left of his lover's hair and hold his head steady. Moans and whimpers came out of Lionel's throat as he felt Dominic's hands teasing his balls again, and he rocked hard, the pent-up teasing and need, the want, even the frustration and sadness channeling into need and hunger for his lover.

Dominic gasped as the hips thrust up hard, closing his eyes and relaxing his throat as he swallowed and moved. Lovely, gorgeous, and his lover needed it, he knew. He stroked hot, tight balls, fingertips moving over his ass... his little hole, rubbing it softly with the pad of his thumb as he scraped his teeth gently against the underbelly of the warm cock fucking his throat.

Damn that was a nice feeling.

He gave a soft moan, his own cock hardening, and dipped his hand low to stroke over himself, thumbing where the tip was pressed as he moved.

And opened his eyes, gazing at his lover with enough evil, wicked intent that Satan himself would have blushed.

The intent in Dominic's eyes was enough to singe Lionel's soul. His fists clamped tightly on Dominic's shoulders as his cock lodged deep in his lover's throat. His nails dug into Dominic's skin as he arched his back, closing his eyes against his beloved's potent gaze. "Dominic!!"

Oh. Orgasm.

It had been years since he'd done this, but as soon as the thought popped into his head he found himself slipping Lionel’s cock out, as much as he protested it, wrapping both hands around the hot, wet, blood red organ and jacking him, eyes gazing up as he gave the end a kiss.

Lionel's eyes snapped open as soon as he felt Dominic's mouth pull off, but then he moaned as the fist wrapped around him. Fists clamped tightly, Lionel's body lifted up off the bed as he thrust into the tight sheath provided by Dominic's clasped hands. "Going.... to come soon."

"Come. Come. Come." Dominic whispered, chanting softly as he stroked, faster, thumb stroking over the weeping head again, and again, and again, repeating it as he streaked his mouth up and down the stiff member, lapping and licking and tightly drawn balls before kissing upwards.

He wasn't made of stone. He couldn't help it as his hips surged upwards, twisting slightly, cock throbbing as he came. Hot splatters of it, that fell on Dominic's cheeks, hands, and even a little on his own belly.

Dominic moaned, hard, and felt the come fall over his face, lips, chin. His tongue slipped out to taste, the hot ribbons of the milky white substance he loved so much, back arching. Oh, God. He hadn’t done this since he was very, very young, and feeling it splash his face, his hands, his body made him arch back and groan in delicious, vibrant ecstasy. Oh. Yes. He reached up, his other hand still tight around the still-hard cock, and he rubbed at the soft white streaks of it, eyes closed as he licked it from his lips.

Lionel pushed himself up, and the sight of Dominic's face, covered in his come, licking it from his lips made him growl, and he used his handholds on Dominic's shoulders to haul him up. As soon as he was there, Lionel rolled him over, pinning him beneath, and started licking at the white streaks that covered Dominic's face.

Oh, shit. Dominic jumped as Lionel grabbed him, but moaned a moment later as he was laid back and began to be licked at like a cat. Grunts of pleasure, rolling his hips as Lionel licked his face, and he moaned his pleasure, rubbing close and trying to steak kisses so Lionel would share.

Lionel growled again, pressing Dominic's body down and still with his weight, hands sliding up to grab Dominic's wrists and press them down against the pillows. He did share, kissing Dominic deeply after each lick, sharing the taste as he licked his lover clean.

Mmm, yes. He moaned in pleasure, fingers squeezing into fists as he arched, rubbing against Lionel’s hard muscles as he licked and lapped at his lovers mouth. The taste of them combined was a sin, and he was in ecstasy as he rubbed and wriggled, the raspy touch of Lionel’s tongue on his face was a sin.

~ * ~ * ~

Whitney dragged the last crate of orange juice into the house. He'd been quiet most of the trip, feeling Clark's sadness and pain pressing down on him even though Clark had gone.

They'd bought out the store; sixteen crates of orange juice with four gallons to a crate, and the higher mathematics of that was entirely too much for Whitney to calculate. Instead, he quietly unloaded the crates from the back of his truck, carrying them in one after the other and loading the gallons into the fridge.

Who cared? Samson was thoroughly exploring each crate that came in, snuffling the gallon jugs and licking the outsides experimentally. They were COLD!!! And WET!! And COLD!

There were no Samson treats to be had. He lifted his little stubby tail, showed Whitney his butt, and trotted out into the hallway.

Artie was close behind Samson in the sniffing department. He sniffed Whitney, who smelled just blech cause he was not happy. He trotted along, sniffing the crates and following the other Them. At one point, Artie lifted his leg and piddled on one of the crates that smelled particularly ucky, and then trotted proudly behind Samson and back into the hallway.

New smell, new smell! Yummy, delicious new smell! The happily named Cleo yipped and plowed headlong into something rippy. Oh! It was a FOOT THING! She didn’t like foot things as a general rule, because they tried to step on her, but this one was neat. Plus, hello, stringy. She grabbed a string coming from the foot thing on the Big Guys foot and tugged... falling head over heels, plopping on her rump... and giving a teeny growl as she head butted the foot thingy. Stupid thingy.

She turned, huffed, and bounded out of the big swingy brown thing with the other Them.

Whitney looked down at the little pup chewing on his shoelaces, and was careful not to move until they'd gone.

Samson kept trotting down the hallway. HE knew where he was going. The pretty Yellow Lady was around here some where, he could smell her, and the pretty Yellow Lady had soft things to snuggle in and there were lots of Them to snuggle now! He yipped softly and started running, little puppy buns humping down the hardwood floor, toenails clicking.

Eeeee! The other Them was running! A GAME! Cleo let out a bark and ran too fast, cause the soft squishy under her feet skidded with her, but she righted herself a second later and bounded behind her Bruder. "ARF!" Yay! Yay! A game! The big guy had called the Other Them 'Sammy', and she followed the 'Sammy' as fast as she could.

Artie bounded after them, "WHOOF"ing loudly as he tripped over his own ears. He shook his head, got the ears out of the way, and started after the oddly called Sammy and the Her.

Whoa! There she was!! Samson skidded to a halt, sitting down and skidding on the floor to stop his motion, and then got back up and tapped his way into the room. The Yellow Lady was crying, and he barked. "BAWR!"

YAY! HEEEEEEE! She let out a happy yip as the Sammy spun around in a little circle, and chewed on his ear, falling over him face first before getting up and continuing. NEW SMELLS! YESSSSSSSS!!!!!!! A trillion billion new yummy smells! A big soft something was close, and there was one of those People sitting there and oh! Crying! Oh! It smelled GOOD.

Cleo bounded right over and fell face first into her legs, squirming until she got up and snuggled and cuddled. OooooOoooooOooooo. Sooooooooooft.

Artie plowed into the Sammy's rear end as they stopped in a puppy pile, and pushed himself to his feet after sniffing Sammy's butt once. He followed Cleo into the room, and let out a short little howl. "OOoOOOoooo" Then he put a little puppy head on her feet and snuffled.

Samson reared up and licked the yellow lady's hand. "Bawr!!"

She couldn’t stop crying. She'd tried really hard, she had, but Chloe had finally lost it. It had come over her as soon as they'd gotten home, and she'd excused herself to sit in the elegant piano room behind the stairs, the gray sky spilling gray light in through the large windows. She was plopped behind the piano, sniffling, and had heard the dogs a minute before she was covered with tiny puppies, eyes wide. All of them looked like Clark’s dogs but... weren’t. Samson was before her at her feet, but who were the other two? They were so skinny, and Chloe pet them gently, hugging the tiny one pressing into her chest and the other one at her feet. And Samson. Oh.

And she just cried harder.

Uht oh. Cleo hadn’t been around the Big People for a long time, but she sniffed and smelled... oh. She wasn’t happy! The big people wasn’t happy, and she sniffled, rubbing her head and licking everywhere on her face. oooh. Salty. She licked and licked the big people’s face, and tipped her head. "Arr?"

Samson's head tilted. And whined. "Arrrrr?" He looked up at the yellow lady with big brown eyes, and licked her hand again.

Artie followed Cleo, squirming up off her feet, and squirming up into the soft lap of the big Smelly. He snuffled against her arm and elbow, and flopped across her tummy, head resting in the crook of her arm.

Chloe sobbed, holding the puppies close, and pulled Samson in too, burying her face in all the soft puppy fur. They were newly washed, all shampooed, and they smelled like babies.

There was no one she could talk to about this. Whitney was worse off than her... silent and quiet, trying not to break down in front of her. Clark and Lex... no. Lionel had tried to have her killed, Dominic was his husband. Ms. Bird refused to talk about it... she couldn’t tell Shay. "Oh, I’m so sad." She sobbed.

Well, that wasn’t good. The big people just started crying more, and Cleo whimpered, ducking to hide under her Bruder and whine.

Samson licked her face, then nosed her cheek gently as if to say... what's wrong, yellow lady? "Arf?"

Another sniffle and she blew her nose on a tissue, rubbing her eyes even as the squirming babies in her arms snuggled close. "I dunno w... who to talk to, Samson. Life sucks. Everything sucks. Lex and Clark are so sad, and theirs nothing I can do. I feel helpless. You ever feel helpless before, Samson?"

His head went to butt under her chin, rubbing the underside of it. Sadness poured off the yellow lady, and that was Not Good. "Arrrr."

Artie squirmed as Cleo wiggled under him, and he nipped her ear to make sure she was okay before looking up soulfully at the yellow lady.

She rubbed her face close to his, snuffling again and heaving a shaky, teary sigh. "Clark and Lex are just sad, Samson. They lost their baby yesterday, you know? Clark was so hurt and stuff, and… and I didn’t know. The first time I saw it was after it was all done, and Samson, you know Clark. He's always so strong and stuff. And today... seeing him laying in bed with Lex, and he was... they looked so dead. Oh, Samson. I don’t know what we're going to do." Chloe said quietly, rubbing her face into his soft fur.

Cleo snuffed and heaved a sigh, warm under her brother and the way soft hereby dubbed yellow lady, closing her eyes. She didn’t like when the big people were sad. It just made her sad, and then she missed the other Them. But the other Them was here now, so why did it still make her sad?

Ho-lee shit. Shayla was tucked away in one of the many little passageways of the castle. She'd heard Whitney and Chloe come in, and she'd decided to do a little... exploring. See what she could find as she snooped around, and she'd stopped here when she'd heard Chloe start talking. Instinct told her not to open the door, but holy shit, what she'd just heard.

Samson nodded at her, ears flopping. "Bawr. Arrrr arf, whoof!"

Artie raised his head, and sniffed. He jumped down off Chloe's lap, and toddled over to the wall where the smell was coming from. sniff, sniff. Smelled yummy, and he whined just a little, pawing at the wall.

Chloe let out another sob. "All that blood, Samson. I thought… when I saw it, I just screamed and screamed. I thought for sure Clark was dead. I thought he was dead. But Lex, he was crying, and I know Clark is so way different then us, but I thought for sure he was dead. He looked dead, in bed a while ago. So pale and waxen and like he couldn’t breath. Sammy, Clarks a strong guy, you know? He's strong, and seeing him like that... Lex, seeing Lex, always so intelligent and put together crying into Cl-Clark’s hair, and..." She sobbed, harder, into her hands, shoulders shaking.

Samson wiggled up, and licked her ear comfortingly. "Bawwwwwwwwwr," he whined. "Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo," was the next soft howl, because man, the yellow lady was so SAD.

"Awoooo." Cleo howled softly, rubbing against the pretty big people. At least until her Bruder saw something and she sniffed too. One more lick to the big people and she hopped down, following her brother, little butt bopping in the air.

Chloe hugged the little puppy softly, rubbing her tears into his fur as she brought him close. "I’m just so sad, Samson. It’s a sad, sad day today."

He rubbed the top of his head against the bottom of her chin. "Whoof!" he barked, and licked her again. He didn't like the Yellow Lady sad.

Chloe sniffled, hard, and looked to see where the other puppies had gone. "Hey… hey, guys, come back here. You’re little, you'll get hurt. Come here."

Yeah, I'll step on your little asses! Get out! Shayla was snarling to herself as she heard the little puppies scratching at the wall.

Artie turned his head back to look at the yellow lady, then turned back to scratching the wall again, this time giving a small, plaintive howl.

Cleo looked back at the big people for a second, stepping on one ear before looking back to where her Bruder was. She sniffed, investigating, and head butted the wall... plopping on the ground in the next second in a daze. Whoa. So the wall didn’t move, got it. She got up on her two front paws, scratching now too and howling.

"Guys?" Chloe sniffled again and rose from her cross-legged seat on the floor, setting Samson down as she did it so he could follow. "Come here, babies. Oh, man, is there a dead rat back there or something?"

Samson barked joyously as he ran across, worming in between Artie and Cleo and adding his howling and scratching to the racket.

There was a thump behind the wall as Shayla tripped over one of the stairs on her way up, and she cursed silently.

Chloe immediately straightened and reached out, grabbing the nearest weapon she could... a candelabra. She held it high and gazed at the wall, walking slowly out of the room and peering down the long hall. "Who’s there?"

A little blond head peeked out of the secret panel at the end of the hallway.

Cleo was just in total love with her bruder and the other Them. He was just so cool, and she leapt over him, plopping half on his back and half on her butt, bringing the three of them down into a puppy pile.

Chloe paled. All the blood ran out of her face, as she stared at her friend.

She had just killed herself and Whitney.

"Hi--holy shit, Chloe!" Shayla leapt out of the panel as she watched her best friend go white as a sheet. "What the hell!!"

Samson yipped at the bottom of the squirmy pile, biting and nipping the ears and the paws that poked at him, grrring playfully and rolling with the pile.

She swallowed, hard, turning back into the room. Sitting down. Sitting down was good. Sitting down was finding a way she could tell Whitney if he wanted to run to Canada. They were close enough. The little puppies were having a bawl, and she was panicking so hard she could barely breathe, palm flat to her breasts as she curled into the big couch and covered her hands over her face.

Okay, this was so NOT of the good. Shayla stepped over squirming puppies and went to Chloe. "Chloe? You... okay, what? Are you okay? And what the hell were you tellin' that dog?"

"Shut up. Okay. Shut up." Chloe whispered, holding the candelabra close to her chest. "Shayla, why? Why?" She looked up with red eyes. "Why were you spying on me?"

"Because I know some shit's going on around here, and I wanna know why there's blood in AJ's bedroom and it smells like Ms. Bird went nutso with a can of bleach. I wanna know why my brother's got marks on his hand from rippin' up carpet, I wanna know why Clark looked two days dead, and why AJ told me to get the fuck out of his house."

"You can't know. He's going to be so hurt...we know, we know, his life friends, and he was hiding under the blankets like we were leering. Shayla, god, dammit." Chloe burst into tears all over again, and pressed her face into her upraised knees. "Why do you have to be so you now?"

Shayla was seriously scared now, and had the distinct flash that she was in for more than she'd bargained for. Despite that, she wrapped her arms around her best friend. "I'm always me, Chloe. Sorry."

Chloe hugged back, shaking her head and sobbing. "You can’t tell anyone. Shayla, you can't tell ANYONE. We'll get killed if you do. I promised just yesterday and I already broke my promise. I’m just so sad."

"Whoa, back the killswitch up. Killed? Like, seriously killed bullet in your brain, not killed like angry at you for the next two weeks?"

"Killed like we're dead killed." Chloe heaved, rubbing her face on a wad of tissues as she finally set the metal candle holder down.

"Okay, wow. That's... that's news. Okay. C'mon. Let's go. We're going up to my room, right now. Pete's there watchin' MTV, and nobody'll hear us talkin' over that." She didn't let go of her friend. "Jesus, Chloe, what the fuck is going on?"

"Pete can’t know. God, dammit, Shayla, NO ONE can know! This is so much bigger then you could ever possibly imagine! If you know Pete knows, and if Pete knows the chances that Clark’s secrets come out goes up about a billion times and if they find out about Clark they'll lock him, and Lex, and me and you and everyone we know away in a cold dark building until the day we die."

Shayla shook Chloe lightly. "Okay, Chloe? You're getting hysterical on me, baby, and hysterics are never a good thing. I know this because I'm getting there myself and that is not of the good."

Chloe let out another crying sob and nodded, biting her fist as she tried to keep it in and bring her legs to her chest. "You know too much. Lex is going to hate me. I let him down... I just needed to talk, but I let him down."

"Chloe... okay. If you don't want to go to my room, then we need to kinda go somewhere, because a hysterical breakdown in the middle of the hallway is kind of an attention getter. Let's not worry about who knows what, let's just... find a place to hang and then we can get hysterical together, kay?"

She nodded, hard, and reached down, picking up the first squirming, kicking little baby her hands fell on. "Get the babies… they’re too little to run around by themselves. We can keep... keep them safe." Chloe glanced around the room once before up and down the hall, and nodded at her friend. "Lead the way."

Right, cause carrying three squirming, chewy little hairbags wasn't going to draw attention. But Shayla did as she was told. "Lardbutt, you weigh a ton!" she said, heaving up Samson and passing him to Chloe. "Okay... Moe and Curly, come on." She scooped up the other two puppies in her arms, and situated them against her chest. "Let's go."

She nodded, cuddling Samson close to her chest, and followed her friend. Whitney would be finishing with the juice and things soon, and she wanted to be with her lover this afternoon, so they could talk to Clark and Lex. So she scurried after Shayla, snuggling Samson to her chest and sniffling.

HEY!!!! He was dragged OUT of the puppy pile, but oh!! The Yellow Lady!!! He licked her chin and her cheeks madly, wagging his tail and trying to cheer her up.

Artie sneezed as perfume filled his nose. Stinky Big Person scooped him and the Her up and started carrying them, and he sneezed again. Bad Stinky.

Shayla cuddled her puppies as she led the way. "Okay, Chloe? While we're walkin'? What the hell is going on? I mean, just... overall?"

"Badness. Badness on every level." Chloe whispered, rubbing her cheek against Samsons little face, and her chin trembled. "I have to tell you in private. can't risk someone hearing, Shay."

"Badness. Yeah, I got that." She stroked one of the pup's heads. "Since when did Samson there multiply?"

Cleo was having a ball. She kept nipping her Bruder’s ears, licking the lady, gnawing on her shirt. Mmmmmmm.

"I dunno." Chloe said softly, quietly, pressing the baby to her chest as they walked up the steps. The first bedroom they came to, a guest room, empty, and Chloe dragged her in.

"Whoa!" Shayla slammed the door shut behind her, and dropped her armful of puppies on the bed. "Okay. Seriously, Chloe... what the fuck?"

Chloe put Samson on the floor and instead turned, pulling a chair out from an ornate antique desk. She set it in the corner of the room and heaved herself up on it... turning the camera that shown into the bedroom away. She did it with the other two cameras, then walked over to the small alarm clock by the bed, putting it on, and the music clouded anything she would say. She took her friends hand and led her around the bed to the soft, spongy carpet on the other side, and sank to the floor, half hiding behind the huge bed. "Clark gave birth to a baby yesterday morning."

Shayla blinked at her friend, and oofed slightly as she was pulled down. "He... he... he did what? I mean... I know I skipped half of my health classes last year, but... I thought only chicks had babies?"

"They do. Clark’s not human." Chloe whispered under the music, as the puppies barked playfully around them.

Another blink, and her jaw dropped. "Okay. Right about now is where you'd say, gotcha." She studied her friend. "Only you're not. Okay. Wow. Clark... Clark not human. And... and the baby? It's... it's AJ's, right?"

Chloe nodded, tears filling her eyes. "We... we had... we have... this thing with them. A friendship thing that’s so deep... we... I feel Lex, in my head, and all he's doing is screaming and crying and he can't..." Chloe’s chin shook. "The baby was all formed. He died because he didn’t have lungs... he died in Lex's arms. I can see him in my head, see it through Lex's eyes. Shay..." her voice broke. "He's so sad."

More information than she could take in. "Whoa. That's just... you can see in his head? How the... what the... this is fucked up, C'lo." She hugged her friend tightly as her voice broke. "C'mon, I'm here. You can cry, it's okay." She rubbed Chloe's back. "I believe you."

"You don’t. You don’t. Shay, its so complicated, but you can't tell anyone. if anyone finds out, Mr. Luthor will have us k-killed."

"You mean, Big Daddy?" Shayla blinked. "Talk to my brother, Morg's got him so wrapped around his little pinky it's not even funny."

Chloe rubbed her face clean, sniffling into her knee as one of the puppies... the little boy, looked up at her. She tightened her arms around her upraised knees, snuffling hard and coughing softly. "Its not about that. I know w... why he wants us to be quiet about it, and now you know. Shay, now you know. You can’t know how sad Clark and Lex are, you can’t."

Artie wiggled his way out of the puppy pile, leaving Cleo and Sammy to roll and wrestle, and he looked up at the yellow lady. He padded over to her, and nosed her ankle.

Shayla just blinked. "Okay. Not that I think you're lying to me or anything, but let me make sure I got all this straight. Clark... big, tall, dorky guy that AJ's dating... is an X-Files gold mine and he... somehow gave birth to a baby? And it died?"

Chloe’s chin trembled. Hard. Her big blue-green eyes filled with hot tears and she sucked her lower lip into her mouth, nodding hard. "Clark is an alien. We're his sha'nauch. He wasn’t feeling well for a few days, and suddenly… Lex f-found him," The mental picture of Clark, leaning against the back of the shower, drenched in blood as it sheeted down the drain filled her mind, and her hands rushed to her face, holding the sob in as she lowered her head and cried into her upraised knees, fingers sliding and fisting through her own hair. "And the baby died, he died and I saw him."

"It's okay, baby." Shayla slid her hands over Chloe's, pulling them out of her hair and twining her own fingers through them. "It's okay. I'm here. You can share this with me, it's okay. I'm not going to tell anyone." The truth was beginning, just beginning, to sink in. Shayla didn't believe, but Chloe would not lie to her... wouldn't be so distraught over a lie. "I believe you, Chloe. I do."

"He w-w-..." She could barely hold it in, biting back hysteria as her fingers viced around Shayla's. "He was so little, tiny, a tiny tiny tiny baby, little, and Lex is screaming in his head and he held him while he died, Shay, Shay," Chloe shook their clasped hands, making Shayla believe it. "He didn’t even weight five pounds, Shay, he was a tiny baby and he looked exactly like Lex and I c-c...c.." She buried her face in her upraised arm, sobbing.

Shayla pulled Chloe against her shoulder. "Jesus, Chloe." She couldn't picture it. She wasn't able to picture Lex out of control, wasn't about to wrap her mind around the idea of Clark bearing a child and losing it. "It's okay. Ssssh." She rocked her friend against her shoulder, cheek resting against Chloe's as her free hand stroked through her friend's blond hair.

Chloe sobbed into her friend’s shoulder, holding her tightly, fingers digging into Shayla's sweater as she cried. Everything in her was pouring out, it had to come out, because she felt so stupid and selfish but these were her best friends in the world. These were the men who'd touched her, and claimed her as sha'nauch and these three people were her everything. And now that everything was fragmented, gone, her lover barely audible, Clark and Lex so sad, and she just couldn’t take this aloneness.

"I've got you, baby." She kept rocking Chloe against her shoulder, stroking her hair and rubbing their cheeks together. "Let it out. That's what I'm here for."

She cried for fifteen minutes. Sobbed everything in her heart out, and after a while the sobs faded and the tears trembled to a stop. She was wet, weak, had a headache, but she stopped crying, curling up tightly in Shayla's arms and watching out the window dully.

Shayla kept her arms tightly around Chloe, waiting for the tears to stop. "There we go." She hugged Chloe tightly, mind working on autopilot as her brain tried to process everything. "Want to go upstairs and wash your face, sweetie?"

A soft shake of her head, flat blond locks laying still. She felt so hollowed out... her own emotions and Lex’s and Clark’s. She was just hurt. And it made her so sad.

"Come on. You've got to. You've been crying, you look like you're sick, and you're worrying me. You don't want to worry your best friend, do you?"

She shook her head again, sniffled hard. "You d-don’t know what it was like, Shay. And I know... I sound like a crazy person. But... " Another heartfelt sniffle.

"You do, but I believe you." Shayla nodded. "I believe you cause I know you wouldn't lie to me. Not about this. So we're going to get you cleaned up, and pretend I never heard this."

Chloe shook her head, trembling out a heavy sigh as she reached out, pulling the little puppy nearest to her close to her face and heaving a sigh into his soft fur. "I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have dumped this on you... I just... I’m sorry." Chloe whispered.

"It's okay. You should have. i mean, it's what friends are for. Granted, it's a lot to absorb, but hey, I will."

Artie licked the yellow lady's face as he was cuddled, and heaved a happy puppy sigh. This place was better than the Big Cold Wet.

"You don’t deserve it." Chloe sniffled again, nodded, and carefully rose, hugging the dog close. "I want to clean up... a-and go see Whit." She suddenly reached out, grabbing Shayla’s hand. "You can’t tell him. You can’t tell him you know. He'll hate me, for betraying."

"I won't tell him. I won't, I promise. Pinky promise." She grinned at that. "But seriously, Chloe. I won't. I promise you on my... on my... on my Eminem albums. I won't."

"Oh, Shayla." And Chloe knew in her heart her dear friend just didn’t understand the depth of this pain. But it was her pain to endure, and Chloe held it close, nodding at her. "Good. Very good. Come on, okay?"

"Okay." Shayla pulled herself up, holding onto the bed, and then held one hand out to Chloe. "Let's go. We'll go to my room. You can get cleaned up there, okay? You can even change, if you want, cause my stuff will fit you, even if it's a little tight across the chest."

"Shut up. You’re not small." Chloe sniffled, hard, holding her friends hand tightly as tears filled her eyes again before she could blink them back. "Thank you, for letting me get out. I needed it."

Shayla set the puppy down on the blanket before she could squish it, and then pulled Chloe to her for another hug. "You're welcome, Chloe. That's what friends are for."

Chloe hugged her, tightly, holding her close and heaving a shaking sigh into her friends hair. "Thank you. I just... you'll understand. Please, don’t let anyone know you know. Please, Shay. Not just because of Lionel.... because of Lex and Clark. They'll be so destroyed."

"I won't let anyone know. I love AJ and Clark. They're like... really annoying big brothers. I won't hurt them, and I won't let anyone else hurt 'em either. You just let me know what I can do, okay?" Shay kept stroking Chloe's hair and back, trying to calm her down.

Chloe nodded, and without thinking, kissed her best friend.

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