The Memoirs

Lionel felt as though his head had barely touched the pillow before he was wakened by a serenade of coughing. His eyes snapped open quickly, and he turned over in bed, moving with the rocking as his poor lover coughed, sounding as though he were going to hack up a lung. He patted Dominic on the back as he scrubbed sleep out of his eyes, blinking himself awake at... six in the morning.

He had to be up in another half hour anyway. "Dominic, are you all right?"

No. No, he was not. He rolled onto his side and coughed harder, eyes gummy and refusing to open as he did. Shifted back to get back into his sleepy position but his breath rattled and he coughed all the harder, for several moments before he could catch his breath. A soft sigh, a snuggle into his pillow, and he muttered quietly as he snuffled hard and rubbed his cheek into his pillow.

Lionel was worried. He pulled Dominic against him, and was surprised to feel the heat in his lover's body. "That's it," he said softly, guessing the fever to be near 100. "I'm calling Toni." He reached over his lover and picked up the cordless phone, and paused, staring at the keypad as he dialed through his mental Rolodex for Toni's number.

Dominic didn't even say anything, partially because all he heard as a dull sound outside of his plugged ears, and he rolled onto his side, winding his arms around his lovers body and sighing. He was cool and comfy and not at all sweaty, like his pillow, and he gave a little asleep smile as he snuggled close.

The heat radiating off his lover was worrisome, and he dialed quickly with one hand while fanning his lover gently with the other, using the sheets to create soft bellows of breeze that dried the sweat on his skin.

"L'nol. Col'." He glared, finally opening his eyes as he peered up at his love. "Bast'rd. Leave'llone." He got up on one elbow, snuffling and looking at the clock.

Fuck.

Awakened by coughing, AND his lovers sending him face first to billowing Antarctica. Or something. He was too tired to think, and muuuch too tired to consider anything about what he'd just thought of as he yawned hard and let his feet fall off the side of the bed, yawning all the harder as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and set his aching head in his hands.

Lionel cursed softly as Toni's answering service answered instead of her and he realized his error. No doctor would be in the office at this time of the morning. "Have Doctor Braxton call Mr. Luthor immediately; it's a bit of an emergency." He hung up and grabbed his lover's shoulder. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Shw'r. Cause I stink." He rubbed his fingers through his hair, sighed, and looked over his shoulder at his lover. "Jus' a cold. Dunna worry baby. C'mon..." A cough, a cleared throat and he rubbed his ear in hopes they'd--

Pop. Ow. He stretched his jaw and rubbed his ears, the rush of sound weird and loud as he climbed to his feet and stretched. "Coffee. Need some."

"You are not going anywhere." Lionel pointed to the bed. "Sit down."

He looked over his shoulder at his lover. Behind him, silhouetted against the sky. It was sprinkling lightly, but seemed that the sun would break through before much longer. His lover, naked and amongst sheets, was just gloriously beautiful, and all he wanted to do was climb into bed and sleep for 20 hours. But he knew so did his lover, and he shook his head, offering his hand instead. "C'mon."

"Dominic Senatori, put yourself back in bed, this instant."

"Lionel Luthor, stop being a mama hen." A glare. "I've a cold, not pneumonia. Now c'mon, so you can take me to Denny's." A nod. "Just need a proper breakfast."

"You are not going to work today. I can barely understand you through the congestion, you are running a fever, absolutely not."

Their bed, with all of its soft, soft sheets, was still warm. It was drizzling lightly outside... the room was cold, where he'd come from warm, warm coziness. His naked toes on a cold floor, simple boxer shorts and t-shirt on and he was so cold everything was shriveling and pulling in and he snuffled, hard, rubbing his nose where it ached. His eyes were teared and he gave a hard cough, and before he had finished he was crawling back under the covers and winding his arms around his lovers waist, snuggling in and burrowing down.

Lionel's arms wrapped tightly around his lover's shoulder, holding him close and stroking a fevered forehead. He knew he was likely overreacting, but he couldn't help it. The thought of losing Dominic, even as remote as it was, terrified him, and he held tightly to his lover. "I've called Toni, and she'll call us back and come over and get you fixed right up."

"I donna get sick." He muttered under his lovers chest, where his face was pressed, rubbing close before letting go so he could breath. His lips were dry and cracked from not being able to breath through his nose all night, tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth and furry, and he was not at all in any type of appealing mood.

And he stunk. Like sweat. Oh ew, and he had to let his lover go, because right then and there, he grossed himself out. "Prolly flu. I was no' feelin' good, r'member?"

"I remember." He stroked over a damp shoulder. "You're right, you do need to shower, and I'll have blankets warming for you by the fire when you get back." He nodded at the dormant fireplace.

Glare, turning his head to do it full on. If one could, with a stuffy nose. "Are you saying I stink, Li'nel Luthor?"

"No, I'm saying that a shower might loosen the congestion in your head, in the best case scenario, and in the worst, all it will do is wash the germs and the dried sweat off your skin."

Yeah. He did. He stunk to high heaven. He just didn't have the energy to do anything other than lay there for a few long, lovely moments... and then he coughed, hard again, sitting up to do it into his hand as he turned from his lover. The last thing they needed was for Lionel to catch what he had, and he climbed from bed, coughing as he went to the bathroom.

Lionel waited until Dominic was in the bathroom, picked up the phone, and shouted fitfully at Charlie, ranting at the top of his lungs until the terrified kid provided him with Toni's home phone number, which he proceeded to ring off the hook.

Whoever happened to be calling her at the time when God had yet to wake up was going to die.

In a very pained, and protracted manner.

She turned... pushed Graham's tree trunk of a thigh off her butt, and reached for the phone, bringing it to her ear under the pillows. "What."

"Toni, it's Lionel Luthor. Dominic's taken ill, and I need you over here, as soon as you can come."

Why on God's earth he still said his whole name when she knew who the fuck he was, even in her sleep addled brain, pissed rather then amused, and she growled softly from under her pillow. "Is he dying?"

"I don't know; he's running a fever, near a hundred, the best I can gauge, he's sweating, coughing and choking with nearly every breath, and I can't understand him because of the congestion in his head."

Why. Was. He. Calling. Her. For. A. Flu.

GRAAAAH!

But he was going to be her future brother in law. She had to be nice, especially when he was worried over his husband. They were cute as duckies and she just got up on one bleary elbow, the pillow falling off her head, and oomphing as Graham rolled over and all but squished her as he held her.

They were going to have a serious talk over how much steak he should be consuming instead of salad.

She grunted and managed to sit up, hair sticking up in every which direction, eyes half shut. "Mmkay. Get him in a hot shower... steam'll clear him up uh bit. Vicks him up, I'll be there in an hour."

Graham grunted as she elbowed him as she sat up, and he gave her a bleary eyed glare.

"We'll be waiting for you, Toni. And thank you." Lionel hung up, and got up from the bed, heading into the bathroom. "Jiminy? Toni said steam; turn the water on and get the steam rolling."

Toni glared back down at him, but couldn't help it, as she crawled back under the sheets and in his arms, just for a little while.

Faar, far too late. Dominic was already under the hot spray, naked fingers around his hardening cock. He was too sick to make love with his lover, but he needed the stress relief a yummy orgasm could bring, and he jacked slowly, softly, with his head under the water, eyes closed and forehead leaning against the cool tile.

Graham wrapped beefy arms back around Toni and held her close, stroking a bare shoulder with his thumb and quiet, soothing rumbles in his throat.

Lionel opened the door to the shower when Dominic didn't answer him, and he smiled guiltily as he noticed Dominic's hand on his cock. "I'll leave you two alone; make sure you breathe in the steam before you get out, and I'll be waiting for you."

Dominic reached out and didn't really care his lover was in bedclothes. Didn't even look, leaving his forehead on the tile as he tugged his lover in, and rose up to press naked body against not so naked body, fingers still working on his own cock as he reached inside pajama pants for Lionel's. Set his cheek on the warm expanse of a smooth shoulder and jacked softly, steadily, bringing them both together as he snuggled in. Sick, tired, sick, very, very, very tired. Smooth, warm flicks of his wrists...and then one, when he brought both together so the other could go around his lovers waist.

Lionel wrapped his arms around Dominic, steadying him, tilting his head back so that the water from the shower ran through his hair and down his bare chest and back, soaking the silk pajamas and he truly didn't care as he moved against his lover. He batted Dominic's hand out of the way and wrapped his own there instead, stroking with each of his own thrusts forward, letting his cock rub against his lover's. His other arm cradled his lover against him gently.

Breath escaped and mmmm, he felt so good. Let his eyes close as he made a soft noise, working his hips forward and he couldn't bring himself to kiss his lover with all his germies, just holding him tightly as they moved together. It felt good, so, so good so early in the morning, sun yet to rise, and sighed heavily as he sucked in each hot, moist breath of air.

Lionel stroked faster, picking up the tempo as his lover's hips thrust, jacking their cocks together, biting his lip as he moved. He pressed his cheek against his lover's, directing him more into the spray, the hand not jacking him off sweeping hot water over his lover's body, rubbing the heat into taut shoulder muscles and aching back as he kept his pace, jacking firmly.

He moved a little faster, though he was much too tired to do too much, grunting softly as he wheezed out a soft cough with the gasp of pleasure, pressing close… close... yes.

His come painted his lovers belly and his own as he came, with a long, windy sigh, rolling the orgasm out as he shivered all over and rubbed a hand over his lovers belly, rubbing the semen in to the skin softly, thumb stroking over it before up, to paint a tight, ringed nipple, gently rubbing his orgasm in to the hard, lovely skin.

Lionel stroked himself again, thrusting against his lover's cock, but not coming until he felt Dominic's thumb tugging gently at his nipple ring, and he came with a harsh shudder, beard scraping against Dominic's cheek and shoulder as his hand tightened around his cock, stroking himself until he was empty.

Mmmm and it washed away when he turned the smallest bit to press a soft, tenderly chaste kiss to the underneath of Lionel's jaw in thank you. A little lick in thank you and he sighed as reached for wet pajama bottoms, tugging them down. They fell with a dull flop, and he tugged his lovely softly under the spray silently.

Lionel stepped out of the soggy bottoms, and helped slide them out of the way as he stepped into the spray with his lover, turning him around to face the wall as he gently kissed the back of his neck before starting to firmly massage tense muscles under the hot spray.

"Mmmm. Sick more often. Hand jobs and massages. Throw in somb ice creab," Cough, hard cough. "Some ice cream and you'll not only be my favorite... you'll be... my super favorite."

"SSssh," Lionel said with a grin. "Breathe, enjoy, and don't cough. Your body needs this; you've been working too hard without enough sleep and you're finally paying the price."

"Fuck you." But it was said with a soft hiss of pleasure, and a groan as he set his forehead on the shower stall. "Sen'tori's don't get sick. Not ever. They get preg'n'it and they get acne, but no. No sickness. I'm young. Can take it."

Lionel's hands moved down to the small of his lover's back, fingers kneading a knot of tension as big as his fist. "You are a Luthor, Dominic, and as much as we refuse to admit it, Luthors do get sick on occasion."

"Mmmmm." HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! ""ma Luthor, yeah. Should I tease Lex? or just tell him? What way will make the best comedy gold?"

"I think just telling him will earn you that embolism you've been trying for, but teasing him will give you a longer run. It's your choice." Lionel's hands kept working at the base of his lover's spine

"I love him. He's a good boy, as much as he hates it. Lionel? The hot water is making me light he-- oh.." A soft sigh as his lover massaged his lower back and his knees went to jelly. "Headed. Lets get out of here."

Lionel instantly shut the water off, and pulled Dominic back against him. A quick, deep breath and he had his lover swept up in his arms for the ten steps back to the bed. He wrapped Dominic up in thick, fluffy towels, and fed the little fire with all the kindling that remained from the winter. "Toni will be here soon." Then he looked slightly abashed. "She said to... Vicks you up? Though I'm sad to admit I'm at a loss."

His mouth fell open when Lionel just...and holy Jesus, he stared at him from their bed, blinking from underneath the big white towel his lover had put him in, and see, he would have just pulled Lionel in with him if he was thinking clearly, or not coughing half a lung up, which made him mutter and roll into a pillow, eyes closed and the towel around him.

That is, until Lionel came near, and he reached out and tugged at his thigh for his lover to get in bed with him. "Blue pot, second shelf, mirror cabinet. Fuck work. Come lay with me. Lex can work. We can sleep."

Lionel leaned over and rubbed his cheek against Dominic's as his thigh was tugged. "I can't. I've been away from the site too long already, things are running a little rocky and a little behind and I have to be there to make sure these things don't get any worse." He petted Dominic's thigh. "I'll be back." He walked into the bathroom, fetched the jar that Dominic had described, and opened the lid.

Ye gods, what an unholy smell, and he choked on it, coughing and eyes watering.

At the choke Dominic snickered, loudly, from the bedroom and from under the covers.

Lionel capped the jar immediately and threw it into the bedroom. "Toni must be out of her head to expect me to apply that to you. I wouldn't apply that to a sick animal, much less a sick human."

Ohhhh. Big snuffle, and he looked piteously towards his lover as the little pot landed by his arm. Sniffle. Sniffle. He opened it, got a big dollop of it, and smeared it over his chest, sighing softly as the ugly, ugly scent of it permeated the air. or so he thought. He couldn't smell it. Kind of taste it in the air, and ew, but oh.

Yes.

He spread it across his chest and a little bit on his nose, capping it and rubbing his fingers clean on the towel as he let it fall to the floor, tugging the blanket up a little and not giving a true fuck if it got a little wet, eyes closing.

Mmmmmm. Vicks. A true gift to mankind.

Lionel could certainly smell it, and it made his eyes water. "Dominic, that is a pestilence. But if it makes you feel better, I won't argue." He ducked back into the bathroom for a towel of his own, drying off his wet hair first, then draping the towel around his waist as he went to the closet, and started to pull out clothing for the day.

He fell asleep. Heard his lover getting ready for the day and he could sort of breath through his nose now and oh. Wow. He was just... wow. So overjoyed, and he fell asleep, half turned on his side and snoring in his congested fashion.

Lionel turned around to drop his slacks, turtleneck, and jacket on the bed, and smiled to see his lover asleep and snoring. He tucked his clothes back onto his arm, and walked through the side door into the room beside theirs. He looked out the window, into the flower garden that Lex maintained for his mother's memory. The sun was just coming up, and sunlight dappled through the trees, casting dancing shadows on the floor through the window, and Lionel leaned forward to open it.

Through the open window blew in a cool breeze, and brought with it the scent of a night shower's rain, and wet flowers.

He'd talk to Dominic as soon as he was feeling better, but this... this needed to be their daughter's room.

And Toni was grumbling all the way up the fucking steps. Dragged out of bed at an ungodly hour and here she was, barely the ass crack of seven o'clock in the morning and she knocked at the door, sighing softly. What she did for her favorite patients. Including dragging herself from her bed when she was warm and toasty and Grahamied, and she shifted her bag to the other hand, letting her head fall as she shifted her weight to her other small hip.

Ms. Bird bustled to open the door, Maria busy serving the breakfast trays and Enrique on his day off. "Toni!" She said, with a wide smile. "Vhat are chu doin' here et dis ungodly 'our?"

Toni smiled up at Hilde softly and thumped up the steps with her single crutch and her huge, ugly cast, sighing and shaking her head softly. "Lionel called me an hour ago. Something about Dominic being sick? He asked me to come out here. Of course the man is over reacting, but I'm indulging him because he's the love of my life." A chuckle at her as she shifted the bag to the other arm.

Ms. Bird was in the process of holding out her hand for the bag when her eyes widened. "Dominic es seck? Vhy vasn't I told? Come vith me, Miss Toni, und ve vill get to de bottom of dis."

"Got it." She grinned at her friend and waddled after the old house keeper, plodding up the steps and keeping pace with the older woman. She may have been a cripple, but she was a speedy one, and she used her crutch to propel herself along. "He said something about fever, coughing, aches? Sounds like the flu." Sigh. "Every patient I got last night was sick with it, so I'm not surprised."

Ms. Bird was mumbling under her breath. "Hot toddy my arse! He vas not feeling vell last night but he ast for a hot drink and he vas going to go to bed early! If dat man is seck, I am going to have to hurt hem!"

"I'm sure he wouldn't mind at this point." Because yeah, the hacking coughs echoed down to her, and she sighed at the ceiling as they finally reached the top of the stairs and down to their bedroom.

"Den I vill vait until he es feeling better!" She stomped up the last few steps, and then banged on the closed door. "DOMINIC!"

He couldn't help it. He swallowed the shriek at Ms Birds furious voice and hid under the blanket, whimpering towards where his lover was getting dressed. "Think I can make it out de window an to the car 'fore she finds me?"

Lionel's head peeked out of the adjoining door. "No, I don't think so, but don't worry, I won't let her hurt you." Lionel raised his voice. "Come in, the door's open!"

Toni reached around the furious woman and carefully opened the door, sighing softly as she hitched her bag up and hobbled in. The room was straight as a pin, but for the left corner of the bed where a head of crazy blond hair was peaking out. Tissues, a... what she presumed, barf bucket, and a white towel. The scent of Vicks was thick in the air, and she sighed softly at the barrage of coughs and wheezes. "You both are working yourselves into the ground."

Lionel shook his head. "I'm actually quite well, but thank you. I was just released from the hospital Tuesday for my kidney stone, and I'm in perfect healthy." He tucked his turtleneck into his slacks. "Excuse me, just one moment while I finish getting dressed."

"Of course." She settled herself on the bed and tugged the blanket back… making a little face in sympathy at her poor friend. He looked like shit warmed over, and she sighed as she opened her bag beside her and started muttering around in it.

Whimper. He'd been asleep, but then, Ms. Bird, and he made the sad face of being woken up, turning into his pillow and ignoring the skinny woman on his bed.

HEEE!! And because it amused him, he gave her butt a bump with his foot. "I don' feel well."

"Don't I know it."

Ms. Bird barreled into the room right after Toni. "CHU!!! Vhat do chu tink chu are doin! Chu are going to give me un heart attack!!" Her hands went to pudgy little hips. "Chu! Chu said you veren't feeling vell last night, but chu never said chu vere *dis* seck!"

"I'm not. I'm just coughing a little." Muttered meekly from the sheets, as he peeked over them at the cranky old woman. "'m sorry, Ms. Bird. I dunna like making you all worry. I'm just sleepy. Will you make me some of that nice chicken soup?" Hopeful beam, with a sleepy smile and puppy eyes.

"Not only vill I mek it but chu VILL eat it, even if I must pour it down chur throat!!" She spun on her heel, muttering German curses as she flounced out of the room and down the stairs.

Once she was down in the kitchen, she picked up the phone and dialed room 32 at the Smallville Motor Lodge, tapping her foot as she waited for an answer.

Rosalyn blinked as the phone in her room rang. Blinked, because nobody ever called her. "'ello?"

"Rosalyn!"

"Hilde!" Rosalyn put the bookmark in her book and looked up. "You sound upset!"

"Et's Dominic. He es seck und de doctor is vith him now. She shez it is de floo, but chu should come und see him."

"Of course, Hilde, thank you. I'll be over soon; bloody man doesn't take care of my baby!" She hung up, and got dressed immediately.

- = -

With a soft sigh Toni snapped on her gloves, carefully slipping the ear bits of her stethoscope into her ear, and blew a soft puff of hot air on the chest piece before pressing it to Dominic's chest gently. It was slick with the Vicks vapor rub he'd smeared on his chest, and she listened silently to the rough rattling going on inside, eyebrows furrowed as her patient closed his eyes. Shifted....put one green sneaker across the opposite ankle, and picked up his wrist, listening to his heart at the same time as she did.

"Umb I dyin'?" He grunted, rolling a little onto his side as she instructed him to, so she could listen to his back.

"Influenza remora. Virulent strand that causes the cough. Nothing any… say... three year old would catch." Teased softly as she listened, and gently let him back onto his back. "C'mere, sit up."

Lionel emerged from the side room moments later, clad in a cream-colored turtleneck, sports coat over it, and charcoal-colored slacks. His hair was tucked back behind his ears as he sat on the other end of the bed, feeling it dip under his weight. "That's it; you're staying home until you shake this."

He sat up as Toni instructed, grunting and sighing as he leaned forward. And glared in misery at his lover. "You can't keep me at home." Runny nose came up. "I'll go wherever I please, and if I'm to work, I'm to work."

"No, sir, you're not." Toni hummed softly as she checked his ears. Certain ear infection from it and she chuckled as she gently pat his shoulder, going into her bag for a throat culture. "You're a mess, and you're contagious. As it is, Lionel, you're going to need to keep away from him for the next day or two. Dominic's young as a buck and eats like a horse." She turned to her older patient. "However, you eat like a bird and as damn handsome as you are, and yes, you're deliciously sexy, you're fifty nine years old, Lionel. I don't want you catching this and it getting complicated with your injuries from the car accident. They're not totally healed yet, sweetie. We can't risk it. So...stay away from the darling Senatori for the night, and, I'm going to give you a flu shot, if its alright with you."

Lionel sat down and rolled up his sleeve, exposing his left arm. "I'll take the flu shot, I don't have a problem with that, but I will not be staying away from Dominic. Christ knows I have quite enough antibiotic still pumped into me from the kidney stone because they were afraid of an infection. I won't let my lover suffer alone." His right hand finished rolling up his sleeve, and then he put it on Dominic's stomach.

Dominic just glared. "'nd he knows if he leaves me 'lone I'll kill h--" Sniffle. "im."

"He's probably the one who got you sick in the first place, right?" Amused glance at her little blond as she tipped his chin back. "Tongue out. Ahhh."

He ahhhed, and to his credit, didn't gag when the stick went down his throat. Which you know, proud, and he gave a little beam before he went back to glaring.

Soft chuckle and she capped the culture, zipping it into her little plastic baggie before snapping the gloves off and slipping a new pair on. She removed the vaccination she'd slipped into her medical bag for this exact purpose, as well as her alcohol swabs. "Uh… sweetheart, this doesn't go in your arm."

"HAH!" Rude snort as Dominic plopped back against his pillow, curling up and tugging the blanket up over his shoulder.

Lionel just glared at the lady doctor. "You have got to be out of your beautiful mind if you think for a single second that I am going to let anyone other than Dominic insert anything in my ass. More than enough people have seen it in my lifetime and I do not intend for anyone else to."

She shook her head gently. "Your hip, sweetie. I won't see any of that fabulous crack I've heard so much about. ...I might see a little, but I promise I won't look." She climbed to her feet, holding the prepared needle ready. "For my peace of mind, Lionel. Come on."

Slowly, Lionel rolled his sleeve down, and slid the slacks down enough to expose his hip. "Here you are, Doctor." He glared. "You better not have heard anything about it." The glare switched to his sick lover as he turned and gave Toni a clear shot to his hip.

She lowered his pants a little more and swabbed the area with alcohol, the careful hands of a doctor, and then slid the needle in at the right angle, expelling its contents into Lionel's body. "There." Pulled out and quickly pressed a new alcohol swab to it, rubbing away the droplet of blood. She reached into her bag and ripped open a Band-aid... a florescent pink Band-Aid with the little Mermaid on it, and carefully attached it to Lionel's skin, before patting his bum. "There. Pull them on up, partner." She snapped the gloves off and put yet another set on, going back for her thermometer, ear piece, and checking her blond patients temperature once more. "There's not really anything we can do for the flu, sweetie. I'm going to put you on some antibiotics for the ear infections and cough... some medicine for fever, and aches. But there isn't much I can do and why am I even talking to you, you're asleep." Toni just shook her head gently, sweeping his hair back off his forehead gently before she unsnapped the last pair of gloves of the morning.

Lionel grimaced at the choice of Band-Aid, but then brightened. "Toni, do you have another of those bandages?"

"Hmm? Oh, the Little Mermaid? Of course." And out of her bag came a handful. "Lets see. I've got Little Mermaid, Hercules, Lion King, Batman--can you believe they've made him Band-Aids now?--N'sync, Britney Spears, and Tweety Bird."

Lionel held out his hand. "I'd like a Little Mermaid for Ariel, and I'd like one of the Batman Band-Aids, for Lex."

She grinned and handed them over, rolling her eyes before she reached up and smacked a kiss to his cheek. "I adore you." She took out her prescription pad and scribbled on it, somewhat legibly, the medications he had to go have filled out. "There you go. Remember, the one for the cough? He can't drink anything with it. Don't let him down a bottle of scotch or something, because he'll go into heart failure, okay? No dairy products--which includes ice cream, though he can have Popsicles if he begs really pretty." A chuckle. "Plenty of fluids...orange juice, apple juice, water. Nothing like soda, unless he's nauseous, and then you can give him some 7-Up. It'll cure the nausea and make him happy because hello, its soda. Put the Vicks on him every couple of hours, and if the coughing gets really bad, let him sit in the running shower. The steam will help open it all up and calm him down. Also? Spring for a humidifier for the next few days. Uhm... and that's just about it. Anything you need to ask sweetie?"

Lionel looked slightly pained. "You mean to tell me he'll not be able to have another of Ms. Bird's hot toddies? You'll have to be the one to break that to the dear lady." Then his face sobered for a moment. "No, I understand everything about caring for Dominic, but I do need to ask you something else." He hitched a hip further onto the bed. "You know Felicia rather well, Toni. I saw the crates of souvenirs that she sent with Dominic to keep when she was moving; Dominic was the one she called in her crisis, not Ethan. Am I right in assuming that Felicia... may still have feelings for Dominic?"

"Well duh." And she gave him the look all females had perfected that was basically No shit, Sherlock., down to the eyebrow raise and the head tilt.

Lionel sighed. "I was afraid of that. I don't believe Dominic realizes that; and I am not the one to have the conversation with him because I do not know Felicia well enough to point it out. Will you have a talk with him?"

"Lionel... let me cue you in on something." Toni pulled him over a little to sit at the foot of the bed as Dominic snored behind them. "You're married to a great guy. Not a perfect guy. But a great guy. Ten bucks says every single one of his exes miss him like hell. He's got this way around him, and its a damn shame he's gay, because both Felicia and myself would be having a run at him." She took her friends hand, holding the much bigger palm in her own and setting it in her lap. "Felicia will always love him. But I don't think... its my place to tell him she does. Because if I do, I'll be messing with a friendship I've had since I was six."

Lionel looked at his hand in Toni's, and thought for a minute, trying to get his thoughts in order. "He is perfect, Toni. He is perfect for me. And I don't doubt his fidelity, at all. What I do wonder is, does he know that she still... has these feelings for him, and how will it affect her plans, with Ethan? Felicia has been nothing but a friend to Dominic and I, and I don't want to her to have problems later in life because of Dominic or myself."

"She hasn't got a clue, sweetheart." Toni chuckled up at her sweet friend, shaking her head and patting his hand. "Honey, he was her first love. You don't ever lose the first love. Its pure and sweet, and he sure as hell didn't deserve her. But she loved him, a whole lot. And I think she hasn't made her peace yet, even as much as she loves Ethan, and does she ever love that boy."

Lionel's grip tightened on her hand. "If you tell me that it's not our place to interfere, then despite my misgivings, I will keep my own counsel and keep my mouth shut."

"I don't think it is." She replied sadly. "I think its for them to work out... for Dominic to wake up and see that she's still way in love with him. She needs to be over him, Lionel, before she gets married. Because… I hate to see two marriages blown to bits over some unrequited love that happened almost twenty years ago."

Lionel shook his head. "Don't worry about our marriage, Toni. It's Felicia's that I'm worried about."

"Mmm." Uncommittal nod at him, as she gently touched his cheek… then kissed it, so softly. "I really do love you guys, you know. You're like family to me. And if Graham ever wakes up and smells his own hottie, we actually will be. It'll make me happier than words, you know."

"I'll trade you," he offered. "You talk to my Senatori, and I'll talk to yours."

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, HER SENATORI?" Rosalyn bellowed it, at the top of her lung capacity, hands on her hips as she stood in the doorway.

And Dominic promptly screamed and fell off the bed.

Rosalyn strode into the bedroom, arms akimbo as she glared all around. "You! Little boy! Didn't even call and tell me my baby was sick! You! Morgan Senatori! You didn't bother to call your mother and tell her you weren't feeling well! I had tae hear it from Hilde! And you!!" She glared harder at the doctor. "You presume to think you're going to have a Senatori!!"

Lionel sighed, and cradled his head in his hands. "Good morning, Rosalyn."

Toni... she just sort of blinked at the very tiny, very boisterous woman, instead crouching down to help her poor patient back to bed. Ignoring for once his completely naked state, as it was warranted this time as his fever told her, as she gently helped him back into bed and ignored the woman. She was very good at ignoring certain people, and this...was one of them.

Dominic let out a hard cough, then another, snuffling as he glared at his mother and held his own aching head. His throat now hurt from the scream, and he whimpered at his lover as she ranted half in Gaelic, half in English. "Please, please? Take me?"

"Come on then." Lionel took a deep breath, and pulled Dominic into his arms. "There's something you need to see next door anyway." He straightened quickly, and tucked the sheets around his naked lover as he straightened. Quick steps that carried him to the door between bedrooms.

"WHERE D'YE THINK YER TAKIN' M'BABY?" Rosalyn demanded, voice and tone abrasive even to Lionel's ears.

"Madam... away from you." Two more steps that carried him through the door, and then he sat Dominic down on the large lounger by the door as he turned and closed it in Rosalyn's face.

Dominic let loose a parade of coughs into his hand, ignoring his bellowing mother as he curled into the chair and snuffled, rubbing red rimmed eyes as he sighed. The woman was going to kill him before he was forty, for sure. "L'nel? if I have her killed, how long do you think it'll take to find her rotting, rotting corpse under the house?"

"Madame, please." Toni said soothingly, as she packed her bag. "I was just checking Dominic over. He seems to be alright... little flu, as it is." Wouldn't let on just how romantical Lionel and Dominic were, because she had a feeling this was the Mrs. Senatori she kept hearing about. She'd never met the woman, but from Graham's grunts, it was surely his mother. Lord, have mercy. "You must be Rosalyn." Best smile. "Graham has told me… so much about you."

Rosalyn sniffed hard as she glared at the doctor. "And just how do you know my son, little girl?"

"I'm... not a little girl, Madame. I'll be thirty four this spring." She carefully packed her bag and rose, offering her hand. "Dr. Toni Braxton, ma'am, and its nice to make your acquaintance."

She sniffed again, and didn't return the handshake. "I have garters older than you, little missy, and ye didna answer m'question about knowin' my son!"

Blink. She brought her hand back in a little bit of embarrassment, temper licking her belly. She kept a handle on it, and herself, still smiling, though it was stuff now. "I'm seeing him, ma'am."

"NO ANOTHER ONE!" she bellowed. "I'll no have my chil'ren seein' a pack of niggers in this town!! MORGAN SENATORI, GET YER SICK ARSE IN HERE NOW!"

She didn't dare let her mouth drop, but the attitude, and the temper, came out. "Excuse me? Who are you calling a nigger, you pasty old white bitch? Because it had better not be me. Who the fuck do you think you are, coming in here and calling me a name like that? Unclassy, uncouth simpleton."

"I know who I am, little girl, and I'll thank YOU to keep YOUR hands off *MY* children!!!"

"I'll put my hands on anyone I please, ma'am." Her voice was very, very, very cold. "And no seventy year old woman is going to tell me who and whom I may not sleep with. That's my choice, not yours. He's mine, and nothing short of death is going to take him away from me. Good day." She walked stiffly, with her bright blue cast, over to the next room, opening it, peering in, giving Lionel the snarl face, and stomping out the door.

Lionel gave Toni a sympathetic grimace as she stomped out. "I'll talk to you later tonight, Toni," he called out after her, and looked down at his lover lying on the lounger. "I'm going to kill her."

"Do it quietly." He muttered, rolling over more onto his side and tugging the sheet up on his shoulder. "What're you showing me? 'fore she comes in and demands why I'm naked."

"This room." He pulled Dominic up against him on the lounger, to lean against him. "Look out the window; look at the sun coming in through the glass, the garden and the trees." He paused, and left his cheek on Dominic's hair. "A nursery, possibly?"

His lips spread, as he pressed his face close to his lovers shoulder. "Mmmm. It would be so pretty. With a crib of light wood? And... and perhaps Winnie the Pooh."

"So you like it?" He rubbed his cheek against Dominic's hair gently. "I saw it this morning--really saw it--and I loved it. Winnie the Pooh... perhaps... fairy tales. I'd like to commission Dogwood to create murals."

"Oh, Li'nel." he looked up. "Of Sleeping Beauty. Perhaps... her castle, there, in that corner?" He lifted an arm out of the sheet to point. "And over there... the thick forest, and the meadow where she sings. And the ceiling can be the sun and sky, and we can paint on that see-through paint over it for stars, at night."

"Yes, that would be perfect for our little Aurora." He nosed gently at Dominic's throat. "Roses along the border, or on trellises painted on the--"

Rosalyn banged on to door. "OPEN THIS DOOR THIS INSTANT, LIONEL LUTHOR."

A whimper as his head throbbed, and he buried his head in his lovers throat. "Take me with you. Please. I'll be good. I'll sleep on your couch."

"No, I'll take her and bury her in the concrete foundations."

"Unmarked." He muttered, as he climbed to his feet, wrapping the sheet around himself and opening the door just as his mother was taking another breath to bellow. "Mama. Imb here. Come now. I'm tired. Lionel, my darling, call me when you get to work so I know you got there safely."

Lionel nodded and kissed his lover's cheek gently. "I'll talk to you shortly." He turned to glare at Rosalyn. "My husband is sick, and if I come home to find that you've aggravated that or made it worse in any way, you will wish that you had not. You are not welcome here; I invite you to depart at the first possible moment."

"Ye canna threaten me, you huge oaf of a man," she said, poking her finger in Lionel's shoulder.

Lionel caught the poking finger, squeezed it until she backed up a step. "I am not threatening, madam. Merely promising. Dominic... I will see you tonight, and I shall send Ms. Bird up with coffee for your throat."

"Mmm. I love you." Dominic muttered, straightening the blankets as he disappeared into the closet. When he again came out he was wearing boxers and a t-shirt, and he coughed as he sat on the edge of the bed and... and was a little hesitant to look at his mother. "Why are you here, mama?"

Rosalyn waited until Lionel was gone before blasting her son. "I am here because of you, you ungrateful little child of my loins! Ye couldna be bothered to tell your old mum that you were sick?? Am I no longer good enough for ye?" Her hands were still on her hips. "Ye should have tol'me that that little boy of yers got ye a nigger doctor and I'da been happy tae get ye a real one!"

"I am glad you're here because of me, my very loud mother." Dominic muttered, dragging the blanket around his shoulders. "I woke up an hour ago, mama. I didn't have time to call you, and even if I had had any time, as I recall, the last time you and I spoke you told me you were going to disown me, and that you were selling the house Da' built with his own hands." He looked up, then, tears in his eyes and his nose plugged again. "And that little boy is my husband and the son to be father of my child, and that nigger doctor has saved both Lionel's and my own life twice over. So just... please, mama. Just stop, okay? Your theatrics aren't going to get you any attention anymore."

"Aye, and I am sellin' the house! There's a man who's willin' t'pay twice what I as'in for it!" Her hands went further up on her hips, if that were possible, and she moved one to waggle a finger at Dominic. "Ye'll nae be talkin' t'yer mother like that! And how in the name of sweet holy Christ are ye gonna have a baby wi'that man!"

Dominic just shook his head softly, as he looked down again and rubbed his face on the side of the blanket. "What would you care, anyhow? You don't like him, you don't care of my life with him. So why do you even want to know?"

"Yer damned right I dinna like him! And ye didna tell me that yer brother was sleepin' with that woman!"

"You don't care of the things I care for, so it becomes useless to tell you, mama. Everything becomes useless to tell you. For the first time in my life I'm happy, and you'd rather hate him, than be happy for me." And for the first time he realized how much it upset him, as he didn't look up at her. "Toni is Graham's business, and it'll do you good to ask him about her."

"Canna believe this! M'son's finally turnin' against me! Knew this day would come, knew it when ye didna like Alice May and wanted t'leave home! I let ye and I supported ye, and now yer turnin' against me!"

"I'm not turning against you, mama. I'm just so tired. I'm tired of knowing I disappoint you in everything I do, that you can't see how happy I am with Lionel." Dominic just shook his head and leaned back under the covers, pulling his pillow to his cheek and tugging the blankets over him. "Go away."

Rosalyn would regret saying this later, but in her anger, it came out. "I'm glad t'be sellin' your Da's old house, cause then there's nothin' that willna be tyin' you to yer old life!!"

He didn't dare look up, and see him weakened and with the pain he knew was on his face. "Is it because I'm gay, mama? Is that why you're so angry with me? Because I didn't produce you babies?"

"I'm angry with ye because ye've gone way and above yer raisin'! Ye canna even keep yer own name but you gotta go by Dominic to yer high-falutin' friends!"

"I changed my name, mama, because something very bad happened to me when I was a young man. And I chose not to go by Morgan anymore, because whenever someone said that name, I would feel fear." Easy voice, that was dead around the edges. "I'm not ashamed of who I am. On the contrary. I'm very proud of who I am, how far I've come in this life, and what I've done with the years God has given me on this earth. You should be proud. That a child of yours has succeeded in the world in this way. You should be proud. But you're not. Instead you wish, what? Id stayed in Cobh? Gotten married to Alice May? I would have been miserable. She died three years ago, mama. I would have been a widower at thirty two."

"AYE!! Home was good enough for the likes of the Senatori family until ye got it in yer head to run off to the Americas and th'rest of the brood flew! Alice May was a sweet girl, an' she'd made you a good wife if you had stayed home! I was a widow not long after thirty two, Morgan Senatori, don't you even try'n tell me that--"

"Mama, say one more word, an'I swear on the name of Mary Magdalene that ye'll regret it." Lindy came the rest of the way into the room, bearing a tray with coffee on it. "Dominic's sick, he needs rest, not you haranguing and harassing him." She squared her shoulders as she walked in. "No' that ye care, but the entire house has heard ye makin' an ass of yerself, mama. Now leave, an' let me take care of Dominic."

Oh, God. The sweet mother Mary herself, and Dominic gazed at her over his mothers shoulder in pure love and relief. Oh, thank god. He felt like a truck ran over him, and now he was just sad, and fuck. He pulled the blanket up over his gray t-shirt and swallowed down a cough, ignoring his mother completely.

And then, because he'd come too far in life, he couldn't. "I'm gay, mama. I'm a gay man, I live in Smallville, Kansas, I'm married to Lionel Luthor, and we're going to have a baby. Deal with it. If you love me, you will. If you don't, then you know your answer. I'm almost forty years old, mama. I'm done answering to you, and what you think my life should be. My life's already almost over. And the last twenty years I have I am going to spend with the man who I truly, completely, love, and the child we're going to bring into this world. If you can't accept that, than I thank you not to contact me any longer. I'm happy. If you love me, if you do love me, as a mother loves her child, you'll accept anything I do and anyone I am, and you will care for me. I'm happy, so leave me alone. Stop raining on my parade, and stop trying to make me feel guilty for doing as you always taught me to do--follow my heart. I followed it, and it led me to a person who loves me, unconditionally."

"Good show, baby brother," Lindy said quietly, sitting on the lounger beside her brother as she made the coffee, sickeningly sweet and creamy like she knew he liked it. "Here you go. I'll be bringin' ye up some orange tea and hunny for those sniffles ye get." She kissed his cheek as she sat there, and helped steady the cup in his hands. "I'm proud of ye, baby." She looked up at Rosalyn. "Just t'finish off yer heart attack, mama? Lionel helped Graham save me and Ellie from Roddy, an'he brought me back here where it was safe."

He took it and let out a cough first, into his sleeve, as he sat up and took the coffee and sipped. Lovely on his tongue and he drank some more of it, feeling it burn all the way down, and how delightful that was. He sighed softly, and looked up once more, to his mother. "I love you. You're my mama. I could never not love you, no matter what you or I do. But this is happening. This is real. Nothing is going to change it. And?" He looked at her steadily, for a long moment. "Lionel is the one buying the house, mama. For me. Because I wanted it, and I couldn't bear to see it go to someone who hadn't seen the sweat and the blood and the tears that went into it. Because it is my home, above any place. And if you think I am a shallow, stupid child to think it is not any place but my safe haven, than you really don't know me at all."

"I'll no be sellin' the house to that little boy!!!"

"Ye canna stop it now, Mama. I didna like it but I helped ye with it, an'I'm the one tha' tipped off Li'nel about it. Ye've signed the papers, and it'll be done in a few days." Lindy stroked her brother's forehead gently. "Now leave, b'fore I have to do somethin' like call DW an'have ye removed."

"You didn't care about it anyway. You'd rather some hillside trash take it, take the house our Da' built, than my husband to buy it for me? My God." He just shook his head, staring at her before he exploded with coughs, grunting and handing the coffee back to his sister. "Mama… come here."

"I'd rather one of yer countrymen have it than that boy!" she huffed, but despite herself, she crossed the room and went over to her baby boy.

He lifted up and wrapped his arms around his waist, and hugged her. Just hugged her, gently, cheek pressed to her warm breasts, arms around her and holding her as he closed his eyes. "You're not losing control of us, mama. We're just grown up, now. And the things you taught us, the values, are what have kept the six of us out of jail. Instead, we get married, have businesses and babies. We've seen much heart ache, but we've seen joy, too. And I know you feel like you're left out of it… but you're not. You're there, in our hearts, all the time. You provided a life for us when we needed it most, but now that we can provide for ourselves... just love us. We don't need you to work for us anymore... we just need you to love the lot of us."

Rosalyn hugged her little boy tightly. "Aye, but it's the only thing I know how to do for ye. If I'm no' workin' for ye, I'm worryin' about ye. Tis what I've done m'whole life." She stroked her son's hair gently as she hugged him. "I love ye more'n I can bear sometimes, and it angers me so when there's nothin' I can do."

"You've done everything, mama. Everything and more. You don't have to do any more. We're here, and we're the children you raised into men and women. And a damn fine job of it you did. Graham, he really, truly loves Ms. Toni, mama. He wants to marry her. And my marriage with Lionel... I've not been this happy in my life. We're going through a surrogate agency, and in another year we'll have a little baby girl. And Shayla. Shayla loves her young man, mama. You taught us, always, love once and love hard, with all your being. And that's what we've done. We've done what you've taught us, mama."

"I'm glad yer happy; I'm no' quite so glad that yers is a man, and Shayla and Graham both picked niggers for it, but I've said m'piece and I'm not sayin' anything else."

Oh, thank God. And now he was going to go to sleep, because there was something in that coffee Lindy had given him and IT HAD BEEN NYQUIL! The little blond bitch! She knew he hated it, and he turned to give her a glaring snarl as he let go of his mother and lay back. "You are so mean. A mean, blond… THING."

Lindy just gave a small quiet smile. "Tis more than one way to give a Senatori his medicine."

He glared at her, but he knew she knew it knocked him out. He sighed, rolling over, and glanced over his shoulder. "Are you stayin', mama?"

"No' righ' now. I'm goin' back to m'hotel but I'll be back to check on ye."

"No." A shake of his head, and his eyes fell shut by themselves. "Stay. I wan' ya ta."

"Yer only sayin' that cause yer not in ya right mind," Rosalyn scoffed, but she was touched nevertheless. "All righ', I'll stay for ye."

"Id ask ya t'lay wit me, but tha bed es full uh'come." A beat... cracked open his eye, grinned. "Jokin'." I think. "Tell m' one off tha tales uh'th old country, mama."

"Ya goin' t'be th'death o'me yet, Morgan." Rosalyn settled on one of the chairs by the bed, glaring at his shut eyes. "Aye, I can do that, though it's been too many years since I done it." She stopped, running through a mental list. "An which would ye b'wantin' t'hear?"

"Which'ver." He rolled onto his belly and yeah, he was a king here. Heh. Long live the faggot king. Wooo. He was sleepy. He gave a stuffed up sniffle and wriggled under the sheets, until he found... the Comfy. And oooh, that was it, mmhmm. "Pe'haps the one of... the li'le people."

"Ach, the Tyr-Na-Nog. Always ye liked hearin' of the little people of the hills. Beh. Pathetic Americans, had a bloody television show about them and it nearly killed 'mheart to see the legends butchered." She took a deep breath before she began. "The Wee Folk of the Hills were beautiful little creatures. Always dressed i'the green o'the Shire, they lived in tight li'l burrahs under the hills. They were a hardy clan, stickin' together to mine the riches of the earth for the King of Tyr-Na-Nog, and he used the wealth that the Wee Folk mined to trade with a few lucky Irishmen who stumbled on their ways." Rosalyn stroked Dominic's hair gently. "T'was said they had magic, and twas through that magic, they were never found by us giants of Big Folk as we stumble around through the land. 'Tis said they live there to this verra day, an' the rainbows we see are reflections off th'treasure of the Wee Folks."

"Mmm." the sound vibrated in his chest softly as his breath evened out softly, and he fell asleep. Who couldn't? His mother, bless her dear little black heart, had a way of the story telling, and before he knew it, he had fallen asleep. Tormented, but sleep nonetheless, and it was all he could really ask for.

- = - = -

Dick woke early. Earlier than Bruce, for a change, but he knew that wouldn't last. He knew that as soon as he flinched, moved a muscle, took a deeper breath than he had a moment ago, that Bruce would wake to check on him.

He'd found it out the hard way, waiting until he thought Bruce had been asleep before giving into the depressed sobs that wanted to choke him, but both times Bruce had woken up and Dick had choked his tears off.

He wanted to go home. Monday could not come soon enough. Three more days. Three more days to survive, three more days to fucking live through in this town he never wanted to visit, ever again. No matter what.

Three more days of avoiding everybody and everything in the fucking world.

Sometimes Bruce wondered if his sweet, sweet lover actually believed he could hide anything at all from him. He had been awake for hours, catching half an hour here, half an hour there, and keeping tabs on his lover. Dick had been very silent, quiet the last few days, and for the second time in his life, Bruce felt completely... helpless. The person who needed him the most needed from him, and there was nothing Bruce could do, or give, to make him feel better.

His eyes were slit open, just a little, watching him. The early morning dawn brought drizzle with it, adding only to the depressed mood of the morning. Dick was everything in the world to him.

Everything that mattered.

"I love you. With my whole heart. I wake up in the morning just to see you. You're the light that's leading me through the dark. You taught me. And now, when you need me, I'll be the light that leads you through the dark. This feeling... it will pass. But you can't cry yourself to sleep every night, alone, anymore, Dick. I'm here. You just have to ask."

See? He'd known. He didn't mind, of course, but he'd known. Gingerly, Dick shifted in bed, feeling stitches pull and his cast rubbing against his skin as he moved, rolling over so that his head rested against Bruce's shoulder. "I just wanna get out of here, Bruce. Out of this town, but I'll settle for out of this house. I can't stand being cooped up for another hour, but I don't want to go out either. I don't want to be alone, but you're the only person I want around and you can't nursemaid me 24-7. I can't... i can't tell you how much I love you, how much I never, never wanted to hurt you with this."

"You didn't hurt me." He said it, so softly, as his fingertips came across warm curls and a strong jaw. "I'm not going to begrudge you tears, Dick." And it was all he said, as he pressed warm kisses to dark circles under twin eyes. "Lionel needs some help today.. come with me to the construction sight? We'll be cooped up in an office all day, you won't have to worry about seeing anyone."

"Yeah... I can make a good coat rack, what with the crutches and all."

"You can make a good partner. Because that's what you are to me. My life's partner. My business partner. My leather partner." He rubbed his lips softly against Dick's cheekbones.

Dick raised his hand up, stroking lightly over Bruce's face, but as soon as he moved to kiss, he jerked away and closed his eyes as bright flash of Bruce haphazardly thrown over the desk flared in his thoughts. "I suck at partnerships, Bruce, you know that." But he gave a little nod. "I'll do what I can to help; I want to help. Do something productive for a change."

"Wh..." he had been going in too, and when his lover jerked back, Bruce's eyes flashed with hurt as his palm came up to gently stroke his face. "What is it?" His brows furrowed at the middle, as his fingers stroked through short, lovely hair. "You don't suck. You're one of the most intelligent, and trustworthy, people that I know, Dick."

"Yeah, I'm so intelligent and trustworthy that I took off for almost a year, hid out, lied about who I was, hurt everybody I ever cared about, repeatedly, for that matter. Yeah. I'm a model fucking citizen." He saw the hurt flaring, couldn't stop it, and he brought his hand up to Bruce's face again, stroking it and rubbing his cheek against it as he rested his face in Bruce's shoulder.

"Tell me what I can do." He said it softly as the back of his fingers stroking against his lovers cheek, pressing his lips softly to it no matter if he wanted it or not. "You took off because I didn't realize what I had in front of me. Everything you did was more than justified." The bit about hurting and Bruce's mind filled with Pete's face. Hard, dark jealousy, but he hit it well, as his fingertips traced down his lovers face. "Talk to him?"

"Not if I can help it," Dick answered shortly. "I just... don't want to see him again. Ever would be nice, but my luck isn't that good."

"Dick." he said it softly, eyebrows coming together again as he rubbed his thumb into a warm cheek bone. "You can't run away from your problems. I did. Look at where it got me."

"It's not a problem, Bruce. It's more... it's more like a nuclear difficulty. I don't want to see Pete. I'm not stupid, so I'm pretty much guessing he feels the same way. End of story."

"Different phrasing. Same thing." But he didn't have a straight answer for his lover, so he just stayed quiet, as he rose to sitting, and offered his hand. "Lets get you cleaned up. You smell like a garbage can." Deadpanned, of course.

Dick didn't laugh, just took the hand that Bruce offered him and pulled himself to his feet. It hurt to stand in the cast, but he didn't flinch and didn't show it. "Yeah, I could use a shower." Pain, he was used to. Robin didn't get the luxury of feeling pain, and neither did Dick.

It hurt him, so much, to see his beautiful flower in so much pain, and Bruce slid an arm around a slender waist, and tugged an arm over his shoulder. "The next lesson you're going to get is in humility, and when its okay not to be a hard ass."

Dick just nodded. "I'm not a hard ass, Bruce. Not even close."

That's what you think, though he didn't say it. From a few bedrooms down Madonna's Don't Cry for Me Argentina came on, and his brow came up as he carefully helped his lover into the bathroom.

 

-fin-

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