The Memoirs

Lionel wasted no time. He balanced the liquor store box easily against his chest as he opened the door, and he pushed it open with his foot. He dropped it onto the kitchen aisle, and paused in the bathroom, sorting through the medicine cabinet until he came to the bottle of Dominic's pills, and shoved them in his pocket and left the door open as he went back into the hallway at a brisk run.

He pulled himself up short when he saw the woman crouching beside his lover, and he couldn't help the jealousy that stirred hard in his heart, but he shoved it aside as he knelt beside him. "Here, I brought your medicine." He slid Dominic's hand into his own and squeezed it as he pressed the pill bottle into it.

Andra's eyes came up to see the sexiest man alive, literally, crouched before her doorway, and she all but had to swallow the heart that nearly plopped from her chest. Dominic and Lionel, and suddenly it all made SENSE know, all of the things she'd been hearing on the news about America's love birds, Dom and Ly. "Ohh." She muttered, to herself, and smiled at Lionel. "There you go. Hi, I'm Andra Carmichael. Dom here has been doing this to himself for the past fifteen years." A shake of her head, as she gently pushed blond hair off a pasty forehead. "I hear the thud against my dining room wall, and I come running. I've found him passed out more times than you know." She looked up at Lionel. "Lay him down, for about twenty minutes, in a dark room. He'll be alright, the shakes will go away."

Dominic downed two pills from the bottle.. .not the eight he wanted to take, and tossed his head back to swallow them, as he took a drink of water and opened his eyes to stare at the both of them. "This sucks."

"Yes, I know; he's been worse than this on airplanes and helicopters, but I've never seen him this bad when he's on the ground." Lionel tucked the pills back in Dominic's pocket, and made sure that Dominic's hand was tucked between both of his own. "Can you walk yet?" Soft kiss to the clammy digits.

She smiled. Couldn't help it. "I'll help you. Hold on." She reached back for the baby, two months old, that she'd lay on the carpet beside her, and lifted the infant up. "Let me put Jordan in bed with my husband, and I'll help you get him to the apartment."

She disappeared into the cheerfully lit, if not baby toy cluttered, house, and came back a moment later, rubbing her slightly drooly hands on her jeans, and stepping out around them. She closed the door to her apartment behind her, just in case, keys in her pocket as she crouched. "Come on, Dominic."

"I can walk along, thank you very much." Except he climbed to his feet and sagged a moment later, nearly hitting the floor.

"Of course you can." Lionel crouched beside his lover. "You're just lucky I'm in exceptional shape for a man my age." He watched Andra. "All right... Ms. Carmichael, is it? Get on his other side and help me lift." Lionel slid his arms under Dominic, one under his shoulder and one under his knees. "All right, on the count of three. Dominic, you can call me a barbarian later. 1.... 2.... 3."

"Fucking barbarian." Weak snarl at him, and a truly vicious glare.

"That's the spirit, cupcake. Come on." She lifted easily, because she wasn't a wiry woman on any accord, still plump from childbirth and strong as an ox. She was Italian, and damned if every single Italian wasn't strong. She smiled at him and rolled her eyes, as she carefully held him up with Lionel's aid and walked down four doors, to Dominic's own. "Jesus Dominic, you've either lost weight, or your boyfriend is stronger than my husband." A glance at bulging muscles. "Okay, maybe he's stronger than my husband."

"Sexy, isna' he?" Dominic muttered it, quietly. He was mortified, his belly was in knots, his head was mostly white cotton, and he was going. To pass. Out.

"Sexiest man in the world. Will you be offended if I ask him for his autograph sometime?" Anything to keep him awake, as they entered the apartment, turning sideways to get him in.

Dominic shook his head, and smirked a little at her. "He's'a ham."

Lionel chuckled softly. "You're damned right I'm a barbarian. Carrying you off to my palatial home, as though you're nothing but a Sabine." The chuckle got louder at her comment about Dominic's weight. "If anything, I've been fattening him up; or, at least, the housekeeper has. Ms. Bird is under the impression he doesn't eat enough, while I know he eats enough for a stable full of horses and yet doesn't gain an ounce."

The first piece of furniture to lay Dominic down on was the couch. "Watch out for the box," Lionel cautioned, scooting it under the counter with his foot as they came into the apartment. The couch was only a few more steps away, and soon Lionel had him lying flat on the couch.

Andra got him laying down, carefully pillowing his head, and motioned towards the blinds. "Do you mind if I bring them down?" Total darkness was the key, but she knew Lionel could handle everything else. "Get his shoes off, undo his jeans, the jacket, anything constricted, and let him cool down. He'll be alright in twenty minutes.." A soft sigh. "He's claustrophobic as hell, the poor dear. Add that to moving pieces of claustrophobia, and you've got a recipe for disaster." She cocked her hip. "Need anything, sweetie?"

"No, go ahead. Close them." Lionel was stroking Dominic's forehead gently. "I think we're all right; I got his medicine, and I'm going to get him in the shower in a little bit." He pulled off Dominic's jacket, and pulled the sweater over his lover's head, leaving him clad in just a plain white t-shirt as he loosened the jeans buttons. "You can take off his shoes, while I take care of everything else."

"You got it." She reached up and tugged the blinds down, swathing the now, shockingly empty apartment blinds down. The move was for real and god did she love this guy, and she smiled at him as he breathed softly on the cushions. She came around to the arm of the couch and tugged off each shoe, leaving him in socks as she squeezed his feet gently. "There we go, sweetheart." A towel was the next order of business, and she went down the hall a ways into the linen closet. Removed a medium sized one and a big one, the smaller which she wet in the kitchen sink, the other she set on the floor in front of the couch as she set the cool cloth on his head. "There we go, big boy." To Lionel. "He might puke... towels here for emergency. Keep this one on his head, okay? And don't you worry, he'll be fine in a bit. Just got himself worked up, is all."

"Right, we've done this before. Just like I said, never this bad. Thank you." He made minute adjustments to the towel, and settled onto the floor beside the couch. "If he gets sick, I'll take care of it, don't worry."

"Alright." She gave him a smile, as Dominic's breaths evened out, and he calmed. "I'll let myself out. If you need anything, just come ring, I'll be with the baby."

"I will, don't worry. And thank you again." He smiled at her in return. "I appreciate your help; I don't think I'd have been able to get him in without you."

She waved a hand and let herself out, skedaddling off and barely managing not to squeal. Wait'll she told Brett this one. No way would he believe that they were living four doors down from People Magazines Hunkiest Hunk Ever. HEEE!

"I'm alright." Was all Dominic said, voice soft and weak as he kept still and didn't move. "Don't freak out. Its Megan. Megan did this to me, the harpy."

"Megan?" Lionel asked, sitting with his back against the couch beside him. "How did she do this to you?"

"I don't know." Dominic didn't open his eyes. "But somehow, I'll find a way to make this her fault."

Lionel laughed. "of course it's her fault; I'm sorry I forgot that." He leaned his head back so that it rested against Dominic's stomach. "What brought this attack on, Jiminy?"

"I don't know." His fingers slid into Lionel's hair, almost immediately, as the cool room did wonders for his head. Nice, cool room. He was naming one of his children after Andralina at some point. "The room was crushing down on us. I didn't want you to get stuck in their with me, if that makes any sort of phobic sense."

He sighed happily at the fingers stroking through his hair. "It does. It makes sense, so don't worry." A beat. "I should go put the groceries away and start the drinks chilling, but I want to make sure you're all right first."

"I'm fine. Just leave me here for a while." A moment. "I'm sorry, for the episode. I can't help it."

"Don't be sorry. As you just said, you can't help it. That means you don't have to be sorry for it." He turned his head on Dominic's stomach so that he could look up. "I'm not going to just leave you here."

"Then stay, for a few minutes." He opened his eyes when he felt Lionel's on him, and gazed down, to gently stroke the hair from his eyes. "Go put everything away and come lay down with me." The couch was plenty big for the both of them, and he looked at him, imploringly.

"All right; I'd love to." Lionel left his head resting on Dominic's head for a moment longer. "I won't be long; do you have a particular place you want everything to go?"

"Eh. Just toss it in." He waved a hand. "Chill the liquor, so it'll be cool for tonight." he heaved a soft yawn, gently bringing his hand down to his face. "Thank you, Lionel. Even if you did call me fat."

"I didn't call you fat, I said, I'd been trying to fatten you up." He pushed up to his feet and put a kiss on his lover's nose. "I'll be right back; make room for me."

"Called me fat." A snort, as he rolled over onto his side and faced the couch back, snuggling into the cozy indent the couch cushions made and tugged the pillow under his head, as he rested quietly.

"Did not." Lionel moved with surprising speed, tucking away luncheon meat, measuring vinegar, soy sauce and other ingredients from memory as he started the roast marinating, and he put the fruit up in a small airtight container that had "Fruit" written on a tape strip. He was done in less than twenty minutes, and he washed his hands, drying them on the dishtowel before disappearing back into the living room. "Ready or not, here I come." Lionel slowly eased himself onto the couch behind his lover, tucking Dominic against his body.

"Wolf." His voice was quiet, sleepy as he hadn't moved from his position since Lionel went into the kitchen, and he snuggled back into Lionel's arms with as little movement as possible. He'd had another spell of dizziness on the couch while Lionel had been putting things together, and had kept his eyes closed, but now... he let him flicker open as his fingers came to the long ones around his waist, and murmured softly.

"I am not the big bad wolf," Lionel protested, his lips against Dominic's t-shirt covered shoulder.

"Grrr. Don't eat my granny." Was all Dominic muttered, and then lay quiet against him. Five minutes passed... maybe ten, comfortable, quiet with one another, until Dominic had a single, sheer, clear thought.

Lionel's crotch fit, exactly perfect, against his backside.

And for some odd reason, the thought had him hissing, loudly, arching up as he surged hard in a half a moment, blood draining out of his head and down into his crotch as he grew hard as stone. On his couch, where he'd never....done anything even remotely like this, with anyone. Porn was for his bedroom... the couch had always been somewhere clean, comfy, for friends and family to relax, for him to nap, but... to feel like this, to have the thought of Lionel's crotch fitting against him to perfection... it was dirty.

And he loved that.

The shift of his lover's body against his hand Lionel's hand sliding down across his crotch, and he stroked his palm lightly over the hardening length he found there. "Dominic?" His mouth pressed soft kisses against the thin cotton cloth, sucking gently on the skin underneath. He rocked up against the backside rubbing against his groin, and nibbled gently.

Oh God and he rubbed back, his fingers tightening as they stroked down to find Lionel's, wrapping their fingers together as his hips rolled back, softly, teasingly into the crotch rubbing his backside, and squeezed the fingers tightly in his own. Rolling movements, meant to tease, meant to remind him just how hard he was, and his breath shuddered out as his entire body shivered.

Harsh moan, ragged breaths against Dominic's neck as his tongue licked over the soft, salty skin there. He gripped Dominic's cock firmly in his hand, stroking and squeezing the hard shaft through his jeans.

Which just made him arch and gasp, his head thumping Lionel's shoulder a little as his breath gasped out of him, shivering all over as his palm stroked down to Lionel's, touching his fingers, and then the familiar hard heat, and the mixture of it, of knowing Lionel had a hold of him, had him shuddering all over again. He reached up with the top hand and grasped Lionel's hair, tightly, dragging him down for a kiss as his tongue dove. Hard.

Lionel returned the kiss, as hard as Dominic kissed him, and he shifted their positions, pulling Dominic over on top of him, so they lay back to chest as Lionel stroked him. His teeth worried the lobe of his lover's ear, sucking it under his tongue, blowing a soft breath over it as he kept rubbing against Dominic's cock, his palm forming itself to his lover's cock.

"L... Lionel!" A gasping cry as he arched up into the hand, and down onto the hard heat rubbing the curve of his ass, and he just shook all over again as his fingers grasped all that hair with one hand, the other tightening on Lionel's bicep as he looked down. Lionel's hand, long fingers and strong palm, over him, rubbing him, and he just fell back on a moan as he gasped at the ceiling. "L...L..." Alright, no. He turned, as much as he could, until he lay flush, flat against his lover, and kissed him. Hard. Grasped his hair as his tongue and teeth worried those lovely lips, diving between them as he began to rock against Lionel's broad hips. Could feel the hard heat between them in their jeans and now, now, the fantasy of seeing Lionel zipping miles of long flesh and hard, tense thighs into denim had a sharp sound of glee echoing from him, his eyes training down at him. "can't. Hel--help it."

"Don't... help it," Lionel moaned out softly, arching and thrusting his hips up into Dominic's. "Don't want you to help it!" Dominic's jeans were already unbuttoned, and he slid his hands down into the seat of Dominic's pants, squeezing the firm cheeks through underwear, pushing him down further onto Lionel's arching cock.

They were making out like randy teenagers, and the thought had Dominic's eyes dancing with amusement and glee, his mouth slanting to dive and kiss him, harder, groping now as his hands rushed to tense nipples under a delicious turtleneck, and then down, to where they were rubbing, wet heat to wet heat.

Lionel helped to shove his turtleneck up, letting Dominic's fingers stroke, pinch and tug to their hearts content. His mouth captured his lover's over and over again, easily submitting to the hard kisses as he gave his body over to Dominic. His hands were still busy in Dominic's jeans, squeezing and rubbing the firm globes with strong fingers.

He was grinning, chuckling softly against soft lips, as his eyes, dark with lust and question, looked up as he moved against his lover. His fingers came down and undid a button, slid the zipper down the jeans his lover was wearing, careful not to catch anything as he thrust forward at the same time. His cheeks tightened underneath Lionel's hands with each movement, and he purred, softly, ducking down to wrap his lips around a tense little nipple as he giggled. "We're... what, 19 now?"

Lionel nodded his head yes, in answer to every question Dominic was asking him. He spread his legs further, arched his hips just a little to assist his lover's busy fingers. His own hands massaged harder, gripping his lover's ass tightly and kneading the ripe flesh. "And proud of every year of it," Lionel answered between wet kisses, his tongue teasing each crevice of Dominic's ear.

"You're a pretty hip dude, you know." He grasped the loop of the nipple ring with his tongue, flickering the tip of it against the flat of his nipple even as he groaned, softly, moving against him, his hips rising and falling with each hump and roll forward and back. "You feel good, Lionel. So good. Never thought... so good. Like this. Jeans.. .so erotic. Know the best... best part?" He panted, between grins and chuckles, moans and grunts. "No one… gonna... walk in on... us. So… if I..." He let go of Lionel and sat up on his crotch, his zipper undone, cock half peeking from his underwear, with the sprinkle of blond pubes hugging it. His neck, wet and red from licks and sucks, his white undershirt, snug and hugging all the right things, as he moved forward and back, hand coming down to rub his crotch. "Did this, no... worry... of... someone walking... in!"

Lex had driven like a bat out of hell to get to Metropolis in two hours. The phone message he'd gotten from his father had worried the hell out of him. As soon as he'd heard the message, he'd gotten a very, very bad feeling of intense dread and unhappiness, and of very quiet sorrow and depression.

He was redlining the Murcielago as fast as it would go, and he shifted gears like a maniac. His cell phone was on, and he was talking into the hand-free headset a mile a minute to both Charlie and Bruce, who were on the office's crappy speakerphone.

At the same time, he was having a mental conversation with his aushna', making sure that if needed, Clark could show up at a moment's notice.

He nearly bypassed Dominic's building, and he had to stop and circle it once before he could get slowed down enough to turn in and pull in the parking lot.

He'd never admit to being frantic, but he was flipping through his keys as fast as he could, searching for the copy of Dominic's key. He found it, at the bottom of his fucking key ring, of course, and when the pounding on the door went unanswered, he unlocked the door with his key and shoved it open. "Dad!? Dominic!"

Dominic. Slapped. His face. Just... slapped it and glared at Lex between his fingers, before looking down at his lover. "Never mind. We'll have to go to fucking China to be alone. I'm quite sure of it, now."

"Dominic? Where's Dad?" Lex was stripping off his jacket as he stormed in. "I got a message this morning, and it was very--oh." Lex blinked.

Lionel sighed. "Yes, we do, and we will, believe me." He pushed up just enough to look at his son. "Yes, oh. What in the name of Hell are you doing here, boy?"

Dominic slid off his lover, down to sit on his legs, and zipped himself back up, exhaling softly as he looked at his step son, and then back to Lionel, tugging his turtleneck down with a little soft smile. And up, at Lex, standing frantic in his doorway.

His stepson looked good in his kitchen. In his element, more than Smallville, and he made a note to bring it up later as he climbed to his feet. "Would you like something to drink, Lex?"

"Yes," he said automatically, and then cringed at the spate of cursing in his head from his lover. "No, I have to drive back to Smallville. Dad? What the hell? You sounded like the world was about to cave in around your ears, and when I get here, you're rolling around like a dog in heat!"

Dominic rolled his eyes heavenward, and started in the kitchen. "I meant something like a Pepsi, boy. Stay, for something to eat? We were... finishing up," Wicked grin, over his shoulder, before back to Lex. "And going to eat. Would you like a sandwich?"

"Yeah, okay. Pepsi's fine." He turned and glared at his dad. "You dragged me all the way up here just to see you rolling around?"

Lionel sat up and leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees as he steepled his fingers in front of his mouth. "I didn't drag you up here, Lex. Why are you here?"

"Because in the message I got you sounded about two inches away from throwing yourself under the wheels of a truck," Lex shot back. "I was worried!"

Dominic flinched behind the two men at the sink, where he was washing his hands, and his eyes saddened, the happiness of only a moment ago making him think of that morning. How sad they'd both been, woken up sobbing, hardly able to hold his lover, and his throat bobbed as he got down clean glasses and then went into the fridge.

He took out all the luncheon meats he'd bought, as well as the mayo, lettuce, tomato, and the liter of Pepsi from the pantry, setting it all on the countertop. He filled the three glasses with ice from the fridge and filled them with the bubbly Pepsi, before walking around the large kitchen island and handing Lex one of the glasses, as well as giving his lover one over the couch back. "There we are. Proccuito and nor'eas turkey, Lex?" Without waiting for an answer, because he knew his step sons preferences, and began to take out the deli meats and cut the bread.

"Thank you." Lionel took the drink and placed it on the low coffee table in front of him, and Lex did the same thing wordlessly. "Lex, thank you, but you don't have to worry. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of things by myself. I'm sorry my message upset you but I had to let you know that I wouldn't be in at all today, and likely won't be back in Smallville until tomorrow." His hands clasped in front of him again. "You didn't have to come all the way out here; you could have just called."

Lex slammed the glass down. "I did! I tried calling, but nobody's answering the fucking phone!"

Dominic flinched again, jumping and looking up, then sighing and looking down at the food spread out in front of him as he began building sandwiches. "I... I took it off the wall, Lex, and took off our cell phones. That's why you weren't able to get our messages." He nodded up at him, before setting the sandwich he'd made for Lex on a plate, and began one for Lionel.

"Oh, that's just fuckin' great. You turned off the phones. Fucking wonderful!" Lex sat back in the chair. "You almost give me a fucking heart attack, and it's all, oh, I just turned off the phones. Fucking idiots, both of you! I don't know why I bother!"

Dominic stopped making the food a moment, and grasped the side of the plate very... very hard, before physically calming himself. He loved his step son, a great deal, but he wanted. Him. Out. Stress levels were high enough as it was, and after such a magical, calm, wonderful morning, the slap of the real world was unexpected. "We're taking a vacation from life, Lex." Was all he said, calmly, as he took both sandwiches on both plates and brought it over to them. They were thick, lovely, and smelled divine, as he offered it to them.

"A vacation from the world? Just dandy. You couldn't have though to TELL SOMEBODY FIRST?" Lex bellowed.

"Lex, that's enough." Lionel knew by the heavy dose of sarcasm that Lex wasn't truly angry. "Shut up before you say something you regret." He picked up the sandwich that Dominic had handed him and inhaled lightly. "Smells divine, Jiminy."

"I know what you like." was all he said, shyly, as he walked back around and to the kitchen, his thick white socks skidding slightly on the peach tile.

He stopped at the countertop again, ignoring Lex for the time being, and instead made himself his own sandwich, smaller than he'd made it for the men in his life because he wasn't all together hungry with the knots of lust still twining in his belly, and packed everything back into the fridge before joining them. He plopped on the other couch beside them, the foam and water dry from that morning, and wriggled into the couch as he brought his legs Indian style. Set his plate on his lap, and raised a brow at Lex as he ate himself.

"Thank you." Lionel took a bite of the sandwich and chewed appreciatively for a long moment. "Lex, eat. You're skin and bones, not that I care if that's what floats your boat, but you owe Dominic an apology. He was doing what is best for the both of us and for our relationship. It's nothing more than you'd do for Clark, so apologize, and butt out of it."

Dominic's lips spread before he could stop himself, and ducked his head out of Lex's eyes. Heh. God, he loved that man. He ate thoughtfully, strategically ignoring Lex's glare at the both of them, and raised his brow at the angry young man when the glare wouldn't go away. "It was a bit unexpected, you realize. But, Lionel thought you plenty capable of keeping LuthorCorp up and running like the good lad you are, and I thoroughly agree."

"Yeah, well, I'd love to be there running it instead of flying around the countryside like a bat out of hell making sure my father hasn't done something stupid like kill himself."

He looked back down at his plate, and the tense knots turned to those of anxiety, as he looked up at his lover. The thought… of Lionel killing himself nearly had his chest caving in, and he grit his teeth tightly as he set his plate in front of him on the coffee table and swallowed, very hard, as he fought not to cry. "Lex, you need to go home."

"Yes... I do think that's a very good idea." Lionel put his own food down, and held his arms out to his lover. "And shut the fuck up while you do it."

For the first time, Lex grew serious. "Dad... honestly. Are you all right? I... was worried." He didn't quite meet Dominic's eyes. "About both of you."

Dominic slid from the couch he was on and stepped over Lex's feet, sliding into Lionel's arms and setting his head in his shoulder, as he gripped him, very tightly, and slid in as close as he possibly could, rocking softly as the tears came. Hot and dark, and Lex represented everything he'd almost lost, and he grasped Lionel even tighter as his shoulders shook. He loved Lex, so dearly, as well as Clark, and losing them because of this, back to being so completely alone, nearly had him sobbing out loud, but he held it in, tightly, and held him close as he begged his forgiveness with his fingers, fisted in his lovers shirt, his arms, his back, holding close to him as tightly as he could.

"Sssh. It's all right." Lionel's arms encircled his lover tightly, offering a safe haven from the fears and the doubts. "It's all right, Dominic. You're never going to be without me again." All soft whispered, all into his lover's skin. "Don't cry, Jiminy."

Lex studied the situation for a minute, and without saying a word, he got on the other side of his father, sliding one arm around Lionel and the other arm around Dominic, squeezing them both tightly.

"Promise. Promise me." Dominic's voice was like sandpaper, and the arm that came around him shocked him to near silence. He looked up, his eyes dark, red, streaked with pain, and he looked at Lex before winding his arm tightly around his step sons waist and bringing him even closer. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, we worried you. Its been a hard day. I'm sorry, Lex, you didn't deserve it after all the good things you've done for your father and I. I'm sorry."

Lex just hugged Dominic tighter as he was pulled close. "It's okay, Dom. I was just worried about you guys. Dad was upset, and I just... I got this really bad feeling. I had to come and make sure you guys were all right."

"We are." He swallowed, hard, rubbing his face clean on his shoulder, as his free arm didn't let go of Lionel for a moment. "I'm sorry for getting upset." half of it said to Lionel, as he looked up at him and searched his eyes. "First the elevator, now this. I'm like a pregnant woman."

Lex gave a soft grin at that. "Speaking of? I'm incubating the embryo tonight. It has to incubate for forty-eight hours, but by Monday night? All I'll need is the surrogate mother."

His eyes widened into twin spheres, and he just...stared at his step son.

Lex caught the wide-eyed looked and shrugged.

Dominic let out a loud, loud whoop and tackled his step son, hugging him fiercely, giving him a huge, smacking kiss on the lips, and turning to his lover in the next moment, leaping at him so they all but fell against the cushions and kissed. The hell. Out of him. "WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A BABY!!!!"

"Not if you kiss me like that again you won't," Lex groused, but he was smiling.

He was ecstatic, and horrified, and sad, and full of joy, all at once, and he was laughing and sobbing at the same time as he hugged his lover so, so tightly. "Baby! We are! Going! TO! Have one!"

"Yes, yes, we are." Lionel cradled his lover against him. "We need to do so much now. Call the agency, and make sure that the woman we hired is in Smallville on Tuesday."

He was filled with so much emotion, emotion he didn't know how to deal with, and just...he cuddled next to Lionel, deeply, wrapping his arms tightly around him and holding him closely to him, as he brought his feet up so his knees nearly pressed to his chest. "You know, I'm so glad the both of you are my family. Even if you're insane."

Lex just sighed in answer. "If I'm insane, you're both responsible for driving me that way." He uncrossed his legs as he got up out of the group hug. "Some of us are working today; I have to get back to Smallville. You guys going to be all right?"

Dominic glanced to Lionel, for the answer to that question, his own in the way he held his lovers hand, and the emotions in his eyes.

"Yes, Lex. We... are going to be fine." He looked over at Dominic. "Possibly better than either of us expects, in fact." He brought Dominic's hand up to his mouth for a soft kiss.'

"Tell Charlie if he doesn't behave himself I'm going to cut his balls off with a rusty knife, alright?" Dominic said softly, somewhere in the direction of Lex, as he pressed his lips to Lionel's own and cupped the back of his head, gently.

"Bruce is there, and he's currently in charge of Mr. Siegel," Lex chuckled softly.

"God help the poor boy," Lionel murmured between kisses.

 

- = - = -

Evening had fallen like a beautiful blanket over Metropolis, and Little Nantucket, with its high rise apartments, family run markets, and bellowed Italian, felt like home.

And Dominic had never been more in love in his life.

Lex had left, and after an extremely fun make out session, they'd stuffed themselves with fruit and played video games until the sun had gone down. The house smelled like lovely food, and the sounds of their mixed laughter still rang in Dominic's ears as he stepped down onto the sidewalk. The moon was just coming up, the sky still not darkened, and children laughed in the street, riding their bicycles. Old men and women were playing cards and drinking the after-meal drink on the street in lawn chairs, and a pair of old men were in a heated debate over the tricare system.

Dominic couldn't have been more thrilled.

Especially after Lionel had kicked his ass in every video game they'd played.

He had slid a black scarf around his neck, put on a magpie hat, his leather coat, and gloves, and he was currently waiting for Lionel as he shivered. The night wasn't cold, but it would get there, and oh, how it refreshed. He took in a deep breath... not smelling the country side, as he'd enjoyed so much, but smog, dust, and grime. And he was thankful, not for the first time, that they wouldn't raise their daughter in the city.

Their daughter. How the idea thrilled him. So much so that he could forget about the pain, the mind numbing guilt, and be... completely happy. He was in love with her, and he hadn't even seen her yet.

And Lionel was standing right inside the foyer of the building, shrugging into the leather jacket Dominic had lent him and just watching his lover outside.

Out in his element, and for the first time, Lionel was actually excited about taking his lover home, to Ireland, where he could breathe in the air and not choke on the noxious fumes of the city. Where he could see the sky and the earth and the clouds because he knew that was Dominic's natural habitat, no matter how much he'd been domesticated.

Dominic rubbed his hands in his pockets, rocking back on his heels, and watched the children laughing in the street. His lips spread as he watched them, laughing and squealing, and picked out Andra's two little boys. First graders, as Dominic had gone with her to take them to their first day of school, and held her hand when she cried. They had given him a big hug as soon as he'd stepped out, and he watched them play now, in joy, as he waited for his lover.

His little girl would have a bicycle just like that, in white, with pink and purple laces and a pink basket for her dolls and GI Joes. The thought, however, made him chuckle at himself. Yes, indeed, her GI Joes. She'd be living a Senatori's life, wouldn't she? And all of her cousins, aunts and uncles would make sure she wasn't type cast in a certain roll. His brother had done it for him when he was young, never laughing at him when he played GI Joe and Barbie with Megan, and to this day he thanked him. Never fearing who he was had been the most liberating part of his life. The thought scooted through his head as he waited, rubbing his hands against his waist in his pockets and shivering.

Lionel watched his lover watching the children playing, and knew where his thoughts were going. Lionel had his own thoughts about where his daughter was going, but he didn't say a word, just cracking open a smile as he pushed the door open. "Dominic! Sorry to keep you waiting." He slipped his hands in his pockets as he came up beside his lover.

He looked up at him with the dopey grin of a man just learned of his future child, and his cheeks all but glowed as he looked at him. "No worries. I was just watching the kids. Those two little boys, the twins? They're Andra's. Mickael and Mikhail. Good boys." He smiled up at him. "What took you so long, anyhow?"

"I was just standing there watching you watching the children," Lionel confessed. "I like to do that; watch you."

His cheeks reddened, softly. "I was thinking about Aurora. We'll have to get her a white one, when the times ready. With little lacey frills and a pink basket for her necessities." A knowing nod. "She'll need somewhere for her Barbie purse, you know."

"A white what?" Lionel asked quietly, falling into step beside his lover."

"Bike, of course. A... how do you say... Schwinn? One of those, with a pink seat. And flowers, all over it."

"It's going to be a few years before she can even say bicycle," Lionel teased softly. "And I suppose you've already got her college picked out?"

"Notre Dame. Like I had to even consider it." A scoff at him, though he was just teasing, eyes dancing as he looked up at him. "She'll go to whatever college she'd like to, even if its Metropolis U."

"The Fighting Irish. Of course, I should have known." He stroked his hand over Dominic's shoulder before tucking him in against his side. "Come on. Elaine's going to wonder why we're late."

"Because you were kicking my ass at Destiny Warriors?" Dominic smiled at him and linked their arms, snuggling in close to his lover as they began to walk. "There are times I miss this place, you know. But there are more times when I'm so glad we live in Smallville. I don't think I'm suited for the fast life anymore. I miss looking out the window and seeing miles of trees." He smiled at his lover. "But I do miss the domesticality of living here. Cooking, cleaning. We never had a chance to do any of it, and I miss it, dearly."

Lionel raised his eyebrow at that. "I am very glad to leave that in the hands of Enrique, Ms. Bird, Maria, and the rest of the housekeeping staff."

His lips quirked softly, but he nodded as he looked down at their walking feet. "I know it. But I suppose you don't really live until you wash your own clothes, cook your own food, and know its you, your money, your capabilities, your work that did it. Theirs a pride in that."

Lionel blinked. "There's also a pride in knowing that you've worked your entire life to earn the privilege of not having to do it."

"Very true." He said softly, looking up at him a little bit. "That's very true."

Lionel met his lover's gaze, head cocked. "What?"

"Nothing." A shake of his head, as he cupped his cheek softly. "Nothing at all. Come now, be careful of your step, as there's been dog walking this time of day." He chuckled, softly.

"Mmm. Yes. Another thing I won't miss in Smallville. Although with the three that Clark has? You still need to watch your step."

Dominic chuckled again, rolling his eyes as he stepped off the street with his lover, and began to cross it towards the white building already waiting for them. "Of course you do. Though Clarks partial to them, and as long as they stay away from me, I don't really mind. They're cute little things."

"Didn't you mention something about wanting a kitten?" Lionel asked.

He glanced over, and his green eyes were ripe with pleasure. He'd wanted a kitten since he was five years old, but Megan had been allergic to them. When he'd gotten to the states, for some reason or another, lease, lack of space, whatever, he'd never been able to get one, and he smiled up at Lionel with a little nod. "Yes. I've never been able to get one."

"There's a pet store around here, isn't there? I thought I saw one earlier in our walk; would you like to pick one out before we go to Elaine's?"

He smiled up at him, and shook his head softly. "Not from Metropolis. I don't want one with a pedigree." He squeezed Lionel's hand tightly as they crossed the parking lot. "I want one from Smallville. A gray one, or a white one."

"Mmm. As you wish, Jiminy. We'll find you a little Smallville stray, much as Clark seemed to stumble upon the puppies."

And he never. Looked. Happier. "Okay." He reached up and kissed his lovers cheek softly before pulling open the front door to the building and letting his lover go so he could tug the hat from his head and smile at the receptionist. "Hello. For Ms. N--...N.." He sighed and looked at Lionel.

"Nacheyez," Lionel answered, smiling at his lover.

"Oh, sure! Doctor N's expectin' you. Go on back." The secretary gave them a wide grin.

"Thanks." Dominic smiled at her again, flushed his embarrassment with rolled eyes at Lionel, and walked back with his lover to the steps. Second flight up, and they made it up without a hitch, walking past the empty receptionist desk, much like the night before, and Dominic knocked softly on the frosted glass of the door. "Ma'am Elaine?"

Elaine was sitting behind her desk, smiling softly and uncapping a brand new pen for tonight's session. A clean tablet was sitting in front of her, as well as her tape recorder with a stack of spare tapes. "Come on in, Dominic."

Dominic pushed the door open carefully, still holding Lionel's hand, and smiled at her as he did, holding out his palm to her. "Hi, Elaine. How are you tonight?"

Elaine got up and shook his hand. "I'm doing rather well." She looked at Lionel. "Lionel, it's always a pleasure to see you, and in this case, a pleasant surprise. Please, sit down." She sat behind her desk and buzzed her secretary. "Thank you, Julie, that will be all. You and Dillon have a good evening."

"Sure thing, Doc! Night!!"

The intercom shut off, and Elaine looked at her favorite patient. "Dominic, you seem to be in much better spirits than you were yesterday."

"I am." He slid his jacket off, stuffing his scarf in it, taking his hat off, and setting it on the hook by the door as he waited for Lionel to do the same, and sit down. "How are you this evening? You look more rested than yesterday."

"Yesterday was a tiring today; I'd overscheduled to compensate for some time off I took a few weeks ago, but the schedule was lighter today, because I'd hoped you'd be coming in. Please, have a seat." She made the offer deliberately vague while at the same time, including both men in it. "The question is, Dominic, how are you feeling today?"

Lionel was surprisingly quiet as he peeled off his jacket, hung it on the coat rack, and pulled out one of the two chairs in front of the desk. He carefully folded his long frame into it, crossing his legs and bringing one ankle up to rest over his knee.

He was much, much less graceful about it, just dropping into the seat beside Lionel, and bringing one leg up under the other one. Deliberately close to Lionel. As close as he could be without climbing into his lap. "Alright. A little tired." A nod at her, as he shifted in his seat to get comfortable. "Happier than yesterday."

"Actually.. could you excuse us a moment?" Dominic rose from his seat, and motioned for Lionel to follow him

Lionel raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything as he uncrossed his legs and rose to his feet, and he followed his lover out. "Excuse us," he said softly, and he closed the office door behind them.

Elaine just sighed. "Of course; be my guest." Her words were lost in the closing of the door, and she started making notes as soon as it was shut.

Dominic closed the door and took a step to the left, so Elaine wouldn't see them speaking, and rose up on his tip toes to bring his lover in for a very soft, very deep, kiss. His tongue slid across his lovers effortlessly, tasting the fruit they'd teased one another with all afternoon, stroking softly before letting go, to cup each cheek gently in his hands. "Whatever is said, promise me we won't leave angry with one another. Promise me, Lionel."

Lionel returned the kiss, rubbing his thumbs over the back of Dominic's hands as they held his face. "I promise, Dominic. We won't leave angry with one another. But you have to promise too, that you won't leave angry with me."

"I won't. If I have something to say, I'll tell you. I swear. And you… you have to promise me, you won't keep anything in, either. Okay? promise me, Lionel, please." He couldn't take anymore pain today, as he turned his hands to catch Lionel's fingers, squeezing them tightly in his own.

"I promise, Dominic." He tightened his grip on his lover's fingers. "I promise you, I won't keep anything in." He loosened one hand from Dominic's grip to gently stroke his face and hair. "I won't keep anything in, and I won't leave the office angry."

"Okay. Okay, good." He reached up to press a kiss to his jaw, his cheek, his lips and chin. "Okay. Well then, lets not leave the lovely lady waiting."

Lionel chuckled at that, holding the door open for his lover.

Which he slid through, carefully taking his seat once more in front of the woman, and got back into his comfortable position in the chair. "Sorry about that, we're back."

"Quite all right," she said with an indulgent smile. "Did you get everything taken care of?"

Dominic nodded it, noticing her smile and knowing just what it was, which amused him endlessly, because yes. She was indulgent of himself and Lionel, and he adored her for it. "We did, indeed. "

"Very good. Can I offer either of you two gentlemen something to drink? Lionel?" She turned to the fridge behind her again, and pulled out two water bottles, leaving one on the corner of her desk for herself, and offering the other to Dominic.

"No, thank you, Doctor. What I'd like to have, I don't believe you stock in that small refrigerator of yours."

Dominic took the Ty-Nant bottle and glanced at his lover, letting him speak. He was uncharacteristically quiet, but what the hell, as he took a sip from the bottle and nodded his thank you towards the doctor.

"Suit yourself, Mr. Luthor. Dominic, you're welcome." She opened her own bottle but didn't drink from it yet. "Dominic, you're unnaturally quiet. If I didn't know better, I'd say you're intimidated by Lionel being here, but that's not true, is it?"

He shook his head. "No, I'm not. I'm a little tired." He glanced at his lover, and then to the woman again, swallowing. "I did as you advised. I talked to him last night. We got... into a fight, though it was more than that I'm afraid."

"Mmm." She just nodded. "I gathered when you came in yesterday it was going to be a rough night, especially when Lionel didn't seem to want to talk to you. Should I ask for details of last night, or assume they'll be forthcoming in their own time?"

"Doctor, perhaps I'm off the mark, but I'm sensing a little hostility. Do you, by chance, happen to have something you would like to say to us?" Lionel crossed his arms over his chest at that, letting his feet fall flat to brace on the floor.

"Of course I do, Mr. Luthor. However, my professionalism and my... dubious affection for the both of you won't allow me to say it."

Dominic smiled, just a little. Couldn't help it. "Ma'am Elaine, feel free. Professionalism and affection be damned. Sometimes when you care you have to speak your mind. So... off the record, what is it that you'd like to say? I don't mind, and I'm certain Lionel won't mind. So go ahead."

Elaine gave a small smile in return. "Actually, I'm certain you both will mind. Besides, you don't come here to hear what I think, you come here so that I can hear what you think, so that I can help. Let's start with, Dominic, how did you feel when Lionel didn't want to talk to you on the phone? And Lionel, please, remain silent until Dominic's finished speaking."

Dominic glared at her. "I will never, in my life, understand women. Ever. The lot of you are confusing individuals. However, I'm not idiot enough to let that comment sit there, so out with it, and our feelings be damned. We're here for help, and Id like to hear what you have to say, because I myself regard you as a friend." He waited.

"I think you're both stubborn as Florida jackasses when your pride's wounded and think you're in the right. I think both of you would rather let this amazing relationship you've established slip through your fingers than admit you're wrong or that you might have wronged your partner--Dominic, I'm not finished--and when you do manage to admit it, it's usually Dominic that's admitting and you, Lionel, who are the forgiving lord and master. I'd like to throw you both in a locked room with no windows until you beat it out of one another." She smiled. "Now, I feel better."

Dominic knew better than to laugh. He stared at her, and finally slapped a hand over his mouth, shoulders shaking as his eyes twinkled. Half a moment… he calmed, cleared his throat, and grinned at her. Broadly. "I do adore you, Ma'am Elaine. Quite a bit. And you're not off the mark at all, I don't think. Except the whole locked room thing, you know. Darling, we wouldn't spend the time talking, not by any regard. Well," A glance at Lionel, as he grinned. "Perhaps when the lube ran out."

Lionel was much less calm than his lover, but he didn't say a word, only looking back at his lover. "Other things can be used for lube, you realize," was his only speech, and he crossed his arms back over his chest again, shoulders stiffening slightly. If he'd wanted to be insulted... he could have gone to Smallville for that.

He just smiled again, softly, at Elaine. "We're prideful individuals, Ma'am Elaine, I'm quite afraid. I think, however.." He looked towards his lover again. "I'll answer your question from before." He paused for a long moment, and rubbed a hand over his still stubbly cheek. Hadn't bothered shaving this morning, and he just scratched softly at his rough cheek. "I was upset, as you saw. He had it in his right not to talk to me, as what I've done is inexcusable." At that he looked down at his lap. "It was a mistake, and I'm sorry for it."

"And, what exactly is it that you feel was so inexcusable?" she asked. "Making a mistake?"

"Yes. The type of mistake I made." Dominic looked up at her, and his fingers tightened as he laced them and set them on his bally, leaning back into the chair. "I should have never let our relationship go where it went. But I did, and I hurt him."

Elaine saw Lionel open his mouth and she glared at him. "Not your turn yet. Be quiet." She looked back at Dominic. "All right, but where did it go, that's so inexcusable? You gave him an ultimatum, which yes, it was wrong. It's never a healthy thing to do, especially in a relationship, but Dominic... as you said, it was a mistake. I'm guessing because of the strength of your convictions?"

"Yes." He looked back down. "I put him in a position where he had to make a choice, and I put our relationship on the line. I just... I didn't want him to kill that man, Elaine, and it was almost like grasping at straws. It... it wasn't his first choice, but I didn't want it to be his last. Even... even though, he's been correct in years past over what he's done, and he's kept his company from downfall. And I wouldn't know what making those kinds of choices are, so I... it was not my place."

Elaine turned to Lionel. "Now it's your turn, but before you say anything, I'd like you to react to what Dominic just said." Elaine made notes on her pad as she checked the tape and made sure it had been recording.

"It most certainly is his place to question my decisions. I am not infallible, as much as people might believe it, and especially since the advent of our relationship, I've relied on Dominic's questioning my decisions as to being able to hold them up and say they were the right one, or to change my strategy if I cannot justify it. Where he crossed the line was bringing our personal relationship into something that was purely a business decision. There were indeed other options, none of which were acceptable, though I've settled for one of them, and had he trusted me or had faith in me, then he would not have attempted to manipulate me."

"I have trust in you. And faith in you. " Dominic said, softly, looking up at him now as his fingers tightened. "I have more trust, and more faith, than I do in myself. I'm sorry for what I've done. Very, very sorry, because I never meant to...to make it seem, that was I manipulating you. I never wanted it to be like that. So I'm sorry."

Lionel turned to his lover. "You don't have faith in me, Dominic." He sighed. "I'm sorry. But if you did? Then you wouldn't have had to question it in the first place. And I'm not just talking about what to do with Andrews. I'm referring to the fact that you didn't trust me and have enough faith in me to make the proper decision, the decision that was best for all of us, yourself included."

He looked up at him, sadly. "I made a rash decision, and I'm sorry that I did. I never meant... to jeopardize, what we have for one another. I just don't… didn't, want you, to do something like that." He didn't have anything else to say over it, and brought his eyes back down to his lap.

"And that means that you can't accept who I am." He'd all but forgotten Elaine was in the room, except he knew. "You know that, for as long as you have known me and worked for me, that this is sometimes the solution I use, when there is no other choice. I do not have people killed indiscriminately, though I've found that since I've known you, you've stopped me more times than I care to admit. I don't mind that, but what I do mind is that now you're expecting me to change who I am, endanger what I've worked all my life to create and protect, simply because you wish it. You know that I can't do that, Dominic, and I resent that you asked me to, because it means you don't like the person I am, and that I fail to meet your expectations."

He didn't say anything, for a long moment, his eyes shifting and looking about him as he looked away, his shame dark in his heart as he looked towards the window in Elaine's large, lovely office. "I would never… want to change you. Or take anything you love and care for away from you. I'm sorry… you think that. I don't have expectations for you, but you have them for me. I'm not a perfect person, and I stray away from where I'm supposed to be sometimes, and I'm sorry. That's all I can tell you. I'm sorry, for everything." He looked away again, back down to his fingers.

Elaine held up a hand. "Lionel, that's enough for now. Dominic... I want you to stop apologizing for being human. And I want you to react--not apologize, react--to what Lionel has said to you. Because up until now, you've only said what you didn't want and what you were sorry for. Tell him what you do want."

"What do you mean, react? I'm sorry for what I've done, I'm ashamed of who I am right now, and I can barely stand him looking at me the way he is. What else is there to say? How else do I react, but with I'm sorry?" Dominic shifted his eyes to her, shaking his head softly.

"What else there is to say, is up to you. But I forbid you, for the next little while, to use any form of an apologetic word, and I will interrupt you if you use it. Because you'll be shocked to hear how much you apologize."

He looked away from her again, his brow furrowing in the center. What else could he say? Christ. "I'm… I'm sad. For hurting him. I don't like that he's upset because of me, because hurting people, especially the ones I love, doesn't come easy for me. I'm ashamed. I'm angry, because I can't be that perfect person, no matter how I try. It all just sucks, ma'am Elaine. It sucks a lot."

"I never thought I'd hear myself say this, but Dominic? I need you to be more like Lionel. If there's one thing he's good at, it's airing his grievances and in the process, making people feel about two inches tall. I need you to do that for me, Dominic. Don't center it around what you did. Center it around what was done to you."

He looked up at her, in shock. "What?" His eyes shifted a moment, looking across at Lionel, before looking at her. "What? I can't... do that."

"Don't look at him, Dominic, look at me. This is my office, and this is my time. You can do it. That's why you're here."

He shifted his eyes to her again, rubbing his face. "Christ. I'm going to need therapy from having therapy with you, Elaine."

"So I won't charge you for the extra sessions."

He shifted again, tugging his leg up a little more. "Alright. I'm angry. I know what I did was inexcusable, but I'm angry he didn't think me to be human, to have accidents, and make mistakes. I'm sorry, that I'm not enough, that he made me feel badly for choosing me over his business, and though I shouldn't have put him in that situation, the outcome was that he made me feel like I should be thanking him, for choosing me. I'm angry, because I'm not perfect. I'm angry, because it was almost as if the last 15 years have meant nothing, and it all boiled down to the first mistake I've ever made." Liberating, even if he was absolutely, completely, terrified. "I'm so deeply, deeply ashamed of the way I've acted, not just with this yesterday, but the aftermath. I'm not as strong as I thought I was. I'm ashamed of myself." He looked up. "Does that count as centered?"

"Not at all," Elaine said. "I'm proud of you. And you only apologized once."

"Then I'll rectify that. I'm sorry, for feeling all those things I feel, because I've balls to even think it. I'm sorry that I hurt him, I'm sorry that I made him choose, I'm sorry that I was the first choice, because he's worked for LuthorCorp for so long, and I have no idea what he's put into it. I'm sorry that I'm like this, I'm sorry I'm not enough, and I'm sorry that he loves me, because sometimes I feel that with someone else he'd be so much happier, he wouldn't need therapy, and his life wouldn't be... as complicated, as it is now. But most of all, I'm sorry for being the way I am. I'm so deeply, deeply sorry for it, because its an imposition on everyone I know, and I almost wish I were alone. Except when I do think, and wish for it, I remember just how alone I was, what I didn't have, how much I wanted to die. I can't be alone anymore, I can't tolerate being alone anymore. I hate it, I hate being alone. And for the first time last night, the fear of it was so very much real."

Elaine listened. "I can put your mind at ease on at least one of those things, Dominic. That man of yours? Would need therapy no matter who he was with. You're just the only one he listens to enough to get him here." She glared. "Lionel, it's not your turn yet." She looked back at Dominic, and took one of his hands in hers. "Do you realize you just apologized for ten different things in the last breath?"

His fingers were like ice, and he realized it the first time when she took his hand. "Yes. If I could have taken another breath, I would have apologized more, but I don't have that type of lung capacity."

"If you apologize for one more thing, I'm going to start spanking your hand with a ruler until you stop. Do you hear that arrogant ass over there apologizing for anything?"

He looked over at Lionel, in half dread. "He has nothing to apologize for, Elaine. I was in the wrong."

"Oh, for the love of Christ! You two! I'M going to need therapy after dealing with you two!!"

He jumped, startled, looking at her with big eyes. "Probably. For all our problems, we give fabulous advice. And I'm sure we'd give you a good rate for it." He squeezed her hand, tightly. "He hasn't apologized, Elaine, not now at least. He did, when we were home."

She shook her head at him. "Not what I mean, but that's okay." She turned her glare to Lionel, and squeezed Dominic's cold hand in hers. "You, you need to take a page out of Dominic's book and learn to use the words, "I'm sorry." They're a wonderful addition to any educated man's vocabulary, unless you overuse them like Dominic here."

"Doctor, I'll not sit here and be condescended to," Lionel finally said. "You obviously have a problem with me, and you're not making any attempt--"

"It's not fun, is it, Mr. Luthor?"

"I'm sorry?"

"To be condescended to. To be constantly treated like a stupid, brainless inferior when in fact, you should demand a great deal more respect and consideration."

Dominic knew where she was going, and his throat bobbed as he swallowed tightly, looking down again as his jaw tightened. He didn't speak, just shifting a little bit in his chair, and he shook his head softly at her. "He's good to me, ma'am Elaine. Its not always like this."

"Isn't it?" she asked softly. "You apologizing, him forgiving, then it's forgotten?"

His chin trembled softly, as he looked down. He didn't have words, for that.

"That's what I thought." She looked over at Lionel. "Do you have anything to say to that?"

Lionel's jaw was gritted tightly, and he turned hazel eyes gone stormy dark on his lover. "Is she right?"

He looked up at his lover, then, saw the darkness on his face, and his throat bobbed, hard. "It isn't, always. You apologize to me, when there are things you've done wrong. I've just… been in the wrong, lately. When I blew up at you about Lindy when you were protecting her, and last night. I've just been in the wrong lately."

"No!" Elaine bellowed it. "Don't react to what's on his face! Tell him the truth!"

Dominic jumped at her cry, which only made him startle... then look at his lover so, so sadly. "Sometimes it is. But I meant it. It isn't always like what you said. Sometimes he doesn't... he still treats me, like his assistant. But I understand that, because we've been together for so long in a professional sense. I don't… understand, why it would be different now. He knew, before, those times he said before, when he's done something that upset me, he knew how it hurt our relationship. So I don't... I don't know why its different now, why my opinion doesn't matter. He got hurt because it was me, and I know that, because we love each other so, so much, and we take... what we say, personally now. I know that. Its just… its hard, its difficult, and its going to take getting used to. We're...we're newlyweds, and we haven't even been able to have our honeymoon, because we've been working our asses into the ground. We need… that time, to put our lives together. Today has been that, a little bit of that, anyway." He thought for a moment. "He... sees me. As his husband. And its something I have craved, and wished for, for such a long time, to be where I am in his eyes today. I love him, so much, for it. I just don't want what I said construed in a way… to hurt him. Even if I did it first. Does that make any fucking sense whatsoever?"

Lionel's eyes widened. "It's different because we are together," Lionel stressed. "Before. When I hurt you, hurt us, it didn't matter, not in the way that it matters now. It wasn't... it wasn't a spouse upsetting a spouse, it wasn't upsetting someone I had a relationship with. It was upsetting... my friend. My assistant, my lover. There is a world of difference there!"

"What's changed?" he looked up at his husband. "What's changed? I'm still your friend, your best friend, I'm still your assistant, and I'm still your lover. Why is it different? Why does a title make it different? If you want to put a label to it, I've been your spouse for a good ten years. Why, why is it different now? I'm still going to get pissed off at you, you're still going to get pissed off at me, we're still going to be quite frank with one another, and have been. Lionel, Christ, I'm sorry for hurting you the way I did, and never would have thought you'd have taken it the way you do, and I love you baby, for feeling like this because I know how much you love me when you do. But there... it isn't different. Its still me, you're still you."

Lionel raked his fingers through his hair, pushing up out of his chair to pace around the office in front of Elaine's desk. "It is different. The instant I admitted to you and to myself that I was in love with you, that made it different. It's DIFFERENT because you're not just anything anymore. You are all those things, but you don't UNDERSTAND how incredibly integral you've become to me!"

His chin trembled, as he watched him walk and pace. "I do understand. I do understand, Lionel. That's what makes it hurt the worst, baby. I understand just what I am to you, but its you who don't understand what you are to me."

"Could it be because you've never told him?"

"Shut UP!" Lionel roared at her, then turned back to Dominic. "If you can say there's not a difference in before and now, then no, you do not understand."

"There isn't a difference, Lionel. In my eyes, you have always been the most beautiful, wonderful, amazing person who cared enough about me to touch me and kiss me and tell me you cared about me and that I was important to you. I've always done the things I do for you, even now, I take care of the things that need to be taken care of, because neither you or myself trust anyone else with it. I have loved you for such a long time, and known you loved me just as much for just as long, even if you yourself hadn't even realized it yet. The only difference is that now we both know, now we take care of each other in a way we weren't able to, before. Now we share a bed, and we hold each other through our nightmares, and we love each other in ways we were never allowed to before, because it wasn't our time yet. Now its our time, now is our time, and I don't want to fuck it up because we've both got more issues than... than... someone with a whole lot of fucking issues." Dominic watched him, the fury in his eyes, the anger in each stride. "I love you, beyond imagining. And I have always been certain you love me, beyond imagining. I know it, just like I know I take breath into my lungs, Lionel."

Elaine looked, from pacing Lionel to hand-wringing Dominic, and she sighed. "Now, it's time for me to do what you pay me for." The earlier derision that had ridden her tone was gone, and she was back to her usual self. "Dominic... let me ask you something. Before you two... got together, would you say that Lionel looked at you the same way he looked at his late wife?"

"As in, physically?"

"As in, any way at all. Physically, emotionally, psychologically."

"Physically? He looks at me like he adores me. He has done so, for quite some time." He looked up at his lover. "Emotionally, I wasn't certain, until one afternoon..." He shifted. "I'm… uh. Jealous. Of a certain ex-lover of his, who still comes by the mansion at times. And one afternoon, during the winter, I came home to find them working out. It had been… right after Lionel's accident, and he was trying to get strong again, to be with me. He went upstairs, I bashed the mans teeth in, and went upstairs to yell at him. Lex caught me on the way, and showed me just what I'd been seeing, and hadn't been certain, until that moment. And when I came in on him, eating French fries in a tub full of bubbles... Christ, Elaine. I feel so deeply in love with him in that single moment, and he looked at me, and asked me to come share his bubbles with him. So I climbed in, and he… he had saved a box of fries for me. And he just snuggled in, and played with my--" A sudden dark blush. "With his toes. And we talked, and it was in those moments, that bath, that I knew for certain."

She coughed. "I can imagine. But, Dominic... you're not answering my question. You're answering about now. I'm asking you about then."

"When, then? Five years ago? Ten?"

"At any point before a year or so ago, at which point you embarked on your seriously personal relationship."

He thought for a moment, before up. "No. No, I don't think so."

"Lionel, is that accurate?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

"Now do you see the distinction that Lionel is trying to make, here, Dominic? Where the difference for him comes in at?"

And for the first time, he had. He looked up at his lover, nodding softly, before glancing towards Elaine. "Yes. Yes, I do." And now, he finally did.

Lionel had paused in his pacing, and when Dominic looked up at him, he dropped into a crouch beside Dominic's chair. "Do you really?" He stroked over Dominic's cheek with his large, slightly calloused hand.

"Yes. I do, Lionel." His palm came up to press Lionel's hand against his cheek. "Yes, beloved, I do. I understand, now, what you were trying to say. It wasn't about my understanding at all, is it? its about your understanding of your feelings for me." He looked into his eyes, to see if it was true, palm squeezing Lionel's tightly.

"That's right." He laced his fingers through his lover's. "It's not about you, or your understanding. It's about mine."

"Has this… hurt you understanding of me, Lionel?" He asked it, quietly, as he kept looking at him, bringing their hands closer to his skin, and turning his head to press his lips to them.

"No," Lionel answered it back softly. "If anything, it's helped me to understand you more." He pressed a soft, calming kiss to Dominic's cheek. "It hasn't hurt anything."

"I never meant to hurt you, in any way." He brought his hand up to cup a stubbly cheek. "I never meant for it to be the way it was, I never meant to come across as some domineering-- ....I never meant to make you feel like I was ruling your life. I'm not trying to, in any sort of capacity, Lionel."

"I know." Lionel squeezed his lover's hand. "I shouldn't have thought it of you. I should have trusted you, should have realized you didn't mean it."

Elaine cheered, and if she'd had a pair of pompoms in her office, she'd have shook them.

Dominic startled, nearly bonked his head against Lionel's forehead, and couldn't help laughing at the woman as he squeezed Lionel's hand right back. He smiled back at Lionel, leaning forward to press their foreheads together for a moment, and grinned. "I think she's happy."

"You don't have to think, Dominic, I am. We made progress, and I'm celebrating." She took the water bottle and chugged a deep drink from it.

"Progress is good." he looked into his lovers eyes softly, squeezing his hand gently again before he wrapped his arms around Lionel's neck and hugged him close to him, tightly. "I love you, so very dearly, my lovely one. How I adore you."

Lionel's arms wound tightly around his lover in return. "I love you, my little cricket. So much indeed, I don't know how to tell you." He pressed another kiss to Dominic's shoulder, resting his cheek on the rough sleeve of his shirt.

"Its enough that you tell me the ways you do. Its so much more than enough, I could never express it." He squeezed him close, tightly, before pressing kisses to his lovers face, peppering them everywhere before giving him a long, very soft one, against his lips. "We won't ever let it get like this again."

"No, we won't. I promise you that." His hand came up to gently cradle the back of Dominic's head as he gave him a kiss, soft and deep. "We won't."

"Alright. Alright, then. Okay." He was smiling, as he hugged him again, tightly, before nodding and swallowing, looking at Elaine. "Okay. So you're officially the best person in the world, Ma'am Elaine."

"Me? I just bullied you two into talking to each other. You're the ones who did all the work." She lifted the bottle. "Mozzletoff."

He chuckled, softly, glancing at his lover as he wound their fingers tightly. "Are you trying to say we're stubborn mules, Ma'am Elaine?"

"I'm sorry, was there a doubt? Let me flat out say it; you're a couple of stubborn-ass mules."

He burst out laughing, cracking up at the expression she was giving him, and grinned, very broadly. "I have to say, I like you this way. " A glance at Lionel. "I think that's why we're so well suited. Neither of us could be with people who weren't as stubborn as ourselves... we'd get bored. Intensely so, I'd wager."

Lionel nodded in response. "I think you're right. I know I'd get bored, if I didn't have someone who always kept me on my toes." He tightened his grip on his lover. "And, I am not an ass, I'll have you know."

Dominic rose a brow at him. "You are well so an ass, just as I am. We're sharing this ass bearing title, darling." His lips quirked and curved. "I keep you on more than your toes, if I so recall."

"Yes, yes, you do." Lionel returned the smile with one of his own.

"I have the proper subject to move on towards, I believe." He squeezed his lovers hand. "I was telling Ma'am Elaine yesterday how truly terrified we are of becoming parents."

At that, Lionel got to his feet, and moved his chair beside Dominic, so he could sit back down.

"He's sitting, Dominic. He's not pacing, he's not hovering, he's sitting. This is never a good sign," she teased.

"Nothing before has ever made me doubt myself more than the thought of becoming a father."

"I told you he had issues with it." Dominic chastised softly, even as he toed off his shoes and pulled his legs up, so he was comfortably curled up in the chair, and sighed. But he cracked a grin at her at the sitting thing. "He sits when he's truly worried. Hovering and pacing are for when we've got a deadline, like, oh, say, LuthorCorp opening in Smallville in three days."

"Which, out of all the things in my life, is the one thing that is going surprisingly smoothly. It's everything else that's the problem." He raked his fingers through his hair, a gesture he realized in that second that Lex had inherited from him, and he gave a rueful smile. "I have been a genetic father twice before in my life, Doctor. It's no secret what my relationship with Lex is like; my youngest son, Julian, died before I had the chance to try."

Elaine nodded. "I understand that, Mr. Luthor. It's not an easy thing to do, contemplate parenthood. Especially for someone like you, who is embarking on, for all purposes, a second family. It's very easy to concentrate on all the mistakes you made, and not the successes."

Dominic tipped his head to look at him, and let one of his hands come down from his slouching on his knee to reach across the small expanse, for his lovers hand. He slid his fingers between his, squeezed, very tightly, and tipped his head. "She's right. You've crossed the bridge and gotten to Lex... the both of you can talk business, family, life, and eat a meal together. He'll come running, when you leave him a message as you did today. He adores you beyond imagining, my love. And the daughter he has for us, the child he is giving to us, is going to be so loved, by everyone around her. And Christ, spoiled like a rotten egg."

"But it has taken nearly all of his adult life to date to get to this point with him. My wife died in 1993. It's now a decade later, and I'm only now beginning to reach him. I'm an older man, Doctor. I won't have that time to waste with Aurora. And I am afraid that my relationship with my daughter will turn out to be exactly like the one with my son."

Dominic looked at Elaine, before looking to Lionel. "I don't think it will be. Before... you were grieving the loss of your wife, and you were grieving the loss of your son. Today, there isn't that. You have me, and you have Lex, and Clark, and Ms. Bird, and my family. You didn't have Lillian's family when she died, you didn't have the friends and people who love you. Even if something were to happen to me, you still have Lex. You'll still have Clark. You'll have Megan, and Graham, and Lindy. There is a circuit to love our daughter that you don't understand, Lionel. I'm Irish, born and bred. My family is Irish. We don't abandon the people we love, we stick to it. It won't ever be like it was before, because you have not just me, but us." A pause. "And because you've changed. I know you'll hate to admit it, but you have changed, for the good. And our daughter will love you, just as I love you, and adore you with the innocence of it being your child."

Elaine blinked. "I don't think I could have said it better myself. Dominic? Why are you here? Really? Go open your own practice somewhere." Then she grinned as she looked at Lionel. "Listen to him. He's got a brain in his head. He knows what he's talking about. I can repeat what he just said, if you'd rather hear it from me, but it's just a waste of breath when he said it all already."

His lips quirked at her. "You should hear us when Lionel and I are both doing it. Its quite fabulous, you know. If only we could self reflect." He tipped his head back to his husband. "We're going to be alright. As I was telling Elaine, and hadn't told you yet, I enrolled us in all the pamper changing, bottle feeding, baby dressing, medicine giving, and burping classes that they're offering for the next year in Smallville. The only one we aren't getting is Lamaze, though we might anyway to help the woman who has our daughter."

Lionel looked at Dominic with horror. "You can't be serious."

"I'm quite serious." Big smile. "I also got us into a nutrition class here in Metropolis next year by that famous baby lady, to see just what we should and shouldn't be feeding our daughter. Though she's half Senatori, Lionel, and let me tell you, Shane was eating potatoes and mashed green beans at six months. I doubt it'll be different for our daughter."

"I have helped to raise one child completely, and another as long as he lived; I think I have the intricacies of changing diapers and dressing my child down."

He rose a brow. "Its been twenty years since you've changed a pamper, Lionel Luthor. Don't you get into a row about this with me. We're going to do it, we're going to master it, so when our daughter is screaming on top of her lungs with crap up to her elbows, we'll know what to do." Dared him to argue it, with a brow risen. He was dead set on this, and he'd be damned if he would be told no. "You're just going to suck it up and be a good boy."

He was so proud of himself. HEE!

"Just so you know? You two sound like a couple of bitching old women."

"I have changed Shane's diaper more than once!"

Dominic cracked up all over again as he looked at Elaine. "Now don't think we haven't been called that before." He took a drink of his water, and shook his head. "More than once meaning, what, twice? And the second time you asked Ms. bird to change his poop? And put smelling salts on his bum and made him break out into red spots?"

"How was I to know that they were in the bottle!! It looked like talcum powder and it was in the bag with the baby's things!"

His shoulders shook with the effort not to laugh, knees to his chest and back to the back of the chair and his brow up by his hairline. "Johnson's and Johnson's. Shane has skin as sensitive as a rose petal, and the poor laddy ends up with an aching bum more times than Graham will ever admit to."

"We are not going to stuff Aurora into the suffocating layers as that man does to Shane. It's no wonder the boy runs around half naked all the time." Deep, calming breath. "We'll have dresses and jumpers for our beautiful girl."

"And jeans, and t-shirts, and running shoes?"

Lionel didn't answer, just glowered.

His lips spread. "And little corduroy dresses, I should think. With Minnie Mouse on them." No use in telling his lover he's already seen the very outfit at the mall. "And a little blue jean hat."

"Minnie Mouse?" Lionel asked, in his "Roadkill?" tone of voice.

He sighed. Deeply. And looked to Elaine. "We'll be here every week throughout the pregnancy, just so you know." He turned then, and smiled at his husband. "Tell her of the crib, Lionel."

Elaine snickered at that. "I'll be here; your Tuesday and Thursday appointments will be open."

"There's a cradle at Marrakech Symposium. Handmade, of oak... very old, and very sturdy. There are... woodcarvings, all over the outside panels, the headboard and footboard. The support bars are covered with carved rose trellises. Each panel... is the panel of a fairy tale. It's nearly as tall as our bed; it's made of the same wood. The panel at the headboard of the cradle, is a forest scene, with little fairies, and woodland creatures playing about."

Dominic's eyes got a little shiny, as he gazed at his lover. "From what Lionel's told me, its quite beautiful. We're going to decorate it, with white lace and pink satin. I don't quite know why, but I wanted it and that's how it shall be. And she'll be right at the foot of our bed, because we agreed, her sleeping elsewhere was simply not going to happen."

"It sounds like you've got everything planned out, including her name--I'm assuming Aurora is your daughter's name, and not your dog."

His lips spread even more. "No, though since Lionel's already planning on buying me a kitten, I thought Id name her Fauna." Dominic sideswiped a grin at his lover, daring him to argue with his guess, and looked back at Elaine. "Aurora. Though like I said, we haven't even considered a middle name, though her last will indeed be Luthor. Though, and I shall be quite frank, changing my last name was much more a choice of a selfish, adoring nature than because of Aurora." A soft blush reddened his cheeks.

"I think I see a pattern here," Elaine nodded. "Flora, Meriweather, and Maleficient are beautiful names for animals, not so much for humans." A soft laugh. "You're allowed to be selfish, Dominic, and I can certainly understand why you'd wish to take his name."

"Indeed. Isn't he a lovely man? It came to me quite suddenly, and the morning he was admitted for his kidney stone," A thump to Lionel's chest out of habit, for scaring him as he had, "I had it changed. I suppose that's where everything leaked about Lionel and myself, and why we have that bloody blond dingbat hanging about Smallville like a rodent."

"That bloody blond dingbat... that would be your little nickname for....?"

"Diane Sawyer," Lionel clarified.

"Aye, indeed." Dominic nodded. "The life sucking harpy."

"I'm sensing a little hostility on your parts towards Ms. Sawyer."

"What gave it away? The part about her hanging about Smallville?" Innocently asked, blond eyebrow raised.

"No, the life-sucking harpy comment."

"Damn. And here I though I'd gone for subtle." He sighed a bit. "Elaine, the woman is out to get us. She's been harassing our workers, the Kents, and I'm quite certain she'll move up to Clark, Lex, and eventually my family. I'm just waiting for it. She's got a restraining order to stay away from the people I love, but I don't know how much longer such a thing is going to keep her away."

"I'm going to make a radical suggestion here... have you thought about giving her what she wants so she'll go away?" A careful blink.

"Indeed. Lionel was ill, than I myself, and the move...its been insane. We have it set to meet with her on Monday, and I'm hoping Lionel won't change it?" He turned his head to glance towards his lover.

"I won't change it," Lionel sighed. "Monday just cannot come quickly enough to get that bitch out of my hair."

Dominic cracked the hell up. Just threw his head back, and laughed. "Are you seeing what the woman is doing to my eclectic husband's vocabulary, Elaine?"

"Yes, I see. Well... Lionel, I suggest that until the woman leaves, you take a full pill a day--I assume you have been taking your medication? And when she leaves, you can drop back down to half a tablet."

"Will that affect--"

Elaine anticipated. "No, it won't. It shouldn't affect your abilities to perform at all, not for only a few days."

Dominic squeezed his lovers hand, tightly, and pulled it into his upturned kneed lap, so he could rub it gently against his lower belly in comfort. "We haven't had a problem with that today. Despite our quarrel yesterday... we've excited one another already twice today." his eyebrows wrinkled. "Why is that, Elaine? I mean, seriously. We were furious with one another, and trying to cope with it all, and we were hard as randy teenagers."

"I don't suppose either one of you watches Buffy the Vampire Slayer, do you?" She sighed. "APA article published a few weeks ago suggested that we can more readily interface and explain things to our patients with pop-culture references, so that they more readily understand."

He blinked. "Elaine, darling, Lionel's 60, I'm nearly 40. Darling, I try, but I'm not hip at all." His lips quirked. "However, I have seen more than once of this such show," Blush at Lionel. "When I was bored. Of course." Wouldn't let on that he had all seven seasons taped and in chronological order next to his fast and the furious and Stargate series tapes. Cough.

"Well, do you remember the second Slayer, Faith? How she always talked about getting buzzed after a fight? That's because during conflict, our bodies are filled with adrenaline. The best outlet for adrenaline is basic, animalistic tendencies, and what's more animalistic than to mate? if you'll remember, she chose the young man... Xander, I think his name was, and used him after one fight to relieve the tension. It's the same thing that is happening in your case."

"We're fucking our fight away?"

"That's... a simple way of putting it, but yes. You're not fucking off the emotions or the reasons you're fighting, just the pent-up energy that drives it. If you were still single, I'd guess you'd both be putting in extra time at the gym."

"I understand what it is you're saying." Dominic nodded it, and looked at his lover, squeezing the hand in his gently. "After the fight and things dull, will we be alright, with the sex?"

"This shouldn't change your sexual habits one way or the other, quite frankly. After the aggressive energy is done and passed out of your system, you should still have the normal sex life you had before."

"Good. Very… very good." Dominic nodded, and squeezed the hand in his again. "Its very important to us, our sex life. Its one of the ways we really are able to calm one another, show how we care, and love each other. Plus, you know, the whole fun side benefit of orgasm."

"That's more than I needed to know," she said dryly. "But, the short answer is, you shouldn't be having any problems with performance or anything else, not even with Lionel's temporarily stepped-up dosages."

"Sex is our therapy, when we don't come to see you, Ma'am Elaine." he paused, for a moment. "Theirs something else, I wanted to tell you about. You know of Felicia. She... is getting married, and Lionel's put it in my head that she's still in love with me. I don't know... how... the hell... I'm going to talk to her about it. I can't let her go into marriage with those types of thoughts in her head."

"I'm assuming that this is your old old old girlfriend Felicia?" Elaine sighed. "You're more than welcome to bring her to my office, just call ahead and I'll make sure to work you in. Otherwise? My only advice to you is be honest with her. Tell her that this is what you think, and go from there."

"We hadn't seen each other, for quite some time, until about three months ago when she helped me with Lionel, when he had his accident and scared about fifteen years from my life. She was good as gold, a helpful girl, but.." He shrugged and looked at his lover helplessly. "I can't help it if I'm cute."

"I take it you've been seeing more and more of her recently, in friendly situations, through common friends, etc?"

"Indeed. She saved me from a huge group of reporters this past week, when Id have killed them all. Little things... we've all gone out to dinner, Lionel and myself, Fellie and her fiancé, and my brother and the woman he's going to lose if he doesn't stop being a great piss head about things, several times. We see each other on a semi frequent basis, as she's moving to Smallville to be with her sheriff fiancé."

"And come to work for us at LuthorCorp, after her pregnancy is over."

Elaine blinked, and turned her eyes to Dominic, eyebrow quirked questioningly.

"Don't. Even. Go there."

Elaine muffled her snort. "Sorry. I had to be sure."

"Elaine, it is quite possible that I am incapable of flaming anymore than I already do." His lips quirked at her. "I love Lionel, I haven't any lost and be-gone issues with the lovely woman, and she's just a friend. A close friend, at that. But I know she still loves me, because when I was helping her move, there were tons of boxes of things she'd kept when we dated... she was even wearing an old pair of workout pants she'd kept."

She blinked again. "You do realize that borders on being stalkeriffically obsessive, yes?"

He grinned at her. "She's not a stalker. Just very exuberant. She was my best friend for many years, five altogether I should think, and I still have many things she gave me when we were seeing each other."

Elaine shifted her gaze to Lionel.

"Don't look at me. I tried to tell him."

Her gaze shifted back to Dominic. "Dominic... have you ever heard the words... clinical detachment?"

"In passing, though I haven't the slightest what it means." He tipped his head at her. "Are you saying I was blind on purpose?"

"I'm saying that I don't think either of you has exactly completely detached from your old relationship, and that as long as you didn't see each other, it was fine. However, now that you're being thrown back into proximity with each other... well, I don't think the blindness is on purpose so much as... you simply didn't see."

He shook his head, and looked at her almost sadly. "I don't understand women, Ma'am Elaine. Period. I've tried, and I've failed. I don't understand any of them, why they do the things they do, why they've feelings like they do--don't. Understand. And I had no idea she was still hot for me. She has her fiancé, the baby on the way, her wedding in less than a month... I bloody cheated on her with another man. Why would their by any feelings there for me? She's happy."

Elaine wrote two words down on a piece of paper. "Here. If you read it, maybe you'll get it better than if I say it." On the paper was written, First Love. "Just read that, and remember how you felt, and tell me that you don't still have a certain fondness for her."

He was smiling as he looked at it, and glanced back up. Realized he wore the idiot grin, and coughed, hard, straightening and clearing his throat. "Damn you for being so good."

"It's what I went to twelve years of school for; I should be good at it."

He shuddered. "That's about eight too many years, ducks." But he shifted, still gently stroking Lionel's hand softly in his lap. "Of course I still care for her. She made me a man, after all, she made me feel good about who I was. She was a darling girl, and I loved her a great deal. But I don't want her marriage ruined because of me."

"Then talk to her. That's pretty much all you can do."

"I tell people that all the time. You'd think I'd take my own bloody advice." He shook his head slightly, and sighed at her. "I need to have Clark and Lex come to talk to you, love." But he smiled at his mostly quiet lover, tipping his head and asking him without words if he needed to talk about anything.

"Your stepson and his young friend?" Her brow furrowed.

Lionel answered, with a shake of his head and a gentle squeeze to Dominic's fingers.

Dominic winced at her. "Lex and his fiancé."

Elaine almost opened her mouth. Almost. But if the younger Luthor wanted to have it both ways, a woman who lost his baby and a man, then who was she to pass judgment on his lifestyle? "Good for him. I'm glad he seems to have made his choice, got his life together."

Dominic could tell, by the firings in her eyes, that she hadn't gotten it, and he breathed a very silent breath of relief, his throat bobbing. "He has. He really, truly, has. Clarks been his miracle, in every sense of the word. They're beautiful together, and they love each other… very deeply. Very, very deeply. They have problems, as is the normal in our household, so I might get them to come see you sometime." He looked at Lionel, than at Elaine again, smiling. "Thank you, Elaine. For all of this."

Lionel's eyes had shot over to Dominic's as soon as he'd spoken, but then as he realized the same thing--that she didn't get it--he relaxed again, and gave his lover a smile. "Yes... we do thank you. Very much."

"Hey, you don't have to thank me," Elaine said with a grin. "I'm just the talker. It's you guys who do the real work here."

He let his feet drop and push into his shoes, tying them quickly as he stood up and leaned over the desk to give her a cheek to cheek kiss, squeezing her hand and shaking it gently. "Next week, we'll be back. Hopefully, by then, with our daughter already gestating." A big smile at her. "Lionel and I are on our way to get some dinner, if you'd like to join us?"

She held up the two audio tapes and the pad full of notes. "Sorry, Dominic. I've got a busy night ahead. Transcripts and everything else."

He made a face at her, and squeezed her hand tightly, letting his head shake softly. "God help you. Don't listen to the teary parts, alright?"

"I'll make it; it helps knowing you guys are through this crisis." She squeezed back, and then gave him a smile. "Off with you, and I'll see you Tuesday night at six."

"Of course." Dominic turned a smile on Lionel and motioned his shoulder, as he got his coat and slid it on, zipping it up, tugging his gloves on, and put his hat on his head before offering the second jacket to him. "Got him to wear jeans, you know. Don't they look smashing? I might have to buy some and bring them home with us to Smallville."

Lionel accepted the second jacket without a word and slid into it. "In your dreams, Dominic. I can't wait to get back into my suits."

Dominic didn't even say a word, as his palm stroked under the jacket, over his lovers snug, tight ass, and looped his own scarf around Lionel's neck. "Come on, High Power Executive."

There wasn't a good response to that, so Lionel settled for taking the scarf off and twining it around Dominic's neck instead. "Don't fuss. I'm not the one who has been sick lately, and you need it far more than I do. The last thing we need right now is you going into a relapse and getting sick again."

Dominic turned, smiled at the woman, gently. "Don't work too hard, ma'am Elaine." His eyes widened. "You know, stay here a moment. I'll be right back. Lionel, stay and keep her company. I forgot something, I'll be back." He whisked out and down the steps, quickly as he could.

He skedaddled out onto the pavement and across the street to the market, and caught the woman who ran the store in the evenings before he close. Bought two dozen red and pink roses from her, and he was back out and across the street, climbing the steps up into the offices again. He'd forgotten, on the way to see her, so wrapped up in the playing children had he been, but he entered with all the lovely roses and offered them to her, almost shyly. "Happy Valentines, darling. I'd forgotten with the hub bub, and I'm quite sorry I didn't bring you chocolates this year, either." His grin broadened, with the memory of a beating last year when he'd brought flowers but no chocolate. "Will make it up, darling."

Elaine couldn't help the great, beaming smile. "Thank you, Dominic!" She leaned over the desk and kissed him on the cheek. "You better bring my chocolate on Tuesday. You won't get past Julie if you're not bearing chocolates."

He grinned, broadly, and kissed her back, rolling his eyes about in his head. "Fine. But Lionel's doing it, because the man has a degree in food buying." He beamed at his lover, the pride obvious in his eyes. "We'll bring you something good, darling. Thanks again, and have a good night. We'll see you out." He did not like her alone in a building by herself at this hour. "If you'd like?"

"Don't worry, Dominic; there's building security and Darren won't leave until I do, and he'll walk me out. I'll be fine. Go, go... do whatever it is you two do, and no, I don't want details."

His eyes brightened as he reached for Lionel's hand. "Eat, play pool, go to sleep?"

"Only if you let me choose the restaurant this time, I will win at pool, and then sleeping will come... much later." He took his lover's hands and linked their fingers together, and then nodded at Elaine. "Good night, Doctor."

"Good night, ducks, good night." Dominic followed his lover out the door, closing it gently behind him, and squeezed his palm tightly, bringing it up so he could tuck both of their wide palms in his coat pocket. He wasn't angry, or hurt, in the least, but he looked to his lover, who'd been quiet for most of the evening, and tipped his head softly. "You're quiet. Everything alright?"

Lionel nodded. "Yes, I am. I'm just... thinking."

"About?" He brought his coat closer together with his free hand, as they began down the steps.

"Everything. And that's not a short answer, just... the truest one."

A quiet nod, as he stepped off the bottom step and followed his lover, only a step behind, towards the front doors. "Is everything alright between us, Lionel?"

A genuine smile at that. "Yes, it is. I wouldn't have left the office if it weren't."

He smiled back, tipping his head so he could watch it flower over his lovers face. "But?"

"But, I'm still thinking. Nothing bad, mind you. Just... thoughts."

He'd known Lionel for the better part of his life, and he knew when his lover was in his moods to just think and not be interrupted. So he nodded and stepped out onto the street, glancing up at the dark sky for the first time in slight shock. He hadn't realized on when he'd run off for roses for the beautiful lady, but it was nearing nine thirty already, and the street was filled with life. Friday night, and people were laughing in the street, music, soft rock, new rock, alternative, and club music, was spilling from many of the open windows, and a bunch of children were laughing in the street, already traffic less and safe, playing and running with glow in the dark night sticks.

Dominic watched it, watched the life on his street, and smiled as his fingers threaded through Lionel's, sliding out of his coat now so they could wrap close to each other.

"Dinner. Annakas'? Very good calamari, not like the fried and battered facsimile you tried to feed me last night, and you can still get Guinness because they keep it on tap."

His eyes shifted to him, and his lips twitched. "Alright. That roast you left on the pot all day? We better eat it tonight amongst movies, clear?"

"Mmm. I'd nearly forgotten it was slow cooking. I think that we'll have room for it, even if it's a three AM snack for my morning movie watcher."

"It smelled like sin. No idea why you don't cook more often, darling." A shake of his head at Lionel with both brows raised, but he smiled, dimples winking in his cheeks. "There'll be time for sleep tomorrow." His fingers slid down to wrap around his lovers waist... his hip, then dip into his back pocket very softly, very teasingly. "We should probably take the car. You drive?"

"I'll drive, but there's really not a reason to, unless you're going to an out of the way pool hall. Annakas' restaurant is only two blocks over."

"Oh, then we can walk. I don't want you to get tired." He let his eyes slide up to his lover, gently moving his hair behind his shoulder so Dominic could lay his head on him. "I love you, Lionel."

"I won't get tired." Lionel shifted into the hand that was in his back pocket, and smiled at the head on his shoulder. "I love you, Dominic." A kiss to the temple beside his cheek, and they kept walking. "Don't worry about me; I'm worried about you out in the night air, but walking will do us both good."

"I'm fine. We should take walks like these at night. It'll do us good... I think the castle gets a bit stuffy at night, don't you think?" He rubbed his cheek softly against the very soft leather of the jacket his lover was wearing, cozy up next to him. "I love this. I wish we had this more often."

"There's a rather large pond on the estate that seems to stay iced over all year--I've yet to understand that but I believe it's due to the fact that there's some young high-school boy trapped in there--but despite the ice, the scenery is nice, and if you'd like to, we can start walking out there at night, and get away from the stuffiness."

Dominic... turned, and stared at his lover. Nearly stopped on the pavement, blinking at his lover. "That was supposed to be romantic, but got stuck somewhere around the dead boy in a lake. Jesus, Lionel, are you serious?"

"About the walks? Absolutely."

Glare.

Lionel laughed softly. "About the boy? Yes, I'm serious about that too."

"No way. He is dead, right? Lionel! Why haven't you had him... removed?!"

"Because none of my scientists know for sure if he is dead, hibernating, or alive and stuck in the ice. The general consensus is, he's hibernating and waiting for another source of heat, but as the water around him is already frozen solid, there's no more heat to be taken."

Dominic. Stared. "And are these things normal for you? Dead boys in lakes? I swore I thought Smallville wasn't that bad. Lionel, that's like an X-File. I'll be waiting for David Duchovny to sweep in and pucker his lips at me now, dammit. When I start finding sunflower seeds everywhere, it's going to be your fault."

"Yes, they're fairly normal. Of all the mutations that have attacked my son, I have the majority of them tucked away, either in institutions or medical facilities where they are being studied and helped."

Talk about opening Pandora's box. He was horrified, and fascinated, at the same time. "Really? I didn't know that. They've attacked Lex? Is he alright? Jesus Christ, Lionel. That town is so fucking weird."

Lionel just raised an eyebrow at his husband. "My son has been attacked in Smallville on a fairly routine basis since his arrival there. There's yet a week to go by that he's not troubled in some part by someone who has been affected by the local meteor rocks."

"Why didn't I know?" He sighed, deeply, at himself. "I knew the town was odd, I knew of the meteor fragments, as for what happened to that man, Earl what's his face who shook as he did. But... the rest of it, I'd heard tellings here and there. Jesus, Lionel. What about lately?"

"Earl Jenkins. He's in one of our treatment facilities, and nearly all the rocks have been expelled from underneath his skin. Since you and I have arrived, there's been a surprising lack of attacks."

"Maybe we're good luck?" He smiled up at him, though it was softly. "Is that a bit odd, though? The lack?"

"Odd? No. Considering that since our arrival, and the explosion at the plant, most of the meteor rocks have been carted off to Dr. Hamilton's facility, where he's been working with them. Apparently, the cure that he discovered for Lex he could apply to himself and to Mr. Jenkins as well." He sighed. "If you stop and think about it? There's been nearly thirty attacks of meteor mutated individuals over the last year. I think they've been exhausted."

"Very true." He was still shocked though, and softly shook his head, looking up at him. "I've got a strong feeling young Mr. Kent is the reason that we haven't heard of it as much as we should have."

"I think you're right; I think Clark has quite a bit to do with things staying quiet in Smallville."

"That boy is going to be something none of us every expected, Lionel. That boy is going to be this world's salvation."

Lionel nodded, as he held the door open to the small restaurant. "I do believe you're right, Dominic."

"Its so cool that we get to be here to watch it." He tossed a smile as he entered the small restaurant. The smells coming from the kitchen were divine, and much of the little booths and tables were filled with couples and friends. this was, by far, not a restaurant for children, and Dominic slid his fingers from his lovers backside as people turned to stare at them. His throat bobbed, softly, and he looked up at Lionel for guidance as he blushed, very softly.

"Don't worry about it, Dominic. We'll be seated shortly." He didn't pay a bit of attention to the people murmuring and clamoring in the restaurant to look at them.

-fin-

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