The Memoirs

Shayla... was comfortably drunk. Not quite pissfaced yet, but in that very, very happy place between sober and shitfaced where everything was funny, everybody was hot and gorgeous, and everything was niiiiiiiice. She was draped, at the moment, over... she looked down. Over Whitney, because Pete's lap was taken up by a big gay blue bear, and it was a little more complex than she was capable of at the moment to crawl over, move the bear, and take her rightful place.

Whitney wasn't quite where Shayla was yet, but he was getting there. He petted her hair gently, like he was petting a dog, and shoved her off his lap for the third time. "Aintcherchair," he muttered, running it all together. There was something... bright, loud, and colorful on the TV behind him, and he didn't care exactly what it was. It was just annoying, and he threw a wadded piece of gift wrap at it.

Missed by a mile.

Hooolllyyyy crap. She didn't want to know how bad her friends had to be off....how bad they'd ALL looked the last few times they'd gotten drunk. She knew for sure she looked horrible, Chloe just sighed, and pet Whitney's knee gently, hugging him close with one arm. "Sweetie pie, I think you're a sheet to the wind."

"Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet tooooooooooo thhhhhhhhhheeeeeee wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiind!!!!" Pete sang, on top of his voice, and hugged the teddy bear with a beam.

"Sheet to the wind? Make it four."

Lex just chuckled softly. "You should have seen the five of you last time. Good God. Never a more drunken band of bobbleheads have I ever seen. Though I have to admit, Pete was a tad more sober." He leaned forward. "And for that matter, the both of YOU were a lot more drunk."

Clark grinned, shyly, at his love, and planted a warm kiss on his nose. "I'm getting there. Shared the last two vodka bottles with you, didn't I?"

Chloe rose her seven up, wriggled it around, and smiled. "Pete was more sober?" She peered at the half dead kid sprawled, his pants still inside out from naked twister, and snickered. "I'm sure, Lex. he was the picture of sobriety."

"You're one to talk, missy," he glared, and raised his glass to Clark in toast. "Pete and I had to carry you down the stairs, and you could barely look at me the next morning without puking your guts out."

Whitney chose that moment to hiccup. "I'm no'drunk. M'sober ash uh juge."

"You're drunk, ashimel." Clark answered, softly, smiling as he took a sip of the vodka and kissed him, warmly. Shared the orange and vodka flavor, feeling it slide over Whitney's tongue, and he kissed him, warmly, gently, before taking the flavor and kissing his lover with it.

Chloe's dimples winked. "That was a fun night. Though, I think, tonight... we might have exhausted everyone out. Its three, right? Presents, naked twister, dancing, singing, drinking, check. I think... I'm going to start wrapping the cake up. You guys wanna get Pete and Shay to her room?"

"M'not drunk," Whitney protested in a mumble, but he shut up when Clark kissed him. He kissed back, much as he could, with sloppy tongues and sucking loudly at Clark's mouth. One arm came up to stroke over Clark's face, but that was it. Little Whitney was down for the count.

"Only if I can kick her little pink ass up the steps." Lex put his glass down and walked over to Shayla, and nudged her in the ribs. "C'mon, Little Miss Nosybitch."

One bloodshot eye creaked open. "Heeeeeeeeey, it's AJ!!!!!"

"Heeey, its AJ." Clark repeated, though with a smile, as he carefully leaned over and heaved Pete over his shoulder. He adjusted him, carefully, amused when his friend didn't give one mumble of disapproval, and motioned to his lover. "Get the pink one. We'll be back down, Chloe."

"Okay." She grinned, pet the back of poor Pete's head, and started gathering birthday paper and trash into a trash bag.

Shayla giggled. "Bye, Petey!"

Lex sighed. "She's almost more tolerable when she's sober." He bent down, and picked her up easily, and almost heaved her over his shoulder. But he didn't; instead he carried her gently out of the room.

She snorted softly. "AJ!!!!!" Her arms went around her neck. "Wha'ye doin' 'ere? Yer not s'posed t'be in this fantasy!"

He almost dropped her at that, and quickened his pace to catch up to Clark. "Shut up, Shayla."

Clark just snorted, wickedly over his shoulder, as he carried his very wonderful, very unconscious friend up the stairs. "Told you she had the hots for you, but noooooo."

Pete grumbled...muttered....groaned...

And barfed.

Clark heard the retching behind him...then a sudden warm splash down his butt and legs and he froze, wincing.

Lex barely danced out of the way when he heard the noise, and he grimaced. "Let's get him upstairs before he does any more damage--with all super speed, thank you--and then get you in the shower."

"Ewwwwwwwwwwwww," Shayla chimed in from Lex's shoulder. "Think I'm gonna puke, AJ!"

Lex nearly dropped her in his haste to get her down, and just in time.

Barf. Everywhere. Fabulous. Clark grasped Pete tightly and sped up the stairs as fast as he could, gently, gently depositing his poor friend in Shayla's bed. He stripped him down to the boxers and got him a cold towel and a cup of water, cleaning him up as best he could before, yeah, stripping out of his jeans right where he stood, and leaving himself in boxers and an under t-shirt. He peeled his socks off as well, taking the puked on garments back down the stairs, and sighed at his lover as Shayla heaved. "We're never drinking again."

Lex was patting Shayla's back as she puked into the fichus. "I do believe that's what was said the last time, too." He raised an eyebrow at Clark. "Nice outfit."

Shayla was heaving just as hard as she could, throwing up every little internal organ she possessed. "If this is my fantasy," she slurred, "Why are you dressed and why am I throwing up?"

"Because it isn't your fantasy, sweetie." Clark answered, glaring at his lover as he jumped over the puke, setting his pukied clothes on the staircase and gently taking her up. "Come on, sweetie. Can't be anything left inside of y--...okay, maybe there is." He helped her lean back over again, wincing.

"Yeah it is," she protested, yarking again, once more for good measure. "He was carryin' me and everything." Little girl whine to her voice, as if she'd just been told Santa Claus didn't exist.

"If I carry you, will you stop thinking fantasy world?" he was talking just to amuse her, and keep her from passing out and knocking her brains open or something, and he carefully helped her up, and pulled her into his arms, when he was sure she was finished throwing everything she owned up. "Come on, Pete's in bed already. Shouldn't have gotten so stone cold drunk, you could have had sex sweetie."

She heaved a sigh over his shoulder. "We're gonna have sex? Pete's not gonna like that."

"Pete is unconscious." Clark answered quietly, as he carried her back over the puke, and up the stairs. "Come on, lets go to sleep. Lex? See if you can help our ashikana."

"Then if Pete is unconscious, how are we going to have sex?" She clung weakly to Clark as he carried her up the steps. "Byebye, AJ!"

Deep sigh. "Bye bye, Shayla." Lex turned around, left the clothes sitting there on the steps, and made his way back through the house to the party room, to where Chloe was still moving around and cleaning up. "Here, sit down, you don't need to be doing that."

"I'm not an invalid." Was all she retorted back, as she quickly saran wrapped all of the cookies and cupcakes. The food was gone, the drinks were gone, the liquor was gone. Just a piece of cake and whatever other sweets hadn't been eaten were wrapped up, the rest of the garbage going into the trash bag. "Do me a favor though, and empty out the cups for me?"

"You got it." Alone, with his Chloe, Lex was struck with the irresistible urge to show off. He held out his hand, and one of the big bowls that chips had been in went floating jerkily across the room to land on the floor beside the cups. Tight grip in his mind on the invisible cup, and each one rose up easily, tipped the liquid into the bowl, and then stacked itself neatly by the bowl.

Chloe looked up... and her eyes widened, considerably, as she watched the show. The blood drained out of her face, and she looked from what she was seeing to her ashimel. Big, big blink, eyes wide, and she whispered, "Did you just...?"

Lex's jaw was tight as he concentrated, watching the small bullets of sweat drip off his temple and splash onto his arm as he orchestrated. This was probably the biggest thing he'd ever done before, and his mouth split into a grin. "Did I just see that? Chloe, I'm doing it."

She was going to faint. Yep. She was understandably with all things weird, as her LIFE was weird, but when people started floating things around with their heads... yeah. She just stared, watching quietly, and her throat, tight, bobbed. "How?"

"I don't know." The last cup emptied and Lex dropped his hand, shaking and drained as he collapsed against the poofy pillows on the floor. "I just can. Clark's been working with me on it, helping me refine it. But that's not the best part." His grin widened, and he poked gently at her head with his thoughts. Can you hear me now?

Oh, good God. Her ears buzzed, and she felt weakened, so much so that she had to sit down. And the nearest sitting down place was on the floor, so down she went, her pelvis knocking against the wooden floors through her jeans as she swallowed. "Holy crap."

Lex's hands shot out and physically caught her, pulling her onto his pillow with him. "You okay?"

"Kind of." She swallowed, hard. Deathly pale? Maybe. "How... how?"

"I don't know," Lex said softly, stroking her hair and her cheek, stroking her hair back. "It's okay. I don't know how, I just... know that I can. Remember when I bugged out to Gotham City for a day or two, and when Clark and I got home all hell had broken loose with Graham beating the hell out of Dom? It was then. Clark was here in Smallville, and he was trying to reach out to me, and I was pushing back, and then all of a sudden, the dam broke and there was this huge flood of stuff I could barely control and this is what Clark and I were talking about when you came in."

"Oh." Chloe's fingers came up to cup his cheek gently, rubbing the warm cheek bone, with Whitney snoring beside her. "Oh, Lex... I wish you'd told me. This... is cool, and scary, but more cool than scary. I wish you'd told me... but I'm so glad now you did. I love you, so much." She reached forward and tenderly, ever so tenderly, pressed her lips to his.

Lex kissed her back, stroking his hand over her face, nibbling her lower lip as he panted softly. "I love you. I had to show you. I hadn't said anything before because I wasn't sure of it, but now I can. I can control it, and I won't hurt you or Whitney now." He kissed her, again and again, arms coming around her waist to hold her close, careful of her growing tummy.

She kissed back, just as much, just as deeply, her tongue sliding in to stroke over his. Her hand, still cool with fear, gently stroked his neck...then around his shoulders, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing, deeper. "You taste so good." She whispered, softly, her tongue snaking out to lick across the scar, then down to suck on his full lower lip. "Like candy."

Lex murmured softly as she licked him, and he left his mouth open, letting her taste him all she wanted as he nibbled back. His skin was still slightly clammy from the exhibition and he pressed her close, hands going over her shoulders and her back, rubbing gently, soothing her. "You taste good too... wet and hot and just a little bit spicy," he murmured, licking her tongue as it tasted his scar.

"Doritos." Chloe murmured back, though she was smiling, as her fingertips worked over the back of his head and stroked the knob carefully. She... hadn't had sex in a long, long time, and Whitney was so incapacitated it wasn't even funny. She wanted, so much, and she loved her ashimel, so much, and in her heart she pleaded quietly, fingertips stroking down his back as she kissed.

Lex purred deep in his throat as she stroked over his knob, his body jerking slightly in pleasure at each stroke. He understood, even without having had to peek in her mind, he understood, and he gathered her even closer to him, rolling completely onto his back and settling her over him, his hand stroking her thighs and between her legs as he nodded. "Like this, so I don't hurt you or the baby," he said softly, hand on her stomach and rubbing lightly as he thrust up gently against her.

She purred back, just as quietly, as they listened to the old rock station on the radio. He tasted good… felt even better, but even as she kissed and licked over his neck... a strange, heavy feeling of guilt filtered up over her heart and took hold. "Ashimel..." Her fingertips gently stroked his cheeks, softly, eyes filling. "I can't... if Whitney can't. I... I was saving myself, for... for him."

Lex let his forehead rest against her shoulder, pressing soft kisses to her throat as she talked. "It's okay, Chloe. I won't, then. We won't." He didn't move against her any further, just letting his hands slide up and down her arms as he let his head fell back and look at her. "We won't do anything."

"I want to." Chloe whimpered, quietly, her fingertips stroking over his face. "I love you."

Lex kissed her fingers as they touched him. "You are ashikana, Chloe. I love you, and I would never do anything to hurt you." He sat up, so that she was sitting in his lap. "I know you want to; I want you, too. But if it's not right, then it's not right."

"I love him." God, he was a lunk and a half, dead to the world beside them, but he was the father of her baby, he was the love of her life, and the hot, deep wash of love... something that was entirely new, as of late, flooded her chest and constricted her heart with adoration. "I love him so much."

"I know you do." Lex turned her in his lap so that her back was against his chest and he held her carefully, tucked against him. "I love him too, though not like you do." He kissed the back of her neck. "If he isn't good to you, he will have to answer to me."

Oh, yes. She held her ashimel close, tightly, linking their fingers as tightly as she could. She smiled, though, a little, as she turned her head a little for cuddled. "He won't disappoint. I love him so much, ashimel. I know he loves me. He... isn't my soul mate yet, but the potential is there. I can't wait until he knows me."

"He will know soon," Lex predicted. "He's just hurting right now, and he's better, but there's still a distance to go before he's ready to acknowledge anything. But he will." He cuddled into her throat, and his arms came around her waist carefully. "You deserve the best."

"I have the best." Chloe looked up, to make sure he knew she wasn't just talking about Whitney.

"Yes, you do." He wasn't too modest. "You do have the best."

Wicked giggles, that made her eyes dance. "You're damn straight." But she smiled, quietly, and rubbed his fingers softly. "Did you ever think, Lex? Two years ago, when we met, that we'd be here?"

"I'm damn gay, thank you very much," he said with a snort, wrapping their fingers together. "And no... I didn't think it. Though I do remember thinking I was a dirty lecher for noticing what a nice chest you had for a young lady your age."

She grinned, in pride. "Damn right." But the smile slid away in the next moment, as her fingers rubbed over his knuckles. "I'm scared, Lex. Scared of having this baby… scared of what will happen when I do. I'm scared of bringing a baby in the world, because as much as I've tried to say I'm not... I'm so young."

He held her tightly, and he thought for a moment. "You shouldn't be scared of bringing a baby into the world, Chloe. That's... that's an honor. A privilege, if you're gifted with it." His hand went down again to stroke her stomach. "To have this life growing inside of you, created out of love... that's the most wonderful thing that could happen in this world." A quiet pause. "The only thing that I can promise you is that this baby will never want for anything. Clark, myself, you, Whitney, the four of us will give this baby the best life he could possibly have. You and Whitney, are going to be amazing parents, and Clark and I are going to be amazing godparents and we're going to spoil the little Fordman kid outrageously, and he's going to love us." A soft kiss to her cheek. "You are young, but only in years, Chloe. The things you've gone through, though, make you much older and much more responsible than you think. You do still have a lot of growing to do. I won't deny that. But you've done more than you think already."

She turned her head again, so her nose rested under his naw, and listened to the words of wisdom he had to share with her. Because he was, in a lot of ways, her mentor, and her fingers squeezed his gently as he spoke. "Thank you, Lex. You've put into words something my dad... will never understand."

He shook his head softly. "Don't blame Gabe too much; he doesn't know half the picture, after all."

"I could never tell him." Chloe's throat bobbed, tightly. "I almost did, once. But then I remembered the promise you and Clark asked us to keep, and I remembered... I remembered your baby. And I couldn't, I didn't say anything. Your dad... he was right, to be frightened of one of us saying something. The burden was so huge."

"But you've held it," Lex said softly. "And that shows my father was wrong, because he didn't think you could be trusted, either of you. And you've proven time and again, no matter what the stress... that you could be trusted."

"I didn't. I spilled my guts out to Shayla." Chloe whispered, softly, and her eyelashes fell, and a clog of tears stuffed her throat. "I feel… sometimes… like I dishonor you."

"No... Chloe, listen to me. You can't blame yourself for that. Clark and I... you wouldn't have had to tell her if we had been able to help you. But we weren't. We threw this geis onto you and then gave you no guidance, no help, no assistance in the one time you needed it to the most. Neither of us blame you for that, and you can't blame yourself either." He squeezed her carefully. "You do not dishonor."

"I love you, all of you, so much. I couldn't bare it if I embarrassed you, or hurt you." Her chin was trembling but the tears seemed to be staying in, for now, as she fought them back. "I don't want you to feel like you should have never chosen me, not at any time."

"We don't. We don't." Lex turned her around again, so he could hold her. "We don't think that, not at all. We never would have chosen you in the first place, we wouldn't have. But you were here. You were here and you didn't shy away; you responded when you were needed and we knew it had to be you and Whitney. You've never embarrassed or hurt us. Ever."

"You guys... are my family. As dumb and stupid and blond as it sounds, you're my family, the only family I ever had who accepted me even if I wasn't an idiot, and I love you guys, so much. You could never know how much." Chloe whispered, and here came the tears, sliding down her cheeks and leaving a trail of wet behind them. "I love you so, so much. I don't ever want to lose you."

"You're not going to lose us." He didn't bother to tell her that he and Clark would essentially be living forever. "We're going to be around for a very long time, don't worry." He held his hand out and several of the napkins from the table flew easily into his grasp, and he used them to dry off her face. "We love you, Chloe. You are our family too, the most important people in the world to Clark and I."

She sniffled when he wiped her face, carefully, rubbing her eyes clean and hiccing a soft, shuddering little side as she held him close to her body. "Okay. I'm having serious hormone problems. Don't mind me."

"It's okay. You're pregnant. It's allowed." He chuckled softly, and kissed her temple.

She grinned back, a little, sniffling and rubbing the tissue over her nose with a little snuff. "Alright, well... come on. Let's get Whitney in bed, before he catches a cold."

"What's this let's? How about, you wait right here, and let me get him to bed." He flexed his arm. "I'm stronger than I look."

"Bull. I could break you in half." She slid off his lap, and offered her hand down to him to climb up, even as she looked down at her poor, splattered boyfriend. "Hold on. Whitney? Whitney, baby? Can you hear me?"

Snoring was Whitney's reply, but he rolled away from the noise.

Lex did something a little naughty. He borrowed just a few strands of Clark's strength. Not all of it, just enough to boost Whitney up in his arms, much like he'd carried Shayla before. "Watch your footing on the steps, Chloe. Pete had a little accident on the way up."

Chloe's brows rose up when Lex hefted him. Holy crap. She carefully cupped the back of Whitney's head, keeping his noggin from knocking on Lex's arm, and gazed up at the door as Clark, in nothing but his underwear, walked in.

Christ, her ashimel were cute.

She snickered at him, rose a brow at his attire just to get the pleasure of seeing him blush, and motioned her head for him to follow. "Come on, cupcake, we're getting him to bed."

"I told you I was stronger than I looked." His eyes twinkled at Clark as he came in, begging Clark without words not to blow his teasing cover. "And I happen to like that outfit on Clark; in fact, once he gets it into the shower, I intend to take full advantage of it."

Hello! He grinned, broadly, and gently slipped past them with a whisper of his giggles into his lovers heart, before looking out over the room. It was, relatively, picked up, and he quickly shut the stereo off and folded up Twister. The bottles were picked up so no one--Ms. Bird would kill them--would know they'd been drinking, and nodded to himself. Clean enough. Ms. Bird would make it shine tomorrow, anyway, so he slipped out and caught up with his sha'nauch. Pukey clothes were sitting in detergent in the laundry room and their bedroom had been cleaned up, the one across the hall set up for Whitney and Chloe.

Lex carried Whitney into the bedroom, and laid him on fresh, clean sheets. His heart closed Clark's little giggle away for safekeeping, so he could hear it later, in his dreams, and he brushed Whitney's hair off his forehead, and kissed it softly. "Thank you for not throwing up on me, Whit," Lex answered back quietly, and petted the side of the bed for Chloe to come and sit down beside him.

Chloe toed off her shoes, and set her satchel down on the chair by the door before sliding in to sit next to Lex. Her lover was snoring in bed, and she carefully, carefully began to tug his shoes off as she smiled at her ashimel. "I love you."

Lex wrapped his arms around her again and kissed her softly. "I love you, Chloe." He gave a soft little chuckle at the snores. "Take care of your drunk," he said, a grin accompanying his words. "We're right across the hall, if you need us."

"Okay." She smiled, tenderly, and kissed right back, soft, warm little licks that pleased her.

The kisses along the back of her neck pleased her, as well.

She looked over her shoulder and was met with sparkling green eyes and a loving smile, and she returned it, gently cupping Clark's cheek and bringing him close. "I love the both of you, so much."

"We love you, Chloe," Lex said, raising his hand to stroke Clark's face, and then hers. "You are ashikana; you are loved." He nibbled softly as he kissed.

"Yes, you are." Clark whispered into his lovers hand, then her ear, and smiled gently as he rubbed her tummy. "All of you, and all the children you have, are loved."

"You see? It's not just me saying this, Chloe, it's true." He was softly kissing the other side of her face, and his hand met Clark's on her tummy. "You are loved, your children will be part of our family, and nothing will harm them. I give you my word on that."

"Exactly. My word, too. Got lots of stuff to do with the little guy. But...not tonight." He pressed a kiss to the back of her shoulder, and climbed to his feet. "Sleep, ashikana. Everything you need, towels, soap, and an old t-shirt and boxers for you to wear to sleep. If you need anything, anything at all, we're across the hall."

Lex rose to his feet with Clark, and squeezed Chloe's shoulder gently. "Don't hesitate to call us," he said sternly. "For anything."

"Okay. Thank you, both." She smiled, shyly, and pushed off her over-sweater, carefully setting it on the bed as she rose to close the door after them. "Goodnight, ashimel." She smiled at the both of them and rose to kiss each of their cheeks. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Chloe." He kissed her cheek again, and stepped out of the doorway so she could close it. Then he looked up at his lover. "You, my friend, are in dire need of a shower."

Ooooo. "Shower?" His eyelashes bat playfully, as he stepped into his own bedroom. The puppies were being babysat by Ms. Bird, and their rooms were....quiet. Cozy. "And a shower perhaps entails... you?"

Lex closed the door behind them. "A shower entails you getting under hot water, scrubbing Pete's puke off your body with soap, rinsing off, and drying off. After that? We'll see." Teasing grin. "And if you're nice... I just might... wash your back."

His eyes went big, playfully, as he shimmied into the bedroom and began to strip. "Hmmm. Washing my back wouldn't be a metaphor for.." Clark was a big boy. And sometimes? Using the big body for good amused the hell out of him. He pinned his lover against their bedroom door, and gave a little... undulation. "Fucking me blind in one of those karma whatever positions I found in your computer, and making me scream like a banshee?"

"Mmm. It's Kama Sutra. And, no, in this case, washing your back is exactly that, washing your back." His nose wrinkled, but he gasped as he undulated back against Clark.

A husky, mock sigh. "Damn. Well then.." Clark straightened absently, biting one full lower lip, and fluttered his lashes. "I guess I just better get in the shower, then."

Lex slid his hand around to rub over the small of Clark's back, pressing down lightly. "Yeah, I guess you just better."

His lips quirked, even as his muscled jerked. "Lex, how is it we drank two bottles of vodka each and we're fine?"

"I don't know about you, but it takes a lot more than two bottles to get me drunk, Clark. I think my liver has permanently disowned me, but considering I used to drink like a fish... I think you could say I've built a tolerance to it."

"Then what's my excuse?" Snorted, as he danced away from his lover and went in the closet for clean PJ's. He stunk, but the shower was already running hot water from when he'd put it on before going to Chloe's room, and he stripped out of his boxers before coming out of the closet and into the bathroom.

Lex shrugged. "I have no idea; let me think a while and I'm sure I can formulate a couple of hypotheses." He ran his hand over the prow of the ship, where it still lay in the corner of the bedroom. Then he got up and padded into the bathroom, following his lover. "Logic would dictate that you be drunk as the proverbial skunk."

"Of course it would. I hold my drink like my dad has coffee through him." Clark answered, as he set up his towel, setting one on the ground so he didn't slip and kill himself. Like he was prone to do, anyway. He got out a good shampoo to get the gooky mousse his lover had insisted putting in his hair just that morning, and he made a face at his crunched into perfection locks, rubbing his fingers through them. He got out his soap, too, the nice smelling kind, and stepped into the shower.

Lex methodically stripped as soon as his lover was in the shower, and he kept talking. "I'm wondering, though... no, we didn't do enough for you to have sweated it out or got sober from."

"Nope. Two bottles of vodka, and a fifth of Jack Daniels, are floating around in my blood right now. Though its weird, that I can even get drunk. Though like I told you, everything tasted like candy." Glub, from a bit of swallowed water.

"Candy?" Lex blinked. "Did you say candy?" He asked it as he got into the shower behind his lover.

"Yeah. That's how it always tastes." He shifted and turned his back to the water, so he could look at Lex with the one eye not covered in soap. "Your 'oh, this is hard, bitter shit' talk blew out of your ass baby." But he smiled, as he kept scrubbing his hair.

"No, it actually does taste hard and bitter, and a little woodsy aftertaste. You're just... oddly, tasting what I taste." Lex blinked as he took the soap and started scrubbing Clark's chest with it.

"Huh?" Garbled from under soap and water.

"That's what the liquor tastes like to me, because I'm used to it. Slides down like water and is as sweet as candy."

"Oh." He rubbed the soap out of his short hair, then wiped his eyes clean before opening them again. "Weird. But then again, its us." He smiled at his lover and took him in his arms, carefully. "Your dad… has a song stuck in his head. I can see a whisper of it, through you. Can you see it?"

Lex leaned against Clark's chest, and then almost choked on a mouthful of water. "Jesus fucking Christ, he's singing the Righteous Brothers!"

Clark's grin broadened until it almost reached his ears, eyes squinted as he chortled in amusement. "He's had it stuck in his head for hours, Lex."

"I don't even want to know why," he said, with a huge roll of his eyes. "But... it would ONLY be Dad."

"He's so cute." Clark's smile was still huge, dimples deep, and he grinned cheerfully as he began to scrub his lover over. "Don't even want to know how it got there."

"My father... is not cute," Lex grumbled, as he let Clark scrub him down.

- = - = -

The plane had gone down.

It had landed. And they weren't dead.

Their luggage was being removed from the plane, Consuela was shutting the big metal bird down, and Dominic was all but dancing to get down. It was mid day and he was in his HOME LAND, and he had all but had an aneurysm when he'd looked down out the window and seen Ireland. He could see all of the Lower Shannon, had nearly wet himself with glee when he spotted out Kildare, and here they were, settled down at Dublin International. They would have stopped in Cork had they been able to, at the huge airport there, but it was a new law that people outside of Europe had to go through special customs, blah blah September eleventh, blah blah, HE WAS HOME.

He was antsing. He realized this.

He still wore the same jeans, though he'd tugged on a clean t-shirt and a white sweater, and he was currently shifting around, waiting for his lover to finish talking to the pilot so they could get off this hunk of metal and he could go roll around in the grass somewhere.

Homeland. After ten long years, he was finally home.

Lionel could see his lover fairly dancing, and he sighed, cutting his conversation with Consuela short, and headed to the door. He couldn't help but notice how beautiful the landscape was, even to someone as jaded about things as he was. He put his hand on his lover's shoulder, and carefully pulled the lever to open the hatch and let down the stairs. "There we are, Jiminy."

He bit his lip, tightly, beaming as the cold air blasted them in the face. It was cool, about fifty degrees, but he did not care because had he mentioned he was home? Oh, Christ. Dublin airport was as ugly as ever but he could care. Less. Because he was home, and he was seeing it, and he couldn't believe it. Elation filled him full, all the way through him, and he didn't want to be a dweeb but EEEEEEEEEEEE!

Lionel urged his lover out the steps first, following behind him. He was actually glad of the leather jacket he'd put on at his lover's insistence, and his hands tingled painfully for a moment in the cool air until he flexed them and got the blood flowing again. "Well, Dominic, we're here."

Couldn't talk. Would start squealing. Instead he shouldered the laptop and gave his lover the most blinding smile in the world, just... EEEE!!!!! Had he mentioned EEEEE? EEEEE! He took their other in-flight bag and shouldered it, as well, as he offered his hand.

Lionel took the bag from his lover, and put it on his own shoulder, and clasped his hand tightly. "As soon as we go through Customs, I'll arrange for a helicopter," he said in his lover's ear. "We'll land in... Cork, is it? in about a half hour!"

His lips twitched and he shook his head, working his throat finally enough to speak. Even to himself he could hear the excitement and the joy, eyes dancing as he gazed up at him. "Train, beloved."

"Train?" The single word said it all.

"Train. The Ianrod Eireann. Irish Rail. It'll get us to Cork in about an hours time, and its much safer than taking a helicopter or renting a car, as renting a car requires a European Drivers license, which is too much of a hassle to get." He answered back, with a grin. "We'll get a cabin just for us, and the luggage. Shouldn't take us longer than an hour, hour and fifteen minutes or thereabouts."

Lionel gave his lover a dubious look. "Did you swallow the local travel guide when I wasn't looking?" But then he gave Dominic a grin, and kissed him softly. "You're in charge here, little cricket. I'm just along for the vacation." His arm went around his lover's waist as they held hands, and he stood almost a head over Dominic but it didn't matter. "Let's go find a train."

Idiot. Grin. Just... idiot grin. He couldn't wipe it off his face. He beamed up at him, and squeezed his hand tightly, lacing the fingers as he hitched his bag up higher on his shoulder. "I am the local travel guide, my love. This is my homeland, you've to remember. I took the train more times than I ate when I was a lad." Another big beam up at him, and he stepped in through the doors with the other passengers getting off a plane of what must have been Italy, as they were all raving in Italian. He could catch a word here and there, but not much, unfortunately. He slid his laptop off of his shoulder instead and set it on the conveyer belt, stepping through the metal detector... stopping when it beeped, going back and putting forty five cents worth of change he always seemed to have, and passed without a noise this time. He took his bag back, his change, and waited for his lover, as he ran his fingers through his hair.

Lionel let his own bag, full of clothes and the like, slide through the conveyor. He unloaded his pockets--keys, jewelry, even his silver pen, and passed through the detector quietly. He claimed his things on the other end, surprised that his nipple ring hadn't caused it to go off, and then winced at the bellow.

"MORGAN SENATORI, GIT YER SKINNY BLOND ARSE OVER 'ERE!" Gideon was sitting in his wheelchair on the far side of the bar, waiting for them. "DINNA SIGN UP T'SPEND M'WHOLE BLOODY DAY WAITIN' FER YE T'SHOW YER PASTY FACE!"

"Gideon!!!!!" The surprise of his life. Dominic had told him they'd be flying in, he just hadn't realized Gideon would show himself here to get them. He grinned, broadly, and he stepped around a pretty lassie before down, and wrapping his arms around his dear friend. "Aye, bloody 'ell an'whadre y'doin 'ere? Didna I tell ye no'to come?!"

"Aye, an' like I'd miss th'chance t'b'seein' ye 'gin!" He hugged Dominic hard, and thumped him on the back. "And now't yer home where ye b'long, we're goin't b'doin th'pubs 'gain."

"A'course w'aree, now, wha'didya think otherwese?" He beamed at him, then straightened and reached back for his lovers hand, wincing at him with a little grin tweaking his lips. "Sorry, baby. I forgot you've trouble understanding. Come now... Gideon, we're headed for the Ianrod Eireann, I should be saying? It still connects from Cork here, right?"

Understanding? He hadn't even tried. He knew better, and while he was slightly galled to play the ignorant, he was more than mollified by the happiness evident on his lover's face. "Mr. Gallagher, a pleasure to see you."

Gideon just glared. "No, laddie, the bloody thing runs on fairy dust fro'the wee folk! How the bloody 'ell d'ye think I got 'ere!!"

"Knowing you, my dear darling, you rolled here with a swatch, to beat off the ladies who tried to stop you." Dominic grinned at him, and rolled his eyes. "What time is it? Noon?"

"Aye, 'tis." Narrowing of his eyes. "Ye've got the lag from 'ell, c'n see it in'cher face. Well, suck it up, laddie, Gran's waitin' at the 'ouse, and she isna t'be put of, I tell ye that."

Oh. Gran. He bit his lip, tightly, and beamed at him like a huge idiot. "And how is the lovely lady?" He took his lovers hand a little tighter in his, so they wouldn't get separated in the huge airport, and started towards the baggage terminal and customs. "Its been a long time since I've been home. Has anything changed?"

Lionel laced his fingers firmly through Dominic's, and feeling a complete fish out of water, he followed Gideon's wheelchair through the airport, sighing deeply. "I am going to really, really want to sleep in about two hours, Dominic."

"Aye, and we will. Knowing my granny, she's made quite a meal. And my entire family? Camping out at her house. Though it'll do you good to see her little fairy cottage. Its quite lovely. Though, as I was saying, food, than an afternoon nap sounds nice." He held him close to him, and gazed up, thanking him with his look from the bottom of his heart. He hadn't realized how much he'd missed his homeland until he was here, and did he mention EEEEEE in the last five minutes?

"I'm not going to be able to pry you away at the end of the week, am I?" Lionel asked with a grin. "I'll consult with Lex at the end of the week, and see if we can finagle a bit of an extra stay, just for you."

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

"No, lovely, we couldn't possibly. We've so much work to... Christ, I want a potato cake. Gideon, Jesus. You dunna know, my lad, what it is to life without such foods we once took for granted, I'll tell you that."

Gideon just snorted. "No, I'm nae fool'nuff t'be runnin' away from m'home now, am I, me boyo?"

He smiled, though it was almost bittersweet. "No, indeed. Oh, there's customs. Lionel, get us taken care of? I'm going to go find our luggage, and remind me again why I packed so much of it?"

"Because you couldn't bear to leave half your life behind?" Lionel asked with a raised eyebrow, an air of defeat about him as he headed towards the longer line that was Customs, though he had his identification ready, and was not at all above using it for special treatment.

Dominic watched his lover walk past with that sad expression... then grinned, wickedly, down at Gideon. "Now I know for sure I'll get another week here, minimum. Good workin', boyo. Aye, but listen, the house is empty. Do you know of someplace where we can find at least a mattress for the night?"

"M'gonna cosh ye over th'head." Gideon rolled his eyes. "Unc Johan an' his Da have done moved ye in a bed and a heater, because neither of ye milkblooded Americans are used t'the fine weather we ha'e."

"I am not an American. That's...not even funny." Glare down at him, as they walked towards the luggage wheel already crowded with people. "I love my angel deeply, but sometimes... he needs to be persuaded." A moment. "How is Gran?"

"Missin' ye, laddie. 'Tis a good thing ye came home when did; she was threatenin' to hide in me luggage."

Oh, that cracked him up. No one had as cool a grandma as he did. "She's been sendin' me emails, for months, beggin' me to bring my husband home, so she could take a crack at seein' what his soul was. Dunna know what the bloody blazes she was talking about 'bout the time, but now I do, indeed." He leaned over before speaking and hoisted one of the suit cases off the rack, and set it down at his feet. "Been a long time comin'. I think I had to make something of myself before coming home." A pause. "How does the family feel about Lionel? Really."

Gideon snorted. "Yer too used t'sweet Rosie, boyo. Th'rest o'the Gallaghers and aye, the Finn laddies too, they're all fightin' over who gets t'slap him on the back firs', cause there's abet goin' amongst 'em all as t'who'll get the biggest curled lip. Udder'n that? Canna wait t'see who th'baby boy's bringin' home."

Dominic just... he grinned. He grinned. He couldn't help it, his dimples dimpled and his eyes danced and he got kind of shy, rubbing the back of his neck absently before busying himself with getting another suitcase. "Aye? You're not fibbing me?"

"D'ye think I'd shit ye aboot somethin' as important to ye as this?" Gideon asked, hands on his hips as the wheelchair coasted to a stop beside Dominic. "Dinna ken what th'ell ye been eatin' boot I t'ink it's dunna addled yer brain... what ter was o'it t'be addled i'th'firs'place."

Dominic snorted as he finally lifted the final suitcase. Two suitcases and a bag, just in case, and he set the bag over his shoulder with all that was there already, and lifted the suitcases. "Before you even go there, yes, I do pack like we're going over the Nile, so shut up about it." He caught sight of Lionel, finishing at the customs desk, and sighed softly. "He's a beautiful man. I'm so lucky."

Gideon wasn't looking at Lionel, but at the look of total besottedness that came over Dominic's face, and snorted softly. "Aye, y'are at that."

Lionel snapped his wallet shut with a sigh, and wiped the last of the fingerprint ink off his thumb. They'd had to have his thumbprint for verification purposes, and he and Dominic had both been cleared, not only through the passports but the international visas that they both had, not to mention the status Lionel had as a near-diplomat. It had been the work of twenty minutes to bypass the huge customs line, only to find out?

"Aye, the Corrigans knew yer comin', the both of ye. M'sister Magdalene is married t'one of the Finn boys from Cork, and th'news travels fast through the family."

Lovely. Half an hour on the island and he was already acquiring relatives.

Dominic just... just grinned, broadly, as he stepped up beside his lover, Gideon beside him, and tipped his head. "Everything alr--JACK! Holiest fuck!" Dominic dropped the suitcase and reached over the desk, to shake hands firmly with his cousin. "Jessus Creest, how are ya??"

Lionel just rolled his eyes good-naturedly as he stepped out of the way, and nearly tripped over Gideon. "Mr. Gallagher."

Gideon's eyes were twinkling as he smirked. "An' how d'ye be likin' the trip s'far, Li'nel? Meetin' all yer relations fer ye e'en get out'o'the aerpert."

Lionel didn't even dignify that with a response.

Jack Corrigan came around the counter to hug Dominic tightly. "Fergit the handshake, boyo, they know yer comin' now." Jack's accent was softened from working with the public. "Called Granna Finn as soon as I saw yer plane land, and by the time ye git there, they'll be waitin' at the platferm fer ye."

"Jesus, Jack, its been ages." he hugged him, tightly, and smiled at him with a big grin. "Of course they know, its me after all, now isnt it? Ive got a regular bloody parade after me these days." But he grinned anyway, and hugged him again. "Its been almost ten years, boyo, how are the babies? Christ, and how is Andrin? Granny told me she was pregnant again. Eight babies, bucko, and I canna wait to see them all. Oh!" He turned to Lionel, quickly. "This is my husband, Lionel. Lionel, my cousin Jack, though you've met, obviously."

"Aye, w'met." Jack just beamed a huge grin over to Lionel. "Couldna believe it when I saw yer plane landin', but I w's verra glad t'see ya. Had the peppers drawn up and everythin'. Yer good to go, an'ye better git. The babies are comin' along wi'me this weekend, we're takin' the rail down to see yer, so ye better have yer arse there!"

"We'll be there." Dominic grinned and lifted his suitcases again, offering one to Lionel. "An' tell them perhaps there's to be presents for them when they arrive. THat'll get them movin'." He grinned at him and waved a hand. "Bye Jack, we'll see seein' ya!"

Lionel had already commandeered a luggage trolley from a passing porter, and had piled his bags onto it, and added Dominic's bags as they were handed to him. "We have packed for the invasion of Normandy," Lionel announced sadly. "Come along, General, we have a train to catch."

Gideon held up three tickets to a private coach. "An'yer goin't'be payin' me back fer these, boyo, cause they didna come cheap."

"Aye, darlin," Dominic answered him with a snort, as he took one end of the luggage trolly. "The tren's about...mm, I'd say, five minutes off, Lionel. We'll be needing a taxi, love." Then down, to Gideon, "I canna believe Jack's workin' all the way out here. The bloody blazes, he couldn't find descent work in Kerry?"

Gideon shrugged. "No' too many pepple can," he said non-committally. "Tisna' easy t'find yer work less'n yer willin' to werk in th'industries, an' they're still' no treatin' th pepple best in'the world. If ye dunna werk fer them, ye got n'choice but to move out."

He shook his head, softly, eyebrows drawn tight. "But to come all the way here, to northern Ireland? With all the problems they be havin', Gideon? Jesus Christ." But he shook his head again, and carefully hitched the laptop up higher on his shoulder. "You hafta do what you hafta do for your family. And eight, with ninth on the way? Indeed."

"Ye just havena been here in what, a decade? Things havena changed all that much; ye just dinna realize it as yer not livin' it." Gideon rolled beside them as they pushed the trolley out to the sidewalk. "Dunna worry 'bout a cab; if I know Jackie boy, he's callin' one for ye now."

Lionel gave his lover a speculative gaze, and then turned it on Gideon as he listened to the byplay between them. There seemed to be a current of blame underlying Gideon's words, but he couldn't quite pinpoint it, exactly.

Yeah, Dominic felt it too, and he met his lovers eyes, just a glance, but in that glance he saw the same thing. He knew he'd get this from some of his relatives... they'd never understand the whens and whys, and thought him selfish and uncaring towards family because he hadn't been home. He had the money, and the means, for a long time, but he couldn't come home and have it be another disaster like the last time. So he just...shook his head, and squeezed his lovers arm gently. No one was going to rain on his parade. He hadn't come home to see anyone but his gran, and the ocean. "Probably so. So, Gideon," Tried another approach. "They still havin' the Cork Choral Festival next week, or have they gone and moved it to another day? I was so hoping Lionel could see it."

"Aye, tis still on th'same day, less it rains out're someone in the chorus gets sick." He rolled to the edge of the curb and stopped, and then nodded. "Aye, there's a cabbie straight on the way to us. Ye'll nae hav'ta worry aboot the train."

"Wondaful. Thank you again, Gideon, for coming out to get us." He picked up one of the suitcases when the blue taxi stopped near them, and smiled as he looked out down the street. The ocean was roaring, there on the sandy incline, with the weather beacons sticking up off to the side near the shore. It was lovely, indeed, and though he loved Dublin a great deal, he couldn't wait to be home. "Its been an exhaustive trip. I, as always, flipped the bloody hell out."

At that, Gideon snorted, and directed the comment towards Lionel. "Ye shoulda hit him with th'horse tranquilizer. Knock him out like ye wouldna believe." Then a grin at his friend. "I'll make sure ye have it 'fore ye leave, and Jackie'll get it through th'customs fer ye."

Oh, thank God. "Its no' a horse tranquilizer, Lionel, so don't flip out. Though it might as well be. I took it the last time I was here... was passed out asleep for a good ten hours. That was lovely." He grinned then, a little easier, and set the first of the suitcases in the cab. However, as Taxi drivers weren't completely trustworthy, he motioned. "Lionel, get these cases in here? I'm going to help Gideon in the cab."

"Yes sir, General Senatori sir." He got a scathing glare for that, and replied with a smirk as he maneuvered the three suitcases, two laptops, and two bags into the back of the cab, and then pushed the trolley back onto the sidewalk, where it was immediately picked up by another porter and pushed back into the complex.

"Gideon can get himself into the cab," he said with a glare, but let Dominic help him, leaning on his friend as he pulled useless legs into the front seat of the cab, and then slid his pelvis and torso in after it. "Thank ye, laddie."

"A'course. Come on, Lionel, we'll share the back." He quickly and efficiently folded up his friends wheelchair, sliding it into the backseat foot space, than slid in behind it, quickly. "How long have we got until the train arrives, love?" He asked of his friend, as he took his lovers hand tightly in his own and brought him a little closer.

"Eye, yo't'be tak'n the rells?" The taxi cab driver, a portly old man with a hard face and a long beard asked, as he cranked the car.

Lionel folded his large frame into the back of the cab, and slid as close as he could to his lover. A shake of his head as he didn't understand a single word but "rells" which he assumed was "rails." "Yes, we're going to be taking the train," Lionel answered simply.

"Ifa yooou're t'b'tak'n the rells, tha las' one todeh is levin' in ten minootes. Y'want'meke it ta tha'one?"

"Yes, sir, indeed." Dominic answered to him, then swallowed, hard, as the taxi merged with traffic and jolted them along. Christ. Never telling a cabby to speed was something he'd forgotten, and he held onto his lover, tightly. Even as he did he leaned up, and whispered quietly into his ear, "Have faith, in me, and in us. I don't want to be anywhere but right by your side, as its supposed to be."

Lionel's grip tightened as the taxi jerked out into traffic, and he nearly cursed twice as the cabbie narrowly missed hitting another vehicle as he sped and merged in. "And I thought I had bad driving skills," he muttered, and then he turned and kissed his lover softly on the cheek. "I love you, Dominic. Don't ever doubt."

"I saw your face. You'll see... you don't know yet, but you will. You'll understand why I left and came to America." He squeezed his lovers hand, and reached up, kissing him back tenderly... jerking, nearly bashing his teeth out with his lovers, as they braked to a stop at a traffic light. He righted himself, rubbed his lovers jaw, and kissed him again. "I love you, Lionel. Thank you, for bringing me here."

"If the driving is any indication, yes, I do know why." But he didn't say anything else, just sighed as his jaw was nearly dislocated, and then carefully kissed his lover again. "You're welcome." He stroked Dominic's jaw lightly. "It was worth the entire trip just to see the smile on your face when we got off the plane here."

He grinned, again, broadly, and rolled his eyes at his lover. "Way to emasculate me, thank you ever so much." But he was teasing, and he poked his lover in the ribs. "Are you joking? I've never been happier. Seeing my cousin was part of the cake. You're going to love my gran, Lionel. Christ, I can't wait for you to meet her. She's a tiny woman, though, let me warn you now. She's about...I'd say, 5'1. If that. So try not to squash her. She's probably made magpie, and bread pudding. Oh, Jesus." He heaved a sigh. "Heart. Belly. Intertwined."

"Wonderful. Another small person. That's amazing in and of itself that you've grown to be the height you are, as have your brothers and your sister Megan. Shayla, on the other hand..." he shook his head. "I have no idea what magpie is, other than a black raven-like bird who likes shiny objects."

His lips curved and twitched, even as he set his head on his lovers shoulder, so he could look out the window at the lovely shops and homes, the roaring ocean behind it. "Black berry pie, Irish style. Its good. Very... very good." Dominic rose his voice, to get his friends attention, "Tell me she made magpie, Gideon."

"Aye, y'idiot, she did. Ye think she wouldna feed ye?" He half turned in the front seat. "Magpie, soda bread, raspberry scones wi'coffee, an' she's been boilin' a pot of Beef and Guinness stew fer the last three days."

"Oh Jesus." Orgasmic? Hell yes. He would have fell over if he hadn't been against his lover, and he all but fanned himself as they turned into the train station parking. "Jesus Christ. Lionel, we're going to gain at least forty pounds each before leaving. Oh, my God, I love my gran. Come on now, as we're here." He didn't have a dime exchanged yet, but he knew Gideon would cover the taxi, as he was a good lad that way. He'd pay him back, and he made a mental note of it as he climbed out of the car, and stepped onto the sidewalk.

And grinned.

"Remember, our fifteenth year, when we came up here to get skunk drunk and dance?"

Gideon choked. "Aye, aye, I vaguely remember! I was drunker'n either ye or yer brother at t'time, but I 'member somethin' like that." He waited patiently for Dominic to unload his wheelchair, and then as soon as he did, he boosted himself into the wheelchair seat and pulled out a wad of pound notes. "'ere ye go, pay the nice cabbie fer the ride."

"Thank ye, Gideon, and I will be payin' ya back." He counted out the money, doing the exchange rate in his head, and handed the cash over before returning what went unused to his friend. "Come on now." He went around the car to help his lover, and quickly gathered what bags he could, laptop over his shoulder, and after making sure nothing had been left, closed the trunk.

Lionel had shouldered most of the bags, as Dominic was busy with Gideon, and he felt vaguely out of place, standing in the middle of the sidewalk with baggage hanging off of every extremity. "Where, exactly, are we going?"

"Train." He motioned towards the station, and grinned at his lover, as he took some of the bags and took his lovers hand, as well. "Come on, love." He knew his lover was feeling helter skelter, and he grinned, kissing the back of his palm gently. "Catching our train in about five minutes. Come on, beloved."

"Do you know, I think that I figured that out from the fact we're in a train station." But the sting of the words was soothed by the grin. "I was actually asking about our ultimate destination."

He glared, and jabbed his ribs, but he was smiling. "Cork. The main city in our parts, its quite lovely. About twenty minutes out from Cobh." A moment. "Tell me, has it changed much, Gideon?"

"Nay, it hasna, an' that's part o'th'poblem as well as the allure. Nothin' is changin; round our parts... it isna' a place t'be if ye ha'e ambition or family. But if yer happy wi'yer lot in yer life, t'is no finer place ye could be."

"Sometimes its nice knowing home will always be there." Was all Dominic replied.

-fin-

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