The Memoirs

The night had been lovely. Truly, wonderfully, indescribably lovely. That was Dominic's exact thought, as he crawled into bed later that night. His grandparents had been lovely, the long walk later in the evening even more so, and he'd shared ice cream with his lover, Guinness thickened and lovely, with Lionel.

They'd come home, late in the evening, crawled into bed, and had made such exquisite love, Lionel's beautiful body a dream of utter submission and compliancy that Dominic had been left shaking, trembling, half sobbing in his pleasure, as the sweat clung to their bodies, blankets, and the air itself. They'd slumped into sleep, Dominic still buried in deep, though he was certain that at some point during the night he'd rolled out of him and onto his side.

He was sure, because at five a.m. his palm pilot began to chirp the alarm, and his eyes opened, blearily, in total, utter, exhaustion.

His arm was tossed over his lovers hip, his chest to Lionel's long back, and he stared, dumbly, at Lionel's long, sleep rumpled hair. He could have sworn he was dreaming, but when the beeping persisted he turned his head and peered.

The palm pilot.

Fucking monster of death.

He reached over, hit the biggest button to stop the beeping, and rolled back over, nestling close to Lionel's back.

Lionel grunted, as Dominic nestled back against him. "Y're s'posed t'go to your grandmother's." Didn't open either eye, kept the blankets pulled over his shoulder, and his head resting on the pillows with his lover's. "Have fun." He grunted again, but snuggled against his lover's soft, warm body and curled his legs close to his lover.

"Slept in wet spot." Was all he murmured, and shifted just an inch closer, so his thigh was perfectly nestled up against his lovers backside. His eyes were closed, though he rubbed in closely, and yawned, a jaw cracking yawn, into warm skin. "Granny'n wait. Sleepy."

"If you want to be the one to tell that sweet lady to wait, go right ahead. I'll pick up the pieces she leaves you in." His voice was muffled, by sleep, pillow, and Dominic's shoulder, for all of it's clarity of speech, and he still refused to open his eyes.

He turned, a little more, so Lionel and himself were facing now, and rubbed his crotch gently against his lovers, to soothe, to feel, and he murmured. "Feel so good."

Quiet little purr in his throat. "Yes, it does. It feels very good." One eye cracked open just a bare sliver.

Dominic's were still closed, as he rubbed quietly against his lover, and let his leg fall from the nestle against a curvy little butt down, to link their legs together. "Very good." He leaned in, and kissed softly, at a smooth expanse of sleepy skin.

"This... mmmm... this isn't getting you to Crystabel's any faster," Lionel yawned, burying it in the skin of Dominic's shoulder, and he rubbed sleepy eyes against his neck as he left his face tucked in to Dominic's throat.

"Nope." Muttered against his lovers neck, then his shoulder when Lionel moved, and he reached down, between them, to stroke very, very softly at his lovers cock, which had spent, twice, just a few hours before. He thumbed it softly, stroking gently, and let his kiss come down to his lovers cheek... corner of his lips, then moved him to kiss, deeply.

"Mmm. I know what you're doing," Lionel muttered between kisses and caresses, letting his tongue delve and nibble and lick at his lover's as they lay in bed together. "Evil man that you are, you're trying to wake me up too so you're not the only one suffering at this God-forsaken hour." But he didn't move, didn't stop the kisses being shared, didn't move from the entwined embrace they were in.

"Think so?" Dominic asked into his lovers mouth, as their combined facial hair rustled with each kiss and suck, and Dominic's fingers were a little less gentle, tracing over the thick head, the long, soft shaft lying on his lovers thigh, and rubbed his own against it.

"Mmmhmm," Lionel murmured back in answer, listening to the scrape of their beards together, feeling the hand stroking his cock though it was too tired to rise. But that didn't stop him from pressing forward with gentle thrusts into Dominic's hand, or nipping his lower lip.

Dominic squeezed it once more and let it go, to stroke over his lovers lovely backside, cupping it in his fingers as he continued to kiss him, licking over his lovers lips before he let go, and snuggled in, deeply, closely. "Lionel?"

"Yes?" His eyes were now halfway open, and he let his arms slide around his lover's waist.

"Coooffeeee."

A muffled snicker. "I am not waking up enough to make you coffee."

Snuffle. "Cooofffee?"

The half-open eyes opened a little further, to three quarters. "No."

Dominic's grin was in place, though it was exhausted, and lopsided, and only one eye open to half mast. "Okay. Will buy it on the way." But he didn't move. He'd set their clothes out the night before, twin suits, very nicely pressed, and an extra set of jeans and a sweater for himself, for the morning when he'd help his Gran prepare. All he needed was a shower and a tooth brushing, but he wasn't. Moving. "After I slept in the wet spot." Tsk, tsk, tsk.

"Lex is a morning person. Wake him up to make coffee. I'm sure he won't mind." Groan, as he rolled onto his back, and flung his arm over his eyes.

Which just made Dominic roll with him, snuggle in close, loop his leg over Lionel's, and kiss him again, dragging his fingers through his lovers hair, towards him. The melancholy mood had lifted after a few hours, though Dominic still had no idea where it had come from, and now... he was back to his old self. At least, mostly, except now he turned Lionel's head with his fingertips and kissed him, all the deeper, gently and lovingly.

"you're not seducing me into coffee, you siren," Lionel muttered into the soft, loving kisses, and he returned them just as softly and lovely.

"Sex?" Asked with a twitch of his lips into Lionel's, as he nipped at the full lower lip.

His arm moved just enough to expose his eyes. "Do I have to wake up for it?"

Dominic burst out laughing, even in his exhaustion, and buried them in his lovers chest. "No, you can stay asleep, indeed."

Lionel gave a grin as Dominic laughed, which had been his aim all along. "Go. Get in the shower, and I will..." and here he sighed. "Make the supreme sacrifice of waking up to make you coffee. After which? I am coming back to bed."

Dominic beamed at him in adoration, kissing him again, softly, and rose up on one elbow, still smiling down at him. "Thank you. My king." Another soft kiss to him, even as he rolled out of the covers. Yelped. And dragged one of the blankets off their bed, wrapping himself in it. "Holy mother of Christ." He chittered, as he stumbled into the bathroom, wrapped in the thick blanket. "Fucking...fu-fucking cold!"

"You better remember this," Lionel mock-growled, and then watched his lover do the cold-floor dance, and then the cold-air dance. Barely stifled his giggles, and he slid his feet into fleecy slippers that were waiting by the side of the bed, and picked up his thick terrycloth and fleece robe from the wardrobe in the corner, belting the ties around his waist as he went down to the kitchen. Yawned all the way through filling the kettle with cold water and setting it on the little stove to boil, and he rummaged around the cabinets for coffee. Set it out, looked around, and saw two pieces of toast sitting discarded from the boys' aborted breakfasts.

He crumbled the dry, stale bread in his hands and carried them outside, sprinkling them around the flower boxes where he'd seen birds congregating since he'd arrived. Dusted his hands clean, and secure in the fact nobody had seen him tossing out bird food crumbs, he returned to the coffee pot and encouraged it to boil already.

Dominic was freezing. Just… freezing. He'd yelped on freezing toes for almost five minutes, before the bathroom had gotten hot enough for him to take the blanket off, the steam from the shower rising. He climbed into it and then gave another cry as his sleepy skin got its first dash of wake-up-already. He ducked his head under the spray and tried to warm up, dancing around in a circle to keep himself warm.

Lionel was chuckling to himself, listening to the yelps coming from the bathroom and he got a very, very evil idea. He innocently turned on the kitchen faucet, filling one of the large cast-iron pots. With hot water.

Which meant that, for the moment? The water in the shower was ice cold.

Clark leapt up as the blood curdling scream rang through the house and he sat bolt upright in bed. He gasped, almost stamped over Lex, and dashed to the door of the bedroom, yanking the sheet with him as he opened it wide. "Dominic!"

Lex was jerked up with his lover, and the first thing he did was jerk on the thread that connected him to Dominic.

And then burst into laughter. He grabbed Clark's sheet and tugged on it weakly as his belly cramped with it, peals of laughter that shook the entire bed. "Dad... hot water... Dominic... shower..." Lex gasped out.

At the scream that very nearly put the curl back in Lionel's hair, he pulled the pot out from under the faucet, set it on the burner, and put four eggs in it. Hard boiled eggs were fairly simple, and he thought he could boil them and Dominic could peel them after breakfast, and he actually started whistling.

A bucket of cold water had dumped on him, and the skin had nearly pealed up from Dominic's body. The paint in the bathroom, he was sure, was curdling. His cock? Whatever erection it might have had was gone. His cock? Was sitting somewhere in his throat, in horror.

The bastard! He was going to kill him. He scrubbed himself off, as quickly as he could, dried himself off, wrapped himself back in the blanket, and emerged from the blanket where Clark's wide eyes, Lex's laughing face, and Lionel's whistles met him. He glared at Lex, even as Clark cracked a grin, pushed the wet hair from his forehead, and walked down the hall until he stood in the shadow of the kitchen door.

Glaring.

Oh what a beautiful morning,

Oh what a beautiful day!

I've got a beautiful feeling,

Everything's going my way!

Lionel was sure that if Dominic could hear the words to the song he was whistling, that he would be a dead man. But he watched the coffee kettle, listening for it to whistle, and he was stirring the water and eggs carefully, watching them settle as he waited for the water to boil.

His spine felt eyes yanking on it, and he turned around to greet his lover with a smile, and turned back to the stove, barely muffling the snickers and keeping the whistle going.

Lex dragged Clark back by the sheet. "Go back to sleep."

Dominic walked in, still glaring, still wrapped in the blanket, and sat down at the kitchen table, like a mummy, all blue quilt, blond hair, and heated green eyes.

Clark watched Dominic walk in, knew murder was in the making, and gave his lover a sleepy little grin, as he closed the door behind him, he walked back to bed and slid in under the covers, snuggling with Lex's body, which had cooled in the morning air, and Clark made it warm again with snuggles and cuddles.

Lex curled back up, and was back asleep almost instantly. "We'll listen for mayhem," he muttered against Clark's shoulder, even as he yawned and then closed his eyes.

"You'll have to peel the eggs when they're done boiling, but your coffee should be ready in a few moments!" Lionel chirped. It was almost revenge for having had to wake up so early, and he was both cringing and anticipating what his lover would do in answer to it.

"You are never having sex again. Ever."

Lionel hid the smile in his beard as he turned around and set a little plate and a coffee cup in front of his lover. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't you I don't know what you're talking about me, Lionel Luthor." Dominic was still glaring, though he wrapped his blanket around him tighter, even as Lionel set the things before him.

"I don't think I'm going to try toast this morning, but I think I can handle boiling water." Lionel hitched a hip up on the counter and waited for the kettle, and knew it shouldn't be much longer.

Dominic kept on glaring, though the impending cup of coffee was making his mouth water. "Never again. You'll have to adapt to your own hand."

Lionel was fighting snickers very hard. "I have no idea what you are referring to. Here I get up, make you coffee, attempt to make you breakfast, and what do you do but flounce in here and inform me that I will never be having sex with you again!"

"YOU PUT FREEZING WATER ON ME!" Dominic bellowed, and kicked out one foot that was partially unburied from thick cotton. "You evil bastid! My cock is in my throat!"

An innocent blink. "I did?"

"Yes! You did! After... after I was nice to you!" Another glare, and a heavy pout as he looked down. "Never having sex again."

"Is it because I woke up horny again, you evil bastard?" Dominic glared again, though it was more pout than glare.

The coffee kettle whistled, and Lionel added the crystals to the hot water, and stirred it into a fragrant pot of coffee. He carried it over, using a potholder on each hand, and poured Dominic's oversize mug full of fresh, hot coffee. "I actually find that amusing and adorable." He kissed his lover's forehead. "And I was being nice to you, too."

Another glare, though the smell of coffee had him rubbing the rivulets of shower water from his temples where they'd fallen, and his fingers sneaked out, taking the hot mug and hugging it in close.

Lionel gave his lover another kiss, and finally gave into the little snicker at the picture of Dominic, half dead and wrapped in the blanket, trying to clasp the coffee to his bosom like it was the best treasure ever. "The eggs should be finished in a few minutes," with a little grin."

Dominic glared, though it was a half glare because his lover was making him food, too, and he drank some of the coffee… hissing as i nearly scalded and blew on it, cuddling in deeper under his blanket. "Never again. Evil man. Evil. Just for that you've put some major karma on yourself. And today, of all days, when you meet my fam--"

The phone was ringing.

He knew who it was.

"Don't. Pick. It up."

"I told you forty minutes ago you should have gone," Lionel said scoldingly. "I'm not going to have her bellowing at me, not even for you. I've very" afraid "respectful of your grandmother." he reached out, and picked up the ringing phone. "Morgan's cottage," he answered, grinning at his lover.

Dominic bared his teeth at his lover and growled, trying to kick him again.

"Lionel Luthor, where in all of nine holy hells is Morgan? He better be gettin' his arse over here straight away!" Granny yelled into the phone.

Lionel thought fast. "He's having his breakfast, Ms. Finn. It's my fault; I kept him distracted this morning, and then wouldn't let him out of the house without some kind of breakfast in him; he's having coffee and eggs and he'll be over in just a bit."

Alright. So perhaps Lionel MIGHT have sex again. In the far, far future. Dominic entertained himself with his coffee as he thought of devious little things to do to him, even as he yawned.

"Liar. You better make him get over here, post haste, indeed." Granny glared into the phone. "Don't cover for him, the lazy boy!"

"I'm not covering for him." Much. "I'm telling you the truth, Ms. Finn. I don't like letting him go without breakfast, and I'm boiling the eggs for him as we converse."

"Mmmm." Right. "Just tell him to be over, quick as he can, laddie. And remember, you and the boys are to be here by noon. I've to dash love, so much work yet to do. Ta!" And she hung up.

Dominic was buried in his blanket and his coffee, and he didn't say anything.

"I remember," Lionel got in before she hung up, and then he glared at his lover. "You should be hurrying over there," Lionel glared, hands on his hips. She says, and I quote, Just tell him to be over, quick as he can."

Dominic glared back, gave a shiver under his blanket, where he'd buried himself almost up to the nose, and cuddled the coffee to him.

Lionel looked at the pot of boiling eggs, and juggled the pots briefly as he drained the eggs, and set the four unpeeled orbs in front of his lover. "Peel. Eat. Go."

Dominic didn't move. Just closed his eyes, and yawned behind his blanket, tucking his leg up under him.

"Don't make me take your blanket," Lionel threatened. "And I will do it."

Dominic's eyes widened, shocking green in sleepy blood shot red, and glared. "You wouldn't dare." Muffled.

Lionel reached out and grabbed a handful of blanket and tugged.

Snerk. Yeah right. Like Dominic hadn't wound it around himself so tightly he was practically cocooned. When Lionel tugged he tugged on Dominic, and his coffee sloshed but didn't spill. Just. Glared.

Lionel glared. "Either you get moving to your grandmother's, or I will."

Snuffle. "I'm cold."

"Then put some bloody clothes on," Lionel grumbled.

Another sniffle, and the chin dimpled, huge eyes even bigger as he looked at his lover, sadly. "You don't care that I'm cold?"

"I care that you're cold, Dominic." He paused. "I also care that your grandmother, like Ms. Bird, is not a woman I want to get on the wrong side of. I have lied to her once already, to save your beautiful carcass, but I won't do it again."

Another little sniffle, and Dominic rose to his feet, cold fucking floor, with his coffee in hand. Lionel had called him beautiful. Okay. So maybe he wasn't so prone to no sex. Another sniffle, head held high, and he walked across the kitchen, out into the living room, and down the hall to their bedroom.

And Lionel stuck his foot out, and stomped down on the blanket.

Dominic gaped...let out another cry as a blast of cold air came up where he was BUCK NAKED, and turned, launching himself onto Lionel and grabbing his nipples, giving them a twist. "BASTARD!"

Lionel barely avoided being scalded by hot coffee as his nipples were twisted, and he caught Dominic around the waist and hoisted him up off the floor.

"LIONEL!" Dominic yelled it, again, though he was trying not to spill coffee as Lionel lifted him around the middle and picked him up off the floor. He tried to kick him off but couldn't, and DAMN HIM for using their size differences! BASTARD! He yelled it again and struggled in a powerful grip, even as he glared.

"Look at it this way," Lionel said as he hauled his no-longer-skinny lover into the bedroom. "Your feet aren't sitting on the cold floor."

"YOU ARE CARRYING ME LIKE A SACK OF POTATOES!" Dominic yelled all over again, though he couldn't struggle out of his arms, so he just glared at him. "Put me down, this instant."

"As you wish." Lionel gave a little heave, and his back gave a little twinge that he hid well as he dumped his lover onto the bed in their bedroom. "You're down."

"You're a lucky, lucky man you didn't set me down on something cold." Dominic glared at him again, even as he snagged Lionel around the waist and yanked too, so he fell to sitting beside him. "You bastard. You are so evil and horrible. My cock? Never going to forgive you. Ever. Its sitting in my small intestine." Which he said as he dragged one of the blankets remaining on their bed over his lap.

Lionel tugged on his robe, and rubbed it against his lover's skin. "You feel that? Soft? Warm? Covering my entire body? It's called, by some civilizations, clothing. It's purpose? To protect delicate human skin from the harsh cold weather."

Dominic. Glared. "If I get dressed I have to go. And I don't want to go."

Lionel rooted around and picked up his cell phone. "Please. Call the beautiful Ms. Finn and tell her so. But let me be there when you do, because I don't want to miss the fireworks." He dropped the cold plastic object into his lover's lap.

Another yelp, wide eyes, and Dominic shoved it off as he shivered in cold, and sniffled. "No love for the Dominic. At all."

"There is plenty of love for the Dominic." Lionel rolled his eyes at himself as he said it. "But the love for the Dominic will come LATER. Like, after dinner. When we're back home, Clark and Lex are out investigating places to conceive their family, and I have you all to myself."

Another glare. Another sniffle. "No, because you're never having me again. Ever." Yet another sniffle, and he rubbed his nose as he reached for his boxers, tugged them, and yanked them over his feet, blanket still on over his lap.

"If you want to give up all of this?" Lionel asked, making an airy gesture towards his body. "Then that's your decision to make." A little wiggle on the bed.

Oh. Wiggling. Oh. His eyes shifted, looked over his lover... shot back up to his face. "No! I won't crack!" He rose up and pulled the shorts on over his legs and butt, fixing the elastic around his hips, and glared again as he grabbed his jeans, standing now there in the freezing room, and starting wriggling into his jeans.

"But you've already cracked," Lionel said, running his fingertips between the split in his lover's cheeks. "Right down the middle."

He jumped, smacked at his lover's hand, missed it. "Don't you tease me. Don't you dare! You evil... person... thing!"

"Evil person thing?" Lionel's thick wool robe covered everything it was supposed to as he curled up on the bed, legs crossed and hands moving back to clasp over his stomach. "I am not a thing."

"You most certainly are! An evil, evil thing! Thing!" Dominic cried back, even if the touch had made shivers run up his body, and he swallowed, and closed his eyes for a moment to calm himself, for pulling the jeans up and buttoning, zipping them up snuggly.

Lionel's clasped fingers drummed lightly on his belly, and he kicked his slippers off by his side of the bed as he scooted further back up in bed, laying his head back down on the fluffy pillows and tugging the blanket up to his hip. "I am not a thing. I am a quite evil person, however, and I pride myself on it." He reached out and dragged his nails down Dominic's back lightly.

Dominic's back arched with the scratch and a groan slid from him, shivers breaking out over his chest… and he tried to hide what he'd just done, glaring instead over his shoulder as he yanked on his white under-shirt. Fuck. "You're mean, so mean."

"Mmhmm, yes, I am." Lionel's nimble fingers tucked the undershirt into the waistband of his lover's jeans, just quickly enough to not be called lingering.

When Lionel tucked, he slipped his fingers over sensitive parts of Dominic's anatomy and his knees trembled as he closed his eyes. "D-Don't. I'm okay. I've got it."

"Yes, you do have it." Those long fingers skipped over his lover's cock as he tucked in the front of the shirt, and then patted his lover gently on the ass. "There."

His breath skated from his lips and his eyes closed, as his lovers hands moved, and he wanted to roll back under the sheets so badly. He swallowed, hard, and tried to glare again, managing a little bit of it as he yanked on his sweater.

"Your glare is losing it's potency," Lionel admonished, as he scooted back under the blanket and propped his head on his hand.

"Gee, you think?" Dominic grabbed his socks, and his boots, and plunked down on the edge of the bed, to tug the former on, even as he glared at him. "You evil, horrid, teasing husband."

"Yes, I am." Lionel rolled over and kissed his husband's neck, then his back through sweater and shirt. "I am your husband."

Dominic's eyes closed again, as his lover kissed him, and he turned, catching those soft lips with his and kissing him, heavily, deeply. Alright. Maybe a little sex. He kissed him, deeper, but softer, before letting go to pepper a kiss down his neck and throat.

Lionel's fingers swept gently through Dominic's hair, tugging and teasing as they kissed, and he made little contented noises in his throat as his lover's mouth moved down.

Dominic pushed him back onto his back, because he'd finally understood what the touches and kisses had meant, and with slow, careful fingers he spread his lovers robe, baring his body to him, even as he licked and sucked down his neck. Down, to suck on his nipple ring, looping his tongue through it and tugging even as his fingers came down to stroke, and harden his lover.

Lionel gave a soft hiss as Dominic's tongue slipped through the sliver ring, and he arched his back and his lips at the same time, into his lover's strokes as his cock started to finally rise. He brought his hands down to stroke over his lover's shoulders, one going to occasionally tug gently at his balls or comb through the pubic hair that had finally re-grown to it's usual thickness.

He pushed his mouth, down, a long, slender torso, licking and sucking all the way... dipping into Lionel's belly button and twitching his tongue in it, just to feel his lovers cock jerk, and he came down, further, his jeans rustling as he settled down onto his haunches, and brought his mouth down the half hard cock, licking and kissing over it.

Lionel let his fingers play with his balls, rubbing them against each other, moaing softly at the wet tongue lapping first at his navel and then at his cock. His other hand slid to the back of his lover's head, holding him steady, pushing him down a little further in the hopes of getting the head of his cock into Dominic's mouth for closer, more personal attention.

Dominic did. He complied. His fingers slid around the base to Lionel's cock and his mouth came down, over it, giving the long, hard cock one powerful suck, and moaned softly in the back of his throat, licking and sucking over it before down, to the balls Lionel's fingers were sliding over, even as his tongue lapped. "Lionel..." He whispered, breathless, moaning softly in his throat.

"Yes?" he grunted out, just as breathlessly, tightening his grip on Dominic's head as his mouth moved between cock and balls and back again.

"Will... do me... favor?" he moaned around the base of his lovers hardening cock, licking over it, over and over.

"Of course," he answered, bracing both of his hands on Dominic's shoulders, and pushing him back enough so that they were looking at each other. "Do you any favor I can."

"Will... ask Lex? For some toys?" He winced, softly. "We have time. Just a little bit… can be late. Ask Clark? Ask him? Cock ring... nipple clamps?" Dominic moaned, as his fingers came down to where his cock was trapped in denim, stroking tightly over it even as his mouth descended again, giving his lover another hard suck.

"You... you... kidding," Lionel panted out. "Can't... ask son... for sex toys!"

"Clark, then. Clark. Please? Please, L--" Cut off with a heavy moan, which he buried in his lovers cock, moaning even as he pushed Lionel down his throat, all the way, burying him in to the root, and sucking upwards, still moaning, eyes clenched tight.

Hard, hard arch up, protest bitten off in a deep, deep moan of pleasure as he rubbed his shoulders against the bed, cock buried in his lover's throat and fists digging into the sheets. Wished he'd remembered to bring his own along, but hadn't thought to pack them for the trip. "Ask--will ask Clark."

Dominic moaned again, softly, back arched softly, and he whimpered, quietly. "And cuffs. Bring... bring cuffs." Another hard sound as he unzipped his jeans and grasped his cock, hard, squeezing it as he sat back. Shaking, shuddering. "Hard fuck, want... want... please, Lionel, hurry."

Lionel tumbled quickly out of the bed, shoving his feet into his slippers, and jerking his robe off of the bed.

Barely got it wrapped around himself before he could stumble out of the bedroom and he paused and looked down at himself, making sure his belt was knotted tightly shut and nothing was peeking out. He raised his fist to pound on the door to his son's bedroom, desire a hot knot in his throat as he shifted foot to foot.

Clark opened the door.

Stepped out into the hall, closed it behind him, and pushed Lionel's hand down.

"Heard everything. Bad alien hearing." He shoved a handful of sex toys...cock ring, nipple clamps, fur lined cuffs, and an unused dildo, shoving it all at him, before opening his room and closing the door behind him.

Lionel swore, to himself, right then and there, that he was going to give Clark a five hundred thousand dollar check for college, right there at that second. He shifted again, and pelted into the bedroom, dumping the toys on the bed in front of his lover and shucking out of his robe as quickly as he could.

Dominic was leaning against the foot board, fingers around his cock, the fevered sweat of want for orgasm peppering his temples as he stroked himself. He whimpered, softly, and leaned forward to claim his lovers cock again, before he'd even laid on the bed. He sucked it down, hard, lapping his tongue around the base before sliding him free with a hard swallow, and he whimpered, harder then ever. "Hurry… lay... hurry."

Lionel hoisted himself onto the bed, settling himself on his back and spreading his legs around his lover and squeezing his thighs around Dominic's waist. "Pl--please."

Dominic nodded, heavily, and sucked at him, hard, licking and sucking over the base.

Even as his fingers clamped on a cock ring.

He rose up, sliding his lovers cock free with a hard suck, and all of the heavy need was gone, replaced instead with a raised brow. "Tell me, Lionel. Tell me why bad boys like you get to come."

Lionel moaned harshly, eyes flying open to glare evilly at his lover and he whined softly in the back of his throat. "Fucking bastard," he grunted. "M'not... not a bad boy... fucking bastard, evil husband of mine." He tried not to thrash on the bed, but it wasn't working; his hips were moving and he couldn't help squeezing his ass on the empty air.

"Because, you know, I was sitting here thinking...why, on earth, would Lionel think he gets to come, after the horrid way of it he's done to me this morning? But I didn't wonder long..." Innocently spoken, propped on his elbow, tracing his fingertips through his own spit and Lionel's pre-come on his cock head. "Its because he doesn’t' think I'd ever do such a thing." He rose up, then, and straddled his lover, not sitting down, but enough for Lionel to feel him, and began to stroke himself off over his lovers chest. "I'd never let him not come." Raised eyebrow down at him, even as he leaned over and grasped the headboard, stroking himself harder.

Lionel whimpered as he reached up for his lover's hips. "Please, please, no, no, please, I'm sorry, I had to tease you, I'm sorry, please, just wanted..." he rocked his bound cock upwards, but Dominic's weight was already gone as he pled, and he closed his eyes, arching his head back in anticipation of Dominic's come spilling onto his face.

Dominic stroked harder, faster at his aching cock, which had come up and hard into full length, and rubbed the tip even as his moans caught in his throat. "You... are... a good boy. Most of... the time. But you... are not a good boy, now." Harder strokes, grit teeth, and hard grunts as he pushed his hips, faster and faster...and came, painting his lovers neck, throat, cheeks and chin, lips, with his come. He grunted, hard, stroking orgasm out of himself as hard as he could, pleasure swimming along the back of his spine and down in his groin as he did so.

Lionel's tongue snaked out and licked the come off his lips, whimpering as he felt it sliding down his throat and chin onto his chest, and his tongue cleaned his cheeks as far out as he could reach. He tried to push himself up, offering his mouth for cleaning services, but he couldn't sit up that far, not with his lover sitting on his chest.

Dominic shook his head, just scooting his groin down so he could lean against his love. They were face to face, and Dominic stroked the streaks of white into his lovers skin, even as he panted, and caught his breath after a few moments. "You were a bad, bad man, Lionel. You don't get to come, until I tell you you can." He leaned down and pressed a chaste, soft kiss to Lionel's lips. "If you come before you're supposed to, my darling husband, the punishment you will receive will be unlike any you have ever had for me. It won't all be pleasurable. So I suggest you to be a good boy. Don't touch, but to clean. Don't come, Lionel. If you do, I'll know." Another soft kiss, and he climbed from the sheets, rolling up to his feet and tucking his spent, damp cock back into his jeans.

More harsh little whimpers as he sat there, listening to Dominic talk, and his urge was to do nothing but reach down and jack himself off, punishment be damned, but he didn't. He just whimpered, returned the soft kiss as it was given to him, and nodded. "You're despicable," Lionel gritted out, stilling the fruitless thrusting of his hips.

"How do they say… payback. its a bitch." Was all Dominic said, lightly, though after buttoning up, tugging his boots and his coat on, he sat beside him, and kissed his lips again, gently. "If you're a good boy, the night of pleasure you'll receive will be unlike any other. But you've to be a good lad." Another loving kiss. "Okay?"

"I can be good," Lionel said in a huff. "You're a horrible bitch for doing this to your darling husband, who got up and made you coffee." Pitiful little sniffle.

Dominic grinned, gently, and leaned down, to suck his lovers cock back into his mouth, massaging it even harder still with his mouth, and came up with a pop, licking his lips. "Would you like me to continue to pleasure you, then?" A gentle stroke of a fingertip over the cock ring, to remind just how painful more pleasure could be. "I could continue, you know."

A quiet kiss to Lionel's belly button. "As for making me coffee, this isnt punishment for that. You're just being punished for being a bad boy, indeed. Baring your husbands ass to the cold."

"I'll get into a cold shower," Lionel sniffed. "Then I won't have to worry about it being hard now or later." Another sniffle. "You're still mean. The fact that I woke up at five AM with you, when I didn't have to, and made coffee for you, even tried to make breakfast for you, and you're being horrible to me." Another sniffle.

Dominic grinned. Broadly. "You won't be guilting me into an orgasm, my handsome lovely. No, indeed. You're moping, but just think of the pleasure I can give you." Whispered, softly, against his lovers lower lip. "Think of how good you're going to feel, how good a long wait will make you feel." Murmured against his lovers belly. "You've never had to wait that long… but I have. And the pleasure, its so exquisite, so completely beautiful, that it tears your heart away from you in the glory of it. I'm going to fill you up, Lionel, with water, and spank you until your ass is blood red. Tie you up and fuck you so hard, but don't let you come. Over and over, until you're ready to explode. " He murmured, provocatively.

Soft growl. "I'm ready to explode now. And I'm ready to strangle you in your sleep," he said with another growl. "You're teasing me. Deliberately and meanly so."

Oh, and scratches along the back and strokes along my cock weren't deliberately mean and teasing?"

"No." A very large pout. "They were attempts at cajoling you into motion."

"Were they now? So if I were to scratch your back.." His fingernails ran down his lovers side. "And stroke along your cock, they wouldn't be called mean? Just cajoling you into motion?"

Snarling little snap of his teeth. "I don't have anywhere I must be right now!" Very evil snarl. "You, on the other hand, are required to be elsewhere! I was attempting to help move you along to your destination!"

The anger nearly had Dominic laughing. Nearly. "Lionel? I suggest you be a good laddie. You don't want to make me angry, do you? I brought anal beads with us, you know, plus that enormous dildo. Would you like to wear one of them for the rest of the afternoon?"

Another snarling snap of his teeth. "I am being good. I haven't killed you and I haven't jacked myself off yet. Consider that exquisite." His arms crossed over his chest.

Dominic looked at him for a moment and rose, going to their luggage on the side of the room, and opened it. He took out two items, closed the lid again, and sat back down on the edge of the bed. "You're to call me sir, Lionel, until this game is over, though only in private. I'm to have your respect, if I have to spank it out of you." He lifted up the leather strap, a collar, and tied it around his lovers throat, loosely. "I suggest a turtle neck over your slacks." the second were anal beads, which he lifted up, and peered at. "Turn around. Get on all fours."

Lionel didn't balk at the collar, because he knew that between the turtleneck in question and his hair he could hide it quite easily, but he dug his heels in at the anal beads. "Absolutely not," Lionel growled. "I allowed you to use those things on me once, and never again."

"Turn. Around." His voice was quiet, deadly calm, but their was a fire in them. "Now."

Lionel matched it, fire for fire. "No. Sir."

He snarled it, hard, and popped the side of his lovers thigh. "Turn around now. Or you won't be coming, and you'll be returning all of Lex's sex toys to him, explaining to him just what they were for."

Lionel's eyes flashed at that. "I will allow you to do a lot of things, Dominic Senatori, but I will not allow you to humiliate me like that."

"No. I won't. Which is why you're going to turn around, Lionel."

"You're also not going to put those things inside of me."

"Why is it, Lionel, that I always obey you, no matter what you've done to me, but you never, not once, obey me?" Dominic asked, his eyes flashing down at him.

"Because as I believe I told you once before, Luthors do not break." He growled it, glaring at his lover as he looked at him, ignoring the popped thigh from before and the collar around his neck. "I've told you that I don't want something, why do you persist in trying to shove it on me, or in this case, inside of me?"

That made Dominic a little sick around the middle, because he had no intentions of putting Lionel through the beads again, and his eyes flashed, hard, at him. "So its perfectly alright for me to break, but not you? Ah. I see."

Snarled comment, who's words were lost in the growl, and he rolled onto his stomach. "Fine. Do what you want."

Yeah, right. Dominic was hurt by the whole thing, now, and his hurt turned into pain, which he used to smack Lionel on the ass, hard. "I never had any intention of putting you through it. I did it to see if you would." Another spanking, a hard one. "You will never give yourself to me, fully, if you don't trust me." Another hard spank. "You will never allow me to be inside of your heart until you do what I ask of you, without thinking, without knowing, only understanding that I'd never hurt you."

"And you, you're one to speak of trust, when you're testing me at every turn, making sure that I'm still malleable to your will and am, as you put it, a soft peep at the center who will do anything for you. You know that is true, Dominic, you know that I will do anything for you, but you constantly put it to the test, and get angry at me when I fail to bend my will to yours."

Which made him sound horrible, and the anger in his movements lessened… then slid away, as he slumped slightly beside him. "Its a game, Lionel. That is all. A game. When do I ever put it to the test? Hmm? When do I test your will, as you say? When do I ever do that?"

Lionel rolled onto his side so that he could look at his lover. "The last time we did this, for example, you were angry with me because I would not crawl to you. Do you know how hard it was for me, to go against every bit of pride and will and such that I had to do it? But I did it, for you, because it was worth it to see you smile and go wild with the desire it caused you. But now, it's as though you expect me to be that person every time and I cannot. I just... cannot be that man every time we crawl into bed together and you decide that you want to play. Tell me that it's a game, and I will be fine with that."

Dominic turned so his legs were hanging off the side now, and rubbed his fingers through his hair. "Take the collar off. And the ring, as well." Was all he said, as he scratched his fingers through his still shower damp hair. "I'm sorry. If... I'm just sorry." He didn't feel like going into it, and he rubbed a hand over his mouth. "I've to be going, Gran is expecting me, indeed."

Lionel just sighed. "I'm sorry... if hearing this has hurt your feelings."

He didn't speak for a moment, standing there beside the bed. "I'm... trying. Its the first time… I've ever done things like this. I know...you like it, but I don't… I just don't know." A moments thought... a quiet nod. "Indeed. I'm off. I'll see you... mm... noon, Gran said?"

"Yes, noon." Lionel didn't move as he sat on the bed, just staring at his lover. "I'll... between now and after dinner, I'll try to figure out a better explanation for you."

"Of?"

"Everything," he said with a little shrug.

"Don't." He shook his head, and turned, opening the bedroom door. "There's no explanation needed. Honestly. I'm sorry. I'll… see you then, then. Remember to get the shepherd's pie from the fridge, before you come over. I've the cell in case theirs anything you need." He pushed the door open enough so he could slide through and did, letting it click shut behind him.

Lionel very calmly watched Dominic leave the room, then picked up the water glass from the bedside and hurled it at the massive oaken door. It splintered into shards and fell to the floor, water running in a great stain down the door, and he sighed. His temper was no more abated by that movement than it had before he'd thrown it, but he didn't feel the need to do immediate physical harm to someone, and he just... sighed again, and stared at his reflection in the mirror. Old, old man, and an idiot on top of it, he thought to himself.

- = - = -

Lionel believed he was ready to go. Nine AM, two packs of cigarettes in his back pockets, and a lighter in his blazer. The day had dawned bright, sunny, but coolish, with a nice breeze to toss around his hair, and he just sighed. For the briefest minute, he'd thought about tying the horrendous mess back, but at the last minute decided against it, instead running his fingers through it to fluff it, and he let it hang back over his shoulders instead.

He squared his shoulders as he walked, his cock feeling much less abused since he'd taken the cock ring off, but the collar still remained around his throat, half hidden by his mane of hair and the folded turtleneck. Black-framed mirrored sunglasses sat on his nose as he walked, one hand in his pocket and the other carrying the shepherd's pie that Dominic had told him not to forget. The keys to the car were in his blazer pocket as well, to be returned to Margee after dinner today, because she'd be taking them to the train station in the morning, and they'd be taking the train to the airport, and then home.

But he shook those thoughts out of his head as he kept carefully following the path down, loose stones crunching beneath his boots as he walked. He was dressed very crisply, in a pair of pin-perfect black slacks, black belt and turtleneck, black blazer to top it off, and of course, his sunglasses.

The glass doors to the... well, party hall, was the best description that Lionel could put to it had been painstakingly polished, and were just waiting for sticky, grubby handprints and wet pet-nose marks on it, and he pushed the metal bar inwards, entering the hall and looking for the kitchen. "Ms. Finn?" he called out, listening to his voice echo over the crash of pots and pans, and followed the boisterous echo of music and voices. "Crystabel? Dom--Morgan?" he said, changing in mid-sentence.

A flutter of squeals, and the kitchen, filled to brimming with fifteen different women, were chittering in excitement. Margee glared at the lot of them, hands elbow deep in the nearest sink, with her daughter Marina strapped to her back, sleeping with her pacifier in her mouth. She looked over her shoulder as all the women started gossiping in Gaelic, and clucked her tongue. "Lionel! Aye, laddie, he's out back, my dear. Follow the porch doors, you'll find it. They're marking for the football game after supper, indeed."

Lionel just blinked. "Margaret, what a pleasure to see you again." He held out the shepherd's pie. "Morgan," he reminded himself forcibly, "asked me to bring this along when I came at noon, but I thought that might be a bit late to bring part of the dinner, so I brought it along a bit early." He gave a little grin to the sleeping baby, and then back to Margaret. "I also have the keys to your Explorer in my pocket, which I will be returning to you before we go tonight."

"That's fine, darling." She smiled and leaned up, to give him a cheek to cheek kiss. His hair was a fly-away mess, looking stately nevertheless, and she smiled gently at him. "He's been moping about.... they're right outside, if not looking through the shed for a decent football, mm?"

"If you'll just tell me where to put this?" he asked hopefully, as he returned the kiss. The things he did for his husband's family, and he sighed inwardly. "I'll put it down, and then get out of your way and see if I can find somewhere to be helpful outside."

"That's fine… ah... Andrea! Come here, and get the pie from Lionel, eh?"

Andrea, a tiny, skinny colt of a girl took the pie from Lionel after scurrying out behind her large mother, gave him a big smile, and ran as fast as she could to put it in the oven with the other warming food.

"Hi--" Lionel blinked, the pie was out of his hands, and the girl was gone. "Andrea." He gave a shake of his head. "Out back?" he asked, pointing with his head to the double doors at the other end of the room.

Margee looked after the tiny girl, smiled, and nodded at Lionel. "Yes, indeed. And while you're out there, tell a body by the name of Joshua that if he doesn't get in here to help me with this babe, I might throttle his ass." She motioned her head at the snoring little girl.

"I can take her," Lionel said automatically. "For some reason, Senatori children seem to like me. Lindy's daughter Eleanor, Graham's child, Shane, and all of Marie and Riley's children. Even Ariel has gifted me with smiles and Aeryn, I believe it was, stuck a Little Mermaid sticker in my hair once."

Margee gave a hardy laugh, which startled the baby awake, and she looked over her shoulder at her. "Aye, you can have her. Would you like backpack and all? She's a good girl, doesn't tug at your hair."

Lionel remembered the young girl in question chewing his hair at the train platform, but, true, she hadn't tugged it once. "No, that's all right, I believe I can hold her without it." He held his hands out. "Would you like to go outside with me, Marina?" he asked, after cudgeling his brain for the child's name.

Huge, huge green eyes opened, a pacifier sucked at... and she gave a baby smile around it, beaming at him broadly. Cool. He was the yummy tasting guy. She kept grinning, cause yeah, five months old here, but HELLO. it was the cool guy! He was fun! She beamed at him all the more, and kept grinning as he cooed at her.

Margee gave a laugh. "Well isn't that something? Just get her under her arm pits and lift up, my dear." She turned her back so Lionel could get her.

"Come along, Marina." Lionel reached in and pulled her up by the arms, very carefully, and once he had her out, he tucked her against his shoulder, and got her nice and comfortable as he rubbed her back. "Do I still need to send this... Joshua, in here? Or have I filled in the spot of relief for now?" A smile to the little face that was propped on his shoulder, and he tickled her chin.

Margee just grinned and shook her head. "Its a fine thing, now, my back feels much better." She laughed softly. "Thank you, Lionel, darling. If you're needin' to drop her off, I believe I'll be alright again in a bit."

"I think Marina and I will be just fine." He rubbed the little baby's back again, and just smiled at her. "Come along, Marina, let's go supervise those barbarian uncles and cousins of yours as they attempt to create a football field." He snagged the blanket out of Margee's carrier and made sure Marina was wrapped up warmly against the breeze, and kept her tucked warmly against his chest as he walked towards the other end of the hall, and then opened the door to what could best be described as chaos.

" 'ERE NOW!" Gideon bellowed. "Y'canna draw a'strait line wi'yer ass'n yer elbow, Joshua! Use th'bloody pole, tis why it's sittin there!!"

"Straight to farkin' hell wi'ye, Gideon Gallagher!" bellowed Penelope, who was Joshua's niece. Joshua was also her favorite uncle, and in her eyes, could do no wrong. "T'lines r's straight as they need'a be!"

Lionel just looked down at little Marina. "I believe I've brought you into madness, my child."

Joshua, who scarily enough was the spitting image of both Dominic and little Shane, bellowed right back. "And if you werena such a bloody stinkin' boulder in the middle of me lina site, I COULD SEE!"

Joseph Finn, with an exhausted sigh, plopped down in one of the folding chairs they'd put along the sidelines for the women folk to watch the game, so they chose. Though they rarely chose, and he glared at the lot of them. Morgan was marking up to the north, one of his triplet brothers, Joshua, in front of him, and Jeremiah out to the far left, helped by Penelope, of course, as his brother, the darling, didn't understand how to make the lines straight over this big of a distance. "Tis FINE, Gide'n!" he yelled..blinked, rubbed a hand over his goatee at the new person standing beside him. "Ello."

Lionel blinked. "Hello, Dom--er, Morgan." He sat down in one of the other folding chairs, and put the baby a little higher on his shoulder. He had expected a cold welcome, but not this cold. "I came a little early, to see if I could help, and Margee let me take Marina here for a while--seems I can best help by babysitting."

Joseph blinked. Twice. Looked up at the field... looked back down at the--ahh! Morgan's husband. Now it made sense, and he opened his mouth to tell him he wasn't Morgan indeed, when Joshua bellowed and tackled Gideon, sending chair and two men flying with fists pummeling. "HEY! Bloody bullocks!"

Gideon bellowed right back. "I'm no' in'yer linea bloody site, you sod!" he blared, but he wheeled his wheelchair out of the way. "No'that it'll do ye bitta good!" He harrumphed, and straightened the whistle around his neck, for refereeing purposes.

Of course, all the while Joshua was tackling him.

Gideon just barely had the time to get out the first blast before he was tackled, and his fists were just fine, swinging and punching merrily along as he blared curses at the top of his lungs.

Penelope grinned at Jeremiah. "See? Yer doin' gr'at! Th' bloody horses ass canna say a t'ing aboot yer lines, uncle Jer!"

Jeremiah just beamed at his niece, and nodded, through a thickened tongue, and spoke. "I make good line. Righ'?"

Joseph just slapped his forehead and sighed as his brother and his best friend started pummeling one another, and he just… pinched the bridge of his nose. "Bloody hell."

"That's right!" Joshua might have been her favorite uncle, but Jeremiah was her best friend ever, and she couldn't help hugging him. "Lookit th'bloody fools. Yer'll have yer lines all done by th'time th'two o'em mules c'n beat themselves bloody." She nudged his chalk over with her toe just a little. "Rock there, and we dunna want th'soft-headed id'its bangin' themselves on it."

"Should we stop them?" Lionel asked, blinking. He was a little hurt that he hadn't gotten more of a greeting or response, but tamped it down well.

"Stop um? A'course no'. They won't bloody stop even if I tried, an' I happen t'like this shirt." Was all Joseph said, even as he winced at the sound of jaws punching. Watched his cousin jump into the fray, and poor Morgan, he was but a slight thing, so he didn't do much. "Chris'. He's goin' to get his head split."

Jeremiah beamed, and gave a loud laugh, pointing at them even as she moved a rock. "Hurt! Punch! Stuuippiid. Never punch. Hurt."

Gideon started wailing away, barely noticing that there were two blond heads in his way now instead of one, and he clobbered Morgan several times before he squinted hard and realized one had a bit of a mole on his cheek over the matching goatees. "'ell! Margan! Why in bloodiest of fuck did ye get in m'way!!"

Penelope snickered. "Aye, it should hurt 'em, an they're alla 'em too bloody stubborn t'see it." She just shook her head and sighed. "Alla'em gonna have th'r heads bashed in b'fore they're fifty."

Lionel blinked again. "Ah." Then he took a good look at the outfit. That wasn't what Dominic had left the house in this morning, and then he blushed. "And. My apologies. I mistook you for Morgan; the appearance, you realize."

Joseph turned a grin on Lionel, and offered his hand. "We're all tendin' to look the same. Names Joseph. Joseph Riley Finn, the third. Tis' nice to finally have met you… your 'usband seems to have gotten himself a split lip." He motioned at the blood, the roars, and the fighting, which had escalated. "Like bloody hellions, I tell yeh. The one in blue's my broder, Joseph, and out there with the pink miscreant is Jeremiah. Triplets, you see, so as you're not to be gettin' mistaken next time." But he smiled, and gently rubbed Marina's cheek.

"Bloody bastid! Punch him, not me! No! Don't punch anyone!" Dominic grabbed Joshua around the middle and they went sprawling backwards into the mud, but he broke it up, with only a split lip, bloodied noses, blackened eyes and a few loose teeth, between them. "Bloody hell!"

Lionel shook his hand firmly. "That would explain the three of you, and my husband must be the misplaced fourth triplet of the bunch, and his brother Riley the fifth triplet." A little sigh, and he dragged his hand over his face. "At least it's just a split lip; when he brawled with Graham several months ago, he ended up with an almost-broken cheekbone and some cracked ribs. Graham, of course, ended up with much the same and a broken wrist to boot." Another little sigh. "That... pink miscreant, as you call her? Reminds me a great deal of Dominic's youngest sister, Shayla. The girl is a holy bloody terror."

Gideon growled, and pushed himself up by his hands, useless lower half just dangling. "Aye, an' I woulda been punchin' jus'im if ye'd no' stuck yer face in the way'a me fists!"

"Aye, bitty Shayla is Penelope's hero, indeed. She just turned fifteen, and they're the best of friends." Joshua grinned at him. "Graham told me what happened. I think he flipped out for not a reason, other than his own wounded pride, but what's a body to do, anyhow." Another squeeze to Lionel's hand before he let go. "Its a pleasure to meet you. Morgan talks about you most of the time, indeed." Then he laughed. "Riley's a bit of it himself, isn't he?"

"You canna be goin' around kicking the cripe out of people! Either of you!" Dominic yelled, which just had Joshua laughing at him, and he glared, and punched him.

Joshua felt the fist, which didn't hurt at all, crack against his jaw, and he whooped, tumbling with him again.

Lionel just sighed. "Poor child. That would explain the proliferation of pink dye in the child's hair. Don't tell her that Shayla's already got herself a boyfriend, or whomever she belongs to in this family will be fighting off the men with a stick."

"Aye we can!" Gideon roared, and dragged himself over to the fray, and tossed himself on top of Joshua, swinging again, and riding his back. "Y'big oaf, get yer bloomin' arse offa Margan!"

Who was, coincidently, getting squished.

Joseph grinned at him, broadly, and rolled his eyes. "We fight here like cats and dogs, if this isna something to show. Dammit. My shirts to be ruined." Sigh. "I'll be back in a moment." He rose and stalked across the field, pushing his glasses up on his nose, and leaned down in the much, heaving Gideon up off of everyone and back into his chair. Grabbed Joshua's scrabbling body, gave him a kick, and heaved him off, then looked down at the muddy mess his poor cousin was and laughed, helping him up out of the mud. "We'll hose you off, laddie. Tis going to rain, anyhow."

Dominic gave a cough, sighed, glared at Joshua, and stomped across the mud. And it was the first time he saw Lionel, sitting there. All the bad feelings from the morning came rushing back, including the light of pain in his heart, and he walked across the big field that was going to be their playing field. "Hello. What are you doing here so early?"

Gideon cursed roundly as he was tossed back in the chair, but he rolled over anyway, helping Joseph pull Joshua off and shooing him back to finish his section of the field lines.

Lionel stood up as his husband came over. "I came to see if I could help," Lionel said softly. "I brought the Shepherd's Pie over earlier, and Margee was bellowing for Joshua to take the baby, and I took her instead; most of the children of this clan like me for some reason or other, and I thought that would be the best way I could help."

His lover was babbling. Usually he found it endearing. Now he didn't feel anything. "Alright. Well, there isn't much to do… we're going to go find a proper ball to play with, but other than that, the foods being prepared, the tables are set. Isna much to do but sit around and wait."

"I can do that." Lionel cradled Marina closely, shifting the soft blanket tighter around her shoulders, and as he did, one chubby little hand grabbed his turtleneck and pulled on it. Lionel didn't bother untangling the little hand, just situating her better, but he would have if he'd realized what had been showing under the pulled-down neck.

Dominic saw it. And it just made him sad, all over, even as he rubbed at his bleeding lip. "You didn't have to come out here because we had a fight, Lionel."

"It wasn't because of that," Lionel said, and only once Marina was settled did he untangle her hand, unaware of what Dominic had seen. "I came because I thought I might be useful to someone... sir." The last word was almost whispered, but it was still audible.

"That… that doesn't fix things, Lionel." Dominic said, quietly. "Come with me. Care to take a sit down by the water?"

"No, I know it doesn't." He tucked the baby's blanket in warmly, and he shifted his feet. "I'd like to; are you sure they can spare your refereeing skills?"

"Yes." He said quietly. "Come on. Take care with her paci, it'll fall." He led the way, himself sticky with mud, though his lips had stopped bleeding, and walked down the tiny path that led through a little thicket of trees, and then the ocean, where a thick, ornate bench made of sturdy, old wood sat in front of the incline to the ocean.

Lionel caught the pacifier before it fell, and tucked it back into the young baby's sleepy mouth. He made sure that her blanket protected her from the stray branches he ducked under as they walked, and he was silent, as long as they walked. When they stopped in front of the bench, he looked out over the ocean, and sat down carefully, waiting to see if Dominic were going to sit beside him, or remain standing.

Dominic did. He sat. As muddy as he was, he sat down beside him, and leaned back against the back of it, eyes closed for a moment as he listened to the water, and thought.

Lionel was quiet too, and he centered his attention on Marina, for the moment, making sure the walk hadn't woken her or upset her, and then he turned her in his arms, where she could look out at the water, if she wanted to, and made sure to keep the blanket tucked up enough to protect her little head from the cool sea breeze.

"I'm sorry, Lionel." Dominic broke the silence with very soft words. "I should never have... hit you. I'm so very sorry."

Lionel shook his head. "Don't be; it wasn't that." He put his hand down on the bench beside his lover, not quite on his leg, because he didn't think Dominic would let him touch right now, but close enough to where he could take it if he wanted to. "It wasn't... anything you did."

"It was something. It had to have been." Was all he said, quietly, and looked down. "I'm… I'm sorry, that... I make you uncomfortable when I get like that. I won't, anymore."

"It's not... it's not you, Dominic. It's... the situation." He withdrew his hand, after a moment, when Dominic didn't take it, and didn't offer it again. "I don't... I never have responded well to situations, either in the bedroom or out of them, when I am forced to give up my control of events. And you're not forcing it, Dominic. You're asking it of me. Asking me to surrender... everything I've worked my life to build into who I am. And it's very, very hard for me." He looked down too. "Why... Do you think that you have to do this, to make me happy? Do you enjoy it? Tell me."

He thought for a moment, staring out blankly at the ocean, with heavy lidded eyes. "I do it because..." He didn't really know why. He liked it, the few times he'd tried it. But if Lionel didn't, then he wouldn't anymore. "I like it. I like knowing you're crazy b-because of me. You know? I like it, because... I don't do it often. I like how you react to me." But that was it, and he kept looking out at the ocean. "I don't… mean to make you feel like... you have no control. I just want to make you feel good."

Lionel sighed, and thought for a long moment how to phrase things correctly, so that they wouldn't hurt or offend his lover. "Dominic... because of your history--and I don't mean Ethan or Lawrence--I think that... sometimes, you have learned to associate affection with... physicality of any sort. Like with your family, just now. You love your family, and you're physical with them. You brawl with them, fight with your brothers--even months ago, as you did with Graham--and when... when it comes to expressing your affection to me, you can't fight me. You can't punch me in the arm or the face like you could with Gideon or Joe or Joshua. And I think... you're sometimes at a loss to express it, and this is how you find it. You find your physical expression in this way. Believe me, I understand it. But don't look at my rejection of something you want to do as a rejection of you personally. Because it isn't."

He nodded, quietly, and watched the waves lap at the rock and sand, flowing in and out quietly. And when he could find no words to say back to him, he looked down at his hands, looking at them without really looking at them. "Do you find me… being dominant... disgusting, or something?"

Lionel shook his head. "No, Dominic. I don't."

He was tired. Really, really... tired. And he expressed it, quietly. "I'm just so tired, Lionel. So tired. I'm exhausted."

He had to ask. "Of me?"

He shook his head, softly. "No, Lionel. Not of you. Of myself."

"Don't be. Please?" He found himself saying that, more and more often now, please. "Don't be; I'm not tired of you; I love you."

"Elaine said I'd get better, with time." Dominic looked up at his husband. "I'm not getting any better, Lionel. This is it. No matter how much I try, I end up here, in this place." He looked back out at the water. "I don't know where I've gone wrong, to be where I'm at, to be as messed up as I am." His eyes closed, and he leaned his head back for a moment. "I'm so sorry. I don't know how else to say it. I'm so sorry for what I did today."

"But you are getting better," Lionel said softly. "Even your Gran sees it; she told me last night that you were more like yourself than you had been these last fifteen years, that... that her light was shining brightly again." He raised his hand up, tentatively stroking the backs of his fingers over Dominic's cheek, and then dropped them quickly, before he could be rejected for the touch. "You are getting better."

He opened his eyes at the touch and looked over at him. His green eyes were rimmed and lined with red, and he reached out, for Lionel's fingers, when they touched him. "Its a show, Lionel. You should see that, by now."

Lionel's fingers met Dominic's and they linked tightly. "No it's not. It's not a show," Lionel said. "If you can be friends with Lex, if you can care for Clark, then it's no show."

"I'm so sorry, for today." He said it again, one last time, because his lover had yet to acknowledge his apology, and he closed his eyes again.

"It's all right," Lionel said, softly. "You don't have anything to be sorry for. Don't apologize." He squeezed Dominic's fingers. "But if you need to hear it, I accept it. And I offer one in return for it; I'm sorry for being a prideful, stubborn, control freak."

"You're not. Whoever said you are? You didn't like something… I shouldn't have ever pushed it on you. I just thought.." You'd like it. You'd enjoy it. You'd have fun. "It would turn out differently."

"Whoever said I am?" Lionel looked down at their linked hands. "I said so."

"Believe me, Dominic. A Luthor is well aware of his faults, so he can either put them to mending, or tuck them away to feel sorry for later."

"But what in the world would you have to feel bad for? I pushed myself onto you. Since we woke up. I shouldn't have… that was very wrong of me. I'm sorry." Mortification bloomed in his heart, and made him take his hand back, as he looked away, the heavy feeling eating away at the lining of his throat. "You didn't want to all along. I'm sorry."

Lionel didn't want to relinquish Dominic's hand, but when he pulled it away, Lionel had to let it go, or hurt him to keep it. "And I haven't pushed myself on you? I haven't woken you in the middle of the night, to take advantage of you? I haven't turned you onto your side and entered you slowly, riding you hard even as you're still half-asleep and murmuring to me in your dreams?"

Dominic nodded, quietly, even as he crossed his arms over his chest and watched the swans flying out over the water, looking for their breakfast. His chin trembled once before he cleared his throat, and nodded, without looking at his husband.

"It then follows that I owe you a far, far greater apology than you would ever, ever owe me on that score, because I have taken advantage of you and pushed myself onto you a great deal many more times than you have on me. I have over the last fifteen years, in fact, to apologize for, because I gave you no choice. I took advantage of you then, and I still do it now. So unless you want me to spend the next twenty years of my life on my knees apologizing for the last fifteen, stop it."

He looked down, still swallowing against the horror in his throat, and tightened his arms across his chest. "Then why isn't it okay? For me to push my will onto you? Why isn't that okay?"

"that's what I've been trying to tell you all along," Lionel said softly. "It is. It's NOT your fault that I happen to be a self-centered, egomaniacal control freak who cannot, for five minutes, even conceive of the idea of being powerless to anyone. It's not your fault that I happen to be enough of a stubborn fool to hold onto my pride and my control, even when I am hurting someone I love. And it is not your fault that I haven't ever been in that position before."

What Dominic couldn't conceive of was his lover being like that, though he knew in his heart he was true, and he looked down, his fingers still viced into tight fists, his arms still across his chest. "But you just told me a bit ago you don't want me doing it anymore."

"What I don't want you doing anymore is apologizing to me for doing it." He was glad for the presence of the baby; it kept his voice lowered, so that he wouldn't wake or disturb her. "What I don't want you doing anymore is taking it so goddamned personally. I am not flat out rejecting you. I never would. I love you, Dominic, and I want you to do what pleases you too. What I don't want you doing anymore is thinking that you're not worth it." He sighed. "And what I do want is for you to be patient, and understanding of an old dog like me, whom you literally cannot teach new tricks too. It takes a while, you realize."

Dominic leaned forward, at that, and looked at him, for a long moment, before he spoke. "Here's something for you to think about. I'm a man, just as you are, and I've an ego, and pride that is easily hurt. The next time you don't like something, or anything the way I'm doing...say it. Don't make me feel like what I've done is disgusting and horrid, Lionel. There are times when I still see you as that person who knows everything, which you do, as you've more years than I. Your treating me like you did hurts, Lionel, because I don't understand what I did. You tell me its all you, blah blah blah, but how many fucking times have I heard that before? And not just from you, no indeed." He was trembling again, though with what he didn't know. "I tried to make you happy, that's all, I wanted to make you happy and to please you, and I don't... understand how it all blew up."

Lionel just shook his head at that. "No, little cricket. I don't know everything. If I did, then I'd know how to fix you, as you say, and this situation wouldn't be happening, if I knew everything." He put his arm around his lover's shoulders, seeing the trembles, and half expected to be shoved off. "It is all me, Dominic, because you didn't do anything wrong. I did react badly." He sighed softly. "If you want to make me happy? Be happy yourself. Live, love me, love our daughter. Enjoy your work, teach your classes, turn Freddie into a spoiled little brat, and lay carpet with Graham. My happiness, Dominic, does not rely on your sexual favors to me or for me. My happiness relies on you."

He trembled again, harder, and leaned into his lovers embrace, letting his strength support him. "And as my happiness relies on you, we're in a fine mess indeed."

Lionel hugged his lover even tighter at that. "We're always in a mess, Dominic," he said softly. "But at least we're in it together."

Dominic closed his eyes, softly, not considering the mud he was putting on Lionel's clothes, and swallowed, hard. "Sex means a lot to me. I've said otherwise in the past, but it does. When I can't find the right words, which is next to always. I don't want to alienate you from it because of my stupidity. I know how proud you are, Lionel. The first time you did it, in the bedroom, I didn't think you'd do it. This time…I didn't know if you would. I shouldn't have pushed." He looked up, then. "I can't help but take it personally. I'm sorry."

Lionel could have cared less about the mud. "I know it means a lot to you, Dominic. And it does to me too. We've had this discussion before. But, because of you, I've learned that other things can show it, just as well." He nodded. "The first time, in the bedroom, I didn't think I would do it either. But I did it, for you. Because it felt good, because it was beautiful to see you reacting, but most of all..." He was silent for a moment, as the epiphany hit. "Because I was at home. Because it didn't matter there, I didn't have a screen or a front to keep up, I didn't have people to impress. That work was already done. Here... I have to be in control, impress your family, because it reflects on you and I want to make the best impression."

He nodded, quietly, and swallowed as he looked out over the view, head resting against his lovers shoulder silently. "Even then, you didn't like it. I know you. You didn't."

"It was frightening," Lionel admitted. "But I don't know that I disliked it."

Didn't matter. Dominic wasn't ever doing it again. Ever. He'd tried once, thought it was a fluke, tried again, and Lionel flipped out. So that was that, and he didn't say anything for a moment, as he let his eyes close again. "Dinner's a bit off. After… it'll end about one or so, we'll have our football game, any necessary trips to the clinic, and then off to home."

"I want you to see something." Lionel carefully laid Marina against his shoulder, and pulled down the turtleneck, to show the leather collar still around his neck.

His throat tightened, quietly. "I saw it, earlier."

"Tell me why I didn't take it off, then."

"Because I was angry."

"No. Because I wanted you to realize what it means."

"What does it mean, then?" Dominic asked, softly, as he shut his eyes.

"It means that I belong to you," he said softly. "That you've picked me, chosen me for your own, for whatever reasons, and that I'm proud to be yours."

He looked up, softly. "I love you, Lionel. There aren't any other reasons. I love you so much I can't breathe with it. You're my whole world. You, and Clark and Lex. Our family. I belong somewhere, after so long when I didn't."

Lionel shook his head softly. "It doesn't matter what the reasons are, little cricket. It just matters that you have them. Despite all my flaws, you chose me. And I remember that, with this."

Dominic opened his eyes again, looked up, and took Lionel's mouth for his own. He kissed him, softly, deeply, and some of the guilt he'd been holding, his pain a shield, slid away a little, as his fingers came up into the back of his lovers hair, stroking and squeezing softly.

Lionel returned the kiss softly, his tongue stroking in to taste and tease as he held the baby carefully, so she wasn't squished. His free hand cradled the back of his lover's head, his teeth nibbled along the edge of the long, slender tongue that stroked gracefully in his mouth, and he gave a contented little sigh at the feel of lips against lips.

"I love you, Lionel, how I love you." Dominic whispered, softly, fingers still stroking through all of that luxurious hair even as his eyes closed, and his forehead set on Lionel's. "I'm sorry for the way we began our Easter."

"I love you, my little cricket," he said just as quietly. "And I'm sorry for it, too. Hopefully... we'll be able to end it better than we started it." He turned his head just enough to kiss his lover softly again.

"I will learn...not to take things as hard as I do now." He said, hopefully, up at his lover. "If Elaine is right. It will get better."

"She is right," Lionel said firmly. "And I will learn with you, on how to let go sometimes."

"I wish I'd pleased you. if I'd just let you come, we wouldnt be having this argument."

Lionel gave a quiet, bitter laugh. "No, Dominic. If I hadn't been teasing you this morning, we wouldn't be having it. Because you wouldn't have felt a need to extract well-warranted revenge."

He just shook his head, but he was so tired, and he let his eyes close. "I'm sleepy."

"I know you are; let me take Marina back to her mother, and I will come back out here with you. You can sleep on me until it's time for dinner." That said, though, he snuggled Dominic up to him, his head on the shoulder not currently occupied by the baby, and his arm around Dominic's waist, holding him close.

 

-fin-

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