The Memoirs

His brother was calmed. Sufficiently so, or so Dominic had made sure of before walking out of the kitchen. He had his long wool coat with the large buttons on over the gray shirt and black workout pants, and he had no clue how much he imitated Lex as he strolled back into the main hall. Crisis averted, Care Bears and baby squeals coming from the upstairs, and Dominic was ready to go.

 

Ms Bird had given him a list. A big list. She'd reminded him she was an old woman, and couldn’t go out in this cold for food. And since Dominic needed an excuse to get out, it was perfect.

 

Now, the only question was... which of Lex's cars to take? His Jag couldn’t take the snow bows, that was for sure, and he wasn’t going to take his precious baby out in this weather. He'd worked too long and too hard for it.

 

Megan bellowed.  "MORGAN DOMINIC SENATORI, HALT!"  She was running, hell-bent through the house.  "You are not getting out of this this house unless you take me with you."

 

He almost fell on his ass, he did. Eyes wide, Dominic threw his eyes over his shoulder...watching his over excitable sister skid across the floor.

 

And knew better then to laugh.

 

"What, pray tell, is wrong with you? Have you got the fire of hell on your ass, love?"

 

"I have got to get out of this house.  Now."  She grabbed his arm and started dragging.  "Ms. Bird said you were going out for her, and you're taking me with you.  Garage is this way, let's go, double time, move your ass, brother."

 

He was caught. And dragged. And again, knew better then to pull away. "What’s got your panties in a bunch, goldilocks?" He peered at her as he was literally manhandled across the floor. "Haven’t you been with Ellie? Christ, woman, don’t hit the pots on the way!"

 

"Shut up.  No talking.  Walking is good, talking is bad.  Let's go.  One foot in front of the other.  I'm about to lose my fucking mind and you're babbling about Ellie.  Now!"  She kept dragging, for all of her little frame, she was strong.  "Hurry up, brother, or I'm leaving without you."

 

"Walking good, talking bad, got it. Might I ask you where the bloody hell you think we're going?" One of Dominic's slim brows cocked up high, and he blinked at his sister as she dragged him along. "I’m the one with the list! Christ, what’s wrong with you?"

 

"We're going to the garage.  Once we're in the garage, we're getting whatever SUV Lex owns, and then we're going out."  She explained this simply, as though talking to a child.  "I am sick of being cooped up in this house in this little hick town.  If I do not get out of this house I will go insane, and I swear to you, Morgan, as my twin brother, I will take you with me."

 

"Dammit." He grumbled, though his emotions were in total tandem with her own. He needed out. Out. Because BreakDownVille was a bad word directed towards him away. So he snagged his slim sisters elbow and led her through the house...across the delicious hard wood floors and across the long foyer, until they got to one of the back doors. It lead.....to the garage. Or show room, however you wanted to explain it. "Why is that I always get threatened, mmm? Just because I’m a twin. What a bloody shame."

 

"Shut up and pick a car, Morgan.  You’re about six inches from one yourself, don't even chastise me about it."  She tapped her foot.  "Waiting here."

 

"I’m about to stab someone in their head, yes." He said it gently, sliding a grin her way before his big green eyes skimmed the cars. Holy shit. "Ahh...well. Its snowing quite badly...Clark’s truck is a no, he'd kill me. Oh! Perhaps that one?"

 

"Oh, yeah.  That's a nice one.  Sergio had one of these in LA, though it wasn't as nice."  She ran her hand over the side door of the Porsche SUV.  "Okay, this will work, come on, let's go, out of the house."

 

"Megan, for the love of Christ." He glared at his twin sister as he snagged the keys off the rack. "Why don’t you go put some sort of warm jacket on, and please, not that diva fur you have that’s got all the minks hanging from it. Ms Lawson will have a heart attack. And some normal boots, yes? You're so skinny I'll have to pry you off the street should your shoes freeze to the ice."

 

"Bite me.  Get in the car, Morgan."  Megan opened the passenger side door and swung herself into the front seat, then leaned on the horn.

 

He jumped....sighed, and rubbed his face. God, why couldn’t he just have ax murdered them all in his sleep? Or called the asylum? Or locked them in the basement?! He slowly slid into the drivers seat and carefully removed her wrist from the blaring horn. "Yes, please, announce it to the world that we, the Senatori's, are on the move, thank you ever so much."

 

"Thank you!"  She sat back in her seat.  "One would think you're a hundred years old as slow as you're moving.  Get ON with it, already."

 

And he moved slower, just to piss her off. "If I didn’t know better, Goldilocks, Id say you were suffering from a bit of Cabin Fever." And oh, he grinned evilly at that. "Missing Milan, beloved? Thinking of Paris?"

 

"I'd settle for Metropolis," she grumbled.  "Have I mentioned I hate the snow?"

 

"You did, at least once." He revved the engine of the sporty Porsche SUV and pushed the hot air on. "I like it, normally. Being snowed in is perfect weather, if one were having sex." Sweet blink and he waved at Enrique, who waved back, as he pulled out of the garage.

 

Megan crossed her arms.  "Well, I'm not.  it's all nice and good for you to have Lionel up in your room, but for those of us without?  Bloody sucks."

 

“You say that like I’m having sex." He sighed it, and quickly pushed the heater button.... and the button that made the plush, creamy pale leather seats warm. "Buckled in tight? It might be a bit of a fit getting to the grocer in this weather, and as much as I love you, I don’t want to peel your bony ass off the windshield."

 

"Yes, I'm buckled in."  She wiggled the belt to prove it.  "I think Lex wrote me a love letter," she said, plowing headlong into a new subject, just as she always tended to do.

 

Oh, my God. He almost dented Lex's car. He narrowly missed a giant lion statue as he rolled slowly about the house, and the fender was saved only by the fact that he was going fifteen miles an hour. "Alright, say again?"

 

"I was going through the mail and I found this love letter... in it, he mentions how my skin is soft like the petals of a Spanish rose... and that's what... he used to call me.  When we... you know, saw each other."  She cut her eyes at her brother to see how he'd take that little reminder.

 

Yeah, he'd only known her for thirty five years. "Yes, thank you, because the mental image of you and Lex rolling about in the sheets is exactly what I need not to wring his neck." He stopped, and threw a glance at her. "Last time I looked, he was flaming gay, and quite in love with our resident farm boy. How on earth....WHY on earth would he write you such a letter?"

 

"How the bloody hell should I know!?"  She threw her hands up in the air.  "I took a tape to him last week, one Enrique was trying to drop off but the kids were all over him, and we decided that we were going to be friends, and then this shows up in the mail, stuck under the proofs from Sancho!"

 

"Alright...so attached to what must have been some raunchy half nude photographs of yourself, which, by the by, I have yet to give you a whipping over that Maxim spread and plan to in short order, was a letter from our very own playboy billionaire... telling you he still loved you. Ah, yes. Because my life, as it were, is not fucking interesting enough." He stopped at the end of the long, long driveway, and put the blinker on, windshield wipers working overtime.

 

"They were not half nude."  She paused for about six beats of the wipers.  "They were fully nude.  But, in a nutshell... yes."  When she didn't get a reply for a few moments, she risked a look at her brother.  "Morgan?"

 

He was very, very carefully gritting his teeth, watching the road as he drove. His fingers were latched onto the buttery leather steering wheel… foot pushing the gas pedal slightly through the snow, and he simply coughed and tried to get himself back under control.

 

"There were sheets involved," she offered shyly.  "Nothing bad is showing."

 

His jaw ground, audibly, at that.

 

"It's not as bad as the Maxim spread.  There's no naughty bits showing."

 

More jaw grinding, and he sent a seething, dark glare her way. "You are an adult. However, you are not past my telling you how bloody stupid you are, to be showing a good portion of America your ass. But… let us move on, before I pull over and wallop you."

 

"I won't be able to do it forever, Morgan.  I'm getting past my prime already.  Let's face it, how many more years do you think people are going to want to see my ass?  I have to do it while I can, and put by for when I can't."  She coughed.  "But... the letter?"

 

He glared at her, deeper, before switching conversations. "The letter has to be a mistake. Has to be. There’s no way… not after the devotion I’ve seen from Lex to young Mr. Kent. It'll never happen. He'd never stray. And since it wasn’t Lionel, we're running out of options."

 

"But nobody else has ever called me Spanish Rose!"  she wrung her hands.  "Morgan, I don't want a relationship with Lex!  There's--well... fuck it, you know about Phillipe, and there's no way that I want to wreck that!"

 

"I do, indeed." A pause. "What does the piss head think of you posing nude, mmmm?!" He growled it at her, and changed gears, pushing on further...going a nice thirty miles an hour, now.

 

"He... isn't thrilled, but he understands."

 

"Your damn well right he isn’t thrilled. I'd have his ass if he were thrilled. I can't believe you." But he didn’t press, just changing subjects. Damn, he liked his future brother in law. "We'll talk to Lex when we get home... seems all I’ve done today is play mediator."

 

She fidgeted in her seat.  "I didn't ask for this, Morgan... I don't want to break him and Clark up."  Then she paused.  "What do you mean?  What's happened that I don’t know about?"

 

"It won’t break him and Clark up, Megan. They’re very devoted, believe me." And then he sighed, and glanced at her. "You Senatori women are whats wrong, out to give me a bloody heart attack before I’m forty."

 

"What?  Lindy?  Mama?  What happened?" she pestered.

 

"Shayla."

 

"Shayla?  What happened to Shayla?"

 

"Are you sure you want to know?" He cocked a brow at her as he stopped at a barely visible stop sign, eyes peeled on the road.

 

"Yes, I'm sure I want to know now, if you're beating around the bloody bush like this."

 

"Amusing you should talk about bushes." He smiled sweetly.

 

"MORGAN!"

 

"What?" Oh, GOD he loved annoying his sister.

 

"Tell.  Me.  What.  Happened.  To.  Shayla," she gritted out.

 

"Not what happened, per say. What she did. That Graham walked in on." He hummed innocently, shifted in his seat, and pulled away from the stop sign.

 

Megan's hands shot out and landed on the Senatori family jewels.  "You talk now or I rip now."

 

"Gyaurha!" He bellowed, squirming away. "OW! Stop that!"  Holy mother fucking CRAP that HURT! "Let GO MEGAN!"

 

"Tell me what's going on with my baby sister!!!!"  She squeezed tightly again.  "NOW!!"

 

"GYAH! Alright! ALRIGHT! Let go and I'll friggin tell you! AHHH!" Oh my GOD! OW OW OW!

 

"Thank you!!"  She let go and settled her hands back in her lap.  "Talk."

 

Oh, my GOD. He winced, rubbed, winced, shed a tear, all while driving. "Holy fuck, you need to chop those nails off at the root, FUCK." He squirmed to get comfortable again, panting THROUGH the pain, before giving her the hawk eye. "Graham walked in on Shayla riding Pete Ross's cock."

 

Megan's jaw dropped.  "He... she... they... what?"

 

"Riding. You know, a cock. I’m sure you've seen one before, in one of your many naked photo shoots."

 

She blinked.  "Yes, I know what they are, I've ridden my share of them in my time... but what?  Shayla?  Pete Ross?  My brother walked in?  Morgan, say that again?"

 

Oh, God. He rubbed his cheeks. First Megan with Lex, now Megan with faceless men. He was just going to have to kill the entire male of the species. "Shayla. Was atop Mr. Ross, riding him. Graham walked in. Saw it. Pulled her off by her hair. Screaming....I found them in the kitchen."

 

"Holy... shit."  She blinked.  "Graham... dragged?  By the hair?"

 

"Dragged her off by the hair in the middle of it. As you can imagine, Shayla was less then pleased. Have you seen her, by the way? She's not pink anymore." A solid nod.

 

"Not... not pink?  I was in the fucking hot tub, not the North Pole!  How the bloody hell did I miss this commotion!!??"  She rubbed her face in her hands.  "He... Graham caught Shayla having sex with this Pete Ross fellow and he dragged her off by her not-pink hair?"  Another face rub.  "You're... so... you're telling me... Shay's... having sex."

 

"She's having sex. Graham hit the roof...the spackle is still on the floor. I calmed him, and talked to Shayla... and knew she wasn’t going to listen to "no". So you're taking her to the hospital for a woman’s condom and other such amenities she's going to need as soon as the blizzards clear, alright?"

 

"I can give her one; I've got three.  But... hoo.  Graham... he... dragged her?  By the hair?  And oh, my God!"  She grabbed his arm, nails digging in.  "He didn't kill the boy, did he?"

 

"Aye, watch it! Christ, those are cat claws!" He shook her off as he peered at the road. "No, he didn’t kill him. Pete even came to apologize... not for the sex, mind you, but for Graham finding them."

 

She gave a low whistle.  "The boy's got balls, I'll give him that.  What did Graham say to that?"

 

"He nearly turned purple...and he didn’t accept it." Dominic shook his head lightly. "The boy looked terrified, I'll tell you that. That’s alright, though, Graham's a lot of talk and NO follow through."

 

"I've got to have a bit of a girl talk with Shayla when we get home.  Oh, give me that list.  There's some things we need to add to it for her."

 

"Don’t tell me." He shook his head, Adams apple bobbing. "I don’t want to know."  Dominic reached up and rubbed a palm through his short, slightly spiky blond hair… then rubbed his stubbled cheeks and his mouth. "Christ, I’m too old for this nonsense. Seventeen year olds having sex. That’s just...we were so bloody stupid."

 

"No, brother, you don't."  Megan snatched the list out of his pocket and started scribbling on it.

 

Spermicidal lubricant

Water-based lubricant

extra condoms

douche or vaginal wash

 

She handed the list back to her brother.  "There, that should do it.  And Morgan, think back, dear.  We were that young not too long ago.  We did the same thing.  But at least we know she won't be getting knocked up."

 

"GYAH! NO! No!" The word "douche" had skipped across his eyes, and he would have enjoyed sticking hot pokers through the middle of each iris. "Oh, my fucking God, get it away. Megan, dammit!"

 

"Quit being such a pussy, Dominic!  Just shove the list in your pocket and when we get there, I'll take care of it!"

 

"You put it in your pocket! I won’t have that...that thing in there! Christ, my baby sister is having sex, alright? I know about it, I’m helping, but I draw the line at buying things for her! That’s what she’s got sisters for, dammit. Did you ever see me buying a single pad? A single tampon? NO. And I damn well never will!"

 

Megan was dying laughing.

 

"MEGAN!" He bellowed.

 

"M--Morgan!" she wheezed in return.

 

"STOP LAUGHING AT ME!" He cried, screeching to a halt at another stop sign...not like total screeching was happening, they were going 30 miles an hour. But thankfully, the town was small, and the grocer was a further ways up the road.

 

"I can't--can't help it," she wheezed again.  "You're--so cute.  I bought--condoms for you--when you were sixteen--" and she went into hysterics again.  "But you--can't get--these things for Shay!"  Another explosion of giggles. 

 

"NO!" He was six shades of pink. "No, no, no! And you only bought me condoms because my ex boyfriend was working at the register!"

 

Megan didn't try to talk until the majority of her giggle fit had passed.  "Morgan..."  wheeze, giggle "Just pretend... Shay's not having sex."  giggle  "It'll be easier to buy."  She petted his leg gently.

 

He grit his teeth, very hard...glared at her, and continued to look at the road. "I’m sorry, I just have the mental image burned into my retinas of the baby girl I helped raise using a douche, thank you very much."

 

She glared.  "They have nothing to do with sex, Morgan.  I use them myself, for a quick freshening up."  A malicious grin.  "Now that our baby is getting... grown up, there are things she needs to know."

 

"GRAAAHH!" He bellowed. "NO MORE TALKS OF DOUCHES! My GOD, woman, have you no shame?!" Yeah. He was bellowing some more.

 

"You realize, of course, that we'll need to talk to her about vibrators and sex toys and how to use them without hurting herself." 

 

Yeah. He rolled down the window to get a breath of fresh air. He was about to lose it, and bad. No matter that it was 10 degrees outside and the windows fogged. Hee. Hoo. Heee. Hooo.

 

Megan reached over and patted his cheek.  "Roll that window up before I rip your nuts off, brother."

 

"Can’t. Breathe." He panted, inhaling through the crack of the window, lips pursed to suck it in. "You. Have." Gasp. "No. Shame."

 

"I just love making you sweat, Morgan."  She buffed her nails on her jacket sleeve and smirked.

 

"Make me sweat?!" He snarled at her. "I can’t believe you're talking to me of dildos and vibrators about the lass I changed and bottled for three years, potty trained, and took care of! You sadistic, evil little woman!" More sucks of air.

 

"Hey, I happen to have had just as much hand in raising her as you did, brother, but the difference is, I happen to be a girl, just like Shayla, and believe me, I wish I'd had someone to tell me these things when I started having sex."

 

"Well, look, now she does. Don’t include me in it. I did as much talking of it as I’m going to do. That is it. I’m off limits." He rolled the window back up once he was sure he wouldn’t faint, and stopped at a stop light. For being a small town, Smallville had a hell of a lot of stops.

 

She peeked at him.  "What, exactly, did you talk about with her?"

 

"About getting condoms. About being careful. About birth control. About your helping her." He nodded, stoutly. "And half of it killed me, but with Graham about to blow a fuse, I had to do something. Lindy did the same with me and Graham when he found out I was having sex with Antony."

 

"Mmph.  I remember that.  Thought Graham was going to kill the both of you."  She bit her lip.  "You do know she's on the pill, yes?  Dr. Percy put her on it, though Mama raised hell at the time.  I hope she doesn't do something stupid, like assume that since she's on the pill it's okay to not use protection."

 

"That’s what I was afraid of. Told her she had to, no matter what. I like Pete just fine, but I don’t want her pregnant before her time." He frowned at that, serious now, as he pulled away from the red light that had flipped to green. "She’s young...she'll make mistakes. I just don’t want her life ruined over one."

 

"Suppose it's crazy of me, but I'd wish that she didn't go through the mistakes... know it's not bloody likely, but I'd like it if her first were her only."  She made another thoughtful noise.  "Bloody stupid idea, I admit, but romantic."

 

He glanced at her, and cocked a brow. "Out of the lot of us, six kids, only Riley had that dream. And that’s because he's a dreamer himself. Shayla is to, to a point, but she likes the pleasures of the flesh. Of that I’m not naive."

 

At that, Megan smiled at her brother.  "You'd be surprised, Morgan.  Shayla's... not nearly so shallow as you'd think.  She came to one of my shoots... oh, a year or so ago... girl was like a skittish colt, shy and scared of everyone who looked twice at her."

 

"I know that, dolt." He glared at her, as he slowly pulled into the large grocery store. "My baby is not shallow, thank you. Neither am I, and I like sex just fine. Being shallow and liking sex are two different things. ...Alright, not in your case, but in most cases." And he ducked the hit he knew would come, slipping perfectly into a parking spot covered with snow. Good thing, cause he estimated where the lines might be.

 

She did aim a smack at him, but it whistled harmlessly through the hair.  "Morgan, that's not what I mean at all.  Shayla's never had sex before, and I'm sure she'll enjoy it, but she's not going out and seeking a flotilla of boys or girls to make out with.  I know for a fact that she was a virgin, up until now, I suppose."

 

"She was. She told me." A nod, as he bundled his coat up around him, tied his scarf tighter about his neck, and shut off the headlights and the windshield wipers. "We've got to make a run for it, darling."

 

"We can do that."  She bundled herself up, and took a deep breath.  "On three?"

 

He tugged the keys out of the ignition, and nodded. "Three." And he leapt out of the car, slamming the door shut as the freezing cold, snowing air hit him. It slipped all the way down his neck, making him shudder violently. Oh, fuck. It was lower then ten degrees out here. He let out a cry… then a laugh, reached over to grab his sisters hand. A look each way before he raced to the lit store, running as fast as he could in the icy snow.

 

Megan held tight to his hand, boots giving her surprisingly firm traction on the packed snow as they ran for the store, giggling softly.  They hadn't done anything like this together in years, and damned but it was fun.

 

He pulled her up the small stairs...lifting her bodily and setting in the doors, before closing them swiftly and stamping his feet. "Good Christ! Good Christ, almighty! Gyah!" He stamped his feet, shivering from head to toe, and rubbing his bare hands quickly together.

 

Then he grabbed hers, as he'd done as a child, and rubbed hers beneath his.

 

Megan pulled their clasped hands up and blew hot breath on them, rubbing vigorously.  "Oh, Christ, but it's nice to be out of that house!!"

 

"That it is, that it is." He rose his voice, and a Megan-warmed hand. "'ullo Ms. Rubenstein!" He called to the woman who must have been 90 years old behind the cash register. "What’re you doing out and working in this type of weather, darling?"

 

The woman behind the counter cackled.  "Somebody's gotta mind the store for you young'uns!"

 

"That indeed! We came for food... unfortunately, Lionel can't live with his cheeto's." He made a self sacrificial sigh, but grinned teasingly and grabbed Megans hand, dragging her over. "Ms. Rubenstein, I'd like for you to meet my twin sister, Megan. Megan, this is Ms. Annie Rubenstein, prettiest lady in all of Smallville."  He bowed and gave the elderly woman’s hand a flourish of a kiss.

 

"How'dye do, Missy Meggie?" 

 

Megan grinned.  "If it weren't so cold and snowy I'd be a lot happier, but I can't complain!"

 

He beamed. "We're off to shop...what time do you think to close, darling? We'll get out of your hair quick as rain."

 

"Take all the time you need, darlin'.  Won't close till your done."  She gave another grin.  "The Mister ain't comin' by till later anyway."

 

"Oh." He frowned at that. "We'll keep you company until he comes by. I don’t want you out here alone, gorgeous...anything might happen. ..." He grinned sadly. "I’ve read way too many novels, I know. Well, off to shop. C'mon, Meggy... be a dish and grab a basket, will you?"

 

"Got it," she said, snagging two from the counter, one for herself and one for Morgan.  "Here you are.  We'll keep you cheered up, no worries."  She slipped her arm through Dominic's.  "You're a wonderful brother, enabling my addiction."  She nodded sagely.  "Shopaholic, don't you know."

 

He smirked as they walked down the length of the store, arm wound through hers. "You're lucky I’m gay, and don’t rightly mind." He took a better hold of his basket, and led her down the first aisle. "Oh, we've a list. A short one, anyhow, just some trimmings for New Years dinner tonight."

 

Megan giggled.  "Plus those things for Shayla, but you'd better let me pick those out."

 

"Oh, darling, YOU shall be looking for them, thank you." He glanced at her and cocked a brow. "You're a good sister, you know that, right?"

 

Megan kissed her twin on the cheek.  "And you're a good brother."

 

"Naaah." But he grinned. "C'mon...here we are. Ms. Bird wants some of those... goldfish crackers for Ellie.... oh." He blinked. There were about 8 different types. "Ah...pizza flavored?"

 

 

~*~*~

 

 

 Lex was almost sure there'd been a murder.

 

That was the only reason he could have fathomed for all of the screaming, yelling, and commotion he'd heard in his office over an hour ago.  Instead of investigating, he continued studying the results of his examinations of Clark's skin, engrossed.

 

Quiet returned to the house, and Lex stretched.  He'd been staring at the computer for nearly an hour, and by God... he was tired of it.  Heading to the office door, intending to leave and find his lover, a white envelope on the floor stopped him.  Bending over, he picked it up.

 

No name.

 

He opened the letter, and read.

 

My dearest Corazon,

 

It may seem so strange to hear this on paper instead of spoken softly into your ear as we lay pressed together, but I could not help but tell you how I feel about you.

 

You are more beautiful than anything else on this earth.  Your cheeks light with a red blush, fresh as the velveteen petals of the softest Spanish roses, and skin just as soft as the petals themselves.

 

Every minute of every waking hour is spent thinking of nothing but you. My fingertips feel your soft, firm body in everything I do... I cannot pick up a pen without feeling the slim, delicate fingers that grasp mine. I miss you, querida mia... do you miss me?

 

Your touch, your breath against my ear, the feel of your body pressed against mine haunts me through the day and the nights that we spend apart.  It becomes almost torturous to be so close to you, and yet so far.

 

The footsteps of this house frighten me...but not as before. Now, when we are hiding from the world, and that body is pressed flush, hot, slick against mine, every fear I have fades away in the fantasy that is your soul. Aching, alive, like the beat of every drum that ever rang on this earth before we were ever a dream, your heart flutters against mine. Calm yourself, Corazon...for I am close.

 

I am but a simple call away; summon me and I am at your beck and call.

 

Until we meet again, my treasured flower of the ancient lost worlds, I am always...

Yours

 

Lex.... was dumbstruck.

 

Megan?

 

Not possible.

 

Grand Theft Auto...Vice City! Yeah, cause Clark had the coolest boyfriend ever. He had hooked it up, without a word, to the enormous movie screen Lex had in one of the huge upstairs rooms... converted into a quasi theater, with huge couches set on 3 amphitheater type steps.

 

Because Lex was a brat.

 

He was sitting amidst candy wrappers and popcorn...sweets always gave him a great buzz. A liter of coke and a glass with melted ice sat beside him on a small table, and he was roaring down the streets of Vice City at a breakneck speed on the coolest motorcycle EVER.

 

Lex very carefully folded the letter back up and stuck it in his pocket, following the sounds of the video game a floor above him until he was standing outside Clark's theater.  "Clark?  That was a lovely letter you left me outside my office."

 

It had to have been Clark; no way it could have been Megan.

 

"Huh?" VRRRRROOOOOOOOMMMMM and Tony's head went rolling! BWAAHHAA! He leapt off the motorcycle, it rolling a hundred yards down, and tried not to break the joystick as he raced to get into the car. Yes! IN! He had 2 minutes remaining on his mission! AH ah aH! Why couldn’t people be fast line him!?

 

"I'll wait until you're done."  Lex leaned against the door and watched his lover play the video game.

 

BRRRRRRR! Minute and a half! CRAP! He bounced on the couch, pushing the joystick as far as it would go, Johnny running... running...

 

Crash and burn. For the sixth time in a row.

 

"Damn. It."

 

"You'll get the hang of it, baby," Lex cheered.  He held up the letter.  "I just wanted to say thank you."

 

"For what?" He glanced up from his swig of Dr Pepper, still lying amongst his filth and enjoying every damn second of it.

 

"For the letter you left me."  He waved the paper.  "Just found it."

 

"A letter? I didn’t leave any letter baby. I’ve been here since my dad told me to come back later." He grunted. "Come to get them and they’re too busy packing the animals, man. That’s not cool."

 

"Then... who else is writing me love letters, if it's not you?"

 

Oh.

 

His neck, had it been human, would have snapped by how fast he looked up. His eyes met Lex's, filled with a jealousy unparalleled... and darkened, as he slowly stood up from his papers. "Someone wrote you a love letter?"

 

Lex held the letter up again.  "I assume so; I found it outside my office door.  I read it, thought it was from you."

 

He took it from his lovers hands, and opened it.

 

Read over it. Lust, nipples, skin, bodies, heat. Spanish Rose. His baby was no Spanish rose. By the time he finished he was furious, and his eyes flickered up darkly. "Okay, who the fuck is leaving my lover love notes? This is not cool."

 

Another shake of his head.  "I don't know, baby.  I thought it was from you--I don't know of anyone else who would write me something like that."  He put the letter down on the table.  "I don't care who it was, Clark... I just want you."

 

"And I want you, but that doesn’t mean someone isn’t writing you these letters! Dammit. Who could it be, Lex? We're snowed in. It has to be one of Dominic's sisters. I swear, I will hunt them all down until I find out."

 

"You can't hurt them, Clark.  They're going to be family.  Look, it's probably just Shayla looking for some action."

 

"This...this!" He lifted the letter, shook it...then decided he was over reacting. He breathed, slowly, though every alien tendency in his blood screamed at him to take charge and defend his lovers honor. However, Lex would probably string him by his balls if he so even tried.

 

"Come here."  Lex held his hand out to Clark, took the letter, and tossed it down.  "Come here," Lex said again, softly.

 

He breathed again… slowly. Clark wasn’t one to overreact, but ever since...ever since they'd been sharing their link, the claiming… it was different. He didn’t want anyone to even come near his lover, let alone send him love letters, and he walked towards him... slowly holding his arms out and sliding his fingers along a slim, lovely waist. "I’m sorry, baby."

 

"It's okay."  His arms wound tightly around Clark's waist, and he let his head rest gently on his lover's shoulder.  "I love you, Clark.  Not some anonymous letter writer, baby... you."  He brought Clark's hand up to rub lightly over the mark on his forearm.  "I'm still yours, baby."

 

"I’m so sorry, my AJ." He swallowed and felt immediately better, curling into those hairless, lovely arms. God, he'd missed them so. He felt so much more comfortable with his bald Lex... as if the hair made him just a little too human. This way... Clark didn’t feel like he was the only slightly strange one. Then their marks, and Clark rubbed his fingers… then his own against Lex's, and sighed softly. A wave of almost peace washed over him at the tender embrace, and he sighed with an almost relief. "Yeah. Sorry, baby… its residual molting stuff. I’m not quite myself yet." He slipped his mouth over Lex's... fit it snugly… and kissed him, ever so gently.

 

"It's okay," Lex murmured softly, and then opened his mouth to the soft, gentle kiss.  The teasing tongue, the delicate nips, and he sighed softly.  "My Clark."  His hands rubbed carefully over Clark's shoulders, down his arms and twined their fingers together.  "My baby."

 

"Always." He said back… whispered against warm lips, and gently let his mouth go to bring him in for a hug. "Love you, AJ."

 

"I love you, Clark."  Letter forgotten for the moment, he sighed, happily, curling into his lover's arms.

 

...And Clark was still horny from that morning. So when his hard on pressed between both their thighs, all he did was flush in embarrassment, let go, and plop back into his garbage, searching for the abused remote. "Your fault. SO your fault. So your fault its not funny." He growled up at him, then grinned privately back at the TV. "This morning was... was real nice."

 

Lex smirked and dropped onto the couch, and then made a face at the mess.  "Me?  What did I do?  And Clark, please, call Enrique or one of the other staff up here and let them clean up."

 

"It's your fault. Yours. Because you sit there, and you look all… sexy. Yeah! And then..." Oh, and now he just flushed crimson. "I did something bad yesterday that I can't get out of my head."

 

Lex curled up beside his lover, and lay his head in Clark's lap.  "What did you do?"

 

Ohh. He looked down… grinned at his love among all the wrappers, and said first, softly, "I really missed you." Gentle fingers slid across all that pale, hairless skin… stroking where there should have been right above Lex's ears.

 

"I missed you too, Clark."  He smiled up softly.  "But you didn't tell me what you did."

 

He grinned down at him, wicked now, and picked up the remote... restarting the same mission he'd been trying to beat. "I sort of found the collection of magazines you did layouts for.”

 

Lex didn't move for a long moment.  "Remind me to find out what your vision can't see through," he finally said dryly.

 

"The photo shoots, you know?" Sweet, elegant little smile. "Yeah. And I sort of... you know, jacked off to them. Hard."

 

"Well, I suppose that means you liked them."  Though he didn't exactly grin. 

 

"Uh huh." ...Then he noticed he wasn’t smiling back, and blinked down at him. "You're not happy."

 

"I'm... less than thrilled that you know, but now that you do... I'm glad to know it at least turned you on."  He did smile at that.

 

This time it was he who didn’t smile back. "Why aren’t you thrilled?  Are you angry I found them, or something?"

 

"No, Clark.  I'm not angry you found them.  It's just... one of the many things in my past that I'm not exactly proud of doing."

 

"Why? Well, aside from the dirty ones, hello People magazine. That one was the hottest. And Maxim, and fuck, GQ. Oh, God."

 

"That was sort of the point, Clark.  A friend of mine once told me that seduction was an art form, and this was early enough in my life that I set out to seduce the camera.  On two of the shoots?  The photographers ended up fucking me."

 

Oh. He got quiet again, nodding a little and looking back at the screen...before suddenly brightening and holding out the joy stick. "Want to try? I bet you could kick some serious ass. The "O" on bottom means accelerate... push the triangle to brake."

 

Lex slid between Clark's legs on the couch and took the joystick from him.  "I'll try anything once."

 

He smiled again, and squirmed. "Yeah, I think you'll like it. Its fun...kinda mindless, but addictive. And hard."

 

He moved back against his squirming lover.  "You know me, Clark... I like things hard."

 

"Yeah? I didn’t know you were the video game t--...you're messing with me, aren’t you?" He chided. "I'll have you know that’s not fair.  Know what else isn’t fair?"

 

"Life?"

 

"That, too."

 

"What else isn't fair, Clark?"

 

He was going to say something bad. He was. But he wasn’t entirely sure of the mood his lover was in, so he just sighed, as if massively put upon, and muttered, "My parents making me drive all the way to the farm only to send me back. My dad wouldn’t even let me help. "We've got it Clark, go home". Geez."

 

Lex leaned his head back into Clark's lap and looked at his lover, upside down.  "That isn't what you were going to say."

 

He nodded. "Sure it was--Lex, watch the screen! You’re gonna hit something!"

 

Lex kept his head looking up at Clark, swerving at the last minute.  "You've driven with me, Clark... don't you trust my driving skills?"  He kept his eyes on his lover. 

 

He blushed...coughed...looked away. "Sure, baby."

 

Lex laughed and lifted his head, looking back at the screen.  "You know, I could get to enjoy this.  But you know what would be better?  The Hitman."

 

"The who?" He stroked his fingertips gently over his lovers mid chest, watching him play.

 

"The Hitman.  New game, came out a couple months ago.  Bald guy with a gun."

 

He couldn’t help it...he chuckled. "Well, I dunno about that, but the guy you're playing right now is a hitman. You’ve got to go to Little Hong Kong and shoot some guy while driving your car. I keep missing. You'd think, with my agility, but noooo."

 

"That's because you're not used to driving like a maniac.  You're talking to someone who drove a Porsche off a bridge, remember?"  Lex snorted.  "I could have written this game."

 

He grinned...but just a little, studying him in his lap as he softly stroked his chest. "Yeah. Right off it."

 

Lex leaned back into the stroking hand.  "I'm really not angry, Clark.  I'm flattered."

 

"About what?" The fingertips moved back to his lovers head, stroking softly as he watched him play.

 

"You finding the magazine spreads.  I knew you would, eventually."  He raised one hand up to stroke over the back of Clark's fingers, then unbuttoned his shirt so they could slide lower.  "It just... surprised me that you liked them so much."

 

"Well...yeah. I mean...the joy kinda got zapped a little when you told me you slept with the guys who took them, I'll admit." He shifted. "But I do like them. The one...where you're wearing the dark gray sweater, and the winter coat.. .and you're sort of looking up at the camera? That’s my favorite. Better then the tasteful scarves and buck nakedness any day."

 

Lex murmured softly.  "Didn't sleep with him--he thought I was too young."  A sigh as he narrowly avoided several street wrecks.  "But, it was one of the last few I did."

 

"I like the one from People, too... where you're wearing those brown looking pants, and that open white shirt. That... I’m sleeping with a guy who's the second most eligible bachelor in the world. That’s just...wow. You’ve been in magazines, Lex. Its kind of scary."

 

Lex shrugged.  "It's not that scary, baby.  Nor is it that big a deal.  It's a pain in the ass, actually.  You go, get made up, get told where to stand, how to look, when to do it, and they just constantly snap pictures of you."

 

He let a breath escape him. "It must be wonderful."  Yeah...so, that wasn’t yearning in his voice, alright? "I mean...yeah. So it sucks, right? Right. I still... still liked them, 14 magazines in three years isn’t bad, love."

 

Lex looked speculatively at his lover.  "Bruce owns several magazines, including one that comes out bi-monthly.  It's an offshoot of one of his other ventures, but it's basically a magazine that reports on the lives of the wealthy people in the business community.  If I arrange with Bruce to give them the exclusive story of me and my lover going public, would you be willing to appear?"

 

His eyes widened.... and he didn’t say anything for a long time. Watched his lover play...directed him with a touch of his fingertips on the remote where to go. And thought. And when he finally made his decision… it was a hard, hard one. "No."

 

Lex hit the pause button on the game and looked up.  "No?"

 

"No." He said it softly, and shook his head. "You'd be ruined, baby."

 

"What do you mean, I'd be ruined?"  Lex spoke very quietly to his lover.

 

"Your business. Lex, baby, I know you want everyone to know about us. But baby...think back to the people who did. Their careers were never the same again.  No one says they’re gay, and then tries to have a normal career. Okay, like, the only person its worked for has been Rupert Everett. But, you know, he's Rupert Everett."

 

"You truly think I care what other people think?  I'm Lex Luthor, Clark.  I've been flaunting convention and shoving my divergences in people's faces for years.  YEARS, Clark, before I met you.  I've blown off the President at a White House Christmas Party."  He turned to fully face Clark.  "The world can think what it wants of me, Clark.  If they underestimate me for being gay, then they'll regret it the day I walk into the White House and sit behind the desk in the Oval Office."

 

"I...I know. I just don’t want to hurt you, baby. I just don’t want you to regret doing pictures with me and having them come to bite you in the ass later on. You know? I don’t want that."  He was swallowing, reflexively. "I don’t want it to hurt your chances of becoming the president, like I know you've dreamed. I don’t want you to… yeah. I don’t want you to regret something later, Lex."

 

Lex dropped the joystick in Clark's lap as he got to his feet.  "You're not hurting me, Clark.  You're not going to hurt me.  I'm sorry that you don't think what we have is special enough to be shared with the world, but I do.  Eventually the world is going to know about us, Clark, and I'd rather it be on my terms."  He dusted the wrappers and such off his clothes as he walked to the door.  "I'm going back downstairs to go back to work."

 

"No… Lex." He whispered, eyes wide as he watched him go. "Lex… Lex."

 

Lex stopped in the doorway.  "Yes?"

 

"I’ve told you how much I love you. Why... why would you think I wouldn’t want to tell the world? I've given everything up for you. Please... don’t make me prove it to you." Quietly, and he swallowed. "I want to do pictures with you. Very, very much. But people… people who aren’t us. People are not going to look at you in the same way again, Lex. Years down the road we'll go to parties, and we'll be standing too close together and it'll be on every magazine from here to LA. I just...I don’t want what we have made into a disgusting, slutty thing… because its not." He said it very quietly, looking down at the remote in his lap.  And into it, he whispered, "You are my aushna'. Why would you think I wasn’t proud?"

 

Lex sighed softly and went back over to his lover, crouching between Clark's knees.  "Look at me, Clark."  He waited patiently until his lover's eyes were on him.  "You are my aushna'; I belong to you in every way possible for one person to belong to another."  He rested his hand on Clark's leg.  "I am so proud of you, Clark.  You are the best part of everything that I am, and that I do.  Truly you are.  And I want to share this with the entire world, because I want them to see exactly how happy you do make me.  I want people to look at you and think that I am the luckiest man on this earth--not just because you sleep with me, but because you love me, and you are my friend."

 

"Even though.." he traced a slim jaw. "Even though it will cost you everything?"

 

"But I already have everything right here," Lex said.  "In you."

 

Alright. So. He reached forward and hugged him, tightly, rocking him tight for a long moment before letting go. "I'll do it, then. Pictures… with you. Nice ones."

 

Lex hugged back, holding him tightly as well.  "Bruce will give us veto power over the article and the pictures.  We'll get to put out exactly what we want to say, and nothing more--or less."

 

"Yeah?" He smiled then...softly, and rubbed his palm against his lovers belly. "Maybe... maybe... I have a little idea… but its cool."

 

"Yes, he will."  He slid his hand down to rub over Clark's, holding it to his stomach.  "What's your idea?"

 

"Didn’t you say you had a summer house?"

 

"Yes, I do.  I have several, in fact, one on each coast, and one overseas."

 

"Oh." A blink. "Well... one of them. We could kind of...sit in the open doorway, with the water b...behind." Yeah. He... yeah. He flushed as soon as he said it, looking down. "I mean… or something."

 

"Then we'll go to the California one," Lex said.  "It has a beautiful view of the beach and the ocean."  He thought.  "There's a small deck behind the house, that would be perfect for your idea."  He smiled.  "As soon as the airports open again, I'll take you out there and show you around."

 

"Yeah? I mean.." A cough. "Yeah. And all." A solid nod, and he was shy and embarrassed about this, and he pressed his face into his lovers neck.

 

"Yeah."  He grinned at Clark's shyness.  "Well... perhaps we'd better wait for the weekend," he said thoughtfully.  "Do you have... a tuxedo?"

 

He didn’t respond... instead pulling his wallet out from his back pocket. He opened the extremely warn, frayed leather, and delicately thumbed through it for a moment...before pulling out a picture. From the spring before, that his mom had taken of them without them knowing it. During one of their many, many picnics. They'd camped out near a huge strawberry patch that day, and had picked them for hours. And in the picture was the both of them, completely asleep side by side, shoulder to shoulder, with a bucket of strawberries between them. Clark in a yellow t-shirt, Lex in a matching blue one Clark had had to lend him after he had an accident with a particularly fat berry. And they both mimicked one another, hands on their bellies, strawberry juice on their lips.

 

Clark showed it to his lover...a little smile on his face. "She took it cause she thought it was so cute....I have it framed too, in my room. This one is for my wallet, though...and now its yours."

 

Lex rubbed his thumb over their faces for a moment, and then immediately pulled out his wallet.  There was only one other photograph in there; a well-preserved picture of his mother, tumbling waves of fire falling past her shoulder as she smiled softly at the camera.  "I think you'll understand this, Mother."  Quietly, Lex pulled his mother's picture out of the first slot, and slid the picture of himself and Clark in there, and then tucked his mother into the second plastic sheet.  "You know... I can still taste those berries," Lex said as he rubbed a fingertip over the picture again, and then tucked his wallet back in his pocket.  "They were sweet, but not like you."

 

He smiled at him...shyly again, and pressed a warm, gentle kiss to his lovers cheek. "Every time I kiss you."

 

Lex leaned into Clark's body, resting his head on his lover's stomach.  "I don't like when we fight," he confessed softly. 

 

He shook his head, and gathered him into his arms. "Me neither." He murmured, just as softly. "It happens, though. We just have to be thankful that we're really good at resolving them."

 

Lex nodded.  "We are."  He breathed deeply, feeling the link to his lover thrumming softly in the back of his head, like the purr of a contented cat.  Then a silver thread of amusement wound through it, and touched himself and his lover.  "Although sometimes I think we're missing out on the make-up sex."

 

"You aren’t in the mood." But he was smiling, as he stroked the long length of a lithe back. "I can feel those things, too, you know."

 

"I know."  Lex almost purred himself as Clark stroked him, and he arched his back into it.  "But I can still pout."  His legs came to rest around Clark's waist, and he straddled his lover, snuggling in.  "I love making love with you, but sometimes... just your arms around me is all I need."

 

"I know it." Softly, as he pressed his cheek into a warm head. "I like making you comfy." Quietly, as he rubbed his back... his head… his neck gently.

 

"You always know what I need, Clark.  Always.  Even when I don't, you do."  He rubbed his face in Clark's shoulder.  "You bring me back down to earth when I need it, and you don't let me forget my dreams.  I--well, even I know how rare that is, and how special you are."

 

"I’m not so special." A murmur into his cheek, as he held him close. "There are lots of people out there like that. Lots of people in this house that are like that." He closed his eyes, still gently moving his hand over and over that warm back…soothing.

 

"You are special, Clark.  Whether you believe it or not."  He yawned softly, the warmth of his lover comforting and secure.  Too many bad dreams had kept his sleep light lately, and Clark's mere presence was urging him to sleep.  "You're very special to me."

 

He felt his lover slowly settling... felt in his mind, as he grew calm. His fingertips gently skimmed across a slender cheek… following down to a jaw, and a warm neck. Across his sweatered, warm back...then to gently caress the small for a moment as he gathered him close. Made sure he was comfortable on the cushions... and pulled the throw blanket from the back of the couch and across Lex's rising and falling back. "You're the reason."

 

"For what?"  Lex's voice was quiet and slightly slurred as he felt the throw being tucked around him as he nestled safely against his lover's chest.  "Little... tired."

 

"You're the reason I’m special." Quietly, as he lulled his Lex with peaceful fingertips and his own beating, flowing blood. "Sleep. You're safe here, with me."

 

"Special... all on your own."  Though the last of it was lost in a yawn.  "Bad... bad dreams."  His arms snagged Clark's waist and held him tightly.  "Won't hurt you, promise."

 

"I was so alone for so long." Whispered into a warm shell of an ear. "Then you saw me... you looked at me, and you saw what I can be." His arms gently moved around Lex's chest and waist, rocking him close as he closed his own eyes. "You'll never hurt me, AJ. Shhh... shhh. Sleep."

 

"You... be great."  Quiet thrum of blood in Clark's chest echoed in Lex's ear.  Warmth suffused him from both sides, from Clark's body and the throw blanket, and he nodded his head once before letting his eyes fall shut.  "Sleep... with me."  His chest rose and fell as he snuggled in to sleep. 

 

But he didn’t sleep, not yet. His fingers slid across that warm skull, and his eyelashes fluttered as... as he slipped into his lovers thoughts, and gave him the gift of dreams suffused with peace, of stories and roses and warm nights by the hearth. Of the little girl he kept seeing in his dreams, in his thoughts, a little girl with huge brown eyes and curls...a little girl who was loved so deeply, from her parents...and cherished and adored by her brother.

 

And with that, he closed his eyes, and slept too.

 

 

~ * ~ * ~

 

 

 "Twerkle...twerkle...liiittllee starrfiisshh...how I wonder whaaaat! Youuuuu! Areeeeee!"

 

Her pigtails twirling, Ellie spun in a circle, still singing happily. She'd wanted cookies, and mama had let her walk all by herself to the kitchen! Mrs. Birdy was so nice and she gave her some big chocolate chip cookies, and Eleanor held them tight in her hand. Can't drop um! Mama always got grossed out when she dropped stuff, then picked it up and ate it. Why? No. Clue.

 

She kept singing, the pretty white shoes Unca Ommie had given her for her birfday clicking against the floor. Like a tap dancer! A real one! She was dancing as she walked, and eeee!

 

And she jumped. What? A hard thump....someone made a noise. From the WALL?! "Heyo?" Sniffle.

 

She squealed, and ran as fast as she could back upstairs.

 

 

-fin-

 

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