The Memoirs

The house was a mess. Or a mess if one wanted to call spotlessness with only a little bit of clutter a mess, but Dominic was so inclined to do so.

He was awake, before everyone else, before the birds, before the damn sun, but he couldn't go back to sleep. Sleep seemed like a chore, when he was here, in his homeland, when the ocean was to be watched, when the sky to be gazed at. The last time he was here, he hadn't appreciated that beauty in the least, but now, older, wiser, he did.

Except right at the moment, he wasn't gazing at the sky. He was gazing at the house.

And all of its messy glory.

Shoes were piled, jackets thrown, suit cases dragged, carpets askew, mugs in the sink, and Dominic grit his teeth, though it was just slightly. He wasn't annoyed, not really.

He and Lionel had put the cottage together from the ground up, and though there was still so much to do, it already looked like home. From the front door the living room looked cozy and lovely, with the thick linen couches set just so, the lovely television, flat screen because Lionel had bitched about not having it any other way, hanging on the wall. Lovely pale curtains that his cousin Margee had put up, and a thick white rug under the couches and the coffee table, made the little room look so damned comfortable that that's where they'd come, when he, his husband, and Clark and Lex had come home. Shucked shoes, had a good beer, and talked until some two odd in the morning. it had been lovely, truly lovely, and he had felt closer to the three of them in that moment then he had in all the months he'd lived with them.

From the living room, beyond it, was the small kitchen, with old appliances gleaming with a fresh scrubbing, the tile floors waxed and scrubbed, and the cabinets cleaned out and set according to the way Dominic liked it. They'd replaced the old refrigerator with a glossy, gleaming white one that hadn't cost them too much, and it was stocked with the few things they'd use in the coming days, and nothing more. A small wooden table that sat four easily was in a corner, with newspaper and a fresh pot of coffee waiting in its maker, and Dominic took a glance at it before moving on.

The walls were old but lovely, and fifteen paintings he and his lover had picked out adorned the walls. They were lovely, truly so, and Dominic looked at them before walking down the hall. The three bedrooms sat on each side of the hall, two on the left, one on the right. The one on the right, the master bedroom, now housed a thick four poster bed of fine pale wood, with matching furniture and white linens. To the left, the bigger bedroom of the two was done in soft wooden greens and browns, masculine but conservative, and that's where Dominic had put Lex and Clark up, as it was closest to the bathroom, and more comfortable than the third room, which was still in a state of disarray. A new desk and book shelves were waiting to be moved, as well as thick leather furniture, and Dominic peaked into the room, blinked at the mess, and closed the door again, to keep walking.

The sitting room in the back of the cottage, a sun room, with windows that Dominic remembered his mum having scrubbed everyday of her life, were gleaming from Dominic's own hand, the soft creamy chairs facing the glass doors, which Dominic, cup in hand, stepped out of.

The wind was crisp, cool, and he took a quiet, deep breath of it. He wore jeans, and his running shoes without socks, as well as Lionel's orange sweater that he'd worn just the last night. He rubbed it in close, enjoying the smell of his lover on the sweater, as he cupped his mug in both hands and looked out across the bay.

Clear water, deep and blue like glass, sat there, waiting for the fisherman of the day. It ripped, softly, with deer sipping from it, birds splashing for their breakfast, but it was just so peaceful, here, in the part of the day when not a soul was awake, that Dominic had to step out, further, to look and enjoy.

Lex hadn't slept. Not because he wasn't tired; he was exhausted. Between the time changes and jet lag and the lack of sleep the nights before, he was feeling slightly like a zombie.

He just couldn't sleep. Every time he tried, his brain churned, his stomach turned, and he ended up awake, staring at the ceiling and sighing softly. Instead, he'd stayed in bed until Clark had fallen asleep, and then slipped outside, sitting on a blanket that covered the dewy grass, his back against the rear wall of the cottage, staring mostly without seeing at the ocean beyond the cliffs.

Briefly contemplated diving from the top of one, but knew practically that the dive would kill him, and if he wanted to swim, he'd go down to the shoreline. He was still dressed in the clothes from the night before, down to the leather jacket around his shoulders and the sunglasses on his nose.

He heard someone moving around inside, knew it wasn't Clark because he didn't feel his lover awake, and didn't bother to get up and go see who was awake.

Dominic spotted him, almost immediately. It was hard not to, because Lex's entire pose, whether he meant to or not, commanded attention and respect. Dominic's lips twitched, quietly, though he was silent as he slipped back into the house. Past the two sleeping men, in each bedroom, and back to the kitchen where he poured a second cup of coffee, strong, black. He made his way back outside, almost silently, and let the grass crunch underfoot quietly as he walked across the cottage wall, to where his step son was planted.

Didn't say anything...just handed him the coffee, and sat down beside him, on the warm blanket, and crossed his feet at the ankle, as he looked out across the bluff at the water. "Five. Four. Three. Two..."

The sun, a few moments later, rose. Across the sky like a streak, laying its sunlight across the cool water and fisherman, and Dominic crossed himself as those same fishermen did, to start the day off in good spirits and better luck.

"Good mornin' to you, my laddie."

Lex took the coffee without a word, and watched not the sunrise, but Dominic crossing himself. Hadn't seen anyone do that since his mother's funeral, and he just shook his head as he sipped the coffee.

Or the road tar, depending on how strong you liked your coffee. This? Could climb out of the cup and kick your ass. But it was just what he needed, the kick to keep him going, and he took another drink from the cup before he answered. "Good morning, Dominic."

Dominic side glanced him, quietly, without saying anything as he looked back out across the water. "There were times when my mama, sitting in this very spot in her old rocker, would tell me that if you listened hard enough indeed, you'd hear the flutes of Ireland as they sang their old songs. Hear the music of the land. It took me a long time to understand what she meant, but sitting here, I do. Indeed, I do. There's a music about this place, almost a real thing, and it puts a heavy joy into my old heart knowing you, too, get to see this."

Lex just nodded as he sipped his coffee. "There really is. Photographs don't do it justice; it's just something that you have to see, something you have to experience, to understand it."

Dominic just watched the water, quietly, enjoying in the peace of the day, basking in the very early morning. "Do you love a place, Lex? Someplace that's your own, indeed?"

"There's a corner of my mother's bedroom--my room, now, back in Smallville--that's mine. I used to hide out there, watch my mother sleep, watch her read. When she'd look up and find me there, she'd invite me into bed with her, and she'd read to me out of whatever book she was reading. I had... no idea at the time, what she was reading, but she would read to me, like I understood every word." He took another drink of coffee. "That's pretty much the only place that's my own." A pause. "Unless you count Clark."

"Clark isn't a place. He's a person, Lex." Dominic looked at him for a moment. "Lionel isn't my place, either. I love him, dearly, but everyone has their place. Everyone needs to have a place. Where's your place, Lex?" Yeah. Had he caught on his stepson's unhappiness? Of course. "Where is it that you belong, other than with Clark?"

"Other than with Clark?" Lex shrugged his shoulders. "I have absolutely no idea."

Dominic's lips twitched, quietly. "Isn't that the plight of life, now? Where do we go from here. Where do we move on from hard niches." He was silent for a moment, as a hawk swooped down and slid across the water. When it rose, it clutched a fish in its talons, tightly, the reflection of his feathers on the glass-like water throwing a shadow for as far as Dominic could see. He watched it, fly up, quietly, and spoke as it swooped up into the blues still littering the early dawn. "You're unhappy."

"Is it that obvious?" He sipped his coffee slowly. "I wouldn't go so far as to say I'm miserable, because I'm not--never could be, as long as I have Clark. But happy? No. I'm not."

"Its not obvious, Lex." Dominic answered, quietly. "Gabe told me you presented him with a job change. Your father doesn't know yet… I think it should be your place to tell him." A very soft glance at him, before looking back out at the water. "LuthorCorp might not be the place for you, my love. Your intelligence, and heart, far exceed your father's every expectation... he'll be proud of you, whatever you do."

"Yeah." He looked down at the dregs in his coffee cup. "Gabe deserves the position more than I ever did; let's face it, I got it because I was Lionel Luthor's son, and he needed somewhere out of the way to stick me. He should have been the manager all along." Still staring at the bottom of his coffee cup. "I've got LexCorp to think about too; even though it's part of LuthorCorp now, it still needs someone running the day to day things, and that's me, considering the company is mine."

Dominic thought, for a few minutes. He sipped more coffee out of the thick mug in his hands, resting it on his thigh when he was done, with both hands around the hot cup, and wondered just how angry Lionel would be if Dominic divulged anything to Lex.

Decided he'd risk it.

"Lex… your father sent you to Smallville as his last hope." A moments thought. "He sent you to Smallville...because you were quite a fucked up kid. He sent you to Smallville as the last gut chance he had in him to give you... and for some reason, with his constant wheedling, you blossomed. You did. He didn't send you to Smallville just to send you in spite. He loved you, Lex, as horrible as you were, and indeed you were a horrid, horrid teenager. But he sent you here to turn your life around, to see that you had something left in you to turn yourself around. And you did. And you've made him more proud than all the business successes he's had in the last twenty years combined. Do you understand that? You make him proud. Very proud." He stopped, again, as he thought out the last of what he needed to say. "You don't want LexCorp too much anymore, either, do you?"

Lex just sighed. "Doesn't matter, in the long run, why he sent me there. It wouldn't have worked if I hadn't run my car off the bridge and been rescued by Clark." He sloshed the coffee in his cup as he stared at it. "I had no intention of becoming anything Dad wanted. But when I met Clark... that suddenly changed. I saw the chance to be a good man, and I took it. Clark helped me." More staring into his coffee cup. "Long term? Yes, I do want it. LexCorp... it's mine, Dominic. Something I've started on my own, with my own skills, my own talent. Yeah, it's small now. But it can grow. Short term? I don't know what the hell I want for breakfast. How am I supposed to decide about my company?"

Dominic spared a glance. "You don't. I can't tell you its easy, beloved… its not. In fact, until you're about twenty-six I'd say, it sucks. But then, the half assed ideas and questions go away, and you accept what you always wanted to do is just what you're doing." He shifted, slightly, comfortably. "I wanted to be a teacher. For a long, long time. I changed my mind the last term of my Junior year of college, and went on to be a business man. Which was all after I decided not to swim professionally." A little quirked smile at Lex. "And decided not to open my own book shop business."

Wry grin in return. "Does it count that I decided not to be a professional hooker and that I decided it wouldn't be worth the legal hassle to run a whorehouse?"

Dominic threw his head back and laughed. He just cracked up, the sound carrying over the lapping ocean, and his grin was twinkling along his lips and in his eyes, when he could again calm himself. "Yes, indeed. Though you would have done a splendid job, at least in the second account. Lex's House Of Ass."

"You're laughing like it wasn't a serious career consideration." Lex finished the rest of his coffee, and put the mug down carefully beside him as he drew his legs up to his chest, and looped his arm around them.

"Beloved, at the tender age of seventeen, starting a whorehouse does seem reasonable." He smiled at Lex, and nudged him with a shoulder. "Let's walk for a bit. My ass is frozen solid, indeed. Come now, just about here, where its quiet." He heaved up to his feet, set the mug on the blanket, and offered his hand down.

"Okay." Lex pushed himself up, pulling himself into balance with Dominic's offered hand, and stretched. "Just don't tell Clark that I was up all night; he's worried enough about his own things, and I don't need to worry him about me, though he will anyway."

"Of course." A shake of his head. "You can nap over the morning. Lionel's taking Clark to see some of the historical landmarks here in the town, as Clark's wanting to see them, so you can sleep away the morning." He stretched himself, after letting Lex's hand go, and dusted off his damp jeans as they started to walk. "You and Clark haven't been having a good way of it the last few days, have you?"

"Last few days? No. We actually haven't had a good time of things in quite a while." He followed Dominic down the little path, shoving his hands in his pockets. "No matter what I do, it's wrong. And it's not intentional, and he makes it sound like I don't care enough about our relationship to try and understand things. And that's not true. I do try and understand. I just... don't, always."

"Understandable." Dominic nodded, and winced softly. "Lex, in that respect, you and I are very alike. But... I suppose, the only thing you can do is explain to him that you're trying. Clark..." He shook his head. "The lad's got a lot of things to put behind him, Lex. He's been going through withdrawals from life since Richard died, beloved, as I know you know." Dominic said it very gently. "I suppose... perhaps he's grasping what he can from you, and holding tight. He, as we all do, fear losing those we love. And he more so, because he's so special." Dominic paused, to think for a few seconds, as they walked along the bluff and listened to the ocean lapping and splashing on the rocks below. "I understand what you mean, beloved. Call him on it, call him on not understanding you. That'll wake him up, straight away."

Lex shook his head. "No. I'm not going to do that. Bruce already has, and it's done nothing but make it worse. Bruce has, in his subtle-as-a-bulldozer manner, has succinctly pointed out to Clark, repeatedly, that he isn't human, and therefore, has no idea and no hope of understanding me. Which is, despite my friendship for him, one of the main reasons I want to slap him. Not to mention the fact that he sent Wally down here to check on Clark and me, because he doesn't trust Clark."

Dominic's eyebrows furrowed, and his eyes narrowed. "He did what?"

"You heard me. Wally's down here to make sure Clark doesn't hurt me. Despite the fact I told Bruce that we'd be fine."

Dominic grit his teeth for a very quiet moment. "Blockheaded, arrogant bastard." He muttered, but just for a moment, as he struggled for words that weren't curses. "Clark is more human than all three of us put together. He understands things on a level none of us could ever hope to, and even if he is different, he's still a young man with hopes and loves and fears. How dare Bruce, how dare him for such a thing."

"Bruce knows that I do stupid things, and he's trying to protect me. I can't blame him for it, even though I wish he wouldn't do it. He's known me too long, and we've been through too many things together for him not to protect me."

"That doesn't make him less of an ass." Dominic pointed out, though it was quiet, not to offend. He blew out a long breath through his nose, and just… sighed. "Lex, you arena the young man you were. You know it, as do I. And you have people now, in your life, more than enough, to care for you."

"Yeah. I know that. You know that. Bruce knows it, he just doesn't believe it. He doesn't trust anyone but him to take care of me." He looked at Dominic carefully. "He knew me when I didn't have anyone to take care of me. He put me back together in a way resembling human, gave me self-respect, self-confidence, and he cared for me for quite a long time. I don't blame him for not being able to stop that on a dime." He sighed. "I just wish he'd understand that Clark is who and what I need in my life."

Dominic nodded, and stayed quiet, for a long time. They walked, softly, through the trees on the little path, with the water roaring beside them every step of the way. The little forest was very warm, beautiful, light streaming in through the trunks and the leaves, as they walked. "Riley broke most of his bones from that tree, there," He pointed at it. "He had just turned ten. I don't know how my mother didn't kill us." A little smile, as he thought. "I can't wait for Briar Rose to be born. I know you and she will be having quite the fun time together."

"If she likes me." Lex was quiet for a moment. "You don't know how hard it was for me to make sure you and Dad could have her, Dominic."

"Yes. I do." Quietly. "I understand, very much. I don't know if their will ever be a way, Lex, any way at all, to explain to you the joy you've brought into your father's life, and my own. Its unparalleled, what I feel for my daughter. I haven't seen her yet, and already I'd lay down my life for her."

"I understand that feeling." He was quiet again, and his hands were buried, deep in his pockets. "In those few minutes I had with Richard... I'd have gladly died if he'd lived." Another quiet pause. "Sometimes I wish I had."

"He wouldn't have wanted that, Lex." Dominic reached out, and squeezed Lex's hand, tightly, before letting go. "Mar wouldn't have wanted you to do that. You know it as I do. He was given to you for a purpose, Lex. Life gave him to you to learn, and grow. To have a chance and feel that love." He listened to their crunching shoes on the soft leaves, and let his lips twitch, just a little, as he watched them walk. "I've a feeling you're going to have quite a brood, yourself. Clark doesn't seem like the kind to be told no to having kids, Lex. You might want to keep LexCorp after all."

"We both want children." Soft confession. "Clark wants to have them. But he feels... so guilty about it. I know how he feels; I feel the same way too. Clark gets angry with me because I don't tell him these things, but I can't. I can't tell him, because he's got enough of his own problems to deal with, and he needs for me to be strong. But he gets angry, and then come the accusations of not understanding."

Dominic tipped his head. "Lex... let me pass on to you a bit of wisdom that was given to me some time ago. Don't hide things from your partner. No matter what. Don't ever hide behind a shield of false strength… especially not you. He can see into your mind and heart, Lex... literally. He understands you, as you understand him. Share with him, your fears, let him... let him cope with what he feels by knowing someone else feels the same. That, my love, is a lesson hard learned by your dear father."

"It's different with Clark and I. Especially because he can see inside of me. If he sees these things, sees the uncertainty and anger and guilt, then he will just feel worse. He'll think it's all his fault, believe that he's not good enough for me, and I will not stand by and see him tormented, and especially not by me."

"Have you told him this?"

"Yeah, I have. And he just gets mad. Angry. Yells at me that I don't understand. Tells me that I don't trust him enough to share everything with him. Tells me that I don't understand what's in the bond we share." Lex kept his hands shoved deep in his pockets, and his eyes on his feet as he walked.

Dominic chewed on his lip, for a moment. "Lex? Perhaps talking with Jor might be a very good option. Clark's mind works on a different plane than ours do... logic for him isn't logic for everyone else, not always. Jor might be the best therapist you could find, because he understands you, as well, so Clark has told me."

He was quiet as they walked, but just for a second. "He also seems to be going through post traumatic stress disorder."

"He does. Understand us both, I mean." Lex sighed. "I don't know if it's that, or if it's just the way he reacts to things. Despite everything, he still blames himself for losing Mar, and everything piles on top of it. I try to help, but... it just seems like I keep making things worse."

Dominic shook his head. "You're not making it worse. Being there is the best thing, Lex. Of course he blames himself for losing Mar... my sister still blames herself for losing her babies years ago. Its something that will stick for the rest of his life, though he just can't cope. He needs someone, and Jor might be it, beloved. He'll understand.... didn't Clark say his brother had died when he was born? Jor will understand."

"Kon," Lex said softly. "But yes. He did die." Lex just sighed. "I don't know anymore, Dominic. The only things I know for sure is that I love Clark beyond anything I've ever felt before, and I'd do anything to make him well again. But other than that... I'm lost."

Dominic reached out and squeezed his hand, again. "Welcome to the world, darling. It's a bitch, but it's what we go through for some god awful reason." He squeezed and let go. "Though that you have Clark makes it easier. Don't take everything he says too personally... just be yourself. You're a strong minded, strong willed boy, indeed. You've a good head on those shoulders, what money could never buy. You'll figure it out. Life... is a book written and set on the shelf, Lex. We're just reading the pages, following the script, doing the lines and getting through it, so we can get to the good parts, which, as life continues on, become closer and closer together rather than further in between."

He sighed. "Right now? I'd like to have one of those good parts, because as of this instant, we've been dealing with shit writing." Lex pulled his hands out of his pockets and stared at them, trying to formulate what he wanted to say. "I don't know how to talk to him anymore. Everything I say is taken the wrong way. I don't know how to relate to him, because everything I do upsets him. I know he's not a kid, so I brought Rico and Aden in, to try and help him find clothes that fit him, as the adult he is, and you saw how that turned out. I try and give him money when he needs it, I buy him presents, like I would anyone else, and it offends him. I gave him a watch, for his birthday. Like mine, made with the same kind of Napoleon franc. I bought him a new wallet, because the old one was held together with a rubber band. And yet, he keeps throwing it up in my face because they were gifts that I got him."

Dominic... well. He kept a straight face. Sort of. But his lips quirked, a little, and he tipped his head at Lex for a quiet moment. "Clark is you, at eighteen, beloved."

"If Dad had given me a car like I bought Clark, I'd have driven it to the other side of the country and back, jumping every ramp and racetrack I could find," Lex pointed out softly. "But it's not even about the car. I knew when I bought it that he'd never accept it, but at least he'd have something of his own if he wanted it. I just... don't know what to do anymore. I'm terrified that he's going to slip through my fingers and I'm not going to be able to hold on."

"He won't leave you, Lex." Dominic answered, back. "Please. The two of you are connected at the hip. Sometimes I think, literally. But why is he upset, for you buying him things?"

"Because he thinks I'm trying to change him. And I'm not. I'm just... trying to take care of him. Provide for him. It's what I'm supposed to do, as his aushna'. He bears the children, Dom, and it's my responsibility to protect him and provide. That's just how it works." He shrugged. "That's why I get so pissy, even when it's a joke. Any threat to Clark just sets my alarms off, and I react to it."

"Lex... do you think maybe, its not about changing him, but..." He didn't know how to put this in words that wouldn't offend, but tried to, anyhow. "Your father and I have argued about this. Clark has been poor all of his life, Lex. He's very proud, and I doubt he, like his father, would accept anything from anyone if he hadn't worked for it. He's a very proud person, and by giving him money, or buying him clothes... that's part of why you offend him. At least, as I see it. I deal with it with your father, until finally we just opened a joint bank account, because I couldn't handle anymore your money my money bullshit." He side glanced his step son. "You do provide for him, but you aren't going about it in the right fashion. Be cunning about it, Lex. He has the watch on his arm all the time, love. It was a gift. The clothes thing?" He made a long kaboom sound. "Like World War two, complete with fighting airplanes and little Germans screaming."

But even as Lex told him, he understood. "You know, you could have told me about all of that from the get-go. I've since learned not to joke around you, though, or suffer pissy silences."

"I didn't understand it myself, until a few weeks ago. Jor-El told me. Explained it to Clark and me." It was easier to answer that first, than the rest of it. "He is proud. And he wants to make his own way. And believe me, I understand that. I did the same thing myself; I've told Dad to fuck off a hundred times, and to let me do my own thing. He finally did. But at the same token, I don't want Clark to worry about anything, because he's already got enough on his mind. It's nothing for me to spend a couple of thousand dollars on new clothes for him, to pay a hundred dollars for dinner for the eight of us, and it's something I've done all my life. It's just... what I do. And it's like he doesn't understand that."

"I can't speak for him, Lex, but your da' is the same way. And I, coming from a horribly poor family myself, have always understood money, its significance, and its lack thereof to the people around me. Lionel has done it to me, too... he's bought things, or spent money on things, or told me he would provide for our family, and it royally pissed me off. I'm a man, I can provide for my family just as he can, the arrogant bastard." A little glare. "Just because I make less than he does doesn't mean I can't provide for us either. Just because I make less doesn't mean I can't make a life for us that's worthwhile, and just because I make less, much less, than he does, doesn't mean he has the right to buy me things all the damn time. I have my money, and I'll spend it as I damn well please." A beat. "And that, all of it, sounds like the problem you're having with Clark."

Painful little laugh. "In a nutshell? Yeah."

Dominic quirked his head to one side. "Then you show him that you're willing to share your life with him. Do what I did with Lionel... open a bank account for the both of you. What he makes, you'll match. For every two hundred he puts in, you'll put it in. And by the time he goes to college, there will be a nice pot there, for him." Dominic slid his eyes sideways. "You have to be sneaky, Lex. Sneaky, and cunning."

"If I know Clark--and I do--he'll budget out every single thing and make sure I'm not spending one penny more or putting in one dime more than I should be." Another painful little laugh. "But that's a thought--thank you."

Dominic smiled, but it was quietly. "Trust him, Lex. If you do this, you're accepting that he's your equal. Do you understand? You're accepting him as your mate, and not as the teenager he is. That will have a great significance on your relationship, Lex. Small things like that, that make him feel like your equal. That's where the secret lies, that's the ticket to being happy. It doesn't have to be just about money... it can be about living space. Decorating it differently, in things you both like, and not just what's there. You know?"

"That we've taken care of. We're in the process of redecorating the bedroom, and we've shifted the furniture around to suit us, mostly moving the bed and the dresser so that we have a better view." He shook his head. "He's my equal, and hell, in a lot of ways, he's better than I am."

"No. He's not." Dominic shook his head. "You're equal. Make that your mantra, beloved. Work from there. Find even ground, where you can both work from." For some reason, he felt that sharing money would be the best thing for both of them, in every sort of way, but he didn't say anything for a moment. Budgeting, using what they had, was a taste of reality Lex needed, sorely, but Dominic stayed quiet as he thought. "Do things where you understand him, and he can understand you. He's young, he's poor, and he's lived on a farm most of his life. He can't be so worldly, Lex. Teach him, show him the things you've done." But he stopped talking, as he realized they'd swung back towards the house, and the little cottage stood in the clearing, with his husband standing in the sun room, with his own cup of coffee. "Mmm. I bet he felt his ears burning." Snort.

"Dad doesn't usually notice when people are talking about him unless they're doing it directly to his face." A little sigh, and Lex changed his course to steer back towards the blanket he'd been sitting on before their walk. "I'm going to have a seat out here, and wait for Clark to wake up."

Dominic looked at him. "I adore you, Lex. You make me so proud. You're a good lad, and your feet will lead you where you've got to go. Clark's so young... he'll understand, someday. You're his guiding force, and he yours. You both are an inspiration to us all." He smiled, quietly, at him. "Come in, Lex. Take a hot shower, and get back into bed with him."

Lex shook his head. "I don't want to wake him up, which I would if I did that. He'll know where I am," he said softly, confidently.

"Of course he will. But you won't be where you should be." Dominic nudged him, ever so gently. "You're on vacation, Lex. Wake him up. Good things often come from that." But he said it as he opened the glass door of the sun room, and smiled, adoringly, at his husband.

"There you are." Lionel put his coffee cup down in mid-sip. "I wondered where you'd gotten off to, and then I realized you must have taken a walk." He smiled at Dominic in return, and leaned forward for a coffee-flavored good morning kiss. "I just didn't know you'd taken Lex with you." A small smile at his son. "Did you enjoy the walk, Lex?"

"Yeah, I did." Quiet smile, and Lex retrieved his coffee mug from outside and refilled it with the strong, bitter brew. "We had a nice talk."

"Indeed." Was all Dominic said, as he kissed his lover back and slid into his arms, wrapping them around Lionel's waist and back and holding him close for a snuggly hug of the morning. He yawned, softly against his lovers shoulder, and sighed, quietly. "A walk. A talk. All we were missing was unruly hair, and we'd be a love power ballad." Another yawn. "A little bird told me you were taking Clark to see the town this morning."

"Yes, yes, I am. I'm also going to be doing a little bit of shopping while I'm there, and I believe I'm going to need Clark's help." Small smile. "I think he'll enjoy himself."

"Mmm. Its now, what, nearly seven?" Dominic heaved a sigh. "I think... I'm going to crawl into bed for another hour. " A pointed look at Lex, and then a side glance without looking at the hall, where unruly hair and sleepy green eyes were peeking from the doorway. "I think it would suit Lex, as well, indeed. A bit longer for us all, as the jet lag must be killing you."

"It's a quarter of seven, actually," Lionel said, after checking his watch. "Lex?"

A quiet nod. "Yeah. I think back to bed is a good idea. I think I'm still on Smallville time. It's just 1 AM there; I'd barely be getting in bed." He sent a warm smile along the mental link to his lover, and followed it with a surge of reassurance.

Dominic grinned. HAH! He got his way. He beamed, and nodded, kissing his lover's cheek as he toed off his shoes and took his hand. "Come, you. Snuggling to be had, at least until I shower. Lex, I'll cook us some scrambled eggs later after the two of these guys go off to sight see, aye?" He didn't wait for an answer, just squeezing his lovers hand and tugging.

Clark was still peeking, though his eyes closed with a heavy yawn. He was still half asleep... had woken up to find his lover not anywhere near him, and the voices... and there was Lex, still dressed. He was still too asleep to think 'oh, crap.', so instead he slipped back into the room, and crawled back under warm covers, leaving a space for Lex, the blankets tucked back to let him in.

Lionel gave a sigh of long-suffering, and let Dominic tug him into the master bedroom. "Am I to assume that there are issues between Clark and Lex that need resolution?" He watched, out of the corner of his eye, as Lex started down the hall.

"That sounds great." Clark had retreated from the doorway, and Lex could feel the sleepiness radiating from his lover and smiled softly. He peeled off his jacket and tossed it on the chair as he passed it, down the little hallway to their room, and slid inside the half-open door. He closed it behind him and peeled off the turtleneck and jeans, draping them over the foot of the bed before he slid in under the blankets and put his arm around Clark's waist. "Go back to sleep, baby. I'm here." His free hand rubbed Clark's shoulder gently.

"Duh." Was the last thing Dominic said, before closing the door.

Clark let his eyes flicker open, just a little, and they were glassy and exhausted. He watched Lex, blearily, as he undressed, and scootched over a little more to give him room to slip into bed. The mattress, firm but soft, didn't make a noise as Lex slid into it, and Clark just snuggled back, eyes falling closed again as he brought his aushna in close. "Didn't come t-to bed?"

"No, I didn't," Lex said softly. "I wasn't tired, and I didn't want to keep you awake with the tossing and the turning. I stayed outside, watched the sunrise."

"Pretty." Clark whispered, even as he fell, deeply, completely, asleep, in a way he hadn't when his lover wasn't with him.

These days, he found he couldn't sleep, if his aushna' wasn't close.

"Yeah, it was." Lex pulled Clark closer to him, stroking over his shoulder and his waist. He could see exactly when Clark fell asleep, and he pressed soft little kisses over his cheeks and face. "I love you, aushna'," he whispered softly, moving just a little so that he could cradle Clark close to him, stroking his fingers through his lover's hair.

Lionel glared at his lover for the flippant answer. "Duh?"

- = - = -

Lionel had left his lover sleeping in bed, Dominic having fallen back asleep after his walk and talk with Lex. Lionel had settled it in his head, that he would have the same kind of talk with Clark, if Clark were willing, and he'd knocked lightly at Clark's bedroom door an hour later. Lex was asleep, arm curled loosely around Clark's pillow, and Clark was nearly dressed. Lionel had just nodded at him, pouring a cup of coffee for Clark as he came out. He finished his own cup and went through Dominic's jacket pocket until he found the keys to the Explorer.

He had the proper license, of course, and had had it renewed before the trip. The catch was, he'd never driven in a country other than the United States before. In all other cases, he employed a driver. However, that wasn't going to be an option this time, and he peered into the driver's side of the European car, weighing the keys in his hand. I can drive. Just remember, opposite side of the road, and you will be fine. You are an excellent driver.

Clark was staring at it too, of course. There was a light mist clinging to everything, and after gazing out at the beautiful water for a little while, he and Lionel had trudged up the lovely little walk, through the trees, to where the Explorer was parked. It was sitting, happily, rounded and curved and different than the United States version but still very nice, of course. The only problem? It was built backwards, with the wheel on the other side.

He stood beside Lionel, watching him look down at the keys, and bit his own lip. "You've never driven on the other side? At all?"

"No, I haven't, but it can't be that hard, now can it?" He took a deep breath of the clean scented air, and tossed the keys in the air before catching them. "Driving is driving."

"Sure it is. Except this is backwards driving, using your right hand for the stick and stuff." Clark peered into the window, and caught sight of his fluffy, frizzy hair, and Lionel's in the same state, and just… well, he grinned as he looked back at him. "There's not enough conditioner in the world, huh?" But he got serious again, biting his lip as he thought. "Hmmm. You know... I might be able to do it. I learn really quick... except I have to see it to learn it. I didn't see Dominic last night, cause I was asleep."

"You'd have to have a special European license to drive, and sadly, you don't look enough like me to use mine." He gave Clark a little smile. "Have faith, Clark. I taught Lex to drive, I think I'm capable of adapting to the other side of the road." He sighed as he brought his free hand up to his hair. "No matter what I do, it frizzes." Another painful sigh. "No, there's not enough conditioner."

"I think its just the climate. Gotta get used to it, or tie it back, one or the other." But Clark shifted onto his hip, crossed his arms, and kept surveying the car. "Well... we'll never know till we try, right?"

"I refuse to tie it back nor will I slick it down." Lionel opened the door to the driver's side, and slid in, unlocking the door for Clark as he put the key in the ignition. "Aaaah. Beautiful." The car rumbled to life, and Lionel put on his seat belt.

Clark slid in too… shifting uncomfortably for a moment. The sun was streaming in through clouds that looked foreboding for later that day, and strapped himself in. He'd worn more clothes Lex had bought him... tan corduroy, a green t-shirt, and his black leather jacket from yesterday. He felt... kind of like a Ken doll, and he shifted until he'd gotten his seat belt comfortable, and offered a little smile at Lionel through his eyelashes. "Sitting over here without a wheel in front of me is definitely weird."

Lionel flicked appraising eyes over the young man sitting beside him. "You're welcome to change, if you like. Jeans are quite appropriate for sight-seeing, and I'm sure you'd be more comfortable in them too." He reached his right hand down to the gearshift, familiarizing himself with the gears.

He shook his head, quietly. "Nah. I was kind of set against buying new clothes, and I kinda feel like a dress up doll… but I feel… I dunno." He almost hated to agree that Lex had been right, because he was too proud to say such a thing, though he crossed his arms again and looked over them, at Lionel. "You sure you're gonna be okay with this?"

"You feel like they're kind of growing on you?" Lionel supplied quietly, and hid his smile. "Yes, I'm going to be all right. I wouldn't dare incur my son's wrath by killing his lover."

"Growing on me. That's a good way of putting on it." His glare darkened, quietly. "He put all my flannel in boxes. Boxes, Lionel. And hid it in the house. He won't even tell me where it's at. All my jeans? Gone. Boots? Gone. All I've got are the ones he deemed appropriate." A little heaved sigh. "I won't die. Though you will, so be careful."

"If I know Lex, the boxes are hidden on the ground floor, in the large-ish closet behind his office. There is a small storeroom there, at the end of the hall, and a closet beside it," Lionel said softly. "That tends to be his favored hiding spot." A little look over at Clark as he put the vehicle in gear, and started up the little drive. "Clark... why don't you attempt a compromise with Lex? Integrate the new wardrobe with your old? Mix and match, I think the term is."

"Because I dress like a Gump."

"A... Gump?" Lionel blinked, at a loss for words as he pulled out onto the main street and started towards Cobh proper.

"Yeah. You know." Clark side glanced up. "A farm boy. A poor farm boy, at that. Most of my jeans were five inches too short."

"Aaah, I see." Lionel nodded sagely. "Did either of you consider altering your existing wardrobe? Lengthening the legs where possible, updating other places?"

"I didn't alter anything. I didn't even think to." Clark's glare darkened, just a little bit, even as he appreciated the water and the grassy field beside the bag. "Lex just brought his friend to change everything for me."

"Apparently, Lex didn't think to either. Might I suggest you ask him about it when you again broach the subject?" Mildly asked, as he drove, not noticing that he was creeping over to the other lane. "Lex is, I'm afraid, wont to do things foolhardily, though his heart is usually in the right place."

"Lionel!" Clark cried, as he reached over and pushed the wheel slightly, to get him straight again. "You have to be careful! Follow the middle line, like you do at home. Much easier."

"Oh? Yes, thank you." Mmmed softly as he pulled the car back into the proper lane, and thrummed his fingers gently on the wheel.

Clark side glanced him once, for a long moment, before he spoke up again. "Lex didn't think to what?"

"Offer to alter the wardrobe you currently have," Lionel said absently, as he studied the road and turned off to reach the main road that would take them into the city.

"He didn't think. I wish he'd told me, you know? If he'd told me, I would have been cool with it. I like new clothes, I'm not dumb." Was Clark pissy? Maybe just a little. "I just wish he'd have told me, you know? He does that, a lot. He does stuff, without asking me."

"Mmm. No, you're not dumb at all, Clark. You're one of the smartest young men I know." Little look out of the corner of his eye. "You just have a blind spot where Lex is concerned."

"I do not!"

"Of course you don't," Lionel said carefully. "You don't expect Lex to change twenty three years of ingrained behavior in a few months. You don't expect Lex to be the perfect ideal of your mate." A little smile to Clark to let him know that the needle wasn't mean, or meant to hurt.

Clark deflated, just a little, and looked out the windshield. "I don't. Lex is my ideal mate. He just has a problem with talking to me, sharing with me what he's feeling. He doesn't tell me anything, Lionel."

"You do realize that is the way I raised him, yes?" Lionel sighed. "It possibly wasn't the right way to do it, but that's one of the things I ingrained in him."

"Not to trust?"

"Yes. Not to trust anyone. Not to reveal anything. You have to understand, Clark, that I raised Lex to be just like me. To keep feelings hidden, to hold grudges until the wrongs could be revenged, to seek revenge, and to solve problems with money."

Clark's eyebrows furrowed together, and in his heart, he felt a deep sadness, as he fiddled quietly with the belt and the last button of his jacket. "Are you saying Lex won't ever share anything with me?"

"No, because he has shared more with you than I would have imagined him capable of," Lionel admitted. "And he will in the future. But you must realize that Lex loves you with everything he is. And that means he will do whatever he can to make sure you have a good life. Because that is how Lillian taught him to love."

Clark deflated, all the more. "Its not that... that I mind that. I want us to have a good life, together. But Lionel… I don't… can't... have him buying my way. I can't. I can't rely on him to pay for everything I have and everything I am. I have to pay for it, with my own money, that I earn. I don't mind... I don't want to seem like I'm some thankless asshole, because I'm not. But..." He just sighed. "I'm not making sense."

"Yes, you are." Lionel patted Clark's knee gently, and with it, veered into the other lane again. "But again I must point out to you that Lex doesn't know any other way to show his affection. The more he loves you, the more he will try and give you everything he possibly can."

Clark's shoulders sagged, softly. "I'm being an asshole, aren't I?"

"No. You're being a proud man, just like your father."

Clark's eyebrows fell, and he looked down at his lap. Maybe I don't understand him like I should."

"I'd be willing to bet that he doesn't understand you either." The car eased completely into the opposite lane, Lionel driving along like normal, speed picking up. "At least, not to the extent that he should."

"Lionel! LIONEL!" Clark suddenly yelled, and pointed frantically. "wrong line! WRONG LINE!"

"Oh, yes. Damn." Lionel calmly pulled the huge SUV into the proper lane again, and glared at the road, as though it were to blame. "Force of habit, you realize."

Clark wasn't peeking out from behind his hands. "You think?"

"Yes, I think." He gave a little laugh. "It's all right, Clark, you can look now."

He swallowed, hard, and looked out from behind his wide palmed hands. "Okay. My heart, and my bladder, can't take that." A little glare at Lionel, though it was definitely amused, and his lips twitched. "I don't think Lex and I still have a long way to go. I try to help, and listen, and explain that I understand, but sometimes he's such a mystery to me."

"I gather that you are just as much a mystery to him, at times." He gave a little laugh. "I will try to take it easy on your heart and your bladder."

"They're the only ones I've got." His lips quirked, but straightened again a moment later. "Where exactly are we going, anyway?"

"We're going into Cork, which is the closest city. I'm on the look for something, and I'm going to need your help in picking it out." But that's all he said for a moment.

"Yeah? A present, or something?" Clark tipped his head. "For Dominic?"

"Yes, a present, but no, not for Dominic. For one of the children." His fingers tapped on the wheel gently as he drove.

"Oh." His lips quirked, gently. "Cool. Though, you should probably get Dominic something, cause he bought you a really, really nice present I'm not supposed to tell you about."

"How about a four hundred year old antique sea captain's chest?" Lionel asked, his own lips quirking gently.

Clark grinned, then, and he turned in his seat slightly to look at his father in law. "Nicer. I'm talking... this is a nice present. Though... sea chest, huh? That is cool. Can I see it when we get back?"

"Of course you can." Lionel kept his eyes on the road. "I bought it for Dominic months ago, from an antiquary here in Dublin, and had it sent to us when we purchased the rest of the furniture in the cottage." A pause. "I didn't know you appreciated antiques."

"I do. Well, kind of, anyway. My mom's got an entrance table from the turn of the eighteenth century, that she fo--oh. Lionel." His eyes widened. "Lex and I need your help on something. We've been talking about it for weeks."

"Mmm. Why am I suddenly afraid when I hear that?" He laughed softly. "Ask, and you'll have it."

"About a month ago, Lex and I... we were walking to the farm, and... I sort of fell. Into a really big cave. Where... we found some stuff. It was a hideaway for an Indian tribe in the seventeen hundreds. A missionary's room, with his things, his wife's things, and his son's things, is there, everything completely preserved." Clark swallowed. "We're going to have Chloe and Whitney... find it... when we get home. But we need an agency to go through, so it doesn't get ransacked and stolen… do you know of someplace?"

Lionel thought for several long moments. "What you need is a conservator. Someone with the power and money to administer the caves in the names of your young friends. LuthorCorp--or LexCorp, for that matter--can apply for conservatorship as soon as the discovery is publicized and logged in with the state Historical Commission."

"Okay. Good." His throat bobbed. "The morning after we get back, Lex and I are going to take you to see it, so you can get the paperwork completely prepared and ready. Its... Lionel, its beautiful. There was an accident of some kind... the blankets of the missionaries are tossed back, with the woman's dress on her easy chair, ready to be put on for the next morning. When Lex and I walked in, there were even the scuffed foot marks on the floor. It was truly unbelievable." He looked at him. "There was an Indian, a little girl, pressed in tight and stuck in the caves. All of her jewels are in the wall. Lex and I took some of it out... its worth millions, Lionel. We want to have it preserved, studied. And for it to go to Chloe and Whitney, because their baby is on the way, and we want them to have money to start their family."

Lionel nodded. "I understand, completely. And we will take care of it, don't worry. For this, I'd suggest that you let LuthorCorp take it, instead of LexCorp, because LuthorCorp has, at the moment, more power, more money, and more influence to make sure that the caves benefit the correct people and fall into the proper hands."

"Okay." His lips turned into a soft smile. "Lex and I...we waited to tell you guys until it was safe, where no ears could hear."

"Again, that was a very wise move. Make sure that no one else could take the discovery out from under you." He nodded. "Clark... thank you. For trusting me enough to come to me with this."

"Well yeah. Who else am I going to go to?" His eyebrow rose, but he smiled, and gave the steering wheel a push, to get it back on the right side of the road.

"Mmm. Ah, thank you." Lionel held the wheel steady to stay on the proper lane. "Would you look in the glove compartment and make sure that the little black case is still in there, with the needles?"

"Yeah." He opened it. "Lionel, you aren't really hunting down one of your married family, are you?"

Lionel's grin was innocent. "I am not hunting down any of my recently-acquired extended family, no."

"You sure?" Clark's expressive eyebrow came up, and his lips twitched quietly. "From what I've heard, some of them are a real handful." A quiet little smile though, as he shifted again. Lionel's words were moving through his head, revolving around his brain, and a strong sense of guilt was settling in his belly.

"Yes, I'm sure. And despite what you've been told, I'm not hunting my family to bury them under the cottage, no matter how much of an irritant they may be." A pause. "Are you feeling all right?"

"Eh." He shook his head, a little. "I'm alright. I'm just kind of out of sorts, Lionel. Fighting with Lex so much.." His brows furrowed tightly, and he looked down. "I hate fighting with him. I have being at odds with him, I hate this. I hate knowing we still doesn't understand, even though we're bonded in blood, in everything."

Lionel nodded. "I won't say I understand, because it's quite possible I don't. But I do know how you feel about not liking when you fight. I don't like when Dominic and I fight, either, and it is upsetting." He paused. "What is it, Clark, that bothers you the most? At the root of it all, what is the single problem that you think everything stems from?"

"Not trusting me." Clark whispered it, softly. "Not trusting for me to take care of him, not trusting that I'm telling the truth, not trusting what we have. He thinks… he thinks things, he's so angry, Lionel. So angry over Mar, so guilt filled, but he won't tell me. I have to feel it from him, in the middle of the night, when he's crying in his sleep and I can see him reliving our child's death. But he won't tell me, he won't come to me. He'd rather keep it inside." His throat tightened. "And I understand, about doing that some of the time, because we're our own people. But Lionel... when he doesn't come to me, it makes me feel like I've failed as aushna', that I haven't provided the safety and comfort he needs to talk to me. I feel like I failed in some major way."

Lionel drove in silence for almost a mile before he spoke again, trying to find the right way to frame things. "Clark... let me ask you something that, for the moment, isn't related." He frowned a moment as he navigated a curve, managing to stay in his own lane. "How do you think that Dominic would feel if I sat down with him, and told him every single thing that was upsetting me, his fault or not?"

"Like… like you were sharing with him? Like... sharing your life."

Lionel shook his head. "No, Clark. I'm asking you... think like a human, for just a moment. How do you think a litany of nothing but upset and anger would affect a human being?"

He couldn't understand. Lionel was looking at him, expecting him to understand, and his chin trembled as he looked down. "I don't know."

Lionel stopped, by the side of the road, and turned half in the seat so that he could put his arms around Clark's shoulders. "It would depress him, Clark. It would make him feel sad, helpless because I was feeling all this pain, all this anger, and there would be no way that he could fix it. No way that he could bring my child back, no way that he could make any of the things I was feeling go away, no way to make me stop feeling guilty or angry. How bad would you feel, knowing that you couldn't fix Lex like that?"

"I'd f-feel bad." Clark's voice was hitching, hard, even as his fingers dug into the jacket and he tried to keep himself calm. He wasn't winning, not that much, but he grasped his biceps and squeezed, trying like hell not to cry. "I w-would feel bad that I couldn't help my aushna'."

"And Lex knows that," Lionel said softly. "Do you really think he'd intentionally inflict that on you, knowing it would only make you feel worse, and make you feel even more helpless?" Lionel tightened his grip on his son's lover.

Clark's chest heaved as his chin trembled, and his eyes shut tightly, his sob heavy in his throat as he tried to swallow it. His face crumbled and he wrapped his arms around Lionel's neck, and tried not to cry as hard as he could. He couldn't cry, not now, not again, because he was through feeling sorry for himself. But he couldn't help it, couldn't help it at all. "I n-need him to talk t-to me about it."

"I know you do. And he needs to talk about it. But please... Clark, you need to realize something about Lex. As much as he may be like you, he is still human too." He stroked Clark's shoulders gently, letting the young man cry. "He has a lifetime of upbringing to overcome."

He lifted up, shaking his head, and fought violently to calm down, as he rubbed the heels of his hands against his eyes. "Bruce was right. He was right, all along. I don't understand, I can't understand. I'm too different to understand."

"No, I don't think that's true at all." He paused, to let Clark go. "Do you want to know what I think?"

"What?"

"I don't think you're too different at all. What I do think is you're so caught up in living your other heritage--which by all rights, you should do, I don't deny that--and you've forgotten what it's like to be human."

"I had a BABY!" He exploded, loudly, almost overpowering the light rain that had begun to pink on the windshield. "I've forgotten what it is to be human, Kryptonian, a man, ALIVE. I don't understand myself, where I'm from, or who I even am anymore. I'm nothing, I'm everything, I'm floating along trying to make sense as to why I bore a child, why my life is so different, how to deal with my powers, with Lex's, with our mind meld, trying to make ends of what life is to me. I am lost, Lionel. I'm lost. I'm nineteen years old, and it fucking sucks to be me."

Lionel held his hands out flat at that. "I can't help you with that. You have to want to know, Clark, and you can't know until you come to some kind of reckoning with both halves of you. You are not completely alien, and you are not completely human. You and Lex, you're both caught in the middle of these two cultures, and neither of you knows how to deal with it. And it angers me, that I have no answers for either of you, but the end of it is, I don't have answers. All I can offer is a shoulder and an ear."

"I'm sorry, Lionel." Was all he said, quietly, softly, after his explosion was over. His voice was tiny, his head throbbing. "I'm sorry I brought Lex into this. Sometimes I wonder, if he had stayed alone, how things would be. If he and I didn't trust each other, and... and I had the hots for Lana or something. You know? And I didn't even know you, or Dominic, and I was still living at home. I wonder how things would be, and if he'd be safer that way."

"If he had stayed alone? My son would be dead. Even if he had survived the car crash at the bridge, then there would have been other attacks he would not have survived. You saved his life, you saved his soul, you saved his sanity. I for one do not want to think about both my children in the ground, Clark, and that is what would have happened if not for you. And I am grateful to you for that."

Clark just let his eyes lower, and didn't say anything. He didn't want to be consoled. He didn't want to realize he was doing some serious brooding even Bruce would be envious of. Things sucked, in a major way, right now. He loved Lex, so much, but he didn't know what he was going to do if they didn't find a common ground, and soon. So he just swallowed, tightly, and let his eyes close for a long moment, before opening them and looking up. "I'm sorry, Lionel. I didn't mean to explode like that... it isn't your fault, or anyone else's. I guess I'm just being a teenager."

"It's all right, Clark. You can explode any time you like." He pulled the car back onto the highway. "But next time? You might want to consider exploding at Lex. Let him know how you feel, what you are thinking, rather than constantly asking how he feels."

Clark looked up. "Is it hard for you, Lionel? To open up and talk about how you feel with Dominic?"

"It's quite probably the hardest thing that I've ever had to learn to do," Lionel admitted. "And yes, to this day, I still have a problem with it."

"Does he ask you?" Clark was watching him, as he spoke. "I mean, does he ask you to tell him things?"

"Yes, he does. And most times, I do tell him. I may not tell him everything, but yes, I do tell him what he asks to know. I don't know that I ever volunteered anything." Lionel kept his eyes on the road.

Clark tipped his head, his eyes still rimmed with red and foggy. "You should. You should tell him. He loves you, and you should tell him. Its important to keep secrets, but its important to share your life." His throat tightened, uncontrollably, and he looked back down for a moment. "I think so. But it got me into trouble myself, so me telling advice isn't that great of an idea."

"Yes, you're right. It is important to share things. That's why Dominic knows one of the biggest secrets I've ever had to keep." He gave Clark a small smile. "But it's also important that Dominic understands that when I am upset, I will protect him from it if I can, and only when I have it under control, will I tell him about it." He squeezed Clark's shoulder gently as they finally entered the small town. "You and Lex will get there."

"Is it because we're young?" A very quiet question.

"No. I think it's because Lex is a Luthor. And I can tell you from experience, we are bastards to deal with." A very tiny smile.

"He's not a bastard." Clark said, softly. "Neither of you are. I just think you're emotionally stunted." He looked up, and dared Lionel to argue. "At that, I think Dominic is, too, a little. But that's okay. Being together will help, all of us." He reached out, and squeezed Lionel's hand, tightly.

Lionel squeezed back, even as he laughed. "Emotionally stunted. Yes, well, that's one way to put it." He maneuvered the big vehicle in front of one of the smaller storefronts, and turned the ignition off with a grin. "We're here, and don't forget the needles."

Clark nodded, and rubbed his face clean once more. "Do I look like I spent all night drunk?"

Lionel inspected him carefully. "Just part of the night," he teased. "But don't worry. Once you get out in the rain, nobody will be able to tell the difference."

"Okay." Another little smile, and because he was that kind of person, reached out and hugged Lionel, tightly. "Thank you."

Lionel hugged Clark back carefully. "You're welcome. I just wish I could do more, for both of you."

"You do more than enough, Lionel." Was all Clark said, before he grasped the needles, tugged his belt off, and splashed down out of the SUV.

Lionel made sure Clark got out of the car with no problem, and then he locked the doors behind them and used the little button to turn on the car alarm as he dropped the keys in his pocket and ran his fingers through his damp hair. "Come on, let's go." He opened the door to the little shop they had parked in front of.

Clark stepped over a puddle, quickly, and stepped into the little chiming door as fast as he could. He was only a little damp, and he ran his fingers through his hair, too, but stopped mid-way when he realized where they were.

"A pet shop, Lionel?"

Lionel nodded. "Yes, a pet shop." And then he smiled. "I have a purchase I need to make here, and sadly, I'm not sure what to look for." He looked at Clark over his shoulder. "You know how to pick out rabbits, don't you?"

Clark, for all they'd just talked about, for all the emotion of the last two days, stared at Lionel like he'd grown a second head and it was singing opera as loudly as he could. He blinked… once... twice, and looked around. "Didn't you just get Freddie?"

"Yes, yes, we did." Lionel was walking towards the back of the store, where the rabbit hutches were located.

"So you're getting Dominic a rabbit?" Clark asked, as he followed Lionel back through the store, amongst the few people in the store, fishermen, buying bait.

"No. I'm buying Eleanor a rabbit. Dominic has no idea I'm getting it for her." Lionel flashed his grin over his shoulder at Clark.

"Oh. Oh!" Well, that made more sense, and now Clark grinned himself, as he caught up with his father in law. "Cool. Yeah, I can pick rabbits out. We've got a ton of them on our farm lands, though they're jack rabbits, mostly."

"The needles in question I got to sedate Frederick with, but Dominic decided that Freddie didn't need to come. I need to check and make sure that it'll be all right to sedate the rabbit with the same drugs before we leave, so that I don't end up killing the poor thing." Another pause as he listened to Clark talk. "I was hoping you could help, because I know next to nothing about it. I just know I'd like to get her a white rabbit, with a pink nose."

Clark stopped and leaned down to the large, round glass cage in the middle of the floor, and crouched down so he was eye level. Their were at last thirty little baby rabbits in the glass cage, squeaking and jumping, and a tiny, itty bitty gray, chubby, with white paws, almost instantly delighted him. His face lit up as he looked at him, itty bitty but obviously the king of the pack, and he laughed as he pointed. "Lionel... look at that one. Are you sure you want it white?"

"Well, I'm open to suggestion, but I was hoping for white." Lionel crouched down beside Clark. "Well, doesn't he look like rabbit royalty?" he mused quietly, watching the little thing's nose twitch as it blinked at them, staring back as though asking what did they think they were doing, exactly?

Oh man. But he was cute, so cute, and Clark grinned as he lifted the top of the cage and picked him up, by the scruff. he was tiny, only a few weeks old, but already he looked to have the looks of a fine little rabbit, and Clark set him down on his wide palm. He barely filled it, just staring at them in suspicion, and he grinned, softly. "He's cute, Lionel. Really, really cute."

A little sneeze. Suddenly, he wasn't with the other balls of soft warm fuzzy that smelled like him. No, he was up in a bright, cold place with ugly things staring at him and cooing, and he sneezed again. Stinky ugly things.

Lionel stroked the soft fur with his fingertips, watching the little nose working like a maniac. "He is rather adorable, isn't he? And doesn't he have beautiful markings?" He scratched gently at the baby ears, and under the little chin.

"He does. Gray and brown, and his little feet are white as snow." Clark gently rubbed his little head, gently, and looked up at Lionel with delight. "He's adorable. And look... strong. His little legs are sitting perfectly on my hand... he's got to be about four weeks old, and already he's strong. And a guy. Won't have to worry about periods and stuff."

The store owner, Belinda Finn, smiled from behind them as she finished with her customer, and walked up. "Hello, Mr. Luthor." A smile. "We met at Granny Finn's, in case you're not remembering. In the market for a rabbit, aye? He's a bit wee, him," She smiled at the little rabbit in the young mans hand. "But of a strong lot, indeed. He's strong... steals everyone's food when he thinks I'm not looking." A chuckle.

Did he remember? Of course he didn't. "Of course I remember, Ms. Finn," he said, figuring that he couldn't go wrong with the last name. "And yes, I'm looking for a rabbit; I'm buying it for Dominic's niece, Eleanor, and we're trying to pick out the one we like." He looked down at the baby in Clark's hand. "So, you're going to be a little thief and steal everyone's food, eh?" He took the little animal carefully in his own hand, and lifted it up to eye level. "Clark, what do you think? Do you think any of the others look as handsome as this little fellow?"

"Aye, little Ellie. She's a darling child, and you're good to have such a kind heart and buy her a pet." Belinda, charmed, smiled. "He does, though if he's to be in a cage by himself he'll do right fine. Never give you a problem, indeed. The others... I've some white ones, and some flat gray or brown, if you're interested in another color."

Clark shook his head, and his dimples winked on. "I think he's the most handsome of all."

"Then I think this young fellow is the one we'll take, right here." He held out his hand. "I'd like to purchase everything that goes with him--water bottle, cage, feeding dishes, food, pellets, whatever he needs." He looked down at Clark. "Would you like one too?"

Clark grinned quietly, but shook his head. "Three puppies are enough for me, Lionel, though thank you."

"Alrighty, then." Belinda lifted the young rabbit from Lionel's hand and tucked him to her chest, as she walked with him across the store. "Let's get him in a cage by the cash register, and we'll get you everything you need." She quickly opened up one of the many ones they sold along with the animal as a base set, and closed it up.

"I can get it." Clark volunteered, quickly. "I know what he'll need. Be back in a second."

"You're quite welcome." Lionel nodded. "Go ahead, get what he'll need, and we'll meet you by the register." He watched as Belinda carried the little fellow carefully, and he took the black case from Clark before the young man darted off. "Ms. Finn, I need to ask you; I have animal tranquilizer here, measured out for a kitten approximately ten to twelve weeks old, maybe a little older. Will it be safe to use these injections on the rabbit for the trip home?" He opened the black case and displayed the pre-filled syringes.

She hmmed, quietly, and took one of the tiny glass bottles out. "Mmm...I'd say instead of using the whole bottle, less than half will do. You see here, where it says 2.5? You need the liquid up to that number. You get him in the hind leg, anywhere in either of them, and that will put him out." A nod. "Careful where he falls, that he doesn't break one of his front paws, as they're still forming and growing, yet." A smile. "He's had all of his newborn shots, and will only need one more in six months from the veterinarian." She looked at the tag tied around the baby's neck and went into her filing cabinet beside the register, before pulling out a file, where the rabbits full history record, shots, illnesses, everything, was logged. "He's a pure breed of rabbit, that they only have here in Cork and Kerry, Mr. Luthor, so you're getting a fine rabbit. I've got his authentication papers here as well, which you'll be able to take with you."

A purebred, that's something Lionel hadn't counted on, and he grinned. "I'll be careful of his feet, don't worry. If I know Dominic, he'll be carrying the baby home all the way back to Smallville."

"Dominic?" Polite question, as she carefully made sure the traveling case was full of water and food, and draped a cool cloth over it, to keep the rain off and to keep the bunny from getting scared.

Lionel sighed inwardly. "My husband. Morgan, I'm sure you know him as."

"Ah, Margan." Now, her own cheeks spread as she grinned. "My nephew. Never a sweeter boy is there to find, indeed. Ah, and here comes your young companion." She looked appraisingly over the basket that he set in front of her, and pulled the things out herself. "Let me show you some basic upkeep, so you might show darling Ellie. The bunny's cage is to be cleaned once three times a week, with fresh newspaper. If not, he'll get an infection on the pads of his feet. His water will stay full for a week, and it should be changed once every week, as well. His food pellets, the same, though he'll eat them... ah." She grinned as she pulled out the little rabbit wheel. "Fun. And the little tinkling rollies." She picked up two little balls with bells in it. "He'll enjoy these, indeed. Treats as well, though only give him one a day." She began to ring the things up.

Lionel nodded, making a mental note of the instructions as Belinda reeled them off. He couldn't resist peeking under the cloth to look at the little bunny in his cage, and he was sitting there contentedly, whiskers twitching and nose trembling as he returned the stare, and Lionel laughed softly as he closed the drape on the cage again. "I'll make sure to remind her about the treats, though I'm sure she'll try and spoil the little thing endlessly."

"Of course." Belinda smiled and bagged the things up, including the large, spacious cage. "There we are, all good. Do you need help getting everything out?"

"No, I think that between Clark and I, we can handle it all." He looked at his young friend. "Do you want to pick something out for the puppies while we're here? As a thank you, for helping me pick out the bunny for Eleanor?"

Clark smiled, quietly, and shook his head. "No. Thank you, though. I'm good."

"Very well, then." Belinda smiled once more, and came around the counter, with the bunny in tow. "There we are. If you're needing anything, anything at all, my number is on the receipt." She handed the cage over to Lionel. "I'll be seeing you both at Gran's big dinner tonight?"

"Of course you will; we'll both be there and bringing our better halves with us." A smile as he accepted the cage after tucking the receipt away carefully in his pocket. "I look forward to seeing you." Lionel smiled at Clark. "Clark, could you take the keys and get the car open?" He delved quickly into his pocket, balancing the cage on the counter, as he tossed the keys to Clark.

Clark caught them easily, smiled and nodded at the woman, and slipped out ahead of Lionel. It was positively pouring, and he motioned for Lionel to stay where he was as he splashed out onto the sidewalk and to the car. He got it open, put their purchases in the back seat, and revved the engine before pulling out. He came around the parking lot and up close towards the front door of the pet shop, and leaned over to push open the passenger door.

Lionel waited until Clark was there and waiting for him, and with another nod of thanks to Belinda, he adjusted the cloth on the cage to make sure the bunny was nice and dry, and darted out into the rain. Felt his feet soaking through as he ran through the puddles, and pushed the cage into the floorboard of the passenger seat before swinging in himself. "Christ and Jesus Almighty, I'm tired of the rain."

"Me too." Clark smiled, rubbing his fingers over the water rivulets sliding down his temples, and grinned down as the rabbit made a very tiny squeak. "Man, he's cute. I'll drive us back, kay? I learned how already."

Lionel leaned back against the passenger seat. "If you're comfortable, by all means. Drive." He shook his hair out just a little. "When we get home, if Dominic asks anything before we get the rabbit inside, we came home because of the rain, all right? I want it to be a surprise."

"Okay." Clark smiled, quietly, and slipped out like a pro onto the street again, as it was much deserted, and started back through Cobh, through the rain. It was very odd driving on the wrong side, but not as wrong as he'd have thought, and he cruised along easily, quietly, as the rain came down. "Who was that lady, by the way?"

"She's one of Dominic's many... many... many relatives. If I didn't know better, I'd swear he's related to the entire county."

Clark just grinned. "Probably. Its a tiny country, after all."

They were quiet, though chattery, talking about the family, Gran, and the horrible weather all the way home. Clark drove like he'd been cruising the Irish lands for all his life, stopping and turning without making a single mistake, and within fifteen minutes, five extra because of the bad weather, they were stopped in front of the path that led through the trees to the little cottage.

Lionel watched the young man carefully as they chatted, making sure that he was all right, and seeming to handle things all right. "You drive much better than I do in this land tank," he said, as they stopped at the top of the path. "They'll be surprised to see us so soon--Clark." He put his hand on Clark's arm. "Talk to Lex. Soon."

"I will." Clark's throat contracted. "I'll talk to him this morning, if I can. I can feel him… he's still asleep. When he wakes up, I'll talk to him about everything." He nodded, quietly, and looked down at the bunny. "Well... soaking, we're gonna get. Might as well get on with it." He took the keys out of the ignition, and the bags from the backseat. "Ready?"

"Wake him up," Lionel said softly, and he opened the passenger door. "I'm ready. I'll get the cage, if you'll get the rest." He slid out of the car, and picked up the cage in both arms. "Can you run ahead, and get the door open?"

"Sure can." he took the things in his arms and quickly jumped out of the big SUV, running down the path as quickly as he could without speeding, and quickly got the door unlocked and opened. He stepped in, shivering and wet, quiet as to not wake up everyone, and waited for Lionel as he did.

Lionel followed in Clark's splashing footsteps, hurrying down the path as quickly as he could and shouldering in the door, setting the cage down on the kitchen table. "Take your jacket off, and hang it by the door; it'll drip dry. Peel your wet clothes off in the bedroom, and bring them out; Dominic will toss them into the dryer, because sadly, the functionality of that appliance escapes me." Once he'd peeled his own jacket off, he hefted the cage again, and headed down the hallway, towards their bedroom.

Clark quickly shuddered out of his coat, water streaming down his temples and eyes, and toed off his shoes so he wouldn't track mud on the fresh carpets. He shuddered and followed, quietly, the bottom of his pants dripping even as he hoisted them up to keep the carpet dry, and quickly followed Lionel. "Where are we gonna keep him?"

"Well, for the next few days, I think we'll leave him in the bedroom, with Dominic and I, unless you and Lex would like to keep him in your room to take care of him." He walked down the hallway as quietly as he could, and reached down to open the door while balancing the cage carefully.

Dominic barely heard it, in his half addled brain. He'd awoken to find his lover gone and had cuddled in his warm pillows, only to have the scent of them, of his lover, make him hard as stone. He'd tried to ignore it, because he knew how much trouble he'd get into if Lionel ever knew he'd taken his pleasure without him, and even if it was one of the first things he learned with his lover, he couldn't have helped grasping himself tightly, and squeezing with each jacking thrust. He was covered, tightly and warmly, under blankets, but he arched, half hearing the door, and gasped, eyes widening as it swung open.

Fuck.

Dominic in bed. Dominic panting. Dominic Sweating. Lump under the blankets.

Clark whirled and put his back to the bedroom. "I'm going to go find Lex."

"I think that would be a very, very good idea, Clark. Go and talk to Lex for about twenty minutes or so. Dominic and I have... a few things to take care of." Lionel didn't take his eyes off his lover as he put the completely covered cage down on the dresser, and closed the door.

Clark just nodded, and slid quickly away, pushing his own bedroom door open and blushing crimson.

Lex blinked and woke up as soon as Clark came into the room. He scrabbled for his watch, and blinked again. "You're back early."

Dominic swallowed, hard, pushing the blankets down from his shoulders to his chest, and groaned softly as he grasped himself again when the door closed. He squeezed around the hot length between his legs, trying not to be mortified about what his lover and Clark had found him doing, and swallowed, tightly, eyes down to a slit, as he watched his lover.

Lionel very deliberately kept the cage covered as he turned around, his face fixed in a careful scowl as his hands went to his hips. "What do you have to say for yourself, Dominic?"

His throat tightened, again, and he lowered his eyes and slid his fingers away from his throbbing erection, tightly, sliding them up from under the blankets as he looked at his lover in quiet sexual fear, that came from being completely turned on by his lovers anger. "I… I'm sorry. I woke up... I smelled you, everywhere. I couldn't h-help it. I tried not to touch."

"Mmmm. Doesn't look as though you tried too hard, now does it?" Lionel's eyebrow raised at the tent in the blankets that his lover's cock was causing. "Now that's interesting; if I didn't know better, I'd say you liked being caught. Or is it, you liked being watched? Shall I call for Clark to come in and watch while you finish?"

His throat closed and he shook his head, frantically. "I didn't... I t-thought... you'd be away longer." Oh, crap. Wrong thing to say. Shit. He winced, swallowing tightly, and tried to ignore his twitching cock rubbing tantalizingly against the blankets.

"Oh, so that makes it all right?" Lionel's hands stayed on his hips as he stalked closer. "Makes it all right for you to play with yourself like a naughty boy because I'm not here and I wouldn't find out about it?"

"N-no, no.." He leaned back as his lover stalked in close, and his throat bobbed, tightly. "I… well, yes, but I d-didn't mean… I would have t-told... uh..." His cock twitched again, harder, and he groaned, before cutting the groan off mid-way and struggling to speak. "I would have told you."

Lionel reached down and ripped the blankets back entirely, exposing his lover's hard cock. "Would you have?"

"Yes." Trembling whimper, as Lionel pulled the blankets back, and he shrank back, further, clenching his teeth tightly shut as his cock twitched again, and painted smears of precome on his belly. "I-I'm sorry. Didn't… didn't mean to. I'll be good, I swear it."

Lionel's fingers thumped the head of his lover's cock and watched it bob back and forth, and he didn't say a word as he thumped, over and over again.

He gasped, first in pained shock, then in pleasure as his head fell back. He didn't know if it was okay to be aroused by it, though, so he clenched his teeth shut even tighter, and kept as quiet as he could even though his blood was all but boiling in his veins.

Lionel still didn't say a word, but at the clenched teeth and arched throat, he knew. He waited until Dominic's head fell back, and Lionel leaned over, swallowing the slick organ in one quick gulp, as much of it as he could slide in.

Oh, FUCK! He let out a sharp, but quiet, sound, biting his knuckles as his lovers lips wrapped around him, and pushed down, swallowing his length down in one movement. His ass clenched tightly, his thighs going like steal as he stayed still and let his lover suck. He knew better than to thrust, not now, not when he was in big trouble, but he couldn't help raising his hips in offering, even as he bit the inside of his lip.

Lionel's hands slid under Dominic's ass and spanked firmly, driving his hips forward and letting him thrust, even as he punished. He sucked hard, but never letting his lover's entire cock slide into his throat, even as he popped his lover's skin.

Dominic let out another half crazed sound as he rose up, lifting his hips when his lover spanked him. The skin smarted, sending vibrations and muscle contractions through his lower body, and he bit his knuckles again, wailing into them as his lover sucked. He was teasing him, sucking but not giving him what he wanted, and with it Dominic knew who was in charge.

He kept spanking his lover's ass, driving him forward with the spankings, sucking his cock roughly, but not deeply, and teased the head with his tongue. He didn't speak, just let his frizzed hair fall over his shoulder to scrape against Dominic's thighs.

"Pl… please, lover, please." Begged with silent whispers, begged even as he rose and fell with his husband, the smacks turning his ass to fire even as it thrust him forward and up, and he trembled, thrashing on the pillow tightly as his legs wound up around his lovers shoulders.

With the soft, simple plea, Lionel stopped his spanking hand and let the last thrust drive Dominic's cock deep into his throat, sucking down until his lips hit the base. His hands moved instead to roll his lover's balls, and Lionel set out sucking in earnest, tugging the head with his lips as he pulled off, licking down the shaft as he pushed back down, swallowing to make his throat tighten around Dominic's cock.

Dominic threw his head back and arched his hips, grasping a handful of the sheets and another handful of the pillow he was laying on. He felt his lovers mouth wrap tightly down around the base of his cock and he shuddered, all over. Every time Lionel did that Dominic forgot, more and more, little by little, the pain he'd been given the night Lawrence carved into him, threatened to castrate him. With every suck of his lovers mouth on his cock he forgot about the pain, about the white scars hidden under blond hairs, and lived with each hard, driving suck.

Lionel's mouth and throat were an inferno and he wailed quietly in joy as he began to suck, truly suck him. Lip caught between his teeth, fingers tight, he rocked and moved, letting his lover do with him as he pleased as the hot, sticky waves of pleasure rocked through him.

Lionel's fingers slid over Dominic's balls, rubbing them gently, cradling them in a large palm as he sucked. His tongue lapped gently at the shaft, tasting every inch of it, his eyes closed as his mouth worked quickly, roughly over his lover's cock.

His other hand slid over Dominic's thigh, scraping his thumb over the scar that was still there, then up, over his stomach and back down again, pressing down on his lover's groin as he sucked harder, breathing through his nose as he swallowed.

Dominic came, without epic grandeur, as his lover slid his fingers over his belly. He came, hard, throwing his head back as his cock erupted in his lovers mouth and it felt like the life was being sucked out of him, aided by the huge hand laying on his belly. He arched into it, rubbing quietly, and let himself moan softly as his lover sucked what he gave him out.

Bliss.

Lionel kneaded his lover's belly as he came, pulling back just enough to swallow down every spurt of his lover's come, licking the drips that rolled down the head as he kept his eyes closed, cleaning every inch of the beloved shaft as he dragged his nails lightly over Dominic's stomach, and then opened his eyes as he pulled his mouth off his lover's cock and leaned over him, staring at him there.

Dominic trembled, heavily, all over, as his lover licked over him, and it was as if he'd licked over an open nerve. He shook and moaned, his hips bucking involuntarily in pleasure, as his body shuddered from head to toe in pleasure. He slumped back, unable to keep his body up and tight any longer, and moaned, very, very softly.

Until he felt eyes on him, and let his, foggy with sated lust, open.

Lionel's face was still stern, but the bright twinkling in his eyes belied the sternness of his expression. "Did you enjoy that, Dominic?"

Dominic didn't dare smile, but his fingers came up, over his lovers damp hair, caressing softly as he nodded. He wanted kisses now, lots of them, and he tugged on a handful of hair, softly, begging him to come up. "I'm s-…" His voice broke and he cleared it. "Sorry for... being bad." A little twinkle lit in his own eye, though his body trembled with sated enjoyment.

"But you're so good at it." He acquiesced to the tug on his hair and moved up his lover's body, pressing Dominic down into the mattress with his weight, hands on either side of his lover's head as he took hard kisses from Dominic's lips.

"Good..." Breathy whisper as he took his lovers kisses, giving them as well as he sucked and licked, nipping at full, lovely lips even as his arms wrapped, tightly, around his lovers shoulders. He purred, very quietly, and tugged his lovers hair, gently, to the side, so he could suck a hard, dark little hickey out of the side of his throat, where it was damp with rain and sweat. After it had blossomed he licked across it, hard, and came up to lick and lap his lovers lips, which tasted like the both of them.

Lionel helped by tossing his hair over his shoulder, out of the way so that Dominic could lick and suck on his skin to his heart's content. His hands still stroked gently over Dominic's skin, and he gave a little smile into his lover's mouth. "I met one of your relatives in town this morning."

"Sex. Relative talk later." more quiet, gentle licks of full lips, and roaming fingers that slid down a long back, over a tight ass, and under, to a snug crotch.

Lionel chuckled softly. "Not with only thin little walls separating me from my son, Dominic."

"Oh. Damn." He whispered, softly, even as he continued to lick and kiss. He gave both his pleasure and his thank you, for not being punished, with each kiss he set on his lovers lovely cool skin, and purred his joy and pleasure even as he did so. "So soft."

"Don't worry; we'll find a time to get rid of them. Send them off walking in the woods. They'll be looking for places alone too, I'm sure, and when they're gone... oh yes." He rubbed against his lover once, and then licked Dominic's throat. "Do you want to know why I asked Lex to bring the tranquilizers?"

"Yes." He murmured, quietly, stroking through his lovers hair and down to gently shuck him out of his damp sweater, carefully letting the heavy water wet cotton flop to the side, and tugged up the thick quilts over his lovers bare back.

"Because I needed it for the rabbit," he confided quietly, moving to nibble on Dominic's earlobe.

"Rabbit?" His eyes opened even as he made a quiet sound and moved his ear up for his lover to do whatever it was he was doing to it, and his eyes slit as they fell on the cage. "It's... over there?"

"It isn't an it. He's a he," Lionel corrected, still nibbling. "And yes, he's in the cage."

"He's c-cute?"

"Absolutely adorable... brown and gray markings... white feet." Each pause was punctuated with a nip to Dominic's ear. "He's only a baby."

Smoochies and cuddles. Seeing the baby bunny. Smoochies and cuddles. Seeing the baby bunny. It was a war he was struggling with, with each nip at his very sensitive earlobe, and he made sounds of quiet pleasure with each lick. "Want… to see him. Don't… want you to move."

Lionel laughed throatily, and rolled onto his back under the blankets. "Go see the baby."

He beamed, leaning over to nip Lionel's own earlobe, and rolled up out of the bed and to his feet. The thick carpet, and hot fire in the corner, kept him warm and sated thank Christ, and he tip toed over to the cage, gently lifting it.

And nearly went crazy at the cuteness before him. Tiny, sleeping baby bunny, all cuddled up in a corner, and he beamed and kept the cage cozy and covered, even as he cooed gently at him. "Oh, Lionel, he's absolutely darling. Why on earth did you buy a bunny for?"

"Because I thought that Eleanor might like a pet," he said, one hand going behind his head while the other one drummed on his belly. "Of course, if she doesn't like it, we'll keep him."

"He's just darling." Dominic beamed, softly, and gently covered the cage as he shivered and quickly climbed back under the sheets. "Eleanor will love him... though, have you talked to Lindy about it?"

"Only in the barest of passing, when I heard her say weeks ago that she thought a pet might be a good thing to teach Eleanor a bit of responsibility, even at her age." He pondered. "I'll call her before we leave the country, and make sure it's all right." He scooted over and made room for his lover under the blanket.

He nodded and rubbed in close, sliding his arms around his lover's waist, gently. He rested for a moment, getting warm again, and listened to the rain on the roof quietly, before speaking. "Lionel? Would you like me to make you come?"

Lionel shook his head gently. "No, Dominic. Not right now. I want to wait, until we're alone, just you and me." He slid his thumb up and down Dominic's bicep as it snuggled against his own. "I want to be able to sit on the end of the bed, spread my legs and make you watch as I pleasure myself, and sadly, I can't do that with my son in the next room."

The words had his breath catching, then letting it slide, quietly, from his lips. He understood and nodded, silently, even as he gave a little tremble against his lovers naked chest, hugging the bigger body close. "I understand. When we go home, then." His eyes shut for a moment. "Lionel, I don't know how I'm going to do on the plane ride home." His voice had lost some of the tease, and was very very serious, even a touch scared. "I don't know how I can take another ten hours, beloved. I tell you the truth, from my heart. I don't know how I'm going to do it."

"You'll have Clark and Lex and I to distract you; I'm sure there is a deck of cards somewhere on the plane, and we will play poker, if Clark knows how, and if he doesn't, we'll teach him." He nuzzled gently against Dominic's cheek, drawing him close. "I can call Toni, and have her call the hospital here, to prescribe you a sedative. Completely put you to sleep on the flight, and you won't wake until you get home."

His fingers dug, tightly, into his lovers side, as his throat constricted. "I hate being like this. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. As long as I can call on you to assassinate any arachnids that dare to enter the premises, we are quite equal and well off."

Dominic let a little smile touch his lips, though it was small, as he let his eyes close. "What time is it?"

Lionel raised his arm just enough to get a look at his watch. "It's just a little after ten in the morning," he replied softly, nibbling so gently at the corner of the little smile.

Alright. At the nibble, he couldn't help looking up and pressing a warm, loving kiss to his lovers soft lips, once, twice… three times. "Want to help me make breakfast? Omelets… bacon... toast and fruit?"

Lionel cocked an eyebrow at his lover. "You threatened to kill me the next time I even considered setting foot in the kitchen. Recall, if you will, the waffle catastrophe." But he grinned. "I think I can handle buttering the toast and slicing a few apples."

"Oh, dear God." He looked horrified. "They were smoked waffles. They were waffles that were slimy about the middle, and burnt to an unidentifiable cinder around the edges. How you ever, ever thought you could make German waffles still astounds me to this day. But..." A grin. "I think you can help. What do you say? Cook, give Clark and Lex time to talk?"

"Despite the fact that I can follow a chemical equation down to the molecule, I seem to have a bit of difficulty in the kitchen." He sighed, dramatically. "I think Clark and Lex do need time to talk," he replied in agreement. "Breakfast might be the perfect excuse."

"Care to take a shower with me, Mr. Luthor?" Dominic whispered, softly, as he rose up onto one elbow, and let his fingertips trail down his lovers tummy.

"As long as it's an indoor shower, and not an outdoors one, then yes, I would love to. And... since Clark was nice enough to bring my dryer, I might be able to do something with this unruly mop." He ran his fingers through his hair, and rubbed his lover's hip gently.

Dominic smiled, quietly, and kissed Lionel's lips, his chin, then down to his nipple ring, where he gave it a warm press of lips. "How would you feel if I got a piercing? Here..." Another kiss to his lovers nipple. "Or... here." Down, to his crotch, where he gave the bare skin a stroke and squeeze.

Lionel gave a little wince. "I would wonder why you'd see fit to put a ten-penny nail through a part of your body that nails were never meant to be driven into." But he leaned forward, and sucked lightly on Dominic's nipple. "Here, though, I wouldn't complain a bit."

He bit his lip, eyes dancing. "One like yours, then? Or... both?" He brought his fingers up to the one his lover wasn't sucking on. "Both of them?"

A quiet little purr at that thought. "Mmm. Both of them. With a little thin chain connecting them."

"Yes." Dominic murmured, softly, and felt his blood thicken at the purr and the arousal of the thought. "That would be there, just for you. Only you'd know they were being weighed down." He licked across his lovers pulse point with a broad sweep of his tongue.

"Just imagine the things I could attach to those rings and that chain," Lionel said softly, tugging at the nipple his mouth had just surrendered. Then he groaned softly and rubbed his cheek against Dominic's.

Dominic let out a long, soft breath...a heavy moan, and brought his thigh up to carefully caress his lovers crotch, even as he licked and sucked at the hickey he'd left there only a few minutes before. "Anything you wanted, anything in the world. Wouldn't say anything, not to my..." He breathed the next word softly, over his lovers ear, as his own fingers slid down Lionel's chest and stroked the pierced nipple. "Master."

Lionel's grip tightened on Dominic's shoulders, and he bit his lover's ear sharply. "Husband," he corrected.

"Husband." Was the moaned reputation, and he shuddered, rubbing against his lover, his husband, a little harder. "Tell me what you'd put on me... tell me what you'd do."

Lionel leaned forward as Dominic rubbed against him. "Hang weights from the rings; attach the chain to your collar so every time you moved, it'd tug and pull on them." He bit his lover's ear again, and gave another shuddering little moan.

Dominic's eyes rolled shut, tightly, as he rubbed again, a little harder, though he was trying to control himself. His cock was hardening again, pressed tight against his lovers thigh, and he rubbed against it even as his own thigh rubbed Lionel's crotch. "Sure... don't want to come?"

A third soft groan. "Yes, I'm sure." He leaned forward. "I'd rather make you wait for it... just a little bit more torture I can add to the pot, knowing you know, knowing you're waiting, but you can't do anything." Flicked his tongue over Dominic's earlobe.

He whimpered, softly, and nodded even as he tried to stop moving his hips, tried to stop rubbing. He licked over his lovers earlobe, down his neck, over his shoulder, which he sucked and nibbled at before he rose to sitting. His cock, half hard in his lap, was a vain thing to hide, though he tried, as he slid a pillow in his lap. "Can't do anything." He whispered--whimpered--and shut his eyes tight for a long moment. "Will wait for you, Lionel."

Lionel just chuckled. "I know you will." He stroked his hand over Dominic's throat, down his chest, over his shoulder and down to clasp his hand. "I love you."

"I love you." He echoed again, softly, leaning over to kiss him this time not in lust, but in love. "I love you very much, my husband. Come now, and lets take a nice, cold shower."

Another soft laugh from Lionel. "Yes, I think a cold shower is what we both need." He squeezed his lover's fingers gently in his own before rising to his feet to draw Dominic up with him.

Dominic rose, himself, once he was sure his cock was under control, and wrapped his arm around his lovers waist. "Have I told you lately you're a big yellow peep?"

"I am not a peep." He looked over at the cage sitting on the dresser. "Much."

 

-fin-

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