The Memoirs

It was very quiet when Dominic woke up with a start.

Night had fallen quite some time ago, and truth be told, it was closer to dawn now. It was very quiet in the house, aside from the night noises the old Scottish mansion made, and Dominic sat up in bed, rubbing his face. Ever since he'd woken up from the coma he was plagued with horrible nightmares--Elaine assured him they were his mind trying to reset itself and get back into the swing of life, but they were terrible. What was worse--they made no sense. Sometimes all they were was him lying in Lex's office, dying of hunger with no one to help him. Tonight's was something similar, only in it he was alone--so very alone.

He swung his legs off the side of the mattress and rubbed his eyes to wake himself up and get the images out of his mind even as his heart rang a bongo against his chest. Lionel was deeply asleep beside him, snoring ever so softly, and Dominic was careful to cover him back up to ward off the stone chill of the mansion. Aurora was deeply asleep at the end of their bed in her soft crib--he checked on her once, covering her up with her little blankets a bit more around her shoulders, before he carefully slipped his robe on over his t-shirt and boxer shorts, grabbed his glasses, and left the room with a quiet click of their door shut.

The mansion was silent, just as he'd expected, but it also felt...dreadfully empty. He stopped to pee in the bathroom across the hall so the sound of the toilet flushing in their own bathroom wouldn't wake Lionel, before walking silently down the steps. His knee twinged and ached deep in the muscle, and he knew almost before he'd finished coming downstairs where he was headed.

The kitchen was just as quiet and silent as he'd expected it to be, and he was very light on his feet and soundless. He put a silent tea kettle on the stove, and after a moments thought, a little pot of water to boil for a bottle. If Aurora didn't wake up for her four o'clock feeding like clockwork, he was a monkeys uncle, and as it was nearing three thirty now, he did it anyway. He pushed his glasses onto his nose and took down flavorless tea and honey, setting it to the side of the stove.

As soon as the hot water had finished boiling he made the tea, sugared just like he liked, sat down with it at a stool to wait for the other pan to finish boiling, set a hand over his face, and tried very, very hard not to burst into tears. He scraped a palm across his mouth, the sound of dry flesh on flesh loud in the small kitchen, and lowered his head to take a drink of the hot tea, scalding his tongue in the process.

"Chu vould not burn chur tongue if chu vould use milk like un ordinary person."

Ms. Bird shuffled out of her room, with her cat twining around her feet. She bent over, bones creaking, and shooed him back into her room and closed the door before continuing her shuffle towards the refrigerator.

She had heard the noise in the kitchen, Dominic rattling cabinets, rattling pots on the stove, and had made her way out of her room to see what was going on. When she saw, she went to the fridge, got out the silver pitcher of milk, and plunked it down on the table. "Dere."

Dominic nodded, looking up with a small smile he didn't feel. "Thank you. I didn't mean to wake you, Ms. Bird. I came to warm a bottle for Aurora."

She sat down at the table across from him, and waved his comments away. "Chu did not vake me," she answered.

"Ms. Bird, you need to sleep more," he lightly scolded, but rose to his feet and got down another cup and saucer, as well as the little sugar cube bowel, pouring her tea as well and offering her the sugar, milk and honey.

"De house es too quiet, vith all the young vuns gone." She sniffed. "Et is not goot for chu and Herr Lionel to be all alone in dis place. Chu should tink about a home of chur own, just as my Lecks did." She took the honey and the mil, and added just a bit of each to her cup.

Dominic inclined his head gently and set the baby's milk on the counter top to warm a bit before setting it in the pan. He took the stool again and looked sleepily down into his own cup, even as his mind wouldn't stop, wouldn't rest. Finally, he looked up at the old woman sitting across from him, and said, "Ms. Bird, we take advantage of all you do here."

Ms. Bird gave a light cackle. "De last time I heard dose vords, vas thirty years ago, vhen de family I vorked for fired me, and und hired an younger girl."

Dominic shook his head, his dimples there and gone again in a few seconds. "We aren't going to fire you, Ms. Bird," he said, and took another sip of tea which had cooled enough to keep from scalding him again. His tongue still tingled slightly. "May I tell you something?"

"Dat is reassuring to hear," she said, leaning back in her chair. "I believe de saying is, it is chur nickle, Herr Dominic. Chu can tell me anything chu like."

Dominic looked up and studied her for a moment, with her wrinkled skin and gray hair under her nightcap and sharp, intelligent eyes. He doubted what he had to say was news to her, but it would be therapeutic none the less. "I'm a very ungrateful and unhappy man."

"Und I am a cranky old voman," she said, crossing her arms over her chest, and smiling lightly to show she was teasing. "Ve all hef to be somethink, Herr Dominic. Vhat makes chu tink you are ungrateful und unhappy?"

He couldn't dredge up another smile, and hunched his elbows down on the counter more comfortably. "I never dreamed of this for myself. Of having Lionel, or a child. Or being the vice president of a company I worked very hard in for almost twenty years of my life. I have everything I could have ever possibly dreamed for myself, but I'm still... there's something missing. Something big. And I don't know what it is."

"Vhat did chu dream for churself?" she asked curiously.

"Success. A family. I wanted to adopt a child for a long time, did I ever tell you?"

"No, chu didn't," Ms. Bird answered, scooting closer to the table and propping tired feet up on the empty chair.

"After I was... better, about six years ago, I almost adopted a child. I didn't get to in the end, because I was a homosexual man living alone. But... oh, she was beautiful, Ms. Bird. I'll never forget her... her name was Sazkanah. A refugee from Iraq." He closed his eyes a moment. "She'll be ten years old this year. I have no idea what happened to her… she was such a pretty little girl." He looked up again. "I only visited with her a handful of times, but she left quite an impression, as you can imagine."

She nodded. "I ken tell. Hef chu looked for her? Chu are a Lut'or now, und chu hef these resources at chur disposal. Chu could find dis little girl, if she weighs so heavily on chur mind und heart."

He smiled a little. "I could, indeed." He looked back down at his hands. "She's not the reason I feel like this though, Ms. Bird. Ever since I woke up, I feel like everything has… changed. If that makes sense. Clark and Lex obviously don't need Lionel or myself anymore--some young buck did my job possibly better than I ever did, our baby was born, and Lionel..." he closed his eyes again and rubbed his mouth, his goatee scritching across his palm. "Lionel seems so distant sometimes. As if he's looking at me through a looking glass. Sometimes I wonder if he's even listening to a word I'm saying when I'm talking to him, and he just grins like an idiot most of the time and kisses whatever part of me is closest. And I *know* he's happy I'm here, but..." He rubbed his fingers through his short hair, the tips sliding across the three scars of the burr holes that still felt tender when he scrubbed his hair too hard in the shower. "I sound like an idiot. An ungrateful one. See?"

Ms. Bird drummed her fingertips together for a moment as she collected her thoughts and organized what she wanted to say. And when she spoke, her voice was devoid of the thick accent she normally used, and was tinged only lightly with the guttural German accent of her old homeland.

"Chu don't sound like an idiot, Herr Dominic," she said after a moment's thought. "Chu do sound like someone who has lost months of their life, while everyone else has gone on around dem," she continued. "Clark, und Lecks, they both need you. They need their own lives too, because Clark is coming into his own. Hilde Bird sees when no one thinks she is looking, und I hef seen it. Dey needed to go, somewhere dere was no pain for them." She was quiet for another moment, framing more of her thoughts.

"Herr Lionel... chu must understand something about him. He never gave up on chu, but he knew he vas going to lose chu. But because of Lecks, you are here. He had given you up for dead, Herr Dominic, and chu were returned to him. I do not think he has gotten over the happiness that brings to him."

"It's bloody unnerving," Dominic said, and rubbed his fingers through his hair once more before standing long enough to put the bottle in the small pan and shut the stove up to let the water warm the bottle on its own. "I never had a chance to prepare for my daughter, Ms. Bird. Not properly. I catch myself having to stop from thinking about going to go visit Toni and ask her how the baby is. I keep telling myself I saw Toni give birth to my daughter, but I..." He pounded the counter next to the stove with his fist, back turned to the older woman.

"Don't think of her as your daughter?" she asked softly.

He dropped his head then, so his chin was almost resting on his chest, and his voice was thick when he spoke. "I'm a horrible man."

Ms. Bird was quiet for a moment. "Did chu ever think of Jonathan Kent--" and after she said his name, she spat in the trash can--"of chur family?"

"Think of him as my family? Christ and God no. I can barely tolerate the bastard."

"Did chu think of Eddie as chur family?"

He shook his head.

"But chu grew used to them, and realized their roles in chur life, yes?"

"I had to. I had no choice."

She nodded. "Then why do chu think of yourself as bad for not yet being used to Aurora, who was thrust as abruptly into chur life as Eddie and Jonathan vere?"

"Because she's... she's my flesh and blood, Ms. Bird." He turned to look at her with all the pain he felt, and walked back over to her to slump in his chair. "She's my daughter. I love her, but... I see Lionel and I know he not only loves her, but he's *in* love with her. He adores her, every bit of her, everything she does. He's keeping a baby book, you know. Every time she so much as squeaks he writes it down."

"Did chu know that after Julian was born, there was a time when Miss Lily wanted nothing to do with the baby?" she asked calmly. "She had just found out dat she vas sick, she had just given birth to de child, und her life was changing so quickly dat she wanted nothing to do with it," she continued. "But vhen she had made her peace with things, there was not a soul who loved dat child more."

He tipped his head as he listened to her, and frowned softly after she'd spoken. "Do you think it'll be better?"

She nodded. "I know it vill," she answered. "Because I have come to know chu. Und you could no more stop chuself from falling in love with dat little vun than chu could stop breathing. Chu must simply give churself time to adjust to who you are now, before you can vorry about loving."

He smiled a little. It hurt to do so, but everything hurt these days. "Thank you, Ms. Bird," he said, and reached out to squeeze her hand. "I'm sorry I was so miserable with you when I was ill."

Ms. Bird's gnarled fingers squeezed Dominic's hand back, albeit gently, because the nighttime's stiffness was setting in. "Chu had efery right to be," she said. "But chu needed someone to pull you out of et when de time came."

Dominic nodded and rose to his feet again, the cold tile numbing his bare toes as he took the bottle from the stove. He wrapped it in a warm towel before taking his teacup to the sink. "Get some rest, Ms. Bird. I have a feeling it's going to be a long day tomorrow."

Ms. Bird followed him over to the stove, and put her own dirty cup in the sink beside his, to be loaded into the dishwasher first thing in the morning. "Ja, ve are helping to pack up your sister's things for moving," she said, hands rubbing each other to warm them into a little bit of flexibility. "Chu should rest as vell."

He didn't want to hear about his sister. "Good night, Ms. Bird." He leaned down, kissed Ms. Birds cheek and took the bottle with him as he left.

His footsteps were silent all the way back up the stairs, his mind reeling with all Ms. Bird had said to him--he hadn't known Lillian had been so distant from Julian, but he'd understood how it was back then. All he could do was hope for the best. He kept that in mind as he slipped back into the bedroom, to find both Lionel and baby still deeply asleep. The milk warmer was on the bedside table and Dominic plugged it in and put the bottle in it to keep for a bit till the baby awoke. He stripped out of his robe and climbed back into bed beside Lionel as quietly as he could, spooning him from the back and settling against his lovers body.

Lionel shifted back against his lover, dragging himself half awake as he looked through straggly strands of his hair at his lover. "Everything well?" he asked, voice husky with sleep.

Dominic nodded against Lionel's shoulder, lifting his head enough to kiss that sleepy mouth and gently smooth away bed-head hair. "Everything well. Go on back to sleep, I'll feed Aurora when she wakes up."

Lionel squinted uselessly at the clock, fumbled a bit for his glasses, and then gave up when his sleepy fingers couldn't close around the wire-rimmed frames. "You don'mind?"

"Of course not," Dominic whispered back, and smoothed his hand down a warm side and hip under the covers, gently curling around a firm waist and hugging his lover back against him. He kissed the back of Lionel's shoulder, once, twice, three times. "I love you, beloved. Sleep now."

"Good--" a huge yawn interrupted. "--night, little cricket," Lionel croaked out, then yawned again. "I love you."

The love Dominic had for this man leapt in his chest and tightened, making him smile again as he felt warm all over at the adorable yawn, the mumbled sentiment, and he knew Lionel was already dropping off. He kissed his lovers shoulder again, nosed the hair out of the way to kiss his neck, and set his cheek there cozily, behind Lionel's ear.

"Wheels're turning," Lionel slurred quietly, on the tail end of another yawn. "Go t'sleep, Aurora'll wake us up."

"Wheels? Really?" Dominic said, humoring the man in his arms with gentle amusement. He doubted he was going back to sleep tonight, but it was enough that he was right where he was. That he'd almost missed this, that he'd almost been ripped away from it by his conniving mother, prodded at the well of rage inside of Dominic's heart that had been stirring there for quite some time. He didn't let on, though, and instead stroked Lionel's stomach and chest soothingly. "She's already stirring. Shh... sleep, lovely."

Lionel gave a grunt in response, burrowing his head deeper into the pillow and yawning as he pulled the blanket up higher.

Dominic bit the inside of his cheek and kissed his lover once more, before settling down and closing his eyes for a few precious minutes.

Aurora chose precisely that moment to yawn, kick the blanket so it tangled around her feet, and let out an ear-piercing shriek to notify the people who fed her that she was hungry, here.

Dominic smiled softly against Lionel's neck and lifted his head up. He rolled back over to his feet, pulled his robe back on, got the bottle, and shuffled over to the crib. "Shhhh," he murmured, and after putting the bottle in the pocket of his robe, he lifted the baby up, soft blanket and all. "Shhh. It's all right, little one," he murmured, and after glancing once at the bed, moved to the nursery. He flipped on a small lamp that twinkled nursery rhymes, and put it on as he set the baby on the changing table. "Good morning, madam," he said down to the baby, and then winced. "Oh, lovey, you're all wet. You've dampened these lace things Lionel calls pajamas too. Hold on." He wrapped the baby up again, not bothering to move the blanket as it was soiled by now as well, and lifted her onto his shoulder as he opened the closet and went inside. After a moments looking he got soft cotton footy pajamas, thick socks for the foot pajamas because he didn't believe in letting a baby anywhere without socks, and a few thick, soft blankets.

He sat her back on her little table and changed her quickly and efficiently, cleaning her lower back and upper thighs with soft wipes before dressing her in the warm clothes. "A bath for tomorrow," he murmured, as he gently powdered her arms the softest bit.

Yeah, whatever. Wet, cold, more wet, more cold, and no food.

Yeah. See, the no food thing? Unhappy Rory.

And she let out another series of shrieks and cries *just* to get her point across.

"Shhh," he murmured, and wrapped her in a warm blanket. He left the dirty clothes in her hamper, her diaper in the diaper bucket, and walked across the room towards the little lamp and rocker. He settled in it, knee wincing, and shifted until the both of them were comfortable before putting the bottle in the babies mouth and holding her close to his chest to study her.

Okay. Happy now.

Aurora's lips pursed as she sucked on the bottle, swallowing down the yummy warm stuff inside as she kicked out occasionally, swinging her feet and fists as she kept sucking on the bottle.

Her bottom wasn't wet anymore, which was a good thing, and she heaved a little happy baby sigh as she kept eating.

At the sigh Dominic's eyes filled with tears again and he pressed the baby close to the crook of his shoulder and neck, hugging her close as he began to rock. He closed his eyes, setting his cheek on her head as they walked, and he listened to her suckling on her bottle silently until she was done. He burped her gently, and then set her on his shoulder, rubbing her back warmly. "Pretty baby," he murmured, turning his head just enough to look at her. Her breath smelled like milk, her eyes were thick and heavy and sleepy, and her little mouth was pursed where one chubby cheek was smushed against his shoulder.

She looked… she looked beautiful.

"My little baby," he murmured, and rubbed her back gently as he climbed to his feet. He shut the lamp off, careful not to jostle the baby, and walked back into the bedroom.

She gave a little gurgle as she was comfortably swaddled against Dominic's shoulder, smacking her lips once and waving one chubby fist tiredly as she snuggled into the warmth of his chest.

Dominic held her close and sat on the edge of the bed. Lionel had rolled over onto his back and left plenty of room, so Dominic lay the baby down on the bed, shucked out of his robe, and stretched out beside them both. In the moonlight Lionel looked debonair, the stately profile beautiful in the moonlight, and the baby was watching him with her enormous eyes. She looked so much like Lionel that it almost made him laugh--instead he smiled at the baby and offered her his finger to hold. "As long as you're not hairy like him, love, we'll be fine," he whispered to her.

She smacked a big yawn at him as her fist closed around his finger and yanked.

And yanked again.

And when it didn't come off, she started chewing on it.

Dominic let her, watching her pretty green eyes blink sleepily in the moonlight, watched as she chewed with her soft gummy teeth, and gently kissed the fingers she had clamped around his finger. "I love you," he whispered softly to her.

Oooh!

She knew that!

When people made those noises, they liked it if you made noises back.

She cooed, and then drooled a little more on Dominic's finger, then burped up a little milk.

Dominic smiled and hugged her close, but just for a moment. He'd intended on leaving her on the bed, but what if Lionel rolled over on her like a mother rhino and squashed her? What if she got poked, or hurt? What if she fell off the bed?

That thought alone made him get back up, take her in his arms, and set her warmly in her own little crib at the foot of their bed where he could see her. And if he set his pillow the other way so he could watch her from less than a foot away, well than that was his business.

He offered her his finger through the bars of the crib.

She grabbed onto his finger again, but instead of sucking on it, just held it tight in her little fist as she smacked out another little yawn, kicked her blankies around until they were comfortable, and went back to sleep.

Yes, well. She had the right idea about things. He closed his eyes too, and let sleep come to him.

Lionel barely stirred when he felt Dominic shifting around in the bed, and he raised his head just enough to see him down at the foot, playing with their daughter in her crib before dropping his head back down and going back to sleep.

- = - = -

The next time Dominic's eyes fluttered, the sun had yet to come up, though the light of early morning shone over their bedroom.

He blinked at it sluggishly, watching the trees outside of their enormous windows and balcony doors fluttered. The room was cool but not terribly so--the fire in the hearth by the door had been lit, and the embers crackled gently, warming the side of the crib the baby was lying on. Dominic's cheek was pressed to one of the crib bars and his daughters hand still clutched his big finger, which was tingly from not moving it. Something in his heart wrenched at that, and he gently kissed the finger as he lifted his head sleepily to get his bearings. He was still in bed, obviously, though at the foot--Lionel's toes were tucked by his side, warming themselves on his t-shirt, and he gave them a gentle push as he gave a soft, deep yawn and peered blurrily around himself.

And then he stopped, and looked at his husband again. Lying there like a Grecian god, hair tumbled over the pillow, arm thrown over his eyes, and Dominic wanted nothing more than to nuzzle that warm chest, then down that lovely belly....

He stopped his thoughts for a moment and looked at his sleeping daughter. Impressionable daughter. Impressionable, deeply asleep daughter.

He'd just have to hide under the blankets.

The thought brought on a whole slew of emotions and images, and Dominic smiled the smallest bit to himself as he rubbed his left eye once more and crawled carefully over the bed until he lay along his lovers left side instead of the right. He curled up under the blankets and pressed gently against Lionel's warm, firm body. Very firm. Morning firmness. Nice morning firmness.

He curled under the blankets, disappearing until nothing but a tuft of blond hair was visible, and licked a stripe from root to tip, nuzzling the hard head gently with his lips.

Lionel gave a quiet grunt as he felt someone shoving his feet to the side, but didn't stir from his sleep until he felt someone--Dominic, from the knee in his belly--crawled over him, and then wormed his way under the blankets.

Lionel was holding the top corner of the blankets up, getting ready to ask his lover what he thought he was doing down there when the answer to his question wrapped around the head of his cock.

He gave a soft, quiet moan as he stretched, back arching and spine cracking as he settled back against his pillows and peeked under the blankets again.

Dominic didn't bother looking up--he hadn't had this in so, so long, and it tasted so, so good--but he did pull back enough to just *look*. His few wet sucks had brought his lover to full hardness, and the head was shiny and red with the patient ministrations he'd just been pleasurably engaged in. It was gorgeous, for being a cock--thick and hard and just right to wrap his fingers around. It was dim in the room, and all he saw under the thick blankets was shadow but for where the light peeked in from his head, but it was more than enough. He felt the saliva pool beneath his tongue as he just...*looked*, gently caressing with his fingertips, then down to stroke the heavy balls, rubbing his thumb gently over them where they lay partially on Lionel's thigh from his position in bed. Gorgeous. Beautiful. And all of it *his*. The ring around the head, ridge-like and thick, met right at the perfect spot where Lionel had been circumcised so long ago. The tiny scar was invisible but he could feel it with his tongue as he licked across the little spot that was probably one of, or the most, sensitive part of this gorgeous cock.

Lionel's hand eased down to stroke over his lover's rump as it was presented to him, his wedding band cold against Dominic's warm skin as he rubbed the firm flesh under his hand.

His thumb rubbed along the swelling curve of Dominic's cheek, trailing along the split between them as his other hand rose to pillow his head. The blankets fell back down to create a puddle of warmth that he arched up into, even as Dominic's tongue flickered over the surface of his cock. "Is this... your idea of a wake-up call?" Lionel asked softly, breaking the quiet silence of the morning.

Dominic looked up and blushed, just the softest bit, before he wrapped his lips gently around the head and stroked his tongue across the head. It dipped in with the slit the tiniest bit and he tickled it softly before licking carefully down as he eased his mouth down over the hard cock. His hand wrapped firmly around the base and he squeeze softly and released, squeezed and released as he gently began to move his mouth over Lionel's cock. Slow, sweet suction--warm and comforting and deliriously exciting when the flesh reacted under his hands. His mouth made the most crude noises but he didn't care--this? This was bliss.

Lionel gave hard little shudders that vibrated the bed as Dominic's mouth and hands started to suck him in earnest. His hand fell from his lover's body to fist in the sheets beside him, fingers scrabbling for a tight enough hold as his hips thrust lightly again.

The noises that his lover made echoed in the quiet room, and Lionel listened to every one of them, echoing them with little grunts and moans of his own as he moved into his lover's caresses.

Dominic let go of the hard cock in front of him, though he wanted, *badly*, to do more things to it, and moved down to gently lick and suckle the lovely, warm balls underneath. He was careful and minded his teeth as he sucked one in, gave it a warm and firm tongue bath, then did the other, laying soft kisses on them as he moved up and down the hard shaft pressed into his cheek. The moved blanket did wonders for his ability to breathe and he took breaths shallowly against Lionel's inner thigh, both from what he was doing and the fact that his own cock was stone, rubbing into the sheets. Just like he liked it--gloriously servicing this beautiful man while maddened by his own lust. It made him squirm and moan softly into his mouthful, breathing in the scent of *Lionel* and *sex* and pure, delicious cock.

Lionel gave deep groans as Dominic's tongue moved to his balls instead, spreading his legs so that his lover could have complete access to anything that he wanted. He let go of the sheets while Dominic was carefully locking his balls, and brought his hand to his chest, tugging the silver nipple ring as he hissed sharply.

He moved his leg carefully until his knee was bent, and his toes brushed against his lover's stomach as he rubbed his ass against the sheets, pressing down into the mattress.

Dominic murmured in pleasure and lifted his mouth back to the hard cock, slipping the hard heat back into his mouth for a few, gentle, short sucks, before he looked up at his lover, mouth still tightly encased and red, tight where Lionel's cock was between his lips. He suckled, like at the head of a lollipop, and slid his mouth off for a moment. "Lionel?" he murmured, still very gently stroking his lovers cock with his fingers, enough to stimulate but not enough to come.

"Yes?" Lionel asked softly, voice quietly choked as his fingers kept tugging the nipple ring while his hips rocked into Dominic's stroking fist.

"Would it be all right.." he swallowed and stopped for a moment, slithering up Lionel's chest and batting his hands away to carefully lick and suck at the nipple ring. He looped his tongue through it and jerked, flickering the tip of his tongue against the tip of the nipple before tugging with his teeth.

"Yes," he answered breathlessly, his hand sliding up Dominic's spine to card through his hair, holding his wet mouth to the nipple ring he was currently teasing.

"You don't know what I want yet," Dominic said, looking up with a cherry red, cock sucking mouth, disheveled hair, and need in his eyes.

"I don't care," Lionel said, letting his hand fall out of Dominic's hair to stroke over his cheek, rubbing his thumb over those red lips. "You can have it as long as it doesn't require my head being shaved."

Dominic dropped his head and snickered, before glancing up in amusement from where he was splayed against Lionel's chest. He arched his hips into Lionel's to feel their hard cocks rub one another, and he gasped at the sensation even as he said, "I want... I want you to... if you want… to be inside me. I miss you." He said the last part in an almost inaudible whisper, as he gently traced the hard nipple and its ring with his tongue.

Lionel dragged Dominic up from his nipple ring to kiss him deeply, desperately hard as his tongue thrust through to possessively devour his lover's mouth. "You didn't have to ask," Lionel grunted into the kiss, keeping his hips thrusting and his erection rubbing against Dominic's. "Do you want to ride me, or do you want to be on your back with me driving into you?"

A sharp tingle ran through Dominic's chest and down into his groin, and he shuddered as he gasped for breath at the sharp arousal. Of course, he barely got that breath before Lionel was kissing him deeply and he kissed back just as hard, moaning softly into the lovely mouth. That mouth, tongue plunging into his mouth, and those hips driving the hard cock against him and Dominic was starting to tremble in earnest. He wrapped his arms around Lionel's shoulders and didn't answer for a few delirious moments of ecstasy until they had to part or they'd suffocate.

He let go, gasping, and immediately plunged down to the long neck, raining hard, sucking little bites all the way down the column of his throat towards the hard nipple again. "Both," he whispered against the nipple, before biting it and doing the same to it's made before he lifted up for another hard kiss.

Lionel returned the kiss, sitting up in bed and rolling his lover over in the same motion until he towered over Dominic, knees on either side of his hips as he rubbed his cock against Dominic's lower belly.

The lube that lived in their bedside drawer fell into his hands as he scrabbled for it, squirting the cold gel onto his hands first, then rubbed them together to warm it up. Once he was satisfied, Lionel's fingers slid down to slick his cock, then he slid himself down so that he could rub a wet fingertip over Dominic's opening.

Lionel rolled them over and Dominic gave a heaved little whoosh of pleasure as he stretched out and pushed a pillow under his hips. He squirmed until Lionel was back, and back was *good* because it meant Lionel's fingers were stroking over his hole and he groaned, spreading his thighs. "Yes, please," he whispered, fingers clasping his cock to jerk as he trembled. "Oh, that...oh, yes."

Lionel's hands moved, both of them. One stroked inside, slick finger stroking deeply as the other caught Dominic's stroking hand and raised it over his head, pushing it down against the pillows as he took a sharp bite from his lover's nipple before straightening back up.

Oh. *Oh*. Dominic shuddered all over and his back bowed all on its own accord as he squeezed tightly around the finger inside of him. His eyes rolled closed at the tight clasp of Lionel's hand above his head, and then it was gone and it was *so* good. "No touching?" he whispered, bucking into the finger.

"No touching," Lionel confirmed, sliding a second finger into his lover as he dragged Dominic's other hand up as well, holding both wrists with his free hand as he leaned his weight against them.

His head ducked down, to bite each pert nipple, to suck at the bobbing Adam's apple as his fingers stroked, then to kiss panting lips as they were offered to him as he continued to stretch.

Dominic hadn't been touched like this in a long time, and it made him feel… so treasured. So, so treasured. He closed his eyes and let himself feel each bite, each suck, each warm kiss, and the hot fingers inside of him, moving and opening him for what was to come. It felt glorious, wonderful, perfect, and he spread his legs all the more, cock hard and leaking on his belly. "Yes. Yes, please. Oh... oh, God, yes."

Lionel eased his fingers out of his lover's body when he heard the encouraging words, and instead stroked them over his cock, making sure he was still slick and spreading the remaining lube over his shaft.

He shifted his hips just enough and leaned forward, letting the head of his cock ease slowly into his lover, and then stilled for a long moment. He closed his eyes, his weight pushing his cock into his lover with excruciatingly teasing slowness.

Dominic moaned--very softly, and very deeply. There was an ache inside of him, a lazy kind that always itched right out of reach. An itch only Lionel could sate. it was comfort, and beautiful, and he wrapped his legs tightly around Lionel's upper back, eyes opening now to watch Lionel's face as he slid into him so slowly.

Lionel's eyes were still closed, his back arched as he let his cock push into his lover. He moved deliberately slowly, deliberately careful as he began to thrust, hips rocking back and forth as he slid in the hot, tight little passage that clung to his cock.

It burned then, and he gasped, clutching Lionel's shoulders tightly with his arms now. He wrapped them tightly around those lovely shoulders and held him close as he moved in. A delightful burn, a gorgeous burn, perfect and *alive*. He moaned then, softly and deeply, and rocked back, wriggling against the hard cock and willing it deeper, willing it inside. "I love you so much," he whispered hoarsely.

Lionel kept thrusting deeply, sheathing his cock entirely as he worked it into his lover's depths only to slide back out for the next thrust.

The heat, the feel of warm flesh, the whispered words and breath that skated over his ear, all of it sent shudders racing through his body and his grip tightened on his lover's wrists just a little. "I love you," he murmured back softly, nuzzling his beard against his lover's cheek.

For some reason, the nuzzle against his cheek brought a wash of tears to his eyes. He didn't exactly know why, so he rubbed back and tightened his thighs around Lionel's back, hugging him tightly with them just as he did with his arms. "I love you so much," he choked out around the lump in his throat, and squirmed as Lionel began to move slowly in and out, working himself in with each heavy stroke.

Lionel repeated the gentle nuzzle against his lover's cheek, then moved to the other cheek and repeated the gesture a third time. He playfully nipped his lover's nose, then let go of Dominic's wrists as his hands rose to lace their fingers together, pressing them still into the pillows as he moved faster.

Dominic groaned, very very deeply and closed his eyes as his lover thrust. It only took rearranging his legs for his hips to shift and Lionel to strike that part inside of him that made his hips rear and the muscles in his neck cord as he swallowed the cry and humped down into that spot again, thrashing and fingers digging into strong shoulders. "Oh!"

Lionel had released his lover's hands completely when he'd felt him shift, and he wasn't disappointed when Dominic's nails dug into his shoulder and dragged down his back.

He hissed in pleasure as he thrust his cock deeper, pounding his lover with abrupt, hard strokes that slammed against his prostate before sliding back out again.

Dominic jerked again, and then again, groaning and digging his fingers into his lovers back as the pleasure spot was hit, over and over. The heavy cock moving inside of him made him writhe, the hit against that spot made him jerk, and very suddenly he needed to touch his cock more than anything else. He reached down between them and took hold of himself as he searched for his lovers mouth again. Their lips met and it was perfect and right and *glorious*, and it made him moan in the pleasure and joy of it.

As soon as Lionel saw his lover stroking his cock, he stilled for a moment, wrapping his arms around Dominic's waist and rolling over so that he was on his back and his lover was looming over him. "You said you wanted both," Lionel grunted, his hands going to Dominic's hips as he started to rock urgently upwards. "Ride me."

It was all displaced air for a moment. He heard Lionel's whispered words, and then arms and they were *moving* and suddenly he found himself sitting on his lovers hard cock. Gravity did its work by pressing Lionel in deep, making his eyes roll back and he shuddered before opening his eyes a slit and looking down at his lover. Ride him. Ride him, indeed.

Making sure he was steady, Dominic bowed his back and with a steadying hand on Lionel's chest, he began to thrust back. His eyes were tightly shut, his free hand on his cock, squeezing and stroking as he moved against Lionel's deep inside him. He was in seventh heaven where the pleasure was making his hands shake and his heart swell and he felt glorious, *glorious*. "Oh, oh, god," he whispered hoarsely, squeezing Lionel's hips with his thighs as he searched for his orgasm.

Lionel's hand rose, stroking Dominic's cock with his lover's hand, hips thrusting into the tight passage that slid up and down his cock.

He could feel every movement, every twitch and tremble and jerk, and for each motion, Lionel pounded his lover harder, pushing his cock deeper with rougher strokes.

Not... enough... fucking... friction, nor the strength to get it, though for the next five minutes Dominic worked towards it furiously. He groaned softly in frustration and looked down at his lover, eyes slit tight for a moment before he whispered, voice choked, "Lionel? Can...c an we try something new? It might... be... stress on your back, but...oh..." He groaned and jerked on Lionel's cock.

"We can try it," Lionel gritted out, jaw tight as his fingers left his lover's cock to tug his nipple ring instead.

Dominic nodded, visibly trembling. "Lean...lean your top half off the bed, l-love," he whispered, clenching his eyes shut before opening them again. He carefully pulled himself free of his lover, his opening clenching in loss as he sat back enough to let Lionel move. His lovers cock looked hot and red and agonized, and he squeezed it tightly and stroked it.

Lionel raised an eyebrow but did as he was told, pausing as his lover dismounted him and he moved in the bed, angling himself so that his lower back rested on the edge of the bed while the rest of him dangled off the edge, and one arm reached down to brace himself on the floor. "Like this?" he asked, keeping his legs spread and using his free hand to stroke his cock

Dominic nodded firmly and grasped the lubrication from the blankets, squeezing a dollop out and stroking it into himself again before he moved. He slid over his lovers erection again, slipping Lionel inside with a push, and when his lover was deeply embedded inside of him again, Dominic braced his feet off the bed around Lionel's arm pits, and using the floor for leverage, lifted up and thrust down *hard*.

It was, as Dominic had promised, stressful on his back, but more than worth it as he cried out sharply. Dominic's body swallowed his cock in a single push, down to the root without a blink as he rocked up, just a little from his precarious position. His other hand dropped the floor, had to so that he could properly brace himself, bearing most of his weight on his shoulders and wrists as he thrust up into his lover.

Dominic threw his head back and braced himself on the bed just as Lionel braced himself on the floor, keeping his weight back on Lionel's legs to keep him balanced as he began to move hard and fast, sharp and sure. it felt... it was incredible and he reached for his cock, squeezing and fucking his hand tightly just as Lionel fucked *him*. It was glorious, sensational, and he shuddered roughly as he looked down at Lionel below him, holding himself up with his face screwed in pleasure. Dominic nearly bit through his lip keeping the cry in as he jerked, pushing up and down from the floor and moving *hard* and *fast* and *good*.

Lionel found that it was easier to move with Dominic's weight counterbalancing his own, his center of gravity thrown off by this new position as he rocked up into his lover.

His hair fell in sweeping tangles as his head fell back, nearly sweeping the floor with their length as he arched his back, feeling it creak in protest but not caring as his cock started to twitch. "Dominic!" he cried out, holding onto his orgasm with the thinnest of threads.

That was all Dominic needed. He heard his lover cry out and he arched his back, jerking his cock hard as he tightened all over and came. Orgasm was a rush, delirious, sweet, perfect, *incredible*, from his groin, backside and chest out to all his muscles, making him bite back a wail as he squirmed down on Lionel's cock. His body wasn't under his control, not at all, jerking and moving and losing all sense of self as he came.

Lionel's entire body stiffened with his orgasm. Buried deep in Dominic's body, his cock spat out thick ribbons of white as he groaned, twitching stiffly as he rocked his hips and pushed himself deeper as he rode out his orgasm.

The fact that Dominic's come was splashing on his chest and stomach only drove Lionel harder, fingers digging into the thick plush carpeting as he thrust up.

Dominic bucked on Lionel's cock until the last thick string of come had been wrenched from him, and then he ever so happily sagged on Lionel's hips, gasping so hard he was whimpering, holding himself upright with a hand on the bed beside him. His breath whooshed and his heart slammed in his chest as he gasped out his lovers name, over and over.

Lionel weakly pushed himself back up onto the bed, shoulders and back screaming in protest as he laid there, eyes closed as he stared at the back of his eyelids.

"Next time, little cricket," he said between pants, "you're going on bottom."

Dominic moved with Lionel, not wanting to dismount--not yet, until his lover stretched out on the bed. Then, only then, did he squeeze once more around Lionel before he pulled free and slumped forward on Lionel's chest, breath heaving from him.

Those breaths slowly turned into giggles, until they were snickers, chuckles, and then he was muffling the full on laughter into Lionel's chest as he looked up. "Frisky, pre-dawn sex. Check."

"You're lucky we didn't wake Aurora," Lionel huffed as he brought one arm up to wrap around his lover and snuggle him close.

Dominic pushed a lock of sweaty hair out of his face, still panting as he pressed his lips to Lionel's throat and neck and hugged him close, sleepy and content. "Got to do normal things around her. run the vacuum. Have loud sex. If not, she'll be a light sleeper all her life--everything will wake her up."

"Or we could remember that she is a delicate young lady and may not want to be subjected to her fathers' more intimate adventures," Lionel suggested.

Dominic smiled and lay his cheek on his lovers shoulder, gently playing with Lionel's ample chest hair, stroking his fingers through it, and then the ring through his nipple. He was curiously silent for a few minutes, warm there in his lovers embrace with his backside burning very pleasantly, enjoying the post orgasmic bliss that always made him feel so comfortable and peaceful. His thoughts, however, were far from peaceful. "Lionel?"

Lionel was basking in his lover's gentle attentions, closing his eyes and luxuriating in it until Dominic spoke. There was an edge to his query that Lionel couldn't quite place, and he cracked open his eyes. "Yes?"

"Can I tell you something? Something that may upset you?" He looked up, then, but only to set his chin on his lovers shoulder to look at him properly. His fingers never stopped gently stroking.

"Of course you can." Lionel looked down at his lover. "And I will endeavor not to be upset when you tell me."

Dominic nodded and set his cheek back down. "Since I woke up, Lionel, I have felt... strange. Ms. Bird helped me earlier tonight, actually, realize some things that I need to tell you." he stopped for a moment. "Since I woke up, I've felt... off. Life has gone on around me, and I feel displaced. Out of order. Things I know will get better in time, and other things that won't unless I do something about them. Not just for me, but for all three of us." He paused again, thinking. "Lionel, if I asked... would you want to move into a home of our own?"

Lionel considered.

For all of about thirty seconds.

"I can make several phone calls to the local realtors here in Smallville to see what the offerings are, and if nothing suits either of us, then I can have architects by next week to have plans drawn for us."

Dominic's chest tightened and his lips curved into a tentative smile. "Do you feel it too, then? That this… the mansion has too many memories?"

"I've thought that for quite some time," Lionel said softly, running his fingers through his lover's hair. "But I think they've become overwhelming since Clark and my son have gone."

Dominic nodded and pressed his lips to the underneath of Lionel's jaw. "The silence is deafening." He paused a moment. "My sister is moving with them. She hasn't said it in so many words, but… there's nothing I can do. She's eighteen, Lionel. If anything, Lex and Clark will make sure to take care of her." He suddenly felt exhausted at talking about her and lay back down. "We'll take Ms. Bird with us?"

"Good riddance to the little flake," Lionel snarled, not quite having forgiven her yet for the desecration of Lillian's dresses. "And of course we'll take Ms. Bird with us, if she's willing to go."

"She isn't a flake, Lionel. She's my sister," Dominic said, frowning up at him before settling again, a worry line creased between his eyebrows. "What will you do with this place?"

Lionel wisely let it go. "I haven't thought," he said after a moment. "It's registered as an Historical site, so if nothing else, we'll open it up for tours. Perhaps rent it out for parties or the like."

Dominic looked up a bit, and murmured, "Maybe you could turn it into a private school."

"Perhaps," Lionel allowed. Something about the thought of these rooms filled with happy children made him cringe, while at the same time, he realized he was smiling.

Dominic's grin echoed Lionel's. "I know what you're thinking, but think about it. This wing is full of bedrooms… something like seventy, correct? And there's plenty of room in the east wing for classrooms, and the Ball Room is perfect for a dinner hall."

"You are not going to turn this place into Hogwarts," Lionel warned.

Dominic's eyes danced. "I was thinking of a school to mirror Excelsior, Lionel, only with a better academic program. I can't be blamed for the fact that the first thing you do when you hear 'private school' is imagine a Quidditch pitch."

"No, little cricket, it's merely the only other school I can think of housed in a castle," Lionel countered.

"Excelsior is a castle," Dominic hummed innocently. "And besides, this is not a *castle*. It...is an estate. A very beautiful, wealthy, castle-like estate."

"It is a castle," Lionel said reasonably. "And I will consider the idea, little cricket. I will also speak to the town council and see what facilities Smallville is lacking--besides a decent library--and see if our property can fit their needs."

Dominic grinned upwards, all but beaming as the sun began to crest over the far-away line of trees. "That sounds so lovely." he didn't say that if Lionel agreed to making it a private school, he'd love to teach here. "Lionel, I also wanted to ask you how you'd feel if I published a book under a pen name."

Lionel gave a soft chuckle. "I think that would be grand. Then you would be so busy writing future books you would stop nagging me to finish mine," he said, grinning down and kissing his lover's nose to show he was teasing.

Dominic grinned up at him and reached up to kiss his lover properly, licking over the warm lips before delving deep. He stroked his tongue over Lionel's, murmuring his pleasure in it as their mouths moved against one another. He pulled up, giving his lovers mouth one gentle last kiss, before stroking that lovely mane, damp with sweat and sex, out of Lionel's face. The heavy kiss and Dominic's own gentle movements against Lionel's body had a.... very desirable effect, and he rubbed his thigh gently against the heavy heat between his lovers thighs. "Healthy one, aren't you?" he murmured, as he covered Lionel's body and with a sensual writhe, had his lover back inside of him.

Dominic moved with his lover as they started back up towards orgasm, and the sun crested, sending golden light over their bedroom.

 

-fin-

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