The Memoirs

 Lex was staying about two and a half steps in front of Dominic and Lionel.  He was trying very, very hard not to snicker his ass off, and finally, he threw open the last set of doors to his office and made a beeline to the bar.  By the time Dominic walked into the room, Lionel was fast on his heels and Lex was offering a triple shot of scotch.  "Drink, Dominic?"

 

"I’m not seeing this." His eyes were as big as half dollars. "I’m not seeing this." A blank, glassy eyed look to his lover, and all you could see was that lovely green surrounded by white. "Did you see that? I didn’t. Noo. I did not see my mother having sex with the help."

 

"Thank you, son."  Lionel pushed Jiminy down into the chair, lifted his hand, and put the glass in it.  "Drink, little cricket.  Now."

 

He blinked. Sat down, quite suddenly at that, and barely didn’t make it into the chair. The glass was set in his fingers... and he fixed his eyes on it, dumbly, before suddenly tossing the entire thing back in a two heavy swallows. He gasped... Hissed… then offered it up for another shot as he hissed. "Holy mother of dearest God and Christ. Please... please tell me," Those shaking hands grasped his lovers. "Tell me I didn’t see what I think I saw."

 

Lex wordlessly refilled the glass with another three shots worth of fine liquor, and then sat the bottle on the table by Dominic's elbow.

 

Lionel gripped back tightly.  "Do you want honesty, Jiminy?  Or me to lie and make you feel better?"

 

"You don’t have to. I saw it. Oh, dearest God, and Christ Jesus." He suddenly blinked. "Where's Megan? Is Megan--"

 

"Liquor. Now." Just because she was a super model didn’t mean she didn’t have a taste for the drink. Sure, she hadn’t eaten a full course meal in six years, but she could hold liquor down with the best of them. And she knew, from memory, that Lex was quite the curator of fine imported liquor... Vodka… scotch... tequila. And she was in the mood to get drunk. She stepped quite willowy around Lionel, plopped in the chair with her brother... her small hips just fit. She took Morgan’s glass and downed it before he could, long locks flying as she hissed around the mouthful. "Holy crap."

 

And said Morgan was still looking into space...blinking once in a while in shock, before finally speaking. "You know, that's just not right."

 

"No... no it wasn’t." Megan lay back against his shoulder and blinked too. "At all. I thought old people weren’t supposed to have sex anymore." A little glance to Lionel. "Or, okay, the ones that are my mother."

 

Lionel raised an eyebrow.  "Can you handle two of them drunk?"

 

"No, but I'll handle Megan if you'll handle Dominic."  Lex leaned over and dropped a kiss on Megan's forehead.  "Tequila is the draught of choice, if memory serves?" he asked her softly.  "Believe me, it does not get any easier knowing that your parents are having sex."  Lex looked up and glared at his father.

 

"It...its so..." Megan's eyes, the exact same hue as her twin brothers, looked up into Lex's, and a look of the purest horror crossed her face. "Gross."

 

"I cant believe my mother is having sex with the help." Dominic just... sort of blinked, and poured himself another shot, swallowing half of it, before handing it to his sister. "That... I..." He suddenly caught Lex's words and swiveled his head with a glare. "Lionel is not a parent...oh, wait."

 

Megan couldn’t help snickering, muttering something in his ear akin to some commentary they so happened to make at the grocery store.

 

Oh, he tried not to laugh, but Dominic was giggling into her shoulder and couldn’t stop.

 

"Excuse me, Lionel is a parent," Lex grumbled.  "Mine, though there's a decade or so where I wouldn't lay claim to him if you put a gun to my head.  And it is not fun knowing that my father is having sex with you.  Now you know how I feel when I hear YOU screaming YOUR head off."

 

Oh, and Dominic’s eyes lit up, liquor taking care of his immediate child-like horror at finding out his mother actually still had sex. Creepy. He skirted his glance to his lover, a grin taking over his mouth and a blush his cheeks, as he pressed his face back to Megan's shoulder for a soft kiss. "You haven’t a clue what you're talking about."

 

"I do. 'e's always been a screamer, since we were teens." Megan beamed, tossing back her third glass of scotch and sighing as her belly thanked her. "Quite hysterical, might I add. Mama used to threaten to take a belt to him."

 

"Yes, thank you, big sister. I’m grateful of you for sharing that tidbit, do you have any naked baby pictures as well?" Dominic rolled his eyes at her.

 

"Actually..."

 

"I swear on the sweet head of baby Jesus that I will wring your neck."

 

"I'd actually like to see those photographs," Lionel added helpfully.  "And, I will protect you from his threat of neck-wringing."

 

Lex leaned over on the back of Megan's chair.  "If I remember my history correctly, Miss Gina, you were a bit of a screamer yourself... or was I just that damn good?"

 

Lionel's eyes snapped over to his son. "Lex?"

 

"Mmm?"

 

"Just as you do not want to know the state of my sexual affairs, nor do I want to know the state of yours."

 

"Twasn’t a mere threat, I'll have you know." And oh, Dominic growled. "There will be no ass showing of Morgan Dominic Senatori, are we clear, sweet sister?"

 

Her smile was priceless at her brother... before her big doe eyes widened at Lex... and she smiled, smugly, at Lionel's words. "You think too highly of yourself, Lex. If any of us were good, I was good." She shined her nails... and grinned at Lionel. "Which we won’t discuss here, with the more tender hearted males."

 

"I’m not tender hearted! DAMNIT!"

 

"Oh, darling, you're a mush brain."

 

"Well Lionel’s a marshmallow." Sulky humph.

 

"I am not a marshmallow," Lionel protested hotly.

 

"I don't remember being the one reduced to a quivering, screaming mass, but... perhaps my memory is faulty."  Lex kissed her forehead again, and filled all their glasses again.

 

"You are." Dominic leaned in and pressed a warm, hot, brief kiss to his lovers lips, and his eyes twinkled. "And you're my marshmallow. One I hope to see in front of the ocean, very soon." He added quietly.

 

"I like to put on a show for the males." Megan’s eyes twinkled. "Makes them feel nice and manly."

 

"As soon as it can be arranged," Lionel replied, just as quietly as he wrapped his arms around Dominic's chest.  "And I am not."

 

Lex snorted.  "You're not that good an actress, Megan."

 

"Oh, come off it, save the mushies for the bedroom, or for when I’m not here." Megan groused, and elbowed her brother where he was smushing her to pet and snuggle with his love. "I’m skinny, I’m not that skinny, and might I add I’m a bloody fantastic actress, Lex Luthor, and you're better not to say anything else." A humph, and she tossed back the drink like a true sailor.

 

"Far be it from me to tar the reputation of Gina the Supermodel."  Lex held his hand out.  "Come on, there's another chair over here, let them have it and I'll give you another drink," he said, holding the bottle up like a carrot in front of a mule.

 

Dominic smirked at his sister, and she smirked right back, and had he known any better, he would have known in that instant they looked exactly alike. "Are you seeing this mess? It’s a divide and conquer, beloved." He tweaked one of her curls. "As long as you don’t get drunk and paw all over him, I say get drunk. We just saw mama humping Enrique, the Puerto Rican equivalent of Pepe the Cabana Boy. Have fun, I say."

 

She sighed, at that. Heavily. "We can’t, sweetheart. Hilde's almost done with supper."

 

"Hilde?" Lionel asked, lost.  "Who?"

 

"Ms. Bird," Lex clarified for his father.

 

"She has a first name?"  Then he realized how ridiculous the question sounded.  "I mean, I didn't realize she went by it to anyone."

 

"Same thing I said!" And Dominic coughed. "I mean.... I didn’t know that she went by it. Yes." Cough.

 

Megan couldn’t help rolling her eyes, and climbing to her feet. "You are all a group of immense baboons, may it be known. Scratch yer asses, and the like. Well, not you, Mr. Luthor." She winked saucily at Lionel, and before she could say anything else, the door flew open. An eyebrow, and..."Clark?"

 

"Megan, your sister is the most untrusting, undeserving, horrid girl on the face of the planet. ...Or, okay, Smallville. UGH!"

 

Her eyebrow rose high, and before she said anything else she winced at the three men, and escaped out of Lex's side door.

 

"Hey! HEY! No you--" The door shut. "Don’t." Sigh.

 

"Clark?  Which sister?  There's two of them.  And what did she do to get you in such a... fettle?"  Lex crossed the room, and put his hand on his lover's waist.  "Come on.  Sit down.  And if you promise not to tell your mother, I'll give you something to drink."

 

Lionel closed his eyes and thumped his forehead lightly against Dominic's.  "It seems your pink-haired little hellion is at it again."

 

"There are times I wish Graham had sent her off to an English school so she might learn something or two. Good, Christ Jesus. She's becoming such an American adolescent." Dominic sighed back, gently sliding his fingers through Lionel's.

 

"SHAYLA! She... She… " Clark realized he was sputtering. Could he stop? No.

 

"We could always pack her off for a few years on a tour," Lionel suggested softly.

 

"Okay... what did she do this time?"  Lex gently led Clark over to the other comfortable chair in the office, sat him down in it, poured a large snifter of smooth brandy, put it in Clark's hand, and sat on the arm of the chair beside him.  "Sip, don't chug."

 

He was going to be more then moderately tipsy before the night was over, this he knew. "Dick gave me some scotch. It was nice." He said it softly, and closed his eyes, sighing softly. "Shayla. I went to talk to Dick about... about this whole mess, and... AND." And he realized Lionel and Dominic were in the room. "Oh... Mr. Senatori, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to cause you any disrespect."

 

He grinned, very softly. "Clark, you can call me Dominic. And no, I understand, my sister is insane."

 

"Dick... Dick gave you scotch?"  Lex's entire expression darkened.  "Why in the name of hell is Dick Grayson giving my underage lover alcohol?"  He gripped Clark's shoulder tightly.  "I'm going to have a little chat with our Mr. Grayson.  So tell me, what did Shayla do?  Did she upset you?  Do I need to have a little talking-to with her as well?"

 

"Cause I wanted some." And Clark glared at his aushna', muttering softly, "I am not a child, Oakenepel reshkuma." Then a sigh, and he leaned back in the chair. "You don’t need to talk to anyone. I’m just going to vent about what a close minded person she has become around Pete. She wont even consider that Dick did the right thing, and I know my friend is hurting, but Dick had to go back to Bruce. Its all a tadpole thing, and I’m just mad!" He swallowed a good portion of the drink at that… coughed... gasped... coughed again.

 

Lex pounded helpfully on the steely back of his lover, for all the good it would do.  "I know you're not a child, Kal-El," he said quietly.  "I am just jealous."  He listened quietly to the rant.  "A tadpole thing?  I realize why she is anti-Dick at the moment, even if I don't agree with it, but I will have a talk with her at some point tomorrow.  I'm a tad less emotionally involved."

 

Oh. Dominic perked his ears, and he looked up from the comfortable words and embrace he and Lionel had been sharing. Both brows rose... and he blinked. He'd done enough vocal work in his lifetime to catch it, right off the bat... and names, for one another, that he barely caught. The inflictions in their tones had changed... foreign... soft, and very correct way of speaking. Strange, and Dominic just blinked, again, grasping Lionel’s hand in an effort to get him to quiet for a moment.

 

"I know." And Clark sighed. "She just irritates me. She doesn’t know what honor, and respect are. What love is. It troubles me, lover." He swallowed the rest, and then slipped his fingers through Lex's.

 

Lionel's mouth obediently snapped shut and he quieted his breathing, watching his lover watch Clark and Lex.

 

Lex brought their clasped hands to his lips.  "She's young, aushna'.  She'll learn these things as she finds someone special in her life, as she finds her own way."  He let their hands fall to his knee, fingers still twined tightly with Clark's.  "Perhaps if we talk to her together, she will learn."

 

There it was. His eyes widened... and a cold, unexpected fear crept into his heart. Aushna. What the devil was aushna? Why was Lex saying it? And why was he speaking so differently, with Clark?

 

Every horror story (and X-Files episode he'd ever seen), came floating back to the forefront of his mind. Clark was alien. As alien as they got. Could he... could something... could he be controlling Lex? Hurting him in some way? He felt his skin get clammy and cold, and his heart raced in his ears.

 

"Maybe, baby. But till then... can’t I just strangle her?" Clark’s tone slipped back, normal and sweet, and his eyes were wicked with a giggle.

 

Lionel rubbed his thumb over Dominic's cheekbone.  "What are you thinking?"

 

Lex laughed, loud and long at that, then cleared his throat as he tried to cut off the giggles.  "If it were up to me, Clark... of course you could.  But, I think we'd have to ask her brother first."  He cut his eyes over to Dominic, and was more than astonished to see fear lighting Dominic's eyes brightly.  "Dominic?"

 

"Hmm?" He swallowed, hard, Adams apple bobbing, and looked up. "Yes... sorry, I... em." He cleared his throat and sat up, drinking the rest of his scotch... a little too warm and rosy in his belly not to keep quiet. "I..." His throat worked. He didn’t know how well Lex trusted him as of yet, but... he couldn’t not ask. "I… em." Another cough.

 

Clark moved his gaze to the older men, tipping his head. "Are you okay?"

 

"Y...yes."

 

"Dominic?"  Lex slid off the arm of Clark's chair and turned to fully face his father's lover.  "What's going on?  And I'd like to know now, please."

 

"No... it's... now that the four of us are here, I… I'd like to ask... ask Clark a few questions." His eyes slid from Lex's to over his shoulder, at Clark. "If... if that’s okay?"

 

This time it was Clark who tensed in fear. But Dominic... and even Lionel, were now people of whom he trusted. Not as deeply as his parents, but... they were going to be his in-laws. And they were kind people... or, well, at least he hoped Lionel was. "I..." He coughed, now. "I mean, yeah. We... its been sitting there between all of us... so, yeah. Just... somewhere a little more private? Where... where little ears cant hear."

 

Lex tensed.  "What kind of questions, Dominic?  And why?  What do you want to know about Clark, and what do you want to know it for?"  Instinctively, Lex backed up to protect his beloved.

 

Lionel stood up and put his hand on Dominic's shoulder.  "Come on.  Clark, where would you like to go?  The choice of venue is entirely up to you."

 

Lex gripped Clark's hand tightly, glaring at his father and Dominic.

 

"Lex." Dominic murmured it softly, and looked at the man straight in the eyes. "Trust me. I haven’t hurt you… and I won’t hurt you now."

 

"I..." Clark swallowed, looking into Lionel’s eyes as he stood and grasped Lex's hand, lacing the fingers. "It doesn’t matter to me… just... somewhere where no one in Dominic’s family will hear. I want... want to kind of keep this secret."

 

"What of Lex's theater? No one should be in there until later tonight."

 

"I don't trust anyone where Clark is concerned."

 

Lionel nodded.  "We can turn on a film or something in there to cover the conversation, if that would be agreeable to you, Clark?  Lex?"

 

"Clark does not have to answer to you for anything; I won't let you force him."

 

And there it was again. The inflection. The choice of words. The lack of "I'm" and "they're" and "doesn’t". How strange... and more terrifying by the moment. God, why hadn’t he seen it before?! "I won’t hurt you, Lex, nor will I hurt Clark. I swear it on Ms. Birds head."

 

Clark nodded at the older man’s trusting eyes, and held onto Lex, leading them out of the office. Through the hallway and up the stairs, and Clark gently opened the link to share his feelings of want and trust with the men that were walking behind them. He squeezed Lex's hand gently, offering him a steadfast, warm gaze, and brought their linked fingers to his mouth for a soft kiss.

 

Lex sighed softly as he felt Clark's serenity flowing into him, and in exchange, he let Clark see the years of distrust, jockeying for position, the backstabbing and betrayal that made it so hard for him to trust these two particular men.  Lex's free hand slid up Clark's arm, rubbing the tattoo-like mark they both shared with his thumb.

 

Lionel followed quietly, for the moment observing, trying to pick up on what Dominic had that he had obviously missed.

 

Clark understood... but he also shared the tears and heartache these men had shared together, and the difference he felt in each of them. The kind looks, the gift... the candied apples. He shared it, and he gave it to his lover to anchor onto.

 

Dominic simply shook his head at his love... he'd explain it in due time. And he was scared. Very scared. He followed Lex and Clark through the wide door to the home theater, where the dozen soft, sinkable couches with their cushions and comfortable pillows begged for you to sit and watch a good movie. Beautiful place, this, where he and Lionel had spent a particularly memorable evening a few months ago. Hee.

 

No sex thoughts now, Morgan.

 

Lex gripped onto the happy thoughts that Clark shared with him, but refused to let go of his lover.  He ended up backing Clark into one of the couches, then sinking down between his legs, sitting in front of him and blocking Clark with his body.  "What do you want with Clark?" he demanded.

 

His eyes widened. Ohhhhkay. Dominic let go of Lionel’s hand and reached over for two thick chairs, pulling them so they were in front of the two boys...and in a position of questioning. Comfortable. Dominic, in a fit of coddling he cursed himself for a moment later, held his lover's elbow as he settled... then immediately let go, and coughed softly. "Ah... I've a few questions, is all."

 

A shift... Clark could feel his lover’s fear, and stubborn pride, and God, he loved it. He gently toyed with the nodule at the back of his Lex's head, and looked at the older man head on. "You can ask."

 

"Have you got Lex under some sort of mind control?"

 

Clark… just... blinked.

 

Lex... exploded.  That was the only word for it as he shot up from his seat and towered over the seated man.  "What in the name of God would give you a fucked up idea like that?" he yelled, and then drew in a deep breath, hissing it back out between pursed lips.  "Remind me not to be nice to you, ever again.  You son of a bitch, how can you even think that Clark could--would--do something like... like..." Lex could no longer formulate coherent words, instead turning a disgusted back to Dominic and looking at his lover.  "This is fucking ridiculous, Clark."

 

"No, its not." And he gently took Lex's wrist, turning him back to him. "I don’t think I phrased it well." He shifted... frowned. "I noticed it, but a few minutes ago. Your voice... it changed. Not like when lovers get around one another, but it was foreign, Lex. Quiet and... even your tone and speech changed. Everything. Changed. People cannot simply change their way of speaking; believe me, I’ve tried. Only the most studied of linguists can adapt their tone and speed and intonation, and that takes years and years of study… and you did it in a moment. I... there is something going on here, with Clark and his ancestry, and I care very much about you. So much, that I don’t want this... to hurt you." He looked at Clark… and was shocked to see open admiration, pride, and respect in his eyes. "Do you understand, Clark?"

 

"Yes." He was smiling. "You are a worthy match for Oake--...Lex's father." He coughed, slightly, and a blush stained his cheeks. "Ah… Lex..." He reached for his love. "Baby, it's okay." He nodded gently.

 

"No, Clark, it is not okay!  This... jackass! is sitting here, insulting you, and you... you're defending him!"  He threw up his hands and turned his back on all of them, anger radiating out from every pore of his body.

 

"Is that what you were listening to downstairs?" Lionel asked softly, trying to put the pieces together.

 

"I am in no such way insulting him. Its fascinating... and... okay, terrifying." Dominic’s throat worked, as he nodded at his love. "Yes, lovely. I… I could hear it. Everything about their body language and speech... changed. Its intriguing… and admittingly scary."

 

Clark gently shook his head, reached out, and snagged Lex around the waist. He hauled his lover to the couch easily, sitting him next to him, and looked at him as he poured his heart into his love. "Its alright. Baby, calm down. He has a right to know… he cares about you, and this... I'd be freaked out, too." Then, to the two older men, he said simply, "Lex and I share a mind link."

 

"I will not calm down, Clark!"  But despite his angry protest, he could not resist the soft, beautiful love that Clark was pouring into him, and his anger slowly subsided as he curled up around his lover.  "You don't have to tell them anything," he said, and then when Clark told them about the mind link, he glared at them both.  "Happy now, Dominic?  Find what you're looking for?"

 

"You... what?  How?  That isn't possible," Lionel finally said, after a few moments of noiseless gaping.

 

He just. Blinked. "Start again. Say that again. And might I second that, "what, how, that isn’t possible"."

 

Clark soothed his flustered lover, and spoke calmly to them. "A mind link. I don’t know what else to call it..." And now he flushed and looked down. "I don’t know much about myself. It just happened. We'd just... been intimate with one another." Blush. "And suddenly... I just, held him, and this... it was... its hard to explain. I can feel what he feels, and I can give him my own feelings. Like, just now, I calmed him down by giving him my trust in the both of you... and earlier, when I was furious at Shayla, Lex calmed me the same way." He smiled a little.

 

"Clark... I'm not calling you a liar," Lionel said carefully, eyeing his mercurial son.  "But... we're going to need a tad more proof than just your say-so, and a lot more proof that it isn't harmful to my son."

 

Lex stroked his fingertips over the back of Clark's hand, and then looked up at his father, though the words were meant for Clark.  "Tell him about my mother, Clark."  Through the link, he sent the same memory of her they'd shared before, of Lex in his corner, Lillian coming to fetch him to the bed, reading together until Lex had fallen asleep. 

 

Clark stared into space for a moment... and his eyelashes fluttered, as he spoke. "Lex, in a corner. Wearing dark blue slacks... a little light shirt and barefoot." He closed his eyes, and smiled a little as he spoke. "He liked being bare foot. A woman... red hair, like fire... mom. Quiet... frail, and pale. Beautiful. She smells like lilacs... lilacs from the summer house, last year, when you all went for the last family vacation you'd ever take." He kept speaking, but his lover’s pain had tears pricking his eyes... for this gift. "She comes close... tells Lex to come with her, for bed. He begs... he wants her to read. And so they do. He crawls into the bed she and dad share, and she reads to him until he falls asleep." Clark opened his eyes... quiet a moment. "And you, Mr. Luthor. You come to the door, tired… wearing a blue tie and a black suit… Armani, because that’s the only thing you'd ever wear. And its fuzzy… but you come close, and you kiss Lex's mom, and he feels... safe. And loved. Like its okay now. Even though Julian is gone, you still love him, enough to cuddle close... get in bed with him, so the three of you could sleep together."

 

Complete silence.

 

And there were tears brimming in Dominic's eyes.

 

Lex had turned his face into Clark's shoulder, arms wound tightly around his waist as silent tears flowed freely, soaking Clark's shirt as he curled up closer to his lover.

 

"How... boy, how did you know that?"  Lionel's voice was hoarse, though with sadness, rage, or what, nobody could quite tell.  "How did you know what perfume Lillian wore, what suit I wore... how do you know these things?"  His hands were almost painfully tight on Dominic's shoulders, but he couldn't help it.  He could not, would not break down in front of his son. 

 

"Because I saw it. Lex gave me the memory, Mr. Luthor." He said it very softly, holding Lex tightly, gently, soothing him as he kissed the crown of his head. "Our minds... human minds, are like a vast land of walls, with a little crew of masonries. The walls... they come down, when we share with the people we love. But... but for me... its different. My mind is like... well, like water. Human beings are hard pressed not to share certain things... and me... I share everything. That’s why it’s hard for me to keep secrets... to stop what’s on my mind. It just flows out of me, like water. We can share things with the people we love... our consciousness flows into the people who are our life mates, whether male or female, and we can share with them... millions upon millions of things. I don’t know a lot about who I am... but with Lex, I've found things out I never could have without him. Including," He looked to Dominic shyly. "A language."

 

Dominic’s fingers were laced, tightly in his lap, and his throat was still swallowing... burning with the pain the memory brought for his lover. He could feel it, like a physical entity, even as he listened to the young man speak. "That... that is astounding, Clark. Utterly... utterly astounding."

 

"Lex... Lex had no business sharing that with you, young man."  Lionel's voice was tightly angry.  "That was private, meant only for family."  He was hurt, deeply so, that Lex would go around handing out memories and such of Lillian, despite how absurd or asinine it sounded.

 

Oh. Clark looked down... swallowing and feeling, very suddenly, like he'd stepped over a line he shouldn’t have. He swallowed again, harder, and looked away. "I..I understand, sir. I meant no disrespect." God, he could even hear the furious beat of Lionel's heart. "I’m...I’m sorry, sir."

 

"Lionel, for the love of Christ." Dominic looked at him, and frowned, deeply.

 

"No, aushna'," Lex said softly, voice muffled by Clark's shoulder, but still coming out clearly.  "You should not be sorry.  That was mine to share with you because I love you.  He has nothing to say about it."  Lex sniffed once and looked at his father.  "Don't you ever tell me I cannot share my mother with my mate again, Dad.  My memories of her iare all that I've got left, and it's the only way Clark will know what kind of a woman raised me."

 

"No, Dominic," Lionel said softly.  "I will fold on many things for you, but I will not fold on this.  Lillian's memory is special, sacred, it is not to be passed around like some... party favor."

 

Every bit of good feeling Lex had had for his father crumbled at that moment.  "If you truly think I loved my mother so little... then you don't know me at all.  Get out, Dad.  Get out now."

 

Oh, dear God. All the… the foundation they'd been rebuilding suddenly fell around there ears, and if Dominic stopped to listen, he could hear the concrete fall. "Lex, no. Lionel... god dammit, the both of you."

 

Clark swallowed, eyes wide like a doe's, looking from one man to another. His blood was screaming for him to do something, SOMETHING, and all the dreams and thoughts and flashes he'd been seeing the last few weeks all came to the forefront of his mind. And he knew that this instant was the reason why he'd been seeing them.

 

Dominic was holding Lionel’s hand. And it was very simple for Clark to put Lex's hand on his fathers shoulder, take's Dominic’s hand himself, and close his eyes.

 

A sudden slam into him… hard, and he passed it through the other three men, through their connection. Lionel and Dominic were older... but it wasn’t hard to link them to his own mind. Lex struggled but he held firm, and loved, and brought him in as warmly as he could.

 

And to the men, to these men with their egos and tempers and sacred thoughts and fears and memories and joys... he added one.

 

A hot summer day. White sand... green water. Tropical. An endless stretch of beach in both directions, and a clear, blue sky with fluffy clouds so low they almost touched the water. The scents of the salty ocean and fruit were sweet in the air... and laughing, male voices erupted. Clark turned... looked at Lionel and Dominic. A little older... less hair or grayer, but both as sweet and good as he knew they could be. He heard, in the real world, Dominic give a harsh sob, but ignored it, and continued on. On Dominic’s shoulders there was a little girl. Tiny, like a pixie, with clear, creamy white skin, big brown almond eyes and the most beautiful blond hair he'd ever seen on a child.

 

Blankets and baskets, umbrellas and a Ms. Bird, snoring under a coconut tree. Lionel, with ice cream cones in hand, and Clark reached out to the joyful face, taking one for himself and... Lex.  Lex, in shorts and a t-shirt, white as paper and Clark teased him about it as he handed him the ice cream.

 

From behind him he heard a squeal, and he settled into the sand as that lovely little girl raced into the waves, splashed, and squealed, with her little orange floaties tied about her arms. Dominic called something behind him... then ran and caught her, tossing her up into the air and spraying water everywhere as they laughed.

 

Lionel was behind them, in a moment, taking the little girl and scolding... but a smile was on his lips, and he fell back into the water just to hear her explode into giggles and jump in right after him, right atop his chest. And Clark ate the ice cream, with Lex, licking where his lover did and smiling.

 

The memory ended and he held on to the link with them for an instant more… before letting go of Dominic’s hand. It broke... the four of them gasped and fell back, and Clark panted like he'd run to Miami, gasping for air and mopping at the sweat on his forehead.

 

Lionel was sobbing.  Silent sobs that would have been heart rending if they'd been given sound, his entire body shook with them.  His eyes were blinded with tears, ones he'd refused to shed before and new ones created by this... vision.  Dream.  Desire.  Whatever it was, it decimated him.

 

Everything that he'd been thinking of since Dominic had first mentioned wanting a family, the desire to be part of the family, of having Lex, his son, as part of that family too, everything that had been in his mind and hidden deep in his thoughts... aired. 

 

It was beautiful.  More beautiful than he'd ever visualized himself, and he couldn't speak, was only silent as his body shook.

 

Lex fell back beside his lover, cradling Clark's head against his shoulder, pushing Clark's hand down and mopping Clark's forehead himself with his own shirt sleeve.  "Baby... are you all right?  That was beautiful."  Shower of soft, gentle kisses over Clark's face.  "Are you all right, please.... tell me you're all right."

 

Dominic could not speak. Tears, silent, hard, slid down his cheeks, but he did not sob with them. Would have, if he could speak... or blink. His mouth was open... his heart bursting at its seems, and his mouth open... trembling, as he ached to speak. He blinked… hard… then looked to the ceiling as more tears fell down his face.

 

He'd just seen his baby girl, at the hands of this boy, who was panting on the couch and trying to calm. He'd just seen... his baby girl.

 

He was shaking, hard, and he finally looked... gazed at his crying lover, this man as strong and hard as life itself. This... this, with him. This chance at joy... at a life he could have never thought for himself, a beauty he'd only dreamed of in the darkest parts of the night.

 

Clark smiled softly, face shining, and leaned into the kisses, nodding softly as he closed his eyes to them. Beautiful... lovely kisses, and he pressed a gentle one to Lex's mouth before he gazed at the two crying men in front of him.

 

Lex's lips pressed soft kisses on the closed eyes of his lover before his mouth was captured and kissed gently, and then released.  He pressed another kiss to Clark's mouth, and got up from the couch, going over not to Dominic, for the moment, but to his father.  Without a word, Lex wrapped his arms around his father's waist, pressing his face into Lionel's shoulders and holding tightly to him. 

 

Lionel met his lover's eyes, seeing the same echoing joy and thrill that was in his own, and then when Lex approached him and then embraced him, Lionel did the same, his arms closing tightly around his son, eyes closed as his chin rested against Lex's shoulder.  Then after a moment, his eyes opened, and he looked at Dominic first, and then at Clark, silently inviting them both into his family... into his heart.

 

Clark could not have been more shocked. He felt… he was still an intruder here, and he gently shook his head no, smiling and reaching over to squeeze Lionel’s hand, tightly. "It's what could be. I've been seeing it, in my head, for a while now. I don’t know what it is... vision, dream, prophecy. All I know is that it's there, and its beautiful. In Key West, actually. That.…that’s where it is. You have a house there?"

 

Dominic was still gaping, very, very softly, and he could do nothing but wrap his arms around his lover's neck, sliding close and holding him. Their baby. Their baby girl. The baby, the baby. She... the baby. Oh, God. Their baby. She... she was so beautiful. Oh, good God. She was so beautiful. She looked just like Lionel, just like him, with her perfect cheekbones and soft eyes, and the lips and hair... they were all Lionel. Christ, Jesus and God.

 

"She's a beautiful little girl." He tipped his head. "She's yours. Yours and Mr. Senatori's. I can’t... I can’t see her name, or anything about her... but the love that the both of you have for her... that’s all that needs to be said. You guys..." Oh, and this time, he did laugh. "Spoil her."

 

Lex moved to the side, letting Dominic burrow against his father's chest while he reached for Clark.  "Yes... there's a house there, Dad bought it a few years ago."  His hand found Clark's wrist and pulled him in close.

 

"Our daughter, Dominic," Lionel said softly, pressing the words into his lover's neck.  "Our daughter, our precious, sweet little girl is going to be spoiled rotten, and I don't care.  Did you see her, Dominic?  Did you see how beautiful she was, how much she looks like you?"

 

Clark smiled, a little and he slid down to the floor to, getting close to his love. His green eyes were watching the men speak to one another, and the joy he'd given them was… it was enough. More then enough. A lifetime of enough. "It's nice. I can’t see a lot of it...but its beautiful."

 

"Sh… she..." He still couldn’t speak, tried so hard but it came out gruff and shaking, and his arms tightened around Lionel's shoulders. "She lo-looks like you...she looks like you, her ears and cheekbones and nose. And her eyes… did you see? Did you hear our baby? She… she was so happy, our sweet baby, o-our.." He pressed closer, tighter.

 

Lex wrapped himself around his lover, arms and legs holding Clark tightly as he curled against him, seeking his warmth and his touch.  "It was beautiful; thank you for sharing that with them.  They'll understand now, my aushna'."  He pressed his cheek against Clark's shoulder.

 

They were almost sharing the same skin, and Lionel could have cared fucking less.  "She is, she's beautiful, of course she's happy, she's your daughter, isn't she?"  Tight, tight grip around Dominic's waist, death grip.  "She's so beautiful, Dominic, so sweet, so precious."

 

In his heart, deeply buried where Lex wouldn’t see, he had doubts. Severe ones. But he smiled regardless, and held Lex to his body, gently caressing his back and shoulders as he held him to his body. He could hear Lex's belly gurgling as it digested… and the scurry of a little spider in the corner. "I know. I wanted to...they're so happy."

 

Dominic let go to cup his lovers stubbly cheeks, and look into bloodshot, tear filled eyes that matched his own. "Ours. Our baby. Lionel, our baby. Damn you, damn you for making me weep like a child." But he was laughing, and he held him again, tightly as he could, a smile wrinkling his eyes and pressing into his lovers shoulder. "Our baby. Our baby, our little girl."

 

Lex was content for the moment, curled up in his love's warm embrace.  "I won't let anyone hurt you, Clark," he said quietly, twining a curl of Clark's hair around his finger.

 

"Our baby," Lionel echoed, holding Dominic close.  "Our beautiful, beautiful little princess."

 

And it dawned on Clark. Very suddenly... very swiftly. Because he was sure he could hear a blade of grass that had just had snow flicked off of it by a small caterpillar outside. He was positive of it. Of the soft sounds of Pete and Shayla talking...about sex, actually. Megan snoring on the couch in the north wing… Enrique and Rosalyn making out in the broom closet. Shane, gurgling as Ms. Bird fed him.

 

In fact, he could hear the eyelash bats of Shane's beautiful blue eyes as he began to fall asleep.

 

"Oh."

 

"Clark?" Lex asked softly, looking up at the softly spoken "oh."  "Is something wrong, are you all right?"

 

"I’m...ah..." He could hear the hiccupping rhythm of Dominic and Lionel's hearts beating... the slight sound of the pin in Lex's knee moving as he shifted. If he really concentrated... he could hear Betsy sleeping in the barn back home. "I... I’m... surprisingly okay." His voice was a little soft... strange, and very close.

 

"What is it?"  Lex's fingers scraped gently along the line of Clark's stubbly jaw. 

 

It sounded like sandpaper being scraped next to his ear drum, and he winced. "I think...I just got a new--"

 

Screams. Screams. People, for as far as he could hear, were screaming. Teeth chattering...heartbeats that were beginning to slow with encroaching death. The blizzard screamed outside, and Clark heard every single sob for help, every single tear drop of mothers crying over their freezing children. He gasped...softly, eyes wide, and looked at his lover with hazy, cloudy eyes. "--power."

 

Lex sat up straight at that.  "What kind of power?  What do you mean?"  He kept his voice pitched low, so that Dominic and Lionel wouldn't hear their conversation.

 

"I mean..." He slowly climbed to his feet, looking around the room as horror began to spike in his heart. "The storm got worse. Much worse. People... people are dying. Lex, people are out there… they’re...I--" He swallowed, and looked at the two men clinging to one another. "Mr. Luthor, Mr. Senatori, I hope... I hope I helped, but I have to go." And he turned, quickly, escaping before either could utter a word, and knew Lex would follow.

 

As soon as his lover stepped out of the door Clark snagged him around the waist and ran at the speed of sound down to their bedroom. "I have to go."

 

Lex hung on to Clark as they ran, knowing he'd get an explanation sooner or later.  "Clark, what's going on?  I'm going with you; tell me what's happening."  He didn't question his lover further, just walked into the closet and started digging out the warmest clothes and boots he could lay his hands on.

 

"No, you can’t. This is only for me. Promise me you'll stay here." But Clark was right next to him, searching for something light but warm... he had to go fast, and he couldn’t let a jacket impede him. The new skin was hard as steel, now, and with it, he'd found invulnerability to extreme heat and cold. Which, you know, was great. He tugged off the simple t-shirt and pulled on a red and blue sweatshirt he'd won last year during the Smallville High fair, the logo for the school written along one breast.

 

Tugged on his sturdiest yellow boots, and kissed his lover hard. "Mom and dad... tell them I left. I'll be back... soon. Lex, you may have to make the house a relief shelter. I'll explain later; get some rooms set up, lots of hot coffee and tea ready. I'll be here soon."

 

And, quite literally, he was gone.

 

When Lionel looked up from the hard crush of his lover's arms they were alone in the room.  "Seems my son and his lover have made a fairly hasty exit.

 

Lex didn't stop to think why Clark was asking this of him; he just acted.  He trusted Clark, with his life, and the first call he made was to the kitchen.  "Ms. Bird--is Enrique still down there?"

 

"Ja, he is.  Und Rosalyn too."

 

"Good... let me talk to Rosalyn."

 

Ms. Bird passed the phone over to Rosalyn, and hovered close, listening.

 

"Lex?"

 

"Rosalyn, I hate to put you to work, but do you feel like helping me organize an emergency shelter, here in the castle?  Martha Kent is here too, get her to help you, and I'm going to talk to Bruce next and see if we can borrow Alfred to help you in the kitchen while I mobilize everyone else."

 

"What's the problem, Lex?"

 

"The storm, it's gotten very bad.  Clark's out in it, the idiot, doing what he can to help."

 

Rosalyn nodded.  "Of course, we'll take care of food and blankets in the kitchen, you get everything else together."

 

"Thank you; I knew I could count on you."  Lex hung up, and dialed the extension in Bruce's room, waiting for his friend to pick up.

 

The warm, lovely scent of used bodies and love was deep in the room. Sweat had long dried… the blankets were tucked, and Bruce was spooned against his lover as gently as a gust of wind blew the water of the bay. He held him, stroked his skin… his hair... and they'd talked for a long time until now, when they were simply holding one another.

 

It was beautiful. It was wonderful. And of course, it was interrupted.

 

Bruce blinked… sat up on one elbow and blinked again. He reached over Dick's body, grinning and leaning in to kiss his jaw, before setting the phone to his ear. "Wayne."

 

"And you bitched about the way I answered the phone."  Then Lex dove into the reason for his phone call.  "Bruce... I'm going to ask for a lot of trust right now, in that you're not going to ask me a lot of questions that you know I can't answer."  He sighed.  "The blizzard is getting much worse; Clark's out in it, trying to help everyone that he can.  I need to borrow Alfred to help turn this place into a relief shelter for the people Clark brings home."

 

A blink. Another blink. A glance to the window, where the wind was screaming. Blink. "Okay, Clark is out in it?" He growled and sat up immediately, rubbing a hand against his mouth… his cheek. "Alfred's a few rooms down, I'll get him. Lex, Batman… Batman, and Robin, will go help Clark. Alright? Don’t worry." He hung up, and rubbed his face softly against Dick's. "First assignment. You up for it, baby?"

 

Lex nodded to the dead phone line.  He'd known Batman couldn't resist the challenge.

 

Dick purred and arched, but at the word assignment, he was blinking and serious.  "Of course I'm up for it, Bruce.  But I'm not prepared--I don't have the suit."

 

"That’s what you think." He swept up, all hard business despite the pleasure they'd just shared, grabbed his love by the waist, and pulled him into the bathroom. "Shower fast. Hurry. We need to get ready… its going to take us about twenty minutes. You get in, I'll be back in a moment."

 

Bruce left his lover to the water and threw on his robe, tying it as he pulled the bedroom door open and walked down two until he got to Alfred’s. A quick knock..."Alfred?"

 

"Roger."  Dick jumped into the shower, turning on the water and hissing as the cold spray  hit his body.  Not giving it time to warm up, he grabbed the soap and started scrubbing himself clean.

 

Alfred was reclining on his bed, spectacles perched on his nose as he turned the last pages of the newspaper.  "Come in, sir, may I help you?"

 

He cracked the door open, peaked in, and said simply, "Get the suits ready."

 

Bruce turned on his heel, went back to the room, and stripped before he was even in the bathroom. It only took him and Dick five minutes to shower… especially when they shared the task. Quick, merciless scrub over their bodies, and he tied a towel over Dick's waist as he did himself, and grabbed his hand. "Takes some getting used to. I carry your suit with mine wherever I go... sentimentality, mostly, but now you're going to put use to it. There’s a belt… I'll show you what it does once. Remember it. You’ve also got a few other gadgets I'll explain before we leave." He strode out of the bathroom, wet hair gleaming against his neck, pulling his lover behind as he walked to Alfred’s closed door and stepped inside. "Are they ready, Alfred?"

 

"Yes, sir."  Alfred sprang to his feet, moving faster than anyone of his age should have been able to, but the urgency in Bruce's voice was not to be denied.  The large carry on was stowed in his closet, and it was the short work of minutes to assemble the armor platings and black rubber suits together. 

 

He didn't look up from his task as Bruce and Dick entered his room.  "Two more moments, Master Bruce."  A slight tinge of arthritis brought on by the cold was slowing him down just a little.  "Master Dick... may i say it's wonderful to see you back where you belong."  He straightened from his task, laid the last gauntlet down, and the suits were ready.  "If I may, sir?"

 

Dick was amazed.  "You brought it all the way from Gotham?  Not knowing where?"  Dick snapped his mouth shut.  So not the time.  "Let's go, Al."

 

His love for the kind man had him laying a gentle hand on his shoulder, and he smiled at him before looking down at the suits. The armor that kept him alive...the carrying bag for his sins.

 

He'd gotten into it so many times that he didn’t need any assistance at the moment, simply dropping his towel and sliding the first of the hard rubber on, right over his pelvis and ass. It protected from bad falls, should they arise, and allowed him to leap great distances without worry of hurting his hips. He strapped them, hard to his skin and bone, and then slid into the leg and chest plates, all quickly and efficiently.

 

And he was watching, as he did it, as Alfred began to help his lover. "Silver belt. Grab it, stop ogling, you can check out how sexy you are later. The one with the robins wings."

 

Dick blushed.  "I am not checking myself out."  Liar.  "I'm checking out the new updates to the suit.  Nice work, Bruce."

 

Alfred said nothing, merely moving through the motions, pulling the rubber and armor into place over Dick's body.  The mask, the cape, the belt.  Hard rubber boots, matching hard rubber gauntlets, golden R over his heart.  He attached the cape to the breastplate of the costume, sliding it over Dick's shoulders with precision.  "Careful with the belt, young Sir... the contents of some of those pouches are quite dangerous."

 

Dick carefully removed his hands from the belt as Alfred buckled it in place around his waist.

 

"Center ovular disk is your computer. Its going to keep track of your heart rate, blood oxygen level, and stress level. It also, in times of emergency, will shoot you with adrenaline, should you be unconscious or badly hurt. It'll get you home to me, are we clear?" He kept going, not waiting for an answer. "Each of the side stirrups... like belt loops on jeans. Those are your casts. Ropes. They'll pull you anywhere, you just have to throw them. Careful with it." He was still speaking, as he slowly turned into the Batman. His voice even dropped an octave, as he snapped the boots in place. "Everything else about the belt you don’t need to know right now. Boots have propulsion. You can activate them by pressing your left heel into the ground twice." He was still rattling things off, speaking as he motioned Alfred to help him... and yeah, he was trying not to gaze too much at his rubber clad lover. "You can call the Batmobile by pressing the button on your eye mask, along your left side. Push it now. Its a computer screen... you should see it, and me, at the same time.  You can flip through the commands and screens by pressing the button. When you've found what you need, you press the right side."

 

Robin's mind boggled as he processed and filed away all the information that Batman was giving him about the suit upgrades.  He raised a gauntleted hand to his mask, and the screen popped into place over his eye holes.  "I see it, Batman."  He dialed through the menu, finding maps, satellite relays, and god knows how many other things he didn't recognize.  "Center disk; computer.  Casts.  Tensile steel ropes, built to haul approximately four hundred pounds per rope.  Boot propulsion, activate with two left heel presses."

 

Alfred merely smiled as he moved to help Batman finish his costuming.  "Seems like old times, sir."

 

"Just with one person more." He murmured in response, watching his lover... his partner, get so used to the suit... start moving through it like an old pro. He rose his voice, already moving to the far window, and making sure Alfred was alright, opened it and looked out. An easy jump, to the second floors jutting roof, and tether themselves to the ground. He looked back over his shoulder, pushing the window up more as he climbed onto the sill, like a cat.

 

Or a bat.

 

"You should also see something for internal warming. Push it." And with a leap, and a harsh flutter of his cape… he was gone.

 

"Here, sir."  Alfred showed Robin the button that Batman meant.  "Press here, and the suit will warm up.  Do be careful, young sir... and watch out for him."

 

Robin nodded once and followed his lover out the window.  An easy leap, a quick rappel down from the roof with the new cast ropes, and he was on the ground beside Batman.  "Let's go, Batman.  People need our help."

 

"Robin?" There was a quirk of a smile along his lips, as the snow flurried hard around them.

 

"Yeah, Batman?"

 

"Lighten up, baby." He reached over, and pressed a hot, soft kiss to his lips through both face masks. "You'll do fine. Calm down. Alright?"

 

Robin exhaled lightly.  "It's just been a while.  Things fit heavier than they used to."  And he didn't just mean the new suit--he meant the new responsibilities as an equal partner in the arrangement.

 

"Of course they do. You just have to learn how to work them once more." And now, professionalism and darkness filled his hooded his eyes… straightened his mouth, and he began to run. The propulsion he'd designed himself gave him a lighter spring in his step, and faster movement. He raced around the mansion, and after a quick scan, followed tracks which led down the front walk and off into the dark shadows of the storm. "Stay close, Robin. Switch to night vision... three left pushes, then a right. Keep close to me, and don’t wander off." And he ran, headlong, into the storm.

 

 

-fin-

 

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