The Memoirs

Lindy was very, very glad to be home. She'd spent the last week at Graham's house, waiting for him to take the later flight from Metropolis, and had gone ahead and started airing the house out after having been gone for nearly a month and a half. She'd gone to the neighbor's and collected the mail that had stacked up, sorting it for her brother to deal with when he got back, and then, she'd gone and picked his lazy ass up at the airport and brought him and Shaney home.

Now, she was ready to tend to her own house, and boy, it needed it.

Ellie was finally asleep in her room; Lindy had let her be a "big girl" and help Uncle Graham unpack, and Graham had brought her back an hour ago, exhausted and asleep on his shoulder. She'd tucked her little darling in, and finally collapsed herself, checking her messages.

Most of them were crap; a few from friends wishing her a happy holiday, and then, one made her blood run cold.

"Hello, Lindy. Hello there, little Eleanor. It's your father. I'm going to be coming to see you soon, my precious little girls. I've missed you, Lindy. But it's time I came home where I belong. I'll be seeing you soon."

"ELEANOR!" Lindy shouted, all traces of exhaustion gone. "ELLIE!!!!!!!!" She started to run down the hall, pounding up the stairs to her daughter's room. "Ellie!!!"

Whoa! Hello! Ellie fell out of her bed at her mama's scream, letting out a cry as Sleepy Time Barbie went flying. Mama was screaming! She only screamded when her and daddy got into lots of argmentums! "Mama! MAMAAAA!"

Lindy threw open the door to her daughter's room, and saw the little girl sitting on the floor wailing. "Eleanor! Are you all right?" She ran her hands over Eleanor's body quickly, and then hugged her tightly. "Come on, darling. We're going to go and stay with Uncle Graham for a bit, would you like that?'

"Mama, we justed got the home! I want my bed!" She was sobbing. Yeah. Mama scared her when she yelled, and then she was holding and hugging, and that was better, but still! "I wan' my bed mama!"

Lindy picked Ellie up in one arm, and tucked Sleepy Time Barbie into the crook of Ellie's arm. "I know you do, precious, but we need to go and see Uncle Graham, okay?" She wrapped Ellie up in one of the blankets from her bed, and picked up the duffel bag of Ellie's things that hadn't been unpacked yet. "Promise Mama you'll be a good girl, Ellie." She was holding her daughter too tightly, and she didn't even realize it.

"Mama, mama, I always a g-good girl, mama, my blankie, my ba'bie blankie, mama, I wan' my bed." She was sobbing, hysterically, holding onto her mom as her mama moved around fast, and held her too hard. "Mama, dad'y, mama, is he comin' back, mama, you promised me no!"

"Sssh, here's your blankie, darling." Lindy tucked the requested blanket into her daughter's arms. "I know I did, baby, but yes, he is coming back, and we can't be here when he does. That's why we're going to see Uncle Graham, all right?" She was talking as she ran, and she didn't even realize she was barefoot until she was outside on the driveway. She barely took the time to lock the door before she was running up the sidewalk, up the four houses to Graham's, where she pounded on the door. "Graham!!! It's Belinda, hurry!"

Shane blinked up at the door. Annie Linnie was screamin somethin', and he peered up from his thick blankets and his billion blocks. Uh...dad? Hellooo?

Graham was just finishing pulling his sweats and t-shirt on, hair still damp from the shower, when he heard the pounds and screams.

The house was dark but he heard the urgency, the cries, and he ran through the house, following the light from the living room and kitchen until he swept his little boy up from his blankets.

Safely tucked to his shoulder, Graham pulled the door open...then blinked, and tugged her in, shutting and closing the door behind her. No questions were needed, he knew when his sister was terrified, and he threw the deadbolt on before setting Shane down once more, grabbing his sister, and pulling her close. "What the bloody hell? What happened?"

"Roddy!" She put Ellie down. "Go lay down on the couch, Ellie. And stay where Mama can see you, all right?" She looked back up at her brother. "He called. Sometime in the last two weeks, after Christmas. I called, checked my messages, erased them over the phone and it wasn't there then! But it was on the machine when I got home. He says he's coming back to get his girls, he's coming back for Ellie and I won't let him take her!"

"Lindy... Lindy." Graham grasped her shoulders, even as his mind worked through its patterns. He hated Roddy with every fiber of his being. The man was a no good son of a bitch, and Graham had had the pleasure in kicking his ass and blowing his nuts to bits when he'd hurt his sister.

That hatred, deep seeded in his psyche, flew to the surface and he grabbed Lindy tightly in protection. "He won't get near ya. I wan'ya to go into my bedroom. Take Ellie with ya, darlin'. The window leads to the porch, and the porch is, at the moment, shuttered and locked for tha winter. You'll be safe. Alrigh'? If ya donna mind having Shan-o sleepin in his crib."

"I don't mind. I don't mind at all." She looked up at him. "Lionel said he'd have men take care of Roddy for me, but they haven't been able to find him. Once Ellie's asleep, I'll call Morgan. He'll know what to do. Graham... I'm so frightened. He can't take Ellie, she's my daughter, not his."

"Donna be frightened." he said softly, pulling her close to give her a fierce hug. "Go, take her and get in bed, right now. I put clean sheets on it just a bit ago, darlin'."

Lindy hugged her mountainous brother tightly. "I knew you'd help me, Graham. I won't let him hurt her, not like he hurt me." She let go, and went to the living room. Ellie was already curled up asleep on the couch, and Lindy picked her up, blankets, dollies and all, and started upstairs to her brother's bedroom.

And Graham, eyes dark, picked his little boy up and set him in his play pen. The time change was hell on the little guy, and Graham knew he'd be awake until he started crying, so he left his son to his own devices.

He walked back through the hall to the kitchen, keeping an eye on Shane watching Late Night with Jay Leno through the large archway, and opened the kitchen cupboard. The china that Missy had so loved, and his throat grew tight as he reached behind it...and found what he'd been looking for.

A silver, 46 caliber gun, unloaded. Which he fixed a minute later. He went into an empty knick knack jar and retrieved four bullets... and loaded them into the Glock with a precise hand. He'd been hunting and killing game most of his adult life, and he was well aware of how such a machine could be mishandled.

If Roddy came around, he'd be sure to mishandle it.

He set the gun on the kitchen table, and began the process of making sure all the windows and doors were locked tight.

What was flimsy he put a glass bottle in front of. If anyone tried anything, the bottle would fall and break. And Graham would know.

~ * ~ * ~

Lex cradled Samson back to his chest. "C'mon, buddy. Don't be sad. Dominic's just... got issues, okay? He's not mad at you. But we gotta put a bell on you, munchkin. You can't just go wandering around. What if you get lost? Get hurt?"

Samson just whined quietly. He was happy, cause, okay? The Lex. Was petting and cradling him. So, yeah. Getting the proper attention a puppy deserved. But he was still sad because The Cool Man didn't like him.

Lex carried him up the steps, and shouldered the door open to their bedroom. "C'mon, baby. Don't cry. Dominic doesn't hate you. He's just... a little bit afraid." He put Samson on the bed, and watched him curl up against Clark. "I think Dominic upset him."

Clark looked up from the book he'd been reading and blinked down at the puppy. His baby, curled up next to his side, and he had sad eyes, and damn. Clark winced and reached over to the side table, setting the book down, and unstraightened his legs, curling them up as he picked his baby up and set him on his chest angled upwards. "What happened?"

"Our little explorer here discovered the pool. Dominic and my father were already in there, skinny dipping, and please, do remind me to have the pool chlorinated and refilled before we swim in it again, but our little explorer seems to have freaked Dominic out somehow." He was quiet as to how, because he knew Dominic would not want Clark knowing why.

"Freaked Dominic out?" Yeah, Clark wasn’t an idiot, and his brow rose a little before he gently rubbed Samson’s head. "Hey, my baby, shhh... its okay, see? We're here, we love the Samson. There ya go... snuggle up, sweetie." He pulled him closer, gently petting and rubbing. "Lex, how did he freak him out? Samson weighs all of five pounds."

Samson snuggled up to Clark, snuffling quietly and rubbing his wet nose against Clark's shoulder. He didn't whine, because this was the Clark, but he looked soulfully back at the Lex.

Lex moved to the bed and cuddled up so that Samson was resting between them, and he stroked the baby's shivering little haunches. "He had... a very bad experience with a dog at some point in his past. I'm guessing that Samson reminds him of that dog."

Clark frowned softly, when he saw the images in his lovers head. Quiet, somber words that Dominic had spoken, and Clark only caught the echo of it before wincing visibly and gazing down at Samson. He kissed the tawny little head and continued to rub him soothingly, as he looked up at his lover. "Don’t let Sammy near Dominic. Check." He tipped his head a little. "Is he okay now?"

"I don't know. I don't think so. Dad just shooed me out of the room and told me to get the dog out. He looked like he was about ready to pass out."

"Lex.." He reached over to stroke a thumb over his cheek. "Why don’t we invite your dad and Dominic to dinner?" A little wince. "Kind of out of the blue, but… I think the both of them, and you, need to start feeling like a family."

Samson wiggled up higher and pressed his head right under Clark's chin, curling up around his neck. "Arrrrrrrrrrrr," came the soft, plaintive whine. Nobody was giving him treats!

Lex rolled onto his back and snuggled his side into Clark. "I don't... know if we're ready for that."

Clark smiled down at his little dog. Yeah, he was only a few months old, but he had Clark’s buttons and how to push them down pat. He smiled softly and rubbed his back and little tush, before reaching into his desk drawer to the little zippie bag he kept in there. He came back with a little biscuit shaped like a sausage and set it in his palm, offering it to his little baby as he gazed down at Lex. "Mmm."

Samson snuffled over Clark's hand, and then his little teeth nipped the sausage out of his hands and started chewing it, his jowls popping as he chewed and swallowed. "ARF!"

Stinky, dog-treat-smelling breath got puffed up into Clark's face.

Lex grinned as he watched Clark. "If I'm Clarkwhipped, then you're puppywhipped." Then the grin kind of faded. "Do you really think it would be a good idea?"

"I think your dad's lonely, Lex." Clark wrinkled his nose at Samson, but gave him a kiss on the head anyway, as he got another one, and offered it to his baby. "Dominic is a wonderful guy, and he and your dad are so, sooo obviously in love. But... your dad misses you. And I think he's lonely, for more male companionship. So... yeah, I think dinner would be great. Didn’t you tell me Dominic suggested it once?"

Lex nodded. "He actually suggested dinner and entertainment in Metropolis, and I told him to go to hell." He stroked the back of Samson's head, and held his hand out for a puppy treat to feed the baby. "At this point, you seem to know him better than I do; I'll take dinner under advisement."

Samson's tail thumped happily. He was getting treats, he was getting pets from BOTH his favorite people, and he was feeling a lot better as he squirmed up. He laid his head across Clark's shoulder, and heaved a big puppy sigh.

"Its not that I know him better, Lex. Its that..." Clark shifted and let his knees down, so his feet crossed at the ankle. "Its that he and I are a whole lot more alike then you think." He offered Lex the treat, shifting to cuddle Samson better so he wouldn’t slide off his chest, and nuzzled his floppy ear.

Samson sighed again, and then sniffed. Treat smell. He lifted his head and looked over his shoulder at the Lex, because he knew the Lex had a Samson-treat.

Lex took the treat out of Clark's hand, and then offered it to Samson as the puppy's head turned towards him. "Brat," Lex teased softly, feeding him the little treat and then rubbing behind his ears. Then he looked up at Clark. "I don't think you're at all like my father."

He laughed softly. "Like Dominic, Lex." A shift as he moved Samson a little closer to Lex's hand as he sighed.

"Right, sorry. I didn't mean to switch trains of thought without telling you." He skritched the puppy behind the ears as it moved closer to him. "So where do you want to take them out to? Or do you think we should eat here?"

"Eat here." A shift, and he peaked again at his lovers memories. "I don’t think Dominic is going to want to go anywhere for a while." Another shift. "Don’t ever tell me, okay? I don’t think I want to know."

"You don't." Lex looked up to Clark. "You really don't want to know."

"Well, we can stay in... maybe, you and I could cook." He suddenly brightened, a lot, and grinned crookedly. "Pasta."

"You think that I can cook?" He grinned back up. "I think my father would have a heart attack if he knew I prepared the food he was eating."

Clark cracked up, laughing out loud as he leaned forward and kissed his lover full on. He brought his free hand behind his bare neck and pulled him closer, kissing him with everything he had as he grinned, lapping at the edges of his lips and mmming softly. "Oh, come on. He'd be proud!"

"BARRRK!!!!!" Hey!! You are squishing the puppy!!!!!! Samson yowled loudly as they squished him, and he scrabbled against Clark's invulnerable skin.

Lex murmured appreciatively into his lover's mouth, stroking Clark's arm and shoulder, nipping a full lower lip, sucking the tongue that teased his lips. "I love you, Clark. And he... he would be proud. Shocked, I'm sure." He nipped. "Let's do it."

Clark grinned again, let Samson go so he wouldn’t get smushed, and very casually rolled over his lover, putting his full weight on him as he gazed down at him with a brow raised. "I'll make the pasta with you, baby....but you know, Lex, you made me a promise earlier this afternoon." He reached down, and licked a stripe from Lex's cheek. "I seem to recall."

Samson wiggled up to the pillows, curling up on top of Lex's bald head. It was warm and cozy up there, and he heaved a happy puppy sigh.

Lex trembled gently. "I did?" he teased softly. "What... promise?" He lifted his hips up, rubbing his cock against Clark's as it slowly rose.

"Not entirely sure." He peered at him diligently, and slowly let himself off the partial lean he'd been on his knees... letting their hips align and rest against one another as their crotches got cozily pressed together. Clark rubbed his toes along Lex's ankle and lower, over his shoe, raising a sweet brow.

Lex moaned softly. "Believe... it's coming back to me," he whimpered, his leg raising to slide against Clark's foot. "Think... I promised... to fuck you through the mattress."

"Really?" A mock gasp, as Clark gently, ever so softly, rubbed himself against his lover, which he hid with innocence by simply shifting his weight to the other elbow so he could lean down and trace the shell of Lex's ear, and whisper, "I might consent, but get Samson out of here. Can’t let you fuck me blind with him looking at me."

"He's... seen already," Lex reminded. "The lab?"

Samson sat straight up, fuzzy little ears flopping as he stared at the Clark and the Lex.

Clark raised his head, and blinked at Samson’s big, soulful puppy eyes.

Then down. "You want to be balls deep in my ass, lover?"

Lex nodded. "I do... will be soon."

Little brown puppy paws braced themselves on the bald crown of Lex's head as Samson strained his head up to lick Clark's face.

He pointed up to Samson, and shifted so he could grind down on the beginning erection beneath him even as Samson licked his nose and cheek. "Get him out."

"But he'll cry," Lex protested. "He'll be sad."

"Do you want in?"

Lex nodded.

"Then get him out."

Lex made a small noise not unlike Samson's little sad whimper. "C'mon, buddy." He held his hands out and picked up the puppy. "It's okay. Yeah, I know. He's a mean bastard." He nuzzled his nose into Samson's warm fur. "We'll put you in the bathroom, okay?"

Samson's ears pricked up as the Lex made a sad noise, and he wiggled around, licking Lex's face. "Bawr? Grrr." He snuggled up under Lex's chin.

Lex continued cooing to Samson as he carried him into the bathroom. "Okay, buddy. We gotta puppy-proof." He put the toilet lid down, still holding Samson tucked up to his chest, and made sure the sinks were dry and everything else, and then he sat Samson down in the middle of the bathroom floor. "Sit, baby. We'll come back and get you when we're done, okay?"

As soon as Lex closed the door, Samson ran over to it and started scratching at the door, whining softly.

Lex glared at Clark as he walked back across the room. "You see that? That baby is miserable."

Except Clark... had stripped down to nothing while Lex had been gone, and he was casually sprawled out on the bed. One leg hanging off the side, the other bent at the knee, and he was stroking his cock with one hand, up and down, as the other lay under the pillow beneath his head. Samson... would live. ...hopefully.

Clark rose a brow, taunting quietly. "I just don’t think you've got it in you to really fuck me, Lex." Heavy sigh.

Lex growled as he saw Clark. "You... oh, you don't know." Lex started undressing as he crossed the room, shirt falling to the floor, shoes kicked off, socks, pants and underwear pooling in a pile by the bed. By the time he was naked, he was crawling onto the bed from the bottom, slinking up Clark's body. He nipped Clark's calves, licked the crease of his knee, blew slick breaths across his cock, and ended up pressing Clark down into the mattress.

He laughed in glee and pleasure, raising his body up to press close as he gazed up at his love, eyes twinkling as he opened his fingers and included Lex's cock in the jacking off. They rubbed together with each of Clarks thrusts, and he sighed in pleasure, eyes fluttering closed as he rubbed his ass into the mattress. "Oh, I don’t think so. You're too sweet to lose it. Make me scream."

Lex growled again, and put his hands on Clark's shoulders, pushing him down. "You want to bet?" he said, and then bit. He bit hard around each of Clark's nipples, sucking them as far into his mouth as his lover's skin would allow, and then raked his teeth roughly over the nub.

His eyes flew open wide and Clark arched his chest up in offering, his gasp loud and rumbling in his chest as he bucked his hips up into his hand and Lex's cock. Oh. God. He let out a husky moan, free fingers clamping around the back of his lovers neck, and he moaned in pleasure as the early evening sun began to set outside of their bedroom window. Splashes of pink and yellow over their skin… their bed, and he moaned again, trembling as he stroked the knob on the back of Lex's head and rubbed his thumb against the tip of his lovers erection.

Lex shook his head, stabbing his tongue against Clark's nipples, rubbing the pebbled tips against his teeth. The touch on the back of his head was calmly soothing, and he scraped his teeth down Clark's sternum, then bit down on his bellybutton before scraping back up. "Get on your stomach," Lex ordered, straddling Clark's hips as his hands gripped Clark's shoulders tightly.

Nah.

He gazed up at him, daring, and instead grabbed Lex's waist, rolling them both over so that he was on top... straddling Lex's cock. He pressed it between his cheeks length wise and squeezed his muscles around it, tightly, rocking back and forth as he clamped his fingers on Lex's thighs. His eyes were both filled with pleasure and full of challenge, daring Lex to stop him even as he squeezed tighter and rocked faster.

Lex's hands went flat on the mattress and then thrust himself up, pulling himself up straight and pressing his chest against Clark's. His eyes flared as he thrust against Clark, attempting to dislodge him.

He was going to be on top, goddammit.

Clark’s eyes were filled with amused challenge, grabbing onto his lovers shoulders and all but humming in innocence as he rocked twice more before letting go, noses nearly brushing they were so close.

Clark bit his lower lip sweetly, and all but fluttered his lashes.

Lex took his lover's mouth in a hard kiss, biting and nipping and chewing on his lover's mouth. His hips thrust up, hands on Clark's shoulders and shoved, pushing him down and rubbing. "I want you."

Clark toppled backwards, head pointing towards the end of the bed, and he thrust up, fingernails raking down Lex's flanks as he offered himself. "Then why aren’t you taking me?"

"I will." He arched into the raking fingernails, hips twisting as he threw his head back. Then his head fell down on Clark's shoulder, biting his skin. Biting, sucking, trying to mark, and Lex's nails drew down over Clark's forearm, scraping the mark they both shared. "I said get on your stomach." His hands dragged at Clark's hips, trying to move his lover.

"Grah!" He cried it out, loudly, as Lex's fingernails scratched his mark and something trembled inside of him. Submissive and wantful and he rolled, pulling up onto his knees until they were as far up as they would go, elbows braced as he presented himself to his lover. "Please, yes, aushna' redqaus, please, please," He whimpered. The dirtier the better. Lex was his dominant, his master now, and he ached to let himself go, to be pleasured and please at the same time.

It had just taken one touch to remember the bond, and he whimpered his apologies as he squirmed his ass.

"That's better." Lex landed sharp slaps on Clark's ass, and then slid his nails over his hips. His fingertips rubbed over Clark's opening, then his mouth slipped down Clark's spine, and found the hard little spot at the base of it. He sucked hard on it, biting the long ridge of hard flesh there as he scraped his teeth over it.

The pad of his fingers still rubbed over the tight starburst of his lover's opening.

He bucked, let out a harsh, vibrating sob of want as he arched his back and wriggled his ass back into the touch, grunting darkly as he reached back and searched a moment before finding Lex's cock, squeezing it hard in his fingers as he thrashed like a wild animal under the sucks at the base of his spine. Holy god, and he wasn’t going to make it. He pushed back, wild with want, growling and whimpering at the same time, before begging without words. Let me see you take your huge dildo, please aushna'.

Lex caught the thought from his lover, and grinned. "Yes... yes, love. Is that what you want?" He stroked down Clark's back. "You want to see me take Big Blue?" He popped Clark once. "You will have to help me. Lube it, lube me, help me work it in."

He whimpered but didn’t move, trembling until his lover said it was okay. "Yes... yes, w… want to... to see, pl, please, and be inside me, want you to get inside me w… when yo-you're full."

"Yes." Lex rolled off his lover, rubbing himself against Clark. "Yes, beloved, yes." He squeezed Clark's hands with his. "Come. With me."

Clark squeezed right back, rolling himself off the bed and climbing to his feet with his Lex. He stood, lacing their fingers tightly as he looked back at the bed, then at his lover. His cock stood straight up, his eyes were wide, and he could not stop shaking.

Lex pulled Clark behind him towards the closet, half-dragging him as he threw open the door to the small toy room, and made a direct beeline to the wall. The blue dildo was nearly fifteen inches long, and as wide as Lex's fist. He rested his hand on the huge shaft, stroking it suggestively. "Is it this one you want, baby?"

Eyes impossibly wide, Clark nodded. Oh. Oh, God. "B.. baby, it'll hurt you, no, c... can’t, Lex, can’t." He shook his head, and gently tugged Lex back towards the door. "No, hurt you, sorry I asked, Lex, hurt you, never want to hurt you, I love you."

Lex dug his heels in, wrapping his hands around Clark's wrists and shared thoughts with Clark.

All the times he'd had the blue dildo inside him.

Had it shoved into his ass without preparation by a black-masked dominant.

Had it eased in slowly by a collared, leashed slave as Lex was bound to a large X-frame.

Worked it in himself, when he was alone, inch by inch.

Clark moaned, gutturally, and nearly lost his footing. Oh. Oh, God. His eyes rolled back in his head and his cock surged back to life, hard and jutting against his belly as he whimpered, audibly, trembling in his lovers arms. Oh. God.

And it scared him, and thrilled him, that the thought of being Lex's slave was so deliriously wonderful. He whimpered, nodding, and reached down to squeeze his cock tightly.

Lex's hands slapped Clark's away, and instead wrapped those curious hands around his waist. "Will you help me, Clark?"

Nonono, cock, wanted to touch his... dammit. He whimpered a second time and nodded helplessly, dropping his face to lap at Lex's neck and throat as his fingers tightened on the slender waist. "Please, yes, yes, please."

"Good." Lex pulled away and took the large blue dildo off the wall, and then bent down to pull out a large bottle of lube. He set both objects down on the on the narrow counter ledge, and rummaged for several other things. He came back with a pair of leather wrist cuffs with a chain strung between them. "Hold out your arms."

Clark’s entire body tingled. Head to foot, and he had to reach down to yank at his balls to keep himself from coming. He shook, goosebumps lighting him up as he held out his arms, fingers resting on Lex's belly and chest as he swallowed, deeply, licking his lower lip as he gazed down at the jutting erection coming from Lex's bare crotch.

Lex fastened a cuff around Clark's right wrist first, and then his left, strung the chain between them, and then dragged his nails lightly up Clark's arms. "There. That's better."

"I’m...I’m your tremgha?" He whimpered, loudly, and nodding, begging with his eyes. Let me bring you down my throat, lover.

"You are." He pushed down on Clark's shoulders, thrusting himself forward at the same time. "You are my tremgha, and everyone will know this." He reached up, slid his hands through what was left of Clark's thick hair, and started pushing him down.

"Yesss." He hissed, falling to his knees and wrapping his arms as far as he could around Lex's thighs and ass, and brought his mouth down over the hard cock. He sucked at it, softly, kissing down each side of it before wrapping his lips around the tip and began to slowly tug him in. The taste exploded on his tongue deliciously and he moaned, fingertips scraping down each ass cheek as he pulled him in further, slowly but surely.

"Yes, baby." Lex's fingers tightened in Clark's hair, his cock thrusting forward into Clark's mouth, thumbs dropping to stroke his lover's hollowed cheeks. "Yes, suck me down. Make me come, baby." His body shuddered as his hips rolled in Clark's careful grip.

He wriggled close, squirmed, rubbing his erection against his lovers shin as he swallowed him down in a single gulp.

His throat opened and closed around Lex's cock, tightening around him, an Clark began to swallow around him, tightly, with his impossibly strong muscles, and thrust him out and in. He moved slowly, gaining momentum, fingers sliding from Lex's ass and up to his balls... caressing the weight of them in each palm as he bobbed his head up and down. His mouth was stretched tight over the base of Lex's erection, and as he brought his mouth down he scraped, very lightly, the bottom of his teeth down and up the vein on the underside.

Lex shuddered. "God!" Clark had been the only person he'd ever had sex with who had been able to bring him so close to the edge so fast, the only person he'd ever loved enough to let go. His nails dug into Clark's shoulders as he dropped his hands, and he started pulling back. "You want... you want it in your mouth? Or... fuck, Clark... on your pretty face?" He had his balls in a death grip, keeping himself from coming.

Face, face, face, he murmured in his mind.

He sucked, hard, at the tip of his lovers cock as it slid from him, sucking in little rhythmic movements as he licked and lapped at the ridge around it.

Lex stepped back from his beloved, pulling his cock out of Clark's mouth as his hand slid down over the slick shaft. He let go of his balls, twisting his head savagely as he jacked, shuddering as he came.

The first splash hit Clark's face, rolled down his cheek like a white tear. The second rolled over his lover's lips, and Lex moaned when Clark's tongue snaked out to taste. The third hit the other cheek, marking him on both sides of his face. The rest hit Clark's neck and throat, and Lex's knees were quickly weakening as he looked.

Clark was marked in his seed, carrying his scent, and Lex wanted nothing more than to throw Clark down on the floor and fuck the other man until he bled.

Oh, God.

He was shaking, eyes wide as he watched Lex come. They'd never done this before, not ever, and he was trembling with awe, pleasure, and deep, dark submission, his hands reaching up and touching some of the ribbons of come that had hit his neck. He felt...he felt owned, marked in a way he'd never known, and he shook as he gazed up at his lover with adoration, and a love deeper then he'd ever felt in his life.

He rubbed the liquid into his skin, lapping at it from his lower lip, and whimpered softly at its taste. Different... stronger, strange. Lovely.

Lex moaned softly, again, as he watched Clark licking and rubbing at his come. Spreading it, massaging it into his skin, and it was the most erotic thing Lex had ever seen. His cock pulsed, thrumming back to life as he started to harden again, watching his beloved, and he growled. "Get up, Clark... on the bed. Now."

"Ca… can’t." He whimpered. He could barely breathe, struggling to his feet even as he spoke. The blood had gushed down to his cock, which was so hard it hurt, and he was shaking as he stumbled and caught the wall. The chain made his other hand move too, and he looked down at the cuffs, almost dumbly, having no clue where or what was going on other then his marking.

First, his lover had let him keep his come inside of Clarks body. Now... now he was being marked as someone’s, and he was almost in tears of joy and want as he stumbled.

Lex grabbed the toy and the lube from the counter and with gentle, delicate hands led Clark out of the small room, out of the closet, back into the bedroom. He tossed the toy onto the bed, tossed the lube after it, and then pushed Clark down to his knees again. Only this time Lex went with him, kissing his face and lapping at the single salty tear that slipped down. "I love you, aushna'," Lex said softly, tongue licking Clark's skin but avoiding his come for the moment. "You belong to me now."

"B-Belong." So powerful was the word and Clark couldn’t help it, he rose up just a little and wrapped his arms as tightly as he could around his lover, hugging him hard. He lapped at his lips again and let go, leaning back down and whimpering. "Tell... t-tell me, tell me what… tell."

"Yes... belong." He returned the tight embrace, hands stroking possessively, roughly, over his lover. "Come over to the bed. I'll need you to open me up; your fingers are bigger than mine, and the more open I am, the better. Can you do that for me, Clark?"

"Yes, yes." He nodded it, keeping his fingers on his lover as they went to the bed. Clark crawled over it, goosebumps and trembles still racing over him, and gently, softly, helped his lover onto the bed. "No... L... Lex," He shook his head. This wasn’t right. Not now. Not yet. Marking. Not yet. He had to do something else, it wasn’t time yet. "Not done, no, don’t want you to, not now, be with me, inside, have to, Lex, Lex, have to, k-keep it inside, have to, Lex," He was babbling. He knew it. He couldn’t stop. "Lex, its not... not done, not yet, Lex.."

"Ssssh... Okay, baby. Sssh. Okay." He moved over his lover, settling on his knees between Clark's thighs. "Open for me. Now, Clark, open up. Let me see you." His hand found the lube he'd tossed on the bed and he opened it, slicking his fingers carefully before rubbing one over his opening. "Relax, baby. Let me in."

"I… inside, Lex, you have to get... get inside, Lex, you have to be inside me, have to keep your come inside, have to, can't work if not, Lex," He spread his legs, muscles shaking as he offered himself to his lover, leaning further forward on his elbows and baring himself more for his lover. Wouldn’t work if he didn’t get inside and Clark was so happy that tears were running down his face and getting smeared with Lex's marking at the blankets and he let out a sound of joy, bucking back and looking for what he wanted. "Over you, slick, slicken yourself, get in."

Lex's cock was fully hard, seeing his marked lover writhe on the sheets, begging for him, and Lex slicked his cock with his hand, and without bothering to stretch his lover, Lex thrust in. Hot and tight and welcoming, Clark's body seemed to swallow him whole as he pushed in, and his hands braced on Clark's shoulders as he leaned down, kissing again and lapping at the salty mix of tears and come.

"YESSSS!" Clark screamed, on top of his lungs, bucking backwards into the cock sliding inside of him as he pushed back, harder, taking him in deeper then he'd ever gotten and shuddering, hard. Tight, hot, tickling lick of pain and he moaned in pleasure, fingers reaching down... couldn’t, the strap, the cuffs and he let out a cry of pleasure and fury, and would have snapped them in two if--

Snapped them in two.

He reached down with his hand, chain trailing, and grabbed his cock, tightening his fingers around it as he begged for his lover to move, screaming again. Hurry, hurry, has to be soon, won’t work if its not soon FUCK ME LEX!

Lex wasn't surprised to see the chain snap; nothing in this world or any other could have held Clark down.

He was surprised when he felt his cock being pulled deeper and deeper, and he angled himself just a little, so that when he slammed in, he rubbed not just against his lover's prostate, but at that depth, he rubbed the lower end of Clark's little protrusion. Over and over again, he slammed both gland and tail with his cock, hand sliding to his lover's hips to hold him still as his strokes got rougher, deeper, harder.

"YES! YES!" He couldn’t stop screaming, faster, faster, running out of time and he squeezed Lex with all his might with each thrust, the bed rocking so hard the walls shock, his sobs for God and mercy and yes rocking over the walls, his insistent need putting everything else out of his mind. He squeezed as hard as he could on each in stroke, tugging on the out, and linked tightly with his lover.

And through it, gave Lex why he loved the bump so much.

Lex screamed. He couldn't help it. His body went rigid as his brain was overloaded with pleasure, both from himself and his lover. His fingers locked around Clark's, his hips gave two hard, jackhammer like strokes that he felt in his own ass as well, and he came. Hard. Harder than he ever had before, he stayed still inside his over as his balls throbbed, emptying hot semen deep inside his lover.

He could feel the hot spread of seed in his own ass, and he shuddered, thrusting into Clark again, rolling his hips as he pressed the last of it out.

Clark let out a sob of pleasure and jacked his over sensitized cock before he came. Hot ribbons of come shot from him, over his chest, the bed, his belly and hand, spurting from him as he rocked and thrummed his hips forward, moaning deeply in pleasure. He wasn’t sure, didn’t know if it had been too late or not, because all he could feel was the heat of his lover and his come inside of him, roiling through him, and he whimpered as he let himself uncurl from his knees and straighten, stretching out and not letting Lex out. Not yet. Can’t. No.

Lex tried once to move out of his lover, and Clark's body held him impossibly tight, even as Clark's arms came around him, holding him there.

He didn't try to pull out again; he was content to lay with Clark like this, his chest to Clark's back, as long as it made his beloved happy. "Aushna'."

Lex felt… so good. Couldn’t let go... no. Not yet. He whimpered once in pleasure, cheek pressed into the sheets, Lex's scent all over him. He could stay like this for the next day, and he'd feel... it would feel so very, very good. Lex over him, protecting him, sharing this with him, and he began to cry again, in joy, letting out a happy laugh as he squirmed his hips.

Lex's hands slid up his lover's chest, and he kissed Clark's shoulder and then the tip of his spine. The squirming of his lover's hips strangely didn't arouse him, and that should have been disturbing but instead, it just felt good. Even more than good, it felt right. He nuzzled into Clark's neck, and bit the juncture of neck and shoulder lightly. "Aushna', don't cry."

"I’m so happy." He wept, laughing again as he kept Lex close, finding his hands and squeezing them softly as he closed his eyes and beamed in pleasure. Pure, complete, pleasure. Lex was sharing this with him and it was okay and it felt good and YES! He laughed all over again, snuggling his cheek into the blankets and whispering, "Stay. Roll over... on our sides? If.... if want to get out, want to keep you in… use the plug again. Want to keep you in. Love you, feel so hot inside."

Lex nodded, and complied, rolling onto his side and snuggling back into Clark's back, keeping his cock firmly embedded in his lover. "Got nowhere to be; I can stay like this," Lex murmured softly, one hand coming around to toy with a hard nipple. "I love you."

"I love you more." Clark beamed, sniffling softly and trying to compose himself as he tugged blankets up with his free arm, so that they were both snuggled deeply under their quilts. It was only a little past eight o’clock, but he felt a deep, sleepy lethargy coming over him. His lover marked him, then made love with him, and sleep was supposed to be now, so his body could do its thing.

Lex snuggled, kissing his lover's neck again as they settled into the blankets. Sleep and warmth were not at all a bad idea, and he situated himself so that his cock could not slip out of Clark, and he pulled his lover tighter to his chest.

"Aushna'?"

"Yes, beloved?" Lex's hand still stroked Clark's chest.

"Tell me you love me 'gain." He murmured, as he closed his eyes and began to let his muscles relax.

Lex stopped his stroking and wrapped his fingers through Clark's. "I love you, my aushna'," he repeated quietly. "You are my world, my soul, and we belong to each other."

Oh. Oh, that was nice. Clark smiled as he began to doze, murmuring back softly, "I love you s'much. Mine. Love you."

Lex gave a little twitch of his hips that seated his cock deeper into Clark's ass. "I love you, sa'lumkana. My one... my only."

Clark was smiling as he fell asleep.

~ * ~ * ~

He was dozing. Lovely, lovely dozing, with a hot, supple, lovely woman under him. And really, what wasn’t good about that, alright? She was sexy as hell, he was sated like he hadn’t been in a long time, and finally, Pete had reinstated his man hood.

He'd never heard a girl scream like that in his life.

Chains, two dildos, a hell of a lot of lube and condoms were everywhere. They'd gone through four of them.

Which, you know, Pete was even prouder of.

At the moment, however, he was pressed tight, balls deep, inside of his girlfriend, and he didn’t plan on moving for quite some time. Curled up under blankets and sheets, dozing, feeling one another. Christ, it was good to be him.

He cupped her breast gently, and sighed into her ear.

Shayla snuggled back into the warm arms of her lover, and just... grinned. She was sore--in the good way that meant she'd had a definite good time, she was tired, and she was definitely, definitely sated.

She was also deliriously, completely, and totally in love with the man who was currently snuggling up against her. Her fingers were stroking his wrist where it disappeared under her breast, and it made her smile to remember this was the position they'd first woken up together in--except for the whole being buried to the balls inside of her. She loved that feeling, and squeezed him gently just to tell him how much.

She had just dozed off, not quite yet asleep, when the shrill ring of her telephone cut through her stupor.

If not for Pete's arm around her waist, she'd have fallen off the bed.

As it was Pete let out a manly squeak and grasped her breast a little harder then he intended, raising his head from her neck and glaring, deeply, at the phone. Fucking. Thing. He winced and slowly, gently, dislodged himself from her... then left her to answer it as he ducked under the sheets and began to lap at her opening, and their mixtures of come which was... intoxicating.

Shayla giggled as he squeaked, and then felt for the phone on her dresser. She flipped the little cell phone open, and her voice squeaked on "Hello?" as Pete's tongue began to brush across her.

Chloe was crying, so hard, that she couldn’t even speak through the receiver.

Pete continued licking… dipping his tongue into the still stretched opening and licked her softly, murmuring into her as he spread her thighs a little more and he ducked under one leg to get to her.

Chloe? Honey? That you?" She sat up a little straighter, shuddering as Pete licked deeper into her, and she picked up a pillow, whapping him over the head with it. "Chloe? Why are you crying? Where are you? Need me to come and get you?"

Hello! He got HIT? He dislodged his tongue and pushed himself up. He pulled the blankets back and glared at her... then rose his brows and winced as he wiped his face. "What? What? Its Chloe? What’s wrong with her? Shayla?"

She couldn’t. Stop. Crying. She was sobbing, hysterically, but managed to get out, 'downstairs' before Ms Bird helped her put the receiver down. Chloe sank into the nearest chair, sobbing into her hands.

Ms. Bird picked up the receiver. "Chur friend is downstairs, Miss Shayla. Chould I bring her up there?"

Shayla shook her head. "No. That's cool; I'll be downstairs in like, two minutes. Tell her that, okay?"

"Ja." Ms. Bird hung up the house phone, and put her hand on Chloe's shoulder. "She vill be down in two minutes."

Shayla hung up and looked back at Pete as she kissed him. "I don't know, baby. She's downstairs crying, she couldn't talk, she was sobbing. Ms. Bird's with her, so I'm guessing they're in the kitchen." She rolled out of bed, and started tugging clothes on. "I'm going down there to see what's goin' on. Wait here, all right?"

"Okay. Oh! Shay." He reached forward and pulled the condom wrapper from her hair, and blushed, hotly, underneath his skin. He reached forward, kissing her, deeply, and hugged her tightly a moment from his knees on the bed. "Want me to come down too?"

She returned the kiss, her tongue darting out to lick his lips and face clean of their mingled juices. "Yeah. Yeah, I do." She left his arms around her waist as she wiggled into her shirt, breasts bouncing. "But it might be girl stuff; you okay with hearing girl stuff?" She kissed his nose, and raked her fingers through her hair, dislodging another condom wrapper.

He was... a little too busy being UNDER her shirt, lapping at those breasts that had just been way too tantalizing for him not to lap and lick, and he felt, incredibly, his cock begin to rise again. "Mmm..." He murmured, nipping at a taut nipple as his fingers raked down over her pants, and he sighed in pleasure.

"Pete..." she moaned, just a little breathlessly. "Gotta... Chloe's waiting... can't... oh, Christ but that feels good.. she's... can't leave her alone..."

"Can’t." he murmured, wrapping his lips around her nipple and giving it twin, hard sucks...the same pattern he'd held as he'd fucked her raw as soon as he'd come in. Right against the wall, and the memory of her screams was enough to bring his cock up straight. He let go of her though, as much as he wanted, and shuddered, pushing her towards the door. "Chloe."

Chloe. Shayla. Kissing.

He moaned.

Shayla stumbled to the door, and then looked back when he moaned. She cursed softly, under her breath, and ran back to the bed, dropping to her knees beside it as she sucked his cock into her mouth. Two, then a third hard suck as she worked him a little deeper into her throat each time, and her fingers stroked over his balls gently before she pulled away and got to her feet. "Hurry up... hurry down, okay?" She stroked his chest, and then kissed him again, tongue twisting over his.

He moaned, loudly, as her sweet little lips had wrapped around him, then… yeah, and he kissed her harshly, quick and fast, and let go, pushing her towards the door even as he trembled and stood, stumbling to her bathroom. Shower. Jack. Clothes. Chloe.

Shayla turned around, cocking her hip to lean on the doorjamb, watching her beautiful lover's firm round ass stumbling into the shower. There were still a few little scratch marks on it from their enthusiastic make-up sex, and she grinned idiotically to herself as she turned, and then ran down the hallway and towards the stairs, little feet pounding as she took the stairs two at a time, and then skidded around the corner in socked feet to end up in the kitchen.

It broke her heart to see her best friend sobbing at the table, and she knelt down on the floor beside her. "Chloe, sweetie... I'm here."

She'd eventually dropped her face to the wood, and that’s where she was now. Her face in her hands, her hands on the table, and she was crying as hard as she ever remembered. Wads of tissue were around her that Ms Bird had given her, but she just... she just cried. She was crying even harder when Shayla dropped next to her, and looked up... face horrid. Red and splotchy and wet and she looked so miserable as she reached forward and set her face on her friends shoulder, sobbing all the more.

Shayla wrapped her arms around Chloe's shoulders and hugged her as she let her cry. "Okay, baby, you're starting to scare me. What's wrong? Did Whitney do something? Pete's already beat the crap outta him once today, he can do it again. So'll CK, if he hurt you. I will too."

"No, no, no," And the guilt ate her alive. She'd just lost the man she loved more then the earth and she'd forsaken him at every turn and he must not even know how much she loved him, and God, she sobbed.

"Okay. Okay. Come on. Pete's showering upstairs in my room. Let's go up there. We'll lock the door, send him down for water and munchies in a while, and I've got loads of tissue. Come on. Let's go."

She nodded, still unable to speak as she rose, looking up and thanking Ms Bird through a clogged voice and the tears. "Phank 'ou." She sniffled, linking her arm with Shayla as she wiped her nose on a tissue, still sniffling

Shayla snagged the box that was still sitting on the table for the trip upstairs. "Ms. Bird, we're gonna send Pete down for some stuff later, like snacks and something to drink, okay?"

"I vill hef it ready," she promised.

Shayla nodded her thanks, and snuggled one arm around Chloe's waist, as the other one hugged her. "Come on, baby. What's wrong?"

She shook her head, walking with her friend and trying not to cry anymore, but as soon as she opened her mouth the sobs came back and her face just crumbled. "W-W-Whit... Whitney.."

"What'd the big jerk do to you, Chloe?" She hugged her best friend tighter, guiding her up the stairs. "Do I have to nail him in the nuts?"

"H-H-He as-asked me to-to marry him." Oh, God, and the pain was fresh and she just cried, stumbling on the steps.

Okay. That was a shock. Shayla almost lost her footing when Chloe did, and she eased both of them down on the top step. "He... did what? And you're what? You're upset because he proposed?"

"N-N-Nd I m-might be pregnant." Chloe sobbed, all the harder, and sank to the stairs, setting her forehead on her friends shoulder and crying harder.

Pregnant? "Okay. Let's deal with one hurdle at a time. Let's get to the bedroom, and then, we'll figure out what to do about the proposal and the pregnancy. Are you okay with Pete being there, by the way? I can kick him out if you're not."

"I-It doesn’t m-matter to me." She couldn’t stop. Christ, what had she DONE?

"Okay. Then can you walk?" She stood up, and started pulling Chloe with her. "Just down the hall, okay? Then we'll sit down on the bed, and we'll talk. Okay?" She pushed Chloe's wet bangs out of her face, tucking them behind her ears. "Come on."

She nodded, snuggled hard, and rose. Her feet felt like lead, her heart was broken, and she'd messed it all up. Not just Whitney and her, though the pain was unbearable. She'd messed up the bond with Clark and Lex, and she just didn’t understand it, but now there’d be tension and they'd be sad because of HER. Why couldn’t she be NORMAL?

"Good girl." Shayla hugged her friend hard, and started half-walking, half-dragging Chloe along with her. "Just to cheer you up, you can say I told you so. Pete and I made up, and you were right, the sex was phenomenal. You were totally right, and I should have been listening to you all along. So you can hit me with that Sullivan I Told You So any time now." Anything to try and cheer her best friend up.

"I’m s-so stupid, stupid, never l-l-listen to me, stupid, I’m so sorry," She half sobbed, trying to calm herself as they walked.

"You are not stupid! You were absolutely right!" She shook her friend slightly, then banged on her bedroom door. "Pete!!" She pressed her ear to the door; she could still hear the shower. That was good. "Come on, he's still in the shower; I'll poke my head in and tell him not to come out naked while you get comfortable, okay?"

"Y… you guys w-were having s-s-smoochies, sorry, shouldn’t have come, Shayla," She began to pull away, shaking her head as she kept right on crying, and pushed the damp, gooey tissues to her face to catch some of it. She had cried so hard her head ached, and all she wanted to do was curl up somewhere and cry until she fell asleep.

"No, we were done smooching. We were just getting ready to sleep before we had something to eat and started on round two. Believe me, sweetie, it's fine." She wrapped her hand firmly around Chloe's wrist and pulled her into the room. "Sit," she said, pointing to the bed, and then stalked to the bathroom and slipped inside, shutting the door behind her. "Pete? You still in here, man?"

She nodded, ignoring the rumbled sheets as she sat at the edge and buried her face in her hands, her bag slipping to the floor.

The shower cut off, and about a minute later Pete poked his head out... caught site of Shay, and Chloe crying behind her, and hissed, "Push the stuff under the bed, smooth the sheets, I'll get dressed, be out in a sec."

Shayla nudged the door the rest of the way shut with a socked foot, and then leaned forward and gave Pete a long, wet kiss. "You're beautiful, baby. Not every guy would put up with a sex lecture from a girl's older sister, and then sitting with her best friend while she cries."

He grinned, quite crookedly, and leaned forward to kiss her. "I get you out of the deal, don’t I?"

The bathroom was neat as a pin... except for the mess he'd made of it. he had this thing with needing to blanket the floor with towels, because he hated stepping on cold tiles after a hot shower. His erection was gone, beaten out and gone down the drain, and the towel sat firmly on his hips as he grinned. "'sides, like knowing we're okay enough to do this."

"Course. You always get me, whether you want me or not." She touched his face gently. "We're okay, Pete. I love you, you know that, you love me, I know that. We're good.... we're always going to be okay." She hugged him, getting her arms slightly damp, and then grinned. "I'll see you in a minute."

"Aces." His smile was wide and his eyes shining as he let her go, kissing her forehead once, and gently, as he turned back into the bathroom. Deodorant, brush, clothes, and he turned to look at her as she slipped out the door. "When I come out, you can come in and shower. Get your PeteSmell off ya, so Chloe doesn’t get offended."

"I like my PeteSmell, thank you very much. Sides, I think Chloe's so stopped up with crying right now that I don't think she could smell anything."

"Shay... shower. Cause..." He looked down, shyly. "Smelling me on you makes me want to take you again. And somehow... not sure Chloe would appreciate that."

Shayla blushed, but she grinned. "Oh. I really like knowing that. And that really makes me not wanna shower again." She giggled. "Okay. I'll shower. But you have to promise me, you'll make it up to me later."

"Ohh... not gonna be a problem." His eyes twinkled as he reached forward, giving her cheek a kiss, and scooted to his clothes, shooing her out.

Shayla closed the bathroom door behind her, and ran back over to the bed and sat beside Chloe. "Okay. You feel like talking, sweetie?" She wrapped her arms around Chloe's waist and hugged her tightly.

Chloe could barely breathe through her stuffed nose. She snuffled, hard, rubbing her palms over her eyes, and nodded with a harsh little tremble a she wrapped her arms right back around Shay's shoulders and hugged. "I’m k-kay, I’m s-s-sorry to b… be doing this."

"No, don't be sorry, okay? I'd have been right here this time tomorrow if Pete hadn't called me, so don't even be sorry. Cause I know you'd have been right here with me, giving me Kleenex and kickin' me in the butt. So it's okay."

She nodded, rubbing her eyes into Shayla’s hair, before sniffling again and sliding off the edge of the bed, to curl on the floor. Back to the mattress, knees at her chest, and she sniffled hard as she wiped her eyes. "W… Whitney, he asked m-me to marry him."

Shayla slid right down to the floor beside her, and squeezed her hand tightly. "Why'd he do something like that?"

"I d… dunno, but he did, and he loves m-me, and I ruined it, and he h-h-hates me now." Chloe’s face crumbled all over again. "And I’m m-maybe pregnant, and he w… wants a family, and I don’t w-wan-want a family right now and he does and I.."

"Ssssh... it's okay." Shayla put her arms around Chloe and hugged. "One thing at a time. Let's deal with pregnant--I'm guessing he took the news well?"

She nodded, a few times, and set her head on Shayla's shoulder. "R-Real well. He... he liked it."

Shayla rubbed her cheek against the top of Chloe's hair. "He liked the idea of being a dad, huh? Did that scare you?"

"Yes. Yes! S-Seventeen here! Not an old lady, not ready to have b-babies, but he... he totally spazzed and w-was happy and I’m not!"

Shayla nodded, and didn't say anything for a minute as she hugged Chloe. "How old's he again?"

Chloe sniffled, hard, and looked around for a tissue as she rubbed at her nose. Her eyes were puffy, her nose red, face splotchy, and she looked just miserable. "Eighteen."

Shayla held out the pink cotton-ball decorated tissue holder to her friend. "Not that much older'n us. Wonder why he's so happy about it?" She hugged again. "Did you tell him how you felt?"

She shook her head, taking two tissues and blowing her nose. She wiped it up, still sniffling as she snuggled closer, and whimpered even as Pete came out of the bathroom. "I ran."

"Why'd you run? I mean... yeah, Whit always struck me on the slow end of the scale, but he's not a total dork. He's gotta know you're not happy."

"He's not slow!" She shrilled it, then burst into tears again. "He loves me and I broke his heart I ruined it and now he won’t want to see me ever again and its my fault!'

Every instinct in Pete’s body was telling him to turn tail and run in the other direction. However, because he was a good, sweet friend, he sat down next to the girls and offered a crooked little smile that was full of pain for his friend. "Hey, C'lo."

Shayla wrapped her arms around Chloe again, both of them. She hugged her friend tightly, rocking her. "I doubt that. I mean... I hurt Pete, but he still wanted to see me, didn't you, Pete?" She looked up at him helplessly. "I bet Whitney'll still want to see you."

"What? Oh! I mean, oh, yeah, totally." He was without a clue. "What did he do?"

Chloe just sobbed all the harder, laying her cheek on her shoulder as she cried.

"Oh, God! I’m sorry, sweetheart, I'll… I'll be more quiet. Okay? I'll… just sit here, and… do what good guys do. Shut the hell up."

"It's okay, Pete." Shay hugged Chloe with one arm, and held her other one out for Pete. "Whitney... sort of proposed. Marriage. To Chloe. And... Chloe may be pregnant. I'm gathering that Whitney was all for the home and hearth routine."

"Holy shit." And Pete wasn’t a stupid guy. He'd known Chloe since the fourth grade, and he knew just what buttons to push and which ones not to. But her dream, her biggest dream, was always to become a star journalist and win a Pulitzer. She always declared she wouldn’t have kids or a marriage until she was ready.

Seems like life kinda snuck up on her. "Shh...hey, baby, its alright." Pete moved to the other side of her, not occupied by Shayla, and wrapped his arms around her too. "Come on, it'll be alright. You’ve just got to talk to him."

"T… ta… talk?"

"Yeah, talk. Like you told me to talk to Pete. You just gotta smack him upside the head and tell him that you love him, you wanna get married with him--which I'm guessing you do--but just not right now. He'll understand, if he loves you."

"N-not right now, no, not not not right now." She shook her head firmly, and sniffled hard. "He… he l-looked so h-heartbroken."

She looked up at Pete, and gave him a tender smile. "Chloe... the longer you let something fester without talking it through, the more it's gonna hurt and come between you guys. Yeah, he's going to look heartbroken. I mean, he proposed and you turned him down. That doesn't mean he hates you, just... you know, he's sad and probably a little hurt. You gotta talk to him, before that little hurt gets too big to overcome."

She shook her head again. "Shay, y-you just don’t understand. I-I think he thinks I don’t w-want anything from him, and that’s so, so far from the truth. I don’t... don’t know i-if I can talk to him."

"Okay, then I will."

"NO!" Her screech was so loud Pete winced beside her, but she didn’t even realize. She just gave her friend a hard shake, and shook her head violently. "No, No, NO!"

"Chloe! Listen to me, okay? Somebody's got to. And if it's not you, then it's gonna be me? Okay? Because I know how much you love the big dork, and I'm not gonna stand by and watch it get screwed up!"

"No, you can't. You can’t, Shayla." She shook he friend again, and in her eyes was pure pleading. "I h-have to do this by myself, PROMISE me you won't get involved. Promise me, Shayla!"

"I promise. Cross my heart." She crossed her heart with her pinky, held it up, and kissed it. "But you gotta promise that you are going to talk to him, before things get out of hand."

She nodded, and just wrapped her arms around her friend, sniffling hard and wiping her eyes, before leaning over and doing the same thing to Pete.

"Awee. Well, damn." Pete hugged her right back, very gently, and kissed her hair. "Why don’t you stay and watch Buffy? Season three DVD's, I’m tellin ya."

She sniffled again, and gave a teary smile. "Maybe a little."

Shayla grinned. "Okay. So, let's send Pete down for the munchies, okay?" She gave her boyfriend a huge, pleading smile. "Ms. Bird said she'd make a tray for us."

"Damn girls." A huge, heaving sigh as he rose, knee creaking as he climbed to his feet. "What I do for ya'll."

Pete reached forward, pecked her cheek, and left the girls to do... femaley things. He tugged twin socks on, that he'd stuffed into his shoes, and pulled a sweater on over the t-shirt. Damn place could get drafty, after all. He smiled at the girls once, charmingly, and slipped out the door.

Chloe sniffled, and pushed her wild blond hair from her eyes. "Y...you have a real keeper, Shay." Sniffle.

"Yeah? So do you, so let's get you busy keepin' him." She dove under the bed and pulled out a plastic bag. "Come on."

"What?" She rose, her jeans pressed and stylish this morning and now wrinkled as hell, and she tugged them up higher onto her hips as she stood. "What’re we doing?"

Shayla dove into the bag and handed Chloe a home pregnancy test. "Megan bought 'em for me, like three of 'em, when she found out me'n Pete did it once without condoms, even though she knew I was on the pill."

Oh, God. Chloe took the slender, long box and stared at it. "EPT. Error proof test. Are they sure?" She suddenly demanded, gazing up at her friend from the ruins of her makeup. "How are they sure??"

"I don't know." She shrugged. "You can call the company and ask."

"Don’t tempt me." She sniffled, and followed her friend into the bathroom. "C... can I wash my face? Is that okay? I look so h-horrible." Her voice was getting thick again, and she let her head fall back, so the tears ran back down her throat.

"Sure. Come on. Pete just showered, and I'm gonna jump in while you're cleaning up and taking that test, okay?"

She sniffled again, harder, and stepped into the bathroom with her friend. She set the box on the counter, rubbing at her eyes, and pulled a strip of toilet paper from the role bolted to the wall to blow her nose.

"Forget that." Shayla dug under the sink and pulled out tissues, facial cleansing cloths, makeup remover, and all kinds of other little bottles of cleaner and cleansers, all in a pink plastic basket. "Help yourself, sweetie."

Chloe nodded and yeah, reached over to hug her friend again. "Shayla...thank you. No one e-else would put up with my pitiful sobbing."

Shayla hugged Chloe back tightly. "It's not pitiful sobbing. You're just... rightfully upset, okay? You want a shower too? I don't know if my jeans will fit you but I bet my shirts will."

She shook her head, sniffling again. "I’m gonna go home later... I can shower then. Thank you, Shay." A shaky little sigh, and she turned the faucet on, pulling from the basket a cleaner she herself used.

"You're welcome." Shayla started peeling her clothes off, tossing them in the tall hamper in the corner of the bathroom before stepping into the shower. "You okay, Chloe?"

Oh. Friend, undressing. Her belly always gave a kick she couldn’t help, and she nodded, leaning down into the sink and splashing her face wet before beginning to scrub it clean.

Shayla waited for the confirming nod before turning on the water. The soap sitting on the ledge was Pete's, and she picked it up, lathering her hands up as she slid them over her body. "Don't think you're gonna worm out of that test, Miss Chloe!" Shayla shouted over the shower. She tried to ignore the little giddy feeling she got from the thought of being naked in the same room with her friend, and inhaled the scent of her boyfriend's soap again.

Yeah. Probably the same giddy feeling she was getting, and she shouldn’t, emotional turmoil, but she couldn’t help it. It was instinctual, gut reactive, and she glanced up at the shower once before back down into the water. She splashed her face clean, drying her cheeks with a small hand towel, and turned to sit on the sink, opening the box.

Shayla stuck her head out of the curtain, and tucked her hair back. "They're not that hard to do. You just basically pee on the stick, and then match it up to what's on the box."

She jumped, glancing up, and bit her lip. Tightly. "Okay… I... I can do that." She swallowed a little and found herself staring just a moment, before she looked away.

Shayla flushed a little, and then giggled. "Yeah, I know you can. I'll be out in just a sec."

"Kay." A soft nod and her cheeks turned pink as she gazed down at the box. Alright. Yes. She went to the toilet, secluded behind a curving wall with a large, lovely window pointing out to the landscape beyond the castle, and undid her pants. She shifted the tube to where it said to hold, and crouched over the toilet, glancing up once before doing what she had to do.

And almost falling out of the window in the process.

"Chloe?" The slight thump got her attention, and she turned off the water, padding nakedly out of the shower. "Chloe? You okay?"

"Fine! Don’t come back here, peeing here!" She straightened herself with one foot, and finished, cleaning up and flushing before peeking around the wall. "I almost fell four stories."

Shayla peeked around and bumped heads with her friend. "Hello, girl here. Nothing I haven't seen before!!" She poked her head back around the corner, and started drying her hair.

Chloe nervously set the little plastic tube in a roll of toilet paper, and walked back around. Nervous, and she averted her gaze, coming to stand next to her friend as she peered down at the tube. "How long... do... does it take?"

"Like, five minutes." She wrapped another towel around her upper body, tucking it under her armpit. "You want me to wait in here with you?"

"Shay?" A shift...a heavy swallow. "What if I'm not pregnant? I...." Tears filled her eyes all over again. "I think maybe I want to be."

Shayla wrapped her arms around her friend. "Let's see what it is, first. And then we'll figure out how you feel about it."

-fin-

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