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serafina20Too many fics are in my head. "What Might Have Been" is quiet, but this and Inevitable are jumping in my head while my SPN fic still seems to be in post coital bliss after finally getting Dean and Rachel into bed.
Meanwhile, original novel? Not so much with the working on that. So... really. Over the break. Seriously.
Parts that came before
Weeks ago, Lucas had reinstated Lex's security code and told the staff he could come and go as he pleased. For his part, Lex tried not to abuse the implied invitation. Their relationship was too uncertain for Lex to barge in and out of the mansion any time he pleased. Plus, Lex was trying to prove he could function away from the luxury he'd grown up in. Which, thanks to the love and support of the Kents, wasn't as hard as he'd thought it would be.
He'd come over a few times. Lucas invited him over, usually twice a week. They played pool and video games or watched movies. Lucas was teaching Lex poker. Lex had played a few times back at Excelsior, but never quite acquired the knack. Once he started partying, he'd preferred to play with people, not cards.
When he drove up to the gate today, Eric stuck his head out of the guard booth.
"Hey, Mr. Luthor. You here about your brother?"
"Actually, no. I need to talk to Damien. Why? Is Lucas bad off?"
Eric shrugged. "I think so. Dr. Sutton's here. Supposedly he just hurt his shoulder, but I don't know. I think he needs a shrink, you know? I was one of the ones in there, trying to clear out the party, and Lucas just seemed...."
"Unstable?"
"To say the least."
On the one hand, Lex was annoyed; the staff shouldn't be gossiping about his brother's mental state with him. On the other hand, it was nice to have a warning.
Finally, Lex decided on a cool, distant, "Thank you, Eric. I'll take that under advisement."
"No problem, Mr. Luthor." Eric pulled back into the guardhouse and opened the gate.
Lex drove up the winding driveway to the garage. All his cars were still parked in their respective spaces. He stopped in front of his favorite--his silver Porsche--and pressed his hands against the hood.
Very technically, he still owned his car. He'd bought it outright, never put her up for collateral. He couldn't; it was his baby. Which was also why he'd left her here instead of taking her to the Kents. Here, she was safe and protected. She was out of the wind and rain and the elements. She was washed and waxed every week. She had access to the best mechanics should Lucas take her out and run her too hard. And, if she was damaged even just a little by Lucas, Lex had someone to kill instead of only having himself to blame.
With a sigh, Lex removed his hands from his car. Tore himself away and went inside.
He found Damien and Dominic in the office. Dominic was sitting at the piano, playing slowly on his recently healed fingers. Damien was nearby, reading. When Lex entered, he looked up.
"How is Mrs. Kent?" Damien asked.
Lex rubbed the back of his neck. "Helen had to call the DCA. They found irradiated soil in the storm cellar, where she'd been earlier today, digging. They don't know what it is and took samples. They're cleaning out the cellar. Martha..." He sighed and sat on the couch, near Damien. "She's not doing well, according to Jonathan."
"You think the meteors have something to do with the radiation?"
"That or the," he dropped his voice, "ship. What else could it be? It's an organic farm."
Damien nodded and rubbed his fingers over his book meditatively. "I'll see what I can do about getting a hold of a sample. I have contacts in the DCA."
"I thought so." He cut his eyes to Dominic.
Dominic was still playing, but softer now. He was obviously listening.
"Dom? Would you mind leaving us alone for a few minutes? Nothing personal." Why the hell did he say that? Why should he care if Dominic's feelings were hurt by being asked to leave the room or not?
Dom looked almost as surprised as Lex. He blinked at Lex for a moment, then closed the cover to the keys. "Of course," he said. "I'll check on your brother."
"Thank you."
He received a smile, which made Lex feel about two feet tall. If treating another human being with respect put him on the receiving end of gratitude from them, what kind of an asshole was Lex?
When the door was closed, Lex said, "Do you think we should tell him? About Clark?" Guilt obviously made him stupid.
Damien cocked an eyebrow. "I don't think that's your decision, sir. It's up to Clark. Although, I believe I can predict what his answer will be," he added wryly.
"You're right. I don't know what I was thinking." He rubbed his forehead.
"You were thinking it's inconvenient to have to look over your shoulder every time you want to discuss something about Clark. However, it is important to do so. One can never be too discreet." He met Lex's eyes.
And thank God for Damien. Who knows what ears were listening in these walls, just waiting for a juicy tidbit about an alien ship and metal disc?
Lex rose and walked to the desk. "You're right, of course. How are the two of you, anyway? I know you've been in pain lately."
"What does the state of my relationship have to do with my pain?" he asked.
"Well, I did hear Dominic mentioning that you're a bitch when you're in pain." Lex picked up a few sheets of paper and a pen. "He's only so patient, you know."
"Dominic is infinitely patient. Look at his family."
"Are you actually comparing yourself to Victoria?" Lex sat down again and started writing.
Damien smiled. "We do look rather alike, don't you think? Same hair. Same eyes."
"Not really." Lex frowned at Damien, pen stopping on the paper. "Why? I mean, why are you... Why?"
"Victoria is pregnant," Damien said, almost conversationally.
Lex's hand froze. "What?" Then, "Did you get her pregnant?"
Damien's look was enough to make Lex want to curl in on himself.
"Well," he said meekly, "I don't understand how you and Victoria looking similar relates to her being pregnant."
"Dominic loves her. Dominic loves me."
"*Dominic* got his sister pregnant?"
Again the look.
"Damien, you're not making any sense!" Lex protested. "I'm completely lost as to what our conversation is about." He finished writing his message about the octagon that went with the ship and shoved the pad of paper to Damien.
"I'm merely making conversation." His eyes scanned the message. He nodded and started writing. "Victoria plans on giving the baby to Dominic."
A day for surprises. "She's going through with the pregnancy?"
"Obviously. Even she wouldn't give an aborted fetus to someone." Damien looked up. "She sent Dominic a picture of the sonogram."
"He's... is he going to take it?"
"Him. And I don't know. He hasn't told me. Anything."
"Then how do you know?"
"I saw the e-mail." He sighed. Finished writing and passed the pad back to Lex.
The message read, "I can see about getting the octagon back, but it will take awhile."
"Do you want kids?" Lex jotted his question back. "What if we need it sooner?"
Damien took the pad back and read. Then he sighed. "No, I don't. I never have. But I want to lose Dominic even less." He started writing. "I wish he would say something about it. Tell me what is going on. I don't even know who the father is." The pen stopped. "Well. That's not true."
Lex arched his eyebrow. "I should think not. People like us always know."
"People like you know because of people like me."
"Touche. Why don't you say something to him?"
"He's the one wanting to introduce a child into our lives. Our future married life, may I remind you. He should bring it up." He passed the pad back over.
"Damien. How childish of you."
The other man sighed and rubbed his forehead. "I know. But, on the one hand, I can't help feel betrayed. He's getting ready to take a child into his life and he hasn't even mentioned it to me. I thought I meant more to him than that."
"You do." He quickly read Damien's message, which read that it would probably take at least two weeks to get disc, but if Lex needed it sooner, Damien could come up with a way. "You mean everything to Dom."
Damien raised his eyebrow. "Do I? I'm not so sure any more."
Lex frowned, uncomfortable. Damien was not supposed to doubt anything. Not himself, not his relationship, not... anything. Lex *hated* it when Damien betrayed even the slightest hint of emotional weakness. The physical stuff Lex could take; even with his legs fucked up like they were, Damien was one of the strongest men that Lex knew. But if he started doubting himself...
"He wanted to marry me. Wanted proof of my commitment to him that led to me proposing. And tell me, sir, do I look as if I am a marrying man?"
Was this a heart to heart? Was he supposed to be doing this? "Um. No?" Lex tried not to squirm uncomfortably.
Damien shook his head. "If I fell in love with a women, I assumed I would get married. But a man? That's something activists do. Being committed was enough for me, until Dominic proved he needed the security. I know where his insecurity comes from, understand it, and wanted to show that I, unlike everyone else in his life, planned to stand by him until the end. So, fine. We're getting married. And now he's doing this, and I can't think..." Damien trailed off. "He's going to leave me."
"Maybe all the details haven't been worked out. Maybe he's waiting until you're not in chronic pain and, thus, in a better mood, to broach the subject."
"Or maybe he'd already decided to take this baby when I told him I hated children and didn't want any," Damien said flatly.
Okay then. "Maybe. Or maybe he really wants children, Victoria asked him after you said that, and now he doesn't know what to do. Please keep in mind that Victoria might be assuming Dom will take the baby without having any confirmation from Dominic himself. This is, after all, Victoria."
Damien tilted his head. "True."
First point made. On to the next question. "Do you really not want children?" Lex asked. "You hate them?"
He winced. "I always had a dislike of children. And, yes, I never wanted any of my own."
"You do realize I want children, right?"
"They'll be your children. And I'm willing to put up with any children to continue to serve you."
Right. Because Damien was willing to do anything for him. How could Lex be so silly as to forget that?
"The thing is," Damien said. "I am not entirely... disgusted by this idea."
How incredibly romantic. "You're not?"
He shook his head. "It might be different with a child one considers one's own. Instead of dealing with someone else's dirty, sticky brat, it may be... manageable."
"Uh-huh," Lex said doubtfully. "I have heard that having your own kid is different than dealing with other people's. And I'm sure you'd make a great father." He said it without conviction. Not because he didn't think that, because Damien probably would be... good. If a little emotionally distant. Although, maybe not. Maybe, underneath the formality and coolness, Damien was a warm and loving person. Lex didn't know.
However, he wasn't sure if he was the one who should be advising Damien on something like this. Mostly, because if anything went wrong, he didn't want to get blamed.
"Look," Lex finally said, "you need to talk to Dominic about this. Yes, maybe he should be coming to you, but you know he's a coward. So it's up to you."
Damien nodded. "Yes. I know. I'm just not really prepared for whatever comes from this conversation, no matter what it is."
"I wish I could..." Lex broke off abruptly. Hiss as pain shot through is lung, radiating over his chest. He doubled over, fighting for air.
"Sir? Sir!" Damien's hands were on him, pushing him back so he was lying on the couch. "What's wrong?"
Lex coughed. Shook his head.
"I'll get Dr. Sutton." Damien rolled away, but Lex reached out and grabbed his hand.
"It's not me," he rasped, throat and chest aching. "It's Clark. Something's wrong with Clark."
Meanwhile, original novel? Not so much with the working on that. So... really. Over the break. Seriously.
Parts that came before
Weeks ago, Lucas had reinstated Lex's security code and told the staff he could come and go as he pleased. For his part, Lex tried not to abuse the implied invitation. Their relationship was too uncertain for Lex to barge in and out of the mansion any time he pleased. Plus, Lex was trying to prove he could function away from the luxury he'd grown up in. Which, thanks to the love and support of the Kents, wasn't as hard as he'd thought it would be.
He'd come over a few times. Lucas invited him over, usually twice a week. They played pool and video games or watched movies. Lucas was teaching Lex poker. Lex had played a few times back at Excelsior, but never quite acquired the knack. Once he started partying, he'd preferred to play with people, not cards.
When he drove up to the gate today, Eric stuck his head out of the guard booth.
"Hey, Mr. Luthor. You here about your brother?"
"Actually, no. I need to talk to Damien. Why? Is Lucas bad off?"
Eric shrugged. "I think so. Dr. Sutton's here. Supposedly he just hurt his shoulder, but I don't know. I think he needs a shrink, you know? I was one of the ones in there, trying to clear out the party, and Lucas just seemed...."
"Unstable?"
"To say the least."
On the one hand, Lex was annoyed; the staff shouldn't be gossiping about his brother's mental state with him. On the other hand, it was nice to have a warning.
Finally, Lex decided on a cool, distant, "Thank you, Eric. I'll take that under advisement."
"No problem, Mr. Luthor." Eric pulled back into the guardhouse and opened the gate.
Lex drove up the winding driveway to the garage. All his cars were still parked in their respective spaces. He stopped in front of his favorite--his silver Porsche--and pressed his hands against the hood.
Very technically, he still owned his car. He'd bought it outright, never put her up for collateral. He couldn't; it was his baby. Which was also why he'd left her here instead of taking her to the Kents. Here, she was safe and protected. She was out of the wind and rain and the elements. She was washed and waxed every week. She had access to the best mechanics should Lucas take her out and run her too hard. And, if she was damaged even just a little by Lucas, Lex had someone to kill instead of only having himself to blame.
With a sigh, Lex removed his hands from his car. Tore himself away and went inside.
He found Damien and Dominic in the office. Dominic was sitting at the piano, playing slowly on his recently healed fingers. Damien was nearby, reading. When Lex entered, he looked up.
"How is Mrs. Kent?" Damien asked.
Lex rubbed the back of his neck. "Helen had to call the DCA. They found irradiated soil in the storm cellar, where she'd been earlier today, digging. They don't know what it is and took samples. They're cleaning out the cellar. Martha..." He sighed and sat on the couch, near Damien. "She's not doing well, according to Jonathan."
"You think the meteors have something to do with the radiation?"
"That or the," he dropped his voice, "ship. What else could it be? It's an organic farm."
Damien nodded and rubbed his fingers over his book meditatively. "I'll see what I can do about getting a hold of a sample. I have contacts in the DCA."
"I thought so." He cut his eyes to Dominic.
Dominic was still playing, but softer now. He was obviously listening.
"Dom? Would you mind leaving us alone for a few minutes? Nothing personal." Why the hell did he say that? Why should he care if Dominic's feelings were hurt by being asked to leave the room or not?
Dom looked almost as surprised as Lex. He blinked at Lex for a moment, then closed the cover to the keys. "Of course," he said. "I'll check on your brother."
"Thank you."
He received a smile, which made Lex feel about two feet tall. If treating another human being with respect put him on the receiving end of gratitude from them, what kind of an asshole was Lex?
When the door was closed, Lex said, "Do you think we should tell him? About Clark?" Guilt obviously made him stupid.
Damien cocked an eyebrow. "I don't think that's your decision, sir. It's up to Clark. Although, I believe I can predict what his answer will be," he added wryly.
"You're right. I don't know what I was thinking." He rubbed his forehead.
"You were thinking it's inconvenient to have to look over your shoulder every time you want to discuss something about Clark. However, it is important to do so. One can never be too discreet." He met Lex's eyes.
And thank God for Damien. Who knows what ears were listening in these walls, just waiting for a juicy tidbit about an alien ship and metal disc?
Lex rose and walked to the desk. "You're right, of course. How are the two of you, anyway? I know you've been in pain lately."
"What does the state of my relationship have to do with my pain?" he asked.
"Well, I did hear Dominic mentioning that you're a bitch when you're in pain." Lex picked up a few sheets of paper and a pen. "He's only so patient, you know."
"Dominic is infinitely patient. Look at his family."
"Are you actually comparing yourself to Victoria?" Lex sat down again and started writing.
Damien smiled. "We do look rather alike, don't you think? Same hair. Same eyes."
"Not really." Lex frowned at Damien, pen stopping on the paper. "Why? I mean, why are you... Why?"
"Victoria is pregnant," Damien said, almost conversationally.
Lex's hand froze. "What?" Then, "Did you get her pregnant?"
Damien's look was enough to make Lex want to curl in on himself.
"Well," he said meekly, "I don't understand how you and Victoria looking similar relates to her being pregnant."
"Dominic loves her. Dominic loves me."
"*Dominic* got his sister pregnant?"
Again the look.
"Damien, you're not making any sense!" Lex protested. "I'm completely lost as to what our conversation is about." He finished writing his message about the octagon that went with the ship and shoved the pad of paper to Damien.
"I'm merely making conversation." His eyes scanned the message. He nodded and started writing. "Victoria plans on giving the baby to Dominic."
A day for surprises. "She's going through with the pregnancy?"
"Obviously. Even she wouldn't give an aborted fetus to someone." Damien looked up. "She sent Dominic a picture of the sonogram."
"He's... is he going to take it?"
"Him. And I don't know. He hasn't told me. Anything."
"Then how do you know?"
"I saw the e-mail." He sighed. Finished writing and passed the pad back to Lex.
The message read, "I can see about getting the octagon back, but it will take awhile."
"Do you want kids?" Lex jotted his question back. "What if we need it sooner?"
Damien took the pad back and read. Then he sighed. "No, I don't. I never have. But I want to lose Dominic even less." He started writing. "I wish he would say something about it. Tell me what is going on. I don't even know who the father is." The pen stopped. "Well. That's not true."
Lex arched his eyebrow. "I should think not. People like us always know."
"People like you know because of people like me."
"Touche. Why don't you say something to him?"
"He's the one wanting to introduce a child into our lives. Our future married life, may I remind you. He should bring it up." He passed the pad back over.
"Damien. How childish of you."
The other man sighed and rubbed his forehead. "I know. But, on the one hand, I can't help feel betrayed. He's getting ready to take a child into his life and he hasn't even mentioned it to me. I thought I meant more to him than that."
"You do." He quickly read Damien's message, which read that it would probably take at least two weeks to get disc, but if Lex needed it sooner, Damien could come up with a way. "You mean everything to Dom."
Damien raised his eyebrow. "Do I? I'm not so sure any more."
Lex frowned, uncomfortable. Damien was not supposed to doubt anything. Not himself, not his relationship, not... anything. Lex *hated* it when Damien betrayed even the slightest hint of emotional weakness. The physical stuff Lex could take; even with his legs fucked up like they were, Damien was one of the strongest men that Lex knew. But if he started doubting himself...
"He wanted to marry me. Wanted proof of my commitment to him that led to me proposing. And tell me, sir, do I look as if I am a marrying man?"
Was this a heart to heart? Was he supposed to be doing this? "Um. No?" Lex tried not to squirm uncomfortably.
Damien shook his head. "If I fell in love with a women, I assumed I would get married. But a man? That's something activists do. Being committed was enough for me, until Dominic proved he needed the security. I know where his insecurity comes from, understand it, and wanted to show that I, unlike everyone else in his life, planned to stand by him until the end. So, fine. We're getting married. And now he's doing this, and I can't think..." Damien trailed off. "He's going to leave me."
"Maybe all the details haven't been worked out. Maybe he's waiting until you're not in chronic pain and, thus, in a better mood, to broach the subject."
"Or maybe he'd already decided to take this baby when I told him I hated children and didn't want any," Damien said flatly.
Okay then. "Maybe. Or maybe he really wants children, Victoria asked him after you said that, and now he doesn't know what to do. Please keep in mind that Victoria might be assuming Dom will take the baby without having any confirmation from Dominic himself. This is, after all, Victoria."
Damien tilted his head. "True."
First point made. On to the next question. "Do you really not want children?" Lex asked. "You hate them?"
He winced. "I always had a dislike of children. And, yes, I never wanted any of my own."
"You do realize I want children, right?"
"They'll be your children. And I'm willing to put up with any children to continue to serve you."
Right. Because Damien was willing to do anything for him. How could Lex be so silly as to forget that?
"The thing is," Damien said. "I am not entirely... disgusted by this idea."
How incredibly romantic. "You're not?"
He shook his head. "It might be different with a child one considers one's own. Instead of dealing with someone else's dirty, sticky brat, it may be... manageable."
"Uh-huh," Lex said doubtfully. "I have heard that having your own kid is different than dealing with other people's. And I'm sure you'd make a great father." He said it without conviction. Not because he didn't think that, because Damien probably would be... good. If a little emotionally distant. Although, maybe not. Maybe, underneath the formality and coolness, Damien was a warm and loving person. Lex didn't know.
However, he wasn't sure if he was the one who should be advising Damien on something like this. Mostly, because if anything went wrong, he didn't want to get blamed.
"Look," Lex finally said, "you need to talk to Dominic about this. Yes, maybe he should be coming to you, but you know he's a coward. So it's up to you."
Damien nodded. "Yes. I know. I'm just not really prepared for whatever comes from this conversation, no matter what it is."
"I wish I could..." Lex broke off abruptly. Hiss as pain shot through is lung, radiating over his chest. He doubled over, fighting for air.
"Sir? Sir!" Damien's hands were on him, pushing him back so he was lying on the couch. "What's wrong?"
Lex coughed. Shook his head.
"I'll get Dr. Sutton." Damien rolled away, but Lex reached out and grabbed his hand.
"It's not me," he rasped, throat and chest aching. "It's Clark. Something's wrong with Clark."
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no subject
Date: 2006-12-22 07:14 am (UTC)Love the Damian introspection and his willingness to discuss his issues with Lex. I hope he takes that with him to Dominic.
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Date: 2006-12-22 11:24 am (UTC)Love you sweetie!
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Date: 2006-12-22 03:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-23 12:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-23 10:17 am (UTC)I love the double-conversation thing you had them doing. People should always do that when they talk in the mansion.
It's always so nice to see more of this story!