Part 1
Warning: This part is extremely sappy. You have been warned...
"LANA!"
And suddenly the sea was fading, and Lana's face was falling away from him, and he was paralyzed to save her.
He could then feel himself falling too, screaming Lana's name in anguish.
Clark fell from the couch and onto the floor, not even his powers protecting him from doing so.
He'd completely forgotten his powers, where he was, and what was happening.
All he could see was Lana's face, along with the other images he'd just witnessed.
He lay on the floor for a few moments, body shaking and sweating at the same time. His breathing was hard and quick, his expression filled with pure terror.
"It wasn't real," he said aloud to himself, voice unsteady. "It… it wasn't real…"
Footsteps could suddenly be heard on the latter, and Clark was filled with both relief and a new wave of fear. Who was it? His parents? No, they wouldn't come up here… Lex? What if it was Lex! He had to stop him…
Still trembling, Clark sat up and tried but didn't manage to get to his feet. He remained on the floor, still shaking, unable to shake off the aftereffects of his nightmare.
The person, whoever it was, finished climbing the stairs, and Clark resigned himself to his fate…
"Clark?"
He whipped around, completely unprepared to hear Lana Lang's voice. But there she was standing at the top of the stairs, a mixture of confusion and concern clouding her beautiful face.
"Lana," he squeaked in surprise, his relief growing. Before he had quite realized what he was doing he was on his feet and walking towards her.
Walking turned to jogging, and jogging turned to running. He luckily didn't go at super speed, which would have resulted in a lot of questions from Lana later, but he still reached her in a matter of seconds.
Lana could only stare as Clark ran up to her and threw his arms around her in an almost literal bone-crushing hug.
Confused, Lana suddenly realized Clark was shaking. His hands were shaking as they ran through her hair, she could feel his arms shaking as they encircled her shoulders, could feel his entire body shaking as he pressed up against her, holding her close.
Confusion gave way to full out concern as she wrapped her own arms around Clark's tall form, running soothing hands up and down his back.
Finally, Clark seemed to realize what he was doing. He pulled back from Lana, feeling almost cold with out her in his arms.
"I'm sorry, Lana," he apologized quickly, as he lost all contact with her.
Lana took in his pale expression and the dark circles under his eyes, which were even more prominent than they'd been earlier that day.
"It's all right," she reassured Clark gently, walking over to the couch and sitting down. "Clark… are… are you okay?"
"I-I'm fine," he said, walking over to his telescope. He stepped out of the loft and breathed in the night air, letting its cool presence sweep over him, somehow taking comfort from it.
Lana stood and went to stand next to Clark, not having believed his words.
Clark heard Lana's shoes against the wood floor and felt her arm brush his as she came and stood beside him. He turned to face her, and looked down into her concerned eyes.
"Clark," Lana started, completely unsure. She had never seen this side of Clark, not for this long at least. He'd been upset before, but he would usually bounce back to his usual quiet, yet heroic self with in a few moments. "Are you sure you're all right?"
He nodded, his hand brushing hers. "I'm fine," he told her, walking back inside. "I'm sorry for acting like this, Lana. I'm just… not myself today."
Lana sat down on the couch, and after a few seconds, Clark sat down beside her.
"It's okay," she told him, smiling sweetly.
There were a few seconds of silence, as Clark finally managed to fully calm down. He could smell Lana's hair, could feel the warmth of her body as she sat beside him. She was alive. They were all alive.
"So," he finally said, "why'd you come over? I mean… did you need something?"
"No," she told him softly. "I just wanted to see if you were all right. You seemed really out of it during school."
"I'm just tired," he told her. "And I still have to get through about half of my homework."
"Do you want some help?" Lana offered, only then seeing Clark's note book and pencil lying on the floor a few feet away from them.
"Are you sure?" He asked.
"It's no problem," she told him, scooping up his things and looking down at what he'd been working on.
They sat there for hours, somehow finishing 2 essays and a chapter of his math book. If Clark had thought he was tired before, it was nothing to how he felt now.
"Thanks so much," he said, rising to his feet and putting his books into his backpack.
"Any time," Lana told him. "I should go… you look really tired."
"No, I'm fine. Really, I'd like you to stay."
"All right, if you're sure," Lana said, as Clark sat back down beside her.
They talked for a few minutes, Clark all the time feeling himself falling asleep. Lana found an old issue of The Torch lying around and started leafing through it.
Clark watched her with half closed eyes, wishing he could stay here with her forever…
His eyes closed completely, and a moment later, his head fell against Lana's shoulder. She looked up, surprised, and felt a blush make its way onto her face.
Clark looked so much younger when he was asleep. His expression was peaceful, and he was completely relaxed. Lana had a thousand urges to hug him, to kiss his cheek, to brush a lock of hair out of his face… But she restrained herself somehow.
"Clark… Clark, wake up."
The voice sounded far away. It sounded a lot like Lana's. He liked Lana…
"Clark," the voice persisted gently, sounding slightly louder. A hand touched his shoulder, and at the contact Clark jumped, instantly awake.
"I-I'd better be getting back to the Sullivan's," she said, her slight blush hidden by the darkness. "And you really need to get some sleep…"
Clark just now noticed that he was leaning against Lana's shoulder, and sat up, cheeks flaming. "Sorry," he told her. "D-do you want me to walk you home?"
"No, thanks," Lana told him, and got up to leave.
"Lana?" Clark speaking her name caused her to stop, turning back around to face him. "Thanks… for everything."
She smiled, meeting his eyes once again. They were momentarily frozen, simply staring into the others eyes. Finally, Lana spoke. "Good night, Clark."
"Good night, Lana," he said, watching her retreat down the stairs.
Clark lay in bed sometime later, exhausted but terrified to let himself sleep.
Ever since he'd recovered from the strange disease a week before, he'd been feeling like this. No matter how much sleep he got at night, he would still feel completely exhausted the next morning.
The nightmares had just now started. They seemed so real… so believable...
But Clark was confused. He'd been asleep on Lana's shoulder up in the loft, and didn't remember having any nightmares. Was that a coincidence, or was it something more…?
He thought no more as his eyes closed and he fell into a deep, and soon-to-be troubled sleep.
TBC
Author's notes:
I know, I know. Very sappy, very out of character for them both. Sorry, but Clark is going to act slightly vulnerable through out this fic... and that was just the first of many only C/L parts. I'm sorry if it was boring, I'm trying here…
Again, please review with feedback and suggestions!
Thanks,
Lala
Warning: This part is extremely sappy. You have been warned...
"LANA!"
And suddenly the sea was fading, and Lana's face was falling away from him, and he was paralyzed to save her.
He could then feel himself falling too, screaming Lana's name in anguish.
Clark fell from the couch and onto the floor, not even his powers protecting him from doing so.
He'd completely forgotten his powers, where he was, and what was happening.
All he could see was Lana's face, along with the other images he'd just witnessed.
He lay on the floor for a few moments, body shaking and sweating at the same time. His breathing was hard and quick, his expression filled with pure terror.
"It wasn't real," he said aloud to himself, voice unsteady. "It… it wasn't real…"
Footsteps could suddenly be heard on the latter, and Clark was filled with both relief and a new wave of fear. Who was it? His parents? No, they wouldn't come up here… Lex? What if it was Lex! He had to stop him…
Still trembling, Clark sat up and tried but didn't manage to get to his feet. He remained on the floor, still shaking, unable to shake off the aftereffects of his nightmare.
The person, whoever it was, finished climbing the stairs, and Clark resigned himself to his fate…
"Clark?"
He whipped around, completely unprepared to hear Lana Lang's voice. But there she was standing at the top of the stairs, a mixture of confusion and concern clouding her beautiful face.
"Lana," he squeaked in surprise, his relief growing. Before he had quite realized what he was doing he was on his feet and walking towards her.
Walking turned to jogging, and jogging turned to running. He luckily didn't go at super speed, which would have resulted in a lot of questions from Lana later, but he still reached her in a matter of seconds.
Lana could only stare as Clark ran up to her and threw his arms around her in an almost literal bone-crushing hug.
Confused, Lana suddenly realized Clark was shaking. His hands were shaking as they ran through her hair, she could feel his arms shaking as they encircled her shoulders, could feel his entire body shaking as he pressed up against her, holding her close.
Confusion gave way to full out concern as she wrapped her own arms around Clark's tall form, running soothing hands up and down his back.
Finally, Clark seemed to realize what he was doing. He pulled back from Lana, feeling almost cold with out her in his arms.
"I'm sorry, Lana," he apologized quickly, as he lost all contact with her.
Lana took in his pale expression and the dark circles under his eyes, which were even more prominent than they'd been earlier that day.
"It's all right," she reassured Clark gently, walking over to the couch and sitting down. "Clark… are… are you okay?"
"I-I'm fine," he said, walking over to his telescope. He stepped out of the loft and breathed in the night air, letting its cool presence sweep over him, somehow taking comfort from it.
Lana stood and went to stand next to Clark, not having believed his words.
Clark heard Lana's shoes against the wood floor and felt her arm brush his as she came and stood beside him. He turned to face her, and looked down into her concerned eyes.
"Clark," Lana started, completely unsure. She had never seen this side of Clark, not for this long at least. He'd been upset before, but he would usually bounce back to his usual quiet, yet heroic self with in a few moments. "Are you sure you're all right?"
He nodded, his hand brushing hers. "I'm fine," he told her, walking back inside. "I'm sorry for acting like this, Lana. I'm just… not myself today."
Lana sat down on the couch, and after a few seconds, Clark sat down beside her.
"It's okay," she told him, smiling sweetly.
There were a few seconds of silence, as Clark finally managed to fully calm down. He could smell Lana's hair, could feel the warmth of her body as she sat beside him. She was alive. They were all alive.
"So," he finally said, "why'd you come over? I mean… did you need something?"
"No," she told him softly. "I just wanted to see if you were all right. You seemed really out of it during school."
"I'm just tired," he told her. "And I still have to get through about half of my homework."
"Do you want some help?" Lana offered, only then seeing Clark's note book and pencil lying on the floor a few feet away from them.
"Are you sure?" He asked.
"It's no problem," she told him, scooping up his things and looking down at what he'd been working on.
They sat there for hours, somehow finishing 2 essays and a chapter of his math book. If Clark had thought he was tired before, it was nothing to how he felt now.
"Thanks so much," he said, rising to his feet and putting his books into his backpack.
"Any time," Lana told him. "I should go… you look really tired."
"No, I'm fine. Really, I'd like you to stay."
"All right, if you're sure," Lana said, as Clark sat back down beside her.
They talked for a few minutes, Clark all the time feeling himself falling asleep. Lana found an old issue of The Torch lying around and started leafing through it.
Clark watched her with half closed eyes, wishing he could stay here with her forever…
His eyes closed completely, and a moment later, his head fell against Lana's shoulder. She looked up, surprised, and felt a blush make its way onto her face.
Clark looked so much younger when he was asleep. His expression was peaceful, and he was completely relaxed. Lana had a thousand urges to hug him, to kiss his cheek, to brush a lock of hair out of his face… But she restrained herself somehow.
"Clark… Clark, wake up."
The voice sounded far away. It sounded a lot like Lana's. He liked Lana…
"Clark," the voice persisted gently, sounding slightly louder. A hand touched his shoulder, and at the contact Clark jumped, instantly awake.
"I-I'd better be getting back to the Sullivan's," she said, her slight blush hidden by the darkness. "And you really need to get some sleep…"
Clark just now noticed that he was leaning against Lana's shoulder, and sat up, cheeks flaming. "Sorry," he told her. "D-do you want me to walk you home?"
"No, thanks," Lana told him, and got up to leave.
"Lana?" Clark speaking her name caused her to stop, turning back around to face him. "Thanks… for everything."
She smiled, meeting his eyes once again. They were momentarily frozen, simply staring into the others eyes. Finally, Lana spoke. "Good night, Clark."
"Good night, Lana," he said, watching her retreat down the stairs.
Clark lay in bed sometime later, exhausted but terrified to let himself sleep.
Ever since he'd recovered from the strange disease a week before, he'd been feeling like this. No matter how much sleep he got at night, he would still feel completely exhausted the next morning.
The nightmares had just now started. They seemed so real… so believable...
But Clark was confused. He'd been asleep on Lana's shoulder up in the loft, and didn't remember having any nightmares. Was that a coincidence, or was it something more…?
He thought no more as his eyes closed and he fell into a deep, and soon-to-be troubled sleep.
TBC
Author's notes:
I know, I know. Very sappy, very out of character for them both. Sorry, but Clark is going to act slightly vulnerable through out this fic... and that was just the first of many only C/L parts. I'm sorry if it was boring, I'm trying here…
Again, please review with feedback and suggestions!
Thanks,
Lala