Clark watched as Lana drew invisible circles with her fingertips on his bare chest, her raven hair fanned out. He ran a hand through her hair, playing with the long silk-like strands.
He wasn't sure how long they had been in bed. Judging from the waning sunlight, he'd guess five hours. Five hours of relentless love making, familiarizing themselves with each other's physique once again.
Clark had once known every curve, every contour of her body. The slight bruise that remained from a rough tumble from the bed during her childhood...the miniscule mole that rested on her left knee. All these things...memories long forgotten, but never, truly lost.
Just like their love for each other.
Clark pressed the palm of his hand against the curve of her spine, as if ensuring himself that this was indeed, real. They lay there for what seemed like an eternity, but in actuality, it was only a fragment of their lifetime.
Over the course of the morning, however, Clark began to notice a change in Lana's demeanor. She had stopped caressing his chest and her smile had been wiped off, as if it were never there.
"What's wrong?" he whispered, eyes fixed on her troubled expression.
"Clark..." She sat up, bringing the sheet with her, covering her breasts. "We need to talk."
Clark sat up as well. "I know we do, Lana."
"Then let's talk right now."
"Now?" He swallowed, lowering his eyes.
"Yes. Now." Although she had spoken softly, he caught the firmness behind her words.
"There's no way that I will be able to convince you to wait a few hours, huh?" he asked, half joking.
She smiled, reaching for his hand. "Clark, the longer we put this conversation off, the longer we wait until we can be together."
"Aren't we together now?"
"Yes...but..." she paused, squeezing his hand. "Clark, don't you want us to be together? Without any secrets or...people between us?"
"Of course I do," he replied softly. Resolved, he sighed, giving her the okay to press on.
"Clark, why didn't you come back for me?" she asked, watching him cower from under her gaze.
"Lana, you have to understand...I had just finished my training like Jor-El wanted me to. I didn't have any contact with anyone for two whole years. Not my parents, not even you. When I came back, I was stunned at how much the world had..."
"Changed?" she finished for him.
He shook his head. "No. How much the world hadn't changed. I mean, Smallville was still completely the same. The farm, my parents were still the same. It didn't even seem like my departure had affected them in any way. Dad was still running the farm and Mom still did volunteer work at the community center."
It was Lana's turn to shake her head. "Clark, that's not true. Your parents...I kept in touch with them. They tried to move on without you, hoping that you would come back soon. Your dad...he kept himself busy by working on the farm, keeping his thoughts off of you. Your mother did the same as well. She was heartbroken, Clark. I visited her a few times from Metropolis and she...she just wasn't the same. There was no smell of cookies or muffins for two years. There was no one to eat them."
Clark cracked a smile at that. "That explains why Mom went on a baking frenzy when I returned."
She laughed, squeezing her hand and wiping away the tears that had formed. From joy or from sorrow, she wasn't sure. "I missed you, too, Clark. When you left, I wasn't the same. I kept hoping that you would show up in my dorm room at Met U."
Clark lowered his eyes, guilt coursing throughout his veins. "Lana, I love you so much. I didn't know what I would do with myself if you had moved on without me."
"But I didn't," she reassured him, forcing him to look at him. "Clark, when I told you about the first time Jason proposed to me, I refused because my heart was with you. And it still is."
That seemed to comfort him. "I really am sorry, Lana... I don't know what else to say to convince that I am."
She glanced away, sighing. "I forgave you a long time ago, Clark. I guess that I just needed to hear it from you."
Clark brought up a hand to cup her chin, turning her head to look at him. "Thank you."
"For what?"
"For giving me a second chance." He placed his hands on the small of her back and pulled her to him, the sheet covering her slipping slightly. His lips brushed against hers sweetly, their lips mingling.
Lana pulled away once Clark's hand slipped under the sheets, sneaking toward her thigh. "Clark," she said in mock disapproval.
He simply grinned. "So, Lana, does this mean that you'll be my date for Pete's wedding next week?"
She smiled, her dimples showing. "Of course. As long as you can get out of best man duties toward the end of the ceremony. I want to give you your birthday present."
"My birthday present, huh?"
She nodded, leaning against him, letting the sheet slip lower. "Don't expect me to drop any hints about it either."
Clark chuckled, kissing the top of her head. Outside, birds were serenading them, reminding them that the day had started long ago. As if on cue, Lana's stomach began to make rumbling sounds like the tractor did on the days that it wouldn't start.
"How 'bout I bring you breakfast in bed?" he suggested.
"Mmm...that sounds good." She leaned back against the covers, pulling the comforter over her body. "Don't forget my coffee."
Clark smiled, slipping on his boxers. He bent down to give her a quick kiss before heading downstairs.
Downstairs, he rummaged through the fridge, in search of something that would do for breakfast. He pushed aside the plate of leftover lasagna, hunting for bacon strips. Once he had them sizzling on a pan over the stove, he decided to try his hand at baking, using the pre-made biscuits that his mother had left for them in the freezer.
He then started the coffee machine, keeping his eyes on the bacon and biscuits. Once the food was finished preparing, he piled everything on a tray, along with a bowl of fresh fruit.
Lana was still lounging in bed when he returned. To his disappointment, she had slipped on a robe.
"And I thought you were kitchen illiterate," she teased as he set the tray on her lap.
"Looks like all those years, I finally picked up something from my mom," Clark joked, watching her pop a grape into her mouth.
"Speaking of your parents, when are they coming back?" Lana handed him a biscuit, seeing that he was too preoccupied watching her eat.
"Tomorrow evening. Dad called yesterday morning while you were still asleep. Said that he and Mom were going to see this nature exhibit before they headed out of Grandville."
"Nature exhibit? That sounds intriguing." She set the tray on the bed, careful not to spill the two mugs of steaming coffee. The aroma of cinnamon wafted out of the mugs, filling the room of the sweet scent.
"Yeah...although I'm not sure what kind of nature they can see out in Grandville besides deer, raccoons, and skunks." He laughed she smacked him playfully on the chest.
"Maybe it's not the nature that they want to see...maybe they want to spend some quality time together," Lana said thoughtfully, taking a sip of the coffee.
"Well, for whatever reason for the exhibit, I think that we should make the most of the time that we have alone before tomorrow evening," Clark said as he carefully picked up the half-eaten breakfast and set it on the nightstand. He gently lowered Lana's petite body further under the comforter before lowering himself on top, careful not to crush her.
"What about Superman?" she breathed as he trailed kisses down her neck. She felt him pause in his actions, torn between his duty as the protector of Metropolis and his love for her.
"Superman can take a break, can't he? Besides, he's been deprived of other things for the past ten years. Things that he'd like to make up now."
Lana smiled as his lips reached hers, tantalizing them with his small pecks. "Clark?"
He pulled back a bit. "Yeah?"
"I love you."
A smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "I love you, too. I always have."
The two lovers continued their affair of love making, unaware that in the depths of the city, another man's love would soon interfere.
Lana pulled her legs up and onto the porch swing as she immersed herself in a novel. She had found it lying on the coffee table in the living area, neglected like a lost puppy. Knowing that Martha wouldn't mind, she had decided to embark on a journey through its yellowed pages, hoping to pass time until Clark returned.
A little that past seven that evening, Clark's super hearing had kicked in, allowing him to hear someone calling for help in Metropolis. To her urging, he had rushed off, donning the familiar red and blue costume.
Lana had spooned the remainders of their dinner onto a plate and placed it in the fridge before taking care of the dishes. It wasn't long before she found herself outside, the creaks of the old swing keeping her company as she allowed herself to drift away from reality through the pages of the old book.
She smiled, finding it ironic that the female character in the book was in the same dilemma as her. Torn between her love for two men; each love as different as could be, but still special in their own way.
Lana sighed. "Maybe I can learn a thing or two from this book," she said aloud.
"Learn what?" a voice inquired.
"Clark!" She snapped the book shut and stood as he came out from the fading sunlight and onto the porch. She noticed the way that his Superman costume showed off his chest and biceps quite nicely.
Clark, having noticed her staring, said, "I'll go change." A second later, he was standing before her in a blue tee and jeans. He strode over to her and kissed her sweetly on the lips before taking a seat on the bench. "What were you reading?"
Lana took a seat next to him, leaning against his shoulder. "Just a book that I found lying around. Nothing special." Changing the subject, she asked, "What happened in Metropolis?"
"Oh, some guy robbed the bank and then hijacked someone's car," he said bitterly, his expression forlorn. "The cry for help that I heard was the owner of the car. I got there just in time to bring him to the hospital."
"You saved his life," she said proudly.
"Yeah...but I didn't catch the robber."
"Hey, don't beat yourself up," Lana said firmly, turning his face to make him look at her. "You saved someone's life and because of that, he'll be able to see his friends and family again."
Clark sighed, kissing her on the forehead. "I can't help it. When I was in training, Jor-El told me that I was supposed to help people better themselves and prevent earth from becoming like Krypton before its final days. He told me that Krypton was in ruins before it was destroyed. There was famine, war, and hatred everywhere."
Lana frowned, mulling over everything that he just told her. "Clark, that may be true, but you are making a difference now. Just being there, as a symbol of good and justice. It gives people, especially kids someone to look up to, a role model. I have no doubt that you'll have made an impact on society."
"You're amazing, you know that?" He smiled, catching her eye.
They fell into a lull of comfortable silence, both enjoying the other's company. Beyond the confines of the porch, crickets were crawling out, ready to sing their song to the night sky. It was long after the last ray of light had given way to darkness that one of them spoke.
"Lana?"
"Hmm?" she replied softly, lying in his arms.
"I want to show you something. C'mon." He gently nudged her off his chest and stood from the swing. She followed suit, wondering what surprises he had in store.
Clark took her hands and led her to the bottom of the porch steps. With a swift movement, he tenderly scooped her up in his arms, holding her securely.
Lana, suspecting what his next move would be, kept quiet. A moment or two later, his feet left the ground, the night sky spread out in front of them, like an endless sea.
"Clark," she whispered, his breath tickling her cheek. "We're flying." Cautiously, she peaked at the ground below them. They were now hovering over the house, the stars and moon filling up half the sky.
"Who would have thought that Clark Kent would have such a keen ability to fly when he was scared of heights?" Lana teased, resting her head on the crook of his neck.
"I never thought that I would see the day where airplanes and skyscrapers wouldn't give me a nauseous feeling."
She laughed, the sound as light and merry as bells. "This is nice...you've never taken me flying before."
"Just nice?" he challenged, putting on a fake-pout.
Lana rolled her eyes playfully before catching his lips in a tender kiss. When she pulled back, she noticed the mischievous spark in his bluish-green eyes.
"Clark, what..." She was cut short by a gust of wind. Her eyes snapped shut, her raven hair blowing everywhere.
"Lana, open your eyes," Clark instructed in her ear.
She did and let out a squeal, realizing that they were flying over stalks of golden cornfield. "Clark, this is unbelievable! I feel like I'm actually flying!"
"And you weren't before?" he bellowed over the roaring of the wind. Although he knew that he could push ahead faster, he held back, knowing that Lana wouldn't be able to withstand the force of the wind.
"Before was amazing, Clark! It was romantic, but this...this is unbelievable!"
Clark chuckled. "Hold on tight, Lana. Maybe we can make it to border of Kansas before you get tired out."
Her laugh and squeals of delight were the only approval that he needed as he concentrated on their goal.
By the end of the night, Lana's hair looked as if a couple of birds had at pecked and poked at it. To Clark, however, she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever laid eyes on.
"Thanks for the wonderful night, Clark," she whispered against his neck as she stood on her tip toes to hug him. "But I think that I'm going to turn in."
Clark bent down to kiss her on the lips. "I understand. I'll come up in a few moments," he assured her.
Lana gave him another one of her smiles, her dimples visibly showing and her nose crinkling, before disappearing into the yellow farm house.
Clark stood out there, with his hands in the pockets of his jeans, a smile playing on his face, thinking back on the past few days. Things were finally coming together for him and Lana. He couldn't remember that last time that he had been this happy...or this much in love. If anything, his love for her had only grown stronger.
He hoped that she could say the same for him. Earlier that morning, lying in bed, he had noticed that she still wore her engagement ring, a reminder that reality was going to press in or them, soon or later.
"Clark?"
He whipped around. Lana was leaning against the door frame, dressed in one of his flannel shirts. He gulped unconsciously, his eyes traveling down to her shapely thighs.
"Come up now," Lana said softly, a small smile playing on her face. "It's lonely in bed without you."
Clark sighed, grinning at her bashfulness. "Alright."
She repaid him with a kiss as he followed her into the house, shutting the door behind them.