Free Fall
Author: Krys Yuy
Summary: Clark isn't willing to risk his heart again. But when Fate gives him a glimpse into his future, the only question is – how hard will he fall?
Pairings/Characters: Clark/Lois, Chloe/Bart, Oliver/Dinah, Bruce/Zatanna, Justice League
Warning: Spoilers up to Hex.
Rating: PG-13/T
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters used. This fic is purely for entertainment purposes only.
Special Thanks: To drvr8 for being my unofficial, yet amazingly awesome beta for this chapter. Trust me, guys. This chapter would have sucked a lot more without his help. Thank you so much!
Author's Notes: Once again, this chapter is double my usual word count goal, even more than last time! Another two-in-one! :P My update schedule may end up being every few weeks because of grad school homework. Sorry, guys. Please remember to check out my LiveJournal sidebar and/or Twitter for status updates.
All right. Now to address Chapter 11. I'm really excited for you guys to read this one. The last scene? Planned (and rough draft written) from the very beginning, all the way back in March 2009. No joke. A lot more clues going on. And just for anyone wondering, Chapter 12 will pick up right where Chapter 11 leaves off. Unfortunately though, it will be a long wait. Why? The next installment is an Interlude. Before you throw rotten fruit at me, it's a Lois POV chapter. It'll be considerably shorter than most chapters (if I do it right), but yeah. Wondering what's been going on in her head? You'll find out!
Also, thank you very much to everyone who reviewed Chapter 10! I was insanely happy about my feedback from Chapter 10. I'm not joking. Almost everyone left some really kind and thoughtful comments. You rock: EdwardBella4ever17, L'Ecrivaine, Evergreen, AdriGoddess, drvr8, cloisharley, Ily18, TheGryfter, f1ameseeker, Aaron Leach, superlc529, Hakkyou Kuusou, Mayicita, Mana-Reader, jazzy lane, Hittokiri, jamie, Dannie Tomlinson, Seersha, Ironcow, and Karmalady94. Remember, if you leave a review and you have a FanfictionNet account, I will respond to you. (Eventually. :P)
Since I'm going to milk this for all its worth (yes, I'm completely shameless), it's my 22nd birthday today (10/12)! Y'know, leaving a review would be a really awesome present. Just sayin'. ;P Maybe comment on what you liked (or didn't like), what you think will happen next… or tell me what you think of the last scene. :P It would really make my day. :)
THANK YOU again to my very kind reviewers and readers! I really, really hope you enjoy this installment. Without further adieu, please read, review, and enjoy!
Chapter 11: Closer
"He crossed the street."
Lois left him staring after her, a stunned look on his face.
"Sometimes the simplest of things – of moments – is the answer."
Was that it? Was that moment his answer?
Clark blinked and Lois's figure disappeared around the corner of the hallway, away from the entrance of the event ballroom. He almost gave in to the urge to run after her and demand answers. Then he remembered the fresh hurt floating in the back of her closed off expression. He would give her space. After all, that was what she wanted, right?
Her excuse to go to the restroom was a pretense for her desire to get away from him. The way her attitude had shifted the moment he had confessed his decision that night was all the proof he needed. And truth be told, he needed time to himself too.
The facts were simple.
He had walked away. Her Clark had not.
It's not simple at all.
Clark wandered further down the hallway, away from the people entering the ballroom and chatting. Just as he reached the corner where Lois had turned, he stopped. The dark blue of the hotel carpet's rose pattern caught his eye, reminding him of the sparkling crystal inset on Lois's silver bracelet.
A bracelet that, in his time, was tucked away in his room, all but forgotten. Despite having it all these years, he could count on one hand the number of times he had ever looked at it. Otherwise, it never left the hidden compartment in the wooden chest at the end of his bed. Kyla's grandfather had told him to give it to the person he was destined to be with.
Apparently, he had.
He and Lois… destined?
The little voice in the back of his head returned with a vengeance, batting at him impatiently.
What else has this future been telling you?
An involuntary smile flickered across his face before another part of his thoughts reminded him of the one person he had ever considered giving the bracelet to. But that had only been in the innocent dawn of their romance. Since then, his relationship with Lana had gone through so many twists and turns that it was unrecognizable from what it once was. After he let her go and she had run to Lex, the bracelet had gone a long time without seeing the light of day.
The last and most recent time he had removed the bracelet from its hiding place was the day after a certain redheaded alien had wreaked havoc on the men of Metropolis. He remembered the sleek feel of the burnished silver, the smooth round surface of the turquoise stone. He also remembered feeling, with absolute certainty and resignation, that the bracelet would never be worn again.
Even when Lana returned for Chloe's wedding and everything that happened after, the bracelet never crossed his mind. He had been too wrapped up in the past, feeling like he used to when things were so much simpler.
Stepping into the past was easy.
It had hurt to even think about the future. Looking forward was harder than it was looking back, and so, instead of taking that first step towards her, Clark had chosen to remain stagnant. Keeping things at the status quo meant his heart was safe. And safety was all he wanted after the pain and grief he gone through with Lana at the end.
Clark regretted hurting Lois, but even if he had gone, either way, he would have disappointed her. It had been a no-win situation, and the simple truth was he hadn't been ready.
Evidently, it was the exact opposite situation for his future self.
What did that mean? What were the cosmos trying to tell him? Could his personal decision not to meet Lois really be a point of contention within the universe? Had his choice been the wrong one? But then, how had his future self gotten past the pain? The fear?
He had to know. He had to talk to her, see if she could help him make sense of it all.
Restless, Clark rounded the corner to wait outside the bathroom for Lois when a giggle caught his attention. He looked up and stopped in his tracks at the sight of the couple a little further down the hallway. Their faces hovered close to each other's and Clark realized he had stumbled upon a private moment.
"S-sorry!" he stammered, already walking back the other way.
"Don't be so shy, Clark."
At the sound of his name, Clark reluctantly turned around. The one who had called to him was the same blonde woman from the Planet earlier that day. She gave him a winning smile even as she nodded and replied to whatever her companion whispered to her. Clark kept his hearing in check, and returned the brief nod the brown haired stranger gave when he passed him, all the while wondering why he was leaving him alone with his date.
"Well, well, well."
Clark's attention turned back to the blonde woman – what was her name again? The neckline of her black halter evening gown plunged down, reflecting her bold and forward attitude. He inched back slightly as she slunk towards him.
"Don't you look gorgeous." She winked and he fidgeted.
"Hi, umm… Cat." He glanced at the bathroom door located at the far end of the hallway, wondering what Lois was doing.
"Did you lose the ball and chain?" Cat asked, laying a hand on his shoulder. "She usually attaches herself to your hip at these shindigs until you can ditch her."
"You didn't see her go by you?" Clark asked. He leaned back and removed her hand from his shoulder. Lois would have had to pass Cat and her date if she were heading to the restroom.
Cat wasn't deterred by his lack of attention. "I was preoccupied," she reminded him.
"Right. Shouldn't you be getting back to your date?" he hinted, stepping away from her.
"He's a big boy," Cat said with a careless shrug. "I'll see him soon enough." She looked at him and he was disconcerted to see the seriousness lurking behind her playful expression. "I'd rather know what has those big blue eyes of yours so tortured." She clicked her tongue. "What did Lane do now?"
Irritation prickled along his spine. "Excuse me," he said politely. He stepped around Cat, but before he could go further, she placed a hand on his forearm.
"I'll take that as a yes," she said. She dropped her hand when he turned to look at her. "I'm all ears, if you need them."
She seemed sincere, dropping her earlier pretense. Lois still wasn't back yet, and Clark found himself speaking before he could curb the words coming out of his mouth, needing a third party's input. "Say you made a decision, only to find out later that it was the… the wrong one," he began.
"Ooooh. So you're in Lane's doghouse?" Cat clarified, nodding. "Go on."
He frowned, but continued, "What would you do to… fix it?"
Cat paused briefly before she answered, "Deal with the hand your dealt." She shrugged one bare shoulder. "You can't fix the past, but you can work with what you got in the present." Her gaze became distant. "You have to fight to make it right, because you never know when the rug will be yanked out from under you and everything is gone."
To Clark's surprise, she started to tear up slightly. Clark placed a hand on her shoulder, concerned, but she shook her head and waved him off.
Cat straightened and said, "If life gives you an opportunity for a second chance, grab it with both hands and never let go." Her tone was quiet, but underlined by hints of determination and passion.
A second chance?
Was this his second chance?
"I have to get back to my– Lois," he said, glancing at the restroom door. "I'm sure your date is wondering why you're spending so much time with me. He must be missing you."
"A date is a date is a date," she said, fingers brushing along the string of pearls around her neck. "They come and go. Wish more of them were keepers, like you."
"Cat…"
She fluffed her hair and waved off his sympathetic look. "Not all of us can be lucky like Lane," she said. "Don't tell her I said that." She brought her index finger to her lips and winked. She checked the clock hanging on the wall. "That's my cue. I have a handsome playboy billionaire to track down."
Cat checked herself out in the large rectangular mirror hanging on the wall, lightly touching her cheeks. "What do you think? Is my make-up okay?" she asked. She turned towards him, but before he could answer, she lifted up her chest. "How about the cleavage? Perky enough?"
Clark looked up and coughed. "Umm… your make-up is fine."
Cat laughed when he kept his gaze determinedly on her face. "You know, as much as I'd love to steal you away, she'd kill me," she said offhandedly. "She's Mad Dog for a reason."
Clark had no doubt about that. He gave her a tiny smile. "Thanks," he said, "for your advice."
She returned his smile with a genuine one of her own. Then she waved her fingers and walked away; with a sway of her hips, she disappeared around the corner moments later, leaving him to his thoughts.
Clark set his shoulders and walked further down to stand next to the wall by the women's bathroom. He'd be right there for Lois when she walked outside. Cat's advice replayed in his head.
Maybe this was his chance. To fix things.
Another possibility loomed in the back of his mind. If he had made a different choice than his future self, then that meant they were on different paths. Different paths meant different futures.
Perhaps he had been sent to the wrong place. Maybe… this had never been his future at all.
"Dude, you look like someone just ran over your puppy."
Clark blinked as someone clapped him on the shoulder. Bart grinned at him, looking surprisingly formal and stylish in a black tuxedo, complete with crimson vest and tie. He also spotted Chloe and Oliver at the opposite end of the hallway. The two blondes were talking quietly, heads down.
Clark was pretty sure his smile was strained. "It feels like it," he admitted, sick and his heart heavy with all the implications of one simple sentence. He didn't even have it in him to panic at the appearance of his two close friends, both of whom were out of the loop about his predicament.
"Look, man, we'll figure this out," Bart said, tone reassuring. He tugged at his collar a bit uncomfortably.
Clark was at a loss of what to do. On one hand, this future had never quite made sense. It always seemed more like a dream, a vision not meant for him. But to have his suspicion confirmed hurt more than it should have. Something about Bart's sentence pestered him, breaking through his depressed haze. He ran his friend's words over again in his head and he blinked.
"What do you mean 'we'll figure this out'?" Clark repeated.
Bart tilted his head, puzzled, and replied, "Y'know, sending you back!" He was quick to add, "By the way, I totally knew something was off on Saturday."
"Wait." Clark held up his hands. "You –"
"We know."
Chloe came up behind Bart, laying a hand on her fiancée's shoulder. Bart smiled and kissed the back of her other hand. Her lips curved up slightly, but her gaze focused on her best friend. Chloe scrutinized Clark critically, both eyes the same lively blue, and he realized she was wearing a contact in her right eye. She wore a spaghetti strap evening gown matching the dark red of Bart's ensemble with her hair pinned up in a complicated twist, a few curls falling to her shoulders. She seemed unconcerned about displaying her scar and he saw that it continued all the way down her neck.
Concern for her and anger at her assailant added to Clark's already growing pile of emotions – confusion, guilt, anxiety being only a few.
"My favorite cousin paid us a little visit," Chloe continued and Clark suddenly had the answer as to where Lois disappeared to the day before. "She brought us up to speed, hoped we could help."
Why had Lois gone to Chloe and Bart without telling him? Clark frowned. "She didn't tell me that," he said, glancing at the bathroom door.
"Hmm." Chloe raised an eyebrow. "I saw a certain gossip queen walk by. Is there something you need to get off your chest?"
"Not really," Clark lied, looking away.
"I just remembered something I need to run by green bean," Bart said when Chloe gave him a look. He gestured towards the now deserted hallway and Clark assumed Oliver was around the corner attending the main event. "I'll let you two… talk." He kissed Chloe on the cheek. "I'll be back soon, babe."
Chloe smiled and squeezed his hand before she let him go. "Not too soon," she replied, turning her calculating gaze back on Clark. "There's plenty to talk about."
He knew that expression. Chloe and Lois had eerily similar looks when they were about to corner someone. "Yes?" he said, smiling awkwardly. Bart was already at the other end of the hallway, leaving Clark to fend for himself.
Clark couldn't help his internal wince as his gaze went to Chloe's scar again. It was hard to ignore.
If Chloe noticed, she didn't say anything. Instead, she stated, "I checked out your story with a colleague. There was a time rift in Lois and Clark's apartment early Saturday morning. Subtle, but there."
"You 'checked out' my story?" Clark asked. Hadn't he proved himself by succumbing to the truth spell?
A small dose of bitterness twisted her neutral expression. "I'm not as trusting as I used to be," she said.
It was almost like he couldn't recognize her. "What happened, Chloe?" he asked. Warning bells went off in his head and he added, "Actually, you don't have to- I mean, you shouldn't answer-" He sighed. "You're different."
She nodded. "Six years does that," she replied. Her hand came up to the part of her scar that passed her temple.
"You won't tell me." It wasn't a question; it was an observation. Though Lois had warned him, Clark had to admit there was a part of him that still wanted to save her.
"Lois and I had a silly conversation at my bridal shower," Chloe began. "She asked me if I had the chance to do it all over again, would I change anything?" She locked gazes with him, solemn and serious. "I told her no."
Clark took that in; how it nearly mirrored his exchange with Cat. "Did you really have that conversation?"
"Strangely appropriate, right?" She cracked a small grin, but shook her head. "Yeah, we did. I don't know what made her ask it." Her expression sobered with the direction of her thoughts. "Everything that happened that year… There's a lot I regret, but I wouldn't change the outcome." Her fingers flitted briefly to her scar again. "It was the wake-up call I needed to get my life on track. Plus it led me to who I needed most." Her gaze turned distant and for some reason, Clark knew she was talking about Bart.
He watched as her face softened. "You really love him," he commented quietly.
"I do." There was such conviction behind those two words that it couldn't be anything but the truth. "He was my light in the darkness." Her next words made him look away. "Just like Lois is for you."
Lois. Her dispassionate expression flashed through his mind.
"He crossed the street."
An uneasy feeling crept over him as he glanced yet another time at the entrance to the restroom. Something was wrong.
"What is it?" Chloe asked.
"Lois…" Clark's frown grew concerned. "She's taking too long." He used his x-ray vision to scan the bathroom and found it completely empty. "She's not there."
Chloe was already on her cell phone. "What happened?" she asked him.
"She said she was just going to the restroom, but that was awhile ago," he replied, looking around the hall with one ear on Chloe's phone. It rang and rang, but no answer.
"She's not answering her phone," Chloe said after the seventh ring, worried. She hit the speed dial for another number.
Clark shook his head and concentrated, trying to locate Lois's voice. He filtered through the voices at the party and throughout the hotel. He sifted through the conversations – the giggling, talking, arguing – before extending his hearing to the street.
Nothing.
Clark curbed his hearing, returning it to normal. Chloe looked anxious and when he shook his head, she frowned.
Bart appeared at her side suddenly, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "I checked all the floors. Lois isn't there," he informed them, closing his cell and dropping it in his pocket. "That's also a negative from the ballroom. Ollie hasn't seen her either."
"What about Bruce?" Chloe asked.
"He hightailed it back to Gotham," Bart replied. He shrugged when they both shot him questioning looks. "Ollie said he smiled for a few pics, dropped off a check, but then made some excuse before he took off."
The first tendrils of panic started to seep into Clark's already anxious state of mind. It was that text message Lois received. She had come up with an excuse right after reading it. At the time, he thought it a pretense for wanting space from him. Now, though, Clark suspected the text came from a source. Lois had spent half the day trying to track down her informant before chewing him out.
Think, Clark, think.
A source would want to meet somewhere quiet, dark, somewhere no one could see. But it would be close. Close enough that Lois would have been in and out without him noticing a thing, if her plan had gone right. Not in the hotel.
Outside.
Without a word to Chloe or Bart, Clark sped out into the back alley. "Lois!" he shouted. He looked up and down the dirty backstreet, but it was stranded. "Lois!"
"Let go of me!"
Clark's head snapped up, spotting Lois's struggling figure on the roof two buildings down. He didn't even have a chance to superspeed – in the next moment, she fell over the ledge, screaming, and he almost froze.
"LOIS!"
Clark sped to the bottom of the building, never taking his eyes off her. He took a split-second to gauge exactly where she was falling, bent his legs, and pushed.
Lois's scream cut off as he caught her and her arms immediately encircled his neck. She held onto him tightly. Clark was heedful of Lois's human body and took care to cushion her as much as possible. The power behind his jump was so strong that his collision with her barely fazed his momentum. He held her shaking body close and bent his knees again as he settled on the ledge, so as to better absorb the landing impact for Lois's sake.
Lois's face pressed against his neck as Clark looked around the roof. Her blue shawl lay ripped on the ground next to an unconscious male. The stranger was scruffy and he wore dark clothes – jeans, a T-shirt, and a zipped hoodie. Clark narrowed his eyes but turned his attention to the woman in his arms.
Lois sensed his stare and pulled back. Her hazel eyes met his and she laughed, though it was shaky. "Your timing's a little off," she said breathlessly.
His eyebrows knit in concern. "Lois, are you okay?" he asked.
"Give me a second to catch my breath," she said, her head lolling against his neck again. "I'm a little sore, but that's it."
Suddenly aware of just how high they were, he stepped down off the ledge to the floor of the roof. "Do you need anything?"
She shook her head. "I'm fine, just –" Lois finally registered his appearance. Frowning, she said, "I need you to superspeed us where no one can see."
His expression turned puzzled. "Why?"
"Just do it!" she snapped, jolting him into action.
Clark did as he was told, and in the next moment, he was gently setting Lois on her feet in the dim empty stairwell. Within a second, he sped outside to tie the criminal up against an air vent and made it back to Lois as she swayed on her heels. Clark quickly steadied her by holding on to her shoulders. Her gaze was still a little sour as she looked at him, and he stared back, completely befuddled. What did he do this time?
"What?" he asked.
She crossed her arms, looking even more intimidating with her disheveled hair, the flush from her adrenaline beginning to leave her cheeks. "You're not wearing the suit!"
That's it? "I'm sorry," he said. He couldn't help but feel a little cross. He had been worried, and that's what she had to say. "That really wasn't at the top of my priority list."
She sighed. "You can't go around as if no one will catch you," she said. "Ever since you came on the scene as the Blur, then Superman, every paper, TV station, radio station – they all have reporters on the roofs trying to track you down." She touched his frames before her hand cupped his cheek. "I'm trying to protect your identity. No one can know what Clark Kent is really capable of."
"No one can ever know my name."
Clark closed his eyes briefly before opening them again. "I know," he said sincerely. He definitely should have known better, especially after what happened to him in the timeline he had reversed. But the only thing on his mind had been Lois.
Lois exhaled slowly. The tension left her shoulders and she hugged him unexpectedly. "Thank you," she breathed.
He wrapped his arms around her back, squeezing just so. "I'm glad you're okay," he whispered back.
When she pulled away, he let her go and his arms fell to his sides. She started to head up the stairs and he grabbed her wrist. "Where are you going?" he asked.
"I need to grab my shawl and clutch before we make our very late appearance in the ballroom," she said as if it were obvious. "We'll be the most fashionable ones at the party."
"Let me." Clark didn't wait for her answer, but zipped to the rooftop and back, holding both her items in either hand. He handed over her clutch, but instead of passing on her wrap, he carefully wrapped it around her exposed shoulders. He fingered the end that had been ripped in what he assumed was her struggle with the unknown male.
Clark released it and said, "That's too bad."
Lois shrugged. "Clothes can be fixed," she replied.
She turned her head slightly, and her right cheek was exposed under the flickering light bulb in the stairwell. Clark grit his teeth at the red mark marring her skin. He placed his hand on her shoulder to keep her still and looked her up and down, first with regular vision and then with his x-ray vision.
He didn't see any other injuries, but he said, "Lois, you should go to a hospital."
"I'm perfectly fine," she said, dismissing his advice.
"He hit you. Your cheek is all red," he pointed out. He suppressed his streak of anger at the criminal unconscious on the roof. "How are you going to explain that?"
"It's called make-up, Smallville," Lois retorted. "Get me to a mirror and I'll do my magic."
"Lois…"
"I'm fine. Just a little scratch," she said. "Besides, we have work to do."
"Bruce isn't there," Clark informed her quickly. "He got called back to Gotham."
"Really?" Lois asked, intrigued. Clark could practically see the wheels turning in her head.
He tried to distract her. "So we don't have to go to the charity, and you can go to the hospital."
"Nice try," she said with a smirk. "I still have a mayor to question."
"Lois, that was a really close call," Clark said seriously. What if he hadn't gotten to her? He was supposed to keep her safe for his future counterpart.
Lois waved the notion away. "I've had plenty of other, more dangerous close ca –" she cut herself off as she saw his narrowed eyes. "You know what? We don't need to get into that."
Trouble still seemed to follow her everywhere. He sighed. "You leap before you look," he said. "At least that hasn't changed."
Lois's smile lit up innocently and Clark knew without a doubt that she wouldn't back down. "One hour, Lois," he said firmly. "Then you're getting some rest."
"Okay, okay," she acquiesced. "Time's a wastin', Smallville."
Clark was sure she was simply appeasing him so that they could get to the charity faster. He shook his head. He would just have to keep an eye on her.
–
When Lois bumped into him for the third time when she turned around, she sent him back to the table where Chloe and Bart were sitting with a sharp reprimand. Then she went back into the crowd, searching for an opportunity to get her quotes.
Clark hoped he didn't look too sulky as he approached his friends. After dropping Lois off at the restroom in the hallway of the Carmenita Rose ballroom, he had called the police anonymously about the criminal on the rooftop. Lois said it hadn't been her source – somebody had come in his place and blindsided her.
Clark had found it strange Lois didn't want to immediately find out who the man was. She replied she would have to wait until the man was conscious again. Till then, she would work on her article.
And so, Clark found himself shadowing Lois at every moment, making sure she wasn't showing any signs of pain. Until she got exasperated enough to send him away.
Bart was smirking, but Chloe looked contemplative. Clark sat at the table without saying anything, his eyes already tracking Lois's figure from his new vantage point. She blended in effortlessly as she made small talk, all the while keeping an eye on her intended target. She smiled at the woman she was talking to and his gaze was drawn to the red mark he knew was there, but carefully hidden.
If he had arrived only seconds later– His heart clenched and he sucked in a breath sharply. He had to be vigilant. This was Lois, after all. Until he returned home, he would have to do all he could to make sure she was safe.
No matter if this was his future or not, she was still Lois. His friend, his partner, his… His eyes went from her wedding ring to her silver bracelet.
Not his.
This Lois belonged to someone else. His Lois was back in his time, hurt by something he did. Or, to put it accurately, something he didn't do.
"You have that look on your face," Chloe said, drawing his gaze to her, "the conflicted, signature Clark Kent look of the early 2000s."
He made a face. "Hey." He straightened in his seat and crossed his arms. "I think I'm entitled to a little brooding."
She shrugged, tilting her head as she regarded him over the rim of her champagne flute. "Something tells me this doesn't have anything to do with trying to find the ruby slippers that will get you home," she said, finishing her drink.
"They were silver in the book, babe," Bart said, leaning back in his chair.
Clark and Chloe both looked at him.
"What?" he said at their skeptical expressions. "I read."
Chloe regarded him dubiously. "You don't even read mission briefs," she said. She raised an eyebrow. "You remember that from the Terminator series."
Bart blinked. "You know what?" He stood up and took her empty glass. "I'll get you another one of these, bright eyes," he said, taking off to the bar.
Chloe shot a small smirk at her fiancée's back before she turned to Clark and asked, "Care to share with the rest of the class?" Her gaze drifted to her cousin.
He was quiet as his eyes went to Lois as well. "This future is just… a little confusing," he said. That's an understatement.
"This future isn't so bad, is it?"
"No, it's not bad at all," Clark replied. Lois laughed, resplendent in her gown of midnight blue. He smiled ruefully. "That's the problem."
"It's everything you never thought it would be," Chloe concluded.
That same sick, empty feeling in the pit of his stomach. "Maybe this isn't my future," he said quietly. He didn't take his eyes off Lois. He could see her practically circling the mayor, waiting for a chance to strike.
"What makes you say that?"
His right fist clenched at his side. "Lois's Clark – the Clark of this future – he crossed the street," he said. "I didn't."
Chloe frowned. "Is this the infamous coffee date?"
"You know?" When he had walked away, Clark knew he wouldn't ever tell anyone.
"I've heard both sides of that particular occasion," she said, looking like she knew more than she let on. She shook her head. "Do you really think, after going to all the trouble of sending you to the future, that the powers that be sent you to the wrong place?"
Some of the tension released from his shoulders, but not much.
"I'm sure all the clues are there, Clark, if you let yourself acknowledge them," Chloe said. She made sure he was looking at her when she added, "And for what it's worth… I have never seen you as happy as you are with Lois." Nostalgia touched her smile. "I think I knew a long time ago."
"Yeah?"
"She's the only one who could ever bring such a big smile out of you," Chloe replied, sounding both fond and amused.
That prompted a smile from him and Clark's gaze turned back to the woman who turned his whole world upside down.
Lois had nabbed her chance and the mayor seemed only a bit disquieted before his face smoothed over into his politician smile. Clark watched, fascinated, as Lois's polite expression turned more determined as she asked her questions. She had taken a notepad and pen out of her clutch and wrote down whatever the mayor was saying.
"Man, you got it bad," Bart said, addressing Clark as he returned to the table. He laughed as he sat down, following Clark's line of sight. He placed a new champagne flute in front of Chloe and then entwined his fingers with hers on the table.
Clark shook his head at Bart's words, tearing his eyes away from Lois to check on his watch. He successfully resisted the urge to stammer. "It's been over an hour. I'm taking Lois home," he said.
"You checking out already, Stretch?" Bart asked. "Come on, give your lady a spin on the dance floor." He stood and tugged on Chloe's hand. His fiancée followed with a grin and let Bart twirl her under his fingers.
Lois's conversation with the mayor seemed to be winding to a close, and Clark stood up. "I think I will," he replied. He started walking towards her when Chloe called his name.
"Hey, Clark."
"Hmm?" He looked over at his best friend.
Chloe had stopped and so Bart had to as well, their entwined hands suspended between their bodies. "I almost forgot. Did you find out anything in your castle of ice?"
"Sorry?"
She tilted her head at his confused expression. "Lois told me she was going to take you to the Fortress."
His forehead creased. "What fortress?" he asked, frowning. He looked back at where Lois was standing, but she wasn't there anymore.
"What fortress?" Chloe echoed, mirroring his frown.
Clark looked around the ballroom, trying to spot a familiar head of brown hair. Chloe cleared her throat, as if waiting for something, and he blinked. What were they talking about again?
Oh well. It wasn't important. He had to find Lois. Chloe was opening her mouth to say something else, but he interrupted, "Sorry, Chloe. I'll get back to you."
Then he went off in search of Lois without another word to her or Bart. The mayor was occupied with a new ring of people, and Clark wandered in the other direction. He slipped into the well-dressed crowd, mumbling hellos at the few people who greeted him, even though he didn't know who they were. Finally, he found her towards the back of the room. She was flipping through her notepad and she grabbed a champagne flute off a passing waiter's tray without even looking.
"Lois."
She didn't look up. "Hey, Smallville." She drank more than half the glass in one gulp and crossed off one of her notes. "Not that it's a surprise, but the mayor has no comment on the attempted robberies. He's just 'thankful and appreciative' Superman stopped them before anyone was seriously hurt." She muttered under her breath.
"Ah." Clark was only half-listening. Now that he was up close to her again, he stared at the spot where the strike had left its mark on her cheek. Lois had done a good job of covering it up, but he could still detect its faint traces.
The band started playing a slow song, one Clark was unfamiliar with. Lois paused in her writing and smiled behind her champagne though, and he wondered if there was some special significance to it. He gazed at her smile, and before he knew it, he was holding his hand out to her. She shot him a look; he nodded towards the dance floor.
Lois eyed him speculatively. Then she placed her now empty champagne glass on a nearby table and took his hand. He smiled brightly in return and she shook her head, fondness lighting the edges of her own smile.
Clark led her to the lacquered dance floor. He gently spun her into his arms and she let out a startled laugh. She fit against him perfectly and he was only a little surprised when she immediately relaxed in his embrace.
The soft notes encircled them as they swayed from side to side; steps simple enough that he didn't trip over himself. A certain kind of serenity flowed over him even with the noise and prattle of the charity's attendees. He closed his eyes, one hand on Lois's back and the other holding her left one. The side of her head leaned against his cheek and he felt the whisper of her hair.
Clark opened his eyes to look down at his companion. Lois's expression was serious, her gaze nostalgic and somber.
"Lois?" he asked. "Are you okay?"
She blinked and looked at him. Her gaze trailed over his face, like she was trying to see underneath his skin. "A small dose of lethargy just came my way, that's all," she said airily. "It's been a long day."
He stopped himself just before his knuckles grazed her injured cheek. "I'll take you home," he said instead.
Clark expected her to put up a fight, but Lois only gave one brief nod. "I think I need some shut-eye," she said.
Was that a note of enthusiasm in her voice? That couldn't be right. Clark shook his head, and decided to be grateful he didn't have to squabble with her. He could see the fatigue swimming in the back of her eyes.
Clark stopped dancing and took a step back. His gaze wandered over her elegant evening gown. It still took his breath away.
"Let's go," he said, catching her hand.
Lois allowed him to take her away, and he couldn't help but wonder what was going on in her head. Because when Lois was quiet, it meant her mind was preoccupied. He hoped whatever it was wouldn't lead to trouble. Lois adjusted her hold and the silver metal of her bracelet sent a prickle along his arm.
"He crossed the street."
His hand tightened on hers.
–
"What did you mean before?"
Lois kicked off her heels in the hallway closet, not looking back as her hands came up to take out her sapphire stud earrings. "Before?" she parroted, disappearing behind her bedroom door.
Assuming she was about to change, Clark didn't follow her. "When you said my timing was a little off," he answered from the hallway.
Clark took off his own dress shoes and placed them neatly in the closet, fixing Lois's heels so they stood upright and not upended. He placed his watch and glasses in the bowl on top of the tall side table. He rummaged through his pockets and also dropped his cell phone on the wooden surface.
"Oh, that?" Lois asked, her voice muffled behind the white doorway. "It didn't mean anything."
Clark sped in and out of the spare bedroom, now in a fresh pair of pajama pants and a plain black T-shirt he figured Lois left for him in the bathroom. Still frowning at Lois's answer, he hung up the pieces of his tuxedo ensemble in the hallway closet and closed the door. His fingers absentmindedly traced the outline of the ring hanging around his neck, hidden underneath his shirt.
"Lois," he said, leaning back against the closet door. There had been something about the tremulous way she had said it, how the terror had taken a second too long to leave her eyes. "I know it meant something. Something about your Clark."
"It was nothing, Smallville," Lois said. She opened her bedroom door and walked out, revealing her new nightwear – his football jersey plus the bottom half of her pajamas from the night before. The bunny print pajama pants did nothing to distract him from the alluring picture she made in his old championship jersey. Her hair tumbled loosely around her shoulders, free from the white stone barrettes.
He remembered her irritated countenance the morning after Chloe and Jimmy's engagement party. Wearing only his jersey, she had been rather cute; though that was something he kept to himself. Combined with her hangover, Clark could only be amused then.
Seeing her in his jersey now elicited an entirely different reaction. Clark swallowed and when his eyes locked with Lois's, there was a knowing gleam in her expression. She smiled and shrugged, tugging at the ends of the red and gold fabric.
"Keep it in your pants, Smallville," she said lightly, thoroughly horrifying him. She casually walked down the hallway and turned into the living room, switching on the lamp in the corner next to the bookcase. It must have been on its lowest setting because the light added only a dim glow to the otherwise dark room.
Lois plopped down unceremoniously on the couch and said, "This is one of my favorite shirts, and I need to be a little closer to him."
Guilt and compassion poured in and buried his embarrassment, though the hot burn in his cheeks still took awhile to fade. He watched her from the hallway. "Lois," he said softly. She didn't turn around. He took a few steps and leaned his shoulder against the archway, his silhouette melding with the darkness.
Clark took a deep breath, wanting to somehow repair the hurt he caused her.
"I-I'm sorry I didn't cross the street."
Lois didn't say anything, she didn't even move. Clark stared at the back of her head, brow furrowing in concern. Why did he always mess up everything when it came to Lois's feelings?
His left fist contracted and loosened at his side. "I sent her a text message. I lied and said I was swamped with work," he confessed. "It was easier than admitting the truth, easier than letting her in."
He remembered standing on the curb, gazing at her seated figure, watching as she looked for him. He could almost feel the cold wind biting at his cheeks again, the hesitation as his fingers hovered over the keypad of his phone.
"… I was scared," he admitted. "Scared of hurting her… scared of hurting you." He kept waiting for her to say something, anything, but Lois remained uncharacteristically quiet. She still hadn't turned around and it unsettled him. He whispered, "Scared of hurting again."
Clark looked down at the ground, at the faint light on the carpet. He remembered too keenly his sense of loss, of being empty and hollow, hurting so much it felt like he couldn't breathe. "I can't… go through that again," he continued, shaking his head as if that would erase the pain. "I can't lose –" The tension in his chest tightened and he forced himself to take a few calming breaths.
"I can't…" Clark's gaze returned to the back of her head. "… risk everything again."
She was quiet for several seconds, stretching the uncomfortable silence and Clark wished she would get angry and shout, let him know what she was thinking. She sighed and instead of calling him a jackass or a fool, she asked, "Why do you think you're here, Smallville?"
Why he was here?
"Do you really think, after going to all the trouble of sending you to the future, that the powers that be sent you to the wrong place?"
That was the crux of everything, wasn't it?
"I think…" he began slowly, "I'm here to figure out…" He scrutinized her long locks of dark brown hair. "… what I want." She turned slightly and he took in her profile. "What I feel."
"And what do you want?" she asked quietly. Her right hand came up to tuck her hair behind her ear as she turned her head towards him. The silver bracelet on her wrist gleamed in the light of the single lamp.
"I…" Shadows created by the lamplight darkened her features and made her gaze all the more intimidating. "I want…"
Clark found himself standing on the brink of the ledge in his mind. He looked around. Memories of his life before his time jump – with his parents, friends, Lana – played on the boundaries of his imagined realm. Down below, beneath the ledge, was a sea of white emptiness.
Clark opened the eyes he didn't know he had closed. "I want to know what you meant," he said. The ledge faded away and he was once again on solid ground.
The room was dark, but Clark didn't miss the flash of disappointment on her face. His stomach clenched.
"I was joking," she said, facing forward again so that she was looking at the blank television screen. "You saved me in the nick of time, like always."
"But his timing is better," Clark surmised, knowing his future self was always steps ahead of him. "He would have caught you before you even fell off."
"That would have depended on where he was in the world," Lois said, tilting her head back against the couch. "He's not a superhero for my exclusive use. The world needs him, too." In the pale light, he could see her eyes were closed.
"But?" Clark prompted. There was something she wasn't saying.
She seemed to weigh her words carefully. "… but Clark always seems to know when I'm in trouble," she continued. "At first, I thought it was sheer luck – my guardian angel in Kryptonian form." She lifted her head and twisted her body around, her folded arms resting along the length of the couch, her chin atop her hands. "But later, he told me he could hear my heartbeat."
"Your heartbeat?"
"No matter where he is, Clark can pick out my heartbeat," she explained, smiling to herself. "When he's not around, when he's out being Superman, he listens in – he told me it's like having the radio on in the background. It's always there, but he doesn't think about it until it changes drastically." She must have remembered something because she laughed. "He said that's how he knows where to find me. How he knows when I'm in trouble."
No matter where? That was a strong statement. From what he gathered, as Superman, his future self could be thousands of miles away at any given time. But apparently, amidst the miscellany of the world's sounds, his future counterpart had the ability to identify Lois's heartbeat.
If his future self had been at the ball tonight, he would have listened in when he thought something was wrong, and he would have heard Lois's elevated heart rate.
"How?" Clark blurted out, wanting to know. "I can hear someone's heartbeat, but they have to be in close proximity. I can't imagine –" There were hundreds of things he could hear, but elevate that to a global level, and then still being able to recognize one tiny sound… His own hearing abilities didn't have such a range.
Lois seemed to read his insecurity because she further explained, "He can't do that for just anyone Clark."
The skill became all the more appealing. Clark persisted. "How did he learn?"
"He never did tell me how," she said, almost like she was talking to herself. "But he had me help him perfect it."
His curiosity rose higher. "How?"
A glimmer of a smirk crossed her lips. "You wouldn't want me to teach you," she commented.
Apprehension tinged his curiosity, but he pushed further. "Lois, I don't know how long I'm going to be here, but I have every intention of keeping you safe for him," he said firmly. "If you can help me, then please. I need to know."
Lois gave him a long, measuring look before she nodded. "Don't say I didn't warn you," she said. She pushed herself off the couch and stood, holding out her hand.
Clark regarded her carefully and hesitated for just a moment, but then he took the steps he needed to be an arm's length away from her. He placed his hand in hers.
Lois squeezed his hand and pulled him around the back of the couch. "Sit down," she said.
Clark sat in the middle of the couch and let go of Lois's hand. It fell to her side as she walked away. He turned his head in time to see her flick the light switch at the entrance. The hallway went dark and the only light was now the lamp in the lone corner of the living room. Puzzled, he followed her with his eyes as she returned to stand in front of him. Her figure blocked out most of the light as he stared up into her face.
"The darkness will help," she explained. "You need to rely on your other senses for this."
Clark nodded, though the darkness was actually putting him on edge. His nerves rattled and he breathed out, trying to relax.
"Close your eyes."
He nodded, doing as he was told.
Lois sat in his lap.
Clark jerked, his hands automatically placing themselves on her waist to steady her. "Lois!" he yelped. He couldn't stand, not when she was straddling him with her legs folded on either side of him. "What are you doing?!"
She tilted her head to the side questioningly, though he saw her biting back a laugh. "Don't be prissy, Smallville," she said casually. "You asked for this."
His hands flexed on her waist and he felt her curves beneath the oversized jersey. He had a flashback to the only other time she had been on his lap, except then, she had on considerably less clothing. His hands shot up, as if burned, and he didn't know where to put them. "I didn't ask for this," he stated vehemently.
Lois sighed, their close proximity obviously not a problem for her, and blew out a breath that ruffled her long bangs. "Do you want to learn or not?" she asked impatiently. "Pay attention and do what I say." She scooped her hair so it all fell over one shoulder. "And if you could keep your questions to yourself, that would be fantastic."
Clark frowned, muscles tensing, the rigidity in his body apparent.
"Relax."
He had a lapful of warm Lois. Clark gave a shaky laugh. "Easier said than done," he said.
He shut his mouth when she glared at him, though he tensed further when she shifted on his thighs. "Do you have to be on my lap?" he asked, hoping he didn't come off as desperate as he thought he did.
This is for her protection, he reminded himself. God, she smells good. He leaned back as far as he could on the couch, which really wasn't anything at all.
Lois noticed and rolled her eyes. "I'm helping you the way I helped him," she said, but she was quick to add, "Not the same exact way. I was maybe wearing just this…" She looked thoughtful as she picked at the sleeve of his championship jersey, but paused as a blush flared on his cheeks. She bit her lip, obviously hiding a laugh. "… you get my drift." He looked at her hopelessly. She took pity on him and said, "Look, Clark. All you're going to do is extend your hearing and then rein it in until the only thing you hear is my heartbeat."
"You can sit right over there for that," he said, pointing behind him at the dining table.
Lois leaned back, her behind resting on his knees. She kept her balance by reaching out and placing her hands on the back of the couch, creating a sort of enclosure around him.
"I need to be close to you." She grabbed his chin and tilted it up so he was looking straight into her eyes. Seriously, she said, "This is about connection, about feeling something so intense that it's etched in your memory."
Sadness fleetingly touched her brow, but it disappeared so quick he wasn't sure he had seen it at all. Her hand dropped from his chin to rest on her thigh, but she didn't break their eye contact. "I know that you're determined to be an absolute blockhead about certain things, but you asked me to teach you," she said. "Let me." She signed an 'x' over her heart. "I swear, no funny business."
Absorbing her words, Clark forced his limbs to loosen even with her body warming his lap. He took a couple deep breaths, centering himself. His hands, still hovering up in the air, crossed over his chest. Lois shook her head and grabbed his hands, placing them at his sides. His palms lay flat on the couch cushions, away from her bunny pajama pants.
"Close your eyes."
This is a bad idea. Clark paused briefly before he did as he was ordered. He exhaled slowly.
"Stretch your ears," she said. He tried to ignore her powerful stare and concentrated on following her instructions. "What do you hear?"
The sounds of the city were open to his senses. The nightlife hummed in his ears, busy and moving, an entirely different world from the day. Construction workers pounded and clanked their tools and machinery to finish the new skyrise apartments on 11th street, laborers drilled into the road on 1st and broke apart the fractured concrete, while clubs reverberated with the music thumping from their insides. Cars honked, dogs barked, people yelled, laughed, sang. Hundreds of conversations of those awake blended in his head, one jumbled mess, snippets occasionally tearing apart from the whole.
"Care to par–"
"– it's way past your bedtime –"
"–elve bucks, buddy!"
"Quiet shift –"
"– speeding, officer."
"– such an ass–"
"– marry me?"
The last one made him smile unwittingly. To Lois's question, he simply answered, "Metropolis."
"Keep your hearing there," she said. "Now pick out my heartbeat."
His brow creased. He tried to follow her instructions, but with her in his lap, he knew where she was and his hearing almost automatically leapt to her. Her heartbeat was a muted drum at the back of his head. That was entirely too easy. "Shouldn't you be farther away so I can't sense you?" he asked, eyes still closed.
"My way or the highway, Smallville," Lois replied flippantly. "Now concentrate."
Clark sighed, but once again used his abilities to hear the whirl of the city at night. Though it was extremely difficult, he pretended he was alone atop the apartment building, gazing at the twinkling lights below. The cityscape flickered to a white void and his eyes snapped open.
The first thing he saw was Lois's frown. The shadows made her expression darker as she said, "Keep your eyes closed."
Nodding, he tried again. This time he didn't imagine he was anywhere. He simply let the city flow over him. It was relatively simple to spread out his hearing. But determining the minute sound of a heartbeat amid the larger and more demanding sounds of the city was daunting. He listened for one, but he heard them all.
He grunted in frustration, Lois's body heat not helping the process. "There are thousands of sounds in my head – you want me to hear a metaphorical needle in a haystack."
"You don't hear needles in a haystack," she retorted.
"You know what I mean!" he exclaimed, opening his eyes again. He frowned up at her, and he knew she could see him better than he could her. The light from the lamp touched his face every so often when she moved to one side. "How does he pick one person's heartbeat underneath all the other layers?"
"I'm not just anyone, Clark," Lois stated, but without a hint of arrogance. It was fact. This was a woman secure about her place in her husband's life. With all her hair positioned over one shoulder, the curve of her neck was highlighted by the dim glow of the lamp. His fingers itched to feel the exposed skin.
She considered him carefully. "The opposite way, then," she muttered to herself. She nodded. "Okay, Smallville."
Lois's hands moved back and then they were on his shoulders instead of the couch. He tensed, but mentally calmed himself with the sounds of Metropolis.
"You're thinking too much," Lois said. She leaned forward and shifted her weight on his legs. "Don't think." Slowly, she laid her palms on his cheeks and stared deeply in his eyes. Again, she said, "Close your eyes."
Clark saw the flecks of gold in her gaze before he followed the order for a third time. The next thing he knew, her lips were next to his left ear, the ends of her hair brushing his black T-shirt. His knee-jerk reaction was to lurch away, but he forced himself to remain still.
"Listen to our home," she murmured. Her hands returned to his shoulders. "Hear me."
Swallowing and doing his best to ignore Lois's attractive allure, Clark soaked in the quiet stillness of the apartment. The hushed sounds of their breathing filled the spaces between them. Any remaining tension in his body gradually drained away with the soft, steady tempo of their breaths.
"Focus," she said. Her mouth was still next to his head, her lips grazing the shell of his ear. She repeated, "What do you hear?"
He didn't know when, but they had both started speaking in quiet tones. "Our breathing…" he answered faintly.
Lois pulled back slightly, the side of her head skimming his temple. She whispered, her breath a light puff of air against his cheek. "Now?"
His fists clenched at his sides. Clark counted the beats of her breathing to keep himself grounded. "The same," he replied. "Just you and me..."
"Can you hear your heartbeat? Mine?"
Breathing in, Clark focused his hearing further.
Ba-bump… ba-bump… ba-bump… ba-bump… ba-bump…
"Yes."
Lois curled her hand around his, bringing it over his shirt so that his right palm laid flat against his chest. Then she repeated her actions with his other hand, except this time she placed his left palm over her heart. Her hands stayed on top of his.
Then Lois lifted their hands and slowly began tapping a rhythm over both their hearts. The beat was off at first, but Clark took over for her, switching the positions of their hands. He listened long and carefully, and made sure their fingers mirrored the pulse of their hearts.
The unwavering cadence of their heartbeats wove a spell of tranquility and warmth around Clark. Though his eyes remained closed, all his other senses were alive and heightened by the proximity of the woman in his lap. Though she remained absolutely still, he sensed her eyes roving over his face. Trace scents of her lilac shampoo tickled his nose, while the smooth lines of her curves continued to make him all the more aware of her.
"Don't think."
Another kind of warmth curled up inside him, and it had nothing to do with innocent affection.
Ba-bump, ba-bump, ba-bump, ba-bump, ba-bump, ba-bump –
The rhythm sped up unexpectedly and there was suddenly a light sensation against his lips, breaking his concentration. His eyes snapped open, caught off guard by the fleeting caress. "Lo –"
Her hazel eyes shone like gems in the dark and he couldn't look away. "Shh… stop thinking." She slipped her hands out from under his now prone ones. "Feel. Listen."
Lois spoke close to his lips and Clark could taste her breath on his tongue, sweet like strawberries and absolutely maddening. "I am going to distract you," she murmured, "but you have to focus on my heartbeat. Nothing else."
"Nothing else," he echoed, throat dry.
B-bump, b-bump, b-bump, b-bump, b-bump, b-bump, b-bump –
First, he felt the back of her knuckles trail down his cheek. Then her left hand slid into his hair. His own hands had fallen to the curve of her hips, but she didn't react – her eyes continued to roam his face, her wandering fingers ghosting down the side of his torso.
Not once did she look away from him.
Indecision warred on her face, and for the briefest of moments, it felt like she was looking into him. Longing and tenderness colored her expression next and it was the softest he had ever seen her. She cupped his face in her palms.
Her eyes flickered to his forehead and she whispered, "Just once." Her hazel eyes pleaded with him to understand as she searched for something in his gaze. "I promise."
Lois touched her right wrist upon his brow, the crystal of her bracelet cool against his skin. That same peculiar tingle from before darted down his spine, and he felt a rush of fierce emotion. She smiled.
And then, she kissed him.
Her lips teased his, soft and smooth, electrifying his senses. Like they always did. His fingers clutched her waist. Her hands skimmed down his cheeks, then his neck before settling at his shoulders again. He didn't have a chance to respond, not when she was already pulling away, dragging a little of his lip as she let go.
Lois looked down at him, like she was waiting for something. He couldn't imagine what for because wasn't she supposed to be kissing him? She bit her lip, uncertain, then moved to her knees as if to get off his lap.
Clark surged up, his arms coming under hers so that his hands gripped her shoulders from behind. The left part of his jersey was dragged up with the sudden movement, and he could feel her bare skin as his elbow pressed against her side.
He caught her surprised gasp with his mouth, falling back against the couch. Her weight once again pressed him as her lips opened to his ministrations and she wound her arms around his neck. He drowned in the same dizzying feeling from his first day in the future as he kissed her, deep and certain and wanting. He felt her all around him, how she invaded his senses, leaving nothing but her.
Their heartbeats – a constant thrum in his head – grew louder and faster, the musical score to their collision.
Her hands entangled themselves in his hair as his fell to clench her bared sides, the jersey falling over his arms. He massaged the middle of her back and touched her silken skin, shadowing every curve. The delicious warmth spreading through his limbs tightened in his gut as she melded herself closer and closer against him. Her dark brown locks tumbled like a curtain around their heads as she tipped his head back.
Lois kissed him, kissed him until all he was aware of was her and their matching heartbeats.
And he surrendered.
A necessity for air caused them to break apart, breathing heavily and hearts racing, pounding in his ears. Her fingers played lazily with the hairs at the nape of his neck. Clark smiled against her lips.
"Lois," he breathed. He opened his eyes to find hers still closed.
Clark watched her eyes slowly open, noting a curious blankness about them. She took in his face and the most beautiful smile bloomed on her lips. It was so breathtaking that it prompted a matching one of his own. A beat later, and awareness seeped back into her gaze. Her smile faltered and realization came down swift upon her, chasing the light from her eyes.
He frowned, concerned. "Lois, wh–"
She placed her index finger on his lips and shook her head. "Patience was never one of my better qualities," she murmured.
His eyebrows furrowed. What was she talking about? She raised her wrist and he felt the cool surface of a stone against his forehead. She brushed his lips with hers just as a familiar tingle ran down his spine, and the same rush of emotion that flooded him checked itself.
Clark pulled back, blinking. Her heartbeat faded from his mind and then all he could hear was their mismatched breathing. What transpired replayed with startling clarity and his hands dropped from her sides like they had been singed. The red and gold jersey once again covered her torso as he stared up at her.
"Lois, I'm s –"
"Shh…" she interrupted, shaking her head again. "Be quiet. Please." Her left palm pressed lightly on the side of his neck, her other hand tracing the contours of his ring. "Just for a minute." She rested her forehead against his and closed her eyes.
Clark obeyed, but only because he was still reeling from the aftershocks. The pleasure he felt lingered, but was soon joined by generous heaps of guilt and consternation. He hadn't been fair to Lois at all. How could he have kissed her, knowing she was missing her husband? He remembered being caught off guard by her fleeting caress, and then an abrupt feeling of liberation, wanting only to feel the passion in Lois Lane that was unmatched.
Lois exhaled, the small puff of air tickling his face. "You heard me, right?" she asked.
"Yes, but –"
Lois shook her head. "When you're far away, think of this moment. Think of how strongly you made me feel. How much I feel for you. Remember and listen," she said quietly, pulling back so their foreheads no longer touched. "Listen and try to match my heartbeat among all the millions of sounds you can hear when you concentrate. Focus."
Her eyes wandered over his features and dashes of pleasure and nostalgia graced her face. "Even thousands of miles away, you should be able to pick me out of a crowd."
Clark looked up at her, unable to accurately describe what she made him feel.
Lois relaxed a bit and returned his look, somewhat bemused. "What?"
He shook his head. "Nothing. I just…" He took in her bright hazel eyes and the soft halo around her head from the lamplight. "It's overwhelming."
You overwhelm me.
Lois seemed to understand. "Just breathe, Smallville," she whispered, brushing a stray lock from his forehead.
"Just breathe."