Part 5: Change
The Daily Planet, December 2009 – 5:08 PM
Clark Kent leaned back in his chair, balancing precariously on two wheels, a picture of relaxed calm. Lois Lane wanted to kick out his chair and knock the smirk from his lips.
"Absolutely not. There is no way."
He leaned back further, his smirk widening into a wide grin. 'Tip, tip, tip' she prayed. "You don't have a choice and you know it. Stop complaining. And I'm not going to fall, so don't get your hopes up."
She glared at him in distain. "You never know. And why are you so blasé about it? You hate it as much as I do."
He shrugged. "It's fun watching you get all worked up; your nostrils flare when you're upset."
She rolled her eyes and tried to will her nose to stillness. "You tried to get us out of it, right?"
"Of course! Why do you think I waited 'til the last minute to tell you?"
"To make my life miserable. The last thing I want to do is attend some stupid holiday party with everyone all jolly--"
"That would be the spiked eggnog," Clark said helpfully.
"Whatever. It still requires formal wear and fake pleasantries. My cheeks will hurt from all the forced smiling."
Clark ignored her. Instead, he stood up and shoved a few papers into his briefcase. "So I'll tell my mom you'll be there?"
Lois sighed in resignation. "What time?"
"I'll pick you up 6:30. We can drive to the reception hall together. Mom should be back from Washington tomorrow night. She said to expect her call." He tucked his coat under his arm, stepping over to her desk and squeezed her shoulder. "Not regretting becoming an honorary Kent, now are you?"
Lois looked up into teasing blue eyes. "No," she admitted, trying for her most put-upon voice, "despite the numerous boring functions I have had to attend."
He shook his head and laughed. "See, hidden price to all the home cooking. Mom promised me cherry pie, and a batch of double chocolate cookies for you next time we go home."
Lois grinned. "She knows I'll do anything for those cookies."
Clark arched an eyebrow. "I'll keep that in mind."
Lois watched him leave. When had Clark changed? She supposed they all had in the last few years, but he was so different from the young, brooding farm boy she'd met years ago. He'd grown into man; a kind, compassionate man with a wicked sense of humor hidden just under that calm facade. It was disconcerting. And annoying.
She glanced at one of her favorite photos, a smiling and triumphant Senator Jonathan Kent in profile, facing a proud, tearful Martha and a wide-eyed, smiling Clark. But what stood out, what made her ask for a copy was the identical expressions mirrored in father and son. The kind smile and eyes practically twinkling in amusement, as if sharing some great joke. She wished Mr. Kent could have seen what his son had become--in no small part because of him.
She shook head, shaking the melancholy thoughts away. "Christmas season" she muttered in disgust.
She glanced at her watch. Looks like she was stopping at the mall on her way home. The Christmas Wonderland Reception was one of the biggest events of the season with all the rich and beautiful out to parade themselves in the name of charity. She doubted her old black dress would do.
Clark arrived early from the farm. Forgetting how long the drive took, he'd given himself plenty of time. Too much apparently, as Lois opened the door frazzled and half dressed. "You're early," she accused.
Clark shrugged apologetically. "Sorry, made good time." He pushed past her to sprawl out on her couch. "Don't worry, I'll just wait."
Lois stared at him.
He glanced down at his tux. "What, did I spill?"
"No. Nothing. Just make yourself comfortable" she said dryly.
He shot her a lazy grin. "Is that an invitation?"
She started to untie her robe. "You wouldn't know what to do with an invitation, Smallville."
Clark eyes widened and his face flushed. She winked at him, leaving the room before he could respond. He shook his head, promising himself to get her back later. He craned his head back to look at Lois' large clock. 5:53. Lot's of time. He settled into the couch and shut his eyes, listening to Lois move around in the next room.
"Clark..." he turned his head to find a soft, flushed Lois leaning over him. His eyes became distracted by the view down the front of her dress. It took him a long moment before he was able to meet her eyes. "Why are you whispering?" He turned on his side making room on the couch, "go back to sleep" he whispered, tugging at her wrist.
He felt her warm weight as she snuggled in beside him, her breath hot on his cheek. His body tingled pleasantly. "Clark," she whispered again, louder.
He jolted awake with a start. There was no Lois in a low cut dress curled beside him, but there was one peering down at him, her eyes clearly amused. "Morning sunshine. Good dream?"
He blushed. She couldn't possibly know... He sat up, rubbing his eyes. "What time'sit?" he asked through a large yawn.
Lois offered her hand. "Time to go smooze with Metropolis' finest," she said helping him to his feet. She leaned in close, her eyes never leaving his. He felt a fingernail trail up his chest. Clark was sure Lois could feel his heart beating erratically. She reached up and straightened his bow tie. "There. Now we're good to go."
Clark blinked. He took a deep breath and followed her out the door. It was going to be a long night.
They never made it to the banquet. They had been driving slowly, making their way along the icy roads. The snow had started to fall faster, a bright curtain of cold isolating them from the rest of the world. Their little pocket of invisibility was warm from the heaters and the company.
Lois still found herself marveling at the changes in Clark. He was still the same in the fundamentals, but now he seemed...focused. Like he'd found a place to belong and could relax a little.
They'd been arguing good-naturedly over Christmas plans when a truck pulling a large trailer came swerving out of a side road. Clark had slowed down giving the almost-out-of-control vehicle a wide berth.
"Maybe we should call the cops." Lois suggested. "This guy is drunk or a horrendous driver; either way, he's dangerous."
Clark nodded, his hands flexing nervously on the wheel.
Just as she was preparing to dial everything happened so fast, yet Lois felt like she was watching it happen in slow motion. The trailer swerved into the ditch then shot out. A small black car could be seen coming from the other side. The truck jackknifed across the highway rolling into the opposite ditch while the trailer flipped in the air, debris falling to the ground with each flip before finally skidding to a screeching stop.
Clark tried to stop, their truck fishtailing on the ice. Before the tires had stopped spinning Clark had thrown the gear in park and they'd both shot out their doors.
"Where's the black car?" she yelled at Clark as he grabbed her arm, helping to maintain her balance as they crossed the road. "Shit." As they approached the smoking debris they saw the little black car squashed under the frame of the trailer. A man was yelling frantically from the driver side and they could hear the sounds of a baby crying.
Clark moved to lift the frame, Lois right behind him. "He's trapped. We have to get this frame off."
"Do you think the two of us will be able to move it?"
Clark looked irritated and nearly frantic. "We have no choice. We just have to lift it enough to slide off..."
They pushed, Lois felt as if her muscles were going to snap from the effort, but the frame moved. The next thing she knew the trapped car was free. There was a woman trapped under the crushed in steel of the car.
Lois moved around the car while Clark pried the driver's door open. The back window was shattered and crying in a car seat was a small dark haired child, her head just inches from the caved in roof.
Lois pushed the glass aside. She shed her coat and climbed on top of it, sliding half her body into the groaning vehicle. With shaky hands she was able to release the little girl, who held on to her tightly as Lois inched their way slowly back out the window.
She felt Clark's arms pull her upright. He grabbed her coat, helping her into it while Lois held the girl close. The driver reached towards the child, caressing her hair gently. "Is she okay?" he asked in an anxious whisper.
Lois nodded. "Yah, just scared, I think." And Clark nodded. "She was screaming and flailing away in there. Now she's down to just crying. Do you want to take her?"
The man backed away, his eyes wild and frightened. "I have to stay with my wife. She's...she's..."
Lois tried to smile. "I'll watch your daughter. Stay with your wife." she tried for assurance, but it came out sounding like an order. The man jerked his head up and down then kissed his daughter "it'll be okay Rajah. Daddy needs to talk to Mommy." Then he returned to the car. Rajah cried harder.
Lois glanced down then back up to Clark in a panic. "How do I make her stop?"
"I don't know."
"How is he?" she whispered, nodding in the direction of the car.
"The man's in shock; probably has a concussion. He needs stitches. He's trying to keep his wife calm. She doesn't look good, Lois. We can't move her, her back is broken and likely her neck."
"Shit. My phone! I'll call 911." They ran to their truck. Clark pulled the spare blankets from the back, wrapping one around Lois and Rajah. They brought the First Aid kit and blankets back to the car.
Clark ran to check on the other driver, while Lois dialed 911. Time passed in a haze of white cold. Soon Lois was forced to return to the truck to keep Rajah warm. Her silk dress and overcoat didn't offer much in the way of warmth, especially in the blustery winter wind.
"Okay, enough with the crying. It's been half an hour. Your parents are going to be fine. And the ambulance should be here any second." Rajah didn't appear impressed. She paused, and then resumed her crying.
"Trust me kid, you don't want me to sing. No need for another traumatic experience..." She kept up a steady stream of one-sided conversation. Eventually, Rajah's crying subsided and the young girl just watched her with big brown eyes.
She felt bad leaving Clark to handle the panicked couple in the car and the drunken man who had stumbled his way out of the ditch to see if everyone was okay, but one pointed look at both Lois and the child's chattering teeth and Clark had sent them off assuring her he could handle everything.
Finally the ambulances and fire trucks arrived, announcing their presence with flashing lights and loud sirens. Lois gave them a report and gratefully handed off Rajah to a paramedic. Soon Clark joined her, giving the professionals room to work. They waited to fill out witness reports.
Clark had the heat blasting, but Lois couldn't get rid of the chill that had settled heavily in her bones. "Well, there goes this dress."
Clark glanced at her, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "Too bad. You looked really nice." Lois laughed, embarrassed that it came out sounding so forced and awkward. "We're a mess" she said. "This was not the reason I wanted to get out of your mom's invitation."
"You had a better idea?"
"Yeah. The snow storm turned into a blizzard and we couldn't leave the farm. And I could have stayed in my sweat pants by the fire."
Clark's eyebrows rose. "We? And what am I doing in this cozy vision?"
"You have to ask? You're cutting the wood, getting the food—"
"—Being your slave," he interrupted.
Lois shrugged. "Well, I wasn't going to go out in that blizzard. And I'd need to eat..."
"It's nice to know you think so highly of me."
She batted her eyes seductively, "Maybe I had plans for you later…" then her teeth started chattering again, ruining the effect.
He tugged at her sleeve. "C'mere, Lois, you're freezing."
"They don't call you an investigative reporter for nothing," she said, sliding towards him and the blanket he was holding out. He wrapped it around her tightly, and rubbed his hands up and down her arms.
"After we finish here, let's go to Mom's place. You can take a hot shower and I'll even let you borrow my sweat pants."
Lois quirked an eyebrow, tempted to say something completely inappropriate but instead spoke the truth, "that sounds wonderful. Want to order pizza?"
Clark hugged her closer. "Only if I get to choose the toppings."
Lois scrunched her nose in disgust. "No way. Half and half?"
"Fine, but I'm picking the movie."
"As long as it's not 'To Kill A Mockingbird'."
"Deal."
~*~*~
Martha Kent's Apartment - 12:24 AM
Clark had always liked midnight. Not needing much sleep, he'd spend many late nights in the loft watching the stars emerge from the darkening blue sky and the world slowly become muted as people settled in for the dark night. Some nights he'd feel like the only person on the planet, but rather than feeling isolated and alone, he felt free. Sometimes he'd run through the fields, testing the limits of his emerging abilities, other times he'd imagine what life had been like on Krypton - had they trees that rustled in the wind? Grasshopper like creatures that were so loud they could drown out the noise in his head?
As he'd gotten older, his imagination and fanciful thoughts faded into the more mundane issues of everyday life: could he play on the football team? Would Lana love him if he told her the truth? What would life be like if his dad hadn't died? What should he do with his life...
But as Clark sat in the warm flickering light from the fire place, listening to the steady sound of Lois' heartbeat and the slow rise and fall of her breath, he once again felt that freedom that the dark could elicit. He imagined spending his nights like this: laughing and teasing, bantering and arguing with Lois--forgetting, at least for a little while, the pain of suffering and the fragility of the human body--it could be so easy, or maybe it wouldn't. It would be challenging and difficult and exciting. Being with Lois could be irritating and frustrating, but never boring. She made him feel too many things at once; she could provoke him like no one else.
"I can practically feel the wheels turning" Lois murmured, not moving from where her head had fallen, her cheek pressed warmly against his arm. "What are you thinking about?"
He considered telling her, but settled on a half-truth. "Nothing really, just letting my mind wander." He was startled to realize he'd been playing idly with a strand of her long hair. He dropped his hand abruptly. "Sorry. Did I wake you?"
Lois sat up and stretched. "No, I was just resting my eyes for a few minutes."
He couldn't help the smirk at her familiar response.
"It's true! I was just warm and full and it made me lazy."
"Right, like baby cats."
"I did not snuggle up to you."
"Of course not," Clark said agreeably.
Lois sighed. "Sometimes I think we do this out of habit."
His brows furled. "Do what?"
"Purposely press each other's buttons."
"Hey! I was doing no such thing. I was happy to let you...oh. Nice one, Lane."
She smiled. "What time is it?"
"Quarter-to-one." Before she could voice her next question he added, "Mom called not too long ago. She was waiting until they announced the night's total and then she'd be home."
"Oh. Good. Listen Clark, I should go."
Clark blinked. "Why? We're all driving back to the farm in the morning anyway. Unless you've changed your mind about spending Christmas with us, which, by the way, is a little late as you left your stuff at the farm."
Lois rubbed her eyes. "I know, but I can easily take a taxi to my place; I'm not far. And this way you can have a bed instead of the couch. You can pick me up in the morning."
Clark reached out and stilled her hand. "Just stay. I don't mind the couch."
"I don't--"
Clark raised an eyebrow. "You've never minded sending me to the couch before."
Lois flushed and tried to shake off his hand, but he held her wrist. "I...I need to leave."
"Why?"
Lois finally met his eyes. "Because it's not a good idea to stay."
Clark held her gaze and said nothing, knowing she'd respond to the silent challenge. She didn't disappoint.
"If I stay, I'll do something stupid."
He cocked his head, curious. "Like what?"
She licked her lips nervously. "Like this." She nearly fell forward as she leaned in to kiss him. Soft, moist lips met his. Stunned, he was sure lights sparked in front of his eyes as every nerve in his body came alive. Or maybe it was the crackling fire. His brain was fuzzy and it was hard to think.
Their first real kiss was awkward and hesitant; their noses bumped and their teeth clinked. But trust Lois to solve the problem, he thought happily. She held his face and whispered, "Don't move" before leaning in slowly. This time it went smoothly. He squirmed as Lois nipped and licked at his mouth, teasing him, driving him crazy as always.
He felt her tongue slide slowly between his lips. All the blood left his head and he felt dizzy. Screw not moving, he thought and burrowed a hand through her hair to the back of her skull, anchoring her mouth to his. She wasn't going to get away this time.
They took their time exploring each other's mouths and the taste of warm, salty skin. He laughed as fingers explored his ribs. She grinned, "Ticklish?"
He kissed her nose. "No, just happy."
She sobered.
He leaned back on his elbows, staring down at her. "Should we stop?"
She relaxed under him. "Yes." He tried to swallow his disappointment. Just as he shifted to let her out from under him, she tugged at his shirt, pulling him towards her. "Your mom will be home soon."
Clark tried not to look relieved. "You're worried about my mom?"
Lois looked at him like he was crazy, and at this moment she wouldn't be completely wrong. "I rather not relieve the infamous shower incident of 2004. It could make for an awkward Christmas."
He smiled ruefully. "I feel like I'm in high school again."
Lois wrinkled her nose. "I so don't want to know."
He kissed her slowly and thoroughly, pressing her deeper into the couch. With what little self-control he had left he broke the kiss and dropped his head into the curve where shoulder met neck. "This is going to be a really hard Christmas, you know," he mumbled into her neck.
Clark felt her voice vibrate to his lips as she spoke. "Well, 'Good things come to those who wait'" she parroted.
He licked her neck. She tasted sweet and slightly salty. "What happened to carpe diem?"
She trailed a finger down his chest. "It's been replaced."
Clark's teeth tugged lightly at her earlobe. "I was always told 'Necessity is the mother of invention.'" His hand slid under her shirt. "I always took that lesson to heart."
Lois groaned. He felt her twist away from him. "Expect the unexpected," she said sliding off the couch away from him.
He flopped onto his back and grinned up at her. "Is that a promise or a threat?"
She smiled back. "Both. Enjoy the couch." She ruffled his hair as she headed to his room.
Clark didn't move for a long while, nor could he remove the smug grin from his face. It had taken nearly a year, but it had finally happened. He reminded himself to ask his mom to bake those chocolate chip cookies. He had a feeling they might come in handy this holiday season.
The end
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