Somebody to Love (SV,Clark/Lana,Adult) COMPLETE 2/17/11

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Cardinal
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Re: Somebody to Love (SV, Clark/Lana, Adult) Ch 30 (pg 5) 11/29

Post by Cardinal »

Chapter 31

Reciprocation


Wanting to be polite, and also wanting to gain some time to think, Clark retrieved Lana’s sweater and handed it to her. While she was pulling it back on, Clark found his t-shirt and did likewise, which elicited a sigh from Lana as his magnificent chest disappeared from view.

How to tell her in such a way as to make her believe me? Clark wondered. He quickly came to realize the only way she’d end up believing him about being an alien was if he also told her about being Superman. In fact, things would likely go better if he explained Superman first since he could prove that, and then let her in on the whole alien bit. Once he had decided, Clark opened his mouth to speak…

Lana had been waiting with strained patience for Clark to tell her about his ‘big secret.’ She hoped he really had a big secret and wasn’t just scared of being with her or something, but if so, she was worried about what his secret could be.

Clark had looked away from Lana when he began to think, and the look of intense concentration on his face was her first solid clue that he was really serious about having a secret. Then, his eyes returned to hers and his mouth opened…

…and nothing came out.

The longer Clark stood there with his mouth hanging open and nothing coming out, the wider his eyes grew and the faster his heart beat. He was beginning to panic as he could not make the words come out. He figured Lana would have no trouble accepting him being Superman; it was the E.T. part of the conversation that had him worried.

Clark didn’t know if it was fear of losing Lana once she knew that stilled his tongue, or what. All he knew for sure is, he was afraid, and the words…would…not…come…out.

By now Clark’s open mouth was flapping helplessly, his heart was racing in his chest, and his forehead broke out in a light sweat. He didn’t know what he looked like, but Lana could see the panic in his face. She stepped in close to him once again and placed the palm of a hand flat on his chest. It felt to her like his heart was trying to jackhammer its way out.

“My God, Clark, your heart is racing.”

“That’s because I’m scared out of my mind right now,” he admitted. “I can’t…can’t remember the last time I was afraid like this. It’s just not n…natural for me.”

Without taking time to think, Lana slid that hand around to Clark’s back where it was joined by her other hand as she pulled him in close for a hug. Her face was turned to one side and buried in his chest and her hands were rubbing his back, while his chin rested lightly on top of her head and his hands were resting on her shoulders. They looked to be a somewhat incongruous pair, as tiny Lana lightly rocked massive Clark back and forth.

“I can see there is a secret, Clark, and it’s bigger than I would’ve believed just five minutes ago. Trust of that kind has to be earned, so tell me when you’re ready. I can wait to know, just as I can wait to make love with you.”

Clark was humiliated once again in Lana’s presence. This time, however, she was the only witness and the humiliation was entirely his fault. He’d thought about just whipping out the Superman suit, figuring that once Lana saw that, questions would follow and he’d be able to talk, but he wasn’t sure that in his present condition, his hands could even manage to open his storage box.

His ears were still working just fine since they were nothing but passive participants, and so Clark had listened carefully to Lana, but he thought he was hearing things when he heard her place a slight emphasis on the words ‘make love.’

I as good as admitted I’m in love with her already with that rambling speech about the things about her I like; I wonder if her feelings for me have advanced as quickly as my feelings for her have.

That made Clark think about what he’d said minutes ago. He realized he hadn’t been thinking then, he had just told her the truth of his attraction to her. The more he thought now, the more he realized he had, just for a moment, opened himself to her completely and allowed his feelings to come gushing out.

Clark wanted to tell her that he was in love with her, but he didn’t dare tell her at this moment. He was afraid that if he said ‘I love you’ at this moment, she might think he was just trying to ease her disappointment. Some guys use the words ‘I love you’ to get something from a girl, while others use them as a get out of jail free card. Clark, on the other hand, has never used them. He’d not even said them very often, and when he had, they’d always been said for the pleasure of the person he was talking to, as an honest expression of emotion. He wasn’t about to change that now.

The duo of Lana’s soothing actions and Clark thinking about something other than his secrets combined to help him relax. Lana could feel him melt in her arms as the tension bled out of his body.

Wanting to distract Clark while getting things moving again, Lana asked Clark for, and received, the Thermos he had said was in the big bag so she could fill it with the mulled wine before it lost its heat. She knew he had something planned for outside, and wanted to see what it was.

“What else is in that bag?” Lana asked.

“Oh…nothing much,” Clark replied, as he reached into the bag. Lana snickered when she saw what appeared to be a travel-sized magnetic checkerboard. She remembered what he had joked about when discussing potential after dinner activities and suddenly wondered if the rest of the bag contained quilting supplies. Close, but not quite. What Clark did have in the bag was a beautiful, oversized, handmade quilt that was already completed.

Sure she knew the answer already, Lana asked dubiously, “So, you want to play checkers on the balcony?”

Regaining his ease, Clark said, “Nah. The checkerboard was just a joke, but I do plan on us using that quilt.”

“For what?”

“This.” Clark reached inside the bag and pulled out a long, padded container that had been standing upright in the bag, apparently surrounded by the quilt. He set the container down on the couch, quickly and efficiently removing what was locked inside.

The back of Lana’s couch blocked whatever it was from Lana’s sight, and the longer Clark waited to show it to her, the more her curiosity grew.

“What is it?”

Clark straightened up and lifted into Lana’s view a long cylinder. It wasn’t until he attached the cylinder to its supporting tripod, however, that she realized what it was.

“It’s a telescope,” Clark said. “It’s nothing fancy, but it belonged to my dad. He gave it to me when I was little.” He threw the quilt over one shoulder and picked up the telescope with his other arm as he headed for the balcony.

Lana sensed that the telescope meant more to Clark than he was letting on. Intrigued, she grabbed the Thermos and a couple of mugs from her cupboard and followed Clark outside into the cold.

By the time Lana closed the door behind her, Clark had the telescope set up, had her white-painted wicker love seat in position next to the telescope, and had the quilt arranged for them. Lana moved to Clark’s side and he wrapped the quilt around the both of them, taking care to be sure that Lana had plenty of extra quilt so she could cocoon herself whenever she felt the need.

Lana noticed how much quilt she had available and checked to make sure that Clark would have enough since he was so much larger than her and was only wearing a t-shirt on his chest. Only when she threatened to make him go inside and put on his overcoat did Clark relent and take a little more of the quilt for himself. After that, Lana poured them each a mug of the mulled wine, they huddled close under the quilt, and settled in for some stargazing.

While Lana’s knowledge of astronomy was limited to the names of the planets and being able to identify a few constellations like Ursa Major (the Big Dipper), Ursa Minor (the Little Dipper), and Orion, she quickly found that Clark’s knowledge was nearly encyclopedic. Not only did he know the names of the constellations visible in the light-occluded Metropolis night sky, but he knew the names of the major stars in each constellation.

The thing was, Clark presented his knowledge in a way that didn’t make Lana feel stupid, or in any way less than him. Just the opposite in fact. She felt like he was sharing something very personal with her, a side of him that very few people got to see, and it made her feel extremely special.

Near the end of their night, they were studying the surface of the moon, with Clark showing her some of the more famous lunar landmarks like the Sea of Tranquility, when Lana took in the moon as a whole and thought about the ‘man in the moon.’

She looked up at Clark and asked, “Do you believe in life on other planets, Clark?”

Clark had just swallowed a sip of wine, and was thus saved from spraying Lana with a red mist, but it didn’t stop him from gagging for air.

Amused with Clark’s bug-eyed facial expression, Lana listened intently as Clark regained his composure and said, “Actually, I do.” Boy do I ever!

“What do you think they’re like?”

“Oh, I don’t know…I don’t think too much about what they look like, Lana,” I already know that, “but I do spend a lot of time wondering how they think and feel.”

“And…?”

“And I think they want the same things we do: safety, comfort, love…”

“I think so, too,” Lana replied simply. “How could they not?”

Clark decided it was time to take the risk and tell her he loved her. He’d already told her the way he felt, but he hadn’t said the words. He hadn’t even quite realized he was in love until his feelings had poured out.

“I think love is a universal constant, Lana. Wherever you find intelligence, you’ll also find love. Love for friends, love for family…” Clark hesitated on the edge of the precipice and then leapt off, “...and the kind of love I have for you. I love you, Lana.”

Lana’s eyes began to shine as their lower lids filled with tears. He’d said it, and she knew he meant it. She didn’t know how she knew, she just did. They’d only known each other for nine days (Clark had said eight but had miscounted and she wasn't about to correct him, not now) and yet they were in love.

She knew it was irrational to have known someone for only nine days, to have dated him for roughly half that, and yet know she loved him. But since she knew, and since he’d admitted his love for her, there was only one thing left to do.

“I love you, too, Clark.”

The kiss that followed, under the silvery light of the December moon, was pure, more a formal seal placed on the new state of their relationship than an expression of sexual desire. But the desire was still there, waiting just under the surface, simmering, only needing Clark to speak the words that would allow it to come out to play once more.

Both recognized that if they stayed cuddled together under the quilt for much longer, then those impulses were going to surface once more, whether they wanted them to or not, so they regretfully broke up their heavenly viewing party and went inside.

Once Clark was packed, he was ready to go. Lana wrung out his shirt while assuring him that a good washing should have it good as new. The damp shirt was stuffed into a plastic bag and placed into the big bag with everything else. His blue blazer was then rolled up and set on top.

Just when Clark decided to use two arms to make the bag look somewhat heavy and awkward, Lana stole one last kiss from her defenseless boyfriend. The look of bliss on Clark’s face after that kiss mirrored what Lana felt in her soul at that moment.

Maybe I haven’t been an ice princess all these years, Lana thought happily. Maybe I’ve just been waiting for the right guy.

As Clark swept out of the building’s lobby, he passed right by Bill the Doorman who took one look at the stupid grin on Clark’s face and suddenly had to hide a grin of his own. Looks to me like Miss Lang up there in 1523 has a serious suitor on her hands already. That guy’s got it bad.
"In the Name of the King"
-----Winner, Round 15 - Favorite Lead Portrayal of Liz Parker
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best Use of a Supporting Character (Jeff Parker)
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best New Fic
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best Period Fanfiction
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Cardinal
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Re: Somebody to Love (SV,Clark/Lana,Adult) Ch 30&31 (pg 5) 11/29

Post by Cardinal »

Chapter 32

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First thing Lana did after closing and locking her door behind Clark was to place her back against the door and slowly slide down it until her butt hit the floor.

He loves me! Lana thought. He loves me, he loves me, he loves me! Helovesmelovesmelovesme…and I love him back.

Lana sighed as she hugged herself.

This is just out of control crazy, I’ve always been cautious with my heart and here I go giving it away to virtually the first man I met in Metropolis. As for the date, that was the most messed up, confusing, and hottest first date I’ve ever been on. And now, our second date will be to go to his hometown to spend Christmas with his mom. Man, is this relationship ever going fast…at this rate, we’ll be married by Valentine’s Day.

Lana checked her wall clock and saw that it was well after midnight, which made it after 1 a.m. in Gotham City. So, as much as she wanted to pick up her cell phone and call Rachel to dissect every last moment of the date, she knew she’d better wait until after work tomorrow.

Due to the euphoria from the date, Lana had an excess of energy which she channeled into cleaning up. Several times, she caught herself singing softly as she shimmied her way from room to room, and had to laugh. I’m as giddy as a schoolgirl, Lana thought. But I don’t care if I am. I deserve to be happy for once, and I’m going to enjoy it to the fullest.

As for Clark, he was in a romantic fog as he walked home. No one had ever affected him the way Lana was right now. It truly seemed like he’d been waiting his entire life for her, like every other woman he had known was just preparation for meeting Lana.

If so, Clark thought with a throaty chuckle, they prepared me poorly. Nothing could prepare me for that woman. She takes my breath away without even trying.

Clark was so focused on Lana, that he lost track of where he was and what he was doing. It was nearly an hour and a half later before he wondered why he hadn’t made it home yet. Finally looking around, Clark realized he had walked in the wrong direction and was now a good four miles away from home in a part of town he usually only visited as Superman.

He quickly disappeared into an alley to change clothes, using his x-ray vision to assure himself that there weren’t any homeless people around to possibly witness the transformation. Satisfied about his security, Clark changed into Superman, flew home with his bag, left it on the roof of a nearby building, and spent a good hour helping the citizens of Metropolis before calling it a night.

It was almost 3 a.m. when Clark finally dragged himself inside with the bag in tow. His thoughts were still centered on Lana, and for once, he wanted to know what the black box thought he was thinking.

Clark started his sound system up and listened as he began putting away the contents of the bag. He smirked when he recognized the song’s bouncy beat.


“Mad About You” - Belinda Carlisle

I'm mad about you
You're mad about me, Babe
Couple of fools run wild aren't we
Pushing the day into the nighttime
Somewhere between the two
We start to see

Mad about you (Mad about you)
Lost in your eyes (Reason aside)
Mad about love (Mad about you)
You and I…



Clark moved with the tempo of the song, and thus was quickly done with his chore. As he wadded up the bag and tossed it in the waste basket, his thoughts turned to just how close he had come to showing just how mad he actually was.

We almost went at it on the kitchen counter. Heck, we did go at it on the kitchen counter, it was pure luck that we were able to stop in time.

Clark really was of two minds over whether they should have gone ahead and made love with each other. His Id, the pleasure center, and his Superego, the morality center, were having it out for control of his Ego, the decision making part of his brain. Normally, Clark’s overdeveloped sense of morality had no trouble dealing with the part of his brain that wanted what it wanted and wanted it now. But given the spectacular inducement of the luscious Lana Lang, his Id finally had the strength to fight back.

He could tell by the sudden change in music that the black box had picked up on the new line of his thoughts, but the music coming out of the sound system was confused, as if the black box and its accompanying Digital Storage Device weren’t sure what song they were trying to play. Clark listened more intently, and then started to laugh. There were no deep insights into his mind this time, just a song choice that reflected his confusion. The box had picked up on his wavering thoughts about whether or not he should have allowed himself to ‘be with’ Lana and had tried to play two different songs at once. The effect was to make a musical mishmash that almost sounded like a hymn being sung in antiphon.



“Let’s Get It On” - Marvin Gaye
................................................................................“Let’s Wait a While” - Janet Jackson
I've been really tryin', baby
................................................................................There's something I want to tell you
Tryin' to hold back this feelin' for so long
................................................................................There's something I think that you should know
And if you feel like I feel, baby
................................................................................It's not that I shouldn't really love you
Then come on, oh come on
................................................................................Let's take it slow
Let's get it on, oh baby
................................................................................When we get to know each other
Let's get it on
................................................................................And we're both feeling much stronger
Let's love, baby
................................................................................Then let's try to talk it over
Let's get it on
................................................................................Let's wait awhile longer…
Sugar, let's get it on…



Not being sure if he had done the right thing was a new experience for Clark. Usually, he made up his mind quickly and never looked back. He wondered if this was what it was like to be really human. In any case, the mishmash of songs surely replicated the confusion in his mind.

Clark didn’t sleep at all that night,. Nonetheless, he was decked out as Superman and in position to follow Lana to work when she left her building in the morning. Work was unexceptionable for both Lana and Clark, and they both had only one more day of work before getting Friday off for Christmas Eve. Once home again, Lana was on the phone to Rachel as soon as she’d made herself a pot of chamomile tea.

Rachel and Bruce had just finished an intimate dinner in one of the smaller rooms near the kitchen. She had long ago decided she didn’t want to eat in the cavernous formal dining room unless she had to, so she had taken a rarely used room and turned it into a private dining room that could host as many as eight diners at a time.

Bruce was well rested, having woken up at 3 p.m., but his hopes for a little after dinner ‘dessert’ fell by the wayside when Rachel heard Lana’s distinctive ring tone and picked up her phone.

“Lana!” Rachel said brightly. “It’s good to hear from you. What’s up?”

Rachel could almost feel Lana’s excitement over the phone as her young friend said, “Clark’s up, that’s what!” Realizing how perverted that might have sounded, Lana flushed bright red and tried to modify what she’d just said. “I… I mean, we have to talk about Clark.”

Rachel had known what Lana meant, but hearing her normally composed friend get so flustered over any guy, much less Clark, had her in stitches. Rachel wasn’t helped by the fact that Bruce had chosen that moment to stand behind her and begin nibbling on her neck.

A throaty groan escaped her lips before she threw a hand over the phone’s mouthpiece and said, “Bruce…Dearest? Knock it off.”

“But…”

“But nothing, we’ve got plenty of time for that later. Right now, Lana needs me.”

“I need you, too,” Bruce said as he resorted to puppy dog eyes to get his way.

Rachel melted inside as she always did when she saw Bruce’s puppy dog eyes, but her years as a tough-as-nails prosecutor stood her in good stead as she rolled her eyes and said, “No, Bruce. Your hormones want me, but Lana’s heart needs me, so you’ll just have to wait.”

Bruce conceded defeat, but wouldn’t leave the field of battle without the consolation of a deep kiss, which Rachel gladly gave him.

The hand over the mouthpiece had done little to keep Lana from hearing what had gone on between her friends and, as always, it made her a little bit jealous to hear the easy banter between them. She wanted that kind of relationship for herself. She’d thought for the longest time that it would never happen for her, that she was somehow incapable of having that type of relationship. She’d had been alone so long, that she’d resigned herself to that fate. Then Clark had come along, and now that she was so close, she wanted it more than ever.

Rachel removed her hand from the mouthpiece, and said, “Sorry, Hon, I had to talk to Bruce for a second. Now, where were we? Oh yes, Clark. Give me a sec to find a couch to curl up on; it sounds like we’re headed for a long, juicy talk.”

Rachel chose an overstuffed leather couch up on the second floor of the two-story library. She loved the scent of the leather-bound books. It took her back to her law school days and the endless hours spent in the law library. While those days could never be described as comfortable or slow-paced, they had been some of her happiest days and anything that triggered those memories was fine by her.[/size][/font]

[font=sylfaen]Once she settled in, Rachel said, “Okay, Lana. Shoot. How did the first date go? What did Clark do this time?” She held her breath and thought, Please don’t say ‘me.’ Clark oughta know better than that…unless…he’s already told her all about himself. Rachel considered that for a millisecond and dismissed the idea. Nah, Lana will have to beat those secrets out of him with a hammer and tongs.

“Everything went wrong, but then, everything went right. I ruined dinner, but Clark loves me anyway!” Lana said excitedly.

Do what? Rachel wondered. She was glad she wasn’t sipping on an after dinner cup of gourmet coffee or else she’d be swearing like Bruce had been the last time Lana called him.

Not wanting to rain on Lana’s parade, but worrying about her in light of Clark’s previously stated determination to never fall for a woman again, Rachel asked, “Umm…did he say he loves you, Lana, or are you reading something extra into what he did say?”

“He said it! And then I did, too, and that was all after we almost did it.”

“Are you talking about the ‘it’ I think you’re talking about, Lana?”

“Yeeeeeesssss, Mother,” Lana said sarcastically. “We almost made love on my kitchen counter. Are you satisfied?”

“As long as it’s ‘almost’ and not ‘did,’ then yes,” was Rachel’s frank reply.

Lana was surprised.

“What’s the matter, Rach? I thought you liked Clark. Isn’t he good enough for me?” Another thought struck her then. “Or am I not good enough for him?”

Damn, Rachel thought, Lana called here all happy and I’ve gone and ruined it for her. Gotta nip this in the bud though, or she’ll really get upset.

“Jeez, Lana. Paranoid much?” Rachel could hear Lana deflate over the phone. “You two are some of our closest friends and I’m thrilled you’re together…” Rachel paused as she tried to think of how to say what came next, “…but Clark has some things he has to tell you before you two get too deep into a relationship. And that definitely means before your relationship becomes sexual.”

“Yeah,” Lana said, “that’s what Clark told me when he stopped us.”

Good boy, Clark! Rachel thought. Over the next half hour, Rachel apologized for putting a damper on things and then she and Lana replayed the date from agonizing beginning to warm and fuzzy romantic ending.

“And now you get to meet the fabled Martha Kent and eat one of her even more fabled dinners,” Rachel said. She was now stretched out flat on the couch, having kicked off her shoes, and was digging her toes into the leather upholstery. “Clark talks about his mother the way a missionary talks about God. From what he says, she’s half Julia Child, half Mother Teresa.”

“Really?” Lana, who was sitting in her very comfortable wing chair and was on her third cup of chamomile tea, began to worry just a bit about Christmas in Smallville. “He’s not said much about her to me.”

“Well, of course not. What woman wants to be with a guy who’s incessantly talking about his mom? You’ve not even known Clark for two weeks yet. Given time, he’d talk about her a bit here and there.” Curious, Rachel asked, “What are you getting him for Christmas?”

“Nothing. We agreed to forgo gifts since we don’t know each other well enough to know what would be a good gift and what wouldn’t. We’ll just be happy to be spending the holiday together.”

Rachel thought that was reasonable but unusual…and as far as unusual goes, she had a question to ask.

“Are you still coming to our New Year’s Eve party?” Rachel asked. “I know it was a month ago when you RSVPed and you still lived in Metropolis, but we really want you here, so Bruce has decided to send the G5 to Metropolis to fly you here.”

Lana was flummoxed that someone would be sending a $50 or $60 million dollar plane all that way just so she could attend a party.

“And Lana?”

“Yes?”

“Make sure your boyfriend comes with you. You would have met him years ago, except he never comes to one of our parties. Alfred is secretly dying to see him in formal wear.”

Clark in a tux? Lana wondered. He is so going to that party with me!

“One last thing before you go, Lana.”

“Yeah?”

“Congratulations on you and Clark. Nine days is awfully fast, but sometimes love can be like that. And I‘m very happy for you both.”

“Thanks, Rach. You don’t know how much your approval means to me.”

In contrast to the in-depth analysis that Lana and Rachel went through, Clark and Bruce handled things much more quickly. Definitely more succinctly.

Waiting for his wife to end what seemed to him to be an interminable phone call, Bruce finally called Clark, wondering what his take on the big date was.

Clark was in a hurry since he was on the way out to get in some time in the skies of Metropolis, so all he said was, “I’ve found it, Bruce. I’ve found my something, or maybe I should say someone, to fight for. I‘ve found Lana, and I feel…reborn.”
"In the Name of the King"
-----Winner, Round 15 - Favorite Lead Portrayal of Liz Parker
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best Use of a Supporting Character (Jeff Parker)
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best New Fic
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best Period Fanfiction
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Cardinal
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Re: Somebody to Love (SV,Clark/Lana,Adult) Ch 30&31 (pg 5) 11/29

Post by Cardinal »

Chapter 33

Over the River…


Thursday seemed like a long day for both Lana and Clark, but at least he had some Super action to help pass the time. He’d rather have been bored, but was glad to be able to help; the fact that he’d be able to forget about the upcoming holiday weekend with Lana for a little while was just a bonus.

There’d been an explosion at a grain elevator not too far outside of town, and Clark put his super breath to work smothering the resulting fire. He then searched the rubble for bodies; first those still alive, and then the dead ones.

Lana caught most of the action on a TV in her office as a local news crew got to the scene almost as quickly as Superman had. It warmed her heart to know how selfless he was, how a man with virtually unlimited powers would dedicate himself to helping others instead of amassing more power for himself. She was still amazed that he had singled her out for special protection.

It was easy for Lana to see how Superman had become friends with Bruce and Rachel, because Lana knew they were the same way. Rachel used her formidable legal talents to stop crooks instead of defending them and making a mint. As for Bruce, he put his money and connections to good use by supporting more worthwhile charities than Lana could count.

By quitting time, the outside air temperature had dropped to a brisk 25 degrees Fahrenheit with a strong wind that put the wind chill down into single digits. Lana was glad to have worn wool slacks to work instead of a skirt, and the long, heavy winter coat helped too, but she was still thin and didn’t generate a lot of body heat, so she was thrilled once she made it into the subway.

Superman watched Lana from overhead, glad to see that she was still varying her daily travel routine. Once she was safely home, Superman quickly returned to being Clark Kent and headed for one of the many car rental agencies out near the airport to rent a vehicle for the weekend. There weren’t a lot of choices left, which shouldn’t have surprised him since it was the holiday weekend. All he had to choose from were luxury gas hogs and economy cars that looked like pregnant roller skates. He needed a lot of space for his body, and he had an inkling that Lana would have more luggage than the one bag he was bringing, so he ponied up the money for a Lincoln Town Car.

Clark was at Lana’s door bright and early the next morning. Lana was disgruntled to learn Clark had a different idea about early than she did, but grudgingly told the doorman to allow him to come up. Early for her, on a holiday anyway, was noon, not the crack of dawn.

Lana’s small feet slipped into worn pink bunny slippers that she had owned since high school, and pulled on a thick and comfy robe. She went to her master bathroom to splash some water in her face and rub the sand out of her eyes. Then, a few brush strokes were needed to take care of the worst of her bed head before she headed for the front door.

Clark had knocked firmly one time and then waited for Lana to appear, which was wise, because she was grouchy enough without him making things worse by knocking over and over. Lana looked through her peephole and opened the door.

“Hi, Clark,” Lana said, as she stretched upward for a good morning kiss. At least I’m getting something out of being woken up so soon.

“Hi, Lana. You look great this morning.”

Lana was just about to drag Clark inside by one ear and let him have a double-barreled blast of hostility for his sarcasm and the rank stupidity of commenting on her appearance just after waking her up, when she belatedly realized he actually meant what he said.

“I look like this…” Lana said, using a hand to indicate her somewhat messy hair, face with no makeup, thick robe and bunny slippers, “…and you think I look great?”

She already thought she knew the answer, but wanted to hear it again.

“Completely adorable,” Clark said sincerely. “If this is the worst you can look, then I’m going to be a very happy boyfriend.”

Lana stood aside and Clark walked into her condo.

“Why aren’t you ready?” Clark asked. “I did say I was coming by early to pick you up.”

“Maybe you should’ve mentioned an exact time, you doofus. This is Christmas Eve, and your mom isn’t expecting us until suppertime, so I thought ‘early’ would be at a more civilized hour than seven in the morning…we weren’t all raised on farms, you know.”

“Well, I’d been hoping to take you on a tour of my hometown. You know, show you the highlights…all two of them.” Clark winked and flashed Lana what she was already referring to as the Kent Grin. Lana’s irritation disappeared like the morning dew. She had a sinking feeling that she might not ever be able to resist him when he was that cute.

“Okay, Clark, you have a choice to make. Either I get some more sleep now, or I sleep in the car on our way to Smallville, because one way or another, I am getting some more sleep.”

“Mmm…now works for me, Lana. I’d much prefer your company when I’m driving instead of the drone of talk radio.”

Lana rummaged in her linen closet and came up with an extra pillow and blanket, tossed them to Clark, and said, “Here, get some extra sleep.”

Instead of sleep, Clark took off his coat and stretched out on Lana’s couch intending to watch the Today Show on TV. He used Lana’s pillow to prop his head up, and placed the rolled up blanket beneath his feet, after taking his shoes off.

Lana found him in that exact position four hours later, dead to the world. She had showered, dressed, and eaten a hurried breakfast and he never came close to waking up, and now she got her first good, long look at him. She saw the untucked black button-up shirt and the perfectly-fitted faded blue Levi’s he was wearing and her mouth began to water.

Gaaah! I’m turning into one of Pavlov’s dogs, Lana thought. Clark walks into a room and I begin to drool like a newborn. The color black loves him.

Not wanting to disturb his sleep, but wanting to get this show on the road, Lana finally tried to wake him up. She ended up having to shake him hard to finally get him to come to.

“Wha…? What?” Clark rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he sat up with a start. “I’m awake. I’m awake.”

“Hey there, Gorgeous. Looks like I’m not the only one who needed more sleep this morning.”

“What time is it?” Clark wondered sleepily.

“Eleven,” Lana tilted her head toward her bedroom. “Come help me with these bags and we can get going.”

Clark headed toward the room with some trepidation. He’d been in there before, when he was helping her setup and arrange her furniture, but now, it was her bedroom, with all that entailed. After their hormone-filled encounter the last time they had been together in this apartment, Clark couldn’t help but move a bit cautiously.

When he saw what she had laid out to take, Clark forgot all about caution and began to laugh. She had a full-size suitcase, a garment bag, and a smaller case all sitting just inside her bedroom door, ready to go.

“What’s with all the luggage, Lana? We’re not going on vacation.”

“Laugh it up, Smart Guy. I only packed the essentials.” That comment turned Clark’s light laughter into howls. Attempting to override Clark’s mirth, Lana spoke more loudly, and unavoidably, more defensively. “Everything in there is something I might need.”

Clark tried to pull Lana in for a hug to show her everything was fine, but she wasn’t having it and used her hands to fend off his. She then turned away from him and folded her arms, making it clear that the next step was his.

“I’m sorry, Lana,” Clark said. His manner and tone of voice were as apologetic as his words were. Lana pretended indifference, but she was drinking it in. “I didn’t mean to make fun of you, it’s just…it’s been a long time since I’ve had a girlfriend, and I’ve kind of forgotten the lengths women will go to look as good as they can. Will you forgive me?”

Her smile had started the second she heard how contrite Clark was, and it grew with each passing word. I’m in trouble, Lana thought. Not only can’t I resist him when he’s being cute in front of me, I can’t even resist him when he’s being cute behind my back.

She didn’t move, but Clark could see her shoulders slump as she relaxed. Brave as he was as Superman, he was fairly unsure of himself with women, so he edged forward and lightly placed his hands on her biceps, looking for any sign that the contact was unwanted. Lana gave no such sign, so Clark pulled himself right up behind her where he could breathe in the strawberry scent of her shampoo, the complimentary scent of a light perfume, and an underlying scent that Clark already had classified as pure Lana. He’d never tell her, but that last scent was his favorite one of all.

“I am sorry, Lana,” Clark whispered. “I shouldn’t have laughed.”

Lana could feel her heart racing. She couldn’t understand the effect Clark had on her. A minute ago she was upset with him, and now, one sincere apology later, she was a big puddle of mush waiting for him to take the next step. And whichever step he took, she was going to be right there with him. She had never been more conscious of a bed in her life, but Clark unconsciously took that out of play by gently turning her and placing the sweetest of kisses on her lips.

“Come on,” Clark said cheerily, “let’s get your stuff downstairs.”

Lana shook herself out of her Clark-induced coma, and said, “Okay. For your penance, you can carry the big case and the garment…” Her words trailed off as Clark grabbed the big suitcase with one hand, and the small suitcase and the garment bag with his other hand.

She was about to protest that he couldn’t carry all of that when she remembered him carrying her over his shoulder for almost four city blocks. Okay, so he can carry all of the luggage.

Lana pulled on her coat, and picked up his coat, which he had forgotten, as they headed out.

In the elevator, Clark asked, “What’s in the little case, Lana? It looks to be too small for clothes, and it’s heavier than it looks like it should be.”

“It’s got my beauty things…makeup, hair dryer, curling iron, all the usual girl stuff.”

The elevator door opened at the lobby at that moment, and Clark immediately headed for the nearest trash can. When it appeared that he wanted to dump her small case in the trash, Lana didn’t believe he would, but lurched ahead to intercept him anyway.

“Stop!” Lana said.

“Why?” Clark said. “You don’t need any help looking beautiful.”

Lana was left speechless, wondering, What does he see in me? I know I can look pretty decent when I try, but he treats me like I’m a model or something.

Minutes later, Lana was standing at the front door of the building next to her luggage, including the small case, as she waited for Clark to get the rental car from a nearby parking garage. By noontime, Clark and Lana were on Interstate 70 heading west to Smallville. The drive normally took three hours, but Clark wasn’t in any hurry to get there. He wanted to keep Lana safe, and he secretly enjoyed the domesticity of things like a couple driving to spend a holiday with family.

Something that Clark was not-so-secretly enjoying was the sweater and blue jean combination that Lana had chosen to wear for traveling in winter weather. The jeans were slightly faded, and fit her like she’d just been measured for them this morning. The sweater was forest green, which seemed to bring out the green in her hazel eyes. The neckline on the sweater was a standard v-neck, showing just enough skin to hint at the curves covered by the sweater itself.

Lana noticed the frequent glances Clark sent her way. Glances that came whether the conversation warranted them or not. At first, she thought they were admiring glances, which they were, but she soon became self-conscious and wondered if something was wrong.

Maybe there’s a hole in the sweater and he can see my bra…no, Clark would never take advantage of something like that. Maybe I have something on my face. The bad ideas just kept coming to Lana until she just had to ask Clark what was so hideous that he kept glancing at her.

“Nothing, Lana. Honest!” Clark was astonished, and slightly amused, that Lana could ever believe she was hideous in the slightest. “In fact, I’ve adored your beauty since I first saw you on the plane.”

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Clark knew he’d made a mistake. Any hope he had that Lana would let that slip of the lip pass by unnoticed died a quick and painless death.

“I’ve always wondered how you knew I was on that plane,” Lana said as she turned in her seat to face Clark. “I never guessed that you were actually on it.”

Clark didn’t want to lie to her, but he knew he’d have to walk a fine line here.

“Yeah, my secret’s out, I was on the plane.” Standing on the wing is still ‘on the plane.’

“How come I don’t remember seeing you?” Lana asked. “Guys like you tend to get noticed by women.”

“Oh…I think you saw me, but it was crowded on that plane, and I didn’t really see you until everyone else got up to get off the plane after landing.”

“But…how did I not see you then?”

Clark shot a sly grin at Lana before returning his eyes to the road.

“I seem to remember you being completely focused on looking out the window at the man in primary colors.”

Lana blushed prettily as she remembered the instant schoolgirl crush she’d developed on Superman. The crush hadn’t lasted long, Superman was just too unattainable. He belonged to everyone. People would be making statues of him to place in public parks, and the President would be giving him medals. Lana had known she just needed a good man. Looking at Clark, she thought she had one.
"In the Name of the King"
-----Winner, Round 15 - Favorite Lead Portrayal of Liz Parker
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best Use of a Supporting Character (Jeff Parker)
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best New Fic
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best Period Fanfiction
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Cardinal
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Re: Somebody to Love (SV,Clark/Lana,Adult) Ch 32&33 (pg 5) 12/06

Post by Cardinal »

Chapter 34

Home, Sweet Home


As the Lincoln neared Smallville, Lana’s nose was pressed to the window as she took in the pastoral setting. Seemingly countless flat fields were neatly divided by narrow lanes and barbed wire fences, a monotonous landscape that continued untrammeled until it ended at the Front Range of the Rockies which was currently a gray smudge on the horizon.

The only trees in evidence were either next to farm houses, planted on the north and west sides as an energy-saving wind break, or along fence lines where the farmers’ plows couldn’t reach them.

A lifelong city girl, Lana had always wondered what it would have been like to grow up in the country. What would my life have been like if my parents had died instead of Aunt Nell? Mom told me once that Aunt Nell had been my designated guardian if anything had happened to them. How would I be different?

Soon, the Interstate off-ramp for Smallville showed up and Clark guided the car down a two-lane, asphalt state highway into town. Clark didn’t stop until they were on Main Street in front of a coffee bar called The Beanery. Lana gave Clark her order and went to claim a table for the two of them. He soon joined her, carrying two Styrofoam cups of steaming, fresh-brewed coffee.

“Somehow I didn’t picture Smallville having a coffee shop,” Lana admitted. “I figured if I wanted a cup here, it would have to be instant or home-brewed.”

“You won’t be getting any instant coffee at Mom’s house, that’s for sure,” Clark said. “Dad used to like instant because it was ready quickly. He could have a cup and be on his way while the fancy coffee machine was still brewing the first pot. But now that Dad’s gone, Mom prefers coffee brewed from fresh-ground beans.”

It suddenly occurred to Lana that Clark had never spoken to her of his father and she wondered what ‘Dad’s gone’ could mean. Is he dead? Did Clark’s parents divorce? Is he on some job that requires him to travel extensively?

“Where is he, Clark?” Lana asked.

The concern that was evident in her voice warmed Clark just as much as the coffee did. He fastened the flimsy plastic lid back on the coffee cup and said, “Come on. I’ll introduce you. He’ll definitely want to meet you.”

They drove out of town, over increasingly poorly paved roads, until Clark parked the Lincoln next to what appeared to be a graveyard.

“Umm…Clark? This isn’t funny.”

Clark held her door and waited for her to alight from the car before he closed the door and said, “It’s not a joke. I brought you out here to meet my dad.”

“Then your dad’s dead.” Lana didn’t wait for Clark’s reply, she immediately hugged Clark, trying to offer him whatever comfort she could.

“Yeah, he has been for twelve years now. It was brutal for the first year or so, and without Mom to lean on, I might not have made it.” Clark thought back to the last part of his senior year, remembering how nothing seemed to matter, how all the things he’d taken joy in had suddenly felt pointless.

Clark shrugged his shoulders as he led Lana through the graveyard toward Jonathan’s headstone. “But as they say, time heals all wounds. In this case, the pain has faded, leaving only the good memories behind. When I’m in town, I always come out here to talk to Dad. I want him to know how my life is going and I ask his advice.”

They came to a stop in front of a double headstone. One side was waiting for Martha, and the other read ‘Jonathan Kent, a loving and devoted family man.’

When Lana read it out loud, Clark said, “That’s the highest honor to which my dad aspired. He wanted to be known as a family man. Mom and I were his life. Everything else was just details.”

Lana could feel the love and respect Clark still held for his father after all of these years. She wondered what kind of man it had taken to raise Clark, and wished she had gotten to know him.

Lana was about to turn from the headstone and head back to the car to give Clark some time alone, when Clark said, “Hi, Dad…Yeah, I was just about to.” Clark turned to Lana, making sure to take her hand and pull her close before saying, “Lana, this is my father, Jonathan Kent. Dad, this is my girlfriend, Lana Lang.”

Lana thought Clark talking to the headstone was strangely cute. She could see herself doing the same thing if she was in his shoes.

“I’m pleased to meet you, Mr. Kent,” Lana said warmly.

Clark leaned toward Lana a bit and said quietly, “Dad says to call him ‘Jonathan.’ He feels old when people call him ‘Mr.’”

“Then Jonathan it is.”

Clark turned his attention back to the headstone and appeared to be listening. “Yeah, I know. I am lucky to have her. More than you know, Dad. Not only is she sweet and gorgeous, but she’s smart and has dedicated herself to helping others.”

Even though Clark was talking to thin air with no one else nearby, Lana still blushed. Not only did Clark accept her the way she was, but he was proud of her. She could hear it in his voice. She hadn’t really had the time to do anything yet in Metropolis, but he knew what she had done in Gotham City, and that seemed to be enough for him.

Clark had been slightly worried that Lana would think he was being weird when he brought her out here, but those fears were alleviated when Lana leaned in to listen to what Jonathan had to say.

“What’s that, Mr. Kent? Oops, please excuse me. What’s that, Jonathan?” Lana paused, appearing to drink in what Clark’s dad had to say. “Your dad says he’s proud of you, of the man you’ve become. He’s also proud of your writing talent and how you’ve used it to take on organized crime in Metropolis…and he’s in awe of how you’ve kept at it through two near-miss assassination attempts.”

“Did he really say all that?” Clark asked.

“Yeah, he’s quite chatty once you get him going,” Lana replied cheekily.

They were still side-by-side, holding hands when Clark reached around and snatched Lana’s other hand, gently pulling her around to face him. His thumbs were caressing the backs of her knuckles, but his eyes were locked onto hers.

“Did he say anything else?”

“Yeah,” Lana said softly, which drew Clark in closer, “he said you should shut up and kiss me.”

After a short, hesitant kiss, Clark pulled back. Lana wasn’t nearly satisfied with that, so she said, “Is that the best you’ve got?”

“It’s just weird to be kissing my girl in front of my dad. I keep expecting him to tell me to save that for later or something, not to taunt me by asking if that was my best.”

“That part wasn’t your dad, Clark,” Lana said. Clark could see a smoldering look in her eyes that he was beginning to associate with her romantic and sexual side. “That was me. I want you to kiss me like this kiss might be our last one…like you want to imprint the memory of this kiss so deeply that we’ll be able to savor it on our deathbeds. KISS me!”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

Clark bent to his ‘work’ with a passion and gave Lana a kiss that curled her toes and drew the breath from her lungs. He wasn’t about to be the one to break this kiss, so when a lack of oxygen threatened to make her blackout, Lana surrendered and broke the kiss herself, taking in great gulps of air in shuddering breaths.

WOW! Lana thought as she tried to catch her breath, both literally and figuratively. When Clark throws himself into a kiss, he doesn’t mess around.

“How was that?” Clark asked drolly.

“Oh my. That was…that was…I’m not sure what that was, but I sure did like it.”

Clark cocked his head to one side, then straightened up and said, “Dad says we’d better not do that where Mom can see, or else she’ll cool us off with a bucket of ice water. Speaking of which, we’d better get going.”

It wasn’t long, once they were back on the road, before Clark was slowing the car for the turn onto Hickory Lane. Lana quickly noticed a grouping of weathered farm buildings, each of which appeared to be in dire need of a fresh coat of paint. As Clark began to slow the car to make the turn down the driveway, Lana saw a yellow-painted clapboard farmhouse peek out from behind the other buildings.

When the Lincoln moved past the small windmill that clung to the right side of the driveway, Lana could see the remains of what must be a well-tended summer vegetable garden close by the house.

The house itself gave the appearance of being much better maintained than the outbuildings. The yellow-painted clapboards seemed to give off a warm and inviting glow, especially when contrasted with the gray sky and leafless trees that seemed to frame the house.

Clark held Lana’s door and handed her up out of the car. He decided to leave the luggage for later, because he had an idea it would just be in the way right now. Using his x-ray vision, Clark checked the house to be sure the Christmas surprise he had arranged for Lana was in place. He was quickly rewarded, with the sight of the surprise waiting in the living room. This surprise hadn’t cost Clark any money, so he wasn’t counting it as a present, which was something they had previously agreed to avoid. Given what he had gone through to arrange the surprise, he sure hoped Lana liked it.

Lana had thought she was completely cool with the idea of meeting Clark’s mom, until she was faced with the actuality of meeting the woman who had raised Clark, and seemed likely to be his most important advisor. Lana really wanted to make a good impression now. She wasn’t sure if they were supposed to knock or just walk on in, so she hesitated at the kitchen door and wiped her clammy hands on the front of her jeans.

Clark answered her unvoiced question by saying quietly, “Normally, I’d knock since I don’t live here anymore. I wouldn’t want Mom to freak out or anything, but since she’s expecting us, and she’s probably cooking, we might as well go in.” Lana was still nervous, so Clark solved her problem by reaching around her and opening the door.

Lana’s legs didn’t seem to want to work, so Clark placed his hands on her waist and gently carried her across the threshold and into the kitchen. Martha was standing at the counter, working with her food processor and turned, anxious to see her son, but even more anxious to meet this new girlfriend who had so completely captured his heart in such a short time.

She had known Lois, and thus was unconsciously expecting another tall, amazon-like woman who was something of a physical match for her son. Instead, she was faced with a slender woman with delicate features. A woman who was very obviously nervous. Martha wiped off her hands and moved to make her feel welcome.

“Hi, Mom,” Clark said as Martha approached.

“Oh, Clark! It’s so good to have you home!”
Before they even had a chance to kiss and hug, he added, “Mom, I’ve got someone here I’d like to introduce to you.” He stepped to Lana’s side and took her hand to support her. He knew from experience how nerve-wracking this could be. “Mom, this is my girlfriend, Lana Lang. Lana, this is my mother, Martha Kent.”

Lana had been eyeing Martha ever since Clark had set her down, and she saw a couple of things that were curious. Clark was 6’ 4”, but Martha was short, roughly the same size as herself…and Martha had flame-orange hair, while Clark’s was jet black. Interesting, Lana thought, Clark must get his looks from his dad, which means he was another stunner. She must have some pictures of him hanging around here somewhere.

Lana thought they’d shake hands or something, which is how their greeting started out, but as Clark released Lana’s other hand, Martha pulled her into a hug and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

“It’s so good to meet you, Lana,” Martha said. “I’ve heard so much about you. Please, be welcome in my home.”

The warmth and genuineness of Martha’s greeting, combined with the Christmassy sights and smells finally eased Lana’s nerves, and she replied warmly, “Thank you for having me, Mrs. Kent. I’m happy to meet the woman who raised this guy.”

“Please, Lana, call me Martha.”

“Okay…Martha.”

Clark was happier than either of the women, because it looked like the two most important women in his life were going to get along just fine. Looking over their heads, Clark saw his surprise in the living room and thought about taking Lana over to see it, but then he decided he’d let her discover it for herself.

Martha was busy ladling out two mugs of hot cider from a pot on the stove, when Lana took an interested look around. The kitchen was decorated like a something out of a Currier and Ives painting. She couldn’t imagine a more Christmas-like setting. I bet this is what it looks like at home, Lana thought, Mom and Dad usually decorate late, but they always go all the way.

Lana’s eyes turned to the massive pine tree that dominated the living room and suddenly had to rub her eyes. I must be seeing things, she thought. I think about my parents, and now I’m seeing them.

But it wasn’t a dream.

Lewis and Laura Lang were sitting together on the couch, right next to the tree. They had been waiting for Lana to notice them, but now that she had, they stood up and turned to face her. Clark saw where Lana was looking and leaned down to whisper in her ear, “Well, Lana, aren’t you going to introduce me to your parents?”

Her eyes had rapidly filled with tears once she realized she wasn’t seeing things, and her voice was choked with emotion when she tried to reply to Clark. “You are so sweet, Clark! How?!”

“Never mind how for right now. We’ll have plenty of time to talk later. Right now, your parents are waiting.”

“But…haven’t you already met them? I mean, someone got them to come out here.”

“Yeah, but your folks wouldn’t have known me, so I asked Superman to be my go-between. Everybody knows and trusts him.”

As Lana grabbed Clark’s hand and led him to her parents, she said, “Remind me to give Superman a kiss the next time I see him.”

“What? What about me? I planned this whole thing.”

Lana stopped them in the middle of the room and planted a hot, wet kiss firmly on Clark’s lips. Once she was done, she murmured, “Oh, don’t you worry, Clark. You’re definitely gonna get yours.”

Lewis and Laura smiled to see how open their daughter was with her affection for this young man. They had privately wondered if she’d ever be able to make space in her life, and in her heart, for a man. But now they knew their worries were unfounded. He might not end up being ‘the one,’ but they could tell just from looking at Lana’s face, that their little girl had finally found love.

Once Lana let go of Clark, she cannoned into her father’s waiting arms where they shared a ferocious hug, followed by a quick kiss.

“Daddy!” Lana said.

“Lana!” Lewis replied.

Lana moved on to her mother, with whom she shared a hug, a kiss, and a greeting with before pulling Clark over to her parents. She had imagined introducing Clark to them ever since she had agreed to come here for Christmas, but she had thought she’d have to wait until after the trial. She was so happy to be wrong.

Almost bouncing on her toes with excitement, Lana said, “Mom…Dad…I’d like to introduce my boyfriend to you. This is Clark Kent.” She turned slightly toward Clark. “Clark, these are my parents, Lewis and Laura Lang.”

Clark shook hands with Laura, who followed Martha’s example and pulled Clark close for a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Clark and Lewis followed with a firm handshake.

“Mr. and Mrs. Lang,” Clark said, “welcome to Smallville. Thank you for coming.”
"In the Name of the King"
-----Winner, Round 15 - Favorite Lead Portrayal of Liz Parker
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best Use of a Supporting Character (Jeff Parker)
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best New Fic
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best Period Fanfiction
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Cardinal
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Re: Somebody to Love (SV,Clark/Lana,Adult) Ch 32&33 (pg 5) 12/06

Post by Cardinal »

Chapter 35

Oh, What a Night!
The way the seating was arranged, Clark and Lana were side by side in well-cushioned armchairs, while the Langs shared the couch. Lana had briefly thought about squirming her way in between her folks, but one look at Clark had convinced her he would need her support as he faced her parents for the first time.

A look back at her normally jovial dad further supported this idea, as he had a very stern expression on his face while he regarded Clark. Laura was looking at Clark, too, but Lana got the feeling that her mother’s evaluation was more along the lines of how well she and Clark matched, while she guessed her dad wanted to see if Clark was worthy to be dating her at all.

All Clark could see was that twin pairs of eyes were skewering him to the back of his chair. Superman had had an unusual night with the Langs, but it looked like he himself was in for a grilling.

Just before the questioning began, Lana slipped her hand into Clark’s palm. When he reflexively closed his hand around hers and smiled, she leaned over and whispered, “Use that Kent Grin of yours, Clark. Think charming.” Lana had no doubts whatsoever that Clark would quickly have her mother eating out of his hand; her dad, however, might be a tougher nut to crack. Especially since she had told them when she visited them that Clark was in danger, too.

Laura had asked all of the questions in the early going. She had focused on Clark as a person, looking to see how he might fit with Lana. Once he got going, his respectful manner, intelligence, and easy sense of humor won Laura over. While deciding whether or not Clark was husband material would have to wait on further investigation, Laura was fully satisfied that Lana had found a man that was a good fit for her.

Lewis had listened carefully, grudgingly impressed by the little things he saw. Whenever a question came up that needed Lana’s input, he saw that Clark never assumed he knew what she would think or would want to say; instead, he turned to her and they discussed the topic at hand before they provided an answer. That was important because he knew his daughter could never be happy in an unequal relationship.

Lewis also liked the fact that Clark never cut Lana off as she was talking. He gave her all of the time she needed to fully develop the ideas she was trying to get across. Again, it was a matter of respect. Just as with Laura, it was too soon for Lewis to make a final determination, but it was beginning to look to him like Lana had brought home, in a manner of speaking, a real winner. He was really beginning to take a shine to Clark, but one more topic had to be broached…that of Lana’s safety.

“Lana told us that you’re in some danger, Clark,” Lewis said. He wasn’t sure how to say what came next. “If that’s true, why are you dating her? Aren’t you worried about your danger putting her in danger, too?”

After a quick squeeze of Lana’s hand, Clark said, “No, Sir. While I normally would avoid being with someone while the danger I’m in exists, Lana and I share the same danger. Me being with her doesn’t increase the danger she’s in at all.” Clark and Lana shared a quick glance. “If it did, I wouldn’t be dating her.”

“Soooo, you mean to tell me that the only way you could date is if you found a woman who was also going after Intergang?”

Clark hadn’t ever thought about it that way, but it was true. It made the fact that he and Lana had found each other even more unlikely than before. They had the same thought nearly simultaneously: we were setup by Bruce and Rachel.

“Yes, Sir. Lana would have been off limits if she wasn’t already in danger from Intergang. But Lana and I are working toward the day when Intergang is no more.”

“Right now,” Lana said, “that’s our shared dream.”

Lewis was as satisfied with Clark as he could be on short acquaintance, so he directed the conversation to more neutral topics until Martha came in and announced that dinner was ready.

The men escorted their women to the table, and as Clark held Lana’s chair, Lewis did the same for Laura. When Martha placed the last dish on the table, Clark rose and seated her, too. Conversation during dinner was mostly limited to requests for a particular dish or condiment, followed by effusive praise for the quality of the dinner. The conversation picked back up after dinner as the five of them sat around the table drinking gourmet coffee and nibbling on flaky fruit pastries.

One thing Lana had been interested in ever since learning that Superman had been the one to get her parents to come back to Smallville was just how her parents had reacted when Superman had shown up on their doorstep. She could only imagine that her mom had freaked out while her dad tried to play it cool, as if Superman came over for a visit all of the time. Lana knew her dad had always been something of a raconteur, so all she’d have to do was get him started and then get out of his way. Finally unable to contain her curiosity, Lana went ahead and asked.

“Dad, would you tell us about Superman’s visit to the house? Knowing you two, there’s got to be a good story there.”

Lewis’ grin did nothing but grow wider as he looked at Laura for permission to tell the story. She was never one to stop his fun, especially when it was so cheap, so she nodded her head in assent and waited.

Free to tell what happened, Lewis turned back to the other three at the table, each of whom had their own reason for wanting to hear about Superman’s visit, and began to talk.

“It was just before dinner a couple of nights ago. Your mother was in the kitchen making dinner, some kind of low-cholesterol dinner…”

“You’ve forgotten the meal already, Daddy?”

“Hey, I love your mother very much, but her low-cholesterol meals I could do without.”

Martha was stricken to learn that she had served a high-fat meal when one of her guests was on a low-cholesterol diet. Clark knew this was coming and shushed her attempted apology by whispering, “I'm sure Mrs. Lang lets him cheat for special occasions like this. I’m also sure Superman warned them about your normal dinners.”

Laura heard what Clark had whispered. She leaned over and seconded what Clark had said. “We knew coming here that Lewis would just have to be careful. He can have whatever he wants. We just have to trust him to moderate his indulgences.”

All Lewis did to answer that was to give an angelic smile that should have come with its own warning label: Caution, the person wearing this smile has no actual intention of being good.

“Anyway,” Lewis said, getting back to his story, “your mother was cooking and I was in the restroom when there was a sharp knock on the door. Obviously, your mother had to answer it, but the next thing I heard was a shriek from the front door.”

Everyone turned to look at Laura, who smiled sheepishly and asked reasonably, “Well, what would any of you do if Superman was at your front door at suppertime?”

Lana thought, I’d wonder why he wasn’t on the balcony like usual.

Martha thought, I’d tell my son to get inside before anyone sees him. Once inside, I’d chew his butt for taking unnecessary risks.

And Clark thought, I’d think I was losing my mind.

“I didn’t think I had the time to fasten my pants,” Lewis said, “so I went running out there, holding my pants up with one hand, expecting to have to fight for Laura’s life…and I see this guy standing in the open front door holding my wife. The guy‘s huge, even bigger than Clark here,” Lewis said as he gestured toward Clark, “and I figured I’d need both hands to have a shot at stopping him. So I dropped my pants and yelled that he should set my wife down or face the consequences.”

Everyone was howling with laughter by then, and Lewis paused to allow them to enjoy their good humor before he continued the story.

“It was right about then that I noticed the red and blue suit. Superman carried your mother to the couch and set her down, before trying to explain. I watched him the whole way, while desperately trying to pull my pants up and fasten them. It turns out that your mother had just fainted after she shrieked and Superman had caught her.

“When your mother came to, she was mortified to learn I had threatened Superman in our own home…”

Laura cut in and said, “I believe what you said, Dear, was that you’d ‘kick his ass’ if he didn’t put me down this instant. At least, that‘s what Superman told me and everyone says he never lies.” Laura looked at Lewis and gave him the kind of look that a woman saves for the man she loves. “It was a very stupid thing to do, Lewis, but oh so loving. To know that after all these years together you still love me enough to risk everything was more romantic than I know how to express.”

The stare they shared gave the other three in the room a pretty good idea of exactly how she had expressed her love later that evening. Clark and Lana had been holding hands during this, and they both squeezed tightly, as they were thinking the same thing: I hope we’re like that when we reach their age.

Lewis finally returned to the story.

“At least I now know why he’s called the Man of Steel, and it’s not because of his strength.” Lewis gently shook his head in remembrance. “He has to have abs of steel to have kept from laughing himself sick after seeing me. I mean, there I was: a balding, pudgy man in his early fifties…”

“Early fifties?” Laura scoffed. “You’re fifty-five if you’re a day!”

“Who’s telling this story, anyway?”

“You are, Dear, but it looks like I’ll have to keep correcting you.”

“Now listen,” Lewis said, with a lot of humor and the tiniest bit of irritation in his voice, “I don’t go correcting you when you claim to weigh 130 pounds, so maybe you can see fit to allow me to claim being a few years younger.”

Lana noticed how Laura clammed up as soon as Lewis mentioned her tendency to fib about her weight. She couldn’t believe her mom was still doing that. As far as Lana could see, her mom was still a beautiful woman. She thought just about any woman her mother’s age would he thrilled to look like her, so why fib?

Lewis went back to the story again., while keeping a jaundiced eye on his wife. “Now where was I? Oh yes. There I was: a balding, pudgy man in his early fifties,” Lewis paused to see if Laura was going say anything, but she just raised an eyebrow as if to say she wouldn’t dream of interrupting, and then he added, “who happened to have his pants around his ankles, and his hands balled into fists as he threatened to kick the Man of Steel’s ass. Not one of my finer moments, I assure you.

“But instead of laughing his ass off, Superman looked to be mortified that he had caused Laura to pass out and had caused me to fear for her life. He spent the next five minutes trying to apologize.

“After Superman made the arrangements for us to drive out here to be with you this weekend, your mother wouldn’t let him get away without eating dinner with us…and remember, this was one of the low-cholesterol meals from my diet.”

“Oh, Mom, you didn’t!”

“Wellllll,” Laura said defensively, “I wanted to make it up to him and I didn’t have anything else that I could cook on short notice, so inviting him to share our dinner seemed to be the only thing I could do.”

“Let me get this straight,” Lana said. “Dad threatened a houseguest’s life, and you tried to bore him to death with bland food.” Oh, God, I’ll never be able to look Superman in the face again.

“But you haven’t heard the best part yet, Lana,” Lewis said eagerly. “While your mother was in the kitchen scooping out some low-fat ice cream for dessert, I offered Superman fifty bucks to go buy us some food with fat in it. I figured, as fast as he is, I’d only have to keep your mother busy for a few minutes and he’d be back.”

“Lewis!” Laura huffed.

“You know,” Lewis mused, “I think he would’ve done it…except for you, Lana.”

“Me? What did I have to do with anything?”

“He thought about it for a second or two, and then said he thought you’d kill him if you ever found out he had interfered with my diet.” Lewis sniffed. “Some superhero he turned out to be. Scared of the woman he’s supposed to be guarding.”

“Jeez, Dad, you’re just disappointed you didn’t get a double cheeseburger and fries.”

“Damn straight!”
"In the Name of the King"
-----Winner, Round 15 - Favorite Lead Portrayal of Liz Parker
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best Use of a Supporting Character (Jeff Parker)
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best New Fic
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Re: Somebody to Love (SV,Clark/Lana,Adult) Ch 34&35 (pg 5) 12/16

Post by Cardinal »

Chapter 36

Bedtime
The night ended early for the five celebrants as all had been up a long time that day already and wanted to be up bright and early on the holiday itself. The Langs had accommodations at the local Embassy Suites hotel, so Lana would be staying in Clark’s old room, while he would get to sleep on the couch in the living room.

While Martha went into the bedroom to make sure it had everything Lana would need, Clark went outside and retrieved their luggage from the Lincoln. He hadn’t seen a weather report in a couple of days, but all it took was one look at the ominous cloud cover for Clark to wonder if they were going to have a white Christmas.

Once Clark was back inside, he dropped his own bag next to the couch and made his way upstairs. Martha had already retreated to her room to prepare for bed, so Clark found Lana walking around his childhood bedroom, peering at the things he had left behind.

Her fingertips dragged lightly over the surface of the various pieces of furniture as she saw things like posters of the Metropolis Sharks and the Met U Bulldogs on the walls. She also saw picture frames, mostly filled with shots of his mother and a ruggedly handsome man with thick, wavy blonde hair.

That must be Jonathan, Lana thought. That must be where Clark gets his height, because his mom’s as short as I am.

That’s when Lana noticed something curious: Jonathan had blonde hair and Martha’s hair was an orangey-red, but Clark’s hair was jet black.

Concerned, she wondered privately, Could Martha have had an affair? She doesn’t seem the type, but then, adultery doesn’t really have a type. You can never tell who may have had a wandering eye.

Clark had been standing in the open doorway the entire time, enchanted as he watched Lana glide around his old bedroom. He realized having his girlfriend in his bedroom at night was the realization of many a teenage dream, but he had never imagined having a girlfriend like Lana. He broke out of his trance when he noticed Lana stopped in front of an old picture of his parents. The frame was cracked, the result of an early morning attempt at making an alarm clock shut up, but it was one of the few pictures of them that had been taken professionally. He still didn’t know how Mom had managed to wrangle Dad into that photo shoot…either sitting for it or paying for it.

When he realized just how long she had been standing in front of that particular picture, Clark cleared his throat and stepped into the room. He was used to answering questions about why he didn’t look like either of his parents. He’d been doing it all of his life. All he would have to do is explain that he was adopted.

Lana jumped slightly as Clark’s throat clearing broke her concentration, and she quickly began to relieve him of his burdens.

“I see you’ve finally gotten a look at my dad,” Clark said.

“He was a very handsome man,” Lana said, as she hung the garment bag over the top of the closet door. “I can see now where you got your height and your looks.”

“Actually, you can’t,” Clark said, wanting to get this out of the way. “I’m adopted.”

“Oh.” Lana blushed slightly, feeling like a complete heel for even thinking that Martha may have cheated on her husband, but she was glad things had turned out the way they did. “How old were you at the time of your adoption, Clark?”

Lana took the small suitcase and set it down right by the door so it would be in position for her to take it to the bathroom in the morning. While she did that, Clark placed the large suitcase on the floor at the foot of the bed.

“I was three,” Clark said as he set the suitcase down. “It was just after the infamous Smallville meteor shower. My parents found me in the middle of a field, and when no one came to claim me, they adopted me.”

Lana took a seat on the side of the bed and patted a spot right next to her to indicate she wanted him to join her. Clark, of course, had no problem complying.

“Looks like we might have some snow on the way,” Clark said as he took a seat.

“Really?” Lana was a romantic at heart, and the idea of a white Christmas excited her. “I hope we get a lot of snow. Then we can make snow angels and build a snowman.”

“Personally,” Clark replied, “I’m looking forward to having a snowball fight.”

“You against me?” Lana asked in surprise.

“I’d never fight against you,” Clark said as he leaned in for a quick kiss. After Lana obliged him, Clark slipped an arm around her shoulders and said, “No, I’d call the Rosses and see if Pete and any of his brothers came home for Christmas. We’d take over one of the small fields right near the barn and have an old-fashioned war. You, me, and Pete against all comers.”

“That sounds like fun.” Lana thought a bit and leaned the side of her face against Clark’s shoulder. “Who’s this Pete Ross?”

“Pete was my best friend from day one of kindergarten right up through the last day of high school. When college started, I went to Met U and Pete went to KU. Pete majored in Political Science and is currently the Chief of Staff for Representative Harding.”

“I’m impressed.”

“You should be,” Clark replied. “At least, that’s what Pete always tells me.”

Soon it was time for sleep, but before he went downstairs to change into drawstring pajama bottoms, Clark checked with Lana to see if she would need an extra blanket or any additional pillows. She assured him that between the flannel sheets, the down-filled comforter, and her own flannel pajamas, she’d be plenty warm. His concern about the little details was touching, and she thanked him for asking.

When Clark came back upstairs to bid Lana goodnight, he pulled on a plain white t-shirt to go with his blue-and-white plaid pajama bottoms. Clark knocked lightly on his old door and entered when Lana called out.

Lana hadn’t been sure how she’d react to being in Clark’s bedroom and seeing him in pajamas, but one look at the plaid pajama bottoms was all it took to set her at ease. In fact, she started giggling. Clark thought maybe he’d gotten something on his clothes before packing them and quickly began checking for unsightly stains. Not finding any, Clark raised an eyebrow as if to ask Lana what she found so funny.

Lana understood the unspoken question instantly and said, “You! Those pajamas!” Lana continued to laugh for a good half minute longer before getting herself under control.

Clark was still waiting patiently to learn why he was being laughed at, and once she could breathe again, Lana obliged him. “You always dress so sharply, like a male model or something. Now, I get to see you wear pajamas for the first time, and I’m expecting something sexy like black silk, boxer-length bottoms maybe with a matching short black robe or something…instead, you come up here with something straight out of the Opie Taylor Collection.”

Clark hadn’t been sure whether or not to be offended by Lana’s mirth, but the image of him looking like Opie tickled his fancy somehow. He moved silently to the door of his closet, threw it open, and said, “If you like plaid that much, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.”

Lana scurried over to look, and true to his word, there were a large number of plaid flannel shirts hanging in there.

Clark started to thumb through the shirts, and said, “I don’t know why Mom hasn’t donated these shirts of mine to charity yet. I mean, I haven’t worn any of them since high school.”

Lana looked down at her baby blue flannel pajamas and then back up at the row of shirts and, on impulse, reached in and snatched a red-and-blue plaid shirt and hurried off. Unsure of what was going on, Clark waited and was rewarded when Lana bounced back into his bedroom wearing his old flannel shirt…and not much else. Her pajamas were neatly folded, and while she tucked them back into her suitcase, Clark could help but check out the shapely legs that extended from the bottom of the shirt like long-stemmed roses from a vase.

Must think of something else. Baseball…farm work…anything...just not Lana.

It sort of worked, as he hadn’t incinerated everything in sight by the time Lana straightened back up, but her warm smile and loosely tumbling hair were just as dangerous to his self-imposed chastity as any amount of bare skin.

Clark gulped and asked, “What made you wear that?”

Holding the hem of the shirt as wide as she could, as if to thereby emphasize her slenderness, Lana replied, “I thought they should get some use…and since you won’t be up here keeping me warm, I thought it fitting that something of yours would be.”

Speechless, Clark watched as Lana made her way to the bed and climbed in under the comforter.

“Aren’t you going to tuck me in?” Lana asked innocently.

Not sure if he should allow his hands anywhere near Lana right now, Clark hesitated. Lana saw that and realized she had gone over the line with her flirtations. She had wanted to wear something of his, but seeing his reaction when she came back into the room had inspired her to tease him just a bit.

“I’m sorry, Clark,” Lana said. “I shouldn’t tease you like I just did. I know this has to be har…difficult for you, and I should be more understanding.”

Clark moved to the bedside and motioned for Lana to move over, which she did. He sat down beside her, on top of the comforter, and swung his legs onto the bed.

“Just because we need to wait for sex, doesn’t mean we can’t spend the night together. Sound good to you?”

“Oh yeah.”

Clark slid over to press his body next to Lana’s, and as they adjusted positions to get more comfortable, Clark murmured, “Now, let’s talk about the important stuff…have I told you just how much I already love your parents? They’re a riot, especially when they’re teasing one another.”

“Mmm…yeah, they’ve always been like that. Dad’s usually the instigator, but Mom gives as good as she gets.” Lana paused, drinking in the sensations of being here, at this time with this man, and wondered if things could be any better. “Did you notice that Dad’s big story mostly made fun of himself?”

“Yeah…I thought that took a lot of self-confidence.”

“Superman must have thought he’d walked into the loony bin. I’ll have to ask him the next time I see him.”

“Well, give the poor guy the holiday off at least. If it snows and we get a few inches of accumulation, crime will go way down, and there’s not much in the way of traffic on Christmas, so Supes should get to enjoy things with his loved ones.”

Lana looked at Clark earnestly and asked, “Does he have someone special in his life, Clark? I’m always afraid to ask, but you’d think he wouldn’t have the time for someone else.”

Clark thought of the bundle of joy that was pressed up against his body, and what she had brought to his life in less than two weeks. Softly, almost reverently, he said, “He does have someone special, Lana, and for her, he makes time.”
"In the Name of the King"
-----Winner, Round 15 - Favorite Lead Portrayal of Liz Parker
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best Use of a Supporting Character (Jeff Parker)
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best New Fic
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Re: Somebody to Love (SV,Clark/Lana,Adult) Ch 34&35 (pg 5) 12/16

Post by Cardinal »

Chapter 37

The Louisiana Purchase
Lana eventually drifted off to sleep with a slight smile on her face. Clark thought she looked too angelic for words. Adorable’s not even close to being an adequate description of her right now, Clark thought. Not wanting to disturb her sleep, Clark wished he could float over to the door, but he didn’t want to risk having her see him fly, so he gently slid off the bed and walked.

He debated closing the door, but decided leaving it open was a good way to show his mom that nothing was going on in the bedroom. So, he shut off the main room light and then turned on a small desk lamp so Lana could see her way to the bathroom if she needed it in the middle of the night. Clark then eased himself back into position at Lana’s side. The last thing he did before slipping into a deep sleep was to stretch just enough to reach her cheek. After placing the softest of kisses there, he looked at the bedside alarm clock and saw that it was after midnight. It was Christmas morning.

“Merry Christmas, Lana.” Allowing himself to think of her long-term, Clark added, “The first of many.”

Lana seemed to hear what Clark said, as she murmured in her sleep and snuggled closer to him as he drifted off to sleep. The next thing Clark heard was the faint clanking of pots from down below. As his senses checked in, Clark could feel that Lana was still under the comforter and still tucked under his arm, but looking down, he could see she had shifted position so that their bodies were spooned together. The feeling of her ass being pressed tightly into his crotch was delicious, but it was causing him a problem, and a growing problem at that.

His only answer was to reluctantly hop out of bed and make his way into the bathroom where he could try the age-old remedy for his condition: an ice-cold shower. And ‘an ice-cold shower’ in a Kansas farmhouse at the end of December really means ice-cold. While Clark really wasn’t bothered by the cold water, it did seem to have the desired effect of reducing the “swelling” he was suffering from. From there, Clark lathered up and was out of the shower in minutes.

Clark was wearing nothing but a thick, white, terry-cloth bath towel as he made his way to the first floor to retrieve some clothes from his suitcase, which was still sitting on the floor next to the couch. He met Martha halfway down the stairs. She was wearing a peach-colored house robe and matching slippers. It looked to Clark like she had already showered, but hadn’t yet taken the time to fix herself up.

“I was just coming up to wake you up, Clark,” Martha said. “Lana’s parents just called to say they would be over in ten minutes or so. I thought it would be nice if you weren’t sharing a bed with their unmarried daughter when they got here.”

“But,” Clark spluttered, “we didn’t do anything.”

“I know. I looked in on you two this morning when I didn’t find you down here on the couch where you were supposed to be.” Martha smiled when she remembered how contented her son had looked as he slept. It wasn’t a look she normally associated with Clark, but it appeared that Lana was just what the doctor had ordered.

Turning back to the matter at hand, Martha said, “Lana’s parents, however, may not be as understanding as I am, so get yourself downstairs and make it look like someone slept on the couch and then get dressed while I go wakeup Lana and get dressed myself.”

Anxious about Lana’s folks, Clark sped downstairs, had decorated the couch with a blanket and pillow , and was completely dressed in a gray t-shirt and blue jeans before Martha had even managed to make it into his bedroom.

“Lana?” Martha said gently from the doorway, as she didn’t want to startle Lana awake. Martha moved closer to Lana and spoke progressively louder until Lana finally began to wake up. After the initial disorientation of wondering where she was had passed, Lana rolled over and saw Martha.

“Hi, Mrs. K…uh, I mean, Martha.”

“Hi, Dear. Your parents just called to say they’d be over in a few minutes, so you might want to take a quick shower before they get here. Clark and I have already had showers, so take all the time and hot water you want.”

Hearing that her parents were already on their way made Lana sit bolt upright in bed. When the comforter fell to her waist, Martha noticed that Lana was wearing one of Clark’s old shirts. She still didn’t believe they had done anything, but she couldn’t help raising one eyebrow in surprise.

Lana saw that raised eyebrow and where Martha’s eyes were looking, and she proceeded to blush.

“Honest, Mrs. Kent, nothing happened up here. It’s just that, when Clark showed me his collection of plaid flannel, the shirts looked so warm and comfy that I just had to have one to sleep in.”

Martha smiled to show Lana that everything was all right and then leaned in to share a secret. “I understand, Lana. That’s why I let Jonathan wear plaid flannel all those years. Wearing one of his shirts, especially when he was close beside me, always gave me the best sleep…if he let me sleep, that is.” Martha paused, then gave Lana a bit of woman-to-woman advice. “If Clark‘s anything like his father, you’ll have to be careful about wearing one of those shirts around him, unless you want to spark a reaction.”

“I think I’ve learned that lesson already.”

Lana slid out of bed and headed for the bathroom, picking up her small suitcase and a robe on the way. “Sorry to run out on you, Martha, but I’ve got to get ready.”

“No need to apologize, Dear. I’ll just head down and see if my son is ready yet.”

Lana had brought, among other things, her own shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. Since it was Christmas morning, and she was excited about spending it with her loved ones, Lana did little more than towel dry her hair and brush it out before retreating to the bedroom dressed in her thickest, warmest robe to pick out an outfit. After a few minutes of deliberation, Lana pulled on a fresh pair of blue jeans and a slightly oversized red Christmas sweater that had appliquéd candy canes, Christmas trees, and elves decorating the front.

A quick look in a mirror was enough to convince Lana that she was looking cute today…cute enough to let Clark see her without makeup. She wanted to just relax and enjoy the day, and she didn’t want to mess with makeup when it was just for an intimate gathering of loved ones. She thought Clark wouldn’t mind, but now was as good a time as any to see how he reacted. In the back of her mind, Lana was somewhat nervous. Will he still think I’m pretty? Is his opinion of my beauty based on my makeup or on me? Her last decision before heading downstairs was to leave her hair down to help it dry.

Clark was in the process of pouring three cups of coffee, while Martha pulled a piping hot tray of blueberry muffins out of the oven. She, like Lana, had dressed for the holiday, wearing a read and green sweater with a faux turtle neck underneath. Clark saw Lana first, and wanted to say ‘Merry Christmas, Lana,’ but all that came out was a croaked “Oh…wow!” He tried to gather his wits, and added, “Merry Christmas. You look…wow!”

“Merry Christmas, Clark,” Lana said impishly. She found his reaction to her appearance to be very gratifying, I hope we have many more Christmases together. “Merry Christmas, Martha.”

Martha set the muffins on a wire rack to cool and said, “Merry Christmas, Lana.”

Clark handed a cup to Lana and then to Martha and said, “I need to get outside and shovel the sidewalks. I figure those muffins will be cool enough to eat by the time I get back.”

“Snow?” Lana asked. “It really snowed?”

“Yeah, it looks like we got two or three inches last night.”

Lana set her cup down and hurried to the kitchen door. Pushing aside the curtain, she saw that everything was hidden under a white blanket. Fence rails, outbuildings, cars, you name it…if it was outside, it was covered with snow.

“A white Christmas,” Lana breathed.

Clark heard her and started a slightly off-key rendition of “White Christmas.”

“I’m dreaming of a white Christmas,
Just like the ones I used to know.
Where the tree tops glisten,
And children listen,
To hear sleigh bells in the snow…”

Lana turned from the captivating sights of the snow-covered farm only when she felt Clark move up right behind her. His arms encircled her right around the shoulders as he leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. Her hands rose up and rested on his forearms as she leaned back into him just a bit.

“The singing was nice, Clark…” Lana said.

“…but don’t give up my day job?” Clark finished.

“Exactly.”

Martha watched the playfulness Clark and Lana shared, and marveled at both of them. Clark had prepped her for the Langs’ visit, and the three parents had enjoyed a long conversation well before the kids had shown up. First, they had started off with general conversation as they got to know each other, but once they felt comfortable, the conversation had turned to their children.

Both Martha and the Langs had mentioned how shy their children were in person, a piece of information that had made both families wonder at their child’s choice of career. But Martha saw nothing between the two of them that looked like distance or reserve. That made her wonder if Clark had already told her…everything. She didn’t want to believe it, but the way Clark was acting around her, it was a distinct possibility. She'd have to pull him aside sometime and ask.

Clark finally excused himself to get a coat, work gloves, and work boots. He then walked out to the barn, grabbed a shovel, and was mostly done with the walk to the kitchen door by the time the Langs finally drove up. He quickly scooped the last few shovels of snow out of the way before hurrying to the car and escorting Mrs. Lang inside. He then returned to the car to help Mr. Lang bring in a small pile of colorfully wrapped presents.

Once Clark’s snow-encrusted boots were off and sitting on the back step, and he had come inside for good, the Langs were both drinking their first cup of gourmet coffee and nibbling on blueberry muffins. Clark selected a muffin of his own and accepted the fresh cup of coffee that Lana handed to him.

“Thank you, Clark,” Laura said, as she accepted the last of the packages from him. “Lewis here was just telling your mother and Lana that we were a bit late because of the slippery road conditions.”

“Yeah,” Lewis said. “I think we’ll head for home right after the Christmas dinner, so we can get there before the roads refreeze.”

“Speaking of Christmas dinner,” Martha said. She went into final prep mode and started by heating the oven and then popping a ham into a roasting pan and adding a honey/pineapple glaze on top.

Lana became anxious about making sure the oven timer was set, which made Clark start laughing, made the Langs wonder what had gotten into their daughter that she would be so rude, and made Martha just slightly miffed. It took Clark a minute to catch his breath enough to tell everyone about Lana’s rack of lamb. He told the story quickly and by the end, the women were commiserating with Lana about how hard that must have been for her, while Lewis just gave Clark a thumbs up for bravely eating whatever his little girl had cooked.

As for Lana, in retrospect, the story was definitely funny, and while embarrassed, she was able to see the humor, too. That didn’t mean she wasn’t going to go looking for revenge in the embarrassment department though.

Seeing a football team picture on one wall, Lana picked Clark out of the front row, wearing his number eight jersey, and she remembered that she had intended to ask about the state championship football team that Clark had been so reticent to talk about. All Lana had to do was wait for Martha to notice her standing in front of the photo, and she’d get her answers. Sure enough, Martha came to stand at Lana’s side as everyone else stepped into the living room. Lana’s finger was on the glass-covered photo right below Clark’s head.

“Yes,” Martha said proudly, “that’s my Clark.”

“I heard they won the state championship that year,” Lana said, hoping Martha would take the bait and run with it.

“Oh yes, they sure did, and Clark was the starting quarterback.”

Starting quarterback? Clark told me he just ‘played some.’”

The other three heard Lana’s little yelp and came back in to see what she was so excited about.

“If ‘played some’ means every meaningful minute of every game, then yeah,” Martha said. “He set a state record for touchdowns that season which still stands.”

“Wait,” Lewis said to Clark, “you’re that Clark Kent?”

“Yeah,” Clark said sheepishly, “but that was a long time ago.”

“But I watched your last two games that year. As an alumnus of Smallville High, I’ve always followed what the school does athletically and I just had to be there that year.”

In no time at all, Lewis had led Clark into the kitchen to rehash the season. Laura rolled her eyes and then shot an irritated look at Lana.

“Lana, how could you do that? You know about your father and his football obsession.”

Lana did know, she had just forgotten, and was embarrassed to have gotten things off track like this.

Just then, as Clark reached into the refrigerator and grabbed a pitcher of orange juice, Lewis asked, “One thing I never understood is why no Division I school ever offered you a football scholarship. You were the best high school football player I’ve ever seen.”

Both men poured themselves a glass of the juice. The women’s conversation had hit a lull, and thus they could hear Lewis’ question and Clark’s reply.

“I had a lot of football offers. At first, I thought I’d go to the University of Miami in Florida and become a Hurricane. Then, I almost decided to go play for Met U, before I decided there were other things in life that were more important than throwing a football.” Clark noticed the women listening in, and his eyes locked with Lana’s as he said, “I have some talents which I can use to help others. Playing football would have gotten in the way of that. Instead, I dedicated my life to helping those that need it.”

Lewis was facing away from the women, and having no idea they were listening, he said, “I can see why she loves you, Clark. She’s exactly the same way.”

Just then, Laura stifled a giggle and nudged Lana in the side.

“Hey, Sacagawea, go get Lewis and Clark over there, and tell them we have presents to open back over here.”

Lana and Martha started laughing and Laura released that once stifled giggle as the three of them tried to imagine a less likely pair of western explorers. The men turned to them as one, with twin befuddled expressions on their faces, which only served to make the women howl.

“It’s not Lewis and Clark exploring the Louisiana Purchase,” Lana chortled as she pointed at the orange juice pitcher, “it’s Clueless and Dork exploring the vast reaches of Martha Kent’s refrigerator.”
"In the Name of the King"
-----Winner, Round 15 - Favorite Lead Portrayal of Liz Parker
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best Use of a Supporting Character (Jeff Parker)
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best New Fic
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best Period Fanfiction
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Cardinal
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Re: Somebody to Love (SV,Clark/Lana,Adult) Ch 36&37 (pg 5) 12/22

Post by Cardinal »

Chapter 38

There’s No Business Like Snow Business
The presents were passed out and quickly opened. Lana had sent her presents to her parents several days earlier by taking a cab across town and dropping them off at a Pack ‘N’ Mail store, so she got the unexpected pleasure of seeing them opened. Clark went back out to the Lincoln and brought in his present for Martha.

Clark and Lana had both abided by their agreement to not buy presents for each other, but their parents didn’t, so the Langs had bought something for Clark, and Martha had bought something for Lana. Once the presents were opened and the wrapping paper was bundled up and placed into a trash bin, everyone headed back to the kitchen for more muffins and coffee.

Martha then started working in earnest on the side dishes for the main meal. Clark took that as his signal to vacate the kitchen so she’d have all the room she’d need in the kitchen. Since he wasn’t keen on playing another round of twenty questions with the Langs, he got Lana’s attention, nodded toward the outside, and asked, “Ready for some fun?” Her grin was all the answer he needed.

Clark went to his room and grabbed an armful of suitable clothes which he took to his mother’s bedroom to change into so Lana could change in his room. He pulled on an old, well-faded pair of jeans over the top of a pair of thermal long johns that he wore to keep up his cover as a regular guy. On top, he wore another of his many old flannel shirts, this one a red and blue plaid which he covered with a blue overcoat. For his hands, Clark had a pair of mittens in his coat pockets, and his feet were stuffed into an old pair of work boots.

He was waiting expectantly at the bottom of the stairs when Lana made her entrance. She was wearing insulated boots, snug-fitting jeans that gave no hint of the tights she had on underneath, a white turtleneck sweater, and a light blue bomber-style winter coat. Her hair was pulled back into twin braids, one on each side of her head, and when she topped off her ensemble by pulling on a knit, white wool stocking cap, Clark was lost. He thought he’d never seen her look as adorable as she did right then.

“We’ll be out in one of the fields close by the house or the barn, Mom.”

“Okay.”

Clark moved ahead of Lana to hold the door and then followed her outside just in time to see her pull on a pair of mittens that matched her white hat.

“What first?” Lana asked, as Clark followed suit with his mittens.

“Well, I remember you were particularly anxious to make snow angels and a snowman, so I thought we’d try those things first.”

“What about your old friend Pete Ross? I thought you wanted to call him.”

“I do,” Clark said, as he gestured for Lana to head down the steps and toward the driveway. “But as large as Pete’s extended family is, they’ll be opening presents for hours. And that’s after they get everyone up and together at one place.” Clark checked the sky. “If the weather is still this nice after our big meal, I’ll call him then.”

Once Lana reached the driveway, she asked, “Where should we go?”

“Since we presumably want everyone to see our incredible snow sculptures, I’d say the front yard.”

When Lana started that way, Clark informed her he’d join her as soon as he collected some tools from the barn. Clark met her out in front of the house with a couple of shovels for gathering the snow. The snow was wet and sticky, which made it perfect for snowmen and snowballs, but less than perfect for snow angels. Lana agreed with Clark that those would have to wait until just before they came back inside.

They started by shoveling a reasonably-sized pile of snow together before forming it into a ball which they then rolled around the yard to make it bigger. The wet snow readily stuck to the ball, and they didn’t stop rolling it until it was roughly three feet in diameter.

Then they started another ball, following the same procedure until the ball was two feet wide. The hard part was lifting the new ball, and moving it on top of the first ball, without breaking it. To help the two snowballs form a tight bond, Clark ran inside and came back with a pitcher of cold water which he poured all around the joint to help the snow freeze together.

Lana was busying herself by making a third snowball, a foot across, which would be the snowman’s head. Once the last snowball was in place, Clark used another pitcher of water to fuse it in place, too. Lana collected a couple of long, broken branches to stick in the torso for arms, and Clark used a pair of charcoal briquets for the snowman’s eyes, a carrot for his nose, and a series of old buttons to make a smile.

As they stepped back to enjoy their handiwork, Clark noticed that Lana’s face was flushed with the morning’s exertions. Even though she still hadn’t put on any makeup, her cheeks had taken on a rosy glow and her eyes had a brightness that he found captivating. He leaned in for a quick kiss before the moment passed.

Startled, Lana said, “Oh! You surprised me.” Hand half-rising to the spot on her cheek that had just been kissed, Lana asked, “What brought that on?”

“You.” Clark circled around to stand right in front of Lana. “I’ve been wanting to do that all morning.” He shrugged his shoulders. “I guess I just couldn’t wait any longer.”

“Well…you don’t have to wait that long for the next kiss.” After pausing for a couple of seconds, Lana stretched up and planted a longer kiss square on Clark’s lips. “I think that was a long enough wait.”

Laura, Lewis, and Martha had taken up a position from which they could watch their children as they sipped coffee and talked. They were amused to see their kids start on a second snowman which was placed immediately next to the first one. This snowman was turning out to be about a foot shorter than the first one.

When it appeared to be completed, including arms and facial features, Clark bent down and scooped up two individual handfuls of snow and slapped each one fairly high on the front of the shorter snowman’s chest, thereby making sure everyone knew it was a snowwoman.

Lana laughed as Clark carefully sculpted the snow breasts, but then started getting unaccountably warm as she imagined his hands on her breasts. Once Clark was done, he and Lana then adjusted the arms of the snowmen so that each had an arm wrapped around the other. Martha had been back and forth as she checked on the progress of dinner, and finally, it was time to call the kids in to get ready.

She stepped out onto the porch briefly and said, “Lana! Clark! Time to come in and change for dinner.”

Clark didn’t have to be called twice, and was halfway to the house before he noticed Lana was hanging back.

“What’s up, Lana?”

“Well, I still want to make snow angels.”

Matching actions to words, Lana found an unspoiled patch of snow, put her feet together and her arms tightly to her side, and fell backwards onto the ground. She then swung her arms and legs as far to each side as possible, sweeping the snow aside and leaving the impression of a skirted angel with wings.

Clark reached down and took Lana’s hand to help her to her feet so she wouldn’t mess up her angel. The wet, sticky snow had clung all down Lana’s back, from her wool hat to her coat, and ending with her jeans. Clark tried to quickly and efficiently knock the snow off before it melted a bit and started soaking into Lana’s clothes, but he hesitated when it came to brushing her behind.

Lana had been keeping track of the progress of Clark’s hand as it traveled up and down her body, so she definitely noticed when he stopped just before brushing her cheeks.

“Honest, Clark,” Lana said, encouragingly, “I won’t think you’re a perv if you finish the job.”

Clark looked up at the house where he could see the Langs just inside. “Yeah, but your parents might.”

“I think they’ll survive.”

“Okay,” Clark said dubiously, and with a few strokes, removed the last of the snow.

Lana had relished the feel of Clark’s strong hands, but now it was his turn in the snow. She indicated as much to Clark and led him to a suitably sized patch of clean snow. Clark followed Lana’s example, and made a super-sized angel. Lana had to struggle to help Clark up. She put all of her weight into it and strained. Even so, Clark had to use a touch of his abilities to keep from pulling Lana down on top of him.

Now, Lana got to return the favor by brushing Clark off. She savored the chance to get her fingers into his luscious locks as she brushed off the quickly melting snow. She quickly worked her way down his coat until she reached his behind, pausing for a second to admire the view before proceeding to show Clark how to take full advantage of a situation like this. Lana stepped in front of Clark, caught his eyes with hers, and instead of quick, efficient brush strokes, used long, lingering hand movements to slowly, almost tortuously, remove the snow from Clark’s behind. Unable to break Lana’s gaze, and knowing full well that her parents were watching, Clark turned red with embarrassment.

Inside the house, Lewis was just shaking his head as his little girl went to work, while Laura was laughing out loud to see her normally reserved daughter outright stalking her prey. Martha hurried back when she heard Laura laugh, just in time to see the end of the brushing and hear a full explanation from Laura. Martha loved the idea that Clark had someone who could tease him and, hopefully, draw out his playful side. She knew he’d been somewhat withdrawn since Lois’ death, something that had only grown worse since the death of Lana’s predecessor.

Dinner was a full-blown Christmas meal. Martha hadn’t had a chance to go all-out like this in years, and had made everything from the glazed ham, to candied sweet potatoes, mashed russet potatoes, two vegetable dishes, a dish of cinnamon apple slices, and two different desserts. There was so much food that they were required to use the formal dining table even though there were only five diners.

The only remarkable thing during dinner was a piece of speculation by Lewis that he had previously shared with Martha and Laura the day before.

Driving out to the farm, Laura had quickly realized that Clark’s dad was the same guy that had once been very close with her older sister. She had never been sure why Jonathan had broken up with Nell, all she knew was that Nell had taken it very hard.

Lewis himself had been the one to put that together with his long-held contention that he and Laura would have died instead of Nell, if he hadn’t run a stop light on the day of the meteor shower.

“Clark,” Lewis said, “if your father had chosen Lana’s Aunt Nell instead of your mother, and if Laura and I had died instead of Nell, then you and Lana might very well have grown up as step-brother and step-sister.”

Clark and Lana stopped in mid-chew and looked at each other, wondering what it might have been like to grow up together. Would they have seen each other as brother and sister because they were so young at the time? Or would they have fallen for each other at a much younger age?

When dinner was over, Clark cleared the table and put the pots and pans in the sink to soak while everyone gathered in the living room to digest the meal. Clark called the Rosses to see if Pete was home and had time for a snowball fight but was amused to hear that Pete hadn’t come home this year because he finally had a serious girlfriend and was spending the holiday with her family. Clark told Lana about that and let her know that was particularly amusing to him because Pete had always fancied himself as some kind of playboy who would never get ‘tied down’ to one woman.

“What about you, Clark?” Lana asked. She thought she was treading on dangerous ground here, but the question was one she had to ask. “Do you plan on getting married someday?” Am I wasting my time here?

Clark pursed his lips and thought for a minute before answering. “I'm not worried so much about marriage; I plan on finding the right woman first.” And I think I’m getting close. “Once that happens, marriage will follow as sure as summer follows spring.”

The five adults spent some time watching the last half of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation on television until Clark saw that it was getting close to sunset outside. He then stood and pulled Lana to her feet, prompting her to ask, “Where are we going?”

“Just out to the barn,” Clark replied, as he held her coat for her. “There’s something out there I really want to show you.”

“Now?”

“Yes, now. In fact, if we don’t hurry, we might miss it.”

Lana shrugged and slipped her arms into the coat that Clark was holding for her and waited for him to put on his coat. They walked to the barn hand-in-hand, with Clark following Lana up the winding steps to the loft. She hadn’t ever been in a barn before and wasn’t sure what to expect, but what she encountered at the top of the steps was definitely not it. The space looked like a man’s den, furnished with old furniture and various bits and pieces from Clark’s life. An old couch and chair were there to provide comfortable places to sit, and across the way was a desk. Running around the upper perimeter of the room were strings of Christmas lights, which seemed to provide a lot of the room’s illumination.

Turning around as she tried to take it all in, Lana said, “This…is an amazing place!”

“Yeah,” Clark replied, “my dad made it for me when I was little. He called it my Fortress of Solitude.”

“You must’ve loved it up here.”

“I did. True to it’s name, this was the place I came whenever I needed to be alone.” Clark looked up at the partially open doorway and led Lana over to it. “This is where I used to place my telescope. Here in the country, without the light pollution of Metropolis, you can see many more stars. Right now, however, what I brought you up here for was not see the stars, but to see a sunset.”

With that, Clark fully opened the doorway and stood behind Lana with his arms around her shoulders as they took in the delights of their first sunset together.

Lana took in the layers of color that radiated out from the setting sun and said, “It’s so beautiful. The colors are so vibrant.”

Clark agreed with Lana about beauty, but he was thinking about what he was holding instead of what he was seeing. Yes, she is both beautiful and vibrant.

By the time Clark and Lana returned to the house, it was full dark outside and the Langs were having a meal of leftovers before returning home. Surprised that they were leaving so soon, Lana asked what was the matter.

“We saw a Weather Channel forecast while you two were out there,” Lewis said, “and they’re predicting more snow for Smallville later tonight. We want to get going now, so we don’t risk getting stuck here. You kids might want to consider doing the same.”

Lana turned to Clark and asked, “Whaddya think?”

“How much snow are they expecting?” Clark asked.

“Same as last night, three or four inches.”

“I can handle that much snow,” Clark said. “How about we go home tomorrow morning? Sunday morning traffic is usually very light.”

“Okay,” Lana said, “sounds good to me.”

The Langs were already loaded up except for their presents from Lana, since they had always planned on leaving Christmas evening. The snow had just advanced their departure a few a hours. Martha said goodbye to her guests and watched from the porch as Clark and Lana walked them to their car.

Laura kissed Clark on the cheek as she said goodbye, and Clark returned the gesture. Lewis then shook Clark’s hand while telling him to take care of his little girl. Both parents then shared emotional hugs and kisses with Lana, since neither one expected to see her again until the trial was over.

As the Langs drove out onto the mostly cleared Hickory Lane, Clark and Lana stood arm-in-arm in the driveway and watched them go. Lana was already missing her folks, and Clark was thinking he could do a lot worse than to have prospective in-laws like them.
"In the Name of the King"
-----Winner, Round 15 - Favorite Lead Portrayal of Liz Parker
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best Use of a Supporting Character (Jeff Parker)
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best New Fic
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best Period Fanfiction
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Cardinal
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Re: Somebody to Love (SV,Clark/Lana,Adult) Ch 36&37 (pg 5) 12/22

Post by Cardinal »

Chapter 39

The Accidental Seduction
After the Langs left, Clark, Lana, and Martha ate a light supper of leftovers. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman were on television back-to-back. The stories were intended for a younger audience, but both Lana and Clark had grown up loving those Christmas classics, and Martha had fond memories of watching them with a much younger Clark, so the three of them settled in to watch.

Martha made a giant bowl of homemade popcorn with gobs of fresh melted butter, and all three of them were digging in. Lana felt as if she was adding a pound with every bite, but since she didn’t care and neither did her hosts, the bowl was drained as if by magic.

Clark and Lana were cuddled together on the couch and were involved in a sock-clad game of footsie while watching and munching. Martha was sitting in the armchair next to them and spent almost as much time watching their byplay as she did watching the television. She felt a measure of joy, tinged with a smidgen of sadness, to see them together that way. She was thrilled to see that her boy had found someone like Lana, but she was just selfish enough to be sad that he had someone else to turn to now. A mother never completely likes being replaced as the number one woman in her son’s life.

When the shows were over, Clark and Lana headed for bed since they wanted to get an early start in the morning. Clark saw Martha begin to make up the couch for his use, so he sent Lana on ahead and then returned to the living room.

“Honestly, Mom. I can do that a lot faster than you can…” Clark hesitated a second for fear of his mother’s reaction, but then forged ahead. “…and besides, I may spend the night with Lana.” Seeing the objection in Martha’s face, Clark spoke again before she could say anything. “No sex, Mom, just cuddling.”

“That’s nice for a mother to hear, Clark,” Martha replied, “but being in such close proximity to someone you love can be hard to resist, and I don’t want a grandchild this soon…nine months after the wedding will be soon enough.”

Clark rolled his eyes. “I don’t think Lana and I are in that much of a hurry either. We’ve only known each other for two weeks. A very busy two weeks, mind you, but we still have a ways to go.”

“Fair enough,” Martha said, as she walked off to bed.

Clark finally climbed the stairs to find Lana wasn’t in his bedroom, but was instead taking a shower. When she finally padded out of the bathroom, wearing a robe and old house slippers and her hair wrapped in a towel, she said she had just needed to get the day’s griminess off before bedtime.

Clark couldn’t imagine Lana being grimy, even if she spent all day mucking the stalls in the barn. Somehow, all he was able to think of was her looking like a chimney sweep from Mary Poppins, and as adorable as that idea was, it was plainly ridiculous.

Taking advantage of the open bathroom, Clark dressed for bed, once again wearing a t-shirt and plaid pajama bottoms. He wore the plaid pajama bottoms this time to give Lana something to chuckle about, but when he knocked on the bedroom door and she let him in, he could see that she had already appropriated another of his long-disused plaid flannel shirts for use as a sleep shirt and was using the towel to dry her hair.

I never knew plaid could be so sexy, Clark thought. If Pendleton hired her as a model, and had her wear nothing but one of their shirts, they’d triple their annual sales.

Clark wasn’t the only one taking in the view. There are few things in life I would like to see more than Clark in a tight t-shirt, Lana thought, of course, seeing him naked is very high on that short list, but that particular pleasure will have to wait. Still, that t-shirt shows off his tight six-pack and surrounding obliques, his bulging pecs, and there, just peeking out from the short sleeves are his sculpted biceps and triceps. Mmm...mouthwatering is a term that just doesn’t seem to do Clark justice, but I hope that someday my hands, lips, and tongue will get a chance to do him justice…hell, to just do him.

Clark reached down and effortlessly lifted the towel from Lana’s hands. She looked up at him in surprise, as he quietly waved her to a seat on the edge of his bed. He sat behind her and carefully began using the towel to dry her hair, taking small sections of her hair and firmly pressing them in the towel, moving on to a dry piece of the towel, taking a new section of wet hair, and repeating the process until her hair was nearly dry.

Lana picked up her hair brush, intending to deal with her hair before it dried into a nest of snarls, but Clark deftly relieved her of the brush and began brushing out her hair. With every pull of the brush’s bristles through her long, damp hair, Lana relaxed a bit more and slumped back toward Clark.

In fact, she relaxed so much, that he eventually had to use his unoccupied hand to prop her up, or else she might have relaxed completely and fallen into his chest…a normally desirable turn of events, but not when they were alone in his bedroom and were trying to avoid sex. For her part, Lana left no doubt that she was fully enjoying this personal attention, as she began making sounds, purrs and whimpers primarily, with each succeeding pass of the brush through her hair.

Clark didn’t stop brushing until Lana’s hair was fully dry and was falling in shimmering, silken waves down her back. When he handed the brush back to her, Clark lightly kissed the top of her head, and said, “There. All done.”

Lana twisted around and pulled Clark down into a kiss that was as sensual as the hair brushing had been. She was sure Clark had no idea what that had done to her, but she found it so sweet and so sexual at the same time, that if he hadn't been so determined to abstain from sex for the time being, she would have jumped him on the spot. As is, she’d just have to make do with some old-fashioned tongue wrestling. This kiss didn’t stop until Lana finally let go of the back of Clark’s neck. Gasping for air, Lana saw a fire in Clark’s eyes that matched the fire in her soul, and asked, “Are you sure we need to wait for your secret?”

Clark’s hands shot up to cover his eyes and he almost leapt off of the bed. “Uhh…I sure don’t want to, but…” Clark said as he scurried out of the room. Once out of her sight, he super-sped outside, where he used the surge of heat vision to melt all of the snow on the far end of the driveway. With more snow supposed to come by morning, he hoped Lana wouldn’t notice what he had done.

So much for spending the night with Lana, Clark thought. Even being on top of the blankets wouldn’t work tonight. I just wouldn’t be able to keep my hands and lips and…other things…off of her.

Lana wondered what was going on, and after a moment’s reflection, hopped off the bed, slipped into her slippers, and headed downstairs to find Clark. He had looked like he was in pain just before he left the bedroom, but the weird thing was that she thought she had seen a red glow sweep over his normally jade green irises just before he had covered his eyes.

I must be seeing things, Lana thought, but if so, why did he react the way he did? He acted like he could feel what I thought I saw. So did it actually happen?

She looked around the first floor, but only found him when he came back inside. Clark was startled to see Lana back downstairs, and quickly moved to keep her away from any windows.

“Are you all right, Clark?” Lana asked concernedly.

Wrapping her lightly in his arms, Clark replied, “Oh yeah. I just needed to cool off a bit.” He tilted his head down and saw the look of concern on Lana’s face and decided a bit more explanation was due. “Honestly, if I didn’t leave the bedroom that second, I wouldn’t have waited to tell you my secret. We’d be going at it right now.”

“Well if you aren’t going to finish the deal, you shouldn’t seduce me like that, Clark.”

“Seduce you?” Clark gasped. “You’re the one who attacked me.”

Lana gave Clark a look that quite plainly said ‘Silly boy,’ and then said, “There’s something you need to know. Working on my hair like you did was so, soooooo hot. You may not know this, Lord knows most guys don’t, but little attentions like that go a very long way. After having your hands all over my head and hair, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on you.” Lana paused to make sure she had Clark’s attention and finished by saying, “You may not have intended to seduce me, but you did.”

“Oh.”

Lana played with the collar of Clark‘s t-shirt with the fingertips of one hand as she said, “So keep those magic hands to yourself for just a little while longer…unless you work up the nerve to tell me this secret of yours and end our misery.”

There was nothing Clark would have liked more, but he still couldn’t make himself say the words. This newfound cowardice was incredibly frustrating for him, and his agitation was showing through.

“Ease up, Clark. You’ll tell me when you’re ready. Remember, trust of that kind has to be earned and you’ve only known me for two weeks.” Lana stood on tip-toes and planted a light kiss on Clark’s lips before slipping out of his grasp and heading for the stairs. “Good night.”

By unspoken agreement, Clark was going to stay downstairs tonight, but as Lana put a foot on the first tread of the stairs, Clark said, “I love you, Lana.”

She stopped, and turned, curious about this sudden declaration. “I love you too.”

“I have secrets, but my love for you isn’t one of them. Hold on to that, and the secrets will come.” A soft, sweet smile crossed Clark’s face and then he said, “Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas, Clark,” Lana replied, and then she was gone, wafting up the stairs and out of sight like a ghost.

Holding the image of Lana’s bare legs retreating up the stairs in the forefront of his mind, Clark thought, Ghost is right. The image of her in my shirt looking like that is going to haunt me all night long.
"In the Name of the King"
-----Winner, Round 15 - Favorite Lead Portrayal of Liz Parker
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best Use of a Supporting Character (Jeff Parker)
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best New Fic
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best Period Fanfiction
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Cardinal
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Re: Somebody to Love (SV,Clark/Lana,Adult) Ch 36&37 (pg 5) 12/22

Post by Cardinal »

Chapter 40

Lana-Fu
The next morning, all it took was one look for Clark to know that he and Lana weren’t going to be going anywhere for the time being. Instead of three or four inches like the Weather Channel had said, they had a minimum of one foot of new snow outside. So, instead of waking Lana up so they could get going, he let her sleep in.

“Mom, is the snow blower still out in the barn?” Clark asked as he laced up his work boots.

Martha paused making buttermilk biscuits for breakfast long enough to say, “Yes, I’ve got it tucked away in one of the old horse stalls…and there’s plenty of gas in the can.”

“When Lana gets up, please let her know where I am.”

“Yes, Dear,” Martha said as she turned back to the biscuits.

The L-shaped driveway was long, and even with the industrial-sized snow blower, it was going to take Clark nearly two hours to get the snow removed. He was careful to keep from blowing any more snow on his and Lana’s snow people. That was a good thing since she came outside, while he was half done, to clean them up. She then brought Clark a steaming cup of Martha’s special gourmet coffee to help him warm up, and kept him company while he drank it. The fact that he didn’t need any additional warmth didn’t matter to him; the fact that Lana wanted to do something special for him did.

When Lana went back inside, she and Martha ate breakfast after Martha let Lana know that there would be plenty for Clark. Crisp, thick-sliced, applewood-smoked bacon, fluffy golden-brown pancakes with real maple syrup and fresh butter, large Grade A eggs cooked to order, and homemade, melt-in-your-mouth buttermilk biscuits with fruit preserves were all sitting on the table with milk, coffee, and orange juice to drink.

This breakfast was Martha’s first significant time alone with Lana, and she intended to make use of it.

“Lana? I hope you don’t mind me asking, but I’ve been curious, what was it like to be in that airplane?”

Martha didn’t have to say any more than that. Lana was instantly transported back to her business-class seat two weeks earlier. She remembered everything: the engine fire, the clouds of oily black smoke, the palpable fear in the passenger compartment as everyone learned what had happened…and then, just when she was wondering if her life insurance was up to date, she had seen the man in red and blue as he supported the wing, helping the pilot maintain control.

“I was scared. Everyone was. I was just beginning to wonder if we were going to make it when Superman appeared. The passengers cheered when they saw him, and everyone settled down, sure that they were going to be okay.” Lana tucked her tongue into a corner of her mouth as she thought. “I’ve never seen anything like it. Here I was in the midst of a potential mid-air disaster and everyone was relaxed. Afterward, I stayed in my seat as everyone else got ready to disembark, and watched Superman as he stood on the wing and watched the emergency crews go into action.

“I know now why everyone felt safe as soon as they saw Superman. He makes me feel safe whenever I’m around him, like nothing could possibly go wrong.” Lana shifted in her seat, pursed her lips, and said, “Funny thing is, I feel the same way about Clark…”

Martha had to bite down hard to keep from spitting out a bite of pancake at that moment, but she then started to choke. Once she recovered, she asked, “But no feelings for Superman?”

Lana felt insulted, and her lowering brow and frowning mouth conveyed that to Martha very quickly.

Martha waved her hand, as if she meant to clear up a misunderstanding, and said, “Sorry, Lana, I didn’t mean to question your loyalty to Clark. It’s just that I know how women tend to get around Superman. I mean, I saw his last news conference on television. Some woman in the crowd threw her panties at him like he was a rock star or something. Whoever she was, she had great aim, since they hit him square in the face.” After some barely controlled giggling, Martha added, “You should have seen his face. The way he looked, you’d have thought he’d been hit by a diaper filled with baby poop.”

Lana tried to imagine how Superman, who had always been pleasant to her, but seemed to have a somewhat rigid personality, would have reacted to that. She liked to think the ‘Man of Steel’ wouldn’t have known what to do.

“Anyway,” Martha said, “I told you that to illustrate my point. A lot of women have feelings for Superman, or at least they think they do, because of the heroic things he does. Some probably just want to work their way into his blue tights. I just wanted to know if you had any of those feelings since he saved you.”

“No,” Lana said. “No feelings for Superman. He’s nice, and he’s going out of his way to protect me during the trial, but there’s a distance between us whenever we meet, as if there’s an emotional line he won’t cross. That’s a line I need a man to be able to cross.”

“Has Clark?” Martha asked tentatively.

Lana smiled widely. “Clark’s obliterated that line. I never have a problem knowing how or what he feels. He tells me.”

Martha wondered what had happened to her son and just who exactly was impersonating him. Clark opening up to someone? I’m so happy for him…and for her…because their relationship won’t work if he doesn’t. It’s apparent he hasn’t told Lana his secrets yet though. I just hope he doesn’t wait too long.

Not long after that, Clark finally showed up, having cleared the entire driveway of snow. He’d been outside for roughly two hours and had worked up a tremendous appetite in that time. He ate breakfast like a condemned man eating his last meal. Bacon, pancakes, eggs, and biscuits were eaten in wholesale quantities and he washed the food down with both milk and orange juice.

The women watched with barely concealed amusement until Clark finally came to a halt and backed himself away from the table.

“Aaahh!!” Clark said.

“Will he explode if I poke him in the belly?” Lana asked Martha, speaking just loudly enough for Clark to hear.

“I’m not sure, but I’d rather not find out.”

Pretending to be offended that they were talking about him that way, Clark said archly, “I’ll have you both know I have a hollow leg where I store all of that food, so poke away.” When it became obvious he wasn’t going to have any takers, Clark changed his tone. “The driveway’s clear now.”

“Can we go yet?” Lana asked.

Clark shook his head no. “Nope, we gotta wait for the Lowell County government to get the road out in front of the house plowed.”

“Going by experience,” Martha said, “that could take hours.”

“I thought that guy from the county road department was kind of sweet on you, Mom.”

Martha sighed and said, “He was, until I finally got across the idea that I’m not interested. Now, the potholes on Hickory Lane get fixed last and the snow gets plowed last.” She shrugged her shoulders helplessly. “I guess some guys don’t take rejection very well.”

Lana frowned, but Clark brightened up. “Come on, Lana. Since we can’t leave anytime soon, go upstairs and get dressed, there’s something outside I’d like to show you.”

Not wanting to be cooped up in the house, Lana grabbed her coat, mittens, and hat and headed back outside. This time, Clark led her over toward the barn, but walked around it and headed for an ancient-looking red tractor that had already been dusted off.

“A tractor, Clark? I think we saw several of those on our way here from Metropolis.” Turning to him, she asked bemusedly, “What makes this one so special?”

“This one is special, because you are gonna drive it.”

Lana’s jaw dropped for a second before she said, “I’m gonna what?”

“Drive the tractor.”

To Clark’s eyes, Lana looked a bit unsure, as if she wanted to be talked into trying it.

“It’s easy, this one is setup just like a car. It’s got an ignition, a gearshift that just does forward and reverse, a steering wheel, and pedals.”

Lana pointed to some other controls. “What do those do?”

“You won’t be using those. They don’t do anything since there’s nothing else hooked up to this tractor.”

“Well…supposing I do this, what happens if I get myself into trouble?”

“You won’t,” Clark assured her. “I’ll be sitting right behind you on the tractor, ready to help you if you need it.”

That was all the convincing Lana needed. Clark climbed up first and balanced himself on the back edge of the wide, bicycle-style seat. He then reached down and helped Lana climb up and take her position on the front of the seat. Clark spent a minute familiarizing Lana with the controls just to make sure she was comfortable with them, and then they were off.

Clark was happy that the tractor had been sitting in one of the flatter, and thus safer, fields near the house. The last thing he needed was for Lana to panic on uneven terrain and end up rolling the tractor. She’d end up learning his secrets by accident that way.

The tractor’s seat was small, so the young couple squeezed tightly together. Since both of Lana’s hands were busy with the tractor, Clark had one arm looped around her slender waist to protect her in case the tractor wobbled in a gopher hole and she slipped.

Lana was having a ball doing something that she had never imagined when growing up in the big city. Oh my God! she thought. I’m driving a tractor like some kind of farmer. This is so cool. I wonder what Dad and Mom would think.

Being behind Lana, Clark couldn’t see the obvious look of excitement on her face, but standing back by the barn, Martha could. Clark had told her before he went out to clear the snow that he wanted to show Lana how to drive the tractor, so as soon as the two of them left, Martha had raced into her bedroom, dressed for the snow in world-record time, and grabbed her camcorder.

She still loved to look at the tape she had made of Jonathan teaching a very young Clark to drive that very same tractor, and she wanted to catch the two of them unawares in another Kent family Kodak moment…and that’s what she did. Lana’s obvious pleasure illuminated her whole face, from her dancing eyes and wiggling eyebrows to her ear-to-ear grin. Clark had snuggled in close behind her and he appeared to be just as pleased as his ‘student.’

Seeing them together like that, each making the other so happy, was the moment for Martha. The moment where she knew, absolutely knew, that Clark hadn’t just found someone to love…he had found the one.

By the time Lana was done driving, Martha had gone back inside and the field had been liberally covered with misshapen circles and figure-eights. Her driving had become a bit more erratic when Clark started to tickle and otherwise distract her once she had become confident with her driving. After bringing the tractor to a stop in the place where it had been when she started, Lana was quick to extract her revenge for the tickling by scooping up a handful of snow and stuffing it in Clark’s face before making a beeline for the house.

Out of force of long-ingrained farmboy habit, Clark had to stop chasing Lana long enough to securely fasten the gate closed before he could run after her. He felt no shame in using a slight burst of super-speed to catch her from behind just as she passed through the picket fence on her way to the house.

Lana squealed in mock horror as Clark lifted her into the air and threatened to have her make a facedown snow angel. He didn’t follow through with the threat to set her facedown, but he did drop her into a particularly high snow drift. When he came over to help her up, Lana showed off lightning reflexes and a bit of her old martial arts training by hooking the back of Clark’s knees with a spin kick. The unexpected blow knocked him flat, face first in the snow. By the time Clark had gathered his wits, Lana was straddling his back and had one of his arms pulled up behind his back in a ‘chicken wing’ hold.

“Say you’re sorry, Clark,” Lana said. “I can sit here all day.”

Clark couldn’t believe what had just happened. He thought about straightening his arm despite her best attempts at holding it, but he didn’t want to give that much away, so he surrendered to his lovely captor.

“I give up, I surrender!” Clark said laughingly. “I’m sorry I dropped you in a nice fluffy snow drift. Next time, I’ll remember this and drop you somewhere less comfortable.”

“That’s mighty big talk from a guy who just got owned by a woman half his size,” Lana replied. The merriment in her voice was a match for Clark’s.

“Okay,” Clark said, “I promise, the next time I drop you like that, it will be on a nice comfy bed…just before I join you on it.”

Lana released her hold on Clark’s arm and allowed him to roll over beneath her, while still maintaining her superior position.

“That, Mr. Kent,” Lana breathed, “sounds like a deal to me.”

Their eyes locked and Lana leaned forward, resting her hands on Clark’s chest as she moved in for a kiss. She didn’t think there’d be any harm in kissing now, since they were outside and it was still daylight. Clark allowed Lana to take control of the kiss, and she decided how far to take it and when to reluctantly pull back. But when she finished, he couldn’t resist one last zinger.

“So, Lana, I see you like being on top.”

“Clark!” Lana spluttered, as she playfully swatted him on the shoulder.

“Well?” he countered. “Am I right or not?”

“I don’t know about that,” Lana replied seriously, “but I do suspect I’ll love being with you…top, bottom, whatever. It’s the who that counts, not the where.”

“I’ll second that.”

Hickory Lane had finally been plowed by the time Clark and Lana had cleaned up and changed clothes. When they were packing the luggage for the drive home, Clark raised an eyebrow in surprise as Lana snatched several of his old flannel shirts from his closet and stuffed them into her big suitcase.

“Like ‘em that much, huh?”

“They remind me of someone,” Lana said simply. “If I can’t have him yet, I’ll just have to make do with his shirts.”

Thoughts of Lana parading around her condo in nothing but those shirts passed through Clark’s mind. His mouth suddenly becoming dry, Clark said, “Take as many as you want.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. It’s the gift that keeps on giving…to me.”

When Clark and Lana finished loading the rented Lincoln, Martha pulled him aside for a quick chat.

“Have you told Lana your secrets yet?”

“No, Mom,” Clark said, as a look of acute distress passed over his face. “I’ve already tried twice…but the words just won’t come out yet.”

“Well, tell her soon, Clark. Give her the chance to decide if she can be with both sides of you before you go making any long-term plans together. Okay?”

“Yeah.”

“Good. Now get going, I want you two back in Metropolis safely.”

The two Kents kissed goodbye, and as Clark began to drive the Lincoln down the cleared driveway, Martha looked at Lana, securely belted in the front passenger seat, and thought, There goes my future daughter-in-law.
"In the Name of the King"
-----Winner, Round 15 - Favorite Lead Portrayal of Liz Parker
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best Use of a Supporting Character (Jeff Parker)
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best New Fic
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best Period Fanfiction
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