Winter Wonderland
Part 5/5
*****
Clark lay on the couch, drowsy and content as he watched the flames dance in the fireplace. Other than the light from the fire, it was completely dark in the house and he could hear the wind whistling through the trees outside, though the storm had died down considerably. The power had yet to come back on, but that hadn’t stopped the family from having a wonderful evening.
He smiled as he remembered how they had all gathered around the fireplace to eat their dinner – fortunately it had been nearly done cooking when the storm hit and a little judicious use of his heat vision had ensured that everything made it to the proper temperature – and then they had heated hot chocolate in a saucepan over the fire for dessert. It reminded him of the various times they’d lost power when he was a kid, and how much fun he’d had “camping” in his living room with his parents, nestled between them as they’d turned each storm into an adventure.
Of course, he was no longer a child and could now appreciate the benefits of cuddling in a completely different way. Lois had curled up on the couch with her hot chocolate after dinner, and when Clark had joined her, she’d shyly offered to share her blanket with him. He still remembered how his heart skipped a beat when he’d chanced wrapping his arm around her shoulders and she’d responded by immediately snuggling into his embrace. And when their hands had found each other’s under the covers and their fingers had intertwined … well, it’d been all he could do to keep himself from floating out of pure joy.
Clark sighed happily as he replayed the memories. True, he hadn’t been able to attempt another kiss this evening – his parents had been sitting with them the entire time, and when they’d gone to bed, they’d graciously offered to escort Lois upstairs so she could share their flashlight on the stairs. The best he could manage was a quick trip upstairs while Lois was washing up in the bathroom to warm her sheets with his heat vision. It wasn’t exactly the way he’d prefer to keep her warm overnight … but he had to content himself with doing what he could.
Completely lost in the pleasant memories, Clark nearly missed the sound of a door opening upstairs, followed by tentative footsteps on the stairs. He had just enough time to sit up and slip on his glasses before the woman consuming his thoughts entered the room. “Lois?” he asked, concerned. “Is everything OK?”
She was wrapped in a quilt from the bed and was wearing what looked to be a second pair of pajamas over her first. “I’m really sorry to wake you … but I’m cold,” she all but whimpered. “Really, really, really, really cold.”
As he noticed her shivering, Clark kicked himself for not paying better attention to the time. When he’d swept his heat vision through Lois’s and his parents’ bedroom as they’d readied for bed, he’d made a mental note to repeat the action every few hours throughout the night to make sure they’d stay comfortable. But he’d gotten so caught up in his own daydreams and enjoyment of the fire that he’d completely forgotten.
“Oh, honey,” he exclaimed, rising quickly. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s not your fault. It’s just, your mom was really good about telling me where the extra blankets were, but it’s so dark up there … I was afraid to start digging around. Do you think you could help me find some?”
Clark motioned her over to the sofa. “Sit down and try to warm up. I’ll be right back.”
He took the stairs as quietly as he could without flying, and quickly located the extra blankets in the linen closet where his parents kept them. A glance into his parents’ room showed that they were sleeping peacefully, curled together under the down comforter they’d used for as long as he could remember. He took the opportunity to gently warm the air for them, and then swept a stronger beam of heat through Lois’s room. He placed two extra blankets on the foot of Lois’s bed, then warmed a third to take downstairs with him.
When he returned to the living room, he found Lois had abandoned the couch in favor of sitting directly in front of the fire. “Here, I brought you another blanket,” he said as he approached. “I left a couple more on the bed upstairs, but you looked like you needed something immediately.”
Her eyes fluttered open, and she smiled at him as he knelt down beside her. “Thanks, Clark. Fortunately, I already found a good one.”
He smiled as he noticed that she’d taken the quilt he’d been using on the couch and wrapped herself up in it. “A blanket thief, huh? Well, you might like this one better; it’s even thicker.”
“Mmm, but this one is soft … and it smells like you,” she replied with a smile, sleepily rubbing her cheek against it.
Clark’s heart skipped a beat as the intimacy of her statement filtered into his brain. “Then … I’m happy to let you have it,” he responded, a little breathless. “I can use this one.”
Her gaze flickered to his. “Or we could share.” Then she ducked her head, blushing a little. “If you want.”
“I … “ For a moment, he could hardly form words, but he quickly regrouped. “Yes, of course, absolutely. That would be great.” He quickly sat beside her, accepting the end of the blanket and wrapping it around his shoulders.
Lois gave a contented sigh and leaned against him, her head tipping to rest on his shoulder. “This is nice.”
“It is,” he agreed, dropping his head down to rest against hers. They stayed that way for several long seconds, watching the fire. And it was nice … wonderful, even … but at the same time, Clark wanted more. Every fiber of his being was yearning to turn, pull her into his arms, and tell her everything he was feeling.
Suddenly, Lois let out a little laugh. “That’s the only problem with sitting in front of a fire. When I’m facing it, my front feels great, but my back gets cold. But if I turn around to warm my back, my front will be cold.” She chuckled. “I need to sit on a turntable so I can rotate around and around.”
Clark released a breath and took a chance. “Let’s try this,” he offered, sliding around behind her. “Sit in my lap, and I’ll keep all of you warm.”
“But won’t you still be cold?”
He breathed deeply as she moved between his legs and snuggled sideways against his chest. “Not a chance.”
She released a contented sigh and relaxed into his arms as he rewrapped the soft blanket around them both, cocooning them in. “Mmm, thanks, Clark. This is wonderful.”
He gently rubbed his hands over her back. “Better?”
“Yes, much.” She pulled back to look into his eyes, smiling. “You must think I’m pretty silly, especially after I insisted I was prepared for the weather.”
“Lois, no one could have predicted the heat would go out.”
“I know … and I was fine when I went to bed. But I woke up in the middle of the night and just couldn’t warm back up again. I even added an extra pair of socks and pajamas but I was still shivering.”
He tightened his arms around her. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” She nuzzled into his neck. “I can definitely see the benefit of your nefarious plan to sleep downstairs. The fire feels wonderful. And I get to spend more time with you.”
Clark caught his breath as he felt her hand smooth its way over the front of his t-shirt, then slide around to his side, pulling him closer. The way she was touching him, the way she was encouraging him hold her … he couldn’t possibly be mistaking her invitation. Emboldened, he decided to extend an invitation of his own.
“Lois … are you busy on New Year’s Eve?”
“Mmm,” she murmured into his neck. “I think we’re both working all day.”
“I know, but after … in the evening? Do you have plans?”
Her fingers paused in the delicious pattern they were tracing over his shirt. “Not yet. Do you?”
“I’d really like to do something with you.”
She lifted her head to look into his eyes. “What do you have in mind?”
“Anything, honestly. It might be kind of late to get a dinner reservation, so maybe you could come over to my place and I’ll cook? Or if you’d rather go out somewhere, I’m totally flexible … as long as I get to be with you.”
Her eyes danced in the firelight. “Would this be a date?”
He nodded, hoping desperately that he was reading her correctly. “Yes. Lois, will you be my date on New Year’s Eve?”
Her mouth curved into a happy smile. “Yes. I’d really like that, Clark.”
“Really?” He smiled back, ridiculously delighted, and then took another leap of faith. He cupped her face, gently stroking her cheek with his thumb. “And would you object … if I wanted to kiss you at midnight?”
It was her turn to catch her breath. “Well, that depends,” she answered, her eyes darkening in a way that made his heart race. “That’s nearly a week away. Do I have to wait until then?” Her gaze flickered to his mouth, then back to his eyes.
“Oh …” he breathed, so, so grateful that she was making this easy on him. “I really,
really hope not.”
Gently, almost reverently, Clark slid his hand around to cradle the back of her head and slowly lowered his mouth to hers. Just before their lips made contact, however, he couldn’t help but pause, cocking his head to listen expectantly.
“Oh, no,” Lois groaned, dropping her head to his shoulder. “Not again. What is it this time?”
“Nothing. Not a thing,” Clark answered with a relieved laugh, gently lifting her head back up. “It’s just happened so often since you’ve been here, I was waiting to see what else could possibly interrupt us.”
Fortunately, she saw the humor in the situation and started to laugh with him. “No pounding on the floor? No well-meaning parents?”
He grinned. “No marauding goats … no armies of Space Rats bent on revenge or herds of wild buffalo taking a short cut through the front door.”
She giggled, her eyes bright with affection. “Then I guess there’s no reason to wait any more.”
Feeling as if he might burst with happiness, Clark finally closed the distance between them, unwilling to let anything else stop him. Gently at first, his lips caressed hers, but it wasn’t long before they each released a quiet whimper and slowly took the kiss deeper. When their mouths finally separated, Clark dipped his forehead to hers, trying to calm his racing heart.
“Wow,” Lois breathed, her voice coming in soft pants as she ran her fingers through his hair. “That was …”
“Yeah?” he answered, equally breathless.
“Definitely worth not waiting any longer to repeat,” she finished, recapturing his mouth with hers.
*****
Many, many kisses later, Clark couldn’t keep the smile off his face, even as he closed his eyes and nuzzled against Lois’s hair. As their kisses had heated up, they’d pulled his pillow from the sofa and made a cozy nest of their blankets in front of the fire, agreeing that neither one of them wanted to leave the living room for the cold bedroom upstairs. But eventually they both knew they needed to cool things down, and their kisses and conversation turned more affectionate than passionate as they basked in the glow of their burgeoning relationship. Sleep, however, was proving elusive, as they didn’t seem to be able to stop talking … or kissing … long enough to get there.
“I still feel a little bad that I didn’t get you a Christmas present,” Lois said, running her fingers along the back of his hand where it lay against her stomach. He was spooned in behind her, keeping her warm enough under the covers that she’d been able to shed her extra layers. The soft fleece of her pajamas felt nice against his hand, though it paled in comparison to the softness of her skin. “Maybe I should get you something for New Year’s.”
“Mmm, you don’t have to get me anything,” he replied. “Just being with you is present enough.”
“Still … I’ll have to think of something special.”
“Trust me, Lois,” he murmured, layering butterfly kisses behind her ear. “This has already been the most wonderful … fabulous … amazing … special Christmas I’ve ever had.”
She giggled as he hit a ticklish spot. “Ever?”
“Ever.”
“Better than the time you got a baseball glove? Or your first bicycle?”
He chuckled quietly. “Yes, even better than that.”
Lois shoulders shook with suppressed laughter. “What about the year your parents bought you the goat?”
He groaned on a laugh. “You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?”
“Nope.” She just giggled more. “Never.”
He growled playfully and rolled her to her back. “You’re just lucky I’m crazy about you.”
She was smiling as she looked at him, her eyes reflecting his joy back at him. “Yeah, I am,” she murmured, stroking his cheek. “Because this has been the most wonderful, fabulous, amazing Christmas I’ve ever had, too.”
Sighing happily, Clark nuzzled his nose against hers before lovingly capturing her lips once more.
He was no longer a kid, and it wasn’t Christmas Eve … but in front of the fire in the living room was still his favorite place to be.
*****
The End
Author’s Note, part 2: Since this story was conceived as a ficathon assignment, I thought you’d enjoy seeing what Mishmishat asked for in her story – way back in 2009!
Three things I want in my fic:
1. Goat
2. Embarrassing situation.
3. Almost kiss.
Preferred season: early relationship-ish 
Three things I do not want in my fic:
1. Lex.
2. Violence.
3. Death. Do some of my plotting choices make more sense now?
Thanks, Mishmishat, for the assignment. I’m not sure if you’re around any more to read this, but if you do, I hope you enjoy it.
