Band of Blue TOCChapter 28 Lois entered the large, decorated hall and immediately began scanning the room for Clark. She honed in on him within seconds and it was as if he had a ‘Lois radar’ as he seemed to turn and look straight at her at the same moment. It must have been the lighting but Lois could have sworn that his eyes rippled red for a moment then he started striding across the room to her.
Something about the way he walked set her heart racing. His face looked different. There was a determined look in his eyes. She couldn’t look away. She felt trapped. Clark came closer and she took an involuntary step backward.
“Lois. You came.” Clark spoke when he made it to her. He stopped just a hair’s breadth from her, almost touching. Lois found it difficult to interpret the tone in his voice. She’d never heard anything like it from him before.
“Of ... of course I came, Clark. It was you who presumed I didn’t want to come ... and you were wrong.” She twisted away a little to try and put some distance between them.
“I’m so glad you are here, Lois.” She shivered when she saw his eyes flicker all the way down her body and back up. He grabbed hold of her arms and held her in place. “So glad.” This time she noticed his eyes linger on her lips and his head dipped a little.
“Uh, Clark,” she coughed and tried to break the scene. “I’ve only just arrived, can I get myself a drink?” She smiled what she hoped was a sweet and trusting smile and Clark looked to be considering her request for a moment. His eyes tightened a minuscule amount then she felt his hands hold her tighter.
“No, I don’t think so,” and he pushed her back out of the door. Striding down the corridor pulling Lois beside him she started to worry a little. This was so unlike Clark.
“Clark, what’s going on? Has someone spiked the punch?” She tried to shake loose her arm but his grip was too strong. He turned and slammed her into the lockers and placed one hand next to her head, palm on the locker.
“Alcohol! You think I’m affected by alcohol.” He raised his eyebrows. “There’s only one thing affecting me here and it’s you.” He released the hand from her arm and raised it to her cheek.
“Clark, this isn’t like you. I know you. What’s happened?”
“You know me?” He stepped back. “No, I don’t think you do. If you really knew me - knew who I was - then we wouldn’t be in this situation would we. You wouldn’t have slammed the door in my face. If I was to tell you the truth you’d be desperate to be with me. Well, maybe I should tell you, then maybe I’ll get what I want. And you know what I want, Lois?”
She gulped when he returned his hand to her cheek.
“I want you, Lois.” She saw his eyes linger on her lips again. “I need you.” His voice was a whisper.
Lois felt her body shaking ever so slightly. She stared at Clark, wide-eyed. She raised a hand and placed it against his chest, as if to ward him off.
“I need you,” he repeated and lowered his head to claim her lips.
Lois’s resolve cracked the moment they touched. She opened her mouth and let out a sigh. The hand on Clark’s chest was joined by another. Lois slid them both up and round Clark’s neck and into his hair. Clark intensified the kiss and she felt herself being pushed into the lockers behind. She clenched her fingers in his hair and began to return the kiss.
Teasing, nibbling, licking, coaxing; Clark’s kiss was driving her insane with need.
I can’t deny this any longer, she thought. She pulled on his head dragging him deeper into the kiss and she felt his hands on her chest. As she finally let all her emotions out, pouring them into her responding kiss she heard the rustling of her blouse. Clark was undoing her buttons, here in the school corridor, but she didn’t care. She heard a little pop as the top one came undone then she felt his hands move down to the next one. As it released she moaned.
“Lois!” he groaned
“Yes, Clark. Yes!” she mumbled and then she heard a tearing noise. Buttons scattered to the floor around them. Clark had torn open the rest of her blouse. He slid his hand in and round to her back. She felt him pressing his pelvis into her and she answered by rocking her own.
Suddenly she felt empty; bereft. The warmth of his kiss; his hands; his body was gone. She opened her eyes and he was crouched on the floor at her feet groaning in obvious pain. She dropped to her knees immediately.
“Clark!” She held his face in her hands. “Clark, what’s wrong. Come back to me, Clark.” But he couldn’t seem to speak, he just grunted and groaned. She moved her hands to find his and when she did she held on tight and whispered, “I’m here, Clark.”
Squeezing to reassure him she was about to shout for help when he opened his eyes and stopped shaking. Clark looked at her in confusion then she recognised the intense desire returning. He stood to his feet quickly. When Lois couldn’t reach any longer his hand slipped out of hers, leaving something clutched in her palm. She stood slowly, never taking her eyes off him. It seemed like his eyes glimmered red again and then he widened them in absolute shock.
“Lois!” He stared at her exposed chest and tentatively reached out a hand to her black lacy bra. He snatched it back after a second. He glanced around the floor and saw the scattered buttons. Looking back up at her she could see the horror in his eyes. “God, Lois. I’m sorry.” He reached out a tentative hand again. “So sorry.” She saw a tear well up in his eyes and then, suddenly he was gone.
The breeze he had created made her shiver bringing her to her senses. She closed her blouse and fastened up the top two buttons, the only ones he hadn’t ripped off. Bending down she tried to collect the others but found herself unable to continue. She dropped to her knees and rested her palms on the floor. That’s when she remembered the item in her palm. She turned her hand over and stared at the gaudy red ring which had slipped off Clark’s hand.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Lana peered round the corner and silently watched the lady gathering up her buttons. An overwhelming despair crept into her heart as she saw the woman collapse to the floor, shaking in obvious shock. Lana felt in shock also. Her world had just shattered.
She’d decided to have a nostalgic walk around the school a few minutes ago. Leaving the hallway and heading for her old locker she’d felt a little embarrassed to come across a couple ‘making out’ in the hallway. As she strode a little closer the man had dropped to his knees in agony and that’s when she’d noticed who it was: Clark. Raising her hand to her mouth to cover her shock she’d backed away slowly then hidden round the corner.
Leaning back against the wall she’d felt a tear run down her cheek. Clark had never felt that way about her, she knew it, but she’d always hoped. Now that hope was gone. The passion she’d witnessed between the two of them was proof of that. She’d peered back round the corner to check that Clark was alright and had been shocked to the core. He’d been standing in front of the tall lady, looking terrified and then he seemed to suddenly disappear.
When Lana saw the woman stand and begin to walk towards her, holding her blouse closed, she quickly returned to the dance in the hallway and bumped into Chloe at the drinks stand.
“Hey Lana, thought you were going for a walk?” she asked.
“I was,” she replied, wide eyed and stunned, “but I found something I wasn’t expecting.” Chloe turned to face her and took a sip from a plastic cup.
“Really?” she asked, intrigued.
“Er, Clark.” She shook her head. “He was ... he was with someone.”
“Really?” Chloe raised her eyebrows and the tone of her voice.
“Chloe,” she paused, unable to vocalise her thoughts. “I think I need to sit down.” Chloe led her to a chair. Lana looked up at her and smiled in thanks. “Er, could you get me a drink please?”
“Sure.” Chloe disappeared immediately leaving Lana alone with her thoughts.
He’ll never be mine. He doesn’t belong to me. And even if it wasn’t for that lady he still wouldn’t belong to me. She sighed.
He belongs to the world. She dropped her head to her hands.
“Here you go.” Chloe thrust a cup into her view and she sat back up straight. When Chloe sat down next to her she turned a little and wrinkled her forehead.
“Do you remember when I first came back from Paris?” Chloe nodded. “Clark said he’d developed an allergy to the meteor rocks.”
“Sure do.”
“Wasn’t it around the same time that Superman showed up?”
Chloe coughed. “Why ... why would you ask that?” she said.
Lana turned away and stared into the distance. “I think Clark might be Superman.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Lois pulled up outside the farmhouse and turned off the lights and ignition to her car. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves.
“You can do this, Lane.” She nodded to herself. “Tomorrow you’re going to be living in a brand new world.” She stepped out of the car and walked up the steps to the door and knocked.
An older woman with fading red hair answered the door and smiled. “Can I help you?” she said warmly.
“Uh, yes. You must be Mrs Kent.” Lois held out her hand. “Is Clark here?” she asked, trying to peer over the woman’s shoulder. Lois watched as the wise eyes on Clark’s mother looked her up and down. She reached out to shake Lois’s hand and replied.
“You must be Lois.” She nodded. “Clark is ... well, he’s out in the barn.” Mrs Kent let go of Lois’s hand and raised her arm to indicate the direction of the barn.
“Thanks.” She turned and took a steadying breath then set off.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Clark sat on the worn couch in his barn ‘hideaway’. He bounced a ball back and forth between his hands.
You know dad, the things that I did and I said. I really didn’t mean ‘em.
Clark, the red meteor rocks might have affected your personality but we gotta face that those feelings all came from somewhere.
When I put that ring on I felt this sudden urge to tell the whole word my secret. It’s like I have these two identities and I don’t know which one’s the real me.
How could I not remember? Why do I have all these duplicate memories but I couldn’t remember about Red Kryptonite until it was too late? He remembered his behaviour with shame. Pushing Lois around, ripping her blouse open. And there was no explanation he could give her for any of it, most especially him leaving at superspeed. If she hadn’t noticed that then maybe he could get away with ‘spiked punch’ as an explanation.
He continued to bounce the ball, increasing the force each time, expelling his frustration, until he finally threw it so hard that it went straight through the floor, splintering the wood.
“Clark?” came a confused shout.
His head shot up in surprise and terror.
Lois, what’s she doing here? He stood nervously and watched her climb the steps.
“Oh, you’re here?” she said as she noticed him.
He looked down at the floor. “Lois, you really shouldn’t have come here.”
“It’s ok, Clark,” she said and stepped towards him.
“No, it’s not ok. What I did. What I almost ...” he strode away and pushed past her walking down the steps.
“Clark,” she hurried after him but he didn’t stop. “Clark!” she shouted again. He stopped but didn’t turn.
“Why did you come, Lois?” he asked quietly.
“I ... I missed you,” she stated.
He turned around and looked at her from the shadows. She was at the bottom of the steps now. He stepped towards her, the light falling on his face.
“I missed you too,” he replied honestly. He was exposing his heart to her. She took a step forwards and so did he. “Lois, I,” he gulped. “I can’t apologise enough for my behaviour. I didn’t want it to go like that.” She smiled encouragingly at him. He lifted a hand to her hair and felt a small strand. “I wanted to dance with you. I wanted to hold you.” He tucked the strand behind her ear.
“I’m here now,” she stepped forward again bringing her body into contact with his.
“What ... here?” Clark asked. “I don’t think it’ll be the same without the music and the balloons.”
“Clark!” she interrupted him. “Please.” She lifted her arms up and linked them round his neck. He put his hands on her waist and began to sway. “Ow!” Clark felt himself stand on her toe and she stepped back.
“I’m sorry,” he said, terrified that this would spoil the moment.
“Hey, I’m the one who put my feet under yours,” Lois replied.
“Let’s just try this,” Clark said and pulled her back and onto his feet. Confidence growing he smiled down at her.
She’s here. Lois came to me. She’s dancing with me. His smile faded when she looked away and frowned. Her eyes flickered away and it seemed she was considering something. When she looked back up at him he saw something in her eyes which made his breath hitch.
“I love you,” she said, her eyes shining.
“I love you too,” he replied. They both smiled at each other and then Lois lowered her head to his shoulder. He put his arm right round her back and continued to sway with her. Closing his eyes he let a feeling of contentment wash over him and as he let the world fade away he noticed a soft, swishing beat enter his consciousness.
Lois let herself relax into Clark’s shoulder.
This feels right. So much better than just being friends. She smiled to herself and opened her eyes. Glancing down to the floor her eyes widened and she coughed lightly.
“Er, Clark. There’s something that we need to talk about.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
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