Lois had never been so excited to cook a dinner in her entire life. She almost never cooked at home, partly because she wasn't very good at it and partly because it felt like too much effort after a long day at work. It was so much easier to throw something quick together or to order her favourite take out.
But cooking with Clark in her family's cabin in the mountains felt so wonderfully domestic to begin with. And after their flirting session on the mountain, she felt almost giddy with anticipation.
He'd promised to hold her by the fire afterwards. And he'd said it in such a way that made her believe there was nowhere on Earth he would rather be, or nothing he'd rather do.
The prospect of telling him she knew his secret was scary, but suddenly far less so now that she knew for sure just how much he wanted to be with her. Martha had said as much, but somehow it hadn't seemed quite real until she'd heard that tone in his voice.
She desperately wanted to hear it again. And she wanted to be the reason he made it.
They had briefly split up when they returned to the cabin to change clothes. Lois gave him the bedroom and she took the bathroom. Her make-up was in there anyway and she suddenly felt the need to take special care with her appearance.
To that end, she put on a pair of jeans that she knew flattered her waist and bum as well as a dark V-neck sweater that showed just the tiniest hint of cleavage. Part of her had been tempted to bring one of her dresses that nicely showcased her legs -- easily her best feature, but she couldn't justify it. The cabin had some space heaters and the fireplace but that was it so she still needed to dress warmly.
The look on his face when she entered the living room where he was waiting, told her she'd made the right choice. She felt her entire body go warm at the very obvious way he stared at her now -- as if suddenly the safety features were off. Things were about to get dangerous indeed. This was only further reinforced by the fact that he somehow managed to look even more breath-takingly handsome in a deep red fisherman's sweater and a very well fitting pair of jeans.
"Wow," she said, unable to keep her thoughts to herself, "you look amazing."
"That's supposed to be my line," Clark teased, a deliciously flirtatious look in his eyes.
"Guess you'll just have to find a different way to compliment me," Lois grinned.
He reached out and took her hand as she passed by on her way to the kitchen. Heat shot from her hand to the rest of her body like an electric pulse. He pulled her close and she suddenly forgot how to breathe.
"How about beautiful?" He murmured, his gaze suddenly extremely intense. "Gorgeous? Stunning?"
"All sound good to me," she replied in a voice that sounded foreign to her own ears. They stared at each other a moment longer until she eventually reluctantly broke the spell and stepped back. "So what are we making for dinner?"
“I uh, thought we’d make spaghetti and meatballs,” he said with a sheepish glance towards the kitchen. “I know it’s not very Christmas-y, but the store options were pretty limited in the middle of nowhere on Christmas Eve.”
“I love spaghetti,” Lois reassured him. Honestly, he could have told her they were having mac and cheese out of a box and she’d be happy. “What can I do to help?”
She listened as Clark handed her a knife and asked her to chop the vegetables while he made the sauce. Lois did so, sneaking glances at him every so often and loving the sight of him as he expertly maneuvered his way around the kitchen. She wondered what it would be like being with him like this all the time. She was surprised to realize it wasn’t an unpleasant thought. In fact, it sent a small thrill through her as he broke the pasta in half and dumped it into the pot.
She suddenly felt the need to be bold once more and so she walked over to hand him the vegetables and placed her hand lightly on his forearm. He’d rolled up his sleeves as he was cooking and the feel of his skin under her fingers caused her to hold back a gasp. She could see he was affected by the touch as well, though he tried to hide it.
“Did you know,” she said nervously, “that pasta is thought to be an aphrodisiac?”
“Is it?” His eyebrows climbed so high she thought they might jump off his face and she found herself unable to look him directly in the eye.
“Yeah I must have read it somewhere,” she mumbled suddenly terrified. She’d had no idea what the plan was when she’d mentioned it and now she had no clue what to say. Her mouth, once again, had run amuck.
“Well,” he cleared his throat and she realised her hand was still on his arm. He turned slightly to face her, spaghetti sauce forgotten for now. She looked up and his eyes were warm and filled with a deep affection she had never seen there – at least not so openly. “I’ll uh try to control myself.”
She knew that this was her chance to take it one step further – to tell him she was okay with things getting a little bit out of control, but instead she retreated. She wasn’t sure if she was ready for that kind of honesty just yet.
“Uh, good,” she said, turning towards the refrigerator. “I should probably get the drinks. Wine okay for you?”
“There’s a merlot in the fridge,” he told her, his own voice back to normal as well.
She busied herself with setting the table and getting the drinks out. He’d already polished off a glass of wine as he cooked dinner. Lois watched, feeling slightly jealous. Alcohol obviously didn’t affect him so he was able to drink as much as he wanted without ever getting drunk.
That’s actually a good thing, her mind reminded her. No chance of him becoming an alcoholic.
They sat down to dinner and she noticed he looked slightly nervous. She realised he’d never cooked for her this way before. They had eaten together, but not with a meal so carefully prepared as this. Lois took a bite of the spaghetti and let out a small moan of appreciation. It was incredible.
“Oh Clark, this is…” she trailed off as she noticed his eyes had darkened and he was suddenly sitting very still. She blushed, realizing how the sound she had made might have been interpreted. No, she wasn’t going to be embarrassed, she decided. They had spent far too much time tiptoeing around each other. Bold, she told herself, be bold.
“I’m glad you like it,” he smiled, and she found herself smiling too. “I’ve wanted to do this for you for a long time.”
“Do what?” She asked softly.
“Cook for you,” he replied, a little haltingly. “A good meal, like this. Like…a date.”
She looked at him in surprise. They had both been dancing around this feeling – flirting and then ducking away. But he’d come out and said it. He’d had the courage even though she’d rejected him once before.
“I know it isn’t a date,” he amended as if he was afraid to offend her. “Not really. I’m not even supposed to be here with you, but somehow…it feels different. Being with you right now feels different.”
“It is different,” she assured him, reaching across the table and finding his hand waiting for her. “It’s been different for me for a while now. I’ve wanted to tell you. I just didn’t know how.”
.
“Well, why don’t we talk about this by the fire,” he suggested and she couldn’t mistake the hopeful tone in his voice. She nodded and felt a wave of relief wash over her. She was going to tell him in a few minutes, but somehow she felt that things might turn out alright after all.
“I’ll do the dishes,” she offered, standing up. “Would you get the wood for the fire?”
“Of course,” he replied. “I’ll see you in a few minutes.”
Last edited by lovetvfan; 12/22/21 10:46 AM.
