Hey guys, it's Friday again, at least in my part of the world. So here you go with another story in the MagiKal AU. After breaking my characters last time, let's see if we can mend the pieces back together, one piece at a time.How To Escape A Straightjacket MagiKal skated on the thin layer of ice he’d created right in the middle of Centennial Park. Though he pretended not to notice them, he was well aware of the murmurs of awe around him. The burst of freezing breath finally died down, leaving him panting. The area he’d frozen was about half the size of an ice hockey field. But already the edges were melting in the unusually hot November sun.
The prickling in the back of MagiKal’s neck still hadn’t stopped. He felt his eyes burn, announcing what was coming next. Before his heat vision went out of control, MagiKal surreptitiously checked the audience. She wasn’t here. His heart clenched with sorrow, but there was also a pang of relief accompanied by a heavy dose of guilt.
Though he absolutely didn’t feel like it, he plastered a smile on his face, hoping to convince his audience that he was enjoying this. The burning in his eyes intensified to the point of becoming uncontainable and he quickly pulled the cones from his pockets, directing the rampant blasts of heat visions at them. Instantly, they burst into flames and he started to juggle the cones, his feet continuing to draw circles on the icy ground. He picked up speed and spinned in a pirouette while all cones were in the air. When he stopped, he caught them easily.
Just as he wondered what he would do next if the hiccup didn’t subside soon, the prickling stopped and he felt in control again. MagiKal breathed a sigh of relief and came to a halt in front of the now cheering audience. The crowd seemed to have even grown since he’d last had a look at it. He smiled for them until his face hurt, waving a hand while silently counting to twenty. All he really wanted to do was leave as quickly as he could. Clark counted another three seconds, then he did a somersault and shot up into the air.
He landed in a quiet alley a few blocks from his impromptu stage and spun back into his usual clothes. A ball of fur jumped into him and would have pushed him to the ground if it weren’t for his powers. Clark greeted his canine friend by scratching his favorite spot.
“Hey, buddy.” A heavy sigh escaped his lips and he kneeled down, burying his face in the dog’s fur.
Houdini whimpered softly and took a step back, tilting his head as he looked at Clark. The flopping of his tail stopped and he lowered his head, approaching his master slowly. Though he attempted a smile for Houdini, Clark knew there was no use trying to fool his dog.
He felt a gentle nudge of Houdini's snout against his chest. The setter started wagging his tail again and barked at him.
*Play with me,* he seemed to say.
"I'm sorry," Clark stroked the dog's fur and heaved another sigh. "I know I've been moody ever since we left Smallville."
Actually, he'd been moody ever since the hiccups had returned. Lois and his Mom had been in town when he'd first felt the prickling in the back of his neck. The hiccup had been strong enough to force Clark away from Smallville to an even more deserted area, where his powers had erupted in an intense blast.
Lois had returned from her shopping tour with Martha shortly after he'd made it back to the farm. She'd joined him in the backyard with an adorable, yet slightly shy smile on her face. He'd seen the silent question in her eyes, the hint of hope that his powers were still under his control .
He hadn't been able to tell her the hiccups were back. He hadn't wanted to see her smile crumble. She'd probably noticed something was wrong because they'd tiptoed around each other from then on, neither of them really knowing how to continue, no matter what they'd told each other earlier.
The few days in Smallville had been such a pleasant dream. Returning to reality was much harder than he’d expected.
Their last day on the farm had been filled with awkward moments, so much so that he’d come up with all sorts of excuses to leave early. Lois hadn’t even protested when he’d said goodbye, though he’d seen the longing in her gaze. It was the same kind of longing that tore his own heart to shreds.
“She wasn’t there, Houdini.” Clark’ s throat tightened as he said the words. “She must know by now that the hiccups are back. I don’t know how to face her again. How will she react after all these weeks?”
An unpleasant flutter stirred deep in his belly. He knew he’d been gone far longer than the way back from Smallville could reasonably explain. He’d tried to make up his mind about what the return of his powers and his hiccups would mean for their relationship. Also, after the first strong hiccup, he’d wanted to make sure that he could still deal with his loss of control in the same manner as he had before. He’d been so scared that things had turned worse after his second exposure to the crystals. Fortunately, they hadn’t. But now Clark feared that he’d driven Lois away, while at the same time, he couldn’t bring himself to tell her in person that he was back.
“Are you two going to sit there forever?” a familiar voice asked.
Startled, Clark looked up. Lois was standing a few feet from him, hands akimbo and tapping her foot. He stood up, dusting off his pants while Houdini rushed toward her to greet her enthusiastically.
“You’re here,” Clark managed hoarsely.
He took in her shy smile, the dark curls of her hair and the soft curves of her body. From his dance with Lois and a night spent under the stars, he remembered all too well how she felt snuggled against him. For a moment, he couldn’t breathe or think or do anything really but stand there and stare at her. She was so beautiful. He wanted to reach out and touch her.
“I missed you,” she said quietly.
“Missed you, too,” he murmured. He bit his lip, stared down at his feet and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his pants to keep from doing something risky. “The hiccups are back.”
“I know, Clark.” She let out a breath. “I saw you perform in Centennial Park when my cab drove past. I wanted to ask the driver to stop, but then I figured we’d have a better chance of talking when I’d go looking for the alley you’d return to.”
He stared at her incredulously. “That’s how you found me?”
She gave him a sly smile. “You’re not very creative when it comes to choosing your hiding spots.”
He chuckled uneasily and ran a hand through his hair. “I… uh… I guess not.”
Lois took a step toward him. “I was afraid you weren’t going to come back. You were gone for so long...”
Clark shrugged and heaved a long sigh. “I wanted to make sure that I could still safely be MagiKal. The first few hiccups… well, I guess that all these emotions needed an out.”
Though he was telling her the truth, it felt like he was just making up excuses. Again a strong wave of guilt washed over him, leaving him unable to really meet her eyes. But it wasn’t the only reason he avoided looking at her. Now that he’d gotten a taste of what being able to love her was like, his powers seemed even more like an impenetrable wall that surrounded him, locked him in and kept everyone else out.
As he dared a quick peek in her direction, he realized that she seemed to be shy around him, too. His heart sank. He wanted to turn back time, just to be able to pull her into an embrace. He’d even face another exposure to the green crystal if it would help dispel the awkwardness between them. Clark knew it was his fault. Perhaps he shouldn’t have let things go as far as they had, fooling them both into believing they had a chance at a normal relationship. All he’d accomplished was to inflict mutual hurt.
His gaze drifted toward Houdini who was standing between them, panting in the heat of the day and wagging his tail. Soulful brown eyes looked back at him, quietly reminding him that he wasn’t completely alone. If only the dog had a piece of advice.
“Are you okay?” Pain and guilt reflected in Lois' gaze as their eyes met.
She reached out to take his hand. Every brain cell screamed a warning not to let her touch him again. With all the emotions running through him, there was no telling what would happen. But he found himself unable to move, as if she’d cast a spell on him. His breath caught in his throat. The power she had over him was scary and exhilarating at the same time.
As her fingers closed around his hand, the contact sent sparks of electricity through him. An incredible warmth spread up his arm.
“Yes, I think so,” he said roughly.
Cautiously, he ran his thumb over the back of her hand, wishing he could do so much more.
Clark took a deep breath. “I don’t know how to go on from here.”
She cracked a weak smile. “Neither do I, to be honest. Smallville has been very special. It will be hard to take a step back.”
Clark hung his head. “Make that several steps,” he said dejectedly.
Her finger brushed against his chin and she tilted it up until he looked at her. “I told you I don’t mind waiting for you. Why don’t we start with what we know how to do?”
He frowned. “And what would that be?”
Her smile broadened. “Being an investigative team! This heat wave in November is really odd. Thanksgiving is in about two weeks and we still have triple digits.”
Clark couldn’t help but laugh. “Now you’re suggesting we investigate the weather? Who are you and what happened to Lois Lane?”
“She’s in love with a magician.” Playfully, she slapped his arm. “That means everything is possible!”
Houdini barked his approval and darted off toward the street. He seemed to know that they were on a new mission, though Clark couldn’t help but think that investigating the heat wave was just a ploy to lure him out of his snail shell. Well, perhaps some luring was just what he needed.
"God, I hope you are right."
