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Good Night, Lois – A Thimble For A Kiss

I ring the doorbell and while I wait my gaze drifts up toward her window. I can't believe it's been almost three years already since I first met her. Since I first stood here at the Lane’s front door, debating with myself whether or not to take them up on their offer of dinner at their house. Three years since Dr. Lane offered me a job at his hospital.

As a gofer boy I did everything that was asked of me, serving food, getting patients or documents from one point to another. The steady income helped a lot.

Sam Lane opens the door and immediately pulls me into a bear hug.

“Clark, so glad you could make it.” He pats my shoulder before he lets go of me. “We’re so lucky you decided to help out at the hospital during spring break. And I really feel bad about imposing on you now, but Ellen and I are going through a rough time.”

I know. I've seen the reason with my own eyes. Long, shapely legs, a slender frame and a very enticing cleavage.

Forcing a smile on my face, when I'd much rather shake some sense into Lois' Dad, I say, “No trouble at all, Dr. Lane. It's always a pleasure taking care of your daughters.”

“Ellen is upstairs putting Lucy to bed. Lois insisted that you read her bedtime story. The marriage counseling shouldn't take more than one hour. So we should be back in two hours, max.”

He's barely finished as a little whirlwind flies down the stairs, jumping toward me before she's even made it all the way down. It's a good thing I have super reflexes. I catch her and immediately she wraps her arms around me.

“Clark!” She presses her face in the crook of my neck and the rest of what she says sounds muffled. “It's been so long since you've last been here.”

“Well, he's busy with his studies,” Lois' father says tersely. “Which is exactly what you should be doing. Did you finish that homework already?”

“It's sooo boring,” Lois complains.

“You need to do it anyway. Work a little harder and maybe you can skip a class and then it won't be as boring “

“But not tonight, Sam.” Ellen Lane says acerbically. “It's long past her bedtime. Good evening, Clark.” Her gaze drifts toward me and her steely expression softens a bit, a smile tugging at her lips that seems to cause her physical pain. “Lucy’s asleep already, so it’s just Lois for you unless she wakes up early. Thank you for watching the kids while we're out.”

“My pleasure, Ma’am.” I smile back at her, though I can’t shake the feeling she’s not exactly happy with my being here. With a sense of unease, I untangle myself from Lois’ embrace and lower her back to her feet. “Have a nice evening.”

Ellen Lane rolls her eyes and purses her lips, but gives a tight nod.

Before either of us can say anything else, Lois starts tugging at my arm. “Come on, Clark. I want to show you something.”

She rushes up the stairs, dragging me with her and I have no chance but to follow if I don’t want her to tumble down. I’m only too happy to get out of this hostile atmosphere, away from her parents who – as far as feeling loved goes – are more absent than mine.

“What is it with you, Sam?” I hear Ellen Lane on their way out. “It seems to me that you pay more interest in this boy than in your own daughters.”

“He’s a good kid. You know he’s been through a lot, and yet he’s working so hard to get back on his feet. I see a lot of myself in him.”

Ellen snorts. “Come on. You’ve never had a hard day in your whole life.”

“What I mean is, he’s ambitious.”

“Lois is ambitious, too. You just don’t see it. You don’t see anything past your work and your–”

“They’re fighting again, aren’t they?” Lois’ soft voice pulls me back to my immediate surroundings.

I heave a long sigh. “Yes.”

She scrunches up her nose. “Do all adults fight?”

I shrug. “I guess. Even my parents fought from time to time. But they always worked through their difficulties.”

“Kids fight, too,” she muses. “But then they make up again and play together. I wish my parents would stop yelling at each other all the time. It’s almost like they don’t even know how to say something nice.”

Her pain lances right through me. “At least they’re trying to learn how to make things better.”

She shakes her head and her lower lip quivers. “I just don’t think they love each other any more.”

Lois is probably right. “Love doesn’t always last a lifetime,” I say softly. “It’s not as easy as described in fairy tales - the prince kisses the princess and then they’re happy ever after. It takes work to get there, and compromising, and unfortunately also a lot of fighting.”

“It’s not always that easy in fairy tales,” Lois remarks. “I mean, Peter promised Wendy a good time in Neverland, but then she had to do all the work and take care of the Lost Boys and when she got homesick, he was angry because he wanted to keep her all for himself. And they fought.”

She climbs into bed and watches me intently as I sit down beside her.

“Which story did you want me to read you?” I ask her.

Her forehead creases in a slight frown as she contemplates the options. But then her expression changes and she looks at me again.

“You know, I think you’re my Peter,” she says quietly. “You came to my window and told me stories whenever I was sad. Much like he did with Wendy. And despite everything that happened between them, she loved him. And I love you, too.”

My chest constricts.

I shouldn’t even think it - but I do love her. She was my sole connection to the real world when I was living alone and detached from everything else.

In a way, she is as much my Wendy as I am her Peter. But the analogy only goes so far.

I shake myself, trying to get rid of that strange sense of connection I feel with her. She’s still a kid, I’m still thirteen years older than her and we’re never going to be more than friends for as long as she still wants us to be. I know she’s going to move on, eventually, and rightfully so.

“I care about you too.” I say past the lump in my throat. “However, I’m a little old for you, don’t you think?” I wink at her, trying not to feel that twinge of sadness that comes with that admission. “So, how about you pick a story that I read to you and then we say Good Night.”

“Wait a moment, there’s something I wanted to give you first. She jumps up from her bed and rushes over to her desk. “I found it in one of Granny's drawers. She said I could have it because she didn't need it anymore.”

Lois rummages a bit through various books and notepads and all the other stuff scattered all over the desk until she obviously finds what she is looking for.

Her expression is almost solemn as, finally, she returns, carrying the mysterious item in her hand. She clears her throat and holds out her hand, slowly unfolding it until I can see the silver thimble in her hand.

I blink. “What’s this?”

A huge grin spreads across her face. "What do you think? A kiss, of course. It’s for you, at least until I’m old enough for you to give me a real one.”

Happy Ficlet Friday!

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TOC

Love this so much. I'm glad the progression is slow and sensible. I also am really glad Lois has the chance to be a kid more than in canon, despite her parents being themselves.
Looking forward to more.

Thanks for another wonderful chapter! Clark really is Lois’s Peter and Lois is Clark’s Wendy but unlike Peter Pan, Clark grew up. I can’t wait for the next chapter! Thank you!

Oh, cool! Time jump!

Excellent!

Oh. Yuck. Sad that Clark couldn't prevent this, too, somehow, but I guess we can't really change people.

OMG, she's probably tested this to see what she can get away with!

Theeeeeere's the Sam Lane that Lois always described.

Love this description, and it's been totally backed up in the other chapters, which is so satisfying.

Oh... This is very clever to make Clark the son he always wanted.

Love how well the 8-year old can read him. Does she know about all of his powers? Seems like she takes the super-hearing in stride.

Yikes, she IS precocious! Kids understand so much, though, and usually more than they get credit for.

...and that's like 80% of the divorces in America... no, no, just kidding (mostly), but yikes, that story is really applicable over a wide span of things, isn't it? Such a great insert here, because this could totally just as easily be her parents' story.

This whole set-up is so sad.

OMG!

Alright, well, fascinating to see what page she's on!

These are so cute! Looking forward to where this goes in the next one!