Hey guys, thanks to all the people who left comments on the last chapter.
I know it's a little slow right now, but things will pick up later, I promise!
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“Come on, Farmboy, you said something about ice skating?”
Lois stood up from the couch and held out her hand for him to grab. He pulled himself up, only extending a slight pressure on Lois’ outstretched arm while utilizing the powerful muscles of his calves to support most of his weight.
“That sounds great. Let me go get you something warmer to wear, do you mind using my mom’s skates?”
Lois shook her head and Clark gave her a soft smile before disappearing into the closet. He emerged with a thick woolen jacket, some gloves and a pair of beautiful tan skates.
“I hope these fit,” he said. He slid on a leather jacket and joined her on the couch to put his black skates on.
Lois managed to get the skates on and stood—a little unsteadily—on her feet. She glared at the linoleum of the kitchen floor. How was she supposed to get across that balancing on two tiny strips of metal?
Lois had suggested ice skating as a way to relieve the pressure of the moment. She had forgotten she was terrible at it.
Clark easily stood, balancing with a practiced ease and grace. Lois wobbled slightly and stuck her tongue out at him. “Show off,” She muttered.
Clark gallantly extended his arm and she took it grudgingly.
“I’m better once I’m on the ice,” she said petulantly. Almost as soon as the words left her lips, she slipped slightly, digging her fingers into Clark’s shoulder as she desperately tried to right herself.
Clark masterfully bore the brunt of the assault while trying to control his laughter. Inch by inch, they awkwardly slid to the kitchen door. By the time they had only gone three feet in as many minutes, Clark couldn’t help it. He burst out laughing, a deep, rich sound that filled Lois with unexplainable warmth. Lois detested being laughed at, preferring to be the instigator rather than the unfortunate victim, but for once she didn’t feel threatened. She started to join him, but her laughter turned into a startled gasp as he swiftly lifted her up and into his arms, crossing the kitchen in four long strides.
He set her down gently once they were away from the slick linoleum and she stared at him in incredulity.
“I can’t believe you can walk on those things, let along carry me across the floor with them on!” Her tone was admiring, but for some reason Clark looked uncomfortable.
“It’s nothing, really.” He paused to see if she would add more and when she opened her mouth to, cut her off. “I skate pretty frequently during the winter. I get a lot of practice; my mom’s not much more coordinated than you are.”
He softened the blow with a brilliant smile and she couldn’t stay angry.
They started the trek to the pond, Lois going much more quickly on the brittle dirt and snow than on the sleek linoleum. The pond was about a hundred feet from the farmhouse, and by the end of the first fifty, Lois was beginning to regret her brilliant suggestion.
“Clark, why do humans strap these torture contraptions onto themselves?”
Clark turned in surprise and had to conceal another smile. Why did he find himself smiling and trying not smile so many times in Lois’ presence? He had never had such a compulsion before. He gave in to the temptation and placed his hand on the small of Lois’ back, encouraging her forward.
“Come on, we’re almost there.”
Lois mumbled a few words of protest, but her eye had an excited sparkle. The chill had reddened her cheeks and the rough wind blew some rogue strands of coffee colored hair across her face. She looked beautiful
Clark swallowed slightly and looked away toward the pond. He had never had such… a violent outpouring of emotion before. It was all he could to master it.
The reached the edge of the pond and Clark watched in silent admiration as Lois squealed in delight.
The pond really was beautiful, framed by trees on all sides. In the spring and summertime, the long branches skimmed the top of the water, creating an idyllic haven for a lonely boy. Now the branches were bare, glittering with ice and exposing the ancient tire swing Clark had spent many hours swinging on.
Clark lowered his glasses slightly and unobtrusively scanned the ice. It looked to be about six inches thick, plenty to hold both him and Lois. He stepped onto the ice, fluently gliding a few feet and then spinning around to face Lois. She was hesitating by the side, one foot on the ice, the other firmly planted on the ground.
Clark moved toward her, silently taking her arm and helping her place both feet onto the ice. She stood unsteadily for a moment, looking like she would fall at the slightest breeze.
Switching his feet in an effortless pattern, Clark skated sideways, keeping a wary eye on Lois. She took a few tentative steps, then paused, pleased at the progress. Taking a few longer strides, Lois bit back a delighted grin as she eased back into the old rhythm. The ice was slick, but her blade cut through the ice smoothly, leaving a slight indention in her wake.
Seeing that Lois was okay, and moving fairly well on her own, Clark removed himself from his vigilant watch over her and shot across the ice. He turned sharply and sent a shower of ice skittering across the flat top of the frozen water.
Lois was practicing closer to the edge, satisfied at her progress. She sped up slightly, feeling confident enough to leave the relative safety of the border. Moving with firm, if not completely confident strokes, Lois blazed across the ice, trying to catch up with Clark.
She was increasing speed drastically and she realized with a sick feeling of dread that she had forgotten how to stop. She had seen Clark’s sharp turn, but her slight attempt to mimic it resulted in her nearly collapsing on the ice. She fought the clawing panic and eased into a turn, trying to figure out how to gracefully tumble onto the ice. She whipped her head back and forth to see if she could latch into a tree branch or some other convenient hold, but they all looked either too flimsy or too high.
Lois was so intent on her task of finding a way to surreptitiously stop; she didn’t pay attention to what lay ahead of her. Her head still turned toward the trees lining the bank, she plowed straight into Clark.
With a strangled scream from both of them and a sudden rush of frigid air, Lois felt herself falling. She immediately squeezed her eyes shut in vain preparation for the unyielding surface. She landed heavily, but not on freezing ice.
Clark landed soundly on the ice, his head whipping backward with a resounding crack. He winced, more from the feeling that there should be pain rather than any hurt he was actually experiencing. His invulnerability was a relatively new discovery, and he hadn’t learned to school his fleeting, subconscious reactions yet.
Lois landed on top of him, firmly pressing him into the ice. One skate blade was wedged resolutely in the ice from where she had slammed it. For a moment they both were too stunned to move. Then Lois sat up, still sitting on Clark’s stomach and tried to yank her skate from the ice. Succeeding after a few attempts, she quickly scurried off his body and knelt beside him. Completely ignoring the freezing plane below her, Lois worriedly scanned his face.
“Clark! Are you okay? Oh Clark, I’m so sorry!” She moved one hand to his silky black hair, gently threading the fingers of one hand through it. “Did you hurt your head?”
Clark had regained his senses by then and sat up, eager to reassure her that he was all right. She removed her fingers and he felt a sharp stab of disappointment.
“I’m okay, are you?” He tried to discern if she had any injuries.
“I’m all right, I had a cushioned landing,” she said, giving him a soft smile. “But you… we hit the ground hard, are you sure you’re ok? Do you need me to go get help?”
Clark ran one hand through his hair and shook his head. “I’m really fine…. But thank you.” He met her anxious gaze with a steadfast one of his own. To prove his point, he stood, easing her up with him. He still wasn’t sure if she was telling the truth about a lack of injuries. It was true that a fair amount of her had landed on him…that hadn’t been such an altogether unappealing moment, but it was a pretty strong jolt. He kept his hands firmly on her waist, supporting her.
“I’m really okay, Clark” Lois tried to laugh and move away, but winced slightly. She favored her right ankle and Clark’s arm was around her waist and holding her almost before she realized she was limping.
Clark supported Lois for a few seconds before giving a frustrated groan at their slow pace. He scooped her in his arms yet again and then with a few quick strokes, had them at the edge of the pond.
Lois was freezing in his arms and he sighed. As much as he liked having her this close, it was starting to become ridiculous.
As he trekked back to the house, no small feat considering he was on skates, he gave a thoughtful grin to the woman in his arms.
“Do you always attract trouble like this?”
She harrumphed, obviously disliking the feeling of helplessness.
“Only since I’ve met you,” She responded shortly, crossing her arms over her chest. The gesture looked so incongruous while she was being carried that Clark couldn’t help a short burst of laughter.
He was x-rayed her ankle and saw that it was not broken, though there was a nasty bruise covering the side. He sighed in relief. It probably wasn’t even sprained; the muscle looked fine, just severely bruised. She’d be walking after a good night’s sleep.
