Previously:
Clark groaned and broke the kiss, leaving both of them panting for breath. The inevitability of where their kisses were leading pounded in his head and through his veins. He stared at her mouth, fascinated by the way her lips were swollen from their kisses. At that moment he was absolutely certain that if she kissed him again he would not be able to pull away.
He brushed his fingers over her cheek before tracing the lush fullness of her lower lip. "If you want me to share a sleeping bag with you tonight, we have to stop."
"Or what?" she teased. Her fingers combed through his hair, sending a shiver down his spine. "What happens if we don't stop?"
Clark let out a shaky laugh. "Do you really need me to explain it to you?"
"You could show me." Lois trailed one hand down his back, sending another shiver through him. She smiled at the thought of Clark ravishing her while everyone else sat around the campfire. It was a darn good thing their tent was at least thirty feet away from anyone else's.
His eyes slipped closed for a moment as he fought for a vestige of control. "I'm serious, Lois. We have to stop."
"Or what? You'll unzip the bags?" she teased dreamily. Was thirty feet enough distance? Or would they have to be quiet? She giggled at the thought.
Outside the cow bell began to clang.
"That's dinner," she told him with a disappointed sigh as he pulled away from her. "Looks like you've been saved by the bell."
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Part 8/?
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Clark didn't want to linger around the fire after dinner. He leaned closer to Lois to quietly ask if she wanted to go for a walk. She nodded and he stood, holding his hand out to help her up. They walked towards the lake as the sun began to sink below the peak they had climbed that day.
"You okay?" she asked him once they were far enough away from the group not to be overheard.
Clark nodded. "I just had to get away."
"You really don't like the recognition, do you?" she asked with a sidelong glance at him.
"They're acting like I did something extraordinary. It wasn't. That wasn't bravery - that was just something I could do to help. In a way it's a lot less personal to be Superman."
"You know what?" she said. "I'd be willing to bet that, even without superpowers, you still would have helped Debbie."
Clark shrugged.
"You're that kind of guy, Clark. You're the nicest person I know. And you're nice just to be nice. You don't have an ulterior motive. That used to drive me crazy, when we first met. I was sure you were only being nice because you were up to something."
"I thought you thought I was a naive hick," he said lightly.
"Oh, I did. A naive hick who was up to something."
He grinned at her. "When did you finally decide that I wasn't?"
"What? Up to something? Or a naive hick?"
"Both, I guess."
"I don't know." They had reached the shore of the lake and Lois stopped. Instead of admiring the sunset she looked up at him in assessment. "I guess at some point I must have stopped thinking you were a hick. Probably when you schmoozed Toni Taylor so effectively."
"I schmoozed Toni Taylor?"
"Didn't you? She was no blushing schoolgirl and yet you had her wrapped around your little finger."
"But you still think I'm naive?"
"Sweet-tempered," she corrected. "There's a difference. Once I realized that was your personality, I stopped thinking you were naive and started considering you sweet-tempered."
"Did you deduce that from Toni, too?"
She laughed and shook her head. "Do you remember that awful Barbara Trevino? When she was out to get me? And you insisted on being my bodyguard?"
"I remember you told me not to take it personally that I wouldn't be your first choice of bodyguards. And you accused me of trying to kill you."
She gave him a dismissive wave. "Yeah, anyway. Trevino had called me at home and threatened me and the first place - the only place - I wanted to go was to stay with you. Remember? You let me sleep on your couch?"
"I remember." He smiled at the memory. He hadn't dared to fall asleep that night, afraid that she might stumble into his bedroom and see him with his glasses off.
"That was when I realized that being with you made me feel just as safe and secure as being with Superman." She rolled her eyes at her own ignorance. "Not that I was about to admit that to you at the time."
Clark stepped behind her and put his arms around her, resting his cheek against hers to watch the water of the lake turn a molten red and orange.
"Are you glad you came?" he asked quietly.
"Are you kidding?" She patted his elbow. "I might even break down and thank Perry for sending us when we get back. What about you?"
"I'm glad we're here." Clark closed his eyes, letting his chin drop to rest on her shoulder. All the sounds around him - the quiet murmur of conversation around the fire, the chirping of insects, the soft lap of water against the shore - they were all subsumed by the soft cadence of her heartbeat. He swayed on his feet a little, rocking her in his arms. She relaxed against him, letting him support both of them, and he let out a soft sigh. "I'm so glad we're here."
Lois stroked her hand along his arm. She knew he didn't just mean here on the shore of this lake. He meant here, full circle in their relationship.
"I wish we could just stay like this," she said softly. "I wish we didn't have to go back in a few more days. I mean, I miss my apartment and going to work, but there's just something about being separate from the rest of the world here that I really like."
"Mmm," he hummed in agreement without opening his eyes. He turned his head slightly and kissed her neck, working his way slowly towards her mouth. Her head tipped back against his shoulder to give him access and her hand moved to the back of his head.
"I've missed kissing you," she told him as his lips brushed along her jaw. "Yesterday morning, when I kissed you, it was only because I never got to kiss you goodbye."
"That was the only reason?" he teased, kissing the corner of her mouth.
"That's what I thought," she hedged.
"Why else?" He opened his eyes and saw that she had closed hers. Her lips were parted and waiting for his kiss. He dipped his head to let his lips drift tantalizingly close to hers.
"Hmm?" Lois had completely lost track of the conversation. "Why else what?"
"Why else did you kiss me yesterday morning?"
"It seemed like such a good idea." She caught his lower lip between hers and ran her tongue over it. His hand came up to cradle her cheek, holding her to the kiss.
"It was a good idea," he breathed. "And it was one heck of a good dream there for a few seconds."
She tilted her face away from his. "A dream you still won't tell me about." Her eyes had a mischievous glint to them now.
Clark blushed. "I don't, I, uh..."
She laughed. "Don't tell me. It's more fun to make it up in my head than to hear the truth."
"Look, Lois, about, uh..."
She decided to spare him the embarrassment. Now that they weren't locked in a clinch she was a little nervous herself by the possibilities that lay ahead. "I thought I told you on the first day here that sharing a tent with me wasn't going to give you conjugal rights."
When he smiled at her she wanted to take the words back.
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It felt like the most natural thing in the world to climb in beside her at bedtime. Lois had moved the pillow to his side of the bag and he asked her if she no longer wanted it.
"I have you now," she said and laid her head against his chest.
Clark closed his arms around her and grinned into the darkness. "Wouldn't holding you while you sleep be considered a conjugal right?" he teased.
"That's not what I meant by conjugal rights," she retorted and he could hear the smile in her voice.
He was tempted to ask her to elaborate but decided it wasn't worth the risk. Lois sighed and stroked her hand along his arm.
"I love you, Clark," she whispered.
"I love you, too," he answered, tightening his arms around her in a brief hug.
A couple of minutes went by as he listened to the now familiar nighttime sounds of the trees rustling in the breeze and her breathing. How in the world was he ever going to sleep alone after this?
"Clark? Have you thought about what we're going to write about this trip?"
"No, not really. What are you thinking we should write? Have you decided what the angle for the story should be?"
"How about finding intimacy through near-death experiences? Although, somehow, I don't think Rich would like that one."
"No." Clark laughed with her. "I don't think he would."
"Besides, we've had lots of near-death experiences and they never brought us together like this," Lois said with a sigh that created a bloom of warmth on his skin.
"Maybe we should point out that it's a world apart? That people can come up here and lose all their everyday distractions and worries and just concentrate on what matters most to them?" Clark kissed the top of her head. "The first couple of days I actually felt guilty, wondering what I was missing back in Metropolis - if there was anyone who needed my help."
"You don't wonder that now? She lifted her head in curiosity, barely able to make out his features in the dim moonlight.
"Not really," he admitted. "It's not that helping others isn't important to me. It's just that helping others isn't the most important thing to me."
"I am?" she whispered.
"Yes, absolutely."
Her cheek came to rest against him again and then she let out a soft giggle. "That was really good, Clark. Not bad for a hick."
"A sweet-tempered hick," he reminded her.
She giggled again. "My sweet-tempered hick."
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The next morning the sky was gray. Rich and Dave had a brief conference where they argued over whether to attempt a hike or not. Dave told him it should be a group decision.
"Can't we just have a day off?" Bob asked. "Especially after yesterday, uh," his gaze darted between Debbie and Clark, "I think we all just want a rest."
There were murmurs of agreement from the rest of the group and Rich acquiesced, allowing that it was a good day to relax and concentrate on their interpersonal relationships.
"We've been working on conflict resolution and I'm sure you all remember that one of our rules of conversation was to take a listening stance," Dave started out. "Today let's work on preparing ourselves to listen. Let's all take a deep, cleansing breath and relax."
Lois did so, although she still felt a little silly participating in the group sessions.
"That's the first step," Dave continued. "Whenever you have anything important to discuss, you should try to take a deep breath first. It's calming - and calm is always the best way to discuss things. Look around you before you begin your conversation and try to remove as many distractions as you can. You can't really listen if you're driving in the car, or the TV is on, or the phone is ringing. Get rid of all those distractions first so that the channels of communication can be clear."
Rich let out a long sigh and stood up, leaving the group abruptly. Dave continued as if nothing had happened.
"You should sit or face the other person and have an open body posture. Don't cross your arms or look around the room while you're listening. Focus on listening, and not on what you're going to say in response. Encourage your partner to share their issues as fully as possible. Don't interrupt, but be sure to ask for clarification if you need it. When you answer, restate what they have told you to make sure that you're understanding them. And always, always validate the other person's concerns, even if you find them trivial."
There was deep boom and the ground shook beneath them. Everyone looked up, startled, as the first fat drops of rain began to fall.
"Okay, that's it for now," Dave said and stood up. "The day is yours."
Everyone made a dash to take shelter in their tents.
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Lois looked at the cards in her hand and sighed. She was losing, she just knew it. Clark had that smug little smile on his face that he always got when he was winning. The rain outside was showing no sign of letting up and she was starting to regret wearing shorts that morning since the temperature outside was continuing to drop. She set her cards face down and reached for her backpack.
"It's your turn," Clark told her.
"I know," she said. "Just give me a second." She pulled her sweat pants out of her backpack and frowned at them. They were filthy. She had worn them for two days in a row and she wasn't sure she wanted to put them on again. Irritated, she pushed them back inside her pack and flung it to the side.
"Try not to touch the sides of the tent," Clark cautioned her. "It breaks the surface tension and will create a leak."
She fought the urge to say something snide; he wasn't to blame for the rain. She picked her cards up and pulled two out to discard. The two new cards she drew were just as useless. Clark picked up one of her cards and she mentally chastised herself for helping him out.
"So, Clark, if you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you want to be?" she asked as she contemplated her cards.
Clark laughed. "Honestly? Right here."
"I'm serious!" She put another card down and drew. Finally, something she could use.
"So am I." Clark drew another card and then smiled at her.
"Stuck in a tent during a thunderstorm?"
"With you," he prompted. "As long as it's with you." His smile widened and he set down his cards. "Gin. The fact that you're losing to me just sweetens the moment."
Lois tossed her cards at him. Outside there was a brilliant flash of light accompanied by a simultaneous boom of thunder.
"Geez!" she squealed in surprise as she flinched. "Please tell me you're faster than lightning."
"If I have to be." Clark gave her a wink.
"Then I probably should stop being a sore loser, huh?"
"I'd save you regardless."
"Thanks."
"So what about you?" he asked as he gathered the cards together again. "Where would you rather be right now?"
"Do you remember when you took me up in the clouds?"
"I don't think you'd want to be up in the clouds today."
"Probably not. I didn't mean the clouds, necessarily. I meant flying with you, like that." She looked away, suddenly feeling shy. "That night was maybe the happiest I've ever been. There was something so free and wonderful about just floating above everything in your arms."
"When we get back to Metropolis, I'll take you flying."
She took the cards from him and set them behind her before taking one his hands in hers. "I'd like that very much." She smoothed her fingers over the back of his hand, marveling at the strength she knew it held. She lifted his hand, brushing a kiss along the base of his thumb. Then she held his hand to her cheek.
When she looked up at him his eyes had gone dark and she let out a small gasp at the flash of heat that shot through her.
Clark leaned forward and kissed her, slow and deep, his mouth moving with deliberate skill on hers. Lois clung to him, holding him to the kiss as she lay back and brought him with her. His tongue and teeth lingered and memorized her until Lois felt nearly drunk on the sensation. Dizzy and drowning in need, she broke their kiss to catch her breath. When her eyes opened all she could see was the way his hair was tousled and his lips were wet from their kisses.
"You look good in the Suit and all, but you look even better right now." She smoothed her hand over the t-shirt he was wearing.
"Yeah? Why's that?" he asked with a lazy grin.
"You know how to fill out a t-shirt. It's distracting really." When he laughed softly her forehead furrowed in thought. "Do I ever wear anything that distracts you?"
"Everything you wear distracts me." He nipped at her earlobe, delighting in the small moan she made.
"I'm serious!" She smacked his shoulder to try and bring his attention back to their conversation.
"So am I." He covered her mouth with his for a quick kiss and then he pulled his head back slightly. "There is one dress, in particular, that I remember. But you didn't wear it for me."
"What was it? How do you know I wasn't wearing it for you?"
"You were on a date with Luthor. It was the night we were held hostage at the Planet. That black dress you wore. That dress should be illegal."
"That dress? Really?" Lois grinned at him. "Illegal? Why?"
"Do you have any idea how good you looked in that dress?"
"I still have it. I'll wear it for you sometime."
Clark let out a shaky sigh. "You'd better not."
"Why not?"
"Lois, every time you turned sideways I could see half your breast. A few more millimeters and nothing would have been left to the imagination. It would be absolute torture to see you wear it again."
"You were looking at my breasts?"
"Every man there took at least a peek. God, I just wanted to shoot Lex myself. Somewhere much lower than where Fuentes shot him."
"Why did you want to shoot Lex? It's not like he bought me the dress."
"He was so smug, so arrogant, so... lucky."
She giggled and leaned down for another kiss, wanting more of his kisses. It dawned on her that this might be a risky idea. There was no one to stop them this time. Everyone else was waiting out the storm in their tents. Rich wasn't going to wander through the storm and ring the cow bell.
When the kiss ended he saw that her chin was looking pink. "I think we'd better stop." His thumb stroked over her chin. "I'm hurting you."
"Or you could shave," she giggled.
He sat up and took a small mirror from his backpack. "I don't think you've ever seen this," he told her. He took his glasses off and held the mirror out, his eyes narrowing at his reflection. She watched in fascination as the stubble disappeared from his face. When he set the mirror aside she reached over to touch his face.
"Soft," she told him and kissed his cheek. "Mmm. That's nice. Do you do legs?"
He laughed and kissed her. "What if I burned you?"
"Just do a test patch on my ankle or something."
"Lois..." He wavered, intrigued by the idea of an uninterrupted, fully sanctioned ogling of her legs.
"Come on, Superman, show me what you can do." She nudged him with her knee, suddenly very glad that she had worn shorts.
Clark moved to kneel next to her feet. "You'll tell me if it feels like it's too warm, won't you?"
"Sure." Lois put her arms behind her head, feeling woozy and yet alert at the same time.
His hand closed over her foot, pulling her sock off and then lifting her ankle free of the sleeping bag. "Are you ready?"
"Mmhmm."
She saw him swallow and then her ankle felt pleasantly warm, but not hot. She giggled, flexing her toes and the sensation stopped.
"Am I hurting you?"
"No." She shook her head emphatically. "Not at all. Is it working?"
His fingers brushed over her ankle and they both let out a little sigh. "Yes," he said huskily.
"Then keep going."
He lifted her leg a little higher and the warmth moved to the back of her leg. She watched him, the thought crossing her mind that she was literally feeling the heat of his gaze. All at once it was too intense to watch so she closed her eyes, concentrating only on the sensation as it slowly traveled up and around her leg. His fingers stroked over her skin to check his work and then he set her leg back down with a lingering caress. Seconds later he lifted her other foot and took off her sock.
She relaxed into his touch, happily giving herself over completely to this simple intimacy. It was amazing, what he was doing to her. The muscles in her limbs seemed to have turned to mud, not to mention the alarmingly advanced condition between her thighs. Did he have any idea what he was *really* doing to her right now?
Clark slid the back of his fingers over her shin, finding it smooth and sleek. "How's that?" he asked softly.
She sat up and rubbed her leg before giving him a delighted grin. "That's so much better than shaving. You never cease to amaze me, Clark."
"Don't I?" He couldn't help but reach out and run his fingers over her knee. She was a constant source of wonder to him, it was only fair that he could surprise her now and again.
"Aren't we supposed to be listening to each other?" she asked. "Why don't you tell me about that dream of yours?"
"I thought you didn't want to know. That it was better left to the imagination." He didn't want to stop touching her so his fingers circled her knee again.
"I changed my mind." Lois shrugged.
"What made you change your mind?" he asked.
"Reporter's instincts."
Clark let out a laughing sigh. "You're just not going to let this one drop, are you?"
"Giving up was never in my nature."
"No, it's not," he agreed.
Lois took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "See, I'm ready. I've taken a deep breath, I couldn't possibly be more relaxed and I'm obviously facing you in a very open listening position."
"What about distractions?" he asked.
"No distractions. All I'm thinking about is you." She scooted back a little, taking her knee away from him. She smiled at him and held her hand out. "Isn't this how your dream starts, Clark? You come home and I hold my hand out to you and smile?"
Clark had to take a deep breath of his own. "Yes," he whispered.
"Then what happens? See, I'm going to ask for lots of clarification - just so you know that I'm listening intently."
"Then I kiss you." He still couldn't quite make his voice obey him as he took the hand she was holding out.
"Show me." She tugged him closer to her and he came readily enough, kneeling next to her on the sleeping bag.
"Is this show or tell?" he asked softly.
"Both." Her smile widened. "First you tell me; then you show me."
He cupped her face in his hand as he told her, "I think we kiss for a really long time."
"You think?" she teased. "You don't know for sure?"
"Time is weird in dreams." He kissed her as his mind raced, wondering just how much of the dream he dared to show her.
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End 8/?
