For Elisabeth - sorry the story took so long. I'm sure it's still January 10th in some US time zone
I know that the rules stated that we didn't need to write an epic. Honestly, I tried to write a short little vignette, but sometimes the muse can be a tricksome little thing, especially when it wants to include a song.
Elisabeth's story requirements will be included at the end of the second post, which is now posted
here . Constructive criticism is welcome, especially since this is unbeta'd.
~ - ~
Ficathon: Feeling Christmas
By BJ (for Elisabeth)
LOIS
Just once, I'd like to _feel_ Christmas. Discover it, you know? Unwrap it and be surprised by how wonderful it is, instead of having it shoved relentlessly in my face like half-off coupons at a swap meet.
From _Season’s Greedings_ by Dean Cain
~ - ~
So this was Christmas.
Lois sighed softly as she laid her head against Clark’s shoulder and watched the snowflakes flurry past her window. Despite the Atomic Space Rats’ affect on everyone in Metropolis, she’d found the Christmas spirit this year. In the end, everyone had gotten the Christmas they wanted; Perry was with Alice, she’d helped clear things up between Jimmy and Angela and, after decorating her apartment, she’d surprised even herself by preparing a beautiful meal.
But she had been alone and the realization that she had no one to share her happiness with had threatened to overwhelm her. Surprisingly, she’d been determined not to lose the feeling of Christmas this year and the universe had rewarded her by sending her Clark. She squeezed his hand ever so slightly just to make sure it wasn’t a dream.
Clark never wanted to move. He stood with Lois at her window and listened to the carolers sing while the snow drifted lazily down. It was obvious that he had pleased her by coming over tonight and that made him happy. The long hug he’d received at the door had certainly made him glad he’d come. Even if his parents hadn’t encouraged him to spend Christmas Eve with Lois, seeing her joy would have made missing them tonight worth it.
He couldn’t believe she’d taken his hand and the look she’d given him just before the carolers had made their presence known had been shy and hopeful. Could she really have wanted him to kiss her? He knew he wanted to, but he was probably reading too much into her expression. Over the past few weeks, they’d grown closer, but he didn’t want to push Lois faster than she was willing to go. He planned to ask her out on a date, but hadn’t been able to work up the nerve yet. Probably tonight. Maybe. Well, soon anyway.
He turned his head to look at her and she glanced up at him, smiling brightly. “Snowed in, huh?”
He shrugged and smiled unabashedly at being caught out. “It’s only a matter of time. The storm is *supposed* to drop a couple of feet tonight…”
“Well, you’re just in time. Let’s eat.” She gripped his hand tighter in hers and tugged him toward the table.
“Wow, dinner looks great, Lois.” Clark leaned over the turkey and took a suspicious sniff before turning to look at her. “It smells good, too. Did you make it?”
“I made the turkey, the stuffing and the cranberries,” she admitted with pride.
He pulled out a chair for her and as she sat, his arms almost encircled her as he shifted her chair toward the table. Her breath caught at his closeness, but she covered cleverly by clearing her throat and reaching for her napkin. Her attempt to distract herself from the romantic thoughts toward her partner was foiled when he leaned down until his mouth almost brushed her hair. The errant thought that he was going to kiss her shoulder flashed through her mind, but she pushed it away. Instead, his head paused next to her ear and he whispered, “Is it edible?”
“Clark!” She gave a shocked gasp at his audacious question as he skipped away in anticipation of her retaliation. She glared at him as he took the seat next to her, but when she saw the teasing sparkle in his eye, she was unable to maintain her offended expression. “I can’t believe you said that.”
“Lois,” he said seriously as he settled in his chair. “I may be naïve about some things, but I’m not stupid. I wouldn’t say such a thing without cause. You’ve…um, ‘cooked’ for me before.”
Her mouth twisted at his statement. “Just for doubting me, you have to do all the clean-up after dinner.”
“Better than getting food poisoning,” he said seriously.
She shoved his shoulder in response and he laughed, raising both hands to signal surrender.
“Just sit down and eat, Kent.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
~ - ~
Two hours later, Clark closed the dishwasher and folded the dishtowel over the handle to dry. He picked up his wine glass from the counter and flicked off the kitchen light before moving into the living room. One small table lamp and the twinkling lights on Lois’ poor little Christmas tree illuminated the room in a warm, soft glow and a soft rendition of ‘White Christmas’ played in the background.
Clark couldn’t remember a night he’d enjoyed more. Lois’ good mood had continued through dinner and she’d even been receptive to his teasing. Over the past couple of months, especially since his ‘death’ and miraculous resurrection, he’d felt like they were growing closer. Although she hadn’t said anything, he was starting to feel that she saw him as more than a friend. If only there were some way to know for sure.
As he rounded the couch, his steps faltered at the picture Lois made, sitting on the loveseat with her feet curled underneath her. She was resting her head against one hand and staring into the distance, while her other hand swirled the remaining wine in her glass in lazy circles. He doubted she had any idea just how beautiful she looked tonight.
She seemed content and relaxed and the small smile playing about her lips informed him that whatever thoughts had stolen her attention were good ones. He moved to her side and settled onto the seat, shifting a couple of times to find a more comfortable position. He quickly gave up and set his glass on the coffee table. He turned toward her and his heart skipped a beat at the soulful look in her eyes.
“Lois?”
“Hmm?”
“Where’ve you gone?”
Her smile widened a little as she continued to stare at some distant memory. “To the last Christmas that felt this good. I was seven and Lucy was two. I remember Mom and Dad were getting along that year and my uncle Mike came to dinner on Christmas Eve dressed as Santa.”
“It sounds like a nice memory.”
Her eyes shifted to take him in and she smiled, a smile that made him feel just a little warmer.
“Thanks for coming, Clark. It means a lot to me that you’d give up Christmas Eve with your parents to spend time with me.”
He reached over to place his hand against her cheek and brushed his thumb along her cheekbone. “You’re worth it.”
Their gazes locked and for a moment Lois felt his unreserved adoration. She felt cherished when he looked at her like that, but those deep emotions also scared her. She felt safe with Clark, she always had, but taking their relationship farther – as she wanted and hoped that Clark wanted – threatened to destroy her only emotional sanctuary. Clark was her best friend and her partner. How could she jeopardize that?
Clark watched Lois’ cheeks redden before she dropped her eyes and he cursed himself for not restraining himself. Sometimes the intensity of his feelings scared him, too, and he should have been more careful. Remembering his forgotten wine glass, he picked his up and mirrored Lois’ actions as she took a quick sip. He pulled away from her physically to match the emotional distance her withdrawal had caused and an awkward silence settled between them.
The stilted atmosphere was broken when a lively rendition of ‘Jingle Bell Rock’ started playing. Never one to squander an opportunity, Clark set his glass down and jumped to his feet, startling Lois. He smiled and reached down with one hand, inviting her to join him.
“Would you like to dance?”
“Here?” she asked, eyeing her living room skeptically.
“Sure,” he said, helping her stand. “There’s more than enough room and you didn’t seem to mind dancing with me in the … um, on the night of the Kerth Awards.” He’d almost slipped and mentioned their mid-air dancing before he caught himself. Blundering like that was a sure way to ruin Lois’ Christmas. More and more he’d wanted to share his secret with her, but tonight was *not* the night to do it.
Lois smiled not only at the memory of dancing with him at the Kerth ceremony, but at the Embassy Charity Ball a few of weeks ago. She’d loved every minute she’d been in Clark’s arms and had been irritated when Mayson had interrupted them. Actually, the woman irritated her every time she came around, but when she intruded on their dance, it’d been particularly grating.
Well, he was here with her now with no chance of disruption – and Lois wasn’t about to throw away a chance to dance with Clark. She took his hand and rose to her feet with a smile. Clark’s responding smile threatened to buckle her knees and she was glad of his strong embrace.
He swept Lois into his arms as he moved them around the room, spinning and twirling her around her furniture until she was laughing out loud. Wanting to hear the sound of her laughter again, he sang a few bars along with the music until she placed a hand over his mouth, giggling madly. She sputtered a plea for him to stop, shaking her head even as she winced from the sound of his singing.
Dancing with her in private was much better than dancing with her at a public function; here he could pretend that she was dressed up just for him and there was no chance of interruptions. As the song ended, he moved to dip her so suddenly that she squealed in surprised delight.
They were both grinning widely when he lifted her back to her feet. “You need to follow Perry’s example,” she scolded with a grin. “At least he warns me about his tendency to dip.”
“Ah. If there’s one thing I’ve learned since coming to Metropolis, it’s that the King *always* listens to the Colonel.”
Lois laughed. “Well you might have the right dance moves to be the King, but you should leave the singing to others.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
When the music shifted to the next song, she snuggled against him again, laying her head on his shoulder as they swayed to Eartha Kitt’s sultry rendition of ‘Santa Baby.’ She sighed and her contented hum vibrated against his neck. His hand pressed closer against her back in response as he lost himself in the pleasure of holding her.
“Mmm, I love this song,” she said.
He pulled back in surprise. “You do?”
“Of course I do. It’s funny and sexy.”
“Huh,” he teased. “A hard-bitten newswoman like you? I don’t believe it.”
She narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips at his joking tone before pulling out of his arms. She looked around the room to locate her abandoned Santa hat by the fish tank and grinned at his confused expression. She picked it up and tugged it onto Clark’s head firmly. She swayed away from him before spinning back in character, singing along with the music.
Think of all the fun I've missed,
Think of all the fellas that I haven't kissed,
Next year I could be just as good,
If you'll check off my Christmas list.
She looked at him coyly from the corner of her eye when singing about the fun she’d missed and when she blew him a kiss at the end of the stanza, he felt a blush rising to his cheeks. Clark was immediately enthralled by Lois’ sensual display. She rarely let down her guard enough to act playful and tonight she was treating him like he was the center of her universe, a position usually reserved for Superman. It was heady.
Santa baby, I wanna yacht,
And really that's not a lot,
Been an angel all year,
Santa baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight.
Santa honey, there's one thing I really do need,
The deed
To a platinum mine,
Santa honey, so hurry down the chimney tonight.
He laughed as she acted out the lines, alternately approaching him to walk her fingers up his chest and then pushing away from him when he shook his head, denying her the items she wanted. She pouted for a second and then tapped her chin in thought before holding out her hand to croon the next lines.
Santa cutie, and fill my stocking with a duplex,
And checks.
Sign your 'X' on the line,
Santa cutie, and hurry down the chimney tonight.
Clark laughed again when she asked for a duplex and checks. He pulled his pockets inside out and shrugged. She pouted as she sang and then sauntered over to him, beguiling him with her walk. His eyes were drawn down her body as her hips swayed. Lois snuggled into his chest and he hummed with pleasure. He tried to take her in his arms again only to have her wriggle away to mime the signing of her name.
Come and trim my Christmas tree,
With some decorations bought at Tiffany's,
I really do believe in you,
Let's see if you believe in me.
As the lyrics shifted to trimming the tree, Lois spun around him to stand next to her pathetic little Christmas tree. She crooked her finger at him in invitation and he found himself taking the involuntary steps toward her. Her triumphant smile really did convince him that she believed in him and would give anything to convince her that he believed in her, too.
Her sensual movements reminded him of the first time he saw Lois singing like this. That performance at the Metro Club had changed his crush on Lois to full-blown infatuation and cemented his fate. He was then, and always would be, hers.
Santa baby, forgot to mention one little thing, a ring;
I don't mean on the phone,
Santa baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight,
Hurry down the chimney tonight.
Hurry … Tonight!
Lois held out her hand and wriggled her fingers to indicate she wanted a ring on it. In response, Clark dropped to one knee and placed one hand over his heart while holding the other out for her. His actions shocked her, but she recovered quickly and playing along, slinked forward to sink down to sit on his knee. She placed her hands on his cheeks to whisper the final words of the song. Impulsively, she leaned in to kiss him softly on the lips.
She pulled back and for a timeless moment, they stared into each other’s eyes. The jaunty attitude that had dominated the evening shifted to something a little more tender as she looked into Clark’s bedazzled gaze. She stood up and held out her hand to him before folding her arms around his waist and snuggling in for a hug.
“Merry Christmas, Clark.”
“Merry Christmas, Lois.”
She held on to him for another long moment, listening to his steady heartbeat before pulling away. Clark opened his mouth to say something and then, reconsidering, closed it again. Instead, he smiled at her and placed his hand on her cheek. The feel of his hand and the warmth in his gaze made her stomach flutter – only part of which was due to nerves. She didn’t know what he was going to say, but she wasn’t quite ready to talk about the kiss she’d given him or the feelings he evoked in her when he smiled.
“Well, it’s getting late,” she said.
Clark nodded in understanding. He’d learned a lot tonight about how Lois saw him, but she wasn’t quite ready to talk about it or accept a date. Maybe he’d angle for something on New Year’s instead. “Right,” he answered. “I’ve got an early flight. I should be going.”
“Thanks again for coming, Clark. This has been the best Christmas I can remember.”
“My pleasure, Lois.”
He gathered his coat and they shared another hug at the door. After a brief hesitation, Clark leaned down and was thrilled when she allowed him to place a quick, but soft kiss on her lips. “Goodnight, Lois.”
“Goodnight, Clark.”
As he practically floated down her hallway, he heard her hum a few bars of ‘Santa Baby’ before she giggled softly to herself. He couldn’t keep the smile from his face. Now that he was sure that Lois saw him as more than a partner, it was time to move forward.
A few minutes later, Lois slipped into bed with a smile. She pulled her teddy bear toward her and closed her eyes with a contented sigh.
No one noticed Superman doing barrel rolls as he sped westward through the night sky.
~ - ~
The next morning dawned cold and eerily quiet. Lois stretched as her clock radio turned on and then snuggled back down under her warm covers. She smiled contentedly as she remembered her evening with Clark. She’d had such a pleasant dream last night and she knew she owed it all to her best friend, partner, and something more. She thought again of the expression on his face after she kissed him and giggled. Definitely something more.
She glanced at the clock and figured that she had a little time before she had to get up. Although Perry always insisted on the staff working half shifts on Christmas Day, for the past several years Lois had volunteered to work so that others could be with their families. That was her official story, anyway. Focusing on work was how she traditionally dealt with the holiday and because Christmas Day was always a slow news day, she had to work twice as hard to find a scoop.
Given her newfound feeling for Christmas, maybe she’d join with the others working on the skeleton crew for eggnog and sing-along, a tradition she usually avoided like the plague.
<And in other news, Metropolis received record snowfall overnight, resulting in several minor power outages and one multiple car accident on the interstate. Superman was on the scene to assist and the Highway Patrol closed the roads soon afterwards… >
The bleak weather forecast interrupted her thoughts and she tossed off her covers, listening with half an ear as she started to get ready for the day. The newscaster followed up with a report on the closure of Metropolis airport, stating that all morning flights had been canceled due to hazardous conditions. The storm had left a crowd of weary and grumpy Christmas travelers stranded in the terminal and Lois felt a pang of sympathy for them. On the bright side, she realized, it might not be a slow news day after all.
The newscaster’s too cheery voice was wishing all of Metropolis a very merry, very *white* Christmas by the time the implication of his words sank in – Clark was stuck in Metropolis. She worried for a moment that he was stuck at the airport, too, but remembered that Clark knew about the storm and would have checked on his flight before leaving home. She felt at once both thrilled and guilty. Clark would miss out on Christmas with his folks because he’d stayed in town to spend the evening with her and now he really *was* snowed in.
She glanced at the clock again and then dashed to the bathroom to get ready. If she hurried, she’d have time to take Clark to breakfast before work. Remembering her resolve to enjoy Christmas this year, maybe she’d take her half shift today and spend the rest of Christmas with Clark.
~ - ~
Martha and Jonathan were just setting the table for breakfast when they heard the front door open and close.
“Clark, honey, is that you?”
They both heard the familiar whir of their son spinning into his civilian clothing before he appeared in the kitchen, his arms laden with wrapped packages. “Yeah Mom, it’s me. I just stopped in to drop off your presents. Merry Christmas!”
“Merry Christmas, son,” Jonathan replied. “You’re not staying?”
“I can stay for a little while, Dad, but Metropolis is buried under a foot of snow this morning and that means Superman will have a busy day. Besides, Lois knows I didn’t fly out here last night. With the airport closure, she might be suspicious if she finds out I’m here.”
Martha’s grin grew sly as Clark’s voice took on a dreamy tone when he mentioned Lois. Her boy had it bad. She set her mug of coffee down on the table and shared a knowing look with her husband. Although Jonathan had never wanted to delve into his son’s love life, her curiosity wouldn’t be denied. She caught Jonathan’s wink before she started her interrogation.
“You were with Lois until pretty late last night. I think I heard you land about three o’clock this morning,” she said casually.
Clark smiled knowingly and leaned over to kiss his mother’s cheek before stealing a slice of bacon from her plate. Martha’s hand snaked out at near super-speed and smacked the back of his hand for his bad manners, but Clark just grinned. “Sorry if I woke you, Mom. I left Lois’ place around midnight, but didn’t feel like sleeping yet, so I stayed out flying.”
Clark was still on a high from his night with Lois. He had intended to fly straight to Kansas after dinner, but instead he had continued on around the world, soaking up the Christmas atmosphere on several continents. He’d taken his time, flying slowly as he thought again and again about how Lois had kissed him, and had found himself over South Africa around eight o’clock Christmas morning.
Unable to resist the impulse, Clark swooped down to a jewelry store he’d discovered on his travels. He knew the shop would be closed on Christmas Day and had only thought to look at some of the displays through the window, but the proprietor had shown up unexpectedly and had seen Clark’s longing gaze. Clark had quickly been invited inside and twenty minutes later Clark had exited the building with an engagement ring in hand. He’d dropped his purchase off in Metropolis before finally returning to Kansas, but in his excitement, he hadn’t remembered his parents’ gifts until he’d awoken this morning.
“From the smile on your face, I take it things went well with Lois?”
Clark's smile grew. He knew his mom would keep at him until he told her everything, so he decided to come clean. Over bacon and eggs, Clark filled his parents in – from the look on Lois’ face when she’d opened the door, to his feeling that Lois was starting to see him as more than just a friend – amid their excited exclamations. After one prompt from his mother, he also told them about his impetuous purchase in the middle of the night.
Martha was beaming by the time Clark paused to take a sip of coffee, but his father looked concerned. “Are you sure you’re not moving too fast, son? From what we know about Lois, it may be a while yet before she is willing to risk her heart.”
Clark nodded. “I know I need to take baby steps and all I’ve really decided to do is ask her out. I’m not going to propose to her … yet.”
They finished breakfast amid a genial and loving atmosphere. Before the meal was over, it had been decided that the Kents would accompany Clark back to Metropolis and use the time to visit with Aunt Opal. Since Clark couldn’t leave Metropolis, his father had reasoned, he and his mother would come to him.
“Besides,” Martha divulged with a smirk, “I want to see this ring.”
~ - ~
Bundled up in the warmest, yet most alluring clothing she owned, Lois set out for Clark’s place on foot. The plows were busy digging Metropolis out from under the snow, but the streets still weren’t safe for either her jeep or a cab. Besides, Clark’s place was on the way to the Daily Planet. She’d just have to walk.
Despite her precautions, she was shivering by the time she arrived at Clark’s apartment. She paused in front of his door to remove her gloves and hat and raised her hand to knock when she heard a sound that stopped her cold – Clark’s voice accompanied by a much too feminine laugh. Unable to stop herself, she peeked through the glass door to see Clark smiling broadly at a head of blonde hair seated on his sofa. Who could it possibly be? The only person she could think of was …
Mayson.
Lois felt her heart clench painfully before dropping like a stone into the pit of her stomach. She glanced quickly at her wristwatch and her annoyance with the bottle-blonde attorney flashed to anger. What was *she* doing here so early Christmas morning? And how the hell did she know that Clark would even be home? He was supposed to be in Kansas.
Lois ignored the obvious answers that flashed through her mind and glanced through the glass again. What she saw practically stopped her heart. Clark was holding a small, velvet jewelry box in his hands and while she watched, he dropped to one knee – very much like he’d done the night before – and opened the box with a shyly hopeful look. Even from this distance, the brilliant diamond caught the light and the beauty of the ring dazzled her.
Her pulse started to race as he took the ring out of the box and extended his hand toward that … that… hussy, before she could wrench her eyes away. She leaned against the brick on his landing and tried to slow her racing breath through the huge lump that had grown in her throat. When she felt the sting of tears in her eyes, she knew that she had to get out of there before Clark or his *fiancé* discovered her lurking on the stoop.
She tiptoed down the stairs and dashed out of the building. She tried to run, but the depth of the new-fallen snow made it practically impossible. No longer feeling the cold, she sadly trudged through the empty streets of Metropolis toward the Daily Planet. Try as she might, she couldn’t stop thinking about how this would change things between them. How could he be her best friend if he was married to Mayson?
Lois couldn’t believe how badly she’d misjudged his feelings toward her. Just last night, she was sure that Clark had been interested in more than just friendship. The looks and touches he’d given her had thrilled her, but if he could spend an evening like that with her and then propose to another woman the next morning, she’d severely misjudged things. He really was only a friend.
She refused to think of what she’d just lost, even if it’d been in her own mind. Somehow overnight, the image of Clark kneeling to propose to her had traveled from her head into her heart. Twice she’d had the chance to tell him how she felt – once after her disastrous near wedding to Lex and again after his miraculous return from the dead – but she’d waited too long.
Her depressing thoughts were interrupted when another brave soul passed her on his way to work and called out a cheerful Christmas greeting. She glared at him until he ducked his head and continued on his way. Her wonderful feeling of Christmas was truly gone now, replaced with a Clark-sized hole in her heart.
The man she’d fallen in love with, the best man she’d ever known, was marrying another woman.
‘Merry Christmas to me,’ Lois thought sourly. Just like every other year, she couldn’t wait for it to be over.
~ - ~
tbc…
