From Part 15 ...
Lois heard a sound in the chambers and hastily dropped the book back onto the bed. She swung around, painfully aware that if Kal had picked up any skills at all in reading body language, he would know she had seen the picture.
Kal walked in. He stepped right up to her. “Lois,” he said.
Lois swallowed around the impossibly big obstruction in her throat. “Y.yes, Kal.”
“Are you writing?”
“N.not right at the m.m.moment.”
“Good,” Kal said. “Because there is something I want to do with you. Something I would like us to try together.”
Part 16
Lois could feel her heart thrashing around her chest.
Her lungs felt like they were being squeezed into a tiny, intractable mould.
“What?” she attempted to say, except it wasn’t actually possible to summon enough air to vibrate her vocal cords.
“I’d like both of us to turn off our Translators,” Kal said. “I want you to talk to me. I want to see how much I can underst-.”
“Trans –.“ Lois swallowed, then her air came with a rush. “Are you crazy, Kal? If I turn off my translator, I won’t be able to communicate with anyone. And what if you *can’t* speak my language? I’ll be totally isolated. And even if you *can* learn my language, it’s going to take a lot of time and even then I’ll only be able to talk to you and that means –.“
Kal placed his hands on her shoulders. “Lois,” he said solemnly. “I wouldn’t ask you to do anything that would hurt you.”
Lois eyed him, her breath still coming unevenly.
“The Translators can be turned on again,” Kal assured her quietly.
“And still work?” Lois asked dubiously. “You know that for sure? How many times have you turned off yours?”
“I haven’t,” Kal admitted. His fingers dived into the dark hair above his left ear, hesitated for a moment, then dropped. He opened his mouth and spoke in the guttural sounds she remembered from before they had inserted her translator.
“No, Kal!” Lois screamed. “No! Turn it back on. I need to be able to communicate with you. I can’t do this without you.”
Kal again reached into his hair.
“Kal?” Lois shrilled.
“Yes, Lois,” he said calmly.
Lois clung to him. “Don’t do that to me again, Kal,” she begged.
She felt his arms surround her. As she snuggled into his chest, Lois experienced a poignant sense of having found the one place she truly belonged. She relaxed against him, relishing his closeness, his warmth, his strength.
She didn’t have – didn’t *want* to have – the willpower to back away. What she *wanted* to do was reach up, find his mouth and allow her instincts the freedom of expression they were demanding.
Then she remembered the diagram.
Kissing him now - particularly kissing him the way she wanted to ... she couldn’t do that unless she was prepared to go much further than kissing.
And she was.
But she wasn’t sure now was the right time.
And what she had with Kal was too good ... too perfect ... to risk just because her hormones had gone into meltdown over one superbly-honed male body.
Lois reluctantly slid her hands from his shoulders, enjoying every inch of the journey. When she reached the arch of his ribcage, she lingered, unable to force herself to sever their contact.
He glanced down and she saw the glimmer of his smile.
Then he looked up ... into her eyes ... and his hands cupped her shoulders. “Lois, it is so we can always communicate that I want to do this. I want to be able to speak your language. I want to know that whatever happens, nothing can come between us.”
“You’re worried the translators will fail?” she asked anxiously.
He hesitated. “None of them have ever failed,” he admitted. “But yours was old when we inserted it ...”
“But it’s not just that, is it?” she asked softly.
Kal took a deep breath. “I want to be closer to you. Maybe if we can speak the same language ...”
“... we can?”
“There are things I want to tell you.” His smile faltered. “I don’t understand everything you say. Sometimes I understand your words, but I don’t understand your meaning.”
“That happens even when two people speak the same language.”
Kal released her shoulders. “I can see this troubles you, Lois,” he said. “I’m sorry. I would never force you to do anything you didn’t want to do.”
Lois caught his wrist and positioned it on the side of her head. “I trust you, Kal,” she said. “Turn off my translator.”
Kal hesitated. “Yours doesn’t need to go off, Lois. If we just turn off mine, yours won’t receive my words.”
“No,” Lois said. “Let’s turn off both of them.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes,” Lois said. “Let’s do this together.”
Lois felt Kal brush back her long hair and apply a little pressure around the short, spiky hair at the translator site. Then Kal lowered his hand and spoke ... completely unintelligibly.
“It’s off,” Lois said.
Kal nodded.
Then he turned off his translator.
They stared at each other, aware they had entered a new world ... together.
Lois smiled hesitantly.
Kal caressed his fingers along her smile. “Love,” he said experimentally.
He sounded different without the intervention of the translator. Lois could hear his voice - *his* texture, *his* timbre. And she loved it. She moved her fingertips to the edges of his mouth and shaped it up and out.
“Smile,” Kal responded, then, “Lois.”
Her name on his lips was like honey being poured through her heart. “Kal,” she whispered.
He smiled again.
“You have an incredibly powerful smile,” Lois said with deep appreciation.
“Laugh,” Kal said.
“You are really good at this, Kal,” Lois said.
“Laugh,” Kal repeated with a little more force.
Lois chuckled.
Kal pointed to his chest, then said “Like Lois laugh.”
“I like Lois’s laugh,” she supplied for him.
“I like Lois’s laugh,” he parroted. His arms extended wide. “Thank you.”
“Thank you ... for ... everything?”
Kal brushed the back of his fingers across her cheek and drove deep into her eyes. “Thank you for everything,” he said.
Lois felt the rise of her tears. Kal had been right. This was exhilarating.
Kal’s smile dazzled suddenly. “Kiss,” he said.
She had to. She leant forward, slid her hands up Kal’s shoulders and touched her lips against his. She felt his hand slide up her back, through her hair and come to rest on her neck. Spurts of heat radiated from his touch ... down her spine, along her shoulders, across her back. Then he applied a little pressure – just enough to guide her gently into deepening their kiss.
Suddenly, Lois realised that *he* was kissing her. Until now, she had determined the timing and the depth and the intensity of their kisses.
But she was definitely not in control now.
*Kal* was kissing her.
Exploring her with careful attention and mind-numbing thoroughness.
Every time he drew away slightly, Lois wanted to reclaim him. She didn’t need to; he came willingly, driving deeper each time.
Then, too soon, he drew back and broke their contact. He rested his forehead on hers as they both dragged in deep breaths.
Kal straightened and Lois saw the tinge of colour in his cheeks. She wondered if he was quivering inside. She certainly was.
“Thank you, Lois,” Kal said.
“Thank *you*,” Lois said. “That was amazing.”
“You ... ‘mazing.”
Lois chuckled. “So are you, Kal.”
Kal broke away from her and picked up a pile of paper and a pencil from the desk, then offered Lois his hand. She took it and he led her to the bed and gestured for her to sit down. He pulled the chair closer and sat down, his knees butted against the bed, his thighs adjacent to hers.
He wrote three characters on the page, pointed to them, then pointed to himself.
“Kal,” Lois said.
“Yes.” Kal offered her the pencil, and then pointed to her.
Lois wrote her name on the paper. Kal stared at it, then took the pencil from her. He carefully copied her name and held it up. “Lois,” he said.
“Yes, Lois.” On the paper, Lois wrote ‘Kal’. “I’m not sure if that’s the correct spelling,” she said.
Again he copied her word. Then he emphatically drew a wide circle around their names.
“Together,” Lois said.
“Yes,” Kal said decisively.
Kal stood and again offered her his hand. He led her through the room, pointing at different things as Lois gave him the names and he repeated them.
Then he led her back to the bed. “Sit ... bed,” he said.
Lois sat. Kal took the paper again. He drew a woman and held it up for Lois to see.
“Woman,” Lois said. “Female.”
“No.” Kal took back the paper and drew a man next to the woman.
“Man?” Lois said, although she didn’t think that was what he wanted.
Kal drew a boy next to the man and woman.
Then Lois understood. She pointed to the woman. “Mom.” Then moved to the man. “Dad.”
“Mom,” Kal said. “Dad.” He considered the picture for a moment, then said, “I ... like ... you ... story.”
“Your,” Lois corrected. “I like your stories.”
“I like your stories,” he said. His mouth opened and closed a few times, but no sound emerged, then he pointed to Lois.
“You want me to talk?” Lois guessed.
“Yes.”
“About what?”
“You.”
“My dad is a doctor and my mom is ... a mom. I have a sister called Lucy; she is younger than me. As a kid, I did all the usual things.”
“Usual ... you ... not ... usual ... me.”
How true. “I went to school,” Lois said. “I played sport – I liked a sport called tennis where you hit a ball with a racquet. I liked a game called chess and I was good at math. Then I went to college and studied journalism. I –.“
“Jour ... nal ... ism?” Kal asked.
“Learning to be a reporter. Writing.”
Kal nodded. “Go ... on.”
“I live ... lived ... in Metropolis – a huge city. I worked for The Daily Planet – the finest newspaper in the world.”
“How you get ... here?”
“An organisation that’s involved with space exploration decided to send an expedition to the planet Mars. They decided there was to be a reporter on the trip. I applied and won the position. But, something went very wrong. I was put in the small craft and the next thing I knew your soldiers were pulling me out of it.”
He stared at her, face unmoving, though his eyes had a velvety softness that shot directly to her heart. Lois figured he was trying to make sense out of what she now realised was a lot of information. “I ... smile ... you come,” Kal said.
“You’re happy I came here?”
“Yes. Happy.”
“I’m happy I came too,” Lois said, knowing it was the absolute truth.
Kal slipped from the chair and knelt next to where she sat on the bed. He gathered her hand into both of his and then found her eyes and held them. “I ... love ... you ... Lois,” he said.
Lois smiled through her tears. “I love you too, Kal.”
He tenderly brushed the dew from her eye. “Good ... tears?”
Lois nodded. “Very good tears, Kal.”
He smiled – a smile so full, her tears surged again. “You ... get ... me ... happy.”
“Is that what you wanted to tell me?” Lois asked.
“One thing.”
Kal slipped up to Lois’s translator and turned it on, then turned on his.
Lois felt a surge of panic as she had a flash of what her life would be if her translator no longer worked.
“I love you in your language,” Kal said. “And I love you in my language too.”
Lois felt her heart flood with joy. Her translator still worked. But more wondrous ... infinitely more wondrous ... Kal loved her.
+-+-+-+
Tek brought in their supper. Lois sat on the bed. Kal sat on the chair.
“I visited Tek’s home today and met his wife and family,” Lois said as they began eating.
“They are very fortunate to have two children,” Kal said.
Lois wondered if she sensed a wistfulness in his tone. “Do you hope you will have children one day?” she asked, trying to keep her tone even. “With Za?”
“That is why we are married,” Kal said, his face closed and unreadable. “Did you like visiting Riz?”
“Yes, very much.”
“I am very fortunate to have Tek,” Kal said. “He is loyal and dependable.”
“He’s loyal because he brings you food?” Lois asked, trying very hard to keep the acid from her tone.
“His family have always been very supportive of unity, very supportive of the attempts to merge the Houses of El and Ra and foster peace.”
“Tek is probably a few years older than you ... did you know him when you were a child?”
“I was a child during the Transition Years.”
“The transition years?”
“The years between Krypton and New Krypton.”
“How long did it take you to find New Krypton?”
“Nearly three years.”
“So for three years, your people didn’t have a planet?”
“No,” Kal said. “And then we found New Krypton. Tek’s father was a brilliant Scientist. He engineered our relocation to this planet. Without him, we would have died in our homelessness.”
“Kip? The one Tek’s son is named after?”
“Yes.”
“Is he still alive?”
“No. He died ten years ago.”
“Your appreciation for Tek stems from his father’s great contribution to New Krypton?” Lois deduced.
“Partly his father,” Kal said. “But also Tek - he is a man of honour. And a man of humility.”
Riz had also mentioned Tek’s humility. “Why?” Lois asked. “What makes Tek so humble?”
“He did not receive his education because of the Transition Years. He should be a recognised Scientist, but he doesn’t have the qualification. Therefore, he is a servant.”
“Why should he be a scientist, even if he didn’t have the education?” Lois asked. “Simply because his father was a scientist?”
“Kip taught Tek ... taught him during the Transition Years and also once we had landed on New Krypton ... but none of it is recognised. I tried to make an Exemption to the Rules and have Tek declared a Scientist, but Exemptions cannot be made without certain exact conditions being met.”
“Such as?”
“The full support of the Regal Nobles.”
“So you made him your servant?”
“Yes. My family owes his family much.”
“His family? Tek and Riz and the children?”
“Yes. And Ard.”
Lois spluttered. “Ard?”
“C1. She is Tek’s sister.”
His *sister*. Lois felt her shame seep into her face even as gratitude flooded over her that she had not voiced her suspicions. “When did you take Ard as a concubine?”
“The day I turned sixteen. The same day as my Investiture.”
“Because Kip or Tek asked you to?”
“Yes.”
So Kal’s first act as Supreme Ruler had been to protect the vulnerable daughter of a friend. Even as a sixteen year old, his inclination was to protect those less able to protect themselves. “Do you know Ard can draw really well?”
“Yes. I ordered she be given a desk and paper and pencils.”
“How often do you see her?”
“She has to attend the Report every month.”
Could it be possible Kal *hadn’t* noticed Ard’s beauty? “She is physically very attractive,” Lois said.
“Is she?”
Lois couldn’t contain the elation that whooshed its way around her heart. This amazing man, with such an awesome capacity to care for others, loved her ... and it seemed, had never even noticed anyone else.
He was staring at her, smiling. “I don’t know what is funny,” Kal admitted. “But I like it when you laugh.”
“Have I said you are a wonderful man?” Lois said.
“Yes,” he said. “But I like it when you say it.”
“You are a wonderful man.”
He grinned. “We should be doing the Disputes,” he said. “I would rather talk to you, but we should get some of them settled.”
He brought the folders to the bed and they began on the first one.
When they had finished the fifth dispute, Kal stood from the chair. “I ... ah ... have to go ... ah ... somewhere,” he said.
Lois looked up in surprise. He was being evasive. A range of possibilities swarmed into her brain, but she subdued them. She had been so very wrong about Ard. “OK,” she said easily.
After he’d gone, Lois went to the desk and found the sheet of paper on which she had written the names of Kryptonians divided into two sides. Nor *was* south, so were Tek and Ard. Lois added those names under Eb. Riz was north. Lois wrote her name opposite that of her husband.
Far from being an unfaithful cheat, Tek it seemed was a loving brother and a man who was making the best of the unfair breaks in life. Was he able to use his scientific knowledge in any way? Or was all his father’s teaching lost completely? What about young Kip? Was it possible he could follow in his grandfather’s footsteps?
Ching was north, Yent, the other Regal Noble, was south – so the three Regal Nobles included two from the south and one from the north.
Kal was born to be neutral and Lois knew he would never allow himself to be influenced by the old hostilities.
But what about the others? If everything came back to the old conflict, did Nor and Yent think of Kal as North?
Kal used a name of the north and a crest of the north. New Krypton was a patriarchal society – it made sense that the child of mixed houses would be considered more his father’s house than his mother’s.
Was there simmering conflict amongst the cabinet - with Kal and Ching on one side and Yent and Nor on the other?
Was that why Nor hadn’t been prosecuted for the murder of Jib’s sister?
Because that would have split the Regal Nobles and by extension, split the planet along the old lines?
If Nor did consider Kal to be north, it explained why he would want Kal to remain childless, but did not expain why he was willing to passively wait for Kal to die in order to wrest back control for the south.
The door opened and Kal walked in ... holding two cups.
Lois smelt it again ... the coffee smell.
Kal beamed. “I thought you’d like a drink,” he said.
Lois chuckled. “How did you know?”
“Tek told me you enjoyed this drink when you visited Riz today,” Kal explained. “I thought you’d like it if I got some for you.”
Lois took one of the cups and inhaled the wonderful aroma.
She looked up to see Kal watching her, a small smile on his mouth. “Good?” he asked.
“Oh, yes. I have missed this.” She leant over and sniffed Kal’s cup. “You have *beverage* too?”
“Yes, but I have never tried it before.”
“Why not?”
“I didn’t know about it. I just order blue ... so that’s what I get.”
“Try it,” Lois encouraged.
Kal took a sip. As he lowered his cup, a slow smile spread across his face. “That is good,” he said.
“Beverage always tastes better when drunk with a friend,” Lois said. “Come and sit with me on the bed.”
Lois shuffled back against the bed-head, legs stretched before her. “You sit here,” she directed Kal as she patted the place next to her.
He did. Lois took his cup from one hand and put it in his other hand. Then she lifted his arm and nestled under it, leaning into his side.
Without needing further guidance, Kal’s arm closed around her shoulder. Lois smiled with satisfaction. “Why did you bring two cups, Kal, instead of just one?”
He didn’t answer immediately and Lois turned so she could see his face. “Because I got the beverage for you and it seemed presumptuous to expect you would want to share with me.”
Lois chuckled. “Despite the fact you have shared so many meals with me?”
“I like sharing my meals with you.”
“I’d like to share my beverage with you.”
Kal grinned. “So ... next time ...”
“Next time, one cup.”
Lois settled back into the space next to his body and nonchalantly allowed her hand to settle low on the taut ridges of his thigh. “Why do you always bring only one plate, Kal? Isn’t there enough food for me?”
“There is enough for you.”
“Then why?”
“I didn’t really think about it,” Kal said. “I had never eaten with anyone before. The first time, I just picked up my one plate and brought it to you in the bedroom. I didn’t even think about ordering another plate.”
Lois jolted up. “You’d *never* eaten a meal with anyone else before?”
“No.”
“But surely, when you were a child ... didn’t you live with someone? Didn’t you eat with *someone*? A nanny, perhaps?”
“I don’t know what a nanny is.”
“Someone who looks after children.”
Kal said nothing. His isolation had begun early, Lois surmised grimly. She could imagine a small boy, growing up without parents, without friends. So alone, he didn’t even have someone to dine with.
She snuggled into his side again and felt his arm tighten around her.
“I’m so glad you found me,” Kal said.
She felt him drop a kiss into her hair. “I’m so glad too, Kal.”
+-+-+-+
Kal loved having Lois tucked under his arm. He could smell her shampoo and whenever he dropped his face against her hair he could feel its silkiness on his cheek.
Turning off the Translators had worked well. He had not anticipated Lois’s initial reaction, but they had gotten past that.
Getting her the beverage had worked well too.
Now it was time for the next step of his plan. He gently squeezed her shoulder ... loving the way it pressed her body into his ribs. “It’s getting late,” he said. “You should be going to bed.”
He felt her body tense.
Kal slipped from the bed and offered Lois his hand. He could see she had questions, but instead of asking them, she put her hand in his. He led her to his bedroom door, through his Chambers, out of his building, across the courtyard and to the door of her room.
Once there, he released her hand. “I would like to hug and kiss you goodnight,” he said quietly. “Is that all right with you?”
She nodded.
Kal folded her into his arms and kissed her. He burrowed his hand under her hair and used his arm to deepen the contact into his chest. His plan was for a short kiss – a kiss that would tell her he had no intention of pressuring her into anything. But, with Lois’s body tight against him and her mouth nimble on his, every part of him screamed in protest at the thought of backing away.
He did it – fully aware it was probably the most difficult task he had ever demanded of himself.
“Good night, Lois,” he said quietly. “I will think about you all night and hope the morning comes quickly so I can be with you again.”
She put her hand on his face. In the dim light, he could see a little moisture glistening in her eyes. He didn’t need to ask if it was good or bad because she was smiling. He leant forward and touched a gentle kiss to the corner of her eye.
Then he turned and walked back to his room ... his mind full of his plans for tomorrow.
