Just to be clear, in my earlier post when I said 'yay for Tek and Riz' I meant for their loyalty and for them putting themselves on the line to help L&K get married, not for their unfortunate case of 'nice timing.'
So much happened in this part, yet there are still so many questions left. We still don't know why Tek spends so much of his time down there, there must be more to it than L&K have yet discovered.
I loved Lois discovering her powers like that. I wondered how she was going to find out she had heat vision and freezing breath. I thought she was going to have to go back out to Kal naked at one point though, could've been interesting! In view of Tek and Riz's arrival it's a good thing she didn't have to.
“I … I hope …” Eb stopped, wondering how she could say so much in just a few words. “I hope you can be together.”
I didn't get chance to say much about the last part, but the whole thing with Eb and her reactions to Kal, Lois and their love was wonderful, and the effect the mouth-stretch had on her! The way Kal has come to express himself, I almost forgot most other Kryptonians still haven't seen any of it and demonstrating the strangeness and beauty of it through Eb was brilliant. I'm also still in awe of how well structured this story is, how it all fits into place and you refer back to very early parts demonstrating the impact Lois has already had. After all, Eb wouldn't still be with her husband if it hadn't been for Lois influencing Kal.
She stayed close to Kal, her body coiled in readiness to jump to his defence.
I love that she's still so new to the superpowers thing but she is on full alert to bodyguard Kal, even though she doesn't fully understand the extent of her powers.
Lois, however, felt only impatience at the delay.
And frustration at Tek’s inability to answer her throng of questions.
Lois is still very much Lois, she hates not to know everything. Of course, she's the only one not tired.
They didn’t have the time to argue. Lois trudged through the now-waist-deep water until she reached the cliff face. The cavity was shoulder-height. She felt Kal slide down her leg and hook her foot into the stirrup he formed with his hands. With lift from him, she heaved herself into the hole.
All that's really left now is for her to work out the flying, could be very, very useful. She knows she's fast, but she doesn't know she can actually fly.
“I can’t see anything.”
She turned to him, her panic rising. “Nothing?”
“No. It’s total blackness.”
“You’re blind?”
He cleared his throat. “I don’t think I’m blind ... I think maybe you can just see really well.”
I like how Kal draws the conclusion first, and how unaffected he is by it. I guess after all they've been through today, Lois having powers is more of a blessing than ever, something to be thankful for, not fear. There's enough to fear.
“When couldn’t you see?”
“About half way along.”
Lois turned to him, placed his hands on her hips and slipped her arms around his neck. “Kal," she said, "That must have been awful. It was unpleasant enough being able to see a little. Why didn’t you tell me?”
Kal was really very brave, not that it's at all surprising, and he put a lot of faith in Lois which, all things considered, is also not surprising.
Lois could see the outline of his mouth in the dimness. She buried her fingers into the damp strands of hair on his neck and reached up to meet him. She kissed him – a series of light, almost playful touches to his mouth.
There was so much love and relief woven into the description of these kisses, and more than a little lust too
stemming from fear and hope and of course a lot of unresolved tension.
She responded, meeting him, as her tongue demanded release to explore his lips. Then his fervour lessened and she felt him smile, breaking their kiss, but not their close proximity.
This was adorable, the
was well and truly back on my face for this section, and theirs too!
“I know what you’re thinking,” he said very low.
“You do?” His mouth hovered tantalisingly above hers.
“I do.”
She slid her tongue along the inside of her lip, tasting the saltiness. “How do you know?”
Suddenly I was glad of the whole non tongue-kiss thing, it certainly made this part extra steamy, sweet, and poignant too.
“But this isn’t exactly how we planned it, is it?”
“No,” he sighed.
I can see how after everything they wouldn't really want their first time to be in absolute darkness (for Kal anyway) in a sandy cave, but after almost losing each other today it's easy to see why their desire would be heightened.
They crossed the sand. She took it down and placed it in Kal’s hands. “Does it need matches?” she asked.
“No,” Kal said. His fingers moved over the glass. “There should be a switch. It’s battery-operated.”
New-Krypton is a little more advanced than it sometimes seems!
Seconds later, the cave flooded with soft, muted light. Kal looked around, blinking rapidly, but his smile was close to the best thing she’d seen all day.
“Thank you, Lois,” he said with deep appreciation.
Aww.
“Are you cold?” she asked.
“Not really. Just very wet.”
She could always have warmed him up - with her eyes! I guess she's not really practised enough yet though. She could do him some damage, like she did her clothes. Clark had had some years of using his powers behind him before he used them on human flesh!
“I’m going into the alcove at the back of the cave to try to wring some of the moisture from my clothes. If you want to do the same, I won’t come out until you’re ready.”
It's sweet how they are still being very proper about being undressed around each other, though that was about to change when Tek and Riz interrupted!
She could move abnormally fast ... this morning, she had overtaken a bullet.
What if she were to flap her clothing? Very fast?
She was about to do just that when she visualised her gown – torn to shreds by some over-enthusiastic flapping.
This was so Lois, she fell out with her clothing and glared at it - but it worked - sort of!
“Lo-is?” she heard from across the cave. “Are you all right?”
“Yes, Kal,” she said airily. “I’m ... ah ... trying something.”
“I thought I smelled -.”
“No ... no, you didn’t.” Lois picked up the gown. It now had a burn hole to go with the bullet hole.
This reminded me a bit of the kitchen scene in 'Lethal Weapon' when Clark is wrecking the kitchen and they're trying to appear normal to Perry and Jerry.
Then she put on her warm, dry clothes with more than a dash of smugness.
Again, I love that once she'd figured it out, Lois appreciated her new power and saw it as very useful, one she couldn't wait to demonstrate to Kal. I suppose this is another in a long line of examples of the situation Lois and Kal have found themselves in making the fears and insecurities they may otherwise have had fade into insignificance. This is why they are nearly always able to be open, honest and straightforward with each other.
Lois turned and saw the pile of his clothing. She glared at it. Gently.
I love the use of the word 'glared', it describes what Clark usually does perfectly actually, but it also conveys anger, which is very Lois.
She heard him dress, forcing her imagination to neutral. “Are they dry?” she called.
Lois rounded the rock a little sheepishly. “I guess you have questions,” she said.
She saw him take in the black-rimmed hole in her sleeve. “More powers?” he asked, with gentle understanding.
Nah, no questions, just an everyday occurence really! Just another crazy moment in the lives of Lois and Kal.
Kal gathered her into his arms and held her snug against his warm, dry body. “I love you,” he said. “We’re together. Nothing else matters.”
Aww, this is so true, they must both be so glad that they are together, alive and seemingly safe, for now. It had loooked as though that would be impossible only a few hours earlier.
The beauty of Kal’s words to her – the words they had both thought would be his last - spoken in the language only they shared.
That was truly beautiful.
Being hit by a bullet ... and only her gown had a hole.
The hole in the gown is pretty insigificant in the scheme of things, Lois, but I can see why it just topped everything off.
Breath that froze and eyes that burned.
Haha - pretty bizarre when you think about it really, it's just so normal to us, we've known it was going to happen to her for a long time!
Yes, why? There has to be a whole lot more to that!
And Kal?
What was he feeling?
Thinking?
He must feel completely numb.
His mind must be racing even more than hers.
Yes Kal has lost so much, he must be worried for his people. I doubt if New Krypton could be safe he would care at all about not being Supreme Ruler, but knowing it is not and that it's because he was tricked must be awful. He had no way of knowing, but it must hurt all the same. Of course Lois has lost an awful lot too, they just need to find strength in each other, which thankfully they can do. I'm sure it will be enough, there will be a way to fix all this.
“And so quickly,” she said. “You must feel overwhelmed.”
“We both do.”
Kal has learned so quickly. He is automatically now thinking as part of a couple rather than of himself. He also knows how Lois must be feeling, he is so in tune with her. Even though they have so many differences, he has taken a lot of trouble over the past few weeks to understand her.
“What about last night?” he asked.
It seemed so long ago.
It is - these Kryptonian days just run and run! - but I love it.
Kal reached with his other hand and gently salvaged her runaway tear. “I love you,” he said. “I have little ... but everything I have ... every moment I live ... it’s all for you.”
Aww, this was beautiful, and he's speaking very profound, vow-like words again. They have both proven their love in so many ways over such a short space of time.
He took in a shuddery breath. “I don’t know how to explain what I’m feeling, but I think about it and it amazes me. And then I think about it again and it amazes me even more.”
Aww, he is still so overwhelmed that he is loved by Lois. It is so sad, but so lovely too. He has never ever been loved, to his recollection, not even parental love, and even though he has known to an extent what that meant, the events of today took him to a whole new level of understanding.
“Before you came, I wasn’t,” he said with raw honesty. “But then you found *me* and ... it was like you introduced me to ‘Kal’ the person ... and because he was someone you valued ... someone you cared about ... the person ... not the position ...”
Such a perfect description and it mirrors L&C in so many ways.
Lois loosed his hand and claimed his face as she swung onto her knees. “I love *you*, Kal,” she vowed as she lowered her mouth onto his. She leant onto his thigh and felt his hands spread over her hips. This time, there was no gentle lead-in. She kissed him with purposeful intent – wanting to inflame him, wanting restoration for both of them. He met her intensity and set every part of her afire.
I think one of the things I love most of all about the basis of this fic is how much heat can be generated by such simple actions. It was like that from their very first hug. This little section made me very much in need of a fan and hardly anything actually happened! - but it did for them, compared to what they have done so far. There was no holding back this time.
Then – with a boldness that shocked her - his tongue coasted along her top lip.
This is Kal really letting his instincts take control.
She groaned ... and abandoned every thought she’d ever had concerning the case for restraint.
Yeah, what was the case again?!
I know really.
His hands slipped lower and rounded to the shape of her bottom.
I'm loving this new bolder Kal, I'm sure Lois is too!
Her tongue ventured out to meet him ... connected ... and the roll of desire shuddered through both of them.
Her hands skimmed his undershirt and found the top button of his jacket.
HOT, HOT, HOT!!!!!
Lois flung herself off Kal, her breath whipping crazily.
And saw Tek.
And behind him, Riz.
Em
(And this, even though I know something they don't - which is that Lois could get them out in an instant if she wanted to.)
