I’ve had this chapter saved to my desktop for a solid week just so I could do it justice. Because this is the chapter that I’ve been waiting for since the first time you posted. And such a delicious moment deserves a thorough savouring.
But first, let me get this out of my system.
SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!! YEEEEEHAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!! OMG! OMG! OMG! COWABUNGA!!!
*clears throat* Ahem.
Right.
And now to get rid of my inner Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle and opt for coherency.
Lois drifted in a cloud of soft grey cotton. It pressed on her eyes like a thick mist, enveloping her, buffeting her gently back and forth like a drifting feather on a soft summer breeze. She rested, content away from the white walls of her usual nightmares.
“L-Lois . . . “
Her peace evaporated and her mind snapped to as she recognized the voice. Kal-El.
“L-Lois . . . I’m s-sorry.”
What was wrong with him? He sounded terrified, hurt. Afraid.
Why?
Panic thrilled through her at the thought.
She had to find him.
“Kal-El!” she cried.
“Lois, I’m S-superman.”
His voice was close—right behind her—right beside her. She could feel him, but as she turned she saw no one—nothing. Nothing but grey mist and shapeless shadows that danced in the empty air around her. They all meant nothing to her.
But he felt so close . . .
“Lois, p-please. F-forgive me. D-don’t leave me . . . ”
“Kal-El!” Lois shouted to the shadows, wanting to rip them apart, with her teeth and nails if need be, and find him. Her heart twisted in desperation as she sought for him blindly, pushing the meaningless shadows aside. “Kal-El! I can’t find you!”
“Lois . . .”
The first time I read this I was completely freaked out. Why? Because I have a scarily similar scene written for a future chapter of my own fic, and when I finally post it I will point it out to you so you can freak out with me. Two scenes, actually. One of them will be included in the next posting.
Now either you believe me and accept you are my spiritual twin or something, or you don’t and suspect I’m a serial plagiarist.
He looked like an innocent little farm boy when he wore his hair like that—the thought came affectionately . . . foggily . . .
Yesyesyes…hold that thought and follow it…don’t lose it…please God…
With his hair like that, fluffed up and falling over his brow to hide his curl, he looked just exactly like . . .
Clark Kent.
And she scores!!! Woo hoo!!
“Please.” It was not pleading. She couldn’t let herself plead in front of Kent . . . but . . .
“Please,” she repeated softly, her eyes unwavering in his. Please.
Curse her stubborn pride. It was that that had gotten her into this mess—that had blinded her so long.
She would beg. She would beg on bended knees if she had to, as long as he didn’t leave her.
He stepped forward slowly and put a hand on her arm. “Okay,” he said softly.
The ultimate humility of true love. Nuff said.
The blackness of the ocean glimmered like polished, chipped obsidian, fading to a grey stone as they rose into the clouds until the mist encircled them and all that was left was the dampened grey, blue, red, and yellow of his suit and his clear eyes as he continued upwards, his eyes focused on something beyond Lois’s sight.
They broke through the top of the clouds like passing through a curtain into the open air.
The sky was pure—perfect, black. The sea of grey clouds rolled beneath them as they passed quickly by, the waves cresting and shifting in the currents of the breeze. The stars shone above them, brighter than ever, flawless and clear against the eternal darkness.
Beautiful. *sigh*
Lois wasn’t sure how far they had gone, but after some time the clouds slowly faded away into wisps of passing grey cotton. The stars began to fade behind the veil of a distant light, and the clouds gained a border of soft gold against grey turned silver.
And then, like a wave of perfect light, the sun peaked over the curve of the world and enveloped them.
Lois was left breathless from the sight.
Do you know I hate sunsets? It’s an oddity of mine. I don’t care how beautiful they are, they just remind me that the day is dying in a garish, gory display of colour. For the same reason, I love sunrises passionately. This scene is one very close to my heart.
This was beauty. This was life.
My thoughts exactly!
Lois didn’t know who moved first. But slowly, ever so slowly, their faces drew close forward, and their lips brushed against each other in a gentle, loving kiss.
It was not desperate. It was not frantic, needing, demanding. It was not what the world would consider passionate. It did not explode in the feeling of fireworks, or of electricity, or of a shock of sudden love which left them dazed, or heat that burned into their very heart.
No. It was like the glow of the morning sun, sinking into both of their souls—seeping into their veins and every particle of their being. It was the perfect, comforting warmth of trust and belonging and love, and the power of it caused tears to rise in Lois’s eyes as she pulled away slowly and looked at him again.
A kiss of true understanding. When the shadows are swept away in all-encompassing illumination and revitalizing warmth. Sunlight and love which are manna for the soul. How wonderfully symbolic, Rachel!
Incidentally, it also ties in with the saying I referred to earlier: “To love and be loved is to feel the sun shining from both sides”.
Lois blinked at where he had stood just moments before, feeling his absence as if he had flown off with a part of her still with him. She shivered, and walked forward slowly to stare up at the strip of sky that was visible between the buildings.
She’d see him soon.
And I can’t wait to see what she’ll do when she does! Rachel, you devious devil, you are a genius. Instead of delivering the whole shebang of a revelation, you’ve staggered in into parts. Now, you’ll soon have a mob lining up outside your door demanding that Clark gets a clue!
So now we have a whole new development to look forward to! Way to go, Smirkster!
Forty-one chapters were more than well worth the wait!
Write fast, dearie!
Hasini.
PS: OMG, DJ! I have that Bollywood Spiderman too! You need to have a Hindi ghazal on in the background for full effect. Isn't it hilarious?!
