It's Friday, so time for another glimpse into the world of MagiKal. I think you will like this. That Honeymoon MagicClark couldn't help but notice the smile on Lois' face as he carried her over the threshold of the honeymoon suite. The blissful happiness he saw ran so much deeper than anything she could have put on for a fake photo of supposed newlyweds.
"Yeah, stay like this, just like this for another moment." The bellboy took his sweet time to take the picture.
If Clark were a human man, he'd probably be covered in sweat right about now. But while Lois' weight didn't affect him in the least, her closeness did. He breathed in the soft scent of her perfume, felt her warmth through the thin fabric of his shirt and was mesmerized by the feel of her slender frame in his arms.
Finally, the bellboy seemed content with their position and the flashlight blinded Clark. He blinked and put Lois back on her feet, a bit reluctant to let go of her. Houdini pressed his nose against Clark’s leg, demanding his attention. A brief surge of panic went through Clark that his dog had sensed another hiccup coming, but the Irish setter just wanted his ear scratched.
While Lois gave the bellboy a generous tip, Clark bent down to take care of Houdini’s favorite spot. The ache in his back returned, faint but persistent. He felt the bellboy’s eyes on him as the young man left, winking at Clark as he passed him. Instantly, Clark's cheeks grew hot, even though he knew nothing was going to happen here tonight.
Jimmy entered the room, both hands full of bags and let out a soft whistle as he took in the luxurious interior of the suite.
“Too bad I missed how C.K. kissed the bride,” he muttered. “I’m so happy for the two of you.”
“Jimmy, we’re only here for a job.” Lois rolled her eyes. “Did you bring the surveillance equipment?”
“Sure did.” Jimmy beamed. “But it would be a shame to waste such a perfect opportunity. I mean it’s pretty obvious what’s going on between the two of you. If I was C.K. I'd be sure to make use of that bed.”
Clark didn’t know if he could be more embarrassed than he was. He pinched the bridge of his nose, not for the first time today wondering what had possessed him to agree to this charade. Hadn’t he said that he couldn’t stay in the Honeymoon Suite just a week ago? And now here he was, posing as Lois' newlywed husband. And apparently the whole newsroom was aware of his feelings for her.
“We’re watching the office on the other side of the street, trying to find out what is going on with the people bribing Congressman Harrington.” Lois narrowed her eyes on Jimmy. "And that's all were going to do, so you can as well take your mind out of the gutter.
“Sorry, guys." Jimmy shrunk under her gaze and hurried to drop off the surveillance equipment.
But then he grinned, winking at Clark as he wished them a wonderful night before he left.
Clark heaved a sigh of relief as the door fell shut behind Jimmy and they were alone in the hotel room.
“I’m sorry, Clark. I know you didn’t exactly sign up for this.” Lois bit her lip and wrapped her arms around herself, her discomfort obvious. “You only need to stay for a bit, then I’ll continue this investigation on my own. Thank you for coming here to help me set up the equipment and making them believe we're newlyweds."
"Lois, I…" Clark got up and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his pants.
As soon as his master had stopped to pet him, Houdini turned to Lois for another round of ear scratching. She bent down to pay attention to the dog. Clark watched them with a smirk. But soon it faltered, turning into a longing gaze. How he wished that he could enjoy her presence just as easily.
"I'm not leaving you to handle this investigation all on your own," he said hoarsely. "We… we'll do it together."
A glimmer of hope lit up her face, but then her gaze drifted toward the giant bed that seemed to occupy most of the room.
"But what about…" She swallowed. "... sleeping arrangements? I thought you weren't ready?"
"I'm not." Clark grimaced. "I thought I could find myself a place on the roof or the fire exit. I should be fine as long as I'm outside."
"Clark." Lois stood, closing the distance between them and earning herself a whimper of protest as she left Houdini. "The fire exit? You cannot mean that."
He shrugged. "Then I'll think of something else. Somehow I will make this work, I promise. And -" His superhearing kicked in. "Someone is coming. The maid."
Like a deer in headlights, he stood frozen. Before he knew what was happening, Lois gathered the equipment and hid it under the blanket of the huge bed. Then she grabbed Clark's hand and dragged him with her as she lay down. He followed, not quite sure what she wanted. His legs made unexpected contact with the bedframe and he tumbled on top of her.
Lois' hands framed his face and pulled him into a deep kiss. Clark was lost. A low moan escaped his throat as her soft body melted into his. Never before had he been this close to her. He felt every slight motion of her body under his as her hands roamed his back, slipping underneath the hem of his shirt and finding bare skin. He sucked in a breath as her fingers caressed his back, drawing small circles, leaving every bit of skin she touched tingle with sensation.
Hungry for more, he plundered her mouth, feeling bold all of a sudden. She tasted so sweet and rich, her mouth was so soft and silky; he just couldn’t get enough of her. Another low moan escaped his throat as her tongue slipped into his mouth, starting to tease him. His fingers ached to explore more of her skin, while he tried not to lean on her too much.
As if through thick fog, he heard the clacking of a door and the shuffling of feet on the floor. Houdini barked.
"Towels?” A female voice asked. “Yah? Oops. Sor... ry.”
Clark wasn’t sure how long the maid had been inside the room and he didn’t care. All he was aware of were Lois’ hands that had abandoned his back to travel toward his chest. She started to fumble with the buttons on his shirt. The first popped and he felt her hands on his skin again. The sensation was dizzying. Lois nibbled on his lower lip, making his head spin. Another button gave way. He couldn’t think about anything but how good she felt underneath him. He’d been dreaming of this, but reality was so much better, so much more intense.
Slowly Lois unbuttoned his shirt. He helped her slip it off his arms and soon it fell to the floor. Clark felt her gaze on him as she took in his now naked chest. A slight blush crept across his cheeks as he saw her lick his lips.
“You’re perfect,” she whispered.
“So are you.” He leaned in to kiss her again and get another taste of the silky softness of her mouth.
It scared him a bit how much he wanted her right now, how much he longed to undress her too and feel her skin on his. Deep down he knew that they would need to stop soon. They weren’t ready for the next step, he wasn’t ready for that. But he couldn’t bring himself to pull back just yet.
Houdini barked again, making Clark flinch. A sudden rush of panic filled him. He hoped this wasn’t a warning that yet another hiccup was looming. After this moment of pure bliss, the last thing he wanted was to run out on her.
But Houdini barked again and the next thing Clark felt was a huge dog that jumped square on his back.
“Umph.” He barely managed to keep from crashing Lois underneath him. “Houdini down.”
The dog obeyed and jumped off his back onto the bed. But he continued to bark at him, becoming more agitated by the second. Clark pulled back, terrified to hurt Lois and brought some distance between them. Houdini followed, still barking at him and trying to jump him.
But unlike the other times Clark was experiencing hiccups, the Irish setter didn’t attempt to drag him out of the room. It rather looked like the dog wanted to tell him something else.
He did his best to calm the excited setter. "Houdini, what is it?"
Suddenly, Lois gasped. “Clark, your back.”
He was confused. How should anything be wrong with his back? It had itched a bit during the past week, but he'd blamed that on the green crystal. But whatever Lois was seeing, Houdini seemed to have spotted the same thing. He still moved around Clark and attempted to jump his back.
“What's the matter with my back?” Clark craned his neck, trying to see what had caught their attention.
“There’s a faint red glow under your skin,” Lois said.
As if he’d understood her, the dog calmed down. He once more barked for good measure, but then stood with his head tilted and watched while Lois climbed off the bed and approached Clark.
She stilled for a moment, watching him carefully. “You’re not going to have another hiccup are you?”
Clark shook his head. “I don’t think so. I believe Houdini saw the same thing you did. But…”
“Come into the bathroom.” Lois took his hand and dragged him with her. “The mirror there should be big enough for you to see.”
Moments later, Clark saw what Houdini and Lois had discovered. There was indeed a red blotch on or rather underneath his skin that seemed to glow.
“Is that…” Clark swallowed hard. “Is that a piece of the red crystal?”
“I think so,” Lois muttered.
He felt strangely dizzy. If this really was what he thought it was… It might be the explanation for his hiccups. So long, he'd been wondering what had happened in that hole.
He felt for the blotch, wincing a bit as it caused the same stinging ache that had accompanied him for the past few days. It had started after he’d crawled over the floor of Lois' apartment.
But he'd never even seen the crystals at her place. Had the piece been stuck in his body since the day he’d climbed into the hole? Had one of the rocks that had fallen onto him pierced his skin or had it happened while his father had dragged him out?
Lois had put her hand to her mouth and was watching him with a mixture of hope and trepidation. Clark knew why because he felt the same way. His throat was awfully tight and his heart was racing.
Finally, there was a way to make the hiccups stop. But in order to accomplish that he’d have to face that green crystal again.
The thought sent shivers down his spine. Numbness took hold of him and he barely noticed that Lois had taken his hand in hers. This time, her gentle squeeze didn't sent a rush of heat through him.
But maybe the chill was a little less freezing.
