Friday is time for a little magic. Thanks to Kathryn84 for lending a hand. And thanks to all who keep reading my tales about MagiKal. Hope you enjoy. What Magic Truly IsGuiding Clark home was probably the most bizarre experience of Lois's life. Much to her relief Houdini instinctively knew what to do. As soon as Clark had linked arms with Lois, the dog took point.
Lois wasn’t sure what was expected of her and for once in her life was too flustered to ask. Would Houdini take them to some quiet side streets where no one would see Clark stumble along with both eyes squeezed shut?
Once or twice his feet even left the ground, pulling her with him until Lois let out a startled yelp. Then he brought them back down, beads of sweat appearing on his forehead.
Unlike the first time Lois had followed Houdini, the setter stayed with them, close enough that his tail was occasionally brushing against their legs. Lois felt a slight tremor run through Clark’s body as he fought against whatever was going on with him.
His face was contorted with sheer concentration. “Houdini, are we there yet? I can’t contain this much longer.”
As if to prove his point his feet again left the ground and Lois felt his body pull at hers. A soft groan escaped Clark’s lips and he peeked through his eyelashes, swaying as he did so.
“Sorry.” A sheepish expression flashed across his face. “I wouldn’t do this to you if I knew where I was going.”
Lois gave his arm a gentle squeeze. “Don’t worry about me. What’s going on with you?”
Before Clark could reply, Houdini rounded a corner and led them into a quiet alley. Full dumpsters and a large pile of trash bags were giving off a nasty smell. Clark recoiled as if he’d run into a wall. He looked a little green around the gills and gave a tortured grunt.
“Ready?” He asked with a nasal voice. “Houdini, come here.” Clark held out both arms and the dog jumped.
It was odd to see the Irish setter in Clark’s arms. Houdini rested his paws on one of Clark’s shoulders and buried his head in the crook of Clark’s neck. Lois watched them in quiet fascination, expecting Clark to stumble as he balanced Houdini’s weight on one arm. But he seemed to be carrying the dog without effort. When they’d found what looked like a stable position, Clark held out his other arm.
“We're going to fly. You can back out if you want to,” he offered quietly.
He drifted up and for a brief moment, he opened his eyes to look at her. With a start, Lois realized they were swimming, as if he were unable to focus on anything. He squeezed them shut again, but she’d already seen the raw fear bubbling underneath the surface.
He swallowed hard. “I’d understand if this is too much for you.”
With slight trepidation, Lois eyed Clark, who was hovering a good two feet above the ground, obviously struggling to even stay that low. Though she felt her gut clench with nervousness, she was also aware that it must be a huge step for him to invite her along. She didn’t want him to just disappear again.
“I’m not going to let you go through this alone.” Lois took the hand he held out and climbed on his foot.
He pulled her up and when she held onto him, he wrapped his arm around her. His warmth spread through her, almost as if he’d covered her with a blanket. It was strangely comforting and her frayed nerves calmed, even more so as he gave her a brief smile.
“Thank you,” he whispered. “Hold on tight and don’t move until I say it’s okay. I’m going to fly up quickly.”
His grip on her tightened. Before Lois had a chance to wonder what would happen next, she felt a strong rush of wind that had her bury her face into his chest. Houdini let out a panicked whimper and she could feel the shivers running through the dog. A soft drizzle dampened her skin and the temperature dropped several degrees.
“Okay, we should be above the clouds,” Clark murmured. “Can you make out the old industrial area? That’s where we need to go.”
As Lois opened her eyes, she gasped. Clark hadn’t been kidding when he’d told her that they were above the clouds. She watched him in awe and it took a moment for her to realize why he wasn’t moving. He didn’t know where to go. But Lois couldn’t help but stare at the world around and underneath her. Metropolis was so small. Clouds were close enough to touch them.
It was incredible.
“Are you okay?” Worry tinted his voice.
“Fine.” She couldn't help but grin. It was the adventure of her life. “As long as you won’t let go of me.”
"Never," he vowed. "Though I should apologize. This is probably going to be a bumpy ride. I don't usually fly with my eyes closed. Now, could you point me in the right direction?"
The flight was surprisingly short. Lois had never experienced anything like it. With nothing but air around her, she felt absolutely free. Houdini, however, didn't much like his predicament. He whimpered and whined, his whole posture stiff like he was a huge stuffed animal. She reached out and ran her hand through his fur in what she hoped was a comforting manner.
“I’m so, so sorry, buddy,” Clark muttered.
Lois felt him tense and speed on, following the directions she gave him. Only minutes after they'd taken off, they touched ground again in the old junkyard that seemed completely abandoned.
Clark immediately let go of Lois, set Houdini back down and stumbled away. He sank to his knees and clutched at his ears, letting out a low moan. Lois watched him with trepidation as he curled in on himself, shaking slightly.
Houdini stood at a distance, tremors still running through his body. He moved back and forth as if he couldn't quite decide whether to approach Clark or remain where he was. The poor dog was obviously still suffering from their flight.
Lois felt helpless. Clark had told her not to get close to him as long as he wasn't in control. What was going on with him? She remembered the little incidents she'd witnessed. He'd been like this the first time she'd met him as Clark. Had she truly seen blisters on his hands, when she'd spotted him hiding in a corner of Centennial Park? And what had he meant when he’d said that he couldn’t see much of anything?
Time dragged on in a slow crawl while Lois couldn't do anything but watch her friend in agony. It was heart-wrenching, bringing tears to her eyes.
Eventually, Clark relaxed somewhat and let go of his ears. He crawled back to his feet and swayed for a bit, then straightened. He blinked a few times until his eyes had found their focus again. A faint smile played around his lips as their gazes met.
“Are you all right?” Lois asked softly.
He winced a bit, but gave a tentative nod. “Yeah, I guess so.”
Houdini shook off his stupor and ran over to Clark, who bent down to greet his canine friend. He buried his face in the dog’s soft fur and let out a long sigh.
Houdini whimpered in tune.
Lois went toward the pair. “What was that?”
“Sensory overload,” Clark muttered. "My senses fired on all cylinders to the point of blinding and deafening me." He sat back down and stroked Houdini, then suddenly pulled his hand back with a grimace. “It still feels like an army of ants is crawling on my skin. But I think that’s the last of it. This hiccup was a nasty one.”
Lois raised her brows. “Hiccup?”
His expression turned a little sheepish. “My Mom made up that name, because they happen involuntarily and I can’t stop them.” Any hint of a smile vanished from his face. “But they’re not nearly as harmless.”
Lois sat down next to him. “Are you ready to tell me what’s really happening?”
Clark looked back at her and bit his lip. He took a slow breath, then let it out through his lips. Almost imperceptibly, he nodded.
“I have some strange abilities,” he whispered. “You've seen the flying. I can see really far, hear really well and I can- “ He swallowed, took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I can see through things, shoot heat from my eyes and freeze things with my breath."
Lois stared at him, half expecting that his lips would suddenly twitch into a smile and he'd burst out laughing at her flabbergasted expression. This couldn't be but a joke, now could it?
But she saw the raw pain in his gaze when he put his glasses back on. Lois realized he was telling the truth. She'd seen some of it. The pieces of the puzzle that was Clark Kent slipped into place.
She let out a breath. "How, if it's not magic?"
He gave her a shrug. "I'm not really sure. All I know is that the sun is involved. I'm not a wizard, Lois. I'm an alien."
Her breath caught. "You're not from this world?"
Clark kneaded his hands and nodded meekly.
Lois couldn't help but smile. "That is the first thing I learn about you that does not come as a surprise."
A grin spread across his face, so warm and infectious that Lois wished he'd never stop smiling at her like that.
"You never cease to amaze me." His hand was shaking slightly as he reached out to take her hand.
She noticed he was giving her the time to pull back if she wanted to. But that was the last thing on her mind. As their hands touched, she felt a spark of electricity between them, more magical than anything he could possibly do.
His gaze was so full of tenderness and - oh, Lois hoped she wasn't imagining it - love. "Out of the two of us, you're the true wizard. You give me hope. I never thought that was possible."
"It's witch, Clark." She winked as his expression turned puzzled."Females are called witches."
He burst out laughing. "Now, that can't be right."
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