It's Ficlet Friday, so I will give you another glimpse into the world of MagiKal. Hope you enjoy it. Two Hearts Sawed In Half The air buzzed with the soft music of crickets. Houdini had stretched out across their legs, snoring lightly and letting out an occasional whimper. Lois pulled the blanket a little tighter and then laid her hand on Clark’s that caressed her stomach. She felt so comfortable in his arms.
Mesmerized, Lois watched the millions of stars in the dark blue sky. She’d never seen anything quite like it. The Milky Way stretched across the sky like a huge, glistening ribbon. With bated breath, she waited for a shooting star. There was no question about what her greatest wish was right now.
Lois released a happy sigh. “Please tell me this is not a dream.”
“It’s not,” he confirmed. She felt a slight shift in his position as he moved. “Are you warm enough? The air is getting chilly.”
His arm around her shoulders pulled her a little closer and she snuggled against his chest.
“I’m fine.” She lifted her head a bit and placed a kiss on his cheek. “I just wish we could stay like this forever.”
“Yeah, me too,” he said wistfully.
Lois rested her head back on his chest and closed her eyes, listening to the slow rhythm of his breathing, feeling his chest move up and down against her cheek. She concentrated on the warmth of his hand as he drew slow circles on her belly.
His tender caresses evoked memories of his kisses, so gentle and loving. Despite the cool night air, warmth spread through Lois' body and longing settled deep in her belly. She wanted more of this, more of him. Even though every inch of her body was tightly snuggled against his, she wasn't close enough. If they only had tonight, how could they waste a moment of it drowning in the sight of the stars?
The thought startled her and she opened her eyes again. Did she really want to make love to him? And what would Clark think if she told him? Would he be thrilled at the idea or appalled?
And where was that thought even coming from? They’d just admitted their love for each other and now they shared the most amazing first date she’d ever had. It was wonderful to lie under the stars with Clark's strong arm wrapped around her shoulder while he gently caressed her stomach. No other man she knew would even think to spend a night like this, watching the stars with her until the wee hours of the morning.
But the time they had was so short. In a couple of hours, the sun would come up again and there was a good chance it would bring back Clark’s powers. And what then?
“Is something wrong?” Clark whispered.
Lois let out a breath and tears sprang to her eyes. He was so attentive and considerate. Clark always seemed to know when something was on her mind and he genuinely cared about her. With every fiber of her being she could feel how much he loved her. Right now, she almost hated him for that because having to go back to the stage of friendship after such a night of magic was simply unbearable.
“I…” She wanted to brush off his concern, but her throat was suddenly so tight that she just couldn’t say the words.
If she told him how much she wanted him, if they went through with it, how were they ever going to go back to being just friends? Back when they’d been at the Corn Festival, she’d said that she believed in finding a solution. But right now the thought terrified her that they wouldn’t.
“How do we go on from here?” she said past the lump in her throat.
He exhaled sharply and she could feel him tense next to her. “I don’t know. I wish I did. I really wish I did.”
His voice cracked as if he, too, was fighting tears. A rush of guilt filled her because she’d told him this wasn’t going to be a problem. She‘d told him that she didn’t mind waiting for him because he was totally worth it. And she stood by that vow, she just hadn’t imagined it could be this difficult. She hadn't thought it was possible to love him even more than she already did. But here she was, her heart already mourning the impending loss.
She couldn’t believe she longed for him so much that she was even considering breaking her rule number three during a first date. But even though she desperately wanted to, it was impossible to squeeze an entire relationship into a few precious hours.
Watching the stars with him was all she could expect for tonight and that should be enough. It was a wonderful start of a relationship. Only this wasn't a start, but just a glimpse of what could be. And a part of her wanted so much more than a glimpse.
Lois gave his hand on her stomach a gentle squeeze. She wanted to say something encouraging, but again words failed her.
“The past few hours have been the best of my life,” Clark said quietly. “Even if this might be all we’re going to get, I wouldn’t miss them for the world. In my heart, I'm committed to this. But in reality, I can't make such a promise. I know this is not fair to you, and if you want to back out…"
His hand drifted up and he rolled over a bit, cupping her cheek and sealing her lip with another sweet kiss. Lois opened her lips and allowed herself to get lost in the sensation once more. She savored every moment, trying to commit to memory how his lips tasted, how silky his mouth felt as she caressed him from within. She didn’t want to let go of him.
"I have no intention of backing out," Lois whispered.
She snuggled even closer to him, breathing in the soft scent of his cologne. The soft music of crickets was accompanied by the steady beat of his heart.
Eventually, Lois drifted off to sleep.
***
Lois rolled around, slowly coming to. She was comfortably warm and snuggled deeper into the soft blanket covering her. It took her a moment to register that it wasn't the blanket she'd wrapped around herself as they'd looked at the stars.
With a start she sat up.
She was no longer lying on a picnic blanket, Clark's arm wrapped around her shoulder.
This was Clark's old bedroom.
Her gaze drifted toward the clock on his bed stand. It was almost noon. She'd fallen asleep hours ago. Clark must have carried her inside, without his powers and with an injured arm.
Lois pushed the sheets aside and stood up. She gathered fresh clothes and got dressed in a hurry. As she passed the window, she looked out, hoping to catch a glimpse of Clark. Her heart raced. Was it too late already? Were his powers back? Why hadn't she managed to stay awake a little longer? At least she should have kissed him one last time. Oh, why hadn't he let her sleep on that picnic blanket?
She wished she could have woken up in Clark's arms. Now, the sun was high up in the sky and –
Lois pulled the door open and rushed, almost tumbled, down the stairs. With a breathless "Good Morning" she hastened past Martha who was working in the kitchen and then, finally, she was outside.
"Clark!" she yelled at the top of her lungs.
Lois heard barking from the backside of the house and ran in that direction. As she rounded the corner and had a good look at the large field behind the farmhouse, her heart sank.
Clark was hovering several feet above the ground. He juggled a bunch of different items, ranging from baskets to gardening tools or other stuff that could be found on a farm. Now and then he directed a burst of freezing breath at the items, which had them glistening in the sun.
Awestruck, Lois watched her very private performance of MagiKal. She barely registered as Houdini joined her. Her fingers caressed his soft fur, while she watched several ice sculptures appear next to Clark. He moved slower than usual, giving her the time to see the sculptures grow. Using his heat vision, he carved lines and edges into the ice. While they looked impressive already, they were nowhere near as perfect as his usual work.
Lois frowned. Had something changed after the exposure to the chrystals? Did they just have to expose him long enough? Her stomach clenched with dread. After seeing Clark's reaction to the green rock, she couldn't imagine getting that stuff near him just another minute.
But did that mean they could never be more than friends? Lois sucked in a breath. She knelt down beside Houdini and buried her face in the dog's warm fur, reminding herself that being Clark's friend was already a wonderful experience. Still, her heart yearned for more.
As she looked up again, Clark's feet were back on the ground and he approached her. Lois got up and, blinking back tears, plastered a broad smile on her face.
"That was fantastic."
He smiled back, his expression a bit more subdued. "Thanks."
A few feet from her he stopped in his tracks rather abruptly and bit his lower lip. Then he stuffed his hands into his pockets as if to keep himself from reaching out. Houdini darted toward his master and greeted him as if he hadn't seen Clark in weeks. With half a smile, he withdrew his hands and petted the dog fondly.
When he looked back up at Lois, he seemed uncomfortable. "My powers came back with sunrise."
Lois heaved a resigned sigh. "And you just had another hiccup, I suppose."
"What?" Clark blinked, apparently confused. "Oh, no, this was training. I do that every morning to be able to use my powers creatively once the hiccup starts."
Lois stared at him. "So you didn't have a hiccup yet?"
She felt hope stir inside her chest. It was foolish, she knew. But she couldn't help it.
Clark let out a breath. "It's still too early to tell. Don't get your hopes up to high. I'm sorry, Lois. I know I'm asking a lot of you. I'd understand if this is too much for you. We had a wonderful time."
She closed the distance and pressed her face into the crook of his neck. Houdini brushed against her leg, pushing her a little closer to Clark.
"Yes it was," she whispered.
He returned her hug lightly. As she looked up, she could see that his eyes were squeezed shut. He held his breath, probably afraid that the emotions coursing through him right now would cause his powers to act up again. Even so, Lois couldn't bring herself to let go of him yet, and he didn't ask her to.
She inhaled the soft scent of his aftershave, enjoyed the warmth that spread through her as she was so close to him. How were they supposed to get back to being mere friends? She didn't want to wait for him, though she knew that she would, however long it might take.
Her heart broke inside her chest. Tears filled her eyes. "Do you think Dorothy left her red shoes somewhere in Kansas, when she returned? I'd love to click these heels together right about now."
He stepped back and laughed. "You're not suggesting we stay here and go looking for them, are you?" He cupped her cheek and wiped off a tear. "But I admit it's a nice dream."
