Previously on Contractually Bound:
He was grateful when Lois went to bed early. Then he swiftly changed into his workout clothes. He again strapped his music player to his left arm, put in the earphones, then blasted the music to drown out the rest of the world. Straight down to the gym he went, nearly running in his desire to get to that sweet haven of his. He'd always found working out to be a great way to funnel his frustrations into something proactive. It was as though the more sweat that poured from his body, the lighter he felt emotionally, as though it purged both physical and mental toxins from his body. It helped him to focus his thoughts when he needed to, or transported him away from his problems, depending on how he channeled his thoughts.
On this night, Kal simply focused his anger and frustration into movement. A well-worn punching bag received some of his pent-up frustration. He wasn't a violent man by any means, but it felt good to work his muscles and focus only on his movements and the sensations that his body felt in response. It felt good to feel the burning in his muscles as he worked them. For three long hours, Kal moved from machine to machine, working every part of his body until his entire being was exhausted and his bad knee was on fire. He staggered back to his rooms, threw himself into the shower, then promptly passed out on the couch.
What he did not know was that Lois heard him when he returned. She hadn't been sleeping all that well in the unfamiliar setting, and had been jarred awake when Kal slipped into the room to grab some fresh clothes, though he'd been as quiet as possible. Her curiosity was peaked. Just where had Kal been? She thought it likely that he'd been visiting the concubines. For some inexplicable reason, the idea infuriated her. True, she knew that she had told him in no uncertain terms that she didn't care who he invited into his bed, or whose bed he climbed into. But that hadn't really been the truth. She wanted nothing to do with the prince, but yet, she also didn't want anyone else to be able to lay any sort of claim to him. Was it just possessiveness on her part?
She admitted to herself that it might be. But she also knew that it also stemmed from the anger she'd always held towards her father. Not only had he traded her life away for a chance to climb the social ladder, but he'd never been a faithful man to his own wife. Lois blamed him for her mother's depression and drinking problems, though she knew that the latter had started even before Samm had begun his affairs with some of the other lower born noblewomen. It simply galled her that the young prince was so like her own father. She wanted to cry, but she refused to allow herself to do so. A better idea formed in her mind instead. She'd trap Kal in his lie that he never visited the concubines. She'd keep an eye out. If Kal continued to disappear, she would start to shadow his movements at night and expose him for that cad that he was. Smiling to herself for the first time in weeks, Lois dropped off to sleep.
***
Lois Lyne, Investigative Wife
The very next day, Lois began to keep a careful watch on her husband. She discreetly watched every move that he made when she was around him, from the way that he cut his food to the way that he spoke to the people around him. His clothing, the way that he carried himself, the hand motions that he used when he spoke - Lois scrutinized it all. And she kept a running tally of how many times he disappeared at night. Her fears were confirmed when she realized that he snuck out more often than not. She decided that the time had come for her to begin to shadow his movements around the palace.
Still, she had to admit that the more that she watched Kal, the more he surprised her. He was so unlike the spoiled, rich brat she had anticipated being married to. He was, instead, friendly and warm to everyone that he came across, even the lowliest of the palace staff. He had no airs to him. Lois saw him on more than one occasion rush to help one of the hired staff. She had watched as he ran ahead to open a door for a woman whose arms had been full with an overflowing basket of neatly folded laundry. She had watched him as he had stopped a courier when the young man was rushing through the palace, and offered to deliver the messages the man had for Ching and Jor-El. Lois had even seen Kal help the kitchen staff as they unloaded a truck filled with food. She had watched in awe as he'd slung a bulging sack of flour over his shoulder as though it weighed nothing. When some of the white powder trickled out of the bag and onto his black shirt, Lois had been sure that Kal would get angry. Instead, he had only laughed and brushed it from his clothing with a smile on his lips. Then he had joked around with Jon, the master chef.
When Kal was with his brothers and Zara, Lois saw a whole other side to him. Any sort of formality fell away to reveal a man who was quick to laugh and possessed a wry sense of humor. His smile came easily when he was with them - a devastatingly bright and wonderful thing. Lois found it hard not to be affected by it. When Kal was with the others, he seemed to be the eternal optimist, always trying to find a good spin on things, even when circumstances were less than ideal. He had a sharp, quick wit, and Lois envied how easily the jokes flew from his tongue.
On a couple of occasions, Lois had joined Kal, Zara, Ching, and Jai when they went into the city. It had surprised her when they had entered their favorite bar and ordered a round of food and drinks. Lois had anticipated that they would be going someplace fancy. The place wasn't exactly run down, but it was clear that it was in need of some work. But none of them seemed to notice. If anything, Lois thought that the group relaxed even further while they were there.
At first, Lois had thought that maybe Kal had chosen the place to subtly prove a point about the kind of man that he was. But she dismissed the thought when she realized that no one was staring at the group of young royals, and because the barkeep so familiarly brought over a set of darts after the meal was through, in anticipation of the rounds that they usually played before leaving the establishment. It was more than obvious that they often frequented the place. And when they had wandered through the city, Lois had watched Kal's polite and attentive interactions with those who were bold enough to approach him. It was hard for Lois to hide her smile when Kal stopped to sink a basketball into a hoop when they passed a small park and the children within had called to him.
At meal times in the palace, Lois kept her eyes and ears open. She watched every move that Kal made, considered every word that he said. She grew more surprised as she listened to Kal as he spoke with his father and the Elders. His words were always thoughtful and he always seemed to weigh them in his mind before he spoke. It didn't make him the most talkative one of the bunch, but it made his words insightful and well planned. And as Lois began to really listen to what he was saying, she caught even deeper glimpses into Kal's heart and mind. Always, his thoughts seemed to be focused on what would be best for the common citizens of Krypton. He was mindful of the nobles as well, but his real concern lay with the lowest members of society. It often put him at odds with the Elders, but that never seemed to bother or sway Kal at all.
But when he was alone with her, Kal was a different person entirely. He became shy and withdrawn. He spoke very little. His smiles were scarce. His sense of humor vanished. Lois knew that it was mostly her fault. Kal remained ever cordial to her, but she often loosed her anger on him. She knew that what she was doing wasn't fair. But anytime she felt herself growing attracted to the man that she was married to, she remembered his disappearances at night and the fact that she had not chosen this marriage. Then her ire would rise and she'd verbally attack Kal. Each time, she would see the hurt in his eyes, and he'd grow somber, cold, and distant again. Any progress that he'd made in loosening up around her would be lost in a flash. After a time, it seemed that he stopped trying to get on her good side altogether. His disappearances grew more frequent, and grew much longer in length. And Lois grew angrier each time.
True, some nights, Kal chose to stay within their chambers. Lois was able to discreetly watch him from the hall each time that he chose to stay in for the night. Most of the time, she watched as he settled in to watch a game on the video screen. He kept the sound as low as possible, mindful that Lois was supposedly sleeping a few doors down the hall. His cheers were hushed whispers and fist pumps into the air whenever the Red Suns scored. A few times, Kal invited his brothers in to watch with him, and Lois was impressed that even they were mindful of keeping the noise level to the barest minimum.
Other times, Kal simply relaxed with a glass of wine or a cup of coffee and settled in on the couch or an armchair with a book. He seemed to devour them. In the month that they had been married, he'd plowed through at least six sizable books that Lois was aware of. Still other times, Kal sat with his computer on his lap, typing the night away. Lois was curious as to what he was doing on it. Was he writing up proposals to bring before his father and the Elders? Was he making his plans to meet with his concubines? Lois simply didn't know and it drove her crazy. During the days when Kal was busy with his royal duties, Lois tried to find out. But, she just couldn't get past the password protection on the machine.
A few of the nights, Kal merely lay on the floor, playing with his cat. Kal would dangle a toy for the cat to attack or use a tiny red laser to make Fasa run about the room. At first, Lois thought it was cruel of Kal to do that. After all, the cat would never capture the miniscule red dot on the floor. But as she watched, she grew to understand that the cat looked forward to these playtimes, and got excited whenever Kal neared the drawer of the side table where he kept the small device. Fasa would attentively sit before Kal on the floor, golden eyes wide and expectant until the laser appeared.
It didn't take a genius to see that Kal was devoted to the little animal, and that the cat was just as devoted to Kal. It was not a rare sight for Lois to see the two snuggled up together on the couch or in a chair. Oftentimes, Fasa would wedge his head beneath Kal's chin and go to sleep, while Kal quietly stroked the animal's back and watched the video monitor or read. It was a heartwarming sight, and even Lois couldn't find a way to twist that back on Kal in some negative light.
Lois found herself becoming closer to Zara as the days marched on, despite her best efforts to stay as aloof as possible. She thought that Zara was a sweet woman, and envied the fact that the other woman had not been forced into a loveless marriage. And, she had to admit, Kal had been right when he'd guessed that Lois was lonely. She missed her sister terribly, at any rate. In some ways, it was nice to be away from her mother and father's incessant fighting and verbal brawling, though now she was living a similar situation with the young prince. Instead of being a bystander of the verbal warfare that she'd grown up in, she was now an active participant. So to ease some of her loneliness, she sometimes spent time with Zara, and as a result, a friendship started to form between them. It helped Lois to have another woman to talk with, even if she studiously avoided talking about Kal with her.
As the days turned to weeks, and the weeks turned to a full month since their wedding day, Lois noticed something interesting. The days when she and Kal managed not to fight were usually the nights when Kal stayed within their chambers. But if they fought, Kal was almost guaranteed to sneak out of the chambers at night once he thought Lois was asleep. Lois was certain that Kal was drowning whatever sorrows he had in some concubine's bed. At least he had the decency to go to them, she thought often, though not without disgust. At least he wasn't bringing them back to his chambers and forcing Lois to wander aimlessly while he lay with another woman, or worse, doing so while she was in the chambers still. It was enough of a thought to make her stomach roil and her anger rise.
After the first month was up, Lois grew bolder. She began to follow Kal whenever he slipped away in the night, hoping to catch him in his lies. She would go to bed and pretend to sleep, listening intently for Kal to make his move. When he would finally slip away, she would follow from a distance, hiding behind whatever she could, just in case Kal ever turned to look back. But he never did, always being either too distracted to notice his second shadow, or with his music blasting in his ears, making him oblivious to all else that was around him. Lois was thankful for that, and for the fact that Kal always chose to slip away at late hours when the whole palace seemed to be asleep. No one witnessed her attempts at sleuthing out the truth.
For two months, Lois followed Kal, but she never caught him meeting with any women, or men, for that matter. The thought that Kal might have different tastes had crossed her mind on more than one occasion as she pondered why he refused to even bring up the topic of their marital duties, even when they were getting along.
Instead, she found herself following Kal either out into the gardens or to down to the gym in the basement level of the palace. In the gardens, he merely walked, usually with his portable music player strapped to his arm. Sometimes he jogged, using only the small pools of light from the lights that lined the pathways to see by, along with moon and starlight. Lois did not follow him the first few times, but then began to wonder if his little trysts were taking place deep within the gardens under the cover of darkness. So she began to follow him through the gardens whenever he went out into them. And still, she found him to be doing nothing more insidious than taking a late night walk or run. Sometimes, he would break from his jogging and lean against a tree, looking up into the vast expanse of stars above. He would stay like that for a long while, sigh, and then go back to his running.
Whenever the weather was bad, and sometimes even when it wasn't, Lois followed Kal down to the gym. The first time, Lois had wondered with disgust if Kal's women were meeting him there, but even she had to admit that the idea was pretty farfetched. And yet, she liked it best when he sought refuge in the gym. For in that place, she found that luck was with her. The gym had one wall of sound-proof two-way glass. Lois was able slip into the room behind the glass, and watch to see what Kal was up to.
He would disappear only for a minute or two, and reemerge with a towel around his neck and a plastic bottle of water. Then he would speak aloud, activating either the video screens to watch his favorite team play or turning on the music system. Lois didn't recognize a lot of the music, but it almost all had upbeat tones that she figured would be a great motivator to work out to. Some of it even had her tapping her toes, despite her efforts to remain neutral and her desire to stay annoyed. Some of the music she recognized as being classical, though it had been reworked as rock and roll, with swifter, heavier beats. Those were the ones that she liked the best, though she never stayed for very long. Kal gave her no reason to stay. He'd hop on a treadmill or another machine and lose himself to his workout. And his visits to the place almost always lasted for an hour or better, most often closer to two hours.
Lois had no real reason to mistrust that he was only working out when he was there. She watched as his body grew even leaner, tauter, and more muscular over the course of the two months that she spied on him. She had to admit that he'd been in top physical form when she'd first met him. That hadn't been too difficult to notice. But somehow, he became even more toned and stronger as time went on. Had the circumstances been different, she might have even allowed herself to admit that he was attractive. He was, in fact, the most attractive, most handsome man that she had ever seen. And when they weren't fighting, he was one of the most decent men that she'd ever known. His personality made him even more attractive to her eyes.
Three months had now passed since their forced marriage. And Lois had failed to find anything suspicious about Kal. She found herself unsure of whether she was relieved about that or not. On the one hand, Kal seemed to be genuine. He hadn't lied to her. He wasn't cheating on her with anyone else. On the other hand, it meant that she had been wrong about him. And Lois hated being wrong.
She was annoyed. Annoyed that Kal was a good man. Annoyed that she had misjudged him. Annoyed that there was no way out of this marriage. Annoyed that, despite her best efforts, she found herself falling under his spell. And she took it out on Kal.
One fine, sunny morning, she erupted in savage fury at Kal for no good reason. She wasn't even sure why. But it was her worst outburst yet. Kal actually paled as he stood in the path of her wrath, looking for all the world like a stricken animal. She had even seen a glimmer of a tear form in one of his soft brown eyes. Chocolate eyes. Like the chocolates he had brought her. The very gift that had caused her to explode.
Kal had not been in their rooms when Lois had awoken that morning. She had been a little taken aback by that. They had just had three days of relative peace between them. Kal hadn't snuck out of the rooms at night. He'd even begun to open up around her a little, though he seemed to attempt to keep as much distance as he could. But within fifteen minutes of Lois climbing out of bed that morning, he had returned. A pleased smile had been on his lips and he had handed her a red velvet box filled with expensive, rich chocolates. Lois had been touched by the gesture, but instead of thanking him, she'd gone on a twenty minute rant. She had accused him of all sorts of horrible things, including that he was trying to buy her love.
When she was done, Kal's shoulders had been slumped in defeat and lines of misery marred his face. He'd left without another word. Perhaps he had been too stunned to speak. Perhaps he'd felt on the verge of saying something that he would regret, and had left in order to not voice it. Lois had simply watched him go. She hadn't tried to stop him.
Now, sitting alone in their chambers, Lois slowly cooled off. She began to even feel a little guilty about her outburst, and more than a little sorry for having snapped. She wondered what Kal was doing, what he was thinking. She wondered if she ought to apologize for her behavior. After all, Kal hadn't actually done anything wrong. But he never returned to their chambers, nor did he attend the meals in the main dining hall. Part of Lois worried that she had really crossed the line this time.
Late that night, Kal finally returned from wherever he'd been all day. He was only in their rooms for a few brief minutes to check on Fasa, then he left again just as quickly. He did not speak. He did not even look at Lois. But Lois looked at Kal. There was still a world of pain in his eyes and an air of depression around him. As always, Lois made the decision to follow her husband. This time, however, the motivation was born of a desire to make sure that he was all right, rather than a gnawing suspicion of what he might be up to.
As silent as any shadow, Lois followed Kal through the white marble halls of the palace. She knew Kal's route well enough by now. She knew even before she saw him exit the building, that he was heading out into the gardens. Lois did notice, however, that he wasn't dressed in his usual loose-fitting jogging clothes, nor did he have his music player with him. She bit her lower lip in thought as she followed him out into the night.
A heavy fog had fallen as the night had rolled in. It was thick enough to obscure everything around her. Still, she knew Kal's path. She had to follow extra closely, to ensure that she didn't lose him in the thick white fog. But, she reasoned, the same fog would also help to hide her from his eyes as well. So she pressed on. As she anticipated, Kal made a beeline for the rose gardens. But instead of standing in place or beginning to run as he always did, this time Kal found a bench and sat. Lois quickly hid herself behind a tall, full hedge. She was close enough to hear Kal's heavy sigh, though it sounded somehow muffled in the blanket of fog. When he began to speak, Lois nearly jumped out of her skin.
"Mom," Kal sighed. "I've all but given up. I wish you were here to tell me what to do. I've tried everything. I've tried talking to Lois. I've tried giving her gifts. I've tried giving her some space. Nothing has worked. I'm out of ideas. I don't know what to do anymore. It's killing me. I want to make her happy. I really do. But...she hates me." Kal's voice was soft and low as he spoke aloud to the air around him.
A chill ran up Lois' spine as Kal spoke to the empty garden. She suddenly felt very guilty about having followed Kal out here. Clearly this was a very private moment for him. Lois felt like an intruder. And yet...she couldn't pull away, not just yet. She was curious as to what else Kal might have to say.
"This marriage...I've failed at it," Kal continued. "What's worse is that I'm ruining Lois' life as well. Dad says to be patient. I've tried that. Nothing is working. You know what, Mom? I have never envied Ching before in my life. He's the first son, and the heir to the throne. I've never envied the pressures and responsibilities that go along with being the crown prince. He was betrothed since his birth, something that I once thought that I had escaped. But now...now I find myself envying his marriage. He loves Zara, and she loves him. Part of me has fallen for Lois. But she'll never feel the same way. She's made that clear enough."
Kal paused and took a breath. When he continued speaking, his voice was thick with unshed tears. "I don't need her to love me. But I can't bear to be bound to someone who won't even allow a friendship to sprout between us. I just...I don't know how I can live my life like this. How can I make Lois live the rest of her life like this? It's not fair to her. I just don't know what to do."
Lois swallowed around a lump that had taken up residence in her throat. The misery in Kal's voice had broken through every defensive wall that she'd constructed. And what was more, she was stunned to realize that even after all that she had said and done to him over the last three months, he was still concerned about her, maybe even more than he was concerned about the state of his own heart. And Lois had to admit to herself that his heart couldn't possibly be in any worse condition right now. She'd repeatedly torn it out of his chest and stomped all over it.
But yet, he was concerned with her feelings, her heart. He'd admitted it, out loud, though he hadn't known that she was listening. He'd been genuinely remorseful over Lois' unhappiness. He'd said that he wanted to make her happy. And what had she done? She'd been cruel to him, throwing salt into every wound that she managed to make. It was now her turn to feel badly.
"Please, send me some kind of sign, Mom," Kal begged the night air.
Lois heard the absolute despair in Kal's voice. She heard the quiet sobbing coming from the man. He sniffled a little, and Lois peeked around the hedge. Even through the fog, she could see his dark silhouette framed by the small pathway lights. She could see that his head was in his hands. She could see the shaking of his shoulders as he released his pent-up grief. In that moment, her heart sank. She had done this to him. He'd been nothing if not kind and accommodating towards her. He'd never forced himself on her. He'd been respectful of her space and her privacy. He'd tried to give her gifts. He'd tried to talk to her. And the only times that he'd grown angry and argued back with her, she had goaded him into it.
Perhaps it was time to make amends. Perhaps it was time to stop punishing him for something that was never his fault to begin with. Perhaps it was time to sit down and talk to him.
But not now.
Lois felt badly enough that she was spying on Kal right now. She certainly didn't have the nerve to walk up to him and admit that she'd eavesdropped on such a private moment. She could always talk to him tomorrow. She turned and fled the gardens, as silently as she could. Tears were in her own eyes, now that she had seen the extent of what she'd done to Kal.
Back through the palace she breezed, until she was safely back in Kal's chambers. Once there, she stripped out of her damp clothing. She was chilled to the very bone, so she took a hot, but quick, shower, and then changed into dry things. Her husband was still not back when she slipped into the large bed.
She tried to sleep, but it remained elusive. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw her husband's defeated form. Though Kal had spoken so quietly in the gardens, his words echoed in her mind, growing louder with every repetition until it seemed as though they had been screamed in her ears. She tossed and turned, though she could not shake the guilt that she felt, until she at last fell into an exhausted asleep.
Her sleep was anything but restful. She awoke often from her troubled dreams, which kept putting her back in the gardens over and over again. In the last of these dreams, she came upon Kal, not as a living man, but as a corpse swinging from a tall, sturdy tree. Around his neck was a sign that said simply, "Forgive me, Lois."
She awoke with a heavy heart but a grim sense of determination. She would talk to Kal. She would hear him out and see what he had to say. And above all, she would not take her frustrations out on him. She only needed to find some uninterrupted time so that they could both get things out into the open and start clearing the air.
She swiftly got herself dressed and ready for the day. But she had slept later than she anticipated, so the prospect of speaking with Kal before breakfast was dashed. She accompanied him down to the main dining hall, but her courage had left her. She kept silent as they made their way through the palace and all throughout the meal.
After breakfast was finished, Kal, Jor-El, and Ching went to hear the week's petitioners. Lois had forgotten about that. In the past, she had secretly looked forward to those days. It meant that she had no chance of running into the prince during the day. But today, the prospect of not seeing Kal until dinner time bothered her. Now that she had come to the decision to try to make amends, she wanted to get it over and done with as quickly as possible. She wasn't used to admitting that she had been wrong, but she knew that in this case, she had to take that first, frightening step.
Dinner wasn't the proper time to approach Kal either. Instead, Lois pushed the food around on her plate, eating very little. She noticed that Kal didn't eat much either. Was he still troubled over their fight the previous day? Lois imagined that he was.
Once dinner was over, she walked in silence with Kal back to their rooms. Several times, she tried to gather up her courage to speak. But she wasn't sure of where to begin. Each time, the words died in her throat before she could utter a sound. Once back in their chambers, she sat on the couch in the living room. Kal settled into one of the armchairs and began to skim through the channels on the video screen. He finally settled on a documentary about one of Krypton's very first scientists, though Lois could tell that he was distracted and wasn't really paying attention.
"Kal," she finally said.
In an instant, his eyes were on hers. There was a wealth of apprehension swimming in those twin chocolate pools. But before she could utter another word, there was a knock on the door. Kal looked torn for a split second.
"Yes?" he asked her after a moment.
Lois sighed, her courage gone again for the moment. "Nothing. You'd better get the door."
Kal looked uncertain but nodded slowly. He stood from his seat and went to answer the door. Lois heard the door open and Jai's voice wafted through the rooms. She frowned. Of course one of Kal's brothers would have to come calling on him just as she was about to have an important conversation with him.
"Hey," Jai said, and Lois could hear the smile in the younger man's voice, though she couldn't see him. "I'm kind of bored. I was thinking of heading down to the gym. You want to come and spar with me?"
Kal hesitated for a second. Lois wondered if he was thinking of what she might have been about to say to him. But his indecision was over almost before it began. Lois knew that he was terrified of another fight with her. She also knew that he'd be willing to do anything to avoid having another fight.
"Sure," he said at last. "I could use some exercise."
"Great. I'll meet you down there," Jai said.
"See you in ten minutes," Kal promised.
He shut the door as Jai departed, then ducked into the bedroom. A few minutes later, he reemerged dressed in his workout clothes. He was out the door before Lois could turn around to even look at him. For a while, she debated whether or not to go down to the gym and discreetly watch. She ultimately decided not to go, but after nearly two hours had passed, she grew more and more anxious. Finally unable to stand it any longer, she left the rooms and went down to the gym.
When she arrived, Jai was just leaving. From the room behind the two-way glass, Lois surveyed the gym and wondered if she should hurry back up to the rooms before Kal could return. But as she debated, Jai left and Kal turned to one of the various machines. It appeared that he was going to stay for a while longer. Lois pulled up a chair and turned the volume up in the room so that she could hear what was going on next door.
"Night," Jai threw over his shoulder as he made his way out.
"Night," Kal said back as he adjusted the weight stack on the machine he was sitting at. "And thanks. I really needed that."
"I know. That's why I came to ask you to join me, instead of asking Ching to come."
"So good to know that I wasn't your first choice," Kal quipped.
"Sorry, bro, but he's better with a drei than you are." Jai shrugged.
"And I'm still better than you are," Kal said, grinning, though it seemed forced.
Lois wondered if he was still fretting over their near conversation from earlier.
"See you in the morning," Jai said.
"See you," Kal echoed. "Sleep well."
After Jai had gone, Kal commanded the computer system to play some music. Lois recognized it instantly. He often played this particular playlist when he worked out. Kal stretched and began to pull down the bars of the machine, working the muscles of his arms. Lois watched in fascination. Even through the material of his t-shirt, she could see the muscles of his body rippling and flexing with his movements. She had watched him at the gym before, but she'd never taken too much of an interest in what he was doing. She had always been too focused on whether or not he was meeting with other women. But now she watched him in rapt attention.
When he'd completed several sets on the arm machine, he wiped his brow with the red towel that was hanging around his neck. It perfectly matched his shorts, though those both clashed with his blue shirt. Lois had the fleeting impression of one of those superheroes on the shows that she had seen as a child. They had always had odd looking or strangely matched outfits.
As she watched Kal, he peeled off his sweat-soaked shirt and headed to one of the treadmills. He started to walk, but soon increased to a jog, then a fast run. Lois thought that his body was a thing of beauty as he easily kept up the pace that he had set. She watched as he ran and the music played, one song blending into another until she was unsure how many had played since Kal had first stepped foot on the machine. She watched as he slowed and wiped his sweaty brow. She watched as he took the white and red water bottle and took a few mighty swigs from it, never breaking his pace, never faltering in his steps. Then he sped back up again.
Lois wondered how many miles he covered as he legs ate up the distance. Five perhaps. Maybe a little more. But at last, Kal slowed and stopped. He hobbled over to one of the benches in the room, facing the two-way glass. Lois panicked for one split second, wondering if he somehow knew that she was watching. But in the next instant, she let out a shaky laugh. Of course he couldn't see her. Kal wasn't even looking at the mirrors that were on his side of the glass. He was methodically rubbing his knee, as though it pained him greatly. After a few minutes, he seemed to be feeling better and he stood again. He paced a little, testing the joint. Apparently satisfied, he gathered his belongings and made ready to leave the gym, powering down the music system with a few verbal commands.
Lois scurried out of the observation room and outright bolted back to the chambers that she shared with Kal. As she fled down the halls, she was thankful that there was no one to watch her progress. She reached the rooms and let herself in, then took a seat on the couch. For a minute, she struggled to calm her breathing and to compose herself. After another perhaps five or ten minutes, she heard Kal enter. She stood, steeling her nerves.
"Lois?" Kal said as he entered the living room. "I thought you'd be asleep by now. I was just down in the gym."
He was still shirtless. Reflexively, he held his sodden blue shirt against his chest. Lois wondered if he was shy or if he was worried that his partially undressed state would offend her. Or perhaps he felt as though clinging to the shirt would somehow protect him from her usual wrath.
"I know," Lois said gently. "Kal? Can we...talk? I...have some things...that I really need to speak with you about."
Kal looked caught off-guard. His eyes grew wide and distrustful, as though he were trying to decide if he had done something wrong. Lois thought that he resembled a cornered animal. A terrified, cornered animal.
"Please?" Lois added, hoping to alleviate some of his fear.
Slowly, Kal nodded. He swallowed hard. "All right. But...I should probably get cleaned up first. Is that all right?"
"Of course," Lois said, giving him a small smile. "I'll be right here when you're done."
To Be Continued...
