2 Fics: A Welcome Ache; An Unexpected Piece of the Puzzle | SR | Clark/Lois, Martha/Jonathan, (more)
Title: With Fortune's Hand I: Four Relationships Remembered Fondly: A Welcome Ache
Fandom: DCU/Superman Returns
Pairing: Clark/Lois, Martha/Jonathan
Rating: PG
Word Count: 317
Prompt: For The Superman Movieverse Pairings Challenge: Smallville, Kent Farm, Memory(-ies), Coffee
Summary: Martha remembers her husband on Clark and Lois's wedding day.
Disclaimer: DC and WB own it all. I own nothing. Darnit!
Author's Notes: Second of the four ficlets in Part I of the series. All Aftermath-Verse, with spoilers for the whole shebang. This one takes place about a week or so after the end of Aftermath, and just before Memory of a Love Denied.
A Welcome Ache
A day never passed that Martha didn't think of her husband. As the years wore on, the minutes spent pining for Jonathan grew fewer, and the ache grew less sharp, but still, he was never far from her mind. The littlest thing would bring his memory rushing back, the sight of his jacket still hanging on the hook by the door, the aroma of a fresh pot of coffee in the morning, the autumn sun rising over the fields, and she'd come to welcome the little reminders of him, with all the bittersweet longing they brought with them.
On the day she stood in the office of Smallville's Justice of the Peace with Clark and Lois, Jason's little hand tucked into hers as the JP recited the simple ceremony the happy couple had chosen, her head swam with memories of her years with Jonathan. Their first kiss, their wedding day, long days spent working the farm, holidays spent tucked in together in front of the warm fire while Clark played outside, their last day spent together before he'd died. He'd been the best husband a man could ever hope to be and a woman could ever hope to have, had always made her feel loved, wanted, and needed, and she'd never regretted a minute she spent with him.
Wiping a stray tear from the corner of her eye with a tissue she'd brought specifically anticipating the need, Martha watched her son take Lois's hand in his and gently place the simple platinum band on her ring finger, his vows falling from his lips in a soft litany of utter devotion. She knew then without a shadow of a doubt that he would be just as wonderful a husband to his wife as Jonathan had been to her.
And at that thought, the tears began to spill freely down her cheeks, her heart swelling with love and joy.
~*~*~*~
Title: With Fortune's Hand I: Four Relationships Remembered Fondly: An Unexpected Piece of the Puzzle
Fandom: Superman Returns
Characters/Pairings: Clark, Lana (side Clark/Lois; past Clark/Lana)
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1,118
Prompt: For the EyesSkyward May Fic Grab: #3: First Kiss (This veered a little away from the specific prompt into the realm of metaphor, but I think it still holds.); For The Superman Movieverse Pairings Challenge: Smallville, Friendship, Kiss, Memory(-ies), Cheerleader
Summary: Clark runs into an old friend in Metropolis, and it's a welcome surprise.
Disclaimer: DC and WB own it all. I own nothing. Darnit!
Author's Notes: Part of the Aftermath-verse, set several months after the main story. Second in the first part of this series. Also, Lana Lang here is Annette O'Toole's SIII Lana.
An Unexpected Piece of the Puzzle
It felt now like it was a million years ago, and yet, yesterday. Running into Lana at the Metropolis Women of the Year Dinner was such a shock to Clark's system that he had to shake himself from the sudden onslaught of memories, pick up his jaw, and force himself forward to greet her.
Naturally, she was just as gorgeous as she'd been as a teenager, all long red hair and bright green eyes over pale freckled cheeks. But now, she seemed to be more Fifth Avenue and less pom-pom girl.
It was probably a good thing Lois had insisted on chasing a different story for the evening, despite being on the list of honorees, with the way he couldn't quite manage to not gape at the sight of his long-ago girlfriend, all sleek and sophisticated in cream silk, hair spilling over her shoulders in soft waves.
“Lana?” he asked tentatively-as if there was any doubt-when he caught up with her, an unsure touch to her elbow to get her attention.
The redhead turned, hair bouncing and emerald earrings catching the light, and a grin lit up her face. “Clark!” she practically squealed, throwing her arms around his neck for a quick squeeze. “Oh my God! I can't believe you're here!”
Looking down at her-and wow, he must've grown a lot since the last time he'd seen her, which said a lot for how long it'd been-he blushed and smiled back. “Well, I'm covering the event,” he pointed to his press pass, clipped onto his lapel, “but... are you on the one-hundred list?”
Her grin turned sly, just as he'd remembered it. “Number twenty-two, thank you very much. Lang-Coeur went public last spring, and we've been able to do a lot of charity work with the profits. Definitely a far cry from stitching jeans in my mom's sewing room in Smallville.”
“That's amazing!” he grinned back. “I'm so happy for you. Didn't even realize you'd gotten your business up and running,” he added, more sheepishly.
Lana laid a hand on his arm, gently. “Well, you were gone for a while, so it's understandable.”
At that, Clark couldn't help a sigh of relief. Of course, she didn't know where he was, but his Ma must have told her he was traveling.
“Let's go outside where we can talk, huh?” she suggested then, and Clark just nodded and followed, same as always.
Out on the broad balcony of the hotel, the excited clamor of the dinner muted behind them, they found a quiet spot to lean against the balustrade.
“So,” she said, giving him a more thorough once-over with those green eyes, “What have you been up to? Seems like eons since I've seen you.”
“Well, I-” he started, hesitating since there wasn't exactly much he could tell her. “I got my job back, obviously. Wrote a series on the aftermath of the destruction in Metropolis.”
“Hey, stop fidgeting,” she interrupted, grabbing his hand with a chuckle. But then her eyes widened and she lifted his hand to the light, his ring glinting. “Oh my God, are you married?”
The tension in Clark's chest broke at that, and he let out a relieved chuckle of his own, his good sense returning. “Um, yeah. Lois Lane. Three months ago. We... sort of... reconnected when I came back.” His free hand went to the back of his neck to rub nervously. Of course he was being this dense. Of course. “We have a son, Jason.”
He hadn't thought her eyes could get any wider, but they did. “What?” she squealed, leaping up to hug him again. “Clark! That's fantastic!”
Hugging her back, he laughed. “Thanks, Lana.”
But then she withdrew, her feet hitting the floor again, question on her face. “How old is he?”
“Five.”
“That's great!” she cried happily, grinning. “You know, we should get together sometime, I bet Ricky would love to meet him.”
Clark's brow furrowed. “Ricky?”
“My son, dimwit,” she explained, swatting him on the arm. “He just turned six.”
Utter shame crept up Clark's spine then, as he remembered his Ma spreading the news that Lana and her then-husband were to have their first child, just before he'd gone off the deep end and headed off-planet. “Oh, God, I'm sorry, I, um, forgot,” he stammered, feeling heat in his face. “I-”
“Don't worry about it,” she shook her head, gazing up at him fondly.
But then his eyes sought out her hand of their own accord, and no light glinted on metal where he'd expected it. “Um... I thought you were married, too?” he asked lamely.
Lana shook her head again. “Not for the last three years. Don couldn't so much handle me being the bread-winner, so off he went.”
“I'm so sorry.”
“I'm not. Sure, it's sad, but I know now he wasn't the right one for me, in the long run.”
Clark couldn't help a twinge of regret at that, remembering the way things had gone for them way back when. Lana had been the first girl he'd ever even thought of in that way, after being his friend since kindergarden. She'd been his first crush, his first girlfriend-though that was mostly confined to going to the movies twice, splitting a shake over math homework, and sharing their first kiss behind the barn, nervous, inexperienced, and giggling the whole time-and while it was good while it lasted, in the end, she'd blossomed like a butterfly, caught the eye of the quarterback, and moved on. He'd withdrawn then, mourning the love he'd though would last forever, learning the hard way that not everything he wanted in life was meant to be.
But that was neither here nor there now, not with the way the pieces of his life had finally come together, and with Lana, ever blossoming, it seemed, looking so happy and content with her own life.
Letting the past rest where it lay, Clark breathed deep, and suggested, “Hey, why don't you come over for dinner sometime? I can introduce you to Lois and Jason, and maybe Richard.”
“Richard?” she asked, an auburn eyebrow raised.
“Lois's ex. Um, before I came home. He's a good friend.”
Lana lit up again, laughing. “Why am I not surprised? I'd love to. And I'll bring Ricky, so he can meet Jason.”
And Clark felt one more click, an unexpected piece of the puzzle snapping into place.
~*~*~*~
Fandom: DCU/Superman Returns
Pairing: Clark/Lois, Martha/Jonathan
Rating: PG
Word Count: 317
Prompt: For The Superman Movieverse Pairings Challenge: Smallville, Kent Farm, Memory(-ies), Coffee
Summary: Martha remembers her husband on Clark and Lois's wedding day.
Disclaimer: DC and WB own it all. I own nothing. Darnit!
Author's Notes: Second of the four ficlets in Part I of the series. All Aftermath-Verse, with spoilers for the whole shebang. This one takes place about a week or so after the end of Aftermath, and just before Memory of a Love Denied.
A Welcome Ache
A day never passed that Martha didn't think of her husband. As the years wore on, the minutes spent pining for Jonathan grew fewer, and the ache grew less sharp, but still, he was never far from her mind. The littlest thing would bring his memory rushing back, the sight of his jacket still hanging on the hook by the door, the aroma of a fresh pot of coffee in the morning, the autumn sun rising over the fields, and she'd come to welcome the little reminders of him, with all the bittersweet longing they brought with them.
On the day she stood in the office of Smallville's Justice of the Peace with Clark and Lois, Jason's little hand tucked into hers as the JP recited the simple ceremony the happy couple had chosen, her head swam with memories of her years with Jonathan. Their first kiss, their wedding day, long days spent working the farm, holidays spent tucked in together in front of the warm fire while Clark played outside, their last day spent together before he'd died. He'd been the best husband a man could ever hope to be and a woman could ever hope to have, had always made her feel loved, wanted, and needed, and she'd never regretted a minute she spent with him.
Wiping a stray tear from the corner of her eye with a tissue she'd brought specifically anticipating the need, Martha watched her son take Lois's hand in his and gently place the simple platinum band on her ring finger, his vows falling from his lips in a soft litany of utter devotion. She knew then without a shadow of a doubt that he would be just as wonderful a husband to his wife as Jonathan had been to her.
And at that thought, the tears began to spill freely down her cheeks, her heart swelling with love and joy.
~*~*~*~
Title: With Fortune's Hand I: Four Relationships Remembered Fondly: An Unexpected Piece of the Puzzle
Fandom: Superman Returns
Characters/Pairings: Clark, Lana (side Clark/Lois; past Clark/Lana)
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1,118
Prompt: For the EyesSkyward May Fic Grab: #3: First Kiss (This veered a little away from the specific prompt into the realm of metaphor, but I think it still holds.); For The Superman Movieverse Pairings Challenge: Smallville, Friendship, Kiss, Memory(-ies), Cheerleader
Summary: Clark runs into an old friend in Metropolis, and it's a welcome surprise.
Disclaimer: DC and WB own it all. I own nothing. Darnit!
Author's Notes: Part of the Aftermath-verse, set several months after the main story. Second in the first part of this series. Also, Lana Lang here is Annette O'Toole's SIII Lana.
An Unexpected Piece of the Puzzle
It felt now like it was a million years ago, and yet, yesterday. Running into Lana at the Metropolis Women of the Year Dinner was such a shock to Clark's system that he had to shake himself from the sudden onslaught of memories, pick up his jaw, and force himself forward to greet her.
Naturally, she was just as gorgeous as she'd been as a teenager, all long red hair and bright green eyes over pale freckled cheeks. But now, she seemed to be more Fifth Avenue and less pom-pom girl.
It was probably a good thing Lois had insisted on chasing a different story for the evening, despite being on the list of honorees, with the way he couldn't quite manage to not gape at the sight of his long-ago girlfriend, all sleek and sophisticated in cream silk, hair spilling over her shoulders in soft waves.
“Lana?” he asked tentatively-as if there was any doubt-when he caught up with her, an unsure touch to her elbow to get her attention.
The redhead turned, hair bouncing and emerald earrings catching the light, and a grin lit up her face. “Clark!” she practically squealed, throwing her arms around his neck for a quick squeeze. “Oh my God! I can't believe you're here!”
Looking down at her-and wow, he must've grown a lot since the last time he'd seen her, which said a lot for how long it'd been-he blushed and smiled back. “Well, I'm covering the event,” he pointed to his press pass, clipped onto his lapel, “but... are you on the one-hundred list?”
Her grin turned sly, just as he'd remembered it. “Number twenty-two, thank you very much. Lang-Coeur went public last spring, and we've been able to do a lot of charity work with the profits. Definitely a far cry from stitching jeans in my mom's sewing room in Smallville.”
“That's amazing!” he grinned back. “I'm so happy for you. Didn't even realize you'd gotten your business up and running,” he added, more sheepishly.
Lana laid a hand on his arm, gently. “Well, you were gone for a while, so it's understandable.”
At that, Clark couldn't help a sigh of relief. Of course, she didn't know where he was, but his Ma must have told her he was traveling.
“Let's go outside where we can talk, huh?” she suggested then, and Clark just nodded and followed, same as always.
Out on the broad balcony of the hotel, the excited clamor of the dinner muted behind them, they found a quiet spot to lean against the balustrade.
“So,” she said, giving him a more thorough once-over with those green eyes, “What have you been up to? Seems like eons since I've seen you.”
“Well, I-” he started, hesitating since there wasn't exactly much he could tell her. “I got my job back, obviously. Wrote a series on the aftermath of the destruction in Metropolis.”
“Hey, stop fidgeting,” she interrupted, grabbing his hand with a chuckle. But then her eyes widened and she lifted his hand to the light, his ring glinting. “Oh my God, are you married?”
The tension in Clark's chest broke at that, and he let out a relieved chuckle of his own, his good sense returning. “Um, yeah. Lois Lane. Three months ago. We... sort of... reconnected when I came back.” His free hand went to the back of his neck to rub nervously. Of course he was being this dense. Of course. “We have a son, Jason.”
He hadn't thought her eyes could get any wider, but they did. “What?” she squealed, leaping up to hug him again. “Clark! That's fantastic!”
Hugging her back, he laughed. “Thanks, Lana.”
But then she withdrew, her feet hitting the floor again, question on her face. “How old is he?”
“Five.”
“That's great!” she cried happily, grinning. “You know, we should get together sometime, I bet Ricky would love to meet him.”
Clark's brow furrowed. “Ricky?”
“My son, dimwit,” she explained, swatting him on the arm. “He just turned six.”
Utter shame crept up Clark's spine then, as he remembered his Ma spreading the news that Lana and her then-husband were to have their first child, just before he'd gone off the deep end and headed off-planet. “Oh, God, I'm sorry, I, um, forgot,” he stammered, feeling heat in his face. “I-”
“Don't worry about it,” she shook her head, gazing up at him fondly.
But then his eyes sought out her hand of their own accord, and no light glinted on metal where he'd expected it. “Um... I thought you were married, too?” he asked lamely.
Lana shook her head again. “Not for the last three years. Don couldn't so much handle me being the bread-winner, so off he went.”
“I'm so sorry.”
“I'm not. Sure, it's sad, but I know now he wasn't the right one for me, in the long run.”
Clark couldn't help a twinge of regret at that, remembering the way things had gone for them way back when. Lana had been the first girl he'd ever even thought of in that way, after being his friend since kindergarden. She'd been his first crush, his first girlfriend-though that was mostly confined to going to the movies twice, splitting a shake over math homework, and sharing their first kiss behind the barn, nervous, inexperienced, and giggling the whole time-and while it was good while it lasted, in the end, she'd blossomed like a butterfly, caught the eye of the quarterback, and moved on. He'd withdrawn then, mourning the love he'd though would last forever, learning the hard way that not everything he wanted in life was meant to be.
But that was neither here nor there now, not with the way the pieces of his life had finally come together, and with Lana, ever blossoming, it seemed, looking so happy and content with her own life.
Letting the past rest where it lay, Clark breathed deep, and suggested, “Hey, why don't you come over for dinner sometime? I can introduce you to Lois and Jason, and maybe Richard.”
“Richard?” she asked, an auburn eyebrow raised.
“Lois's ex. Um, before I came home. He's a good friend.”
Lana lit up again, laughing. “Why am I not surprised? I'd love to. And I'll bring Ricky, so he can meet Jason.”
And Clark felt one more click, an unexpected piece of the puzzle snapping into place.
~*~*~*~