Nexus: For Eights cont'd

[hero_farmboy]

Clark is sleeping. Not entirely peacefully, stressful Lex encounters will do that, but he is sleeping. The rest of the farm is quiet as well, with only the occasional moo audible in the late night air

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[hero_farmboy]

Clark ushers her into the truck and then heads north toward Burnham Woods. Eights might be interested in Chandler's Field as they pass it, with the newly rebuilt windmill that he will point out. It's about the only interesting thing to see on the way.

As it's near winter, the lake and the surrounding woods are all but deserted. The truck stops in the makeshift parking lot not too far from the water and Clark slides out, cooler in hand.

"Damn, we should've brought the horses."

[downsidedarling]

And because Anna has a firm hold of his shirt, when they both fall into the water, her and the shirt go one way and Clark goes the other.

She splutters a little, treading water with a grin, the fateful garment in one hand, very nearly laughing too hard to keep herself above the surface.

[hero_farmboy]

Clark was sort of half prepared for the possibility he might end up getting a little wet in all this. Still, it doesn't stop him from flailing around a bit in surprise, before treading water a few feet away.

"...holy crap this is cold." He eyes her. "Is that my shirt?"

[downsidedarling]

"Yes," she says impishly, and throws it at him. "Quit being such a wimp, there's no ice floating in it, is there?"

[hero_farmboy]

He ducks and the material lands beside him with a slop. Clark grabs it before it gets too far away and sighs at it mournfully. There's really no point in putting it back on now.

"I don't think you quite appreciate the whole 'I've never been cold before' angle," he replies, starting to drift toward shore. "There's a blanket in the truck we can dry off with."

[downsidedarling]

"Yeah, yeah," she says, splashing him. "You're a wimp, Clark."

[hero_farmboy]

"Hey!" He splashes her back. His wave is bigger. "I am not."

[downsidedarling]

She spreads her fingers and rakes them across the top of the water, sending it up in a series of clear, sparkling sheets.

"Are too."

[hero_farmboy]

"Just because," splash, "I'm cold," splash, "doesn't make me," splash, "a wimp."

Splash.

[downsidedarling]

Both hands this time, swinging in wide, successive arcs.

"Yes," hssssplash, "it does," hssssplash, "if you" hssssplash, "complain about it."

Hssssssplash.

[hero_farmboy]

"Stop it." He uses both hands to shove water at her this time, if only to cover up just how whiny that may have sounded.

[downsidedarling]

Anna giggles helplessly, spitting out lake water and flailing tiny, ineffectual splashes in Clark's general direction.

"Wimp," she says, mischievously, when she regains her breath.

[hero_farmboy]

"Am not." There's little conviction to it. Mostly because he's laughing too much himself.

"Come on. I really might freeze to death and I thought you said that would make you sad?"

[downsidedarling]

"All right, all right," she concedes.

And splashes him again before turning towards the shore.

When Anna rises up out of the water, her soaking wet T-shirt clings to her. It's the same shirt she's been wearing since the first day - nondescript and white, and therefore currently transparent.

[hero_farmboy]

Clark sighs and follows suit, trudging back up to the shore. Wet work boots are really not fun to walk in.

He may stop short for a moment when he finally glances at her. While he may only be able to see her back... he can see her whole back.

"Uh, the blanket's in the truck. In the cab."

[downsidedarling]

Her expedition for pants earlier in the morning did not extend so far as a bra, it's true.

"Noted," she says, half-turning around to give him an acknowledging thumbs-up.

Certain things are visible for a moment in profile that perhaps ought not to be.

And then she's out of the water and heading back to the truck in search of blanket. She's not shivering - doesn't seem to notice the cold, in fact. (If anything, it delights her. Extreme cold is almost as good as pain. Almost.)