Heirs to the House of El: Carnival of Rust (Part One)
No matter how you looked at it, this was awkward.
Even with the television on, Richard and Lana couldn’t help overhearing the yelling coming from the next room. The wall against their bed abutted one wall of Lois and Clark’s room. Likely forgetting that they were able to overhear, Lois wasn’t even trying to be quiet, and Clark’s voice had always carried well. “I guess it’s a good thing they’re at the end of the hall,” Richard said, flinching at the rawness of Lois’ voice.
The two of them shared an apprehensive look, not sure exactly what they could do at this point. “I hope the kids aren’t hearing this,” Lana murmured, but another shout drew her attention before she could go check on Jason and Elise.
“They’ll be fine.” Richard wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. Both of them were worried; had Lois and Clark pushed things past the point of no return?
In light of this, Lana started to fret. “We should’ve done something sooner. To heck with the timing, I should’ve dragged them both aside before Christmas and talked some sense into them.”
“It might’ve helped, but I think they would’ve wound up doing this anyway. Lois has to yell; it’s just who she is. And he’s got a right to yell back.”
Lana nodded, leaning into him. There was nothing else the two of them could do except let Lois and Clark get this over and done with, and hope they’d been right about the strength of the Lane-Kent marriage.
After a long while, the loud argument finally started to wind down. But then Richard and Lana heard Clark’s voice again in a low, threatening rumble. That got both of their attention quickly, and both glanced at each other, then the wall.
THUD. Of all the things that they expected to hear next door, that hadn’t been one. The pair flinched from that ominous sound. “Maybe she threw something at him?” Richard offered.
Lana bit her lip, scowling, as another thud rattled the framed print above their bed. “He wouldn’t throw anything at her, so it must have been,” she said slowly, trying not to think of how easily Clark could have thrown Lois that hard. He’d never do such a thing … but that was his voice they’d heard, muffled but still clearly angry.
Neither of them had heard Lois made a sound since then, and Richard was just beginning to think about intervening, when the thumps began to take on a familiar rhythm. A silly grin began to curve Richard’s mouth before he burst out laughing. “Well, that sounds like an apology to me. Honey, you can stop worrying. I think they made up.”
That was enough to widen sea-green eyes. Tell me they’re not… Oh, geez. Lana dropped her head into her hands, sighing. “Well, at least they’re not yelling anymore.”
Richard chuckled knowingly. “Don’t expect it to stay quiet for long,” he warned.
…
When Lois tried to pull back, Kal-El let her go - and then pinned her roughly against the wall. His weight against her, his mouth on her lips, his hands on her body, all were rapidly dissolving the last of her resistance. Not that her emotions weren’t still roiling between anger and pain; Lois bit his lower lip and raked her nails down his arms even as she wrapped one leg around him. She was more likely to hurt herself than him, but Lois didn’t care. He could feel such things; Kal-El wasn’t made of stone, he could feel the pressure, but it couldn’t harm him. If anything, at the moment it spurred him on.
And that, she realized, was exactly what she wanted. Both of them were still shaken by the argument, by all the turbulent emotions they’d been steadily denying for months and had just loosed with flash-flood force upon each other. Beneath the hurt and the betrayal, though, there had always been love and desire. If not, one or the other would have walked away long before this.
Kal-El found his fear of losing her melted away in a rush of possessiveness. She was his and only his, forevermore, and that was exactly as it should be. To let the tension and anxiety drain away like this was the best cure for both of them. Besides, after ten years of marriage he’d learned that the best part of any argument was making up afterward, when the adrenaline from the quarrel was still rushing through their blood.
He caught her thighs and lifted her, ignoring the thud as he pinned her against the wall again at a more convenient height. Lois arched her hips, her hands locked at the back of his neck. She’d worn jeans to protect her legs from Nevada’s harsh, dry winds and sand, but the tough denim might as well have been the most diaphanous chiffon when Kal-El grabbed the fabric. He tore the jeans off, Lois gasping at the suddenness of it. Her eyes were wide, but not in fear; displays of his powers always woke desire in her. She clawed at his shirt, buttons popping off in her haste.
Kal-El grabbed his own collar and yanked, the shirt tearing a little across his shoulders. Once it was loose, Lois flung it aside, darting her head forward to mouth his neck. Eager for the softness of her skin against his own, Kal-El ran his hands up inside her blouse, letting her help him pull that off, too. He bent to kiss her breasts, nudging the dark red bra aside. With a little hiss of aggravation, Lois twisted far enough away from the wall to reach behind herself and unhook it. Seconds later, her bra joined both shirts on the floor.
That was what he’d wanted. Kal-El kissed the curve of her breast, nuzzling close with a possessive murmur. Whimpering urgently, Lois pulled his face up to hers and kissed him, her hands dropping to his belt. Even as he claimed her lips hungrily, he brushed her hands aside and slipped his thumbs under the belt. One quick move and the leather parted; another tug at the seams and the pants were obligingly gone as well.
Lois pressed herself against him, nipping at his throat. He ran his hands down her sides from her breasts to her hips, his touch greedy. Kal-El nuzzled the corner of her jaw, his breath hot on her neck. “Mine,” he growled, hooking his thumbs under her panties and tearing them off.
A harsh shudder rose from her lips at the action, moving in for an almost frenzied kiss amidst curling her body closer around him. Lois had no interest in remaining passive in this, but this forcefulness did her weary heart good and she reveled in every touch. Free. After all this time, she had almost forgotten what it was like to feel free, to not have hidden secrets between the two of them. To struggle with a burden so great that she was eventually dragged down by the weight of it. In an instant, Luthor had turned Kal-El’s only sin against her into hers against him for the safety of this life together. But no more. Luthor’s plans had backfired after all this time. Because Kal-El forgave her. What was between them was inescapable; every press of skin gave testament to that.
Kal-El returned the kiss heatedly, backing away only long enough to cast his boxers aside. Lifting Lois again, he slid into her, both of them moaning at the feeling of coming home again. Perfectly joined in body and soul once more, for a moment they needed no words. Then Kal-El whispered warmly, in those formal tones he only used at the Fortress, “You are mine, I am yours … and I will never let you go.”
Her cheek nestled against his hair, both the intimate closeness and his words were enough to make her close her eyes against the rush of emotion. The final shackle broke inside her then. Feeling sudden tears trace over her skin, she knew she hadn’t been fast enough. She’d needed to hear those words for so long. In all of this mess, the slim possibility that he might not hate her was the one thing that had kept her going. Nuzzling her lips closer to his ear, she whispered brokenly, “I love you. I love you so much, I didn’t want to lose you so soon. I’m sorry.”
“You couldn’t lose me if you tried,” he murmured back, and rolled his hips against hers for one indolent thrust. “And I don’t recommend trying.” He kissed her then, tasting the salt of her tears, before she could say anything else. The time for talking was over. Slowly at first, he moved within her, neither of them noticing the noise each thrust made against the thin hotel walls.
“Been there, done that. Twice already.” Her voice was a whisper, Lois tightening her arms around his neck. “Never again. I promise.” Letting the real world slide away for the moment, she concentrated on this world of two. No one had waved a magic wand and fixed everything, there was plenty they still had to work out, but they both needed this in ways that some wouldn’t understand. He must have sensed her continuing thoughts as he suddenly gripped the back of her neck. It proved to be a perfect solution. The whimper that rose from her made it all too clear that now he was succeeding in distracting her from the fallout of this argument. The real world could wait for a time. Especially when they would be going to war the next day.
Keeping her pinned against the wall was distracting Kal-El from what he wanted to do most: bury himself in sensation and desire until all of the pain and frustration faded away. Wrapping his arms around Lois, he brought both of them down onto the bed. Her eyes met his for a long moment, searching them for assurance that this was more than just a momentary truce. She found it at once, in the way he looked steadily back at her, and she lay back, pulling him closer as they entwined limbs again. “Come on, then, if that’s what you want,” Lois whispered with her gaze locked to his, her eyes dark with wanton need. “I want it, too. We came through the fire in one piece. Make me yours.”
The words were enough to make Kal-El take a deep, shuddering breath before he set out to remind them both why they could never want anyone else but each other. Lois let him set the pace, arching against him as she ran her hands over the muscles of his back, fingertips trailing over them as if they were Braille spelling out secrets hidden under his skin. He kept his movements slow at first, long lazy thrusts that rocked them together in a rhythm as ancient and irresistible as the sea. All the while, he kept his eyes fixed on hers, watched the slightest change in his motions reflected in her lidded gaze.
The intensity of it was enough to drive her mad. Well, turn about was fair play, even if you were playing for keeps. Lois curled her fingers under and ran her knuckles ever so slowly down his spine, then back up. The way his own eyes darkened at the massaging caress she knew he loved made her smile knowingly, but that victory was soon forgotten when Kal-El slid one hand into the tumbled mass of her hair to cup the back of her neck. The sensitivity was always her downfall; Lois groaned aloud, her eyes rolling back as shivers ran down her spine. Which just made him tighten his grip a little more and stroke the area with his thumb.
After ten years together, the intimacy between them was nearly perfect. Lois and Kal-El each knew exactly what the other wanted at moments like this, the connection between them complete. At last, after months of feeling off-kilter and days of being at each other’s throats, they were in harmony again, the bond between them as powerful as ever.
Slow and sultry and sweet, it seemed that time had slowed down for them, letting them savor each moment. Gradually, as desire grew more intense, Kal-El began to quicken the rhythm. Her expression nearly ravenous, Lois’ legs slipped around his waist, the depth making her whimper a little as he sank even deeper with each thrust. Passion flared low in her belly, and she raked her nails down his back impatiently, trying to spur him on.
Kal-El was having none of that, not yet. Catching her hand, he pinned it above her head, returning his gaze to hers as he continued moving just a little faster. Even in the face of intense distraction, Lois tried to pout, but he only kissed her, languid and lovingly. Making it clear that he had no intentions of stopping his current plan of attack. With a soft sigh, she let him have his way - for the moment.
Despite what the rest of the world thought, there were plenty of ways to distract him, and Lois knew every one. From catching his lip between her teeth when he kissed her, to crossing her ankles behind his back and pressing him closer with each stroke, she had developed dozens of ways of getting what she wanted. One of them was bound to work. Especially if she used a couple of them in tandem.
And finally, running her fingertips softly up his side distracted him long enough that Lois was able to roll him over. Now atop, she smirked down at him triumphantly, her raven hair tumbling into her impish eyes. Kal-El smiled, willing to let her lead the dance as she had the first time, and so many times since. She always looked utterly delectable when she did this, abandoning herself to her desires.
It was almost too much, just watching her, seeing her fraught expression as she swiveled her hips. Seeming to sense this, her smile grew mischievous, not missing a beat when she reached up to run her nails from his chest down to his stomach. Yet another weakness she’d learned over the years. Kal-El caught his breath raggedly, fighting for control. As if the visual wasn’t enough to bring him to the edge, the sensations were unbelievable as she rose slightly and sank back down onto him.
Lois saw the heat in his gaze, heard that shaky breath and chuckled huskily. Never slowing her rhythm, her thighs flexing as she rose almost all the way off of him, she murmured huskily, “You .. look like you’re … having a little trouble there, hero.”
“Not at all,” he whispered hoarsely. “I’m right where I want to be.” With no warning, he arched his hips up, making her moan low in her throat and knocking that smug smile off her face. In fact, he knew one guaranteed way to make her cry out much louder than that, now that her concentration was off balance…
He slid his hands up her sides to cup her breasts, stroking her nipples until Lois shuddered, the peaks stiff against his palms. When her eyes were rolled back, her body swaying, Kal-El slipped one hand down to rest on her belly. He reached even further down, his thumb brushing against the slickness of her. Lois’ hips jolted in instant reaction, forcing all of her taunts to be forgotten in an urgent cry she couldn’t hold back.
From the looks of things, that was too close; he didn’t want her going over the edge just yet. Kal-El slowed down, cupping the curve of her breast instead of stroking the tip, and let his other hand merely rest against her sex. Lois whimpered, pouting at him, but he grinned wickedly at her. He could feel the little thrill across her skin at that, knowing what it did to her when he plotted against her at times like this. “I don’t want this to be over so soon,” he managed to whisper.
Lois’ voice was molten when she spoke, a flash of fire in her eyes. “It better not be.” Still giving her that roguish smile, he rocked his thumb back and forth, so softly and lightly, moving it just the slightest bit. But that tiny pressure was enough; he knew exactly where her most sensitive spot was and how she wanted him to touch her there. With Lois, sometimes just a brush of fingertips was enough to make her go supernova.
Luck was with his plans this time; she wanted a much stronger stroke than he was willing to give her, and so the game continued. Higher and higher he drove her need, flooding her nerve-endings with sensation, while continuing to move within her unceasingly. So often Lois had teased him to distraction; it was always nice to turn the tables, especially when she was on top. Most especially when she responded so satisfyingly.
Suddenly, it was his turn to lose that self-satisfied expression. Lois had arched all the way back until her dark hair trailed his legs, planting her hands behind her while tightening on him. Just as he caught his breath, the grip loosened, only to be renewed a moment later. Kal-El groaned, arching up into her helplessly.
He wasn’t going to make this easy for her, though. Moving his thumb in tiny, rapid circles made Lois gasp, her eyes widening. This was one of the less-publicized benefits of his powers, the ability to use super-speed in such small, soft strokes to drive his wife out of her mind with desire. Lois lost her balance with an impassioned cry, lying back over his legs.
And that gave him ideas. Curling his upper body forward over her, he held Lois in his lap. Her eyes were wild then, breath coming in quick shudders, attempting to right herself even as he tried to settle her. “Easy,” Kal-El murmured, sliding his hands under her to keep her balanced. The slightest rocking of his hips moved her entire body, Lois completely surrounded and supported by him. And the view of her, languorously sprawled in his arms, was perfect.
The feeling of being wrapped in his warmth while he was inside her was so luxurious that Lois relaxed and let him have his way. Within a few moments, those slow swaying thrusts had her moaning loudly, swiveling her hips to meet him. Kal-El was close to the edge too, every nerve feeling seared as if by lightning. “I love you,” he growled, “I love you, Lois… Oh God, I love you…”
Lois was too far gone to speak, other than crying out his name. Trembling, her lips met his with a greedy desperation before she grabbed his arms and thrust herself tight against him. The world went white-hot, climax exploding through him. Even as he felt like he was shattering into a million molten pieces between her thighs, Kal-El lifted Lois’ hips slightly and plunged as deeply as he could. Lois let out a long, trembling wail of fulfillment, arching frenziedly as she too reached the peak and dissolved into ecstasy. As she spiraled down from the heights, her strength finally ebbed and she collapsed against his knees.
Breath coming in quick pants, Lois closed her eyes. The stress of the evening, not to mention the suddenness of events, was overwhelming her. Her body was so exhausted that she felt rather than saw him pull her upright to gently turn them on their sides, pulling her close to shelter her in his arms. And for the first time in a long time, Lois let him. Come what may, nothing would come between them again.
…