Metropolis on Ice

By Katie Green CloudyEyes@aol.com

Summary: Lois and Clark get warm on the ice. Note— this story was written right after Season's Greedings (forgive me again, I'm so lazy … ).

***

"This is going to be sooo much fun!" Lois Lane exclaimed as she walked towards a large building in Metropolis. She linked her arm with her friend Clark Kent's. "I haven't been ice skating since I was twelve."

"Really?" Clark asked, surprised. He had invited Lois to come skating with him at the new Metro Ice Arena, and to his delight she had accepted. When he was young in Smallville, Clark had often skated at a nearby pond.

The two stood in a long line in front of the arena. The rink was indoors, and the outside of the building had been decorated with tinsel and lights for the holidays. A white banner with red lettering advertised the place. "METRO ICE ARENA: NOW OPEN! ICE SKATING DAILY FROM 9-6." To further inform the public, the Metro Ice Arena had been publishing large ads in the Daily Planet for weeks now. The arena had opened just a week before Christmas, and now it was close to New Year's.

Before they had realized, Clark and Lois were at the front of the line. "Two," Clark told the woman working at the ticket booth and paid. She presented them with two tickets and directed them to the skate rental place.

"What size?" the guy running the skate rentals asked Lois once they arrived that the rental booth.

"Seven and a half," Lois responded.

"Sorry, lady, we only have whole sizes," replied the guy.

Lois pursed her lips together in an effort not to chew him out. It wasn't the guys fault that the stupid rink didn't carry half sizes in skates. Once she decided she could speak safely she said, "I'll take a seven."

"Are you sure?" Clark asked. "It's better to have skates a little too big than—"

"I'm sure! Clark, they're my feet."

"Fine," Clark said and told the guy that he needed size ten.

Once Lois and Clark had their skates they headed for the large ice rink. It was filled with people ranging from small children to grandparents. Lois found a bench to sit at and put on their skates.

"Boy, this takes me back," Lois sighed, pulling off her shoes. "I remember the first time I went skating. Lucy had been begging Mom to take us for months and months! So finally she gave in and we went to a local rink. And I got my skates and put them on and expected to glide right across the ice. But Lucy and I just fell right down on our butts. Then we got back up and tried again. This time Lucy was doing okay, but I just could not skate! My ankles were turning inward and I was freezing cold and finally I just sat down and gave up. Lucy was having so much fun and I was so jealous! Mom probably used up six rolls of film on her."

"Then what happened?"

"Well, I made Mom take me back there every weekend for a month until I could skate without crashing into everyone." Clark smiled.

"Hopefully you'll do better now," he said.

"Oh, I was a very good skater, Clark. But then when I was twelve I just stopped skating."

"How come?"

"I don't know," Lois said, thinking. "It was around the time my parents split up … and I guess I just didn't want to bother them with anything." She had just finished lacing both brown skates and stood up.

But as soon as she did so, Lois inhaled sharply. The skates were way too small and pinched her feet badly. "Oww … " she said softly, sitting back down. "Clark … I … think I need … a new pair of skates … " She quickly unlaced the offending skates and went back to the end of the rental line.

Just then, Clark saw two very familiar people. Jimmy Olsen and his new girlfriend Angela were skating together, holding hands. How nice, thought Clark. But he was also pained. It was how he and Lois should be, and Clark knew that Lois probably felt that way. But ever since that night on Christmas Eve … He had dropped in on Lois who, after cooking a huge dinner, was all alone. It had seemed like Lois was extremely interested in him, but then Clark had to leave her on Christmas to go to Smallville. When they returned to work the following day, Lois acted as if nothing had ever happened. But it's not as if anything did, Clark told himself. We held hands … But the strange thing was that Lois had really acted like she cared. She *had* been the one to hold his hand, after all. And Lois *had* seemed a bit more friendly since Christmas. Maybe it was Clark who was imagining things.

So they had resumed their normal status of partners at work and best friends. But Clark was troubled by all of this. They were so close, and now it seemed as if nothing would ever happen. Clark partly blamed himself for leaving her on Christmas day.

While glancing around the benches, Clark noticed something. It was Lois' wallet laying on the ground. She had left it open where all of her money and credit cards could be seen. He picked it up and was about to close it when something caught his eye. The normal picture of Superman in her wallet had been removed. And in it's place was Clark. He didn't know when it was taken or how she got it, but it was a picture of him.

Grinning widely, Clark closed Lois' wallet and set it back down on the bench. Lois returned just then with another pair of stiff brown skates, size eight.

"I think these will be okay," Lois said. She noticed Clark's happy face. "And just what are you so cheerful about?"

"Oh … nothing … " Clark replied.

Lois put on her skates, which fit wonderfully. Then they both got up. Clark gave Lois' shoulder a squeeze. "I think we're going to have a great time today."

She looked up at him and smiled. "Me too."

THE END

(metroice.txt)