Alone at Last?

By Franny

Summary: Both sets of parents (and Baby Gunderson) take their leave, and Lois and Clark are alone at last — or are they? A continuation of the episode "Home Is Where the Hurt Is."

[Rhen's note: Part I is the episode: HIWITHI (Home Is Where The Hurt Is). There is no first part to this story.]

***

"I'm not quite tired yet… and usually I'm the first to pass out. But look at those two…" Ellen Lane said, pointing to the sleepy pair on Lois's couch. Lois barely looked up in response and just settled back into the cushion she had made out of Clark's chest with a smile. Clark, feeling a shift in pressure shifted himself too, put a leg on the couch and slid his head to rest fully on the couch's arm. He didn't smile, but puckered, dotting Lois's forehead with a touch of love.

"Oh, Jonathan, look at that…"

"Just precious, Martha, I want to keep that image in my mind forever."

"Our little boy…"

"And our *Princess*!" Sam Lane proudly chimed in.

"Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" "*Sam*!" Ellen reprimanded. Lois was smiling again, but perhaps it wasn't hearing that old affectionate name. In fact, she had shifted again. Instead of lying against the back of the couch, legs curled up tightly, she relaxed and stretched out so that each leg was on either side of Clark's. Her body was covering more of Clark's chest now, and Clark groaned softly. One would naturally assume it was an "I'm tired, but comfortable" groan, but with Lois's chest almost fully over his, the set of parents had just enough cause to be a little uncomfortable. Having exhausted the last conversation on the plusses and minuses of city and country life, the Lanes and Kents started to say their good-byes.

"It's getting late and with that snow, we should be going," Jonathan said. He and Martha began handing out coats.

"It was really *very* nice meeting you," Ellen told Martha, offering her hand.

"Yes, it was! I hope we can meet again for a Metropolis adventure before the wedding…" Martha replied, whispering the word "adventure", the inside joke between them.

Ellen laughed and put on her coat and gathered her things. She avoided looking up at Sam who was already dressed up, with Baby Gunderson loyally by his side. As Ellen kept her eyes low in searching for her other glove, Sam lost patience and forced an amicable goodbye.

"Ellen, it was good to see you again."

"Oh! Uh, yes, yes it was, Sam, and… and… it was nice meeting, um, Baby Gunderson."

Baby Gunderson raised her brows, bared her teeth, and cocked her head in response to the mention of her name in the polite exchange.

"All right, Kent, Martha, we'll be heading off… but we won't be far. We're staying at the Metropolis Inn until the weekend is up. And I don't want to leave town without saying goodbye to my ba-"Sam paused as he took in the sight of Lois and Clark practically entwined from head to toe, but very asleep. "-by. heh. If she ever wakes up anytime soon that is…"

"You know what," Ellen said, on the way out, "I think I'll stick around here, maybe take Lois's spare bed in the room next to her bedroom. I suddenly feel too tired to travel."

"Well, okay, enjoy yourself," Dr. Lane replied. With the Kents and Baby Gunderson, he turned and headed out of the apartment.

"Oh for heaven's sake," Ellen mumbled, closing the door after them. She took off her coat, gloves and purse and put them on the kitchen table. Then she took out her Metropolis Inn key, laughed an "I can't believe it" little laugh, and headed for the bathroom. Meanwhile, all the commotion in the couples leaving revived Lois again. She blinked a few times and finally realized where she was. She looked over the couch and saw no one, and assumed they were all gone.

What was still registering her senses, was two things: the smell and the warmth of Clark's body under her. She gazed at him with a mix of love and desire that inspired her to practice a little less safety and a little more seduction in her life. With something close to a growl exiting her lips, she slid her body up to get closer to Clark's face, and began running her bottom lip along his neck. A quick breath escaped Clark's mouth in reflexive response, and his tongue peeked out to moisten his lips. Lois, picking up on the sound, looked up at his face and waited for him to do it again. He groaned and shifted, wrapping his arms around her. He wasn't fully conscious yet. He bit his bottom lip, but he didn't lick it again. So Lois repeated the procedure.

As her lip dragged along the soft skin under his jawline, his breathing quickened and she looked up to catch him redistributing the rush of saliva that his mouth was producing and moistened his lips again. She kissed his tongue when it peeked out. Momentarily confused, Clark furrowed his brow and opened his mouth. Together their mouths connected fully, and Clark was finally waking.

"Mmmh, Lois…" he whispered at a pause, "what *are* you doing…"

"Just testing your vital signs…" she replied inbetween kisses. "Let's see… you know I *am* a doctor's daughter…" she explained, caressing his face and neck with her long, soft fingers. Clark grinned.

"Is everyone gone?" he asked with a start.

"Yes, they left about five minutes ago."

"Oh, I didn't get to say goodbye," Clark said, imitating Lois's smooth caressing motions on her back. He expanded his coverage and began massaging her more firmly, especially over her shoulders to press her closer to him. Lois broke his temporary hold and slid down a little to take off his sweater and after checking his expression, began to unbutton his shirt.

"Daddy would check the heart after the pulse," she narrated, pulling off the last button that was quite far below his heart. His pelvis rose slightly to meet her as her hand pulled out his tucked in shirt. She smiled and moved back up to meet his gaze. He was fascinated by the appearance of this playful side of her. They kissed softly and turned together on their sides, with her back pressed to the back of the couch. She pulled his shirt off of his shoulders and his hand was gently unbuttoning her jacket. She pulled his shirt off and he slipped his hand underneath her jacket and massaged her side through her shirt. Then he encircled her with his arms and began pulling off her jacket when the bathroom door opened. They gasped.

Ellen Lane entered the kitchen to pick up her purse. She peeked over at the couch to see if they were still asleep and saw no motions. She brought her attention back to her purse and pulled out a pill bottle. Opening cabinets, she murmured, "now, why would she *hide* the glasses…".

With Clark trying to hold back a grin, Lois rolled her eyes at her mother's constant criticism. They braced each other quietly as Ellen filled up a glass in the sink and walked over to the balcony to watch the snow fall. If she turned around and stared at them, she might notice Clark's half-naked state. But she didn't. Keeping her gaze towards the light in the kitchen, she headed back away from the balcony, away from the couple frozen with hormones flaring, and passed through the kitchen to go to sleep.

"Well…" Clark finally exhaled, "I guess there won't be mad screaming of my name tonight…"

"No, but I have a partial solution," Lois replied. She stood up, off the couch, and opened the closet door. A blanket fell over Clark. "Oooh, thanks… but where are you going to sleep?" he asked, acting innocently.

Lois pondered this question. "In my bed," she replied as she shut the closet door. She leaned over to kiss him good- night.

"What? Wait, I thought… " Clark held her face with his palm.

"What? Clark, you don't expect me to feel comfortable necking with my mother in a nearby room, do you? I mean…"

"You mean… you are really going?"

"Well…"

"Lois, we don't have to … you know. We can sleep as we were before. Come back in, come sleep with me." Lois looked at him affectionately. She still seemed hesitant.

"You want me to completely recover, don't you?"

She laughed. "OK. But no … funny business."

"Well *you* weren't the one being taken advantage of in his sleep."

"Taken advantage??? Oh Clark, *please*…" Lois replied sarcastically, while getting under the blanket.

"Yes, taken advantage of," said Clark as he held up the blanket and spread his legs apart so she could fit both of hers in between. She slipped in, lying on her stomach, and propped herself up with her elbows on both sides of his torso.

"Well I was just checking to see if you were all right."

"Oh… by tasting me??"

At this Lois laughed. She grabbed his arms and he let her pin them behind his head. "Now, Lois, be careful…"

Clark kissed her with a little more force than is usual for an innocent farm boy. He freed his arms and tickled her, and pulled out her shirt. Lois gasped.

"No, Clark, *don't*!" she laughed. "My *mo*ther.."

"Your *mo*ther is *sleep*ing. I can hear her breathing."

"Oh… ow, stop!"

Clark and Lois laughed and wrestled each other, constantly on the edge, nearly falling off the couch. Concentrating on achieving the most squirm per tickle, Clark's hands were moving quickly, and his attention was off the room next to Lois's.

Realizing she was about to be tickled into next dimension, Lois tried to bail out by falling off the couch. But Clark threw himself with her and the torture continued.

"Okay! Okay! Uncle!!! Uncle!!!! What do you want me to say???" Lois choked out in among her attempts to breathe.

"The name is: "my darling husband, whom I adore."

(cough) "My…errrgh, daaaarling… ack! Husband, whoiadore."

"Whom. Whom I adore."

"OH!! Whom!! Whom!!" Lois had grabbed a pillow and covered Clark's face with it, pressing down at every "Whom".

Clark laughed. He looked up at Lois who was straddling him and trying to catch her breath. He sat up, pulling her legs around his waist and they sat connected in this way, like puzzle pieces. Kissing her neck, he told her that he loved her. She did the same, but replied that that was "too bad, because I hate you." "Hate?" he asked, brushing her hair behind an ear. "That's such a strong word…"

"So is "love"," Lois added. Clark smiled at her, and she was moved to cup his face in that position with her palms.

"I'm so glad you're happy." She bent down to kiss him and he met her face with his, placing his hand behind her head to support her in his passion. And Lois *was* becoming overwhelmed. Parts of her that hadn't been awake in years had alarms blaring from them. Her breathing became heavier, and her heart was pumping. Clark's senses were analyzing her reactions without his concentration; every caress of his hand and kiss of his lips was controlled by his desire to satisfy her. Her excitement growing exponentially, Lois had to push him away for an instant to catch her breath.

"Clark… you're so… I've *never* felt like *this* before." Before Clark had a chance to revel in his success, the bathroom door opened, and Ellen Lane did not return to her room the same way that she had left it, squinting… she looked out and straight into the living room where her daughter was sitting astride her half naked fiance.

"Oh, my…"

"Mom!"

"Oh, boy…"

Ellen shielded her vision and turned towards her room, apologizing incoherently. Lois and Clark scrambled to stand up and find his shirt, since his bare torso was screaming "SEX"! Despite the fact that Lois and Clark's bodies had been communicating in that same language a few seconds before, they both felt as frigid as brother and sister at that moment.

"Uh… I guess… thanks… I guess I'll go … home now?" Clark said, putting on the sweater Lois handed him.

"Hah, well… Yes. I think- Yes, I'll… I'll talk to you later, Clark."

"This was so strange. The last ten minutes were so great and then suddenly horrible at the same time."

"I *know*." Lois responded, gently resting her palm on his chest. They kissed again in front of the apartment door, their subtle I.O.U. that promised more when things were… less reminiscent of high school.

"Bye…" Clark whispered, ending the kiss and opening the door.

"Oh, Clark, I'm so sorry…"

"Don't be, please. I feel bad that you'll have to see her tomorrow morning, and I'll be safe, blocks away from here."

"Oh don't worry about it. We're engaged, after all… but what a sight we must have been. She probably didn't look closely enough to see that we weren't actually… "

Clark's eye's widened and he covered his mouth with his hand. "You're right! Oh, Lois, I *am* sorry!"

"Please… it's OK. There's nothing we can do. I'll just calmly tell her we weren't… doing that… while I pour her coffee in the morning. The Lanes are geniuses at smooth confrontation, you know."

Clark shook his head in disbelief as he turned to head out the door.

"See you tomorrow. I had… an incredible time. And… we have to do this again… soon."

"Very soon," Lois replied. She shut the door and leaned against it, breathing a yielding sigh.

"Tomorrow, tomorrow is just another day," she told herself. She put some of the dishes in the sink, ran water over them and wiped her hands. But trying to go to bed as usual wouldn't be easy tonight. She would find herself distracted. This night had commissioned a new author of her dreams; her brain was not the only part of her body that could provide visions in her sleep.

THE END