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A PG13-rated one shot fiction dedicated to a friend during her immeasurable grief.
Regular disclaimers apply.
~~~~~
He landed on the balcony of their apartment in the midst of the roiling clouds and thunder claps. His cape captured the turmoil of the angry sky as it billowed up into the air, violently shaking back and forth trying to free itself from its connection to the weight on his shoulders. His body remained unaffected by the forces of nature around him. He stood solid, unmoving with his head hung low and his eyes downcast. He had somehow made it home; yet the magnitude of his despair prevented him from taking those last few steps forward. He hoped she would feel his presence and come to him. She was his life force. He needed her.
The years had been generous to Lois Lane as she took a final look in the mirror after brushing her hair off her face. She had telltale signs of aging, but they could only be considered graceful touches to her appearance. The smile lines and crows feet added depth to her already striking beauty…beauty that emanated from deep within her heart…beauty that overshadowed the worry creasing her brow as of late. The streaks of gray in her hair spoke of the promise of a beautiful blending of color with the deep brownish hue. She would be damned if she ever bought a box of that drug store hair coloring product. People would either accept her as is, or move about their merry way in their own private fairy tale land.
A faint tapping could be heard against the storm window in the living room. Fed up, Lois pulled open a drawer in her bureau and pulled out a pair of hair clippers, intent on cutting the bothersome branch that had knocked against the window for far too many months. With her weapon firmly grasped, she made her way out of the bedroom door towards the living room.
But, she stopped before reaching her destination.
She saw him standing outside the door. She thought he resembled an island; magnificent to behold, yet surprising in the suddenness of his appearance.
She had known him forever and understood the significance of this stance. He had been too late. His soul was defeated. She dropped the scissors and ran to him, slamming the door aside with a bang in her haste to reach him.
Her body shivered in reaction to his devastation. She understood the magnitude of his loss. He was invincible in the eyes of the world; feared by his enemies; loved by humanity; but clearly reduced to boyhood in his grief.
Yet, she saw no tears falling to the patio. He needed her.
Her heart hammered in her chest; fear constricting her throat making words impossible to enunciate. She walked forward, careful not to upset his fragile hold as she reached out to comfort him. With gentle assurance, her palm warmed his cheek with its caress.
“Clark?”
He lifted his gaze; answering her with his eyes. She was sure her expression in that moment mirrored the heartache glistening behind his eyes. She reached her other hand up to his other cheek and they locked gazes before slowing leaning foreheads in to touch…her thumbs rubbing gently all the while, expressing what her voice was unable.
They pulled back simultaneously never taking their eyes off one another while their fingers linked together. Tears slowly trickled from her eyes as she showcased her sorrow for him to see.
He stared back at her blankly…unable to accept this reality…unwilling to address the loneliness left with him. He slowly reached his hands up to cup her cheeks, before pulling her to his chest to bring her closer to his heart. She nestled in his embrace and wrapped her arms around his width, hugging him tightly; filling his void.
The thunder roared overhead and the wind whipped her freshly combed hair. He grabbed ahold of his cape and wrapped her securely within it as he protected her from the world.
His love.
His only remaining family.
His life.
Together they rose up, drifting high into the sky away from the buildings, the noises, the responsibilities; searching for a place of privacy. The heavens parted for them as they broke through the clouds and hovered; holding tightly to their love.
She squeezed him once allowing him to understand she was ready to support him through the weight of his grief.
He drew in a deep breath and threw back his head and screamed away the unfairness of his late arrival; screamed away his fear of being left behind by all whom he loved; screamed away the enormity of despair for this particular loss.
When he ran out of breath, he looked down at his beloved as she held his trembling body. His tears mixed with hers and fell as raindrops down the sky; raindrops of grief for the loss of his mother.
Regular disclaimers apply.
~~~~~
He landed on the balcony of their apartment in the midst of the roiling clouds and thunder claps. His cape captured the turmoil of the angry sky as it billowed up into the air, violently shaking back and forth trying to free itself from its connection to the weight on his shoulders. His body remained unaffected by the forces of nature around him. He stood solid, unmoving with his head hung low and his eyes downcast. He had somehow made it home; yet the magnitude of his despair prevented him from taking those last few steps forward. He hoped she would feel his presence and come to him. She was his life force. He needed her.
The years had been generous to Lois Lane as she took a final look in the mirror after brushing her hair off her face. She had telltale signs of aging, but they could only be considered graceful touches to her appearance. The smile lines and crows feet added depth to her already striking beauty…beauty that emanated from deep within her heart…beauty that overshadowed the worry creasing her brow as of late. The streaks of gray in her hair spoke of the promise of a beautiful blending of color with the deep brownish hue. She would be damned if she ever bought a box of that drug store hair coloring product. People would either accept her as is, or move about their merry way in their own private fairy tale land.
A faint tapping could be heard against the storm window in the living room. Fed up, Lois pulled open a drawer in her bureau and pulled out a pair of hair clippers, intent on cutting the bothersome branch that had knocked against the window for far too many months. With her weapon firmly grasped, she made her way out of the bedroom door towards the living room.
But, she stopped before reaching her destination.
She saw him standing outside the door. She thought he resembled an island; magnificent to behold, yet surprising in the suddenness of his appearance.
She had known him forever and understood the significance of this stance. He had been too late. His soul was defeated. She dropped the scissors and ran to him, slamming the door aside with a bang in her haste to reach him.
Her body shivered in reaction to his devastation. She understood the magnitude of his loss. He was invincible in the eyes of the world; feared by his enemies; loved by humanity; but clearly reduced to boyhood in his grief.
Yet, she saw no tears falling to the patio. He needed her.
Her heart hammered in her chest; fear constricting her throat making words impossible to enunciate. She walked forward, careful not to upset his fragile hold as she reached out to comfort him. With gentle assurance, her palm warmed his cheek with its caress.
“Clark?”
He lifted his gaze; answering her with his eyes. She was sure her expression in that moment mirrored the heartache glistening behind his eyes. She reached her other hand up to his other cheek and they locked gazes before slowing leaning foreheads in to touch…her thumbs rubbing gently all the while, expressing what her voice was unable.
They pulled back simultaneously never taking their eyes off one another while their fingers linked together. Tears slowly trickled from her eyes as she showcased her sorrow for him to see.
He stared back at her blankly…unable to accept this reality…unwilling to address the loneliness left with him. He slowly reached his hands up to cup her cheeks, before pulling her to his chest to bring her closer to his heart. She nestled in his embrace and wrapped her arms around his width, hugging him tightly; filling his void.
The thunder roared overhead and the wind whipped her freshly combed hair. He grabbed ahold of his cape and wrapped her securely within it as he protected her from the world.
His love.
His only remaining family.
His life.
Together they rose up, drifting high into the sky away from the buildings, the noises, the responsibilities; searching for a place of privacy. The heavens parted for them as they broke through the clouds and hovered; holding tightly to their love.
She squeezed him once allowing him to understand she was ready to support him through the weight of his grief.
He drew in a deep breath and threw back his head and screamed away the unfairness of his late arrival; screamed away his fear of being left behind by all whom he loved; screamed away the enormity of despair for this particular loss.
When he ran out of breath, he looked down at his beloved as she held his trembling body. His tears mixed with hers and fell as raindrops down the sky; raindrops of grief for the loss of his mother.
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