Chapter Text
PRESENT, CHRISTMAS 2025
Twenty twenty-five had been eventful. Adhering to Lois’s wish to take it slow, Clark had planned something casual but still romantic for Valentine’s Day. The evening had been a success, and on February nineteenth, they had gone on their first official date. It wasn’t until three months later when they said ‘I love you’ and formally agreed to be in a committed, long-term, relationship. Since then, neither one of them could’ve asked for a better time to be alive.
Christmas season started once the tree was up, on Thanksgiving weekend. This year, the tree in her living room was adorned with ornaments that they had bought last year on sale, right after the holidays. The top of her tree displayed the beautiful star topper that he had gotten her and the chimney hung the two stockings that she had handmade, they filled them every day with little stuffers that they had gotten for each other.
The joyful melody playing through the Christmas tree lights made it to her bedroom where Lois and Clark spent a moment under the sheets. Her legs adjusted as she got comfortable in his embrace. Clark was resting against some pillows, welcoming her into his arms as she shifted from straddling him to sit by his side.
He pushed her sweaty hair back and kissed her flushed forehead, her fair skin was red as she worked on calming her rising heartbeats and slowing down her breathing, product of an intense love making session. Lois closed her eyes and grinned into the kiss that he was giving her. She moaned, copping his face as she kissed him fully.
Pulling back, she gently looked into his eyes. “I love you…” Lois giggled to those three words every time. It had become a premature reaction to the grin that she knew would come along. Ever since she had learned to say them, Lois had never stopped and never shy away from saying them whenever she felt like.
For the past seven months, those three words had become Clark’s favorite; and he never failed to immediately reciprocate them. “I love you too, gorgeous.” His grin stayed in his face for a moment. He held her against him, feeling her warm lips against his skin as she kissed his neck, and down to his shoulder.
Lois looked up once he shifted and moved to grab something from the nightstand. She tucked her hair behind her ears and waited for him to check on his phone.
“Baby?” Clark waited for her eyes to meet him, “Would you let me take a selfie of us like this?”
Even if her face was riding the reddish from sex, she still felt her cheeks get warm. She pulled the blanket up to cover her naked breast and hugged it under her shoulders. She adjusted and wiggled her nose, “What…?”
“It’s just a thing.” He shrugged, “It’s a thing. A thing that couples usually post on Instagram—”
“Oh.”
“—But-but I just want it for me,” he disclosed. “I wouldn’t post it or anything, just—”
“Okay.” Lois shifted under the bedsheet and hugged his chest, keeping her face close to his. She giggled at how big his eyes had grown and how deep his dimples were; she poked the left one.
“Wow, thanks.” He got his phone ready and held it away with his right hand.
Lois rolled her eyes, “Yep. I can’t believe it myself.” She tilted her head now that they were being reflected on the front camera of his phone, “Make it so it is your Secret Santa gift on Monday.”
“Does that mean I can print—”
“No.” She eyed him as he pouted, “Just take the selfie, Smallville.” Once he smiled and his hand adjusted the phone, Lois turned over and pressed a loud kiss on his cheek; the camera had captured his bright, dimple to dimple, grin as he felt the kiss.
Wanting to check on the selfie, Clark brought the phone over. Lois looked over his shoulder and nibbled at it. They shared a smile and a peck.
“I like it.” He was happy with the selfie. Unable to erase his grin, he kissed her again. “Thank you.”
Lois moaned into the kiss. “Of course, baby.” She closed her eyes and welcomed the two pecks that Clark pressed on her lips.
He was on his way for a third and full kiss when his phone started ringing. They recognized the ringtone and so paused their moment as he tapped to answer, and brought the phone to his ear, “Hi Ma. Hello Pa.”
Smiling, Lois readjusted and nosed into his neck. She pressed soft kisses there as her body slowly started to slide down. She moved the bedsheet away and smiled at the sight of his strong and hairy chest. She moaned into his toned muscles. Lois brushed her lips against his pectoral and her fingers brushed his chest hair.
“Yes, she’s with me…” Clark addressed his parents as his hand brushed Lois’s messy hair, feeling her kissing his chest.
Figuring out that Clark was referring to her, Lois slightly looked up and rested her eyes on his. Once Clark pointed the phone over, she sat back up and leaned into the microphone, “Hey Ma. Hi Pa.” She greeted them with a smile.
Now that they had asked for his girlfriend, Clark set the phone on speaker, that way she could be part of the conversation. He held the phone with his right hand and his left one played with Lois’s fingers.
“Christmas is in just a few weeks!” Ma was excited about that.
Pa was also very much into the Christmas season, “It’s starting to smell like it already.”
“We already put our trees up.” Clark shared, “Just like promised.”
Lois smiled as she specified, “Mine is all lit up.” She turned to look at Clark, “We are doing Clark’s tomorrow, but we got them together.”
“I’m sure it looks lovely.” Pa acknowledged, “We would love to see it.”
Lois nibbled into Clark’s shoulder as she hugged his arm against her chest. “We will send you a picture.”
“We are calling to confirm Christmas dinner,” Ma explained. “Attendence is mandatory.”
“We will not accept a ‘no’ for an answer.” Pa was firm on that.
Giggling, Lois nosed into Clark and pressed a few kisses on his neck. “Don’t worry, Ma, Pa.” She hugged tightly from Clark’s arm as she kissed his cheek. “I’ll send him your way after our own celebration on Christmas Eve, like every year.” Her eyes were filled with anticipation as she looked for his own.
“Oh, no, no, no. Attendance is mandatory,” Ma insisted. “What can be more important than family on Christmas day?”
“Maybe she has something to do that day, Ma.” Pa was understanding; “She is a very important journalist and the news doesn't stop happening for anyone, after all.”
“Wh-you-oh.” Lois was slightly stunned as she looked up toward Clark who was smiling and nodding. “Oh. I-I-you mean-we-yeah,” She rested her hand over her chest and caressed the spot where her heart was beating fast. “I-I-we-we’ll be there.”
“Good.”
“Thank you,” Lois offered. “Do you need us to bring anything?”
“No need, chickens.” Ma then suggested, “Clark, why don’t you do that thing on the screen so we can see each other.”
At his mother’s request, he turned to his girlfriend who, slightly petrified, shook her head.
“Hold on, Ma.” Clark placed the call on mute. He then addressed Lois, “Babe…why not? They’d love to see us.”
“I’m literally naked.” Lois motioned down on herself, “And so are you!”
Scratching his head, Clark pulled from the bedsheet and made sure it covered them from the collarbone down. “We can make it so only our heads and a little bit of our necks show.”
Lois gave him a look, “I’m all red. I’m all sweaty.” She then brushed her fingers through her hair, “And my hair is all messy.”
Clark reached for the ends of her hair and caressed it. “I genuinely don’t see the problem.”
“They will know.” Lois explained, “They will know that we just had sex.”
Lois always got like that and it made him chuckle. He knew it got her mad that he laughed, but it just was too cute. “Ow…Ow…Ow.” Clark had let go of the phone as he used his arms as a shield while she hit him.
“Don’t laugh, Smallville.” She was dead serious; “You know I don’t like it when you laugh about this.”
Reaching out, he held her face with one hand and caressed her cheek with his thumb. “I just don’t think they will notice…or say anything.”
At the sincerity in his eyes, Lois gave him a look and adjusted close to him. “From the neck up,” she pointed at him with a finger.
Clark grabbed his phone back and after taking the mute off, he requested to video call his parents.
The first thing they saw was the ceiling of the house back in Smallville. “Hi Ma. Hi Pa.” They waved now that Martha and Jonathan had figured out how to be both on frame.
Ma leaned closer to the phone, her face covered the screen. “Now, why are you all flushed and sweaty, dear?”
Grunting, Lois threw Clark a glare that could kill him from miles away. She cleared her throat and brushed her fingers through her messy hair; “I-I, um, I was doing cardio.” Lois hid her face in her hands for the brief moment she had now that Ma and Pa had exchanged a look.
“We were wondering if you guys would rather have turkey or ham for Christmas dinner?” Ma asked now that she had sat back straight.
“Um.” Lois and Clark exchanged a look. Now that he had motioned for Lois to choose, she looked back to the phone, “We kind of did turkey when you guys came over for Thanksgiving, so ham would be nice.”
“Ma does the best Grace Smoked Ham in the world!” Clark agreed with the request.
“The secret is in the—”
“—Now Pa, I know you are not about to give away my secret.”
“I’m not. I was going to say that the secret is in the love and dedication you put into cooking it.” Jonathan took his wife’s wrinkled hands and pressed a kiss on them.
“I see who you took after?” Lois teased Clark as she hugged his neck. Her eyes grew wide as she felt the bedsheet threatening to fall off so she held it with one hand and pulled it back up. Eyeing the screen, she was relieved that as promised, they were on frame only from the neck up.
“I genuinely believe that Pa doesn’t even know the secret.”
“Do you?” Lois smiled, curious, as her eyes gently fell from Clark’s eyes down to his lips.
Clark shook his head, “I asked once, she wouldn’t tell me.”
Lois laughed at that. “I see you keep your cards close to your chest, Ma.”
Ma nodded. “They will bury me with the secret.”
“Respect.”
“At what time do you want us over?” Clark wondered.
“Now that the mystery of what’s been keeping — or better said, WHO has kept you hostage on Christsmas eve has been revealed…”
Lois adjusted the bedsheet over her chest. As an attempt to hide her flush from the camera, Lois giggled and hugged Clark; “I’m sorry about that.”
“Oh, no, don’t be.”
“We love that he’s spent time making the holiday special for you.”
With a grin and her finger gently poking Clark’s dimple, Lois corroborated; “That he has…and I love him for it.” As she turned back to the phone, she found Ma and Pa smiling big, which she mirrored.
“You tell us what you want to do, dear.” Ma and Pa went back to making plans for Christmas day.
“Oh.” Lois looked at Clark and then back to the phone. “I-I…” She nibbled on her finger, “We-we…if-if it’s okay, I mean, I-we…” She paused, noticing the Kents were smiling at her stuttering. “Is it okay if we fly in late on Christmas Eve?” She looked at Clark and then back to them, “We have our thing and I—”
“Of course we don’t mind, chickens.”
“—As long as you are here to open presents at ten thirty in the morning.”
“Ten thirty?” Lois shook her head, “That’s oddly specific.”
“Santa comes at ten in the morning.” Clark explained.
Lois smiled at him, caressing his lap. She then caught Ma and Pa rolling their eyes.
“Ever since he was about four, we always opened presents at ten thirty.” Ma explained.
Pa continued, “Because apparently Santa comes at ten and if he hasn’t come, then what’s there to open?”
“You do not get presents from Santa, still…” Lois gave Clark a look.
“Of course I do!” Clark insisted, “They just don’t fit under a Christmas tree anymore.”
Lois rolled her eyes. “Ugh.”
“What…?”
“I’m not a Christmas present.”
“And what do you think I asked Santa for, that day at the Winter Wonderland a couple of years ago?”
Lois couldn’t help but smile, her cheeks turning pink. She shook her head, “I am not…” With a sigh, she crossed her arms against her chest. Her attention moved back to Ma and Pa, “Noted. We will definitely be there long before ten thirty.”
“Alright, we let you go now.” Ma said her goodbyes.
Pa then added, “Don’t forget to explain the thing to her.” Pa winked before the call got disconnected.
Full of curiosity, Lois bit on her lower lip. She adjusted now that Clark had let go of the phone and was hugging her waist, and shifting to get on top of her. “Wait..” She asked between kisses, “What thing?”
“Mm.” Clark steadily held her body against the mattress and kept his hands on her waist, “The thing they do on Christmas day.” He kept his eyes closed while kissing her, his hands ran up her body and cupped her breasts.
“But…” She returned every peck he gave her, “Aren’t you going to tell me what it is?” She frowned, engaging with his affection, as she insisted, “They asked you to tell me…”
Finding it hard to kiss her as she talked, Clark moved his attention to her neck, leaving loud kisses on it as his hips rolled into her, getting her to part her legs so he could adjust between them. “Nng..” His hands moved down her smooth legs as he kissed down her throat and across her collar bone. “I’ll tell you later…after.”
Closing her eyes, she moaned into the slow kiss that he was giving her on the lips. One of her hands brushed his curls and the other one felt around the mattress. She found his phone and blindly felt around for the nightstand drawer, she hid it there and, on her way back, took a condom wrapper.
Christmas Eve rolled around. Lois and Clark each had a bag by the door in her apartment. Next to them was a cardboard box with six presents in it. Lois was finishing getting ready, she was in a pair of jeans, long boots, and a white sweater. She had a long red scarf around her neck and her head was covered with a white snow hat. She inched into the living room as she nibbled on a candy cane. Taking it out of her mouth, Lois smiled now that Clark had found her and hugged her from her waist. She curved her body against his and offered a light kiss.
They kept a grin on their faces between pecks. Lois held her candy with the tip of two fingers as her arms hugged his neck. She moaned into the last kiss before having him take her candy cane for her. She fixed the collar of the red sweater that he was wearing, it matched with her scarf.
“Are you all set, baby?” Clark wondered. He liked feeling her fingers over his chest, it made him smile from dimple to dimple.
Lois caressed his abdomen over his sweater and taking the candy cane back, she brought it up to her mouth. “Mmm,” she nodded, playing the candy in her mouth. “All set and ready.”
“Did you pack your ugly sweater?” He wondered with bright eyes.
“You’ll finally get it your way, huh?” Lois giggled, with the candy in her hand, she pressed a sweet kiss on his lips; “See me wearing it live and in full color.”
With a cackle, Clark caressed her chin and led her face to look up before they could share another kiss. Lois was also hugging him.
“You have no idea…” He murmured, caressing his chest.
Cupping his face, Lois pressed a loud kiss on his lips. “I know that sigh you just made just now.” She narrowed her eyes, “You are onto something, Smallville.”
He laughed. “What?” He kissed her again, “What is so cunning about wanting to see my girlfriend wearing a sweater that I crocheted for her?”
“Mm.” Lois pointed her finger out, “I was not your girlfriend when you gave it to me.”
“That doesn’t mean that I wasn’t hoping for you to be…” He offered a smile and a shrug at the look she gave him. “Listen, baby, I was thinking,” he checked the time on his wristwatch; it was fifteen minutes after seven. “I could bring these to the farm and I’ll meet you at the Daily Planet at eight?”
“Okay.” Lois nodded, eager about the night ahead; “What did you say are our plans again?”
Clark tilted her head up from her chin and kissed her. “Nice try, Miss Lane,” he shook his head. Getting distracted with her scarf, Clark played it with fingers, pulling from it. “Now did you tie this in a nice bow just for me…?”
Giggling, Lois felt him pulling so she curved her body into his. She didn’t say anything but, taking the candy out of her mouth, she smiled.
“Nng.” He nosed into her neck, taking in her scent which did things to him. Clark pressed gentle kisses on her warm skin as he worked on undoing the scarf; “…An early Christmas present for me to unwrap?”
Lois pulled back and with her hand over his shoulder, she pushed him away. “I’m not a Christmas present, Smallville,” she insisted.
With a cackle, he stole a couple of kisses and stepped away to carry their bags and presents.
Getting ahead, Lois opened the door for him. “See you at the Planet, love.” She stepped on her tiptoes for a kiss. She then waved bye as he walked toward the staircase.
Lois felt around for her phone and once making sure she had it on her, she looked around the apartment one last time and locked it, leaving behind Clark.
With traffic, Lois made it to the Daily Planet five minutes to eight. She had the two gingerbread mugs with her which she held tight to her chest as she smiled and admired the silence that hugged the bullpen.
Knowing that she still had a few minutes before Clark met her, she headed to the break room. There, she set the coffeemaker up, letting it boil some milk for them. They had left the things they needed for their cocoa in the cupboards and fridge the prior day. She brought the candy canes and gingerbread cookies out, along with a peppermint cocoa powder they had found at the store the other day.
Lois checked the time on her wristwatch; one minute to go for it to read eight at night. She set everything down and decided to wait for Clark at the front.
Upon stepping into the foyer, she found the Christmas lights were now on. The room was now twinkling in red, green, yellow, pink, and blue. The faint melody of We Wish You a Merry Christmas played in the background, through the speaker of the string lights. She stood at the entrance and slowly scanned the place, looking around to see if she could spot Clark somewhere.
Feeling two big yet gentle hands covering her eyes, she brought hers to feel them. Lois was grinning big, she giggled feeling Clark’s tall frame against hers.
“Guess who?”
With a giggle, Lois laced her fingers with his and brought their hands down. She smiled over her shoulder and, holding hands, she lightly swung his arms. She kept her eyes on his and inched toward the entrance, standing under the door frame.
Clark kept a smile on his face as he followed her. He brought her hands up and pressed a soft kiss on them. His eyes shifted up to the mistletoe hanging from the head jamb, then moved them back to the lit ones that were happily looking back at him.
Feeling her cheeks warm, Lois bit on her lower lip. “Do you want to know a secret?”
He let go of her hands and hugged her from her waist, her fingers found their way through his curls. “Mm. I love secrets.”
“Mm. You sure do.” Lois curved her body against his and pressed her forehead against his, their noses brushed together as she closed her eyes. “I fell in love with you under this mistletoe…” She murmured, her hand resting under his chin as she closed the space between them to kiss him.
The sound of him loudly exhaling through his nose kept her from kissing him. Clark pressed her into him even if he couldn’t help giggling. She smiled against his lips and she slowly pulled away.
Opening his eyes, Clark found her looking at him, slightly curious at what was so funny.
“—What?”
Two deep dimples adorned his cheeks as he tried to kiss her. “Nothing. It’s just that-that’s not a secret...”
Lois pulled her head back and crossed her index fingers between their lips. She blinked and tilted her head to the side.
“I-I mean…I-I thought you meant like a real secret.” He scratched the back of his head; “I’ve known this…I’ve known this for a while.”
Lois moved his hands away from her waist and crossed her arms against her chest. “Wow…”
Watching her walk away, Clark was quick to take her arm and stopped her. “What about my kiss?”
“What kiss? You can kiss my ass.” She pulled her arm back and called the elevator down.
“Our ki—” Clark sighed and trotted over toward the elevator to stop her from getting in it. “—You’re mad.”
“The hell I am!” She kept pulling from her arm, struggling to get loose from him. Lois grunted now that the elevator had closed and quickly kept pressing the button down again.
Clark took a step closer and brought her hand, which he refused to let go of, to his chest. “But why…” At the dead glare she gave him, he gulped, “I mean—”
“You are always doing this. I’m trying to be romantic or sexy with you and you just start chuckling…yapping about something.” She frowned as she looked away; “It stopped being cute a while back.”
Keeping his eyes on her, he smiled, waiting for Lois to look back to him. He didn’t say anything, but couldn’t erase the smile on his face.
Lois sideeyed him, “Don’t look at me like that.”
“You look adorable when you are mad, even more so when it’s unreasona—” At her face, he went back to the subject; “It’s tradition, please?” He pleaded, firmly, yet gently, holding from her shoulders. “Every year, you’ve-you’ve kissed me under that mistletoe…don’t let my big mouth ruin that for us.”
Lois looked away. She slowly shifted her eyes to make contact with him and narrowed them.
“Please.”
Their fingers slowly intertwined. Clark smiled and brought her hand to his lips. This time, he led her back to the entrance and made sure they were standing under the mistletoe, their mistletoe.
Gently, he made sure that her hands were back where she had them a minute ago and he held her just like he did. With a light smile, he rested his forehead against hers and shifted, bringing her as close as he could.
“I got the girl of my dreams under this mistletoe…” He murmured into her lips, slowly grinning now that he had felt her smile.
Lois closed her eyes and ran her finger around his head, through his curls. “You did now, didn’t you…?”
“Mm.” He tightened the grip around her waist, “And she makes me the happiest and luckiest man.”
Their lips brushed together, still not quite kissing. Lois kept her eyes close, her fingers buried in his messy curls as she smiled. “Promise me something…?” She tilted back, making contact with him.
They were standing in the dark, only the twinkling of the Christmas lights and the soft melody of Silent Night surrounding them in the empty foyer.
Clark fixed his eyes on her and nodded, waiting for her to finish the thought.
“Promise me that every year, on Christmas Eve, we will come here and kiss under this mistletoe.”
With a side smirk, he corroborated; “I promise.”
Lois grinned and leaned over, gently kissing his lips.
Reciprocating the gesture, Clark kissed her back. He pulled her up, bringing her to his height and gently twirled her around, hearing her giggle before they deepened the kiss.
****
Every year, Clark planned a few things they could do together; dinner had been the main event on their first Christmas Eve together. They had watched a movie the following year, and sang karaoke last time. Tonight, he had asked to blindfold her; just from out of the elevator through the lobby and around to the building’s plaza.
It was snowing. The cold of the small white flakes falling down her face was what gave away that he had brought her outside. Lois tilted her head and poked her lips upon feeling Clark gently kissing her. A curious chuckle escaped her lips as she felt him guiding her to turn around.
Once he took the blindfold off, his eyes fell on hers; “Let me know once your sight adjusts.” He was holding her from her shoulders, keeping her looking straight.
Lois was facing the building. She found herself in the plaza by the entrance. The area wasn’t that big, about the size of a basketball court. “I’m good now,” She bit her lips in eagerness, not knowing what to expect. She slowly turned around, following Clark’s hand as he took hers; “What could possibly—”
A gasp expressed her surprise once she was presented with an ice rink. The bench nearby carried two sets of skates. “I’ll help you put them on.” Clark held her hand, but at the feeling of Lois pulling from it he stopped and looked back at her.
“You-you built me an ice rink!” She pointed at the ice, “Ho-wha-Oh, Clark…” She smiled wide, “You didn’t, did you?” She figured he had used his Freeze Breath to build it.
A smirk and a shrug corroborated as much; “It only took a few seconds. Do you like it…?” He kept her hand in his as she stepped closer to him.
“No?” Her eyes were bright and her smile astonished; “I love it!” She squealed as her hands found his neck and they shared a kiss. “I love you…”
There it was again; that premature giggle that anticipated the broad grin that now adorned his face. “I love you, too.” After a kiss, he brushed her cheek with his knuckles, her face was cold yet he could feel the warmth of the flush in it. “I’m sorry about earlier; I sort of stole your thunder back there.”
Letting out a sigh, Lois shook her head. “I-I overreacted; a little.” She wrinkled her nose, “I’m sorry, too.”
Clark nodded with a smile. “Come on, I’ll help you with your skates.”
The bench nearby left some room for her to sit without being on the ice yet. “I’m a big girl, I can tie my own shoes.” She flirted but still giggled now that he was kneeled down before her.
With his eyes on hers, sharing a smile, he murmured; “I like the view from up here.” Clark tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and brushed his knuckles down her cheek.
Lois closed her eyes and nosed into his touch. He took her hand and played with her fingers. He brought it to his lips and pressed a soft kiss on it.
They shared a chuckle now that her heart had done a funny thing. Her eyes were soft on him as her hand gently held from his. Lois twitched her eyebrows now that Clark had reached to his front pocket with his other hand.
For a moment, her heart stopped and her breathing paused. Her eyes grew big and she parted her lips. Clark slowly brought his hand out of his pocket, holding a pair of wool gloves.
A grunt heavy in disappointment escaped her as she let him put the gloves on her. He chuckled, reaching to her face and gently pulling her frown up.
Lois kept the wrinkled between her brows, not smiling like he was playfully suggesting.
“—What?” He wondered. He looked down and figured; “Oh. You thought—” Clark laughed, “Oh babe.” He watched her put the skates on her own. “At least now I know how you feel about it.” He couldn’t help but keep chuckling.
Upset, Lois stood up on the snow and stepped away from him, into the ice rink; “Did you have a clown for dinner or something?” She skated away from him.
“No. We have dinner plans together. I would never eat without you.”
“UGH.” She slid over the ice, shifting one foot after the other, aware Clark was skating behind her.
He effortlessly caught up to her and hugged her waist from behind. “I keep upsetting you…” He noticed as much. Feeling her frame relaxing in his embrace and leaning against his frame, Clark nosed into her hair.
Shaking her head, her hands rubbed his and their fingers laced. “Thank you for the gloves; every year I forget them.” Lois tilted her head to the side, feeling his lips nibbling her ear as they slowly skated around the rink.
“Maybe I should put one of those glove clips in your stockings, hmm?” He kissed down her neck, “It’d be a nice and useful stuffer.”
With a steady twirl, Lois turned to face him and hugged his waist. “I like it that you remember.” She looked up and smiled once he looked down to her level; “It’s cute.”
“I promise next year, I won’t get on one knee to put them on you.” He cackled as she hit him on the shoulder.
With a pout Lois took a step back and slowly skated like that, steadily holding his hands with her back to the rink.
“—Who knows,” Clark licked his lip, “Maybe by next year, you would’ve already vowed to be forever mine.” He grinned at the way her eyes lit up at the idea of that.
“Mm.” She put a stoic face on, “Maybe.” She giggled along to his chuckles now that he had hugged her and pulled her up to twirl her around.
After spending a joyful evening playing in the snow, Lois and Clark flew to Smallville to spend Christmas with Ma and Pa. Lois had only been at the farm a couple of times; the night that she had brought Clark there to recover from kryptonite a few months ago and a couple of months after that, when Clark had brought her to formally introduce her to his parents. With the Kents spending Thanksgiving in Metropolis, this was the first holiday that Lois was spending in Smallville.
“At last, I did it.” Clark teased as they stood at the entrance to his parents’ farm house. Lois was already rolling her eyes, even if she was smiling back; “After asking for four years, I finally got you to spend Christmas with me and my folks.”
Lois poked her lips to welcome the kiss that Clark was proudly smacking on her lips, “Mm. Three years, though.” Her arms wrapped his waist as she pressed another peck on his mouth.
Using his fingers to count, Clark had four fingers out. He looked down to his girlfriend and tilted his head.
She took his hand and counted from his index to his middle finger; “There’s a year from this Christmas to this one.” She then held his ring finger, “And another one—”
“—I get it, smarty pants.” They shared a smile and another kiss. He brought her hoodie down and brushed her hair with his fingers, tucking a strand behind her ear. After exchanging a look, their hands intertwined fingers and he reached for the door. It was past midnight, so a finger to his mouth reminded her that Ma and Pa were probably already asleep.
The inside of the house was dark, Clark slowly led the way to the living room. The Christmas tree by the window was lit, twinkling and providing a dim multicolor warmth to the room. He smiled as Lois would take a moment to look around. Even if her eyes couldn’t make much out of what was on the walls, and she’d seen those photos before, it made her smile to know they were there.
With her finger pointing out to the chimney, Lois gasped. There were four Santa stockings hanging from it, the tree right beside made it so she could read that one of them was for her. Her and Clark’s were stuffed, which made her eager to find out what Ma and Pa had left behind for them.
Hugging his arm tight to her chest, she nibbled on his shoulder; “Are those for us to get right now or for tomorrow?”
They were murmuring, making sure they didn’t wake up Ma and Pa. “It’s for right now. They have been stuffing them throughout the month.” Clark felt her let go, and watched how she took her jacket, gloves, and scarf off. Lois set them on the couch as she stepped close to the chimney.
“I kinda feel bad that I only sent a few stuffers along with you. Maybe next year, I can fly along?” She was careful when she brought a long candy cane out of her stocking. “Sneak in like you did, stuff their stocking while they are asleep?”
Clark smiled at her and hugged her from behind, nosing into her neck as she went through her stuffers. “For what it's worth, I made sure they knew it was from both of us.”
Looking over her shoulder, she narrowed her eyes. “It WAS from both of us,” She insisted, “Don’t forget whose idea it was to leave them a wireless charger for their phones.”
“Mm. They loved that.” Clark pecked her lips. “I left our gifts over there, if you want to arrange them under the tree before bed.”
With big eyes, Lois smiled. She sat on the floor, at the skirts of the tree, and looked up as Clark joined her. “There’s so many presents here!” She had never seen so many gathered together in the same place, “All real?”
There were over a dozen presents under the tree, they all were labeled to be for different people. “Mm. We can move the ones that are for their friends to the back, make room for ours; it’s okay.”
Lois found a small present and held it in her hands. She ran her fingers over the bow and wrapping paper. She brought it to her ear and slowly shook it, trying to figure out what it was inside.
Clark observed her with an amused, yet loving, smile on his face. Once she set the present down, he gave her one of the ones they had brought, so she could adjust them as she saw fit.
“I feel like Santa…” Lois giggled. She was uniformly setting up all twelve presents that were for Christmas morning at the front of the tree; she worked on keeping the large ones in the back and worked her way to the front. “—Sans the cookies; which is a bummer.”
Pressing a soft kiss on her temple, Clark suggested; “Want me to see if they have any in the kitchen?”
Lois turned her head to face him and nosed into him. She let out a moan, relaxing into his embrace now that she had hugged him. “Oh?” She thought of something; “Bet Pa left me some!”
Clark watched her stand up and check her stocking. At Lois’s squeak, he figured that had been the case; Lois had mentioned that during the holidays she always made sure to get several Girl Scout Christmas Cookies; including Adventurefuls, Thin Mints, and Raspberry Rally.
“I love you, Pa!” Lois hugged the box of Peanut Butter Patties she had gotten in her stuffers and went back to Clark.
This time, she sat across his lap, he kept his legs crossed and hugged her waist. He grinned from dimple to dimple, observing how she poked her tongue out and happily opened the cookie box and the wrapper.
He brushed some of her hair away from her face and pressed a kiss on her cheek. Lois looked over and pecked his lips. She shifted the box close, offering him a cookie.
Clark took one and, closing his eyes, pressed a kiss on her forehead while Lois happily nibbled on her cookie.
****
Getting ready for bed, Clark was shirtless, wearing a pair of flannel pants. He was turning down his childhood bed. A few steps away, Lois was in the long-sleeved pajama top that matched his pants. She was brushing her hair as she faced the wall, smiling at the The Mighty Crabjoys poster that Clark kept hung there.
“Do you want me to bring down a quilt?” He knew she sometimes got cold. Clark shifted his attention from the throw blanket he had set down over to his girlfriend. He stepped over his single size bed and onto the other side of his room. His arms hugged her waist from behind and he nosed into her hair. “Mm. If you like the poster so much, we can bring it home with us.”
“Mm. That's a fat chance.” She looked over her shoulder, running her fingers through the little hairs in his arms. “The quilt would be nice, thank you.”
With a peck and a smile, Clark nodded. He brought an extra quilt down from his closet while Lois put her brush down. She sat on the edge of the bed and waited for him to meet her there.
Lois found her lotion on his nightstand and gently rubbed some of it on her bare legs. Once he joined her, she hugged his neck and kissed him. “Rock, Paper, Scissors; winner takes the bed?”
Clark didn’t hear a word of that but still shook his head. He adjusted as he kissed her, he moved from her lips to her neck and peppered down her collar bone.
In giggles, Lois shifted and lied against the pillows. Her hand caressed his messy curls as he kept kissing down on her. Clark got comfortable between her legs which she parted for him to have space.
They barely fit in the small bed, but somehow made it work. She was caught by surprise and a low squeak escaped her lips when she felt him pushing her panties down her legs.
With his arms tangled around her thighs, he pulled from her. Her body now lying down on her back as he hid his face between her legs.
The sun started to filter through the curtains, welcoming Thursday morning. Opening his eyes, Clark smiled at how Lois was tightly holding onto him; her arms were hugging him as she slept on her side, her legs were tangled with his. A few layers of bed sheets covered them as they fell down their floating frames.
Not wanting to wake her up just yet, Clark was gentle when coming back down to the bed. Feeling her nose into his neck, he stopped midway. He smiled at the light moan she exhaled and instead of coming down, he turned to his side. He never missed the moment when she opened her eyes, it was the most perfect sight and his favorite; the intense and piercing blue of her eyes looked the softest as she woke up, they never failed to look at him with love and adoration and he was addicted to it.
“Good morning, Princess.” He murmured, brushing a strand of hair away from his favorite view. At her little giggle, Clark pressed a soft kiss on her lips and then nibbled her nose.
Lois wiggled her nose and tightened the grip into him, slowly realizing they were floating; even if used to it, it sometimes took her still sleepy brain off guard. “Good morning, love…” She nosed into him before resting her eyes on his.
“Merry Christmas…”
Her cheeks grew pink as she bit on her lips. A joyful giggle greeted him back; “Merry Christmas.”
“I-I can’t…” His dimples were so deep that Lois couldn’t stop herself from poking at one of them. Clark chuckled and shifted his head so he could kiss the inside of her wrist. “I-I know we’ve been together for a while, but you-you…I got to wish you a merry Christmas in person.”
Feeling the mattress against her back, Lois adjusted so Clark could rest against the pillows and she could be on top of him; that way both of them fit on the bed. “You’ve always texted me it.” She caressed his chin with her thumb, “Last year you called.”
Clark shook his head; “But you were out there back in Metropolis and I was all the way here…wanting to be with you.”
“I guess someone was a good boy all year round,” She poked his nose, “that Santa granted him that one Christmas wish.”
He nibbled on her finger. “I’ll make sure you have the best Christmas of your life.”
Lois twirled the little curl that fell over his forehead. “So how does this work? Are your parents up already?” Her eyes fell on the alarm clock on his nightstand; it was nine. They had one hour and a half to go before meeting them by the Christmas tree.
“Unfortunately, farm chores don’t rest on Christmas. The cows still need to be milked and the hens fed.”
“Your parents are hard working folks, my kind of people.” She offered a smirk. “So they are not in the house?”
Clark shook his head and then tilted it to the side at the face his girlfriend was giving him.
Lois had a mischievous smile on and her eyebrows up; “Wanna shower with me?”
He didn’t need to be asked twice. Clark kicked the sheets off their bodies and, carrying her up, he used his superspeed to leave the room, across the hallway, and into the bathroom where her giggles escaped as he locked the door behind them.
****
After their shower, they changed into a pair of flannel pajama pants. Lois wore the Christmas ugly sweater that Clark had made for her three years ago; it was black with green with red and white sleeves. The front featured Rudolph the Reindeer. She was pulling from the ends of his ugly sweater with a big grin on her face.
“We are matching!” It had never occurred to her that he had crocheted her an ugly sweater just like his; the same colors just the pattern was inverted and his featured Snowman on the front. “You…oh, you…” She pointed at him with her finger but then threw herself into his arms and hugged him tight.
Clark cackled. “Yeah.” He pulled away just so he could get a good look at her; “You look gorgeous.”
Gentle eyes fell on his as she nibbled on her lip. A barely audible murmur sought reassurance; “Was I worth the wait?”
Pushing her hair back, Clark nodded. He didn’t break contact and just kept nodding; unable to find words. He cupped her face and pressed his forehead against hers.
“I-I’m…” She blinked and took his hands in hers. Lois rested them over her chest where her heart was racing. “I’m caught up. I’m in the same place that you are, ready…all in; I’m all in.” She giggled through teary eyes. “I love you…” She giggled with a light shrug.
He was grinning. He moved their hands so now she could feel his heart beating loud. “I love you too.”
“Chickens, are you coming?” Ma called out from the hallway.
“Be right there…” They shared a smile as they acknowledged Martha at the same time.
Their fingers intertwined and they walked hand-in-hand down the hallway to the living room where Ma and Pa were waiting by the Christmas tree. Lois first caught how Ma leaned to hug her husband from the side and Pa pressed a gentle kiss on his wife’s forehead. The gesture prompted her to hug Clark’s arm tight and nibbled on his shoulder.
She then noticed what they were wearing and…froze. Her hand pulled from Clark as she stayed around the corner, stunned. At her sudden pause, he looked over and tilted his head; he made sure she was okay. “Babe…?”
Lois blinked. Ma and Pa were wearing a red with white sweater with black and green sleeves, matching with the colors inverted. Pa’s featured Nutcracker and Ma’s featured an elf. Lois pulled from the ends of her ugly sweater and looked down to it. “I-I’m not only matching with you…” Her voice was low, controlling that it wouldn’t break. “You-you…” She shook her head, “I-I’ve—” Lois hugged him from his neck and nosed close.
He heard her sniffing, so gently stroked her hair. “Have you been opening your secret present every Christmas morning?” He gulped, feeling his eyes watery; “With your sweater on…it-it’s the tradition.”
“Of course…it’s what the note said.” Tears looked up and a humid kiss was pressed on his lips. “Last year’s was my favorite since I found it under my tree.” She managed to giggle as Clark used his thumbs to clean her tears. “Did you open yours?”
Clark nodded, “Mm. Of course.” He kissed her cheeks and face to dry them. “It’s about time we did this in the same time and space.”
Lois took a deep breath; “About damn time.” She kissed him, whimpering a little into his lips.
After calming down, she took his hand again. He looked down to her level and at her nod, they intertwined fingers and walked into the living room.
“Merry Christmas!” Clark greeted his parents who welcomed the couple with a bright grin.
Lois was smiling too, “Merry Christmas.” She kept her boyfriend’s arm tight against her chest.
“It’s about damn time!” Ma greeted them both, taking turns while she cupped their faces and smacked a kiss on their cheeks.
“I want to see what Santa got me, already.” Pa hurried them to sit around the tree.
Once everyone was around the tree. Ma offered everyone a mug of freshly made hot cocoa. “With you two taking longer, it’s a miracle it’s still hot.”
Lois loved the sass. It made her giggle against Clark’s shoulder as she hugged it against her chest.
“Sorry, Ma.” Clark apologized to both of them, “Sorry, Pa.”
“Mm.”
“I wanted to make you guys some of our special hot cocoa, but Clark said I needed to try yours.” Lois looked down to the tray being passed around. All four mugs were different. “Can I take either one?” She politely wondered.
Ma was the one to share; “We get our chocolate from a friend that lives two farms down. It’s handcrafted.”
“They make chocolate tea, chocolate nibs for salad or yogurt, chocolate bars, chocolate cookies, chocolate lip-gloss,” Pa listed. “You name it.”
“Who is your neighbor? Willy Wonka?” Lois joked, “And is he single?” She caught Clark frowning at that, so she shook her head and kissed his shoulder.
Pa then confirmed about the mugs; “Yes. You can take either one. Over time, the sets had broken. You know how it is.”
With a smile, Lois nodded. She looked at the four mugs; each of different colors. “Is this one of those ‘one of them comes with a prize’ kinda game?” She took the white mug. It featured a green wreath and in the center read Merry Christmas in red. Small poinsettias, hollies, and other seasonal plants surrounded the wreath.
“Great choice. Ma hand painted that one.” Clark smiled, caressing the ends of Lois’s hair.
Lois smiled down to her beverage. It didn’t have any marshmallows or whipped cream; it was just artisanal cocoa. Blowing into it a little, Lois took a first sip. “Mmm!” Her eyes were wide, “Oh my god! How-where?”
“I’ll make sure to pack you guys some.” Ma reassured her.
“Thank you, Ma!” Lois smiled against her mug.
Clark was the closest to the tree. He handed Ma a medium size shirt gift box; it was white with red and green. He then handed Lois a slightly larger box, wrapped in red and green wrapping paper.
Recognizing the gift in her hands, Lois waited for the Kents to explain the dynamic.
“Ma always goes first. So since you are the newest member of the family; it’s fitting you exchange gifts first.”
Lois had her hand on her chest, moved that Pa had officially claimed her as part of the family. She shifted her eyes up to Clark and smiled at him. She rubbed on his lap and nodded. “I understand.”
At the notion of Ma standing up, Lois followed. A hug caught her by surprise but she immediately reciprocated it.
“Merry Christmas, dear.” Ma presented her with the gift in her hands, “We are so happy to have you here.”
“Thank you, Ma.” Lois smiled, “Merry Christmas.” She offered the gift she had for her; “And I’m sure Clark has brought his other girlfriends home for Christmas.” She playfully rolled her eyes.
“What other girlfriends?” Pa chuckled, “He’s picky.”
Ma rested her hand next to her mouth as she leaned toward Lois; “Pretty sure you’re his first.”
Lois sat on the couch next to Ma as they opened their presets. Ma ripped the Paper off the box which made Lois giggle at her eagerness, in contrast she always liked to take in the moment and carefully peeled the scotch tape.
The cardboard box on Ma’s lap read UGG. Taking the lid off, she gasped at the gray and white pair of UGG Cozy Knit slippers that Lois had gotten her. She set the box to the side, tossed her old slippers in it, immediately trying the ones she had gotten from Christmas.
With a big grin, Lois appreciated how much Ma was loving her gift. Martha slowly walked around the living room, “They feel like I’m walking on clouds!”
“I’m glad you liked them, Ma.” Lois kept unwrapping her present. “Your feet deserve them after those long days of chores out at the farm.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever take them off!” She sat back down and stretched her legs up, admiring the fine and fashionable slippers.
Lois reached into her gift to feel something soft inside. She bit on her lower lip and slowly brought it out. She gasped finding a beautiful ginger rosewood scarf. “Ma…” her voice was low but stunned, “It’s beautiful.”
“The color compliments those gorgeous blue eyes of yours.” Ma helped Lois with her scarf now that she was twirling it around her neck; “I knit it myself.”
Lois held one end against her chest. “I-I love it. Thank you.” With a smile, she found Clark who was smirking with two deep dimples on his face. She took his hand now that he was offering it and switched places, back to the ground by the tree.
They shared a quiet moment as Lois showed Clark her new scarf. “Ma’s right,” he rubbed on his chest, “You know that I love you in purple, but this color does bright up your eyes.” At her giggle, Clark ran his arm around her and pressed a kiss on her forehead, now that she had rested her head over his shoulder.
Enjoying their hot cocoa, they watched his parents exchange presents. Lois smiled watching Ma and Pa share a light peck. She bit on her lower lip and tapped on Clark’s shoulder. Once he looked over, she tilted her head up and poked her lips, offering a kiss.
Clark tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and let his eyes dance on her gentle ones. “I want that…” He motioned toward her parents, “I want that with you.” His voice was low, he could hear how her heart had picked up a fast drumming over his murmur. “Do-does that…scare you?” His voice cracked there.
It took her a brief moment to slowly shake her head. Lois never broke contact and kept her gesture relaxed. “It-it…” A bashful smile curved in her lips as her brain processed his words, “I-I…” Lois looked at the Kents and held tight from Clark, “It’s not scary at all.” A murmur reassured him before they shared a kiss.
“I’ll be right back…” Clark kissed her again, then grabbed a couple of presents from under the tree and joined his folk.
While she watched the Kents exchange presents, Lois paid attention to how the skirt of the Christmas tree was starting to empty and the mountain of boxes and ripped wrapping paper started to grow. She watched Clark and his parents have a moment. Lois sighed, slightly moved, at the concept that presents could be a source of joy between adults and wasn’t just a thing that kids got. She didn’t pay attention to what it was that they were getting for Christmas, just how much love and gratefulness there was between them.
She reached for the dog and moon charm in her neck chain and played with it as she smiled, observing how Ma and Pa gave Clark a kiss; one on each cheek. Lois whimpered and sniffed, feeling her eyes watering. Lois felt lucky; her eyes looked away to the chimney and smiled at the four stockings hanging from it. She was overwhelmed. She was getting the best Christmas present and one she had wished for since a little girl; a family.
“Babe…?” Clark’s voice broke her train of thought.
Lois smiled now that her attention was back on the Kents. She cleaned the corner of her eyes with her fingers and rubbed her hands together. She figured it was her turn to exchange presents with Pa. She took a thin present that was wrapped in brown wrapping paper with a Snowman print on it. Pa was holding a present that was about the same size, but slightly thicker.
“Now, I don’t want to steal my son’s thunder,” Pa joked, “And you can lie about which one was your favorite gift on Christmas Morning.” He winked at her, “I’ll know it’s mine.” Opening his arms, he welcomed Lois into a hug, “...Just like you’re my favorite daughter.”
She looked up from the hug and smiled back at his wicked grin.
“Now, Pa would be saying anything…” Ma chuckled, “You’re our only daughter.”
Whimpering, trying to keep herself in check, Lois shifted her eyes between them; “You should know that I’m very competitive,” She teased, “So being your favorite daughter is not enough for me;” Lois set her eyes on Clark as she challenged him; “I’m coming for the favorite child title.”
“Oh, that one should be easy.” Ma dryly admitted.
“Ma!”
Everyone laughed as Martha only shrugged and waved her hands around. “I wanna see what you chickens got for Christmas, hurry up on unwrapping those presents.”
Pa motioned for Lois to open her present first. She smiled down to the white wrapping paper with polka dots and played her fingers down the bow. Lois opened a side of the rectangular shaped present and slowly revealed that Pa had gotten her a book.
“Oh my god…” She read the name on the cover: “The Maltese Falcon,” she beamed. The book was worn out. She brought it to her nose and took in that exquisite scent of an old book. Opening the cover, Lois corroborated; “It’s a first edition!” She hugged the book against her chest, “Wow, Pa…” She was speechless, “Thank god I got you something I think you are gonna love, or I would’ve died.”
“Thanksgiving dinner,” Pa waved his finger, “We talked about the noir movie from 1941 with Humphrey Bogart, you mentioned it was one of your favorite novels.”
“Oh, Pa.” She tilted her head to the side, “I can’t believe you re—” Lois looked back to Clark, and with a loving smile added, “You know, I actually do.” Her attention went back to Pa, “Thank you. I love it.”
After hugging again, Pa unwrapped his present. He wasn’t as careless as Ma, but didn’t mind ripping the wrapping paper a little bit either. He was also holding a hard surface present. Upon ripping the front, he discovered that he had gotten a book too; but in a completely different genre.
It was a children's illustrated story. The cover featured two farmers and a little boy with black hair and gentle blue eyes; a curl twirled over his forehead. The boy was wearing a red cape and jumping mid air with his fist up. The name of the story was It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane… by Lois Joanne Lane.
Before Pa could say anything, he teared up. He opened the book and started to slowly go through the short yet beautifully redacted story about two farmers who had found a baby in a space pod and raised him to become a superhero.
Pa sniffed and cleaned his tears with his arm before they’d hit the book that he was resting on his lap. “Thank you.”
“Isn’t she the best gift giver?” Clark proclaimed.
“She sure gives you a run for your money.” Ma wiggled her feet, happy with her Ugg slippers.
Pa smiled up, still moved by his present. “I can’t wait to read it to my grandchildren.”
“Woah…!” Lois flushed and started to stutter. She looked back to Clark, hoping he would intervene. She gasped at the way he was grinning at her, “Why won’t you say something?”
At the brightness in her eyes and the pink in her cheeks, Clark cackled. “You are saying enough for the two of us,” he shrugged.
Lois brought her hands to her cheeks, feeling them warm, and gave him a look.
Noticing that his parents were distracted with the story, reading through it. Clark cleared his throat. “I guess that only leaves the two of us?” He wiggled his eyebrows.
She nibbled on a nail and nodded. They moved to be at the skirt of the tree. Clark crossed his legs and Lois sat on his lap. Clark had in his hands a flat and hard gift, about the side of a binder. She had a shirt gift box.
“—Can I go first?”
“—You first.”
They giggled now that they had talked at the same time.
Looking down to her present, she nibbled on her lower lip. “I want to open yours first.” She wrinkled her nose only to feel him nibbling on it. She giggled before he stole a few pecks from her. “Is that okay?” her eyes were shy on his.
Upon presenting her with the present, neatly wrapped in a cute green wrapping paper with Christmas gnomes on it, Clark kissed her cheek. “Merry Christmas, love.”
She smiled. Lois moved her eyes from his and traced one of the gnomes with her finger before finding one end of the present and peeling the scotch tape. She slowly discovered that she had gotten some sort of book from Clark. Trying to figure out what it was, she tilted her eyes from it to him and watched him nod in encouragement.
“I mean it when I say that you are an amazing gift giver.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, “So I sort of borrowed your idea,” He encouraged her to keep unwrapping her gift, “And made it ours.”
With the wrapping paper off, Lois read the cover of the book that she had in her hands, “‘Under the Mistletoe’...” The cover was a selfie they had taken at the office one night, under their mistletoe, as they kissed. Her eyes were bright and glowed as they watered. She kept them on him for a brief moment.
Curious about the present, Ma and Pa wondered; “What did you get, dear?”
“A scrapbook,” Clark explained as he hugged Lois from behind, bringing his hands to the front to turn the page over. “Everything that we’ve done together during the holidays is here. I’ve been putting it together for the past three years.”
“...Is that really the same sparklers we burnt on the rooftop at the Planet?” Lois looked over her shoulder with a bright smile, “And the hot cocoa envelopes of our first—”
Ma and Pa shared a look; “Oh.” Then went back to the storybook on Pa’s lap.
Nudging Pa, Ma rolled her eyes about the present. “Guess he didn’t have…” She rubbed her thumb, index, and middle finger together, “for...” Ma then pointed at her ring finger and shook her head in disappointment.
Lois caught that and trying to muffle her laughter, she hid her warm cheeks against the crook of Clark’s neck.
“Ma...” Clark gave her a look and shook his head at his parents.
With a light murmur, Lois wondered, “Did you really keep all this stuff around? All this time?” It was corny, but he had gotten it for her and so she genuinely loved it. Turning the page, she gasped recognizing the first photo; “You really put this picture in here...” She gave him a look. The scrapbook was opened on the page where he had put the selfie she had accidentally taken at her desk with her front camera; he was behind her after showing up that first Christmas Eve.
His attention moved to Lois. “Of course. All of it is there.” He then leaned in to murmur, “I even divided it by year.”
Nibbling his shoulder, she shook her head. “This is so cheesy, I love it.” She kept going through the pages.
Everything was there: tickets to the times they had gone to meet Santa and gone ice skating. Clark had found a way to preserve a twig of her tree from last year and also one of the one from this year.
It was in her nature to be curious and so Lois turned the pages until she could give a quick glance at everything. The second to last page was already set to be their family picture by the Christmas tree.
“It’s not complete yet, though.” He took her hand and brought it to his lips. Once she smiled, they shared a kiss. Clark watched her turn the page, to find he had already decorated a last one. “...I’m kind of depending on you wanting to do this for the rest of our lives.”
With her eyes filled with light tears, she closed the scrapbook and hugged it against her chest. “Thank god that’s a given.” Lois smiled as she bit her lower lip. She set the scrapbook down and brought his hands to feel her heartbeats, “I’m kinda depending on that too.” She murmured as she rested her forehead against his.
Lois sniffed and pressed a light kiss on his lips. She took the box she had for him and presented it to him; “Merry Christmas, handsome.”
Similar to his mom, Clark eagerly ripped the shirt gift box in half, ready to see what he’d got. A black shirt fell from it. He held it up and grinned at the picture on it; “THE MIGHTY CRABJOYS!” He pressed a loud kiss on his girlfriend’s cheek, “They are so cool! They are my favorite band of all time! Thanks babe!” Upon bringing it close to his chest, it was evident the shirt was big enough for him to wear as an arm sleeve, if that.
At his obliviousness toward the size of the shirt, Lois rolled her eyes. “You should try it on…see how it fits you.”
Clark shook his head. “You got the wrong size,” He corroborated as much upon reading it was a small, “It doesn’t matter. I love it; awesome design.” He kissed her cheek.
“Maybe it would fit me.” Lois poked the deep dimple in his grin, “...Just a thought.”
With a frown, Clark wondered; “Why would you get me a Christmas present that is for you?” He wiggled his nose, “I love you but…What’s the fun in that?”
Lois bent down to pick an envelope that had fallen off the present when he had ripped the box in half. She fixed her eyes on him and handed it to him. “Trust me. Nothing about this present is for my enjoyment…”
Taking the envelope, he opened it. “TICKETS TO THE MIGHTY CRABJOYS CONCERT THIS SPRING!” Clark shouted excitedly as he held the two front row tickets in his hand.
“—Except maybe seeing you this happy.”
The couple shared a moment, completely oblivious at how Ma and Pa had turned their attention back to them. They saw Lois hug Clark from his neck and press a kiss on his cheek.
“She really is the one, isn't she?”
“I’ve never seen anyone love someone so much.”
“Wow...” Pa gave Ma a look and a pout.
“Oh, save it. You know she blows you out of the water.”
The farm was covered in white. After opening presents and having pancakes for breakfast, Lois and Clark had gone out to play in the snow.
She had found an old pair of snow tubes which they used to sled down the acres of snow covered land, all the way to the other side of the farm where they would have enough space to play.
Taking advantage of the few inches of snow, they worked together to build up a snowman. They had gathered some old things from the barn near by; so they could give their snowman a face, feet, hands, and a hat.
They had the two big balls of snow ready. Even if Clark was strong enough, they carried one of them together to put on top of the other. Once in its place, they smiled at each other and shared a kiss.
Bending down, their hands dug into the snow and they gathered it around to form a smaller ball, forming their snowman’s head.
“Have you thought about naming him?”
“The snowman?”
“Mm.”
“Um,” Lois looked around. “Maybe we should, but I can’t think of something clever.” She shrugged; “I like the name Brandon.”
“Brrrrandon.”
Lois laughed, “Dork.” She hung from his neck and kissed his cheek, “MY dork.”
“Mmm. Yours.” Clark pecked her lips. “Wanna do the honors?” He motioned toward the snow ball they had just formed.
With a nod, she hugged it against her chest and pulled it up. The thick snow coat and gloves that she was wearing made it stiff to move. She brought it up to the snowman’s body and dropped it on top.
She used her hands to reshape the ball a little from the edges. “It feels fit for you to put a smile on him.”
Upon looking away from the snowman, towards Clark who was a step behind, the ball fell back down; smashing in front of the two that shaped the body. Lois pouted as they shared a laugh.
“Wait…I have an idea,” Clark suggested now that she had bent back down to try to reshape the head.
Bringing her hands back, she looked up and tilted her head, curious about what it was that he was thinking about.
“You work on forming his head back, but shape it in front of the bottom ball, right where it is right now.” He smiled and started to make a few small snow balls to carry; “I’ll work on the top half.”
Clark settled on the side and used the small snow balls to add to the upper body, slowly shaping it to grow bigger than the bottom half.
With a grin, Lois figured what he had in mind. “Oh, cute!” She grabbed the two sticks they had picked for the arms and stabbed them one on each side of the bottom snow ball. She then set the pair of old gloves on them. “He’s with his feet up,” Lois smiled now that Clark had put the boots that they had found on him.
They worked on finishing the last touches, putting all the accessories on him. She handed Clark the smile so he could put on the last detail. As he did, Lois pressed a kiss on his cheek.
“Mm.” Clark reached and gently rested his fingers on her nose.
Lois giggled, pulling back. “Ow, your hand is cold.” He wasn’t wearing gloves, not needing them.
“Your nose is frozen.” He chuckled along. Clark rubbed his hand against his jacket, wanting to heat it up.
Wiggling her nose, Lois laughed; “Nose? What’s that? Do I still have a nose?”
“Mm.” Clark hugged her from her waist and pressed a light kiss on it; “Right there, red and cute.”
Grinning, Lois hugged him back and they shared another kiss.
“Wanna take a selfie with Brrrrandon?”
“Sure.” Lois looked down and sat on the snow, next to their snowman. She reached out for Clark to join her there.
Adjusting next to her, Clark hugged her from her waist and, with a light cackle, pulled her down to lie down on her back. He tickled her, nosing into her, making her wiggle her feet.
Lois twirled and rolled on her side, finding him already facing her. She caressed his cheeks with her knuckles. “I love you…” She was already poking where his dimple grew and giggling at the grin he was now offering her. “Now, mister, you’ve always given me that goofy grin…from day one.”
“Hmm. Have I?” He brought her hands to his lips.
With an eyebrow curved and a smirk, she demanded; “What is it that you know that I don’t?”
Clark laughed. He side eyed her and how serious she looked. He shrugged; “I fucking know that you love me.”
Lois sat up as she gasped, “What did you just say?” She pointed at him, “did you just cuss? Wow…” Lois laughed louder now that Clark’s eyes were wide open and he shook his head; “Oh, Clark Joseph Kent…what is Santa going to think of you now?”
“No. No.” He tried to make her stop; “You leave Santa out of this!” He covered his face ashamed; “It’s your bad influence; it’s not fair.”
Hearing her steps over the snow, Clark looked up. Lois was standing and brushing her butt. “Oh, Ma and Pa need to hear this!”
Clark jumped onto his feet and tried to stop her. He ran after her across the farm. She screamed and playfully kept her distance as he begged. Playing along, Clark chased after her without using his powers, giving her a fair advantage.
Panting, Lois pushed the back door to the house and opened it, “Ma? Pa?” She found them in the kitchen, baking. “You won’t believe what Cla—”
Clark pulled her onto him from her waist and used his other hand to cover her mouth. “It smells really good in here,” he distracted his parents. “What is the smell?” He tried to keep Lois restrained as she wiggled in his arms and fought to take his hand off her mouth. Feeling his hand humid, Clark looked down to his girlfriend and let go of her.
“—Wait, you guys are making gingerbread cookies?” Lois kept her bright eyes on the ingredients over the kitchen counter. “I’ve been baking those for Clark for a couple of years now, right baby?” She smiled over her shoulder.
Clark was hugging her from behind, his arms tight around her waist as he nosed to her neck. “Mm. You guys should try them some time; best cookies in town.”
“Now that I don’t burn them, maybe?” Lois still giggled as she turned in his arms and pecked his lips, hugging him back.
“We baked gingerbread houses for our friends.” Ma shared; “Do you chickens wanna help?”
Pa looked around as he stirred the mix, “We need volunteers to build and decorate them.”
Clark and Lois shared a smile and a nod. “Say no more, we got this.”
A few pieces were already baked and cooled off, so they started with those. “Wait until you see what my girl can do with those piping bags.” Clark caressed her back letting her take on the decoration and he would then build the houses up from there.
“You sent us photos of the cookies that she baked you this year,” Pa reminded him. “My favorite was the one with the gummies working as buttons.”
“Do you guys have specific decorations in mind for these?” Lois wondered as she steadily held from the white piping bag.
Ma shook her head and looked up from her baking, “We are positive you will come up with lovely ones.”
“Alright.” Lois smiled big, feeling proud of their trust; “Don’t say I didn’t ask…” She giggled upon feeling Clark’s lips on her temple.
****
That evening, Ma and Pa had left to go visit their friends and had announced they would be back home for Christmas dinner. Alone at home, Lois and Clark turned the fireplace on and let it sizzle in the back as they shared a blanket and a mug of cocoa. They let the lit Christmas tree be the main source of light in the dark living room as they sat by its skirt.
Their fingers were gently playing as Lois nosed into Clark. He kissed the top of her head and tried to find her eyes, “What’s on your mind…?”
Lois held the mug up and wondered; “Do they shoot you around here for putting this excess of whipped cream in your cocoa?” The white foam was filling the mug above the rim. “Ma made it sound like the chocolate farm is a big deal.”
Clark brought the mug to his lips and figured; “We just won’t tell anyone, just in case.” He took a sip: “My baby wanted whipped cream, so she got whipped cream.” At the sudden burst of giggles, he had to ask; “What…?”
Setting the mug down, Lois leaned in, “You’ve got whipped cream all over you...” She gently licked the side of his lip and then slowly kissed off the rest of it. She tilted back to make sure, “I think I got all of it off.”
“Hmm. …Pretty sure you left a spot.” Clark held her from her waist and as they shared a slow passionate kiss. He guided her to sit across his lap, keeping his legs crossed.
His arms held her tight and her hands brushed his hair, behind his head. Lois moaned lightly as she nibbled on his lower lip. Upon breaking the kiss, she rested the side of her head against his and smiled, feeling a kiss on her cheek and then down to her neck.
Her eyes glowed against the twinkle Christmas lights. She slowly looked up from the top of the tree all the way to the bottom; taking in every ornament. They were sitting down on the same spot they had been last night upon their arrival.
“Why is this so bittersweet…?” She kept her voice low, her eyes still looking under the tree; “It’s now empty with no more presents. I-I don’t think I’ve ever seen a tree without Christmas gifts, it feels incomplete.”
With his finger reaching, Clark shifted her jaw so she could face him. He then kissed her and nibbled on her chin. His hands were slowly caressing her back under her ugly sweater, her skin was warm against his touch. “Nng.” He failed to acknowledge her as his lips found her ear and he nibbled on her earlobe.
Lois flushed, aware he was a little distracted but she still kept talking, overflowed by the feeling of not being able to get enough of the holiday. “I-I, you know how I never had something to look forward to when it came to Christmas…didn’t even notice when it came and went.” She blinked, feeling her eyes watering.
It was when he felt a tear splashing on his wrist as he grabbed her jawline, kissing her neck, when Clark looked up. He locked his eyes on hers and faintly pouted.
“—Until that night.” She smiled as she teared up, “You just showed up with dinner and this sweater that belongs with your family.”
“You’re my family…” He murmured, kissing her face as an attempt to dry her tears, “This is your family.”
“Something about that night…it was just, I guess you just wanted to make sure I was okay.” Lois shrugged, “It’s the nicest thing someone had ever done for me; and I spent all year long waiting for it to happen again. It’s now my favorite time of the year.”
Twitching his eyebrows, Clark reassured her; “It was more than making sure you were okay.” He disclosed; “I learned that the woman I loved was spending Christmas Eve alone, that she always did. I-I had to do something about it.”
“‘The woman you loved’.” Lois giggled against his neck, nosing into him. “You’ve only known me for six months…”
“—And loved you for every day.”
Lois slowly looked up. She was quiet as her teary eyes studied his gentle ones. Her eyes grew when she felt her heart do a funny thing, she knew he had picked on that too. Lois ran her knuckles over his cheeks, her eyes falling down to his lips.
Clark ran his fingers through her hair and gulped, his heart was also racing; at a similar pace to hers. “Lois…”
Finding his eyes, Lois cut him off, certainty in her eyes as she firmly wondered; “Clark, would you marry me?” She tilted her head now that he had let go of her with one hand. He kept his other arm hugging from her waist.
He reached for a nearby red ball that hung from the tree, close to his left; Lois was conveniently giving it her back. His fingers were big but gentle as he took a beautiful diamond ring from over it, he had brought the string through it as the ornament dangled from the twig. Clark held the ring between his thumb and index finger as he brought it close to her.
“Oh—” Even if she was beaming, she couldn’t help but frown, “Oh, I-I stole your thunder, didn’t I? Cl-Clark, god.” She hugged him with both arms from his waist and nosed into his neck, “God, I feel awful.”
At the feeling of soft kisses on his neck, he smiled. “No, you didn’t,” he reassured her, trying to find her eyes, “I-I might let you finish.”
“What…?” Lois nibbled on her fingers. “No, I-I got nothing.” She admitted; “I just…I want to spend the rest of my life looking forward to the holidays next to you, do our thing on Christmas Eve, and-and come here.” She shrugged, her cheeks bright red; “So my brain just said out loud what my heart wanted to say.”
Feeling her hands hugging his neck and pulling him into a kiss, Clark closed his eyes and reciprocated the gesture. The kiss was short and tender, but also deep.
Upon pulling back, Lois smiled. “I love you…” She giggled, “But, hey, you already fucking know that.”
They chuckled along.
Lois rested her forehead against his and nibbled on her lower lip. She kept her left hand to the front, Clark was holding the ring in one hand while he gently studied the texture of her fingers and the palm of her hand.
The ring he had for her had a vintage-inspired style; with a unique grouping of side stones. The center stone was a prominent, elongated oval cut diamond. “It belonged to my grandma,” Clark kept his voice low, gently twirling the ring between them so Lois could get a good look at it. “She gave it to me not long before she passed.”
A giggle escaped her now that Clark had set the ring down on the palm of her hand, “It’s beautiful….” Lois kept her hand steady, just feeling the light weight of the ring in her hand.
“She said to me that one day I would meet someone who would see me.” Clark nibbled on his cheek, “Not just love me, but see me.”
Now that Clark had taken the ring back from her, Lois cupped his head and rubbed his ears with her thumbs. She stayed quiet hearing him and closed her eyes, resting her forehead against his.
“You’re the first person to ever see me.” He smiled, “I see this ring, and think back to the look in my grandma’s face…It-it’s almost as if she knew you were out there, that the ring belonged to you.”
“Grandmas are that wise.” Lois faintly chuckled along with him.
Even if his heart was racing, Clark’s hands were steady. He laced his fingers with hers and guided her left hand back to the front. He caressed her fourth finger before bringing the ring to it; “So yes, Lois Joanne Lane, the answer is yes…I’ll marry you.”
Once the ring was in her finger, their eyes met and they shared a glowing smile. Lois hugged his neck and he wrapped his arms around her waist. They kissed.
Lois was the first one to slowly deepen the kiss, the tip of her tongue sliding between his lips. She smiled into the kiss upon feeling Clark parting his mouth and fully kissing her, his tongue finding hers.
A giggle escaped her lips at the sensation of his hands running up her back, under her sweater. Lois tilted her head to the side, giving him access to pepper her neck. She bit on her lip and curled her body up against his at the sound of a proud cackle now that her bra had been unclasped.
****
They shared a giggle as their bodies collapsed onto the floor. Clark held her in his embrace as she stayed on top now that he was over his back. They kissed between giggles. He pushed her sweaty hair back and smiled at how fast and loud her heart was beating. One of his favorite ways to use his powers was to pay close attention to how her heartbeats and his stayed in sync as they slowly calmed down.
Clark played with the ends of her hair, twirling them on his finger. Lois nosed into his neck and moaned into it, taking in his scent. She peppered down to his collar bone and then down to his chest. Her engagement ring twinkled in the dark living room as she ran her fingers down his chest and through his hairy pectorals.
She smiled once his hand met hers and their fingers laced.
“Mine…” A raspy voice claimed in a soft murmur.
Lois rolled her nose up his cheek and matching his tone she acknowledged, “Yours.” She closed her eyes, feeling his lips on her fingertips as he kissed them one at a time.
“Are you cold?” He wondered, reaching for the blanket close by and lying it over her still flushed naked body.
She shook her head as she hid it against his neck. “I’ve never felt warmer.” She shifted and made contact with him; “...Safer.” They shared a smile before gently kissing.
The tip of his tongue parted her mouth as it licked her upper lip and deepened the kiss. His one hand kept playing with the fingers on her left one; liking how it felt to find the ring now there. His other hand caressed a strand of her hair. He was still on his back, with Lois between his side and his arm, she was on her side.
Upon breaking the kiss, she brushed her lips down his skin, back to his chest. The blanket only covering them from the waist down allowed for her to brush his hairy chest with her fingers and run them in circles around his areolas. She slid slightly lower, kissing his stomach. Lois mischievously giggled as her hand went feeling under the blanket.
He chuckled at the funny face she did; looking up and poking her tongue out as she pretended to be looking for something down there. Clark adjusted as he felt her hand now between his legs, finding the one thing she was interested in.
Lois groaned into his lips and parted her lips wanting to fully kiss him. Once he failed to kiss her back, she pulled back and looked up, finding him slightly distracted. “Babe…? Lois tilted her head.
“Um,” Clark sat up and carefully wrapped her naked body with the blanket, “Not to alarm you, but my parents are on their way home.”
“What!?” Slightly startled, Lois tucked her hair behind her ear and started looking around for her clothes. “Ho-how close are th—”
She barely registered how Clark had hugged her and used his super speed to take her across the house to his bedroom.
Feeling her hair flying at the trail he left as he sped back to the living room, Lois looked down to the few pieces of clothes she had in her hands, “—They?”
Clark was faster than her reaction time. Lois blinked now that he was back in the bedroom with a ball of clothes that he dropped over his bed. He was still naked. “I can’t find the condom…” He bent his arms up and scratched his head.
“It had to be somewhere under the blanket, babe.” She shrugged while holding both ends of it in her hands, the blanket over her shoulders; “I took it off while I was on my way down there, right be—”
Just like that, he was gone again. Lois shook her head, not really able to erase the smile on her face. She counted two pajama pants, two ugly sweaters, two underwear, and three socks.
Before she could react, Clark was back; “Found it!” He proudly showed her his used condom which at her face of disgust, he shamefully chuckled and hid behind his back. “And your sock, too!”
Letting out a sigh of relief, Lois cupped his cheeks and kissed him loud.
“Hey, chickens, we are home!”
At the sound of Ma’s voice, they started getting dressed. “Coming!”
“And I wanna see my mom’s ring on that finger,” Ma demanded, “So if you didn’t pop the question yet, better do it before you step a foot out here.”
They chuckled at that, covering their mouths so they wouldn’t be heard.
“I regret letting them know my plans so they would give us some time alone.” Clark shook his head, his fingers over his forehead as she heard her laughing at that.
Now fully clothed, Lois offered her left hand and a smile. Upon taking it, Clark let out a sigh and admired the diamond around her finger. Pressing his lips against her hand, Clark walked out of the bedroom with her.
“Ma? Pa?” He was beaming as he announced, “We have something to tell you…”
Pa didn’t wait to hear the rest of it. He rushed across the hallway and his first instinct was to hug Lois. “You are the daughter we’ve always wanted!” He held her hands and looked her in the eye, “Do you know that?”
That proclamation immediately made her tear up. Lois hugged him tighter.
Walking behind him was Ma, waiting for her turn to hug her daughter. “Don’t mind him, Lois…”
“—He's just a big ol' mush…” A light tear rolled down her cheek as Lois smiled, still hugging Pa, “I’ve heard.”