Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow: A Tank's Haircut Challenge Story

By Laura Davies aka. Bratling

Rated: G

Submitted: May 2003

Summary: Lois gets a haircut for very practical reasons. An answer to the great haircut challenge.

A challenge issued on the new boards to somehow give Lois a haircut for Tank's benefit. Mine, of course, has an un-Tanklike twist. <eg>

All Standard Disclaimers Apply

***

Lois ran a brush through her long hair. She'd started growing it out a few years ago, and aside from an occasional trim, hadn't really cut it since. It was halfway down her back now, but Clark liked it so she'd resolved to leave it that way — until now.

She sighed and rested her hand on her stomach. Finally, after a year of trying, they had conceived and she knew from playing with her nephew that babies liked to pull hair. It didn't help that they were in the middle of a heat wave. Between it and being seven months pregnant, her hair was becoming unbearable.

She winced as the brush hit a large tangle, and carefully worked it out. It was their first day off in two weeks, due to several large stories, and she was determined to cut off much of the long, wavy, dark mop. She finished brushing her hair and, parting it down the center, tucked it behind her ears.

"Lois?" she heard Clark's voice calling to her from downstairs.

She stood up and started down the stairs. "You rang?" she asked playfully.

Clark met her at the bottom of the stairs and pulled her to him for a soft kiss. "You took so long that I was starting to get worried," he said teasingly.

"What?" she began with a grin. "Did you think that Lex Luthor swung through our bedroom window to carry me away?" Lois whacked his chest lightly before capturing his lips in a searing kiss that left both of them breathless.

Clark broke off the kiss and chuckled. "No, but I thought that you might have gotten fed up with your hair — " He ran his hand caressingly through her long locks. " — and chopped it all off without waiting for a stylist to do it."

Lois kissed him again briefly, playfully sucking his bottom lip into her mouth. She broke off the kiss and grinned mischievously. "Nope, but I do want to know how short you think I should go."

Clark ran his hand back through her hair. "As long as you're happy," he began. "I'm happy." He kissed her gently on the tip of her nose.

Lois smiled and glanced at the clock. "My appointment is in twenty minutes — I guess we'd better go."

Reluctantly, Clark released her and reached down to take her hand in his. Lois grabbed her purse on the way out the door and they headed for her favorite hair stylist's salon.

***

Two hours later, they emerged from the salon. Lois rotated her head; the back of her neck felt almost rubbery from the release of the weight from her hair. "What do you think, sweetheart?" she asked, fingering the ends of her now chin- length style.

Clark hugged her gently and held her for a moment, savoring the feel of her in his arms. "I like it," he said softly. He brought his hand to rest protectively on her abdomen. "And I'm sure our little peanut will like it, too."

"Peanut?" Lois asked, tipping her head back to look at him questioningly.

"Well," he began. "You did make me promise not to peek!" Clark leaned down and stopped, his lips hovering over hers for a second before he kissed her.

Lois turned in his arms without breaking contact and wound her arms around his neck. Clark broke off the kiss and began to trail light, teasing kisses all over her face.

Lois giggled. "If that's the reward I'm going to get, perhaps I should get my hair cut more often!"

Finis.