Title: Fighting Smart
Fandom: Man Of Steel
Pairing: Lois/Clark
Rating: G
Length: 498 words
Content Notes: Set after Man Of Steel.
Summary: Sparring partners.


Lois shrugs her shoulders a few times, stretching her arms and cracking her knuckles just to see the way it makes Clark grin. She’s sweaty and flushed, heart pumping and muscles throbbing, while Clark looks completely unruffled, like he’s spent the last hour sat on the couch, not running through drills with her.

She’s used to that by now, but it still makes her want to roll her eyes.

“Again,” she says, and Clark’s grin gets wider. All that power, yet he loves the way Lois takes charge, lighting up for the authority in her voice.

He steps behind her, puts an arm over her shoulder. “Okay,” he says, and she takes it a little faster this time but not full-speed. He could easily track her movements if she sped up, but he’s heavier, more solid than any human guy she’s learned to use these moves on. She can take him to the floor like this, she proved that earlier and ended up doubled over with laughter for the surprised way he blinked up at her, but that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be rough on her to do it repeatedly.

She doesn’t want to hurt herself doing this, mostly for the fact that Clark would refuse to ever do it again if she did.

Lois brings her foot down on the inside of his ankle, not hard, still moving slower than normal, simply demonstrating the best place to connect. She bends forward, knees and thighs braced for his weight, although she can feel him lessening it, hovering slightly. Her hands are tight around his wrist and forearm, and she flips him forward over her shoulder, watching him catch himself at the last moment, levitating a few inches above the rug.

She’s shown him how to block and feint, the best ways to throw a punch. It’s not that he can’t fight, of course he can, but he’s never learned the actual technique to it. Too scared of what he could do to an opponent, even in a casual and safe environment, but with Lois it’s different. Clark trusts her.

Zod was proof that Clark can’t simply rely on his strength. Zod was a trained warrior, and Clark managed to defeat him, but it was too damn close. Lois thinks it was through sheer force of will as much as anything. Clark’s admitted, just the once and with his eyes unfocused and worried, that maybe if Zod had spent even a few more hours under the Earth’s sun, Clark might not have been able to take him down.

Zod had strength to rival Clark’s, but also skill.

So Lois is determined to help teach Clark those skills.

“Again?” Clark asks, and she realises she’s still holding his arm. Her hand slides over his skin as she lets go, but he reaches for her, tangles their fingers together, looking up at her so warmly.

Lois will do whatever it takes to protect him. “Again,” she agrees with a firm nod.