One Slip

By Janet Owens (aka TicAndToc) <ticandtoc@earthlink.net>

Rated: G

Submitted: March 2006

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This is my contribution to the unlikely pairing (Crack Pairing) http://www.lcficmbs.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=3;t=0 Fanfic Challenge, which you can find here: 00500.

Hope you like it!

Disclaimer: None of the characters belong to me and no copyright infringement is intended. This story was written for fun, not for profit.

A sincere thank you goes to Julie Stars, who edited this for me - including spellchecking it, since my spellcheck isn't working.

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A restless eye across a weary room A glazed look and I was on the road to ruin The music played and played as we whirled without end No hint, no word her honour to defend

I will, I will she sighed to my request And then she tossed her mane while my resolve was put to the test Then drowned in desire, our souls on fire I led the way to the funeral pyre And without a thought of the consequence I gave into my decadence

One slip, and down the hole we fall, It seems to take no time at all A momentary lapse of reason That binds a life for life A small regret, you won't forget. There'll be no sleep in here tonight...

-from "One Slip" by Pink Floyd

One Slip

He loved her.

Yes, it had finally happened - he'd fallen completely and irrevocably in love.

He'd loved her from the first moment he'd seen her, across the room.

He'd been in his usual spot, contemplating his latest story, trying to work out a rather tangled plot twist. Some might call his stories fantasies, since he never wrote them down, but he couldn't commit them to paper. He was happy just spinning them out to their conclusions inside his head.

So he hadn't actually heard her arrive, although usually he noticed anyone who entered the room.

No, she'd blindsided him from the start. Concentrating on the story, he'd glanced up - and there she was. He remembered the moment with perfect clarity.

She'd seemed, for a brief moment, to be surrounded by light. His fascinated gaze had taken in her beautiful eyes, her sweetly rounded face, the glossy dark hair. And he'd fallen - hard.

There would *never* be anyone else for him.

And he thought she was interested, although he hadn't had a chance to speak to her yet. But he'd noticed that she watched him. She'd watched him with fascination that first day, her eyes following him as he moved around his allotted space.

She hadn't approached him yet; the presence of the others in the room had kept the two of them apart.

But every day that he saw her, her fascination with him appeared to grow stronger. She'd taken to drifting slowly, gracefully toward him - although she hadn't, as yet, managed to approach him closely enough for conversation. There always seemed to be someone else who needed her, who would distract her from her path toward him.

Thinking about her, he felt a shiver course through his body.

There were probably some who would say it was impossible for them to be together, but he had to believe that there was a way. A love this strong would surely ultimately prevail!

Day after day, he clung to that hope - that one day, they would find a way to be together.

He would just have to continue being patient. Patience was something he was very good at - much of his life was spent in long hours of simply... waiting.

Waiting for his next story idea to occur to him.

Waiting quietly in an empty room; waiting for the others to return.

Waiting for dinner time.

This was no different. He could wait for his love. He *would* wait for his love, as long as it took.

He glanced over at her - she who was also so very patient, waiting at a distance, watching him. He smiled at her as he watched her in return.

Once again, she rose gracefully to her feet and began to move toward him. His heart rate sped up - could this finally be what he - they - had been waiting for? Would he finally get his chance to get close to her?

He found himself drifting toward her as she approached, until he was stopped by the barrier. Would she be able to overcome it? He could not - he had tried countless times to pass it, and had failed.

His love was an angel - she could do anything! Shivering with delight, he watched in absolute admiration as she prepared to pass this last obstacle to their love.

Yes, at last - this was it! He opened his mouth, long hours of solitary practice bringing the perfect words to mind.

But before he could say a word, his love - his life - was rudely scooped up and bundled, protesting, away.

"Clark!" he heard the woman called Lois say. "That's *it*! You *have* to get a cover for my goldfish's tank! Today! *Your* cat was aiming for *my* goldfish again!"

Ah, well. He was accustomed to waiting. He could wait a while longer, dreaming his dreams. One day they - the man called Clark and the woman called Lois - would not be there to stop her, to take her away - and he and his love would be united.

He knew it.

He turned and swam back into his castle. It was almost dinnertime. He would spin out his newest story one more time, and he would keep waiting.

It was what he did.

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