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Chapter 7
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Between Two Worlds
By AmandaK

Summary: A coup on New Krypton sends Clark fleeing back to Earth with his nine-year-old “son,” Jor-El. He arrives in Smallville to find Lois and their son, Jon. Clark must now find his place on Earth once more, while helping Jor settle in and becoming the father Jon never had.

Author’s Note:
For the purposes of this story, Kryptonian dialogue will be noted by <>. Telepathic communication will be noted with []. Hopefully, this will be easy enough to follow.

Chapter 7

Lois woke to the early morning, Kansas sun beaming through her bedroom window. She rolled over in bed, hoping she could fall back asleep and reminding herself to bring blackout curtains when she came back from Metropolis to pick up Jon after summer vacation. It was no use. The old farm house did little to hide the sound of footsteps on creaky floorboards downstairs or the muffled voices which filtered their way up to her room.

She yawned and stretched and blinked blearily into the too bright room. There was something she was supposed to do today… or remember? Something from yesterday?

Yesterday?

Clark!

She sat up straight, suddenly wide awake. She pushed back the covers and hurriedly threw on a robe over her rumpled sleep clothes and slid her bare feet into a pair of fuzzy bear-shaped slippers Jon had bought her for Christmas last year.

Not a dream, she told herself as she left the room and started down the stairs. It wasn’t a dream.

Sure enough, as she descended into the living room, she heard Clark’s distinct voice from the kitchen. He was speaking Kryptonian, which meant Jor must be up as well. Lois was sure that Jon was still sleeping. He always slept in the first few days of summer break. His grandparents would have him up with the chickens to help with farm chores after she went back to Metropolis.

Despite feeling anxious to see Clark again, Lois forced herself to slow down and walk calmy to the kitchen. She casually leaned against the doorjamb and allowed herself a moment to simply take him in all over again.

Clark was sitting at the kitchen table, dressed in blue jeans and a long-sleeved, plaid shirt which Martha must have dug out of storage for him. Most of his things had been put away to make room for her and Jon when it became apparent that he wouldn’t be returning soon.

Jor sat next to him, still in his Kryptonian outfit from the day before. They’d have to see if some of Jon’s clothes fit him until they had a chance to go shopping. The boy was poking at his breakfast with a fork, looking somewhat bewildered. Jon would have finished off that same plate of eggs, bacon, and pancakes within minutes.

Clark seemed to have already finished eating, though he had a mug of coffee on the table. But his focus was on a strange looking orb which was flashing small holographic images above itself, too quickly for Lois to process. The images weren’t the only thing moving quickly. Clark’s hands were flying around the orb, ostensibly pressing buttons or something. Whatever he was doing was too fast for the human eye to follow.

“You got your speed back, I see,” Lois said, drawing both Clark’s and Jor’s attention.

Clark stopped what he was doing and smiled at her. “Good morning,” he said. Then he let his eyes travel over her as though he, too, were simply taking in a sight for sore eyes. Suddenly, his smile morphed into a smirk and he raised his eyebrows pointedly at her attire.

Lois looked down at the old Smallville High School football t-shirt and sweatpants she had taken to wearing to bed, while visiting the Kents. Those, combined with the worn robe and bear slippers, hair mussed and sans make-up, probably made her quite the sight to behold. She felt her cheeks warm slightly but shook off her embarrassment quickly. Raising her eyes to look back at Clark, she smiled and shrugged. Then she pushed off the doorjamb and went to fix herself a cup of coffee.

“So, your powers are coming back?” Lois asked, glancing back over her shoulder.

Clark nodded. “Yeah, slowly. I’ll probably spend some time out in the sun today, see if I can help Dad with any projects. I should be back to… well, super normal by the end of the day or sometime tomorrow, I imagine.”

Lois nodded. She hesitated for a moment before asking, “Do you plan on getting back into the suit right away?”

“Not… right away.” Clark answered. “I know I want to go back to being Superman. I missed being able to directly help people on New Krypton. But, there’s still so much to figure out.” He gestured to Jor. “We need to get settled in.”

“And you need a cover story.” Lois added.

Clark nodded. “Right. Superman’s return should be easy enough. I’m sure you’ll get a nice front-page headline with that.”

“Obviously.”

“But where have I been? Where did Jor come from? What did you end up telling people when I disappeared?”

Lois sighed heavily and carried her coffee to the table. She sat down and took a few sips before letting her mind wander back to those first miserable days, weeks, and months. “Well… we said you were out covering the public reaction to Superman’s departure. When you didn’t come back… um…” she took another sip of her coffee to steel herself against the emotion brought on by the memories.

“When you didn’t come back, we filed a missing person report and the police did their investigation. I think Perry must’ve run something in the paper. Honestly, those first few weeks were such a blur. I don’t really remember much.” She felt something damp on her cheek and hurriedly wiped away the errant tear before looking up at Clark.

Clark looked back at her, his eyes dark with sorrow and guilt. Lois cursed herself for letting her feelings show so plainly. He was carrying enough guilt over everything that had happened on New Krypton. She didn’t need to be piling this on him as well.

“I’m so sorry, Lois.” Clark said. He opened his mouth to say more but Lois cut him off with a shake of her head.

“It’s fine. You’re home now. And we need to go over this if we’re going to come up with a cover story.” Another sip of coffee and Lois was ready to continue, no more tears. “Anyway, sometime later… I’m not sure when exactly. It was after Jon was born. The police informed us that they had exhausted all of their leads – not that there were many to begin with but at least they can say they tried. Ultimately the case went cold.”

Clark nodded and frowned, clearly thinking hard. “So, in this scenario, I could have ended up anywhere.”

“Right. We left it open so that whenever you did return, we could spin something that fits,” Lois continued. “Of course, now we have to figure out a way to work Jor into it as well. Hmmm… let me brainstorm while I eat breakfast and then we can hash out some ideas.”

Clark nodded and took hold of the strange orb again, his hands resuming their lightning speed over controls Lois couldn’t decipher. She stood up and poured herself a second cup of coffee before moving over to the stove, where Martha had left a selection of breakfast items to keep warm.

As she fixed herself a plate of scrambled eggs, toast, and some fresh berries, Lois overheard Clark speaking to Jor again in Kryptonian. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw that he had passed the orb to the boy and seemed to be explaining something to him. Jor nodded and replied quietly before activating something on the device and interacting with the displayed hologram at a more normal pace.

Seeming satisfied, Clark stood up as well, taking his plate back to the stove for a second helping. Lois chuckled as he piled bacon and pancakes on his plate, slathering both with maple syrup. He didn’t even wait to sit down before taking his first bite.

“Mmm. This is so good,” he said, shutting his eyes to savor the flavor. “You know I’ve always appreciated good food but you don’t realize how much you take it for granted until you are lightyears away from anything with actual flavor.”

“I guess not,” Lois replied. She smiled as she led them back to the table and they both sat down to eat. She only picked at her food, however. She kept getting lost somewhere between thinking up a cover story and just staring at the man in front of her. If she let herself, she could almost forget that he’d ever been gone. He was there in the same shirt and jeans he used to wear, enjoying his mother’s cooking, smiling at her. It was almost like he had never left.

Except he had.

And so much had changed. Lois wouldn’t give up Jon for the world, but she wished she could somehow get back the ten years she had lost with Clark, erase the shadows from his eyes, and rekindle the romance they had left behind so long ago.

Lois’ eggs had gone cold by the time Jon came down for breakfast.

“Morning, Mom! Morning, Dad! Hi, Jor.” Jon said, eagerly trotting over to the stove. “Alright! Pancakes!” He put three on a plate and added more syrup than Clark had.

“Have some eggs too, Jon,” Lois scolded gently. Her son rolled his eyes but obligingly spooned some eggs onto his plate and then sat down next to Jor.

He lifted his fork to his mouth but stopped before taking a bite, the orb in Jor’s hands having caught his attention. “Whoa! Cool! Is that some kind of video game?”

Jor looked at Jon and frowned for a moment. Then he opened his mouth and replied in hesitant English, “No, it is not a… vid-a-oh gam,” he shook his head at the unfamiliar word, seemingly oblivious to the shocked looks Jon and Lois were giving him. “It is a…” Jor frowned and then looked at Clark and said something in Kryptonian.

Clark wiped his mouth with a napkin before responding. “It’s an education orb,” he explained. “It can be set up to teach the user any number of things. I programed it to teach Jor English just this morning.”

“Is that what you were doing?” Lois asked.

Clark nodded. “It’s fairly easy to program but it can be time consuming, especially to program in an entire language. I started on it during our trip but it was so much faster with super speed.”

“Wait,” Jon cut in, turning to look at Jor. “You only just started learning this morning and you can already understand me?! Man, could I use that for school? How does it work? Are you just reading or is there audio? I didn’t hear anything. Do you have earbuds?”

Lois wasn’t sure how much of that Jor understood, but her was clearly overwhelmed by Jon in full-babble mode. “Slow down, Jon.”

Clark laughed. “He certainly gets that from you.”

Lois grinned but indignantly threw a blueberry at Clark, the effect of which was spoiled when he caught it in his mouth. Before she could do more, however, his attention diverted to Jor. For a moment, the two Kryptonians simply looked at each other. Then, Clark shook his head and Lois suddenly realized they were speaking telepathically. She forgotten about that aspect of Kryptonian culture.

Jor suddenly nodded and picked up his education orb, resuming where he had left off. Clark turned his attention to Jon. “To answer your questions, Jon, we could probably program it to help with your schooling but you’d have to learn how to use it and there is no guarantee that you’d learn any faster than you do now. Jor is picking up English so quickly because Kryptonians are naturally gifted with languages. I always thought that was one of the special abilities I got from the sun, but it turns out to be quite common among our kind – though mostly useless on New Krypton since there is only one common language.”

Jon sat up straight in his chair. “Neat! Do you think I’ll get that too? I’m supposed to take Spanish next year and I was really worried about it but maybe it’ll be a cinch.”

“Maybe,” Clark chuckled. “As for the audio, no, Jor doesn’t have… earbuds? Is that what you said? What are earbuds?”

It was Lois’ turn to laugh. Clark had missed a few advancements in technology while he was gone. “They’re like headphones, except they fit inside your ear.”

“Right, I figured it was something like that. Anyway, no. Jor is able to hear and respond to the orb telepathically.”

Lois didn’t think she’d ever seen her son’s eyes go quite so wide as they did upon hearing that - perhaps when she had told him his dad was actually Superman.

“Telepathically?!” Jon exclaimed. “Like he can hear it in his head? And think back to it? But wait, wouldn’t that be more like technopathy?”

Clark shook his head. “No… Kryptonians are telepaths and empaths but we can’t communicate with technology in general. This device was specifically designed to allow for telepathic connection – don’t ask me how it works.”

“Can you communicate with anyone?” Jon asked, moving on from the device and clearly more interested in telepathy in general.

“As far as I know, we can only communicate with other Kryptonians,” Clark answered.

“What about me?”

Lois sat back, wondering the same thing. So far, Jon hadn’t exhibited any super abilities but this wasn’t quite the same as powers imbued by exposure to a yellow sun. Apparently, Kryptonians were able to use telepathy from an early age. But Jon hadn’t met another Kryptonian until now. It would be interesting to find out if that trait had been passed on to him.

“I don’t know,” Clark stated. “Why don’t we find out?”

“Right now?” Jon asked. “Do I have to do anything.”

Clark smiled. “No. Just relax. I’ll reach out to you.”

Jon took a deep breath and let it out slowly but Lois doubted he was actually relaxed in anyway. He was briming with excitement and nervous energy. Lois really hoped it worked. He would be so disappointed if it didn’t.

Across the table, Lois noticed that Jor had looked up from his device and was watching Clark and Jon intently. She vaguely wondered what he thought about all this.

Suddenly, Jon gasped softly and smiled. Then he frowned. “Wait, how do I respond?” he asked out loud.

Clark chuckled. “You just think. I can hear you. Although you will still have to learn how to intentionally project your voice to me and it might be best if I stay out of your head for now until you’ve had some training on how to guard your thoughts.”

Jon nodded. “Right, that makes sense. But still, that was so cool! I can do it! I’m Kryptonian!”

“You’re half human too, Jon,” Lois reminded him. “We still don’t know what will carry over and what won’t.”

“But if I can do this then I’m sure I’ll get some superpowers too!” Jon plowed on, undaunted. “How old were you when you got your powers, Dad?”

“I was a bit older than you before I really started noticing anything different,” Clark explained. “The strength, speed, and invulnerability seemed to come on gradually at first and then in leaps. But most of my abilities didn’t emerge until I was well into my teens. And your mom is right. We don’t know what you may or may not inherit from me. We’ll just have to wait and see.”

“I…” Jor’s voice sounded suddenly from where he’d been silently listening to them. As all eyes turned to the Kryptonian boy, he took a breath and sat up straighter, somehow portraying an air of authority beyond his nine years. “I will have… powers… will I not?” he asked in slow English.

Clark nodded. “Yes, Jor. I do not know when they will manifest, though. Adult Kryptonians gain their powers within a few days’ exposure to the yellow sun. But age seems to be a factor, if my experience is any indication. I’m not sure if it will take more or less time in your case. Did you follow that?”

“Yes, Father.” Jor returned to his orb without another word.

“I wish I could learn languages that quickly,” Lois said, breaking the odd silence that followed. She stood up and carried her plate to the sink. “Anyway, why don’t you boys head out and see what Grandpa needs done around here. Grandma should be back from her art class soon and you,” she pointed at Jon, “promised to help her weed the garden.”

“Yes, Mom.” Jon stood up and took his plate to the sink as well.

Clark was right behind him. Lois caught his arm and almost gasped at the tingle which passed between them at her touch. She shook off the feeling and smiled softly. “When you come in for lunch, we can brainstorm those cover story ideas together.”

“Sounds good.” Clark kept his eyes on her as he slowly moved away. He seemed as hesitant to break their contact as she was, but it wasn’t like this could go anywhere with two nine-year-old boys in attendance. Even a chaste kiss would be too much right now. They hadn’t figured out yet exactly what they were going to do, relationship-wise, and it would be best not to confuse the boys while they did.

Nevertheless, Lois let her gaze follow Clark as he stepped into an old pair of boots and headed outside. He really did look good in jeans.

-------------------

“I’ve thought of something which might work,” Lois said before Clark could even make himself comfortable on the couch that afternoon. To be honest, he was glad she had an idea for a cover story because he hadn’t come up with anything even remotely plausible. He had spent most of his morning outside fixing fences and working on tractors with his father and Jon. Jor had joined them at some point, mostly observing their work or gazing silently around the farm – his fascination with the new world around him apparent in his thinly veiled emotions even if they didn’t show on his face.

After lunch, Jon had gone to town with his grandparents and Jor had returned to his English studies, leaving Lois and Clark to discuss how to bring both Superman and Clark back into the world.

“There’s an ongoing problem with human trafficking out of Metropolis Harbor,” Lois began. “It’s been going on since before you left, though I think you cut down on a lot of it as Superman.”

Clark nodded. “I used to routinely patrol the docks for anything like that. I take it, there’s been a resurgence since I left?” He frowned and found himself wondering what else had gone wrong while he had been gone. Was the crime rate back up to what it had been in his pre-Superman days? How many terrible accidents could he have prevented? How many natural disasters might he have aided in? How many lives had been lost while he’d been off playing war on New Krypton?

He shook off the dark thoughts before Lois could notice where they’d gone. Fortunately, she was focused on explaining to him how there had been a significant increase in human trafficking and the police were hard-pressed to find the ring-leaders and put a stop to it. Clark made a mental note to make that one of his top priorities when he returned to his hero-work.

“Anyway, here’s my thought,” Lois steered them back to the topic at hand. “When Superman left, you – Clark – were out getting the public reaction to his departure, right? So, what if you, hypothetically, happened to stumble across something shady down by the docks. You saw an opportunity to investigate and discovered a ship getting ready to depart with a group of abducted men and women. You couldn’t just let them get away and there wasn’t time to call for help, so you tried to rescue them yourself. Only you got caught. The ship left with you on board.”

“Where was it headed?” Clark cut in, wanting to make sure they had enough details to make the story work.

Lois shrugged, “Probably somewhere in Central America – we can work out exactly where later – but we need to get you to the Caribbean.”

“Why the Caribbean?”

“Because that’s where you shipwreck.”

Clark raised his eyebrow skeptically. “A shipwreck?”

“Yes. You and two other victims make it off the boat and manage to get to a deserted island – there are some in the Caribbean though not nearly as many as in the Pacific. I think it would be a stretch to get a boat from Metropolis Harbor to Malaysia though.”

“I think it’s a stretch even without that.” Clark pointed out.

“It’s plausible!” Lois defended her story. “Haven’t you seen Castaway? Wait, no, of course you haven’t. Never mind.” She waved her hand as though to brush away her tangent. “Anyway, just go with me here. The other two victims are a young couple – vacationing in Metropolis from… wherever you think has a language sort of like Kryptonian. They were captured by the traffickers and you got to know them during the voyage. When the ship sank, only the three of you managed to get to the island. And there you stayed, living off of fish and tropical fruit. At some point, the woman realized she was pregnant – which is how we bring Jor into the story.”

“Okay…” Clark was starting to see how this could work. Maybe. If no one asked too many questions. “But what happened to the couple?”

“Well, at some point, they would have to get sick or there would be an accident and without modern medicine…” Lois trailed off, letting the obvious conclusion go unsaid.

“But Jor and I survive.” Clark played the story over in his head, creating various details to go along with Lois’ general overview. He could probably use the excuse of trauma to not have to talk about it too much. But Jor would have to know the cover as well and they didn’t want to risk getting their stories crossed. “And how do we finally get back home?”

Lois grinned. “Superman of course. After you make your debut, you can claim to have just been flying over the Caribbean when something – maybe an S.O.S sign – caught your eye and you discovered your old friend Clark Kent and a young boy living on a deserted island. He brought you both to Smallville to recover. That’ll give you time to get all the proper paperwork done for Jor and let people get used to the idea of you being back before you actually move back to Metropolis.” Lois paused and looked at him hesitantly. “That is, if you plan on moving back to Metropolis. You hadn’t said…”

Clark took Lois’ hand in his own and returned her gaze. “Of course I’m moving back,” he reassured her. “Metropolis is my home. I love the city. I love working for the Daily Planet – working with you. I just hope I can somehow find a way to fit in there again.”

“Don’t you worry about that.” Lois patted his chest. “Perry is going to be thrilled to have you back. And just wait till you see Jimmy – you know he’s an official photographer for the paper now?”

Clark smiled softly as Lois continued to ramble about their old friends at the paper. He was looking forward to seeing everyone again. But he was also worried that things were going to be vastly different from how he remembered – that he was vastly different from the Clark Kent they remembered.

Here they are! (A bit late because of me—eep.) The official award banners for the winners. Thank you again, Carrie Rene for making them for us!!










































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(KSaraSara, Darth Michael, lovetvfan, and JadedEvie)

I hope you don't wait another 16 years to write the epilogue! I just found this site a couple days ago and this is the only one I've read - I couldn't put it down! I think I may have spoiled myself and now worry the others won't live up. Hoping to tie up the loose ends soon!

Edited to add after having time to reflect more: I watched this when I was younger at the time it aired and had a major crush on CK (and let's be honest, still do). Reading the very steamy nfic chapters made this middle-aged lady giggle and blush like a schoolgirl feeling like I'd been caught doing something scandalous - but I SO appreciate you for giving me more of a visual of what was only innuendo back in the day

Thank you both so much for your feedback, Michael and Blueowl.

Thanks! I'm glad this worked for you, I loved writing this chapter, they're so in sync as a couple. It's a fun ride from here!

The Perry's first story gave me an idea, which like all of them I'll never write. A just starting out Perry working with a just starting out Tony Vincenzo.

Hi Toomi!
HiM?

He went to Rings’r’Us at the corner of Fifths and Galveston? It’s a nice little trench coat (sic) just across the way from Suicide Slum.

Oh, they have an undercover department? Like in NCIS LA?



LOIS: /stares at ring on outstretched finger/ Mrs. Super Man. Hm… Mrs. Super Woman. Nah… Ms. Super Woman? Oh… Superwoman! /swoons/

Wouldn’t want the crew to joke about them getting hitched, would she?

Cat! You can’t refer to Lois as an ‘it’.

That Lois got to have a honeymoon with Clark? Or that he got her extremely wet? How about the big explosion Clark had as he was sitting on the couch?

So, he did spy on her before that fateful honeymoon! That super naughty rascal!

Okay, why are they all so excitable?

Doesn’t matter. Superman’s not married, so the ring should be enough of a disguise.

So, if Lois proposed marriage, he would decline?
CLARK:
LOIS: I love you. Please marry me, Superman.
CLARK:

Real ring. Wrong Lois.

Very adorable!

Michael

Complete Ficlet
Comments

Great wrong and storytelling! I finished the first installment in just under 24 hours, it was SO good I couldn't wait to finish it and see how it ended. My favorite part of the show was the romance and chemistry between their two characters and I love that this was devoted mainly to their budding relationship. I also appreciated a new take on an alternate universe in which Clark lives in Smallville but their love still transcends circumstances.

#32 Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Garbrielle Zevin


Engaging book about a friendship and misunderstandings that shape it.

Complete Ficlet
Comments

Here's the PG-13 version of the sequel to my story Don't Let Me See You Hurt . Thanks to Darth Michael for his awesome beta. He also suggested PG-fying this, so here you go. Just a bit of unadulterated fluff. Hope you enjoy.



In The Depths of My Eyes

“Are you –”

Her voice caught in her throat as she watched him work on the drainpipe beneath the bathroom sink. Clark lay flat on his back, one hand holding the pipe, the other turning the connection piece. Why was it that the play of well-defined muscles under smooth skin made her mouth run dry? She had a hard time tearing her gaze away from his forearms. Her heart skipped a beat and her breathing turned shallow.

“What is it?” He looked up, confusion flashing across his face at her lack of coherent talking. “Do you need help with something?”

His dazzling smile sent her heart racing. Words failed her. What was so damn sexy about a man fixing a leaking sink? She felt like a teenager with a massive crush, incapable of uttering a single word. Something about the past twenty-four hours had turned her into a drooling fool and it was about time she got a grip.

Lois cleared her throat and forced her straying thoughts back on the reason she'd stepped into the bathroom. “Are you ready?”

Gosh, she almost hoped he wasn't because she'd just love to ogle him a while longer. Drops of water running down his forearms caught her eye and…

She shook her head to clear it of the inappropriate thoughts. “I’ve taped off all the baseboards and windows. We can start painting.”

“Great!” He beamed at her, somehow managing to make that smile even more breathtaking than the first one. “I need another minute.”

As he lay back down and adjusted his position, his flexing pectorals drew her gaze like a magnet. Her eyes wandered over his flat abdomen. His shirt partly revealed the outline of firm abs. Lois let out a breath before she made a conscious effort to look somewhere else, anywhere else. She had vivid memories of the way his smooth skin had felt under her fingers as she’d taken off his shirt yesterday evening.

Gosh, she wanted more.

Lois turned and closed the door behind her, needing the distance. With a small sigh she rested her back against the wall next to it and let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. It was hard to believe they’d arrived at the Appalachian View Lodge just a day ago. Lois had lured Clark here under the pretense of helping a friend of her Mom’s with renovations of the hotel she owned. In fact, Lois had just wanted to get him out of town, far away from the mad guy who’d nearly killed Superman with a kryptonite laser and who’d escaped jail shortly after his arrest.

After the emotional rollercoaster of the past few weeks, she’d been looking forward to some quiet time alone with Clark. The attack had left them both rattled, Clark in particular. Once he’d regained enough strength to stand he’d spent every waking moment chasing after his attacker, terrified the guy would hurt Lois to get back at Superman. In panic, Clark had very nearly broken up with her, assuming it was the relationship with him that put Lois in danger. Fortunately, she’d managed to talk him out of that crazy notion.

But even before the attack their relationship - if they'd ever really had one - had been in shambles. The aftermath of learning his secret had been a constant up and down. First, Lois had had a hard time getting over her anger and sense of betrayal caused by his failure to tell her who he truly was. And just when she’d thought she’d come to terms with the two men in her life being one and the same, her life had been thrown for loop after loop.

When she’d learned that Clark’s life might be in danger again, she’d just been anxious to get him out of Metropolis. She hadn’t really thought beyond that. But now they had finally managed to reconnect. A night spent in Clark’s solid arms had helped chase away the remaining shadows of lies and deception. Suddenly, they were back to being comfortable around each other, with an added level of intimacy that hadn’t been part of their relationship before.

Lois wasn’t sure how to deal with that. Just yesterday she’d told him she wasn’t ready for that next step and Clark had promised her to wait for her, however long it might take. Going all-in now felt like she was jumping the gun. But after nearly twenty-four hours of dazzling smiles, casual touches, murmured declarations of love and sweet, albeit much too innocent kisses, her body was screaming for release.

With a sigh she pushed herself off the wall and strolled over to the window, taking in the magnificent view of the mountains that surrounded the Appalachian View Lodge. The clouds had finally given way to a clear blue sky. Perhaps she should ask him to paint the room tomorrow and go for a walk with her instead. A little fresh, cool air might help take her mind off of the things she longed to do with him. Perhaps his constant presence wouldn't be quite as overwhelming next to the vast beauty of the mountains.

The creaking of the door and soft footsteps disrupted the silence.

Clark's warm hands came to rest on her shoulders, slid down her arms and over her belly until she found herself in his gentle embrace. She leaned into him, snuggling against his broad chest that was surprisingly soft for a man made of steel. Lois closed her eyes and felt the gentle rise and fall of his chest against her back. He placed a kiss on her neck, his breath tickling her and sending a pleasant shiver down her spine. His lips lingered on her skin, warm and pliant, whispering promises of less innocent kisses. And, oh, she wanted to turn her head and capture them fiercely. Being near him was a confusing mix of danger and security.

“Sink is fixed.” Even the low rumble of his voice gave her pleasant shivers.

Lois bit back a moan and rolled her eyes at herself. She was officially losing it, if she considered that statement sexy. But damn, it was! She wanted to plunder his mouth in a deep kiss that would have them both toppling over until only his floating could keep them from getting hurt.

“We can paint the room now if you still want to. Or –” He let go of her and as she looked at him, she saw him scratch his head and give her a sheepish smile. “You know, I could finish this in about thirty seconds.”

Was that an invitation? Her breath hitched. She studied his face, almost wishing to see a hint of an ulterior motive. But she didn't think he was consciously trying to seduce her.

Yet her mind wandered to all the things she’d rather do with him than paint this room. Like finding out if his hands would feel good exploring her body.

Her cheeks grew hot and she averted her eyes, no longer able to hold his gaze or take in the sight of his lips. Would he guess what she was thinking about? Were there tell-tale signs that he would pick up on with his heightened senses?

Wasn't she just crazy to get all worked up about a fantasy, when she knew that reality would inevitably pale in comparison? It always had and always would, because as soon as things got serious, something inside her just froze up. Did she really want to experience that kind of humiliation with Clark? He’d surely be more understanding about it than Claude, but…

Suddenly, she just wanted to get away from the tension that had grown so thick it was palpable.

“Can’t we just skip painting and go outside?” she asked. “I mean, it’s finally stopped raining and I’d really like to get some fresh air. I was looking forward to some hiking.”

Clark shook his head. “I’d love to! But the ground will be slippery after all the rain and Dorothy said there will be more clouds moving in soon. Even I can't see through thick fog. I’m afraid we’ll have to wait until tomorrow. The weather forecast says it's going to be a sunny day.”

Lois opened her lips to argue but closed them again as she realized he was right. Clinging to him just to keep her footing wasn't going to resolve her problem at all.

Which brought her back to her current dilemma of whether to have him paint the room in thirty seconds or… She had to admit that watching him do it slowly, while she got to admire the ripple of muscles under his shirt seemed more appealing.

More dangerous, too.

Before she could talk herself out of it, Lois took a brush and a small bucket of paint. “Okay, then, let's get started.”

He grinned at her. “So, does this count as doing normal things together? I thought that painting a room would be well past the dating stage.”

It was their usual friendly banter, with an added note of something more. Lois’ heart fluttered. How did he manage to make something as mundane as painting sound romantic? The mere thought of moving in with him one day sent an inexplicable rush of excitement through her. And the warm gleam in his eyes let her believe that he was picturing the same.

As he looked at her, his gaze so full of love, she was painfully aware of his presence. His lips were only inches from hers. She could feel the whiff of his breath. The air seemed to crackle with electricity, sparks flying as they drowned in each other’s eyes. Her whole body ached to close the distance and forget about painting altogether.

Without thinking, she dipped the brush into the paint and colored his nose in cream white.

“Getting cheeky, are we, farmboy?”

He laughed. Then his lips were suddenly on hers, warm and pliant. His tongue darted forward, teasing, caressing…. She moaned into his mouth as he wapped his arms around her and pulled her close. Heat shot through her belly and her desire for him flared. The world around her faded, reduced to the taste of his lips, the sweetness of his kiss and the heat of his body setting her on fire.

The brush threatened to slip from her hand, but he pulled back just in time. As the world swam into focus, Lois felt something sticky on her cheek.

Cream white paint, she realized.

“Turn-about’s fair play.” A wicked smile crossed his lips, then he snatched a paint roll that was lying in a corner of the room. “How about you start painting around the windows and the door while I take care of the walls?”

“Okay. Who’s done first gets to shower first. And no cheating.” She cocked her eyebrow at him.

Clark gave her a solemn nod and dipped his roll into the paint. “Deal.”

He leaned in, brushing his lips against hers in an all-too quick kiss, before he turned his attention back on the task at hand.

Lois couldn't help but stare mesmerized as he got rid of the excess paint on a grid. His cocky grin made her knees weak. It was hard to imagine that the same man was able to bend steel with his bare hands. Would anyone believe her if she'd told them that she'd painted a room with Superman?

He paused. “Are you okay?”

Clark's soulful brown eyes looked at her, so full of warmth and concern that she drowned in those dark pools. And didn't take much at all to lose herself in the sight of his lips as she dreamt of more fervent kisses. Good grief, was it hard to stay focused.

Embarrassed, Lois blinked away the haze of longing that was clouding her thoughts. “Of course, why wouldn't I be?”

“I don't know. It's not like you to back out of a competition.” He shrugged and gave his paint role an unnecessary second bath before he once again ran it across the grid.

Lois raised her chin defiantly. “I'm not backing out.”

As if to prove her point, she stuck her brush deep into the paint and hurried toward the next window. And for a short while she even managed to keep her attention on work, telling herself that she was just glancing over her shoulder to check if Clark was working as well.

He was.

And he did a much better job of it than Lois, since her meticulous painting got more and more frequently interrupted by long glances at Clark’s tautening muscles as he moved the paint roll in long, careful strokes up and down the wall.

She hadn't seen him this relaxed in a long time. He was smiling a lot. Now again, she felt his warm lips on the back of her neck when he came for more paint. Or he would briefly wrap his arm around her belly and pull her toward his chest - small moments that stole her breath and made her heart race.

Soon, Lois realized she was making up excuses to seek him out and casually steal another kiss from his lips. There was a strange kind of magnetism, an invisible bond that seemed to pull her back toward him. Never before had she sensed his presence quite like this.

And somehow, between all the kissing and flirting, Clark managed to get paint on the wall. How was he not distracted? How did he keep his wits about him when Lois found that she was floating in a void somewhere between cloud nine and deep confusion.

It was afternoon when Dorothy interrupted the turmoil in Lois’ mind as she entered the room with cupcakes and tea.

“Oh, this is just amazing,” she gushed. “I can't believe you've already painted this much. And you moved all the furniture, Clark. I said you didn't have to.”

He took the tray she carried and set it onto a small table covered in plastic foil. “It was no trouble at all. Thank you for the tea. It's much appreciated.”

“Oh, my pleasure.” She beamed. “Would you be so kind and look after the sink tomorrow?”

“I already did,” Clark mumbled.

For some reason his usual thousand watts smile fell short. Instead he wiped his hands on his shirt, getting rid of not yet dried paint stains. Then he busied himself with pouring one cup of tea for Lois and another one for himself, more focused on his task than the simple feat required. And when he picked a cupcake, it almost seemed like he wanted to hide behind it.

“You’re working too hard.” Dorothy wagged her finger, completely oblivious to Clark’s sudden discomfort. “I thought you were here to take a break.”

He gave half a shrug. “Yeah, something like that.”

He chewed on his bottom lip, the cupcake in his hand all but forgotten. Lois watched him with trepidation. Was he hearing a cry for help or was there something else bothering him?

Lois felt the need to cover up his mood change and smiled at Dorothy, before she grabbed a cupcake from the tray and took a bite.

“You should tashte one,” she encouraged Clark around the pastry in her mouth. “Thesh are delicioush.”

“Thank you, dear.” A blush crept across the older woman's cheeks.

Startled, Clark took a bite of his own and nodded enthusiastically. “Absolutely amazing.”

His smile looked forced, but at least he had returned to the present and Dorothy hadn't noticed Clark's strange behavior.

“Well, enjoy your tea and don't work too hard,” she winked at them. “See you two for dinner.”

The door closed behind her. Clark took another bite of his cupcake, now subdued rather than cheerful.

“Are you okay?” Lois came up to him and placed a hand on his chest. “You seem upset.”

He sighed. “I just remembered why we’re really here. Do you think Henderson made any progress? Perhaps we should –“

She shook her head firmly. “You’ve done enough already, Clark. We agreed that you would rest, finally; that we would put all this behind us. You’d tell me the same if places were reversed.”

He cracked a small smile. “Probably.”

“Certainly.” She ran her hand along his cheek and cupped it. “You’ve been working non-stop for days. Superman has his limits and you promised me a whole weekend without him, and without lunatics coming after us.”

“I know.” He looked down. “It's just – the moment I stop working I feel this restlessness, as if I'm never doing enough.”

“This guy had a kryptonite laser. There's not much you can do.”

He sighed. “Sitting idle is much harder than I thought it would be.”

Lois grinned. “Maybe you keep that in mind the next time you tell me to stay put.” At his weak smile, she gave his hand a gentle squeeze. “Have you been hearing cries for help?”

“Nothing the emergency services couldn’t handle.” He shifted his weight, seeming torn.

Lois figured there might have been at least one close call, maybe more. She couldn't imagine how difficult this had to be for him. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and rested her head against his chest. He returned the hug and placed a kiss in her hair. As they stood, linked in that embrace, leaning against the window sill, she felt the tension ease out of his muscles.

She tipped her head back and their lips met in a gentle kiss. The world around them faded as his tongue teased the inside of her mouth. She tasted the faint hint of chocolate from the pastry. Heat pooled in her belly. His kisses always felt new and exciting, yet familiar and soothing. They'd always been the natural extension of their intimate friendship.

Even upset, he was no longer as withdrawn as he'd been after the attack. She felt closer to him now because there were no more secrets. She couldn’t get enough of his kiss or enough of him. It was as if a dam had broken, an invisible line that until now had kept them apart. But he was here with her now, without reservations, just Clark and her. His hands explored her back, his fingers caressed her through the fabric of her shirt, playing with the hemline and she wished he’d just move up his hands and touch her for real.

Their kisses turned hungrier, interrupted only by her need to catch a breath. But each time her lips mourned the loss of contact. She pressed her body against his, enjoying the sensation of his firm muscles under her hands. Warmth radiated off him and enveloped her like a cozy blanket.
Suddenly, he stiffened and broke this kiss. His cheeks had turned a shade of crimson. Their gazes met for a moment, but then he cast his eyes down and cleared his throat.

“I… uh… we should probably get back to work,” he rasped.

He raked a hand through his hair and hurried to get some distance between them. Lois stared after him, dazed as he picked up the paint roll and started to attack the largest wall in the room. Her heart was hammering in her chest, her insides burning with unfulfilled need. She wanted this man. Her mind screamed at her to take him up on his offer to paint this room in 30 seconds so they could continue where they’d just left off.

His name was on her lips, but she swallowed it, sinking back against the window sill. Just yesterday she hadn’t been ready to go through with it. Had that changed now or would she chicken out again at the last moment? He’d promised her he’d wait however long she needed. But how long would that be if she kept teasing him?

Lois let out a breath and her gaze drifted toward her own brush. Perhaps he was right to break off here until she was sure she’d be ready to cross that threshold with him.

***

Painting the rest of the room had been a challenge. Clark's muscular forearms were a distraction of their own as was his mere presence whenever he got close. And it seemed they just kept gravitating toward each other, despite their efforts to stay focused on work. A stolen kiss here, a gentle touch there, everything culminated in this painting session being one of the most erotic experiences of Lois' life.

Spelled out like that, it sounded rather pathetic. Reality, however, was anything but pitiful. The air just seemed to sizzle with tension.

Even now, as she dried herself off after a cold shower, she was short of breath and her emotional state was a hot mess. And in a few moments it would be Clark's turn to take that shower. Rivulets of water would stream down his body. Lois’ mind drifted back to that fateful morning when he'd opened the door wearing nothing but a towel. She'd been at a loss for words at the sight of his chiseled chest then, her throat dry and her hands dreaming of exploring his skin.

This time, he wasn't a stranger, not just a fantasy her mind could indulge in. No, Clark was very real and just within her reach. And that possibility was slowly driving her insane.

Lois slipped into a bathrobe and took a deep breath before she opened the door. Clark sat on the sofa, legs crossed. No, that wasn't right. He was hovering a couple of inches above the fabric, reading a book. He turned a page, completely engrossed in his story.

“Your turn,” she rasped.

Clark looked up and closed his book. A smile spread across his lips. He floated toward her, untangled his legs and set them back on the floor as if floating in mid-air was the most normal thing in the world. For him it probably was.

But to Lois any casual display of powers was still new and exciting. She couldn't help but stare at the ripple of muscles as he moved. And in the small room, his body suddenly was only inches from hers. His physical presence seemed to take up the entire space. It was hard to focus on anything else. Her heart was beating faster than it should. She could smell his soft scent, no hint of sweat though he'd been working all day. His forearms were peppered with freckles of dried paint.

Her mind ran wild with fantasies of stepping into the shower with him. She ached to explore his chest, while she lathered his body with soap. Lois’ breath hitched as she felt his hands on her arms. He captured her lips in a fierce kiss that left her dazed.

As she opened her eyes, aching for more, they'd somehow switched places. Now Clark was closer to the bathroom.

“Couldn't pass up the opportunity,” he said huskily.

His cheeks were flushed, his gaze full of passion. For a moment she thought he'd pull her with him and make her fantasies come true. His eyes twinkled and her heart raced. But then the moment passed and he let go of her.

“Be right back.”

With a quick brush of his lips against her cheek, he turned and started to pull up his shirt. She saw a hint of his bare back before the door closed behind him.

The air rushed out of her lungs and Lois sank down on the edge of the bed. Did she want to follow him? Gosh, yes, but she couldn't bring herself to move. Some part of her had hoped he might make the first step, that he'd drag her into this and she could just follow and give herself over to whatever was going to happen inside that shower.

But this was Clark.

He’d promised to wait until she was ready. She just knew he wasn't going to initiate intimacy without her asking him to. But if she did, she should be sure she meant it this time. And the truth of the matter was that she had no idea if she was going to chicken out again. She had precious little experience in seducing guys.

Claude had known exactly what he wanted and at the time she'd thought that she wanted it too. He'd been the worldly Frenchman who should have taught her the ropes of journalism and from whom she'd expected to learn the wonders of making love. The reality of that experience has been sobering on both counts.

Her first time had happened during her college time and hadn't been all that memorable, either. She’d blamed that on the obvious inexperience of both her lover and herself. The prospect of sleeping with Claude had excited her because she'd thought that an experienced lover had to be different.

It had only ended in humiliation, not just because of the story he'd stolen. The way he'd dismissed her and called her an ice queen had been far worse. With Lex she'd avoided intimacy altogether. Though she'd like to believe that her subconscious had warned her to be careful with Lex, she feared she'd really just been scared of another disastrous encounter. So where did that leave her with Clark?

She buried her face in her hands.

“Are you okay, honey?”

She flinched at his voice and felt the mattress buckle underneath him as he sat down next to her. As she looked up, his gaze rested upon her, warm and caring. A small frown creased his features, still he was breathtakingly handsome with his damp hair. Lois’ mouth ran dry as she noticed his naked chest and the faint trail of hair that started below his navel and vanished beneath the towel he had wrapped around his hips.

His cheeks flushed. “Umm, would you be more comfortable if I got dressed first?” He shifted and stood, muttering, “This won’t take but a second.”

She reached for his hand.

“Don’t,” Lois said softly, slightly breathless, too.

She swallowed, trying to get some moisture back into her mouth. Why was this so hard? Perhaps being dressed would make talking to him easier; she was sure it would. But there was a good chance that they’d end up talking about anything but what she should tell him. Even now, she realized she couldn’t say it. Her tongue was stuck to the roof of her mouth and felt like it wouldn’t move, no matter how hard she might try.

Clark stared back at her, seeming torn for a moment, before he relaxed ever so slightly and sat back down on the bed beside her.

“What’s going on?” he asked. “More bad news from Metropolis?”

She shook her head. “That’s not it. I’m just… I…”

He gave her time. His tongue darted across his lips, just a split second before it vanished again. Yet, it drew her gaze, made her heart race and her mind scream at her to just close the distance and kiss him. A part of her wanted to jump right in without checking the water level like she always did. But that applied to work, not to intimacy.

“I’m nervous, too,” he whispered after a while.

“Nervous about what?” The words were out before she’d really had a chance to think about them. She hadn’t meant to deflect his approach, but it seemed like she couldn’t bring herself to be vulnerable. Not even with him, apparently.

But Clark didn’t even flinch. “Nervous about us making love,” he said. His cheeks adopted an even deeper shade of red. “I…um…I…know you’ve been… thinking about it because –”

He shifted and rubbed his nose, opening and closing his mouth a few times as he fought for the right words. It dawned on her that there was very little that would escape his super senses. She closed her eyes. Of course he would know. He was Superman after all.

“It’s okay, if you’d rather not talk about it.” His hand touched her shoulder in a gentle caress. “But perhaps it would help if you’d just tell me what it is you seem so worried about.”

“It's nothing really,” she mumbled. Surely with time, she'd get over it. If she just jumped right in and did it, like ripping a band-aid off… Gee, that was a romantic thought.

Lois felt Clark tense. “You're afraid of my powers, aren't you?”

“What?” She stared at him. “No. That's not it at all. Why would you think that?”

“Why?” He let out a self-conscious chuckle. “I believe that's kinda obvious!”

Clark kneaded his hands and bit his lower lip. She watched him and forgot about her own fears for a moment. When he was sitting next to her in nothing but a towel it was rather easy to forget that these hands could bend steel. It seemed downright impossible that they'd lifted a space shuttle and saved Earth from an asteroid.

Yet, strangely, it hadn't even occurred to her that Clark might hurt her with his powers.

Why not, indeed?

It was logical, natural even. And no woman before her had known about that aspect. She felt a sudden pang of anger on their behalf.

“I guess it was easier when they didn't know, huh?” she heard herself say.

He stared back at her, puzzled. “What do you mean?”

“The women you've been with before, they didn't know about your powers, did they?”

A blush crept across his cheeks. “I've only ever told you. But then I never let things get so far that there was any chance of me losing control.”

The words hung in the air between them. Lois tried to wrap her head around what they meant. Had Clark just said that he’d never… that she’d be his first? Surely he couldn’t mean that.

“You’ve never made love before?” she rasped.

He nodded. “You can’t exactly call it mutual consent if one party has no idea what they’re agreeing to. And I get that it takes time. I promise that I would never do anything to hurt you. We can take it however slow you’d like, however slow we need.”

Clark reached out and cupped her cheek. He ran his thumb across it in a caress so gentle it sent goose-bumps down her spine. She covered his hand with hers and tilted her head a bit and kissed his palm. It dawned on her that she wasn’t the only one who was scared here. Like he’d said, he was nervous, too, afraid of hurting her. Deep down, she knew he wouldn’t, no matter how strong he was.

Guilt rippled through her as she realized that she owed him the truth. “I’m not afraid you might hurt me.”

He raised his brows. “You’re not?”

Lois took a deep breath. “I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed.”

He smiled. “That’s not going to happen.”

“You don’t know that,” she cried. “Somehow I seem to ruin it for them. I can’t seem to relax, I –”

Clark shushed her with the tip of his finger. It felt soft and warm against her lips. Her racing heart calmed as he traced them, leaving a pleasant tingle in his wake. His finger trailed further until his large hand cupped her cheek. He dipped his head to kiss her and her fears seemed to melt like snow in the sun under the warmth of his touch. His lips always helped her forget.

The world stopped turning. There was only Clark and the overwhelming urge to get closer. Her hands found his chest and explored his skin. Their kiss grew hungrier, needy. She couldn’t get enough of his taste, of the silky cavern of his mouth, of his tongue that flickered against hers and made her wish they would never have to stop.

Gasping for air, she had to break the kiss eventually. Clark wore the same silly smile she knew she had on her own face.

He winked at her. “See, there’s nothing to worry about!”

The voice of doubt wouldn’t be quiet. “But what if…?”

“What are you afraid of?” he whispered. “That it might not be the best time we’ll ever have? I sure hope it won’t be!” A wicked smile crossed his lips. “I don’t have any expectations here, Lois. Being with you is what will make it perfect in my eyes, because I know you’re the woman I’ve been waiting for. Everything else will come with time.”

Her breath hitched. Lois stared back at him and saw the love and the sincerity in his gaze. He meant it. She could tell that much. Her fears settled and for the first time since they’d started this strange trip, she felt truly at ease.

Clark smiled at her and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. It was a minute gesture and yet loaded with all that unresolved tension of the past few hours. The air crackled with anticipation.

“Make love to me,” she said.

“Are you sure? There is no rush. I'm not going to back out.”

She nodded. “Show me that you mean it. Just yesterday you were ready to give up.”

“Touché.” He batted down his eyes. “I wasn't thinking straight.”

“But I am. And I need you.”

He opened his mouth to say something, but she sealed his lips with a kiss. She climbed on top of him until she straddled his lap. He moaned into her mouth. His hands caressed her back and worked their way under the fabric, exposing her shoulders and chest.

For a moment he broke the kiss and stared at her in awe. She could see the gleam in his eyes as he swallowed hard and licked his lips. His reaction gave her an incredible sense of power.

“You're gorgeous,” he whispered.

With a trembling hand he reached out and touched her. She shuddered at his gentle caress. Completely taken by the effect his ministrations had on her, Lois closed her eyes. Sparks of pleasure ignited a fire in her belly.

She captured his lips once more. Her hands roamed his chest, impatient to remove the towel that was still wrapped around his hips. She tugged at it and found that it wouldn’t budge with her sitting on his lap. With a growl of frustration she rolled off of him.

He moaned his protest, trying to maintain the contact as her lips left his. They were both gasping for breath. Once again, her hands worked their way down his abdomen until she found the hem of the towel…

They took their time exploring each other, making gentle love until Lois' world exploded in a million stars. She was floating in his arms, both literally and figuratively.

As the world around her swam back into focus, the first thing she saw clearly was Clark’s warm smile. He looked at her as if she were everything his world consisted of right now. She felt the same way. Nothing mattered but the love in his eyes that seeped into her every pore and made her own heart burst with happiness. Because without him, she’d be lost. These few long hours, when she’d been afraid that she might never see him again…

“I’ll never let you go,” she whispered. “This was… so much more than I ever expected.” A tear slipped down her cheek. “So much better than I ever dared to hope for.”

He smiled and kissed away the salty droplet. Slowly, Clark lowered them back onto the bed, side by side. “It was perfect. Absolutely perfect. Thank you so much.”

He pulled her toward him and covered her with the blanket. She snuggled into his embrace, inhaling the familiar scents of soap and cologne that always soothed her. His warmth spread through her, cozy as ever. In his arms, she could push away the darkness until almost losing him seemed like nothing but a distant memory. He was here with her, truly at her side and no longer a shadow of himself, but the man she loved so much.

She kissed his cheek, feeling the strange urge to make up for all the missed opportunities and hurt feelings in their past. But here they were, starting over with no secrets left to separate them.

“I love you,” she whispered thickly.

He kissed her hair. “Love you, too. I can’t believe I was ready to push you out of my life. Without you, I’d be lost.”

“Me too, Clark.” And for a moment she remembered how, before meeting him, she’d merely existed. “Me too.”

The End

Loved how this one was written from Krypto's point of view. Very sweet tale. Thank you for sharing.

Human pups are strange indeed.

Complete Ficlet
Comments

Happy Ficlet Friday!
I was not planning to post anything today. But my daughter wrote a little story which inspired me to write a little something myself. I also realized that poor Krypto hasn’t been out for a walk in a while so I’m going to jump in and take on the Walk the Dog Challenge.

I believe the rules state that the story can take place at any time in Krypto’s existence, so I’m going to jump into the future with this one. Credit goes to my daughter, SK, for the original story “Coco and the Wolves,” included with her permission.

Walk the Dog: Storytime
By AmandaK and SK

Krypto’s tongue lolled out of his mouth as he yawned widely. Plodding into the living room, he leapt up onto the couch and made himself comfortable next to Clark’s boy-pup, Jon. Jon was using one of those devices that flashed lights and made noise, but he spared a hand to scratch Krypto behind the ear, much to the dog’s delight.

“Mom doesn’t like it when you get on the couch, Krypto,” Jon said but he continued scratching.

Krypto just huffed and tilted his head to give the boy better access.

Suddenly, a flurry of footsteps preceded another small human into the room. Clark’s girl-pup, Laura, stopped and looked around before spying Jon and plopping herself on the boy’s other side.

“Jon! Jon! Read my story!” Laura insisted. She pushed a piece of paper into her brother’s lap.

Jon frowned and pushed the paper back. “Have Mom read it.”

“Mom’s at work.”

“Then, have Dad read it.”

“Dad’s making dinner.”

“Dad can read it in like a second.”

“But I want you to read it. Please!”

Krypto huffed again and looked up at the pups. He wished they would stop bickering.

Jon rolled his eyes but put his device down and took the paper. “Fine. What’s your story called?”

“It’s called, Coco and the Wolves,” Laura answered with a smile.

Jon started to read. “Mom had a dog. The dog was named Coco.” Jon paused. “He should be named Krypto.”

Krypto lifted his head at the sound of his name and woofed softly.

“Krypto is Dad’s dog.”

“Krypto is totally Mom’s dog.”

“Whatever. Just keep reading.”

“Coco went in to a cave – into should be one word.”

“Don’t edit my copy. Just read!”

“The cave had wolves. The wolves went after Coco. Coco ran away. Mom hugged Coco and they lived happily ever after. The end.”

Laura grinned at her brother. “I wrote it all by myself. Did you like it?”

Jon shrugged. “It’s okay, I guess. It’d be better if it was Krypto though. Krypto wouldn’t run away from dumb wolves. He’d get them with his heat vision.”

“But it’s not about Krypto.”

“Well, it should be.”

“I can’t spell Krypto.”

“That’s easy! It’s K-R- um… uh…”

“See! You can’t spell it either.”

“Dad! How do you spell Krypto?” Jon called. Then the boy pushed himself up off the couch and started for the kitchen with Laura right behind him.

Krypto let out another yawn and smacked his mouth a few times. Then he rolled on his back and sprawled over the full length of the couch. Human pups were strange.

I really liked this ficlet. What an interesting premise.
So, lots of stuff/hidden history to unpack here. The following I read out of it:
So Clark likely grew up in Sv with the Kents and was interested in journalism, lived a huma nlife, as per usual. But at some point, a large group of Kryptonians (enough that it needed an entire town/district to keep all of them) came to Earth. Likely the NEw KRypton group. MAybe they didn't find a planet for themselves this time around and so decided to go to the place jor and Lara sent their kid and try to live there. Only that some of them (probably led by Non) pot power-hungry and decided to rather rule than blend in.
They also somehow got taken care of (I assume since there's no Superman, the govs found out about Kryptonite some other way. Clark may or may not have been involved in this. That could be an interesting twist if he basically turned "his" people in like that to protect the world...)
Which also leads to the question how exactly Clark (or Kal-El, respectively) got involved with the Kryptonians/where does he fit in with all this, both in detailled and in the general/public story. Given that he stil uses the name "Clark Kent" which doesn't sem to publicly be associated with the Kryptonians, his "secret identity" might still be intact. I assume, it's possible that only his "Kryptonian" side got into contact with the authorities and, despite likely helping them, was also arrested into District K. He might also have agreed to get them away form further investigating, thus protecting his parents. As in "OK, I'll stay here and will comply, but I won't tell you where I grew up" or something. Or, alternatively, they are aware who he is but decided to keep it since he's "marked" and won't be a "threat" and publishing his story might give pro-Kryptonian-sympathics more good than they want them to have.
So, assuming his "human" cover is, in general, still intact, that would still work since he would have a bracelet form his time in District K but no one would know CK=KRyptonian if not something like what happend in the office..happens. Hrm.
It makes total sense to me that the other Kryptonians would decide to just stay in Distirct K among themselves. They come off as quite reclusive in the show anyway, plus given how humanity treats them (of the impression we get here) they would be total outsiders anyway. So, why bother? Clark is a special case here since he has connections to humans and so on, which can't be said about the other Kryptonians. Or who knows, maybe there are one-two more who decided to "explore" Clark just doesn't know about but even if not, I wouldn't be surprised. I can totally see all the Kryptonians staying with themselves. Now if they were more accepted, tha tmight change - or maybe still not, given how they are so different in their mindsets and whatnot.
One wonders how Clark (and the others too) can even walk around with getting Kryptonite directly pushed into their systems. Like shouldn't that, if ot kill them, at least cause permanent pain etc. stopping from getting by? And there's only so much Kryptonite that's there. Like it's a rare AF substance. So depending on how many of them there are, there would be a limit to the ressource how much yu can use at them...
I get Perry's dilemma here although he kind of comes off cowardly here and not really like the Perry we know. That said, we don't really know about the extents of what the KRyptonians did to the planet and its people, and Perry also doesn't know who might take over if he gets fired over it, which might be a bigger isue than it would be in a normal L&C verse, so I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt here.
As for Lois...well, she's not exactly known for her empty threads so...that will be a shitshow. Should be interesting.
Also, it seems like Lois' background might also be somewhat different in this. The way hos she clicked with Clakr so easily on that conference, apparently, implies her experiences with men and relationships are not as dark this time around or that would not have been the case. Like, she needed a long time to establish her friendship and even longer with the romance, and that was when she worked with Clark in the same office for a while, in canon. So, it seems she also went on a bit of a different path there, too.
Also, I can totally see Lois always wantign to interview a Kryptonian. And I also really believe most of them woudl like like "yeah no, let me alone stupid human" LOL. And of course with her back luck, she gets the most un-kryptonian of them all :-)
Aaanyway, I for one would love to see more from this AU, both from the past what happened there as well as what comes next, should your muse come up with more, I'll be here for it!

I love this story! It does take three husbands to keep up with Lois Lane.

Isn't she glad the blinders finally came off?

So, you've written a fic, right? Or maybe you're in the process of writing one.

Most likely, that story's universe is now different from the main LnC canon in some way, right? Its own little world, yeah?

Now...write a new story set in that world. It may or may not be "canon" to your original fic; maybe your story had Clark fighting Lex Luthor's Crazy Sister, but you want to write about them playing cards together instead. Anything goes; this is just an excuse to explore these worlds and characters a little more.

Congratulations to all the winners and thanks to all
the writers who made 2023 a great year for fics!

Hello!
I am looking for someone to beta and/or let me bounce ideas off of for a story I started years ago and desperately want to finish. To be honest, I'm not sure if:
- my original idea needs to be thrown out and take the pieces of it that I still like and put them in a new story.
- finish the original idea and make this story a completely independent story
- ditch the new stuff I've written and go back to the original premise

The original story is titled Zenith and has 5 parts posted on fanfiction.net. It explores the possibility that Superman's blindness was not reversed and so he leaves Metropolis to begin a new life somewhere else to keep people connecting a blind Superman to a blind Clark Kent. Let me know if you have any questions and/or would be interested in helping out. Thank you!

I would recommend finding a beta first. That way you can receive feedback and get some help fleshing out your story. Of course you can also post it. The boards have been used for unfinished works before. But the way you describe it, you'd profit more from a beta reader.

I can't wait to see where you're going with Jon... I loved Tal and Kal's relationship.

"The talk"... I totally understand Clark, I have a 14 (almost 15) year old son and it's hard to bring up (especially when your son covers his ears and starts singing lalalalala so as not to hear you) so I give him It was my husband's turn to talk to him. I don't feel old enough to be a grandmother.

Hi Mike,

I don't have any more updates. I'm guessing Dawn wasn't successful either.

Michael

This is an interesting and evil twist. I believe you already did put Lois and Clark in the ice age before. And this is a parallel world, so our LnC and ice age LnC will meet?

Could we persuade you to continue this?