Description: Lois has been waiting since she was nineteen to meet a certain, super-special someone. Sequel to
Vision of Destiny and part 2 in the Destiny series.
TOC__________
From Chapter 9Clark's gentle, handsome face changed from friendly to disappointed in a moment. He nodded. "Oh. I understand."
"It's just, you see, I have someone …"
"Him." Clark almost bit out the word.
"Him? Him who?" Lois asked confused.
"Him. The man you are in love with, the one you couldn't be with years ago, but now you can." Clark was looking down at his shoes and trying to effect a nonchalant attitude.
"What?" Lois shouted incredulously. "NO. No, it's my sister. She's staying with me for a while, and it would be awkward beyond belief if I invited you in. That's all. I really would have loved it if you could come in. Really, Clark." She reached out a hand to touch his arm.
He looked up again. "Your sister." He smiled. "Not … him."
Lois nodded. She watched as many emotions played across Clark's face. He was obviously thinking through some things. When the final emotion that settled on his face looked to be sadness she felt her heart lurch.
"Well, I'll be off then. Back to my hotel room. Night, Lois." He turned abruptly and strode away.
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Chapter 10"Take me flying, Clark." Lois tossed and turned in her bed.
"Your arms. Around me." She moaned.
"Come up to the roof me with," she asked Clark as they exited the stairs. Instead of aiming for her apartment she continued up to the roof. There was no nervousness, no worry, no trembling fingers.
Lois opened the door and stepped out into the clear night sky.
"For nearly a decade now, well actually I was nineteen so more like nearly eight years, I've been waiting for three things, Clark. Missing them."
She looked up into the starlit sky and paused. Clark came up beside her.
"What three things, Lois," he whispered huskily.
"Number three." She turned to face him. "Your arms. Around me." She reached out and took his arms then drew them around her waist, pulling him close.
He gulped.
"Number two." She paused again. "Take me flying, Clark."
"Flying?" He looked scared for a moment.
"Yes, Clark. Please take me flying." She looked into his eyes, trying to portray to him how much she loved him.
"All right," he smiled and changed his hold.
As they rose into the air she snuggled into his shoulder. Lois rolled over and pulled the covers round. There was a smile on her face.
"When you pulled us out of the warehouse and flew us across the yard, just in time to miss the explosion, and miss that puddle of mud, I knew I needed to fly with you again. And soon. I've been waiting too long."
"Where do you want me to fly to, Lois?"
"Anywhere. I just want to fly with you, Clark."
It was hours later when they landed. Lois had her head nestled in his shoulder again. He held her cradled in his arms.
"We're back, Lois." His voice was husky again.
She raised her head and looked into his eyes. As he lowered her to the floor their eyes never wavered.
"So," he smiled, "what was number one, then."
"This," she whispered and drew his lips down to meet hers. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Lois pondered whether she should have done exactly what her dream suggested all day the next day. If she'd found the courage to just go for it, to tell Clark everything, then maybe she would have spent the night in his arms. Or at least got one kiss out of it. Clark was far too gentlemanly for anything more to happen on a first date. It was just that, in Lois' heart and mind, they were already married.
She glanced over at him, smiling and enjoying the festivities. He looked so nice and innocent. His sweet, farm-boy routine was completely adorable, and utterly genuine. But Lois also knew that he could be naughty. Well, more like - playful and teasing …
"I just spoke to ground control over at EPRAD." Lois jerked out of her fantasy at the sound of Perry's voice. "They went back over the colonist launch vehicle with a fine tooth comb. Found the same coolant problem in the protective bands and fixed it."
She looked sideways to see Perry standing in the area between her and Clark's desks. He was speaking to both of them. "The launch is all set for tomorrow morning." He turned to face her. "It's a no go for you, Lois. No reporters allowed."
That was no surprise. She knew that she was probably on EPRAD 'keep clear' list after this morning's article with her by-line on it, and the 'no reporters allowed' was a simple way of keeping her out. But that wouldn't stop her. "Imagine the Daily Planet getting an exclusive personal account of being on the colonist transport?"
"No can do, Lois."
"All right. Another time, maybe." Perry was quite right. There was no way he could endorse this if EPRAD had already slammed that metaphorical door. But, what Perry didn't know … he couldn't disapprove of.
Perry turned to Clark. "Now Clark, you’re gonna be pleased to know that Platt's widow and his daughter are back on board."
"Thank you very much, sir. I appreciate that." Clark's smile filled his face. Lois knew that his compassion for those in need, those hurting, was as big as the moon. She felt her heart swell with love once more. Rising from her seat she made her way around her desk and strode across to Clark.
He rose to meet her as any old-fashioned gentleman would.
"Once again, thank you for getting us out of there." She made sure to look him directly in the eyes, and convey all her gratitude.
"I'm glad it all worked out."
"And - uh - one other thing ... what I told you … about the man I'm in love with …"
"You can trust me," he jumped in before she could finish. Nobody here knew about this, she'd never told anyone about her experience at nineteen, and if Clark were to start asking about a man that Lois was in love with, then everyone would become immensely curious.
Lois exhaled gently and smiled shyly at Clark as she nodded and walked back to her desk.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A few hours later and Lois was enjoying the best meal of her life. Mid-day had come and Clark had suggested going for lunch. As the two of them had exited the Daily Planet Lois looked across the street. On the sidewalk opposite she'd caught sight of a café which had a particularly strong pull on her affections.
Now they were seated at the very same table where she'd met OL … well, the tables had actually changed, they were still circular, but made of cheap plastic rather than strong wood. Yet, the position was the same. That was enough for Lois to fall into nostalgia and wistfulness.
Clark caught her off guard well into their meal. She'd been happily enjoying his presence, and not feeling any need to talk. She just smiled, sometimes internally, sometimes externally, at the thought that she was finally sitting here, in this café of all places, with Clark. So it was a shock when he asked about 'him'.
"Him?" Lois looked up from her salad.
"You mentioned you were having tomorrow off. Will you see him?"
"Him who?" she asked, confused.
"The man you are in love with," he replied, also sounding confused. "And can now be with." His tone clearly indicated that he couldn't understand why she didn't know who he was referring to.
"Oh. Um no, I won't." She returned to her salad, fingers trembling slightly while trying to hold her fork. "And even though I
can now be with him … I'm
not."
"You're not." He coughed, almost choking. "But I thought …"
"Even though I've wanted to be with him since I was nineteen, he's not ready yet." Lois avoided looking back up and put her fork back down. She hadn't even made it to her mouth with the food.
"Really? Since you were nineteen? And he's not ready. How is that possible?"
"I'm not sure if he feels the same … yet." She began to play with the salad, pushing around the cherry tomato with her fork, and then trying to pick out all the chicken pieces afterwards. "Maybe he does. I see him looking at me sometimes, and I think maybe he might." She shrugged. Hearing a sigh from across the table she looked up.
"Tell me about him," he asked quietly.
"Uh, he's wonderful." Lois spoke carefully, and vaguely, hoping that it would be enough for Clark, but he sat quietly, waiting for more. "Kind, gentle, strong, compassionate, loving." Clark's eyes never wavered but she saw his jaw tighten. Suddenly she felt free to tell him the truth. He didn't know that he was the man she was describing. He had no idea, and she was free to express her feelings, without any embarrassment. "He's probably the most handsome man I've ever known, too. When he touches me I shiver in delight. When he kisses me I feel like I'm flying."
"But you just said that you are not 'together'." She heard a strain in his voice.
"It's complicated, I can't explain. Believe me I want to, and one day I will tell you, Clark."
There was uncomfortable silence until he spoke quietly once more. "How did you meet?"
"Uh," Lois nearly laughed manically at the irony of where she was sitting. "That's another thing that …"
"You want to tell me but can't," he continued for her, letting a little bit of sarcasm seep into his words.
"I will, Clark. One day I will explain everything and I hope that …"
"What?" he prompted when she trailed off.
"I hope you will understand and … and that I won't lose you."
"Lose me?"
"It really is complicated, and unbelievable, and … so very strange." She shook her head. "Telling you could change everything and, even in just a few days, you've become a good friend, Clark. I don't want to lose you." She put down her fork and reached across to lay a hand on his arm. "I hope you feel the same."
"I do." His voice was so gentle, his eyes so full of love, yet there was no smile on his face. He was being utterly serious and truthful. The last few words echoed around in her head as the meal continued.
I hope you feel the same.
I do. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
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