Guy Rule Number One
Folc4evernaday
Chapter 6
A/N: Yes, the chapter numbers changed. You know why? This chapter ended up a lot longer than anticipated but breaking it up seemed cruel and usual punishment so... here ya go.
***
“What do you need?”
Those four words were such a loaded question for Lois right now.
She decided to just dive right into the problem at hand and hope for the best. “I did something I shouldn’t have. Really, really did something I shouldn’t have.” She began cautiously. “I know you, and he are friends…good friends and …” She stopped seeing the stern look on Superman’s face. “I hurt him. I hurt him, and I don’t know how to make it right.”
Superman’s face softened slightly, “Clark?”
“Yes,” She whispered tearfully. “I know he’s your friend, and I know you have your…guy code or whatever, but I was hoping you could maybe be my friend too?”
“Guy code?” He looked confused. “What are you talking about?”
“You know?” She looked at him annoyed, “I know that’s why you didn’t…” She stopped herself mid-sentence. She’d promised herself she’d never discuss what had happened last summer with Superman.
“No, I don’t.” He clarified in a confused tone. “What ‘guy rule’ are you referring to that I supposedly know about?”
She took a step toward him, ‘Just rip the band-aid off’ she told herself. “Last summer.” She took another step toward him. “You lied to me.”
He looked down then back up at her, confusion on his face, “Excuse me?”
“You lied to me … last summer.” The words hung in the air like a hundred-ton weight. She’d finally said it.
“I never
lied.” He corrected. “Everything I said was the truth.”
“Yeah, except you left out that the ‘reasons’ for not being able to…”
He was growing annoyed. She could tell from his tone, but she needed answers. “Do you have any idea what you were asking? The only reason you were asking that…The only reason you were asking that was because you were scared that what Clark had warned you about Luthor was true…”
“Is there anything you two don’t talk about?” She accused.
“Like you said, we’re friends. We talk.” He corrected.
“So I see.” She said haughtily.
“I wasn’t trying to hurt you, but what you were asking wasn’t something—still isn’t something I can give. Superman –what I do—saving everyone everyday… It’s not a regular job. It’s not something that allows me the freedom to ...” He let out a long breath, “I can’t give you what you were asking—not like that anyway.”
“Not like what?” She asked, her eyebrows narrowed at the choice of words.
“Nothing.” He said, stepping away from her.
“It didn’t sound like nothing.” She accused. “It sounded like an ‘out’ like you’re covering yourself…Is that what you’re trying to do? Cover yourself?”
“Of course not.” He sighed, “I just meant the way you went about everything last summer...”
“Yes?”
“You were backing me into a corner, and I don’t respond well to that type of…”
“Backed into a corner? It was a simple question. You’d been sending me mixed signals for almost a year and…” She let out a long breath, “I swear you’re worse that Clark sometimes…”
“You wanted an answer, and I gave it to you as clearly as I could. I’m sorry if you didn’t like the answer I gave you. I never meant to hurt you, but..”
“No? You certainly did a great job at trying to hide that.”
“You were trying to force a decision. Superman belongs to the world and…”
She narrowed her eyes at him, “What did you just say?” She took another step toward him, “Why do you keep talking about yourself in the third-person?”
“I…” He seemed to notice the slip. “I’ve got to go. Please don’t use that unless there’s a real emergency.”
***
Several hours later, Perry stepped out of his office, grabbing one of the runners, “Tell the sports department I’m going to need their copy two hours sooner for paste up.” He nodded and headed toward Sports and Perry walked through the pit, seeing his reporters type away at the typewriters. “Type faster people. I don’t have a computer to help me edit.”
He spotted Lois hard at work at her desk, applying white-out to the copy she was working on, “Look at that. I haven’t seen white-out in I don’t know how long. Boy, that brings back a lot of memories. Mainly about mistakes.”
She shot him a warning glare, “Perry, it’s hard enough to re-create my story—without my partner here—on this antique without feeling like my teacher’s standing over my shoulder.”
“Things still haven’t smoothed over between you and Kent, huh?”
Lois sighed, “No, and it’s not like I can just pick up the phone and call him either…”
“I’m sure he’ll show up once he’s cooled off,” Perry reassured. Lois glared at the typewriter angrily, and he sighed, “Startin’ to go through technology withdrawal, aren’t you honey?”
“Yeah, I don’t suppose you’ve heard from any of your Army buddies before the lights went out—literally.”
“Not yet, but I’ve got Jimmy…” Perry stopped when he spotted Jimmy struggling to hold his short wave radio set.
“Where do you want this, Chief?” Jimmy asked as it began to slip out of his grasp, “Hopefully somewhere close…”
“My office.” Perry pointed.
“Is that a short wave radio?” Lois asked.
“Sure is. Battery powered. Used to be a hobby of mine. Until Alice decided I was talking too much to it and not enough to her.”
Lois smiled. “Do you think you could get any of your contacts in Washington on that?”
Perry smiled, “I could get Paris if I wanted to. Unfortunately, I’d have to talk to the, uh, French.” He gave Lois a sympathetic smile, “Still trying to find your friend?”
Lois nodded, showing him the Fort Truman badge. “This was found where she was abducted. There has to be someone that could help get us access to Fort Truman.”
“You think your friend is at Fort Truman?” Perry observed.
“It couldn’t hurt to look,” Lois said.
“I’ll give Stormin’ Norman a call and see what he can do. Probably won’t hear anything till tomorrow though.”
“Stormin’ Norman?” Lois asked, “Schwarzkopf?”
“Haberstetzer. Retired Admiral. Stormin’ Norman is his handle.” Perry explained. “Why don’t you go on home? I’ll send a runner if we hear anything.” He had told Clark the same thing a few hours ago when he’d stopped by with an update on Superman’s activities.
“Thanks, Perry.” Lois gathered her things and headed out.
***
Lois stared up at the apartment building on Clinton Street. The usually well-lit building was dark. She didn’t know what had possessed her to come here. After all the fighting, today she should have just gone home.
But she couldn’t
She couldn’t go home and lie in her bed –unable to resolve the tension between her and Clark. She needed to fix this, and she needed to fix it now. Her fight with Clark was spilling over into every part of her life. Work. Friends. Even her relationship with Superman was being affected.
She put the car in park and locked it then proceeded to climb the steps to his apartment building until she was in front of his door.
Was he home?
She didn’t know.
Would he answer?
She hoped so.
She lifted her arm to knock on the door only to see the door being pulled away from her as it opened. There, standing in front of her was her partner in shorts and his matching green sleeveless shirt. The apartment behind him was dark, dimly lit by candlelight.
“Hi.” She breathed, looking anywhere but at his face. Her eyes wandered down his legs, taking in the rare occasion she got to see him in something other than a suit. He really was nice to look at…
“Hi.” He said cautiously, pulling her attention back to his face which wore a confused expression at the moment, “Lois, what are you doing here?”
Recalling her reason for being there and the harsh words they’d spoken to one another she took a deep breath and said the two words she hardly ever said to anyone. “I’m sorry.”
His face softened slightly, but he still stood in the opening, blocking her from entering his apartment. “You’re sorry?”
“You were right. I was….wr…wrong.” She stammered. Thinking back to the chaos she’d gone through with the paparazzi over the summer she looked back at him, “For what it’s worth I never meant for your personal life to become a part of the Planet gossip.”
“Well, it’s too late for that now, isn’t it?”
He wasn’t going to make this easy for her, was he? She took a deep breath and continued, “I know. I’m sorry. I really am. Can you forgive me?”
“Why did you do it?” He asked.
“What?” She looked back at him in surprise.
He looked at her, tilting her head to look at him, “Why? I get that you’re sorry, and I can forgive you, but I have to know…why?”
“Because I’m an idiot?” Lois swiped at the tears that began to run down her face.
“I don’t understand.”
“I was trying to be a good friend. Last week at the Church Fundraiser…everything with Mayson – I didn’t handle it very well.”
“I know.” He said quietly, “but Lois you know that…”
“Please just let me get this out?” She pleaded. “Things have been…
complicated between us for awhile.”
“A lot happened.” He said solemnly.
“I wasn’t trying to hurt you. I just…I
don’t like Mayson.” She stammered out.
“I noticed.” He smirked.
“When Jimmy made the remark about the ‘guy rule’ it started to make sense. Your friendship with Superman. Why he was acting one way one minute then completely different the next and why both of you seemed to hate Lex for no reason—” He opened his mouth to retort, and she cut him off. “Or so I thought at the time. It just never made sense to me why Superman felt like he had to keep his guard up around me…”
“And you think it’s because of this…guy rule?” He asked cautiously.
“Yes.” She said confidently. “Isn’t it?”
He shook his head, opening the door wider as he leaned back against it, crossing his arms over his chest, “No.”
“Oh.” She grew quiet.
“Why didn’t you just come and ask me instead of trying to arrange a line of pre-arranged dates for me? I am capable of managing my own dating life on my own.” He pointed out.
“I know.” She said, not thrilled about being reminded of the sight of him with Linda King or Toni Taylor or even more recently Mayson Drake.
“So what were you hoping to accomplish? I start dating, and then you start dating Superman?” He narrowed his eyes at her.
“I figured it was worth a shot.” She mumbled, staring down at her feet. “You already made it perfectly clear we were
‘just friends’ right?”
His face went from anger to shock to disbelief in a matter of seconds. “Why would you? What were you..?
What is that supposed to mean?”
“It means, I was getting tired of being jerked around by the two of you!” She snapped irritably. “Do you have any idea what you put me through this past summer?”
“I’m sorry, I put
you through???” He shot back. “I’m not the one that was …” He stopped himself, tightening his lips in a thin line. “I thought we weren’t going to talk about this anymore.”
“I think we need to talk about it.” She shot back. “We can’t continue to ignore it.” She sighed, picking at the button on her jacket, “You hurt me…When you wouldn’t come to my wedding.”
“I wasn’t going to sit there and watch you make the biggest mistake of your life.” He said solemnly. “I warned you what he was and you didn’t listen to me. You
never listen to me….Until it’s too late.”
“That is not true!”
“Isn’t it?” He snapped back. “Lois you have no idea what that summer was like for me or Perry or Jimmy. You were too busy planning your wedding to the world’s largest criminal while he planned on ways to get rid of everyone…Superman, me, Jack…”
“What are you talking about?” Lois stopped.
“Jack got a new cellmate, Joe Black the day he escaped from prison—sent there to take care of him. Superman got tricked into visiting Luthor’s wine cellar where he trapped him in a Krypt—” He stopped mid-sentence.
“Kryptonite?" Her eyes narrowed at him as the gravity of what he was saying began to sink in. Lex had known about Kryptonite. He had known about Kryptonite and he had tried to kill Superman...and Clark had known about it. She'd discovered it's existence during the fiasco with Arianna Carlin and the double she'd tried to make of her. Did Superman tell Clark? Had Clark known beforehand? Finally, she found her voice, "How do you know about Kryptonite?”
“I just—do.” He said carefully.
“Uh-huh. What else do you know about that you’re not telling me?” She asked.
“Lois, you’re missing the point.”
“No, I think I’m getting the point real well. You and Superman seem to have a real nice friendship. What do you do sit there and laugh at how you messed with my head that day? Share stories?”
“Of course not, Lois. I would never do something like that.”
“Well, you seem to know an awful lot that Superman knows, and he seems to know an awful lot that you know.” She shrugged, “Just connecting the dots.”
“What is it with with you that makes it so hard for you to admit you could actually not know all the answers?”
“With
me?? Oh, you’ve got a lot of nerve!” She snapped angrily. “After everything you put me through!”
“Put
you through??
YOU???”
“Yes! Me! How
dare you sit there and admit feelings for me like that and then take it all back like it was
nothing!!” She cried angrily. “Do you have
any idea what you put me through??”
He looked down, then lifted his eyes up to meet her gaze. “I lied.”
“What?”
“I said, I lied.” He whispered.
‘I lied.’
‘I have been in love with you for a long time. You had to have known.’
‘I’m not in love with you.’
‘I lied.’
‘I have been in love with you for a long time.’“You said that before.” She said cautiously. “When you insisted on going first.”
“I didn’t want to lose my best friend.”
“You should have let me go first.” She dabbed at the corners of her eyes, turning away, looking down into his darkened apartment, uncertain if she wanted to stay or leave at this point.
“What would you have said?”
She turned to face him, leaning her head back against the doorframe, “I would have told you that you were right about everything.” She felt her voice crack, “and that I was sorry I didn’t believe you…And that…” She felt her throat trying to close up as she came closer and closer to admitting the truth she’d suppressed for so long.
“What?”
“Perry and Henderson didn’t stop the wedding. I did.”
“Oh.” He was quiet a moment and stammered, “I thought…”
“I stopped the wedding because I realized it hurt more to lose you —
my best friend—than it would have hurt to lose Lex. That’s when I knew I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t go through with it.” She said cautiously, “I couldn’t go through with it because all I could do was think about that day at the park and wonder....”
"Wonder what?" He asked, his voice was hoarse and shaky as the question came out.
‘I lied.’
‘I have been in love with you for a long time. You had to have known.’
‘I’m not in love with you.’
‘I lied.’
‘I have been in love with you for a long time.’"This." She threw caution to the wind, finally giving into the urges that had plagued her for the last year as her lips pressed against his. Just as she felt him begin to respond, she pulled away, whispering softly, "I love you."
Both hands moved to cup her face, and his lips found hers. She let out a soft moan as he kicked the door the rest of the way closed. His solid frame pressed against hers as her mind replayed his confession over and over in her mind.
‘I have been in love with you for a long time.’
‘I lied.’
‘I have been in love with you for a long time. You had to have known.’
‘I lied.’
‘I have been in love with you for a long time.’Her purse dropped to the floor and her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him toward her as she felt her way up his broad shoulders. His hands moved down the side of her face, outlining her neck with one hand and the frame of her face with the other as his lips devoured hers.
“I love you, Lois,” He murmured against her lips. His hand cupped her cheek, running his hand through her hair. "I've always loved you."
"Oh, Clark," She sighed happily against him as she whispered back, “I love you too.”
As she whispered those words once more, it felt like a floodgate had opened. The passion she’d felt from the time their lips first met multiplied ten-fold as he poured his soul into the act of kissing her. It was becoming increasingly hot and uncomfortable standing on the steps of his apartment in her work attire. She quickly shed her jacket, allowing it to fall to the floor. He lifted her up, allowing her legs to wrap around his waist as he carried her down into the living room, never losing contact with her lips.
She sighed happily as she felt the weight of his body press against hers when they landed haphazardly on the couch. “Are you okay?” He pulled back, looking at her in concern. The light from the candles reflected off his glasses.
“Very.” She whispered. She could see the reflection of his smile in the dark. She tugged his head to her and recaptured his mouth with hers, sliding her body on his lap as she continued their embrace. Her hands roamed up and down his back, seeking the feeling of his skin against hers. Every touch, every caress didn’t seem to be able to satisfy her insatiable desire for more. She needed to be closer. She needed to kiss him deeper. She needed to hold him closer. She needed to feel him…
‘I have been in love with you for a long time.’
‘I lied.’
‘I have been in love with you for a long time. You had to have known.’
‘I lied.’
‘I have been in love with you for a long time.’His hands roamed up and down her sides. Her hands moved up the back of his head, burying her fingers in his dark silky hair. The room was growing more and more uncomfortable as she sought the feeling of his body against hers. His skin against hers. He released her mouth from his, moving his attention down her throat. His hands continued to roam up and down her sides as she hovered over him. She fisted his hair as he nibbled his way down her throat seductively.
How was it possible that he could make her feel so much with just a kiss? Even her handful of experiences making love had never made her feel like this. She could feel the tightening in her abdomen as her body seemed to be following her mind’s train of thought. Why had she fought this so long?
The spark between them was obvious. From the time she’d caught him in a towel at the Apollo to the time he’d kissed her in the Honeymoon Suite as a ruse that spark had been there. Even when she’d been sprayed with the Pheromone spray it hadn’t been Superman she’d been lusting after. It had been Clark. That should have been her first clue. She could easily envision a life with Clark. That had been what made her call a halt to the wedding… What made her doubt everything… She could easily picture a life with Clark whereas with Lex she couldn’t—not a happy one at least.
‘I have been in love with you for a long time.’
‘I lied.’
‘I have been in love with you for a long time. You had to have known.’
‘I lied.’
‘I have been in love with you for a long time.’***
She needed more. She could feel his hands moving up and down her sides, creating a heated path as his lips traced the curve of her neck. It would be so easy to throw caution to the wind, strip one another down and give into their impulses. It wouldn’t take a lot of persuading. After over a year of suppressed emotions, they both were teetering on the edge of no return.
The three words she’d thought she’d never hear again had finally been spoken. Then when she’d finally said them aloud, it seemed to have opened a floodgate for both of them. The things he was doing to her rivaled any form of foreplay she’d experienced or any fantasy she’d ever had about Superman. This was different. This was real. This was … Clark, her best friend.
His hands moved up and down her back, and she slid closer to him. His teeth grazed against the sensitive skin of her throat, and she murmured her approval, pressing herself against him. She lowered herself more fully on his lap. He stilled his motions and leaned back against the couch, whispering, “We should stop.”
She moved back again, feeling a tingle down her spine as she moved against him. Five years. It had been five years since she’d…
“Stop?” She echoed. “Why?”
The question came out through her voice cracked. Didn’t he know what he was doing to her? Didn’t he know how badly she needed to finish what they’d started? She could think about the consequences later. She just wanted him to keep kissing her senseless and…
“Lois, what are we doing?” He asked half-heartedly as she leaned into him again.
“Right now?” She asked, leaning back again. She could see his resolve slowly begin to disappear each time she moved. She couldn’t help but smile, realizing how much power she held over him at the moment. She leaned toward him, and he let out a low groan. She whispered her lips against his. “I thought we were enjoying ourselves …”
“Lois, you have no idea how many times I’ve fantasized about this,” He reached up to cup her cheek, “I would love more than anything to keep kissing you senseless and holding you…like this.”
“But?” She couldn’t help but smile back at him, watching as he continued to struggle to remain in control.
“But right now if we don’t stop I’m not going to be able to.” He tried to explain with a heated gaze.
“I’m not stopping you.” She pointed out, tracing the outline of his six pack through his shirt.
“This is very new to both of us.” He pointed out, “and I don’t want either of us waking up the next morning with regrets because we rushed into things.”
“Are you saying you’d regret making love with me?” She asked.
“Never.” He whispered huskily.
How was he able to do that? Reject the idea of crossing that line of intimacy and make it sound like it was the most romantic thing in the world? It would be so easy to give into their desires. They’d both gotten caught up in the moment after her declaration. She’d never been kissed like that in her life. He’d kissed her as if his life depended on it. It had been easy to forget everything that was going on around them—forget the implications that came with crossing that line. It would be so easy to throw caution to the wind and fall into each other’s arms. Based on his darkened eyes as they bore down into her with desire, she had a feeling it wouldn’t take a lot of convincing on Clark’s part, but something in the back of her mind prevented her from doing so.
“I love you, Lois,” He whispered, “I don’t want a one-night-stand, and I don’t think you want that either. I want forever…”
“Forever?” She echoed as her voice cracked under the weight of what that one word meant.
“Forever.” He leaned in to kiss her, softly caressing her lips with his. This kiss was different from the previous kiss they’d shared. It wasn’t insistent or demanding; instead, it was loving and tender as he slowly slid her off of his lap.
“You know what I was thinking?” She asked, looking around the darkened apartment.
“After the power comes back on we should go on a date.” He grinned back at her.
“A date?” She looked at him in surprise.
“Several.”
“What makes you think I would want more than one date?” Lois teased, “What if it ends badly.”
“Not possible.” He countered, “We’ve already spent the last two hours proving how very right the end of any date would be.”
“Aren’t we full of ourselves?” She giggled.
“Very.” He countered with a grin.
“Okay.” She nodded, “After all this mess is cleared up …. A date.”
“Several.” He corrected.
“Whatever.” She sighed.
“Say it.”
“Fine, several dates.” She grinned back at him with a laugh.
“Are you laughing?” He asked with laughter in his tone.
“No, of course not I just find it funny that you insist on emphasizing these ‘several dates’ when we’ve yet to have one.”
“You shouldn’t laugh. You’re about to fall head over heels in love.” He grinned back at her confidently.
“I thought I already was.”
“Not yet, but you will be.”
She wasn’t used to seeing this side of Clark. He was confident and self-assured and incredibly sexy. Was it always going to be like this? Going from practically ripping each other’s clothes off one minute and returning to the friendly banter and teasing the next.
“You sound pretty confident there.” She observed.
He grinned, leaning in to kiss her once more. This time his lips lingered on hers as his hands moved to cup both sides of her face.
***
The faint sound of a sharp knock coming from his front door echoed in the back of her mind. She whimpered in protest. “I swear if that’s Jimmy he’s going to get fitted for a body cast.”
Clark laughed, “I doubt it. That sounded too official to be Jimmy.”
She watched in admiration as the light from the candles around the room reflected off the gray shorts he wore in just the right angle to give her a view of how perfectly the shorts spread across his backside. Her eyes wandered over his broad shoulders, admiring the tight green cotton that stretched over his broad muscles.
How had she worked beside him for all these months and not done this sooner?
Clark opened the door and standing on the other side was a tall man in a green brim hat in a Class A uniform. “I’m looking for Lois Lane and Clark Kent?”
“Yes,” Clark said hesitantly motioning for them to come in. Lois approached, moving to stand next to Clark as the Admiral introduced himself.
“Admiral Haberstetzer of the 22nd Brigade at your service.”
“Yes,” Lois recalled, “Perry said you were retired.”
“I still assist when needed. I can get you access to the base.” Admiral Haberstetzer remarked with a smile. “I’m told you believe there is a civilian being held captive on base?”
“Yes,” Lois explained. “She was kidnapped by one of your former soldiers that was supposedly killed during the Hawkeye development.”
Haberstetzer frowned, “How do you know about Hawkeye?”
“The woman that was kidnapped? Her name is Molly Flynn. She designed it.” Lois explained.
“Jesus,” Haberstetzer muttered. “We’ll need to leave by 22:00 in order to make it in time.”
“Make what in time?” Clark asked.
“I’ll explain on the way.”
“I guess we’re going on a road trip,” Lois said with a wry look.
TBC...
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