Chapter 17:
"Suicide? That's ridiculous!"
"He's tried it before, Lois. Look, there's no sign of forced entry, no sign of struggle, nobody saw anybody come in or out—"
Clark turned away from the argument between the detective and the reporter, getting an idea of just how often Lois and Henderson clashed. It seemed Nigel had been too clean about it, if nobody even saw him. Shame really. Would have been an easy way to frame Lex if someone had seen the old British man leaving a dead guy's apartment. He watched as they carefully loaded Platt's body onto a stretcher, a twinge of almost-remorse beating in his chest, a twinge that was gone in an instant. He had become well acquainted with death in his time, more so than he'd like. However this specific one bothered him. He wasn't sure if it was because of his proximity to Lois, or that it hadn't been intended, or if it was simply the fact that the man was a father, leaving behind a child. Regardless, it was affecting him differently this time around.
"Man's gonna barbecue himself, he oughtta use sauce," one of the cops joked.
A sudden fury engulfed him, and Clark found himself marching straight up to the cop and pushing him with a little more force than necessary. "You do realize that's a man's life you're joking about? His name was Samuel Platt. He was a brilliant scientist, and someone who cared about others. He had a family. Under the circumstances, I don't believe that kind of humor is appropriate. Got it?"
"Clark!" Lois called out to him, and instantly his nerves felt a little less on edge.
"Sorry, sir. Really, I'm sorry. Just cop humor, you know?"
Clark straightened up, ran a hand through his hair, and took several deep breaths to get his emotions back under control. "No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to go off on you. We all have our coping mechanisms, I suppose."
"I'll be more careful next time."
Lois put her hand on his arm and pulled him aside. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, yeah. Fine. It's just... Nothing. Where were you with Henderson?"
"I was just explaining to Lane here that his ex-wife mentioned that he's attempted suicide before— although not in this way, I admit," the detective conceded. "And I'd like to personally apologize for the way the 911 operator treated you on the line, Mr. Kent. They're not supposed to do that."
Clark shook his head. "It's all right. I understand why it might sound like a prank."
"Next time just mention Lane's name and you'll be put straight through."
Lois narrowed her eyes at the man. "Ha-ha. Very funny."
"But also true," Henderson corrected, a small smile pulling at the corners of his lips. Clark cocked his head to the side, trying to guage exactly what the relationship was here between Lois and the cop. It was teasing, volatile, and a little bit unguarded. It was almost... brotherly. He filed away the note for further investigation later and smiled tightly at the Detective. "Anyway, this is the end of the line for me. What brought the two of you out here together, anyway? Not exactly a hotspot for high society."
"Dr. Platt stormed into the Daily Planet yesterday telling us—" Lois elbowed him sharply in the ribs, and Clark quickly corrected himself, "something important. We didn't believe him, but after... something happened, I looked him up and Miss Lane and I came to investigate." Clark glanced over at Lois to see her smile and nod at him in approval.
Henderson rolled his eyes. "And I suppose you don't want me to know exactly what that something important is because you're going to be trying something illegal later to prove it?"
A spike of fear jolted through him. "What? No!" Clark, affronted at the insinuation, glanced at Lois, who remained suspiciously quiet. "We aren't, right?"
"I don't talk shop with cops, Kansas."
The detective sighed. "I hope you know what you're getting into," he advised Clark. "You still coming to the precinct's annual picnic next weekend, Lane?"
"Of course," she replied.
"Good. I suspect I'll see you again before then, but thought I'd remind you just in case. It was nice to meet you, Mr. Kent."
Clark reached out and shook the detective's outstretched hand. "Hopefully it'll be under better circumstances next time."
"As long as you're hanging around Lane, I'd doubt it."
Lois' eyes rolled and Clark grinned. She folded her arms before asking, "Is there anything else, Henderson? Or are we done?"
Bill smiled, always happy to get a rise out of her. "No, we're done here, Lane."
*****LnC*****
Lois was dead on her feet by the time she'd finally made it to her doorstep that night. After the ordeal of finding Dr. Platt's body in the morning, the rest of her day had been effectively shot. She and Clark had made their way back to the Daily Planet, wherein they had to recount their story to Perry, and subsequently everyone who overheard it that wanted to know more. Kent had eventually said some words that kicked everyone back into gear and got them all working again. They had each taken a smoking break— one together, another just Lois on her own, contemplating on the roof.
It had been a very strange day.
It only got stranger when not ten minutes later, Lex came knocking at her door.
She frowned curiously as she opened her front door. "Lex, hi. What are you doing here?"
"What, I can't stop by and see my girlfriend for a minute?" He smiled and swaggered past her into the apartment.
"No, I mean, it's a nice surprise. I just wish you would have called and let me know. I wasn't expecting you."
He turned back around and faced her with a frown. "Do I need to make an appointment?"
Lois sighed out of exasperation. "Please, Lex. Not tonight. It's been a bad day."
Concern filled his warm brown eyes as he crossed the room to place his hands gently on her arms. "What's the matter, darling? Is everything all right?"
Lois chewed her bottom lip nervously, thinking on what she should tell him. "I found a dead man today."
He gasped sharply, wrapping an arm around her almost instantly. "Lois, I'm so sorry darling! What happened? Who was it? Have you caught the people responsible yet?"
The barrage of questions was exactly what Lois did not want to get into. "No. I don't know, Lex. I'm tired."
"I'm sorry." He raised his hands in defense of himself. "I'm sorry. I just... I worry about you. You run off and do dangerous things every day and we had that fight last night and it just doesn't sit well with me."
She sighed in exasperation, turning away from him to rustle through her cabinets. The need for a cigarette, so close yet so far, struck at her quickly and fiercely, so she busied herself with pulling out ingredients to cook... something, and let her thoughts roam over Lex's words. When was he going to understand that she didn't need his permission? That she had her own life and he had his and they could still be together in spite of it, and that a fight didn't mean the end of their relationship? But instead of attempting to explain it to him, she just shot him a weak smile and replied with a simple "I know."
"And really, Lois, I don't know why you keep refusing to get a partner. It's dangerous to go running up every dangerous alleyway all by yourself— what if that man's killer had still been there? What then?"
"Well luckily I didn't have to find out today. Besides, Kent was with me, so it wouldn't have mattered anyway."
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Lex stiffen and go silent. She frowned, turning to give him her full attention. "What?"
"You were with Kent today? Why were you with him? Clark Kent?"
Lois eyed her boyfriend suspiciously, looking him up and down. "Yes..." she spoke slowly, dragging out the sound. "Is there a problem with that?"
He gave a little hum and crossed his arms, and in a moment Lois saw his emotions for exactly what they were. A flare of amusement sprang up in her chest at the realization. "Oh my God, you're jealous."
"Am not."
"Are too!" she cried out with a smile, unable to restrain herself in the circumstances. "Lex Luthor is jealous. Is it a money thing?"
"I'm not jealous!" he protested once again, petulant as a child.
"Then tell me this: is there any logical reason you can tell me as to why you don't like Clark Kent?"
"I have plenty of reasons."
"Name one."
Lex opened his mouth, eyes darting around the room as he gaped like a fish. "I just... he's... I don't like the man. He gives me a strange vibe and he's very antagonizing toward me. And you're going on and being all buddy-buddy with him and if that makes me jealous, then so be it. I don't like anyone who gets to spend time with you."
Lois gave him a small sympathetic smile, and leaned in to put a hand gently on his shoulder. "Lex, that is the very definition of jealousy. There's nothing to be jealous over. Kent is harmless. Besides, I like my billionaires a little less pompous."
He grumbled a bit and crossed his arms, and Lois gave his jaw a cheeky pat. "Now, not to seem like I'm kicking you out or anything, but I'm kicking you out. Lucy is coming home in an hour and I really need to spend that time winding down by myself. It was a long enough day."
Lex sighed, and she braced herself for another quarrel. He'd say she should be able to wind down with him, and she'd say she liked her own space, and he'd say he didn't understand why she always felt like excluding him. But instead, he surprised her for once, and took a step back with a nod. "I understand. We are okay though, right?"
Lois felt her shoulders tense up. They weren't okay. He had to see that. They fought all the time, and he wanted to get too serious too fast, and even his jealous tendencies bothered her sometimes. He wanted to keep such a tight grip on her and she didn't want to be limited like that... But she knew she couldn't say any of that. Not tonight, when she was too exhausted to argue. So instead, she nodded, dropping her eyes away from his coincidentally as she loosed the words he wanted to hear. "Yeah. We're fine, Lex."
