Chapter 40:
"Never in my life have I been so insulted! You know, I know the owner, and I'll have your job for this!"
The man didn't even flinch, barely engaged, and Lois whirled off with a snarl. Great. Now she felt stupid and ridiculous and she was no closer to finding the man. Five straight minutes the doorman had taken her abuse, not giving an inch for any of her arguing, bartering, bribing or yelling. He'd still refused her entry. She even waved her press badge in his face, but that only seemed to resolve him more.
She sulked as she rounded the corner to bide her time with a cigarette. Surely someone would show up that the doorman would let in, and maybe she could sneak in. She fumbled as she lit the barrel, trying to breathe slowly even as her ire had her breath caught tight in her chest.
Waiting was the worst.
Waiting for stories to pan out, waiting to meet up with a contact, waiting for another idea to strike. Come to think of it, it was probably when she smoked the most, as a way to ease her nerves and take away the edge of impatience.
She coughed a little, throat dry. Maybe she should get something to drink instead. A coffee cart across the street looked promising. Lois kicked off the exposed brick of the building and flicked her cigarette butt away, making her way across the intersection with the confidence that no one would hit her.
She hadn't slept well the past few days. She hadn't slept well in a long time actually. But the only thing keeping her eyes open this past week was her jittery nerves and an ungodly amount of caffeine.
"One large vanilla latte with skim milk and an extra shot of espresso. Please."
The man groused at her order, but accepted the cash she passed over to him and went about preparing her drink. And then she was waiting again, trying not to think about anything other than the mysticism of the cart owner pulling all sorts of levers in a perfectly timed order.
She hadn't seen or heard from Kent in three days.
The thought came and went quickly, and before she was able to think any more on the matter the man handed her drink to her with a smile. She tipped him generously, and smiled as the memory of Kansas playing cheap with the Lexor bellhop entered her mind. He was ridiculous. Lois shook her head with a smirk, and took a sip of the scalding hot liquid as she crossed the street again.
Maybe she should just head out. He could be out of town, on business. He could have had something else come up. He could have been lying when he said he loved her and really it was just a passing infatuation or crush that he'd already moved on to the next girl and damn this was why she needed a cigarette, to keep her thoughts from spiraling like this and spinning her emotions out of—
A gasp tore from her throat as her entire coffee dumped over her shirt, the hot liquid searing her chest. She froze in the middle of the intersection, temper boiling almost to the same temperature as the drink she was wearing and growled at the figure that caused all this. "Hey! Watch it, asshole!"
"Up yours... Lois?"
And there he was. The object of her quest, sputtering frantically as he realized what he'd done and who he'd ran into. She blinked at the incongruity of it all, the odds of running into him like this when she'd spent all this time searching and wondering. She shook her head sharply. She needed to snap out of it. "It's all right, Kent, don't worry about it. It's just—"
"Hot."
She darted her eyes up to find his gaze zeroed in on her chest, and a flush spread across her cheeks. She shifted uncomfortably and folded her arms over her chest.
"Coffee! Hot coffee! I'm- I can't believe- I'm so sorry!"
The way he fumbled with his words and his frantic hand gestures was downright adorable. Lois bit her cheek to keep from laughing, all the irritation at his run-in slipping away from her in that moment. "It's fine, Kansas. Really."
"We gotta quit running into each other like this... and we need to get you changed," he muttered, spinning away from her. "Come on, you're in luck. I live just ahead."
"Oh, no, really," she blanched a little, suddenly remembering how awful she'd been to his doorman, "It's fine—"
"No buts."
She rolled her eyes and followed him. It was sweet, but a little ridiculous. She had a change of clothes in her car. And yet the appeal of finally getting into the building and spending a little more time with Clark Kent outweighed the practicalities of dress, so follow she did.
"Mr. Kent! Good to see you sir, as always."
"Thanks, Mo. This is Lois Lane, she's a friend of mine."
Mo's weary eyes traveled over her suspiciously. "I believe we've already made acquaintance. Miss Lane was trying to get into the building earlier."
Lois gaped at him, shocked how quickly he ratted her out. "I was not! I mean, I was, but—"
"Regardless, she's with me, so don't worry about it, Mo."
Kent's smile was way too amused for his own good, but the doorman conceded his defeat, and let them through. She grinned smugly at the man, but he didn't give an inch again, returning to the stoic mask he'd worn earlier.
She stuck her tongue out at the doorman petulantly before darting in after Kent.
The lobby was unassuming enough. They crossed the space to the elevators without so much as a passerby. It struck her as odd, but considering how long it took her to get into this building, she supposed it made sense that there weren't many people that came through. It was just weird, going from a busy crowded street to an empty lobby.
She caught a glimpse of his smug grin as he stood there beside her, and she grumbled fiercely. "What?"
"Nothing."
"Kent."
His eyes slid over to hers and they twinkled back at her with humor. "So how long were you accosting poor Maurice to get in here?"
A flush spread across her cheeks. "I did not accost him."
Clark laughed— actually laughed at her! "Lois, I know you. It must have come close to accosting if he mentioned it all."
"Well, he's not any 'poor Maurice' anyway," she pouted. "He held his ground just fine."
His grin widened. "Yeah. He's the first line of defense for this place. He'd defend it to the death if he had to. Most days I don't even need to have a receptionist around in the lobby."
"Why?"
"Hmm?"
"Why are you so worried about anyone getting in here?" she asked, examining his features. His face tightened a little at the question, before smiling at her gently.
"I like having my own space."
She opened her mouth to ask a follow up question but the doors to the elevator swiftly opened behind them, and left Lois with a loss for words. She turned around in confusion, ignoring Clark's small smile as he brushed past her and walked down the long narrow hallway.
Lois rounded the corner after him, and stopped short. If she thought the lobby was unremarkable, then this was why. It was to contrast with this space. She looked about herself full of awe, all her smug attitude disappeared by the wayside.
"I'm sure I can find you something to wear. I'll be right back. Make yourself at home."
Lois hardly heard the words as she explored the space. The ceilings were huge, vaulted things, probably reaching three stories tall. Most everything in the room was glossy and dark— the floors, the tables, the decorative accents. It was all quite impressive, rich and dark but not looking gaudy or expensive. She slowly stepped down into the living room area, dragged a finger along the length of the smoky glass coffee table, and found not even a speck of dust.
She sank into the most comfortable couch she'd ever sat on, cushions enveloping her body warmly. A small smile pulled at her lips, one she tried to quash before he came out and saw. It was not at all what she'd expected of his place, but at the same time, it was so very him.
"You're so small! I mean, I can give you an old tee shirt, but I think most of my things would just... hang off you."
The idea of lounging around his place in nothing but one of his oversized button-downs sent a tingle through her body. "Tee shirt will be fine," she said hastily, banishing that thought from her head. Although one look at his dazed face and she saw his mind was likely wandering down a similar path.
He shook his head to deviate from that track and crossed the space to hand her a couple of shirts. "Comfortable?"
"Yeah. I can't believe you slept on my lumpy couch knowing you got this guy at home."
He grinned at her. "The company was worthwhile. Besides, if you think that's nice, you should see my bed." Lois flushed again, and Clark stiffened as he seemed to realize what he just said and turned back to her with wide eyes. "Not like that! I meant... you can if you want, I just... bad non sequitur, I guess."
He was being dorky and adorable again, and Lois bit her cheek again to keep her face from showing anything. If he kept this up her cheek would be bruised by the end of the day. "Sure it was."
Clark dropped the shirts over her face in a huff, and she grinned into the fabric in spite of the temporary blindness. Somehow, she flustered him, and that fact made her own stomach flutter. Lois stood up and collected the shirts. "I'm going to go change real quick. Where's your bathroom?"
"There's one around the next corner, halfway down, door to the left."
Maybe in the bathroom she could pull herself together. Running into him like this was unexpected, and it left her without any of the words she'd been planning on saying upon entry of his building. Long before that doorman had gotten in her way. She pulled off her blouse and set it on the rim of the sink, and frowned at her reflection in the mirror. Her bra had coffee stains on it too, but no way in hell was she walking around Kent's place braless. He had a hard enough time keeping his eyes where they belonged without adding fuel to the fire. She sighed and slipped his shirt on over her head, still too big for her. The words "University of Kansas" were emblazoned across the top of the blue material, the crimson letters of "K-U" and an odd little bird front and center. She smiled softly, and padded out of the bathroom.
"Your old alma mater?"
He looked up at her in surprise, as if he'd already forgotten she was there. One look at the shirt she'd chosen and his eyes sparked sharply, before settling into a waxy smile that never reached his the corners of his eyes. "No. More like wishful thinking. I didn't go to college, actually."
"Really?" Lois crossed the room to take up her perch on the couch again before he beat her to it. It was so comfy. "You always seemed like you did. I never would have guessed."
"I'm a fast learner."
"Would you have gone to KU if you did though?"
He shrugged, glancing down at the letters casually and not even lingering on her chest. "Probably. I don't know. I couldn't exactly afford it."
Lois' eyebrows jumped in surprise. She supposed it made sense, but somehow she hadn't put two and two together. Lex hadn't had a good childhood, sure, but he still had his money. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "When did you make all your money? If you didn't have it growing up."
"What is this, an interview?"
His scoff caught her off guard. He was getting defensive, and she wasn't quite sure why. She shrugged with one shoulder and kept a close eye on his reaction. "Just making conversation."
His lips twitched, almost a smile, but it faded away quickly. "Is that why you were trying to track me down? Because you didn't have to. I don't give interviews."
"For the love of... no!" Her eyes rolled magnificently, pulling an actual smile from the man. "I came because you disappeared. I thought you were going to help me investigate this case."
Clark blinked, smile dropping completely, and stood up to cross the room. "I'm sorry, I've been a bad host. You want something to drink? Another coffee maybe?"
"Clark."
He was already gone, and Lois scrambled off the couch, nearly giving herself whiplash with how fast her words sent him running. She followed him through another hallway to a gorgeous kitchen, everything shiny metal and dark counters and bright lighting in here. She shook her head to find him poking around in the refrigerator. "Why all the narrow hallways? Your place is amazing, by the way."
"I like the reveal. And thanks."
He pulled her out a bottle of soda and passed it to her, which she accepted with a murmur of thanks. She unscrewed the cap and took a long sip, eyes never leaving his face as he ran a hand through his hair and fidgeted with the label on his own soda bottle. She would make him talk. She just had to wait him out.
"You ever hear anything about the Beckworth orphanage?"
She shot him a look at the rapid change in subjects. Lois wiped at the corners of her mouth before replying. "No, can't say I have. Should I have?"
He shook his head once. "It's here in Metropolis. Privately funded, mostly by Lexcorp, one of those charitable tax write-offs. It's a home for the bad kids. There's a girl missing."
Her mouth went dry. "What?"
"I ran into a little girl— I was just taking a walk around the city. And this little girl was crying, I asked her what was wrong, she said her sister was missing, that they're both from Beckworth. I've spent the last couple of days looking for her, but nothing. The only thing left is to go to the orphanage and check that out, because I have no idea where she could be. I've tried to get in contact with Henderson even, to little avail."
This was not at all where she was expecting this to go. She racked her brain frantically. "I haven't heard about any missing children, not this week."
"Not a lot of people around to stand up for orphans. They probably assumed she just ran away and didn't bother to find her."
Her throat tightened, and worry mixed with curiosity in her veins, sending goosebumps down her arms. "That's awful."
"That's life. I ran away from plenty of foster homes and nobody gave a damn."
His words were sharp, biting. Lois swallowed thickly, letting him cool down for a moment. She stayed quiet for fear of getting bit. He glanced at her sheepishly after taking a swig of soda. "Sorry. Didn't mean to snap. It's been a rough couple of days."
Lois grimaced in return, fighting the wave of nausea that swept her up for a moment. She hadn't seen him angry like that before, but maybe it was just a sore subject. "It's okay. Why didn't you come to me with this story? We could have started investigating."
Clark huffed a laugh. "Perry told me not to."
That stunned Lois out of speech again for a minute. She had to swallow back her urge to vomit again. "Perry told you what? He said not to investigate this?!"
His eyes darted away and back again, and he licked his lips hesitantly. "No. He said not to keep hanging around you."
She blinked. "What?"
"He said—"
"What?!"
"Lois, he's not wrong. I'm a distraction, I'm aware of that. Maybe we are too close."
Lois slammed down her bottle on the counter and started pacing across his kitchen, fury radiating from every pore. "He has no right. No right to say anything like that! I'm an adult. I can make my own decisions."
"But if Luthor really is—"
"What about Luthor? You think I give a damn about Lex Luthor? They all think they can go around and control me, tell me what to do... I'll do whatever I damn well please."
"Of course, but there is a danger—"
She spun on her heel and wagged a finger at him. "Don't you start too. I can get into enough trouble without any of your help. Next person that tries to corner me like this is going to lose an appendage."
Clark raised his hands in surrender. "Not me. I like my appendages where they're at. And I'm not trying to do anything."
She saw herself in his glasses, and saw the genuine fear mixed with what she suspected was a hint of humor in his eyes, and she swallowed her outrage. She could do to tone it down a notch. Lois drummed her nails on the counter impatiently, thoughts racing as she searched for her words. She stopped the patter of her nails abruptly to point at him sharply. "Don't listen to Perry White."
He nodded enthusiastically. "Okay."
"And don't try and hide things from me."
A shiver of something ran through his form, and Lois looked up at the motion, narrowing her gaze slightly. He kept her eye contact securely, put on a smile— but his form was tense, guarded. There was a nerve there. Something raw, tender. She'd have to get to the bottom of that one. "I'll try," he said wryly.
She eyed him cautiously for another long moment before looking around the space and continuing again. "And you're going to help me figure out what's going on with Lex. No matter where it leads."
The words hung heavy in the air, and she knew the magnitude of what she'd just said. Something was wrong with Lex. He was maybe the Boss. And Clark... There was something between them that she wanted to explore. All of it and more in the space between her words. She didn't care what Perry thought or didn't think: a lot of things swirled around Lex that were less than altruistic. And if she needed to work with Clark Kent to get some answers, then there was no other option. Even if he was a dangerous person to keep around, emotionally and physically and good lord, what was she getting herself into.
His kisses were so nice.
When he spoke, he spoke slowly, thinking. "I don't want to tread on anybody's toes."
"You won't."
"I will. I know I will."
She gave him a blatant stare and watched as he gave in. She smiled. "Maybe I don't care. Do we have a deal?"
Clark nodded slowly. "Deal. But honestly, we really do have to look into this orphanage thing first, Lois. Please. And maybe it'll lead back to Luthor or maybe it won't, but these kids, Lois..."
His eyes were wide, frightened, heartbroken, and her heart stirred for him. He had so much pain he carried around with him. "Of course. We'll take it all one story at a time, and this is absolutely top priority. It's gonna be a long game, looking into Luthor. And maybe that'll ease Perry into it."
He nodded absently, then smiled at her. "I tell you what, maybe we shouldn't do all our investigating at the Planet anyway. I'll tell Maurice that you're welcome here anytime you want, and that way we have a secondary workspace in case anybody gets suspicious."
A heat flooded through Lois at the thought of having an all-access pass to Clark Kent's apartment. Oh, this was such a bad idea. One of her best ones yet. She smiled broadly at him and prayed he didn't notice her legs wobbling.
"Sounds perfect."
