“You…what? Bruce offered you a job?” Clark blinked, dumbfounded. Of all the things that had happened that day, this was not something he’d even had a passing thought about.
Jimmy met Clark’s eyes now. “Yeah,” he said, swallowing hard. “While I was down in the Cave, when you guys were all out there kicking bad guy butt, I noticed a few improvements that could be made on the computer. Some minor holes in the security that I could beef up. Some things I could consolidate to allow the computer to run faster and use up less memory. That kind of stuff. Nothing huge. I’m guessing it was all above the top of the line when Bruce created the system, but technology ages pretty fast. I just showed him while you and Lois were talking. He said he was impressed and offered me a job working with the Wayne Tech computers.”
“Jimmy, that’s fantastic!” Clark exclaimed, genuinely proud of his friend.
“Yeah, it is,” Jimmy said with far less enthusiasm.
“But…you love computers,” Clark said after a moment of thought. “Why’d you turn him down?”
“I do love computers…as a hobby,” Jimmy explained. “I don’t know if I could make a career out of it. I mean, I probably could, and the money would be fantastic! But I don’t think I want to be a computer guy. I like what I’m doing at the Planet. Especially as a photographer. I don’t want to give that up. I like helping put criminals behind bars with my photos or by researching stuff for you and Lois.”
Clark sat down next to Jimmy on the couch. “You know what? If that’s what your heart is telling you, then you made the right choice.”
“Thanks, CK. I think I knew it, but it’s good to hear someone else say it.”
Clark clapped Jimmy on his shoulder. “Any time,” he assured the younger man. “But…take my advice with a grain of salt. Clearly, I don’t always make the best decisions.” He glanced in the direction of the kitchen.
Jimmy winced. “How bad is she taking it?” he asked, more concern than curiosity tinging his words. “I mean…she didn’t look happy just now but…” His voice trailed off as he shrugged softly.
“If I could drop every cent I have and buy a time machine, I’d do it in a heartbeat so I could go back and tell her from the beginning,” Clark responded with a sigh. “I really messed up, Jimmy.”
“I’m sorry, CK. I really am. And I wish I could help,” Jimmy offered.
“Thanks, but I’m not sure I deserve help. I lied to you too. I’m still not sure why you seem to be taking this all so well.” Clark chuckled ruefully. “And I really hope I don’t regret putting that thought into your mind.”
“Honestly? Yeah, okay, it was a shock, seeing you do that spin thing and change into Superman right in front of my eyes. But it’s not a big deal. You’re Superman, not a serial killer or some other horrible thing like that. You’re still the same guy – the one who instantly befriended me when you started working at the Planet, the one who’s helped me land dates, just by helping bolster my confidence, and the one who’s never turned down a friendly game of basketball and a shared pizza. It literally doesn’t matter to me that you’re Superman. I think it’s awesome – don’t get me wrong. But it doesn’t change our friendship at all.” Jimmy smiled brightly. “Of course, you aren’t dating me so…” His smile widened into an impish grin.
Clark couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped his throat. “Thanks, Jimmy. It’s…it’s a big relief, knowing that my secret life doesn’t affect our friendship.”
“Why would it? You were cool before I knew you were Superman, and you’re even a bit cooler now that I do know. Because, let’s face it, every guy in the world wishes he was Superman, or at the very least friends with Superman.” Jimmy shrugged nonchalantly.
“Maybe,” Clark allowed. “It’s just…nice, that’s all. Not to have that judgement of ‘oh, how can I use this person’s abilities/status for my own benefit,’ you know?”
“Yeah,” Jimmy said with a nod. “I guess you get that a lot, as Superman.”
But Clark shook his head. “Not as much as you’d think, mostly because I don’t allow Superman to get close to many people. But when I was living here, in Wayne Manor? All the time. Women who would normally have turned their noses up at me in the streets would suddenly fawn over me because they assumed I was rich.”
“Yeah, I can see how that would suck,” Jimmy agreed. “That’s why you didn’t tell Lois right away, isn’t it? Didn’t want her to throw herself at you because of Superman?”
“In part,” Clark admitted.
‘You want me to talk with her?” Jimmy offered. “I’m not really sure what I can say to her, but I’m sure I can think of something.”
Clark shook his head again. “I appreciate the offer, but this is something Lois and I need to figure out on our own. Mostly Lois. I’m not sure she’d welcome whatever you might say to her.”
“Got it,” Jimmy replied. “But, CK? One thing?”
“I’ll say a prayer for you,” Jimmy weakly joked. “Because with Mad Dog Lane?”
“I know, I know. I’m gonna need it.”
***
Two days later, Clark was back in the newsroom. Everything was much the same as it had before Bruce had been captured and Clark’s secret had been exposed. Faxes still beeped. Phones still rang incessantly. The rest of the paper’s staff hustled to and fro, exchanging information and gossip, rushing to the elevators in hot pursuit of a story, demanding answers from the people they spoke to over the phones. Nothing was out of place.
And yet, the place felt different.
Clark felt different.
Now that Jimmy and Lois both knew about his powers, he felt exposed, like if he so much as breathed wrongly, everyone would become privy to the fact that he moonlit in Spandex. And yet, the trusted them both completely. He knew his secret was safe with them and that they would protect his alternate identity with their lives.
With their lives, his mind echoed.
They shouldn’t have to be in that position.
He shook his head slightly as he prepared a cup of coffee.
It was inevitable, with Lois. She caught me off-guard, the other day, when she found out. But, in retrospect, I’m surprised she didn’t catch me slipping up earlier. I messed up, badly.
He frowned to himself. Messed up didn’t even cover it. It was still possible that he’d wrecked every hope and dream he’d ever dare to have for himself. It all depended on what Lois would say to him, if and when she ever spoke to him again.
Two days.
Two days had gone by without so much as a whisper from her.
He sighed heavily. In all other things he could be patient. But the silence from Lois had him as anxious as a mouse in a house full of hungry cats, as his mother used to say. He’d literally spent part of the night before climbing the walls of his apartment and pacing the ceiling. It was an effort not to pace now, while he waited to see Lois in the bullpen.
He knew, however, that he couldn’t spend the entire day waiting in the break area. He grabbed his coffee and a plain cake donut to munch, more to give himself something to do than because he was hungry. He was too nervous to want food.
“Morning, Chief,” Clark greeted Perry as he made his way back to his desk from the break area. He raised his donut in a gesture of salute.
“Hey, Clark,” the editor replied. “Catch the fight the other day?”
“On tape, yeah. Canino really made quick work out of Garrison. I was surprised how fast everything was all over with.”
After dropping Lois off at her place, Clark had returned to Wayne Manor, where he’d watched the fight on tape with Bruce and Jimmy, thanks to some forethought by Alfred. It had felt weird, watching without Lois, but Clark knew Lois needed time to be alone with her thoughts and emotions, more than anything else. And Jimmy had begged him to watch the fight before returning them to Metropolis. Clark had grudgingly agreed, if only to mollify his friend. He owed Jimmy at least that much. But he hadn’t enjoyed the fight in the least. He’d barely even paid that much attention to the two boxers, his mind constantly straying to Lois and how precarious his relationship was with her now.
Perry nodded. “I thought it’d be a much closer match. Maybe Garrison was having an off day or something. Canino hit him like a hurricane and that was the end of that.” He sounded disappointed with the fight, and Clark couldn’t blame him. For something that had been advertised and anticipated as heavily as the fight had been, it almost felt like the viewers had been cheated by the exceptionally quick match.
“Agreed,” Clark said. Then, changing the subject, “Hey, Chief? Did Lois get in yet today?”
“She didn’t tell you?” Perry asked, a quizzical look on his face.
“Tell me what?” Clark asked uneasily, a knot of dread forming in the pit of his stomach.
Did she quit? Is it really that bad that she can’t bear to see me again?
“She called in yesterday, said she was gonna take a few personal days,” Perry explained. “She really didn’t let you know?”
“No,” Clark said, shaking his head. “To be honest, I didn’t talk to her at all yesterday.”
No, she never would have quit. The Planet is her life. She’d never give that up. And she knows full well that I’d resign first, since everything is my fault to begin with.
His worry must have shone through. Perry cocked his head slightly, studying Clark. “Uh oh! Trouble in paradise? I thought you two were heading for…well…a happily ever after.”
“It’s a long story, Chief. But…it’s entirely my fault. She found out something about me that I should have been upfront about and she’s rightfully angry with me,” Clark confessed. There was something about his boss – something very paternal about the man – that made it easy to talk to him, even if he had to keep things vague.
“You wanna come to my office and chat about it?” Perry offered in his soft Southern drawl. He looked concerned.
“Uh…no, but thanks, Perry,” Clark said, gently declining the offer. “Unfortunately, this is something I can’t fix. I have to wait it out and see what Lois decides.”
Perry frowned. “Let’s hope she comes around. Aside from avoiding all the heartbreak, I’d hate to have my two best reporters at each other’s throats – or worse, not speaking at all!”
“I’m really hoping it won’t come to that, Chief,” Clark said, his heart aching. It was killing him to not feel confident enough to pick up the phone and call Lois.
He’d spent the entire previous day keeping busy as Superman to avoid the temptation of going to Lois. He knew his presence would be unwanted if he were to show up on her doorstep. He’d even been tempted to leave a few dozen roses on her balcony, but he knew that would only fan the flames of her raging fury. As a result, he’d stayed out of Metropolis completely, choosing to tend to crises in other cities around the globe. But still, with each moment he was alone, flying from place to place, his thoughts had strayed ever back to Lois.
“Me too,” Perry said gruffly. “The paper aside, you know I want things to work out for the two of you.”
Clark inclined his head in thanks. “I appreciate that, Perry.”
“Okay. Since Lois isn’t here today, I thought you could go down to the prison. Travis Aserbacher is scheduled be executed tomorrow morning and he’s granted us the exclusive final interview. Think you’re up for it?” Perry asked.
“Absolutely, Chief,” Clark affirmed, steeling himself to the task ahead. “And thanks. I appreciate the assignment.” He didn’t relish the idea of a death row interview, but he was grateful for the distraction it would provide.
Death row. Is that where I’m sitting right now, waiting for the axe to fall?
“Don’t thank me, son. I want the best on this interview. And you and Lois are the best. Now, get going and bring me back Kerth worthy material.”
Clark couldn’t help the tiny chuckle that escaped his throat. “Yes, sir!”
***
“Hey, Mom. Hey, Dad,” Clark said, two nights later as he sat on the couch, his favorite photograph of his parents and himself in his hands. It had been taken at the Smallville Sunflower Festival, not long before both of them had been taken from him. Everyone was smiling brightly, clearly having the time of their lives. “I really messed up. I shouldn’t have lied to Lois. I know that. I was too much of a coward to let her know the truth. Now, I’m terrified I might have lost her forever. It’s been a couple of days now and I haven’t heard a peep from her. I’m starting to think I never will.”
He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, which was still damp from the shower he’d taken after tending to an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
“It’s going to take a miracle for her to forgive me.”
He fell silent as he gazed at the framed photograph, letting his mind wander back to that day. His father had had a blast in the dunk tank and Martha had spent her time shopping. She’d bought a ton of fabric to craft into clothing, with the intention of using the scraps for quilts. Clark had spent some of the day with his parents and some of the day with his friends. It had been a great day and, as a result, it had become a treasured memory. Clark remembered how it had been his friend, Pete, who’d insisted that he take the camera and snap a picture of the Kent family at the end of the day. Clark couldn’t remember – had he ever thanked Pete for that? He’d have to remember to do so in the future, just in case he’d never told his old friend how much that photo now meant to him, if Pete even remembered taking it for them.
He floated off the couch and replaced the frame back on the shelf, lingering for a moment while he sighed again. He missed his mother and father terribly. He had a feeling they would have known exactly what to say about the situation he now found himself in with Lois. What he wouldn’t have given for their advice! He felt more lost and alone than he had in a long time.
“Please,” he whispered. “Send me a sign of what I’m supposed to do.”
“You can start by locking your door,” Lois said from behind him, startling him so much that he lost his concentration and dropped out of the air like a stone. He hit the floor heavily, and rubbed his posterior, more in surprise than out of discomfort or pain.
“You know, for a man with super hearing, that’s twice now that I’ve been able to enter your home and catch you using your powers without you knowing,” she added a little smugly.
“Lois!” he gasped in disbelief. “What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to talk to you. You haven’t answered your phone all evening.”
“Oh! I was dealing with an oil spill,” he hastily explained.
She gestured at him, as he still lay half-sprawled on the floor. “It’s a good thing I’ve already walked in on your super activities,” she added with a tight smile. “You should be more careful.”
Clark blushed sheepishly. “Yeah,” he agreed as he stood up. Then, “I guess I wasn’t really expecting to hear from you any time soon,” he confessed.
“To be honest, I wasn’t sure you would either,” Lois admitted softly. “But, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking these past few days. I’m still…conflicted, but…I was eating dinner tonight…this really awful Chinese food from across town…and it made me think of that amazing dinner you bought for us when we were working on that first story. I got to thinking that maybe, now that I’ve had a chance to process everything a little bit…that maybe I might be in a better place to talk about things with you.”
“I’m happy to hear it,” Clark replied sincerely. “I’m more than willing to talk about anything. Answer any question. It’s all I’ve ever really wanted, from the moment I decided that I wanted to tell you that I’m Superman.”
“Good. Because I still have a ton of questions. But first…that Chinese food. It wasn’t from Metropolis, was it?” She gave him a timid, but teasing, grin. It was almost playful in a way, Clark thought.
He chuckled lightly. “No. I knew of a place in China from my days traveling for the Gotham Gazette. I went there because I wanted to impress you.”
“I knew it! There’s no one better at finding Chinese takeout in Metropolis than I am.”
“I thought you found awful food tonight?” Clark dared to prod.
“They used to be good, last year,” Lois said defensively. “They must have a different chef now.”
“Fair enough,” Clark allowed. “I, uh, could go get some food from my place, if you’re hungry,” he offered. “It won’t take more than a few minutes.”
“No, thanks,” Lois said with a mild shake of her head. She wandered through his living room, looking at all the familiar mementos he’d collected from all around the world during his days with the Gazette. “I grabbed a sandwich from Martell’s on the way over.”
“Ah,” Clark said with a nod. “Got it. Good pick. Can I get you a coffee at least?”
She shook her head. “No, I’m fine. Thanks.” She gestured to the couch. “Can we sit and talk?”
“Absolutely. I’m just glad you want to talk at all.”
Clark allowed Lois to choose her seat first. She opted to command the high-backed armchair that had once been Jonathan Kent’s favorite chair. Clark sat in the center of his couch, his hands clasped together in his lap as he waited for Lois to speak first.
“I guess,” she began a few heartbeats later. “I guess I’m not really sure where to begin. I’ve been trying to figure it out all day and I still haven’t…nothing has sounded right in my head. I suppose the first thing is…I’m sorry. The other day…I overreacted a bit.”
“No, you didn’t,” Clark interrupted gently. “You were well within your rights to be as mad as you were.”
“Maybe,” Lois allowed with a shrug. “But I was so mad I wasn’t really hearing you, I think. I wanted to find fault with everything and I…I wasn’t very open-minded when you tried to explain things. I was just so mad I couldn’t think straight. But it wasn’t just you I was mad at. Make no mistake, I was – and still am – angry over the deception. But I was just as mad at myself as I was with you. I’m a damn good reporter! And I couldn’t even figure out that I was dating Superman! I’m not used to seeing myself be so idiotically blind. It felt like…am I losing my touch? Am I not as good of a reporter as I’ve always believed I am?”
“Lois, look at me,” Clark almost whispered when she finally let her voice trail off. “You are the smartest woman I know and the best reporter I’ve ever seen. Don’t ever think otherwise. But people see only what they expect to see. That’s why I created Superman the way that I did. It’s deliberately hard to see past the bright, flashy suit and picture Superman as doing anything normal and mundane, like holding down a job, paying rent, and taking his girlfriend to the local sushi place for dinner. No one is supposed to think of him as needing to run to the grocery store for a fresh loaf of bread or calling his landlord when the toilet backs up.”
“I know,” Lois confessed, dropping her gaze to her hands. “But there’s a part of me that still feels inadequate for not seeing what was literally staring me in the face every single day.”
“Lois,” he started to say but she cut him off again simply by raising her hand in a “stop” gesture.
“I know what you’re going to say but it doesn’t change how I feel,” she said. “I’m not used to missing things like that. It doesn’t matter if it’s about your secret or if I’d failed to bring a serial killer to justice. I’m typically a lot more observant, and it bothers me that I wasn’t in this case. And yes, I know. I wasn’t supposed to see the clues. Doesn’t change anything though.” She clasped her hands in her lap. “That’s not all either. I’m…I’m having a bit of a hard time with…everything about your secret.”
Clark gulped as his stomach flipped into a knot and his heart dropped to the floor. “Oh?” was all he managed to squeak out.
“I mean, I get it. Why you’re leading a double life. The fact that you have these abilities that you want to share with the world. The need to use them to help people. I get all that,” Lois clarified. “But…and I may regret planting the idea in your mind…you can have literally any woman on this planet. I don’t think any woman in their right mind would turn down Superman. So…why me?”
If Clark hadn’t been so stunned, he would have laughed. But Lois’ expression was not a joking one. She was dead serious, so he swallowed the laugh in his throat and killed his grin before it could blossom.
“Lois, are you serious?” he asked, his eyes wide. When she nodded ever so slightly, his face fell. “How could it not be you?” he replied. “Lois, I’ve been all over the world, to more countries than most people even know exist, both as Clark and as Superman. Not one person that I’ve met has ever compared to you. Your passion. Your intelligence. Your beauty. Your kind and loving heart. Your zest for life. Your dedication to justice. None of the things that make you you. You are so…singularly unique and perfect. How could I – powers or not – ever want anyone else?”
“Laying it on a bit thick, aren’t you?” Lois asked with a teasing smirk.
But Clark wasn’t joking. He shook his head soberly. “Not nearly enough. I might make my living using words, but when it comes to all the reasons why I love you…the words all fail me because they are all so inadequate.”
“So…you still love me, after how poorly I reacted the other day?” Again, he could tell she was half toying with him.
“Lois, you could have taken that shard of Kryptonite and plunged it straight into my heart. I still would have died loving you.” Subconsciously, his right hand covered the space over his heart. “Even if you can’t love me anymore, I’ll always love you.”
Lois sighed. “I still love you,” she admitted, then growled in frustration. “That’s what makes this whole thing so damn difficult. Anyone else and I would have turned my back on them, figuring they aren’t worth my time if they want to play games and hurt me. But you? You really hurt me, Clark. But I still want to fight for us. I’m just…not sure I can trust you not to do it again.”
“I’m sorry I hurt you, Lois. Really. If I could go back in time and change how I handled this all straight from the beginning, I would, in a heartbeat, no matter what the cost. I hate myself for causing you pain and for shattering your trust. I don’t blame you for wondering how trustworthy I’ll be going forward. All I can promise is that I really am done keeping secrets from you, not that my word probably means all that much to you right now. And I know there’s nothing I can do to make up for what I did. But if you give me another chance, I swear, I’ll prove that I’m a changed man. No lies. No secrets. I’ll answer even the most embarrassing questions, if you ask them of me. I want to fight for us too, Lois. Because you are the single best thing that’s ever happened to me.” His voice was low, thick, and husky with emotion. He rarely shed tears, but in this case, he was blinking them back, his heart breaking in two at the thought that Lois might walk out of his apartment right then and there, and never look back.
“I believe you.”
Hope lit in his chest like an uncertain first ember of a campfire. He was afraid if he clung too tightly to it, that he’d smother it into non-existence. But he was also afraid to not shelter and nurture it as much as possible.
I believe you.
Three simple words, yet they were some of the most powerful he’d ever heard in all his life, save only for the times when Lois had said “I love you” to him.
“Really?” he asked, letting some of his hope show through in his tone.
“Maybe I’m crazy for it but…yes. I do.” Lois gave him to tiniest smile as she hooked a strand of loose hair behind her left ear.
Clark expelled a shuttering breath. “Thank you,” he said with relief.
“But that still doesn’t mean my heart isn’t broken,” she warned softly.
“I know,” he said with a nod. “I promise, I’ll be better from here on out.”
“You’d better be. Because if you break my heart again…” She let her voice trail off, leaving her threat unvoiced. But it wasn’t hard for Clark’s mind to fill in the blanks.
“I won’t,” he vowed softly. “And if I do…Bruce has Kryptonite. I’d rather see my life end than ever see you hurt by my words or actions again.”
“That’s not something to joke about,” Lois said, frowning.
“I’m not joking, Lois. I’m completely serious. Your happiness is worth more to me than anything. Knowing I’ve hurt you pains me more than exposure to Kryptonite ever could.” He gambled standing up, going over to her chair, and kneeling before her. He took her hands in his own. “I hate myself for what I did.”
“You’re really serious,” Lois replied, her eyes widening as his sincerity registered in her mind.
“Absolutely,” he confirmed. “It’s all I’ve thought about the last couple of days. And I’ve been beating myself up over not telling you my secret for even longer.”
Lois sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “I guess we’ve both beaten ourselves up over this. This and…there’s a part of me that’s still reeling a bit from seeing you come so close to being killed out in the asylum. As furious as I was, if I’d lost you…” She shook her head. “I’ve had nightmares about it.”
Clark’s face fell and he had to look away for a moment. “I’m sorry, Lois. That’s…one of the reasons why I didn’t want you to come with me when I when to look for Bruce. Just in case either Bruce or I got ourselves killed. And…I was terrified for your safety. If I’d have lost you, I would have lost my reason for being Clark. You’re the reason why I fight so hard every day to keep my identity a secret. Without the anonymity of my Clark self, I would never have a real life – one that includes you in every aspect of it. But if you were gone…what reason would I have to fight so hard to keep Superman at a distance?”
He looked up at her again, gazing straight into her eyes. “I’ve had nightmares too. Not just about how close Jason and Bane came to killing me. But how close I came to losing you. And those are by far the more terrifying ones. I’ll never not be grateful that you decided to lend a hand, regardless of my request that you stay safe in the Batcave. You saved not just my life, but Bruce’s as well. But I’ll always have that chilling knowledge in me that you could have been hurt. I’ll always fear in the future for your safety, like I always have.”
“I guess I never pictured Superman as fearing anything,” Lois confessed after a moment. “He’s…you’re…always so…so calm and confident and focused to the point of aloofness, no matter what the crisis is that you’re facing. Part of me never recognized that Superman could be capable of being afraid. After all, with all those powers, what does he ever need to worry about?” She sighed heavily and shrugged. “It’s not like I thought of him as a robot or anything. I’ve seen Superman laugh and joke around and show relief after a situation is under control. I’ve even seen him surprised…like when you threw yourself on top of that bomb outside of the Planet, when Superman made his debut.”
“I was surprised. I had no idea if I would survive that. All I knew was that I had to do something to protect everyone out on that street,” Clark admitted. He stood and went back to the couch after Lois made a motion that told him he didn’t have to remain on his knees.
Lois nodded thoughtfully. “You’ve always put everyone else’s needs ahead of your own. As Superman…and as Clark. Don’t think I haven’t noticed how you always do little things like fix my coffee and give it to me before you even pour your own.”
Clark shrugged, embarrassed. “I like doing things for you.”
Lois took a deep breath as she got up and joined him on the couch. “I know. And that’s why…there’s a part of me that can’t blame you too much, for keeping your secret as long as you have. It’s the one thing I’ve seen you do for yourself in the entire time I’ve known you. I mean, really done for yourself. I don’t mean ‘hey, I want to hang out with Jimmy and play ball’ doing something for yourself.”
“I had no choice but to be secretive,” Clark said with another mild shrug. “If I didn’t, not only would I have become a target, but you and Bruce and everyone else. But I still should have trusted you earlier.”
“Yes, you should have,” Lois agreed softly. “But, as mad as I was…as mad as part of me still is…I think…I want to get past it.”
Clark brightened visibly. “So…does that mean…?”
“I’m willing to give you…give us…a second chance at this. I don’t want to lose what’s been the best relationship I’ve ever had. I don’t want to lose you. Because as flawed as you and I both are – and yes, I know I’m not perfect either - we have something between us. Your deception aside, you’re the most decent, giving, wonderful man I’ve ever known. I want to be able to get that trust back. And I’m working on it. Because I know that it’s just as much my own internal trust issues at play here as it is that you deceived me. Please, don’t make me regret this?”
It came out as a quavering question more than a statement, and that, more than anything, broke what was left of Clark’s heart.
“Never,” he swore in one breathy word. “Believe me, Lois, I know I don’t deserve a second chance. I would never do anything to jeopardize that.”
“Good,” she said in a wobbly whisper.
Clark couldn’t help it. After the torture of not speaking with Lois for days, and now with his undeserved second chance to be the man Lois deserved, he could no longer hold back. He gathered her in his arms and gently brought his lips to hers.
She responded immediately, matching his eagerness. She seemed almost hungry, in a way, as she kissed him back, as though she’d hurt being apart from him just as much as he had. Her hands flew up to the back of his head and her fingers raked through his hair. Electricity shot through Clark, sending shockwaves into his brain. He felt abuzz, as though he’d been struck by lightning – a sensation he was more than acquainted with as he flew around the world and through storms – or drunk on the love he had for the incredible woman in his arms. A part of him dimly wondered if he was dreaming, but if he was, it was the greatest dream of his life and he did not ever wish to wake from it.
She kissed him harder, deepening the once-chaste kiss and he was happy to oblige in matching her intensity. His right hand cupped her cheek and he reveled in the softness of her skin. His left hand snaked around her body, pulling her closer to him. She willingly snuggled in closer, her breasts pressing against his chest. He could all but feel her heart thudding against her ribcage. His own heart felt ready to burst right out of his chest in love and thankfulness that Lois had chosen to continue being a part of his life.
Her hands migrated to his back, running up and down his spine, sending shivers of desire through his soul. His own hands moved to her back as well, mimicking her movements. He dared to deepen their kiss more, and fireworks exploded behind his closed eyelids. Liquid fire raced through his veins. He leaned back, pulling Lois on top of his body. Without meaning to, he began to float, bringing Lois with him as he embraced her. But Lois clearly felt the movement and broke off their kiss with a slight laugh and a grin.
“Well, this is new,” she teased. “Always did know it was easy to get a ‘rise’ out of you.”
Clark chuckled, the last of his lingering doubts and fears melting away in that moment. “Would it be cliché if I said you make me float on Cloud 9?”
“Very,” she laughed, biting her lower lip as her grin grew wider.
“So…does this mean you still love me?” Clark asked with an impish smile as he lowered them back down to the couch cushions.
“I already said I do,” she replied, sliding off his body to sit next to him again, a glint of mischief in her eyes. “You’re a lunkhead, Clark. But…you’re a lovable lunkhead.” She reached over and tousled his hair affectionately.
“Thanks…I think?” he lightly tossed back. “But…lunkhead?” He looked at her askance.
Lois nodded in mock seriousness. “Lunkhead – a man who is cute and loveable, but also kind of dopey sometimes.”
Clark arched an eyebrow in his humor. “Dopey?”
Lois grinned. “You want to argue that what you did wasn’t galactically dopey?”
Clark went to argue and stopped midway before changing his mind. “I…guess not,” he said instead.
Lois laughed. “Good choice.” She patted his cheek for good measure.
Clark captured her hand with his own and brought it to his lips to kiss. “I love you, Lois.”
“I love you too. That’s why I have to give us another chance. Because a life without you…isn’t much of a life,” she said, closing her eyes as Clark continued to rain feather-light kisses on each knuckle.
“I swear, Lois, I will make you the happiest woman on this – or any other – planet,” he said with a crooked grin. “And that starts right now. I owe you answers, Lois. As much as I can, anyway.”
“As much as you can?” she echoed, pulling away a little bit. “So…you still have things to hide?
Clark shook his head, alarm bells ringing in his ears. “No…no!” he stammered. “That’s not what I meant! I mean…I want to tell you everything about my life. All the things I’ve withheld from you. I want to answer every question you have. But…there’s a part of my life – the first couple of months of my life, to be exact – that I just don’t really have any knowledge about. I know almost nothing about Jor-El and Lara, my biological parents. I know even less about Krypton. I still don’t know exactly why I have the powers that I do. I have guesses but…that’s about it. My parents – err, my Kryptonian parents - sent this globe to Earth with me. It contained a series of very brief messages that glossed over my origins – that the name they’d chosen for me was Kal-El, that Krypton was about to self-destruct, that they sent me away to save my life. But…it wasn’t enough. I still have more questions than I will ever have answers to. But the information I do have? I’m ready and eager to share it all with you.”
Lois smiled a wobbly little smile. “I’m ready to hear it all,” she encouraged him.
And so, Clark began at the beginning, with the information he’d learned years ago from the holographic image of his father. He only hoped Lois would believe that he was telling the truth as he recounted his life’s story to her.
To Be Continued…
