Clark yawned and stretched as he slowly left the warm, comfortable embrace of sleep. He rolled over from his back to his left side, then grudgingly opened his eyes. Even before he looked at the clock, he was vaguely aware that he’d overslept. Normally, he would have been up with the sun, to take advantage of its healing rays. But his room was bathed in golden light anyway, leaving him to sleep in a bright pool of it. And perhaps he’d needed the rest. Already, he felt stronger than he had the night before, and not just because of the writing he’d done. He yawned again and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, then checked the clock. It was already ten in the morning.
He stood up and stretched again, rolling his neck to work out a kink that had formed while he’d been sleeping. He was about to get started on picking out clothing for the day when his ears exploded with an unexpected sound.
“Was that…a sneeze?” he wondered aloud. Then, realization kicked in. “I’m back!” He grinned so wide it felt unreal that his face didn’t crack right in two.
He ran through his powers, one by one, careful to make sure they were controlled, and found them all functioning as they once had. Then he unwrapped the bandage on his hand. His wound was still there, and he wondered if that was because the sunlight hadn’t been able to reach it. He hurried to the window, holding his wrist with his good hand, as if it was more injured than it really was, his palm up. He stuck his hand in the brightest area of light and waited. In seconds, the cut fully healed, leaving smooth, unblemished, unscarred skin behind. He laughed gleefully, then used his blistering speed to dress for the day.
He was in such high spirits that instead of walking down the stairs, he sat sideways on the banister and slid all the way down. Lois saw and gave him a confused look.
“Well, um, you’re in a good mood this morning,” she observed.
“I’m back!” he announced, practically floating in his exuberance. “See?” He held up his freshly healed hand for her inspection.
Lois took his hand in her own, and ran her thumb over the area where he’d been sporting a wound just the night before. A look of awe was on her face, as well as a healthy amount of disbelief.
“Wow,” she breathed. “I…can’t…if I wasn’t seeing this with my own two eyes…” she stammered. “This is incredible.”
“That’s not all,” he proudly beamed. “Everything is back. I’m finally…whole again.” He took her hand in his, very gently so as not to hurt or scare her. “If you let me, I can make good on my promise now.”
“Your…promise?” She scrunched up her brow in thought.
He couldn’t help the dreamy smile that lit up his face.
“To take you flying.”
She gave him a coy smile. “I’d like that.”
Bruce looked up from his newspaper. “I’m not sure that’s the best idea,” he said with a frown.
“All due respect, Bruce, but unless you’re gonna poison me with Kryptonite again, there’s nothing you can do to stop me,” Clark told him flatly. He looked back to Lois. “You just tell me where you want to go. Your wish is my command.”
She looked a little uncertain. “I’ll think about it,” she told him. “In the meantime, eat something.”
“As you wish,” he told her with a short bow at his waist. Then, as he entered the kitchen and spied Alfred preparing a fresh pot of coffee in the coffeemaker, “Alfred! Dinner was delicious. I’m sorry I didn’t have a better appetite at dinner time last night. But you’re taking the night off tonight. I promised I’d show Lois that I can cook, and I intend on making good on it.”
“Are you sure that’s a wise idea?” the old man asked, playfully arching an eyebrow. “Given your prior attempt the other night, that is.”
Clark waved away his concern. “Unless the knives are made of Kryptonite, I can’t possibly cut myself wide open again,” he replied with a giddy grin. He patted the man on his shoulder. “Relax. I’ll be fine.” He grabbed a box of Cheerios and poured himself a bowl. “Besides, don’t you ever get tired of catering to Bruce’s needs? Why not jump at the chance to have someone else do some work for a change?”
He went to the fridge and retrieved the milk and orange juice. He poured himself a tall glass of the orange juice and added a splash of the milk to his cereal. But before he could put things away, Alfred had already busied himself with cleaning things up, so Clark grabbed a spoon and a banana and brought his breakfast to the dining room table. Bruce went into the kitchen and Clark’s super hearing picked up their whispers.
“What’s gotten into him?” Alfred wondered.
“If I’d have known the return of his powers would so drastically change his attitude, I would have let him heal just enough back in Metropolis to make him more compliant,” Bruce mused.
“Mmm,” Alfred agreed. “Just be careful now, sir. With his abilities returned, who knows if he might try and finish the job to kill you.”
“He won’t,” Bruce said confidently. “He’s had ample opportunity to do so already, and my guess is that, with or without his powers, he’d be more than capable of making an attempt.”
Alfred chuckled. “An attempt only? Not succeed?”
Bruce chuckled in turn. “Look who you’re talking about,” was his cryptic reply.
“True,” the butler continued to laugh.
Clark had heard enough. He inhaled his breakfast in the blink of an eye, then brought his used bowl, glass, and spoon into the kitchen. Deliberately moving slowly, he washed everything and set it to dry in the drain board. Then he walked back out and into the living room.
“Ready?” he asked Lois.
“Oh, uh, that was fast,” she said, sounding flustered.
He chuckled lightly. “I can move pretty fast when I want to.”
“Let’s hope you slow up a bit as we fly,” Lois teased as she bent to pick up her sneakers. “I want to enjoy the sights.”
“But of course,” Clark grinned with a playful bow. “You’ll want your coat either way. It can get kind of cold, the higher up you get.”
Lois nodded. “Thanks for the warning.”
“Oh…sure,” Clark said as he pulled on his sneakers and laced them up. “I just want you to be comfortable.”
“What about you?” Lois asked once she realized he wasn’t putting on his coat.
“I don’t really need it,” he replied, feeling his ears heat in a blush. “I don’t feel the cold…or the heat. At least, not the way you do,” he explained hastily. “I’m aware of it, but it doesn’t affect me. I could probably walk right through the heart of a fire and I wouldn’t even break a sweat. And yes, I know I’ve been wearing my coat outside but…it’s nothing more than keeping up appearances.”
“Your life is so strange,” Lois said with a shake of her head as she pulled on her coat.
“You have no idea.” He gave her his best grin, then opened the door for her.
“You’d better bring her back here,” Bruce warned him, walking into the living room.
“Yeah, yeah. I’ll bring her home in time for dinner, okay, Dad?” With that, Clark shut the door.
He walked Lois to the middle of the front yard, then he turned to face her. She nodded wordlessly, as if she could read the question in his mind.
“Are you sure?” He hated to ask but he had to know for certain.
“I trust you,” she answered.
“Okay. Hold on tight then,” he instructed as he scooped her up into his arms.
Instantly, her arms flew up to encircle his neck. She snuggled in, burying her body into his, seeking out his warmth and the security of his chest. Or so Clark imagined were her reasons. He held her close, enjoying having her in his arms, and wanting her to feel safe.
“Ready?”
“Ready,” she confirmed.
Gently, slowly, he lifted off into the sky. He kept his eyes riveted to her face, watching the excitement, wonderment, and awe that played across her features as they rose ever higher off the ground. He admired the fact that she seemed to have no fear as he flew with her. She was totally relaxed in his arms as if she alone had been born to fly with him. Her heartbeat was steady and only slightly elevated in her excitement. Her breathing was deep and even, not even a hitch of nervousness to be heard. She even laughed as they ascended into the heavens, looking down on the world, which, from this height, looked more like a child’s toy than an actual countryside.
“You okay so far?” he asked, wanting to make absolutely certain she was comfortable.
“More than okay,” she told him breathlessly. “This…this is fantastic! I can see why you were missing it.”
“And the best is yet to come,” he assured her as they reached their flying altitude. It was lower than he could have gone, but he wanted to make sure she neither got too cold nor had difficulty breathing in the thinner air. He smiled at her. “So…where to? What do you want to see?”
“Everything,” she breathed.
***
They spent the remainder of the day seeing as much of the world as they could. For Clark, it was just as freeing and wonderous to him as it was to Lois. He hadn’t been permitted to see most of the world, except as pictures in books and images on the History Channel. It was just as thrilling for him to see the pyramids in Egypt, the Eiffel Tower, the London Bridge, the Toyko skyline, the beaches of Mykonos, the volcanos in Hawaii, the African savannah, and the peak of Mount Everest as it was for Lois. Perhaps even more so. Not only was he experiencing the world for the very first time, but he was doing so as a man in love, even if Lois didn’t feel the same toward him. The thought gnawed at the back of his mind all day until he could stand it no longer.
“Lois?” he tentatively broached the subject as they strolled down a section of the Great Wall of China.
“Yes?”
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Go ahead,” she said, gesturing that she was open to his inquiry.
“If I’m a free man, once the dust has settled from all of this,” he said, gesturing vaguely to get his point across without the need to elaborate with words. But he couldn’t stop his face from reddening in a blush. “Do you see…any kind of a future…for…us?” He looked away for a few erratic heartbeats, embarrassed, then swiveled his gaze back to her. “I mean, I really like you. But I’m afraid that after all I’ve…”
“Shh,” she shushed him quietly, taking his hand in hers. “You don’t need to explain.”
“But I…” He shoved his hands into his pockets like a kid admitting to stealing a piece of candy.
“No,” she interrupted again. “I know what you’re going to say. You don’t need to say it. I like you too, Clark.”
His heart was beating impossibly fast and, at first, he wasn’t entirely sure he’d heard her correctly. His head was swimming and he was sweating in nervousness. He’d never been this vulnerable before. His normally iron stomach was churning with his unease. It wasn’t because he was afraid to let Lois know how he felt about her. It was simply because he wasn’t used to allowing people into his heart. His fear was of the unknown, not of Lois’ reaction. Up until now, he’d been a remorseless killer. But now he was laying his heart and soul bare and he that scared him. He’d changed more than words could say in the short time he’d known and loved Lois.
“I…what?” he stammered in disbelief.
She gave him a shy smile and tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. Then she nodded. “As crazy as it sounds, spending as much time around you as I have…the past doesn’t matter to me as much as maybe it should. I won’t ever stop missing my parents and sister. But I blame Lex, not you.”
“I’m still the one who…”
“You had no choice,” she said firmly, cutting off his argument. “Now, I don’t want to hear any more about that. You’ve changed, Clark. You’ve reformed. You can go out and do great things, if you want to. As for me…I want to be there to witness it.”
“So, does that mean you love me?” he boldly teased, holding his breath in nervousness as he awaited her response.
She didn’t answer right away, as though she was searching for the right words. Then, “I don’t love the man you used to be, the man who was Lex’s plaything doing his dirty work for him. But the Clark standing here now with me? Yes. I love you.”
Clark’s breath came out in a rush. “Really?” He stopped walking and turned to her, taking her hands in his. “Because I’ve love you too.” He shook his head in utter awe that she loved him. “I didn’t really understand what I was feeling at first. I just knew there was something about you. Something that…that broke through my inner darkness to touch my heart in a way I’d never even known was possible. Something that made me trust you and hated seeing you leave every time you had to walk away from my cell. Something that made me yearn to be better, even when I was still…acting out and saying things that I fully regret.”
“To be worthy?” she asked wryly.
Clark’s heart nearly stopped beating. “What…what makes you use that term? Did you…uh…hear something…?”
“Only you and Bruce whispering about me on the plane ride,” she confirmed with a sly grin.
Clark’s face went hot in a blush and he looked down at the ground. “Oh boy,” he muttered in a self-depreciating way.
She reached over and cupped his cheek, making him look her in the eye. “You don’t have to feel like you need to be worthy of me. You already are, simply by being who you are – the man beneath all his former toughness, the man with the soft heart.”
“Soft heart, huh?” he asked, goading her playfully.
“Yes, lunkhead. Don’t deny it. Only a soft-hearted man would stop to buy bathrobes for his former jailors,” she teased as she started walking again.
“I…” That was all the argument he could think of.
She pulled him to the side, up against one of the walls of the walkway, in a spot that was miraculously devoid of gawking tourists. “Only a soft-hearted man would care about proving his worth to the woman he cares about.”
“Loves,” he corrected, his voice husky as she pressed her body into his.
“Loves,” she echoed.
Desire flooded him. He could no longer hold back any restraint. He leaned forward and captured her lips in his. Fireworks exploded behind his closed eyelids. Fire ignited in his bloodstream. The world faded away, leaving him alone with Lois. Every nerve was abuzz from the sensation of kissing the woman who had stolen his heart. The last shreds of his brusque cynicism melted away, and like the mythical phoenix, he felt himself reborn from the ashes of his old life in the fire of his passion, rising again as a new person completely.
His heart was beating almost too fast to stay confined inside his ribcage. His breathing went ragged as he felt her responding. She was actively kissing him back, at first gently and almost tentatively, as though trying to find her level of comfort, but now just as hard and hungrily as he was. Her fingers played across his back as his fingers raked through her hair. He felt his body beginning to respond as well, and knew Lois could likely feel what effect she was having on him as well.
She did. He felt, rather than saw, her smile as she kissed him. Then her tongue was in his mouth, probing and caressing his own. He groaned into her mouth before breaking off their kiss.
“Maybe we should go someplace a little more private,” he suggested. “I’d rather not get arrested for indecent activities on my first real day of freedom,” he joked.
“Who says I’d let you do anything indecent?” she nearly purred.
“Lo-is,” he pleaded, dragging her name out just a little.
She laughed. “Okay, let’s find a good place to take off from. We still have time before Alfred will be expecting you to make dinner,” she reminded him.
***
Clark gently came into a landing in front of the large barn on Lucius’ farm. The sky was just beginning to darken as night rolled in. He turned to Lois, took her hands in his, and reverently kissed them.
“Thank you,” he told her in a thick, emotional voice.
“For what? I should be thanking you for a wonderful day,” she replied, confused.
“For today,” he explained. “I’ve never had a day like today in all my life. Doing what I want. Having someone to do it with. Just…being a regular man…in love with a wonderful woman.”
She smiled at that. “Truth be told, I’ve never had a day quite like today either. And I don’t mean seeing the world like we did. I mean…being with you. Being with someone so…genuinely pleasant to be around. Someone who…isn’t trying to use me for their own gain.”
“I would never do that to you. I swear it,” he vowed.
She looked him up and down for a moment. “I believe you. That’s part of the reason why I’ve…allowed myself to fall for you the way I have. Anyone else and I would have put the brakes on my feelings already.”
“Maybe we both need to leave our pasts in our pasts,” he said thoughtfully.
“Maybe we do.”
He reached over then and cupped her cheek with his hand. Her skin was cold to the touch, thanks to the falling temperature and the threat of snow that now hung in the air. He gestured to the barn.
“Let’s go inside. The barn has heat; I was in here the other day. You’ll be more comfortable and we won’t have the threat of Bruce listening in on us,” he suggested.
Lois nodded. “Sounds good. It’s freezing out here.”
“Come on, let’s get you warm,” he offered, opening the door for her and flicking on the light switch.
Inside the barn, it was cold, but at least they were sheltered from the wind that was steadily kicking up outside. Clark fiddled with the thermostat on the wall next to the light switch. Then he turned to Lois.
“Here,” he said, stilling her movement with a touch of his hand. “Let me help.” Carefully, he used a fraction of his heat vision, sweeping it over and over her body until she sighed in contentment.
“Thanks,” she said gratefully. Then, smirking, “Is there any power you don’t have?”
“The power to read minds,” he immediately answered with a grin. “Believe me, it would have made life so much easier if I’d been able to see what Lex’s intentions really were. But,” he added after a moment, “let’s not go down that path.”
“Agreed.”
“So, uh, did you enjoy your first real flight?” he asked, feeling the heat beginning to seep into the air around them.
“Enjoy it? It was ]incredible,” she answered dreamily. “And to think that you can just…do that whenever you want!”
“Well, now I can,” he gently corrected. He headed for the ladder for the loft. “There’s not a lot of room down here to sit. But the loft is pretty empty.”
That was the truth. The main floor of the barn was a mess of half-finished projects, disassembled machinery, and abandoned wood carvings. But the loft barely had anything in it, other than piles of soft, dry, fresh hay. He grabbed a couple of old woolen blankets on his way up the ladder, figuring he could spread them out as a makeshift picnic blanket so Lois would be comfortable.
“Sure,” she agreed, following him.
He took her hand as she neared the top, helping her up into the loft. She silently thanked him with a nod of her head.
“Much better,” she declared, looking around, her hands on her hips. She spied the blankets and smiled before sitting down on the worn red plaid one, leaving Clark to settle down on the equally worn black plaid blanket. “I really enjoyed today,” she said again. “Thanks for taking me out flying.”
“Thanks for wanting to come with me,” he replied softly. “You’re a brave woman, Lois. So many other people probably would have been terrified of being up in the clouds with really no protection at all against falling.”
“I had you,” she said, taking off her sneakers and rubbing her feet for a moment, as if relieving some soreness. “Why should I have been afraid?”
“Well, like I said. Not a lot of people would trust one, admittedly strong, flying alien to keep them safe from plummeting to the ground. There’s not the same illusion of protection that they’d have being in an airplane.”
“I know you, Clark. I know you wouldn’t allow anything to happen to me. I trust you.”
Love.
Trust.
Two things he never thought anyone in the world would ever have for him. Two things he’d prayed Lois would come to have since he’d first pinpointed that the weird new feelings that had him feeling butterflies in his heart had been love. Two things he could have sworn he’d destroyed when he’d murdered her family.
Yet Lois felt both.
He didn’t think he’d ever understand why that was, but he was grateful for it.
He gave her his brightest smile. “It’s nice to be trusted,” he admitted. He cleared his throat and followed her lead in putting his own sneakers to the side, so as not to dirty the blankets they were sitting on. “So, uh, maybe we can go out again tomorrow? See some of the things we didn’t get to see today? I’ve always wanted to see Niagara Falls,” he mused.
“I’d love that,” she confirmed, scooting over to be closer to him.
She pressed her body into his, leaning on him in a relaxed way that both spoke of her comfort in being around him and of her tiredness. His arms immediately encircled her, bringing her closer and silently encouraging her to allow herself to lean all of her body weight into him. He wanted to support her completely and loved that she was so trusting and comfortable to make herself so vulnerable with him. He kissed the top of her head and breathed in the scent of her Freesia-scented conditioner. He made his way to her neck and placed a kiss there on the delicate skin above her jugular vein. A shudder ran through her body and she groaned in pleasure.
Clark froze, needing to make sure she wanted him to continue. He couldn’t risk misreading her signals. If he lost her trust in him now that they were so close to becoming a real couple, he didn’t know what he’d do. It was a very real, almost paralyzing fear for him. He was terrified of doing anything that would push her away. If she walked away from him, he would have no reason to fight for his continued freedom and the pursuit of a normal life. But Lois twisted a little in his arms, arching her neck and kissing his cheek. That silent signal was Clark needed to propel him back into motion.
He kissed the same spot again, then nuzzled her ear with his nose before gently nibbling at her earlobe. She groaned again, this time louder and more lustful sounding. It sent a bolt of desire blitzing through him. His body responded and this time, there was no hiding it from Lois. She grinned and ground her body into his, purposefully making contact with his groin. This time, the moan came from his throat. He laid Lois down on the blanket, then leaned over her, kissing her hard and full on the lips. Her hands went to his hair, her fingers running through his short black locks, setting every nerve in his scalp tingling with the need for more contact.
He kissed her deeply, and she returned them with kisses of her own that more than matched his. As she’d done to him in China, he poked his tongue into her mouth, exploring and dueling with her tongue in a sensual dance. His need was unchecked and he shifted his body, straddling her now as he continued kissing her. Lois broke from the kiss first and smirked as she maneuvered her body slightly, so that they met, groin to groin.
“Are you sure you want this?” he asked, his head swimming with the urge to make love to her.
“More than I’ve ever been about anything,” she replied, her eyes darkening with her own desire.
She unzipped her coat – the barn toasty warm and comfortable now – and slipped it off, tossing it to the side. But Clark grabbed it up, rolled it up into a pillow, and gently put it under Lois’ head to make her as comfortable as possible. Then he turned his attention back to kissing her. He teased her lips first, then rained a trail of kisses down her jawline and neck, to the top button of her cream-colored blouse. He gazed down at her for just a few heartbeats, then gently undid the line of buttons going all the way down the front of her shirt.
“Your turn,” she purred.
Wordlessly, he complied and helped her to tear his pullover maroon sweater and accompanying undershirt up over his head. She gave him an appreciative look as she ran her hands over his well-defined, muscular chest and stomach, leaving a trail of fire in her wake. He felt a pang in his heart as her eyes wandered over his exposed body, her gaze lingering over every square inch of him. Every atom of his body wanted to be with her. Every cell that went untouched by her cried out for attention.
“Nice. Very nice,” Lois growled as she eyed the thin line of dark hair that ran down from his belly button to disappear into his jeans. She ran her index finger down it as she spoke, sending shivers of pleasure rippling through him.
“And you’re beautiful,” he responded, just before claiming her lips with his.
***
The echoes from Lois’ cries of pleasure mingled with his own teased Clark’s mind as he held her to him. His entire body felt relaxed and warm, buzzing with adrenaline as if every single nerve was drunk on the love he had for Lois. He felt her sigh in contentment, her head resting on his chest, her right leg draped languidly over his. He nuzzled her hair and placed a reverent kiss on the top of her head. He sighed in turn and a new sensation washed over him.
Home.
In that moment, as not only their bodies merged in the most intimate of ways, he felt their hearts become one. And, for the first time in his life, he felt like he was home.
Home.
It wasn’t a place. It wasn’t four walls and a roof over his head. It wasn’t a location – the bustling city of Metropolis or the unnerving quiet of the open, rolling Kansas farmlands. It was a person. It was Lois. She was everything he’d ever longed for in his whole life. She was his acceptance and forgiveness. She was safety from all the hurts and evils of the world. She was tenderness and would never let his heart be hurt again. She was the future – bright and shining and worth living and fighting for. He only hoped he was good enough to be all those things and more for her.
Home.
With Lois, it would never matter where they were, what they were doing, or what they did or did not have to call their own. With Lois, he would always be comfortable and at home.
He lay on his back, panting from the lingering, tingly feeling buzzing through his entire body. Beside him, Lois’s breathing was ragged and her heart was still racing, though it was starting to slow and go back to normal, just a bit.
“Lois…that was…” he said, gulping for air and at a loss as to describe how incredible the experience had been.
“I know,” she replied with a wolfish grin.
“You’re amazing,” he complimented her, not meaning their hayloft tryst, but everything about her. “I’ve never known that love could…be like this. That I could feel…this good about something.”
“What do you mean?” she asked, rolling to her side and propping herself up on her elbow.
Clark did the same so he could look at her. “I mean, I love you. And…with you I feel like…like I’m home, for the first time in my life. I feel safe with you, Lois. Like I can see this wonderful life and future in front of me, simply because I have you in my life.”
She leaned over and kissed him with butterfly lightness on his lips. “I love you,” she assured him.
“And I love you,” he echoed, reaching over with his left arm and stroking her right shoulder. “I always will.”
“You talk about feeling a sense of home,” she mused after half a minute of silence. “But, that’s not all that far off from how I feel too. I can’t explain it, not even to myself. But, even though I feel like, in a lot of ways, we’re just starting to really get to know each other, I know you. I feel like I can trust you with my heart. And that’s something that I don’t do easily. I’ve been hurt too many times to count. But with you? Everything’s different. Despite the circumstances under which we met,” she added, giving him a playful smirk.
“I promise, I will never do anything to hurt you ever again,” he solemnly vowed.
She looked ready to say something, but a low growl from her stomach interrupted, making them both laugh.
“I guess we should head inside,” Clark reluctantly said. “I promised Alfred I’d make dinner after all.”
“And I’ve afraid if we stay out here much longer, Bruce will send out a search party,” Lois joked, beginning to get dressed. She laughed a little harder.
“You laugh, but I wouldn’t put it past him,” Clark said soberly, shaking his head. “He doesn’t trust me at all. Not that I blame him. But…still.”
She stifled her laughter and sighed. “Then let’s not give him a reason to. And, if it makes you feel any better, his mistrust has nothing to do with you, per se. It’s just…who he is. His friendship doesn’t come easily, at least, most of the time.”
“You don’t have to defend him to me, Lois. I’m okay with the fact that he’ll probably never trust me or even like me all that much,” Clark said, zipping his jeans up and grabbing for his undershirt.
“I’m not defending,” she began, but then abruptly stopped. “Okay, maybe I am, a little,” she admitted a few seconds later. “It’s just…I’ve known him a long time and I guess I have certain loyalties to him. But I’m more than ready and willing to defend you against him too.”
He gave her a tender smile as he pulled on his shirt over his undershirt. Lois, in the meanwhile, was buttoning her blouse. He cupped her cheek affectionately. “I appreciate that, Lois. But it doesn’t matter to me if Bruce and I ever come to see eye to eye. I don’t really care if we ever become friends or not. I just…you’re the only one that matters to me.”
He leaned over and kissed the top of her head, his heart soaring with the love he felt for her. “I love you, Lois. That’s all I care about. Not Bruce, not what the world might think about me if they were to find out about me, not what my future might look like – the job I might take, where I might live. All I care about is making you happy.”
She smiled lovingly at him, then her stomach growled again. “Well…dinner would, apparently, make me happy,” she laughed.
Clark laughed too. “Right away. Your wish is my command.”
They stayed only long enough to get their shoes on. Lois threw on her coat but didn’t bother to zip it shut. After all, they were only crossing the yard to get to the house. Clark shut off the heat and the lights as they left, then shut the door tightly behind them. He took Lois’ arm in his as they walked to the house. Alfred and Bruce were in the living room when they went inside. Alfred looked up from his crossword puzzle book at the sound of the door and Bruce stopped his pacing.
“About time,” he snapped. “I was wondering if you’d decided to fly off and never return.”
“Oh keep your boxers on,” Clark shot back, already irritated by the accusation. “I told you I’d be back. And here I am. Lois too. You really need to start trusting me a little. Or put that damned collar back on me if you feel so insecure about my ability to keep my promises,” he challenged.
Bruce set his lips in a thin, hard line. Then, slowly, he brought his gaze to Lois. Clark could just see her out of the corner of his eye. She appeared to be silently pleading with her friend not to start a fight. He nodded almost to himself.
“Sorry. I guess I just expected you home a little earlier,” he said, still locking eyes with Lois.
“You don’t need to babysit me, Bruce,” she informed him, a little colder than Clark had expected her to be. “I had a perfectly lovely time with Clark today.”
“And now that I fulfilled my promise to bring Lois back safely, I’ll go and make good on my other promise of making dinner,” Clark said flatly.
He stalked off to the kitchen, leaving Lois, Bruce, and Alfred in the living room after toeing off his shoes and slipping into his slippers. He started to gather the ingredients he needed but couldn’t resist tuning in to the conversation in the living room. He felt guilty about eavesdropping but he felt powerless to resist.
“You’re falling for him, aren’t you?” Bruce asked Lois.
“Maybe. Why?” she asked warily.
“I just don’t want to see you get hurt, Lois,” Bruce insisted.
“I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself,” she informed him.
“I know that. But…”
“So, were you lying to him then?”
“What?” Bruce sounded confused.
“On the plane. I heard the two of you talking. He asked you if he could ever be ‘worthy’ of me. And you gave him encouragement,” she clarified, her voice taking on a hard edge.
“What was I supposed to say? That I have no idea? That if it was me, I’m not sure I could ever be with the person who murdered my family?”
Clark winced at the venom in Bruce’s words.
I deserve it though.
“How dare you!” Lois nearly roared, and Clark pictured her making ready to rip Bruce’s head off his shoulders.
“It’s true, isn’t it? He’s the reason why…”
“You know what?” Lois cut in. “Sometimes, you can be a real piece of…”
Now it was Bruce’s moment to interrupt. “Realism, Lois. Clark’s past…it worries me. And you getting mixed up with that worries me even more.”
“He wants to make things right, Bruce! He’s trying so hard to be a better person.”
“So, is that what this is? You’re being kind to him out of pity? Do you think that by being with him, you can magically transform him into a saint?” His voice was nearly mocking, but fell just short of it.
“No, Bruce,” she snapped in a way Clark had never heard coming from her before. “I’ve made my peace with who he used to be and what he’s done. And I see who he is now and what he’s trying to do to atone. It might not make any sense to you, but it doesn’t have to.”
“So, you have fallen for him?” Was Clark imagining it, or was Bruce almost gloating that he’d been right from the start?
“You want me to say it? Fine. I love him, Bruce. He’s a good man, despite all the things Lex forced him to do,” Lois said, her tone suggesting that she was done discussing the matter.
Bruce was silent for a good ten seconds, during which time, Clark finished prepping all of the ingredients for dinner.
“Wait a minute,” Bruce said in a scrutinizing tone. “When you two were out…did you…”
“What, Bruce?” Lois was definitely annoyed.
“Ah…you know,” Bruce stammered awkwardly. “Do things.”
“You’re asking if I slept with him?” Lois whisper-yelled in incredulity. “I don’t believe you’re prying into my personal life like this! That’s none of your damn business, Bruce! Maybe I did. Maybe I didn’t. I don’t need or want your approval on the matter.”
“I never said anything about approval,” he replied evenly. “I just want to make sure you’re being safe. I’ve been there for a couple of your heartbreaks. And while I don’t mind being a shoulder for you to cry on, I hate seeing you get hurt. And Clark? He might be the greatest guy in all the world, or he might be the one to hurt you the most.”
Lois didn’t reply right away, but when she did, her voice was much softer. “Thanks for the concern, Bruce. I mean it. But, I know what I’m doing.”
“If you say so…then…I trust your judgment,” Bruce conceded. “But if there is anything you need me to do…” He left the statement hanging unfinished in the air.
“There is. Start trusting Clark more,” Lois said stiffly. “And stop acting like a spoiled teenager. Just because I’ve turned down dates with you doesn’t mean you get to dictate my love life. And it sure as hell doesn’t mean I want you playing the part of the overprotective big brother.”
To be Continued…
