Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Lois & Clark Fanfic Butterfly Trilogy- Part 3d/3 - Releasing The Butterflies

Summary: Follows part 2, Taming the Butterflies. Part 3 picks up several months after part 2. I've compressed some of the timeline to make a few events work, but they still happen in order that the series happens. This story covers events in 'The Phoenix' and 'Top Copy' with some references to episodes prior.

A/N: Part 3 has been split into 4 sections due to length. This is section d, the final section!

Disclaimer: I own nothing, merely exercising my imagination. Excerpts taken from 'The Phoenix' and 'Top copy.'

****

By the time Clark returned, most of the staff had left. Perry remained, waiting for their story, as did a few others working on their own articles.

“Hey,” he said softly as he approached her.

She smiled briefly at him in response.

“Diana is in custody, as is Rolf, her cameraman,” Clark stated.

“Did you let Mayson know?”

“Yes, she’s at the precinct now.” He leaned over, peering at her computer screen. “Do you need a hand finishing this up?”

She shrugged, why not. He knew the story and the outcome better than she did, and prepared to get out of her chair to allow him to use her computer. He motioned for her to stay in her seat, pulled the keyboard towards him, and after a glance around the room, peering over his glasses, he began typing at such a speed, she couldn’t see his hands anymore.

She watched, battling conflicting emotions. She was in awe of him and what he could do, furious at him for his deceit, and concerned about him after everything he had gone through today. Topping off the teetering tower of emotions she felt, she was aware of her desire to kiss him senseless, hold on to him, and not let him go. To distract herself from trying to examine her feelings, or acting on a few of them, at that moment, she tried to read what he wrote, as he had to stop frequently to give the poor computer time to catch up, but he was faster than her eyes could scan the screen When he was finished, she went back and re-read it, finding out how Diana’s arrest happened through his words.

“Send it to Perry,” she told him while she stood to gather her belongings. “Then let’s get out of here.”

“Ok.” There were a few more keystrokes, and the file was sent. As they walked to the elevators, Perry stuck his head outside of his office.

“Clark! Lois! Great work. Now you both take a few days off, you hear?”

“Perry, it’s ok…” Lois began to counter, already thinking of follow up stories they could write.

“I won’t hear it.” Perry walked towards them so he wasn’t shouting anymore. “Lois, honey, you’ve had a long week. Your weekend was taken up with a stakeout, you were held against your will by a deranged criminal, and Clark here, well, I can’t imagine it’s going to be easy for you for a few days, son. That ridiculous story of you and Superman…” Perry shook his head in disbelief. “It’s best you lie low for a few days, let us deal with the aftermath.”

“But…” Lois protested.

“Nuh, uh,” Perry cut her off again, holding his hands up. “I’ve already assigned some of the follow up stories. You two, take some time off. I don’t want to see you here until Monday, you understand?” Perry stood and waited as Clark nodded in compliance, before Lois followed suit. “Have a good long weekend,” he said firmly before heading back to his office.

Frustrated at Perry’s directive, Lois was sullen and silent throughout the elevator ride down, and the walk outside. Once through the revolving doors she looked for any evidence of the excitement earlier, but it had all been cleared away. No one was milling around, it was as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened. As she stood, staring, Clark pulled her into an all encompassing hug. The sullenness disappeared and concern for his wellbeing flooded her.

“Clark, are you ok?”

“I think so. I’m a bit weak still, but I’m mostly normal for me.”

“Mostly?” Lois broke the hug to step back and look at him.

He sighed and ran his hands through his hair. “I’m tired, which happens at times. I feel weary, like I don’t have enough energy. Flying takes a bit more effort, but everything else seems to be fine.”

The casual reference to flying still caught Lois by surprise. There would be a lot of those moments she assumed, brushing it aside for the moment. “Ok, lets go get the Jeep, I’ll take you home.”

“My parents…”

“Oh! Right, they’re here. Where are they?” Again, she’d completely forgotten they were arriving.

In response, Clark pointed up at the hotel that neighboured the Daily Planet building. “I needed their help,” he idly commented.

The hologram! The strange conversation he’d had with his mom earlier that day was making sense now. His parents had been part of the press conference, creating the very convincing illusion of Superman. Clark held her hand and began to walk towards the hotel entrance. Lois, awed that he’d somehow pulled off the impossible, followed.

Once inside the Kent’s hotel room, Martha pulled Lois towards her for a long hug. She thanked her for being there for Clark, for saving him, and let her know that she was around anytime for a chat. Lois, feeling rather emotional after Martha’s embrace, merely nodded, finding an empty chair to sit in, and listened as the three Kent’s exchanged their stories. She got to hear how Clark had performed, as Superman, for Martha’s artwork hologram, then how Jonathan and Martha had projected Superman’s image, and voice, out of the hotel window as Clark’s press conference had begun. During the conversation, Jonathan began to nod off in his chair, so Clark excused himself and Lois, promising to stop by in the morning. Thoroughly exhausted from the long day, and the accumulated stress of the last few days, Lois wearily drove them both to Clark’s apartment, accepting his invitation to come upstairs for a tea.

The moment the front door closed, Clark reached for her and kissed her passionately, Lois caught off guard at first, eagerly retuned the kiss. As they walked awkwardly down the steps from the entrance, she found her hands grabbing and tugging his coat off, letting it fall onto the floor, his suit jacket following quickly behind. She felt her heavy coat be removed, courtesy of Clark’s roving hands, before her suit jacket also joined the growing trail of discarded clothes. She walked backwards, bumping into his kitchen table, as she fumbled with his tie, vaguely aware that he had untucked her shirt. His lips departed form hers as she gasped with pleasure when his hands touched her bare skin at her waist, and the moment was broken.

No, no, no, no, her mind to scream at her. This wasn’t right! What were they doing? She had to stop this now! “No!” she blurted out, startling Clark, who immediately let go of her.

“Lois?” He asked, concern etched in his voice.

“We can’t,” she said as she stepped away from him, firmly tucking her shirt back in. “I’m sorry, we can’t, I can’t do this right now.” The moment she had pushed the staggering power of passion back, it had been replaced with anger, no longer simmering below.

“Please, let’s sit. We’ve had a crazy day…”

“We have?” She turned and faced him, now blazing mad. “I know I’ve had a day like no other, after a week full of other horrid surprises. You, you’ve had yet another day of being you, except this time everyone got to find out your secret.” She picked up her suit jacket, brushed it off with her hand, and put it on, trying not cry at the crushing sense of betrayal she felt.

“This isn’t how…”

“What, how I was supposed to find out? Let me guess, you were going to tell me?”

Clark nodded glumly.

“I mean, we’ve been dating for a while, when were you planning that little surprise? When you proposed? Our wedding vows? Or when the kids started flying around the living room?” She stomped over to her jacket, picked it up, and vigorously began to brush off imaginary dust and dirt. “What if I hadn’t figured it out already? What if tonight I had the pleasure of watching Top Copy with everyone else while the whole world discovered that Clark Kent is…” She couldn’t finish the sentence, a great sob choking off her words. “I need to leave,” she managed to voice, as she walked back up the stairs to the door.

“Lois, please, don’t go. Stay. You can yell at me as much as you want, but please don’t go,” Clark begged.

“I can’t stay.” She refused to meet his eyes, determined to leave, and opened the door. “Don’t follow me,” she warned.

“Don’t shut me out, Lois.” She jumped as he silently joined her at the door. “Take whatever time you need, I’ll be right here, just please don’t shut me out.”

Wordlessly, she stepped through the open door, and without a glance back, left the building. The drive home happened in a blur, she barely remembered parking and walking into her apartment. She walked over to the large window that was always unlatched, firmly closed and locked it, and sank to the floor, overcome with great heaving sobs.

Gradually the tears evaporated as anger boiled within her. How could Clark, and therefore Superman, have lied to her for so long? He was just like every other man in her life, a liar, cheat, and untrustworthy. She laughed aloud, ruefully. If all of her previous relationships had turned into federal disasters, what would she classify this one? Superman wasn’t from Earth, would it be a galactic disaster? Where was Krypton? If it wasn’t in their own galaxy, could it be a universal disaster? She would never top this failure, she’d spend the rest of her life alone.

That would be a lonely life, a sneaky part of her consciousness reminded her. Yeah, well, get used to it, she spitefully snapped back at herself, as she got up off the floor and removed her coat. Now nursing a headache, she headed to the bathroom for some aspirin, a comfortable change of clothes, and to wash the evidence of her tears and ruined makeup away.

Could she return to her single life, she pondered as she changed? Before Clark she would have happily lived her life without a partner, in her work or personal life. Now, she knew from experience of almost losing him once or twice, she did not want to work without him. They balanced each other well, and she had admitted to herself, long before they had begun to date, that she was a better reporter with him than alone.

What about as her partner in life? Somewhere in the last few months she realized she didn’t like the word ‘boyfriend’ as it sounded juvenile to her ears. Partner in life sounded fake, especially as she hadn’t been able to permit herself to be open to the idea of a future with Clark, expecting the moment she did, she’d ruin it.

Finished in the bathroom she wandered into the living room and sat on the couch, staring at the latched window. Who was to blame for this disaster of a relationship? He’d lied, deceived her, and done exactly what she had feared would happen in any relationship. The exasperating little voice in her head returned to point out if she hadn’t been so unwilling to trust him, expecting something to go wrong, she wouldn’t have overreacted. The voice continued to needle her. Clark hadn’t cheated on her, stolen from her, used her for his own pleasure and left her. Not like the others.

“But he lied!” Lois exclaimed to the empty room, arguing with the inconvenient voice.

How would their lives work going forward if this was the end of their relationship? If they worked side by side at work, would the chemistry they once had would be gone? Even if they managed to reclaim some of their old friendship, what would happen when Clark found someone he wanted to be with? What if Clark chose to leave instead of staying in Metropolis? Unable to cry anymore, she gulped back the lump in her throat.

She remembered telling Lex all the reasons that she loved Clark, and a slight fluttering in her stomach surprised her. She sighed as she thought back a few nights, curled up with him in his bed, how normal that felt, and so perfect. Could she throw that all away without giving him a chance? How was it possible that she was even considering giving him another chance when he’d lied to her?

Glancing at the clock she realized how late it was. She’d get some sleep, give them both some space, and when she was calmer, she’d reconsider everything.

Feeling more relaxed now the storm of tears and anger had passed, the aspirin taking care of her headache, she pulled the blanket draped over the back of the couch over her, still staring at the window. With a growing feeling of dread, she recalled the night Superman had flown through that window, at her request, as she had told him she’d loved him, and would love him, even if he was an ordinary man. She felt queasy as she finally understood the haunted look on his face, the harsh words he had spoken making sense now. He couldn’t believe her because she had just turned down the ordinary man.

Thoroughly chagrinned at that memory, she tossed the blanket aside, and began to pace around the living room, reliving the encounters she could remember, where she had either compared Clark unfavourably to Superman, or fawned all over Superman, while ignoring Clark. It was an embarrassing trip down that memory lane, and while she still felt anger over his deception, she also felt mystified as to why Clark would want her, when she had been so cruel to him.

He was an enigma, far more complicated than the farm boy from Kansas she had pegged him for that first day they worked together. She smiled fondly at the memory of the inexperienced partner Perry had stuck her with. He had only been just over a year younger than he was now, but had looked a few years younger, his longer hair, older styled glasses, ill fitting suits, yet always wearing a stunning smile. That hadn’t changed, though the rest of him had. She’d assumed that making a regular income had helped with everything else, though she guiltily remembered she had made a few cracks about his appearance at first.

Still pacing, she thought about the qualities she loved in Clark, and the ones she admired in Superman, and how they were almost the same, yet at the same time, different. Clark had strong morals, as did Superman, yet there had been times that Clark had helped her bend the law to get the story. She could relax around Clark, and be her snippy self at times, he just teased her and put up with her. With Superman, she never felt fully relaxed, always feeling a little on guard, as though she would disappoint him. Superman never joked around, or pranked people, yet Clark joked around with his co-workers and had sent her off on a wild goose chase in revenge. She shook her head in confusion.

If she was confused, how did Clark see himself? How did he reconcile the differences between the two personalities? Who was he really? She suspected she already knew the answer. The Clark that had been her friend, and partner, the one who tried to convince her to stay safe, out of trouble, and was always frustrated when she barged ahead, especially on those occasions where she bent, or broke, the law to get the information or evidence she needed. The Clark that cared for her, treated her tenderly and patiently, and loved her, that was the real Clark. She also suspected her lock picking and break and entering skills weren’t as good as she thought they were. Looking back, there was a good chance that Clark had been surreptitiously helping her along, in a super powered way.

She missed him already. Despite the betrayal and anger she felt, underneath it, she knew she still loved him.

The butterflies she thought were gone for good, were back, and she sank back into the couch, allowing the memories of the amazing moments they’d shared, to feed their fluttering. Memories of their first kiss, their first real date, and the amazing Christmas Eve spent together, flooded her mind. Wrapping her arms around herself, she allowed her thoughts to take her into the future she’d thrown away: nights spent at his place, holidays spent at the farmhouse in Kansas, a functional family she could be part of. She could also foresee many sudden absences as Clark was required elsewhere, and the constant danger he would be in, despite his invulnerability, as there always seemed to be just a bit more Kryptonite out there.

She was shaken out of her musings abruptly. The Kryptonite! Diana had had some. Where was it now? Had Clark been able to deal with it? He hadn’t mentioned it. In a panic, she ran to the door, grabbing her keys and wallet, not stopping to turn off the lights or change.

The journey back to Clark’s was quick, the urgency she felt, and the late hour, meant she could zip down the road without hindrance. Parking, however, was more inconvenient than earlier, and she ended up a block away. She walked briskly to the main entrance, and then up the stairs, stopping before she got to his front door.

The curtain that usually sat behind the glass on the door was caught on something, giving her a glimpse into his apartment, and she peered through the small opening it provided, wondering if Clark would be there, and how he would react to her sudden appearance. All the lights were still on and she could see him, sitting at his dining table, his head on his arms, as though he was asleep. He hadn’t turned when she walked up, so she assumed he hadn’t heard her yet. Unsure whether she would be welcome, she knocked softly on the door and watched as he sat upright, looking confused, then staring hard at the door, before making his way towards her. Realizing he had just looked through the door to see who was there, she breathed in relief that he was at least going to open the door for her.

“Lois?” He said sleepily.

“I’m sorry to wake you,” she began, noticing he looked about as exhausted and drained as she felt.

“It’s ok, come in.”

She nervously stepped into his home, fidgeting with the sleeves of the sweater she was wearing. “I…uh, I…” she stammered. She hadn’t thought this far ahead, what should she say? She was still angry, but calmer, and very nervous. “Kryptonite,” she exclaimed. At Clark’s puzzled, yet concerned, look, she continued. “Where is the Kryptonite Diana had?”

“I, uh, don’t know,” Clark answered, as his eyes widened in concern.

“When you found her, did she have it?” Lois demanded, feeling a little more confident.

“No, I don’t think so. At least I didn’t feel it.”

“But you didn’t last time either, did you?”

“Not until it touched me. She must have had it in a lead case beforehand.” Clark was running his hands through his hair, something Lois knew he did when he was agitated or worried.

“We have to go find it,” she stated, moving towards the door.

“Now? Do you know what time it is?”

“Nothing like darkness to cover up a break in,” she grinned at him.

“Ok, but you’re not exactly dressed for it,” he remarked quietly.

Lois looked down at her choice of clothes and cursed. She was wearing a light grey sweater and sweatpants, chosen for their comfort level, not for stealth. “I’ll go home and change.”

“Lois, I can go…”

“No, Clark, I’m coming with you. We need to do this together.” She needed this, but she couldn’t say why. Action, at this moment, was better than trying to talk while they were both exhausted. “What if it’s not safe for you?” She added, watching as his defenses fell, and his shoulders slumped. She took a few steps towards him and gently took his hand in hers, watching as his eyes finally met hers.

“I’m sorry, Lois. I meant…”

She reached up and kissed him, stopping him from speaking. He hesitated for a fraction of a second, before wrapping his arms around her waist. “Later,” she whispered. “Let’s do this first, and deal with everything else when we know it’s safe.”

He nodded and kissed her again. Releasing her, he walked towards his bedroom, returning a moment later, dressed in all black.

“Wow,” Lois exclaimed as he grinned sheepishly at her. “Well, if it’s speed you’re going for, perhaps you should take me home first. I can’t change quite that quickly, but I think you can get me home faster than I can in the Jeep!”

This time he smiled at her, not quite the full beaming smile he usually wore, but an improvement over the grin. He approached her and gently picked her up, cradling her as always, as she put her hands around his neck. Without changing into the suit, they left through the open window, within minutes arriving at Lois’s window, which was still closed and locked.

“Uh, we’ll have to go in the normal way,” Lois told him, embarrassed.

Glancing at her with a lone raised eyebrow, he landed in the alley, and they headed in through the front door. Once inside her apartment Lois walked straight to the window and unlatched it, smiling sheepishly at Clark. “I was pretty mad when I got home, and then left in a hurry, forgetting the window.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, but it’s open now.” She kissed him again before heading to her bedroom to change, stopping as he asked a quiet question.

“Are you still mad?”

“Yes,” she responded, returning to stand in front of him. “I’m upset, and hurt, but underneath that, I still love you, Clark.” She reached a hand out and caressed his face before he bent and captured her lips. “It’s funny,” she mumbled, breaking the kiss. “After being so afraid of that four letter word, I’ve said that to you three times today. First, I told Lex I loved Clark, in front of Superman, not knowing it was you, the second time at the nuclear plant, as you were in your Superman getup, this time aware of who you really are, and finally now, to you, dressed as Clark.”

“I knew, as you were telling Luthor how you felt about me, that I’d waited too long. Its…”

“Clark, I love you. We’ll go get the Kryptonite now, and deal with everything else later.” She walked over to her bedroom door, before turning back to face him. “I have lots of questions,” she teased as he chuckled.

Emerging a few minutes later dressed in darker colours and warmer clothes, Clark once again picked her up, leaving through the window.

They flew over Metropolis, arriving at the Top Copy headquarters in a few minutes, Clark bringing them to land on the roof.

“There’s usually less security to overcome up here,” he explained as he set Lois onto her feet.

“Oh.”

Clark lowered his glasses and walked over to the fire exit and pulled on the door. When it didn’t open right away he appeared to glare at it, again over the top of his glasses, and Lois was startled when it started to smolder. When he tugged on the door again, it opened, the locking mechanism melted. He stepped inside, beckoning Lois to follow, and she continued to follow him into the building, down the stairwell, to Diana’s penthouse. Once inside her office, Clark turned on the desk light.

“What did it look like?” Lois whispered to Clark.

“I don’t know, I didn’t see it.”

“Ok, tell me what happened.”

Clark recounted how he had responded to Diana’s phone call to meet with Superman, arriving at her penthouse, asking her to drop the story. Lois cringed while Clark told her about Diana’s sob story, and how he’d tried to comfort her, how she then kissed him. He claimed that’s when he had first felt the Kryptonite.

“So you didn’t see it?”

“No.”

“And she didn’t touch you anywhere else?” Lois was annoyed enough that Diana had tried to seduce him, and wasn’t really sure she wanted to hear Clark’s response.

“No.”

“Ok, then she had it on her lips. Did she put any lipstick on?”

“Not that I saw, but she was facing away from me.”

Lois walked to the large ornate desk and turned on the small desk lamp before beginning to dig through the drawers. Without warning, an arm grabbed her around the waist, a hand over her mouth, and she felt herself be pulled upwards. Her initial reaction was to fight against the grip, and it took her a second to realize it was Clark that held her, and they were floating on the ceiling. She forced herself to relax as the door opened, and a security guard entered. He muttered to himself and turned off the desk lamp before leaving, closing the door behind him.

Lois’s heart was pounding, and she wasn’t sure if it was from the close call, or Clark’s warm, firm body holding her close. His hand was still over her mouth and she kissed his palm, lightly. She heard him gasp ever so lightly, as he nuzzled into her neck, right below her ear. She closed her eyes in pleasure, barely feeling them drift back to the floor. When her feet touched the ground, Clark released his arm around her waist and she once again began opening drawers on the desk.

“Ha!” She whispered, triumphantly, holding up a shiny lipstick case. “I bet this is it.” She began to open the case before Clark wrapped his hand around hers, preventing her from popping the lid off.

“Wait,” he told her, and he headed over to the penthouse balcony doors. He opened one door and stood out on the balcony, nodding at her to go ahead.

Stupid, Lois, she chastised herself, looking at the case. Whatever this case was, probably shielded the Kryptonite. Opening it could have made Clark sick, or killed him. With Clark a safe distance away, she slowly opened the case, revealing a lipstick tube, also made out of a shiny metal. It was heavier than a normal lipstick, the casing wasn’t plastic like most, but a metal, carved intricately to make it sparkle. As she opened the cap, a glowing green light emerged. She slammed the lid back on and looked up to face Clark. He was watching her from the balcony, but seemed to be fine. Lois put the tube back in its shiny case, leaving it on the desk as she walked over to Clark.

“That’s it. I’m sure.”

“Really? I didn’t feel anything,” Clark remarked.

“Could you see it?”

“No, the casing is lead, it’s why I couldn’t feel it to begin with, but I should have been able to feel it once it was open.” He hesitantly returned into the penthouse, walked over to the desk, and gingerly picked up the lipstick case.

“Anything?” Lois asked, half expecting him to double over in pain.

“Nope.”

Lois stepped back involuntarily as the unpleasant memory of digging a Kryptonite bullet out of Superman, months ago now, suddenly struck her. She’d taken the bullet home, intent on following Superman’s suggestion of dumping it in the Bermuda Triangle. However, she hadn’t been able to go, instead taking one of the sightseeing cruises around the bay, and dropping the bullet into the river estuary. She’d handled Kryptonite before, it was lime green and glowed eerily.

“I don’t think this is the same,” she told Clark. “It didn’t look like the bullet I dug out of you.” Having a memory of Superman, and having to reconcile that with the knowledge it had been Clark, wasn’t bothering her as much as it had earlier, but it was still strange.

“Like a different Kryptonite?” Clark asked, puzzled.

“No, it’s still green, it still glows, but not the same.” She tried to remember her brief glance in detail so she could describe it, as she wasn’t going to open the lipstick again! “The glow wasn’t the same, weaker? As though the Kryptonite was diluted with something?”

“Maybe that’s why I can’t feel it when it’s exposed?

“Well, you can take it to STAR Labs in the morning if you like? We’ve got what we came for…” Her adrenaline was almost gone, leaving her body to remind her how long she’d been awake, and how much more exhausted she was now, than she had been an hour ago. Clark seemed to understand her hint and started to walk back out to the balcony.

“You’re right, we’ve got what we came for. We can leave from the balcony, saves the trip up to the roof,” he explained.

Lois followed, yawning. On the balcony, after closing the penthouse door quietly behind them, Clark gently scooped her into his arms and took off into the night.

She wondered if it was her own tiredness that made her think they were flying slower, until she noticed they were losing altitude a few blocks from her apartment. She remembered Clark mentioning several hours ago that he was feeling weak and flying was taking more effort, and guilty wondered how much effort he’d had to exert to get them to Diana’s, and back this far.

“Clark, we should land here,” she suggested, examining his weary face. He didn’t answer, instead landing in an alley, setting her down a little more ungracefully than normal.

He drew her into his arms, seemingly oblivious to where they were. “I’m sorry, Lois,” he mumbled into her ear. “I should have told you sooner.”

She could hear his voice crack and ran her hands soothingly up his arms. “Yes, you should have,” she agreed with him, softly, without anger or malice.

“I was scared. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust you, I do. I’ve never told anyone, only my parents know, and I was afraid…”

She was glad to have her thoughts confirmed, that no one else knew his secret other than his parents. “Afraid? Of what?”

“I’d lose you.”

“Oh, Clark,” she responded as she stepped away from him, while grasping his hands in hers. “I was mad that you didn’t tell me, and it hurt to think that you couldn’t trust me. But I don’t think you can lose me that easily.” She watched as his eyes met hers, and smiled at him. “There’s so much we need to talk about, but we’re both exhausted.”

“You’re right. I could stop by tomorrow?” He asked, hopefully. “Your Jeep is parked at my apartment,” he stated and as she nodded, he continued, “I can drive it over in the morning.”

“How are you getting home?” She demanded. “You can’t fly, you’re exhausted.”

“I can walk…” he stubbornly began.

“Yes, you can walk me home, and stay the night.” Lois gripped his hand in hers, and began to walk.

“I’ll walk you home before…”

“Before what? You’re not walking home by yourself,” Lois insisted while pulling him along with her. “It’s been a long day for both of us, and you’ve been poisoned today. Stay the night, so I can keep an eye on you.”

Thankfully, he didn’t object, and began trudging along with her.

Once inside her apartment, she grabbed a toothbrush for him and directed him to the bathroom. “Do what you need to do, I’ll be there in a few minutes,” she instructed. As he closed the bedroom door, she picked up the phone. Calling the hotel the Kent’s were staying in, she left a message at the front desk to be delivered in the morning, letting them know Clark was with her. She then checked the deadbolts on the front door, closed the window to keep the cool air out, turned off the lights, and headed into the bedroom.

Clark was lying on his back in the bed, the sheets pulled up to his shoulders, eyes closed already, still wearing his glasses. As quietly as she could, she slipped into the bathroom and got herself ready for bed. By the time she returned to the bedroom, mere minutes later, she could hear Clark’s steady breathing, indicating he was already asleep. She smiled softly as she took off his glasses and joined him in the bed, placing her head on his shoulder, and wrapping an arm around his waist, quickly joining him in sleep.

****

She woke with a start, the ghost of a nightmare fading quickly from her thoughts. It was early, almost dawn, as the darkness in the room was waning. She rolled over to face Clark, who was still fast asleep, rhythmically breathing.

She gently ran her hands through his hair, caressing him at first, before pausing as she had brushed his hair back in the Superman style. She sighed, had it really been that simple? Some added hair gel and a lack of glasses had fooled her, and the rest of the world, for over a year! She ran her hand through his hair once more before lightly caressing around his ear, tracing the line down his jaw, before coming to rest on his t-shirt clad chest.

Feeling as though she was being watched, she looked up and found a pair of eyes sleepily staring at her.

“Hi,” she smiled self consciously.

“Morning,” he mumbled in response. “What time is it?”

“It’s still early, the sun isn’t up yet.” Lois spoke softly as Clark’s eyes drifted closed again. “Go back to sleep.”

“Ok, honey, I love you.” He breathed as he drifted off to sleep.

The butterflies erupted within her and tingles ran up and down her spine. Honey! No one had ever used that term of endearment with her and lived to tell the tale, but from his lips, it was affectionate and sensual.

She snuggled up closer to Clark, knowing she needed more sleep, but eagerly wanting the day to begin. There was much for them to discuss and clear the air about, plus she had so many questions for him. She felt a flush rising to her cheeks as she remembered the heated moment at Clark’s home where both of them had been frantically trying to remove clothing from the other. Now the dreaded ‘L’ word had been earnestly used, the next step in their intimacy didn’t seem to be such a concern anymore. She bit her lip as she smiled to herself, closing her eyes. Sleep first. The new day was already starting.