Hi Sara!
I see there’s a lot of PML going around this past year. /settles in for the not-so-short haul/
Well, this story just flew in and landed in my head at 3:30 a.m. one day, and then it practically wrote itself in a manic frenzy over the course of a few days.
/squints/ you’re not supposed to dope your muses. /points at guidelines for proper muse care/
Thank you to lovetvfan, AnnieM, and KathyB for the help and enabling…I mean encouragement!!
He'd effectively shot himself in the foot. The longest, most passionate kiss he'd ever shared with Lois...that feeling...oh, God, that feeling of her total abandon, her lips crushed against his as he'd turned and dipped her—as if they'd been dancing—so he could have better access to her mouth.
Trying to remember. That’s the Superman kiss, isn’t it?
And now? As he gazed at her across the conference room table, watching her stare, moony-eyed off into space, no doubt daydreaming about their incredible kiss, he knew for certain he shouldn't have done it.
Unnamed Chosen One: “I’m haunted by the kiss that you should never have given me. My heart is beating…hoping that kiss will not become a scar. You are in my very soul, …”
"Oh, c'mon, Clark. Surely you heard that Superman kissed me earlier."
Yeah so? You do know he kisses his mother with that mouth.
I heard you kissed him," he said, unable to stop himself from correcting her, though he disguised it with a teasing tone.
Superman’s now pressing sexual harassment charges against her.
Unless he wanted to pursue her as Superman.
Wouldn’t be the first time. There’s got to be an entire sub-category on this topic alone.
You could be swept off your feet by just about...anybody." She looked at him...somewhat pointedly.
Yeah, anybody. But monogamously.
"Your problem, Lois, is that you can't admit your true feelings."
Yes, she’s completely denying her attraction to that darling Lex and using that flying freak as an excuse.
"As long as you're being honest with yourself, Lois," he teased.
Okay, good thing that the rewatch is coming up because I don’t remember how much of that was show and how much is original. I mean the last two paragraphs of course. But the rest, it’s a mixture?
He tuned into her heartbeat because he couldn't help himself. It was a little fast, but slowing to normal.
He’s a bit of an addict, isn’t he?
He'd foolishly let himself be wooed by her torturous distractions, thinking that, because she'd been relentlessly pursuing Clark, that it was Clark she was after.
Yeah, maybe he shouldn't operate a mirror while thinking
"That I'm attracted to you," she said matter-of-factly, like all of a sudden it was just okay for her to admit.
Eep!
Wait, what? All of a sudden, she was just okay admitting it? What had chang—oh. "You're not attracted to me anyway." She shrugged. Like she didn't care. At all.
At first I thought she was talking about Clark, then Superman photo, and now back to Clark. But no, she’s just talking to him.
She scrunched her nose at him and gave him a smirk. "You're an attractive man, Clark. And you know it. It's fine."
Oh? That’s a new tune. Aside from the nine o’clock Freudian slip, he is supposed to be the way way before.
he could keep up with Lois logic
Is this possessive Lois and a typo or is it ‘Lois logic’ with Lois as a qualifier?
"Are you sure you're okay? You're a bit slow today. I meant, it's fine if you don't like me like that."
It’s just, he’s really interested in Superman.
No. No, no, no...that wasn't it at all. That was definitely not fine. How had he managed to screw this up so royally?
It's fine because I know now that Superman loves me
Oh that’s evil!
Oh. There it was. Again. Hoisted by his own...spandex.
And ouch!
And now she was just going to...strategize with him, her best friend, about how to go out with...him...is this what headaches felt like?
No, it’s what it feels like when your heart gets friendzoned.
well, he couldn't exactly give her his own number.
You know, these days with people not even remembering numbers, it would work. So long as she doesn’t check her call log after
's probably off resting and letting the pheromones—well, he's probably busy."
Maybe a blonde needed his attentions?
What exactly was Superman going to say to Lois? That he’d lied? Superman didn’t lie.
How about “marry me?”
He scratched at the paper with his pencil, drawing a square and writing a big, fat zero inside. He tapped the pencil nervously against the page.
Nice action beats!
None who were so brilliant and challenging and talented.
What about Lex?
Superman couldn't go on dates. Superman couldn't have a relationship.
They could invent a secret identity for Superman.
“What do you mean? If there’s something you—did he tell you something?”
No, but Superman borrows Clark’s shower and Clark’s exposed to Superman’s expressions of unfilled love.
“What do you mean? If there’s something you—did he tell you something?” she asked, dropping her pencil and sitting up a little straighter and adjusting her shirt.
You’re doing a bang up job with the actions to the dialogue.
"No, go ahead," she challenged him, and he marveled as he watched the insecurity slowly disappear behind indignation. "Please, tell me why you don't think I should date Superman."
Because Superman’s royalty and used to dating princesses. Nigerian. Themyscaran. New Kryptonian. And queens. Prom. Corn.
Can I talk to you about it?" "I-I guess so..."
She could tell her gay best friend about Superman’s performance in … certain areas.
Where does he go when he's not performing rescues?
He stays with the last blonde rescue of the day.
He...but Superman wasn't...real. He didn't need to relax because Clark did that. He...
"I won't even tell him I love him. That's not important right now—" His eyes went wide. "You love him? Love him?" He didn't know if he was shocked or angry or thrilled.
Hmm…I may need to note this down for a Kerth nom. It’s kind of an…okay story so far.
.
.
.
"How would you know? Maybe I've spent a lot more time with him than I've told you about!"
Yes but Superman tells Clark everything the next morning.
frustrated and hurt that she was just lying to him now, implying she knew Superman better than she did, and trying to convince him that...
Maybe she wants to make him jealous so he admits that he’s interested in her and not those blonde floozies she regularly catches him with.
If anything, I'd say I know Superman better than anyone on this planet other than maybe you."
Or his mother. Or his father.
He scoffed at that. "So what's his favorite color?"
Bright red. Because he wears those bright red briefs.
"His favorite food?" "Clark!" she yelled and stood abruptly.
No, she did not mean it in the over-yonder sense if the word.
"What is wrong with you? You can't just quiz me on trivial things. Love has nothing to do with knowing someone's favorite color.
But that’s what the do on those fake-marriage tests for the Greencards.
"But he's not real, Lois! He's just some flashy costume and exciting powers. He doesn't have a favorite color or food or a place to live.
Umm Clark? You’re making a scene. It’s kind of embarrassing.
Anger roared in her eyes, her nose flared, and her hands were fists at her side. And then she stormed past him through the open conference room door, yanked open the door to the stairwell and disappeared behind the door as it slammed shut behind her.
And now she’s ticked off. Only question is, did she also figure it out?
She'd forgotten her purse. For most, he'd assume that would mean they'd be back soon and that they wouldn't get far, but with Lois...that guaranteed nothing.
She could be snatched by the Daily Kidnapper. They still haven’t found him and at least three interns and one reporter have gone missing in that stairwell in the past year alone.
And she believed that he deserved a personal life. That he should relax after a hard day's work. That he needed a friend to talk to after a difficult rescue.
Someone to lie down with. Nekkid.
She just didn't know who the man underneath the suit was. It was time she did. She deserved that much.
He’s going to tell her about Lara and Jor-El, about his wife Zara and his cousin Kara, who is presently interning with Cat? About how he’s left his world to fend for itself under the cruel thumb of Nor so he could have a rumspringen?
The absolute least he could do was spend 30 seconds to make sure she didn't have to worry about the work they didn't finish because he'd caused a fight.
Or in case they end up on an impromptu honeymoon?
A small note of panic started to play in his chest, her penchant for being in mortal danger ever-present in his mind. He stayed hovering over her building and stretched his hearing once again, listening intently for her heartbeat or any sounds of distress she might be making. But there was nothing.
She’s probably already dead in a dark alley, having given up on getting rescued by Superman.
In fact, he was starting to think he should have left her purse and coat at the Planet at her desk, because that would be the first place she'd go to look for them.
Yes, when the police start looking for her in 96 hours (double the normal time since she’s a known disappearing act), they’ll find her stuff at his place and haul him off to the station.
wasn't until he'd closed and locked the door and turned around and looked up that he saw her. Sitting there on his couch.
Um did that rascal the Prankster kidnap her, drain her, and then prop her in her partner’s living room?
She'd made herself comfortable, of course. Helped herself to a cup of tea and his Midwest U sweatshirt. Her shoes were off and set to the side of the couch, and she had both legs curled up on the couch underneath a throw blanket.
Sounds comfy instead of mad.
"I picked the lock," she said simply, not moving from her cozy spot on the couch.
Is she hiding a Superman cape under the blanket?
He nodded quickly, trying to snap himself out of this stupor. He set everything down on his kitchen table and headed for the couch. He sat down, not on the cushion next to her, but at the opposite end of the couch, his legs turned to face her.
Should we tell Lois that Cat tried the girlfriend experience first instead of vamping out and yet she still failed. Now, Lois gets the chance to fail in both approaches.
He looked up to meet her eyes, hoping that she might give him some inspiration of where to start, how to even begin to untangle this mess he'd made.
He could offer a massage?
Because, yeah, he knew now he was wrong, but he was wrong about oh so many things.
Oy, he got a “How to be a husband for Dummies” on his way home?
Nodding was safe for now.
Nice qualifier:D
"Superman is real," she said, her voice quiet but sure.
No, that’s just the pills talking.
"His favorite color is blue," she said softly.
/Points at earlier fdk comment/ Okay, it was “red” not “blue”, but I was torn between the two. “red” just was funnier from the male cliché perspective
She finally looked back at him, her eyes steady. "His favorite movie is Bull Durham, but he pretends it's Lethal Weapon when I come over because he knows that I like it better."
See, I told ya she’s figured it out!
Lois: /Opens Kerth cabinet and points/
Say something, Clark." There was a slight tremor to her voice now, all the calm and bravado worn off. "Can...can I kiss you?"
More tears spilled down her cheeks as bit at her bottom lip and nodded desperately.
awwwwwwwwwww
He did too, and like a song, he finally heard her heartbeat fill his senses.
Awww, great work with the heartbeat build up.
”You can’t just tell someone you love them, kiss them like that, and…what…You didn’t expect me to forget that…did you?”
Well it’s one of his superpowers.
"You can't kiss me like that and say you're not real." Her eyes darted to his lips briefly.
"And I was fuming, furious that you had the gall to tell me what my own feelings were and accuse me of...being so shallow that I'd only want Superman—you—for your powers and your looks."
Well, it does look like the obvious answer based on her actions.
you acted differently…flirtier with him, er, me in the suit? Then you’d turn around and call me—Clark—less than.”
Yeah, well, we’ll talk again when she shows up as the stripper for his bachelor party and he doesn’t recognize her.
Search for a secret journal you were keeping, detailing your crush on him." "What? My what?"
See?
"You were leaving...me." Her voice cracked a little. "Just when I was starting to feel...and then you weren’t attracted to me when I know we were all sprayed…" She paused, the corner of her mouth turning down for a frown. "I just...it just didn't make sense. Because I'd thought...I'd been sure...and then I wasn't..."
Yes. He’s the perfect girlfriend for a hardboiled Metropolite. And it explains Cat Grant.
It was devast—It was almost reassuring to think that it wasn't me specifically you didn't want...I just didn’t…I was a little—" "I want you," he blurted out. "I've always wanted you. The spray didn't work on me bec—"
"I can promise you I'm not madly in love with myself," he teased, hoping to make her smile again.
Not like Lex is with Lex?
“Do you trust it?” His heart hung suspended. “No,” she said simply, softly, giving his hand a squeeze. She looked back up into his eyes. "But I trust you."
Awwwwww
Lois? Can I—" Her fingers flew to his lips again to stop him. She leaned closer, and dropped her fingers...her mouth now millimeters away. “Clark,” she whispered against his lips. “Shut up and kiss me.” The End
At least he’ll be well trained for the wedding.
That was a great tale!
Michael
