Yeah! You posted and I finally got to read it! Another lovely part. And what's this 22/25 thing??
I should probably wait until Sheila has posted her response, but…
Ann, you did just fine starting the thread. But I wont disappoint, I promise!
A faint buzzing sound woke Lois what seemed like moments later. She was disoriented for a moment before she realized she was lying awkwardly on the bed, curled up on the mattress, with Clark’s fingers moving slowly through her hair. She glanced up at him and was surprised to see that he appeared to be asleep.
Even in his sleep, Clark knows that he loves Lois and unconsciously softly seeks contact with her. I was so sure that Lois would wake up with CLark holding her and struggling with what to do about it, but this was just as sweet. And neither of them seemed to be uncomfortable with it, though neither of them addressed it later. I think they are coming to terms with how much in love they are with each other but just letting things happen, naturally.
She did not mean to laugh out loud, but she could not help it. Bill Henderson was curled up like a child on the guest bed, the pillow pulled tightly to his chest. The image was sweet and so unlike Henderson that the laugh just bubbled out of her.
Henderson immediately sat up in bed, looking around before seeing Lois by the door. Deciding to ignore her outburst, he asked, “It’s 11:30?”
Lois has been privy to a side of Henderson that I'm willing to bet not many have been! LOL!
The man now turned to Clark who had stood up. “It’s great to finally meet you in person,” Agent Perrelli said to Clark. Lois was impressed both that he did not fall all over himself hero-worshipping Superman and that he managed to sound just as impressed at meeting her as he did with meeting the superhero.
Funny that Agent Perrelli's first name is Dan. And I think he may be on to Superman's identity which made him treat him as an ordinary guy.
Clark reached out his hand, placing it on top of Lois’. Squeezing her hand in a silent thank you, he smiled at Dan, “I appreciate that, Agent Perrelli. And of course, I’ll help in any way you need.”
Dan glanced at Clark’s hand on Lois’ quizzically. Seeing this, Clark moved his hand away quickly, a slight flush coming to his cheeks.
Yep. Dan knows that Superman is really Clark and he knows that he is in love with Lois.
Clark seeking contact with Lois for comfort is just so natural and so sweet and sometimes he isn't even aware that he is doing it.
“Okay,” Dan said, getting up. “I’m going to start working on this. The sooner the better since we don’t know exactly when he’s planning to send it. If I need more help, Superman, should I just call to you?”
Clark thought quickly and replied, “It’s probably best to do it the old fashioned way. It’s sometimes hard for me to distinguish voices. But you can reach me here.”
“Sounds good,” Dan replied as he moved toward the door.
Clark just confirmed both of Dan's suspicions; that he is Clark Kent and that he is in love with Lois. But I don't think Clark has to worry about his secret getting out. Henderson trusts this guy and I think he is okay to be trusted.
“Mmm…” Lois nearly swooned after she swallowed. It had been ages since she had had a good home cooked meal. Despite the lack of attention to them at the time, the meals Martha had helped with the last few days had been some of the best she had had in years until now. “Pasta?” she asked.
Clark shook his head as he moved to the oven. “No. I felt like something a bit more complicated today and thought you could use a more balanced meal to make up for all the meals you’ve been missing. I’m making eggplant parmigiana and garlic bread.”
Clark is clearly so in love with Lois and if she is honest with herself she is in love with him, too, still. If she would just concede, she could have this with Clark for the rest of their lives. And pasta? Neither of them would survive pasta...and wine? That would surely be Clark's undoing.
Lois moved toward the cabinets, singing softly under her breath. Clark moved over to help her remove plates and glasses from the cupboards, but stopped helping as Lois’ voice got louder. Suddenly, Lois realized Clark was staring at her and stopped singing. “What?” she asked.
“Nothing,” Clark smiled at her. “Just enjoying the free concert.” Reaching out, Lois grabbed a dish towel and swung it at Clark’s hip. “What?” he asked, the picture of innocence.
This is such a sweet scene and they are acting like the newly weds that they should be right now. Funny how everything about Lois just takes Clark's breath away.
“Letters to you, mostly,” he said softly. “Some were just telling you how much I cared about you and how happy I was to have known you. Some were from Superman, letting you know how sorry I was not to have saved Clark. How much I wished I could help you with your depression. I guess in the end, also just about how much I cared about you. Others, most of them, really, told you about … well, you know, that I wasn’t dead. But I knew I could never send any of them. And I got worried about someone finding them. So I burned them all and stopped writing.”
This just breaks my heart even though it was Clark's own fault.
Wiping her mouth on a napkin, Lois got up and moved over to place a kiss on Clark’s cheek. “I’m sorry you were so lonely,” she said. “And while I still feel very much like I had a right to know your secret, I want you to know that I do realize now what you did for me and I appreciate it. Even if it didn’t literally kill you, it was a really amazing thing you did stepping in front of that bullet and giving up Clark Kent. I’m glad it didn’t end up being permanent.”
Lois is offering her love and forgiveness. In spite of everything Lois realizes that Clark's only intention was to protect her.
Clark looked pained when she finished talking and got up to pace around the kitchen. Running his fingers through his hair in frustration he finally spoke, “Damn it, Lois! You’re not supposed to thank me. Do you know how un-heroic that was? I didn’t give up Clark Kent for you. It wasn’t like I thought about it and made a decision that Lois Lane was more important than Clark. I’d like to think that if I had had a chance, that’s the choice I would have made, but it’s not. I just acted on instinct. You were in danger and I knew I could take the bullet. Pushing past you involved no thought at all.”
Clark is continually chastising himself. I think he regrets destroying his chance to have more than friendship with Lois more than anything else. He just cannot get past that.
Lois pulled Clark to her, wrapping her arms around him. “I’m so sorry, Lois,” Clark whispered into her hair. “I wish I had…”
“Enough!” Lois said, her voice strong, as she pulled away. “Look, you screwed up. There’s no question about it. And you screwed up in a big way. But while it’s not the type of thing I think I can ever really forgive you for, that doesn’t mean I’m going to be angry about it forever. I understand why you did it. I don’t agree with your reasoning and I think you’re an idiot,” she smiled slightly at this, “but I do understand what you were thinking. And I do believe that you are sincerely sorry and wouldn’t be such a lunkhead as to make the same mistake again. So, I’m ready to move past this. But both of us need to be ready to move forward, Clark, not just me. You have to stop beating yourself up over this. You’ve learned from your mistakes, now it’s time to let them go.”
There, now Lois has said it. She's ready to move past this, but to what?
Clark reached out a hand and ran it along her cheek. “Thank you,” he whispered.
Lois moved forward to give him a fast hug again and then stepping back said, “So, can we go back to eating? The eggplant was delicious and now it’s getting cold.”
Clark smiled as he moved back to the table.
And this is so like Lois...to break it up before she reveals more than she's ready to.
Nicely done, but you've got to hurry up with the next part. Lois and Clark are making progress and as much as I don't want this story to end, I want to see our favourite couple get together.
Loved it! Loved it! Loved it! Brava!
~Sheila
