<Do you know why I'm up before you almost every day? Do you know why I can't sleep without being able to see you?>
Hmmmmm....did Clark profess his love in the letter?
I clapped my hands over my ears, hating that his paranoid, beautiful words were trapped in my head, emitting light, casting shadows, going round and round so that I didn't know what to think anymore. Clark had always confused me, but never like this. He had never made me feel as if I didn't know him, as if he were so far beyond me I could never reach him...as if I didn't even deserve to try.
Love this.
"Perry..." I managed before my voice gave out once again. It was as if Clark's written words had stolen my own voice from me, consigning it to the shredded state his letter had been in before I had unwisely put it back together.
I really, really want to see the whole of the letter.
Or had I simply never realized just how deep Clark's feelings ran? Had I blinded myself to what he was really feeling and thinking? Had I ignored what I didn't want to face?
To quote Tempus: "Duh!"
<The man you think is Superman is an imposter.>
Finally! Lois must think Clark's completely nuts though.
<It's the only power I have left.>
Love it.
<I can't tell you this, Lois. You have no idea how much I want to, which is why I'm writing this letter.>
Hmmmmm......
"It's all right," he said hurriedly. He stood and moved so that his back was to me, hiding his expression from me as he had never been able to hide his heart. "I guess we should...get back to work. Right, partner?"
*sigh*
The knock at the window forestalled my confession. Clark hunched even deeper in on himself while I looked to the window and saw Superman floating there, tips of skyscrapers brushing the cold-blue sky his otherworldly backdrop. My immediate impulse at seeing him was to smile, but somehow, the expression could not form itself on my face.
Anti-Supermanus Interruptus! Jimmy has competition!
<The man you think is Superman is watching us--watching me. He's doing all of Luthor's dirty work.>
*nods*
<He's playing us. He's the jailor in our prison-- >
*nods again*
I looked between Superman and Clark for a moment, about ready to grab them both and shake them until they started giving me some straight answers. But they wouldn't, I was sure. Once again, I ignored the memory of Clark's haunted message.
You probably should, Lois.
"But you said it took a lot out of you," I commented, biting my tongue to keep from letting loose an irritated retort. Why had I never before realized just how...evasive...Superman was? Had he always been this close-mouthed? I had to admit that the lack of a mask, the openness of his persona, the air of integrity that surrounded him--it had made me--it had made *everyone*--think that he had nothing to hide. Were we wrong?
Ah, finally, the lightbulbs are starting to turn on for Lois!
My vague suspicion melted away.
Annnnd they are off again. And Lois has the nerve to call Clark the lunkhead.
"I am happy, Ms. Lane." Superman looked away from Clark to meet my gaze. "I was made for a purpose, and I am fulfilling it."
"Made?" I repeated slowly, assaulted by yet another line from the letter.
Lights coming back on a bit? I hope.
And Superman kissed me.
Another woman might have frozen in astonishment, might have melted away in a burst of vapor, might have gaped up at him foolishly. But not me. I was Lois Lane, and I didn't let any amount of surprise stop me from sliding my arms around his neck and kissing him back. I had dreamed of kissing him before, but this was the first time those dreams had ever transmuted themselves into reality, given substance and form that were, ironically enough, almost dreamlike.
Nooooooooooooooooooooo!
There must, after all, be something of me in him.
Hello giant flaming clue!
Thank you SO much for giving us Clark's letter! Love this chapter. But I do kinda hope that Clark kills Anti-Supes once his powers return.
