Pizza, Movie and a Globe By Jose Antonio and Saskia
Rated: PG
Submitted: March 2003
Jose: This story has been written for Cristina on her twenty-something birthday. She’s a fantastic friend and she had been really helpful with some of my stories and the translation to Spanish of “The Parent Trap”, not to mention that she’s one of the few FoLCs from Spain (Sunny… where are you?
) I must add that I was thrilled when she accepted to write a certain project with me… I would like to thank my wonderful co-author (upgraded from BR
) Saskia for her fantastic additions to this story that have make it readable; as well as Missy and Sara for their BR, catching typos, mistakes and pointing plot holes.
Saskia: After Jose asked me to help him with this story, I could have never imagined ending up as his co-author. I started out as a Beta Reader, but with all the suggestions I made, and all the scenes I added (I guess it’s quite obvious just what I added
) Jose asked me if I wanted to be listed as his co-author. (Not to mention it saved my butt in having to write my own story for Cris <bg>) I’m very honored he asked me and am proud of our result. Thanks for all the fun I had working with you, Jose.
I also want to thank Missy and Sara for their help, you two were invaluable!
Happy Birthday, Cris!!!!!!! We hope you enjoy this bit of fluff.
Disclaimer: We don't own Lois and Clark. They are property of Warner Bros. and DC Comics.
**
Lois parked her jeep in a spot near Clark’s apartment. She turned off the engine, but instead of getting out, she stayed in the driver's seat, wondering if she should have called Clark before coming over. Okay, sometimes she dropped by unexpectedly, and he was usually home, but there had been times she had called him and he didn’t answer. Despite the fact that he was her best friend, he certainly wouldn’t be expecting her to drop by at this moment.
He had a life, friends - other than her, of course - and he was probably in love with somebody. If he got a girlfriend... God, she could lose Clark! Sure, they’d still work together, but she wouldn’t be able to spend time with him like now. For the first time in ages she was close to a man… and one who could hurt her deeply. After all, how many men did she know who’d get a friendly welcome if they visited her apartment? Certainly, not a lot.
She had picked up some cream soda and a pizza on her way after canceling her date with Lex. Yes, Lex was charming and sophisticated but… he wasn’t Clark. Lois didn’t feel as comfortable around him as she did around her partner and friend – her best friend - despite all the efforts she had done in the early stage of their acquaintance to keep him at arms length.
But he had waited patiently until her defenses lowered. Not with bad intentions, that was for sure. He was a gentleman, and compared to other men she had known in her past, he hadn’t tried to lure her into bed. He had asked her out once - well, technically, it would have been a celebration of the Messenger scoop - but she had made it clear to him how she felt… and that was probably the reason he’d never hinted at such a thing again. It was one thing to have casual dinners somewhere while working, but it was completely different to go seriously to a restaurant on a proper date.
What was she thinking? She wanted to date Clark? She only had to think about that for a second. And why not? He was a good guy; he was gorgeous, and intelligent, and he had no hidden agenda. To quote that waitress in Smallville, Maisie, “What you see is what you get,” if you discarded his mysterious disappearances. She should give him an opportunity to take her out. Maybe they could go dancing… a dinner… or maybe a movie. No, not a movie. They had gone to the theater several times already the last couple of months. But dancing and a dinner… perhaps he could demonstrate to her once again how thorough his Nigerian princess's lessons in ballroom dancing had been.
Maybe that princess had been more to him than she’d assumed originally. What if they had dated? Or more...
No, she shouldn’t dwell on the subject. Clark was here now, with her. But what if he had been in love with that woman? Would he compare her to a princess? How could she live up to that? She was no princess; her manners certainly didn’t show any sign of that.
Lois shook her head, trying to clear her head and focus on Clark. Clark and their possible relationship. That was why she was here, sitting in her car in front of his apartment.
The problem was that Clark wasn’t aware about her recent change of heart. She had never given him a hint that she could want more than friendship from him. And she had hurt him. She had forbidden herself, time and time again, to let herself feel more than friendship for him when she had told him she loved him like a brother. And the hurt in his eyes stabbed her heart… the same way she had felt just a minute ago when she had thought about Clark having had a relationship before her. For all she knew, he could have a girlfriend now that wasn’t her.
And why shouldn’t he have a girlfriend? He wasn’t hers, and, well, she’d been dating Lex. She reviewed her reactions when he had flirted with Anoinette Baines or Tony Taylor, or even with Cat, although he denied everything; she had been jealous, even then. And she was attracted to him, that was for sure. The pheromone compound proved it. She had been really lucky that he was a gentleman.
Wait a minute; he had been sprayed at the same time as her. Yet he had never shown any signs of desire for her. She had done everything except lay herself down on a big silver platter with a sign saying “Take me, I’m yours.” All he had done was resist her. Obviously, he wasn’t attracted to her. Not in the least.
All this musing was making her quite scared. Was she doing the wrong thing? What if he really wasn’t in love with her? She would look like a complete idiot and any chance of ever working with him would be shredded. Maybe she should just start the engine and go home again. Alone.
An image suddenly popped in her head. That very first stake out they had shared, the one where he had brought that fantastic Chinese food - and he still hadn’t told her where he’d found it - she had seen a look in his eyes. It had hinted at longing and a certain desire. And just the other week, he had complained about vivid dreams of her dancing in her veils. She giggled; the pheromone had really lowered her inhibitions.
Perhaps everything wasn’t lost after all.
After all, he kept showing a huge degree of jealousy every time she went out with Lex. That had to mean something. He had never liked Lex and it certainly didn’t do him any good to see Lois dating Lex. But Clark wasn’t petty enough to judge a person only because of the green-eyed monster. So maybe there was more going on than she originally thought.
Making a sudden decision, Lois went out of her jeep. She closed the door and walked to 344 Clinton Street. After watching Lethal Weapon, they could have an interesting conversation, Lois thought.
As she got closer, she saw the dim light through the front door of Clark’s apartment. He should change that door, she thought, otherwise he would have a bad experience one day. This was Metropolis - burglars were on every street corner. Fortunately for her, the light meant he was home… unless he had left abruptly in one of those weird errands he ran at the oddest times. She walked up the few steps that led to Clark’s door and knocked.
Nervousness flooded through her, and she felt the butterflies in her stomach while she waited for Clark to open the door. What if he really had another woman over? How embarrassing would that be? Lost in her musings, she barely noticed the door opening, and suddenly there he was, wearing a T-shirt and a pair of old jeans that fitted him perfectly.
“Hey, Lois,” Clark greeted with a smile.
Darn, he had a killer smile. Why hadn’t she noticed that before? Because she hid from him whenever he flashed it at her? That was a smile that made her knees go weak, and her heart began to beat faster and louder enough that she was sure the neighbors could hear it. She should calm herself; this was Clark! The same guy she worked with every day. The only problem was that she wasn’t seeing him as a workmate, or just her friend. She was looking at him as a candidate to be her boyfriend. A boyfriend! Where had that come from? She didn’t need a boyfriend.
“Lois, are you okay?” Clark asked, a bit concerned.
Lois looked at his face, showing a warm smile. “Yeah, I bought a pizza, sodas, and a surprise,” Lois showed him the small plastic bag.
“Didn’t you have a date with Lex?” Clark asked curiously as Lois came in, and he closed the door behind them.
“I ditched him. I wasn’t in the mood.” Lois gave him a wink.
Clark laughed at that, but he couldn’t resist asking. “How did he take it?”
Lois was quiet for a second, remembering the call she had made before. “I could tell by his reaction that he wasn’t happy. But he was as polite as ever.”
As Lois said that, she sat down, and both were silent while thinking of something appropriate to say. Clark picked the tape up, and once it was inside the VCR, he pushed the play button and walked back to the sofa to sit next to Lois.
The advertisements for soon-to-be-released movies were on the screen and before the movie really began, Lois decided to ask a question that she had had for a long time now. “Does that bother you?”
To Clark, the question came out of the blue. “What should bother me?”
“Me going out with Lex,” Lois stated.
Clark’s face turned serious. For Lois, it was fairly obvious it was the last question he’d expected from her, even though she knew he’d been expecting that very answer. She could see him thinking over his answer before carefully replying as the new Arnold Schwarzenegger movie was announced on the TV.
“Yes, it bothers me,” Clark finally said.
Lois looked at him, waiting for him to explore that statement.
“I don’t trust him a bit. And I certainly don’t like how he sees you. For him, you’re only a challenge,” Clark blurted out. Lois was about to reply, but Clark didn’t give her a chance. “And it’d tear me apart if he hurts you. I lo… care about you too much,” he caressed her cheek. “I don’t know what I’d do it if something happens to you.”
A single tear appeared in Lois’ eye and rolled along her cheek. It wasn’t what Clark had said, it was what he had avoided to mention. But his eyes showed it. The emotion in his eyes told Lois that, what this man, the farmboy from Kansas, felt for her, was really deep in his heart. And the realization hit her; she wasn’t the only that could be hurt. If she was honest with herself, she had hurt Clark several times during their acquaintance these past months. She remembered all too well how she’d told him just a few weeks ago that she loved him... as a brother. And what she had just seen in his eyes was love. It clearly wasn’t love of the brotherly type; he really meant it.
“That’s beautiful, Clark.” Lois rubbed her eyes to stop more tears from flowing, and she continued. “Okay, so you don’t trust him. And that’s enough for now. Tomorrow you’ll tell me what you have on him. But now, Lex is just out of the equation. It’s time for a pizza and a movie. It’s going to start finally, and the pizza is getting cold.”
**
“Clark, shouldn’t you take the tape out?” Lois asked when the movie finished.
“Yep,” Clark answered, “I should, but I’m too comfortable right here to get up to do so.”
Suddenly, Lois was aware of her position. They both sat on the sofa. She’d snuggled up to him, and he had an arm around her shoulders to keep her close. Her head rested in the crook of his shoulders. She had to admit, it really felt good, but this was getting a bit too out of line. So it had happened subtly, but they were just best friends. Lois didn’t want to throw that away. However, Clark didn’t seem to mind it at all. Somehow it felt just right. This was the first time she felt these sensations by just cuddling on the couch. She moved a bit closer to Clark. “Hmm, this is really nice.”
Lois was surprised by her own comment. So was Clark, she could see it in his eyes. Those eyes, chocolate brown. How could she have ever mistaken them for mud brown? Lois felt herself being pulled to him by some mysterious bond. It was now or never. Slowly, she leaned forward until her lips made contact with his. She wanted to kiss him so much, and it felt so good. He seemed a bit reluctant at first, but her initiative melted his resistance. The passion between them took over. This was so much better than the kisses they’d shared before under the cover of work. She knew Clark was an excellent kisser, but this was totally mind-blowing. A moan escaped her throat as she tried to breathe. The kiss broke and both stared mesmerized at each other. The thing she’d just felt was like nothing she had ever experienced before. The emotion the kiss had awakened scared her a bit. She had been right all along; Clark was the most dangerous man she had ever met. And if she allowed him to get close to her, she would get hurt again. His lips were only inches away, and she longed to feel them on hers again.
Before things got really out of control, she broke the eye contact, and while letting her head rest on Clark’s chest and his hand caressed her hair, she said: “Don’t hurt me, Clark.”
“Never,” Clark answered without a doubt.
Heaving a sigh, Lois looked Clark in the eyes. She realized he really meant it. His honesty was written all over his face, and if she looked carefully, it was in the depths of his eyes as well.
Clark didn’t have any intention of breaking her heart. True, it could happen, but that was how relationships worked. So maybe she should just ask Clark and see what would happen from then.
“Clark, why haven’t you asked me out yet?” The words were out of her mouth before she could change her mind again.
“Uh?” Clark didn’t answer immediately and carefully considered his words. “I don’t want to wreck our friendship. If I had asked you out, you could assume I wanted more than friendship. And I do, don’t get me wrong. But you didn’t seem to want it or be ready for it.”
“True, and I didn’t,” Lois confirmed, “or at least I wouldn’t admit it.”
“And now?”
“You have to ask after that kiss? As I got to know you, I realized that it would be so easy to fall in love with you… smart, fun, polite and the fact you’re dead gorgeous doesn’t hurt either.” She winked at him, making Clark blush. “Hey, I’m not Cat, but I can say that sometimes she has good taste,” Lois continued.
“Lo-is,” Clark said, “I told you that nothing happened with her.”
Lois threw him a questioning look. Had he really resisted Cat Grant in her lair?
“Nothing,” Clark raised his hand, “boy scout’s word. Nothing happened with her or with any other woman.”
Lois’ eyes widened at his admission, and his face denoted the fact that he had told her way too much; he was staring at the table now, and his cheeks were most definitely turning red. “When you say nothing, you mean that you’re v… very patient.” The newfound information was hard to process and she couldn’t bring herself to mention the word.
“Eh…”
“Why Clark? As far as I know you’re not a religious person, and I think you have had opportunities enough. Cat herself, for example,” Lois said.
“I hadn’t found the right person,” Clark explained. “For me, making love is to be in love. And I haven’t been in love until that day in Perry’s office when a certain stubborn, pigheaded, brilliant, wonderful woman with a fantastic body, which doesn’t hurt, came in,” Clark stated, winking at her and Lois felt her cheeks turn red.
“Come on, Clark,” Lois replied, “you’ve surely met women who are more beautiful than me on your travels. What about that Nigerian princess?”
“Oh, I can’t deny she wasn’t beautiful,” Clark answered, “but… I can’t explain why I fell in love with you.” Clark shrugged. “Once I met you, I needed to be near you. It’s almost like you make me feel completed.”
When Clark finished speaking, Lois turned again and kissed him.
Just before their lips touched, she whispered a “thank you.” Before the kiss would go too far, Lois pulled away again and stared deep into Clark’s eyes. “You really mean that, don’t you?”
“Yes.” His voice was filled with love for her.
“I like that thought.” After a few moments she spoke again. “I know I haven’t acted like it, but I really like you too.”
Silence followed before Clark pulled her close for another kiss, this time letting it linger. His hands caressed her back, while Lois was moving her hands through his hair. After a while they both came up for air again, but neither released the other.
Softly, Lois asked after a while: “So, where are you taking me tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow?” Clark glanced at his watch, “you mean today?”
Lois patted Clark’s chest teasingly. “Later, if you prefer, after sleeping, working…”
“What do you think about that new Italian restaurant, Da Alfredo?” Clark asked. “I’ve heard it’s a good place.”
“It’s a date,” Lois answered. “We’ll set the hour later, when we see how work is.”
“And Lex?” Clark asked, suddenly turning serious.
Lois looked at him with an expression on her face not too different from his. “I’ll tell him that he’s history for me… even if there wasn’t something between us in the first place.”
Even after her words, she could see that he was still concerned. Luckily, he spoke to voice his thoughts. “He’s not going to like that, and I think he doesn’t take rejections easily. We’ll have to be careful.”
“Yeah, I agree,” Lois stated. “And the worst part is going to be when he finds out that I ditched him for you.”
“Hey!!!” Clark complained.
“Don’t play offended,” Lois retorted, kissing him lightly on the lips. “To him, you’re a nobody, a nuisance, a hack from nowheresville.” Lois smiled evilly at the last remark.
“Okay,” Clark said laughing. Then he suddenly turned serious again while asking. “But,” he added, “What about Superman?”
Lois blinked and let out a heavy sigh. He was right to ask. How many times hadn’t she told Clark in the past how gorgeous she thought Superman was? Or how she’d be fawning over the hero in front of Clark? For some reason, being with Clark now made her totally forget about the Man of Steel. She had been daydreaming about a date with Superman often enough, but dating Clark was far more appealing.
“Clark, do you really think I could have a relationship with him?”
“What do you mean?” Clark asked back.
“I mean, it’s like when you’re young and you have a crush on the latest movie star or singer,” Lois explained. “They are not going to give you a second look.”
“But Superman is your friend,” Clark pointed out.
“Yes, but that’s all he’s going to be,” Lois said. “Clark, Superman can’t have a girlfriend, or a wife. Heck, I can imagine The Dirt Digger or the next gossiper looking for fame pursuing me to see what color my lingerie is or asking if he’s good in bed.” Clark blushed and Lois laughed. “You want to know too?” She asked.
“Ehmm, no,” Clark answered quickly, getting quite red cheekbones.
“Good boy!! If you are good, maybe someday I’ll let you peek.” Lois patted his chest and decided a kiss wouldn’t hurt.
She closed the distance between their mouths once again. She felt Clark hesitate a bit before responding. His hands moved over her back into her hair. Just when he was deepening the kiss, she pulled away again.
With a teasing smile, she said: “And now, since it’s late, I should head home. Otherwise, I’ll be sleepy during our date.”
“Stay here,” Clark suggested. The comment came out of the blue, even to him.
“Clark!!!” Lois gasped. How could he suggest that?
“Uh?” Clark thought for a second. “Oh, no, not that way. You take the bed. I stick with the sofa.”
“Oh, well, I thought you meant… it’s not that I don’t want to be with you… but I’m not ready for it.”
“Me neither,” Clark hastened to assure her.
Lois smiled warmly at him. “I’d like to stay in that case,” she said a bit shy. “But I do need something to wear.” She stood up and let him do the same.
“Rewind the tape while I look for a T-shirt,” Clark suggested, and Lois went next to the VCR and pushed the rewind button. It hasn’t finished yet when Clark was back with his Midwestern-U T-shirt and a pair of sport pants in his hands. “This will be a bit big for you. I’ll put the tape in the box while you change.”
Lois smiled, and accepting the clothes, she made her way to the bathroom. While she took her clothes off, she reviewed the events of the night. At first she had felt relieved when Lex accepted her excuse for killing their date. And then she had been scared that Clark could have other plans that didn’t involve her. She had never liked to see a woman near him and now knew why. She had slowly been falling in love with her partner. She had though before she was in love with Paul or Claude… or even Superman. That had been an infatuation or a schoolgirl crush. The main difference now was that Clark loved her back. Lois could see that in his eyes when he looked at her.
Wearing the clothes Clark had given her, Lois walked out of the bathroom. Clark was standing next to the bed, waiting for her. He had his shorts and a T-shirt on, as well as his omnipresent pair of glasses. Lois thought it was funny, she had never seen him without his glasses. Giving him a smile she climbed on the bed and tucked herself into the sheets. Clark kissed her gently on the forehead, whispering, “Good night, sweetie. I love you.”
“Good night, Clark. I love you too,” Lois replied automatically and only then realizing she really meant it.
From her position, Lois observed Clark walking to the sofa, and preparing to go to sleep, like she had done already. The last thing she saw before sleep overtook her was Clark taking off his glasses and placing them on the table.
**
The sound of a restless Clark walking awoke Lois. It was still dark outside, but inside the apartment a strange light made its way to her eyes. As Lois’ eyes adapted to her surroundings, she could see the light came from a small lid. Clark fiddled with a key and opened the lid. Inside, there was a glowing globe. Her friend seemed concerned and picked it up. It took less than a second, but an image or some sort of hologram appeared. It was a man, and Lois, focusing her eyes, noticed the same emblem that Superman wore on his suit. What was Clark doing with a globe that obviously belonged to Superman?
Before she had time to figure that question out, the image started speaking.
“My name is Jor-El. And you are Kal-El, my son. The object you hold has been attuned to you. That you now hear these words is proof that you survived the journey in space and have reached your full maturity. Now it is time for you to learn your heritage. To that end, I will appear to you five times. Watch for the light, listen, and learn,” the man said. The image changed and Lois could see a woman working on a computer with Jor-El. He said her name was Lara.
Lois listened and observed the message with great interest. When it ended, the globe stopped glowing and Clark seemed lost. Her senses had been tuned in to the message, but now she was looking at Clark. He wasn’t wearing his glasses and his face denoted that Jor-El’s words had affected him. A lost conversation in the first stages of their acquaintance popped into her mind, “It’s the not knowing that kills you,” he had said then. She knew he had been adopted by the Kents, but what if he had just met his real parents…and his origin? Unless there was a really big mistake in her thoughts, Clark Kent hadn’t been born on Earth. Clark Kent was from Krypton. Clark Kent was Superman.
Finally, all the pieces of the puzzle fell together. Now that she knew, she wondered why she’d never seen it before. The glasses and hair-style were all that made them appear different. At least she knew where Clark always ran off to; as Superman, he had to save the world.
It also meant Clark had lied to her from the moment they’d met! Too sleepy to consider that part of the revelation, she got out of bed. They both should get some more sleep. They could discuss this in the morning after a decent cup of coffee. Lois knew she would be more coherent then. No need to get in a fight when some of the details were still missing.
Lois approached Clark slowly, careful not to startle him. The image was long gone, but he was still staring at it, as if he could magically make it reappear.
Finally, he looked up at her. The far away look in his eyes immediately made place for horror, shock and something she couldn’t quite define. He must have guessed she had put two and two together. How well he knew her.
“Don’t worry, Clark. It’s okay.”
“It is?”
“Sure. I mean, it’s a lot to take in, but we’ll be fine.”
“Thanks, Lois.”
“Now lets go back to sleep. We’ll discuss this in the morning and they we’ll see how mad I am. For now, I just want to sleep.”
“Are you sure?” Clark asked, not believing she was saying this. He had just noticed the strange glow in the bedroom and went to investigate. For all he knew, Lois could be in danger, again. It wasn’t Lois, but the globe that had woken him up. After the image popped up, he completely forgot his surroundings. He knew he should have walked back to the living room, or even the bathroom. It wasn’t like there was a stop button on the thing to let him play it when he had time for it. With Lois around, all hell could break loose. Not that she saw it like that, which was a good sign.
“I’m sure, Clark,” Lois replied while she smile at him.
Clark put the globe back in the lid. While he made his way back to the couch, he found himself faced with Lois. She grabbed his hand and led him back to the bedroom. Without a word, she pulled him on the bed with her.
Seconds later, both were in the bed, their hands interlaced and their bodies close to each other. Clark dropped a kiss on Lois hair. “I love you,” he whispered.
“I love you too,” she replied.
There was a long silence, both enjoying each other’s company. Then Lois turned her face to him and asked while breaking the silence, “Hey, you don’t snore, do you?”
“No, I don’t think so,” Clark answered, “but…”
“But what?”
“I float,” Clark admitted.
Lois smiled and replied, “Ah, no problem, as long as I’m the only one who gets to float with you.”
The End
