Hi all,
We thank you so much for all the complimentary and thoughtful comments
you've given us on this
story . We are just 'blown away'!
As some of you have remarked, this is Season 1 Lois and we felt that she
wouldn't deal well with a fairly intimate situation that she wasn't at all
ready to accept. Clark also isn't thinking straight, and he is reacting
badly to what he sees as Lois' rejection. He is, in a word, 'sulking'!
His illness has caused him to lose his one great assest in dealing with
Lois... his patience.
Please hang in there, because there is a silver lining to the clouds that
are hanging over Lois and Clark at the moment.
Yours SQD & Jenni
++++
Chapter 8
Honeymoon In Metropolis?
Clark drummed his pen abstractedly on his desk, much to the detriment of the unsuspecting writing implement and wooden desktop. For the fifth time he lifted his head to gaze at Lois, realizing that she hardly seemed to notice he existed these days. He sighed gloomily and tried again to concentrate on his work.
"Really rubs you raw, doesn't it?" a husky, sultry voice spoke close by his ear.
Clark turned quickly to see Cat Grant pull up another chair and sit down next to him. Just what was it about Cat that made her so persistent when she was in hot pursuit of a juicy rumour? Scratch that, she was the 'society' columnist, and he supposed that this skill was likely a prerequisite of the job. He just wished she wasn't quite so good at 'sniffing' out scandals, or would, at least, turn her attention away from her work colleagues. She'd been goading both him and Lois for the past two weeks and he was sure that her comments, along with those of the many other gossips, were contributing factors to why Lois was shying away from him so much.
"What's that, Cat?" Clark asked in exasperation.
"To love someone so much and they hardly know you're alive?" Surprisingly, Cat's expression changed to one of genuine concern.
Clark rushed to assure Cat she was wrong. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Sure you do," she said as she placed her hands over his on the desk, detaching the mangled pen from his grasp and dropping it in the trashcan. "Tell me, Clark. Why did you marry her?"
He extricated his hands and turned back to his computer. "I don't think my *wife* is any of your business." He was a little upset that Cat would ask such a question -- actually it was a little too close for comfort -- and his voice sounded more truculent than normal. It was *nobody's* damned business but his and Lois' what they did.
Cat retrieved a tissue from the box on Clark's desk and daubed at the ink stains on her fingers. "Relax, Clark. You can have your *wife*, only I couldn't help noticing how distracted you've been all week, or that Lois has stayed late every night. Now I know everyone thinks I always have an ulterior motive, but I was just a bit worried for you... that's all."
Clark pushed up from his desk, his emotions clearly getting the best of him. "Thank you for your concern, but Lois and I are fine, Cat."
She held up her hands in surrender. "If you say so."
"I do," he commented, stifling a surge of contrition as he turned his back on Cat and headed toward Lois' desk. Cat had seemed uncharacteristically sympathetic, yet, suddenly, he felt the need to talk to Lois so that everyone could see for themselves that his marriage was just... fine! He refused to acknowledge the little voice inside his head that kept asking him what he'd really expected from this arrangement. It certainly hadn't been hearts and flowers, but neither had he foreseen himself stranded in such a 'mine-field'.
He stopped cold a good five feet from Lois' work-station. She was on the phone and he had just picked up with whom.
"No, Lex. I can't tonight... Yes. I'm sure... You, too." Lois laughed softly at something her caller said and tossed her hair to one side in an unconsciously sexy motion.
Was she actually flirting with the man over the phone? Clark could hardly believe what he was hearing and seeing. She smiled coyly and lowered her voice an octave. That was enough for him. He closed the distance to her and cleared his throat loudly.
Lois looked up to see Clark towering over her. "I'm sorry, Lex. I have to go... Yes... I will. Bye." For a few seconds, she'd been tempted to ignore the intrusion but, on this occasion, caution won out over obduracy. Nevertheless, she put the receiver down with a decided thud and eyed Clark again. "Did you need something?"
"Who were you talking to?" he asked, his jaw clenching in irritation.
Lois took in his stony expression, aware he was more than a little angry. "Why don't you tell me?" she said in an equally demanding tone.
Clark ignored Lois' question and plunged ahead with another of his own. "Did you tell him about us?"
"So you *were* listening," Lois accused him. She rose to her feet, preparing for a face off, the knowledge that he would do such a thing goading her to action. "How dare you eavesdrop on my phone conversations?"
"And how dare you flirt with your *boyfriend* right in front of me?" Clark threw back at her. He was beyond resentment now. He was hurt. Her constant avoidance of him of late, along with her flippant treatment of their marriage had pushed him too far and this conversation with Lex was the last straw.
Lois glanced quickly around the room. Their voices had risen, attracting the attention of their co-workers. That was the last thing they needed. "We'll finish this at home," she said in a lower tone.
"Oh really? Does that mean you're going to bless me with your presence tonight?" The words were harsh, yet Clark also lowered his voice, believing that the gossip-mill should not be fed any new fodder.
"And what is that supposed to mean?" Lois stared daggers through him.
"You're the award winning journalist. You figure it out!" Clark snapped his final statement before marching for the small flight of stairs which led to the coffee area and, traversing that at almost superspeed, he disappeared through the stairwell door.
Lois could only stand there and fume, but when she regained her senses and looked around, she found a medly of faces watching her in fascination, some shocked or upset, but a few had the gall to smirk! Not Cat. Cat was staring at her with one eyebrow raised quizzically and when she caught Lois' eye, she gave a tiny despairing shake of her head. Cat's reaction might have made Lois think twice had she been in a calmer frame of mind, as it was it merely annoyed her further. After all, Cat Grant was hardly in a position to question anyone's morals!
"What? Haven't you people ever seen a couple argue before?!" The newsroom staff immediately scurried back to work while Lois dropped into her chair with an indignant grunt. How dare these people listen to what she and her… what she and Clark talked about?
She couldn't concentrate for the next few moments. What had just happened?
<Clark called your bluff.>
This was no time for her conscience to remind her of the things she'd done... well, of the things she'd done!
<But what have I done?>
She answered that almost instantly. Since they'd come back from their honeymoon, she'd been avoiding him... and she had been 'flirting' with Lex... just a little. If Clark had realized this wasn't the first time she'd talked to Lex since his return to Metropolis three days earlier, the argument would have been even more explosive.
Lois attempted to squash a vague feeling of guilt as she acknowledged she was keeping some things from Clark. Though she might pretend otherwise, she was completely aware that that was no way to start a marriage.
<This isn't a real marriage!> her inner voice defended her, even as her conscience was quick to reply.
<But you were the one who'd insisted that just because it wasn't conventional didn't make it any less real!> Lois leaned her elbows on her desk and dropped her head into her hands, while earlier conversations with Clark unspooled in her mind. <And weren't you the one who'd implied that you would try to make a life with Clark for the sake of the baby?>
Lois hid her face behind the mask of her hands, but she couldn't hide so easily from her warring thoughts. *She* was the one who wouldn't share a room with her husband. *She* was the one who constantly threw up barriers between them and reasoned that it was to maintain her own individuality.
And, even if she *did*
see a divorce at the end of this marriage, why spend so much energy worrying about the logistics of it now? After all, wasn't Clark getting what he wanted -- peace of mind and legitimacy for their child? She had nothing to reproach herself for.
<But you never told him you'd lead a separate life. You actually inferred that you and he would get to know each other.>
Damn that inner voice for constantly suggesting she was being totally unfair to Clark. All he'd asked of her was that she marry him before this baby was born. In fact, he hadn't ever demanded things of her she couldn't deliver and he hadn't forced her into this. He'd even given her a way out! So, why did she find it so difficult to be civil to her husband? Heck, it was difficult for her to even call him that. And just how was she supposed to handle this latest situation?
She sighed and stood up from her desk. There wasn't much more she could do here tonight, so she might as well go home and prepare to eat humble-pie. However, that dish was probably too much of a bitter pill for Ms Lois Lane to swallow... and she really did need to stop talking to herself in such old, cliched metaphors! She was an award-winning journalist for heaven's sake and she ought to be able to come up with a few originals of her own. With all this stress, she could be losing her edge!
<You could be losing Clark!> her conscience came back at her with a stab of fear and Lois was prepared to admit that was a far worse prospect. <No, that's not going to happen! This transplant will work and life between us will return to normal... whatever normal is! So just go on home and try to have a nice peaceful evening with Clark. He's sick and scared and he doesn't need you making his life more difficult.>
****
Clark chose to fly patrols most of the night. If he'd gone home, Lois and he would probably have continued to argue and he just didn't feel up to it. He entered the apartment sometime after two in the morning as quietly as he could. Lois was asleep and he settled in for the night as well, feeling relieved, yet slightly peeved that she hadn't waited up for him.
<Geez, Clark! Give the girl a break, will you? You can't have it both ways!>
The next morning he showered and was gone before she even got up. Maybe he'd try her avoidance technique for a while.
Lois, however, had stayed up to wait for Clark but, as the hours of the clock crept slowly closer to midnight, she'd given up and gone to bed. By the time her alarm woke her from a troubled sleep the
next day, he'd gone. Lois gritted her teeth as she checked the empty apartment then pulled a business suit from her closet.
She'd been prepared to admit that she might have acted a little unfairly towards him. After all, they had gotten along pretty well in Florida and, no doubt, Clark had expected that to continue. Only, back there, she'd allowed herself to forget that she'd be living with him for the forseeable future. Now that 'sharing' was a reality, she found the forced intimacy smothering.
And when they'd decorated Clark's room that first weekend, she'd realised that for all Clark's insisting they would be just 'best friends', he did want more than she was willing to give and she couldn't ignore that suspicion any longer. But that wasn't all of it. She too had caught a glimpse of how good things could be between them and that scared her senseless.
She'd slammed and barricaded the door on that 'cosy little scenario' -- after all, no one knew better than Lois that such 'togetherness' didn't last. She chose to distance herself by spending as much time as possible out of the apartment, reminding herself again that this had not been her idea and she didn't have to like it. Lois was her own person and she wasn't the type of woman who enjoyed playing 'house'.
Last night she'd been prepared to sit down with Clark to explain some of what she was feeling. But, of course, the cowardly fink had been a no-show and his evasion tactics only served to irritate her more. Well, Super-cop-out, two could play that game!
She showered, dressed, and left for Star Labs. They had a procedure this morning. She'd made a commitment to have this baby and she would. But she hadn't made any more promises and Clark wasn't about to get them. The question of how things would be after the baby arrived completely escaped Lois' perception.
Clark had left the sample with Dr. Klein, so everything was ready when Lois arrived. At least, she was becoming more accustomed to the undignified process and it only took a short time before she left for the Planet.
When the elevator deposited her at the newsroom floor, she searched for Clark. He was retrieving copies from the machine and glanced up at her, but quickly averted his gaze. Obviously, he still wanted to play games.…
Lois firmed her jaw and headed for her desk. If Clark Kent wanted to see 'Mad Dog' Lane in action, she'd show him with a vengeance.
****
Unknown to Lois, Clark had also been doing some soul-searching. During his lonely patrols and his uneasy sleepless night, Clark had made up his mind to just follow through with the insemination procedure without trying to push for any kind of 'real' relationship with Lois. He would settle for them just being friends. Now all he had to do was tell this to her.
He was surprised when Lois came up to him and asked if they could speak in private. Feeling a little apprehensive, he followed her into the conference room and shut the door.
"Look," she said as she twirled to face him, getting directly to the point in true Lois style. "You knew coming into this that I didn't want to do this..."
"I know."
"I work... a lot. That's who I am!" She had started to pace as she argued her case. "I won't change for you."
"I didn't say you had to."
"No, but you expect… something." She stopped and waved her hand in front of her.
"I just expect us to be friends," Clark told her. "We *do* live together. I just thought we could be civil toward one another."
"Then why did you go all macho about Lex?"
"Lois..."
"No, don't tell me." She held up her hand to stop him. "Your jealousy always gets the best of you and makes you do stupid things."
"What?" Clark stared at her. "Jealous? Of Lex? Please," he said with a dismissive chuckle. "I'm not jealous of Lex."
"Oh really?" She challenged as she folded her arms across her chest.
"Yes really," he told her as he faced her down.
"Then what was all that yesterday?"
"Well, what man wouldn't have a problem when his *wife* carries on an obviously intimate conversation with another man?" Lois took a step back because Clark's voice had deepened and he had taken a step toward her. It made him appear threatening.
"My God, Lois. If you're going to do that, at least do it out of the newsroom."
"I know we don't need to feed the rumor mill, but Clark, this marriage isn't real," she so painfully reminded him.
That statement hit Clark like a ton of bricks. No matter what Lois had implied previously, she'd finally admitted the truth... their marriage was an illusion! He'd already come to terms with that unhappy fact . However, standing here now, feeling Lois' words slam into his heart, hurt a lot more than he thought they would.
He shoved his feelings aside. "You're right. It's not." His voice was clipped and he turned to leave.
"Clark, come on. What did you expect?"
"Nothing. I didn't expect a thing," he said softly without looking back at her. He reached out to grasp the doorknob. "Why don't we just agree to stay friends?"
She stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Clark..."
"Just... don't." He couldn't stand her pity. He dropped his head a moment before turning and lifting his eyes to hers. "Friends. We said from the start we'd be friends."
"And I haven't been doing a very good job, have I?" He didn't answer, just looked back at the door. "I'm sorry. I'll work on it."
"And Lex?" He hadn't planned to say that. It just slipped out. He bit his bottom lip while he waited for her answer.
"I shouldn't have carried on a conversation past telling him I'm not available."
"Are you, Lois?" Clark turned and looked directly at her. He couldn't help it. He had to know where she stood.
Lois stared into Clark's deep, dark eyes for a long moment before she answered. While she might not be married in the true sense of the word, was she really prepared to embarrass Clark by openly dating another man? "No," was softly spoken.
Clark continued to look at Lois for a few seconds. He wished that was true, but he suspected she was only trying to make him feel better. Right now he wasn't sure how he felt, though he did spend a good deal of time wondering why he'd allowed them to get into this complicated situation in the first place.
<You didn't want to die alone.>
With that thought, he forced a smile onto his face. "Okay! One day at a time." When all else failed, he liked to remember that agreement.
"One at a time," Lois agreed with a small smile in return.
He nodded before he opened the door. They returned to work with a little more understanding between them. Where they'd go from here only time would tell, but Clark hoped this incredible tension would be somewhat relieved.
****
Things started to get a little easier for the couple after that. Lois made an effort to come home earlier and try to become comfortable in her new… surroundings. The problem was it didn't feel like it was really her home. She felt like an intruder, as if she were visiting. And more than once she'd had to ask herself if that wasn't what she was doing. By contemplating divorce as soon as Clark was on the road to recovery, she was essentially implying this *wasn't* her home. That she was just staying here until such time as she could leave.
Lois was partly aware that it wasn't helpful to feel this way. So, to ease her mind and to show Clark she was willing to work on their relationship, she sucked up her courage and decided to discuss how she felt with Clark... and this time, she wouldn't get sidetracked by a silly argument.
Lois chose her moment one evening when they'd unexpectedly left the newsroom together and found themselves agreeing to eat in the Italian restaurant on the next block from the Daily Planet. Somehow she thought it might be easier to broach this subject on neutral territory.
Yet, for the first part of the meal, she'd procrastinated by talking about their latest investigation at work. Now, as the conversation ground to a halt and her fork trawled through her pasta one more time, Clark laid his cutlery aside.
"Come on, Lois, what's on your mind?"
"Huh?" Lois looked up to find Clark's intent gaze upon her.
"Lois, normally, you can't get enough of Rosa's 'angel-hair pasta'. So what's different tonight?"
Almost defiantly, Lois stopped making pictures in her food and, rolling some of the delicate strands around her fork, she shoved it into her mouth. She'd moved so quickly, the thick sauce dribbled on her lips and she licked it away quickly, hoping that Clark wouldn't notice. But, of course, another glance at him through her lashes, proved that he'd caught her in the act. He was regarding her with a soft, though slightly quizzical smile.
"Okay!" Lois took one last bite of her food, then sat back. "There was something I did want to discuss with you...."
"Yes?" Clark patiently waited as she took a sip of her water, obviously trying to decide where she would start. "You know you can tell me anything," Clark reminded her gently in hopes of easing her nervousness. Was she about to tell him that she couldn't go on with the false marriage? He'd truly believed that things had been improving between them since they'd reaffirmed their agreement to take one day at a time.
"I know that, Clark. I might not show it sometimes, but I do think of you as my best friend."
She was smiling warmly at him, and he felt the cold fist which had contracted round his heart ease a little. Even if their living together was only a sham, he couldn't face the thought of it ending. Lois started to speak again so softly that he almost had to use his superhearing to listen.
"But...." Lois' voice trailed away. She understood this was a sensitive subject and it was one she really wanted to talk about, yet she didn't want to hurt Clark anymore.
Why was there always a but? Clark thought dejectedly.
"You know, Clark, I've never really lived with anyone full time since I was in High School. I had a huge fight with my Dad when I was a senior and I moved out. I shared a room in college for a while, and Lucy has lived with me at the apartment now and then, but it's all been on a pretty transient nature."
"And living with me is very similar." Clark couldn't hide his disappointment.
"No!" Lois stretched out her hand to cover Clark's "No, that's not what I'm saying." In her rush to ameliorate Clark's pain, Lois temporarily forgot her safety-net plan for divorce. "I just feel... stifled. As if, in learning to share, I'm losing myself."
"Lois, I never wanted you to give up your independence. It's one of the things that I lo... appreciate most about you!"
Lois smiled at Clark, grateful for his restraint; she really couldn't have dealt with a declaration of love at the moment, however casual it was.
"Clark, I'm just finding it all pretty scary -- the compromises."
"Forced intimacy," Clark suggested, nodding his head. He really didn't mind these things, but he needed Lois to know he understood.
"Sharing responsibilities... never alone," Lois added, averting her eyes. There, she'd said it; she just prayed Clark would understand.
"Never alone," Clark repeated slowly. "Lois, maybe I could do something about that."
Lois' eyes rose to lock with Clark's. "What? I can hardly throw you out of your home."
"It wouldn't be like that, Lois. You know, my dad is pretty busy with the farm this time of year. Harvest is coming up and I usually fly out to give him a hand --'Superman style'." Clark dropped his tone on the last words. "Mom wouldn't mind cooking my meals for me either. It would give her a chance to fuss over me -- make sure I was eating properly."
"But are you well enough to fly out to Kansas every night?" Lois found herself doing an about face as her worries for Clark's health surfaced.
"I don't intend to do it every night, Lois. Maybe just two or three times a week. And, at least, when I'm at the farm I won't be so busy with Superman rescues... there's not much that goes on in sleepy Smallville."
"Two or three nights would give me a chance to do my own thing. So, if you're sure, then I agree," Lois said with a tiny smile. "But only on the condition that you'd tell me if you're not feeling up to it."
"I promise, Lois. And you should take the chance to make any changes that you want to the apartment. After all, for the moment, my home is your home, so you have as much right to be comfortable there."
Lois felt herself begin to relax and she nodded in agreement. "Okay, and maybe we could eat together on some of the other nights when you're not with your folks. Course, you'd have to do the cooking; I wouldn't want to poison you."
"That's not a problem, Lois. I enjoy cooking."
"I'd ask you to teach me, but it's not one of my skills..."
"Yeah, I remember you only know how to make four things..."
"And only one without chocolate," Lois giggled.
Her partner's eyes twinkled and both of them began to laugh enthusiastically. Lois was the first to regain her senses.
"Friends?" she asked him hesitantly.
"Best friends!"
It wasn't what Clark dreamt of, but it was much more than he'd realistically expected. And as they walked home arm in arm, Lois seemed more content than she'd been since they'd returned from Florida. One day at a time -- that was fast becoming his motto.
*****
The very first evening that Clark had flown home to his parents' farm, Lois took up Clark's offer and rearranged the kitchen cabinets, and, when an immediate sense of satisfaction washed over her, she did the same in the bathroom. Lois couldn't deny that doing so *did* make her feel better about living in his apartment.
With the newfound confidence she got from adding her own touches to the apartment, Lois took it upon herself to take over some of the bills. Clark had been mildly upset that she hadn't discussed it with him first, but she quickly reminded him of their conversation in the restaurant, and that if this was *their* home, it also meant that the bills were theirs. But to avoid further confusion in the future, they split the expenses so the other would know who would pay what and when.
The harmony between the two carried over into their work and they managed to break two major investigations wide open in a little over a week. Perry loudly announced that his star reporters were truly a team. Unfortunately that announcement gave Lois another case of the jitters. The tense atmosphere returned, so Clark decided an extra night a week with his parents would be best for all concerned. However, he played up the excuse that his dad really needed the extra help on the farm. The last thing he wanted to do was make Lois feel he was avoiding her again as that would surely lead to another unwanted argument.
****
Clark had visited his parents four times during the week to give Lois time alone. It seemed to help restore a little of her confidence and Lois' attitude certainly did improve from the previous weeks. The night arrived when they were supposed to share dinner together but, much to his disappointment, Lois begged off with some excuse. Clark was tempted to remind her of their deal, but he was just too tired to muster an argument. Instead, he decided to go home early, alone, take a shower, grab a sandwich and head up to his room.
His shower did wonders to improve his mood and, feeling refreshed, he concluded he just might be up for a light dinner. Slipping into his jeans, but without his shirt and glasses, Clark stepped into the bedroom and came face to face with Lois.
"Hi. I didn't expect to see you home so early."
Lois could only stare at Clark. He stood in front of her, half naked, presenting a very... very nice picture. Where had that thought come from? Lois had seen Clark without a shirt before. He hadn't worn one for a bit on their wedding night.
<But he had his back to you.>
And at Star Labs…
<He was sick and you hadn't been looking.>
But... but.... Lois' brain seemed stuck in limbo and she found it almost impossible to voice a single thought.
The only other time she could remember seeing him without a shirt 'and' looking was when he first got hired at the Planet and she'd picked him up for work at that seedy little motel he'd been staying at. Surely she couldn't find anything to say because Clark was standing in front of her bare-chested?
<Come on, Lois. You'd been tongue tied that first time, too.>
"Lois?" She hadn't spoken and looked a little distressed.
She shook her head and focused on Clark's face. "Ah… wh… what?"
"Are you okay? You don't look so good." Clark's face was a picture of concern.
"I'm fine," she told him quickly as she brushed past him to gather clothes so she could change.
"You sure?"
She stopped to look at Clark. What was it with this truth thing? She'd found herself more than once lately not being able to hide anything from Clark. "If you must know, you…" She waved her hand. "Took me by surprise."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."
"You didn't." Her eyes travelled down to his broad chest again before returning to meet his gaze. "You just… well, you're dressed... nicely... scantily, but nice... very nice!" " She turned away as a blush washed up her face. The last thing she wanted was for Clark to see how impressed she was by his appearance.
Clark looked down at himself, then his own embarrassment rose. "Oh," he said softly. "I, ah, I'll just go put a shirt on." He made his way toward the stairs, but stopped a few steps up. "Lois?"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you."
She looked up at him. "For what?"
He quelled the heat that was threatening to consume him again. Could Lois be more physically attracted to him than she was ready to admit? Clark could only hope, and he wasn't above encouraging her in that department. With one of his dazzling smiles, he answered simply, "I believe I'd like to take your statement as a compliment."
Lois stared wide-eyed for a moment, jolted by Clark's almost suggestive response. She hadn't wanted him to know he'd affected her. However, Clark's appreciation made her feel... heady, and that was something Lois hadn't felt in quite a while... perhaps ever! Not that she wanted to delve deeper into that -- it was just that by making her feel this way, he'd given her a sense of power. Was that the right word? Simply put, Clark had made her feel good about her sexuality. It was kinda nice to feel that way and trust that the man making it happen wanted nothing more from her.
She offered him a small smile. "You're welcome."
He grinned back before continuing his journey upstairs. He'd been right. His gesture had a positive affect on Lois. Now if he could just figure out more ways to keep this mood going, just maybe he'd have a chance to unwind and enjoy his marriage.
Lois changed and Clark prepared them some soup with crusty bread, finishing off with a slice of Martha's home-made apple pie that they shared, sitting on the living room sofa watching a game show. The healthy debate over the answers was something else they seemed to need at the moment, forgetting more personal problems in the competitive, yet friendly squabbling. Two relaxed, more comfortable people went to sleep later that night, and even Lois admitted she was glad she'd come home early.
****
<What's wrong with you, Lois?>
Instead of getting on with her research, she'd been having a mental debate with herself all morning. Since she'd surprised a 'shirtless' Clark the night before, that's all she'd thought about. She kept glancing over at him just to get another peak. She was being as silly as a schoolgirl. This was crazy! She wasn't a teenager who couldn't control her hormones.
She looked at him again. He was just Clark. She'd seen him before. Heck, she lived with him.
<But you've never seen him quite like that!>
She groaned as she tried to focus on her monitor. Why was she acting this way? She and Clark were just friends. She didn't want anything more from him, especially *that* anything.
<Doesn't hurt to look!>
She smiled slightly at that thought. No, she guessed it couldn't hurt to look now and then. After all, they were married. Wasn't it okay to look at him from time to time? And he *was* easy on the eyes!
Lois was so caught up in her musings that she jumped slightly when the ringing phone cut through her thoughts. She snatched it up quickly, glad of the much needed distraction. "Lois Lane?"
"Lois, my darling, how are you? I know, I know. I promised I'd call you back last week. I've been busy with one of those messy corporate take-over bids, and you know how time just gets away... but I don't want to speak about mundane business deals with you. I've missed you. Even a day is much too long without hearing your beautiful voice." The man had hardly waited for a response as he glibly excused himself.
"Ah, Lex. Hi." Her mind was racing. She hadn't talked to him since the day she and Clark had that argument in the newsroom. She'd put him off again when he'd asked to see her.
"You sound shocked to hear from me."
"It's okay. Really."
"So, how about dinner tonight? Andre has a new recipe he's dying to try."
"Ah, well actually…" She turned to look at Clark. It was past time she told Lex she and Clark were married, but she hated to do that over the phone. After all, she'd been sort of seeing the guy, so he probably deserved to get the brush-off in person. Though she also hated to agree to a dinner without running it by Clark first. Judging by the way he was sitting so rigidly, he'd heard the invitation. "Lex, could you hold a moment?" Before he could protest Lois pushed the hold button and got up to walk over to Clark's desk.
<What is it with this… openness, Lane?>
For someone who'd maintained adamantly she would retain her independence, she was doing a darn good impression of being in a committed relationship.
"Clark?"
"Yeah," he said without looking up from the file he was rifling through.
"Lex is on the phone."
"Oh?" He kept looking at the papers.
"He wants to have dinner tonight. I thought I could tell him about us."
Clark stopped then. His anger was beginning to rise slowly at the thought that she'd want to have dinner with that man. "And you have to have dinner with him to do that?"
"Come on, Clark. I don't want to tell him over the phone. That would be insensitive."
"So would having dinner with a man that's not your husband," Clark snapped.
"Clark, it's only dinner! That is so old-fashioned!"
"Then maybe I'm an old-fashioned guy!" he almost growled.
The rational side of Clark wondered whether he'd be so enraged if Lois was going to dinner with any other man but Lex Luthor -- only he wasn't ready to listen to reason at the moment. He neither liked nor trusted the man, though he hadn't as yet been able to convince Lois of Luthor's deviousness, and that fact only added to his injured feelings.
Lois' brows lifted as she stared at him. She hadn't expected Clark to be so possessive. Since their last argument over Lex, he hadn't shown a single hint that he'd try to control her life in any way. Truthfully, he hadn't hinted he'd control it then. He'd just expressed his discomfort at having her openly flirt with another man... and he'd been right. What man wouldn't be hurt when the woman who was supposed be his wife did something like that? But her temper flared irrationally.
"When did being my husband give you the right to demand I do as you tell me to?"
"You're right, Lois," he said as he rose to his feet in exasperation. "As usual, you're right and everybody else is wrong. Do whatever you want to do. You will anyway." He turned and exited the newsroom through the stairwell door, while the rest of the staff looked on in amused speculation.
What was it with Clark Kent using those stairs when there were two perfectly good elevators? Poor guy, he probably needed the exercise to work off the pent-up frustration Lois was causing him!
Meanwhile, Lois was seething. The man who had just left was not the one she'd been with the last couple of weeks. Well, if he wanted another battle she wasn't about to surrender. She marched back over and jerked up the phone.
"Lex?"
"Ah, I was beginning to think you'd forgotten me."
"No. What time is dinner?"
"Great! Is eight too late?"
"No. I'll see you then."
"Until then, my dear Lois," Lex signed off smoothly.
Lois replaced the receiver as her anger almost boiled over. Men! She belonged to no one! And how dare Clark suggest she couldn't do something? It was just dinner for goodness sakes. What was so horrible about that? She huffed in frustration. She was going to dinner with Lex and that was that. So 'Mr.have-dinner-with-your-husband' best get over it.
****
Dinner with Lex had appeared to be a good idea when she was mad. However, now that Lois was riding the elevator to the penthouse of the LexCorp Towers, she didn't feel at all like this was where she should be. Clark had only been in the newsroom a couple of times since their disagreement. He'd refused to look at her, so she knew it would have been fruitless to try to talk to him, and his stubborn attitude had only served to increase her determination. But as the evening wore on, Lois began to give serious thought to this dinner.
Clark wasn't being unfair. She shouldn't be having dinner with Lex. They had been semi-dating before she and Clark got married, and she was pretty sure that Lex would be planning something... intimate. Lois shouldn't share an intimate dinner with anyone but Clark.
Maybe she did have issues with being a wife, and their life together wasn't exactly what most people have in mind when they think about marriage. Yet, for all that, she'd taken her vows very seriously when she made them. Suddenly, Lois realised she wasn't into 'open marriages'. She wasn't about to betray her husband, even in this small way. And that revelation stunned her.
For the past few weeks, Lois had been desperately clinging onto her own singularity and would not allow Clark to change her one bit, so why should she feel so strongly about the commitment she made when she took her vows? Because you don't know how to do anything halfway, and that includes this strange marriage, she accepted honestly. Not wanting to be married and lose your identity was one thing, betraying a promise was something else altogether.
She'd given Clark her word when they married and she wouldn't break it to prove she could maintian her individuality in spite of being his wife. In fact, she had a slight inkling that the two weren't necessarily exclusive. By the time Lois stepped off the elevator she'd reached the firm decision just to tell Lex she couldn't have dinner with him.
Nigel led Lois into the sitting room where Lex lounged in a high-backed chair, pouring himself a drink from a glittering crystal decanter. He was handsomely attired in a tailored suit and white silk shirt, while his dark curly hair was impeccably styled.
Lois took a few steps into the room and heard the door shut with a soft click behind her. She'd been right in her assumption -- the room was cosy; a welcoming fire burned in the grate; the lighting was low and candles were waiting to be lit on an expertly set table, where two chairs were placed closed together.
Lex rose lithely when he saw her, confident and powerful as a stalking cat.
"Lois, you're early. What a pleasant surprise!" He approached her and leaned in to kiss her cheek, but was somewhat taken aback when Lois side-stepped him. Two tiny lines appeared between his drawn brows, yet he chose to ignore the let-down and continued, still pleasantly. "I believe Andre's creations will not yet have reached perfection, but we can't rush an artiste. Nevertheless, that gives us more time to ourselves to become reacquainted." Lex allowed a slightly seductive smile to touch his lips at that thought, but reminded himself that he mustn't rush his fences. When it came to sex, Lois acted very much like a startled fawn. "Would you care for an aperitif?"
She couldn't rid herself of the notion of being in the lion's den and she clutched her purse before her like a shield. "No... thank you," she added, quickly remembering her manners.
For the first time, Lex noticed what was wrong with the picture before him. Lois was indeed her lovely self, but she was still wearing her jacket. That was so unlike Nigel to neglect his duties! He'd talk to him later, but, at present, it seemed he had his girlfriend's ruffled feathers to smooth over. "What's wrong, my dear?"
Lois lifted her chin. "Lex, I just came to tell you I can't have dinner with you."
"If tonight's not a good time…"
"Tonight or any other."
"What?"
"Lex, a few weeks ago I got married."
He was clearly shocked this time. "What?"
"I was married and I have a new life now. It would be best if any further communication between us remains strictly professional."
"But, my dear…"
"Lois. My name is Lois. I don't think my husband would appreciate you calling me your dear."
Lex quirked lifted brows at her. "I understand, but if you'll forgive me, this is just such a shock. I had sincerely thought you and I were becoming... closer."
"I know and I'm sorry for that. I shouldn't have let you believe there was more between us than actually was."
"So you were leading me on while you were contemplating marriage to another?"
Lois was about to deny that when she saw Lex's posture change and there had been steel beneath the velvet voice. He'd become threatening and immediately Lois went on guard. "No. I did not lead you on while I was contemplating marriage. As a matter of fact, it was a last minute decision. One I don't intend to explain to you or anyone else. I'm married and that's that. It's also the end of this conversation." Lois turned on her heel and marched from the room.
Lex stood alone in the middle of his sumptuous home, feeling bewildered and righteously outraged. His influential position and sexual-expertise had made him Metropolis' most desired 'catch' and he'd never had the slightest difficulty in attracting any woman he'd wanted, though he'd grown extremely jaded of late. Lois had been the challenge he'd been looking to find for so long. He'd already mapped out each and every move along the road to her surrender to him. Now it seemed that surrender would never take place. A feral growl rumbled in his throat and his eyes narrowed coldly. Lex did
not take rejection well.
****
As Lois made her way to her Jeep, she began to think that maybe there had been something to all of Clark's arguments that Lex was more than he appeared to be. His resentful, and slightly menacing reaction to her news had scared her momentarily and that was something Lois hated. She made a mental note to do a little research on the billionaire. Right now she had to go home and apologize to Clark.
<Where had that thought come from?>
Again, her newly acquired sense of fair play was surfacing, but, if it kept her and Clark from arguing constantly, she'd play along.
She entered the apartment a short time later to see Clark sitting on the sofa watching a ballgame on television. He was dressed in a pair of sweats and a tee shirt. His sock feet were propped on the coffee table, but he was only half watching the game while he twirled a basketball on his… breath?
She'd have to get him to show that to her later when he wasn't so mad, because it was pretty obvious from his expression that he wasn't all that pleased to see her. She kicked her shoes off in the doorway of the bedroom and dropped her jacket on the bed.
"Did you eat dinner?" she asked as she came back through the living room on the way to the kitchen.
"Why? Did you bring leftovers from Andre?" Clark was as upset as he was furious. He hadn't really thought Lois would go through with her dinner-date with Lex. Why couldn't she have dropped by for a moment during the day to tell him what she needed to? She didn't have to spend time with him to let him know she was married. Of course that was the problem, Lois didn't consider that she was.
Lois stopped and faced the man on the couch. "Clark, I'm sorry. I know what I did was wrong. And I didn't have dinner with Lex. I told him I was married and left. You're right. I should be at home having dinner with you."
Clark blew the basketball so that it landed in the trashcan on the opposite side of the room. "Whatever," he said snippily as he rose to go into the loft.
"Whatever?! Dammit, it took a lot for me to admit I was wrong and you're just going to blow it off."
Clark turned to glare at her. "Yeah, well, it took a lot for me to remember why you married me."
Lois put her hands on her hips. "And what is that supposed to mean?"
"It means we've gotten along so well these last couple of weeks that I got carried away. I thought for a while that we might have been getting closer. But you reminded me of my illusion today. Thanks." He turned to go up the staircase to the bedroom, but he stopped with his hand on the rail to face her again. "I think it would be best if we just kept this… all business from now on. The sample will be waiting on you in the morning."
With that he continued jogging up the steps, leaving Lois too stunned to utter a word. Clark had transformed into a completely irrational, unfair... lunkhead! He'd made a decision not to even stay and talk and that was the end of it.
"Fine!" she yelled in frustration, stomping into the kitchen. If he wanted to act like a spoiled brat, she could too. And, if she didn't feel so strongly about having his baby to save him, she'd walk out and have the marriage annulled. But on top of everything else, she was not about to let him die and have that on her conscience. She'd have his baby, save his super hide, then kill him!
****
For the next few days, Clark hardly spoke to Lois. When he did, it was clipped replies in answer to a question she'd asked him. Every morning he'd be gone when she got up for work and he didn't come home until after she was sleeping. The tension was so thick between them you could cut it with a knife.
Lois went the two more times to Star Labs as Dr. Klein had instructed her to. Just as Clark had said, the sample was ready and it only took a little while to finish her part. She was thankful Bernie hadn't asked any questions.
At work they split the load and investigated separately. They finished a story and, surprisingly, the end result was just as powerful as any they'd done when on good terms. But still, Clark refused to budge an inch.
****
Lois was miserable. She hadn't known that the disagreement with Clark could have created such a huge obstacle. Usually when they argued, they sulked for a while, then smoothed things over and went on.
Although her anger had faded a day or two after their quarrel, this time Clark's had seemed to intensify. Of course, she realized that his annoyance was fueled by feelings of rejection, and she was unsure how to make it better. She couldn't go to him with any false promises because she didn't want there to be any more misconceptions about her feelings or intentions. Every day she tried to bridge the gap, but he refused to listen. Finally she decided to just give him his space and wait for him to come to her.
She was unaware Clark was having the same battle with himself. He was being such a child. It wasn't fair to treat Lois the way he was, but he couldn't help himself. She'd cut him deeply and he wasn't even sure why. He'd thought things had progressed between them since the night they'd talked things through. He'd even caught her watching him several times the morning after the 'shirtless' episode, and she'd blushed when she noticed he was looking at her. He'd really believed her feelings for him might be changing.
The call from Lex had made him angry. He'd known the guy was going to get back in touch eventually, but he'd thought he could handle it better. And he definitely thought, or at least, hoped that Lois would have told Luthor right then she was married and ended it. Instead, she'd chosen to have dinner with the man. Okay, so she'd asked first. Well, not exactly asked but she did consult him before agreeing, yet that hadn't mattered at the time. All Clark could see was that his wife was going to another man's house for dinner; a man Clark distrusted completely. He felt so betrayed.
Now all that seemed so silly, as did his behavior over the last few days. Lois didn't deserve his insecurities being thrown at her this way. She didn't deserve his snide comments and she certainly didn't deserve the silent treatment. She'd apologized and she'd meant it. He could see it in her eyes. And she hadn't eaten with Lex after all. If he could just suck up his pride and apologize, maybe they could get back on some sort of track.
****
Superman landed in an alley behind the Daily Planet. He'd answered a call that ended up being nothing more than a domestic spat between a husband and wife, which, in turn, reminded him painfully of his own situation. He and Lois were treating each other like strangers. When he wasn't spending time at the farm with his parents, he barely talked to her, and, even though he could tell she wanted to make some kind of peace between them, so far, his stubborn pride hadn't allowed him to accept the olive branch. Okay, that was about to change -- he owed Lois a long overdue chat and probably a fair amount of grovelling.
He straightened his tie after spinning back into his business suit and headed for the office, stepping off the elevator on the newsroom floor just as Lex Luthor stepped from the other one.
"Kent," Lex acknowledged with a grudging nod of his head.
"Luthor," Clark managed to grind out, while inside, he was seething. Trust Luthor to get in the way of his peacemaking with Lois; did the creep have some kind of wierd sixth-sense? He watched as the man made his way down to Lois' desk, and engaged a little super hearing so that he could hear what was said. His mother would box his ears if she knew that he had fallen so low that he was spying on his wife.
Lois was typing almost as fast as Clark in supermode when Lex cleared his throat. She looked up and was startled to see who was there. "Ah, Lex!"
"Hello, Lois. I was downtown this morning and thought I would stop in to give you this." He pulled a modest sized box from behind his back.
"What is it?" Lois asked as she eyed the box warily, but didn't reach to take it.
"It's a wedding gift," Lex told her with a friendly smile.
Lois kept watching the man. Where had this sudden change in attitude come from? She'd been pretty certain that he'd been furious with her when they'd talked at his penthouse a few days before.
Her eyes drifted past Lex to where Clark stood at the railing outside the elevator and she could tell he was listening to their conversation by the guilty way he averted his gaze. Her first instinct was irritation, but she took a deep breath to calm herself. There had been too much tension between them over the last week and she didn't need to make the situation worse.
"Lex, I can't accept that," she told him apologetically.
He frowned disdainfully at her. "Afraid your husband wouldn't approve?" Very quickly a smile replaced the glare, but it didn't quite reach his eyes, and he shifted the box down to his side. "You're probably right, Lois. He might not be the type of understanding person who would approve of another man giving his wife gifts. Of course, I don't know this man…"
Ah, so that's what this visit was about. Lois hadn't actually told him who she'd married but, knowing Lex, it probably hadn't taken him long to discover her husband's identity. He was here to goad her into naming the man who, he believed, had usurped his position. Why had she never realised that Lex liked to play these sick games? Well, she wouldn't rise to the bait. In fact, this could give her the opportunity to bridge the gap considerably with her partner.
Lois took another deep breath and addressed her tormentor, "Maybe you should ask him how he feels about this gift." She stood and walked toward the stairs, up to the rest area, where Clark pretended to be busy making himself a coffee. Lex hesitated briefly before following her. She stopped beside Clark and waited for Lex to join them.
"Lex, this is...." She glanced up at Clark before forcing out, "My husband." That was still a term she wasn't comfortable with.
Clark stared at her for a moment before turning his attention to Lex. He could see the hesitation and uncertainty in Lois' expression and it hurt that it was there. If it bothered her so much to call him her…
"Well," Lex interrupted his thoughts. "The lucky man who has won the hand of this lovely lady." He extended his hand to Clark. "Congratulations, Kent."
Clark eyed the hand a moment before his wounded pride got the better of him. "Do you really expect me to believe you had no idea who Lois had married?"
Lois shot him a glare, as Lex's brows rose into his hair, amazed that this 'menial' should be so confrontational. He constantly underestimated Kent. His grin widened as he let his gaze roam over Lois.
"As a matter of fact, your lovely wife was not forthcoming with your identity." He met Clark's eyes. "Leads one to believe that maybe all is not what it appears to be with this… marriage."
Anger shot through Clark like lightening. He felt Lois place a hand on his arm, but ignored it. "I don't think my marriage is any of your business," he told the other man, his voice assuming a deadly tone.
"Relax. I came here to offer up my best wishes and to present Lois with this gift."
Clark let his eyes fall to the box, before lifting them back to Lex. "Somehow I don't see you as one to offer 'best' anything."
"Clark, Lex is trying to be friendly," Lois told him in an attempt to calm him. He was almost shaking with anger and she knew a storm was threatening if she didn't intervene.
Clark couldn't believe what he'd just heard. Once again, Lois was supporting that slime. He stared at her open-mouthed, unable and unwilling to voice his opinion of her statement. They held each other's gaze for a long moment, exchanging their feelings on the subject without saying a word. Finally, Clark turned back to Lex.
"Personally, I'd like to tell you exactly where you could put that gift…"
"Clark Kent!"
He shot Lois another glare that dared her to say anything else before facing Lex once more. "But we both know that Lois is her own person and can not be told what to do." With that, he strode toward his desk and sat down, giving a wonderful impression of someone who was thoroughly engrossed in the blank notebook in front of him.
Lois released a small breath as she tore her eyes from Clark. She was about to say something when Lex did.
"My… isn't he a little insecure?"
"Lex, don't," she warned.
"Come, Lois. Why did you choose to do this?" he asked her in a fierce whisper. His expression had grown irritated and serious. "You're so far above him."
"What?"
"Kent is a nobody. He's a lowly reporter…"
Lois' stance stiffened and she squared her shoulders to face him. "I am a lowly reporter!"
"Yes, but with so much more potential. Even you know you're better than Kent! You deserve a husband who is worthy of you, my dear Lois."
For the first time since they'd married, except for the moments when he'd been ill, Lois felt a surge of protectiveness for Clark. "You don't know the first thing about Clark and I think this conversation is over!" She turned on her heel and stomped away from Lex.
"Lois," he hissed after her and reached out to grab her arm. Perhaps he'd gone a little too far in openly condemning Kent.
She whirled around on him with fire in her eyes. "Let my arm go!"
"Lois," Lex said softly, trying to appear conciliatory. "Let's talk this through…"
"The lady said to let her go." Clark was suddenly beside Lois in a forbidding pose.
Superman without the suit, Lois thought somewhat distractedly.
"What?! You listen to her conversations?" Lex eyed his rival condescendingly for some seconds, before looking down at Lois. "That should tell you something, Lois."
"Yes, it does. It tells me he is concerned because another man is holding his wife's arm without her permission." She stared pointedly at the hand gripping her elbow.
"Luthor, I would appreciate you taking your hand off her," Clark insisted, stepping slightly between Lois and Lex.
Lex smirked, then released Lois' arm. He'd honestly thought he could talk some sense into Lois when he'd discovered she'd married a nobody like Kent. He'd believed Lois was smarter than to throw herself away on some juniour reporter, but it appeared he was wrong. No matter. He'd move on to some other helpless victim or two while he waited for this little infatuation to play itself out. Kent wouldn't be able to satisfy a woman with Lois' fire, and time would prove to all that he was right.
Of course, his own marriage to Lois was now out of the question -- Lex Luthor wouldn't accept secondhand goods. He wasn't, however, averse to a little dalliance with an unhappily married woman. He only needed to have a modicum of patience and Lois would be ripe for the picking. But for now, he'd be gracious.
"Again, congratulations... to both of you." Lex barely managed to force a smile as he strode over to Lois' desk and set the gift down before quickly leaving the newsroom.
Lois glanced around at the curious coworkers who had stopped once again to see the show. The newlyweds certainly kept life in the newsroom interesting! However, seeing Lois' hard stare, they moved on to avoid her wrath.
Clark watched the elevator close behind Lex before turning to Lois. "Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" he asked as he reached out to check her arm.
"I'm fine," she said hastily and drew away from him, more shaken by Lex's visit than she cared to admit.
Clark stopped, hurt by her withdrawal. "Yeah. As always, you're just fine," he snapped before walking away from her.
"Clark." She was about to follow him when she was cornered by a research assistant. She stared dejectedly at Clark's retreating back. Were they destined to always mistake each other's reactions and end up in a full-blown argument? Lois was finally prepared to acknowlegde that her fiesty nature might not exactly be helping in their relationship. It was her way of coping with life and she wasn't sure if she could change... or even if she should!
