Nightmare -- Part 10
Superman landed in front of the familiar perfume store, and hesitated before he burst in through the door. His enhanced hearing picked up a conversation between Miranda and Lex Luthor.
“Luthor?” he muttered. “How did he get here?”
Before Clark broke through the door, he picked up a fragment of the conversation that was going on inside the store. He heard an agitated Luthor say, “You said you could take me to my love, Lois Lane. Miranda, I don’t have time for this. Lois is waiting for me.”
Clark groaned inwardly. Luthor was still affected by the perfume, and he was focused on one thing: Lois Lane. Maybe that was how Miranda had convinced him to leave with her. What if he thought Lois was there in Miranda’s store waiting for him?
Miranda’s eerily sweet voice rang out, “My dearest Lex, we both know better than that. Love knows no time. All it knows is pain. And, oh the pain; it hurts so desperately, Lex.”
Clark knew he had to go into the store to prevent anything bad from happening. He needed to stop Miranda before she could unleash havoc on the entire city, and Clark knew that he also had to save Lex Luthor from whatever Miranda was doing to him, as much as he didn’t want to.
Just before Clark broke through the door, he heard Luthor say, “Get me out of this, Miranda. I demand it at once.”
Clark pulled the door open and stepped into the familiar store. He saw Miranda, a devilish look in her eyes, armed with a large beaker of what Clark could only assume was some kind of deadly chemical. “This stops now, Miranda,” he said in his best Superman voice.
“Superman!” Luthor exclaimed.
Miranda paid neither any heed, and she continued on her psychotic diatribe. “Soon you will die. I will kill you like you killed my heart.”
Clark took a step closer, judging when and how he could grab the beaker from her or get Luthor out of harm’s way.
“Goodbye, Lex, my darling. Hope your death is slow and painful.” She tilted the beaker over Luthor’s head, and laughed maniacally.
Clark slowly moved behind Miranda to a point where he could grab the beaker from her. “No, Miranda. This stops here.” He reached up and grabbed the beaker from her hand just before she tipped the entire bottle. Then he inhaled the small bit that had escaped into the air.
Her eyes widened as she watched her chemical disappear. “Nooooooooooooooooo!” she moaned loudly, knowing her plan was foiled.
At that moment, the doors burst open, and a large group of police officers rushed into the store. Lois was right behind them.
“Superman, what’s going on here?” a police man said. “Miss Lane said you’d be here with a drug lord.”
Lois. He couldn’t help but smile. Then Clark looked at the officer, making sure he looked like the superhero he was. He presented Miranda to the officer and said, “This woman sprayed the ‘Daily Planet’ newsroom with a drug that made everyone fall in love; she planned to kill Lex Luthor, and then unleash the drug out over the entire city.” He desperately wanted to tell the police everything Luthor had done connected to both the perfume and to every other criminal happening in the city, but he decided to hold his tongue. They didn’t want to get him for something so small; they needed to put all of their information together to make sure he was convicted of each and every crime he had committed.
Before the officer responded to Clark, another officer said, “Mr. Luthor, are you all right.”
“All right? I’m in love,” Lex said loudly in a very sing-song tone. “I’m in love, in love with a beautiful girl.” His arms flailed around madly, in tune to his song.
Clark groaned inwardly. He still hadn’t dealt with Luthor’s problem yet. He honestly had no idea what to do. All he could do was hope that Miranda had sprayed him with the less concentrated solution so he would be cured in 48 hours. If she had sprayed him with the more concentrated poison, he had no idea what to do other than let the doctors and nurses handle the problem.
Now that Miranda was in police custody, Clark needed to destroy the last remnants of the love drug, so Miranda would not be able to hurt anyone else with her love potion. Her loveless rage would never be unleashed again.
When Clark finished talking to the police officers, and he was sure that Miranda was firmly in custody, he allowed himself to look up around the store, unconsciously searching for Lois.
She was over there. In the corner, interviewing a few police officers. His heart raced with desire as he watched the way her hand quickly moved across her notebook, scrawling down notes for her story, the way her long hair flipped over her shoulder as she turned to face him, the way her entire face lit up when their eyes met.
He crossed the small room, and moved towards her, wishing they were alone so he could gather her in his arms.
“Are you okay?” she asked softly. She ached to reach out to touch him, to run her hand around that large gold shield on his chest. “I saw you inhale that chemical. What was it? Was it the drug?” And if it was the drug, was he okay?
He smiled as she made a show of taking out her notebook and pretending to interview him. They were so achingly close, but they had to act professionally since they were in public. “I’m fine.” He smiled slightly. “I don’t know what it was, but I’m fine,” he said, his voice a little husky. The chemical hadn’t seemed to affect him at all, whatever it was. “Although, I’d be even better if . . .”
The corners of her mouth turned up into a sly smile. “If we got out of here?” Their eyes met, and Lois saw the same aching in his eyes. She desperately wished they were alone together so they could talk. Right. Talk. Or do something much more fun than talking. Cuddling. Right. And kissing. And snuggling.
Clark laughed softly. Lois knew exactly what he was thinking. “Well, yeah.” He grinned. “But I’d be even better if I could kiss you. Right here, right now.” He knew it was risky, especially in front of so many people including Lex Luthor. It was almost worth the risk, though. He felt like teaching Luthor a lesson, and what better way to do it.
Lois smiled at him, and winked hoping he would get her hint and follow her lead. “Did you swallow that perfume?” she accused, jokingly. However, she wouldn’t mind a bit if he actually had.
Clark grinned back at the love of his life. Yes, he had swallowed a chemical, but he had no idea if it had been the perfume. His high metabolic rate prevented him from being affected by almost anything his body came into contact with. But that didn’t mean . . .
“Lois Lane,” he announced loudly, so everyone in the room could hear him. “I love you. I want you. I need you.”
Lois looked into his eyes and saw how serious he was, even though they both knew it was all in fun. “Oh, Superman,” she gushed, in typical star struck, adoring fashion. “You don’t know how long I’ve waited . . .” she let her voice trail off. “But you’re not yourself. I can’t . . .”
Clark smiled at Lois as he watched and listened to her feeble protests which were for show. He knew she wanted him to kiss her as much as he wanted to do it. “You can, Lois,” he said softly.
She shrugged, and passionately threw herself into her lover’s arms. “I can,” she declared. “I love you, Superman.”
He pulled her close, hugged her tightly, and pressed his lips to hers. This felt amazing, wonderful, and slightly naughty all at the same time. They were showing their love under the guise of his secret identity, with so many people watching. It was very dangerous, but easily blamed on the love drug.
And they both were enjoying each and every moment of it. The danger of being caught. The passion smoldering between them. The look on Lex Luthor’s face.
Through the passion of their kiss, they heard some of the officers cat calling, but one voice stood out over the rest of the crowd. The loud, pitiful, soul-searing moan, “Nooooooo! Lois! Don’t! Say you love me,” cut through the air like a knife. A pained Luthor pulled on his own hair. “Say you love meeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Lois! I love you and only you.”
Lois chose to ignore the criminal’s pitiful moans, and never broke her lips from Clark’s. She needed to show Lex Luthor that she could never have any feelings for him. What better way to do that than a lovely object lesson with the most handsome man in the entire world?
She was in love with Clark and only Clark. She could not imagine another day in her life without Clark. She was ready to continue the journey of life with him by her side forever.
The police officers led Luthor out of the store and towards a waiting ambulance, but Lex sang loudly, “I love you, a bushel and a peck, a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck. Lois Lane, I need you. I want you. You’re my everything. I am hopelessly, eternally in love with you, and only you, Lois Lane.”
Clark knew Luthor was still under the perfume’s spell, but that still didn’t change the chill that crept up his back whenever Luthor mentioned his love for Lois. Lex Luthor was a dangerous man. When he had his mind set on something, he would stop at nothing to get it. Hopefully, this obsession with Lois was a fleeting fantasy that would fly away with the effects of the perfume.
“I love you, Lois,” Clark whispered into her ear, still clutching her tightly. He never wanted to let her go.
Lois smiled, despite the sick feeling in her stomach. Clark’s simple, heartfelt words could always lift her spirits no matter what the circumstances. She was in love with Clark Kent for that reason. Hopefully, Lex Luthor’s obsession would disappear with the effects of the perfume. If not, they would get through it together. Lois and Clark could defeat Lex Luthor. Together, they could overcome any obstacle no matter how great.
The last thing Luthor said before he got into the ambulance was, “I love you Lois Lane. I will stop at nothing until I make you mine.”
A chill ran up Lois’s spine when she heard his declaration. She had no doubt that he would stop at nothing to achieve his goals. And she was the object of his every desire at least for the time being.
She was not a prize for Lex Luthor to win. This was one time Luthor would not succeed. Tricky, yes. Really, it meant that she and Clark needed to stop him before he could do anything about it. And they would.
When nearly everyone was gone, and Lois and Superman were practically alone in the store, Lois realized that they were doing nothing productive. “We should really get out of here,” Lois said softly, tugging on his arm.
Clark nodded, and smiled at her. “You’re right. We should. There’s nothing else we can do here,” he agreed. “Just let me change quickly,” he whispered.
Lois nodded in agreement, and turned towards the door. “See you outside?” she asked almost under her breath, so no one else could hear.
“Absolutely.” He few out of the store in a flash, and a few seconds later, reentered the store as Clark Kent.
“Ready to go, partner?” Lois asked. Her mouth had turned into a full-fledged grin. It was amazing that her partner, the love of her life, also possessed so many superhuman powers. It almost left her speechless.
Clark grabbed her extended hand, and nodded. “Let’s go home, partner,” he agreed. The sooner they got all of their hopes and fears out into the open, the sooner they could get on with their lives together. It was the beginning of their new life together. It was a second chance.
Lois squeezed his hand tightly, and followed him out through the door out to the midst of the busy city. They walked for a few blocks, almost in silence, enjoying each other’s company, but knowing they had so much to talk about and not knowing exactly where to start.
Clark broke the ice first. “Where did you park your car?” There. That was certainly a very safe topic. Too safe.
“At work,” Lois said in a very matter-of-fact tone. “I took a cab here because I wasn’t sure where I would be able to park.” She decided to go along that line of conversation.
“Oh,” was Clark’s only response. He took a deep breath before he said, “Do you maybe want me to, you know,” he let his voice trail off and made what he hoped seemed like a flying motion with his right hand.
“What?” Then her heart began racing when she realized what he was implying. “Oh! You want to fly!”
He immediately took his statement back. “Well, not if you don’t want . . .”
Before he had a chance to finish his statement, Lois exclaimed, “Of course, Clark. I would be honored.” Did she want to fly? What kind of question was that? He knew her better than that. Of course she wanted to fly!
He felt a grin spread across his face, and he almost laughed at how eager she was because her eagerness matched his exactly. “Are you sure, Lois? We could walk back,” he teased.
Not wanting to hear any more protests, especially when it had been his idea in the first place, Lois pushed Clark towards an empty ally. During this process, she tugged on his tie, giving him the big hint that she was in no way kidding. “I’m positive, Clark. I want to fly,” she said dreamily, her mind already imagining the feeling of soaring through the air in her love’s arms.
He smiled widely, knowing it was beyond the time to tease Lois. She knew what she wanted, and she wanted it now. “Your wish is my command,” he said. Then he quickly spun into the famous blue and red suit before her eyes.
“Oh my god,” she whispered, awestruck. “You have to tell me how you do that.” He almost looked like the Tasmanian Devil! It was really cool! He must have spent years practicing. She felt very privileged that he had shown her something so amazing.
He scooped her into his arms, and laughed, allowing himself to act on his playful feelings. “Well, Ms. Lane, if I told you, I’d have to kill you.”
Lois squealed when he swept her off her feet, but then she said, “You think your so super, Kent, but I’ve got you all figured out.” She aimlessly traced her hand along a path created by his S-shield.
He cocked his head, and smiled knowingly. “Oh yeah?”
Lois tilted her head, and stared into his eyes. She nodded slowly, deliberately. “Oh yeah,” she said softly, and she inched her head slightly closer to his.
He leaned down and touched his forehead to hers. “I’ll bet you know what I’m thinking right now.”
She smiled, and brought her face closer. “I think you’re going to kiss me,” she said in a very matter-of-fact tone.
“Mmm, and you’re so right.” He planted a soft kiss onto her inviting lips, preventing her from saying anything more. Then he took off into the air, and flew towards Lois’s apartment.
**********
“Do you want me to land in the alley over there behind your building?” Clark asked when they neared her apartment. He had taken the slightly scenic route, so it had taken surprisingly long for them to reach their final destination. He knew he had unconsciously taken the long, slow way because he wanted to relish the feeling of Lois in his arms. No, it wasn’t the first time that he had flown with her, but it was the first time they had flown together with both admitting their feelings for each other, and, especially, with Lois knowing his secret. He had never felt closer to anyone in his life than flying with her clutched tightly in his arms.
Lois heard his voice, and was drawn out of her fantasy, and back to the real world. “The window,” she said quickly, pointing towards her apartment. She had left the kitchen window open, as was her habit, for him to fly in. After she had gotten home this morning, she had shut and locked the window tightly, hoping to keep Superman out of her home, and out of her life. However, after she realized her mistake, and realized that she was in love with Clark, she had opened the window again. For good.
It had first been open for Superman, then closed for good, and now open to the man of her dreams, Clark. She would never shut him out again.
“Is it open?” he asked.
Lois smiled up at her companion. “Of course. It’s always open for you.”
“Thank you,” he said, and kissed her head softly before he flew in through the window. For once, he understood exactly what she meant. Instead of continuing down that dangerous path, which would lead to things more fun than their impending conversation, Clark stopped in the kitchen, and said, “We’re here.”
Lois reluctantly stepped out of his arms even though she almost didn’t want to. She had felt so safe, so loved, so wanted. In fact, she almost hated being alone on her feet again without him.
“We’re here,” she repeated, not sure what else to say. No. She knew what else to say; she didn’t want to break their calm, loving, triumphant atmosphere with a swift kick back to their personal problems.
She stared at the man she had discovered she loved. They had almost ignored everything that had happened between them. Yes, they had forgiven each other and had both revealed their feelings for one another, but were feelings alone enough to make a relationship last?
Her actions this morning could have damaged any potential relationship they might have had. If they didn’t properly address what had happened, their relationship would never survive. A painful first few hours of their relationship without ever talking through their pain and forgiving both each other and themselves could ruin the best relationship.
She had never thought about forever before today. Now she was looking forward to it. She wanted to spend a fairytale forever with Clark, and only Clark.
However, she wasn’t exactly sure how to begin their impending painful conversation. And it looked like he expected her to say something. Of course he expected her to start.
Just like always, he was letting her take the lead. Normally, in the office, she was the one who enjoyed being in charge, but in her personal life, it was a different story. She didn’t have much experience with serious relationships, and those experiences she did have were almost all painful. All she knew was that she didn’t want this relationship to end up as one of her federal disasters. He was the first man she had ever really loved. There, she said it. Loved. He was her first, her only. And she didn’t want to say anything to ruin it.
She found herself smiling at Clark, even though her own emotional thoughts were in shambles. He looked so cute waiting, like a nervous little puppy dog. Underneath that flashy blue spandex, Superman really was a human being with thoughts, feelings, and flaws. He was fallible, and that made him more attractive.
Superman really was her best friend Clark. He wasn’t really the chiseled, stoic superhero. He was the man she cuddled with watching movies on the couch. He was the man she ate Chinese food with after work. He was the man she worked with every day, that she fought with, that she bossed around. He was her junior partner. He was the man she loved more than anyone else in the world. He was Clark, plain and simple. He was nothing more than a normal man with an extraordinary side job.
Her gaze rested on the S-shield on his chest. He was so majestic, a pillar of all the good and pure things in the world. And he was the man who was in love with her. That mere thought was more exciting than anything else.
“Do you want to sit down,” she asked nervously, pointing at her couch.
Clark smiled at Lois warmly. “Yeah,” he agreed, mostly to make idle conversation. “We should sit down.” He grinned at her, knowing how much she wanted to see his spin move again. “But do you mind if I change out of this suit?”
Lois grinned. “Only if you show me how you do it.”
“What?” he asked innocently, knowing he had read her mind. “This?” He reached back and unbuckled the top of his suit, and spun around almost in slow motion.
“Uh-huh,” she said, mesmerized. “So that’s how you do it.” He spun around, hands swirling around his body faster than he spun, removing parts of the suit, and replacing them with his street clothes. “Wow,” was all she could manage to say. She wasn’t sure if any words could explain what she was feeling.
Hmm, she was definitely feeling slightly warm. In all that spinning, she could have sworn she had seen more Clark than he might have intended. Even though he would probably deny it, she had a feeling that he had spun so slowly deliberately. Of course he wanted her to see him partially naked. And she was not complaining. Seeing Clark Kent naked was something she planned on doing again and again and again for years to come.
In what seemed like a millisecond, Clark stood before Lois dressed in the casual short-sleeved shirt and jeans he had been wearing earlier. He grinned at the stunned expression on her face. “Told you it was cool, didn’t I?”
“Are you going to kill me now?” She winked at him, continuing their flirty banter. Then she realized this banter was nothing new. They had flirted like this almost since the moment they met only she had never realized it was flirting.
“Only if smothering you with kisses would do it.” He reached out, and pulled her close. His voice dropped from his jovial laughter to almost a whisper, “Because that’s what I intend to do every day for the rest of my life.” He wasn’t joking any more.
“Oh that works,” she said breathlessly, before their lips met in another loving kiss. How she had lived this long without knowing such utter pleasure was beyond her. But now she was ready for everything their relationship was bound to be.
When their lips were together, she knew she never wanted to be anywhere else. Ever. This was where she belonged, snuggled in Clark’s arms.
No. She was wrong. It wasn’t where she belonged. It was where they belonged together, entwined as one. They needed each other to survive. Alone, they merely existed, not knowing what it was like to be truly loved. Now their love would teach them to live life to the fullest. Their lives before each other would pale in comparison to their life together.
Clark tried to pull Lois as close to him as possible, aching with the strong feelings of love coursing through his veins. He’d never though himself possible of such an intense love.
His heart pounded in nervous anticipation of the confrontation that was to come when their lips broke apart. Their wonderful kiss could only last so long. A real, adult relationship wasn’t made of passionate kisses and loving caresses. It had to be more than physical. “Lois,” he said softly.
She looked up at him, and smiled weakly. She knew they were avoiding the inevitable. “Clark, we have to talk.”
“About what,” he said automatically. From the look in her eyes, he knew that she didn’t think his comment was funny at all. He sighed deeply, knowing it was now or never. “I know, I know. We have to talk. But where do we start?”
She grabbed his hand and pulled him down onto the couch. “I have no idea.” She looked into his eyes, and said, “We need to talk about everything, but I don’t know where to start. I am so confused.”
He squeezed her hand. “I know. I am, too. I don’t know how to start either. But we have to do this if we’re ever going to think of this as more than a fling.”
“Do you want more than a fling?” She thought she knew the answer, but she wanted absolute confirmation.
“Absolutely,” he breathed. Now for the question which he might regret for the rest of his life, “Do you?” He waited with a drawn breath, thinking and hoping he knew the answer, but wondering if his instincts had been wrong all along. One thing was for sure. He would not be able to live if she said she didn’t. It was that simple.
Lois smiled up at him. “Absolutely.” She squeezed his hand when she heard him exhale. “I could never have a fling. Not with you. Clark, you’re the only man I’ve ever,” her breath caught in her throat. “Loved. Wanted to spend my life with.” The words tumbled out in a steady string. Once those heartfelt words started flowing, there was no stopping the emotional line of flow between her heart and her mouth.
He squeezed her hand back, so thankful that she felt the same way. “I want that, too. Oh god, Lois. You don’t know how much I want that, too.” He scooted closer, narrowing the once lengthy distance between them, and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. “I’ve been waiting so long, for this moment. To hear you say those words, and now to finally hear you tell me you love me, too.”
She looked up into his sparkling eyes. Tears were streaming down her own cheeks. This was all more than she had ever imagined. Love. Clark. The two seemed to go together perfectly. “It’s amazing,” she breathed. “Being in your arms.” She snuggled closer to him, trying to take in all of the wonderful, new sensations their closeness was creating inside her.
“Holding you close.” He tightened his grip around her small body.
“Flying with you. God, Clark, I’ve never felt that way before. Up there, you weren’t Superman. You were the man I love.” She grinned at him. “You *are* the man I love.”
He found his lips turning up into a smile. “I love flying with you in my arms.” Then his grin faltered when he was faced with his horrible thoughts again. “I love you so much, Lois, but I keep wondering . . .”
Lois immediately sensed the change in the mood. They couldn’t ignore what had happened this morning any longer. She would have to admit she had been horribly at fault. “Wondering what?” she asked cautiously.
“This morning. Did you . . .? Do you . . .?” With tears in his eyes, he whispered, “Did you really think I could have raped you?”
“No,” she said softly.
“No,” he repeated, unsure how to continue. Now that the taboo topic was out in the open, he had no idea what to say.
Lois rubbed her eyes. “I love you so much, Clark, but I hate myself. I really do.” She shook her head madly. “Why is it that as soon as I meet someone so wonderful, I go and jump to conclusions, even if they are so hurtful? I don’t even think. What is my problem?” She took a shuddering deep breath. Here it was, happening yet again. Lois Lane was sticking her foot in her mouth, but now she had so much more to lose. She had potentially ruined the best thing in her life.
“Lois,” he said, as he tentatively reached his hand up to brush away her tears, and found himself tucking a stray wisp of hair behind her ear. “Oh, Lois, we’re both so messed up.”
They were two crazy people on the cusp of a whirlwind romance. Two lonely warriors beginning their special adventure through the world together.
“It’s me, Clark.” She looked up with tears prickling at her eyes. “I accused you of something I knew you would never do.”
She pulled away from him, but he put his hand on her shoulder, pulling her back to his warm embrace. She had hurt him so badly, but he knew that she was hurting inside just as much. They would get through this together. There was no other way.
“I know,” he said softly. And he did. He knew that she hadn’t known what she was saying, really, even though she’d sounded so serious. Deep down, she hadn’t meant any of it. She had been scared and desperate, clinging to any possible explanation she could imagine.
“No, Clark, you can’t know.” She took a deep breath. “Ever since that first moment I saw you in Perry’s office, I knew there was something about you. I couldn’t put my finger on it right away, but I knew it was something.” A smile crossed her lips when she thought of his many endearing qualities that had drawn her to him. She lightly touched his arm, and said, “I guess at first, I was scared by your disarming good looks.”
He turned away, trying to hide the blush that had spread across his face. “Lois . . .”
“Then, when I first talked to you, I realized you have this amazing aura around you.” She squeezed his hand, and continued, “Clark, sometimes I wonder if you know how much affect you have on people with that amazing, warm, charismatic personality.” She took a deep breath. “And as much as I was drawn to you, I was also so jealous.”
“Jealous? Of me?”
She nodded sheepishly. “Yeah. Jealous. Clark, I don’t have that charisma. I can’t make people my friend instantly. I can’t immediately draw a source to open up to me.”
“Lois, I can’t do that.”
“You can,” she said with a smile. “And I love it and hate it about you. I’ve known it since the moment we started working together. I didn’t want to admit that anyone was better than I was at anything. I started to look at you as a professional rival, someone I needed to defeat, and maybe the first person who would pose a challenge. But, in reality, my heart saw this handsome, kind, generous man. A man I had always pictured giving my heart to.”
“Oh, Lois.” He wrapped his arm around her back and pulled her towards him. She didn’t resist.
She leaned into his embrace and took a deep breath. “No, Clark, let me finish.” She smiled at him apologetically, knowing that if he cut her off at all, she would never regain the courage to tell him her inner thoughts. “Believe me, I would have never admitted it to myself, but the more we worked together, the more that feeling grew. Only it scared me so much, I took it the wrong way. I didn’t see you as my friend, my potential lover, my equal. And I know I hurt you.” The tears streamed down her face in earnest, and her words came out like sobs. “Oh, Clark, I’ve hurt you so much. I’ve done so many horrible things to you. And you’re not like them. You’re not. I’ve known it from the beginning.” She couldn’t keep comparing Clark to every other man she’s ever met. It wasn’t fair.
He pulled her to him tightly. “Like who?” he prodded, knowing Lois needed to get it all out.
“Everyone,” she said simply. “You’re not a typical man. You won’t hurt me. You won’t take advantage of me. You won’t use me. You won’t rape me. You’re different.”
“Have you been . . .” He didn’t want to voice the horrible thought.
“No, no. It was consensual,” she said softly.
“But?”
“Oh, Clark, it was horrible.” She went stiff and emotionless. “It hurt so badly. He wouldn’t stop. And then he left. He left. Without even saying goodbye.”
“Oh, Lois,” he breathed, wanting to take her pain away. He couldn’t imagine how someone could do something so horrible to Lois, the most wonderful woman in the world. All the other men in her life had completely broken her trust in other people. No wonder she hadn’t trusted him.
“But I know you’re not like that. You’re not him. You’re not every other man. I know that. You would never do something like that to me.”
“Never,” he declared. “I can’t believe anyone would hurt you so badly.” He had no idea what to do to make her feel better. In fact, he wasn’t sure if she could feel better. It had scarred her soul, and he couldn’t blame her for her reactions to him.
“As badly as I hurt you,” she whispered. “I did exactly the same thing.”
“Lois,” he said, and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. “You didn’t.”
“Clark, I’m serious. I ruined your first time like mine was ruined.”
He looked her straight in the eyes, and declared, “You didn’t ruin it, Lois.”
“Yeah right.” She pulled out of his arms. He was lying. She knew it. He couldn’t be serious.
He shook his head vigorously. “Oh god, Lois, it was the most amazing night of my life.”
“But the morning must have ruined it.”
He shrugged. “Well, it wasn’t the most pleasant moment of my life.”
“See.”
“But, Lois, we got through it. We found each other. Even if it did take a little illegal pheromone spray to relieve our blindness.”
She held back a chuckle before her heart dropped again. “But you’re really okay with what I did to you? I wouldn’t blame you if you hated me forever.”
“I could never hate you, Lois.” He smiled at her. “Never. No matter what happens. My love is forever.” He inched his face closer to hers, eying those luscious, pouty lips that were begging him to kiss them.
“Forever? No matter what?”
“No matter what. I love you, Lois. I mean it when I say my love is forever.” He closed the gap between their lips, and covered hers with his own.
She hadn’t done anything to deserve him. Nothing except being crazy, messed up, psychotic Lois Lane. And maybe that was enough. She allowed herself to melt into his embrace, and surrender to his kiss.
All of their fears floated from their consciousness. The only thing that mattered was the titillating friction between their lips, the erotic tango of their tongues exploring each other’s mouths, the feeling of their hands exploring each other’s bodies.
There was only one reality. They were together and in love. Their pasts no longer mattered. They both had to move on. The only important things were their present and their future. And that would be spent together.
When they finally broke apart, faces separated by mere inches, Lois whispered, “I love you, Clark. Don’t ever forget that.”
“I know, Lois. And don’t you ever forget that I love you, too.”
She laughed softly. “I never thought it could be like this.”
“What?”
“Love. Happiness. It’s overtaking my body, and I don’t feel anything but pure joy.”
He laughed softly. “I know. It’s how I’ve felt almost every second since the moment I met you.”
“Oh, Clark.” She reached out and kissed him again. His words were enough to make her heart melt into a large, sticky puddle of goo.
He looked at her, reached his hand out to cup her small face in his large hand, and said in all seriousness, “Lois, I hope you will always look at me like this, with that loving, innocent light in your eyes.”
“Only if you always cup my face in your hand like that and brush the wisps of hair from my eyes like that.” She giggled at the thought of a forever with the man of her dreams.
“You’d better believe it,” he answered gruffly. “But only if we spend the rest of our lives together.” Was that what he thought it was? A proposal? This soon? He wasn’t sure if they were ready for marriage yet certainly not one day in to their relationship. However, he knew he wanted to marry her eventually. So if this was a proposal, he meant each and every word.
“Count on it.” She wrapped her arms around his neck, and brought her lips back down to his, to seal their agreement with a kiss. They kissed, and Lois let her hands roam down Clark’s body until she got to his pants. She was going to change the impression she had left with him. His second time would be amazing. It would completely overshadow his marred first time.
He put his hand on top of hers, halting her soft ministrations. “Wait, Lois. We’ve been through so much today.” At her look of horror, Clark continued, “God, it’s not like I don’t want to. Believe me, oh god, I want to. But, Lois, maybe we shouldn’t sleep together tonight.”
“Are you sure?” She pulled away in shock.
“I’m sure.” He took a deep breath, wondering how to explain his feelings to her without hurting her. “Our first time was incredible. I can’t describe it. But I want our second time to be so much better. Right now we are both so emotionally drained.” He grinned at her. “Believe me; I want to do it again, and again, and again.” But they weren’t ready for it yet. And he didn’t want to rush anything. He wasn’t ready to do it with her until she was ready.
And he knew she was far from ready.
“Maybe you’re right,” she admitted. “We shouldn’t rush. We have the rest of their lives to be with each other. There are still so many things we need to talk about.”
“I know. But they can wait.” He smiled at her. “Right now, I want to fall asleep with the woman I love in my arms.”
Lois grinned back, and took a step towards him and into his arms. “I’d like nothing better.”
**********
The morning light streamed through the window, and fell on Lois’s smiling face. It was so bright, her eyes were aching to open to greet the daylight. Morning. She had to wake from her comfortable, restful sleep. She did want to wake up to spend the first happy day of her new life, but she wanted to stay here in bed for a little bit longer.
She yawned, eyes still squeezed tightly shut, and tried to stretch. However, there was something holding her back. Something strong, yet soft, but stopping her from moving. She was trapped. Only this time, she wasn’t scared. She was content, safe, loved. What a wonderful feeling of being trapped. This was a place she never wanted to leave.
Lois turned her head, trying to fight the ever-insistent pull of consciousness. She squeezed her eyes shut more tightly. What a strange sense of déjà vu! But what a difference one day made. This was no longer a nightmare. It was the most pleasant dream imaginable.
Lois slowly awoke to the world around her, but this time there was no sense of urgency. Today, she was in her own room, on her soft bed with comfortable sheets. It was a sense of comfortable familiarity and security.
But there was still one thing that made her heart race. This time it wasn’t with fear, but with a sense of love, desire, and hope for the future. She was completely safe and secure in her love’s arms.
Yesterday had been the worst day of her life, but it had also been the best day ever. She had run the gamut of emotions in just over twelve houses. It had been exhausting yet exhilarating. And she wouldn’t have changed one minute.
Even though she had gotten their relationship off on the wrong foot, and although she had never really had a successful relationship, she knew he was a novice as well. They would learn about love together. And they would succeed. She would teach him, and would let him teach her about the meaning of their new lives. About happiness. About love. About two lives melding together into one.
She could never go back to her life before yesterday. Now that she knew life on the other side, she could never return. She wouldn’t change anything they went through to get to this point. Their ordeal proved that they were both stronger together than they ever could hope to be apart.
Yes, she had been horrible to him. But he had forgiven her. And there was nothing that she could do to change it. She had to spend the rest of her life showing him how much she loved him. And that certainly wouldn’t be a problem. Although she knew that everything she had ever known and held true in her life was about to be turned upside down, she was eager to see what the future held for her.
Clark shifted next to her, almost like he could read her mind. “Mmm, what a beautiful morning,” he said sleepily. He was staring right at her.
“Good morning yourself, handsome.”
Clark tightened his grip around her, and said, “I can’t believe this is real. Please tell me it’s not a dream.”
Lois laughed, and scooted closer. “It is a dream. My wildest dream come true.”
Clark pulled her close, and pressed his lips to hers. It was real. Oh so real. And this time, it was completely reciprocated. He allowed himself to surrender his entire body and soul to the kiss. All of his sensations were overwhelmed by the feeling of her lips against his, her hands roaming his body, his hands exploring her curves. The passion between them was electric.
Shocks passed up Lois’s spine with each of Clark’s gentle caresses. She had no idea how she had ever been able to live without his exquisitely soft touch. He lovingly trailed a line of kisses across her jaw, and she gasped with pleasure when their lips connected again. All of these amazing kisses were leaving her breathless. No other man had ever been able to take her breath away like Clark could.
As suddenly as it had begun, Clark reluctantly pulled away from the kiss. Lois moaned in protest, but Clark said, “Look at the time. It’s after ten.”
“So . . .” She knew what he was doing. Stalling. She would have to change that.
He put his hand up to her lips, preventing her from kissing him again. If he kissed her again, he would never be able to stop. “Lois, we should go to work to see . . .”
“. . . if the Love Shack is still in working order?”
“I was going to say, ‘see if everyone’s all right,’ but yeah.” He shrugged. He desperately wanted to stay here in bed with Lois, but they had to remember that the world didn’t really revolve around their love.
“Do we have to go? The Planet still turns without us there.” She almost couldn’t believe her own words.
He shrugged. “It does. But I won’t feel right until I know Luthor and Miranda’s havoc has run its course.” Clark shuddered at the thought of his nemesis and the thoughts of what had happened when the perfume had gotten loose at ‘The Planet’ and especially the thought of Luthor potentially stopping at nothing until Lois was his.
“Fine. But remember, I’m the one who wanted to stay in bed.” They had to investigate, and they both knew it couldn’t wait any longer.
**********
The doors opened into the newsroom, and Lois stepped out anxious to see if anything had changed overnight. She grabbed Clark’s hand, and took a few steps towards her desk.
“It looks . . .” She let her gaze trail along the newsroom. “. . . Normal, I guess.”
Clark nodded. “At least the balloons are gone.”
“And no more love music.” She shrugged. It looked promising. Maybe the ‘Love Shack’ was no more. Could it really be back to the newsroom she knew and loved? They would soon see. “Where’s Perry?”
Clark didn’t need to pull down his glasses to know. “He’s in his office. Oh he doesn’t sound good.”
“What?” Lois turned towards the editor’s office, and took a few steps towards it.
“He’s on the phone with the legal department.” He took a deep breath, his heart filled with sympathy for his boss. “It looks like Rahelia is suing him!”
Lois shook her head. “Oh no. For what?” There was only one option, “Sexual harassment?” She still couldn’t understand what Perry saw in the cleaning lady in the first place, but she decided not to go down that road. That was way more than she ever needed to know about her boss.
He nodded. “Exactly. I guess she wasn’t exposed to any pheromones.”
“Guess not. *That* would have been a mess.” She shook her head woefully. It seemed this horrible love drug had far-reaching ramifications. This drug really could ruin a person’s life.
“We need to talk to him,” he said quickly.
She nodded, and they both walked towards Perry’s office. The newsroom really did look like it was completely back to normal, working order. No one was running around chasing anyone else. They didn’t hear any strange noises coming from the copy room. Jimmy wasn’t bothering them about a model named April. It seemed to be business as usual. Thank goodness.
They paused outside Perry’s office momentarily, and peered in. The editor was sitting at his desk, head buried in his hands, looking like he was a completely broken man.
“Chief?” Clark said softly, almost unsure if they should try to talk to him.
The older man looked up, eyes filled with sadness. He didn’t look like the strong, confident man they knew. And that was kind of scary. “Clark! Lois!”
They took his words as an invitation to come in, so they both took seats around the editor’s desk. Lois looked the papers strewn on his desk, while Clark asked, “Are you okay?”
The older man shrugged. “I’ll never be okay again,” he said, monotonously.
Lois read from one of the legal documents in her hand. “Sexual harassment. Rahelia.”
“Look at yesterday’s morning edition!” He held the paper up weakly. “And none of this is the worst part.” He shook his head woefully, and looked at his two employees. “Alice left me.”
“What!” Clark exclaimed.
“Oh no!” Lois said. That horrible drug really had ruined someone’s life.
Perry sighed. “Can you blame her? I’m nothing more than a no good hound dog livin’ at the heartbreak hotel.”
“But it’s not your fault, Chief,” Lois said quickly, and covered his hand reassuringly. “You have a complete defense.”
“Of course it’s my fault.” He pulled his hand away.
“No, Chief. It’s not your fault. You were drugged,” Lois answered quickly. She sighed, and said, “We all were drugged.”
“Lois and I found out that a scientist, funded by Lex Luthor, drugged all of us.” He shook his head angrily. Thinking about Lex Luthor and Miranda’s plot again made his blood boil.
Perry looked up. “What was that, Clark? Drugged? Lex Luthor?”
Lois chimed in. “At the perfume show in the newsroom, a woman named Miranda sprayed everyone with her perfume, Revenge . . .“
“It is specially designed with pheromone compounds that. . .”
Perry interrupted, “Phero-what?”
“Pheromone,” Lois answered. “It made all of us lose our inhibitions.”
Clark added, “Fall madly in love, completely beyond our control.” He caught Lois’s eye and smiled, knowing that they wouldn’t be together without the ‘love drug’. At the pace they’d been going, it might have taken them years to get to this point without any extra help. He’d almost like to parade in front of Luthor’s jail cell to show him what his drug had done.
“A love drug?” the older man asked skeptically.
“Exactly,” Lois answered. “It made you fall in love with Rahelia, Jimmy fall in love with a model, me fall in love with Clark, and Cat fall in love with every man she saw.”
Clark turned to Lois and grinned. She said she’d fallen in love with him so matter-of-factly. It was no longer shocking for her. She’d fallen in love with him. Actually, she’d only admitted her love for him. She’d told him that she might have loved him before she’d admitted it to herself. The love drug was only a catalyst to make her realize her own feelings.
Perry straightened in his chair, and ran a hand through his thinning hair. “Well, that’ll take care of this lawsuit, but not Alice. She’ll never listen to me. Not about this. She’ll never take me back. Not after this. No matter what.”
Lois smiled at him. “Treat her like you treated Rahelia. Act like you’ve been sprayed again.”
Clark continued, “Shower her with presents. Write her love poems.”
“She’ll never go for it,” Perry said dejectedly.
“Take her to Graceland,” Lois interjected, and grinned at Perry.
The older man laughed. “Graceland. Now that she might buy. But sappy love songs and poems. That’s not Alice.”
“All you can do is try,” Lois said simply.
“I can’t believe it was all a drug. And Lex Luthor was involved?” He immediately switched back to editor-mode, one which was more familiar to him.
“And it was all related to fruit flies,” Lois said anxiously. “Stupid fruit flies.” Although she hated to admit it, she owed those fruit flies. Big time.
The editor’s eyes twinkled. “So it wasn’t a, what did you say, stupid mood piece after all?”
Lois’s cheeks turned red. “What are you talking about? It’s only not a mood piece because I was involved.” She rolled her eyes, and said, “I’ll, no, we’ll have the story on your desk in twenty minutes.”
Perry shook his head. “That’s what I like to hear.” He took a deep breath, and said again, “I can’t believe it was a drug masked in perfume. Why in the world did I agree to let marketing have a perfume show here? Never again.”
“The love drug wasn’t that bad for everyone,” Clark said, and looked at Lois with a twinkle in his eyes.
She grabbed his hand and squeezed. “It makes some people realize their true feelings for each other.”
Perry looked from Lois to Clark and back to Lois. He gasped in shock,” You two?”
They nodded. Yes, they were together. Of course it was unexpected, but it felt so right. And it was all due to the love drug.
"Judas priest!" A smile finally crossed Perry’s face. “You know, this reminds me of when Elvis first laid eyes on Pricilla. She was only a girl then, but whoa, Nellie . . .”
Before either could reply, Jimmy darted through the door with a tall, blonde woman clinging to his hand.
“Lois, Clark, Chief, this is April, the love of my life,” Jimmy said, positively beaming and glowing with bliss.
Their collective jaws dropped in shock. Jimmy. And a model. Did that seem right? Did Jimmy somehow get a hold of that love drug and spray April? Too many questions and not nearly enough answers.
“She thinks I’m cute!” he said, almost giggling. Then April leaned down and kissed him so hard, it made everyone in the room speechless.
**********
After they sent their story to Perry, Lois looked to Clark, and said, “Let’s get out of here.”
He looked up at the clock. “But it’s only eleven.”
She stood up, and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I know. We broke a huge story, Jimmy actually *got* his model girlfriend, and we have a brand new relationship. Everything seems right with the world.” She paused for a second. “Except for Perry, but I’m sure he and Alice will be fine eventually.” Then she tugged on his tie, bringing his face down inches from hers. “So let’s play hooky.”
“Interesting logic,” he said softly. “But brilliant.” He stood up, and wrapped his arms around her waist.
“Let’s get out of here,” she whispered, and planted a series of soft kisses on his cheek.
“Okay.” He smiled widely and kissed her on the lips. “You don’t have to ask me twice. Hmm, sitting here at work all day or playing hooky with the woman I love. Choices, choices.” They both deserved the rest of the day off. They still had a lot of work to do to catch Lex Luthor in this and all of his other schemes, but one day wasn’t going to set them back. It was a job that could take months, but it would be more rewarding than any other story they had written.
Lois raised her eyebrow, and looked at the elevator. “Race you downstairs,” she said jovially. “You take the elevator, and I’ll take the stairs.”
He laughed, and leaned down to whisper into her ear. “Race you *up*stairs.”
“Ooh upstairs! I forgot!” She tugged on his tie. “Why don’t we go upstairs together?”
He nodded, and allowed her to pull him towards the staircase, laughing all the way. When the door closed behind them, he wrapped her in his arms and took off up the stairs at superspeed.
When they stepped out on the roof, Lois looked out over the Metropolis skyline and sighed deeply.
Clark stepped behind her, and wrapped his arms around her. “What’s wrong?” he said softly into her ear.
Lois turned to face him. “I can’t stop thinking about it.”
“Can’t stop thinking about what?” He’d thought they’d settled everything, and now they were going to focus on being a couple in love on the cusp of forever.
"We need to do it again. I can’t believe how much I hurt you." She closed her eyes so not to look into his innocent eyes. “I can’t believe I ruined it for you.”
"What?" He ran a hand along the side of her face. “What do we have to do again?” Then he kissed her lightly, to show her that everything was all right.
"Our first time,” she said in a declarative tone. She opened her eyes, and looked straight into his expressive brown ones. “Your first time,” she said softly.
“Oh, Lois . . .” He brushed his hand along her cheek, wiping away a stray tear that had escaped her eyes.
“No, Clark, let me talk. There’s no way you can argue with me here.” She smiled slightly at his chuckle. “Clark, nothing can change the fact that I ruined your first time.”
“Lois! How many times do I have to tell you? It was wonderful, magical, incredible. You didn’t ruin anything.” He pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head. “Lois, it was beautiful. Everything I’ve ever hoped for and more.”
She shook her head wildly. “No, Clark. No one’s first time should end like that. I can’t believe what I did to you. I had to have ruined yours with my horrible attitude, with my jumping to wild conclusions without letting you explain, with my pigheaded stubbornness.” She took a deep breath. “Your first time should have been magical.”
“Lois,” he said softly. “I understand what happened, why you reacted the way you did. And I don’t blame you.” He cupped his hand around her face and gently tilted it up so she was looking into his eyes. “Lois, I don’t blame you. You were afraid. I was afraid. It was a mistake on both our parts.”
She shook her head. “I know we’re okay with everything, and it is probably better . . . okay, healthier to forget it all, but that doesn’t change the fact that you we need to have a real first time. One that will give us wonderful memories to last an eternity rather than memories that draw upon mixed emotions. Clark, I want our first time to be something we both remember, something we both cherish."
“Lois,” he breathed. He knew she was right.
“Clark, I almost envy you for having the patience to save yourself for *the one*, for *me*.” She took a deep breath. “I wish I had saved myself for you.”
He smiled widely. “I don’t.”
She wrinkled her nose at him, shocked. “You don’t?”
“Nope.” He shook his head. “Your experiences made you what you are today, the woman I am hopelessly, desperately, madly in love with. I wouldn’t want to change a single thing about you.” He took a deep breath. “I love you, Lois. And next time can be our joint first time. Our first time together.”
Lois smiled at him, Clark, the man she was destined to be with for the rest of her life. “Our first time together,” she repeated. “Our first time. Let’s go home, Clark.”
Clark grinned at her. “Home.” For them to re-consummate their love for each other? He was looking forward to his second time as much as he had the first.
She nodded. “But I don’t know if I want . . .”
“. . . for us to make love again so soon.” He nodded, almost understanding what she meant. Their first time should be spontaneous, wonderful, unplanned. They had to let it happen rather than schedule it into an emotionally charged day when so much else was going on. It had to be special, wonderful, emotional in itself.
“Are you okay with that?” she asked anxiously. “We can if you . . .”
“No,” he said sharply. “Lois, I think you’re right. We need time alone together to develop our relationship before we . . .”
“. . . cross that bridge again.”
He kissed her softly, and said, lips mere inches from hers, “Exactly. Lois, I want to make love to you more than anything else in the world, but I know we need time to recover, to heal, to let our love grow.”
They needed time to be together to share experiences and feelings with each other, to learn as much as they could about each other.
“Oh god, Clark, I want you so badly, but I don’t want our relationship to only be about the physical.”
“I know. It started out so physically, but we need to let our emotional bond grow first.”
She squeezed him tightly, grateful he understood. “I’ve never really been in a relationship before that wasn’t purely physical.” She’d never had a close friend until she met Clark.
“I’ve never been in an adult relationship at all.” He laughed slightly. “I mean, there was Lana in high school, but . . .”
Lois found herself laughing, too. “Well, then we’ll teach each other.”
“Teach each other,” he said softly. He knew that their physical relationship would come when they were ready, but they needed a strong emotional foundation first if they wanted their love to survive. They both already knew the physical attraction was there, and that their physical love was magical.
He slowly brushed his lips against hers, and brought one hand around the back of her head to play with her long, silky hair. The feeling of their lips rubbing together creating a tantalizing friction between them, their tongues dancing together, their bodies joining as one, was almost too much for his body to stand. He loved her, wanted her, needed her, couldn’t believe he really had her.
In the span of two days, Clark Kent had been through the gamut of emotions, from unrivaled elation, to the depths of despair, and finally back to the lofty peaks of unbridled joy. Tonight, he truly was Clark Kent, a man desperately in love with Lois Lane.
The feeling of this magical kiss made him realize that his life with Lois both now and in the future truly were his wildest dreams come true.
The End
Author’s notes:
The basic a-plot and a few lines are paraphrased/taken from the episode "Pheromone My Lovely" which was its basic inspiration. Also, a bit of inspiration was taken from two lines from the tv show “Dharma and Greg” in the episode “And Then There’s the Wedding,” which were used in the story. Also, one line from the song ‘At the Beginning’ from the movie Anastasia was used in the story.
I've had this basic idea for a few years, but I was finally inspired to actually write it because of Wendy Richards. Her wonderful story 'Poison' led to the question, "What if Clark had slept with Lois in PML? Would that have been rape?" I told Wendy about my idea, and she encouraged me to write the story. There are so many more people I need to thank for helping me with this story. My beta readers, Sara for the beginning, and Tricia for the whole thing; you are the best. Tricia, I have no idea how many times you’ve read this monster in its various incarnations, but believe me, I am eternally grateful. I’d like to thank AnnieM for a late night brainstorming session that she probably doesn’t remember, but really helped me. And very special thanks to Carol Malo for her wonderfully ruthless constructive criticism – and for teaching me about the evils of repetition. Thank you to the readers on the lcficmbs for their encouragement, and extremely helpful suggestions. Everyone gave me such wonderful feedback and lively discussions which inspired me and helped make this story what it is. Thank you so much.
