Sorry for the delay, FoLCs! I was out of town for several days for a wedding! With no further ado... here it is!
LAST TIME...
“They say ‘love can wait.’ I know, because I’ve been waiting,” Clark whispered into her ear. It sent tingles up and down her spine. “And you, Lois, are worth the wait.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life.”
* * * * * NOW READ ON.....
Lois Lane awakened the next day full of optimism. Perhaps it was because, with the exception of her nightmare, she’d had a fairly restful night. Or maybe it was because she was finally feeling able to talk openly about her feelings relating to the attack. ‘No,’ Lois reasoned, ‘it’s because he’s still here.’
He certainly *was* still there. Lois lay on her side with Clark spooning her from behind. His arm crossed her waist, his hand rested on her stomach, securely holding her close to him. His breath warmed the back of her neck. Lois found it to feel both comforting and sensual. She thought of their conversation the night before.
‘Love can wait. I know, because I’ve been waiting,’ he’d said. Was Clark trying to say he loved her? She thought she’d been in love before, but now that she reflected upon it, none of her boyfriends had ever said those three little words that meant everything. Lois had lovers before, but none who treated her the way Clark did. Clark cherished her like she was the most precious creature on the planet.
Clark stirred a little in his sleep, wrapping Lois tighter in his arms. Lois, in turn, rested her hand on top of his, lacing her fingers between his. She noted how tiny her hand appeared when it was beside his. There were a lot of things about Clark Kent that she wished she had noticed before. Now she would make a point of it.
Lois yawned and stretched lazily like a lioness, rolling over so that she was now face to face with Clark. His Metropolis Tigers football t-shirt was threadbare and clinging tightly to his sculpted body, the sleeves barely accommodating his incredible biceps. She studied his peaceful expression. His hair fell across his forehead, messy with sleep. It made him even more alluring.
Clark’s eyes fluttered open, and when he saw his partner staring at him, only inches from his face, he leaned over clumsily and grappled for his glasses. “Sorry, I... uh, wanted my first look at you today to be in focus,” he said, giving Lois a lopsided grin once his glasses were in place. “There. That’s *much* better.”
Lois smiled warmly. “Morning, Clark.”
“Morning, Lois.” It wasn’t fair of her, wearing that tiny little tank top--laying on her side to showcase her gorgeous cleavage--! Clark had to stifle a groan. He averted his eyes so that he could look deeply into hers.
“Wanna go to work?” she inquired, surprising Clark.
‘That wasn’t exactly what was on my mind, but...’ he thought. “Are you up to it, Lois?” Clark asked. “I mean, after what happened at the salon? People are bound to be talking about it. Even asking you questions about it.” He had a mental picture of Lois going haywire on a concerned co-worker, for asking the wrong question.
She rolled her eyes. “Clark, I’ll be fine.”
“Don’t you think maybe you should go to counseling first?”
“Will you stop pushing me?” Lois snapped, sitting up. She slipped out of Clark’s arms. “Everyone is being so pushy about this! I think you really need to just leave me alone, and let me deal with it. I just want to go back to my regular routine, so I can move ahead with my life.”
It upset Clark how quickly her moods shifted these days. Seconds ago, she was laying peacefully in his arms; now she was ranting and raving! Softly, he attempted to back off. “Lois. You’re right. I apologize. But I certainly don’t want you to get hurt. And if you go in to work, and someone asks you--”
“I’ll be fine,” she interrupted.
He continued. “I don’t want you to forget about the counseling, either. You promised--”
“I’ll make an appointment when we get to the Planet. Does that make you happy?” she retorted sarcastically.
She was really starting to push his buttons, but Clark tried to be the diplomat. Calmly he spoke again. “Lois, it *does* make me happy. I want to help you through this, but there’s only so much I can do--”
“I don’t need help.”
There. She’d said it. Now he knew for sure; as much as Lois pretended that things were all right, she’d been lying to herself all along. He knew she’d never go to counseling until she admitted to herself that she needed it. “Lois,” he started.
“Don’t!” she snapped.
“Don’t you see? You are *not* yourself. The Lois I fell asleep with last night is completely different from the Lois I woke up with. You have no control over it; it is *not* your fault. You just need some help dealing with this!”
She was getting madder and madder. “Clark, how dare you talk about me like that!” she raged.
Clark tried to keep his cool. “Lois, I care about you. I am trying to help you. If you don’t like it, tough. Don’t ask me to stay the night again if you’re going to treat me like this, because frankly, it’s draining.” He spoke before he thought, and quickly regretted it.
“Fine,” she seethed. “Don’t come back tonight. Last night was a mistake.”
It was a slap to the face; Clark stood up. “I’m going to go. I can see I’ve outstayed my welcome.” He gathered his belongings, as Lois stood, motionless.
“I’m still going to work,” she said finally.
“Me, too,” he answered.
* * * * *
Work was extremely awkward, and while everyone welcomed Lois back, they didn’t breech the subject of her attack at all, mainly because they’d noticed that Lois was avoiding Clark like the plague.
Lois kept herself focused. ‘How,’ she wondered, ‘do you get in touch with a homeless man?’ Jimmy proved to be a big help to Lois; he’d contacted the police station at her request. Together they’d found out that Ian Johnson frequented the Saint Joseph’s Soup Kitchen for lunch.
She compiled a list of questions to ask of Ian, called the soup kitchen to find out when Ian usually arrived, and made arrangements to meet with him in two days at one o’clock.
Clark attempted to break the ice with Lois. He passed her desk, and offered her a cinnamon donut. All he received in return was a cold, “Thanks.”
As their day was winding down to a close, Clark approached Lois once more. “Lois, I will stay with you if you want me to.”
“No.”
Fine. That was all the answer he needed. He was going home.
* * * * *
Her apartment was silent. The only sound was the gentle bubbling of her aquarium’s filter. Lois sighed, dropping her things on the sofa. She sprinkled food in the fish tank and made herself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
‘I didn’t do too badly,’ she thought, reflecting on her day. ‘Nobody asked me anything. I didn’t freak out, and I got some work accomplished.’
Then, she wondered, why did she feel so terrible?
She thought of Clark.
There. That was the reason.
“What is my problem?” she said aloud. “I can sleep without him!”
She finished off her sandwich. Strangely, she felt like she was wired; she was unable to relax. She made her way into her kitchen once more, peeked into the freezer, and retrieved a tub of chocolate ice cream. Then, she opened her cabinet, and found an unopened bottle of merlot.
‘Perfect,’ she thought. ‘One glass and I’ll sleep like a baby.’
The trouble was, she did not stop at one glass. Or two. An hour and a half later, the untouched ice cream sat there melting, and the bottle of wine was almost gone.
Lois sat on her couch numbly. She’d seen two episodes of “I Love Lucy” back to back. Now, out of the blue, tears were filling her eyes. “Ricky,” she wept, gesticulating wildly as she addressed the TV, “why can’t you for *once* let Lucy be in the show?” She smeared her tears across her face sloppily with her palm, then refilled her wine glass with the remainder of the bottle. Before taking another drink, she spotted the phone. Acting on an impulse alone, she stood up, seized it, and began to dial. By some miracle, she’d managed to dial the right number.
“Hello, Clark? Is that you?”
“...please leave a message after the beep. Thanks!” said Clark’s answering machine.
“Clark? Are you there? This is Lois,” she slurred.
Clark picked up the phone immediately. He could barely recognize his partner’s voice. “Lois, are you okay?”
“Clark, I’ve made a terrible mistake. I’ve been so, so mean to you, and I--” Lois stumbled a bit, fumbling and dropping her wine glass. Clark heard a shatter. He cringed.
“Lois, you’re... very drunk. Stay put. I’m coming right over.”
She was crying softly. “I think I just ruined my pants. They’re all... wine-y.”
“Please go sit down and don’t move. I’m coming.”
“Okay, Clark. Bye.” Lois staggered over and sank into her couch.
Minutes later, Clark was knocking on her door vigorously. Lois stood, feeling completely topsy-turvy. Somehow she managed to make her way to the door and unlock all the bolts. When Clark pushed the door open she was standing, swaying slightly, and bracing herself against the wall with one hand.
“You came. That was so nice of you,” she announced.
“I--Of course I came,” Clark stammered, assessing the situation. She was still in her work clothes, but her blouse was untucked and rumpled. One leg of her gray pants were covered in wine from the knee down. He frowned, seeing the melted ice cream and the empty bottle on her coffee table. “Lois, this is not good.”
“I know that, Clark. I ruined my pants.” She looked down sadly at her wine-sodden pants.
Clark sighed heavily, putting his arm around Lois’ shoulders and escorting her to the couch. Once she was seated, Clark started towards her bedroom. “Let’s get you out of those pants. Maybe they’re not ruined yet,” he said gently. “I’ll go get you another pair.” He disappeared into her room and returned with a pair of her pajama pants. Having never felt the effects of alcohol, Clark could not understand its appeal, and he certainly could not understand how uninhibited it made people.
Uninhibited. Yes, that was the word for it. His partner stood before him, her pants bunched up in her hand, in just her shirt and underpants. This didn’t seem to bother her too much. Clark stared in shock (and awe at those exquisite legs!) for a millisecond, before covering his eyes. He tossed the clean pants in her general direction. “Here, put these on. I’m going to make you some coffee.”
Lois agreed readily.
In the kitchen, Clark found the mess she’d made; broken glass was all over the floor, along with spilled wine. Quickly, he cleaned it up. Once Lois was dressed, he took her stained pants and set them to soak in the sink. As the coffee heated, Clark sat next to Lois on the couch.
“Lois, you’re bleeding!” He noticed she’d cut her bare foot on the broken glass.
“I am? I didn’t notice,” she mumbled, looking down at the wound.
Clark disappeared again, this time into the bathroom. He emerged with a washcloth and a box of Band-Aids. “Let me see it, Lois,” he said softly. He sat beside her, taking her foot into his lap. Gently, he wiped the blood off.
“Clark? Can I ask you a question?” Lois said.
“Sure,” he said, still concentrating on taking care of her injured foot.
“Why are you being so nice to me, after I was so mean to you? I was mean to you all day.”
She said it with the sincerity of a child. Clark couldn’t help but be touched. He pressed the washcloth to her foot, stopping his careful work to look her in the eyes.
“I’ll admit, you said some things that hurt my feelings. But I know that you have a lot going on right now, and many things may make you feel angry. It’s understandable that you’ll be mad, I’m just trying not to take it personally because you’re my best friend, and I care very much about you,” he explained.
“Oh, Clark,” she said, teary-eyed. “You’re the best, ever.”
Clark resumed caring for her foot, finishing off by applying a Band-Aid. “There. All better!” He rose and poured two cups of coffee. “Here,” he said, steadying the mug in Lois’ hands. “Drink this. Maybe you’ll feel a little better.”
Lois took a sip. She looked up at him, bleary-eyed. She’d noticed vaguely that he had been staring at her for quite some time.
“Lois? Do you want to tell me why you did this?” Clark said at last.
“Did what?”
“Drank that whole bottle,” Clark answered, pointing to the empty bottle on the table.
“Oh. *That.*” Lois took another swallow of coffee before continuing. “I started because I couldn’t get relaxed. I guess I didn’t stop because it felt good to be numb for a while.” She was not as far gone as she’d seemed initially. “I was mad at myself for being a jerk to you all day. The one person who gives a damn about me. You don’t deserve it, especially after how nice you’ve been to me all along. I’m so stupid sometimes. Stupid for going into Suicide Slum that night, stupid for being horrible to you, stupid for--”
“Lois, don’t.” Clark slid his arm around her shoulder. “You’ve made some mistakes. We all have. Besides, I’ve already forgiven you about today.”
“You have?” Lois looked up at him through tears.
“I have. I shouldn’t have been so pushy about counseling. And if I’d come over sooner, this would never have happened.”
“But I told you not to!”
“I shouldn’t have listened to you.”
After a pause, Lois continued. “Clark, I’m going to counseling. I promise this time.”
“Really? What made you change your mind? I mean, I’m happy you’ve made that choice, but I’m curious--”
“That,” Lois interrupted, indicating the empty bottle. Her dark, soulful eyes met Clark’s; they couldn’t hide the disappointment she felt about her own behavior. “My mother--that’s how my mother dealt with her problems. Clark, I’ve never been one to lose control like that. This is not me. I could have lost you, my best friend, because of the way I treated you. And those dreams--they’ve got to stop. I--I just can’t do it alone.”
Clark gathered her into a tighter embrace, kissing her temple lightly. “I’m proud of you, Lois. You’ve made the right decision.”
“I know. I just wish I didn’t have to hit rock bottom to get there.”
“You’re going to be fine. I promise.” He drew back enough to look into her eyes.
Suddenly Lois took his face in her hands and kissed him fiercely on the lips. She kissed him hungrily, barely giving him a chance to react. As much as he loved her, he could not justify taking advantage of her in this state. He pulled back, leaving Lois bewildered. She attempted to lean closer to him again, but he stopped her.
“Lois, don’t.”
“Why?”
“I can’t... not when you’re like this.”
“But I *want* this,” she protested.
“You’re not in a position to make that decision, Lois.”
“Don’t you want this, too?”
“More than anything,” Clark sighed heavily.
“Then... why?”
“Because this is a big thing. *We* are a big thing. And I don’t want to start something for the wrong reasons. I certainly don’t want to think we started dating because you got drunk.”
Lois had to laugh at herself. “Yeah, well I guess that’s a pretty good reason.” She took another long drink of her coffee. “Are you going to stay the night?”
“If you’ll have me, Ms. Lane.”
“Please stay. Will you still... sleep in the bed with me?”
“If that’s what you want.”
“I do. I like that very much.”
“On one condition: no hanky-panky.”
Lois grinned. “I’ll try my best to be good. I can’t make you any promises.” She winked, and gulped down the remainder of her coffee.
“How are you feeling?”
“Smashed. I’ve gotta go to the bathroom.” Lois stood up, wobbling a little. “I’ll be right back.”
As soon as she’d closed the bathroom door, Clark flew off to his apartment, packed another overnight bag, and dashed back to Lois’ place. He seated himself on the couch as if nothing had happened. He heard the toilet flush, then Lois emerged from the bathroom.
“More coffee, Lois?”
“No. I think I’m gonna go to bed. I’m beat. Wanna come?”
Clark considered it for a moment. “You know what, Lois? I think I’m going to watch TV for a while first. I’m not quite tired yet.”
Lois smiled. “OK, Clark. Thank you for coming. I’m sorry I was a big jerk today. And that I got, you know, wasted.”
“Just don’t let it happen again.” Clark watched as Lois entered her bedroom and closed the door. Boy, was she ever going to pay the price tomorrow morning.
Clark had been feeling guilty about neglecting his Superman duties. After all, Lois wasn’t the only person in Metropolis that needed saving. His decision to ‘stay up and watch TV’ was just an excuse to do a quick patrol over the city before he turned in. He did watch about forty minutes of television, enough to make sure Lois was sound asleep. He peered through her door with his x-ray vision; she was definitely sleeping.
He spun into his suit with super speed and left out the window. He’d left the television on, to make sure Lois didn’t hear him leave. It felt completely exhilarating to fly again! Since Lois’ assault, he’d only flown short jaunts to get from here to there. Now, he was free to fly aimlessly. It was enjoyable, but also rewarding when he was able to stop a burglary before it had even begun. Moments later, he heard the cries of an elderly woman who had fallen down; he rushed to her apartment and brought her to a 24-hour clinic. He found a box of shivering abandoned kittens in an alley, and saw to it that they were personally delivered to a warm, no-kill shelter.
Clark felt good about being back in the swing of things. He realized that maybe it was possible, after all, to be Superman and Clark at the same time. Clark felt he was losing a part of himself when he’d stopped doing super jobs around the city, even temporarily. At the same time, Clark was not comfortable with leaving his best friend; Lois needed him, emotionally. He was content with his activities of the night, and continued to fly over Metropolis, enjoying the feeling of the wind in his hair and his billowing cape. He listened carefully for cries for help; he was ready and willing to come to the rescue. Things were pretty calm, until--
“Help me! Please. You’ve got to--got to *stop!*” It was a woman’s voice. She was screaming and crying at the same time. “I can’t take it anymore. Please, help!” It didn’t take Clark long to recognize the voice--it was Lois’.
Fast as he could, he flew back to her apartment, hopping through the window. He barely remembered to spin back into his regular clothes before rushing into the bedroom. Her night terrors were back again.
“Lois?” he called, rushing into the bedroom. He was immediately consumed with guilt for having left her in the first place. By the moonlight, Clark could see her cheeks soaked with tears. He could hear her choking back sobs, and protesting her silent attacker. He scooped her up into his arms.
“Lois, honey, I’m here,” he murmured, rocking her. His heart was breaking all over again. “Wake up, sweetheart.”
“Clark,” Lois managed through tears.
“Shh, don’t cry, Lois. I’m here.”
“It was worse that time. I could see his face.”
Clark held her until her shaking subsided. “I’m sorry,” he whispered into her hair. “I wish there was something I could do.”
Lois wiped her eyes. “Don’t worry, Clark. You’re doing it.”
Clark smiled softly. “Lay down, Lois. I’ll be right in.” He guided her head to her pillow gently, before returning to her living room. There he changed into pajamas and turned off the television. After that, he came back to the bedroom and slipped into bed beside Lois. He held her close and they both fell fast asleep.
* * * * *
