LAST TIME...
Superman.
There was another man who’d betrayed her.
Clark said he was coming back to her apartment after he checked on his coffee pot. That was a half hour ago. Lois decided that if Clark actually kept his word and returned, he’d get a piece of her mind.
* * * * * NOW READ ON...
There was a light knock on the door a few minutes later. Lois answered, clad in flannel pajamas and her robe. Her expression was icy.
“Lois, I--”
“Don’t, Kent,” she said, cutting him off.
Clark was amazed she actually let him in, judging by her not-so-warm welcome. “Please, Lois,” he pleaded.
“Clark. Was there a coffee pot or not?”
Lois stood before him, hands on her hips, her eyes boring into his. He couldn’t lie to her. He couldn’t even come up with anything legitimate. He answered honestly, with a simple, “No.”
“I knew it!” Lois threw her hands in the air, and let loose her bottled-up anger. “You have a lot of nerve! Taking me out like that, showing me a good time, and then... And *then*--! Running out on me like that?” Her voice was gaining volume, and was edgy with distress. She took a breath, calming herself enough to continue, deadpan. “Clark, if you didn’t find me desirable, you shouldn’t have asked me out.”
“Lois, who says I don’t find you desirable?!” Clark shot back. “I think you’re the most desirable woman on the planet--!”
She waved her hand, a cold indication that she wasn’t buying a word of it. “Your actions tonight speak louder than your words ever will. Things have changed since we met with Ian. Admit it. You felt sorry for me at first, and wanted to take me out. ‘Poor Lois, let’s cheer her up!’ And then, when you really thought about it, you realized what I was: some poor, screwed-up, second-hand--”
“That couldn’t be further from the truth, and you know it!” Clark said, raising his voice. He stopped. *Did* she? Did she know it?
“Clark, if that wasn’t it, what was it? Tell me!” Lois demanded.
Clark opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. ‘What do I do? Should I tell her the truth?’ He hesitated just a little too long.
“I knew it,” she said, her angry exterior softening for a fragment of a second to reveal her extreme sorrow.
Clark wanted to gather her in his arms and tell her everything. That he loved her more than anything. That he could never find her undesirable. That he was Superman...
Lois raged again. “And then, do you know what happened? Just now? Another victim was found in the subway! Superman was there for *her.* I still can’t understand it. He didn’t even come here to see if I was okay. He doesn’t care! I don’t know why I ever thought he did--!”
His ears were ringing with her hurtful accusations, and it was as if his super hearing was picking up on everything in the room at that moment. Her voice, her hard breathing, her heart pounding. “Hold it, Lois. Just--hold it!” Clark drew his hands up to his ears for a second, cringing. When he withdrew them, things had settled down in his head for the time being. “I know about the fourth victim. I was there. And I would have been there when it happened to you, too, except I was in Smallville with my folks, and I had no way of knowing. I’ve always cared about you. I’ve cared more than I ever let on.” The words ran from his mouth as fast as he could speak them.
Lois looked like a scared rabbit. Clark was talking crazy. She took a step back, away from him. “Clark, I think you need to leave,” she said, trembling. What was he talking about? He wasn’t making any sense.
“Lois, I’m not leaving until I tell you this. I think you are the most attractive, intelligent, and desirable person in the world. I only left because somebody needed my help. I heard them. Down in the subway. I thought--maybe I could catch the guy who did this to you.”
“*You* could catch him? *You*?” Lois retorted. “The guy has drugs that render people incapacitated, Clark. You’d have been as helpless as I was--”
Clark groaned. ‘What am I doing? Do I want her to know or not?’ he thought frantically. “Lois. Sit down. Please,” he said softly.
Lois hesitated, then sat down on the couch slowly. Clark knelt down in front of her and took her hands in his. Lois felt like pulling them out of his grasp, but there was something in his eyes--something that told her she’d regret it if she did.
“Lois, I love you more than anything else in this world,” Clark said tenderly. “But I have to tell you something about myself, and I don’t know how you’ll feel about it. But I can’t have you feel like I left you before because of something that happened to you. Not for one more second.” Slowly he released one of her hands, raising his hand to his face to remove his glasses.
Lois stared at him, her eyes glassy with tears. She fought them with all her might. She wanted to believe him. She wanted him to love her. But... what was going on here?
Clark looked up at her without his glasses, expecting her to miraculously know his secret. “Lois, it’s me.”
“Of course it’s you,” she said bitterly.
“No, Lois. Look harder.”
A puzzled expression played on her features. “Clark, is this some kind of a joke? Because I really don’t have time for it.”
Clark took a deep breath before loosening his tie.
“Wait--! What are you doing?!” Lois exclaimed, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable. Clark pulled the tie from his neck and his hands moved down his shirt as he unbuttoned it. Lois panicked, babbling, “Clark, stop; this is--*inappropriate!* I’m not ready for this; you need to leave--!”
A small gasp escaped her lips. Her jaw dropped, and her eyes widened when she saw what he’d revealed beneath his shirt. She only needed to see a tiny sliver of red, yellow, and blue to realize what he was trying to tell her.
“Lois, I’m Superman,” Clark said softly.
“I see that.” She whispered those words, not quite sure if she’d said them aloud or thought them. The tears she’d been fighting spilled down her cheeks, completely silently.
“I’m sorry about what happened tonight, Lois. I really am--”
“You should be,” she said bluntly. “I’d have liked to know this a long time ago, Clark. Superman. Whoever you are.” She stared at him for a moment. “I would like you to leave, please. I need some time alone to think about this.”
Clark’s protective instincts kicked in. Her fears. Her nightmares. She’d begged him not to leave before. “Are you sure, Lois? It’s 1:30 in the morning...”
“Please go.”
Clark buttoned his shirt up and turned to leave. He cast one more glance at Lois before leaving her apartment for the night. The two of them had never been more miserable, and it showed. Clark’s shoulders hunched just a bit, his mind raced with thoughts of how he could have better handled everything that night, from the date to the kiss, to the call for help, to telling Lois about his alter-ego.
Lois stood there motionless, except for the quiet tears streaming down her face. She studied Clark. In this state, it was almost impossible to believe he was Superman. Why had he lied all along? He could have told her when he began spending the night. Instead, he made a fool out of her, and hurt her in a way that might not be so easy to repair.
“Goodnight, Lois. I love you,” Clark whispered, before pulling the door shut behind him.
* * * * *
