from last time...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Clark listened to the sound of Lois breathing beside him. She had turned out the lights, telling him he needed to go back to sleep, rest more, about twenty minutes ago. As tired as he was, he could not seem to fall right asleep. All he could do was listen to her breathing in the silence and remember that kiss. His lips still tingled, just thinking about the touch of her lips on his. It was amazing, as he always knew it would be when Lois
kissed him... knowing and loving him completely. The way he loved her. It felt right and... perfect.

Their relationship was most definitely different from the relationship they'd had before he went to Luthor's cellar, and even before that. In many ways, they still needed to find their footing in their new relationship, with her knowing about him and learning and admitting that she loved him. Everything would be different now. But they had time to figure everything out. Time to explore and grow closer. Time to be just be alive...
together...

"I love you, Lois," he whispered, very quietly, still listening to her steady breathing.

"I love you, Clark," he heard her whisper, quietly, sounding half-asleep.

He smiled.

Life really was great.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HAVE A LITTLE FAITH IN ME
PART 20


EPILOGUE


THREE MONTHS LATER


Lois and Clark walked hand-in-hand through Centennial Park, a beautiful day in early September having summoned them outdoors.

They'd spent the entire summer relaxing and recovering and spending time together. Talking, kissing, and figuring things out.

Lois looked up at Clark, thinking how healthy he looked, walking around. He'd been walking around for two months now, without any help, just fine. But today... today he looked like his old self for the first time since before everything. He walked with that confidence, strength and quiet way that was just his. She pulled his hand up to her mouth to kiss the back of it.

He smiled down at her.

"A penny for your thoughts?" he said.

"I was just thinking that you look good."

He looked at her with a smile and his eyebrows raised. "Thank you," he said. "You do too... but you always do."

"You know what I mean. You look like you. Healthy and well," she said, smiling.

"Well, thanks to you, I am healthy. You babysat me all summer, and now, as a result, I am as healthy as I ever was. Well almost anyway," he said.

She knew he was referring to his lack of powers. They still hadn't come back. His hearing was sharper than any human's and some of the x-ray vision was back, and he even levitated a little about a week ago. But the powers were not quite back yet. Unless, of course, that was it. Those etchings of powers were all that was coming back to him. She rubbed his arm, up and down reassuringly. She had a strong inkling that he would soon be completely back to normal, but she didn't want to get his hopes up. Just in
case.

"I wish we had a story for Perry," Lois said.

Clark turned to face her and looked down at her. "I know. The first official workday back for the new Daily Planet and we have no stories. Nothing for tomorrow's premiere edition."

"We better find something, Clark. He said he wanted a killer headline and nothing less. Of course, I would like nothing more than a simple story for once, because until I feel you are completely better, I don't want you to overdue it."

“Lo-is, we’re back at work, not in my apartment anymore. The babysitter is officially off duty, okay?” he said playfully.

“I can’t help it, Clark. I worry. If the tables were turned—“

“—I’d worry too, I know. I worry about you anyways. But listen, I am just fine. I’m not going anywhere and I feel great.”

“How great?” she asked teasingly.

“Well, almost completely great,” he answered, clearly sensing her game.

“You don’t feel completely great?” she asked, stepping closer to him.

“No, not… not completely great,” he said, his voice a little deeper.

He bent down slowly, capturing her lips in a tender kiss. He groaned and smiled, pulling away from the kiss to look into her eyes.

“Okay, now I feel completely great,” he said.

“Well, good. I guess we’ll just have to…” she trailed off and kissed him briefly. “…just…” she kissed him again. He laughed. “…keep you…” she kissed him again. “…feeling…” Again. “… great….”

She felt like a teenager in love, standing in a beautiful park on a beautiful day, holding hands with someone, kissing him giddily and feeling this happy. But she couldn’t help it. No matter how much time passed and how much they kissed, she never got tired of it. Of kissing him.

Suddenly his head shot up and he grabbed his ear confusedly, looking almost pained, but then happy a moment later.

“Lois… a call… a call for help. I… I feel different. I feel like I used to…” he trailed off, happily, clearly thinking about what this meant.

She looked into his eyes, her big grin matching his. “What is the call saying?”

“Help, Superman,” he answered, like he was being asked what two plus two was.

She looked at him expectantly, with wide, amused eyes.

“Oh!” he said, realizing himself.

She grabbed him, just before he could run off and pulled him in for a very quick kiss. “Be careful,” she whispered.

“I will,” he said and shot her a quick smile before taking off in search of an alley where he could change and go save the day.

The second he was gone, Lois turned on her heel and ran in another direction, her adrenaline moving her quickly through the city streets, past the vendors, and into the newly renovated Daily Planet. She ran up the stairs, instead of taking the elevator. She ran out onto the newsroom floor and ran straight into Perry’s office.

“Lois, how many times do I have to tell you… what, did you just come from an aerobics class or something?” he asked, losing his original train of thought.

“Chief, I’ve got it.”

“What in Sam Hill are you talking about?”

“I’ve got it. The headline for the front page of the Planet’s premiere edition!”

“What’s that?”

“’He’s back!’”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


When the road gets dark
And you can no longer see
Let my love throw a spark
Have a little faith in me

And when the tears you cry
Are all you can believe
Just give these loving arms a try baby and
Have a little faith, faith in me

Have a little faith in me
Have a little faith in me, oh and
Have a little faith in me
Have a little faith, faith in me

When your secret heart
Cannot speak so easily
Come here baby, from a whisper start
To have a little faith in me

And when your back's against the wall
Just turn around and you, you will see
I will catch your, I will catch your fall just
Have a little faith, faith in me

I've been loving you for such a long, long time
Expecting nothing in return
Just for you to have a little faith in me
You see time, time is our friend
Cos’ the rest is the end
All you gotta do is have a little faith

I will hold you up, I will hold you up and
Your love gives me strength enough to
Have a little faith in me
Oh faith, darlin'

Have a little faith in me
Oh, faith