“I didn’t come in here to talk about Lois.”

Lois threw her back up against the wall, listening to the voices in Perry’s office. Clark was talking to Lex. He never talked to Lex! And, she supposed, he was not in there so they could chat about her. That was a given—after all, he’d said so.

“You most certainly did,” Lex said.

Lois’s breathing quickened.

“Luthor, I just want to know why you denied my request to write this story. I think it’s personal. And this paper prints the news, personal feelings aside. I see no reason why—“

“Well, Kent, now you’re just pointing a finger because your pride has been hurt.”

Lois furrowed her eyebrows together. Lex sounded like a bully at recess.

“You’re mad because she wants me,” Lex said.

“Actually, I’m mad because this is a good story and every other paper is going to be telling it while ours is only going be telling stories that promote Lex Luthor’s many corporations and plants and businesses all over the world,” Clark said, sounding ready to leap over the desk and strangle Lex.

“Kent, just know this—I am the third richest man in the world. You… are from a place called ‘Smallville.’ You do the math. She would never want you.”

Silence.

“That’s why she told you she could never love you like that. The way you love her.”

“Are you spying on her? Is that how you treat the people you love? And I use that word lightly. You spy? Did you have us followed? Do you have a wire in her purse? What? Why would you do that?”

Lois smiled. Lex had said something to him that had to hurt—that had to sting his soul… and he argued for her. Defended her. Pain aside. Pride aside. Him second. Her first.

“I am not going to discuss this any further.”

“Well, you brought it up,” Clark said.

Lois was so proud of him. She smiled.

“You came in here, Kent—“

“—to talk about my work. You brought up Lois. Now tell me. Are you spying on her?” he said, a pause of anger between each word.

“You know, her fixation on Superman, I could understand. He can fly and break things like metal bars and so on and so forth. And I can fly her anywhere on a private jet. Should she want to go to Paris, she wouldn’t have to save up for a year. Not with me. She could go right now, if she came in here and told me she wanted to. Same with Superman. So that I CAN understand. But a life with you could offer her… what. You tell me. I mean, I see her cooking and cleaning and scrimping and pinching to get by. I see a trip to Paris as a far off dream. I see her lying awake nights wondering what happened, why she settled for a farmboy from Kansas when she had such a romantic lifestyle within her reach. With me,” he finished, his voice like acid.

She had never heard him sound so… evil.

Lois couldn’t help what she did next, she really couldn’t. But she was mad. So mad. Something deep down inside—the same fire that had led her to become the best reporter in the world (arguably) and a winner of numerous Kerth awards—made her do it, though.

She marched into Perry’s office, seeing a look of shock on the faces of both men. On the evil face of her new enemy. And on the beautiful face of her kind-hearted, loving best friend. She marched right up to that best friend and grabbed him into a steamy kiss. The kiss was only supposed to show up Lex Luthor and knock him off his high horse. It wasn’t supposed to feel so… good. So right. But as the kiss deepened and her heart starting screaming out messages loud and clear that she had for so long refused to listen to, she realized there would be a lot more kissing like that in their future. A lot more.

But for now…

She pulled away from the kiss, still shocked. Her mouth gaped open as she looked at Clark. But she cleared her throat and looked at Lex.

“I don’t want Paris!” she eventually said, as if she were claiming “I don’t want cheese on my sandwich”.

And that was that.