Super Friends 7/?
Continued...
The next morning the sun was shining brightly when Lois awakened. She had not slept that peacefully in a long time and she felt so rested. She stretched like a lazy kitten. Maybe because she was thinking of that knight in shining armor. God, Clark was gorgeous and so sweet. But she couldn’t get too caught up in him because, after all, he was probably just like the others. She couldn’t ignore the tingling feeling she got when she just thought of him. He was coming over to help her unpack today.
Lois looked over at the clock. Boy she must have been tired because it was already 9 o’clock. She jumped up and went for the shower.
Clark had been up since 7 o’clock. He couldn’t sleep for thinking about Lois. He’d laid there in his bed for hours, just thinking about her. He could have very easily gone off to sleep if she’d been there in his bed, laying next to him. Nothing sexual. If he could just hold her and make her fears and bad dreams go away.
He was helping her to unload and unpack some things today. He needed to get dressed. He could just listen in occasionally to see if he could hear her get up and then he’d head over. Then, he had the wedding to look forward to on Saturday. Boy did this little woman catch him off guard. Until he met Lois, he thought his Kryptonian heritage had made him incapable of loving someone in the passionate sort of way. But he felt something totally new and exciting when he met Lois.
Clark had taken the next two weeks off since he had never taken a vacation. He thought Bruce’s wedding to be a good reason. He was glad that he’d have some time to get to know Lois and hopefully win her heart. She would eventually start working at the same hospital where Vicky worked, GGH. Clark had a surgery rotation coming up where he went over to GGH to practice in their pig lab. Hopefully, he would be able to spend some time with Lois while he was over there. Maybe have lunch with her.
Lois got out of the shower and dressed in a pair of Lee® jeans and a coral colored summer sweater. She stood in the middle of the floor and looked at the stacks of boxes that had to be unpacked. She would just let Clark come over in his own time. She decided to get a yogurt from the refrigerator for breakfast and then she would get started.
Clark’s super senses had picked up on Lois getting in the shower. He quickly spun into the suit and made a quick trip to Paris for some croissants. He’d take them over to Lois’ for breakfast. He returned just as Lois was getting out of the shower, as he heard the water turn off. He quickly spun into his jeans and oxford shirt, waited for about twenty minutes and then headed over to her apartment.
Lois’ doorbell rang just as she started to eat her yogurt. She was hoping that it was Clark.
When Lois opened the door, she gasped as she saw Clark standing there. He wore a pair of …oh God…Levis® that were old and faded with tiny wear holes in them, a short sleeved light blue oxford shirt and a pair of Nike® tennis shoes that were broken in comfortably. His biceps flexed unconsciously where the sleeves ended on his shirt. Through the shirt his chest looked so…firm…and… He was the sexiest thing she had ever seen and he didn’t even seem to know he was sexy, which made him sexier. She was sure that her eyes lit up. The room suddenly became much hotter. Clark looked almost edible in the suit that he wore last night but the suit did him absolutely no justice compared to this. The suit hid a lot of his 'better assets’.
“Hi…” Lois said nervously.
“Hi…” Clark replied staring into Lois’ eyes. He paused there for a moment. Lois then quickly looked away from Clark’s eyes, down to the floor. Clark thought Lois looked so soft and feminine. She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever laid eyes on. She wore her hair in the shoulder length bob that she usually wore, which framed her face so delicately. He could see all of her curves so well with those jeans on. And she smelled so…Lois.
Clark gently lifted Lois’ chin with his index finger and looked her in the eyes. When he had her gaze locked with his, he gently placed his palm on her cheek then tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.
“I brought you some brunch…thought you’d be busy moving in and wouldn’t get a chance to cook.
“Thank you, Clark. What is it? It smells so good and buttery.” Lois’ eyes lit up.
“Just some croissants.”
“They’re still hot. Oh…um…and delicious. I can‘t eat a whole one. Gotta keep the pounds off, you know.”
“Lois’ you look great. You don’t need to worry about your weight. Just enjoy your brunch,” Clark assured Lois.
Clark took a look at Lois and again wondered why…where was her confidence, her self-esteem. She was so unsure of herself and intimidated. Clark decided against saying anything at this time but eventually he would approach the subject. Surely all of this insecurity was linked.
After Lois ate four croissants, she and Clark started to unpack and move stuff around. Her apartment was suddenly starting to look like home. She had a sofa and love seat that Clark found both to be uncomfortable and certainly for decorative purposes only. Lois laughed at him. Actually Clark had her laughing throughout the day. It was the first time Lois had laughed that heartily in a long time.
Bruce and Vicky had called to see if they could be of any help earlier, but Clark assured them that everything was under control and that Vicky should really just take it easy. Bruce and Vicky knew that Clark was being territorial and really just wanted this time alone with Lois. They pretended to be oblivious to the situation.
Before they knew it, Clark and Lois had unpacked everything and put everything away. They were laughing and talking so much that they lost track of time. Clark was so easy to talk to. Lois noticed the time first.
“Clark, it’s almost 6 o’clock. Um…I’d love it…if…if you’d have…have dinner with me, my treat, just to show my appreciation for your help. I would still be struggling with boxes if it weren’t for you,” Lois amended her invitation. She didn’t want to leave herself open for rejection. Clark immediately picked up on her quick amendment of her invitation. In his mind he thought that he would never do anything to hurt Lois or make her cry.
“How about you go and shower and get relaxed for bed and I’ll go and whip up something by the time you get out of the shower,” Clark offered innocently.
“Clark that’s sweet, but…”
“I wont take no for an answer. I’m going over to my apartment and I’ll be back in just a little bit, okay?” Clark promised Lois as he gently held her face between the palms of his hands.
Too defeated to argue, Lois just said, “Okay.”
When she surrendered, he kissed her on the forehead and headed across the street to his apartment.
Lois got a long hot shower and washed her hair. By the time she put on a pair if sweats and dried her hair there was a knock at her door. Lois knew that it was Clark, but she thought that they were eating at his apartment. She opened the door with her eyebrows wrinkled into one brow. Clark found the questioning look on her face humorous and so adorable.
“I didn’t want you to walk across by yourself…” Clark answered her questioning look. “Ready?”
“Oh…yes, I’m ready.”
Clark placed his hand in the small of Lois’ back and guided her out of her apartment. Clark locked Lois’ door and they headed across the street to his apartment with his arm placed loosely around her waist. Lois was oblivious to the small gesture.
Clark’s apartment, unlike Lois’ immaculate but stiff apartment, was clean and tidied, but lived in, a feeling of home. His furniture was comfortable and the décor was of the many places that he’d traveled. Clark beckoned Lois into the kitchen and pulled a chair for her to take a seat.
“Something smells delicious, Clark. What is it?”
“Sit and let me get you a plate.”
Lois did as she was instructed and Clark served her homemade spaghetti with meat chunks. He only had 45 minutes to whip that up.
When Lois tasted the pasta, she moaned while savoring the sweet Italian herbs and spices. “Oh, Clark this is delicious. You make this?” Lois continued with a mouth full of food.
“Yes, I did.” Clark grinned at Lois as she appeared to really be enjoying her food.
“Oh and let me pour you some wine. It‘s a bottle of wine that I got when I was in Italy a couple of years ago. I was saving it for a special occasion.”
“Oh, Clark, I’m sorry. You didn’t have to open it for me.”
Clark started to respond with ‘you are special to me Lois’, something that it was too soon to say so instead he just said, “I wanted to.” She seemed to just be getting relaxed and comfortable with him and he didn’t want her to regress.
“Where did you learn to cook like this? It’s a wonder that you’re not as fat as a country possum.”
Clark laughed at Lois‘ reference. “I guess I learned the basics from my mom. The rest I picked up as I traveled. I learned the cuisines of many cultures.”
“Just so you know, I have no cooking skills…at all…none. Now that I know that you can cook you may never get rid of me.”
“I don’t plan to,” Clark slipped before he had a chance to think about his reply.
Lois suddenly stopped chewing and just sat still for a moment. Then she picked up her glass and had a big swig of her wine. Clark noticed the change in her demeanor and wished he could take back his statement, not because he didn’t mean it, but because he didn’t want to scare her off.
“Lois, I’m sorry…I…I don’t know…” Clark fumbled.
“No, Clark, you didn’t do anything wrong. It’s me. I…I…” Lois babbled.
“Shh, let’s just enjoy dinner.” Clark smiled at Lois.
The two friends ate dinner and talked. Before they realized it, it was 9 o’clock. By this time they had migrated over to the couch to watch a Lethal Weapon DVD that Lois had found in Clark’s video library and put in. They had both seen it numerous times but it was one of those movies that was funny enough to watch over and over again.
Lois hadn’t felt this relaxed in a long time. For some reason she immediately trusted this guy. He was so easy to talk to and Lois didn’t feel pressured into anything. She wasn’t aware that Clark felt the same thing. He had been pretty certain thought that he was immune to the emotion of love between a man and a woman, that his Kryptonian heritage made it impossible for him to feel these emotions, but then he met Lois and it was safe to say that he was already in love with her.
“So, Clark, where exactly are you from?” Lois started the conversation. She thought this was a safe approach.
“Smallville, Kansas. I was raised on a farm…” Clark proceeded to tell Lois about his upbringing. He finished by saying, “I’ll have to take you there some day.”
Almost as soon as the statement was out of his mouth, Clark realized that he was being just a little too presumptuous, again. Why did he keep doing this? Lois just stared down at her wine to regain her bearings.
Then to Clark’s surprise and Lois’, she replied simply, “I think I’d like that.”
Clark just cleared his throat and pressed on. He dared not tamper with that statement just yet.
“Are you from Metropolis, born and raised?” Clark asked in an attempt to lighten the atmosphere and change the mood.
“Um, yes, born and raised. Got my BS in nursing from Metropolis University.” Lois gave Clark somewhat of an abbreviated version of her childhood, without all of the painful details. She wasn’t quite ready to dump that much of a load on such a sweet guy. She didn’t want to run him off already. For some reason, Lois sort of trusted Clark and knew that she at least needed his friendship.
Lois and Clark chatted about just about everything. They were enjoying each others company so much. Clark hadn’t felt that alive in probably forever. Clark was helping Lois to forget her painful past with Paul.
There was silence for a while. Clark could feel the air thicken when Lois talked about her childhood.
“So, are you all ready for the wedding tomorrow? I mean, have everything together?”
“Yes, I think so. I’m excited for Vicky and Bruce. You?”
“Yes, I am.”
Lois was sitting next to Clark on the sofa, which was so much more comfortable than that thing that Lois called a sofa. She folded her legs up under her and rested her head on Clark’s shoulder, sort of in an unsure gesture. Clark confirmed that he welcomed the gesture by bringing his arm up around Lois’ shoulder, loosely, as not to wig her out. He wanted her to feel that she had a route of escape if she needed one. They seemed engrossed in the movie for a little bit as they sipped on their wine refills.
Clark suddenly drifted from the movie, like he was thinking really hard about something. Then, he started to speak again, almost as if he had to summon the courage. In the back of Clark’s mind, he knew that someone, a guy, had hurt Lois and she was trying to keep it under wraps. He would give her a gentle nudge but he wouldn’t push too hard.
“Lois, want to talk about it?” Clark asked with genuine concern in his voice.
“What?” Lois asked, looking up at Clark. She hadn’t noticed his drifting off into deep thought.
“Lois, what happened in Metropolis? Why did you move here, to Gotham? Don’t get me wrong, I mean…I’m glad you came. It’s just that the best nurse anaesthesia program in the country is in Metropolis.”
“I just needed…wanted a change, start over…new friends.” Clark could feel the change in Lois’ posture. She became stiff, her heart rate increased.
Clark slowly lifted Lois’ chin with his index finger so that he could look into her eyes. When he had her eye contact for a few seconds, he placed his palm along her cheek. Then he started to speak again.
“Lois, Sweetheart, what did he do to you that hurt you so much that you’re running away from me?” Clark spoke just above a whisper.
Lois looked up into Clark’s brown eyes with those big doe eyes of hers. She suddenly had tears that just started to pour uncontrollably and her body shook in sobs. For once, Lois didn’t try to hide her tears. She wasn’t alone this time. Clark gathered her in his arms and just held her there whispering meaningless endearments into her hair. He didn’t try to stop her tears. She would stop when she was done. All he wanted to do was hold her and make her bad dreams go away. As he held her, Clark found himself fighting back tears of his own. He had no idea how much damage had been done to Lois.
“Oh, God Lois, I want to understand. Please, help me to understand.” Clark whispered to Lois as she cried in his arms.
When Lois’ sobbing seemed to cease, Clark reached over to the end table and grabbed a few Kleenex® for Lois’ eyes and nose. He just continued to hold her in his arms. He knew that she’d talk when she got ready. Finally, Lois lifted her head from Clark’s chest and started to speak. She started with the phone call that she got from Paul that one dreadful night at work. For the next thirty minutes or so, Lois told the story about hers and Paul’s relationship. She explained that he was her first love and how it ended so tragically. She’d talk and cry, talk and cry some more. Clark never interrupted her. He just let her talk and held her when she cried.
When Lois was done, Clark just held her in his arms for a while. The way Clark held her, she felt so secure, protected…and loved? Surely he was just being a good friend.
Lois looked up into Clark’s eyes and was moved by what she saw. Clark had unshed tears in his eyes. He tried to look away, but too late. Lois just put her head back down on his chest and hugged him back.
The Lethal Weapon movie had long ended and the TV had flipped back over to the local station, but both Lois and Clark were oblivious to it. When Clark thought he was okay to not break down, he started to speak again.
“Do you still love him, want to be with him?” Clark wasn’t sure that he wanted to hear Lois’ answer.
“No. At one point, I thought I wanted to be with him still, but not now. He cheated on me. I thought about maybe I should have been willing to…make love…with him, after all I was going to marry him.”
“Do you think that he would’ve stayed with you if you had. Lois, no! And if he was screwing around, he could have hurt you, you know, brought you some disease…you could have…” Clark was trying desperately to not be angry. After all, he had no claims on Lois.
“I don’t know, Clark. Probably not.”
“Probably not?” Clark started but quickly changed his course. “Listen, Lois, I think you are the most beautiful thing that I’ve ever seen, inside and out. You’re smart and you’re sweet and you’re beautiful. Don’t think for a moment that you are any of the negative things that he said. Last night, you almost took my breath away when I met you. He had to be demeaning to you to make himself look better, feel better. You’re better than that, Lois. And he knows that. You probably intimidated him. He didn’t deserve you.” Almost in a whisper, he continued, “But you have to let yourself heal. ”
“Oh, Clark…”
“Don’t worry. We’ll get through this,” Clark assured Lois as he hugged her again.
“We…Clark this isn’t your problem. I can’t ask…”
“Lois, just let me be here for you. Just talk to me, be honest with me, tell me what you‘re feeling. I promise, I won‘t ever leave you.”
Lois could see the sincerity in Clark’s eyes. She knew that he was true to his word.
“Okay…”
Lois finally broke the eye contact and laid her head back on Clark’s shoulder. He wasn’t saying anything. He just kept his arm around her shoulders. He seemed now to be in deep thought. How could anyone be so cruel, especially to Lois? She was such a sweet person yet so emotionally fragile. But, she didn’t need that jerk and he would be there for her to make sure that she got through this hurt. If he ever ran into that Paul guy…
tbc...
