And here we go!
“Can I come in?” he asked gently.
“Of course.”
He crossed the threshold and pulled a small bunch of wildflowers from behind his back, offering them to her.
OMG gahhhhh!
“I owe you an apology,” he said. She looked up to meet his gaze. “I was angry and frustrated, but I shouldn’t have yelled. I should have taken some time to cool off before we talked. I hate when we fight.”
She could feel Mattie’s gaze on them from where she hesitated on the stairs and realized this apology was as much for their daughter’s benefit as her own. She marveled again at how Clark always knew the right thing to do.
AWWWWW love the first paragraph so much, but the second one even more!! GAH!!
“I shouldn’t have yelled either,” she said finally, closing the distance between them. “We were both upset. I’m sorry too.”
He held the flowers out to her, and she took them. “Thank you. They’re beautiful.”
My heart feels better already! (Though... I still feel like I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop since that last part was so intense...)
He held her gaze and reached out to cup her cheek. Then, in a voice loud enough only for her to hear, he added, “There won’t... come a night when things aren’t platonic. Not for me. That’s not going to happen. I don’t want to pressure you to make a decision you aren’t ready to make because you are scared of what will happen if you don’t. I want more of you, but if this is all you can give me for now, I’ll take it.”
Oh. My. God. All the waffs. ALL OF THEM. Like legit felt them in my chest. Gah.
One more step and she was in his arms. She closed her eyes and just let herself feel the strength of his arms around her, let the knot that had been in her stomach for days untwist a little.
“I need to go to work,” he said softly, rubbing one hand down her arm.
She took a step back and looked up at him, lifting the flowers slightly. “Thank you.”
“Anytime.”
Love, love, love.
She watched him walk down the front steps, heart twisting in her chest.
Awww, but it’d just untwisted!!! Great word, by the way!
“Have I ever told you that when I was growing up, my parents fought all the time?”
“Really?” she asked, suddenly interested.
“Yeah, it was really hard on me and Aunt Lucy. That’s why I was so worried about you.” Lois had broached the subject with her daughter repeatedly the previous day, receiving only noncommittal shrugs in reply.
Mattie shrugged again. “It’s not a big deal, Mom. Everybody fights sometimes. Dad said one time Grandma Martha got so mad at Grandpa that she made him sleep in the barn for two nights! I’m going to ask her about it the next time she calls.”
Awww! Really good idea to share that, Lois! And... of course Mattie already knows it’s not a big deal. Gah!! And LOL at asking Martha
And just like that, she had moved on.
Love it... and hate that Jonathan’s not there. I’d forgotten.
“We’ll never let our love damage them. You have to know that. So why are you still running? What are you so scared of?”
Maybe he was right. Maybe it wasn’t only her kids’ hearts she was so desperate to protect.
Ope... there it is.
Lois tapped her hands on the steering wheel and craned her neck, trying and failing to see what the holdup was. Jimmy’s new house was a 30 minute drive without traffic, and she’d been banking on a clear ride in the middle of a Saturday. They were just a few miles away now, but they’d been at a dead stop for 10 minutes.
Oh, right! Jimmy’s party! And...
...oooh... is... can I guess and then you don’t tell me if I’m right or wrong because I hate spoilers? Is Superman going to clear the accident or whatever and then see Lois and... nothing overt is gonna happen, but Mattie is going to KNOW! Like... she’s going to be like, Mommy, why you flirting with Superman? And then they’ll tell her? I don’t know.
“I don’t know,” Lois said, refraining from pointing out that they would have been there by now if JP had been ready to go on time.
OMG right?? And then there’s the chance of the world just ending right then and there if they actually got buckled up right away! Amiright?
That had finally got him moving, but by the time he made it to the car, they were already 15 minutes later than she had planned.
Why are they like this?? LOL
“Superman!” JP piped up from the backseat. “Do you think we can see him from here?”
“I doubt it,” Lois said, suppressing a smile.
“I wish I could see him lifting up the cars!”
LOL awwwwww
“Do you think anyone is hurt?” Mattie asked worriedly.
“I’m sure if they are, Superman will get them the help they need quickly,” Lois reassured her.
Awwww so sweet!
“There he is!” JP yelled. “I see him!”
Sure enough, Superman stood off to the side, talking to a uniformed police officer. And then he hovered off the ground for a minute before disappearing into the clouds.
“That. Was. AWESOME!”
I’m loving this! Waffs all around!
Lois couldn’t contain the grin this time. She also couldn’t help but wonder if someday the little boy in the backseat would be the one disappearing into the clouds, leaving a trail of awed children in his wake.
AWWW! Maybe! (Also, I guess my prediction about Mattie was wrong... I mean, I should have known better. I’m sure they learned their lesson after SLV and are going to be even more careful with the kids around, especially since they might recognize him and yell out “Daddy!” Wouldn’t that be an ordeal??
)
“Daddy!” he yelled, barrelling into him. “We saw Superman!”
“Wow, bud! That’s pretty exciting,” Clark said, giving him a quick hug and reaching for Lois’ door.
How cute and how weird for Clark... I’d love to see his reaction over the years, him getting used to this.
“Lucky for us,” she said quietly as she stood. “Who knows how much later we would have been if he hadn’t showed up.”
Heeee heee!!
Lois noticed a streak of dark oil on his cheekbone, just under his hairline. She reached for it automatically, smoothing it away with the pad of her thumb.
His eyes met hers and her heart skipped a beat. “You had, um…” Her voice trailed off and she shrugged.
“Thanks,” he said softly.
Love it!! Because of the familiarity of reflex, covering for him, but also because ... eeeeeee waffs!
“Come ON!” JP called, eager to get inside and check out the snacks.
“Now he’s in a hurry,” Lois muttered, and Clark laughed as he stepped away, grabbing JP’s hand and leading him to the front steps.
LOL! Kids.
“That’s my fault. I texted him from the car and asked him to come help me wrangle kids and gifts,” Lois lied smoothly
Again... I love the easy and familiarity of this... I mean... should be so easy just to fall right back into one big happy family, right? I mean... why are there so many more parts? Annie? Hmm?
Lois realized they were all shots Jimmy had taken for the Daily Planet over the years. Nearly two decades of breaking news and community profiles.
“This is amazing,” Lois said, eyes slowly roaming the walls.
“Isn’t it?” Jimmy agreed, nearly giddy. “Claire did it all. It was a surprise. I don’t even know where she dug up some of these old photos.”
AWWWW so great! Sweet!!
“Is that you, Mom?” Mattie asked incredulously. “With Superman?”
LOL! Interesting that Lois and Superman is such ancient history that she doesn’t know! <g>
“No. Way.”
“Way,” Jimmy replied. “Back in the day, Superman used to show up and save your mom’s butt all the time. Your dad’s and mine too, sometimes,” he added sheepishly.
LOL! I love her reaction!!
“Really? Why doesn’t he come around anymore?” Mattie asked, awed.
“Because your mother no longer runs head first into every dangerous situation she can find,” Clark joked. “Metropolis is a big city and Superman is a busy guy. We never really hung out with him socially. We were just in need of his services frequently.”
Hahaha!
In truth, no one could replace Perry, but the fact that his successor was so different from him eased the transition for those who were mourning his loss.
Aww good.
Where Perry was a gruff, fatherly figure, Gavin was young and energetic and gregarious. A breakout star at The Washington Post, he’d been one of the youngest reporters ever to win a Pulitzer and had quickly risen in the ranks there, taking on leadership and editorial roles that had won him high praise before being recruited to lead The Daily Planet.
Lois was skeptical at first of an Editor in Chief who was only a few years her senior. But he’d proved to be shrewd and fair, and they’d quickly build a rapport. He treated her like an equal and gave her the freedom to pursue her stories mostly as she saw fit, trusting her to deliver. When she’d won her Pulitzer two years ago, he’d been thrilled for her and entirely unsurprised.
Awww, cool! That’s fun to hear.
“They really had no idea what was to come, did they?” Clark said, nodding at their photo.
Awwww... sigh.
“Do you ever wish you could warn him?” Lois asked, her voice tight. “Tell him to walk out of that interview at The Daily Planet and run the other way?”
“Never,” he said immediately. “There’s no pain that would be worth giving up all that joy. Is that what you wish you could tell her? To run the other way?”
Of course not!
“What would you tell her?” he asked softly.
“I’d tell her not to forget who she was. Or who you were. To remember how it feels to be brave.” She turned to face him, looking up at him through unspilled tears. “I used to run toward the bombs, sneak into the burning buildings. I never backed down from a fight, and I always trusted you to save me if I went too far. When did I start running away? When did I start being so scared all the time? When did I stop trusting you to catch me when I fell?”
Oh, damn! SIGHHHHH.
LOVE, love, love well, all of it, but the last few lines especially.
He slid his arms around her waist. “Lois, I will always, always catch you.”
“I don’t know how to do this, Clark,” she said, her voice breaking.
“Do what, Lois?” he asked, resting his forehead against hers. “What do you want?”
“Us. I want us back.”
HUGE RELIEVED SIGH!!!!!
His mouth was on hers as soon as the words were out, and Lois felt her heart swell in her chest until it felt like it would explode.
Oh wow...
“I don’t think I’ve seen that look on your face since the last time I watched you dismantle a bomb,” she teased.
“I… I don’t want to mess this up,” he admitted. “I’m scared.”
Oh wow!! I love that she’s essentially comparing herself and neuroses (well, maybe moreso their relationship, to be fair <g>) to a bomb! And... yay for vulnerable Clark!
“Come over tonight after I get them to bed?”
He nodded. “Text me when they are asleep.”
Why do I get the sense that they, like, might not actually accomplish the talking part of things? <eg>
his hand lingering on his arm like he couldn’t bear to let go
LOVE
She’d felt so brave in Jimmy’s office, but all that courage had deserted her now.
Awwwww! You can do it!
erasing and rewriting three times before settling on a scintillating “kids are sleeping”.
LOL awww I love it!!
“That was fast,” she teased.
“I couldn’t wait one more second to do this,” he said, closing the gap between and capturing her mouth in a kiss that made her knees weak. Her hands slid up, one resting on the side of his neck, the other tangling in his hair. When he finally pulled away, her eyes took a moment to focus and her breathing was ragged.
Woooooo *fans self*
half hoping he would ignore her. It was so much easier to let their bodies do the talking.
Right???
“I’ve already laid all my cards on the table here, Lois,” he said softly. “I love you so much. I’ll do anything in my power to make this work. Talk to me. Tell me what you are thinking.”
Holding my breath....
“I’ve always loved you. Those years without you, when you were there but not, when we barely managed to be civil... they nearly killed me. I can’t go back to that. I can’t drop the kids off at your house twice a week and go home to cry. I can’t go back to feeling like my heart is being ripped out of my chest every time I see you.”
“I can’t do that either,” he agreed softly. “I don’t know how I survived it once. I couldn’t survive it a second time.”
He held both her hands in his, caressing them gently. “We can have all of that and more,” he whispered. “We can have all of that and everything we used to have too. I love what we have. I do. I’m so much happier now than I was a few years ago. When I’m coaching and I look to the sidelines and you smile at me…when we talk about our days at work or chitchat about mundane kid stuff while making dinner together...when you email me chapters of your book and ask for my edits...when you laugh at my stupid jokes….my heart explodes. I’m so, so happy. And it feels greedy to ask for more, when I know that four years ago I would have cut off a limb to be here now.”
GAHHHHHHHH love that.
“That’s exactly how it feels,” she said softly, lifting her head to meet his gaze. “Greedy. It feels like tempting fate. I feel like Icarus.”
Gasp...
“And I know you think my hesitation has nothing to do with the kids. But it does. Because if we fly too close to the sun, we aren’t the only ones who tumble into the sea. They’re old enough to understand now. If they watch us reunite and then crash and burn, it will damage them.”
back at each other’s throats, each of them demanding her loyalty as they berated and denigrated the other. Eventually her father retreated back into his job, and her mother moved to California to start over near Lucy. Her mother had remarried a couple years later, though that marriage seemed to make her just as miserable as the last, and on the rare occasion her mother remembered to call for the kids’ birthdays or holidays, it usually devolved into a litany of complaints.
Oh... how sad!
“I shouldn’t have said that,” he said, squeezing her hands gently. “That was unfair, and I’m sorry. I know your concern for them is genuine. I worry about them too. I want them to have the childhood I had, the role models I had. The last thing in the world I want is to break their hearts.”
“So where does that leave us,” she asked, stomach twisting, her gaze falling again to their hands.
I mean... you have to try, right? Have to...
“It still leaves us here. Together. It’s scary, but it’s real. We can have all of this and more. We can have the friendship, and the family, and...more. We can be gentle with each other’s hearts and find our way back. I want to be with you all the time. I want to wake up with you in my arms. I want to stay up late talking to you once the kids are in bed. I want to make love to you just because I love you, not because it’s the only way I can survive a bad night.”
LOOOOOOVE, especially the last line!
“I want that so much,” she whispered, her voice tight with fear.
“We can have that. I promise you. Please, please let me prove it to you.”
They sat in silence for a minute while she soaked in the confidence in his voice.
Love this too!!!!! GAH!
“We have to go slow,” she said finally, raising her eyes to his. He nodded reassuringly and she could feel him tremble, with anticipation or nerves or both, she wasn’t sure. “We can’t tell the kids yet. We have to figure this out first before we involve them.”
He nodded again, waiting silently for more conditions.
“That’s it,” she said, smiling at his surprise. “We have to slow and we can’t tell the kids yet.”
AWWW YAY!!!!!
(Wait... does go slow mean no...nookie?
)
How do you date someone you’ve been in love with for almost half your life?
Fantastic line!!!
A smile spread across his face, warming her. “How about we start with this,” he said softly, cupping her cheek and tilting his head forward until his lips grazed hers so lightly it felt like a dream. A tiny sigh escaped her lips, and he pressed forward, obviously taking it as a sign of approval. He kissed her again, sweet and gentle, before pulling back. “And now...maybe we go downstairs and watch a movie? Just...be together. No kids, no neighbors or colleagues or friends or...anyone. Just us?”
AWWWWWWWWWWWWW
Together in the living room they chose a cheesy romcom on Netflix that they’d seen years before.
Netflix and... chill? <g> Don’t mind me; I’m amusing myself. (Also... so cool but weird to see “new” technology in our favorite couple’s lives. Like... they didn’t have cell phones or internet when they started!!)
And when she sat beside him, curling toward him and resting her head on his shoulder, it took all her will to keep the tears at bay.
Awwwwwwwwwww
So many years of pent up... all the things. And now... relief. But also fear, I’m sure.
“You’re so quiet,” he said, stroking her arm and hugging her tighter to his side. “What are you thinking?’
“I was thinking about all the times in the beginning of our relationship when I spent the evening like this, scared to death. Not of whatever criminal was threatening my life that week, sending me into your apartment and your arms for protection. But of what I was feeling for my best friend. Of the way my heart raced when he stroked my arm like that. The way I couldn’t imagine my life without him, but also couldn’t imagine being brave enough to tell him that. Maybe I wasn’t as brave then as I remembered.”
OMG I freaking love this! SO SWEET!!
Clark shifted behind her, pulling away just far enough so he could look into her eyes. “You were brave then. But you’re braver now.”
GAH!!
“I don’t want to push too fast,” he admitted. “But I thought maybe we could carpool to soccer tomorrow. It’s the last game of the season. We could do something to celebrate — go out to lunch. Or come back here and hang out.”
Lois nodded. “I’d love that. I’m sure the kids would too.”
Awwwwww
He took a step back and spun into the suit, then leaned down to kiss her one last time.
So... you’re saying I could still be right about my Mattie prediction??? <G> I can’t wait to find out how she finds out!!
Lois leaned against the door jam looking out into the dark and whispered, “I love you too.”
YAY!!!!! Soooooo happy!! *sigh*
