November 1, 2008
Lois stood on the porch at Clark's, tucking her hair behind her ear nervously and laughing at herself. She rang the doorbell, waiting for stampeding feet, and was surprised by the quiet instead.
A minute later, the door opened and Clark reached for her, pulling her inside, slamming the door, and kissing her soundly.
“Well, that’s not the greeting I was expecting, but I’ll take it,” she joked, when he finally pulled away.
“The kids are in the backyard with my mom. I was just prepping everything for the pizzas.”
She followed him into the kitchen, where bowls of every imaginable pizza topping filled the counter beside a cutting board and knife. A pot of homemade sauce simmered on the stove.
“Are you expecting a small army?”
“I had a little nervous energy to burn off. Don’t judge me,” he teased. He pulled her in for another kiss.
When they pulled apart, he tugged on the hem of her crimson Midwest University t-shirt. “I haven’t seen this in awhile.”
“Seemed like a good time to drag it out of retirement,” she said. “Are the boys excited about the big game?”
Clark rolled his eyes and laughed. “You should see the group text. It’s been almost two decades since any of us set foot on a field -- unless you count coaching our kids’ peewee teams -- and you’d think half these guys were planning to suit up today. Talking about which plays to run and what Kansas’ big weaknesses are.”
Lois laughed and ran a hand down his chest. “Sometimes I wish I could go back in time and see you then. In your glory days. Clark Kent, record-breaking Midwest U. running back. Catching passes on the field and making passes at all the girls.”
“Trust me, there was very little glory on the field and even less making passes off the field,” Clark assured her, still laughing. “If you thought I was a hack from Nowheresville when you met me, you really wouldn’t have been impressed with the college version of me.”
She slid her hands up his chest and around his neck. “I don’t know. I imagine your charms would have won me over eventually.”
In the living room, the backdoor opened and Mattie called, “Dad! Come play football with us!”
“You’re being summoned,” she teased, giving him one last kiss.
“Coming!” Clark called. He nuzzled her neck and tugged her by the waist toward the living room. “Come play.”
She nodded and then followed as he led the way through the living room, where ESPN was already playing on a television so big it made hers look comically small, and out onto the back patio. Martha sat at the patio table with a cup of tea, watching as Mattie and JP chased each other around the yard with the ball. Lois greeted her, less nervous than she had been before yesterday, but still feeling awkward.
“Mommy!” JP called, running full tilt into her arms for a hug, before running back after Mattie.
Mattie tossed the ball to Clark, who threw her back a perfect spiral. Mattie tossed him another, slightly off target, and Lois reached up on instinct and snagged it. “Intercepted!”
One look at Clark’s face, and Lois took off running. “Get her!” Clark shouted at the kids, racing after her and reaching her first, snagging her by the waist and twirling her in a circle before gently tackling her to the ground. The kids piled on, tickling her until she tossed the ball aside. Mattie scrambled after it, yelled, “Recovered!” and took off with JP on her heels.
Clark pulled her to her feet and brushed her off, hands lingering more than strictly necessary. She reached up, ostensibly to brush dead grass from his hair, and then let her hands linger on his neck.
She was jolted from her reverie when JP slammed into the back of her legs, nearly knocking her to the ground. Clark’s arm was around her waist in a flash, steadying her and giving her a little squeeze before releasing her and swooping down to capture his son.
“Personal foul! Unnecessary roughness! Half the distance to the goal, automatic first down!” He shouted over JP’s delighted giggles, as he tucked him under his arm and ran with him across the yard.
Lois made her way to the patio table, sliding into a seat beside Martha. They watched in companionable silence for a while as Clark played delightedly with his children, looking up occasionally to beam at their mother.
“He really is in his element with them,” Martha said lightly. “I always knew he’d love fatherhood.”
“He should have had a house full of children,” Lois whispered, giving voice to one of her greatest regrets. “I would have given him a hundred babies if I could have.”
“Lois?” Martha’s voice was full of surprise and concern.
“I’m fine,” she said abruptly. “I’m going to go check on the sauce.”
She disappeared into the kitchen, getting a grip on her warring emotions before returning to the yard.
Eventually the kids tired of their game and began to beg for pizza, so they moved the party inside. In the kitchen, everyone scrambled to load up their pizzas with their favorite toppings, jostling and joking as they created their masterpieces. Clark slid behind her, reaching for the bowl of pepperoni, and she leaned back into him, tilting her head to the side. “You have no idea how tempting that is,” he whispered, his breath warm on her neck.
Once the pizzas were all lined up and ready to take turns on the pizza stones in the oven, Martha volunteered to take the kids upstairs and read to them until lunch was ready. They followed her up the stairs, bickering over what to read first, and Lois couldn’t help but laugh. They could always find something to argue about.
“Now, where were we?” Clark whispered, sliding behind her and layering kisses along her neck. Lois whimpered and tilted her head farther to the side, granting him more access.
She twisted in his arms, desperate to touch him. He settled his hands on her waist, his mouth returning to her neck. She slid her hands up into his hair and then back down, one settling on his shoulder, the other finding the spot where his sleeve was stretched tight and sliding a finger under the material to stroke his taut skin.
He groaned against her neck, the deep rumble of pleasure shooting straight through her.
“I have a confession,” she whispered. He paused, mumbling an indistinct reply, and then resumed his kisses. “I want so badly to fly with you tonight. So badly. But I don’t know how we’re going to make it out of the bedroom.”
She felt him laugh against her neck, and slid the hand on his shoulder up to his cheek, urging him up and sealing her lips to his.
***
Lois stood in her closet, makeup done and hair curled in soft waves, trying to find the perfect dress for her night with Clark.
A part of her felt silly for agonizing over clothing options when she’d spent the entire day with him in jeans and t-shirt, but she wanted so badly for tonight to be special.
Finally she settled on a black wrap dress with thin shoulder straps, a deep v neckline, and a flouncy skirt that fell just past her knees. She slipped it on and added black heels and the pearls he’d given her when Mattie was born. She stood back and looked in the mirror, satisfied.
The doorbell rang and her butterflies returned. She walked quickly through her bedroom, down the hall and down the stairs, heels echoing loudly in the silent entryway. She reached the door, took a deep breath, and swung the door open wide.
Clark stood on the porch, a colorful bouquet of flowers standing out in stark contrast against his charcoal suit.
“Hey,” she said softly.
He opened his mouth to greet her, but seemed to be at a loss for words. Finally he shook his head, as if shaking himself out of a stupor. “You are stunning. I have no words.”
Lois laughed as she felt herself blush. “Come in,” she said, stepping aside.
He stepped through the doorway and reached for her, his hand cupping her cheek. “Thank you,” he whispered.
“For what,” she asked, laughing softly. “All I’ve done so far is let you in the door.”
“That’s enough,” he whispered, capturing her lips in a gentle kiss.
When he pulled away, she nodded at the flowers he still held and said, “Let me put them in some water.”
He handed them to her and she tilted her head forward to inhale their heady aroma. She looked up at him and smiled, then turned and headed toward the kitchen. He fell in step beside her, resting his hand on the small of her back.
In the kitchen, she laid the flowers on the counter and opened the cabinet full of vases. “Would you?” she asked, gesturing to the vase on the top shelf.
He slid the hand from the small of her back, but rather than reaching for the vase, he rested his hands on her waist. She looked up at him, confused momentarily, and then they began to rise. She inhaled shakily and slid her hands around his neck, lifting her face to his. He kissed her gently and then rested his forehead against hers before pulling away.
She reached out and pulled the vase from the shelf, and he lowered them to the floor. She kissed him gently on the cheek, and then stepped back, taking the vase to the sink to fill it with water and then arranging the flowers. Clark leaned against the kitchen counter watching her. She went to him when she was finished, smiling when he reached for her immediately, folding her into a hug.
“What time is our reservation?” she asked finally. “Do we need to go?”
“Not for an hour. I wanted us to be able to take our time. I thought…” he trailed off.
She lifted her head to meet his gaze, waiting.
“Come fly with me?”
She nodded. “I need to get a sweater.”
She took his hand, leading him up the stairs to her bedroom. She retrieved the black sweater she’d left laying on the bed and slipped it on, belting it at the waist. Clark waited until she was ready, then stepped back and spun.
Her heart leapt at the sight of him in the suit. It was so rare for her to spend any time with him like this anymore since he studiously avoided being in the suit around the children and they gave each other a wide berth in public.
A million memories of a million flights assailed her at once, and her heart ached for those early years when she leapt into his arms as easily as she walked.
She stepped toward him, reaching out a hand to trace the S. “Fourteen years of watching you do that, and it still takes my breath away.”
“Good,” he said, taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly. “It’s only fair. You take my breath away all the time.”
He stroked her cheek and kissed her gently, then slid his arm around her waist and guided her to the balcony door. He opened the door and ushered her through, closing it again. Then he settled his hands on her waist and looked into her eyes. “Ready?”
“No scooping?” she teased.
He smiled. “I’ll scoop you in a little bit and fly you to dinner. Right now, I just want to hold you and float with you.”
“Yes, please,” she whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck.
He bent his head to hers, resting his forehead against hers and they began to rise. They broke through the clouds, floating alone under the stars.
She shivered and he wrapped his cape around her. “I’m not cold,” she whispered. “I just thought I’d never see this again.”
“I know,” he replied. “I’ve missed this so much. Missed you so much.”
She rested her head on his chest and they floated silently for a long time, just savoring a closeness they had both missed.
“I still come up here to think sometimes,” he said finally. “But it’s not the same without you. Nothing is the same without you.”
She pulled back to meet his gaze and tried to find the words to respond, but finally gave up and kissed him instead.
“You ready to go to dinner?” he asked when she pulled away and rested her head on his chest again. She nodded, and he loosened his grip on her waist, shifting one arm between them to hook under her knees and sliding the other up under her back so she was cradled in his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and beamed at him. Her fingers stroked the back of his neck, his hair, the hard line of his jaw.
“When you look at me like that, the only place I want to take you is to bed,” he confessed.
“I’m impressed we actually made it out of the house,” she replied, laughing. “But don’t worry, the night is young.”
He kissed her and then raised his eyebrows and asked, “Ready?”
She nodded, and he accelerated. She watched through the clouds as the city skyline faded and fell away. He flew along the coast, the stars twinkling in the dark sky. Slowly, the Manhattan skyline came into view. He slowed, maneuvering around the city, and finally hovered, focused on the streets below them, and Lois knew he was scanning for people, finding a hidden dark alley for them to land safely.
“Here we go,” he whispered. And then they were descending, tucked into a small alley behind a row of stores long closed for the evening. He set her gently on the ground, then stepped back and spun into his clothes quickly, eager to change before anyone else came along.
She reached up and straightened his tie, then brushed the wrinkles from his jacket. He captured her hand and brought it to his mouth for a gentle kiss, then laced their fingers together. “Come on. It’s this way,” he said, leading her out of the alley onto a well lit side street. They walked together, hand in hand, for a few blocks before they came to the restaurant.
Inside, Clark spoke to the hostess and they were seated immediately in a dark corner of the restaurant, lit with candles. He held her chair for her as she sat, then took his spot across the table from her and immediately reached for her hand. She reached for him, tangling their fingers together and stroking his hand gently.
A waiter appeared long enough for Clark to order a bottle of wine before fading back into the background.
“You weren’t kidding about wining and dining,” Lois said softly, glancing around at their surroundings. “You know I don’t need this, right? You know you’ve already won me over.”
“I’m not trying to win you,” he said softly. “I’m trying to love you.”
“You’ve always been so good at that.”
The waiter appeared with the wine and took their orders. Then Lois sat back and sipped her wine, appraising him.
“Tell me something I don’t know,” she said softly.
“Like what?”
“Something about you. Something you’ve never told me. A story from your childhood. Thoughts on a book you’ve read recently. I don’t care. I just want...more of you.”
His eyes flashed with desire, not just physical but a longing for her. He hesitated, and she could feel him holding something back.
“Tell me,” she said. “I can tell you have something in mind.”
“I wrote a book,” he said finally.
She sat up straighter. “A book? A whole book? When? About what? I thought you didn’t want to write another book right now? That’s why I’m writing this one on my own.”
“I’m not a reporter anymore, Lois,” he reminded her gently. “That’s why I’m not working with you on your book. Your new book is based on reporting you did last year, after I was long gone from the Planet. You don’t need me.”
“I always need you. You’re my partner.”
His eyes closed briefly and he took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. “You know where to find me if you want my input. And maybe when you finish this book, we’ll write another one together. I miss working with you too.”
She covered his hand with hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. Then she stopped and replayed their conversation in her head. “How did we get to talking about my book? I want to hear about your book. What is it about? Is it finished?”
“It’s a collection of short stories, each set in a different location and time in history. Each story stands alone and tells a single story, but together they tell a different, contradictory story.”
“You did it,” she said softly. “You wrote a novel. I always knew you would. It’s finished? I can’t believe you didn’t tell me.”
“I haven’t told anyone,” he corrected her gently. “Only you.”
“You haven’t sent it to your agent?”
He shook his head. “I’m not sure if I’ll attempt to have it published.”
“Clark, you’re a best selling author. I’m not sure how much attempting would be involved.”
“This is different. This isn’t anything like what we’ve written in the past. I don’t know anything about the world of publishing fiction. And I’m honestly not sure I even want to publish it. I didn’t write it to publish it. I wrote it for myself. And I wrote it for you.”
She looked up sharply. “For me?”
“I started it after our divorce was finalized. I worked on it off and on for years. It’s not about us, not in the way that you are thinking. But our story is woven all through it. It’s deeply personal. I don’t know if I want to publish it. I don’t know if you’d want it published. That’s why I’ve never showed it to anyone.”
Their dinner arrived, surprising her. She had been so involved in their conversation, she had almost forgotten where they were.
“Tell me about it,” she requested, taking another sip of her wine.
“I’d rather you read it for yourself,” he said. “I’ll send it to you when I get home.”
Her heart fluttered with excitement, and she nodded in agreement.
Their conversation flowed naturally as they ate their meals, both of them avoiding any hard conversations and just allowing themselves time to reconnect and remember how easy it was for them to be in love.
When their dinner was done and cleared away, the waitress brought a piece of tiramisu for them to share, and Clark speared the first bite and offered it to her. As she accepted it, eyes closing as it melted on her tongue, she remembered another date and another bite. She opened her eyes and saw immediately that he was remembering too.
“I love you so much,” he whispered.
“Clark, take me home,” she requested, her voice low and soft.
He nodded, and looked around for the waitress to ask for the check. They shared a few more bites while they waited for her to come, hands tangled on the table and eyes lingering over each other.
Outside of the restaurant, on the busy sidewalk, she reached for him, taking his arm. He stroked her hand as they walked in comfortable silence, until Clark nudged her down a side street and into an alley. He stepped back and spun, opening his arms to her immediately. She reached for him, and he scooped her into his arms, cradling her against his chest, and rocketed into the sky.
As they flew above the clouds, she stroked the back of his neck and studied his profile.
“I can’t concentrate when you look at me like that,” he warned playfully. “I’d hate for us to fall out of the sky.”
“I happen to know you can keep us aloft while I do much more than look,” she teased.
The familiar Metropolis skyline came into view, and then faded as they headed away from downtown and into their neighborhood.
“Here we go,” he whispered, and then they were descending onto her balcony.
As soon as his feet were on the ground, he dipped his head and captured her mouth in a kiss. He opened the balcony door and carried her over the threshold, then kicked the door shut behind him.
A few quick strides and he was across the room, laying her gently on the bed and lowering himself beside her. His hand cupped her cheek, and he brushed a feather-light kiss across her lips, waiting for her to sigh her approval before deepening the kiss. She reached for him, hands roaming hungrily. He shifted his weight until he was on top of her, one arm braced against the mattress, and his cape settled around them like a blanket.
He made love to her slowly and deliberately. The desperation of last time replaced by a gentle tenderness.
After, she lay in his arms stroking his face, trying not to think about the fact that he needed to leave soon. She shivered, and he reached over the side of the bed to where his suit lay discarded on the floor and grabbed his cape. He lifted them off the bed, hovering just a few inches off the mattress, and slid the cape around her, wrapping her in its warmth and settling them back on the bed.
She sighed contentedly and pulled his face down to hers, closing her eyes and memorizing the feel of his lips on hers, his hand on her cheek, his cape wrapped around her body.
After a while, he shifted his weight, rolling onto his back and pulling her against him. She lay her head on his shoulder and stroked his chest gently.
A soft but insistent buzz came from her nightstand, and she sighed and rolled away from him to silence her phone. It wasn’t hers though, and her stomach fluttered when she saw the name on the screen. “Clark, it’s your mom. We should make sure everything is okay.”
He made no attempt to move from his spot on the bed. “Read it. What does it say?”
She picked it up and hit the home button, and the keypad appeared. “It’s locked.”
He made a soft, amused sound deep in his chest and rolled toward her, wrapping his arm around her. His hand covered hers, and his thumb slowly and deliberately tapped out the code. 1006. “Still the best day of my life,” he whispered, kissing her gently just below her ear.
Her heart clenched and desire for him reignited in her belly.
The text message appeared on the screen. “Kids are asleep. I told them to let you sleep in, and to wake me when they get up. You can sneak in tomorrow, and they won’t know.”
Lois lifted an eyebrow. “I thought you weren’t going to tell her.”
“I didn’t tell her anything. Just that I had something important to do. But she knows there’s nothing more important to me in the world than you.”
Lois dropped the phone back onto the nightstand and twisted in his arms until she faced him, sliding her hands up to frame his face, pulling him in for a kiss. Her heart swelled at the thought of having him stay all night long, of waking together leisurely in the morning, and she pulled away just long enough to look him in the eye and give him a playful, challenging look. “Prove it.”
