Notes: Thanks to the Discord group chat participants for helping me find a few words when my thesaurus threw out some very strange, ill-fitting, results. This little ficlet has distracted me from another fic, which has distracted me from the Hold On sequel, and so on. Hopefully I can get back to finishing some other stories now!
Summary: Set after season 2's 'Wall of Sound.' In the episode, Stokes makes the comment that Lois is Superman's 'girl.' Here's one way that ended...
Some dialogue taken from the episode 'Wall of Sound.'
****
Despite being held hostage by a deranged criminal with a sound barrier that even Superman couldn’t penetrate, Lois felt a thrill when Stokes asked Superman if she was his girl. Despite being left with Stokes as Superman left the hideout, the tingles had still rippled up and down her spine pleasantly. Now, in the early hours of the morning, finally walking through her front door after dealing with the police and writing up the story, the tingles had stopped being pleasant.
After a shower to get rid of the insane amount of product she’d had to use in her hair, and changed into comfortable clothes, she wandered into the living room and sank into a couch, exhausted. With their story for the day written, she knew there would be no expectation for her to be in the newsroom first thing, so while she was tired, there was no need to try to sleep right away. Not that she could; too many thoughts swirling around.
His girl?
As Lois looked around her living room she shuddered at the memory of wearing a low-cut nightdress, pleading with Superman to be just that; his girl. He’d admitted he cared for her, but there couldn’t be a relationship, ‘under the circumstances.’ Whatever he had meant, she’d never worked out. Superman had neither confirmed, nor denied, Stokes’ comment in the moment, and hadn’t mentioned it after.
Several months ago being identified as ‘Superman’s girl’ would have kept her heart rate up, and given her pleasant dreams, for weeks. Now, several hours after, it felt awkward. What would they say to each other the next time they met, or would they both completely avoid the subject like they had after her almost marriage to Lex?
In the weeks, and months, after Lex’s death, Lois had started writing, filling several journals with her thoughts on the various relationships that charged through her life, which she had disposed of once she felt comfortable with the result. Her conclusion: Superman had been a safe place to focus her affections. If she couldn’t date him, he wouldn’t hurt her. Clark on the other hand…
Lois glanced over at the phone wondering if Clark would still be up, or if she would be waking him if she called. No matter when she called, she knew Clark wouldn’t mind. He hadn’t so far. In fact, the way he answered her indicated he’d lied about not loving her. There was something about his tone, even when she was annoying him, that said he was delighted she called. Sighing, she turned off the light and headed to bed. She was far too tired to be wading into the deep end of that pool.
****
She turned around at hearing the familiar whoosh, smiling as Superman landed in her living room.
“I saw your light. Is this a bad time?”
“Oh, of course not. I was just, uh, doing a little dusting,” she said while holding up the cloth.
“I wanted to thank you for the other day. I couldn’t have stopped Stokes without you. You were very brave.”
Lois found herself holding her breath as he approached. He always had that effect on her, but tonight it bothered her. “Well, me and Clark,” she reminded him.
“I’ll be sure to thank him too,” Superman assured her, seemingly oblivious to her unease. “What are those?”
“Oh, nothing, just uh…” She smiled to herself as she remembered the surprise on Clark’s face as he was announced as the winner of his own Kerth that evening. Shaking herself out of the pleasant memory, she realized Superman was talking.
“Journalism awards? You sure do keep them up.”
“I hardly know they’re there.”
“I like the lighting. Makes them look bigger.”
She smiled at him. This was beginning to feel awkward. Why was he suddenly interested in her awards? Was he making small talk? While she fumbled for a response, the silence between them was starting to grow, when Superman solved her predicament.
“Well, I better be going.”
It was now or never. “Wait,” she blurted out. “Can we talk for a few minutes? Unless, of course, you have to go, then we can catch up another time…”
Superman chuckled. “I’ve got time, Lois.”
Her mouth suddenly dry, she found herself wringing her hands, nervous about how to approach the subject.
“Is everything ok?”
“Yes, well, no,” Lois responded, fighting the urge to pace.
Superman frowned in concern. “Lois, if it’s about leaving you with Stokes, I am sorry…”
“No, no, it’s not that. It’s about what Stokes said.” At Superman’s puzzled look, Lois forged ahead. “He surmised I was ‘your girl,’ and you said nothing.”
“Lois, I…”
“No, it’s ok. I think I understand. You know how I felt about you; you admitted you cared for me.” Lois approached Superman, gently resting a hand on his crossed arms, watching as he stood stoically, a slight bite to his lower lip the only indication he was reacting to her words. “But I’ve had a few months to do some thinking.”
He was watching her intently, not moving a muscle. It was unnerving, given their close, yet not close, relationship, to suddenly be the target of an intense, scrutinizing, Superman stare. She stepped back, removing her hand from his arm, giving her some distance from him.
“I care for you, and I always will, but there’s someone else.” She turned to pace a few steps, breaking the eye contact she’d held with the imposing hero, the flash of disappointment in his eyes a likely figment of her imagination. “He doesn’t know yet,” she choked out a laugh. “I’ve been too afraid to say anything. I know, Lois Lane afraid of something. Say anything and I’ll deny it.”
“I won’t, Lois.”
Lois felt her heart twist a little as he smiled sadly. One of them would end up brokenhearted, and she hoped the reasons he had for them not being together, would help him heal. He gave her a faint nod of acknowledgement, and turned to leave.
“Superman, we’re still friends?” She couldn’t help herself ask. She still cared about him, and wanted him to have people in his life he could trust, besides Clark.
He turned as he was about to step through the window, and smiled, a real smile this time. “Of course, Lois.”
“One more thing,” she suddenly remembered. “Please don’t say anything to Clark. This should come from me.”
The smile wavered, but she could see sadness in his eyes as he nodded. “Goodnight, Lois,” he said as he floated out of the open window.
“Goodnight, Superman,” she whispered as the curtains billowed in his wake.
****
“You were right,” Clark stated as he wiped his mouth with his napkin. “This is a great little restaurant, even if we had to drive to the other side of Metropolis!”
Lois grinned at him. Usually it was Clark finding the gems of the Metropolis culinary world. This time, thanks to a tip from the restaurant reviewer for the Planet, she’d managed to find a restaurant he hadn’t heard of, and enjoyed. “It’s not as though we had anything pressing to get to.”
He nodded, glumly. “Is it always like this after winning an award?”
“Sometimes. I got my first Kerth when I was knee deep in another investigation. The second Kerth I almost missed the ceremony because I was caught up in a story, but the third one, well, that was a quiet week for me. Don’t worry, Clark,” she said as she patted his hand across the table. “It’s only been two days.”
The waitress took their plates, and Lois ordered another coffee, her heart pounding in her ears. She’d put this off for two whole days and it wasn’t getting any easier. The entire drive over here she’d been plucking up enough courage to blurt out what was on her mind, and heart, and the longer she waited, the harder it was getting. When the waitress returned with her coffee, she brought the bill too.
Clark immediately reached for it. “I’ll just go take care of the bill.”
“Wait,” she blurted out, placing her hand on his, which was holding the bill. “Can we talk for a few minutes? Unless you have to be somewhere?” There was always that possibility Clark had to run off and pick up a parcel in this end of town, or something equally vague. She watched as Clark looked at her in surprise, before sitting back down.
“Of course. We don’t have to be anywhere for the rest of the day.”
She took a deep breath, removed her hand from his, willing her heart to slow a bit, trying to organize her thoughts into a coherent sentence.
He looked at her in concern. “Is everything ok?”
“Yes. Mostly.” Why were they sitting? Why hadn’t she suggested they go for a walk somewhere? Instead she was stuck in a restaurant booth with only her hands to wring rather than pace off her nervousness.
“Something happened while Stokes held me captive,” she began, rapidly regretting her choice of words as Clark’s face darkened. “No, nothing bad. He didn’t hurt me,” she hastened to reassure him. “It was when Superman came to rescue me. Stokes realized something and called me ‘Superman’s girl.’”
In the eighteen months she and Clark had worked together, whenever Superman was brought up in conversation, Clark reacted in several ways. Sometimes he would act as though he hadn’t heard her, other times he was become agitated or frustrated. Frequently he would do as he had just done; react imperceptibly, then change to a neutral expression. The flash of emotion before he had covered it up, Lois recognized as jealousy, except today it was tinged with sadness.
“After the Kerth ceremony, Superman stopped by,” Lois continued, still watching Clark for a reaction. “I told him I cared for him, and I always will, but we’re friends.” Lois paused, and stared down at her hands. “I told him there was someone else,” she whispered.
Slowly, she looked up and met Clark’s eyes as he stared at her, looking slightly shocked. “I should have talked to you first, but I kept putting it off. When Superman showed up at my apartment, I knew I had to say something about Stokes’ comment. I’m not Superman’s girl. There’s someone else, and I’ve been too afraid to tell him.”
Her heart lurched at Clark’s dumbfounded expression. Had she misread him? Maybe he didn’t care for her after all? As the silence stretched, Lois broke eye contact, shifting nervously in the booth, reaching for her purse.
“Wait,” he blurted, reaching for her hand. “Are you saying you want to be my girl?”
“Lois Lane is no one’s ‘girl,’” she joked, trying to cover the awkwardness she felt. “It’s ok, Clark. I know things might have changed in the last few months for you…”
“Lois, would you like to go out with me tonight?”
“Go out?” She felt his hand curl around hers ever so slightly, and felt her confusion lessen as she saw a look of dazed amazement on his face.
“Like a date. You and I, dressed up, nice restaurant, date.”
Lois felt her heart soar. “A date, date?”
“The kind of date where I walk you home and kiss you goodnight, date,” Clark asked.
She smiled. “Yes, Clark. I’d love to go on a date with you tonight.”
