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banner by CarrieReneChapter 11Lois arrived home and tried to forget the day ever existed. She immediately threw off her pantsuit and blouse, stuffing them angrily in the laundry hamper as if they were to blame for her mood. She put on a pair of sweatpants and a tank top, and headed back into the kitchen. If she was going to be miserable, she would at least be comfortable.
She grabbed a ready-made frozen dinner from the freezer and shoved it in the microwave without even looking to see what it was. She set the timer and then found herself falling down into the chair. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to drown out the panic she felt bubbling up inside.
He’d left. He’d walked out without even saying goodbye. She’d pushed and pushed and pushed and finally he’d just…
What had she done?
She told Doctor Frisken that Clark would never leave her. She’d believed it. But surely that was naive. She couldn’t expect him to stay and be treated the way she’d treated him, could she? What would that say about him?
And what did it say about her that she had single-handedly ruined the first healthy relationship she’d ever had?
No, she wouldn’t cry. She wouldn’t…
The microwave beeped and she opened the door, pulling the meal out and burning her hand in the process. She yelped and went over to the sink to run some cold water on it. Her hand trembled and she didn’t know whether it was from the burn or the…the…
She needed to call him. She needed to at least try to fix things. She needed to tell him she loved him, that she hadn’t meant any of it, that she…
She turned the water off and went over to the phone, picking it up and dialling his number with shaking fingers. She almost didn’t hear the sound of him landing on her balcony as the phone rang, but she hadn’t been able to miss the way her curtains flared out as he stepped tentatively into her apartment.
He hadn’t asked to come in, but he hadn’t needed to. There had always been an unspoken agreement between them that if the window was open, he was welcome. She hadn’t even realised she’d opened it, but she was suddenly beyond grateful that she had.
His eyes met hers and he spun quickly out of the suit and into a t-shirt and jeans. Her entire body tensed until she noticed the look in his eyes — tender and worried but so full of love it made her heart ache.
“Hi,” he said and she could hear the fear in his voice…the uncertainty.
“Hi,” she said back, not knowing what else to say. There was so much it felt almost overwhelming.
“Who are you…” he cleared his throat and pointed to the phone she forgot was still in her hand. “Who are you calling?”
“You!” she blurted out, her voice shaky as her shoulders sagged with relief. “I was calling…”
“I’m here,” he rasped, taking a small step towards her. The worry, combined with the tenderness and sheer love in his tone caused the walls she’d built around her to dissolve like quicksand.
Before she knew it, she was sobbing — great big gulping sobs. She dropped the phone and began to sink to the floor, only to find he was there, pulling her against him, holding her up as she clutched the fabric of his t-shirt. She hung on for dear life as a tidal wave of emotion ripped through her, soaking his shirt with her tears in the process. It was okay. He was warm and solid and sturdy.
And he was here.
His hand was rubbing gentle circles on her back, and he placed soft, frequent kisses on the top of her head. In between kisses, he murmured words of reassurance, though for the life of her she couldn’t make out what he was saying. All she knew was the love in his voice was unmistakable. It was all she cared about.
“Oh, Clark, I’m sorry,” she managed to say as her sobs began to subside. “I didn’t mean to push you away, I didn’t mean to…”
“Ssssh,” he whispered softly, his lips a gentle tickle against the top of her head. “I know. I’m sorry too. I’m here.”
It was a few more minutes before she was in any shape to look at him. When she’d finally stopped shaking and the tremble in her hands had all but disappeared, she allowed him to reach down and kiss her so softly she barely felt it, but it left a ripple through her body she felt down to her toes.
“I love you,” he said, his dark eyes so intense she shivered involuntarily. “I need you to know that.”
“I know,” she replied, taking a shaky breath. “Do you want to…sit down?”
Why was she nervous? They were engaged. He’d just proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that he loved her, so why did she still feel so unsettled?
He nodded and they both went over to the couch. Clark sat, but Lois still felt full of nervous energy. She also realised she probably looked like a wreck. She gestured towards the bathroom.
“I’m going to uh…freshen up,” she told him. He nodded, and she entered the bathroom almost gasping aloud when she saw how red and puffy her face was from crying. There were some women who could cry so delicately they never even ruined their makeup. Lois was not one of those women.
She grabbed a tissue and immediately went about removing the mascara that had already left dark tear tracks down her cheeks. Once finished, she splashed her face a few times with some water to try to get rid of the puffiness.
Upon re-entering the living room, she noticed the couch empty and a thrill of fear ran through her. The sound of dishes being moved around the kitchen reassured her and when she turned, she saw that Clark was hard at work moving things around, until eventually he placed a frying pan on the top of the oven.
“Oh, Clark, you don’t have to…”
“We’ve had a hard day and we both have to eat,” he told her with a smile. Somehow his smile could banish all her worries, at least temporarily. She wondered if he knew it was her favourite superpower. “Unless you wanted to eat your microwave dinner….”
She glanced at the dinner she’d been prepared to eat before he arrived and noticed it was charred beyond all recognition. No wonder it had burned her. She’d likely not even noticed she’d put the setting on the microwave that high. It was a wonder she hadn’t burned the place down.
Cooking had never been something she was very skilled at, but this was a new personal worst. She grimaced and tossed it in the trash, moving towards Clark and touching his arm gently.
“What are you making?”
“Just some scrambled eggs and bacon,” he said, dropping a brief but tantalising kiss on her lips before going over to the fridge and getting out the eggs. “I hope you don’t mind breakfast for dinner? It’s all you have in your fridge…do you ever actually shop for groceries?”
She laughed, relieved that they were back to banter. Banter she could do.
“I love breakfast for dinner,” she replied. Then, with mock annoyance, “And I will have you know tomorrow was supposed to be grocery day.”
“We still have a lot to learn about each other, don’t we?” he asked. The question was innocent enough, but it left an undercurrent of uncertainty — the same undercurrent that had led to Lois’ reaction and subsequent attempt to push him away. She took a deep breath.
“You’re right,” she agreed and watched with fascination as he used his heat vision to heat up the eggs and bacon. Did she know he could do that? “I guess…there’s a lot we need to talk about before we…”
“Yeah,” he agreed, as he set the table. “For example, me cooking you dinner. We’ve done it a few times, but…”
“It still feels strange,” she finished. “Like we’re playing house.”
They sat down and the conversation seemed to pause itself as they ate their dinner. Lois found she was suddenly ravenous, her previously non-existent appetite returning with a vengeance. When she finished, Clark chuckled slightly and she suddenly felt shy.
“What?”
“Nothing,” he replied, but the mischievous glint in his eyes only spread to his smile. “Just that you inhaled that faster than me…and I have superpowers.”
“I guess I was hungry,” she admitted. They went back into the living room and he sat down on her couch, gesturing for her to curl up next to him. She did, and he wound his arms around her, lacing his fingers through hers.
This was where she belonged. In his arms.
Eventually she sat up again, reluctant to leave his embrace, but knowing she needed to talk to him before she lost her nerve. Doctor Frisken had given her homework, and she knew if she didn’t do it now, she never would.
“I think I owe you an explanation,” she said. Clark attempted to speak — likely to tell her she didn’t, but she held up a hand and he got the message. “I haven’t been myself these last few days. Actually…I haven’t been myself ever since we got trapped in that virtual reality simulation. I’ve been…scared. Anxious, really, about what the future holds between us.”
“I don’t understand,” he said, his brow furrowing with worry. “Are you having second thoughts about marrying me?”
“No!” she exclaimed. “At least…not the way you think. I want to marry you. It’s all I want, but…I’m scared. I’m scared of what it will be like to live together…day to day. I’ve never done this, and I don’t trust myself not to ruin it. I’m afraid…I’m afraid of turning into my parents.”
“Honey,” Clark said softly, leaning forward and brushing a tendril of hair away from her face. His chocolate brown eyes were so deep she could get lost in them. “We are not your parents. Not even close.”
“Are you sure?” she asked, feeling the anxiety rise within her again. “I mean look at the past couple of days. I almost destroyed us, Clark! I pushed you away and we argued and…”
“Lois, we always argue,” he pointed out with a wry smile. “Arguing for us is like breathing. Arguing doesn’t mean the end of a relationship. It’s about how you argue. Every relationship has ups and downs. We’re going to fight. But we’re also going to kiss each other good morning, go to sleep in each other’s arms, eat breakfast for dinner…make love…”
The last part caused a shiver to go through her entire body, and she bit her lip reflexively. His eyes darted towards her mouth and darkened ever so slightly.
She shook her head, trying to banish the suddenly very intense images that were flooding her brain. Making love to Clark was an entirely different conversation and one that she knew she wasn’t ready to deal with. She forced herself back to the conversation at hand.
“I understand what you’re saying,” Lois replied slowly, trying to piece together all her anxieties so they made sense as a coherent whole. “But I’m scared. Fighting scares me. I didn’t grow up in a house where two people fought and still respected each other. I grew up in a house where each person hit as far below the belt as they could, and the winner was the one who could hurt the other person the most. It’s all I know.”
“It’s not all you know,” Clark insisted, running his hands over her shoulders and down her arms. She didn’t think she would ever tire of his touch. “You and I…we fight, but we don’t deliberately hurt each other. We don’t intend to be cruel. You weren’t trying to hurt me tonight or the past few days. I know that. Sometimes we are both going to make mistakes.”
“I know,” she whispered, feeling as if she were on the verge of tears all over again. “And I know we’re not my parents, it’s just…we’re taking such a huge step. And I want to take it, I just…I feel like I’m jumping out of a plane without a parachute or even lessons on how to jump out of a plane. Does that make any sense?”
He nodded and she could see the same terrified understanding in his eyes. It was that understanding that caused her to lean forward and kiss him, softly at first and then with an intensity that surprised her. He deepened the kiss, his tongue delving into her mouth as his arms tightened around her.
She whimpered against him as his hands gripped her hips and pulled her into his lap. She gasped in surprise. He felt so good, smelled so good. He kissed her with a need bordering on desperation and she returned that feeling in kind. They hadn’t been together like this in days — hadn’t kissed like this in days. She hadn’t realised just how much she needed to feel him, needed to touch him.
“Clark,” she whispered as his lips trailed down her neck with soft kisses leaving absolute fire in their wake. “Oh God, Clark…”
“Missed you,” he mumbled as he nibbled gently at her collar bone. “Missed you so much…”
She wanted him to keep going. Her body was responding to him in such a way that she knew if she didn’t put the brakes on things soon, that restraint would disappear on both their parts. Part of her wanted that — to lose control and see what happened.
But the saner part — the part that knew there was still so much to resolve prevailed. Reluctantly, she broke away from his embrace, panting heavily. Clark looked somewhat confused as she did so, but didn’t stop her. As he struggled to get his physical response under control, Lois stood up and started to pace slightly.
“I’m sorry,” he said finally when his own breathing returned to normal. “I just…it’s been a few days and…”
“Yeah,” she replied with a nervous laugh. “And I want to. I want
you. I want you so much it’s all I think about at times, but…”
“I know,” he replied, his voice gruff with emotion. “I love you. And I want to make love to you, but that’s not all I want. I can wait. We have forever, after all.”
“So how do we get to forever?” Lois wondered. “I’m so scared I’m going to be bad at this…that I’m going to fail…we’re going to fail.”
“I think I have an idea,” Clark said, sitting forward a little. Lois sat back down on the sofa, though she didn’t get too close to him. Touching him right now was definitely playing with fire. “A way for us to jump out of the plane with a parachute…like you said. What if…what if I moved in?”
“To this apartment?” she asked, “before the wedding?”
“Yeah,” he replied, smiling as he warmed to the idea. “I know we weren’t planning on living together before the wedding, but what if we did? To see how hard it is?”
“So you want to practice living together?” she guessed.
“Yeah,” he said, his voice now sounding excited. “Like how we had an ‘almost first-date’. This would be a practice first place.”
“Why not have me move into your place?” Lois wondered, feeling a thrill of excitement at the idea of what he was suggesting.
“Well, we could,” he acknowledged, “but I think you’d be more comfortable here since it’s your space. It would help ease your nerves about what things are going to be like as a married couple.”
“What about…” she hesitated, “making love? I mean if you’re here…well…”
“If you still want to wait, we’ll wait,” he promised her firmly. “And if you change your mind…then we could practice that too.”
A lick of fire coiled in her stomach at his words.
“Would you be able to do that?” she asked him breathlessly as she looked into his eyes. “Sleep next to me, without…”
“If that’s what you want,” he vowed, his own voice deepening into the tone she was beginning to recognise as his when he was…affected by her.
“I don’t want to fall asleep without you,” she admitted. “It’s all I’ve been able to think about. And there are other things I want to talk to you about. Fears I have about…making love for the first time.”
“We’d have time,” he pointed out gently. “We’d have as much time as we need.”
“Alright,” she agreed, feeling as if she was about to bubble over with excitement. When she’d come home from work that day, it had felt as if her world was crumbling around her. Now, all she could think about was the fact that she and Clark were going to sleep in the same bed for the first time — that she was going to fall asleep with his arms wrapped tightly around her. “Let’s do it.”
“Yeah?” He looked equally as excited and a silly grin broke out on both their faces. He stood up. “I should go back to my place and get a toothbrush and some clothes and…”
“Go,” Lois said, waving him towards the window. “Get what you need. I’ll be here. We can watch a movie and then…”
“Go to bed,” he finished for her. She suddenly felt short of breath and could only manage a nod.
He returned with enough of his things to get him through the next week. He’d told her he would get more of his stuff as the need arose, but being Superman, it didn’t take him that long.
Both agreed not to talk about the story, or Claude, or Lex Luthor that night. She knew they would have to go over what happened in the jail tomorrow, and Lois was fine with that.
But tonight was their first night together and she didn’t want it marred by talk about Lex. And so they settled in on the couch and put on a movie both of them had seen a million times. She was more emotionally exhausted than she realised because she fell asleep almost immediately after the movie started.
It wasn’t until she felt herself being lifted off the ground that she opened her eyes to find that she was being carried to bed. His arms held her tightly and he gazed at her with a kind of innocent wonder that made her heart swell. All her fears melted away as he kissed her tenderly, and climbed into bed next to her.
Chapter 12Lois woke the following morning knowing two things: the first was that her heart had never felt lighter than it did waking up in Clark’s arms and the second was that she had to pee. And she knew that in order to deal with the second, she would have to disrupt the first. And she was loath to disrupt the first.
Still, her bladder waited for nobody, it seemed, so she gently managed to move his arm off of her and slid out from under him, padding her way into the bathroom. After washing her hands, she took her time running a brush through her hair and brushing her teeth. She knew it was silly. After all, Clark was going to see her first thing in the morning with morning breath and messy hair every day for the rest of their lives and yet for some reason she wanted the first morning they woke up together to be perfect. She wanted him to see her as perfect. Or at least as close as she could get.
She opened the door to the bathroom only to jump back in surprise to find him standing there. He looked rather sheepish.
“Sorry,” he said softly, “didn’t mean to scare you. Can I…?”
He gestured behind her and she realised that he too needed to use the facilities. She blushed slightly and moved aside as he entered. Unsure of what to do next (did she wait for him to come out in the bed? Go make some tea?), she found herself sitting awkwardly on the edge of the bed as she listened to the toilet flush, then the sound of the sink. The water ran a bit longer than was strictly necessary and Lois wondered if he also was freshening up a bit. The thought of it was reassuring. It meant she wasn’t the only one with nerves.
When he finally exited the bathroom she felt a silly smile spread across her face as she looked at him standing there. She also felt a bolt of heat shoot through her as she took in the sight of him shirtless and wearing only a pair of cotton shorts.
“What?” he said, and she realised she must have been staring too much. She looked down and played absently with the duvet cover.
“Nothing, just…” she looked up and gestured vaguely. “You, and me…waking up together. It’s nice. More than nice. Perfect.”
“Yes, you are,” he murmured softly. Her heart gave a gentle flutter at the love in his tone. She smiled as he made his way over to her and sat down on the bed next to her, taking her hand in his. He leaned down and kissed her softly, but thoroughly, caressing her face as he did so. “Good morning.”
“Good morning,” she replied, realising that silly grin must still be plastered all over her face. “Uhh, what comes now? Do we snuggle some more? Get breakfast? How does this work?”
“You tell me,” he replied, looking equally as flustered. “I’ve never woken up with anybody before. You’ve at least got some experience.”
“Going to bed? Yes. Waking up and having them still be there the next day? Not so much.” She noticed him wince and forgave him for his accidental faux pas.
“Sorry,” he apologised, squeezing her hand. “As for what we do next, I’m thinking breakfast and getting ready for work. Though it’s not what I’d prefer to do.”
“Work…right,” she said with a sigh as she stood up. “I uh…don’t have any breakfast food left. You used it all up last night, and today is…”
“Grocery day, I know,” he grinned and she could see the mischievous glint in his eye that told her he was teasing her. “Not a problem. I’ll be back in a minute or two.”
Before she could respond, he’d spun into the suit and flown out the window. She barely had any time to even think about getting changed before he returned with a couple of bags in his hands from a cafe that looked to be…French? Had he flown to…
“There’s a cafe in Paris that has the best croissants,” he explained as he got the food out on the table. He’s spun out of the suit and back into a t-shirt and shorts. “I thought you’d like…”
“Are you kidding me?” she exclaimed as she followed him to the table, “carbs are my soulmate! Next to you, of course. Do you want me to make us some coffee?”
“Yes, please,” he said and she wondered how long it would take for this odd veneer of politeness to drop away and just let them be themselves. She put a coffee filter in and scooped a few tablespoons in, all while watching him. Once the coffee was brewing, she made her way back out to the kitchen and sat down at the table, spreading some butter on her croissant. Her mind went over their conversation in the bedroom, replaying every moment in detail as they ate. This would only happen once after all. This first morning.
“What would you have preferred to do?” she asked him. He looked at her, confused. “You said that breakfast wasn’t what you would prefer to do first thing in the morning. I guess I’m just wondering because we don’t know each other’s habits yet. So…what would you prefer to do?”
“Oh, ummm…” she noticed he blushed slightly and didn’t meet her eyes. She suddenly wondered if the answer was something private. Eventually, he gave her a slightly embarrassed smile before answering. “I just meant that the things I would want to do first thing in the morning we aren’t…ummm…doing yet. That is, eventually we will, but for now….”
“Are you saying you want to make love first thing in the morning?” she asked, wondering where the hell this bold version of herself had come from. He blinked, surprised as well, before swallowing heavily. “It doesn’t have to be first thing. In the shower would be nice too, but…yeah.”
“Saves water too,” she replied, refusing to blush. They had to be able to talk about this. Plus, it was kind of sexy. Clark nodded, his hand stilling in mid-air. He’d been lifting his croissant to his mouth and she watched as it hovered there, wondering how long it would take him to remember it existed.
He eventually cleared his throat and took the bite, and Lois felt another flutter go through her as she imagined what it might be like to make love to Clark in the shower. She must have zoned out because eventually Clark got up and went into the kitchen. She turned and watched as he poured them two cups of coffee, heartened to see that he knew where her sweetener was located, in addition to being able to make hers exactly how she liked it.
When he returned, she forced herself to think about the day ahead. As much as she was loving this feeling of domesticity, she knew there were larger things that needed to be dealt with — namely the threat against the President. Despite her visit to the prison and the havoc it had wreaked on their relationship, she was no closer to understanding what Lex’s endgame was or what the French government had to do with it. She knew the only way to figure things out was to talk it over with Clark — something she hadn’t wanted to do because it meant admitting to herself (and possibly to him) that she’d been wrong to go to the prison.
Still, there was a chance that if they talked it over together, he might find something she missed. That was, after all, why they worked so well together. They filled in each other’s gaps.
She also knew that she didn’t want to have this conversation at the
Planet. She still wasn’t entirely convinced Claude’s arrival was a coincidence, and even if it was, she didn’t want to open a wound like this in front of him. He’d been responsible for enough damage.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Clark said as he sipped his coffee. She shook her head.
“I wish I could say they were still on the two of us in the shower.” She got a small thrill out of the look on his face before forging ahead. “Unfortunately, I’m thinking about the conversation I had at the prison yesterday with —”
“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” Clark said. “I shouldn’t have been so —”
“No, you were right,” she said with a sigh. “I should have listened. I couldn’t say that to you yesterday. I was too upset. He…well, he upset me. And I should have waited.” She looked down at her coffee cup and the light brown liquid inside. “I needed you there.”
She hadn’t realised she was close to tears until he reached for her hand. The moment her eyes met his, she almost broke down. Instead of seeing judgement, all she saw was compassion and love. If there was any anger inside him, it wasn’t at her.
“What did he say?” he asked softly. “Anything useful?”
“I don’t know,” Lois replied feeling slightly helpless. “You were right about him wanting me there. He knew I would come. He even had me on his list of approved visitors.”
She noticed Clark’s face darken at that information and wondered if she’d said too much. She knew that Superman did not kill, but she also knew that if anyone could tempt him to break that rule it was Lex Luthor. HIs jaw tightened and she proceeded to repeat the conversation she had with Lex in excruciating detail. She could tell it was almost as painful for him to hear as it had been for her, and that was saying something.
“So you’re saying he’s had the ability to bribe his way out of jail this entire time?” Clark asked finally after she was finished.
Lois nodded, feeling a chill run through her once more and suddenly very glad Clark had asked to practice living together. She wasn’t sure she wanted to be alone right now.
“I keep thinking that’s the key,” she admitted to Clark. “He said he didn’t want to leave jail until he could be certain he would never go back. But I can’t see how that could happen. I mean, even if he was acquitted for his past crimes, unless he lived like a saint…well, he’d have to run out of judges he could bribe eventually, right? I mean for him to be untouchable, he’d have to have….oh God…”
It was all so chillingly simple. The entire thing. The reason he’d helped his sniper cellmate get his conviction overturned, the attack on the President. She could tell Clark had worked it out as well because his face looked even more grim.
“He wants a presidential pardon.”
“And to do that,” she continued, “he’d need the President in his back pocket.”
“And if that were the case, he’d be out already,” Clark added. “So he doesn’t have the President. Which means he must have…”
“The Vice President!” Lois exclaimed with a gasp. “Claude was right, this does go all the way to the top.”
“Do you think he’s involved?” Clark wondered, voicing aloud what Lois had been turning around in her head ever since the day before. She sighed.
“I don’t know,” she finally replied, “but you have to admit it’s very coincidental. Then again, this Claude seems like he can barely keep a hamster alive…hardly the type to engage in international assassination plots.”
“This Claude?” Clark raised an eyebrow. “Is there more than one?”
“No, it’s just…” Lois hesitated, not sure how much she wanted to say to Clark about how she used to see him versus how she saw him now.
No, she told herself,
don’t hide your feelings. This is exactly what Doctor Frisken told you not to do. Her inner voice was right. She needed to figure out how to communicate with him. “I used to see Claude a certain way and now…well, now I think I see him for who he really is. And it isn’t what I thought.”
“What do you mean?” Clark asked, and she was relieved not to see any jealousy in his expression.
“Well, when I was infatuated with him, I thought he walked on water,” she said with a bitter chuckle. “He could do no wrong. He was French, cultured, wealthy…I guess I just assumed he was a top-notch journalist, and I wanted to work with him. I wanted to be with him. And then he slept with me and stole my story. And instead of seeing him for who he really is, I saw a villain…a man who waited for his moment and took what he wanted when it came.”
“Are you saying he didn’t?” Clark looked confused and Lois didn’t blame him. She wasn’t sure she understood her own feelings any more than he did.
“I’m saying that he did all those things. And they were awful. But he’s hardly Lex Luthor. Just a man who took advantage of someone who didn’t have the experience or the wisdom to see him for who he was.” She shrugged and gave a sad smile. “And for all the culture and wealth he appears to have, he’s not even half the journalist you are…or me for that matter. I see now that he leeched off my talent as well as my —”
“Sounds like you’re saying you don’t think he’s capable of working with Lex,” Clark interrupted, and Lois wondered if it was because he didn’t want to hear the rest of her sentence. She didn’t blame him.
“No,” she said finally after thinking it over one more time. “I don’t. But I don’t think we should fully trust him either. I’ve made that mistake before and it cost me a Kerth.”
Clark frowned at her words, and she could tell he was tempted to try to convince her to tell Perry what really happened, but thought the better of it. Instead, he set his coffee cup down, stood up, and leaned over to kiss her softly on the cheek.
“What was that for?” she asked, with a slightly surprised smile.
“Because this is how I want to begin every morning,” he told her, the warmth of his voice wrapping around her like a cocoon.
“Talking about my exes and how one of them is planning to kill the President?”
She knew exactly what Doctor Frisken would say about that last comment…that she was deflecting. And she was right. Even now, Lois sometimes felt it hard to accept the love that Clark freely offered. Sometimes that fear manifested in harmless jokes, and sometimes it meant pushing him away. Thankfully, this time it was the former. Clark laughed and Lois was reminded of yet another reason he was perfect for her. He understood her need for that humour.
“No,” he replied, reaching over to gently cup her face. This time his dark brown eyes pulled her in completely and she found herself unable to look away. “The part where I wake up with you, and we have breakfast while discussing our day at work — bouncing ideas off of each other. It’s what we do best, and to be able to do this the rest of our lives…I love you.”
“I love you too,” she said, surprised by the level of emotion in his tone. He looked so completely open at this moment, sitting at her table in his t-shirt and shorts and the enormity of it hit her full force. He was right. This was it. Forever, between them. And it didn’t feel difficult or scary, it felt easy.
Before she could process that realisation, he’d taken her by the hand, pulling her away from the table and bringing his lips to hers for a kiss that left her breathless. Before he could pull away, she deepened the kiss, wanting more. She’d kissed him in many ways before, but never like this. Never first thing in the morning after breakfast in her tank top and sweatpants with no makeup on after having breakfast with him. Somehow that made it different…more enticing. More real.
His arms wrapped around her as he responded to her kiss, his tongue teasing hers lightly as she pressed her body flush against his. The lack of a bra underneath her tank top caused her to gasp ever so slightly. There was barely anything between them, save for some light cotton, which sent a jolt of heat to all the right places. She’d kissed him last night in this very same top, but somehow this was different…more intimate.
She knew he felt it too, because his hands were clutching her waist more urgently and she was surprised to realise her own hands had drifted down to his butt where she found herself grabbing hold. She whimpered softly into his mouth and forced herself to push back from him.
She was breathing heavily as they separated, face flushed and feeling as if her arousal was just as visible to him as his was to her. And he couldn’t hide it from her if he tried. He also seemed short of breath, and she flashed him a satisfied smile. There was no mistaking his attraction to her. It made her feel powerful in a way she didn’t normally feel.
“As much as I can’t wait to continue that,” she said, running a hand through her hair and trying to banish the desire to discard their clothing and throw caution to the wind. “We need to get to work.”
“Work…right,” he replied as if he’d forgotten what the word meant. “Do you want to shower first? I’ll only take a minute…literally.”
“I can’t wait then to see what happens when we don’t have to….rush off to work.” How did her voice become that sultry all of a sudden? Was she still talking? She must have been because his eyebrows shot sky high and he gave her a look so full of heat she was certain he was going to pull her to him and make sure neither of them wanted to stop.
The thought of it caused her breath to catch, and she realised she wouldn’t stop him if he did.
Oh God, living together was going to be dangerous for both of them.
“I’ll uh…just go shower then,” she said, as she moved towards the bathroom.
She showered quickly, realising that while breakfast had been nice, they hadn’t left much room for the commute if she wanted to take the Jeep. She knew that Clark could easily get them there quickly if they needed to, but for some reason, she liked driving to work in her car.
When she exited the bathroom dressed for work, Clark zipped passed her so fast she barely saw him. By the time she was finished applying her makeup, he was out of the shower, dressed and ready to go. This was definitely going to take some getting used to. She wondered if he always got ready so quickly or if some mornings he took his time.
“You okay?” he asked her. She realised she must have been staring and felt slightly embarrassed.
“Just thinking,” she replied. She suddenly remembered something she’d once said to him in another moment in which she’d been in awe of not only his abilities, but how he chose to use them. “Your life is so strange. And now…now it’s going to be our life. Our strange, wonderful life.”
He kissed her softly and grinned. She found herself smiling back as she grabbed her keys and he followed, hands in his pockets. They headed down to the Jeep while Lois chewed some thoughts over in her mind.
“I think we should continue to investigate Lex’s ties to the French government, but I also think that if he has the Vice President in his pocket, we have to look into him as well.”
“You’re right,” Clark said as she put the key in the ignition and the Jeep roared to life. “And we will have to walk softly. So far nobody knows we’ve made this connection. If they find out…if Lex finds out…”
“He won’t hurt me,” Lois said softly, and though she kept her eyes on the road, she could feel Clark’s stare on her. “At least, not while he’s still convinced there’s a chance I might come back to him. He won’t hurt me.”
“That’s not a risk I’m willing to take,” he replied and something in his tone told her not to argue. Besides, being careful was sound logic, so she nodded.
“Alright. We keep Claude out of it for now then, right?”
“Right,” he agreed.
Lois felt a heaviness descend on her the closer they got to the
Planet. Waking up with Clark had been heavenly, but the day ahead of them was anything but. And if they couldn’t stop this assassination, not only would the President lose his life, but Lex Luthor would be able to operate without consequence.
It was a heavy responsibility.
