824 words exactly, not counting the title. This was an interesting lesson in finding less wordy synonyms. Hope you enjoy.
Late Encounter
The news day had been slow. Lois had left early and found herself wandering the streets aimlessly. At home she'd find a message from Lex - or his limo, already waiting to pick her up. He always seemed to know when she left work. Though it was unnerving, he was probably just eager to spend time with her.
But she needed time to think. Marrying him was a huge step. Soon they’d be living together.
The two nights she’d spent with Clark in the Honeymoon Suite had been the closest she'd ever come to moving in with someone.
While she harbored fond memories of that time, Lex wasn’t Clark. They’d truly be married, not pretending to be. Would Lex’ kisses be as mind-blowing as Clark’s?
Lois’s breath caught as she realized she’d shared more passionate kisses with her former partner than with her fiance. No wonder she was having pre-wedding jitters.
It had happened so fast.
Her throat tightened. She was angry with Superman for dismissing her love as a girlish crush. If he'd listened…
But it wasn't his fault that she'd accepted Lex' proposal.
Maybe Lex was even going to be her happy ever after.
A startled cry and the crashing of metal pulled Lois from her musings. She expected to see an accident, but the traffic was flowing smoothly.
A loud rumble pulled her toward a small alley. She peeked around the corner, half expecting to see a bunch of fighting cats.
A trash can slowly rolled toward her as a man scrambled to his feet. Swaying slightly, he waded through scattered trash bags, set the bins straight, and stuffed the bags inside.
Then he moved toward the light of the streetlamps and dusted off his clothes. Lois froze. She knew the man, though she’d never seen him this tired. His shoulders were slumped and his head hung between his shoulders.
Her pulse raced. It was their first encounter since that fateful night.
“Superman?"
He stopped in his tracks and stood straight. "Lois?"
Did she imagine his groan? His lips were a tight line, so unlike the dazzling smile he'd usually had for her - until she’d voiced her feelings for him.
A sense of unease crept up on her as she watched Superman. There was more amiss between them than his rejection of her.
She approached him. "What are you doing in that alley?"
“I could ask you the same.” His jaw worked and his voice was gruff. “Shouldn’t you be spending time with your fiance?”
“Why would you care how I spend my time?” Lois shot back.
Not bothering to answer, he raised his arms preparing to take off.
He didn’t leave, though.
The moment stretched awkwardly as Superman stood with his arms raised. Then, eventually, he lowered them with a heavy sigh.
His gaze drifted back to her, his jaw working again as if he resented her presence. He used to seek her out, but now she seemed like the last person he wanted to see.
A sudden rush of anger filled her. “What?"
"Nothing." He averted his eyes.
Her anger sparked. "So you don't approve of Lex? Too bad! You had another option!"
He narrowed his eyes on her. "Are you reverting to blackmail now? Love me or I'll marry your enemy?"
Lois stared at him, taken aback. Her gut twisted. Had she really said that? Her anger evaporated.
"Your enemy?" she croaked. "What is it between you and Lex?"
He hung his head. "Why would you believe me any more than you believe Clark?"
Superman's eyes were simmering with anger. He paced like a caged animal that was desperate to leave. So why didn't he? Lois wanted to ask him, foolishly clinging to the hope that he stayed because of her. But then she registered his pallor, remembered his cry and the noise.
She inhaled sharply. "Wait a moment, did you just crash land?"
He froze, staring at her with wide eyes.
"Yes," he admitted eventually.
Her heart pounded in her ears. "How?"
"Kryptonite," he said quietly. "Someone must have had some as I checked on a false bank alarm this afternoon."
She stared at him, took in the tired lines around his eyes.
Lois felt the world tilt. "So it exists?"
"It does," he confirmed.
She wondered what it did to him if it caused him to fall from the sky, hours later.
Her chest tightened. "Do you need help?"
Superman shook his head. "I'll be fine."
"But how do you get…" She'd meant to say home. But did he even have one? She'd told him that she knew the real him. But she'd no idea if he even had somewhere he could rest.
"I'll be fine," he insisted. "If you want to help, find out who was behind this. You might be surprised."
He pursed his lips and then, with a look of sheer concentration, he managed to lift off.
Suddenly, Lois was alone with her thoughts.
