Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Lois & Clark Fanfic 2023 Ficathon: Planes, Trains and Deep Fried Mars Bars for Queen of the Capes by lovetvfan

Planes, Trains and Deep Fried Mars Bars

by LoveTVFan

PuffyTiger's Note: There's a glossary at the end if you're lost on some of the exotic phrases used in this story =D

Chapter 1:

The cabin was dark and silent, with the exception of those who slept, lightly snoring. Lois Lane watched her partner Clark Kent as his head drooped in and out of a fitful sleep with him waking every few moments, pretending nothing had happened. A couple of times his glasses had almost fallen off and Lois had instinctively reached out to push them up his nose. She wasn’t sure why. After all, surely he took them off to sleep in his bed, but somehow she knew he wouldn’t want them removed here in this artificial setting.

She was glad she got the window seat, and grateful that the Boeing 767 had rows consisting of seats of two so that there was nobody else next to her. She didn’t mind climbing over Clark if she needed to go to the bathroom, but it would have been awkward with a complete stranger sitting there.

The trip they were on was business, and not pleasure. And yet somehow, it made her nervous to be on a seven hour flight to Europe with Clark Kent – a man she had once thought of as little more than an annoyance, but who was now occupying far more space in her head than was strictly necessary.

And it was all his fault. He’d asked her out. On a date. A real, honest-to-goodness date a couple of weeks ago, and if it hadn’t been for Lex Luthor’s re-appearance, they might have gone on that date. Lois honestly wasn’t sure if the date being canceled was a blessing or a curse. She couldn’t picture the two of them at a Pearl Jam concert. And yet, she’d agreed to go because…well, if she was honest with herself, it was because she wanted to go on a date with him.

Ever since the near marriage to Lex Luthor, she’d been slowly waking up to the realisation that her feelings for her partner were much more than simple platonic friendship. She was also starting to realise the depth of those feelings. It was more than whatever she’d thought she’d felt for Superman. After all, Clark Kent was her best friend. He was the one person she trusted more than anyone in this world. And though she knew Superman to be the very embodiment of nobility, honour and integrity, he didn’t make her laugh the way Clark did.

Superman didn’t show up at her apartment late at night with movies and pizza. He didn’t make her coffee every morning, or smile at her in a way that let her know she was the only person in the room. He didn’t offer to go down to the deli to pick up her favourite chicken salad sandwich every day. Superman belonged to the world.

And if she was honest, his ability to fly notwithstanding, she couldn’t picture Superman doing something as mundane as boarding a transatlantic flight and lightly sleeping on her shoulder. But Clark was different. Clark was the kind of guy who would cheerfully go through customs without complaints. He was the guy who lifted her baggage into the overhead compartment and made sure none of her belongings would be jostled or banged around.

And, it seemed he might just be as interested in her as she was in him. Though the official date hadn’t happened, they’d made the best of the cancellation with an ‘almost first date’ stakeout. One that - had it not been for some unfortunate take-out - had been thick with sexual tension. If there had been any ambiguity as to what Clark felt for her, most of those doubts had been chased away.

She could still remember how it had felt when that lightbulb had burst and she’d found herself laying on top of her partner on the couch. His chest had been solid and warm and his heart had raced to meet hers. She remembered the intensity of his gaze and the way time had seemed to stop when he looked at her. She’d felt, in that moment, as if he wanted to touch her, wanted to run his hands along her body and kiss her in a way she’d only fantasized about.

But she’d chickened out and moved away. And despite the fact that nothing had happened, she couldn’t forget the way it had felt to be carried in his arms to the bedroom after she’d eaten that awful take-out. Why he wasn’t affected, she would never know, but it hardly mattered. All that had mattered was the way he had taken care of her.

And before they had even had a chance to plan a second date, they’d found themselves being assigned to fly to Northern Ireland to cover the Queen’s very first appearance there since the IRA and Loyalists had agreed to a ceasefire earlier that year. It wasn’t normally the kind of story they would cover, but Superman would also be there, and in a fit of inspiration, Lois had offered the two of them for the job.

Perry had been initially surprised. After all, Lois normally balked at these sorts of human interest stories, calling them “puff pieces” or worse. And if she were honest with herself, she likely wouldn’t have volunteered the two of them had it not been for the thought of spending time in a place as romantic as Belfast with her partner.

It was the perfect place for the two of them to have their official first date, though Clark didn’t know it yet. Lois felt it was a better idea for her to take the initiative this time, lest she find that Clark had bought them tickets to see Metallica for their next attempt.

So she’d done some research and called a few travel agencies to inquire about romantic places for them to go. After all, they only really needed a couple of hours to cover the story. She promised to get some interviews from the locals and to do a more rounded look at the response to the Queen’s visit if they flew in a day earlier. Perry had been impressed with her initiative, but really she’d just wanted time for just the two of them. After all, they had to have some time for themselves.

She’d found out the oldest tavern in Belfast was a pub called White’s Tavern, first established in 1630. She figured they would tour Belfast Castle during the day before the press conference and have dinner that evening at the pub. And though there was a small part of her that was nervous about the fact that they had two adjoining rooms booked at the Europa Hotel, deep down she knew that if something did happen between them, Clark would not push her to do anything she wasn’t comfortable with. It had been enough to give her the courage to move forward with him. To trust him.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a soft ding and she watched through tired eyes as the seatbelt sign turned on and the Captain announced they were beginning their descent into Glasgow airport. Lois yawned. She was exhausted, but their travelling time was far from over. The Queen’s visit was on a Thursday and as a result all direct flights to Ireland had been booked solid. Instead, Perry had booked them on a flight to Glasgow where they would be boarding a local flight to Belfast. It was certainly not ideal considering they’d already spent seven hours on a flight, but Lois was not one to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Gently, she nudged Clark awake and he sat up, almost knocking his glasses off his face once more. She suddenly wondered what he looked like without them and at the same time, something inside her told her she already knew, though for the life of her she couldn’t remember ever seeing him without them. Surely she must have. After all, they’d known each other for almost two full years.

“We’re landing,” Lois said, putting her tray table up and clicking her seatbelt into place. Clark’s, of course, was still fastened. He hadn’t taken it off the entire flight except to use the bathroom.

He ran a tired hand over his face and nodded. She marveled at his ability to sleep on a flight – something she’d never been able to do. She was always too keyed up to sleep. But now, as the plane began its descent she could feel the weariness enveloping her like a blanket and looked forward to the moment when she could lay her head down on the fresh, cool hotel pillow for some much needed sleep.

Chapter 2:

“Canceled? What do you mean canceled?” Lois’ voice was short, the exhaustion evident in her tone. Clark didn’t blame her. While he’d snoozed on and off on the plane, he was fairly certain she hadn’t slept a wink the entire time. They had booked a flight to Belfast from Glasgow airport but were now being told that said flight had been canceled due to unscheduled maintenance on the plane.

“Ah’m sorry, Ma’am,” the airline employee said with a frozen mask of customer service politeness on her face. “We cannae control when a plane needs tae undergo emergency repairs.” Clark could tell she was already unimpressed with Lois’ tone and he knew they would catch more flies with honey than with Lois’ particular brand of vinegar, so he smiled warmly at the attendant.

“I apologise for my…partner,” he said, wondering why he hesitated on that word. Was it because they were on the verge of becoming more than partners? Or was it because by saying it that way, it already sounded as if they were? “We’re tired and it was a long flight and we have reservations in Belfast for tonight. Is there any way you can get us on another flight?”

“Ah can check,” the employee said, smiling a little at him. He noticed her nametag said Debbie and made a mental note. “But tae be honest wi’ ye, it doesnae look likely, given that the Queen is visitin’ for the first time –”

“Since the ceasefire, we know,” Lois interrupted curtly. She flashed Debbie her press pass. “We’re reporters from America and we are supposed to be covering the event. Now can you get us on another flight or not?”

“Like Ah said, Ah’ll check,” Debbie said tightly. “But in the meantime youse might consider takin’ the bus. It’s no’ a short ride, but it’ll get ye there, right enough.”

“Thank you,” Clark said, before Lois could anger the woman even further. “We’ll give that a try if we need to.”

“If yer gonnae dae that, Ah’d hurry,” Debbie said, glancing at the screen in front of her. “Weather report comin’ in says we’re in for a snow storm.”

“We’re from Metropolis,” Lois said, tipping her chin upwards. “We’re not afraid of a little snow.”

“Suit yerselves,” she said with a smirk and went back to typing on her screen.

Clark gently took Lois by the arm and guided her away from the counter. Lois came, grudgingly.

“So now what do we do?” She asked with a huff. Her lips were pouted in a way he felt almost irresistible and he fought the urge to gently kiss her there. In fact, he’d been fighting all kinds of urges where she was concerned lately.

Ever since their almost-first-date, he’d felt the chemistry between them shift in a way he couldn’t define, but had certainly felt. Things between them were different and he wanted nothing more than to take that next step. And yet, for some reason he felt unsure how to do it.

It had taken every ounce of courage to ask her out the first time and even though the date had been canceled he’d preferred the circumstances of their ‘almost-first-date’ immensely until Lois had gotten sick. And even then, there’d been something wonderful about the way she’d allowed him to care for her. She’d let her walls down completely and allowed herself to be vulnerable with him. He couldn’t imagine the Lois of last year allowing him to carry her to her bedroom door while ill.

So asking her out on a second date should be easy. And yet, for some reason it wasn’t. And now, here they were on this work trip. A trip that had all the potential to be far more romantic than a Pearl Jam concert or work stakeout ever could be and they were stuck at the airport trying to sort out travel arrangements.

“Well, I suppose we should decide if we want to abandon the concept of flying and try for a bus or a ferry,” he said, trying to think rationally. “She said there was a storm coming, after all. Even if she can get us on another flight, a storm could easily ground them.”

“I don’t see why,” Lois muttered to herself, “after all, it’s just a little snow.”

“Be that as it may,” Clark said, “we need to make some kind of decision. If I remember, the ferry is about six hours long, and the bus is only about five or so.”

“Five hours?!” Her voice was loud enough to cause several people to turn to look at them and he could hear a few of them mutter about Americans via his super hearing. “I’m not sitting on a smelly greyhound for five hours, Clark.”

“Do you have a better plan?” He asked her. “After all, the Queen is visiting tomorrow afternoon.”

“And I haven’t slept in almost a full day,” she shot back. She was right. They had taken the red-eye from Metropolis to Glasgow and with the time change, it had meant they arrived early in the morning Glasgow time, but felt like two in the morning for them. “And how do you know all this about busses and ferries, anyway?”

“I uh, spent a bit of time here a few years back,” he said sheepishly. In truth, he’d lived here for a short while while traveling the globe. She rolled her eyes.

“Of course you did,” she muttered, though there wasn’t any real malice in her voice.

“Look, we have some time,” he reasoned, running a hand through his closely cropped hair. “Why don’t we book a room here in the city. We can go there, get some sleep and call the airport in a few hours when we’ve had time to think. After all, the press conference isn’t until tomorrow afternoon.”

“Yes, let’s do that,” Lois replied, sounding more than a little relieved. She sagged into him ever so slightly and he felt his body go warm at the accidental touch. He grabbed hold of her luggage for her and the two of them made their way to the taxi rink outside the airport.

Chapter 3:

The taxi took them to the city centre and, upon Clark’s suggestion, they ended up at the Buchanan hotel - a small boutique hotel on Buchanan Street that sat directly across from Buchanan bus station. Clark told her that Buchanan bus station had busses that serviced almost anywhere they wanted to go in the UK so it made sense for them to find a hotel close by.

She wasn’t keen on spending money for a full night in a hotel, especially since they were really only going to get a few hours of sleep there, but at this point she would have paid anything just for a clean mattress and a pillow.

It was already lightly snowing out as they entered the small establishment. Lois hit the small bell on the counter and a few seconds later a woman who looked to be in her early forties came out and gave Clark a bright smile. Lois fought the urge to roll her eyes. She was more than used to her partner getting this reaction from women, but the closer they got, the less she liked it.

She inched closer to him and gently touched his arm - a gesture that did not go unnoticed by the woman who gave a slight frown.

“Alright?” she said to them. It sounded like a question, but something told Lois it wasn’t. She glanced over at Clark who nodded.

“We’d like two rooms please,” he said politely, “for one night.”

“Ah cannae give ye two,” the woman replied with a shrug. “We’ve only got one room the now.”

Between the exhaustion that had slowly begun to engulf her, the accent, and the strange way everyone seemed to speak, Lois had difficulty following what the woman was saying.

Clark gave her a nervous glance and she realised that he was waiting to see what her reaction would be to this bit of news. Was it because it would mean the two of them would be sleeping in the same room? A strange thrill went through her at the thought, despite the travel.

“Fine,” she said tiredly. “We’ll take one with two Queen beds.”

“Ah dinnae think ye understand,” the woman said, a little slower this time which annoyed Lois. She was the one speaking proper English after all, not whatever this bastardisation was. “Ah only have the one room. A suite wi’ one King bed.”

“In the entire hotel you mean?” Lois said, blinking a few times. “You only have one room in the entire hotel? What is this, the Crown Plaza?”

“No, it’s the Buchanan,” the woman replied, bristling slightly. “And we’ve only got the sixty rooms to begin with. Do youse want it, or no’?”

Clark looked even more uncomfortable and Lois might have found it cute, were it not for the circumstances.

“It’s fine,” she said finally. “We just need to get some sleep before we call the airport.”

“Big storm comin’,” the woman said conversationally as she typed the information Clark was providing into the computer. “Hope youse are flexible. Got some spitters oot there, an’ it’s like to be blowing a hoolie by day’s end.”

“I’m sure we’ll be fine,” Lois said, irritated at all this fuss over a couple of flakes of snow. The woman raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. She finished getting them checked in and handed Clark the key to the room.

“Right then, yer all set,” she said. “Enjoy yer stay wi’ us. The room may shake a wee bit, but it’s no’ but the subway underneath ye. Pay it no mind.”

“Wonderful,” Lois muttered as they ascended the stairs to their room. “Just what we need. A room that shakes.”

“Oh come on, Lois, try to keep an open mind,” Clark said cheerfully. “Think of it like…a bed with a free built in massage.”

“Do you always have to be so cheerful?” Lois asked, though without any real annoyance. In truth, she kind of liked his perpetual optimism. It helped to counter her natural cynicism. “And what the heck did she mean by blowing a hoolie? What is that?”

“It’s just an old Scottish expression,” Clark explained. “It means it’s supposed to get really windy.”

“Why can’t they just say that then?” She exclaimed as they reached their room and he put the key in the lock to open the door. She was about to say more but stopped as she took in the sight of the room. It was small, but nicer than she’d expected. It was obvious the hotel was old, and she discovered there was one floorboard that creaked as she stepped on it, but the bed was plush and the lamps beside the bed gave the room a nice rosy glow.

They set their things down and Lois glanced nervously at the bed, as did Clark. She’d agreed to take the room out of the simple desire to have somewhere to lay down for a few hours, but now as she looked at it, she realised that she would have to share with Clark – a prospect she found both exciting and terrifying.

There was no option of someone sleeping on a couch as she discovered by looking around that there was only one rather uncomfortable looking chair next to the desk at the far end of the room.

They stood in awkward silence for a few moments with both of them fixated on the bed in the middle of the room. Eventually Clark asked if she wanted to use the bathroom first to change and she was grateful for the reprieve.

The tiles inside the bathroom were black and white diamond shapes and the tub was an old fashioned clawfoot tub that Lois could imagine taking a very luxurious bath in after they’d gotten some sleep. She was surprised at how cold the tap water was when she turned it on and washed quickly. In fact, the entire room was quite cold as she discovered once she’d put on the t-shirt and shorts she’d brought to sleep in. The heat was on, but it didn’t seem to matter. Either it was, indeed blowing a hoolie, or the Scottish didn’t seem to mind frigid temperatures inside their homes and hotels.

Clark noticed her shiver and pulled down the covers of the bed. She climbed in gratefully and he made his way into the bathroom. The duvet was soft and heavy and she immediately felt warm again.

The woman at the reception desk had not been kidding about the subway either, as moments later a soft rumbling feeling came over her. They were on the second floor, and yet she felt it quite distinctly. Still, she was tired enough so as not to be bothered by it.

Lois had started to doze off when the sound of the creaky floorboard caused her to awaken and she watched through half shut eyes as Clark gingerly made his way over to the bed. He hesitated, as if afraid of what to do and a sense of nervous excitement overtook her.

“It’s alright,” she reassured him with a yawn. “I won’t bite. I’m too tired to.”

Clark smiled that heart stopping smile, turned out the lamps, and climbed into bed next to her. He lay extremely still and she noticed he was careful to stick to his side of the bed. She rolled over and propped herself up on her elbow to look at him.
“It’s just that…we haven’t had a chance to go on a date. A real date, I mean,” Clark was saying as he stared up at the ceiling. Lois was surprised to hear him bring up the date at all since he hadn’t said anything about it since the ‘almost-first-date’. “And now here we are in bed together.”

“So…you still want to go on a date then?” Lois asked, hating how timid and tentative she sounded. He finally turned and looked at her, his deep brown eyes soft in the semi-darkness.

“More than anything,” he assured her. “I just…wasn’t sure you wanted to after the whole Ralph’s Pagoda mess. And I didn’t know how to ask you again. Somehow it seemed scarier.”

“Clark, we’re partners and best friends. This isn’t scary. It’s terrifying.” It felt good to confess that to him. And when she did, she found even more words tumbling out. “And part of the reason I wanted to go on this trip was because I’ve always wanted to see Belfast. I think it’s one of the most romantic cities.”

“Really?” Clark asked, his eyes lighting up at the admission. She smiled and fought the urge to kiss him. She wasn’t sure what might happen if she kissed him right now.

“Really,” she told him. “I even made reservations for a romantic dinner in Belfast as a surprise. I guess that’s part of the reason I’m so on edge.”

“We have time,” he reminded her softly. “We could maybe consider this our ‘almost-almost-first-date’ if you want.”

“I dunno,” she drawled with a somewhat mischievous smile. “I don’t go to bed with just anyone. Especially not on an ‘almost-almost-first-date’.”

“Well of course not, you’re too classy for that,” he grinned back at her and the butterflies in her stomach turned cartwheels. She yawned despite herself and he gently reached out and touched her cheek. “You’re also beat. We should get some sleep.”

She yawned again and forced herself to gather her courage.

“Will you…” she hesitated, unsure of why she was suddenly so nervous with him. “Will you hold me? Until I fall asleep, that is?”

He swallowed tightly and nodded. She scooched forward ever so slightly and laid her head down in the crook of his arm. He was warm and his arms were gentle and strong. She closed her eyes and drifted off into oblivion as the subway gently rumbled beneath them.

Chapter 4:

Clark had never slept so soundly in his entire life and when he woke, he was overjoyed to find that it hadn’t been a dream. Lois was still in his arms, holding on tightly to his chest as her own rose and fell rhythmically.

It didn’t take long for her to stir awake and she gave him a slightly shy but extremely endearing smile as their eyes met.

“Morning,” she said.

“Probably more like afternoon,” Clark replied, kicking himself for not saying something more clever. “We’re five hours ahead, remember?”

Reminded of the time, Lois sat up, abruptly shattering the spell and looked at the clock.

“Oh no,” she groaned. “It’s after two! We need to call the airport and find out if they got us on another flight!”

“Don’t worry, I’ll do it,” he said, sitting up and heading over to the desk where the phone sat. “Are you hungry? I could order room service.”

“Let’s sort out our travel arrangements first,” Lois replied as she grabbed some fresh clothes and headed towards the bathroom to change. Clark nodded and dialed the airport.

A brief conversation with the attendant on duty, however, did not achieve the desired results. Not only were there no alternative flights, but any other flights that were due to leave were now being grounded due to the storm which had evidently intensified as they slept.

He waited for Lois to come back out of the bathroom before he let her know the bad news. She was disappointed, as was he. Not only were they going to fail to get the story on the Planet’s dime, but the romantic date she’d apparently planned for the two of them was not going to happen. They seemed to be having rotten luck so far.

He was about to call Buchanan bus station when his super hearing picked up a distress call. A car had slipped on an icy patch and slid into a ditch and it sounded like someone was hurt.

“Now what, Clark?” Lois was saying. He thought fast.

“Listen, you call room service and order us something to eat. I’ll run down to the bus station and see if I can book us two tickets either on a bus or a ferry.”

He didn’t give her any chance to argue before he ran out the door, spun into the suit and out of the hotel at super speed.

The rescue was quick and thankfully nobody was seriously hurt. He delivered the injured woman to the shocked doctors at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary. Though he made rescues all over the world, he tended to stay close to Metropolis and thus was more of a novelty elsewhere in the world.

He changed back into his street clothes and made his way into the bus station. By this time the snow was coming thick and heavy and though there wasn’t as much on the roads as they sometimes got in Metropolis, it was enough to cause havoc in a city not designed for this much snow.

As a result, all trains, buses and ferries were canceled as well. He’d expected Lois to be in a rage when he gave her the news, but instead she simply nodded calmly.

“It’s fine, Clark, I have a plan.”

“Oh?” They were sitting on the bed in the hotel eating the fish and chip supper Lois had ordered from room service. Though it was only mid afternoon, neither of them had eaten and with the time change, this felt like the weirdest breakfast ever.

“We can just ask Superman to bring us. He’s going to be at the press conference too, remember?”

He felt his chest tighten at the mention of Superman and hated the way he always had to think up a lie when the subject came up. He sometimes felt like a parent keeping the secret of Santa for far longer than was strictly necessary.
“Lois, he’s not a taxi service,” Clark pointed out, hoping he sounded reasonable. “Plus this storm is getting pretty bad. I heard someone say at the bus station that he was out performing rescues. We can’t take away from that just because we need a ride.”

“You’re right,” Lois muttered. She threw one of her chips back down into the container and sighed. “I know! Why don’t we rent a car? I bet the snow isn’t that bad. We could probably drive there ourselves.”

“I don’t know, Lois…” Clark trailed off trying to find a way to tell her that her driving skills were more exuberant than he would prefer in Metropolis. He wasn’t sure he trusted her to be able to drive in a foreign country on the other side of the road in bad weather. But then, he also knew if he told her that telling her that would not end well for him.

“Come on, Clark,” she urged, “how hard can it be? Besides, there’s two of us. We can share the driving.”

“Uhh, no, we can’t,” he said, feeling somewhat sheepish. “I didn’t bring my driver’s license with me.”

“What?” She looked at him as if he had just announced he was planning to cut off his left thumb. “Who travels to another country and doesn’t bring their driver’s license? That’s official government ID, Clark!”

“I have my passport,” he reasoned. “And I don’t like carrying too many pieces of ID in the same place. If one gets lost, you still have the other to replace it.”

What he didn’t tell her was that it would have been extremely easy to obtain his driver’s license if he’d really needed it. But that was a conversation that he wasn’t sure how to have. He knew if things were to go any further between them it would be a conversation they would need to have, but he hadn’t yet figured out how to go about it.

“That’s so…annoyingly practical,” she groused. “Fine. I’m sure I can figure it out. Give me the number for the airport.”

Clark couldn’t think of any way to dissuade her from this idea, so he reluctantly handed her the piece of hotel stationary with which he’d written the airport phone number on. She took it and began to dial.

All of a sudden he heard another call for help. Yet another car stuck in a ditch which did not exactly fill him with optimism. He made an excuse about needing to get some fresh air and she barely looked twice as he ran out of the room.

When he returned after thankfully another successful rescue, she sat on the bed, ramrod straight, looking as if she would murder the first person who spoke. Which, unfortunately, was him.

“No cars?” He asked tentatively.

“Oh they had cars,” Lois muttered. “But they’re all manual. Not a single automatic. Can you believe this country? Who drives a stick shift these days?”

“It makes sense over here,” he told her. “Unlike in the US which is mostly straight roads and highways, the roads here bend and curve much more. A manual car gives more control on the corners. They are also less expensive than an automatic.”

“Do you always have to know everything?” She shot back angrily. Then, after a beat, her expression softened. “I’m sorry. I’m just really frustrated. I have no idea what to tell Perry. What’s going to happen when we get back to Metropolis without a story?”

“Well, we’ll just have to find one here,” Clark said, trying to find the bright side. It was more than just because of their job. He was also disappointed that the date she had planned wouldn’t happen, but he wasn’t willing to give up on the idea of something happening between them while they were here all together. Besides, Glasgow had its own charm if you knew where to look.

“Do you honestly think we can find a story here as important as the Queen visiting Belfast for the first time since the ceasefire?” Lois asked dubiously. He sat down on the bed next to her and fought the urge to take her hands in his. Something about touching her right now, here in this room, felt almost forbidden. They’d held each other while they had slept, but they’d been too tired to really think about how close their bodies were, and how there was nothing to stop anything from happening between the two of them here in this room.

“I think it’s worth a try,” Clark replied. “This snow storm is pretty unusual, for one thing. It rains a lot here, but an actual storm is rare. And who knows what else is happening?”

“I don’t know,” she sighed and her shoulders slumped in weary defeat. This time he did reach for her and she let him, meeting his eyes and biting her lip in a way that awakened every cell in his body.

“Look, I know you’d planned something for us,” he said, as he slowly ran his thumb over the top of her hand. He heard her breathing quicken. “And I’m disappointed too, but I think we could make the best of it. After all, I did spend some time here. I know the city pretty well. I could maybe try planning out a date. And who knows? We might come across something to write about.”

“You want to plan the date?” Lois asked, a teasing smile spreading across her full red lips. “What, is Pearl Jam playing here too?”

“No, but I heard Megadeath is,” Clark retorted back, grateful for their usual banter. “Seriously, though, Lois, Let’s go to dinner. I know of a pub I used to go to. Who knows? The storm might be over tomorrow morning and we might be able to take an early train or bus. And if not, we can spend the day sightseeing and I can find something more…romantic for us to do.”

“Romantic, huh?” She gave a small, sultry smile that caused his heart to skip a beat. He had to force his lower body not to react to the way she was looking at him. Not here while they were not only sharing a hotel room, but a bed as well. “I like hearing you say that.”

“Me too,” he said, his voice hoarse. Should he kiss her? He felt like he should. And yet, his body didn’t seem to be able to move. “I mean, I like saying it. I’ve wanted to say it for so long.”

“This could get…complicated,” she said, and he saw the way her eyes darted to the bedspread. She was nervous.

“I know,” he admitted. “And I would be lying if I said that I don’t want something to happen between us…physically I mean. But I will not push. I promise. I’ll even sleep over there on the chair if you want me to.”

“Because you’re that irresistible?” She teased. Her eyes danced mischievously and he felt some of the tension lift.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” he insisted. “I just wanted to make sure you were…comfortable.”

“I am,” she admitted to him, tucking an absent strand of hair behind her ears as she spoke. “I’ve always been. You make me feel safe. But maybe, for once I don’t want to.”

“What are you saying?” He asked, his mouth suddenly dry.

“I don’t know,” she admitted. “Let’s go see the sights and find that pub.” She stood up and smiled an almost shy smile at him and he felt his heart lift. They might have to reimburse the Planet for their flights, but he couldn’t think of a single place he’d rather be right now.

Chapter 5:

The snow was indeed coming down quite heavily. Lois wouldn’t normally think much of it in Metropolis, but here it seemed to blanket the city of Glasgow in a way that did, in fact, seem unnaturally heavy. The wind was biting as well. They walked from shop to shop and Lois was grateful for the warmth as they entered each one. The topic of conversation on everyone’s mind seemed to be the storm.

Clark was sharing the odd piece of trivia about the city and she had to admit that he made a pretty good tour guide. She was starting to think that Glasgow might have more to offer than she’d originally thought, which, to be fair, had been something along the lines of incomprehensible accents and seagulls the size of minivans.

She was also thinking about the chemistry between them that had been simmering for a long while but had flared up earlier in the hotel room. She’d always known Clark was attractive, what with the fact that she had eyes. And on some level she had always known that her feelings for him were never truly platonic, even if she hadn’t been willing to admit it to herself.

But ever since he’d asked her out, she was quickly coming to realise just how attracted she was to him both physically and emotionally. She had been extremely slow to trust men with her body and her heart ever since Claude had betrayed her. And her near marriage to Lex hadn’t made things even easier. Still, she realised that her engagement with Lex had been rather chaste and she’d been happy to keep it that way. She hadn’t thought much of it at the time, but with Clark in such close proximity to her and the fact that they were sharing a bed, the contrast was startling.

She wanted Clark. Her best friend. The man she had overlooked in favour of Superman and, at one time, Lex Luthor. Somehow, he’d gone from an annoyingly attractive man she worked with, to her best friend to an annoyingly attractive man she was falling hard and fast for. And now this temptation of sharing a bed with him? How was she supposed to keep her hands off of him when he was this close and when he looked at her the way he had back in the room only a few hours ago?

She shook her head and tried to focus on what Clark had been saying to her as they crossed a street she had trouble pronouncing. Sauchiehall? How on Earth was she supposed to say that one?

Clark was pointing out some of the local landmarks and she forced herself to concentrate on his words and not how gorgeous his lips were and how much she wanted him to do something else entirely with them. Or rather, to them.

“Lois, are you okay?” Clark was asking her. “You seem a bit preoccupied. Are you cold?”

“No!” She exclaimed, somehow irrationally worried he knew exactly what she’d been thinking. What would he do if he knew how badly she wanted him to touch her? “I mean, yes. It’s actually really cold out. Can we go somewhere warm?”

“I know a place,” Clark replied. “Are you hungry? I know we only ate a little while ago, but we could get dinner?”

“Yes, please, let’s do that,” Lois said, somewhat relieved that he didn’t press her any further on what she’d been thinking about.

“It’s a little…different than anywhere we’ve been before,” he cautioned her as they went from Sauchie-whatever it was to Hope St. “But I think you’ll like it. Just keep an open mind, okay?”

“Clark, I am nothing but open minded,” Lois pointed out. She thought she saw him suppress a smile but wisely he said nothing. They soon came upon a small pub called the ‘Rufus T Firefly’. It was indeed like nothing she had expected. The walls were black and the floors were sticky. It was dark inside and posters littered the walls for various hard rock, punk and metal bands. In the corner of the pub, a gory slasher film was playing on the TV they had, the volume completely muted. That was likely due to the fact that hard driving rock music was playing over the speakers.

Clark led her to a small table in the corner of the pub and they sat down. She must have had a dubious look on her face because he gave her a somewhat sheepish smile.

“We can go somewhere else if you like,” he offered. “I told you it was different.”

“No, it’s fine,” Lois insisted. “What’s with the name, though? Who is Rufus T Firefly?”

“He’s the name of a character Groucho Marx played in the movie Duck Soup,” Clark told her. But before he could say anything else, a man about their age approached and sat down at their table.

“Clark Kent! Ah cannae believe mah eyes. What are ye doing here?”

The man was tall with sandy blonde hair and more than a bit of stubble on his chin. He was handsome, but in a rugged well worn sort of way.

“Well, believe it or not, we are stuck here because of the storm,” Clark replied. He gestured to Lois. “This is Lois Lane, my partner at the Daily Planet. Lois, this is Stewart Martin. He was the one who first brought me here when I stayed in the city.”

“Ah’m glad tae meet ye,” he said with a grin that Lois couldn’t help being charmed by.

“Are you and Gemma still together?” Clark asked.

“Aye, joined at the hip, so we are,” Stewart said cheerfully. “She’s up at the bar gettin’ drinks. Youse two want anythin’?”

“What’s good here?” Lois asked, surrendering to the idea of going with the flow. She looked at Clark and he gave her a tentative smile as if to ask her to trust him. She nodded and he looked at Stewart.

“Could you get us two pints of cider and currant?”

Stewart nodded and stood up to go to the bar. She watched Stewart take the two pints from a blonde woman she presumed was Gemma and give the bartender their orders. In a few moments both Stewart and Gemma returned and further introductions were made.

The conversation was lively and Lois found herself to enjoy Stewart and Gemma’s company immensely. Stewart was currently working as a graphic designer for a tutoring company that helped kids who struggled with literacy and Gemma was an artist. Both were funny and witty and she could see why Clark had enjoyed spending time with them. They both also happened to be heavy rock fans, which explained the bar. And though the music wasn’t really her thing, the atmosphere was starting to grow on her.

Eventually the topic of conversation turned towards their purpose in the UK and the circumstances that had stranded them there, namely the snow storm.

“Ah, ye poor wee thing,” Gemma said sympathetically. “This weather is pure baltic, so it is.”

“Aye, it’s pish,” Stewart agreed. “But yer better off stayin’ here till it passes.”

Lois was finding it increasingly difficult to understand what the two of them were saying. With every drink their accents seemed to get more intense and she wasn’t entirely sure all the words were English.

“Baltic means cold,” Clark supplied. Her face must have betrayed her a little bit.

“I’m sorry,” Lois found herself apologising to Stewart and Gemma. “I didn’t realise I would have such a hard time understanding the slang.”

“It’s no’ slang, lass, it’s Scots,” Stewart told her.

“Scots is a dialect,” Clark added. “It’s common to the lowlands and parts of Northern Ireland.”

“Takes a bit o’ gettin’ used tae,” Stewart said with a smile that told her he wasn’t offended. “Most folk comin’ fae America havenae a scooby what we’re sayin’.”

“Doesnae matter anyway wi’ him,” Gemma added with an affectionate look at Stewart. “His bum’s oot the windae most nights anyway.”

“Aye, she’s no’ wrong,” Stewart admitted. Lois was beginning to follow the flow. “Most night’s Ah’m steamin’. Talking total gibberish. But what about youse two? Are ye winchin’?”

“I’m going to plead the fifth on that,” Lois responded with a laugh. “Mainly because I don’t know what it means.”
“Dating,” Clark replied and she noticed he looked a little bit embarrassed. “And we have yet to go on an actual date, though not for lack of trying.”

“What’s this then, ye dafty, if no’ a date?” Stewart said, giving Clark a playful punch on the arm.

“This is a work trip gone horribly wrong,” Lois said. She grimaced, though she no longer felt as angry as she had before.

“What happens if ye dinnae get tae Belfast, then?” Gemma wondered curiously. Lois shook her head.

“We have to find something to write about,” Lois replied. “Do either of you know of anything happening here?”

“For the Daily Planet ye mean?” Stewart looked suitably impressed. “No’ that Ah know of, right enough.”

“Ah’m more interested in youse two,” Gemma said, grinning at Lois. “You need tae get this one somewhere romantic an’ just gie him a wee snog! Stewart and I have been waitin’ for ages for Clark tae find someone. He’s no’ exactly hard on the eyes. What are ye waitin’ for?”

Lois laughed and felt her cheeks go pink. She wouldn’t normally feel comfortable discussing her dating life with anyone, much less two perfect strangers, but somehow she felt as if she knew Stewart and Gemma. They were intelligent, funny, and seemed to genuinely love each other. Lois found herself wondering how they got to where they were. Why did it seem so difficult with Clark when her feelings for him now felt so easy? So clear?

“I guess we were trying to find the right moment,” she admitted, realising how silly that sounded when she said it out loud. “We almost went to see Pearl Jam, but work got in the way.”

“Ye bought her tickets tae Pearl Jam?” Stewart shook his head and laughed. “Ye dinnae even like Pearl Jam, ye eejit!”

Clark laughed good naturedly and Lois was relieved to see that he didn’t seem bothered by his first date faux pas.

“I just want things to be perfect,” he said, his eyes meeting hers. She felt her heart skip a beat at the look in his eyes.

“Just take her oot, man!” Stewart exclaimed. “Ye dinnae need anythin’ fancy. Did I no’ tell ye about oor first date?” He looked at Gemma and the two of them laughed slightly.

“That bad?” Lois asked, finding she really wanted to know what happened. She looked over at Clark and he reached over and tentatively took her hand – a gesture that did not go unnoticed by Gemma and Stewart.

“Pure disaster, so it was,” Gemma confirmed with a laugh.

Clark began to gently run his thumb over her palm – something that sent shivers throughout her body. She tried her best to listen to the story Stewart was telling her, but the way Clark was touching her was making that extremely difficult.

“Ah was dead nervous,” Stewart added. “Ah wanted tae impress her, so Ah got a bookin’ at a restaurant mah mate swore on. It was boggin’ by the way. We stayed about ten minutes, an’ went back to mine for a takeaway. Ah thought for sure she’d never want tae see mah face again.”

“But he was pure sweet,” Gemma said, “and Ah just couldnae say no. And Ah still cannae.”

“Which is why ye shouldnae wait,” Stewart said pointedly. “If Ah can mess up so badly an’ she still wants tae look at mah peely wally face, then anythin’s possible.”

“Well, if we’re still here tomorrow, then that’s what we will do,” Clark said, his voice low and gentle. “Any suggestions on what to do?”

“The pub quiz is th’morra,” Stewart reminded him. “Why no’ come here?”

Clark sat up straight and shook his head. “Oh no, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

Lois was intrigued. Not two seconds before Clark had agreed they would go on a date, any date if they were still here. She narrowed her eyes and looked at him suspiciously.

“Why not?” She asked him, “what’s the pub quiz?”

“Every Thursday night there’s a wee quiz,” Gemma told her. “Trivia and the like. We split intae teams an’ the winner gets a prize. It’s usually somethin’ daft, but it’s still a lot o’ fun. Clark used tae be quite good, so he was.”

“We havenae won hee haw lately, so we could use the help,” Stewart said.

“Yeah I don’t know,” Clark hesitated. “Lois can get a bit…competitive.”

“I am not,” Lois huffed, annoyed at Clark’s rash characterisation of her. “I just like to win. And it’s trivia, Clark! I’m good at trivia. I think it sounds like a great idea!”

Clark groaned slightly and gave a helpless shrug of acquiescence. Lois grinned. Things were starting to turn around. Were it not for the lack of a story to come back to Metropolis with, Lois would consider this the perfect trip. Especially since Clark was still holding her hand.

Before he could say anything else, a young blonde waitress approached their table.

“Kitchen’s closin’ in a wee minute,” she told them. “Anyone fancy dessert? We have deep fried Mars bars.”

“Deep fried what?” Lois exclaimed, raising an eyebrow in surprise. She’d definitely noticed the Scottish had a penchant for deep frying anything they could, but a Mars bar?

“Aye, some pub in Stonehaven started wi’ it an’ now they’re everywhere,” Gemma supplied. “Ye should try it, it’s lovely.”

“Sounds delicious,” Clark said with a smile. “What do you think, Lois? Should we live dangerously?” Something about the low timbre of his voice told Lois she couldn’t say no even if she wanted to. And with her love of chocolate she certainly didn’t want to.

“Alright,” she agreed, meeting Clark’s eyes and sending an entirely different message. “Let’s live dangerously.”

Chapter 6:

Clark walked back to the hotel room with Lois nestled against his arm, feeling happier than he had in a long time. It was cold and the wind had not stopped blowing. The snow was blowing harder than ever and Clark was grateful Lois had abandoned her plan to rent a car and drive to Belfast.

Somehow their trip had gone from being a total disaster to the best thing that could have happened to him. He wasn’t sure what had ever possessed him to bring her to the Rufus. It was so different from any of the places they normally went to. Running into Stewart and Gemma had been the icing on the cake. Lois had gone from being irritated about being stranded in Glasgow to more relaxed and open than he’d ever remembered seeing her.

And now they had a date. It wasn’t the polished romantic date she’d planned out or the federal disaster that would have inevitably been the Pearl Jam concert, but it was a date. And even though they’d held hands for a good portion of the night and they had made their intentions towards one another very clear, somehow adding the word date to a night out made it all the more special.

The only thing that put a cloud over things was Superman. Twice that evening alone he’d heard a cry for help and managed to duck out under the guise of having to use the restroom. The rescues had thankfully been short and without major injury, but it still reminded him that while Lois and Clark were stranded in Glasgow, Superman had to be available to help when he could. And what happened if they were still stuck here tomorrow? Superman was required to be at the press conference to meet the Queen. How was he going to get away for that?

Not to mention, what happened if he was needed for a rescue in the night? Sharing a room was problematic enough, but sharing a bed made it a thousand times harder to sneak out if he needed to. He knew he would have to tell her about Superman. And he also knew that he probably should tell her before things got too serious.

But he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Especially not now, when they found themselves walking through a winter-whitened Glasgow city centre, quietly enjoying one another’s company and eagerly anticipating their first date.

He pushed the thoughts of Superman aside and focused on the way Lois felt nestled up against him, the way her body felt pressed up against his even through layers of clothing. He focused on the way her hair smelled of shampoo and freshly fallen snow. He focused on all the things that made the night beautiful, instead of the one thing that could destroy everything he’d hoped against hope for, but never thought he’d see.

They made their way back into the hotel room quietly. Without words they took their turn in the bathroom getting dressed and ready for bed. He’d also canceled their Belfast accommodations and booked a second night at the hotel before they had left earlier in the day.

Though they had only spent one night in this room together, it felt familiar going through these routines. He concentrated on the routine itself, and not on the fact that Lois had been pressed against him moments ago as they came into the room, or on the fact that they were about to spend the second night in a row in each other’s arms – before ever having even been on a first date.

He sat down on the edge of the bed as Lois exited the bathroom. She looked at him and gave him an uncharacteristically shy smile.

“I had a really good time tonight,” she said, sitting down next to him and lacing her fingers through his. Though they’d never really held hands before, now it felt as natural as breathing. He knew if given the chance, he would gladly never let her go. “I really liked meeting your friends.”

“I’m so glad you got the chance to meet them,” Clark replied.

“You told you that you traveled for a while,” Lois continued, her voice quiet and contemplative. “But you never really told me where you went or how long you stayed or why you traveled so much.”

“Where did I go?” Clark gave a soft laugh. “Everywhere. Or at least, that’s how it felt at times. How long I stayed depended on whether I could find work, or on VISAs. Why I traveled? That’s a bit more complicated.”

Lois took his hand and stood up. He did as well, and he watched as she pulled back the covers and climbed into bed. She propped herself up on one elbow and waited as he climbed in beside her before she lay her head against his chest and spoke again, her voice a soft rumble against his skin.

“I’ve got time,” she said. He drew a deep breath.

“I guess I traveled so much because I was searching for somewhere to belong,” he answered honestly. “I had known for a long time that I was adopted, but I had so many questions and there was nobody who could give me the answers. Smallville was home, but I didn’t feel like I belonged there.”

“That sounds awfully lonely,” Lois murmured. “My own family life was extremely difficult, but I guess I never really thought about what it would be like not to know where I came from.”

He could tell her. Right now. He wasn’t going to get a better opportunity. And yet, she was lying in his arms. Speaking to him in that half drowsy way that only someone on the brink of sleep could do and somehow he couldn’t bring himself to break the spell.

“It’s a hard thing not to know,” he agreed softly. “Don’t get me wrong, I had a wonderful childhood and the best adoptive parents a guy could ask for. And I didn’t want them to feel bad that there was a part of me that felt like something was missing, so I…left.”

“Did you find it?” She asked. “Home, I mean?”

“If you’re asking if I plan on leaving Metropolis, the answer is no,” he assured her. She sat up and gently brushed a stray curl of hair away from his forehead in a way that made his heart clench with love.

“I was asking if Metropolis felt like home.”

“No,” he said with a gentle shake of his head. He reached out and cupped her face in his hands, marveling at her beauty even in the darkness. “You do.”

“Oh Clark,” he could hear a catch in her voice as she looked away and a part of him hated himself for not telling her here and now. “You feel like home too. You always have.”

Softly, she lay her head back down onto his chest. He listened to the rise and fall of her breathing until the soft steady rhythm told him she was asleep. He lay there in the darkness long afterward feeling like the world’s luckiest man and the world’s worst coward all at the same time.

Chapter 7:

The following day saw them up bright and early. Lois noticed Clark was a little quieter than usual, but attributed it to the previous night and the things he’d told her. He’d never talked that openly about his adoption and the way he’d felt about it. She’d always felt that Clark Kent was an open book and now she was realising that there was still much more to learn.

They made the obligatory calls to the airport, bus, train and ferry terminals but everything was still shut down because of the storm. Lois resigned herself to having to tell Perry they were unable to get the story and spent the bulk of their breakfast trying to brainstorm ideas for something to write on to present to Perry in its place.

“Earth to Lois, are you there?” Clark waved a hand in front of her face as they headed out into the city centre to start their day.

“Sorry,” she said with a shake of her head. “I’m still thinking about the story we won’t have for Perry. Any ideas?”

“Not unless you want to write it on the invention of the deep fried mars bar,” he joked. Lois gave him a side glance.

“Don’t joke,” she told him. “That was one of the best desserts I’ve ever had in my life. Trust the Scottish to make chocolate even more unhealthy. How have they all not dropped dead of a heart attack?”

“In case you didn’t notice last night, their portion sizes are about half of what you’d seen in an American restaurant,” Clark replied mildly. “That’s part of it, I’m sure.”

“So where are we going?” She asked him, looking around at the various shops they were passing.

“I thought we’d see more of the city centre first,” Clark suggested. Lois had no objections and they wandered for a little bit longer with Clark pointing out various things of interest until they came across a building he told her was the Gallery of Modern Art. Outside it was a statue of the Duke of Wellington. Lois giggled as she looked up and noticed an orange traffic cone on top of his head.

“Guess someone thought they’d play a little prank,” she said, pointing to the cone. Clark shook his head and grinned.

“That’s always there,” he told her. “Or at least it has been since the 80s. It was put up as a prank likely by students. The Council has attempted to have it taken down, but every time they do, someone puts it back up there. Bit of the Glaswegian sense of humour.”

“I am beginning to like this city more and more,” Lois said with a smile. She looked over at the gallery in front of them and suggested they go in. She was pleasantly surprised to discover that it was free to enter almost all art galleries and museums. They spent an hour and a half inside the gallery, looking at art and having in-depth conversations over what appealed to them and what didn’t.

She felt like she was getting to know her partner all over again in a completely different way and the more she did, the more she realised how deeply she was falling for him. It scared her, but it also excited her. The men in her past had never been men she could trust. They’d been many things – handsome, wealthy, intelligent or…super. But never someone she could fully trust her heart to. She’d held back even with Superman. But Clark…

They left the art gallery and the snow was still falling, though not as heavy as it had been the night before. They headed through the Merchant City and got a snack at a place called Greggs. Lois couldn’t believe the assortment of cakes and tarts. She got something called a caramel shortcake and Clark bought what he insisted was the best sausage roll ever invented. Lois told him she would take his word for it while silently cursing his metabolism.

After a bit more sightseeing, Clark suggested going back to the hotel for a little bit. He looked a little nervous which she chalked up to the fact that the date had been going so well. It was unusual for disaster not to strike in some way, though she wondered if the storm itself met the disaster quota. Either way, she took his hand and watched as he relaxed ever so slightly.

Once back at the hotel, Lois checked her watch and saw that it was barely noon. The press conference would be starting in a few minutes. She turned the tv on, still feeling slightly bitter about missing it, but resigned to the fact that she couldn’t control everything. She looked over at Clark and patted the spot next to her on the bed.

“Sit down,” she said, “we might as well watch it at least.”

“I uh…I think I dropped my watch,” Clark said, looking slightly panicked. “I’m going to go and look for it. I’m pretty sure I had it at the art gallery, but I don’t know what happened after that.”

“Do you want me to come with you?” Lois asked, starting to stand up.

“No!” He exclaimed. She was a little taken aback but he amended his tone. “We just got back and it’s freezing outside. You stay here and keep warm. I won’t be too long. If I can’t find it, I can’t find it.”

She nodded and watched as he rushed out the door, feeling slightly dazed as she realised he did this a lot – running off at a second’s notice for some emergency or another. She hadn’t expected it on this trip, mainly because it was hard to run off to Blockbuster or walk your neighbour’s Pomeranian in another country but somehow he’d found a way.

She swallowed her irritation and tried to tell herself she was being unfair. After all, the watch might have had some sentimental value for him. Maybe she should have insisted she go with him to help. She sighed.

She would have never second guessed herself like this before he asked her out on a date. Now she wasn’t sure where things stood at times and it scared her a little. She forced her attention back to the tv screen where Superman had just shown up to shake the Queen’s hand. Some photos were taken and just as quickly as he’d come he’d flown off again. It was a much shorter photo opp than normal for him. She reasoned that he likely had other rescues to attend to and suddenly didn’t feel quite as bad that they weren’t there. After all, he likely wouldn’t have been able to stick around for an interview anyway if he was this busy.

A few moments later, Clark came back into the room his hair wet from the snow and looking more than a little distracted.

“Did you find it?” She asked him.

“Huh?” He looked at her, as if confused.

“Your watch,” she reminded him. She looked at his wrist which was hidden under the sleeves of his coat and didn't see it. “Did you find it?”

“Oh, no,” he said with a shake of his head. “I didn’t. Must have fallen off in the snow. It’s fine. I probably needed to replace it anyway. How was the press conference?”

“It’s just wrapping up now,” she told him. “Superman barely stuck around, so it might not even have been the story we were hoping for.”

She looked at him for a long moment and could see something was on his mind. She wasn’t sure what it was, but instinct told her he would tell her when he was ready. In the meantime, with the press conference out of the way, it seemed only logical for them to make the most of the rest of the trip. They had the rest of today and one full day after that.
“You want to get out of here, Clark?”

“You don’t want to stay in a bit longer?” He asked her. “It’s pretty cold out there and anywhere we go, we’re walking.”

“I don’t mind,” she said, standing up and putting her coat on. “Besides, I have you to keep me warm.”

“Always,” he said, his voice taking on a gentle husky tone that made her shiver. “I know of a place. It’s a bit of a walk, but…I would love to take you there.”

“Anywhere,” she assured him, taking his hand and giving it a small squeeze. “Just lead the way.”

Chapter 8:

Clark and Lois walked hand in hand towards their destination. This was everything he ever wanted. Lois had told him he felt like home. But instead of feeling elated, he felt nauseous. He’d gone to the press conference. He had made up yet another one of his lame excuses and left her there to watch him on tv as Superman. What would she do when she found out? How would she feel about him then?

They didn’t say much to one another. The sound of the snow crunching under their feet was almost rhythmic.

He could have told her. He could have come clean and flown her there as Superman so that she could get the interview they had come to get. But instead he’d lied. Would she have even wanted to fly with him once she knew his secret? Would she ever want to fly with him again?

He’d never liked lying to her, but he’d always seen it as a necessary evil…something he had to do to keep himself, his parents and her safe from those who would seek to do Superman harm. And at first he couldn’t be sure if Lois was someone he could trust with such a secret. She was, after all, a driven reporter who seemed to be willing to do anything to get a story.

But, if he was honest with himself, he had known that he could trust her for some time now. He’d known she would never betray him. What he hadn’t known, was whether she would choose him.

Him. Clark. Not the hero in the cape, but the man behind the scenes. That was the reason he had selfishly continued to lie. And now that he had his answer, the lies felt like acid on his tongue. Yet somehow, he couldn’t bring himself to stop. Not when he had everything he wanted.

Not that he really had her. How could he, when she didn't truly know him?

They rounded a corner and reached their destination. The walk had only been about half an hour from the hotel but it was cold out and Lois was shivering slightly. Clark, of course, didn’t feel the cold. But he couldn’t tell her that.

He heard her gasp softly as she took in the sight before her as they arrived. A large medieval cathedral stood in front of them, its structure both imposing and eerily beautiful. Adjacent to it was the Glasgow Necropolis, a Victorian garden cemetery. Various monuments and sculptures dotted the landscape as they walked through the gate and Lois looked around silently at the grounds, blanketed in an almost perfectly undisturbed coating of fresh snow.

“It’s gorgeous,” she breathed. Off in the distance was a hill with a large monument at the top of it. Her eyes immediately went towards it and they headed in that direction. Clark swallowed the tightness in his throat as he watched her and tried to concentrate on the present.

“The cathedral is the oldest in mainland Scotland and the oldest building in Glasgow. It was built in the 16th century and managed to survive the reformation almost entirely intact.”

“And this place?” Lois asked softly.

“The Glasgow Necropolis,” he told her. “It’s a Victorian cemetery, so a bit newer than the Cathedral. The monument at the top was built for John Knox. It’s been described as a city of the dead.”

“That’s a perfect description,” Lois said and she sounded somewhat awestruck. They walked slowly, stopping every now and then to look at a grave, mausoleum or monument. He watched as Lois read the names and dates and occasionally and somewhat reverently ran her hands over the top of the stones brushing the snow off as she did so.

There wasn’t a soul in sight and somehow that added to the feeling that this place was another world – one built solely for them. Clark let his troubles fall away for the time being as he watched Lois explore the city of the dead.

They reached the top of the John Knox monument and stood silently for what felt like both a moment and eternity. There was an almost unearthly silence as the world seemed to go still just for them. Clark looked into her eyes and the rest of the world ceased to exist. There was just her and this moment.

“Clark,” she whispered, though there was nobody to hear them for miles. “Kiss me.”

He couldn’t have resisted her if he’d tried. Her words felt like a prayer. Slowly, he gathered her into his arms, not wanting to rush this moment but at the same time needing it like a drowning man needs air. They would only get this kiss once. And, if his betrayal was too much, he might never have it again.

She melted against his body and her lips tasted like cherry lip balm and fresh snowflakes. She parted her lips and his entire body hummed with excitement. Their tongues teased each other ever so lightly, not wanting to push this new intimacy but at the same time, unable to resist.

When they finally pulled apart, he fought the urge to tell her he loved her. It wasn’t fair of him to do that. Not when she didn’t know. He may never get the chance to tell her, but it was a risk he had to take. He knew if he said it, and she said it back he would be stealing from her the chance to say it for the first time to the person he really was and not the man he pretended to be. She deserved that.

“Thank you,” she said, touching his cheek tenderly and smiling softly. “Thank you for bringing me here.”

“You don’t think it’s a little weird to go to a cemetery on a first date?” He joked half heartedly. She shook her head.

“No weirder than a Pearl Jam concert.” She said with a small laugh.

“Touche,” he replied with a grin.

“Besides, I’ve always been fascinated by old cemeteries,” she told him, lacing her hand through his as they began to walk back down the hill. “I love seeing the names and dates. I love seeing the messages they put on the stornes and wondering who they were and how they lived. It’s comforting. Like, if I read the names on the stone for that brief second those people live again, if only in my curiosity. Does that make any sense?”

“It makes perfect sense,” Clark replied, wondering why he’d never known this about her before. Certainly the opportunity to visit a Victorian cemetery had never presented itself in Metropolis. “Why didn’t you ever tell me all this?”

“I guess I was afraid you’d think it a bit weird,” she admitted with a shrug.

“Weird? Like bringing a date to a cemetery? That kind of weird?” Clark looked at her and smiled. She smiled back and her face was like the sun shining through the clouds. She was so beautiful it made his heart ache. Would she ever smile like that at him again when she knew?

Tomorrow. He would tell her tomorrow. He wanted this one perfect day before he risked it all falling apart.

“Yeah what kind of weirdo does that?” She chided, leaning her head against his shoulder as they walked.

They would go back to the hotel and dress for dinner. Clark decided he would leave the suit behind. It wasn’t as if it would prevent him from making a rescue if he really needed to – after all, the hotel was close enough for him to fly quickly back to if he had to. Rather, it was his way of telling himself he would be completely devoted to Lois that evening. If they never had another date, this one would be one he could look back and remember a time when he was truly happy.

His heart was full.

Chapter 9:

Lois was excited to walk into the Rufus later that evening. She and Clark greeted Stewart and Gemma who were already seated and were introduced to two other people, a younger man about Jimmy’s age named Rob and a woman their age named Rachel.

Rob had a number of piercings on his face and ears and even more tattoos on his arms. He wore a Metallica t-shirt and a friendly smile. Rachel was dressed similarly with dyed black hair and chunky Doc Martens.

The introductions were swift and soon, Lois found herself sitting down on a couch in a corner of the pub. Clark casually placed his arm around her shoulders, and the moment he did it, Stewart and Gemma’s faces lit up and they shot each other knowing smiles.

“Ye did it, didn’t ye?” Stewart grinned. He looked at Lois. “Guan tell us. Where’d he take ye?”
“Stewart’s a sucker for a romantic story, so he is,” Gemma said fondly. “He’s got an entire shelf o’ romantic comedies on betamax.”

“We went to the Necropolis,” Lois told them. Stewart looked at Clark in horror.

“Ye took her tae a cemetery? Are ye daft? Touched in the head? Do ye no’ want a second date?”

“I think cemeteries are beautiful, right enough,” Gemma said stubbornly with a smile at Lois. “And wi’ the snow all over the ground, I bet it was gorgeous.”

“It was,” Lois replied. “It was absolutely perfect.”

Gemma leaned forward and gave Lois a conspiratorial look. “Is that where he kissed ye?” Lois’ surprise must have shown because Gemma gave a quiet chuckle. “Ye look like ye’ve been well snogged.”

“I suppose I have,” she said back in a stage whisper only Gemma could hear.

“We mustae missed summat,” Rachel said, looking back and forth at Lois and Clark. “Are youse datin’?”

“I think we are,” Lois said with a smile as she felt her cheeks go slightly pink.

“Finally,” she said with a teasing look at Clark. “We’ve been waitin’ for someone tae date this wee numpty here for ages.”

“Numpty?” Lois laughed. She looked at Clark. “That’s not fair. How is numpty a word and chumpy isn’t?”

“See? This is what I mean!” Clark exclaimed, looking at the others for help. “This is why this quiz is a bad idea. You can’t stand to lose.”

“I can so,” she retorted, though without any real irritation. “You’re just such a stickler for all the little rules.”

“Rules are kind of important in a game, Lois,” Clark said, sounding rather bemused.

“We’ll no’ have tae worry too much,” Rob, the younger man, interjected. “The rules are simple. An’ I almost never lose.”
“I like him already,” Lois decided.

A waitress came and they ordered some food before Gemma and Stewart explained to Lois how the quiz worked.

“Rob is our quizzin’ expert,” Stewart was saying, nodding towards Rob who was going to town on a plate of chicken wings in some kind of curry sauce. “When he’s no’ workin’ we’re pretty good.”

“Clark was no slouch either by the way,” Rachel added with a nod at Clark. “Especially wi’ Geography and the like.”

“Ah’m good wi’ sport,” Stewart added. “ Well, European sport. Clark is good wi’ American sport. An’ Gemma is great wi’ pop culture.”

“Well Lois will have current affairs in the bag,” Clark said and Lois noted the tiny flush of pride he seemed to take in saying that.“And if there are any sports questions about boxing, Lois is the expert there too.” Lois felt her heart twist a little at the realisation that he was proud of her. Something about that made her oddly emotional, though she wasn’t quite sure why.

“I’m good with general knowledge, politics and history as well,” she added, unable to hide the admittedly tiny competitive streak that surged up as the waitresses brought the papers around for them to write their team name down.

“What should we call ourselves?” Clark wondered.

“What about the Daily Planet?” Stewart joked. “In honour of our wee celebrity guests.”

“Ha ha,” Clark said dryly, though he noticed that Gemma wrote down the suggestion at the top.

“Too bad Superman isnae here,” Rachel added. “Youse two know him, don’t ye?”

Lois looked down at her feet not wanting to make eye contact with Clark. It had been no secret at first that she’d been interested in Superman romantically. She had even declared as much to him last year before she’d married Lex, though Clark didn’t know the particulars of that. But even though she’d decided that Clark was the one she wanted, the shadow of her previous behaviour towards Superman hung over them.

She hadn’t yet had the chance to talk to Clark or explain to him that her feelings for Superman were not what they were. It was a longer conversation that would take more time and one not suited to a fledgling relationship. So she couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable when the subject was brought up.

“Umm, yes,” Clark said, also looking like he would prefer any other topic to be discussed. “He’s given us many interviews.”

“No’ bad lookin’ in a pair o’ tights either,” Gemma said with a laugh and Lois felt her face go bright red. “Ah wonder where he came up wi’ that suit.”

“Ah bet his wee Mum made it for him,” Rob suggested. Lois was shocked to see Clark choke on his drink, devolving into a coughing fit for a moment or so. When he recovered, Lois couldn’t help her own curiosity.

“Why do you think that?” She asked Rob.

“Simple,” Rob said with a grin. “Naebody goes oot wi’ a get-up like that unless his Mammy made it. Plus, as Gemma already illustrated, it means nobody is lookin’ at his face.”

“Oh look, I think they are starting,” Clark interrupted before anyone could ponder the rest of Rob’s theory. She watched as the waitress who had served them tapped the mic a few times and introduced herself as Fiona. She described the quiz as being four rounds each with a different theme.

Lois looked around the pub and saw that there were several teams there, all of which looked to be taking the quiz quite seriously. She got the impression they were there every week which only made her want to win more.

She looked over at Clark who had fallen into easy conversation with Rob and didn’t seem bothered at all over whether they won the quiz or not. Maybe she was a little competitive. Still, she couldn’t let people think that Americans didn’t know their trivia.

Round one began and Lois threw herself into it full throttle. It was pop culture – a topic more suited to Jimmy than to Lois. It didn’t help that the questions focused mostly on British pop culture and Lois found herself realising she knew next to nothing about the television, movies and music from the UK. She managed to get a couple of questions, but even Clark was struggling despite having lived here for a little while.

Round two was sport and Lois was a bit more helpful there. Still, Clark and Stewart answered most of their questions for that round. Round three was British history which Lois knew a bit about, but not as much as their teammates. Lois was relieved when Round four was announced as international politics.

Lois was able to contribute far more to that round and she was left feeling they had answered most, if not all their questions correctly. She was surprised by how fun it had been and when she looked around, she realised that Gemma, Stewart and Rob had subtly moved around the seating arrangements so that she and Clark found themselves nestled together in the booth.

She snuggled into the crook of his arm, surprised at how easy it all felt. She had expected a period of awkwardness. After all, they had been best friends for so long, but there wasn’t any. Being with Clark like this felt more right than anything else ever had. She was surprised she hadn’t noticed it before. Clearly it had always been there.

It took about half an hour to tally the results from the quiz and Lois and Clark talked with the group about everything and anything. They were all very eager to hear about the supposedly glamorous life they lived in Metropolis. Lois and Clark answered their questions and she was secretly grateful that nobody brought up Superman again. She would have to talk with Clark at some point about the way she’d behaved towards Superman, but it wasn’t a conversation she wanted to have right now. She didn’t want Clark to think that she was settling for him. Superman had been a fantasy but Clark was the reality and she decided she preferred reality.

Eventually, Fiona came around and asked if they wanted anything else from the bar before they announced the winner of the quiz. Lois knew exactly what she wanted, as she had been thinking about it all day.

“Do you have any more of those deep fried Mars Bars?” She asked. Fiona smiled.

“Certainly.” She looked around at the others. “Any of youse want one?”

Clark volunteered as well and the others declined.

“You guys should try these,” Lois said when they delivered hers and she had taken her first bite. She had to stop herself from moaning out loud, but something in her reaction sparked a heated look from Clark which she tried to ignore for now. She knew that given their incredible kiss earlier that day that their physical relationship was about to heat up. She was both excited and terrified by the prospect.

“Youse don’t have anythin’ like that at home, then?” Rachel asked. Lois shook her head.

“Lots of deep fried food,” she clarified, “but none of it chocolate. I heard it was a recent invention from another pub?”

“Aye,” Rob said with a nod. “It’s really caught on though. Rather surprisin’. Ah bet ye’ll see them in America soon enough.”

“Maybe we should do a story on them after all,” Clark said and Lois noticed he was only half joking.

“You think Perry will be happy if we left to do a story on the Queen and came back with one on the Deep Fried Mars Bar?” Lois asked incredulously.

“Couldn’t hurt,” Clark said with a shrug. “We need something. Think of it, Lois. We could do it as a human interest piece. A deep dive into Scottish culture. A look at the quirks and facets of the city. Like the statue with the traffic cone.”

“Or the beauty of the Necropolis,” she murmured. She hated to admit it, but he might be onto something. Despite the fact that everything had gone wrong on this trip, there was a strange beauty in a city that seemed so blue collar. She grabbed a small napkin and began making notes as Fiona went back up to the microphone to announce the winners.

“Ah want tae thank everyone for another great quiz,” she said. “Oor winner this evenin’ is the Daily Planet!”

Lois’ team let out a collective ‘whoop’ and before Lois knew it, Clark was kissing her. Deeply. Passionately. And without any regard for those around them who were suddenly cheering for an entirely different reason.

When they parted, Lois’ face was flushed and she couldn’t seem to stop smiling. She couldn’t remember ever having been so happy or feeling so carefree. Clark seemed to feel it too and the rest of the night passed in a blur.

They stayed until last call and walked home together through the snow filled sky. The storm had finally come to a stop, but the snow was still falling lightly. Lois felt like a child as she and Clark laughed, threw snowballs at one another and caught snowflakes on their tongue.

She didn’t know what was going to happen once they returned to Metropolis, but here in this place, everything was perfect.

Chapter 10:

Clark felt like he was in a daze as he and Lois entered the hotel. The night had been nothing short of perfect and he desperately wanted to hold onto that feeling, as he knew that he couldn’t put off telling her the truth any longer.

He hadn’t meant to kiss her the way he had in the pub but he hadn’t been able to stop himself. Ever since the kiss in the Necropolis, he had been fighting the urge not to touch her, to pull her close. It was as if he’d discovered the most addictive drug in the world and his body and brain were now completely separate from one another.

He looked at the bed in the middle of the room and reminded himself that he was going to have to restrain himself. Things were too new, too fragile and she didn’t know the truth yet. He’d been able to reason the kiss away, but anything more was out of the question. She deserved more than that.

“You can take the bathroom first if you want,” Lois suggested, sounding almost shy now that they were back in their room. Clark nodded and went into the bathroom to brush his teeth. Outside the room he heard Lois rummaging around in her suitcase, likely organising things for their trip home tomorrow. It was hard to believe their trip was over. Two days was hardly enough time and yet, it also somehow felt like a lifetime.

He was barely paying attention when he heard Lois’ voice from the other room.

“Did you bring extra double A batteries?” His mouth was full of toothpaste so he didn’t get a chance to answer before he heard her say, “nevermind, I think I see some.”

He finished brushing his teeth, washed and exited the room only to have his heart plummet to the floor as he saw Lois standing directly beside his suitcase, the top of it lifted wide open. In her arms she was holding his suit…the suit.

Her face looked white and ashen and her voice trembled as she spoke.

“Clark, why do you have this?” She asked quietly. “Please tell me there’s some kind of rational explanation for why you have this.”

“I…” He couldn’t speak. His brain felt like it was incapable of forming a sentence.

The way she was looking at him was worse than anything he could have imagined. He had been expecting betrayal, and while that was certainly there, it wasn’t the dominant emotion in her deep brown eyes. She was looking at him not as a partner, or a friend or even a potential lover, but as a stranger.

“I don’t know what to say,” he finally said. “I don’t want to lie to you.”

“Really? Because it seems like you’ve been pretty comfortable with it for a while now,” she snapped. She looked surprised by her own anger for a moment and took a deep breath. “We were never stranded here, were we? All that stuff about Superman needing to perform rescues? All the times you…”

She broke off as a sob escaped her lips. She dropped the suit and turned away from him, as if even allowing him to see her cry was too personal at the moment. Clark felt his heart break into a million pieces. What was worse, was that he had no idea how to make it right.

“No,” he admitted, feeling ashamed and angry with himself. “We were never stranded. We could have gotten the story and gone on the amazing date you planned.”

“You think I care about some stupid story?” She asked, her eyes glittering with unshed tears. “Or what pub we ate at? I care about feeling like I don’t know you. I care about the fact that you lied to me.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice hoarse with emotion. His hands shook slightly as he sat down on the bed, feeling the rumble of the Glasgow subway underneath. “I should have told you. And it might not mean anything right now, but I was going to tell you tomorrow. I never wanted to hurt you.”

Lois was silent for a moment, staring at the crumpled spandex suit that lay on the floor. The suit that had caused millions of people to stare at him as if he were some sort of God. The suit that had caused Lois to look at him the way he’d only ever wanted her to look at Clark. Somehow it felt fitting that it should end up balled up on the floor like a forgotten piece of laundry.

Eventually, she stepped over it and sat down next to him.

“You did hurt me,” she finally said, her voice even but laden with emotion. “And I know you didn’t mean to, but you did. And the thing is, I understand why you didn’t tell me at first. I do. I understand not telling me at all last year especially when I almost married…”

She trailed off and looked away, biting her lip angrily.

“That’s not why I hesitated,” he assured her. He knew that her near marriage to Lex was a sore spot. She had almost married a psychopath and though he’d repeatedly told her it wasn’t her fault for not seeing his true nature, he knew she blamed herself. And now, she had likely put together the pieces, including the ones telling her that he had known about Lex’s true nature as Superman and out of hurt and spite, had not told her.

“I just don’t understand how you could ask me out and not tell me,” she looked down at her socks and drew a shuddering breath. “I thought by now you would know you could trust me. Why didn’t you trust me?”

“You think this was because I didn’t trust you?” He turned towards her and reached for her hand. She allowed him to touch her, but otherwise sat still.

“What else could it be?” She asked him, her voice rising ever so slightly. “I rejected you, Clark! I told you I could never love you and then I turned around and threw myself at you. And why? Because of a stupid piece of blue and red spandex! I couldn’t see you. You were right in front of me, and all I saw was that.”

She looked over at the suit and then away again. He felt a little bit stunned at her admission. Never in a million years did he think she would be angry at herself for rejecting him. Humiliated, yes, but mad at herself?

“You didn’t see me because that was the point,” he told her gently. “That’s why my Mom made the suit…so that people looked at it instead of me.”

“But I’m not just anyone,” Lois said, squeezing his hand suddenly and turning to face him and wiping a stray tear away. “And I can forgive myself for not seeing who Lex was, but I’m not sure I can forgive myself for not seeing past that damn suit.”

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, his throat tight and his heart aching for her. He’d known his actions would hurt her and that there was a possibility she may never forgive him. But he’d never imagined that she might be hurt because she’d failed to see the man he’d tried so hard to hide. “I wanted you to see me. But I think I was also afraid.”

“You needed to make sure I wanted you and not him,” Lois said with a glance towards the discarded suit. He nodded, and she reached up and touched the side of his cheek gently. “You are him, though.”

“I know,” he admitted. “But when I wear that suit, I work so hard to disappear. Superman is a character. I created him to fool the world, but I promise you I never wanted to fool you. I need you to know that today was the single most perfect day of my life. And if you never speak to me again, that won’t change.”

“I forgave you the moment you touched my hand,” she admitted. He felt his heart unclench. “I forgave you the moment you looked at me.”

“I love you,” he said. He hadn’t meant to say it. He certainly hadn’t planned on saying it and yet, he couldn’t stop the words from coming out of his mouth. “I have loved you since the moment I first saw you. And I know I shouldn’t tell you just yet. I know we only had one date, but I need you to know that.”

“I do know that,” Lois replied leaning forward to kiss his lips softly. “I might not have known you could fly, but I knew you loved me. I’ve always known.”

He kissed her again, tentatively at first and then with a growing urgency that surprised him. She accepted him. All of him. And not only that, she seemed to understand just how badly he’d needed that acceptance.

She moaned softly into the kiss and he felt his body respond. He drew her into his arms, pulling her into his lap and loving the softness of her body as it pressed against his. He didn’t even notice they'd begun to float until she pulled back ever so slightly, let out a small yelp of surprise.

“Did you know that we’re floating?” She asked.

“Sorry,” he replied with an embarrassed chuckle. She laughed too and they floated slowly back down to the bed. “I guess I lost control for a moment.”

“I like the sound of that, farm boy,” Lois whispered into his ear. The sultry tone in her voice was unmistakable. He felt his body respond to her and kissed her again. When they broke apart, she looked serious again.

“I do forgive you,” she told him. “But this will take me some time to get used to. And I know we’re here, and we have this beautiful room and this bed, but I don’t know if I’m ready to —”

“It’s alright,” he said, touching her lips gently with his finger. “I understand. We need to get to know each other. To really get to know each other. And that takes time. So ask me whatever you want. Anything you want and I will be truthful.”

Lois thought for a moment then looked at him and gave him a sly grin.

“Did your mother really make that suit for you?”

He laughed.

“She did and Rob was spot on with the reason for it.”

“Do you use your powers when you’re not in the suit?” She wondered? “Like do you use your heat vision to warm up your tea?”

“You mean do I use them in my daily life?” Clark asked. She nodded and he smiled. “Well, there’s a reason your coffee is always the right temperature.”

Her eyes widened and he felt the need to show off a bit. He used his super breath to blow his suitcase shut and lifted them up into the air once more. Lois gasped and grinned with pleasure.

“Somehow it’s more impressive without the suit,” she told him. It was a simple admission but it meant the world to him.

“Well then, expect me to use my powers as much as possible if it will impress you,” he vowed. He kissed her once more and they floated around the room for a few more minutes, touching, kissing and talking to one another until eventually they found themselves back in bed once more, this time with Lois curled up against him and gently running her hands along his chest.

“And in case you didn’t know already, I love you too.”

He didn’t say anything, lest his emotions betray him. He’d thought the date had been perfect but it paled in comparison to hearing her say those words to him. Instead, he kissed her head softly and allowed the two of them to drift into sleep together.

Just before sleep took him completely, he heard Lois’ drowsy voice mumble against him.

“I think we should write about the Mars bars…I really liked the Mars bars.”

Epilogue:

“Lois! Clark!” Perry’s voice boomed across the newsroom, easily cutting through the din. Lois cringed and shot Clark a look. He looked equally uncertain. They both knew what this was about.

When they had returned from their trip, they had promised Perry a story, despite not ever having arrived in Belfast. She and Clark had discussed the possibility of pretending they had been there and just having an interview with ‘Superman’, but Lois didn’t feel comfortable with the lie. She knew that it was necessary to lie to cover for Clark and to keep his family safe, but she didn’t want to have to lie in their writing and Clark had only been there as Superman.

Plus, he’d flown away immediately after the photo op, so they would have to fudge some of the details – something Lois wasn’t prepared to do.

So they had written the story that Lois had sleepily suggested they write in the hotel. Oh, it wasn’t only about deep fried Mars bars, but she’d used them to structure the story around it. In truth, she’d gone with the idea she’d had for a story about Glasgow’s unique character and used the Mars bars as an illustration of both the quirkiness and innovation she’d seen in the city.

Still, neither she nor Clark were fully certain that Perry would buy it. And Lois didn’t need Clark’s super hearing to know that Perry wanted a word. Now.

Both she and Clark entered Perry’s office nervously. Their story sat on his desk and his face was a stone mask. Lois steeled herself for the argument that would almost surely follow. It wasn’t her normal type of story. In fact, it was the kind of story she would have dismissed as soft news before meeting Clark – not worthy of her talents.

And now, she found that she felt quite passionately about what she’d written, even if Perry didn’t see the value in it.

“Yes, Chief?” Clark was saying. She shot him a look and he gave her one back that reassured her. Clark felt confident in the story too.

He tossed the story towards them and fixed them both with a stern look.

“What in the Sam Hill is this?” He asked.

“That’s our piece on Glasgow,” Lois said, tipping her chin up in preparation for a fight. “It’s a human interest piece, Chief. It might not be the one you sent us for, but —”

“Deep. Fried. Mars. Bars.” Perry said, accentuating each word. “Deep. Fried. Mars. Bars.”

“I know it seems odd,” Clark argued, “but we both feel it’s a good story.”

“You do, do you?” Perry asked, looking shrewdly at both of them for a moment. If Lois didn’t know any better she would swear he knew that the two of them were in a relationship, though they hadn’t yet said a word to anybody. “Well you know what I think?”

Lois opened her mouth, prepared to tell Perry that she stood by the story and that if he killed it, he was making a mistake.

“I think that this is the best damn piece of writing I’ve seen from you two in a while.” Perry finished.

“With all due respect, Perry, I think you’re wrong,” Lois argued, not having heard the Chief's words. “Clark and I worked extremely hard on that and I…”

Clark nudged Lois and she stopped mid tirade to process what Perry had said. When she did, her mouth gaped open in surprise.

“You…you mean you liked it?”

“Liked it?” Perry echoed, slapping his knees. “Hells bells, darlin’, I loved it.”

“We really appreciate it,” Clark said and Lois noticed he looked as visibly relieved as she felt. It was somewhat comforting to know that even Superman was intimidated by Perry White. “Especially since we didn’t get the article we were sent for on the Queen’s visit.”

“Oh, the Belfast article would have been good, but you know what else it would have been? The same as every other paper.” Perry waved a hand dismissively. “First time the Queen visits since the ceasefire, watershed moment, opportunity for peace. Business as usual, but this…well, it makes me want to book a ticket to Glasgow right now. You sure I shouldn’t have you two in the travel section?”

“Oh no, Perry, we are quite happy where we are, thanks,” Lois said with a laugh. “We’re just both glad you’re going to run the article.”

“Oh I’m gonna run it,” Perry assured them. “I just wish I’d gotten a chance to try one of those Mars bars.”

Lois shot Clark a meaningful look and he returned it with a smile that made her heart skip a beat. He’d flown to Glasgow that morning and come back with one.

“Maybe one day, Chief,” Clark said with a grin.

Perry grumbled an acknowledgement and then, after a moment or so, his voice returned to its usual business-like bark.

“Well, what are you waiting for, your next Kerth? Get out there and get me something for the first page you two.”

“On it,” Lois assured him. She and Clark left the office and made it all the way to the elevators, before he took her in his arms and kissed her deeply enough for Lois to feel it all through her body.

“Well?” He whispered into her ear once they had parted. “What are we working on today?”

“Well, there’s the Mayor’s corruption scandal,” Lois said, though her heart wasn’t in it. They had already written two pieces so far and at this point it felt redundant. Clark was about to respond when she saw the look on her face that she now knew meant that Superman was needed somewhere.

“Lois I have to –”

“Go, I know,” she said, grateful that his lame excuses were a thing of the past.

“Bus crash on 33rd street,” he told her.

“I’ll meet you there,” she assured him as he tugged at his tie. As he retreated, she spoke in a voice she knew only he could hear. “You better have a quote ready for me, farmboy.”

Bring the wind to carry me over
Lead me home to my town
Tell me when the breeze is blowing
Taking me home, to my town

When I think of you Scotia

There's a love that just bleeds in my heart
In my childhood days
We went our different ways
But you knew that we'd never part
Now I'm all alone
And you're calling me home
You knew our love could never die
And through my roving eyes
Always led me astray
Now I'm coming back home
Scotia, don't walk away

Bring the wind to carry me over
Lead me home to my town
Tell me when the breeze is blowing
Taking me home, to my town

So when I think of you Scotia
There's a magic that fills the air
We're the "Downtown boys" making all that noise
Oh! We lived like we just don't care
So we drank our fill for king and country
Yeah! Till the last soldier fell!

Burlington Bertie you're in my heart forever
I want to drown in the stories you tell
Bring the wind to carry me over
Lead me home to my town
Tell me when the breeze is blowing
Taking me home, to my town
Oh, to my town

You made me all I can ever be
If I should fall your love will rescue me

Bring the wind to carry me over
Lead me home to my town
Oh! Tell me when the breeze is blowing
Taking me home, to my town

Bring the wind to carry me over
Lead me home to my town
Tell me when the breeze is blowing
Taking me home, to my town...

THE END

-------------------------------

Prompts by QueenoftheCapes

Want:
-An exotic location
-The Superman costume
-Clark using his powers as Clark

Don’t want:
-Angst
-The romantic rivals (Mayson, Dan, et al)
-Amnesia

Author’s Note: The dialogue spoken by the Scottish characters is a specific dialect called Scots. It’s an offshoot of the English language. The use of words and spellings of them are not a mistake but are accurate to the Scots dialect. I have provided a glossary here in case people have difficulty with some of the words or spellings.

The event that Lois and Clark are covering in the story – the Queen’s first visit to Ireland since the ceasefire, took place on March 9th. This is the same day that it is credited with the invention of the deep fried Mars bar. It was, according to what I read, a local sensation before it gained international recognition.

The locations featured in the story such as the Buchanan Hotel and the Rufus T Firefly are actual places and I have attempted to describe them to the best of my ability including the creaky floor, rumbling subway and the weekly pub quiz at the Rufus.

The song used at the end of the fic is by the band Glass Tiger and features Rod Stewart. Alan Frew, the lead singer of Glass Tiger is originally from a small town just outside of Glasgow called Coatbridge. The song “My Town” is a love letter written to the city of Glasgow and his home country of Scotland. The word “Scotia” is Latin for Scotland. I highly recommend not only listening to the song, but watching the music video as many locations in Glasgow are featured including the Cloisters within Glasgow University that I desperately wanted to work in but couldn’t figure out a way to with no busses working.

Glossary:

Ah/Ahm/Ah’ll/Ah’d = I/I’m/I’ll/I’d
Cannae = cannot
Gonnae = going to
Doesnae = doesn’t
Havenae - Haven’t
Dinnae = don’t
Shouldnae = shouldn’t
Mustae - Must’ve
Tae = to
Dae = Do
Fae = from
Intae = into
Wi’ ye = with you
No’ = not
Ye/Yer/Youse/Ye’ll = You/Your/You (plural)/You’ll
Alright = form of greeting and thus rhetorical
The now = right now
Spitters = rain or snow
Blowin a hoolie = lots of wind
Oot = out
Mah = my
Pure baltic = extremely cold
Pish = terrible/awful
Scoobie or havanae a scoobie = haven’t any idea
Bum’s oot the windae = talking nonsense (bum’s out the window)
Steamin’ = drunk
Winchin’ = kissing/dating
Daft/dafty = Silly person
Snog = Kiss
Eejit = Idiot
Oor = our
Boggin = disgusting
Peely-Wally = very pale
Th’morra = tomorrow (on the morrow)
Hee-haw = nothing/Anthing (we havenae won hee-haw = we haven’t won anything)
Guan = go on
Betamax = Beta tapes. They were very popular in the UK unlike VHS
Touched in the head = crazy
Summat = something
Numpty = affectionate term for dummy

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2023 Fictathon Master List