Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Lois & Clark Fanfic The Ruse, Ch. 3

Chapter 3

Now downstairs, with his beautiful but unusually nervous date, Clark takes the first opportunity to get Lois a drink. Lois quickly found a cluster of excited friends upon their arrival and now seems to be relaxing considerably. Fifteen minutes later, he's walking back toward her, with two drinks in hand. When their eyes meet, she blushes, looking genuinely, undeniably…smitten? With him? He instinctively checks his suit, as it was much more like the way she looks at...well, him, when he's wearing the red and blue one. His eyes cast to the woman Lois is whispering to, watching him approach.

"Oh he's absolutely gorgeous, Lois. I mean delicious."

"He is, isn't he?" he heard her reply. "He's wonderful. I've fallen so hard."

"Mmm. And so has he, from the way he looks at you. How do you keep your hands off of him at work?"

She giggles and bites her lip, looking right at him before whispering back, "Who says I do?"

Oh, right. The ruse.

"Here you are," he says, pushing down his deflated feelings. "Sorry that took so long - the line was a mile long," Clark says as he hands her the drink.

"Lois, you should have warned him that this was liable to be a thirsty bunch," Lois' friend smiles as Lois takes the drink from his hand. Clark laughs.

"Clark, this is one of my dearest friends, Jeanne Templeton. Jeannie, this is –"

"Oh he needs no introduction. I read all your work. I was impressed by the series you did on the retirement home scandals, Clark. And the Intergang piece you two worked on was really impressive. It's no secret why they call you the hottest team in town," she says.

"Thank you, Jeanne," he says, putting a hand around Lois, "I've learned a lot from Lois."

Lois leans in, and says to Clark, "Jeanne and I were journalism majors together. A beautiful writer, better than me. Maybe the only other partner I ever enjoyed working with," she smiles up at him, and lets her fingers slide under his jacket a bit as she strokes his chest affectionately. He struggles to conjure a response.

"Ah, well you have my highest admiration, Ms. Templeton," he says, his eyes twinkling down at his date, "keeping up with Lois is no small feat." Truly, it may require superhuman abilities, he thinks. And even then, she might be the only person in the world capable of completely stealing the breath from his chest when she looks at him, train his superhearing to her heartbeat when she enters a room, and making him feel like he's physically ill when she's in danger.

"Likewise, Clark," Jeanne raises a glass to toast him. "I knew you were a keeper the first time she started talking about you. She ran circles around every man in our program."

"Now that doesn't surprise me a bit," he replies, clinking his glass with Jeanne's. Lois blushes.

Lois adds, "Well, Jeanne was a brilliant journalist herself. But she ended up in PR in Manhattan," Lois mock-pouts for emphasis. "I was depressed for months when she moved to New York and went over to the dark side."

"Yes, I basically specialize in getting people and companies out of sticky situations they themselves have created," she says drily.

"Ah, in that case, I'm surprised Lois hasn't required your services," he teases, pulling her in a little tighter. He looks at Jeanne, but runs his thumb along her side. "Lois is always running headfirst into trouble, which is how she gets so many Superman exclusives." Lois rolls her eyes, but his heart skips when she leans into him more.

"Tenaciously high-maintenance - that's what makes her the best," Jeanne jokes. "Does he offer some sort of frequent flyer program, Lois?"

Clark laughs heartily at that. Lois playfully punches him but can't help laughing at her own expense. "If he did, I feel pretty certain I'd qualify for platinum level benefits."

He looks down at her through narrowed, admonishing eyes. "Without question," he says sternly. Although in truth she was unknowingly already enjoying 24/7 access to Superman as her personal bodyguard, he muses wryly to himself. He really does wish she would be more careful.

"Oh Clark, settle down. I can't help that trouble seems to be where all the best exclusives are hiding." She lays her hand on his chest in that reassuring way she sometimes does, but it lingers and her touch feels charged. He wonders if his ability to feel this is a superpower, or just pure chemistry – the intangible kind, the human kind.

He gives her side a reassuring squeeze. "And you have the Kerths to prove it," Clark acquiesces.

"Oh no. Speaking of trouble," she mutters up to Clark, tucking into him more, "There she is – three o'clock."

Linda is making a beeline for them on the arm of a tall broad-shouldered man with sandy blonde hair. "Lois! I heard you weren't coming," Linda says as she approaches.

"So sorry to disappoint you, Linda," she replies. "You remember Clark?"

"How could I forget. So good to see you again, Clark. This is my husband, James Donnally," she says.

"Nice to meet you all," James shakes Clark's hand warmly and waves to the women.

"Congratulations, Linda; how long have you two been married?" Jeanne asks.

"We're newlyweds - we got married over the holidays," she replies, holding up her hand. Linda eyes Clark, taking a slow sip of her drink. "So Clark, are you just here for moral support, or has Lois finally seen the light and put you out of your misery?"

"Never the subtle one, are we Linda?" Lois replies. She frowns, turning to Clark, "What misery?"

He ignores her question and places a hand on her shoulder instead. "Lois and I are dating," he says, and his gaze is one of dutiful doting, glazed with a gentle warning: be nice, Lois.

"I had a feeling about you two," she replies. "Although at the time you were chasing after Superman - you wouldn't give poor Clark here the time of day, and wouldn't let anyone else near him either," she quips.

"That's not true!" Lois says. "Superman is just a friend, and a trusted source."

Clark squeezes her shoulder with a nervous chuckle. "Linda and I went undercover for a story Lois and I were investigating on her boss," Clark explains to Jeanne and James. "So she and Lois got to work together for a few weeks."

"Just like old times," Linda says with a mock wistful tone.

Lois rolls her eyes and takes a sip of her drink. "Just like them," she agrees.

Clark clears his throat, grasping for a subject change, "So," he says looking at James, "how did you two meet? Was it love at first sight?"

James nods, "We were both attending a charity function for our newspaper."

"Oh, are you a reporter?"

"Ah, no, I own the Baltimore Sun," James says awkwardly, almost embarrassed. "I didn't bring a date, and everyone there seemed to have one, so I was sort of standing around awkwardly. Anyway, I saw Linda from across the room and it was like I was smacked upside the head. Totally done for."

"We spent the rest of the night talking and the rest is history," Linda says with a waggle of her diamond ring.

"Wow, I'm really happy for you both," Lois says, and her voice is suddenly wistful; she almost sounds to Clark like she means it.

"What about you two - was it love at first sight?" James asks.

"Definitely," Clark responds right away.

He feels Lois' eyes dart to him; it can't hurt to tell the truth for the sake of the ruse, can it? "I was in with Perry White, in the middle of the biggest interview of my career, and she walked in, and suddenly I could hardly string two sensible words together," he smiles sheepishly as the group chuckles. Then he grows more serious, "I was completely done for. I'm lucky Perry gave me a shot after that. I guess I'm lucky they both did," he smiled down at Lois.

Jeanne looks at Lois, amused. "And you Lolo?"

"Mmm...I had a lot of personal hangups totally unrelated to him," she groans in self-disgust. "He was very patient with me," she admits. "But I knew it for sure at the end of last summer," she says. "We had been best friends for a long while, but suddenly I found myself wanting to spend every waking moment with him. Totally jealous of other women who showed interest. I was in deep but I think it was hard to risk it, since we worked together so closely."

He rewinds the conversation in his mind. Last summer? Last summer she almost married Lex. At this point, the pulse of their romantic relationship has picked up to a slow, steady murmur. There was an undercurrent of something more always lingering there beneath the surface, and now it had become nearly undeniable. But last summer? Last summer they were in repair mode. Sure, they were close again, but it wasn't like this. Although she did have a complete meltdown when Mayson came on the scene, and they had been spending a lot more time together since Christmas.

Jeanne nudges Lois and says in a low voice, "Speaking of old times, don't look now Lois but isn't that Charlie Carson coming our way?"

Lois turns into Clark's chest, shielding her from his view. "God, I was hoping he wouldn't be here."

Clark's eyebrows raise. "Isn't he running for the open Senate seat next year? That's a good in, partner," he says partner pointedly, like shes been holding out on him. "Why didn't you mention you knew him?"

Lois shrugs, watching Carson glad-hand with a nearby group. "It never came up," she replies, her wince unconvincing. "He was a J-school major, until he switched to Poli-Sci, and –" and she mutters up to him, "He's a total class-A jerk."

"It looks like he came alone. Although I guess he did always have a thing for you, Lois," Linda teases.

Clark's face registers the revelation as he looks down at Lois with a teasing smile. "A-ha."

Charlie approaches them. "Hey gang, Jeannie, Linda," he smiles, leaning in for a greeting on the cheek.

"Chas! Or is it Charlie now? We were just talking about you," Linda says with a smirk.

"Oh, call me Charlie. No one has called me Chas since college. Lois - you're beautiful as ever. Congratulations doll," he says, leaning in for a kiss on the cheek.

Lois stiffens at his greeting and Clark inserts his hand. "Hi, I'm Clark Kent, I'm –"

'Oh, I know who you are Mr. Kent," his eyes do a dance and his lips purse together. "Some very interesting reporting you did last month on the voting machines. Sometimes I wonder how you get your stories," he says, his eyes narrowing. Clark shifts uncomfortably and mounts his reply.

"It's our job to shine a light on the rats feeding on the seedy underbelly of American politics, Carson. And Clark has the best nose in the business for smelling a rat," Lois replies, and Clark is tempted to kiss her right there.

"Still as tenacious as ever. Well, that's our Lois," he chuckles to himself. "I guess you're a glutton for punishment, Kent," he says with a broad, jovial smile.

Clark forces a tense, polite smile, "I'm not sure what you mean, Carson."

"Oh it was no secret around the J-school that Mad Dog Lane here was a maneater," he says with a chuckle. "I guess that's what makes you the best, eh Lolo?"

"What makes her the best is her intelligence, tenacity, and willingness to dig deep for her stories, Carson. She's the most brilliant reporter in the business," Clark replies. "I'm grateful every day I was given the opportunity to work with her."

Lois smiles sweetly at him, triumphant and delighted."The feeling is mutual," she says, nudging him with her shoulder.

Jeanne's eyes cat-clocked between the two men. "Insulting the two best reporters in the country in an election year is an interesting strategy, Carson. It's not one I would have advised my clients to take, but it's a strategy," she says, taking a sip of her wine.

"Take it easy, geez, can't you guys take a joke?" he scoffs. A burly man in a suit slaps him on the shoulder from behind, and Carson quickly takes the out. "Excuse me," he says.

"Boy, he hasn't changed a bit," Linda smirks.

"I feel like we just got blasted with a gust of hot air," James quips. The group chuckles, and Clark decides he likes James. A man steps up to the microphone and invites them to take their seats for dinner.

"That was sweet what you said - thank you Clark," Lois says as they walk toward their table.

He places a hand on her shoulder, about to offer a loving reply about how he meant every word, when he freezes. A pileup, on the Interstate they just came in on, but further down the road. Toward Manhattan. Lois looks up at him, and he grimaces inwardly, instantly seeing that she knows what he's about to do. He immediately excuses himself to the bathroom. He hears her sigh in his wake as he makes a beeline for the door. God, he desperately wishes she knew. It's probably time she knew. They're getting too close; even this ruse doesn't really feel like a ruse. It feels like a confusing, dangerous charade with zero rules. And the closer they become, the more he risks losing her forever if she finds out he's been lying, playing her, chasing after her as two people. She's started growing more exasperated by his disappearances. She's barging into his apartment without knocking…all the time. His stammering excuse-lies are getting more lame, more stammery. She's going to find out. She's going to kill him.

He wonders for a moment how different his life would be if she knew and she didn't kill him. Knew and at the very least remained his friend, his partner, someone who covered for him, someone he could confide in about where he went, what he saw, who he couldn't save. Every time, he curses the Kryptonian superhero she herself unknowingly molded from Kansas clay with her words and noble ideals. Every time, he silently vows to tell her. In that vague, safe timeframe of "soon."