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Good Night, Lois – Jumping Down The Plank

The night is still warm as I walk Lois home. She looks stunning in her dark-blue dress with the low heels and the shawl slipping from her shoulders as she carries the first award of her life. It shouldn’t be me by her side in her parent’s stead. But Ellen wouldn’t go because Sam insisted that he’d be there, only he got held up by his work.

So it’s only Lois – and me.

I couldn’t be prouder of her, not only because she won a prize for the best article in a school paper, but also because she takes her parent’s absence like a champ. But no matter how much she insists that she doesn’t care whether or not her parents were there with her, I know it’s eating away at her. And what I wouldn’t give to comfort her, to offer her more than a safe return home.

But however much I might want that, I don’t belong with Lois.

With Lana perhaps, but not Lois.

Why does my heart have such a hard time understanding that?

“You're so quiet.” Lois grasps my hand lightly, running her thumb across the back of it.

I look at her, then at our entwined hands and try to decide whether to pull back or not. The gesture is comforting, yet strangely intimate, just two hands clasped together and somehow also so much more. My throat runs dry.

“Did anything go wrong while you were out…?” With her other hand she makes a flying motion.

My heart beats a little faster as I look into her eyes that are filled both with worry and with pride. Her gentle gaze betrays a wisdom far beyond her years. Sometimes it's just too easy to forget she's only fifteen and I'm twenty-eight. Even more so since she's beginning to look like a woman rather than the child that stole my heart so many years ago.

I pull back and stuff both hands deep into the pockets of my pants. I won't follow that train of thought.

I attempt a smile to apologize for my rather brusque behavior. “No, that's not it. Superman’s job was fairly easy this week. I've just been thinking…”

Lois raises her brows. “What about?”

Of course she won't let it drop. That's just not in her nature. It's why she's such an excellent reporter for her school paper. Her father might believe she's just dreaming of a journalism career because she's got a teenage crush on me.

I know better.

It's simply what she's meant to be. Her award is proof enough.

Lois’ voice pulls me from my thoughts. “Clark, what's going on? Is it Lana?”

As I look at her again, I see the concern in her gaze, the slight dismay that Lana is still an issue. And I can tell that Lois is jealous. Sam isn’t so wrong about the teenage crush, even if Lois and I are only friends. The best of friends, so much so that I’m almost ready to talk about Lana, because to whom else could I admit the whole disaster?

But she’s only fifteen, I remind myself.

Still, I find myself nodding. “She wants me to propose.”

Lois gives me a roll of her eyes. “Really? Why don’t you just tell her to take a hike?”

My chest constricts. “I can’t.”

I know Lois is going to ask me why. And the truth is that I don’t even know the answer to that. What I feel for her, I’m not sure it is love. I guess I like her. That should count for something, shouldn’t it? It’s not like I have much experience when it comes to loving someone or being loved. My parents loved me, but they died such a long time ago. I know Lana better than anyone, with the exception of Lois, of course.

“Why not?” Lois asks. “Have you even told her about yourself, yet?”

I close my eyes and try to ignore that sickening feeling deep inside my gut. “Not yet,” I rasp. *Not ever,* my mind adds.

Whenever Lana and I speak about Superman there’s an elephant in the room somewhere that keeps me from telling her who I really am. I’m not even sure what it is. She’s never expressed any open animosity toward him. Yet, I cannot help but feel that she won’t embrace the truth with open arms.

I know I would have to tell her if I were serious about proposing and moving our not quite defined relationship on to the next level.

Again, it’s Lois’ gentle voice that pulls me from my thoughts. “Are you planning on telling her anytime soon?”

I shrug. “I don’t know how. Not sure she’ll take it well.”

Lois sighs. “Which is why I’m telling you to break up with her. This isn’t fair to either of you.”

I let out a slow breath. “I know. But if I can't tell Lana, who else could I ever trust enough to share this secret with?”

That the answer walks right by my side only makes it so much harder. I can't, not with Lois. There's a million reasons why that would never work out. Her age is only one of them. She's like a sister to me, the new family that I built up after I lost mine.

If I can't love Lana and if Lois is off limits, I'd have to find another woman who could accept me as I am.

Besides Lois, who could be so brave?

She smiles at me and places a kiss on my cheek. “We’ll figure this out.”

The way she looks at me, her gaze reflecting feelings that I’d never even dare admit to myself, sends my heart racing. It's as if I'm suddenly standing on the edge of a plank forced to jump into the water and all the flying in the world won't save me from drowning.

It's just a teenage crush.

Someday she'll wake up and realize that there's no future for us.

Someday, we’ll better wake up both.

Peter and Wendy are only a fantasy.

It's long since time Peter grew up.

All too soon we turn into her street.

“We’re here,” I manage. “Good Night, Lois. I'm so proud of you.”

She looks at the award in her hand and her smile falters a little. “Good Night, Clark. Know what? I'm proud of you, too. You're the best person I know. Never let anyone tell you otherwise. Least of all, Lana. Thank you so much for coming with me tonight.”

She wraps her arms around me and pulls me into a tight hug. I close my eyes and inhale her soft scent of soap and shampoo. Do I ever really need more than that?

Happy New Year, everyone. It's Ficlet Friday, again.

Hope you enjoy.

TOC

Let me know what you think down below 👇

Yay! I was checking for this late last night - thanks for posting so consistently! <3

OMG, I hate them. But kudos you to for realism because that's exactly how this works.

Weeeelllll......

Nope.

Thank goodness he is who he is.

Awwww, I love this. Swoony.

It's actually really sweet that he thinks of her as a friend.



Good instinct!

That's so heartbreaking. So many layers of complication.



omg, bakasi, just stab us in the heart, why don't you?

....I mean, he's waited this long. What's another 3-6 years?

I'm so hooked on this series! Looking forward to the next installment!
And happy new year!

Oh my stars and garters! Time Jump!


At first I thought; Lois is in her 20's and Clark is now in his prime. They are coming back from the Kerth awards.


Nope. She's still a teen-ager, but wise beyond her years. He has told her about Superman and his difficult relationship with Lana. Lois is right by the way, he is not being fair to either one of them by not sharing his secret with Lana and not moving the relationship further. As he said, perhaps there could be a third woman in his life. He has a number of serious decisions to make.

Oh, this fic is great, but the suspense is killing me. How can you possibly get them together will such a large age gap keeping them apart?

Happy New Year! Thank you for continuing Ficlet Friday. I love this series! Lois and Clark’s age difference is a problem now but down the line, not so much. Lois is smart and thankfully Clark knows Lana isn’t right for him. I hope there isn’t a third woman for Clark and that Lois and Clark get together in the future. I can’t wait for the next chapter. Thank you!!

Thank you all so much for bearing with me through this story. I have a few ideas how Lois and Clark might end up together despite their age difference. But for now it's actually fun exploring the way they can help one another without the added layer of a sexual relationship.

Hi Barbara!
Huh. This doesn’t bode well… sounds like … stuff developing …

Okay, this feels like fifteen? When do girls start with heels?

Poor dear! Couldn’t they stick to separate corners of the audience room?

LOIS: It will make for a great in-depth piece on the absence of caring parents at private school functions.

Yes. She’s much better served with dating in her peer group. That visiting professor on economics, Alexander-Call-Me-Lex, for example. At 35, he’s much more knowledgeable about dating fifteen-year-old girls.



Yeah, she’s so not going to interested once the whole jail-bait situation resolves itself.

Oh, the Pan is flying already? And did Lois break the story?

/Points at earlier age guess/

/Starts wrapping a copy of Lolita for Clark’s birthday/

Yes. But you *are* handling this very well!

The cafeteria mystery meat never stood a chance!

Oh dear!
SAM: It’s normal!

Actually, that’s interesting. We’re now three years later, what is going on with Lana?



Oh deary me!

Did Lana con him into her accepting the wedding proposal he never voiced?

Lois can read!

Yes, it’s about time he made an honest woman out of her. Or touches her.

Maybe if he started with how he loves Lana like a sister…?

An estranged sister…

Maybe if he procrastinates for another two and a half years the problem will resolve itself?

You can prepare by having this discussion in an exclusive restaurant. If that is outside your price range, I recommend first removing easily picked-up breakables from the apartment.

You are in trouble when a teenager gives you relevant relationship advice.

/Cue crying teenage girl in three…two…/

Having this mental discussion implies he is not convinced. I also recommend he not inform her of her sibling status in his affections. It might make breaking up with Lana the less stressful option.

How about his wife? He’s twenty-eight, so she should only be two solar systems out.



He did see the competition, didn’t he?

Once she’s all grown up, his outlook will change.

Straight till morning!

Michael