Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Lois & Clark Fanfic FDK: Some Kind Of Fantasy 1/2

Clark Kent wants the fantasy.

He knows it's stupid and and juvenile and completely irresponsible, and every time he sees a flash of hurt darken Lois Lane's vulnerable brown eyes, he desperately wants not to want the fantasy.

But he does.

Oh, he does.

Just this once, he wants to be stupid and juvenile and completely irresponsible - because he has always been mature beyond his years, ready to carry a world of responsibilities on his shoulders.

This is his fantasy, personified in a man who comes to work every morning, dressed in a conservative suit, an outrageous tie and glasses.

A man from this world.

A man who has no special abilities, nothing to set him apart from other men.

A man who, in spite of his ordinariness, is able to sweep the woman he loves off her feet, if not literally, at least figuratively.

So yes, Clark Kent wants the fantasy. Even if it means having to turn Lois Lane down for not loving him as the ordinary man that he is not.

His heart breaks a little more for Lois every time he sees how much he is hurting her. And he hates himself a little more each day.

But he can't stop loving the idea that she will love him as Clark Kent, the ordinary, non-superpowered Earthling that he is not. Only when he has made her love this ordinary man that he is not, can he reveal to her that he is the glorious hero that she has wanted all along.

Because God help the three of them, he wants the fantasy. Just this once, Clark Kent wants the fantasy.


Sorry, angelic. I couldn't resist.

Ann

Nice little peek inside Lois's head here, angelic_editor. Simple, yet poignant.

Very nicely done.

Remember to send it along to the Archive, won't you?

LabRat

Nice. Well done.

Jackie

I notice that Crystal's post is labelled 1/2. I wonder if perhaps you stole some of her thunder there, Ann. Perhaps part 2 is intended to be Clark's fantasy.

At any rate, this is just lovely. As Labby said, a nice peek into Lois's head, where - just this once - she flings away the rational and practical road for the path not travelled before.

And I'm looking forward to part 2...

Kathy

I hadn't realised this was a two-parter - I guess I picked up on the 1/1 from this thread, instead, and thought it was complete.

It would work very well as a complete vignette, but, in that case - I'm looking forward to part two, too, Crystal!

LabRat

Hi, guys! Thanks so much for the amazing feedback on this little vignette! I hoped it would give one possible answer for Lois' adamant (to the point of being insensitive at times) pursuit of Superman, acting in ways that makes some of us want to throw socks at the screen and yell, "Forget the cardboard cut-out! Go for CLARK, you dummy!"

And I *did* think this was just a one-off, until Ann proved me wrong with her breathtaking response from Clark's perspective! I shot her an e-mail earlier today and asked if she'd mind posting what she'd written as a second part, and when she said she'd love to, I went back and changed the header to read (1/2). Ann'll be posting that second part as a regular fic entry fairly soon. Sorry to cause a bit of confusion with that edit!

Again, Ann, Labby, Jackie and Kathy, thanks so much for all your lovely comments! *hearts*

Whoops! My bad, Ann, I apologize. I hadn't realized that Crystal had originally intended this as a single-part vignette, since she'd already changed her post title by the time that I saw it. And I was a bit concerned that her "planned" part 2 was going to run directly along the lines that your comments did, since they make a lovely companion piece. EACH of them wants the fantasy, which for a time appears to be unattainable for either of them. And I see now that you've posted the official part 2 - lovely parts, both of them!

Kathy

It's really time for me to write some FDK on *this* vignette, Crystal, since you honored me so by asking me to post my original FDK on this as a vignette!

I just love this:

This is so, so, so achingly Lois: the woman who has become hardened and cynical about men, ordinary men, Earth men. A woman who has become so suspicious of Earth men that she instinctively reacts with mistrust when she meets the most wonderful Earth guy ever, Clark Kent. In your story, she has already gotten over her suspicions regarding Clark. She knows that he is a wonderful man, and she wants him, but she is afraid of the messiness that must always be a part of an ordinary relationship with an ordinary guy.

So she prefers the dream, the fantasy, about a relationship with the god. Because when you are with the god everything is always perfect, and you are in heaven all the time.

Heartbreakingly, Lois knows that her Superman fantasy can't come true. If Superman is as perfect as she thinks, then he isn't going to spend all his time just being with her, concentrating on making her happy. What about all the other people all over the world who need the superhero?

So Lois's Superman fantasy can't come true, but she could be with Clark instead. And it wouldn't be perfect, but it would be lovely and wonderful, because Clark is a lovely and wonderful man. But she is turning down loveliness because she can't stop dreaming about perfection. And she knows, she really knows, how utterly unfair and unreasonable her rejection of him is. And she hates herself for hurting him so - and yet she can't give up her fantasy.

I love the poignant, bitter beauty of this sentence, which I have to quote all over again:

And finally I just have to say.... You know that imitation is the highest form of flattery, don't you, Crystal?

Ann

You guys are far too kind, I swear — this kind of feedback is enough to make a girl blush. Ann, Labby, Jackie and Kathy, thank you all so much for your incredible comments!

This short piece came almost out of nowhere, after a conversation I had with a lovelorn friend who's holding out for perfection. For that one person to come along and sweep him off his feet, and whether or not that's an unreasonable mindset. A couple days later, I was probably doing something really routine, like washing my hair or straightening up my apartment, when I thought, "What's so wrong with holding out for some kind of fantasy, if only for a little while? Deep down, that's what we all want, isn't it? To be swept off our feet? So how is that a bad thing?"

And then I realized that's one way to explain Lois' tunnel vision, especially during season one. She's holding out — somewhat stubbornly, but still — for that kind of fantasy. And I thought, "Ooh, that's kind of an interesting way to explain her behavior. Not as altogether ridiculous and pig-headed and blind, but as someone who's allowing herself to be selfish and indulge in what she wants for the first time."

And this teensy vignette was born. And I thought that was it, a one-off. Until Ann posted an incredible response from Clark's perspective, and as soon as I read it, I knew that it should be the second part to this (with Ann's blessing of course).

And Ann, I *do* know that imitation is the highest form of flattery, but I am just awed to the point of speechlessness every time I read your version of "Some Kind of Fantasy." I swear, nothing I could've possibly imagined from Clark's perspective could've equaled what you wrote. It's perfect. Just *perfect.* Thank you so much for writing it.

Again, thank you all for the wonderful feedback!

Eeep! And yet another one of your delightful little vignettes that I missed while I was off dealing with RL. Ugh - RL - it is so over-rated.

This was darling, even more darling when you had Ann post her part 2 as the flipside to your story. Both parts were equally adorable and yet poignantly painful at the same time. It just makes you want to slap them both - doesn't it?

Thanks for the delightful reading this morning.

-- MR

Hi - I just read it and it was short, sweet and my heart broke for Clark. However, I could totally relate to Lois. In a way I'm sad for Lois.

loved it! it's just SO Lois. Well done!! ...kinda feel sorry for the girl for being so blind, though *lol* - if she only knew, eh?

DJ, Roo and Lara, thanks so much for reading, and for your wonderful comments!

DJ, you're more than welcome for providing reading material. And I do kind of want to pull a Perry-esque stunt and push the two of them into The Planet's conference room and force them to resolve their issues.

But, without that kind of angst as a catalyst, this little piece would've never been written. I heart irony.

Oh, I'm so sorry I missed this before. How lovely!!

It's probably unreasonable, but isn't it a lovely thought. (By the way, send him my way. Maybe I can do some sweeping... )