This is a fanfic based on the television show, Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. No copyright infringement is intended. I’m borrowing these characters for a little fun and not for any profit. For a complete disclaimer, go to:
http://www.thompsonlawoffice.ca/Disclaimer.htm. This story starts at the end of Battleground Earth with what has to be one of my favorite scenes from the series and goes its own way from there. Oh, one note. This story is something unusual for me in that it has no real A-Plot. It is total and unadulterated fluff - written for the sole purpose of causing the reader to scream, “AHHHH!” as many times as possible while reading <g>.
My thanks, as always, to both Carol and Gerry for their help on this story. It continues to amaze me how many mistakes I make - and how many they find when beta reading my stories. I’m not sure what I’d do without either of them. One thing I do know is that the quality of my stories would decrease drastically without their help.
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Desperate Times
By: ML Thompson
* * * * * * * * *
“It seems like ages ago we stood at this window and said goodbye to each other,” Lois said, moving to stand behind Clark. He was sitting on one of the steps of the ladder on her balcony, watching the ship from New Krypton streak across the sky on its way back home.
“That was the worst night of my life,” Clark said, pulling Lois around to sit on his knee.
“Did any part of meeting up with your roots feel good? I mean did it satisfy some need, or did it disappoint you?”
“Maybe all of those.” Clark sighed. “I kept waiting for some incredible feeling of connection. A feeling that I was exactly where I belonged.” He hesitated slightly. “But that’s only happened to me once in my life.”
“When?”
“The day I met you.”
Lois gasped at the depth of feeling in his voice, in his eyes. “For a space man, you are the most romantic person I’ve ever known.” Then she smiled. “Earth guys don’t stand a chance against you.”
Unable to resist, she drew him in for a kiss, putting all the love she felt for him into the single action. Finding words to tell him what his words meant to her would be impossible.
She watched as he pulled back slightly, reaching under the collar of his shirt and pulling out a gold chain with a simple gold band on it. She fought back tears at the sight of her wedding ring.
“I told you I’d keep it safe,” he said softly.
“As safe as your love for me,” Lois whispered. And he had. While winging his way towards New Krypton as Zara’s husband, he’d had the perfect opportunity to cheat on her - either with Zara or with one of the many concubines that were at his beck and call. And yet he had remained faithful. If ever a man could continue to prove her assumptions about the male of the species wrong, it was Clark. She’d never believed that such a man could even exist. Fidelity to them was something reserved for the female of the species. But not Clark. He’d promised her. And although they were not even married yet, that promise came above any others. How exactly had she gotten so lucky?
He rose from the ladder, turning her so that she could sit on the rung he had vacated. She looked at him curiously when he suddenly got down on his knee in front of her, slipping the chain bearing the ring from around his neck and holding it up for her to see.
“Marry me, Lois,” he said earnestly. “Let’s not plan; let’s not wait. Let’s not let clone-makers or psycho psychiatrists or women who shrink people into little people keep us apart. Just... marry me.”
She stared at him for a long second, trying to find words to answer him. There was an intensity in his eyes and an earnestness in his voice that were impossible to resist. “You know...” She hesitated for the briefest of moments. “That’s precisely what I was thinking.”
He smiled, rising to his feet so that he could lean in to kiss her properly. As his body settled against her, pushing her harder into the ladder, she moved her leg, nestling his body against hers.
Getting married hadn’t exactly been what she had been thinking about. She’d been thinking about how much she loved him. She’d been wondering how she’d gotten so lucky. On the other hand, how many times during the past months had she wished they’d done exactly that? No planning. No waiting. Just getting married.
She deepened the kiss as her arms slipped around him and in no time at all she wasn’t thinking about anything except the way the man in her arms was making her feel.
His arm slipped beneath her legs and a moment later she realized, in the back of her mind, that she was being carried to the couch. He bent to set her on the couch without breaking the kiss.
“No,” Lois said, ending the kiss herself.
“No?” he asked, releasing her on the couch.
Smiling at his befuddled expression, she reached up to stroke his face. “I just meant... The bedroom.”
His eyebrows rose and a blush was suddenly coloring her cheeks. She hadn’t meant that quite the way it sounded. Or... maybe she had. Had she? Did she? “I just meant...” She looked down, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “It would be more comfortable to...” Her voice trailed off, not sure how to continue when she suddenly wasn’t entirely sure what she meant herself.
“Lois?” he asked, sitting down next to her when she didn’t continue.
“I just...” She couldn’t quite meet his eyes. “I just want to make-out with you a bit and... Well, in case you haven’t noticed, these couches aren’t exactly comfortable.”
He smiled.
“So...” She rose to her feet, offering him her hand as she looked at him through her eyelashes.
He rose to his feet, taking her hand and silently allowing her to lead him to the bedroom.
Lois’ heart rate sped up, pumping blood through her veins at a rate that was leaving her slightly light headed. True, things had gone significantly beyond kissing leading up to their disastrous first wedding attempt. And even further on the night before Clark had left for New Krypton. Only his pleas that it felt too much like a farewell had brought them both back to reality before they’d crossed the point of no return.
Still, in spite of all that, this was the first time Lois had ever invited Clark into her bedroom. And... she still wasn’t entirely sure what her intentions were in taking him there. True, it was more comfortable than the couch - which was why the majority of their make-out sessions to date had taken place on Clark’s couch except, of course, the aforementioned time before he left for New Krypton. That had taken place on the floor of her living room.
No, in many ways, this was uncharted territory. But... just how uncharted did she intend for it to be?
After all, as she’d told Clark before he went to New Krypton, in her heart she was his wife - just as he had told her he was her husband. And he’d proven that by not consummating his wedding to Zara - an omission that had nearly gotten him killed. After all, the New Kryptonians had used that fact to convince the counsel that Clark and Zara were trying to scam them. But in his mind, Clark had already promised her.
So really, weren’t they married in every way that counted - with the small exception of a slip of paper issued by some government bureaucracy? Okay, so maybe it wasn’t a small exception. Still, it wasn’t for a lack of desire or a lack of effort. So why would it matter if they... jumped the gun a little?
All this ran through Lois’ mind in the short time it took to walk Clark to the doorway of her room. Without flicking on the lights, she released his hand and walked over to the bed, only turning back to see him still standing in the doorway, silently watching her. All doubts instantly vanished at the look of unadulterated love she could see on his face in the half-light of the room. Never had any man been able to make her feel so cherished.
Taking a deep breath, she reached behind her neck and pulled down the zipper on her pullover. A moment later, she slipped the sweater over her head, tossing it on a nearby chair.
“Come here,” she said huskily as she sat down on the bed before scooting back across it. She still wasn’t sure exactly how far she intended to go. But at this moment, she didn’t care. She just wanted his arms around her, his lips finding new parts of her to explore. She wanted to assure herself that he was really there. Home. With her. That this wasn’t just one more of many dreams she’d had while he’d been gone.
A slow smile lit up his face as he walked closer. Suddenly, he stopped. Slowly, button by button, he undid his black shirt, pulling it from his trousers.
She watched, transfixed by his every movement. When his shirt was undone, showing her the vast expanse of his magnificent chest, he moved closer, following her onto the bed.
Still, he didn’t touch her. Instead, his hands on either side of her body, he knelt over her, just looking at her. And that look... She was amazed how he could make every nerve ending in her body tingle without as much as laying a finger on her. Lois felt her insides turn to jelly as she stared back into eyes that were radiating such love, such warmth, such a sense of belonging. Her hand seemed to have a mind of its own as it came up and slowly stroked his cheek, luxuriating in the slight stubble - so obviously male.
From his cheek, her hand proceeded lower, lightly stroking his chest, enjoying the feel of his rippling muscles under her fingertips.
“I love you, Lois Lane,” he whispered.
And she knew it. Those words, words she’d heard from the mouths of so many liars, were tangible to her now. Real. Eternal. He loved her. She knew that as surely as she knew the sun would come up tomorrow.
“I love you, too,” she whispered back. She saw his eyes flash as he seemed to register the corporeal nature of her love for him as well. A slow smile lit up her face. “Get over here,” she whispered huskily.
His smile met hers before fading as he closed the remaining inches between them to find her mouth, a soft, tantalizing taste before he pulled back to look at her once more. Her eyes, which had drifted shut when he’d moved closer, opened again, searching his, even as a small moan of protest escaped from the back of her throat.
“I just wanted to look at you again,” he said by way of explanation.
“Yeah? So do you like...” she began, halting when his facial expression suddenly changed and he got a far off look even as he tilted his head to the side, listening to something only he could hear. “Not now,” she groaned, bringing his gaze, now torn and apologetic, back to hers.
“Lois, I...”
“I know,” she said. “It’s just...”
“I know,” he answered.
“Go.”
He nodded, taking her word for what it was - disappointment, combined with understanding. This is what it took to love Superman. She understood that. But, damn, it was inconvenient at times!
He sighed, pushing himself up off the bed. He looked at her for a moment longer, groaning as his eyes ran down her body, before spinning into the Superman suit he had been wearing earlier and disappearing in a gust of wind.
“Damn,” she breathed, even as she closed her eyes and attempted to adjust to his sudden absence.
* * * * * * * * *
Lois pulled her robe around her as she climbed out of bed. After watching the eleven o’clock news and realizing that Superman was still tied up dealing with a fire in a chemical factory outside Philadelphia, she had decided to go to bed.
But she hadn’t been able to sleep. Instead, for almost two hours, she’d lain in bed, staring at the ceiling, worrying about Clark. It was crazy, of course. He was Superman, after all. Still, after telling herself for the millionth time that she was being stupid, she finally gave in to the need to find out what was happening in Philadelphia.
She walked back to the television, flicking it on to LNN. While it played, she headed into the kitchen to get the tub of Rocky Road ice cream out of the freezer. Grabbing a spoon, she reentered the living room, curling up on the couch.
The coverage was primarily about the fire. Even with Superman’s help, things were not going well. The fire had started with some sort of explosion - the reasons for that explosion were still unknown. But apparently the factory produced, among other things, napalm-b. And it was the napalm-b that was causing the majority of the problems.
Still, in spite of her worries, Superman seemed fine. They were showing pictures of him, albeit from a distance, as he flew over the fire, using nearby railcars to smother the fire with large quantities of sand. Apparently, his usual methods had been unsuccessful. As the correspondent was currently explaining, at first he’d tried blowing the fire out and then had tried water - both of which had only succeeded in spreading the fire further. The only real option left was to try to suffocate the flames.
As she watched, the correspondent went on to explain that there had been a half dozen deaths already as well as numerous other injuries. The camera immediately flashed back to a picture of Superman carrying out a dead body, wrapped in a blanket.
Lois dropped the spoon as she leaned forward, searching the hero’s face, seeing the pain no one else would likely notice - with the exception of his parents. Yet to her, as one who knew the man beneath the disguise, it was agonizingly obvious. Her heart constricted as she watched him carry the body carefully over to a gurney, laying it gently on top.
While others grieved for the man in the blanket, Lois’ grieved for the man in the cape. The man believed to be invulnerable. The man who was anything but.
Before she knew what she was doing, she found herself throwing on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and grabbing the keys to her jeep.
* * * * * * * * *
Lois was unable to say exactly what woke her. She simply and quite unexpectedly found herself awake, in a strange place and... She wasn’t alone. Someone else, someone breathing heavily, was in the room with her. It took her a moment to put the pieces together. She was at Clark’s. And the breathing man... probably Clark himself.
After sitting on the couch, waiting as the minutes turned into hours, she’d finally decided to raid Clark’s dresser for an oversized sweatshirt and curl up in his bed to wait for him to arrive.
“Clark?” she asked into the darkness as her eyes began to adjust.
No one answered, although a small sound from near the window ledge directed her eyes in the appropriate direction. For a moment, she saw nothing. Until... He was sitting on the floor, back against the wall, knees pulled up to his chest.
She cautiously pulled back the covers and crawled out of her warm cocoon to make her way to him.
“Clark?” she asked again, crouching down next to him. Still, he didn’t respond. She ran a hand gently through his hair, causing him to look at her for the first time. She nearly gasped at the haunted look, the hopelessness she could see in his eyes.
Quickly, she sat down beside him, pulling him into her arms. He nearly collapsed against her and although there were no tears, she felt his powerful body tremble as she held him and listened while he struggled with his breathing.
A half dozen deaths, last she’d heard. Maybe more by the time he’d finished. Still, there was something else going on here, something more than just the number of people who had died. She knew he took every death personally, finding it difficult to accept that even Superman had limitations. Too often he was unable to delight in the number of people who had lived because of his intervention - focusing instead on those who hadn’t. But in her gut she knew this was more than that.
Still, now was not the time to ask. That time would come soon enough. For now it was enough to hold him, to let him draw strength from her, and, if she were honest, to assure herself that he was still whole.
The passage of time held little meaning as she closed her eyes and gave him whatever strength he could find in her. Slowly, he began to calm, going still in her arms.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Her whispered words sounded inordinately loud in the silence of the darkened apartment.
He didn’t respond for a long moment during which Lois fought against her natural impulse to fill the gap with words. She didn’t do patient well. She’d always known that. But right now, patience was required to allow him time to find his voice.
“It wasn’t the fire,” Clark finally whispered. “It wasn’t even the eight people who died.” He hesitated, pulling in a jagged breath. “It was the chemicals.”
Lois pulled back slightly, searching his eyes in hopes of understanding.
“Lois, when people die in a fire...” His voice trailed off for a moment before continuing. “Although sometimes people are actually burned, usually they succumb to smoke inhalation first. But with the chemicals... The burns. The screams. The horrible sight of people burning alive. Even with my freezing breath, I couldn’t put the fires out in time. I couldn’t do it and not freeze the people.” He drew in another shaky breath. “I had to watch... I had to watch...” His voice broke completely. “I finally figured out that I had to suffocate the flames, but even then... If I missed as much as a spot, it would just keep burning. And those people... those people... So many horrible injuries. So many deaths.”
She instantly pulled him back into her arms, rocking him slightly, making incomprehensible reassuring sounds into his ear as he began to tremble once again.
“If only I’d figured it out sooner...”
His anguished whisper felt like a knife slicing into her heart. On some basic level, she knew words of reassurance would be useless at this point. More than that, they would be trite. Still, she couldn’t quite resist. “You did everything you could,” she whispered into his ear more than once.
As he calmed again, she began running her hands through his hair, kissing the side of his face.
“My love,” she whispered finally. “Come to bed.”
He pulled back then, searching her eyes in an attempt to decipher the meaning of her words. Unlike earlier in the evening when she’d invited him to her bedroom, this time she felt no embarrassment at the words. This man, the one with whom she had already exchanged her vows, needed her tonight.
She couldn’t erase his pain, but she could make him feel something besides the hopelessness radiating from him. And she knew with absolute certainty that this was what she wanted to do. She wanted to make him forget. She wanted him to find in her the strength to go on. He already owned her heart, giving him her body was simply an extension of that title.
“Lois...?”
“Shhh,” she whispered, moving to her feet and holding out her hand.
He took it, rising slowly to his feet before following her to the bed. Turning towards him, she reached around him, finding the zipper on the back of his suit. Although she was not watching his face as she struggled to get the suit off his shoulders, she knew his eyes were firmly on her, watching, wondering exactly what her invitation might mean. Still, he didn’t speak as she removed the cape and pealed the suit down over his torso.
“Lois,” he whispered.
Her eyes finally met his. He searched them for a long moment before suddenly cupping her face with his hands and leaning in to kiss her.
She instantly felt herself melt into the kiss, her arms finding their way around his waist, running up and down his spine as the kiss continued.
“Make love to me, Clark,” she whispered when the kiss broke, ensuring he would have no doubts about what her invitation to join her in bed meant.
He didn’t seem surprised by the words, as if he had already realized exactly what she was proposing. Instead, he met her eyes before shaking his head.
“Clark...”
He interrupted her by placing the fingers of one hand on her lips. “Lois, I do want to, but...”
“Clark, I realized tonight that we are married. You are my husband. A piece of paper isn’t going to make our commitment any more real than it is right now. And I want... I need to do this for you.”
His eyes softened. “Lois, I know what you’re saying. I do. But... I want our first time to be perfect.”
“It will be, Clark. Whether it’s here or in Hawaii or... wherever.”
“I don’t care where it is. I don’t. I just want... I don’t want the images of those men and women...” His voice broke. Still, he cleared his throat and continued. “I don’t want those images in my head when we... Not the first time.”
She cocked her head to the side, studying him, before looking down and biting her lower lip. She understood what he was saying. He wanted their first time to be about them - not about him trying to forget a tragedy.
She should have known that. She just so desperately wanted to make everything all right for him, to make him whole. She loved him so desperately and it was killing her inside to see him in so much pain. So how did she help?
“But...” he continued slowly, waiting for her to meet his eyes again. “...I’d like it if you’d... stay tonight?” The last was definitely a question.
“You couldn’t get rid of me if you tried,” she said, realizing immediately that this was how she could help, what she could do.
His smile this time actually reached his eyes. “Then just give me a minute to... get this smell off me and then...” He didn’t complete his thought.
She nodded and watched as he disappeared into the bathroom. She barely had time to get comfortably ensconced below the covers when he joined her, his hair wet, wearing only a pair of boxer shorts.
BREAK HERE - CHAPTER TWO
She was slightly surprised when he lay next to her, facing her, instead of pulling her into his arms. She turned onto her side, still seeing the demons that were haunting him. Leaning forward, she kissed him as his hands slipped beneath the large sweatshirt she was wearing, as if he was drawing heat from her body. She was surprised when his hands actually seemed cold. She hesitated a moment before suddenly sitting up, removing the sweatshirt and pulling him into her arms, cradling him against her breast.
She heard him give a shuttering groan as he pulled her closer.
There was nothing, or almost nothing, sexual about the experience. Even though there was practically no clothing between them, even though she could feel his hot breath against her skin, and even though it was probably the most intimate moment of her life to date - more intimate, in fact, than those few occasions where she had crossed the intimacy threshold with a man - it was not sexual. It was so much deeper than that. It was... She hesitated slightly as she tried to find the right word. ‘Spiritual’ was the word she finally decided on.
Not in the traditional sense, perhaps. Not in a way that a minister might describe it given that they were practically naked in bed while still unwed, but... It was spiritual, nonetheless. In fact, it was probably the most spiritual experience she’d ever had.
Pushing those thoughts aside, she ran her hands soothingly over his back as she held him against her. She was relieved when his muscles begin to relax and his breathing became more regular, deeper. Still, she didn’t sleep. As she lay there, holding the love of her life in her arms, it suddenly hit her what she’d taken on by loving Clark.
He was the man holding up the Golden Gate Bridge.
And now... she was the woman holding up the man holding up the Golden Gate Bridge.
Was she really up to the task? Giving emotional support had never been her strong suit - not like Martha and Jonathan.
Clark mumbled something unintelligible as he buried himself further into her breast.
Yet he had chosen her. And she loved him. She loved him with a strength she wouldn’t have believed herself capable. That love would get them through whatever the future threw at them - just as it had gotten them through the past. She tightened her arms protectively around him. Giving him of her strength and silently vowing that he would never be alone again, her mind drifted to his earnest plea earlier in the evening.
‘Marry me, Lois. Let’s not plan; let’s not wait. Let’s not let clone-makers or psycho psychiatrists or women who shrink people into little people keep us apart. Just... marry me.’
“I will, Clark,” she whispered into his hair. “I swear I will.” As if he’d actually, somewhere in his sleeping mind, heard her words and understood, his arms tightened fractionally around her as she, too, finally succumbed to sleep.
* * * * * * * * *
A ringing phone woke Lois up. Without opening her eyes, she reached across to her night stand where her phone was located, but instead of a phone... Her eyes snapped open when she felt a warm body bob beneath her hand.
She bit back a startled gasp, afraid to wake him but shocked by the sight of Clark, almost naked, floating a few inches above the bed.
Before she had a chance to digest everything, the phone ringing a second time snapped her into action. Clark didn’t seem inclined to wake. Still, there was no point in tempting fate. He needed his sleep and that meant... She snatched the phone out of its cradle and whispered a hello into it.
“Uhh... Lois?”
Perry. Taking the cordless phone with her, Lois quickly climbed out of bed and headed into the living room, snatching up Clark’s sweatshirt on the way.
“Yeah, it’s me,” she said into the phone without thinking. “Who did you expect?”
“Uhh... Well, actually... Clark.”
Clark! And with the speed of light everything fell into place. She squinted at the clock, sleep still partially obscuring her vision. It was early. Plenty of time before the work day officially started. So... “Right well, you see. I’m at Clark’s because...” Her mouth snapped shut. What was she supposed to say? That she was at Clark’s this morning, sleep clearly evident in her voice, because she’d been comforting him as a result of a bad rescue. On the other hand, why was she even trying to explain this to Perry? Perry was her boss. He had no say over her personal life. “Clark’s still sleeping, Perry,” she said instead, even if she couldn’t quite shake the feeling that she’d just been caught in bed with her boyfriend by her father. “Is there something I can do to help?”
“Uhh... well...”
Lois found herself blushing at the hesitation in Perry’s voice. She had obviously caught him off guard by answering Clark’s phone this early in the morning - with Clark still asleep.
“Oh, right. Well, I wanted to tell Clark that I need that story this morning about how organized crime reacted to Superman’s absence.”
“What...” Her voice trailed off when she remembered. That was the excuse she’d given Perry for Clark’s absence when Superman had left for New Krypton. There was only one problem. There was no story because there was no research. “Uhh... when do you need it?” Lois asked.
“In time for the deadline for the afternoon addition. It will work in well with the coverage of Superman’s return.”
“Okay, well, I’ll... I mean Clark will send it in A.S.A.P.”
Lois hung up the phone before, after taking a moment to throw on Clark’s sweatshirt, reaching into his end table to find Clark’s personal phone book. She had some quick research to do now - or questions would be asked about Clark’s absence.
She briefly considered waking Clark before deciding against the idea. He needed his sleep. She was on her own.
* * * * * * * * *
A noise from the bedroom caused Lois to look up from where she was bent over Clark’s laptop.
“Morning,” she said when she saw Clark standing there in his robe. For a moment she lamented the loss of the view she’d been privy to the previous night.
“When I woke up and didn’t find you sleeping beside me, I thought last night was a dream.” He raised his eyebrows. “A really, really good dream.”
She smiled. “Yeah, well, I’ve been known to be a really, really good dream,” she said saucily.
“I know,” Clark said, a teasing gleam in his eyes.
She blushed. If she were honest with herself, she’d had more than her fair share of those dreams in recent months, too.
He gave her a soft smile, slowly padding across the floor. She tilted her head up and then moaned as he planted a gentle, loving kiss on her lips. “I think I could get used to that in the mornings,” she said as he pulled back.
“Then I’ll be sure to add it to my daily ‘to do’ list.” He gently pulled her into his lap so that he could look over her shoulder at the screen on the laptop. “What are you working on?”
“Oh, right. Well, Perry called this morning. Oh, by the way, I’m pretty sure he has some ideas of his own about why I answered your phone this morning instead of you. I just thought you should know. I doubt he’d say anything, but...” She shrugged.
“Don’t worry. I’ll set him straight.”
She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “Don’t bother,” she said, ignoring the look she knew he was giving her. This was Perry, after all. Their boss. Still, when she thought about it rationally, Perry probably would have been even more surprised to learn that she and Clark weren’t intimate than getting, what he would consider confirmation, that they were. “Anyway,” she repeated, “when Superman left for New Krypton, I told Perry that Clark had gone to find out if organized crime was taking advantage of Superman’s absence. Perry is looking for the story.” She gestured to the screen. “I was just giving it a last look - making sure I captured your style.”
He reached across her, quickly scanning the article.
“You didn’t have to do this, Lois. Especially with my name on the byline.”
“It’s your story, Clark,” she said dismissively. “Besides, I forgot all about it with everything else that happened afterwards. So I sort of scrambled to put it together this morning.” She rose to her feet, heading in the direction of the bathroom. She stopped at the door, turning back towards him. “So I hardly want Perry blaming me if it’s no good.” She gave him a playful wink before, with a provocative wiggle of her hips, stepping inside and closing the door.
The article was good. She knew it was good. It amazed her how it had all come together with just a few phone calls. Of course, those calls had been to all the right people. Sources - the life blood of journalism.
“Besides,” she continued through the door, knowing Clark could hear her, “it sort of defeats the purpose of covering for your absence if my name is on the by-line.”
“So organized crime wasn’t organized enough to take advantage of Superman’s absence?” Clark called from the other room.
“That’s about the size of it,” Lois responded. “Guess they never heard the saying ‘you snooze, you lose.’”
Laughter followed her comment. “Still,” Clark said after a moment, “Superman should probably be extra visible the next few nights - just to make sure.”
Lois silently cursed. That was exactly what they didn’t need. Still... “Probably,” she responded before stepping into the shower.
* * * * * * * * *
Lois looked up from her computer, staring blankly at Clark’s empty desk. The past few days had been some of the most frustrating of Lois’ life. The news stories from fallout over the brief stay of the New Kryptonians on Earth were so numerous that Perry had them all running. In fact, he’d even broken up his number one reporting team to chase down all the stories.
Every politician was standing up, giving his or her opinion about the invasion. And each and every one had to be covered for the paper. On top of that, there was Lois’ inside story on the fight itself. She’d even come up with some pretty decent Superman quotes. All of which were authentic, given that they were based on things Clark had actually said to her. Which was good, considering how little she’d actually seen Clark.
Then there was the military angle. Interviewing generals who had to justify the military’s activities in Smallville. And interviewing other generals who wanted to give their opinions about what Earth could do to ensure they would not be as helpless in the future.
There was also the court marshal of General Cash. As was to be expected, Cash was claiming he had the full backing of the Pentagon for his use of kryptonite gas on Nor - in spite of its danger to Superman. Clark had been spending most of his time on this angle. But so far, there was no concrete evidence of Pentagon involvement. On the other hand, Clark couldn’t see how Cash could have got access to the kryptonite on his own.
In the evenings, Superman had been patrolling the skies. It had quickly become obvious that there were more reasons for doing this than just sending a warning to organized crime. Superman needed some brownie points. Even though he had been the one to do battle with Nor, there was a new wariness around him. As a result, he’d been spending all his free time, traveling to every corner of the globe, reassuring people that he was not a threat. Even a glowing article by Lois about how he had risked his own life for the people of Earth had not completely erased the damage done by the New Kryptonians.
As a result, there hadn’t been a single chance during the past few days for them to say much more than good morning to each other. Certainly nothing that would allow her to fulfill her promise to Clark to marry him as soon as possible.
But that was what made this such a Catch-22 situation. If they had been married, at least she could be there when he crawled into bed at night and when he woke up in the morning. After the night they had spent together, and in spite of the circumstances on that occasion, she wanted more than anything to be allowed to fall asleep with him every night. But she knew Clark. Until they were married... No, she didn’t for more than a moment consider asking him if she could move in. Clark would undoubtedly want them to be married before taking that particular step.
She gave her head a shake, trying to get her mind back to the problem at hand. Time with Clark - or the lack thereof. During the last few nights when he’d been out doing his good will thing, she’d been working on an idea.
She glanced up at the clock. It was almost time to leave for the weekend. Now, all she needed was for Clark to get back. Then... they deserved little time for themselves, a little time to relax and unwind. Time to reconnect after his trip to New Krypton. And that was exactly what she was determined to give him. Desperate times did call for desperate measures, after all. All the experts said it.
She rose to her feet and made her way over to Clark’s desk. After scribbling on a post-it note, she quickly affixed it to the middle of his computer monitor before picking up her jacket and purse and heading for the elevators.
* * * * * * * * *
This had been a dumb idea. The takeout food she’d ordered was getting cold on the counter. The candles she’d set up were still unlit. The sexy new dress she’d bought had a slit that was too high for relaxing comfortably on the soft surface of Clark’s couch. And she was alone, nursing the first and only glass of wine she’d poured for herself while waiting for Clark to arrive.
She didn’t even know if he’d received her message. Still, she’d simply invaded his home with the idea of a romantic dinner for two - a dinner where she intended to have a serious talk with him about his previous request.
But for all she knew, Superman was trying to score brownie points by playing charity golf in New Zealand. She set the glass of wine on the coffee table, leaned back into the soft cushions of the couch and sighed. Score one for Lois Lane’s dumb ideas.
She was just about to rise to her feet, deciding that she might warm up some of the take-out cuisine she’d ordered from a quaint little place near the Planet and have a bite to eat by herself before heading home. She’d leave a message for Clark. Maybe they’d be able to get together later - if he got home in time.
Suddenly, her plans were altered when a gust of wind coming from the direction of Clark’s bedroom caused her head to swivel towards the doorway.
A smile found its way onto her face when he was suddenly standing there, looking all sexy in his Superman suit. Every muscle, line and curve of his hard body was outlined to perfection. She quickly swallowed the drool that was beginning to accumulate at the corners of her mouth. ‘You’ve got it bad, Lane,’ she said silently to herself, quickly pushing those thoughts aside before they could completely distract her.
“Hi,” she said instead, rising to her feet.
“Hi,” he responded. “I just got your note. Sorry I couldn’t...” His voice trailed off as his eyes lingered on her sexy attire before noting the table with the candles and flowers. “I’m sorry about this.”
“No. No. It’s fine. Really. It was no big deal.”
“Lois...”
When he said her name like that, she knew he was seeing past the casual air she’d been trying to exude. “Okay, so maybe I’m a little disappointed.” She let out a breath, releasing the tension in her shoulders. “It’s just... Clark, we’ve had almost no time together since you got back from New Krypton.” She walked closer, running her hands over his chest, appreciating the feel of the muscles she’d been admiring earlier.
His hands came up to cover hers, tilting his head in a way that always made him look a little like a cute puppy - especially if one were to take into account the lock of hair that had dropped onto his forehead with the action. “So... if it’s not too late, what do you say I heat up that take out?”
She smiled. “You think it’s salvageable?”
“If it isn’t, I promise to take you anywhere in the world for supper. But personally, the idea of a nice quiet evening alone with you has definite appeal.”
He pulled her into his arms to give her a slow, tender kiss. She reveled in the kiss, luxuriating in the sweet taste of him until he gently pulled back.
“Mmm,” she purred. “So... I guess that means you think we can find some way to... entertain ourselves?” she asked, wiggling her eyebrows at him.
He stepped back without completely releasing her, running his eyes down her body with enough heat to set a fire burning in her belly. “Well, I have to admit a number of possibilities immediately ‘spring’ to mind. In fact, I’m having a ‘hard’ time not thinking of ideas. ”
She laughed, feeling much more light-hearted at his subtle, or perhaps not so subtle, teasing.
“Just give me a minute to change into something... a little more appropriate,” Clark continued. “After all, you look...” Clark pulled in a breath through his teeth. “...breathtaking. I want to at least try to hold up my end.”
“Well, then... How about putting on that outfit you were wearing when I spent the night. I have to admit, I liked that one.” She laughed again when he blushed. Would he always be like this? She certainly hoped so. There was just something so adorable about the fact that he could sound so world-wise one minute and seem so innocent the next. She ran her hands seductively down his chest. “How is it, Clark Kent, that you’ve managed to remain so innocent all these years?”
He smiled. “Something tells me I’m not going to remain ‘innocent’ much longer.”
“Whatever could you mean, Mr. Kent?” she asked, giving her best guileless expression.
He laughed. “Well, Ms. Lane, put some food in me and you’ll see a whole new side to me.”
“Ooo... promises. Promises.” With those words, she turned him back towards his room. As he started to head away, she gave his spandex covered backside a swat. “Is this the side you’re talking about? Because I think I’d like to see that side,” she asked, laughing at the startled look he gave her in response.
“Lo-is,” he hissed in warning, automatically folding his arms across his chest - the typical Superman pose.
Lois had to admit, she loved teasing him while he was in the suit. “What’s wrong, Superman?”
“That’s right. Superman!” he said in his best Superman voice, even though Lois couldn’t miss the twinkle in his eyes.
“Got to show more respect, huh? Too dignified to have people touching your tushie?”
Superman laughed. “Well, you know what they say...” In a move that the human eye couldn’t follow, he dashed over behind Lois, giving her butt a swat before again appearing in front of her. “...turn about is fair play.”
“Well, Superman, you’d better go change... ‘Cause you do that again, we just may end up skipping dinner and I’m starving.”
The flash of heat that appeared in Superman’s eyes told her he was seriously considering convincing her to skip dinner all together. But she had things she wanted to talk to him about tonight and then if things went as planned... No! Best not to think about that right now. Without another word, she quickly turned and, without waiting for him to go and change, headed towards the kitchen.
“Eek!” she screeched when she suddenly found herself in Superman’s arms and in the instant before his lips descended on hers. Passion, deep and real. His lips probing hers. His hands running down her back and over the spot that had received his swat earlier and then...
...he was gone. She took an extra moment, needing to steady herself before making the remainder of the trip to the kitchen on somewhat wobbly legs.
“Wow,” she breathed as she stood in the entranceway to the kitchen, trying to remember what she was supposed to be doing.
* * * * * * * * *
It took Clark all of three minutes to appear again the kitchen. One minute, Lois had heard the shower running and the next he was back in the kitchen dressed in the same charcoal suit he’d worn on their first date. In spite of the speed with which it had been accomplished, he’d even taken the time to shower and shave. And... Damn! He looked good. As good as he had on their first date. Better even. Because this time, he wasn’t wearing his glasses. Clark’s clothes and hair and Superman’s face. The true Clark.
She slowed pouring the wine into the glasses just taking a moment to appreciate the view - and to consider how desperately she wanted to ravish him right where he stood. Forget dinner. Forget the wine. Forget... She jumped when she realized she really had forgotten the wine, because it was now pouring over her fingers.
“Do I meet with your approval?” he asked with a quirk of the lips as she rushed to get a cloth to wipe up the spilled wine. He moved more quickly, getting the cloth and cleaning up the wine before she even made it as far as the sink
“You’ll do,” she said. The casualness of the words was undercut by the slightly breathless way they came out. She licked her hand, cleaning up the wine that still lingered there.
He grinned, taking her hand and allowing himself a taste as well before using the cloth to remove the remainder of the wine. “So... what can I do?”
“Mmm...” She moaned. “Just keep doing that. Or... no, wait! I need you to heat up the food. I dished some out on the plates but I need you to give them a little... zzts... you know, with your heat vision thing-a-ma-do-hickey.”
Clark laughed as he made his way over to the plates. “You have such a unique way of referring to my powers,” he said, even as he did as instructed, using his heat vision to reheat the food until steam was rising from it.
“Don’t want you to get a big head. You know, after all, just because you can hold up the Golden Gate Bridge, I don’t want you thinking you’re better than us,” Lois teased.
Clark laughed, carrying the food over to the table. “Careful, it’s hot,” he said as he set the plates down. “And it smells great,” he added as he pulled out her chair for her.
“Well, you know me. I’m great at take out.”
“You’re great at a lot of other things, too,” he said, planting a kiss on her cheek as she settled into her chair.
She tilted her head back, looking up at him and batting her eyelashes. “So what else am I good at, Mr. Kent?”
He didn’t answer with words. Instead, after letting out a small groan, he leaned over, planting a kiss on her lips.
A sudden knocking on the door startled both of them.
“What the...?” Lois began.
“Oh, no,” Clark groaned.
“What? Who is it?” Lois demanded in hushed tones.
“Jimmy.”
“Jimmy?”
“Yeah. He’s got great timing as usual.” Clark started towards the door.
BREAK HERE - CHAPTER THREE
Lois was out of her chair and standing in front of him almost immediately. “No, Clark. Let’s not answer.” Lois’ voice was barely more than an urgent whisper.
“What?” Clark asked as if he’d never in his life even contemplated something as unneighborly as pretending not to be home. In fact, he looked as if she was suggesting he rob a bank or commit a murder.
“Please, Clark. I mean, what if he came over because there’s some hot tip that we have to follow up on immediately? This is our night. This is the first evening we’ve had to ourselves since you got back from New Krypton. I don’t want to answer the door.”
“You don’t want to follow up on some hot tip?” Clark asked incredulously.
“No, I don’t want to know if there is some hot tip - because then I know I won’t be able to resist following up on it,” she clarified. “Right now. There’s no tip. There’s nothing to follow up on. So... don’t open the door.”
Clark glanced past Lois to the door, obviously debating. The fight between good-manners and Lois’ plea obviously warring inside him. After a moment, he groaned.
“What?” Lois demanded.
“I don’t think we have a choice. He’s retrieving my key from under my flowerpot.”
“Clark, how many times have I told you... No, wait!” she exclaimed, still using that same stage whisper. “Get us out of here.”
“What?” He turned back towards her.
“Just... Now, Clark. Just... Let’s go. If we aren’t here, he’ll leave and we can still...” Her voice trailed off when Clark became a blur. A moment later, the candles she’d lit had been extinguished. The soft background music was turned off. The food was still sitting on the table, but she was in his arms and then... they were standing on the roof of his apartment building.
It took her a moment to adjust to the change in her environment. When she realized that Clark was staring at the roof, she looked down as well.
“What’s going on in there?” she demanded, still whispering.
“He’s... coming in,” Clark replied obediently. “He’s calling my name, looking around. I suppose he’s confused as to why the lights are on.”
“Why didn’t you turn them off?”
“He’d see that from outside.”
“Now he’s closing the door behind him, walking further into the apartment.”
Lois smiled. Clark had learned well since she’d discovered that he was Superman. Since she couldn’t see, he knew she would want a full running commentary.
“Oh, no,” Clark groaned.
“What?”
“He’s discovered our dinner. He seems confused as to why it’s still hot.”
“He couldn’t know that we’re avoiding him.”
“I don’t think...”
“What?” she demanded when he fell silent.
“He’s mumbling something about... ‘They probably got a call and had to go out.’”
“Now what’s he doing?”
“Oh, no.”
“What?”
“He just made a comment about there being no point in letting our supper go to waste.”
“Nooo,” Lois groaned, leaning her head against Clark’s shoulder.
“I’m afraid so. He’s sitting down at the table right now, flicking on the television and picking up a fork.” He turned to Lois. “Sorry, I should have thought to put our dinner in the fridge or something before bringing you up here. I could have always reheated it again.”
Lois sighed. “It’s not your fault, Clark. It wasn’t as if he gave us a lot of time.” She sighed again.
“Hey,” he said, a deliberately light tone in his voice, “we’re still together.” He pulled her into his arms. “And you’re all dressed up. And we can go anywhere in the world. So... How about it? Where do you want to go?”
She stared at him for a long silent moment before responding. “Las Vegas.”
His eyebrows rose.
“We need a little fun, Clark,” she said playfully. “And what better place to have a little fun than Las Vegas.”
He smiled. “Fine.” He picked her up in his arms. “Next stop: Sin City.”
She giggled as he took to the sky.
* * * * * * * * *
Lois was in awe as she flew in Clark’s arms, high enough not to be noticed in the moonless night sky, looking at all the multicolored lights of The Strip. She’d been here once, years ago, for a convention. But never had she seen the city like this. It was... impressive, even to the city girl.
“So... what first?” Clark asked as he landed them in a dark alley. “Do you want to go for a nice supper? There are some great restaurants here. Romantic. Or would you rather go gambling? Or maybe we could go danc...”
She turned, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him into a long, sultry kiss. “That first,” she said when she released him, finally stepping out of the circle of his embrace.
“Wait a minute,” he said, pulling her back into his arms. “That second, too.” And with that, he returned his mouth to hers, probing the sensitive places, slowly, sensually until the only thing holding her up were his arms around her.
“Wow,” she breathed when this kiss finally ended. She looked up into his unfocused eyes, almost falling into them until she realized exactly where her train of thought was leading her. And she most definitely had other plans for him before then. “Whoa,” she breathed, finally stepping back. “So... Let’s go to one of the casinos. We can get something to eat there to tide us over and then... time for us to have some fun. Relax. Get into the right frame of mind for... Well..” She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear.
“Why not just skip to ‘well’?” he asked.
She avoided his arms when he reached for her this time. Instead, she grabbed one of his hands, linking her fingers through his to lead him out of the alley and to... who knew where. Somewhere fun. Still, she couldn’t resist a final, parting comment. “Later,” she whispered. His answering groan of approval made her smile.
* * * * * * * * *
“Everyone down on the floor!” shouted a man with a gun as he, together with his buddies, stormed into the room. Everyone instantly obeyed. The shots that had been fired moments before had convinced everyone that these men were serious.
From her position on the ground, Lois groaned. This was definitely not what she’d had in mind when she’d dragged Clark to a casino to have some fun. She felt like hitting her head against the floor in frustration.
Why them? Why always them?
And it had been going so well, too. They had grabbed a couple of quick sandwiches before hitting the casino. Clark had been laughing and teasing her and quite thoroughly relaxed and she... well, she’d just won a whole pile of nickels. And now... this had to happen. “Typical night in the life of Lois and Clark,” she muttered under her breath.
She heard a small snort come from Clark’s position on the floor next to her and realized he’d heard her. She glanced over at him. He was levitating only millimeters off the floor - a fact that she never would have known if she hadn’t had her cheek pressed against the floor - and was trying to silently back away. Obviously, he was trying to get out of there so that he could come back as Superman.
“You!” one of the hooded men yelled causing Clark to freeze and sink back onto the floor. “Where do you think you’re going?” he demanded of Clark.
“I...” Clark began.
The hooded man grabbed Lois. “Move another inch and your girlfriend gets it.” The man dragged Lois to her feet, placing the barrel of his gun hard against the side of her head.
She rolled her eyes and had to fight the urge to groan. Typical. Predictable even. Couldn’t these guys come up with something new... something original?
“Look, I’m not going to try anything,” Clark said and Lois could hear the fear lurking beneath the calm words. “Just let her go.”
The man ignored him, backing away, dragging her with him, all the time keeping his eyes fixed firmly on Clark.
She could see the frustration and fear in Clark’s eyes. He was trapped. Even if he was prepared to reveal his secret to the world, which she had no doubt he would do to save her life, by the time he could move, she would be dead.
She glanced around at where other hooded men were collecting jewelry from the other patrons, trying to come up with a plan. What they needed was a diversion. Something that would make her captor take his eyes off Clark long enough for him to make a move.
A look at Clark told her he was reading her mind. She knew because at the moment he looked horrified. He gave his head an almost imperceptible shake.
She broke eye contact, ignoring the silent warning, before, in her highest pitch voice, she began to shriek at the top of her lungs. “Don’t kill me! Please don’t kill me! I’ll do anything you want! Just please don’t kill me!” She forced herself to go limp in her captor’s arms, making him hold her up. “Here! Here!” She began struggling to get her engagement ring off. “Take this! Just please don’t kill me! You can have it all! Please, just don’t hurt me! I don’t wanna die! Don’t kill me! Please don’t kill me!”
It worked. She knew her captor must have taken his eyes off Clark to deal with the hysterical woman in his arms because out of the corner of her eye she could tell that Clark was no longer lying on the floor.
“Take my engagement ring! It’s okay! You can have it! Just don’t hurt me, mister! Please don’t hurt me!” She was proud when she was even able to drum up some tears to go with her hysterical ranting. “I won’t tell anyone! I swear! It’s all yours! Please, just take it and let me go!”
“Shut up! Just shut up, woman!”
“I’ll shut up! I swear! I’ll do anything you want! Just please don’t kill me!”
All attention was now directed at her.
“Get control of that woman!” one of the other robbers yelled at her captor.
“I’m trying,” her captor shot back. “Shut up, woman!”
And then all mayhem seemed to break loose. A wind of almost tornado proportions shot through the room, and Lois felt herself being pushed away from her captor. She fell to her hands and knees on the floor as a shot rang out. And then... silence.
A small smile quirked at the corner of Lois’ mouth when she saw Superman standing in the middle of the room, the men in hoods all tied up around him.
“Is everyone all right?” Superman asked his stunned audience.
* * * * * * * * *
“Not your fault!” Lois exclaimed, staring the manager of the casino straight in the eye. “How could it not be your fault! Men with guns got in here. If it hadn’t been for Superman, we could all have been killed!”
“Listen, Miss...”
“Lane! And it’s Ms!”
“Ms. Lane,” the manager said, emphasizing the ‘Ms.’ “I promise you, we have the best security in the city. Even if Superman hadn’t shown up, no one would have gotten hurt. I assure you.”
“And how can you assure me of that!” Lois said. “The only way you can assure me that no one would have gotten hurt is if you have some inside information. But then, I don’t know why I didn’t see it before. This has ‘inside job’ written all over it!”
“Lo-is,” she heard Clark’s gentle voice in her ear. Obviously, he’d finally finished up his Superman obligations and had come up behind her at some point while she’d been giving the manager a tongue-lashing.
“Ms. Lane,” the manager said, his voice changing from soothing to irritated in an instant. “If you’re going to throw around accusations, you’d better have something to back them up. I think it’s time you left. There are plenty of other casinos that would probably be very glad to take your money, but you’re no longer welcome here.”
The manager gestured to someone over Lois’ shoulder, but Lois’ attention was still focused on the man in front of her.
“I’m a reporter for the Daily Planet and if you think I can’t get the evidence to prove your involvement, you’re sadly... Hey, what are you doing?” she asked when a security guard grabbed her arm and began pulling her away. She felt Clark remove the security guard’s hand from her arm, but instead of letting her go, replaced it with his own as he allowed security to ‘escort’ both of them, rather forcefully, from the casino. “Hey, what about my nickels?” Lois exclaimed as they were forced through the doors. “I won a bunch of nickels. You can’t make me leave without my nickels!”
The door shut behind her and Clark on her final words, leaving the two of them standing in the street outside the casino.
“That man knows something, Clark,” Lois said, spinning from where her eyes were focused on the door to look at her partner. “I can feel it. He’s hiding... What?” she asked when she realized that he was trying not to laugh.
“What?” she demanded again.
But instead of answering her, he suddenly broke out into laughter.
“Hey, it’s not funny,” she objected. But even as she spoke, she couldn’t keep the smile off her face. “That man is...” She giggled. “That man is...” She tried again before following Clark’s example and bursting into laughter. The whole thing had just been so... Lois and Clark. It was their night off and they had, of course, had to step into the one casino in Las Vegas that was being robbed. And then... being thrown out of the casino... Her laughter increased. She doubted some things would ever change.
“Oh, Lois,” Clark said, pulling her into his arms as his laughter calmed somewhat, “I love you.”
“Well, that’s good, farmboy, ‘cause you’re kinda stuck with me.”
When the laughter finally died, Clark pulled back to look at her. “So... where to now? Did you want to find another casino? Or maybe you want to investigate the casino robbery? Or we could go and get a nice supper? I mean, the sandwiches were okay, but...”
“I’ve got a better idea.”
“What?”
She shrugged. “Let’s just go for a walk. You know, look at the lights, appreciate the scenery.”
He looked at her for a moment, as if he knew she had something up her sleeve, and she tried to look as innocent as possible in return. Damn. How did he do that? How did he, at times, seem to see right through her?
Still, after a moment, he responded in the affirmative to her suggestion, and they headed, arm and arm down the brightly lit street.
* * * * * * * * *
“Where exactly are we going, Lois?” Clark asked after a time.
“Why would you think we’re going anywhere in particular?” Lois asked, even as she stopped Clark in the middle of the street and looked around in confusion. “What street is that?”
Clark used his enhanced vision to tell her the name of the street.
“Perfect!” Lois exclaimed, before moderating her exclamation of delight. “I mean, why don’t we head that way?”
Clark smiled. What exactly was Lois up to? Oh, he knew she was up to something. That part was so obvious that she might as well be wearing a sign. Still, when she grabbed his hand and began pulling him towards the street she’d been so excited to hear the name of a moment ago, he didn’t object.
When they turned the corner onto the street, she pulled him to a stop, again looking around until she seemed to find what she was looking for. He glanced in the appropriate direction. A small log building was nestled in amongst some luscious trees. A series of soft lights lit the path leading from the street into the building.
He crinkled his eyebrows when, without further hesitation, she led him across the street to the entrance of the path. He could hear her pulse quicken. Whatever she had in mind had to do with this building. Still, he didn’t try to solve the puzzle. Lois would tell him in her own good time and he had to admit, he was enjoying this mystery. For suddenly he knew that the decision to come to Las Vegas hadn’t been an impulse decision at all. They were here for a reason, but... what was that reason? And what had Lois so nervous?
“Lois?” he asked again as they neared the front door, pulling her to a halt when he got his first good look at the sign out front. “Four Pines’ Chapel?” he asked.
She shrugged her shoulders. “Imagine that? A chapel in Las Vegas? Who’d have thought it? Can you believe the name? There are a lot more than four pines here. It should be called Pine Grove Chapel. Or maybe Pine Forest Chapel - although that might be overdoing it a bit. After all, you can’t exactly call this a forest either. It’s more like a ‘grove.’ Yep, definitely a grove.”
He smiled. Nervous babble. So typically Lois. He couldn’t even begin to say how much he had missed her when he’d been with the New Kryptonians. Still, it didn’t answer the question of why she was nervous, or why she had brought them here.
“Lois?” he asked again.
She stumbled a bit, as if not entirely sure what to do or say now. It took her a moment to finally meet his eyes. “Did you mean it?”
“Mean what?” he asked, completely lost now.
“Let’s not plan; let’s not wait; just marry me?”
He looked at her in shock for a moment, before glancing again at the sign announcing exactly where there were. A wedding chapel in Las Vegas. Suddenly, things began to make sense. A smile made its way across his face. “When you’re eloping, isn’t it customary to at least tell the groom?” he asked with a laugh.
Her laugh matched his - if not slightly more nervous. “Well, I didn’t want anything to jinx it. And you did say you didn’t want to plan... So... will you?”
“Will I?” he asked, wanting to be certain he understood.
“Marry me. Now. Tonight.”
“There’s nothing I want more, but, Lois, are you sure? Our families? Our friends?”
“Clark, I want to be your wife. I don’t want to wait.”
He searched her eyes, looking there for the reassurance he needed. He wanted to marry her. Oh, god, how he wanted to marry her. But if they did this, would she come to regret it? Maybe not tomorrow or the next day. But ten years down the road.
“Oh, god, you don’t want to get married,” Lois suddenly said. “When you said not to plan, you meant that you wanted a small wedding, not some quick ceremony in a city as tacky as Las Vegas. I did it again, didn’t I. This was a stupid idea. But you know me. I just had to jump right into the deep end without checking the water level.”
Huh? Keeping up with Lois at warp speed was always difficult. But while still trying to weigh all the pros and cons of her proposal, he wasn’t exactly sure what she was going on about. Or... at least he wasn’t until he saw her chin tremble and realized she was on the verge of tears.
“Of course, you’d want Martha and Jonathan here. I mean you have sane parents. Why wouldn’t you want them to see you get married?” she continued. “It was a stupid idea, anyway. I mean, I planned to discuss it with you over dinner. And then Jimmy showed up. And I thought maybe we should just relax a little bit first, sort of ease into the idea, and then those robbers showed up. And then I thought I might jinx it if I told you. That maybe if we just sort of ended up here, you’d...”
Her words were cut off by Clark’s lips on hers.
For a brief moment, he felt her tense and knew that she was still telling herself all the reasons this was a dumb idea. Just bring him to a chapel and expect him to get married. It was so... Lois.
And then he felt her relax, and after another moment, respond. Her arms slipped around his neck as the kiss deepened. Her body was soft and responsive against his, bringing his own body instantly to life. He heard a soft mew come from the back of her throat as his hands slid down her back, pulling her even closer, loving the feel of her curves pressed so intimately against him. When he finally pulled back, she looked somewhat dazed, as if she didn’t remember where she was - much less what she’d been ranting about moments before.
“Yes,” Clark said softly
“Yes?” she asked in return, her eyes registering confusion.
“Let’s get married. Tonight. Now,” Clark said. “No more waiting. No more planning. Just, marry me, Lois.”
She stared at him in disbelief for a moment before throwing herself into his arms. “Yes,” she said, echoing his words. Then, just as suddenly, she pulled back, as if having second thoughts. “But... our friends. Our family...”
“They’ll understand. You know they will. Lois, let’s get married. Let’s not wait for clone makers or New Kryptonians or amnesia or... I don’t know... let’s not wait for the Wedding Destroyer to break out of the asylum and stop us from getting married.”
Lois eyebrows crinkled together. “What made you think of her?”
He shrugged. “The point is... I want to marry you. So... how about it?” He dropped to a knee in front of her. “Will you marry me?”
She stared at him for a split second before her eyes again welled up with tears. But unlike the last time, these were happy tears. “Yes, Clark. Oh yes,” she said before throwing herself into his arms so that they could find each other’s lips once more.
* * * * * * * * *
Pleasantly plump Elsa Grouse had plans for the rest of the evening. Her husband had promised her a home cooked meal. And never during their thirty-four years of marriage had his cooking disappointed her. And then, a quiet evening at home, just the two of them. How long had it been since they’d done that? Oh, yes. She certainly had plans for the rest of the evening.
She was cleaning up the front reception area, piling up magazines and putting everything in order when the door to the chapel opened and a good-looking couple walked in, hand in hand.
“Can I help you?” Elsa asked.
“We want to get married,” the man said, beaming proudly at the woman by his side.
Elsa’s heart practically melted when he turned towards her and she caught the tail end of the look he’d been giving the woman.
“Did you have a reservation?” she asked, moving back over to the counter to flip through the appointment book. She thought the
.
. So I guess my question is whether people need me to post the story here - or if those who wanted to read it have already done so?
. Otherwise, I might have to divide it up into parts.