I don't know whether I'll make any friends with posting this part now. Since the rest of this week will keep me busy, there won't be a part six in the next couple of days. But it's wednesday now and I think we're all longing for something to distract us from the fact that weekend is still so far away. So here you go with something pretty waffy. Most of it is Nancy's fault, but I guess she likes to take responsibility. She urged me to write
more, more, more if I may quote her here.
Thanks to Nancy, Pam, Dandello, LaraMoon and Jana for betareading.
From Part 4:A sudden understanding became visible in the hero’s eyes as he noticed the bond between Lois and Clark. For a moment he froze as if he wasn’t sure whether to admit defeat or whether he was going to take the ultimate step. Lois felt her heart stop at the sight of Superman and Clark. Time went by so slowly that each second seemed to last an eternity. Both men stood still, staring at each other disparagingly like the foes in the showdown of a western movie. Suddenly Superman’s hand darted forward and grabbed Clark’s neck.
“Damn you! You bastard!” he yelled furiously. “She is mine! Mine!” he emphasized. Lois watched Clark struggle against the deathly grip, his body going limp as Superman shook him violently.
“Nooo!” she screamed. Separate Lives
Part 5:“Noooo!” Lois's outcry and her arm that landed hard on his chest were enough to awaken Clark.
For a moment, he had no idea where he was, but as someone kicked him, the memories of the past hours came back to him. Clark grunted and rubbed his leg. Her kick hadn’t been hard, but kind of unexpected. He hadn’t thought Lois would sleep in his bed. Her cry had faded into irregular breathing and the woman next to him tossed from one side to the other. It took Clark a moment to realize she was still asleep. He would have thought that something that had woken him up instantly would have the same effect on her. But Lois was still deeply caught in some nightmare that had to be terrible, judging from her fearful murmurs that now escaped her lips. A little clumsily, he drew her closer. He wasn’t quite sure if it was the right thing to do, but she stilled at his touch. Putting his inhibitions aside for a moment, Clark placed a gentle kiss on her forehead before he called her name.
“Lois, wake up, you are having a nightmare.” He needed to repeat that several times, shaking her softly, before she opened her eyes. Startled she almost jumped out of bed, hitting Clark’s head and his hurt side in the process.
“Ow,” he moaned and let go of her. With a sharp intake of breath he fell back on his bed and waited for the pain to recede.
“Clark,” Lois whispered in shock and turned to him, examining him carefully. “Oh God, I’m so sorry,” she said anxiously. And, afraid that she was going to hurt him again, she wanted to get out of the bed.
Clark caught her hand, holding her back and caressed it with his thumb. “I’m okay,” he whispered reassuringly. “Please calm down and tell me about that dream of yours. It must have been an awful nightmare.”
“Dream?” she muttered irritably. “I wasn’t dreaming.”
Her words had been too hasty for Clark not to notice that she was trying to minimize the situation. She was so desperately trying not to look at him, that Clark couldn’t help to think that she knew exactly what her dream had been about. But for some reason she wasn’t willing to tell him. He didn’t want to force her into it. That wouldn’t do any good and Clark was almost sure that she would shut him out if he asked too many questions. Thus he decided to play along, pretending to believe her.
“Yes, you were. Why else do you think I woke up? You were screaming like someone was going to kill you,” Clark said softly and took her in his arms again. “So you don’t remember it?” he asked and felt her nodding in reply. He ran his hand up and down her arm, comfortingly. “It’s over. Close your eyes. There is nothing more to fear.” Lois relaxed slightly as she heard his compassionate voice and lay down again. But there was still a palpable tension in her that didn’t allow her to find comfort in his embrace. Clark could feel that she wanted to get up again. She shifted about restlessly.
“Clark, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb you,” she said dejectedly. Clark felt that she wanted to get up. Lois continued, “I’m going to sleep on the sofa.”
The prospect of her leaving him absolutely did not appeal to Clark. He had been surprised as he found her lying next to him. Though he still had no idea which role she played in his life, there was nothing he enjoyed more than sharing his bed with her. Holding her in his arms was Heaven and he wasn’t planning on letting her go so easily. Of course he would prefer to not get kicked again, but even that was nothing compared to being left alone.
“Don’t go,” he pleaded. “Not because of me, Lois.”
“But…” she disagreed.
“What is this about, Lois? My bed is big enough and now that I’m awake I can move over to one side and you can have the other. Which one do you prefer?” He looked into her eyes and despite the darkness he could see the doubt in them. She didn’t seem to know which decision to make and he could practically see her inner struggle. Everything about her stance showed Clark that she didn’t really want to leave him. But she didn’t seem to think this was reasonable. Her fingers were playing with the blanket as her heart was fighting with her mind. There was no way to tell which side would win.
“I…” Her voice trailed off as if she had thought that her inner war was over, when just one battle had been won.
“I’m not going to do anything you don’t want me to do,” he said, hoping this was going to help her. In fact he was far too tired to try anything, though he wasn’t sure this would still be true if she really pleaded with him to hold her tightly; to love her. He couldn’t have explained why he felt like this. All he knew was that being with her was the most incredible thing imaginable, even if she beat him up in the throes of a nightmare. “So which side is it?”
“The right one,” Lois replied shyly and he could vaguely discern that she lowered her glance to the floor. With a nod he moved over to the left, unsure whether she could have seen it. Clark noticed that his feet were cold and with a sigh he slipped under the blanket, lifting the other side of it up for Lois to join him.
It took her a moment and Clark guessed that she had gotten rid of her trousers, wearing only her t-shirt and panties as she sat down on the side of the bed. A jolt of excitement coursed through him as she lay down beside him and the feeling even increased as she moved closer. Clark couldn’t believe his luck as he felt her against his shoulder, caressing him softly. She cleared her throat several times, before she found the courage to speak.
“Would… would you hold me in your arms?” she asked, sounding embarrassed by her own question.
“Of course,” Clark murmured.
As she rested her head against him he could feel her chest rising and falling in his arm. Her slender frame seemed so small to him, so fragile. But he sensed that was a false impression. The wonderful woman in his arms was a lot stronger than she looked like. She could easily stand her ground. She was fascinating and there was something about her spirit that irresistibly drew him towards her. Smiling contentedly, Clark drifted off to sleep again. It seemed even more inviting to him than it had before to access dreamland. He had some nice things to dream about.
Though his warmth spread through her, Lois couldn’t get back to sleep quite so easily. After her nightmare, she still felt shaken like she had been on a roller coaster ride. Not even Clark’s comforting embrace could make her feel completely at ease. Things had gotten a lot better ever since she had woken up, but they were still not well enough for her to find rest. She couldn’t believe that she had found a man like this, a real fairy tale prince. He was kind and caring. He didn’t even try to force himself on her, though she had given him the opportunity to take advantage of the situation.
A single tear ran down her cheek as she imagined what would have happened if she hadn’t accidentally run into Clark. Or had he run into her? She wasn’t so sure anymore, but that wasn’t important anyway. He was with her, he was okay. Now that she had him back, all the trouble of the past days was going to fade away. As soon as Clark had rested, they could start investigating the Superman affair. It was time that someone shed some light into all those misunderstandings. Clark would love to help his friend, if they still were friends, that was. Lois cringed at the memory of her last encounter with Superman. But there had to be a good reason for his behavior and she was going to find out with a little help from Clark.
She needed to tell Clark that she loved him, like she had wanted to do since she had found that he was missing. But she didn’t know how she was going to do that. There were some confessions to make if she honestly wanted to take their relationship to the next step. She wasn’t sure yet if she really could admit to Clark how stupid she had been. It was another problem she needed to solve and unfortunately Clark wasn’t the right person to help her in this case. But she didn’t need to know that answer tonight, she decided wearily and lulled by Clark’s even breathing, Lois closed her eyes as well.
* * *
Lois stirred as the first rays of sunlight met her face and wearily she gazed into the new morning. For a moment she thought about closing her eyes again and going back to sleep. She wasn’t fully awake yet and the last few days had been exhausting to put it politely. But something was irritating her, wasn’t part of her usual sleeping habits and thus kept her awake. A light pressure against her side reminded her that she wasn’t alone in bed. Just in the second before she wanted to jump out of it, Lois remembered who was lying next to her and relaxed.
Clark let out a soft grunt as he felt her tense and gently pulled her closer. His thumb moved slowly over her upper arm and the light caress made her relax even more. Lois couldn’t remember when she had last woken up, snuggled to a man who was even this affectionate when he was sleeping. After the nights she had spent with Paul or Claude she had mostly found herself alone in bed, a note on her nightstand with a brief thank you written on it. That had been all she had gotten, if it had been that much.
Clark however hadn’t even tried to seduce her. He just held her; nothing else and still was there. Any other man wouldn’t have been patient like that, would have expected something from her that she wasn’t sure she was ready to give. A little embarrassed Lois noticed that she had practically given Clark an invitation to go further. She hadn’t really thought of what it would imply if she took her pants off. She had just been tired and eager to get a little more comfortable. Had he been he perfect gentleman because he didn’t want her? The nagging thought refused to subside and Lois bit her lip to keep from crying out her despair. She didn’t want to be rejected, not again, not like this, not by this man. Who, if not he, could be the person that made her complete?
She leaned into his embrace and drank in the soft masculine scent of his skin. Warmth radiated through her and it made her shiver with delight. Her lips tickled with desire to place a kiss on that chest and the sudden impulse almost scared her. What had gotten into her? Not so long ago Lois hadn’t even dared consider being in a real man’s arms. After her federal disasters with men, she hadn’t wanted a relationship ever again. Until the day Clark had asked her out, she hadn’t imagined this would change anytime soon. And when she had been engaged to Lex Luthor, she had pushed this image as far away as she could, figuring that she could deal with the problem as soon as it actually occurred.
Lois realized she wasn’t prepared to deal with the consequences of sharing Clark’s bed. He had kept his promise; he hadn’t forced himself on her. He just continued to caress her lightly in feathery moves that made her breathing shallow and her head dizzy. Her fingers itched to trace the outline of his muscular chest, to return some of the pleasure he was giving her. She wanted to bury her face in the crook of his neck and wished he would caress more than just her arm. Suddenly, the idea of taking things further didn’t seem all that scary anymore.
She swallowed hard and before Lois really knew it, she tasted his lips, felt their tenderness under hers. Stirring slightly, Clark opened his mouth to welcome her and she felt the light, lingering brush of his tongue against hers. He tasted like chili chocolate, spicy and sweet. It was incredible. Lois knew she had kissed him before, but right now it had an air of the forbidden. She wasn’t doing something two adults had consented to, like Clark would probably have put it. No, Lois Lane was being reckless in a completely new area. She hadn’t made a list weighing the pros and cons; she hadn’t discussed this with Clark. At any other time, she was jumping head first into disaster, but for quite some time now Lois hadn’t dared to even dip her toe into the pool of love.
Lois felt Clark responding to her touch and his caressing hand wandered from her arm over to her back. A soft moan indicated that Clark became more alert as Lois started to nuzzle his neck, following through with her earlier fantasy. He felt good, addictive. Lois wasn’t sure what would happen if Clark became fully awake. The prospect made her slightly nervous, because she didn’t know how far she was ultimately willing to take this. Right now she was the one deciding things, but that could change quickly.
“Lois?” Clark asked drowsily and his eyes fluttered open. Again she captured his lips with hers but he stilled her. Gently he ran his hand along her cheek and cupped her face in his palm. He smiled at her warmly and there was something so entirely relaxed and happy about this smile that it made Lois’ heart jump with excitement.
It was as if someone had given her a push, making her cross the threshold she had fled so many times. Lois turned her head and felt the light caress of his hand in her face as she brought his palm to her mouth. Placing a light kiss in it, she glanced at the gorgeous man beside her. It seemed to Lois as if he belonged there, his chest under hers. All doubt she might have felt was replaced by a sudden jolt of incredible contentment. She tasted the faint saltiness of his skin and was amazed how soft it was. Had she ever felt male hands that were as smooth as Clark’s? She couldn’t think of anyone. He had to be a tender lover and she was tempted to find out.
Slowly, he traced the lines of her lips not missing a single spot on them. Lois shivered at his touch. Her lips tingled with anticipation as he gently drew her towards him. Briefly before their lips could meet they stilled. For a moment they drowned in each other’s eyes, their faces barely an inch apart. Both were searching for any hint of disapproval. It didn’t take more than a blink to convince them that their feelings were mutual. Then Clark closed the distance between them. His touch was soft, almost shy at first. His tongue grazed her mouth, lingering between her slightly open lips before he gently slid between them. Lois welcomed the silky intruder with a low moan that escaped from the depths of her throat. She felt his caresses and soon their tongues were moving in a slow seductive dance.
Lois yearned to touch him, to feel more of Clark than his lips on hers. Her hands started exploring his chest more in detail. She felt his pectorals flex under her fingers as he began to stroke her back again. His warm hands felt so good on her skin. She moaned with delight and Clark seemed to become a little more alert and courageous.
Clark wasn’t sure if he was actually awake. Reality just couldn’t be so heavenly. He felt as if his heart would burst with happiness. This was bliss. He couldn’t get enough of the honey-like taste of her lips. Clark was lost in Lois, lost in the tenderness of her touch and the silkiness of her skin under his fingers. Everything around him had vanished into a haze, but he couldn’t care less as long as Lois was there. She felt so small and vulnerable in his arms and he wanted nothing more than to hold and protect her.
Catching her breath, Lois broke their kiss, leaving Clark’s lips with the aching need to be touched again. He let out a disappointed growl. Lois smiled. She laid her hand on his mouth to still him. But her fingers, though warm and soft, were no substitute for the taste of her kiss. He gently nuzzled her fingertips and watched with delight as she closed her eyes. It was obvious that she was enjoying his playful ministrations.
Lois licked her lips and sighed softly. She looked just adorable. Her cheeks were slightly flushed in a warm rosy tone that emphasized her eyes. They seemed to gleam even more and Clark felt drawn into those dark pools. He could have looked at her forever, confident that he wouldn’t ever get tired of admiring her. This was definitely how he imagined waking up for the rest of his life.
It wasn’t long before she withdrew her hand again and bent down to capture his lips once more. Her kiss was hungrier as if the brief moment of separation had famished her. She was like a storm, powerful and wild. But at the same time her kiss had something warm and tender to it, resembling a summer breeze. Clark responded to her touch as if this might be the last kiss he was ever going to get. He sure hoped they would share more of these precious moments. Her kisses were just too delicious not to savor them to the full. Both were breathless as they parted again.
“I love you,” Lois said and almost flinched as she heard her own voice form this confession.
Until a second ago she hadn’t been sure she would actually have the courage to tell him. It was old news that she loved him. Lois had known this since the day she had stood in front of the mirror in her wedding dress, trying to come to terms with marrying Lex Luthor. Although she had realized the true nature of her feelings for Clark some time ago, she had refused to admit them openly, as if she wasn’t yet ready for any commitments.
A loud ring interrupted them violently, before Clark could say anything. They groaned in unison and sat up in bed, Lois considerably quicker than Clark. She reached for the phone beside the bed, but suddenly remembered that it wasn’t her apartment. Indecisively she looked over to Clark, but he just gestured for her to take the call. With a relieved nod, she grabbed the receiver, curious who would call Clark early in the morning. It could as well be for her, given that she had spent every free minute at his place over the past days.
“Lois Lane,” she answered the phone.
“Lois, this is Jimmy. Did you see the news?” Jimmy replied, his voice trembling and slightly sounding as if he had been crying.
“Jimmy, what is it?” Lois asked worriedly. Something really bad had to have happened if Jimmy was reacting like this. She knew him as a pretty strong and optimistic young man. It took a lot to upset him and even more to bring him to tears. “Tell me,” she urged and looked at Clark, shrugging to indicate that she didn’t have any idea what this call was about.
“You… you’ve gotta see that…it’s…it’s…” his voice cracked as he was trying to say it. “Just turn on the news,” he then ordered, giving up on explaining something to her that he wasn’t capable of putting into words.
“Okay, I’ll do it, Jimmy. Which channel?” she wanted to know as she got up and walked over to Clark’s living room.
“Doesn’t matter,” Jimmy replied briefly and fell silent.
Lois could hear faint sounds of a news report in the background, but it was impossible to understand anything. It was more than surprising that she heard anything at all. Jimmy had to call from the Planet. Short on money as he always was, he didn’t own a telephone. And he wasn’t calling from a phone booth. The sound was unmistakable. The newsroom was the busiest place Lois knew besides Wall Street. And right now it was frighteningly silent there, except for the sound of the breaking news.
Lois's heart was pounding loudly in her ears. She had a vague idea of what was so unbelievable to Jimmy and it made her stomach cringe. She wished her intuition was wrong in this case. But something that was on every channel was likely to be what she was afraid of. Nervously, Lois switched on the TV and waited for the screen to show her what Jimmy hadn’t been able to tell her.
The images of a dark alley appeared and Lois could see the blinking, colorful lights of the emergency services flashing up periodically. A couple of men were carrying a dead body on a stretcher that was covered with a sheet. Cold sweat appeared on Lois’ forehead as she saw it. She wasn’t sure if she needed another confirmation for her suspicion. Suddenly, as if someone had turned on the sound, she could hear the news anchor’s voice.
“…the dead body of a man has been found in Suicide Slum after the police had gotten a hint from a Metropolis’ citizen. The man isn’t yet officially identified. According to a spokesperson of the local police department the man was wearing Superman’s suit. The preliminary coroner’s report hasn’t yet been released, but a press conference is scheduled for noon, Metropolis time.”
Lois didn’t notice how the receiver slipped from her hands and fell to the floor. She just stood there, her mouth gaping open as the same pictures were repeated over and over again. The stretcher in the dark alley, the coroner’s van, an interview with a policeman… The news anchor tried to put the message into different words, but he still meant the same.
Superman was dead. To be continued...Just wanted to mention that I'll put all my toys back into place, though I'm not particularly famous for being tidy.
