“Clark!” Lois gasped as he swung her up into his arms as they neared the door of 3015 Charlotte Circle. “What are you doing?”
“Carrying you over the threshold, of course.”
“It’s not even our house yet.”
“Then I’m practicing for when it is.”
Lois gave him a quick kiss as they entered the house. “Put me down. I want to look around. Oh, that avocado is awful. Definitely has to go. What’s under these carpets?”
Clark pulled his glasses down and took a look. “We’re in luck. Hardwood floors. They need to be sanded down and refinished. Looks like they’ve seen some wear and tear.”
“Of course, if we take out this wall, we’ll have to put in new floors anyway. Is it a load-bearing wall?”
Clark looked over his glasses again. “No, it can come out if you want.”
Lois headed down the hall to the master bedroom. “Looks like they got rid of the avocado in here but country blue and pink has been out of style for at least fifteen years.”
Clark followed her as she flipped the light on in the bathroom. “Pink toilet! I thought it was almond from the recording. That has to go.”
“Absolutely. I was thinking a whirlpool tub, big enough for two, in *white*.”
“Oh, I always wanted my own whirlpool tub. Remember the one in the Lexor Honeymoon Suite?”
“As I recall, the only thing I got to enjoy in the honeymoon suite was the couch.”
“Really? That was the only thing?”
“The board games were fun, I guess.”
“Board games!”
“O-o-oh. You’re referring to “The Kiss”.”
“You know I was.”
“I think I found it too confusing to enjoy it.”
“Confusing?”
“It was supposed to be a cover to fool the maid, but for a second there. . .”
“For a second-?”
“I liked it. It was exciting. But I felt guilty and I excused what I felt by telling myself that it was the thrill of being undercover that caused me to forget, even for a minute, just who I was kissing and to feel aroused by it.”
“So you *did* feel something!”
“It certainly gave me something to think about later when I was trying to figure out if that kind of feeling could exist between us.”
“I’m glad we answered that question,” Lois said as she reached up to twine her arms around his neck and place her lips on his.
*****
The rest of the rooms needed updating as well. One of the bedrooms would be turned into an office for her and would need internet access installed as well as several more outlets. Clark would use the den for his and Superman’s office. Before encouraging outside help, Jonathan would help Clark to turn one wall into closet space where an additional closet for Superman’s suit could be hidden.
The other bedroom, well, Lois couldn’t keep her thoughts from turning to the future just as it had when she had first seen the yard displayed on the TV screen. If they were blessed with children, one way or another, the house would continue to be perfect.
Clark could feel that Lois was now leaning heavily on his arm that she had initially been leaning against only in a companionable way. “You’re getting tired. Let’s get you back to the Center so that you can rest.”
Lois nodded in acquiescence. “I hate to go. I can’t wait until I can come here to stay. Perry and I talked about my future at the Planet when he came by this morning and I’m very happy with what he and Mr. Stern have planned.”
“And now you’re covered under my health insurance, so you really have nothing to worry about as far as your job is concerned.”
“Sometimes life seems too good to be true.”
“Maybe we deserve it after all that we have been through in the last year.”
*****
Jimmy came over to take “Before” pictures for Lois and Clark’s article. Wayne Irig’s nephew was quite happy to continue to take care of the livestock so that Jonathan could stay in Metropolis and Wayne himself intended to come up for two weeks to help. He hadn’t forgotten the story that Lois and Clark had written that had cleared his name and spurred the government to reimburse him quickly for the damage that Jason Trask and Bureau 39 had caused to his property. Word spreads fast in a small town and several other of Smallville’s citizens called to offer help in exchange for a place to sleep. Co-workers from the Planet also volunteered to help. With the expertise of Smallville’s builders, painters, and plumbers and the willing hands of their friends in Metropolis, the renovations were completed in only four weeks, with a little Super help.
Lois stayed busy continuing her therapy, working on the remodeling story, and taking trips outside the Center with her mom, Martha, and occasionally Lucy to pick out furnishings for her new home. Much to Lois’ delight, on her next visit with Dr. Thurston her stomach tube was removed. Unfortunately, the next day she discovered that she had picked up a particularly virulent form of the flu. Dr. Thurston explained that her body’s immune system was still not one hundred percent and she had been pushing the limits of her abilities lately. Feeling completely miserable, she was forced to agree with him. However, he told her that if she behaved herself that when she was recovered he would help she and Clark to arrange the home health care that she would need so that she would be able to finally leave full-time nursing care behind and get more of her independence back.
Clark fussed over her and she enjoyed letting him once she was feeling less miserable. They agreed to let Martha and Ellen finish the decorating of the house, so that it would be ready when Lois was released. Lois wished that she had been able to do it herself, but she also looked forward to seeing the completed project for the first time when Clark took her home to stay.
It was exciting and a little intimidating to now have her therapists giving her lists of excises to perform on her own in between visits from the home care providers. She would be going from a completely ordered and busy life to being able to plan out her own day.
While Lois was getting the last of instructions from her health care providers at the Center, Clark spent his spare time packing up his apartment. He had so many memories here. It had been where he and Lois had spent many happy times, where he had finally admitted his feelings for Lois, where she had spent the night in his arms when they had shared their fears after the whole Clark Kent is dead/not dead fiasco. So many happy thoughts and dreams. When that last keepsake was packed and he stood at his door, key in hand, looking around one last time his mind flashed back to the first time he had brought Lois here. They had been so upset with one another, not knowing how to deal with being friends and competitors at the Daily Planet. He had been trying to prove himself to Perry and Lois had felt that her position as favorite was being threatened. Yet they had learned to work together and ended up spending as much time together by choice as they had when they had been forced to while he was camping out in her spare bedroom. Yes, this apartment had changed a lot since those days. . . and so had he. Lois was no longer just his best friend and partner. Though he never wanted to lose those attributes, she was also the woman he loved so fiercely he felt overwhelmed at times. She had given him her heart and her trust and he was responsible for seeing that she never regretted it. She gave him so much in return. He had given her his love and trust and knew she would keep it as safe as he would keep hers. And he would always have someone to come home to, to seek comfort from after a rescue that had not gone right. He prayed that he would never take those gifts for granted and that he could demonstrate those feelings to Lois again and again so that she would always feel cherished.
*****
Lois could hardly contain her excitement as she finished putting the last of her personal items in the suitcase. She was getting out! It was not that living here was so horrible, she was just ready get on with her life. She had been through an experience that most people could not even truly imagine but she was alive, free from the implants, well on her way to living a healthy, normal life and married to the most wonderful, handsome, and only Superman in the world.
She turned toward the door as it opened and the man who had been in her thoughts moments before stepped in and gave her a quick kiss in greeting.
“Ready to go?” he asked reaching out to pick up her suitcase.
“Only if you can do a little better than that,” she teased.
The suitcase fell to the floor as Clark quickly wrapped both arms around her and bent her backwards.
“Good enough?” he asked moments later.
“Oh, yeah,” she assured dreamily.
*****
There were hugs and well wishes expressed by all the staff and many of the other patients of the Metropolis Neuroscience Center that Lois had gotten to know during her four month stay.
Clark stowed her suitcase in the Jeep and helped her into the passenger seat.
“Where to, Mrs. Kent?”
“Take me home, Clark.”
*****
Lois watched avidly out the window of the Jeep as Clark drove them through Metropolis and turned into their neighborhood. The small park was full of life as they drove past it. Clark turned onto their cul-de-sac and parked in the driveway of their home.
“Stay there,” he requested. He quickly ran up the short flight of stairs to unlock and open the front door. He returned and reached into the Jeep, picking her up in his arms, and he carried her over the threshold of their new home to truly begin their life together.
*****
He laid her gently on the couch. “Okay?”
She laid her hand against his cheek. “I’m fine, Clark. Stop worrying.”
“I bought groceries so I can make us dinner. You can sit here and watch TV or look around a little, but don’t overdo it.”
“Clark, I’ve been ‘lying here watching TV’ for six months. I’d love to look around at our home.” She had taken the virtual tour, and watched the video that Clark had recorded for her many, many times but it just wasn’t the same as the real thing. A house. Their home. Where they would fight with each other, love each other, and cherish every moment because they knew intimately how quickly it could vanish.
*****
Lois walked slowly through her new home. Martha and Ellen had done a great job decorating. Once she was feeling up to it, there were one or two things that she would change, but she could see the colors and patterns that she had picked out as well as accessories she had looked at and a few things that she had not seen before.
Clark came up behind her and set his hands on her shoulders. “Dinner’s ready. Our moms want to have a shower slash reception for us in a couple of weeks. All of Smallville and our friends at the Daily Planet are anxious to congratulate us. Perry’s already volunteered the Daily Planet building and Franklin Stern seconded his invitation.”
She reached up and laid one of her hands on his as tears pricked her eyes. “There were a lot of people pulling for us, weren’t there?”
“They love you, Lois, just like I do.”
“Not, exactly like you do, I hope, husband.” She tilted her head back to look at him and he captured her lips in a sweet kiss.
“Hmmm. No, not exactly.”
She laid her head back against him. “Everything is beautiful. Our moms did a great job setting up all the things I picked out. I love it.”
“I’m glad. But let’s get you off your feet.” He led her to their new dining room table and she saw the lit candles and the steaming lasagna already served onto plates. She thought they were from her old apartment. Maybe they should pick out new ones to list on their shower registry. Clark pulled back her chair for her and she sat down pulling the napkin into her lap. He pushed her chair up to the table and then moved to sit across from her. He reached across the table and took her hand, “Okay?”
“Stop worrying! My doctors say I’m just fine. Oh, I’ll need to stay rested as I get back into the swing of things, but I don’t see Perry assigning me any wild stories for a while yet. I’ll have to start all over building up contacts and working on my investigative skills.”
“It won’t take long,” Clark assured her. “Sure, things have changed. But a lot has stayed the same.”
“I don’t want to think about work tonight, Clark. Let’s eat this great food and enjoy our first evening in our new home.”
They were both a little emotional, prone to the sting of tears as they made small talk over their dinner. It had been a long, hard journey to get them to this point, but so worth it. Their love had gone through the fire and come out stronger for it.
Of course, there was chocolate for dessert. They ate it slowly as the evening shadows fell over their home. It was truly a beautiful house and they had all decorated it with such care and love.
The clock on the mantle chimed, reminding them of the late hour. Clark got up and got her a glass of water and brought her pillbox. “You need to take your pills and then get some sleep. This one,” he picked out a blue pill, “is to help you sleep. I’ll set it on the nightstand with some water and you can take it if you have trouble sleeping. This has been a big day, so you might have some trouble settling down.”
She set to work swallowing her meds. She couldn’t wait until she could stop taking them and get back to “normal”.
She hadn’t spent more than a second in the master bedroom during her tour earlier. The sight of *their* bed made her weak in the knees. She opened the dresser drawer and there it was, the package she had pleaded with her mom to purchase and put there so that she would know where it was for this night. She collected it and entered the master bathroom. She pulled the silky white nightgown from its pink striped bag and slipped it on. Her body was much thinner than it had been, but, while flattering, the gown was also forgiving in the places where she wished that she was still a little more filled out. Would Clark like what he saw? She hunted around and found some of her old perfume and she placed a dab behind her ears.
Clark was turning back the covers when she opened the door. He turned and she saw desire flare in his eyes before he turned away. “I put your sleeping pill and water here,” he indicated to the side table, “unless you want the other side?”
“This one’s fine, Clark.”
“I’ll. . . I’ll just be a second,” and he escaped into the bathroom.
*****
She looked so beautiful. But he could do this. She’d just gotten out of the nursing care facility. She couldn’t be ready for what his body was clamoring for. Hopefully she would be asleep by the time he came out. He turned on the shower and stepped under the chilling spray. A few minutes later he dried himself off and put on his sleep shorts and muscle shirt.
He opened the door and saw the lights were off save the one on her bedside table. But she wasn’t asleep. She was leaning against the headboard.
“Sweetheart, you didn’t need to wait for me. I know you’re tired.”
“I’ve waited for you, Clark.” Her words held a double meaning.
“Lois-“ he began.
“Make love to me, Clark.”
“But you’re. . . you’ve been. . .”
“My doctors okayed this. And all those pills I took earlier? One of them is a birth control pill. There’s no reason why we shouldn’t. . . I’m your wife, and you’re my husband, and I want you to love me.”
He crossed to the bed, pulled back the cover, crawled in beside her and took her in his arms. “I do love you.”
“Then show me.”
“You’re sure they said it was okay? You’re not too tired?”
“I’m positive, Clark.”
“I love you, Lois,” and his lips came down on hers.
*****
Neither one of them had done this before, but their bodies knew what to do. They moved slowly, tenderly over each other discovering and touching.
*****
It took a few minutes for them to come back to earth, their bodies still humming, their limbs too heavy to move. He looked at her and saw tears that matched his own spilling down her cheeks.
“I love you, Clark.”
His mouth met hers as he pledged again, “I love you, too, forever, Lois.”
**************************************************
I will post the nfic version of this last section once I get my courage up to do so!
I cannot possibly thank my beta reader enough for all his help, but I'll say, "Thank you," anyway.
I hope that you enjoyed this story. They say "Write what you know." Well, I really don't know much about love and relationships, but it is from my heart of hearts of what I want it to be.
