Hi and welcome back to part 4 of Fury!
A big hug goes to Lara for becoming sort of my third beta. But after she posted part 6 of her sequel to ‘Just Like Lois’, I couldn’t not repay my debt. And Mona and Kmar, thank you guys for taking the time to look at both the nfic and the gfic versions. You all make this story so much better.
I’ll continue to give you Clark's point of view, and since it wasn’t even lunch time when I left him hanging, I’m going to have him stay in the newsroom for a while longer. But don’t worry; Lois’ POV is going to make a comeback sooner or later, and it’s going to be with a vengeance. But I will have to torture Clark a bit more first.
Michael
Disclaimer: The recognizable characters and settings in this story are the property of D.C. Comics, Warner Bros., December 3rd Productions, and anyone else with a legal right to them, and I have no claim on them whatsoever, nor am I profiting by their use. It’s just the original stuff, that would be mine, written down to bring some entertainment to other FoLC.
The setting is right after “Season’s Greedings” in Season 2.
Blocks in << >> are literal thoughts by the character.
Rating: PG-13
**********
In part three Clark had returned from Kansas with the hope of finally making headway with Lois in the romantic department. Little did he know about the tornado waiting for him in Metropolis, or the effect it would have on his and Lois’ future.
And what about Anonymous and his ominous threat to Lois? Will Clark truly loose her within the next 24 hours or his there hope left for Metropolis’ Hottest Team in Town?
Part 4 /
TOC /
Comments **********
Clark entered the men’s room in the hope of finding it deserted. After all, he couldn’t just start cleaning his pants with the judicious use of superpowers if there were other people in there with him.
After carefully sweeping the bathroom, Clark realized with a relieved sigh that he was, indeed, alone. Deciding to play this safe, he applied a quick measure of heat vision to the lock, effectively sealing the bolt to the rest of the lock in a precise point welding action that would have made his mother proud, before starting to clean his pants at super speed. Never before had he been so glad that he could blow-dry with his powers.
After having successfully cleaned his pants, at least as far as he dared, given how his partner knew about the coffee stain, Clark realized he really should find a way to cool himself down. And since the Arctic Ocean was too far away from Lois for his peace of mind, he decided to do the next best thing and use his freezing breath in lieu of a cold shower – Superman style.
Glad to look presentable once more, Clark unsealed the door and let himself out of the men’s room before heading for the conference room and his meeting with the object of his distractions.
**********
After he closed the conference room’s door behind him, Clark sat down next to his partner, noticing a fresh cup of coffee sitting on the table.
“Thanks for the coffee, Lois.”
“You’re welcome.”
“So, what can I do for you?” Clark inquired before the topic could drift back to why he had needed a new cup of coffee in the first place.
“Well, Clark, after our Christmas Dinner I have had a lot of time to think about matters. And it occurred to me that I haven’t really had a chance to talk to Superman in weeks. Sure, I’ve seen him on official business, but he never hung around long enough for me to really talk to him. And then you and he came up with that Christmas present and I never got a chance to personally thank him for it. Anyway, I was wondering, could you get a message for me to Superman? I really need to tell him some personal stuff that can’t wait any longer. Would you do this for me?” Lois asked, putting one of her hands on his arm while she leaned closer.
Clark started to wince inwardly at Lois’ babble. She had actually started to sound like she was begging towards the end. And whenever she mentioned his alter ego’s name, her voice took on that fascinated tone he had heard so often during his first year at the Planet whenever she spoke of Superman. And if that were not enough, she actually asked him to play the errand boy. Again!
And at the same time, Lois presence in front of him made Clark wonder if it really mattered in the end.
“Okay, Lois. What do you want me to tell Superman?” Clark replied with a resigned voice, having reached the conclusion that right now he would submit to anything she requested.
“Oh, nothing much, I guess. I’d just like for him to come to visit me as soon as possible at my place. Well, after work, of course,” Lois added the last bit apparently as an afterthought.
“Of course,” Clark replied automatically, feeling the heavy sense of déjà vu at her request. It really started to sound like the request she had made of him before accepting Luthor’s marriage proposal. But what was the meaning of all this. Was Lois actually running back to his caped alter ego? Was she that fickle, or was it just her natural reaction meant to block the increased level of intimacy they had achieved over the past few weeks?
“Thanks, Clark, you really are the best friend to the both of us,” Lois shot to him in parting while she rose and went for the conference room’s door to head back out into the newsroom, leaving her stunned partner behind.
>>Yeah, Lois. I’m your best friend. I’m like the brother you never had. And the caped heartthrob you seemingly need so badly.<<
Taking a minute to breathe and take stock of his situation, Clark came to the realization that maybe he should stay in the conference room a little while longer. For once, it was probably best to keep some distance between him and Lois. And then there was the slight issue of him needing another cold shower before he could go out there and face the world again. Just what was going on with his hormones today that he felt like a teenage boy thrust into the girl’ locker room – full of Lois Lanes.
Pulling out the letter, Clark decided to check it once more for anything that might give him a clue. It was then that he noticed the scent. He hadn’t before in the newsroom with the smell of coffee, and people, and computers wafting across the room. But in here, in the recently aired conference room, it was hard to miss. The letter held traces of a man’s aftershave, and it was not his own classic one, but rather a tacky brand favored this season by the high society, as he remembered it from the various interviews and society events Lois and he attended in order to gather information for new stories about corruption and fraud.
Sighing, he began to search the paper for any other traces he might have missed earlier. But his efforts were to no avail, for the letter still refused to reveal a single fingerprint, hair, or other identifying mark.
Resigning himself to his inability of finding out more about the sender of the letter, his mind drifted instead to the letter’s subject. Lois.
Just what was he going to do when he came to visit her this evening? He had planned to show up at her doorstep tonight. But it would have been as Clark Kent, confessing his love and his dual identity. Never had the thought of visiting Lois through her window occurred to him. His mind drifted back to the conversation he had had with his parents after deciding to tell Lois the truth.
*** Last week ***
“Mom, Dad, there is something I have to tell you. I am in love with Lois Lane.”
“Son, that’s wonderful,” came his father’s enthusiastic reply.
“It’s about time that you said it out loud, Clark,” his mother interjected.
“You knew?” Clark replied in confusion.
“Oh, Honey, of course I knew. I’m your mother. I knew from the time you told us about Lois when you first started out at the Planet.”
“And I’m going to tell her about me. You know, the whole me,” he probed further, fully expecting to be reprimanded by his father.
“Finally!” his mother heaved. “Jonathan, our son has finally come to his senses.”
“Mom?” Clark managed to say before his father wrapped his arms around him.
“That’s great, Son. And it is good that you’ve learned to trust her heart enough to open up to her.”
“Dad?” Clark didn’t understand his world anymore. Where was the frog dissection talk, the speech about reporters and Pulitzers? Just what was going on?
“You know, Son, I hope that you understand that this will not automatically change anything between you and Lois. She will still have to adjust to your other job, and she will need time to become clear about her own feelings. I hope you understand that,” Jonathan implored to his son while holding his shoulders at arm’s length to catch his full attention.
“Yes, Dad, I do. I just hope she will not throw me out wailing like a banshee,” Clark replied with a slight smile.
“Clark Jerome Kent! You will not refer to my future daughter-in-law as a banshee!”
“Mom!” he cringed. “Lois hasn’t even said it back yet, much less talked about marriage.”
“And why do you think is that, Son?” his father rejoined the conversation. “I will tell you why. It is because you kept distracting her with that suit your mother made for you. The poor girl never had a chance to fall for you.”
“What!? Dad, Superman is just a two-dimensional cartoon character in a flashy suit.”
“No, Clark. Superman is a kind and caring person, and he is a good friend to Lois, just like you are, Clark. There is only one difference. Superman is wearing the flashy outfit, catching Lois’ attention on a far more primal level than Clark Kent had ever had a chance to do.”
“Mom? Why are you suddenly referring to me in the third person?”
“Because you do, too. And this one time it is not about who you are but about what Lois sees on a daily basis. And to her you *are* two different men. And her heart has to decide for one of them. That is, until you let her in on the truth.”
“You mother is right, Son. She will need time, but she will understand and when she does, she will no longer have to decide between two eggs. She will be able to just buy the whole batch.”
*** Back to the present ***
Well, Clark assumed, as long as Lois had been undecided, it had been easy to believe his parents and his own reasoning. But now it seemed as if Lois had already made her choice, and if she continued to fawn after his suit instead of the man, he didn’t know what he was going to do, except to put off telling her until he had had a chance to cool her affection for his caped alter ego once again.
>>Dammit; I’m more than a pin-up in a tight suit!<<
Why did she have to make things so complicated? And why did he have to become privy to her secret fantasies? How would he ever know that she wanted the man if her mind was only centered on the image she had formed of him in his suit?
*Tap, tap!*
Clark heard the knocking on the conference room’s glass door only a second before it opened and Jimmy poked his head through the gap.
“Uh, CK, sorry to disturb you, but the Chief wants to see you in his office.”
“Okay, I’m coming. Thanks, Jimmy,” Clark replied before getting up.
Walking over to his editor’s office, he noticed that there was already someone inside with Perry. Someone who could prove to be a problem. But before he could decide what to do, the door opened and Perry commanded him to enter before closing the door behind him.
“Good. Now that I have both of my best reporters in here, I want to detail the story idea I have. You may have become aware that there was a horrible accident this morning on the I-278?”
When both reporters nodded, he continued. “Weston is already writing up the facts for tomorrow’s city section, but I want the two of you to look into how such a thing could have happened in the first place.”
“What!?” Lois interjected, straightening from where she was leaning on the visitor’s chair. “Perry, accidents happen all the time. People drive like escapees and then stuff happens. Just look at the Metro cabbies. There is no story in there, just a splatter movie about the results.”
“Now, Lois, calm down. I know how people drive, okay? I, too, live in this town. But that is exactly my point. This truck was going a good 90 miles per hour, and no one stopped it. Where were the highway cops? Why is no one enforcing the traffic laws anymore? And especially here in Metropolis, where Superman makes sure there is less crime than in any other major city of our nation. The cops should have enough time on their hands to make our streets safe, don’t you agree?”
“Sure, Chief. But it is still a mood piece” Lois pointed out.
“And you don’t do mood pieces well. I know, Lois, but I also told you that I would find something for you if you didn’t come up with a story on your own. But if you’d rather do the snow fall piece…?”
“Hmpf,” was all Lois replied before walking out of Perry’s office, casually brushing against her partner when she turned around.
Clark’s eyebrows shot up at the brief contact, and he felt the sudden urge to sit down in order to prevent his rapidly raising blood pressure from becoming an issue.
“Clark, is everything alright?” he heard Perry’s questing voice.
“Uh, sure, everything’s fine,” Clark shot back before hurrying through the door and back into the newsroom, only to be intercepted by his partner.
“Come on, Clark. Might as well get this over with,” Lois encouraged him, looping an arm through his to pull him towards her desk.
It may have only been a couple dozen paces, but to Clark it was the longest walk of his life. Lois had locked his arm close to her body, and he could feel her body heat radiating off of her, seeping into his body and causing his blood to boil.
And the worst part was that he could now choose between keeping his hand firmly pushed into his pants, which forced him even closer to Lois, or to distance himself from her by removing his hand from its resting place inside his pocket in order to give himself more leeway on the leash she was holding him on. And given the precarious situation he was in, he wasn’t sure which option would lead to less trouble for him.
Glad to have finally reached Lois’ desk, Clark sat down immediately, not giving his partner the usual courtesy of letting her sit down first. But what was he supposed to do? If he had kept standing even for a few more seconds, Lois would have had to pick him up from the floor.
*Snap! Snap!*
“Hello, Cla-ark!” Lois called while snapping her fingers. “You zoned out on me again. Just what is going on with you today? Don’t you get sick on me now,” Lois continued, while putting her hand on his forehead in order to feel his temperature. Which meant she was touching his skin with her skin, only leading to more distracting thoughts and discomfort.
“…-earch and you know how bad I do with mood pieces, so I can’t afford carrying a sick partner around, you got it? Hey, Clark! Enough is enough, okay?”
Pulling himself away from his thoughts and focusing on her mouth and her full lips, Clark was able to utter a, “Huh?”
“Oh, great. This is going to be long day.”
Clark couldn’t agree more, although for very different reasons. And if it weren’t for the threat to his partner’s well-being, he would have taken the out she had offered him and faked something. Anything would be better than sitting here, with his libido waging a war with his self control and thus not being able to keep his thoughts from drifting to more pleasurable activities, such as taking Lois to the conference room, closing the blinds, locking the door, and then making love to her right there on the table. He might even have managed to not contact Superman, after all, if he were sick even Lois would understand if Superman wasn’t his top priority. Or maybe not.
**********
Watching Lois stretching back in her seat, Clark was glad that she had her face turned towards the ceiling. Otherwise, she would have noticed that his eyes no longer focused on hers. Instead, he was mesmerized by the way her blouse was stretched by her actions, hinting at the beauty that lay beneath. He was beyond grateful for his glasses; because by now Clark was sure he would have tried to find out whether or not her blouse was lead-lined.
Snapping his eyes back to her face once more when Lois resumed a less enticing position, he forced his ears to concentrate on her voice instead of her heartbeat. He was even succeeding, for the most part.
*Thump-thump!* “So, what do you think…” *Thump-thump * “…-etting lunch?
>>Lunch!? Lois wants us to get lunch!? As in getting up and walking all the way to whichever of our usual joints she has an inkling for? With a madman gunning for her and me in no position to stand up straight?<<
“Clark? Why are you giving me a lo-…” *Thump-thump * “…-er went out for lunch before?
“Uh, I…, we…, I mean,…” Clark stammered, before Lois interrupted him.
“Okay, fine. I get it. You want to finish this assign-…” *Thump-thump!*
Jumping at the out Lois had offered him, Clark nodded his head emphatically while replying, “Finish the assignment, yes.”
“Okay, so how about I stay here and give Jimmy the run down on the research we will need and you fetch us sandwiches from the Daily Deli?”
>>What!? Where did that come from?<<
Feeling his anxiety rise, Clark wasn’t sure what exactly he was supposed to do now. Apparently he would have to leave Lois alone. Sure, she would be in the newsroom the whole time, and Jimmy would be there. But what protection did that really offer against a madman?
And to make matters worse, he would have to get up, walk over to the coat rack and grab his jacket, before walking all the way to the deli. Just about the only silver lining he could see was him getting a few minutes away from his intoxicating partner’s influence.
Taking a deep breath, Clark conceded defeat. “Fine, Lois. I’ll fetch us some food, but you stay here and talk with Jimmy in the conference room, okay? No running off today?”
“Hmpf. You don’t own me, Kent. I’m still the senior partner in this operation and I’m hungry. So go, get me some food, and if you’re fast enough, I promise to stay in the conference room while explaining our research needs to Jimmy. That is, if you find him for me and send him over,” Lois appended with a saccharine smile.
>>Oh boy, if this is the new Lois Lane, I’m in for a world of trouble this year.<<
**********
“Hey, Jimmy!” Clark called out when he spotted the Planet’s top researcher and aspiring photo journalist.
“CK? What gives?”
“Lois and I need some research. Traffic, cops, and stuff. She will fill you in while I’m getting lunch. Should I get you anything while I’m on it?”
“Uh, sure, thanks, CK. A chicken salad would be fine…” Jimmy answered, but then trailed off as if unsure whether to continue.
Clark was about to ask him if anything was wrong when Jimmy thrust a folder into this hand while pulling his arm down at the same moment.
“Here you go, CK. This is the folder you need,” Jimmy mumbled to him in parting, before dashing off to find Lois.
Clark stood there for a moment, not understanding what had just happened, when suddenly he remembered high school and boys walking around the corridors with their books held in front of them.
Feeling his face taking on the color of his cape, Clark headed for the coat rack, thankful for Jimmy’s help in preventing an even more embarrassing situation.
**********
When Clark returned a good ten minutes later, he found Lois and Jimmy holed up in the conference room. Concentrating on the smell of the sandwiches in the paper bags, Clark went to hang up his jacket before heading for the enclosed space with all the vigor of a dead man walking.
“Here you go, Lois, Jimmy. Lunch is served,” Clark greeted his coworkers upon entering the conference room.
“Thanks CK. What do I owe you?”
“It’s on me Jimmy. And thanks for your help, earlier, too.”
“Uh, okay, right, um, no need to thank me, let’s just not think about it, um, okay. Um, I think I have all I need, right, Lois?” Jimmy stammered, not even waiting for an answer before he grabbed his lunch and his notes and headed for his desk.
“What was that all about, Clark?” Lois inquired with a raised eyebrow while stretching her upper body, and resting her arm on the back of the seat when she strained to look at him without actually turning in her seat. This action’s unfortunate main effect was to pull the fabric of her blouse taught once again, forcing Clark to hurry to take the seat Jimmy had just vacated.
“Oh, nothing, Lois, just guy stuff, okay?”
Laughing, Lois swatted his forearm. “Don’t tell me Jimmy is giving you advice on women.”
Clark only barely managed to prevent his eyebrows from making contact with his hairline, both at her statement and the way her touch had spoken to his primal instincts. Having been able to contain most of the more noticeable reactions of his surprise, he decided that retreat was to be the better part of valor and opted to pull out Lois’ food instead of answering her question.
“Here you go, Lois. The Daily Deli’s Special. Just the way you like it with a hint of low fat mayonnaise,” Clark offered one packaged sandwich up to her for inspection.
“Thanks, Clark.”
“You are welcome, Lois,” Clark replied automatically before looking at the conference room table, where an already opened soda can had miraculously appeared while he had been engaged in fishing Lois’ sandwich from the bag. Nodding his thanks, Clark took a big sip before putting it down to look back at his partner. His smiling partner.
>>Well, perhaps all was not yet lost if she gives me her best ‘the cat that ate the canary’-smile.<<
**********
The rest of the afternoon had basically been an exercise in self control – and futility. He and Lois had remained holed up in the conference room, which had become more and more confined due to his ever present awareness of her proximity. Clark had started to contemplate escaping through the window, Lois or no Lois watching. Then she had finally decided to take a break and to freshen up their coffee cups. This reprieve had at least allowed Clark to take a breather and bring his blood pressure down once more. But as soon as she had returned, matters had gotten even worse and by the time they were cleaning up for the day, Clark was wound up enough so that a single touch could result in a total collapse of his defenses.
Unfortunately, Perry chose that time to enter the conference room, asking how they were doing.
“Okay, I guess. We have interviews with the Chief of Police, the mayor and the highway patrol’s spokesperson scheduled for later this week. And I’m going to meet Superman tonight, courtesy of Clark, here,” Lois replied and decided to hug his waist on her last statement.
Feeling the warm body of his partner pressed against his side, her soft breasts touching his arm, her fingers caressing his waist, snapped the last of his self control. Not sure just what to do, Clark started to groan, bend at the waist, and clapped a hand in front of his mouth before running off for the men’s room. And if he was lucky, the little show really had distracted anyone from noticing anything else that might be out of the ordinary.
Today was definitely not his day. And he still had to visit Lois tonight as Superman; dressed in the very tight, very revealing outfit that would make concealing anything impossible. It was going to be a long night indeed.
**********
tbc
