Many thanks to Carolm for being brave enough to BR this fic for me!
Chapter 3
Clark woke early the next morning and took a few moments to study the woman at his side. She looked so frail in his oversized sweatshirt, her face tearstained and wan. Fragility wasn’t something Clark typically associated with Lois and it worried him. He was relieved to note that at least she seemed to be sleeping easily at the moment. Several times during the night, he’d had to wake her from obvious nightmares and each time, she’d tearfully launched herself into his arms and it had felt so good - so right - to comfort her. She’d been through a tremendous amount the past few days and for a woman who was as tough as Lois, it had been an emotional nightmare. Lois didn’t break down often, and when she did, there was usually just cause. Clark was enraged that there was still someone out there who was determined to end Lois’ life.
Well, not if he had anything to do with it. They had picked the wrong person to mess with.
Gently, he disentangled himself from her arms and slid out of the narrow bed, smiling when Lois immediately flipped onto her stomach and moved into the space he’d just left. During the night, he’d realized something…
Lois Lane was a bed hog.
With one last fond look, Clark slipped out of the bedroom and headed down the stairs to the kitchen. Knowing that it would be better for him if Lois had coffee available when she woke up, Clark made a pot. He didn’t want to risk an un-caffeinated Lois, although her reaction to finding out that he was Superman had been surprisingly tame the previous evening. Clark didn’t fool himself that today would bring the same understanding.
Not that he blamed her if she was upset. She had multiple reasons to be angry over his duplicity; the very least of which was the way he had let swoon over Superman. If nothing else, Clark knew that Lois would hold him responsible for that, since Lois Lane didn’t typically swoon. Her initial reaction to Superman had amused him at the beginning, but as they grew closer, it had become increasingly difficult to keep himself from grabbing her, kissing her and admitting the truth. That the man she had been making moon eyes at was the same man she worked beside and insulted on a daily basis. Fear of her reaction - of losing her - had kept him from telling her the truth. He hadn’t wanted things to change. Hadn’t wanted the teasing insults to stop. Not that he was a glutton for punishment - he wasn’t - but the barbs she continuously threw his way told him that she cared about him. He’d long since come to appreciate her wit, easily finding himself dishing it right back at her. Lois was a smart ass and he loved that about her. He had hoped that she would work it out for herself that he was Superman - but she had remained uncharacteristically oblivious.
The damage had been done though - and he’d just have to suffer the consequences. He just hoped Lois wouldn’t push him away.
Making a mental list of phone calls he needed to make, Clark started with Perry. The explosion of Lois’ jeep outside the Planet had to have caused concern and Clark had planned to phone his boss when they had arrived in Smallville to let him know they were still alive, but Lois had been his top priority. He had thought about calling Perry while Lois had been in the bathroom, but couldn’t bring himself to stray that far from her. To say he had been worried about her was an understatement. The fact that she had asked him to stay with her - to sleep at her side - had meant the world to him. Probably more than she could possibly know.
With a glance at the clock, he decided to try the Daily Planet. With the disappearance of two of his reporters, Clark figured he’d have a good chance of finding Perry in his office.
The phone rang twice before a brusque voice answered. “White, here.”
“Chief, it’s Clark.”
“Clark? Just where in the Heartbreak Hotel are you? Are you alright, son?”
Clark smiled at the concern underneath the harshly spoken words. “Yes, we’re fine.”
“Lois is with you, then?”
“She is.”
“So what in the Sam Hill happened, Kent? I get a phone call from Henderson last night telling me that my star reporter’s car had been blown to smithereens, except there were no bodies. And nobody can find you two. Want to explain that to me?”
Clark sighed. Here came the part he truly hated - lying. “There was a car bomb in Lois’ car but Superman saved us.”
“Oh. Well, good for him.” Perry took a moment to process that information. “Where are you?”
“I’d rather not tell you, Chief. Someone is still trying to kill Lois and until we find them, I’d like to just keep Lois away from Metropolis.”
Perry grunted. “Good thinking. So what do you propose then?”
Clark toyed with the phone cord. “Well, Superman said he’d meet with you later to discuss what needs to be done. He said he thinks he knows who might be behind this and knows a way to stop them. He thinks Lois and I should just stay hidden until he gets to the bottom of it.”
“Er, good idea. That Superman is a smart guy. How do I get a hold of you if I need to?”
“Just tell Superman. He knows where we are.”
“Alright, will do. Oh and Kent?”
“Yes, sir?”
“Be careful. And tell Lois to be careful.”
“I will.”
Clark replaced the phone back into its cradle and sighed. It was getting harder and harder to keep up the lie and it was exhausting him.
“Was that Perry?”
Clark jerked his head in the direction of the kitchen door. He hadn‘t heard her come down the stairs. “Hi,” he greeted softly, thinking Lois looked delicious all rumpled and sleepy. “Yes, that was Perry.”
“What did you tell him?”
Clark sighed and stared at the table. “That we were ok and that Superman would be in Metropolis later to help find who is trying to kill you.”
“Oh. You mean… you.”
“Yes, me.” He had trouble meeting her eye. ‘Here it comes,’ he thought. Hurricane Lois was about to strike.
Instead, Lois merely nodded thoughtfully. “Is that coffee ready?” she asked.
Clark stared at her in surprise. That was it? That’s all she was going to say? No ‘ how could you lie to me like that, Clark ‘ or ‘ You let me make a fool out of myself, Clark? ’ That was very… unLois-like. It unnerved him.
“Hello… Earth to Clark… The coffee? Is it ready?” Lois prompted when she didn’t get an answer to her question.
“Yes, it’s ready.”
“Good.” She headed for the coffee pot but Clark got in her way.
“I’ll get it for you,” he told her.
Lois nodded and sat down at the kitchen table, looking at him expectantly. “I bet living on a farm, your cows don’t do non-fat, do they?”
Clark grinned and opened the refrigerator door, grabbing the carton on the top shelf and shook it at her. “Wrong. Again.” He removed a mug from the cupboard and poured her coffee, fixing it the way she liked it. Something that he’d done countless times before. She always made him fix her coffee, whining that he made it better than she did. Not that he minded.
He didn’t.
He liked doing things for her. But the very fact that she was letting him fix her coffee, knowing that he was Superman, well, that just seemed to touch him in a way that it really shouldn’t. It was just coffee. Yet - it was so much more than that. He knew Lois well enough to know that she’d never have been comfortable enough around Superman to let him fix her a cup of coffee. There was a definite pedestal his suited alter-ego had been put on - and there wasn’t enough room on that pedestal for simple things like coffee. Clark remembered the odd reaction from Lois when Superman had mentioned doing errands.
Maybe it was going to be alright that Lois knew his secret. At the very least, he didn’t have to lie to her anymore and that was a liberating thought.
Lois watched Clark as he poured their coffee, trying to reconcile in her mind that the man who had become her best friend was also the man she had worshipped from afar. Well, maybe not from so far, she hadn’t been exactly subtle in her interest in Superman. God, she was so confused. And being confused without caffeine wasn’t a good place to be. It was downright scary.
She took the mug Clark handed her gratefully, watching as her partner took the seat across from her. She studied him, not really caring for the fact that Clark seemed to find the placemat in front of him more interesting than making eye contact with her.
“You’re not wearing your glasses.”
He glanced at her warily. That had been deliberate. “Didn’t seem much point in it,” he admitted ruefully.
Lois continued to study him. He looked like Superman without his glasses - yet he still looked like Clark.
Her Clark.
God, she hated feeling so disjointed.
“Are you mad?”
Lois snorted, she couldn’t help it. “You’re a brave man asking me that before I’ve had a cup of coffee, Kent.”
He smiled at her and Lois felt her stomach drop. “Sorry.” He took a sip of coffee, watching her out of the corner of his eye.
Lois didn’t like this uncomfortable silence thing around Clark. Well, she hated uncomfortable silences of any kind but especially when they involved her best friend. Was he still her best friend? Had she been fooling herself all along that Clark regarded her in this same way she did him? Did he even like her?
Oh, she hated feeling like this. The thought of losing Clark’s friendship took her breath away. He was the one constant in her life and she didn’t want to lose him. Couldn’t lose him. At the very least, she still needed him as her friend. The bridge of being something more wasn’t one she was ready to cross just yet.
“Clark, are we still friends?” she blurted.
The look he gave her surprised her. She hadn’t known Clark could look so… fierce. “Of course we are. Why would you even ask that?”
Lois shrugged, hoping her insecurity didn’t show. “Things are just… different now.”
“Because I’m Superman?”
She nodded, taking a sip of coffee. “Someone really did try to shoot me when you said they did, didn‘t they?”
“Yes. They did. I told you so,” he couldn’t help but add. “A guy in a wheelchair shot at you.”
“So what did you do? I mean, how did you save my life? Other than tossing me to the side, which I might add, still hurt.”
He gave a self-depreciating smile. “I uh, caught the bullets.”
“Oh. So that’s what you were holding behind your back?”
“Yeah.”
“Pretty slick, Clark. Well, thank you then. Again. And uh, sorry for not believing you when you said it wasn‘t just a backfire.”
Clark scowled. “You don’t have to thank me for saving your life, Lois.”
Lois could feel herself getting worked up. This was just too much. Too weird. She was angry that he lied to her but more than that - she felt like she was losing him… Because he wasn’t that nice safe, farm boy that she had thought. He was more. So much more.
“Why did you put up with me?” she blurted, not meaning to voice what was really bothering her.
He looked confused. “What do you mean?”
Lois waved one hand in his direction. “You know. Why did you let me be so mean to you? All those awful things I said about you and you just put up with it. Why?”
His smile unnerved her. “Did you ever think that I might like that about you, Lois?”
“Oh come on, Clark! I have been horrible to you since the day you started at the Planet. Just awful. I’ve picked on you, insulted you, ridiculed you, mocked you, patronized you - not that you don’t patronize me right back because you do, you know. You can be very patronizing, Clark Kent.” Realizing she was babbling - or getting pretty close to it - Lois closed her mouth and took another sip of coffee.
“Lois, did it ever occur to you that if I didn’t like the verbal abuse you like to throw my way, all I had to do was tell you I was Superman?”
And there he was doing it again. Patronizing her. Just like he always did. Damn him. So why was that bringing tears to her eyes instead of grating on her nerves? Oh great, she was going to melt down again. That crying thing that always happened at the exact inopportune times.
“Lois?”
That gentle, caring inquiry was her undoing and to her chagrin, Lois burst into tears once more, her face crumpling in dismay. Damn him for being so nice. For being so completely there for her. Embarrassed, Lois spared a moisture-ridden glance in his direction and the compassion she saw in his eyes brought a fresh round of tears.
“Oh… Clark!” she sniffed. Why did he have to be so understanding and so Clark-like?? He couldn’t be a total jerk for just once in his life?
“Come here.” He scooted his chair out and held his arms out to her.
Lois wasted no time taking what he was offering - the solace of his arms. Snuggling into his lap, she allowed him to comfort her. Yep, this is exactly what she needed; his chest right there to pillow her cheek, his arms wrapped around her, his soft murmurs against her hair…
“I’m still probably going to be mad at you later on,” she choked out. “Just to warn you. Don‘t think that you‘re completely off the hook.”
“Wouldn’t have it any other way,” he informed her, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
Just that simple, sweet gesture was enough to set Lois off again, and she finally stopped trying to fight her tears and just let them fall. Clark could handle it. He was Superman, after all.
When a noise at the back door sounded, Clark jerked his head around, just in time to see his mom and dad enter the kitchen, suitcases in hand. He was expecting them home today, just hadn’t anticipated such an early arrival.
“Clark?” Martha asked, wondering what her son was doing in her kitchen with a lapful of Lois Lane. Oh she hoped it meant what she thought it did.
“Hi Mom, Dad” Clark greeted, not making any effort to clear his lap of the sniffling woman who occupied it.
At the sight of Lois’ tear stricken face, Martha went into mother mode. “Oh Lois, honey. What’s the matter?”
Finally realizing they weren’t alone, Lois looked up to find Clark’s parents hovering at the back door. “Oh, hi,” she greeted weakly, attempting to wipe the tears that stained her cheeks with the sleeve of her borrowed sweatshirt. “Sorry. I’m kind of a mess right now.”
Jonathan and Martha exchanged a worried look when they realized that their son was in Lois’ company without his glasses, knowing how effective of a disguise they were in hiding the fact that Clark was Superman.
“Clark? Has something happened, son?” Jonathan pressed.
“Someone is trying to kill Lois,” Clark revealed, his eyes flashing. “I hope it’s ok that we came here, it just wasn’t safe for her in Metropolis.”
“Oh, of course it’s ok, Clark! You know you’re always welcome,” Martha replied. “Both of you.” She took the seat that Lois had previously vacated. “How... Uh, how did you get here?”
Martha didn’t miss the look that passed between her son and the woman who she was hoping would be her future daughter-in-law. She didn’t need to be told that Superman had flown them; she just hoped that Lois could find it within herself to forgive her son for lying to her. It had been very clear just how much Clark cared for Lois and Martha was hoping that the cozy scene with which they had walked into meant that Lois had been able to look past the lies and the suit and recognize Clark for who he truly was. A good man.
“Someone put a bomb in Lois’ jeep,” Clark revealed. “I didn’t have time to change into the suit.”
“Oh that’s horrible!” Martha gasped. “It’s a lucky thing you were there then, wasn’t it?”
“Very good thing,” Lois agreed, feeling more in control of her emotions. Yep, she was a lucky woman, alright.
“Do you need us to do anything, son?” Jonathan asked.
Clark looked at Lois and was encouraged by the smile she offered him. “Well, I need to get back to Metropolis and help find out who wants Lois dead. Is it ok if Lois stays here while I do that?”
“Oh, I couldn’t impose on your parents like that!” Lois protested, not surprised when she was railroaded by Martha.
“Of course you’re staying here!” Martha interrupted.
Lois offered her an appreciative smile. “Thank you. I just don’t want to be any trouble. Besides, I should probably go with Clark to help -”
“You’re not going anywhere near Metropolis, Lois,” Clark informed her in a tone that dared her to argue.
Since when did Clark Kent order her around? Lois opened her mouth to tell him exactly that, but promptly closed it. Truth was - she didn’t want to go back to Metropolis. She could handle the occasional attempt on her life, but having someone so utterly determined to kill her was a different story.
Martha reached over and grabbed the hand of the woman her son loved. “Lois, you’re not any trouble. You’re practically family. You’ll stay here and Clark will find the bad guys. He’s good at that, you know.”
“Yes, I know.” Lois smiled. “Well, I know that now,” she added.
“Clark’s a good boy.” Martha stood and grabbed her apron from the hook beside the oven. “Ok, so what am I fixing everybody for breakfast?”
“Oh, you don’t need to do that!” Lois announced. She wasn’t used to being taken care of this way. Her own family made family dysfunction take on a whole new meaning. Her mother was never one for cooking, preferring to drink her meals in the privacy of her own bedroom while Lois had grown up, leaving Lois with the task of making sure that Lucy didn’t survive on a diet of junk food.
“Nonsense, Lois. It’s no bother.” Martha effectively halted Lois’ protestation before it had a chance to pick up momentum. “How do pancakes sound?”
“Sounds good to me,” Clark announced easily, helping Lois find her feet, knowing that her sense of propriety wouldn’t allow her to continue sitting in his lap with his parents there. Not that he’d mind it if she stayed a bit longer…
“Do you mind if I take a shower?” she found herself asking.
“Of course not, honey. Go ahead. Breakfast will be ready in twenty minutes. Will that give you enough time?” Martha inquired.
“That’s perfect. Thank you. I’ll just uh, go now.” Lois turned to head up the stairs, pausing before she left the room. “You’ll still be here, right?”
Clark nodded. “I wouldn’t run out on mom’s pancakes,” he informed her easily.
“Ok, good.” With that, Lois scurried from the kitchen and headed up the stairs. Having Clark’s parents walk in on them when she was in the middle of one of her little ‘episodes’ had been embarrassing. She liked Clark’s parents; they had made her feel welcome on her first visit to Smallville. They’d have every right to think of her as a snob because there was no doubt that she had acted like a complete jackass. In trying to make a point about Clark‘s hick upbringing, Lois had managed to thoroughly insult these wonderful people. She had acted very badly - yet they had welcomed her with open arms. The Kents were nice people.
Just like their son.
TBC
Feedback is always appreciated - and it makes me write faster… *hint, hint*
Many thanks to Carolm for being brave enough to BR this fic for me!
Chapter 3
Clark woke early the next morning and took a few moments to study the woman at his side. She looked so frail in his oversized sweatshirt, her face tearstained and wan. Fragility wasn’t something Clark typically associated with Lois and it worried him. He was relieved to note that at least she seemed to be sleeping easily at the moment. Several times during the night, he’d had to wake her from obvious nightmares and each time, she’d tearfully launched herself into his arms and it had felt so good - so right - to comfort her. She’d been through a tremendous amount the past few days and for a woman who was as tough as Lois, it had been an emotional nightmare. Lois didn’t break down often, and when she did, there was usually just cause. Clark was enraged that there was still someone out there who was determined to end Lois’ life.
Well, not if he had anything to do with it. They had picked the wrong person to mess with.
Gently, he disentangled himself from her arms and slid out of the narrow bed, smiling when Lois immediately flipped onto her stomach and moved into the space he’d just left. During the night, he’d realized something…
Lois Lane was a bed hog.
With one last fond look, Clark slipped out of the bedroom and headed down the stairs to the kitchen. Knowing that it would be better for him if Lois had coffee available when she woke up, Clark made a pot. He didn’t want to risk an un-caffeinated Lois, although her reaction to finding out that he was Superman had been surprisingly tame the previous evening. Clark didn’t fool himself that today would bring the same understanding.
Not that he blamed her if she was upset. She had multiple reasons to be angry over his duplicity; the very least of which was the way he had let swoon over Superman. If nothing else, Clark knew that Lois would hold him responsible for that, since Lois Lane didn’t typically swoon. Her initial reaction to Superman had amused him at the beginning, but as they grew closer, it had become increasingly difficult to keep himself from grabbing her, kissing her and admitting the truth. That the man she had been making moon eyes at was the same man she worked beside and insulted on a daily basis. Fear of her reaction - of losing her - had kept him from telling her the truth. He hadn’t wanted things to change. Hadn’t wanted the teasing insults to stop. Not that he was a glutton for punishment - he wasn’t - but the barbs she continuously threw his way told him that she cared about him. He’d long since come to appreciate her wit, easily finding himself dishing it right back at her. Lois was a smart ass and he loved that about her. He had hoped that she would work it out for herself that he was Superman - but she had remained uncharacteristically oblivious.
The damage had been done though - and he’d just have to suffer the consequences. He just hoped Lois wouldn’t push him away.
Making a mental list of phone calls he needed to make, Clark started with Perry. The explosion of Lois’ jeep outside the Planet had to have caused concern and Clark had planned to phone his boss when they had arrived in Smallville to let him know they were still alive, but Lois had been his top priority. He had thought about calling Perry while Lois had been in the bathroom, but couldn’t bring himself to stray that far from her. To say he had been worried about her was an understatement. The fact that she had asked him to stay with her - to sleep at her side - had meant the world to him. Probably more than she could possibly know.
With a glance at the clock, he decided to try the Daily Planet. With the disappearance of two of his reporters, Clark figured he’d have a good chance of finding Perry in his office.
The phone rang twice before a brusque voice answered. “White, here.”
“Chief, it’s Clark.”
“Clark? Just where in the Heartbreak Hotel are you? Are you alright, son?”
Clark smiled at the concern underneath the harshly spoken words. “Yes, we’re fine.”
“Lois is with you, then?”
“She is.”
“So what in the Sam Hill happened, Kent? I get a phone call from Henderson last night telling me that my star reporter’s car had been blown to smithereens, except there were no bodies. And nobody can find you two. Want to explain that to me?”
Clark sighed. Here came the part he truly hated - lying. “There was a car bomb in Lois’ car but Superman saved us.”
“Oh. Well, good for him.” Perry took a moment to process that information. “Where are you?”
“I’d rather not tell you, Chief. Someone is still trying to kill Lois and until we find them, I’d like to just keep Lois away from Metropolis.”
Perry grunted. “Good thinking. So what do you propose then?”
Clark toyed with the phone cord. “Well, Superman said he’d meet with you later to discuss what needs to be done. He said he thinks he knows who might be behind this and knows a way to stop them. He thinks Lois and I should just stay hidden until he gets to the bottom of it.”
“Er, good idea. That Superman is a smart guy. How do I get a hold of you if I need to?”
“Just tell Superman. He knows where we are.”
“Alright, will do. Oh and Kent?”
“Yes, sir?”
“Be careful. And tell Lois to be careful.”
“I will.”
Clark replaced the phone back into its cradle and sighed. It was getting harder and harder to keep up the lie and it was exhausting him.
“Was that Perry?”
Clark jerked his head in the direction of the kitchen door. He hadn‘t heard her come down the stairs. “Hi,” he greeted softly, thinking Lois looked delicious all rumpled and sleepy. “Yes, that was Perry.”
“What did you tell him?”
Clark sighed and stared at the table. “That we were ok and that Superman would be in Metropolis later to help find who is trying to kill you.”
“Oh. You mean… you.”
“Yes, me.” He had trouble meeting her eye. ‘Here it comes,’ he thought. Hurricane Lois was about to strike.
Instead, Lois merely nodded thoughtfully. “Is that coffee ready?” she asked.
Clark stared at her in surprise. That was it? That’s all she was going to say? No ‘how could you lie to me like that, Clark‘ or ‘You let me make a fool out of myself, Clark?’ That was very… unLois-like. It unnerved him.
“Hello… Earth to Clark… The coffee? Is it ready?” Lois prompted when she didn’t get an answer to her question.
“Yes, it’s ready.”
“Good.” She headed for the coffee pot but Clark got in her way.
“I’ll get it for you,” he told her.
Lois nodded and sat down at the kitchen table, looking at him expectantly. “I bet living on a farm, your cows don’t do non-fat, do they?”
Clark grinned and opened the refrigerator door, grabbing the carton on the top shelf and shook it at her. “Wrong. Again.” He removed a mug from the cupboard and poured her coffee, fixing it the way she liked it. Something that he’d done countless times before. She always made him fix her coffee, whining that he made it better than she did. Not that he minded.
He didn’t.
He liked doing things for her. But the very fact that she was letting him fix her coffee, knowing that he was Superman, well, that just seemed to touch him in a way that it really shouldn’t. It was just coffee. Yet - it was so much more than that. He knew Lois well enough to know that she’d never have been comfortable enough around Superman to let him fix her a cup of coffee. There was a definite pedestal his suited alter-ego had been put on - and there wasn’t enough room on that pedestal for simple things like coffee. Clark remembered the odd reaction from Lois when Superman had mentioned doing errands.
Maybe it was going to be alright that Lois knew his secret. At the very least, he didn’t have to lie to her anymore and that was a liberating thought.
Lois watched Clark as he poured their coffee, trying to reconcile in her mind that the man who had become her best friend was also the man she had worshipped from afar. Well, maybe not from so far, she hadn’t been exactly subtle in her interest in Superman. God, she was so confused. And being confused without caffeine wasn’t a good place to be. It was downright scary.
She took the mug Clark handed her gratefully, watching as her partner took the seat across from her. She studied him, not really caring for the fact that Clark seemed to find the placemat in front of him more interesting than making eye contact with her.
“You’re not wearing your glasses.”
He glanced at her warily. That had been deliberate. “Didn’t seem much point in it,” he admitted ruefully.
Lois continued to study him. He looked like Superman without his glasses - yet he still looked like Clark.
Her Clark.
God, she hated feeling so disjointed.
“Are you mad?”
Lois snorted, she couldn’t help it. “You’re a brave man asking me that before I’ve had a cup of coffee, Kent.”
He smiled at her and Lois felt her stomach drop. “Sorry.” He took a sip of coffee, watching her out of the corner of his eye.
Lois didn’t like this uncomfortable silence thing around Clark. Well, she hated uncomfortable silences of any kind but especially when they involved her best friend. Was he still her best friend? Had she been fooling herself all along that Clark regarded her in this same way she did him? Did he even like her?
Oh, she hated feeling like this. The thought of losing Clark’s friendship took her breath away. He was the one constant in her life and she didn’t want to lose him. Couldn’t lose him. At the very least, she still needed him as her friend. The bridge of being something more wasn’t one she was ready to cross just yet.
“Clark, are we still friends?” she blurted.
The look he gave her surprised her. She hadn’t known Clark could look so… fierce. “Of course we are. Why would you even ask that?”
Lois shrugged, hoping her insecurity didn’t show. “Things are just… different now.”
“Because I’m Superman?”
She nodded, taking a sip of coffee. “Someone really did try to shoot me when you said they did, didn‘t they?”
“Yes. They did. I told you so,” he couldn’t help but add. “A guy in a wheelchair shot at you.”
“So what did you do? I mean, how did you save my life? Other than tossing me to the side, which I might add, still hurt.”
He gave a self-depreciating smile. “I uh, caught the bullets.”
“Oh. So that’s what you were holding behind your back?”
“Yeah.”
“Pretty slick, Clark. Well, thank you then. Again. And uh, sorry for not believing you when you said it wasn‘t just a backfire.”
Clark scowled. “You don’t have to thank me for saving your life, Lois.”
Lois could feel herself getting worked up. This was just too much. Too weird. She was angry that he lied to her but more than that - she felt like she was losing him… Because he wasn’t that nice safe, farm boy that she had thought. He was more. So much more.
“Why did you put up with me?” she blurted, not meaning to voice what was really bothering her.
He looked confused. “What do you mean?”
Lois waved one hand in his direction. “You know. Why did you let me be so mean to you? All those awful things I said about you and you just put up with it. Why?”
His smile unnerved her. “Did you ever think that I might like that about you, Lois?”
“Oh come on, Clark! I have been horrible to you since the day you started at the Planet. Just awful. I’ve picked on you, insulted you, ridiculed you, mocked you, patronized you - not that you don’t patronize me right back because you do, you know. You can be very patronizing, Clark Kent.” Realizing she was babbling - or getting pretty close to it - Lois closed her mouth and took another sip of coffee.
“Lois, did it ever occur to you that if I didn’t like the verbal abuse you like to throw my way, all I had to do was tell you I was Superman?”
And there he was doing it again. Patronizing her. Just like he always did. Damn him. So why was that bringing tears to her eyes instead of grating on her nerves? Oh great, she was going to melt down again. That crying thing that always happened at the exact inopportune times.
“Lois?”
That gentle, caring inquiry was her undoing and to her chagrin, Lois burst into tears once more, her face crumpling in dismay. Damn him for being so nice. For being so completely there for her. Embarrassed, Lois spared a moisture-ridden glance in his direction and the compassion she saw in his eyes brought a fresh round of tears.
“Oh… Clark!” she sniffed. Why did he have to be so understanding and so Clark-like?? He couldn’t be a total jerk for just once in his life?
“Come here.” He scooted his chair out and held his arms out to her.
Lois wasted no time taking what he was offering - the solace of his arms. Snuggling into his lap, she allowed him to comfort her. Yep, this is exactly what she needed; his chest right there to pillow her cheek, his arms wrapped around her, his soft murmurs against her hair…
“I’m still probably going to be mad at you later on,” she choked out. “Just to warn you. Don‘t think that you‘re completely off the hook.”
“Wouldn’t have it any other way,” he informed her, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
Just that simple, sweet gesture was enough to set Lois off again, and she finally stopped trying to fight her tears and just let them fall. Clark could handle it. He was Superman, after all.
When a noise at the back door sounded, Clark jerked his head around, just in time to see his mom and dad enter the kitchen, suitcases in hand. He was expecting them home today, just hadn’t anticipated such an early arrival.
“Clark?” Martha asked, wondering what her son was doing in her kitchen with a lapful of Lois Lane. Oh she hoped it meant what she thought it did.
“Hi Mom, Dad” Clark greeted, not making any effort to clear his lap of the sniffling woman who occupied it.
At the sight of Lois’ tear stricken face, Martha went into mother mode. “Oh Lois, honey. What’s the matter?”
Finally realizing they weren’t alone, Lois looked up to find Clark’s parents hovering at the back door. “Oh, hi,” she greeted weakly, attempting to wipe the tears that stained her cheeks with the sleeve of her borrowed sweatshirt. “Sorry. I’m kind of a mess right now.”
Jonathan and Martha exchanged a worried look when they realized that their son was in Lois’ company without his glasses, knowing how effective of a disguise they were in hiding the fact that Clark was Superman.
“Clark? Has something happened, son?” Jonathan pressed.
“Someone is trying to kill Lois,” Clark revealed, his eyes flashing. “I hope it’s ok that we came here, it just wasn’t safe for her in Metropolis.”
“Oh, of course it’s ok, Clark! You know you’re always welcome,” Martha replied. “Both of you.” She took the seat that Lois had previously vacated. “How... Uh, how did you get here?”
Martha didn’t miss the look that passed between her son and the woman who she was hoping would be her future daughter-in-law. She didn’t need to be told that Superman had flown them; she just hoped that Lois could find it within herself to forgive her son for lying to her. It had been very clear just how much Clark cared for Lois and Martha was hoping that the cozy scene with which they had walked into meant that Lois had been able to look past the lies and the suit and recognize Clark for who he truly was. A good man.
“Someone put a bomb in Lois’ jeep,” Clark revealed. “I didn’t have time to change into the suit.”
“Oh that’s horrible!” Martha gasped. “It’s a lucky thing you were there then, wasn’t it?”
“Very good thing,” Lois agreed, feeling more in control of her emotions. Yep, she was a lucky woman, alright.
“Do you need us to do anything, son?” Jonathan asked.
Clark looked at Lois and was encouraged by the smile she offered him. “Well, I need to get back to Metropolis and help find out who wants Lois dead. Is it ok if Lois stays here while I do that?”
“Oh, I couldn’t impose on your parents like that!” Lois protested, not surprised when she was railroaded by Martha.
“Of course you’re staying here!” Martha interrupted.
Lois offered her an appreciative smile. “Thank you. I just don’t want to be any trouble. Besides, I should probably go with Clark to help -”
“You’re not going anywhere near Metropolis, Lois,” Clark informed her in a tone that dared her to argue.
Since when did Clark Kent order her around? Lois opened her mouth to tell him exactly that, but promptly closed it. Truth was - she didn’t want to go back to Metropolis. She could handle the occasional attempt on her life, but having someone so utterly determined to kill her was a different story.
Martha reached over and grabbed the hand of the woman her son loved. “Lois, you’re not any trouble. You’re practically family. You’ll stay here and Clark will find the bad guys. He’s good at that, you know.”
“Yes, I know.” Lois smiled. “Well, I know that now,” she added.
“Clark’s a good boy.” Martha stood and grabbed her apron from the hook beside the oven. “Ok, so what am I fixing everybody for breakfast?”
“Oh, you don’t need to do that!” Lois announced. She wasn’t used to being taken care of this way. Her own family made family dysfunction take on a whole new meaning. Her mother was never one for cooking, preferring to drink her meals in the privacy of her own bedroom while Lois had grown up, leaving Lois with the task of making sure that Lucy didn’t survive on a diet of junk food.
“Nonsense, Lois. It’s no bother.” Martha effectively halted Lois’ protestation before it had a chance to pick up momentum. “How do pancakes sound?”
“Sounds good to me,” Clark announced easily, helping Lois find her feet, knowing that her sense of propriety wouldn’t allow her to continue sitting in his lap with his parents there. Not that he’d mind it if she stayed a bit longer…
“Do you mind if I take a shower?” she found herself asking.
“Of course not, honey. Go ahead. Breakfast will be ready in twenty minutes. Will that give you enough time?” Martha inquired.
“That’s perfect. Thank you. I’ll just uh, go now.” Lois turned to head up the stairs, pausing before she left the room. “You’ll still be here, right?”
Clark nodded. “I wouldn’t run out on mom’s pancakes,” he informed her easily.
“Ok, good.” With that, Lois scurried from the kitchen and headed up the stairs. Having Clark’s parents walk in on them when she was in the middle of one of her little ‘episodes’ had been embarrassing. She liked Clark’s parents; they had made her feel welcome on her first visit to Smallville. They’d have every right to think of her as a snob because there was no doubt that she had acted like a complete jackass. In trying to make a point about Clark‘s hick upbringing, Lois had managed to thoroughly insult these wonderful people. She had acted very badly - yet they had welcomed her with open arms. The Kents were nice people.
Just like their son.
TBC
Feedback is always appreciated - and it makes me write faster… *hint, hint*
