Thanks to my wonderful betas – Carol, Beth, and Mark!
From Chapter 27
“And,” Lois continued, “you were sprayed, but you didn't fall for me.”
Clark raised his eyebrow again. “Why would you think I would?”
“Oh, come on, Clark,” Lois laughed. “You so want me.”
“Guess not,” Clark smirked.
“You do, too,” Lois insisted.
“Maybe we could get back to the story now?”
With a sigh, Lois agreed. “So what did that bio Jimmy faxed you on Miranda say?”
“She was first in her class at MIT. Her research is funded by Luthor Industries,” he said to her meaningfully.
Lois scoffed. “Lex funds half the scientists in the city. He probably doesn't even know who she is. But if it will make you feel better, I'll ask him.”
“What?” Clark asked.
“I'll ask Lex if he knows Miranda. We're having dinner tonight,” Lois explained. “He finds me very attractive,” she teased.
“Great,” Clark mumbled. That was just the reminder he needed to get back to reality.
Chapter 28
“So, you really won't tell me how we catch Miranda?” Clark asked Superman. Not that Superman's reticence to tell him was a surprise. He had just been more talkative tonight than normal.
“No,” Superman laughed. “But you will. I promise. Well, sort of,” he looked at the table quizzically for a moment.
“What does that mean?” Clark asked, then added, “Forget it. I know you can't tell me. Will you at least tell me how Lois' date with Luthor is going?”
Superman smiled, “Oh, I think it's going well, but… well, never mind.”
“Never mind what?”
“It won't matter. It won't be the same here.”
“If it won't be the same, why can't you tell me?” Clark reasoned.
Superman smiled. “You're right. I guess I can. In my universe, I got sprayed with the perfume, but a stronger version of it.”
“Did it affect you?” Clark asked.
Superman shook his head. “No, but Lois didn't know that.”
“What do you mean?”
“She thought that I might have been affected and I was Superman at the time, so she sort of wanted me to be…”
“In the hopes that you'd swoon all over her.”
“Yes. Obviously, I should have just told her no, but I didn't. I used the excuse and I kissed her.”
“I bet Lois loved that,” Clark said, a bit bitterly.
Superman smiled slightly, “I'm sure she did, and honestly, so did I. I felt vindicated after saying no to her all day and night when she was affected. But that wasn't the best part.”
“Of the kiss?” Clark asked.
“Right,” Superman replied. “The best part was that Luthor was there.”
“Luthor saw you kiss Lois?” Clark clarified.
Superman nodded. “And he hated it. He kept making these comments about wanting to throw up.”
Clark laughed.
“Yeah. But of course, if I get sprayed here, I won't kiss Lois.”
“Thanks,” Clark said.
“No problem. I told you. I don't want to. She's nice – don't get me wrong. But she's not my wife.”
***********************
Lois shifted nervously from foot to foot while waiting for the elevator to reach the penthouse where Lex liked to dine. She had no problem with being attracted to more than one man at a time, but Clark? She was not attracted to Clark. She did not care what Dr. Friedman said, it just was not true. How could Clark Kent compete with Lex and Superman? He couldn't. That was clear. And that was why she was not attracted to him.
“Hello, m'dear,” Lex smiled at her as the elevator doors slid open. See? Clark Kent could never call her "m'dear' without sounding ridiculous. Lex was much more refined.
“Hello, Lex,” Lois replied, letting Lex take her wrap from her.
“Chef Andre has prepared a wonderful feast for us tonight,” Lex said as he led her into his private dining room.
Lois looked around. There was already a salad that looked wonderful on top of each place setting. “I can see that,” Lois said, smiling at Lex.
“I thought eating up here would be nice. A bit more intimate than our last date,” Lex said as he pulled her chair out for her.
Lois tried to think of a good reply. Being the only diners in a restaurant seemed like a pretty intimate dinner as well. She finally settled on “And the view from here is amazing, too,” as she motioned to the city lights of Metropolis below them.
Once Lex had sat down and poured them both a glass of wine, Lois picked up her salad fork. A salad fork – that was another thing. Clark probably did not even know that some people used a separate fork for their salad than their main course. Although, now that she thought about it, Martha put one out the night they had dinner in Smallville.
Glancing up, she noticed Lex staring at her. “Is everything okay?” she asked him.
“Yes,” he replied, still staring. “I've just never noticed your eyes before. How deep. What a rich and warm brown. They are the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen.”
Lois felt herself blush. “Thank you,” she mumbled.
“And your neck,” Lex kept going. “It's so graceful, so elegant. You are a study in beauty, Lois.”
“Lex, are you sure you're all right?” Lois asked. Even she had to admit that this was a bit much.
“I'm fine, Lois,” he insisted. “Never better.”
***********************
“How was your date?” Clark asked the next morning.
Lois looked at him critically for a few minutes. What was his game? Clark was never friendly when he asked about Lex. “It was okay,” she finally said.
“Learn anything about Miranda?” he asked.
So, that was what he was up to. Now that Lois knew, she relaxed. “No. Actually… Clark, I think he might have been sprayed with the perfume,” she admitted.
“What?!” Clark was shocked to hear it.
“It's just… he was acting weird. And he kept going on and on about how beautiful I am.”
“I seem to recall someone telling me that Lex finds you very attractive,” Clark quipped.
“Be serious, Clark! Not like this. He was just… Just trust me. He wasn't himself.”
“For you, Lois,” Jimmy said, passing her a note.
Curious, Lois opened it up and immediately tried to school her features as she read. No need to let Clark know about this.
***********************
“Lex?” Clark asked, watching the man look around Lois' desk.
“Is Lois here?” Lex asked, barely glancing at him.
Clark shook his head. “No, she went to run an errand. Can I give her a message?”
“No,” Lex said. “I just wanted to apologize to her for last night. Miranda sprayed some of her perfume on me and… well, when Lois showed up I'm not sure I wasn't acting a bit odd.”
“What happened last night?” Clark asked, and the harsh tone to his voice caused Lex to look up.
“It's not important,” Lex said. “What is important is getting to Superman.”
“Superman?” Clark asked.
“Yes. He's the only one who can save us. The whole city is in danger. Yesterday, Miranda threatened to release her Revenge all over Metropolis. And I think she's planning on using the 100% solution. The reaction is permanent.”
Clark realized that this was probably the stronger solution Superman said he had been sprayed with in his universe. “I'll get in touch with Superman,” he said to Lex. “And the police.”
“Thanks,” Lex said, turning away as Clark picked up the phone.
***********************
“This is Clark,” came the voice on the other end of the line.
“Hi, it's Clark,” Clark replied.
“Lex come to see you?” Superman replied.
“Yes. I think Miranda might be at Airfield Free. That's where they were going to use the crop dusters to spray the city for fruit flies,” Clark said as he absently watched Lex say something to Jimmy and then swagger out. He felt himself grimace. He could not help it – Luthor bugged him.
“I'll be right there,” Superman said.
“Okay, I'll probably see you there, although I'll be coming the normal way. Oh, and Superman?”
“Yeah?”
Clark lowered his voice so no one could hear. “Did you mean it when you said that you didn't really want to kiss Lois? She just makes you miss your wife?”
“Yes…” Superman said, clearly not understanding where this was going.
“Kiss her,” Clark said.
“What?”
“Kiss Lois. Annoy Lex. Please.”
Superman laughed. “Well, that I would like to do. See you, Clark.”
***********************
Lois screamed. This had been a mistake. She should have told Clark that the note had been from Miranda. That Miranda had said she would give Lois information on Revenge if Lois would meet her at Airfield Free. She had not, though, and now no one had any idea where she was. In a few moments, her feet would touch the boiling liquid below her, not that she had any idea what it was, but she was sure it would hurt. Additionally, Miranda was going to spray all of Metropolis with Revenge.
“Help, Superman!” Lois called.
Just then, she was miraculously free falling directly into… Superman's arms. Lois looked up in confusion. “Superman?” she asked, looking at the ropes still attached to her arms and smoking at the ends.
“Sorry. That was the fastest way,” Superman said as he placed her on her feet and pulled the ropes from her arms.
“Superman, Miranda is…”
“I know, Lois. Wait here,” he said as he took off after Miranda's plane.
A moment later, Lex showed up in his limousine and Clark pulled up in a cab right after him. “Lois, are you all right?” Lex asked.
“I'm fine,” Lois said, her eyes on Superman.
“Lois,” Clark offered. “The spray in the plane is 100% solution. The one we got sprayed with was only 1%.”
Lois' eyes wide, she turned to Clark, then groaned before turning back to Superman.
***********************
Clark was regretting his decision to tell Superman to kiss Lois. He had forgotten how hard it was to watch her fawn all over him. Was it really just a couple of days since she had shown up at his apartment offering herself to him? Why had he turned her down? So he could see more of this?
Clark shook his head. Those negative thoughts were not helping, and besides, if he had, when Lois awoke the next morning she would have been horrified to discover he accepted her offer. It had been the right decision.
It just was not fair, though. Superman had kissed his Lois twice by now and he had not gotten to kiss Lois at all. Would he really ever know what that was like?
He saw Superman shoot him a look, but he kept his face blank. For some reason, he did not want Superman to know that he had changed his mind.
“Lois Lane. I love you,” Clark heard Superman say and then he bent towards her. Lois seemed to consider, made a comment about Superman not being himself, but then changed her mind. A moment later, they were wrapped in a lip lock.
Then Clark heard Lex, “I may throw up.” Okay, maybe it was worth it.
***********************
“Lois Lane, I love you,” Superman said keeping one eye on Clark. Was this really okay with him?
Too late, Superman realized it did not matter. He had already spoken. Lois was now trying to say no, although he knew full well she would not be able to.
“Oh, Superman,” she said, “You don't know how long I've waited to hear you say those words. But you're not yourself, so I can't take advantage of this situation and…” she trailed off as she looked at him. “Oh, what the…” and she leaned forward to press her lips to his.
Superman trained his ears on Lex, waiting to hear his complaints, but suddenly his hearing filled with a different sound. Lois' heartbeat. It was not quite the same as his wife's, but close. Close enough to be soothing and exciting all at the same time. Lois moaned softly and Superman forgot that Lex and Clark were watching.
***********************
Lois lay in bed, watching television. The Ivory Tower was on, but she was not watching it. A soap opera had nothing on her life tonight. She had kissed him. Really! She had kissed Superman and he had seemed to enjoy it. It was magical.
She relived the kiss in her head again and again. His lips had been firm and sort of… solid at first, but then they had softened, he had been more responsive. It may just be the best kiss of her life.
***********************
Superman flew in circles over Metropolis. What had happened there? That was Lois, but not his Lois. He was not attracted to this Lois. Not really. She just made him miss his wife.
“You're going to be great, Clark,” she whispered, her face pressed into his chest. “You are going to be his best friend and the best Superman in any universe and then he'll maybe get a little jealous and want to give it a try and you'll be able to come home to me.”
“How long do you think it will take for him to get jealous?” he asked her, his voice soft.
“Almost no time at all,” she had said, leaning back to smile at him but she ended with a sob.
“I'm going to miss you so much,” he said to her.
“I know,” she nodded. “And I'm going to miss you, too. Well, for the minute until you get back,” she teased while tears still streamed down her cheeks.
“Clark,” she asked. “What do you think is going to happen with the other Lois?” They had talked about this before, but he could tell she needed to hear his reassurances again.
“Nothing,” he said firmly. “I'm sure she's beautiful and brilliant, but she won't be you. I'll be too busy missing you to even notice her,” he said.
She smiled at him, leaning up to kiss him. “Go then. If you leave now, in a few minutes you'll be home.”
He closed his eyes, conjured up a clear image of his wife. She looked like this woman, but they were not exactly alike even physically. His Lois had short hair: this Lois' hair was longer. This Lois had angular features: his Lois' figure had softened slightly with age and two children. This Lois was reckless. His Lois was… well, reckless, but less so now that she had Emily and Jory to deal with.
Opening his eyes, he realized they were filled with tears. He missed Lois, so much. That was all that his reaction to the kiss earlier was – she was the closest thing he had to his wife and he had reacted to that. But she was not his wife. She was not the same at all.
***********************
“Okay,” Lois admitted over coffee the next morning. “Maybe somewhere, buried incredibly deep inside me is some eensy weensy, microcosmic although highly unlikely possibility that I could feel some sort of unmotivated and completely unrealistic attraction to you.”
Clark grinned. He had not meant to tease her about this again, but it was hard not to. She was just so defensive about it. “As long as you're being honest with yourself, Lois.”
“Look,” she said, hands on her hips. “Just because for a day I thought I was in love with you, doesn't mean I was.”
“In love with me?” Clark asked, eyebrow raised. “I thought you were just attracted to me. Maybe infatuated. But you were in love?”
Lois groaned. “Clark, drop it, would you?”
“You're just upset that I didn't fall for you,” he teased.
Lois snorted. “I could not care less. It's not my fault you have no taste.” With that, she stood up and walked back to her desk.
