Previously:
She groaned as she opened her eyes. "Where are we?"
"I think Las Vegas," he said in some surprise.
She giggled. "We should get married. That would really show Clark," she said, reaching for the bottle of wine. There was about a glassful left...
"Yeah? Why not? Let's do it. Lois Lane, will you marry me?" Clark grinned. He wasn't thinking straight. All he knew was he loved Lois Lane. Here she was in his arms and they were in Vegas!
She drank the last bit of wine, then wrapped her arms around his neck. "You betcha!"
*******
And now:
It was too easy. The chapel attendant didn't even look twice at Superman marrying Lois. They got all kinds coming through there. And every now and then someone would come dressed up as something. So big deal. The guy thinks he's Superman.
There was just one moment of truth, when the registrar asked for his name. Superman had looked directly at Lois and had said, sober, "Clark Kent."
Lois laughed out loud. "Good one!" And then he had joined in on her laughter, completely terrified to do anything else.
"Joke's on Clark!" she giggled.
The ceremony was short. Lois had a moment's hesitation before the vows but she couldn't focus on why. They used Clark's name in the ceremony, and all Lois could do was giggle.
"I take thee, Clark, to be my lawful wedded husband, to have and to hold, till death us do part," she said, surprised the words came so easily for her in her state. She couldn't help giggling at the end. This was all a game, a joke. One that would get Clark back for all the hurt he put her through. Married to Superman, ha! Take that, Clark!
Clark knew he should say something to stop this madness. But he couldn't bring himself to do it. He was marrying Lois, as Clark Kent, no less. Yet of course she didn't know she was really marrying Clark Kent. He should be bothered by it. But she looked so beautiful saying those vows.
They leaned in for the kiss at the end. They mostly tasted wine, but Lois felt her knees give way just the same. She didn't know what had effected her more. Clark scooped her up and they headed out of the chapel to the hotel that had been prearranged for them.
"You can pay me back later, Superman. I got this one," Lois still had her emergency credit card. It was probably at its limit, but she didn't care.
"And what name are you registered under?" asked the clerk.
Lois, hanging onto Superman afraid she'd fall, giggled, "Kent. Mr. and Mrs. Clark Kent!"
They got to the suite, still in a fit of laughter.
"Mrs. Superman!" she giggled. She circled her arms around him. Then whispered. "I'm Mrs... you. Wh--what's your name, anyway?"
Both of their heads were swimming. They were forehead to forehead. "I told you my name," he whispered. Then he leaned in to kiss her. She gave herself into the kiss. <<He feels so like Clark when he kisses me,>> she thought to herself, hoping the tears that threatened didn't overflow. Who'd ever thought that she'd feel like Superman was the consolation prize?
"I love you, Lois," he said, and they fell onto the bed.
The room spun. They laid there, holding each other. And then fell promptly asleep.
*********
Clark woke up with a splitting headache. He had never, ever been hungover, and he was certain it was the worst feeling in the world. He stood up to go the bathroom and thought he'd fall over from being so dizzy. <<Maybe it was the red Kryptonite, still?>> He wondered. Then he remembered all the wine they had drunk the night before. Maybe the Kryptonite had allowed him to be effected by wine, and this was just a pure hangover.
He stumbled into the bathroom, surprising himself to see he was still dressed as Superman. "Oh, no...no...no, no, no! We didn't...?" He came back into the room. He saw Lois, still in her sweats from last night, completely crashed out, and looked like she would be for hours yet.
Clark saw a certificate on the night stand. There it was. The evidence of their foolhardiness. A certificate of marriage between Clark Kent and Lois Lane, granted by the State of Nevada. A joke gone horribly wrong. He snatched the offending certificate off the night stand, threw it in a drawer. Maybe it would be better if Lois didn't see it first thing when she woke up...
Clark sat down on a nearby chair, sighing. <<What did I do to us now?>> He knew he'd have to tell her the truth, that was for sure. But, *where* to begin?
He was married to Lois Lane. As Superman. And as Clark Kent. It should be perfect, but it was a mockery of everything. It was a mockery of how he really felt about her. "Pretending" to be Clark? Ridiculous!
It was only about seven in the morning. It was too early to call his parents for advice. Besides, he was pretty sure he knew what they'd say. Tell Lois the truth. He scoffed at the imaginary conversation. "Where would I even start?" he mumbled.
He sighed. First he'd get a shower, clear his head. Then, he'd order breakfast and try to tell Lois the truth. And prayed that he wouldn't lose her when she found out.
********
Lois felt the room spin as she sat up. <<I haven't been this hungover... ever,>> she thought.
She looked around the room. She was in a hotel room? Where...? She felt panicked. She remembered Superman... and getting drunk... and... something...
She groaned, the room still spinning as her head hit the pillow again. Her thoughts wouldn't pool together properly. <<Where am I? What happened...?>>
"Hey," a voice whispered beside her.
She opened one bleary eye. Superman was standing over her, looking very concerned. He had a tablet and water in his hand.
"Take this," he offered her quietly.
One eye still locked shut in half sleep, Lois reached for the medicine. She accidentally slammed the water on the night stand, making it slosh onto the wood.
"Oops," she said, halfheartedly, her eyes closing again.
"Are you okay?" he asked gently.
She looked up at him again.
"Superman!" she cried, it registering that something wasn't right here. But she wished she hadn't spoken so loud. Her head pounded and her throat was sore. "What ha--happened last night?" she croaked.
"Get some sleep, Lois. I'll... tell you later."
She nodded, too dizzy and sleepy to argue.
She mumbled something into her pillow and then was asleep again.
*********
"You did *what*?" asked Martha over breakfast that morning.
Clark had flown to Smallville while Lois slept to talk to his parents. He knew they'd be angry, but he also hoped they'd have a solution for him.
"It was the red Kryptonite, mom," whined Clark, hating the sound in his own ears.
"Kryptonite or none, *wine* or none, you lied to Lois and married her! Clark! I can't believe you did that!"
"Me neither... and I can't believe Lois did it either! I thought... I thought she loved me."
"She does love you, honey. She was so upset. You both are so foolish!" she shook her head in dismay. "I keep telling you that you need to tell her the truth! You've been dating a while now..." She looked up at him, remembering something, "And you said you married her under your real name? How did that work?"
Clark felt redder than his cape under his mother's scrutiny. "I was attempting to tell her the truth. I gave my real name to the registrar, and Lois thought it was a joke! But the good news is, she's married to the real me. If I can get her to forgive me..." he waved the rest away, hopefully. "I know, I'm hoping for too much."
"You better believe you are. Honey, you need to get back to that hotel and tell Lois who you are. I don't know what you'll do about the marriage. That's a whole can of worms you'll have to deal with on your own, Clark."
