Green-Eyed Monster TOC Part 11Part 12Lois jogged up the escalators to the third floor, clocked out and grabbed her stuff out of her locker. As she came back down to the ground floor, she saw Clark talking to Jack.
“So, what are they calling him?” Jack was asking Clark.
Lois raised a brow. What were they talking about?
The kid looked at Lois with a curious expression on his face, then shook his head as if he was dismissing the thought that had arisen there. “Here comes the Mrs.,” she heard him say.
Lois shot Jack a look, but Clark just turned and smiled happily at the sight of her. She liked the ease and comfort Clark displayed, resting against the counter. There was something extra sexy about him tonight.
And he didn’t correct Jack! Good sign.“Ready?” Clark asked, approaching her.
In every way.Lois nodded.
“I was able to find a spot just around the corner.” Clark grabbed an umbrella leaning against the doors and opened it, after he held the door open for her.
He’s such a gentleman, gushed her inner voice.
“What were you and Jack talking about?” she asked, not able to hold in her curiosity any longer.
Clark gazed at her and didn’t answer right away. “The plane.”
“Oh. How was it? Big?”
“Huge.” He shrugged and then mumbled, “Not heavy, though.”
Lois slapped him playfully on the chest as she chuckled at his joke, “You pick up heavy things all the time then?”
His grin hinted at secrets which he wasn’t revealing, the jokester. “You’d be surprised.”
“You’re a riot, Clark.”
“Actually not,” he continued, wrapping his arm around her.
“You make
me laugh, Clark,” she said, relishing the embrace.
“My pleasure, Miss,” he replied, tipping his imaginary hat. They arrived at the truck.
My pleasure actually.Clark walked around the truck and slid into the driver’s seat. He shook out the umbrella and stuck it behind his seat.
Lois wondered if he brought the umbrella for her or for him, so his glasses wouldn’t get wet, tempting her to pull them off his face again. She sighed. He really was so handsome without those horrible frames.
He glanced at her. “What?”
Lois blushed. “I was just thinking how handsome you would be without those horrible frames.”
Wow! The truth again.Clark pressed his lips together. “Lois, you promised.”
“What?” she gasped, innocently. “Are you blind without them?”
He shrugged.
“Oh, I know, you’re afraid you’ll shoot laser beams out of your eyes and you might burn me.” She laughed. “Your glasses are all that protect me from certain death.”
Clark stared at her.
“Breathe, Clark. I’m only joking.”
He released his breath and then replied with a hint of sarcasm, “I knew that. But, yeah, you’re right about the laser beams, Lois. So stop trying to take off my glasses, please.”
Lois leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Whatever you say, Clark.” She giggled.
Clark turned the key and the radio blared 70’s rock at them.
We will, We will, Rock you!She reached over and turned it off. “I feel like silence. Just us. That OK?”
“Sure.” Clark looked over his shoulder and pulled out into traffic. He was quiet a minute.
Lois wanted to hold his hand, but since the truck was a stick shift he would need his right hand to drive.
“Do you really hate my glasses?” he asked quietly.
Guilt stabbed her. “Oh, no, Clark!”
He glanced over at her.
“Well, okay. Yes. I’m sure we could find you a better style, that’s all. Something more 1990s and less…”
Clark raised his brow as her voice faded. “1960s?”
She smiled sheepishly, reaching over to pat his arm reassuringly. She was having trouble keeping her hands to herself.
Because he is so absolutely delicious.“Forget I said anything, Clark. I like you just the way you are.” She rested her head on his shoulder. “Don’t ever change.”
Clark sighed. He didn’t sound reassured.
They reached her apartment building a few minutes later. It was amazing how much quicker it was to travel in Clark’s truck than it was to take the bus. He found a space directly in front.
“Here we are.”
Clark didn’t seem interested in walking her to her door. Maybe he didn’t like her after all. Lois raised her head off his shoulder and scooted towards the passenger door. Had she been throwing herself at someone who really wasn’t interested?
Lois opened the door. “Fine. Well, thanks,” she snapped.
“Lois, please. Not tonight,” he groaned.
Not tonight?Lois sneered and slammed the door. “Not tonight,” she muttered. “Then when? Never seems most likely.” She marched up her front steps.
Clark opened his door and started to follow. “Lois! Why are you mad at me?”
The nerve of that man!She turned and threw her hands up into the air. “Me, mad? That’s rich, Clark. You’re the one that’s mad, not me.”
“What? I’m not mad at you.”
“Humph! Well, you have a funny way of showing it.” Lois dug her keys out of her purse and opened the front door to her building. She didn’t hold the door for him, but he caught it and continued to follow her.
“Lois, you aren’t making any sense. How am I treating you like I’m mad?”
They were out by the pool now. Lois turned back to him. “You don’t know? You don’t know! How dense can one guy be?”
“Dense? How am I being dense, Lois?” he asked following her into her apartment.
“Well, if you have to ask…”
“That’s not fair. You’re obviously mad at me. Now you’re doubly mad at me for not knowing why you were mad at me in the first place. Why don’t we just cut this argument in half and you tell me what’s wrong?”
Lois threw her stuff on the coffee table. “You’ve been acting weird all week.”
“I have?” Clark seemed surprised.
“Weird is the wrong word. Sullen. Was it something I did?” She put her hands on her hips, pressed her lips together, and stared at him.
Yeah! What about that?“I’ve been sullen?”
Lois rolled her eyes.
“I’m sorry, Lois. Have I been treating you badly?” he asked, concerned.
“No! You’ve been wonderful. Very friendly.”
Clark’s brow furrowed in confusion. “And you haven’t liked this?”
Lois threw up her hands. “What more do I have to say?”
He continued to stare at her as Lois glowered at him.
Could he really not know?Eventually, Clark sighed. “I don’t know what slight I’ve caused you, Lois, but if you don’t want to be friends anymore…” His whole demeanor fell as he reached for the door.
Lois ran to him and placing her hands on either side of him, slammed the door shut. “No! Don’t go!”
“I’ve got to get to the store for my shift,” he murmured.
“You still have time,” she told him. “I don’t want you to leave like this.”
He looked at her, his whole countenance hopeful. “So you still want to be friends?”
She leaned towards him. “Breathe, Clark.”
***
Breathe?How could Clark breathe with Lois so close? She had her hands on either side of him, pinning him to the door. Her whole body leaning against his. How could he possibly breathe?
“Breathe?” he finally was able to ask.
“You told me once that you would hold your breath until I found a good man in Metropolis. So, I’m telling you to breathe,” she whispered.
Clark’s chest began to ache.
Lois met someone? Today? Not today of all days. Please, Lois, don’t tell me about this today. Don’t ruin today.“You’ve met someone?” he sputtered.
A hint of a smile danced on her lips. “Yes.”
He swallowed. “And he likes you?” Clark shook his head. “Of course he likes you. How could he not?”
Her smile grew larger. “Yes. How could he not?”
“Stop teasing me, Lois,” he murmured.
“Am I teasing you, Clark?” Her tongue licked those smiling lips. He felt a chill go down his spine.
“Are you going to go out with him?” He winced.
Do you really want to hear about that, Kent?“I hope so.”
“He hasn’t asked you out?” Hope blossomed.
“Not, yet.” Lois’s smile was positively glowing. This man made her happy.
“Is he an idiot?”
Lois giggled softly. “I don’t think so, but…” She shrugged, leaning closer. “It would explain a lot.” Her chest was pressed against his chest now.
Clark raised a brow. Her face was really close to his. Were her arms getting tired? His heart felt like it was wedged in his throat, making it impossible for him to breathe.
“Clark. Breathe,” Lois whispered, before pressing her lips to his.
Clark’s eyes went wide as he realized Lois was kissing him.
Him! She wrapped her arms around his neck and pushed herself even closer to him. Clark let his eyes drift shut as his arms encircled her, soaking in the essence that was Lois. Her tongue asked permission to enter his mouth and he willingly complied, deepening the kiss.
The kiss from the store was nothing compared to this kiss. This kiss was better. It was real. She wanted him. Lois liked him. They were alone. She was kissing him because she wanted to kiss him.
He was the man she liked?
He was the idiot?
Clark lifted Lois into his arms and carried her over to the couch. Of course, he was the idiot! No wonder she had been mad at him. She had wanted him to kiss her and he hadn’t. Clark’s happiness cup overflowed. Lois liked him. She was making it difficult to keep his feet from rising off the floor. He sat down on the couch and put Lois on his lap. She ran her fingers through his hair and moaned.
His heart made a leap. He had made Lois moan with contentment. His pleasure cup had flooded the room now.
Lois moved away and his nerve endings cried out in disappointment.
Clark opened his eyes and looked at her
She was smiling as she licked her lips. “Was that so hard?”
He beamed and pulled her back in for another kiss. She came willingly. He was in heaven!
Clark had rescued a plane full of reporters. He had saved his city from a plane crashing into the streets, possibly killing a bunch of people. And Lois kissed him. Lois liked him. This was the best day ever!
***
Clark skipped down the street. He was positively floating and it wasn’t just because he could. Lois’s kisses had made it impossible to touch the ground again. He felt silly and carefree, like Gene Kelly in
Singing in the Rain. He wasn’t much of a singer, though. Maybe he could do his own rendition called
Flying in the Rain. He grinned at this ridiculous thought.
Actually that wasn’t correct. He hadn’t stopped grinning since leaving Lois’s apartment. He hadn’t wanted to leave, but he had to get to work. Probably best if he didn’t outstay his welcome. As long as Lois wanted to kiss him and he had no place to go, he would have stayed. Not good. Nope. Not gentlemanly. No, sirree. But certainly heavenly. And after having her sleep in his arms last weekend, why would he ever leave unless she asked him to? Hence outstaying his welcome. So it was for the best that he had this shift at the store to take him away. Clark pulled open the door and skipped inside. He saw Jack and showed him his grin.
“Lois kiss you good night, huh?” the kid asked.
Clark raised a brow at him. “Jack,
I don’t kiss and tell.” But his grin gave him away.
Jack laughed. “Man, you just did.”
Oops! Oh, well.Clark shrugged and jogged quickly up the escalator. The store was still fairly empty. It was going to be a quick close. He stuck his lunch into a locker and clocked in. Seeing Perry in his office, Clark popped his head in.
“Hi, Perry.”
His manager waved him inside. Clark entered and then Perry indicated he should shut the door. Clark’s brow furrowed as he shut the door.
His boss stuck out his hand. “Good job, son.”
Oh, this was about his save earlier. Clark did not think his grin could get any bigger, but it did. He shook Perry’s hand. “Thank you, Chief.”
“A head’s up would have been nice.” Perry chuckled. “My eyes almost popped out my head when I looked up on my dinner break and there you were flying overhead holding up that colossal plane.” He cleared his throat. “That’s some costume. Nobody’s going to think it’s you.”
“I hope not, Sir,” replied Clark, seriously.
“What did Lois think of your new get up?”
“I don’t know; she didn’t mention it.”
Perry raised a brow. “You didn’t tell her?”
Clark shook his head. “It’s a little early in the relationship to announce that I’m a flying alien in tights.”
“Possibly,” his boss spoke slowly, hesitantly. “But this isn’t something that’s going to be easy to keep secret from your girlfriend. You’re international news, son.”
“Already?” Clark gasped.
Perry laughed at the younger man’s obvious discomfort. “Did you think you’d only make the local eleven o’clock news? You are unique.”
Clark shrugged. “I just want to help. I don’t want a big deal made.”
“Well, son. A big deal is going to be made. People are going to want to know about you. All about you.”
Clark sighed and sat down opposite his boss. “It felt good to help out. I hate hiding in the shadows, picking and choosing where I can least be noticed. Now I don’t have to worry about that.”
Perry smirked. “No hiding in the shadows in that suit.”
“It’s actually quite comfortable.”
His boss raised a hand to stop this conversation thread. “You’re going to be leaving us – at the bookstore – soon, aren’t you?”
“I don’t want to. I still need the extra paycheck for the café’s lease,” Clark replied, sadly. “But, yeah, if I end up being as big of a deal as you say, people are going to notice if I consistently miss rescues on Saturday nights.”
Perry nodded. “That’s thinking like a reporter. And the first people who will notice are the criminals.”
“I’m not a policeman, Chief. I don’t think the men and women in blue will take kindly to that kind of assistance,” Clark responded.
“Kent, I know you. You aren’t going to be able to ignore someone getting mugged on the streets, or a bank robbery with hostages, or a gun battle in Suicide Slums. As long as you don’t hurt anyone, you turn over any criminals to the police as a citizen’s arrest, and you follow the letter of the law, I think Metro’s police will be happy for the help.” Then his boss smirked again. “Good thing your suit is blue, too.”
Clark raised a brow at this joke. “I don’t hurt people, Perry.”
“It’s going to be tempting, especially with people like our Boss out there.”
“I made myself a vow when I discovered how very strong I am, never to hurt a human and especially never kill one. Every person has a little good in them…” Clark’s statement was tempered as his grin returned for a moment. “… no matter how big of a jerk he or she may end up being.”
“Kent, we both know The Boss is more than a jerk.”
Clark stood up with a nod. “Yes, but that still doesn’t change things. I’m not going to let someone else being evil change who
I am.”
“Glad to hear it, Kent. If you need any help navigating your first press conference, let me know.”
Clark’s brow furrowed. “Press conference? I’m not having a press conference.”
“No, but the Mayor is. And he has invited the superhero to join him.”
“Great.” Clark’s tone did not match his word.
“Spend part of tonight preparing a statement and bring it by my house in the morning. And I’ll give it a once over,” suggested his boss.
“Thanks, Perry, I’d appreciate it.”
His boss patted him on the back. “And I’ll work on helping you find a job with a bigger paycheck where you can have the freedom to be you. I’ve got ideas on that front.”
Clark smiled. Perry always had ideas.
“Thanks for the help, Chief. I’d better get to work.” He stopped at the door and pressed his lips together not quite sure how to say what he knew needed to be said, “Please don’t tell anyone, even Alice.”
“I have never said a word, Kent. I wasn’t planning on starting now. Not even to Alice.”
Clark released his breath. “Thank you, Sir.”
Perry waved him out of the office. “Get back to work, Kent.”
He shot his boss a smile and left the office.
The store was now closed. It was his job to check to make sure all the customers had left and to lock up. It was amazing how some people would sit in a back corner and not leave despite the overhead announcements that the store was closed. In the past he had found people hiding out in the restrooms too. Clark shook his head, hoping this wasn’t going to be one of those nights.
As he wandered the store, Clark’s thoughts drifted back to what Perry had told him.
A big deal is going to be made.He guessed that shouldn’t surprise him after what he had done. Was that where all the customers were – at home, watching him on LNN? He hadn’t had a chance to check out the coverage or what they were saying about him. Everything he had heard on the radio on the way to the store to pick Lois up had been genuinely positive.
Lois! He hadn’t thought about her for five whole minutes. He sighed as he allowed his mind to coast over their kisses. She liked him. Really, really liked him. And he liked her.
Like, ha! You love her.He did. He really, really did. Clark laughed quietly to himself. She had gotten mad at him because he hadn’t kissed her. How could he not love that woman? He was pleased that she had forced their relationship forward. He
had been a dense idiot for hesitating.
Now you’ll truly be torn in two when she leaves you for the man she’s destined to marry.Clark didn’t want to think about that and pushed that thought away. Tonight Lois wanted him and that was enough. It was almost too much joy for him to wrap his mind around. He felt like flying through the city and screaming at the top of his lungs:
Lois likes me! Which he would never do, tempting though it might be. That would be too revealing. He didn’t want Lois’s name associated with his other persona. Her name could be entangled with Clark Kent’s all she wanted it to be though.
Like Mrs. Clark Kent?Maybe. Someday. Clark’s smile grew back into a silly grin. That would be nice. Wonderful. Fantastic. He closed his eyes for a moment and imagined himself coming home to an idealized house with an idealized white picket fence. Lois greeting him at the door, her stomach round with child. Gosh, pregnancy agreed with her. It made her glow. He kissed this idealized wife, scooping her into his arms and…
Are you kidding me? What is this? The 1950s? That will never be your life. And Lois would never be that sort of wife. Nor would you want her to be.Clark opened his eyes and continued his rounds. True. He could never picture Lois as a stay-at-home wife, cooking and cleaning and raising their children. He didn’t even know if he could father children with an Earth woman, but he wouldn’t mind trying with Lois. Over and over and over.
Feet on the ground, Kent!Clark swallowed. OK. No more thinking of being
that intimate with Lois until he had had a chance to disconnect the surveillance videos. He knew he hadn’t raised his hopes of ever being that close to a woman, not after Lana had rejected him so soundly in that department. And with everything else about him, he would be surprised if he ever could have a relationship progress that far, but he could dream.
Fantasize, you mean.Oh, yeah. If the ardor of Lois’s kisses were anything to go by…
Feet on the ground!Right. At the store. No thinking about making love to Lois. No matter how much his mind kept drifting in that direction. He chuckled. Would she want him to suck on her toes?
Kent, she practically invited you to do so last weekend.Clark cleared his throat, switching the direction of his thoughts once more. What would Lois think of his other persona? Would she come unglued as she had with the globe? Would she be relieved when he – his other persona
he – finally told her that he had rescued her that night she had fallen into traffic? Would she be angry? A big possibility with Lois. She got mad at him for not kissing her, so angry was a definite possibility. Luckily, she would be mad at his other persona and not at him.
If you want to move your relationship past kissing, you’re going to have to tell her the truth about that someday, Kent.Someday. But thankfully not today. He would climb that mountain when he got there.
If you get there.When, Clark corrected. He trusted Lois. But he wasn’t going to allow thoughts of Lois leaving him for another man to enter his mind. Not tonight. Tonight he was a hero and Lois liked him. He was in seventh heaven and planning on staying there.
*** End of Part 12 *** Part 13 Comments We Will Rock You - by Queen , written by Brian May.
Singing in the Rain - Sung by Gene Kelly from the movie by the same name. Lyrics by Arthur Freed, music by Nacio Herb Brown.
