Jimmy Olsen isn't big on wishing. It's not like wishing ever got anyone anywhere. But at this moment, he wishes harder than he's ever wished for anything that he had the ability to turn back time.
Because if he did? Yesterday afternoon would never have happened.
If only he hadn't gone up to the roof.
He never goes up there. Not on an everyday basis, anyway. Oh sure, from time to time, he ventures up there to take some skyline shots of Metropolis, fooling around with a new camera or a different lens, but he didn't frequent the roof of the Planet building with any regularity to say the least.
But yesterday had been a picture perfect day, and the newsroom had been, for some reason or other, busier than usual. So he had gotten the bright idea to retreat to the roof and grab a few minutes of peace and quiet, and maybe a few scenic shots of the city while he was at it. And he had been right; the view of Metropolis with the spring sun shining down on it was breathtaking. The way the sunlight had hit the various buildings, the clear blue sky above a perfect backdrop to the silvery steel skyscrapers.
Busying himself in a slightly darkened corner created by the enormous concrete base of the Planet's trademark globe - the glare of the sun had been making it a bit difficult to make sure his lens was properly clean for his shots - he enjoys a few minutes of the relative quiet. That is, until voices around the corner interrupt his solitude.
"Will you relax? I'm fine. As usual," he hears the familiar tone of one Lois Lane-Kent say, with a touch of exasperation.
Curious, he slowly peers around the corner, still managing to keep hidden in the shadows. He sees Lois, her arms crossed in front of her challengingly. His eyes drift over to her still silent partner in this conversation, and finds himself unsurprised to see Superman.
Unsurprised because, let's face it, as long as the sun rises in Metropolis, it's a sure bet that the ensuing day will see Superman saving the aforementioned Lois Lane-Kent. She had a special knack for getting herself into trouble. Of course, that's what also made her one of the most prominent investigative reporters in the world, along with her partner and husband, Clark Kent.
When Superman makes no attempt to say anything in response, Lois clearly becomes more frustrated.
"I was meeting with a source. I could have handled it."
"And what possessed you to meet with this source in that particular place?" Superman asks, finally breaking his silence.
"It was a public place!"
Jimmy notices Superman narrowing his eyes at her, and is shocked to see Lois fidget a bit under his gaze.
"Okay, it was the back alley of a public place, if you wanna get specific," Lois says in a mumble that Jimmy barely picks up. Then, in a much stronger voice, she continues, "And like I said, I could have handled it."
"Lois, that thug had a knife at your throat!"
"And I was just about to take care of that when you showed up!"
Superman grumbles at that, clearly at this wits' end with her, and Jimmy can't help but chuckle quietly. The Man of Steel seemed to have an endless amount of patience, but it was no surprise that if anyone could frustrate him, it would be Lois. He watches as Lois begins to turn, apparently intending to head back inside the building and end their conversation.
He's about to pick up his camera to snap a picture, because no photographer worth his salt passes up a Superman photo op, when it happens.
Through the eye of his camera lens, he sees Superman reach out and gently grab Lois' arm. It's a gesture of affection that surprises Jimmy, as Superman isn't known for those kinds of things. Even with all the women that routinely throw themselves at him. And while Jimmy knows that Superman and Lois have a closer relationship than the superhero has with most, it doesn't keep his jaw from dropping in shock.
But nothing prepares him for what happens next.
His camera lens still his window to what's happening in front of him, he hears Superman say softly, "Do you have any idea what it would do to me if anything ever happened to you?"
Lois visibly softens at that, turning back towards him to look up into his eyes.
"I know you're not a damsel in distress…"
"You're damn right I'm not," she interjects, bringing a small smile to Superman's lips.
"But you do have a certain gift for finding trouble. Which…it's who you are, and I love who you are. But you can't expect me not to come after you, Lois, no matter how much trouble I know you can handle."
Frozen in his spot, Jimmy feels the nauseau swirling in his stomach as he watches and listens to the scene unfold before him.
"Because you can't stop being who you are," she acquiesces quietly, eliciting a nod from Superman.
"Anymore than you can stop being who you are," he responds, reaching his other arm out to encircle her waist and pull her against him.
Then, horror floods him as he watches Superman lean down and kiss Lois Lane-Kent.
And worse, she kisses him back. All too enthusiastically.
He hadn't even realized his finger had pressed down, and that his camera is quietly capturing this passionate moment.
A moment he wishes he could forget.
Twenty four hours had done nothing to lessen the sadness, the anger, and the confusion he feels, feelings that were only multiplied as he stares down at the picture of Superman and Lois Lane-Kent in one hell of a liplock.
But those feelings were nothing compared to the guilt he felt when he had laid eyes on Clark Kent earlier this morning. Clark had, as usual, good naturedly waved to him, an unsuspecting smile on his face.
Jimmy didn't know what to do. How do you tell your friend that his wife, the wife he completely and totally adores, is cheating on him? With a legendary superhero no less? Oh, and by the way, said superhero is also in love with her?
The guilt had only deepened when he saw Clark hand Lois her coffee, leaning down and giving her a soft peck on the cheek. Lois had smiled at him adoringly, and Jimmy had felt the uncharacteristic urge go and give her a piece of his mind for hurting his friend. And Jimmy never had the urge to confront Lois. Not only because he also considered her a close friend, but because he had learned over the years there were few things in life that were less likely than besting Lois in a verbal battle.
But what bothers him more than anything, as he sits in the quiet darkroom staring at the picture on his lap, is the disillusionment he feels on not one, but two counts.
He had watched Lois and Clark finally admit their feelings for each other after years of denial, and had even been an usher in their wedding. It had humbled him, the love between them, and it had given him hope that, despite the broken heart he had suffered at the hands of Lois' cousin Chloe, that he would find that kind of love. Being a witness to their relationship, a love between two people that seemed so unlikely together, yet he couldn't imagine either of them with anyone else, it had made him realize that that's what he wanted. And he wouldn't settle for anything less.
Had it all been a lie? The love he thought he saw, was it nothing more than a façade, at least on Lois' part?
Then there's Superman. The greatest hero the world has ever seen. Known for his morals, his pursuit of truth, justice, and the American way, an iconic figure that had given hope to a world that sorely needed it.
And he was in love and involved with a married woman. A woman whose husband was even rumored to be friends with Superman – though they had never actually been seen together.
"With friends like that," Jimmy mutters bitterly.
Sure, the rumors about Lois and Superman had been circulating since she had been his first save three years ago. Jimmy had always noticed the special interest Superman had taken in Lois, but he had always assumed it was innocent. Because Superman would never go after a married woman.
Except, according to the picture in front of him, he would.
Suddenly, the primary colors of Superman's signature outfit didn't seem as bright. He didn't seem as tall or imposing.
For Jimmy Olsen, as he stares at the picture of Superman kissing his friend's wife, he realizes sadly that he no longer sees a hero.
"Jimmy?"
Her familiar voice and the light knock on the door to the darkroom pulls him from his thoughts. Quickly flipping the picture over and shoving it into the desk drawer in front of him, Jimmy takes a deep breath and turns to face Lois Lane-Kent.
"Hey, why have you been hiding down here all morning?" she asks, stepping fully into the room.
"No reason," he says coldly, and his tone clearly stuns Lois, who gives him a quizzical look.
"What's up with you?"
"Nothing."
"Jimmy…"
"What do you want Lois?" he asks.
For a moment, he sees a flash of hurt cross her face at his clipped attitude towards her, but being Lois, she quickly covers. It's that flash of hurt that threatens Jimmy's anger towards her. Over the years, he had come to see her as sort of a big sister, and surprisingly, even after all that had gone down with Chloe, their relationship not only remained in tact but actually became a bit stronger because of it. And it hurt him to feel this anger towards her, because he didn't want to believe she'd ever do something like cheat on Clark, the man who's so head over heels in love with her he practically trips over himself whenever she enters a room to this very day, even after almost two years of marriage.
But, he reminds himself of what he had seen, of Lois' arms holding Superman as tightly to her as he was holding her to him. He had seen with his own eyes the willing participant she was in that kiss. A willing participant to breaking his friend's heart.
"I just wondered if you'd developed the shots you took of the LuthorCorp press conference yesterday. Clark and I are just about done with the article…," she trails off, uncharacteristically for Lois. But she sees something in his eyes, something she can't quite understand.
He seems angry with her. And for the life of her, she can't understand why.
"Yeah, I did. I'll bring them up in a bit," he says, then turns away from her and sits down, clearly indicating that their conversation was over.
Completely confused, Lois takes a step toward him. "Jimmy, is something wrong?" she asks, her voice soft and he can even detect a hint of anxiety.
"Everything's just great, Lois," he says, without turning to look at her, and she can hear the tinge of bitterness coloring his voice. "I'll bring the pics up in a few."
Not satisfied at all with his answer, but also having a feeling she wasn't going to get anything out of him in this moment, Lois turns and heads out of the darkroom.
Relaxing his shoulders at her exit, Jimmy opens the drawer and flips over the picture once more.
If only he hadn't gone up to the roof.
"Have you talked to Jimmy today?"
Clark looks up at her, taking a second to push his black glasses up his nose.
"I saw him earlier but I didn't talk to him. Why?"
"He's just…acting weird."
"How do you mean?"
"It's like…he's ticked off at me. And while I know that there are generally a lot of people in this place who feel that way about me on a daily basis," she pauses, rolling her eyes at the grin that comment elicits from her husband, "Jimmy isn't one of them. I haven't even spoken to him since yesterday morning. I mean, I know I'm good at angering people but I usually do have to be in the same room with them at some point to accomplish that."
"Maybe it isn't you, maybe something else is going on with him."
"Smallville, it's me. You should have seen the way he looked at me," she says, grimacing slightly at the memory. She'd never admit it out loud, but she cared a great deal for Jimmy. Their sibling-like relationship had meant a lot to her over the years, and the look she had seen in his eyes had stung her. "It was like I just ran over his brand new litter of puppies or something," she says glumly.
Clark shakes his head, his wife's knack for imagery never failing to amuse him. "Do you want me to talk to him, Lo?"
She smiles gratefully at him in response. "Would you?"
"Like there's anything I wouldn't do for you, Lois Lane-Kent."
Neither of them had seen Jimmy enter the newsroom. And neither of them had noticed the stricken look on his face, having heard Clark's words to Lois.
"Poor guy has no idea," he whispers sadly to himself. With sympathetic eyes fixed on Clark, he walks over to their workstation, pictures in hand. Catching the movement out of the corner of his eye, Clark looks up and sees the strange look Jimmy is directing towards him. He then watches with surprise as the young photographer's eyes grow cold as Jimmy turns to face his wife.
"Here are the pictures you asked for," he says, dropping them on Lois' desk.
"Wow, that was fast," Lois says sweetly, in an attempt to try and smooth the waters between them, "You didn't have to rush."
"I didn't want to keep you waiting," he responds, his tone short.
Lois catches Clark's eye and can see he's just as curious about Jimmy's attitude towards her, having now seen it for himself.
"Well," she says, forcing a small smile onto her face. "Thanks Jimmy, I'm sure there's some great shots in here we can use."
"Yeah, sure, whatever," he mumbles, his eyes focused on the wood of the joined desks. After a moment, he turns to Clark, reaching out and lightly smacking his friend on the shoulder.
"How you doin', C.K., you okay?"
Clark turns to glance at Lois, and is sure the confusion on her face is mirrored in his own.
"Uh, yeah, Jimmy, I'm fine, thanks."
"You know," Lois interrupts, sensing this would be a good time to exit and let Clark do some digging, "I'm craving something chocolate. Anyone want anything from the vending machines?"
"No thanks, Lo," Clark responds, watching as Jimmy simply shakes his head, avoiding all eye contact with her. He can clearly see the hurt in her eyes as his wife shrugs helplessly and heads out of the newsroom.
"You okay, Jimmy?"
"Me? Oh yeah, I'm fine. What about you? Everything going okay?"
Clark shrugs, leaning back in his chair. "Never better."
Jimmy just shakes his head, bewildering Clark. "We're friends, right C.K.?"
"Of course we are, Jimmy. You know that."
"Look…I just want you to know that if there's anything you need to talk about, I'm here for you buddy."
In his effort to be sympathetic, Jimmy totally misses the perplexed look on Clark's face.
"Uh…thanks. And you know, that goes both ways," Clark adds.
"Amazing," Jimmy mutters. "You're a good guy, C.K.," he says, shaking his head sadly at his friend before heading out of the newsroom. Clark watches him go, almost frozen to his spot.
Growing up in Smallville, he had certainly been witness to his fair share of the unexplainable. But Jimmy's attitude toward both him and Lois today? It would definitely have qualified for Chloe's old Wall of Weird.
And now, she was angry.
She stomps her way down the hallway to the darkroom, completely and utterly frustrated. After hearing about and witnessing some of Jimmy's attitude toward Clark, especially as compared to how he had treated her, she wasn't about to let things lie.
Lois Lane-Kent was a not a quitter. Especially not when it came to people she cared about. And whether Jimmy Olsen liked it or not, his name was on that list.
Clark had advised her to give Jimmy some time, that perhaps he was just having a bad day, but she could tell that even he didn't believe that. When Clark's superhearing had picked up on a small rockslide in Colorado that he had to attend to, Lois decided there was no time like the present to hash things out with the Daily Planet's up and coming ace photographer.
Without knocking, she whips open the door to the darkroom, causing Jimmy to jump out of his seat.
"Alright, Olsen, out with it."
"Out with what?" he says, his voice still touched with the anger she had heard in their earlier conversation.
"What did I do? Because, I gotta tell you, I've been racking my brain and I can't think of one thing I could have done to deserve the Frigidaire treatment you've been giving me all day."
"I can't believe you!" he snaps angrily.
"Me? What, Jimmy, what is it?"
"I always thought you really loved Clark, Lois. The guy's so crazy about you he can't even see straight and I thought you felt the same way. But then, you go and do this to him."
"What the hell are you talking about? You know how much I love Clark."
"You have a funny way of showing it," he retorts bitterly.
Lois narrows her eyes, taking a slow step towards him, her voice now taking on a tone of angry restraint. "You're on thin ice, Jimmy. So, I'm going to ask you one more time. What is it that you think I've done?"
Jimmy tugs open the drawer, snatches the incriminating photo, and holds it up to her face.
"This!"
Lois' eyes widen as they focus on the picture in front of her.
"Oh my God," she whispers, the pieces falling into place as she stares at the image of her very happily kissing Superman.
"I just, I can't believe you would do this," Jimmy says, disappointment replacing the anger in his voice. "After all the advice you gave me when Chloe broke up with me, how it might hurt but it was better in the long run because I shouldn't have to settle and it was about time she stopped stringing me along. How I should be with someone who loves me completely. And then you, of all people, you go and do to Clark exactly what she did to me! You stay with Clark, even though you're clearly hot for the Man of Steel! What, he doesn't deserve better? He doesn't deserve someone who loves only him?"
"Jimmy…you don't understand…" Lois jumps in weakly, but not really knowing what to say. What could she say without revealing everything? She also knew that he still felt the wounds left by Chloe's breaking up with him the way she did, and was trying to protect his friend from suffering the same fate. Of course, it wasn't the same, but that wasn't her secret to reveal. And while she was certainly used to covering for Clark - it had been years since he'd told her everything - this was a bit trickier than anything she had been faced with before.
"You're right, I don't. I don't understand you doing this to Clark, and I sure as hell don't understand Mr. Morality here," he pauses, pointing to Superman, "getting some action with a very married woman!"
"Look…Jimmy, I know you're upset…"
"I'm not upset, Lois…I'm disappointed. I looked up to you," Lois cringes at that, noting the past tense, "and here you are, stringing along a guy who would no doubt lay down his life for you, and why? Because you want to keep him around for when Superman isn't available?"
"Jimmy…"
"And let's not forget Superman…I wonder how heroic he would be to the citizens of this world if they knew he was making out with a married woman on the roof of the Daily Planet while her poor, unsuspecting husband was working just a few floors down?"
She freezes at that, her eyes suddenly filling with fear.
"You're not gonna do anything with those pictures are you?"
Jimmy shakes his head sadly. "Unbelievable. You're worried about protecting the fraud, aren't you?"
"He's not a fraud," she bites back, "Superman does a lot of good in this world, Jimmy Olsen, and you know that. I know you're angry and disappointed in me, and in Superman, I get that, but…sometimes pictures don't tell the whole story."
"What does that mean? I saw you with my own eyes, I heard him say he's in love with you."
"Just…trust me, Jimmy. I know that's hard right now, and I know that you're worried about Clark. He's lucky to have a friend like you looking out for him, but I'm asking you…please. Just…don't do anything with those pictures, okay?"
"Are you gonna tell Clark?" he challenges.
Lois breathes a sigh of relief. Finally a question she could answer truthfully without any evasion.
"Yes. I am. I promise."
Jimmy eyes her carefully, then nods curtly.
"Then you have my word. No one will see these pictures."
"Thank you," she says quietly. She enters the hallway, shutting the door of the darkroom behind her. Leaning against the wall, she closes her eyes.
This? Was a mess.
"The scene of the crime," Lois says wryly as she walks out onto the roof of the Planet. Turning in a circle, stopping every few seconds to gaze off into the distance, she looks for any sign of Clark returning.
Not seeing him, she quickly walks around the rooftop, making sure she's completely alone before doing what she has to do next.
"Superman, if you can hear me, you better get back here as soon you can," she calls. She always felt more than a little self conscious, talking out loud like that to no one, but Clark had assured her that he could hear her, and really, it was the only way she had of contacting him when he was out in whatever part of the world needed him.
Walking over to the base of the Planet's globe, she leans back against the concrete, bringing her fingers to her temples and rubbing gently.
She knew Jimmy felt she let him down. And, while she knew she hadn't really, it wasn't exactly something she could explain to him. The look of disappointment in his eyes had really affected her. She hadn't seen that look in a long time, probably since the day Jimmy realized Chloe had fallen in love with Bart Allen. The similarities, at least what he thought were the similarities, between that situation and the one he feels like Clark is in, well Lois had a feeling it was bringing up some painful memories for Jimmy. Jimmy and Clark had become good friends over the years, and she knew Jimmy was just trying to look out for him.
What surprised Lois more, though, was the obvious sadness Jimmy seemed to have over Superman's supposed role in this. Jimmy, like so many other people in the world, idolized the young superhero that had become a symbol of hope. She could see the disillusionment in his face when he had accused Superman, someone who stood for such solid values, of taking up with a married woman.
"Lois?"
She had been so lost in her thoughts, she hadn't even heard him land, or seen him do the running quick change he often did behind the large globe. Seeing the look on her face, he walks over to her quickly, gently placing his hand in her hair and lifting her face to look at him.
"Are you okay? I heard you, you sounded upset. I came back as soon as I could."
"We have a problem."
"What kind of problem?"
"Remember yesterday, when you saved me from that guy in the alley, and we landed back up here?"
"Yeah."
"And then, we sorta argued about you saving me."
"As usual," he interjects.
"And then you kissed me."
Clark nods in response.
"Well…we weren't alone."
Clark's eyes widen at her words, and then he drops his head.
"I forgot to x-ray the roof," he says quietly. "Who saw us?"
"I'll give you one guess," she says, giving him a knowing look.
He furrows his brow, not catching on at first, until the events of the day come rushing back to him.
"Jimmy."
"Jimmy," she confirms.
"Which is why he's so mad at you," he states, the picture suddenly becoming clear. "He thinks you're cheating on me with Superman."
"And why he's so concerned about you. He thinks I'm breaking your heart."
"Not to mention the situation he thinks he saw must bring back some bad memories for him. Boy loves girl, girl falls in love with superhero," Clark adds, moving to lean against the wall next to Lois, then reaching down to take her hand.
"The name Chloe did come up. But more than that, he seems massively disappointed in Superman. That someone who supposedly stands for so much good…"
"Would go after a married woman," he finishes for her.
"You got it."
"What'd you tell him?"
"What could I tell him? I mean, I couldn't say it was a misunderstanding because he saw us with his own eyes, not to mention heard our conversation. And, of course, there's the picture."
"Picture?"
"Yup…Lois Lane-Kent and Superman playing tonsil hockey on the roof of the Daily Planet," she says grimly. "Don't worry, he gave me his word he wouldn't show anyone, as long as I told you the truth," she says, the irony of the statement not escaping her. "And I believe him. I don't think he wants to cause trouble for Superman."
"And what about you?"
"What about me?"
"Lois…he thinks you're cheating on me. We both know that isn't true."
"Granted, but we also can't explain it to him."
Clark is quiet for a moment, then turns to face Lois.
"Why not?"
"Why not what?"
"Why can't we explain it to him?"
"You wanna tell Jimmy your secret?"
"Don't you think we can trust him?"
"It's not that…I mean, he knows Bart's dual identity and even with all the issues there, he hasn't breathed a word. And, Jimmy's our friend, I know he wouldn't tell anyone…"
"But?"
"You're the one who has to be sure, Clark. Because, eventually Jimmy will get over this, sure, it might take a while…but he will. I can tell him Superman and I are through and that you and I are going to make things work…we'll just have to make sure to be more careful when you're in your Superman get-up. But once you tell him, that's it, you can't take it back."
"I don't want him thinking that you would do that, Lo. Or Superman, either."
"Or that you're some poor unsuspecting sap whose wife is two timing him with a superhero?"
He shakes his head slightly at that, a grin pulling at his lips despite the situation. "More than all of that, he's our friend. And the more we lie about this, particularly given the current situation, the harder it's going to be on all of us."
Taking in his words, she nods slowly. "As long as you're sure."
He smiles, leaning down to plant a gentle kiss on her lips. "I'm sure."
Jimmy had spent the rest of the day doing everything he could to avoid Clark and Lois. He just didn't have the energy, not to mention he felt more than a little guilty for the way he'd treated Lois, knowing that while part of it was looking out for his friend and the disappointment in seeing their love not live up to the expectations he'd set for it, not to mention the realization that the superhero he looked up to was anything but, part of it was whatever lingering resentment he felt towards his breakup with Chloe. The situations were far too similar, and awakened a pain he had thought he'd put behind him.
But more than anything, he felt the distinct weight of sadness fall over him. Jimmy didn't have family in Metropolis, and Lois and Clark and even Perry, to an extent, had become sort of an adopted family to him. And he felt a great sense of loss that that might be ruined, that he'd lost at least one of his closest friends, if not two.
Sighing, he walks over to the counter in his small, one bedroom apartment, where he'd deposited the pizza box that had been delivered a few minutes prior. He wasn't exactly hungry, but there wasn't anything else he was interested in doing either, so eating seems like a reasonable option.
He lifts the lid and is about to slide a piece onto a plate when he hears a knock on the door. Tucking the slice back into the box, he heads to the door and opens it, momentarily stunned by who he sees on the other side.
"Um…hi," he says, surprise evident in his voice.
"Hey, Jimmy," Clark says.
"Hey," Lois adds. "We were hoping we could talk to you."
"Both of you?"
"Yeah, we need to clear a few things up," Clark says, and Jimmy notices his hand entwined with Lois'. He glances at her, and Lois, having seen him look at their joined hands, can see the question in his eyes.
"I told him," she answers his unasked question.
Jimmy looks back and forth between them, now more curious about Clark's distinct lack of reaction to the news that Superman was macking on his wife than anything. Stepping back, he motions for them to enter his apartment. He shuts the door and turns to face them.
"There's no one else here, is there?" Clark asks.
"Nope, just me."
"Okay," Clark says, releasing Lois' hand and taking a step towards Jimmy. "I know what you think you saw."
"What I think I saw?" Jimmy asks incredulously, before turning to Lois. "What did you tell him? That I'm crazy or something?"
"Oh for God's sake, Jimmy, just listen," Lois says wearily, sitting down on his sofa.
He bites the comment on the tip of his tongue and once again faces Clark.
"Lois told me you saw her and Superman kissing on the roof of the Planet."
"That's right," he responds, suddenly more confused than ever at Clark's calm reaction since Lois had clearly told him the truth.
"And that you think Lois is cheating on me with Superman."
"Well I'd say that's a pretty obvious conclusion, don't you think? I don't get it, C.K., how are you so calm about this? There's a superhero who's got a thing for your wife, a thing she doesn't exactly seem to be fighting."
"Lois isn't cheating on me with Superman, Jimmy."
Jimmy shakes his head in bewilderment. "Am I in some freaky alternate universe here? What part of her kissing Superman isn't cheating? I mean, look," he says, reaching into his bag and taking out the incriminating photo, "I don't wanna hurt you buddy, but obviously you need a reality check."
He holds it out to Clark. Expecting an angry reaction, he's more than a little surprised to see Clark simply lower his glasses down the bridge of his nose, and squint his eyes in response. But nothing would prepare him for the shock of seeing two orange beams leave his friend's eyes, instantly incinerating the picture he had been holding in his hands, leaving only a tiny bit by Jimmy's fingers.
Eyes wide as saucers, Jimmy gapes at Clark, who simply puts his hands in his pockets and responds in a calm voice.
"Lois isn't cheating on me with Superman, Jimmy. Because I'm Superman."
Too stunned to speak, Jimmy stands frozen in his spot. Lois can't help but bite her lip to keep from giggling at his reaction.
"Jimmy?" Clark asks, hesitantly, waiting for some reaction from their friend.
"You?" he finally asks, barely above a whisper. "You're Superman?"
Clark reaches up and takes off his glasses, gently tossing them to an amused Lois.
"I'm Superman."
Suddenly, Jimmy narrows his eyes. "Prove it."
Lois stands up and crosses her arms in disbelief. "Did you miss the whole setting the picture on fire with his eyes thing?"
"That could have been a meteor power," Jimmy responds, shrugging.
Rolling her eyes, Lois turns to Clark. "Fine, prove it to him like you did to me," she says.
Clark looks at her, unable to help the grin on his face. "I don't really have any desire to use my x-ray vision to see the color of Jimmy's underwear, Lo. Besides, I have a better idea."
In what feels like nothing more than 2 seconds, Clark suddenly appears in front of Jimmy wearing a very familiar red, blue, and yellow outfit.
"Woah," Jimmy says. He looks his friend in the face, shaking his head, and then stares again at Clark. "How the hell didn't I figure that out?"
Clark chuckles at that. "Jimmy, you're far from the only one at the Planet who hasn't figured it out."
"And given that Clark worked there for a while with no glasses before he left for that year he travelled, it's pretty amazing actually," Lois adds. "But…I think a lot of times people see what they want to see. People see Superman as larger than life, I don't think anyone would suspect that he's really a mild mannered reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper."
Within seconds, Clark is once again standing in front of Jimmy in jeans and a blue button down. Sinking to the couch, Jimmy looks back and forth between Clark and Lois.
"So, when you were kissing Superman…"
"I was really kissing Clark," Lois finishes.
"Look, Jimmy, we're usually much more careful about it…," Clark begins.
"Yeah," Lois cuts in, "we are, but someone forgot to use his x-ray vision on the roof to make sure we were alone before sticking his tongue down my throat."
"Well, maybe, that's because someone, decided, yet again, to try and give me a heart attack by putting herself in the line of fire, and I was relieved she hadn't succeeded in getting herself killed," he snarks back, earning a smirk from his wife.
Listening to their back and forth, Jimmy rubs his hand over his face, sighing loudly. He feels like an idiot, and while he knew he shouldn't really, given the circumstances, he still does. Standing up, he walks over to Clark, holding out his hand.
"Your secret's safe with me, C.K.," he states simply. Clark nods and, with a small smile, reaches out to shake his friend's hand. Understanding why Jimmy came to him first, he couldn't help but find it ironic that promising to keep a secret the magnitude of the one he just learned was probably easier for Jimmy to do than to face Lois.
Releasing Clark's hand, Jimmy slowly turns to her. Stuffing his hands in the pockets of his jeans, he moves slowly towards her.
"I'm the world's biggest jerk," he says quietly.
"Jimmy…," Lois interrupts, but Jimmy shakes his head, cutting her off.
"I was awful to you. And I'm sorry. I know that's not nearly enough, but I'm sorry."
Seeing the unshed tears in his eyes, Lois places a hand on his shoulder. "You didn't know…and you know what? Anyone who saw what you did would have jumped to the same conclusion."
"But I'm not anyone. I'm supposed to be your friend. You were there for me when Chloe dumped me, and I know that was hard for you because she's your cousin and all, but you still were there for me and I, at the very least, should have given you the benefit of the doubt. I just hope…I hope you can forgive me, Lois."
Feeling the wetness begin to creep into her own eyes, she grabs Jimmy and pulls him into a hug.
"I do forgive you, you idiot," she mumbles into his shoulder. "And you know what? I'm glad that Clark has a friend like you, to look out for him."
"I'd do the same for you, if the situation were reversed," he says. Lois laughs, pulling back and looking at him.
"Jimmy, if the situation were reversed, and you saw Clark kissing someone else? You wouldn't have to worry about looking out for me, you'd have to worry about bailing me out of jail because I would kill him," she says, hearing her husband laugh in response.
Grinning at that, Jimmy steps away from Lois and heads toward his small kitchen.
"You guys want some pizza? It's kinda cold but…," he pauses, suddenly looking up at Clark, "hey, you could take care of that, huh?"
"Why do you think I keep him around? The heat vision's a lifesaver. Good for pizza, coffee, baking a quick loaf of bread…"
"And how would you know that?" Clark quips, before glancing at Jimmy, "She's not exactly…skilled…in the kitchen," he finishes, before turning his attention to heating up the pizza in front of him.
"Keep it up, Smallville, and you'll be deprived of the skills I do have," she warns, a teasing sparkle in her eyes.
Jimmy laughs, relieved that the tension between the three of them has dissipated and things were somewhat back to normal. Grabbing some plates, he puts a slice on each, handing one to Clark and one to Lois before grabbing his own plate. Opening the fridge, he tosses each of them a beer and takes one for himself, then walks over and sits in an overstuffed armchair while Lois and Clark get comfortable on his sofa.
They eat in silence for a few minutes before Jimmy pipes up, "So, C.K., what's with the tights?"
Clark practically chokes on the pizza he had just taken a bite of, while Lois bursts out laughing.
"I had the same exact reaction, Jimmy!" she says, between giggles. "You know, I've always wanted to tell you this story, but I wasn't able to….now I guess I can!" she says, with a devilish look at her husband, who is rapidly turning red.
"Now, Lois…" he begins, but Jimmy interrupts.
"Oh no, this sounds like a good one, C.K. I gotta hear this."
"So, when Clark was gone for that year, he was travelling and stuff, training for this superhero gig. When he came back, he told me that he was having his mother come up with a costume for him, so he wouldn't have to worry about his identity being discovered," she says, glancing over and seeing her husband's attention focused on the half eaten slice of pizza in front of him, "so he meets Mrs. K. in Smallville and gets the costume."
"I need to interrupt to point out that Ms. Independent over here decided to keep me out of the loop on the LutherCorp story she was working on that day, so I had no idea when I went to the farm that she would end up putting herself in mortal danger. Of course, that's my own fault, because it's Lois, and that's practically a daily occurrence so I should have known," Clark grumbles, and is rewarded by a punch to the arm from his wife.
"Anyway," she continues, giving Clark a pointed glance, "I went to meet a source in a very nice part of town…"
"And by nice part of town, she means the roof of an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of Suicide Slums," Clark interjects, causing Jimmy to chuckle.
"Hey, this is my story, farm boy," she says, grinning, and turns back to Jimmy. "So, my source…well, it turns out, he wasn't exactly cooperative," she pauses to roll her eyes at the snort from her husband, "and he had some definite ideas about my story."
"Like what?" Jimmy asks.
"Like, I shouldn't write it. And to prove his point, he sorta pushed me over the edge of the warehouse roof. But…luckily, I have quick reflexes and was able to grab onto the ledge. So…there I was, hanging off the side of this building…"
"And screaming her lungs out…I barely needed the superhearing…"
"When suddenly I see this big blue thing," she says, pointing her thumb towards Clark, "floating next to me."
"I, of course, was worried that my future wife was hanging off the side of a building by her fingernails…but what does she do? She just looks me up and down, and smirks…"
"And I said… 'Tights? Really??' Well, you know Clark, his face turned as red as his cape," she finishes, giggling as Jimmy roars with laughter.
"I was tempted to leave her there," Clark mutters, before shooting a good natured grin at his wife.
"Hey, come on now, I seem to remember, after I got over the shock that you were actually wearing, well, tights, I told you that you filled them out very well."
"Yes, you did," he says, leaning over and kissing her cheek.
"And that was his first save as Superman," she finishes, a triumphant smile on her face.
Watching them, the playful teasing affection and obvious adoration that they share, Jimmy finds it hard to believe that he ever suspected Lois of cheating on Clark. Even with photographic evidence and seeing it with his own eyes. A wave guilt passes through him, feeling terrible now for having lashed out the way he had, but he also knew Lois, and when Lois forgave you, she forgave you. She was one of those people who means what she says, and if she doesn't mean it, she doesn't say it. Her years of denial as far as her feelings for Clark being the exception that proved that rule, Jimmy thinks to himself with a silent chuckle.
"You might be right about the suit needing an upgrade though," Clark muses.
"Might be? I am. I love your mom, Smallville, but I'm done with the tights. And I definitely get to consult on the design for this one."
"Careful, C.K., you never know what Lois has up her sleeve. You might wanna get a second opinion on whatever she comes up with," Jimmy teases, prompting Lois to toss a sofa pillow at him.
Jimmy swats it out of the way before heading back into the kitchen and retrieving the pizza box to bring into his small living room.
This morning, he had wished yesterday afternoon had never happened. Now, as he sat back to listen to another one of Lois' Superman stories, complete with Clark chiming in with his version of events, he's glad it had. He isn't sure he deserves his friends' forgiveness after the way he had treated them, particularly Lois, but he's thankful he has it and he doesn't take it lightly.
And, he vows silently to himself, he would never make them regret trusting him with their secret.
The End