A Simple Game

by Rein Elanor

Lois learns Clark's secret in a game of hangman while they're working late. There's annoyance, laughter, a little bit of romantic speculation, and one very suspenseful game of hangman.

Title: A Simple Game

Author: Rein Elanor

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Not even Hangman

.Author's Note: Hi guys! I hope you like this story. I was playing Hangman with my brother at a restaurant one night, and I wondered what it would be like if Clark told Lois the truth about himself in a game of Hangman.

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It was nearly two in the morning, and Lois Lane was tired. Tired of being at the office, tired of the story she was working on, and tired of the company of the ever-nerdy Clark Kent. The two Daily Planet reporters were hard at work on a rather dry investigation into Metropolis City Hall. There had been rumors of corruption, and Perry had assigned Clark and Lois to look into it. So far, every source had revealed nothing but the cleanest, most ordinary kind of dirt. Even Clark was getting fed up with Perry's insistence on continuing the investigation. And when saintly Clark got fed up, you could bet that hot-tempered Lois was about to boil over.

"Clark, did you get in touch with Grady Glass from the mayor's office? That blond secretary seemed to mention his name more than was necessary."

Clark looked up from his notes, which he had been studying intently. He adjusted his glasses and ran a hand through his dark hair so that it stood on end. "Yes, Lois, I talked to Grady. He was perfectly willing to talk to me- even about the mayor. And, once again-"

Lois cut him off. "Right, Clark. I don't need to know the rest. Glass told you all about how he's been secretly wooing that secretary, and even showed you the ring he's going to give her when he get up the courage. Same old boring intrigues. Where's the mud that Perry wants? I don't think it exists."

Clark smiled faintly. "You sound disappointed, Lois. Shouldn't you be glad that the city you live and work in isn't governed by corrupt officials?"

Lois gave him an exasperated look that was tinged with amusement. "Not when I'm being forced to write an exposé on said nonexistent corruption, Clark."

Clark chuckled and went back to his notes. Lois tried to apply the same concentration to her own notes, but found herself tapping her pencil against her desk in restless agitation. Every time she tried to think of possible leads into the "corrupt center" of Metropolis , all she found herself thinking about was the last time she had seen the so-called Man of Steel.

Lois had known about Superman for nearly three years now, and had been writing about him and conducting "private interviews" with him for almost as long. She was not a woman who was easily won over, and she would never actually admit her weakness for the internationally knownhero, but...well, such things were perhaps better left to trashy romance novels. All Lois knew at the moment was that Superman's handsome face and warm blue eyes kept floating into her mind whenever she let her guard down. And sometimes when she invited him in for a pleasant daydream, she had to admit. She would much rather be flying over the city in his arms than sitting in this stuffy office with the bespectacled Clark Kent.

She sighed, and Clark looked up. "Is something wrong, Lois?" he asked.

Lois looked at Clark. He wasn't a bad looking kid, she had to admit. It was really just that nerdy aura he exuded that made him seem so- well, nerdy. He was still looking at her, and she tried to remember what he had been saying.

"Are you okay?" he asked again, a concerned frown growing between his eyebrows.

Lois smiled at him. "I'm fine Clark," she said reassuringly. The last thing she needed was Clark going off on a tangent about how she needed to get more sleep and sunlight. "Just a little restless. This subject isn't really holding my attention." She gestured at their pile of notes.

Clark nodded knowingly. "I know what you mean," he said.

Lois resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Like hell you do, Kent," she muttered very quietly, so the he couldn't hear. Much as he sometimes annoyed her, Lois had rather a soft spot for the farm boy turned big city reporter. He seemed to look at the world with a loving eye, always ready to forgive and help it to heal its problems. It was something that Perry sometimes had to talk to him about. He liked his reporters to be hard-nosed and tough investigators. Clark could get to the bottom of any story, and he could report it well, but he was always inclined to look on the better side of any situation. As Perry was always exclaiming, however, "Good feelings don't sell papers!"

Lois rolled her shoulders to get the kinks out, and stood. She didn't notice the wry smile on Clark's face as she announced, "I'm going to go get some air. I'll be back in a few minutes."

Lois stood on the roof of the Daily Planet building, breathing in the chill nighttime air. It was April, and though the days were warming up, the nights were still very cold. She wrapped her arms about herself, wishing she had brought her coat with her. Her blouse was stylish, but it was anything but warm. A male voice interrupted her thoughts.

"You look cold, Miss Lane."

Lois jumped only a little. Turning, she saw exactly who she had expected, Superman, standing in a darkened corner of the rooftop. "A little," she admitted.

He was already walking towards her, and she relaxed into his warm embrace gladly. No one who knew her as Lois Lane, intrepid reporter would believe that she would step so gratefully into a man's arms. But there she was, and she wasn't the least bit sorry for what some would undoubtedly see as her betrayal of feminist values.

"What are you working on that's keeping you here so late?" Lois loved talking to him while they were this close- she could feel his voice as well as hear it.

"Some ridiculous story about corruption at city hall. So far, nothing has turned up." She reached up to his face and traced his jawline with her fingers. "I think that's because of you," she added playfully.

"Oh, really? And why do you suppose I am responsible for the lack of a good story at city hall?" His voice was mock-serious, but his dark blue eyes were dancing and a smile was playing about his mouth.

"Well, you've got the town's bad side so well scared of you that they don't dare try anything. Have you noticed the crime rate has fallen by almost ninety percent?"

"And you think this phenomena may be attributed to my activities, Miss Lane?"

"Hmmm," was Lois' reply, as she was just reaching up to kiss him. However, she was stopped when he asked her another question. She noticed the change in his voice, the attempt to sound casual, but she wasn't sure about its cause.

"Are you working alone on the story?"

She squinted up at him, trying to read his expression. He wasn't looking at her, but staring off across the other rooftops. She frowned a little. "No, I'm working with Clark."

"Clark? Which one is he?"

She smiled again, thinking she understood the would-be casual voice and careful questions. "He's the one from Kansas- the farm boy? He's a nice guy, but he does get on your nerves after awhile. He's kind of like a puppy dog."

She thought that would put out any kind of jealous fire in Superman's blue-clad chest, so she was surprised when he stiffened a little, and held her a little away from himself to ask, "What does he look like?"

Now Lois frowned in earnest. "Who cares? I guess he's...um, I think he has dark hair. I...well, I know he wears glasses, and he's about average height or taller. I never really notice him, you know? He's not anything like you."

A funny sort of tight smile was on Superman's face as he pulled her close again and said, "No, I suppose not, especially if he wears glasses."

Lois laughed, and kissed him. He responded with more urgency than normal, weaving his fingers through her hair and crushing her to him. Not that he was rough with her, she knew he would never hurt her. It was exiting, though, to know that the arms that were wrapped around her waist were strong enough to stop trains, and that the heart she could feel beating against hers was more powerful than the largest nuclear power plant on Earth. She ran her hands down his chest, and said into his mouth, "Why can't you wear something that makes you a little more accessible? How about some buttons?"

He laughed again, and pulled away from her. "I think you should maybe get back to work, Lois. Carl will be wondering what happened to you."

"Clark," she corrected automatically. "And let him wonder. I don't mind, do you?"

His smile was gentle as he untangled her arms from his. "I don't mind being with you, Lois, but I would be distressed to learn that your colleague was worried unnecessarily about you."

"You're always so noble," she said grouchily, fixing her hair. "How do I look?"

"You know you look fine," he teased her, tracing her lower lip with his thumb. "I'll see you soon."

"Not soon enough," she countered, speaking over her shoulder as she walked away from him to the door that lead inside.

"You might be surprised," he murmured at her back.

When Lois arrived back in the office she and Clark were using, she was not surprised to find him still concentrating intently on his notes. Really, that man could focus unlike anyone she had ever met. She supposed it was a virtue, but at times it annoyed her, especially when she herself was unable to concentrate. She smoothed her skirt again, and reflected that she would now be completely unable to apply herself to the story. She smiled, running over the details of her rooftop encounter: Superman's warmth, his deep voice, his wonderful mouth...

Clark looked up from his notes. "Are you feeling a little better, Lois?" he asked, his glasses reflecting the light back at her.

She smiled at him, and sat down at her desk again. "Yes, Clark. Thank you for asking. I hope you weren't- uh, worried, or anything. I think I stayed out a little too long."

Clark scratched his nose with his pen and quirked a smile at her. "I worried that it was a little nippy out to be without a coat. You weren't cold, I hope?"

Lois resisted the urge to laugh. "No, Clark, I wasn't cold outside. But I am a little cold now." She shivered.

He looked concerned and asked her if she wanted to wear his coat. She politely declined, and both went back to their tasks, occasionally making comments or suggestions to the other. They worked on, and Lois felt her brain shutting down. She put her head on her arms and told herself that it was only for a minute, that she would go back to writing as soon as she had rested her eyes...

It was nearly four when Lois started awake. She had been sleeping in a rather uncomfortable position for a long time. She glanced at Clark, ready to snap at him, to tell him he ought to have woken her. But Clark was sleeping, too, with his head propped up on one hand and his glasses slipping down his nose. He had a contented smile on his face, and Lois hated to wake him. However, she knew that his neck would be in some serious pain as it was. She stood up to go over to him, to shake him awake. She was standing over him, hand poised to take his shoulder, when his eyes flickered open.

"Hi, Lois," he murmured, sitting up properly. He shook his head, as if to clear away the sleepiness, and brushed the hair away from his face. "Have we both been sleeping?" he asked.

Lois was already heading back to her chair. "Yes. I think we both fell asleep sometime around quarter past three. This story is even more dull than I thought. I haven't fallen asleep on an assignment since J-school." She bent her head over her notes, and began scribbling again.

Clark was still looking at her. He saw that her eyes were unfocused, and that she wasn't actually writing anything- she was just doodling. "Do you want to play a game?" he asked suddenly.

She started, and looked incredulously at him. "What?"

"Do you want to play a game?" he repeated, feeling more foolish by the second. "It might wake you up a little, help you focus more, you know..." He trailed off.

She glowered at him. "I don't think I'm the one who needs help staying awake here, Clark. If I remember correctly, I woke you up."

Clark's shoulders slumped, just noticeably, and he nudged his glasses up to the bridge of his nose. "Sorry, Lois," he muttered. "I didn't mean anything..."

Lois rolled her eyes. Honestly, couldn't he take any kind of reprimand? He didn't get like this with Perry, even when he shouted at him. "Ok, fine, Clark. Let's play a game. What did you have in mind?"

Clark shook his head. "No, if you don't want to, we don't have t-"

"Clark!" Lois interrupted. "I"m sorry I snapped at you. I didn't mean anything by it. Now, what do you want to play?"

"Hangman?"

"Fine."

They played. Clark guessed Lois' first phrase after only two letters. She was impressed, even if "Daily Planet" wasn't exactly an inspired puzzle, considering the circumstances. Clark's phrase ("The way you look tonight") took Lois ten letter guesses to put together.

"You are unusually good at this game, Mr. Clark Kent," she laughed. "But I think this next one will be your downfall."

He quirked an eyebrow at her. "We'll see about that, Miss Lois Lane," he teased. He looked down at the paper she had thrust before him. They were facing one another over the table they were using for their piles of notes and lists of sources. The paper looked like this/ .

"Hmmm,"Clark said, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "E?"

"Good," Lois marked it. E / .

"Now A?"

"Very nice, Mr. Kent, but you still have a long way to go." E / A .

"Ah, but I know how to get there," he said. "Definitely an I now."

"You certainly do have a knack for picking all the vowels, there, Clark." E / A I .

"I shall have to change my strategy, then. Is there an L in there?"

"Hmmm...yes, drat you." E / L A I .

"I think I have to go back to vowels for just a second. O?"

"Can I lie?"

"Of course not."

"Then yes." E O / L O A I O .

"Ah, I think I know. But just to be sure...c?"

"And I thought I was being so clever!" E C O / L O C A I O .

"Let me see, now...dolphins, whales..."

"Come on Clark, you obviously know the answer."

"Is it...echo location, Lois?"

"Of course it is, you prat! Now I know why you wanted to play hangman!"

Clark smiled sheepishly. "One more game?"

She grinned back at him. "Fine, but this is the last one. I'm exhausted."

Clark scribbled some lines on a piece of paper and thrust them across the table at Lois. / .

"Why do you always choose long ones, Clark? I?"

"The more fun to tease you with, my dear. Good job." / I / .

"Ha ha. How clever you are when you're sleep deprived. T?"

"Nice, but perhaps not what you were looking for." / T / I / .

"Hmm...There must be an S. Is there?"

"I always knew you were brilliant, Lois." / T / I S / S .

"Of course I'm brilliant. Is there an A?"

"You continue to amaze and astound me." A / T / I S / S A .

"Well, I am Lois Lane. E?"

"Lois Lane, who is modest above all else." A / E T / I S / S E A .

"This is harder than I thought. Any hints?"

"Of course not. You can solve this. Try some consonants."

"Thanks, Clark. L?"

"How are you guessing only right letters?" L A / E T / I S / S E A .

"That didn't help much. Maybe an...N?"

"You're starting to make me wonder if you know." L A / E N T / I S / S E A N.

She looked up at him. "Did you put your own name in here, Clark? R?"

He grinned. "Would I do that?" L A R / E N T / I S / S E R A N.

Lois stared at the piece of paper. A funny look stole across her face. "C,K,U,P,M," she whispered.

He was looking directly at her as he wrote in the letters. CLARK / KENT /IS / SUPERMAN.

She watched his pen move over the lines with her mouth open. Then, she took a deep breath and looked up at Clark. He had taken off his glasses. Suddenly, Lois wasn't feeling at all tired anymore.

A/N: I hope you liked it! Was the hangman thing too cheesy? Was there anything you hated? Should there have been more Superman in here? Less? Definitely tell me what you think- I've got another Clark/Lois story in the works, so anything you tell me will be helpful. Thanks for reading!