Shafted
It was brought to my attention that this story should be filed under smallvile rather than Lois & Clark so I reposted it. Sorry if I caused anyone a problem.
I don't own any of these characters, nor do I seek to make any money off of them in any way. Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel did a good thing reintroducing the superman lore to the next generation. Please review if you enjoy it, or if you don't that's fine too.
Clark groaned as the elevator froze with a loud bang. The power had gone out, thank god for emergency lighting. Lois, being Lois, frantically went to the buttons to fix the problem. He glanced through the car's sturdy metal frame and saw as he had suspected that the emergency brakes were engaged. They weren't going anywhere soon. She gave a frustrated sigh after trying to raise someone with the help button for a full minute with no success. He slid to the floor just waiting for her inevitable cries to superman. That made him think, was the power outage just to the Daily Planet, just the elevator, or maybe more widespread. He remembered hearing about the New York black out and cringed. I hope it's not that bad, because I'm stuck in here with my partner, the nosiest reporter in the business, and there's no way I could slip this past her. A piercing cry for help interrupted his mental griping. "Lois, will you please just shut up and wait until the power comes back on!" he asked exasperated. She looked at him with shock, her unflappable partner had snapped at her. It wasn't that she didn't think she was being annoying in retrospect, but this was Clark Kent, the biggest boy scout she knew, chivalrous to a fault, and he had snapped at her, something was eating him and she was going to get to the bottom of it."Sooooooo, what do you want to do until it does?" she asked shooting him a sideways glance. "Absolutely nothing, I want to sit here, with my eyes closed and forget about life for a while." Her curiosity immediately turned to concern. "What's going on Clark?" He cracked an eye looking at her, "nothing, I'm just tired." It was true he had spent the entire night cleaning up California after a particularly bad earthquake. "I've seen you run on 5 minutes of sleep Clark, and you've never been this peckish, what's wrong?" "Nothing important," he replied, but his jaw was tense. She took him in for a moment, all of him was tense. "Here," she gestured for him to lie against her. "You're making me tense just looking at you." She began to massage his shoulders she paused long enough to take his jacket off, and then began to work out the tension systematically. Clark couldn't help it, he had been incredibly tense. The moment she began to work his muscles he let out a small satisfied groan and let his head fall back on her shoulder, leaving her one less barrier to get through.
She smiled at him, so unguarded and relaxed, she wished he looked like this more often, at least with her. She had come to the realization that she was in love with her partner almost a month ago. It was excruciating to have those feelings for him. He was a runner, she knew. She didn't want to loose him over it; this could be enough for her. 'But for how long?' A voice, remarkably similar to her own, asked. She could wait it out she thought confidently. "Do you want to talk about what's been bothering you?" she worked out the muscles in the back of his neck. "It's Smallville, my parents say they're getting too old to keep the farm, but it's been in Kent Family forever, I don't want to be a farmer obviously, but I'm not sure how I can keep it. Lex left a standing offer to buy it some ten years ago, but I'll be a farmer before I give the last piece of the puzzle to Lex." She stared at him as he spoke. Just saying Lex had caused more tension in his muscles, which were surprisingly tone. "Why would Lex Luthor want your farm?" "Because he bought most of Smallville and we're one of the five farms who resisted. Over the years he's bought up the other four. It's just not profitable to be a farmer. He wants to use the land for his crap factory I suppose, more space to dump your bodies." "Clark Kent!" Lois chastised, "Why in the world would you say that?" Her hands had stopped al together and she waited expectantly in complete shock.
He was silent for a moment deciding whether or not to tell her, then after weighing his words spoke, "My best friend Chloe Sullivan, editor of the Torch, died in a car crash just before college. She had dirt on everyone, even me. What she was working on before she died was a long time secret project. There was this hidden panel in the wall that she would hide stuff in. She showed it to me once; it was left over from before the press office had computers. It was a story on the Luthors and the trend of patricide. It was a good story too. I wanted to finish it for her and run it, but she hadn't left a trail leading to her sources. Which I guess is good considering the known ones all turned up dead at some point. I had nothing solid; it was all speculation without Chloe's first hand conversations. Principle Kwan closed the paper for the remainder of school, I hated that guy. All the investigations turned up was that Chloe had been high and crashed her car into a tree. They decided she was a closet junkie and a bad driver." More softly he continued, "Chloe was deathly afraid of needles, and from the bruises on her arm you could tell it had been a struggle for whoever attacked her to get it in." She soothed the side of his face gently as he spoke. "I used to think it was just Lionel, but then he died in an inexplicable manner, and Lex was never the same, he definitely killed his father and most likely Chloe, I will not sell him my family farm. I just don't know how I 'm going to manage that yet." She rubbed his temples thinking, "Could you donate it to the F.F.A. at your school or something?" He thought it over "I suppose, I just I don't know. I really need to decide whether I'm going to stay in Metropolis or not."
She froze and stared at her partners face, was he really going to leave her. It was one of her worst fears, why she didn't allow herself to become too attached. His eyes opened and they met hers. He couldn't believe the thinly veiled pain he saw there. God he didn't want to leave this woman. He was so in love with her. He loved his job, his partner, his apartment, and his neighbors. How could he ever leave them, he couldn't he'd find a way to keep the farm and his life. Though his choice between the two should it come to that had already been made the second he looked into her eyes. He sat up and pulled her into his arms, she buried her head in his shoulder allowing in a weak moment, a single tear to fall. He stroked her hair gently, "don't worry about it Lois I'm not going to leave Metropolis." She met his eyes accusingly, "but you said you hadn't decided." "I just did" he said taking a risk with his emotions. "They say home is where the heart is." Her heart was pounding in her ears, was he saying what she thought would scare him off completely. This wasn't right he was a runner, wasn't he? Her mind emptied itself of all her worries and doubts and she kissed him. It was the dam shattering when he returned it. They were a flood of emotions that couldn't be expressed fast enough. She wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her cheek against his. "I thought you were a runner," she breathed softly not caring that he probably had no idea what that meant. "Not in the way you think," he replied. "Lois, I love you so much it hurts. I…" she silenced him with a kiss. The power came back with a glaring flicker of lights that made them both wince. Just as suddenly the elevator began moving again. Clark helped her stand, wrapping her in his warm embrace. "We have to talk later." He stated what was on both their minds. "Tonight," she said, "at my place." He kissed her gently, voicing the words I'll be there against her lips. She smiled wiping the lipstick smudge from the corner of his lips. The doors chimed open and Lois turned stepping out into the bullpen with Clark close behind her. "Jimmy" she yelled, "I need to see those pictures you got." Clark couldn't help the smile that crept to his lips. 'Good old Lois.'
Lois was so nervous, it wasn't like she had no idea how Clark felt about her; the words were still ringing in her ears. It was just new and she was scared and wasn't sure what tonight would bring. She still had to admit she was a little scared he'd run still. It had been hours since they got off work, and still he was nowhere to be seen. As if overhearing her thoughts, the doorbell rang. She jumped up eagerly only pausing on the other side of the door was her future if he chose to be. Finally she opened the door Clark stood there with a bouquet of roses. Lois gasped and pulled him into a kiss. Any doubts that his feelings had changed since earlier had vanished. "Let me put these in water," she said blushing slightly. Clark was as nervous as he'd ever been; he was going to tell her tonight. He'd been mulling it over for weeks, now with the change in their relationship he couldn't put it off any longer. He sat on the couch running it through his head again. She returned from the kitchen catching his mood immediately. "What's wrong?" He met her eyes and saw her like it was the first time again. A smile lit his face, "I can't believe it's taken me this long to tell you, I love you." She smiled and blushed, "well men are thick." He grinned sheepishly "you have no idea." He swallowed hard and looked up he extended his hand and tugged her onto the couch next to him. "Lois there's something I need to tell you, something I've wanted to tell you, even longer than I love you." She smiled trying to break the mood, "you know a girl never gets tired of hearing that." He smiled back kissing her cheeks tenderly. "I'll never get tired of saying it. But right now I…" how do you tell someone you aren't who you say you are? "Clark whatever it is its okay really. There is nothing you could say that would change how I feel about you." She kissed him softly stroking his cheek. "I hope so." He swallowed. "Lois I haven't been very honest with you. I, well, um, god damn it." "Clark" she stroked his cheek, "If you don't tell me I'm going to start drawing my own ridiculous conclusions." "Kiss for luck" she said kissing him fiercely trying to show him how much she loved him and that she would never leave him. He took a breath and just decided to throw it out there, in a rush he said," Lois, I'm superman." She froze incredulous, "what?"
He could almost feel her recoiling emotionally. She was replaying every memory of superman subconsciously trying to prove him wrong, he couldn't be superman, he was just her junior partner, Clark Kent. Even as she began to think it she knew it was stupid, Clark Kent, her partner, the man she was in love with, was superman. Just another face to this wonderful person, though she felt stupid for not figuring it out herself. She'd always admired Clark for his infinite patience the way he'd never stoop to being rude to anyone; he'd help little old ladies cross the street when they were on a paper chase. It was the same thing that drew people to superman, he had so much power yet he never abused it, he would save you from an earthquake, or pull you cat out of a tree, she smiled remembering that story. All you ever had to do was call and he'd be there. She abruptly laughed startling Clark, "I just got it in the elevator, with me calling you to help us." She was suddenly aware of how tense he was, and thought of how he might have taken her silence. She cradled his face resting her forehead on his, "Clark Kent, you're an amazing man, and I love you. You're alter ego admission has me wondering a little about schedule conflicts, but did you honestly think I was going to turn from you because of it?" He looked at her with soulful eyes, "I thought maybe you'd be mad at me for lying to you. I don't know." "Well, Clark I'm a reporter, I've been after the story behind superman for years. I've been trying to unravel this blanket you hid behind for so long, I'm glad you let me under it at all." Clark kissed her deeply as they sank into her couch, "Lois I don't know what I'd do without you." She grinned wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, "You'd be a farmer from nowhere-ville, Kansas." "I love you" he repeated again, "even if you're making fun of the home of the world's best pies and worst coffee." Anything she was going to retort was smothered in a kiss.
Lois's phone rang startling both he and Lois awake. She reached out and grabbed it. She gave him a bright slow smile before picking it up, they had been at her place for the last two days, kissing had long since turned into foreplay and well things had turned south rather quickly. She blushed at the unintentional pun. She tried to return her attention to the phone she had just answered but Clark's head had moved under the blankets and he was kissing her taught stomach slowly stroking her sides. "Hello?" she finally managed out. "Lois, this is Martha. I'm sorry to bother you but Clark was supposed to call me yesterday and I was starting to worry. Do you know where he is?" Lois blushed furiously, stilling as soon as she heard his mother's voice. Clark could hear the concern in his mother's voice even without the superhearing. He plucked the phone from her not wanting her to have to lie to his parents. "Hi mom." She heard a gasp through the phone "Cark, I was worried about you, you didn't call and goodness, the things I started to think." "I'm sorry mom, I got kind of sidetracked," he sucked in a breath as Lois used her leg to rub against his morning erection. "Are you okay though?" "Yeah mom, I'm fine I'm just a bit tired. I'll be home sometime tomorrow to help dad with the corn. Alright I'll see you later love you, bye." Lois laughed as he let out a sigh hanging up the phone. "You are a terrible liar Clark." "Don't I know it" he went under the covers with her.
Martha hung up the phone with a little displeased look on her face. Jonathon looked up from the morning paper with a smug grin. "Was I right?" she glared at him a little, but walked over to the stove, "so how would you like your eggs?" A grin broke out across his face, and he wrapped his arms around her waist. "We raised a good kid." She grinned in spite herself. "Yeah, I'm glad he finally told her." "You know what the best part is?" "What?" she asked, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I won the bet." She abruptly let go and made a show of pushing him back from her. He grinned and pulled her close. "I love you, Martha." She grinned "I love you too, Jonathan."