It was Saturday morning, really early, when John flew out the window of his apartment and headed towards Metropolis. It was at least one hour before sunrise. With his dark clothes, he wouldn't be seen.
For once, he would have liked to stay in Boston. He loved his parents very much. He liked spending all his weekends with them in the family house in Metropolis, but for once, he would much rather have stayed in Boston, in his tiny student apartment -the apartment where Jennifer was still asleep, in his bed.
She was the most beautiful, the most intelligent woman he had ever seen. She was a student at Harvard like him, and they had been taking the same classes for almost a year and half, and never before that week had he realized that she felt the same for him as he had for her at first sight.
He never really believed it when his father claimed to have fallen helplessly in love with his mother the second he saw her. At the time his father was trying to convince the editor in chief of the Daily Planet to hire him. John never really believed that was possible, until the day he met Jennifer.
He never really understood either how frustrating it was for his father to be only a friend to his mother for almost two years, while his mother was so deeply in love with him anyway. Only┘with him in blue tights. No, John never really understood that┘ until the day he met Jennifer.
Yes, it was definitely very frustrating to be just her good old friend and see her totally hero- worshipping Superboy. He now understood how his father must have felt at the time.
He never really believed his father's advice would work, so he hadn't even tried, before this week. How dumb could he be! Over the years, he surely would have learned by now: his father was always right! And when his mother gave him the same advice, that meant it was good advice. Now, he knew they were right again. Next time, he wouldn't forget.
His parents told him, that they would probably still be just friends if his father hadn't asked his mother out on a date once. That had worked for them 25 years earlier, and that had worked for him this week. Finally, it wasn't that difficult to go out on a date with the woman he loved, he just had to ask her. Why had he ever thought that could work without even asking?
Well, he finally did, and she said yes. That was the most wonderful night of his life. Jennifer went out with him, as John Kent, and she hadn't even said a word about Superboy. The date went so well, that he found the courage to ask her out a second time. And she agreed again. That was even better.
And before the end of the evening, he declared his feelings, and she confessed to him that she returned them. He was so happy. They spent all night talking and kissing, and sat on his bed until she fell asleep. That was the night just before, and she was still sleeping when he went out.
He wasn't worried that she might be mad to wake up alone. He told her that he had to take a very early flight to go see his parents in Metropolis for the weekend. Plus he left a card for her on the nightstand with a rose, to tell her again how much he loved her and that he didn't want to wake her, and was sorry he had to go to Metropolis. He couldn't wait to see her again on Monday.
The only thing that worried him was that, now that they were a couple, he would have to tell her soon that he was Superboy. He just couldn't go on lying to her. That would be unfair. But he really didn't have a clue as to how to do that. Maybe he should ask his father how he had told his mother. He had done it, so he must know how to face the situation, and John would never make the mistake of doubting what his father told him again.
It was still night when he landed on the balcony of the family house and everything was silent. His parents must still be asleep. A little tired himself, he went to his room to sleep for a few hours before having breakfast with his folks. Then he would ask his father how to tell Jennifer the family secret.
Jennifer reminded him of his mother, she had the same stubbornness, the same passion for chocolate, the same competitive mind┘ and his father definitely knew how to handle that. He really needed his advice on the subject.
The smell of coffee woke him up a few hours later. He went to the kitchen where his father was probably busy making coffee for his mother, as he usually did. But he wasn't; only his mother was in the kitchen.
"Hi, mom."
"Good morning. You came back very late last night. Everything okay, John?"
"Hmm, yeah. Everything's just fine," he replied with a grin.
Lois waited a few seconds for her son to go on talking, but he remained silent, grinning. Her curiosity was killing her; she wasn't a reporter for nothing. And she had the strange feeling that John knew perfectly well that she was dying of curiosity and was keeping quiet on purpose.
"So, what makes you feel so good today? To be home again?"
"Yeah, that too. I like to be here with you both. Actually, where's Dad? I would like to talk to him about something."
Yes, she was right. He was doing this on purpose to tease her a little, the way he often did, just like his father did. She hated to be teased that way. No, to be honest, she loved it, but it was just unfair. She was way too curious for her own good, and the two guys in her life knew her way too well. They were always conspiring against her by teasing.
"Superman was needed. You know you can talk to me about it too. What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong. Everything's just perfect."
"Come on, this is killing me! Please don't let me guess, tell me┘"
Lois was hoping that the pleading note she put in her voice would be enough to convince her son to talk. It always worked with her husband, but his son seemed to be immune to her pleas. He always talked more easily with Clark than with her. She was glad that they had such a good father-son relationship, but she couldn't help feeling a little jealous when her son was so obviously uneasy at the idea of sharing his thoughts with her.
"Mom┘ Actually, it's kind of a ┘ man-to-man conversation I want with Dad. And you're not exactly┘ you know."
"Sure, I'm not a man, but there's something you have to understand. A man-to-man conversation is a conversation about girls. And if you want advice about girls, you have to ask a girl, not a man."
While her son was thinking about what she had just said, she decided to push the subject a little further.
"So, how's Jennifer?" she asked almost innocently.
John blushed, and Lois knew that she was right. The man-to-man conversation was about a girl. She smiled. John was so much like his father, a good-looking super-powered man, but very shy and insecure with girls. Finally, he spoke.
"Okay, Mom. You win. I've asked Jennifer out this week. And she's accepted."
"Oh John, that's great news! So┘ you're dating?"
"Yeah, and yesterday, I told her I was in love with her, and she said she loved me too."
"Oh, I'm so happy for you. I LIKE this girl. Why did you only want to share this news with your father?"
"Well, no. I wanted to tell you too. What I wanted to discuss with Dad was┘ how he told you he was Superman. I mean, when you finally gave up your fantasies about his persona and told him you loved him, how did he tell you he was Superman without you being mad at him?"
"Err┘ Actually, he told me something like eight months before we started dating. In fact, I never had to give up my fantasies about Superman. I just learned to love him for who he was."
"You're kidding me? Why did he tell you, then?"
"He told me because he was very embarrassed about something I said to him. I guess it was easier for him to confess than to let me think that┘ err┘ Oh my god, it's just so embarrassing! I was so stupid."
"Mom, now it's you who's killing me, not saying anything┘ Tell me, please."
"Okay, I'll tell you. Just┘ don't laugh at me. Don't mock me."
"I'd never do that, Mom. You know I wouldn't."
"Well, I had such a ridiculous idea that you might want to laugh. Just┘ don't, okay,"
"Okay."
"Okay. Here's the story of the most ridiculous idea that ever went through the mind of Lois Lane. You're warned."