Lois walked into the foyer of her home and kicked off her well worn high-heeled shoes. Nudging them under the table she leaned against it momentarily to rub her sore heel. Today had been an exceedingly long day, full of goose chases that had largely turned up wild. She hung up her coat and purse, and then lifted her head. Her nose perked up at the familiar scent of food from her favorite Italian restaurant that even now was calling to her from the kitchen.
Tonight had been Clark's turn to pick Jason up from school and as such she usually came home to a home cooked meal. Due to his 'talents' he could usually whip up a meal for an army in the time it took for her to burn the mac n cheese.
Lois poked her head around into the kitchen to see two dark heads bent together in conversation. Her face lit up reflexively in a grin. i There was trouble if ever I've seen it. /i She thought. Lois gently cleared her throat and two pairs of blue eyes met her amused gaze.
"Mommy!" Jason's voice echoed off the walls as he ran to greet her. Lois bent down and scooped the child up into her arms, holding him in a close bear hug.
"Hey Baby." She murmured into his hair, planting a kiss on top of his disheveled head.
"Why don't you go wash up for dinner, buddy?" Clark's eyes met hers over their son's head and an affectionate grin spread over his features.
Jason untangled his arms from her shoulders and turned toward his father. "Ok Daddy!" the excitement in his voice betrayed him as did his failed attempt at hiding a conspiratorial wink.
Lois' gaze went from one face to another, her eyes narrowing in playful suspicion. Clark eyes followed their son as he turned and scampered toward the steps to his room. When his gaze met hers, a smile played across his lips. Lois raised an eyebrow and tilted her head in question at the various Styrofoam and cardboard containers littering her kitchen table. If there hadn't been time to super cook… she suspected her boys were up to something.
Clark opened one of the containers to reveal a steaming order of chicken parmesan. He slid it onto one of the plates set out on the table
"What's all this?" Lois asked. "Mr. 'Faster-than-a-speeding-bullet' had no time to cook? What are you up to?"
Clark grinned and licked some escaped tomato sauce from his fingers. He crossed the room slowly. "Whatever do you mean?" he asked huskily, his voice wrapping around her as his arms followed.
"You know exactly-" His head dipped toward her, stopping her mid-sentence, his lips met hers gently in a kiss too thorough to not be a bid for distraction.
Lois leaned into him, melting into his powerful frame as she had countless times before. He never failed to thrill her, a word, a glance and certainly not his kiss. Her heart leapt as her pulled her closer. He smelled like aftershave and fresh air and she savored the taste of the parmesan on his lips.
"How was the rest of your day?" he murmured, his lips still brushing against her in a way that made her struggle to remember her line of questioning… if only for a moment. "Did you get to talk to the Mayor?" He fingers lazily played with the hair at the nape of her neck as he spoke.
"Mmm. No. He was 'in a meeting' … again. The fourth time this week as a matter of fact. One might deduce he doesn't want to talk to me!"
Clark trailed his kiss to her neck. "But you're such a lovely conversationalist."
"Speaking of which-" Lois tore herself away from him, trying to ignore his disarmingly boyish pout. "What's with all the smiling and winking with you and Jason? A table full of my favorite food, a greeting kiss like that… I'm starting to feel like a cob of corn from your mother's farm with all this buttering up."
"And here I thought I was doing such a good job… Are we that obvious?" Clark smiled guiltily down at her, as he ran the backs of his fingers gently down her cheek.
"You are. But that aside, you can greet me this way anytime" Her smile fell from her face into a mask of seriousness. "Now let's have it."
Clark opened his mouth to answer and was promptly interrupted by a muffled bark. Clark's eyes widened slightly and he bit his lip impishly.
"Um…"
"Clark…" Lois said in slow measured tones. "Is my son barking, or is it somehow possible there a dog in my house? Please bear in mind Superman doesn't lie." Lois looked up at him expectantly.
"Well…"
"Clark! I'm allergic to dogs! i Jason /i is allergic to dogs. The hair makes both of us sneeze our heads off!"
"Well if the hair is a problem…" Clark pursed his lips in a vain attempt to hold back a laugh. "I don't think we have a problem."
At that moment the distinctive pound of six tiny feet was heard barreling down the stairs.
"Fluffy! No!" Jason called out after the animal. All too soon, a flash of pink and white darted through Lois' legs onto the tile of the kitchen floor.
"Fluffy's" nails clacked and scratched noisily as the dog tried in vain to slow the momentum he had built up. His feet were unable to enough traction, and the animal slammed noisily into the refrigerator door with a thud followed by a small whine.
The dog looked up at Lois through bewildered eyes. Lois could scarcely believe the sight before her. On her kitchen floor sat the ugliest dog she had ever seen. Naming him Fluffy had been either a notion of hope or complete insanity, as the dog barely had enough hair to cover his face.
Jason knelt down and gingerly picked up the dog as to whose breed she couldn't even venture a guess.
"Can I keep him, Mommy?" Jason stepped toward her and held up the dog. Clark stood behind him, his hand running affectionately over the dog's back. Clark's eyes sparkled in amusement as they waited for her answer and Lois found herself powerless under the weight of not one but i three /i sets of puppy eyes.
Lois sighed and ran a hand over the bald little head held before her. She laughed in spite of herself when a soft pink tongue lolled out to lick her fingers.
"Well, I imagine he'll be good at scaring away intruders…" She beamed as her boys whooped and hollered in victory.
Clark grinned at her, his eyes telling her what they both knew.
She'd never stood a chance.