Normalcy

Evidence, Part III

Nefertiri's Handmaiden

Disclaimer: I don't own Superman. I don't own Clark Kent, either. In fact, I don't own anything. Please don't sue me, DC.

Note: The office. Clark receives a very special gift from Lois. Very short.

There was a clatter as Jason and Lois stepped off the elevator and entered the newsroom. Jason came tearing toward the desk where Clark sat typing diligently, waving his latest drawing. Clark scooped him up and set him in his lap, leaning around to look him in the face.

"Clark, guess what? I drew a picture of me and you and Mommy all working. Look!" He proudly produced the picture and held it up for Clark's inspection. Sure enough, there was Clark and Lois at their desks, with Jason sitting at Clark's desk, too, as he often did. The picture was crude and labeled in scraggly letters, but Clark felt his heart fill with fatherly pride.

He ruffled his son's hair. "Good job, buddy! I'm so proud of you!"

Jason beamed. "I'm gonna give it to Uncle Perry so that he always knows that we're working to write his newspaper."

Clark smiled fondly. "That's a wonderful idea, Jason. Why don't you go give it to him now?"

Jason nodded enthusiastically and slid from Clark's lap. He barreled away toward Perry's office and almost knocking over poor Jimmy, who was laden with an armful of files.

Lois had neared Clark's desk by this time, and Clark rose to meet her. And that was when it happened: so quick and mundane that no one else even noticed the significance.

She rose lightly onto her toes, pressed her palm to his chest to steady herself at the height, and placed a quick kiss on his lips.

It was over as quickly as it had started, but there it was. Clark himself almost missed it. It wasn't until she pulled away and started talking that he noticed what had just happened.

A stupid smile spread across Clark's face as he processed the gesture. He stared at Lois, grinning like a fool, as she described the trip to Jason's school, the traffic, and her mid-journey epiphany regarding her latest article. Eventually she trailed off as she noticed him staring at her.

"What?"

He only grinned wider.

"No, really. What?"

"You just kissed me."

She gave him a strange look. "Are you feeling okay? We've kissed a lot of times."

"No. You just kissed me like my parents used to kiss when they saw each other."

She got it, suddenly, and then she was smiling too. "Yeah. Mine, too."

They stared at each other, grinning, for another few moments. Then, shaking her head slightly, she turned away to her desk. He stopped her with a light hand on her elbow. She faced him again.

"Lois?"

"Yes?"

"Kiss me again?"

Lois smiled, her eyes softening in that way they only did when she looked at him. Slowly, she placed her hands on his chest, lifted herself up again onto her toes, and, very, very lightly, she brushed her lips against his.

She started to lower herself back to the ground, but before she knew it she was wrapped in his arms and lifted bodily from the floor. His lips found hers and moved across them with urgency and passion that he usually reserved for the bedroom. When she kissed back in just the same way, he smiled against her lips.

The world disappeared. His perception narrowed down to the rapid thudding of her heart. Lois.

And then suddenly the world was back.

He lowered her bashfully as he did his best to ignore the wild clapping and the cat-calls (mostly coming from Gil). Lois smiled saucily at him and then sauntered off to her desk. Clark collapsed back into his chair with a grin on his face, watching her go.

Just another day at the Daily Planet.