God, he loved her.
Clark stood in the doorway of his bedroom staring at his wife as she slept soundlessly. Her heartbeat was steady and calm, her breath coming out in soft snores and her auburn hair fanned out in a way that made it impossible to actually see her face. But he didn't need to see her to know she was beautiful.
Her arm was stretched out clutching his pillow under the crook of her arm, something she commonly did when he was away for more than twenty-four hours. He could see she was sleeping in one of his old flannels again, something that she also commonly did whether or not he was home. She claimed that they were soft and reminded her of him, but he also knew she knew how much he enjoyed seeing her in them.
Realizing he was still in his Superman suit and it probably smelled like fire and sweat, he began to strip it off. He did so slowly, not wanting to wake Lois with a whoosh of wind. Throwing the blue and red garmets in his laundry basket and sliding it in the closet, he grabbed a pair of boxers and headed to the bathroom to shower.
It had been a long few days. He didn't realize how late it actually was until the clock in the bathroom beeped at him. Three AM. Clark rubbed his eyes with balled up fists before he turned on the shower. He was beyond exhausted and wanted nothing more than to climb in bed with his wife, but he didn't want to get the sheets dirty and deal with the terror that was an angry Lois Lane-Kent.
Stepping into the hot spray, he closed his eyes as the water saturated his hair and rolled down his body. His muscles were actually aching for the first time in a while. Three days spent rescuing people and animals in the California wildfires, helping tame the wild flames, and rebuilding infrastructure had really taken its toll on him. Most days and nights were filled with stopping normal crimes, but it was always the natural disastors that were the worst.
Feeling sufficiently clean and a bit more relaxed, he turned the water off and dried himself off before slipping on his boxers. He made a quick loop around the apartment to make sure that all the lights were off and that the coffee pot was ready for tomorrow morning, something that he knew Lois would appreciate. Finally making his way to his bedroom, Clark walked to the side of the bed and smiled.
Gently, he pulled his pillow out from her grip and slid under the covers beside her. She frowned in her sleep and shifted so that she was now turned away from him. She attempted to pull the full width of the covers over her, but Clark held them in a steely grip. One too many times he had woken up with Lois curled beside him in a cocoon of sheets while he lied on the mattress with nothing covering him except his underwear. One too many times he didn't even have that.
Though he didn't want to wake her, he couldn't help but snuggle up behind her and slip his arm over her waist. His fingers found hers and wiggled their way in between the crevices while he buried his face in her hair. Inhaling deeply, he felt a wave of calmness wash over him. Her scent was so relaxing to him. It was like coming home.
"I love you, Lois," he murmured into her hair before placing a kiss on the top of her head. She shifted again, but her heartbeat and breathing remained steady. Smiling to himself, Clark shut his eyes and let some much-needed sleep overcome his body.
God, she loved him.
Lois watched him as he slept. His ebony hair was ruffled over his forehead, his arm draped over her hip, and his muscular back rose and fell rhythmically as he breathed. She lightly brushed the hair away from his face so not to wake up, but just so she could continue gazing at her beautiful husband.
She really didn't know how a man could be so good looking. He was like a Greek god complete with a set of a piercing blue eyes, a chiseled jaw, and a body so perfect she thought it should have an insurance policy. How a man could look like that, be as kind and caring as he was, save the world, and still marry her was beyond her comprehension. She didn't like to question it though; she was just thankful.
Waking up this morning, she stretched her arm out and was surprised to hit something solid. Immediately rolling over, she found her husband sleeping peacefully on his stomach. The sight warmed her heart. As much as she hated to admit it, mostly because it made her sound sappier than Clark, she was never happy without him by her side. When he went on trips, there always seemed to be an ache in her chest that only he could sooth with his presence.
Thankfully, that missing piece of her heart was sleeping soundly next to her. She let her fingers play with his hair again before grazing them down the side of his cheek. She smiled when he scrunched his nose up in response. When his face relaxed again, she smiled. She never got tired of watching him, especially like this. Their mornings and nights in bed together were few of the rare moments where Clark wasn't a fumbling reporter or a superhero; he was just her Clark Kent. Her Smallville.
Knowing that he probably got in early this morning, Lois decided to let him have some more sleep. She turned to slide out of bed, but she found the lazy arm thrown over her hip was now pulling her towards its owner.
"Where are you going?" Clark mumbled. He kept his eyes closed, but she knew he was wide awake now. A smile played on her lips as she snuggled back under the sheets and towards her husband. He cracked one eye open and smiled sleepily before propping himself up on the pillow. She noticed that he looked significantly younger in the morning. Whether it was his disheveled hair, his boyish smile, or the way his eyes crinkled as they adjusted to the sunlight, the sight was a welcome one.
"I thought you were still asleep," she said. She threaded her fingers through his hair and pushed it off of his face as best as she could. In turn, he tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and trailed his hand down her shoulder until he reached her hip again.
"And that gives you permission to leave?" he asked playfully. Lois grinned at his banter and finally couldn't help herself. She leaned into him and captured his lips with her own. He responded by pulling her completey on top of him and tangled his fingers in her hair. Taking his bottom lip in between her own, Lois melted in his arms. She molded to him like a hot wax and couldn't help but let out a soft moan when he grabbed the backside of her right knee to pull her into a straddling position.
"I missed you," she said in between kisses. He cupped her cheek and gently guided her lips away from his own so he could look her directly in the eyes. Stroking her cheek gently with the pad of his thumb, he let a soft smile grace his lips before he kissed her softly.
"I missed you too. You know I don't like leaving for more than a day," he admitted sheepishly. Lois ran her fingers through his hair and gently scratched his scalp. It was one of the few things that truly relaxed Clark besides sleeping and sex.
"Clingy, are we?" she hummed. He narrowed his eyes at her and she quickly found herself lying on her back with her husband's bare chest pressed up against her own. His nose was almost touching hers and he stared at her as if he was capturing her soul. Of course, when he realized that the top button of her- well, technically his flannel had come undone, his eyes flitted to her exposed cleavage. A look of hunger flashed across his baby blues and Lois knew immediately that he would experience all three of the things that relaxed him the most this morning.
Afterwards, they lied with limbs tangled together as they tried to catch their breath. Lois had her head on his chest as he ran his fingers through her hair and couldn't help but sneak a look at him. His eyes were closed and there was a smile plastered on his face that she wasn't sure he even knew about.
"How was California?" she asked. It was always easier to ask him about his work as Superman when he wasn't tense since he usually wouldn't remember to dwell on how he could've done better. As much as she loved him, she did get annoyed with how hard he was on himself.
"Not too bad. A couple of injuries, but it was mostly damage to the forests and infrastructure that I was there helping with. It really tired me out though," he said with a sigh. "I'm just glad I'm home. How's work?"
"Mmm… it'll be better if I can get an up close and personal interview with Superman about his heroics the past few days," she teased. Looking down at her, he raised an eyebrow and smirked.
"Isn't that what you just got?" he asked huskily. Lois rolled her eyes, but pressed a kiss to his shoulder and snuggled back into his embrace.
"Work's been fine. Cat's been popping in and out more than usual looking for you which definitely is more than annoying. Otherwise, nothing new. I'm just glad it's Sunday," she said.
"Lois Lane is happy to not be at work? Are you sick or something?" Clark teased. Narrowing her eyes, she pulled away from his side and rolled back on top of him.
"It's Lois Lane-Kent to you, Superman. My husband wouldn't appreciate the mix-up."
"My sincerest apologies. I'm sure your husband wouldn't appreciate where you are right now either."
"Oh, he knows. Can I let you in on a little secret?"
"And what would that be?"
"My husband is Superman. In the cape or not, he's always my hero."
God, he loved her. And God, she loved him just the same.
