Thanks for all the reviews everyone! They make me happy. Here's chapter ten!

Chapter 10

"So Lois, what's it going to be today?" asked Clark Kent. "Thai? Italian? Chinese? Oh, Chinese sounds good."

Lois Lane didn't look up from her computer to acknowledge the mild mannered reporter standing beside her desk. "Oh, uhh, yeah, about that. Look, Smallville. I've got a lunch date at 12:30."

"Lunch date?" A pang of jealousy reverberated through his Kryptonian self. "With who?"

"A super strong, super fast Justice Leaguer, that's who."

The jealousy was suddenly replaced with anxiety as Clark wracked his brain for any memory of making a date with Lois as Superman.

"With Superman?"

"Are you kidding? I can't just go to lunch with Superman. Even if he were wearing a disguise, you'd imagine people would be able to recognize him. He's Metropolis' poster boy. Heck, he's the world's poster boy!"

"Uhh…yeah."

"But, then again, people in this city are probably too preoccupied to take a second look at some random civilian. So he might be able to get away with it."

Clark blinked. "Uhh…ermm…"

"Anywho, I'm grabbing a bite with Wonder Woman," she said nonchalantly.

The fear that Lois somehow knew his secret was suddenly forgotten. "You're meeting Di- err, Wonder Woman for lunch?"

"I sure am."

"Oh. I didn't know the two of you were…so close. How long have you had this planned?"

"She gave me a call last night."

"She called you? Last night?"

"Isn't that what I just said?"

"At what time?"

Lois raised an eyebrow. "Why do you need to know?"

Oops. "I, uhh…I don't. Just curious, is all."

"Right, well I better get going," she said quickly, pretending to check the time. "Wouldn't want Wonder Woman to think I stood her up for Clark Kent."

"Umm, yeah…" he mumbled. "Tell her I say hi."

Lois rolled her eyes and waved over her shoulder as she walked away. "I'll be sure to do that, Smallville."

Clark smacked his palm to his forehead. "Tell her I say hi? Where in heaven's name did that come from!? Holy moly, Kent, you're losing it."

"Hey Clark!" came another voice. The Man of Steely business attire looked up to find Jimmy Olsen walking toward him. "I heard Lois ditched you for Wonder Woman, but I'm totally up for Chinese if you are!"

x.x.x

The host working at the Italian restaurant Bel Piatto in the heart of Metropolis mindlessly doodled in the margins of the reservation sheets. Some spirals here, some zigzags there…

"Excuse me, I have a reservation."

The sharp voice made him jump, the jump made his pencil break. Wonderful. He sighed.

"Name please?"

"Lois Lane."

Lois Lane? That sounded familiar. When he looked up at the dark haired woman whose lavender eyes were looking back at him impatiently, he blinked.

"Buongiorno, Miss Lane," he finally replied smoothly, straightening up to his full height. "How may I help you this afternoon?"

Lois Lane clenched her jaw. First Clark and now this bozo. Was it really so difficult for the male sex to listen? "I said I have a reservation. Twelve thirty."

The host blinked a few more times before comprehending and looked down at his reservation sheet. "Reservation for two at twelve thirty," he read.

She refrained from making a snide remark regarding his level of intelligence and just smiled. "Yes."

"Very good, we have your table ready for you. Right this way please." The host walked lithely out in front of Lois and led her to a table in the corner. "Here you are, Miss Lane," he said, presenting her to the table he so proudly led her to.

"Thanks," she replied, taking a seat.

"Have a pleasant meal," he purred, quickly scanning the reporter's legs before walking away.

Lois let out an irritated sigh. "Men."

After happily returning to his counter and continuing his doodle with a new pencil, the host was once again met by another voice.

"Excuse me? I'm meeting Lois Lane at twelve thirty."

This voice was softer, smoother. When his eyes met those of the beauty before him, he stared.

"Buhh…umm…uhh…"

The blue-eyed woman in front of him cocked her head in confusion at his response.

"Diana!"

Her eyes shifted from the host to the source of the voice that had called her name. When the beautiful woman walked away, he continued to stare after her until she sat down…across from Lois Lane…who was now glaring at him. The host immediately returned to his doodling.

"Thank you for meeting me, Lois," said the princess.

"Oh, please," laughed Lois. "You're a woman after my own heart. It's the least I can do."

"I hope Clark wasn't too heartbroken."

"Nah, he took it like a champ. But we'll get to him later," she dismissed with a wink. "Right now, let's talk about you. Did something happen with Bruce?"

Diana sighed sadly. "We had a little…fight."

"Fights can be healthy," Lois offered. "Gives you a chance to let off some steam."

"This one wasn't at all healthy, and I let off more of a volcano than just some steam."

"Well, when it comes to Bruce, it does take a river of piping hot lava to get him to budge. Anyway, he probably deserved what he got."

The princess rested her head against her palms. "I don't know, Lois. I snapped, and I'm…ashamed of myself."

"Diana, even if you tossed him through a wall, you'd still be the most honorable, dignified, magnificent woman he's ever been lucky enough to have met."

At this, Diana looked up, her face drawn. "Even if I tossed him through a wall?"

"Yes!" exclaimed Lois, reading her expression. "Did you?"

"Not exactly…"

"Did you kick him in the groin?" she asked excitedly.

"No, I didn't do that," Diana laughed. "But I did try to…choke him."

Lois beamed at her. "You've taken the saying 'I'm going to wring your neck' to new heights!"

"It's not the proper way an Amazon should deal with her emotions."

"Honey, Amazon or not, it's incredible that you've kept your cool for as long as you have."

"But I shouldn't have resorted to aggression," she said sheepishly.

"We all do things we regret, whether it's roughing up Bruce Wayne or dating Lex Luthor. God knows I've had my fair share of screw-ups. But what matters the most is how you bounce back."

The princess considered this. "I suppose you're right, Lois."

"Trust me, you'll know what to do when the time comes."

Diana sighed. "You know, I haven't even told you why I snapped in the first place."

"It doesn't matter," Lois laughed. "I'll always be on your side when it comes to this. It takes a whole hell of a lot to be able to stand both Bruce Wayne and the Bat, let alone love them, err, him. You should get the Nobel for that!"

Both women giggled. Diana felt some of her anxiety from the previous night's events melting away.

Lois grinned and leaned forward. "But I do love a good story."

It took Diana up until their food arrived to relay all of what had happened with Bruce, from what had been said in the parking garage to what hadn't been said in the jet.

"And seeing his blood all over my hands completely unsettled me."

"I don't blame you. What happened after that?"

"Umm, he left." Diana didn't really know why, but she chose not to reveal the last thing Bruce had said to her.

Lois raised an eyebrow as if she knew there was something the princess hadn't told her, but didn't press the matter further. "Well, he wouldn't say he didn't love you. That's a big step."

"Yeah, I guess it is," Diana said.

Lois shook her head in exasperation. "But this is totally a no-brainer. Why doesn't he, pardon my French, but I think the phrase is, jump on it?"

Diana could feel her cheeks blush. "I'm not sure. I know this sounds crazy but I get the feeling he's…waiting for something."

"He hasn't made you wait long enough as it is?"

She shrugged. "It's like he's stalling or waiting for something to pass before…"

Diana's words registered in her own mind. Waiting for something to pass… But she quickly shoved the thought to the back of her mind.

"…Before he jumps on it," she covered.

Lois chuckled. "It sounds so wrong when you say it!"

"It sounds wrong when anyone says it," she laughed. "But enough about me. Is it later enough to talk about Clark yet?"

"I did say we'd get to him later, didn't I?" Lois recalled.

"Yes, but we don't have to talk about it if-"

"No no, it's okay," she sighed. "It's not like I have anyone else to talk to about this."

"What do you mean?" Diana asked, playing dumb just in case.

"Bottom-line, I know his secret."

"What secret?"

Lois rolled her eyes. "The one about him not being human."

"Oh. I just had to make sure. How long have you known?"

"A while, I guess. I've always been suspicious. It wasn't so much the glasses and dorky suit that kept me from figuring it out, but the fact that Clark is just so different from Superman. He's timid and soft-spoken, while Superman is…not. He grew up on a farm! In Kansas! Superman is from another planet for Pete's sake."

"You sound unhappy about all this."

"I'm not unhappy about that, really. Actually it does make me feel a lot less sleazy since I had feelings for both of them at the same time but-"

"Wait, wait, wait," interrupted Diana. "Feelings for both? You mean you had feelings for Clark before you found out who he was?"

This time it was Lois' turn to blush. "You'd never know it," she said. "Especially with all the teasing I do. But I've always had a soft spot for him. He's just so innocent and pure. Everything I'm not. Then he goes and squeezes me out of a byline," she said bitterly. "Who knew some yokel from Smallville could give 'Lois Lane, star reporter' a serious reality check?"

"He gave you competition," said Diana with a smile.

"Yep. Came and knocked me off my high horse. And I know it sounds corny but I'm a better person because of it."

"It's not corny, it's Clark," Diana shrugged.

"Yes it is," laughed Lois. "The big lug has always been there. I've dragged him all over the place. I almost feel like I've corrupted him over the years, but I'm beginning to think that's just as impossible as trying to hurt Superman with a bullet."

"He's a good man," said Diana.

Lois sighed. "One of the best…but then there's Superman," she whispered.

"He's a good man, too."

"Yeah, but how far can I get in a relationship with someone I only know by Superman or Kal-El? Especially when I know his name is Clark!"

Diana looked sympathetically at the woman across from her. Clark was Bruce's polar opposite, but she felt Lois' frustration regardless.

"I just wish he'd tell me sometime before old age sets in," said the reporter.

"You don't want to tell him that you know?"

"No. He needs to be the one to do it."

"But you can't wait forever," said Diana sadly.

"Not all of us are immortal," she smiled.

"I'm sure he will tell you soon," Diana reassured her, praying to the gods that Clark does reveal his secret to her sometime in the near future.

Lois sighed. "Even if I'm prepared for it, I'll probably still break down into tears."

"You love him, don't you?" Diana didn't specify which 'him' she meant, Clark or Superman. But she didn't need to.

Lois looked down at her hands. "Yes. I do."

x.x.x

"Hey Smallville."

Clark looked up as Lois walked by his desk and sat down at her own. "Oh, hi Lois. How was lunch?"

"It was great," she said nonchalantly, turning on her computer. "Sorry for bailing on you, by the way."

"That's ok. Wonder Woman probably had important things to discuss with you."

Clark hoped that Diana was able to get some of the things from last night off her chest. But when he noticed Lois looking at him strangely, he knew that was probably a dumb thing to say. He nervously readjusted his glasses.

"Like…hero business and…stuff like that," he stuttered.

"Hero business?"

"Yeah. I don't know anything about that. I mean, I see the League on the news but...man, those heroes sure are something!"

"Right," she said, narrowing her eyes at him before looking back to her computer screen. "You want to know what we really talked about, Smallville?"

"Uhh, gee Lois, I don't-"

"We talked about men."

Clark gulped. "Men?"

x.x.x

Lois is so sassy! Tell me what you think though, because I don't feel as confident about this chapter as the others. Thanks for reading. Until next time!