"Would you put me down, please? This is so silly." Lois protested weakly and Clark just smiled at her.
The bellman of the Regent Hotel was trying not to smile himself at her objection as he opened the door to Lionel Luthor's suite. And as he carried their suitcases in and took them to the bedroom, Clark followed behind and put Lois down on her feet.
"Now what kind of a husband would I be if I didn't carry my bride over the threshold?" He smiled at her.
"You did that last night, remember?" Her face was flushed. "Or wasn't it that memorable?"
"It was memorable." His own face warmed at the thought. He put his hand in his pocket to withdraw some money to tip the bellman as he came back out, but he shook his head.
"That's all right Mr. Kent, Mr. Luthor has taken care of it." He put his hand up to stop Clark. "He's also told us that if there is anything that you or Mrs. Kent need to let us know. He's also given us strict instructions that during your stay with us, anything you order is to be put on his tab."
"That's very decent of him." Clark remarked as he was given the room key.
"Enjoy your stay." The bellman nodded and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.
"We will." Lois laughed as she made a slow circuit of the room.
"Lois." He admonished her with a smile because he knew they would, too. As she continued to explore, he walked to the large picture window and pulled the curtains back. It was a hell of a view of Metropolis and he swore that he could almost see Smallville.
What caught his attention next was a large bouquet of red roses and a bottle of champagne chilling in an ice bucket on a table by the window. Clark wasn't much of a drinking man, but he'd had more champagne in the last two days then he'd had in his whole life.
He noticed an envelope on the table in front of the flowers and picked it up. It was addressed to 'Mr. and Mrs. Clark Kent' and he smiled. He couldn't help but wish that it would never become commonplace to hear Lois referred to as 'Mrs. Kent'.
He opened it and pulled a small card out. 'Congratulations and best wishes to you both. Lionel Luthor'
"Clark, you have to see the setup in here. It's like a palace." Lois called him from the bedroom and he followed the sound of her voice to the open door, the card still in his hand.
"Would you believe this? It's almost as big as my entire apartment was at the Falcon." She commented and it couldn't have gone without notice that the bed was already turned down, with a single red rose resting on each pillow.
It certainly hadn't gotten past his.
"You think that's a hint?" She laughed softly.
"If only it were that subtle." He grinned back and put his hands on her shoulders. They were trembling slightly and he wondered if she were thinking about the previous night and what the coming night was going to be like. "Come on, I've got something to show you too."
He squeezed her shoulders and then let go as she turned for the door and preceded him out of the room, where she saw the flowers and champagne. "He thought of everything, didn't he?"
"He thinks a lot of you Lois." He remarked as he handed her the card so she could read it.
"He thinks a lot of you too, you know." Lois told him. "After you asked me to marry you, he told me that he couldn't have hoped for a finer young man to be my husband."
"It was nice of him to say that." The words were inadequate to describe what Clark felt, to hear that from someone Lois respected so much.
"He only told me something I already knew." She kissed his cheek.
"Thank you honey." He kissed her cheek in return. "So what do you want to do?"
"You have to ask?" She laughed and tucked her hand through his elbow. He couldn't remember the last time she'd done that and instinctively, his arm tightened before she rest her cheek on his arm. "There's a turned down bed in there I know we could make good use of."
"We could." He dipped his head and kissed her softly. "But something tells me that you have something else in mind first."
"Did you get a load of that dining room? I've never seen anything so elegant." She sighed. "And seeing as how it's almost lunchtime."
"You want to go downstairs and eat." He finished for her.
"And there's a swing band playing in the ballroom later tonight." Lois continued. "You can put your new dancing skills to use."
"Whatever you want Lois is fine with me." Clark smiled.
"Well, what do you want to do?" She stood back and caught his eye. "This shouldn't just be about what I want."
"I'd like to take you to dinner at Antonio's, for one." He told her. "Our engagement dinner was interrupted and I never had the chance to take you back and make up for it."
"Clark, you married me. I think that makes us even."
"Just the same, I'd like to do that." He persisted.
"Dinner at Antonio's." Lois nodded in agreement. "But there is one thing I'd really like to do."
"What would that be?" Did he really have to ask?
She answered him by putting her arms around his neck. "Do you realize that it's been hours since you've kissed me?"
"Hours?" He teased. "I just kissed you."
"Pfft." She frowned. "As nice as that was, it wasn't what I meant."
"Well then, you'll have to show me what you mean because I thought that kiss was perfectly fine." Clark put his arms around her and pulled her close.
"It was, but it's not the sort of kiss a bride expects from her groom." Lois shrugged.
"Are you sure you don't want to take advantage of that bed?" He grinned. "Because that's what it's starting to sound like to me."
She rolled her eyes and sighed dramatically. "If you insist. I guess lunch can wait."
"Far be it for me to deprive my wife of a meal."
"Better to deprive your wife of a meal than deprive her of her husband." She pushed herself up on her toes and kissed him. "And I think I'd rather have you than lunch right now."
"If you insist." Clark picked her up and walked with her to the bedroom.
"I insist." She told him as he carried her inside and she closed the door behind them.
oooooo
"You realize that it is almost time for dinner." Lois had felt the need to point out the obvious to her husband, as they lay curled up together on the sofa. They'd never made it downstairs for lunch and she wondered how it was that they'd made it out of the bedroom.
It was almost as though they'd each felt that there was so much time to make up for and leaving their bed wasn't an option they wanted to consider. But a chill had begun to settle in the room and Clark got up to turn on the radiator.
But Lois had noticed a fireplace in the main room of the suite earlier and had asked him if he would build a fire for them because it would be so much cozier.
He'd done as she asked and by the time she'd wandered out of the bedroom, he'd also opened the champagne and a glass was waiting for her. "A fellow could get used to this."
"The accommodations or me?" She'd smiled as she took the glass from him and he'd kissed her.
"Both." He'd admitted with a smile.
"So are we going to order room service or go down to the dining room?" Lois asked as Clark refilled her glass and she took a sip.
"Eating in the dining room was your idea, so it's up to you." He deflected her question. "I'm perfectly happy staying here."
"It does have its advantages." She admitted with a nod.
"Being married has its advantages." He added with a laugh. "I won't be cold at night anymore."
"So all I am to you is a bed warmer?" Lois raised an eyebrow at him and tried not to smile. "As far as your not being cold at night anymore, that's only going to work when you're home."
"You could always come with me." He suggested with a smile. "Then it wouldn't be an issue."
"I'm sure that the FBI would approve of that." She quipped. "If they let all of their married agents start carting their wives around the country with them, they wouldn't be able to do their jobs."
"But at least I'd be warm." Clark deadpanned. "And you would too."
"Shelby can keep me warm while your gone." She gave him a pointed look and he laughed.
"You'd never last a night with him because you'd be sneezing."
"I'll put a clothespin on my nose." Lois smiled back at him and he kissed her cheek. "I won't even miss you."
"I'll make sure you do." He assured her just before he kissed her. She kissed him back and as she did so, felt the glass being slipped out of her hand and Clark's arms come around her waist. She put her arms around his neck and sighed as he pressed her back on to the sofa cushions before he followed her.
"We're not going to make it downstairs for dinner, are we?" Her own voice sounded oddly breathless as his lips brushed her cheek and then her ear.
"Doesn't look like it." His voice rumbled in her ear. "Any objections?"
All she could manage to do was shake her head because she didn't want to talk any more, so he nodded and kissed her again. She tightened her arms to keep him where he was, when she heard a soft knock at the door.
"Ignore it." He told her before he went back to kissing her and there was another knock.
"I don't think we can." Lois sighed as she loosened her hold. "I don't think they're going to go away."
"Damn." He sighed and reluctantly sat up, but couldn't seem to help smiling at her as he helped her up. "I guess we should get used to it."
"Your parents won't be so insistent." She answered as he stood and walked to the door.
"I know." He threw over his shoulder and opened it. "Yes?"
"I'm sorry to disturb you sir, but this was delivered a few minutes ago with instructions to give it to you as quickly as possible."
The honeymoon was over;Lois sighed, before it really had a chance to get started.
She'd bet a dollar to a doughnut hole that Clark was being recalled for duty and he seemed to sense the same thing because he hesitated for a moment before taking the proffered envelope. "Can you tell me who delivered this?"
"A courier, sir." He answered. "If you'll excuse me, I need to get back down to the front desk and let him know that you received it."
"Thank you." She heard him sigh again and he closed the door before turning to face her, holding up the envelope. "One guess as to what this is."
"You're being sent on assignment." Lois stated as he opened it and pulled out two typed sheets of paper. He scanned the information and nodded.
"Mr. Kelly has personally apologized for interrupting our honeymoon, but he says that all agents on leave, vacation and even honeymoons are being recalled as of tomorrow morning. Reports of fifth column activity are on the rise and agents are needed all over the country to investigate."
"I guess I shouldn't complain that they want their best agent back on the job." She smiled at him as he joined her on the sofa and she kissed his cheek.
"Spoken like a loyal wife." His face flushed at her praise. "Mr. Kelly also said that he's not happy about the order, so he's giving me until late tomorrow afternoon to report to Kansas City."
Lois frowned in concern. "But if he does that for you, he can get in a lot of hot water with Washington."
"He's aware of that and he knows he's bending the rules." Clark took her hand. "But he also knows that the Bureau kept us both in the dark about the real reason I was brought back to Kansas and he considers this a fair trade. Mr. Kelly doesn't take deceit lightly, especially when it comes down from the pencil pushers in Washington."
"So now we have to cram four days into a little more than twenty-four hours."
"That's about it." He nodded. "So how about walking next door to Antonio's for dinner."
"Like this?" She teased.
"As much as I'd enjoy that, I rather the other fellows there didn't." He shook his head with a smile. "If you like, we can come back to the hotel after we're done eating and go dancing."
"Will we have time for the breakfast buffet in the morning? Lionel says that he never misses it." She answered his question with a nod, even as she asked her own.
"If we get down there early enough." He nodded in answer. "I need to get you home so that I have plenty of time to get to Kansas City. Mr. Kelly's being more than fair about letting me report in late and I'd rather not get him in any more trouble. Unless you want to stay here?"
"I don't want to stay here without you." She shook her head. "Just tell me what time you want to get out of here and I'll be ready."
"Let's talk about that later," He put the envelope down on the coffee table and took her hand. "because at the moment, we are still on our honeymoon."
"Something that the FBI seems determined to ignore." She couldn't help but comment.
"It's the nature of the job, honey." He squeezed her fingers sympathetically. "It's also what you signed on for when you agreed to marry me."
"I know."
"I'm not sure how long I'll be gone, but I was thinking that if it was all right with Lionel we could finish our honeymoon here when I get back." He raised his eyebrows in question. "If you think he would go for it."
"It won't be a problem." She assured him. "He doesn't stay here himself much, it's used mostly for guests. But I'll talk to him tomorrow after you leave and get his okay."
"I'm not happy about this either, you know that." Lois wasn't sure why he felt the need to tell her that. "I'd much rather be spending a few days here with you, but we knew it could happen. That's why we decided to stick close to home."
"I know." She nodded with a sigh. "It's just something I have to get used to, sharing you with the FBI."
"You're only sharing a small part Lois." He smiled softly at her. "Most of me belongs to you."
"And it's a good thing too, buster. Because that's all I'm willing to share."
"I love you too."
"Prove it." Her eyebrow went up in challenge.
"What about dinner?" Clark's soft smile turned into a grin.
"Later." She leaned over and kissed him.
"Are you sure?" He asked and kissed her back.
"Positive." She nodded and put her arms around his neck. "Dinner will be there tomorrow night, but you won't. So if we have dinner a little later than usual tonight, it's only because of that."
"Works for me." He put his arms around her and kissed her again.
oooooo
She hated goodbyes, always had.
It had been difficult to say goodbye to Lucy the day after the wedding, after having had so little time with her. She was only just beginning to get to know her nephew and she had to say goodbye to him, too.
But she'd had Clark at her side and that made the parting easier.
Two days after their wedding, however, Clark was the one who was leaving. And though she had his parents and her father at her side, saying goodbye to him was more difficult than she thought it would be. It wasn't as though he was going overseas, but it was the first time he would be leaving her as her husband. And as a new wife, it was the last thing she wanted.
Though to be fair, she knew it was the last thing that he wanted, too.
"It's only going to be a few days." He reassured her. "I called Mr. Kelly before we left Metropolis. He told me that even though it wasn't his decision to have me recalled, he made the decision to keep me at the field office."
"What does that mean, exactly?" He was going to be close to home.
"That means I'll be conducting investigations by telephone, staying in touch with other agents out in the field and filing reports. And he's told me that if it looks like it's going to be more than a week, you can come to Kansas City until I come home."
"He'd do that for us?" Lois hadn't expected to hear that.
"You made quite an impression on him." Clark told her.
"But I've never met him." She was confused.
"The fact that you called the FBI when you suspected Lex Luthor of espionage was what made the impression. He said that it took a lot of gumption for you to do what you did because most people wouldn't if they were in your shoes."
"That's because they aren't me." She stated the obvious with a shrug.
"Thank goodness." He put his arms around her and hugged her. "There's only one of you, and you're mine."
"Oh really." She pulled back and smiled at him. "You're very cute when you act like a husband."
"Well maybe that's because I am a husband." He needlessly reminded her.
"And you're mine." She liked saying that.
"And happy to be." He kissed her.
"I know."
