Chapter 13: Marriage is Bliss

Clark leaned on the kitchen table with Chloe seated on the opposite side. "I didn't think it was possible, but I feel like I'm falling in love with her more and more everyday. It's amazing. She makes me excited for the future," he said forlornly. He felt weak.

Chloe saw it coming a mile away. Make that a thousand miles. Possibly more. Hell, the biggest number out there.

"Chloe, do you think I'd make a good husband?"

Chloe stifled a laugh. Clark really is falling deeper in love with her cousin; that much was very obvious. She wondered briefly what Lois' secret was. "The only person who can answer that is your wife. What are you two going to do now that you're giving this marriage a second chance?"

Clark laughed at the question. A second chance indeed. "Well, we're going to get married for one." He bit into an apple he grabbed in the refrigerator.

Chloe puts a confused look on her face. "Could you say that by me again?"

Clark smiled broadly. "I asked her to marry me last night, for real this time. We want to get married again in the company of friends and family."

"Again?" Chloe tried to suppress the excitement and happiness building up inside her. "You mean…" Clark nods. "In a church?" He nods again. "And I can be the maid of honor?" She clapped her hands together becoming positively giddy.

"Well, you're gonna have to ask my wife about that."

Chloe threw him a frown and crossed her arms defiantly. "Oh, I better be."

Clark simply laughs.

For as long as Lois could remember, family has always been something that wasn't in her reach. Nor something she was interested in. Her father. Lucy. With the exception of Chloe, it was easy to stay disconnected from people, she was never in one place long enough to build a true connection outside family ties.

So if anyone were surprised to wake up one morning married, it'd be Lois Lane… Kent.

Now she doesn't think it's all that bad.

"LOIS!"

Lois snapped her head up from her desk after falling asleep on it a couple of hours ago. "WHAT? Lois? That's me," she says, her head slightly spinning. Her vision a bit tainted from suddenly waking. She squints a couple of times, seeing her cousin stand sternly with her arms crossed in front of her. "Chloe. How'd you get in?"

"Clark let me borrow his keys. Have you been sleeping like that all afternoon?"

Lois quickly felt the stiff pain in her neck and lower back. "No," she denied pathetically. She headed for the kitchen. "Want something to drink?"

"No thanks." Chloe followed her. "I grabbed a burger on my way here. Are you sure you're okay?"

Lois stretched her neck up and down, left and right. She felt the sudden urge to burn that desk. She opened her fridge and took out a bottle of wine. On second thought, she puts it back inside, grabbing a jug of orange juice instead.

"No. I'm good."

Chloe grabbed a seat and leaned on the countertop. "I spoke to Clark earlier."

Lois poured some juice into a glass, "Oh yeah. What about?" and then she takes a sip. She felt a bit queasy.

"You mostly. Actually, he talked about you. I listened."

Lois chuckles. "In that case, I'm really sorry, that must've been boring"

Chloe smiles. "Yeah, well… I also came by to ask you what you two are going to do now."

"What do you mean?"

"You know… now that you're husband and wife." Little did Lois know, Chloe was actually trying to prod her about her upcoming nuptial redux. Clark never revealed when it'll be taking place and she personally would like to know when so she could start making plans.

Chloe even had to wonder deeply if a bachelorette party was, you know, legal. Permitted. Allowed, especially now that they are married.

Lois began to gulp down the remainder of her glass of orange juice before refilling it again.

"Lois, don't you think you're drinking that a little too fast?"

Lois looked at her cousin oddly and held up her glass of non-alcoholic beverage. You'd think she was going to overdose on Vitamin-C. "No." She went ahead and poured some more in her glass.

Chloe raised her eyebrows. "You don't look so good, Lois." She puts the back of her hand to her cousin's forehead. She didn't feel a fever or anything. "Do you feel sick or something?"

Lois hasn't really taken the time to diagnose herself between waking up and walking to her kitchen.

"Not so much, it's probably just a cold."

"Right. Maybe you should see a doctor?"

"I'd rather not. By the way, I want to give you a heads up - the General came over yesterday and he's really worried about Lucy. So be prepared to get a call from him inquiring about the status my life."

"Ouch." Chloe made a face that relates to feeling her pain. "How'd he take the news that his oldest daughter is officially off the market?"

"I don't know, his facial expressions rarely changes from angry to disappointment, but I think I got a quizzical brow in there somewhere."

Chloe gives out a soft chuckle.

"Things aren't getting any better between you two, huh?"

"I just don't know what he wants from me anymore," Lois admits sadly. "I'm trying, Chlo, but he just makes me tired most of the time."

"Maybe you and your new hubby could bring a little Clark Junior into this world. I bet that'll make your dad happy."

Lois's mind is suddenly filled with memories of her first encounter with Clark a few years ago.

"Okay. Any off-spring that Clark and I have in the future will not be called what you just called him."

"Why - "

Lois cuts her off. "Secondly, just because he couldn't get the son he's always wanted with me and Lucy doesn't mean he's entitled to take mine... if I ever have a son," she reiterates.

Chloe regrets ever mentioning it. She'd forgotten that Uncle Sam has always wanted a son. Chloe knew her uncle loved his daughters, but it was obvious, even to a third party that he longed to have a boy.

"I'm sorry."

Lois smiled appreciatively. "It's okay. Really."

The door suddenly swung open and Clark soon appeared.

"Good afternoon, ladies," Clark greeted them happily. He was carrying several bags of groceries before speeding into the kitchen to put them away. It barely gave Lois and Chloe time to blink.

Lois smirks and leaned close to her cousin's ear.

"Have I ever mentioned that I love having a super-powered alien as a husband?"

Chloe grins in return. "No, but I have no doubt you'll keep reminding me."

The last pieces of groceries has Clark bending down to put them away in the lower cabinet, giving his wife and cousin-in-law a good view of his butt.

Chloe realized what she was doing. "I'm sorry, can I do that?"

Lois keeps her eyes on her husband's fine assets. "No, go ahead," she said, not minding at all. "I wonder if all Kryptonians are..." she makes a rectangular movement with her fingers that framed Clark from behind. "... fit jeans so well like that."

Chloe shrugged. "Maybe we should hit the Fortress sometime and check up on their anatomy."

"I agree." Lois nodded.

"Excuse me!" Clark blurted out, taking Lois and Chloe away from their sisterly talk. "I'm right here! I don't need super hearing to hear you."

Lois and Chloe chuckle.

"I'm sorry, baby," Lois said in a low and affectionate tone.

Their eyes lock and any sort of communication Chloe could get out of either of them were gone.

"I guess this is my cue to leave." Chloe gives her cousin a hug first before going to hug Clark. "Don't stay up too late you too."

Chloe heads to the door and looks back, smiling as Lois and Clark still remained lost in each others gazes. She leaves them, happy herself. She was so glad things had worked out for all of them.

Once they were alone, Lois closed the gap between them. Her face just inches away from his.

"So - what's for dinner?" She smiled.

"We've got some rocky road ice-cream," Clark said, giving her a soft lingering kiss.

"Hmm," she whispered in satisfaction. "You do know how to sweep a woman off her feet."

"Good." Clark kissed her again. "Cuz I bought two."

Lois chuckled in his kiss. "You're amazing." She began unbuttoning his shirt and leads him to their room. "Let's call it a night."

"But it's only four o'clock," he says with a grin. Ripping his shirt off and throwing it on the floor before picking her up and carrying her to their bed the rest of the way.

Lois woke up in the middle of the night clutching her stomach in pain with Clark sleeping soundly beside her. She rushes into the bathroom and ran the faucet, splashing cold water on her face.

And as fast as it came, it was gone.

"Lois," she heard through the door.

"I'm here," Lois answered, wiping her face dry. She opened the door and made her way back to her husband's side.

"Is everything okay?" he asked, eyes still sleepy.

Lois smiled assuredly, sliding underneath the covers and laying her head softly against his chest.

"Everything's fine," she whispered to him. "Go back to sleep."

Lois spent the next few minutes worriedly before her tired eyes succumbed to slumber as well.

To be Continued...