As soon as Lois and Clark had exited the Daily Planet to find yet another exclusive with Superman, Lois grabbed Clark's arm and forcefully dragged him into an alleyway.
"Lois?" Clark asked nervously as he was slammed into the brick wall.
She didn't respond, instead pushing his shoulders back on the wall and kissing him forcefully. Both of them were too respective of Richard's feelings to indulge in even the slightest caress while at work, and once they were finally free of the constricting bindings of society expectations, Lois was much like a love starved Amazon.
If Clark was surprised at first, he quickly recovered, kissing back with a thus far unexplored intensity. His heart was so full it felt like it would burst. His blood was scalding as it raced through him, heating him to the tips of his fingers. Clark cradled her head in one hand, keeping her lips pressed on his and used the other to pull her flush against him.
Lois ran fingers along his chest, her movement somewhat constricted by the tight space between them and Clark's labored breathing. Superman was having trouble breathing. Because of her. The thought was exhilarating and if she could have thought coherently, she might have realized that her own breaths were choppy as well.
They could have been kissing for mere seconds or for long hours, neither was quite sure which. All they knew was that when they pulled back from each other, lips slightly swollen, and looked into each other's eyes, it was all they could do not to resume their previous activity with a vengeance.
Clark heard the footsteps first, having an admittedly distinct hearing advantage.
Frustrated at having such a private moment interrupted, but also duly chastened for such a… public display of affection, Clark extracted himself from Lois' arms and stood in front of her in one fluid motion.
The man appeared harmless enough, and Clark, unaware if he was friend or foe, was about to put his x-ray vision to good use when his sensitive hearing picked up the unmistakable sound of a gun being cocked.
"He has a gun, stay completely behind me," Clark murmured out of the corner of his mouth.
The man pulled out his gun and aimed it at the two.
"Give me the lady's purse."
With an imperceptible wink to Lois, Superman assumed his slightly tamer alter ego.
"Now, now violence isn't the answer sir!" Clark said.
"Give it to me!"
"Lois…Lois I think you had better do what he says," Clark said shakily, reaching his hand behind his back to grab Lois's purse.
Uncertain, but totally trusting of Clark, she handed her purse to him.
Clark held it out, and the thief stretched his hand out for it.
A moment later, Clark had simultaneously grabbed the gun from the thief's fingers and pulled the purse back, shaking it temptingly at the mugger.
Clark knew he was showing off, but he couldn't help it. Stepping forward to the now weaponless criminal, he lowered his voice and even with his glasses still on and dressed as Clark Kent, he made a terrifying figure.
"Don't you ever…" he breathed "Even think about harming her again."
All traces of mirth were gone as Clark glared viciously at the man.
He wasn't normally like this… but the thought of him touching Lois was enough to make him push the limits of his Clark Kent disguise.
His muscles were tensed, but at Lois' hand on his shoulder, they relaxed somewhat.
"Come on Clark," she said softly.
He nodded stiffly and lightly pushed their would be assailant. He had barely tapped him, but it sent him reeling backward as Clark and Lois made their way out of a alleyway.
"Come on," he muttered. "Let's go to my place."
He gently reached for her hand, and Lois was struck by the changes he had gone through in mere moments. Passionate, meek, fierce and now gentle.
Clark didn't live far and they made their way up the stairs. Slightly apprehensive, Lois paused outside the door. She had never been to his place… In fact, other than their time in the sky, they had never been truly alone before. Well, she corrected herself, truly alone recently anyway.
"Home, sweet home" he said as he unlocked the door and led her in.
Lois glanced curiously around as she entered. It was a small but cozy apartment, with one bedroom, a sitting room connected to the kitchen and a bathroom.
She walked in, glancing at the couches. Brown. The rug. Brown. Even the walls. Light brown. She stifled a laugh and continued her trek around the apartment.
Clark was watching her apprehensively, willing her to like his place.
She headed toward his bookshelf. Dickens, Dumas, Chaucer, Hardy Boys. Lois did a double take. There, wedged between A Tale of Two Cities and The Count of Monte Cristo, were several well worn, unmistakably blue Hardy Boys novels.
She looked up, her eyes sparking with merriment.
He met her eyes and grinned a little self consciously. Lois smiled encouragingly at him and then continued making her way around the apartment.
When he wasn't acting like Clark Kent or Superman he was… such a mix of the two. He was brave and funny, but self conscious and bashful. Lois bit her lip as she snuck another look at the handsome man leaning casually against the wall. She loved him. More than anyone she had ever met. And he loved her.
It was a mind-blowing concept
"Can I take a look at the bedroom?" She asked innocently, but her eyes were flashing intently.
She was an utter contradiction he thought wildly, trying to slow his rapidly beating heart.
"Y-you want to see the bedroom?" he asked nervously, cursing himself for stammering. He cleared his throat.
"Yes," Lois said.
Clark pushed open the door and Lois walked in.
Her eyes automatically rested on the bed. The comforter. Brown.
She smiled and turned to him. "I like your place," she said simply.
Clark let out a sigh of relief. "Good, I hope you'll be spending a lot of time here."
He caught her in his arms as she made a move to walk past him and gave her a gentle kiss. "I love you, Lois Lane."
Lois rested her head contentedly on his chest, her lips still burning from their soft, leisurely kiss. "I love you too, Clark Kent, Superman, Kal-El."
He kissed her temple. "That's a bit of a tongue twister."
Lois nodded dreamily before her gaze happened to fall on the clock beside his bed.
"Oh no!" She pulled out a Clark's embrace. "Jason! School's been out for 15 minutes already."
When she turned back around, Superman stood there, cape blowing slightly.
"Did you need a lift, ma'am?"
"Well... this is my favorite way to travel."
"Do you think… that we could maybe tell him about me?" Clark asked, his nervousness looking completely out of place while in his Superman costume.
"To tell you the absolute truth," Lois said, idly watching the rapidly shrinking ground beneath them, "I think he might already know."
Clark looked at her in surprise. "Really?" The thought of his son made him smile.
"Yes, really," Lois glanced sideways at her protector. "He talks about you incessantly, both Clark and Superman. He even asked me once if you were Superman, a while back. I stupidly told him he was wrong, but I don't think he ever gave up hope."
Superman lowered her on the ground beside the school and Jason ran up to them, excited to see Superman again.
"Mommy! Superman!" He threw his arms first around his mother, and then, to Clark's absolute shock and heart rendering delight, hugged him.
Clark looked at Lois over his son's head, Jason's arms still wrapped around him, and for a moment tears glimmered in his eyes.
His family, his honest to God family.
Alright, alright, I stayed up until two in the morning to write this last chapter before I'm off. What can I say? I saw Superman, Superman II and Superman Returns recently and… well… I'm inspired. Lol, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. This one WILL be the final one till Thursday. Even though I've said that for the last two as well. ;)