Lois awoke to find herself nestled under Clark's arm with one hand lightly on his chest. She smiled and did her best not to move. She didn't want to ruin the moment by waking Clark.
Somehow they had made it through the last couple days at work and were finally able to have some time to relax over the weekend. Although a calm weekend sounded perfect, Lois knew it would be far from relaxing. She and Clark had decided to tell Jason today about who his father was. They both agreed that they should make him as comfortable as possible beforehand, so they had planned a picnic in the backyard for the afternoon. Lois had stayed up late last night to make the sandwiches, but was pleasantly surprised when Clark had flown in her window early that morning and joined her. She was awake when he came in, but somehow was eased back into sleep at the warmth of his arms around her. She had to admit that she had never felt more safe and happy than when she was with him.
As Lois once again let herself smile at her happiness, Clark's eyes slowly fluttered open. He looked at her and mirrored her expression.
"Good morning Lois. How did you sleep?" he asked as he kissed her forehead.
She turned over slightly so that she was looking at him directly. She softly kissed his lips and whispered "Perfectly." as she looked at him. Lois then positioned herself so that she was on top of him and began kissing his neck. She paused for a moment and asked "And how did you sleep Clark?" before she continued to kiss his neck and move down to his chest.
"Do you have to ask?" he said playfully as he gently pulled her up so that they were face to face. He put his hand behind her neck and slowly drew her in for another kiss. His tongue wrapped around hers as she began to drift away from the real world and get completely lost in Clark's embrace.
They slowly rolled over so that he was now on top of her, but they never broke the kiss. Her body shivered in excitement. They had not been intimate since he had revealed himself to her, but even mere days apart had made the tension between them electrifying.
"Oh Clark." she moaned as he began to leave a trail of kisses down her chest.
"Mommy!" Jason said as he knocked on the door.
Clark jerked up and looked at Lois. "Hide!" she whispered to him as loudly as possible.
In a second Clark was gone. Lois felt the whoosh of air that usually followed Superman's disappearances, and quickly matted down her hair and adjusted her nightgown. "What is it honey?" she called.
Jason came in and sat on the foot of her bed. "I called Daddy this morning. I asked if I could ever go visit him in London for a few days because I miss him. He said I had to ask you if it was alright."
"I'm sure we could arrange a trip during your break from school that is coming up, but that won't be for another week." she said, as she stared around the room wondering where Clark had chosen to hide.
"Thanks mom. I'll call dad tomorrow and ask if that will be okay. I'm going to go see if Clark wants to play chess again." he said as he slid off the bed and walked toward the door.
"No!" Lois yelled. Jason stopped abruptly at her voice and turned around.
"Mommy, are you feeling okay?" he asked as he looked at her.
"Yes, I'm fine. It's just…I think Clark went out for a run." she blurted out.
"Mom, I don't think Clark runs. He probably wanted to fly."
She laughed at this. Lois had confided in Jason that she knew of Clark's secret identity, too, but it was still hard to get used to the truth
"Yes, I suppose you're right. Why don't you go set up the chess board so that when he comes back, you will be all ready to play?"
He seemed satisfied with this suggestion and went bouncing downstairs to get the game. Lois got up quickly and shut the door as Clark emerged from the window.
"That was close." he said as he walked back into the room. "I was floating right next to the window's edge." he explained quickly when he registered the confused look on her face.
"Yeah." she laughed as she began making the bed.
"Here, let me." he said as he pushed her aside lightly. Lois watched in amazement how fast he was able to assemble the bed. In less than three seconds it looked as perfect as the fake bed models you see in department stores. "Wow." she breathed.
He stepped up to her and gave her a quick kiss before going back to his room.
She sighed and leaned up against the wall to take everything in for a moment before resuming her usual morning routine.
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Jason had just finished the last of the picnic food as Lois and Clark shared a nervous glance. It was now or never.
"Jason, honey, we need to talk about something important." Lois began.
Jason didn't respond, but it was clear that he was prepared to listen to whatever they had to say.
"Do you remember when we were on that ship, and you saved me from the bad man?" she asked, knowing that he would of course remember such a traumatic event.
"Yeah, I pushed the piano at him because he was going to hurt you." he said quietly, almost ashamed.
"Sweetie, you did the right thing. There was nothing wrong with you protecting me." she said quickly to assure him.
Clark then felt it was his turn to chime in. "I felt the same way a lot when I was younger. I feel that way sometimes even now. With that much power, you have to make important decisions. We were not meant to choose who lives and dies, and it is difficult when we have no control."
"But I killed that man. How could I kill him? I'm not you. I'm not Superman." he said, even quieter than before.
"But you are my son." Clark said firmly.
Jason took in a sharp breath and looked at his mother for an explanation. She could only offer him a slight nod, confirming the truth in what Clark had just said.
"But Richard is my dad." he said hoping to convince them otherwise.
"Yes he is, Jason." Lois said. "He has taken care of you since you were born, and will love you until the day he dies. But Clark is your real father. I think you know that somewhere deep in your heart."
Jason considered this for a moment as he stared down at the grass. He remembered that day in the hospital. While his mother had gone to talk to Superman, he had been drawn to Clark's suit. As he traced his hand over the red "S," he felt like it was calling to him, telling him that one day the symbol would be a part of his life as well. Now he knew why.
He slowly tilted his head back up and looked over at Clark. "Will I be able to fly like you?" he asked.
"Someday." Clark smiled at him. "In fact…" he started to say as he pulled Jason up into his arms, "How about a quick preview?"
He gracefully floated up into the air and flew with Jason across the water for a minute while Lois gazed out happily from the dock. When they returned, he put Jason down and then proceeded to knelt beside him. "I promise to be here for you to help you deal with everything you will face. I always wished I could have had someone that really understood what I was going through growing up. It would have made everything a lot easier. But you will learn and get used to the changes with me by your side."
"You will make my strength your own." Jason said as he looked into Clark's eyes. "I thought I was dreaming, but you were there. You told me that."
"Yes." Clark said as Lois put a hand on his shoulder.
Jason didn't say anymore, but instead leaned in and hugged Clark.
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Later that day…
"Can I help you with something sir?" the clerk asked as he watched the customer wander around the store.
"Yes, actually." Clark replied. "I'd like to see your engagement rings."
