I couldn't wait for my beta, so sorry 4ever1. All mistakes are mine. I just knew that I was going to busy later, and wanted to post the next bit before that time.
Thanks again to everyone.
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If a nuclear bomb were to go off right now, Clark didn't think he could move from this spot. The very moon could careen out of orbit and he would be unaware. All he knew was that Lois was pressing up against him and kissing him. It wasn't just any kiss. It certainly wasn't the friendly peck on the cheek you gave to someone after they performed some routine errand for you. And it wasn't the kind that you gave to a friend after they returned from a five year absence. No, this was a kiss of passion. It was the kind of kiss you gave someone when you felt deeply for someone. It was the sort of kiss you gave someone when you were in love.
Or at least that's what it felt like. Clark's heart swelled in his chest for the joy of it. He wrapped his arms around Lois, pulling her against him, and reveled in the feel of her lips against his. She fit against him so perfectly. He wasn't certain if his memory had dimmed since the last time they kissed, or if his feelings had deepened making this seem more powerful. Either way, his head swam and he felt a strange combination of weakness not unlike kryptonite exposure, and a surge of energy stronger than when he soared toward the sun.
Kissing Lois was better than flying.
Lois pulled away, teetering unsteadily on her feet. He steadied her gratified by the dazed look on her face. It didn't strike him as unusual in the least that they had an audience. Elizabeth was standing only a few feet away gaping at them in surprise.
Lois tore her gaze away from his own with a visible effort, and glanced at Elizabeth. She dismissed the woman returning her attention to Clark. She patted his chest almost consolingly and said, "Let's go home."
The sound of those words gave Clark a sense of peace that he didn't know he had been missing. He looked down at her wanting more than anything to kiss her again, but not here. Not like this. Elizabeth stood rooted in place. Jason stared at them for a long moment before he took each of their hands and tugged them in the direction of the house. They strolled away from the complex together.
As they walked, reality began to set in. Clark started to analyze Lois' motive for kissing him. Could it be that she only kissed him, as a means to protect him from the likes of Elizabeth? Surely not. He couldn't imagine Lois kissing Jimmy that way just to save him from a similar predicament. Had she done it just to make their affection look authentic? It certainly felt real enough. He wanted to talk about it, but he was afraid of saying the wrong thing.
There was also the matter of Jason who was switching between looking up at Lois to looking up at him. What had he thought about seeing them together like that? Clark was too confused to talk to Lois, so he focused on the boy first. "It looks like you made a friend back there." Clark said to Jason.
"Yeah." The boy was silent for a moment, then he said, "You too."
"What?" Clark asked confused, although he had a pretty good idea what Jason was referring to.
Lois blinked heavily and then met Clark's gaze.
"I'm glad that you and mommy are friends too." They were at the front door.
The awkwardness seemed to grow exponentially. Clark busied himself with opening the door and Jason dashed inside and up the stairs. He moved at almost superhuman speed and for a moment Clark just stared at him in astonishment.
Lois cleared her throat awkwardly and said, "Sugar. He's been eating too much sugar the whole day. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if he started walking up the walls or flying with the amount he's consumed today." Then she reddened and turned away.
Clark had a pretty good idea of why her heart was suddenly beating too fast. She wanted to keep the truth of Jason's parentage a secret, and if the tables had been reversed, he was sure his reaction would have been similar. He had never realized before that Lois shared his burden whether he wanted her to or not. Clark wished to reassure her that he would never do anything that would jeopardize Lois or Jason, but he was perplexed at to how he could accomplish that without revealing that he knew the truth about Jason's parentage.
"Jason's an extraordinary boy."
Lois turned slowly around to face Clark and he could see the horror written on her face. He felt his heart go cold at the sight, so he hurried to explain. "He's bright and intuitive. He loves you very much."
Color started to seep back into her face and she relaxed. She sank down onto the couch in the family room, and when he stood there looking at her, she patted the seat beside her in invitation.
"He has always been particularly observant. Sometimes I think he sees the world better than I do." Lois said. When Clark sat carefully down next to her, Lois continued, "He's always liked you. I've never seen him so happy around anyone else. Even with Richard . . ." her voice trailed off.
Clark took Lois' hand. It was harder now, not to touch her casually like this. She didn't seem to mind; in fact she returned the grip on his hand as if she wanted to keep him there with her.
Clark looked deeply into her eyes, wishing that mind reading was one of his super powers. She was gazing back at him with an equal intensity. He knew this was wrong, but he was powerless to do anything else.
Finally he asked, "Why did you kiss me?" He hadn't meant to ask. It just came out unbidden. He dreaded her response.
Her gaze dropped to his lips and Clark could hear her heart rate accelerate. She tugged at her hands, and Clark let her go. "It's just that . . . I thought that . . . well, Elizabeth was coming and . . . Oh Damn!" Lois launched herself at him and claimed his mouth. Just like that. One moment they were sitting across from each other, the next, they were kissing passionately. Clark was startled, but he responded quickly his mouth meeting hers, his arms going around her body, holding her flush against him.
Lois shifted so that she was lying across him. Clark was burning up, but there was no pain. He could feel Lois with every cell of his being. He trailed kisses down the length of her neck. Clark's hands roamed along her back, and he inhaled the delicious scent of her deep into his lungs. He shouldn't be doing this, but it was too powerful for him to deny.
Clark would have to halt this soon, but first he had to taste her again. He moved blindly back to her mouth fearing that it would be for the very last time. He could hardly think, but the brain cells that were still able to form a coherent thought were screaming at him to stop. Lois didn't even know who she was kissing. He couldn't let this continue without the truth. It wasn't long before they were both regarding each other breathlessly, the desire an almost tangible field around them.
"Tell me you feel it too." Lois whispered to Clark.
"I . . ." Clark closed his eyes and hung his head. He never imagined, never dreamed that this could actually happen again.
"I'm sorry." Lois rose to her feet and moved away quickly.
Clark realized that she was intending to leave. He bolted upright, and moved just a little too quickly. Lois blinked at him as if wondering how he had managed to get between her and the stairs.
Clark cupped Lois' cheek with his hand. She looked so lost that he couldn't let her go like this. It was time to take a chance. "Lois, surely you know how much I care about you."
Lois nodded quickly, her eyes over-bright. "I get it Clark - I really do." She touched the back of his hand with her own and then stepped back as if she were leaving him.
"I don't think you do."
"You like me. We're partners and friends, but there's not room for more."
"Oh, there's more. Maybe too much more." Clark said cryptically. And that was the problem. If he could be just Clark, then he would be overjoyed. But Lois didn't know that they had tried this once before, and it hadn't worked then.
"What is this about?"
"Superman." He whispered so quietly that he wondered if she heard.
Her eyebrows drew together and then her mouth gaped open. "That's why you left. Isn't it? You knew about me and him."
Clark shook his head, wanting to correct her, but it was difficult to know where to start.
"Clark. Please tell me that you aren't afraid that I'll somehow find you inadequate? I don't think I could deal with that again."
Clark remained quiet, suddenly unable to meet her gaze. He turned away, ashamed that he had made things so difficult for Lois. She moved so that she was standing on a higher step looking directly into his eyes.
"I don't want Superman. He could never give me what I need."
Clark winced.
Lois continued. "I don't know what's between us, Clark. It's too early to tell, but I want to give it a try . . . if you want to."
Clark had to tell her. No matter the consequences, she had a right to know. But he noticed something then, something that made the blood in his veins turn to ice. He realized that he could hear the buzz of a surveillance device. Someone was listening to everything they were saying. Clark started searching the house for the source, locating one right alongside a framed painting not far from them.
He looked at Lois. She was still waiting for an explanation, but he couldn't tell her now. Clark also wasn't certain how he could let her know about their eavesdroppers without revealing his secret. Maybe if he did something to knock down the picture, the bug would come loose and he could 'discover' it safely.
Clark pushed past Lois as if he was going up to his room, then he turned quickly bumping the edge of the frame. It teetered, but didn't fall off. Lois had a wounded look on her face, and Clark took a chance. He moved his hand, hoping she wouldn't notice and knocked the picture off the wall. It started to fall down the stairs headed for Lois. Her eyes widened, and Clark caught the picture before it impacted with her skull. The picture was ruined; his fingers had pierced the canvas.
He looked down at the carpeted stairs, and saw it. He picked up the electronic bug, showing it to Lois.
"What is . . ."She trailed off when she noticed Clark holding his finger up to his lips.
Her eyes grew wide, and he knew her thoughts mirrored his own. Who was listening to them, and what had they just revealed?
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Who knew that she could feel like this just from kissing Clark?
And that kiss! It was incredible. There was none of that awkwardness of being with someone for the first time. It was as if they somehow instinctually just meshed together. It had felt familiar and yet exhilarating at the same time. Her heart was still pounding wildly in her chest. She had no idea the depth of passion that lay lurking beneath those out-dated suits. Lois didn't think she would ever look at guys with thick glasses the same again, well, at least one man in particular.
Elizabeth had frozen in place, her mouth open in surprise. Lois couldn't remember why she had ever felt animosity toward the blond woman. All she could feel was a sense of pity for her.
Clark was still gazing at her with those fathomless eyes. It was making it difficult for her to breath. Lois felt like her sense of gravity was off, and tried to appear unaffected. It took her a moment to reorient herself.
She patted Clark's chest and said, "Let's go home."
Jason just blinked up at them before rising to his feet and taking both of their hands. Eddy had disappeared. Jason tugged on them and the message was clear.
As they walked away from the club house, Lois could hardly feel her legs beneath her. She was hesitant to glance down, as if she really thought she might be gliding above the ground. It was silly, but it was how she felt.
Clark hadn't said a word. What was he thinking? He had responded to her, but doubt began to creep into her soul. She glanced sidelong at him, wanting to say something, but not in front of Jason.
Clark said to her son, "It looks like you made a friend back there." His voice was deep, sounding like someone waking from a long sleep.
"Yeah." Jason glanced up at her, and squeezed her hand. "You too."
"What?"
They would have to tell Jason something. This time Clark returned her gaze.
"I'm glad that you and mommy are friends too." The boy said.
They were quiet while Clark fumbled with the keys, opening the front door. Jason shot her an elated grin and then became a running blur up the stairs. Her hair blew around then settled into place. Clark's eyes were wide and his eyebrows disappeared behind his hair.
Wow! That was super fast. What must Clark think? She tried to speak past the dryness in her throat. "Sugar." She said desperately, "He's been eating too much sugar the whole day. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if he started walking up the walls or flying with the amount he's consumed today." Good Lord Lois! That really diffused the situation.
She turned away, feeling awkward and clumsy. The blood threaded painfully through her veins and she could feel the heat on her face. Clark was a smart guy. He had heard Jason's comments about there being three Daddies. Everyone at the Planet had teased her mercilessly about her article "I Spent the Night with Superman". Had Clark made the obvious connection?
"Jason's an extraordinary boy."
She felt the Earth stop on its axis. Clark knew everything. Lois shivered slightly as she turned around to face him. There was no evidence of accusation there. In fact, Clark had a pleading look on his face. "He's bright and intuitive. He loves you very much."
She didn't know what to think. Obviously, keeping Jason's secret was something she couldn't do indefinitely, if she wished to grow closer to Clark. She let out a long, shaky breath and sank onto the couch. When Clark stood there helplessly, she gestured for him to sit beside her.
"He has always been particularly observant. Sometimes I think he sees the world better than I do." Lois said.
Clark sat carefully beside her and his awkwardness made her relax. He had no reason to be uneasy. She wanted to reassure him. "He's always liked you. I've never seen him so happy around anyone else. Even with Richard . . ." she didn't want to go there, not tonight.
Clark took her hand. Lois gripped him hard as if she could force him to stay with her. She wondered if she was hurting him, and tried to lessen her hold, but he didn't seem to notice.
Lois looked at him, really assessing him for the first time. Clark's dark hair was wind blown, his glasses just the tiniest bit askew. His fair complexion was faintly flushed. Lois had never noticed that he had a cleft in his chin just like Superman. Clark returned her gaze, and there was a slight smile lifting the edges of his mouth. Lois knew as she lost herself in the warm depths of his eyes, that her feelings went beyond attraction. Could he see it there, written in her face?
When he asked, "Why did you kiss me?" Her gaze dropped away from his eyes. She found herself looking unintentionally at his lips and she felt a surge of adrenaline.
Should she lie? It would be so much easier to say that circumstances prompted her to maintain their cover. She pulled her hands free from Clark's, feeling cold with the absence of his heat. "It's just that . . . I thought that . . . well, Elizabeth was coming and . . ." She couldn't do it. Lois was not a coward, and she really needed to feel his arms around her again. "Oh Damn!"
Lois closed the distance between them. He responded instantly. The moment her lips touched his, all her anxiety drained away. With all that was wrong with her life, this at least, was so right. The heat flared to life again, and she knew that this kind of passion didn't fade over time. It might not always feel so new, but it would always touch her in an intimate, almost primal way. Their lips caressed in a warm, velvet glide. The clean, masculine scent of him made her heady, and it felt right in a way that kissing Richard never did. Their mouths deepened their exploration, until they were almost consuming each other. Lois was restless. They were still too far apart.
Clark wrapped his arms around Lois, pulling her until she was sprawling against him. She could feel the hard strength of his body beneath her. She was amazed at how muscular he was. Had Clark been working out? He sunk back, so that they were lying on the couch. He buried his face in her neck, kissing the length. His mouth sent tiny shoots of electricity down to her very core.
He groaned low in his throat. The sound affected her almost more than the sensation of his mouth. His hand ran the length of her back stopping at her waist, to hold her against him. Clark's mouth trailed up her neck, and back to her mouth.
Lois felt hot and needy. She could stay like this the whole night, but she needed air. Lois broke away so that she could draw breath into her starving lungs. When she raised her eyes, she was amazed at Clark's transformation. His eyes were heavy lidded, darker than before. He was breathing hard, struggling to pull air into his lungs. She felt a flash of humor when she realized that his glasses had tilted, but still sat askew on his aquiline nose.
"Tell me you feel it too." She pleaded with him, needing to hear what he was thinking about this change between them.
"I . . ." Clark started. He sat up, setting her beside him. He dropped his head so that she couldn't see his expression, Lois felt as if she were blasted by an arctic wind.
Pain rippled through her being and she scrambled to her feet. "I'm sorry." She could still feel the imprint of his body on hers. Her mouth throbbed as a reminder of the pleasure they'd just shared. Later, she would demand an explanation, but right now she wasn't ready for this. Lois didn't want to hear him tell her the reasons that they shouldn't be together. Moisture pooled in her eyes, and she would be damned if she let him see her cry.
She started moving toward the stairs and suddenly Clark was standing there in front of her. She blinked the tears from her eyes, feeling more than a little off kilter.
Clark cupped her cheek with his hand. His expression was tender, his eyes filled with anguish. "Lois, surely you know how much I care about you."
Now, Clark was feeling guilty. She didn't want his pity. "I get it Clark - I really do." She held his hand against her cheek, enjoying the feel of his skin against her own, then she stepped back, gaining some distance.
"I don't think you do."
"You like me. We're partners and friends, but there's not room for more."
"Oh, there's more. Maybe too much more." Clark said cryptically.
Lois looked at him almost afraid to know the truth, but needing it on an almost visceral level. "What is this about?"
"Superman." She had to strain to hear him. It was obvious that he was reluctant to admit this to her.
So she hadn't been imagining things. He was aware of at least part of the truth. He knew that she had a romantic past with the superhero, and it was the reason he was pulling away from her now. Maybe he hadn't just learned this, but had known for years.
Was that why Clark chose to leave the Daily Planet for so long? Surely, the timing wasn't coincidental. Had he cared that much for her, and been hurt by her relationship with Superman? Lois would have laughed at the irony of it, if it wasn't so painful. Superman had left at about the same time. If only Clark had stayed, they might have ended up together instead of her ill fated relationship with Richard.
"That's why you left. Isn't it? You knew about me and him."
Clark shook his head, but he didn't convince her.
"Clark. Please tell me that you aren't afraid that I'll somehow find you inadequate? I don't think I could deal with that again."
Clark didn't say anything. He turned away, avoiding her eyes and she wanted to reassure him. Couldn't he feel how much she cared about him? Didn't he know how important he was to her and how Superman could never share her life with her like an ordinary man?
She stepped around him so that she was standing on a step at eye level with him. "I don't want Superman. He could never give me what I need."
Clark flinched and Lois felt like she was losing ground. "I don't know what's between us, Clark. It's too early to tell, but I want to give it a try . . . if you want to."
Clark started looking everywhere but at her. Lois feared that he was seeking an avenue of escape. Clark did have a tendency to take off with the flimsiest of excuses. Was that his method of coping? As he continued to look around with an almost distracted air, she felt as if her heart were shattering. Was he going to leave her again?
Finally, he met her gaze and seemed to come to some sort of decision. He pushed past her, and he was in such a hurry, he bumped the edge of a picture frame. At first, she didn't really notice. She was reeling from his dismissal.
Then she saw it careening right at her. Even before Lois could move, it stopped inches from her face. Time seemed to slow, and she followed the hand grasping the frame up to see Clark looking at her oddly. He lowered the picture to the ground. He was suddenly engrossed by the pattern in the carpeting. What the hell was going on? Lois thought that Clark might have snapped. Great. She had already driven one man half way across the galaxy, then another man off to Europe. Now, it was beginning to look like she drove this one to insanity.
She didn't know what he was looking for, his mind? Lois noticed holes along the edge of the canvas of the painting. He must have grabbed it with incredible strength to puncture the canvas. For some reason, it reminded her of the broken sunshade in their rental car. Just how strong was he?
Clark bent down to pick up something from the stairs. He showed it to Lois.
"What is . . ." She stopped short when she saw the finger at Clark's mouth urging her into silence. Lois had assisted law enforcement and the F.B.I. enough to recognize what Clark held in the palm or his hand. It was a listening device, an electronic bug.
They stared in shock at one another, the sound of their breathing filling the silence.
Were they listening to them right now? Lois replayed Clark's odd behavior of the last few minutes in her head. He had known. How exactly had Clark even been aware that the bug was there?
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