Lois looked very pleased at the headline of the San Francisco Chronicle. She was standing at a newsstand not far from Eureka Valley. Alexander Weber, the editor from the Chronicle, was very pleased with the article, and even more pleased that he got the scoop on the flying man in front of the Daily Planet and by one of the best reporters in the country. As things stand, no one at the San Francisco Chronicle cared about Lex Luthor's blacklist. A day had passed since the earthquake and San Francisco was still suffering aftershocks. The flying man, Superman, helped repair the damage to the power plant but one reactor was out of order and the others were being carefully checked to make sure they were in working order. San Francisco suffered from frequent power outages and the mayor wanted to conserve energy as much as possible.
"It must be a hoax. Or maybe a publicity stunt." Sounds of argument reached Lois' ears. Holding the sheet of the newspaper in one hand she couldn't help but eavesdrop. "Even if I buy that this man..." the guy in the suit who looked like he came straight out of the pages of GQ magazine snorted and continued, "able to fly, no one can survive radioactive radiation!"
"It's not clear that he survived, Brian." said the blond guy next to him. He was shorter with an angelic appearance and his whole outfit screamed 'artist'.
"That journalist..." Brian examined the paper again, "Lois Lane, she already gave him a name. Superman. A bit arrogant don't you think?"
"Michael loved it."
"That's Michael for you. Stick a pair of tights on a guy and he start to salivate."
"What's wrong with the name Superman?" Lois interjected amused. The two guys looked at her.
"It's arrogant and puffed up with self-importance." Brian replied. Lois examined him from head to toe.
"Look who's talking." Brian's cynical smile grew. "Besides, if you can do it then it's not arrogance."
"I wonder which advertising agency organized all of this for? I have to admit, it's a great job. How much do you think they paid him? I promise you I can offer him more."
"The cynicism of the man!" Lois said with a smile. "This is not a hoax. Not a publicity stunt."
"Oh, really?"
"I guess you'll have to wait and see for yourself."
"Wait for what? If he was real, he wouldn't have survived the leak in the reactor!" But there was little doubt in his eyes. Lois smiled and took the newspaper from him. She wrote something on him and handed the paper back to him then smiled at the blond.
"Where can you get good coffee in this town?" He pointed.
"Around the corner, Cafe Schuster."
"Thanks." She disappeared around the corner, the two look at her.
"What did she write to you?" They looked at the newspaper.
"He's real, Lois Lane." Brian looked at his friend, "That was…"
"Lois Lane."
"Lois, I'm not stupid. I want to talk to Clark and I'm sick of these games."
"Chloe, he's busy." Chloe at the Isis Foundation gritted her teeth. She had been trying to get hold of him for three weeks and if the voicemail didn't answer her, it was Lois. "He just came back after five years of being away and we're both having a hard time finding work in Metropolis after what Lex did."
"Why would Clark have a problem?" Lois smiled humourlessly at the farm.
"He's not willing to work in a place that doesn't accept me. He's a loyal friend, Chloe, you should know that."
"Oh, sure. He's been faithfully avoiding me for three weeks." Lois shrugged and then a genuine smile appeared on her face as Clark entered the farmhouse.
"What shall I tell you, Chloe?" Clark rolled his eyes at the name and hugged Lois from behind, kissing her neck. "I'll tell him you called."
"He's there now, isn't he?"
"Ah..."
"Lois, don't you dare lie to me!" Clark took the phone from Lois.
"I just came in, Chloe." Lois turned to him and tried to grab the phone from him. He smiled at her.
"Clark!"
"Is it something urgent? You won't believe how many things pile up when you disappear for five years."
"That's further to our conversation, Clark."
"I think we covered everything in that conversation."
"Clark, after what happened in San Francisco..."
"Nothing has really changed, Chloe."
"Clark..."
"Are you ready to fix what you did?" Lois looked at him in surprise. "At least, admit a mistake?"
"It was the right thing to do!"
"Then we don't really have anything to talk about, do we?"
"On the contrary, we have a lot to talk about!"
"I can't trust someone whose motives and mine are so different."
"She's there, isn't she?" Clark blinked at the hostility she infused into the word. "So, before you were obsessed with Lana and now Lois has taken her place? Have you told her yet? Of course not!"
"How I wish you would ask that question because you care about Lois."
"I care about her! Of course I do! She's my cousin, closer to me than any sister!"
"You have a strange way of showing it."
"But this is about the whole world! How can you not see that? And Lois, Lois can't see past her next story!" Clark gritted his teeth. Lois hugged him quietly.
"I see the world differently than you do, Chloe. And I hope with all my heart that I never see it the way you do."
"Clark..." Clark looked at Lois and kissed her head.
"And as for Lois. You underestimate her, Chloe. Now excuse me. I have things to do." He hung up the phone and placed it on the counter.
"What did she say?"
"it's not important." He kissed her. "Did you want to show me something?" She handed him the Daily Planet, the obituary section.
"Mr. Laszlo passed away."
"I'm very sorry for his relatives but what does that have to do with me?"
"Mr. Laszlo lived in the apartment opposite from me and he had no relatives..."
"Hey, Smallville!" Lois entered the apartment opposite hers holding the Daily Planet. On the way she passed over a box without even looking. Clark standing in the living room packing Mr. Laszlo's things watched with a smile as she dodged all the boxes and obstacles in her path without even looking. "Did you read today's Daily Planet?" She lifted her head from the paper and looked at him. "What?"
"Nothing. Are you sure you're not the slightest bit Kryptonian? You can tell me; I won't tell anyone." She looked around and giggled.
"Totally human."
"So, what's so interesting about the Daily Planet today?" He took the newspaper from her.
"It's the victim of a hostile takeover. It turns out that Lex is fighting some anonymous buyer. I'm surprised this got published in the paper."
"Couldn't have happened to someone more deserving." Clark handed her the paper back and went back to packing Mr. Laszlo's things. She looked at him for a few moments. Clark picked up a case of glasses and tried them on for a moment. "What do you say?"
"You look absolutely dork." He smiled at her and took off the glasses. "Wait. Put them back on."
"Lois, it was a joke."
"Do as you're told, Smallville." Clark put his glasses back on. "Ok, now put it on." She threw his button-up shirt at him.
"Lo..."
"Come on, come on…" Clark sighed and did what she said. She approached him and tied his tie, then took a half step away and looked at him crookedly. "Okay, drop your shoulders... just like that." She combed his hair with her fingers. "Okay, perfect!" She turned him to the window so he would see his reflection.
"Lois! I look..."
"Like the dorkest journalist in the universe, that's why it's so perfect."
"Lo..." she hugged him from behind.
"Clark Kent, a journalist hiding in plain sight who can't also be a superhero who can fly, and bullets don't hit him. The glasses complete the picture, and you just need to work a little on the body language."
"I've tried all my life not to be like that... dork." She kissed him on the cheek.
"You're a great man, Clark. With or without powers. Now we must hide you under a dorky cloak." he moaned. "It's just an idea and it's not like you haven't moved in that direction before." He nodded in agreement.
"I just…" he turned to her. She looked up at him and smiled.
"I understand." She removed the glasses from his face and put them on herself. He smiled fondly; she was so cute with them. "Wow! Mr. Laszlo had some subscription." Clark removed his hands from her waist, stopped smiling and took a small step back. And before Lois could say anything.
"Hello? Is there anyone here? Legs? Did you also take over the apartment across the hall?" Oliver Queen appeared at the door. "Hi." He picked up bags. "I brought lunch."
"Hey, Oliver. What brings you to Metropolis?"
"Can't I visit you without a hidden agenda? Hey, Clark."
"Oliver."
"When did you come back?"
"A few weeks ago."
"So, what happened here?" Oliver looked around with a smile.
"Mr. Laszlo is dead and Clark is moving in. We're doing the landlord a favour and packing up Mr. Laszlo's life." Lois approached Oliver and took one of the bags from him. "What do we have here?"
"Enough food to feed a regiment. Or at least one Lois Lane."
"Subtle."
"I thought so."
"I'll go get us some beer and orange juice for Smallville. We know how alcohol affects you." Clark smiled at her as she left the apartment.
"So?" Oliver said. "Did you learn to fly?" Clark went back to packing.
"Chloe sent you."
"Clark, we can help you and we sure can help you."
"Not going to happen."
"What won't happen?" Lois said handing Oliver a bottle of beer. Clark didn't answer. Lois looked at Oliver and handed Clark the bottle of juice.
"Hmmm?" Oliver said.
"Oliver? What won't happen?"
"Oliver offered me a job." Lois looked at Clark. "It turns out he purchased the Isis Foundation." Oliver looked at him in surprise.
"Oh, yes. Chloe wouldn't mind an errand boy. Well, not exactly an errand boy. More like a personal assistant."
"Clark would be bad at this. He always disappears with some excuse. Not the most reliable guy in the world."
"And I don't want to work for Chloe. It's weird when friends work for each other."
"You did it in high school." Oliver said.
"I'm not in high school anymore."
"Clark, listen. I didn't mean to..."
"It's fine, Oliver. I'm sure that what Chloe is doing is good and important, but I want to be a journalist. I see it as a calling, just like Lois, and Lois has agreed to give me an introductory course in practical journalism. I'm learning all kinds of interesting things." The conversation faded into a silence that quickly became awkward. Everyone drank from their bottles.
"Let's eat." Lois said.