What happens during their 7:00 dinner reservations in 2017 after Past Clark saves Future Lois from the helicopter falling off of the rooftop of the Daily Planet? I've read several versions of this prompt from different people, but wanted to share my take on it!
He was late. Well, to be fair, she was late too, but that wasn't anything out of the ordinary. For Lois Lane, "on time" meant within a thirty-minute window of said deadline and tonight, she had managed to keep it within twenty-five. Part of her couldn't help but feel a little proud of herself for making it to the restaurant when she did, while another part of her felt a little annoyed that she had beat her fiancé, but the largest part of her only felt anxious to see him.
When Clark Kent failed to meet his fiancée on time, it was simply because the world needed him more than she did. That never bothered her; she was more than happy to share him with the rest of the world, but it didn't mean that she didn't worry about him. Sure, he had superpowers and was invulnerable—mostly—but at the end of the day, he was still risking his life. Even after growing up with a military father, the worry never went away. The only thing that made it easier was the fact that the news couldn't get enough of him. Wherever Superman was, there was a camera and a reporter that followed. And more often than not, that reporter was her.
An alert sounded and she glanced at her phone. The pressure in her chest eased considerably after she read that Superman had put out another apartment fire on the eastside of the city. Smiling, she clicked her phone off and slipped it into her purse before flagging down the waitress to order a much-needed glass of wine. After the near-meltdown at the nuclear reactor and almost falling off of the Daily Planet rooftop today, it was the least she deserved. Her fingers unconsciously went to the engagement ring hanging around her neck as she thought about him.
Between world catastrophes preventing their wedding, both of their promotions, and tabloid speculation about her romantic involvement with Superman, they had reluctantly made the decision to keep their relationship private. There had been too many close calls and coincidences when it came to Lois Lane and Superman, so it was easier and safer to tell people that they had simply grown apart romantically. They had been friends for years beforehand and they were still the Planet's best reporting duo, so it hadn't taken too much convincing for most of the Daily Planet staff. That, along with the fact that Clark's acting skills had become so superb that it was inconceivable that a powerhouse like Lois Lane could ever contemplate loving a wallflower like Clark Kent, made the whole charade fairly simple. Aside from that, it had spiced things up in their relationship a whole hell of a lot.
"Drinking alone this evening?"
The subject of her thoughts appeared across from her without warning, not that she wasn't used to his sudden appearances by now. She fought the smile that threatened its way onto her face and instead, took a sip of the glass of cabernet in front of her to keep it at bay.
"Well, I was waiting for my fiancé to arrive, but he seems to be running a bit late," she said, hiking an eyebrow upwards. "Even though I specifically told him not to be."
"Hmm… well I'm sure that said fiancé must have a pretty good reason for keeping a beautiful woman such as yourself waiting," he said. Blue eyes twinkled mischievously at her and it took every ounce of self-control not jump across the table and have her way with him. "Either way, I'm here now, so he'll just have to wait his turn. If he decides to show up."
"You're learning, Smallville. Only took you how many years?" she said, finally allowing the smile she had been holding back to grace her features. He grinned right back at her and reached across the table to take her hand, fingers rubbing the naked fourth finger on her left hand.
"One too many," he said. "Hi."
"Hi," she replied. "I saw the news. Nothing too crazy, right?"
"Not at all, especially after today," he said. Something about his tone puzzled her, but before he could elaborate or she could question him, the waitress reappeared at their table. He ordered a glass of wine for himself and asked for a refill for Lois, earning him a curious look to which he only responded with a shrug of the shoulders, before they ordered their meals. Once she walked away, Lois leaned back in the booth and narrowed her eyes at him.
"Speaking of today… what the hell was going on with you earlier?" she asked. "Were you trying to out yourself or do you just like keeping me on my toes?"
A look crossed his face that she couldn't quite place, which puzzled her, seeing as she could tell how he was feeling or what was on his mind by one glance at his expression nowadays. But for some reason, the only thing that she could see was that he was hiding something. By the looks of him, it didn't seem to be anything she should be worried about since part of him looked amused, but there was another part of him that looked a little guilty, which intrigued her. Clark glanced away from their table, no doubt to check for any prying eyes and ears, then turned back to look at her with a sigh.
"Spill it, Smallville."
"Okay, but first… what tipped you off?" he asked. She couldn't stop herself from rolling her eyes.
"Are you kidding? You walked in with no glasses, wearing those all-too familiar primary colors and your high school letterman jacket. Then there was the fact that your hair was in no way, shape, or form slicked back in the geek chic style you know that I both love and hate at the same time. To top it all off, you were wandering around the bullpen like a lost puppy, you forgot to change when you saved me—thanks again, by the way—you were asking about the Legion ring—"
The glint in his baby blues was enough to cut her off. She was an idiot. How could she have not seen it? She had been so preoccupied with her interview with the mayor that it hadn't dawned on her until right now that earlier she had been dealing with a completely different Clark Kent than the one currently sitting across from her. His lack of disguise should have been enough to tip her off, but his total confusion and reference to the Legion ring should have sealed the deal. The investigative reporter inside of her died a little bit thinking about it.
"Seriously, Clark?" she exclaimed. A low chuckle rumbled across the table from her and she thought seriously about kicking him in the shin, but the memory of a broken toe and a trip to the ER kept her violent instincts in check. "Why didn't you tell me!"
"I wanted to… but I couldn't," he said. She narrowed her eyes in response and he continued. "For starters, this is the first time I've seen you today since this morning. Secondly, I needed it to happen."
"I know you can be a little spacey sometimes," she said, trying to disguise their conversation from the waitress who was currently dropping off their food and her second glass of wine, which she eyed thankfully, "but here on planet Earth, we do have these nifty things called cell phones."
"I know and I'm sorry, but like I said… I needed today to happen. Exactly like it did the first time around," he said.
"Okay, well… now that he's—you're—damn it, I hate time travel… now that baby Clark has left the time zone, can you please explain why you kept me out of the loop today?" she asked. Clark had thoughtfully chosen that moment to take a large bite of his steak. Even though he had succeeded in developing his funny bone over the years, he still had a long way to go before he could master the art of evading questions. That particular skill still rested solely with her. So, she simply sipped her wine and waited patiently for him to respond. When he continued to eat, she felt a slight twinge of annoyance. Of all the ways this man could get under her skin…
"That porterhouse isn't going to save you, farm boy," she said. Clark put his fork down and wiped his mouth with his napkin before he looked at her with a boyish smile.
"Farm boy? I really am in trouble, aren't I?" he asked.
"Smallville, if you don't start gabbing, you're going to wake up with a chunk of Kryptonite under your pillow," she said. The fact that he had the nerve to joke with her right now was both annoying and… hot, though she tried to push that thought out of her head. Focus, Lane. Keep a fire lit under his ass.
"Okay, okay, no need for violence," he said, putting his hands up in mock surrender. The flirtatious smile slipped away then and he looked at her earnestly as he reached for her hand again. "Lo, I'll tell you anything you want to know, you know that… just not here, okay?"
As much as it frustrated her, she knew he was right. This was neither the time nor place to talk about time travel and at the end of the day, underneath all of their bantering, she knew that there was nothing but absolute trust between them. If she asked him anything, he'd tell her the truth, unless it dealt with birthdays or Christmas. That was their one exception. So, although it went against every natural instinct she possessed, she nodded and relished the touch of his hand. Even after all of this time, he still had the ability to make her feel like a lovesick teenager.
"I'm gonna hold you to that. Now… how was your day?"
They had finished their meals and made small talk for all of twenty minutes until Lois's knee started bouncing and Clark, knowing her as well as he did, thankfully asked for the bill. She had tried and succeeded for a short time to keep her mind focused on Clark and how his day had been, but she couldn't help herself. Which Clark had she encountered today? How old had he been? When did he disappear in the past? Had she been there when he did? Had she ruined anything?
"Lo? You ready?" he asked, breaking her out of her thoughts. She shot up from her seat so fast that Clark had to catch her empty wine glass. He didn't comment, knowing well enough not to tease her, but she saw the smug smile spreading across his face as he took her hand and led her out of the restaurant. They walked silently down the street until they reached the familiar back alley they had found themselves in more times than they could count. It was close to the Planet and had no surveillance cameras, at least, not anymore. There was one years ago, but it and its replacements had been obliterated so many times by Clark's heat vision that the owners had eventually given up on buying new ones.
As she stepped into his arms, she waited for him to search the area for any signs of possible witnesses before he sped them home—super speed was easier than flying for personal travel, since he didn't have to change into the suit—but she was surprised to see his intense gaze locked on her instead. Before she could ask what was wrong, she found her back against a brick wall and a pair of all-too familiar lips pressed against hers. It took her all of two seconds to respond. His flirtatious banter at dinner had certainly riled her up, so although she had a million questions about today, they could wait. For now, she was more than content with her fiancé ravaging her for a couple of minutes.
"I love you," he murmured against her lips and she couldn't help but smile. God, she loved him. He was the best damn thing that had ever happened to her. Sure, he could be evasive and broody and irritating to no end, but there was absolutely nothing she wouldn't do for him. Well, except for let him get away with whatever had happened today.
"I love you too," she said. She kissed him again, threading her hands through his obsidian locks and tugging him closer to her. "But as much as I love you, you still owe me a conversation, super stud."
"You're still thinking about talking right now? I'm hurt," he said, placing a hand against his heart and feigning pain. She rolled her eyes, but couldn't help the way her smile only grew. She loved how he bantered with her now. It had always been fun to tease him growing up, but it filled her with an entirely different level of joy when he returned her sarcasm now.
"Be that as it may, you're not nearly as charming as you think you are, so why don't you whisk us both home so you can tell me what the happened today and then we can continue this conversation afterwards," she said. Her hand trailed from his scalp, then against his neck, and finally landed on his chest where she traced the outline of his family crest that was hidden beneath his work shirt. His cerulean eyes darkened to a shade of indigo and she felt a tremble reverberate through her. The look in his eyes almost always preceded a vehement session of lovemaking, unless Superman duties prevented it, in which case, their passion increased tenfold. Knowing exactly the effect it had on him, she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and she wasn't surprised when he growled. Indigo turned to onyx and her knees went weak.
"Chop, chop, Smallville. Home, talk, bed."
Her legs hit the back of their sofa before she could let out another breath. Clark stood before her in his powerful Superman stance, so she had no doubt that he had anything but talking on his mind, but she meant what she said. She needed answers before she could sleep, let alone do anything else tonight, so she took a breath to compose herself and stood up.
"I'm going to go change. Take a cold shower or a quick trip to the Arctic if you need to because looking at me like that is not going to change my mind," she said, patting his chest and walking towards their bedroom. She heard him groan and couldn't help but laugh. "I'll be back in five minutes, so you better pull yourself together, Superman."
Lois sauntered back to their room, swaying her hips, no doubt with Clark's eyes on her, and shut the door with a gentle click. She suppressed the giggle that bubbled up in the back of her throat when his muffled swears came through the door. Boy, did she love to tease him. And boy, did it pay off when she did. Lois changed into her comfiest pair of cotton sleep shorts and one of Clark's old flannels before she quickly washed her face. She thought about hopping in the shower, but she knew herself well enough to know that if she got in, she wouldn't get out for at least thirty minutes and Clark would certainly join her. Instead, she made her way out of their room and back to the sofa, where she found Clark lounging in his slacks and untucked dress shirt.
"Have I ever told you how good you look in my clothes?" he asked. She rolled her eyes and sat down next to him before throwing her legs over his lap and leaning back into the well-worn cushions.
"Only about a thousand times, but you know I never mind a compliment," she said and shot him a dazzling smile. "But compliments won't save you, honey, so let's get this over with because your obvious avoidance of this conversation is starting to worry me."
Lois looked at him and simply waited. It had come to a point where no amount of bantering or flirting was going to distract her from the task at hand because what she said was true: he was starting to worry her. In the eight years they had been together, seven of which she had been privy to his secret identity, they had always been able to tell each other the truth. Even before they had started dating, she had trusted him more than anyone in some ways. The only thing keeping her calm was the fact that he was calm. He didn't seem worried or anxious, only resigned to the fact that he had to get it over with.
"Okay, okay. Do you remember our five-year reunion?" he asked and she nodded. "That was the version of me you met today."
"You disappeared for most of the reunion… I always figured you were off saving someone, but you were in the future? You were here?" she asked incredulously and he nodded. Her mind went back to that day and she tried to remember everything that had happened. It had been back when she knew about his secret, even though he had no clue that she was aware. They had also been walking on eggshells with each other trying to navigate their feelings for one another, but at the end of the day, it hadn't mattered. The next night, he told her that he loved her for the first time.
"Yes. Brainiac 5, the same version I met in the 31st century, appeared to me for the first time and showed me some different moments in time. He showed me the moment my father died, so I could see that it wasn't my fault. Next, he showed me Oliver and how he had been struggling with coming out as the Green Arrow to the public. Then, he showed me you."
A hollow ache filled her chest thinking about Clark having to watch his father die and she shifted closer to him. She couldn't imagine seeing that, let alone knowing there was nothing he could do about it. But she supposed that it ended up being what he needed in the end. He had always wracked himself with guilt over things he couldn't control. Even today, he still was that way, but most of the time Lois was there to help him through it.
"So, he pulled a Charles Dickens on you?" she said. A crease formed in his brow at her comment and she rolled her eyes. "Seriously, Clark? The Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future?"
"Scrooge wasn't exactly on my mind at the time," he said. She felt pressure on the bottoms of her feet and stifled a moan as his powerful hands massaged them. "You were."
"You really are full of compliments tonight, aren't you?" she teased. Normally, she would have rolled her eyes or scoffed at his sappiness, but the sincerity reflecting in his eyes made it hard to not melt a little bit.
"I can't help it. That day put a lot of things in perspective for me," he said, pressing a kiss to her knee.
"Such as?" she prompted.
"That I needed to stop blaming myself for everything that had happened in the past. That even though I turned back time, my father still made his own decision to protect me. That I had been punishing Oliver for who he had been in the past instead of supporting him in the present. But above all… that I needed to let you in."
God, he had grown so much since that time. Her heart swelled thinking about the man he had finally become and she couldn't help the sense of satisfaction that came over her knowing that she had helped him along the way. The brooding farm boy had turned into a true superman, both with and without the heroics. Those blue eyes gazed at her with such adoration that it struck an emotional chord inside of her. Offering him a soft smile, she grazed her fingers across his forearm and squeezed it gently before letting her hand drop away. Leaning her head against the side of the cushion, she waited for him to continue.
"After Brainiac showed me Oliver, he brought us back to the reunion. I saw you standing at the punch bowl talking to Maddie Haroldhaus and—"
"Wait a minute, you heard all of that?" she asked. Her head shot up and her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. As much as she wanted to forget that conversation, she didn't think she ever would. The blonde bimbo's comments about Clark and Lana had hurt her more than she liked to admit, coupled with how she insinuated that Clark must have not even really liked her. They weren't together at the time and though she knew he cared about her, she hadn't been sure where their relationship stood at the time.
"Unfortunately," he said. His eyes were wide and apologetic, no doubt hiding an unnecessary wave of guilt beneath them. "I'm sorry she said those things to you."
"Honey, it's ancient history," she said. The last thing she needed was a guilt-ridden Clark Kent on her hands, so she squeezed his arm again and smiled. "But thank you."
"Still… I hated the way she made you feel about me. That way that I made you feel. I knew that I was in love with you, but I was so worried about trying to protect you from my secret that I thought it'd be safer if you didn't know. But then I saw Greg Arkin walk up to you and I was so terrified that he was going to hurt you that I grabbed the Legion ring from Brainiac to try and transport us back, but instead, it took me to the future. To today."
She took a moment to let his words sink in. The Clark Kent she met today had been the twenty-three-year-old Clark that had still been hell-bent on trying to protect her from himself, even though she already knew who he really was. It had been the version of Clark that had just recently saved mankind from the pseudo-Kryptonian species and kissed her for the first time as the Blur. The man who had said goodbye to her, knowing full-well that he'd never see her again, but still hadn't had the balls to tell her about himself.
But then he did. Days after the reunion, after she had been possessed by that evil Egyptian spirit from the underworld, he finally told her his secret and everything finally fell into place for them. He was right; that day really did put things in perspective for him. The next night, he told her that he loved her for the first time. A warm feeling crept into her chest thinking about that moment, how he had looked at her, how she felt in his arms…
Suddenly, though, she felt as if a bucket of ice water had been thrown on her. That Clark had gone to the future. That Clark knew how things were going to work out. He had seen what his life was going to turn into and who he was going to end up with. He knew exactly what was going to happen. She thought about what he just told her, the fact that he already knew he had been in love with her before his time travelling trip, and held on to that hopeful fact.
"So… you knew you loved me before you went to the future?" she said slowly. She watched his face for any semblance of a lie. She needed to know the truth and if he wasn't being honest, she was sure he'd break her heart here and now.
"Of course," he said earnestly, easing the tension in her stomach just a little. "Lois, I had been in love with you since you came back from your trip to the future. And probably even before then, though I wouldn't have admitted it."
She stared at him for a moment, just to be sure, but only found sincerity written all over his face. She let out a sigh of relief and shut her eyes. He loved her. She knew he did, that wasn't a question. She just needed to know it was because he loved her himself, not because he knew she loved him back.
"Okay, it's just…" she began, but stopped herself. Did she really want to go down this road? Was it really worth it? But before she could even contemplate dismissing the conversation, Clark had removed her legs from his lap and shifted so that he was sitting next to her.
"What is it?" he asked. He looked concerned, no doubt because he was reading both her facial expression and her racing heartbeat. She had gotten pretty damn good at controlling her expressions over the years, but when it came to her body's physical reactions, she always fell victim to his super hearing. So be it. Turning, she looked at him dead in the eyes and straightened her chin.
"Clark, you told me you loved me for the first time the next day. After you came back from the future. After you saw how we were—how we are. It just kind of seems like… cheating," she said. If she came right out and said it, she knew she'd hurt his feelings, and that was simply not a disagreement she wanted to get into tonight, but the fact of the matter was that part of her did feel like he cheated. Like he only said those words because he knew for a fact that he had nothing to worry about.
"What do you mean?" he asked. Of course, he was going to make her say it. She sighed, preparing herself for the inevitable, then just came out with it.
"Would you have told me you loved me if you hadn't seen how things were going to work out? Or did you just tell me because you got a sneak peak of who you were going to end up with?" she asked.
He looked at her as if she had just told him that she was an alien. Shock, confusion, and irritation all flashed across his features before dejection settled in, making her inwardly groan. Brooding Clark was about to make an appearance and suddenly she wished she just ordered the entire bottle of wine at dinner. Puppy dog eyes blinked at her guiltily and she tried not to let them affect her, though she knew it was a vain attempt.
"Of course I didn't say it just because I had seen the future. Like I told you, I had been in love with you long before that day. The only thing the future made me realize was that I need to stop fearing it and live in the present, instead," he said. Her skin warmed under the touch of his hand as it grazed her cheek, but she wasn't ready to let this go. Though she believed him, she needed more than his reassurances. She wasn't a reporter for nothing; she needed fact.
"Okay, well if you hadn't seen the future that day, do you still think you would have told me you loved me the next night?" she asked bluntly. Though she expected him to have a similar reaction to the question she had previously asked, he surprised her. His face was perfectly calm when he answered.
"Yes."
"Why?" she fired back, not so calmly. She hadn't meant to come off so… Lois, but she couldn't help it. His eyes were perfectly clear and completely honest when he answered, but it didn't do her any good. She needed an answer. She needed a reason. She needed the truth.
"Because I was in love with you!" he exclaimed. "Even if I hadn't seen how we were today, I still saw how it affected you when Maddie said what she said. Aside from that, I still sat across from you in the bullpen every day, totally and completely in love with you. After you came back from Africa, it was a constant battle with myself every day not to pull you into the copy room and have my way with you."
"Oh, please," she scoffed, "you were still too much of a Nancy back then to even think about doing anything less than chivalrous to me."
"Trust me, honey… I thought about it. More than once," he growled. The fire in his eyes and tone shot a thrill down her spine. If it had been a couple years earlier, she would have crumbled at his reaction. Most, if not all, of their arguments in the early years of their relationship had ended with them in bed, rather than any real constructive resolutions, but after eight years together, sex wasn't the answer to their problems. It certainly didn't hurt and was more often than not a concluding element in their fights today, but it wasn't the answer anymore. Nowadays, they talked through their problems and came to actual solutions before succumbing to more carnal instincts. So, despite every instinct that possessed her to let it go, she held her ground, which didn't go unbeknownst to the man sitting next to her. "You still aren't convinced, are you?"
"No!" she said, throwing her hands up before she tucked her legs beneath her. "Look, I'm sorry. I know that you love me and I can accept that you probably would have told me then, if not soon after that… but what about your secret?"
"What about it?" he asked, as if it wasn't the most obvious question in the world. Sometimes he really was just a big, dumb alien.
"Did you only tell me your secret because you had proof I'd accept you?" she asked. Again, he surprised her with his reaction.
"No, I had proof a long time ago," he said simply. She frowned. What in the hell did that mean?
"What do you mean?" she asked, voicing her thoughts aloud. Clark let out a rather long and loud sigh before turning to her with an apologetic expression, which only meant one thing in her book: he had something else he needed to tell her.
"You had found out about my secret three times before that day."
In all the years that she had known him, he had only really surprised her several times that she could remember. This, she had no doubt, was going to make the list. She had no idea what to say to that, aside from one thing:
"Explain."
Clark simply looked at her for a moment. Brilliant blue eyes met golden hazel and for a short time, he didn't speak. He didn't explain and she didn't push him because she knew that no matter how long it took, he'd tell her exactly what she wanted to know. He kissed her gently, barely touching his lips to hers, then pulled her into his embrace and settled the both of them comfortably into the corner of the sofa before he spoke.
"The first time was after I lost my memory—the second time around. When we saved Chloe from Summerholt, you watched me catch two falling columns and said 'I guess I shouldn't call you Smallville anymore.' But Kevin erased your memory as a favor to me," he said. She remembered that time well, aside from the moment Clark was talking about. He hadn't a clue who he was and Lois had been put in charge of babysitting him for a time, for the second time around, until their investigation had revealed that Kevin's dad had been the one who planted false memories in his head. It was a weird experience, but if she was honest, it didn't even crack the top ten of strange Smallville situations.
"The second time was in an alternate reality where I had never existed," he said. Things like this shouldn't surprise her anymore, but that didn't meant that they didn't. "You were about to be arrested—long story short, Lex was the president, even in that reality—and I showed you my powers when I saved you. You said it was nice to have a meteor freak on your side and went along with your day as if it was nothing out of the ordinary. To top it all off, you actually flirted with me the first time we met. And you asked me to take my clothes off."
"I'm one hundred percent certain that there was a logical reason for doing so, but honey, we're practically married. Finding out I flirted with you in an alternate reality might be the least shocking thing I've heard all day," she said. The rumble of his chest reverberated against her ear as he chuckled.
"Fair enough," he replied. "Anyhow, I got transported back to our reality and it made me see you in an entirely different light. The third time you found out about me was right after you got back from Star City. Linda Lake had discovered my secret and was threatening to expose me, so I decided to have you write my story."
"Oh, this I've got to hear," she said, snuggling into his side. The first two scenarios had been interesting, for sure, but this one intrigued her for a number of reasons. For starters, the first scenario took place before she really knew who he was as a person. Surely she would have accepted him, but she wouldn't have known him well enough to know what it meant to really learn who he was. Then the second scenario didn't really affect her because it simply wasn't real. It was a made-up fantasy where Clark never existed, so her reaction, no matter if it meant anything to him, really didn't mean anything to her. But this one… this one she needed to know about.
"Well, basically I told you I was the Blur and you laughed in my face," he said.
"Naturally."
"So I had to demonstrate."
"Show off."
"You know, I wouldn't have had to, if you had just believed me when I told you," he said, eliciting an unintentional snort from her.
"If I had believed you without proof back then, you probably would have asked if I had a fever, so I don't want to hear it. Continue, please," she said. Feeling a bit less agitated than she had earlier, she untucked her legs and stretched them back out over his legs. His hand fell naturally over her thighs and she smiled at the comfortable position she had settled in.
"I lifted up a desk you were standing on and just like the first time, you said, 'I guess I should stop calling you Smallville.' In every universe and every timeline, you've always seemed to be consistent with that one," he said. She could feel his eyes on her and met them, shooting him an easy grin.
"What can I say? I am who I am," she said with a shrug. He only grinned back at her before the smile eased off of his face and he continued.
"You didn't freak out or look at me any differently, you just asked me questions about what powers I had. And when I told you I wasn't meteor-infected, you made an E.T. joke and asked me if I beamed down or crash-landed my spaceship. You just treated me like… me."
No matter how many times she had heard him say it, her heart always broke a little bit when Clark shared his fears about being treated differently because of where he was from. It wasn't a topic that came up very often anymore, but when it did, it always made her heart constrict. His parents loved him because he was their son, but they had always been a little afraid of his Kryptonian side. He didn't blame them, neither did she, but it still hurt her to think about how it must have been for him growing up.
Then there were his friends. Pete Ross had left Smallville due to the pressure he felt from keeping his secret, but he was just a kid, so who could really blame him? He had reconnected with Clark after Superman's debut and he had never breathed a word to anyone about his secret, but their friendship never truly recovered. Chloe had been his best friend and sidekick for years, but she had always put him up on a pedestal, both as a hero and an unrequited love interest, for a time. Even though they remained close friends, she stopped seeing Clark once she saw his powers and it had turned their friendship into more of a business-like partnership. Oliver had really only gotten to know Clark first as the superhero, then as a friend, so it was hard to cast any blame on him or the rest of the League for their relationships with him.
Finally, there was Lana Lang. The strangle hold she had on him for most of his teenage and young adult years had not only hindered his path to becoming Superman, a fact that he no longer denied, but it had also kept him from accepting himself. She had expected more from him and put more pressure on him than anyone in his life. Coupled with the fact that he had been in love with her for so long, it was easy to see how hard it must have been to live up to who she wanted him to be, especially after she learned about his secret, when all he wanted was for someone to love him. All of him.
Cupping his face in her hands, she pulled him towards her and kissed him softly for a moment. He didn't need her reassurance, not anymore, but that didn't mean she wouldn't always give it to him. She loved every part of him. The good, the bad, the heroic, the broody… she always had and she always would. Smoothing her thumbs across his cheeks, she stared into his eyes and gently shook her head.
"That's because you're a dork no matter where you're from, even if you can stop a tank with your bare hands," she said with a wink. He attempted to smile back, but it didn't reach his eyes.
"But I never knew that. This was the first time you had found out after we had become close. It was after Chloe's wedding and I knew you were still pissed at me, but still… the fact that you took it all in stride meant more to me than you'll ever know," he said. The familiar tightening in the back of her throat made her internally curse as she fought the tidal wave of emotion rising within her. Damn him and his words and his unnaturally good looks.
"I wish I could remember it all," she said. She swept an errant lock of dark hair behind his ear and watched as all-too apparent guilt washed over his features.
"I do, too. And the sad thing is, you asked to," he said softly. She didn't press him and simply waited for him to continue, knowing that he would without prompting. "Things were good for a little while after your article came out, but Linda made sure that the public saw the negative side. People started blaming me for not stopping accidents and choosing who got to live or die. She told them that I was the first wave of an alien invasion and that I had killed Lex. They forced my mom to take a leave of absence, then they came after Chloe and finally, they came after you. I knew that I had to use to Legion ring to go back in time, before anyone knew anything about who I was."
She allowed herself to process the information. Sure, there had been a fair amount of outcry and fear concerning his origins after her first interview with Superman had hits the newsstands, but the thought of his family and friends being accosted because of him broke her heart. She had no doubt that his experience in that time had only made him even more wary to reveal himself to the world and rightly so. It was a good thing Linda Lake was sleeping with the worms now because Lois was sure she would have put her in the ground herself if she was still alive today.
"Before I left, you asked me to stay and fight back. You told me that when I told you my secret, it felt different than it did with Oliver or AC. We were different. And when I told you that I wasn't going to tell you who I was when I went back, you thought it was because you weren't special enough to know," he said. She felt her heart break for that version of herself, if it was even possible to feel such a thing. She knew all too well what it felt like to be left out of his super secret. When she had first learned about who he was, she had been hurt for a while. Chloe, Oliver, and Lana all obviously had known about him and for a long time, too. She had grappled with why she had been left in the dark for so long, but after he finally told her the truth, she knew it was only because he wanted to protect her, not because he didn't trust her.
"But I told you it's because you were special. Because you are," he said. His words and eyes were thick with emotion, spurring the tears she had kept at bay for the past few minutes to appear involuntarily. "That's why I told you my secret, Lo. Because no matter what our relationship was, no matter the reality or timeline, no matter how you felt about me… you have never treated me like I was anyone other than who I am."
Her vision blurred and she cursed him. She was never very emotional and certainly not a weepy woman, but being with Clark had softened her in many ways. Unfortunately, this was one of the outcomes. Shaking her head, she playfully nudged him and sniffed in an attempt to keep her composure.
"Damn it, Smallville. I thought we had agreed on a monthly cap for making me cry. You just surpassed it," she said. A soft smile graced his features and he kissed her forehead. God, she loved this man.
"I thought this might count as an exception, but I'll allow it to roll over to next month," he said and she let out a watery laugh before she throwing her arms around him.
"You're damn right, you will."
Her lips found his immediately and she wrapped herself around him so tightly that she thought he might suffocate if he had been human. But he held her just as tightly, sensing her need to be close to him, and kissed her like a starved man. It was always good—so incredibly good—between them, but the electricity she sensed tonight felt like it would set the couch on fire if they let it. His tongue traced her bottom lip and when she moaned into his mouth, he leaned her back so that his entire body was covering hers. They stayed that way for a few minutes, tangled up and consumed by their passion for one another, until the need for oxygen forced her to break away from him.
"Mmm… definitely you," she whispered against his lips. Hazy, heated eyes blinked down at her in confusion and she bit her lip in an attempt to keep from laughing.
"'Definitely me' what?" he asked.
"I was just trying to decide who was the better kisser… you or past Clark."
As his eyes darkened to a deep shade of indigo, a shot of heat ricocheted throughout her body and she let out a squeal she'd later deny as he dragged his hands up the sides of her body, inching her shirt up in the process.
"He didn't know how to handle you," he whispered in her ear before planting his lips on the sensitive spot on her neck that he knew drove her crazy. Her leg hitched up over his hip in its own volition and she let out a breathy chuckle.
"And you do?" she teased. His mouth made its way down her neck and towards her chest, hands working diligently to unbutton the flannel shirt she had on until it fell on either side of her torso.
"Absolutely," he growled, trailing his mouth and tongue across her right breast before giving the same attention to the other. A breath escaped her and she closed her eyes as she let him touch her in the most pleasurable ways. His hands were not idle either and soon enough, she felt her shorts slipping off of her hips.
"Manhandle, maybe," she managed to breathe. He stilled at that comment and her eyes blinked open. His face was just inches from hers now, blue eyes gazing into hazel, and the look that he wore was one she had seen many, many times over the years. He was amused, but she knew that if she didn't stop teasing him, he was going to make her regret it, but in the most pleasurable way possible.
"Lois?"
"Yes, dear?"
She truly couldn't help herself. Not with him. His smoldering eyes narrowed for a moment and she prepared herself to finally be whisked away to their bedroom, but then something changed and his features softened. He gently stroked her face, brushing a piece of hair off of her cheek, before cradling her head beneath his strong hand.
"I love you," he said. "And not because I knew where I'd end up, but because I would be completely and totally lost without you."
Boy, did he know how to ruin a moment… in the best way. She blinked several times, adjusting to his abrupt change in mood and attempting to keep herself from crying yet again, then pulled his lips down to meet hers in a soft kiss, ensuring that he knew she felt the exact same way.
"You better stop it or you're going to be down two tallies for next month," she said, feeling an errant tear slip out before his thumb swiftly wiped it away.
"I'll accept the penalties," he said and kissed her again. She sighed into his lips and wrapped her arms around his neck, not wanting to let him go for one second.
"I love you, too, Smallville. More than you'll ever know," she whispered and ran her fingers through his hair, causing him to emit a soft sigh.
"Trust me, I know."
They simply stared at each other for a moment. He loved her and she loved him, more than either of them had ever thought possible. He was her best friend in the entire world and she knew without a shadow of a doubt now that he felt the exact same way about her. He had proved it time and time again, in different realities and timelines, whether she remembered or not. His revelations tonight had made her love him even more than she already did and she felt like she was going to burst if she didn't get to show him.
"Well… I think that's enough talking for one night," she said, trailing her hands down his chest and started undoing the buttons of his dress shirt. She was nearly naked now and he was still hiding way too much skin for her liking.
"Are you sure?" he asked and her eyes snapped to his. His brow was furrowed and for a split second, she genuinely thought that there was something else on his mind that was bothering him. "I seem to remember another conversation we were having earlier that had no… resolution."
If her body wasn't on fire before, she was sure she was going to spontaneously combust at any second now.
"Have I ever told you how hot it is when you talk to me like that?" she breathed, finishing the previous task at hand and pushing his shirt off of his shoulders before she sat up and launched herself at him.
"Only about a thousand times, but you know I never mind a compliment," he said, echoing her words from earlier. She almost groaned at how much she wanted him.
"What did I tell you earlier? Home, talk, bed," she growled. Not a second later, she found her back pressed against their soft mattress and a shirtless Clark Kent hovering above her with a wicked smile etched on his face.
"Yes, Miss Lane."
If there were any doubts that remained in her head about why he loved her or why he told her his secret, they were expelled in an instant, as her mind became way too preoccupied with much more important thoughts that did anything but make her worry about his feelings for her.