And now for the conclusion.
LEX: Why is there a black opening painted on that wall?
Clark and Lois stood across the street from the Daily Planet, looking up at the globe spinning above the entrance to the newspaper building.
Wouldn’t it be awkward if Lex managed to blow up the Planet right at this moment, with the logo going first up in pieces?
LOIS:
‘Awkward’?
“We did it!” Lois announced. “We managed to prove that Lex was about to blow up the Daily Planet. Good job, Kent!”
About to?
“Thank you, Lane,” he replied. “We couldn’t have done it without you!”
Lane? Is there another bomb hidden somewhere and Clark can’t get any closer?
He patted her hand and smiled. “Of course not. With your assistance, we were able to speed up the discovery process ten-fold; however, without your help, I’m sure the guys and I would’ve eventually come up with enough evidence on our own…”
But not in time to prevent the Planet from going boom.
“Oh, so you’re saying that I was useless.
Careful now…
That I would’ve better served the team as a damsel in distress for you to rescue at the last second, an unknowing idiot in a white dress willing to marry one of the biggest crime bosses Metropolis has ever seen,” she said, jerking her hand free.
Well…that *was* what the nice TV lady said.
“You could never be useless, Lois. It goes against your DNA,” Clark replied.
What if we put her into a kindergarten group? You know, like in Kindergarten Cop?
She put her hands on her hips. “So you think I’m a gullible idiot then?”
To be fair, two of the men in her life have been lying to her for an extended period of time and she hasn’t had a clue for a very long time despite very glaring warning signs.
“Never once crossed my mind,” Clark insisted. Stubborn woman who never listens to reason, on the other hand…
But why isn’t he saying that? Is this Clark broken or something? /checks warranty label/
“I know. I know. I got myself into another federal disaster of a relationship,” she said, ticking the numbers off on her fingers. “Firstly, he lied to me. Secondly, he hid his true self, his true nature from me. Thirdly, he was willing to humiliate me on a national scale by releasing those photographs.”
“I would never do something like that,” Clark said,
Actually, he is doing the first two and he would allow her to be presented as a home wrecker and despicable cheat just to keep his own image clean.
“Even if you could embarrass me on a national scale, I doubt you would’ve tried to use those naked negatives against me,” she said.
No, those are for private use only.
“You weren’t naked in them,” Clark reminded her.
Her jaw dropped. “You didn’t look?”
Oh, because he hasn’t seen those where she was?
CLARK:
He ran an exhausted hand down his face. There was no winning here, was there? Of course he had looked and, no, she hadn’t been fully nude in those pictures.
“If you ever wanted to show me what you looked like…uh… without clothes on, I’m sure you would take me to a motel room… or someplace private and remove them,” he teased.
Like his apartment and first she’d put on a harem’s costume?
Her gaze narrowed.
That had sounded funnier in his head.
You mean, like when George Lucas wanted Han Solo to say something and Harrison Ford gently discouraged him from putting written stuff verbatim on film?
“What? No!”
“You don’t want to see me naked, Clark?” she asked.
![[Linked Image]](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/72/5a/03/725a03ecd72bc9c5c794f50440cdb1d8.jpg)
“You don’t want to see me naked, Clark?” she asked.
“No, of course I do.”
Could he ever talk himself out of this hole? “I love you for your mind, not just your body.”
![[Linked Image]](http://cosgan.de/images/smilie/frech/g025.gif)
he just called her fat.
The way you always admit it when I’m wrong.”
“And I love that you only admit that you love me as a way to distract me from the fact that you want to see me naked,” she replied, moving them down the road.
Oh, look! A perfect Lois Lane.
“I’d also say that you’ve now lost your opportunity for me to take you to that hotel room.”
Oops?
“Oh, really? And how much would you have to earn for the privilege of seeing me naked?” she asked wryly.
Had the pictures ended up in LFI, 2 bucks?
Your desire to see me in the buff as well.
But she already wants to see Superman sans clothes.
“You know the typical things.”
![[Linked Image]](http://cosgan.de/images/midi/frech/e045.gif)
Some more dirt here, please. It’s pretty naked right now. Like Clark wants Lois to be.
“Well, that’s just… just ridiculous. Why would I want to do that?” Lois said, looking away, but not before Clark had seen her face turn as red as Superman’s cape.
“Oh? Are you saying that I’ve earned one of those already?” he couldn’t stop himself from saying. “It must be your respect.”
But to be fair, that towel…
“Of course. That’s it,” she said, somewhat breathlessly and with overt relief.
“No, you agreed way too quickly. It must be your trust.”
They both laughed.
So, that would be ‘love’, then?
“If anyone could, it would be you, Lois,” he replied. “I just might end up telling you first.”
“Where would be the fun in that?”
She just gave him an out! Boy will she ticked off at Tempus now when he spoils the fun.
“Then I wouldn’t squander any time alone with you playing around with a camera,” he whispered.
But what about a picture for her as a keepsake in her purse? It’s not like goons would ever get into that one…
“I won’t make love to you until you know, Lois,” he promised into her ear. “I respect you too much to do otherwise.”
But there’d be nothing wrong with a quick romp in a stolen moment, right?
As her lips moved over his, the noise from Metropolis faded away and it felt as if suddenly he and Lois were alone on the street.
Uh oh. Do we have lift off?
“Do you always kiss women you don’t trust?”
Let’s see…Antoinette. Toni. Linda. Who else…?
“How many women have you trusted with this secret?”
Well…one.
She crossed her arms. “How many?”
Oh, that’s why he’s avoiding her. She just figured out a roundabout way to ask for his number. So, it’s actually an Indian concept.
“To be fair, I’m not including the kisses…” All sixty-four of them. “— you gave me when you were drunk on Revenge.”
“Five.” He leaned back and grinned. He had photographic proof. The picture had been splashed across the front page of the Metropolis Star. His mom had shown it to him within her Superman scrapbook.
“I figured you out once before. I’m going to figure this out, too. Just you wait and see.”
He smiled. “I can’t wait.”
Oooooh! This certainly has a nice ending to it
She wanted to read about the one-hundred sixty-four kisses he didn't count from PML. (I reduced the number by 100 for the final draft -- as we both surmised that Clark's willpower probably couldn't withstand THAT many.)
Michael
