Caroline, this was just ... I loved it. It was such a heartbreaking insight into Clark's psyche.
This line got me right *there*:
... he had simply stayed close and listened for her call, and when she called, he had always come, in one guise or another.
That's Clark at his most base. Lois' eternal savior with a heart of gold, whether he's in the Suit or not.
And by the end of the chapter, I was just stunned by Clark's sudden and completely unexpected reaction:
Bitterness had lodged itself in his heart like a shard of glass, and suddenly he wanted to return some of the pain and embarrassment she’d dealt him that day. “You’re not in love with me, Lois,” he spat, stepping backwards, moving away from her soft touch, her sweet scent. “You’re in love with an actor. A guy who dresses up in a spandex suit his mother made for him. And without the flashy suit, you wouldn’t give me a second look.”
“That’s not true!” she cried. “It’s not true!”
Without stopping to think about it, he spun into a whirl of color before her astonished eyes, and when he stopped, he stood before her as Clark Kent. “Tell me again that it’s not true, Lois,” he said softly.
Ack, my heart constricted for both of them here. Your writing conveys Clark's emotions so well — his hurt, his anger are *tangible.* I love this surprising revelation, and I can't wait to see how this plays out. Please post your next part soon!
