Hey, I had to pop in here to comment on Sue's posting the much-awaited last chapter of her latest fic!
I have to start by repeating what Sue said in her previous chapter:
There could only be one reason Clark would go that far - he loved her. Telling her his secret was far more binding than any declaration of love. Telling her meant he saw them together forever.
Exactly! That's why, in the movie Superman II, the relationship between Lois and Superman was over when he took her memory of his identity (and their lovemaking) away. And that's why Clark proposed to Lois in the comics without telling her his secret. If Lois doesn't know who Clark is, then Clark isn't fully committed to her.
On the other hand, what if Clark really
is fully committed to her? How scary is that, knowing that about Clark? About Superman? About Clark, who is also Superman?
"I'm f, f, fine," she choked out in a shaky stutter. Her numb fingers let go of the tattered blanket she'd been carrying and it dropped to the ground, puddling around her ankles.
"Are you cold? You're shaking." He gently rubbed her shoulders, as if to warm her up.
"Am I?" Lois started to pat the 'S' but then stopped herself, feeling suddenly self-conscious to be touching him. "I can’t believe you’re here. I can't believe it's really you."
Love that portrait of Lois's numbness, of her unawareness of so many things - I don't remember, is she wearing clothes, or how much does she reveal when she is dropping that blanket? - her instinctive need to be close to Clark, and then her self-consciousness about touching his 'S'. She wants to be close to Clark, and the touching of his 'S' reminds her, I think, of everthing that has to be worked through between them yet, before there can be normalcy between them. Normalcy and love.
But Clark isn't worried.
He gave her one of his most dazzling smiles. "You had to know I was looking for you."
"I did. I knew you would. I've been watching the sky and – wow – here you are. Gosh, look at you." She peered up at him, feeling like she was seeing him clearly for the first time ever. Gone was the aloof mask of Superman, replaced by an expression of joy and relief that he wasn't even trying to hide. He was unshaven; his cheeks and chin were dark with stubble. His hair looked like it hadn't been combed in a couple of days. Had he really been flying around Metropolis looking like this?
He lowered his head, touching his forehead to hers. "I thought I'd lost you forever," he whispered.
The aloof mask of Superman is gone, indeed. Because now he is fully committed to her, and he has no more secrets from her. But what can she say to this super man when he is offering her his cornucopia of love, holding back nothing?
His thumb brushed over her cheek, a feather-light caress that belied the strength his hand possessed. "Lois, I--. I know this is probably not the best time, but I really need to tell you something."
Her heart seemed to stutter in her chest as she realized what he was going to say; how completely he was about to trust her. She opened her mouth to tell him that she already knew but his eyes were so dark and serious that she was transfixed into silence.
He's going to tell her! Now!
"I--, uh. I tried to tell you this before, but it just never seemed to work out." His hands dropped from her face as he swallowed hard. "I've never told anyone this before..."
"Really?" she blurted out in astonishment. "No one? Ever?"
He paused and his eyebrows knit together in confusion. "What?"
"Your parents know, though, right?"
And she is so excited that she can't wait for him to finish! How typical of her! Ah, but it's just as well she couldn't keep quiet, because we all know that Clark can find sudden reasons not to tell Lois his secret even if he had planned to, not right at this moment!
"My parents?" he echoed. He took a step backward, running one hand nervously through his hair. "My parents, uh--."
"I'm sorry! Clark, I'm so sorry." Lois covered her mouth with one hand but couldn't seem to stop herself from talking. "I didn't mean to interrupt. Go on with what you were—oh. Oh gosh. Sorry." She sputtered into speechlessness as she realized she had inadvertently said his name.
She said his name! Aww!
Ann
