Previously on Seed of Doubt...
"Have you tried my new fragrance?" a woman asked as she swept through the newsroom. "Here! Let me give you a sample!"
She sprayed each person she passed with a squirt from the pink crystal atomizer she carried with her. Most people coughed, taken off guard at the unexpected spray of perfume. She got Lois and Clark as she passed Lois' desk. Clark gagged on the stench of the perfume as it coated the air with a sickening, musky scent. Lois coughed. Both, like everyone else in the bullpen who'd been sprayed, fanned the air before them, trying to dissipate the offensive odor.
"Good God," Lois complained, waving one of Jimmy's photos before her face. "What died?"
"I wish I knew," Clark said unsteadily.
There was something more to his sudden feeling of unease then just the assault to his nostrils. Something he couldn't quite place. Purely by reflex, he shot a look at the woman who'd been responsible for the disgusting stench hanging in the air. She wasn't tall by any means and seemed fairly unremarkable. Her blonde hair was wavy and she walked with a confident stride. As she turned to force a sample of her concoction onto Danny, Clark got a look at her outfit. That, too, seemed completely unremarkable. Tight black pants paired with black boots with stiletto heels. An even tighter white shirt, ruffles cascading down the front, beneath a black vest. She also had a fiery red gem on a golden chocker around her neck, which seemed almost to glow as it caught the light as she moved.
Clark sighed. Nothing about her dress set off any alarms for him.
"I need to get out of here," Lois huffed, trying to breathe solely through her mouth.
"Me too," Clark admitted.
Without a super nose, the smell would have been bad enough. With his enhanced sense of smell, it was intolerable and made his head throb. He helped Lois into her coat before going to his desk and grabbing his own.
"Where to?" he asked as they made a beeline for the elevators.
"I don't know. Anywhere but here," she replied. "The whole place reeks."
Clark stood slightly behind Lois as they waited for the elevator. He still felt strangely, but he didn't know where it stemmed from. Maybe it was just the stench from the perfume that had set knots into his stomach. Perhaps it was because Lois was acting so normal in the wake of Luthor's assault. Maybe he was just nervous about their impending date, now that it was so almost tangibly close.
No, that's not it, he told himself. I've been waiting for this for a long time now. Except...Luthor had to go and ruin this for me, didn't he? Lois seems comfortable enough with me, but...if things progress in the future, to the next level...will what he did haunt her? Will she even allow me to kiss her at the end of our date?
He sighed to himself, hoping against hope that he still had a real, unmarred chance with Lois.
***
"How's that article on the dock strike coming?" Perry asked as he passed by Clark's desk, later that afternoon. The odor of the perfume that had been sprayed still lingered, though Clark knew it had a more powerful presence to his nose than to an ordinary human's.
"Almost done, Chief. I hate how these last two paragraphs sound, but I just can't seem to get a handle on them," he admitted, gesturing futilely.
Perry patted him on the shoulder in a friendly and supportive manner. "Well, just keep at it. You'll find what you're looking for."
He moved on, calling for Matheson, the travel writer, as he did so. Clark abandoned his useless staring at the computer screen. His gaze, like always, wandered to Lois as she sat at her desk, working on her own story. She must have known he was looking at her. She locked eyes with him, then smiled coyly. She stood up from her chair and sauntered over to him, before taking a seat on his desk. One leg came up and rested on the desk as well - one long, lanky, shapely leg that went on forever before disappearing up beyond the confines of her red skirt.
"Lois? What are you doing?"
"How's the article going?" she purred.
"Slowly. You know, the two sides aren't all that far apart," he said, unable to pull his gaze from her leg and teasing near-view of what lay beyond that she was giving him.
"Really?" she asked in a tone that was almost bored with the topic at hand.
Clark gulped and nodded.
"What do you say we call it a day?" she asked.
"Lois," he said with great difficulty. "I'm not sure that's a good idea."
"Come on, Clark," she said, gesturing to the bullpen at large. "Look at it around here. No one is going to get any work done today."
Lois was right. Clark had been so focused on trying to keep his mind off the woman of his dreams that he'd barely noticed the chaos of the newsroom. It was always a bustling hub of energy, and he'd learned to tune it out, for the most part, in order to be able to get his work accomplished. It had been one of the first survival skills he'd learned at the Planet.
But now...
Now the bullpen seemed more a brothel than a place of business. Coworkers were tucked away in almost every conceivable corner, kissing, touching, whispering together. Clark caught Cat Grant dragging a poor, unsuspecting copy machine repair man off to the copy room, licking her lips in seductive anticipation. He shuddered to think of what that poor man was about to endure.
"Clark?" Lois asked, a pleading tone in her voice.
"Huh? Oh," he stammered. "I'm not sure that's a good..."
"Rehalia! Wait!" Perry roared over the constant noise of the bullpen, cutting Clark's words off, much to Clark's relief.
The cleaning lady whirled on him as the Chief caught up to her. He lightly touched her shoulder. Clark stood to get a better view of what was happening. He watched in horror as Rehalia punched Perry in the face. With his super hearing, he heard the sickening crunch as Perry's nose broke. He tried not to wince as the editor's hands flew up to his face, to protect it against another attack and to cradle his injured nose.
"Keep away from me!" Rehalia yelled, before storming out of the bullpen, leaving Perry to stare, moon-eyed, after her.
"Wait! My love!" he called after her, though futilely.
"What was that all about?" Clark wondered aloud.
"Who cares?" Lois asked, standing at his side, whispering her response into his ear, sending shockwaves of pleasure down Clark's spine. She tugged at his necktie, trying to loosen it.
"I do," Clark said, pulling her hands from his tie, though it took all his willpower to do so. He made his way to where Perry still stood, gazing in the direction Rehalia had last been. "Perry? What happened?"
"Rehalia. My love. My morning dove. My heart's desire. She's gone. Rejected me." Immense sadness rolled from his words.
"Rehalia?" Clark asked, incredulous. "What about Alice?"
"Alice?" Perry repeated, as though the word was foreign.
"Your wife," Clark reminded him.
"Old news," Perry said dismissively.
"Yesterday you were saying that she has spies everywhere, remember? You were worried about eating that side order of fries with your sandwich."
"Bah," the editor said, waving away Clark's concerns. "She'll understand. This...this is love, son."
Clark shook his head. "This isn't going to end well," he tried to warn him.
Perry either didn't hear him or chose not to respond. Lois nibbled at Clark's earlobe, trying to get his attention. He tried to gently push her away, but it was only a half-hearted attempt. The greater part of him wanted to lavish in the affection she was showing him.
What's going on around here? he wondered to himself, his eyes once again sweeping over the newsroom. Why is everyone suddenly so...loving? Or maybe lusting is the right word. Or maybe just...uninhibited, he thought, watching as Leanne from the city desk and Rusty from the mailroom made eye contact across the room, ran to each other, and started tearing at the other's clothing. Clark averted his eyes.
Lois was still nibbling at his ear. For a moment, he fought against the urges that told him that this was wrong, that something was amiss, but he soon surrendered. It just felt so good and so right. After all, he'd been in love with Lois for a long time. And she was the one making all the advances. Surely he could allow himself to enjoy the pleasurable sensations she was causing.
I love you, Lois, he thought, just as she brought her lips crashing against his.
How long they kissed for, he wasn't sure. Time seemed to stand still as Lois caressed his lips with her own. She was all he was aware of. Where they were, who might be watching - none of it mattered as long as she kissed him, though he had the presence of mind enough to ensure that he remained rooted to the floor and didn't float in his ecstasy. When she did break the kiss, in order to draw a breath, Clark found himself almost lightheaded from how quickly his heart was beating and from the natural high of his emotions.
"Lois," he breathed, unable to say more than that.
"That...was wonderful," she said.
Clark couldn't have agreed more. He simply nodded, finding words inadequate.
This isn't right, a small voice said, in the back of his mind. None of this is right. Everyone is acting strangely. Even Lois. Even you. This isn't like you, Clark. What's going on?
But he had no answer for that. In fact, it was difficult to think of anything that wasn't Lois, or how deeply in love with her he was, despite the fact that they hadn't even officially begun to start dating yet. Yet thoughts of her suffused his every thought, more so than usual.
"So," Lois said coyly, "what do you think we should do with the rest of the day?"
"I, uh," he said, his throat going dry and constricting a bit.
Help! Someone! Anyone!
The cry for help sobered him slightly. He listened for another moment. It sounded like a ship was afire, out in Metropolis Harbor. And, he thought with a frown, it sounded like a lot of people were aboard.
Probably one of the deep sea fishing boats, he thought. It's too cold still for the luxury day cruises.
"Clark?"
"Huh? Oh. Uh, sorry, Lois."
"Are we going to get out of here, or what?"
He shook his head. "Not just yet. I almost forgot, I have uh..." He searched for a moment, wondering what excuse he could use where Lois wouldn't be able to tag along. "A doctor's appointment that I'm going to be late for if I don't leave right now."
"You never mentioned..."
"I know," he said, hastily cutting her off. "I only just remembered. I'll be back as soon as I can. In the meantime, see if you can dig up anything on Luthor, okay? I need to go."
He didn't wait for a response. He turned and made a swift exit from the bullpen. As soon as it was safe to do so, he spun into his alter ego's uniform and flew toward the harbor. A sonic boom rang out in his wake, and Clark had to wonder if Lois was hearing it along with everyone who was out on the streets. Already, his heart ached to be parted from her.
Focus! he chastised himself. Lives are at stake here!
He found the boat easily enough. Few enough were out on the water, and only one was throwing huge, oily black clouds of smoke up into the air. He changed his angle and landed gently on the desk, where panicked fishermen and women had abandoned their rods in favor of trying to loosen and lower the lifeboats. The captain rushed to Clark's side as he took a moment to assess the situation in its entirety.
"The engine, Superman," the captain, a grizzled old pot bellied man with a scraggly white beard, said, pointing. "We were looking for a new spot to cast when it caught fire."
Clark nodded. "I'm on it."
He made his way to the engine and easily put the fire out with the help of his super breath. Then he was back on the main deck, checking for injuries. No one seemed to be hurt, much to Clark's relief. Everyone was thankful for his intervention. None of the lifeboats had been successfully lowered. That concerned him. What if he hadn't been around? Everyone aboard might have been forced into the icy waters of Metropolis Harbor, and he shuddered to think how deadly a turn that could have been.
"Thank you, Superman," the captain was saying, relief evident in his eyes. He looked on the verge of tears.
"I'm just glad I could help," Clark replied, shaking the hand that the captain extended. "The lifeboats are a concern though. It looks like something's stuck or rusted up. It shouldn't be this impossible to get them lowered."
"I agree. But I just had my ship looked over last week. I do it every six months, because it makes me feel better knowing that my vessel is as safe as can be."
"And now the engine caught fire and the lifeboats refuse to lower," Clark mused.
"On the same day," the captain said, nodding.
"Sir, do you have any enemies, that you know about?" Clark asked, the hairs on the back of his neck rising. This reeked of sabotage to him.
"Maybe. A couple of guys in business suits tried to get me to sell my business a month or so back," the captain said thoughtfully. "I told them to take a hike. They've been buying up every business they can on the wharves. This business of mine - it may not be much, but it keeps me happy and busy now that I'm retired and my wife's gone."
"Do you remember anything else about those men?"
The captain thought for a moment, removing his wool cap to scratch the crown of his head as he did so. "Can't say that I do, off the top of my head. I have a business card from them, somewhere."
"Well, don't worry. I know a few people who can look into things for you," Clark said, already on the case, as he saw it. "Now, let's get this ship back to port. I don't trust the engine, even if it would start, so I'll tow you back in. Get me the longest length of the heaviest rope you have."
The captain scrambled away, quicker than his girth allowed the mind to imagine that he would. Minutes later, he emerged with a heavy coil of rope. Clark took one end and secured it to the prow of the boat. The other end he crossed over his chest in a makeshift harness, and knotted it securely. Then he flew out before the ship until the rope was taut. Once he was certain it would hold, he began to fly back toward the docks, going only as quickly as he dared.
He made good time, all things considered, and the men and women aboard seemed to be fine with the pace he set. At least Clark didn't hear anyone getting sick over the railings. In fact, he heard cheering coming from the men and women aboard as the vessel sliced through the water. It didn't take long for them to reach the docks, where Clark carefully positioned the ship before the captain could set the anchor. Then Clark helped get the gangplank into position, allowing those on board to disembark. Everyone stopped to shake his hand as they exited, and Clark was more than happy to speak with each of them for a moment and pose for pictures.
When everything was finally in order, he took off again, flying back to the Planet. Back to Lois. Now that his mind was no longer focused on a crisis, he was free to think of her again. Think and want.
Want is putting it mildly, he thought as he hovered above the Planet. It's like some primal need. I've always dreamed of being with her. But today...I don't know. It's different.
He stayed hidden in a cloud for a few moments while he composed himself, then looked for a place to land. When he found an acceptable spot, he sped into his landing, spun into his work attire, and casually strolled back into the building. He purchased a candy bar as he passed the newsstand in the lobby. He ate it as he waited for the elevator and as it brought him to his floor.
He should have guessed that Lois would be waiting for him when he returned. He'd hoped that she would be more like her normal self when he got back, but she was much the same as when he'd left. She was sitting in his computer chair and idly drawing on a pad of paper. As he drew closer, he could see a variety of hearts drawn there - some small, others large, some with arrows through them or ribbons surrounding them, still others with CK + LL written inside them. And, in a select few, Mrs. Lois Kent.
Well, that's one thing I like the sound of.
"Clarkie! Where have you been?"
Clarkie?!
He tried not to cringe. His old high school girlfriend, Lana, had called him Clarkie. Although, he had to admit, whenever she'd said it, it had been like an ice pick in his brain. With Lois, though he hated the nickname, at least the way she said it made it seem somehow sexy - enticing, even.
"Hi, Lois."
"I missed you."
Clark gave a half-hearted and brief chuckle as he tried to reclaim his chair. Lois allowed him to do so and jumped into his lap instead. She began to kiss his neck. Clark melted. She was hitting all of the right spots. With an effort, he stopped her ministrations, some long minutes later. She huffed in annoyance to be denied her goal.
"I ran into Superman while I was out," he said, trying to swing the conversation around to more pressing matters, and to take his mind off the effect Lois' kisses had had on his body. "He gave me some information about a potential sabotage down at the docks."
"Mmmhmm," she replied in a bored tone.
"A fishing boat suddenly caught fire, and the lifeboats wouldn't deploy."
"Fascinating," she said dryly.
"The captain is supposed to call us in the morning with some further information. He said he was recently approached to sell his business, but refused. Then this happened a week after he had his boat inspected."
"Riveting," Lois said, stifling a yawn.
Clark shook his head. Whatever was going on with Lois, it was hitting her hard. He'd never seen her be so disinterested in a story before, unless it was a puff piece. And this was not a puff piece. His head might have been a bit clouded, but he knew that much at least.
"You're not in the least bit interested?" he asked.
"Only in you," she answered in a seductive manner.
"Lo-is..."
"Cla-ark!"
He sighed and looked at the clock. It was close enough to quitting time. Neither he nor Lois were going to accomplish anything. And, judging from the state of the newsroom, neither was anyone else. It wouldn't matter if he and Lois slipped out a little early. He eased Lois off his lap and stood.
"How about an early dinner?" he suggested.
"Anything, so long as I'm with you," she replied with a grin.
"Chinese?" he asked.
"From that place you always go to?"
"Actually, I think they're closed for renovations," he said.
It was partially the truth. The place was undergoing some renovations. But it was located within China, and even if it had been open for business, Clark was unwilling to leave Lois at his place, alone, lest Luthor try to make a move against her.
The more he thought about it though, the more he wondered if he was just being overprotective of Lois. Surely Luthor wouldn't be stupid enough to order a move against Lois when the police knew that she was the one who was pressing charges against him in the first place. Still, he preferred to be overcautious and over-vigilant, rather than allowing anything to potentially befall the love of his life.
"Pity," Lois observed.
"Sorry," Clark said with a shrug, as he helped her into her coat. "We'll have to settle for one of the delivery places. Your choice."
"Jade Tiger," Lois immediately decided. "They have the best tempura of anyone."
"Your wish is my command," Clark said, as they headed to the elevator bank.
Hopefully she'll be feeling more like her usual self by the time we get back to my place, he thought. Otherwise, this is going to be a long night.
***
Whatever was causing Lois' lack of self control didn't lighten up once they got back to Clark's apartment. In fact, her ardor only seemed to be fanned by the privacy that the location afforded them. Immediately upon entering the apartment, she flung herself into his arms, tackled him to the couch, and began to kiss him with an almost hungry passion. Clark, too, was feeling more uninhibited than before. He eagerly returned her kisses, matching her every movement with his own lips, his tongue darting into her mouth to explore and taste every inch of her.
From some dim portion of his mind, the voice of reason tried to reach him. But it was almost drowned by his desire. He easily pushed that small little voice away, ignoring it for the moment, and just enjoying the attention Lois was giving him. It was his dream come true, to have her willingly lavishing her affections on him.
Willingly? that annoying little voice persisted. Something doesn't feel right.
Again, he slammed the door on that voice and focused solely on Lois. For a long time, he merely kissed her back, loving every moment that they were together. But when they finally broke for a breath, Lois' grumbling stomach broke the mood. Both laughed shyly and Clark picked up the phone to place their food order. The Jade Tiger wasn't very far and the delivery boy seemed to know that they tipped well. Long before the estimated forty-five minute wait, their food arrived, piping hot and with an extra package of crispy noodles for their shared egg drop soup.
They wound up sharing more than just the soup. Lois carefully fed Clark some of her shrimp tempura and Clark fed Lois dainty pieces of his chicken and broccoli. He knew that they talked during their meal, but his thoughts were overwhelmingly of Lois. He tried to keep his attention on what she was saying, but his thoughts kept circling back to her - the way her hair moved as she spoke, the beautiful sound of her laugh, the way her eyes sparkled with love for him, the delicate way she moved her entire body.
When dinner was at last finished, he poured them both a fresh glass of wine as they sat, relaxing, on his couch. Lois crawled into his embrace, and Clark found the close contact with her intoxicating, as always.
"A toast," Lois said, raising her glass and clicking it against his. "To love."
"To love," Clark repeated.
He drained his glass within minutes, debated another glass, then thought better of it. The voice of reason was still strong enough to remind him when he was getting close to doing or saying something that might blow his carefully constructed cover. Even the way he felt - drunk on love, as he deemed it - he knew he could not let on that he was Superman.
Get out of the suit, the voice warned him. Before you blow your cover.
"I, uh, should probably get out of these clothes," he stammered. Then, at Lois' hungry look, "I mean, uh, get into something more comfortable. Did you want to get washed up first?"
Lois shook her head. "No, thanks. I'll change while you get yourself out of those clothes." Her voice was almost a purr.
Clark nodded and ducked into his bedroom, just long enough to root around for an old red sweatshirt and a pair of soft gray drawstring pants. Then he headed into his shower. The cold water did nothing to relieve or even reduce his raging desire for Lois. He was fairly certain that she wanted him just as badly too.
Is it such a bad thing, if she wants me the same way I want her? he wondered.
What if she doesn't? came the whispered reply from his inner voice.
She does, he firmly told himself. She's been all over me all day.
All day since that strange lady came to the Planet.
He sighed audibly, the rush of water concealing the sound. Maybe that was the truth. Maybe that lady had somehow caused the chaos and disorder he'd seen in the bullpen that day. After all, it was awfully strange that Lois had started coming on to him after the entire newsroom had been fumigated by that awful smelling concoction the woman had been forcing everyone to sample. The short hairs on the back of his neck stood at attention.
What did she do to us?
Swiftly, he finished showering and toweled off. In seconds, he was dressed, though he lingered for an extra minute or two so as not to rouse Lois' suspicions. Then he strode out of the bathroom, eager to share his epiphany with her. But his train of thought violently derailed as soon as he stepped back into his bedroom.
Lois had certainly changed out of her work attire. In fact, she was reclined in the middle of his bed, atop the comforter, wearing nothing but the tie he'd worn to work that day.
"Lois? What are you...?"
"Ssh," she silenced him, a finger to her lips. Then, she crooked her finger and made a "come here" gesture. "Join me, won't you?"
"Lois, I'm not...really sure..."
"Ssh," she chastised him again. "I want this. I want you."
She rose and took the tie off, deftly hooking the material over Clark's neck once she reached him. She used like a towline to guide him to the bed. By then, the last of Clark's mental clarity had vanished. He willingly allowed her to pull him down onto the bed. Off came his shirt. He hadn't even been aware that she had been pulling it over his head. Once it was gone, her hands began to roam his chest.
"You're amazing," Lois whispered against his ear as she nibbled on his lobe. "Did I ever tell you that?"
Clark made a non-committal noise in his throat. Truth be told, he was barely able to remember his own name through the pleasure and sheer joy coming from having Lois so boldly caressing his skin. Caution and self restraint fled him. By the time Lois leaned in to whisper "Make love to me, Clark" in his ear, the word "no" was no longer a part of his vocabulary.
Sleep took a back seat to their passion. Three times they reached their pleasure together. Three wonderful, amazing times, each better than the last in Clark's mind. He'd dreamed about being with Lois, many, many times since he'd met her. But to actually, physically be making love with her surpassed any of his fantasies.
It was almost painful to give in when sleep came to claim them both. Grudgingly, Clark closed his eyes, his heart alight with the greatest, most intense happiness he'd ever known.
"I love you, Lois," he murmured as his arms closed around her to hold her close as they slept.
To Be Continued...
