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EpilogueOne month later...“Stop that!” Lois said while giggling, knowing she really wanted him to continue. It would be too easy to let him push her into his couch cushions – their couch cushions – but she knew their dinner guests would be arriving soon.
Clark nibbled lightly on her neck, kissing her skin as he pulled her tighter into his embrace. “Never.”
She squealed as his tongue touched a ticklish spot. “They’re going to be here any minute.”
He kissed his way up to her ear and sucked lightly on her lobe. “I’ll be quick,” he murmured.
Lois stroked her hands lightly over his lower back. “Save it for later, when you can go slowly.”
Clark moved to capture her mouth, parting his lips and kissing her deeply, thoroughly, with a lazy, languishing pace. Lois moaned softly as her head swam in the sensation.
The doorbell rang; Lois smiled against Clark’s lips. “Told ya.”
“Fine.” Clark released her, backing away slightly. “I’ll take a rain check.” He stood up from the couch, and she gave him a playful wink. He skipped up his living room’s steps and opened the front door to his apartment. “Hey.”
Barry and Wanda stepped through the entry. “Hey, yourself,” Wanda said. Then she cast her eyes across the room and said, “Hey, Lois.”
Lois smiled, and then smiled wider at the realization that she was smiling. A month ago, the last time the four of them had been together in this apartment, she certainly hadn’t been smiling. Part of her had believed she never would.
But she had. Lois had truly come to accept Wanda’s existence, had started seeing her as a friend. And though she didn’t feel quite the same kinship as Clark and Barry had with each other, she did believe that maybe, in time, she and Wanda would one day be as close as sisters.
“Hi, Wanda.” Lois picked up an unopened can of cream soda from the coffee table. “Care for a drink?”
Wanda laughed. “Why, thank you! How kind of you to ask.”
Barry shot a questioning look at Clark. “I think we’re missing something.”
Clark nodded. “Clearly.”
Wanda turned towards Clark. “What’s for dinner?” she asked.
Clark stuffed his hands into his pockets. “Well, that’s up for debate. I was going to cook, but there was an apartment fire this afternoon that required Superman’s attention. It took longer than I thought it would.”
“Not a problem at all,” Barry said. He clapped Clark on the back before descending the steps into the living room.
“So, what are you all in the mood for?” Clark asked.
Lois thought for a moment. “Chinese, from the good place?”
Wanda suggested, “Italian?”
“Wanda!” Barry said with a hiss. He lowered his voice as he crossed over to her. “You know what pasta does to me.”
Clark burst out laughing. Lois blushed slightly, but then began laughing as well.
Wanda’s eyes flew open as she looked between them. “No! Really?” She sidled up next to Lois and asked, “Does Clark get...insatiable?” Her eyes sparkled with amusement.
“No comment.”
“Italian sounds good to me,” Clark said with a wink.
“Me, too,” Wanda said, running her index finger across her lower lip as she batted her eyelashes at Barry.
Barry lightly admonished her with a look and said, “Chinese would be better.”
Clark dashed away, and a moment later, reappeared in Superman’s outfit. “How about a little of both?” He tossed a spare suit at Barry. “Race you around the world?”
Barry smiled brightly as he started to take off his shirt. “Oh, you’re on! But you have to show me how you change so fast.”
When Barry’s hands went to his pants, Wanda clamped her hand over Lois’ eyes. “No peeking!”
“I’ve seen something similar before,” Lois teased.
“Similar is not the same!” Wanda lowered her hand after Barry finished changing into Superman’s costume.
Clark shook his finger. “I expect a receipt in Italian.”
Barry pretended to be insulted. “Me? Cheat? Never.”
Clark’s eyes radiated excitement. “Ready, set...”
Barry took off without waiting for “Go.”
“Cheater!” Clark shouted before dashing out the window.
Lois shook her head with a laugh. “Those two...”
“Seriously.” Wanda hooked her arm into Lois’ and dragged her to the couch. She pulled Lois down, curled her legs underneath herself, and said, “Okay, you’ve got one minute to give me gossip. Spill.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh my God, you so do!” Wanda poked Lois’ arm playfully. “Is married life fun?”
Lois rolled her eyes and pressed her lips together. “Maybe,” she confessed.
“Pfft.” Wanda crossed her arms. “He must be doing it wrong if that’s all you have to say about it.”
Lois sank back into the cushions and looked upwards. “Oh, he’s doing it right.” She felt her heart beat slightly faster as a memory came to the surface of her thoughts. “Last week, on the ceiling...” Her eyelids fluttered shut and a satisfied hum escaped her lips.
“The ceiling?” Wanda sounded confused, and then she gasped. Lois looked at her as Wanda’s face transformed into a look of understanding. “He uses his powers!” She sank into the cushions and looked up with unfocused eyes and a sly grin, clearly lost in her own thoughts.
A rush of wind signaled Clark’s return. Lois got up to help set the table as Clark spun out of his suit, then opened the lids off the Chinese steamer baskets. “What’s with her?” he asked Lois as his head nudged towards Wanda.
“You don’t want to know.”
Barry returned. “Darn it,” he said with a laugh. He set his Italian food on the table and began flipping open the boxes.
Clark winked at Barry. “Better luck next time.”
“Heat,” Wanda muttered to herself. “Cold.” She tugged down at the hem of her dress as she rubbed her legs together.
“Is she okay?” Barry asked.
Lois turned to him. “I apologize in advance,” she said, before blushing and turning away to set serving spoons into the containers.
Wanda seemed to snap out of her daydream. “Barry!” She crossed the room, stuck a fork into a piece of penne, and then brought it to his mouth. As he ate the bite, Wanda whispered something into Barry’s ear. His eyes widened.
Clark cleared his throat and looked embarrassed. He concentrated very hard on dishing out a plate of food.
“Excuse us,” Barry said as he dragged Wanda off towards the bathroom. The door slammed shut.
After a few moments, Clark put his hands over his ears and called out, “You can keep that suit!”
Lois smiled seductively, sticking her fork into a piece of penne and twirling it in the air. “Do you need a distraction?”
Clark let out a laugh, then leaned over the table and met Lois in a kiss. “I certainly wouldn’t pass one up.”
“They were made for each other.”
“So were we.”
Lois braced her hands against the table, leaning over the food, and deepened the kiss. She heard the bathroom door open behind her.
“Are we interrupting something?” Barry asked with undisguised irony.
Lois sat down in her chair, glancing over her shoulder to see that Barry had changed out of the suit. “Nope.”
Clark waggled his eyebrows as he sat down opposite her. “Certainly not.”
Wanda sat next to Lois and began to serve herself. “Oh my God, this all smells so good.”
Barry sat next to Clark and smiled. “Good food. Great company.”
Clark nodded at him in agreement.
They all sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes as they began eating their dinner. Then Wanda started up a conversation. “So, Lois, what’s been going on lately?”
Lois grumbled as she bit off the end of a Chinese dumpling. “Ugh. Mother called today and talked my ear off for fifteen minutes straight. She’s still livid that Clark and I eloped.”
Clark added, “That’s what we told her, anyway. It seemed easier than going into all the details of what really happened.”
“I totally get it,” Wanda said. She nudged Lois with her elbow. “Does this mean I shouldn’t expect an invitation to your parents’ house for Christmas dinner?”
Lois rolled her eyes. “Trust me. My gift to you is not making you ever deal with my parents.”
“Well, I’m sure my parents would love to have you both come out to Smallville,” Clark said.
“That would be cool.” A trace of sorrow crossed Barry’s face. “I bet your father is a lot nicer than mine was.”
Clark clasped him on the shoulder. “And I bet he’d be open to the idea of unofficially adopting another son.” Barry smiled.
Wanda pushed her food around her plate. “Yeah, they were super nice. But I don’t think they’d be too happy to see me again. If I hadn’t told Lex about Clark’s secret, he wouldn’t have come here to hurt everyone.”
“They don’t blame you. None of us do.” Clark held out his hand across the table, and Lois squeezed it reassuringly.
Lois released his hand, then said to Wanda, “Jonathan and Martha are the most forgiving people I know.”
“Really?” Wanda asked with a glint of hope in her eye.
“Really. I bet Martha will even offer you a drink without you having to ask.”
Wanda grinned.
Lois sighed wistfully. “Martha is wonderful. She doesn’t harp at me over missing our wedding.”
Barry said, “I bet she’s just happy that you’re a part of Clark’s life.”
“Exactly,” Clark agreed. “Your mother will get over it eventually.”
“Oh, no. As far as she’s concerned, our first ceremony didn’t count and our elopement didn’t happen. She’s insisting we have another huge wedding with all the trimmings.” Lois shook her head in exasperation. “I cannot deal with one more seating chart, or floral centerpiece, or fabric aisle runner.”
Clark snickered. “I bet you appreciate Wanda now. She spared you all of that last time.”
“Don’t even get me started,” Lois warned, though the humor in her tone of voice was evident to everyone at the table.
Wanda sighed dreamily. “I’d love to have a big, fancy wedding. But we don’t have the money for anything like that, and we certainly don’t have enough friends and family to fill the guest list.”
“You’re assuming I’m even going to ask you to marry me someday.” Barry could barely cover his impish grin.
Wanda pointed her fork at him. “And you assume I’m just going to wait around until you do.”
Clark leaned over towards Barry. “Do you want me to teach you how to crush carbon into a diamond?”
“That might come in handy.”
Wanda sank back into her chair with a satisfied smirk.
Lois shoved a ravioli into her mouth and chewed thoughtfully. “You know, you should just take our places.”
Wanda’s eyes grew wide and she shook her head emphatically. “Oh, no! I’m not doing that again. I just finally convinced you to stop hating me from the last time.”
“I’m serious. You two get your license. I’ll let Mother plan the wedding of her dreams. And then, when it’s time to walk down the aisle, you two slip in there and get married. And you can party at the reception while we hightail it to Bora Bora for the honeymoon.”
Clark laughed. “Superman and Ultrawoman can be your best man and maid of honor.”
The four of them all looked at each other in silence for a moment, then at the same time said, “Nah!”
Barry took a few bites of food before saying, “You two never did have an actual wedding, did you?”
Clark looked meaningfully at Lois. “Not really.”
Lois shrugged. “We said our vows.” But she bit her lip, unwilling to reveal more. That night in her apartment had been beautiful. And that should have been enough. Still...Lois sighed and cast her thoughts aside.
Barry barreled ahead. “You should have a ceremony. I’d love to be the best man.”
Lois rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands. “It’s not worth dealing with Mother.”
“So don’t do it for her. Do it for yourselves. Go fly to Vegas or something.”
Lois froze. A vision of a little white chapel, glowing under neon lights, flashed through her. Perry dressed in an Elvis costume, Jimmy taking photos, Martha and Jonathan sitting in the front row. Maybe Lucy would even drive over from L.A. “Barry and Wanda could be there as Superman and Ultrawoman,” she said out loud.
Wanda squealed and clapped her hands. “Oooh! Yes! Dressing up is so much fun!”
Clark smiled slowly, as if the idea lit him up from within. “No one would think twice about seeing celebrity impersonators in Las Vegas. And I would love for my brother to be my best man.”
Lois nodded, then looked at Wanda. “And my sister should be my maid of honor.”
Wanda reminded her quietly, “You already have a sister.”
Suddenly, everything clicked into place. For the first time in months, Lois felt complete, as if the scars cutting across her heart had instantly healed. She set down her fork and turned in her chair. She pulled Wanda into a hug, laying her head on her twin’s shoulder, trying to share her sense of joy. She could feel Wanda’s shock as she tensed, and then her delight when her shoulders relaxed.
Lois whispered into Wanda’s ear, “It wouldn’t hurt to have one more.”
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