Hello everyone! Next part as promised, and yes, I do think it will be 9 parts total. C-ya next time!
Table of Contents ***********
PART SEVEN
***********
Lois’s stomach growled and she complained, “I would kill for some French fries.”
So far on their site-seeing tour, they had only gone to the Louvre. But they had spent a good deal of time admiring the beautiful art there, not to mention all the walking they had done... and were still doing. She was starving.
Clark grinned at her as they crossed the street. “Don’t you mean frites?”
She wrinkled her nose in disgust. “Ewww, no. I mean the American version of French fries with lots of ketchup. In France, they eat their *frites* with mayonnaise.” She shuddered at the thought.
Clark bit back a laugh and shrugged. “I’m sure we can find a McDonald’s or something similar around here somewhere.” He started scanning both sides of the street they were walking down.
She shook her head. “No. It’s not every day that you come to Paris. You should eat some authentic Parisian food.”
“Well, it’s up to you, but I’d rather not eat at some fancy French restaurant,” he told her honestly.
She stopped and turned to face him. What did he mean by that? “Why not? Afraid I might consider that a date?”
He laughed. “No. I just thought it would be nice to grab something and eat it at a park or maybe on our way to the Eiffel Tower. Have you been to the Eiffel Tower yet?”
Lois shook her head. “No, not yet. At least, not this time. I went to see it several years ago when I was here with some girlfriends.”
“Will you show it to me, then?” he asked, hoping that he could find enough activities to keep them busy the rest of day and on into the evening. He didn’t want to lose one minute of time with Lois while he was here.
“Yeah, but we should wait just a little longer because the view is best at sunset,” she said wistfully.
He nodded. “Great. That gives us just enough time to grab something to eat.”
Lois smiled and suddenly found herself wishing again that she hadn’t wasted half her day in bed. Although, that thought was stupid because Clark hadn’t even arrived until after she woke up, so it wouldn’t have mattered.
“I’m glad you came, Clark,” she said warmly, giving him a soft pat on the arm.
Clark smiled at her and slipped one hand to the small of her back as they crossed the street at the intersection.
Not as glad as he was. He just wished they had more time. To keep up pretenses, he would have to *fly* back to Metropolis fairly early the next day in order to be back to work on time for the Monday morning staff meeting... even though, technically, he could be back there in mere minutes.
He’d already had to waste part of their day today, waiting for Lois to wake up. If she hadn’t come around when she did, he had been prepared to just go ahead and knock and wake her up.
Clark concealed a frown from Lois. The weekend was going to go too fast. And then what? He couldn’t come back the next weekend. Lois would be suspicious. She could probably guess roughly what his salary was, and he couldn’t afford to fly to Paris every weekend that was for sure.
Added to that, he had already ruled out the idea of Superman bringing him.
He held back a sigh. No more dwelling on it. They still had the rest of the day today, and he intended to make the most of it.
That’s why he had left Superman at home. Not literally of course, he still had the suit on, but he had made a conscious effort to dampen his super-hearing. Not only because he wanted to spend an uninterrupted day with Lois, but also because of appearances.
Superman’s home was Metropolis. That was the city he was known for protecting. It was true that he had been seen other places, including Paris, but only for something *big*. Not for your everyday, run-of-the-mill crimes. People, including Lois, would find it suspicious if Superman was all of the sudden seen flying all over Paris... not to mention how suspect it would be if Clark kept running off at the drop of a hat. Lois wouldn’t buy it. What kind of excuse could he possibly have in Paris?
So far, everything had gone smoothly. He had only intervened a couple of times to help, and even at that, he had done it old school – behind the scenes, no Superman.
Like the woman whose purse had been snatched when they were coming out of the Louvre.
Clark had very discreetly blown a sharp blast of air at the thief, just enough to knock him off his feet and send the purse flying. That, and the woman’s shrill screams, had been more than enough to send the thug running off without collecting the purse.
Not the best solution, granted. Clark would rather have seen him apprehended for his crime. But at least the woman had gotten her purse back.
“Oooh, look!” Lois exclaimed, interrupting his thoughts. “That place looks good. I bet they even have fries!”
Clark smiled as she tugged on his arm, leading him towards their dining destination.
Yes, he was certainly glad he had come.
**********
Lois gazed out at the city from their vantage point inside the Eiffel Tower. She didn’t think there was a view any prettier than this...
...except maybe when she was flying in Superman’s arms.
She frowned. No. Amazingly, even that didn’t appeal to her as much as being here with Clark to view the spectacular sunset together. Clark looked almost wistful as he took in the breathtaking majesty of the city.
Lois shivered. She hadn’t thought to grab a jacket when they left her room earlier. The weather was beautiful this time of the year but still managed to get just a little chilly at night – especially this high up with the gentle breeze that was blowing.
Clark shifted to stand behind her and put his hands on her arms, rubbing them softly. “Sorry, I wish I had a jacket to give you. Do we need to go back down?”
She shook her head. Certainly not.
The moment Clark had put his hands on her arms, it had suddenly seemed not nearly as chilly. That thought surprised her and caused a flush to course through her, warming her even further.
What was she thinking?
She was thinking that she wished he would slide his hands on around and embrace her... that’s what she was thinking. Discreetly, she took a step back, allowing herself to lean against him, enjoying the warmth of his body against hers.
Get a grip, girl!
But she couldn’t. She was lost and she didn’t understand. How could Clark tell her one minute that he was in love with her and that she had to have known... and then tell her later that he had lied?
Why?
Then things had been a little weird between them after that and she had run off to Paris.
But now, he was here.
Why?
Lois frowned, furrowing her eyebrows as the answer became so abruptly clear. Because he *had* lied. Suddenly, all of the pieces seemed to come together. He hadn’t lied when he said he loved her. He had lied when he said it was a lie.
*That* was the lie.
It had to be.
But what did that mean? Did he still love her? He was here, wasn’t he? A man doesn’t travel thousands of miles across the ocean to see a friend, does he?
And a woman who enjoys standing in the arms of that man doesn’t just consider him a friend or a warm blanket, does she?
No, she does not.
Clark hesitantly slipped his arms around Lois when she leaned back against him, enveloping her in an embrace. He couldn’t believe she was letting him hold her like this.
He wanted to let himself believe that she was enjoying this as much as he was, but he knew it wasn’t true.
Was it?
He felt Lois sigh in his arms and it almost seemed like a sigh of contentment. Or maybe that’s just what he wished it could be.
“Clark?”
“Hmmm?”
“Don’t you think this is an almost perfect night?” She tipped her head back to rest against his shoulder and a rush of heat flowed through him.
“Not *almost*.” He looked down in time to see her smile softly.
“I really hate to ruin it,” she said quietly, straightening up and stepping away from him.
Clark frowned, unhappy at the loss of her body against his but even more so because of her words. “Why? What’s wrong?”
She turned to look at him and the expression on her face was intensely serious. “Clark, if I ask you something, will you tell me the truth?”
His palms suddenly seemed sweaty. “Of course.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Even if it was something that you had lied to me about?”
Clark’s tongue felt thick in his mouth and his throat had gone bone dry... he cleared it before replying, “How do you know I lied?”
She looked away from him, out towards the dazzling scarlet sky. “I don’t. Not for sure. That’s why I want to know that you’ll tell me the truth now.”
He swallowed tightly. He had to tell her. Whatever she asked, he was an open book. “I promise.”
She looked relieved and yet afraid, all at once. “That day at The Planet, when we found out that Mr. Sterns was going to rebuild and we would be back in business, you told me that you had lied to me in the park when you told me that you loved me.” She took an unsteady breath. “Was *that* a lie?”
Clark was caught off guard. “I...” he stammered and words wouldn’t come.
“Please, just tell me,” she implored, “because this is so confusing... and frustrating.”
Lois rubbed her hands up and down on her arms, her chill having returned as soon as she had left his arms. What if she had been wrong? She was such an idiot!
“I left Metropolis to start fresh,” she continued earnestly. “To try to clear my head and find some perspective. And now, here you are, muddying things again.” She sighed wearily. “I don’t understand why you’re here unless you lied to me that day at The Planet, unless you really do care for me. And I don’t mean as a friend or as a partner but-”
“I do care,” Clark admitted quietly, interrupting her. “I’ve always cared.”
It wasn’t what he wanted to say - what he wanted to do. He wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her, long and deep. But that was something that was done in movies, not something that happened in real life. And chances were good that she would be just as likely to pull back and slap him as she would be to accept his advances.
But now he didn’t know what to do. Lois had looked away from him and seemed to be contemplating something. Clark didn’t know what else to say. Swear to her that he would never hide from her again? Spill his deepest darkest secrets to her here and now to prove it?
“Lois... I-”
“Why did you lie?” she asked, turning to face him, her face a mixture of hurt and confusion. “Why did you take it back?”
“I don’t know,” he stammered. “I was afraid-”
Her eyebrows shot up. “Of me?”
He shook his head. “No. Well... sort of.” When her eyes narrowed he quickly continued, “I was afraid of messing things up.”
“Well, you did,” she said pointedly, sighing with frustration.
Clark didn’t know if he should say something or be quiet. “I’m sorry,” he finally pleaded softly. “I-”
“You don’t even know what you did...” Lois shook her head miserably as she explained, “I had been about to tell you that I had realized I was wrong... that I had feelings for you. But then you told me that you lied and-”
“Wait,” he interrupted, not sure he believed what he was hearing, “you had-”
She nodded. “I realized that you were more to me than just a friend... that I had feelings for you too, but you then you went and-”
Clark suddenly found himself kissing her. Damn the rational thought processes in his head that told him this wasn’t done in real life... that it wasn’t right.
It *felt* right.
He deepened the kiss when Lois didn’t pull away, allowing the pent up emotions of the past several months to flow through him, from his lips to hers, connecting them in a way that he had never dreamed possible. She felt so right in his arms. He didn’t want the moment to end.
Lois needed to breathe, but somehow, at the same time, she didn’t. The kiss felt so familiar somehow... It was true that Clark had kissed her once or twice before when they were undercover but never like this. Why did this feel so familiar?
The answer eluded her. The only thought her brain could clearly transmit was that she couldn’t believe that he would grab her like this and kiss her. Clark. Her partner. Her friend.
Her... so much more.
But right now, he needed to know that one kiss – even one as good and as right as this one felt – didn’t fix everything.
Didn’t even begin to...
Lois pulled away from him and looked sadly into his eyes. “No.”
Clark looked confused. “No?”
“No. I can’t do this,” she explained, shaking her head. “I need... to think. I need-”
“Lois, wait. I shouldn’t have-”
“No. Please. I need to leave.” She held up one hand as if to create a boundary between them. It was all too much. She felt like she was being suffocated by the numerous emotions enveloping her. Too much, too fast. She had to get out of here, clear her head. “I’m sorry, Clark.”
Clark felt as if his throat had swollen shut. This was a disaster. Lois was leaving. He wanted to say something; wanted to stop her. But in the end, all he did was watch her go.
**********
“I’m such an idiot!” Clark complained loudly to his mom.
“Honey, don’t be so hard on yourself,” she comforted him, rubbing her hand in a circle over his back. “At least the two of you got things out in the open. It’s a start.”
Clark sighed in frustration. “Yeah, but I don’t even know why she left. Was it because I kissed her? Or because I lied to her?”
“Probably a little of both,” his mom soothed. “I’m sure it was all a little overwhelming.”
“Maybe I should try to call her,” Clark said, rising from his seat at the kitchen table, “I could at least leave her a message...”
“No, Son,” his dad objected. “You just left her a half hour ago. Give her some time.”
“I need to come clean with her,” Clark mused out loud, returning to his seat.
“About what?” his mom asked, raising an eyebrow as she glanced over at her husband.
“You know what,” Clark said doggedly. “I lied to her about my feelings, Mom. She’s upset because I lied. And in her eyes, I’m two separate people. I’ve been pretending to be two different people for the past year.” He sighed before continuing, “How do you think she’s going to look at that when she finds out? More lies?”
“But you didn’t lie about being Superman,” his mom objected.
“Maybe...”
“No maybes, Clark,” she insisted. “Did she ever *ask* you if you were Superman and you denied it?”
“Well, no...”
“Exactly. And it’s not like you’ve told everyone but her,” she reasoned.
“Yes, but you know she’ll be upset,” he persisted. “I pretended to be two people. I forced her to differentiate between the two, create separate relationships, and then got upset with her when she favored one over the other. I have to tell her.”
His mom rubbed his shoulders one last time and then wrapped her arms around him in a hug. “You know that your dad and I will support whatever decision you make. Lois is a special girl - we’ve known that from the beginning.”
Lois was special. Clark finally realized something. All along, he had been afraid he would never find someone who would accept him for who and what he was. He was different and he had always thought he would be alone because of that.
But Lois loved him in *spite* of that – she just didn’t know that yet.
He had been jealous of himself, as ridiculous as that might sound, wanting Lois to love him – Clark – when really he should have been happy that she loved that other side of him. She wasn’t afraid to be close to Superman; she loved him.
And she loved Clark.
She loved him whole.
And he owed her his love as a whole man.
**********
Lois walked... like she had been doing for the past half an hour. But at least now she had a destination in mind. Starting out, she had just walked aimlessly... not really knowing where she was going, just that she had to get away.
Away from what, exactly, she wasn’t sure.
No. She was getting away from Clark. He had lied to her.
But shouldn’t it have made her happy to find out that he had lied?
Happy? No, not the right word. Vindicated? Maybe...
This whole time she had been confused, unsure of how he felt about her and how she felt about him. Now she knew. He really did love her and she...
Well, right now, she was mad at him - because he had lied.
The real reason she was mad was that she didn’t know how she could trust him now. He told her he loved her; then he told her that he lied to her and he really wasn’t in love with her; but now she finds out that he lied about lying to her.
It made her head hurt. How do you trust someone after that?
And now she didn’t know what to do. Clark had come here... to see her. They had everything out in the open now regarding their feelings for one another...
...and she was running away.
Since when did Lois Lane run away from anything?
Since she left Metropolis and ran off to Paris to escape her problems, her conscience reminded her?
That’s not what she had done... was it?
Well, the running was going to stop right here. She would go back and confront Clark and then...
“Mmmpf,” Lois groaned out loud as she collided with someone on the sidewalk. She looked up and was immediately horrified. “Claude?”
“Lois? Are you okay?” Claude asked, bending down to pick up the folder he had dropped upon their collision.
“Fine,” she groused, sidestepping him to move past him.
“Wait. Where are you going?”
“Where do you think?” she quipped, pointing.
He turned to glance at the building behind him. “Work?” Turning back to face her, he raised an inquisitive eyebrow. “It’s Sunday.”
“I know,” she growled.
“It’s late,” he continued, his voice a mixture of curiosity and concern, “and I don’t think there is anyone left inside. It was just me and-”
“Look, I have some research I want to do,” Lois complained. “As you said, it’s late. So can I go inside or do you want to grill me some more out here on the sidewalk?”
He sighed, shaking his head. “Come on. I’ll go in with you.”
Lois was dismayed. “Go in? With me? No. I just need-”
“The building is locked,” Claude explained patiently. “Would you rather I just leave you out here on the sidewalk?”
She bit her lip. “Nevermind. I can just do the research tomorrow.” She didn’t actually have any research to do, so obviously she couldn’t have him traipsing along inside behind her.
While she had been so intent on running away, the Planet had seemed a good alternative to her hotel room. She had been afraid that if she went back to her room that Clark might be there, waiting for her. But now...
Well, now, she was going to confront Clark... so her hotel room would probably be the best place to start looking for him.
“Lois, we need to talk.”
“I’ll see you in the morning, Claude,” she said stiffly, turning to walk away. “We can talk then.” She didn’t have time for this right now.
“All right.” He sighed wearily. “But we *are* going to talk. Tomorrow. My office. Eight o’clock.”
Lois grimaced, pausing in her departure. “Sure thing, boss.”
Great. Just peachy.
**********
To be continued...
