If at first you don't succeed... by ML Thompson
I have read this great story two weeks ago, but only now I'm able to find some time to post my comment, mostly because I made a comment-during-reading sort of thing, so few words of praise have become a very long post. I loved this story, it's another great work of a very talented author, her use of the "Twas the night before Mxymas" ' plot is fabulous, and a great idea is setting the story early in season one, when Clark is still trying to understand what being a superhero means, and his relationship with Lois is at the beginning.
I especially love her ability to insert humour in dramatic situation:
Clark let out a slow breath when she closed the door to the conference room and gestured him to a chair. He remained standing. It hadn't worked telling her about the time loop as Clark. But Superman... Surely she would believe if Superman told her about the time loop.
* * * * * * * * *
Okay, so maybe he was wrong, Superman thought as he stood in his padded room
Clark is in a difficult situation, days are repeating, nobody but him knows it, and Lois thinks he's crazy; but a quick smile can mitigated the despair in the story.
As I was reading, I continued to write down my comments and thoughts; I'll try to re-write them here, quoting the parts I loved the most:
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"So you saw Clark?" she asked.
"Yes."
"Did he seem all right to you?"
He was caught off guard by the question. She actually sounded concerned about Clark. "He seemed fine. Why?" He hadn't been able to help asking.
"He's just been acting... I don't know. I guess I'm just worried about him."
Suddenly he wondered if he'd discounted an obvious way of getting her help without having her lock him up. "Well... If I tell you something, you can't say anything."
"I promise," Lois instantly responded.
"He did say something to me." This way if she suggested locking Clark up, Superman could talk her out of it.
This is probably a turning point, where Superman asks Lois's help, but she is the one who'd be able to break the time circle, with her concern for Clark.
"I'm just not... I know I'll probably hate myself in the morning, but I'm not... I mean, I'm crazy about you. You have to know that. But there's someone... I'm just not ready yet."
Clark closed his eyes. 'There's someone... I'm just not ready.' Obviously she was in conflict between her feelings for him and someone else. An old boyfriend maybe? Probably.
Again Lois is unconsciously trying to break the time loop, and that invisible bond which connects her to Clark is becoming more evident. Obviously, Clark is a lunkhead, and he thinks that "someone" means "someone else"!
He suddenly wondered what would happen if... Without worrying about the consequences - after all, there were no consequences - he pulled Lois into his arms, seizing her lips with his. For a moment, there was no reaction. And then he felt it. Her hands slipped up his chest and around his neck even as her lips softened under his. He followed the first kiss with a second, slipping his tongue into her slightly open mouth, desperate to connect with her as Clark. It was a good ten minutes before he pulled back.
Lois stumbled out of his arms, fighting to regain her balance.
"Lois, I..."
YAY! My first thought: Lois and Clark's kiss feels right, much more than Lois and Superman's one; perhaps now they are going to work together... or she'll slap him. :rolleyes:
Her hand suddenly landed hard across his face.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she demanded.
Okay, but she has responded to his kiss! Mmmm, promising!
Rolling over, he looked through the wall and door to see Lois standing outside. What was she doing here? For a moment, he was tempted to answer. Then he decided against it. What was the point? He didn't particularly want to talk to her.
"Clark, are you in there?"
Stubbornly, he rolled back over and closed his eyes. A minute or so later, he heard strange noises coming from outside the door. Unable to resist the curiosity, he glanced again at the door just in time to see Lois break in, carrying a brown paper bag.
"Hello? Anyone home?" she called from the living room, even as she commenced her descent towards his bedroom. He quickly put on his glasses.
"What are you doing here?" he asked when she appeared in the doorway to his room.
"Well, when you didn't come in today... I asked Perry. He said you didn't even call. Didn't you know you're supposed to call if you're sick?"
Very promising!
He gave his head a shake, making his way to the cupboard to pull out a pot. "I can take it from here. I'm sure you must have somewhere you need to be."
"No."
Clark stopped in mid-motion, looking at Lois. The Superman auction was tonight. So what was she doing here?
Perhaps we have the Waffy Moment of this story! Lois, early in season one, cares more about Clark than Superman auction! This is true love!
In other news, Radio Italia has announced today that the Leaning Tower of Pisa is no longer leaning. That's right, folks. No one knows how, but apparently someone came in and straightened it. Italian officials are..."
Ehi! Hands off the tower! I'm practically born under the Tower of Pisa! Yes, It's true! If you are at the top of the tower, looking towards the sea, at your left you have a group of buildings surrounded by gardens: these are S. Chiara Hospitals and I was born there! So you cannot mess with my tower! :p
Ok, ok, I'm kidding!
Seriously, this is a sore point: too many people have had a hand in it during this last fifteen years, trying to straighten it a little; after underground infiltrations, steel cables, armours, it's miraculous that the poor tower is still here! We can be very possessive of our Torre and our Piazza dei Miracoli!
Finally: Cla-ark? Hoo hoo? Strangest things are happening all around the world, don't you think you should have to investigate the causes? Well, I know by now you've almost completely lost hope for tomorrow, and you are totally upset, but still... Okay, yes, I wouldn't care about it too. Poor Clark.
"Nothing. Look, Lois, come out with me tonight. Call it a date. Call it a trial date. Call it... friends having dinner. Call it anything you like. But just agree to spend some time with me."
She continued to watch him for a moment, as if looking for the angle. "Okay," she finally said, her voice taking on a slightly shy tone.
You could almost hear me saying "Better and better!" at this point!
"Clark, what are you doing?"
Clark turned towards her from where he'd stepped away from the protection of the building while they waited for their cab to stand, hands outstretched, looking up as the rain poured down around him. If there was one thing the time loop had taught him, it was to appreciate the moment. After all, that was all there was. He lowered his hands as the rain ran unheeded down his face. The door opened and two more patrons stepped outside, pulling up collars and taking out an umbrella before they dashed together towards a nearby car.
The door behind them slowly closed, allowing Lois and Clark hear the soft melody coming from inside. Clark suddenly smiled.
"Dance with me, Lois."
Awwwww, dancing in the rain... Lois has a good voice, she could sing! It doesn't matter if the rain is damaging my dress, destroying my expensive new shoes, and messing my make-up, I'm dancing with Clark!
"Well, here we are." Lois removed her keys and began unlocking her door. Once it was open, she turned towards him. "Would you like to come in? We could open a bottle of wine." Her voice trembled slightly as if she was unsure how her offer might be received.
"It's getting late, Lois. I really should..." He gestured in the direction of the stairs.
"Oh, of course," Lois said immediately, feigning an air of indifference. "Yeah, I shouldn't have even..." Her voice trailed off.
"Goodnight, Lois," Clark said, turning away before he could change his mind and walking towards the stairs.
I can not believe it! He's protecting his heart, but still... Poor Lois, she'll remember nothing in two days, but now she's hurt! Poor poor Lois, poor Clark. I don't know how you are going to solve this mess, even if, thanks to Wendy's beautiful trailer, I know the causes.
And so to find myself standing on that platform, time and time again..."
He closed his eyes and drew in a long slow breath. Her hand on his cheek caused him to look up. She'd left her position of safety against the wall to approach him and there were tears in her eyes.
"I'm sorry, Clark," she said softly.
"It's not your fault, Lois. It's just the way things are." He looked away.
"No. No, Clark." Her hand went under his chin so that he was forced to look back at her. "I don't accept that this is the way things are. And I can't believe you would either. Together we will find a way to stop this bounce."
YES! Now that they are working together, everything will be right in the world (including Canadian Prime Minister' clothes, Mount Rushmore' faces, and my tower!
Finally, there was the way Lois kept stealing shy looks at him. Every time he'd catch her watching him over the top of her coffee cup or from behind her computer monitor, his heart would race. It was not the look she normally gave Superman. Nor was it the way she had always looked at Clark. It was something new and although he wasn't entirely sure how to interpret it and knew that shortly the look would be gone, for the first time in what felt like months, he had hope for the future.
Finally, he's feeling hope again! But what is Lois feeling? Probably she's upset thinking that if they don't succeed during this time loop, she'll lose her new discovered feelings for Clark!
Lois wasn't entirely certain how she ended up sitting outside the same restaurant she had passed the previous night. El Tambo del Oro. But when she'd left work, the car had just seemed to drive itself there. Pulling off to the side of the road, she sat, staring at the front entrance for a long time, trying to figure out what it was about the place that seemed to call to her.
Finally, unable to stand not knowing what it was that felt so familiar about this place, what felt so good about this place, she got out of the car and walked across the street. She was surprised to discover that her pulse rate rose when she was again standing in front of the door.
Please Lois, enter inside this restaurant! You will know what is drawing you there, you'll feel the wonderful new sensations you had discovered with Clark!
Yes! You're not going to start again the time loop now, are you?
"I just think... I hate to say this, but I think we should wait until the next loop. Then you can put this plan into action."
Noooo! You're killing me here!
Her grip tightened as she placed her lips next to his ear. "The person who stopped me from making love to Superman was you."
So, so sweet, and heartbreaking! We know it, obviously, but I really didn't see her revelation coming!
She unexpectedly felt slightly rattled. Still, she pushed on. This was important. For a reason she couldn't put into words, she was not willing to wait another day. "You know, Clark. I've been thinking. There's this Spanish restaurant I've been dying to try. And I was sort of wondering... Well, would you like to go with me?" She felt heat rise in her cheeks. Still, it was out there now. She waited nervously for his response.
"I'd love to, Lois," Clark said.
She met his smile with her own, suddenly knowing in her gut that everything was going to work out.
W O N D E R F U L ! I'd like to think she'll remember everything she saw, and heard, and felt during the time loops, even if we'll never know for sure!
I loved your great story, ML, you could keep me captivated from the beginning to the end; thank you for a very nice moment!
simona
And, of course, continuing the theme through the last paragraph... very cool. 
