Clark just looked at her for a moment before he began to
chuckle. "You really are crazy, you know that? I can't
believe you did that just because you couldn't take the
fact that I wasn't attracted to you."

Her mouth hung open, stunned at his reaction. He was
*laughing* at her now! Did this man have no sense
whatsoever? He'd been her partner for months now, and he
had yet to learn that he couldn't laugh at Lois and live to
tell about it? How was that possible?

Dumbstruck, she replayed his last sentence in her head.
Even after that kiss, he still wasn't agreeing that he
found her attractive? "How many times do I have to kiss
you before you finally admit it?" she practically shouted
at him, beyond frustrated. She waved an agitated hand in
the space between their bodies. "For Pete's sake, Clark,
amazing kisses like that don't happen every day! People
don't kiss like that unless they are *incredibly*, utterly
and totally, tear-each-other's-clothes-off attracted to one
another!"

At that moment, a complete silence fell between them, and
even the sounds of the world outside -- people bustling in
the streets, the roar of the car engines as they whizzed
past -- faded and became muted in the wake of her outburst.
Neither partner moved as the meaning of her words descended
upon them and lingered in the tiny interior of the Jeep --
a space that suddenly seemed more confined than before,
filled now with the tension of confession. It *had* been
an incredible kiss. She'd spoken the words, given them
life and made them real.

Google it. It'll be worth it. Half the point of the quizzes is to point out good stories to people who haven't read 'em yet.

Clark grinned. "Well, as I said in the card, I couldn't really top
the romance of the roses from yesterday, so I thought I'd go for
practical. Show you how multi-faceted I am."

Lois found herself smiling back at him. "Do you do windows, too?"

Clark took the bait. "Oh, like a pro!" he enthused. "I keep telling
you, I'm the kind of guy you want to have around."

Lois laughed. "I'm beginning to see that." She met his eyes once
more, lowering her voice slightly. "And thank you for the flowers
... I didn't say it properly yesterday, but they really are
beautiful."

"Really?" His eyes twinkled. "It's hard to tell when you're sitting
right next to them."

Lois blushed despite her best efforts. "You're pretty good at that
flattery stuff. How long have you been practicing?"

Clark shrugged. "When did we meet?"

The slam of the door brought her gaze back to Clark, who
was still lying propped up on his side beside her, facing
her. He was watching her, and the look in his eyes was
wary, as if he was worried about what she might say. And
yet behind the wariness was something else... something
she'd thought she'd seen in her partner's eyes once before.
Something which told her that the kiss hadn't entirely been
an act on Clark's part...

And, watching the way his beautiful brown eyes were
regarding her, the way they had darkened with suppressed
desire, Lois felt another shudder run through her.
Mesmerised by his gaze, she realised that she wanted him to
kiss her again, this time for real...


********


She wasn't mad at him... in fact, she was looking at him as
if she was stunned, and there was a vulnerable look in her
eyes which made his heart turn over. Clark had known that
his coolly efficient partner had a vulnerable side, but
seeing it laid bare like this, and in these circumstances,
made him want to enfold her in his arms and tell her how
much he loved her.

Then her expression changed, and their gazes met and held
as what felt like an electrical charge went through both of
them, connecting them to each other.

Slowly, holding his breath as he did so, Clark lowered his
head again until his lips covered hers.

Now it was his turn to be serious. He moved even closer
to her. "Why aren't I throwing you out the door? Hmmm ...
well, first of all, that's not how I work. Secondly, why
would I want to do that when all morning long, I've been
hoping you'd come through that very door?"

One, my husband is not Superman. While it's
true that we both have a very close
relationship with him, and have been
fortunate enough to have been granted more
interviews than most with him, the fact
remains that I married a farmer's son from
the remote farming community of Smallville,
Kansas, and not a nobleman from the extinct
planet of Krypton. My husband may be a
super man, but he is not Superman.

Two, I am not addicted to chocolate.
Frankly, I resent the implication that I'm
an emotional cripple who has to resort to
Double Fudge Crunch bars every time she
faces a challenge in her life. For the
record, I've never eaten more than five
bars in a single 24 hour period, except
once, and that was only because I'd made a
mistake on my daily score card. How could I
help it if '5 bars since 9am' looked like
'0 bars this week'?

Three - okay, I know I said I only had two
points to raise, but I changed my mind, and
this one's starting to bug me now that I've
read a few more of these threads, and I
think it's best cleared up right away
before people get completely the wrong
impression of me - I have a professional
reputation to protect, you know! And I do
so hate stereotypes, don't you? They put
people into these little pigeon-holes that
they can't escape from, and then they feel
like they have to behave exactly like the
stereotype says they have to behave.
Anyway, this is what I want to get clear: I
do not babble. I speak quickly,
because I have a lot to say.

Lois's chest clenched at the stark vulnerability in Clark's voice. Before she even realized what she was doing, she pulled his face to hers and kissed him gently on the lips. She pulled back for a second, then leaned in to kiss him more firmly. She parted her lips and gently sucked on his lower lip before tracing it with her tongue. Clark shuddered as he sighed with relief, opening his mouth to Lois's gentle probing. His arms reached out, pulling her to him, his fingers threading through her hair.

"Lois, you've got to quit focusing on what we can't have" said Clark.

"What do you mean?"

"Last night was incredible. Holding you, kissing you... Do you have any idea what you do for me?" He paused for a moent. "How am I going to get you to understand? God, Lois, last night... There is more than one way to make love." He placed a hand under her chin an tiltled her head up to look in her eyes. "Do you understand me? Instead of focusing on what we can't have, think about what we can have. How can you turn your back on that? How can you turn your back on me?"

He saw her take a deep breath. "What matters is ... I love you." She glanced up at him and then quickly away. "I don't know if I want to love you, or even if I like the idea, but I do. And, I know we still have a lot of talking to do, a lot of things to work out, but - " She looked back and this time, steadily, she held his gaze. "But, I know we *can* work it out. I love you, Clark ... and nothing else matters but that."

"Lois ... " He shook his head, reached out a hand to put the tips of his fingers against her cheek. She felt his fingers tremble against her skin. His eyes were molten, dark and tender on hers. "I ... "

"I know." She shook her head, put up a hand to lightly trace the line of his jaw. "I know you do. But, I don't want to talk any more, Clark. I don't want you to tell me. Show me. Show me you love me," she said softly and hooked her arms around his neck as he pressed his lips obediently to hers, letting herself flow into the warm, loving caress.

Holding her a bit more tightly, Clark nodded. "Yeah ... it's OK." He rested his cheek on the top of her head and closed his eyes, remembering how long it had been since she'd let him hold her like this. "Just let me be there for
you."

"I will ... I promise." She turned in his arms. "I love you, Clark."

"And I love you. So very much."

As their lips met slowly in the dim light of the quiet bedroom, the rustle of the wind-blown curtains and the gentle patter of rain on the roof were the only accompaniments to their beating hearts.

"Hello? Clark's pay phone. Mrs. Clark speaking," she giggled.

"Excuse me? Who is this?"

"This is Mrs. Clark. You know, Clark's wife. Who's this?"

"Clark's mother. Last night he didn't have a wife. Who are you and where is my son?"

"Actually, we got married last night. Very sudden. We would have invited you, but..."

A noise behind her startled, and she turned around with an alarmed expression. Surely Clark couldn't have dressed so quickly! He couldn't possibly coming out wearing less than that towel, could he? Though the possibilities were enticing, they didn't have time for that right now and she was on the phone with his mother.

Clark emerged from the bathroom, neatly dressed in his usual suit and tie. She gasped, wondering how on earth he had dressed so quickly, and then shook her head. Clark checked his zipper, wondering what she was staring at. "Who is it, sweetheart?" he asked as he leaned over to plant a kiss on her lips but was stopped by a hand on his chest.

"your mom," she hissed.

He grabbed the phone. "Mom, how are you? I was getting ready to call." He looked over at Lois and mouthed, "Did you tell her?"

Lois nodded guilty. Clark looked up at the ceiling as if in silent prayer. "no, Mom, I'm okay. Really I am. Married? Yes, actually I am. I would have called you but it was so sudden. Who? Well, you remember me telling about Lois? The girl I met in D.C. and that I was pretty sure that Lois Lane was her? Well, that's who I married. No, we haven't had a chace to talk about all of that yet. Dad? Everything is fine, really. No, I haven't told her yet. We haven't had a chance to really talk things out. No, I don't know where we are going to live. I know, Dad, like a frog. I've heard it a million times. Yes, I'll bring her out to meet you soon. No, probably not tonight. I mean, how could we get there so fast? It would cost an arm and a leg to get plane tickets on such short notice. No, I don't think that it's a good idea for you come here. Where would you stay? We don't even a place of our own yet. And my sister-in-law," Lois smiled at that remark, "is staying at Lois'apartment right now. Look, Mom, Dad, I gotta go. We're already late for work and Perry's sure to fire me at least. No, we aren't taking any time off just yet. I'm sure he would give us the time, but he doesn't know yet. You're the only people who know. Except fot the three people at the wedding. I don't even know if Lois told the clerk at the hotel when we checked in last night. No, not this hotel. Give me a little credit, Mom. We stayed downtown. Now, I really have to go. I'll call you later. I loveyou, too.Bye."

"Do you feel like being just a little bit Super?" At his
surprised look she smiled sheepishly. "As many times as I
dreamed about spending the night in your arms-- even just
sleeping-- I never really pictured us on a deserted island. And
sleeping in sand isn't really appealing."

It was the best Valentine's Day gift ever imaginable. They had given each other their hearts.

It was love. Pure, intense, absolute, never ending. Love.

As they leaned in to share a kiss to seal the deal, one tiny snowflake floated down between them. Clark tilted his head and softly touched his lips to hers, also capturing the tiny snowflake between their noses.

Snow. It had been so important to their relationship, and seemed to coincide with every momentous event in their lives. When she had realized she loved him. When he had told her the truth about himself. And now, when they had given each other their hearts for eternity.

He broke the kiss when he felt her shiver in his arms. "We should go inside. You're freezing."

A voice woke him again, a voice so close to him that Clark seemed
almost able to touch it. He opened his eyes and turned toward the
voice.

"Don't go ... please ... don't go away ... " Lois was dreaming, and
in her dream she was speaking. He stayed immobile and listened to
that voice. So much longing, so much yearning. Her tone was so sad
and so sweet in the same moment, what he wouldn't give just to have
those words be for him? Unable to move for fear of waking her he lay
still and listened to her, then suddenly ... unexpectedly, "Clark ...
don't go away..." Instinctively Clark's arms tightened around her,
just to make her feel his presence, a gesture which made her stop
talking.

He was breathless for a long while, with such emotions as these he
simply forgot to breathe. How long he had waited to hear that voice.
How many times had he dreamed about hearing *his* Lois calling his
name. And now she was in his arms. He couldn't believe it. His heart
was racing wildly. Lois stretched in his arms, she opened her eyes
and looked at him. Clark smiled and she grinned back. Lois' head was
resting on his chest and his rapid heartbeat had woken her up. How
ironic, he was the one who was grounded to her heartbeat to be able
to know how and what she was feeling. Everything was all right, he
was calm now. She leaned her head back down to his chest and fell
back to sleep. Clark smiled, caressing her long hair.

So, as I was saying, I have a pretty strange life. It took me a while to understand the difference between what happens around me and what most of the rest of the world considers normal. For example, "Oh, it was probably some jerk with a shrink ray." is not, in fact, considered a normal response to the question, "Hey, what happened to my lunch?"

"Kiss me, you moron! With my ankle on this stupid pillow I can't exactly stand up to kiss you."

"Oh," he said, feeling a smile creep onto his face. He sat on the cushion next to Lois and slowly bent his head to hers.

It wasn't their first kiss, but it was their first real one. And if they'd ever thought those previous kisses were special, this was a kiss to change their minds. From the moment their lips touched, the room disappeared, and nothing in the world existed except each other.

As they timidly explored each other's mouths, their souls reached out to touch the other, looking for assurance that they weren't alone in the world. And they weren't. For from this kiss on, they could never be apart.

Before she could say anything else, he leaned down and brushed his lips against hers. For a moment, it was as if time stood still when their lips brushed against each other. Clark wasn't sure whether he should pull away or keep going.

Lois was completely still in his arms until he felt her bring her arms around his back and pull him closer to her. He hungrily kissed her, rubbing his lips aggressively against hers, allowing his pent up frustration to dissolve into the passion that he had always dreamed of sharing with her.

"It's great that Clark was worried about you, Lucy, but do you think we should be worried about your sister?" Clark heard him ask. "She's been throwing herself at him pretty hard. I hope he's not going to take advantage of her."

Lucy's response was immediate. "Don't worry about Clark, Jerry. He's one of the good guys. He'll do the right thing."

As they reached Lois's car, Clark gritted his teeth while he worked to fit the key into the lock. He appreciated Lucy's confidence in him... but it sure would be a heck of a lot easier to do the right thing if her sister would stop blowing in his ear.

"Okay, you two, let's just calm down. Now Clark." She waited
until she had the young man's attention. "Let's go back to
something you just said. You said this man wasn't good enough
for Lois. Why do you think that? What has this man done to make
you think he's not good enough for her?"

"Well, for one, he doesn't treat her like she deserves to be
treated," he exclaimed adamantly. "He wants her to come to work
for his broadcast station--"

"He didn't say that he 'wants me to,' he just suggested it!"
Lois objected. But when Dr. Jenkins shot her a look, Lois
retreated into silence.

Dr. Jenkins nodded at Clark. "Go on."

Clark felt the muscle in his jaw twitch, a sure sign that he
was getting upset. So he forced himself to take a deep breath
before continuing. "For one, he doesn't know Lois like I do,"
he began firmly, trying to avoid looking at Lois as he spoke.
"He might think a job at his broadcast station would be good
for her, but it wouldn't be. He'd be dragging her away from all
her friends, from our editor, who I know is like a father to
her, and taking her away from the thrill of the hunt, which is
what I know Lois likes best about investigative journalism."

He paused for breath and then rushed on. "And if that weren't
enough, I hate the way he treats her like she's some prize to
be won, some pawn in a chess game. Instead of realizing how
wonderful and truly unique she is, he's just the type of guy
who'll want her to stand quietly next to him at his precious
charity balls, hanging on his arm like some Barbie doll trophy!
And he's always taking her to operas and parties with all his
famous acquaintances, which I bet she pretends to like, even
though I'm sure she'd much rather enjoy a night in with a pizza
and a video, with a man who's willing to listen to her and hold
her and tell her how much he loves her."

At his words, Lois unintentionally drew in a sharp breath, and
her heart began to pound. Even though Clark wasn't looking at
her, she knew exactly who he was talking about. But she was
sure he had no idea how much his words affected her, caused her
eyes to tear up and her heart to swell. For a moment, she
couldn't figure out why his words had affected her so much,
until....

In that instant, it all became clear. She loved Clark. Had
probably loved him for a long time now. She loved his patience,
his kindness, the way he conveyed his love for her in so many
ways, instead of simply telling her, as Lex did. He always made
sure to pick her favorite chocolate donut out of the box for
her in the morning at the Planet before it could be taken by
someone else, and brought her coffee just the way she liked it.
'I doubt Lex even knows or cares about how I take my coffee,'
she realized.

"Did you miss me already?" she asked a bit shyly. "I just
got home a few minutes ago."

Feeling a bit relieved that she was flirting with him, he
answered from the heart, "Lois, I miss you when you leave
the room." His eyes held hers steadily as he willed them
not to drop down to the tantalizing view a few inches below
her face.

"Good, because I've missed *this* already," she replied
quickly as she stood on her tiptoes to kiss his mouth
firmly.

Chuckling from the wonder of having Lois so open with her
feelings, his arms slid around her body, and she wrapped
hers around his neck, delighting in the feel of being in
physical contact with him once more. They kissed hungrily
for a few minutes, reveling in the newness of the next step
in their relationship. His hand smoothed her back lovingly
but it jarred him slightly to feel the embroidery of the S-
emblem on her back. He closed their kiss and pulled away,
his breathing still heavy.

"Glad I wasn't dreaming -- we're still okay?" he asked.

Clark nodded solemnly as he listened to Lois launch into
full babble mode.

"And, you know, just because I can't stop thinking about
you doesn't mean that it would be a good idea to get
together ... with us working together and all--"

Completely unable to fight the urge to hold her any longer,
Clark tentatively wrapped his arms around her waist, and he
felt his heart skip a beat when Lois automatically raised
her arms to circle his neck.

"Plus the fact that I was supposed to get married to
someone else two weeks ago, and I don't want people to
think that you're just a rebound guy, even though I said
'no' at the altar -- not that anyone but me heard it, but I
*did* -- because I realized that if I was thinking of *you*
the entire time I was walking up the aisle instead of Lex -
- not even Superman, who I *thought* I was in love with,
but *you*! -- that I was most definitely with the wrong
person--"

Clark couldn't help but gasp in surprise, cutting her off
in mid-stream. "You were thinking of *me* instead of
Superman?"

"Yeah," Lois admitted with a sigh. Then she added ruefully,
"It was kind of my first clue that I was pursuing the wrong
guy."

"Wow," Clark whispered, staring into her eyes. "Lois,
that's ... that's ... wow."

Lois blushed at the sincerity in his voice. "So ... what
happens now?" she asked in a little voice.

"Now ... I think we go somewhere we can really talk."

"Oh," she whispered in surprise, her gaze flickering to his
lips before moving back to his eyes. "I thought maybe now
you would kiss me."

A tender smile spreading across his face, Clark lifted a
hand to cup her cheek. "God, Lois, I thought you would
never ask."

And as he lowered his mouth to hers, tasting the sweetness
of her lips and reveling in the feel of her arms tightening
around his neck, Clark knew that, indeed, his world had
changed forever.

The smile vanished from his face, and she felt her breath catch in her throat at the loving expression on his face. Clark Kent didn't need declarations of love to show her that he cared. She closed her eyes, her heart racing as she
let her fears be swept away by his kiss.

Ending the kiss, she bit her lip as she gazed at him, the expression in his eyes making her both scared and cherished in equal parts. His hand on hers tightened. "Lois."

"Clark?" she said hesitantly, torn between flight and kissing him again.

Clark Kent watched his wife with tender amusement, enjoying the play of colored light on her satiny camisole top as she moved. Lois was enumerating the reasons they couldn't go away for the weekend, but the sidelong glance she gave him
would have told him she was teasing, even if her exaggerated list hadn't made it clear. ". . . and paying bills and washing the windows and getting out my spring clothes and then dry
cleaning and packing up the winter ones. And we probably ought to air out the mattress and pillows--no sense wasting such nice weather--"

"I agree." He reached across the remains of the pu pu platter to take her left hand and press his mouth to each knuckle. "And while they're airing, we can go on a picnic."

"A picnic? You mean where you sit on a blanket in a patch of poison ivy and eat cold fried chicken and warm potato salad and fend off ants and someone's muddy dog and huddle under a tree to get out of the rain?"

Clark grinned. "Personal experience, Lois?"

She was crying -- or trying very hard not to. But why?

Tears of happiness? Could she be that happy to see him again? The
thought grabbed at Clark, winding and lodging itself inside the
deepest part of his heart; right then and there, he fell in love with
her all over again.

"Lois," he breathed, taking the three steps that separated them and
flung his arms around her.

Lois's attempt to seem suave and composed collapsed quickly; the
second he touched her, she melted into his arms, sighing his name on
a shaky breath.

He smelled so good, and she greedily breathed in the soft scent of
his shampoo, rubbing her chin ever so slightly against the fabric of
his suit coat. There were no words between them; there was nothing
she could think of to say that would adequately describe how she was
feeling at this moment.

Clark was having much the same reaction. Hoping she wouldn't notice,
he gently nuzzled the side of her head with his cheek, already
dreading the moment he would have to let her go. She felt so good.
He resisted the urge to pull her tighter against his body, to tilt
her chin up so he could press his lips to hers, to run his hands up
and down her back, to memorize the feel of her.

"Don't let that fool you, Kent. I was a
lot more interested than I let on," she
said softly, grinning at his obviously
pleased reaction.

He raised her hand to her face, cupping
her cheek tenderly and his thumb stroking
her skin with a feather-light touch.
"And now?" he asked quietly, and she
could hear the nerves in his voice. "Are
you interested now?"

Lois turned her head just slightly,
closing her eyes and kissing the palm of
his hand before turning back to look at
him again. "I'm interested," she said,
her voice low and breathy.

The words were barely out of her mouth
before his mouth claimed hers, his hands
cradling her face and holding her to him,
though she offered no resistance. When
they finally pulled apart, eyes sparkling
and chests heaving, Lois was speechless.

I think I've experience real love for the first time. After knowing him for a year and a half, I realize that I have very strong feelings for him. I know he has feelings for me because he told me a few months ago, but I told him I didn't feel the same way about him.

I know this is real because I've been infatuated with someone, but that disappeared and became friendship.

Now, I think about my guy all the time. He's a very important part of my life. He is my heart. He is the raisins in my cinnamon bun. I don't want to pull them out anymore because they are so essential and without them, the cinnamon bun isn't complete. What should I do?

Sleep eluded her as she'd listened to the voices on the radio. Twice she'd been tempted to change the station. And twice the emotion in the man's voice had stopped her. He sounded so sincere, as if he really cared about this woman. His confessions were so intimate that Lois almost felt as if she were eavesdropping on a private conversation. But something about his voice had piqued her
interest. His accent. The way he used words. The reverential tone of his declaration of love. Why didn't anyone speak that way about her? Why did she spend her days absorbed with her work and her nights immersed in sappy television dramas or sensual romance novels, vicariously searching for her Prince Charming?

"...in the middle of a job interview when she stormed into the office and commandeered the room. I still remember what she was wearing. It was a black suit with a pin-striped skirt, slit on one side. The jacket had a large plaid and her blouse was black with a flowery design. Her
eyes sparkled bright with excitement. And her movements were decisive but graceful. She was in her element, caught up in the chase and hot on the trail of something. Something about her reached out... related... . Ramonah, I can't put it into words but we connected. Or at least I did. I knew at that moment that she was the one."

Lois sat up as the caller described a day she remembered well. She'd barged into Perry's office after Samuel Platt's visit to the Planet. Clark was there. He'd risen from the chair when she had entered the room. This was her partner she was listening to. The man she'd worked beside and whose shoulder she'd cried on and whose declaration of love she had rebuked. And yet here he was, announcing to the world that she was the one.

"Sure. It's sort of like that first step off a high diving
board. It's easier the second time." He reached for the
fire escape and put a foot on the second rung, beginning to
climb. "Let's go." He paused several feet up and glanced
down at her upturned face. "You're really incredible, did
you know that? But, you know, in the rush of the moment,
there was one thing I forgot to ask Mrs. Kent."

Lois gulped. Charlie was taking this pretty well,
considering the fact that she'd just pushed him off a
three-story building. "What was it?"

"If I was married."

Still feeling half-guilty about what she had done, Lois
gave him an exasperated grimace. "Will you stop worrying
about it? We'll find out later when the danger is over and
the phone lines clear up! For the record, I hope you're
not married, too, okay? But, first things first."

His expression changed. "Do you mean that?"

"Well, sure I do! It'd be just my luck to find the guy
I've been looking for all my life and then find out he
already had a wife! But if we don't figure out how to do
this, we're not going to have a chance to --"

Charlie dropped from the fire escape and landed lightly
beside her. "I'm glad -- because I don't see how I could
possibly feel like this about any woman who wasn't you."

"Charlie --" Appalled, she felt the tough exterior that
protected her against other people cracking open and the
scene before her blurred with tears. "I just pushed you
off a building!"

Lois heard a knock at the door just as the water in the shower began running. She certainly wasn't expecting anyone. Looking through the peephole, she could see her editor standing in the hallway, a troubled look on his face. She unbolted and then opened the door part way.

"Lois, honey, I tried calling your cell phone last night and I left a couple of messages on your machine. Are you okay? Is everything all right?" Perry stepped into the entryway of her apartment.

"Everything's fine, Perry," she replied, nervously tucking a strand of still dripping wet hair behind her ear. She glanced around the room surreptitiously. What were the chances that Perry wouldn't notice the garment bag right by the door, or the men's and women's clothing that led from the living room to her bedroom like a very incriminating trail of breadcrumbs? 'Just stay in the bathroom, Clark' she thought. This was awkward enough as it was. She realized just then that the water wasn't running anymore. Did Clark take ten second showers?

It didn't matter which of the many clues Perry picked up on. His slightly embarrassed frown and arched brow were clear enough. "I'm sorry to just barge in on you," he apologized. "I just wanted to make sure that you were okay..."

"Lois, I..." Clark walked into the room, wearing nothing except a towel. He saw Perry and stopped suddenly, backing up and hitting the doorframe. The look on his face was a combination of 'caught sneaking in after curfew' and 'busted by the principal, smoking in the boys' room.'

The you-know-what had hit the proverbial fan.

Clark's reaction almost made the sheer mortification she felt worthwhile. She bit her lip, certain she was turning red with embarrassment. This probably looked even worse than it actually was. She had clearly just stepped out of the shower, as had Clark. Could two 'normal' people shower consecutively that fast? Barring that conclusion, what would Perry think of the fact that the two of them had gone from not having spoken to each other in half a year to the point where Clark was comfortable enough walking around in Lois's apartment wearing nothing but a towel in just twelve hours?

Their lips met in a kiss that held none of the passion
which had devoured them earlier, but that was sweet and
tender, sealing a mutual forgiveness. The hand resting on
his chest trailed up, whispered a feather-like path across
the skin of his neck, buried itself in his hair, and pulled
him closer.

And he knew. He knew that Lois wasn't lying, that the
electricity sparking between them as they kissed couldn't
be faked, that her response to his kiss was as real and
solid as his feelings for her.

When he broke off, breathless and light-headed from the
experience, his hand cupped her cheek, and his next words
were said with an intensity matching the sensations
triggered by their kiss.

"Love me, Lois."

The end

"And she asked me what I saw myself doing in fifty years. And, more importantly, who I saw myself doing it with."

She looked directly into Clark's eyes, hoping he was able to see the sincerity, the depth of her emotion. "And the first person, the only person, that came to mind was you."

Clark's expression softened and she saw him look at her with such tenderness as she had never seen directed at her before. "Me?"

"Yes, you." She wanted to look away, to laugh, to deny the importance of this moment, but she couldn't. "And when I realized that, I realized I loved you. Not as a brother, not as a friend, but as the man I want to spend the rest of my life with."

It was almost comical to watch Clark's eyes widen in shock. Well, since she'd already bared her soul about as much as she could, a little more daring wouldn't hurt any. Quickly, she scooted across the couch, somehow ending up on her knees, facing him. She placed a hand on each of his shoulders and leaned in towards his face. He didn't back away, but he didn't do anything to encourage her either. Slowly, giving him plenty of opportunity to break contact should he choose, she moved closer.

She'd kissed him before. He'd kissed her. But this was different. This wasn't a ploy, this wasn't a cover, this wasn't a good-bye. This was Lois Lane kissing Clark Kent, the man she loved.