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From Part 3:He wasn’t really jealous, he reasoned with himself. It was just that Lois was the first person with whom he’d ever shared his secret, the only person other than his parents with whom he could be truly himself. That created a special bond between them; made them close in a way he could never be with anyone else. That was why he was so uncomfortable - unhappy - at the idea of her becoming involved with someone else.
After all, once Lois did get a boyfriend, she couldn’t be his best friend any more - not in the way she’d been over the past few weeks. Once she started seeing someone, getting serious about someone, he would lose her. And he was only just getting used to having her in his life.
It would happen, one of these days. So he needed to treat this experience as a warning: one day he would lose the closeness they had together. And if he acted like a jealous moron when it happened, he’d lose her altogether. If he wanted to keep her friendship, he would have to make sure that she never saw how he really felt about her dating another guy.
After all, he’d known for the past ten years that he was always going to be alone, hadn’t he? He’d been foolish to even imagine that anything had changed.
***********
Now read on...It was strange but, now that she’d finally got the elusive Lex Luthor interview she’d been trying to get for the past couple of years, Lois was finding it hard to get particularly excited about the idea.
So much had happened over the past month or so - Lex Luthor simply wasn’t the biggest story in town any more. She knew that he’d been put out by her focus on Superman in the weeks following the White Orchid Ball, but every reporter in the city had been trying to track down Superman at that point.
She did want to get the definitive Luthor interview, of course. But now Luthor was just another story, whereas before he’d been... oh, mysterious, intriguing, a challenge. His very elusiveness had made her want to get to him more. And now that he had become the pursuer - after all, he was offering her the interview on a plate, and he’d been making the running ever since the ball - her interest had waned.
Luthor was an enigma, and to Lois a mystery was always an invitation to investigate. But, yes, now he was only a story, whereas before, she mused, her interest had also been in the man. After all, he was the third-richest man in the world. He’d built his companies up from nothing, which spoke to his abilities and intelligence. He was a philanthropist, donating hundreds of thousands of dollars to good causes every year. And, she had acknowledged a long time ago, he was very attractive.
A couple of months ago, she’d have been very flattered by the fact that Luthor was actively showing some sort of interest in her. She was pretty sure that it wasn’t entirely faked; she’d seen the way he’d eyed her at the ball, and had observed the direction of his gaze when she’d danced with him. In contrast, when Clark had cut in and stolen a quick dance, his gaze had not dropped below her face.
But then, Clark wasn’t interested in her - at least, she didn’t think so.
Was Lex Luthor?
Well, it didn’t really matter whether he was or not, she thought. She wasn’t interested in him - and since he was rarely out of the news for one reason or another, that was probably a good thing. She couldn’t very well report on him if she were seeing him socially.
That reminded her, of course, that she was seeing Superman socially - but the difference there was that no-one knew about it.
But, yes, she was fairly sure that Luthor’s interest in her went beyond the purely professional. She was also pretty certain that he’d been flirting subtly with her on the phone - and his choice of time for the interview was also rather convenient, if he had some ulterior motive in mind. Just as he’d done before, he would try to turn the occasion into something social, something which might end with her in his arms or even his bed.
Not that she had even the remotest intention of allowing that to happen! She was a professional to her fingertips, and when she was doing a job she was focused one hundred and twenty percent on it. Besides, she reminded herself with a wry inward smile, who could possibly be interested in Lex Luthor when Clark Kent was around?
Even if she couldn’t have Clark, it was difficult even to pretend an interest in any other man - and Lex Luthor now left her cold.
“Lois! Clark!”
Perry’s bark interrupted her musings, and she laid down the pencil with which she’d been intending to scribble down some notes of interview questions. By the look of their editor, he had another story for them - and by the way he was clearly avoiding her gaze, she had a suspicion that this was a story she wouldn't like.
So what was new? Meeting Clark’s gaze, she waited for him to join her before heading to Perry’s office.
***********
"Your father's an... interesting man," Clark said dryly the following afternoon as he and Lois walked back to the Planet after their second meeting with Sam Lane.
"I guess you could say that," Lois replied after a moment. Although she'd found herself beginning to tell Clark a little about her relationship with her father the previous evening - he’d been naturally curious when Perry had told him that she was the daughter of Sam Lane, the sports scientist - she felt strangely reluctant to confide in him further. He was her friend, and so she knew that he'd be sympathetic and that - as someone with his own secrets to keep - it would never occur to him to mention anything she told him to anyone else. But she'd met Clark's parents. And, in the few short weeks since she'd discovered the truth about her new partner and he'd answered a number of her questions about his origins, she'd realised that his life while growing up might have been a million miles from hers.
His parents had seemed so
normal. They were decent, kind and caring people who openly adored their adopted son, and his own love for them in return was evident in every word he said about them. There was no artifice or pretence in their family relationship. They might have secrets from the outside world, as the Lane family also had, but those secrets had never bled like an open wound into their relationship with each other. Clark had never once had to doubt his parents' love for him. She could bet her next Kerth that he'd never had to suffer the disappointment of a birthday forgotten, a major event passing unmarked or an important occasion at school without at least one parent present.
How could the Clark Kent who'd grown up as part of such a perfect family possibly understand what life as part of the Lane family had been like? How could he grasp the concept of a father whose love for his children had been measured solely in terms of what they could achieve of his expectations for them? Of a mother whose maternal love had become subsidiary to her addiction to vodka?
And yet he seemed to understand without knowing the full truth. He'd listened to her the previous evening, not asking any questions beyond his initial couple once she'd showed some reluctance, and he'd obviously drawn some conclusions about what she wasn't saying. He'd been polite when introduced to Sam Lane, of course, and had remained discreetly in the background during the brief conversation. But he couldn't possibly have failed to notice the bitterness in her own tone, especially as the meeting drew to an end, or fail to wonder at a father and daughter who had such infrequent contact that in many ways they behaved like strangers.
And the comforting hand against her back as they'd walked away, together with the words he hadn't said, had told her without any words that he did understand. And he cared.
So now, for the first time in her life, she was walking away from a meeting with her father without the hollow sense of failure a conversation with Sam Lane had always left with her. Because she knew that, whatever her father believed, Clark didn’t think that she was a disappointment or a failure. He believed in her. And he liked her just as she was.
And that was an entirely new experience for her.
**********
"Thanks, Superman!" Lois exclaimed several hours later as Clark scooped her up and carried her to safety before returning to deal with the cyborg boxer. He couldn't resist a private smile of amused triumph to see Lex Luthor arriving just too late to help.
They'd solved the mystery and caught the bad guys - well, almost all of them, Clark mused to himself; he had his suspicions about Lex Luthor's involvement in this business, but of course, as with everything else Luthor touched, he had no proof. Not even any circumstantial evidence. And Sam Lane's involvement had been mitigated by his own voluntary statement to the press and then to the police. Best of all, in the last hour or so Lois and her father seemed to have reached some sort of understanding.
He'd hated seeing Lois so uptight that morning before they'd left for the meeting with her father; even worse, he'd hated seeing her so upset afterwards. She hadn't said a word to him about the issues which had clearly been just beneath the surface in her exchange with her father. Not that she was under any obligation to - but he wished that she would confide in him.
It wasn't just that he wanted to know the real Lois Lane, to understand the brittle, defiant and under-confident woman who seemed to retreat at any hint of real emotion. He just knew that she needed to talk to someone about this - someone who cared, and who would listen uncritically, and who would reassure her that she wasn't to blame for other people's shortcomings.
Back at the Planet, their story written and sent to the night editor, Clark allowed his hand to rest lightly on Lois's shoulder as she shut down her computer. "I don't know about you, but I'm starving. How about we go back to my place and I get us some of that real Chinese I told you about?"
She turned, and he could see that he had her entire attention. "You mean, from..." Breaking off, she glanced around carefully, noting - as he already had - that they were virtually alone in the newsroom. "From Shanghai?" she finished in a low voice.
"Sure." He grinned; the novelty of having someone to share his abilities with still hadn't worn off. "You interested?"
"You bet! You know," she added, "You should be careful making me offers like that. I could get too used to them."
Watching Lois smile at him, Clark knew that he could definitely think of worse things.
Back at his apartment, he told her to make herself comfortable before spinning into his Suit and disappearing to fly to China.
Lois wanted to eat casually on the sofa rather than at the kitchen table, so they arranged the bamboo containers on the low table in front of them and picnicked. It was a wonder that she kept her lovely, slim figure, Clark thought in amusement once again as he watched her savouring the variety of dishes he'd brought back. She certainly loved food. The mental list he was keeping of her favourites seemed to grow longer by the week, and he was already planning a trip to Switzerland or Belgium at some point for the sole purpose of bringing her back some chocolates. Or perhaps, he thought as he remembered her delight at the trip to San Francisco, he might even take her with him. He did still have that birthday outing to arrange, after all.
"You saved my life again this evening, you know." Lois's voice cut across his thoughts.
He turned to smile at her. "Yeah, I guess I did." Frowning then, he added, "I'm just glad I got there in time. I knew that guy was dangerous, but I didn't know just what he was capable of... He'd have killed you, even though he had to know that he'd never have got away."
"I'm glad you got there in time too." Lois reached out and touched his arm lightly, briefly. "Though Lex Luthor was on his way too, so I'd probably have been all right. I'm glad it was you, though."
Oh, so was he - the thought of being indebted to Lex Luthor for Lois's life wasn't a pleasant one.
And that was a point, he reminded himself, making a mental note to discuss Luthor with Lois some time soon. Some time
very soon, in fact. That man’s activities needed the kind of scrutiny that only Lane and Kent - with the assistance of Superman - could give them. And he still didn’t like the idea of Luthor pursuing Lois, even if all that ever came of it was an interview.
"In fact," Lois continued, "you're making kind of a habit of it. I can't tell you how glad I was to see you when you crashed through the wall of that vault last week."
"You should have been yelling for me," Clark pointed out grimly. "Okay, I found you, but next time please make it a bit easier for me, huh? Though," he added after a moment, "I wasn't exactly thinking straight then either. The way I barged through that wall, you could've been killed! Okay, I did X-ray it first to make sure that you weren't right behind where I was standing, but you could've been hit with flying masonry. That was just plain stupid, and I'm surprised you didn't yell at me as soon as I got to you."
He hadn't been thinking sensibly at all. The only thought in his mind had been getting to Lois before some madman could kill her, leaving only her lifeless body for him to find. He’d been so stupid! After all his fears that by some thoughtless use of his superpowers he could kill or seriously maim someone he cared about, he’d put Lois in danger.
He couldn't bear the thought of the best friend he'd ever had being taken from him in less than the blink of an eye. And so, in that split second when he'd entered the vault and seen her safe and well, all his inhibitions and fear of hurting her had been forgotten; he'd reached for her and held her against him in a crushing embrace.
Although she'd hugged him back as tightly as she was capable of, and when he'd let her slide to the ground after carrying her outside she'd clung to him briefly, he still hadn't been able to prevent himself worrying that he might have hurt her - not from the flying rubble, but as a result of not knowing his own strength. He'd even paused to X-ray her ribs before going after the bad guys.
She'd been okay. That time. But there would be no other times. Lois was too precious for him to risk her safety, even if he ached, sometimes, to hold her close to him and to taste her lips. That would never happen.
He might have saved her life several times. But only he knew that her life would be in even more danger with him.
But then, maybe he was deluding himself that, in the absence of any possibility that he could kill her, there would be any chance of a closer relationship anyway. Why would Lois even consider for one second getting involved with an alien? Of course she wouldn't.
Who would, after all? That was something he’d always known, ever since he’d started wondering about who he really was - and then, of course, Jason Trask had confirmed his worst fears.
Alien. You’re nothing but a dirty alien.He’d lain there, strapped to that table, day after day, powerless to move, while Trask had attempted to conduct his experiments. And in between being prodded at and having questions fired at him which he simply couldn’t answer, he’d had to endure Trask’s insinuations and barbs.
Who’d ever want to come within twenty yards of you? I can’t believe the world simply accepted you. Traitors, all of them! Especially your so-called friends at the Daily Planet.Filthy, stinking alien! You repulse me!Clark winced at the memories, sighing inwardly. He’d thought he was managing to forget his ordeal - it was almost a month ago now, after all. He’d stopped having nightmares after the first week. Mostly. He’d had one only three nights ago, he remembered glumly.
But still... it was hard to forget entirely.
Not that Lois would think the way Trask had. He knew that. She didn’t think of him as ‘alien’. And she had accepted him as her friend. Her very close friend, at that.
But there was a huge difference between friendship and a more intimate relationship, wasn’t there? And who said that, even if he thought it was possible - which he didn’t - Lois would ever consider a relationship with someone from another planet? Another species?
Yet she’d practically swooned at Superman’s feet when he’d first worn the disguise...
Yes, he reminded himself; but she hadn’t known then that Superman was an alien. Heck, no-one had. He hadn’t even been sure of it himself. It was Jason Trask who had come out with that little piece of information - and made sure that Clark knew it, and knew how much it disgusted him. How much it would disgust everyone...
"Clark?"
He raised his head from the carton of Szechuan chicken he'd been staring into. "Sorry. Did you say something?"
"I just wondered what was so fascinating in there," she said, laughing. Then, as he was slow to respond again, she added, "Is something wrong? Are you... you're not mad at me, are you?"
"Mad at you?" Taken aback, he stared at her. "Why on earth would I be mad at you?"
"For getting myself into dangerous situations where you have to rescue me."
Clark shrugged, grinning at the idea that Lois Lane, star reporter, might ever
stop getting into dangerous situations. "If I was, would it stop you doing it again?"
Her expression gave him his answer. "I thought not," he added dryly. "Lois, getting into danger seems to be part of who you are. And since I like you just as you are, I don't want to change you. Just... well, don't get reckless, will you? And if you get into trouble, call me!"
"Oh yeah, like Superman has nothing better to do than rescue me!"
"It's what I do," Clark pointed out. "And, Lois, you're my friend. I care about you. You think I wouldn't do anything to help you?"
He was watching her, and at his words he saw her flush slightly before ducking her head. "I think I know that, Clark. And not just as Superman, either."
She'd given him the opening he'd been looking for since that morning. "Lois, tell me about your family," he said, trying not to let his concern for her show. He was well aware that Lois hated even the suspicion that someone felt pity for her. Not that he pitied her. He cared, and he wanted to help. But he knew that Lois wouldn't see the difference. She was so proud, and prickly in her defence of those walls she’d built around herself.
She wasn’t going to let them down just because he asked. Of that he was very sure. But he was patient, and he wasn’t going anywhere.
*********
...tbc
