Thanks again to Kathy.
And to Amber who believes that I'm capable of being non-evil.
Last time
Lois headed towards the living area. "On our next wedding night, we're going to be doing a lot more than making out," she told him.
In a flash, he was behind her, holding her to him. "I hope so," he whispered huskily as he brushed a kiss along the base of her neck.
He could feel her tense up a bit. "Clark..."
He relaxed his hold on her. "There's no expectations here tonight. You know that, right?"
She hesitated before nodding. "I know."
"But..." he prompted.
She moved out of his arms and wandered towards the minibar. "But that kiss..."
*~*6*~*
That kiss would forever be imprinted in her mind. She knew that. Even if they did get married and spend major portions of the rest of their lives kissing – and so much more – she would always remember the kiss on her bed, the kiss outside her bedroom door, and the kiss on the bed in the honeymoon suite.
She was sure there would be other memorable kisses but she'd always remember those three.
She started to say something else but was interrupted by the door opening across the street.
She used the binoculars and Clark took off his glasses while they watched the two talking. Clark whispered to her what they were saying. Something about a test.
Clark sighed as they left. "Harrington said something about being back in a few hours with Roarke. I guess we wait."
Lois nodded. "I guess so." She picked up a deck of cards. "Old Maid?"
"What? No poker?"
"You got chips?" she asked with a raised brow.
Clark shook his head. "I was thinking more along the lines of..."
"Strip poker?" she asked with a raised brow.
"Truth or Dare," he answered. "Winner of each hand gets a truth out of the other person or the loser has to take a dare."
"No stripping?" she asked cautiously.
He shrugged. "I've already got your clothes off you, haven't I?" He was trying desperately to hide a grin.
Lois threw a pillow at him.
"Hey!" he yelled as he ducked. He went to the door and put out the 'do not disturb' sign. "There. No more maids."
She deftly shuffled the cards as she settled onto the couch. "Hold 'Em?"
Clark shrugged. "Sure."
"And no using your powers," she warned, pointing the deck of cards at him. She quickly dealt the cards. "How do we ante?" she asked.
"Other stuff?" He looked at his cards. "I bet the bed."
"What?"
"I bet the bed. You win, you get the bed."
She nodded. "Fine, but we're going to run out of stuff to bet pretty quickly that way."
"Okay then... I bet a truth."
She nodded then flipped the cards over.
Clark studied them carefully. "So we're at a truth. I raise another truth."
"So two truths?" Lois asked.
He nodded.
"I'll see it." She flipped over another card.
"Check."
"Okay."
She flipped the last card.
"Check," Clark said, sighing to himself.
Lois looked smug. "I raise you a dare."
"Two truths *and* a dare?" Clark verified.
She nodded.
He tossed his cards on the table. "Fold."
She tossed her cards into the pile. "Shuffle while I think." She regarded him through narrowed eyelids. "First truth. Who was your first kiss? Real kiss. Not second grade playground kiss. And describe it."
He raised a brow at her. "Describe it?"
"You're a writer. Write out loud."
He sighed. "Fine. Mary. I was fifteen. I thought she was cute, she thought I was cute. We were under the mistletoe at some party. It was short and chaste. It didn't give me goosebumps or anything – at least not because of kissing *her*. Maybe a few because it was my first kiss, but that's it."
"Okay. Truth two. First real date and describe it."
He groaned. "Lisa. I was sixteen. We went to the homecoming dance. She disappeared. Found her making out behind the bleachers with Joe."
Lois winced. "I'm sorry."
He shrugged. "Last I heard their third kid was on the way."
"Well, that's good then I guess. And I get the bed." She shrugged. "Deal."
He dealt the cards, quickly losing the next hand and two more truths.
"Your most serious girlfriend. Tell me about her and why you loved her."
"Is this *relationship* truth or dare?" he asked her as he walked to the minibar to get a drink.
"For the moment."
"There's two, I guess. Karen," he said, sitting back down. "She's a computer programmer or something now. I don’t know that I was ever *in love* with her, but I did have real feelings. She's great – funny, kind, a good writer when she wants to be but she prefers reading. I still see her from time to time. We were in college and in a literature class together. We went on our first date the week after the fall semester started. Eventually, we split up when spring semester ended. I was going to China and..." He shrugged. "What it really boiled down to, though, was that I wasn't ready to tell her about myself and didn't think I ever would be."
"And the other?"
"Mayson. She's an assistant DA here in town so we may run into her from time to time. I was considering telling her about myself but..." He shrugged. "I really liked her and I think she was in love with me. She'd told me that several times but always said she wasn't pressuring me into saying it, too. When I was talking it over with my folks – telling her about me that is – the idea for Superman was born. She... isn't crazy about Superman so..." He shrugged again. "It took a while, but really, that was the end of that. I never told her and eventually we broke up."
"Who else knows about you?" she asked quietly.
"Is that my second truth?" he grinned.
"Sure."
"You and your parents. My parents. That's it. I wonder about Gramps, but..."
"That was cheap," she muttered. "I already knew that."
"Were you hoping someone else did?"
"No, but don't worry, I won't waste another truth."
"Sorry."
"No, you're not." She dealt the cards. This time Clark won a truth and a dare from her.
"Truth first," he said, grinning as he leaned back on his elbows.
"Fine."
"Your first real kiss. Who and describe it, please."
She rolled her eyes. It figured. "Pete Ross. I was sixteen. It was after our first date – my first date. He drove me home, walked me to the door and..." She shrugged. "Short and sweet. It was nice, but not toe curling or foot popping or anything."
"So dare..."
"Enjoy it," Lois warned. "You won't get another one."
He handed her the phone. "You have to make a prank call."
"To who?"
"Jimmy."
"Who's Jimmy?"
"He works at the Planet." Clark thought for a minute. "Tell him that Perry needs an Elvis costume first thing in the morning and that he has to find one. The white sequined one."
He dialed as she held the phone to her ear.
"Hello?"
"Is this Jimmy?" Lois asked.
"Yeah," the other voice said cautiously.
"This is..." She mumbled something indeterminate. "...from..." Another mumble. "...Costume Shop. Perry White's Elvis costume is in. The white sequined one. He said to call this number when it was in and that he needs it *immediately*. We'd appreciate it being picked up ASAP."
She ignored the protests on the other end of the line as she said thanks and hung up.
Clark chuckled as he readied the cards for their next hand. A minute later, he'd lost another truth and a dare.
"Truth," Lois said, curling her legs up underneath her. "So we did first date and first kiss. First time you and a girl... you know. Not *too* much detail but some."
Clark raised a brow at her. "You want to know about the first time a girl and I..."
"Went all the way," Lois confirmed.
He ran a hand through his hair. "Well..."
"You already know who my first was," she pointed out when he stalled.
He stared at the deck of cards he held in his hands. "I haven't actually..." he finally said.
"You haven't?" Lois asked incredulously.
He shook his head. "I mean, there's been plenty of opportunities but..." He shrugged. "It never felt *right*. I didn't feel right being with a woman like that when she didn't know about me."
"You never just... lost control? Got caught up in the moment?"
"No. There's only ever been one time that I wanted to just... lose control and that time was interrupted."
"Okay. So tell me about that then."
He looked her straight in the eye. "It was the morning I woke up in your bed and kissed you."
*****
TBC
