I turn back and look him in the eyes. “So, if I were to decide that I didn't want Superman in my life at all anymore, would you just give him up?”
“Give him up?!” Clark's eyebrows race to his hairline. “Lois, you're the reason there even *is* a Superman! You inspired the idea and, while you probably didn't realize it, you encouraged Superman to even keep going! Why would you suddenly want me to give him up?”
My cheeks feel warm again, and I file this information away for later. Right now, there's a point I have to make. “But say I did. Say I suddenly agree with Mayson Drake about him being a menace to society. All I want is my nice, ordinary reporter man. Could you do that for me, Clark? Just give me an ordinary life with no powers, no secret identities, and no flying off to save the day?”
He stares at me, his mouth working but no sound coming out. “I...I don't...” He sighs and sets his tea down on the table. “Well, no. I don't think I could.”
I fold my arms and fix him with my sharpest glare. “Then why is that what you're trying to sell me?”
He blinks.
“You want me to love an ordinary man, but you're *not* one, Clark!” He flinches, but I press on. “You're...you're...well, I don't know what you are! Some kind of blend, I guess. You're the guy who edits my copy at work and puts up with my babbling, but you're also the guy who smashed a giant asteroid into bits! You're the guy who was shot by a cloned gangster, and...and...were you even actually dead?!” The sudden realization makes my heart race again.
Clark looks away.
My blood begins to boil. “You weren't dead. I was a complete wreck, thinking that you were gone forever and that I'd gotten you killed, and you were just flying around up there without a care in the world!”
He winces but holds a hand up. “Hey, I had plenty of cares! I hated seeing you suffer, Lois, but at that time, Clark Kent really was dead!”
I huff. “Who are *you*, then? Clark or Superman?”
He looks over at the glasses sitting on the coffee table, and one hand reaches up to rub the bridge of his nose. “Okay. I guess I just...” He lowers his hand and sighs.
For a while, we sit on the couch in silence. I'm still fuming, reliving the nightmare of watching Clark die. I don't even remember the funeral; I had been so lost.
Clark stares down at his hands, seeming deep in thought. Finally, he speaks. “Lois, have you ever wondered what it would be like if you just woke up one day and found out that everything you thought you knew about yourself was a lie?”
I blink, caught off guard by the question. “What do you mean?”
He meets my eyes again. “What if you suddenly found out that your parents weren't really your parents, and you technically weren't even a legal citizen of the only country you ever called home? What if your own body started to change in ways you couldn't understand or predict, and you found out that you weren't actually human? Would you still be you? Would you still be Lois Lane, or would you just think of yourself as some kind of...Ultra...Woman?”
I take in a sharp breath, leaning forward and resting my hand on his arm. “Is that what it was like for you?”
His eyes lower, and he nods. “Look, you're right: I'm not just an ordinary human being like Mayson seems to want. But, I am still Clark Kent; that's who I've been for all of my life. Up until last year, that was the only person I even knew how to be. Everything else is just...extra.”
“Show me,” I whisper.
He stares at me with a confused frown.
I shift on the couch and take both of his hands in mine. “Just let me find out who you really are. Let's start from scratch, but this time, no secrets and no lies.”
Clark nods. “All right.” He takes a deep breath, then slips his hands out of mine and puts one forward for me to shake. “Hi, I'm Clark Kent, but some people call me 'Superman'. I was born on the planet Krypton but grew up in Kansas. I really like you a lot. Will you please go out with me?”
I shake his hand, stifling a giggle. “You mean like on a date?” I pretend to think. “Well, I suppose I could give it a shot. Okay.”
He smiles. On impulse, I lean forward and claim his lips in a kiss. There's no doubt that we've missed the party, but maybe that's for the best: instead of going out in disguises, we can spend some time discovering who we really are.
No More Costumes
