Ugh, I'm so terrible at posting FDK these days, as time is just running away from me and I'm beginning to feel exhausted.
First of all, though, thanks to everyone who posted FDK on this story!
Oh, and yes, I loved that scenario you suggested where Lois and Lana are having a catfight to determine which of them is going to be with Clark... except I don't believe that men are as helplessly at the mercy of women as you suggested when it comes to deciding who their girlfriends will be!
By the way, the catfight was Andreia's choice of words, wasn't it? I loved your icon, too!
</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Of course, while I loved the delicious sweet sexiness of the towel scene, I also completely loved this little aftermath:
When I come back into the room, Lois is sitting on the couch staring – dreamily? - up at the ceiling. What is she thinking about, I wonder? I cause myself to blush. “Ahem,” I clear my throat.
The sweetness and innocence of their attraction for each other, and the way they are longing for each other - I completely love it.
I also totally, totally loved it that Lois told Clark so openly about herself and Claude, and how incredibly deeply that particular betrayal had hurt her. I loved it that she told him how much she needed honesty and openness from any man she would consider entering into a relationship with. I loved Clark's guilt:
Her admission cuts me to the bone. I haven’t been totally honest with her. I’ve wanted her trust and now I would never have it. When she finds out about Lana, she’d never trust me again.
Clark finds himself unable to offer Lois the truth about himself - and there are
two big things he ought to tell her, aren't there? But if he can't be honest with her, he also can't resist comforting her:
She raises her hand and stretches out a finger, pointing to the building in front of us. “This is me. I’m in apartment five-oh-one.” Her voice sounds shaky and delicate, not at all like the intrepid reporter I was talking to last night.
I find myself wanting desperately to hold her, to comfort her. But I can’t. I know I can’t. But would it be so wrong? She is a friend and she’s in pain. I would only be offering a little support, a little sympathy.
So he thinks he isn't going to embrace her. Surprise, Clark. Your subconscious self has already made the decision for you:
Before I even realize what I’m trying to convince myself of, I find my arm going around her, across her back, involuntarily. And much to both my delight and my dismay, I find her turning into my embrace and resting her head on my shoulder. I slide my other arm around her and fold her into my arms, holding her close.
I'm a total, total sucker for these moments, when Clark just holds Lois close and offers her comfort.
Of course, these sweet embraces so easily escalate into something more:
She lifts her face from my shoulder and looks into my eyes. I feel as if she can see into my mind, my very thoughts. Can she see what I’m feeling?
She begins to lean up towards me. What is she doing?
What do you think she’s doing, my mind berates me.
Her mouth is mere inches from mine and her eyes are beginning to close. I find myself being pulled towards her. Yes, I want this. Her lips look so inviting; the sound of her hurried breathing so intoxicating.
This is just beautifully written, DJ. I'd like to repeat what I've said before, that to me there is a wonderful innocence about the kiss they are on the verge of sharing. They are innocently responding to the irresistible pull of their soulmate bond, and I look on, holding my breath, so I won't disturb them.
But Clark stops:
I close the remaining distance between our mouths, our lips almost touching, when I finally hear my mind screaming through the emotions flooding through me. No! Stop! What are you doing?
I halt and open my eyes – not realizing I had even closed them. I look down into her trusting face. What did I allow to almost happen? I’ve taken this emotionally delicate woman into my hands and betrayed her trust, like others had done before me. I belong to someone else. I can’t allow this to continue any further.
I sometimes get really irritated at Clark when he interrupts the fun things that he is about to do with Lois. This time there is no irritation. He stops because he cares, because he doesn't want to hurt Lois, and the beautiful thing is that you make me feel how much he cares, DJ. Like Lisa said, this time we must love him because of his wish to do the right thing.
And he realizes that the right thing in this case is to tell Lois "something":
“Lois?”
“Yes?” she asks, hesitantly opening her eyes to look at me.
“There’s something I need to tell you.”
I so wonder what he was going to tell her. Lois, I'm engaged, we can't let this go any further? Yes, that's probably what he was going to say. Or was it, Lois, I'm not like other people, I'm not from the Earth and I have some amazing abilities? No, I doubt that. Anyway, the decision about what he should tell Lois was taken out of his hands:
The honking of a horn interrupts our conversation. It’s a limo.
“That’s Lex’s limo,” she explains, hurriedly. “I’ve gotta go. I’m sorry, can we finish this later?”
Lex's limo! Yikes! I'm sure wondering where you are going to take this. I feel pretty confident that this Lois isn't going to fall for Lex, but she still doesn't realize that he is dangerous. Will he try to hurt her? Kidnap her? Or will she escape unhurt and go to EPRAD with Jimmy to snoop around, only to get to watch Clark in super-action?
I really, really want to see where you are taking this, DJ, but don't hold your breath for quick and thorough feedback. And sorry, DJ, but my final words in this post must be for Andreia. I didn't think Clark was particularly lunkheaded in this part of DJ's story, but I nevertheless loved, loved,
loved your icon of that Doctor writing out a prescription for an antidote for Clark's lunkheadedness!
Ann
