"Are you okay?" he asked, smoothing her hair back so he could see her face. "Did he hurt you?"
Poor Clark. Even now...
Had he really been flying around Metropolis looking like this?
And how's she going to spin this in the next article?
How much more devastated would she have been if Corben had told her that Clark was dead?
She going to hug him tighter?
"Lois, I--. I know this is probably not the best time, but I really need to tell you something."
Her heart seemed to stutter in her chest as she realized what he was going to say; how completely he was about to trust her. She opened her mouth to tell him that she already knew but his eyes were so dark and serious that she was transfixed into silence.
"I found Mayson while scoring the woods! She's alive, can you believe it? And she wants to marry me! I've never been happier in my entire life."
*scnr*
"I--, uh. I tried to tell you this before, but it just never seemed to work out." His hands dropped from her face as he swallowed hard. "I've never told anyone this before..."
"Really?" she blurted out in astonishment. "No one? Ever?"
He paused and his eyebrows knit together in confusion. "What?"
"Your parents know, though, right?"
"My parents?" he echoed. He took a step backward, running one hand nervously through his hair.
"My parents, uh-- they suspect, I guess. But never broached the subject." Clark took a deep breath, his cheeks scarlet. "So, how did you figure out I'm a virgin?"
"I'm sorry! Clark, I'm so sorry."
Clark froze, staring at her in stunned silence as all color seemed to leave his face. After a few seconds he cleared his throat and quietly asked, "How long have you known?"
Did she play with me? Am I only the Flying Wonder to her? What does that mean for us?
She doesn't look angry, does she?
"You think I'm angry?" She stared at him, aghast that he would think she'd be that petty.
Now she might be angry.
"Wow," she murmured, still taken aback. A flicker of anger shot through her that he could misjudge her so completely.
See?
"Give me some credit! Not everything is a story to me! I mean, yeah, sure, when we first met Superman was more of a story than a friend. But I would never have exposed you just because I could. At least, I don't think I would have. Did you think I would?"
Hey, he's not thinking about the story. He's thinking about the lies. It's really marvelous how our own expectations and impulses guide our perception of others, isn't it?
"You trusted me first." His eyes opened, looking deeply into hers. "Once I realized that, I couldn't lie to you anymore."
That's novel.
"With you." He smiled at her. "Just you. You stopped putting up walls whenever we were alone together and you would just be you. Did you really not recognize that you were doing that?"
Awwwwwww...
"Nuclear disarmament." Lois smacked the 'S' lightly in mock-irritation. "What in the world were you thinking, throwing the phrase game for me?"
I'd thought the flirting. But then, it's been a while
"Oh," she whispered as a surge of disappointment shot through her. It had been much more exciting when she thought that Superman had compromised his principles solely for her. "Well… thanks for choosing me to flirt with instead of Sam Price."
Poor Lois. And *bad* Clark, for making her feel *not* special.
"I promised you I was going to tell you everything the next time I saw you."
Well, he's always been a bit muttonheaded.
"That's how you knew which side of the bed I sleep on? Just how many times have you been outside my bedroom window?"
Uh-oh.
"I check on you sometimes -- but only if I'm near your neighborhood. I'll fly past and listen for you. I only peek inside if you leave the blinds open. I swear it's not like I hover out there and watch you sleep or anything. It's just a glance."
Sue, you definitely wrapped this one up perfectly
Michael
