Well, I promised myself...and some of you...that I had given up writing fanfic. I’m just not very good at it. However...here I go again. I was inspired after reading, “Playing the Part” by Annie M. but this game is a little more...well...read and find out.
Go With Me On This One 1/4
Lois entered the Daily Planet and made a beeline to her desk. She just did get past the mob of reporters that had arrived for the Reporters’ convention, which was being held in Metropolis this year. It was Monday and the convention would go on through Thursday. Lois hated the reporters’ convention more than most things in her career. For the most part it became a drunken party and people from her past seem to always show up, like Paul Tenney...and Linda King. Already, she wanted it to be over.
Lois’s feet were killing her. She had had to walk what seemed like miles to meet Bobby Big Mouth this morning for information. She decided right then that she would never do that again in two-inch pumps. She had a one-track mind right now…get these shoes off…as she plopped down in her chair.
Lois noticed not for the first time lately that Clark was so handsome sitting there at his desk. His broad shoulders in that white shirt and crazy tie, his beautiful smile, his gentleness and especially his small town boyish manners…just made her finally realize that she really was attracted to him, maybe even more. But, she didn’t want to risk their friendship, which meant more to Lois than anything.
Clark sat on the phone talking with Matt Young. He noticed his partner’s scent and her heartbeat as she approached the newsroom. She was so beautiful and seemed to become more beautiful with maturity. She could always take his breath away. He had been in love with her since they met and had actually almost jeopardized their friendship once by telling her and almost proposing to her. She didn’t reciprocate those feelings so their friendship had taken a hit, with the help of the peripheral situation at the time. Slowly their friendship had recovered and with prayer and time, Clark hoped that Lois would one day love him the way that he loved her.
Lately, though Clark thought that he and Lois were becoming closer. Not romantically, but closer friends. He hadn’t thought it possible for them to grow closer without changing the status of their relationship. But Lois didn’t hold back anymore…her feelings. She would now open up to him truthfully about anything except one thing…her feelings for him. That was a subject that they danced around and Clark being Clark didn’t demand that she go there. With patience, hopefully one day she would tell him what he wanted to hear.
As Lois kicked off her pumps and rubbed her right foot, she looked over at her best friend and partner of three years, Clark Kent. He seemed to be just finishing up a phone call. She needed to fill him in on her meeting with Bobby Big Mouth. Clark would have usually gone with her but he stayed back in the office to tie up another deadline in the names of Lane and Kent.
“Yeah, Matt…I’m sorry about your hotel reservation but you can stay for the week if you need to…sure…well I don’t actually have a spare bedroom…it’s my couch…sure you’re welcome…see you this evening…bye.”
“Plans?” Lois inquired just as Clark hung up his phone.
“Uh…no…well sort of…that was an old college mate of mine, Matt Young. He’s here for the convention and his reservations got screwed up so…”
Clark was interrupted by a mob of reporters who seemed to be headed for Lois’s desk.
“Lois Lane!”
Lois spun around in her chair.
“Yes? Oh, hi Linda…Paul.” Lois said sarcastically. What she really wanted to do was to crawl under her desk right now. Of all people to drop by...Linda King and Paul Tenney had to. Clark’s eyes stretched above his glasses. He knew immediately who Linda and Paul were. Lois had told him on a previous occasion of her little adventure with Linda and Paul.
“Well, Lois…successful reporter, huh? Well, you’re what? 29? 30? Tick-tock, tick-tock! And what? No husband or kids huh? I’ll bet you don’t even have a boyfriend. Does anyone even ask you out or are you still calling your interviews dates? You see, Paul and I got married and we’re trying for a baby, now. Right, Paul? We just wanted you to hear it from the horse.”
“But Linda, baby, Lois wouldn’t know anything about starting a family. You’d have to do more than just lie there.” The entourage started to laugh at Paul‘s innuendo.
Lois could feel the colour rising in her cheeks and the tears starting to burn the corners of her eyes. Just then Clark walked up behind her and gently placed his hands on her shoulders.
“Honey, you okay?” Clark asked as he leaned down closer to her ear. He had nothing but love and sincerity in his eyes for her. He had already hopped to a game of pretend just to rescue his partner.
“Yeah.” Lois said simply in almost a whisper.
“Ah, Lois, who is the tight end and what have you got on him to make him so...caring? Surely he’s just a concerned co-worker. He wouldn’t actually be interested in you…would he? Paul you mind if I see if I still got it?”
“No, go ahead. We already know that Lois ain’t got it!” The entourage broke out in laughter again. At this point Lois had turned to face Clark as he knelt in front of her. He could see her fighting tears.
Angry, Clark stood up.
“Paul and Linda, Clark Kent. I’m Lois’s…”
“Husband! You see Linda, Clark and I are married. I’m actually Lois Kent. Lane is just my professional name…” Lois chimed in as she schooled her emotions and stood quickly, next to Clark.
Clark and Lois exchanged looks briefly before Clark continued on. Clark had given Lois that very subtle look of agreement, indicating that he was on board this flight, as they had done many times during their partnership when one of them got put in a tight spot. With that encouragement, Clark held Lois to him, protectively, around her small waist. Then he made his way in front of her.
“Why don’t you get the hell out of here and leave us. You see, when you upset her, you upset me and trust me, you don’t want to suffer my wrath,” Clark continued with clenched teeth. Lois noticed that little thing that his jaw did when he was angry.
“Why, Clark,” Linda said as she made her way to him and laid her hand flirtatiously on his chest. “I’ll just bet that under that shirt…”
Clark quickly pushed Linda’s hand away and said, “Just for the record, you don’t have it! Now leave or…”
“What in the Sam Hill is going on in my newsroom?” Perry demanded in his most angry southern voice. But by now the entourage had started to exit.
“Nothing Perry!” Clark yelled back as he led Lois by the hand into one of the conference rooms. He knew that her resolve was quickly fading.
Once the door closed to the conference room Lois turned to Clark as if she were trying to find her words to say something, but her control vacated. Eyelids and willpower that had been dams just moments ago lost their battle and the tears flowed. Clark just stood there and held Lois until her cry was done. After a few minutes Lois dried up and looked at Clark. It broke Clark’s heart to see Lois look so defeated.
“Clark, thank you but I’m so sorry for dragging you into…”
“Shh…Lois. It’s okay. I don‘t mind.” Clark hugged her to his chest again and smiled to himself. It would be a dream come true to pretend for a week that he and Lois were married. Maybe he could convince her that it wasn’t such a bad idea and that they should make it a permanent arrangement. He could prove that he would really be a good husband and love her the way she deserved to be loved. Loving her took no thought or rehearsal at all. “How do you want to play this?”
“I know you don’t want to be marri…I shouldn’t have told them that...”
“I go with my partner, Lois. You know that.” Clark tilted Lois’s chin up to look at him. “Now, tell me what you want to do and my part in this. Right now I‘m so angry at them…for being so…cruel.”
“Okay. Will you go with me on this one…this marriage thing?”
“Of course.” Clark hugged Lois to his chest again and silently thanked God for this opportunity. “We need to settle a few things though, so that our stories are consistent, like where will we live? Where and when did we meet? When did we get married?”
“Well, we can just tell the truth about how and where we met. Since your apartment is slightly bigger and my couches are so uncomfortable, we can live at your place…”
“Oh! Matt is staying on my couch this week. But we can’t stay at your place if we’re married and he and a few of the others already know where I live. But, sleeping arrangements…” Clark sat in deep thought for a moment.
“Clark, I don’t mind sleeping in your bed…with you. After all we are supposed to be married and Matt would definitely pick up on something if one of us slept on the floor or in the loft. That is if you‘re comfortable with it.” Lois’s cheeks turned bright red with embarrassment.
“Yeah, you’re right. Are you okay with that? I’m comfortable with it. You know you can change your mind. Anytime. ”
“I know, Clark. Thank you.”
The day came to an end rather quickly. Clark shut down his computer and tidied up his desk. Then he walked over to Lois’s desk and perched on the side as she shut down her workstation for the day.
“Ready, Mrs. Kent?” Clark asked as he held out his hand for Lois to take.
“Ready, Mr. Kent.” Lois smiled fully for the first time today since her…their visit from Linda and Paul.
Lois and Clark adjourned from the Daily Planet together at about 6 o’clock, only after filling Perry and Jimmy in on the charade. Perry laughed within himself. He knew that his dream team was in love but danced around admitting it. Maybe this would make them see that they were meant to be.
Clark walked Lois to her Jeep and told her that he had an errand. He would expect her at his apartment in an hour.
Lois detoured to her apartment to get a few things before Matt would arrive, to make it look as if she lived in Clark’s apartment. She showed up on Clark’s doorstep what would be about an hour before Matt.
Once inside of Clark’s apartment he led her to his bedroom and showed her her designated drawers for her belongings. As she finished unpacking her things, Clark led Lois to sit beside him on his bed and held her hand. He had something to say.
First he reached in his suit pocket, pulled out a purple velvet ring box and opened it. It held two gold bands, a large one and a small one. Clark removed the small one and placed it on Lois’s left ring finger and she placed the larger one on his left ring finger.
“Clark, you didn’t have to…”
“We want to look convincing. And besides, I wanted to.”
Lois smiled and agreed.
Then Clark gently grasped both of Lois’s hands and looked in her eyes. After a few moments, he finally started to talk. Lois knew better than to interrupt once he got going.
“Lois, you’re my best friend and I should have told you this sooner, especially after…but…well…I’m Superman. I thought you should know just in case I have to leave during the night…with you right beside me…well…”
“Clark? How could you? Why did you wait so long to tell me? Did you trust me that little? Did you think I‘d make a headline out of it?”
“I’ve never told anyone, Lois. Only my parents know. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t know if you would still accept me or think I was repulsive, or…and I didn’t want anyone hurting you to get to me. I’m an alien, Lois. I…please don’t be too angry with me.”
Clark had decided that it was best to leave out the part about wanting Lois to fall in love with him…Clark…and not the super hero.
“Clark…we don’t have time for me to be angry with you right now. We’ll sort it out later. Matt will be here soon. All those lame excuses…”
Clark took the gift horse and galloped away on it. He knew that Lois’s wrath was much worse than his could ever be.
tbc...
