Thank you for reading this quick story. I hope you enjoyed it even when some of it didn't make sense. Any mistakes are all mine. And I know I made some, but I hope you enjoyed the ride.
Chapter 10
Clark could hardly breathe.
She was so close—straddling him on the couch, her hands warm against his cheeks, her eyes searching his. There was no distance left between them. No room for deflection.
“I’m scared,” he said, voice low and rough.
Lois’s brow furrowed. “Scared of what?”
He swallowed hard, gaze locked on hers. “Of losing you.”
The words hung in the air, vulnerable and unguarded.
Lois didn’t speak right away. She just leaned in, resting her forehead gently against his.
“You’re not going to,” she whispered. “Not if I have anything to say about it.”
Clark’s voice was barely audible. “If I tell you the truth… I risk losing you.”
Lois didn’t move. Her hands were still on his face, her eyes locked on his.
“You think I’d walk away?” she asked, steady but stunned. “After everything?”
He looked down, then back up, eyes full of conflict. “It’s not just about secrets. It’s about what those secrets mean. What they change”
Lois leaned in, her forehead brushing his. “Then let them change things. But don’t shut me out.”
Her voice softened. “I’d rather face the truth with you than live in the dark without you.”
“Promise me,” Clark said, his voice rough with urgency. His hands gripped her hips like she was the only thing anchoring him. “Please, Lois.”
Lois leaned in, her hands still cradling his face, her voice steady and sure.
“I’m right here,” she said. “And I’m not going anywhere.”
She held his gaze. “You don’t lose me by telling the truth, Clark. You lose me by pretending you’re alone.”
His grip on her hips tightened, just slightly. The fear was still there—but so was something else. Hope.
“Dr. Chase told you it was liquid kryptonite, right?” Clark asked, his voice low, the memory of collapsing in the office still fresh—pain sharp and disorienting.
But when the liquid was sealed inside the thermos, it hadn’t affected him. Not even a flicker of weakness.
It didn’t make sense—unless…
“The thermos,” he murmured, more to himself now. “It must’ve been lead-lined.”
Lois blinked. “Why would someone have a lead-lined thermos?”
“The tight end—Everett,” Clark said slowly, piecing it together. “He’s a chemistry major. Maybe he knew the drink was dangerous. He said it tasted metallic… that it burned going down.”
Clark’s brow furrowed. “If Everett suspected something was wrong, maybe he used a lead-lined thermos to contain it. That would explain why it didn’t affect me—until the other bottle was dumped.”
He paused, the weight of the moment settling in.
Lois’s eyes narrowed. “Wait… the drink made the players stronger. But it made you weak.”
Clark didn’t answer. He didn’t have to.
Lois leaned back slightly, her breath catching. “Oh my God.”
Her voice was barely a whisper. “Clark… that stuff was kryptonite.”
She stared at him, heart pounding. “And it hurt you.”
Clark met her gaze, silent, vulnerable.
Lois’s voice trembled. “You’re not just hurt. You’re him.”
She swallowed. “You’re Superman.”
Lois froze, the pieces clicking into place with terrifying clarity.
Her breath caught. Her hands, still cradling his face, began to tremble.
She shifted, slowly starting to move off his lap—not in anger, but in stunned disbelief.
“You’re him,” she whispered. “You’re Superman.”
Clark didn’t stop her. He just watched her, heart pounding, waiting to see if she’d run—or stay.
Clark’s voice cracked as he spoke. “Why do you think I was so scared? Scared of telling you. Of losing you.”
Stunned by the truth—she looked at him fully, her heart pounding. “You thought I’d walk away,” she said quietly.
He nodded, eyes shining. “I didn’t want you to see me differently. To be afraid. To feel like I’d lied.”
Lois finally slid off his lap, her movements stiff with shock. She stood, then began to pace, arms crossed tight over her chest.
Everything was clicking into place—and it made her furious.
Not just today. Not just the green fire or the pain in his voice. But every time he’d vanished without explanation. Every flimsy excuse. Every moment she’d confronted him, angry and confused, only to be met with that maddening calm.
The missed dinners. The sudden disappearances. The half-hearted excuses she’d never bought for a second.
She turned to face him, eyes flashing. “You let me think you were just afraid of commitment. That you couldn’t handle being close to someone.”
Clark didn’t argue. He just watched her, silent, bracing.
“I got angry, Clark. I yelled. I walked away. And you let me.” Her voice cracked. “You let me think it was me.”
She stopped pacing, her breath catching. “But it wasn’t. It was this. It was you.”
Her gaze softened, confusion and hurt giving way to something deeper. “You were scared. Not of me—but of what I’d see. Of what it would mean.”
Clark stood and nodded.
Lois swallowed hard. “You didn’t lie to push me away. You lied because you didn’t want to lose me.”
“I wasn’t just scared of losing you, Lois. I was terrified of what loving me could cost you. Of someone figuring it out—using you to get to me. Of you being hurt just because you were close.”
He looked down, voice thick. “Every time I thought about telling you, I saw a hundred ways it could go wrong. You being targeted. You being afraid. You walking away.”
His gaze met hers, raw and unguarded. “I didn’t lie because I didn’t trust you. I lied because I couldn’t bear the thought of you getting hurt because of me.”
Lois stopped pacing and turned to face him, arms still crossed, but her expression softer now—conflicted.
“I’m surprised,” she said quietly. “Not that you’re Superman. That you thought I couldn’t handle it.”
She took a step closer, her voice steady but laced with hurt. “You know me, Clark. You’ve seen me face down killers, corrupt politicians, and half the city’s worst secrets. But you didn’t trust me with yours.”
Clark’s voice cracked. “I wanted to tell you. The closer we got, the harder it became.”
Lois stared at him, heart pounding. “You didn’t lie to push me away. You lied because you were scared of what the truth might cost.”
He nodded again, silent.
And then, after a long pause, she reached for his hand.
“I’m still here,” she said softly. “And I’m not going anywhere.”
“Lois, I’m sorry. I wanted to tell you—so many times.”
Clark’s voice was low, rough with guilt. “But now you see why I couldn’t let the paramedics near me. One blood test, one scan… and everything would’ve unraveled.”
He looked up at her, eyes pleading. “I couldn’t risk it. Not just for me—but for you, too. If they found out what I was… if word got out…”
He trailed off, the weight of years pressing down.
“I wasn’t just protecting a secret. I was protecting you. From the fallout. From the questions. From the danger that comes with knowing.”
He swallowed hard. “Every time I wanted to tell you, I imagined the worst. You being dragged into it. Targeted. Hurt.”
His voice cracked. “So I stayed silent. And I hated myself for it.”
Clark sat back down in silence, still bracing for the fallout. But instead of more questions, Lois crossed the room slowly, her expression unreadable.
She knelt beside him, eyes searching his face. Then, without a word, she curled into his side, resting her head against his shoulder.
He hesitated, then wrapped an arm around her, the tension in his chest finally beginning to ease.
Lois tilted her face up and kissed him—soft, sure, and lingering.
When she pulled back, her smile was crooked, teasing. “All it took was a pair of handcuffs and some tight ends.”
Clark blinked. “Excuse me?”
She grinned. “Football players juiced on kryptonite. A college football coach begging for help, a crazed doctor with a glowing syringe, and you dodging an ambulance like it was the IRS.”
He laughed, breathless. “You really know how to unravel a mystery.”
Lois nestled closer. “And you really know how to keep a girl guessing.”
Inside, Clark brushed a strand of hair from Lois’s cheek. “I love you,” he said quietly.
Lois looked up at him, eyes shining. “Took you long enough to say it back.”
Clark smiled, brushing a thumb gently across her cheek. “I meant it every day. I just didn’t know how to say it without risking everything.”
She leaned in, her voice low and certain. “You already did. Every time you showed up. Every time you stayed.”
He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. “So… what happens now?”
Lois nestled into him, her smile soft but sure. “Now we figure it out. Together.”
And somewhere in the distance, the world kept turning—but for once, they had time.
Tomorrow, they’d worry about finding Dr. Chase. About writing the story, chasing leads, and facing whatever fallout came next.
But tonight… tonight was just for them.
For truth, and love, and the quiet relief of no more secrets.
Lois nestled closer, her fingers laced with his. Clark pressed a kiss to her temple, the weight of years finally lifting.
Outside, the city buzzed with its usual chaos. But in here, wrapped in each other, they had peace.
And for the first time, they weren’t just partners in the field. They were partners in everything.
THE END
