From last time:
Unable to stand there and watch Lucy and Brian share loving kisses and meaningful glances a moment longer, she moved out from under Clark's hand and headed for the door. She caught a glimpse of Clark's confused, concerned expression as he hurried to catch up.
"Lois, where are you going?"
"I'm sorry. I just...I need some air," she managed, opening the front door and heading outside into the cool, fall night.
**********
Now, the conclusion...
**********
Clark watched her leave, concern for her mounting in his chest. She was upset. That much was obvious. He suspected it had everything to do with Lucy's remark in the kitchen about wishing that Lois could experience what love really felt like.
The pain he'd felt when he'd seen the hurt on Lois's face had rivaled any of the times he'd encountered Kryptonite. From all the talks he and Lois had had since the Luthor fiasco, he knew her self-confidence had taken a beating. Once, she'd even admitted to him that she worried she might never be fortunate enough to be in a solid, loving relationship. To this day, he could still hear the pain in her voice as she'd confided that to him. Having Lucy tell her she wished Lois could feel what it was like to have the love of a good man must have cut Lois deeply. Knowing that had made him hurt deeply, too.
As he stood in the entryway staring at the closed door Lois had gone through, a young man appeared and asked if he'd like his coat. He made a quick decision.
He answered yes, waited impatiently for his jacket, then hurried out after Lois.
Standing on the driveway, he lifted a hand to his face and lowered his glasses. A quick glance around his surroundings with his enhanced vision proved helpful. He spotted Lois walking into the deserted grounds of the gated community's park across the street from her mother's house.
He set off at a jog to catch up. The immaculately landscaped lawn of the park was damp from a recent watering and the grass made a squelching noise as he moved across it. He saw Lois wander over to the nearby swings and sit down on one of them. His steps slowed as he neared her, and he watched as she rested her head against one of the chains and toed the swing slowly back and forth.
When he reached her, he walked over to her and wrapped his jacket around her shoulders. She accepted it wordlessly and slipped her arms into the sleeves. As she drew it more tightly around her, he moved to the swing beside her and sat down.
They swayed in silence for several moments before he spoke. "Would you like to talk about it?"
Her reply was soft but immediate. "No."
He sighed and turned to look at her. "Lois, please? This is me. After everything we've been through, you should know you can trust me."
She glanced up and their eyes met and held. After a moment, she gave a sad sigh and pushed backwards, then let herself swing forward in a slow, smooth motion. "You were right, Clark. I should have listened to you. Brian's not a bad guy. In fact, Lucy seems quite convinced he's going places."
"I think he is, too," Clark agreed. "I talked to him and I really like him. He has goals and ambitions, and Lucy supports him in those just as he supports her in the things she wants to do. Did you know that she's enrolled in college next spring and wants to major in accounting?"
Lois's legs went slack and her toe dragged her to a stop in the sand. She looked at Clark in surprise. "No, I didn't know that."
Clark gave her a sympathetic look. "Sorry. It's probably not my place to say, and you're probably going to get mad at me for saying it, but maybe if you talked *with* her instead of *down* to her a little more often, you'd learn things like that."
Her gaze dropped to her lap. "I guess you're right. And no, I'm not mad at you for saying it. It's a valid observation."
"What happened between you guys?" he ventured softly. "I know you guys used to be really close."
"We were. At least we were until she moved to California and started seeing Brian." Her tone held an unmistakable note of regret.
Clark keyed in on that, and something clicked in his head. "You're jealous!"
"Jealous of Lucy?" She snorted and toed her swing back into a gentle rocking motion. "Not a chance. It's just..."
Clark waited for her to continue, picking up on the wistfulness in her voice. When she didn't respond, he prompted, "Just...what?"
She sighed again. "I don't know. We just...we used to be like the three Musketeers or something. Well, the two Musketeers. I just didn't think she was going to run off to California and marry some guy and be so...happy."
Clark frowned. There was that word again. And the emotional undertone that went with it.
"Lois," he began, his voice low and firm. "You don't have to be jealous of Lucy. Your turn will come. You deserve to be happy, too, and I promise you, you will be."
Lois's eyes widened in surprise. A moment later she carefully schooled her features into a neutral expression and waved a hand as if dismissing his claim. "Oh, come on, I don't know what you're talking about."
"Yes, you do." His tone was quiet and unassuming. "Lois, it's me. You don't have to pretend."
The sincerity of his tone caused her brave front to crumble. She looked away from the intensity in his gaze and fingered a loose thread on her sweater.
Clark waited patiently for her to speak, the sound of the breeze rustling the leaves in a nearby tree. Finally, she spoke, her voice soft and vulnerable.
"When I was a little girl, Lucy and I both had that dream all little girls do, that some day a handsome prince would appear and sweep us each off our feet and we'd live happily ever after." She shook her head and smiled at the memory. Then she sobered and went on. "It wasn't long after that that my outlook on love got pretty jaded. I realized that a love like that was something only found in fairy tales. I had proof."
"Proof?" Clark prompted, raising his eyebrows.
She nodded. "My parents. They supposedly loved each other but they ended up miserable. I figured that if that's what love was, I didn't want any part of it. Still, I guess some part of me always held onto that shred of hope that true love, whatever that means, was out there somewhere.
"But every experience I've had with relationships has seemed to prove otherwise. Everybody I ever dated seemed to have an agenda. You already know about Claude. He had an agenda to steal my story and take all the credit. And then there was Lex..." She let out a breath and shook her head. "He was the ultimate in hidden agendas, it turns out. The question is, what was his agenda for me?" She gave a plaintive shrug. "I guess I'll never know."
She brushed back a tear that strayed onto her cheek. "Anyway, when the dust all settled after everything with Lex, I realized something. I've spent all these years hoping for something that doesn't exist--at least not for me. Lucy found it. She's lucky. But me...." She sighed. "I don't know. Maybe I'm destined to be alone. I hoped I might find somebody to fall in love with, who would love me completely and unconditionally in return. But that just isn't possible, is it?"
Another tear slipped down her cheek and Clark's heart twisted painfully. He swallowed past the lump in his throat as, once more, a war raged between his heart and his head. He loved her. Loved her more than life itself. But he'd almost lost her not long ago because he'd admitted his feelings for her. He'd driven her straight into the arms of Luthor.
Not that there was any chance of that happening now, but the aftereffects of that time were still fresh in his mind. He didn't want to lose her again. But he couldn't stand the thought of her feeling so lost and alone, either. He'd already taken back his declaration of love for her, and now they were making a fresh start as friends. But was that what he wanted? What either of them wanted?
Maybe she didn't love him the way he loved her, but he wasn't about to let her keep thinking she wasn't capable of being loved, or of thinking that there was nobody out there to offer her the kind of love she'd been looking and hoping for all these years.
There was somebody like that out there. And he was sitting right beside her.
Making up his mind to tell her was easy. Saying the words was harder.
He took a deep breath to give himself courage and twisted his swing to face hers. "Lois, look at me."
When she did, he reached for her hands and turned her swing toward his so she could meet his gaze head-on. "Don't throw away the idea of being loved," he said, his tone serious. "It's a desire that's pure and honest and beautiful. You, of all people, deserve that kind of happiness."
When she rolled her eyes in self-deprecation, he tightened his hands around hers. "I know you don't believe this, but you are such an amazing woman. There is a man out there who is ready to love you like you want--and deserve--to be loved. He'll be somebody who will love you and treasure you every day of his life. He'll be somebody who *lives* for the moment he can fall asleep holding you in his arms at night, feeling your soft breath against his skin. He won't even want to close his eyes at night for fear that if he does, he'll wake up and realize it was all just a beautiful, unattainable dream. He'll be the kind of man who wants nothing more than to see you smile because it will mean that you're happy, and he'll want your happiness more anybody else's, even his own. He'll live to share your joy and sorrows, and he'll even cry with you when you're sad, because his soul will be so attune with yours that your pain will be his pain. So don't rule out love, Lois," he finished, his tone fierce and insistent. "Don't you *ever*. That kind of man is out there for you. I know it."
Lois let out a sniffly laugh and pulled one of her hands free to wipe at the tears that were streaming down his face at his words. "You definitely have the soul of a writer," she said on a sad laugh. "It's a beautiful dream, Clark, but what you're talking about is impossible. Somebody like that would be straight out of a fairytale, and fairytales just don't happen in real life. Let's face it. There's nobody out there who'd love me like that."
"You're wrong, Lois," he said with a quick shake of his head. "I happen to know there is a man out there who loves you like that. You just have to open your eyes and see it."
"Who, Clark?" she asked, sounding defeated and unbelieving. "Who would love me like that?"
His heart starting to pound, Clark swallowed and took a deep breath. It was now or never.
In a vulnerable whisper, after only the briefest of pauses, he said, "Me. *I* love you like that."
**********
Lois stared at Clark in disbelief. When she was finally able to form the words, she asked in a shocked whisper, "What did you just say?"
Clark let out a shaky breath and managed a small smile. "Don't make me say it again, Lois. I can't believe I had the courage to say it the first time." When she only continued to stare at him, his smile broadened and he rolled his eyes. "Okay, I can tell I'm going to have to say it again. I love you, Lois Lane. I love you with all my heart and soul."
She continued to stare at him for long moments. Clark loved her? No, it wasn't possible. Was it? But when she looked into his eyes, she saw only sincerity and yes, love, shining in his gaze.
After a long moment, she asked the question foremost in her mind. "Why?"
Clark chuckled. "Why? You're kidding, right?"
Lois shook her head in an attempt to clear it and, at the same time, show Clark that she truly didn't understand. "No, I'm not kidding," she said in earnest. Her forehead creased into confusion. "Why would you love me? I'm not exactly the easiest person to love. I'm stubborn and headstrong and outspoken, and I have this really bad temper..."
"Don't worry, I know all about the temper." Clark flashed her a teasing grin.
She smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, I guess you do. But...it makes me wonder how you could really love me knowing all that. You must not know me as well as you think you do."
Clark let out a snort of laugher. "Lois, are you kidding? I know you better than anyone! It's true that we've only known each other for a little over a year, but we've spent most of that year *together*. I know how you like your coffee and what kinds of donuts you like. I know you eat your sandwich with extra mayo and no pickles. I know you hate doing laundry and can't be bothered with grocery shopping. Whenever I spot an open carton of chocolate ice cream in your apartment, I know it means you're depressed. And I know that when you tap your pencil eraser in that totally annoying rhythm at work it means you're stressed out." He gave her a broad grin. "And I know that whenever I see you scrubbing the grout in your kitchen with those long, yellow gloves on, it means I'd better choose my words carefully because you're angry about something. I think it's safe to say that I know you better than *anyone*. Who else knows all those little nuances about you and still loves you for them as much as I do?"
Lois felt her eyes grow misty at the love she heard in his voice as he made his observations. He really did know her. Her knew her pesky quirks and loved her in spite of--or maybe even because of--them.
She blinked back her tears and shook her head. "And that brings me back to my point. Surely there are better--easier--people to love than me."
Clark smiled and drew her closer, wrapping his lower legs around her calves to keep her and her swing close to him. "Maybe that's one of the reasons I fell so hard, so fast for you when I met you. You were a challenge. You were this puzzle just waiting to be solved. And the more time I spent putting the pieces together, the more I realized that I loved you."
"But..." she began, still unable to believe somebody as solid and wonderful as Clark could really love her. "You told me months ago that you loved me, but admitted later that you'd only said that to keep me from marrying Lex."
He let out a long sigh and his shoulders slumped. "I know, but I wasn't being honest. I loved you then, and I love you even more now. I just told you back then that I'd lied because I was afraid I'd mess up our relationship. You were coming off some life-altering events and I didn't want to turn your life upside down any more than it already had been.
"But the truth is," he went on, his voice soft and deep as he lifted a hand to brush a strand of hair back from her forehead, "I've never stopped loving you."
She felt her body release the tension it had been storing up for so long, and she slumped against the chain of her swing. "Oh, Clark," she murmured, profoundly touched by his admission.
"But to answer your question from a few minutes ago," he went on with a smile, "I love you for so many reasons. I love that you have such a good heart. You try to pretend you're tough and act like nothing affects you, but I know better. Deep down, you care so much. You care about what you're doing because you feel like you can make a difference in people's lives, and you do. You also have such passion for everything you do that when I'm around you, it makes me feel alive. *You* make me feel alive. And I love you so much for it that I plan on never letting you go."
Lois felt the tears begin to stream down her face once more. "I don't know what to say," she whispered as the cool evening breeze picked up and played with the ends of her hair.
He flashed her a nervous smile. "Just say that I haven't totally freaked you out and I haven't scared you away for good."
Laughter bubbled up in her chest and it came out as a half-laugh, half-hiccup. "I'm not freaked out, and you haven't scared me away. I'm just..."
"Just...what?" he prompted. "Scared? Appalled? Happy? Give me an adjective, Lois. You're making me a nervous wreck, here."
"Happy," she blurted out on a genuine laugh. "Happy." She sniffled, then looked down at his jacket as she shoved her hands into the pockets in search of something.
"There are tissues in the inside pocket."
"You really do know me," she said with another sniffly laugh as she looked where he'd directed. She pulled out a tissue and wiped her nose.
"I told you I did," he said with a smile.
When she folded the tissue and tucked it into her slacks pocket, she looked up at him once more. "Clark, hearing that you love me makes me so happy. I would never had admitted it, but I was heartbroken when you told me that day outside the Planet that you'd only said you loved me to keep me from marrying Lex. I'd been about to tell you that I loved you, too."
A surprised gasp escaped Clark's lips. "What?"
She nodded. "It was true what I'd said to you in the park that day--I hadn't thought of you as more than a friend. But over the next few weeks, you and your declaration of love were all I was able to think about. The more I thought about it, the more I realized how much I'd come to love you and depend on you. The thought of not having you in my life hurt more than anything. Just before Perry came barging into that chapel, I told Lex I couldn't marry him. And that was because of you, Clark. I realized I didn't love Lex. I loved you."
This time, Clark's eyes were the ones that became moist. "Really?" he managed, his voice ragged. "You loved me all this time and never said anything?"
"What was I supposed to say?" she asked with a smile. "You told me you didn't love me. I felt like a fool."
Clark gave her a watery smile and chuckled as he reached for her hands once more. "I guess we were both fools. We could have saved ourselves a lot of heartache if we were honest with each other."
"Yes, we could have."
As she sat, her hands held firmly in Clark's, she tried to sort out her jumbled thoughts. Clark loved her. Yes, he had said it once before...but he had taken it back. At the time, she'd been hurt and heartsick, but she'd realized that was that and had made a conscious effort to put it behind her and move on.
But it hadn't been easy. The love she'd developed for Clark had grown slowly and steadily, surprising her with it when she finally was forced to examine those feelings. Her love for him hadn't been the kind of love that struck somebody between the eyes. But she was glad. It had given her a chance to grow into her feelings and be ready for them when she recognized them.
Now, she realized, she was hopelessly in love with a man she'd never thought she would love. Or who would love her in return.
She felt herself tremble at the enormity of what she was facing, and for a moment, a sliver of fear pierced her heart. It was a scary thing, talking about taking a relationship that was based on friendship and moving it on to the next level.
Clark seemed to sense the change in her mood because he lifted a hand to gently caress her face. "You don't have to be afraid, Lois. We can take this as slowly as you need. I don't want you to feel like I'm pressuring you into anything."
She nodded, grateful for his reassurance. "It is a little scary," she admitted, her voice tentative. "I know I love you, and I want to be with you. But...where are you suggesting that we go from here?"
"We don't have to rush, Lois. Let's take it a day at a time and see what feels comfortable. Let's go out on a few dates, get to know each other even better on this level. And if you ever feel like things are moving too fast, you tell me. We'll talk about it. All I'm asking is that you give us a chance. I want you to let me love you."
"Oh, Clark," she murmured, leaning in closer and bringing her hands up to his chest.
He let his head fall forward until his forehead was resting against hers, and they sat that way for several minutes, rejoicing in their newly expressed love.
The flash of Clark's smile broke through the darkness. Pulling away slightly so he could meet her gaze, he asked, "Okay, I'm just going to ask so you don't think I'm coming on too strongly.... Would it be okay if I kissed you?"
She giggled. "If you have to ask that, I'm a little worried about the future of our relationship."
He grinned in response. "I'll take that as a yes."
His amusement faded as he moved toward her slowly, and she felt herself leaning in to meet him halfway. Her heart started to pound out an erratic rhythm as he inched closer and his face hovered only inches before hers for a long moment. She felt the warmth of his breath on her face as his mouth descended upon hers.
Her eyes drifted closed at the contact. Fiery sensations of pleasure ripped through her as his lips moved over hers slowly, deliciously, telling her without words how much he loved her. His kiss was soulful and passionate, and as it deepened into something more intense, she thought her heart might leap right out of her chest.
When he pulled back and they gazed into each others' eyes, Lois wondered how she had gotten so lucky. He was everything she could have ever asked for in a man--he was strong and solid and gentle and kind. And best of all, he loved her. It was the fairytale kind of love her heart had always longed for, and it was hers. Theirs. All they had to do was accept it and surrender to it. But as she looked into Clark's eyes, she realized she had already done both.
The wind picked up, causing their swings to sway. It pulled Lois's thoughts back to her surroundings, and she looked around them and giggled.
A smile tugged at the corner of Clark's mouth. "What's so funny?"
She leaned back and swung away from Clark. "I was just remembering the last time I was kissed on a playground. I was nine, and Bobby Stewart paid me five bucks to kiss him." She made a face at the amusement on Clark's face. "It was kind of a dare."
Clark threw his head back and laughed. "Now that's something I didn't know about you."
"Yeah, well, I had an interesting childhood." She grinned sheepishly. "I'm sure there are things about you that I don't know. What juicy secrets do you have to share about your childhood?"
Looking uncomfortable at her question, he shifted on the swing. "It's true, there are things you don't know about me, but that won't last for long. We'll have some long talks over the next few weeks. I'm eager to get to know everything about you that I don't know, and I'm eager to tell you everything about me that you don't know."
"What things don't I know about you?" Lois asked, genuinely curious.
He shook his head. "That's for another time. But I promise we'll have plenty of time to talk about anything and everything you want."
"Fair enough," she agreed. Then she laughed, and a teasing expression flitted across her face. "You don't have some dead body under the floorboards of your apartment, do you?"
"No." He chuckled. "No dead bodies under my floorboards."
"Then we're good."
He laughed along with her, then stood up and offered her his hand. "Whatever things you end up learning about me, they can't be as juicy as the fact that you accepted five bucks to kiss Bobby Stewart in third grade."
With a grin, she put her hand in his and let him pull her to her feet. When she was standing beside him, he laced his fingers through hers and pulled her toward the street.
"Should we go back to the party, or go home?"
"Home, I think," she said, enjoying the feeling of his hand against hers as they walked. When she looked back up at him, there was a touch of apprehension on her face. "Then what?"
"Lois, there. is. no. rush." He said each word with emphasis. "You've heard that expression that some things are worth the wait?" When she nodded, he smiled. "Well, I can attest to the fact that you are."
Her heart warmed at his words. She returned his smile with a tender one of her own and tightened her grip on his hand. "Did anybody ever tell you you're a hopeless romantic?"
"Not that I can remember."
"Well, you are." They walked in companionable silence for a moment. "It's just that this is a little scary, you know? It's a big step. We're best friends. Something like this could change everything."
"Yes, it could," he agreed solemnly. He watched as a breeze picked the ends of Lois's hair and tossed them across her face. Lifting a hand, Clark brushed the strands away and gave her a tender smile. "It could," he repeated, his voice growing husky and deep, "but it could make everything better...better than we ever believed possible."
She looked up to meet his gaze and the intensity in his eyes took her breath away. Spoken with the passion that she heard in his voice, she was sure he was right. If anything, he had made her a believer.
**********
One month later...
"I can't believe you did that," Clark was half-laughing, half-scolding as they walked in through the front door of Lois's apartment. He switched the paper bags of groceries and Chinese take-out to one hand so he could shut the door behind them.
His laughter and teasing was contagious, and Lois laughed, too. "But I didn't!" she protested between giggles. "I was going for that last tub of Monster Choco Chocolate Chip ice cream before that lady was."
"But she was standing there before you were. She was just making up her mind what to pick when you swiped that last carton right out from under her nose."
"Is it my fault she couldn't make up her mind?" Lois laughed again as she carried her bag of groceries into the kitchen and set it on the counter. She took out the carton of ice cream in question and stuck it in the freezer, as if afraid Clark might go all Boy Scout-y and make her take it back or something as penance.
Clark shook his head but was grinning as he moved into the kitchen behind her. "You know, if some kind of fight had ensued, Superman might have had to intervene."
Lois giggled again and sidled up to Clark. She ran her hands up his chest and slid her arms around his neck. "Well, you know," she said, her voice slow and flirtatious, as she began pressing light, teasing kisses to the base of his throat. "That would have been okay. You see, I have this 'in' with Superman."
Superman. There was a whole subject within itself.
Just two days after Lucy's engagement party, Clark had sat Lois down and told her everything. She had been shocked, angry, fascinated, and speechless, all at the same time. The news hadn't been easy to digest, but Clark had been patient with her, letting her work through the gamut of emotions she was feeling. He gave her her space when she needed it and was there when for her when she needed *him*, Clark, her best friend. It wasn't long before Lois accepted the reasons why he'd kept such a thing a secret from her, and their relationship had moved forward.
Looking back, Lois was grateful for the adversity that his sharing the news with her had caused. It had brought them even closer together in the end, strengthening their connection and their love for one another.
And she had to admit, being in a loving, committed relationship with a man with super powers had its advantages. Clark had been eager to show off for her, so dinners from exotic, foreign locations had become the norm rather than the exception those first couple of weeks, and flights over the city had been spectacular and breathtaking.
Those flights were her favorite. Not only did it give her an opportunity to see the city from a vantage point most people would never see, but it gave her much cherished time in Clark's arms. Sometimes the beauty of the city lights below them went unnoticed as she and Clark shared light, loving kisses high against the backdrop of the dark, star-speckled night sky.
As Lois moved her kisses to the particularly tender spot near his ear, Clark chuckled and lifted his hands to her shoulders. "You might have an 'in' with Superman, but Superman's supposed to be impartial, you know."
"Really." Lois abandoned his throat and looked up to meet his gaze. With a flirty smile, she leaned in, her lips hovering mere centimeters from his. "Are you feeling impartial right now?" And with that, she pressed her lips to his in a long, sweet kiss.
"Mmmm," Clark murmured against her lips. "No, I have to admit, 'impartial' really isn't what I'm feeling right now."
She giggled and pulled away, looking into the beautiful, soulful brown eyes of the man she loved. Their path to love hadn't been easy, but everything they had been through together to get to this point had prepared them for this time. No longer were their feelings taken lightly, but rather cherished and treasured. They were lucky to have found each other through the turmoil of their lives, and they knew it.
After a few more light kisses, Clark stepped back. "As much as I'd love to continue this, we should probably get these groceries put away."
"Yeah, you're right," Lois agreed on a disappointed sigh. She loved kissing Clark. She just couldn't seem to get enough. Forcing her thoughts back to the task at hand, she took the bag of groceries from Clark and set it on the stove.
As she started pulling things out of the bags and putting things away into the cupboards, she smiled at Clark. "Funny thing about our relationship--my cupboards have been full for the first thing since...well, ever."
Clark laughed. "Yeah, and that's only because I make you go grocery shopping with me every week."
"Hey, whatever works," she said, her smile broadening. "Even going to the grocery store is fun, as long as I'm with you."
He gave her a loving smile as he pulled out some eggs and put them in her fridge. "Fun? I never thought about it that way. But then, grocery shopping with you is a full-contact sport--especially in the ice cream section."
She smacked him on the arm, and he ducked away, laughing. "Oh," he said a moment later, pulling a small stack on envelopes from the inside pocket of his jacket. "Your mail."
He dropped it onto the counter and turned his attention back to the groceries. Lois wandered over to the stack and flipped through it.
"Hey," she exclaimed, holding up a small, square envelope. "It's from Lucy and Brian."
Shrugged out of her coat and laying it over the back of a nearby chair, she ripped open the flap and pulled out the card. "It's a thank-you note from them." She began to read it out loud to Clark: "'Thanks for going in on the set of china with Mom and Dad. I can't wait to host a dinner party and use it. I just wish you were here to attend my first dinner party. I miss you. Thanks for everything. Lucy and Brian.'"
Lois's smile was a little sad as she closed the card and looked up at Clark. "They sound happy."
"Yes, they do." He finished putting away the last of the bags contents, then walked over to her and reached for her hand. "What's wrong?"
She sighed. "I guess I just feel bad about all the grief I gave her when she first told me she and Brian were getting married. And now I miss her."
"We can go see them anytime you want, you know," Clark reminded her with a twinkle in his eye. "Superman Express is a great way to travel."
The sadness disappeared from her face and a smile touched her lips. "Don't I know it," she said, tipping her face up to his to accept a kiss.
Clark led her over to the couch, her hand still in his. They sat down together and Lois tossed the thank-you note still in her hand onto the coffee table. "I'm just glad Lucy is happy."
Clark stretched his arm along the back of the couch behind her and Lois snuggled into his side. "And what about you?" he asked gently. "Are you happy?"
Lois craned her head to look up at Clark. She could see the sincerity in his gaze, the love he had for her shining clear up from his soul.
She lifted a hand to his cheek and traced her fingertips along his strong jaw. "Yes," she said on a whisper. "I am happy...happier than I ever thought I could be."
Clark's answering smile lit up his face. "So am I," he whispered back as he leaned toward her. Lois tilted her face up to his, looking forward to the touch of his lips on hers.
As she stared into his eyes as his face drew near, she saw so many things in those beautiful, dark eyes. She saw proof of his love, of his friendship, of his caring and trust.
And in that moment before his lips met hers and his eyelids drifted shut, she was surprised to realize that she could see more than just his feelings in his gaze.
She could see her future.
The End.
