Hi and welcome to a Super Evening!
This part of the story is sort of the story’s climax where all the parts come together before they will fall apart.
A big Thank You and a Hug goes to my wonderful Betas, Mona, Kmar, and Lara. You just keep making the parts better and better.
You guys might have noticed that I had to change the parts total again. Right now it looks like it’s going to be seven or eight parts, but given how I’m just starting part seven, and ethnica’s plea for twelve parts, well, one never knows
Michael
Disclaimer: The recognizable characters and settings in this story are the property of D.C. Comics, Warner Bros., December 3rd Productions, and anyone else with a legal right to them, and I have no claim on them whatsoever, nor am I profiting by their use. It’s just the original stuff, that would be mine, written down to bring some entertainment to other FoLC.
The setting is right after “Season’s Greedings” in Season 2.
Blocks in >> << are literal thoughts by the character.
Rating: PG-13
**********
In part four Clark had to fight the feelings his partner’s closeness created within him, failing miserably. This had lead to a day filled with excuses, embarrassing attempts to maintain a dignified appearance, and even to Jimmy needing to help him out.
Now Clark has to visit Lois as Superman. But what has she in store for his flashy alter ego? And how will he deal with the fact that a Spandex suit is good for a lot of things, but not for helping him keep his distance from the woman he desires more than the air around him?
Part 5 /
TOC **********
Clark, dressed in full Superman regalia, floated down to Lois’ living room window. He wasn’t sure why he was so apprehensive. It’s not like he had never visited Lois before. It wasn’t even that he had never been explicitly invited before. No, he realized, it was the circumstances of his visit that were to blame for his current state of mind. Or perhaps the fact that he had not been able to keep his cool all day whenever he got to within a few feet of his intoxicating partner.
Seven months before, Lois had also asked Clark to get a hold of Superman. He had been pretty sure what she wanted from him, back then. And it had been of little surprise to him when he had found her window unlocked that fateful night.
What had surprised him had been her choice of clothing on said occasion. It had not been deliberate sexy or revealing – women often wore less in more public settings, and he did not just mean street corners – but still, for Lois to receive him in her night gown had been quite a shock none-the-less.
What had been even worse was her unashamed way of propositioning him. Yes, he had been quite aware of how she had lusted after his alter ego that fateful night. And how she had hurt him by telling him how she would love him even as an ordinary man. It still hurt to think about it. And what hurt even more was the fact that she had apparently reverted back to her crush over the holidays.
But this didn’t mean he would not come to see her whenever she needed him. Especially now, with the most recent threat to her life, he couldn’t not come to her side. And it didn’t matter one bit that she most likely wasn’t even aware of the fact that her life was in danger.
Clark was so lost in his musings he almost missed the fact that her window wasn’t open, as he had come to expect from his previous visits. It was closed. He carefully tapped the pane, wondering what might be going on for Lois to close her ‘Superman-Window’.
Even more surprising was the fact that it took her almost a minute before she opened the window. After all, given how she had invited him and had been swooning over his public appearance all day, Clark would have expected a swifter response to his arrival.
“Superman! It’s so nice for you to come by,” she gushed before reaching for his arm and pulling him inside. “Wow, it’s cold outside, don’t you agree?” Lois continued while shutting the window firmly behind him.
“Hello, Lois. It’s good to see you,” Clark returned her greeting and took note of her clothing for the first time. He wasn’t sure if he should be worried or relieved by what he saw, for Lois had chosen to wear her blue flannel robe. And while he knew that she usually wore this robe when she received unexpected late night visits, it only partially alleviated his earlier concerns. After all, she had expected Superman to come by, so why had she deliberately dressed herself down?
Not that this mattered to Clark, for Lois’ attempted casualness only furthered his own desires. It was, after all, his deepest and sincerest wish for Lois to wear just this robe, or one like it, while living under the same roof as he did.
And the fact that her hair looked slightly disheveled while it gleamed from the residual wetness of a shower was not at all conductive to his peace of mind, either.
“So, Lois, why am I here?” he continued in his best, stiff Superman pose, trying not to do anything that would encourage Lois’ superhero worship.
“Because I’ve asked you to come by, of course, Silly,” she replied with a smile on her lips. “But now that you are here, come and sit down,” Lois said while suiting actions to her words and pushing the superhero to take a seat on one of the torture instruments she called love seats.
“See, that’s better. Now, where were we? Oh, yes, the reason you are here. Well, first of all, I never had a chance to wish you a Merry Christmas. So, Merry Christmas, Superman,” she said, while hugging him and placing a small kiss on his cheek.
Clark wasn’t sure what had hit him, but he was completely overwhelmed by his partner’s actions, her babbling, and her complete lack of awe for his superhero persona. But he was sure that he was missing something. Something very important.
“Okay, what’s next on the agenda?” she said before snapping her fingers. ”Right, the champagne!”
“Champagne? What are you talking about, Lois?” Clark managed to say, before he found himself holding a champagne flute filled to the brim with the bubbling liquid.
“Well, I know that New Year’s Eve was two days ago, but since you chose not to visit me that day either, we will just have to make up for it now. Don’t you agree?”
“Uh, sure, Lois. Whatever you say, Lois.” Clark wasn’t sure if he was just trying to keep his head above water, or if he was placating an escapee from the local asylum, but whatever it was, it seemed to work, for Lois beamed a terrific smile at him, and continued in her babble while he raised the glass to his lips.
“Wait! We need a toast.”
“A toast?” There it was again, this strange feeling of being completely overwhelmed by his partner’s onslaught of topics.
“Yes, a toast. Oh, I’m sorry, Superman. I didn’t even think about it. You know, a toast is when people have a drink and wish each other good things to come for the future.”
“Lois,” Clark managed to interject into her stream of words, “I know what a toast is. I’ve been here for a while, remember?”
“Right, of course. You just looked so helpless there for a moment, I thought… Well, anyway, a toast it is.”
“If you say so, then we shall toast to friendship, Lois!” Clark said and raised his glass to clink with hers, hoping to shunt any more intimate wishes by Lois. He should have known better.
“Yes, to friendship. And to us and our future, together,” Lois replied, while clinking her glass to his own and taking a long sip from it.
Needing a moment to compose himself, Clark followed suit before asking, “But what about Clark?”
“Clark, what has Clark got to do with our future as a couple?” Lois seemed truly confused at that moment, before her gaze fell away from his face and she continued in a more subdued voice. “Oh god, I should have known. I’m so sorry, Superman, but I truly had no idea about this connection between you and Clark. I guess you have always just been friendly with me after all, haven’t you. And of course, you had to protect your public image. But you should have told me! I still can’t believe it, but it’s so obvious now. How could I have missed all the signs?”
“Signs? What are you talking about Lois?” Clark was truly and utterly confused now, but he valiantly tried to gloss over his confusion by taking a sip of his champagne.
“You and Clark, of course, Silly! How long have the two of you been a couple?”
If he hadn’t been sitting down already, he would surely have hit the floor on this last statement of Lois. As it was, he just spluttered his champagne in an attempt not to choke.
“Now wait, Lois. This… I... We... I mean, Clark and I, we aren’t a couple. We aren’t even gay,” Clark managed to say at last while frantically waving his hand in a nay-saying motion.
“You’re not?”
Lois voice was suddenly hopeful again, and he wondered what Pandora’s Box he had just opened with that last statement, before she continued.
“But then why? Why do you reject me, Superman? Am I that unattractive? Am I that bad a person that I’m too low for the almighty Superman?”
>>Oh, it’s *that* Pandora’s Box,<< Clark thought, quite certain that his partner would just as likely break into tears now as she would throw him out. And he also knew that the only possible way he could make this worse was if he asked her whether she was suffering from PMS. Not that he would ever do such a thing. His mother had taught him better than that. But still, Lois’ emotional state was quite a mystery to him right now.
“I’m waiting, Superman.”
“Huh? Oh, sorry Lois, I just… But no, of course you’re not unattractive and any man would be honored to call you his partner.”
>>Well, that should placate her,<< Clark hoped.
“But not you.”
It was a statement, not a question. And it was spoken in a tone so abject of feeling that he had to check it was really Lois sitting in front of him.
“No, Lois, that’s not what I‘ve meant,” he hastily tried to appease, only to have her look even more rejected.
>>This is not good. Not good at all.<<
“Then why do you play with me like that? I have always been honest about my feelings for you. And you, you have returned them, when..., when it suited you. When you were lonely, or…, or drugged, or…”
To his horror he saw Lois’ eyes actually starting to glisten over with unshed tears.
>>This is going to be bad. Really bad.<<
“Lois, please understand. I *am* your friend.”
“A *friend*? This is what you call the relationship we have? *Friendship*?
Clark cringed at the sudden shriek in her voice.
“Yes, Lois.”
“LIAR!”
Clark literally flinched at her sudden outburst before trying to answer her. “No, Lois, I *am* your *friend*. I have always *been* your friend.”
“And that’s a lie. Because you know what, Superman? Lying isn’t just telling something that is not true, lying is also telling only part of the truth. And I have come to believe that that’s an art you have perfected. Haven’t you?”
>>Oh crap!<<
Was she saying what he thought she was saying?
“But since everyone deserves a second chance, I will give you your one and only second chance to tell me the truth. You say you are my friend. Then I want you to tell me, as your friend, that you do not love me. Go on, look me in the eye and tell me and you will not have to deal with me anymore.”
“I… I can’t, Lois,” he replied, his chin touching his chest.
“I thought so, but where do you suggest we go from here?”
Her tone was calm, and he wondered what exactly had possessed her to display such mercurial mood swings this night. It was like she had gone through every available emotion in her psychological repertoire during their conversation.
“I don’t know,” he replied honestly.
“Well, in that case may I suggest you hold me while you tell me how you really feel about me? And I mean *all of it*.”
She immediately put her words into action, and snuggled up to his shoulder, with her legs draped across his own. Clark suddenly felt trapped, but he had no idea how to escape, short of using his superpowers to escape. But the feeling of Lois’ body so close to his own made him doubt that escape was the proper course of action at this time.
So he chose to do the next best thing.
“Lois, I do love you. I have loved you for a very long time. But this,“ he gestured with his hand at the intermingled bodies, “this is not possible. You should have a real man at your side, not a comic book character in a flashy suit.”
“But you are a real man, Superman. I have told you that I love you. You! Not your suit. Although, the suit isn’t so bad on you, either.”
“Lois, please…”
“You go out there every day. You see all the horrors I only write about far more close up and personal than almost everyone else. And you keep doing it. Think about what an amazing person it must take to do that. And then tell me again that I cannot love you, Superman!”
Well, he had to admit, she had him there, but he could still beg and hope for her to have mercy.
“Lois…”
“Shhhh, Superman, please, don’t make me beg,” Lois said while sliding more of her body onto his lap and snaking an arm around his neck.
“Lois, we can’t do this,” Clark continued his pleading while becoming increasingly aware of Lois’ effects on this body. And he was worried, for while he had caught some pretty distracting glimpses of her during the day, it was far more intense to actually feel the woman of his dreams pressing into his body. And considering the sorts of imagery this stirred up, Clark was certain he would have to leave for the Amazon rainforest or some other location away from civilization once he got away from her. For he would never again be able to look into her face.
“You are an adult, and so am I,” Lois continued her siren call, leaving Clark to dread what she would say next. “I’m here of my own free will,” she continued after further shifting onto his lap, “and I get the impression that you are pretty willing yourself, or you would no longer be here.”
Before he could try to extract himself from Lois’ embrace in order to flee the scene, he suddenly felt her lips covering his and her tongue demanding entrance. All thoughts of flight left him at that moment. This was unlike any of the kisses they had shared in the past, for its passion spoke of an uninhibited desire the likes of which he had never known before.
Clark opened his mouth to her questing tongue, sensing her arms wrap around his neck, pulling his head closer to hers. Then she reversed the direction of her pressure, and pushed against his head as her whole body made contact with his own.
Finally pulling her head back to catch a breath; Lois gave him the opportunity to do so as well. “Lois, we should stop,” he choked out before her tongue gave him her answer far more eloquently then words ever could. This effectively cut off his ability to say anything else, while keeping all his senses occupied with the woman who was currently engaged in driving him to utter distraction.
Clark had participated in his share of make-out-sessions in high school and college, but he had always refrained from taking that last step into the abyss, had never crossed the line before. Until tonight.
Refocusing his gaze to look into her eyes once again he saw undisguised desire staring back at him. Slowly he moved the lapels of her robe, parting them slightly to push his hand between them; all the time keeping his eyes on hers, ready to stop at the slightest flicker of doubt. But there still was none.
Closing the distance between their lips once again, Clark’s hand also completed its own journey. Only then did he notice the lack of fabric underneath Lois’ robe. And he gave himself over to the sensations, becoming more and more enthusiastic in his caress until she rose from the couch, and he with her.
Unwilling and unable to break the spell he followed his lover’s pull, only slowly becoming aware that she was leading him towards her bedroom while her other hand fumbled with the belt of her robe.
When she turned around to push him onto her bed, her robe was open, giving him a tantalizing first glimpse at where his hand had traveled blindly before. With great care, he reached up to her shoulders, slowly pushing the robe aside and down her arms, revealing what he had only dreamt about before.
He was glad that Lois had managed to pull him all the way to her bed before turning around, because now his legs gave way to the beauty before his eyes and he sat down with an audible creak from the bed.
With Clark reaching out to coax her closer, it didn’t take long for Lois’ legs to give way as well and she fell upon her lover’s body. Not knowing whether to be shocked or excited, Clark started to chuckle instead, before turning them around so she was lying on the bed with him on top.
Not to be outdone, Lois’ hands began to work on his suit, trying to work their way beneath it, struggling to find a zipper or hemline that could be used to rid him of his clothing. Taking pity in her fumbling and also because he had grown quite anxious as well, he sat up and reached behind his neck to pull the zipper down. Lois, taking note of what he was doing, didn’t waste a second but instead started to pull the fabric down over his torso.
What followed was the most exhilarating experience of his life. When he finally pulled her face close to his to look into her glazed eyes, he was only able to whisper, “Wow.”
“Yeah, wow indeed,” came the reply of his lover before latching her mouth to his once again in a soul shattering kiss before snuggling up with her and pulling the covers up around them.
“Good night and sweat dreams, my Love,” Clark whispered into her hair, becoming aware of the fact that she had already drifted off to sleep, leaving him to ponder that they would have a lot to talk about come morning. He just hoped that she would only throw him out of her apartment and not her life once he told her the rest of the truth about himself.
**********
Clark woke to the sound of fire engines wailing on their way to an emergency. It was not an unusual situation for him, yet he somehow felt different this morning. He automatically focused his hearing into the direction of the fire sirens, trying to figure out what was going on by listening in on the radio communications between the fire fighters and their station. It did not take him long to realize that there was a fire at Metro General, and while it was still contained, a hospital fire certainly could use the immediate assistance of Superman. It was only when he twisted to sit upright and get out of bed that he noticed it was not his own bed he lay in. Nor was he alone or wearing a scrap of clothing.
His memory chose this moment to return to him. He was in bed with Lois, where they had fallen asleep after they had made mad, passionate love. And Lois still thought she had slept with Superman. This was bad. This was really bad. But there was nothing he could do about it right now, or he would risk the people at the hospital fire by staying with his newfound lover. Still, the least he could do was tell her that he had to go to a rescue. Lois would certainly understand that, given how she was under the impression that it was just Superman lying in bed next to her.
“Lois,” Clark half whispered to his still sleeping Love, while stroking her cheek to gently waken her. “Lois, please wake up.”
“Mmm, hm, wha’ ‘s goin’ on?” came the mumbled response from under the covers.
“Lois, there is a fire at Metro General. I have to go and help them and I doubt I will be back before you head for the office. I will talk to you this evening, okay?”
“’s okay, see ya lat’r,” was all he could distinguish from her whisper before she drifted back to sleep.
Deciding it better to leave Lois a note explaining his absence, Clark super sped into her living room, dug for paper and a pen, and wrote her a brief message. Rushing back to place the note on his pillow next to Lois’ head, he hoped she would find it and understand that he could not have stayed until she was rested enough to fully comprehend what had transpired the night before.
**********
The fire had been a tough one. It had broken out in the lab, and threatened to eat its way to the intensive care ward. And considering the oxygen enriched atmosphere and the immobile patients requiring the steady supply of oxygen, Superman had to give this emergency his full and undivided attention.
It’s not like he usually slacked off at emergencies, but with routine stuff, his body could do most of the work while he only had to keep enough presence of mind to plan his next move and look out for unexpected side-effects of his actions or new situations popping up behind him.
But considering that he couldn’t just move the patients to safety, he was forced to fight the fire like every other firefighter on the scene. It was just that he could move faster and didn’t have to watch out for his own safety.
And so, when they had managed to finally put the fire out after a nerve-wracking two hours of fighting the flames, Superman was relieved that they had managed to do so without losing a single member of the fire crew, the staff, or any of the patients.
Looking around, he noticed that dawn had just broken and the sun had already started to make an appearance. Still, after finding a clock, he was surprised to see that it was quarter to seven in the morning. It was definitely too late now to go back to Lois. Besides, he had to get himself cleaned up, he realized after looking down at his soot-stained clothes.
So home it was and then off to the Daily Planet, to write up a Superman exclusive. And after he had done his job, he would have to come up with a gentle way for letting Lois in on the most important secret of his existence.
**********
Clark entered the newsroom just after seven and noted without surprise that he was one of the first reporters to arrive today. Making his way down to his desk, he was stopped by the Chief, getting himself a cup of coffee.
“Good morning, Clark. Feeling better today?” Perry inquired.
“Uh, yeah, thanks, Chief. Must have been one of those 24 hours bugs.”
“Hm, I see. Is it just me, or are you in early today?”
Taking a quick glance at his watch to feign surprise, Clark responded with a shrug. “I couldn’t sleep any longer this morning and figured to take a stroll across the city. Came across the fire at Metro General that way and got us a Superman exclusive.” Well, it wasn’t a lie, per se. It was just a free interpretation of this morning’s events.
Perry’s eyes took on an excited gleam at those words. “Why didn’t you say so earlier? Don’t let me hold you off from doing your work. What are you waiting for? I want that piece on my desk before ten,” the editor shot back before heading back to his office.
Relieved to have diverted his boss’ attention, the young reporter continued on his own course towards his desk. There, Clark decided to write the story as quick as superhumanly possible, taking advantage of the fact that there was no one around to watch him do so. He could always send the story over to Perry shortly before ten, and would have the rest of the morning free to think about his more pressing issues, such as a reporter with a recently satisfied superhero crush.
**********
Clark had the story finished within 20 minutes, paying tribute to technology’s needs to keep up with his super speed as well as the fact that he found it difficult to concentrate today.
He had the nagging feeling that he had forgotten something. Something very important, but for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out what it was. It was like his brain cells were all occupied with remembering his night of passion and the woman he loved more than life itself.
Shaking his head in a feeble attempt to clear it from the memories of last night, Clark got up to get a cup of coffee. He returned to his desk a few minutes later only to find that the office mail had been delivered, an inconspicuous beige envelope lying on top of the small stack. At which point the missing piece hit him full force.
>>Lois! Oh, god, oh god, oh god, please let nothing have happened to her!<< he begged the universe.
He was just about to jump up and race to his newfound lover’s side, when he became aware of the familiar heartbeat just entering the lobby. Training his x-ray vision on the floor, Clark was relieved to see Lois in the lobby, alive and unharmed. Although, she did seem to be nervous, at least if one was able to listen to her heartbeat, which was going a good dozen beats faster than its normal pace.
Relieved, Clark let out a breath he hadn’t even been aware of holding. Then his gaze fell once again on the envelope still in front of him. Quickly, he scanned it like he had done the day before, but again; the only fingerprints on it matched those on the rest of his mail. It seemed there was no clue on the outside so he carefully peeled it open.
He was no longer surprised to find the second envelope inside, the one with the Superman crest on it. He repeated his scan on the second envelope, not really expecting to find anything. His expectations were not disappointed. The envelope was completely without traces of who had put the letter together.
Opening the envelope with a growing sense of trepidation, Clark extracted the single sheet of folded paper, and unfolded it to read the message. And in doing so, he didn’t notice how the elevator doors opened. Or the look of utter despair that came to the face of the young woman exiting the elevator once her gaze fell on her partner. Nor did he notice that her face recovered just an instant later and then Lois took her strides towards her own desk while his eyes remained locked onto the brief message.
**********
Hello Superman!
I am sure you remember the pheromone based perfume ‘Revenge’. Its effects were truly remarkable, wouldn’t you agree?
It’s just such a pity that Lois hadn’t had a chance to meet you while being under its influence last year. What do you think would have happened in such an event? Perhaps something like the events of last night?
I hope you have enjoyed the little demonstration. I certainly did.
Oh, and please, give my regards to Lois when you see her the next time.
– Anonymous –
**********
tbc
