Secrets Unveiled

Clark looked at his watch as Cat Thompson, the gossip columnist, prattled on about her column. It was almost eleven and Lois wasn’t home yet. Cat inched closer to Clark on the couch. Clark didn’t notice.

They heard the door knob turn. Cat ran her fingers through Clark’s hair before he could react. Clark turned as Lois entered the door. She shut the door behind her. She could feel her ears turning red.

“Sorry to interrupt,” she said looking at Cat. The gossip columnist smirked slightly. Lois nodded at her, conceding her triumph of winning Clark’s heart. “It’s been a long day. I think I’m just going to turn in.”

Lois excused herself and made her way to her bedroom. It wasn’t until after she shut the door that she allowed herself to cry.

Cat smiled at Clark. Clark took in a breath. “I think it’s getting late. You should probably go home.”

“I know, Clark,” Cat said coyly. “You should go after her.”

Clark looked at her questioningly. “I don’t . . .”

Cat smiled as she raised her eyebrow. She nodded at his pocket. “You don’t want to let that rock go to waste. Besides, you two were destined for each other. The whole office is basically waiting until you two could realize that.”

She nodded at him again. Clark watched as she headed for the fireplace instead of the door. She canted her eyebrow again and gave him a wink. She kindled the fire, and found the compartment where they kept the floo powder. “You don’t need magic to figure that out.”

Clark’s eyes grew large. “Does Lois know?”

She shook her head. “I’m sure you’re good enough to keep a secret, Clark,” she said giving him a wink before she stepped into the fireplace.

Clark laughed as he watched her disappear. ‘Small world,’ he thought. He looked toward Lois’s bedroom. He took a breath as he approached it.

He shut his eyes for a moment as he stood before her door. He knocked gently on it.

“Lois, we need to talk,” Clark said as he leaned his forehead against the door.

“I’m really tired Clark,” she said as she quickly folded up some of her t-shirts. She had decided earlier that day that she was going to commute from Hawaii to Metropolis; for at least the next two weeks.

“Lois, please,” Clark pressed. He didn’t get a reply. He clenched his fists. “You know I’m able to rip the door off its hinges.”

Lois shut her eyes. “I don’t think your new roommate would appreciate the lack of privacy, Clark.”

“Lois,” he said a bit forceful.

“What?” Lois said exasperatedly as she opened the door to the bedroom. She looked at him for a moment and then returned to her folding.

Clark slowly entered her room. He watched as she kept folding clothes.

“Planning a vacation?” he asked approaching her, already knowing the real answer.

“I’m moving back home,” she said turning to look at him, not knowing how close he had gotten.

She held a shirt in front of her to keep some semblance of space between them. She looked up into his face.

He pulled something from his pocket. “I thought you might like this back.”

“Where’d you get that?” she said, her lower lip trembling slightly.

He gently took the shirt out of her hands as he handed her the envelope. “I talked to Perry this afternoon before I left work.”

“Look Clark,” Lois started. “I fooled myself into thinking I could make it here. I was wrong.”

“So you’re running away? Going home?” he looked at her as he took a step toward her. She took a deep breath. “No offense to the Advertiser or the Star Bulletin, but that’s small change compared to the amount of people you could reach with the Planet.”

“This is your element, Clark,” she said softly, blinking back tears. “Big lights, big city.”

“You’re the writer, Lois,” he looked into her eyes. “You won the Pulitzers. I was just a sidekick.”

“A lot has happened over the past six months that I’m still trying to sort out,” she gulped.

“You’re running away because of what Carter did?”

“It’s not about him, Clark,” she said looking into his eyes.

“It’s about me,” he said placing his finger under her chin.

“I just,” she gulped. She took in a deep breath, “I just want you to be happy, Clark, with Cat, or whomever you end up with.”

“Lois,” he said shaking his head.

She looked down. “I know. Your personal life is none of my business.”

“There is nothing going on between me and Cat, Lois. Or anyone else for that matter,” he said taking in a breath.

“Why are you doing this?” Lois asked.

“I don’t want you to go,” Clark said as he took the envelope from her hands. He used his heat vision to incinerate the resignation later.

“I have that saved on disk,” Lois said defensively.

Clark smiled. He touched her cheek. “That night in the warehouse, after you were shot,” he gulped. “You said something.”

“There were a lot of things I said, Clark, that I didn’t . . .” she began.

Clark interrupted her, “You didn’t mean it when you said you loved me.”

Lois looked down for a moment. “I said a lot of things that I didn’t mean for you to hear,” she said softly as she looked up at him. “I told myself I’d never admit it to you until we were old and grey, on my deathbed or something. The latter seemed to be the scenario.”

“Lois, I’ve spent so much time trying to keep my secret identity from you; it’s gotten harder and harder to hide my real feelings for you. I love you,” Clark said softly as he closed the distance between the two of them.

“I know you’re just trying to make me stay by saying . . .” Lois began, but was interrupted with a kiss on her lips.

Lois lost her balance and they both ended on the bed. Clark was on top of her. They took deep breaths when they finally broke the kiss. Clark looked down into her face, trying to calm himself down.

“I love you,” Clark said again. “I’ve been imagining kissing you like that since high school. Of course, there were far more things that I imagined doing with you of the non-G rated variety.”

Lois blushed noticeably. She ran her hand down the length of his chest. He took in a strained breath. He kissed her again as her fingers roamed all over his back.

“You can tell me to stop, anytime, Lois,” he said as he kissed her neck.

“Don’t stop, Clark,” she said as she looked up into his eyes.

He moved off of her for a split second. When he returned to his position he was completely naked. She was just able to take her blouse off. She gave him a smirk.

Clark smiled as he kissed her neck. She took in a sharp breath as he removed her bra. His hand ran down the length of her abdomen. She closed her eyes as she allowed him to unbutton her slacks and remove them along with her cotton underwear. She felt him kiss up her chest.

Clark was breathless for a moment as he saw her under him. He breathed in her perfume. She let out a moan as he kissed her neck.

Lois’s head was swimming. She felt his arousal as he kissed his way up her body. She tensed up.

Clark sensed her. He stopped, breathing in deeply. He adjusted himself. “We’re moving too fast, aren’t we,” he said softly as she looked up at him.

“No, it’s just,” she paused as she shut her eyes. Clark noticed her turning crimson. “Please don’t laugh.”

“I wouldn’t do that,” he reassured her as he caressed her cheek.

“I’ve never done this before,” she said on the brink of tears.

“We can wait, Lois,” Clark said, trying to hide his potential disappointment.

She looked up at him. She saw his arms trembling.

“I trust you Clark,” she said.

He kissed her shoulder, she moaned. He gently moved her right thigh. “This is going to hurt,” he said.

She looked up at him. “I know,” she gulped. “I’ve read two whole books on the subject.”

Clark smiled at her. She smiled back. He pushed into her. She whimpered. He watched her tense up. Clark breathed through pursed lips knowing as much as he wanted to move, she wouldn’t be ready. He allowed her to get used to the intrusion.

He kissed her on the mouth to distract her. She relaxed a bit. “Lois, I have to move,” he grunted.

“Okay, Clark,” she said as she ran her hands down his back. He took in a sharp breath.

He started slowly, making sure he was controlling himself. Lois urged him on after a while. She got used to his rhythm. The searing pain she initially felt gave way to impulses of pleasure. They made love over and over again.

It was well past two a.m. when Lois collapsed onto Clark’s chest. Clark maneuvered them under Lois’s sheets.
They lay facing each other, synchronizing breaths. Clark moved a strand of Lois’s hair out of her face. She smiled at him.

“You’re beautiful, you know that,” Clark said as he moved in closer to her.

“You don’t have to flatter me, Clark,” she smiled. “You’ve already got me in bed.”

Clark kissed her. She kissed him back.

“You don’t know how many times I’ve wanted to tell you that. Never did for fear of being slapped in the face,” he said.

She touched his cheek. She shut her eyes for a moment as she pulled in closer to his chest.

“I’ve seen you date in high school. And I got Pete to keep tabs on the guys you were seeing in college,” Clark said as Lois raised an eyebrow as she smiled at him. “I just figured . . . I mean you were going to marry Carter.”

“I guess I’m old fashioned. I figured I’d wait for that one right guy or my wedding night, whichever came first,” she said as she traced the center of his chest. She looked up. She smiled gently. “The right guy was busy saving the world.”

He kissed her forehead. He watched her as her eyes fluttered for a moment before she fell asleep. He took in a breath, watching her for a while. He didn’t know when he fell asleep, too.