By Lillonely@aol.com
Summary: A continuation of the episode "And the Answer Is…" that has Lois upset with the order in which Clark chose to make his declarations.
***
"Clark…" Lois hesitated.
She was really shocked by Clark's proposal. Lois looked down into Clark's vulnerable, sweet face that she'd come to love, and was torn. Part of her wanted to say yes and leap into his oh-so strong and comforting arms, and the other half of her wanted to scream. She had stupidly, it seems, thought that Clark was finally going to trust her with the truth. Darn that earlier phone call when Clark had finally gotten up the nerve to tell her, and had been stopped. She should have insisted then, but she had really wanted Clark to tell her on his own. To tell her that he, mild-mannered Clark Kent, her partner, best friend, and now her…she wasn't sure what they were, was Superman! She wanted his trust! Now it looked like she'd have no choice but to be the one to bring it out in the open.
"Clark…" Lois sighed again. How to begin. Being Lois of course, she couldn't help but let her anger take over. Great! She finally gets the proposal of her dreams, from the man of her dreams, and he blows it!
"You expect me to say yes. Just like that! What happened to our serious talk earlier. We never finished. Don't you think you should tell me what was so important, that had to do with, and I quote…'Lois, I've never lied to you before, except about one thing' . Don't you think that should be addressed first?" Lois jumped up and started wringing her hands together. She knew she was babbling again. How did he always manage to get her to do that.
Clark knew he'd been wrong to ask her for a commitment when he hadn't shared his secret with her yet, but he was afraid that if he told Lois first, being Lois, she would be too furious to say yes. He sighed as he watched Lois pace in agitation. Obviously he'd made her mad anyway. He stood up and tried to begin.
"Lois…" But when Lois stopped her pacing and waited in anticipation, Clark frowned. "I…I don't know how to say …that is…I've wanted to tell you this for so long now, but…" Clark knew he wasn't saying what he meant. Only Lois could make him tongue-tied. He was a writer for Pete's sakes! He should have the words to tell her.
Lois calmed down, and saw how difficult this was for Clark. If she was honest with herself, he had been trying to tell her for the past few days. But then, when she thought of how she'd felt when she'd finally gotten a clue! Of all the things she had confided in Clark about Superman… She was so humiliated thinking about it, that it made her mad again.
"What? Are you going to tell me or are you going to run off again to…to…feed your friend's pet alligator in New Guinea?" Lois used her sarcasm and crossed her arms waiting.
Clark knew in the mood Lois was in, it didn't matter how he said it, so he should just get it over with. He took a deep breath to begin, but was interrupted again.
"Of course it shouldn't take you too long to get to New Guinea and back. What? Maybe three or four minutes?"
Clark's head came up abruptly. "Huh?" he asked, still not sure if Lois was saying what he thought she was saying.
"It wouldn't take any longer would it, Superman?" Lois finally said the words out loud. Then, catching him off guard, she ripped open his shirt to reveal the suit underneath. The "S" glared out at her.
Clark turned pale, and sucked in his breath. God, she knew. How long had she known? He must have said the last aloud, because Lois answered him.
"Not long enough. Not in enough time to stop me from humiliating myself to you about Superman. Oh no, I had to do a good job of that first!" Lois stormed and continued her pacing again.
Clark didn't know what to say, but now that the rain was coming down harder, and he noticed how soaked they both were, he realized he had to get them some place dry, and private, so they could really talk. Deciding that, he pulled his shirt closed, and stepped in front of Lois to get her attention. He stopped her string of babbling and barely remembered not to touch her arm. She would probably hall off and hit him if he touched her now. His Lois was sure riled up. Usually, she was cute and sexy when angry, but not now, for he knew under the anger, she was hurt. He'd never wanted that.
"Lois, I know we've got to talk. But I think we should go someplace dry and private first. Come on, let's go back to my place." Clark suggested gently, seeing the anger drained from her. All he saw were the questions she was asking with her eyes. Clark's own eyes became soft and full of regret. He tried to apologize with his eyes, as he led her back to his place. No words were exchanged, both realizing that what had to be said next, must be done privately…
***
Clark turned on the light, and watched Lois slowly walk down the few steps into his living room, and just stand there. She was dripping water all around her, and looked like a drowned rat. The cutest drowned rat in the world. God, he loved her. He took a deep breath and headed down the stairs to try, somehow, to get them through this.
Gently he handed her a towel from his closet and wrapped it around her. He didn't dare suggest she take off her wet clothes, although she really should.
"Come on, Lois, sit down," Clark suggested, and did help her sit. When Lois wouldn't look at him, he rolled his eyes, and sighed again.
"Are you ever going to look at me again?" he asked.
Lois shook her head and continued to look down. "I was so stupid, wasn't I?" she said so softly, that only his super hearing allowed him to hear it.
"Lois, no. I didn't want anyone to know, and worked hard at deflecting all of your questions and suspicions. No one knows, Lois, except my parents and now you." Clark tried to soothe her.
"Why, Clark?" Lois finally asked and then did look up at him.
Clark knew what she meant and sat down next to her and took her now passive hands. "Why didn't I tell you? When should I have? When I first became Superman? We didn't know each other very well, and I had to keep it a secret. No one could know, Lois, or I and the people around me would be in danger. I had to keep my other life separate from Superman. Then, when we became friends, it was even more important to keep it a secret. You could be hurt. And there was the fascination you had with Superman, Lois. I was so frustrated when you kept wanting Superman, and ignored me. Can't you see, there wasn't a good time back then. When we finally started going out, I needed to know if it was going to go somewhere between us first, and then, well… I still wasn't sure who you cared about more, me or Superman."
"I chose you! I told you that. You could have told me then!" Lois finally said and watched as Clark again stood up.
"And I tried. I wanted to, and I meant to. That's when I had decided you had to know. I couldn't keep us going the way we were. But every time I tried to tell you, I either had to go off, or some one interrupted, or I was…afraid." Clark admitted and stopped his pacing to now turn to her again.
Lois, still sitting on the couch, slowly got up and walked up to a now quiet Clark. She had calmed down, and realized how difficult this must all be on him. "Afraid of what?" She asked gently.
"Of this…of you being so angry that I'd lose you before I ever even had you." he admitted. When he saw Lois' brow rise, he realized what he'd said and tried to correct himself.
"I didn't mean HAVE you, I meant…"
Lois stopped him with a finger to his lips. She smiled up at him with a combination of amusement and love in her eyes. Clark sighed in relief, it was going to be all right.
Lois slowly put her arms around Clark's neck and lifted her head to look into his eyes. "I know what you meant, Clark. But you could never lose me. I might be a little angry but…"
"A little?" Clark teased with a smile. They were over the heavy stuff, and could go back to their bantering.
"Yes, just a little." Lois smiled back, and then sighed and leaned her head against Clark's chest.
"Lois…" Clark started to say.
"Hmmm."
"I don't mean for you to take this the wrong way, but you really should get out of those wet clothes." He murmured, too content to have Lois in his arms again to really want to move.
Lois smiled up at Clark, and lowering her lashes she gave him a hot look.
Clark was fascinated by the look and could only stare.
"Clark, maybe we should both get out of these clothes." She said huskily.
Clark looked uncomfortable and swallowed. Lois loved when he got all flustered. He may be Superman, the man of steel to the world, but he was still the sweet, innocent farm boy she loved so.
Clark saw the glint in her eyes right before she lowered them, and he knew she was teasing him. He grinned and decided that turn about was fair play.
He slowly glided his arms up her back and pulling her closer, he leaned down and whispered in her ear. "Sounds good to me." He said in that low, sexy voice of his.
"What?!" Lois asked off guard. Clark didn't usually tease her like this. Then she heard him go on.
"After all, Lois, maybe we can share a shower. You always did want to know if the suit came off, didn't you?" He asked.
Lois' head jerked up and she saw the laughter in his eyes. Her own eyes narrowed . "You're really enjoying this, aren't you? Am I ever going to live it down?" She asked with a pout.
"Maybe, Some day. But then again, maybe not." Clark chuckled, and laughed out right when Lois, her face red, mumbled that she would take that shower "alone!"
Later, when Lois reappeared in the living room, Clark smiled. She had found the sweats and t-shirt he'd left out on his bed for her and thought she looked great in his clothes.
Lois saw his look and looking down, she frowned. "What?" She asked.
"You look good wearing my clothes." He said in his husky voice again.
Lois blushed and wished she had on one of her new outfits she'd bought to turn Clark's head. Instead, at a moment like this, she was wearing men's clothes. "I look… don't look at me like that, Clark, I'm not even wearing one of the sexy outfits I went and bought to try to keep you from leaving me all the time, and paid a fortune for by the way." Lois babbled again. She did that a lot when she was nervous, Clark knew.
Clark liked Lois when she was out of her element. Those times where so few. He reached over, not taking his eyes from her, and dimmed the lights.
Lois sucked in her breath. Clark too had changed into a pair of sweats. His hair fell endearingly over his one eye. He grinned at her and came forward. When he held out his hand Lois smiled and placed hers trustingly into his.
Then Clark turned sideways, and pulling down his glasses, he used his heated laser eyes to turn on the stereo. As the soft music started filling the quiet apartment, Clark turned back to Lois and saw her question.
"I rigged it up so that it was heat sensitive." He smiled. Lois grinned and then realized what was playing. It was her favorite song from "When Harry Met Sally". She and Clark had gone to see it a while ago, and he'd remembered.
Then as Clark slowly guided Lois around the room, Lois put her head back on his large comfortable chest and felt as if she were floating…
Her head came back up and met Clark's eyes. He was giving her that hot but amused look again. They were floating!
"Clark." Lois whispered. She loved looking into his eyes.
"Hmmm." Clark asked, too content to answer with words.
"Kiss me." Lois stated, not able to wait any longer.
Clark stared at her for a second and then lowered his head to capture Lois' mouth under his while they floated to the music. They still needed to talk about the Yes or No, but for now, Clark was content. Lois finally knew, and was still with him …
THE END
(confront.txt)