By Alicia U. <Alicia3456@aol.com> or <lxu2@po.cwru.edu>
Rated: PG-13
Submitted December 1998
Summary: Old memories sadden a newly married Clark when the words to a song invade the silence of a sleepless night.
I got this idea when my friend Mooey and I were studying for our finals in my dorm room. We were listening to her 98 Degrees CD at like 3 in the morning and we had just gotten done watching Lois and Clark. (Don't you just love my study habits? I watch TV and listen to the radio.) Their song "Invisible Man" just brought images of Lois and Clark to my head, and I just had to write about it.
All characters are not my property; I am just borrowing them. The song "Invisible Man" was written by Dane DeViller and performed by 98 Degrees on their self-titled album.
This story is set at the beginning of the fourth season sometime between "Dead Lois Walking" and "Bob and Carol and Lois and Clark."
Comments and criticism are always appreciated.
***
Lois Lane and her husband Clark Kent slept peacefully in the wee hours of a Saturday morning nestled tightly in each other's arms. They had engaged in some 'Newlywed Bonding' earlier that night, making up for the lost time when she was in jail, and had just fallen asleep. Luckily for them, their boss had given them the next day off to get reacquainted. Lois sighed contentedly in her sleep nestled in her husband's arms. She loved the feel of his strong arms around her body. They made her feel so secure and loved, she even responded to them in her sleep.
Clark heard her sigh in his sleep and woke up fearing something was wrong with her, not exactly knowing her little sleep sounds yet. He looked at her and the look on her face said enough. She had a look of peace and contentment on her beautiful face and he knew after the ordeal they had just been through with her time on death row, her big jail break, them running from the cops, and trying to stop professor Cole, she needed to rest without being disturbed. He knew that if he looked at her much longer, and not to mention felt her body moving against some very sensitive spots as she slept next to him, he would have to disturb her from her sleep. Not wanting to disrupt her sleep, he untangled his body from hers and went downstairs.
He went into the kitchen and fixed himself a snack of twinkies, cupcakes, and ding-dongs. He took his food into the living room and turned on the radio. The station that came on was Metro 101.3, a popular music station that played requests all night. A caller had just called with a sob story that Clark could definitely relate to. The caller said, "I am madly in love with this woman, but she just doesn't acknowledge my existence. She is in love with someone else and it is making me crazy. Could you please play 98 Degrees' 'Invisible Man' from Dennis to Maryanne."
This sent Clark's mind back to a similar night two years ago. He remembered requesting the same song after a late night visit to Lois' apartment when she had thrown herself at Superman, but had ignored Clark at work the whole day. As the song came out of the speakers, Clark was transported to that day. All of his feelings and words came back to him …
'You can hardly wait to tell all your friends how his kisses taste sweet like wine. And how he always makes your heart skip a beat every time he walks by … '
He thought out loud, "Lois, how can you be in love with Superman and not in love with me? We are the same person. I don't see how you can be head over heals in love with him and not even notice me … "
' … And if you're feeling down, he'll pick you up … '
"Lois, when has Superman ever been there to comfort you? Who is always there for you? Who listens to you babble the night away? Whose apartment did you stay at whenever you were afraid? Who is your best friend?"
' … He'll hold you close when you're makin' love … '
"Yeah right, I wish."
' … He's everything you've been dreaming of, oh baby.
I wish you'd look at me that way.
Your beautiful eyes looking deep into mine … '
"Oh Lois, you do have the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen, but I see the way you look at me as Superman. Your eyes have such a wonderful glow in them, a glow I'm afraid I'll never get to see as Clark. I just wish you'd see how much I love you and pine for you."
' … Telling me more than any words could say,
But you don't even know I'm alive,
Baby to you,
All I am is the invisible man … '
"Lois, this is crazy. I am Superman. I am Superman. I don't see how you can be so attracted to one part of me and not even notice the other side of my personality. I remember when you told me you would love Superman even if he was an ordinary man. Yeah right, the ordinary man was right under your nose and you don't even see him."
' … You probably spend hours on the phone talkin' 'bout nothing at all,
It doesn't matter what the conversation,
Just as long as he called … '
"Lois, who talks to you on the phone all the time. Has he ever called you? NO!! Who always listens when you babble on about some pointless subject and secretly enjoy it? Certainly not Superman."
' … Lost in a love so real and so sincere
You wipe away each other's tears … ''
"Lois, who is the one who always lets you cry on his shoulder? Me, not Superman! Me, Lois. Clark, not Superman! And what is so real about your love? He isn't even a real person!"
' … Your face lights up whenever he appears.
I see you all the time baby,
The way you look at him, I wish it was me sweetheart, Boy I wish it was me, But I guess it will never be … '
By this time Lois had realized Clark was no longer in bed with her and heard him talking to himself downstairs. She walked downstairs and saw her husband sitting on the couch holding his head in his hands. Then she realized the song that was on the radio. She heard the words of the final chorus and thought, 'Oh my gosh, what he must have gone through when I was obsessed with Superman and ignored him completely. I would gush over Superman and laugh at Clark. I was so stupid."
He was so lost in his own little world, he did not hear her come into the room. As the final chorus played, she sat down next to him on the couch and put her arm around him. He was brought back to the present with her simple touch.
Lois turned his face so it was inches from hers and looked into her husband's eyes. They were shining with unshed tears. She whispered, "Clark, I am so sorry. When I was crazy about Superman and just ignored you, I never even realized the real you existed. I was so mesmerized with the superhero in tights, the regular, but incredibly cute guy never even caught my eye. When I told you I would love Superman even if he was a regular man you must have been so hurt. I can't believe I was so blind. I am so sorry."
As Lois spoke a few of Clark's unshed tears started to roll down his cheeks. Lois reached up and wiped them off with the back of her hand. As Lois watched her husband cry, the tears she didn't know she was holding back started to fall. Clark hugged her tightly and said, "It's not your fault, honey. You have nothing to be sorry for. If I had just told you the truth about me from the beginning, it would have saved us both some heartaches."
"Clark, don't say that. We both know that at the time I wouldn't have been ready to listen to you. I admit, I probably would have printed it as one of the biggest news stories of all time, at least when you first met me. I was so jealous of you for coming in as a green little reporter and getting hired without having to work your way through research. I think I would have done the wrong thing with information like 'Clark is Superman.'"
"Lois, honey, I don't think you would have ever done that. You have one of the best hearts I have ever seen. Even if you were jealous of me, I know you wouldn't have hurt me. I know you would never hurt anyone, even back then."
By then, Lois had completely broken down and was sobbing uncontrollably. She had no idea she was holding back so many tears. Clark for his part was also crying, but not as openly as his wife. Lois asked, "Clark what's wrong with us? We're turning into Niagara Falls over something that happened a long time ago. Are we going crazy?"
"Honey, I think the past few weeks have gotten to us more than either one of us is willing to admit. Maybe as these old feelings are rekindled, they remind us of the more recent feelings we kept inside."
Lois hugged Clark and whispered, "When I was in jail I was so afraid I would never be this close to you again. I was thinking, 'Stupid Lois, you should have let Clark come with you to meet Sikes like he wanted to, then this would have never happened. You are so pig-headed; all you ever think of is yourself … '"
Clark interrupted, "Lois, no don't even think that. Ever since I first met you, you've been one of the most caring people I have ever met. You may make some wrong decisions, but overall you do the right thing."
Lois said, "When I was alone in that jail cell, I would think about you and how our relationship developed. I came to one conclusion. I regretted that I was so obsessed with Superman that I didn't even notice Clark. I can't believe how stupid I was. If I had just opened my eyes, saw the real you, and acknowledged my true feelings for you, we would have been together so much sooner and we could have avoided all our agony. I am so sorry."
"Lois like I said, you have nothing to be sorry for. We were both a little stupid and unwilling to break some of our barriers. The important thing is that we're together now, and I wouldn't trade one minute of the time we spend together for anything in the world."
Lois, who was still crying, said, "I wouldn't either. You are the man I never thought I'd meet. Sometimes I can't believe how lucky I am that I didn't lose you even though there were so many times I could have lost you."
Clark said, "Lois, you would have never lost me. The first time I saw you I was caught hook, line and sinker. There was no turning back. I made so many stupid mistakes I was sure I would lose you over. I am just glad we finally ended up together. I have loved you since the moment I set eyes on you, but I never realistically believed we could be together. Now that we are, I feel like I should just hold on to you and never let you go."
"Clark, I love you so much," said Lois, whose tears had almost stopped.
Clark kissed her gently on one of her cheeks and tasted the salty tears that had fallen. Then he said, "Come on, let's go back to bed, honey."
Lois looked at him with a little sparkle in her eyes, and said, "Okay, as long as you don't mean to sleep."
Clark said innocently, "Why, what else would you have in mind?"
Lois said, just as innocently, "Well, I did take a little trip to Victoria's Secret yesterday … "
"Really … what did you buy?"
"Let's just go upstairs and find out … "
"Give me a little clue."
"Okay, I bought some lotion that makes my body glitter. I'm wearing it right now … Wanna take a little peek?"
Clark lowered his glasses. Then he grabbed his wife by the waist and flew them upstairs to the bedroom.
THE END