By Adam Labotka <arlfolc@gmail.com>
Rated: PG
Submitted: November 2001
Summary: When Lois learns the truth about Clark, she decides to have a little fun by getting some revenge.
This is just a little revelation vignette I had an idea for and decided to write. I'm not sure when exactly this takes place, but it's after Lois and Clark start dating. There is no Mayson Drake or Dan Scardino to get in the way here, just the good old triangle built for two. Hope you enjoy it.
Feedback appreciated at arlfolc@gmail.com
***
Lois was upset. That, that fink Clark had been lying to her. They had been dating for a while now, and the disappearing acts had continued despite assurances to the contrary. Of course, had he told her the real reason she wouldn't be so upset, but the fact that he continued to lie to her really hurt. 'Doesn't he trust me?' Lois wondered. She had only recently figured out the truth, and that was completely by accident, through no skill of her own.
Yesterday, Lois had been working on a story with Clark, as usual. He had excused himself to go to the supply closet to get paper clips, and had been rushing off when Lois remembered she needed some more staples. She had called after him, asking him to get some for her, but he hadn't seemed to notice. Wondering what was so urgent about paper clips, Lois had given chase and entered the supply closet just in time to see Superman flying away through the open window.
It had taken several minutes for the significance of what she had witnessed to sink in. Once it had though, everything began to make sense. The lame excuses, the way Clark and Superman both seemed to know things that the other shouldn't know. Ever since she had known him, Clark had been leading this double life. Yet, even as they got closer, he hadn't told her. What hurt the most was that he had let her fall in love with him without letting her know everything that came with it. She'd left work early and ranted in her apartment, then broken down and cried into a tub of chocolate ice cream. Once she had vented her anger and heartache, though, she had been able to calm down and think about it rationally. In the end she had forgiven him. Still, she couldn't let him get off that easy for deceiving her. She had a wicked idea in mind to teach Clark a lesson.
Clark looked up from the story he was working on, and noticed Lois staring at him with an almost predatory look. 'What have I done now?' Clark worried. She obviously had something on her mind, and from the looks of it, he wasn't going to enjoy it. His girlfriend sure could be a spitfire at times, but he wouldn't trade her for anything. He had been in love with Lois Lane ever since she had barged into Perry's office, and over the years it had just grown deeper. It was a dream come true to be dating Lois, if only his secret didn't still lie between them. As long as it did, their relationship would be incomplete. But he still hadn't managed to get up the courage to tell her. He was afraid of what might happen when he did tell her.
Clark was suddenly jolted out of his musing when Lois approached him and said, "Cla-ark," in that way she had when she wanted him to do something.
"What is it Lois?" Clark asked, uncertainly, almost fearful of where this might lead.
"Well," Lois began. "I was wondering if you could contact Superman for me. I need to talk to him about something. Can you ask him to come to my place at 7:00?"
"Uh, sure Lois," Clark said. "I'll let him know you want to talk to him." Clark wondered what Lois could possibly want to talk to Superman about. Lately she had become more and more distant from the Man of Steel.
"Thanks Clark," Lois said cheerfully as she turned and walked away. Then, almost as if it was an afterthought, Lois continued, "Oh, and by the way, why don't you come by around 8:00?" Once her back was turned to Clark, she let out the smirk she had been holding in. That confused look he had had when she asked him to get Superman for her had been so cute. This was going to be fun, Lois thought evilly.
Clark watched, confused, as Lois walked away. "Uh, sure, Lois," he managed to stammer out in response. He had a feeling she was up to something, but what it might be he had no idea. He'd have to wait until he showed up at her apartment to find out what she had in mind. And why did she want him, as Clark, to come by later? Was it related or not? Clark was almost relieved when he heard a bank alarm go off somewhere. At least doing something was better than fretting over Lois' plans.
Lois watched Clark jump up and rush out of the newsroom. 'Superman must be needed somewhere,' Lois thought. Now was the perfect time for her to leave work and prepare for tonight. Clark wasn't going to know what hit him. Lois quickly finished her article and sent it to Perry, then she was free to leave. She just couldn't keep from grinning as she thought of her scheme.
***
It was almost 7:00 when Clark found himself floating outside of Lois' window. When he had gotten back to the Planet after stopping the bank robbery, Lois had been nowhere to be found. It wasn't normally like Lois to leave early, even when she could, so she must have been getting ready for Superman's visit. Clark had hurried to finish his own work, so that he could make it to Lois' by seven. Now that he was here though, he hesitated, still worrying about why Lois had asked Superman to come by. The easiest way to find out was to just go in and get it over with, Clark assured himself uncertainly. Nervous, Clark tapped lightly on Lois' window.
Clark heard movement inside the apartment, and moments later he heard Lois say, "Come in, Superman, it's open."
Cautiously, Clark opened the window and stepped inside. Looking around, he saw Lois and his jaw nearly dropped. She was wearing a sexy little black dress that showed off her curves perfectly. Her hair was up, exposing her very kissable neck. She was a vision of loveliness. His knees felt weak. Next to her was a candle-lit dinner for two. Stunned, he barely managed to stammer out, "I thought Clark said you wanted me to come by at seven. I didn't realize you were busy; maybe I can come back a better time. Is this for Clark?"
Lois smiled. She could tell she was really getting to Clark. She wondered how she had never seen before that Superman and Clark were the same person. It seemed so obvious to her now. Pushing her musings aside, Lois replied, "No, Superman, this is for us."
"What?" Superman asked, startled.
The look on his face was priceless, Lois thought. She had to struggle not to start laughing. Serves him right for lying to her. "You know I've always had a thing for you," Lois explained. "Well, I've been trying to move on, but I can't get past it. I think we owe it to ourselves to at least try it out. You know, have a few dates at least, to explore the possibilities."
Clark felt his heart drop. 'Not now, Lois,' he thought. He had thought she was happy being with Clark, maybe even falling for him like he had always hoped. It seemed though that she still wasn't over her Superman infatuation. Trying not to let his hurt show, he asked, "But what about Clark? I thought you two were dating."
Seeing the hurt in his eyes, Lois almost gave up the charade right there. She hated seeing Clark hurting, but she needed to see this through. Clark had to understand how she felt about him keeping his dual life secret, so that he wouldn't hurt her like that again. Struggling to maintain her composure, she continued, "Well, it's not like Clark and I are exclusive. Besides, I realized it's not fair to Clark if I date him while I'm still hung up on you. That's why I think we have to explore what's between us. Either it will go somewhere, or maybe I can finally get over you. Please, Superman."
Clark could hardly believe what he was hearing. Evidently, he had misunderstood Lois' apparent change of heart. Just when it seemed he was about to get everything he wanted, it all started crashing down around him. Maybe he had waited too long to tell her the truth. Maybe if he hadn't been running out on her it'd be different. At least he might have been able to believe Lois cared for the real him, not some two-dimensional construct. Now it was too late. If he told her now, he'd have to accept that Lois didn't care for who he really was. He couldn't do that.
Lois was still waiting for his response. He didn't think he could stand to give her up, but he had no idea how to proceed from here. There was no way, after having dated Lois as Clark, that he could resist Lois' advances toward Superman. Clark tried desperately to come up with some reason to say no. His thoughts were all jumbled and he had a hard time thinking straight. Finally, he just used the same old excuse, "Lois, there are things about me you don't know. It wouldn't be fair for me to have a relationship with you."
'Yeah right,' Lois thought sarcastically. 'I know more than you think, buster. Besides, if it's so unfair, why are you dating me as Clark?' Outwardly, though, Lois just protested, "Of course I know you, Superman. And if there are some things I don't know, why don't you tell me? You know you can trust me."
Clark suppressed a sigh. How was he supposed to respond to that? How could he possibly excuse not telling her about himself without her thinking he didn't trust her? His secret was just creating more and more problems for him. How could Lois ever forgive him if she knew the truth? Especially after that last statement of his. Of course she'd realize he had been doing just that, having a relationship with her without telling her everything about himself. There just seemed to be no way out.
Lamely, Clark replied, "Of course I trust you, Lois. I know you'd never betray me, but I've been keeping this secret a long time. I'm just not ready to share it. When I am though, I promise it will be with you." Clark hoped that'd satisfy her, and that when he did tell her the truth, he could defend himself with this.
"Okay, Superman," Lois said. "But even so, surely you can have dinner with me. After all what harm can come from one dinner?"
'What harm indeed?' Clark thought. She didn't know the half of it. Unable to come up with another protestation though, Clark gave in and agreed to have dinner. He'd just have to do his best not to let his feelings show. 'Yeah, right, like that has ever worked before,' Clark thought to himself sarcastically.
Lois was relieved when Clark finally gave in. She wasn't sure how much longer she could have continued the pretense of fawning over Superman. Now all she had to do was make sure he didn't manage to leave before 8:00.
When they sat down to eat, Clark tried very hard not to stare at Lois. It was hard not to slip into his normal routine while on a date with Lois, but he had to remember he was here as Superman and not as himself. He picked at his food, unable to concentrate on much.
Lois could see how uncomfortable Clark was sitting there. 'Poor thing, probably doesn't know how to act,' Lois thought with a mental grin. This whole charade was definitely helping her feel better about Clark deceiving her. Revenge was always so fun. Deciding it was a bit too quiet, Lois decided to start a conversation. Maybe then Clark would actually look at her, instead of continually avoiding to. "So, what did you do today, Superman?"
"Huh?" Clark asked, startled. "Oh, well not much, Lois. There was an attempted bank robbery that I stopped, but beyond that, nothing."
Clark hoped she wouldn't press, but apparently luck wasn't with him as Lois continued, "That's all, huh? So what did you do with the rest of the day? I mean surely you have something you do when not helping out. I've always wondered what it is."
"Oh, nothing much, just hang around and enjoy flying around," Clark said, hoping it wasn't too lame. After all, he did do that sometimes. It could be very relaxing, especially after a tough day of rescues. "How about you, anything exciting happen today?" Clark hoped the conversation would turn away from him now.
'As if you didn't already know,' Lois thought. Humoring him, Lois replied, "Today was a pretty slow news day. Nothing really worth mentioning." This conversation was pretty awkward. Not much that could be done about it though, as long as Clark kept lying to her. Soon though, it'd all be out in the open, Lois assured herself.
After eating for a while in silence, Lois looked at the time and notice it was now 8:15. 'Perfect,' she thought. Feigning surprise, Lois said, "Oh look, it's after eight. Clark was supposed to be here then. I wanted him to come over so all three of us could talk about the situation. I wonder if something happened to him?"
'Oh no!' Clark thought. 'How could I have lost track of the time so badly? I was so concerned about what was going on, I completely forgot about coming here as Clark.' Hurriedly, Clark made an excuse. "I'm sorry, Lois, I forgot I have to go now. I promised I'd be somewhere now." With that he raced out the window.
Lois smirked as Clark raced out of the apartment. That excuse was even lamer than normal, admittedly, though Superman wasn't normally the one giving the excuses. Almost as soon as Superman disappeared out the window, Lois heard a knock at the door. 'Not very subtle there, Clark,' Lois thought as she went to open the door. As expected, Clark stood on the other side.
"Sorry I'm late," Clark apologized. "I got held up talking to a source." Looking around, he continued feigning ignorance, "What's the occasion?"
'Well at least that excuse was better,' Lois thought. 'But what would you do if I pried?' "Come in, Clark, you just missed Superman," Lois said. "I was hoping to talk to you both about something, but seeing as you two never seem to be able to be in the same place at the same time…" 'Hint, hint,' thought Lois. "I guess I'll just have to talk to you separately."
"Okay, Lois, what is this about?" Clark said uncertainly, and with a trace of fear.
"You know how I've had this thing for Superman right? I mean, who doesn't? I was fairly obvious, like some mooney-eyed cheerleader. I think the whole world knew that I felt something for Superman. But anyway, I tried to move past him, but recently I realized it just isn't working. I just can't get over my feelings for Superman."
'Here it comes,' Clark thought glumly. Lois was going break it off with him for Superman, even though nothing was happening between them. Clark tried not to let his disappointment show too much. How he wished he could change things.
"Also, I've been growing closer to you too," Lois continued. "I really care for you and don't want to give you up, but at the same time I can't give up Superman."
'Huh,' Clark thought, puzzled. Where was Lois going with this? Confused, Clark waited for her to go on.
"So I was thinking, maybe we could work out some kind of arrangement," Lois said. "You know, I spend some time seeing Superman while seeing you too."
Clark was stunned. This didn't sound like the Lois he knew. How could she possibly suggest that? How could she even think that he'd ever agree to it? "Lois, how could you suggest such a thing?" Clark said, offended.
It was all Lois could do not to react with outrage. How could he be offended, after all they were both him? "Well, Clark, how can you really expect it to be any other way? I mean, aren't you and Superman sort of a two for one deal? You are, after all, him — or should I say he is you. Can't have one without the other," Lois asked, waiting to see the realization dawn on his face.
Suddenly, it all began to click. Lois must have somehow figured out he was Superman. No wonder she had been acting so strangely. So this was that plan he had worried about earlier. "You know," Clark replied, shocked.
"Of course, Clark," Lois said indignantly. "How long did you think you could keep this from me? Were you ever going to tell me?"
Defensively, Clark said, "Of course I wanted you to know, I was just afraid of telling you my secret. I've been trying to get up the courage for weeks to tell you."
"Let's not fight over it Clark," Lois said. "I've already made my peace with it. I was mad and hurt, but I realized I still loved you anyway."
"You love me?" Clark asked in wonderment, unsure if he heard right.
'Oops,' Lois thought. She hadn't meant to let that slip out. "Yes, Clark, I love you. I've been fighting it for a while, but I couldn't deny it any longer. Please just don't lie to me anymore; I don't know if I could take it again."
"I never meant to hurt you Lois," Clark assured her. "I've been in love with you so long, I just didn't know how to handle it. I've never loved anyone before. I just didn't know how to handle it."
"It's okay Clark," Lois said, soothingly. "We're both new to this, and we're bound to make mistakes. Just promise to be honest with me. I wanted you to know how it felt, so I planned this little charade. Besides, it helped me feel better." Lois finished with a grin.
"Well if it helped…" Clark said, returning her grin.
"Are you gonna kiss me? Or are we gonna just sit here?" Lois asked Clark challengingly.
Unable to resist, Clark leaned into Lois slowly, reveling in the smell that was uniquely Lois. Clark began the kiss softly, tentatively, letting Lois decide if she wanted more. At her urging, he deepened the kiss, bringing his hands up to frame her face softly. Clark pulled Lois closer to him, so he could feel her against him. Lois' hands began exploring his shirt, playing with the buttons. She began to put her hand under his shirt, when suddenly she broke the kiss.
"What's wrong, Lois?" Clark asked, concerned.
"We're floating," Lois said in amazement.
"Oh," Clark said sheepishly. "I'm sorry, Lois, that happens sometimes."
"It's fine, Clark," Lois assured him. "I was just surprised, really, I like it."
"It's so good to be able to be fully myself with you, Lois, thank you. Would you like to go flying?" Clark asked.
"How could I resist?" Lois replied, smiling.
Smiling, Clark disengaged from Lois. "Watch this," he said with a grin. Then he spun into his Superman suit. The look on Lois' face was priceless; he wished he could take a picture.
"Wow…" Lois sighed.
"Ready?" Clark asked, scooping her up into his arms when she nodded. Clark had never been happier than he was right now. Everything was perfect. Lois knew he was Superman, and she loved him. His heart full of joy, he took Lois into a world that had previously been his alone. Now it would be theirs, together, forever.
THE END