The Whole Truth

By Sue S. <sistersuze@gmail.com>

Rated: PG13 (for some mild swearing and impure thoughts/actions)

Submitted: May, 2012

Summary: Linda King is back in Metropolis for the premiere of her
movie. First in a series.

This story references the events of 'The Rival' from season
one, but it takes place somewhere near the middle of season two.

Many thanks to BJ and Kate who smoothed off the edges for me.
<mwah!>

***

"Clark? What are you doing tomorrow night?"

Clark looked up to find his partner standing in front of his desk
running her fingers over the top of his computer monitor as if
she were checking it for dust. The tone of her voice was just a
shade too breezily casual to be a simple question. "Why?" he
asked cautiously. "Are you still thinking about painting your
kitchen?"

In truth, he would have happily painted her entire apartment just
to be able to spend that much time with her, but he didn't want
her to know he was that big of a pushover.

Her nose wrinkled in distaste. "No, I still haven't decided on
a color."

Clark sat back in his chair and tossed his pencil onto the desk.
"So what is it you need done?"

"Done?" Lois looked like that question had stung her. "I
don't need anything done. Can't I ask you to hang out with me
without it being an imposition?"

It was his turn to feel bad. "I'm sorry. I'm not doing
anything tomorrow night. What did you have in mind?"

"How would you like to go see a movie with me?"

In a heartbeat, Clark knew exactly which movie she had in mind.
He couldn't stop himself from making a face as he repeated,
"Movie?"

His lack of enthusiasm was not lost on Lois. "Yeah," she said
brightly. "*That* movie. In fact, it's the premiere. They
sent me free tickets and arranged for a limo and everything. I
wasn't going to go until I heard that Linda isn't playing me
after all. Apparently she barely got a speaking role. I guess
she's one of the people in the elevator that Superman rescued.
The thought of her humiliation is just too tempting to pass up.
God, I hope she squirms."

"Oh, that's right." Clark was already mentally squirming.
"That movie about the Carpenter scandal comes out tomorrow,
doesn't it?"

Truth be told, both Superman and Clark had been invited to the
premiere. He had turned down both invitations. Murray Brown had
tried a couple of times to change Superman's mind, but none of
the rumors Clark had heard about the movie were the least bit
promising. The story of Preston Carpenter's attempt to create
and control the news was one of those occasions when the truth
was stranger than fiction. If the advance reviews were accurate-
bad acting, terrible special effects and the insertion of a
terrorist subplot involving the ambassador from Omir overshadowed
any intrigue the movie might have had.

"They're having the world premiere here in Metropolis," Lois
told him. "The advance reviews have all been lousy. It's going
to be a train wreck." Her lips curved into a delighted smile.
"It's going to be Linda's train wreck. Have you seen the
trailers for it? They actually described that tramp as the
'plucky journalist who risked her life for the truth'.

"And you want me along... why?"

Her smile turned into an impatient frown. "Because you were
there. You know as well as I do that Linda barely risked her life
at all."

"That's not entirely true. She went up against a powerful man
at considerable risk to herself."

"So did I!" Lois looked almost apoplectic. "I was almost
suffocated in a freezer! Is it asking so much for my best friend
to gloat with me when my frenemy's vanity project blows up in
her face?"

"Lois, you're already gloating."

"It doesn't count unless I can gloat in front of Linda. So is
that a 'yes'?"

Clark inwardly sighed. "What time should I pick you up?"

"You shouldn't, they're sending a car for me. Be at my place
by seven. Can you rent a tux?"

"Do you really think that's necessary?"

"You're there to make me look good, Clark. Get a tux."

"I thought I was there so you could gloat."

"You can't multi-task?" Her smile returned and she gave his
shoulder a playful punch. "Thanks, Clark. I appreciate it."

***

Promptly at seven, Clark knocked on Lois' door and then put a
nervous hand to his bow tie to check that it was on straight.

"Just a second," Lois shouted from inside, her words punctuated
by short little clip-clops as she ran closer to the door in high
heels. He heard two of her locks slide free and then the door was
wrenched open.

In an instant, all the air seemed to leave his lungs. Lois was
wearing a pale lavender evening dress that clung to her body,
accentuating each and every one of the curves that preoccupied
most of his daydreams. The iridescent beading across the bodice
seemed a valid excuse for his attention to linger a little longer
there. He lifted his gaze to her face and his breath caught
again. Tonight her hair was styled as a riot of curls that
perfectly illustrated the sexy, uncontrolled vibe that Lois
projected.

"What?" Lois put a worried hand to her hair. "Should I wear my
hair up instead?"

Clark had to clear his throat to find his voice. "No. You look
amazing."

"I wonder what Linda's wearing." Lois stepped into the hallway
and turned to lock her door.

"It won't matter," Clark assured her. "Every man there is
going to be looking at you."

For a fleeting moment her cheeks flushed, then Lois rolled her
eyes at him. "Nice try, Kent. Let's go."

***

As it turned out, Linda was wearing a bright red dress with a
neckline that plunged so deeply as to almost reveal her
bellybutton.

"Would you look at that?" Lois muttered. "She never
disappoints."

Clark glanced at Lois in time to see her paste a hugely phony
smile on her face. Her hand clutched his arm, pulling him along
in her wake as she made her way across the lobby to Linda.

"Linda!" Lois chirped brightly. "That dress suits you. I
haven't seen anything like it since I did that story on drag
queens."

Linda's answering smile was just as fake. "Oh hello, Lois. I
didn't see you at first. That color always washes you out,
don't you think?"

"It's your night to shine -- or whatever. After all, you
co-wrote the movie and, I believe, you even got a small part in
it. I wouldn't want to steal your spotlight."

"You've never stolen a thing from me yet."

Lois let out a sound that was almost a snort. "You've never had
anything worth stealing."

"We should probably get in there before all the good seats are
taken," Clark interrupted. "Good luck tonight, Linda."

Linda leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Clark.
Always the gentleman, aren't you?"

Lois glared at him as Linda walked away. "You should wipe that
lipstick off your face before it leaves a scorch mark."

Clark checked his reflection in one of the mirrored columns.
Linda's kiss had left a bright red mark on his cheek. He swiped
at the lipstick but somehow only managed to smudge it. "It's
not like I asked her to kiss me," he said defensively.

Lois' thumb rubbed roughly over the spot Linda had kissed.
"That is never coming off, Clark. I hope you're happy."

Usually having Lois touch him did make him happy, but in this
instance he couldn't work up much delight.

***

The movie was terrible. So terrible that the audience could only
muster a few random claps as the credits rolled. Lois was out of
her seat and headed for the exit before the lights came up. She
moved past Linda, who was sitting with a frozen smile on her
face, without saying a word. Clark was utterly baffled by Lois'
behavior. Her moment of triumph had arrived and she seemed
determined to miss it. Instead of gloating at the after-party,
she was headed for home.

In the back of the limo Clark tried several times to get Lois
talking. He had expected to hear a cataloging of everything that
the movie had got wrong. He brought up the fact that they had
only been mentioned in passing. Their roles in uncovering
Carpenter's machinations had been left out of the movie
entirely. Lois only shrugged.

Okay, so that wasn't what was bothering her. Surely it wasn't
because of the scene where Superman rescued Linda from the Omiri
embassy? That was pure fiction, just like the kiss between the
painfully wooden actors playing Linda and Superman. He was almost
insulted, but the situation -- the whole movie, really -- was so
far from any kind of reality that he very much doubted anyone
could believe it had actually happened. Clark was about to ask if
that scene was what was bothering her but something in her
posture made him hesitate.

"You don't have to walk me up," Lois told him when he followed
her out of the limo at her apartment. "I'm sure they'll take
you home."

"I'll get another ride." Clark rapped on the roof of the limo
to signal it could leave. "Are you okay?"

"Not really. I have a massive headache all of a sudden. Good
night, Clark."

Clark stood on the sidewalk and watched her and that
fantasy-inducing dress climb the stairs to her building. He
stayed in that spot, listening to the soft swish of the fabric as
she climbed the stairs inside. He heard her open her door, step
inside, and kick off her shoes. Her footfalls were softer as she
walked in the direction of her kitchen. There was the faint sound
of her refrigerator door opening.

"Don't do this to yourself," Lois whispered. She let out a
sigh. "She made it up. She's the biggest, fattest, trashiest
liar in the world." The refrigerator door slammed closed. "And
he kissed her."

Clark stared up at the window of her apartment as horrified
dismay. Did Lois really believe that Superman had kissed Linda
King? Surely she knew him better than that. In an instant, Clark
had hurried into the alley and spun into the suit. It was only
after he had rapped lightly on her window that common sense
kicked in and told him that this might be a bad idea.

It was too late to change course now. Lois had opened the window
and was stepping back to let him in.

"I didn't see you at the premiere," she told him, her voice
just the slightest bit strained.

"I had a prior commitment."

"You didn't miss much."

"I heard they took a lot of creative license."

Lois didn't answer. She just studied him as if she might suss
out the truth about Linda King if she stared at him long enough.
Her eyes narrowed and he wondered if he was being indicted for a
crime he hadn't committed.

"Is something wrong, Lois? You seem upset." Clark hoped that
would give her the opportunity to ask him about Linda and the
kiss that had never happened.

She shrugged and looked away. The silence stretched out.

"I'm sorry," he said, feeling awkward. "I didn't mean to
intrude. I'll leave you alone now."

Clark had one foot on the windowsill when she called out, "Did
you kiss Linda King?"

He shook his head and turned around again to face her. "That
movie was a work of fiction, Lois. I never saved Linda from the
Omiri ambassador and I certainly never kissed her."

Lois continued to watch him closely. For a split second Clark
panicked as he realized he had just given specifics about a movie
he supposedly hadn't seen. It appeared that Lois hadn't noticed
that slip, though, because her next question was, "You don't
have feelings for her?"

"I'm sure she's a very nice person, but--"

"No." Lois shook her head emphatically. "No, she's not.
She's a terrible person. She throws herself at men all the time.
Did she throw herself at you?"

Clark raised a silent eyebrow. Lois had thrown herself at
Superman on more than one occasion but apparently the irony was
lost on her. Also as apparent was the fact that watching Linda
King and Superman kiss - however unrealistic -- was tormenting
her.

"No. But, even if she had, Linda is not my type."

Lois stood up straighter. "What is your type?" she asked
quietly.

Clark hesitated. There was a very clear line here and he was just
as clearly about to cross it. "I think you already know."

Lois' jaw flexed stubbornly as she shook her head. "You've
never said."

Clark took a step closer to her, close enough now that they were
almost touching. "If Superman could have a girlfriend, it would
be you."

He had expected that his confession would flatter and reassure
her. Instead she regarded him with that same steady, somewhat
skeptical gaze. "You can't have a girlfriend?"

"And make you a target for anyone who wanted to use you to
control me? I'd never do that to you, Lois."

"Maybe I could be your secret girlfriend?"

Her question was more cool than flirtatious and that, as much as
anything, was probably what made Clark lean closer and whisper,
"Maybe you already are."

Their new proximity had him breathlessly aware of her and that
form-fitting dress. Maybe it had the same effect on her because
she blinked and her mouth went slack. Her hand rose to touch his
face, her eyes leaving his to track the movement of her fingers
across his cheek. The sensation of that faint caress sent a
heavy, hot pulse through his entire body.

Her eyes met his again, dark and full of pain. "It doesn't feel
like I'm your girlfriend."

Clark leaned down and kissed her. He had meant the kiss as a way
to soothe away the hurt and to show her that he cared. For a
second or two he actually managed to convince himself that it was
only a slightly-more-than-friendly kiss. Then her mouth opened
beneath the pressure of his and her fingers slid into his hair
and all his good intentions dissolved in the heat of their kiss.
It was impossible to deny the attraction between them when Lois
was meeting him kiss for kiss. This was wrong and it felt that
much more exciting because of it. He'd never have this chance
again and Clark didn't want to squander it. The press of her
soft curves against him and the sensation of her moans against
his lips were building to something that neither of them could
control.

Clark pulled away first, his breaths coming in pants. "I
shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry."

"Are you?" she asked breathlessly.

Her hair was a little more tousled now and her eyes had turned
liquid with desire. Clark realized that if he touched her again
now he wouldn't stop. Not ever.

"Only because it's going to hurt that I can't kiss you like
that again," he admitted.

Lois licked her already-wet lips. "You could, you know. It'll
be our secret." She stepped close against him, her hands sliding
possessively over the S on his chest. At that moment Clark was
willing to tell her just about anything if it meant he could kiss
her again.

"Our secret..." he echoed, dazed at the thought that it might
just be that simple. Oh, who was he kidding? She'd push him
backwards out the window if she knew the truth.

"Just tell me one thing," she whispered as her body swayed
against him and her eyes looked deeply into his. "One thing and
I swear I won't ask you for anything else and I'll never talk
about it to anybody."

His knees felt weak. Clark clenched his hands at his sides so
that he wouldn't touch her. "What?"

Her cheeks flushed, but Lois' gaze didn't waver. "Do you love
me?"

He froze, calculating the risk of answering that question
honestly.

"Tell me." Her intelligent eyes seemed to be looking right into
his soul. "Please, I want to hear you say it, just once."

Clark still hesitated. She already knew the answer or she
wouldn't be asking him. What could it hurt to be honest with
her? Just this once he could tell her a truth he had been aching
to share for years without having to take it back later.

She gave him a smile that was dazzling in its sincerity. "I'm
not asking you to tell me the whole truth."

"The whole truth?"

She nodded, her expression serious. "I'm sure there are a lot
of truths you could tell me. Tonight I only want to hear that
one."

Clark took a deep breath, steadying himself against the weight of
the words he was about to say. He looked into her eyes, willing
her to understand these were the truest words he'd ever tell
her. "I love you."

Lois shivered, her body brushing lightly against his. "Thank
you," she whispered and went on tiptoe to leave a light kiss on
his jaw. Clark closed his eyes to memorize the sensation. "You
know, if this were a movie, we'd make love tonight. One perfect,
never-to-be-repeated night."

His eyes shot open at the throaty-voiced suggestion she had just
made. His hands automatically rose to her waist, trembling a
little at the thought of making love to her. "This isn't a
movie."

"No." Her eyes glittered with mischief as she shook her head
slightly.

"And there's that whole truth I'd have to tell you first." It
suddenly felt very important that she know the truth -- the whole
truth.

"Is that what's holding you back?" she asked softly, her eyes
full of wonder. "The whole truth?"

He nodded. "That's all that's been holding me back for almost
two years now."

Her eyes widened and she swallowed hard. "What if I already know
the whole truth?"

"Lois, I--" he murmured but got no further when her finger
touched his lips to silence him.

"Shh." Her fingers moved, caressing softly over his cheek. "I
told you that lipstick was never going to come off."

THE END