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Lois Lane was a hard, tough woman. That’s who her father raised her to be. And it made her one hell of a reporter. It also meant she didn’t have many close friends; because part of making
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friends was being vulnerable with them, and that—that wasn’t something she knew how to do… her father essentially trained it out of her for survival purposes. Showing vulnerability was the fastest way to let the enemy defeat you. And Lois Lane was the best damn reporter on this side of America, if not the entire country. So, she was absolutely not going to let anyone of her
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coworkers see her vulnerable in any way beyond appropriate politeness, if that even counts.Part of how she was able to do this was to always, always appear confident. Regardless of how she was feeling on the inside, she was going to tell other people that she had everything under control, and everything was going exactly as she wanted or expected.But for some reason, that didn’t include Clark Kent. Which was ironic, because despite all the times he had seen her in all different forms of vulnerability, he was the cause of her current anxious predicament.The day before, they had ended the night on a very positive note. Clark had finally! asked her out. They were going to dinner. Where? Lois didn’t know. It couldn’t be anywhere super fancy, as they had made their plans the night before. That left absolutely no room to make reservations anywhere.That honestly allowed Lois to breathe easier, though. She was panicking enough about what to wear, having to worry about an extremely high dining dress code would have been too much. Clark would probably pick a more moderate finer-dining place, where a reservation meant nothing more than avoiding the wait.She finally decided on a black dress that she had bought for a Kerth Awards Ceremony but hadn’t actually worn. She thought she looked amazing in it, and it wasn’t anything too over the top. She did her hair and makeup quickly, tugged on a pair of heels, and stood in front of the mirror to make a final decision about her outfit.She turned this way and that to try and get every angle. She took a deep breath and admitted that she looked amazing. Clark would certainly appreciate this. Lois breathed a laugh when she had the thought that Clark probably appreciated how she looked when she was wearing an old pair of sweatpants and one of his ridiculously large hoodies. That thought lightened the pressure on her chest and she was able to relax her shoulders into a confident posture.Just in the nick of time, too, because one glance at her phone showed that it was 7:19. Clark said he would pick her up at 7:30, which meant he would be here any minute. She suspected he would be early to pick her up. The only thing that would hold him up would be urgent Superman business.Just as she was preparing her purse for the night, a little red clutch that complimented her dress, there was a knock at her door.And just as she suspected, Clark was on the other side, holding a bouquet of flowers for her. Ever the gentleman. She smiled and kissed his cheek as she accepted the flowers, a beautiful arrangement of her favorites, and let him in. She dug out a vase for the flowers, filled it with water, dumped the little packet into it, and placed the bouquet in it. She brought the vase to what passed as her dining room table, which was essentially at the center of her apartment, thanks to her open floor plan.“You look beautiful,” Clark stated with a smile when she finished placing her flowers where she liked them best.She blushed, but didn’t look away. She knew he’d think that, and guessed he would probably say it, too. “You don’t look so bad yourself, handsome.”His smile turned a little shy at her response. “You know,” his smile sharpened with mischief, “I believe, if I am remembering correctly, I asked you a question last week that you never did answer for me…”Lois was suspicious, but he asked a lot of questions throughout the workweek that were rhetorical and usually ignored by her, so she wasn’t quite sure where he was going with this. So, she sprang the trap. “What was your question?”“You think I’m hot?” he asked, color on his cheeks, but mischievous smile wide.A laugh burst out of her. “How do you remember that? You were burning with a fever!”“I said ‘if I am remembering correctly!’” Clark insisted, the color on his cheeks turning brighter. “And I don’t recall an answer.”“That’s because I told you that you took what I said out of context and then you passed out from your fever,” Lois told him, laughing harder.Clark laughed. “Okay, but that’s not answering the question. That’s dodging it.” He cheekily cocked an eyebrow.Lois rolled her eyes. Clark maintained eye contact. “I think you already know that answer to that,” she huffed as she rolled her eyes again.“Do I?” Clark asked, expression changing from shy mischief to faux deliberation.“I think you’ve heard many a ramble about my thoughts about your alter-ego. They haven’t really changed that much…” Lois admitted, referring to the many times she had gone on and on to anyone who would listen (Read: Clark) about how hot and handsome and sexy Superman was…. is.Clark laughed, glancing down at his feet briefly before meeting her gaze with a confident expression, very Superman-like. “But maybe I want to hear you say it again. Do you think I’m hot, yes or no?” A beat passed. “I’ll make it easy for you. I think you’re hot.”Lois had no idea how they ended up so close to each other, but there they were, nearly pressed together. Lois pressed a hand to Clark’s chest and looked up at him through her lashes and gave him what he wanted, “Yes, I think you’re hot.”And wow, if they kept this up, dinner probably wouldn’t be what they did on their first date. And that would be very un-Clark-like. So, Lois very pointedly pushed away from him and went to finish putting her things in her purse.She went into her bathroom under the guise of checking her makeup to give Clark some extra time to cool off. After applying just a touch more bronzer, she decided Clark should have had enough time and rejoined him in the main room.“Ready?” he asked, holding her coat for her.“Where are we going?” she asked in lieu of answering as she allowed Clark to help her into the coat.“How’s The Capital Grille sound?” Clark answered her question with a question.“Ooh, fancy,” Lois commented. “You know how to treat a girl.”Clark huffed a laugh. “I’m glad you think so.”Lois didn’t want to ask, but she almost thought Clark was a little insecure about his choice of restaurant. That would be ridiculous, right? The Capital Grille was an excellent choice for a number of reasons. It was a nicer place without being too pricy, he probably made a reservation to avoid a wait, and she perfectly fit the assumed dress code. He did too, in his dress pants and suit coat. Surely he knew her well enough to know she wouldn’t want anything fancier than what he had chosen. No, she knew he knew her well enough. If he was feeling a little insecure, it was because he was as nervous as she was. She almost forgot she knew him as well as he knew her.Coming to that conclusion, and grabbing her purse, she repeated his question, “Ready?” to tell him she was now ready to walk out her door.He smiled at her, nodded, and offered his arm. She returned his smile and slid her arm through his. They made sure her lights were off and her door was locked before they made their way through the city on foot.It was a little bit of a walk, but the way was through Centennial Park, which had its winter decorations up, and was so much better than taking a cab. Of course, Lois enjoyed the relaxed time with Clark. That was the best part, in her opinion. Something she was sure he reciprocated, if the twinkle in his eyes and the smile on his face were anything to go by. They talked about everything and nothing on their way and it almost seemed like they arrived at The Capital Grille too soon.As she guessed, Clark had made a reservation, and they were immediately led to their table. It was a booth for two that was nearly in a corner. Not secluded but still private. Since it was a booth, there wasn’t a chair for Clark to pull out for her, and the idea that he might get put-out by that nearly made her giggle; as it was, it did bring a smile to her face.Clark noticed and immediately asked, “What?” in a light tone that almost had a laugh in it.“Oh, nothing,” Lois answered as Clark, once again being quite the gentleman, helped her out of her coat. She slid into the seat and waited for him to do the same before she continued, “Just that there’s no chair for you to pull out for me, Mr. Gentleman.”Clark laughed. “What can I say? My Ma taught me right.”Lois’ smile widened. “Absolutely she did. I should send her flowers for doing such a good job with you.” Clark grinned before picking up his menu. Lois copied him. After looking at the menu for all of two seconds, she knocked her menu against his, gaining his attention. “How hungry are you?”Clark raised an eyebrow, curious, no doubt seeing the plotting in her eyes. “I can eat?” he answered, unsure of what exactly she was asking.“Wanna split two very different dishes to expand our experience?”Clark laughed. “And how does my hunger level have anything to do with sharing our food?”Lois shrugged. “I dunno. Just figured it was a good starter?” Clark gave her a look. “Okay! I know, I steal your food all the time. I get it.” She laughed, returning back to the menu for a beat before looking back at him. He was still looking at her. “Well? What do you say?”He shook his head, laughing. “What do you want?”She shrugged again. “I don’t know yet. What were you planning on?”“Some juicy piece of cow,” he answered.“Okay, so I’ll get some seafood then.” She nodded, making up her mind on that and flipped to the seafood section of the menu. She heard his chuckle and imagined he was also shaking his head in amusement. The thought made her smile wider.The food was great. But Lois and Clark both thought the company was way more amazing. Lois didn’t think she could eat anything else and was content sipping her wine and talking with Clark. She pointedly pushed her plate to his side of the table. He, of course, picked up on what she was telling him, and finished the rest of her food.“No room for dessert?” he asked, taking a sip of his own wine.Lois groaned. “Ohhh, no. I don’t think I could do a cheesecake, or whatever they serve here. If we get dessert, it should be from that ice cream place on the other side of the park.”Clark laughed. “The Super Scoop?” he asked.“Yep. That’s the one!” Lois licked her lips. “Mmm, I do love their Kryptonian Krunch.”Clark’s expression was of wry amusement. “Are you trying to tell me something other than we should go get ice cream?”Lois laughed. “No, seriously. That’s the actual name of the flavor. It’s a vanilla ice cream with frozen blackberries and raspberries, making it look red and blue… and then chocolate chunks.”“Frozen blackberries and raspberries?” Clark asked, not quite making a face.“Don’t hate! It’s actually very good.”“I’m not hating,” Clark insisted, raising his hands, “I’ve just never heard of those things together in an ice cream. As toppings, sure…”“Okay, I get it. I have to admit, I really only tried it because of the name… but! It is a good flavor. You should try it.” She was expecting Clark to look reluctantly amused, but he actually looked extremely interested. It took her off guard a little.She must have given him a look because he was laughing as he quietly admitted that he loved trolling people when it came to his secret identity. Her jaw dropped when he asked, “How funny would it be for the resident Kryptonian to order an ice cream named ‘Kryptonian Krunch’ that was literally made with him as inspiration?”“You’re so bad!” she whisper-exclaimed, whacking the table slightly to emphasize her statement.He wiggled his eyebrows at her. “Oh, just you wait. I can’t wait to let you in on all my jokes.”“Clark!” she wheezed, barely able to believe him. The whole situation was hilarious because she knew, deep down, that he had a wicked sense of humor. She couldn’t wait to get to see this other, very private, part of Clark Kent.He explained some of his trolling bits to her as he paid for their dinner. And she plotted other ways he could troll people as they wandered through the park to The Super Scoop.“I can’t believe you’ve never been here. You saw a place called ‘The Super Scoop’ and didn’t decide it was prime trolling opportunity?”He shrugged, smile lighting up his face. “Guess I just never found the right motivation to try it out.”He started looking at all the different flavors as they waited in line. Some of the flavor names made him giggle. Lois loved this playful side of him. He was so very precious to her.She briefly struggled with the idea of him being considered precious. To her, precious implied delicate and fragile. Things Clark definitely wasn’t. But then Lois considered that diamonds were considered precious jewels, and then she didn’t have any qualms of calling Clark precious.He might be invulnerable and seemingly all-powerful, but she wanted to protect and care for him in whatever capacity she could. And she knew Clark thought of her the same way; he had acted on that desire on way more occasions than Lois would care to recall, let alone admit.These thoughts were turning very mushy, so Lois slid her arm through Clark’s, squeezed, and pressed herself against him. He leaned against her and flexed his arm slightly, squeezing back.She looked up at him and met his gaze. The soft smile on his face was gorgeous.He shifted, removing his arm from her grasp to wrap it around her waist, hugging her to him. She copied the motion.Normally, she wasn’t a fan of PDA. But here, in this moment, with him, she couldn’t care less. Besides, it was just two people who were starting a romantic relationship leaning on each other. It wasn’t like they were kissing or anything.That got her thinking.“So,” she started, not whispering, but still keeping her voice low, “are you my boyfriend now?”Clark hugged her tighter. “I’d like that,” he answered, pressing his cheek against her hair.She leaned further into him in response. “I’d like that, too,” she confirmed, sealing their defined relationship-with-titles. He kissed her crown to signal his agreement to these terms.And that led her to, when they got to the register, tell the ice cream scooper person that, “My boyfriend wants to try the Kryptonian Krunch. And I want… the Metallo Mint.”“Metallo Mint?” Clark whispered, apparently bamboozled. “I hope that doesn’t have Kryptonite in it…” he mumbled.Lois was trying so hard to not laugh. And she was sure it was showing on her face. She elbowed him in the stomach. He, of course, was completely unaffected. But it got him to stop as he was interrupted by a laugh.Since she was the one at the register, doing the ordering, she reached for her purse to pay. But Clark, damn superpowers, whipped out his wallet faster than she could blink and paid for their ice cream before she knew what was happening.When they walked away from the register, Clark insisted that he hadn’t used any superpowers. How could he? He was in full view in public and had a secret identity to protect, after all.He looked so innocent.Lois squinted at him in disbelief and mentioned how he used superspeed to have the fastest typing speed like ever known to man. He had the gall to look sheepish. She raised her chin in victory at that.They walked through the park, enjoying their ice cream. It was winter, and therefore, cold outside, but Lois was walking pressed against Clark, who was insanely warm, so she was fine.“So, I’m guessing there’s no Kryptonite in there?” Clark asked, entirely joking, but with a semi-serious tone of voice.Lois hummed. “No, I don’t think so.” She turned slightly, further into him, and held up her cone, offering it to him. “Want some?”He shot her a smile and leaned down to try it. She pressed it into his face to smear it against his lips, making them both laugh.He straightened away from her assault and began licking his lips to clean the ice cream off. Then the smile suddenly fell from his face and his eyes drooped half closed and he seemed to falter, almost curling into himself slightly. His mouth dropped open as if he was struggling to breathe and he took a few gasping breaths.Her eyes widened, at first, not understanding what was wrong. But then, after exactly three seconds, she caught on. And she whacked him firmly on the chest with her free hand. That smacked the smile right back onto his face.“You got me,” she breathed, almost harshly, grudgingly admitting to having fallen for his act.He chuckled deep in his chest. “I was worried I’d scare you. Glad I didn’t… much.”She shook her head and took a bite of his ice cream as revenge. Of course, he was fast enough to see it coming and stop her if he really wanted, but he let her have it. And she really should have expected him to capitalize on the opportunity to smear ice cream on her face, too. She clicked her tongue as he burst into laughter.“Ugh. I walked into that one,” Lois grumbled the complaint. She couldn’t keep her smile hidden for any significant amount of time, though.Clark wheezed. Nodding, he managed through chuckles, “You did.”Lois didn’t quite know when Clark managed to calm his chuckles, but they fell into this intimate moment. They were both smiling and very close to each other. It really was to be expected that they slowly leaned toward each other and met in a kiss.Suddenly, Lois wished they hadn’t gone to get ice cream, because now she couldn’t really wrap her arms around him while she was holding her cone. But she didn’t want to just waste the ice cream and just… drop it.Fortunately for her, Clark solved her problems by breaking the kiss, but not the moment. He leaned back, more straightening up than backing away, and smiled at her, love plain on his face.And she was once again completely enthralled by him. Here he was, a kind-hearted gentleman with the powers of a sun-god, and he was in love with her, a simple reporter. Now, she knew that Clark thought the world of her and would protest vehemently the idea that she was simple anything. But that thought kind of ruined the complete romanticism of the moment for her; so, she ignored it for the time being.He pulled away from the kiss, straightening up ever so slightly.He loved her so much. Time flew when he was with her, and yet it also moved so slowly, moments feeling like they were lasting forever. He never wanted them to end. A sentiment he had been feeling repeatedly over the past few days… weeks… well, months, really. Ever since she’d admitted—to herself, that he had overheard—that she was falling in love with him.She was smiling up at him; it was a warm and soft smile, very romantic. And he smiled back. It was only natural, as the way she was looking at him was only making him fall deeper in love with her.That was ridiculous. She didn’t have to give him any type of look at all for him to fall in love with her more and more… and wow, he was so very gone for her.He looked up at the stars, then. Needing to cool his thoughts before he did something to make a fool of himself. He also remembered his ice cream at that moment, taking full advantage of its temperature to assist his endeavor.And that’s when he saw how beautiful the stars were that night. And then he thought about how he could fly. And how he’d love to show Lois some of his favorite views, now that he could.So, with ice cream still coating his lips, he looked back down to Lois and smiled wider. “Wanna fly?”Lois was also enjoying her ice cream when she made eye contact with him. At his question, she paused with her cone in front of her face. Then, she dropped her arm slightly as she grinned in response. “I was hoping we could.”Clark felt his smile turn to more of a wry grin. “Why didn’t you ask?”Lois laughed, eyes bright. “Well, I was going to if you didn’t offer soon.”Clark shook his head, now convinced his smile would never leave his face. “Alright. Let’s go.”They worked on their dessert as they meandered through the park, enjoying the lights. Eventually, they crossed over to a small alley that was just dark enough for Clark to safely wrap his arm around Lois’ waist and lift them into the air, high above the skyscrapers of Metropolis.
It was dark enough that they weren’t worried about being spotted, but they were still careful.They ended up on the roof of the Daily Planet. Clark declared it a great place to see the city while they finished their ice cream. And it was. They sat on the edge, legs swinging thousands of feet above the sidewalk below, eating their dessert. Lois was pressed into Clark, resting her head on his shoulder. He had an arm around her waist. And maybe it was more than the spot that was great.
It was peaceful up there. They had the full view of the city. And it was vibrant, with the constant traffic and the well-lit billboards. It was really no wonder Metropolis was considered such a beautiful city.And it was quiet. Sure, there was the constant buzz of traffic, but to a city girl, that was never-ending background noise. With that thought, she tilted her head, looking up at Clark. He was just finishing off the rest of his cone. She laughed softly.“What?” he asked, laugh evident in his voice.Lois shook her head against him. “Nothing,” she answered, not quite ready to admit how cute she thought he was. “Just… the city is so quiet. And,” she paused, considering, “I guess I wondered how loud it is for you?”Clark tilted his head, gazing at her fondly for a moment, as if he was processing what she was asking. Then, he lifted his eyes skyward, considering his answer.“Quiet,” he answered. “But not like how you said. I don’t hear anything happening. No sirens, and nothing that might require them. Rare, for nothing to happen.”“No emergencies?” she asked.He shook his head. “Nothing. It’s nice.” He paused. “Well, there are a few calls being made to the non-emergency numbers, but I don’t hear sirens. I only hear the noise of a lively city at night.” He turned his head completely to the right, looking at something Lois knew she definitely wouldn’t be able to see. “Wow, that is one heck of a rager happening in that club three miles away.” He turned back to her. “Remember what I said about sirens? The police are probably going to shut that down here in a few,” he informed her, laugh bubbling out of him.“It’s that wild?” Lois asked, laughing softly.Clark hummed. “A lot of obvious underage.” He shook his head, as if in gentle disappointment. “Kids these days.”“Hey, watch it, Smallville.” Lois swatted his chest lightly. “I was one of those ‘kids these days’ back in my day.”Clark raised his eyebrows and grinned. “Oh, were you?” And he was definitely making fun of how she phrased that. No matter. He always made fun of her words. She ignored the part of herself that admitted it was well deserved.“Well,” Clark started to change the subject. “Now that we’re done with dessert, let me show you things I get to see.” He offered his hand to her.She smiled at him and didn’t think for even a second before she took it. And then they were off, soaring into the clouds. She gasped at the sudden change, but it was in pleasant surprise.Clark flew her around the city, allowing her to see Metropolis in all its vibrant Art Deco-ness. The Daily Planet was, as she already knew, a shining icon in the heart of the city. It was enchanting. This moment, with her newly minted boyfriend, was so enriched in love. She loved him, he loved her, they both loved their city, and the view… it was incredible.But like all good things, it did have to end. Clark promised to show her more, but it was getting late, and they were responsible adults with jobs they had to be at in the morning. She grumbled about it all the way back to the alley that had started at, though.
He gently set their feet back on solid ground. Unlike how they started their journey, now they were facing each other. Clark had both his hands on Lois’ hips and Lois had her arms around his waist.“Had fun, I hope?” Clark asked, smiling softly.Lois’ gaze inadvertently flicked to his lips. She didn’t even try to stop herself from leaning in and kissing him softly. And it deepened when he nearly melted into her.When they finally pulled away, Lois answered, “Yeah.” She pulled her gaze from his lips and brought her eyes up to meet his. And God, his eyes were gorgeous, even from behind those color-dampening glasses of his.“Good,” Clark smiled again. “I’m glad.”They stood like that for another moment, before realizing a dingy alley wasn’t the best place to stay, for a number of reasons. So, they smiled at each other and turned to head back to the sidewalk.Arm-in-arm, they made their way back to Lois’ apartment. Clark, a gentleman to the tee, of course obeyed every single one of the sidewalk rules. And yes, Lois was sure there was more than one. Puddles were a danger, too. And Clark definitely saved her heels some water damage, without even thinking about it, at least twice on the way back to her place.They weren’t moving at a fast pace, but it didn’t take long before they were at Lois’ front door. She pretended she was struggling to fish her keys out of her purse just to have a few more moments with Clark. He, of course, wasn’t going to say anything and played along.They were joking softly with each other as Lois finally unlocked her door. And they were so caught up in their own little world that they didn’t notice that Lois’ lights were on, even though they had made sure they were off when they left.So, they were both shocked when a gruff, “Hello, Lois,” interrupted them.Eyes wide, they both turned to see a man in a classic military uniform seated on the armchair that faced the entryway. Clark didn’t recognize him. But Lois did. And she didn’t seem very pleased at the unexpected visit, if the way she tensed up at Clark’s side was any indication.But whatever Clark thought would happen, whatever he thought Lois was going to say, it definitely wasn’t the ghastly whispered, “General?”
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Samuel Lane did not usually stop by his daughters’ respective apartments entirely unannounced, especially as it pertained to Lois. With his luck, the time he randomly swung in would be while she was away at some out-of-town conference or other journalistic opportunity.This was a rare exception. And judging by the state of her apartment—clean in the sense it wasn’t messy, but very lived-in—she was not out of town… probably.Sam seated himself in the armchair that had the best view of the entire apartment. It was toward the later dinner hours, so that is likely where Lois was, especially since it was a workday. Sam smiled as he thought of his daughter’s work ethic. He was proud of her.He hadn’t been waiting for too long, perhaps fifteen minutes, before he heard voices just outside Lois’ front door. He was expecting Lois and the partner she talked about sometimes… Kent was it?What he wasn’t expecting was for them to both be dressed up, like they went on a date. He narrowed his eyes.They were so distracted by each other that they failed to notice him, sitting directly in their line of sight. He automatically did not like this… boy, as he was too young and baby faced, in Sam’s opinion, to be considered a man.“Hello, Lois,” Sam greeted gruffly, pointedly ignoring the man-child.It was almost comical how the two turned, in sync, to face him, eyes wide. It seemed the boy had an idea of who he was but wasn’t quite sure. And Lois seemed less than pleased to see him.And when Lois whispered, “General?” the boy straightened up ever-so-slightly, suspicions confirmed, apparently.Sam really didn’t like him.Lois was livid. What a way to end her amazing date! A little heads up would have been nice. Too bad General Sam Lane didn’t get the memo.She couldn’t have sweetly made out with Clark before saying goodnight? Or stayed up watching a movie on the couch with Clark?That’s what she wanted to do, and would have done, if her father hadn’t spontaneously materialized in her living room.Maybe things could still be salvaged. She could kick the General out before he scared Clark away and she and Clark could still cuddle watch a movie.And she firmly believed she could do this. That is, until the General ruined everything again when he asked, “Who’s this?”Lois grit her teeth. “General, this is Clark. Clark, this is my father.”Clark, for his part, didn’t look too intimidated. “Hello, sir,” he greeted. Lois loved his attempt; it showed maturity on his part. She didn’t expect her father to give Clark the same courtesy.She wasn’t disappointed. “Clark Kent, I presume. Lois’ occasional partner at the newspaper.” They jumped straight into interrogation, it seemed. At least Clark was made of steel.“Yes, sir, we do share the by-line a lot.”“He also pre-edits all of my work for me,” Lois added, trying to make Clark look like a hard worker. He was a hard worker, of course, but the General was ruthless and so she needed to give Clark a hand wherever she could. “And he has saved my life more times than I would care to admit,” she continued. This was also true, and she would have said those same words even before she knew he was Superman. And now that she did know that tidbit of information about Clark, it made it ten times as true.The General just hummed negatively in response.Lois moved in front of Clark and leaned against his chest, needing his solidness as a form of nonverbal comfort. She also hoped it told him that she was sorry about this mess and said mess had no impact on her feelings about him as her boyfriend.She could have collapsed in relief when he reached both of his hands up and gripped her arms, clearly showing her father that he was going to stand by her while also confirming to her that he was fine.In the recesses of her mind, she knew that the General had… worked with? That wasn’t quite the correct term, but it was close enough… the General had worked with Superman before, so Clark more or less knew what to expect from him.But she also worried. Sure, Clark had some experience with General Lane through Superman stuff. But Clark was also used to people not being huge fans of Superman. Clark wasn’t so used to people hating Clark Kent, the regular person. And that could make quite the difference.She had to trust Clark. She had to trust that his thick skin and mental toughness carried over without the cape. This was, of course, slightly ridiculous. She knew Clark had a spine. She knew he could take it. But she really loved him and that made her worry about his ability to withstand the General, regardless of the fact that he was more than capable of doing so.Clark, in a display that proved how much he knew her, squeezed her arms slightly, trying to offer comfort and reassurance that he was going to be okay. It also told her that he loved her. Because she was just now realizing that she had zoned out while the General grilled her boyfriend about his habits and hobbies and life inside and outside of work.Tuning back in, she wanted to applaud Clark for giving all the right answers. Not only that, he was completely truthful and earnest in every single one of his responses.Then, she made the mistake of looking at the General. He didn’t seem to be liking Clark’s answers. Oh God, this was a disaster. She just wanted Clark. He made her so unbelievably happy. She was twenty-seven years old, she did not need her father to approve of her choice of man! Especially since this one was entirely decent!Sam grudgingly respected the boy a little bit when he placed his hands on Lois’ arms. It was a small but blatant display that spoke volumes about this boy’s intentions for Lois. It also meant this boy was not intimidated by Sam’s presence.Well, they’d have to see about that, wouldn’t they.So, Sam didn’t feel the least bit remorseful when he launched question after question, interrogating this boy on his life, his interests, and what he did in a day. They boy answered quickly, confidently, and honestly.But all of his answers seemed too perfect. There was no way this young man could possibly be so perfect. Sam didn’t trust him. He also didn’t want him near his daughter, but there wasn’t much he could do about that, since the two worked together. He would never admit it aloud, but they did work very well together. Sam thought the pieces his daughter wrote alongside Clark Kent were the best ones.His questions started getting somewhat invasive. The boy seemed marginally surprised by some of them, knowing they weren’t normal questions, but answered them anyway. Once again, Sam grudgingly respected the boy.Lois, apparently, thought enough was enough and interrupted. “Clark, go to my room.”Both Sam and the boy were surprised by this. “What? Why?” Kent asked, looking down at Lois with raised brows.Lois pulled away from him and turned slightly to look him in the eye. “Because I need to speak to my father privately and don’t want to send you away, yet.”The boy accepted this answer at face value, apparently, because he nodded and replied, “Okay.” He then squeezed her shoulder, as he still had one hand on her arm, before walking into Lois’ bedroom and shutting the door.“We could have gone to your room,” Sam commented, not happy with his daughter’s decision.“I don’t care,” Lois replied. “Clark won’t do anything in there. The only thing he might stick his nose into is my bookshelf.”Sam still didn’t like the idea of a boy in his daughter’s bedroom, but after having grilled the man for about five minutes, he silently agreed that he probably wouldn’t paw through his daughter’s underwear drawer. At least, not when Sam was standing in the living room of Lois’ apartment.“I don’t like him,” Sam said.“You don’t like anybody,” Lois countered. “And honestly, I don’t care what you think. Not when it comes to Clark, because he is the most respectable person, by far, that I have ever dated.”Sam hated that she was right on that one. Clark Kent had a job, he paid his bills on time, he swore he didn’t do drugs and wasn’t addicted to anything. And, more importantly, Clark Kent made his daughter better. Her work was better with him, she apparently behaved better when she was with him, and she certainly wanted to lookbetter when she was with him. Sam would never forget the one boyfriend she had dated that had her dressing all grunge and emo… this well-dressed Lois was a significant improvement. But most importantly, Clark Kent seemed to make Lois Lane happy. And he kept her safe. All things Sam should appreciate in a man his daughter was seeing.But Sam knew his daughter’s taste in men left much to be desired. All of her exes had something fundamentally fucked up about them. No less than three of them had tried to kill her at least twice. Granted, those three had never once protected her or saved her life, ever. But still. And the rest of her exes had all been after one thing, their own pleasure. And to suddenly see a boy who was completely different from all of those others… Sam didn’t believe it.He wanted to, somewhere deep down inside, but he didn’t.Clark was sitting on Lois’ bed reading his emails when she opened her door and stepped inside.“Hi,” she greeted, shutting the door. “I kicked my dad out.”“You didn’t have to do that,” Clark replied, shutting his phone off.Lois shook her head. “I didn’t want him here, and he didn’t say he would be stopping by. I also wanted to spend the rest of my night with you, so I definitely needed to send him away.”Clark smiled softly at her. “I don’t think he likes me.”Lois smiled back, stepping close and running a hand through his hair. “He doesn’t like anyone.” Her smile fell as she continued. “He’s going to be watching you closely while he stays in Metropolis. I would be extra careful about being Superman until he’s gone.”Clark hummed in response, eyes closing in delight as she continued to play with his hair. “That’s fine. I can have Kara and J’onn fill in for me.”“J’onn?” Lois asked, unfamiliar with that name.Clark opened his eyes. “Oh, yeah, that’s Martian Manhunter’s name. J’onn. Figured he can do most of the work, since he can shapeshift. And whatever he can’t do, Kara can.”Lois nodded. “That’s a good plan. I’m sorry about all this.”Clark shook his head and placed his hands on her hips, drawing her closer to him. They both ignored how intimate their positions were. “It’s okay. I want to pass your dad’s silly tests.”Lois sighed. “You’re probably going to fail for being too good.”Clark grinned. “Then I’ll make sure to drop my groceries at least twice to be slightly less than perfect.”Lois threw her head back in a surprised laugh. “Yes, be extra clumsy. That’ll do it,” Lois giggled, knowing it would be something, at least, that would make Clark look more realistic in the General’s books.Clark had color on his cheeks. “You know, me being clumsy isn’t an act…”“Well, I hope you won’t drop 747s,” Lois laughed.Clark’s cheeks deepened in color. “No, no, that isn’t what I meant. It’s just… sometimes I don’t really know how much strength is required for something and underestimate and end up dropping something because I don’t have an appropriate grip on it…” He trailed off slightly. “Oh, and I trip a lot because I am much better in the air… which is ironic, because I have powers on Earth and wouldn’t on Krypton…”“What?” Lois asked, surprised by that. “Kryptonians don’t naturally have superpowers?”Clark shook his head. “You didn’t know that? I thought I’ve mentioned that…” He trailed off again, clearly wracking his brain. Shrugging, he explained, “The yellow sun is what gives me my powers. It’s more nourishing than the red sun Krypton orbited. The atmosphere and gravity of Earth also plays a part. So, if I went to a planet that had a yellow sun but a weaker atmosphere and greater gravity, my powers would be very different. I would probably be less invulnerable and unable to fly, but would still have laser vision, for example.”“Huh,” Lois started, cataloguing that information. “I knew the sun was your source of power, but I didn’t realize how particular that information was.”Clark shrugged again. “There’s probably a lot of other information I’ve glossed over, now that you mention it.”Lois started playing with his hair again. “Well, I look forward to learning more as we go.”Clark hummed, smiling softly, and closed his eyes once more. Lois bit back a giggle, trying not to ruin the moment. He looked blissed out just with her playing with his hair. She wasn’t complaining; his hair was so silky and soft. And him not having bedhead meant there were no tangles for her fingers to get stuck in.She played with his hair for a moment longer before asking if he wanted to watch a movie. When he finally managed to open his eyes—was he tired? —they were bright with happiness.Much like the last time she selected something to watch, it was random and from the recommended movies list. And it was really just something to make their cuddling seem less intimate. As it was, they both were barely paying the movie any mind, both consumed with thoughts of each other.Lois found herself realizing that her favorite place to be was pressed against Clark’s chest. He was an excellent… well, he was excellent. His strong breathing and heartbeat were incredibly soothing, his well-muscled chest was an excellent pillow, and his chest was well-muscled. Lois couldn’t pretend she didn’t totally dig that part. She was pretty sure Clark’s biceps were larger than her head—they weren’t… but they were still massive and incredibly stress relieving to squish.And she was really, incredibly grateful Clark didn’t possess mind-reading.Clark was in dangerous territory. He could have fallen asleep sitting upright when Lois was playing with his hair. Something about her and her affection both wired him and soothed him so deeply. He wanted to show her the world but could also take the best nap of his life in her presence.Curled up on the couch as they were, though, with her body acting as a pleasant weight against his, he resigned himself to once again sleeping on her couch. And although it wasn’t the most comfortable sleeping situation, he was invulnerable, and he wanted to spend every possible second he could with her.And, shoot, she was playing with his hair again. He was cooked.Instead of running her hands through his hair as she had before, this time her hand played with the hair at the nape of his neck. It tickled… or at least that’s what Clark imagined tickles felt like.Clark pressed his cheek against the top of her head, pulling her closer against him. This was contentment. He never wanted to leave. If it was possible, he would never move ever again.He remembered closing his eyes, because he had wanted to focus on Lois and what she was doing to him rather than the tv. He didn’t remember falling asleep.Lois missed it, at first.But after the next couple of times, she registered the sound as something unusual.She fought her natural urge to lift her head and search with her eyes for the source of the noise. And she was very grateful for that decision because she quickly realized Clark was what was making it. And moving her head would have shifted his and would have probably stopped the noise.She carefully started processing things. Firstly, whatever this noise was—it was somewhere between a snore and a purr—it was adorable, and she loved it. Secondly, she was ninety-nine percent sure that Clark was asleep. Thirdly, the noise got softer when she stopped playing with his hair. It also took her a moment to clock the fourth thing, but the noise he was making was definitely not human; she couldn’t really explain it, but it was definitely something that was distinctly Kryptonian.She turned the tv off. She wasn’t watching it, Clark was asleep, and she wanted to listen to this strange noise he was making. As she laid there, her fingers got tired and so she stopped playing with his hair. This, of course, caused the sound to die down and eventually stop. When he finally quieted, she gently shook him awake.“Huh?” he asked, blinking blearily. “Was I asleep?”Lois giggled softly. “Yeah, and you made this really cute noise.”He groaned quietly and dropped his head back against the arm of the couch. “Don’t tell me, it sounded like a purr?”“That’s the one,” Lois confirmed with a smile. “I like it, though.”Clark hummed and pressed his cheek against her crown again. They stayed like that for a moment before Clark asked, “Why did you wake me?”That made the smile fade from Lois’ face. “It’s late. You should get back.”“I’ve slept on the couch before,” Clark argued, sleep still evident in his voice.“Yeah, and if my dad wasn’t in town, I would have left you here.”Clark stiffened slightly when that registered. “Oh,” he paused, “Yeah, that makes sense.”“Sorry,” Lois offered. She really did not want him to leave.“No, it’s okay. At least I know you’re not kicking me out,” he joked. He was successful in bringing a smile to her face.She tilted her head up so she could press a kiss to his jaw. “No, I’m definitely not doing that. Just trying to save you for a change.”He hummed and shifted into her so he could press his cheek against her own this time. “I appreciate that, thanks.”After another long moment of comfortable silence between them, Lois finally pushed herself up and off of Clark. He stuck his bottom lip out in protest. And really, he had no right to look so pathetically adorable. She really did want to plop right back down on top of him for more snuggles. But she persisted in her endeavor and sat up.He dropped the look as he realized it wouldn’t work—this time, at least. Once she was off him, he sat up, too. “I had fun tonight,” he started.“Despite the General’s surprise visit and impromptu interrogation?” Lois asked, a dry laugh in her voice.“Yeah, despite that,” Clark replied; the laugh in his voice was genuine.Lois looked at him. He was looking at her, smile on his face and love in his eyes. She smiled back. “I had fun, too.”And she was leaning into him, so it only made sense that he lean forward, too, and capture her lips in a kiss.Lois was slightly taken aback. Not in a bad way. Definitely not in a bad way. She was just surprised by the passion behind his kiss. But she couldn’t complain because she kissed back just as hard.She melted when she felt his hand slide across her cheek and slightly into her hair, tucking loose strands behind her ear before coming to rest against the angle of her jaw. It was automatic when she responded by carding a hand up the back of his head into his hair. That seemed to be a thing for him, because as she tugged on his curls, he nearly growled against her lips. And that turned her on. She wrapped her free arm around his neck and tugged him down further into her. Logically, she knew she couldn’t move him if he didn’t want to be moved, but she was going to try anyway. And she was glad she did, because he eagerly followed her down, letting her guide him.He moved to brace a hand against the couch, and they briefly pulled away. “I thought you were sending me home?” he asked huskily, eyes locked on her lips. He didn’t wait for a response before he resealed their mouths hungrily.She pulled away, placing a hand on his chest to stay him for a moment. “I am, but I have to say goodbye somehow, don’t I?”He smiled widely against her lips. “This isn’t a goodbye. This is telling me to stay.”She grinned into him and kissed him sweetly before pulling back, further this time. “Sorry, sorry,” she said, very obviously not sorry at all. “I couldn’t help myself. Besides, it just gives you a reason to take me out again.”He rolled his eyes with a smile. “As if I need a reason,” he huffed, before quickly adding, “Not that I’m complaining. Because I’m definitely not.”She risked another quick kiss. If he wasn’t such a gentleman, she’d say he looked starved. “Good. Because that was really nice.”“Yeah?”“Yeah.” She reached out and squeezed his hand. “Now, c’mon, big guy. You have to get home before my father breaks my door down to skin you alive for daring to stay so late at my apartment,” she said sarcastically.He huffed a laugh and stood up. “Thank you.”“For what?” she asked.“For such a good night,” he shrugged, looking sheepish, as if he didn’t even know why he said that.She threaded her arms through one of his and they started toward the door. “Well, I should be the one thanking you, since you paid for everything.”“You should have expected that. You were the one who mentioned that I was raised to be the perfect gentleman,” he replied, messing with her, while being honest and serious at the same time.She swatted him softly on the chest. He really was fantastic. She couldn’t wait to see more of this side of Clark. She already loved him.It took them forever to say goodbye. But when they finally did, they parted after a sweet kiss. And Clark could swear he would be tasting her for the rest of the night. If he had a little extra energy in his step, that was why. He was simply a man in love. And he was hopelessly gone for his woman. His girlfriend.He had to tell Ma. And Pa. And Bruce and Diana. They’d have to wait. He’d call his Ma when he got home. Then, he’d have to contact J’onn and Kara about filling in for him for a bit. He could spill tea with Bruce and Diana at a later date. But not too late, or they’d be upset with him for withholding information.Clark hadn’t walked a full block from Lois’ apartment when he felt eyes on him. Coming out of la-la-land and returning to the real world, he could easily identify General Lane trailing him.He hoped the pep in his step wasn’t too obvious. He didn’t want the General thinking he’d slept with his daughter. They’d just made out. Wow, his bar was low. But it was too late now. It would be too obvious if Clark suddenly stopped floating on cloud nine; that would tell the General that Clark was aware of his presence behind him.So, Clark tried to ever-so-slightly ease his way into a normal gait. He was pretty sure he succeeded. But just in case, he stopped watching his feet and let himself fall face-first onto the concrete. And when he got up, and the excitement was ‘all gone,’ it couldn’t be suspicious since he’d just literally bit the dust.He tried to not laugh at his own shenanigans. But it was really hard not too when he could hear General Lane harshly criticizing Clark for his clumsiness under his breath. Fortunately, the General was behind Clark, and superhearing confirmed that the General had not called in reinforcements for Operation: Spy on the Boyfriend.Once he was in the safety of his own apartment, though, he let himself laugh himself silly.Then he called his Ma, who was over the moon that they had finally made things official. Of course, Pa was also on the line, as his parents were attached at the hip.Once he finally got off the line with them, he called J’onn, who was happy to help once Clark had explained the situation. He glossed over the details, just explaining that Lois’ father, who was military, was watching him closely and Clark couldn’t afford risking his identity.When he called Kara, though, he gave the in-depth explanation. She quickly agreed to help out but then she made fun of him. So much. But he couldn’t blame her, because the situation was a bit ridiculous. Oh well. He was really determined to win this woman’s hand in marriage. And dealing with her father was part of it.Clark Kent went to bed with a smile on his face.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Clark knew Lois hadn’t been joking when she warned him that her father was going to watch him like a hawk. He knew that. But he was completely unprepared for just how closely Sam Lane was watching him. For example, was it really necessary to set up camp on the skyscraper across from Clark’s apartment with binoculars? Clark was grateful he’d gone to bed with a shirt on. He didn’t exactly want to advertise all the muscle he was packing, especially to someone as suspicious as the General. He was aiming for something around the lines of “fit but clumsy farmboy.” Looking like a gym rat wouldn’t really work for him, especially since he wasn’t a chronic weightlifter… technically.Clark exited his bathroom fully dressed for work, minus his shoes, which he slipped on before he entered his small kitchen. He danced around his kitchen a little extra today, wanting the General to think that he was a naturally upbeat person, which he was, but he was laying it on a little thicker than usual in the hopes of scoring bonus points, or something. He quickly ate his small breakfast, cleaned his mess, and put away his dishes. Then, he shrugged his coat on, grabbed his keys, and headed to work.It took the General a little longer than Clark had expected to start trailing him. But then again, Clark hadn’t peeked into what little camp the General had set up across from Clark’s apartment, so who knew what tidying the General had thought necessary before following Clark down the street.Clark stopped by the usual small coffee shop that was about a block from the Planet. He smiled hello at the barista, paid with his card, and politely said ‘thank you’ when he grabbed both coffees. All things he usually did. The baristas usually responded in kind because he was a regular and consistently polite; the thought of the General observing that made Clark smile a little wider, if he was being completely honest. It also didn’t hurt things that the barista already had Clark’s order ready to go by the time he walked in. He was very consistent.Clark’s next destination was clearly the Daily Planet. And so, he wasn’t surprised to see that General Lane had already set up shop across from the building. He ducked his head to laugh softly at the utter ridiculousness of this situation as he walked into the building.By the time Clark got to the correct floor, General Lane was already at his self-appointed station, watching from across the street. Clark greeted Lois with a smile as he handed her the coffee he’d gotten for her, as he usually did every day.She smiled back, took her coffee, and thanked him.“Good morning,” he started, dragging his desk chair over to Lois’ desk. “Your dad has been watching since before I woke up.”Lois’ smile dampened only a little. “Really? I’m so sorry.”Clark shook his head. “No, it’s okay. I already talked with Kara and John. They’ve got everything handled. I’m fine.” Clark laughed slightly. “I’ve already planned my day. Of course, work. But then, I’m going to get some groceries, help Miss Walters with her groceries, and do my laundry. So, basically, the General is going to be watching a very exciting day.”“Right,” Lois nodded, smile returning in force, “You do help Miss Walters every Tuesday. I hope he eats that up.”“I hope he appreciated the coffee house. I didn’t even have to order my coffee today.”“Really?” Lois laughed.“Really,” Clark nodded, chuckling. “I get the same thing every day at about the same time. The kind barista saved me trouble and time by having everything ready by the time I walked through the door. It was a nice surprise, especially since I’m being observed.”“What a perfect day for that to happen,” Lois huffed a laugh. “And to coincide with Miss Walters Assistance Day, too… almost too perfect, Clark.”“Well, I’ll have to drop my keys and fumble with my groceries and visibly concentrate on handling Miss Walters’ with care, then,” Clark stated, only partially joking.Lois swatted Clark’s chest, causing him to chuckle once more. “I can literally see it now,” Lois grumbled, Clark’s chuckles growing louder. “Okay, Smallville, time to lock in. We’ve got a story to cover.”Clark took a deep breath before leaning closer, looking at the notes on her desk. “Did Perry just assign this?”“Yep. He emailed it to both of us this morning. We’ve got about an hour to do some background research, so…” she paused as she flipped through some of the papers before she pulled out three, “here is what I don’t want to do; so, you have to do it.” She handed the papers to him.“Sounds about right,” Clark responded as he glossed over the papers. “Anything else? There’s a lot of papers left for you, still.”Lois shook her head. “This is largely the work I’ve already done, or tasked Jimmy with. Don’t worry, hot shot, I gave you the more time-intensive stuff.”Clark nodded. “Makes sense as to why you don’t wanna do it, then.”“You know me so well, handsome,” she joked. They both knew that while yes, Lois did paw off the time-heavy research to Clark because she didn’t want to do it, but also Clark would complete the research faster than anyone else in part because of his superspeed but also because he seemed to have a knack for finding answers.Putting the assigned papers aside, Clark looked back to the stack Lois had on her desk. “Anything else I need?”Lois once more shuffled through the papers. Humming, she responded, “No, I think that’s it. I’ll let you know if I find something that you might need.”“Okay,” Clark said, standing up, “Sounds good. An hour, you said?” He started pushing his chair back to his desk, all of five feet away.“Yes, we have to be at,” Lois paused, scribbling something onto a sticky note, “this address at 8:30 on the dot.” She slapped the sticky onto his chest, ignoring his outstretched hand, and took a large sip of her coffee. She raised her brows as if to ask, “anything else?”He shook his head, more at her shenanigans than to answer her nonverbal question. “Alright, I’ll come back to bother you in an hour, Ma’am.”“Ew,” she grumbled, “I know I like to remind you that I am the more experienced reporter, and therefore technically your superior, but never call me ‘ma’am.’ I am your girlfriend, not ten years your senior.”“Aha,” Clark laughed, “And being ten years my senior automatically means you can’t be my girlfriend.”Lois turned bright red. “That is… that is not what I meant, and you know it!” she huffed, angrily pointed a pencil at him, because that helps get the point across.Clark just grinned cheekily and finally sat down at his desk to get to work.Sam Lane was not a happy camper. This boy his daughter was seeing was… different. It was almost inhuman how human this kid was. So far, Sam had observed that the boy got up the first time his alarm went off. Then he disappeared into what looked to be a small walk-in closet before quickly reappearing with a neatly folded stack of clothes. He hid himself in the bathroom for seven minutes and thirty-four seconds before he exited fully dressed for the day, the only exception being his shoes, which he quickly toed on before leaving the bedroom for the kitchen.He seemed to be a morning person, something Lois definitely was not. This Kent boy jovially bustled around his kitchen, making a small breakfast. He ate quickly before cleaning the small mess he’d created. Sam wouldn’t be surprised if the boy had been humming a tune as he went through this routine of his.Sam watched the boy shrug a coat on, struggling a bit with one of the arms, before grabbing—and immediately almost dropping—his keys. The kid was a bit clumsy, and that just made him more human to Sam, too perfect. There had to be a catch, something he was missing.After everything Sam had watched in the apartment, he had predicted the kid would maybe stumble down the stairs or stop to have a quick chat with a neighbor, so he was marginally surprised to find the tall, dark-haired boy a bit further down the road than anticipated. Sam chastised himself for underestimating the kid and quickly got within a better following range.He watched from across the street, pretending to browse through some street vendor’s flower selection, as Kent entered a local coffee shop that was close to the Daily Planet office building. Sam was once again slightly taken aback as he watched Kent greet the barista before immediately paying for two drinks that were already prepared. Seems Kent was a regular and the employees liked him. Sam had to grudgingly admit that was a good sign for the kid. Maybe he wasn’t too perfect, after all, and just very well raised. He made a mental note to look into the kid’s background and family.When it became clear the boy wasn’t going to stop anywhere else before work, Sam diverged from the kid’s path and headed for his setup opposite of the Daily Planet. He made sure to get there quickly, since it seemed Kent moved faster than Sam would have thought.By the time Kent exited the elevator, Sam was comfortably settled in to watch the day unfold. The boy smiled and greeted at least three of his coworkers as he made his way through the office. Sam wouldn’t be surprised if he had greeted others in passing that Sam couldn’t quite see from his position.When he’d watched the kid in the coffee shop, Sam had wondered why the boy had two coffees, but as he watched the kid greet Lois, Sam should have guessed. The extra coffee was for her. Sam had to give the boy credit again, it seems. The barista knew Kent would order two coffees, which meant he had had this habit for quite a while, now. And based on Lois’ reaction, or lack thereof, the coffee was exactly as she preferred it and exactly as she expected it to be upon being handed it. Seems Kent really did take care of his girl.Sam frowned as he watched Lois and Kent laugh and joke some. They should be working. But just as he was about to really get ticked off, Kent found his way to his own desk and appeared to get to work. Lois also got to work, or back to work, since she had already been at the office before Sam started observing.Sam sat there and watched the two reporters work at their own desks, occasionally looking up from their computers and papers to compare notes, for about an hour. That’s when they both got up to leave. Kent helped Lois into her coat before he shrugged on his own. Sam couldn’t help but notice the boy struggled a little less with his sleeve this time, but one of the sides of the coat was briefly stuck rolled up the inside. Lois didn’t seem to be thinking about her actions as she reached over and tugged the corner out. The entire scenario seemed practiced, like it was a regular occurrence. And from what Sam had seen so far, he believed Kent to be a man of routine. The boy had his habits, and he stuck to them. Maybe that was something that had drawn Lois in.Sam hated, for multiple reasons, the idea that his daughter could be growing up and actually looking for a man who could be a life partner. The reasons he hated the thought? One, it would be admitting his daughter really was growing up; two, she was looking for a man who was capable of supporting her—Sam refused to admit to even himself that that stung because he always wanted to be that type of figure for his girls—but would let her be independent; three, he had no real reason to hate this guy if her reasons for choosing him were so good, especially since the guy seemed so genuine, honest, and kind.Sam stewed over these thoughts for the rest of the day as he trailed the reporters through Metropolis as they chased stories and returned to the Planet to write them.“Well,” Lois huffed, sitting up from her computer and stretching her back and legs. “I think that’s a good stopping point.” She looked over at Clark, who was bent over his own computer and typing up a storm.“Mhm,” he hummed in response, clearly having heard her without hearing her. He typed for a few more seconds, fingers blurring slightly—and wasn’t that something to watch? —before sitting back into his chair and turning to face her slightly. “What was that?”Lois huffed a laugh. “I said that I found a good place to stop. How often do you do that?”Clark tilted his head, eyebrow raising, giving her a look of complete innocence. “Do what?”“You know,” Lois prodded, bringing her hands up and wiggling her fingers really fast as if she was typing.Clark blinked. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Lois.”Lois left her hands suspended in the air for three whole seconds while she examined Clark closely. He met her gaze and kept his wide-eyed, innocent, quizzical look. She narrowed her eyes and held a mean stare. And if she hadn’t known Clark, and known him well, for that matter, she would have missed it, but barely, just barely, the corner of his lip twitched. She dropped her hands and dramatically rolled her eyes.Clark immediately broke into a wide grin. He looked strangely proud of himself. He almost had her. “I do it simultaneously more and less than you might think.”“Thanks,” she replied sarcastically, turning back to face him again, “That cleared everything up.”He laughed softly and shrugged. “Maybe four times a week?” he estimated. “It’s usually when I’m trying to finish a thought and want to be done done.”“Wouldn’t that be useful,” Lois grumbled, only slightly jealous. She cheered herself up with the thought that she could just pawn off extra work on Clark, who had the abilities.She turned back to her computer to save her file and missed Clark doing the same, standing up, and coming over to her desk. But his presence was comforting and regular, so she didn’t jump when she was surprised to find him so close. She was briefly amazed by that novel concept. Normally, such unexpected and unrealized proximity would startle her, but with Clark, it was different. His proximity naturally soothed her, it seemed, regardless of if she consciously knew he was there or not. The surprise at his previously unrealized presence was more of a pleasant, warm surprise than anything else. That brought a smile to her face as she glanced up to meet his face.He held his hand out and she graciously accepted it, letting him help her to her feet. He squeezed her hand softly and smiled warmly at her. She suddenly had the desire to hug him. She didn’t have to look around the office to know it was late, and most people had gone home, so she didn’t feel bad at all when she let herself fall the short distance into Clark. She just... leaned in and wrapped her arms around him. He chuckled softly, almost under his breath, and he copied her actions.“You’re so great,” she breathed, pressing her cheek into his shoulder. “I’m sorry about my dad.”Clark started rubbing a hand in circles on her back. “It’s all good. You’re worth it.”And Lois was very glad he was already supporting her weight because that statement melted her entirely. She knew her cheeks were crimson, too, which made even more glad that her face was pressed into his shoulder. “Can you stop being so perfect for like two seconds so my feelings can catch up?”He hummed. “Sorry, bad timing. I’m trying to prove myself to the General… maybe try again next week?” he joked.She pulled away from him and swatted his chest. “You!” She made the mistake at looking directly at Clark’s brilliant sun-smile. She loved him so much, bad jokes and all. “Ugh!” she groaned in defeat.She moved away to grab her coat. Which was a futile gesture, because of course, Clark would beat her to it. She huffed a laugh as she let Clark help her into her coat for the fourth time that day. She fixed her hair as he moved to grab his own coat.“Got your keys?” she asked, purposely facing where her dad was doubtlessly watching them, hoping he was reading her lips. Let him think Clark was a silly, clumsy, but kind man.Clark, in the middle of tugging on his coat, brought his keys into sight, briefly twirling the ring around a finger before slapping the keys still into his palm.“Good,” she stated, nodding once. She tried not to laugh as he appeared to struggle with the sleeve and side of his coat, again. He did that so frequently, Lois wondered if it was an act, after all. “Here, silly man. Why is this so hard for you?” she asked, moving to help tug the jacket through like she had twice earlier.“I don’t want to rip it,” Clark answered, somewhat sheepishly.Ah. It seems this was a genuine struggle for him. Lois understood. That was a very valid reason; he was just being careful. It was endearing, actually. He was kind, even to his well-worn clothes. Lois had stolen enough of his sweatshirts to appreciate the care he put into maintaining his things.She smiled as she pretended to straighten his lapels and brush lint off his shoulder. He was fine, but she wanted to go through the motions. Plus, it gave her the excuse to touch him some more.He leaned in to place a quick kiss on her forehead. She glanced up at him, which seemed to be the desired reaction. “Wanna grab a bite?” he asked, tilting his head slightly.“Sure,” she smiled. “Have anything in mind?”He shook his head. “Not really. Though, I was wanting something fast. I do have to help Miss Walters later, after all.”“How late does that woman get her groceries?” Lois asked, stepping back from Clark so they could start heading out.“She used to get them around one. But since I started making the habit of helping her, she started going later, toward the later rush hours, so that I wouldn’t have to miss work. She insisted that if I was going to habitually help her, then she would at least not make it wildly inconvenient for me. Which is ridiculous, of course, but whatever makes her feel better. I’m not complaining.”Lois truly couldn’t have thought she could love this man any more than she did, but every day she spent more time with him, she found herself falling deeper and deeper. His bleeding heart was so precious. And Lois fiercely vowed to protect it however she could, even though she knew that he knew how to protect himself. But whatever trouble she could spare him, she would.By the time they wandered into one of their favorite sandwich shops, Lois and Clark had both completely forgotten about Sam Lane watching them.Lois and Clark didn’t linger in the sandwich shop for too long, since Clark was on a schedule. They placed their trash in the bin and their trays on the stack before Clark backed into the door and held it as Lois exited.They took probably two steps before Clark offered, “Let me walk you home.”Lois snaked her arm through his and tugged him closer to her, or, more accurately, she tried to tug him to her and ended up tugging herself toward him. She took that in stride, though, and hummed at Clark. “No, that’s okay. Thanks for offering, though.”Clark shot her a quizzical look, an eyebrow raising in question. Predictably, he insisted, “Really, Lois, I’ll walk you home.”“No, really, Clark,” Lois mirrored, “I want to stay with you a little longer, if that’s okay.”Clark blinked a few times in rapid succession, apparently not having thought about a third option. He’d been concerned with the second option of: Lois walking home alone. The third option of: Lois comes to his home… maybe it wasn’t so silly of an idea since they were dating. So, Clark shrugged jovially and beamed at her with a sunny, “Okay!”They walked for about a block before Clark realized, “You’ll be meeting Miss Walters, though.”Lois leaned into him a little bit. “And that’s not allowed?” she countered.Clark’s cheeks were tinted pink. “That’s not—I didn’t—I was just making sure you’re okay with helping her with her groceries. I mean, I probably can handle everything she has, but you never know, and—”“Clark,” Lois called. He immediately shut his mouth and gave her his full, undivided attention. It startled Lois a little bit, the suddenness of his response. But she was quickly distracted by the thought that he looked awfully like a puppy with his big, innocent eyes and the way he had his head tilted just so. “Really, I don’t mind. I was well aware of what your schedule looked like before I said anything.”Clark smiled, eyes squinting just slightly. Lois couldn’t believe how many little things she had been noticing about Clark ever since she started actually giving him the time of day. She felt a little bad about that; Clark deserved far better than she’d treated him in the three years they’d been working together. But she steeled herself with the promise that she would do better, that she had already been doing better. For now, she’d start with holding him close as best she could as they walked down the crowded sidewalk toward his apartment.Anne Walters was a city girl through and through, never mind the fact she was well beyond her girlhood years. She never expected anyone to help her do her own chores, not since her husband passed many years before, at least. So, it really was quite a shock when a young, very handsome man—who she’d noticed moved in across the hall from her—took time out of his day to help her with her groceries one horrible, unlucky, rainy day. And he helped her the next time she got her groceries, and the time after that, and the next week, too, despite all three of those occasions being perfectly sunny and actually quite nice days.On the first occasion, she had immediately noticed that not only was he new to the apartment complex, but also to the city—and not the city as in Metropolis, but as in any big city ever… this kid was a small-town boy as much as she was a city girl. That certainly explained why he stopped to help her the first time. The second, third, and fourth times led Anne to the belief that he didn’t have many friends yet and was desperate for some normalcy, or maybe even something that reminded him of home.So, on the fifth time he helped her with her groceries, she told him she was going to change her schedule to later in the day. By that point, she’d gotten that his name was Clark, he was from Smallville, Kansas, and he was an investigative journalist at the Daily Planet. Of course, after learning that, she quickly became a subscriber; the kid was smart and good at what he did, and she loved reading his work. She knew the new time for her routine would better fit his schedule. And it was the second time he helped her at the new hour when he asked her why she changed her schedule around. And he blushed such an adorable crimson when she told him the truth, rather bluntly, at that.She never regretted changing her routine, especially when she quickly found a good friend in her young neighbor. She didn’t have very many of those left, and he was a good one. So, as friends do, they started telling each other about themselves. He knew about her late husband, their two kids, her five grandchildren, and her social bingo night on Thursdays. She knew about his Ma and Pa—who she had gotten to meet twice since Clark moved in three years ago—and about his massive crush on his partner, Lois, at the newspaper. (She also knew-without-knowing that he was Superman, but she would keep that so very close to her chest).The girl, Lois, though… she reminded Anne so much of herself, based on everything she had heard Clark say. She very much seemed just like the do-it-herself, fiercely independent city girl Anne had been once. The girl who believed she could and would do the job well and didn’t need anyone to do life with her. But could and would doesn’t mean should. And if the increased sightings of a young, dark-haired woman at Clark’s door was any indication, this Lois was quickly finding out that just because she could, didn’t mean she should or even had to do anything by herself. And wasn’t Clark just the best helper there was to choose from. The girl would be foolish to let him go.Anne was rooting for Clark and Lois, even though she’d never met one half of this ship. It seemed Lois made Clark happy, even when he was annoyed at her.So, all that to say, Anne nearly dropped her groceries when she saw Clark walking arm-in-arm with the same young, dark-haired lady Anne had been seeing more and more at Clark’s front door. They were engrossed in each other, so obviously completely in love. It was precious. And Anne didn’t think she’d ever get over the look of young love. She remembered seeing her kids this way, and Clark might as well have been her third kid, so this repeated experience but with him was special to Anne’s old heart.And about two minutes later, when Clark and his lady stopped just in front of Anne, her suspicions where confirmed.“Miss Walters,” Clark greeted, kind smile plastered on his face, “this is my girlfriend, Lois.”And Anne was glad Clark had already taken the bag of groceries from her because she surely would have dropped them. He’d said girlfriend! Oh! Her day was made.“Hello, Lois, it’s my pleasure to meet you,” Miss Walters replied, reaching out to shake Lois’ hand, and patting their joined hands with her left. “My name is Anne, but this country boy insists on being overly polite.”Lois’ smile widened. “That sounds about right, Miss Anne,” Lois responded, subtly compromising on the title and name. This seemed to satisfy the old woman as she nodded her head kindly.Kent hefted the grocery bag further into his arms before reaching into the woman’s car to retrieve another brown bag.Lois, seeing what he was doing, maneuvered around him and also reached into the car with a soft, “Here, let me help, too.”Miss Walters cooed, “Oh, you don’t have to, sweetheart.”Lois straightened out of the car, brown bag in hand. “Really, it’s no trouble. And this is the last bag, I think.”Miss Walters shook her head, seemingly pleasantly exasperated. “You kids.” She shook her head again before confirming, “That is the last one.”And Sam couldn’t be upset about the Kent boy. Everything he’d seen, both passively over the years and throughout the day, suggested that Clark Kent was exactly what he seemed to be. He was a hard-working, kind-hearted young man who genuinely wanted to help the people he cared about whether they be the young woman he wanted to start a life with, the old woman who lived in his apartment complex, or a random passerby who’d dropped his wallet. Kent was ever the gentleman, kind and loving in the most normal of ways. It was a little mind-boggling to see that the Hallmark love interests do actually exist in real life. And that thought was a little too accurate to the situation for Sam’s comfort.He was still going to run an in-depth background check on the kid, though. But he wouldn’t be surprised if nothing came up. Sam would have to grudgingly admit that this farmboy was actually worthy to date Lois. Even if he only admitted that explicitly to himself.Clark and Lois stood outside Miss Anne’s apartment talking for quite a while after they’d helped her with the groceries. She was fun to talk to. She reminded Lois of herself, in a strange way.Lois got the sense that Miss Anne knew more than she let on but was going to respectively keep her nose out of other people’s business. It was only a little unnerving. Then Lois wondered if people felt that way around her.She quickly forgot those thoughts as they said their goodbyes, though. She was too content to spend time with Clark to worry about what other people thought of her. She really only cared what Clark, his folks, and a select few at the Planet thought of her, anyway.She’d been in her work clothes for far too long, so she excused herself “to the bathroom” and disappeared briefly into Clark’s closet to steal some clothes before finding her way to her announced destination.When she reappeared in the kitchen, she noticed that Clark had likely used his closet as a location to change out of his own work clothes, seeing as they were now more or less twinning. He was just turning around from rummaging through the freezer, when he caught sight of what she was wearing.“I was wondering why you went to my bathroom and not the guest one,” he mentioned, looking entirely unamused—but in an amused way—and as if he expected her to do something like that.“What?” she asked, stretching her arms apart, her hands hidden because of the excess sleeve that flopped toward the ground. “Don’t act like you didn’t know I don’t have half of your closet at my apartment.”“That sounds suspiciously like we’ve moved in together, not like you’ve just stolen all my clothes,” Clark grumbling, feigning annoyance, making Lois giggle.“Is that ice cream?”“Are those my shorts?”Lois blinked. “So, that is ice cream?”Clark looked up from where he’d been questioning her choice of garments. “What does it look like? Answer my question.”“What does it look like?” she parroted, sassily, putting her hands on her hips and cocking a hip.“Not even my underwear is safe,” Clark groaned, looking to the ceiling as if it would offer guidance on the matter.Lois giggled again and sashayed forward, grabbing at the ice cream. She couldn’t manage to move it out from under Clark’s hand, though, so she crashed forward into him, knowing he would roll with her impact so as to not hurt her. And he did, but not without wrapping a strong arm around her to secure her close to him.The entire scene was so soft and normal. And Lois wished briefly she’d stolen some of his fuzzy socks, too. That would really have made the whole scene perfect. That and maybe snow outside.“Ie ceem nnd mvee?” Lois asked, faced smushed into Clark’s—firm yet soft—chest.“I’m sorry what?” Clark asked, almost sarcastically.Lois peeled her head back so she could look Clark in the eyes, but in doing so she leaned her entire body backward, so only the arm Clark had braced around her was keeping her from falling backwards onto the floor. She dramatically cleared her throat and repeated, “Ice cream and a movie?”Clark had a nearly smug look on his face that was almost juxtaposed entirely by the love shining in his eyes. She raised her a brow, jokingly impatient. Clark laughed at that, breaking the bit they had going on. “Yeah, that sounds good.”“Great!” She jumped slightly, bouncing on the balls of her feet. She quickly leaned in, kissed his cheek, then shifted out of his hold. She plopped herself on the couch, grabbed the remote, and selected a fun looking dramedy she’d been wanting to see.Clark laughed when he saw what she selected. She craned her neck so see him as he came up behind the couch with two bowls. She accepted the one he handed her and immediately dug in. “I’ve heard about this one. Diana thought it was good.”“Diana?” Lois questioned, through a mouthful of ice cream.“Hm? Oh, uh… Wonder Woman,” Clark answered, suddenly sheepish. “I, uh… don’t, don’t tell anyone I told you that. She… actually, I don’t really know if she really has a secret identity… um, well, I guess just don’t call her that. I should probably talk to her…” Lois didn’t say anything as Clark seemed to have a mini-crisis. He shrugged and eventually decided upon, “It’s not like I told you Batman’s secret identity on accident, and I think Diana would like to meet you, anyway.”Lois blinked. “There is… so much to unpack in that sentence.” She paused briefly. “First, Wonder Woman wants to meet me?”Clark, who had finally settled on the couch beside her, reddened and nodded, gaze averted. “I, uh, I do talk about you, sometimes.” Clark sat up sharply. “But not like, to just anyone. Just B and Diana…”“B?”“Batman.”“You talk about me to Batman.” It was not a question.“…yeah.”“The same Batman who you know the identity of?”“…also yeah.”“How many people know that?”“Uhhhh, excluding his family? Like two. Maybe three. Well, actually probably five.”“What?” Lois asked, not knowing what else to say. There was so much in that blurb of information.“Yeah, so there’s me, obviously, and Diana, we’re all pretty tight. And then there’s Ma and Pa—yes, they know. B’s been over for thanksgiving before—and I think the government agent who ran the suicide squad, Waller, knows his identity. Oh, and some Middle Eastern assassins know his name, and Diana’s mom, Queen Hippolyta, might also know, since I think they met for a holiday? I think that’s it.”“Wow.” Lois took a deep breath. “I guess I didn’t think about how you being Superman also meant you are friends with the Justice League.”Clark laughed softly, taking a bite of ice cream. “Yeah, I’d say I’m friends with all of them, but like, in the same way I’m friends with Jimmy. Like yeah, friends, see each other all the time, I would go for drinks with. But like, I don’t really tell Jimmy about my parents or anything like that. With B and Di, they’re basically my siblings, you know? That kind of friend. They’ve met my parents, Di somewhat regularly hangs out with my Ma, B’s parent figure swaps recipes with Ma and talks shop with Pa…” Clark trailed off before shrugging. “I guess, other than you, B and Diana are my best friends. We really are a trinity.”And Lois sat back to consider, briefly, the absurdity of the situation she was in. Superman, clad in fuzzy socks, loose-fitting gray sweatpants, and an oversized hoodie that had seen better days, sat cross-legged on a modest couch, eating ice cream, and talking about how he is best friends with Batman and Wonder Woman and how they literally do life with each other like they were all siblings, despite one being an alien, another an immortal goddess, and the third being… whatever Batman was.And then, the idea that Clark Kent was friends with Batman and Wonder Woman to the point he knew their secret identities, had met their respective families, and had them over during the holidays at his parents’ house, and not only that, but Clark Kent was also the single most powerful being on the face of the Earth, because he was Superman. And that was even more absurd to think about.So, Lois thought about how her boyfriend, an adopted alien with superpowers, had friends. And those friends were interesting and unique and powerful and really cool, actually. And that somehow made it a little bit less absurd.And then she remembered to ask about something else Clark said. “Batman has a family?”Clark laughed. And he laughed hard. “Yeah,” he managed through wheezes. “B has an adoption problem. Di and I make fun of him, since he says he works alone.” Clark took a few deeps breaths to calm down. Speaking through giggles made it hard for others to understand. “He, well, his kids, he sees himself in them and wants to help them turn out better than he did, so he guides them. Some of them are actually his kids, but some of them are just kind of there. Adopted in the emotional sense, but not legally? If that makes sense.”“Like how your parents adopted me?” Lois offered.Clark laughed and nodded. “Yeah, kind of like that. Of course, that happened because I love you.”Lois blushed and leaned into Clark. He leaned against her. “I know you’ve heard of Batman and Robin. It’s not a myth. Robin actually exists. There’s been two versions actually. The first Robin is Nightwing now, he works in Blüdhaven mostly but sometimes visits Gotham. And then the current Robin is still very new to it. B still keeps him at home, mostly, training. But he has a soft spot for his kids and will let Robin out on nights B expects things to be a little tamer. And then there is Batgirl. She’s not actually B’s but might as well be. She, I think, is an on and off girlfriend of Nightwing’s but is always around. I think she and N are trying to decide if they are something more than friends or not, and they can’t quite make up their minds. But they both also have unusual home lives, so they might not really know what they want things to look like because of that… and wow, this conversation turned in a different direction. Ummm, B’s kids call me Uncle C?” Clark ended with.“Uncle C,” Lois repeated, surprised laughter in her voice.“Yeah, or Uncle Clark, it depends on the situation, I guess, who is present.”“That is actually adorable.”“It’s all fun and games until a Robin spawns in my apartment at the foot of my bed in the middle of the night while I’m trying to sleep. Scared me five feet into the air.”“What?” Lois exclaimed, needing to know more.“Yeah, that’s a funny story, actually. So, it was before Robin had really become known, right? And I thought it was just a story someone had made up that gained popularity or whatever. I didn’t think Batman, Mr. I-work-alone, would let anyone, let alone a kid out in the streets of Gotham with him. And then said kid appears in my room one night because Batman had told him that if anything happened that I was the person to go to. Batman made me his kid’s emergency contact and didn’t tell me.” Clark rolled his eyes with a huff and dragged a hand through his hair, causing some curls to fall across his face.“So, one, there is this gremlin-looking child I have never seen before perched on my bed frame, how he got there without me hearing it? I will never know. But two, first thing he does is say ‘Mr. Clark, sir, Batman’s missing—stop screaming—Batman’s missing and I need your help.’ That’s the first thing this kid tells me, Lois. I didn’t know what was happening. I thought it was a dream. Nope. It was not. He was like nine. I have no idea how he got all the way to Metropolis, but I took him back to Gotham so fast and then laid into Batman about everything. And then B told me that he essentially got bullied into having a sidekick because, and I quote, ‘I couldn’t stop him from going out. Don’t give me that look, I would love to see you try. I will legitimately give you a million dollars if you can.’”Clark paused and gave Lois a look. “I, obviously, never suddenly became a million dollars richer. I tried and failed to prevent a nine-year-old kid from sneaking out to go patrolling in a traffic light colored costume. If there’s one thing that can be said about a Batkid, it would be that all three of them are incredibly resourceful and should never be underestimated. It should also be said that Batman is an incredibly paranoid and overprotective parent, so all three of the kids are fine. They’ve each got like nine trackers hidden in their equipment. Not to mention a superpowered aunt and uncle.”Clark was a really good storyteller; Lois already knew this. He had won Kerth awards for his ability to write a story, to really convey the importance and significance of all sorts of events. But watching him tell a story, that was different. He was so animated, and he had truly fantastic impressions. She didn’t care if they never got around to watching the movie, this was so fun. And she was learning insider details about the Justice League, and its Trinity, not that she’d ever do anything with the information, but it was really cool to hear about.Lois asked questions, of course. Clark answered as best he could without giving too much away, respecting his friends’ wishes to remain behind masks. Eventually, after Clark promised to talk to Diana about maybe meeting Lois, they did settle back to watch the dramedy Diana had enjoyed and Lois had selected.It was probably really good, but Lois fell asleep in Clark’s arms well before the movie came to an end. Clark actually paused the movie just before he too fell asleep. This seemed to be a pattern for them, falling asleep on couches. Maybe they should know better by now. At least Clark was invulnerable and wouldn’t feel it in the morning. And Lois definitely thought Clark made an excellent pillow.