Now And Then - Part 1

1.

May, 2008

Clark knew this day would come. It was inevitable, really. At some point people would notice that they were growing older while he wasn’t. He still looked twenty-one when he should look forty-seven. Because Superman hadn’t aged a day either, and he was known as one of Clark Kent and Lois Lane’s best friends, people were also speculating that the two men were really the same person.

Now Clark stood on the steps of the Metropolis Courthouse beside his lovely, middle-aged wife, Lois Lane. A bank of microphones pointed at them like eager gossips hungry for new dirt to dig through in the Daily Planet’s most notorious reporting team. He’d decided to go public with his identity. He didn’t think he’d need a life once…. Well, he didn’t think he’d need his privacy soon, but Lois had disagreed, very vocally, as usual.

“We plan to keep this short and to the point,” Clark said. Many of their own colleagues stared up at them from the crowd. All of Metropolis, and much of the world, was watching with baited breath. “My wife and I have two announcements to make. Speculation has run rampant for the past year that I am Superman. I want to come before you today to give you a definitive answer to that question.”

Clark took a deep breath. This was it. He was going to shed light on his most precious secret. It meant the end of any kind of personal life. He’d never be able to walk down the street in either a suit, or fly through the air in his cape without everyone knowing that he and Clark Kent were the same man. He’d probably get rid of the suit and just go back to jeans and flannel. Lois had groaned and literally face-palmed. They’d both been glad, for the very first time, that they’d never had children to subject to media scrutiny.

“I’m—”

“Clark Kent is not Superman,” Lois said, speaking over him. She did it easily—she’d had a lot of practice over the years. “He is, however, a Meteor Infected Person who doesn’t age and can run at super speeds. He doesn’t fly though.”

“Kent’s a MIP?” he heard someone say from the crowd. It was Norm Palmer III, and he had his grandfather’s loud mouth and lack of tact.

Clark could see that the crowd looked deeply disappointed. Meteor Freaks had been around for so long that they were no longer newsworthy. Hardly anyone batted an eyelash at a MIP unless they went rogue or psycho.

Clark looked at Lois, who looked back at him. She’d given him an out, and an excuse to move in superspeed in the open now. It explained a lot for a lot of people, about how he could be there one second and gone the next.

Thank you, he mouthed. She nodded.

“If you’re not Superman,” Norm pressed annoyingly, “then how come he ain’t here now?”

Clark was struggling for an answer when Superman conveniently landed next to him. He recognized his good friend J’onn at once by the flash of red in his eyes.

“Sorry I’m late,” ‘Superman’ said. “Mudslide in New Zealand. Clark and I are old friends, but we’re two completely different people. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m needed elsewhere.”

He flew off, leaving the crowd to stare up at MIP Kent and his wife.

“Now for the second announcement,” Lois said, taking a deep breath. She looked like she dreaded having to share something so personal. God knew that Clark did, but Lois had been taking a lot of sick time, and rumors were buzzing at her frequent visits to the hospital. She was, after all, a celebrity in her own right. “I have inoperable pancreatic cancer.”

A rumble moved through the crowd like a wave through the ocean, highlighted by several gasps.

“How…how long?” Norm said, looking pale and shaken. Clark remembered that Norm’s father had passed away from cancer, so Norm could sympathize with what he and Lois were facing.

“Six months. Eight if I’m lucky.”

Some luck, Clark thought bitterly, as the crowd erupted with questions. Here he was, the strongest man alive, a brilliant scientist in his own right, but he couldn’t cure cancer. He couldn’t fight this foe to rescue Lois. He couldn’t fly her off into the sunset to leave this threat behind.

Lois fielded their questions with practiced ease. She only took a few, said her goodbyes. “Speed me out of here?”

Now that he could move in public, Clark scooped her up. In the blink of an eye, he was gone, leaving the crowd behind.

Seconds later they were on the roof of their apartment building. Directly across from them was the Daily Planet building. Clark watched as Lois looked up to the spinning globe, which caught the afternoon sunlight and sparkled beautifully.

“Sometimes I feel so healthy I can’t believe I’m sick,” she said. “Other times, like now, I’m aware that I’m dying.”

Fear had become a small monster that clawed with razor sharp claws at his gut. Each day it grew larger and ate away at him. If—when—Lois died, Clark feared it would leave him an empty husk, a parody of the man he was now.

She reached up and touched his face. “Don’t be afraid. I’m not.”

“You’re braver than I am. You always have were.”

He was the strongest man on earth, but he didn’t have the strength to stop the tears from spilling from his eyes.

“You’re only 47 years old. You’re too young to die, especially like this. Wasting away…”

She pulled him close. His arms closed around her, and she held him while he wept. It was the first time he’d cried since they’d found out she was dying. It was the first time he’d wept in 25 years.

“We knew this time would come, Clark. I’m mortal. I’ll die.”

“That doesn’t make it easier.”

“I know.”

“I won’t go through this again after you. There won’t be anyone else.”

Lois pulled back and wiped the tears from Clark’s face before lacing her fingers together behind his neck. “That thought scares me. Years of living alone, fighting the worst people this world has to offer with no one to love, or to love you, could turn you into the same kind of monsters you fight. Promise me you’ll move on. Promise me you’ll let yourself love again, Clark.”

Clark would have promised Lois anything, and killed himself trying to deliver, if it would make her happy.

“I promise,” he said, though he couldn’t imagine loving anyone else.

“Take me home. Make love to me, before I’m too weak to be with you.”

Clark picked Lois up. When she said take me home she mean the farm in Smallville. She always called their place in Metropolis ‘the apartment.’ They cherished every time they made love, because they never knew when it would be their last.

Previous // Next

Now And Then - Part 1

May, 2008

1.

Clark knew this day would come. It was inevitable, really. At some point people would notice that they were growing older while he wasn’t. He still looked twenty-one when he should look forty-seven. Because Superman hadn’t aged a day either, and he was known as one of Clark Kent and Lois Lane’s best friends, people were also speculating that the two men were really the same person.

Now Clark stood on the steps of the Metropolis Courthouse beside his lovely, middle-aged wife, Lois Lane. A bank of microphones pointed at them like eager gossips hungry for new dirt to dig through in the Daily Planet’s most notorious reporting team. He’d decided to go public with his identity. He didn’t think he’d need a life once…. Well, he didn’t think he’d need his privacy soon, but Lois had disagreed, very vocally, as usual.

“We plan to keep this short and to the point,” Clark said. Many of their own colleagues stared up at them from the crowd. All of Metropolis, and much of the world, was watching with baited breath. “My wife and I have two announcements to make. Speculation has run rampant for the past year that I am Superman. I want to come before you today to give you a definitive answer to that question.”

Clark took a deep breath. This was it. He was going to shed light on his most precious secret. It meant the end of any kind of personal life. He’d never be able to walk down the street in either a suit, or fly through the air in his cape without everyone knowing that he and Clark Kent were the same man. He’d probably get rid of the suit and just go back to jeans and flannel. Lois had groaned and literally face-palmed. They’d both been glad, for the very first time, that they’d never had children to subject to media scrutiny.

“I’m—”

“Clark Kent is not Superman,” Lois said, speaking over him. She did it easily—she’d had a lot of practice over the years. “He is, however, a Meteor Infected Person who doesn’t age and can run at super speeds. He doesn’t fly though.”

“Kent’s a MIP?” he heard someone say from the crowd. It was Norm Palmer III, and he had his grandfather’s loud mouth and lack of tact.

Clark could see that the crowd looked deeply disappointed. Meteor Freaks had been around for so long that they were no longer newsworthy. Hardly anyone batted an eyelash at a MIP unless they went rogue or psycho.

Clark looked at Lois, who looked back at him. She’d given him an out, and an excuse to move in superspeed in the open now. It explained a lot for a lot of people, about how he could be there one second and gone the next.

Thank you, he mouthed. She nodded.

“If you’re not Superman,” Norm pressed annoyingly, “then how come he ain’t here now?”

Clark was struggling for an answer when Superman conveniently landed next to him. He recognized his good friend J’onn at once by the flash of red in his eyes.

“Sorry I’m late,” ‘Superman’ said. “Mudslide in New Zealand. Clark and I are old friends, but we’re two completely different people. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m needed elsewhere.”

He flew off, leaving the crowd to stare up at MIP Kent and his wife.

“Now for the second announcement,” Lois said, taking a deep breath. She looked like she dreaded having to share something so personal. God knew that Clark did, but Lois had been taking a lot of sick time, and rumors were buzzing at her frequent visits to the hospital. She was, after all, a celebrity in her own right. “I have inoperable pancreatic cancer.”

A rumble moved through the crowd like a wave through the ocean, highlighted by several gasps.

“How…how long?” Norm said, looking pale and shaken. Clark remembered that Norm’s father had passed away from cancer, so Norm could sympathize with what he and Lois were facing.

“Six months. Eight if I’m lucky.”

Some luck, Clark thought bitterly, as the crowd erupted with questions. Here he was, the strongest man alive, a brilliant scientist in his own right, but he couldn’t cure cancer. He couldn’t fight this foe to rescue Lois. He couldn’t fly her off into the sunset to leave this threat behind.

Lois fielded their questions with practiced ease. She only took a few, said her goodbyes. “Speed me out of here?”

Now that he could move in public, Clark scooped her up. In the blink of an eye, he was gone, leaving the crowd behind.

Seconds later they were on the roof of their apartment building. Directly across from them was the Daily Planet building. Clark watched as Lois looked up to the spinning globe, which caught the afternoon sunlight and sparkled beautifully.

“Sometimes I feel so healthy I can’t believe I’m sick,” she said. “Other times, like now, I’m aware that I’m dying.”

Fear had become a small monster that clawed with razor sharp claws at his gut. Each day it grew larger and ate away at him. If—when—Lois died, Clark feared it would leave him an empty husk, a parody of the man he was now.

She reached up and touched his face. “Don’t be afraid. I’m not.”

“You’re braver than I am. You always have were.”

He was the strongest man on earth, but he didn’t have the strength to stop the tears from spilling from his eyes.

“You’re only 47 years old. You’re too young to die, especially like this. Wasting away…”

She pulled him close. His arms closed around her, and she held him while he wept. It was the first time he’d cried since they’d found out she was dying. It was the first time he’d wept in 25 years.

“We knew this time would come, Clark. I’m mortal. I’ll die.”

“That doesn’t make it easier.”

“I know.”

“I won’t go through this again after you. There won’t be anyone else.”

Lois pulled back and wiped the tears from Clark’s face before lacing her fingers together behind his neck. “That thought scares me. Years of living alone, fighting the worst people this world has to offer with no one to love, or to love you, could turn you into the same kind of monsters you fight. Promise me you’ll move on. Promise me you’ll let yourself love again, Clark.”

Clark would have promised Lois anything, and killed himself trying to deliver, if it would make her happy.

“I promise,” he said, though he couldn’t imagine loving anyone else.

“Take me home. Make love to me, before I’m too weak to be with you.”

Clark picked Lois up. When she said take me home she mean the farm in Smallville. She always called their place in Metropolis ‘the apartment.’ They cherished every time they made love, because they never knew when it would be their last.

Previous // Next

Now And Then

Prologue
May, 1983

1.
Chloe Sullivan died a lovely death, in a beautiful display of light that blossomed between her tearstained face and Clark’s bloodstained one. She never made a sound. She didn’t whisper sweet last words, though she thought them. Beautiful words that Clark could hear and that he would never forget.

I love you. I always have. I always will...

When the light faded, Clark’s broken body was whole again. He suffered no physical pain, though his heart was in agony. He’d lost his best friend.

Clark wasn’t sure how he knew, but when he held Chloe in his arms that night he knew she’d never come back. He wasn’t human, and he was sure it had taken every bit of her power to save him.

It had taken her very life.

He flew her back to the farm, though, and laid her on his bed, where he waited in vain hope that she’d do the impossible and come back from the dead. Forty-eight hours went by before Oliver Queen, eyes red and wet with tears, told him it was time to give up. She wasn’t coming back. Jor-El said he couldn’t save Chloe. He said that humans died, and it was something Clark would have to accept.

When the funeral was over Clark remained in the cemetery, mere feet from where his father was interred. The idea of leaving her in the cold ground, all alone in the dark, was more than he could handle, so he decided to stay with her while everyone else left. He envisioned her rotting there, and he felt sick.

His father may not be able to save Chloe, but he could certainly keep her from decay. Seconds later Clark had Chloe’s body back in his arms, his suit covered in dirt, and he was flying with her one last time, to the Fortress of Solitude. The first time he’d flown it had been to save her life, just as she’d predicted in a love letter she’d written years before. In the end, though, he’d taken her life in exchange for his and the guilt burned like lava in his veins.

“Why do you bring her here, my son?” the A.I. asked.

“She’s special to me…I can’t leave her to rot in a grave. Keep her. Don’t let her…”

Jor-El was silent for almost five solid seconds. That was quite a long time for one of the most advanced computers in existence.

“Bring her.”

A corridor that Clark had never noticed before began glowing faintly and he followed it, surprised by how deep it went.

“This is the heart of the Fortress, Kal-El. She will be safe here, from all harm.”

There was a dress lying on a slab of ice at the rear of the room, which pulsed and glowed with crystals, visible manifestations of the artificial intelligence at work. It had created a dress for Chloe, and a place for her body to rest as Clark had carried her from the main entrance.

He dressed her in the traditional Kryptonian garb, a gauzy white and silver gown that clung to her body. He took her hair from the clip that held it up and arranged it around her head. He stood for quite some time, gazing down at Chloe. She would remain this way, beautiful and young, for many decades, long after anyone who knew her had died away. Except for Clark, of course.

Now he was ready to say goodbye. Now he could bear to leave her, knowing the A.I. would take care of her.

“Goodbye, Chloe.”

He kissed her forehead softly, and then stepped back. Glass formed around, smooth and clear. She looked peaceful, as though she were napping.

“As long as I have power, she will be preserved,” Jor-El’s voice intoned morosely.

“Thank you.”

Clark looked up and saw an opening had formed, allowing moonlight to spill in. It was just large enough for him to fly through, and would close again when he was gone. He took flight, leaving behind his best friend to head back to Metropolis, and to his destiny as the greatest hero the world would ever know. He would visit many times in the first few months after her secret interment at the Fortress, but as he came to accept her death, and his destiny, the visits came fewer and farther between. Days between visits became weeks, weeks became months, and months became years.

Clark never knew that to keep his promise to preserve Chloe, Jor-El drained the formaldehyde from her body and replaced it with blood he cloned from her bone marrow. In essence he put her on a low-level life support to keep her body from succumbing to the natural process of death, though the possibility of her coming back to life was so infinitesimal as to be impossible.

Even with all his intelligence foresight, though, Jor-El had no way of knowing that his actions would one day give his son’s arch nemesis, Lex Luthor, a chance to nearly destroy the world.

Next

Shaken

She was a fast machine
She kept her motor clean
She was the best damn woman that I ever seen
She had the sightless eyes
Telling me no lies
Knockin' me out with those American thighs
-AC/DC, You Shook Me All Night Long

Clark Kent was a scary man when he was angry. Same was true when he was horny. Lois wasn’t ‘innocent’ in the classic sense. She had experience with men, some good, some bad, but even the worst man she’d ever been with hadn’t been capable of the look of pure, dangerous lust that was in Clark’s eyes right now.

The Daily Planet bullpen was empty. The two of them had been working late on a health food store selling poisoned vitamin suppliments, when idol conversation had strayed into relationship territory. It had all seemed so innocent, their talk of favorite ways of kissing, horseplay, the little games that lovers played when they were feeling frisky. Nothing that would really embarrass a couple of platonic friends.

Then Clark had put a toe over the line, asking her favorite sexual position, and sure as you please she went with her instinct to flirt and said she liked it from the back, preferably looking in a mirror, so she could see it all happen.

It wasn’t difficult to flirt with Clark. The man looked like someone straight out of GQ when in a suit, which he wore to work as a standard uniform. She was used to good old farm boy Clark in the plaid, or that stupid blue or red jacket and jeans. Not in a suit. Not looking so damn…fine. He was leaning back in the chair, those big hands clasped behind his head, his long, lean body stretched languidly out in the task chair which groaned under his considerable weight. Even under the shirt and undershirt, Lois could see the rippling muscles of his abs. She’d once thought they were honed and cut from years of hard work on a farm, but the truth was, she’d recently learned, that Clark was an alien from another world, and muscles just came with the total package of amazing abilities.

Now Clark was peering out from those impossibly long lashes, his green eyes looking oddly red, his full red lips were curved in what could only be called a smirk.

“You’re looking at me like I’m a piece of candy,” Lois said, and laughed nervously.

“You are sweet, Lois,” Clark countered. His smirk peered out a little more from his otherwise still, cautious face.

“Well, we’re finished with this story,” she said, saving the article on the main server so it could be looked over for editing and then printing. She closed her computer down with shaky fingers and reached her purse. Clumsily, she knocked it from the desk.

It never hit the floor. Clark was suddenly kneeling beside her, holding the purse upright, nothing spilling from it.

“Wow,” she said. Well…whispered. She couldn’t quite get enough air past her vocal cords for actual speech, and her mouth was as dry as dust. She’d do anything for some water. “What a catch.”

“I like not having to hide who I am from you,” said Clark.

She reached for her purse, her fingers brushing against Clark’s. Lois could swear there was a literal spark when their skin touched. It raced straight to her heart. God, such a reaction from just a touch…

There was a veritable jolt that rocked Lois to her core when Clark’s hand brushed against her face, moving a lock of hair from her cheek.

“We have mirrors at home,” he said suggestively.

Lois had moved in with Clark a few months ago so Chloe and Jimmy could have the apartment over the Talon. They’d been perfectly platonic up to that point. Then tonight…

“Clark, uh…I think we…should…”

“Yeah, I think we should too,” he said, taking her the wrong way. Or perhaps he’d understood she was about to object and was having none of it. Not without trying. How could a simple farm boy she’d never noticed before have such a powerful effect on her?

There wasn’t much distance between Clark’s lips and Lois’s now. All she had to do was say something, tell him no. Move back. Turn her head. Do something. Anything. He’d stop. It’d be over and neither of them would have to complicate their lives or their friendship with sex.

But Lois did nothing. She didn’t want to stop Clark.

Closing the gap, Clark’s lips smothered Lois’s, his tongue explored the moist, soft recesses of her mouth, and his hands roamed boldly over her body, coming to rest behind her bottom and pulling her forward. Her skirt rode up, exposing the soft, creamy flesh of her thighs and he leaned into her, eliciting a moan of pleasure when his hardening length pressed against her.

Lois wondered, in the back of her mind where she was still capable of conscious and deliberate thought, if she and Clark would be able to hold off long enough to make it to a mirror at all.

Clark set Lois down on her feet in the women’s restroom just off of the bullpen, and across from the main bank of elevators, facing the mirror.

“What if someone walks in?”

“I’ll solve that little problem.”

He blinked out of existence, with the door flying open seemingly of its own accord. Before it could close, Clark had reappeared, wedging a rusty metal bar under the door handle so that it couldn’t be pushed open from the outside. He returned to her, pulling off his jacket. Lois turned away from the mirror to face Clark.

“Don’t you think we’re moving a little fast, Smallville? I mean, we’ve never seriously flirted before tonight. It’s just such a leap to have sex when…well…”

Clark set Lois on the sink and wrapped her legs around him, where he stroked her hips playfully.

“You’re right, we are moving fast. Or maybe we haven’t moved fast enough. Have you never thought of us before?”

Hell yeah, I’ve thought about it, Lois though to herself. How could she not? Clark may be a simple farm boy, but he was undeniably sexy. She’d have to be blind not to see how gorgeous he was.

But she’d been blinded by looks before, and they’d always led to big mistakes. She said as much to Clark.

“You know me, Lois. I’m not like the other men who’ve ever let you down.”

“I know, Clark,” she said hesitantly. Lois felt shaken, and uncertain. She wanted to trust, she wanted to believe, but long experience had taught her that doing so only led to disappointment.

“We don’t have to have sex tonight, Lois. I just want to be near you, close to you.” He leaned in and kissed her deeply. “I want to be more than just your buddy ‘Smallville.’”

Lois eased down from the sink and turned back to the mirror. She gazed at Clark, who towered above and behind her. He made a great friend, but would he make a great boyfriend? Would he hurt her as too many others had in her past? She’d been let down before, by her father, her boyfriends…why should she trust Clark Kent to be any different than say, Oliver Queen? Hadn’t they both had secret identities they hadn’t trusted her enough to tell her about?

What if Clark is different, though? What if he’s the one? Lois thought, enjoying the feel of his hands gently stroking her arms, light enough to arouse gooseflesh on her arms, but too heavily to tickle.

He was good with his hands, that’s for sure.

“I know what you want most, Lois. You want to be loved. You want to feel safe that you won’t be abandoned. Let me love you. Let me make you feel secure.”

Lois nodded once. It was all the communication they needed between them. Clark’s big hands gently pulled her skirt up, bunching it around her waist. She had great thighs. Strong, athletic. Lois Lane wore beauty with the same ease and grace that Elizabeth wore her crown. It was natural for her to be lovely, to be both strong and delicate at the same time.

He slid one hand into her panties, flimsy white bikini panties that she had soaked through in anticipation. His fingers found the hard nub of her clitoris where he began to stroke with the utmost of ease, ever aware of his superhuman strength. She gasped, and threw her head back as he rubbed her. God, she was beautiful when she was aroused, with her eyes closed, her teeth biting lightly her upper lip, a thin sheen of sweat forming on her brow…watching her, hearing her light whimpers of pleasure made Clark’s cock harden painfully. He wanted to sink into her right then.

Lois leaned forward, rubbing her round, supple bottom suggestively against the aching length of Clark’s erection. He closed his eyes, unseeing the light smile that curved his lover’s lips. She reached behind herself, unzipped his fly, and took Clark into her hand. They stood there, struggling to keep their feet as they stroked one another towards climax.

Clark had to do something fast, or he was going to cum before he got the chance to feel himself inside of Lois. Lois leaned forward even more and planted her feet squarely on the floor, giving Clark an incredible view of her long legs. Runner’s legs, so strong and perfectly formed. He found her entrance and slowly, gently, pushed forward until he was sheathed completely within her. Her body hugged his tightly, warmly, and Clark had to take a few moments to get himself back under control.

Clark looked at Lois’s eyes in the mirror, withdrew until he was almost out, and then slid forward again. Lois had a look pleasurable torture in her eyes as he moved agonizingly slow.

“Don’t tease,” she whispered, moving away from him as he pulled out. He thrust with a little more force, careful not to lose control so that he hurt her. He put a little more force behind each thrust of his hips until he fell into a rhythm that suited them both.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Travel by superspeed was strange, but convenient. One moment Lois was setting her clothes straight in the bathroom at the Planet, the next Clark was scooping her up and whisking her away to Smallville, and the house they shared on the farm. For the first time he took her to his room, where they undressed and climbed beneath the covers. Lois was tired from the long day, and the intense lovemaking she’d shared with Clark.

“We should move into the master bedroom,” Lois said. Clark wrinkled his nose. “I know, but that feels like my parents’ room, still.”

“We could always get our own place together,” Lois said. “Or, I could move into this room. If you want—”

“I want,” he said quickly. Lois laughed.

“You know, I’ve got a good feeling about us,” Lois said.

Clark kissed her lightly on the forehead, and then on the lips.

“I’ll never let you down.”

Lois had never really believed in destiny, but there was something about Clark that gave her faith. Somehow she knew, deep in her heart, in her soul, that she’d finally found the one. Lying in Clark’s arms, she drifted off into a deep, dreamless sleep. It was the sleep of a satisfied lover, the sleep of a woman who felt loved, and safe. The sleep of a woman who knew she would never be abandoned again.

Something Sweet

She was going to make Clark a cake if it killed her, but so far, the cake was winning the fight.

Lois Lane liked to cheer people up. She’d never admit to Clark Kent that he’d finally made it onto her secret list of people she’d go out of her way to cheer up when they were sad, but he was definitely in the top three of her list, third in line behind Chloe Sullivan, and her uncle Gabe. At the moment, Clark Kent was the one in need of some cheering, and she knew how much that boy liked sugar. So she’d chosen chocolate cake as the first weapon in her arsenal to combat his determination to sit in the loft and mope over Lana Lang.

Clark and Lana…now there was a ship whose sails managed to defy all logic to stay up, catching wind and sailing along no matter how choppy the seas of love got. What was so special about Lana, anyway? Couldn’t Clark see that Chloe was a better match for him? She wondered if perhaps there was a way of getting him to open his eyes and give her cousin a shot. God knew Chloe had been patient and waiting for him long enough.

The alarm on the oven rang, and Lois put on her oven mits with a look of determination on her face. She approached the oven like she’d approach an enemy in a street fight, ready to do battle. This time she was going to win. This time she remembered to put eggs into the mix. This time she’d have a bona fide cake instead of a huge, oily, chocolate cookie. Gingerly she lowered the oven and…

Pulled out the perfect cake.

Well, it looked perfect. It probably wouldn’t taste perfect. It probably wouldn’t actually be edible to anyone but Martians from outer space, but at least it was pretty. Once it cooled a little, Lois poked a few holes into it and then smoothed a little icing over the holes so that the heat from the cake would melt it, and the icing would seep down into it. She loved a cake that had icing down in it a little, and she bet Clark would too.

An hour and a half later, Lois was showered, dressed, and carrying a perfectly iced, pretty cake up the front porch of the Kent house. Martha, who was in visiting during a short summer break, met her at the door, and held it open to let Lois in.

“What a lovely cake,” Martha said, and she sounded genuine enough, which made Lois feel a lot happier than it probably should have. She loved it when Martha Kent praised her. That hadn’t happened nearly enough with her own mother. Not enough to suit Lois, at any rate.

“Thanks, Mrs. Kent. I made it for Clark.”

“You may want to take a slice to the barn,” Martha said. “That’s where he is.”

“Moping over Lana?” she blurted, and then winced. Why couldn’t she ever really control her tongue? “Sorry, I didn’t mean that.”

Martha shook her head, smiling. “But you’re right. Come on, I’ll get come plates.”

Lois decided not to risk having to eat a slice of the cake herself, not until she knew for certain Clark could survive it, and headed for the loft with a slice and a glass of milk. There was Clark, sitting on the battered old couch, watching the blazing sunset from the open, upper level doors. He heard her come in, and cocked an eyebrow at the sweet in her hand.

“Thanks,” he said. “I didn’t know Mom was baking today.”

“She didn’t. I made it.”

The smile slid right off Clark’s face, though he tried valiantly to hide it. He set the cake aside. “I’ll gobble it up later.”

“Just give it a try; I think I outdid myself this time.”

He looked openly skeptical, but politely took a forkful of the cake and ate it. She felt herself begin to melt inside at the look of surprise on his face.

“Lois, this is really good!”

“Thanks.”

“You bought it, didn’t you?” he said, after another bite. “No way did you make this.”

The melty feeling was heating up—with anger. “I made it. I had to throw out three other batches before…never mind that. I made that cake, just for you.”

“Okay, I believe you. Have you tasted it?” he asked, and held up a forkful, to which she accepted. He was right. It was delicious.

But the fork was slick with icing that his lips had missed, and Lois felt an entirely different type of melty feeling inside.

Don’t be stupid, she thought. This is Smallville. I don’t care about his lips.

But Smallville had nice lips. Very nice. Full, and so red that at times he looked like he was wearing lipstick. She allowed herself to enjoy watching the fork slide from them as he finished off the cake, and then drank all the milk down. He was a massive man, built perfectly for farm work, and she wondered if one normal slice would be enough.

“What?” he asked, and to Lois’s horror she realized she was staring at him.

“Nothing. So, how’re you doing?”

He stood up and approached the open doors, crossing his big arms over his barrel chest. She loved barrel chests and big arms. She wondered what they’d feel like wrapped around her. Then she wondered why she was feeling that way at all. It was just Clark…

“Thinking about Lana?”

“She left, we agreed it was for the best,” Clark said tightly. “It’s over.”

“It’s been a couple of months, Smallville. Not even Chloe’s been able to pull you out of this funk. That’s really saying something. Maybe you should think of moving on.”

“Maybe you should mind your own damned business,” Clark said, his voice quiet and hard.

Lois didn’t have a thin skin, but somehow, Clark’s words had managed to cut right to the quick.

“Right,” she said, her voice unexpectedly hoarse. “Sorry for…”

She turned to leave, but heard Clark start after her.

“Lois, wait. I’m sorry.”

The hurt was quickly peppered with anger, and she tried unsuccessfully to wrest her arm from his grip.

“I’m sorry, really,” he said. “You were trying to help, and I was—”

“Being an asshole, as usual,” she snapped. “I was going to suggest that maybe you should try to work something out with Chloe. She’d be good for you, but you know what? You wouldn’t be at all good for her. You’re a…a…big jerk!”

Big jerk? Lois thought. That’s the best I can come up with?

Her comebacks were only that lame when she was too hurt and angry to think straight, which she was right now. Clark refused to release his grip, and she found out then exactly what it was like to be held in those big, strong arms of his. He pulled her close to his wide chest, and she felt so small and insignificant against him. It was like being hugged by a wall, or a grizzly bear, only without all the fur. Lois could feel the power that lurked behind the cotton tee-shirt. This man was all muscles, and hard as steel.

“I’m really, really sorry, Lois,” Clark insisted. “Forgive me?”

“You’re not the only one whose lost someone they loved recently. So, Lana left you, but I broke it off with Ollie, Grant died. I wasn’t an asshat toward you.”

“No. You handled it all with a lot of dignity and grace, which is more than I can say for me.”

He continued to hold her, and Lois relaxed against Clark. She could see what Chloe saw in him.

“Chloe moved on too,” he said. “I don’t know if she’s with anyone, but she won’t have me. I already asked.”

“She turned you down?” Lois said. “She didn’t tell me. Good for her.”

“Gee, thanks,” Clark said.

“Well, come on. You’ve hardly been fair to her all these years. But she’s gained a sense of self-respect, and I’m glad. I’m proud of her. I’ll have to talk—”

Lois didn’t get to finish the sentence. Clark had been looking hard at her, she’d noticed, but his gazes were always so intense, and she hadn’t expected him to kiss her, not like this. His tongue slid into her mouth, soft and warm-almost hot, actually, and tasting of chocolate and milk. His big hands roamed over her body, gently at first, but when she began to respond by digging her fingers into his hair, his touch became more insistent.

Lois pulled away from Clark, surprised by the intensity with which her body responded to him. She’d had lovers in the past who’d inspired passion in her, but it had never been this intense before. Just one kiss had left her aching and wet, and trembling with desire. She never would have guessed a farm boy from Smallville could ever drive her crazy like this. Granted, Clark Kent wasn’t the average farm boy. He always managed to be in the right place, at the right time. Every time.

“What’s wrong?” Clark said. His erection was hard, and long, and pressing into her stomach. She wanted to take him into her, right at that moment, but shook her head.

“We shouldn’t be doing this. If Chloe found out, it’d break her heart.”

“But Chloe’s made it clear—”

“It’s just…we’re not a good match.”

“How can you say that after a kiss like that?” Clark asked desperately. “No one’s ever made me feel that way before.”

The same was true of him, and Lois knew it, but she wasn’t ready to hop into another relationship. She’d tried and failed so many times in the past.

“Look, we’ve been friends for years now. If we’re going to change that, we should do it the right way. We should take our time, not just have sex on a whim. I don’t want fall for you, and then lose you because we rushed things. If I’m worth it, wait for it to be right. Wait for me to be ready.”

Clark nodded, and let her go. “Dinner and dancing, tomorrow night,” he said.

Lois smiled. “That’s better, Smallville.”

Lois pulled her purse over her shoulder and started for the stairs. She felt sorry for him, leaving him trying to cover an erection he would have to take care of himself. She wanted to satisfy him, more than she'd ever wanted to satisfy any other man, but time had taught her that the best things in life were worth the wait. This time she wouldn't rush, and no matter what her body urged her to do, Lois was going to move forward using her mind rather than her hormones.

“I’ll pick you up at your place, seven o’clock.”

“It’s a date."

Red Suits Us Part 4

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4 (conclusion)

Office sluts. Chloe hated them.

Right now she was standing in front of the front door to Oliver’s penthouse apartment, staring through the door as he sat on the couch, sipping wine and talking with a raven haired beauty in a cheap business suit. Chloe could smell the bitches perfume from where she stood, and Oliver had just laid a hand suggestively on the woman’s knee. The long hair, the olive skin…the woman reminded Chloe powerfully of Lana, and that made something inside of her start to seethe.

She knocked politely on the door and waited, watching Oliver put down his drink and start for the door. It seemed to take him forever, and Chloe was beginning to wonder how Clark and Bart tolerated moving at human speed when they were capable of moving so much faster. It took him only a few seconds, though it seemed much longer, and he pulled open the door, looking surprised to see her.

“Chloe! What brings you here?”

“We had an appointment.”

“For a video conference for a simple report. It wouldn’t have taken a minute.”

“Do you have other plans?”

“Actually…” he said, casting a quick glance over his shoulder.

“She can wait. I’m more important, and believe me…you’ll be much more satisfied with me. Get rid of her.”

Chloe pushed past Oliver, who was looking at her as though she’d just said something incredibly vulgar to a priest.

“Chloe, is something wrong with you?”

“Get out,” Chloe said coming into the room. The young woman on the couch cocked and eyebrow and settled more deeply into the plush sofa, crossing one long leg over the other. She was beginning to piss Chloe off.

“Who are you?” asked the woman.

“None of your damned business, now I said get out.”

“Chloe, you’re out of line.”

Oliver was standing next to her now. “Excuse us, Olivia.”

He reached for Chloe’s arm, to urge her into the next room, but Chloe went into super speed, snatching Olivia off the couch by her throat, and holding her in the air. The wine she’d been sipping dropped to the floor as she struggled to move Chloe’s hand from her throat, gasping for air and kicking her feet.

“Chloe!”

“Do I have to tell you again?” Chloe asked. Olivia shook her head, and Chloe dropped her. Coughing and gagging, Olivia struggled to her feet and backed warily away from Oliver. She seemed relatively okay.

“Maybe you should go, Olivia,” Oliver said, checking her over. “Go down to the lab and have Martin look you over.”

“Right,” Olivia said, still rubbing her throat. “You’ll be okay?”

“I’ll be fine,” said Oliver. “I’ll check on you later.”

She scurried from the room, leaving Oliver and Chloe alone.

“Well…isn’t this a surprise?”

Oliver began circling Chloe, looking for any outward signs of change. There were none, though Chloe looked inebriated and flushed.

“You’ve somehow stolen Clark’s powers? Or are you a clone, one of Lex’s experiments?”

Chloe began to giggle. “No, and definitely no. Come here.”

Oliver looked at her sideways. “Why?”

“I want to fuck you.”

His eyebrows rose almost clownishly high. “Since when?”

“Since I first laid eyes on you. Like Clark told me earlier, I just want to make you feel good. Come here.”

“Tell me what’s happened to—”

Chloe snatched Oliver off his feet and carried him to his room, throwing him down on the bed. He landed face down, and rolled quickly over to see Chloe had stripped down to reveal a pair of thin white underwear that left nothing to the imagination.

“Chloe, I’m not having sex with you.”

“Yes you are, and you’ll love it.”

“I don’t care how strong you are, you can’t force me.”

She was on him in less than a blink of an eye, straddling him and holding him down easily. She put a hand to his throat, and cocked her head to the side. Her voice was low, contemplative…and almost dead.

“We humans are so fragile. It’s so easy to snuff out the light of our lives.”

“Are you going to snuff me?” asked Oliver. He was beginning to feel real fear, and he was more aware than ever of how dangerous Clark—or someone with his powers—could be if they ever went bad.

“No, silly,” Chloe said playfully. “I’m going to have my way with you. Would you like for me to tie you to the bed? That’d be fun. Jimmy was always too afraid to try bondage, but I’ll bet you’re much braver than he is.”

“Get off me, now,” said Oliver, in his most commanding voice, but he was naked a second later, and commanding he suddenly was not. He was humiliated, actually, at being manhandled by a woman he'd come to consider a close friend.

“Chloe, please,” he said, hoping to break through to her. “Just stop.”

But she didn’t. She reached down and gently stroked Oliver’s cock, and her touch repulsed him. When he failed to respond, Chloe tried trailing kisses down his flat, hard belly, and took him into her mouth.

“Goddamn it, Chloe, stop!” Oliver said, his voice choked with shame and anger. He was physically responding, somewhat, but not enough to suit Chloe. She even thought she saw Oliver’s eyes start to redden and moisten.

“What’s wrong?” Chloe said. “Don’t you find me attractive?”

“You’re beautiful, when you’re acting like yourself, but what you’re doing…”

“You’re starting to piss me off, Oliver,” Chloe said, bringing her face close to his. “You don’t want me to get angry. Not really, really angry.”

“Or you’ll do what?”

“Do you really want an answer to that question?” she said, and squeezed the inside of Oliver’s thigh hard enough to make him cry out in pain.

“Now,” she said, sitting up. “Shall we start over, with you showing a little more cooperation?”

“Chloe!”

Clark was suddenly pulling her off the bed, away from Oliver, who held a hand to his bruising thigh.

“Thank God,” said Oliver. “What’s wrong with her?”

“Red K,” said Clark.

“We’re both on Red K, actually,” said Chloe, looking at Oliver in disdain. “He’s no fun, Clark. Let’s get out of here, go back to your place. You owe me a fuck, remember?”

“Of course I do,” said Clark, smiling and hoping to coax her away from Oliver’s apartment before they ended up in a fight that would demolish the place. He scooped Chloe off her feet, but she jumped back down.

“Let me do the honors,” she said. “I know how to fly. What about him?”

She looked at Oliver as she would something disgusting that had crawled from a sewer.

“Leave him,” said Clark. “I’m the better man.”

Picking Clark up, Chloe flew with him from the apartment.

***

Chloe didn’t head for Smallville, as intended. She came to a stop on a small island with no sign of human life. It was small, and wild, and unpopulated, just a tiny bit of land in a vast ocean. There was no other land in sight.

“I’ve been thinking,” Chloe said, and ripped open his shirt to reveal Clark’s muscled chest. He was feeling nervous about what would have happened had he not reached Oliver’s in time, and a little confused about why Chloe wanted to be with him so badly.

“About what?”

“About us. I’m almost as strong as you now, Clark. I could drain Kara and become your equal. You and I could do amazing things. Together we could fulfill your father’s plans for you to be a god among humankind. You could be the king, and I would be your queen.”

She looked at her hands, and then squeezed them into fists.

“It’s amazing to be like you. Just amazing!”

“Yes it is,” said Clark. “But you’re more amazing, when you’re human.”

Chloe looked at him suspiciously. “What?”

“The things you do, Chloe, when you’re not invincible, takes true courage. You put your life on the line for the good of others, even though it means you could die doing it. That’s…amazing.”

Chloe backed away from Clark. “What’s wrong with you?”

“I lost my buzz. I’ve come to try and talk some sense into you, to convince you to give Kara her powers back.”

“And go back to being mortal? No fucking way.”

“Chloe—”

“I’ll tell you what I will do. I’ll go back to Smallville and get some more red kryptonite. I’ll make a little cocktail for you—make you fun again.”

“Life isn’t about fun, Chloe.”

She laughed. “Fun is all there should be. You know that when you’re on the red stuff. Otherwise, all you ever want to do is mope. You’re so dull.”

She turned to leave, but Clark grabbed her ankle and held on. Chloe struggled to fly away, but he kept his grip on her, pulling her down until he could wrap his arms around her and keep her grounded.

“Let go!”

“What is it you want, Chloe? What do you want most?”

“To leave you behind. You’re excess baggage.”

“Liar,” Clark said, holding her to him. She was facing away from him, he couldn’t easily see her face, but he knew that if he could, if he looked closely, he’d see hurt under the anger. “Just say it. Say what you mean. What do you want?”

“I want you to love me,” she said. “But you won’t. I’m not good enough for you.”

“That’s not true. The timing was never right before, Chloe, I wasn’t ready.”

“Oh, right, but you are now?” she scoffed. “If I go back to Smallville and give Kara her powers back, you’ll forgive all my wrongs and be with me?”

He turned her to face him. “Yes.”

“Well…maybe I’m not ready to forgive your wrongs.”

She shoved him hard, sending him flying into the small stand of trees and beyond. She snatched him up just before he could hit the ocean, holding him fifty feet into the air.

“Maybe you’ve hurt me, and rejected me one too many times. Maybe I don’t want you like I thought I did.”

She started for the island again, slamming Clark hard into the sand.

“Chloe…” Clark sputtered. The pressure of her hands was starting to hurt, and if he was feeling pain, then that could only mean Chloe was taking his powers as well.

“If you don’t want to rule with me, then you’ll serve under me.”

Clark searched her eyes. The Chloe he knew and loved had to be in there somewhere.

“You’re my best friend. I love you,” he managed to choke out, before his strength faded.

The sneer on Chloe’s face faltered. She began to cry, and to his horror, the tears came out red, like blood. The pressure on his throat eased.

“Get rid of it, Chloe. Don’t keep it inside.”

She released Clark, sat back, and began to cry in earnest. Clark felt a familiar rush from the red kryptonite pouring from her system, but it wasn’t overwhelming, and he quickly backed away, though he wanted to hold her. The last thing he needed was to get infected again.

“It’s going to be okay,” he said, watching Chloe cry a few feet from him, until her tears ran clear. She splashed water from the ocean over her skin, washing away the red kryptonite. As soon as Chloe was clear, Clark wrapped her in his arms.

“I love you too, Clark,” she said. “God...the things I did to Oliver, and Kara...”

“That's the downside to being a Kryptonian high on red kryptonite-you always hurt the people you love, and even people you don't care for very much. You always do something you regret when you come down from the high.” He put a hand on her shoulder. “They'll both forgive you, Chloe.”

Chloe nodded against his chest.

“Give a guy a lift home?” he asked. She squeezed him tightly and he began to feel his strength seep back into him, and a second later, they were airborne.

***

Epilogue

Clark’s lips were soft and warm on Chloe’s skin, and his big, rough hands ran over her body with tenderness and care. His weight was heavy but comforting as he settled over her, placing himself at her entrance. She sighed, reveling in the feel of him as he gently slid into her, stretching her as he filled her more completely than she’d ever known.

The bedroom glowed with the golden light of sunset. All was quiet except for the sounds of the passion Chloe shared with Clark. Their sighs mingled with the soft breeze that blew the curtain open, sending a welcoming cool breeze across their hot, moist skin. The bed creaked a little loudly, and old springs complained of their burden with a loud squeak every time Clark thrust into Chloe. She wrapped her legs around Clark, and her arms, and held tightly to him as he rode her in a steady rhythm that didn’t stop until they lay in one another’s arms, sated.

Clark separated from Chloe and lay next to her, looking deeply into her eyes.

“Stay,” Clark whispered.

Chloe smiled, content in a way she’d never known before. “Yeah.”

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4 

Red Suits Us Part 3

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4 (conclusion)

It was a lot like being drunk, only without the downsides, like slowed reaction time, dulled thinking, and the inability to walk straight. Chloe went from the bedroom where Clark had left her, feeling her stomach burn as though she’d swallowed large amounts of pure grain alcohol. It wasn’t painful, just annoying, and Chloe imagined the rock dissolving in her stomach like some sort of poisonous alka-seltzer tablet.

Chloe slumped in front of the commode and attempted to make herself wretch by sticking her finger down her throat. It worked, somewhat, and she managed to vomit up a small amount of grainy red bile. The burning in her stomach lessened, though her belly behaved as though it was reluctant to relinquish the red meteor rock.

“Chloe? Are you sick?”

Clark’s cousin, Kara, stood in the doorway, watching her. Chloe was always civil toward Kara, and though she didn’t really miss being with Jimmy, she resented the way the girl had moved in even before she and Jimmy had split up.

“No, Kara. I’m making out with the toilet for the hell of it.”

Chloe pulled herself to her feet, flushed the toilet, and then and looked in the mirror. Her eyes were glassy, like they got whenever she had too much to drink.

“Have you been drinking?” Kara asked, coming further into the bathroom. “I wish I could drink, it looks fun. But alcohol has no effect on me.”

“Too bad for you,” Chloe said. She was feeling strange, feeling more than drunk. She felt apathy warring with anger as she took note of the heat radiating off of Kara. “I haven’t been drinking. I ingested red kryptonite.”

Kara frowned. “Why?”

“Trying to get it away from Clark. Didn’t work. Now I’m sick.”

“What do the red rocks do to us?”

Chloe washed her face, explaining how the red k affected Clark, and how it had affected some humans by lowering their inhibitions, and making them reckless.

“Do you feel reckless?”

“No, I feel sick.”

She turned to face Kara full-on, looking the taller girl in the face. She was exquisitely beautiful, with long blond hair and stunning blue eyes.

“You’re lovely, Kara,” Chloe said. She reached up to move a strand of hair from Kara’s face.

“Thanks,” said Kara, looking a little uncomfortable. “Um…would you like to lie down until you work the red kryptonite out of your system?”

Chloe’s fingers brushed Kara’s soft skin, and a jolt hit Chloe’s fingers like an electrical shock. Kara hissed and jumped back, holding her face in confusion, but Chloe knew exactly what had happened. She’d felt something come into her through contact with Kara’s skin. Something powerful.

“What was that?” Kara asked. She had a red mark on her face, and excitement flooded Chloe.

“That…was you,” said Chloe. She lunged for Kara, grabbing onto her hand, and the sustained contact was both excruciating and exhilarating. A red cloud churned around Chloe’s hands, she felt her eyes heat up.

“Stop!” Kara shouted, and shoved Chloe, who sailed from the bathroom and into the hall, landing on her back.

“Is that the best you’ve got, you Kryptonian bimbo?” Chloe said, floating to her feet. “Whoa…”

“What did you do to me?” Kara demanded. Her wrist was bruised almost black.

“Somehow, I took your powers. “I’ve wanted to do this since I found out about you and Jimmy.”

Chloe rushed Kara, who couldn’t move fast enough to avoid her, and grabbed her by the throat. Moving at super speed, she took her outside into the front driveway, where she dropped Kara to her feet. Drawing back her fist, Chloe punched Kara with all her might, sending her flying back until she faded from view.

“Now,” Chloe said, willing herself into the air. She soared higher until the landscape below was reduced to a patchwork of cornfields. The air felt cool, but it didn’t have the uncomfortable chilling effect it would have had she not been imbued with Kara’s strengths.

Something tapped her on the shoulder, and Chloe turned around.

“Guess what?” Kara said, floating before her. “You’re not my favorite person either.”

She landed a hard blow to Chloe’s face, but unlike Kara, Chloe’s lip didn’t bleed. Kara’s eyes widened in alarm as she realized she may have bitten off more than she could chew, and she flew for the farm, but Chloe easily outstripped her. They plummeted toward the ground, with Chloe’s fist tangled in Kara’s long blond hair. She slammed Kara face first into the soil hard enough to rattle the windows in the house. She let go, and Kara made no move to get up.

“Hey,” said Chloe, nudging Kara with her foot. “You still alive?”

Chloe listened, honing in on Kara’s heart. It beat slow and steady. The girl was just knocked out. The blond hair reminded her of Oliver Queen, who was waiting to hold a video conference with her at that very moment. She smiled. An in-person visit would be much, much better.

***

“Chloe! Daddy’s home! He wants to eat his sweets before dinner.”

Clark stood in the bedroom doorway, laughing, but the room was empty. He ran downstairs and out onto the front porch, where he saw a small indent in the soil where he normally parked the truck when unloading groceries. Kara sat on the porch, her face bloodied and filthy with dirt. She was crying.

“What happened to you?” he asked, surprising even himself by the lack of genuine concern that his Krptonian cousin had met with something that had managed to draw her blood. She was alive, that was something.

“Chloe. She drained my powers,” Kara sniffed.

“Did she now?” Clark said. “Huh.”

Kara looked as though she were having difficulty focusing on him. “Did you hear what I said? She’s out there with almost all of my strength.”

“You’re just sulking because she kicked your ass,” Clark said, rubbing the top of her head as he walked past. “You’ll get over it, little skillet. Just soak up the sun, you’ll be good as new in no time.”

“Clark!”

“Gotta run. I need a shower.”

He ran upstairs, stripped his clothes, and put the little red chunk of kryptonite on the built in soap dish. He turned on only the hot water, and the bathroom filled with steam. Anyone else would have been reduced to a mass of blisters, but Clark reveled in it. That was the beauty of the red k—it made him more sensitive to things he liked, like a hot shower.

But as he lathered his hair for the second time, he noticed his sensitivity fading only slightly. The buzz that elated him was fading rapidly, and as it did, his head began to clear. He remembered Lois, fucking her in the grass, and the way she’d begun to tremble at his callous rejection, and he hadn’t cared. He remembered his cousin, Kara, sitting broken and bleeding on the front porch, and again, he hadn’t cared, because those things didn’t make him feel good.

Guilt suffocated Clark, who looked for the little red rock. It had slipped down the drain, and he moaned under the heavy weight of remorse that settled over him for the terrible things he’d done.

***

“Kara, are you okay?”

She nodded. “I’m doing like you said, soaking up the sun.”

Clark winced at her words, at how the lack of venom in her voice hurt the most, because he was sure that she wasn’t fully aware of the total lack of concern he’d felt when he’d told her to recharge her batteries in the yellow sunlight. Or perhaps she had been aware, but thought it normal because from what he'd seen of other Kryptonians, they could be completely heartless, and ruthless. In that moment, Clark was keenly aware of how different Kara was from other people—from humans, and how totally fucked up their family must have been if she found his callous lack of concern even remotely acceptable.

“I’m sorry, Kara,” he said. “I was high on red kryptonite. It…it makes me a little apathetic. Are you really okay?”

"I'll be fine."

Clark disappeared into the house and reemerged seconds later with a wet cloth. He gently wiped away the dirt and dried blood on Kara's face.

“Does that hurt?”

“Not really. I’m getting better, but not back to full strength.”

“I have to find Chloe and make her give them back to you.”

“She’s got that red kryptonite in her blood too.”

Clark nodded, remembering Chloe swallowing the rock. Apparently red kryptonite had a strange affect on her meteor power. It enabled her to take on more than someone’s pain. It enabled her to rob them of their strengths, not just their weaknesses.

“Did she say where she’s heading?”

“No.”

“I’ll bring her back, I promise.”

“What’s to stop her from doing to you what she did to me?”

Love, Clark thought, and took off. He had one stop to make before he left to find Chloe.

***

Chloe’s car, which had been hotwired by Lois, was now parked in front of the Talon. He rushed up the stairs, and knocked on the door, which was unlocked. He opened it and saw Lois lying in bed, her eyes closed, but he knew she was awake. Her hair was wet from the shower, and she wore only a bulky robe.

“Lois.”

“Go away. I never want anything to do with you again.”

“I’ll leave, but not until I explain something.”

“Get out!” she said, sitting up and throwing a pillow at him. He caught it and came to sit on the edge of the bed, out of range of her foot.

“We have to talk.”

“Oh, so now you want to talk?”

“I have a good reason for what I did today. It was the red—”

“Red kryptonite, I know. Chloe told me you’re allergic. She didn’t tell me it turned you into the worlds biggest asshole.”

“It does,” he said. “Lois, I never would have tried to seduce you if I hadn’t been affected by the red kryptonite, I swear.”

She shook her head. “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

“That’s not a reflection on you,” said Clark. “You and I are good friends, Lois. I value that. I would never intentionally do anything to hurt you.”

“How do I know you’re not lying right now?”

“I guess you don’t,” he said.

But the look in his eyes, that look of warmth, and caring, that puppy dog look that was all Clark Kent, was back, and the fuck me voice, the hooded, sexy eyes…that was all gone. She liked the puppy dog eyes in Clark much, much better.

“I’m sorry, Lois,” Clark said, with such genuine anguish that some of her hurt lessened, her anger cooled, but she didn’t trust him, and she wasn't sure she ever would again, not as completely as she had before.

“I’m tired,” she said.

“Do you forgive me?”

“No,” she said truthfully.

“Will you, some day?”

“Probably. I don’t trust you, Clark.”

He nodded. “I understand that. I wouldn't trust me either, if I were you. Look, I have to check on Chloe, but I’ll come back to check on you soon.”

He stood and headed for the door, but Lois’s voice called out to him.

“Hey. Are we just going to pretend like it never happened?”

“I wasn’t myself,” Clark said, turning to face her. “I think its best we put it behind us.”

She nodded, looking disappointed. “Fine.”

“I’ll never forget it, even if I pretend I have.”

“Me either.”

Smiling, feeling somewhat less burdened, Clark left Lois and the Talon. He didn't dare hope that dealing with Chloe would be anywhere near as simple.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4