The Oldest Line in the Book
Nefertiri's Handmaiden
Disclaimer: Blah, blah, blah, I'm not the CW, blah, blah, blah, Superman and Clark Kent aren't mine, etc.
Author's Note: A short revelation future-fic. Combines elements of Superman: The Movie, but is set mostly in the Smallville Universe.
She'd always known that something was different about Clark Kent. Always known that he was stronger than he liked to show. That he had more willpower. That there was more to him than plaid and ill-fitting suits and cows.
And as soon as she'd met Superman, when he saved her from that helicopter, she'd felt something so familiar about him. But she couldn't pick out what it was. Just that it was there. And that it was important.
Until, yesterday, when she'd interviewed Superman again. She'd made real, permanent eye contact. Studying their color. Their brilliance. That look of tenderness that he tried to hide. And she realized exactly where she'd seen those eyes – and that look – before.
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The Daily Planet bustled with organized chaos. God, she loved working here. She loved the bustle. She thrived on it. She breathed it, ate it, slept it. This was where she belonged.
Suddenly the bustle shifted, shuddered, stuttered, tried to compensate for one very clumsy, one very out of step Clark Kent. She grinned amusedly as he stumbled his way through the reporters and copy interns. Headed straight for her desk.
"Mornin', Lois," he said with a bright smile as he handed her the coffee he'd bought at the Starbucks across the street, just like every morning.
She smiled. "Morning, Smallville."
He nodded, headed over to his desk. She followed. He started to get settled in, surprised when he noticed that she'd followed him. "Yes, Lois?"
"Smallville, could you come up the roof with me for a minute? I… I've got some stuff I need to talk about, and since Chloe's not around…?"
He stared at her in shock. She wanted to... talk about things? With him? "Um… Yeah, Lois. Of course. Let's go."
Two minutes later, they were on the roof.
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Lois leaned against the heavy concrete ledge that encompassed the roof. Clark stood rather uncomfortably about three feet away, behind her.
He was silent, waiting for her to speak.
She took her time, not bothering to face him.
"Clark," he started at the use of his real name, "I think I'm in love with Superman."
He remained silent, worried and not at all comfortable with where this was headed.
"Yeah, I know. It sounds stupid. Like a high school girl's dream. 'Superman's girlfriend.' That's crazy, right?" He didn't answer, but she wasn't really expecting him too. "And at first I thought to myself, 'What are you thinking?' It would never work. Because Superman isn't really a person. He's too big to be a person. He's like… an image. Follow?" She turned abruptly to face him.
He nodded. "Superman. An image."
"Right. So I thought, what was the point? Even though he's a good, kind man with high morals, even though he's gorgeous, he's out of my league. Right?"
She waited expectantly.
It took him a second to answer. "Lois, I don't think anyone in the universe is out of your league."
She smiled. "That's sweet, Smallville. Anyway, I was thinking, why couldn't he be a real person? Like someone who sits at a desk every day. Who wears a tie. Who brings me coffee every morning." She moved closer as she spoke, her eyes in steady contact with his.
He fidgeted. She was so close. Too close. Her eyes on his. Her chest brushing his. He breathed deep, tried to control himself.
" And then last night, while we were talking, I realized that he must be a real guy sometimes. That he probably did sit at a desk and wear a tie." His eyes widened. Oh my God. Did she know? She pressed herself close to him. "And that he probably did bring me coffee every day." She smiled softly. Tenderly. His heart was pounding so loud he was surprised she couldn't hear it. She reached up, gently pulled away his glasses. His brain screamed at him to stop her, but his body seemed frozen.
She looked deep into his striking blue eyes, unlike anyone else's on the planet, smiling still.
"You really do have beautiful eyes."