Title: Fashion Forward
Author: brdwaybebe
Category: Superman Returns
Rating: PG
Word Count: 3936
Summary: Lois & Clark finally return to their shared beat. Lois is struck by a fleeting realization when a crisis comes at an inopportune moment.
For: jammyjar
Original Prompt: Lois and Clark have been getting closer since he came back. She thinks she knows his secret, but isn't sure..
A/N: This came out a little less light than I had intended but I still think it turned out ok. I hope most fo all that my dear jammyjar agrees! -hugs-

"It's not so much what you're wearing, Clark. It's how you wear it!" Lois tilted her head, her eyes narrowing slightly as she took in Clark's usual clunky work attire.

Today, a beige tweed suit was hovering loosely over his hunched frame. The sleeves were long, nearly covering hands. The overcoat was a size too large, he seemed to swim in it. The only thing fitted was the bland sandpaper hued tie that was tucked snugly beneath the color of his pressed white dress shirt.

Clark Kent was not a small man, far from it. Even though his posture robbed him of nearly a foot of height, he still towered over her. But somehow he managed on a daily basis to look like a little boy trying on his father's suits.

He stood before her, shifting his weight awkwardly under her scrutiny. Clark's lips were pursed as he chewed the inside of his bottom lip, his blue eyes meeting hers warily from behind his thick unfashionable glasses. The man was hopeless in the area of fashion.

Normally Lois didn't take so much thought into Clark's style or lack there of, but today they had a meeting with the new mayor. The flurry of new administration activity had kept the mayor from interviews. Lois had been trying to get in for over a month and just when she'd gotten the green light, Perry had decided this would be a good time for Clark to join her beat as he had so many years before.

"Sure, Lois, He doesn't have your finesse or your killer instinct, but I have a feeling that small town charm if going to get you further thank city slick when it comes to the city's new mayor."

Lois had conceded. Since his return, Clark had largely covered the smaller stories and fluff pieces. Now Perry had seen fit to return him to his previous rank, and if Lois Lane had to share a byline, she wouldn't mind it being with Clark.

He had always proven to be a valuable asset when they worked together. Five years apart had done little to take them out of their comfortable groove. Clark's honest and kind character often shone light on areas that she as a time honored 'jaded journalist would usually miss. He was the water to her fire, keeping her safe from herself on more than on occasion. Lois wasn't one to share glory, but with Clark...she thought of it more as a joint effort.

She would need his insight today.

James Pinkerton's political campaign read like a folktale out of the heart of Kansas. He was raised on a small poor chicken farm upstate. Through hard work and determination he had gone out into big bad world and made a name for himself. First in agriculture, then local government. And now he found himself in the beating heart of corporate America, focusing on the basic values that the country, if perhaps not the city, had been founded on.

He lacked the big city slick, and greasy streak that most politicians had. What continued to baffle Lois was how he ended up elected in the first place. The man radiated "heartland." And if there was anyone on the Daily Planet staff that could go toe to toe with Pinkerton's wholesome 'apple pie' persona, it was Clark Kent.

"I...don't know any other way to wear this suit, Lois." Clark said, fidgeting with the horn rimmed frame balancing on the bridge of his nose.

Lois pursed her lips to hide an amused smile. "Well, for starters... stand up straight." She placed her palms, each on of his shoulders and pressed firmly. Clark straightened his back beneath her hands. As his posture improved, so did his height and her arms grew further apart in distance as the space between them closed.

In that moment a transformation seemed to take place. He towered over her, standing straight and tall, close and radiating warmth. Lois' chin tilted to an angle that sent a tingle of familiarity through her and when Lois' eyes rose and met his, the tingle graduated into an all out shiver. She gasped as her center of gravity shifted. Her awkward stance would have sent her spilling gracelessly onto the floor, but two strong arms caught her elbows and lifted her securely back to her feet.

They stood there, a moment frozen in time. Her eyes wide, with gathering realization only a breath away, and his flickered with momentarily with fear until he lowered his gaze and stepped away from her, breaking the spell.

"Be careful there Lois. You could hurt yourself." His voice lilted squeakily. "I for one don't understand the need to be a slave to fashion. For example, those high heeled shoes nearly caused you to snap an ankle." He tightened his already taught necktie and offered her a chiding if not slightly nervous smile.

Lois gave her head a shake, not sure whether her mind was shining a light on something or taking her on a wild goose chase. She looked at Clark and once again found him hunching forward, the glimmer of realization danced away like a snowflake riding riotously on the wind.

She chuckled to herself. "It's a good thing they leave the high heel wearing to the women then, yes?" Lois patted him gently on the chest.

She collected some notes and files from her desk, she braced them firmly against it's surface, straightening the pages so they fit into the longest compartment of her purse "Are you ready-" She turned around to find Clark standing before he already wearing his overcoat and holding hers aloft. "... to go?"

Clark's face broke into a chiding grin and Lois stepped into the coat he offered.

"Turns out I know a thing or two about fashion after all." he grinned teasingly.

Lois returned his smile over her shoulder and laughed. "Way to go Versace." She tied the belt of the coat. "Don't waste all that charm on me. We have a mayor to beguile." She grabbed her purse and lead the charge toward the elevator with Clark close at her heels.

The elevator chimed softly and the duo boarded efficiently. Lois was happy for once that the small car didn't include a veritable clown car full of her coworkers.

She took this time to mentally prepare for the interview and organize her thoughts. As she did, another thought was niggling at the corner of her mind. Something just outside her reach. She chewed thoughtfully on her thumbnail. She snuck a sideways glance at Clark. Something...something. If there was one thing Lois hated it was feeling like she'd missed an important piece of information and this one taunted her from the shadows.

"Are you okay?" His voice broke through her reverie stirring the embers of her growing understanding.

Her head snapped up toward him. "What did you say?"

His eyes held her for a moment before shifting his weight away from her, his hand fluttered unconsciously to his tie once again, tightening the already strained knot.

Clark cleared his throat and offered a lopsided smile. "You looked like you were...troubled. I wanted to know if you were alright. Is the great Lois Lane nervous?" His eyes sparkled from behind the lenses of his glasses.

Lois snorted. "Me? Nervous? Never!" She adjusted her bag more securely on her shoulder. "Watch and learn Kent. You've been away from the big leagues too long. I remind you how the game is played."

The bell sounded and the doors slide open once again and Lois could have sworn she saw relief flash briefly across Clark's face.

__________________

They burst through the glass revolving door of the Planet,, trading the busy sounds of industry for the all consuming clamor of the streets of Metropolis. The time was a bit after noon and the entire city seemed to be on the sidewalks, bustling to and fro, the sounds of thousands of footfalls , conversations and car engines rose to the sky in a symphony of organized chaos.

Lois and Clark made their way to the street in an attempt to flag down a cab amongst the executive anarchy of the lunch hour.

She spotted a cab making it's way towards them and Lois lifted her arm and flashed a wide albeit fake smile in order to draw the attention of the cab driver. The yellow cab didn't slow and continued on it's path past the pair.

Suddenly behind her came a high pitched tone so loud it made her teeth rattle. The pitch was immediately followed by the screeching of brakes as the cab came to an abrupt stop a few feet away.

Lois craned her neck to look at her partner who was beaming proudly. "Clark! Little warning next time?" She rubbed her ear dramatically an impressed smile tugging at her lips.

Clark brushed past her and opened the cab door. He held it opened and waited for her to enter before folding his towering frame into the compact backseat.

"You kids headed to the demolition?" the cabby asked over his shoulder as he pulled out into traffic.

"No sir. We'd like you to take us to the City Hall." Clark said politely, wrapping his overcoat neatly across his lap.

The cabbie nodded and flipped on the meter.

She and Clark hadn't had much of a chance to catch up over the last month. Their schedules had been full of pieces on the recovery of the city after the earthquake sponsored by Lex Luthor, what downtime they did have was spent trying to establish some kind of order in their own lives. The roads had been fixed quickly but many businesses and domestic structures still held severe damage.

It would take a while for the city to get back on it's feet. Traffic moved along with unusual slowness as they passed the Steelton building. The hulking monolith has sustained some of the worst of the tremors and had been deemed unsafe. Today it would be safely demolished, Lois supposed a new building would replace it inside of three months. That was the nature of the beast.

Lois glanced at Clark and noticed his eyes taking in their surroundings. "What a time to come back..." she commented.

"Back?" he looked at her curiously.

"Well you've been gone for so long to all these exotic places. Only to come home to this. It must be so strange to be back in Metropolis, especially now"

Clark peered out the window thoughtfully, his eyes scanning over the worn facade of a city on the mend. "It is somewhat strange. I had hoped to come back to better circumstances, of course. But it's nice to be home again. Especially when she needs so much help. It's nice to be able to be part of the rebuilding." He turned to regard her. "And I missed this." Clark tilted his head to gesture at her.

"Lois and Clark, back in business," Lois said as they pulled up to City Hall where they were scheduled to meet Mayor Pinkerton. "let's hope you've not forgotten everything I taught you." Her teeth flashed with a grin and she slid out of the cab, leaving him to pay the driver.

Clark chuckled under his breath and pulled some bills from his wallet. "Some things never change."

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"Lois Lane! Clark Kent!" Mayor Pinkerton met them at the corridor connecting to his office himself. "I've been so looking forward to meeting two of our city's most respected and decorated reporters."

Lois couldn't help but smile under the warmth of his greeting. His handshake was firm and his eyes met hers with a confidence and honesty she had not seen in many of the politicians she'd met.

He ushered them into his office and directed them to a twosome of couches near the window of his expansive quarters. He sat to Lois' left in an arm chair that neither lorded nor diminished his authority, but more so gave an air of equality. He didn't strut within his title and Lois respected him for it.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Mayor." Lois unpacked her notebook and readied her digital recorder.

"Mr. Kent is everything alright?" Mayor Pinkerton's voice was tinged with concern.

Lois turned her attention to her partner whose attention focused intensely on the window. She nudged her elbow gently into his side. "Clark?"

Clark's eyes refocused and he turned to them, first Lois, then the Mayor. His expression was pained as he rose quickly to his feet. "I..I'm sorry Mr. Mayor. I'm not feeling well. Please excuse my rushed exit." He reached out and shook the Mayor's hand and then with no further explanation turned on his heel and left the room, leaving Lois to stare after him with her mouth agape.

"I...am so sorry Mayor Pinkerton. My partner just returned from an extended sabbatical overseas and he hasn't quite acclimated. Lois smiled plastically in order to hide her embarrassment and fury.

"Think nothing of it Miss Lane. I myself have had trouble adjusting to a new location." He sat back in his chair and folded his hands over his stomach. "Please give Mr. Kent my best when he returns to the Planet." He smiled reassuringly. "Now. Where were we?"

Suddenly the doors to the office burst open to reveal a frantic looking aide.

"Mr. Mayor, there is a situation developing downtown. There was a structural collapse on Front street."

Pinkerton's eyes grew alert and serious. "What kind of collapse?"

The aide was shaking visibly as he crossed the room to the flat screen television tucked securely into a cherry wood frame on the wall. "There was a building demolition downtown. From what we're being told, some of the charges didn't fire, causing one side of the building to collapse and...." The television sparked to life revealing a horrific scene that were it not for the news logo announcing 'Live', Lois would have supposed it to be a movie.

The room fell silent as the eight storey building filled the screen. The structure has partially crumbled, littering the ground below with debris that had been intended to be within the frame of the building as it imploded. The side of the building with the faulty charge was leaning at a precarious angle.

"This is Sharon Anthony reporting for Metropolis1. What began as a normal day for Metropolis' Demolition has taken a tragic turn." The woman was immaculately dressed, not a hair out of place, but her eyes flashed with fear as she attempted to convey the life threatening situation in which she found herself.

"Behind me are the remains of the Steelton Towers Business Center. We have relocated down the block to what the local law enforcement deem to be a safer location. If you look at the top of your monitor you can see the shell of the Steelton building. It is not known at this time what caused the charges to fail. Furthermore, it is unsure as to whether or not the charges could still detonate."

The monitor split, showing footage of the incident. The news crew had been there to cover the demolition, unknowing the carnage that would ensue.

There was a grandiose countdown and then an explosion. The building rocked violently as cement and debris were spewed outward from the east side of the building, leaving the west and northern side of the building partially intact.

"We are unsure of the extent of the damage to the surrounding area, but injuries have been reported in the dozens. We've been told the bulk of the debris was shot into the crowd that had gathered to witness the demolition some distance away.

Fire and police are keeping their distance as they assess the situation, but one has to wonder how long the fragile remains of the remaining structure will hold. And how many people are buried under the rubble that was expelled from the first explosion."

An audible gasp came from the crowd as hope arrived in a blur of blue and red.

Superman.

"Ladies and gentleman, Superman has just arrived on the scene! "He is currently on the west side of the building and appears to be stabilizing the structure with his bare hands." the woman's voice was tinged with awe.

Lois watched as the camera bumped and jostled looking for a better position. It located the familiar blue and red and zoomed in.

Superman was pressed against the western wall. The building groaned loudly in protest as the Man of Steel applied his great strength to the structure. His arms visibly shook under the weight of the building but inch by inch the monstrous structure surrendered its position until it rested straight and upright on its foundation

The crowd burst into applause as Superman backed away from the building, hovering a few feet away. His face swayed back and forth within the frame of film as the camera zoomed in still further. His expression was focused, intense and revelation slammed into Lois with such force that she gasped. Clark.

Lois sank back into the couch, her whole body frozen with shock. It couldn't be.

Suddenly a loud mechanical whirring filled the air. An enormous explosion rocked the area filling the sky with fire. Lois caught a glimpse of Superman's surprised expression just before the flames engulfed him and the camera man fell to the ground with the force of the blast.

"Oh my God!" Lois shot to her feet and ran to the door. Leaving the mayor standing at the television.

"Miss Lane, where are you going? Lois! It's not safe!" he called after her.

Her heartbeat in her ears was all she heard as she ran at full speed down the corridor and out into the street.

Lois lifted her eyes to the sky and saw the tower of smoke belching over the tops of the buildings. She kicked off her heels and began running the three blocks to the site where the demolition had taken place.

Her heart slammed against her chest in a frantic rhythm as she ran in the opposite direction of the people on the street, her mind repeating the same word over and over. Clark. Clark. Clark.

She rounded the corner and smacked head on into a police officer.

"Ma'am! No civilians are allowed beyond this point!"

Lois attempted in her panic to run around him. "I'm with the press!"

He wrapped his hands firmly around her elbows, halting her progress. "No civilians beyond this point ma'am!" The police officer's eyes were wild with controlled fear even as his voice exercised his authority. "No I need you to go back the way you came or I'll have to put you into my squad. We both know you're not getting in there and I have people to help."

Lois stopped struggling and nodded in defeat. She turned back the way she came and ran down to the next block, trying her luck there. Each passage she found supplied the same result and through tears of frustration and fear Lois made her way back to the Daily Planet.

She entered the bullpen shoeless and her suit covered in dust. The main room was in as much chaos as the scene outside. People ran to and fro barking instructions to each other trying to get the story organized for the evening edition.

Lois limped to the bay of monitors that hung in the center of the room. The screens were lit up with every channel broadcasting the news of the Steelton building.

She sank into her chair and viewed the reports through a veil of tears. As she did the words of the broadcast filtered through her whirling thoughts and connected to her ears.

"......would have come to a much more tragic end had it not been for Metropolis' own Man of Steel who somehow managed to gather the bulk of the charges and rocket them into the sky where they deployed harmlessly in the atmosphere."

Lois froze. Unable to believe the report she was watching. She shifted her eyes to the next television which heralded the rescue and clean up efforts that had already begun.

Looped Footage of fire encompassing Superman played on every television. The flames shooting from the west side of the building suddenly replaced by a thick white gust of air followed by a blur of tights and cape that flew up into the sky and out of range of the cameras. A small flicker of light appeared in the heavens as the charges detonated.

Lois bowed her head. The breath she'd been holding escaped her in a cry and she buried her face in her hands. Relief along with a thousand other emotions washed over her as she cried, her shoulders shaking with the force of her sobs.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sometime later, Lois sat at her desk staring unseeingly at the bank of televisions. The event downtown had for the most part been contained, with Superman aiding in the rescue as well as the heavy lifting.

The evening edition had gone out successfully. And the staff save for a straggling copy boy here and there had all gone home.

Lois started as a large warm hand covered her shoulder. She whirled around to see Clark standing above her, his expression that of a child waiting for the punishment of a parent.

Lois launched herself out of the chair and into his arms, throwing her own arms around his wide shoulders, her tears returning in full force. Clark's arms closed around her and he held her tight, stroking her hair.

"I thought you were dead...."

Clark pulled away, his face a well practiced mask of confusion. "Dead? What would make you think that? I'm sorry about the Mayor's office..." But fictitious excuse faded as he took in her expression.

Lois looked up into his face, tears spilling down her cheeks. "I thought...you were dead." he voice shook with meaning.

Clark inhaled and let his breath out slowly, his face softening into a mixture of regret and apology. "Oh Lois..." his voice took on a familiar timbre as he whispered. He reached out to gently brush the tears from her face.

He glanced briefly around the office and then turned his attention back to her. His fingers closed around the frame of his glasses, and he hesitated only a moment before sliding them from his face. Clark's eyes met hers unflinchingly as his facade faded away and he stood before her completed exposed.

Lois looked back with equal intensity before standing on her toes and brushing her lips against his. Clark exhaled against her lips and returned her kiss, burying his fingers in her hair. "I'm sorry...I'm sorry..." his breathed as his lips slanted back and forth against hers.

They clung to each other in cloaking dimness of the empty room. An age old love rediscovering itself in the face of near tragedy. Relief and wonderment washed over them and they whispered words of love in the secluded corner of the bullpen.

Footsteps approaching from down the hall broke the couple out of their embrace and Lois plucked the glasses from Clark's hand and slowly slide them back into place.

A copy boy rounded the corner and nodded a greeting as he passed them on his way toward the elevators.

Clark tilted his head curiously. "What is it?"

Lois' lips turned up in a wry smile. She reached up and gently wiggled the glasses atop his nose. "I'm just realizing, perhaps you have a sense of fashion after all."