We Three

By Rory Alexander

Author's Note: This is based in DC Comic verse and is merely my attempt to solve the riddle of Lois, Clark and Diana. My heartfelt thanks to XxKayTayxX for beta reading. WARNING: Mature content.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this fan fiction.

"This wine is incredible. What is it?" Lois asked, taking another sip. A moan of satisfaction escaped her lips, and her eyes expressed delight at this discovery. "Smallville, I can't believe you've never brought me a bottle of this before."

"I've never had this before either, Lois. It seems Diana's been holding out on me too." Clark replied, also shaking his head as the taste of almonds and honey with a hint of something more exotic, something intangible, hit his taste buds.

The wine had an aroma of orchids and fire. It was familiar, yet he could not place exactly where he'd tasted this before. He looked at their host sitting across from him. Diana smiled at both of them. Suddenly it hit him. He felt his chest constrict, and he nearly spilled his drink. It tasted of her. It tasted of Diana. The memory of deep blue eyes, red lips, and dark hair rushed to him. A memory of a young, over-exuberant farm boy kissing an innocent Princess on their first date, on first sight. Kissing under mistletoe on the JLA Watchtower. Kissing her in the frozen Antarctic after giving her his Christmas gift. The gift a small Mjolnir, the wind howling around them, the look in her eye, her complete surrender to a kiss that said a million things that neither could say to the other. All these memories suddenly flooded him, overwhelmed him.

"The wine is a gift from the God Dionysus. Made from Themiscyra grapes by the Lord of Drink and Feast himself, it is his present to me for this birthday for my service as Champion of Olympus." Diana's face was slightly obscured by the flames. Lois thought she heard a hint of sadness in her words. "I can't think of anyone else I'd rather share this with than you."

The three of them were sitting on a secluded beach on Themiscyra, a small fire crackling in front of them, the ocean lapping nearby. The stars here were more numerous and brighter than anywhere else on earth; the moon was a pale red. A Hunter's moon.

"Wow. And here I thought it just tasted good. Wine from the Gods, I can drink to that." Lois took another large sip of her drink.

A few years ago this scene would have been unthinkable. Lois had never cared much for Princess Diana of Themiscyra. Wonder Woman. Scratch that, Lois hated Diana. Blessed by the Gods, perfect figure, perfect face, perfect hair, perfect everything. Not to mention the wonder twins. Brave, selfless, honest, intelligent, a hero; she was almost flawless. How could she compete with that? How could any human? Worst of all, she was her husband's colleague and 'best friend'. The whole world believed them to be an item, the prefect couple - Demigods from the modern Olympus, the JLA Watchtower. If it was anybody other than Clark, Lois would have been tempted to give in to her worst fears. If it was anyone other than Diana, Lois would have cast her as a seductress. But these two were too honourable, too moral, despite the mutual admiration and attraction.

Lois no longer had any fear of Clark leaving her. The two of them had gone through too much together, their love had weathered demons and Gods, war and hell. Even death. Clark loved her and she loved him as purely and truly as two souls could ever love. With that knowledge came peace for Lois. When they told her of Asgard, and a thousand years spent together, Lois took them at their word. He had kept her memory and love alive hoping to come back to her. He had not given into temptation for a thousand years. Fighting, eating, sleeping, over and over, in hell together. For a thousand years. Lois tried not to think too hard about it; her head hurt if she did. She understood instinctively the sort of bond they must now share, the kind of unbreakable trust in each other that no foe or wife could tear asunder.

Clark loved Diana. Lois knew this and it no longer bothered her. A woman, a wife knows such things. He hardly had the best of poker faces and no matter how much he tried to hide it, his feelings for her always spilled over. No more obviously than during that Alcmeon debacle. Lois recognized his deep inner conflict that day. She had set him free that day, knowing that he would fly back to her.

She saw his deep hurt when Diana killed Maxwell Lord. It was the shattering of the illusion he had created of Diana. What Lois understood, and Clark, with his deep vow to never to take a life, could not was that Diana's actions were out of pure love. Pure love for Clark upon seeing his mind violated, raped like her sisters had been all those years ago. It was what she would have done to Heracles and his men. It was why she had no regret at all for her actions. His elevation of Diana to that pedestal of perfection was his way of keeping a small distance between them. He convinced himself of being a mere farm boy, unworthy and way out of the league of a Princess, a Goddess. So he fell in love with Lois, someone from his social circle. But the heart cannot be fooled forever. Clark will always love Diana. It no longer bothered Lois.

It no longer bothered Lois because somewhere between trying to compete with the perfect woman, and wallowing in self-pity, she had spent a day with Diana, interviewing her, trying to understand the answer to the ultimate riddle. All the pieces did not fall into place immediately, but rather, through the wisdom that only truth brings.

Some time later, Clark told her that a nano-surgical exploration of his anatomy had revealed that his heart had eight chambers, rather than the normal human four. To Lois, that piece of information made so much sense. She irrationally explained his incredible capacity for love, optimism, and belief in humanity on his double heart. She explained away his undying faith in others, capacity to forgive, occasional naivety, and even his pure soul on this anatomical oddity. Most importantly, it reconciled in her heart the contradiction of Clark's love for her, and his feelings for Diana. Clark Kent, Kal-El, her Superman was that rare being capable of truly loving two women. Only his simple Christian upbringing forced him to suppress a part of his heart forever. He would not violate his moral compass, not even for his own heart.

Diana loved Clark. Lois knew this also. It was obvious every time she said 'Kal'. It was obvious every time she spoke of him. It was obvious every time she looked at him, her eyes saying it louder than words ever could. Ask her about it, and she would readily confess to it, adding 'as a friend' as a disclaimer. What else could two unrequited lovers be? Lois was no longer threatened by this. She had enormous respect for Diana's honour and decency. To have been with the man you loved for a thousand years, yet not having him, never having your love realized, Lois could no longer hate her for being perfect; her heart cried for Diana.

She would always have Clark. Who did Diana have? Did Diana have anybody? What was Diana's sexual orientation? The reporter in her kicked into gear. She was suddenly curious about a lot of things. The wine was having a real effect on her, and she hadn't even had that much.

"Diana, I am confused. I want to know about Amazons and sex."

"Lois!" Clark's reaction seemed normal for him, but when she glanced at him, he seemed to be amused.

"What? I'm a reporter and we are on an island of women who have lived in isolation for three thousand years. What do they do for fun? I am a little drunk, and if not now, when can I ever ask this? En vino veritas and all that."

The small fire burned lazily in front of them, a gentle cool breeze hit their backs. The lights of the capital were far behind them. This little cove was Diana's favourite place on the whole island. Her secret little paradise on paradise. She was having the best birthday of her life. Earlier, the entire nation had feasted in the main hall and shared honey cake. Her mother and sisters had made her feel so loved and blessed. Now she was lazing on the beach with Kal and Lois, her surprise guests. They had flown in before the feast, and Diana had squealed with delight on seeing them. Lois' coldness towards her had dissipated long ago and now there was mutual respect and shared understanding. After the feast, the three of them had walked down to the cove, a blanket, bottle of wine, and pieces of cake in hand. Kal had gathered some wood and started a fire with his eyes. The conversation had been easy and relaxed, the cake was long gone, and the wine nearly so. They were each completely at ease.

"Gods, this wine is strong. Truly worthy of Dionysus. Well, Lois, some of my Amazon sisters do take each other as lovers. Those who are not inclined that way no more think of sex than say nuns or priests in Man's World. They train and mentally discipline themselves to overcome their urges. After all, the reason they are here is because they were all violated by men, and I don't think sex holds that much promise to them any more." Diana's voice was lilting and musical, the trace of an accent adding magic even when talking of horrors. She had not even blinked at the question.

Now Lois' curiosity was truly piqued. She was an abrasive straight-shooter at the best of times. The wine, the night, the location, and the company were all having an effect. Lois wasn't sure where she was going with this.

"What about you, Diana? The Amazon history's only history to you. You've no reason to hate men. What do you like?"

"Lois! That's none of our business. You don't have to answer that, Diana." Clark seemed uncomfortable, but oddly eager to know.

"Come on, Smallville, we're all friends here. What happens here stays here. I don't think we have many secrets from each other anyway. I know of your mutual admiration society. I just want to know more about Diana. I'm curious."

A small smile curled around Diana's lips at the exchange. "Are you sure you want to know everything, Lois? I am curious about you, too, you know."

The air around them seemed to shift a little. Something between them was about to change forever. They all seemed to feel it.

"I...Yes, I want to know." Lois' voice was suddenly softer. All sorts of thoughts flashed in her head. Her eyes held Diana's gaze. What did she mean by 'curious'?

"If you want to know if I've had a lover on the island, then yes, Lois, I've had my share of sexual experiences growing up. I was young, discovering myself, and I was curious naturally. But if you are asking if my orientation is towards women, then no. Once I came to Patriarch's world, I realized I was attracted to men in a way I never was here. Well, certain men, anyway."

"So, these men..." Lois' found the words somehow harder to say suddenly. "Anybody we know, anybody become your lover?"

Diana's bare toes were making lazy patterns in the sand and her gaze seemed distant.

"As I said, I was attracted to some of them. Some were honourable, some made me laugh, some were brave and selfless. I even dated a few as you know, but no, no lover."

"What happened?"

"Well, Bruce kissed me when he thought we were about to die. I knew he was attracted to me, and I admired him deeply. We tried to have a few dates, but our work, his "mission," kept getting in the way. I quickly realized that our differences were too great, and Bruce knew it too. Orin was another I had a crush on. Our kingdoms have had dealings for centuries; he was a king, handsome and brave. He woke me with a kiss when I was under the spell of the Queen of Fables. But even there I realized it was merely a child's fantasy. Besides, I can't hold my breath under water that long."

A throaty laugh escaped Diana's lips. She did not seem to mind baring all to them.

"What about the ones I know of? The U.N. guy and your colleague at DOMA?" Lois asked.

"Yes, we dated, but it did not go anywhere. I even got Mother's blessing for Tom, but I could never give him my heart. I think the idea of loving an immortal Amazon was too much for him, eventually."

"Why do you think you couldn't give them your all?"

"I have given my heart away a long time ago, Lois. This is what you wanted to hear, right? You know I love Kal. I have loved Kal a long time. I think I'll always love him. You think I want to love another woman's man? A man I cannot have? Hera, I'm so tired of denying it to myself. No other man affects me the way you do, Kal, and it seems to be my curse to never know your love."

The wine bottle lay empty, the fire burned strong. Tears glistened in Diana's eyes. She didn't try to blink them away. Clark had a strange look of sorrow and love on his face. He seemed like he wanted to say something, but words wouldn't come out.

"The irony of it. You are Wonder Woman, idol of so many, the fantasy of every male, the very epitome of human perfection and you can't have the one thing your heart wants."

Lois didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the cruel joke of fate. How do you cheat fate? How do you truly prove yourself worthy of his love? How do you reconcile your old possessiveness with your present enlightenment? Could she transcend her narrow-minded instincts and grasp at true happiness for all of them?

She knelt forward and cupped Diana's cheeks in her hands. She looked into those deep blue eyes and felt something stir deep within her. God, she's so beautiful.

"Someone as beautiful as you should not be this unhappy. You deserve so much happiness for all your sacrifices, for your courage and honour, for being you."

Lois brought her lips to Diana's and slowly brushed them against hers. The kiss was feathery and light. Diana's cheeks were still wet, and Lois slowly tried to kiss the tears away. Diana's eyes were inscrutable. Lois kissed her lips again, this time fuller and more insistent. Her hands still cupped her face, and slowly they broke the kiss. Diana tasted of nectar and berries. Lois was not sure what she expected when she kissed her, but the feeling that jolted through her was definitely a surprise. Wow.

Clark had been having a strange evening until then. When he had mentioned (several times) that it was Diana's birthday, it was Lois that suggested they fly down to Themiscyra and celebrate it. He had enjoyed seeing Diana's reaction to his, no, their gift of a genuine 17th century Samurai sword that he had found in Japan. He was having a great time with Lois and Diana beside him. He was genuinely happy, thinking how wonderful life was that the three of them could do this now without guilt or envy clouding things. Then the wine had gone to his head.

It was one of Clark's strangest gifts that alcohol had no effect on him. Often it meant that he avoided all alcohol, hence his boy scout image. If it had no effect on him, why drink often bitter spirits? He had come to enjoy wine for it's sophisticated flavours and aromas and had liked to drink with Lois usually with dinner. He had drank this wine thinking the same, but then came the realization of what it reminded him of, and Diana had told him of its 'divine' origins. By then the wine had begun to affect him. His thoughts remained clear yet the usual distractions of being Superman were no longer there. His super hearing seemed dulled, his vision wasn't telescopic or microscopic instantly. They were all still there, but he had to really concentrate to use them, and right now he couldn't be bothered. For once in his life, he need not hear every falling leaf, need not look out for danger everywhere. Clark found himself liberated and relaxed. He was enjoying the company of the women he loved. Women? Where had that come from?

Then Lois had asked Diana about love. Clark wanted to know, yet did not want to know. He heard from her lips what he had always suspected, yet not dared to believe. His Diana loved him too. He could hear her pain, yet could not do anything for her. He loved Lois more than life itself and he would never hurt her. What could he do to make Diana's pain go away? Then the strangest thing happened. He did not know whether to believe his eyes. Maybe the wine was making him hallucinate. He pinched himself. Ooww. No, it definitely was happening. Lois and Diana were kissing. As in proper kissing. He gaped open-mouthed. Just what was in this wine?

"Oh, don't gape so open-mouthed Smallville. Some mythical creature may fly in, and then where would we be?" Lois actually giggled as she said this. "You really didn't think I broke off our engagement all those years ago just because I wasn't sure of marrying Superman, did you?"

Clark only continued to stare, refusing to believe his eyes.

"For heaven's sake, Lori Lemaris was my room mate, and she was a gorgeous mermaid who walked around topless all the time, Clark. I guess I explored my sexuality too."

"But Lois, I mean, us... and I never knew...how…Diana…" Clark sputtered.

Lois didn't even bother to respond to Clark this time. She pulled him by his shirt and kissed him deeply. The three of them were now sitting very close together, their bodies touching. She then turned to Diana and stared into those beautiful eyes. Diana had an inscrutable expression on her face.

"Diana, what do you think?" Lois looked unsure and shy for the first time, almost as if dreading rejection.

"You mean the three of us making love?" Diana felt heat rise into her cheeks and a warm feeling flow into her loins. "Lois, he's your husband, and I don't want to come between you."

"But I want this. You are bewitching and if you're willing, I want to see where this goes. Clark loves us both. Let us love him together tonight."

"Lois, this is not you, it's this wine. It's making you do and say things you wouldn't normally. It's magical, and you may regret this later." Clark's protest seemed weak and unconvincing, even to himself. His head was pounding at the thought of what she was proposing. His heart was beating wildly in his chest. Lois looked at him like she was looking at a child.

"Of course it is magical. Tonight, we've left the normal behind for an enchanted isle where Gods make wine and I kiss the princess. This night is beyond time and space, I'll regret nothing." Lois' voice softened and her expression became soulful. "My greatest fear has always been that you'd one day wake up and not love me any more. One day you'd find me unworthy and leave me for Diana."

Clark was about to protest when Lois placed her finger on his lip stopping him.

"I'm finally secure enough about us to do this. Do you find me attractive, Diana? Could you love us both?"

Diana responded my leaning forward and kissing her on the mouth. It wasn't the tentative kiss from before. She put passion and desire into this. When they pulled apart finally, neither had any doubts any more.

"I...I've never…with a man before."

"Sshh, don't worry. He's a wonderful lover, gentle and generous. We're going to give you the best birthday gift ever," Lois said softly. Her voice was husky and her body was tingling all over. Visions of their naked bodies entwined, making love to Clark with Diana watching, Diana writhing under Clark; all rapidly flashed in her mind. Oh, it was gonna be magic alright.

"Clark, kiss me please. Then kiss her. Love us both, Superman."

On Olympus, Aphrodite and Dionysus clinked their cups together, a smile on both their lips.