Krys Yuy ~ A Little Magic

New LJ Header

krysyuy@gmail.com — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 08:47:23 GMT

So... a little bored and decided to re-do my LiveJournal header. While I am still absolutely in love with Clois, I think my previous header was way too busy. Probably all the dialogue I tried to cram in at the top.

Anyways, went for a much simpler look. Only four of my favorite actors to the right and then a lovely quote on the left.

Pictures from left to right:
♥ Ryan Reynolds - Because I realized just how awesome he is after The Proposal. I'll be following Green Lantern movie news with pleasure.
♥ Arthur Pendragon (Bradley James) - Because his accent makes me melt. If only he could say my name like he does Guinevere's.
♥ Clark Kent (Tom Welling)
♥ Lois Lane (Erica Durance)

While I got rid of my full-on Clois header, I had to have those two in some capacity as Smallville is my current obsession. Aside from Ouran High School Host Club, I don't think I've ever been so active in a fandom before.

Off to finish my grad school application! (Read: will procrastinate and work on fanfiction before working on application at the last minute.)

Anticipation [1/1] (The Proposal // Andrew/Margaret)

krysyuy@gmail.com — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 06:25:17 GMT

Title: Anticipation
Author: Krys Yuy
Prompt: #11/sunrise
Summary: Post-movie. Margaret has to wonder how she fell for a man-child so full of himself.
Pairing/Characters: Andrew Paxton/Margaret Tate (The Proposal)
Rating: PG/K
Word Count: 1,640
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters used. This fic is purely for entertainment purposes only.
Author’s Notes: For 12_stories (table here). Loved The Proposal so much that I had to write a little ficlet for it. The dynamic between Margaret and Andrew was adorable, and my only complaint with the movie is that we didn’t get more fluffy scenes after Andrew catches up to her in New York. No idea which floor their office is on, so I just made it the 17th. (Writer’s prerogative. :P) I wrote in present tense simply because I felt like it. Please review, if you are so inclined. I’d really appreciate it.

Margaret still has her doubts, even as Andrew pulls away from their kiss in the middle of the gaping office, that this is her happily ever after. Those exist only in fiction, and definitely not the kind she reads and approves for publishing. She’s the ice queen, the witch that everyone flees from. She’s supposed to live out her life alone with only her books to keep her company.

But then Andrew rests his forehead against hers, giving her that infuriating yet adorable half-smile, and she lets herself believe he is her prince charming and maybe, just maybe, she is his princess.

“Let’s get out of here,” he murmurs, rubbing circles on the back of her hands with his thumbs.

She wonders briefly if there is a white horse waiting outside the building. Either a horse or Kevin. She really hopes it’s a horse. “Okay,” she whispers back against his lips. Without saying anything else, she twines her hand in his and lets him lead the way.

Conversation buzzes louder around them as they make their way to the elevators. She resists the urge to duck her head and blush. Instead, she walks primly and proudly a step behind Andrew. She raises an eyebrow at the employees they pass, and though they quickly lower their heads, she spots the smiles on their faces. Inwardly, she sighs. She hopes this doesn’t end up undermining her authority.

Andrew tugs her to his side as he presses the button for the elevator. “Relax,” he says, and though she can’t quite look at him, she knows he’s smiling. “They’re still terrified of you.”

Margaret rolls her eyes. “You’re such a sweet talker,” she replies dryly.

“I have been known for my smooth communication skills,” Andrew says.

The elevator dings and he pulls her into the compartment. She still doesn’t look at him, afraid that if she does, he’ll disappear.

“Hey.”

Ignoring him, Margaret keeps her stare on the doors as they slide close. Then she watches as the floor numbers light up, keenly aware of his stare. How is this supposed to work? She’s his boss – well, colleague now. He’s going to be an editor, but also her boyfriend-slash-husband. Oh, she feels a headache coming on.

“I can hear you thinking too much,” Andrew sings, tapping the side of her forehead.

She swats his hand away. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Look at me,” he says.

She doesn’t and Andrew has to grasp her chin and turn her head towards him. Her eyes look up and down, anywhere but at his face. He grips her cheeks, which makes her lips pucker. Annoyed, she finally locks gazes with him.

“Now was that so hard?” Andrew waggles his eyebrows and Margaret wants to stick her tongue out, but ends up laughing instead. It’s all a little awkward though, what with his hold still on her cheeks.

Andrew grins and swipes a quick kiss from her puckered lips. Her nose scrunches up and she pushes him away, taking his hands off her face.

“What happens now?” she asks quietly.

“Ever the practical one,” Andrew comments, shaking his head. He takes her right hand in both of his and brings it up to his lips. He kisses her knuckles and very softly says, “Let yourself be happy, Margaret.”

She shakes her head. “This doesn’t feel real,” she confesses.

“I ran up seventeen flights of stairs because I was afraid you wouldn’t be here,” Andrew replies, a smile playing across his lips. “My muscles are feeling the burn, so believe me when I say, this is very real.”

He ran up the stairs? Her heart warms even as she comments, “Idiot. Are you trying to kill yourself?”

“I’ll have you know I’m in perfect shape,” he retorts, patting his stomach. “Then again, you already know that.” He winks, and Margaret has to wonder how she fell for a man-child so full of himself.

“I didn’t see anything,” she denies. She had been too mortified by her own nakedness.

Andrew raises a skeptical eyebrow. “Margaret…”

She gets a feeling that she’ll come to hate that tone. It makes her pout. “A tiny, itty-bitty glimpse,” she concedes.

Andrew slings an arm around her shoulders and she allows herself the indulgence of leaning her head against his neck. “Glimpse or no, you’ll eventually see all of it,” he teases. “A year and a half is a long time…”

Margaret smacks him on the back of the head even as her cheeks flush. “Andrew –”

He catches her wrists and ducks down so his mouth is next to her ear. “Don’t worry,” he whispers, and she feels him grin. “We have all the time in the world.”

–

The next morning, as awareness begins to creep into her head, Margaret knows something is different. First off, she isn’t sprawled across her entire bed. Second, she is without her comforter. Third, there is a hard body pressed against her back.

Her eyes snap open and she sits up quickly. The arm around her waist loosens and there’s a sleepy snort before her bed shifts. She looks to her left to see Andrew curling on his side away from her, snuggling into her pillows. He is also wrapped comfortably in her blanket.

Margaret thinks she should be irritated beyond belief, but she can only feel affection well up inside her. They slept side by side innocently, and it is the first time she has done that with any man. Andrew didn’t leave in the middle of the night. He is still here. With her.

She stares at him for a while before reaching out tentatively to touch his hair. She only begins to pet him when he shifts and she snatches her hand back, holding her breath. He mumbles incoherently before settling down again.

She relaxes and gently eases herself out of the bed. She grabs her workout clothes and heads to her exercise bicycle. Routine is routine, after all. She doesn’t know how that will change with Andrew in her life, but she’ll just have to take it a step at a time.

The sun is rising with a brilliant blend of muted golds and reds along the edges of the city skyline, and Margaret stops to admire it. She doesn’t remember ever doing this since she was a teenager. She never takes a moment for herself because stopping leads to introspection about her life and that is something she does not need.

Before Andrew, anyway.

Speaking of… Margaret can’t help but stiffen as he wraps his arms around her from behind. She’s not used to such casual physical contact, especially so early in the morning. But he’s actually quite comfortable and she relaxes into his embrace, wondering at the knowledge that she’s allowed to do such a thing. No strings attached.

He yawns against her hair. “What are you doing?” he asks sleepily.

“Watching the sunrise,” she answers. Wait – is that too weird? Should she not have said that?

Before she can panic, she feels Andrew nod. “’s pretty, huh?” he replies with another yawn.

“Yes, it is,” she agrees.

The sun begins to peek over the tops of the highest skyscrapers, bathing everything in its golden light. She realizes she has never shared a sunrise with anyone before. Another first with Andrew. Her heart swells and she places her hands on Andrew’s arms, her workout clothes dangling from her grip.

“Were y’going some –” He yawns again as he pinches her biker shorts. “– where?”

Margaret finds his drowsy voice charming and takes pity on him. “Go back to sleep, Andrew.”

His head bends down so his nose is pressed against the top of her head. “You too,” he says, voice muffled.

She has never woken up, only to go back to sleep again. “Just because we don’t have to go into the office today doesn’t mean there isn’t work,” she replies. “You sleep in.”

He chuckles and mumbles something unintelligible.

“What?” she asks.

Margaret yelps when, without warning, Andrew scoops her into his arms.

“Andrew! Put me down!” she demands.

Though clearly sluggish, it does not slow him down as he walks back to her bedroom. “You’re not the boss right now,” he says, a little more awake than before.

“I have to exercise and review a new manuscript,” she protests. There is no way she can fall asleep again.

“Work, Margaret?” Andrew asks, amused. “Really?”

She looks at him, lost. “What else am I supposed to do?”

He dumps her on the bed and she bounces with a shriek of surprise. Her glare is cut short when Andrew bounces after her. He pins her on the mattress in the midst of her utter disbelief. She’s about to protest when he swoops in and catches her lips in a sweet kiss.

He pulls back first, though their faces are only inches apart. “Make out with me,” he finally answers with a suggestive smirk.

She wants to slap the smirk off his face, but settles for slapping the back of his head. It won’t be the last time, either, she thinks, though she is intrigued by his suggestion. Not that she’ll admit it.

“Are you always this perverted?” she asks before she can stop herself. She almost groans. Great. Accuse the man you have strong feelings for of being a pervert. That’s one way to get him to stay.

She expects him to be offended, but Andrew shocks her when his smirk only widens. He teases her lips again. “You’ll just have to find out,” he says, mischief coloring his tone.

A shiver of anticipation runs down her spine and Margaret thinks that Andrew will be the death of the old her. She hides her smile as he tucks her head underneath his chin.

She can’t wait.

Crossposted to 12_stories and proposalmovie.

12 Stories Prompt Table

krysyuy@gmail.com — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 11:38:07 GMT

I'm probably going to regret this, but what the hell. Most of these pairings, minus Clois, are ones I've always wanted to write, but never really got around to it. Let's hope I'm more successful this time around.

Username: krysyuy
Fandoms: Avatar the Last Airbender, Firefly, Gossip Girl, High School Musical, Life with Derek, Merlin, Naruto, The Proposal, Smallville, Twilight, Ugly Betty
Pairings/Characters:
♥ Zuko/Katara (Avatar the Last Airbender)
♥ Malcolm Reynolds/River Tam (Firefly)
♥ Nathaniel Archibald/Serena van der Woodsen (Gossip Girl)
♥ Troy Bolton/Sharpay Evans (High School Musical)
♥ Derek Venturi/Casey McDonald (Life with Derek)
♥ Arthur Pendragon/Guinevere (Merlin)
♥ Naruto Uzumaki/Hinata Hyuuga (Naruto)
♥ ~~Andrew Paxton/Margaret Tate (The Proposal)~~
♥ Clark Kent/Lois Lane (Smallville)
♥ Jacob Black/Bella Swan (Twilight)
♥ Jasper Hale/Bella Swan (Twilight)
♥ Daniel Meade/Betty Suarez (Ugly Betty)
Table: 1 - Nature
Community: 12_stories

TABLE ONE - NATURE

01.	Thunder.	02.	Hail.	03.	Snow.	04.	Rain.
05.	Sun.	06.	Moon.	07.	Stars.	08.	Sky.
09.	Clouds.	10.	Wind.	11.	Sunrise. Andrew/Margaret.	12.	Sunset.

01/12

Forever [1/2] (Twilight/SM // Alice/Usagi/Jasper)

krysyuy@gmail.com — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 06:52:43 GMT

Title: Forever
Author: Krys Yuy
Summary: AU. Usagi is blissful in her strange new relationship, but sometimes happiness isn’t meant to last forever. Can her lovers prove otherwise? Threesome. Established relationship.
Pairing/Characters: Alice/Usagi/Jasper, Edward/Bella
Fandoms: Sailor Moon/Twilight
Warning: Slightly suggestive, maybe…? Possible OOCness.
Rating: R/T
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters used. This fic is purely for entertainment purposes only.
Author’s Notes: Set post-Sailor Moon Stars and sometime post-New Moon. I really don’t know where this came from. Inspiration is bizarre that way. This is only supposed to be a two-parter. However, I have an idea that stems from this, which goes into the events of how Usagi came to Forks. We’ll see how that goes. –shrugs– I kinda missed Sailor Moon crossovers, so… yeah. I hope you guys enjoy this weird product of my mind. Please review, if you are so inclined. It would make my day.

Part 01

The warmth beside her shifted and Usagi groaned as the first tendrils of awareness tickled the back of her mind. She threw her arm over the warmth in an attempt to keep it still, but no such luck. It snuggled into her further and Usagi cracked one sleepy eye open.

“Bella?”

Drowsy brown eyes met her blue ones. “Usa?” Her friend yawned. “Where’s Edward?”

Even though her mind was still somewhat in sleep mode, she was awake enough to snort. Of course her friend’s first thought would be of her vampire love. Not that she was any better. A part of her was already wondering why she hadn’t woken up to two cool bodies on either side of her.

Usagi sniffed the air as the aroma of cooking food reached wherever they were. “Breakfast,” she murmured, closing her eyes.

“Huh?” Bella said, pushing her brown hair away from her face.

“Kitchen… breakfast… food.” Usagi seemed incapable of forming full sentences. She waved a hand vaguely in the direction of where she thought the door was. However, the cold burst of morning air made her hand dart back under the covers and she wrapped her arms around her friend’s waist.

“Usagi!” Bella squealed. “Your hands are cold!” She struggled to get away, but Usagi held on tight.

The blonde giggled despite her drowsiness. “Though… you… used to… it,” she muttered.

Bella had no argument for that and her squirming stopped. “Yeah, well…”

Usagi nuzzled the pillow under her head and pulled her best friend closer. “Sleep,” she said.

“Usa!” Bella laughed as she tried once again to extricate herself from her friend’s arms, albeit slowly this time. “We have to get ready for school!”

“Hmm…” Usagi only burrowed further under the covers.

Bella could tell her friend was losing herself to sleep again. She lightly slapped the blonde’s cheeks. Usagi’s face scrunched up adorably and Bella laughed again. “Come on! If you don’t wake up now, you won’t get that delicious breakfast that’s cooking.”

Usagi twitched, but still didn’t wake.

Bella looked around and realized they were in Edward’s room. They were laying on the white futon he usually only used to toss stuff on. She was surprised neither she nor Usagi fell off in the middle of the night. Lifting her head, she recognized the delicious smell that floated from downstairs.

“I smell bacon… and pancakes,” she said in a singsong voice. “And I bet Esme has strawberries and cream to go with that.” Usagi stirred again and Bella went in for the kill. “I suppose I’ll just eat it all by myself.”

Usagi sat up quickly, knocking Bella off the futon in her haste to stand. “I’m up, I’m up!” she said. “Don’t eat all of it!”

Bella rubbed her bottom as she glared at Usagi from behind the other side of the futon. “Jeez, Usa. You know you’re the only one who could ever finish the mountain of food Esme cooks us.”

Usagi looked down to find her friend on the floor. “Oops.” She smiled sheepishly and stood on the futon, offering her hand. “Sorry.”

Bella rolled her eyes but took the blonde’s hand without hesitation. When Usagi pulled her up to join her on top of the futon, she grinned. “You’re forgiven… klutz.”

Usagi stuck out her tongue. “Look who’s talking!” She bounced on the balls of her feet as she looked around the room. “So, how’d I end up here with you anyway?”

“I don’t know… the last thing I remember was watching a movie in the family room.” Bella shrugged and patted her friend’s shoulder with her free hand. “They probably moved us up here together.”

“Yeah, I think I fell asleep too,” Usagi added, squeezing Bella’s hand. “On your shoulder. I probably wouldn’t let you go.” She grinned a bit, blushing.

“You’re definitely a snuggler.” Bella laughed. She glanced at the clock on Edward’s wall. “Crap, we have to get ready! I’ll see you downstairs, okay?”

Usagi’s eyes widened as she also saw the time. “Aiyah! Why can I never wake up early?” She jumped down to the carpeted floor as Bella tried to hide a chuckle. “I heard that! The question was rhetorical, you know.”

Usagi dashed out of Edward’s room and out into the hallway so Bella could get ready. From there, she ran up the set of stairs that led to the third floor and into her lovers’ room. She immediately darted into the huge closet and grabbed the first thing from the area designated for her. She walked out, placing the clean clothes on the chaise longue by the glass doors leading to the balcony.

Usagi was pulling her oversized T-shirt over her head when she felt a pair of cold arms wrap around her waist. She would have jumped if the person behind her weren’t holding on so tightly. A musical laugh was muffled against her bare shoulders.

She knew that laugh. “Alice!” She took off the rest of her shirt and threw it in a random corner. “What are you doing? I’m changing!”

“It’s okay,” Alice giggled. The fingers of her right hand danced along Usagi’s arms, and the blonde shivered. “We’re all girls here. Except Jazz, of course.”

Usagi squeaked in embarrassment and crossed her arms over her chest. She turned her head to find her other lover casually leaning against the closed door of their bedroom. His lazy smile nearly undid her.

She groaned as Alice’s hands trailed from her waist to play with the edges of her pajama pants. “How do you guys expect me to change like this?” she asked, leaning back into Alice’s embrace.

Alice’s breath tickled her ear. “We don’t,” she whispered, her sweet voice sounding a lot less innocent and a lot more naughty.

Usagi felt her face flame the same moment desire pooled in her stomach. “Alice!”

Alice turned her slightly so she could look at her face. “You’re so adorable when you’re embarrassed!” she exclaimed, hugging Usagi’s form even closer.

Usagi turned her head again, face bright red, and pleaded with her other lover. “Jasper, please.” She whimpered as Alice’s fingers continued to prance along her skin.

He chuckled. “Come on, Alice.”

Usagi could feel Alice pout against her back. “You’re no fun.” Usagi wasn’t sure if her pixie-like girlfriend was talking to her or Jasper, but she was relieved when Alice let her go. She dived for the pink blouse she had taken from the closet and put it on quickly, figuring she could put on a bra after her lovers left the room.

Jasper came up to Usagi and took her hand, bringing it up so he could kiss her knuckles. His golden eyes burned into her and she tried not to melt. “We’ll wait downstairs,” he said softly.

Alice skipped up to her and brushed her lips against hers in a feather-light kiss, causing Usagi to smile shyly. “Don’t be long, Moonshine,” Alice whispered. She danced out of the room, grabbing Jasper’s hand along the way.

Jasper smiled at Usagi again as he let Alice take him away, her giggle echoing in the hallway.

Usagi snapped out of her daze and glanced at the clock. Her panicked yelp caused Alice to laugh louder. Usagi changed quickly, sliding on a pair of dark jeans and remembering to put a bra on under her stylish pink blouse. After that, she dashed into the bathroom and grabbed two ponytail holders. She finished arranging one side of her hair into a round bun with a long ponytail falling from it. She rushed down one set of stairs and then another while fixing her other bun, her backpack slung across her right shoulder. Just as she completed her traditional hair-do, she stumbled on the last step leading to the foyer.

Luckily, she was caught in a pair of strong arms and she looked up into the grinning face of the vampire she considered a big brother. “Thanks, Em,” she said in relief.

He shook his head, laughing. “I swear, Bunny, are all humans like this? Or are you and Bells the exception?” he asked teasingly.

She scrambled out of his arms, dropping her backpack by the front door. “Ha, ha,” she said over her shoulder. She skidded into the kitchen as the rest of the Cullen family looked up in amusement.

Bella continued to eat her breakfast at the kitchen island quietly, though Usagi knew her best friend had to be smiling.

Usagi looked around at all the beautiful vampires lounging around the kitchen and grinned sheepishly. “Morning,” she greeted.

Esme with her caramel colored hair and gentle smile came up and hugged her around the shoulders, handing her a plate complete with pancakes and bacon. “Good morning, Usagi,” she replied pleasantly.

Usagi breathed in deeply, and not for the first time, wondered how the motherly vampire could cook such delicious meals when she didn’t eat human food. “Thank you, Esme,” she said sincerely. “It smells wonderful.”

Carlisle pulled out the metal bar chair next to Bella for her. “Good morning,” he greeted. His golden hair shined under the light and Usagi knew, if not for her Asian features, people would have thought they were related.

Usagi placed her plate on the intricately woven tablemat. “Thank you,” she said to the handsome doctor as she sat down.

Carlisle tucked the chair in carefully. “You’re welcome,” he replied graciously. “Did you and Bella sleep well? I hear you two couldn’t be separated last night.”

Usagi and Bella shared both an embarrassed and amused look. “I think I speak for both of us when I say we slept almost perfectly,” Bella commented, stealing a glance at Edward.

Carlisle raised a knowing eyebrow. “Well, I’m glad to hear that.”

Usagi tried to hide a giggle, but Bella saw and nudged her in the side with her elbow playfully. The nudge was just a little too hard though as Usagi’s giggle turned into a wince, which was almost immediately soothed by a feeling of comfort. She looked up at her honey-haired boyfriend, who was leaning against the counter on the other side of the kitchen, and smiled gratefully. Jasper’s expression softened, though his eyebrows drew together in irritation as his eyes slid over to Bella. Usagi locked gazes with her pixie-like girlfriend, who was standing next to Jasper. Usagi tilted her head slightly and Alice understood, reaching up to distract Jasper’s ire away from Bella. Jasper turned his head to stare at his wife and she smiled up at him, whispering. His tense shoulders relaxed and Usagi looked down at her plate.

Usagi noted the pile of strawberries and whipped cream on the top of her pancakes and glanced quickly at Bella, then Alice. Her beautiful girlfriend winked at her and she grinned. She dug in, finishing her stack of pancakes and side of bacon within minutes.

Esme was already ready with another batch. “Seconds?” she asked.

“Yes, please!” Usagi held out her plate for more even as Bella shook her head in the negative.

“No thanks,” the brunette said.

Usagi finished her plate just as speedily as she did the first. She wiped her mouth with a cloth napkin and looked up to smile gratefully at Esme. “That was so good! Thank you!” she said sincerely.

“It was my pleasure,” Esme replied, smiling back. “Let me take those for you.” She reached for Usagi’s plate, but Bella took it before she could and stacked it on top of hers.

“We can do the dishes,” Bella said, kicking Usagi behind the island where she knew Esme couldn’t see.

“Yeah,” Usagi agreed hurriedly, rubbing her shin. She tried to shake off the minor pain quickly, masking it from Jasper with a larger emotion. “Let us do that.”

“Don’t be silly,” Esme said with a frown. “You’ll be late for school.”

Edward took the plates from Bella and placed them in his adoptive mother’s capable hands. “Thank you,” he said. “We’ll be going now.”

Bella started whispering to Edward, frowning, but before Usagi could even attempt to listen, her hand was caught and she was pulled out of her seat. Alice lifted the blonde’s hand and twirled under it, leading her down to the garage.

“Wait, my backpack!” Usagi turned but Jasper was suddenly next to her, holding the straps with one hand. She took it from him and leaned up to kiss his cold cheek. “Thanks,” she whispered.

“Not a problem,” he replied. A wave of affection was sent her way and she smiled at him, beaming. He took her other hand and squeezed, following his two girls into the spacious garage.

The garage door was open and Edward and Bella were already waiting in the front of the bronze-haired vampire’s silver Volvo. Alice quickly entered the back, moving to the opposite end of the car behind Bella’s passenger seat. Usagi squeezed into the middle as Jasper sat behind Edward.

Jasper hadn’t even closed the door all the way when Edward smoothly pulled out of the garage and onto the dirt road, Emmett and Rosalie following behind in Emmett’s jeep.

The silence in the car was comfortable before Edward said, “Don’t worry. We won’t be late.” He glanced back at Usagi with an amused expression. “And I won’t crash the car.”

Oh, right. The mind-reading. She flushed. “Sorry, it’s just – I’m not used to getting to school on time.” She looked outside at the scenery rushing by. “Or driving this fast.”

“You get used to it,” Bella said dryly, shooting Edward a look.

He laughed, musical and soothing all at once.

“This is your first time driving with him, isn’t it?” Jasper asked, tucking a stray lock of her blonde hair behind her ear.

She smiled, secretly delighted by his affectionate touches. “Well, I can’t say I haven’t thought about the car crashing when I’m with you or Alice either,” Usagi remarked, serious and mischievous at the same time.

“Like we would let anything happen to you,” Alice said, still holding Usagi’s right hand in her left one. She pulled the blonde closer to her. “You don’t have to be scared when you’re with us.”

Usagi leaned against the petite brunette’s granite neck, relishing in the reassurance of her presence. “I know,” she whispered. There was a touch against her left thigh, and while she didn’t look, she knew Jasper had placed his hand there.

Usagi looked towards the front seat and saw Edward frowning before her eyes closed. She let herself drift to the quiet whispering of the two people sitting on either side of her, trusting them to wake her when they reached school.

In what seemed like minutes later, there was a cool touch against her lips. Her eyes fluttered opened to meet Jasper’s eyes, a bit darker than their usual gold but dark all the same. “We’re here?” she mumbled.

“Yes, Moonshine,” Jasper murmured back. Uncaring of any witnesses, he kissed her one more time before leaning over and doing the same to Alice.

Alice sighed in pleasure as he pulled away. “Time for school,” she said, sounding a bit woeful.

“No, you cannot stay in the car all day, Usagi,” Edward said, frowning. He stood outside his front door and ducked his head down to speak.

“Okay, okay,” she replied, yawning. She scooted out the door after Alice and stretched her stiff limbs. She linked arms with Bella and pretended to whisper conspiratorially. “Your boyfriend’s such a spoilsport.”

Bella shook her head. “I don’t know what you mean,” she said.

“Uh-huh.” Usagi rolled her eyes, but kept her mouth shut. She pushed her more childish thoughts to the back of her mind, heedful of Edward’s gift.

“Usagi! Bella!” A voice called out from across the school parking lot.

Bella waved, while Usagi replied, “Hey, Ang!” She patted Bella’s hand. “I’ll see you at lunch.”

Bella murmured the affirmative even as she drew back to Edward. Usagi felt strangely bereft as she looked from Bella and Edward to Alice and Jasper, and even to Rosalie and Emmett getting out of the jeep in the background. She wanted desperately to join her lovers, but she couldn’t create a scandal. Not in a small town like Forks. It was bad enough that Dr. Cullen’s adoptive children were couples. If there was a threesome introduced to the mix? That would ruin the Cullens’ carefully crafted peace and Usagi would never jeopardize that for anything.

She turned quickly, careful to make sure her lovers didn’t see her insecurity. She pushed her love for them at the forefront of her being so Jasper wouldn’t suspect anything. It was ridiculously easy to do so. In the year and few months she had known them, they had effortlessly become her world. Her love for them was strong and – dare she think it? – perhaps stronger than her past love that now seemed so long ago.

Shaking her head, Usagi looked up and waved at the kind brunette still standing by the stairs. “Angela, wait up!” she called. She looked over her shoulder at Alice and Jasper to see them regarding her carefully. Her gaze dropped to their clasped hands and she smiled. “Bye.”

“Bye, Moonshine,” Alice said, her voice low so no nearby humans could hear. Jasper only nodded, but Usagi relished the love and warmth that washed over her.

Usagi’s smile grew brighter and her lovers relaxed somewhat. She resisted the urge to blow them a kiss and instead turned around and ran across the parking lot. She was already halfway to Angela when she heard Alice’s sharp exclamation of “Jasper!” before she tripped along a crack. Hitting the lovely gravel below was suddenly an unavoidable event. She threw her hands forward and braced herself, hoping against hope that she wouldn’t bleed. She should have known her worry was unnecessary.

The barest tenths of a second passed before a cold hand gripped her upper arm and yanked her back into a granite embrace. She allowed herself a small moment of indulgence before she pulled away, aware of the many watchful eyes around them. She only hoped he hadn’t used his vampire speed to get to her.

“Thanks, Jasper,” she whispered.

The honey-haired vampire nodded. “Careful, Darlin’,” he warned, voice low and husky. Her hair stood on end and she was suddenly hypersensitive to him.

Usagi nodded mutely. She would never get used to the way he made her feel. “Sorry,” she squeaked, scrambling backwards. Despite his warning, she still nearly sprinted the rest of the way to Angela, who was one of the few gazing at her in concern rather than derision.

“Usagi, are you alright?” her brunette friend asked, placing a hand on her arm.

“I’m fine. Just being my usual klutzy self.” Usagi shrugged sheepishly, placing a hand behind her head. “Let’s go to Calculus.”

“You want to go to math class?” Angela asked incredulously.

Usagi let out a nervous chuckle. “Too obvious an excuse?”

Angela eyed her speculatively and looked at the Cullens making their way across the parking lot. “Do you have a crush on Jasper Hale?” she whispered, thinking Usagi would be the only one to hear.

“Ang!” Usagi exclaimed. Her embarrassment rose as she heard Emmett laugh behind her. “Let’s go!” She grabbed her friend’s hand and hurried up the steps, ears burning. Though Emmett’s laugh still made her cheeks burn, she wished more than anything she could have walked into school with Alice and Jasper.

People thought she had a crush on someone who was already taken. By her girlfriend, though they didn’t know that. Ugh. Usagi groaned, shaking her head. She was confusing herself.

“Are you okay?” Angela asked again, clearly worried. “I’m sorry about bringing up the crush thing, but seriously, you’re all red now.”

Usagi ducked into their Calculus classroom and sat in her seat by the window, letting go of Angela’s hand. She hit her head on her desk as her friend slid in the seat next to her. “I’m okay, Angela,” she said, her voice muffled. “Just a little embarrassed at nearly tripping in front of the whole school.”

“Not everyone was looking,” Angela replied, though her statement rang a bit false in Usagi’s ears.

Usagi lifted her head, raising an eyebrow incredulously. Angela’s earlier question tickled her consciousness. “By the way, I don’t have a crush on Jasper,” she whispered. I’m only head over heels in love with him and his wife. “He’s with Alice. And he’s just a friend.”

“You just seemed in an awful hurry to get away from him today.” Angela raised her hands in a placating motion when Usagi sighed in frustration. “That’s all I’m saying…”

“Embarrassment does wonders for a person’s flight reflex,” Usagi replied, looking towards the open door of the classroom.

Her breath caught as the familiar forms of Alice and Jasper walked past. However, they didn’t even look inside the classroom and her heart fell. She understood why, but it didn’t make it any less disappointing. Sighing, she took out her math textbook and opened it to a random page. Her phone vibrated in her pocket and she took it out, flipping open the cover to find a new text message.

Miss u. ~ A&J

Her chest warmed and a smile curved her lips automatically. She was about to type in a response when someone cleared their throat. She looked up to see her math teacher looking down at her with a raised eyebrow.

“I was just… turning it off?” she offered weakly.

“See that you do, Ms. Tsukino,” he said. He walked back to the front of the room. “All right, class. Open your textbook to page 102 and…”

Usagi flipped to the right page and pressed the off button on her phone. She tucked it away in her pocket, promising silently to text Alice and Jasper back later.

–

Despite her internal promise, it was lunchtime by the time the opportunity presented itself. She decided to wait until she actually saw them in person. After paying at the cashier, she picked up her lunch tray and did a quick sweep of the cafeteria, her eyes zeroing in on the tables at the very back by the exit to the outside. They were empty.

Usagi sighed.

“Come on, Usagi,” Angela said, smiling as she walked past her and towards their usual table. Ben, Eric and Mike were already chatting and laughing together.

“Right behind you,” she replied. She balanced her tray with one hand as she used her free hand to dig out her cell phone from her pocket.

Usagi and Angela joined the boys and greetings were exchanged all around. Usagi laid her tray down and powered her phone, flipping it open. She sat facing the windows, giving her the perfect view of the quad.

You have 1 new voicemail message.

An unknown caller? Usagi’s brows furrowed together. She pressed a couple buttons before bringing the phone to her ear.

“Hey Usa, we were thinking of going to First Beach tomorrow,” Eric said, stealing a fry off her plate. She smacked his hand as the automated voice of her message system greeted her.

The robotic voice droned on. “One new message made at 9:47AM.”

Eric waved a hand in her face. “You in?” he asked.

“We haven’t been to La Push in forever,” Angela added, smiling.

It really had been a long time since she had hung out with them. She should ask Bella if she wanted to come along as well. “Sure, guys, I’d love a day at the beach,” Usagi said, returning Angela’s smile.

“Excellent!” Eric exclaimed, exchanging high-fives with her and the rest of the table.

Usagi’s laugh abruptly cut off as a smooth, deep voice she hadn’t heard in over two years filled her ears.

“Hello Usak- Usagi.”

Her hand tightened on her cell phone.

“I know it’s been a long time, but I’m in Washington for a conference and… well, I thought I would look you up. It would be great if we could meet. If you want to talk, please call me back.”

Angela noticed her silence. “Usagi?”

She was frozen. Her fingers were numb.

“Usagi,” Angela repeated, now sounding a bit alarmed. “What’s wrong?”

The smooth, still utterly handsome voice delivered one final blow.

“I miss you.” A brief pause of air and then dial tone.

The phone slipped from her nerveless fingers to clatter on the table below. Usagi didn’t even notice. The sound of his nearly forgotten voice surrounded her, echoing again and again in her head.

Angela shook her shoulders. “Hello, Usagi? Are you okay?”

Her blue eyes focused on her friend’s worried face and she swallowed saliva down her suddenly dry throat. “I’m fine. A little lost in thought,” she explained lamely, picking up her phone and gripping it tightly.

Angela frowned. “You’re as pale as a ghost,” she said.

Usagi touched her face self-consciously. “I need –” She glanced outside and her eyes widened as she saw the Cullens and Bella exiting the building across the quad. They started walking towards the cafeteria and her heart stuttered in her chest at the thought of Alice and Jasper seeing her now. Then there was Edward. There was no way she could keep it a secret. She couldn’t let them know. Not now.

“I need to make a phone call,” she said, turning to Angela so suddenly that the brunette gasped. “I’ll be right back.” She got up from her seat, but Angela caught her wrist.

“Are you sure…?”

Usagi smiled reassuringly, though her emotions were actually running wild. “I’m fine, it’s fine,” she said. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted the Cullens nearing the cafeteria. Her panic shot up and she started walking away backwards. “I’m just gonna –” She pointed over her shoulder at the exit to the school hallway.

Usagi didn’t wait for Angela to respond before she whirled around and walked quickly to the hallway, but not too quickly as to draw the attention of her vampire friends and lovers. She didn’t dare look behind her to see if they had finally reached the cafeteria. She thought of going to the restroom, so as to hide her true intent from Edward if he chose to read her mind.

Usagi let out a shaky breath as she emerged in the safety of the hallway. She needed to get out of there. And there was one person she could call. She started walking towards the parking lot as she took out her phone and hit a speed-dial button.

The person on the other line picked up. “Hello?”

“Jake?” She was horrified to hear her voice was teary. “Can you pick me up?”

–

Bella smiled happily as Edward slung an arm over her shoulder as they pushed through the doors to the cafeteria. “I’m gonna get a salad real quick,” she said.

“All right,” Edward replied, kissing her forehead. “We’ll see you at the table.”

Bella nodded and went over to the salad bar. She looked around at the tables absently as she picked out her vegetables. Edward sat at their usual table with the other Cullens, looking back at her. She smiled at him and his familiar crooked smile made her heart beat a little bit faster. His smile widened.

Bella blushed though her smile faded a bit as she saw the look on Alice’s and Jasper’s faces. She followed their line of sight to the table where Usagi usually sat with Angela, Ben and the others. Her cheerful best friend was absent.

Frowning, she picked up her tray and headed over to the table. “Hey Angela,” she greeted.

Angela looked up from where she was talking to Ben. “Oh, hi Bella,” she said.

“Where’s Usagi?”

Angela exchanged a look with Ben. Bella looked around at the table, and for the first time, noted the troubled expressions on their faces.

“What happened?” she demanded.

“She was just checking her voicemail,” Angela said, “when she got all quiet and pale. She wouldn’t say why.”

“Where is she?” Bella repeated, worry now her dominant emotion.

“She left the cafeteria around five minutes ago,” Ben answered with a shrug.

“Said something about making a phone call,” Eric added, frowning.

Angela tried to smile. “She said she’d be back soon, though.”

“… okay.” Bella also tried to smile back, but had about the same success as Angela. “Thanks, guys.” She turned around and walked over to the Cullen table. As she placed her tray on the table and sat down, she kept her eyes on Jasper, who was suddenly very tense. Bella felt Edward sit closer to her and she reached out to squeeze his hand. “I’m assuming you guys heard all that?” she asked.

Alice nodded. She looked away from Jasper’s rigid expression to her. “Usagi’s so blurry all the time,” she said. “I hate not being able to see her.”

“You saw her trip,” Emmett commented, confused.

“She clears up only seconds before something happens to her. I don’t know why,” Alice said, frustrated.

“She’s not back yet,” Jasper murmured. Bella could tell he was getting more agitated the more time passed. His gold eyes were getting darker.

“Calm down,” Edward said sharply, but softly enough so as not to draw attention. “You can’t do anything for her by making a scene.”

Alice squeezed Jasper’s hand and began whispering to him quietly, stroking his cheek.

“Can you hear her?” Bella asked, looking imploringly at her boyfriend.

“There are too many other voices here,” Edward replied, though his face was a mask of concentration. He looked like he was listening for something.

Jasper stood up abruptly. “Screw this,” he muttered, walking towards the cafeteria exit that led to the school hallway.

Alice quickly followed him.

Bella stood up as well, but Edward grabbed her wrist. “What?” she asked, looking down at him.

“It’s dangerous,” he said calmly. “I don’t want you going anywhere near Jasper right now.”

“She’s my best friend, Edward,” Bella replied. She tried to yank her wrist back, but her boyfriend was immovable.

“He needs to calm down,” Edward replied. “If you start to bleed –”

“I’m not going to start bleeding spontaneously,” she whispered fiercely. “If you’re so worried, just come with me, but I’m going either way.”

Edward seemed to realize it was useless to argue when he stood as well. “Fine.” He sighed. “Let’s go.”

“We’ll, umm, just be here,” Emmett said.

Rosalie huffed and rolled her eyes, but said nothing.

Bella rushed across the cafeteria as fast as she could without it being too conspicuous. However, when she exited out into the hallway, she was fully prepared to sprint. Her boyfriend’s cold hand on her shoulder stopped her. “Don’t even think about it,” he said. “You’re going to trip.”

She looked over her shoulder at him in exasperation. “Are you sure you can’t read my mind?” she asked.

His expression turned enigmatic. “Believe me, love,” he said, grazing her cheek, “I can’t.”

She looked away before she could get lost in his eyes. “Come on,” she said. “Let’s go.” She started walking to the right, but he stopped her. “What?”

His crooked smile was back. “They went this way.” He pointed to the left.

She blushed. “Oh. Right.” She turned around and began walking in the direction he was pointing. “Okay.” Her walk became a jog, which would have become a run if Edward weren’t holding on to her hand. “I know you can go faster than this,” she said, annoyed.

Edward swept her in his arms in response and she yelped, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Hold on,” he said. He ran fast at human speed through the hallways, which was still faster than most humans, careful to avoid any faculty members.

Once they exited the school and got outside, they saw Alice and Jasper standing atop the hill overlooking the parking lot. Jasper seemed prepared to pounce, but Alice was restraining him. Edward hurried swiftly a few feet away from them, placing Bella on the ground and stepping in front of her.

Bella looked down at the parking lot as the loud sound of a motorcycle engine roared through the air. She recognized Jacob’s black Harley and the two people riding atop it. “Usagi!” she shouted, cupping her hands on either side of her mouth to amplify her voice.

Usagi didn’t even look back as Jacob’s motorcycle tore out of the parking lot and in the direction of La Push.

Bella placed a hand on Edward’s shoulder. “What happened?” she asked.

He didn’t look away from Alice and Jasper as he responded, “They don’t know. They got here just as she got on the motorcycle.”

“What the hell is going on?” Jasper demanded, stressed and confused. The question didn’t seem to be directed at anyone in particular.

“Jazz, we’ll figure this out,” Alice said, rubbing his arm. “Come on, let’s go home. We need to talk about what we want to do.”

Jasper’s eyes snapped to Edward so suddenly that Bella flinched. “What was she thinking?” he asked.

“Take me away.” Edward’s voice was empty as he answered. “She just kept repeating it over and over. ‘Take me away.’”

That sentence seemed to break through Jasper’s anger as he deflated, wrapping his arms around Alice. “I could feel her pain and confusion from here,” he whispered. “There was so much… how could she have hidden this from us?”

“She couldn’t,” Alice replied simply. “We didn’t have an inkling of this beforehand. That voicemail message must have been the trigger.” She rubbed circles along his lower back.

“… I’ll kill them.”

“Jasper!” Edward exclaimed, making sure Bella was behind him.

He was ignoring him. “I’ll kill whoever hurt her,” Jasper continued, arms tightening around Alice.

“We don’t know that someone did,” Alice reminded quietly. “Jazz, you have to calm down. We need to think rationally.”

“I need her smile, Alice,” Jasper confessed, lowering his head. “Just like I need you in my life… I need her, too.”

“I know,” Alice said, hugging her husband close. “Don’t worry. She’ll be back.”

He pulled back to look at her face. “Did you see–?”

She shook her head. “No. But I know her,” she said. She locked her gold eyes with his. “Just like you do.” She took his hands away from her waist so she could clasp them. She held on tightly. “She’s ours, Jasper.”

Jasper breathed out slowly, even though he didn’t need to breath at all. He brought their clasped hands up and kissed them. “She’s ours,” he repeated, nodding.

“I’ll go after her,” Bella volunteered.

Alice and Jasper finally turned towards her even as Edward whirled around to face her. “No, you can’t,” he said.

“You can’t cross into Quileute land, but I can,” Bella said, frowning. “And that’s obviously where Usagi and Jacob were headed.” She popped her head out over Edward’s shoulder to smile reassuringly at her friends. “I’ll find out what’s wrong and I’ll bring her back.”

“I don’t like you going into their territory,” he said.

“We’ve been over this before. They’re my friends,” Bella said, her face set determinedly. “Besides, Usagi needs me.”

“Edward, just let her go,” Alice said, glaring at him.

Jasper pressed his lips against her temple, though he leveled his own glower against his adoptive brother as well.

Edward looked away from them, his face pained. He kissed Bella softly. “Be careful,” he cautioned. “I’ll drop you off at your house so you can take your truck.”

Bella nodded. She walked down the stairs leading to the parking lot, Edward following closely behind. She looked up at Alice and Jasper, both of whom were looking very distant and very lost, despite being in each other’s arms. They needed their light. Bella made a promise right then and there.

I’ll bring her back to you.

–

Usagi didn’t say a word as they crossed into the reservation and arrived at Jacob’s house. She did manage a smile though when he picked her off his bike and settled her on the ground as if she weighed nothing more than a feather.

“Did they do something?” he asked quietly, but Usagi recognized the barely reigned in anger.

“No!” she said immediately. “No, it’s not them.”

Jacob relaxed only slightly. “Then why the emergency?”

She hesitated and he pulled her into an affectionate hug. “You don’t have to say anything,” he murmured. “Though I did skip school for you.”

“Oh!” She gasped and pulled back to look into his face. “I’m sorry!” It was then she noticed the smirk playing along his lips. “Jacob!”

“Usagi, please. You should know me better than that. Like I needed an excuse to see you.” He tapped her nose. “Let’s go inside. Dad’s not around at this time in the afternoon.”

Usagi followed him into the house and through the hallway that led to his room. Jacob plopped onto his bed, lying down, and Usagi joined him in his ceiling staring. She laid down to his right. Her head titled slightly to the left so it was touching Jacob’s head. Jacob sniffed the air and then coughed.

“Usa, you stink,” he said. By his muffled voice, Usagi knew he was scrunching up his nose.

She slapped his chest with the back of her left hand. “I do not!”

“Yeah, you do.” Jacob pulled at one of her pigtails. “You smell like them.”

She rolled her eyes. “I wonder why…”

“Ugh, don’t put images in my head!” Jacob exclaimed, clapping his left hand over his eyes. “I already have to deal with Bells and that other bloodsucker.”

“Don’t call him that,” Usagi immediately said, frowning.

“I don’t know why you defend him,” Jacob said, his tone equally displeased. “You were there when he left her. She was devastated.”

Usagi’s voice sounded hollow to her own ears. “He did it to protect her.”

“You don’t sound very convinced of that fact.” Jacob sounded triumphant and she slapped his chest again. He laughed. “You know I’m not feeling that at all.”

“It makes me feel better,” she replied, closing her eyes.

Her friend was silent for a few minutes before he spoke again. “The leeches get both you and Bells,” Jacob said, sounding strangely empty. “I don’t think it’s too much to ask that I get to call them what I want.”

He tried to hide it, but Usagi could hear the pain and bitterness hiding in his tone. “Jake…” She poured her compassion into his name, and turned on her side, curling into his body.

“Don’t,” he bit out, but she felt him relax all the same. After a few seconds, he sighed. “I’m sorry. I’m supposed to be making you feel better.”

She lowered her head and rested her forehead against his bicep. “Let’s just stay like this,” she whispered. “Before the world comes to take us back.”

Jacob dropped a kiss on her head. He wrapped an arm around her. “If Bells were here too, we’d be complete…” He yawned and Usagi felt his muscles loosen even further.

The steady pulsing of his heartbeat lulled her into drowsiness. But she couldn’t help but miss the soft whispering of the people closest to her heart.

An unwelcome reminder of earlier in the day chose then to resound in her head.

“I miss you.”

A bout of tears gathered behind her eyelids and she burrowed closer to Jacob, feeling his heat but longing for the cold. She murmured to the voice so recently come to plague her.

“Leave me alone, Mamoru.”

Popsicle Soup [1/1] (Smallville // Clark/Lois)

krysyuy@gmail.com — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 07:58:01 GMT

Title: Popsicle Soup
Author: Krys Yuy
Prompt: #36/popsicles
Summary: It’s summertime and Clark comes up with a mischievous way to cool down. Or heat up, as the case may be. Shameless fluff. Set in or post-Season 9. Free Fall universe compatible.
Pairing/Characters: Clark/Lois
Warning: Slightly suggestive, maybe…?
Rating: R/T (mild)
Word Count: 3,428
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters used. This fic is purely for entertainment purposes only.
Author’s Notes: Written for the Summer Food Challenge at 12days_of_clois. Set in the Free Fall universe, but can be read as a Smallville standalone. You need no knowledge of the FF universe to enjoy this story. However, FF readers may read this to get something more out of the Free Fall universe and the relationship between Clark and Lois. This is just a simple piece of fluff for readers to enjoy. I don’t know what it is about 12days_of_clois, but my muse really loves their prompts. Please read, review and enjoy~!

( Crap, why did you bring out so many? Of course they’re going to melt in this heat! )

Crossposted to 12days_of_clois, clois, cloisfic, Divine Intervention.

Free Fall [8/?] (Smallville // Clark/Lois)

krysyuy@gmail.com — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 20:51:58 GMT

Title: Free Fall (8/?)
Author: Krys Yuy
Summary: Clark isn’t willing to risk his heart again. But when Fate gives him a glimpse into his future, the only question is – how hard will he fall?
Pairings/Characters: Clark/Lois, Chloe/Bart, Oliver/Dinah, Bruce/Zatanna, Justice League
Warning: Spoilers up to Hex.
Rating: PG-13/K+
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters used. This fic is purely for entertainment purposes only.
Author’s Notes: I hope you guys enjoy how I handled the suit in this chapter. I really tried to keep it in line with how SV!Clark would view it. I don’t have much to say this time around, except sorry for the cliffhanger. ^o^;; Though I’m sure most of you aren’t surprised there is one. :P Something feels a little off, but I did end this chapter how I always intended to, so… Well, I’ll let you find out for yourself. :) And forgive me for any wrong facts about wetsuits and neoprene – I don’t do any ocean-y activities at all!
Big thanks to all my loyal readers and reviewers! I love you, guys. ♥ Please read, review, and enjoy!

Chapter 8: Attempt

Lois deflated a bit at his lackluster response. “… you like the colors,” she repeated dully.

Clark looked from the cape to the suit to the belt. “Red, blue and yellow,” he said. “My three favorite colors.” He hoped his smile didn’t seem too unenthusiastic.

Lois’s eyes narrowed. “That’s all you have to say?” she asked.

Clark nodded, not meeting her gaze. He had a sneaking suspicion that Lois was going to make him try it on. Maybe if he didn’t look her in the eye…

“Clark.”

He winced at her no-nonsense tone. He slowly looked away from the suit to her face. “What?” he asked.

Lois draped the cape and belt over the back of the couch. She propped her now free hand against her hip, as she prompted, “Why don’t you like the suit?” She sounded offended, and he thought carefully about his answer.

With her stare boring into him, Clark knew he wouldn’t get away with a flimsy excuse. He looked again from her to the blue one-piece suit she held loosely in her left hand. He spoke as if the answer was quite obvious. “They’re tights.”

Lois went from disgruntled to amused with that one sentence. Comprehension lit her eyes even as she said, “They’re not tights…” She shifted the costume from one hand to another and shrugged. “… exactly…”

Clark looked at her skeptically. “What are they, then?” he asked, tone challenging.

She picked at the material of the leg section innocently. “Tight-looking…” she replied.

He sighed. “Lois.”

“What? You look amazing in it!” she exclaimed. Lois held up the bottom half of the suit pointedly. “And they’re not tights! It’s more like the material scuba divers wear.”

Clark turned his whole chair around, so now he was sitting facing her. He crossed his arms. “… tights,” he reaffirmed.

Lois brought the suit down to her side as she placed both hands on her hips. “Is this about your physique? Are you afraid to show it off? ‘Cause let me tell you, you have nothing to be bashful about,” she stated matter-of-factly.

“Lois!”

She threw up her hands at his mortified expression. “You don’t!” she declared, reaching out for his hands. “Try it on, and you’ll see.”

Clark reluctantly let her pull him out of his chair, but declined the offer. “No, thank you,” he said.

Lois laid the costume down on the back of the couch in exchange for the long flowing cloth of red. “Not even the cape?” she said, holding it out enticingly.

Wear that silly thing? Was she kidding? Clark stared back blankly. “Especially not the cape,” he replied. He wasn’t a little kid.

She waved it back and forth, letting it flutter gently with her movements. “Why not?” she asked. “It’s the best part.” Her eyes took on a soft, far-away expression as she rubbed her right wrist.

He almost snapped his fingers in front of her face. Instead, Clark regarded the cape with a dubiously raised eyebrow. “It looks ridiculous,” he stated aloud.

Lois’s gaze snapped back to his as she frowned. Her hands dropped to her sides, the cape tucked under her arm. She stared at him for a long moment. “You have absolutely no sense of superhero style,” she concluded a few seconds later. She roved a critical eye over his choice of clothing.

As Clark looked down at himself – what was wrong with jeans and a T-shirt? – Lois stated, “I suppose style in general.” She sighed. “Why am I surprised? I dressed you for your first day at work.”

He had style! Plenty of it, in fact. “You didn’t dress me!” he protested, though he recalled her shoving him into a phone booth.

The right side of her mouth curved up in a knowing half-grin. “If I remember correctly, I got your big boy clothes from a co-worker. You came to work in your ‘nice’ plaid shirt,” she said, using air quotes.

He stood by the fact that there was nothing wrong with that shirt. It was perfectly presentable. “It was a nice shirt,” Clark defended, lips set in a stiff line.

Lois stared at him incredulously. Then she laughed, shaking her head. “Smallville, what would you do without me?”

Clark crossed his arms again, a bit sulky, as he murmured under his breath: “I’d be a lot less embarrassed, that’s for sure.”

“Just try it on,” she ordered. Lois pushed the cape at him, but he refused to take it.

“No,” he repeated. No way, no how. His current costume was fine. Easy to handle and not skintight. Why mess with what worked?

“Clark!”

Clark almost expected Lois to stomp her feet if he didn’t now any better. “Lois,” he replied pleasantly.

Being stubborn was typically a Lane trait, but a little known secret was that Kents had streaks just as long and fierce. They went about it more subtly, plus it all depended on the subject. And right now, he definitely had no intention of giving in.

Lois grit her teeth, frustration apparent. “Try it on once, and see how you look in it before you judge,” she said.

While he was sure he wasn’t going to give in, Lois obviously wasn’t going to stop pestering him about it any time soon. He dug around his head for some other defense besides his own preferences.

“You’re not supposed to show me anything from the future, right?” he pointed out. Ha! Something working in his favor. “Doesn’t this –” He gestured from the cape in her hands to the one-piece costume on the couch. “– count?”

Lois didn’t even blink. “You already know about ‘Superman’. I didn’t think it would hurt to look at the suit,” she answered readily. She shook her head. “And I didn’t think you would object this much.”

Clark stepped closer to the couch, but not too close. He didn’t want Lois to think he was giving in or anything. He studied the costume from a few feet away, deeming that a safe enough distance. It did look rather… formfitting. Because they’re tights, his mind supplied. Tight tights.

He really wasn’t going to let that go. “It doesn’t look very comfortable,” he finally said after several seconds.

“Have you ever gone to the beach to do anything but swim?” she asked. The random nature of the question almost had him scratching his head when she added, “What am I saying? I know you haven’t.” She laid the cape down next to the blue costume so her hands were free. “It’s like wearing a wetsuit. In fact, I’m pretty sure that’s what Mom bought for your prototype.”

Clark started, eyes flicking over to meet Lois’s. “Mom?” he echoed. He knew Lois’s mother had already passed, but that meant…

She raised an eyebrow. “Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten your mom,” she said.

Truth be told, he had. Kind of. He hadn’t thought of her since he arrived in the future. When his mother had moved to Washington, she was deemed ‘safe’ in his mind, away from all the craziness of Smallville. He never had cause to worry unless she called him directly. With her duties in the capital, how did she have time to make his costume? Was she still a senator?

There were so many questions, but only one stood out at the moment. It was more like an uncertainty, though. “She designed my suit?” he asked doubtfully, giving the costume another once-over. He trusted his mother unconditionally. If she made it, then surely it wouldn’t make him feel as inane as he expected it to.

Lois seemed to read his thoughts and she scowled. “Oh, so now that your mom vouched for it, it has more credibility?” she asked. “Did you think I made it?”

He chuckled. That hadn’t even crossed his mind. “You don’t sew,” he stated sensibly.

She huffed. “I could have learned!” she protested. Her narrowed eyes cut him off in mid-scoff. “How would you know? You’re six years in the future!”

Clark met her challenging stare. He patiently asked, “Do you know how to sew?”

Lois kept her eyes on his for a long while, but ended up looking away first. “… no,” she grumbled.

He gave her a smug look.

Lois rolled her eyes. “What reporter needs to know how to sew, anyway?” She waved her hand in the air as if that would dismiss the actual action of sewing. “Since Mom made it, are you willing to try it on now?”

Lois called his mother ‘Mom’. That was the second time already. Yet another thing he had to get used to. “…”

“What did she say it was? Nao- no, neo…” Lois bit her lip as she was prone to do when deep in thought. “Neopra- no… Neoprene! That’s it!” she exclaimed. She grinned triumphantly and reached out to touch the material of the blue suit. “Neoprene is pretty comfortable, y’know.”

Clark cocked his head to the side. “What’s neoprene?” he asked.

Lois snapped her fingers. “Listen, Smallville! It’s the stuff wetsuits are made of. That’s what Mom used. She told us that,” she explained. She brought her hands together and then drew them apart, mimicking a stretching motion. “It’s like rubber… a ‘synthetic polymer’, if I remember the definition right.”

A rubber suit? He didn’t know if that was better or worse than tights. He straightened his head. “Huh.”

“Just don’t ask me to spell it.”

Clark felt his resolve waver slightly as his eyes roamed over the blue costume, curiosity peeking its way through his conscious. He tried to swiftly shut down the impulse. “And how would you know neoprene is comfortable?” he asked.

“I like surfing,” she said, surprising him. He never knew that. Lois picked up the costume and held it out to him. “So?”

It wouldn’t hurt to get a closer look. Hesitating, Clark took the suit from her hands and fingered the material. “Hmm…” He turned it over and for the first time, noticed the shield adorned on the front. He had to admit, it looked rather striking against the blue background of the suit. He traced the raised ‘S’ with his index finger.

“Hope.”

Startled to hear his thoughts voiced aloud, he looked up to find Lois smiling at him.

“It’s the Kryptonian symbol for hope, right?” she asked. She stepped closer to him and he was too engrossed in studying the suit to become self-conscious.

“Yeah,” Clark replied, voice low and subdued. “It is.” He wondered briefly how she could know, but the answer came before the thought finished. He – his future self – had told her. There seemed to be nothing he – his future self, he corrected again firmly – wouldn’t share with this woman.

The other times he saw the symbol flashed through his mind, shown to him in what was a dark void, save for the light and wind whirling up and down his body. His mind turned from thoughts of how and where, directing itself instead to the emblem’s other meaning.

“It’s also my family crest,” he added quietly.

Lois placed a hand on his shoulder. “It’s beautiful,” she commented just as softly. There was no untruth in her tone, no hint of a white lie. She was honestly moved by something from his Kryptonian heritage. It touched the portion of him he constantly shied away from, the part he often hated, the part that felt alienated because of his origins.

The ledge he had staunchly tried to ignore materialized in his mind again. Another step.

Clark didn’t look at her as he murmured, “Thanks.” He held up the suit and looked at it from top to bottom.

The costume was a full one-piece suit, collar-less and the majority of the color a vibrant blue. The other color was a deep red, which was cut in a short Y-shape reminiscent of briefs. If he chose to wear the suit, the red would cover that section of his body exactly. Pinching the fabric, he confirmed what Lois said about it not being tights. Relief registered somewhere in the back of his mind. He knew his clothing preferences in the future couldn’t have altered that much. It didn’t feel like nylon or cotton beneath his fingers; it was the neoprene Lois mentioned. It was thinner than he expected it to be, but still thicker than tights. The sleeves of the suit cut off at the wrists and the legs at the ankles. There was a zipper on the backside that ran from the top to the middle of the back. The seams were practically invisible, a testament to his mother’s sewing skills. Red belt loops were attached along the top of the briefs-shaped section, which would allow for him to wind the yellow belt around his waist.

Emblazoned on the chest of his costume was his family crest. The ‘S’ was a deep red, and the vivid color also outlined the diamond symbol. The only other yellow of the costume was the negative space around the ‘S’ inside the shield. The emblem was raised slightly above the blue of his suit, made up of something a bit tougher than neoprene. He ran his hand along the edge of the collar-less section and felt two flat latches sewn under either side of where his neck would be. He assumed that was where his cape would be attached.

Clark confirmed his supposition when he carefully laid the suit over the back of the furniture in exchange for the cape. He found matching fasteners on two corners of the flowing red cloth. He turned the material over in his hands, and found it to be thinner and lighter than even the blue suit. The cape was simply a rich red with no other designs or symbols marring its surface. He picked up the belt with his right hand as he set the cape down again. Running his hand along the smooth metal, he noted that the yellow was a bit darker than the normal bright shade of the color, more like a mustard hue. The belt buckle was in the shape of the House of El family crest, the edges raised and the spaces between the ‘S’ and the outline of the diamond the same bold red as his cape. He deposited the belt on the sofa and took a step back.

The blue one-piece suit, the red cape, and the yellow belt lay side by side on the back of the couch. Clark took in each and every detail. All in all, he admitted it was a rather impressive costume.

Clark looked at Lois to find her staring at him, a gentle expression on her face. Sometime during his examination, she had taken her hand off his shoulder, but from the way she was gazing at him, he knew she had watched him the entire time.

Uncomfortable at how much that actually didn’t bother him, he concentrated once more on the suit. He gestured towards the legs section of it and asked, “I don’t go barefoot in this, do I?”

Her gentleness leveled out into her usual amusement. She shook her head with a grin. “No, you have boots that go with it,” she answered.

He remembered the picture from the article he found at his desk. “Red, right?”

“Yep. Red boots to go with your red cape,” Lois replied, indicating the size with her hands. “Almost like combat boots, but custom made. Leather-type material. They’re in the closet.” She made a vague gesture in the direction of the bedroom.

While his mother was a master at sewing and creating clothes from bolts of fabrics, her skills didn’t extend to shoemaking. Unless she had taken up a new hobby alongside her duties in the Capitol building. “From where?” he asked.

“Oliver and Bruce know,” Lois answered. She shrugged, indicating that she had more important things to worry about than the maker of his boots. “I never did ask.”

“There’s someone out there who specializes in this kind of thing?” he asked. Clark found it hard to picture a person who designed custom-made accessories for superheroes.

Lois seemed more accustomed to the idea as she casually answered, “You never know who those two have on retainer.” She looked from him to the costume several times. “So, do you need a phone booth to change in?”

His fingers twitched towards the suit. Clark quickly curled his hand into a fist. Surely his mother and Lois wouldn’t let him go around in something that made him look silly. Lois, maybe. His mother, though? Never. Plus he had to confess his curiosity was growing. Was it comfortable? And from the hushed whispers and anticipating looks of the public, Superman was an impressive figure, not a comical one. It was like the night when he had asked Oliver and Chloe to help him throw Jimmy off his trail.

There was no fear. Only hope.

Clark was startled from his reverie by Lois’s excited cry. “Yes!” she exclaimed.

He turned his head and saw Lois beaming at him. “I didn’t agree yet!” he said hastily, backpedaling.

“You didn’t have to. Your face said everything,” she replied. Her smile curved into a Cheshire cat grin as her eyes glinted mischievously. “Let’s go find that phone booth!”

Clark sighed.

Before he wondered how exactly he was supposed to go about putting the costume on, the phone rang. Saved!

“I’ll get it,” he offered, eager for a distraction. He jumped at the phone on the bar counter as Lois opened her mouth to protest. Normally, he wouldn’t go around answering other people’s phones, but it was technically his apartment. Plus he really, really wanted to put off wearing the suit.

“Lane-Kent residence,” he said. He pretended not to notice Lois nearly pouting in the corner of his vision.

“You shouldn’t be answering the phone,” replied a smooth voice.

Clark held the receiver out to Lois. “It’s Bruce.” The dark haired billionaire managed to set off Clark’s defenses with only his tone and a few words.

She took the phone from him and placed her hand over the mouthpiece. “You’re only delaying the inevitable,” she pointed out.

He shrugged, simply thankful for the respite, and sat back down at the table to finish his now soggy cereal.

Lois rolled her eyes at his response as she took her hand off the receiver. She started talking and Clark began to inconspicuously listen in.

“What do you want, Bruce?” she asked. Her voice was cool and professional, but Clark noted its hint of agitation.

“You’re sounding lovely as ever, Lois,” Bruce replied drolly.

“No sleep does wonders for a person’s social skills,” she retorted. She was in no mood to chitchat. “Why did you call?”

“Bring Clark to the Clock Tower at two o’clock.”

Lois prodded, “And then?”

Bruce replied as if the answer was obvious. “Zatanna works her magic.”

“Or we could just send him back now.”

Clark recalled Bruce’s parting words the night before and the billionaire’s sidelong glance at the black haired mistress of magic. They’re really eager to be rid of me. His own feelings only supported his wry observation. He was ready to go home as well. Things in the future were too different. Too altered for him to make real sense of anything. He had to get back to where up was up and down was down.

While Clark wasn’t looking at her, he knew Lois’s lips were pursed and her eyes were drawn together in displeasure by her tone. “Sending him back doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll bring my Clark back,” she said.

“We have to assume so, since this Clark is in our Clark’s body.”

Bruce was more observant than Clark initially gave him credit for. He ran his conversation with the two suspicious JL members in his head, and realized he had never repeated what he told Lois about being in the body of his future self.

Apparently though, Lois forgot that tidbit of information as her widened eyes darted to his. He nodded in response to her unasked question. Her gaze roamed over his face and she bit her lip, tilting her head. Seconds later, she groaned and pressed a hand to her forehead.

“… ugh. My head is not liking this at all,” she said, wincing.

“Bring him to the tower and we can fix this whole mess,” Bruce instructed.

Lois closed her eyes. “…”

From her pause, Bruce knew she wasn’t exactly pleased. “Lois, this is the most immediate solution,” he said in what Clark assumed was supposed to be his placating voice. “We all want to resolve this as soon as possible.”

“I heard you,” Lois said tersely. “We’ll be there.” She hung up.

Clark waited for her to say something, but she remained silent for a few moments longer. Then she gave her hair a good tug in frustration.

“Agh!” Her footsteps treaded heavily as she disappeared down the hallway.

Clark watched her go and listened as she entered her bedroom. Everything was quiet. Concerned, he left his mushy cereal behind with a mental memo to clean up later, and followed her. He found her face down on the bed, arms crossed above her head on a pillow. She wasn’t crying, but she wasn’t raving either.

He didn’t want to invade her privacy, but he couldn’t leave her alone. Worried, he asked, “Do you want to talk about it?”

There was a long pause and then her muffled voice answered.

“What?” he asked.

Lois lifted her head and moved her arms so her chin could rest on her crossed wrists. She stared at the headboard of the bed. “I’ve been running through it over and over since last night. But I can’t recall anything unusual.”

Clark had a vague suspicion as to what she referring to, but prompted anyway. “It?”

Lois turned over, her hair spreading out like a halo around her. Her gaze fastened on the ceiling as she said, “The day before yesterday.”

The day before you came.

Clark heard her unuttered words and guilt stung him again. However, knowing Lois wouldn’t take too kindly to him wallowing, he forced the emotion down as far as he could. If he wanted to make things right for her, he had to act. Investigate.

Clark sat on the desk chair by the computer in the corner, and rolled it towards the edge of the bed. “Tell me,” he requested.

Lois stared at the ceiling some more, as if she were weighing options in her head. She seemed to have made her decision when she pushed herself up on her elbows and met his eyes. “It was just an ordinary day,” she said. “Nothing different happened.”

“Go through it again. Step by step,” Clark said, leaning forward so his elbows rested on his knees and his hands clasped together.

Lois scooted back on the mattress and sat up, crossing her legs. She reclined against the headboard. Not once did she look away from him. “Yo- Clark woke me up in time to get ready for work,” she began. “We went through our usual morning routine – me attempting to make breakfast, him fixing my breakfast, and then our walk to the Daily Planet. We grabbed two coffees at the cart outside and then headed in. Perry held the morning staff meeting and we updated him on the status of our articles. Your- his with the power plants in the Philippines and mine with the string of small bank robberies on the outskirts of Metropolis…”

Lois continued on, recounting the day with an odd sort of nostalgia, though it had only been a little more than twenty-four hours prior. While he already planned on paying careful attention to everything she said, Clark found himself getting lost easily in words and scenarios that would have bored anyone else. She described the day so factually, but no one could deny the affection in her tone. She was happy with her life. She mentioned only first names and her details, if there were any, were brief and to the point. Lois talked about co-workers he knew and those he would know, about an article he would research and work on, about times he would leave as Superman, only to come back to work that day as Clark Kent. It seemed like another life.

But that’s just it, his mind whispered to him. This is your life.

Lois was no longer looking at him. She had turned slightly so her whole left side was leaning on the headboard, both knees bent up. Her fingers traced the delicate curves and twists in the wood he would one day carve himself. The words flowed from her mouth, her mind clearly immersed in the events of that day.

“I was chasing down a lead and Clark was up in the clubhouse with all the other heroes well into the evening. He didn’t return to me until late, and we fell asleep after...” she trailed off.

“After?”

Her index finger circled up and over the same peculiar flower etching again and again. She looked over at him, and her cheeks were dusted a light pink as she said, “After a certain endorphin-inducing activity.”

“Or, there’s another kind of activity two people share, repetitive motion… builds to a climax…”

His Lois’s teasing words came back to him. “Oh.” He coughed.

Lois smiled at his reaction and seemed to take great pleasure in his flushed cheeks. She murmured something to herself, but he was too distracted by his embarrassment to hear her properly.

Clark centered his thoughts on the mystery of the whereabouts of his future self and away from musings of tangled sheets and bare skin. Nothing stood out to him from Lois’s review of her day, and he understood why she was so frustrated. No clues equaled no leads. No leads equaled dead ends.

“Absolutely nothing out of the ordinary in your schedule?” he asked. He already knew the answer, but another confirmation couldn’t hurt.

It could apparently annoy though, if Lois’s glare said anything. “Same old, same old,” she replied.

While it wasn’t the ‘same old’ thing to him, Clark had to admit there wasn’t anything that stood out from what appeared to be a routine day. The key lay in the lost hours his future self spent as Superman. While Lois was unmistakably a close confidante, she wasn’t given an all-access pass to superhero dealings.

“We’re going to need to talk to Ollie,” Lois said aloud, voicing his thoughts for him.

Evidently, she still retained that strange ability of staying one step ahead of him when it came to investigations. “Plus whoever else your husband had contact with in the League,” Clark added. He straightened in his seat. “Let’s go.”

Lois blinked, her fingers paused in their tracing. “Now?” He nodded and she continued, “Well, what are we waiting for?”

Lois jumped up from her huddled position and bounced towards him on the mattress. Her last bounce was a little too big and he scrambled to stand up, the chair rolling behind him. He caught her around the waist and her legs wrapped themselves around his hips, her arms loosely around his neck. He looked up at her and she smiled down at him. Then she gave his forehead a brief kiss.

What the-? Clark loosened his hold, shocked at how much that brief contact sent a jolt of warmth through him. Lois took the opportunity to drop down to the ground. She walked away and he heard sounds of her rummaging through the closet. Clark pressed a few fingers against the spot she kissed. By the time he emerged from his stupor, she was tying the laces of her sneakers.

She saw him staring and she patted her shoes. “Much better to run in,” she commented offhandedly.

“Are you planning on running from anything in particular?” he asked, trying to get his mind to focus. He caught the boots she tossed to him.

He put them on as she replied, “No. It’s just good to be prepared.” Lois grabbed his upper arm just as he finished lacing his boots and pulled him along.

When they reached the living room, Lois let go and picked up the three pieces of his costume. She held them out to him and he shook his head.

Lois rolled her eyes. “Spoilsport,” she muttered. She took the costume and brushed past him and back to the hallway.

Clark didn’t follow her, but assumed she was going to put it away. His guess was confirmed as he spotted, through the walls, Lois opening up the closet. What he didn’t expect was her reaching up in the closet and above the frame. She pressed something and to his astonishment, the insides of the closet slid back and then apart, separating perfectly in the middle. Lois hung up the suit, cape and belt on separate hooks on the wall. He noticed a few pairs of red boots on a lower shelf before he looked away.

That hidden chamber couldn’t be a feature of all the apartments in the building. Lois appeared in front of him a moment later, and he asked, “So, is that secret compartment an option in the floor plan?”

Lois didn’t even pause to question what he was talking about. She picked his glasses off the coffee table and handed them to him. He looked at them doubtfully but slid them on as she replied, “This building is owned by a smaller company under Queen Industries. Ollie pulled a string or two, and Victor helped out with the design.” She grabbed his hand and started leading him towards the balcony. “Only you and I can open it.”

“Huh.” Clark looked again at the closet with his x-ray vision. When he turned back, he found he was already outside. He yelped when Lois jumped at him sideways and this time he caught her with an arm under her knees and one around her back.

Clark frowned at her even as his hold tightened. “You have to stop doing that,” he said.

Lois winked, entwining her arms around his neck. “No promises,” she replied. She lightly tapped the back of his head. “Let’s get out of here. We have some Leaguers to interrogate.”

“Um, Lois…”

She looked at him expectantly and then at the clouds. “What are you waiting for, Smallville?” she asked. She lifted up her left hand as a fist pointing to the sky. “Up, up and away!”

“Lois…”

“What?” she asked, looking back at him.

Clark fidgeted under her stare. Suddenly, with her trusting eyes focused solely on him, he was unable to admit his shortcoming to her – this woman who seemed to believe he could do anything. He had never wanted any of his abilities, was never truly excited when a new one would manifest itself. Each unique power only felt like another weight upon his shoulders. However, he had learned to accept them over time, and he was thankful when they helped him save those he loved and nowadays, the people of Metropolis, too. Still, that didn’t mean he wanted another power. With the vast array already at his disposal, he certainly didn’t need one.

Lois seemed to believe him capable of moving worlds. He had seen that despite the short time he had been in the future. He was not oblivious to the way she saw him. It was the way she saw her husband. He was nothing more than a poor stand-in. But now, with a beautiful hazel gaze centered on him, he wanted that special power, the exceptional one that lay among what was already extraordinary.

Never had he wished so much for the ability to fly.

“Clark?”

Her voice brought him out of his brooding. He met her eyes, but couldn’t say anything. She smiled at him, though it was a little uncertain, and lightly rapped his forehead.

“What’s the matter?” she asked. “Shouldn’t I be touching a cloud by now?”

Her genuine confusion had him ducking his head again.

“Hey, look at me.” Lois curled her hand under his chin and lifted it, forcing his gaze up. “What is it?” she asked, concerned.

I can’t say it. Don’t make me say it. His eyes pleaded with hers until understanding dawned a moment later.

“Oh crap.”

–

“What do you mean you can’t fly?!”

“He’s been moonlighting as a paper boy,” Lois snapped, hands on her hips. “Honestly Ollie, what is so hard to understand?”

Clark stood rigidly to the side as Oliver and Lois squabbled with each other. The three of them were standing in the center of Oliver’s loft, while Zatanna was on the platform, leaning against the panel hiding the billionaire’s Green Arrow equipment. Unlike Clark who was paying attention to the other two, Zatanna’s eyes were focused on the floor beneath her. She muttered to herself, completely absorbed in her own world.

Well, he was clearly on his own. Clark tried to get a word in. “Look, guys –”

“Forgive me for being a little surprised that Superman can’t fly,” Oliver retorted, pulling at the cuffs of his white button up shirt. Black slacks and sleek black oxford shoes completed the casual look of a man worth billions. “Next thing you know, I’ll be shooting sticks instead of arrows!”

“An arrow is like a stick,” Lois commented, crossing her arms.

Oliver groaned, bringing a hand up to his forehead. “That’s not the point,” he said.

“There is no point at all,” Clark interrupted firmly. Lois and Oliver turned to him as he continued, “Me not being able to fly doesn’t matter. You wanted to send me back today, right?”

“Where is Bruce, anyway?” Lois asked, looking around for the missing Wayne CEO.

“He got a call,” Oliver said. “He had to follow up on something in Gotham.”

Lois’s ears perked up. “Anything the public needs to know?” she asked. “Like, a Wayne Enterprises crisis or a criminal crisis?”

“Let the Gotham Gazette take care of it,” Oliver stated. He ignored Lois’s glower. “Besides, he’ll be back around two.”

“Is that why he wanted us to come here then?” Lois asked.

“Should I be flattered that he wants to wish me a personal goodbye?” Clark added dryly.

“Frankly, you should be happy. He’d be giving you a tougher time about not flying,” Oliver said.

“I’m ready.”

Everyone turned their heads to look at Zatanna, who looked perfectly alluring in a black mini-skirt, maroon halter top, and black leather jacket. Her matching knee-high boots made her legs seem even longer. She leaned forward with both hands on the railing of the platform.

Oliver walked up to Clark and patted his shoulder. “Guess you’re going to have to go without that goodbye, though I’m sure Zee has a kiss from him to you,” he commented.

Zatanna brought a finger to her lips. “I’ll never tell.”

“Ha, ha.” Clark rolled his eyes. “So, you’re both absolutely sure that my, umm, future self didn’t have any unusual saves that day?” he asked once more, changing the subject. They were ready to send him back, but something didn’t sit right with him. He was missing something.

“Like we said, it was relatively quiet,” Zatanna replied.

“Clark only checked in once to talk about that mission,” Oliver said. “And that day, it was all petty crimes. Not even a natural disaster. He didn’t come across any of our more… eccentric… villains.”

Clark didn’t like where this was going. He was eliminating everything from his future self’s side, which only brought it back to –

“You.” Lois peered up at him. “Are you sure you’re not forgetting something?”

He shook his head in the negative. “I didn’t do anything except reverse time, and I already destroyed the Legion ring,” he said, unable to come up with anything new.

“All the bases we already covered,” Oliver said. “It can’t be a delayed reaction.”

Lois sighed. “I’m no good at this scientific theory stuff. Give me a criminal to shake down any day,” she said wistfully.

Did she always have to be on the lookout for trouble? “You’re not a cop, Lois,” Clark reminded her, frowning.

She waved her hand in the air dismissively. “I’m an investigative reporter and army brat. One lethal combination,” she said.

“You’re telling me,” Oliver muttered, rubbing his shoulder. Clark wasn’t sure if it was still hurting or if his friend was just reliving the memory.

“Are you ready?” Zatanna asked, looking directly at him.

He nodded, though he noticed she seemed a bit tense. He returned the question in kind. “Are you?” he asked softly.

She smiled reassuringly. “Yes,” she said. “I just don’t often do a spell of this magnitude. That’s why I was chanting earlier. It centers me.”

“Should we do it now then?” he replied. He didn’t want her to lose focus and have to meditate again. He felt a touch upon his shoulder and looked down at Lois’s worried face.

“Are you sure?” she asked quietly. “We still don’t know why you were sent here.”

He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter,” he replied. I don’t belong here, anyway. “Bruce and Oliver are probably right – there must have been a switch of some kind. This will work and he’ll be back with you.”

Lois squeezed his hand. “Stick to your guns, Smallville,” she said. She rested her palm against his cheek. “You have to trust yourself.”

Clark nodded. “Thanks for everything,” he said. He allowed himself a small moment of indulgence and leaned into her touch. It would be so easy… He straightened and stepped back. “See you.”

“Not if I see you first,” Lois replied. She stepped back as well and she leaned gratefully against Oliver when he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

Zatanna led Clark up to the center of the platform. “Stay right here,” she instructed.

He nodded again and watched her go. Zatanna stopped at the base of the stairs and turned around to face him. Oliver and Lois stood behind her by the couches. Oliver’s face didn’t reveal anything. Lois, however, seemed a little more anxious. She smiled, though, when she realized he was looking at her.

Clark didn’t bother looking anywhere else. He kept his eyes on Lois. He heard Zatanna somewhere in the background and vaguely registered the crack of thunder on what was a sunny day.

“Eerf siht drawyaw luos!” Zatanna cried. “Dnes mih kcab ot sih lufthgir ecalp ni emit dna ecaps!”

Pain ripped through his chest then and Clark fell to his knees, unable to stifle his screams.

Crossposted to clois, cloisfic, Divine Intervention.

Unfamiliar [1/1] (Smallville // Clark/Lois)

krysyuy@gmail.com — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:48:51 GMT

Title: Unfamiliar
Author: Krys Yuy
Prompt: #12/unfamiliar
Summary: What is it about Lois Lane? Clark’s thoughts during the dunk scene in Façade (4x03).
Pairing/Characters: Clark, Lois, Clark/Lois hints
Rating: PG/K
Word Count: 1,285
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters used. This fic is purely for entertainment purposes only.
Author’s Notes: Written for the June Fanfiction Challenge at summerofclois on LiveJournal. I wrote in present tense, which I like to do when I’m feeling experimental. I tried to have a certain rhythm in the piece, but I know it’s still a bit rough in spots. Sorry about that – I got a bit lazy. ^.^;; It was also rather nostalgic re-watching the episode and then writing this. Anyways, not much more to say except please read, review and enjoy! Thanks!

( Clark thinks it will be easy to cut ties with this girl, this almost-woman with fire in her eyes. )

Crossposted to summerofclois, clois, cloisfic, Divine Intervention.

Bradley James Interview w/ TVGuide.com

krysyuy@gmail.com — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 06:54:56 GMT

Gah. I ♥ Bradley James. If you're not watching Merlin, you should be!!

NBC Conjures Merlin, the Once and Future Sorcerer
* Jun 19, 2009 05:02 PM ET
* by Joyce Eng

American networks have made a habit of swiping and remaking British programs, but the latest import from across the pond will be 100 percent authentic. Merlin (premieres Sunday, 8 pm/ET, NBC), loosely based on the Arthurian legends of the famed sorcerer, arrives stateside as the first British drama to air on a U.S. network — un-retouched, un-recast — since The New Avengers more than 30 years ago.

"I think we probably played a fast one on NBC!" star Bradley James tells TVGuide.com. "It's probably quite difficult to recast this one and remake it in an American way. Hopefully it goes over well and it will be worth NBC's while. We'll keep our fingers crossed."

James plays Prince Arthur on the fantasy, sword-fighting series. No, that's not a typo. It's Prince Arthur, not King.

Unlike past incarnations of the legend, Merlin follows the early years of the mythical wizard and the pre-golden age of Camelot, where, as the series opens, King Uther (Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Anthony Head) has outlawed magic. In the spirit of borrowing, the premise was inspired by that of Smallville.

"I'm not sure who Arthur's character would be, but you've got the obvious link between Clark Kent and Merlin. Those are the guys with the powers eventually," James says. "We have the advantage of building on what's worked for them. The producers have done a good job of recreating the story in a way that people want to tune in even though they know the legend."

As a Brit, James was familiar with the legend, but warns viewers will probably be unfamiliar with his Arthur — a spoiled, arrogant teen who clashes with his mentor Merlin (Colin Morgan). Naturally, as the 13-episode season progresses, so does their relationship — and Arthur himself. "Underneath this bravado, deep down he's got that inner strength and character," James says. "You have to scratch away at it, and with Merlin's help that becomes more evident. We're all aware of the man he'll become; it's just about how he gets there."

And he will get there, right? Currently filming Season 2, James says he doesn't know how long the show can go on for, opting to take the one-season-at-a-time mentality. "If you get it right more often than not, then the show can continue to grow," he says. "But I don't think anyone's interested in flogging a dead donkey, just relying on loyal fans."

Nor are they interested in deviating too much from the tale for a few extra years and extra drama. "How on earth are they doing [Smallville] without Lex Luthor?" James says. "We had a similar situation over here with Robin Hood where for some reason they killed off Maid Marian. It seems a bit daft to me when you know where the story's going and all of the sudden you change it a little bit so it can't get there.

"The producers might find themselves a way, if they need to, to kill me, but hopefully they won't do that! I think we're all enjoying ourselves at the moment. Things are going according to plan."

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

Since my other favorite show is Smallville, I'm loving that Bradley is aware of it. And I have to say I love this part of the interview especially:

"How on earth are they doing [Smallville] without Lex Luthor?" James says. "We had a similar situation over here with Robin Hood where for some reason they killed off Maid Marian. It seems a bit daft to me when you know where the story's going and all of the sudden you change it a little bit so it can't get there."

I DON'T UNDERSTAND IT EITHER, BRADLEY.

Plus I love that he doesn't get why they killed Maid Marian. Seriously.

If not for the Clark/Lois relationship blooming (Finally! After five years of Lois being there! Hopefully, Arwen shippers will not feel the same pain as Clois shippers from Smallville), I would say that it's time for Smallville to get off the air. But, heaven help me, I'm still glad it's on.

Merlin producers seem a hell lot more smarter than Smallville's, so I'm looking forward to a successful run of the series.

Again, why isn't Season 2 here yet already? ;oP I can't wait to get my Arthur fix in the fall.

TRUER words have never been spoken.

Comic-Con Advice (From Others)

krysyuy@gmail.com — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 10:06:33 GMT

Soooo... It's my first time going to Comic-Con this year, and suffice to say, I'm getting a little PARANOID. I just want to get things right, and Smallville is my top priority. :D

This entry is for me to post advice I find online that I want to reference later. :) 'Cause I know I'll forget it otherwise.

From cloisthelegendbegins @ K-site:
"Well I'll be one of the ones lurking on the forums waiting for the scoop this year - darnit! My work schedule has got in the way. One tip for any first timers though is DEFINITELY GET THERE EARLY!!! The panel was at the same time in the same room last year and I was there at 8.30am, thinking I'd been there plenty early with two hours to spare only to discover the queue already lapped the room and was snaking back on itself. They may say the doors don't open till nine but that's nonsense. They open them real early and let people in to queue. Also if you only have a Sunday pass or day passes rather than the four day pass, if you visit the conference center the day before in the late afternoon you can get your pass for the next day so you don't have to go through registration before you go to queue. Final tip? The big Smallville/Supernatural bags are given out at the WB stand on the main floor at random points during the day on Sunday so it's worth stalking the stand with an eye out for the arrival of large cardboard boxes...

For comic book fans it's also worth noting Sunday being the last day means early closing and reductions on most of the stands in the afternoon for a few bargains."

From Ginx at K-site:
"you can talk to them briefly at the autograph signing but it's rare that you have private convos with them. I've met Justin, super tall and nice, and met Milo, Jensen, Kripke, dude who plays Chuck, and a buncha other people. Most people are chill and down to earth I'll switch my avatar to the pics I have with some of them closer to time"

I asked these lovely people some questions, so hopefully they reply back to me. :o) I'll be editing this post at a later time. :D

I am soooo excited to go this year!! *bounces*

Free Fall [7/?] (Smallville // Clark/Lois)

krysyuy@gmail.com — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 23:54:27 GMT

Title: Free Fall (7/?)
Author: Krys Yuy
Summary: Clark isn’t willing to risk his heart again. But when Fate gives him a glimpse into his future, the only question is – how hard will he fall?
Pairing/Characters: Clark/Lois, Chloe/Bart, Oliver/Dinah, Bruce/Zatanna, Justice League
Warning: Spoilers up to Hex.
Rating: PG-13/K+
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters used. This fic is purely for entertainment purposes only.
Author’s Notes: This chapter was such a bitch to write, and even now, I’m not exactly pleased with it. After Doomsday, my Chloe love isn’t exactly overflowing, so her role is being minimized. This chapter could be considered filler, I suppose, but it actually sets up elements of the story that will definitely be picked up later. Still, I hope you enjoy it as is. In other news, please check out my new Clois one-shot, Hear My Heartbeat on a Staircase, if you haven’t already. It’s my Clois twist on Doomsday and what happens after. It’s also from Lois’s POV, so a change of pace from this story.
Thank you, once again, to all my loyal readers and reviewers! Your reviews spur me on – thanks for the words of encouragement! Please read, review, and enjoy!

Chapter 7: Mystery

Chloe, however, was oblivious to the horrifying changes in her appearance. She smiled awkwardly, still confused by his silence but wanting to break the tension.

Clark couldn’t find it in himself to return the smile yet. Sometime during his missing years, he hadn’t been able to protect her. The blank grey of her right eye was evidence of that. His sorrow eased slightly when he noticed her left eye was the same lively blue he remembered.

So she was only partially blind.

Clark was thankful for that, but it didn’t lessen his guilt.

“What’s wrong?” Chloe asked, looking more worried the longer he stared at her.

He tore his eyes away from her scar and cleared his throat. “Nothing. It’s nothing,” he said. He forced himself to smile. “Bart’s hogging you, that’s all.” He stepped forward and hugged her.

She hugged him back and he wished he could tell her how sorry he was.

Instead, Clark pulled back and said, “I wanted to wish you both congratulations.” His future self had probably conveyed that to them already. “Again.”

“Thanks,” Bart replied with a grin. He kissed the side of Chloe’s temple. “In a little more than a month, this beautiful creature will be all mine.”

Chloe reached behind her and Bart was immediately there. She grasped his hands and brought them around her waist, so she nestled comfortably against the chest of her fiancée. Bart nuzzled her cheek and she laughed.

Chloe turned her head to the left so she could look at Bart. “I’m already yours,” she whispered. She placed her left hand against his face. Bart leaned into her touch and she smiled at him.

Despite his remorseful mood, Clark felt happiness seep into him at the obvious love Chloe and Bart had for each other. But he had seen this before. His thoughts changed to Jimmy and his insides went cold. It was only a little more than a month ago in his time when he witnessed Chloe just as happy with Jimmy.

He didn’t understand. What went wrong?

Though Clark was reluctant to potentially ruin the mood, he also said he would do something for his other friend. “Jimmy sends his well wishes, too,” he stated. “He’s happy for you.” He watched his friends carefully for their reactions.

Bart smiled graciously and there was no trace of insincerity when he said, “Tell him thanks. That means a lot.”

Chloe faced forward again, and she slowly lowered her hand from Bart’s cheek and back to her side. Her smile became sad and perhaps a tiny bit regretful. “Yes,” she agreed. She echoed her fiancée’s statements. “Will you thank Jimmy for us when you see him?”

Clark nodded. “I will,” he promised. If I’m still here on Monday. It didn’t seem painful for Chloe to talk about Jimmy, but given his conversations with both of them, they weren’t exactly on speaking terms either. His brows furrowed as he tried to decipher any clues he might have missed.

“Smallville!”

Clark winced and Bart and Chloe laughed at the abashed expression on his face. He frowned at them.

“In trouble with the missus, Stretch?” Bart asked. He grinned with one eyebrow raised.

Chloe leaned back against Bart again, her good eye focusing on her best friend. Her mischievous expression matched that of her fiancée’s. “So, do you know what you did to incur Lois’s wrath?” she asked.

“I have an idea,” he muttered under his breath. He turned his head to see Lois making her way to their little group in the corner.

Lois had her purse slung over her shoulder and one very irritated frown on her face. “Have you suddenly gone deaf? Or were you not listening to me earlier?” she demanded when she came to stand next to him.

Clark wondered if he could appease her somehow. “Lois –”

She abruptly whirled around to face Chloe and Bart. Her ponytail smacked his face for the second time that day. He blinked and rubbed his eyes with the vague suspicion this time was not an accident.

“I’m so sorry to bail on you, Chlo, but something really important came up,” Lois said. She somehow managed to hug her cousin even though Chloe was in the circle of Bart’s arms.

Chloe returned the hug, but still frowned. “Is everything okay?” she asked.

“Is it anything that needs our set of skills?” Bart added, gesturing to himself and Clark.

Lois shook her head. “It’s something Clark and I have to take care of personally,” she answered vaguely.

Chloe’s frown deepened, but instead of questioning them further like Clark expected her to, she let it go. Chloe moved out of Bart’s arms to hug each of them one more time. “Be safe,” she whispered.

Clark nodded. “Of course,” he said, laying a hand on her shoulder.

“As safe as can be,” Lois replied, smiling.

Chloe scrutinized her suspiciously with her good eye. “Uh-huh,” she said, clearly unconvinced.

Before Chloe could undoubtedly mention Lois’s penchant for trouble, Lois leaned forward and kissed her cousin’s cheek. “Call me if you need anything,” she said quickly, already walking backward. “I put a lot of work into this shower. Enjoy it.” She winked and grabbed Clark’s hand as she spun around to the exit. “Bye.”

“Bye,” Chloe replied, a thoughtful look coming over her face.

“See you lovebirds later,” Bart said, grinning.

Lois turned slightly so Bart could see her roll her eyes. “See ya, Casanova. Take care of my cousin,” she said. She faced forward again and waved without looking back.

Clark waved with her, shrugging helplessly as he was pulled along. Chloe and Bart watched with mirth coloring their expressions.

“You still say that every time, sweet stuff,” Bart called out after them. “I will.”

Clark tensed as they made their way through the doors and towards the elevator. “’Sweet stuff’?” he repeated, displeased for some reason.

Lois jabbed the down button and, though she still seemed angry, now looked at him with a bit of wry amusement. “Something wrong?” she asked sweetly.

Clark tried to stomp down on his flare of annoyance towards Bart and now Lois. “No, nothing’s wrong,” he mumbled. He made his voice louder. “I thought you of all people would hate anyone calling you ‘sweet stuff’.”

“I do,” Lois agreed, nodding. “But as much as I hate it, little nicknames like those are part of Casanova’s charm.”

Clark nearly bristled. “Charm?” he repeated incredulously. He was skeptical, not because he doubted how Bart came across to women, but because of the fact that the speedster’s specific brand of charm seemed to be welcomed by Lois, a woman who Clark always pictured dropkicking Bart than letting him make a move.

“Supposed charm,” she elaborated, looking more amused by the second as she glanced at him.

Was there something on his face? Clark discreetly brought one hand to his cheek and forehead, but didn’t feel anything.

Lois bit back a smile and moved her gaze up to the numbers on the panel that lit up with every floor they passed. “Besides, I can never pin him down long enough to get my message across,” she added. “He’s not only fast, but slippery too. Plus he’s marrying my baby cousin. He gets a free pass for now.”

Clark’s shoulders relaxed. So it wasn’t that she liked the nickname. She tolerated it. That made a lot more sense. He frowned. Why did he care again? He was never bothered with Bart’s tendency to nickname people before.

Lois continued to talk, unaware of his inner musings. “Chloe wouldn’t take too kindly to me incapacitating her future husband before the honeymoon, anyway.”

Clark grimaced. “I get it. No need for details,” he said. However, bringing the conversation from Bart to Chloe triggered what he only temporarily ignored. The image of Chloe’s glassy eye and grisly scar yanked at his conscience. “Lois –”

She immediately interrupted him; her earlier anger and irritation resurfacing before he could even finish the second syllable of her name. “I told you to stay outside the club. Very simple instructions,” she said. “And yet –” Her glare hit him the moment the elevator dinged, signaling their arrival on the ground floor. “You revert to, not even copy boy, but intern mindset.”

Lois almost huffed, but instead walked out of the elevator with Clark following a few steps behind her. Her disapproval rang in his ears, bothering him so much that he didn’t even question how she knew what he was going to ask. Maybe it would have been better if he had ignored Bart. He dismissed the thought instantly.

If he had stayed outside the club and not gone over to greet his friends, he would’ve been kept in the dark about Chloe. Irritation of his own rippled through him as he and Lois made their way outside the Metropolis Satellite Center. Was Lois never going to tell him? Had she somehow planned on running interference between him and her cousin?

He waited until she unlocked her car and they were both seated inside, seatbelts fastened. She had just pulled out onto the empty street when he asked, “What happened to Chloe?”

Lois’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. “This is why I wanted you to wait outside the club. I knew you would see her and then there would be questions,” she said. She waved a hand in his direction. “And look! You, with said questions.”

“Question,” he corrected, not fazed by her displeasure with him. He focused instead on somehow fixing what had gone wrong with his best friend. “I only want one answer.”

“Does ‘no’ work for you?” She smiled cheekily and Clark saw his Lois in her more in that moment than any of their previous interactions. While annoyed, he couldn’t say he wasn’t comforted to be on familiar ground.

He knew she wouldn’t back down, but he wouldn’t either. Not about this. “What happened to her?” he asked again, prepared to wait it out.

Lois settled back in her seat as she stopped at a traffic light. “You know perfectly well I’m not going to tell you,” she replied easily.

So he was going to lose in the ‘who could be more stubborn’ race. No surprise there. Sincerity would win her over, he hoped. “Lois, I can stop it from happening,” he said quietly. “Tell me, please.”

She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, and her expression softened. Before he could feel heartened by it, she said, “Sometimes things happen for a reason.”

Clark stared at her in disbelief. His Lois was disappearing. “You can’t honestly tell me if you had the chance to save Chloe from losing half her sight or getting those scars, that you wouldn’t take it.”

The light turned green and Lois stared straight ahead as she pressed the gas pedal. She stayed persistently silent.

Clark didn’t recognize her. He reached out and touched her shoulder. “Lois, please.”

“I can’t tell you.”

He dropped his hand. “Can’t or won’t?” he asked, voice like steel.

She puffed a breath, the action stirring her hair away from her forehead. “You’re not seeing the bigger picture here,” she replied, shaking her head.

“Since when were you about the bigger picture?” Clark asked, not taking his eyes off her. If it would help her cousin in any way, Clark knew his Lois would break all the rules. There had to be something else going on. “You’re always about the smaller, more immediate picture.”

The corners of her lips flitted up and he frowned, seeing nothing amusing about the situation. She spoke before he could. “If you do something different, there’s the risk that something worse happens.” Her mouth set in a firm line and her face was suddenly very sober. “She could die, Clark.” She glanced at him and repeated, “One wrong move and she could die.”

The protests he had ready vanished on his lips. What could he say to that? While something terrible had happened to Chloe, she was alive. Could he really risk that just so she would be as healthy and whole as he remembered the last time he saw her in his time?

The answer was easy. He closed his eyes and quietly said, “I’m sorry. I already broke my promise.”

“I won’t- I won’t try to find out anything.”

A tiny part of him rebelled at him standing down. But the topic was closed. For now. “This is going to be harder than I thought,” he admitted, looking out at the nighttime streets of Metropolis.

“I can imagine.”

He looked back at her and wryly commented, “Yes, well, you wouldn’t have made that promise in the first place.”

Lois latched on to the tonal change of their conversation. “No, I wouldn’t have,” she readily agreed. She gave him a look with one eyebrow raised before turning her attention back to the road. “Seriously, Smallville? You’re in the freakin’ future. Curiosity should be at the top of your list.” The mirth in her voice quieted as she added, “I don’t fault you for wanting to know about Chloe.”

Clark knew she wasn’t changing her mind any time soon. “But you won’t tell me.”

She nodded. “It’s rare when I see eye to eye with Batboy, but he does have a point. The more you know, the more you can affect this future when you’re sent back,” she said. There seemed to be something more behind her words, but she didn’t disclose anything else.

Batboy? Clark decided he didn’t want to know. Instead, he said, “I have a feeling that’s not happening until I find out why I was sent here in the first place.”

Lois reached over to pat his thigh as she said, “Good thing you have the world’s number one investigative reporter with you then, isn’t it?”

His lips twitched. “The ‘world’s’?” He was glad her touch on his leg was brief. There had been no time to fidget before her right hand returned to the steering wheel.

“It’s been six years, Clark,” she said, pulling into the underground garage of her apartment building. She winked. “Was there any doubt?”

–

Lois opened the door to their – well, hers and not his – apartment, sliding her coat off her shoulders. She didn’t seem to notice when Clark took it from her. She headed down the hallway. “I don’t know about you, but I think tonight is going to be a restless one,” she said, entering the bedroom. “Let’s see if we can get some shut eye.”

Clark hung both their coats in the hallway closet and jogged down the hall to stand in the bedroom doorway. “I’ll take the couch,” he said quickly.

She frowned at him as she closed the lid on her jewelry box. She placed her hand on her hip and said, “You could just sleep here with m–”

“Lois!” His voice came out more than a little squeaky, and he blushed. “It’s okay, really.” Did he look as nervous as he felt?

She stared at him for a long moment before her eyes widened. Then her lips curved up impishly. “Why, Clark Kent, are you afraid I’m going to compromise your virtue?”

So this is what wanting to crawl under a rock felt like. “N-no!” he denied immediately. “Of course not! It’s just a little… a little…”

Clark coughed, his cheeks burning as memories rushed through him. Memories of a naked Lois – who he hadn’t known was Lois yet – pressed against him. His blush glowed brighter.

“Hmm…” Lois sauntered over to him, the hand on her hip moving up to her face as she regarded him playfully. “Thinking good thoughts?”

“…” Maybe if he didn’t look directly at her, he wouldn’t feel so trapped. His eyes darted to the floor, the ceiling, anywhere but at her. It worked. Sort of.

“Smallville, I don’t sleep naked all the time.”

He choked.

She laughed.

Clark’s eyes shot down to meet hers and found them sparkling with mischief. Forget the rock. Maybe the ground could open up and swallow him. How did she know what he was thinking, anyway?

Lois placed her right palm full against his chest, and he almost jumped in surprise. Her touch brought back memories of his own Lois doing the same – the time with her teasing smile and that red, red dress. That particular recollection wasn’t really helping his nerves. Lois looked at her hand on his chest as if it held the secrets to her next big article. He squirmed when she looked up at him from under her long eyelashes.

Was it his imagination or was she leaning into him? His breath hitched.

She must have noticed his edginess because her hand dropped away, the impishness in her countenance dimmed. “Sorry,” she said, looking contrite. “I think I might be using you as a coping mechanism.” Her smile still held a trace of mischief, but now with added doses of both dejection and nostalgia. “That and I haven’t flustered you like this since we first started dating.”

He couldn’t ever imagine becoming comfortable with Lois’s advances, not when his cheeks hadn’t even cooled down from blushing so much. “I get used to this?” he asked.

His disbelief chased away the few clouds that surrounded her countenance, for the time being. Her smile grew. “Oh, I still fluster you,” she said. “In different ways.”

Clark was never going to banish the memories of her earlier that morning if she didn’t stop implying things. It felt like his collar was on too tight and he tugged at it uselessly.

Before he could ask her very politely and plainly to stop before he melted into a puddle of embarrassment, Lois added, “You just grow a lot bolder.”

Him? Bold? Certainly not in the way she was insinuating. He stared at her suspiciously. “Red kryptonite bolder?” he asked.

She held in her laugh, but the fact that she almost did made him frown at her. That seemed to only increase her amusement. “No,” she answered, shaking her head. “It’s all you.”

The affectionate smile on her face made his chest ache. “I’m not… used to this,” he admitted. The words flowed from his mouth before his brain could decide if it was a good idea or not. Not with you.

Understanding radiated from her and her expression became even softer. She stepped away from him and walked to the closet. “Relax, tough guy,” she said, tone light and back to its familiar teasing. She rummaged through the wardrobe and reached up on her tiptoes for something higher up. “Your virtue is safe with me.”

Clark was glad Lois wasn’t looking at him. Being vulnerable and open around her was something he had to get used to. In an effort to keep things friendly, however, he came up behind her. “What do you need?” he asked. She looked to be reaching for some linen.

“A blanket and a pillow,” she said, moving aside for him. “I don’t know why Clark put them so high up.” She huffed and it sounded rather odd for Lois to be talking about him, but not really him.

Clark grabbed a white pillow and a dark blue quilt he was sure his mother must have made. He started to hand it to her, but Lois shook her head and pushed the soft items back into his hold.

“Since you’re forgoing a warm bed – and I mean that in the most innocent way possible – you’ll have to take the couch,” she said. She picked up his discarded clothes that he left on the mattress earlier that morning and brushed past him and back into the hallway.

Clark quickly followed her as she led him down the hall and into the living room. She removed some books from the couch and tossed them onto the coffee table. She then smoothed out the wrinkles of the cotton cushions and laid his sleeping clothes on top of the afghan hanging off the back of the couch.

“You can use this as an extra layer if you want,” she said, fingering the woolen blanket made up of red and blue knitted squares.

“Thank you,” Clark replied, setting the pillow down on the end of the couch closest to the hallway. He placed the folded blanket next to it.

“I would offer the spare bedroom if there was an actual bed in there,” Lois said. She walked around the furniture so the couch was now between her and Clark. “We’ve been meaning to get a futon for guests, but so many things keep coming up.”

“The couch is fine,” Clark commented. He looked over at her and noticed the sadness lurking behind her hospitable mask. She didn’t seem close to breaking down, though, and Clark admired her strength. He knew it wasn’t much, but he would do what he could to distract her from worrying. “I’m used to it, remember?”

The right side of her mouth quirked up in a half-smile. “I remember,” she said. Instead of hitting him with a quick-witted retort like he expected her to, her gaze grew distant and she seemed hundreds of miles away.

He hadn’t meant to submerge her in more memories. “Lois, I want to apologize –”

She snapped out of her trance to stare at him in confusion. “Again, Smallville?” she interrupted. “What for?”

“Your husband is missing, and I’m disrupting your life –”

“First off, you’re giving yourself way too much credit,” she cut in. “You have no idea who or what caused this time snafu, so you can’t possibly blame yourself. You can’t blame anyone, really.”

Lois continued, “As for disrupting my life?” She shook her head, holding in a snort. “Do you not know me? I do that perfectly fine on my own.”

Clark was at a loss, because if he weren’t here, then his future self would be and there wouldn’t be this entire mess in the first place. “I just –”

She held up a hand, cutting him off again. “Clark, you can play the blame game all you want. I’ll never accept your apology because there’s nothing you have to be sorry for.” She held his gaze for a long moment. “Capiche?”

After a second or two, Clark looked away and nodded even though he didn’t agree.

“Get some rest,” Lois said. She walked over to the entrance of the hallway and leaned against the frame. “I have a feeling the two billionaire boys will be gracing us with their presence sooner rather than later.” She paused and then made a gesture to the closed door behind her without looking back.

“Oh, and so I don’t offend your maidenly sensibilities,” she said with a wry grin, “you can use the spare bathroom across the hall here. It’s stocked with shampoo and the works.”

Clark nodded again, hoping she could see the appreciation on his face. “Thanks, Lois.”

She nodded, pushing away from the hallway arch. “Sweet dreams, handsome.” Her smile was soft and sad, and she disappeared down the hallway before he could say anything.

The affectionate nickname did not go unnoticed by him, though she obviously said it without thinking. This was the fourth time now. To be perfectly honest, it did feel rather weird to hear her call him that. It suggested an intimacy far greater than any of her previous nicknames, even Smallville. ‘Smallville’ had started out annoying, but was now comfortable, perhaps even soothing in its familiarity. When uttered, it didn’t have to mean anything beyond the friendship category. The Lois he knew would not have called him ‘handsome’ in a million years, not when it would admit a physical attraction to him. That, and he could hear her saying it would give him an ego boost he didn’t need.

Even as he rolled his eyes, Clark acknowledged that having future Lois call him ‘handsome’ didn’t exactly make him feel horrible – just… strange. In a good way.

Shaking his head, Clark quickly changed into the clothes Lois left on the couch, the same ones he chose that morning. Though he was without the red and gold plaid flannel, he wore the light blue pajama pants and white muscle shirt. He folded the slacks and button-up shirt and placed them in a neat pile on the lounge chair. Then he took off his glasses and put them on the coffee table.

Clark sat on the couch and blew out a tired breath, running a hand through his hair. It had been a really, really long day. He grabbed the folded blanket and spread it out with a flick of his wrist before he let himself fall back along the couch. The pillow provided a soft cushion for his head and the quilt a warm cover for his body as he stared up at the ceiling.

So many things had happened in the course of twenty-four hours. Being sent to the future, finding out his identity as the Red-Blue Blur was apparently inconsequential, Chloe’s mysterious scars… Frankly, nothing shook him more than the fact that Lois Lane was his wife.

This was not a future he would have imagined for himself.

In fact, it was never supposed to be in the realm of possibility. Everything was different in 2015. Everything he thought he knew about his life was out of whack, aligning in ways he could have never foreseen.

He didn’t know who he was anymore.

Clark closed his eyes and though his troubling thoughts would have normally kept him awake, his exhaustion had him falling asleep within seconds.

–

The warmth of the sun shining on his face finally woke Clark from his slumber. He blinked up at the unfamiliar ceiling, wondering for a half-second where he was when the events of the day before came rushing back. He groaned and sat up slowly, his left arm bracing itself along the back of the couch.

A mocha aroma drifted through the air and he turned his head to look in the kitchen. His angle didn’t offer a very good view, so he used his x-ray vision to see the coffee maker brewing. That meant Lois was awake as well. He concentrated his hearing and heard her shuffling around in the bathroom as water ran from the faucet.

Clark stood, stretching, and decided he needed a shower before he could even attempt to face what he had yesterday. He walked at a human pace to the spare bedroom and glanced around the room that contained only bookcases and file boxes arranged in a haphazard manner. Knowing the chaos of the room could only be Lois’s doing, he shook his head with a small smile before he went into the bathroom.

Clark went under the spray of the shower and let the water wash away his worries. He didn’t let himself think of anything and kept his mind blank. He shampooed his hair and scrubbed his body, drawing out the shower for as long as he could. Minutes later, he stepped out before he felt like he was wasting water.

Feeling clean and refreshed was a good way to start the day, Clark decided. He grabbed the beige towel hanging off the rack and wrapped it around his waist. Too late he realized he didn’t bring a fresh change of clothes. Blushing at the thought of Lois catching him with only a towel, he listened hard.

The apartment was quiet and he frowned. Had Lois gone out without telling him? So early in the morning? In any case, that meant the bedroom was empty. He supersped into the room and grabbed some boxers, a pair of dark jeans and a casual black T-shirt. He tossed the towel onto the bed and, afraid that Lois could walk in at any moment, also supersped through putting on his choice of clothes. When he was done, he picked up the towel again and folded it as he walked out into the hallway. He dropped it off in the spare bathroom before wandering into the kitchen to grab a cup of the coffee he smelled earlier.

Clark was crossing through the living room area when he spotted Lois out on the balcony. She sat in one of the chairs, her knees pulled up to her chest. As he got closer, he saw that she was cradling a cup of coffee between her hands. She rested the bottom of the mug on the tops of her knees. She wore jeans again plus a white peasant blouse with long sleeves. This time, however, instead of a ponytail, her dark brown hair tumbled over her shoulders, still wet from her shower. Lois stared out at the Metropolis skyline, eyes focused on nowhere in particular, her face pensive and downcast.

He knew what she was thinking, and he wished he could bring him back for her. But instead of calling attention to it, he merely leaned his shoulder against the frame of the open sliding door and said, “Good morning.”

She turned at the sound of his voice. When her eyes landed on him, something flashed in her expression. He heard her sharp intake of breath before she replied, “Morning.” She smiled and her gaze cleared of any turmoil. “Sleep well?”

Small talk. He could do small talk. Better to ease into things, anyway, he supposed. “Better than I thought I would,” he answered. “You?”

Lois looked back out at the view and took a deep breath. “Not really, no,” she admitted. She brought her legs down from the chair and stood up. “Are you hungry? I can make breakfast.”

Clark straightened as well as he dubiously asked, “You can?” Perhaps Lois had learned to cook in the six years he didn’t know about.

Her eyes narrowed as she passed him to get inside, though he noticed she didn’t contradict him. “Well, by making breakfast, I mean taking out a bowl and pouring cereal and milk,” she said, placing her coffee mug on the counter before walking into the kitchen. She grabbed two bowls and a cereal box from the cupboards and then a milk carton from the refrigerator. “I have perfected the art of pouring, y’know.”

“Really.” Clark leaned forward with his elbows on the counter as he watched Lois grab two spoons out of the drawer. She then proceeded to pour the cereal.

“It’s a delicate act, Smallville!” she said, flashing a quick glare at him. She started to carefully pour the milk into the first bowl. “Pour too much milk, the cereal gets soggy. Too little, then it’s too dry and crunchy.” She stopped pouring before the milk caused the cereal to rise to the very top. “Ah. Just the way I like it.”

“This is yours,” she said, taking the bowl and walking out to place it on the dining room table. She laid a spoon next to the bowl of crispy looking cereal. “Yes, this bowl is definitely Lois Lane-Kent approved.”

He frowned. Why did that have such a nice ring to it? Lane-Kent.

Upon seeing his frown, Lois frowned as well, but she went about pouring her own bowl. Clark sat down at the table and waited for her. However, instead of joining him at the table, she sat on one of the barstools. She faced him and simply began eating, holding the bottom of the bowl with her right hand and using the spoon with her left. Silence settled over them with only the sounds of munching filling the air.

The quiet got to Lois faster than it did him because she cracked first. “Yesterday, I heard the news about a mysterious wind putting out the fire at that grocery store on 8th,” she said, looking up from her bowl at him. “People thought it was Superman, but he didn’t show his face…” She placed her spoon in her mouth as she contemplated him. Then she took it out and pointed it at his head. “That was you, wasn’t it?”

He didn’t meet her eyes. “I couldn’t expose myself,” he said. Just the thought of letting the public see his face brought back bad memories from the day before yesterday.

“Oh. That’s right.” Lois gulped down a couple more spoonfuls of honey oats, and then hopped off the barstool. She placed her bowl in front of Clark on the table. “Stay right there,” she said, patting his shoulder as she passed him. “I’ll get it.”

“Get what?” he asked, confused.

Lois didn’t hear him. She had already gone down the hallway by the time he turned around. What on earth was she talking about? He replayed their short conversation, but nothing stood out. Clark shook his head and went back to eating cereal.

“Ta-dah!”

Clark turned around. Then he blinked.

A proud smile graced Lois’s lips. A red cape and yellow belt was draped over her right arm, while her left hand held up a mostly blue suit. “What do you think?”

Clark swallowed the spoonful of cereal he forgot about upon seeing the costume – his costume, he realized – in Lois’s hands.

“… I like the colors?”

Crossposted to clois, cloisfic, Divine Intervention.

Comic-Con So Far...

krysyuy@gmail.com — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 01:27:21 GMT

Every day, I get more and more psyched for Comic-Con. Even though the schedule isn't out yet, there are some events I'm aware of and plan on attending. Since the times aren't out yet, I'm hoping none of the panels I want to go to clash. That would suck.

My tentative schedule for what I plan to do at Comic-Con...

Wednesday
♣ Drive down to San Diego for Preview Night even if it kills me. I want to be absolutely prepared for the convention in the following four days.
♣ Look around the Exhibit Hall if there's time.

Thursday
♣ Check-in at the hotel.
♣ New Moon movie panel. I will brave the crazed crowds. Hopefully, I survive. Wish me luck.
♣ Psych tv panel. Hell yes! This one will be so made of WIN. I look forward to this soooo much. Maybe even more than the NM panel. I hope they don't clash.

Friday
♣ N/A

Saturday
♣ N/A

Sunday
♣ 10:30-11:30AM - Smallville panel
♣ 11:45-12:45PM - Supernatural panel

Don't know which day, but definitely going no matter what:
♣ Dollhouse panel

Hear My Heartbeat on a Staircase [1/1] (Smallville // Clark/Lois)

krysyuy@gmail.com — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 09:43:40 GMT

Title: Hear My Heartbeat on a Staircase
Author: Krys Yuy
Prompt: #21/staircase
Summary: What was it about this damn staircase and introspection? Her left hand gripped the handrail tightly as she tried to find some kind of balance. Clark didn’t play fair.
Pairing/Characters: Clark/Lois
Warning: Spoilers up to 8x22 Doomsday.
Rating: PG-13/K+
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters used. This fic is purely for entertainment purposes only.
Author’s Notes: Written for the Somewhere in Metropolis Challenge @ 12days_of_clois. This piece feels a bit disjointed, probably because I had too many ideas I wanted to cram into one piece. However, I think if I tinkered with it any more I’ll go just a little crazy, so I hope you enjoy it as it is. This is my first time posting for a challenge community like 12days_of_clois, and I’m quite pleased with how much I enjoyed writing for it. The words came easier than I expected it to – if only my muse would be this cooperative all the time! This is also the first time I tried my hand at something from Lois’s POV, a change of pace from my Free Fall story going on right now. This is my take on the Clois in Doomsday and one of my ideal scenarios for what happens after. Please read, enjoy and review! Thanks!

( Avoidance was the new word of the day, and she readily used it to cloak her heart. )

Crossposted to 12days_of_clois, clois, cloisfic, Divine Intervention.

Writing + Twitter

krysyuy@gmail.com — Sun, 31 May 2009 02:40:42 GMT

Currently writing for the 12days_of_clois community with the prompt staircase. The rough draft is coming along quite nicely. Working on the ending as we speak before I flesh out the beginning and tidy the edges.

Working on the challenge because Free Fall is being a bitch. It doesn't help that I keep watching certain scenes of Doomsday and I want to hit Chloe over the head with something. I am constantly amazed by the stupidity of the SV producers.

In other news, I think Twitter exploded. :P Also, I am simultaneously scanning for For Richer or Poorer. I now have to clean up the scans on Photoshop before I can post them on the site. All in all, I think I've been pretty productive lately. Hmm.

Recommended Video of the Day:
Clark & Lois: Cinco Letras by alma45 - Sexy as hell. I ♥ it.

Free Fall Progress

krysyuy@gmail.com — Thu, 21 May 2009 12:18:59 GMT

Finally starting to work on Free Fall again. It feels good. :o) I have hit a kind of road block though as Chloe's role was supposed to be larger, but I'm down-sizing it now because of my reaction to Smallville's finale.

Those who have watched it know what I'm talking about. *sigh*

Chloe's still present, of course, but I'm not going to use her as much as I initially planned to. (Or, at least, until my annoyance dies down.)

As for Jimmy. Well, let's just say AA is my Jimmy Olsen. Accept no substitutes.

For those curious about the Free Fall timeline and the future Clark finds himself in, let me break it down for you:
- Everything is strictly canon up until the end of Infamous.
- Post-Infamous, things in my story's world pretty much follow the rest of S8 canon with a bit of a Clois-y twist. I can't get into that too much as it has a great impact on the story. So, basically, events from the show until the end of Injustice are not-as-strictly canon, but still canon, in my story.
- SV's events in Doomsday do not exist in my story. I have my own version of events.
- So, Free Fall can be considered either a Post-Infamous AU or Post-Injustice AU. How, you ask? Well, I'm still figuring that out, so bear with me. XD
- Clark is six years in the future of this timeline. And this is his timeline, though he'll have cause to never be quite sure of that.

Well, that's about it so far. I'm sorry to keep you waiting so long for the next installment, but rest assured, I am working on it! :)

Also, keep the faith in SV! Hard, I know. But I'm trying to be optimistic. :)

FAIL, SV

krysyuy@gmail.com — Fri, 15 May 2009 04:14:39 GMT

FAIL, Smallville. FAILx1000.

I hate you, PS3. I lost faith in you after AoS, and it's nice to know that you don't give a crap about getting any of your credibility back whatsoever.

Why does Smallville have producers who don't know a damn thing about the source material? Forget that. They can't even write a decent story arc and follow through.

The first half of the season was so good and then, the second half... crap. Complete and utter crap. (Minus Hex and Stiletto.)

How were Clois fans supposed to "forgive all" in the finale? *headache*

They killed Jimmy Olsen. No, let me rephrase. They did a frickin' identity swap. 'Cause guess what? The Jimmy we've seen these last few years isn't actually Jimmy. Sorry, just kidding!

What. The. FUCK.

If you needed even more proof that SV was a soap opera, here you go!

There's so much to say about the finale, but I can't because I'm just so damn angry. It left a bad taste in my mouth.

To think, I fell deeply in love with this show last Fall (after only being an occasional fan). Now I'm disgusted by it.

I can't wait until finals are over. I need to write fanfiction to fix this horrible mess.

Free Fall [6/?] (Smallville // Clark/Lois)

krysyuy@gmail.com — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 23:22:02 GMT

Title: Free Fall (6/?)
Author: Krys Yuy
Summary: Clark isn’t willing to risk his heart again. But when Fate gives him a glimpse into his future, the only question is – how hard will he fall?
Pairing/Characters: Clark/Lois, Chloe/Bart, Oliver/Dinah, Bruce/Zatanna, Justice League
Warning: Spoilers up to Hex.
Rating: PG-13/K+
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters used. This fic is purely for entertainment purposes only.
Author’s Notes: Finally, an update! Unfortunately, I can’t promise another one soon as I have four more weeks left of my senior year of college. Schoolwork has to take precedence. Anyways, I’m glad people are liking how I write Lois. I’m feeling a little more comfortable writing her. Thanks to everyone who guessed the episode references. People came up with ones I hadn’t even seen or just missed. XD To see the episodes I was consciously referring to, please visit my LJ here. I’m not sure if this chapter will live up to people’s expectations, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless.
Thanks to all my reviewers of the last chapter! You guys are always so awesome. It’s your comments that make me keep wanting to write more. Please read, review and enjoy!

Chapter 6: Doubt

Clark reflexively tensed his muscles as Zatanna finished her spell. He waited a few seconds, but when nothing happened, he looked away from Lois and down at himself. He didn’t feel any different. Had it worked?

He looked up to once again meet Lois’ gaze. She seemed just as puzzled as he felt. “What? That’s it?” she asked, looking over at the dark haired sorceress. “No flashing lights or sparks shooting out of your hands? No glowy aura thingy around Smallville’s head?”

Zatanna smiled at Lois from over her shoulder, though it seemed a little uneasy. “It’s not that kind of spell,” she replied. Her right arm lowered to her side again.

“What kind of spell is it then?” Lois demanded, unable to hide the anxiousness in her voice.

“A truth spell,” Oliver muttered, his eyes never moving away from Clark. “Now he can’t lie.”

“I wasn’t planning to,” Clark replied with a small frown. Anymore, anyways.

Lois latched on to one thing. “A truth spell? You didn’t say anything about a truth spell!” she exclaimed, poking Oliver hard in the back.

“Ow! Lois!” Oliver turned and grabbed her hand in mid-poke before she could strike again. “What did you think was going to happen when we said Zee would use magic?”

“You said nothing would happen if he was being honest!” Lois retorted, snatching her hand back and glaring at him. “I thought there would be bells or something! Maybe Clark would glow blue so you knew he was telling the truth!”

“Calm down,” Oliver said sternly. Lois’ glare deepened and he raised his hands in a peaceful motion. “This way there won’t be any doubt. We’ll ask our questions and then Zee can reverse the spell. No harm, no foul.”

Lois opened her mouth to retort, but then stopped as if she remembered something. Her worry seemed to increase, unintentionally causing Clark to tense again. “Wait,” she said, looking towards Zatanna. “Don’t your spells have a tendency to backfire?”

Clark watched as Zatanna shook her head, though the sorceress’ gaze never left him. “They used to,” she admitted. “I have much greater control now, though. Besides, I’ve done this spell many times before.” Her light-green eyes revealed her confidence in herself, and Clark knew he had not been wrong to trust her when she smiled reassuringly.

“Do you honestly believe we would let Zatanna perform such a spell if we had no faith in her abilities?” Bruce asked Lois, eyebrows drawn together in displeasure.

“Of course not!” Lois immediately replied, looking a bit chagrined at the very idea. “You know I don’t mean it like that, Zee, I’m just –”

“Worried, I know,” Zatanna finished. “It’s okay, Lois. I understand.” She turned her head so Lois could see she meant it. “I wouldn’t do this to Clark if it wasn’t safe.” She made a vague gesture with her hands in the direction of Oliver and Bruce. “And if these two weren’t so suspicious.”

“Enough.” Bruce walked forward until he was in front of Zatanna, replacing her as the closest person to Clark. His blue eyes were like hard chips of sapphire as he stared directly into Clark’s face.

Clark didn’t look away. Few things intimidated him, and Bruce, whoever he was, was not going to be one of them.

Bruce crossed his arms. “Who are you?”

His back straightened imperceptibly. “Clark Kent,” he answered, not feeling any sort of side effect from the spell.

“Ah-ha!” Lois exclaimed triumphantly. “Told you so.” She smirked in Oliver’s direction, but the green archer only rolled his eyes.

Clark, however, noticed his friend’s shoulders relax somewhat. His expression remained guarded, but the earlier warmth from the tuxedo shop swam just beneath the surface of his brown eyes. Oliver stepped up next to Bruce and asked, “Are you from the past?”

“I think so,” Clark answered. There was still nothing happening on the spell’s end, and for a brief instant, he wondered if Zatanna had actually cast it.

Zatanna stood behind Bruce’s shoulder, carefully observing the situation. She met his eyes just as he looked over at her. However, she only gave him a rueful nod, confirming that yes, she had done it.

Clark didn’t show any visible reaction to her answer, though he did wonder if he was supposed to feel any effects from the spell at all. His attention was drawn back to Oliver when his friend asked, “You think so?”

“I can’t be sure,” Clark elaborated. “I don’t know how I got here.”

Bruce’s expression revealed nothing, though his eyes had narrowed to a slight degree. “What’s the last thing you remember from your time?”

Clark paused, but it was as if a light switch had been flipped in response to the question.

Thoughts of Lois. A white glow. A cocoon of warmth. Blackness.

He took his time answering as memories rushed through his mind. They already seemed like a lifetime ago. “A bright light cloaking me and then… nothing,” he said. “The next thing I knew –” Clark cut himself off and his cheeks flushed as he remembered what came after.

Curious, Oliver asked, “What?”

Clark wanted to shake his head, but to his horror, his lips moved of their own accord and he answered unwillingly. “I was in bed with Lois.”

Everyone but Bruce turned to look at her.

Lois locked eyes with Clark, not the least bit embarrassed. “He’s my husband.” She said it like that explained everything.

The phrase acted like a jolt through his system, but Clark didn’t allow himself to think about it. He was too busy trying not to flinch at the indescribable expression that entered her eyes.

“You never said anything about a bright light,” Lois continued, her voice becoming oddly subdued.

She sounded… hurt? Clark’s mind flashed to his conversation with her at the barn and he suddenly had to make it right. “Lois, I –” He stepped towards her, but when she took the barest step back, he paused. Pain flared in his chest for the briefest of moments. The hand that was reaching towards her froze.

He remembered Lois stepping away from him in the storage room at the Daily Planet after she had locked the door. He didn’t remember it hurting like this did. His hand fell to rest limply at his side. What had changed?

Even though there was a distance between them on the roof, Clark was easily able to stare into her hazel gaze. The answer was in her eyes whether she was aware of it or not. One just had to know where to look. He examined her features thoroughly, searching. What had looked so out of place on her countenance? With a start, he recognized the foreign emotion that had graced her face even if it was but for a split-second.

Doubt.

A sick feeling pooled in his gut.

“It –” His throat was suddenly dry and scratchy, and he cleared it quickly. “It slipped my mind,” he said, willing her to believe him. “I didn’t hide it from you on purpose.”

Truthfully, the bright light had been forgotten in favor of more pressing matters. Like the fact that Lois was his wife or that he, for some reason, now went by Superman instead of the Red-Blue Blur. Or one of the many other revelations the future had brought to light. The possible means of his journey to the future paled in comparison to all of that.

How could one small detail shake her faith in him? This Lois? She had seemed utterly immovable, like his Lois in her own way.

His Lois.

An inkling of the future Lois’ reasoning came to him. He held onto that thread and tried to think like her. What was it about the light that had unsettled her? His mind went through his earlier conversation with her.

“How do you know you didn’t just lose your memories?”

Clark closed his eyes and opened them again after a few seconds, meeting her gaze. “Lois,” he said quietly, beseechingly. He ignored their audience. For now, it was only the two of them. She was his one ally in a world where everything was so very different. He didn’t realize how much her faith in him meant.

“Then stay and fight back. Look, give people a chance to see who you really are!”

She believed in him. Then. Now.

“Thank you… Clark. For telling me.”

She didn’t look away from him. Nor did she ask for an explanation. She simply waited, just as she had done earlier when they were alone on the roof.

A deep breath. “Lois,” he repeated gently. He tried to urge her with his eyes, tried to make her see his sincerity. “I told you.” The following words again caused that same mysterious pain in his chest. “I’m not your husband.”

If he didn’t have super hearing, he would have missed her quiet intake of breath. But he definitely didn’t miss the sudden anxiety she tried to hide. He was overcome by the compulsion to hug her, but he checked himself.

Instead, he continued to speak, aware that she was listening carefully to his every word, though she had yet to respond. “Ask me anything. I won’t lie to you,” he said. He was suddenly reminded of the spell. He looked around at Oliver, Zatanna and Bruce.

Oh. Right. His blue-green eyes traveled back to Lois. “I can’t lie to you,” he amended, touching his throat briefly. “But I am Clark.” He willed her to believe it.

She remained both still and silent for several agonizingly long seconds. Then before Oliver could react, she ran past him and straight into Clark’s startled arms.

“I know you are,” she murmured, pressing her cheek against his. “Didn’t I tell you?” She pulled back and took off one hand he had placed on her waist. She clasped it against her heart, and the thrum of her heartbeat raced under his palm. She whispered very, very softly. “Only you could ever make me feel this way.”

He swallowed the sudden lump in his throat. “Lois, I’m sorry,” he said. He could still feel her heart. “I didn’t say anything because I forgot. That’s all.”

She searched his face and smiled, albeit sadly. “I know,” she said. “It’s just… you remembering a light cloaking you… and then waking up next to me in bed…” She breathed in deeply, like she was trying to compose herself. “That light definitely has something to do with you being brought here. And that just means…”

Clark gently pulled his hand away from her heart, letting it fall to his side. “I’m not your Clark,” he finished.

She looked like she wanted to say something, but seemed to think better of it. She paused before explaining herself. “I didn’t want to believe it. Of course, you’re different from him, but loss of memories could account for that.” She reached out to clutch the front of his white dress shirt. “But now… now I have to wonder where he is. If he’s safe.”

The slightest tremor in her voice made Clark ache for her. “I’m so sorry,” he said yet again. It seemed like the only thing he could was apologize.

She shook her head and looked at him, a bit bemused. “Why? It’s not your fault.” She patted his cheek. “Don’t apologize.”

Clark was still concerned about her feelings. “Are you sure you’re convinced?” She nodded, but he persisted. “Ask me anything,” he repeated, tone serious as he looked at her earnestly.

Her eyebrow quirked up as she regarded him. Then she punched his arm. “Don’t be so doom-and-gloom. It’s not the end of the world,” she said. “We’ll figure this out. I’ll help you and I’ll find my husband.”

Clark reached out to squeeze her shoulder. “We’ll find your husband.”

She smiled at him. Confidence and ease seemed to flow back into her as if she never had her moment of vulnerability. Clark wondered at Lois’ ability to adapt and power through anything.

“Okay… not to interrupt this strange, inappropriate love fest,” Oliver said, clearing his throat uncomfortably. “But if we can get back to the topic at hand…” His tone was serious, but Clark could tell it wasn’t as cold as before either.

“He’s one to talk,” Lois muttered under her breath.

Clark was the only one who could hear her. He looked down at her, a little perplexed but the corners of his lips turned up slightly nonetheless.

“Hey.” Oliver snapped his fingers twice. “Eyes here, buddy. We’re still asking questions.”

Clark faced him, feeling both amused and faintly embarrassed.

Lois rolled her eyes, but turned towards Oliver, placing herself in front of Clark. “Then ask them,” she said impatiently. “I don’t know what else he has to say to convince you.”

Oliver went silent for a moment as he thought over something. “Six years?”

Clark nodded. “Six years,” he confirmed.

Oliver paused. Then his brown eyes turned quite serious as he asked, “What did I do to you in Black Creek? And why did it work?”

Clark’s gaze slid to the back of Lois’ head briefly, but once again, his mouth opened without him willing it to. The feeling of helplessness was getting old pretty quick. But they had their questions and he would answer, as promised. They were still his friends.

“You shot me twice with your arrows,” he answered quietly. “Jor-El had taken away my powers.”

Remorse rippled through Oliver’s expression. The Queen billionaire didn’t have a chance to respond though.

“You. Shot. Him?!” Lois nearly shrieked.

Clark’s eyes went wide the same moment Oliver blanched. “Not on purpose!” he replied, raising his hands peacefully. “There was a serum.”

“How convenient.” Lois rolled up the sleeves of her long-sleeved T-shirt and started towards him. “You better run, Robin Hood.”

“Lois, don’t you think you’re overreacting?” Oliver asked, but he was already taking a step backwards.

“Not at all,” she said, smiling sweetly. She came within a couple feet of him and cocked her left fist back.

Oliver tensed, raising his hands to defend himself; but at the same, almost seemed ready to make a run for it. Clark could practically hear his friend’s thoughts race as he considered his options. Lois was in mid-swing when Clark supersped and caught her wrist.

“Lois,” he said, a note of reprimand in his voice.

She pouted. “I hate when you say my name like that,” she said, pulling her wrist out of his grasp. He let her go easily. She crossed her arms and glared at Oliver. “Clark won’t always be around to protect you.”

Oliver made a sound of disbelief.

“It wasn’t his fault,” Clark said gently. “He didn’t shoot me on purpose.”

“It doesn’t change the fact that he still shot you.” Lois was obviously focusing on one part of the story.

“And I’m sorry it happened,” Oliver said. His tone was sincere as he looked at Clark. His face was no longer guarded. “I would never purposefully –”

Clark cut him off. “I know.” He smiled.

Oliver’s expression notably warmed. “I appreciate your confidence in me… Clark.”

Clark’s smile brightened.

“Took you long enough,” Lois said, frowning.

Oliver sighed. “Lois, I didn’t mean to,” he insisted.

Lois closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. When she opened them again, Clark noticed her fire had calmed somewhat. “Of course. I know.” She stepped forward as if to hug him, but when he opened his arms, she punched his shoulder instead.

Oliver flinched and clutched his shoulder as Clark cried, “Lois!”

Lois blinked wide-eyed at him. “What?” she asked innocently. “It wasn’t his face.”

Clark sighed. Well, he couldn’t say he was surprised.

“So…” Lois looked at Oliver and Bruce coolly. She began rolling her sleeves back down one at a time. Clark had a fleeting glimpse of a bracelet on her right wrist before her sleeve covered it again.

Huh. He only saw part of the bracelet from the side for a split-second, but he felt like he had seen it before. Weird. He never usually paid attention to jewelry.

Clark’s attention turned back to Lois as she continued, “Are you satisfied?” She crossed her arms as she stared down the two billionaires.

Oliver rubbed his shoulder. He nodded, though he regarded Lois with a sour face. However, his expression softened as he looked over at Clark. “I do believe this is Clark’s past self,” he said. A smirk formed on his lips. “There’s still a certain innocence, don’t you think, Bruce?”

“Yes.” Bruce’s expression didn’t give anything away, and Clark couldn’t be sure if the dark haired man actually agreed in the spirit of joking or seriousness.

Oliver nodded. “Well, I don’t have any more questions. Bruce?”

Bruce didn’t answer, only contemplated Clark quietly just as he had the entire time they were on the roof. Clark didn’t twitch at all, though he could tell Lois was readying herself for another verbal confrontation. “You don’t know who I am, do you?” the dark haired billionaire finally asked.

“Just your first name,” Clark replied.

Something flickered through his stoic face before he held out his hand. “Bruce Wayne,” he said, tone solid and steady, “of Wayne Enterprises.”

Clark shook his hand firmly. Another billionaire superhero. Of course. “Clark Kent,” he replied. A grin lit his mouth. “As you might have guessed.”

The corners of Bruce’s lips tugged upwards for a quick instant, so fast that Clark was sure he imagined it. It merely added to his mystery, like his earlier more carefree attitude at the party. But watching him now, Clark doubted anyone could crack the dark haired billionaire’s stern countenance. It wasn’t hard at all to imagine Bruce Wayne as a superhero. Criminals probably buckled under his severe and unforgiving stare. Bruce had an air of strength and complete authority about him. It was the kind of subtle power that hid in the shadows until just the right time.

“You have a great poker face,” Clark commented, unable to resist.

Bruce nodded shallowly. “I’ve been told.” This time he smirked and Clark discerned that he wasn’t completely humorless. Bruce held out his hand behind him and waited until the lovely dark haired sorceress placed her hand in his.

Clark watched as Bruce led Zatanna to stand next to him. Bruce squeezed her hand and began, “This is my –”

“Zatanna Zatara,” she said. She held out her free hand to him and smiled. “But you can call me Zee.”

Clark shook her hand next. “It’s nice to meet you,” he said sincerely.

An amused twinkle entered her eye. “Likewise.”

“Okay, you’ve all been officially introduced to each other,” Lois said, placing a hand on Clark’s shoulder. He recognized the impatience in her tone. “Can you take the spell off him now?”

Zatanna raised her arm, but Bruce grabbed her wrist and pulled it back down. “Bruce,” she said, obviously displeased. She tried to yank her hand away, but he kept a firm grip on it. By the sorceress’ exasperated sigh, Clark knew it was only strong enough to hold, not hurt.

“Do you know why you’re here?” Bruce asked him.

He shook his head. “No.”

“Are you a danger to the Justice League?”

“No,” Clark answered again, straightening his back slightly at the adverse nature of the questions.

Bruce was obviously asking these questions for the safety of his companions, but it didn’t make it irk any less. Out of the corner of his eye, Clark could see Lois opening her mouth again, furious, but he placed his left hand over the one she had on his right shoulder. He squeezed once, a sign telling her it was okay. She bit her cheek, understanding but not liking it one bit.

“However temporary, do you feel yourself capable of filling Superman’s role?”

Immediately, Clark wanted to say yes, but his mouth closed just as it opened. He now recognized the feeling of the spell tingling along his skin. “I don’t know,” he answered, though the words didn’t come from his own thoughts. At least, he didn’t believe they did.

He paused. Why did he say that? He had spent the better part of the last year running around the city doing what exactly what Superman was doing. Saving people. Stopping crime. They were the same person! He was perfectly capable of doing what Superman could.

Thoughts unbidden raced through his head. There was the pure excitement and animation exhibited by the civilians of Metropolis, the pictures he had seen of the superhero flying, and Jimmy’s glowing endorsement, not to mention the unmitigated pride in Lois’ voice.

“But I just assumed you were off saving the day like you do.”

It should have inspired confidence. And it did. But it was slowly being overshadowed by a passing fear that had planted itself earlier in the back of his mind. The spell, however, urged it to grow as a result of Bruce’s question.

Could he really live up to the expectations of this future?

“Stop it,” Lois whispered.

He looked down at her, blinking.

She returned his gaze with an irritated, yet worried one of her own. “I know that look,” she said quietly. “So whatever you’re brooding about, stop it. There’s no reason for it. Especially now.”

There was no way she could know what he was thinking. She couldn’t possibly understand –

Bruce, oblivious to Clark’s spinning thoughts, relentlessly continued. “Did anything unusual happen before you were sent here?”

“Just the light,” Clark responded automatically, forced to shelve his depressing reflections about his superhero identity.

Bruce expanded the parameters of his question. “What about earlier in the day?”

Clark’s brain was already in the midst of pondering the consequences of possible answers when he felt the spell again. He didn’t try to fight it, knowing it was pointless. Instead, he braced himself for the reactions from his companions. “I used the Legion ring to turn back time,” he answered.

Bruce frowned as Oliver exclaimed, “What?”

Zatanna remained conspicuously silent, though her eyes had widened somewhat.

Lois’ nails dug into his shoulder. He turned his head, expecting her to be angry, but she only seemed vaguely puzzled.

Oliver looked mildly frustrated. “You didn’t think that bit of info was relevant?” he asked.

“Not really, no,” Clark answered truthfully, turning his attention back to his friend. If Lois wanted to know something, she would ask. “I destroyed the ring after using it.”

“What?” Oliver repeated, a bit scandalized. “Why?”

“Controlling time is dangerous. It always comes at a price,” Clark stated solemnly, reciting the same explanation he had given Chloe. He didn’t feel any sense of powerlessness, and realized if he were willing to answer the question, the spell wouldn’t affect him. Resisting, however, was another matter entirely. “It was better I got rid of it.”

“The Legion doesn’t just give those rings away like free candy, Clark!” Oliver exclaimed. Clark had the distinct feeling Oliver was more upset about the ring rather than the fact that he had used it to turn back time. The archer continued, “It’s an honor to be given one. It means they trust you.”

“No one should ever be given power over time,” Bruce interjected. “Clark…” Bruce looked over at him appraisingly, respect coloring his tone. “… was right to dispose of it.”

Oliver evidently disagreed, but instead asked, “Why did you turn back time?”

Lois’ grip on his shoulder tightened before he even answered. He glanced at her just in time to see the moment realization washed over her features. She returned his gaze, looking annoyed, bemused and exasperated all at once.

She knew.

Clark didn’t have time to panic, or decide if that was even the right response, before the spell worked its magic again. “I thought the world was ready to hear my secret and accept me, but I was wrong. People I cared about got hurt,” he answered, looking at Lois the entire time. “I had to make it right.”

Lois’ expression turned enigmatic and he wondered why she chose this moment of all times to remain quiet. He interpreted her emotions earlier, but he was missing something here. She was his Lois, but not. He couldn’t read her as well. Would his future self be able to decipher her thoughts? When her hand fell away from his shoulder, he tried not to be bothered. Instead, he let his own hand fall back to his side as well.

Oliver was oblivious to the sudden tension, too busy trying to figure out the more pressing matter. “So you destroyed the ring before arriving in this time?”

Clark looked away from Lois and at him. “Yes.”

Oliver turned to Bruce. “Do you think we can rule out the ring from this time equation?”

Bruce nodded. “If he destroyed the ring, I don’t see how it could play a part later,” he commented.

“Back to square one, then,” Oliver said, sighing.

Lois cleared her throat noisily and everyone looked at her. “Spell. Off. Now.” She pointed from Zatanna to Clark.

“One more question,” Bruce interrupted easily, stepping in front of Zatanna this time. Before Lois could protest, Bruce turned to Clark and asked, “Would you ever hurt Lois?”

Clark’s head snapped up at that. “No,” he stated emphatically, restrained yet passionate at the same time. “Never.”

Lois’ left fingers intertwined with his right ones, but when he looked over at her, she was already glaring at the dark haired billionaire. “You’re done, Bruce,” she said. “You know he’s Clark. Now let Zatanna reverse the spell or I will move you myself.”

He didn’t seem intimidated, but he tilted his head, conceding his hold over the situation.

Zatanna stepped around him and murmured, “You’re impossible.”

Bruce made what sounded like a murmur of agreement, but didn’t articulate his thoughts.

She sighed, but her palm was already up and facing Clark. Blue glowed in her eyes again, but this time, she muttered the incantation under her breath. Seconds later, she lowered her palm. “It’s done,” she said.

Clark didn’t feel any different. Then again, that’s what happened when the spell actually worked.

“Did it work?” Lois said anxiously. She moved in front of him and began to run her hands over his shoulders and down his chest.

Clark stopped her exploration and grabbed her hands, a bit embarrassed by her brazen actions. “Ask me a question and we’ll see if I can lie,” he said.

A twinkle entered her eye, but before he could regret his suggestion, she simply asked, “Is Shelby a girl or a boy?”

Clark scoffed. “A girl, of course,” he lied. He tried to remain serious, but the grin that lit Lois’ face made him crack.

“Well, no wonder Shelby has a gender complex. Me thinking he’s a boy, you thinking he’s a girl,” Lois commented offhandedly.

“She’s a girl,” Clark stated just for the sake of arguing with her. Her snort made his grin widen.

“Wow, is there no version of you two where sparks don’t fly?” Oliver asked, shaking his head.

Clark flushed. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he denied.

Lois laughed lightly. “Keep telling yourself that, Smallville,” she said, reaching up to adjust his glasses.

Clark’s blush deepened and he looked for some kind of escape. His eyes caught Zatanna’s amused ones. “Thanks for lifting the spell,” he said.

“My pleasure,” she replied, smiling. “Though I wish I didn’t have to do it in the first place. Some people are just paranoid.”

“Cautious,” Oliver corrected with a slight harrumph. “Besides, you don’t live like we do without being a little ‘paranoid’. We had to be sure. We couldn’t have another breach like last time.”

“Last time?” Clark echoed curiously.

“You don’t need to know,” Bruce said. His voice wasn’t unkind. He was merely stating a fact. “Actually, since you’ve been here for more than half the day, I’m assuming you already know a lot more than you should. It’s best if you stay in your apartment until we figure this out.”

“Bruce!” Lois said angrily. “We can’t just lock him up like some dangerous –”

“I’m not implying that,” he interrupted calmly. “But there’s a reason we don’t know our futures. Knowledge is power. When he goes back, he could change the timeline from what we know.” He gave Lois a hard stare. “And I know you don’t want that.”

“Of course not.” She gritted her teeth. “But he doesn’t have to be cooped up. We just won’t tell him anything unless it’s need-to-know.”

“I won’t- I won’t try to find out anything,” Clark promised as he thought of Lois. “I want to help in any way I can, including trying to find out what happened to your Clark. I can’t do that in an apartment all day.”

“He can help with patrols,” Oliver added. “This way we won’t have one man down.”

Bruce was silent for a while. “Or we could just send him back now.” He glanced at Zatanna.

“As much as I want to find out where my husband is, I’m not all that eager for you to try another spell on his younger self so soon either,” Lois said, stepping in front of Clark. He wondered if it was a subconscious or intentional action.

“Lois –” Oliver began.

“Don’t even try it, Ollie,” she said, shaking her head. “One spell a day’s the limit.” She grabbed Clark’s hand and began leading him toward the door of the roof. “Check in with us tomorrow.”

“Where are you going?” Oliver asked, running to catch up with them before they left.

“I’m taking him home. He definitely can’t go to the party,” she said. She looked back over her shoulder at Bruce. “He won’t find out anything unless we tell him.”

Clark tried to say goodbye to Oliver, Zatanna and Bruce, but Lois had already yanked him through the doorway and down the one flight of stairs that led to the penthouse floor.

“Let me just get my purse from behind the bar and we can get going,” Lois said, stopping outside the doors of the club. She put her hands on his shoulders. “You stay here. I’ll give Chloe and Casanova some kind of explanation.”

“Wait.” Clark gripped her arm before she could turn away. “Can’t I say hi to them? I wanted to wish them congratulations.”

Something flashed through Lois’ eyes and she shook her head. “I’m really sorry, Clark, but you can’t. It’s better if you don’t see –” She cut herself off. “Just stay here, alright?” She gave him a stern look and entered the still crowded party.

Clark watched her go, lingering by the doorway when his eyes caught on a familiar red hoodie. He turned his head to see Bart and Chloe standing in a corner on the opposite side of the room from the bar, talking quietly. Chloe’s back was to the entrance, but Bart was facing it. Before Clark could duck, Bart spotted him. His friend grinned and waved him over.

Clark hesitated, glancing over at Lois who was talking to the bartender. Then he looked back at Bart, who was still waving. He could make some small talk, just for a little bit. What harm could that do? He hurried over to his friends.

He was only a few feet away when Bart greeted, “Hey amigo!”

“Hi Bart,” he replied. He looked from him to his blonde best friend, who was currently finishing up a text on her cell phone. The left side of her face was visible to him, and she seemed unchanged, except for her longer hair. “Chloe.”

“Sorry, Clark. Just give me one… more… second.” She finished her text with a flourish. As she put her phone away in her clutch, she said, “Glad you could make it. Wouldn’t be the same without my bestie.”

“I wouldn’t have missed it,” he said, grinning. Clark moved forward to hug her warmly, but stopped short when she looked up from her purse and turned around to face him. The grin on his features faded.

Chloe’s warm smile turned puzzled. “Clark, what is it?”

Clark had felt an array of emotions upon his various discoveries of the future – surprise, delight, and utter confusion to name a few. But this was the first time something horrified him.

Chloe stood before him, changed subtly in ways only the passage of time could accomplish. Straight blonde hair reaching past her shoulders, the curves of her face more defined, and perhaps even a tiny bit taller. But then there was the hint of one too many things seen hidden behind her cheerful expression. That alone would have been enough to alert him that something was wrong, but the six years he knew nothing about had left their mark permanently for all to see.

Hidden only partially by her hair, a deep scar ran from the middle top of her forehead, through her right eyebrow and down the outer side of her face. It disappeared behind the curtain of blonde locks covering her right ear. The color of the scar had already faded, so he knew it wasn’t recent. However, by the looks of it, the injury had to have initially been a nasty blend of purples, reds and browns.

But apparently, that disfigurement wasn’t enough. The dull grey of her right eye marred what he remembered as her vibrant blue gaze. He stared at its glassy and somewhat blank surface. Fear, guilt and sorrow flooded him as he realized she wasn’t seeing anything at all.

She was blind.

Crossposted to clois, cloisfic, Divine Intervention.

Free Fall 05 References

krysyuy@gmail.com — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 21:40:17 GMT

For the curious, here are the seven episode references I was consciously referring to in Chapter 05 of Free Fall.

1) 8x19 - Stiletto
- “And I didn’t even need stilettos this time,” she said with a laugh.

2) 8x10 - Bride
- Another day came back to him – one with similar soft, relaxing music playing in the background. He remembered dancing close, close enough that he could smell her fruity shampoo, but not enough to feel her against him. [...] He remembered stepping back and that perfect clarity falling away from him.

3) 8x15 - Infamous
- The feel of her falling into his arms. Wide, amazed eyes. A breath of disbelief. “Guess I should stop calling you Smallville.”

4) 4x19 - Blank
- “I’ve lost my memories before?” he asked, though not surprised. He vaguely recalled the day he lost when he tried to catch a thief who had robbed the Talon.

5) 7x01 - Bizarro (more the Bizarro arc, actually)
- The certainty in her quiet statement made Clark believe her. He wondered how this Lois would have handled Bizarro.

6) 8x15 - Infamous
- Wet, teary eyes. A sad, resigned tone. Hurt plain for all to see. “And when you hit your reset button, you’re not gonna tell me your secret, are you?”

7) 4x08 - Spell
- Clark looked at Zatanna, once again feeling that prickle of something along his skin. He had felt it before, not just with her. Three women flashed in his mind – strangers in everything but appearance.

Weird Dream

krysyuy@gmail.com — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 00:48:26 GMT

Wow, weirdest dream ever... I wanted to get it down right away, but I kinda got distracted, and details are already leaving me. But let's see if I can remember. I got this while taking an afternoon nap.

I vaguely remember being on a train of some kind in the desert, but on a bridge and looking out the window. A little bit in the distance, I see Jim Carrey holding onto a bunch of balloons (a la Pixar's upcoming movie Up). Don't know what happened to him because the train passes a town and suddenly it's me holding onto the balloons and I'm descending to the ground near more train tracks. As I'm descending, I see a white dog on the second floor of a house (one of the ones that have a business on the first floor, and then living area on the second).

The dog leaves the house then comes to me. I remember smiling and then walking with the dog up the hill and then along the street with quaint little shops (like in the Hannah Montana movie). The dog is actually also the dog from the Pixar Up movie, except live action, not animated. XD We're coming up to a store on the left side and a small black dog, who was looking into the shop window, passes us. It says "Hello". There's a black collar around her neck. The white dog, who's male, also says "Hello".

I surprisingly don't freak out. I just go with the flow and look into the store window. There are a ton of gadgets. Apparently, this is a store where you can get collars for your dogs so they can talk. XD;; I remember the white dog talking to me, but I can't remember what he said.

By this time, there is someone else in the dream with me. A person, but I can't really remember who it was. The person and get something from this gadget store, something having to do with the collars, but they're like for our teeth. XD Like a spy thing where there's a receiver in a fake tooth cap. We both get it. I remember tipping my head back and opening my mouth for the store manager to get it in. XD;; He does it while we're still outside the store.

There's a big screen playing the news somewhere in the store. Next thing I know, my companion, who somehow turns into Betty Suarez from Ugly Betty, and I are walking along and we bump into Daniel Meade. The three of us talk and Daniel is saying something about something, but I can't remember... All of sudden, we're walking into this big white room with a conference table, just like the Mode one in UB. Marc and Wilhemina are there, talking to us, but I can't remember what they said. There's cake. White cake with white/yellow frosting. I sit down and just start eating from it with my hand. Someone begins cutting pieces for everyone else and they're like ignoring my rudeness. XD;;

Someone clears their throat and it's Papa Suarez and he's mad. He has cake too and there's supposed to be a party going on at the Suarez home. Betty and I say something about a Mode meeting (apparently, I'm somehow connected to the Suarez family in this dream), and Claire, who was with Papa Suarez, tells him to let us go. However, he's immovable and we have to go. So Betty and I say our goodbyes. Oh, and Claire and Papa Suarez are a couple.

However! I turn my head to the right and there are Daniel and Betty. Betty is sitting down in a chair and Daniel is kneeling on the floor next to her, facing her. From my POV, Daniel's on the left and Betty's on the right and I can't see what's going on beneath the table. Anyways, they're saying something to each other and they're smiling. They're both facing each other, of course. What's weird is they're getting closer and closer, still talking and smiling. They're definitely not freaking out about their proximity. They get really close, not close enough for their lips to touch, but there's a short distance. They're just smiling. My dream self gets the distinct impression that they're just friends and aren't aware of what they're doing. In other words, they don't know they're in love yet and what they're doing is just natural.

That's the last thing I remember.

... XD;; I finally had a shipper dream! I kinda wish it was Clois, but it was kinda cool that it was Detty though. Unexpected, but cool.

Jasper's New Moon Hair

krysyuy@gmail.com — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 19:49:56 GMT

... I hate it. I absolutely hate it. (See here: 01 :: 02)

*sobs* I miss his Twilight hair! So what if it was too perfect? So what if there were highlights?

I think it's so much better than this curly, shorter version going on. And the fuller sideburns. GAH. Some people are happy because it's more accurate to the Civil War era look, but I just can't like it. I'm shallow that way, I guess. XD

Jasper, why?!

*sighs* Maybe I'll change my mind once I see Jasper in action... though I seriously doubt it.

*sniffles in a corner*

Twitter

krysyuy@gmail.com — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 09:05:27 GMT

... I've joined the madness.

I'll probably be using it mostly to show where I am in the middle of writing. *shrugs* Still not quite sure what the what's all about, but we'll see if this is as fun as it seems to be for everyone else. ;)

Jackson Rathbone on CM

krysyuy@gmail.com — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 09:35:55 GMT

Is it silly that I got overly excited seeing Jackson Rathbone on Criminal Minds yesterday night? I literally squealed when I saw him onscreen. I haven't been following any of the Twilight actors/actresses, so I don't know about other projects they're involved in. I have to say, though, that I thoroughly enjoyed the little surprise of Jackson on my TV screen.

I've slowly come to fall in love with Jasper Hale, and it's growing more than my love for Jacob Black. I do feel that a lot of my love for Jasper though is born of my fondness for Jackson. XD;; Though I have to say Jasper really is quite an interesting character.

Oh dear. I feel another obsession coming on. ^o^;;

And did anybody know that Jackson is involved in a project with James Lafferty and Ed Westwick? It's called S.Darko, a sequel to Donnie Darko. I just about had a heart attack when I found out. All three of them, together on a project? My fandoms are crossing over in the most delicious way. I'm not too excited about the actual movie, but I'll probably rent it because of those three. I also find it highly amusing that they're the three featured on the website for the movie when the film is actually supposed to center on Donnie Darko's younger sister and her best friend. Ha.

P.S. I wish Jackson was playing Zuko rather than Sokka for the AtLA live-action movie. Seriously. *sighs*

Free Fall [5/?] (Smallville // Clark/Lois)

krysyuy@gmail.com — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 03:09:43 GMT

Title: Free Fall (5/?)
Author: Krys Yuy
Summary: Clark isn’t willing to risk his heart again. But when Fate gives him a glimpse into his future, the only question is – how hard will he fall?
Pairing/Characters: Clark/Lois, Chloe/Bart, Oliver/Dinah, Bruce/Zatanna, Justice League
Warning: Spoilers up to Hex.
Rating: PG-13/K+
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters used. This fic is purely for entertainment purposes only.
Author’s Notes: As promised, lots and lots of Lois. It seems fitting, somehow, that this is also my longest chapter for this story to date. ^o^ More Lois also means more Clois (at least in this part), so I hope you all enjoy. Please tell me what you think about Lois – I was so nervous writing her that I’m sure there’s something that can be improved upon. I also have a challenge for the readers. I count seven Smallville episode references in this chapter. See if you can name them! (One is very obvious as it’s not really a reference so much as a passage dedicated to it. XP And two others are from the same episode.) Now, I’m off to write for my capstone course in Creative Writing (is it sad that I’d rather be writing this fanfic?)! Anyways, I sincerely hope you guys like this update. Please read, review and enjoy!

Chapter 5: Confession

Wait. Clark blinked. What?

He couldn’t have possibly heard that right. But the serious expressions on his companions’ faces said otherwise. They had no reason to joke. Especially Bruce. The dark haired man seemed eerily calm, his gaze cool and self-controlled as he waited for an answer.

Clark knew the longer he stayed silent, the more trouble he was in, but words couldn’t seem to form in his mouth. He wondered if he looked as gobsmacked as he felt. His mind tried to process the dubious conclusion it had come to after Bruce’s revealing words.

I’m… Superman?

Suddenly, Big Blue didn’t sound all that horrible.

Clark shook his head and closed his mouth – had that been open the entire time? Not good. “I –”

Zatanna interrupted him with a small giggle. Clark’s eyebrows furrowed together as the two other men turned to their companion.

Oliver frowned. “Have something you care to share, Zee?” he asked, irritated.

“Oh.” She placed her fingers over her mouth with a somewhat sheepish shrug. “No, not really.” Her light-green gaze locked with Clark’s and her mouth twitched.

“Zatanna, either contribute to the questioning or stay quiet,” Bruce said. His voice was somehow able to be both monotone and reprimanding at the same time. His face didn’t show it, but he was also clearly not happy about the conversation being interrupted.

Immediately, her smile died. However, she didn’t look hurt. She looked equally irritated. “I’ll do as I please,” she said, her tone deceptively subdued.

Oliver sighed and turned back to Clark, ignoring the couple practically glaring at each other. “You were saying?”

Clark didn’t know how he could possibly answer. Sorry, he forgot where his costume was? Oh, he didn’t know he had an affinity for capes? Out of all the things either man could say, Superman was the last thing he expected.

“I-I’m sorry,” he finally said. Any excuse he made in his head was far from solid, and admittedly, sounded rather lame. He went for the truth. “I don’t know what to say.”

Oliver stared at him for a long moment. Then he stated, “You’re not Clark.”

A spike of dread struck him and Clark wondered if they would believe his story. He had already lied to them by pretending to be his future self. Would they really believe that he had time traveled? He raised his hands in a placating motion, prepared to defend himself.

“What’s going on?”

Everyone turned to find Lois leaning against the frame of the now open terrace door. One eyebrow was raised and her lips were pursed together. Clark knew she was trying to piece together the situation with what information she could gather just by studying them in that moment. She pushed away from the door and strode over until she was standing closest to Clark.

“I can’t be interrupting a meeting of the Billionaire Boys’ Club. Unless you’re now inducting farmer-slash-reporters.” She tilted her head in Clark’s direction. “Or a windfall of money came Smallville’s way.”

She smiled sweetly at him. “Keeping any secrets I should know about?”

Clark swallowed the lump in his throat. “Lois –”

“Lois, step back,” Bruce ordered, walking forward, obviously prepared to draw her to their side.

She stepped away from him, and as a result, came even closer to Clark. “Excuse me?” she demanded.

“Clark’s…” Oliver was obviously struggling with whether or not they should inform Lois of their suspicions. “… not himself.”

“Really.” She gave Clark an once-over before shaking her head. “He looks the same to me.”

“Trust us,” Oliver retorted, his muscles tense. “Lois, he’s not who you think he is.”

From the way she stiffened, Clark knew she was beginning to take the conversation seriously. She turned to the right so she was facing the others straight on. Clark stared at her back, suspecting it wasn’t a coincidence that she placed herself between him and the others. His heart warmed and he wanted to grin. Instead, he stayed where he was and watched Lois interact with the two powerful men.

“What do you mean?” she asked, sounding calm. Clark saw through it, and because of the blonde’s wince, Clark knew Oliver did too.

“Well, we’re not exactly sure –” Oliver began, trying to find the right words.

“We have our suspicions,” Bruce interrupted with a note of finality.

Lois, however, wasn’t having any of that. “And I’m just supposed to believe you?” She stepped back a few paces until her back met Clark’s front.

Clark reached out to steady her against him automatically. He still couldn’t find it in him to say anything, though, when the glower from Oliver darkened and it seemed like storm clouds were once again gathering around Bruce’s temple.

“Just give us a few more minutes. We need to talk to him,” Oliver said, trying for a more amicable tone.

“Interrogate him, you mean?” Lois shot back. Her head turned from Oliver to Bruce and she didn’t like what she saw, if her posture stiffening further under his hands said anything. “You know what? I think Clark and I are going to go back inside –”

Oliver protested immediately. “Lois!”

“– so you both have to put this, whatever this is –” She gestured with her hands in a vague circular motion. “– on pause.” She swiftly turned towards the exit, hit Clark in the face with her ponytail, and grabbed his hand all in one smooth move.

Dumbfounded, he could only follow her as she dragged him along. He chanced a look back at Oliver and Bruce. They were both frowning, but evidently didn’t want to make a scene since neither man ran after them. Zatanna leaned against the edge of the railing, a pleased smile playing across her mouth. She nodded at him subtly and Clark smiled a little before turning back to see where Lois was leading him.

“Umm, thank you,” he said, leaning down so she could hear him above the rock music pulsing through the club.

Lois stopped by the gift table where presents were piled up and winked back at him from over her shoulder. “And I didn’t even need stilettos this time,” she said with a laugh.

Huh? Clark straightened and wondered what on earth shoes had to do with how she handled Oliver and Bruce. He shook his head. Either way, he was glad she was on his side.

“But you know, this just means you’re going to talk to me now,” Lois continued, beginning to move again.

Clark felt a bout of apprehension about ten times worse than when he had been on the balcony. He couldn’t say anything as she started to cross the room, his hand still tucked in hers. The familiarity of her touch comforted more than he could admit to himself though.

The club atmosphere turned more romantic as slow music began to drift through the speakers. Lois abruptly turned to look at him, squeezing his hand. “Dance with me,” she said, eyes twinkling.

Her statement didn’t register at first as he was momentarily charmed by her uncharacteristic enthusiasm for dancing. She led him down the steps and onto the dance floor before he could think about it. Then she dragged him into the midst of twirling couples.

“Lois!” Suddenly, Clark felt an entirely different type of panic. “This isn’t a good idea.”

Something flashed through her gaze before a small grin lit her lips. “Please, Smallville. A little light ballroom won’t kill you.” Lois tugged him towards her, taking his hands and placing them on her waist. She wrapped her arms around his neck and began to sway. “Nothing to it.”

Clark flexed his hands – had she always fit so perfectly? – and stared into her eyes. Hazel sparkled back. Slowly he danced, trying not to trip as the music washed over him, never breaking his link with the woman in his arms. He began to lose himself in hazel and subconsciously moved closer.

Another day came back to him – one with similar soft, relaxing music playing in the background. He remembered dancing close, close enough that he could smell her fruity shampoo, but not enough to feel her against him. There was the whisper of her hair against his cheek as he glanced down for another glimpse of how beautiful she looked. Her fingers were warm in his, and his right hand was comfortable on the curve of her hip. He kept looking at her and then looking away, almost unsure she was really in his arms.

Someone had pushed her against him and he caught her, albeit a little awkwardly. He recalled turning to look, but the culprit was faceless in his memory. All that mattered was the woman standing in front of him, her left hand now loosely grasped in his right. He remembered looking down at their entwined hands and then back at her face.

Lois had gazed at him with a slight tilt of her head, like she was trying to see through him. Her eyes scrunched up faintly and she looked as if she had a question in mind. However, a second later, instead of talking, her free hand touched his chest timid and light, like she was afraid he would disappear.

His heart froze. All he could do was stare at her, mesmerized, but unable to move. He had gazed from her eyes to her lips and back, unexpectedly seeing a myriad of possibilities for the future. Possibilities he never even dreamed of considering.

Hesitation and hope warred in her expression as she did the same, her gaze flickering from his eyes to his lips. There had been an enchanting vulnerability about her in that moment, and he knew there had to be a hint of a smile on his mouth.

Go ahead, his mind had whispered to her then. You can trust me with your heart.

He and Lois must have had a moment of telepathy because she moved closer at that exact second. No more indecision. An excited thrill ran through him and he could move again. He leaned in slowly, fully prepared to meet her halfway, knowing everything was about to change. For the better, something told him.

However, an excited voice had stopped him, breaking the spell. He remembered stepping back and that perfect clarity falling away from him. He couldn’t recall what happened to Lois after that, and regret sank into the pit of his stomach.

Why had he stopped again? Staring at her now under the shimmering club lights, caught in another moment in time, he couldn’t remember why.

But nothing was stopping him now.

That thought spun around his head as he looked down at her lips, coated a light red. Temptation skirted his consciousness. She wasn’t wearing a dress of burnt orange and her hair wasn’t falling in soft curls, but she looked as beautiful as he had ever seen her.

He leaned in, ensnared in what seemed like another enchantment. She leaned towards him as well, and his hands tightened on her waist. But instead of meeting him halfway, her head turned slightly so they were cheek to cheek, her lips pressed close to his ear.

“We definitely need to talk.”

And just like that, the spell was broken again.

Clark pulled back, ignoring the obvious disappointment coursing through him, and looked down to find Lois with the most serious expression on her face. He nodded, mentally preparing himself. “Now?” he asked, even though he was pretty sure what her answer would be.

“Now.” She gestured up with her head. “Somewhere else though.”

“But –” Clark looked around and found the engaged couple talking and laughing to each other in a private corner. They looked like they needed company, didn’t they? “I still haven’t said hi to Chloe or Bart –”

She looked at the corner where he spotted the couple. “They’re off in their own world of engaged-soon-to-be-married bliss,” she commented with a wave of her hand. “Besides, do you really think you’re going to weasel out of this?” Lois rolled her eyes. “Please.”

He sighed. She was right, of course. “Lead the way, Lois.” Better to go with the flow and all that, or in Lois’ case, a tsunami.

She tilted her head again, like she was scrutinizing him and he puzzled over what he could have possibly said. Her mouth screwed up to one side and her eyes narrowed.

“What?” he asked.

Her fingers were trailing up and down the back of his neck and he shivered. “Say my name,” she said.

It was his turn to look at her strangely. His eyebrows scrunched together in bafflement. Despite that, he complied. “Lois.”

Her fingers stilled. “Hmm…” Her hands fell away from his neck.

Clark felt bereft as he followed suit, dropping his hold on her waist. “Lois…” he repeated, confused but wanting her to talk to him.

“Come on, Smallville.” She grabbed his right hand in her left one. “Chop, chop.”

She led him through the dancing couples and then around the outskirts of the room. Lois nodded and smiled at the guests but didn’t linger long enough to actually talk. Before he knew it, she had maneuvered them out into the hallway. But instead of going to the elevators, she went through the exit to the stairs and headed up.

Seconds later, they were on the rooftop of the Metropolis Satellite Center. A light wind ruffled their hair, but other than that, the night was hushed. He and Lois were completely alone.

Lois dropped his hand and walked a few feet away from him to look out over the Metropolis skyline. Millions of tiny lights glittered back at her, bathing her in a soft, muted glow. “It’s not the Planet, but it’ll do,” she commented, shrugging.

Clark wasn’t sure what to expect, so he stood still and waited for her to make her move. Across the street, the Daily Planet globe spun slowly and Clark wondered vaguely if it ever stopped.

Lois took a deep breath and turned around to face him. “So…”

Her expression was unreadable and Clark frowned. “So?” he echoed.

“What are you, a parrot?” Lois shook her head and crossed her arms. “Clark,” she said seriously. “You know you can talk to me about anything, right?”

The feel of her falling into his arms. Wide, amazed eyes. A breath of disbelief.

“Guess I should stop calling you Smallville.”

“I know,” he replied quietly.

“Then, please…” Her voice trembled a tiny bit before righting itself, and Clark knew he was one of only a handful of people who could have detected it. “Talk to me.”

His gaze dropped away from her face. He couldn’t think when her hazel eyes were trained on him. What harm would it do, really, to tell her? He obviously couldn’t navigate the future on his own without help. It felt like reality kept twisting everything around him just when he thought he had a handle on it. The world was unsteady beneath his feet, but having Lois near somehow balanced him.

A desire to tell her outweighed any misgivings he initially had about waking up to a whole new world.

Lois smiled softly, but said nothing, trusting him.

Clark breathed in deeply and exhaled. He took a figurative step towards the imaginary ledge that existed only in his mind. “I’m Clark.”

Her smile turned puzzled and she raised one questioning eyebrow.

“I mean, um, I’m Clark.” Okay, this already wasn’t going how he imagined it would. “Just not your Clark. I’m from the past.” He paused. “I think.”

Several minutes passed as Lois stared at him. Her eyes weren’t wide with shock or narrowed with suspicion. She just… looked at him. Finally, when he thought he would have to snap her out of her trance, she asked, a bit incredulous, “… you think?”

Well, that was better than the yelling he imagined. If he was telling her, then he might as well go all out. “There might be a tiny chance I’m from an alternate universe,” he added. “But I’m pretty sure I’m from the past.”

Lois’ brow furrowed as she studied him. “So, you think you’re from the past?” she asked slowly. She began to move, circling him and looking him up and down. “You don’t look younger.”

“I’m 99.9% sure I’m from the past,” Clark corrected, trying not to tense as he felt Lois’ gaze roam over his back. “I somehow made it into your Clark’s body.”

Lois paused to stand by his left, closer to the edge of the roof than to him. “How do you know you didn’t just lose your memories?” she asked quietly.

“I’d remember,” he stated almost inaudibly. He looked into her face, secretly thrilled to see her eyes had opened up to him again. There’s no way I could forget you.

He wondered if she was telepathic because a shy, yet pleased smile formed on her lips. “Well, despite your charm, sweet-talker, I’d have to say this wouldn’t be the first time,” she replied. She put her hands in her back jean pockets.

“I’ve lost my memories before?” he asked, though not surprised. He vaguely recalled the day he lost when he tried to catch a thief who had robbed the Talon.

“A lot’s happened.” Lois shrugged, looking for all the world like it was an everyday occurrence to get a visit from a past version of her husband.

Clark eyed her curiously. “I have to say, Lois… You’re taking this rather well.”

“You don’t know Lois Lane-Kent.” She smiled brightly and tossed her ponytail, obviously teasing, but the meaning of her words sunk in. She visibly sobered and Clark followed suit, frowning.

“I’m sorry,” he said sincerely. “I wish I could fix this. I just don’t know how.”

She walked the few steps it took to stand directly in front of him. “We’ll get through this,” she said with the confidence of a woman who had every faith in herself and the man she loved. She took her hands out of her pockets and reached up to cup his cheek. “We always do.”

Clark inhaled sharply. “Lois…” he said softly, his next words causing a strange pain in his chest. “I’m not your husband.”

She paused, her eyes locked on his. “You’re still Clark Kent,” she said simply, though her hand fell away from his cheek all the same.

This Lois caught him off guard more than he cared to admit. “Not to make you suspicious of me, but I could very well be a danger to you. I could be lying. You shouldn’t trust so easily,” he said softly. “Just because I have his face…”

Instead of getting angry like he expected her to, she laughed. “That’s not why I trust you,” she said, shaking her head.

“Then why are you so willing to believe me?” he asked, honestly curious.

Her laughter calmed somewhat. “I knew something was different,” she began. Her head tilted as she examined his face, like she was trying to drink him in. “This morning, I thought something was a little off, but I passed it off as one of your many endearing quirks.” She smiled sassily and Clark rolled his eyes, but he could still feel his cheeks flush. “But let’s get to your three strikes first, shall we?”

She continued on, stepping back and Clark breathed a little easier. Once again, he was able to think when she wasn’t so close to him. He listened to her story carefully, committing everything she said to memory.

“Strike one was when you didn’t call me after the tux shop. You went AWOL and you didn’t tell the League where you went. But I just assumed you were off saving the day like you do.”

It was the first time she mentioned anything about the superhero aspect of his life. Clark felt a streak of pleasure and happiness wrapped in one at the proud smile gracing Lois’ lips. Suddenly, he wanted to ask about Superman, but she kept talking and he didn’t want to interrupt.

“The thing is... you didn’t check in,” she said. She looked up with intense greenish-brown eyes. “You always check in.” The conviction in her voice was so strong that Clark finally discerned the reason for her anger when he first came into the Ace of Clubs. “When you’re going to be late or you can’t meet, you send a text or you call. I say you don’t need to, but you do. You know I worry.” She shook her head with a fond smile. “But the party started and then… nothing.”

She started to pace in front of him, going from one end of the roof to the other. “I held out for an hour and seventeen minutes,” she said. “Then I caved and texted you.” While still walking, she raised two fingers.

“Strike two,” she began. “… you love to dance with me.” She didn’t quite look at him when she said that, and Clark mused on whether or not she was as embarrassed to tell him as he was to hear it. “It’s one of our favorite pastimes.”

Clark couldn’t imagine dancing becoming one of his favorite activities. The feel of her waist beneath his fingertips flashed through his mind. He looked down at the ground as Lois continued to speak. Okay, maybe he could see it. Maybe.

“And strike three…” She stopped and turned to face him again. She repeated her earlier order. “Say my name.”

Clark still didn’t know what that would prove, but acquiesced for a second time. “Lois.”

Disappointment dashed through her eyes so fast that Clark thought he imagined it. “It was like that all day,” she said, shaking her head.

Clark wondered how he could have possibly gotten her name wrong. “Huh?”

She smiled sadly. “You call me ‘Lo’,” she whispered.

He let that sink in. “Oh.” Him bestowing a nickname on Lois sounded a little odd.

She must have read the expression on his face because she clarified. “I mean, you still call me Lois, of course. You’re not as liberal with the nicknames like I am with ‘Smallville’.” She smiled when he did. “But you call me ‘Lo’ at least once a day…” She looked like she had something to add, but seemed to think better of it when she shook her head.

Lo. It sounded strange in his head at first, but when he looked at Lois, he could see it fitting seamlessly. When had he first started to use it?

“Three strikes and you’re out,” she said with a wry smile. She hugged her arms and looked down. “But I think I would have noticed sooner if…”

“If…?” he prompted, compelled to see into this complex relationship his future self shared with this Lois.

She exhaled slowly. “If you weren’t Clark,” she stated, looking up. “If you weren’t you.”

The certainty in her quiet statement made Clark believe her. He wondered how this Lois would have handled Bizarro.

“Only you could ever make me feel this way,” she confessed softly. She was entwining her hands with his, and when had she gotten so close to him? Her fingertips grazed the back of his knuckles, sending tiny shivers through him. “And that’s why I trust you.”

She looked at his face as if she were searching for something. He swallowed, speculating on what she could possibly be looking for. Her eyes fell to his lips and abruptly it was like he couldn’t breath.

If she heard his sharp intake of breath, she didn’t say anything. She simply kept looking up at him. “It’s the same…” she murmured.

He cleared his throat. It seemed like he was losing her to her thoughts again. “What is?” he asked.

She blinked, coming back to herself. “Nothing,” she replied. He didn’t believe her for a second, but before he could press her on it, she released his hands.

His fingers curled into fists at his side. He watched as she distanced herself again. “I guess it was pointless to keep it from you,” he said in an attempt to change the subject.

Lois’ eyes cleared of her heavier emotions and she seemed lighter as a grin graced her face. “Yeah, pretty much,” she said, nodding. “And you honestly thought you could?”

“I woke up six years in the future,” Clark replied in his defense. “I’ve kind of had a surreal day.”

“Six years?” She stayed silent and a few seconds later, it was like a light went off in her head. “No wonder.”

“What?”

“Nothing,” she repeated innocently.

Clark knew that wasn’t the case at all, but he let it go. It didn’t seem to be a pressing matter anyway, and he wasn’t sure if he could take any more revelations about his relationship with Lois.

“Thank you… Clark.” Her face softened, truly sincere and touched, and it made him realize how appreciative she was of his honesty. “For telling me.”

Wet, teary eyes. A sad, resigned tone. Hurt plain for all to see.

“And when you hit your reset button, you’re not gonna tell me your secret, are you?”

“I don’t deserve your thanks,” he said in a low voice, closing his eyes.

A few seconds later, there was a gentle touch against his brow and a quick adjustment of his glasses. “Hey, man of mine,” Lois said, her tone light and soothing. He opened his eyes when she placed a hand under his chin. “Chin up.”

He smiled. It was like an involuntary reaction to her. “You’re amazing,” he murmured without realizing it.

The smile that lit her face in response was worth the state of confusion that currently was his heart. “I know,” she said teasingly.

Another imaginary step towards that dangerous ledge.

Clark breathed in, then out, acutely aware of her touch. He opened his mouth to speak when the door to the roof banged open. Lois jumped, but Clark turned around swiftly in one move, pushing her behind him. He felt Lois place her chin on his shoulder, and he knew she was trying to get a look at the source of the interruption.

“Bruce! Ollie!” she exclaimed loudly, and Clark winced at her volume. Almost absentmindedly, she reached up to smooth his hair. “Sorry, handsome,” she murmured.

Clark felt a blush creep up his neck.

The two billionaires did not look happy. Oliver was almost full-out scowling, while Bruce’s face was nearly perfectly blank, if not for the slight downward tug of his mouth. Their combined stares would have been enough to send any normal man’s knees quaking. Lois moved her chin off Clark’s shoulder as she moved to stand beside him.

“Now, boys, I thought we agreed to put this on pause,” Lois said, her tone light, but her eyes hinting at her displeasure. “This is a party for my little cousin and her fiancée. You should be downstairs enjoying it.”

Oliver shook his head. “It’s time for us to press play. How could you expect us to mingle when you’re with this stranger?” He pointed to Clark, and Clark tried not to let it bother him.

“You could be in danger,” Bruce added pragmatically, voice serious but lacking Oliver’s urgency.

“Please.” Lois scoffed and placed a hand on Clark’s right bicep. “Being with Clark is the safest place to be.”

Clark laid a hand over hers and straightened as he regarded the two men. “I’m not here to hurt anyone,” he said.

If it was possible, Oliver tensed further. “So you acknowledge you’re not Clark,” he replied.

“No.” He shook his head. “I am Clark. Just not the one you’re used to.”

“That’s supposed to inspire trust how?” Oliver asked, frowning.

“Ollie, listen!” Lois exclaimed. “He’s Clark!”

“Not our Clark,” Oliver retorted, stepping forward. “He’s been acting strange all day. He let an important League meeting go unattended.”

Bruce stayed where he was, but kept his gaze focused on Clark. “He didn’t know who Superman was,” he added.

Lois’ grip tightened on his bicep, though her face didn’t react. “Add another bullet point to the list of things we need to talk about,” she muttered under her breath, knowing full well he could hear her. To the two men, she merely said, “Let this go.”

“Unlikely.” Bruce crossed his arms. “Zatanna.”

The black haired woman from earlier came out of the shadows, her lips stubbornly pursed. “I’m not doing this,” she said.

Oliver looked back at her. “Zee, you already agreed.”

“Only if he agrees as well!” She gestured in Clark’s direction.

Lois clutched the hand he held over hers. “If he agrees to what?”

“Let her use her unique skills,” Oliver said as gently as possible.

Lois’ reaction was immediate. “No way. No.” She shook her head and looked towards the other woman. “No offense against you, Zee, but you won’t be performing any hocus pocus on my husband.”

Hocus pocus? Clark looked at Zatanna, once again feeling that prickle of something along his skin. He had felt it before, not just with her. Three women flashed in his mind – strangers in everything but appearance. His eyes widened.

Zatanna tilted her head to the side and smiled.

He peered at her again as if he could see something new. “Magic,” he murmured, now understanding his state of apprehension around her.

Lois angled herself in front of Clark. “Like I said, that’s a no can do on the voodoo,” she said, shaking her index finger. “Do not pass Go. Do not collect two hundred dollars.”

Oliver came forward slowly. “You can’t be so sure about what he says to you, Lois.”

“Ollie, listen to me,” she said, trying to reason with him. “He’s still Clark. He’s just from the past.”

Oliver paused, and looked to Clark for confirmation. Clark nodded. “Everything she said is true. I’m from the past.”

“Or he could have a memory lapse,” Lois added.

Clark didn’t think it was a good idea to introduce multiple theories when he hadn’t gained their trust yet. “No, I’m from the past,” he corrected.

“Yeah, but –” Lois saw the look Clark was giving her and sighed. “Okay, okay. Look, he doesn’t remember the past six years.”

Nothing about Bruce’s expression changed as he said, “I’m not inclined to believe him.”

“He just has a memory lapse!” Lois retorted, and Clark slapped his forehead. She ignored him and continued, “Like that doesn’t happen every day of the week for you superheroes.”

“He could be lying,” Oliver pointed out.

Lois’ jaw set stubbornly. “Not to me.”

Oliver grit his teeth, but seemed to understand that he needed another approach. He exhaled and tried for a more reasonable tone. “Lois, just let Zatanna work her magic. If he’s telling the truth, nothing will happen,” he said.

She shook her head. “When has ‘no way’ ever translated to ‘maybe I’ll change my mind so keep trying to talk me out of it’?”

Clark gripped her shoulders loosely and her tense muscles relaxed under his touch. “Nothing will happen?” he asked, directing the question at Zatanna.

She opened her mouth, but Bruce answered for her. “Nothing should.” His icy blue eyes still held the same challenge from earlier.

Clark dropped his hands away from Lois. “Fine. Go ahead.”

Lois spun around. “Clark! Don’t let them walk all over you! You’re supposed to be like steel, aren’t you?” She reached up to grab his shoulders tightly. “You can prove yourself in other ways.”

“I don’t want there to be any doubt,” he said. He was wary about witchcraft, rightfully so, but he felt like he could trust Zatanna.

Lois frowned deeply. “Aren’t there huge warning signs flashing around the word ‘magic’ in your head right now?” She lowered her voice. “You’re just as vulnerable as anyone else.”

“I know,” he replied. He placed a hand on her arm in an attempt to comfort her. “Lois, it’s okay.”

She looked into his eyes for a long while, and Clark almost fidgeted at the way she was trying to see into him. “You’re just like him,” she murmured.

Clark wasn’t sure what to feel being compared to his future self.

Oliver cleared his throat. “Well?”

Clark gently pushed Lois away, or tried to. She clutched at the lapels of his black jacket with iron-willed determination. “Lois,” Clark whispered quietly.

She closed her eyes and when he pushed again, she released his jacket. She took the few steps back until Oliver placed a hand on her shoulder. The blonde billionaire gently maneuvered her behind him, and Clark watched as her hazel eyes opened again to stare at him.

Lois turned to glare at the other dark haired man on the roof. “Why won’t you believe me? He’s Clark! I can feel it,” she said heatedly.

“Feelings aren’t proof,” Bruce replied, blue eyes colder than Clark had seen in the short time he knew him.

Lois threw up her hands. “It’s like talking to a constantly brooding wall!”

Clark’s lips twitched, but he sobered quickly when Zatanna stepped forward.

“Are you sure?” she asked. Her face remained carefully blank.

He nodded. He looked away from her to lock eyes with Lois. She was worried for him and he smiled, trying to reassure her. She obviously tried to smile back, but her efforts were weaker than his.

“Do it,” he said, not breaking his connection with Lois.

He could hear the hint of remorse in Zatanna’s voice. “I’m sorry, Clark.” She raised her right hand, palm facing him.

“Dnibnu sih eugnot dna kaeps ylno hturt!” Her eyes glowed brilliantly blue. “Laever flesrouy!”

Crossposted to clois, cloisfic, Divine Intervention.

Free Fall [4/?] (Smallville // Clark/Lois)

krysyuy@gmail.com — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 22:08:38 GMT

Title: Free Fall (4/?)
Author: Krys Yuy
Summary: Clark isn’t willing to risk his heart again. But when Fate gives him a glimpse into his future, the only question is – how hard will he fall?
Pairing/Characters: Clark/Lois, Chloe/Bart, Oliver/Dinah, Justice League
Warning: Spoilers up to Hex.
Rating: PG-13/K+
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters used. This fic is purely for entertainment purposes only.
Author’s Notes: I know I promised more Lois, but unfortunately, that didn’t come to be. T_T I’m so sorry! Hopefully, the appearance of two new characters appeases you somewhat. I know it doesn’t make up for it, but I can tell you that Lois will definitely, definitely be in a majority of the next chapter (I already have a definite outline). Please note that there are now spoilers up to Hex. Also, what do you guys think of the banner? ^o^ I rather like it. I’m glad it turned out so well. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy this update. Please read, review and enjoy!

Chapter 4: Suspicion

Clark almost crumpled the article in his hands before he caught himself. What was he getting so worked up about? So, Lois spent the night with Superman. That didn’t mean anything. At least, not what initially crossed his mind. He felt immature for even thinking it.

He nodded to himself, stormy thoughts calming. Of course not. Lois wasn’t like that. She wouldn’t broadcast her personal life to the world. The headline was a way to sell papers. Like rule #7 said…

Put all the good stuff at the beginning.

And to the general public, the mere implication of someone spending the night with a hero was good stuff. Not what he would consider ‘good stuff’ personally, but he wasn’t the one the Daily Planet was selling papers to.

As for Superman, Clark couldn’t shake off the feelings of irritation. He wasn’t one to judge someone before he got to know them. But this new hero – new to him, anyway – had come along and apparently made the Red-Blue Blur inconsequential. What had happened in the past six years?

He couldn’t imagine giving up helping people. Not when he had finally accepted his powers. Not when he knew he could do good in the world. Make a difference. Save those in need.

It just doesn’t make sense.

Who had he become? What had happened to Clark Kent?

He closed his eyes. The bleakness he had kept at bay the moment he realized his situation came flooding into him. He sat down in Lois’ chair and leaned forward, letting his elbows rest on the desk, his right hand still holding onto Lois’ article about Superman.

He had to focus on his own situation. Superman had nothing to do with him. He didn’t have time to investigate a hero. He had to find a way back home. He had to fix things. There was no way he was done helping people. Maybe that was why he had been sent to the future in the first place. To become aware of what happened and to correct a mistake.

His pocket started to vibrate in the middle of his brooding. Shaking his head as if that would rid him of his depressing thoughts, he took out his cell and flipped the cover open to read a new text message.

Call me when you get this. You’re not being funny, Smallville.

He winced. Lois was mad.

Well, better to get it over with. Clark found Lois in the ‘Most Recent Calls’ section, and dialed her number. She picked up in the middle of the first ring.

“Where are you?” she asked, her voice almost drowned out by the merrymaking going on in the background.

Clark quickly stuck the Superman article back on the wall where he found it and fixed it so the list of to-do things again covered part of it. “I’m on my way,” he replied, walking back over to his desk. He used his x-ray vision on his drawers to locate the bridal shower invitation in the middle compartment.

“You were supposed to be here over more than an hour ago,” she said, irritation coloring her tone.

Clark opened the invitation to scan the time and place. 6:00PM. Ace of Clubs. He dropped it back on his desk and jogged over to the stairs rather than the elevator. Looking around to make sure no one was watching, he slipped into the stairwell and then supersped all the way down to the lobby before crossing the street to the Metropolis Satellite Center. He continued on inside and sped quickly to the top penthouse floor where the nightclub was located. He paused behind the door of the stairs and then, using his x-ray vision to make sure nobody was on the other side, stepped out.

Clark straightened his jacket and dusted off the rest of his clothes. “I’m here now,” he said, walking through the entrance of the Ace of Clubs. He noted the poster announcing the bridal shower placed outside the doors.

It had only taken seconds between Lois’ comment and his arrival. He scanned the crowd, recognizing a few faces while also spotting members of the Justice League. No one had seen him yet though, as they were pre-occupied either on the dance floor or with other people. He heard the distinct click of the line going dead and looked to the left to see Lois coming up to him, all smiles.

Clark steeled himself, already recognizing the ire beneath her sweet façade. “Lois,” he began.

She put her cell in her jeans pocket and cut him off. “There you are,” she said.

Clark chanced a look into her eyes, and was surprised by the relief that flashed through them before she closed herself off. He felt a surge of disappointment, but realized this was the Lois he was used to. He was tugged in the direction of the bar as she slipped her arm through his.

“We’re going to talk about this later. But not now,” she said very quietly. “Right now, we’re going to smile and play nice with the guests because this is for Chloe and the Casanova she calls her fiancée. I will not make a scene like I did last time. No drunken speeches, and definitely no fighting with my significant other.”

Lois smiled again, squeezed his arm harder than necessary, and went back into the crowd, leaving him alone. Clark felt as if a whirlwind had just picked him up and deposited him by the bar. With only a few short sentences, Lois managed to both chastise him and make him feel guilty. He declined any kind of drink when the bartender approached him, choosing instead to lean against the bar counter and watch Lois roam around the room, mingling and socializing.

She wore the same outfit from that morning – a light blue long-sleeved v-neck T-shirt and a pair of dark jeans. Glancing around, he saw everyone had actually come dressed rather casually except for a few who seemed almost semi-formal. Clark guessed that the casual aspect of the party was because of Bart, even though the Ace of Clubs was usually more dressy.

He watched as Lois looked over at him from the middle of the room. She had grabbed a glass of champagne and was holding it close to her chest. She had on a small frown and Clark felt another dose of remorse. He wasn’t exactly sure what he was in the doghouse for, but it had to be more than just being late. The dash of relief in her eyes when she had seen him spoke volumes. She had been worried about him. Were he and Lois one of those couples that constantly checked in with each other?

Clark immediately dismissed the thought. Lois wasn’t the type of woman who had to know where her significant other was twenty-four seven. And neither was he that type of man. Especially since they were married. Marriage was an important commitment, perhaps even the most important kind a person could make in his or her lifetime. His parents had taught him that. Trust and love were foundations for a successful marriage.

Trust and love.

Clark looked back at Lois with fresh eyes just as she casually glanced over at him again. Their gazes locked and Clark drew in a sharp breath. The most curious look took over her face then, but he didn’t even notice. His mind was already reeling from his new train of thought. He had to turn away and face the bar.

It hadn’t seemed real to him, this future relationship he shared with Lois. Frankly, it had all seemed like a dream, a feeling that persisted even after Bart revealed Lois was his wife. He had been so busy taking in his new surroundings that he had never stopped to think what marriage to Lois implied.

Trust and love.

And Clark knew, with every fiber of his being, that he would not have married Lois without either.

Trust.

He turned slightly to glance at Lois again. She was in deep conversation with someone, but Clark found he couldn’t look away.

She knew.

She had to know. The more he thought about it, the more Clark wanted to hit himself for his ignorance. He wouldn’t have married someone with his secret dangling over their heads. Lois certainly wouldn’t have committed herself to him if she thought he was hiding something. She might have started a relationship, yes, but marriage was a whole other ballgame entirely.

Trust was important. Essential.

She knew his secret. And nothing horrible seemed to have happened to her. Actually, aside from the fact that she was currently mad at him, she seemed rather happy to be around him. Very happy and very content, if his memory from that morning was correct.

“Six years later and you’re still so lovesick.”

“Married nearly three years and still going strong.”

“The Lane-Kent team cannot be beat.”

The spark he hadn’t acknowledged earlier that day burned brighter, and he recognized it for what it was. But could he… could he really dare to hope?

A longing so deep gripped his heart and he breathed in shakily.

“Hey, stranger,” an unfamiliar voice said from behind him.

Startled, Clark tried to compose himself before turning around. A beautiful woman with exotic features and a small smile stood in front of him. Her long wavy black hair reached past her shoulders. She wore a wrap-around skirt made of black silk and a burgundy blouse. The tops of her black-heeled boots disappeared beneath her skirt, so he didn’t know how high they actually went.

She looked at him expectantly, and Clark realized he was supposed to know her. He hoped his smile was convincing. He didn’t know what to say, and went for a neutral greeting. “Hello.”

Her light-green eyes seemed almost gray under the light. “Someone looks like they need a wish,” she commented in a tone of voice that suggested an inside joke. One that he didn’t get, but the expression on her face said she believed he would.

He pretended to chuckle, and hid a wince, wondering if it sounded as false to her as it did to him. “Umm, no, not a wish per se,” he replied. More like a time machine.

She raised one delicate eyebrow, but said nothing else on the subject. Instead, she commented, “We missed you at Oliver’s.”

Alarm bells went off in his head. She had to be talking about the League. There was something more to her than met the eye, and Clark was understandably wary. However, he didn’t want to take a chance that she was referring to something else entirely. “I’m sorry. Something came up,” he replied, not exactly lying. He had gone off to save people, after all.

“I understand.” The stranger smiled again, but looked around discreetly before leaning forward as if to divulge a secret. “I do have to warn you that Oliver doesn’t feel the same. Neither does –”

“Running off to warn him, darling? I should have known,” a deep voice interrupted.

A man in a dark business suit came up behind the woman. His suit was black and his button-up shirt was a dark blue. He also wore a dark grey vest underneath the jacket. His brown hair was slicked back just so, complimenting his handsome features. In fact, it looked like he came straight out of a GQ magazine.

He wrapped an arm around her waist and regarded Clark with intense blue eyes. “Clark,” he greeted. His tone sounded genial and carefree, but Clark recognized the steel buried beneath.

So Clark only nodded wordlessly, afraid to give himself away so soon. Something told him he had to be particularly careful in front of these strangers. Especially if they were part of the League, like his gut told him. The woman had an air of mystique surrounding her, while the man… He exuded confidence and an easygoing attitude, but Clark’s instincts said there was something inherently dangerous about him.

“Zee,” the man chastised softly, leaning in next to her ear. “You should have let us talk to him first.”

‘Zee’ glanced back at the stranger, and Clark felt like he was witnessing some kind of silent communication. Finally, she spoke and her voice brooked no room for argument. “I didn’t think it would be fair for you to blindside him.”

Clark was beginning to feel distinctly more and more uncomfortable. “I’m sorry,” he interrupted the couple. “Should I go?”

“No, don’t,” she said, raising a hand. “Bruce was just going to get Oliver.”

Bruce’s hold tightened on her waist. “Zatanna,” he whispered, his tone suddenly a lot less accommodating.

She, however, didn’t seem the least bit intimidated. “Bruce,” she said, mirroring his attitude. “I’m going to talk to Clark now before you and Oliver jump to conclusions.”

“I don’t jump to conclusions,” he replied roughly.

“No?” Zatanna slipped from his grasp and went over to Clark’s side, placing a hand on his arm.

Clark wasn’t exactly sure what to make of anything going on around him, especially when the storm clouds gathering around Bruce’s head seemed to disappear. He smiled warmly, looking for all the world like an amiable party guest.

“As you wish, darling,” he said, reaching out to grab her right hand. He brought it to his lips and kissed it.

Her smile was serene. “Thank you.”

Bruce gave Clark another penetrating stare before he released Zatanna’s hand and walked away. He seemed to melt into the crowd naturally and Clark wondered why it felt like he had escaped a session with the firing squad.

For now, he thought as he looked at Zatanna’s face. Her calm gaze had become somewhat troubled. “Are you all right?”

All traces of unease slipped from her countenance and her hand fell away from his arm. “I’m fine,” she replied, a small smile lighting her features. “Though I do envision an argument in my near future.” She sobered a bit. “Clark, they’re not happy that you missed the project meeting today. Combined with the odd eccentricities you exhibited…”

“Your source on this being…?” he asked smoothly, fighting inwardly to calm the rising state of apprehension.

“The groom himself, actually,” she replied, gesturing to the other side of the room where Chloe and Bart were dancing. They seemed to be off in their own little world, and despite his predicament, Clark couldn’t help but smile when Chloe laughed, carefree and lighter than he had ever seen her.

“Bart wouldn’t have said anything,” Clark said after a moment, knowing it to be true. Bart had dismissed his behavior as him having an ‘off day’ and nothing more.

“He only relayed the events upon demand,” Zatanna admitted. “Oliver is more cautious than he is.”

“I didn’t do anything wrong,” he pointed out. He began to search the crowd for his billionaire friend and frowned slightly when he saw him talking to Bruce on the terrace.

Zatanna started to say something else, but Clark turned his head slightly and focused his hearing on the two men outside.

“The mission in the Philippines is a go with or without Big Blue,” Oliver stated in a low voice.

Big Blue? Clark didn’t know why, but he had the distinct impression Oliver was talking about him. I think I prefer Boy Scout.

“Those experiment facilities would be easier to take down with him,” Bruce pointed out matter-of-factly, though his voice was also very quiet.

“Yes, well, we’re in a bit of a time crunch,” Oliver said, sounding frustrated. “I won’t let months of digging and researching go to waste because we might be compromised.”

“We won’t,” Bruce agreed calmly. “Someone else will have to take down the main power grid.”

“Then there’s travel time,” Oliver commented, annoyance still heavily apparent. Several seconds passed, and with his next words, he seemed to have calmed down. “So, what do you think?”

Bruce’s response was gruff. “He’s not himself.”

“So you’re in agreement with me?” Oliver asked.

“Don’t get used to it,” he replied dryly.

Oliver returned in kind. “I wouldn’t dream of it.” He paused. “So we try to trip him up, then?”

“Agreed. Though Zatanna ruined the element of surprise.”

“Zee always goes her own way,” Oliver replied. “You know that better than anyone.”

Instead of replying to his statement, Bruce said, “Ask him things Clark should know. It’s the fastest and easiest way.”

“Clark never was a good liar.”

Clark’s frown deepened, but he was roused from the men’s conversation by a light tap to the shoulder. He looked up to find Zatanna staring back at him, puzzled. Her gaze turned from him to Oliver and Bruce as they came back inside the club. A knowing light entered her expression.

“They won’t be satisfied unless you give them as honest an answer as possible,” Zatanna commented.

“You didn’t have to warn me,” Clark replied quietly. It felt like he should be at ease around her, but something about her also held him back.

“You’re my friend, Clark,” she said warmly. “And I believe there is something else going on than what they think.”

“Oh?” He tried to sound nonchalant, but obviously failed when her smile grew wider.

“All you heroes,” she said, softly laughing, “really do need to work on your sleight of hand.”

Clark flushed and tugged at the collar of his shirt when he saw how close Oliver and Bruce were getting. “Thanks for the warning,” he murmured.

“Try not to let them intimidate you,” she replied, turning her own eyes on the pair of men.

“They don’t,” Clark said, and it was true. He was anxious he would be found out, but he didn’t feel the least bit threatened by the seemingly powerful duo. He would face them as they pleased.

“Clark. Hey,” Oliver greeted. He wore the same outfit from earlier in the day, but his eyes lacked the same welcome. “Do you mind if we talked? Outside?”

“Not at all,” he answered. Clark was surprised at how steady his voice was. He walked ahead of them, knowing they would follow.

As he headed for the terrace, he spotted Lois out of the corner of his eye. She was talking to some co-workers he recognized from the Planet when he saw her glance back at the bar. Her brow turned quizzical as her gaze began to sweep around the room. He ducked out onto the terrace before she could spot him, not wanting her to come after him now. He placed himself just out of view from the inside of the club behind a group of potted plants.

Clark felt them at his back and turned around slowly, knowing he couldn’t show any sign of weakness. Not in front of Oliver, and especially not in front of Bruce. Clark didn’t know him, but there was something about the man that put him on edge. Oliver and Bruce stood a few feet away with Zatanna behind them. She leaned against the edge of the balcony as they began to talk.

“What’s this about, Oliver?” he asked, wondering exactly what they suspected.

“Clark,” Oliver began, face serious. “Why didn’t you come to the meeting today?”

“I couldn’t ignore a cry for help,” Clark replied truthfully. Even if he had known what the meeting was about, there was no way he could go when someone needed saving.

“No one’s begrudging you for that,” Oliver replied, looking somewhat insulted at the suggestion. “But there’s no reason you couldn’t come to headquarters after.”

Besides the fact that he didn’t know where the headquarters was? Clark shook his head. “I’m sorry about missing the meeting,” he said sincerely. Since it was League business, Clark knew it must have been important. “But I don’t know what else there is to say.”

“Clark, what was our meeting supposed to be about?” Oliver asked, crossing his arms.

“The experiment facilities in the Philippines,” he responded almost immediately. He kept his face straight, but his lips nearly twitched when he saw Zatanna smile at his answer. She knew there was something going on, but she wasn’t about to tell either of the men questioning him. For that, he was grateful.

Clark continued before Oliver could ask another question. “I know we’re under a time constraint, but I also know you would relay whatever I need to know,” he said. “I can still take care of the power grid.”

Clark knew he had thrown Oliver for a loop. The blonde billionaire hadn’t expected him to know anything at all. He wasn’t out of the woods yet, though. Bruce remained unmoved and Clark felt like he was being studied carefully.

Oliver recovered quickly. “Explain why you forgot where the tux shop was,” he said, his tone growing close to demanding.

“That was an oversight on my part,” Clark replied, lying through his teeth. His expression turned blank. “I’ve been having trouble with the leads I’m pursuing on my current story.”

“That I could maybe believe… if not for the glasses, too,” Oliver replied, eyes narrowing.

The glasses, again! Clark resisted the urge to groan, and instead, pushed said glasses up the bridge of his nose. “I really have no idea where you’re going with this.”

“Bart told us everything,” Oliver said, taking a step closer, but Clark didn’t move. “How you ‘lost’ the directions and couldn’t remember the name of the tux shop…”

Clark would have winced if the men across from him weren’t watching so closely. Had he really said that to Bart? No wonder Oliver was suspicious.

“How you ‘forgot’ your glasses… And then, missing a meeting you coordinated in the first place.”

Now that he definitely hadn’t known. Somehow, Clark knew this had all been inevitable. “Ollie, what are you saying?”

Oliver stared at him hard. “You don’t forget,” he said firmly. “I’ve known you for a long time, and despite all the craziness we get into daily, you never forget what matters.” He nodded. “Those glasses shield your identity. They keep your loved ones safe. Clark Kent would never forget to wear them.”

Were the glasses magical or something? Clark stood his ground, still unwilling to admit to anything. “I am Clark Kent,” he stated with such authority that Oliver almost seemed to waver.

“Let me clarify something,” Bruce interrupted smoothly, speaking for the first time since they had come out onto the terrace.

Clark couldn’t help but tense ever so slightly. He knew Bruce had seen it too when a smirk formed on the man’s lips.

“You say you were off saving people the entire day.” Bruce regarded him with a calculating gaze. “That’s why you couldn’t make it to the meeting.”

“Yes.”

“Then tell me, Clark…” Piercing blue eyes challenged him, daring him to answer.

“Why were there no sightings of Superman?”

Crossposted to clois, cloisfic, Divine Intervention.

Free Fall [3/?] (Smallville // Clark/Lois)

krysyuy@gmail.com — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 12:25:46 GMT

Title: Free Fall (3/?)
Author: Krys Yuy
Summary: Clark isn’t willing to risk his heart again. But when Fate gives him a glimpse into his future, the only question is – how hard will he fall?
Pairing/Characters: Clark/Lois, Chloe/Bart, Oliver/?, Justice League
Warning: Spoilers up to Hex.
Rating: PG-13/K+
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters used. This fic is purely for entertainment purposes only.
Author’s Notes: Wow, another update! I’m on a roll (those used to my writing pattern know that this is really unlike me). I guess this just proves the power of Clark and Lois. Anyway, thanks again for all the amazing support! I hope you guys enjoy this update. I promise that Lois will be featured more prominently in the next chapter. Remember, for updates on progress, please check my LiveJournal - the left sidebar will show how far I've progressed in the word count. Now, please read, review and enjoy! P.S. I have not forgotten about his wedding ring. ^o~

Chapter 3: Assumption

Wife.

Wife. Wife. Wife.

Wifewifewifewifewifewifewifewifewifewifewifewifewifewife.

He remembered the cold sensation he had somehow been able to feel through his flannel shirt when Lois trailed her left hand along his right shoulder and arm. With a start, he realized it must have been her wedding band. How on earth had he missed that?

Lois Lane is my wife.

Clark felt like the world had unexpectedly imploded, and then rearranged itself. He was suddenly looking at everything in a wondrous new way. When he imagined his future, he was always afraid he would be alone, enforced further by the forty-eight hours that once again proved how dangerous his secret was to the people he cared about. Obviously though, something had changed. Not only was he in a relationship, he was married. To Lois Lane.

Brash, bossy, tough, courageous, endearing, attractive Lois Lane.

A smile unbidden spread across his lips.

But before he could really think about the ramifications of that particular revelation, a voice cut through his reeling thoughts.

“Clark, is there a reason you’re standing there with that goofy expression on your face?” a familiar voice asked. “Or did you just want to enjoy the view of the sidewalk?”

Clark blinked and refocused his gaze to see the amused expression of one Oliver Queen. Oliver looked exactly the same, all blonde hair and brown eyes, an impish grin lighting the corners of his mouth. He had on black slacks and a casual white cardigan. But there were the telltale signs of growth along his upper lip and chin.

Oliver noticed his look and rubbed his chin in response. “What do you think? I know it’s been awhile since we last saw each other, but I personally think this new look will work for me,” he commented.

“It’s… different,” Clark conceded, trying to imagine Oliver with a mustache and goatee. He tucked thoughts of Lois away for a later time, knowing he would have to keep his wits about him if he were meeting anymore of his friends. “Sorry,” he apologized for what felt like the tenth time. How long was playing dumb going to work? “There’s been a lot on my mind recently.”

“No kidding,” called another voice. Bart appeared next to Oliver in the doorway and shook his head. “Dude, you are way off today.”

Oliver turned curious. “How so?” he asked.

“Well, he forgot his glasses and –”

Clark didn’t like how Oliver’s eyebrows rose at that, and wondered how important a stupid pair of glasses was. It’s not like he needed them! But the last thing he wanted were the gears in Oliver’s head turning. “Bart, aren’t you supposed to be standing still for the tailor right now, instead of commenting on my absentmindedness?” he interrupted.

Bart made a face. “Honestly, why can’t I just wear my costume?” he asked, darting glimpses behind him into the store.

Oliver glanced around at the somewhat quiet street and chuckled. “Maybe because not all your wedding guests like playing that kind of dress up.”

Bart waved a casual hand in the air. “Po-tay-toe, po-tah-toe,” he said, shrugging.

“Are you guys actually going to stand out here all day?” A.C. popped his head out between Oliver and Bart. “Vic and I are already done.”

A.C. turned his head slightly, giving Clark a view of his shoulder-length ponytail. But besides that, his aqua-loving friend seemed unchanged. Perhaps slightly taller, but that was it. He wore an orange muscle shirt with green stripes running along the side and dark green track pants. He grinned at him.

“Hey Clark. Finally decided to join us, huh?”

Clark shrugged sheepishly and pushed his glasses up again. They kept slipping and he wondered not for the first time why he bothered. “Sorry,” he replied, but gave no further explanation. Honestly, he wasn’t feeling that sorry at all. Despite his reservations, he had to admit it was nice seeing his friends. It had been awhile.

“How are you?” he asked politely, making his way into the store behind the others.

A.C. sighed. “Thirsty.”

“You’re always thirsty,” said a voice from the back of the room.

Clark walked further into the shop and saw Victor lounging on one side of the stylish beige couch. His friend wore a pair of black jeans and a gray T-shirt covered with 1s and 0s in various sizes and shapes. He had also grown taller, but his overall build remained the same, deceptively normal, but – Clark checked quickly with his x-ray vision – still a body of metal and wires.

“I need more than eight glasses of water a day,” A.C. grumbled under his breath. “I’d rather not have my skin all dry like you guys.”

“Who has dry skin?” Oliver asked, a bit affronted.

Victor chuckled and nodded in Clark’s direction. “Hey, man. We thought you weren’t going to show,” he commented.

Clark winced at yet another reminder of his ignorance. “Umm, I was –”

“He forgot how to get here,” Bart interrupted. Clark glanced over at him in exasperation and Bart shrugged. “What? That’s what you said.”

“You forgot?” Oliver echoed, a note of disbelief in his tone. Somehow, Clark knew he was frowning again even though he was faced away from him.

“There was a story…” Clark trailed off, not knowing what else to say. If he played it off as a simple oversight on his part, then they would be less wary. He hoped.

He stepped up on the low platform placed in front of a three-paneled mirror. It was situated against the middle of the back wall. He gave the room a quick once-over, using the reflection of the mirror. Decorated in varying shades of beige and black, the shop gave off a subtle classy feel. The front of the room had displays and carefully arranged products of men’s formal wear.

Clark nodded respectfully at the short bald man with glasses who came up to him. He had a loose length of measuring tape around his neck and a kind smile, setting Clark at ease.

“Mr. Kent,” he greeted, reaching out to shake his hand. “I’m glad that you and your party could finally make it.” There was no annoyance whatsoever in his tone and he seemed genuinely grateful for their business.

Clark nodded again and smiled in return, standing patiently as the tailor began to work around him. He raised his arms obediently when the owner began to measure the length from his shoulder to his wrist. Clark began to understand why he chose this shop for the groom’s side of things. He wouldn’t have been surprised if he had used this shop for his own ceremony.

His thoughts inevitably turned to Lois and his cheeks burned. My wife… Huh. It was starting to sound less and less strange the more it looped around his head. Still, he had to consciously hold himself back, instinctively recognizing that he was treading on dangerous ground.

“He’s not even listening,” Victor said somewhere in the background.

“Yoo-hoo, Earth to Clark.” Bart waved a hand in front of his face and Clark focused on him with a confused blink. “See, I told you.” He looked behind Clark at the guys. “Way off.”

“What?” Clark asked, looking at his friends in the reflection. They looked back at him skeptically. “Like none of you have had an off day.” I’m just having a more bizarre one than most.

A.C. shrugged from where he now sat next to Victor. “You’ve been so on top of everything regarding Bart and Chloe’s ceremony that it’s a little weird that you forgot. I mean, seriously, you take the time to remind us about appointments and stuff when we’re in the middle of –” He glanced at the tailor. “– work.”

Since when had he become a wedding planner? Clark only had to think about it for a few seconds before the answer came to him. “Well, I answer to a boss,” he replied wryly, knowing only Lois could have roped him into it.

“Well, that’s true,” Oliver agreed, smirking.

Clark rolled his eyes. He spread his legs a little when the tailor began to measure his inseam.

“Why aren’t you the one reminding us about this stuff again?” Victor asked, and Clark watched as his friend gave Bart a pointed look.

Bart raised his hands in surrender. “Look, if it were up to me, Chloelicious and I would have tied the knot in Vegas already,” he replied.

Clark looked down when there was a sigh by his feet and the tailor muttered to himself.

“Vegas, he says,” he grumbled. “Young men are too eager these days…” Only Clark could hear him and he smiled a little.

“All this –” Bart continued on, gesturing at the contents around the shop. “– is ‘cause Chloe wants it. But she knows better than to expect me to remember the little details.” He leaned back against the wall and looked up at the ceiling. “The only thing I’ll be remembering after all this is the sight of my girl walking up the aisle to me in her smokin’ dress and me taking her into my arms and kissing her like there’s no tomorrow.”

“I didn’t know you were so romantic,” Oliver commented dryly.

“It’s the truth.” Bart shrugged. “This girly stuff is for the girl.” He crossed his arms. “As long as she’s mine, I really could care less about everything else.”

Clark frowned. “This is your wedding, Bart,” he said. “It only happens once. Don’t you want everything to be perfect for her?”

“I know!” Bart exclaimed, looking at Clark indignantly. “That’s why I asked you to help me, remember?” He ran a hand through his spikes. “I’m no good at this kind of thing. I’d just mess something up.”

Clark instantly felt bad. Bart obviously did care and he had asked his future self for help. Before he could think of some way to apologize without it being obvious he hadn’t known, the tailor stood up and scribbled down some notes. He placed the pencil behind his ear and tucked the paper pad into his back pocket.

“All done, Mr. Kent,” he said. He looked at Bart from above his lenses. “Mr. Allen, if you please…” He gestured to the platform as Clark stepped down.

Bart looked to be almost in a state of dread, and Clark resisted the urge to laugh. “Come on, it doesn’t take that long,” he said.

Oliver pushed Bart forward. “The sooner you do it, the sooner it’s over with,” he said. “Then we can all go back to headquarters and talk about the project.”

Project? While he was doing fine now, Clark knew he’d be walking on thin ice if they were going to talk about things regarding the League. There was only so much he could pretend to know before his luck ran out. He tried to concentrate on the conversation going around him even as his mind worked on the possibilities.

Bart was already starting to fidget as he took his place on the platform. “Why couldn’t you go before me?” He frowned at Oliver.

“Hey, I was here before all you slackers.” Oliver grinned and relaxed against the black lounge chair. “Don’t try to prolong the inevitable.”

“Eager to get your measurements for when you finally pop the question to Dinah?” A.C. teased, obviously pleased when Oliver began to sputter.

“Wh-? I don’t even– Did she –” Oliver clenched the velvet material of the chair. “We’ve only been dating for a year!”

“Okay, he’s not ready,” Victor commented, getting a nod and laugh from A.C. and a smirk from Bart. Clark remained silent, trying to imagine Dinah with Oliver, though he still smiled a bit at his friend’s reaction.

“A quiet team. Why couldn’t I have picked a quieter team?” Oliver muttered to himself.

Clark chuckled at that, but then felt his phone vibrate in his jacket pocket. He took out the cell and flipped it open to read the text message.

You better be at the tux shop with your rainbow-colored friends.

His brow furrowed. Sometimes he just didn’t get Lois’ references. He typed in a quick reply.

Yes, Lois.

He didn’t think she was done yet, and his hunch was rewarded when another text came seconds later.

Smooth-talker hasn’t run out on you, has he? Do I need to make a cousin call?

Clark grinned, shaking his head. Why was Lois the only one who could make him feel lighter than anything? A quick rush of the fingers and his reply was sent a second later.

Bart stuck around. Looks like he might be serious about this.

A few seconds later his phone beeped again.

Ha. He better be.

That seemed like the end, so Clark was about to close his phone when another text came through.

P.S. You’re such a text showoff. ;P

He raised an eyebrow. What did she mean by that? He shrugged and slipped his phone back in his pocket. He looked up to find all his friends giving him Cheshire cat grins. Even Bart was grinning in the mirror at him.

“Six years later and you’re still so lovesick,” Victor commented, laughing. He nudged A.C. in the side. “Cute, huh?” he added teasingly.

“So cute,” A.C. agreed, nodding and trying to hold in his laugh.

“Six years?” Ollie chuckled. “Make it eleven! Our dynamic duo just denied their feelings when they first met.”

“Excuse me,” Clark interrupted hotly, his cheeks and neck burning with embarrassment. “When did this become about me and Lois?”

“When you couldn’t take your eyes off the texts from Mad Dog Lane,” Victor replied knowingly.

Clark frowned. Had he really…?

“Hey, Bart, you may want to get tips from the big man here, though,” A.C. said, gesturing to Clark. “Married nearly three years and still going strong.”

Clark’s heart jump-started. Three years?

A.C. continued, “In case the sizzle ever runs out, y’know.” He leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. “But feel free to come to any of us, too.”

“Please.” Bart snorted. “The last thing Chloelicious and I need advice on is the sizzle.” He grinned.

A.C. rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah.”

The tailor stepped back and took out his pad from his back pocket. He jotted down what Clark assumed were the rest of Bart’s measurements before looking up with a polite smile. “All done,” he said.

“Yes!” Bart hopped down from the platform. “Burritos all around!”

The others gave him odd looks but Clark smiled a little. The tailor came up to him specifically and said, “I’ll have the tuxes done in two weeks, along with the custom vests Ms. Sullivan requested. I’ll give you a call when they’re ready for pick-up.”

Clark shook his hand firmly. “Thank you very much,” he said.

Bart joined them and also shook the tailor’s hand. “Yeah, thanks,” he said, seeming a bit uncomfortable but still sincere.

“No problem at all, gentlemen,” the tailor replied, nodding.

Clark and Bart exited the store where their other three companions were already waiting. Oliver stood next to his limo, leaning against the open door. “Shall we?” he asked.

“Move over, green beans,” Victor stated, squeezing past the billionaire and into the limo.

A.C. followed suit with a shrug at Oliver’s indignant expression. Oliver looked at Clark and Bart, frowning. “Well?”

Bart clapped a hand on Clark’s shoulder. “Come on, amigo,” he said. “Time to save the world.”

Clark stood still as Bart moved ahead and joined the others in the limo. Oliver remained standing outside and looked over at him curiously. “What are you waiting for, boy scout?”

Clark tilted his head as far-off sounds of struggle reached him. “Sorry, Oliver, I’ll have to take a rain check,” he said. He saw Oliver open his mouth, but then Clark was gone with only a gust of wind in his wake.

–

Hours later, after running all over Metropolis stopping muggings, rescuing people from burning buildings, and generally helping wherever he could without being seen, Clark found himself staring up at the Daily Planet. The tint of the setting sun made the building look all the more golden and awe-inspiring. Though he had a hundred questions that needed answering, one stood out more than anything else after his rescue spree.

Who was Superman?

The name had been on everyone’s lips as would-be victims, bystanders, and even local authority figures chattered, some even whispering excitedly. It was like they were waiting for that person to show up and save the day. And through all his saves, he heard no mention, not even a tiny peep, about the Red-Blue Blur.

Clark frowned. Was this hero a friend of Oliver’s? And what kind of name was Superman, anyway? Clark thought it sounded a bit arrogant as if someone was too full of himself. He needed to find out what had happened, and that was why he was currently standing in front of the building of one of the world’s best known, critically acclaimed newspapers.

This was an answer he could easily get without exposing himself. All the unanswered questions about Lois and the League could only be answered by them, and Clark had no desire to reveal what happened to him until he had more of a grip on this reality. Superman – Clark still scoffed a bit at the name – would definitely be in the news, and where better to get it? Obviously, he couldn’t find out his identity, but he could at least get an impression of what he was like.

Clark hoped he wouldn’t be bombarded with more mysteries, but he knew he wouldn’t get anywhere if he second-guessed himself. He walked through the revolving door – that’s new – and found himself in the lobby. It looked pretty much the same and Clark held in his sigh of relief. It was nice to see that one thing remained constant. He started heading down to the basement when a voice called out to him.

“C.K.! What are you doing here?”

He smiled and turned around. “Jimmy!”

Seeing his auburn haired friend up and about sent a wave of happiness through him. He was glad that Jimmy hadn’t suffered any permanent damage from the attack at the wedding. Thinking of that day, though, made the smile fade from his face. There was a time when he thought Jimmy and Chloe would be happy forever. Clearly, that wasn’t the case and Clark wondered how many more surprises awaited him the longer he remained in the future.

Still, it seemed like the fallout of Jimmy’s relationship with Chloe hadn’t affected him too badly, at least on the surface. Though Jimmy seemed a bit puzzled to see him, his smile was still beaming from his face. He had a manila folder on hand and a camera around his neck.

“Aren’t you supposed to be at –” Jimmy’s smile suddenly seemed a tiny bit forced. “– Chloe’s bridal shower right about now?”

Clark took out his cell phone and checked the time. 6:54. He didn’t even know what time the shower was supposed to be at or even where it was. He could try calling Lois, but knew there was no way he could claim he had forgotten with her. Wincing at the possibility of that confrontation, he looked up and immediately felt bad. Jimmy’s smile had faded away and now, he just seemed sad. He stared off into space at some point over Clark’s shoulder.

Clark cleared his throat a little and Jimmy’s attention focused back on him. “Umm, how did you know?” he asked. “About the shower, I mean?”

A bit of life went back into Jimmy’s expression as he shrugged sheepishly. “I kinda peeked at the invitation on your desk,” he confessed. “I’m sorry. I got curious, y’know? I know things between Chloe and I ended badly, but it still…” He blew out a breath. “I’ve moved on, and so has she, obviously. Sometimes it’s just… hard.”

“I know,” Clark replied, suddenly thinking of Lana. His heart ached, but he was surprised that the sting was no longer as sharp as it had been before.

“Ugh, what am I saying?” Jimmy hit his forehead with his fist lightly and shook his head. “It’s been six years.”

“First loves are hard to forget,” Clark whispered. The pain of their last kiss flashed through his mind, and he winced. Even in the end, all they had done was hurt each other. There were so many regrets and Clark abruptly felt like he tasted something awful in his mouth.

He firmly shut thoughts of Lana away when Jimmy spoke again. “I can’t say it’s not bittersweet. The idea of Chloe marrying someone else… well, it’s weird,” he admitted. “But I’m happy for her. Tell her that for me, will you?”

“Yeah, of course,” Clark replied, nodding.

Jimmy smiled in thanks, but then looked troubled all over again. “Wow, I totally just dumped all that on you, didn’t I? I’m so sorry, C.K.,” he apologized. “Am I keeping you from the party?”

The party. Right. Clark shook his head. “Actually, I just…” He thought of Lois and smiled. “I needed to pick up something for Lois at her desk.”

“Oh, I was heading that way, too. I got some pictures for the Chief,” Jimmy said, holding up the folder in his hand. “I thought I’d slide it under his door in case I forget to bring them to work on Monday. Come on.” He got into an elevator that opened its doors a few feet away from them.

Clark glanced back at the stairs to the basement and then back to Jimmy, who was holding the doors open. Had he and Lois been promoted? It has been six years. Suddenly pleased, Clark entered the elevator and watched Jimmy press a button for one of the higher floors.

They were the only two inside when the doors closed and Clark thought it was a perfect opportunity to get his friend’s opinion. “So, Jimmy…” When he looked over at him, he asked, “What do you think of Superman?”

Jimmy looked at him strangely and Clark wondered if they had this conversation already. He thought about backpedaling, but Jimmy answered a second later. “He’s amazing. He saves so many people, but he never expects anything in return. You know he’s an all-around great guy. Very classy.” Jimmy’s expression turned sly. “What brought this on? You think Superman’s finally going to sweep Lois off her feet? Metaphorically this time?”

“What?” Clark asked, immediately alert. He didn’t like the implications of that question. “Why would I think that?”

“Oh, you know I’m kidding, C.K.” Jimmy raised his hands in a placating motion. “If it were anyone else, I’d say there would be a reason to worry. But not with Lois.” He shook his head. “If you two aren’t a couple of the epic proportions, then I don’t know who else would be.”

Warmth stirred in his chest, and Clark sincerely replied, “Thanks, Jimmy.” His voice lowered to a soft whisper. “It’s nice to hear that.”

“They’re just good friends,” Jimmy said reassuringly. “Lois likes to act like she’s his exclusive reporter, but he gives interviews elsewhere, too.”

The elevator dinged and the doors opened to a quiet newsroom floor. Only a few people were milling about, probably polishing some last minute articles for the weekend edition. The size of the room was much more impressive than the basement as it took up the whole floor and was wide open. The layout had the reporters’ desks exposed and arranged in different sections. There were little cubicles of dark wood separating the desks, but the divisions were low enough to see the tops of heads. The elevator actually opened up to a higher platform that overlooked the newsroom, and one had to go down a small set of stairs to the right to gain access to the main floor.

Clark noticed all this and, somewhere in the back of his head, he was excited. But the forefront of his mind was too preoccupied with this Lois and Superman business. He knew there was no reason to be annoyed, but for some reason, he was all the same. Jimmy wasn’t helping matters, either.

“Though that is rare,” Jimmy continued as an afterthought, going down the stairs with Clark following him. “And he does manage to be there every time she needs to be saved. So what if her name has become nearly synonymous with his?” Jimmy stopped in the middle of the room and gestured to the two cubicles in front of him. “The Lane-Kent team cannot be beat.”

Clark saw his nameplate on the left desk and Lois’ on the right one. The state of their desks once again reflected their personalities just as their nightstands had. They each had a lamp attached to one side of the wooden partitions and a computer on the flat surface of the desk. Pictures and awards were posted on the walls of their cubicles with papers crowding their ‘in’ and ‘out’ boxes, but the similarities ended there.

Clark noticed his side was very neat, papers and notepads stacked in tidy piles. There were colored tabs sticking out of them, and Clark knew his future self had implemented the organization system he was only beginning to think about. Pens and pencils were gathered in an open black container placed next to the computer screen.

In contrast, all sorts of papers were scattered on Lois’ desk – forms, notes, receipts, drafts, etc. Press passes were draped over her screen or hanging over the side of her desk, held in place by a couple of paper weights in the form of tiny monster trucks. A couple pencils and a pen were in a beige cup with the words ‘World Famous’ in bold letters on the side. An empty mug with ‘#1’ sat next to it. Even though he couldn’t figure it out, he knew there was a kind of organized chaos going on at her desk.

Clark almost forgot Jimmy was there until his friend patted his shoulder. “I’ll see you Monday, C.K.”

“Yeah,” Clark replied, even though he wasn’t sure if he actually would. “See you.” He watched as Jimmy wandered further down the rows of desks until he reached the lone private office in the back of the room. When Jimmy bent down to slide the folder under the door, Clark looked away and back at the two cubicles in front of him.

After a moment, he went over to his side first. He sat down in the swivel chair tentatively, a bit surprised at it somehow being familiar, but at the same time, not. His desk was actually a corner desk. The flat surface in front of him extended past the corner all the way to his left, lining up against the two walls of his cubicle. Lois’ side mirrored his. If there wasn’t a barrier between their desks, he knew he would be facing the back of her computer just as she would his. The layout of their desks echoed elements of the original arrangement from the basement.

Clark touched the wooden division in front of him lightly, imagining Lois behind it. He smiled. It seemed right, somehow, to be her partner even in the future.

I wonder… On a hunch, he opened the desk drawer to his left and his smile widened. Carefully, he took out the black frame and pressed his fingers against the glass. ‘Lois’ Rules of Reporting’ looked back at him. The frame was a bit worn along the edges as if it had been taken out many times.

He glanced back in the drawer and spotted a folded Daily Planet newspaper pushed towards the back. Curious, he took it out and replaced the frame back gently. He closed the drawer and unfolded the newspaper. The bolded words ‘Superman Saves the Day Again’ was written across the top and the byline was ‘Reported by Clark Kent’, but neither was what grabbed Clark’s notice. It was the large colored picture plastered right in the middle of the article.

Superman’s back was to the camera and all Clark could see was a red cape and the tips of red boots. Clark vaguely thought the cape was ridiculous, but most of his interest focused on the person in the hero’s arms. While Superman’s face wasn’t shown, the picture had obviously been printed mostly for the woman’s reaction to him saving her. The picture wasn’t a close-up by any means, but it was still easy enough to make out the face.

Lois Lane’s eyes were wide, but there was a delighted smile playing on the edges of her lips. Looking awestruck and amazed, her arms were wound tight around her rescuer’s neck.

Clark narrowed his eyes and stood up, flipping the newspaper over. He ran his fingers through his hair and glanced over at Lois’ desk. Something pinned on her cubicle wall caught his gaze, half of it obscured by another pinned item, a list of to-do things.

He walked around to her desk and took the article from her wall. There was another picture of what he assumed was supposed to be Superman, except this one was just a blip in the sky. The photographer obviously had a lot of trouble taking a picture so far below on the ground.

But this time it wasn’t the photograph that caught his attention. It was the headline.

‘I Spent the Night With Superman’. Reported by Lois Lane.

Clark decided he didn’t like this Superman character one bit.

Crossposted to clois, cloisfic, Divine Intervention.

Chapter 441 Spoilers

krysyuy@gmail.com — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 05:30:49 GMT

Hehehehe~!

Apparently, Hinata is on the cover. AGAIN. So soon after her other one, too. Makes me happy. ♥ Someone commented this may be because of her rising status as a heroine? I say, we can only hope this is the case! ♥ Come on, Kishimoto!

Naruto is worried about Hinata and the villagers. He specifically talks about Hinata. He's relieved when he hears from Katsuyu that she and the villagers are all right.

Team Gai appears in Konoha finally. Tenten goes to Hinata. While her condition is serious, she can be saved. (But of course! I had faith all along! ♥)

I think that's all relating to Hinata...

But OMG, I'm so happy. I do think Hinata's rising in the ranks. Naruto knows her feelings now, she's alive, and there has to be an aftermath conversation! The fact that Hinata got another cover in a chapter where she really doesn't do much of anything (well, as far as spoilers indicate) is a sign. It has to be. *clings to hope*

Thoughts?