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"Look at what the disobedient superdog dragged in."
Krypto pulled Superman by his bright red cape along the floor of her apartment like he weighed nothing. Thank god the dog let Superman enter her living room via the fire escape before tackling him into the couch and dragging him to the threshold of her kitchen. The last time Krypto brought Superman home, she’d had a busted window Clark tried to repair and held a funeral for the couch she’d had for a decade.
The dog didn’t even pull him all the way, roughly abandoning him the moment his sharp nose smelt the fresh chicken she’d cooked and placed into a bowl in the corner. His ear cocked and his tail wagged so hard he almost destroyed the chair leg he ran into.
Lois pressed her fingers to her forehead as she approached Superman and kneeled by his head. He looked good on her floor. A bright eyesore of primary colour, and a beautiful head of hair. His stubborn curl dangled by his temple.
"Hey," she smiled.
"Hey," he said, squinting up at her. "At least we missed the couch this time?"
"That was a very good couch you both ruined."
"Again, Miss Lane, I did send my apologies."
She smiled as she let her arms hand against her kneecaps and wiggled her fingers, drawing his attention. Although Clark didn’t make it a habit of bringing Krypto to her apartment—he had said something about his cousin taking him to an off-planet park from time to time—she’d learned that Clark Kent and Superman had one thing in common: they enjoyed being treated like a damsel by her.
So, she refused to offer her hand, smiling as he waited expectantly before cocking his brow.
"Think you could help a man up?"
She pursed her lips. "Don’t know. Would the man in question be available for an exclusive interview about today’s exciting events?"
Superman groaned and turned his head away from her, but Lois didn’t miss his smile. Lois Lane didn’t miss many things, especially how Clark smiled more and loosened his shoulders when he was Superman. Maybe it had something to do with the cape. Maybe it was because he felt closer to his home—Krypton, not Smallville—when he was dressed in those bright, blinding primary colours.
Whatever it was, she hoped Clark Kent would one day imitate Superman.
She held out her hand and gripped his tightly as she pulled him up smoothly. It wasn’t thanks to her strength, although she’d happily take credit for being able to help a man like Superman up from her kitchen floor.
He stood close to her and smiled, and ignored the sounds Krypto was making as he tore into his chicken.
"Hi," he said. His eyes swept over her before his dark brows pulled together. "Headache still?"
She nodded, closing her eyes briefly. A few of her lamps lit up the darkened apartment. "Yeah." With a heavy sigh, she said, "Reporting the truth takes its toll." Lois pouted and pressed her hand to her temple, intentionally wincing. "Ow."
Clark smiled. "Do you need help, Lois?"
"What I need is an exclusive interview with the man who saved Metropolis again." She smiled up at him and batted her eyelashes. "Please? Please Mr Superman?"
Superman scrunched his nose and laughed. "Okay," he said, deepening his voice. Adrenaline began to course through her, thumping against her sore head. Lois narrowed her eyes to try to hide her wince, but she knew he’d see it. He always did. "But only because it’s you who’s asking."
And she always asked. How many of their nights were spent with her hounding him with questions and him giving her answers, declaring that they were off the record, only to ask her if she wrote down what he said? He made many great quotes. He insisted he was quotable.
Superman took great pride in his soundbites. She didn’t want to share that with the world.
She stepped closer to him and bumped her hip against his. "One day I’ll manage to pry you from the hands of that pesky Clark Kent."
He grasped her hand gently and spun her around slowly. Clark stepped closer to her and lifted her wrist to his mouth. "Didn’t get to do this before I had to go," he murmured. Clark Kent had abandoned her in one of the less popular corridors of the Daily Planet, peppering her with kisses, biting at her earlobe, and leaving her unbalanced while he went to fight… whatever it was he went to fight.
Another big giant alien creature? At least it wasn’t a product of Luthorcorp.
He was a man of balance. How else did he manage to keep himself afloat with a cape as heavy as the one on his back?
Lois stepped closer to him and slid her hands over his chest until her fingertips played with his yellow belt. "Does Clark Kent know how to take this off?"
Superman smiled. "He’s not privy to all my secrets, Miss Lane."
"Good," she said as she pressed a clasp on the inside of his ridiculous belt, prompting it to gasp and loosen. Lois peered up at him, determined not to look down and use her vision as a guide. She could figure this out. Didn’t the city crave knowing just how Superman put on his costume?
Standing on the tips of her nose, she kissed his chin. His belt loosened around his hips, and she began sliding her hands along his back in search of the invisible seam of his bright blue eyesore of a costume. Lois kissed the corner of his mouth, lingering.
"Can I be Clark now?" he murmured against her mouth.
She shushed him before biting his lip and trailing her fingers through his hair, wishing to muss what the wind often failed to ruin. She kissed his cheek, his chin, and lifted his hand to her mouth where she swept her tongue over his pounding pulse.
"You’re always Clark, Superman," she said as she slid her fingers within his and peered up at him. His hand was warm and firm in hers, and she enveloped the back of it with her other hand. "One day, you’ll understand that. But in the meantime, I’ll love you for being so thick-headed."
He smiled and scooped her up into his arms, almost smacking her feet into the doorframe of her kitchen as he led her out and away from Krypto chewing on her favourite chair’s leg.
"So, about that interview—"
"Lois!" he laughed, and swept her into the bedroom to give her an exclusive.
