15503/Back in Metropolis

Back in Metropolis
Date of Scene:	20 August 2023
Location:	Lane-Kent Brownstone, Midvale, New Troy
Synopsis:	Lois and Clark.
Cast of Characters:	Superman, Lois Lane

---

Superman has posed:
The night before Clark sends Lois a text. It's a mirror selfie of himself in the Tuxedo. "Wish me luck. Sorry you can't see this," and then he will land after leaving in the party. He stands there in the tuxedo. "Well, if she catches me, I didn't think I'd be doing this," he says and tries to be quiet moving about the place due to the late night. Clark would be checking on Pepper later since he has a vague idea of what happened after he left. And so, the reporter is doing hs best not to wake Lois. The man will even try floating above the floor just to avoid making the floor boards creek. That is -if- Lois isn't waiting for him.

Lois Lane has posed:
"Knock 'em dead, sweetheart. You look great. Don't forget your gloves," Lois had sent back, almost at once.

It's hard to know when Lois is ever 'waiting up' versus when she's just.. 'up.' Though she does her best to keep a regular schedule with Clark (not to mention how society in general expects her to be a functional human being during business hours), neither one of them have what anyone would define as a 'regular schedule.' Some nights she's out running down a lead. Some nights she's crashed, exhausted, at 6PM on the couch with a tablet laying on the floor underneath her limp hand.

Tonight, Lois is sitting on the couch with her laptop in her lap and a stylus tucked behind her ear. The place is dark except for the glow of her screen and quiet except for the tap-tap-tapping of keys as she works on copy for the next day.

So, naturally, when there's that little 'swoosh' she's so familiar with out on the balcony and then a man comes floating through the living room, she looks up, her smile illuminated by that eerie artificial glow.

"Sneaking in past curfew, Kent?"

Superman has posed:
"You should really turn on a lamp," Clark says softly as he floats toward a light. He'll turn it on. "It's good, but I might have upset a friend."

Clark starts to explain, "Before you returned. I did feel an attraction for someone. Nothing came of it besides a hug. Nothing will come of it, but they're still a friend," he admits, just wanting to be honest wth her.

"But, I think I kind of acted like I would if Kara got back with a toxic ex," he blushes a little bit. It's the best way to show his mentality, where he was coming from without explaining all the setup information. "I didn't mean to, just kind of happened. So, I might need to mend a bridge, eat some crow," Clark admits and just waits for this to contnue. "And she's pretty astute, so I need to act pretty human. Also, she congratulated us. Your instagram posts came across her feed," Clark doesn't use instagram much. Also, he keeps hs social media presence a little on the light side.

"And I didn't think I had a curfew? Does this mean you have one?" he asks with a curious brow.

Lois Lane has posed:
Lois lets him get it all out without interruption, her eyebrows slightly lifted, though she sets her laptop off to the side. She's in pajamas -- just a tank top and some comfortable shorts.

"Sooooo... you're telling me you were yourself."

But then there's that comment about the curfew, and her grin quirks a little more noticeably. "A curfew? Because I'm /such/ a stickler for rules? We can set one, but you know as well as I do that it's not going to change anything."

She rises from the couch, then, to pad barefoot over to him. Her eyes lift as her fingers reach up, straightening the lapel of his tux that didn't really need straightening.

"If that's the worst thing that happened while you were there, I'd say the night was a smashing success, but how are /you/ feeling, at this point? Upset? Confused?"

There's no jealousy -- just concern. Her hands slide down his arms, moving to his fingers to start to pull one of his gloves off.

"Let me get these off of you and bag them. We can have them tested. Did you see Lex?"

Superman has posed:
"Confused. I expected you to be upset about hearing of said friend. And be further upset about hearing I need to fix it," Clark amdits. Then the gloves get pulled off. "See? Yes. Talk to? No. There was so many people. I did run into Bruce, again," then there's a pause. "Did you eat my cookies?"

Alfred is sending a package of cookies and he's unsure if they arrived tonight or will be coming tomorrow.

Clark has a thought, but does not intend to put his foot in his mouth for once.

"A member of Khandaq royalty was there, too," he says showing the kind of class that moved through this meeting. "I was pretty much one of the few guest whose income rivaled the wait staff," he admits.

"Also, how do we address our job titles and personal lives while avoiding people thinking nepotism might be involved?" That's something Clark actually struggled with last nght. "We both scratched and clawed to where we are. People -may- presume one of us helped the other with their position. That's an insult to each of us. But I don't want you to be -just- my coworker in professional settings."

Lois Lane has posed:
"...About hugging someone that you're attracted to?" Lois asks with an amused quirk of her lips. "I mean, it's not like I want you to make a habit of it, but I think we're a little past getting upset with each other about being friendly at social gatherings. If you're talking about my reaction to your immortal friend, there's a big difference between running off to meet secretly with a woman you won't tell me anything about and bumping into an old flame at a party."

The gloves are put together, and rather than risking contaminating him with whatever's on them, she moves straight into the kitchen to get a zip-lock bag out of the cabinet.

"They came earlier," she says. "I haven't had one, but I set them out on the counter for you. They're not black, so I know Bruce didn't bake them. You must have done something special for Alfred to bake you cookies."

She turns the water on to wash her hands. Thoroughly. Whatever had happened to Clark before, Lois seemed adamant about keeping it from happening again.

"Nepotism?" she shakes her head, drying her hands. "I'm not sure I follow. You're worried people will think I write your articles for you?" Because with two Pulitzers that she earned herself, of course that's the direction she assumes he's worried about. "We don't really have that kind of job, Clark. Anyone that wanted to check on our credentials could just call the Planet. I have no intention of telling people that you're /just/ my co-worker. It doesn't get weird for me until somebody catches me making out with Superman -- /that's/ an awkward conversation."

Then she turns, resting her rump against the kitchen counter.

"What's bringing that on?"

Superman has posed:
"Amanda I believe went into hiding with a new identity. All of her communication is gone," he says referring to the immortal.

"You can have some. And i didn't do much. I was in Gotham. I helped fight Clayface," Clark shrugs as he doesn't see the big deal about that. "Just helping out some neighbors and a friend," and t hm it's that simple.

Shaking his head no. "I mean, one helping the other out to excel in the field faster," Clark says softly. Then he pauses. "You only do that in private," Clark smirks a little bit.

"Well, I wasn't sure how to introduce you. I don't want your credibility to be damaged, or mine, because two rivals became friends and then we umm. . .didn't stop being friendly," is the most Clark-way he can put all that.

Lois Lane has posed:
"I'm sorry."

It's simple and heartfelt. Lois knew how much having access to an immortal to ask questions meant to Clark, and as upset as she was that he was keeping her largely in the dark about it, she'd decided all she could do was trust him and gotten over it -- for the most part.

But then there's the offer of cookies.

"In that case..."

Hands dry, Lois moves over to open that container of cookies and takes just one out before sealing it again.

"/Clayface/? Isn't he a pretty big deal in Gotham?"

Not that Lois sounds worried. If anything, she usually quite pleased when Clark and Bruce are actually getting along. It's better than Bruce pulling a Lex and coming up with some Kryptonian weapons to fight Clark with, at any rate.

She takes a bite of that cookie, her brow furrowing as she makes little sounds of pleasure that would probably be more appropriate in the bedroom. At least she has the decency to cover her mouth.

"Clark.. these are /amazing/..."

Then there's the mention of excelling, and she shakes her head.

"We just.. can't. It doesn't make any sense. You were there. I was here. No one is going to think I helped you get an invitation, and if they do.. so what? Nobody's going to think you covered that rebellion in Kandahar. I was there. On the ground. There's literal video I was livestreaming -- well, you know there was. You showed up. Just... not as Clark Kent. And Perry will set anyone straight that calls to accuse us it, believe me."

Then there's the bit about doing that in private, and Lois smiles, walking back over to him. She lifts the other half of that cookie up towards his lips, offering it to him.

"You and I both know /that's/ not true. We may not be sitting on a park bench, but in the heat of the moment it's hard not to be glad to see you, Clark. I /know/ I've been.. indiscreet in the past."

Then there's that mention of introductions, and Lois's smile brightens.

"Oh, that's easy. You can introduce me as your esteemed colleague and cherished fiancee, without whom life itself would cease to have meaning."

Superman has posed:
Clark doesn't doubt the Kryptonian weapons exist. He wants it that way. Bruce is the failsafe with the weapons should Clark ever have another dark day. Other people are just the warmongers in his mind.

Seeing Lois work on the cookies make him smile. "Clayface is a threat, but so is everything else I face," Clark says softly. Again, to him it's just helping out. Although, people like The Joker would get a special mention.



Then he takes the cookie offered to him. Smiling. The eyes open up from the taste.

"Well, I know you can be descreet. I kid," Clark says softly.

The introduction comes and he chuckles, "I agree with that. Full heartedly, but it doesn't quite roll off the tongue. Is there a better way to say that?"

Lois Lane has posed:
"I have my moments," Lois says regarding being discreet, her eyes sparkling with mirth. "Speaking of which..."

Since they /were/ in the privacy of their own home, there was no issue with Lois reaching up to relieve Clark of those glasses and then leaning up on tip-toe to place a kiss on his lips. There might even have been a little extra attention paid to the corner of his mouth. A stray bit of chocolate, perhaps?

"How about: This is my fiancee, Lois Lane. She and I are both reporters for the Daily Planet?" She smiles a bit. "Simple. Factual. I'm glad we're getting this figured out now, though, because if we'd waited until you had to start introducing me as the mother of your children..." She makes a low, exaggerated whistle. "...could have get dicey."

But it's all just to goad him, smiling wickedly up at him.

Superman has posed:
Clark smiles when she removes the glasses. It stays with the first kiss, but the extra attention makes him laugh. "Did I miss some?" he asks for a moment.

"So, I can't say. 'This is my fiance Lois Lane. She and I are both reporters for the daily planet. She is also the future mother to my five children. We haven't starter that yet, but we do have three of the five names settled for the boys. Two of the five names for the girls. It's a very exciting time," he grins and looks to her curiously for a moment.

Lois Lane has posed:
Lois laughs, setting the glasses aside so she can reach up and loop her arms around his neck, her eyes still shining.

"Clark, I'm thirty-nine years old." A fact that she is /acutely/ aware of, given that her birthday had been just three days before. "I hate to burst your bubble, but if you want five, you're going to have to trade me in for a younger model. We can /discuss/ two, but even then you're pushing your luck."

There's a beat, then, as she seems to catch up and narrows her eyes.

"What do you mean we've settled on names?"

Superman has posed:
"I'd like at least one," he grins and looks at her. "I'm just open to the ability if alien genetics umm. Makes up for lost time," he says wondering if one time it would be twns or more. Then he grins at her, "But you're the model I'd want. I'd sooner try to give you somethng that deages you before trading you," he says softly.

And he kisses her softly on the lips. Then her brain catches up, "Yeah. You said it the other day," Clark teases. "It was in passng and you've had a lot of work since then," he sgrins and is expectng some kind of playful swat.

Lois Lane has posed:
"Oh... a de-aging potion. That doesn't sound dangerous or super-villainy at all," Lois deadpans, smiling up at him with that playful quirk of a grin. "I think one we might be able to make work. Eventually. Under... careful medical supervision." She didn't really need to go into the horrors of what /might/ go wrong during a pregnancy with Superman. It wasn't like they had a lot of examples of times it's happened to refer back to. Nor was she Kryptonian.

She returns the kiss, but that crack /does/ earn him a swat, though... a swat she'd learned to be careful with the intensity of. It /was/ just for playful show, and there was that time she hurt her hand.

"Oh, /I/ said it? And then I forgot? I /must/ have a lot on my mind..."

She rolls her eyes.

"Why don't we go upstairs and get you out of this tux? We can continue the baby-making conversation upstairs..."

So maybe she /was/ waiting up for him, after all.

Superman has posed:
"I've seen magic do a lot. I'm working off of a supernatural presumption," Clark chuckles a little bit. Then he will be quck to agree, "-Careful- medical supervision," he says knowing that they're in completely uncharted waters. It wasn't like Humans and Kryptonians had alliances during Krypton's golden age. Clark suspects the car had yet to be invented when the Golden Age started. Krypton had small personal space shifts that can still beat several methods of earthly travel today.

"Well, you -do- get pretty busy," Clark deadpans as she talks about things slipping her mind.

Then there's a pause about upstairs. And he gives a small nod. "We can. Probably should," he tries not to blush a little bit about this one. However, he will happily comply.

Lois Lane has posed:
"Just don't forget you love me, and I wouldn't be me if I didn't a little lost in my work," Lois chides with a warm smile, sliding her hand down his arms to take his hands and start to drag him along towards the stairs as she walks backwards.

There's warmth and affection in her eyes, and though she knows he could easily just fly her up the stairs or catch her if she tripped, she's still careful to watch her step. The only time she seemed to lean on his super-powers like a crutch was when she wanted to do something /really/ dangerous. Go figure.

"So what are some of these names that I agreed to but somehow spontaneously forgot?"

Superman has posed:
"I never forget," Clark says and he starts to get dragged. He squeezes her hands softly. Sky blue eyes looking at her as they move together. He waits to see how they're moving upstairs before doing anything.

"Oh, the usual. Jon. Jor. Kat, after Kat Grant," Clark begins to go off on some names. He starts to intentionally list names that she would hate. His blue eyes sparkle with mirth. "You were pretty insistant about Kat," and he grins wide at her. Oh, he expects at least two swats for this one.

Lois Lane has posed:
"Do you /want/ me to forbid you from talking to any women ever again? Is that it?"

It sounds appropriately Lois-threatening, but she's got a warm smile on her lips.

Clark doesn't just get a swat. They're halfway up the stairs when Lois /jumps/ on him, the extra height from being higher giving her the leverage she needs to really lock her knees around his middle.

There's no reservation to the jump, either. She trusts him, implicitly, to be able to catch her. Even half-way up the stairs.

Superman has posed:
Clark hold sher as he catches the jump pretty easily. His gaze going to her as they both know is if he has an -inkling- of a clue that Lois would fall, Clark would be there to catch him. "You know I'm joking Lane. At least about Kat and Kate based names," he knows she wouldn't. He starts to take slow steps upstairs. His gaze watching her when they make it upstairs.

Lois Lane has posed:
"I like Martha. Maybe even as a middle name.. if not a first name."

Lois's fingers raise to brush at his hairline, sweeping her touch across to his temple as she watches him. She seems perfectly content just to stay attached to him until they reach the bedroom, at which point she'll finally stand on her own again.. assuming he lets her.

"They'll need a Kryptonian name, won't they?"

They hadn't really even broached that subject, before. Lois knew a lot about Kal-El, but it wasn't exactly like she was an encyclopedia of Kryptonian lore.

"How does that work? They'll keep the El suffix?"

Superman has posed:
"Middle name," Clark says and slowly makes his way to the room. A smile pulling at his lips for a moment. Then he nods, "El is the Surname. No different than Kent. I guess your Kryptonian name could be Lo-El," he's spitballing that one.

When they make it to the bedroom, he will set her down. "There's a lot I don't know either," he admits knowing that t may not help some matters. Clark does know about the naming structure, mostly. He may need to ask Kara a few things.