Fic: Past Tense | DCU/SR | Clark/Lois, past Lois/Richard, others | PG-13 | 1/1
Title: With Fortune's Hand I: Four Relationships Remembered Fondly: Past Tense
Fandom: Superman Returns/etc
Pairing: Clark/Lois, past Lois/Richard, past Clark/Lana, hints at Lana/Richard
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1,067
Prompt: For The Superman Movieverse Pairings Challenge: Balcony, Cigar/Cigarette, Baggage, Hug, Jealousy
Summary: When Richard's flirting with Lana seems to have the desired effect, Lois scares the crap out of herself.
Disclaimer: DC and WB own it all. I own nothing. Darnit!
Author's Notes: Last of the first part of the series! Takes place just days after An Unexpected Piece of the Puzzle.
Past Tense
It started with something like a hot poke, right beneath her ribs, and Lois would've thought for sure it was the pot roast they were just finishing, except Clark had cooked dinner, and he'd never serve anything underdone, on penalty of his mother's wrath. So, if it wasn't the food, what the hell was causing the squeezing that was creeping up through her chest like a boa constrictor wrapped around her vital organs?
It certainly couldn't be the way Lana was laughing at one of Richard's lame jokes, the way her auburn eyelashes fluttered at him as she smiled.
It couldn't. Could it?
Oh, Lois wanted to be sick at the very thought of it. There was no way on Earth that she was jealous over her ex getting a little attention from the pretty redhead that used-past tense-to be Clark's girlfriend. No way. Not happening.
But her fork clanking against the plate as lost her grip and dropped it at the very awkward revelation made her jump, everyone at the table-adults and children alike-turning to look at her with question written all over their faces, and she was up and out of her seat in a heartbeat.
“I, um, I'm gonna get some fresh air for a minute, and I'll be right back,” she explained hastily, and with a round of nods, they let her make her quick escape, the assumption of a cigarette break-she'd never been so glad for such a poor excuse-keeping Clark and Richard from inquiring further beyond a brief reproachful look.
Stepping through the apartment she and Jason had only moved back into several months earlier after their lives had changed forever, she grabbed her last pack of emergency menthols and her lighter from the table drawer next to the glass door, and headed outside onto the balcony, the fresh spring air cooling the embarrassed flush on her face. A breath of relief only came after she'd shut the door behind her and plopped down at the rusted patio table, lit cigarette in hand, and taken a long drag, three-week-smokeless record be damned. Clark would just have to chastise her later, if he dared.
The nicotine worked its usual magic, thank God, but of course that left her mind clear enough to see the look on Lana's face as she'd reacted to Richard's obvious flirting, blush moving over freckles and green eyes shining. Once upon a time, Lois had been on the receiving end of that flirting, all of Richard's attention focused squarely on her. Once upon a time, she'd been the one laughing at his stupid jokes.
Another long drag.
Six months ago, the world had been roses and wine. House on the river, sold now, time share up at the lake, also sold now, brilliant kindergardener, well, that hadn't changed, except that his time was split between two homes now. Six months ago, Lois had a sapphire engagement ring on her finger and a dashing fiancé that was the envy of every other woman-and a few men-in the bullpen. Six months ago....
Okay, so maybe things weren't perfect, but she'd had a damn good man on her arm, cheesy jokes and bad horror movie addiction aside. She'd had... she'd had....
Shit.
Another drag, and the cigarette was almost gone, damn this mass-marketed crap brand that smoked down so fast.
Richard wasn't hers anymore. He'd loved her, loved her more than she'd thought possible, considering her history and boxful of secrets that had hidden in the attic for so damn long, but she'd let him go. She was the one that had turned right back around and gone to Clark when he'd come back, tearing straight into her life like a freight train and upending her whole applecart.
As sweet as things might have seemed once upon a time-and whoever had made up that god awful phrase in the first place was a Class-A moron-underneath it all, it had been doomed to failure. It had been a bad idea from the get-go.
Suck it up, Lane, she admonished herself sternly. Richard was free to flirt with whoever he damn well pleased. And who could blame him, really? Lana was gorgeous to the Nth degree. No wonder Clark had dated her.
At that thought she drew herself up short, though. Down that path lie madness, jealousy of untold proportions. Clark had dated Lana eons ago, had chosen Lois in the end. The shining platinum wedding band on her ring finger was testament enough to that.
A last drag, and the cigarette was done.
In the end, she'd chosen Clark, too. She had the next best thing to a bona fide god on her arm now, whether the idiots in the bullpen knew it or not, and he'd practically walked through hell for her and their son. She was luckier than any woman she knew. Richard was her past, as much as Lana was Clark's, and no amount of brooding would change the very twisted fact that their exes were making googly eyes at each other to the point that Lois wanted to lose her dinner.
Laughing at herself, at her utter absurdity, she ground out the butt in the ashtray on the table and stood from her chair just as the door opened behind her. Whirling, she found Clark looking at her with those damnably adorable puppy-dog eyes, mild distress written all over his face and in his posture.
“You, too, huh?” she said sourly as he closed the door and stepped over to her, wrapping her up in an impossibly warm hug, magnified by the flannel of the shirt he had buttoned all the way to the collar.
Clark's choked off laugh shook them both. “I feel like such an idiot,” he confessed, dropping a kiss on her hair.
Lois looked up at him, hugging him in return. “That makes two of us, then. Come on, let's go put some coffee on and break out the pie. I hear you make a mean lemon meringue,” she finished with a raised eyebrow and a smirk.
“Well, you hear right, Miss Lane,” he answered with that twinkle in his eyes she never could resist. “I was taught by the best.”
Sliding out of his arms and taking his hand to pull him with her back inside, she chuckled, “Remind me to thank your mom when I get a chance,” and with a shared laugh, they stepped through the door, leaving the past behind them, where it belonged.
~*~*~*~
Fandom: Superman Returns/etc
Pairing: Clark/Lois, past Lois/Richard, past Clark/Lana, hints at Lana/Richard
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1,067
Prompt: For The Superman Movieverse Pairings Challenge: Balcony, Cigar/Cigarette, Baggage, Hug, Jealousy
Summary: When Richard's flirting with Lana seems to have the desired effect, Lois scares the crap out of herself.
Disclaimer: DC and WB own it all. I own nothing. Darnit!
Author's Notes: Last of the first part of the series! Takes place just days after An Unexpected Piece of the Puzzle.
Past Tense
It started with something like a hot poke, right beneath her ribs, and Lois would've thought for sure it was the pot roast they were just finishing, except Clark had cooked dinner, and he'd never serve anything underdone, on penalty of his mother's wrath. So, if it wasn't the food, what the hell was causing the squeezing that was creeping up through her chest like a boa constrictor wrapped around her vital organs?
It certainly couldn't be the way Lana was laughing at one of Richard's lame jokes, the way her auburn eyelashes fluttered at him as she smiled.
It couldn't. Could it?
Oh, Lois wanted to be sick at the very thought of it. There was no way on Earth that she was jealous over her ex getting a little attention from the pretty redhead that used-past tense-to be Clark's girlfriend. No way. Not happening.
But her fork clanking against the plate as lost her grip and dropped it at the very awkward revelation made her jump, everyone at the table-adults and children alike-turning to look at her with question written all over their faces, and she was up and out of her seat in a heartbeat.
“I, um, I'm gonna get some fresh air for a minute, and I'll be right back,” she explained hastily, and with a round of nods, they let her make her quick escape, the assumption of a cigarette break-she'd never been so glad for such a poor excuse-keeping Clark and Richard from inquiring further beyond a brief reproachful look.
Stepping through the apartment she and Jason had only moved back into several months earlier after their lives had changed forever, she grabbed her last pack of emergency menthols and her lighter from the table drawer next to the glass door, and headed outside onto the balcony, the fresh spring air cooling the embarrassed flush on her face. A breath of relief only came after she'd shut the door behind her and plopped down at the rusted patio table, lit cigarette in hand, and taken a long drag, three-week-smokeless record be damned. Clark would just have to chastise her later, if he dared.
The nicotine worked its usual magic, thank God, but of course that left her mind clear enough to see the look on Lana's face as she'd reacted to Richard's obvious flirting, blush moving over freckles and green eyes shining. Once upon a time, Lois had been on the receiving end of that flirting, all of Richard's attention focused squarely on her. Once upon a time, she'd been the one laughing at his stupid jokes.
Another long drag.
Six months ago, the world had been roses and wine. House on the river, sold now, time share up at the lake, also sold now, brilliant kindergardener, well, that hadn't changed, except that his time was split between two homes now. Six months ago, Lois had a sapphire engagement ring on her finger and a dashing fiancé that was the envy of every other woman-and a few men-in the bullpen. Six months ago....
Okay, so maybe things weren't perfect, but she'd had a damn good man on her arm, cheesy jokes and bad horror movie addiction aside. She'd had... she'd had....
Shit.
Another drag, and the cigarette was almost gone, damn this mass-marketed crap brand that smoked down so fast.
Richard wasn't hers anymore. He'd loved her, loved her more than she'd thought possible, considering her history and boxful of secrets that had hidden in the attic for so damn long, but she'd let him go. She was the one that had turned right back around and gone to Clark when he'd come back, tearing straight into her life like a freight train and upending her whole applecart.
As sweet as things might have seemed once upon a time-and whoever had made up that god awful phrase in the first place was a Class-A moron-underneath it all, it had been doomed to failure. It had been a bad idea from the get-go.
Suck it up, Lane, she admonished herself sternly. Richard was free to flirt with whoever he damn well pleased. And who could blame him, really? Lana was gorgeous to the Nth degree. No wonder Clark had dated her.
At that thought she drew herself up short, though. Down that path lie madness, jealousy of untold proportions. Clark had dated Lana eons ago, had chosen Lois in the end. The shining platinum wedding band on her ring finger was testament enough to that.
A last drag, and the cigarette was done.
In the end, she'd chosen Clark, too. She had the next best thing to a bona fide god on her arm now, whether the idiots in the bullpen knew it or not, and he'd practically walked through hell for her and their son. She was luckier than any woman she knew. Richard was her past, as much as Lana was Clark's, and no amount of brooding would change the very twisted fact that their exes were making googly eyes at each other to the point that Lois wanted to lose her dinner.
Laughing at herself, at her utter absurdity, she ground out the butt in the ashtray on the table and stood from her chair just as the door opened behind her. Whirling, she found Clark looking at her with those damnably adorable puppy-dog eyes, mild distress written all over his face and in his posture.
“You, too, huh?” she said sourly as he closed the door and stepped over to her, wrapping her up in an impossibly warm hug, magnified by the flannel of the shirt he had buttoned all the way to the collar.
Clark's choked off laugh shook them both. “I feel like such an idiot,” he confessed, dropping a kiss on her hair.
Lois looked up at him, hugging him in return. “That makes two of us, then. Come on, let's go put some coffee on and break out the pie. I hear you make a mean lemon meringue,” she finished with a raised eyebrow and a smirk.
“Well, you hear right, Miss Lane,” he answered with that twinkle in his eyes she never could resist. “I was taught by the best.”
Sliding out of his arms and taking his hand to pull him with her back inside, she chuckled, “Remind me to thank your mom when I get a chance,” and with a shared laugh, they stepped through the door, leaving the past behind them, where it belonged.
~*~*~*~