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[b]New Troy, Metropolis[/b]

Lois Lane turned the key in the lock of her and Clark Kent’s apartment as gently as she could. The dim light from within the apartment radiated out into the corridor as she slid inside and shut the door behind her softly. She hoisted her coat on one of the pegs behind the door and set her handbag down on the small table where the house phone sat. There slumped in a seat in the lounge was Clark Kent. In his hands was a copy of James Ellroy’s [i]The Big Nowhere[/i] that Clark had annotated as he’d gone along. Lois smiled as she approached him and leant in to take the book from his lap. As she did so Clark’s eyes shot open. 

[b][color=steelblue]“Boo.”[/color][/b]

Lane let out a squeal and staggered backwards. Clark broke out into a giggle as he saw Lane’s look of terror twist into a frown.

[b][color=lavender]“Jesus, Clark! That’s not funny,”[/color][/b] Lois muttered as she hurtled the book at Clark’s chest. [b][color=lavender]“Why aren’t you sleeping? It’s late.”[/color][/b]

Clark rolled his eyes as he set the book down on his desk.

[b][color=steelblue]“We’ve discussed this.”[/color][/b]

Lois kicked off her shoes and made her way across to the kitchen. She opened a cupboard, pulled out a bag of potato chips that she pulled open, then perched on a seat by the kitchen table.

[b][color=lavender]“Yeah, yeah, you don’t [i]need[/i] to sleep, I get it, but it can’t be good for your mental health for you not to rest sometime, Clark. I mean, you don’t need to eat either but you still do that.”[/color][/b]

Clark followed after her and declined as Lois offered the bag of potato chips in his direction. He pulled open the fridge and broke a tub free from a six-pack of chocolate pudding. He reached for a spoon, shoved it into the chocolate pudding, and took a greedy mouthful. 

[b][color=steelblue]“That’s because chocolate pudding is delicious.”[/color][/b]

Lois placed an arm around Clark’s broad shoulders as he took a seat beside her at the table. He kiss Lane on the forehead and then took another mouthful of pudding.

[b][color=steelblue]“How was Lacy?”[/color][/b]

Lacy Warfield was the daughter of David Warfield. The David Warfield of Warfield Publications – the largest publishing house in America. Warfield had once owned the Daily Planet. Lacy had once been rather [i]fond[/i] of Clark but despite that Lois and Lacy had struck up something of an unlikely friendship. They had become even closer since David Warfield died two months ago because Lois was the only person around Lacy that didn’t see her as a cash cow ready to be milked. 

[b][color=lavender]“Things are obviously a little tough for her at the minute given everything with her dad but she’s always been pretty resilient. As awful as it might sound, I think she’ll get through it soon enough.”[/color][/b]

Clark smiled sympathetically between mouthfuls of pudding.

[b][color=lavender]“Speaking of fathers, you’ve been saying for the past two weeks that you wanted to visit yours. What happened to that?”[/color][/b]

He set down the little tub and his spoon and searched for an explanation. Though Metropolis had been Clark’s home for the best part of a decade it was Smallville, Kansas that had formed him. He hated going back there. It wasn’t the Smallville he remembered. The recession had turned what was once a thriving agricultural town, full of colour and life, into something bleak and depressing. The farms that Clark had played on as a child had been bought up or lay barren. Only Kent Farm remained – though not for much longer given his father’s condition was worsening. The words that left Clark’s mouth were not that but an excuse, something he sensed Lane would sniff through in a second, but one he offered all the same.

[color=steelblue][b]“I guess with everything that’s been going on I kind of… I don’t know…”[/b][/color]

Lois shook her head.

[b][color=lavender]“I know it hurts you seeing him like that but he’s [i]still[/i] your father, Clark.”[/color][/b]

It was hard living with the world’s greatest investigative journalist. Clark had heard some people refer to Bruce as the World’s Greatest Detective but living with Lois Lane had convinced him that nickname had basis in fact. Lois sniffed lies out like a bloodhound – even the whitest lies. Clark let out a sigh and shrugged his shoulders and he let the real explanation slip.

[color=steelblue][b]“I’m not sure what about it scares me so much. Pa was as strong as an Ox when I was growing up. He did things I’d never seen any other man do and made them look easy – and now he can barely remember what day of the week it is. To see someone that strong so… so vulnerable… I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it.”[/b][/color]

Lois set down the bag of chips and wrapped both of her arms around Clark. She squeezed him tightly and felt his heart beating through his chest. It was that heart that set Clark apart. He was the kindest man on Earth – he empathized with people [i]too[/i] much sometimes. Were this the other way around he would know what to say to make Lane feel better but all Lois could offer him was her embrace. It would have to do for the time being.

[color=lavender][b]“I can only imagine how Martha feels.”[/b][/color]

A little breath passed through Clark’s nose as let loose a heavy-hearted laugh.

[b][color=steelblue]“Hopefully you’ll never have to find out.”[/color][/b]

Lane smiled awkwardly as she looked up at Kent.

[b][color=lavender]“But… [i]you[/i] will, Clark.”[/color][/b]

Clark’s big hands wrapped around Lane’s waist and he lifted her as easily as a normal man might lift a feather and placed her in his lap. Lois slipped her arms around his neck and Clark let his rest gently on her thighs as he looked at her through the big, bright eyes that she loved so much.

[b][color=steelblue]“I’ll always love you, Lois Lane, even when you’re old and grey.”[/color][/b]

Lois smiled and planted a loving kiss on Clark’s lips.

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[color=Lavender][b]“You want me to come with?”[/b][/color]

He shook his head and Lane nodded in acceptance. She reached for the tub of chocolate pudding that Clark had been eating from, plunged his spoon into it, and offered a spoonful of pudding to him. Clark's mouth opened wide and at the last minute Lois pulled the pudding away from it and scarfed the pudding down. Clark let out a consternated chuckle that was pulled by Lois prodding another spoonful of pudding into his mouth. As he struggled to swallow it Lane planted another kiss on his lips that sent the pair of them tumbling off the seat and onto the kitchen floor with a thud.