A shelter from the storm

[bucky_cap]

Who: OPEN LOG, anyone and everyone!
When: From the beginning of the destruction to reset
Where: The capes' safehouse
Summary: While destruction reigns supreme outside, near the bank is a house surrounded in a dome of barely-there blue light; it stays up, untouched by the black blood and the storm of powers outside.
Rating: PG, I'll bump it up if

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[by_lois_lane]

"Superman!"

Lois dashed to him, relieved to see he was alright, not that he wouldn't be. But her eyes still held concern...more accurately worry.

"I don't know what's going on but,"I she looked almost frantic for a moment. "I can't find Clark."

She gripped his hand imploringly. "Please, I know you have every one else to worry about....but I need to know hes ok. With everything going on out there ...."I she refused to finish her thought.

"I can't lose him again."

[kryptonsson]

"Lois- I- what?"

He really needed a moment to process that- both being jumped on like that by Lois, and what she was saying. Sure, he knew Lois wouldn't be angry enough at him (at Clark) to ignore him being in danger.

But that worry... he always felt like a huge dick on these moments. It wasn't fair to Lois to make her suffer like this.

"I will find him. I promise- just wait here? I will bring him here as soon as I am able to, but I need to know you will be alright."

[by_lois_lane]

Take the one hint Clark, Lois wouldn't be worried if there wasn't some feeling there. After her talk with Apollo she was looking at things from a new perspective. She had feelings for Clark that went beyond partnership.

"Thank you, I just.... there are things I haven't said to him. The last time we talked I was angry." Jealous actually but she didn't realize need to tell that to Superman.

"Bring him back to me safe." She'd hold down the fort here.

[kryptonsson]

Oh, man. If Clark hadn't known Midnighter and Apollo were right about this being the most ridiculous thing he'd ever done, he certainly realized they were now.

He needed to tell her. He really did.

But first he had to reassure her, so he said good-bye to Lois and went inside the first safe empty house he could find to change clothes. Clark Kent ran inside the remains of the cape's safehouse in just a few minutes.

"L-Lois...?"

[by_lois_lane]

Superman usually yielded results, but this was impressive even for him.

"Clark!" And there's another of those flying hugs, only this one didn't come with a slap. She was just holding him, tight. "Are you ok? I couldn't find you and I got told to stay here." Normally she wouldn't have been bothered by that but you can only get put back in the same place so many times before you stay put.

[kryptonsson]

Clark could really get used to these hugs she seemed to be giving him lately. Specially since she gave them to him, to Clark and not his Superman persona. She hardly did that, if ever. So he hugged her back, as tightly as he could without hurting her.

But it only made him all the worse about lying.

"I'm sorry, Lois. I am alright, I promise. Are you still mad at me...?"

[by_lois_lane]

It felt good to hold him, to know he was ok. She'd been more worried than she could ever let on but he was safe now and she was grateful.

"Oh, forget about all that. What's important is that you're ok." Mad? That had ended the instant she thought he might be in danger, or worse.

[kryptonsson]

He held on the hug a little longer, then let go of her- at least partially, he still let both his hands rest on her shoulders.

"That's- that's good. I... I still want to apologize. I didn't mean to make you worry. Nor I meant to make you worry now- I just..."

He swallows.

"Lois. There's something I need to tell you."

[by_lois_lane]

"Yeah, I guess there's something I should tell you too."

She could forgive the worry, it was more important that he was safe. And maybe he was friends with Lana and she'd helped him, ok Lois could grit her teeth and get through that. But there were things she'd never said to him, things she needed to say.

She looked up to him, a softer sort of smile than usual on her lips.

[kryptonsson]

He really didn't know what to do with that smile. Was it a warning of worse things to come? He wouldn't put it past Lois, she'd shown him repeatedly she could outwit him anytime if she tried.

Or had Lois really missed him that much? He hadn't thought much of it back at home- he had, of course shared looks with Lana and joked about it but... this was Lois. If Clark Kent just flew away one day and Superman stayed she'd move on and be happy.

Wouldn't she?

"M-maybe somewhere private? What I'm going to tell you it's kind of a secret. Well, one of the... things... I guess. Here, come."

He reached for her hand and lead her away, just enough to make sure nobody would accidentally listen to them.

[by_lois_lane]

Private? Well that was probably just as well. Lois let him lead on, her hand gripping his with a gentle warmth. This was definitely a different side of Lois than he had seen 99.9% of the time.

"I know I always have to charge in and always be top dog. And, Clark I'm sorry but I'm going to do it again."

She looked somehow apologetic but that wasn't going to stop her from continuing. It wasn't in Lois to make things easy or on someone's schedule other than her own.

"When I thought you were dead I didn't react well. I didn't understand just why that was but I do now. Clark you're not just my partner and you're more than my friend. I have feelings for you and I couldn't stand the idea of you not being there in the office with me everyday, or answering when I called. I don't know if this is shocking or offending to your small town sensibilities or anything but I think we have potential for something, and I just couldn't keep that a secret anymore.

[kryptonsson]

"Yes, I under- uh?"

And an embarrassingly long pause (and a little squeak, but Clark will deny that one) goes here. Clark brain had a bit of trouble processing what she had just said.
Lois should actually be grateful it's this late in the week, or she'd have had to convince Clark she wasn't being brainwashed as part of the a weird experiment...

As it is, the only trouble was getting Clark to come back to Earth again. He squeezed her hand before speaking again, still hadn't let it go.

"...Are you sure? I- I mean I do have feelings for you Lois, had them since day one. That's one of the things I wanted to tell you about, actually. I just couldn't seem to find the words."

Which really, as a journalist is kind of a shame.

[by_lois_lane]

She had to laugh, it figured didn't it? "I should have known you'd be too much of a gentleman to say anything. And yes, Clark, I'm sure."

She needed to be totally honest about it though and that was going to mean stating the hard, sad truth. "But you need to know something else. There have been a few times when I got serious about a guy. Bruce, things with him are just too complicated, he's got enough going on in his life I'm the last thing he needs." You know what with being Batman and all.

"And then there's Superman. I... I have feelings for him too. I think I have it pretty bad actually. But, I needed to know if there was a shot for us. If there was something between you and me. If there's not, well maybe he and I can have a chance. But I wanted, no I needed to know if there was a chance of Lois and Clark being more than just a by line."

[kryptonsson]

He raised both eyebrows at the mention of Bruce, but not for the reasons she thought. He'd known about him and Lois, of course. He also knew Bruce had truly felt something for her and while some kind of jealousy might have happened in the past, but at that moment he only felt guilty. It's been months already, but you don't forget killing your best friend easily.

Luckily Lois continued, so he didn't have time to dwell on it.

"That's... actually- I- There was something else I had to tell you. And that's... uh- I mean, I know you will be mad at me for not telling you earlier but-"

He had been unbuttoning his shirt as he spoke. Under it, a really distinctive S peeked out, and Clark offered her a little smile.

"Lois, I'm Superman."

[by_lois_lane]

he had a lot on his mind obviously. It couldn't be easy to hear the woman who berated you daily was in love with you. But it seemed like more than that, he'd tell her if he wanted to, so she wouldn't pry...not yet.

He was speaking again and his hands going for his clothes, she thought this was a bit sudden and public for that sort of thing but...her eyes went wide with the suit peeking from under the shirt. "Clark! Why are you wearing-"

But he went on and suddenly she was in a tail spin. He couldn't be but...she pulled his glasses off gently. Violet eyes blinked up at him and widened further. The collar! The same number Superman had, she'd never looked before but there it was..

"Clark you're....you're..." Lois was known for her cast iron disposition. She'd punched super powered villains, gone toe to tow with muggers without blinking and faced down angry pandimensional beings. But finding out Clark Kent was Superman caused her to faint dead away. Think fast Clark.

[kryptonsson]

Admittedly Clark hadn't anticipated that reaction. He'd expected her to be mad at him, or angry or- a lot of negative emotions actually. There was a reason he hadn't told her yet.

Luckily for her, a moment of being stunned for Clark is less than a second in a normal human being, so he's in time to grab her and hold her gently before she falls to the floor.

"Lois?! Lois can you hear me?!"