The Fanfic Side
by Rachel M.

Howdy! It's back! The ole fanfic column! Yeah, I know what you're thinking. "Boo! Hiss! Get her out of here!" Just kidding! I know you guys are *dying* for more fanfic! As she laughs evilly, the mad witch points her finger and zaps the screen......
* K A P O W!!!!!!! *
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Heh....sorry about that. :) Now for the real stuff....

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This story is set right after "The Phoenix." I borrowed some characters from WB and ABC, threw 'em into a blender, along with a funny plot, and this is what came out. I hope you enjoy this little short story!

LATE NIGHT IN THE GROCERY STORE
by Susan VanCott (Kirshnera@aol.com, Kirshnera on IRC)

It was three o'clock in the morning. The moon was new, and did not illuminate the city of Metropolis. Fortunately, the people of that busy city did not have to depend on the moon for lights. There were street lights, headlights, and the lights from buildings. Only during a blackout could one even see the moon and stars.

It was pitch black in Lois Lane's bedroom. She wasn't sure whether her eyes were open or closed; it made no difference in the amount of light reaching them. But she was awake. Although her body was tired, she could not fall into even a troubled sleep. Her mind was far too upset to even consider taking a break from her problem.

She had just had her first almost-date with Clark. It couldn't exactly be called a date, as it wasn't quite quality time they'd spent together. They had been on a story, in a houseboat. What earned it the "almost-date" status were the emotions that it had provoked. They had dwindled to mostly confusion by this ungodly hour, but she could remember clearly everything that she had felt.

The nausea, yes, she remembered that, but that was the only feeling that hadn't had anything to do with Clark. In fact, if she hadn't had that to distract her, the other emotions could have taken over and changed her entire evening. She remembered the nervousness at the beginning of the evening, when she and Clark had decided to make this their "almost-first-date." She had felt kind of silly about the whole thing, and slightly apprehensive.

When that bulb had blown out, and she and Clark had taken an inadvertent tumble to the sofa, she had been startled and awed. She remembered the delicious amazement she had felt, lying on top of Clark, touching him with her entire body. And she had spilled champagne on his shirt. The wet fabric had plastered itself to a powerful, slightly rounded pectoral. She hadn't been able to stop herself from touching his chest, stroking it just a little. He had looked a bit surprised and slightly apprehensive, like he couldn't believe she was touching him. It had been a tense situation. All Lois wanted to do was to kiss him, to melt into him, but she stopped herself, and the moment was gone. She had pulled back, embarrassed. And Clark had appeared to be feeling everything she had, from to surprise to desire to embarrassment.

Then there was the feelings brought on by changing clothes. When she'd gotten a glimpse of Clark's masculine silhouette through the frosted glass door, stripping off clothes that had hidden his muscular form, there could be no mistaking what she'd been thinking. So close after having contact with that body, the sight brought back the poorly-quelled desire she had felt for him, and more champagne had suffered.

Later, she had felt badly due to some nasty Chinese food from Ralph's Pagoda. It was too bad she couldn't sue them for food poisoning. That wasn't what had made her sick-- Clark had eaten the same things and he was fine. It must have just disagreed violently with her stomach. Clark, being Clark, could consume just about anything without suffering adverse affects.

She had been laying on the couch, overcome by the churning pain. Clark had come over to gently rub her stomach. It made her feel better than any medicine would have been able to. It also made her wish she wasn't feeling so bad, because then she could enjoy it in a different way. And then, he had picked her up and carried her to the bedroom. She remembered feeling small and vulnerable, leaning her head into hiscream, Clark was also pondering. He wasn't lying in bed awake, though. He was floating in the cloudy area of Earth's atmosphere, that silent, lonely place between the Earth and the stars.

His thoughts were only about one thing. Or rather, one person. Lois. Did she love him? He had never seen her act the way she did on their almost-first date. Or had he? The way she had been nervous around him, seemingly amazed by his presence, reminded him of the way she had acted around Superman when she first met him.

It wasn't quite the same. With Superman, she had been truly awed and almost groupie-like. She wasn't like that around Clark, thank God. But she had been nervous, there was no doubt about it. And the way she had suddenly gone all quiet and her heart rate more than doubled when she had fallen on top of him, well, that proved something! She had apparently sacrificed being comfortable with him for a stunning sexual tension. He could sense her admiration, her wanting to be with him, to touch him, just the way he had sensed it as Superman.

Unbelievable. He needed to get something to help him think. Choco chocolate monster chip ice cream. Yeah, that's the stuff. On the way to the grocery store, he reflected that he seemed to be not only in love with Lois, but also turning *into* Lois. Apparently her chocolate ice cream habit had rubbed off on him.

He got into the store, walking in as Clark, so as not to startle the graveyard shift cashiers, and moved purposefully toward the ice cream freezer. There was one carton of choco chocolate monster chip ice cream left. He opened the freezer door and reached for it...

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Lois pulled into the grocery store parking lot a second after Clark had landed. She walked hurriedly into the store and toward the freezer. The last tub of choco chocolate monster chip ice cream sat there, beckoning her. It was right on the line between the two doors, and she opened the door on the left to get at it. So intent was she on getting the ice cream that she didn't notice who was opening the door on the right.

She didn't notice him, that was, until she realized that she couldn't retrieve the ice cream. She looked up to find that the reason it seemed to be stuck was that another hand was pulling it the opposite way. She looked at the owner of the hand just as he met her eyes.

"Clark?"

"Lois?"

Neither could believe their eyes. "What are you doing here at three-fifteen in the morning?"

"I just... wanted some ice cream," he explained. "What's your excuse?"

"The same thing! Wow, this is really strange."

Clark glanced at the ice cream, which they were both still holding. It must be a sign that tonight was the night to talk. "Lois, um, do you want to come over to my place... for some ice cream? I think we need to talk."

"Sure. I think we need to talk, too."

They walked to the cashier, and Clark purchased the ice cream. Then, they left the store and got into Lois' Jeep. They drove back to his apartment, silent. Both were still rather in shock in finding each other in the same place at the same odd time for the same unusual reason. They were both nervous about what to say to each other.

In only fifteen minutes, they were sitting at Clark's kitchen table across from each other, sharing the tub of ice cream. The kitchen light was the only one on. It was dimmed so that the scene was rather dark. The night sounds penetrated the windows, and the blackness surrounded them, creating the illusion of intimacy.

"So," Lois said, her voice quiet, "what do you want to talk about?" She spoke slowly, unsure of what he was going to say.

"Lois, I have a... confession to make. Do you remember that day when I told you I loved you?"

"How could I forget?" she whispered. Her mind reeled with hope.

"I was telling the truth. I didn't mean it when I took it back." He said the words quickly, immediately digging his spoon into the ice cream. He didn't dare meet her eyes.

Lois closed her eyes for a second. She had been right! He did love her! "Clark, I knew. Not right away, but I was thinking about it. Just a half-hour ago, in fact, and I realized that you hadn't been lying to get me away from Lex."
"Really?" he asked, amazed.

She smiled a little. "Really." She took a spoonful of the ice cream. "I've been up all night, thinking, trying to decide if you loved me or not, and... if I loved you."

Clark looked at her, apprehensive.

"And both answers turned out to be the same. Yes." She dropped her spoon onto the table and took Clark's hand.

He looked at her, stunned. "Do you mean it?"

"Of course I mean it," she said softly. "I love you." They leaned in close to each other for a chocolate-flavored kiss across the table.

After only a second, however, Clark broke away. Lois was confused for three seconds, then hurt for another two, but then realized what was happening. Clark stood up and drew her into his arms. A sweet kiss across the table was nice, but nothing beat a full-body embrace.