554/Sunset of Roses

Sunset of Roses
Date of Scene:	16 March 2020
Location:	Lois Lane's Apartment
Synopsis:	Lois dumps Superman (for Clark?)
Cast of Characters:	Clark Kent, Lois Lane

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Clark Kent has posed:
After a lengthy night of deep discussion and talking over the level of their new relationship, morning was a little harsh. They'd stayed up talking, connecting, and did finally get some rest, over at Clark's apartment. It was an emotional night, though the sleep did end up being refreshing. But now, Clark's waiting in the car, while Lois runs up to grab some things from her apartment.

However, there's a glimmer of something on Lois's balcony...

Lois Lane has posed:
Lois had told him it would just be a minute.

Really, when she entered the apartment she was determined to be accurate to that promise. Shutting the door behind her and heading inside, she stops in her tracks when she notices the balcony. Oh. Oh no. She'd been distracted from this and now...

Slowly, Lois creeps her way over to the balcony and quietly opens the doors.

Clark Kent has posed:
There isn't anyone there. But on the balcony are flowers; it's a mix of various white and yellow ones: yellow carnations, daisies, a flutter of delicate baby's breath. The cellophane it's wrapped in is a very pale yellow; drops of dew from being outside all night shimmer on the thin plastic. The note is slightly damp, but fully legible.

'Follow your heart. -S'

Lois Lane has posed:
Lois moves forward, gently pulling the note free to look at it better. It's the first time he'd really left a message for her on them other than just his signature. The color's significance doesn't escape her either. Friendship. Looking over the flowers and the message, it's impossible for her to think that he doesn't know. She's not sure if that makes it easier or harder to deal with the situation.

She moves back inside, putting the flowers and the note down on the table, but she leaves the balcony doors open as she heads back to them and out to the railing. "Superman?" She doesn't yell it, so she's not sure he'll hear it, but he might be listening for her all the same. He deserves a real conversation, even if she doesn't know that she wants to have one.

Clark Kent has posed:
Instead, there's a buzz on Lois's new phone. A different person. Well. Sort of.

'Are you okay up there? :)' From Clark.

It even included the smiley face. Clark being helpful. And certainly not having heard about any calls for Superman at all. Not at all.

Lois Lane has posed:
Lois glances at the phone, smiling even as she heaves a sigh, looking at the message. "You're too cute for your own good," she murmurs before sending a message back.

'Checking in on a friend. One sec.'

She peers around for a moment more. She's not going to /yell/ for Superman. Especially when she doesn't know if he wants to have a conversation any more than she does. So... she'll just see if he's listening.

"I don't entirely know if you can hear this, Superman, but I'm going to just assume you're paying attention because somehow you always manage to know." After all, he knew about Clark, somehow. It wasn't like there was a secret there but... he still found out /somehow/. "I always meant what I said about wanting to be there in case you needed to talk about something. I'm always here for you... but I have to pick him. But you already knew that." Had Superman never made a move because he wanted to give Clark Kent the chance to?

Clark Kent has posed:
The reply? 'OK!'

Clark is sitting in the car by the steet. As is Superman.

And of course Superman does hear her; he heard the initial call, and has zeroed in to hear her just fine. He folds his hands together on the top of the steering wheel and leans forward, letting his forehead rest on the back of his hands. This is difficult. The emotional mix is turbulent. Because Clark and Superman do 'both' love her.

It's just... complicated.

Clark steels himself to just sit, to listen to her. She's not wrong about Superman hearing her. Is it better to just let there be silence? To let that other side fade?

Lois Lane has posed:
"I understand if you don't want to talk, you don't have to. You don't even have to listen if you don't want to, but I'm just gonna stand here and say it anyway. I have never lied to you about anything that I've said. I maybe should have... told you the extent of my feelings. I never really got to say it, but that doesn't change anything."

Lois is trying her best to figure out what to say, what she needs to say, what will fix things even if he's not listening. "I guess I want to just boil it down to that you're important to me. I want you to still come by. I want you to be able to talk to me. But I can't be in love with two people, even if I am." Well, now Superman's got to hear the L word. "I apologize if you've been hurt in all of this, but I didn't realize my feelings until recently. So I have to pick Clark. I love him."

Clark Kent has posed:
Clark gets out of the car, shutting the door swiftly, and heads towards the apartment. He /could/ have just flew up there, but... frankly there's people on the street right there. He heads into the stairs up to her apartment, certainty in his step. He has to do this.

But then Clark gets outside of her door, touches the closed door with his fingers. Still listening to her. Will she still love either of them? Is this the best thing to do? Should he do this?

Clark stands outside the door, with a stroke of fingertips on the wood as she lets Superman down gently. He closes his eyes for a heartbeat, and then stares down at the mat in front of the door.

Lois Lane has posed:
Still no Superman. Lois isn't sure if he's listening, but her instincts are that he is. "I know that if there were people that knew about this that they'd be screaming at me for doing this because who turns down /Superman/." Lois laughs a tiny bit at the idea. Who /does/ turn down Superman? Lois Lane, apparently. Lois Lane who has always been Superman's biggest fangirl. Lois Lane who launched a career off of the Man of Steel.

"I know you're probably not actually here because this is a hard conversation and you hurt just as much as the next person when it comes down to it. But you and Clark have a lot in common, you're both amazing men who would fall on their own sword rather than let someone else hurt."

It's a funny comparison to make. Clark and Superman. "So it's okay to hurt about it, you don't have to hide that. Just promise to come back and see me, still. It might be hard, but sometimes the hardest things are the things we /should/ do."

Clark Kent has posed:
"Are you okay, young man?" asks the little old lady from next door as she walks outside carrying Muffin the terrier. Clark's talked to her plenty of times over the years. Clark looks sideways at her and flashes a quick smile. "Yes, thank you," he answers her.

"She's a nice, good girl," the woman says to Clark, nodding at him, as if approving. "Yes... I know," Clark agrees quietly. Clark watches her exit with Muffin, and returns to looking at the closed door. He pats his hand there once.

Yes, she's his favorite girl, Lois is. And he has to tell her... but without harming her. He'll find a way.

Somehow.

Lois Lane has posed:
"So, thank you for the flowers, I'll certainly miss these... although it's a nice move. Very romantic." Lois glances inwards towards the yellow bouquet. The friendship one. "Feel free to drop one by if you think I'm having a bad day, though." Somehow, he'd know, she's sure of it. "Oooookay, I'm gonna stop standing here talking to the sky because my boyfriend is waiting in the car and he's probably going to think I fell off the balcony if I don't go assure him I'm fine."

Lois takes a quick look around the balcony. "Don't be a stranger," she calls, stepping back inside and quietly shutting the balcony doors behind her. Then, she's hustling to find what she needed in the first place from the apartment. She sends a quick text to Clark: 'be right there'.

Clark Kent has posed:
Clark looks down at his buzzing phone, at her message. He smiles at it, at the door, and slowly retreats backwards... and back down the stairs. He'll wait for her in the car. He's torn: both tense, but relieved. Things are going to work out, right? They've come so far.

Clark doesn't get into the car, he waits there next to it, eyes over on the apartment, a softened smile on his face. And that will be the way she'll find her boyfriend when she comes out.