6086/Where Do We Go From Here

Where Do We Go From Here
Date of Scene:	30 April 2021
Location:	Lois Lane's Apartment
Synopsis:	Finally back on Earth, Lois and Clark get over themselves enough to have a nice dinner and realize what a good team (and parents) they really do make.
Cast of Characters:	Lois Lane, Clark Kent

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Lois Lane has posed:
Everyone was in a bad mood. Clark was in a bad mood which made Lois in a bad mood, she had no clue how to handle the possibility of settling down or 'being a mother' and suddenly had two teenage sons? AND Clark wasn't himself? It meant the first week back on Earth was an interesting one and after Lois managed to scrape by getting caught up at work she spent the next three days away from him, in a haze of various drugs, booze, and forgetting any responsibility she was supposed to have at all. Fortunately, it didn't last.

When she woke up from her most recent bender at 8 in the evening on a Friday, instead of picking up the bottle again, she just rolled over her bed and picked up the phone. She dialed Clark's number, her voice a quiet almost whimper. "I...miss you. I know this has been...rough, and shitty, and... I haven't been there and I should and... hell... Just come over. Please? I'll... cook... Something."

Clark Kent has posed:
Clark's fun adventure in space basically went as poorly as he worried it might; Argo City was dead, the Green Lanterns have gone crazy, Zod is empire building, oh and he had to talk to Zod for a good fifteen minutes.

Throughout the week Superman goes on what can be kindly called 'A Batman'; the rumor is that, being away, he was imitating the Caped Crusader's infamous reminders to Gotham that he'd returned and the vacation for crime was over. The truth is less kind; Clark just wanted to feel his knuckles bruise. Superman gave Lois some space because getting a fully grown clone son was hard enough on him when HE found out, and then the time traveling teenager, and THEN being stuck in a bathtub together for a week. It'd be shocking if she didn't need a break.

He missed her.

And just like that, his JLA com switched on; Lois's civilian call was rerouted to it through some complicated bit of technology Clark dozed off through the explination of. He listens. She sounds exhausted, or wasted, and she wants to cook. If she has a hangover, Clark decides, we deserve steak. "Up, and away!"

"I thought you were gonna wait for the cops!" The cat burglar cries, hanging from a lamppost.

"Got a date!"

A few minutes later, a dressed, composed Clark knocks. He has a armfull of groceries, anticipating that Lois probably hasn't shopped. "Lois?"

Lois Lane has posed:
While she's hungover as it gets, her body in the state of someone who has been going on an adrenaline rush for days and is now dipped out of all seratonin and any other healthy chemicals possible, she DID bother to force herself up and into a shower. It, along with a lot of Advil, helped somewhat. She's not dressed fancy, she knows there's no way they are going out and Clark's seen her at her worst, so there's no need to put on big date clothing.

Instead, she's in a fresh pair of sleep shorts, a silk camisole, and one of his button down shirts she's stolen overtop. Her hair is still wet from the shower and she smells like her shampoo and skin. And Earth. She smells like the Lois he first met all those years ago. When she sees him, a bittersweet smile breaks across her exhausted features and she just double time walks across the room, reaching for a hug, but the groceries need to go down first. So, she quickly frees them from his arms and then tugs him into as tight a hug as her skinny arms can give. "I'm...sorry..."

Clark Kent has posed:
Clark sets down the groceries.
He's a bit more casual, these days, which is to say he hasn't tucked his button up shirt in and the tie is basically half tied in anticipation of...well never mind. There's a bit of sweat and aftershave on Clark, like he gets when trying to pull himself together after a rough story or a draining evening, but his demeanor is almost light. Clark is a bit shocked by the hug, and then it sort of sinks in what she's sorry about.

All those dead bodies.

"Hey." Clark wraps an arm around Lois's waist, sort of half carrying her inside. "We knew it was a possibility going in. Better we know." Better Zod not have an army, some awful part of him thinks. "I'm sorry, I honestly didn't expect the trip to turn into such an...emotional hothouse."

Lois Lane has posed:
The hug lingers for a few longer, hard moments, Lois burying her head against his throat then pressing a tight, supportive kiss to the side of his mouth. As lonely and awful as that all was, he's not alone here. She needs him to remember that. Finally, she pulls back just enough she can look up into his eyes, her own bloodshot blue gaze softer than before. And so much like their son's.

"I knew, Clark... I knew. When we were going back to your home, I knew whatever it would be would be... Messy. That's why I went, you know? I didn't care about seeing space. Leaving my job for the longest... Ever. But I wasn't letting you do that alone. Don't be sorry. I... I'm glad I was there. And I'm glad you're back *here*. With me."

Clark Kent has posed:
"Yeah, I don't think Perry's going to be thrilled with 'Oans worse than we feared' as a headline." Clark says, a little cold and a little lonely as Lois kisses all over his face, those perfectly imperfect eyes looking through him. Clark feels powerless, for a moment.

"Thank you." Clark says, unguarded and open in a way that usually takes an entire night to get him. "For coming. And for knowing how it was going to be. I don't think I could've handled that place without you there."

Clark looks away, almost ashamed to have been so direct, or at least needing a second to pull his composure back together.

Lois Lane has posed:
"Oh, Clark..." She breathes out, especially as he looks away from her like that. Lois leans up on her tip toes so she can press a kiss against his temple, more tender than she normally ever is, but she's learning the softer side of herself. It happens when you love people.

"I love you. I'm not going anywhere. And you're not alone. Hell, we're... less alone than we *ever* were before..." She still looks a little boggled about that, trying not to panic at the thought of having sons...

Clark Kent has posed:
It's kind of sudden.

All of a sudden Clark's arms are around Lois's shoulders, and (gently) pushing her against the counter as Clark gives her a deep, passionate kiss on the lips. He can't squeeze her as hard as he'd like, that iron control is always going to be needed, but Lois can feel that he's not treating her like she's going to shatter for once either. There's real passion, and Clark has to dip out of it before it goes somewhere else.

"I love you too." Clark says, and there's that boyish smile on his face. "The time travel thing...I still don't know what's up with that. There's like three time travel guys out there and none of them are big on throwing children at you."

Clark pauses. "Maybe Kang, but he usually sticks to the Avengers."

Lois Lane has posed:
A little breath of surprise pulls in through her nose, eyes going wide for just a second as she's being pushed up against the counter. And then she simply melts against him, savoring that kiss, returning it with a happily equal passion that he's giving it. She might not have super strenght, but she loves him incredibly and this kiss is enough to wake up her entire body in ways she wasn't expecting. When he finally pulls away, a little whimper escapes her lips, mouth momentarily following him. "You keep that up, Kent, and we're missing dinner." SHe confesses breathlessly.

But he's managing to get back on subject. She takes in another deep breath, trying to focus her mind, to catch up on the thoughts of their 'children' instead of where her mind had gone. "Mm... I... I think he's really our son, Clark. From the future but... Ours. That there was some sort of temporal accident. I'm good at reading liars. He's not lying to us."

Clark Kent has posed:
Clark's mind was there too, don't worry. It doesn't help that Lois can effortlessly keep up with him...but that's always been the problem. The attraction, too.

Clark looks through the groceries, wanting to get the perishables in the fridge before the grim possibility of missing dinner materializes. It is Wrong To Waste Food. "I don't think he's lying. I think it's an incredible concidence that he came through time right when..."
"...right when we needed him, really. I was absolutey ready to start a fight with Oa until I realized he was on board." Clark admits to a grim reality. "It could be an accident." Clark says, in a voice that does not believe it was an accident.

Clark shops like a Dad, by the way. Everything is annoyingly fresh and well balanced and considerate of Lois's tastes in food when she is eating actual people food this week.

Lois Lane has posed:
"Oh." Lois clearly hadn't thought about that possibility. She blinks a moment, considering, before she gently gets off the counter and moves to help him start putting things away. "..Steak?? You got *steak*? Hell, I'm starving..." Her stomach does actually rumble a bit at the thought of steak. He's chosen well, especially after she was on quite a bender.

"Well, if he was... Meant to be there? All the better. And we'll both take care of him. Both of them. Conner too... he finally... Talked to me, you know? They're good kids. Conner is going to journalism school. He decided that before he ever knew either one of us, did you know that?" Lois is gently terrified of the kids but also clearly proud.

Clark Kent has posed:
"Connor was a trip. I found out Kryptonians had...issues with clones about the same time. There was a whole movement." Clark says, a bit frustrated at the failings of his people. Makes his adopted people look positively cuddily, actually. "Journalism school, huh? Good on him. He hadn't mentioned to me...we were still working on the whole Black Zero thing."

Clark takes the steak out to get to room temperature, salting it according to the gospel of Alton Brown. It gives them half an hour to chat before cooking has to happen; Clark quick dices a few vegetables to give his hands something to do. "I figured we've earned steak." Clark is a little surprised at Lois's optimism.

And his own cynicism. Does everything have to be the scheme of some distant enemy?

MEANWHILE,
"Ha ha ha." Lex Luthor lights a cigar, looking at a miniture map of Metropolis. "Ha ha ha, HAH HAH HAH!"

HE JUST LIKES MINECRAFT, I PROMISE,
"Jon has a good head on his shoulders. We should actually sit down and get to know each other when we're not in a deadly space conflict. Maybe a picnic?"

Lois Lane has posed:
While he's dicing vegetables, Lois leans against the counter and his hip gently, just making certain a bit of her is always touching him. She might need that warmth and reassurance as much as he does, but now that he's here, she's not letting it go. "We have...absolutely earned steak. And I might even have a decent bottle of wine around here. Dad sends them as gifts. The only 'acceptable' form of drinking, according to him." She smirks deeply at the thought of General Lane. Leaving that there.

But she can't quite. She gives a little groan, resting her forehead against his shoulder for a moment. "Hell. You're going to have to meet my *father*...some day. That's going to be... Well, you're better than anyone else I dated. Maybe it will be fine." She's not looking forward to it. "And yes...A picnic with Jon would be... Lovely. I think he needs us as much as... as we might have needed him. He's *used* to having us in his life. Even if it's not current... Us. I have no clue how I was a good mom but... apparently?"

Clark Kent has posed:
"See, I would've bet anything your father'd be a brown liquor man. In a special glass wih nothing but a perfect cube of ice." Clark says, a little teasingly. He's heard stories about the General, and he doesn't approve of anyone who left such a...is a scar the right word? Impact, at least, in Lois. It's hard to remember that not everyone had the luck Clark did when it came to parents. When he thinks of the General he thinks of aggressive masculine swagger and a vague worry about the government trying to clone him again.

"The last girl I dated was a mermaid, so you're a step up too." Lori had father issues too, come to think of it, though anyone with Posiedon for a dad would, Clark thinks, ponders, and decides to keep to himself. "I'll be on my best behavior. Or worst, whichever works for you."

"Of course you were a good mom. I've never seen you be bad at anything you care about, Lois."

Lois Lane has posed:
"But it's... *Me*. I can barely keep my own self alive, much less a ...Baby." Lois shakes her head quietly, most of her mind still boggling at this whole situation, but she's through the panic. "But that's... far in the future. Maybe not even our future. I... don't understand how this works. But we should get to know the kid. And... each other... more." Her arm winds around the back of his waist, tugging him just a bit closer as they lean in the kitchen there.

A small breath of a thoughtful laugh escapes her lips, "Maybe we would be alright at this. I couldn't be any worse than my dad... and oh, of course he drinks scotch, but *women* are only suppose to have *wine*..." She rolls her eyes. "I'd make certain I wasn't him. And you had the best parents in the world. Maybe that sets us up to not f*ck this up too... too badly."

Clark Kent has posed:
Clark thinks.

He thinks, briefly, about all of the terrible things that could happen to the child of a superman. The smell of blood as the Parasite looms over a cradle, flesh hanging in languid strips from his toothless mouth, flesh bloating as though Rudy'd consumed a tiny sun.

"Women are only supposed to have wine?" Clark blinks, visibly surprised. "What an absurd restriction. Leaves gin completly out. Ma enjoyed a Tom Collins from time to time, too." Smallville wasn't perfect, was never perfect, but Clark always felt guilty saying so in front of his friends with more colorful childhoods. "I broke the tractor once. Was the devil explaining that, too."

Lois Lane has posed:
While he has gotten back on the light conversation of their families, Lois still knows Clark too well. He went somewhere else, and it wasn't somewhere pleasant. She reaches up, carefully wrapping her hand over his which was chopping vegetables. Instead, she tries to guide him around to face her, her other palm coming up to cup at his face. "Hey. Look at me... Stay here. With me."

Once she knows she has his eyes, her own pale blues pinched with worry and trying to read what she can from his face but she's still not a telepath, just a woman very much in love. "Where did you go? Talk to me... don't get stuck in your head. We're here now. Together... We can do this. We apparently have before and we will again."

Clark Kent has posed:
Strongest man in the world, huh? Clark feels helpless, again.

"Parasite." He says, keeping his promise. "I was thinking of the Parasite. He doesn't have a mouth but his whole thing is, basically, wanting to eat me. And I'm trying not to let that...take over. The fears that kept me from fully trusting my friends, from trusting you, for so long. It'd be awful for a kid to grow up in a house of secrets like that. So I'm trying not to linger on it."

Clark smiles, a little. And she really thinks she'll be bad at this. "You're amazing. You really are, Lois Lane. Come on, let's cool steak."

Lois Lane has posed:
Her hand tightens on his as he comments about the parasite. Expression softening, Lois is doing her very best to ensure that he is staying here, with her. "But I know now. I know you... *All* of you. And I'm not in any more danger than before. I know you're always going to take care of me. And you would for any child we'd ever have. You'd move the world for us, I have no doubt. So, I have no fear. I just... I wish you believed in yourself as much as I believe in you." Lois leans up on her tip toes again, kissing him firmly on the lips for a few more moments before pulling away.

"But yes. Steak now. I'm starving. Then I am very tempted to drag you into bed and not leave until Perry is screaming in both of our phones than we're late for work." She grins, slightly wiggling eyebrows at him. That comment is definitely not just about sleeping.

Clark Kent has posed:
Meat sizzles on a plan. Superman doesn't use his heat vision because his head vision is just his x-ray vision at maximum strength and radiation is a bad sear for beef. It also gives him time to blush like a schoolboy at Lois's implication...and her sincere, heartfelt words.

"Lois." Clark says, letting his free hand touch her face. "When you say things like that...I feel like I can live up to my own hype. For a while, at least. More importantly, it tells me that you have the most important weapon a mother can have: a heart in the right place. I'd never doubt the love and care you'd put into any child we'd have togehter. The sort of thing you need to make a home."

Home. Huh. Superman focuses on cooking because these strip steaks were like twelve dollars each. What is he, Bruce?

Lois Lane has posed:
"Home... That sounds nice. Maybe we can do that some day, hmm?" Lois asks softly, going back to leaning against him while he cooks. She's certainly in a better mood now than when they started the night. Her cheek rests against the meat of his bicep. She almost never is this clingy, but it was three days apart while she tried to find her old life and, in truth, found it wanting.

"We... make each other better people. That's why this works. Now finish those steaks, handsome. I'm starving and I have a very big, very empty bed for us to celebrate with dessert." She winks, just waiting to see him blush more.

They are going to have a lovely night after all.