Morning sunlight streamed through the windows of Clark's apartment, but for once its warmth brought little comfort. His hands shook as he tried to steady himself against the kitchen counter, each wave of nausea worse than the last. The fight with Metallo had left him feeling wrong in ways he'd never experienced before - like his cells were slowly tearing themselves apart.
He managed three unsteady steps toward the coffee maker before his legs threatened to give out. The room spun sickeningly as he gripped the counter, his usually invulnerable skin clammy and oversensitive. Even his enhanced senses felt wrong - sounds too sharp one moment, muffled the next. The effects of prolonged kryptonite exposure, he realized grimly. Something he'd have to learn to deal with in this brave new world of weaponized fragments of his dead home.
A knock at his door made him jump, his usual grace completely absent. "Clark? You in there?" Lois's voice carried clearly through the wood. "Perry's looking for our story on the fight..."
"Just a second," he called back, wincing at how weak his voice sounded. He made it to the door through sheer stubbornness, trying to compose himself before opening it.
Lois took one look at him and her expression shifted from professional focus to genuine concern. "You look terrible." She pushed past him into the apartment, reporter's instincts momentarily forgotten in favor of touching his forehead. "And you're burning up. What happened?"
"Just a bug going around," Clark managed, though the lie felt bitter on his tongue. After three months of dating, deceiving her had only gotten harder. "Nothing serious."
"Right," Lois said skeptically, steering him toward the couch with surprising gentleness. "Because you've never been sick a day in your life that I've known you, but somehow you caught something the morning after Superman's fight with Metallo?" Her eyes narrowed. "The fight that's all over the morning news?"
Before Clark could respond, she grabbed his remote and turned on the TV where GCN was replaying helicopter footage of the confrontation. Even through the grainy quality, the brutal exchange was clear - Superman and Metallo trading devastating blows across Centennial Park until both disappeared in a cloud of dust and debris. The anchor's voice carried clearly:
"Sources say neither Superman nor the LuthorCorp cyborg known as Metallo have been seen since their confrontation late last night. While property damage was extensive, no civilian casualties have been reported thanks to Superman's efforts to contain the fight. LuthorCorp representatives declined to comment on Metallo's current status or the apparent malfunction in his systems that witnesses say caused him to attack without provocation..."
"Malfunction," Lois scoffed, muting the TV. "More like Luthor's pet project going exactly as planned. The whole thing was a setup to test that green rock of theirs." She turned back to Clark, her expression softening as she took in his pallor. "Which is exactly why you're going to rest while I finish the story. We've got more than enough to expose what they did."
"Lois, I can't just-"
"Yes, you can," she cut him off, but there was real worry beneath her usual brusqueness. "Clark, you can barely stand up straight. The story's practically written - I just need to add the fight details and send it to Perry."
He wanted to argue, but another wave of nausea hit him hard. The room tilted alarmingly as Lois guided him to lie down on the couch. "At least let me help with the edits..."
"Nope." She pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead that made his heart skip despite everything. "Doctor Lane's orders. You're going to rest." She paused, something vulnerable flickering across her face. "I... I need you to take care of yourself, okay? This thing between us... it matters to me. You matter to me."
The simple honesty in her voice made his chest ache. Here was this brilliant, fearless woman who had somehow fallen for Clark Kent - farm boy, reporter, partner. Not knowing he was also the hero she admired from afar, not seeing the lies he had to tell her every day. In that moment, watching her worry about his wellbeing, something shifted inside him.
"Come to Smallville with me," he said suddenly.
Lois blinked, clearly thrown by the non sequitur. "What?"
"This weekend," Clark pressed on, pushing himself up slightly despite his swimming head. "Come meet my parents properly. Not just as my colleague or friend, but as... as someone special to me." He swallowed hard. "They should know the woman who matters so much to their son."
"Clark..." Lois's voice softened as she sat beside him. "Are you sure? Meeting the parents is kind of a big step..."
"I'm sure," he said firmly, reaching for her hand despite his trembling fingers. "And maybe... maybe we could visit your parents too? I know things are complicated with your father, but..."
"That's putting it mildly," Lois snorted, but her fingers tightened around his. "Dad's still processing his star military correspondent daughter dating a 'civilian journalist' instead of a nice Air Force captain." But there was a warmth in her eyes that belied her words. "Though Mom's been asking to meet you properly."
"So... is that a yes?"
A slow smile spread across her face. "Yes, you impossibly sweet farm boy. I'll come meet your parents." She squeezed his hand. "But only if you promise to actually rest today. Deal?"
"Deal," Clark agreed, relief washing through him. Maybe he couldn't tell her everything yet, but this was a start - bringing her fully into the parts of his life he could share.
"I'll call Perry on my way to the Planet, let him know you're sick." Lois gathered her things, pausing at the door. "Try to actually sleep instead of working from home?" Her tone made it clear she knew his usual habits.
"Yes ma'am," Clark managed a weak salute that made her roll her eyes fondly.
"I'll bring soup later," she promised. "And Clark?" She paused, hand on the doorknob. "Thank you. For wanting to share your family with me."
After she left, Clark sank back into the couch, his body finally giving in to the bone-deep exhaustion he'd been fighting. The kryptonite's effects still pulsed through him in sickening waves, but somehow the ache felt more manageable now. He had something to look forward to - a chance to share more of himself with the woman he loved, even if he couldn't share everything yet.
He dozed fitfully, dreaming of green fire and metal hands reaching for his chest. When he jerked awake hours later, the sun had shifted to stream directly through his windows. The warm rays helped, slowly rebuilding his depleted strength. His hands had mostly stopped shaking, though his stomach still churned unpleasantly.
His phone buzzed with a text from Lois: "Story's filed. Perry loved it. Made sure to emphasize the 'accidental' nature of civilian evacuation before the fight. Rest up, Smallville - can't have you sick for our big weekend. P.S. Called your mom while fact-checking a quote. She's thrilled we're visiting. Thanks for the warning."
Clark groaned, imagining his mother's excitement at finally getting to properly meet Lois. He could already picture the family photos coming out, the embarrassing childhood stories... But underneath his mock horror was a warmth that had nothing to do with the sunlight healing his cells. His worlds were finally starting to merge - the human family that had raised him, and the woman who made him feel truly seen as Clark Kent, even if she didn't know all of him yet.
He needed to call Ma, warn her properly about this weekend. And maybe... maybe it was time to talk to his parents about eventually telling Lois the truth. The thought made his still-queasy stomach clench with anxiety, but also relief. One step at a time.
His phone rang as if summoned by his thoughts. "Clark?" Martha Kent's voice carried that particular tone of maternal concern that transcended distance. "Lois just called about fact-checking, but honey, you sound awful. What happened? Is this about that fight on the news?"
"I'm okay, Ma," Clark assured her, though he couldn't quite hide the weakness in his voice. "Just... that green rock they used. It takes a lot out of me."
"Jonathan's watching the coverage now," Martha said, worry clear in her tone. "That horrible machine they built... using pieces of your home world against you like that." She paused. "But that's not why you're calling, is it? Lois mentioned something about visiting this weekend?"
Clark smiled despite everything, hearing the poorly concealed excitement in his mother's voice. "Yeah, I... I asked her to come meet you and Pa. Properly this time, not just as my work partner."
"Oh sweetheart," Martha's voice softened. "You really care about her, don't you?"
"I do, Ma," Clark admitted quietly. "More than I've ever cared about anyone. That's why..." He took a deep breath. "That's why I think maybe we should talk about telling her. Not right away, but eventually. About everything."
A loaded silence fell. "Your father and I trust your judgment, Clark," Martha said finally. "We've seen how you look at her, how you talk about her. If you think she's someone who could handle knowing..."
"I do," Clark said firmly. "But I wanted to talk to you and Pa first. Face to face."
"Well then," Martha's smile was audible. "I guess we better get your old room ready for visitors." She paused. "And Clark? Get some rest. You sound exhausted."
"Yes ma'am," Clark smiled. "Love you, Ma."
"Love you too, sweetheart. Feel better."
He ended the call feeling lighter despite his lingering physical discomfort. This weekend would be a first step - bringing Lois further into his life, letting her see where he came from, who had shaped him into the man she knew. And maybe, eventually, he could share the rest of who he was with her too.
Another wave of nausea hit, but this time he rode it out with something like hope. The kryptonite's effects would fade, but what he felt for Lois only grew stronger. It was time to start bringing his worlds together, one careful step at a time. Starting with introducing the woman he loved to the family who had taught him what love really meant.
The drive from Metropolis to Smallville took just over three hours, but to Clark it felt both longer and shorter than usual. Longer because his powers were still recovering, making him actually feel every bump and turn of the road. Shorter because watching Lois take in the gradually changing landscape - skyscrapers giving way to suburbs, then to endless fields of corn and wheat - filled him with a nervous excitement that made time slip by.
"So this is where Clark Kent became Clark Kent," Lois mused, watching golden wheat fields roll past her window. The late afternoon sun caught her hair, creating a halo effect that made Clark's breath catch. "I always wondered what kind of place could produce someone so..." she gestured vaguely at him, smiling. "You."
"Disappointed it's not more exciting?" Clark asked, only half-joking. After Metropolis's constant energy, Smallville's peaceful fields might seem dull.
"Are you kidding?" Lois turned to him with genuine interest. "This is fascinating. I mean, look at this place - it's like something out of a Norman Rockwell painting. No wonder you're so..." she paused, searching for the right word.
"Corny?" Clark supplied with a grin.
"I was going to say genuine," Lois swatted his arm. "But now that you mention it..."
As they passed the "Welcome to Smallville - Creamed Corn Capital of the World" sign, memories washed over Clark. The bridge where the bus accident had changed everything, Miller's High where he'd edited the school paper with Pete Ross, even the old Fordman's Department Store where he'd worked summers. Each place held its own story, though many of those stories he still couldn't share with Lois.
"Oh my god," Lois sat up straighter, pointing at a faded billboard. "Please tell me that's baby Clark Kent in the Smallville Harvest Festival parade."
Clark groaned. The billboard, somehow still standing after fifteen years, showed him at age ten proudly driving a miniature tractor in the children's parade. "Mom promised they'd taken that down years ago."
"This is amazing," Lois was already taking pictures with her phone. "Perry's going to love- Clark, look out!"
A white blur shot across the road, causing Clark to slam on the brakes. Before either of them could react, an enormous white dog bounded up to Clark's window, tail wagging furiously.
"Krypto!" Clark laughed as the dog tried to climb through his window. "Down boy! Let me at least park first!"
"You have a dog?" Lois asked, watching the massive white shepherd dance around their car with obvious joy.
"Family dog," Clark corrected, pulling onto the long dirt drive that led to the Kent farm. "Though he's always been especially attached to me. He's been with us since I was little."
The moment Clark stepped out of the car, Krypto nearly knocked him over with enthusiastic greeting. "I missed you too, boy," Clark scratched behind the dog's ears, feeling the last of his kryptonite-induced weakness fade under the combined effects of Kansas sunshine and unconditional canine love.
Krypto suddenly noticed Lois emerging from the passenger side. His tail stopped wagging as he studied her intently, head tilted in that particular way that had always made Clark wonder just how much his faithful companion understood.
"It's okay," Clark said softly. "She's family."
As if understanding perfectly, Krypto trotted over to Lois and sat at her feet, tail resuming its happy rhythm. He looked up at her expectantly, somehow managing to combine dignity with puppy-dog eyes in a way that made Clark's heart swell.
"Well aren't you handsome," Lois knelt to pet him, earning an immediate face-licking that made her laugh. "I can see where Clark gets his charm."
"Clark?" Martha Kent's voice carried from the farmhouse porch where she stood wiping her hands on her apron. The smell of fresh-baked pie drifted down the drive.
"Hi Mom!" Clark called back, grabbing their bags from the trunk. "Hope you don't mind company!"
"Mind?" Martha was already hurrying down the steps. "I've been waiting all day!" She pulled Clark into a fierce hug before turning to Lois. "And you must be Lois. I'm so glad to finally meet you properly."
Something in Lois's usual confident demeanor softened as Martha embraced her just as warmly. "Thank you for having me, Mrs. Kent."
"Martha, please," Clark's mother insisted. "Now come inside before the pie gets cold. Jonathan's just finishing up in the barn - he'll be so pleased you're here."
As they followed Martha up the porch steps, Krypto staying close to Lois's side as if appointed her personal guardian, Clark felt that familiar ache of homecoming. The screen door's familiar creak, the worn wooden boards beneath their feet, the way the setting sun painted everything in gold - it was all exactly as he remembered, yet somehow made new by seeing it through Lois's eyes.
"The place isn't much," he found himself saying as they entered the kitchen, suddenly aware of how modest it must seem compared to Metropolis. "But-"
"It's perfect," Lois cut him off, taking in the warm kitchen with its checked curtains and well-loved furniture. "Clark, it's absolutely perfect."
Before he could respond, the back door opened and Jonathan Kent entered, still wiping grease from his hands. "Thought I heard voices!" His face lit up at seeing Clark. "Son! And this must be the famous Lois Lane."
"Famous?" Lois smiled, shaking Jonathan's offered hand.
"Well, when your boy can't stop talking about someone every time he calls home..." Jonathan winked at Clark's reddening face.
"Dad..." Clark groaned, but couldn't help smiling as his parents exchanged knowing looks.
"Now, now," Martha intervened. "Let them at least get settled before the embarrassing stories start. Clark, why don't you show Lois around while I finish dinner? The guest room's all made up."
"Actually," Lois said carefully, "I was hoping Clark could show me the town first? While there's still some light?"
"Of course!" Martha beamed. "Dinner won't be for an hour yet. Just be sure to work up an appetite - I might have gone a bit overboard with the cooking."
"A bit?" Jonathan chuckled. "Martha, you've been baking since dawn."
As Clark led Lois back outside, Krypto following faithfully, he caught his parents exchanging another meaningful look. He'd seen that expression before - when he'd first told them he wanted to use his powers to help people, when he'd decided to move to Metropolis. It was their "our boy is growing up" look, and somehow seeing it now made his chest tight with emotion.
"So," Lois threaded her arm through his as they walked down the drive, "show me where Clark Kent became the man I..." she paused, something vulnerable flickering across her face. "The man I care about."
Clark's heart skipped at the almost-confession. "Well," he managed, voice rougher than he'd intended, "how about we start with Main Street? There's an ice cream parlor that hasn't changed since 1963..."
The next hour passed in a blur of memories and shared laughter. Clark showed her everything - Miller's High where he'd edited the Torch with Pete, the baseball diamond where he'd learned to love the game (though he'd never made varsity), and finally to Miller's Bridge. He paused there, the memories washing over him.
"I read about the accident in the old Torch archives," Lois said softly as they stood on the bridge, watching the water flow beneath them. "Must have been terrifying."
Clark nodded, remembering that day with perfect clarity - the chaos, the cold water, and afterward, Lana finding him outside the ambulance. Both of them wrapped in scratchy emergency blankets, shivering but alive, when she'd kissed him. "Changed a lot of things," he said simply. "Made me realize what matters most."
As they walked down Main Street, Clark noticed the lights still on at Ross Law Offices. Through the window, he could see Pete hunched over his desk, coffee cup precariously balanced on a stack of legal briefs, tie hanging loose around his neck. Some things never changed - Pete still threw himself into his work the same way he used to attack their high school debate prep.
"Would you look at what the tornado dragged in!" Pete's face lit up when he spotted them, and he practically bounced down the steps to meet them. The hug he gave Clark was pure small-town warmth, the kind you can only get from someone who's known you since you were both fighting over the last chocolate milk at lunch. "Man, how long's it been? Three months?"
"Too long," Clark grinned, patting his back. Some things never changed - like how Pete could still make him feel like that kid from kindergarten sharing a lunch table.
Pete stepped back, looking Clark up and down. "Metropolis must be feeding you well. Though I gotta say, they haven't completely city-slicked you yet." His eyes shifted to Lois, and his grin somehow got even wider. "And you've got to be Lois Lane. I've heard so much about you I feel like we're already friends."
"Oh really?" Lois raised an eyebrow at Clark, who suddenly found his shoes fascinating.
"Are you kidding? This guy..." Pete shook his head, laughing. "You should've heard him the night he finally got up the nerve to ask you to Bella Notte. Calls me at some ungodly hour, all 'Pete, I'm gonna do it, I'm really gonna ask her.' Sounding like he was about to defuse a bomb or something."
"I did not sound like that," Clark protested, but he was smiling too.
"Bro, you made me Google the restaurant's menu so you could practice pronouncing everything. In Italian."
"That was just... thorough research."
"You rehearsed asking her out in three different languages!"
"Okay, that part might be true," Clark admitted, rubbing the back of his neck while Lois tried not to laugh.
Jamie stuck his head out the office door, fighting back a grin. "Sorry Mr. Ross, but your four o'clock is here. The Johnson case?"
"Duty calls," Pete sighed. "But hey - you're coming to the harvest festival Saturday, right? Ma's entering her apple crumble, and I know she'd love to see you both. Plus, Sarah's helping run the pie contest this year."
"Sarah Jenkins?" Clark's eyebrows shot up. "The same Sarah you've had a crush on since ninth grade?"
Now it was Pete's turn to look embarrassed. "Maybe. We've been seeing each other. Taking it slow, you know?"
"That's great, Pete. Really."
"Yeah, well." Pete smiled, softer now. "Sometimes the right person's been there all along, you just need time to figure it out." He glanced meaningfully between Clark and Lois. "Seems like I'm not the only one who figured that out."
"Get back to work, counselor," Clark laughed, but there was real warmth in it.
"Hey, save us spots at the bonfire Saturday?" Pete called as he headed back inside. "Like old times?"
"You got it."
After Pete disappeared into his office, they walked through the town square where workers were stringing lights between lampposts for the festival. Clark pointed out all his old haunts - the gazebo where the high school band still played concerts, the bench where he'd done his homework, the movie theater that somehow kept going despite the multiplex one town over.
"Hard to believe this place is real sometimes," Lois said, taking it all in. The streets were lined with mom-and-pop shops, their windows full of handmade signs. A group of kids rode past on bikes, calling out "Hi Mr. Kent!" as they went. "It's like stepping into another world."
"Too quaint?" Clark asked, and there was just a hint of worry in his voice.
"No," Lois shook her head, threading her arm through his. "It's beautiful. I mean, look at this - people actually know their neighbors here. They leave their doors unlocked. They wave to strangers on the street." She smiled up at him. "No wonder you turned out the way you did."
The setting sun painted everything in shades of amber and rose, casting long shadows across the square. They stopped by the old courthouse, its white columns glowing gold in the evening light. Lois leaned against one of the pillars, watching him with an expression that made his heart race.
"What?" he asked softly.
"Just... seeing you here. In your element. You carry a piece of this place with you in Metropolis, you know? That fundamental decency, that belief in people." Her voice grew quieter. "I used to think it was an act sometimes - nobody could really be that genuine. But being here, seeing where you came from..."
Clark stepped closer, drawn by the vulnerability in her voice. She reached up to touch his face, her fingers tracing his jaw with a tenderness that took his breath away. When their lips met, it felt inevitable - like everything in his life had been leading to this moment, this woman, this perfect Kansas twilight.
The kiss deepened naturally, speaking of shared stories and future chapters yet to be written. Clark pulled her closer, overwhelmed by how right this felt - showing her his world, sharing these pieces of himself. When they finally broke apart, the sun had nearly set, painting the sky in dramatic purples and golds.
"We should head back," Clark said reluctantly. "Mom's probably got dinner ready."
"Just... give me a minute," Lois murmured, not moving from his embrace. "I want to remember this exactly how it is right now."
Clark understood perfectly. The way the fading light caught her hair, the warmth of her body against his, the perfect quiet of a small-town evening broken only by distant crickets and Krypto's contented sighs - it was a moment he wanted to preserve forever too.
"I love you," he whispered, the words slipping out naturally, inevitably. They hung in the air between them, heavy with meaning and promise.
Lois went very still in his arms. For a heart-stopping moment, Clark thought he'd ruined everything. Then she looked up at him, and the vulnerability in her eyes took his breath away.
"I love you too," she whispered. "God help me, Clark Kent, but I do."