Assignment IV: Mandatory Assignment

By: CarolM <carolmfolc@gmail.com>

Rated: PG-13

Submitted: August 2008

A/N:

Thanks to Beth for her wonderful BR help and to Queenie for help with the titles!!!

***** Mandatory Assignment ******

The stillness of the afternoon was broken by the sound of a Kryptonian being chased by a madwoman with a meat-fork.

Okay. It wasn't *really* a meat-fork.

It was a regular fork and she wasn't *really* chasing him, but she *was* threatening him with it.

And it was still, technically, mid-morning. Almost late morning. But they were honeymooners, after all.

He thought he'd heard 'disembowel' in the muttering and possibly 'Kryptocide'. He winced as she continued to walk around, hands flailing - fork in one hand and croissant in the other - and muttering.

He decided to ignore the muttering - he knew she couldn't really hurt him and she knew he knew she couldn't really hurt him.

Instead, he decided he was going to concentrate on what she was wearing.

Or rather, what she *wasn't* wearing, because she wasn't wearing much.

They *were* on their honeymoon after all, he thought again.

A week ago he never would have thought that he'd be sitting here in Hawaii listening to his *wife* complain about Perry.

Finally, she stopped her slightly below audible muttering and turned to him. "*What,* exactly, did he say this *mandatory* assignment was?"

Clark sighed. "Surfing."

"Surfing?"

"Yes. He wants us to visit this new surf instructor who's supposed to be really good and who keeps sending free lesson offers to the travel guys."

She crossed her arms in front of her after she bit off another piece of croissant. "And you didn't remind him that we're on our *honeymoon* and that we shouldn't have to venture out of our suite if we don't want to?"

Clark shrugged. "Yes, I did. And he said that was nice; we could have an extra day, but we'd better come back with a surfing story - and the one he wants, not the one we can see from our balcony - or we'll be covering dog shows and PTA meetings well into the next century."

She sat back down on the couch next to him and rested her head on his – bare - shoulder. "Cla-ark," she said, using her best singsong voice and running a finger along his forearm.

"What?"

"Can't you go do it and just write it up for both of us and I can spend the afternoon at the spa getting all pampered and beautiful for you?"

"Sorry, honey. No can do."

"Why not?" Lois said, giving him her best pout-y look.

"Because part of what this company boasts is good instruction for women and first-timers."

"So?"

"So you're a woman and a first-timer."

"So?"

"So, Perry wants *you* to write about your experience."

Lois sighed. "Do I get to see you in a Speedo?"

"No."

"Why not?" she pouted again.

"Because I get enough women ogling me in the Suit; I'm not about to wear a swimsuit that invites more stares." Clark wasn't vain, but he knew he had been blessed by biology with a body that most men would have to work hours in the gym every day to have.

"Fine." She ran her finger over his arm again. "Will you wear one for me sometime?"

He grinned. "Really?"

She shrugged. "Why not?"

He looked at the clock. "We have to get going if we're going to make the time slot Perry signed us up for."

"Fine." She stood up and flounced off as best she could in the very little she was wearing. She stopped and her jaw dropped when she realized Clark was lounging on the bed in his swim trunks, propped up on one elbow watching her. She hadn't even heard the 'whoosh'. "What?"

He shrugged. "Just waiting for you to put your suit on."

She had a wicked gleam in her eye. "Why? You want me to wear the one you brought me from Puerto Rico last night?"

"I don't think that one's legal in the fifty states."

"Why not? It's a two-piece."

He rolled his eyes but didn't say anything.

"What? You bought it for me."

"Not for you to wear in *public*."

"Why do I need it in private?"

He shrugged.

She sighed. "Fine. I'll wear a different one." She pulled out a tiny bright yellow suit. She'd bought it on a dare from Lucy. "How's this?" She knew very well that he wouldn't be crazy about her wearing it for the same reason she wasn't - and the same reason he wasn't about to wear a Speedo.

"I think that one's good for private, too."

"Why?"

In a blur, he was at her side, his arms around her pulling her to him, his head buried in the curve between her neck and her shoulder as he kissed his way along her neck until he reached her mouth. He kissed her - much more quickly than either would have liked. "Because when you do, I want to do things like that and much more and I'm sure every guy on the beach will feel the same way, and I have no desire to share you at all, even in some other guy's dreams."

She kissed him and smiled demurely. "Fine. I have another one that will be just fine. Now, why don't you go clean up breakfast or something and I'll change." She turned away from him. "But no peeking."

"Why not?"

"You'll see."

Clark sighed. "Fine."

He headed back to the living area of the suite and tidied up the breakfast dishes and such.

A few minutes later, Lois emerged from the bedroom with a tank top and shorts over the top of her suit. "Here." She tossed him one of his muscle shirts.

"Thanks." He pulled it over his head. "Ready to go?"

She nodded. "Did you grab towels?"

He shook his head. "The brochure says just to bring yourself in your suit - everything else is taken care of, from sunscreen and towels to boards."

"Fine. So we can't use lack of towels as a reason not to go?"

Clark rolled his eyes. "Lo-is."

She sidled up next to him. "Can't we get lost in... other newlywed pursuits and forget about the time?" She ran a finger down his jawline and knew she was having the desired effect.

"Do you really want to spend the rest of the millennium on dog shows?"

"Well, no."

"And haven't we already done quite a bit of... pursuing other newlywed interests? Including something involving that dance of the seven veils?"

She sighed and rested her head against his shoulder. "Well, yeah. And I *do* remember the first two days so it's not like I missed out on half of it anymore."

"I know. And I promise that once we get back, we can pursue any interest you want." He hugged her to him.

"Fine."

He grabbed his wallet and stuck it in a waterproof baggie. Lois handed him her ID and he put it in with his things before sticking the bag in his pocket.

They both slipped sandals on and headed out of the suite.

*****

"Where is this place and why, exactly, are we paying for the rental car again?" Lois propped her legs up on the door of the convertible, her feet hanging out of the car and her husband's eyes running along her legs whenever he could manage to do so without putting them in danger of running off the road.

Clark sighed, glancing at her again, appreciation in his eyes. "I'm following the directions Perry gave me and because it's *our* honeymoon."

"But we're driving around on Planet business, so shouldn't they pay for it instead of spending all our hard-earned money?"

"We'll submit reimbursement paperwork for one day because the rest of it is our rental."

"Why do we need a rental, anyway?" Lois leaned her head back a bit farther, soaking up the sun. "You can... you know..." She made a flying motion with her hand. "...anywhere we want to go and we haven't *wanted* to go anywhere. We're only going today because Perry's making us."

"Because you never know. Because we needed to lend some credence to arriving by airplane rather than S-express or something like that."

"Fine."

"That is something we need to talk about," he told her quietly, his right hand reaching over to grasp hers lightly.

"What?"

"Finances. Where we're going to live. Things like that." He pulled her hand towards him and kissed it lightly.

"Not today. Not until we get back. Then Perry's giving us another week off to figure all those kinds of things out."

"He is?"

"Yep."

"Does he know this yet?"

"No."

"Can I please be somewhere else when you tell him? Like cleaning up after a mudslide or a toxic waste dunp?"

"You won't protect me?"

"Since when do you need me to protect you?"

She shrugged. "You're kind of handy to have around sometimes. Like when editors throw letter openers."

"You just love me for my invulnerability, don't you?"

"And the flying."

"Great. So I'm your own personal shield and airline?"

"Something like that."

He sighed. "Fine. I can live with that."

"That's good, because you don't have a choice."

"I can live with that, too."

"Have you called your folks yet?"

Clark winced. "Um, no."

She glanced over at him. "Why not? I would have thought you'd have called them before we left."

"I was going to, but I didn't have a chance and..." He glanced at her legs again. "Since we got here, I've been a bit preoccupied."

He took another turn and drove along the beach, the sea breeze blowing through the car.

"Are we there yet?" she asked, a touch of whine in her voice.

"Not yet."

"Don't you think you should call them later?"

"If you give me a chance. Or we could just stop by on our way home."

She bit her bottom lip.

"What?"

"I don't know. I don't know if I'd want to just drop in on your parents and be all 'oh by the way, sorry you missed the wedding'."

Clark laughed. "Lois, Mom has been pushing us together since I moved to Metropolis."

"She has?"

"Don't you remember her comment about sleeping arrangements when we went to investigate the whole Irig thing?"

She blushed. "Yeah."

"What?"

"I will admit that I thought about you while I slept in your room that night."

"You did?"

She nodded. "It's your room. All your high school stuff around. Awards, pictures of you and Bessie. Even a picture of you and a blond."

He winced. "Lana."

"Ex-girlfriend?"

His brow furrowed. "I should probably call and break up with her, now that we're married and all."

She stared at him for a second, before a grin crossed his face. "You're awful, Clark Kent."

He kissed her hand again. "You love me for it."

"So, will we get to stay together in your old room when we visit your folks?"

"Unless you'd rather I slept on the couch."

"Not a chance, mister."

"Good." He chuckled. "You're the first girl to be in there, you know. At least since I was about eight and girls suddenly developed cooties and I refused to let Rachel play up there anymore."

Her eyebrow went up. "What exactly was she playing in your room?"

"We were *eight* and usually it was part of the cowboys and robbers game."

"Where else was a part of this game?"

He shrugged. "We'd start in the house, usually, and then we'd chase the bad guys all over the farm - sometimes even two farms."

"Were you always the good guy?"

"Nope. Usually, I was the bad guy."

"Really?"

He nodded. "Yep. Rachel always wanted to be in law enforcement."

"So I was the first girl up there?"

"Yep."

"Lana never..."

"We dated off and on for about six months. I kissed her a few times, but the kiss in the airplane... that was more intense than anything I felt with her."

"Airplane?"

"You know. When Trask was submitting us to his little test."

"Ah. Really?"

"Yeah. Lana was nice - and a good friend - but that's about it. There was no chance of it ever being a great love story of any kind."

"That's good. I won't have to tear her limb from limb next time I see her."

Clark pulled into a parking lot. "Here we are."

"It's about time." She curled her legs back into the car. "Let's go."

They exited the car and headed towards the beach and the stand there.

"Let's go surfin' now, everybody's learnin' how, come on and safari with me." Clark wrapped his arms around Lois and moved in tandem with her as they walked.

"It's a good thing you can fly, mister."

"Why?"

"Because you can't sing."

"You wound me."

"No, I don't. You can lift shuttles into space and divert asteroids. At least you have some small flaw."

"Flaw? I have a flaw. I thought..." His voice dropped. "...Superman had no flaws."

"*He* doesn't. *You* do."

They reached the stand and met the young couple running it. Turned out they were the son and daughter-in-law of Alice's college roommate.

They listened to instructions and before long, Clark pulled off his shirt and Lois divested herself of her shorts and tank top.

Clark's breath caught in his throat and his eyes practically bugged out of their sockets.

Lois looked at him with wide-eyed innocence. "What?"

*****

They barely made it through the door of the suite before Clark practically attacked her. "Do you have any idea what you've been doing to me today?"

She grinned against his lips. "Oh, yeah."

"How long have you had that suit, anyway?"

She shrugged, letting her head fall to one side. "A while."

"Have you ever worn it before?"

She shook her head. "Almost. A few times, but I could never bring myself to do it."

"Why not?"

She blushed. "Just seemed too weird. It's bad enough now knowing that you saw my nightgown that time."

He pulled away to look at her, before helping her remove her tank top and shorts again.

He looked down at her swim suit, a grin on his face.

She smiled back at him. "I thought it was appropriate."

The bright blue with his red and yellow S emblem blazoned across the front was nothing he hadn't seen before - the Superman Foundation had actually approved it and part of the proceeds from the sale of such suits went to charity - but to see Lois wearing it...

No.

To see his *wife* wearing it...

Well, that was something else all together.