NEW YEAR'S TRADITIONS
White. White ribbons, white balloons, white and golden decorations everywhere.
Clark blinked, trying to get used to the brightness. He turned to Chloe.
"So, basically, Lois didn't help you girls with this one?"
Chloe smiled. "No. She said she had too much on her mind to get herself stressed out with another party."
They were all at the Kent's house, where the New Year party was going on, with a lot of music, people dressed in white and golden, and champagne. Clark and Chloe were standing close to the stairs that led to the second floor, where Lois seemed to be.
"That's good." said Clark, putting one hand on his pockets. "At least this way she has more time to think about… things."
His voice was low, but Chloe heard it
"What things?" she asked, suspicious. Clark looked at her, realizing that she had listened.
"Just… pointless things…"
Chloe smiled skeptically. "Right. Because I'm sure that time you two disappeared from the Christmas party one week ago was to share a pointless conversation, yeah."
Clark gulped, looking at Chloe hesitantly. He wasn't sure he wanted to tell her. Maybe he just didn't want to jinx it. But before he could make a decision, she kept talking.
"Clark, it's allright, you don't have to tell me." she said. "Mostly because I already know."
Clark tried to mislead her. "Know? What's to know?"
Chloe rolled her eyes, sipping her champagne.
"Oh, please." she said, smirking. "Do you think everyone around you two is blind? I've noticed the way you two have been dancing around each other for the past few months." Clark opened his mouth to justify himself, but before he could say anything else, his mother, wearing a golden dress and also holding a glass of champagne, joined them.
"And I," Martha started, with a smile. "I've seen the way you stare at her when you think no one is looking."
Chloe smiled to Martha as Clark blushed. "Hey, Mrs. Kent!"
"Hi, Chloe." she greeted. "Hello, sweetheart."
"Hey, mom…" said Clark, mortified. Martha laughed. "You love to leave me embarrassed, don't you?"
"Oh, Clark, stop with that." said Chloe. "We both know how you feel about her, and all I've been meaning to ask is…" She looked at both sides and lowered her voice. Then, she looked up at him, seriously. "Did that mistletoe that I placed in the Talon's front door worked?"
Clark hid his face with one hand, as Martha and Chloe laughed.
Almost a week ago, Clark and Lois had an interesting conversation on the outside of the Talon. About how certain things are hard to deal with, especially when they're new. About how wonderful it can be when, even if it's hard to let them in, you just surrender. About traditions.
And they had broken a tradition. They hadn't kissed, but Clark had certainly teased her to.
She felt her knees about to fail when Clark leaned in and brushed his lips against hers, softly.
And when Lois felt herself opening her own lips in invitation was when she noticed things were getting a bit out of hand.
It was also when Clark suddenly stepped away.
He didn't kiss her.
Lois wanted to yell at him and thank him at the same time.
"Okay, what the hell was that?" she asked, managing to find her voice somewhere.
He was grinning. "I broke a tradition."
Martha and Chloe caught Clark's grin.
"So I guess this means it worked, huh?" said Chloe, excitedly. Clark woke up from his daydream and looked at her.
"What? No, it… it didn't work. Sort of." he said, fighting against another smirk.
"What do you mean, 'sort of'?" asked Martha, surprised.
"Well, we…" he looked at Chloe and his mom. They were looking at him expectantly. "We didn't kiss. But… I might have… leaned in a little close."
Chloe squealed. "Owww, I can't believe you didn't kiss her!!!"
"Well, we kind of… wanted to wait." he said, shrugging awkwardly.
"Wait for what? She loves you, you love---"
"Whoa!" interrupted Clark, widening his eyes, his heartbeat increasing at the word 'love'. "She loves me? You mean, love? For real?"
Chloe covered her mouth with her hands, as if she had said too much.
Martha rolled her eyes, smiling.
Chloe didn't know how to start, but then, she was saved by the bell. By Jimmy Olsen, actually.
"Hey, love." he greeted, walking towards them and kissing Chloe on the lips.
"Jimmy! I'm so glad to see you!" she said, throwing herself on his arms. He laughed.
"Gee, I know you love me, but why do I have the feeling that I just saved you from answering a compromising question?" Jimmy asked, smiling at Martha and Clark.
"Hey, Mrs. Kent! Hey, C.K., how are you doing?"
"I'm fine, Jimmy, thanks." he said, smiling at him back.
"So, I came here to drag my beautiful girlfriend to dance. Is that possible?" Jimmy asked, offering his hand to Chloe, who grinned.
"Absolutely." she answered. "Bye, Mrs. Kent, this party rocks. Bye, Clark, uh… that question…" she smirked. "You'll have to figure by yourself."
Jimmy and Chloe turned around, heading to the small crowd of people who were dancing a few meters away from them.
"So," Clark heard Jimmy ask. "What was that question all about?"
"Something related to a certain cousin of mine." replied Chloe, with an amused tone.
Clark breathed hard. He turned to his mother to say something, but he was unable to speak. Because someone was coming downstairs. Someone wearing a beautiful white dress and golden shoes. Someone whose hair was magnificently falling over her shoulders, and whose make-up was slight (but the result was stunning). Someone who, lately, had been frequently able to take his breath away.
Lois Lane spotted Clark and Martha and walked towards them, with a smile.
"Hey, Mrs. Kent!" she said, trying not to look at Clark, who was still staring at her, unable to form a word.
"Hey, sweetie! Where have you been?" asked Martha.
"Oh, upstairs, just… sipping champagne." she answered, showing them an empty glass and putting it on a near table. "Great party, by the way." Lois added, looking around. "You and Chloe did a great job."
Martha smiled. "It would have been even better if you had helped us to organize it, sweetie."
"Oh, I just had… something else in my mind." she said, now, deliberately avoiding Clark's gaze.
"I'm sure of that." said Martha, unable to stop her smile from turning into a grin.
Now, Lois looked at Clark.
"Close your mouth, Smallville, or someone will turn an entire bottle of champagne into it."
Clark blinked, getting out of his reverie. He smiled.
"You want to get me drunk, Lois?" he asked, and she smiled as well, recognizing his allusion to their previous talk, a week ago.
"No." she answered. "The champagne is not that good."
They both smirked, getting lost into each other's eyes, completely forgetting about Martha's presence.
"Lois, I---" Clark started, but she interrupted him.
"Smallville, don't."
He stopped talking as she broke the gaze and looked down.
It had been like that the entire week. When he started, she stopped him. When she started, he stopped her. Clark sighed.
"So, um," she said, avoiding to look at him or Martha. "I'm gonna go."
"But Lois, you didn't even enjoy the party! And it's only eleven twenty, aren't you going to stay here until the turn of the year?"
"Not really, um, I'm feeling really tired, and I just want to… sleep." she said. "Besides, it's just another year, huh?" She smiled weakly and gazed briefly at Clark. "Happy New Year, guys."
With that, she turned around and walked away through the Kent's front door.
"She has been apathetic like this for a while now." said Martha, still watching the door. Clark didn't answer. She turned her gaze to her son. He had the saddest look upon his face. Martha sighed.
"Oh, Clark." she started. "What are you two so afraid of?"
Clark looked at his mother, tired.
"It's just not easy, Mom." he said. "I mean, she's my friend, it shouldn't be like this. We should never have… developed feelings---"
"Son, you can't control that." said Martha.
"I know!" Clark exclaimed, exasperated. A few people looked at him. He lowered his voice and kept talking. "But we should be able to. Now, I mean, I just can't see her like a friend anymore, I see her as something more, but at the same time… I want her to be my friend for life, because she's just amazing." He ran a hand through his dark hair, anxiously. "I just… I want to tell her everything, but at the same time, I'm… I'm so afraid, I'm afraid she doesn't feel the same… And yet, I know she feels the same, but I can't help but hesitate… what if she doesn't?" If it wasn't a serious situation, Martha would have laughed at her son's uneasiness. Clark fixed his gaze at one random spot. "Although, I feel like I have to tell her. Because if I don't… I'm gonna lose her. And I don't want that. She means too much to me. As a friend and as a… whatever this that's happening is." Clark shook his head and sighed. "It's just… it's not easy."
Martha smiled tenderly. "Love never is, Clark."
He looked at her and opened his mouth to deny it. But instead, he just sighed.
"I know."
They fell into silence.
Martha watched Clark carefully. She had never seen her son that swept away. But then again, when he was around her… she had never seen him happier.
Martha smiled as Clark looked at the door where Lois had left through.
"Run." she said. Clark faced her. "With a little luck, you can catch her before midnight."
She had never seen her son give her such a bright smile.
He reunited all the courage he could find and went after her.
Martha smiled happily, going to the table to get more champagne.
Those two were impossible. And wonderful together.
She had no doubt that would have ended up happening one way or another. To be honest, she had picked that intense vibe from them since she first saw Clark and Lois together. Martha also had no doubt that what they were feeling wasn't a simple attraction.
Oh, no, it was so much more. Besides, she was glad her son had finally found someone who could truly get through his walls. She was also glad that Lois had finally found someone who could get into her walls.
They had spent so much time tiptoeing around each other, always bickering and arguing and flirting, that they hadn't realized what was in front of them.
But now they had. And Martha was sure it felt wonderful. Scary, but wonderful.
Her car seemed to be so far away.
Lois walked towards the Kent's driveway, but she never seemed to get there.
She was tired, she just wanted to go home and get some sleep. She didn't want to spend the New Year's turn there. Not with Clark so close to her. She didn't think she'd be able to resist.
Lois suddenly stopped.
"There are times when you'll find out that you have to stop struggling against these things and surrender." Clark said, sounding a little guttural.
Maybe… maybe she didn't have to resist. Maybe she just had to… surrender.
Oh, God knew how much she wanted to. But it was complicated. They were best friends, there was a whole strong friendship being risked. However, if their friendship was so strong as she thought it was… they would be able to keep it if it didn't work, wouldn't they?
Lois smiled as she realized they would.
Then again… what if it did work?
The thought made her feel shivers.
She shook her head and started walking again.
Things would never be the same. Lois had realized that as soon as she noticed she was falling for him.
But it was their choice to let it change to the worst… or to the best.
She was so immersed in her thoughts that Lois didn't even hear his steps behind her.
She only woke up from her reveries when her heart jumped, as she heard his soft voice.
"Wait."
Lois turned around.
"Why?" she asked. Lois watched Clark as he walked towards where she was, stopping right in front of her.
"Because I'm ready to stop struggling against those things and let them in."
His answer surprised her.
"Smallville, I---"
"Don't." he said to shut her up, but he didn't have to. She stopped talking as soon as she felt his finger on her lips. "Just..."
Lois's heart was in her throat. She tried her best not to panic. What was he going to say?
She waited. But he just stood there, watching her.
Lois tried not to roll her eyes.
"What do you want, Smallville?"
"You."
Lois thought she had stopped breathing. She looked down, hiding.
"Clark, I don't think that---"
"Quit it, Lois." he told her. Everyone else would have sounded rude. But he sounded gentle. He was Farmboy, after all. "You know how I feel. And I know you feel the same---"
"And how do you know that?" asked Lois, crossing her arms challengingly. She regretted asking as soon as Clark walked two steps closer to her.
"Lois, look at me." She didn't. Clark smoothly raised her chin with one hand. "Look at me." She gulped. Their eyes had met a thousand times before. But tonight was different.
Clark smiled fondly.
He had seen the same feelings reflected in her eyes.
Her mask had fallen down.
"Lois… we've been fighting against this for a long time, but I can't do this anymore. I feel like I'm going to explode if I keep this words locked inside me."
"Clark---"
"Look, I know how hard this all is, believe me, I do." Lois looked desperate. "We're friends, and I know there are risks, but I'm willing to take them. Because I don't just 'think' we can make this work. I'm sure we can. And I… I don't know what is this that we have, but it's just..." he smiled slightly. "Out of this world."
"I know!!!" she blurted out, frustrated. "Don't you think I've noticed it? I've never felt this way before, and I don't know what it is, but I know it's not just friendship! It's deep, it's powerful, it's just---it's freaking me out!!!"
"It's freaking me out too, Lois, but---"
"For the first time," she interrupted. Now that she had started, she wouldn't stop. "For the first time in my life, I feel out of control." She looked down. "And that scares me to death. I have no power over it, it's stronger than me, it's stronger than everything I've ever felt before."
"I know." Clark said, low. "But Lois, I'm not able to stand beside you any longer being just… friends. It's not enough anymore."
Lois gulped. He was absolutely right. It wasn't enough anymore.
"What if… what if we screw it up?" she asked, noticing she had never sounded weaker. Clark gulped before saying what he knew he had to say.
"Lois, I…" he started. He took a deep breath before continuing. "I can't promise I'll never hurt you---"
"I can't promise that either." she interrupted. "That's my fear, because I don't want to hurt you, you don't deserve to be hurt, you're just…" Lois looked at him in a way she had never looked at anyone before. Oh, her walls were already down. Lois cupped his cheek with her hand. He sighed and briefly closed his eyes at her touch. "God, you're just…" Unable to find another word, she just finished it with a simple word. "…you." He faced her as she awkwardly removed her hand from his cheek.
"I never want to hurt you either." Clark said. "But I know it's impossible to have a relationship where there isn't any pain, even if it's a little bit." He watched her as she nodded. "I felt so much pain when I realized I was falling for you." Lois blinked. "Because I know how much pain I can cause people. Because of how hard these things are, especially if the woman taking over your mind is your best friend." She smiled a bit at the words 'taking over your mind'. "How… how it's complicated for me to have a relationship."
"Why, you're impotent or something?" she joked, breaking the tension a little bit. Clark laughed, and it warmed her, inside.
"No, no, that I can guarantee you I'm not." he answered, still laughing. Suddenly, he became serious. "It's… a little more complicated---"
"It's okay." Lois said, before he could continue. "You don't have to tell me if you're not ready to."
Clark looked at her in awe. "See, that's why I---" He just kept staring at her, tenderly. "You're wonderful."
He wrapped his arms around Lois and pulled her closer to him, in a warm embrace.
They stood like that for a while, hugging, her head leaning against his chest, her arms making their way around his waist and resting on his back.
She had always found amazing the way she felt in home when she was on his arms.
Suddenly, yet gently, Clark pulled Lois away a bit.
"What?" she asked surprised. He looked at his watch.
"11:59." He said, looking at her hazel eyes. They kept staring at each other for three precious seconds. "Do you know about that tradition that says we have to kiss someone at midnight, on New Year?"
Lois gulped. "Uhuh." She merely said, feeling the already known butterflies flying around her stomach.
"Well, I was just thinking… since we already broke one tradition on Christmas…" his voice died.
Lois couldn't help but smile, amazed. She licked her lips and looked down, still smiling.
After another three seconds, she looked up at him again.
"Only because it's New Year, and I don't want to have bad luck on love in this one." she said. Clark smiled back at her.
Both hearts were already beating faster than ever. Lois could do nothing but close her eyes and let his delicious scent enthrall her as he leaned in.
He pulled her even closer to him, so close that she could feel his heartbeat. And she was sure he could feel hers.
She felt his lips entangling with hers, and her legs seemed not to be working anymore.
Clark kissed her softly, and it was better than she ever thought it would be.
Lois opened her mouth, allowing him to deepen the kiss, both of them wanting it to mean more than a peck on the lips, as the tradition told them to.
Lois heard fireworks. Or would it be inside her head?
They parted, looking up. The sky was lightened by colorful and beautiful fireworks. It was a stunning vision. Clark cupped her face with his hands and turned her head towards his, making their lips connect, kissing her again, passionately.
Clark nipped her lower lip as her hands made their way from his torso to his cheeks, holding his face. His hands tightened the grip that was now on her waist.
Feeling tingles all over her, she felt his tongue touching hers, the kiss heating up with every second.
Lois had no idea whether she felt like crying or laughing, screaming or cuddling, dancing or jumping, she didn't know. She was only sure about one thing: only he could make her feel like that.
They parted once again, their lips brushing. Clark teasingly played with her bottom lip, using his own.
"I love you." she said. Clark pulled his head away, so he could look at her in the eyes.
He faced her for a moment, dumbfounded. She was smiling to him, more brightly than any firework in the sky.
"I love you too." he leaned in and whispered on her ear, making her shiver. Clark brushed his nose against hers, affectionately, both letting the happiness and the euphoria take over them.
"Happy New Year, Lois."
She kissed him tenderly on the lips. Clark hugged her tightly. Lois smiled, closing her eyes and enjoying the moment, absolutely happy.
"Happy New Year, Smallville."
Epilogue:
"It has been quite a long time since he left to talk to her…" commented Martha to Chloe and Jimmy, worried, after greeting everybody at midnight. "I just hope they aren't having another argument."
"Oh, if they fight even because of this, I swear I'll---" but Chloe's voice died as they saw Clark walking into the room with the biggest and brightest smile they had ever seen.
Martha, Chloe and Jimmy exchanged amused looks as they saw Clark approaching them.
"So?" asked Chloe. Clark looked at her, seeming to get out of his reverie.
"So what?" he said. Chloe rolled her eyes, anxious.
"How was it?" asked Martha.
"I'm really tired, I think I'm going to sleep." he said, heading to the stairs.
"NO WAY!" Three voices exclaimed at the same time. Clark turned around to face the three of them.
"What?" he asked, surprised, even though he seemed to be having fun.
"Well, you had quite a big smile there, C.K.!" commented Jimmy.
"Yeah, and we want to know what happened!" said Martha, anxious.
"Did you kiss her?" asked Chloe, smiling in anticipation.
"Well…" started Clark, thoughtful. He didn't want to give a further explanation. He wanted to keep the magic of that moment all by himself. "All I can say is…" Clark smiled brightly, once again. "… this is going to be one hell of a year."