Lois had never really thought about what it would feel like to kiss him.
And she'd certainly never thought about how it would feel to have him kiss her. Not that it hadn't crossed her mind on occasion, and especially after her bout with amnesia on that particular Valentine's Day.
She was certain they had kissed that night, but she also had the nagging feeling that he'd never given her the full story. And she didn't know if it was to save himself the embarrassment or her. That awful ink tattoo she sported for a couple of weeks afterward was embarrassing enough.
But when he'd kissed her at the Regent, he'd shown her a man who was sweet and affectionate and whose only aim seemed to be in pleasing her, more than himself. He wanted her to see through his actions that he cared about her, and for her.
He reinforced that again with the Valentine's Day they'd spent together and she smiled at the thought. He showed her a sense of humor he didn't often display when he had talked her into coming out to the farm and sarcasm that he seemed to reserve only for her.
He didn't talk to Chloe or to Lana the way he talked to her and for a long time, a part of her had resented it. Didn't she deserve the same respect that they got?
But the more they got to know each other she realized that he spoke to her the way he did because he knew she would give it right back to him. And he spoke to her that way because he was comfortable with her in a way he couldn't be with Chloe or with Lana because he had romantic histories with both of them.
And Lois couldn't help but wonder if the problems that her baby cousin and Jimmy had in the past wasn't due in some small part to residual feelings that she suspected Chloe still harbored and that Clark never had.
It was all conjecture on her part because Chloe had stopped confiding so closely in her, which meant that Lois had no idea what was going through her cousin's mind. And she couldn't help but wonder how Chloe would feel if she knew that her cousin's friendship with Clark had deepened to a point that they were kissing.
And they were kissing a lot.
Sometimes it was on the cheek or on the forehead, but most of them were soft kisses on the lips. Nothing complicated and she liked those, as if she'd ever tell him that. Those kisses told her a lot about him and it sometimes felt that he was holding back because they weren't ready for anything serious.
But even though they weren't ready for anything serious, she had agreed to a date.
Never in her wildest dreams did she ever believe that she would actually go on a date with Smallville. And even more curiously, look forward to it.
"You're going out to the farm, again?" Chloe wandered into the bedroom, her tone deceptively casual as Lois packed an overnight bag. She and Clark had decided that she would dress at the farm and they would go to Granville from there.
"Someone needs to keep an eye on him, because you don't seem to care." Her cousin was fishing and Lois didn't like it.
"That's not fair. There are things about my friendship with Clark that you don't understand." Chloe was defensive and she resented it because Lana had said the same about her relationship with him.
"And there are things about my friendship with him that you don't understand." She shot back and continued to pack. She was not about to get into a discussion about the differences in their friendships with Smallville.
"What's going on with you Lois?" Chloe was fishing again. "You've been spending an awful lot of time out there and you seem happier."
That's because she was.
"I like spending time there because I feel closer to the Kent's."
"I miss them too." She looked as though Lois had just slapped her; the look on her face was so hurt.
Good one, Lois.
"Granville is half way between Smallville and Metropolis. So why not just go in to the Planet when you're done, file your story and come home?" She persisted.
I'm not biting.
"Have you looked at the price of a gallon of gas?" Lois frowned and left it at that. She hated lying, but she didn't like Chloe's sudden interest in her friendship with Clark, either.
"Are you going to meet him there or are you going together?"
She slung her bag and purse over her shoulder and headed for the door. "You're prying Chlo."
"I'm not." Chloe protested weakly and sighed as Lois opened the door and stepped out. "Will you be home tomorrow?"
"Chlo." She warned gently with a shake of her head. And closing the door firmly, she effectively ended the conversation.
As she walked down the stairs, Lois rummaged around in her purse for her cell and when she'd located it, closed her fingers around it and pulled it out. She hit speed dial and within moments was connected to Clark's cell and she smiled. "Hi. If you could set up the ironing board in your mom's room, I'd appreciate it."
"I should probably take my shower after I do that, otherwise there won't be any hot water left after you get here." She heard him laugh softly.
"Very funny Smallville." Lois couldn't help it and laughed. "And you do know that when I ask you to set up the ironing board, it means that you include the iron."
"Very funny Lois." She knew he was smiling. "Just for that, I may use all the hot water."
"Don't even think about it."
"Lois, are you sure about keeping this date quiet?" He asked her, and not for the first time. "I don't care who knows about it."
"I know, I just don't think that it's anyone's business but ours." She sighed as she walked out the front door toward her car. "If this date doesn't go well, I'd rather everyone in Smallville not know that we bombed out."
"But if this date does goes well and you decide to go out with me again, are we going to keep that quiet too?" He didn't sound hurt, just curious. "And do you think that it won't go well?"
Lois reached her car and fished her keys out of her purse and unlocked the door. "This is going to sound weird, but I'm more afraid of this date going really well than not. Because if it goes really well, then that means we really like each other and that means." She didn't get to complete her babble before Clark gently cut her off.
"Lois." His voice was calm and reassuring. "We haven't even been out on a date yet. So let's just go to the fair, see what happens and take it from there."
She nodded as she tossed her bag and purse onto the passenger seat and got into the car. "And if this goes well you can take me out to dinner, if you want."
"Really?" He couldn't have expected that.
"You can come to my door; wearing the only suit you probably own and take me to a nice restaurant where we can act like adults."
"Can I bring you flowers?" She heard him laugh again.
"You can bring me flowers." Lois smiled and put the key in the ignition and started the car.
"Lois?"
"What is it?" She liked the sound of his voice.
"You do realize that we're already talking about a second date and we haven't been on our first one yet."
To be perfectly honest, she hadn't.
"Which may happen if you don't blow a golden opportunity."
"And what opportunity would that be?"
"Showing me a good time." Lois smiled again. "I'll be there in about twenty minutes, give or take. It all depends on how many tractors are clogging up the road."
"Just admit it Lois, you love the slow pace out here."
"I admit to nothing."
"Whatever you say."
"Give or take." And she disconnected the call.
She really did love the slow pace the farm had to offer but she'd never admit it, and certainly not to him.
oooooo
Lois got the surprise of her life when she walked into Mrs. Kent's room after finishing with her shower. Namely, Mrs. Kent.
She was standing at the ironing board, pressing her sundress and humming. She was smiling softly as she looked up at Lois and she wondered if Clark had told her about their date. "Hi honey, I thought you might like a little help. My son is a little nervous, so I sent him out to the porch swing until you're ready to go."
Lois shouldn't have liked the idea of his being nervous but she did, because she was too.
"How can he be nervous? This was his idea." She smiled back. "So what are you doing back in Kansas? Clark didn't mention that you were coming."
"That's because I didn't have the chance to tell him. Our senior Senator from Kansas thought it would be a good idea if I showed up at the opening of the County Fair to show that we're still in touch with our constituents. Apparently he's been getting some angry letters and e-mails because he hasn't been back in quite awhile and he knows I'm from the area and that I come back as often as I can."
"So he's using you as a buffer." Lois frowned.
"Something like that. But this trip was well timed on his part because I got to be here for your first date."
Her face warmed and she smiled. "You make it sound like there's going to be a second."
"Lois, my son is a Kent and I can guarantee you that there will be a second date. Clark may not have his father's genes, but he certainly has his charm." She smiled knowingly and put the iron down to shake the dress out.
"It's all pressed and ready to go, so I'll leave you to finish getting dressed."
"That's okay, I put everything on in the bathroom." Lois stopped her as she took off her robe, revealing a slip underneath. "With my luck, something embarrassing would have happened if I didn't."
"That was smart thinking then. I wouldn't like to see anything get this date off on the wrong foot." She laughed as she walked to her dresser and opened the jewelry box that sat on top. "I have something here, if I can find it, that I'd like you to wear for the occasion."
Lois stepped into her dress and pulled it up to get her arms through the sleeves before she followed Clark's mother to see what it was.
"It isn't much, but I wore it on my first date with Jonathan and I think it's appropriate that you wear it on your first date with his son." She explained as she held up a necklace. It was a simple gold chain and on the end of it was a horseshoe with the ends turned up and a small diamond mounted in the center.
"It was a high school graduation gift from my parent's because I'd been accepted to Metropolis University. And as it happened, I was wearing it the day I met Jonathan."
"Shouldn't the horseshoe be hanging the other way?" Lois had only ever seen them hang ends down.
"I thought the same thing when they gave it to me. But my father explained that a horseshoe should always hang ends up, so that the luck doesn't run out." She clasped the necklace in one hand as she turned Lois around and zipped up the back of her dress. Mrs. Kent then gestured to her to move her hair. "May I?"
Lois nodded and pulled her hair to the side as she put the necklace around her neck, fastened the clasp and patted it before she smiled. "Jonathan would have been so pleased to see the two of you give this a try." Her eyes met Lois's in the reflection of the mirror. "He thought so much of you and thought you were a good influence on our son."
"Are you coming with us?" She wasn't sure why she asked.
"Why? Do you think you're going to need a chaperone?" Mrs. Kent laughed and put her hands on Lois's shoulders. "This is unfortunately a business trip and I have to head back to Washington tomorrow morning.
"As for this afternoon, a car will pick me up in about an hour and drive me to the fair. I'll give my speech and glad hand for awhile, then I'll come home and cook dinner while you tell me how your date went."
"If we're even speaking to each other by then." She glanced at Mrs. Kent as she fingered the necklace.
"Lois." And she laughed. "First dates can be a little awkward, but if you remember that you're friends first and just let yourselves enjoy each other's company, you might end up having a lot of fun."
Lois ran a brush through her hair and studied her reflection. She had a light tan from being outside so much and wondered if she should do anything else.
"A tiny bit of blush and a touch of lipstick will do." Mrs. Kent suggested. "You don't want to overdo it, seeing as how you'll be outside."
Lois followed her advice and liked the look. "Hair up or down?" She grabbed the mass of it with her hand and held it up.
"You're on a date honey, show it off."
And Lois felt her face warm at the idea of Clark getting a lock of her hair between his fingers because that was usually a prelude to a kiss. She let go of her hair and let it tumble around her shoulders. "Down it is."
"Good choice." She smiled. "While you're getting your shoes on, I'll go get Clark and bring him into the house."
"I'll just come down with you and meet him on the porch." Lois insisted as she slipped her shoes on. "If you don't mind."
"I don't mind." She walked to the closet and pulled a sweater off of a hanger and handed it to Lois. "Take this with you. If you stay later, you might need it; it gets cool after the sun goes down."
A smart remark was on the tip of her tongue but she was stopped with a touch on her arm. "Don't borrow trouble Lois; just let yourself have a good time."
"Thank you for your help." Lois hugged her. "I would have been a wreck if you hadn't been here."
"I was glad to help." Mrs. Kent hugged her back. "Now let's get downstairs and see how your date is holding up." She walked out of the room and Lois sighed before she grabbed her purse and followed.
Her date.
She tried to convince herself as she walked down the stairs and tried to stop her knees from shaking that it was only Smallville. And it startled her to realize that if it were anyone else; she wouldn't be nearly as nervous.
Mrs. Kent opened the door and Lois could see Clark standing on the porch with his hands in his front pockets. She recognized the shirt and pants he was wearing, because it was the same thing he wore the Thanksgiving she and Ollie spent at the Kent's and thought at the time that he looked nice.
He'd rolled the sleeves up just below his elbows that gave him a casual look; he looked really nice.
"Honey, she's ready to go." Mrs. Kent put a hand on Clark's shoulder and Lois saw him start. "Why don't you walk her to the truck and I'll see you when you get home." Then she laughed softly. "Clark?"
She saw him take a breath, pull his hands out of his pockets and turn around; then he smiled.
"Not a bad look there, Smallville." Lois finally broke the silence and smiled back at him as she walked to the door, her heart beginning to race. "You should try it more often."
"Give me a reason and I'd be happy to." His face flushed and then his smile grew. "You look really nice."
"Thanks." She replied and had to curb the urge to tell him that she didn't wear a dress for just anybody.
"Well Mom says you're ready, so why don't we go." He suggested and Lois stepped out onto the porch wondering why it had to feel so awkward and she nodded.
"Have a nice time." Mrs. Kent put her hand on Lois' arm again reassuringly before she walked into the house and closed the door.
Clark held his hand out to her. "I think there's a corn dog with mustard that has your name on it, so let's go get it."
She began to relax and took the hand he offered. "Add a ride on a Ferris wheel and it's going to be a great time."
"Lois, have I ever told you that I have a thing about heights?"
oooooo
As Clark drove onto the fairgrounds and looked for a place to park, Lois could feel her heart flutter. She wasn't sure if it was because of their date, her child like excitement at going to a fair or both. He told her about the rides and the livestock exhibits on the way to Granville, the latter which he promised her they could miss.
There were games and food booths, lots of lights, noise and the sometimes overwhelming aroma of livestock and fried food.
"What would a county fair be without people's cholesterol levels going through the roof?" Lois joked as he found a place to park and stopped the truck.
"Come on Lois, that's half the fun." He grinned at her as he shut down the engine and got out. She started to open her own door and then paused. They were on a date after all and Lois had no doubt that he would want to open the door for her. The same way he'd quietly insisted on helping her into the truck, even though she was perfectly capable of getting in herself. But that wasn't the point.
He was a gentleman and his mother wouldn't expect anything less.
Clark came around and opened her door and Lois couldn't help but smile, he really was sweet. He her his hand and when she took it he helped her out, but then refused to relinquish it as he closed the door with his other hand and joked. "Your corn dog awaits."
"Only to be washed down with some cotton candy." She added before she leaned up and kissed him.
His look of pleased surprise warmed her. "What was that for?"
"Don't question it, just enjoy it." Lois answered as she tugged on his hand and pulled him toward the main gate.
Nothing Clark could have said would have prepared her for the experience of cramming rides, booths and games into such a confined space. Add the hundreds of people who were jamming every inch of walking space and Lois was nearly claustrophobic.
It was great.
And even though he promised her they wouldn't, they did end up at the livestock exhibits and he really impressed her with his knowledge of animals and farming equipment. He then got into a discussion with a local farmer about rotating crops and he impressed her even further.
He wasn't such a dorky farm boy after all.
On their way out, Lois stopped at one of the pens where a ewe had recently given birth and a baby lamb was sleeping near its mother. She put her hands up on the railing to lean closer for a better look and marveled at the young life. She was so fascinated by the sight that she didn't realize Clark had stepped in behind her and put his hands up on the rail next to hers, until she felt his chin on her shoulder.
She got a whiff of the cologne he was wearing and she liked it, and noted that he'd done it for her. "The cycle of life, that's what it's all about." He explained softly and then kissed her cheek. "Come on, there's more to see."
Lois leaned back against him. "I kind of like what we're doing right now."
"Me too." He admitted and slowly stepped away to give her the chance to stand. "But I don't want to blow my golden opportunity to show you a good time."
She turned to face him and smiled. "You didn't blow your golden opportunity."
And as she figured he might, his face flushed as he smiled. "I know I promised that we could skip this, but I couldn't resist."
"That's all right." Lois was sincere. "I've never thought about how much goes into running a farm."
He laughed and took her hand, then pulled her away from the lamb pen. "With all the time you've spent at our place, I thought you would have figured that out by now."
She rolled her eyes as she let him lead her out.
The rest of the afternoon passed with Clark making sure that she saw everything that the fair had to offer. They each had a corn dog and she shared her cotton candy with him, though she felt he accepted more to be polite because he never struck her as much of a sweet eater. And even though he'd forewarned her about his fear of heights, he made sure she got her ride on a Ferris wheel before they left for the day.
"Clark, you don't need to do this." Lois looked at him with concern as his face paled a little. "I can ride it by myself."
"Now what kind of a date would I be if I let you go up by yourself?" He joked as he helped her sit down before settling next to her and grinned. "Just don't let go of my hand."
His breath caught as the wheel started to move and she sighed quietly. She had to distract him and there was only one thing that she thought would it, so she kissed him and she felt him smile before he kissed her back.
It was an odd sensation, the motion of the Ferris wheel as they moved up while she kissed him. They came over the top and moved down, before heading up again; and then they stopped. She felt him tense and took his hand.
"Don't look down." Lois tried to help him as she caught his eye. "Look out at the horizon or look at me, but don't look down. That just makes things worse."
"I think I'd rather look at you." He joked but his complexion was getting too pale for her liking.
"Then look at me." She nodded and put her other hand on his cheek to get his attention. "Look at me while I tell you that I've had a really nice time today. I have to admit that I wasn't sure what to expect and if I'd been here with anyone else, I probably would have been bored out of my mind. But because I was with you, I wasn't."
"I just wanted you to see what a small fair can offer." He told her. "Dad took us to the state fair in Topeka once, when I was little. I'd never been far from Smallville and to have the chance to see a big fair like that, it was a big deal."
"Well maybe when the State Fair opens, you can take me." She laughed, not really being serious but he shrugged.
"If you want to go, I'll take you."
"You'd do that for me?" It shouldn't have surprised her.
"Haven't you figured out yet that I'd do anything for you?" He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "Because I would."
The wheel started again and seemed to float to the bottom, or maybe that was just Lois's heart. It went around a few more times before it finally came to a stop. She made Clark stay seated when it was their turn to get off and she got off first. She held out her hand and was relieved to see the color coming back to his face as he grinned and took it. He looked a little unsteady as he stepped off, but Lois held onto it as they walked slowly toward the exit. "Thank you."
"For what?" She looked up at him.
"For not making a big deal out of it."
"Everybody has a fear of something." It was her turn to shrug. "I have a fear of water."
That admission got him to stop and look at her with surprise. "But I've seen you swim at Crater Lake. How can you be afraid of the water?"
"You almost saw me drown at Crater Lake, remember?" She scrunched up her nose at the memory. "The General always told us that as long as we were afraid, fear was conquering us. So it was important for us to conquer our fears, and that's why I go swimming at the lake."
"We could always test that theory if you go to the lake with me tomorrow, after Mom leaves." He smiled at her. "The temperature of the water should be perfect."
"Are you asking me out again?" Lois wouldn't mind it if he were.
"Not if you don't want me to." He told her. "An afternoon at the lake could just be two friends spending an afternoon at the lake together."
"Do we have to invite anybody?"
"No." He pulled her close and brushed her lips with his. "It could just be us; whatever you want is fine with me."
"I think I'd like to go back to the farm and sit on the swing with you, so we can watch the sun set." She requested and answered his light kiss.
"Porch swing it is." He nodded.
"And then we can go to the lake tomorrow before my date picks me up for dinner." She added with a smile.
"Do you think your date would have a problem knowing that you spent the afternoon with me?" He laughed as they walked through the main gate and headed toward his truck.
"I don't think he will." Lois sighed with contentment as she stayed close to him. "He's a very understanding guy."
"I don't know that I would be if I were in his place." He played their word game with her.
"But you are in his place, Smallville; you are."
And to prove it, she kissed him.