"Lois, are you really sure you want to do this?"
She shook her head. "No, but I think we should."
How had it come to this? The idea of not being able to kiss Lois for twenty-four hours felt wrong some how, but it was what she wanted. So Clark nodded in understanding and looked at his watch again. "Okay, if you're sure. That means we have two minutes left until."
She didn't give him the chance to finish before she was in his arms and kissing him.
Two minutes, 120 seconds, 240 half seconds.
That was it until the next evening.
Now he would know what an eternity felt like.
oooooo
He hadn't considered that when he'd invited her to the lake, that they would be there in their swimsuits. He hadn't considered it because the last time he'd seen her in a suit they'd been two friends that were only friends and he didn't see her as anything but his friend.
He also hadn't considered that she'd be seeing him without a shirt on, which wouldn't have been a big deal a year ago, because she didn't see him as anything but her friend.
But that had all changed.
And now she was sitting at the end of the dock, still in her cover up with her feet dangling in the water.
He should have thought it through, but he hadn't; and now they were like two nervous teenagers who didn't know what to do next.
"She's been sitting down there for the last half-hour." Jimmy commented. "Is she going in?"
"I don't know." Clark shook his head. "I'll go talk to her."
And what are you going to say to her? He asked himself as he padded down to the end of the dock and watched her as she leaned back on her hands. He approached quietly and sat down next to her, putting his feet into the water. "Are you going in?"
She sighed. "I was thinking about it. Are you?"
He looked down at his tee shirt covered chest and shrugged. "I was thinking about it."
"Clark, I can't do this." She sighed again and sat up. "I can't pretend like we're friends and that nothing's changed. And I can't pretend that the idea of seeing you without this on isn't making me nervous." She grasped the edge of his shirt for a moment, before letting it go.
"Would it help if I told you that the idea of seeing you in a suit is making me nervous?" His first instinct was to take her hand, but he couldn't.
"I thought about that this morning, so I wore a one piece."
"That's too bad." He tried to lighten her mood and grinned at her, but she didn't bite.
"Clark, I'm serious." She frowned at him and then brushed her foot against his in the water and he gently pushed it away. "This was a dumb idea."
"Lois, we're doing this for a reason, a good reason." He sighed. "If we can't spend one afternoon together without touching each other, then maybe you were right and it is physical."
"I never said that."
"But it's what you meant, isn't it?" He asked softly. "Touching you is something I don't think about anymore, I just do it and I don't ever want to take that for granted."
"So is she coming in? Chloe's ready." Clark tried not to sigh in exasperation at the sound of Jimmy's voice because it wasn't his fault; he didn't know he was interrupting a private conversation.
"I'm working on it." He answered. "Why don't you and Chloe go ahead?"
"Is there something going on that I shouldn't know about?" It almost sounded as though he was trying not to grin. "You two have been a couple of clams since we got here."
Lois's head went down and Clark thought that she was about to cry. "Lois had a long day yesterday and she's just tired."
"And she can't tell me that herself?" He was grinning.
"Beat it Olsen, or I'll make you wish you had." Lois growled at him and Clark heard a stifled laugh.
"Beating it." A surreptitious look behind him revealed that Jimmy Olsen was walking in the opposite direction.
"He knows." She said quietly.
"Then I think we need to tell Chloe." He said and had to remind himself again not to take her hand. "She needs to hear it from us, not him."
"Even though she's not talking to you?" Lois glanced over at him and her eyes were red-rimmed. "I had to talk her into meeting us here and you want to tell her about us?"
Did she really see them as an
"I just don't want her to be mad at you too, Lois. She's your family."
"Yeah, well she's family who's not treating my friend very well." She frowned. "It's none of her business anyway."
"Lois, my mother knows about this and so does Oliver. Jimmy seems to have figured it out and if Chloe hasn't, she's probably suspicious. You know that's why she talked to Oliver."
"So what do you want to do?" She sounded resigned.
"If I come pick you up at the Talon for dinner would you make sure Chloe is there?" He suggested. "Then we'll sit down and tell her what's been happening."
"Wouldn't this be a good time for you to talk to her too? Explain to her what happened when you disappeared?"
Lois couldn't be there when he did though.
And for the first time, Clark had to really think about telling her about who he was and where he came from. And he had no idea how he would explain it to her.
"I don't know." He fudged and then she let him off the hook.
"If I clear out for ten minutes, will that do it?" Lois asked him. "It's between you and Chloe anyway and I don't mind waiting downstairs."
"And after I talk to her, I'll call and you come back up." He hoped it would work.
"It's never good to keep secrets." Lois commented with a nod. "They always come out and sometimes when you least expect them to."
She didn't realize it, of course, but Lois was talking about him.
Clark pulled his feet out of the water. "Come on Grumpy; let's go swimming." He stood up and waited for her.
She looked up at him and sighed again as she stood up next to him, giving him a hesitant smile. "How many times do I have to tell you, Sleepy."
"I still like Sneezy better." He reminded her with a smile of his own as they walked together back up the dock toward the beach. When they reached Jimmy and Chloe, he was looking too amused for his own good. Chloe looked nervous and was trying her best not to.
Lois was right, she knew; or at the very least, suspected.
"Guys, why don't you go ahead; we'll be right behind you." Chloe smiled and to Clark it looked strained; he didn't want to leave Lois to face her alone and hesitated.
"What are you waiting for Smallville, that water isn't going to get any warmer." Lois motioned him toward the water with her hands. She looked just as hesitant, but until they had the chance to talk to Chloe, they needed to keep up the appearance of their fractious friendship.
He nodded and keeping in mind what Lois had said earlier, turned his back to her to pull his tee shirt off and followed Jimmy to the water. He reached the edge when Chloe called to him and he should have thought twice before he turned around, but didn't.
When he did, Clark didn't know who was more flustered when they got a look at the other, Lois or him. As he felt his face warm at the sight of her, Lois's head went down and Chloe's face paled.
She'd set them up.
She'd looked for a way to confirm her suspicions about them and found a way when Lois had stepped out of her cover up, revealing the longest legs Clark had ever seen and a trim body that he'd never really noticed before.
She was beautiful.
Lois didn't waste any time walking down to the water as fast as she could and wading in, with Clark watching her the whole way. Chloe was going to get an earful from her later, of that he had no doubt.
"Lois." She was looking for confirmation, but he wasn't going to give it to her without Lois there and said nothing.
"Now I know why she's been so secretive."
"She hasn't been secretive." He defended Lois' decision.
"Oliver still loves her." Chloe seemed to feel the need to tell him that and he turned to face her.
"But she let him go and he accepted that." He explained.
"Have you let go of Lana?"
"Yes." Clark told her without hesitation. The truth was, he couldn't remember the last time he'd thought about her.
"Has she accepted that?" Chloe pressed.
"What are you talking about?" Clark didn't like the tone of the question.
"Clark, have you talked to her?"
"She came out to the farm to talk to me months ago, but I haven't seen her since."
"So you didn't see her at Mrs. Kent's charity ball last Christmas." She must have read about the event in the Planet, unless Lois had told her about it.
He shook his head. "I didn't even know she was there."
"She's still in love with you, you know that." She put her hand on his arm and he resented hearing it; Lana was the one who left him and it was Lois who picked up the pieces.
"But I don't love her any more. And I didn't go after her."
His admission surprised her. "So where did you go?"
Clark made a decision right then and there not to tell her. He didn't want Chloe to know something else about him that Lois didn't because it wasn't fair to keep more secrets from her. Mom was the only one who knew the truth about what happened and he decided to keep it that way.
"I left."
"You left, just like that." She looked incredulous and stepped back. "You just picked up and left the farm, after I asked you for help, after you promised Jimmy you would help."
"Chloe, I never promised him anything." Clark said to her. "He came to the farm to tell me that you were in jail and why. But he didn't know where they'd taken you and I didn't know where to look."
"And it never occurred to you to use just a little of that super speed of yours to try?" Her eyes darted around the crowded beach as she lowered her voice.
Was she lecturing him on how to use his abilities?
"And then do what, break you out of jail?" It was his turn to step back. "You broke the law."
"I did that because I was trying to help you." She appealed to him with a shake of her head and put her hand back on his arm. "I did all that to help you."
She was right.
"And I shouldn't have let you do it." He confessed and stepped back again. "It was wrong and it got you into a lot of trouble."
"I'd do it again if I had to." Chloe admitted. "You're my friend; Clark and I'll always be here for you."
"What about Lois?" He asked. "She's your family and you haven't been there much for her because of me."
"Lois doesn't need me; she can take care of herself." Chloe seemed to dismiss his comment and he didn't like it.
"She doesn't need a nosey cousin either." Clark felt the need to tell her. "You were asking her questions that she didn't want to answer and you wouldn't let it go. And then you went behind her back and talked to Oliver."
"Well if she'd just told me what was going on, I wouldn't have."
"She didn't tell you because it wasn't your business." He sighed. "Lois doesn't need to tell you everything that she's doing, any more than you need to tell her."
"It's just that she's been spending a lot of time at the farm and I was curious." She sounded defensive.
"She's been my friend Chloe." He stated simply. "Probably a better friend than I deserve."
"Have you told her anything?"
Krypton.
"Chloe."
"Are you planning to?"
"That's none of your business either." He folded his arms across his chest. "Anything that I discuss with Lois is between us."
"How do you feel about her?"
"I'm going swimming." He unfolded his arms and turned for the water, refusing to answer any more questions.
"Clark." She called after him as he waded in and tried to locate Lois. When he found her, she was doing a slow backstroke away from the other swimmers crowding the lake, so he swam out to meet her.
"The next time I try and play peacemaker and suggest having Chloe and Jimmy meet us here, please tell me no." Lois mentioned casually as she measured her strokes.
"As long as there isn't another twenty-four hour rule in place." He couldn't help but laugh.
"Deal." She rolled over on her stomach and matched his easy pace as they kept moving. "So what did she say?"
"She said that Oliver is still in love with you and that Lana is still in love with me." He frowned. "Chloe said that she was at the charity ball."
"Would it have changed anything if you knew that?" She asked a little breathlessly as she continued to swim. Clark knew how difficult it had been to ask and didn't hesitate to reassure her.
"No." He said, wanting her to know she had nothing to worry about. "Lana may have changed her mind, but I haven't."
She nodded. "It sounds like Chloe has stayed in touch with her."
"They are friends." He mentioned the obvious.
"But she's your friend too." Lois observed. "That should count for something."
"She was in the middle when Lana and I were having so much trouble, because she was a friend to both of us." Clark admitted. "It wasn't fair to do that to her."
"Probably not." She replied. "But if it was too much for her, she could have said something."
He'd had enough of talking about Chloe and Lana.
"Lois, would you mind if I took you home?" He glanced over at her and she shook her head.
"I wouldn't mind." She sighed. "This would have been a lot more fun without chaperones."
"I'll bring you back out here if you want." He grinned. "And if you want to invite Jimmy and Chloe I'll just have to say no."
"You need to learn to say 'no' more often, Clark. It makes life much easier that way." She laughed softly and he smiled.
He liked hearing her laugh.
"Would you mind taking me back to the farm instead?" Lois asked as they turned around and headed back. "I think I'd rather be there."
"The farm it is." He agreed.
Lois was stepping into her cover up and Clark was pulling on his tee shirt when Jimmy and Chloe waded out of the water and met them. "Where are you guys going? The afternoon is still young." He asked them.
"Lois has a date tonight and I've got chores to do, so we need to get going." Never mind that the date she had was with him.
"But that's hours yet." Chloe looked at Clark and something about it made him feel uneasy. "You can stay a little longer."
Lois shook her head. "I've had enough of the water today, Chlo."
"Well then just sit here and enjoy the sun." She persisted. "It's a beautiful day."
"I'm sorry Chloe, but the afternoon milking can't wait." Clark was just as persistent. "We'll see you later."
He bent over to pick up his towel and slung it over his shoulder. When he straightened up, saw the reason Chloe had tried to stall him.
Lana.
"Hello Clark." She smiled at him and he looked at Lois.
He could see the mask of indifference on her face and knew she was feeling anything but. "I'll meet you up at the truck." She started to trudge up the beach and away from him. "Nice to see you Lana."
"Lois." He tried to stop her.
"Don't take too long." Lois called back and kept walking.
"Chloe." He couldn't ever remember really being angry with her, but he was at that moment.
"Lana was back in town and wanted to talk to you." She tried to explain. "You wouldn't talk to her and I figured that since we were going to be here, it would give you the chance."
He glanced at Lana. "I said everything I needed to say."
"Why don't you give Lois the keys to your truck so she can go home and get ready for her date." Chloe wouldn't give up. "And then we'll drive you home later."
"That won't work because her date is with me." Clark shook his head before he walked away from the trio and up the beach, toward Lois.
"All right, CK!" He heard and if he hadn't been so upset with someone who was supposed to be his best friend, he would have smiled. At least they seemed to have Jimmy in their corner, and then he heard, "What?".
He found Lois leaning against the truck, her hands folded in front of her. "Well that was fun."
"They know your date is with me." Clark told her and Lois sighed. "I know you wanted to tell her together, but she needed to know."
"And Lana." She added.
"I don't care if Lana knows or not." He reached for her hand and stopped. No touching. "I didn't care if Chloe knew or not but because you did, I didn't say anything. But after what happened down there, I had to say something because I don't want her or Lana thinking that I'm available."
"You're not?" That seemed to surprise her and that surprised Clark. It also irritated him not to be able to hold her, to reassure her of his feelings, but a deal was a deal; so he had to reassure her with his words.
"Lois, I haven't been available since the night at the Regent." He told her honestly and tried to search for the right thing to say to get the worried look off of her face. "The way you kissed me and the way I felt when you touched me, I've never felt that with anyone but you." He sighed in frustration. "I don't want anyone else but you."
"You don't feel anything for her?"
"No." He shook his head. "Once I got over being hurt by what she did, I realized that the feelings I had for her weren't there anymore. And I also realized what a great friend you were because you didn't let me brood in the loft after you found me." He couldn't help but smile at that.
It was what she always accused him of doing whenever she found him up there and maybe it was why he had been up there so infrequently since she brought him home. He didn't have a need for it because he had Lois in his life.
They rode back to the farm in silence, but it wasn't the uncomfortable silence that Lois detested. She sat close enough to him so that he could feel her body heat, but not close enough to touch.
"I really do need to get the afternoon milking." Clark told her as he turned onto the lane to take them down to the house. "So you can have the shower first."
She nodded.
"Are you all right?" It wasn't like Lois to be silent for so long and he wondered what she was thinking about.
"You've been with her, haven't you?" It wasn't an accusation, but a simple question and he nodded.
But hadn't she already known that?
"And when she lived here, you were sleeping together." She sighed.
"Not at first, but yeah." Clark hated admitting it to her, but he wasn't about to keep it from her because she had the right to know.
"And technically speaking, so have we." Lois glanced over at him.
"What's wrong Lois?" He couldn't get a handle on where her thinking was going and she shook her head. "Come on, you can tell me."
"It's stupid." She refused and it suddenly dawned on him that she was jealous, and she didn't like it.
"It was never right between us, not really." He ventured carefully. "We were together, but not for the right reasons."
"It was never right with us either." She sat back and he knew she was referring to Oliver. "Our trouble was that we never really finished what we started."
Were they actually discussing what he thought they were discussing? "Lois?"
She cleared her throat and Clark could tell that she wasn't particularly comfortable about the topic they'd stumbled into. "We would get to a certain point and then."
They were.
"I get the picture." He did and didn't really want to hear any more.
"Nothing." She took a deep breath and then he saw a tear roll out of the corner of her eye. "Nothing."
Then he understood why she had always been so insecure about their relationship. And it was much more than he wanted to know.
"I'm sorry." He didn't know what else to say because to let his mind ponder it further would take him to a place he wasn't ready to go.
"Clark?" Her voice sounded breathless, as it had earlier that day.
"What?"
"You wouldn't do that to me, would you?" And before he could try to answer, she took in a sharp breath of embarrassment and shook her head. "I did not just ask you that."
The trouble was she had and it got images of them going in his head that he wasn't ready to see, but he had to be honest with her. "I wouldn't do that to you." He told her as he got out of the truck. "I'll be in the barn."
This wasn't going to start happening to them, was it? Their past relationships with Lana and Oliver weren't going to start becoming a factor with them, were they?
As he walked to the barn, he listened for the door of the truck and didn't hear it. He turned around and the cab looked empty. Clark walked back and he heard her crying, or at least doing her best not to.
He'd only heard her cry one other time and it had hurt him, because then as now it was because of him. He found her lying down across the seat, her head on the spot where he'd been sitting and he sighed. "Honey, you can't stay there."
What did he just say?
She looked up at him with red eyes and a flushed face, looking as though she were wondering the same thing. "Clark?"
"Yeah?"
"Did you just call me 'honey'?"
"Uh-huh." You're a dead man, you know that.
"Why?"
He shrugged. "I don't know, it just sort of slipped out."
"Oh." She tried to act casual about it, but Clark could see the confusion in her eyes.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. It actually sounded kind of nice." She was quiet for a moment. "Just don't get in the habit of saying it."
"I won't if you get out of the truck and into the house." He tried to stop the smile he could feel coming and motioned her out as he opened her door. "I still have milking that I need to take care of."
She sat up and scoot to the edge of the seat and set her feet on the running board. "I don't suppose you'd carry me into the house?"
He did smile then and shook his head. "You've got two perfectly good feet that didn't walk a lot today."
"But I swam a lot, does that count?" And then she smiled. "Give a girl a break, Smallville."
"Out." He shook his head again. "Give a guy a break Lois, I've got chores to do."
"I know there's something else you'd rather do." She slipped out of the truck and came to a stand in front of him. They weren't touching, but they were also closer than he would like.
"Lois." She really was going to drive him crazy.
"I'm going, I'm going." She laughed as she raised an eyebrow at him. "You don't know what you're missing."
As she stepped away from him and walked to the house, he sighed and turned for the barn.
Yes he did, and she knew it.