"You know what I want, Smallville?" Lois asked as she moved her head to stay in rhythm with the circulating fan on her desk.

"For the Daily Planet's air conditioner to work for once?" he ventured. He didn't know what being that hot felt like, but it didn't look like it felt good. To her anyway.

She managed to chuckle. Then she pushed the stray, sweaty strands on her forehead back to join the rest of her pony tail. "No, but close. I want a pool." Then she unbuttoned one of her buttons.

He gulped. Why had he thought working with Lois would be easy? It took awhile for the word pool to register. "But you live in an apartment."

"I didn't say I was going to put one in. I just said I wanted one." Then she gave a cry of exasperation. "How are we expected to work in these conditions?" She stood up.

That brought Clark rushing back to reality. "Where are you going?"

"To tell Perry that I'm moving in with the Eskimos."

"Huh?"

"I'm taking the rest of the day off. I don't have anything that important to work on."

"Oh," he said, trying to keep the disappointment out of his voice. He looked at his unfinished article with a sigh. It was an article on the mayor's press conference from earlier that day. He should have been done an hour ago, but Lois had the power of distraction. He wished he could give her the pool she wanted. Then a brilliant idea entered his head. He quickly looked around and then he finished the rest of the article in 20 seconds flat.

After handing over the article, he took off to set his plan in motion before Lois got home.

sss

Lois threw her pocketbook and keys down on the table. The trip to the ice cream parlor had done a little to lift her spirits, but the taxi had been hot, so its effects hadn't lasted. She peered down at her aquarium. "I wish I could get in there with you guys," she said out loud.

"Now you can," Clark said with a grin.

Lois shot up, "Gosh, what's the matter with you? Just because I gave you a key to my apartment for emergencies does not mean you can break in anytime you want. We're not that good of friends."

"It was an emergency. I have a surprise for you."

"I guess you really do reap what you sow, don't you?" she said, accepting his presence. "How many times did I barge into the farm, but in my defense I used to live there. So how are you going to help me swim with the fish?" she said, putting her hands on her hips. "That's not the surprise, is it? You're not going to kill me?"

He smiled. "Don't think I haven't thought about it."

She smiled back. "You wouldn't dare. You'd miss me too much. So where's the surprise already?"

He moved to the side, so that she could see the baby pool he'd gotten her.

Her eyes went wide with surprise as she walked over for a closer inspection. She took in the blue plastic tub with the yellow ducks on it and smiled.

"Do you like it?" Clark asked, getting embarrassed and worried for the first time. Maybe it was a dumb idea.

"It's really kind of sweet, Smallville," she said squatting down to view the water level. "I may not be able to swim in it, but it's just like having a cold spa." She stuck her hand in it and withdrew it quickly. "Wow, it really is cold. What did you do, fill it with ice cubes?"

"Something like that," he smiled.

She kicked off her shoes and stepped into the pool.

"You're still wearing your clothes," he said surprised.

"Well, I'm not going skinny dipping, at least not with you here," she said, easing into the ice cold water.

"You know what I meant," he said with an annoyed look. "Shouldn't you put on your bathing suit first?"

She smiled, "Nah. That takes time and I'm hot now. It won't hurt anything, but if it makes you feel better, I'll take off my jacket."

He gulped. Just the sight of her in her buttoned tank-top was enough to send his heart racing these days. "Well, I think I'm going to go now. Enjoy."

"What's your hurry? Why don't you join me?"

He wasn't sure he'd heard her right. "What?"

"Sure. There's enough room for 2 people. It's shallow, but wide."

"I don't know."

"Look at you. You have a heavy jacket, a tie, and a long-sleeved shirt. You have to be hot in all that. Loosen up for once. Get a little wet and wild. I promise I don't bite."

He walked to the edge and hesitated. It was completely ridiculous to get his work clothes wet and it would be mighty cramped with the two of them in there. He was about to tell her he had something to do, but she grabbed him by the ankles and sent him crashing down beside her before he knew it. Some of the water went sloshing out of the pool and they were both a little wetter. She was laughing. He couldn't help but laugh with her. He never saw her coming despite all his superpowers and she was right. He did need to loosen up. Once the laughter subsided though, an awkward silence descended.

"You should have brought some pool toys too," Lois joked, breaking the silence at last.

"Yeah," he said, barely hearing her. He couldn't help but notice that her leg was pressed up against his.

The cell phone in her jacket started ringing. It was over on his side now. She had to cross over him to get to it and answer it, but it stopped ringing before she got to it. Now they were really in an uncomfortable position. She was practically on top of him. Before they really knew what they were doing, their faces were millimeters apart.

However, it was at that moment that Lois' apartment door went swinging open and Chloe came walking in. There was more splashing and sloshing as Clark and Lois attempted to retreat to their respective sides.

"Whoa," Chloe said. "This is a little awkward."

"You know just because I give my close friends and family keys to my apartment for emergencies, emphasis on the emergencies," Lois said with a glare, "does not mean you guys can come barging in whenever you feel like it."

"It's not what it looks like," Clark interjected weakly.

"I tried calling your cell to warn you," Chloe said. "Jimmy and I had another fight, so I came to hang out here, but I can find somewhere else to stay."

Clark was very red with embarrassment by now. He stood up. He attempted to help Lois up, but she swatted his hand away and got up on her own. She stepped out, but Clark still stood there unsure of walking out onto the carpet as wet as he was.

Lois rolled her eyes. "The carpet's already wet, Clark, and it's really not what it looks like, Chloe."

Chloe raised her eyebrows.

"It's not," Lois said. "You see it was hot and I said I wanted a pool and Clark thought he'd be a good friend and get me one and then he was hot and we both got in and the phone rang."

"Sure," Chloe said in a humoring tone.

"Well, Clark and I know it was innocent. That's all that matters. Right, Smallville?" she demanded.

He swallowed hard and he tried to nod in an affirming manner as he rung out his jacket over the pool. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow," she said.

Once he shut the door behind him, he heard Lois cry out still frustrated at the situation, "Quit looking at me like that. It was a baby pool with ducks on it for goodness sakes. It doesn't get any more innocent than that!"

He smiled. It had started out innocent anyway. Maybe he wasn't as alone in his feelings for her as he thought he was. Summer had just become his new, favorite season.

The End