Well hello. I hope everyone is still basking in the glow of season 10 renewal news and those lovely Escape stills.

This idea is not mine, but Paloma's. She asked why there were no fics of the four dates between Pandora and Disciple, and this is my attempt to take up that challenge. Also, look at me writing a sort-of serial fic!

The plan (says she hopefully) is to post a new part of the story every few days; I have four dates planned and/or written, with another two planned out. If real life doesn't kick my ass too much over this (unnecessarily long) hiatus, I'll be able to post all six parts.

Thanks are due to Olivia once again, for coming to my rescue (because I suck at picking titles for my own stories) and giving me the title.

So without further ado, I give you part one, which follows on after the elevator doors close at the end of Pandora.

The very first date

…In which Clark is given a new set of rules

He didn't let go of her hand until the elevator doors opened with a ding on the canteen floor. Lois tugged her hand free and walked out of the elevator, Clark following behind.

That was him, always following behind Lois. A recent examination of his heart had yielded an undeniable truth – he would follow her to the ends of the earth.

If she would let him.

They didn't speak as they waited in line for coffee, the moment too important to be sullied by pointless words. It was the afternoon and the canteen was quiet; it was easy to find an empty table in a secluded corner where they could talk.

Lois sipped at her coffee, giving Clark a welcome opportunity to study her without her noticing. It was one of his new favourite pastimes, and he was trying to work out what she was thinking. The silence, however, was not so welcome. In fact, it was deafening; was it always going to be so awkward?

Eventually, she spoke, her face serious, her tone implying she was not to be argued with. "So Smallville, let's get something straight. This… whatever it is, we're taking it slow. Got it?" Clark refrained from laughing out loud. He recognised her tactics; the best form of defence, according to Lois? Attack.

Instead, he nodded in agreement and said, "Yeah Lois, slow". He couldn't resist adding, "That's what I said," and was rewarded with a patented wilt-you-into-your-chair-and-make-you-feel-three-inches-tall glare from across the table.

"And," she continued, "we need to lay down some rules". Clark knew what was coming, but had to ask anyway, "I assume you're the one laying down the rules?" She pressed on as though she hadn't heard him, and began, "First of all, no labels." Clark was confused, and said so. "Huh? What do you mean, 'labels'?"

"I mean, no….terms. Like…" she said in a rush. "And NO touching, I mean it Clark, and separate cars at the beginning and end of every date, and no official 'couple' title for at least six weeks, and we're not just going to tell people that we're dating right away because I don't want gossip around the office about us, and that includes your Mom too."

Clark blinked. That was quite a list of rules to keep. He leaned forward slightly and asked "Lois, we are allowed to actually date, right?" She glared at him again, but he wasn't backing down this time. "I'm just making sure we have everything covered," she said, before looking down at her coffee. "There's a lot at stake, Clark…" she trailed off, her voice so quiet he wouldn't have been able to hear it without his enhanced hearing.

But he understood. There was a lot at stake. Didn't she see it was the same for him too?

"I know, Lois" he said. "But that doesn't mean it won't work". Lois looked up, and Clark was nearly knocked flat by the hope in her eyes. It was only there for a second before she dropped her head again, but Clark couldn't help the grin that was threatening to split his face in half.

And then he had the strangest feeling, one that he only got standing in sunlight, feeling the sun's power rush through him. Except he wasn't in sunlight at the moment… it was because of Lois. Always Lois. She was in this too, right there with him, ready to figure out where they were going from here.

They both sat there, absorbing the moment, lost in their own thoughts. Finally, Clark spoke. "Lois, I was thinking…" She wouldn't look at him, and in reply he got a "Mmmm hmmm?" He cheated and tuned his hearing to a level that allowed him to hear her heartbeat. It was racing – in excitement? Fear? He couldn't tell.

Clark pushed on, trying to get her to look at him. "A date is where two people go somewhere together and talk about their relationship, right?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Kinda like now?"

This time, she did look up, a smile on her face. It was one of Clark's (many) favourite things about her, her smile. He could tell so much about her just from that one simple thing, and he couldn't help wondering if she had a secret smile reserved just for him.

He had to admit that the one she was giving him right now, complete with warm hazel eyes, was doing funny things to his insides.

"Yeah, Clark, kinda like now."

"Which means, Lois, that this is our first proper date." Was he grinning like an idiot? He probably was. Lois's tone was teasing and light as she replied, "Now that you've figured what what a date is, yes." What was a (super-powered Kryptonian) man to do except answer in kind? "I did know what a date was. But you were wearing that red dress and I got distracted…" Clark trailed off suggestively, and Lois giggled slightly. He would never get tired of hearing that.

He was also never getting tired of hearing, or saying "Our first proper date" with a smile on his face. The smile faltered a little when Lois said "Eventually, yes, it is".

Eventually. Like she'd been waiting on it to happen.

Clark could've smacked himself in the head. He'd been blind, of course he had, but with one sentence she had made him realise how much he needed to apologise for. Starting now.

She was looking down at her coffee again and didn't notice, or at least react, when he got up and went back to the counter. As he waited on his order, he looked over to where Lois was sitting, studying her, memorising the way her hair fell over her shoulders, the outline of her face, the curve of her waist.

She just took his breath away. How had he not seen it until now?

Lois, her thoughts obviously far away, jumped in her chair when he set a mug and plate in front of her before sitting back in his own seat. "Do I look like I need a refill?" she asked, eyebrow raised. "It's an apology," Clark replied, with all the sincerity in the world. "For not getting you one when you came back from Mexico."

She frowned slightly, confused, before understanding dawned on her. "It's ok," she said, shrugging her shoulder. "It was just coffee." He shook his head, trying to make her understand. "But I shouldn't have left you there by yourself, Lois. I'm sorry that I did."

"How did you kno-" she stopped mid-sentence. "You were there?" He nodded and took a deep breath before he spoke. "I was across the street… After everything, I just… I couldn't… I was scared. I was scared of sitting down and thinking about what you mean to me. I should've told you that."

There was silence again, and Clark couldn't look at her, afraid of what she might say. It was her soft voice, saying his name, that made him look up. "I forgave you for that when you got shot, Clark." He shrugged. "I healed." But he had still hurt her, and he knew it.

Lois lifted the muffin off the plate and waved it at him, her tone lighter. "And what's this for?" He teased her a little, saying "To make sure your blood sugar levels stay high. And for not going on a date with you sooner… like the monster truck rally." Lois frowned again, not understanding what he meant. "But you had a story to write, Smallville." "No! No. That wasn't it, Lois. I really wanted to go with you," he told her, more seriously now.

"You hate monster trucks."

"But you don't."

This time, Lois shook her head. "We're starting over, Clark. A clean slate. Everything else is in the past."

Clark nodded in agreement, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders. The afternoon break was almost over, and it was time to head back to their desks. On the way down in the elevator, Lois turned to him. "I never thanked you for the roses." "Did you like them?" he asked, a smile on his face at the way she was looking at him. "They were beautiful, Smallville, but why five dozen?" Lois wanted to know.

"A dozen for every year that you've been turning my life upside down" was his simple reply.

She smiled at him, and he smiled back, and in that moment, Clark made a new rule for himself, to go along with the ones Lois had set for them.

Hold onto her and don't let her go.

It was a rule he would gladly keep.

Up next: The lunch date.