"Come on Smallville, get the lead out." He heard her impatient, irritated call as it floated up the stairs. "You're starting at the Planet tomorrow and you've got nothing to wear."
"I have plenty to wear." He frowned as he called back to her from the doorway of his bedroom. "You just won't let me wear any of it."
"Because you can't wear what you wear at a place like the Planet." He'd bet she was rolling her eyes. "You don't want to look like a dorky farm boy, do you?"
"Fine." He remarked quietly to himself and sighed, looking down at the red tee shirt, jeans and work boots that he had on. "So what makes you think that I can't find something to wear on my own?" What was he, five?
"Because I know your taste in clothes." Was she laughing?
Suspecting that, Clark found himself with a reluctant smile on his face; maybe this shopping trip wouldn't be so bad after all. He just wished that he didn't feel like his mom was taking him into town to buy clothes for the new school year. Who knew what could happen shopping with Lois?
"Smallville, come on." He heard her call to him again and he rolled his eyes. Clark loved her more than anything, but she still had the ability to drive him crazy.
"Lois, it's not even noon yet." He reminded her as he walked out of his room and down the hall, stopping at the head of the stairs. She had a hand on the banister and a foot on the bottom step, looking as though she was ready to come up and collect him if she had to.
She was beautiful even when she was irritated and he reminded himself not to smile when he saw her elevated eyebrow. He took the stairs at a leisurely pace just to irritate her further and he was rewarded when she stepped back from the staircase and folded her arms across her chest.
"By the time you get down here, it's going to be time for dinner."
"I think you're exaggerating." And then he did smile. "Besides, I'll make it worth the wait."
"And just how do you plan on doing that?" He saw her face color with a light flush and knew that she understood what he meant.
"If you'll stop talking for a second, I'll show you." Clark stopped at the bottom of the stairs and then leaned in to kiss her. At first he thought she was objecting because it felt as though she was trying to push him away when she grabbed his shirt, so he started to lean back.
But she fisted it to keep him close and then let go long enough to get her arms around his neck and kiss him back, pressing him against the banister with her body. He should have known she wouldn't let him stay in control of the situation, so he tried to regain it by getting his arms around her and slowly deepening his kiss.
Was it possible for a girl to melt in your arms? Because that was how it felt as Lois' body seemed to become part of his, her softness against him in stark contrast to the tightness he could feel in his own. He felt her fingers move into his hair as she pushed against him even more and when she answered his intimate kiss with one of her own, he lost his balance.
He was barely aware of what was happening, but cognizant enough to know that they were going to fall and he made sure that his body would take the brunt.
Big mistake.
As he landed on the stairs, Lois's softness, her warmth and her curves came to rest on him and with the feel of that intoxicating combination he was hard pressed not to pick her up and get her upstairs as quickly as possible. But his actions never got a chance to follow his thoughts.
"Wouldn't you two be more comfortable on a bed? Or at least the couch; it is closer." An amused voice asked from the front porch.
Oliver.
Clark felt Lois' body stiffen in embarrassment as her head went down on his shoulder and she whispered. "Crap."
"Go upstairs." He quietly suggested. "When he's gone I'll come up and get you."
She nodded in agreement and pushed herself off of his chest, her hands having come to rest there to brace herself when they fell. "I forgot the door was open." She told him as he helped her stand.
"It's all right Lois." He tried to reassure her. "You couldn't have known."
Lois nodded again as she helped him to sit up before she let go of his hand and scrambled up the stairs.
"Come on in." Clark didn't move from his position, not wanting to embarrass Lois even further with the evidence of how much he'd wanted her.
Oliver opened the screen door and stepped into the house, not even bothering to hide the grin on his face. "I'm not surprised that you can't stay away from her."
"Oliver." He frowned and shook his head.
"You love her, don't you?" His expression softened to a smile and Clark nodded. "Does she love you?"
He nodded again.
"Would in be indelicate of me to ask if you've done anything about that yet?"
"Yes." Clark glanced up, hoping his friend wouldn't ask any more questions. "That's between Lois and me."
"Fair enough." Oliver agreed. "I actually came out here so I could bring you this." And he handed Clark his new press pass. "I meant to give it to Lois on Friday, but she left before I had the chance to."
He took it and shook his head in disbelief. He held in his hand laminated, photographic proof that he was the newest member of The Daily Planet.
"Thanks." He held it up. "Lois and I were on our way to Metropolis to do some shopping. She doesn't think I have anything appropriate to wear."
"Well Clark, she will have to work with you and if you let her have her way with this, it'll make your career at the Planet go that much smoother."
"Yeah, I give her an inch and she takes a mile." He laughed softly.
The grin was back on Oliver's face. "And you wouldn't have it any other way, would you?"
"No." Clark admitted without regret.
"So what do you hear from your mother these days?" He put his hands in his pockets. "She sent me an email a few weeks ago about the Granville Children's Home. The charity ball was such a success last year, she thought we could do it again."
"She hasn't mentioned anything to me. But if you're interested in sponsoring it, I know she'd appreciate it."
"Will she be home for Thanksgiving? I thought we could talk about it then, though it'll be a little late to get anything planned." Oliver frowned in thought.
"Not Thanksgiving. Mom can't come home, so Lois and I were planning on going back to Washington. Her dad is stationed at the Pentagon and Mom thought it would be nice to have a family Thanksgiving, even if it is just the four of us."
"Sounds like a dress rehearsal to me." He laughed and shook his head. "Think about it. Your mother gets to spend time with Lois as your girlfriend and her father gets to spend time with you as her boyfriend. Get them used to the idea of it becoming permanent."
"Permanent?" He didn't mean what Clark thought he meant, did he?
"That's what I said." Oliver leveled a look at him. "You know; getting hitched, tying the knot." He waited for a moment. "Getting married."
"Married?"
"Yea, I know you've heard of it. A man and a woman stand in front of a minister, a priest or a justice of the peace-"
"I know what it is Oliver." Clark sighed in frustration. "But it isn't something I've thought about."
"Well, are you going to think about it? Or is there only one thing you want from her?" Oliver's eyebrows furrowed into a frown and that got Clark to stand up in a hurry and appealed to his friend's better sense.
"She means a lot more to me then that."
"I know." Oliver seemed to think better of his comment and sighed. "We rushed into things without really knowing each other and look how it ended up." And he shook his head. "I'm sorry. It's not fair comparing my relationship with her to yours."
"We don't want to screw this up." Clark ran a hand through his hair as he let out a sigh of his own. "We learned from our relationships with you and with Lana what not to do, and that was one of them."
"You're not a Boy Scout for nothing, are you?" He cracked a smile.
"I'd never hurt Lois and you know that better than anyone."
"I know you wouldn't." He agreed as he put a hand on Clark's shoulder and then laughed. "Who's playing the overprotective brother now?"
"You still care about her and I understand that."
"Clark, I've seen the way you are together and I know she means a lot to you." He sighed. "I'd just like to see this work out for the both of you."
"Then trust us to know what we're doing." Clark said to him.
"I'll do that." Oliver nodded as he walked past him toward the front door before he stopped and turned around. "I'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning."
"Oliver."
"Yea?"
"Thanks." He said to his confused looking friend.
"For what?"
"For caring about Lois so much. It's nice to know that you're in her corner." Clark explained.
"I'm in your corner too, don't forget that." He grinned as he turned back toward the door. "Don't be late or I might have to fire you." And he was gone with a laugh.
Clark stood quietly in the living room for a few minutes, thinking about what Oliver had said. He did love Lois, more than he'd ever loved anyone, but marriage?
That was something he wasn't even ready to consider.
He walked out of the room and headed upstairs, stopping in front of his mother's room to let Lois know that Oliver was gone and was surprised to see the room empty. He frowned in confusion, wondering where in the heck she could be because as he peaked into the bathroom, she wasn't there either.
He found her stretched out on his bed, on her side and looking out the window. "Well that was embarrassing."
"He's gone." Clark mentioned quietly as he stepped into his room and approached the bed. Was it wrong to think that she looked so right there? And what did it say about him that he gave in to the urge to join her when he sat down on the edge and then laid down behind her?
He pulled her against his chest and felt her sigh as she put her head back against his shoulder. He rest his cheek on her hair and held her close. "I'm sorry you were embarrassed."
"I guess it would have been more embarrassing if we hadn't had any clothes on." And he felt the unmistakable shaking as she tried to stifle a laugh.
"I wouldn't have minded." He grinned, knowing that he would get an elbow is his ribs, which he did.
"Smallville." She admonished him, but Clark would bet that her face was just as red as his was.
"Oliver stopped by to drop off my press pass." He dropped a kiss in her hair. "You left on Friday before he could give it to you."
"He couldn't take the hint, could he?" She laughed softly.
"Apparently not." Clark smiled as Lois snuggled against him. "So what about this shopping trip that was so urgent? Are we still going?"
"We will, but I kind of like what we're doing right now."
"So do I." He nodded his agreement.
"But do you know what I'd like better?" She snuggled closer and Clark knew what she was getting at.
"What would you like better?" He smiled, wanting to hear her say it.
"Before we get off this bed, I'd like to continue what we started downstairs."
"And how far are we going to go with that?" He stilled and felt his heart rate accelerate, not quite sure if it was because he was nervous about what might happen or because he was anticipating it.
"Don't worry Clark, I'll push you off the bed when I've had enough." She laughed again.
"Can I trust you to do that?" He asked as he rubbed his cheek against her hair, releasing the scent of freshly shampooed hair and he smiled again because she always smelled so good.
"Can I trust you to stop when I ask?" Lois answered his question with a question of her own.
"Yes." They each answered the other's question and she rolled over to look at him.
"Then stop talking and kiss me." She looked into his eyes and tipped her face up, signaling to him not to waste any more time, so he didn't.
~*~
It shouldn't have taken them as long as it had.
All Lois had planned on doing was making sure that Clark had a selection of shirts, jackets, ties, pants and shoes that he could mix and match during the week. Though she had to admit to being unsure if she trusted him to look presentable.
Oh, well. She couldn't help but smile because that just meant that she'd have to make sure he was.
It shouldn't have taken them as long as it had to find his new wardrobe, but somehow she kept allowing him to coax her into his dressing room on the pretext of giving her opinion of what he was trying on and when he had, would kiss her senseless; not that she minded.
She was becoming accustomed to his spontaneous moments of passion because it reinforced how much he wanted to be close to her and it gave her another opportunity to be close to him. But more than once, when he'd gotten her alone and had her body pressed against the wall with his own, a concerned call from a clerk would float through the door and ask if everything was all right. Clark would stifle a laugh and reassure them that everything was fine.
'You don't want our first time to be in an elevator, but you seem to be perfectly fine with a dressing room.' Lois had laughed softly and held him close. 'At least in an elevator, we would have had more privacy.'
'When our time comes, we'll have all the privacy we could want. I promise.' He assured her with a gentle kiss and she believed him.
They had dinner at the Ace of Clubs before they headed for home and as they drove up the lane toward the house, Lois frowned in curiosity at an unfamiliar car parked next to the house. The closer they got, however, she tried not to sigh as she saw none other than Lana Lang sitting on the front porch swing.
"What in the hell is she doing here?" Lois wondered to herself and was startled to hear the same thought come from Clark. Her well-mannered farm boy, who never swore, did just that at the sight of his ex-girlfriend.
"Why does she keep doing this?" Clark sighed as he brought Lois' car to a stop next to his truck and shut down the engine. "I don't know what else to say to her so she'll understand."
"Honey, you'll just have to tell her again." She smiled at him and kissed his cheek. "That you are uninterested and unavailable."
His blue eyes seemed to sparkle as he smiled at her. "You called me honey, again."
"So what are you going to do about it?" Lois asked him, feeling her face warm at his pleased expression. The truth of it was, she hadn't thought about what she was saying; she just said it.
"You need to ask?" He leaned over and kissed her, and then he sighed again. "Let's get this over with."
"What do you want to do?" She caught his eye and stopped him before he got out of the car. "I'll stay with you while you talk to her or I can go upstairs. It's up to you."
"I'd like her to leave."
"So would I. But she isn't going to go away until you make it clear to her that your relationship is in the past." Lois released a sigh of her own and then an idea struck her that just might do the trick. "Clark, if talking won't convince her, then maybe we need to show her."
His look was perplexed as he tried to understand what she was suggesting and when he didn't seem to be catching on, Lois put her hand on his arm. She was momentarily distracted at the feel of firm muscle and warm skin under her hand and gave herself a mental shake. Now isn't the time, Lois.
"What I'm suggesting is simple. We always seem to be self-conscious about touching each other when other people are around and I think if we don't let that happen while she's here, she'll get the message without you having to say anything."
"I don't know." He frowned. "Mom is the only one we're comfortable with to be so open. I don't want to touch you just to make a point."
"Then don't." She replied. "Touch me because you want to."
He nodded and Lois could see that he was unsure about her plan. "I love you."
"I love you too. So just remember that when she's trying to talk you into giving her another chance." She shrugged.
"That won't happen." His frown deepened and the firm tone in his voice reinforced his words.
"We know that and it's time that she knows that too." She leaned over and kissed his cheek again. "Let's get everything in the house and get her out of here."
"Sounds like a plan." Clark tried to smile at her, but couldn't quite manage as he got out of the car. Lois got out and closed her door before she met him at the trunk as he opened it. He pulled out the garment bags and Lois got the bag with the three new pair of dress shoes and closed it.
His gait was slow and Lois knew how much he wished he didn't have to do this again. So she put a reassuring hand on the back of his shoulder and patted it. "Come on Smallville, you can do this. And remember to behave yourself."
"Yes, ma'am." She knew he was grinning in spite of himself and didn't hesitate to smile back, and she didn't care if Lana saw it or not. Clark's ex-girlfriend was the one loose end that needed to be tied up because Lois was not going to allow her to continue to intrude on their relationship. And she knew Clark wasn't either as he came to a stop at the foot of the porch. "Lana."
She stood up, a hesitant smile on her face. "Hello Clark. I was hoping that I could talk to you, alone."
Lois stood beside Clark and slipped her hand in his, knowing it was where he wanted her to be. He squeezed it gently, telegraphing his thanks. "Whatever you need to say to me, you can say in front of Lois."
"Clark, this is between us-" She continued haltingly.
"She's my girlfriend Lana and I don't keep secrets from her." He told her quietly and his unintended jab hit its mark when Lana's eyes filled with tears and it took all of Lois' self-control not to roll her eyes.
"I did what I thought was best for us." Lana whispered as she blinked her eyes, trying to clear them.
"Did you do what you thought best when you left him with nothing but a DVD as an explanation?" Lois was surprised that her voice sounded so measured and calm, when it was the last thing she was feeling. Clark seemed surprised as well, when he looked down at her with a stunned expression. But then he squeezed her hand again as though to tell her how proud he was of her restraint.
"Lois, that's none of your business." Her soft voice took on an edge and Lois leveled a look at her.
"That's where you're wrong; it's very much my business." Lois' voice remained calm. "I love Clark and I would never do something like that to him."
"There are things you don't understand." Lana had told her that once before and she'd been right, then.
"You mean that Clark isn't human? I know." The look of shock on Lana's face told her that the raven haired girl hadn't expected her to know. "Because he told me."
"Why would you tell her?" She seemed truly stunned that Clark would tell Lois his secret.
"Because I love Lois and I wanted her to know everything about me. I wanted her to know what she was getting herself into." The sudden amusement in his voice got Lois to look up at him and he was smiling at her. "Because I don't think she does." His tone softened just before he leaned over and kissed her.
"That's what you think." She smiled and kissed him back. "Give those to me and I'll take them up to the bedroom."
"Okay." His smile grew and hung the bags over her arm. "Don't be long. It's getting a little late to watch a movie."
"Don't worry Smallville. If I fall asleep, you'll just have to carry me up to bed." She could get lost in those blue eyes of his.
"As if you'd expect me do anything else." He brushed his fingers across her cheek and Lois felt her face warm.
"Save it for later, Romeo." Lois winked at him. She stepped up on the porch, opened the screen door and then the front door, leaving it wide open. As she walked toward the stairs the sound of Lana's angry voice floated through the screen.
"Are you sleeping with her?" The tone was accusatory and Lois couldn't figure out where she'd gotten that idea. As far as she knew, Lana didn't know she was living at the farm.
"My relationship with Lois is none of your business." His voice was firm.
"Have you slept with her in our bed?"
"It's my mother's bed and it's still none of your business." Lois heard him step up on the porch and she made a beeline up the stairs to his room.
Where had Lana gotten the idea that they were sleeping together? And then she realized something. When she'd told Clark she would take his clothes upstairs, she'd said the bedroom and not his. Lana obviously thought Lois had meant their room. Great!
She hung the garment bags in the closet and put the shoes on his bed before she turned for the door and walked back down the hall. What she saw when she got to the head of the stairs was a picture that a part of her had been expecting, but hoped wouldn't happen.
And her heart stopped at the sight.
Lana had her arms around Clark's neck, kissing him and he was grabbing for those same arms to pull them away. "What do you think you're doing?" He was clearly annoyed as he turned for the living room.
"Tell me that you didn't feel anything." She followed him and Lois walked half way down the stairs to continue observing the conversation.
"I didn't feel anything." His voice was sure and steady, the look on his face calm and Lois' nervous heart calmed too. "Lana, I haven't felt anything for you for a long time. You made a decision about us without asking me what I wanted and left without telling me to my face. If you loved me as much as you always said you did, you would have talked to me."
"I know that now." She stepped toward him. "I didn't really think it through and I've regretted it since the day I left Smallville."
Lois walked down to the bottom of the stairs and watched as Clark stepped back.
"I haven't." He told her and it was then that he saw Lois. A slow smile spread across his face and he flushed as he looked back at Lana. "If you hadn't left when you did, I wouldn't have found Lois and I feel like I need to thank you for that."
Lois felt her own face warm with a blush and her eyes stung with unshed tears. He was so sweet and he was hers.
"You really love her." Lana's voice was faint and Lois felt a little sorry for her.
"I feel like I've waited my whole life for her." He nodded and glanced at Lois, the smile still on his face. "And if I'm lucky, she feels the same way about me."
She nodded in answer and his smile became a grin.
"There's always been a connection between you that I never understood." Lana finally said. "I always wished that we could have had that and wondered why we didn't."
"Because we didn't trust each other." Clark supplied the answer. "And as much as I loved you, I didn't really know you and you didn't know me. Even before I told Lois my secret, I always felt that she knew me better than anyone. I still feel that way." He looked at Lois again, as though to reassure her that she had nothing to fear.
"I still love you." Lana's voice was a whisper and Lois nearly missed it.
"But I don't love you." His own voice softened in sympathy. "Lana, when you left you forced me to move on without you and you need to do the same. Lois is my whole life and that's never going to change."
"I've never loved anyone the way I love you." She sighed.
"And I've never loved anyone as completely as I love Lois." He reached out and took her gently by her elbow. "You'll find someone like that too. But you have to let go of the past for that to happen."
"I don't think I can." She looked up at him and Lois would bet she was giving Clark her doe-eyed look. She gave the girl credit; she was going down fighting.
"I think you can." He gave her a small smile. "There's someone out there that's perfect for you. I just know that it's not me."
She had to be at war with herself, deciding whether to press the issue or give up because she didn't talk for a few minutes and that gave Clark the opportunity to walk out of the room and meet Lois at the foot of the stairs. He took her hand with a smile and walked with her back into the living room. "Lana, I'm happier than I ever thought possible and I really want that for you."
Lana turned around and Lois really felt sorry for her. But she was living with the consequences of the decision she'd made and finally seemed to accept it. "There's nothing that I can say to change your mind?"
Clark shook his head and squeezed Lois' hand. "I have everything I want right here."
Lana reluctantly nodded in answer and sighed again. "I guess there isn't anything left to say."
"Goodbye Lana." He said quietly and Lois gripped his hand in support. He was finally getting the chance that she never gave him to say goodbye and it was about time.
"Goodbye Clark." Her eyes filled with tears as she walked out of the room before she stopped and turned back around. "I'll always love you." She told him and then she was gone.
"Are you all right?" Lois asked him after a long moment and he nodded.
"It's finally over." Clark sighed. "After all of this time, that part of my life is finally finished."
"It's only going to get better without that roadblock in the way." She squeezed his hand again. "And with your mom coming home in January, it'll be darn near perfect."
He nodded again, letting go of her hand to get his arms around her waist. Lois ran her hands up his arms with a smile to get her arms around his neck and that got him to smile. "The two women I love the most are going to be under the same roof, with me. A guy couldn't ask for more."
"Really?" Lois teased and he grinned.
"Well, he could ask for a kiss."
"Or beg." It was Lois' turn to grin.
"He could, but I'm pretty sure you'll kiss him anyway." He pulled her close and his face flushed. "What do you think?"
"I think after what just happened, you deserve a kiss." She leaned up and brushed his lips with hers.
"That's not exactly what I had in mind Lois." Clark answered her action with his own.
"Then I think you need to show me what you mean." Lois whispered in his ear. "And the sooner the better."
So he did.