Title: Second Chance At Love
Rating: PG-13
Author: Dee/DD
Disclaimer: Don't own them, but wish for it everyday.
Spoilers: Hex
Summary: Clark triple checks his facts and decides to take a second chance at love.
AN: This is a 5 part AU of the Hex Clois scene and what I would love to see happen. Also, the Lana arc happened but the Clana didn't reunite.
Second Chance at Love
Part 1
After sharing bagels and coffee with Chloe, Clark left and headed straight home to the farm to do some chores before going off to work. Throughout the entire day in between investigating stories and working as his Red and Blue alter ego, he followed rule number six of Lois Lane's rules of reporting, triple check your facts. He kept going over in his mind what Chloe had said to him that morning during breakfast.
Lois Lane is a part of your life now. And, considering the nonstop puppy-dog eyes you give her, I'm guessing you don't mind much at all.
Well that fact is true Lois is and always has been a part of my life. I mean we met in the field and then she took over my bedroom when she moved in with mom, dad and I at the farm. We've shared some close moments and some steamy moments she has no idea about, and we've really grown closer as friends. Nope, I don't mind it at all. In fact I love it so much that when she's away on stories we call each other constantly because I hate not seeing her sitting across at her desk or just hearing her voice ordering me to get her a coffee or something.
Just because you were burned once doesn't mean that you can't give it a second chance.
I had been burned once by Lana, well actually way too many times to count. I should've stopped after the second time because it just wasn't meant to be. I wonder if Lois and I are meant to be. Wait, get back on track Kent. Just because I had been burned, does that mean that I can't give love a second chance. But do I really want to go through that pain again? And knowing my track record with women, if I hurt Lois I would lose her friendship and all that is good between us. Then again, things haven't been that smooth between us ever since our almost kiss at the reception and then I made things worse when I stood her up at the café. And with how high she builds her walls up around her heart, she probably won't even give me a chance.
I'm talking about neither of us living in the past. You can never be who you want to be if you're always looking over your shoulder at what could have been.
J'onn, Oliver, mom and Lois have mentioned how I live in the past too much. After J'onn saved me, I told him I was going to stop living in the past and embrace my future. But as soon as Lana appeared, I got confused and hurt Lois. Then when I learnt the truth about Lana, I still focused on her . . . oh forget it, stop dwelling on the past Clark. From this point on I will live for my future and I'm sure Lois is a part of that future. I'm crazy about her, so perhaps I should stop being so afraid and take a chance at love again. Whoa. Wait. Do I love Lois or just like her. Damn another fact I need to triple check.
By the time night fell upon Metropolis, Clark had come to a decision about his feelings for Lois and was prepared to confront her about them and reveal his secret to her. There was no way he was going to make the same mistakes he had made in the past. Knowing Lois's plane had landed and that she would turn up to write her article from her trip to Mexico, he sat at his desk deep in thought awaiting her arrival. He looked across at her name plate and smiled mischievously because he had come up with a cunning, imaginative and romantic plan for them to sit down and talk about everything.
Ooh, that's some good thinking Kent, he said to himself pleased with his idea. He made sure nobody saw him before he sped out of the Planet, to the farm to pick up a few particular items for his plan, and then returned back to his seat and attempted to type his article to pass the time. Only he soon pushed the keyboard away in frustration, unable to concentrate because he found himself continuously making mistakes because he kept glancing at the stairs.
Clark sat back in his seat, arms folded his across his chest looking across at Lois's desk thinking, if this is how Lois felt that night sitting at the café, her heart pounding, the continuous glances and hope shattering as she sat waiting . . . then I completely understand her bitterness and anger towards me. But I thought for sure that she would come to the Planet and type up her article.
Minutes later, Clark realized she wasn't going to turn up and he felt his heart breaking and hope dying thinking he had lost his second chance at love. But as he sat at his desk chastising himself, he froze suddenly, turned his head to the side recognizing Lois's soft voice and rose up out of his seat. Then he walked towards the front desk, listening to each step she took while staring towards the top of the stairs anticipating her arrival.
When Lois finally appeared, his heart hammered furiously in his chest and he felt breathless and weak, just like he does if there was Kryptonite around. She was dressed in her grey pin-stripe jacket and skirt suit which revealed her long slender legs and her brown chocolate hair freely flowed down passed her shoulders. Then when she reached the bottom of the stairs, it was clear to see she had got a suntan from her trip to Mexico because her skin was glowing.
Clark grinned mischievously, then turned around looking at a piece of paper in his hand and purposely bumped into her. But before she hit the floor he caught her with one arm around her waist and a hand under the back of her head. "Lois!" he exclaimed looking down and smiling tenderly at her.
Why is he smiling and looking at me like that. Why isn't he letting me up out of his arms and why must he always smell so damn good. Then she gulped nervously because of the intensity and adoration she saw in his eyes. "Uh . . . hi."
"Hi! Welcome back," he said breathlessly.
"Thanks. Do you think you could let me up now?" Lois asked, feeling nervous because of what his touch was doing to her.
"Oh yeah, sorry," he apologized gently lifting her up and letting his hand linger on the small of her back. "So how was Mexico?"
She shrugged his hand off, replied coolly, "It was fine, Clark," then straightened her skirt and jacket and brusquely walked into the bullpen, headed straight towards her desk.
"Just fine?" Clark queried as he walked behind her.
"Yeah, just fine," she stated sitting down at her desk eager to finish her story.
"So did you do any sight seeing? Bring back a souvenir, like maybe a sombrero for me?" Clark asked looking at her while striking an ole pose and snapping his fingers.
Lois stared at Clark with a strange expression then shook her head while rolling her eyes, not believing how much of a dork her partner was. She could feel her lips twitch, wanting to smile at his playfulness but then that little voice inside her head, shouted off a warning alarm, don't go there, Lane. It's only going to lead to heartache again.
Clark had watched Lois closely while he struck his pose and while he saw the typical Lois Lane eye roll, he also saw her lips twitch fighting the urge to smile. Maybe I'll get my second chance after all, Clark thought as he sat down at his desk looking across at her. But the tone of voice she used with her next words made him second guess that thought.
"I wasn't on a holiday, Clark, so no sight seeing . . . no souvenirs." She then faced her monitor and began typing her story.
He sighed solemnly, wondering why she was being cold towards him. When they had spoken on the phone before she left for Mexico, they had a calm and friendly talk. Except for those few slight disagreements of opinion over Chloe and Jimmy's marital problems. But now it was like she couldn't stand being in the same vicinity as him. Little did she know it's just made him more determined to break down the wall she had rebuilt around her heart.
"I know it wasn't a holiday, Lois. I was just curious about what you did . . . because . . . well you look great. The Mexican sun it really agreed with you," he said before adding enthusiastically, "Besides, it's Mexico. They make good tacos."
"I was in the sun a lot, so that would explain the tan," Lois said sarcastically while looking at him around the monitor. "I'm guessing that's what you're referring to."
"That's definitely what I was referring to," Clark replied with a confident smile.
Lois was curious about where this confident, bold, sexy, flirty and suave Clark Kent had come from. It wasn't fair of him to do this to her. Ever since he had hurt her at the reception and stood her up at the café, she decided to ignore any feelings that existed for him and just be friends. But one look into his eyes and rumble of his deep voice brought her wall tumbling down.
She held a hand up to stop him from talking, took a deep breath to pushing the feeling back down, and then placed the protective wall back up. "Clark, look, I'd really like to just sit here and type my story quietly, so I could hand it in and go home."
Clark waved his hand dismissively and said, "Ok Lois, no problem. I have my own story to finish anyway." When he received a nod of appreciation and saw her turn to focus on her story, Clark pretended to focus on his. But what he really was doing was plotting his next move inside his head.
***************************
Having already written half of her article on the plane, Lois finished hers quickly. After she checked it numerous times for mistakes and corrected any she found, she sent it to the printer and then headed to the Editor's office to hand it in. Clark had watched and waited for the right time to set up the second part of his plan, so when he saw her exit the bullpen, he picked up the phone and talked for a few minutes, then hung up feeling hopeful that everything was going to work out how he imagined.
When Lois re-entered the bullpen, she walked over and sat down at her desk staring challengingly at Clark as he typed, while swinging back and forth squeaking her chair. Now that she had finished her article she decided to place her focus on the interesting conversation she had with Chloe about Clark and a certain item in his top desk drawer.
Clark's fingers flew rapidly over the keyboard as he finished his article, while lost deep in thought about what her reaction was going to be when he tells her everything. She'll either reciprocate the feelings when I tell her I love her, laugh it off as a joke or slap me for hurting her. But how will she react when I tell her I'm the Red Blue Blur and about my heritage. Will she react the same way she did when I told her in the previous time? However, due to the distraction of Lois's intense stare and chair squeaking he couldn't concentrate on anything. I guess it's payback for distracting her that night with my chair.
Clark leaned around the monitor and raised an eyebrow asking, "Is there something I can help you with, Lois?"
Lois grinned and continued to swing her chair side to side. "Just out of curiosity, how long did it take you to realize I wasn't myself?"
Clark rolled his eyes, replying, "I'll admit, I should have realized straight away because you weren't your usual bossy and demanding self."
"Bossy and demanding, hey," Lois repeated in an amused tone.
"In an attractive way, of course," Clark charmingly added.
Lois had been thrown by his attractive comment, so she quickly dismissed it. "Well, a certain blonde source told me you like my attractive assertive flair."
Chloe or Oliver, Clark wondered as he looked at her stunned. "W . . . well, she's wrong."
"I never said it was she. And my sources are never wrong." She glanced back and forth between him and the drawer, conveying what she was talking about. "Come on, let me see it."
Clark cleared his throat and looked at her blankly. "I don't know what you're talking about, Lois." He glanced sideways at the drawer and said, "Whatever Chloe told you is a lie."
She smiled and stood up saying, "No, she's not, Smallville." Then with her eyes locked on his the entire time, she walked around and sat on his desk extending her hand out to him.
Chloe. Clark sighed defeated, while silently thinking, note to self, find the blonde source and fry her with heat vision.
Lois cleared her throat. "Hand it over."
Clark looked back and forth at Lois and the drawer contemplating whether to give it to her because he knew she was going to take full pleasure in teasing him about it. Then when he heard her clear her throat impatiently, he reached over and pulled out a picture frame. Instead of a picture inside, there was a piece of paper titled "Lois Rules of Reporting" and had a list of the rules she had written for him. He glanced around to make sure nobody was watching while he handed it to her, and then waited for the teasing to begin. Only it never did and when he faced her, he saw her staring at the frame.
Lois broke the silence a few minutes later and looked at Clark with a confused expression. "When I wrote these rules, I was so sure you would throw them away. Why did you keep them?"
Clark rose up off of his chair and leaned on the desk beside her. "They're a memory of my first day at work here and my first day at work with you . . . as my partner." Then he nudged her in the shoulder, adding, "They're also a reminder that Lois Lane is a one of a kind, accept NO substitutes."
She chuckled and nudged him back, unsure of what to say or how to respond to his affection. When he had stood her up at the café, she had made a painful decision to forget what had happened, to bury her feelings for him and just be friends, but his affectionate words, intense gazes and touches were confusing her. Then when she saw him move to stand directly in front of her, she felt her heart race and butterflies flutter wildly in her stomach. But that warning alarm went off inside her head again.
Clark grinned at the effect he was having on her and felt her tense up as he cupped her cheek. "And the other reason I kept and framed the rules is, because they're important to you . . . which makes them important to me."
"But . . . I don't." She removed his hand from her cheek and headed to her desk, only to spin back around and snarl at him frustrated. "Why are you doing this to me, Clark? Why are you saying these things? I told you that if you turned up at the coffee date, great, but if you didn't then I knew how you felt. Well you didn't turn up, so—"
"Lois . . . that was a mistake and—"
"Yes, it was. So I decided to just forget what happened." She then took a few steps closer towards him and stood with her arms folded across her chest, glaring at him. "So why are you saying these things now?"
Clark honestly answered, "Because you're special to me, Lois." She rolled her eyes at him in disbelief, so he added, "And because I'm in love with you."
"Huh!" Lois tensed up at his declaration and shook her head as a million questions, thoughts and emotions engulfed her.
Clark saw her tense up, and that he had also gained the attention of his co-workers in the bullpen but he wasn't taking anything back, so he grasped her hands in his. "I know I've hurt you. All I'm asking for is a chance to prove how much I love you." She looked up into his eyes, opening and closing her mouth to answer him but when nothing came out, he continued explaining. "I knew you'd come to the Planet to write your article, so I set up something special to make up for the coffee date and so we could be alone to talk."
"How do I know you won't change your mind tomorrow? Or if Lana were to return, how do I know you're not going to treat me like you did?" She questioned while still unconsciously holding his hands.
"I'm not going to change my mind and I'm most certainly never going to hurt you or forget you again." He placed a finger under her chin and lifted it up so they were looking at one another. "Lois, you know as well as I do there's more between us than just friendship. I also know you feel the same way but are just as afraid as I am to admit it . . . well unless of course you're chained to a chair and forced to admit it during a psycho's test."
Lois snapped out of her daze growling, "I am not afraid to admit anything. I also have no idea what you're talking about, Clark."
Clark smirked at her denial and said, "I'm talking about when you lied to me in the elevator. You never removed the sensor from your finger, Lois, so when you answered yes to loving me it was the truth."
Lois looked up at him wide eyed in shock wondering how he knew that. "Ok, so maybe I felt that way back then, but feelings change, Clark. A lot has happened since then and . . . well I just don't feel the same way anymore."
Clark scoffed and said, "Now you're the one lying. I can see you're fighting those feelings right now and I know for a fact you lied to me on the night of our coffee date. See, I have a confession to make, well actually three but let's leave the other two for later." He paused and took a deep breath to prepare himself, knowing she would be angry with his confession. "I did turn up at the café that night, but I just didn't have the courage to cross the road. When I received your text message I know you weren't following a lead, because I saw you."
Lois stepped back and scowled at him angrily. "You what? What had you so afraid that you couldn't come across the road to me? It was just a coffee, Clark."
"It wasn't just coffee, Lois and you know it." Clark sat on the edge of her desk and ran a hand through his hair frustrated. "The main reason is connected to one of my other confessions but the other reason is fear. I was afraid of what would change between us." He felt Lois' shoulders touch his as she sat on the desk beside him, listening intently. "I've only ever known love, or what I thought was love, with one person. She left and I blamed myself, but then you helped me realize that I had to move on and I did." He turned and smiled at her saying, "My heart found you and the intensity of those feelings terrified the hell out of me."
Lois nodded her head softly saying, "They terrified me as well, Smallville . . . but I was willing to see if there was anything between us."
Clark pushed himself off the desk and moved to stand in front of her. "So you're not willing to now?"
She felt the protective wall crumbling at the sound of defeat in his voice, so decided to be truthful for the sake of their friendship. "You stood me up, Clark. I just don't know if I want to take the chance."
He grasped her hands tightly in his and pleaded, "Lois. I know I hurt you. I know I made you feel unimportant and I know you don't believe me when I say I love you. Please, give me a chance. Give us a chance and I promise you won't regret it."
"Ahem . . . uh, sorry to interrupt, but I have a delivery for a Mr. Kent."
Lois saw a young Asian boy standing in the doorway, holding a box with the name Wong Ton Charlie's on the side and a bunch of red and yellow roses sitting on top of the box. Wong Ton Charlie's was her and Clark's favorite Chinese take away, so she just guessed he had ordered some food for himself and the rest was someone else's order.
Clark gave her a mischievous smile and approached the boy to pay him. Then a few minutes later, he walked back over to Lois holding the box in one hand and the flowers in the other.
He held the flowers out, charmingly saying, "For you, my love."
Lois fought back a smile as she accepted the flowers. "What is this all about, Smallville?"
"I said I had something special planned to make up for the coffee date and to prove how much I love you." So he confirmed, "Well the roses and Chinese food are part one of the plan."
"And what's part two . . . not that I really care?" Lois inquired discreetly smelling the roses.
"Now if I told you that, it wouldn't be a surprise, would it," Clark commented as he walked over to his desk.
"I don't like surprises anyway," she stated unconvincingly watching him the entire time.
Clark walked backwards out of the bullpen saying, "Just meet me on the roof in three minutes," then turned around and headed towards the elevator.
Lois stood in the doorway watching him enter the elevator, then re-entered the bullpen and sat down at her desk. She tapped her finger nails in time with the beating of her heart and looked back and forth at Clark's desk, the stairs and the elevator asking herself whether she should go or not. Her head and heart were conflicted. Her head was saying not to go and her heart was telling her to take another chance.
Meanwhile, Clark stood up on the roof facing the door, anxiously waiting and hoping she would appear.
TBC