"All I want is your shirt," Lois demanded with an outstretched hand.

Clark raised the rake he held higher to serve as some sort of protection. "You can't have it."

"Why not?"

"Well, for one, I'm wearing it and for another, it's cold out here. It's protecting me from the elements."

"Come on, Smallville. Look," she said, pointing to the unfinished scarecrow on the Kent porch. "I only have to stuff your shirt full of hay and then it's done. I'm doing this for you, you know. I don't have to be here, wasting a perfectly good Saturday, making you an artistic fall decoration."

"Why don't you go up to my room and borrow one that I'm not wearing. You've never had any trouble with that before. And why does it have to be one of my shirts anyway? I thought you hated my choice of clothes."

"Smallville, Smallville," she said, shaking her head in a wise sage sort of way. "Going upstairs is a long way to go when you have one right there on your back and as much as I disagree with your sense of fashion, it represents the heart of the Kansas farmland, which is exactly what this Kansas-made scarecrow needs."

"I have to start raking and I'm keeping the shirt," he said, getting ready to move.

"Have it your way," she said in a voice that could only mean trouble. "I guess I'll just have to use mine," and she began to lift up the shirt she was wearing.

"Wait, you can have mine!" he exclaimed, unbuttoning his own shirt in a frenzy. The last thing he needed to see was a shirtless Lois. He was aware that his attraction for her was getting stronger and stronger and she seemed to be getting more and more indifferent.

She laughed when she had the red flannel shirt in her hand, "You are so easy. Like I was really going to take my shirt off in front of you."

Clark blushed and set off to focus on the task of raking leaves.

He was barely off the stairs, when Lois said, "Clark, I'm sure any passing female driver will appreciate the view, but it is kind of chilly out here."

It took him a second to realize what she was talking about. He didn't really get cold and he'd almost forgotten to get another shirt. He blushed a deeper shade of red and headed quickly for the door. Lois laughed. At least, she was chalking his insensitivity to the cold up to his embarrassment.

A few minutes later he was raking furiously, trying to get thoughts of Lois off his mind. He had already made a pile much bigger than he had intended to make while Lois was here.

"Wow, you work fast," Lois commented from behind him.

He dropped his rake. "Well, I…uh--"

"I finished the scarecrow," she said, interrupting his pitiful attempt at thinking up an explanation.

"That's good," he replied, knowing how stupid that sounded.

Lois smiled and then said, "Can I jump in the leaves?"

He laughed, forgetting himself for a moment. "Isn't that for little kids and I don't want you to mess up the pile."

She wasn't listening, she had already backed up and was about to take off running like an Olympic pole jumper. The only thing he could do was to get himself and the rake out of her way. She made an expert dive into the leaves. She scooted to the edge and said, "Your turn, Smallville."

"I don't think so, Lois," he said, picturing himself diving into the leaves and leaving a crater. He went toward the leaf pile, his rake in hand, and started raking the scattered leaves back into a neat pile. Lois stood up taking the rake from his hand and took off running with it. He refused to chase her like he knew she wanted.

She turned back around and saw that he wasn't. "Come on, Clark. Don't you want your rake back?"

"Running with a rake is dangerous," he warned her.

She rolled her eyes and threw it down, but her eyes gleamed when she spotted the football. "What about this, Smallville? Do you want the football that scored your first winning touchdown or do you want me to give it to Shelby as a chew toy?"

He'd found it when he was doing some fall cleaning and had been tossing it around that morning for old times sake. He couldn't believe he'd forgotten to put it back, but Lois had come over and announced she was going to make a scarecrow and he had to get the leaves cleaned up before his mom came home. Although, if he had thought of it, he could have blown them all to the next county, but he didn't want to make more work for others. It never ceased to amaze him that Lois knew just how to push his buttons, but lately it almost gave him pleasure.

He smiled and gave in, if she wanted to play, they could play. He let her lead the chase until he got her over to the leaf pile for a softer landing, then he tackled her. She still hadn't relinquished the football yet and they rolled around a couple times, laughing as he tried to pry it from her grasp. Suddenly they had worked themselves into a bad position. He was overtop her and his legs were entwined with hers and his face was above hers. The laughing had stopped and intense, silent stares had began. The distance between them was getting closer and closer and they didn't seem aware of just how close until their lips were touching. They were lost in a deep, passionate kiss until they heard someone clearing his throat. They looked up guiltily like kids who had been caught with their hands in the cookie jar.

Oliver was smiling at them. "How come every time I run into you guys lately, it seems to be an awkward situation?"

"I don't know what you mean," Clark said nervously, as he pulled a leaf out of Lois' hair. "Did you need something?"

"I need to talk to you," he said, raising his eyebrows to emphasize that it had to do with needed powers and couldn't be discussed in front of Lois. "It's not too urgent, but it's urgent."

"Right," he said, picking up himself and the football. "Just let me put this up before Shelby finds it. I'll meet you in the living room," and he hurried into the house.

Oliver helped Lois to her feet. He was still smiling, making Lois more than a little annoyed. "You better wipe that smug look off your face or I'll wipe it off for you."

Oliver paid no attention to her, "I think it's great that you've found somebody."

"Found somebody? We were just playing around in the leaves. That's all."

"That was some serious playing."

"What are you and Clark going to talk about?"

"Just guy stuff. You wouldn't be interested and don't try to change the subject."

"I'm not. So who do you want Clark to fool this time? Some new girlfriend?"

Oliver looked guilty. "How did you know?"

"Well, I already knew that the guy I kissed wasn't you, obviously. Kissing Clark a second ago just clued me in to who it was."

"Are you going to tell him you know?"

She shrugged. "I'm sure it'll come up eventually, but what does it really matter?"

"It's always good to get things out in the open and I know that sounds hypocritical, but it's true. Are you going to talk about your recent kiss at least?"

She shrugged again. "Maybe."

"You may be able to play games with Clark, but you can't play games with me. I know you love him. It's in your eyes. You should tell him."

Lois tried to look angry at the suggestion that she could possibly love Clark Kent, but she failed miserably. "It's complicated, Ollie. I'm going to head on home. Tell him that I'll see him at work Monday," and she turned and began to head for her car.

"Lois?" Oliver called.

She turned back around.

"Don't wait too long to make things uncomplicated. Clark isn't me. I have a funny feeling that this relationship just might work out."

She nodded and continued her trek to the car. She stopped a moment when she heard a crunch in her pocket. A leaf had worked its way into her pocket. She pulled it out and watched the red leaf flutter to the ground and for some reason it reminded her of something that she couldn't quite put her finger on. She smiled as that something somehow gave her confidence about the future.

The End