Thief
It's a mini-series of mid-length stories that just pop in my head. Some will be AU and others won't. For the people waiting for another "Second Chance" update, there will be one soon.
Disclaimer: You know the drill. I wish I owned Smallville.
Hey Smallville:
-How'd
you like the movie?
-Get
me another interview with Superman
-Who's
getting that new office?
-Perry
wants to see you at 8PM
-Wear
that shirt I like tomorrow for dress down Friday
-Oh
before I forget, turn around smile and hand me the coffee you just
bought :)
Clark chuckled at the sticky note left on his desk and turned to see his favorite colleague grinning back at him. Lois Lane. Clark smiled back genuinely happy with his life at that moment. He could remember, not so long ago, when he would come into work everyday a nervous wreck. Lois didn't help any, to his surprise and dismay. Lois hated having Clark as a partner. "He'll slow me down, Perry!" she would to say. He didn't know anybody and nobody wanted to know him. It made Clark cringe to think that he spent so many nights alone his first year as a Metropolis reporter. But things changed when Superman arrived in the big city, especially when Clark was the primary reporter and witness to see and on rare occasions "talk" with the superhero.
Now, Clark was lucky if his cell phone bill didn't have over two hundred dollars in overage charges. He now had more friends than he wanted. Clark and Lois even became the top reporters for the Daily Planet. But the most important of all, they had started dating. Life is good.
... Well not really "dating", at least Lois wouldn't call it that, but they had been spending a lot of time together. Of course it was required for partners to be in close proximity of each other, but that moved rather quickly into an "off the clock" event. For the most part, they ate together, and hung out together. Clark even went shopping with Lois a few times. She said it was for his benefit, "to update his farm-influenced wardrobe", though there was never more than two out of the normal ten bags that his clothes actually filled.
"Thanks for waking me up." Clark said sarcastically, handing over his Starbucks' beverage to Lois.
She gladly snatched it from his hand, "I tried to wake you, Smallville. You just sleep like a rock," she took a sip before continuing. Damn that's good coffee, "I don't see how you can sleep with sunlight in your face anyway." She twirled her chair around strategically, so she wouldn't have to see his face, "I was pretty comfortable though..." she whispered to herself, blushing slightly, liking the feel of waking up in Clark's arms in the morning.
He heard, but didn't respond, just grinned remembering their movie night last night. They had been watching "The Break Up" on Lois' couch. The movie was decent but they had started the weekly ritual pretty late. By the time the credits started to roll, they had both fallen asleep, Lois partly on top on Clark. Not that he would have mind even if he'd noticed. It had been the first time Clark had slept with Lois. Even though nothing had happened it was nice not to be alone.
"So, Sparky, how' bout that Superman interview?" she said, breaking both of them out of the stare down they had seemed to find their way into momentarily. Even after all these years she still hates uncomfortable silences. Especially having them with Clark.
He frowned slightly, but quickly replaced it with a smile, "Now Now, Lois, I can't guarantee anything. That's all up to Sup himself." This was the only problem. Lois seemed to be warming up to Superman more than Clark.
The one interview Superman had had with Lois didn't go the way he had expected. The location was at Lois' apartment. There was candlelight, fine wine, and a scantly clad Ms. Lane. There was more touching than questioning, which "Superman" defiantly didn't fight against, ending with a kiss and lot of positive review on the front page of the next days newspaper. All was not well with him that night though. Even though he liked the attention, Clark didn't like the fact that she couldn't show the same love for him, the REAL him, as she could to his alter-ego. Sometimes it even made him feel inadequate. Weird irony.
"Whatever, just stop hogging him all for yourself!" she said, playfully punching him in the arm.
Over the years he had become a good actor at faking his normality and this was no different. Clark rubbed his arm, pretending the hit hard a bit.
The rest of the day had gone uneventful. Talking, eating, flirting, typing, and excused, but unexplained "absences". Yep, pretty uneventful. Well, time to clock out.
"KENT! In my office...Now!"
"Be right there Perry," he said, then turned back to Lois with a knowing smile, "I forgot he wanted to see me before I leave"
She rolled eyes, but smiled right back "That's why I leave you stickies tabs. You'd lose you big head if I wasn't here," then pinched his cheek.
"Ouch, I'll call you tonight." He winked, and walked into Perry main office. There was a young lady in the office with him, staring out the large window.
'Slim...nice bod, long hair, hmmm... Now how about the face?' he thought himself, trying to force the woman to turn around with his mind. Darn! It wasn't working.
"Kent! Are you listening to me?" Perry said, tapping him figure on the desk. 'Three, two, one... One, two, three... What the heck it bothering me?' hopefully what his shrink said would work to keep his stress down. "Anyway, I know everyone has been wondering who the new office is for. Unfortunately, it was not a promotion like everyone thought. Since Superman entered the picture the work load for everyone has increased, especially me. To tell you the truth my quack says I need to take a vacation. But what does he know. I have the city's biggest news outlet to run! Anyway my wife has forced my hand into a compromise. So, I've decided to get an assistant." He gestured to unknown woman, who still had yet to show her face.
"Ah? That's great?" Clark stuttered, confused. "Sorry Perry, but what does that have to do with me?" Clark didn't like sounding self-centered, but why he was even in the conversation.
"Because you're going to show her the ropes around here. She knows Metropolis a little. I mainly want her to work with you and Lois for awhile, till she gets her bearings. She's gonna be a kind of representative for me in many cases, so I want her to know everything she needs to about everything," he smirked then continued, "I think you the best guy for this job."
Oh great so he had to baby-sit someone. Sigh what's next?
"You start with her tomorrow, Might as well get the formalities out of the way." Perry said, leaning back in his plush leather chair, silly grin and all.
The room seemed a bit brighter when she turned around, "Hi, Clark-I mean Mr. Kent, I know it will be a pleasure to work with you." she gestured for a handshake, but before she could process movement, she was instantly pulled in the tightest of hugs, making her sigh involuntary. A sigh of happy relief maybe? Maybe things wouldn't be as hard as she thought.
Clark pulled her away enough to bring her face to face. His heart lurched when she cracked a very familiar smile for him. Unable to think of anything else, Clark could say only one thing.
"Lana?..."
Hope everybody like it.
