A/n: Ok, I started this a very long time ago. I no longer watch the show so some facts may seem a bit behind. I'm hoping to continue with this, though I don't know when or how. Please review anyway. But flames only waste my time as well as yours. However, constructive criticism is always welcome.
Disclaimer: I do not own any characters nor do I have any affiliation with the show. I don't even own the image of Tom Welling in leather…sigh.
Dreaming of Reality
"Hey, Smallville. What 'cha doin'?" Lois smiled as she made her way to the couch in the loft.
"Do you find it necessary to bug me on a daily basis?"
"Yes, I do." Her face fell. The answer had come automatically, without thought. "Am I bugging you?"
He smiled. He took pride in making her insecure. He did it just so he could reassure her fears. Maybe he did have a hero complex. "No."
"Good."
Silence followed her statement. Each was trying desperately not to look at the other and failing miserably as they eventually just started at each other.
"We should do something." Finally, loud-mouth Lois couldn't stand the silence anymore.
"Like what? It's 6:00 am on a Sunday in Smallville. The only people up are farmers. And you, apparently." He cocked his head to the side. "Why are you up so early?"
"Couldn't sleep. I kept having these dreams." She looked away, to the early morning sun.
"Bad dreams?"
"No." Her gaze found its way back to his eyes. "Very, very good dreams actually."
"But you didn't want them?"
"There was a certain someone in my dreams."
The way she looked at him was seductive. Clark was getting nervous.
"Really? And you don't like this certain someone?"
"Oh, that's not the problem. I just thought the real thing might be more fun."
"So you came up here?" Nervousness wasn't a new thing for Clark, but this went beyond nerves. This was complete and utter fear.
"Well, I couldn't very well act out my dreams without the star, now could I?" She stretched out on the couch in just the right way. Her tight, leave-nothing-to-the-imagination top crept up her abdomen just enough to reveal a thin layer of tanned skin.
Clark peeled his eyes away for just enough time to make sure the sky was blue and the grass was green, not the other way around. Everything seemed to be in order. Was he dreaming? "Is this a dream?"
"Maybe." She stood from the couch and strolled towards him. She placed her hands on his chest, feeling the steel muscles beneath the cotton of his shirt. Using him for balance, she raised herself to the tips of her toes. Her mouth mere millimeters from his left ear, she whispered. "Do you want to wake up?"
Her neck was positioned at a perfect angle with his mouth. Clark used this to his advantage. He placed his lips gently at the point where her neck met her chin. It was a feather-light touch, and it drove her wild. Encouraged by her quiet whimper, he made his way down to the groove between her neck and shoulder.
Lois leaned her head back, giving him access to her throat. She moaned when she felt his tongue slip out to taste the flesh at the pulse point just below her chin. She moved her hands from his chest to the back of his head and neck. She guided his movements as she ran her fingers through his hair.
His hands, now on her hips, moved up, pushing her blouse further up her body.
Grabbing the sides of his face, she pulled his head from its previous position to look into his eyes. She loved how expressive they were. She could tell he wanted her by the blazing fire in his green orbs. "Do you believe in love at first sight?" She was breathing heavily, trying to calm her racing heart.
"Yes," he breathed. He smoothed his thumb along the skin just above her blue, low-cut jeans where his hands resided. "Do you?"
"No," she whispered. She pulled his head towards her. She kissed his lips softly. "I think love needs a second glance."
"Clark!"
Clark's eyes snapped open. He had fallen asleep on the couch in the loft.
"Clark!" Martha Kent appeared at the top of the stairs. "Clark, I'm leaving for Washington. Now, I'll be gone for a week so I've left some prepared meals in the freezer. They just need to be warmed up. If you need me, I have the phone number and address on the fridge."
"Mom, I got it." He smiled that Clark Kent smile. "Thank you."
"Alright, well, come on, give me a hug." Her eyes were misty. He was all grown up, but he would always be her little boy.
Clark got up from the couch and walked towards his mother. He gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Good luck."
Martha turned silently to descend the stairs only to run into Lois.
"Hey, Mrs. Kent. Shouldn't you be on your way to D.C.?" She seemed nervous. Even to her own ears, her voice seemed a bit breathier.
"I was just leaving, actually." She turned from one to the other. "You two behave now." Martha's heels clanked against the wood as she descended the stairs.
Clark watched her go. She had been through so much after losing Jonathan. She was quite a woman though. She could get through anything. Clark turned to Lois. "You're not going?" He tried to keep his voice from betraying the fact that he had just had a steamy dream about Lois.
"Someone needs to keep you out of trouble." Her hands were in the back pockets of her jeans and she was swaying back and forth on the edge of the staircase.
"You seem nervous."
"Me? Nervous? Why should I be nervous?" She was rambling and when she rambled she flailed her arms which took her off balance. Lois stumbled to grab the railing but missed and fell.
Clark watched as she reached desperately to grab onto something. He saw her lose balance completely and start to fall down the stairs. He was a blur as he ran to catch her before her head met the step.
"Nice reflexes." Her voice was back to its earlier breathy tone. She stared at him. His eyes were so bright. She wished she could have that again. And his lips so close to her own…
Clark cleared his throat and briefly wondered if she had caught him staring at her. He helped her regain her balance then led her to the couch. He took a seat on the table in front of her. "You ok?" Did his voice just squeak?
As he looked at her, waiting for an affirmative answer, he couldn't help but think about the fact that she was sitting on his couch in much the same manner she had been originally in his dream. And he found himself hoping that she would stretch out and…Clark reentered reality just in time to hear her say, "Yeah, fine. Thanks."
"No problem." He smiled like a teenage boy caught behind the barn with a girl. "Did you need something? Or did you just come up to bug me?"
"Am I bugging you?"
Oh, God! "No." Dreams symbolized something. Did this one mean he was attracted to Lois Lane?
"Good." She stood from the couch to pace around the loft. "Ok, I'm bored. Everyone's busy. Chloe's swamped at the Planet, La…the-one-who-shall-not-be-named is busy with the thing-we-don't-talk-about, and you're the only one left."
"You sure know how to make a guy feel special, Lois."
"Hey, I could just as well do something on my own. But you're ok to hang out with. And besides, you need to get out of this barn." She was really pleading her case.
"What exactly did you have in mind?" The smile that made the world's problems go away spread from ear to ear.
"You should do that more often." She couldn't help but smile. His was so contagious.
"What?"
"Smile. You've got a nice one. You should show it off."
Clark blushed. "So, anything special you wanted to do?"
You? "Not really. No." What is wrong with me? The dream wasn't real. I do not have feelings for Clark.
Earlier
Knock! Knock!
Lois stopped doing her daily sit-ups to answer the door. Opening it only a crack, she could hear the crowd from the Talon downstairs. Opening the door all the way, she found herself face-to-face, or rather, face-to-chest with Clark Kent.
"Hey, Smallville. What's up? Chloe's not here."
"I didn't come to see Chloe." The look in his eyes made her tremble.
"R-really? Well, did you need something in particular?" She was nervous. That word did not usually describe Lois Lane. And she didn't like the fact that it did now.
Clark just nodded in response, his eyes never leaving hers.
"Ok, what did you need?" She was starting to regain some semblance of her natural boldness.
His answer was simple. It both terrified and excited her. "You."
In what seemed like one motion, Clark walked in, closed the door behind him, and pinned her to it. His lips found her neck before she could let out the gasp that escaped her lips.
"Clark," she moaned, before she snapped back to her senses. Reluctantly, Lois pushed him away and stepped around him to get some distance between them. She needed to wrap her mind around this. And that wasn't easy when she was close to him. He smelled so good. And, God, what he could do to her body! Ok, back to reality. "Smallville, what the hell are you doing?" Her voice belied confidence as her body screamed for his.
His smile was catlike, as was his demeanor, as he strode towards her; every step radiating confidence. "You." He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her to him. "Or, at least, trying to." His lips claimed hers like a tiger claiming its territory.
Her chest grazed his and she held back a whimper. She lost herself in the kiss for only a moment before she wiggled out of his grip once again. "What has gotten into you? Are you possessed?"
His words sounded so sincere that she almost believed him. "Why is it so hard to believe that I want you?" He stepped closer; his body a perfect parallel with her own-so close, yet never touching. He leaned to whisper in her ear, his lips never grazing her skin. "Just give in. You don't have to be the strong one. Just let yourself want me."
And she did. Her mind played the supporting role in this play. Her heart was the lead.
He didn't move as her fingers found his signature red jacket. She wondered briefly, as she sealed her lips to his, why we wore one on such a hot summer day but dismissed the thought as she herd the flop of clothing hit the floor.
She felt herself being lifted from the floor as he picked her up and walked her to the couch in the middle of the living room.
Peeling her lips from his, she croaked out, "Bedroom." She felt him nod against her neck where his lips had found their way. She felt herself once again in his arms. One arm was placed around her back, the other under her knees. The next thing she knew, she was lying on her bed, underneath a very-clothed Clark Kent.
Well, she was going to have to do something about that. Her nimble fingers found the top button of his trademark plaid flannel. It was blue, of course, to contrast the earlier discarded red jacket.
Reaching the middle button, Lois groaned to find his undershirt. 'This would be a lot easier with less clothes, Smallville.' Even in her frustration, she managed to undo the rest of the buttons. The hard part was getting the shirt off. Clark had his hands busy trying to rid her of her own top, which happened to be only a sports bra as she had been working out earlier, and refused to take time out of his ministrations to remove it.
Finally, she just gave up. Though he was heavier than she, she managed to flip them so that she was the one, not only on top, she told herself, but in charge. She removed her own top, flinging it to the side, leaving nothing to Clark's imagination. Though, it's not like he hadn't seen her before.
He reached for her breasts, now bar to his gaze, and…
"Lois?" Clark asked tentatively, breaking through her foggy mind and dragging her back to reality.
"What?" She hadn't meant to snap at him and the momentary flash of hurt that crossed his flawless features compelled her to apologize. "Sorry. I was just thinking."
"About what?"
'Think, Lois. Think!' "About the fact that you need a new wardrobe. Come one, we're going shopping." She grabbed his hand, pulling him with her down the steps and out of the barn.
Clark allowed himself to be led to Lois' red bug, though, not without much protesting. "Shopping? Why do I need new clothes? I can't afford a whole new wardrobe."
Pushing him around the car, she let her annoyance spring out through her words. "Smallville, just shut up and get in." She smiled at him. It was that tooth-showing, eyebrow-raising smile. "It'll be fun. Trust me." And, God help him, he did.
"Fine, but I'm not trying on anything leather." The wicked gleam in her eye told him that he was going to regret that statement.
Clark got in the passenger's side and buckled in. As Lois took off, he had to brace himself against the dashboard. This was going to be a long ride.
When Lois drove past the Smallville mall, he thought nothing of it. When she hit the highway, he had to ask, "Where are we going?"
"Metropolis," was the only answer he received.
-----
The lights of the big city came into view a lot sooner than expected. But Clark wasn't surprised. The interstate speed limit was only a "suggested speed" according to Lois. It was funny, he could run faster than a speeding bullet with no problem, but five minutes in a car with Lois, and he longed for the effects of Kryptonite.
The first store they entered, to Clark's immediate surprise, was a women's clothing store.
"Uh, Lois, I know you said a new wardrobe, but isn't this a little extreme?" Clark looked around at the racks of bras and panties.
"Relax, Smallville. This is for me." Lois played with a pair of jeans on the rack in front of her as she continued, "I need a male opinion." She turned to him, crossing her arms over her chest. "And as far as I know, you're a male, so yours will do."
Clark smiled. The curve of his lips resembled that of "Kal" as he accepted an offer to break into Lionel Luther's office. "Well, in that case, maybe we should start over there." He gestured with a nod of his head to the lingerie section. Bras of a variety of colors and sizes hung neatly on rows upon rows of clothing racks.
Lois' eyebrows shot up. "In your dreams, Smallville"
'Yes, unfortunately. In my dreams.' Clark sighed.
"What do you think of these?" Lois held up a pair of hip hugging blue jeans. A pink and purple butterfly spread its wings on the right back pocket. The sparkly silver belt, with hints of even more pink and purple, hung open in the front.
"I don't know," he answered thoughtfully. "Try them on. Let's see how they look."
For, Clark believed, the first time since he had met her, Lois did as she was told without question.
He took a seat on the armchair conveniently placed just outside the dressing rooms as he tried not to picture Lois without pants. Though to be honest, he wasn't doing very well. The curtain opened to reveal a very much pant-y –that is so not a word-Lois. Though that picture wasn't doing much to help his feelings either. Since they were low-cut, her jeans did nothing to hide the thin strip of skin just below her yellow blouse. They hugged her curves but didn't squeeze too tight. She turned around to show him that they also fit in…other places.
Clark gulped. "Nice butterfly." He hoped desperately that she hadn't caught the underlying meaning of his statement. If she had, she didn't show it.
"So, should I get 'em?" She genuinely wanted his opinion. She scrutinized the jeans as she looked at them in the mirror.
Clark's head looked like a bobble-head as he nodded. "Yes. Yes, you should." After coming to his senses, he thanked whoever was looking out for him up there that he was not in direct view of the mirror. "I mean, if they're comfortable." 'Snap out of it! It's just a pair of jeans. It's just Lois in a pair of blue jeans. I mean, sure, they fit well and show off everything worth looking at, but…'
Clark sat in the same chair an hour later, waiting for Lois to try on her 23rd blouse. Yes, he had been counting. He had a montage of cleavage-revealing, form-fitting outfits playing in his mind. His head shot up when he heard the rustle of the dressing room curtains. Lois appeared a moment later.
She was dressed in her 23rd low, v-cut blouse, and for the 23rd time, Clark couldn't take his eyes off of her. They were usually glued to her chest, but that is beside the point.
"What do you think of this?" She was again scrutinizing the top in the full-length mirror just outside the rooms.
Clark had had enough. He had been through enough teasing from both her and his subconscious. So, he decided, he was going to be completely honest. "I think you look great in anything." And even as she whipped her head around to look at him, a smile on her lips, and he felt the heat rise in his cheeks, he continued. "Or nothing." He couldn't look at her directly so instead chose to focus his eyes on her image in the mirror.
Lois felt her cheeks warm and turned back to the mirror in front of her. It took a lot to make her blush and he could do it so simply. She told herself she hated that, but, even with her stubborn will, she couldn't quite convince herself.
She saw his deep blue-green eyes staring intently at her own chocolate brown as she turned. Her breath refused to leave her lungs as she continued to watch him. She watched as his eyes roamed her body; first down, then agonizingly slowly back up until they met her own. Her body trembled involuntarily under his fiery gaze.
They stood like that, eyes locked in a piece of glamour glass for what seemed like forever and not enough time until a saleswoman interrupted the unbidden moment.
"Oh, my dear, that looks just lovely on you." The woman's shrill voice hung in the air seconds after the statement was completed.
Lois gave the woman a warm smile that Clark could tell was not only forced, but fake as well.
"Thank you."