Title: Hanging By A Moment

Author: Genny (Genevieve)

Setting: Season 10 episode 4 "Homecoming"

Summary: So this idea spawned out of a discussion I was having about the missing scene from Homecoming where Clark comes to pick Lois up at her apartment for their high school reunion and consequentely the drive to the reunion. It's a light piece which has some cute, funny and awkward moments. And in keeping with my tradition of naming my one shots after song titles I present Hanging By A Moment. I hope you enjoy.

Hanging By A Moment

Clark pulled in around the back of the Talon, stopping only a few feet from the door. He looked out the side window at the building wondering how he had allowed Lois to talk him into this as he switched the truck into park and then he remembered how she had convinced him to go along with this Smallville High reunion thing, he couldn't say no to her. He swallowed the nervous lump in his throat as he climbed out of the vehicle and walked into the building.

"Lois?" Clark called as walked through the Talon.

"I'll be down in a minute!" Lois called from the apartment upstairs.

"Come on, we're going to be late! You're the one who wanted to go to this thing." Clark said as he glanced around the room. Realistically he could have walked right up the stairs to the apartment door and knocked but something about that felt awkward now. "Lois?" He called again as he came to the foot of the stairs and looked up to the door. "Lo..." He trailed off as his eyes caught sight of Lois.

"Cool it, Smallville. I'm coming," Lois commented as she finished locking her door and turned around at the top of the stairs. She bit her lip when she saw Clark looking up at her in his red and yellow letterman's jacket. She hated the colors of the jacket but Clark wore it like no other.

Clark swallowed nervously as he watched her.

"What is it?" Lois asked noticing Clark's hesitation as she walked halfway down the stairs.

Clark's eyes moved up and down Lois' body as he took in everything about her. His eyebrows raised in appreciation of the way the dress fit Lois' body as he took in a deep breath. They may not have been dating but his attraction to her was evident and impossible to hide.

Lois followed Clark's eyes and looked down at what she was wearing. She thought the yellow dress might have been the wrong choice for a high school reunion. "It's too much isn't it?" She asked.

"No," Clark shook his head as his eyes jumped back up to meet Lois'.

"You're sure?" Lois asked with a questioning look on her face. "I can change."

"No, don't. You're perfect. You look... Beautiful," Clark sighed as he settled on a descriptive word for her as he let his eyes wander again.

Lois smiled weakly at Clark, "Thanks." She couldn't help but stare at his lips, it was where her eyes instantly went whenever she thought of kissing him. Had they still been dating she would lean in and kiss him, but under the current circumstances that would definitely be the wrong choice and would only make things between them even more awkward.

Nothing between them had ever really been what one would define as normal, but this was just plain odd. You would think after spending so many years as 'just friends' and 'not really liking each other' they would be more comfortable together while they weren't in a relationship, but ever since their 'breakup' things were just awkward. There were still a lot of unresolved feelings and neither could move forward until the other was willing to admit they wanted to be in a relationship, which they obviously did, yet neither would make a move. The truth of the matter was neither of them really knew anymore who initiated the breakup and neither of them knew if the other was ready to get back together. Ever since learning the truth about Clark being the Blur Lois knew her purpose was to be by his side and was ready in a heartbeat, but knowing Lois needed a higher purpose and unsure if he should share the truth about himself with her Clark was hesitant. If Lois knew for sure Clark wanted to be with her she would tell him she knew and if Clark knew Lois already knew his secret he would let her know he wanted to be with her, it was a vicious cycle.

"Are you ready?" Clark asked.

"I think so... Everything looks fine?" Lois asked looking down again at what she was wearing. "You don't think I should change anything?"

"No," Clark shook his head as he did a quick look over of Lois again taking in every detail from the way she was wearing her hair to the color of her shoes.

"So if anybody asks we're..." Lois trailed off looking for Clark's definition of them.

"Friends?" Clark answered in a question wondering what word Lois was looking for.

"Friends it is," Lois said but the sound of it made Clark cringe. He didn't want to be 'just friends' with Lois after moving past that territory last year, but how could they be anything more without him revealing the truth to her.

"Or you could be my date?" Clark said gauging Lois for a reaction.

"We wouldn't want to confuse anyone," Lois said even more confused than when the conversation had started.

"But aren't you the one who said we didn't have to be dating to show up at a reunion together?"

"I did say that," Lois replied feeling like she had put her foot in it.

"So we'll be there together," Clark nodded as his eyebrows drew together and he looked at Lois for a reaction but all she gave him was a confused nod as her own eyebrows drew together.

"Us showing up together is going to raise some eyebrows," Lois commented. "I mean, who from Smallville High would believe we had gotten together anyway?"

"Yeah," Clark smiled and gave a little shrug.

Everything suddenly fell silent and an awkward silence had crept into the room. The conversation had left both with even less of an idea as to where they stood in their relationship and where they were going then when it had started.

Both stood watching each other waiting for someone to make the next move.

Lois started looking around the room uncomfortably. She felt like she needed some sort of escape and Clark stood watching her closely.

"I parked at the back," Clark finally said breaking the unusual silence.

"Isn't that where you usually park?" Lois asked trying to ease the tension with sarcasm, but Clark only responded with a smile as he began to head toward the back door.

Lois followed Clark outside and climbed in the passenger side opposite of Clark.

"Long time since I've been in here," Lois commented.

Clark looked at her with his eyebrows raised questioningly.

"You know, since we broke up," Lois clarified as Clark continued to watch her. "could you at least say something?"

"What do you want me to say, Lois?"

"Anything."

"Relax," Clark said.

"Easy for you to say, you're not exactly keeping up conversation."

"I've got a lot on my mind."

"Like?"

"Nothing," Clark said as he started the truck and began to drive toward the school.

"Can you imagine how great this is going to be?" Lois asked in excitement. "I can't wait to see the old gang."

"The old gang?"

"Yeah. Johnny Windsor from English, Meagan Nolan from Chem class, Brandon Johnson."

"How do you actually remember all these people? You only showed up for 5 days of classes."

"Details. I'm a reporter, Clark. Remembering the smallest details is in my blood."

"If only you had remembered to show up to class," Clark stated.

"Hey, I got into Met U without showing up to class remember?"

"Because of me."

"Technically," Lois admitted. "But I still got in."

"And I think your time there was even shorter than your time at Smallville High."

"I almost made it through a full semester there, okay?"

Clark looked at Lois as if he were going to make a comment but decided against it.

"Well, at least you've found a place that feels like home. I know you never really had that growing up with your Dad constantly moving around," Clark said.

"It's not necessarily Smallville, I just never really had a place that I fit until I came here and met you," Lois replied. As quickly as the words came out of her mouth she snapped her head forward, looking out the front window and hoping Clark hadn't realized what she said or how much meaning her words actually held. But Clark had caught what she said and as she looked away Clark looked at her. He hadn't realized until that moment how much Lois actually needed him.

The truck fell silent for a moment until Lois finally built up the nerve and did a side glance at Clark who had turned his attention back to the road.

The trip was painful to say the least. Clark was never really a big talker, but today he was just not himself at all. Of course Lois knew he hadn't been for a while and she couldn't figure out what it was that had him so down on himself. Ever since Kara had come out to the public Clark was different, he was moodier and brooding, down on himself and all other heroes. It was like he was carrying a huge weight on his shoulders, a weight Lois wanted to help him bear, but had no way of letting him know she was there for him without telling him she knew the secret he had worked so hard to keep.

"So... Anyone you're hoping to run into?" Lois asked hoping to make Clark talk even if only a little.

"Nope," Clark answered as he watched the road.

"Really, Smallville? Not one person?"

Clark looked at Lois with his eyebrows raised in a questioning expression. "Who would I want to see? The only people that ever meant anything important to me from Smallville High are still in my life."

"I guess you mean Chloe and Pete."

"And you," Clark said glancing at Lois almost as if he were shy.

"Well, you're lucky I sit a desk across from you."

Clark smiled at Lois and tried to keep his attention on the road. "How did I ever let you convince me to agree to coming back here for this," Clark pondered as he and Lois turned down the road the Smallville High was on. "This is the last thing I want to do," Clark said as he and Lois watched the building getting larger as they approached it.

"Come on Clark, why does it bother you so much to come back here?" Lois asked as Clark pulled the truck over just in front of the school next to another car on the sidewalk. He switched the gear to park and turned of the ignition before he climbed out. Lois jumped out of the passenger's side and walked around the front of the truck following Clark with her hands clutched together in excitement.

"I guess I just haven't been back in a while," Clark answered as he and Lois began to walk toward the front doors side by side.

"Oh, there's Eddy from Chem class," Lois said tapping Clark on the arm to get his attention as she pointed at the man standing on the front stairs.

And so it had begun, the day that would change Clark's life forever.