A PIECE OF CAKE

They were standing in the elevator not looking or talking to each other. They seemed to do a lot of that lately. Only this elevator was coming down from the 75th floor. And it seemed to stop at every floor along the way. It didn't help that the two women in front of them kept talking and talking about the famed psychologist had brought up.

"How can you have a platonic and sexual relationship at the same time? It's either one or the other!"

"I like the idea….that way you get what you need from a guy…"

"And he from you…"

"But you still maintain your identity"

"It's immoral." A third women said.

"Two consenting adults? What's immoral about that? I think it makes perfect sense. We complicate things a lot by looking for romance….a knight a prince…but how much easier would it be if we found someone that we could be friends with during the day…and then get relieve from at night."

Lois looked slightly over her shoulder to see Clark staring at her. She held his gaze, trying hard to reveal the direction of her thoughts, and wondering if what she saw in his face was the same direction her thoughts had taken.

"Breath…in and out, in and out." Lois told herself silently. Not looking away; they both were watching for a sign…any sign that this would not be a ridiculous idea.

It started out on an assignment they were sent on to cover. A famous psychologist doing questions and answers on his book, "The New Sexual Frontier."

Lois knew it was Tess Mercers idea of a joke. Why she felt compelled to do such a thing, Lois believed was due to Tess's interest in Clark, and her competitiveness with Lois.

"What the hell is she trying to do? Embarrass us?" She had asked Clark when Tess had left them with their mouths hanging open, Tess had even given Clark the once over, the kind of look that a girl give a guy right before she takes his clothes off.

"I don't know Lois, let's just do it and give it over with."

Lois ignored his statement as she walked out the Planet Door, Hailing for a cab, and being ignored by every taxi that happened to pass by she made a "Harrumph" noise and continued on her rant.

"And if she's trying to hit on you why would she tell me to go with you?"

"She's not hitting on me!"

"Please! You really need glasses don't you! The way she looked at you? For a second I though she was going to tell you that she was going with you!"

Clark raised his eyebrow and looked at Lois sarcastically. "Like you just said Lois, why would she send you with me if she was hitting on me?"

Lois smiled and said without thinking…. "I don't know maybe she wants a threesome…"

She regretted saying it the moment the words came out of her mouth. She turned around, giving up on the search for a cab for the moment and quickly and profusely apologized.

"I'm sorry…I did not mean that!"

Lois was apologizing? But he knew why. Sex was something they both were doing without. And mind over matter didn't work when your libido was backed up.

"I don't know maybe she wants a threesome…" She had said it suggestively, as if being alone with him was an option.

They both struggled more and more not to tease or banter beyond a certain point. Until today, they had managed to keep things as they should be…on the course of friendship.

Anytime one of them crossed the line it was always unintentional, spontaneous and embarrassing. Usually Lois would make herself scarce for a bit and so would Clark.
But this was the first time Lois had apologized for crossing the line.

They had been doing so well lately, until Tess came in and gave them this assignment. The word sex hung in the air between them like a bolder the moment Tess left. It followed them everywhere. It was the main reason Lois had started ranting to begin with.

"A lot of good that did!" She mused to herself as she stared into his eyes, not even attempting to hide her apprehension. It was tiring, and she didn't have the inclination at the moment to try to lie about it to him.

"Let's take my car" He answered reassuringly, as he gave her forearm a quick squeeze."
She had let out a breath, and thought "That was it, awkward moment over- it's all a piece of cake from here on!"

"Yea right…a piece of cake…" she said out loud. Her eyed had finally left his, and she was looking forward at the floor numbers above the doors light up.

Normally Clark would question her, but he somehow knew she must have been talking about them, surviving the day without things getting weird between them. But instead he echoed her words,

"Yea…a piece of cake…that's what I thought too."

She looked at him in surprise. She hadn't realized that she had said that out loud. And now they were talking. Talking at a moment like this was bad…it could lead to all sorts of forbidden places. The fact they both had physical needs that weren't being met, and hadn't been met for quite a while just made it worse. And especially the fact that they both were aware of the others lack of release made it impossible.

The women had left the elevator, and they were finally alone. When that had happened, neither had any idea, they had been so engrossed in watching each other that they hadn't even noticed anyone else.

Lois looked back up at the numbers, slowly counting them in her mind as they kept creeping down. "61…..60…"

"it's immoral." She said out loud…echoing what one woman had said.

"It's impossible for it to be that simple" Clark said looking straight ahead. He was counting as well. "59….58…."

"It's not that simple…it's never that simple…" Lois replied in agreement.

She looked over to gauge his reaction and she still saw the look. The one they both had grown quickly as the Doctor had kept going on and on about relationships and sex and how great it was when friends had sex. He was answering questions about his book, when somehow the air between her and Clark began heating up very quickly. It burned them both. They were reeling from it. She knew it…he knew it. They were trying desperately to ignore it.

Looking at his face, she saw the heat still there, immovable, stubborn, desperate.

"Is it?" she asked and regretted the words once again. Ever since she was small, her mouth had gotten her into all sorts of scrapes and trouble. Today was topping all of them.

"I don't know…"he answered honestly, he wanted to look away, but didn't. He wanted to see if he would read her thoughts. Many times he could read her by the expressions on her face, but not this time. He didn't know if she was feeling lust or anguish, fear or anger, friendship or nemesis.

"Lois…what are you thinking?" he turned and asked her. His hands in his pocket his nervousness and wariness was only equaled by hers.

"I'm starved…." She said without thinking

"Me too…" his meaning was clear when he gently took one step toward her, and his eyes searching hers

And then closing her eyes and them opening them again, she quickly corrected herself. "I mean for lunch…we should have lunch."

"Lunch….Lunch is good…I can do lunch." He said quickly, but he purposely didn't take a step back, he stood his ground as he said it.

"Good, lunch it is." She replied

"Good."

"Good."

It was going to be a long day.