Lois' POV

"Breathe, Lois, breathe. It's just Clark." Lois muttered to herself as she made the familiar turns toward the Kent Farm; turns she'd made a thousand times but now held a significance that they hadn't had before. "Yeah, right. There is no just Clark anymore."

She couldn't get him out of her head. She was always thinking about him in some way, whether it was about working with him, talking with him...kissing him. Thinking of those two kisses in the bullpen, Lois took a sharp intake of breath. Kissing Clark was probably the last thing she should have done while at work but he'd kissed her first, so really it was only fair that she kiss him. And there was something about kissing him that she couldn't put her finger on--it was almost familiar.

"Oh, get a grip." Scoffing at herself, Lois rolled her eyes and made her final turn onto the driveway. Purposefully, Lois slowed the car to a crawl. She'd been prepping her speech the entire drive but still felt uneasy. Well, of course you're nervous, Lane. You always screw up the relationship game.

Sighing, Lois cut the engine and got out of the car. Okay, let's do this. She headed in the direction of the barn when movement by the house caught her eye. He was leaning against the rail on porch with his back to her. He looked so alone. He looked like a guy with the world on his shoulders.

He looked really great in those jeans.

Rolling her eyes at her own thoughts, Lois straightened her shoulders and began walking toward the porch. When she reached the top step, her courage faltered. She turned and almost walked back down the steps. Stop it, Lane. You're here for a reason so just get it over with. She turned around, took the last step and a deep breath.

"Hey, Smallville."

He whirled around so fast, startling Lois so that she had to stop herself from taking an automatic step backward.

"Lois. Hi. Umm. What's...what's up?" He leaned against the rail again, as if he hadn't a care in the world.

"Well, Chloe and I had a girls' night planned for tonight...you know, chocolate, wine, George Clooney movies...but she had to bail so I figured I would come out here and just chill with my favorite farm boy."Lie, lie, lie. "But if you're busy, which you probably are because, hey, it's a farm, I can just go. You know what? I'm just gonna do that. This was a bad idea. I'm gonna go."

Oh God. Get out of here; leave before you make a complete idiot of yourself. Save whatever dignity you have left. Just go. Lois pivoted around and had almost made it to her car before she felt his hand on her arm.

"Lois, wait."He pulled gently on her arm, turning her until she was facing him. "I'm not busy. I actually just finished right before you got here. And you didn't have a girls' night planned with Chloe because she's in New York right now at a tech conference for Oliver. So what are you really doing here?"

Busted. "Okay. You caught me. I just needed a reason to come out here. Kind of, working up my courage, you know."

Clark looked confused. "Lois, you've never needed a reason to come out here. You know that. So, What's really going on?"

Lois closed her eyes. Here it is, Lane: the moment of truth. Tell him. Do it like a band-aid. "Alright," she said, opening her eyes. "I'm just gonna say it all and you can't interrupt. You have to wait till I'm done. Okay?"

"Lois, I don't...."

"You have to promise, Clark." Don't be difficult, Smallville.

"Okay. I promise--I'll be quiet."

"Okay. Good." She needed to move, needed to get rid of some of the nervous energy that was coursing through her. "I guess I should start with this shrink I've been talking to--"

"You're seeing a therapist?!"

"You promised!"

"Sorry. Not another word."

"Anyway." Band-aid. Think Band-aid. "I've been talking to this shrink...mostly about you. About the fact that I think about you. A lot. I mean, it's been there for a while but ever since that blind date fiasco for the news station and when you kissed me in the bull pen it just became this huge deal."Lois could feel the words rushing out of her but was powerless to stop or even slow them. It was as if she'd opened the flood gates and now everything was pouring out as fast as it could. She took a deep breath, looked him in the eyes and kept going.

"So I was talking to this shrink about it and she said that I was maybe looking for problems with possibilities. Sort of sabotaging myself and things before they even got started. And then I told her how I thought you were the Blur and she said that I was trying to make you my dream guy. That I was putting you and the Blur together because I wanted to make you my own personal hero.

"And then, when you showed me those ridiculous glasses, I realized something: I don't need to make you anything. Clark, you're already my own personal hero. You stepped out onto that ledge for me; you've saved me from myself so many times I've lost count. I realized that you are my dream guy. And that's why I kissed you."

Clark looked shell shocked, like she'd just hit him over the head with one of his fence posts. Great, she thought. Here I am pouring my heart out and he looks like he wants nothing more than for me to shut up. This was such a bad idea, Lane, but you might as well see it through. "So, what I'm trying to say, Clark, in my round about and deficient way is that...," she took another deep breath, "I think I'm in love with you.

"Actually, I know I'm in love with you. I probably have been for years and just haven't had the guts to 'fess up to it. But I want you to know that I'm not expecting anything from you. I just needed you to know how I felt and that it's okay if you're not okay with it or if this is just way too much, way too soon. In fact, we never have to be anything more than friends if you wanna just pretend that this whole monologue of mine didn't happen." Lois could hear herself talking and wanted desperately to be able to take back everything she'd just said. Jeez, I sound like a whiney teenager on a soap opera. Or worse, a Taylor Swift song.

And he was still just staring at her.

"Anytime you feel like saying something, Smallville. I'd hate to think I've just been talking to myse--" She was in his arms with his mouth on hers before she could finish her thought.

Twisting her arms around his neck and threading her fingers through his hair, she eagerly returned the kiss and enjoyed the feel of his arms wrapping around her waist and pulling her closer to him. This was where she wanted to be, this is what felt right even though her knees were weak and she didn't seem to have solid footing....

She couldn't feel the ground beneath her. Gently pulling back from Clark, Lois opened her eyes and gasped as she immediately realized why she couldn't feel the ground: she wasn't on it.

"Clark...we're floating!"

Clark's eyes shot open and immediately his jaw dropped, along with both of them. It wasn't a long fall, just a few feet, but was enough to have Clark stumbling backward drawing Lois down on top of his chest. For a few moments neither of them said anything and then Lois pushed herself up, flipped her hair out of her face, stared Clark right in the eyes and spoke, "Lucy, you got some 'splaining to do."

AN: Apologies to Taylor Swift fans; no offense was meant, it just seemed like something Lois would say.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed chapter one:) I always love hearing from you. Let me know what you think of this chapter.