Disclaimer: The characters from Smallville do not belong to me. They belong to the CW. Superman does not belong to me either. I'm just using everything for a creative outlet.
Rating: K for now, M later
**Author's Note: Thank you for all of your wonderful feedback.
The Moment He Knew
Chapter 3 – Mischievous Meddlers
Oliver's P.O.V.
Once Oliver knew that the bunny slipper assault level had gone from red to green, he readjusted the ice pack on his face, grabbed Clark's tuxedo and headed to the loft in the Kent barn. Upon arrival, he had to admire the elegant and magical vibe that Lois had been going for and had managed to beautifully pull off. He smiled a little sadly, briefly wondering if he'd ever get the chance to watch a bride walk down the aisle toward him to say 'I do'. It was a fleeting thought though.
Walking up the stairs to the loft, he found Clark staring out at the Kansas landscape, his back tense as his palms weighed heavily on the wooden window sill.
"Hey Clark," Oliver greeted, quietly, palming the ice pack. He didn't think it wise to sneak up on someone with enough super power to easily rip the barn to bits when caught by surprise. He knew a blonde and a brunette that would be infuriated if that happened and he'd already been assaulted by one of them that day. He didn't know if his face could take another beating, this one from the Bride. If it was one thing Lois and Chloe had in common, it was those wily and somewhat violent Lane genes flowing through their pretty little veins.
"Oh," Clark said, turning around to greet his friend. He wasn't surprised, but his face was tense and introspective, "Hi, Oliver. What can I do for you?"
He was so distracted he didn't even notice Oliver's battered face right away.
"Just came to drop this off," Oliver extended the garment bag containing the tuxedo, and reapplied the ice pack to his wounds.
"Thanks Oliver," Clark said, taking the garment bag and draping it over his arm. "I promise that waiting to track Lex is the right thing to do. If he's alive, we'll find him."
"You made me realize that, Clark. Is that what's got you so melancholy? Lex?" Oliver was curious – Clark rarely second-guessed his decisions when it came to the League lately.
"Melancholy?" Clark questioned, this time surprise was evident on his chiseled features. Oliver gave him a keen eye roll, as if the blonde billionaire didn't know him better.
"I'm not melancholy," Clark insisted, looking away from his friend. Finally noticing, his head twisted sharply back to Oliver as he eyed the ice pack pressed against his eye, cheek, and lip, "What happened to your face?"
"Well you certainly aren't all puppies and sunshine. What's going on?" Oliver ignored the inquiry about his face and stuck on task. He was growing concerned.
"You didn't answer my question?" Clark demanded, his face briefly changing from brooding to trepidation.
"You didn't answer mine," Oliver countered, playing a bit of hardball.
"I asked first," Clark pointed out, surly.
"Hurricane Lois," Oliver conceded without dishing any of the details, and quickly returned to the original matter at hand. "Out with it Kent. What's wrong?"
Clark didn't answer for a long while, but eventually admitted, "I'm being really stupid and selfish right now. This isn't how I'm supposed to be on my best friend's wedding day. I'm happy for her, and Jimmy, I swear, I really am, but I can't …" Clark trailed off, looking thoroughly defeated.
"What is it Clark? I'm your friend and I know you better than most people, which is a privilege by the way – you should know you can talk to me." Oliver's tone was cautious yet apprehensive.
"I guess I'm wondering if I'll ever end up having my own barn house wedding here," he shook his head as if it would rid him of this musing, but seeing as the look of defeat had not faltered, Oliver guessed it was unsuccessful. "It wasn't too long ago that I thought it might actually happen for me . . ."
"With Lana?" Oliver queried delicately, already knowing the answer.
"Well . . . yes." Clark admitted, but his face had changed. If possible he looked even more miserable than before. "Looking at all of this," he said, gesturing toward the decorations, "I know now that even if Lana hadn't left I'd still never have the "dream" wedding that Lois has pulled off for Chloe and Jimmy. The truth is there's nothing but loneliness in my future whether I have feelings for someone or not."
"You shouldn't think that way Clark," Oliver told him, capriciously deciding to play the devil's advocate. "There's someone out there for everyone," he paused for effect. Again, delicately broaching the subject, he asked, "What if Lana came back for you?"
"It wouldn't matter," Clark revealed, to Oliver's surprise. "I wanted Lana for a long time because I was lonely and she was everything a man could want – the ideal woman. I thought she was my soul mate, but things were always so complicated between us all the time, even when she knew my secret. Now that she's gone, in hindsight, I realize that all the time I was with her I still felt alone. She's not the one for me after all."
Oliver nodded, "So Lana's not the girl for you . . . does that have to mean there's not someone else out there who's perfect for you? Someone you could share your secret with who would make you feel whole and not alone?"
"You sound like my mother," Clark stated, sharply.
"Last I checked, sounding like Martha Kent is a very nice compliment," Oliver smirked.
Clark glared, then sighed, apparently expelling all negative thought with the CO2, and flashed his friend a dazzling Kent smile, "Unfortunately, it doesn't matter either way because I don't have time to think about things like that right now Oliver. I've got a wedding to prepare for. Thank you for listening though. It helped me focus on how happy I really am for Chloe and Jimmy."
"Any time, I guess," Oliver said and meant it. He was not used to being close to people, let alone having them confide their deep, dark secrets to him. Yes, he knew all about the Clark Kent from Krypton but he'd never had an occasion to seriously delve into the psyche behind the 'Man of Steel.' Though admittedly they were becoming closer friends, he never looked much beyond the Justice League. Romance wasn't something he often thought about if he was to keep focus on saving the world. He wasn't that guy who someone turned to for support, and yet, here he was, doing just that. Clark Kent 'the man' seemed to be rubbing off on him. "Oh hey! Lois had the formal wear company include a couple extra dress shirts for you because, and I quote, "Clark has a tendency to spill things." She told me I could use one since the one I have on now is bloody."
"Okay," Clark said, unfazed by the mention of Lois' criticism. He started digging through the garment bag and returned with a crisp white dress shirt. Oliver grabbed the clean shirt and changed quickly.
"No comment on Lois' crack at you?" Oliver asked, wondering if Clark had even heard him.
"It's the truth. Lois probably knows me better than anyone right now, including my super human ability to make a mess of myself," Clark explained off-handedly.
"You need anything else Kent?" Oliver asked, just in case.
"No, I'm all good now," Clark replied, genially.
"I have a couple of errands to run before the wedding, so I'll see you later," Oliver told him, exiting the way he came.
Knowing that Clark possessed super hearing, Oliver waited until he got into his car, a good thousand feet away from the barn, before he made the call.
"Olsen? It's Oliver Queen. Up for a bit of mischievousness before your nuptials?"
~*~
Jimmy's P.O.V.
Jimmy's eyes narrowed in interest, "What do you mean Oliver?"
"I hear you've been trying to play cupid for a certain hard-headed farm boy and stubborn star reporter at the Daily Planet for some time now," Oliver sounded amused on the other end of the line.
"Lois and C.K.?" Jimmy's eyebrows knitted together in confusion as he wondered why Oliver Queen, of all people, would care. "Yeah, I've been trying to hook them up for quite awhile, but so far it hasn't borne any fruit," Jimmy told him, summarizing his attempts at making a love connection between his bride's cousin and his best man.
"Well, I've got the arrows," Oliver said, impishly. "Any chance you want to try some last minute wedding Eros action on our stubborn lovebirds?"
"I'm totally in. What do you have in mind?" Jimmy asked, eagerly.
"Where are you?" Oliver asked, thinking that, around this time in the game, he should already be there, where the wedding was to take place.
"The Talon," Jimmy answered, embarrassed and worried the day would go all wrong because of his blunder.
"Thought the groom wasn't supposed to see the bride before the wedding," Oliver said curiously.
"I forgot my bow tie, and she isn't dressed yet, so technically it doesn't count," Jimmy replied, still a little worried that he'd jinxed his wedding.
"You know, Lois would have a shit fit if she knew you were there, right?" Oliver reminded him.
"I'm aware," Jimmy said, a bitter taste in his mouth at the thought of Lois finding out where he was. "Back to Lois and Clark," Jimmy segued, attempting to shunt the subject, "what did you have in mind?"
"Meet me at the Kent Farm in the kitchen. While you're en route I have a covert op to complete," Oliver explained.
"See you in twenty," Jimmy said, tone brisk. He made haste to his car, started the ignition, and was on his way, wondering vaguely what he was getting himself into.
~*~
The Kent Farm
Jimmy met Oliver in the Kent kitchen as promised. Apparently, the "covert op" Oliver had needed to complete had gone off without a hitch.
"Hey Olsen," Oliver greeted the groom, "you made good time."
He motioned for the groom to follow him into the family room, a much quieter and far less populated locale in the Kent house.
"You intrigued me," Jimmy responded, following him. "Besides, I'd do anything to see my friends happy. Does that "covert op" you mentioned on the phone have anything to do with the current non-photo-op condition of your face?"
Oliver waved his hand in front of his face dismissively and shook his head. "Back to the project at hand, Olsen. I'm glad to hear we're on the same page," he said, nodding to one long, rolled up sheet of paper, another sheet of paper that was about medium-length, and yet one more that was only slightly shorter than the latter.
"What're those?" Jimmy inquired, inquisitive as always.
Without answering, Oliver unrolled the long sheet of paper. It was the seating chart for the reception. Following in tradition, Lois had herself seated next to the bride since she was in the wedding party, as was Clark, who was seated beside Jimmy.
"How did you get a hold of these, Oliver? Lois must have had these and all the other wedding whatnot under lock and key."
"I'm just that good," Oliver smiled, a little cocky, his lip re-splitting for millionth time. "It's best that you don't know the details. In fact, the less you know the better you fare against Lois once she sees that things have changed."
Jimmy gulped and nodded, "What kind of changes are we talking about here? In Chloe's interest I may have to veto any changes that might jeopardize her perfect day."
"Good man," Oliver smiled at him with approval, not caring about the sting it caused his face. "Don't worry, I'm not suggesting anything drastic."
"What are you suggesting?" Jimmy demanded.
"Anything and everything that will put Lois and Clark unavoidably in each other's orbit all day," Oliver explained. "For example, what if you and Chloe sat at the wedding party table by yourselves? We could seat Lois and Clark at a small table next to you and Chloe so it's clear they're in the wedding party too, but far enough away that they can't avoid conversation."
"Brilliant," Jimmy smiled. "The wedding isn't big so it'll be easy to push them together often. If they look at each other in formal wear any way near the way they do in regular clothing, Lois will be catching the bouquet and the next wedding we attend will be a Lane-Kent affair."
"My own thoughts precisely," Oliver concluded. "Of course, the bulk of our plan has to be carried out by me because I wouldn't want you to neglect your bride on the happiest day of your life, but I think we'll make great partners."
Jimmy held out his hand and Oliver shook it.
"Part of my plan includes a few last minute uninvited guests," Oliver informed the groom," pointing at the shorter sheet of paper which happened to be the list of people who would be attending the formal affair. "I checked the list of invitees against the list of R.S.V.P.s, and there's room if you'll allow it."
"It'll help bring Lois and Clark together?" Jimmy questioned, an eyebrow cocked in mild-mannered suspicion.
Oliver nodded, conspiratorially.
"Okay then. I'll just notify the staff of the changes in the seating arrangements and the additions to the guest list so Mrs. Henney will have enough food prepared," Jimmy informed his partner in crime, "but I'd make sure that seating chart and those guest lists make it back to where they came from in case Lois decides to check."
Oliver nodded in agreement, putting his fingertips together and tapping them a few times, feigning an evil grin, "Excellent."
Jimmy chuckled and went about his business.
~*~
Oliver's P.O.V.
Everything was working to his advantage. He'd even managed to get members of the Justice League invited for extra protection, just in case Lex really was alive and decided a wedding would be the perfect opportunity to exploit his knowledge of Clark Kent's otherworldly secret.
Playing cupid instead of the Green Arrow was a lot easier and a lot more fun. He re-rolled the reception seating chart carefully, making it look exactly as it had before it had fallen into his hands.
"Better watch out guys," he said to himself and an unaware Lois and Clark, "because by the time I'm done with you, you won't know what hit you."
