Part 4: Timing

Metropolis, December 2008 – 4:06 PM

It was the night before Christmas and Martha Kent was freaking out.

Lois watched as she worked on her baseline projection reports for some proposed legislation, while at the same time trying to wrap presents and watch her Christmas baking. Not trusting her or Clark, Martha had put them to work setting up the last of the Christmas decorations. During the last year, she'd met Senator McCallister and his wife, Courtney in D.C. where they had developed a close rapport. The couple had traveled to Metropolis for a meeting and had promised to join Martha for dinner before they left.

Clark and Lois had just finished cleaning and setting the table. The place practically sparkled. As it should after the little competition Clark had initiated. She had never scrubbed anything so hard in her life.

Lois surveyed her area. "I won."

Clark came to stand beside her. "Yeah, right. I won. I even folded the blanket over the couch."

"Are you kidding? You call that folding? It looks like Shelby's been rolling around on it."

"What? So you wrap one decent present and you think you're some Christmas expert?"

She shrugged. "If the title fits…" She poked him in the chest. "You need a shower."

He glanced down at himself. "I guess that's the last time Mom let's both of us help in the kitchen." He rubbed at the globs of pumpkin smeared down the front of his shirt, then wiped it on Lois' head.

"What the hell was that, Smallville?!"

"Hey, you already had a bunch of it in your hair. I figured a bit more wouldn't make a difference." He gave her his best innocent 'who-me?' look.

"I'm not falling for that." She dipped a finger in the salad dressing and smeared it down his cheek. She started laughing at his gaping expression.

"You weren't supposed to do that. Mom will kill you!"

"I'll just blame you. You've already eaten half the veggies and dip."

Martha walked in before she could get him again. "Are you two all done? Ooh. It looks beautiful. You children did a wonderful job." They glanced at each other. Lois quickly thrust her hand behind her back while Clark tried to subtly wipe his cheek.

"Thanks," they both uttered in unison.

She eyed them questioningly. They just smiled. "All right then, quit standing around. Put the stuff away and go shower and change. Bob and Courtney should be here in a few hours."

After Martha left, they both let out their breaths.

Lois grinned up at him and rubbed his cheek. "You missed half of it," she said quietly. He looked down at her, watching as she licked the creamy dressing off her finger.

He grabbed her wrist, and pulled her gently to the kitchen. Once there he hovered close.

"Clark, what are you doing?" Lois backed away, inching her way backwards.

"It's Christmas," he said, as if that explained everything.

She was getting exasperated with the cryptic remarks he'd been throwing at her for the last few days. Not to mention the staring. That unnerved her the most. She threw up her arms in disgust. "All right, Farm Boy, enough with the cryptic remarks and weird looks - what the hell is wrong with you? Just spit it out, already."

He smiled. "Weird looks?"

She rolled her eyes. "I give up. Forget it. Just stay away from me when you've had too much eggnog."

He stopped her with a hand on her elbow. "It's not the eggnog. I just...it's you, Lois."

"What? Did you hit your head again?" Now she was really confused.

He smiled sheepishly. "I'm not doing this very well, am I?"

"If I had a clue, what the hell you were talking about, maybe I could let you know."

"Okay," he ran a hand through his hair, leaving the front standing up at odd angles. Lois bit her lip, knowing if she laughed he wouldn't continue. "It's just...this last year things have changed, everything has changed...for the better, I think. And looking back, I realize you're a big part of that change. You've been around for all of it, even before…for all the big things..." he trailed off, taking a deep breath.

Lois tried to hide her confusion; she had no idea what he was talking about. She tried for reassuring and patted him awkwardly on his bicep, the place she usually punched him. "It's okay, Clark. I know. You mean a lot to me too. We've become great friends. You've become a big part of my life. I appreciate our friendship too, I even got you a present."

It was his turn to look confused. "Uh...what?"

"You were trying to say how much you appreciate my awesome friendship skills," she said patiently.

"No, uh…No. Lois," he leaned in closer, making sure she was watching. Haven't you felt things...well, shifting, lately?"

She swallowed. "Is this about me accidentally hitting on you?" she whispered fearfully. "I was really hoping it wouldn't be awkward. You know I had way too much punch, and you know I had no idea the techies would pull a juvenile stunt like spiking the punch. I mean, it is the Daily Planet–" She stopped as Clark's smile began to stretch until it looked almost painful. She was tempted to knock it off his face. She glanced at the roof in frustration. "Now what? Are you laughing at me? Because it isn't funny. I wrecked your date. I could have destroyed our friendship, I–"

"Lois. Stop talking and let me finish. Things have been… shifting and it just feels like things are starting to fit into place, I know what I want in my life. I've found things worth fighting for." He stopped and cleared his throat nervously. He placed a warm finger under her chin. "I want to fight for what we have and, well, more."

Lois blinked. She tried to take a deep breath in the hopes that her stomach would calm down from the imaginary rollercoaster it was riding. When she realized it had no intention of settling down, she tried to speak.

"Oh," she managed to croak out. Smooth one Lane, she berated herself. She was petrified and for the first time in her life words were failing her.

He teased his lower lip. "I was kind of hoping for more of a response."

She cleared her throat. "Clark, I don't know what you want me to say."

"I guess I was hoping you'd say you felt the same." He gave her a weak smile. "That maybe you'd want to fight with me for a while, preferably a long while."

She tried to smile, hoping she didn't look as sick as she felt. "Clark, I like our brand of fighting--it works for us --and I want it to last...but" she took a deep breath to steady her voice, which had been inching up toward shrill territory, and Lois Lane did not do shrill. This was not good. "But, if we moved to the...'shifting' side, everything could crumble and the solid ground we--Oh screw the metaphor. Clark, we can't do this; it wouldn't work and you know it. And this great relationship we have, this relationship that has taken us years to get to, could be destroyed in a second."

If she thought she was going to be sick before, it was definite now. The look on Clark's face made her feel like the shittiest person on the planet, and she might very well be at this moment. He'd shut his eyes, blocking the hurt, confusion and embarrassment that showed so clearly in his eyes. When they opened again they were blue and blank.

"Maybe you're right; I got confused. Misread things. I'll leave you alone." He turned on his heel and was gone before she could finish choking out his name.

She sank down against the counter, breathing in the putrid smell emanating from the trash bin. It was definitely the last time she'd attempted any sort of cooking.

The reality of her confrontation with Clark began to sink in. "Oh, God. If Hell is real, I'm so going there." She leaned over, dropping her head between her knees and wrapping her arms around her rolling stomach. Deep breaths. Maybe that would work. After a minute or two she began to feel lightheaded. If Clark found her passed out she'd be no better than the pansy-princess-types that populated bad television and harlequin romances. He'd never let her live that one down...if he spoke to her again. Shit.

"Lois? Are you all right?

Martha.

Double shit.

She looked up and plastered on the fake, innocent smile she usually reserved for smarmy politicians and the police. "I'm fine. Great! Just taking a break."

Martha eyed her skeptically. "On the kitchen floor?"

She shrugged. "Seemed as good a place as any."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

The gentleness in Martha's voice almost made her cave. Then she remembered she was first and foremost Clark's mother. She couldn't put her in that awkward position. "No, everything will be fine" she said firmly, trying to convince herself.

Martha pursed her lips and finally nodded. "Okay, but if you want to talk, Lois, you know where you can find me." she squeezed her shoulder gently and added, "Clark said he was going to the store." Lois' eyes widened.

Martha shot her a knowing look before disappearing down the hall.

Lois sighed. Clark couldn't have waited until after Christmas to spill his guts... Now they'd be forced to spend all their time together at the farm with Martha pretending like everything was fine. They couldn't even go a few hours without arguing on a good day. They were so screwed.

Unless...

She waited for him to return to Martha's downtown apartment. After an hour she gave up and threw on her hat and coat. She had a feeling she knew where to find him.

Just as she suspected. She found Clark Kent sitting in their regular booth at Buddy Garrity's, the tiny, whole-in-the-wall Texas Tavern where they all tended to congregate after a long day. She, Clark and Chloe had helped Buddy with an extortion case a few months back.

She felt her chest tighten at the memory of the three of them celebrating together. She'd already lost one best friend; she had no intention of losing another.

"I figured I'd find you here," she said lightly, sliding in across from him.

He glanced up, before returning his eyes to his drink. "What are you doing here, Lois?" He sounded tired and resigned.

"I think it's obvious: I came for you. We're going to sort this whole thing out right now." He ignored her and just took another sip of his... "What are you drinking?"

He flushed. "Hot chocolate with a twist, that's what Buddy told me."

She laughed. "Only you would drink hot chocolate here. I had no idea they even served it."

He shrugged. "Must be seasonal."

"Clark, I owe you an apology." That got his attention. "I handled that...poorly. But you blind-sighted me with that one."

Clark looked bemused. "What do you mean? You were all over me at the Christmas party."

"I was accidentally drunk. Very drunk. Along with many others."

"And you flirted with me."

"So? We do that occasionally, we always have. It's fun." She caught his eye and held it. "What happened? Why this sudden declaration of intention?"

"Well, Lori said some things that got me thinking."

Lois groaned. "Oh, not this again."

He smiled. "Not quite."

"So let me get this straight: she mentioned something about you not always being there for her; emotional distance; blah, blah, blah. And she figured it must have something to do with me since we're friends who spend a lot of time together?"

"Something like that."

"Clark," she placed her elbows on the table and leaned in close. "How long since you two broke up?"

He leaned forward. "A few weeks, why?"

"And it's what season?"

He rolled his eyes but answered. "Christmas."

"So, you think maybe this has more to do with Lori leaving at a time when being alone can be tough?"

"I'm not in junior high, Lois. Are you really telling me you've never thought about us...dating?"

She was so tempted to say no, but he was staring at her, those big blue eyes practically oozing sincerity, and she couldn't do it. "I guess so. Once or twice."

He quirked an eyebrow. "Really. Once or twice."

She glared at him. "Fine, maybe more like three or four, so what?"

"So maybe there was a reason I was seriously thinking about it. You have to admit it's tempting; we know each other, we know each other's flaws and bad habits and we still haven't killed each other. In fact, we've grown closer..."

"And I've already met the parents."

He smiled. "Exactly."

"So you wanted easy."

Clark laughed and shook his head. "Lois, nothing is ever easy with you. I think I'd be disappointed if it was."

"I'm not sure how to take that. So… we're good?"

His eyes probed hers and whatever he saw seemed to satisfy him. "Yeah, we're good."

She reached a tentative hand forward and squeezed his forearm. "You know you mean a lot to me, right? I know I don't always show but--"

A big, warm hand covered hers. "I know, Lois. Who knows, maybe it's just the timing that's wrong."

She grinned at the mischievous look in his eyes. "You wish, Romeo."

"Thanks for bringing me to my senses. I don't think you could handle me."

She rolled her eyes. "You might be right. C'mon Princess, your mom is going to be worried."

He grasped her outstretched hand; neither letting go as they made their way home.

TBC

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