"This is hopeless." Clark sighed in frustration, and ran his hands through his hair. Then he sighed again. It just wasn't the same. He wanted his own hair back. Her hair was gorgeous, but it really didn't give the same comfort that running his hands through his own hair gave him. In fact, it slightly unnerved him, as it reminded him, once again, of their current predicament.
"You're frustrated."
Clark looked at Lois incredulously. "Oh, really? What clued you in to that?"
Lois smirked at him, then frowned. "Well, stop it. You're making me frustrated too."
Clark did a quick check of her feelings. Yes, she was starting to get frustrated. That was not what he wanted. "I'm sorry, Lois. I have faith in you. It's just...it took me years to get a handle on my abilities, and they started out slow. I'm faster and stronger today than I ever have been. I don't see how you're going to master them in a matter of hours."
"Tell me about it, Smallville. At least I've got the super speed thing down. We don't have to worry about me crashing into the barn again. Why don't we move on to something else. We can always come back to the super strength ability later."
"What do you want to work on?"
"How about the laser vision thing. I haven't been able to get that to work yet."
Clark inwardly groaned. Just great. He really didn't want to have this conversation with Lois. At least not yet.
"What is it? What did I say?"
Clark frowned. He hadn't shown any outward emotion. Now he knew Lois could read his emotions. Perhaps this was a good way to change the subject. "You really can read my emotions too, can't you?"
"Well, yes, as a matter of fact, I can. But this is a conversation for later. You're changing the subject. What's bothering you?"
Again, Clark sighed. He mentally prepared himself. He could do this. "The laser vision thing. It's triggered by sex."
"Oh." She paused, thinking. "And here I thought you and Lana never did the deed. Or was it you and Alicia? Regardless, I guess we'll have to move on. There is no way I'm having sex in my current condition."
"What? No, that's not what I meant. It's triggered by thinking about sex. I've never-" Clark stopped, realizing what he was about to say. He wasn't quite sure whether his status was a good or bad thing in Lois' eyes.
"Don't worry, Smallville. I actually think it is sweet, you being innocent and all. You shouldn't feel bad just because everyone else says they've done it. It's noble of you to wait for the right person. I wish I would have."
"So you've..."
"...had sex? Yes. Once. It didn't end well. Turns out the bastard was cheating on his girlfriend with me, had a not-so-legal business going on the side, and had broken his parole and left the state. I haven't exactly had the best track record when it comes to men."
Clark could feel the self-rejection in her, and it surprised him. She was so confident all the time. Did she really have insecurities just like he did? For some reason, that made him admire her all the more. It made her more real and made her confidence all that more impressive.
"Past mistakes aren't everything, Lois. There is someone great out there for you, I know it."
Lois looked at him doubtfully, yet hopefully, as if she needed his reassurance. "You really think so?"
"I know so. You're a great woman. Fun, independent, honest, caring, and, let's face it, gorgeous," he said, glancing down at himself and then back up to Lois. "There's no way there's not someone just as great out there for you."
Lois laughed, and then smiled genuinely for him. "Thank you."
Clark took her hand, and squeezed it gently. "Anytime, Lois. Anytime," he said, mimicking her earlier words to him. She was feeling better already, and it thrilled him. He wasn't about to admit it, but he loved being able to sense her emotions. She gave him strength when he needed it, her joy was his joy, and her sadness, his. He had never felt so connected to anyone. It felt great. He was very thankful to count her as one of his friends. And he was glad that he could be there to encourage her, for once.
"So, about this laser vision thing..."
"That one works too," Lois said, tossing Chloe another shirt. The two of them had been shopping for the past four hours. So far, Lois had picked out twenty seven shirts, six pair of pants, two new jackets, and twelve pairs of shoes. If someone ever raided Clark's closet, they were going to think he was gay. Chloe had never even met a guy who owned more than four pairs of shoes. The clothes and shoes Lois had picked out were fine. They fit what you would find a normal guy Clark's age wearing, but the amount was excessive.
Chloe added the newest shirt to the shopping cart and sighed. She enjoyed shopping as much as the next girl, but the men's department simply didn't hold the magic that the women's department did. She was tired, and she wanted to go home. And that was something she never had thought she would say while shopping in Metropolis.
"Don't you think that's enough, Lois? Or should we just pack up the whole store and have it shipped to the Kent's?"
"What? Oh. I guess that will be fine. We should probably be getting back. What time is it, anyway?"
Chloe pulled out her phone and checked the time. "It's almost three. I'm just wondering, though. How are we going to get all of this back to the Kent's? We didn't exactly drive here."
"I'll just make a couple of trips. Smallville was being modest when he said it took twenty minutes to run to Metropolis and back. I can do it in less than five."
"So, we are done then? We can go check out?"
"Yeah, I think so. That should do for now."
Chloe couldn't believe her. She almost thought that Lois just enjoyed trying on clothes in her new body. She did have a great view, after all. "For now? You picked out twenty-seven shirts! I think you're set for quite a while."
"Wow. Did I really pick out that many?"
"Yes, I counted. And you tried on twice as many. If I didn't know any better, I would think you just liked seeing Clark without his shirt on."
"Well, that is partially true..."
"Lois!"
"What? He's got a great body. You should just be thankful that he worked with me on the laser vision thing earlier. Otherwise this whole store would be up in flames."
"Huh? How's that?"
"It's triggered by thinking about sex."
"Oh," she said, automatically. Then it hit her, and she realized what Lois was saying. "OH! Lois!"
"Hey, it's not my fault. It's a normal, teenage guy thing. Or guy thing in general. I don't know."
"So is it true, what they say? Do you think about sex every six seconds?"
Lois pondered that for a moment. "No, not really. I don't know whether it's me in this body that makes the difference, or Smallville's virtuous nature, but it's more like once every five minutes. Although, granted, it didn't start at all until we started shopping."
"Yes, that is very interesting. So, are these thoughts...focused around a particular person?" Lois gave her a look of warning. She smiled brightly. "Ah, so they are. This person wouldn't happen to be a six something farmboy from Smallville, would it? Who just so happens to be standing next to me?"
"Huh? Where?" Lois looked around, obviously not understanding what Chloe was talking about. Then it seemed to dawn on her. "Oh." She paused, as if she was considering whether or not she should share something with her. She looked at Chloe, and her voice changed to a more serious tone. "Chloe, I don't know what to do. I think about him constantly. Literally every waking minute. And not just this," she said, indicating her current body with her hands, "but him. Who he truly is. How great he is. How he's such a caring person, and how important he is to me right now. If anything happened to him...I couldn't handle it. No one has ever gotten to me like he has."
Chloe took in Lois' confession. It was true. No one had ever gotten past the Lane walls before. Not like what she had just described. "Do you love him?"
"Do I ever. How is that possible? I wish I could say that I just really like him, but that wouldn't be the truth. I love him desperately. How can so much change in two days?"
"Maybe it hasn't."
"What?"
"Maybe that much hasn't changed. I've seen the way you look at him. And I'm not just talking about the past two days. You've cared about him for a whole lot longer than that. I saw the connection you two have months ago. I think it has just taken the last two days to bring you out of your denial."
"Well what do I do? Nothing's changed since this morning. Clark's still not ready for a relationship like that. And let's face it. I'm not exactly the poster child for knowing what I want to do with the rest of my life. And I understand all that. With my mind, anyway. My heart hates every minute we are apart. His heartbeat is the only thing that's keeping me sane right now."
"His heartbeat? or yours?"
"Uh, both. Ever since we touched the stone, our hearts have been beating in sync. When his is racing, mine is racing. When he's asleep, mine slows down too. My ear was already tuned to hear my body's heartbeat even before we touched the stone, for some reason. Now that our hearts are beating in sync, I simply pick it up naturally, without even thinking."
"So that's why, when Mr. Kent gave Clark CPR, you woke up too?"
"I guess so. I don't really know why the stone reacted the way it did with us. That's something I want to look into as well. Although I don't know if I want to reverse what it did anymore."
Chloe was puzzled. Their hearts beating in sync was cool and very romantic, but it wasn't the end of the world, either. "Why? It isn't that big of a deal."
"Chloe, our hearts more than just beat in sync. They're connected on even an emotional level. I can feel what he feels, and he can feel what I feel."
"What!" This was new. No wonder Lois had realized her feelings for Clark. She had thought that being in Clark's body would be an eye opener. But this? No, this was on a whole other level of clarity. If normal clarity was ground level, and being in Clark's body was two floors up, then feeling his emotions was the top floor of the Empire State Building. The difference was like night and day. This was huge.
"I know. I couldn't believe it myself when I first noticed it. And it annoyed me. Like hell. But now...now I wouldn't give it up for the world. Although I would give it up for Clark.
"Chloe, how did this happen to me? How is it even possible to love someone so much? I don't know what to do. I know what my heart says is right, and I know what my mind says is right. I need to know what you think. Is it...right for me to wait for Clark? for him to be ready? Or am I just being foolish, and throwing away what we could have?"
A year ago, there would have been no doubt. Chloe would have told Lois to go for it. Lois had the courage to take the risk, after all. But now? Their conversation earlier that day had really touched her. Changed her. Lois was right. Clark needed time. He needed to come to terms with who he was. If it was meant to be, it would happen. And she had no doubts about that. Lois and Clark were meant to be.
"No, Lois. You are not being foolish. Love can be blind, but it also cares. You are waiting on Clark because you care what is best for him. I don't think I could be strong enough to do it. But I know you are. You can do this. You're the strongest person I know."
"But...I...I don't want to be strong anymore. I just want to be with him. He gives me strength. He opens up a side of me that I never thought existed. I'm vulnerable, yet safe, because I know he'll be there for me. I hate being weak. But I can be weak around him, and it is okay. I can cry in front of him, and he won't judge me. He'll just be there for me. And he'll really care. About me. Do you know how special that makes me feel? My whole life I've thought I had to handle everything on my own. Be strong, the General says. Fend for yourself. He's taught me to be independent. Around Smallville, though, I can be independent. I can be myself, yet I don't have to handle everything myself. He's there. Chloe, I don't think I can live without him anymore. How do I deal with that?"
Chloe waited a minute before responding. She knew what she needed to say. She just had to make sure she said it correctly. She gathered her thoughts together, and then answered. "You don't have to, Lois. You don't have to. I've learned this the hard way. I've had to struggle with a lot of the things that you are feeling now. And dealing is not the answer. It got easier for me eventually, but I don't think that is going to happen with you. You belong together, Lois. You aren't going to be able to deal with living without him. But you don't have to. Is there anything you mentioned, anything at all, that you can't have or you can't be, and still just be friends with him?"
Chloe waited for her to respond. She could tell that the wheels were spinning in Lois' head. "No. It won't be as great as it could be, but no. He's given me all that already, and all we are is friends. Close friends, but still friends."
"Then you can do this. No one ever said this has to be all or nothing. You are allowing him to find himself first. But that doesn't mean that anything you have right now needs to change. You two can still be friends. And friends are there for each other, too."
Lois nodded. Then she looked Chloe in the eye. "Thank you," she said, for the second time that day.
"Anytime, Lois. Now let's get these clothes checked out and go home."
