Chapter Eight

Lois flung open the door. "You're early. Just give me a minute." She rushed back off into her bedroom before Clark could even say hello.

He stepped inside, closing the door behind him and smiled as his hearing picked up her cursing, she seemed to be struggling with her shoes. At least he wasn't alone in being nervous.

However his smile quickly disappeared as she returned. His eyes took in every detail. Her dark brown hair fell in gentle waves around her shoulders and he had to suppress the sudden urge to run his hands through it.

She wore a casual yet very elegant black sleeveless dress that showed just the right amount of cleavage to make his mouth run dry and it ended just above her knees, displaying the length of her legs. He'd always known she was attractive but seeing her tonight, he thought she was simply breathtaking.

"You look…" He sucked in a deep breath and held it. She was stunning.

He mentally kicked himself for not having seen it before. But now he had finally realised it, he suspected that he wouldn't be able to think about much else. Or anyone else for that matter. Lois had taken up residence in his mind and it didn't seem that she was going to leave any time soon. Which was fine with him.

"Clark!" He snapped his eyes up to hers as she clicked her fingers in front of his face. "Where did you go?"

"Nowhere." He answered quickly. One side of his mouth tilted up into a half smile.

"You look beautiful Lois." He could hear the sudden spike in her heartbeat. Or was that his? He wasn't sure but he knew his own was thundering so loud he was sure she could hear it too.

"Thank you. You look good too."

After a moment of silence, each one eyeing the other, Lois broke the connection and went over to the coffee table to get her purse.

"You ready to go?" He asked, swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat.

"Yeah," She started putting her jacket on and Clark stepped in to help.

She smiled as he held it up for her and she slipped her arms in, turning her back to him. He gently swept up her hair to pull it out of the jacket and felt her shiver as his fingers brushed against her bare neck.

He was so close, all he had to do was lean in a little further and he would be able to feel her skin against his lips. And the intensity with which he wanted to do that, surprised him a little. She brought him back to reality when she turned around, a smile plastered on her face but he could see a little flush in her cheeks.

"We should really get going if we're going to make it in time for dinner." She said, her voice sounded a little strained, he thought. She walked over to the door and held it open for him.

Again their eyes locked on each other outside in the hallway. Clark didn't say anything, he simply smiled and took her hand in his. She gave him a tentative smile back as she entwined her fingers in his and they walked like that the entire way there.


Back at the Kent farm Kara was just finishing up the last of Clark's chores. It was the least she could do since he was letting her stay here. It felt good to be back here with him but she wasn't sure how she felt about not being able to find Kandor. She had been certain that it still existed, somewhere out there. She needed to know for sure one way or the other.

But for now, she was happy to stay here and recharge her batteries. She paused as she reached the porch, sat down on the bench and looked up at the night sky. The moon was out and the stars were twinkling brightly. It really was quite beautiful. She could see why Clark loved this planet so much. She hoped him and Lois were having a good time. He needed a little more laughter in his life.

She had heard all about what had happened to Lana, he'd been eerily calm whilst talking about it. Not the same Clark she had left behind. But everything he had told her made her wonder that if Lana had loved him as much as she claimed, why did she go to such incredible lengths to keep him away from her while she went after that suit? And why did she feel the need to be all powerful.

She had gotten to know Lana a lot last year when she had been living with Clark, she was a nice person, always friendly and always willing to lend an ear. But even then Kara had seen that she and Clark had had their problems. Clearly they did not belong together. Something always got in their way.

Kara hoped that he would be able to find happiness with Lois, she was definitely a challenge for him. He deserved that kind of happiness after all the darkness in his life.

"Beautiful aren't they?" Startled, she jumped up, ready to attack should she need to. Oliver stood on the first step holding his hands up.

"It's just me. Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

Trying to get herself in check, she shrugged. "You didn't. Um…Clark's not here."

He frowned for a moment before his smile returned and she found herself smiling back. "It's okay, I just wanted him to look at something. I forgot he has a date with Lois tonight. I wonder how that's going?" He chuckled as he placed a folder on the bench next to her.

""I hope it's going great. I think they would make an interesting couple. Lois is…well she's Lois."

"She certainly is," Oliver nodded.

"You used to date her didn't you?" Kara asked, not really sure where the question had come from and why she had voiced it.

"Yeah for a while. But it didn't work out." He sat down next to her and she was suddenly all too aware of his body leaning close to hers.

"Why not?" Her voice sounded strange to her own ears. Why did she want to know the answer to that?

"We just wanted different things I guess. But we're still friends and she means a lot to me." Kara nodded thoughtfully.

"Well, thanks for dropping this by. I'll make sure he gets this." She said. He nodded his head, smiled again, got up and turned to leave.

It was a strange feeling, this attraction, she knew that was what it was. But she never expected to be attracted to someone from earth. She supposed it had something to do with not being able to truly let go of Krypton and the life she had lived there.

It suddenly occurred to her that these emotions that she said were Clark's weakness, were actually a hell of a lot more complicated then she thought. Before she knew what she was doing, she stood up and took a step forward.

"Would you like to stay for some coffee Oliver?"


Two hours later Lois and Clark had just finished their meal and had ordered their dessert. Lois had to admit that she was still more then a little nervous and the tension back in her apartment earlier had only served to increased it ten fold. She had put the feeling of his fingers on her neck to the back of her mind and was surprised to find herself having such a good time.

She had been friends with Clark for years and yet she had never really spent any real alone time with him. Not like this anyway. This was new. But definitely not bad. They joked, they laughed, their banter was still there and that felt good. Normal even.

They talked about anything and everything, Clark told her more about his abilities. She hadn't asked him to, but he said that he wanted her to know everything there was to know about him. She felt a little warmth inside at the gesture.

He looked so handsome tonight, of course he did most of the time but what made him look better tonight was the smile she saw in his eyes. For once he wasn't worrying about something or upset about something. He was just happy. And that made her happy.

The waiter brought their desserts over and lingered longer then he should have. Lois noted the frown appear on Clark's face but before he could say anything, the waiter smiled at her and walked away.

"He was checking you out." Clark said quietly.

"Huh…good to know." Lois shrugged, her mouth full of heavenly chocolate mousse. But a little flutter started in her stomach at the look on his face. Was he…jealous? Clark never got jealous. At least not over her anyway.

"So Kara's back?" Lois decided a change of subject was in order. She watched as Clark shifted his eyes from the waiter to her and his smile slowly returned. He had a gorgeous smile, she thought.

"Yeah but I'm not sure how long she's staying. She's been searching for a piece of our planet that may have broken off and survived. Her home city. But she couldn't find it and she said that she missed me and this planet so she wanted to take a break before she starts looking again."

Lois noticed how his eyes lit up at the mention of his cousin. She felt a little sad that he must've spent all these years feeling so alone, but with Kara now in his life, he wasn't anymore. She was a blood relative, his family and his only link to the civilisation that he would never know.

She had never really gotten that close to Kara, their paths never crossed that much but she knew that she loved Clark. Lois could see that she also took after Clark, after hearing of her struggle to stay in that awful place she and Clark had found her in, just to protect this planet and others from anyone escaping with her. She made a mental note to visit Kara sometime before she took off again. She would like to get to know her a little more.

"Well she's here for now. I…" She stopped when she realised that he was looking at her with an amused grin. "What?" He shocked her by reaching over the table and wiping his thumb slowly and softly across her top lip, his eyes boring into hers.

"Sorry, you had…" He explained quietly, pointing to his own mouth.

"Oh…thanks." It suddenly became very warm in the restaurant and she could feel her cheeks flushing. But she also noticed that his were too and it made her feel a little less exposed. Her expectations of this evening hadn't been that high. She was simply treating it as two friends going out together for a meal. Hoping for anything more then that this soon would only be asking for more heartache. But the little things that Clark did every now and then made her feel…special. And she liked it. She couldn't remember the last time a man made her feel this way.

"So I take it you haven't heard from Tess?" She asked, trying to get her feelings under control.

He shook his head. "No and I can't imagine what's taking her so long. It should be pretty cut and dried, you're a great reporter, you don't deserve to be punished because of some guy."

"Well it looks like she's going to do it anyway. Looks like I'm going to be asking for my old job back at the Inquisitor. If they'd even have me back."

"She won't fire you Lois. She can't. Who else is going to bring her the biggest story of a lifetime?"

"What do you mean?"

Clark leaned over the table and whispered. "I want you to write my story. Obviously not the Clark Kent part but the rest. I want people to know that I'm here to help. And I can't think of a better reporter for the job."

"I don't know Clark. I know I've been obsessing about getting an interview with you for the last few months but now that I know who he is…who you are. Well…it changes things."

"How so?" He asked. He looked genuinely confused as to why she would turn down such a good offer. Truthfully, she was kicking herself for turning it down.

"Well it's just that…when I didn't know who the blur was it made it easier somehow. It was a challenge to get that article. But now I know it's you I don't know if splashing your story over the front page of a newspaper that's read all over the country would be a good idea. What if something happened to you because of it? I don't think I could live with myself."

"Lois you know there's not a lot that can hurt me. As long as you don't put what can in the article we should be fine. And besides, you're not going to name any names. It'll just be a quick Q&A that we both know the public wants. They need answers Lois. The need to know that I'm here to help them and I'm not a threat."

Something in his voice changed at the last part and she wondered why it seemed so important to him to have everyone know that he wasn't a threat to the world. But something told her that deep down, all he really wanted was to be accepted.

"Well when you put it that way…" She said biting her lower lip. "I'd love to do it Clark."

"Thank you. I know you'll do a great job."

Eventually they both managed to finish their dessert and Lois went to get their jackets while Clark paid the bill. She had tried to pay for her half, she was a modern woman after all, but Clark had refused to take it and so, reluctantly, she had let him pay.

The night air felt good on her burning cheeks as they left the restaurant and started walking down the street. She felt Clark take her hand again as he led her across the road and back towards her apartment.

"I can't believe I had such a great time with you tonight Smallville." Lois said happily as they stopped.

Clark frowned at that statement. "Gee thanks." He said sarcastically and she realised how it had sounded.

"Sorry, you know what I meant. I really did have a great time. I feel like I've seen a whole new side of you these last few days." He stepped closer to her and she looked into his eyes.

"And?" He asked, his voice husky.

"And what?"

"Do you like it?" She took a moment to consider it, at the same time being aware of how close he was to her now.

"Yeah, I like it Clark. But you're still the same Clark Kent I've always known. Whether you're from Smallville or Krypton, it doesn't change who you are. Who you've always been." He smiled gratefully at her and she knew that he had been eager to know the answer to that question ever since he'd told her about himself.

He was looking at her with an intensity that stole her breath. He had never looked at her that way before. Without thinking, she raised her hand and touched his chest, over his heart. It occurred to her the last time she had done so, she had walked away with her heart in her hands.

But this time, it was different. His head was leaning in, so slowly. She closed her eyes and lost herself in his kiss. It was sweet, tender, gentle. His kisses when he had been on that red stuff were hard and fast and rough. But it didn't feel like him.

This however, this kiss was slowly robbing her of every sense she had. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he gripped her waist, pulling her against him. The kiss became passionate and she was struggling to keep herself upright.

But suddenly her common sense kicked in and she became all too aware that they were practically all over each other in the middle of the street. She pulled back and took a deep breath to steady herself.

"Sorry." He murmured but with a look that told her he was anything but. Lois smiled, took his hand and together they continued walking.

"Lois?" She turned around to face the voice behind them. Her eyes widened as she recognised who it was.

"What the hell are you doing here? What…didn't get enough the first time?" She spat. Mark Jacobs winced a little at her hidden threat but stood firm. His brown eyes shooting across to Clark but dismissing him quickly before turning them back on Lois.

"I just wanted to talk to you. I'm really sorry for what I did and I just wanted you to know that I don't blame you for kicking my ass. I don't know what came over me,"

She felt Clark stiffen next to her and she glanced up at him from the corner of her eye to see his eyes sparkling with anger.

"Well let's just forget about it. It's done. Now I suggest you get out of my face." She said with a little more venom then she meant. But being with Clark and seeing this guy was not a good combination.

"Does that mean you forgive me?" He asked, taking another step towards her and Lois instinctively backed away a little. And then all she could see was Clark's broad back as he stepped in front of her, effectively placing himself between her and Mark.

"You heard what she said. I think you should leave… now." Clark growled and Lois could see him bunching his fists at his sides. She placed her hands on his back to try and calm him and for a moment it worked but he was still holding himself very stiff. As if poised, ready for action.

Lois wanted to be annoyed that he was doing this, she knew how to take care of herself, had been doing so for years. She didn't need a protector but she couldn't help but find it incredibly endearing.

"Of course, I uh didn't mean to interrupt anything. I just really wanted to say I was sorry." Mark said, looking up at Clark with trepidation. Mark wasn't short by any means, but Clark at six foot three towered over him.

"Get lost. And don't ever come near her again." Clark said, keeping his voice level.

Mark glanced around his shoulder at Lois, who glared back, nodded and then left. Clark turned around to face her and she had to admit that seeing Mark out and about like nothing had happened made her slightly uncomfortable. He hadn't really gotten anywhere with her, but the implication had been there and she would be lying if she said that she hadn't been at least a little scared.

But with everything that had happened in the last few days with Clark, she had completely forgotten about it. It was just her luck that he had to pop up tonight of all nights.

"Are you okay?" Clark asked, the concern clearly showing in his eyes.

"Sure I am Smallville." She said in her usual breezy tone. She never let anyone see when she was scared, she only showed the world the tough side of Lois Lane because that was how she'd been raised.

"Lois, it's me. Are you okay?" He repeated, slowly.

"Yeah I'm fine Clark. Thanks for stepping in but I could've handled it myself." She said but softly so that he wouldn't take offence. He had only been looking out for her after all.

"Yeah, I noticed that. His face still looks pretty bad. What on earth did you do to him?" Clark chuckled.

"I taught him that he should never mess with a Lane." She smirked, squaring her shoulders and standing tall. But Clark's expression grew serious as he reached out to touch her lip where the already healed but still a little visible cut was.

"You should never have had to do that though." His large thumb gently caressing her lips was making her shiver.

"Well it happened and like I said, it was no big deal. He got what he deserved and I'm okay so that's that." She looked around her, grateful that the street was mainly deserted and sighed.

"Well I guess I should go. Thanks Clark. I really did have a great time tonight."

"How about we do it again tomorrow?" He said as she began to walk away.

Lois blinked. "You asking for another date Kent?" She said with a grin. But as he stepped closer again, her heartbeat picked up a notch.

"I really enjoyed spending time with you tonight Lois. I don't really get to see that much of you anymore. What with you avoiding me at work and all…" His eyes flashed, challenging her to deny it.

"I haven't been avoiding you Smallville believe it or not but I actually had work to do. Besides, a little space was good for us. Gave me time to get some perspective. But then you went and blew all that out of the water anyway." She laughed.

"I just want a chance to prove to you that I mean what I say. I really do like you Lois."

"I believe you Clark. And…I kinda like you too if I'm honest." She said wrinkling her nose but then she smiled up at him.

"So tomorrow?" He asked again.

She nodded lightly, not trusting her voice anymore because he was looking at her again with that intensity. It was a little unnerving coming from Clark, and totally unexpected. Where was all this coming from?

She wondered why he seemed so confident all of a sudden and the only explanation she could come up with, other then red kryptonite, was that by telling her his secret, he had essentially bared his soul to her. There was nothing left in him to hide. Maybe that was why he seemed so different, as if he could truly be himself around her now.

"Tomorrow." She replied, leaning in to place a kiss on his cheek.

Clark waited until she was safely inside and then sped back to the farm. He was still angry from the confrontation with that Mark guy, he was actually quite surprised at the depth of the hatred he had for that man. All he knew was that he'd hurt Lois and that was something he found hard to forgive.

For a few seconds he really felt like dishing out what that creep really deserved but the feel of Lois' hands on his back stopped him. With the exception of that creep showing up, tonight had gone even better then he'd hoped. He was surprised at how easy it had been to be in her company.

She was the same friend he'd known for almost five years and yet, there was also something different about her. And the best thing about it was that she didn't treat him any differently. She acted the same way around him as before and that meant a lot to him.

As much as he loved Chloe, once she had found out about him, she seemed to have taken on a role in making him seem much more important then he really was. But with Lois, everything was the same. She still argued with him, bantered and teased. All the things she did before. Only now she wasn't avoiding him. Now he had finally taken that step and asked her out.

He stopped as he reached his barn. Looking up at the sky he blew out a breath. Life was finally starting to feel good again. A giggling sound drew his attention towards the house. Curious, he walked to the door, pausing as he saw who was making the sound. Kara, his cousin, was sitting on the couch drinking coffee and laughing with none other then Oliver Queen and she was…giggling? That was weird. Kara didn't giggle.

"Hey guys." Clark said as he walked in. Kara looked up at him and her smile faded.

"Clark what are you doing back so soon? I thought you were out with Lois?" She said, her expression telling him that he was obviously interrupting something. He ignored it and sat down in the chair.

"I was but it's over now. We're going out again tomorrow. So Oliver what brings you by?" He said, giving Oliver a pointed look.

Oliver shifted in his seat and reached for some folders. He threw them to Clark, and smiled at Kara. Clark wasn't sure he liked this situation. Kara clearly had a crush on him and from the look on Oliver's face it was mutual.

"What's this?" Clark asked, scanning through them and seeing nothing he really understood.

"It's the data Chloe was able to get. She made a little headway but not much. She thinks those emails were definitely sent from Lex but hasn't been able to locate him because he's using a ghost router. Plus bouncing the signal from here to there so we can't trace it. He's covering his tracks a lot better this time."

"So what does that mean? You're giving up looking for him?" Clark asked, that wasn't something Oliver would do.

"No I'm not giving up Clark. But I can't spend all my time running around searching for him either. So I'm going to let him come to me. And knowing Lex, he will. Sooner or later." Clark sensed the foreboding in Oliver's tone.

He was right, Lex was still a threat to him if he was alive. He had been in bad shape after the fortress collapsed on them and the only thing that could've helped him was the suit that Lana stole. But Clark was sure that he had been killed in that van when it exploded. Why would he choose now to resurface? It didn't make any sense.

Clark looked up from the folders to see Oliver and Kara deep in conversation again and suddenly felt awkward at having interrupted their evening. It wasn't really his place to tell Kara what to do, she was an adult.

But he wanted to look out for her and he knew what Oliver was like. She may be invincible but her heart wasn't. And she wasn't as used to human emotions as he was. But she looked happy and so he decided that he would leave well enough alone for tonight.

"Well I'm gonna go to bed. Call me if you get anything else Oliver. Goodnight Kara."