A/N: Three more to go! Three more to go! Yay! Also, I wanted to let you all know that I'm going to be posting a list of all of the "three simple words" in each chapter on my profile page, in case you're curious. And no, I'm not going to go ahead of where I am at in the story, so no spoilers.

Dsiclaimer: Same as always. Just read and review.

Three Sweet Words

Clark sighed lightly, not letting his face show that anything was actually wrong. He had finally tucked his son into bed, but he was worried.

Something was off about Jason tonight.

Lois was out on a story, and had left Clark in charge of watching Jason for the night- so, homework, dinner, flight around the world and a movie it was. Not that they didn't spend many nights like this, but there was. . . something just wrong about tonight. And Clark couldn't for the life of him figure out why.

All night long, his son had been unusually quiet and brooding. There were times when he was prone to do that- Lois had told him as much. She had said that after the incident with Luthor, nearly a year ago now, he had gotten very quiet, told him why. Jason had gotten much the same when Richard had first left, when Lois had been mad at Clark for about a week, and then again two months or so ago after finding out that Richard had abandoned him once again.

He couldn't blame the kid for being down sometimes. He'd had a pretty rough time recently. But when not even flying could pick up his son's spirits for the night, he knew there was something bothering the boy. Clark gave his son a smile as he pulled the covers up tight around his small form. Jason averted his gaze. Clark frowned.

"Jason, is there something wrong? Are you okay?"

Jason flicked his gaze to his father's caring face briefly. "Yeah," he sighed heavily as he spoke.

Clark hadn't been at this parenting thing for very long, but he knew that tactic. He was brushing away the question in hopes of the matter either being dropped or getting Clark to draw it out of him. Clark had been guilty of doing that himself in the past. He couldn't let the issue slide.

"Jason, you know you can tell me anything, right? You can trust me. What's the matter?"

He sighed heavily again and turned on his side, not facing his father. Clark waited a minute, and just when he was about to ask again, he heard his son whisper quietly.

"Maisie doesn't like me."

At this Clark felt his spine stiffen. Who was this Maisie? How dare she not like his son? Was he being bullied by her at school? Was it someone else? His mind flitted around restlessly before he leaned over and mussed his son's brown hair affectionately. "That's ridiculous, Jason. Who on earth or any other planet could possibly not like you?"

Jason turned to face his father with tears brimming in his bright blue eyes. "She doesn't. She likes Billy instead."

An "oh" look must have passed across Clark's features. He hadn't even thought about that aspect. His son was only six, after all. A first grader now. Then again, Clark distinctly remembered being quite taken with the little red headed girl next door when he was Jason's age or younger. We Kent men fall so young, he thought to himself, slightly chagrinned.

Clark gave a sigh himself and sat perched on the edge of his son's bed, wondering how on earth he could explain all of this to him. He didn't think he would be the best candidate to broach this topic- after all, he was still figuring this relationship thing out himself. But as he stared into his son's wide, pained eyes, he knew he owed it to him to try to explain.

He scooped his son into his arms in a warm embrace, one which Jason did not protest. He heard some sniffles burried into his shoulder. "Oh, Jason, I'm sorry." He pulled his son away from him slightly to look into his face. "There's no way she can't like you. Maybe she doesn't like you as much as you like her yet, but she likes you. And if she doesn't, then it's her loss. You deserve better than someone who doesn't appreciate you. You are a wonderful, amazing, incredible little boy, Jason. And I'm so proud of you."

Jason gave a slight smile before concern furrowed his brow. He settled back under the covers with an appearance of apprehension. Clark frowned. Now what? His son suddenly turned a scared look up to Clark's searching face. "But..."

"But what?" Clark's own concern was evident now.

There was a pause between them for a moment. "Does that mean you and Mommy won't be together anymore?"

Clark appeared stunned. "Wh-what?" he spluttered. "Why on earth wouldn't we be?"

His son picked at the comforter on his bed in avoidance of his gaze. "Cuz. . . Mommy said the reason you weren't here before was because she didn't appreciate you. Why don't you deserve better? You gave up before, now you tell me to give up. Why not now?" his voice lowered to a whisper.

Clark's throat closed up on him. Oh, how the tables had turned. He looked Jason in the eye steadily, ignoring the tears welling up in his own. "Jason, that's not it at all. I am so, so sorry that I wasn't here before. But it has nothing to do with your mommy not liking me or me not liking her. Or you for that matter. It was all a big mistake. You know that. We've been through this before." He placed a comforting hand on Jason's arm.

His son solemnly nodded. "I know. But. . . you promise you won't leave us?"

Clark felt his heart plummet. His son really had that little faith in him? Richard really had done a number on him, walking out like that. Jason's ability to trust another father was obviously something he was going to struggle with... although, Clark supposed, he was as much to blame for causing these isuues in the first place. But no, it was still different. Clark's actions had been a mistake. Richard had made a conscious choice.

How did a six year old boy cope with that sort of betrayal?

Clark brought his mind back to the matter at hand and swallowed, knowing what he had to do. What he'd been waiting to bring up to the boy for almost a month now. "Jason, I promise you, so long as your mother wants to have me around, I'll always be here. I love you and your mommy too much to ever stay away from you again. You'd have to beat me back. I'm here to stay."

Jason grinned. "Good. I don't want you going anywhere."

Clark shifted his position on the bed, hovering briefly to get himself resituated. "There's something else I wanted to ask you about, Jason. You're a big boy now, and I hope you know that I wouldn't ever do anything you don't want me to do. But you're important to me, and I don't want to mess this up. Okay?"

Jason gave him a suspicious glance- one that was most definitely inherited from Lois. "Um, well... o-kay..."

Clark smiled reassuringly at his son before sobering once more. "Jason, how would you feel if I asked your mommy to marry me?"

Jason's expression was blank for a moment. "Marry you?" he asked.

Clark had put his heart in his little boy's hands. He certainly hoped he wouldn't break it. He nodded, now at a loss for words.

Jason looked down at his sheets. "Marry you," he repeated once again. Clark's face was etched in fear- and if the boy didn't react beyond that soon, Clark was going to have worked himself into a full blown panic.

Suddenly, Jason laughed. Clark snapped his head up at the sound to observe what had caused his son's change of behavior. "What?" Clark asked warily.

"It's perfect!" he replied, and Clark felt his heart soar. "Maisie will have to like me then! We'll be married! Ha! I bet Billy didn't think of that." He grinned triumphantly.

Clark's heart had once again fallen, and he found himself holding his breath as it registered with him just what his son was refering to. He would have smiled, except that he still didn't know the young man's decision. "Jason," he asked hesitantly. "What about me?"

He looked up at his father quizzically. "What about you?"

"You know. Marrying. Your mom."

"Oh. Don't be silly. Of course you can marry her."

"Jason, I know what I can do. What I want to know is if that's what you want. Would you be okay with this?"

Jason met his father's blue gaze and suddenly realized he was being serious. It was strange- no one ever trusted him with the serious stuff. Except for his mommy, sometimes. And Mr. Clark.

"You wouldn't have to call me Dad or anything like that. I'm not here to just replace Ri... your other father. I just want to live happily here with you and your mommy. If you want. And I mean, I don't know what-"

He smiled up at him brightly. Apparently, he liked to ramble, too. Jason effectively managed to cut him off by jumping into Clark's arms. "I know. I want to. I want you to marry Mommy. I think she wants to marry you, too."

Clark's heart swelled with happiness. He couldn't imagine a happier moment existing his entire life. He scooped up his son into his arms tighter and felt the presence of tears stinging at his eyes. He shut them tightly, a smile gracing his features. "Thank you," he whispered into Jason's ear. He planted a soft kiss onto his son's hair.

"Love you, Daddy," came the whispered response, almost unsure.

Clark pulled back, tears in his eyes, and he stared at his son's face in absolute wonder. "I..." His voice cracked as he tried for words once more. "I said you didn't have to call me Daddy if you don't want to."

"Don't you remember? I already said I wanted to."

Clark thought back to his son's exact words the moment before, and a brilliant smile broke out on his face. "You did, didn't you?"

Jason nodded, his own smile matching his father's.

Clark pulled him into a fierce hug once more, reminding himself almost belatedly not to crush the boy, but Jason's own grip was quite tight around his neck. He relished in the feeling. "Can... can you call me that again?" he whispered, wondering if he could have possibly imagined it all.

"Daddy?" Jason asked as he moved slightly so he could look in his father's eyes searchingly. His smile never slid from his face. "I love you, Daddy."

Clark's eyes drifted closed gently as the words struck him powerfully once more. He brought his gaze back up to his son's face- his beautiful, wonderful son's face. "I love you, too Jason. More than you can possibly imagine."

Jason eventually began drifting off to sleep in his father's arms, but Clark couldn't bring himself to let go of him just yet. Instead, he floated them above the bed gently, brushed back the covers, and settled them both together on the bed. Father and son just lay there, Jason asleep and Clark wide awake, his son in his arms, unable to remove his eyes from the boy's peaceful expression. Not even Superman could pull him away from this right now. He couldn't hear anything beyond his own heart thundering in his ears anyway.

Eventually, even Clark fell asleep. At rest, and completely at peace with the world.

Lois had come in late that night, seen the duo asleep and walked back to her own room with a teary-eyed smile.

A/N: WAFFy and sappy enough? I thought so. Read and review, if you so please!