Title: Keeping It On The Field
Summary: Lois returns from Star City with a resolve to push down her attraction to Clark and move on. With a new threat looming and a new love interest moving in on Lois can Clark face his demons and get what he wants before it's too late?
Disclaimer: I only wish I owned Smallville and all of its characters
AN: This is my first Smallville fic. This story begins at the end of Hex and will become its own AU.
Creak.
The chair groaned each time she pushed back on it, a small smirk gracing her face as she watched the irritated glare that was being directed her way.
Lois Lane continued to create the grating sound, imitating the exact gesture the man across from her had bestowed nearly a year earlier. Back then she'd had no idea of the impact working with Clark Kent would have on her life and her career. When Lois had first met Clark nearly 5 years ago, she would never in her wildest dreams have thought that their relationship would have progressed so far. She realised that under all the snipping, bickering and banter laid a much deeper and dangerous connection and that scared her.
Lois knew that she buried feelings deep behind a wall that she had carefully erected ever since she was a little girl. She'd only recently realised that Clark had somehow been slowly chipping away and had actually managed to breach her defences. Lois thought back to several moments when she'd needed to cleverly cover up holes in her defences with witty sarcasm and jokes. Clark's seeming obliviousness had allowed her to quickly bolster her feelings back behind her walls.
It hadn't worked though; she had managed to become hurt more than she would admit to even herself. In an unexpected moment of weakness at the wedding she had felt herself become swept up in the romance and had felt her face moving in towards Clark' breath had mingled with hers, a warm breeze across her face as her heart leapt into her throat.
The moment had been easily interrupted by the return of the ever persistent Lana Lang and Lois had felt like the bottom of her world had dropped out. For one moment she had actually thought that someone had needed her but it turned out she had been wrong. Clark's fixation on his first love had trampled out any growing flames on his knew that when she had left for Star City it wasn't just for Jimmy's sake, it had also been for her own. After witnessing how Clark had been with Lana at the hospital, she wasn't sure if she could hang around to watch how the Lana saga played out this time.
As she creaked back in the chair again, Lois realised that being in Star City for over a month had actually helped her gain perspective.
Glancing slyly across at Clark, she watched as he attempted to continue his work whilst ignoring her actions. A cheeky smirk graced her face as she continued to rock. Clark wouldn't say a word or do anything until his frustration had built up beyond belief - she knew him.
Lois knew that she would never fully know what had transpired between Lana and Clark whilst she had been AWOL but from what a certain little blonde source had told her it hadn't ended happily and not from Clark's choice. Hearing this had made Lois's heart sink but had also reinvigorated her resolve to move on from whatever this messy attraction between her and Clark was. He obviously did not feel the same connection she had and though she knew she wasn't exactly high on his priority list she had at least thought this thing between them was two-sided.
Lois was knocked out of her thoughts by an irritated Clark, "Is there something on your mind, Lois?"
Shaking her head, Lois merely smiled and stood up from her seat and started gathering her belongings together. Grabbing her keys and purse she shoved them inside of her handbag.
Clark also stood and moved around the side of the desk, closer towards her. A hint of aftershave assailed her nose and she shook her head to remind herself that she had places to be.
"Big night?" Clark asked from behind her. Lois was not one to leave early and therefore Clark had jumped to the right conclusion that she had plans!
"Yeah, a guy in first class asked me out and I figured why not." Lois tried to
Clark's eyes narrowed slightly and he shrugged, "eh."
The two stood in an awkward silence for what seemed like hours, until Lois spoke up.
"What about you? Any big plans?"
Clark gave his head a quick shake, "Nah, I'm just going to hang around and follow-up on some leads."
A few moments passed before he spoke again, "Do you want me to call you if anything comes up?" Clark knew that Lois couldn't resist a juicy story, so he tangled the bait in front of her.
Lois closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, 'Now's the time to do it Lois'
"No. I've already been stood up by you Smallville."
Lois watched as Clark winced at being reminded of their unofficial coffee date to talk about what had "almost" happened and him consequently not showing up. She heard Clark clear his throat and knew that he was about to try and explain.
Clark took a moment to try to piece together an explanation of why he had not shown at the coffee-house but Lois cut him off.
"The whole idea was a mistake."
Clark felt his eyes shoot straight to hers, "I say we just chalk this up as a 'office thrown together sparks in the trenches thing'." Lois used air quotes to emphasise her point.
She was giving him and out and from the discomfort on his face...he knew it! It was a way for them to have a fresh start, get their friendship back on track
"Agreed." Clark nodded taking the Lois' offer. He didn't know where he stood and needed time to figure it out
Lois forced a smile, "Okay. Back to basics, keep the game on the field."
They both knew that this attraction between them could be just a by-product of them working so closely together every day and decided to attribute it as such. Lois got a massive kick out of irritating Clark and beating him to the best stories. She would need to pull back from any interactions that would become to personal and focus only on work!
Lois threw her curls back and pulled her handbag up her arm to rest on her shoulder.
"I'll see you tomorrow then Smallville," Lois threw over her shoulder as she walked towards the exit.
Clark gave a slight smile and a tiny wave before flopping back down into his work chair. He had several leads he should be following up but for some reason he felt both confused and another emotion he just couldn't put his finger on. Deciding he wasn't in the mood for work he pulled his police scanner out and elected instead to patrol the streets for a couple of hours.
Another dress joined the pile on the floor and Lois groaned in frustration.
Was it really that hard to pick out something nice to wear? Lois didn't want nice - she wanted stunning. She needed a show stopper, something that would make her feel good, impress her date and make her forget about Smallville. She pushed all the dresses to one side and plucked the last few hidden ones from their hangers. She frowned at the dresses in her hand, they still had the tags on them! Lois had a bad habit of buying without trying - she was either too busy with work or Chloe had dragged her into a store after a coffee date. Lois smiled as she stared at the dresses, it was shopping simplified, if she liked the colour or design and they had it in her store than she bought it.
Lois threw a glance over to the wall clock and muttered an expletive when she realised she was going to be late. She threw the dresses onto the bed, keeping hold of a deep green cocktail dress. Lois had bought this dress because of its cut - short enough to show off her legs and the bust line was perfect for showing off her breasts.
Thinking about her date made her smile as she pulled on the dress. She had met Adam during the flight back to Metropolis and had immediately been attracted to him. Standing at over 6 foot, with gleaming dark hair and eyes you could just drown in Adam was a fine example of the male had been easy to talk to and seemed to have a wicked sense of humour.
She hadn't been able to resist saying Yes when he had asked her out.
Shaking out her hair, Lois watched the curls bounce as they fell around her face. She quickly ran some detangler through the strands and applied some lipstick and cosmetics to her face. A big grin lit her face when she glanced into the mirror - Adam wouldn't know what hit him!
Clark was staring blankly into his computer screen, having given up on work hours ago. So far tonight he'd had a total of 5 rescues, 3 muggings and 2 robberies. Yet he still felt empty and confused. Usually patrolling the streets of Metropolis gave him a sense of satisfaction, filling the empty spaces in him but tonight it just wasn't doing it for him.
His eyes drifted from the screen to the nameplate opposite him - Lois Lane.
How could he even begin to describe his relationship with her? One thing Clark did have to admit was that she was a constant in his life, when one or more things went awry Lois was always there. Though nothing romantic had ever happened between the two, the chemistry was there between them. An attraction that several people in his life had commented on and he had dismissed, it was Lois! Since Clark had known her, there had always been Lana as a seemingly third side to an invisible triangle. With Lana out of the picture he had allowed himself to explore his attraction to Lois with it nearly culminating as a kiss at Chloe's wedding.
Clark closed his eyes as he tried to remember that exact moment when he had stopped dancing, had felt Lois' hand on his chest and had simply leant in. Her heart beat had increased and her breathing had become shallow. She had wanted it as much as he had in that moment. Clark couldn't even begin to imagine how different the last couple of months would have been had his lips simply connected with Lois'. They hadn't and Lana had come storming back into his life.
Unfinished business.
When Lana had re-entered his life, it had reopened those old wounds that had not healed properly. He had thought that they could just pick up where they had left off, everything would be perfect and nobody would get hurt. He had been wrong. Without even realising it, he had hurt Lois. Granted that this thing between them was unspoken, it was still there nonetheless.
There were so many unanswered questions plaguing his thoughts, would he have felt different if Lois had never left? Would his relationship with Lana have lasted had she stayed? Things with Lana had never been easy and the on/off nature of their relationship had always been trying. The answers too these questions he would never know because Lana was never coming back and he was too much of a chicken to bring it up with Lois when she so obviously wanted things to return to normal.
Today had shown him that his work as the infamous 'Red Blue Blur' was an important part of who he was but that it also kept him from sharing himself completely with people. Lois was an integral part of his life yet he needed to keep her at a distance to keep her safe. However, both Lois and trouble have minds of their own and they were constantly gravitating towards each other.
Clark's thoughts were broken when he heard the scanner crackle, "All units are advised that there is a 211 in progress between 21st and Bronwyn."
Grabbing his jacket off the chair, he pushed his troubles to the back of his mind and super sped out of the Daily Planet building.
Pasta, Pesto and Penne was the Italian restaurant to be at. Lois had heard that getting your teeth pulled was easier than getting a reservation. How Adam had been able to get them a table was definitely something she was going to ask him.
Lois smoothed her hands against her thighs under the table and smiled at her dining partner. He was just as good looking as she remembered and he had been nothing but a gentleman since she had greeted him at the restaurant.
"So what does the Daily Planet's most intrepid reporter do when she is not sniffing out a story?" Adam questioned with a small smile as he took a sip of wine.
Lois quirked an eyebrow and tilted her head slightly, "I'm always sniffing out new stories. Never an off moment!"
Adam simply shook his head and gave a laugh, "I should have known. Ambitious."
Lois narrowed her eyes slightly, "Does that intimidate you?"
Adam gave his head a small shake, "I like a woman who knows what she wants and goes after it!" His eyes darkened slightly and he gazed at her intensely.
Lois's next comment was interrupted by their waitress removing their dinner plates. The woman had been trying to get Adam's attention all night but he had not even spared her a glance.
"Is there anything else I can help you with? Coffee? Dessert?" Adam glanced across at Lois and she shook her head negatively.
"No thank you. Can we just have the bill please?" The waitress nodded and moved away from the table.
"How did you get this table?" Lois blurted out the question that had been plaguing her thoughts.
Adam laughed, "Are you always this direct?"
Lois simply raised one of her brows as the answer to his question. "_ whatever he does for a living"
The bill arrived and Adam quickly pulled out his wallet and threw several notes down onto the table. "You ready?"
"How about we go for a walk and see where that leads us?" Lois suggested as she stood from the table.
Adam flashed a bright smile, "Sure."
Clark glanced at his father's watch and noticed that it was only 11.00pm. After arriving at the 211 call he had quickly stopped the robbery and left the police to handle the assailants. Patrol had quietened down soon after and he decided to head back to the Planet to tie up some lose ends before he made his way back to the farm.
The night air was cris and the sky was clear so he decided a short walk would be a good way to gain perspective and clear away the cobwebs forming in his head. Super speeding to about a block away from the Planet he began walking.
"This place makes the best coffee in all of Metropolis!" Lois stated before ushering Adam into one of the seats outside of the Cafe. They had only been walking for half an hour and had wound up near the Daily Planet. Lois wondered if she had directed them unconsciously in this direction and more specifically to this cafe, the same one Clark had never showed up to yet she still frequented.
Adam's words broke her thoughts, "I guess being a reporter you'd be addicted to the stuff?"
"What?" Lois asked confused.
"Coffee!"
Letting out a laugh, Lois nodded vigorously. "Definitely, I think sometimes without it I wouldn't make it through the day. I probably have more than the daily recommended dosage."
Adam chuckled and lazed back in his seat, "What's good?"
"Strong or not?" Lois enquired after his taste in coffee. She'd always thought that you could tell a lot about what a person drinks.
"Strong." The answer had a huge smile spreading across her face as she signaled the waitress over. Lois ordered for them both and the waitress was back within a few short minutes. Letting the tantalising aroma fill the air, Lois sucked in a deep breath pulling as much of the scent as she could into her lungs.
"Addiction." Adam remarked slyly.
Lois lifted her mug and answered, "You have no idea!"
"I think I do...I'm the same at work." Adam told her as he took another swig of his drink. "This is really good. Why don't I know about this place."
"I like to keep this one a secret...don't want all the coffee addicts in town here." Lois whispered as she placed her empty mug on the table.
Adam tapped the side of his nose, "Your secret is safe."
Lois let out a small laugh - Her date with Adam had far outweighed her expectations and she was actually astonished at how well they seemed to get along. There was none of the unnecessary tension or bickering that she had come to associate to her relationship with Clark.
Clark.
Releasing a sigh, Lois realised that maybe she had brought Adam to her favourite coffee shop in order to banish thoughts of Clark.
Lois' eyes drifted to the street behind Adam and she noticed the man currently plaguing her thoughts was approaching them. Flinching slightly, she groaned and slumped back into her chair
"What's wrong?" Adam asked worriedly leaning forward, his hand reaching out towards her.
"We're about to be ambushed."
"Ambushed?" Adam's brows furrowed as he tried to understand what Lois was saying.
Lois pursed her lips together and with a flick of her head indicated behind him. Adam glanced around and saw nothing unusual. A couple holding hands and eating ice cream and a tall man in a red jacket were both walking up the street towards them.
Turning back around to Lois he shrugged, "I'm not following?"
Lois just leant back in her seat, "Just wait for it."
Clark had been enjoying the relative quietness of his walk. Rounding a corner near the Daily Planet, he heard a laugh pierce the air and felt his heartbeat quicken its pace if only slightly.
He'd know that laugh anywhere.
Lois.
Glancing around for the source of the laugh, Clark spotted her at the cafe that had become one of her regular haunts. A smile lit up his face and he started to march over towards her but slowed his steps down when he caught a glimpse of a dark haired man sitting opposite her.
Lois wasn't alone.
'She must still be on her date.'
His mind dredged up the information almost involuntarily.
Clark knew that leaving quietly before she noticed him was the proper course of action but his feet weren't listening as they propelled him forwards. His eyes narrowed on the pair and his heart thumped away in his chest as he realised the date seemed to be going well.
Approaching the couple, Clark stopped awkwardly by the side of their table. His eyes immediately shot to Lois and began absorbing every detail he could. She had her hair flowing freely around her shoulders and a dress on that left little to the imagination but still remained tactful.
Beautiful. His attraction to Lois was not in doubt. It was everything else in his mess of a life that he couldn't sort out.
"Lois, fancy seeing you here."
His eyes bounced back and forth between her and the man sitting across from her. It hadn't escaped Clark's attention that Lois had brought her date to their favourite coffee shop. The same coffee shop that he had stood her up at a fortnight ago. His eyes caught hers and he wondered if in that moment she was thinking the same thing.
"Smallville," Lois hissed, clearly annoyed. She concentrated every amount of emotion she was feeling into the intense gaze currently shooting daggers into his soul.
"Aren't you going to introduce us?" Clark's voice was hoarse and barely recognisable. Her death glare was making his nerves rattle like crazy.
"Sure. Adam this is Clark Kent. Clark, Adam." Lois used both her hands to indicate at the men she was speaking about.
Adam quickly rose out of his chair and extended his hand out to Clark.
"Nice to meet you," he commented as Clark grabbed his hand a little abruptly and began to squeeze more than shake.
Adam began to wince slightly at the firmness of the handshake but did not release his grip either.
Lois noticed the seemingly unconscious battle between the two men and shot Clark a dirty look, whilst simultaneously attempting to kick his from under the table. She knew she had succeeded when his eyes shot to hers and he suddenly dropped Adam's hand, shoving both of his into his jean pockets.
"What are you doing out here anyway Clark? Not chasing a lead without me?" Lois questioned, eyes narrowing. Adam released a strong sigh of relief as he finally caught on that the two worked together at the Daily Planet.
Clark swallowed, "Nope, just getting some fresh air before I drive home."
He knew that he needed to leave before the situation became any more awkward than it already was. It was one thing knowing Lois was on a date but enitrely another thing to actually become part of it.
He turned to Lois' companion, "Nice meeting you Adam."
His eyes moved back to Lois, "S-sorry." he cleared his throat, "Sorry if I interrupted anything."
Lois raised her eyebrows and and narrowed her eyes at Clark. The tension radiating off him was clearly visibile and she fully understood. If she had just interrupted him on a date...the thought hurt a little and she quickly pushed the pain aside. This was not going to affect her, not now!
Clark forced a slight smile onto his face, "I'll see you at work tomorrow."
Lois watched his retreating back for a few moments before turning her attention back to Adam.
"A bit intense isn't he." The first words to come out of his mouth were right on the money. Clark was an intense man that she thought she had worked out but every layer that she pulled back simply revealed even more complexity.
Lois laughed out loud at the comment, "You don't know the half of it."
TBC