Title: I Know
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. Just trying to vent my creativity…the key word here is TRYING, so please don't file any grievances.
Author's Comments: My first fic, so please read and review.
The Fortress of Solitude never seemed so peaceful to Clark before. While it is true that this is where Clark always goes to find a little solace when the world outside seems to have run amuck, this particular moment up in his loft seemed to manifest itself into the very essence of what the Fortress of Solitude was created for: a place where Clark could run to and not feel slighted by his extraordinary gifts.
So there he was, sitting and talking to Lana Lang about nothing in particular, and for some reason, Clark felt completely at ease. While spending time with Lana on any given night is far better than his typical night of stargazing and daydreaming, being with her tonight was perfect. There were no awkward silences or forced sentences, conversation just seemed to flow smoothly between the two and for hours, the two had been conversing with each other about everything on their minds. The two of them talked about almost every topic one would want to discuss with another individual.
"To be honest with you, Clark" said Lana, "I never figured anyone to ever want to hear about some of the things I've told you."
"I really don't know what to tell you, Lana. I know there's more to you than cheerleading and being Homecoming Queen. I just wanted confirm my suspicions."
"Well there's obviously more to me than cheerleading and becoming Homecoming Queen. But do you really think it was a good idea to ask me what my pet peeves are?"
"Yeah, I sort of do regret asking you that one" Clark said as he sheepishly looked down at his current outfit. "How can you not like flannel shirts?! I mean, when you wear them with jeans and some heavy-duty boots, you're appropriately dressed for any day on the farm. And besides, it's not entirely a fashion faux pas."
The two of them burst into laughter when Clark finally came to the realization that he has no fashion sense whatsoever. As embarrassed as he was, Clark knew that Lana held no judgments about him, and that is what he loved about her. He loved her ability to see past his clumsy moments and his "mama's boy" image. And on this night, Lana finally felt that she had gotten to know who he really is.
Lana has always been a little bit curious as to why there was this fog of mystery surrounding Clark Kent and his life outside of school, the Torch, and the Beanery. And Lana wasn't the only one dumbfounded by Clark's mystery. Minus his parents, everyone in Clark's life had somehow managed to feel alienated from his innermost feelings.
"You know Clark, I'm really glad we had this talk" Lana said. "I feel like after all this time you and I have been friends, I'm just now beginning to understand what you're all about. I've always known that you were a great guy, I mean, that became self-evident when you transformed yourself into Smallville's local hero."
"I was just trying to do the right thing" was all that Clark managed to say in response to her statements. He wasn't used to receiving compliments.
"And it's not just that you saved people's lives, Clark. You're so kind, and sweet, and thoughtful. I've honestly never met anyone like you before."
"Well, given the fact that our town only consists of a few thousand people, you probably just haven't been given the chance to meet many people. I'm really as common as they come."
"No, you're not Clark" Lana abruptly said. "No one in my life, not even my boyfriend, cares about me the way you do. You're always willing to lend a helping hand, a shoulder to cry on, or an ear to listen. As simple as those actions sound, they mean the world to me."
"I'm just trying to be a good friend."
"I know Clark. You're a great friend to everyone you know. I see how Chloe looks at you when you're around. I see how Pete reacts when you tell him you'll meet him at the Beanery after school. And I especially see it in Lex. I really believe he appreciates the fact that you haven't pigeonholed him as Lionel Luthor's spoiled son who has nothing good to offer."
"I'm just trying to – "
"I know Clark" Lana said as she interrupted him. "I know you're trying to be a good friend. I know you're trying to do the right thing. I just want to take the time and say 'Thank You.' Not just from me, but from all of your friends."
"Well, you're all very welcome."
At that moment, Clark felt that a load had been lifted off his shoulder. For the longest time, Clark has felt guilty about having these abilities that came at such an enormous price. But for once, he finally felt blessed to have them. He felt blessed because it allowed him to be what his parents expected him to be: a good person.
The two locked eyes for a moment and gazed at each other. Lana then leaned forward and gave him a hug.
"But this hug, this hug is just from me" she said and gave him a peck on the cheek. "There's something about you, Clark Kent. There's something that just makes me want to hug you every time I see you."
Clark put a huge grin on his face and said, "Feel free to hug me any time you like. It certainly beats the hugs and kisses I get from my mom every morning."
The two embraced each other for a short while, and the whole time Clark had to consciously keep himself under control. His heart was racing, his temperature was rising, and he actually felt weak in the knees. If he only knew that Lana felt exactly the same.
A wave of emotion soon washed over Lana as she began to realize that Clark could offer her everything she's always wanted. With Whitney, it was always the same routine day after day of school, football, and squeezing in just enough time with Lana to make her happy. While she definitely had feelings for him, he couldn't offer her everything that Clark could because Clark was willing to surpass all of Lana's expectations of love, rather than just settling for the bare minimum. There always seemed to be a certain brilliance that would radiate from her every time Clark was around, a brilliance that Whitney never brought out in her. She shared so many emotions with Clark about seeking closure to their tumultuous pasts, finding security amongst teen angst, and having faith that their futures will be redemption for the shortcomings that life has already given them.
With that hug, seeds of doubt had been implanted into Lana's mind. Is she with the right guy? Is she falling in love with Clark? Was Clark in love with her? She thought that by getting to know Clark, her relationship with him, as well as the feelings she harbored for him, would soon become much less complicated. But in fact, getting to know him offered more questions than answers.
Clark gave her a ride home soon after their embrace. For the first time that night there was a silence between the two. It wasn't an awkward or uncomfortable silence as much as it was a shared feeling that the moment they shared spoke volumes about their relationship. Words just couldn't describe how much they meant to each other.
"Goodnight, Clark. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Goodnight."
That night Lana laid in bed for what seemed like an eternity to her. There were so many thoughts racing through her mind that she was restless. At one point, she was even pacing around her room trying to figure out what she was feeling. She soon came to the conclusion that emotions like these don't go away with constant analyzing so she let out a sigh of defeat, laid back down on her bed, and fell asleep knowing that her troubles could wait until tomorrow.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. Just trying to vent my creativity…the key word here is TRYING, so please don't file any grievances.
Author's Comments: My first fic, so please read and review.
The Fortress of Solitude never seemed so peaceful to Clark before. While it is true that this is where Clark always goes to find a little solace when the world outside seems to have run amuck, this particular moment up in his loft seemed to manifest itself into the very essence of what the Fortress of Solitude was created for: a place where Clark could run to and not feel slighted by his extraordinary gifts.
So there he was, sitting and talking to Lana Lang about nothing in particular, and for some reason, Clark felt completely at ease. While spending time with Lana on any given night is far better than his typical night of stargazing and daydreaming, being with her tonight was perfect. There were no awkward silences or forced sentences, conversation just seemed to flow smoothly between the two and for hours, the two had been conversing with each other about everything on their minds. The two of them talked about almost every topic one would want to discuss with another individual.
"To be honest with you, Clark" said Lana, "I never figured anyone to ever want to hear about some of the things I've told you."
"I really don't know what to tell you, Lana. I know there's more to you than cheerleading and being Homecoming Queen. I just wanted confirm my suspicions."
"Well there's obviously more to me than cheerleading and becoming Homecoming Queen. But do you really think it was a good idea to ask me what my pet peeves are?"
"Yeah, I sort of do regret asking you that one" Clark said as he sheepishly looked down at his current outfit. "How can you not like flannel shirts?! I mean, when you wear them with jeans and some heavy-duty boots, you're appropriately dressed for any day on the farm. And besides, it's not entirely a fashion faux pas."
The two of them burst into laughter when Clark finally came to the realization that he has no fashion sense whatsoever. As embarrassed as he was, Clark knew that Lana held no judgments about him, and that is what he loved about her. He loved her ability to see past his clumsy moments and his "mama's boy" image. And on this night, Lana finally felt that she had gotten to know who he really is.
Lana has always been a little bit curious as to why there was this fog of mystery surrounding Clark Kent and his life outside of school, the Torch, and the Beanery. And Lana wasn't the only one dumbfounded by Clark's mystery. Minus his parents, everyone in Clark's life had somehow managed to feel alienated from his innermost feelings.
"You know Clark, I'm really glad we had this talk" Lana said. "I feel like after all this time you and I have been friends, I'm just now beginning to understand what you're all about. I've always known that you were a great guy, I mean, that became self-evident when you transformed yourself into Smallville's local hero."
"I was just trying to do the right thing" was all that Clark managed to say in response to her statements. He wasn't used to receiving compliments.
"And it's not just that you saved people's lives, Clark. You're so kind, and sweet, and thoughtful. I've honestly never met anyone like you before."
"Well, given the fact that our town only consists of a few thousand people, you probably just haven't been given the chance to meet many people. I'm really as common as they come."
"No, you're not Clark" Lana abruptly said. "No one in my life, not even my boyfriend, cares about me the way you do. You're always willing to lend a helping hand, a shoulder to cry on, or an ear to listen. As simple as those actions sound, they mean the world to me."
"I'm just trying to be a good friend."
"I know Clark. You're a great friend to everyone you know. I see how Chloe looks at you when you're around. I see how Pete reacts when you tell him you'll meet him at the Beanery after school. And I especially see it in Lex. I really believe he appreciates the fact that you haven't pigeonholed him as Lionel Luthor's spoiled son who has nothing good to offer."
"I'm just trying to – "
"I know Clark" Lana said as she interrupted him. "I know you're trying to be a good friend. I know you're trying to do the right thing. I just want to take the time and say 'Thank You.' Not just from me, but from all of your friends."
"Well, you're all very welcome."
At that moment, Clark felt that a load had been lifted off his shoulder. For the longest time, Clark has felt guilty about having these abilities that came at such an enormous price. But for once, he finally felt blessed to have them. He felt blessed because it allowed him to be what his parents expected him to be: a good person.
The two locked eyes for a moment and gazed at each other. Lana then leaned forward and gave him a hug.
"But this hug, this hug is just from me" she said and gave him a peck on the cheek. "There's something about you, Clark Kent. There's something that just makes me want to hug you every time I see you."
Clark put a huge grin on his face and said, "Feel free to hug me any time you like. It certainly beats the hugs and kisses I get from my mom every morning."
The two embraced each other for a short while, and the whole time Clark had to consciously keep himself under control. His heart was racing, his temperature was rising, and he actually felt weak in the knees. If he only knew that Lana felt exactly the same.
A wave of emotion soon washed over Lana as she began to realize that Clark could offer her everything she's always wanted. With Whitney, it was always the same routine day after day of school, football, and squeezing in just enough time with Lana to make her happy. While she definitely had feelings for him, he couldn't offer her everything that Clark could because Clark was willing to surpass all of Lana's expectations of love, rather than just settling for the bare minimum. There always seemed to be a certain brilliance that would radiate from her every time Clark was around, a brilliance that Whitney never brought out in her. She shared so many emotions with Clark about seeking closure to their tumultuous pasts, finding security amongst teen angst, and having faith that their futures will be redemption for the shortcomings that life has already given them.
With that hug, seeds of doubt had been implanted into Lana's mind. Is she with the right guy? Is she falling in love with Clark? Was Clark in love with her? She thought that by getting to know Clark, her relationship with him, as well as the feelings she harbored for him, would soon become much less complicated. But in fact, getting to know him offered more questions than answers.
Clark gave her a ride home soon after their embrace. For the first time that night there was a silence between the two. It wasn't an awkward or uncomfortable silence as much as it was a shared feeling that the moment they shared spoke volumes about their relationship. Words just couldn't describe how much they meant to each other.
"Goodnight, Clark. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Goodnight."
That night Lana laid in bed for what seemed like an eternity to her. There were so many thoughts racing through her mind that she was restless. At one point, she was even pacing around her room trying to figure out what she was feeling. She soon came to the conclusion that emotions like these don't go away with constant analyzing so she let out a sigh of defeat, laid back down on her bed, and fell asleep knowing that her troubles could wait until tomorrow.