The next morning, Clark awoke to the sounds of birds chirping all around. His first thought was he had pulled another walk in his sleep to the middle of no where. But, when he tried to move, something, or rather someone was preventing him from sitting up.
"Lana." He looked down with dazed eyes and saw her head lying on his chest, her hair spread about. The second thought that came into his mind was: Oh God, we had sex!
But, that wasn't right either. He didn't feel any different. And he was positively sure that if he and Lana Lang ever had sex, the moment would be seared into his memory.
After a moment of wondering how sex with Lana Lang would feel like, the memories of last night suddenly hit Clark like a tidal wave.
Frantically, he glanced at his watch. 10:16. Shit.
He sat up and gently began shaking Lana awake. After a few shakes and calls of her name, she began to stir.
"Clark?" She opened her eyes and blinked several times to take in her surroundings.
"Hey," Clark greeted. He scratched the back of his neck nervously.
"What happened?" Lana asked, rubbing her eyes, trying to take in her surroundings.
"We must have fallen asleep," he said quietly, helping her sit up.
"What time is it?" Lana asked groggily, burying her head in Clark's chest to block the bright morning sunshine.
"10:20," he replied, feeling his stomach do some flip flops as Lana closed her eyes and leaned against him, attempting to doze off again. He gently pried her off of him and said, "Lana, you need to get up. I have to get back to the farm."
She opened one eye and glared at him. "Clark, I'm tired and it's Saturday."
Clark sighed and allowed her to lean her head against his chest again. After a few minutes, he shook her out of her snooze. "Lana…you really need to get up now. My parents are probably freaking out." He paused, waiting for her to move. When she didn't, he continued. "Besides, wouldn't you rather me take you home so you can sleep in your warm bed?"
"No, you're just as comfortable," Lana's muffled voice said.
After several minutes, Clark decided to take drastic measures. He stood up, bringing her with him and scooped her up in his arms like a groom would with his bride.
She groaned and opened her eyes, squinting to avoid the sun's rays. "Clark, what are you doing?" she asked, her voice coming out raspy from the lack of water.
"Carrying you to the car," he replied, figuring that he would go back for the blanket and picnic basket later once he had dropped her off in the backseat of his truck.
"What? We're leaving already?" She shook her head to clear the cobwebs that had formed overnight. When he didn't reply, she cried out for him to stop.
"Lana, what's wrong?" Clark asked, stopping in his tracks. He set her down when he noticed that she was wiggling in his arms, wanting to get down.
"N-nothing," Lana said quickly, rubbing her eyes to rid of the sleep. "It's just…"
"What?" Clark prompted, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What is it, Lana?" He scanned her face for any signs that could help him understand what she was feeling. Nothing.
Lana unconsciously wrapped her arms around herself and smiled. "I don't know. I feel…"
"Sick?" Clark interrupted, afraid that their sleep over out at the lake had proved ill for her. He could never forgive himself if something happened to her because of him. The last thing he needed was Lana to get sick with the flu or a cold while out on an excursion with him.
She shook her head and laughed, noting the concerned expression on his face. "Clark, I'm fine. I feel great."
"Then what is it?" he asked, running out of explanations for her bizarre behavior.
Lana held her arms in front of her and said, "I feel…spontaneous."
"Spontaneous?"
"I feel like doing something unpredictable," she said, walking back to the edge of the dock with Clark following her.
"Unpredictable?" he repeated, watching her come to a stop at the end of the dock. At first, he thought that she was going to jump in, but instead, Lana glanced at him.
"How about a swim, Clark?" Lana invited, her eyes shining with anticipation.
"A swim?" Clark echoed, dumfounded. "Lana…I don't think we should…" He trailed off, his voice lost as Lana Lang began to strip off her shirt.
He gulped; his Adam's apple bobbing. "Lana…what are you doing?" He lowered his eyes abruptly away when she began to shed off her jeans.
"I'm going for a swim, Clark," her voice said as if it were that simple.
After a moment of sheer will power of not looking up, Clark finally folded. Clark had to bite down a gasp when he saw Lana Lang in all her glory. Her bra and panties had been discarded along with her shirt and jeans.
Not caring if he saw her, she dove in, making a splash. After a few seconds, she resurfaced and looked at Clark expectantly.
Clark shook his head to clear it of smutty thoughts. He was dreaming, right? Lana Lang naked and waiting for him to join her? The scene seemed vaguely familiar to a dream that he had had over a year ago.
"You coming in, Clark?"
Clark's eyes traveled over to Lana. A small smile was on her angelic face (although, right now, the situation wasn't exactly innocent), inviting him in.
Clark debated whether or not to join her and eventually, the bad, naughty side of him won. Heck, he was already in trouble as it was with his parents—would another half an hour of fun matter?
He quickly threw off the binding clothes and hopped right in with her, causing a huge splash.
Lana laughed as he shook his head like a dog to rid of the water. Her heart picked up a faster rhythm as he moved closer to her. She smiled at him, feeling his hands on her waist to hold her up and stop her from having to tread water.
"This is nice, isn't it?" she asked, resisting the urge to reach out and trace the outlines of his perfectly sculpted chest. "Just the two of us…no worries…no secrets…."
Clark's breath caught in his throat as she moved even closer, her breasts lightly touching his chest, eliciting a familiar throb below. He took a breath and tried to form a question that he had been meaning to ask quite a while ago. "Lana…are you okay? I mean, is everything okay between us? Are you okay with me being…you know…?"
Lana looked up and saw doubt clouding his eyes. In a split second, it was all replaced with love and hope as soon as their eyes connected.
"Of course, I am," she replied softly. "Clark, I don't care if you're from another planet or if you have extraordinary abilities…all that matters is that you're here with me." She reached up and caressed his face, smiling.
Her smiled slowly faded when he started to lean in, his mouth mere inches from hers. Almost automatically her arms went around his neck and her lips parted of their own accord. His eyes traveled to hers, seemingly asking for her permission. She willingly gave it to him by closing in on the few inches and connecting their lips.
The kiss heated up quickly, causing Lana to melt literally in his strong arms. She reluctantly pulled away when the need for air was too great.
"I love you, Clark," Lana whispered quietly, wondering if he had heard her. But he did; he always did.
"I love you too, Lana." Clark pulled her closer to him and kissed the top of head, despite her wet hair. "I always will."
Clark's POV
I drag my feet toward the door of the yellow farmhouse and slowly push the screen door open, knowing it will be unlocked. As I had predicted, I find my parents sitting at the dining table, the phone in the center.
"Clark," my mother says with relief in her voice. Although my father doesn't greet me with a hug, I know that he's grateful that I am home.
"Hey, Mom," I say, hugging her back. I feel guilt in the back of my throat for keeping her so worried. There are bags under her eyes and I can tell that she hadn't slept very well the night before.
"Clark, where have you been?" she asks me, pulling back to get a good look at me. My hair is still slightly wet from my morning dip with Lana.
"I've been out with Lana," I say, offering no more information.
So far Dad hasn't said anything. A good or bad sign?
I'm about to find out as he asks me to sit. Mom takes her seat next to him and I sit directly across from Dad.
"Clark, where have you been this morning and last night?" Dad asks me and suddenly I feel like I'm in an interrogation room and Dad's the sheriff.
"I was with Lana," I repeat again. "I invited her out to Crater Lake yesterday and we must have fallen asleep there." I watch as my parents exchanged glances.
After awhile, Dad asks, "Did you and Lana have sex?"
It takes a moment before I recover from the bluntness of the question. "It's none of your business if we did or not," I say quietly and attitude-less. I'm in trouble as it already is; no need to add to the heap.
"Clark, did you or did you not have sex with Lana?" Dad repeats again, much to Mom's protests.
"I just told you," I say evenly. I'm not about to share mine and Lana's sexual status/repetition. It's nobody's business.
"Jonathon…" Mom warns my father.
But he plunges on, assuming that Lana and I did do the deed. "Clark, we don't even know what the consequences of you having sex are. What if─"
"Dad," I interrupt. I can feel anger flaring up inside of me. Don't get me wrong, I love my dad, but sometimes he can be a bit…overbearing. I'm turning eighteen this month…maybe it's time for him to accept the fact that I'm not the boy who used to ride in the tractor with him or spend my afternoons watching him milk the cows.
Dad opens his mouth, but closes it after a stern warning from Mom.
"Clark, why don't you go upstairs? I have to talk to your father," Mom tells me with a small smile.
I rise from my chair and make my way up the stairs to my room. I make a stop at the bathroom, grabbing a towel to dry my wet hair. Once my hair is dry, I quickly enter my room, shutting the door. With a sigh, I flop on my bed and rest my eyes for a minute.
After awhile, I can hear the voices downstairs getting louder. I'm tempted to use my super hearing, but for the moment, I ignore the urge. Instead, I look at my desk with thought.
There are a few family photos in the corner. My trigonometry book is open and several crumpled papers surround it. My eyes scan over the few remaining items; pens, paper, and a book I borrowed from Chloe. Nothing that a high school student wouldn't have. My eyes pause at my bedside table. I sit up with a frown, noticing that a frame had accidentally been knocked over. I pick it up and a smile tugs at my lips. The picture is one of Lana and me under an oak tree.
My thoughts wander to the events of last night and this morning.
Flashback
This is your life, are you who you want to be...This is your life, are you who you want to be…This is your life, is it everything you dreamed that it would be…When the world was younger and you had everything to lose…
I watch out of the corner of my eye as Lana leans over and turns the volume down slightly so that we could talk. I can only guess about what she wants to talk about.
"Lana, have you ever been to the caves?" I ask, glancing at her and then looking back at the road in front of me.
She nods her head, her hair still wet from our morning swim. "Why?"
"There's something that I want to show you," I reply simply. It's time that she knew about my Kryptonian heritage.
"Okay. When?"
"Tonight. Is that okay?"
She nods and no more is said. Nothing else needs to be said.
End Flashback
I open my eyes to the sounds of Dad raising his voice downstairs. After a quick debate, I use my super hearing. What I'm hearing so far isn't pretty.
"For heaven's sake, Martha, what do you expect me to say to him?" I hear Dad say.
"Nothing," Mom replies. I can hear her sigh.
"Nothing?"
"Yes, Jonathon. Nothing."
"Martha, our teenage son just spent the night out with a girl doing who-knows-what. On top of that, he's just told us that Lana knows his secret! How can you be so calm about this?"
"First of all, that girl is not some girl that Clark randomly picked off the streets. It's Lana Lang, our former neighbor! Remember when she used to come over with Nell and help bake cookies with us? It's the girl that Clark has liked since he was a toddler. Do you really expect our son and Lana to be that rash enough as to have sex on their first date?"
"Martha, he's a teenage boy! I remember when I was his age—guys were out every night screwing some random girl."
"Then, you also remember how touchy you were when your father criticized you for every little thing," I hear Mom say quietly.
"Yes, but─"
"Jonathon, the fact is that our son is growing up. His eighteenth birthday is this month. We have to trust him and his judgments now. If he told Lana his secret, then there's nothing that we can do. We have to believe that Clark knows what he's doing. He's not stupid, Jonathon. He knows that there are people out there willing to do anything to exploit him and his abilities. But, that doesn't mean that he has to go hide in a hole like you want him to do."
Dad sighs. "I don't want him to hide, Martha. I want him to be happy, with or without his abilities. It's just…we're his parents, we're supposed to be protecting him."
"We can't protect him forever, Jonathon," I hear my mother whisper. There's silence and I lean against my pillows, emotionally drained, as if I were the one arguing, not them. My ears perk up again when I hear Mom speak up again.
"Jonathon, you should talk to him."
Dad sighs. "You're right, Sweetheart. You always are."
Now would be the time to tune out, so I do. I run my hand through my hair, ruffling it up. After a moment, I hear footsteps and knocks on the door.
"Come in," I say, knowing that it will be my mom. Dad and I usually never talk directly after an argument or discussion. It gives us time to cool our heads and come back with rationality.
"Hi, Clark," Mom greets. She walks over to me immediately, setting the tray of sandwiches on the bedside table. She then sits on the bed and I sit up. Suddenly, I feel like I'm seven again and she's about to read me a bed time story to lull me to sleep.
I take a sandwich and mumble my thanks to her through mouthfuls of ham and bread. I don't really have to eat to survive, but I enjoy the taste of food and I'm not about to give it up.
Mom waits until I get through one sandwich to talk.
I reach for another sandwich and ask, "Where's Dad?" I act as if I don't care.
"Outside tending to the fence," my mother replies.
I chew and swallow. "Oh."
She sighs and ruffles my hair. "I wish you two weren't so stubborn. You'll be going away to college soon. I'd like to have at least one peaceful family meal where you two aren't bickering over something—may it be as small as how much pepper to add to the soup."
I lower my sandwich from my mouth and return it to the plate for the time being. I don't know what to say exactly, so I remain silent.
Mom cocks her head at me, examining me. "I guess it would be pointless to ask why your hair was wet earlier."
I smile sheepishly. "Lana and I went for a swim this morning."
"I see."
I nod and remember the stress and worry written on her face before. I feel guilt bumbling in the pit of my stomach. "Mom, I'm sorry for worrying you and Dad."
Instead of scolding me, she sighs. "I wish you had called."
There is sad look on her face and it looks as if she's finally seeing me for the first time. Afraid that I caused the sadness in her eyes, I ask, "Mom, are you okay?"
She smiles to reassure me that she is, indeed, alright. "I'm just going to miss you once you leave for college."
I swallow, feeling a lump rise in my throat. I still haven't told her. "Umm…Mom?"
"I'm not sure that college's the best thing for me right now," I say slowly, not wanting to shock her too much.
Despite my precautions, she looks alarmed. "What? Why not?"
I shrug, not quite knowing the reason myself. "You know how some people take a year off before going to college to discover what they really want in life? Well…that's what I'm going to do."
"Clark, honey, I know that living in another city with new people can be overwhelming at first, but it doesn't mean that you should give up on the college dream," Mom says to me.
"I know, but that isn't it," I say, shaking my head. Alright, well that's partially it, but no need for her to know that, right? I really did mean what I said earlier about the self discovery part.
"Clark, is this about Lana? Is she planning to stay in Smallville too?" my mom asks me with a knowing smile.
I smile and bite my lip. She's caught me. "Well…that's part of it."
"Clark, I know how much you like her, but you can't let that stop you from living life," my mother tells me with a small smile.
"Mom…I've spent forever trying to win her heart back…and now that I finally have it, I'm not going to let it go. I love her," I say firmly and stubbornly, not ashamed at all that I admitted my love for Lana to Mom.
My mother smiles sympathetically. "I know and I'm happy for the two of you. But, I just don't want you to be held back."
"I won't," I assure her. "I'm thinking of commuting to Central Kansas."
"With Lana?"
I sigh. "Mom…I haven't told her about this yet. So, don't be mad at her."
"I'm not mad at her or you." Mom stares at me for a second then asks, "Clark, are you sure this isn't about me or your father? About the farm?"
"Well, I would be lying if I said it wasn't," I say quietly. I can see her beginning to protest, so I add, "But, Mom, most of this doesn't have anything to do with the farm or you and Dad. This is about me and what I want in life. I want be with Lana. Now that we've been given a second chance, I can't let it slip through my fingers. Not again."
For some bizarre reason, there are tears in my mother's eyes.
"Mom, what─"
My eyes widen as she reaches over and hugs me. I hug her back and think back to when I was a toddler. I remember following her around everywhere. I would sit for hours and watch her in the kitchen, baking my favorite desserts. I recall helping her pick out the weeds in the garden, viewing her through curious eyes as she tended to the flowers. As I reminisce, my eyes start to water too.
I take a breath when she pulls back and wipes her eyes.
"You're growing into such a fine man," she tells me softly, pride shining in her eyes. "Your father and I are very proud of you."
Instead of replying, I nod, not trusting myself to talk. I bite my lip to hold back my tears.
After a few minutes, she gets up and heads toward the door. I call her back.
"Mom?"
"Yes?"
"Thanks." It's not specific, but I know that she knows what I'm thanking her for.
She smiles and descends the stairs, probably to clean up lunch.
I lie back on my bed, ignoring the sandwiches on the bedside table. Then, I sit up and frown, something hitting me. Mom never punished me, did she?
I tap my pencil on the trigonometry book impatiently, frustrated that I can't get the correct answer. I flip to the back of the book to check again and look back at my answer. Darn. My answer hasn't changed.
Throwing my pencil down, I stretch and wonder what time it is. I should probably be calling Lana soon to pick her up. I stand up and walk over to window of the loft, watching the sun set.
My mind wanders to how Lana will react to my heritage. There are so many aspects to it; even I don't know all the answers. I can only hope that I will be able to explain it in a way that she will understand. I need her to understand. Even with my parents, I haven't told them everything concerning my Kryptonian roots. I guess I was always afraid that they'd be hurt about me wanting to find out about my past.
"Clark, are you up here?"
I whip around and see my dad climbing the stairs. I remain silent and return to my desk, going back to tapping the top of my pencil on the math book. The truth is that I gave up on my homework a long time ago. I just needed an excuse to tell my mom for wanting to stay up here.
"Clark?"
"Hey, Dad," I say quietly, bits and pieces of his and Mom's earlier conversation plaguing my mind. I wonder what he wants to talk about considering we haven't spoken to each other since my homecoming.
"Your mother wanted me to tell you that dinner is ready," Dad tells me.
"Thanks," I say, not looking up from my trigonometry book, pretending to be deep in concentration.
"You're welcome," Dad replies. I wait for him to leave, staring at the book, but not really seeing it. When he doesn't leave, I look up.
Now that he has my attention, he clears his throat. "Clark…your mother told me about you staying in Smallville."
I avoid his gaze and stand up, walking over to the window, my arms crossed in front of my chest.
"Clark, I didn't come up here to argue," he says quietly, walking over to where I am. I shift over to allow him room to stand next to me at the window.
"Then why did you come up here?" I ask, a bit curious. Like I said before, him and I never talk after an argument. We usually like to let things roll over.
"To ask you if that's what you really want."
"That is what I really want," I say firmly. I can feel his gaze on me, but I continue staring out the window, admiring the orange and yellow hue the setting sun makes.
"Maybe we should get back to the house; Mom's probably wanting for us," I suggest, but not making any action.
"No, son. I need to talk to you first."
"There's nothing to talk about," I say stonily. I admit that a part of me is still mad at him for trying to invade my and Lana's privacy this noon.
"Yes, there is," my father says stubbornly.
I turn to look at him and wait for him to start talking.
"Clark, why are you really staying in Smallville?"
I bite my tongue and try not to get mad at him for butting in on my life. I honestly don't know what I'm getting riled up at for. I mean, it's just a simple question. Mom asked me earlier; why can't I answer it again without being uncivil?
"Dad…I don't expect you to understand this, but Smallville's my home. Everything and everyone that I know is here, including you and Mom. I can't just pick up and leave everything behind for a college degree that I can get at any college around here," I tell him sincerely.
He swallows and studies me for a minute. "But, it doesn't mean that you can't come back and visit. You're not abandoning us, Clark. You're living your life. That's why your mother and I have spent the past fifteen years raising you for. So that you could go out into the world and offer something."
I shake my head, knowing that he doesn't get it. "Dad...it's not just you and Mom."
"Lana?" he guesses, smiling a bit.
I nod and sigh. "Lana's given me another chance and now that I have it, I can't screw it up. I can't disappoint her and myself again. I love her and she loves me. What more do we need to make it work? I've already told her my secret and tonight I plan to wrap it all up with a tour of the caves," I tell him earnestly.
My dad looks at me and sighs. "Clark, I know you love her, son, and I'm sure that she feels the same for you. But, sometimes, things come up in life, no matter how much we have it all mapped out. Just when you think you have a handle on life; it throws you a roadblock of some sort. I just don't want you to get your hopes up and Lana's."
I nod and try to process the advice he told me. I know he's right, but I can't help but feel excited. Like something worth-while is going to happen tonight. I can feel it; a ball of energy out there somewhere just waiting to burst. Like my and Lana's waiting and heart ache is finally going to pay off. I just hope that for once, it won't come crashing down on us.
My dad slaps my shoulder, shaking me out of my thoughts. I follow him as he leads the way down the stairs and to the house.
As I walk, I look at the fading orange tint, a splash of blue mixed in to show the transition between day and night. I wonder if that ball of energy is somewhere out in the vast sky, waiting to be set free. Tonight seems like a night for new beginnings.