Author's Notes: La la la la la. Here comes another update. I'm rather proud of this chapter. I hope you all like it too. Also, I have never intended for Clark to ever sleep with Lois before she knew the truth. His actions leading up to that moment the previous chapter was foreshadowing to his future choices.

Metamorphosis – Chapter 29

The following morning I headed back to Metropolis and purposely ran into Chloe in hopes to alleviate the nervousness plaguing my stomach. There's so many things to talk about, I'm afraid of saying the wrong thing or making the wrong move.

"Chloe," I call out to her across the courtyard.

"What's up Clark?"

"I need some advice"

A bright smile crossed her face and her body immediately jumped with excitement. I could tell she knew what I was going to ask, I've been dwelling over it long before I even went to my dad's.

"Carry on…"

"I'm gonna tell Lois"

Chloe's eyes go wide, not out of fear or hesitancy, but relief.

"Thank God," she sighed and I throw her a look of bewilderment. "Come on, Clark. I was getting tired of giving out lame excuses as to why you always suddenly disappear. At least this way, we've got Lois to cover your back. She's a lot better on the spot than I am… I think"

I'm surprised. "Wait, you think she'll accept me?"

"Why wouldn't she?"

"Even though I know things are becoming serious between us, and I know without a doubt that she'll accept me for who I am – there's still that small insecure part of me that thinks she'll stop feeling that way about me"

"You're thinking way too much into this, Clark"

"I know, but it's validated." I sit myself down near a tree as Chloe follows. "How do I tell her, do I say 'hey, by the way, F.Y.I. I'm an alien' or do I just start from the beginning?"

Chloe raised her eyebrows, shaking her head dutifully.

"You can always try the route you took with me"

"It's a completely different situation, Chloe"

"True, but you're still trying to get the same point across. So why not give it a try"

"Everything about us has been amazing, I'm just – I guess I'm just afraid it won't be the same." I take a deep breath before continuing. "What I do know for sure, I'm going to tell her whether either of us are ready or not"

I felt Chloe's hand pat me on the back.

"I'm proud of you Clark"

"Wow. The term 'serious conversation' is flowing out in waves from you two," Lois says out of the blue towards Chloe and I. She wore tight blue jeans with her trademark belt that if you look behind, it'll have an interesting saying that always makes me grin. Completing her ensemble was a yellow tank top with a jean jacket over it.

"Hey, Lois," Chloe greeted her and she sits between me and Chloe. Hugging her first before kissing me.

"How were morning finals?" I ask her.

She groaned in response, leaning back on my shoulder and I hold her tightly. It was gestures like these, it looks simple yet it meant the world to me. It's easy to fall for me to fall deeper in love with her.

Chloe on the other hand just laughs.

"It can't be that bad," said Chloe.

Lois shook her head signaling the contrary.

"You're like… one of his favorite students"

"Exactly!"

This time, I joined in on Chloe's laughter. Her phone suddenly rings and Chloe excuses herself, leaving me and Lois alone. She sat up and looked at me, and I'm always losing myself in her eyes.

"You okay?"

I nod, reaching out and lightly cupping her cheek with my hand.

"Everything's perfect." I kiss her and I don't want to let go.

We break apart and she slowly sweeps her hand through my hair. "You sure?" She always did know when something is bothering me and that what happened between us the previous night still lingered.

"There's a lot of – " I look up to see the last person I wanted to see. "Lex"

"Am I interrupting?"

Lex Luthor stood wearing his signature wardrobe: a fine-fitted suit, silk tie, a Rolex and what would probably be hand-made shoes from Spain. Have I mentioned that he's the very last person I wanted to see?

"No," I forced out.

"Do you have a minute Lois?"

Lois nodded and gave me a kiss on the lips before getting up. "I'll see you later," she whispers to my ear and I nod. I watch at her hand slips out of my own. She walks side by side Luthor as they walk further away from me. If I had been a junior in high school, I'd be eavesdropping on their conversation right about now.

I knew once again that nothing good would come from it. I have a lot on my mind and too many things to do and I can't jeopardize my relationship with Lois because I'm feeling incredibly jealous of the multi-millionaire.

No, I'm better than that.

I won't sink to his level. I got to believe that things between Lois and I will work out. I have to, if not, then any happiness I could hope for was just a fool's dream.

Along the corridor's of Met-U

"You're happy," Lex observed. When he approached Lois and Clark outside, she glowed and smiled without a single pain in the world. An image he rarely sees but always cherishes when he does.

Lois doesn't say anything. She didn't know how to respond to that.

They both walked slowly while talking, heading to nowhere in particular. He just wanted to talk.

"I haven't been the easiest friend lately, and I apologize"

"You're right. You haven't been the easiest friend lately"

"Tell me what you want; Lois and I'll give it to you"

"You're friendship is all I need"

"What does he have that I don't?" asks Lex a little too spitefully. "What could he possibly give you?"

"It's like you said… I'm happy… I'm happy with Clark, is that really so hard for you to accept?" She paused; exhausted by the same argument they've been having for months. "Dammit, Lex. You're better than this! I'm sick and tired of trying to justify my feelings for him just so you could feel better about yourself"

They find an empty classroom and continued their conversation there.

"What will it take, Lex? What will it take for you to accept that I'm with Clark?" asks Lois, her voice filled with anger.

"Break up with him," Lex says, but the words were too shocking that Lois didn't quite let it register.

"What?" Lois says with a shocked expression.

"Break up with him," said Lex a little louder and a lot more convincing. "If our friendship ever meant anything to you, let him go and let's go back to the way things were… without Clark Kent in our lives"

Lois couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her best friend was giving her an ultimatum. Friendship against happiness. How could there ever be a choice?

"You've got to be kidding"

"I'm not," said Lex seriously. He was set in his ways. "Me or Clark, Lois. What's it going to be?"

Clark's Dorm Room

Knock. Knock. It was raining hard outside when someone knocked at the door, and for a second I wonder who it could be this late in the evening. I got up to opened it and I'm surprised to see Lois there. She normally chips on my window and I let her in through there.

"Hey." I lean in to kiss her only to catch her cheek. Something was wrong, I could feel it. "You're dripping wet," I noticed, leading her in, grabbing a couple of towels for her to dry herself in. "You okay," I ask, rubbing her shoulders in hopes it'll keep her warm.

"I…"

I begin to worry; she's barely said anything since she got here.

"Lois, are you okay?"

"It's over," she says and it felt like my whole world falls.

A few hours earlier

"You're making me choose." As Lois comprehended what was happening, her initial disappointment turns seething with anger and betrayal. "You're MAKING me CHOOSE!"

Lois turns away from him, not able to look at him in the face. She calmed her breathing down. Her anger though, remained.

"It's the only way this is ever going to work," said Lex, as if the option had no repercussions whatsoever.

"I don't know you at all, do I?" she says her back still away from him. Her mind drifted back to all those childhood memories and growing pains they grew up with over the years. Is one guy all it took to tear it all down?

No, it wasn't.

"You know me better than most"

Lois finally turns around, looking him in the eyes and for the first time, neither of them knew who they were looking at.

"I really don't. A friend wouldn't make me choose. A friend would be supportive. A friend, even with our differences, would make an effort to respect each other's decisions."

"I can't be friends with you if you're with Clark"

"Oh right. Because he keeps secrets from you? That's the weakest excuse I've ever heard!"

"He's been lying to me since the day we met"

"He SAVED your life!"

"I've done everything I can to be his friend, but he still doesn't trust me!" Lex returned with equal vigor.

Disappointed, Lois looks at him, sadness engulfed in both their faces, and more so in hers. "Trust is earned, Lex. Not bought and paid for"

"What is that suppose to mean?"

"It mean's I've made my choice," she answers. "Goodbye Lex." And she leaves him.

Lex didn't storm out of the classroom, instead, he carried the anger and hate inside him until he let it out, flipping the teacher's desk over, its contents spilling over the floor. The last burning candle of light in his life burning out.

Back in Clark's Dorm Room

I sat and listened to Lois recall the events that took place after she left with Lex earlier today. My heart broke for her. Many years of friendship, gone. I can't help but feel responsible.

"I'm sorry"

She shook her head, showing me that it wasn't anything that I should apologize for.

"It's not your fault"

"Still – I feel like I could've done something more"

"The moment he asked me to choose, he forfeited our friendship. If it's anyone's fault, it's Lex for allowing his insecurities work his actions. He's not the friend I grew up with"

"He loves you, you know"

I want to be the supportive boyfriend, but I can't wrap my head around why Lex would be so cold as to risk the friendship he's built with Lois because of me. Does he hate me that much?

Lois remained skeptical. "But did he? Or does he love the idea of me? The one friend whose trust is unwavering? I can't compromise who I am for what he wants me to be. It's not in my nature, and more importantly, it's not in his"

"Sometimes I wonder if I should've just been honest with him in the beginning"

Lois looks at me oddly. "What do you mean? You've been lying to him on purpose?"

"No!" I assure her. That's not how I meant it to come out. "It's a personal thing, Lois. Something that only my parents knew and understood about me. I – I don't share my life with people too often"

Her face immediately softens.

"I'm sorry, I'm just – " she begins to shiver and I quickly take action.

"It's okay." I go through my dresser and take out my Smallville sweatshirt to hand to her. "Here, why don't you put this on?"

Lois takes it, my hand brushing against hers. I sit on the bed looking away from her as she removed her lightly damped clothes to get into my sweater. My super hearing can catch her struggle.

"Can you help me?"

Her voice sounded so defeated and tired, and I make the conscious decision to turn around. I slowly make my way towards her, and I can see our faces in the small mirror I put up atop my dresser. Her face turns to stare at me and I keep my eyes on hers as I let my hands reach the bottom of her blouse, slowly lifting it up and off her.

Our eyes still connected. Never leaving one another.

I remove her bra, unclipping it from the back as it slip right off her. Her skis is so soft, my warm hand warmed her cool body. I reached for my sweater and helped her in it. I want more than anything to take her in my arms, but the situation left me keeping my distance.

"Thanks" she says softly and I pay a kiss on her temple.

"Stay with me tonight." Not to sleep together, but just to sleep. But I already knew Lois knew what I meant.

I lead her to my bed and removed the covers. She took off her pants before climbing into bed first. Leaving her with nothing but her underwear and my sweater. I climb in next, and even though the bed was too small for two people to sleep it, somehow, being with her, with my arms draped over her, scooped appropriately in my arms, we were a perfect fit.

That night, it was just the two of us and no one else.

Tomorrow was another day.

To be continued…