Disclaimer: I don't own Justice League. WB does. And DC too.

(A/N: Bear in mind that I had the 'Superman: The Animated Series' version of these characters in my mind when I wrote this, so picture Superman's S: TAS voice instead of his JLU one. That new DVD box set better come out soon; I need my Superman fix, dammit.)

Something to Remember

As she sat back in her chair, legs and arms crossed, a glass of wine in her hand, Lois Lane thought about what could have happened to the great Perry White for him to soften up enough to have a Christmas party. What had surprised Lois more was the fact that he had actually allowed it to be hosted in the Daily Planet building. You only ever used this building for newspaper work, or so Perry himself had said. She also wondered what was attracting so much attention over on Clark Kent's table. She smiled, thinking that it was odd that Clark Kent's desk would become the center of attention at a party. Most of the time, no-one ever noticed him, barring Lois, Jimmy and Perry. And even then, she didn't see him that often. It was like he had another life somewhere else or something.

But, he always managed to bring in good scoops, so Perry wasn't about to complain. Jimmy liked him because he actually listened to him and gave him real feedback on his pictures, not just 'that's nice Jimmy, go away now' feedback. And Lois… she liked him because he was a challenge. When she had first met him, she had thought that he was just some farm boy from the depths of Kansas. She quickly learnt that he shouldn't be underestimated, as he frequently beat her out of the by-line with stories about Superman. That just irked her more. That he somehow managed to find out all these great things about Superman, like his deal with Star labs a year ago, or his role in the making of the Justice League Metro Tower.

Bah. Superman just brought up other thoughts and feelings she didn't want to think about during Christmas. What was she thinking, trying to have a romantic relationship with him? And thinking it would work? She'd have been better off with Bruce. No. Strike that. She would not have been better off with Bruce. But she certainly wasn't well off with Superman. Sure, he was handsome and kind and strong… but that only went so far when you didn't even know his name, where he came from, who he grew up with. Oh sure, she knew the whole 'Last Son of Krypton' story, but she wanted to know which humans raised him. Who were his childhood friends? Where did he go to school?

Was he ever going to tell her? Or was he just going to keep on pretending like there was nothing wrong with their relationship? Lois groaned.

"Men," she muttered. Super or otherwise, they were all the same.

"Pardon?" a voice asked, and Lois heard the slightest hint of amusement in the voice. She looked up to see Clark Kent stood next to her, a slight smile on his face. She huffed and looked back at the rabble that were gathered around Kent's desk.

"I said, 'men'."

"What about them?" Kent asked, sitting down next to her.

"They're all the same, that's what."

"Ah," Kent said, smirking.

"'Ah'? What do you mean, 'Ah'?"

"You're just annoyed because no-one's paying attention to you."

"What? Shut up, Smallville." She raised her head slightly, half heartedly trying to see over the crowd and see what they were so fascinated by. There was a roar of approval from the rabble, and Lois brought her head back slightly in surprise. "What're they doing on your desk, anyway?"

"Drinking game. Perry's drinking them all under the table."

Lois nodded. "Ah, I see. And you're not over there, why?"

Kent shrugged. "I'm not really a drinker."

"Why am I not surprised?" Lois said, a smile on her lips. "Do you do anything that's bad for you, Smallville?"

Kent frowned slightly. "Why would I?"

Lois laughed and waved her hand. "Never mind."

There was another roar from the table.

Kent looked over at her. "And you? Why aren't you joining in? I bet you could give Perry a run for his money."

"Ah, so you're a betting man, are you Kent?"

Kent just smiled, and Lois couldn't help but do the same. Trust Clark 'Smallville' Kent to cheer her up. There was another roar from the table followed by laughter as a reporter, obviously having had his fill, ran to the bathroom.

"Next victim," Perry's voice said. There was a brief pause.

"Not you, Olsen."

Lois grinned. Was there anything that kid wouldn't try? He was promptly shoved from the group of reporters and other Daily Planet employees. Upon seeing Lois and Kent, he waved and walked over.

"Hey guys."

"Jimmy," Kent said back, gesturing to the chair next to him. Jimmy sat down, and Lois offered a small wave.

"Hi, Jimmy. I thought you were out of town for the holidays?"

"I am. That is, I will be. I'm leaving tonight. I just thought I'd come in and say hi."

"And competing in a drinking game with Perry was just a part of this goodbye thing, right?"

Jimmy grinned and shrugged. "Hey, I've gotta keep trying. I'll be old enough someday." He stood up and shook hands with Kent, and then Lois.

Lois smiled. "I hope you have a good Christmas, Jimmy."

"You too, guys. Oh, and I'll send you those pictures in the mail, Clark."

Kent nodded. "Thanks a lot, Jimmy. I'll send you your present in the mail too."

Jimmy nodded and left with a smile plastered on his face. Lois looked over at Kent, and a quizzical eyebrow rose.

"Pictures? Of what?"

"Pictures of the Planet, of the people who work here, that sort of thing."

"What for?"

"I was going to give some to my parents. And besides, I realised that I didn't have any pictures of the Planet, so I asked Jimmy."

"Why would you want pictures of the Planet? For a scrapbook or… something?"

Kent remained silent, the only reaction a slightly sheepish look in his eyes as he avoided her gaze.

"God, Kent, you really are a sentimental one, aren't you?" she said, laughing slightly.

Kent smiled. "Well, I just thought… with all the alien attacks and supervillain problems that it'd be a good idea. In case something happened, I mean."

Lois looked at Kent with a slightly disbelieving expression, then shrugged nonchalantly. "Okay. Whatever floats your boat, Smallville."

They shared a comfortable silence until there was another roar from the huddle of men, and another contestant stumbled out.

"Next victim," Perry's voice called out. Lois looked over at Kent.

"Do you really want to stay for this?"

"Actually, I was planning on getting a bite to eat."

"Mind some company?" Lois asked, and Kent looked slightly shocked by the idea, but it faded quickly.

"Uh… yes, sure."

They picked up their coats and said their respective goodbyes. They stood in the elevator in silence, and waved goodbye to the janitor as they left, who apparently had also opted not to join in Perry's little game. They stepped outside, and Lois shivered as the night air assaulted her face. She looked over at Kent to find that it wasn't having any effect on him at all.

"Aren't you cold?"

Kent shrugged. "A little."

Lois shook her head. "You're very weird, Smallville."

Kent nodded, a smile on his face. "Thank you, Lois. Same to you."

She laughed slightly and kept on walking, Kent keeping up with her not inconsiderable pace. Aside from Superman, Clark Kent was pretty much the only person that could consistently keep up with her. Not even Lex could keep up with her for long, and she had always prided herself on that fact.

Somehow they ended up walking through the Metropolis Park, and Lois couldn't help but admire the huge Christmas tree that had been erected there. Kent gestured over to a hot dog stand.

"Come on," he said, nodding his head slightly in that direction. She raised an eyebrow incredulously.

"This is your big meal? A hot dog stand?"

"Trust me," he responded, a smile on his face that Lois could only describe as cocky. Admittedly curious, she followed. The man at the taco stand smiled upon seeing Kent.

"Clark! How are you? I haven't seen you around for a long time!"

"Sorry, Harvey. I've been pretty busy, what with everything the Justice League's been up to. The life of a newspaper reporter, and all that."

Harvey laughed and smiled. "The usual?"

Kent raised two fingers. "Two."

Harvey nodded and looked over at Lois, preparing the hot dogs with military precision and accuracy. "Who's this? Lois Lane?"

Lois looked over at Kent, who shrugged innocently. Harvey laughed.

"Don't worry; he hasn't been speaking about you behind your back. I just see your name in the newspaper. You compete with Clark here quite a bit for the front page, eh?"

Kent smiled. "I wouldn't exactly call it a competition."

"Why Smallville, that sounds like a surrender to me."

"Ha ha," Kent said, smiling as he paid Harvey for the hot dogs. Lois walked over and examined the hot dog.

"Everything on it. My favourite, too."

Kent shrugged. "I like to get as many flavours as possible."

Lois nodded, impressed. "That's the reason I like it." She reached over and smeared her hot dog with mustard, quickly followed by ketchup. Kent frowned slightly, as did Harvey.

"What? I like a lot of mustard and ketchup."

Kent and Harvey looked at each other and just laughed. Kent shook his head and put some mustard and ketchup on his own hot dog. Lois took a bite of hers and froze. Her eyes widened, and Kent frowned as he looked at her.

"Lois?"

Lois chewed and swallowed. "This… is incredible. Where'd you find this guy?" she said, taking another eager bite from her hot dog. Both Kent and Harvey laughed, amused by her gusto.

"Right here," Kent said, pointing to the ground beneath his feet.

"So this is why you're so big, Kent. And here I thought you went to the gym."

Harvey laughed heartily, but was interrupted by some new customers. Kent gave him a brief wave.

"I'll see you later, Harvey."

"Not too much later, eh?"

Kent grinned and walked away, and Lois gave an ecstatic 'mmm' noise with wide eyes as she looked at Harvey, before pointing at the hot dog and then giving Harvey a thumbs up. He returned the gesture, and Lois followed Kent to wherever he was going.

"So this is what you do when you disappear, Kent. I always thought you were actually out getting stories."

Kent smiled and took another bite. "Well, it's not as if you pose a real challenge or anything."

Lois looked over in disbelief at the smirk on Kent's face as he chewed on his hot dog. She punched him playfully in the arm, and they both laughed. They finished their delicious hot dogs slowly, talking about what they had been up to in the past year (Lois had no idea that Kent did so much outside of the Daily Planet). Eventually, they ended up walking by the Metropolis outdoor ice skating rink. They both stopped to watch all the couples romantically linking arms and gracefully traversing the ice. Lois looked over at Kent.

"Say, Kent… how's your balance?"

Kent looked at her, confused. His face slowly changed as he began to comprehend what she meant. "Oh, no. No, Lois. I'm absolutely awful."

Lois grinned evilly. "That's just what I wanted to hear."

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Why couldn't he have fallen for Lana? She adored him.

Why couldn't he have fallen for Diana? She respected him.

No, he had to fall for the incarnation of pure evil. 'Fall' being the operative word. He could fire lasers from his eyes. He could bench press a tank. He could fly. Why, then, couldn't he balance on an ice skating rink? What was so hard about it? Clark's legs again gave out beneath him as he edged forward, grasping desperately on to sideboards of the rink. Lois, meanwhile, was meandering around the middle of the rink, her hands behind her back, with a smug smirk spread across her face.

"Not much of a challenge, eh Smallville?"

Apparently the incarnation of pure evil was pretty good on the ice. He scowled and pulled himself to his feet again. Having achieved balance, he slowly let a proud smile of accomplishment grow on his face. Lois clapped sarcastically, and Clark slipped again, causing Lois to burst out laughing. She skated over to him and offered him her hand.

"Come on Smallville. I'll show you how it's done."

He paused reluctantly. Lois rolled her eyes.

"Don't get all 'male pride' on me, Smallville. I'm trying to help you here."

He sighed and took her hand. She pulled him to his feet, grasping on to his arms. "It's all those hot dogs, Kent," she said, lightly punching him in the stomach. He smiled, and Lois slowly skated round to his side.

"All right," she began, keeping one hand on his. "Just go forward. You can hold on to the sideboards if you want."

Clark grabbed on to the sideboards with his free hand. Lois nodded.

"All right, now… let's go. Slowly now, Smallville. Don't rush it."

Clark nodded and eased himself forward. And fell over instantly. Lois held back her laughter as Clark landed roughly on his behind. She waved her hand.

"Sorry," she said through her contained laughter. She took a deep breath, but the smile still remained. "Okay. Now grab on," she said, extending her hand. Clark grabbed on again, and smirked. He swept out his leg and knocked Lois off her feet. She fell with a yelp on her behind, and Clark made no effort to contain his laughter. She rubbed the bruised cheek with her hand, scowling at him.

"Very funny Kent. That's the last time I try to help you out."

Clark calmed himself. "I'm sorry. I couldn't resist." Lois looked at him irritably. "I'm sorry," he said, raising his arms in surrender. "I really think I'm getting this, though."

Lois glared at him a bit longer, then hauled herself to her feet. She sighed. "Okay, Smallville. But no more attacks, okay?"

"Deal."

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Who would've thought it? Clark Kent, her main rival at the Daily Planet and all round klutz… a good ice skater. Not great, mind you, but he was pretty good. She shook her head at the ridiculousness of it. She sniffled slightly, and a hand appeared in front of her with a tissue. She looked over with a half smile at Kent, who was holding out the tissue.

"Thank you," she said, taking the tissue and wiping her nose. She looked to her right and saw her apartment building. "Well, here we are."

They both walked to the entrance, and Kent turned to face her.

"Thank you for a nice night, Ms Lane. You were a bit abusive, but… you're a good teacher," he said, an ironic smile on his face.

Lois returned the smile. "Absolutely, Mr Kent. And you were a bit clumsy, but you're a good student."

Kent nodded, and his smile disappeared as something caught his eye. Lois followed his gaze to find some mistletoe hung from the doorway. The two colleagues looked at each other awkwardly, and laughed nervously.

"Well…" Lois said slowly. "It is Christmas tradition."

Kent blew out a breath. "Yes, I suppose it is."

And then the journey began. The journey from where she was stood to Kent's mouth. She felt excitement and nervousness rise up inside her, and she couldn't help but wonder why. She had kissed Superman passionately, for God's sake. Why would Clark Kent, the nerdy reporter from the Planet make her feel nervous? It was stupid was what it was. She should have kissed Kent by now and been on her way. But something was making her slow down.

Trying to savour the moment? No, that would be stupid. Why would she savour kissing Kent?

Sure, he was attractive, and he obviously kept in shape, despite what she had said… and he was very charming and kind. But that didn't mean that she liked him in that way.

Did it?

Well, too late now. Here was the kiss.

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Clark wondered why he was so nervous. He had kissed her passionately as Superman, for God's sake. Why would he be nervous about kissing her as Clark Kent, the nerdy reporter from the Planet? He was feeling very stupid. He should have just kissed her quickly and be done with it. But something was making him slow down the kiss. Was he subconsciously trying to savour the moment? Now that was stupid. Why would he savour kissing Lois when he wasn't Superman?

There wasn't anything different about it, except for the fact that Lois thought she was kissing Clark Kent, and not Superman. Maybe that was the difference. She was kissing him, and not Superman.

In any case, it was too late now. Here was the kiss.

And it was a kiss to remember.

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(A/N: Ta da! Superman! I've been watching my copy of the first volume of the Superman: TAS DVDs recently (in fanboy preparation of the second volume coming out in December), so I really felt an urge to write this, like, now.

So? What'd you think? Review!)