I don't own anything!
By the way, this is my first fic in a loooong time, so cut me some slack…
Background: Lana and Chloe share an apartment. Lana's a fashion designer. They are both 24. So is Clark.
Now I give you: Lost You, Found You
Lana Lang let out a frustrated sigh-the tenth of the evening-and slammed her head down onto a huge pile of books that she was supposed to be reading. Her room-mate, Chloe Sullivan looked up from the novel she was reading.
"You know Lana; I've wanted to tell you this for a long time now. You need a break." Lana looked at her through messed up hair and sighed.
"I'm serious," said Chloe, putting her novel aside. "No one works as much as you do."
"That's because everyone has somewhere to be on a Saturday night," replied Lana. She gestured towards Chloe's novel. "Or, in your case, a new book to read." Chloe smiled slightly.
"Lana-" Chloe began.
"Chloe, I'm fine." Then Lana turned back to her books, writing furiously. Chloe smiled secretly, knowing that it would take her just a few more seconds before she surrendered.
5 -4- 3- 2- 1-
Lana threw her pen down.
"It's just that… I love him. I really do. I always did, even when I was with Whitney. I miss him, so much that I try to drown myself in work, just so I can escape thinking about him. I don't even know where he is, or if he's mad at me. I just can't change the way I feel about him."
Here, Lana stopped. Only then did she realize that she had been crying. Chloe looked at her pitifully. She knew, without asking, who Lana was talking about. The two girls sat in silence for a few minutes, the only noise in the room being Lana's sniffling. Then Chloe got up and grabbed Lana's arm.
"Lana, you can't do this anymore. You'll make yourself sick just thinking about it. Now you will do as I say." Here Chloe's voice rose to a high shrill. "You will pretty yourself up, put on some nice clothes and go on a drive by yourself. Go! I'll call your boss and tell him his favorite fashion designer isn't coming to work for the next few days. He's been telling you to take a break for so long now, and he's right. "
As if in a daze, Lana got up and took a short shower. She brushed her long tangled hair till they were silky and shiny. Chloe, who had gone back to her novel, pointed at the bed where she had laid a pretty sleeve-less top and pants. Lana put them on and, after contemplating for a little while, she decided against applying make-up.
"Go, Lana," said Chloe, her tone softened. "Maybe it'll help you." Lana waved goodbye to Chloe and exited the room. Chloe smiled at her retreating back. She knew where Lana would end up and what would be waiting for her there.
Lana drove out of Metropolis, driving as fast as she could go, away from Metropolis. She didn't know where she was going, didn't know how long she was going to be gone. The next day was Sunday, no work, so she wasn't worrying about that. After a few hours of driving, a sign loomed before her: Welcome to Smallville.
She smiled to herself, as she drove past the familiar endless cornfields, the small farmhouses, and knew that there was nowhere else she'd rather be right now.
Lana drove on, past the quiet city, the only sounds being the deep thunder, rumbling in the distance. Romantic songs softly poured out of the radio, relaxing her for the first time in six years, for the first time since she left Smallville. She drove past the Talon, where she'd had many happy memories, and past the Kent Farm.
The Kent Farm.
Lana stopped in front of the gate, debating whether she should go in or not. Glancing at the luminous clock in the car, she saw it was only nine. She knew, from memory, that the Kents usually had dinner at nine. Finally, she reversed and drove up the gravel driveway. She walked up to the door, and tentatively knocked.
"I'll get it!" yelled the unmistakable voice of Jonathon Kent. He opened the door, and stood there, utterly shocked.
"Lana?" he asked. Lana hung her head shyly.
"Yes, Mr. Kent, it's me." Jonathon's wrinkled face broke into a smile.
"Lana, what a pleasure! Come in, I'm sure Martha will want to meet you. And…Clark." Lana froze.
"Clark is here?" she said shakily.
"Well, yes. He came back after a year of… world touring." Jonathon flapped his arms, and Lana got his meaning. The month before he left, Clark had told Lana everything. She told him it was amazing, what he did. She regretted not telling him how she felt about him, because, somewhere, deep down, she was sure he felt the same. But there was nothing to be done, for Clark mysteriously disappeared from home a few weeks later.
She remembered the day perfectly. She had been on her way to the Kent farm, bringing Clark a painting she had made for him. She remembered his parents telling her that he had left. She still remembered the intense feeling of pain. Since then, there was nothing left in Smallville for her. She took a four year course and became a fashion designer. Then she met Chloe and moved in with her. They split the rent in half so both could afford it. It had been six years.
Now seeing Clark after all these years… could she take it?
Nevertheless, she followed Jonathon into the kitchen, where Martha Kent was washing dishes. Jonathon cleared his throat and Martha looked back.
"Lana!" Martha said, smiling broadly at her favorite fairy princess. She quickly rinsed off her soapy hands and hugged Lana close.
"It's been a long time since I saw you," whispered Martha in her ear while she was hugging her.
"I'm sorry," said Lana. Martha pulled away and clasped Lana's hands.
"Look at you! I don't think you've eaten a thing since you left here. Sit down and I'll get you something to eat." Lana smiled and sat down at the table. She looked around the cozy house. Jonathon took a seat beside her.
"Clark's in the shower," he said softly, reading her mind.
"How is he?" asked Lana, casually.
"He is just going through life, like it doesn't mean anything. He does chores around here, fights crime in various places. He still has a deep interest in physics, and he studies that at night. He misses you a lot, you know." Lana looked up, surprised.
"He keeps a picture of you in his loft, and I catch him looking at it while he's working." Lana smiled.
"I miss him too, Mr. Kent," she said. "He was the best friend I ever had." Just then, Martha entered, with a plate laden with steaming food. She laid it down in front of Lana.
"Mrs. Kent! I can't eat all that!" said Lana. Martha stroked her hair in a motherly gesture.
"Eat as much as you can, then," she said. Lana talked to them about her job and what was going on in her life while she ate. She felt at home for the first time in six years.
After a few minutes, the plate was completely empty. Lana washed her hands and her plate at the sink. At that moment, Clark appeared.
At first, Lana didn't notice him. When she turned around to put her plate in the cupboard, she saw him. He was standing at the top of the staircase, wearing a navy blue t-shirt and jeans, staring at her as if he couldn't believe his eyes. She stared back at him. Martha and Jonathon silently excused themselves, but Lana and Clark barely noticed.
Slowly, Clark came down and walked up to Lana. Now he was standing right in front of her. He rubbed the back of his head nervously.
"Umm… hey," he said softly.
"Hey," she replied.
They stood in an awkward silence, until Clark spoke.
"So… what are you doing here?" Lana looked up at him, wishing he was hers. She saw that he still had a boyish face, and he was as handsome as he was when he left. His eyes, that still made her go weak at the knees, blinked down at her.
Lana?" Lana snapped out of her reverie.
"Yeah… sorry about that, kinda zoned out." She laughed nervously.
"I'm a fashion designer down in Metropolis," she continued. "I met Chloe and we rented out an apartment together. She's actually the one who convinced me to come down here. I've really been working hard, and she convinced me to take a break."
"Wow… that's great!" said Clark. Lana smiled up at him.
"Yeah, I guess it is," she said softly. A comfortable silence fell on them.
"Hey, you want to go up to my loft?" asked Clark suddenly. Lana nodded enthusiastically.
"I'll be right there; I just have to tell my parents that they can go to bed." Clark headed for the stairs, but Lana grabbed his arm to stop him. Tingles ran up both their arms.
"Can I take a shower? I brought an extra pair of clothing with me."
"Sure," said Clark. "You remember where the bathroom is, right?" Lana giggled.
"Yes, Clark." He simply grinned and handed her two clean towels.
A few minutes later:
Clark was looking through his telescope when he heard Lana clear her throat behind him. He turned around and saw her standing on the top of the stairs wearing a familiar pink dress with sequins. The only difference was that it was shorter. Her wet hair hung about her shoulders and her natural beauty was evident in the dim lighting.
To Clark, she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.
"Umm… hey. Is that dress…" he started, but Lana interrupted.
"Yeah, it's from Lex's wedding. Chloe cut it shorter and sort of claimed it as hers." At that Clark laughed. "But I don't know why she would pack this one for me," she finished.
"Maybe it's because you look stunning in it," whispered Clark. Lana walked up to him and kissed his cheek.
"Thanks, Clark." They both smiled. Lana gestured towards the stars.
"I see you still have a deep interest in stars," she commented. Clark didn't look away from Lana.
"It's hard to forget something you've loved for so long," he said softly. Lana looked up at him. Her hand reached for Clark's face, as if magnetically.
"Clark…"
"Lana…" The space between their lips closed, until they gently collided. It was a slow kiss, but completely filled with passion. Clark ran his hands through her soft hair, still wet from the shower. A clap of thunder brought them back to reality and they pulled apart. Lana's eyes widened and she backed away from Clark.
"Lana? Are you okay?" he asked. Lana's eyes filled up with tears and she fell to her knees.
"Lana!" cried Clark, rushing to her side. She was sobbing hysterically, saying over and over again 'you left me'. Clark's eyebrows knitted in confusion. He put his hands on her shoulders.
"Lana? What happened?" he asked. She continued to sob, her tears dripping onto the floor.
"You left me, Clark. You didn't even say goodbye. You left me." She got up off the floor and raced outside. Clark stood up too. Everything was starting to make sense now. He ran after her and caught her just outside. Rain was starting to fall around them.
"Lana! Wait! I can explain!" Lana spun around. Her tears had been replaced by anger.
"Yeah? Well go on then!" she spat.
"Lana, I wanted to tell you. I really did, but I knew that you are the only person who could keep me here." At this, Lana's eyes softened. She moved closer to him till she was only a few inches away. "I missed you so much, Lana, I really did. And you never knew." He broke off.
"Clark, it's been six years since I saw you," said Lana. "Six years, and I still love you, just as much as I did back then." She laughed humorlessly. "You must be thinking what an insane freak I am, totally unable to move on-"
"Actually," interrupted Clark, "I was thinking about how I love you, just as much as I did before I left, just as much as I have since kindergarten." Lana's eyes widened and filled with tears again.
"Clark-" Clark shook his head and cupped her face with his hands.
"Don't say anything." Their lips met in a passionate kiss. Lana's tears fell and soaked the front of Clark's shirt, but this only caused him to pull her closer. Rain fell heavily all around them, but they barely noticed.
Later that night:
Lana leaned her back against Clark on the couch in his loft. She looked around the once familiar place, smiling to herself. She felt as if she'd be spending a lot of time here now. Suddenly, her eye fell on her picture on Clark's desk. She smiled up at him.
"You still have that picture?" Clark put his arms around her waist.
"As if I'd ever throw it away," he said, kissing her forehead. She giggled.
"Clark?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you think this relationship will work out?" Clark looked down at her disbelievingly, but found a serious expression on her face.
"I don't know, Lana," he said, playing with her hair. "I guess we'll never know till we try." She pondered over his answer and, finding it satisfactory, kissed him.
"What was that for?" asked Clark happily.
"For your ability to remove any worries from my head," she replied. "I love you, Clark."
"I love you more," said Clark. Lana didn't argue, but closed her eyes and fell into the first pleasant sleep in years, in the arms of the boy who loved her unconditionally.
Well, what do you think? Should I quit the writing business? Hit the purple button and let me know!