Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters except Lacey, and believe me, she wishes I didn't. Everyone else belongs to Warner Brothers, DC Comics and all sorts of people that are not little old me.
Eight
It was a dance they played. They never actually talked to each other about it. The 'moments' just happened when they happened. There was no dating. Just hanging out. Bantering. Mocking. They just were what they were. Of course if anyone asked, and Cat Grant had asked plenty, they'd both claim that they were "Just friends." Technically, Clark would blush and stammer it. Lacey would glare and add a few choice phrases of unrepeatable nature, as that was just her way.
So when Lori Lemaris showed up one day to visit her college boyfriend, Clark, Lacey's mental vocabulary grew substantially. At that very moment, she was silently protesting the woman's existence with her lunch.
"Do you like that?" Jason asked as he ate his own lunch. The two were sitting in Richard's office. Richard was dealing with a work crisis, Lois was on tv to cover some press conference, and Jason had the day off from school due to some mysterious fire. That left Lacey on emergency nanny duty. Not that she minded.
Lacey glanced at the sushi she was eating. "Sometimes." That was half true. She could take it or leave it. It was the first thing she could think of to eat out of spite. "Are you having any problems with your lunch?"
Jason beamed at her. A lot of his allergies had faded the past few months and he was getting to enjoy a wider range of food now. "No. I like egg rolls. They're good."
"Aren't they? My mom used to make these really good ones that had everything in them." Lacey smiled wistfully. "I tried making them a couple months ago, but they ended up more like hockey pucks." She had a much better description of that disaster, but it involved words that young Jason shouldn't hear.
"You should take cooking lessons." Jason suggested. "Mom takes them sometimes."
Lois took cooking lessons? Lacey was shocked. If she kept finding out these things about Lois, Lois was going to end up her new idol.
That just wouldn't do. Lacey needed to reclaim her hero worship of Miss Parker and Emma Frost. Oh, if only she were a telepath. She'd love to go Frost-like and just bitch slap certain people wit--
"There's mom!" Jason exclaimed and pointed to the tv screen in the corner of the office. Sure enough, there she was, asking a hard-hitting question to some government official. Lacey wasn't really paying attention.
His mother on the screen enthralled Jason and Lacey had to smile. She had a feeling the kid was going to follow all of his parents' footsteps. By that time, hopefully he'd have a hair cut and learn that underwear belonged on the inside of clothes, not the outside.
Richard reappeared in the office and Lacey quickly took her leave after a ruffle of Jason's hair and a few bits of conversation with Richard. She soon found herself back at her desk and bored out of her mind.
She looked up from her desk in time to see Clark appear in the newsroom with Lori and Lacey wondered if she smelled fish that hadn't been in her lunch. As soon as the thought crossed her mind, Lori turned to look at her.
Fuck. Telepath. Close thoughts. Block them off. Build that wall. Lacey focused the same way she had on Middle Earth. She wasn't sure if it would work, or even if it was actually necessary, but she wasn't taking any chances. Lori gave her a confused look and her brow crinkled. Then she glanced at Clark, who was listening to Jimmy, then back to Lacey.
Lacey leaned onto her desk and watched them warily. This was not happening. She did not need this. Really not.. God, did that damn walking fish stick have to be all handsy on Clark? This--
Oh.
Dear.
God.
Lacey was jealous. The moment she realized it, she knew it was true. So she did the logical thing. She started banging her head on her desktop.
Perry stuck his head out of his office and didn't even take a second glance at Lacey. "Lacey, did Spencer get that-"
"He said he'd bring it by at one-thirty." Lacey replied without stopping. She was hoping if she hit herself enough that common sense would finally return.
"Good, good." Perry paused in the doorway. "Do I smell fish?"
Lacey froze. She looked up in time to see Perry returning to his office and Lacey burst into a fit of giggles, garnering her a few stares from the employees that had never heard her giggle before. Still giggling, she sank down in her chair, taking notice of the inquisitive look from Clark and the slightly annoyed but wide-eyed expression of the other double L.
She.. She needed to get out of there. Lacey jumped up from her seat and rushed over to Perry's door. "Mr. White, I-"
"Go. Be back this evening." Perry shooed her away.
How the hell did he do that? Lacey was baffled, but didn't vocalize her question. She just grabbed her tote bag and headed out. She gave Clark and the others a polite wave and a smile, but didn't stop.
Oh no. She needed something far more important to help her cognitive process. She needed ice cream.
Lacey was sitting in her favorite ice cream place, Frozen Delights, and happily devouring a bowl of strawberry cheesecake ice cream when Clark found her. Her eyes were closed and she looked rather content. So content that Clark wasn't sure if he should interrupt her.
The choice was taken from him when she opened one eye. "Why are you hovering over me?" The spoon was still in her mouth, so it sounded a little garbled, but Clark understood.
"Deciding if I should just leave you alone or not." Clark replied and sat down. Oh, but not across from her, he sat down next to her.
Lacey scooted over in the booth to oblige him some space, only to be thanked by seeing him take the extra spoon on the table and stealing some of her ice cream. She smacked him on the arm and glared. "Ice cream thief. I'm so telling your mom."
Clark grinned at her. "You wouldn't."
"You think so?"
"I know you wouldn't. I may have to mention someone's foray into st-"
Lacey shoved him. "That was a one time thing! And that wasn't my fault. Gina was the one who dr.. No. I'm not going to explain myself. What I want to know is how you found out about that." When Clark just continued to grin silently while stealing her ice cream, Lacey scowled at him. "I really hate you."
He set his spoon down, but his grin didn't falter. "You do not."
"I do." Lacey scowled some more and pointed to her scowling face. "See this? This is my mad on grr I think I'm going to push you into traffic face."
"See? You don't hate me."
"What part did you not hear?"
"You said that you think you're going to push me. Not that you were." Clark pointed out. He continued to grin, knowing full well it was antagonizing her. "In other words, you don't hate me."
Lacey's mouth opened. It shut. It opened again. Shut. Clark knew he'd won this even as she stabbed the ice cream with her spoon.
"I think I liked you better when you were stammering and clumsy." She muttered.
"You have no one to blame but yourself." Clark informed her.
Lacey sighed. He was right and she wanted to smack him for it. Instead, she settled for eating some more ice cream.
"So why did you run off? I wanted to introduce you to Lori." Clark asked her casually.
Oh look. There's the jealousy flaring up again. Lacey wanted to smack herself now. "I know about her." She said with a shrug, though she put an emphasis on the word 'know'. She wasn't about to admit to being jealous, but she could at least be partially honest.
Clark frowned and then realization bled into his mind. "That means you know-"
"That she can read minds and swim really well? Yup." Lacey didn't look at him but kept her eyes on the ice cream. "I really don't need anyone reading me, accidental or not. Not with the stuff I know." And definitely not with the stuff she was thinking. "So how long is she in town for?"
"Just the day." Clark frowned when he looked over at her. Lacey seemed rather aloof now and he didn't like it when it was just the two of them. "She and her husband were just picking some things up and she wanted to see how I was doing."
Well, that was slightly brightening, but Lacey wasn't about to show it. Instead, she set her spoon down and stared up at him. "Nice. So, answer me honestly. What is up with you and the double Ls?"
Clark blinked. "The what?"
"Ahem." She started listing names and ticking them off her fingers. "Lana Lang. Lori Lemaris. Lois Lane. All love interests with double L initials. I'm half expecting you to suddenly announce you want to date Lex L-"
"Don't finish that sentence." Clark stopped her. "That situation will never happen." He grinned at her again. "I like to think I'd have better taste than that."
Damn it. That grin of his made her go weak. When did that happen? When did it go from fun and questionable to jealousy, weak knees and that light headed-
Oh.
Fuck.
The newest realization hit Lacey like a ton of adamantium bricks.
Clark wasn't completely oblivious to the inner workings of Lacey's mind. He knew she wasn't all there at the moment, but he didn't know what had her so distracted. He looked at her with concern. "Are you ok?"
No, I'm not. "Huh? Yeah. I'm fine. Just zoning." Liar.
No, Clark. Lacey wasn't ok. She'd just realized she had somehow fallen for you. She also realized that she was completely screwed.
That wasn't very ok at all.
