"We don't have to overanalyze anything now. I'm gonna work off my jet lag later on tonight at the cafe. You want to come by for a coffee, cool. If not, let's just say I get it."

A couple hours later at the cafe…

Why did I think that he was actually going to show up? You know he's still hung up on Lana. He doesn't want you! The sooner you realize that, the sooner you can move on. You were just a placeholder for Lana until she came back. Get it through your head Lane he doesn't want you the same way that you want him. Sure a kiss almost happened but that was a wedding all kinds of crazy stuff happened that day. Like Lana, the love of his life coming back right before you guys were going to kiss! But how can I ignore the look in his eyes when he pulled me towards him or the way our bodies moved together when we danced? There is no way I made that up, is there? You know what it doesn't matter, he didn't show up tonight that tells you everything that you need to know about how he feels about you. We're going to stop at the store, get us a six pack and a pint of rocky road, then put on some comfy PJ's and get over him. Tonight is the last night you will be sad about him! Who needs Clark Kent anyway?

Just as Lois is about to leave the table Clark comes running to the table apologizing for being late.

"I am so sorry for being late for our date Lois! Just as I was leaving the house Shelby decided that he wanted to take off out the house. I spent the last 25 minutes chasing him around the farm trying to get him back in the house."

"Umm date? Who said this was a date? I thought we were just talking. This isn't a date. Why would you think this was a date? Did I say date earlier? I said we could talk. Aren't you with Lana anyway? This can't be a date when you have a girlfriend."

"Lois calm down. I'm sorry for saying that this was a date. I just assumed that after the wedding that that's what this was."

"After the wedding where you ran off with your ex-girlfriend you assumed that me wanting to talk was a date," Lois asked, getting visibly frustrated.

"I didn't run off with Lana. If anyone ran off it was you! After Lana came back you slipped off the dance floor and I didn't see you again until the hospital with Jimmy."

"Of course I ran off Clark! You left me to get back with your ex. What was I supposed to sit around and watch you two together?"

"Okay yes me and Lana did briefly get back together when she was in town but that's over now Lois. If I'm being honest it should have never started when I had such strong feelings for you." Clark said as he moved his seat closer to Lois.

"Oh so now you have feelings for me!? The second you saw Lana it was like you were back in high school following after her again. It was like Lois who? You didn't check on me, didn't see if I was okay about what almost happened, you just left."

"I left!? You left with Jimmy the first chance that you got. I didn't get the chance to explain myself. You saw Lana and just assumed that I didn't want you."

"You didn't want me! You don't want me Clark! You want someone and since Lana is gone you figured you could just come and apologize to me and I would forgive everything. What? Did you think we would be a couple now? You thought I would be with you until Lana comes back again so you could throw me away again. No thanks Clark, I will not be a second choice for anyone." Tired of this conversation Lois gets up to leave but Clark grabs her arm before she could get too far.

"Lois stop! You were never a second choice. Yes, I did get back with Lana when she was in town but it wasn't because I didn't have feelings for you. What I felt for you was new and scary and I didn't think you felt the same way. At the wedding when I pulled you into my arms to dance I thought everything was perfect. When you looked in my eyes I saw that you felt the same way and I wasn't scared anymore. I knew I wanted to pursue something with you, but when Lana came back and we were interrupted I got scared. I got back with Lana because she was familiar and if I'm being honest with myself I knew it wouldn't last. My feelings for you were too strong to be in a relationship with anyone else. As horrible as it sounds, getting back with her made me realize that I wanted to be with you and no one but you. So you have every right to be upset with me but don't call yourself my second choice."

Lois looks into his eyes and can see that he's telling the truth. He really does want to be with her. Taking her not leaving as a good sign Clark starts to lean in towards her to get that kiss he has been thinking about since the wedding. Just as their lips are about to touch for the second time,

"Clark, stop. I can't do this. You say you want to be with me but you haven't done anything to show me that you actually want me. We're good friends Clark. I don't see why we need to confuse that with feelings, so how about we act like the almost kiss didn't happen. We act like tonight didn't happen and just go back to being friends because Clark you are my best friend and I can't lose you as a friend."

That's not what Clark wanted but he had to show Lois that he wanted her. She was right he hadn't shown her how much he wanted her but that was about to change.

"You are absolutely right Lois. I haven't shown you how I really feel about you. I haven't given you any reason to believe what I am saying. But Lois, I want you. Us pretending this never happened is not going to change that. I can't keep being your friend. I can't keep pretending that I haven't fallen in love with you. So if you want to pretend this didn't happen go ahead but that's not going to stop me from wanting you Lois. I have never felt like this for anyone Lois. You keep me grounded, you let me be myself, you don't try to change me or make me become someone else. You see me for who I am. To you I am not Clark Kent the farm boy or Clark Kent the reporter you just see me for me. You always have seen me for me and I'd like to say that I see you for you. So if you don't want to be with me I'll back off but you're going to have to say it. Look me in my eyes and tell me that you don't want me."

Lois looks him in his eyes, fully intending to tell him that she doesn't want him, but she can't. All she sees when she looks into his eyes is the love that he feels for her. So she does the only thing she can think of the one thing she's wanted to do for a while now. She pulls him down and kisses him with everything she feels for him. The feel of his lips on hers for the first time is better than anything she could have imagined. The kiss starts off slow and hesitant but eventually turns into a passionate kiss. When they're kissing it's as if the entire world disappears except for them. This is a kiss unlike anything either of them has experienced before. It feels like their first kiss and their 100th kiss all wrapped into one. Lois pulls back first and for the first time ever she is speechless.

"Wow"

"Yea wow. If I knew you were such a good kisser Clark we would have done that a long time ago instead of hiding our feelings all these years."

"I wasn't ready for you then Lois, but I am now and if you would let me I would love to take you out on a proper date sometime."

"Just name a time and place and I'll be there Smallville."