4: With a View
His parents would be home soon, but he couldn't do it. He'd shed his resolve as fluidly as the graduation gown. On the kitchen counter, Ethan babbled in his basket – unaware of his father's inner turmoil.
Clark was running away, and he knew it, but what made it worth it evaded him now. He stared through tears at a photograph of himself and parents. It would devastate them to come home and discover his letter - to never know when their son or grandson would return. A child's first years were precious; he'd be taking that experience away from them.
He was torn between being their son and being Ethan's father.
The door swung open. He didn't turn, knowing Lois' heels anywhere. Tears fell as doubt drowned him. For the first time, everything moved so fast he was the one left behind.
'Clark?' Her voice was quiet and understanding, attentive to the moment. 'Are you sure this is what you want?'
He turned, nodding, but barely kept it together.
No, it wasn't.
Lois rushed to him, wrapping him in her arms like a safety net. He clung to her, mindful of his own strength. She held him together, allowing him a moment to grieve the life he had to leave.
They shoved bags and boxes into her car. Then came the moment of finality. Clark secured Ethan in the back-seat, wishing he was as calm and oblivious as his son.
He gave the Kent farm a long, lingering glance.
'Ready?' Lois checked one last time.
'Yeah.'
He didn't look back.
... ~ ...
The drive was quiet. Tense, yet accepting. Clark stared out the window. Ethan didn't make a sound. Lois fiddled with the radio to avoid the uncomfortable silence, but half the stations were static.
'Can you drive a little faster?' Clark complained. 'It's like we're barely moving.'
'This is almost the speed limit.' She huffed. There was a baby on-board. 'Could you stop looking in the mirror every five seconds? He's not going to vanish.'
'I know.' He resisted another check, as if she wouldn't notice. 'I just... I want him to be comfortable.'
'Oh, come on, you can't lie to me, Smallville,' she said. 'Just admit it: you're still freaked out about the whole thing. I know I would be. I mean, it's only been a week since some girl you slept with a year ago just showed up out of the blue to say you're the baby daddy, while also passing all responsibility and expenses onto you. That's enough to rattle any guy. But hey, that's your fault for not using protection.'
'I don't remember her or what happened.' He frowned. 'That part may not even be true. It's a bit harsh, don't you think, to just assume those things?'
'You aren't at least a little curious?'
The fact he didn't want to hunt down the birth mother and demand answers set him and Lois apart. No way would she let that go. It was hard enough to not get involved on his behalf, but Chloe made her swear not to.
'I don't want to talk about this,' he said. 'Can't you go a little faster? It'll be sundown before we get there.'
'Fine.' Lois inhaled sharply. She accelerated enough to level them with the speed limit.
Impossibly, the drive was slower.
She gripped the steering wheel, determined to ignore him and focus on the road. She was just giving him a lift to Metropolis; they didn't need to talk about it or anything else.
'Why me?' she blurted out.
'What do you mean?'
'No, seriously.' Lois drummed her fingers. 'Chloe has a car. Why'd you ask me, not her? Not your parents? I'm the only one who got an advanced warning on your plan.'
Why did he trust her?
Clark kept his attention on the Metropolis skyline. 'Why are you helping me?' he asked. 'You texted Chloe before we left, but you didn't tell my parents or try to talk me out of it. I know it's not because you agree with me.'
Lois glanced at him, preferring to get answers than give them.
'I don't know.' She shrugged, glaring at the car ahead. Whatever idiot was driving forgot to signal before making a turn. 'I guess it's because I've done my fair share of running away too. It's usually a bad idea, but the time away can really put things into perspective.'
'A change of surroundings.'
'Exactly,' she said, as they entered the city. 'Whatever you're running from, Clark, it's not my place to judge. It's like the General, when my mum died... everyone was telling him what to do next, you know? How to raise my sister and I, if he should do this or that differently, or whatever. I don't think he made the best choices, but...'
'They were his choices to make.' Clark nodded. 'He did what he thought was right.'
'Everyone loves to have an opinion, especially about how to raise a kid.' She rolled her eyes.
'I've never known you to not have an opinion on something,' he added. 'So I'm curious – what do you think I should do?'
She'd have done the same thing. Lois understood the need to prove he could do this, to take full responsibility of his actions or mistakes. If she had a baby like that, she'd have handled it. She wouldn't rely on anyone or show any weakness. Clark was more open to help and being told what to do, but they shared a similar guilt-ridden determination with taking responsibility.
Who knew she'd have anything in common with a farm boy with a hero complex?
'How should I know? Buy Ethan something other than flannel? Just follow your heart.' She parked outside a real estate office. 'So where to now? Do you at least have a place to stay?'
'Not yet.' Clark peered at the building. 'I have money, though. Lex gave me a parting gift.'
'Wow.' Lois crossed her arms. 'What's that gonna to cost you?'
'It was a gift,' he said.
'From a Luthor,' she added.
Clark unbuckled Ethan, who whined at being woken. 'Forgiveness.' He sighed. 'More like tolerance. I don't think we can ever be friends again, but at least we left things on neutral terms. A truce, I guess.'
'Whoa.' Lois blocked his approach to the real estate. 'What are you doing?'
She made an exasperated sound at his baffled look and vague gesture towards the office.
'Clark.' She gave him a calculative glance over. 'Your tall, dark, and handsome may earn you some points in Smallville – but this is Metropolis. Real estate around here is playing with the big boys. You didn't change out of your suit so there's hope, but you can't honestly expect to just wander in there, with a baby in your arms, and be taken seriously?'
'Why not?' He glanced over her shoulder, doubt creeping in. 'I have money.'
'You can take the boy off the farm...' Lois shook her head, looping an arm through his. 'Look, we may be adults, but those big-shots in there won't see that. All they'll see is a pair of teen parents looking for somewhere to crash.'
'Parents?' Clark stared at her.
'Well, I'm not gonna let you go in there alone.' She scoffed. 'You need me. Having money is only half the battle. You want a good place for a kid, right? Somewhere that's close to various places of work, good coffee, and so on...'
He gave her a deliberate, unconvinced look.
'All I'm saying is that we need to sell this if you don't want to end up in an over-priced crapshack.' Lois fixed his tie, then straightened her vest. 'Just play along. And don't mention the whole running away thing – it doesn't inspire confidence in your life choices or maturity.'
After shooting her a glare, Clark straightened his posture and nodded. They examined a board featuring new apartments. Several agents stared at them, but the pair pretended not to notice.
Lois felt the pressure, despite it being someone else's apartment she hunted for.
'Here, give me the baby.' She hissed, taking Ethan and cradling him in her arms. 'I hate to say it, but a more traditional approach might win us some favour. If all else fails, let's hope they have a soft spot for cute babies.'
'May I help you?' A redhead woman discarded a copy of the Daily Planet.
Despite Lex's impressive reward for anyone with information about what happened, Lionel Luthor was yet to be found.
'Hi, Suzanne.' Lois glanced at the name-tag. She carefully shifted Ethan upright against her chest, offering her freed hand to shake the agent's.
Clark glanced at his cranky son. Lois shot him a stern look, and he quickly shook Suzanne's hand too.
'Hi,' he said, then cleared his throat. 'Hello, we're looking for an apartment?'
'Huh.' Suzanne gave them a critical glance over, her gaze lingering on the baby. 'We have the finest here at Metropolis Realty Group, though with such high standards comes a rather respectable price range.'
'That won't be a problem,' Clark said.
Lois smiled as his confidence shone through. He played the role well. Maybe this could work out?
'We're not looking for anything too fancy or modern,' Lois added. 'It's all about location and facilities. A safe space for the little one.' She adjusted Ethan's weight.
'Well...' Suzanne hesitated, then directed them to another board. 'Are you looking to buy or rent? What sort of space are you interested in? Two bedrooms, I presume?'
'Two bedrooms.' Clark nodded. 'Uh, we're planning to stay awhile, but I think for now... we'll just rent.'
Lois struggled to let him take the reins. She resisted commenting on bathroom size or window security. She wasn't the one who had to live there. Ethan clutched her shirt with his tiny fist, and she couldn't help smiling. He was such a cute baby. She was convinced he somehow knew this was an ideal moment to be on his best behaviour.
'Do you want to explore the spaces before deciding?' Suzanne asked.
'No, I'm fine with-'
'Yes, we would,' Lois interrupted. She gripped Clark's arm and smiled, though her eyes warned him to listen. 'Honey, we can't just pick one off of a picture. Our little one will be walking before we know it. What if the bath's too high? If it takes all day, we have to find the perfect place.'
Clark glanced at a wall clock. There wasn't much of the day left, but he agreed.
Lois rubbed Ethan's back when he whimpered, praying he didn't need feeding or changing soon.
... ~ ...
None of the apartments were right. Suzanne took it in stride and helped narrow down their choices, despite the waning work hours.
'The kitchen's better here,' Lois said, peering into the overhead cupboards.
Clark rocked Ethan, who wasn't a fan of being moved around to various locations. 'The windows are good too,' he added. He inspected the locks, then compared the two bedrooms.
'How's the plumbing?' Lois asked. 'Because that other one wasn't up to par. The last thing I want is dirty water dripping in my coffee every morning.' She turned on some lights, then investigated the bathroom.
'I could have fixed that,' Clark said.
'You shouldn't have to – not for these prices.' It was hard to find faults in the apartment. She fixed Suzanne with a challenging look, expecting a lie or to uncover a hidden issue the agent didn't want them knowing about.
'I think it's great,' Clark stopped her interrogation plans. 'This is the one. Where do I sign?'
'It's a fantastic choice.' Suzanne gave them a tight grin, then gathered the paperwork.
Lois huffed as Clark handed her Ethan, who wailed at the sudden shift. She rocked him and shushed him, but with little success.
'Hey, it's okay, Daddy's right there,' she said. 'What do think of your new home? Nice, huh? Open plan, big windows...' She gestured to various buildings, hoping to distract him. Ethan had no appreciation for the view, though quietened as she rambled facts about the location.
Lois tried to ignore her own reflection, and how natural she looked with Clark's baby. She was still getting used to the weight, but there was something comforting about holding him. Ethan was soft and trusting – even his baby scent was... what? There was a word for it but it evaded her now. She hugged him a little closer.
'Miss Lane?' Suzanne held out the lease papers, offering the pen.
'Uh...' She glanced at Clark as he retrieved Ethan. 'Is that necessary? I mean, he's the one who worked hard and saved up for all of this. Do I really need to sign as well? I don't mind not having my name on it.'
'Oh.' Suzanne paused. 'Your credit and background checks cleared, but I'm afraid this is a co-tenant situation. The landlord, Mr Bower, insists that everyone signs a lease.'
'And if it was just one of us living here?' Lois asked, biting her lip. She arms ached, but she missed Ethan's warmth. 'Hypothetically speaking.'
'Then Mr Bower might be less inclined to accept the application. He has tenant preferences, but you needn't worry about that...' Suzanne frowned. 'I mean, you are planning to stay together?'
'Right, yeah, of course.' Lois put on a cheery smile. She placed a hand on Clark's arm and stared at the pen. She grabbed it, refusing to start the process over or risk him losing the apartment.
'One moment.' Clark tugged her away so they could talk in private. 'What are you doing?' he asked quietly, adjusting Ethan.
'Securing you an apartment,' she whispered back, with a "well, duh" look. 'What does it look like I'm doing?'
'Lois, I can't let you be responsible for this place too,' he said. 'You'll need your own place when you get back from Europe.'
'Then I'll crash here. It's big enough. Just get a huge sofa or something.' She shrugged. 'Look, you and Ethan need somewhere to live and this place looks to be about as good as you can get right now.'
'The lease is for a year,' he reminded her.
'I'm a big girl, Smallville.' Lois gave watchful Suzanne an encouraging grin. 'Miss Tight Lips is getting suspicious. Don't blow this, okay? Do it for Ethan.'
She pulled herself from his grip and signed the papers. A sense of dread snuck up on her. It was a hasty decision. It complicated things and Clark was right to doubt it, but it was done.
How long was a year, anyway?
'That's everything,' Suzanne said. 'Congratulations. I can tell that the three of you will be very happy here.'
A/N: Thoughts?
As of next chapter, Ethan will start gradually aging over the course of the story.
