Note: Thank you all for your comments and than you Blueblackice for your help in editing this story.

Chapter 2

The first couple of days passed without much interaction between Lois and Clark, save for a borrowed item from his desk that Lois was in need of. She was out good part of the day, following a lead, and he was busy researching for his new assignment. When Lois was focused on a case, she practically didn't pay attention to anything else, so for a few days Clark was relieved that there weren't any more close encounters between them. But just when Clark was getting used to the idea that their kiss had been the consequence of too much beer (to his relief but also to his disappointment) good old Lois chased him on the way out of the newsroom and tempted him with a hamburger and a soda before heading home.

They ate together and for an hour, Clark thought that things were still the same between them. He walked her to her apartment and, as always, waited as she fished for her keys inside her purse.

"Wanna come up?" She asked as an impertinent smile grew upon her face.

"Huh, well … I …" He shifted his weight from one foot to another.

"Look Clark," Lois began. "I know you think I was too drunk to remember what happened the other night, but I wasn't. I remember kissing you and I am pretty sure you kissed me back." He opened his mouth to say something, but she cut him off. "If you don't want to go on with this, I understand, really, I'm a big girl and I can handle it. Just don't pretend it didn't happen, okay?"

Clark swallowed and stared at her for a moment, not sure of what to say. "I … I thought you were the one pretending it didn't happen."

"And you were just playing along?" She retorted, hands on her hips.

"No, I wasn't sure what you wanted so I …"

"Oh, come on, Smallville. I'll never understand you. You can rush into a burning building without a second thought, but when it comes to women, you are the shiest, most hesitant man I have ever seen. I really can't see why. I wonder what Lana did to you."

"Lana?" He frowned.

Lois waved her hand, as if trying to erase what she just said. "Forget about her. Do you want to go on with this or not?"

"With what?"

Lois rolled her eyes with irritation. Could he be any more oblivious? "Us, Clark. Us."

He swallowed. Of course he wanted. "Of course I want."

"But?" Her eyebrows arched up.

"I …" he saw her make a gesture with her hand to encourage him to go on. "Let's take this slowly. I don't what to screw things up."

Lois knew him well enough to know what he did this under some instinct of self preservation, though she couldn't understand why. But this was Clark, confidence and determination –with the opposite sex- were not exactly part of his character.

"Okay." She said plainly.

"Really?" he looked dubious. Patience and consideration weren't exactly part of Lois' character.

Lois bit her lower lip, pondering if he should strangle or kiss him. "Yeah."

He exhaled, obviously relieved, then smiled broadly. Lois couldn't resist his goddamn sexy male innocence so she grabbed his tie to pull him down for a kiss. They parted a moment later and once again Lois asked him to come up.

"Seriously. Lois," he murmured close to her lips. "I want to make things right. Let's go slowly."

She patted his chest. "Okay, I can live with that. Let's have dinner together tomorrow night."

He grinned. "It's a date."

The elevator was there waiting for her and Lois stepped in. "See you tomorrow, Smallville."

The first date between Lois and Clark could not come out better. They manage to actually have dinner without any interruptions –there was a fire alarm that Clark overheard sometime during desert but that was immediately controlled by the firemen without his intervention- and the evening ended being very pleasing and romantic.

"Come up for a cup of coffee," as he kissed her good night.

"Okay," he smiled. "But just for a while, I have an early start tomorrow."

She grinned triumphantly at him and grabbed his hand to lead him into the elevator. This time Clark took the initiative and kissed Lois all the way up to her apartment. Once inside, while Lois fixed some coffee for both of them, they discussed their new assignments.

"Here you are," Lois brought the tray with two coffee and a few cookies. Clark was staring intently outside the window. "Clark?"

He startled. He had been following the sounds of the sirens of a police chase, but the situation appeared now to be under control. "Huh? Sorry."

She left the tray on the table. "That's what I hate about this apartment. I can hear every noise in the city."

"Yeah, it's quite noisy. Mine's not better." Which, in his case, wasn't a bad thing. It allowed him check on what was happening in the city without leaving the apartment.

"Come, sit down."

He joined her on the couch and they chatted a bit about work. Then the conversation turned towards the farm and the latest news. News that Clark wasn't very happy about.

"Clark, it's been nearly ten years. Your mom has the right to start over. I think it's cool that she's dating someone."

"I know," he sighed, "don't get me wrong, Ben Hubbard is a good man, it's just hard to see her with someone."

"He's never going to replace your dad and it's not that they are getting married or anything. From what your mom said, they are just dating. Try to see the good side. At least she didn't hook up with a Washington politician. Or Lionel Luthor. Just imagine if you ended being Lex's stepbrother." She finished with a smirk.

"Heaven forbid." Clark did not share her humor.

"Relax, Clark," Lois placed a comforting hand over his. "Everything will be all right, you'll see."

Clark leaned in to place a soft kiss on Lois' lips, which she corresponded, increasing the pressure against his mouth and parting her lips to deepen the kiss. But before things could progress further, Clark pulled back and told her it was time for him to leave.

"Ok;" she said, a little disappointed.

He gave her another kiss and he was gone.

Two more weeks passed since their first date. They saw each other every day and went out almost every night but, somehow, Clark had managed to cool things down before they went too far. These encounters did not end without taking a toll on him, though. It was obvious that Lois was beginning to think there was something wrong with him and those midnight dives in the North Pole seas helped very little to cool him off.

Until one night, after dining in her apartment, he tested his limits.

Lois traced her finger along his jaw line. "I never thought I would say this, but I think I love you, Smallville."

At that moment Clark thought he could float with happiness. Lois could appear tough and self sufficient to everyone, but he was one of the few privileged souls that had seen her real, vulnerable self. Even when she insisted on disguising her confession under a mask of sarcasm, Clark knew that she meant every word.

"I think I love you, too." He smiled and recaptured her lips for another hungry kiss.

Things quickly warmed up on the couch. Clark made one poor, not so effective attempt to pull back, but Lois wasn't willing to let him go so easily. Her hands were under his shirt, caressing his back while his body moved over hers. Clark knew that he needed to stop now or soon things would get out of control.

Then, the inevitable happened. Pressure when accumulated, has to be released. And when all that pressure is stored in a body that can contain enormous amounts of energy; and the release valve is blocked or unavailable, the tension accumulated would invariably search for an alternative escape route. It was a matter of simple physics. That was how the thin separation between arousal and fire that for years Clark had been able to keep apart switched on in the midst of passion. Clark felt his temperature rising, his eyes began to burn and he knew there was only one way to stop what was building. He jumped off her and ran to the bathroom pressing his hand firmly to his eyes to keep himself from burning Lois' apartment.

"Clark?" A worried Lois knocked the door five minutes later.

He opened the door.

"Oh, my God, are you okay?" She looked at him up and down. He was a mess. He was sweaty, his face was flushed and his hair and shirt were wet, as if he has splashed himself with water over and over again.

"Actually, I am not feeling that good," he said hoarsely.

Lois pressed her hand to his cheek. "You are burning. And your eyes, they're so … red. I think you are sick."

Clark quickly looked away. "I … I should go."

"But you were perfectly right a moment ago, how could this happen so quickly?"

"I don't know. Really Lois, I have to go."

He grabbed his jacket and ran out of the apartment, leaving a perplexed Lois to wonder what was going on.