Chapter 3: What's a half naked arm wrestle between friends?
She woke up alone. Far from being annoyed or dreading some sort of awkward morning after she merely rolled over and went back to sleep with the simple thought Clark was probably just doing his chores.
The second time she woke up it was because Clark was rummaging around in his closet. She groaned and held a pillow over her head but she couldn't seem to block out the noise. With a huff she sat up and threw the pillow at him. He turned around and arched an eyebrow at her as she tugged the sheet up around her.
'You're making too much noise.'
'Good morning to you too, Lois.'
Lois rolled her eyes.
'What time is it?'
'Just after nine.'
'Chloe should be here soon.'
'Hence the noise as I rummage for clean clothes.'
'I don't think so, Smallville.'
'You don't think what, Lois?'
'I get the first shower. For someone who can move faster than a speeding bullet you take forever in the shower.'
Clark snorted as Lois smirked up at him. He tossed her a shirt which she slipped on before scrambling off the bed and towards the bathroom. She paused in the doorway and looked back at him over her shoulder.
'That floating thing,' she told him, 'very hot.'
She could hear Clark laughing as she made her way to the bathroom.
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'I'm not saying you should toss him down on a bed but maybe you need to talk to him,' Chloe was saying as she led Lana up the stairs and onto the back porch.
'I tried Chloe but he refuses to even talk about it.'
Chloe felt a little bad giving Lana advice when she had already had the same conversation with Clark. Its not like she could tell Lana that the reason Clark was reluctant to have sex with her was because he was afraid of hurting her. With an irritated sigh Lana announced she didn't want to talk about it anymore and motioned for Chloe to go ahead and open the kitchen door.
They both came to an abrupt halt at the scene before them. Lois and Clark were seated at the kitchen table engaged in a half naked arm wrestle. Clark sat in just a pair of jeans with his elbow propped on the table and an amused grin on his face. Lois was gripping his hand with both of hers and struggling to move it in any direction even when she put her whole weight into it. She was wearing nothing more than underwear and one of Clark's plaid shirts.
With a defeated huff Lois flopped back onto her chair and crossed her arms over her chest.
'Show off,' she mumbled.
'Beaten by a farm boy Lois?' Chloe cracked by way of announcing her presence.
Lois and Clark whipped around to face Chloe and Lana and while Clark's eyes flickered with some unknown emotion Lois' held nothing but amusement. Neither had been expecting Lana, she was here to surprise Clark.
'I haven't had my coffee yet,' Lois answered with a grin causing Clark to snort disbelievingly.
To avoid having to say something more Lois stood and stretched and made a beeline for the coffee. She barely noticed the way the other three occupants of the room watched her hemline rise higher as she stretched or the resultant looks two of them shot at Clark. Chloe merely quirked an eyebrow and gave him a funny half smile. Lana looked hurt. Knowing that Lois often spent the night at the Kent's was one thing but to see her the morning after walking around in Clark's shirt was a bit much.
'You stayed here last night?' Lana questioned lightly.
'Yep,' Lois confirmed, closing her eyes as the wonderful smell of fresh coffee reached her senses.
Lana watched her intently as she filled a mug and returned to the table. It made Lois uncomfortable but she refused to show it. An awkward silence descended on them and Clark shifted uncomfortably, suddenly keenly aware of his lack of a shirt and Lois' general lack of clothes.
'I'm just gonna get a shirt,' he said awkwardly.
'Right!' Lois said sharply. 'Clothes would be good.'
She got to her feet and followed Clark up the stairs and into his room. Once he'd secured a shirt Clark flopped back onto the bed and rubbed a hand over his face. Lois tossed the plaid shirt she'd been wearing at him and he sighed, eyes focused on the ceiling.
'I take it you didn't know she was coming.'
'She makes things complicated,' he sighed. 'She's always pushing me to tell her my secret.'
Now fully clothed Lois crawled onto the bed beside him and flopped down onto her stomach, head propped on her hands.
'Did you ever think, Smallville, that if you're not comfortable telling her your secret then maybe she's not right for you?'
'You sound like my mum.'
Lois smiled, sounding like Martha Kent wasn't necessarily a bad thing in this case. Martha was always right about these things.
'Come on, Smallville, let's go rescue Chloe.'
While Lois and Clark were finding clothes and having a heart to heart Lana was jealously ranting to Chloe. Chloe was wishing she had an excuse to be upstairs with her cousin and best friend. It wasn't that she didn't like talking to Lana, she was a great friend, but in this case she refused to listen to reason. Though she didn't realize it, Lana was only making things harder for Clark. Chloe could see it but in an attempt to stay neutral she was offering advice she didn't think it was a good idea to follow. Just moments after Lana had started speaking Chloe found herself interrupting.
'Lana did you ever think that maybe Lois and Clark are just good friends and that they are close because she expects nothing from him? You expect him to be the perfect Clark and tell you everything about him. There are some things he may never be ready to tell you and you just have to deal with it. Love him for who he is not who you expect him to be.'
It was at thins point that Lois and Clark returned fully dressed and teasing each other. Chloe froze; knowing there was no way Clark had not heard that. Lana just looked hurt. Lois and Clark seemed oblivious to what they'd just walked in on.
'I don't want to die, Lois, stay out of the kitchen.'
'Fine, Smallville but I expect eggs.'
Clark rolled his eyes and that was when he noticed the uncomfortable way Lana and Chloe were looking at him.
'What?'