Chapter 12

"Easy now," Clark lifted Tess down out of the truck, his fingers skimming over her soft skin. He ignored the butterflies in his stomach at the intimate contact. It's Tess, don't go stupid.

She rolled her eyes as he carried her up the path to the house. "I can walk you know."

"I know." Clark smiled down at her. "You're just not."

"Oh really? And how are you going to stop me?" A small smile played on her lips.

"Jonathan!" Clark called, walking through the door.

The little boy ran down the stairs, almost stumbling in his hurry. "Essa home!"

Tess smirked up at Clark. "I guess I'm the favourite now."

Clark mirrored her smirk. "We'll see." He set her down on the couch, draping a woollen blanket over her legs. "Jonathan," he turned back to his son who was now sitting on the floor playing with his train set. Jonathan looked up and Clark continued. "If your Essa gets up even for 1 second, you yell for me, ok?"

Jonathan thought for a second, and then nodded, seeming to understand. "Kay."

Tess raised an eyebrow. "You're playing him against me?"

"Told you you weren't the favourite." Clark replied lightly, enjoying having one over her. It had been a while since they had this relaxed banter. He'd missed it.

Tess reached for the remote, straining her broken ribs. A gasp of pain escaped her lips. "Dammit."

Jonathan looked up. "Bad Essa. Bad wod."

"Word," Clark corrected as he handed the remote to Tess. "Next time you want something out of your reach, ask."

She frowned. "I'm not an invalid, Clark." Her need for independence was rising again.

"Just let me look after you. I promise one week and you can go back to bossing me around. This week, I boss you around. And you actually do what you're told."

She gave him a wicked smile. "I always do what I'm told."

Clark looked away, not knowing what to say. The conversation was starting to border on flirtation. "So… what do you want for lunch?"

Tess blinked. That was a change in subject if ever there was one. "Clark, it's nine o'clock."

"Morning tea then," Clark mentally slapped himself for the slip up. "A sandwich?"

"I'm not hungry." Tess shook her head, turning on the TV. "Look, Jonathan Hi-5 is on."

Jonathan scrambled to his feet and ran as fast him little legs could carry him to the couch. He nestled up against Tess and watched his favourite show. "Hi-5" Tess smiled, absently running a hand through his hair.

"I can put it on in my room if you want to watch something else," Clark offered.

"It's fine." Tess said, her eyes not leaving Jonathan.

"I'm sure you've left Pride and Prejudice around here somewhere," Clark started going through the cupboards beside the TV. "And watching fluorescently dressed adults sing children's songs isn't exactly riveting TV, Tess. You'll go bored stupid."

"And if I happen to like fluorescently dressed adults sing children's songs?"

"Ahh…"

"They're happy. Or at least very good at it. It's cute." Tess explained. "And the songs are annoyingly catchy."

"You like it?" Clark couldn't get the disbelief out of his voice which he knew was a touch insulting.

"After being forced to watch it 3 times a day 5 days a week, it grows on you." Tess answered, turning her head to look at him. "Don't look so surprised. I do like something other than classic romance."

"Whatever floats your boat," Clark replied, shaking his head. Whenever I think I know her, she pulls something else out of the bag.

"Tee!" Jonathan yelled, pointing at the ad on the screen.

Tess woke from her nap, startled. "What?"

"Tee!" He repeated, still pointing at the screen. "Mas Tee."

"Do you mean Christmas tree?" Tess asked, trying to understand what the two year old was trying to say.

"Ya." Jonathan nodded. "Mas tee."

Tess rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "Do you want a Christmas tree? Is that what you're saying?"

"Mas tee." Jonathan nodded.

"Go annoy your father about it." Tess told him. "I'm not allowed to get up remember."

"I heard that!" Clark yelled from upstairs. "I was waiting for you to say that."

She smiled at the roof, knowing he would see it through the ceiling. "You asked for it. I'm just doing what you told me to do. Nothing." Jonathan looked at her as if wondering why she was talking to herself.

Upstairs in his room, Clark snorted loudly. "The day you do nothing is the day I marry Oliver."

"I guess I've got a wedding to plan for today then?" She laughed happily then stopped, pain flaring in her ribs. "Ow."

Clark was by her side in a heartbeat. "Are you ok?" He ran a hand over her forehead, checking a fever.

"I'm fine. Just laughed too hard." Tess put a hand on her ribs as though that would stop the pain.

Clark leant back, relieved. It had been a long time since he'd taken care of a badly injured human, especially a stubborn one, and was prone to worry. "No more jokes then."

"No more jokes." Tess agreed, closing her eyes against the pain.

Clark looked concerned. "Do you want some aspirin? Water?"

Tess shook her head. "It will pass." She opened her eyes and smiled at him. "See, all better."

Clark stood up and walked to the kitchen. "Next time say that when you're not as white as a ghost. It might be more convincing."

"Yes sir." Tess gave a lazy mock salute.

"Sir?" Clark smiled as he searched for the painkillers. "I could get used to that."

"Don't," Tess shifted on the couch, trying to get comfortable. "I doubt it will happen again."

"Mas Tee." Jonathan suddenly spoke up. "Dada mas tee."

"He means Christmas Tree." Tess translated for Clark. "I think he wants a Christmas tree. There must have been an ad on the TV for them or something."

"Right. We'll go next week buddy." Clark told Jonathan walking in with a glass of water in one hand and two pills in the other.

"Day!" Jonathan demanded, stomping his foot. "Now."

"Excuse me?" Tess gave him a pointed look. "What did you say?" Her voice was stern and had the 'don't mess with me' tone.

"Day. Now." Jonathan said, quieter than before. He could tell he was going to be in trouble "Mas tee now." His bottom lip started quivering. "Peas."

Both Clark and Tess had to hold back a chuckle at the mispronounced 'please'. "Who's in charge here buddy?" Clark asked, standing tall next to Tess and presenting a united front.

"Essa…" Jonathan looked down at the ground. He knew he wasn't going to get his Christmas tree today.

Tess' shoulders shook with barely contained laughter. She purposely didn't look at Clark because his shocked expression would have sent her into hysterics. "You're a genius Jonathan. But that's not going to get you your Christmas tree today. Maybe later."

"You can have you Christmas tree next week," Clark confirmed, "When Tess can come with us."

"Mas Tee!" Jonathan crowed, clapping his hands. "Geen." He went back to playing with the train set on the carpet, ignoring the rest of the world.

"Green." Tess corrected, still holding back her laughter. He was priceless. "Like Uncle Oliver's tights."

"They're not tights." Clark defended his friend. This argument always went around in circles with no one winning but it was more entertaining than it was antagonising.

"They're tights." Tess nodded, happily falling back into the familiar argument.

"They're trousers. They're just a little tighter than normal."

"Right," said Tess disbelievingly, "Just like the underwear you wear on the outside isn't underwear."

"It's part of the costume! It's a symbol."

"So I could wear my bra on the outside and claim it to be apart of my costume."

A small blush grew on Clarks cheeks as his mind went somewhere beyond friend territory with that image. "No. It would look silly." Tess raised an eyebrow. He'd effectively argued her argument for her. "That's not fair. It doesn't it count," he said with a slight whine." You're better at this than I am."

She smiled at him. "No, it counts. All's fair in love and war. And chocolate."

"I don't think that's how the saying goes." Clark passed her the water and pills that had been forgotten in their playful argument.

Tess took them and downed the water and the pills with an exaggerated swallow. "Clark Kent making me do drugs, who would've thought?"

Clark rolled his eyes. "Funny Tess."

Jonathan watched their interactions, forgetting the TV behind him. "Iss."

Both adults turned to look at him. "What are you saying?" Clark asked, confused. "What's iss?"

"Dada and Essa. Iss." Jonathan repeated.

"I don't understand Jonathan," Tess told him almost apologetically. Normally she could comprehend what he was rambling about but not now.

"Iss!" He sounded annoyed now.

"Okay, Daddy and Essa will iss if you go get washed up for dinner." Clark told him, still not understanding what he meant. "We're having enchiladas." Jonathan down the hall to the bathroom.

"Pulling out all the stops are we, Mr Kent?" Tess asked. Enchiladas were her favourite.

"Only for you my dear." Clark turned as he realised what he said. Am I flirting, he asked himself. She's Tess she's not… He couldn't figure out what she wasn't because all boundaries were blurred between them.

Tess blushed, also realises what Clark said. She pretended that she didn't understand the innuendo. "Well in that case, can you stop Jonathan from flooding the bathroom? The tap's been going since he went in there."

Crap. Clark ran into the bathroom to find Jonathan standing in a puddle of water. He leant over his son and turned the tap off. "And what do you have to say for yourself?"

"Opps?" Jonathan looked up at Clark, puppy dog eyes going full blast.

"Opps indeed."

"I'm going to put Jonathan in bed." Clark scooped the sleeping boy off the floor. After dinner, they'd moved back to the lounge room. Clark and Tess talked with Jonathan butting in now and again until he fell asleep on the floor.

"Mm Kay." Tess was almost asleep too, the painkillers exhausting her.

Clark took the stairs slowly, not wanting to wake Jonathan. He also wanted to savour the moment. It wouldn't be long before Jonathan was too big to be carried, even by him. Clark smiled as he put Jonathan down. He looked like an angel, like perfection incarnate. At least when he was asleep. Awake, he was a tirade of energy and mischief. But he was Jonathan, Clark's son. "Sleep well Buddy." Clark pulled up the blanket and left the room.

He made his way back to the lounge room, intending to help Tess to bed but she was gone. She was halfway done the hallway, uninjured arm leaning heavily on the wall to help her move. He moved up behind her. "Need some help?" Clark put a hand on her waist to steady her.

She jumped and nearly screamed. "Don't do that!" She put a hand over her furiously beating heart. "You scared me."

"Sorry." He apologised. "You ok?"

She nodded, adrenaline still pumping her heart. "Please just don't sneak up on me like that."

"I won't." Clark carefully slid an arm under hers and took some of her weight. "Let's get you to bed."

"Getting a bit presumptuous aren't we?"

Clark realised his blunder. "I … ah… meant to sleep…. just to sleep… nothing else."

She laughed at his clumsy explanation. "It's ok, Clark. I know what you mean. You're not like that, I know."

Clark didn't say anything; he just smiled awkwardly. What could he say to that? He opened the door and helped her onto the bed. "Well goodnight then. Yell if you need anything." He backed out the door and closed it, leaving a bewildered Tess behind.

Well that went well. A sarcastic voice in his head said. It wasn't awkward at all. Shut up! Clark told it. What am I doing? I'm acting like I'm a teenager again. Like Lana and Lois all over again. Wait… do I like Tess? Realisation dawned on him. Oh God.