Taking another nip of eggnog, Lois leaned against the kitchen counter, happily taking in her surroundings.

The JLA parties were always a blast, and nothing if not eventful.

She watched as Chloe managed to wriggle out of Bart's happy grasp, giggling at her cousin's mixture of discomfort, confusion, and happiness. Diana Prince, sitting on the sofa, chatted away with Ollie and Dinah, while Victor and Kara surrounded the large bowl of eggnog.

"Where's Big Blue?"

Turning slightly, she smiled up at AC, inwardly giggling at one of the many nicknames that had been bestowed upon Clark by his buddies since he had finally costumed up four months earlier.

"Bus accident on the expressway. He didn't think he'd be too long, though. What about you? I notice you're flying solo tonight."

"Well, this isn't exactly the kind of party you can bring a casual date to," AC responds.

Lois smiled sympathetically. "True. There are a lot of secrets in this room."

"Understatement of the year," he grinned. "But…let's move on to something that is absolutely not a secret, and something I can say while your boyfriend is out of the room. You're lookin' gorgeous, as usual. And, in case you haven't noticed....," his voice trailed off as his eyes lift towards the ceiling.

Her eyes following, she shook her head, a smirk on her face.

"What a surprise…only not. Ollie's got just about every square inch of this place covered with the stuff."

"Yeah, you'd think Dinah never let him kiss her."

"And we both know that's not true," Lois snarked, her eyes drifting to the now lip locked couple as their former chatting companion, Diana, talked on her cell phone.

"So, what do you say, Lois? A little kiss under the mistletoe for old time's sake?"

"Always the flirt, huh AC?"

"Hey, a guy's gotta keep his skills tuned up, you know. We can't all be as lucky as Clark and Ollie."

"They are pretty lucky. Clark especially, of course," she responded, a teasing glint in her eyes.

"Of course. So…is that a yes?"

She shrugged. "What the hell, it's Christmas right? But," she leaned a bit closer to him, "I feel any tongue Curry, and I rip your gills out."

AC chuckled at that – knowing she would do exactly that. He was about to lean in for a quick and chaste kiss, when he suddenly felt himself being pulled back by the collar of his shirt.

"Dude!" AC choked out, as his shirt was released and he rubbed his hand against his throat.

"Clark!" Lois snapped, seeing her newly returned boyfriend standing next to AC, arms crossed in front of him.

Noticing the possessive look on his friend's face, AC couldn't help but laugh. Some things never changed, even now that he'd gotten the girl.

"Take it easy, Boy Scout. I was just gettin' in the holiday spirit," AC said, a hint of amusement in his voice as he pointed to the sprig of mistletoe hanging above where he and Lois were standing.

"Yeah, well find someone else to get in the holiday spirit with, Fishstick," Clark grumbled, earning a glare from Lois.

Shaking his head, a good-natured grin on his face, AC slapped Clark on the shoulder before glancing at Lois.

"See ya, Lois," he said, before heading off to join Victor and Kara. With him gone, Clark turned his focus to the angry look currently being aimed at him by his girlfriend.

Mimicking his stance, she crossed her arms in front of her, tilting her head slightly as she looked up at him.

Moments passed, excruciatingly silent moments between them, before Clark finally snapped, "What?"

"Don't you think you overreacted just a little?"

"Lois, he was about to kiss you! And by the looks of things, you were gonna let him!"

"Clark, it was a little kiss under the mistletoe, for crying out loud," she said, exasperation clear in both the tone of her voice and the roll of her eyes.

"So?"

"So? That's what people do during the holidays. It's completely innocent!"

"Oh yeah, some guy kissing my girlfriend is so innocent," he bit back sarcastically.

"Okay, first of all, it wasn't some guy, it was AC."

"Your ex," he chimed in.

Throwing her hands up in frustration, she shook her head. "You've got to be kidding me. I can't believe you're making such a big deal out of this!"

Sighing, he rubbed his hand through his hair, thankful for the obnoxiously loud Christmas music Ollie had blaring through the apartment so that their current disagreement wasn't being broadcast for all to see and hear.

As he prepared to attempt an explanation of where he was coming from, his eyes caught sight of a now lone figure sitting on the sofa.

He battled with himself for a moment, not sure whether to play out the idea that had newly formed in his head. It was risky, even the suggestion of it ,which was all he honestly intended, in that it could lead into a full on Lois Lane temper tantrum.

But it could also turn the tables and make her see exactly where he was coming from.

Within a moment, an apologetic look appears on his face as he stepped toward Lois.

"You're right, Lo. I was being a jerk."

Thrown off for a moment by his sudden change in attitude, she narrowed her eyes at him slightly, and Clark could see the wheels turning in her head, wondering if he's up to something.

"Yes…you were," she said, her voice tinged with wariness.

"I mean, like you said, it's Christmas. It's just a kiss under the mistletoe. Totally innocent."

"Exactly," she responded, now with hint of victory in her tone, the suspicion he had heard a moment ago subsiding slightly, though not completely.

"And AC was just keeping you company, since I had to help out at the crash site."

"Yes, he was."

He reached above her and tugged down the sprig of mistletoe.

"What are you doing?"

"Well, you know…maybe AC had the right idea. It is the holidays, and what with our jobs and all, we can't always be with the ones we love, so when we see a friend all alone, we should be there for that person. You know, keep them company. And poor Diana," he said, gesturing to sofa, "She's all alone. Bruce must have gotten held up in Gotham, so I'm just gonna take this over there. You know, follow AC's example," he finished, an innocent smile on his face, belying the wicked glint in his eyes.

Before he could even take a step, Lois was in front of him. If he didn't know better, with the quickness she'd appeared before him, he'd swear she had superspeed.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"I'm gonna keep Diana company. Maybe a little kiss under the mistletoe, spread the Christmas cheer and all."

Suddenly seething, Lois took a step toward him, her face mere inches from his as she jabbed a finger into his chest.

"You do, and you'll be sleeping next to a giant, glowing green rock tonight, Clark."

"Oh come on, Lois. It's just an innocent kiss in the name of holiday spirit, right?"

Her eyes widen at that, and Clark could swear he saw actually flames flare up within their lovely hazel depths. She was just about to launch into very explicit detail about what she'd do to him if he took one step closer to that sofa with the mistletoe in his hand when…

she saw it.

That triumphant grin on his face. That irritatingly sexy grin that made her insides flip flop on a normal basis.

At this moment, though, it ticked her off.

Groaning softly, she raised her eyes to his, seeing them sparkle victoriously.

"I so won that one," he gloated happily.

Planting her hands on her hips, she smirked. "Consider it your Christmas present."

"Actually," he said, gently grasping her shoulders and turning her slightly, so that she's pressed against the cabinets, "I asked Santa for something else for Christmas."

"Oh, if you think you're getting any after that stunt, you're sadly mistaken, Smallville," she answered, but Clark noticed the flirtatious glint in her eyes at those words. He leaned forward slightly, eliminating the empty space between them and wrapping his arms around her waist.

After a moment, she moved her hands up and placed them gently against his chest.

"I'm sorry."

He shook his head. "Me, too. You were right, I overreacted."

"I think we both did that," she said with a chuckle.

"I know it didn't mean anything…I just don't have any desire to see another guy kissing you."

"Ditto."

"AC's not really my type," he quipped, causing Lois to roll her eyes.

"Cute. I have to say though, I'm kinda impressed, Smallville."

He grinned. "It was a good plan," he stated confidently.

"Not bad, for a rookie anyway. I've taught you well. Now had I realized that you were bluffing…I might have let you walk over there and actually try that move on her."

"What? Why?"

"Are you kidding? The shades of red you'd have turned alone would have been worth the price of admission," she giggled.

"You love torturing me, don't you?" he asked, his voice a gravelly whisper as he gently bumped his nose against hers.

Biting the side of her lip, she reached down to one of the arms encircling her waist, grabbing the one that still held the mistletoe, and lifted it up above their heads.

"Shut up and put that mistletoe to good use, Smallville."