Lois drove for a few miles, unable to find the store that Clark had jogged to the previous night. She would have asked him for directions this morning, but she had woken up to find him gone. He had left a note, saying that he had to take care of a few things, and that he'd taken a cab so that he wouldn't leave her without transportation. She was surprised to find that she was vaguely disappointed that he wasn't there.

Maybe he had gone to the Daily Planet to catch up on a few things and get a break from all this domestic bliss. She would have called the newsroom just to satisfy her curiosity, but she didn't want to answer to Perry just yet. She was left alone with her thoughts. Jason was too absorbed in his Game boy to notice her current level of distraction.

Her feelings were a confused jumble, mainly focused on one subject. Clark Kent. She still couldn't get over the fact that lately all she seemed to think about was Clark. But there was no denying her inability to dismiss him from her mind as she lay restlessly on her bed last night. Lois was actually interested in him as a more than a partner and more than a friend. She was thinking of him as a man.

Those awful suits certainly concealed a lot of male, she had realized last night. While reading to Jason, instead of feeling claustrophobic by Clark's proximity, Lois had yearned for more. And there was a moment there when she was convinced that Clark had felt it too. Even thinking about the expression on his face, and the effect his nearness had on her, made her feel all fluttery inside.

Lois feared that she was becoming one of those needy women that had to have a male in their lives in order to feel complete. Things had just ended with Richard, and she still had a buried hope that one day Superman would sweep her off her feet again . . . literally. So she couldn't help but wonder if her heart was fickle. Lois just couldn't fathom it. She met new people on an almost daily basis, and she'd received quite a number of opportunities to date attractive men. She'd never had trouble spurning their advances. But when Clark had looked at her last night, his face so close to hers, she had felt something stir within her that she had thought was long dead. Desire.

Clark was still the clumsy friend that was polite almost to a fault, and yet she had seen a side to him that she hadn't known existed. The way he carried himself, combined with his ill fitting clothing made her wonder if Clark tried to blend in. He never seemed particularly comfortable with attention, so it's no wonder that she had failed to really see him.

Lois laughed to herself as she parked the car. She told herself that Clark was a great guy, but she was probably making more of it than there was. She was getting caught up in the pretense, swayed by his show of caring toward her son and his compassionate nature.

Jason looked up from his game and asked. "What are we doing here?"

"Well, munchkin we're going to buy us something home cooked."

Jason scrunched up his face in confusion, but he knew enough not to question his mother's logic.

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When Clark returned, he found Lois in the kitchen. Jason had a chocolate mustache on his face, and he grinned when he caught sight of Clark in the doorway.

"The chocolate ones are better than the white ones. You want one?" Jason pointed to a brown lump sitting on a small plate across the table from the boy.

Lois glared at Clark and pointed at him with an oven mitt. "Don't say a word."

Clark's lips twitched in amusement when he saw the batch of what must have been cupcakes on the counter beside the stove.

"I told mom that they were already cooked when we bought them at the store."

Lois turned to face the boy, lifted her stained oven mitt to point at the boy, caught sight of the melted frosting that coated the seams, and then smiled in defeat. "You see what this place has done to me? I thought if I warmed them in the oven they would seem . . . I don't know . . . more home made."

"Usually you frost them after they've cooled." Clark added helpfully.

Lois glared at him. When she placed her hands on her hips she left dark smudges on her jeans.

"Usually." Clark said as if in apology.

She tossed the mitts off in despair. "I don't know what Perry was thinking when he sent us here." She changed her voice to mimic the neighbor's. "Why don't you bring dessert? We would all love something home cooked."

Clark went over to the pantry and began pulling out ingredients. Lois was momentarily distracted by the play of muscles in his back as he deftly gathered supplies.

He flicked the oven on and then turned to address Jason, "How good are you at stirring?"

Jason looked at his mother as if to ask for permission.

She shrugged and said to Clark. "I'm a passionate believer in take out."

Clark began sifting ingredients into a large bowl, and Lois watched him amazed. "Don't you need a measuring cup or something?"

Clark shook his head and smiled with a knowing confidence she had never seen on his face before. She sat down at the table and absentmindedly picked at the ruined cup cake as she watched this transformation. Jason grinned as he mixed the ingredients. Clark took the bowl when the boy struggled with the thickening dough.

Lois watched them as they leaned together. Clark smiled indulgently when Jason added more chocolate chips as he mixed. She felt content in a way that she had not ever expected to feel. She marveled at how good Clark was with Jason. He never had that charitable attitude that some men adopt when dealing with someone else's child. It would be so easy to believe that Jason was Clark's son. There was a connection there that she thought would be missing in Jason's life. She tried to picture Superman baking cookies like this and snorted at the absurd image.

Clark gave her a questioning look and she waved at him almost regally. "Carry on."

Clark smiled and asked, "Do you want to help put the cookies on the pan, Lois?"

When she started to protest, Clark gently ribbed, "You aren't scared are you?"

Her brows drew together, and she stood up. "Is that a challenge, Kent?"

Clark handed her a spoon the way someone might hand a loaded weapon to an opponent.

Jason chimed in. "It's easy mom. You can do it."

"Thanks kiddo." She said as she stood to face the pan on the counter. She placed a pancake sized dollop onto the pan and Clark moved behind her to demonstrate.

"Like this." He said, and his arm came around her body to take the spoon and put a much smaller portion of the dough onto the waiting pan.

Lois froze when she felt Clark's chest press against her back. His arm was wrapped around her in a variation of a hug. She could feel the heat radiating off his body warming her in a way that seemed hazily familiar. All coherent thought fled her. She leaned back just a bit, so that she was flush against him.

Lois' heart rate spiked and she felt Clark freeze the moment he realized how close they stood together. She tilted her head to glance up at him and saw that he was very close. Clark's blue eyes dilated and he seemed unnaturally still. Lois was pretty certain that he was holding his breath. She had been blind. How had she never seen it before? How had she never noticed how handsome he was?

She licked her lips, and Clark's gaze dropped to her mouth. She felt a thrill shock through her. He was just as affected as she was. Then he stepped back, cleared his throat, and adjusted his glasses nervously. "I think that should take care of it then."

Lois felt the moment slip by and she knew that something had change inside of her. There was no denying it any longer. She was attracted to Clark Kent. She swayed for a moment, feeling slightly light headed.

"Lois?" Clark asked, concerned.

"Must be the oven. It's really hot in here." Lois caught sight of Jason licking the spoon, and she scolded him. "Jason. That has uncooked eggs in it. You could get sick."

"I won't."

"Listen to your mother." Clark said admonishingly.

"Smart man." Lois said under her breath.

Clark smiled, but didn't turn to face her.

"Sorry, mommy."

"Let me know when the cookies are done. I need to get some things straightened out."

At Clark's odd look Lois clarified, "I don't think I should go to the barbeque wearing frosting."

She walked quickly out of the kitchen, managing not to break into a run.

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