A/N: Thank devoted2clois for the early update. She just couldn't live with the cliffhanger.

The Power of Suggestion

Part 6: Confessions

"Umm, Lois," Clark said hesitantly. "We need to talk."

"Definitely!" Lois bobbed her head up and down enthusiastically. "I just want to say I'm—"

Clark broke her off. "Not here." He glanced quickly around the room, his eyes resting momentarily on the merry archer who was apparently engrossed in a conversation with Dinah. "There are too many people. Let's take a walk."

"At ten in the evening in a big city?" Lois asked, surprised. Usually Clark was adamant about her not going out late at night. He was old-fashioned that way.

"Scared?" His usual teasing smile made a momentary appearance.

"Not on your life, Smallville," Lois said with a toss of her hair. "Lead the way!"

--

"Hola me amigas!" Bart said, buzzing up to the chatting couple.

"Bart." Oliver's expression was resigned. He was this close to asking Dinah out for drinks, and of course Impulse would interrupt. Typical. He seemed to have a sixth sense about these things. "Something you needed?"

Bart ignored the question in favor of checking out a passing waitress. "Muy caliente!"

"Bart! Focus!" Dinah ordered, her eyes rolling.

"Oh, right. Yeah. Did you see Clark and Lois? Some serious fireworks going off there. 'Bout time too, right? I've been telling him for ages. Seems like one more leaguer is gonnah get some Lane tonight."

"Oh that's just wrong!" AC said, only catching the last part.

Bart shrugged. "It's true. Everyone but me has dated the voluptuous Lois Lane sometime," he explained, chewing on a hot dog he'd apparently grabbed during the short interlude between AC's words and his own.

Everyone shrugged as Victor walked up. "I haven't!" Victor defended, either resignedly or reproachfully; it was kind of hard to tell with him.

"Yeah. I haven't either," Dinah added almost at once.

"But we'd all be happy if you did," Bart cut in, winking suggestively.

They all decided to just move on and ignore the disgusting youth now snacking on what seemed to be half the buffet.

Seeing that he'd lost his audience, Bart looked around for alternate means of entertainment, and having eating everything but the halibut (which he wouldn't touch even if AC weren't glaring at anyone who tried), decided to follow the conspicuously absent Clark and Lois. Maybe, if he had time, he'd pick up a few snacks on the way. He was ravenous.

--

Clark looked over at Lois, who was pointedly looking anywhere but at him. He stopped abruptly, pulling her around to face him.

"Lois, I—I just wanted to say – "

"Heelllo, Clarky-boy! Muchacha!" Bart interrupted. "Lovely night tonight, right? Perfect for a little romancing, isn't it? Just look at that moon!" He began singing loudly the theme song from Lady and the Tramp. "Looookkk at the Sky! It has starrs innn ittsss eyees! And theey calll itt beelaa notra!"

"Are you drunk?" Lois interrupted Bart's serenade, much to his chagrin and Clark's obvious relief.

"Possibly. Did you try that street-vender's stuff? Whew!" he replied, doing a dainty flop into Clark's solid chest. "God, you are hard!" he added, looking up into the man's eyes. Turning back to Lois, he said, "I think he likes you."

Clark blushed deeply and shifted Bart off him, while Lois barely restrained a smile.

"Ahem," Clark coughed abruptly, "Ah, Bart, would you mind annoying Oliver?"

Bart looked at his fingernails. "Been there, done that. Ignored me, the sour green grape."

"Wonder why," Lois whispered sarcastically, making Clark snort quietly. Luckily Bart was preoccupied with a passing stray cat.

"Heerreee kitty. Heeree kitty-kitty!" Bart said, meandering after it and completely forgetting about the people that had briefly held his attention behind him.

"Do you think we should go after him?" Clark asked, looking concernedly at the retreating form of his friend, now intent on catching a spider crawling up the wall.

Lois shook her head. "You were saying?"

"Huh?" Clark replied, turning quickly back to face her. "Oh, yeah. I love you."

"Whoa! Clark!" Lois jumped back. She had, of course, known, but to hear it come from the alien's mouth directly was frankly, well, alien. "You just don't drop something like that on a woman!"

Clark blinked. He'd expected something more along the lines of 'I love you too' or at least an apology for her actions earlier. He thought for a second. Maybe, just maybe, he'd started off on the wrong foot. He back-peddled. "I'm sorry."

"For what? Telling me you love me or being a jerk? Because you're not being very clear!" Lois's voice was quickly gaining altitude.

"I wasn't being clear! How much clearer can you get than 'I love you'?"

"Well, I don't know. Maybe, 'I'm sorry I didn't tell you I'm a freaking alien, but I love you!'?" Lois shouted, stepping forward, her finger accenting her words as it pushed against his chest with every syllable.

"Fine! I'm sorry I didn't tell you I'm an alien, but I love you! There! Is that what you wanted?" Clark matched her volume and moved a step closer. They were now mere inches apart.

Lois lost her train of thought. It was going to be one of those Spencer Tracy/Katherine Hepburn moments, she just knew it. And then suddenly an unexpected gust of wind sent her sprawling and Clark blinking stupidly.

"Sorry guys, just blowing through." Bart had returned, munching on a pickle he'd just acquired from another vender across the street. "You guys know you were making a lot of noise? I could swear I heard you in Mexico. Seriously, man, just kiss her."

Clark turned slowly to face the speeding menace. "You couldn't have gone around?" he implored.

Bart shrugged. "You were the closest route and I just felt like a pickle after the burrito."

"Ah, Smallville, you want to help here?" Lois called from her rather undignified position between the trash bags in the ally. How she had end up there would be one of those unsolved mysteries like the Kent's missing barn door all those years ago. Although come to think of it, that probably wasn't going to be a mystery much longer. At least, not if she had anything to say about it.

"Lois!" Clark suddenly realized that his date was currently spending quality time with Oliver's rubbish. He lifted her out of the garbage with more force and speed than the situation really demanded.

"Wow, Smallville just doesn't seem to cover it anymore, does it?"

Clark flashed her one of his patented cheeky grins. "Let's get out of here," he suggested, glancing at the space that Bart had previously occupied no less than a second ago. Oh well, he'd catch him tomorrow.

"Did I respond to your statement yet?" Lois asked as Clark put her down on his front porch. When he'd said fast, he wasn't exaggerating. Clark opened his mouth to respond, but Lois cut him off with her lips.

Coming up next: Clark and Lois have a special night. Get your mind out of the gutter. Stay tuned for the final installment of "The Power of Suggestion": "Epilogue".

A/N: I'd just like to say that without my sister, this chapter never would have been finished. As it is, it took five months. It took dictating to her and her rewording everything I said for it finally to get done. So thanks ComicNerd. I knew having a sister would come in handy one day, even if you did change all my dialogue.