Summary: I'm not really good with summaries, but Clark and Chloe talk. Lois and Clark go on a story investigation.
So without further ado...I give you chapter three.
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Chloe had been trying to talk to Clark for days, but they were both so busy that they kept missing each other; and what she wanted to talk to him about needed to be said in person. They had finally been able to made lunch plans today, and she was almost to the little Italian restaurant where they were meeting. Questions she had for Clark ran through her head as she entered the restaurant. She looked around the small place, searching for him. She spotted him at a corner table in the back. When he noticed her, he waved. She returned the wave and moved towards him. "Hey Clark," she said as she sat down. "Have you been here long?"
"No, just a few minutes. How are the wedding plans coming?"
"Really well. I just have a few details to hammer out and I'll finally be done," she said with excitement.
The waitress came and took their drink orders. They spent the next fifteen minutes chatting and catching up. Chloe knew that she needed to be careful how she brought up what she wanted to talk about. "Lois mentioned to me that you two went out to a bar a little while back and you got drunk," she finished incredulously. She looked straight into his eyes, questions written all over her face.
Clark looked a little uncomfortable before he said, "Yeah. It was the weirdest thing. Lois insisted that I drink and before I knew it I was feeling odd. When I described what was wrong with me, Lois laughed at me and told me that I was just drunk."
"How is that possible? I mean you're…you."
"I'm not entirely sure, but I did find out from one of the bartenders that the alcohol we were drinking is brewed in Smallville," Clark supplied with a little shrug.
"So, after you realized you were getting drunk, you kept drinking? That doesn't sound like you. You would usually stop immediately and figure out what was happening. Why didn't you?" Their food arrived and they continued their conversation while they ate.
"Well, my head wasn't exactly clear at the time. I wasn't analyzing the situation lucidly. Besides, I've never been drunk before. It's another normal experience that I've never had. It was…different. Plus, Lois and I were actually having a really good time," Clark finished meekly, realizing how lame his explanation sounded out loud.
"Yeah, I heard you were having a good time, all right," Chloe said mischievously. Clark squinted his eyes at her. "Lois may have also mentioned that you kissed her." Chloe wagged her eyebrows at him and her face split into a Cheshire grin.
Clark cleared his throat and took a sudden interest in his plate. "Yeah. That. That got out of hand. She made me a crazy dare and I was just trying to turn the tables on her." His eyes remained glued to his plate, so he missed it when Chloe's grin grew even larger.
"What do you mean by 'it got out of hand'," Chloe asked innocently and took a bite.
Clark's face formed a tortured aspect. "Chloe. You know what I mean."
"Sure. You really enjoyed kissing my cousin," she supplied nonchalantly and had to use her hand to cover the smile that she couldn't wipe off her face.
His mind was wondered back to the kiss a lot since it had happened. When it did, it was almost like he could feel her soft lips pressed against his and her pliable body molded against him all over again. If he was honest, he had more than enjoyed the kiss, he had loved it. He realized that that shouldn't surprise him – this wasn't the first great kiss between him and Lois. He had honestly enjoyed the whole night. He found himself thinking about her a lot and desperately trying to figure out exactly what his feelings were, not to mention what to do about them.
"Yes Chloe. Is that what you want to hear," he replied defensively. His hands ran through his hair, reminding him of when hers had done the same.
"If it's the truth then, yes," she said disarmingly. He looked up at her and she smiled at him reassuringly and patted his arm. "Honestly, I've noticed a shift in your relationship recently. I just haven't known how to bring it up to you; but you look and talk about her differently. I was curious how you felt about it. You know me, I can't help myself," she said expectantly waiting for his answer.
"We're just friends, Chloe." He quickly filled his mouth to avoid having to say more. How was he supposed to explain things to Chloe that he wasn't sure of himself?
"Friends who kiss each other, spend practically every waking moment together, and stare at each other when you think no one is looking," Chloe listed off on her fingers. She took Clark's hands, drawing his eyes to hers. "Do you have feelings for her?"
Clark's eyebrows drew together and he took a deep breath. "I don't know, Chloe."
"Wow. You do," she said excited.
"What makes you say that," he asked confused, pulling his hands back a few inches.
Her smile made him almost believe she could somehow read his inner most thoughts. He felt her hands follow his across the table and start to gently rub the backs. "Because I know you and can read the signs. Mostly though, if I had asked you that question at any other point in your relationship, you would have practically bitten my head off in your rush to deny it," she giggled. He rolled his eyes, but mentally conceded that she was probably right. "So," she said turning serious. "Since you obviously like her are you going to do anything about it?"
Clark's stomach clenched. Chloe had managed to get to the heart of his dilemma. He had been asking himself that very question, but as usual things were never simple with Lois Lane. He looked up at Chloe, his struggle evident on his face, "I've been thinking about it quite a bit, Chloe." She smiled hopefully at him, he shook his head aware that he was about to erase her smile. "And I don't think I can do anything, even when I do sort through whatever it is I'm feeling." He vented his frustration by stabbing the food on his plate.
Chloe was surprised and couldn't hide it. "Okayyyy," her head cocked to the side. "Why not?"
"Lots of reasons," he said and his eyes glazed over introspectively and he stared out the window.
"What might they be," she asked, his vague comment forcing her to dig. "Is it your secret?"
He picked up his water glass and stared at its contents, taking a moment to organize his thoughts. "How about we start with the fact that she sees me as nothing more than a hay haired country boy," he said irritated.
"Clark, I think you know better than that. She enjoys busting your chops, I'll give you that, but I think you know that she respects you and sees you as much more than a simple farm boy."
Chloe's blue eyes seemed to see through him again. He shifted nervously under her gaze and breathed deeply. "I'll tell you what I know, Chloe." His voice betrayed no emotion when he said, "She has practically beaten me over the head with the fact that she could never accept my other worldly aspects. She didn't know it, but every time she talked about Oliver and the Green Arrow, she might as well have been talking to me."
He leaned back and bore holes into the ceiling. "But Clark, you like each other," Chloe offered trying to sway him.
"Yeah? Well she loved him and still walked away. What would stop her from doing the exact same thing to someone that she…that she 'likes', as you say. " He finally looked back down at her and she could see his regret. "I've already driven one girl away who decided she couldn't handle what being with me entails."
The pain in his eyes broke Chloe's heart. Chloe drew her brows together sadly and spoke softly, "Clark, you're not Oliver and she's not Lana."
"No, I'm not." He threw his hands in the air and let them fall back onto the table with a thud, showing his complete frustration. "I'm worse, and I can't stomach the thought of hurting her like he did. I saw the aftereffects, and I won't be responsible for causing that," he said with his normal 'weight of the world on my shoulders' look.
"You don't want to hurt her, or you're afraid to get hurt," Chloe asked and received a glare in response.
"I'm worried about Lois."
Chloe nearly stood up as she said, "This is Lana marrying Lex all over again! You will risk body and limb in all sorts of dangerous situations, but when it comes to your heart you're locked up tighter than Fort Knox."
He practically growled, "Chloe sit down," and he pulled her into her seat. "I care, okay! I'm thinking about both of us here. We've both had a lot of heart ache and I refuse to add to it," his finger tapped the table after each word and his voice trailed off at the end. This conversation had gotten out of control, he thought. His voice softened and he said, "This isn't how I want things to be, but maybe I need to accept that it's my fate to be alone. I'm sorry, Chloe, but I'm not going to lose one of my best friends in an impossible situation."
"You're not even going to give the two of you a chance to prove you wrong. You would be surprised what Lois is capable of." She was concerned for both her best friend and cousin. She had come around to Jimmy's point of view and thought that Lois and Clark would be great for each other. They were really different, but they seemed to balance each other out.
Clark was emotionally barricading his heart behind his powers, as usual, she noted sadly. Her cousin wasn't much better, she was burying her feelings too, never wanting to show vulnerability. Could two of the most stubborn people alive get over themselves long enough to see each other, she wondered. After this disappointing conversation, she wasn't sure.
"Chloe, you know that nothing is that black and white with me," he said breaking her out of her thoughts. "I have finally decided to embrace who I am and all my concentration is on helping people right now." He stood and retrieved the check off the table. "I wish things were different, you know I do, but this is how my life is. I have to get back to the Plant. Lois has probably sent out a search party for me by now. I'll talk to you soon." He walked towards the front and paid before leaving the restaurant. His shoulders were slumped dejectedly and he didn't look back.
"Clark," Chloe whispered to the vacant seat beside her. She wanted to do something for him. Something to make all the pieces of his life fit together and bring about his fairytale ending, but for the life of her she had no idea how.
She was worried that Clark was taking his new hero duties to unhealthy lengths. He was obsessed and she had begun noticing that anytime he couldn't help someone it chipped away at him. He was embracing his abilities, certainly, but they were beginning to be all he was at the exclusion of actually living a life. She huffed out an angry breath. Was life really so cruel that when the hero needed saving, even if it was from himself, that there was no one around to do it?
Her phone rang interrupting her thoughts. "Hello."
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"Chloe have you seen Clark," she asked, venting her irritation by pacing around their desks. Leave it to Clark to disappear on her when something big was going down.
"Hey, Lois! Yeah, he just left. We were having lunch. You knew that."
"Oh yeah," she said flippantly, dropping a pen on her desk. "Finally!" She huffed in exasperation as she noticed him walking down the stairs. "He's here. Thanks Chloe." She had the phone snapped shut before her cousin could respond. "Get over here, Smallville," she called out to him.
He walked to her side and looked down at the file she was holding. "What is it?"
Excitement radiated off of her and she grinned widely at him. "Well, you remember how we sort of ran into a dead end with that drug trafficking story?" He nodded and she continued, "As you know, I never let a story die, so I have been working one of my seedier sources over pretty thoroughly." At the mention of her source, Lois' face twisted in distaste and she smacked her tongue as if she had just tasted something foul.
A moment later the jubilant look was back. "And it totally paid off. He has this hot tip that the shipments are coming in through South Port. He even knows the warehouse number," she said and stepped back to gauge his reaction expectantly.
"That's great, Lois," he said and she could tell that he was really distracted.
"That's it? I tell you that we are about to break the story of the year and all I get is 'that's great, Lois'," she remarked indignantly, adopting an irritated pose, hands on her hips and one eyebrow raised. He was about to reply when she burst out, "And why do you have a look on your face like your dog just died. What happened? You were fine this morning. Did something happen at lunch with Chloe?"
Clark couldn't restrain a little chuckle. Lois' mind could shift gears so fast that he was often left running to catch up. He channeled a little of her enthusiasm and said, "This is really great. You're right, Lois. And no, nothing exciting happened at lunch, I just have a lot on my mind right now. Did your guy mention when the next shipment comes," he asked trying to reflect further questions by distracting her.
She eyed him skeptically and paused wondering if she should grill him more about his distracted attitude. "Yes," she finally said slowly. "I hope you don't have any hot plans tonight, because you have a date with me at warehouse 352." She punched his arm and smiled at him. "And wipe that martyrs look off your face," she commanded. "You want to talk about it?" He smiled at her but shook his head no. "Well, whatever is wrong, the world is not ending." Then annoyance flashed in her eyes. "Tell me this doesn't have something to do with Lana."
"No, Lois. You may find this hard to believe, but my thoughts are not constantly filled with Lana," he said becoming irritated.
"You're right...I do find that hard to believe," she retorted with a laugh.
How can I worry about Lana when another frustrating brunette fills all my thoughts? "I don't have time to think about Lana. I'm too busy being driven crazy by a head case co-worker that sits across from me." He gave her a pointed look and feigned deep annoyance.
She flashed him a thousand watt smile and chuckled. "You're welcome. Just lighten up…or else," She pointed at him and her eyebrows rose in mock threat. He stared into her eyes as they sparkled over the rim of her coffee cup.
He felt all the tightness that had formed in his shoulder from his extracurricular work recently, loosening. She had a mysterious ability to push him in just the right way and say the right thing when he let his problems and the world weigh him down. He realized that at that moment he felt better than he had in a week. The week she had been on assignment. Did I just go there, he asked himself.
A smile crept over him. "Or what," he asked as she raised her glass to her lips. His smile turned suggestive. "Will you take me out, get me drunk and drag me back to your hotel room again," he mocked.
Lois spit her coffee out in a shower and she bent over choking. He hurried over to her and rubbed her back, "Lois. Lois, are you okay," he asked concerned.
"Wrong pipe," she got out between coughs. She didn't dare straighten until the blush that was now burning up her cheeks was gone. Does he remember, her mind was screaming. Probably not. Clark doesn't joke about this sort of thing. Blush, yes. Joke, no. And what are you doing right now, her Judas of a mind pointed out. "Damn brain," Clark's sensitive hearing caught her mumble. He wondered what the heck that was supposed to mean.
She was finally able to straighten and look at him. "All better," he asked with care. She nodded and soaked up the gentle way his eyes searched her face filled with concern. She felt herself slipping into his beautiful baby blues. She sighed and let out a mental string of curses in the direction of the woman who held his heart. "I know how much you love coffee, but breathing it really isn't the best form of ingestion," he teased.
She rolled her eyes. To cover for her previous loss of composure, Lois countered with a suggestive smile of her own. "Don't blame me if I'm shocked that you've obviously been thinking about... spending a night in my hotel room," she purred and chewed on her lower lip. He felt her eyes sweep over his body and end their journey where they began locked with his eyes, burning with theatric intensity. He swallowed thickly. Her fiery eyes triggered images to flash before him.
He stared down into glassy hazel orbs that belonged to the beautiful woman pressed against him; deep pools of passion reflecting his racing pulse and ragged breathing as they moved together. He leaned down and captured her mouth. Her lips brushed against his gently teasing him. He growled in frustration. He needed more of her. He deepened the kiss and swept his tongue into her eager mouth. He stroked it slowly across hers. She let out a moan that sent a shiver through him and he drug his teeth across her swollen bottom lip before taking it into his mouth. Her nails dug into his shoulders as she arched into him.
He broke the kiss attempting to breathe and gain control as his body built dangerously towards climax. He buried his face in her neck and breathed in her intoxicating scent. She called out in his ear and they crashed together, replete.
Lois' voice snapped him away from the erotic images playing in his head. What was she saying? "Clark you are too easy sometimes. One mild suggestion and you're blushing like a school girl."
He realized he had sat down at his desk at some point, which was a very fatuitous thing at the moment. He was in fact blushing...well, flushed would be a better description. He pulled himself closer to his desk, shielding himself from view. He couldn't let her see him, he thought nervously. He would either die of embarrassment or she would kill him; either way he'd be dead.
It wouldn't be so hard on him if the images weren't so real, but he swore he could still smell her fruity shampoo and taste her sweetness. She came closer to him with an amused smirk. "You're burning up there, Smallville." She placed her hand on his forehead to dramatize her witty remark. Her soft touch combined with her light perfume hitting his nose drove him into motion.
He bolted out of his chair. All he knew was that he had to get away from her. "I have to go track down a source. Give me a call and we'll make plans for tonight," he said in a rush as he nearly sprinted for the exit.
Lois misinterpreted his panic for anger and called after him, "Geez, come back, Smallville. It was just a little joke. Don't be so sensitive," she sighed and watched him take the stairs two at a time.
Clark dashed out of the building, hoping that she wouldn't follow him. He leaned against the brick walls of the Planet taking deep breaths. That could have been bad, he thought. Could have been? Who am I kidding, it was awful. I was reduced to running from her. He had to get a handle on himself by tonight or Lois would begin to think he was losing his mind. Hell, maybe he was. His own imagination was completely unnerving him.
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She had called him a few hours later and told him to meet her at her apartment at nine. "And wear something that won't stand out like a bright blue and red thumb on the docks at night," she ordered. She heard a knock on the door and padded bare foot to answer it. She was eating ice cream and having trouble getting the frozen desert out of the tub. She opened the door without looking up from her food and she said, "You're early." She felt him brush past her and she nudged the door closed.
"Hello to you too, Lois."
"You want some ice cream," she asked dismissively and finally looked up. He had already walked to the couch and dropped himself onto it, long limbs spread out. She had to keep her jaw from dropping. He was wearing a black leather bike jacket and a tight black t-shirt, neither of which she could ever remember seeing on him before. The clothes made him look a little dangerous and completely gorgeous. The black made his dark hair appear even darker and his eyes shine blue.
He was watching her watching him. He couldn't figure out what she was thinking, but she had fallen completely silent. "No thank you. I ate a few minutes ago." She still didn't say anything. He narrowed his eyebrows curious why she was so quiet. "What?"
She swallowed and turned away from him. "Is that a new jacket? I don't remember you wearing it before," she tried to sound as uninterested as possible. As she faced away, she worked on settling the hitch that had formed in her breathing.
His jacket? "Um, no actually it's pretty old. I got it when I was around sixteen. I had a bit of a rebellious streak the year before we met." He smiled self deprecatingly at her as she turned back to face him.
"Pfft. You had a rebellious streak? Are you kidding me? That's about as believable as if you told me you could fly. Did you refuse to milk the cows or stay out past nine thirty one Friday night," Lois teased sarcastically.
He took his jacket collar in his hand and pulled it out for Lois to inspect. "Hey look at the jacket. Does this look like my usual wardrobe?"
She eyed him closely and he found himself getting self conscious and shifting under her scrutiny. "No it certainly doesn't," she said appreciatively. "But a jacket doesn't mean much. Are you telling me your wild streak consisted of the purchase of a bunch of leather?" The mockery in her tone was not lost on him.
"Believe what you like, Lois. Ask Chloe if you want." He got up and walked into her kitchen getting a glass of water. He wasn't sure why he felt the need to justify his darker side to her. He guessed he just hated it when she treated him like a simple corn fed country kid with nothing to interest a girl from the big city. He was glad there was no red Kryptonite around because the way this conversation was making him feel; if there was he might just grab her and jump off another building.
"Okay, I'll bite. What does Chloe have to do with this?"
"Chloe found me when I didn't want to be found." He frowned at the unpleasant memory. So, why was he sharing it?
Lois was looking at him like she'd never seen him before. "What did you run away from home?" She laughed at her own joke and patted his back companionably. When he just stared intently at her it caught in her throat stopping her short. She searched his face to make sure he wasn't messing with her. "Are you serious? How have I never heard about this? I've known you for five years."
"It's not exactly a time in my life that I'm particularly proud of." To say the least, he thought.
"Well, I'm dying of curiosity here. Tell me about it," she leaned on the counter and gave him her full attention.
His eyes ran over her. He felt a surprising pull to tell her, but in the end paranoia where his secret was concerned snapped his mouth shut. "My mom lost her baby and I felt responsible. I couldn't face them, so, I left." They weren't lies. It just wasn't the whole truth, he justified to himself.
"That sounds more like you," she teased softly. Their eyes met and saw deep pain and hurt lurking there. "But you're not telling me everything." He looked up with surprise. "I told you that you aren't a good liar. Spill." She pushed herself onto the counter and waited.
He instinctively took a step back from her, his defenses going up. Her face was gentle as she watched him, but he feared he had said too much already. "Maybe sometime, Lois. Not tonight. We need to get going anyway."
He walked away from her and her eyes followed him thoughtfully into the living room. She could tell that this was a sensitive subject, so she didn't push him further. "I'll hold you to that," she whispered quietly, which, of course, he heard.
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The South Harbor was not a pleasant place. It had a bad reputation and the rap sheet to back it up. It was rough and known for all sorts of licentious activities. So, it didn't surprise either Lois or Clark that if a drug ring was going to take hold in Metropolis it would start in South Harbor.
The air was thick with smog from large ships and dock equipment. The harbor was murky and polluted. This was not a place that two white color reporters were welcome. These same two reporters coincidently were dressed in black, and trying to stay out of sight by sticking to the shadows. The rows of warehouses were packed closely together creating a maze of dark dirty alleys which cast long foreboding shadows. Basically, just being there was making Lois feel the need to shower.
Glass crunched under Clark's foot earning him a glare from Lois. Where the hell was this warehouse? She was as intrepid as they came, but this area didn't sit well with her at all. She couldn't wait to get the story and get home as fast as possible. She would never admit it to him, but Clark's large comforting presence at her side was the only thing keeping her here. A crash pierced the night behind them and Lois jumped clutching Clark's arm. A cat screeched and shot by the two dark clad figures. Lois let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding and braced herself before looking up at Clark. Instead of the mocking or amused expression she expected, she found a mixture of concern and reassurance.
"I don't like this place," she hissed quietly explaining herself. Her eyebrows shot up and her words came out defensive.
"I didn't say anything, and I don't like it either," he whispered back. He pried away the death grip her hands had on his arm. He tried to reassure her with a smile as he took her left hand in his large right one. Her eyes traveled to their interlaced fingers, but she didn't pull away like she usually would. The simple connection to him was sending waves of comfort through her, and she felt safe for the first time since they had arrived in this god forsaken cesspool.
"Where the hell is this stupid warehouse," she asked voicing her frustration.
Clark searched the area using his X-ray vision. Other than some disturbingly large rats and a bum or two, he saw nothing of interest. "I think I remember that the 300 block is directly off the water," he supplied hopefully.
They walked on for a few minutes before Clark pulled on her hand stopping her abruptly. "Clark," she hissed questioningly.
"Shhh! I hear something."
She strained her hearing, concentrating into the night, but all she heard was the wind. "Well I don't, crazy." She tugged on his hand pulling him forward.
Two more towering warehouses were behind them when they both noticed a flickering light around the next corner. They both stopped. She put one of her free fingers over her lips, cautioning him to silence. He nodded and they moved as one to peek around the corner. Lois was expecting anything from a ROUS to Manuel Noriega. What she found was several scantily clad women standing in a group by the road. A struggling street lamp flickered overhead.
She whispered in Clark's ear, "Working girls?"
He nodded his head in affirmation. "I've heard that the cops have been trying to shut them down for years, but this area isn't exactly cop friendly. I think the operation moves around a lot, so they have trouble locating them" he whispered back.
"Lucky us," she replied sarcastically.
They skirted around the group and moved towards the bay. They finally started to see 300's appearing on the large warehouse doors. A few minutes of searching had passed when they both heard a whistle floating through the damp air followed closely by the steady crunch of boots nearing them. Lois saw Clark's head snap around with and a faraway look painted his handsome features.
"Clark, who is-" was all she got out before she was pressed against the cold wall of the building behind her. He pulled her jacket half down her right shoulder and his lips crashed against hers. She tried to mumble her questions against his insistent lips, but soon her body betrayed her; her arms wrapping around his neck. She fisted his hair in her fingers and pulled him down harder against her lips, all thought abandoning her.
Clark had meant the kiss as a cover, but it soon grew heated. His hand roamed over the exposed flesh of her shoulder and arm. A bright light suddenly shone over them causing them both to squint painfully. A gruff accented voice called out, "Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing?"
Clark half turned, revealing Lois to the owner of the voice. A harsh laugh escaped the man. He said, "Oh," and turned off the light. He was of medium height and he wore a black beanie on his head. Lois felt that his most important attribute was the automatic rifle slung over his shoulder. Even with her still recovering from the light's attack on her night vision, she could see the ugly lust filled leer on the man's face. "Sorry, friend. Don't mind me," he directed his words towards Clark, and quickly moved off into the night.
"Good one, Clark. You made that guy think I'm a prostitute." She was flustered from his kiss and it manifested itself as anger. How could the guy come to any other conclusion - considering the area and their disheveled appearance? Their breathing was heavy and Clark's hair was mussed. She jerked her shoulder, settling her jacket back in place. She admitted to herself that it had been quick thinking on Clark's part.
"Oh, you mean the one with the machine gun!" His voice almost squeaked indignantly. "I'd think you would prefer that to getting better acquainted with it." When she continued to glare, he added, "If it makes you feel better, he thinks I have to pay for it."
Her face relaxed and her eyes began to sparkle, "Oh you couldn't afford me, Smallville."
He frowned at her as she barely contained laughter. A snarky reply instantly popped into his head. Does that explain Oliver? It was on the tip of his tongue, consequences be damned, he was going to win this round. But as if she could read his thoughts, she said, "I wouldn't if I were you."
He searched her face. Her eyes continued to sparkle with amusement, but a certain glint of knowing had joined it. Her brows rose in challenge. Do I really want to deal with an angry Lois, he asked himself.
He put on a look of childish innocence and faked ignorance. "What are you talking about Lois? Shouldn't we be going? I don't know about you, but I want to get out of here as soon as possible." His feet carried him in the direction the armed man had headed hoping he would lead them back to his friends. A small chuckle came from Lois that she hadn't meant for him to hear. He pinched the bridge of his nose to keep himself calm.
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The guy had not disappointed Clark. After cautiously trailing him, he had brought them to their target. They were crouched behind a large crate looking at warehouse 352.
She didn't see anyone around, but their guide was proof enough of shady dealings. "I don't want to stay here all night. I'm going to see what's inside." She rose and pressed herself against the building creeping towards the doors.
He scrambled after her horrified. He grabbed her arm halting her progress more roughly than he meant to, but he had to stop the crazy woman. "You can't just bust through the door! There are probably more armed men in there." Four to be exact, or at least four that he could see.
The fear and concern he was expressing touched her. "Relax, Clark. I'm not going through the damn door. Do you think I'm crazy?" His face said 'well if the shoe fits' and he shrugged. She punched his shoulder. "I'm not crazy. I'm going to look through that vent." She pointed and his eyes followed her finger.
"And you don't think that's crazy," he hissed. "That's almost three stories up. How do you plan on managing that?" His hands rested on his hips and he glowered at her.
"Easy." She pointed out a serious of ledges and overhangs. "I'm going to climb." She followed her statement by placing her hand on one of the ledges and pulling herself up.
"Lois you are insane. Get down! You're going to kill yourself," he pleaded with her. When that didn't work he tried to grab her, but she squirmed away from him laughing.
"No I won't. Get up here and keep an eye on me if you're that worried. No? Oh, how could I have forgotten that someone is afraid of heights?"
Unbelievable. She's trying to kill herself but she stops to make fun of me.
Clark watched helplessly as she athletically scaled the side of the building. He stayed under her in case she made a mistake and fell. She was almost to her goal when a door on the side of the building opened and a large man stepped out quickly followed by another. Clark froze. The men were also carrying guns. An uncharacteristic drop of sweat crept down Clark's forehead as his eyes darted between the men and Lois. She was looking in his direction, frozen.
Clark couldn't do anything with her watching him. He moved slowly back into the cover of darkness. The two men were speaking another language and it was getting animated. The discussion escalated and got physical. They began shoving each other. The bigger of the two heaved his companion into the wall and held him against it staring menacingly into his eyes. The force of it shook the wall dislodging one of Lois' feet from the tiny ledge she was clinging to.
His sensitive hearing caught her sharp intake of breath. He hoped the others hadn't heard. In her haste to return the dangling foot to safety, she kicked the wall. The hollow thud was easily heard by the two fighting men and they stepped away from each other and looked up. They started yelling and aimed their weapons at Lois.
Clark moved without thought and knocked one of the brutes over while grabbing the barrel of his companion's gun, ripping it towards the ground. The gun went off and shot a line of bullets down the side of the building. The people inside were running towards the commotion and he heard three more sets of feet pounding closer from points outside the building.
Clark was frantically thinking that he had to get Lois out of here before she took a stray bullet. Then he could come back and easily deal with these guys. He looked up and saw her dangerously close to falling. His heart froze. The thought of her falling to her death gripped him like a vice. He had to go get her, but she would easily recognize him with his distinct leather coat. She was concentrating on the wall, trying not to fall. He quickly ripped his coat off and unsure what he was doing, he shot into the air.
He wrapped his arms around her: one arm around her chest the other around her neck. He wanted to shield her from bullets and keep her head immobilized so that she couldn't turn and look at him. He was doing it…he was actually flying. He looked towards the stars and they soared up. She immediately started to fight him. "Get your hands off of me, Bastard." Her fighting instantaneously stopped seconds later when her brain registered weightlessness and her eyes scanned down. She was floating, what seemed like, a thousand feet in the air.
As her fighting stopped, he sighed, relieved. Then he felt every muscle in her body tighten, hard as a rock, and the arm he had on her throat picked up her racing heart. "What the hell is happening? Did I die? No." Her hands ran over his arms. "Who the hell are you and what do you want with me," she spit out angry again.
I shouldn't be surprised she recovered so fast. You don't keep Lois down for long. He had to say something to her, but how could he without giving himself away. He deepened his voice as low as it would go, added an accent that no people or land could claim, and whispered, "I'm not going to hurt you. Please stop struggling. I'm kind of new at this whole flying thing."
He concentrated on a spot on the ground a couple of blocks from the docks and then gently moved towards it. "What! Why are you going around picking up people if you don't know what you're doing," Lois yelled at him.
"You were in trouble. So I helped."
"I was doing just fine."
"You were about to get shot."
She had felt shots landing near her. Not a pleasant experience, nor was almost falling off that wall. "Well, thanks." He landed and she tried to look at him, but he restricted her from turning. "Who are you?"
"Someone who's here to help. I'm going to take care of those guys with the guns. Try and be careful in the future," he preached, well aware that she would completely ignore him.
The guy's breath tickled her ear as he spoke in a deep rumble and some terrible accent. He felt familiar, she couldn't stop thinking. His large arms were suddenly gone. She felt a burst of wind hit her and she spun on her heals, looking up and around for him. She was met by empty space. He had completely disappeared. How was that possible? "Great, Lois, you're asking how it's possible that a man who can fly can mysteriously disappear."
She rubbed her temple as the reality of the situation hit her. She kept saying wow over and over again. Then as things clicked, she turned and ran at a dead sprint towards warehouse 352. Clark!
0000000000
After Clark had gotten Lois to safety he had flown back to the drug runners in a split second and easily taken them all out. He went to retrieve his jacket and slipped it on thoughtfully. Had Lois recognized him? Would it be such a terrible thing if she had? He shook his head. What was he thinking? He found some tape inside the building and set about tying up the men and trying to clear his head of confusing thoughts.
He heard Lois running towards him. She slowed to a walk and he stood to greet her. "Lois! Are you okay? I was so worried. What happened to you? You just disappeared," he exclaimed and claimed her in a hug. It was true. Seeing her almost fall and getting shot at had scared the hell out of him and he wasn't used to being scared. Then he quickly let go of her and took a hasty step back. Hugging her right after she'd just been in his arms was a terrible idea. He mentally kicked himself.
"Me? I wasn't the one left fighting two armed men with my bare hands!" Her eyes quickly scanned over him looking for injury. "Are you okay? What happened?" She had feared the worst and it had clenched her stomach with dread. But he looked okay. He was okay. Her stomach and her breathing began to relax.
Clark had thought about this before she arrived. "I'm fine." He noticed the way her eyes frantically moved over him and the concern they held. He tried to reassure her. "I'm okay really. I managed to knock out the first guy when I first surprised them. Then I wrestled the gun away from the second guy and cracked him over the head with it." She was staring at him incredulously while he told his story. "I looked up and you were gone. You'll have to explain that to me, by the way. That's when I heard more guys inside so I found cover. I didn't want to have to use the gun I'd taken. Then all of a sudden the men got thrown back like something had hit them." So, he did come back and 'deal' with them, she thought and concentrated on Clark again. "I didn't want to have them running away when they woke up, so I went inside and found some duct tape that I used to restrain them," he said with a wave of his arm as if the whole situation was just so simple. He tried to keep his story simple and the lies minimal. What he said was mostly true…mostly.
"Wow. Hello Jean Claude Van Dam, what did you do with Clark Kent." She moved closer to him and ran a reassuring hand down his chest, making sure for herself that he wasn't hurt. Satisfied she looked into his eyes and said sincerely, "Thanks for what you did back there. You kinda…kinda saved my life." She leaned up and kissed his cheek.
He couldn't tear his eyes away from hers. He felt like he was drowning. His hands were white knuckled fists at his sides as he restrained himself from pulling her against him and pressing his lips to hers. "I couldn't let them kill you. Who would drive me crazy then?" When he had been faced with possibly losing her he had panicked. His mind ran wild. Oh god. I am in so much trouble. How did this happen. She had driven him crazy...so crazy that he fell in love with her. He stumbled back a few steps when his mind finally said the words…I love her.
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A/N: First of all, this turned out to be a lot longer than I anticipated. I may have rushed the ending because I was getting tired last night, but if I was going to stop this seemed like an ideal place. So I'm thinking about doing a short piece on Lois' reaction to the flight, which I pretty much ignored. Also, I wanted to wrap up their investigation of that story.
I threw in a very dorky movie reference which I'm curious if anyone understood. ROUS. It didn't appear in my first two drafts, but I thought 'what the hell it makes me laugh'. I can just imagine people looking at it and scratching their heads wondering what the hell it stood for. It would be from Princess Bride – rodent of unusual size.
Anyway, hope you enjoyed and please continue to review because I love to read them!