Chapter 2
"Whoops! Sorry," Lana, sounding a little nasal, apologies to Clark while having the good grace to look sheepish.
All Clark can do is shake his head in amusement or should that be bemusement. Lana had said he could use her spare bedroom while he was in Metropolis. What she has forgotten to do is clear it out. It is literally packed floor to ceiling with boxes full of who knows what. "How on earth can you have so much stuff?" he just has to ask her.
Lana shrugs. "It is what happens when you are a world famous fashion designer. People just give you free stuff. Stuff you never use and I just dumped it all in here. I was meaning to clear it out."
Clark just eyes it all for a second. "Can you close the curtains please?" he asks her.
"What for?" she asks back before she figures it out. "Oh right. Give me a second."
Clark shrugs his jacket off as Lana closes the curtains in the apartment so no-one can see what he is about to do. She soon reappears at his side. "Is there anything I can do to help?" she asks.
"I could do with a cup of coffee," he says with a goofy grin.
Lana rolls her eyes at him and heads to the kitchen.
"Thanks Lana!" he shouts after her as he rolls his sleeves up. He then focusses his full attention on the task ahead of him and gets to work.
While she waits for the coffee maker to heat up Lana watches, still in slight amazement even after all these years, at what Clark can do. It is almost beyond her ability to see. All she really sees is a blur as boxes start to pile up in her lounge and from what she can tell Clark isn't just dumping them randomly. He is actually sorting it all out as he goes. Clark is the only man she knows who is that considerate.
It takes a few minutes but just as Lana is finished pouring his coffee into a cup Clark appears next to her side having finished. If she was a suspicious person Lana would think Clark paced himself to finish just as his coffee was poured.
Lana watches him add way too much cream and sugar. That has to be far too sweet. Not to mention unhealthy and Clark's been drinking them like that since they were teenagers.
Clark takes a sip of his boiling hot coffee without blinking. That hits the spot. "So what will you do with it all?" he asks in reference to all the stuff he just cleared out.
Lana looks at the enormous pile briefly. "I'll see if there is anything I want to keep and give the rest to charity," she decides. She blows on her own coffee and takes a sip. "So Clark. Any idea what you will be doing while you're staying here?" she asks him.
Clark closes his eyes for one moment before shaking his head. "No," he admits with a sad sigh. "I just...I can't seem to clear my head enough to think."
Lana gives him a sympathetic smile. Obviously he needs more time to grieve but she doesn't think it would be good for him to just sit around and mope so she puts forward a proposal to him. "Look feel free to turn me down but I've got a show in a few days and I could use some extra manual labour to help set up the stage and catwalk. You'll get paid...well ok it's only minimum wage...I'm not running a charity you know...and ugh I've been hanging around my accountant too much," she says making a face. Her accountant is always saying that about how she is a business not a charity. It seems Lana has picked up his bad influence.
Clark laughs softly.
Lana smiles at that. She is certain he has rarely laughed since he lost his mother. "So what do you say? You'll be a big help."
"Well as a gentlemen how I can refuse the request of a beautiful lady," Clark says in accepting, complimenting Lana as he does so. "But you don't need to pay me," he adds. Ok he's not rich but he has his parents' life insurance money and the money from selling most of the farm land. Clark only kept the house and a few acres around it. The money he got is enough to keep him going for awhile since he lives a very simple life.
"Clark I'm paying you," Lana says insistently, "and don't bother arguing with me because that's final."
Clark knows Lana well enough to know when not to argue with her. This is one of those times. "Yes ma'am."
The next day Lana is down at the scene of her show making sure everything is being set up the way she wants it. She had learned early on in her career that if you don't oversee things with the eyes of a hawk something will be done not to your specification or done just plainly wrong. She cringes at the memory of her first few shows when she hadn't done that. Some of that was awful.
She is just taking a break, drinking down some water from a bottle when she spots Clark. At the sight her eyes widen and her water goes down the wrong tube making her cough repeatedly. The show was going to be outside, weather permitting, and today was really really hot and sunny and so not to draw attention to himself Clark had done what many of the other workmen had done and taken his shirt off.
Of course how Clark thought that wouldn't draw attention to himself Lana doesn't know. Dear God in Heaven she had almost forgotten just how ripped Clark is.
Clark then takes a moment's break to take a drink of water and then he pours the remaining contents of the bottle over his head. The water cascades down the chiselled jawline and on to his broad chest and over his abs...oh god those abs. Lana remembers those abs well.
Now there were perfectly good sound reasons why Lana and Clark broke up but at this precise moment Lana cannot for the life of her remember what those were.
In fact the only thought going through Lana's brain at this precise moment is courtesy of her more primal side and it is saying...
"Take me now big boy!"
Did Lana just say that out-loud?
No. Wait. That wasn't her voice.
Lana blinks and snaps out of her glorified ogling of her friend and turns her head to the right to where a woman of approximately 30 with brown hair has come to stand next to Lana. She is Lana's assistant Melanie who is blatantly checking Clark out.
"Now there is the prime example of American beefcake," Melanie says with a large hungry grin that shows that she would like to quite literally eat Clark up.
"Mel I wouldn't," Lana cautions knowing what Melanie is thinking. Hell it was what Lana was thinking 30 seconds ago.
"And pray tell why not?"
"Because he just lost his mother. He's grieving."
Melanie snaps her head round to look at Lana. "Wait a minute. Do you know him?" she asks pointing at Clark.
"Clark. Sure. We grew up in the same town together. We dated in high school."
"And did he look like that?"
Lana can't help herself and takes another good long look at Clark. She has to catch herself as her lips start to curve up. She clears her throat. "More or less," she replies.
"And you let him go?"
"It was more a mutual realisation that our relationship had run its course," Lana explains it as it truly was.
"Ok I have to ask as your friend...are you nuts?" Melanie asks in incredulous disbelief that any woman would give a man who looked like that up. "If I had him I would grab hold and never let go."
Lana sighs. "Lots of people say that Mel but what Clark and I had...it was puppy love," she explains using the term Mrs Kent used to describe what she and Clark had. "Don't get me wrong he's a great guy but after high school he went to College in Kansas City and I came here to Metropolis University. We tried the long distance relationship. It didn't work."
Although nothing is really long distance for Clark but he couldn't just zoom away every time he felt like it without someone noticing so they did see a lot less of each other.
Lana continues her story to Mel. "After a few months I noticed I just wasn't missing him as much as I should have been if I was truly in love with him. In fact and this is kind of funny Clark noticed the same thing he eventually admitted to me so we agreed to end it and remain friends which we still are."
"Ok lets say I buy that I still have a question."
"What?"
"Does he live up to that 'Big Boy' description I used?" she asks with a suggestive overtone.
"That's none of your business Melanie!" Lana snaps even though the thought that goes through her mind is 'He sure does'.
Seeing the death glare in Lana's eyes and not wanting to put her current employment at risk Melanie decides the wise thing to do is probably just drop it. She gets back to her job which is currently to make sure all the models contracted to appear do actually appear. Lana was her friend but Lana could be too nice. In this world of phonies and agents and stars with egos the size of Metropolis you needed someone who took no shit and pulled no punches and that was Melanie.
Shortly after Melanie leaves Clark wanders over to Lana. He coughs lightly and speaks in a low voice. "You do remember I could hear all that right?" he points out in relation to Lana's conversation with her assistant.
"And? Did I say anything that wasn't true?" she asks him, arching one eyebrow.
Clark rubs the back of his neck which gives Lana ample time to reacquaint herself with the look of his quite literally bulging biceps.
"Well...I...no I guess not but thanks for avoiding the...uh...details," he says with a faint blush at the details Melanie was after.
"Clark as far as I'm concerned that will always be private between us."
"Thanks and you know the same goes for me."
"Of course I do. You're Clark Kent...and what in the hell is she doing here?" Lana suddenly yells out.
"What? Who?" Clark asks completely lost.
Lana points. "Her," she says in a sneering tone and Clark looks in that direction to see a blond woman in a pink shirt and barely legal length short tight skirt. The shirt highlights quite dramatically the woman's...ahem...assets.
"Who is she?"
"Cat bloody Grant!" Lana says it like she is swearing.
Clark takes a moment to process that name, minus the bloody part, through his perfect memory. "Doesn't she work for the Daily Planet?"
"Yes she's its fashion and gossip columnist," Lana confirms, "and she is not suppose to be here. She's here to try and steal all my show's secrets...again. Bitch."
Clark's eyebrows shoot up. He has never heard Lana sounding so venomous. She is currently looking and sounding a long way from the sweet girl next door he knew growing up.
"Clark remind me to fire my security detail later," Lana requests of him because they were suppose to be patrolling the perimeter and keeping nosy journalists like Grant away.
"Um...ok...sure," he says unsure whether Lana means that or not.
Lana takes a deep breath. "Well I better go deal with her. I'll be needing a whole bucket of aspirin afterwards if you don't mind," she asks of Clark only half joking.
Clark gently takes Lana by her arm stopping her. "Ok look I can tell you're upset. Why don't you let me deal with this. I'll get rid of her."
Lana looks at him sceptically. "Clark don't take this the wrong way but you don't know and can't handle someone like her."
"Lana. Will you trust me?" he asks with that honest to goodness open heartfelt expression that makes anyone's defences crumble.
"Alright but will you at least put a shirt on first," she requests. "You're distracting," she says without meaning to while waving her hand vaguely in the direction of Clark's torso.
Clark blushes which shows the farm boy roots are still there but equally he has his own self-deprecating sense of humour. "I didn't realise it was such an ordeal for you to see me shirtless," he says wryly. He folds his arms across his chest and his lips start to twitch upward. "I can't recall you complaining when we were dating..." he trails off, tilting his head to the side as if he is trying to remember any such incident when she did complain.
"Humour like that and people wonder why we broke up," Lana says with not so subtle sarcasm with a stern glare aimed at him for good measure. She hits him gently on his arm. "If you're going to get rid of her do it now before she sees something that I don't want to read about in tomorrow's Planet."
"Like me shirtless?" he jokily suggests.
"Clark," Lana says sternly.
Clark holds his hands up in surrender. "Alright I'm going. I'm going."
He walks away.
"Don't you tell her a thing Clark and don't let her get an edge on you! In fact don't let her speak full stop!" Lana shouts directives after him.
"Gee with an attitude like that people really must wonder why we broke up," Clark mumbles to himself. 'Was she always this bossy?' he tries to recall.
Lana watches Clark at least put his shirt back on first. Still she can't help but feel slightly nervous for Clark's safety. He doesn't know just how low Cat Grant will sink to get what she wants. To her amazement she watches Clark after a few minutes talking to Grant as he manages to escort her away with seemingly no trouble. When he comes back Lana notices he has a rather dumbstruck expression on his face. "What happened?" she asks with concern.
Lana watches Clark's brow knit together as if his mind is piecing things together. "Clark?" she inquires.
His eyes focus on her filled with confusion. "I think I just got myself a date."
Lana's face darkens like thunder. "What!" she growls.
Clark scratches his head trying to work out exactly what happened but somehow when talking to Ms Grant he ended up agreeing to take her out. "I'm taking her out to dinner."
Lana gasps in sheer horror. "How could you?"
"Well...um...you know she was really quite nice," he says which is exactly the wrong thing to say.
"Nice?" Lana says through gritted teeth.
Clark nods. "Yeah."
"Nice?" Lana repeats.
"Yes. She really wasn't as bad as you were making out."
"I cannot believe you!" Lana shrieks.
"Lana?" Clark inquires unsure why she is reacting the way she is.
"You know I thought I knew you. I thought you were different from other men but I can see you are just like all the others."
"Lana?" Clark tries to interject himself into her rant but she ignores him.
"Nice?" she repeats again tersely. "Oh yeah I can guess which 2 parts of her you found nice," she hisses.
Clark is just getting more confused by the second. He tentatively tries to reach his hand out to Lana who bats it away. "You," she says with a stern jab of her finger to his chest. "You are nothing but a...a...a pig!"
Lana then turns on her heels and stalks off leaving a still utterly baffled Clark wondering just what he did to make her so angry.
Clark has enough experience with women to know when to let them cool off before trying to talk to them again so he wandered around the city for a few hours before he dares set foot back in Lana's apartment.
When he returns he finds Lana is in the shower so he goes about making her a soothing and more importantly calming cup of tea. It was what his father did when his mother was mad. Clark smiles slightly at the memory but the smile is dampened by his pain at the loss of them.
When Lana emerges she is dressed down in an casual green top and jeans. She is still drying out her hair with a towel as he hands over the cup. She fixes him a glare that shows she is still angry.
Clark waits for Lana to take a few sips before broaching the obviously touchy subject. "So...um...care to explain what it is I did earlier?" he tentatively asks.
Lana lets out a low growl before she sets her tea down and looks at Clark directly in the eye. "Clark did I ever tell you what happened to the assistant I had before Mel, Ted?"
"Not that I recall."
"He went to dinner with Cat Grant once and next day I found all my secrets splashed across a double page special in the Planet. The bitch had seduced it out of him which is what she plans to do to you and you...you are falling into the same trap as Ted."
Clark can hear and see the pain of betrayal Lana must have felt about that. "Lana I didn't know," he says in his own defence.
Lana lets out a deep cleansing breath. "I know Clark and really I'm taking out my anger on the wrong person. You're not use to dealing with people as manipulative and duplicitous as Cat Grant is."
Clark wants to say he really doesn't think anyone is entirely bad. That would be his parent's influence and a few years ago he would probably have just said it but he isn't as naïve as he once was. The experience with how his relationship with Lori ended as well as losing his parents had at least knocked some of that out of him. "Lana I hope you know I would never do what Ted did."
"I know."
"And I don't know what secrets Ms Grant thinks she could get from me. I understand nothing about fashion. I'm clueless."
Lana laughs softly with a shake of her head. That is kind of true. Also Clark always did have a good sense of humour. It was one of the things she liked about him. "Well Grant doesn't know that. She probably saw you standing next to me and assumed you knew something."
"Right but...um...I'm still meant to be taking her out," he says unsure what to do next.
"Clark can I offer you some advice?"
"Of course Lana."
"Call it off because Cat Grant is the kind of woman you should avoid. She goes through men like you and I go through hot meals. When I said she wanted to seduce my secrets out of you I mean seduction as in taking it all the way."
"All the way?" he queries not quite getting what Lana is hinting at.
"All. The. Way," she says emphasising every word.
Colour fills Clark's cheeks. "I...uh...err...right. All the way. I'm with you."
"Good."
Clark eyes Lana for a moment. "You know you see to know an awful lot about her," he observes.
Lana shrugs. "She's at my shows. I have no choice but to deal with her then and as for everything else...she has a reputation. The kind of one that gets around if you hang about in my world long enough."
"I guess you have to grow up living in a big city," Clark says with sadness that some of the sweet innocence he used to love in Lana has gone.
"Yes. I'm afraid we do," Lana says with her own sadness at knowing she has lost something of who she use to be.
"Well I promise Lana I won't be taking Ms Grant out anywhere."
"Thank you."
"You're my friend Lana and I would never do anything that would lose your friendship. I've lost too much already."
Lana can hear the pain and loneliness slip into Clark's tone and notices Clark wipe a tear away from his eye. She moves forward and wraps her arms around him offering him comfort. "It'll be alright Clark," she assures him.
"I know," he says his voice thick with emotion. He knows that but he also knows it'll be awhile before it is.
She pats him on his back a few times. When she feels it is enough she moves back and he gives her a reassuring smile. It'll take time but he'll be alright. Clark is strong and he'll get through this. She gets back to drinking her tea.
"Can I ask you something?" Clark requests.
Lana nods.
"Were you and Mel ogling me earlier?"
Lana does a spit take at that. Clark bursts out laughing as tea comes flying out her nose. Lana grabs a cloth to wipe herself clean.
"I'll take that as a yes," Clark says with barely suppressed mirth.
Lana glares at him. "It's not what you think," she tries to explain.
Clark arches an eyebrow. "Oh and what do I think?"
Lana struggles for an explanation. "Well...um...you see...it goes...err...it goes like this. You're an attractive guy and I'm a single woman in my 20s...and its been awhile."
Clark folds his arms with his hands under his arms. He smiles amused at her explanation. "I find that hard to believe," he means genuinely. "Guys should be knocking down your door."
"I'm too busy for any kind of relationship at the minute Clark."
"If something is important Lana you make the time because you never know when it could be taken away from you."
"You're right but most of the people I work with Clark...like 90% of them are complete phonies and so far from dating material that I would have better luck trying with one of those super villains."
"Ma always use to say that there is someone for everyone."
Lana smiles nostalgically. "Yes she said that to me as well."
"I'm sure there is the perfect person out there for you Lana," Clark assures her and he truly wants Lana to find that guy and be happy.
"Thanks. What about you? Has there been anyone since Lori...left?" Of course the way Lori left and the reason behind it is a whole story in itself.
Clark shakes his head. "No."
"Like Mrs Kent said Clark I'm sure there is someone for you too."
"I wish I could be certain of that but you know how...difficult that is for me."
"Because you're afraid of how they will react to the fact you're...different," she says using an euphemism.
"Lana it did take you awhile," he recalls.
"It is a bit of a shock Clark," she points out.
"I know and that is why I definitely have to politely turn down Ms Grant because if she wants to do what you say she does."
"She does," Lana reaffirms.
"Then you know my rule on that."
Lana nods. Clark explained it to her before they slept together. In fact it was part of why he ended up telling her about his origins because as their relationship deepened and headed that way he felt she needed to know the truth about what she was getting into with him. That and at the time they really did love each other. Not the 'Happy Ever After' kind of love as it became clear later but definitely love.
Of course Lana had had her suspicions about Clark for awhile. You spend time around him and you notice he is a little...she hates to use the word but he's a little weird and weird things happen around him. However that didn't lessen the shock when he told her the truth which led on eventually to them sitting down and discussing the issue of sex.
To summarise Clark's rule on the whole sex issue Clark won't sleep with anyone without telling them beforehand what he is...which is an alien and of course that requires him to have dated said person for awhile to work up a level of love and trust. Beyond that the way both of them were brought up meant that they considered sex part of a deepening relationship anyway. Neither of them went in for sex for the sheer sake of it.
However that is to be frank an aside away from the real issue of the sheer practicalities of Clark having sex as he explained it to Lana. Clark feels any person he is with has a right to know what they are getting into considering the risks of it due to just how strong Clark is. She had seen him lift a tractor with all the ease she might lift a feather. In fact just to be on the safe side Clark came up with an inventive way for him and her to have sex with minimal risk. "Do you still have that ring with the...oh god what did you call it again?" Lana asks him, it having slipped her mind.
"Blue Kryptonite," he fills in. Krypton being the name of the planet he comes from and 'ite' from meteor-ite. "Yes," he confirms as to still having it in his possession. "Well not on me," he amends. "I put it in a safety deposit box with all Ma and Pa's valuables before I left Smallville but even with that on Lana I still have to be careful," he reminds her.
Lana remembers. Blue kryptonite as Clark explained it to her suppressed his super-powers but even then his body is still dense and Clark is still something like at least a third stronger than a human if not perhaps more so. Kryptonite is what Clark called the meteors that crashed down to earth the same day he did. They were scattered all over around Smallville. Over the course of his teenage years he came across different coloured varieties that all affected him in different manners. Strange Lana knows but not really when you remember Clark is not of this world.
"Well I'm still certain there is someone for you Clark," Lana says confidently getting back onto what they were talking about. "I mean with all these metahumans now there might even be a woman with whom you wouldn't need that ring."
Clark shakes his head at a sudden thought. "I can't believe I'm discussing my sex life with my ex-girlfriend."
"You're the one who started this conversation Clark," Lana reminds him.
"Which I am seriously starting to regret."
"Ok I'll let you of the hook only because you have to go cancel on Grant. What I would give to see her face when she learns there is one man her wiles can't win over," she remarks with a positively evil smile.
"Lana you are starting to scare me."
"I'm allowed this one moment of Schadenfreude Clark. That woman is a colossal pain in my neck."
Clark decides not to argue. "Ok but I'll be phoning her out in the hall," he informs Lana just to make sure he can get peace. Ms Grant had given her a phone number to contact her on.
Clark grabs the phone and heads for the apartment door.
"Wonder Woman!" Lana shouts out suddenly.
Clark stops and looks at her. "What?"
"Someone with whom you wouldn't need that ring," Lana explains.
"Right," Clark says not very convinced. "She's a great big famous superhero, leader of the Justice League and last but not least the princess of a race of warrior women," he lists. "I on the other hand am a farm boy from Kansas. Do you really see that working?" he asks rhetorically. After all he can't see how they would possibly have anything in common.
"It was just the first name that popped into my head," Lana explains innocently.
"Uh huh. Well you keep thinking. I'll be outside making a phone call."
Clark steps out into the hallway shaking his head. Wonder Woman. What is Lana thinking? The farm boy and the Princess. That would never work.
Author's Note: Kind of still setting the stage in this chapter. Thanks for the reviews. Next up; Lana's show takes a turn for the worse when everyone comes down with a bad case of Poison Ivy.
