Does One Kiss Change Everything?

CHAPTER THREE

Clark knew he was going to feel bad after he chased Lois out of his loft that night but what he was unprepared for, was just how bad he would feel.

Even though she appeared regularly at the Kent farm over the course of the next week, she made it a point not to drop by and see him like she had in the days following their kiss. Oh they came across each other of course, it was impossible not to when Lois was Martha’s Chief of Staff, but instead of the friendly banter that had marked their relationship since they had wandered into each other’s orbit, Lois attitude towards him was somewhat aloof.

She wasn’t rude or insulting, just aloof.

And Clark hated it.

The Lois he knew, liked to give him crap and while Clark had always told himself, he could live without Lois’ brand of sarcasm, the thing of it was; he kind of missed it. He liked listening to her ramble on about stuff, he liked listening to her on her soap box, screaming out in defiance at all the things that was wrong in the world or just plain pissed her off. Lois just didn’t believe in taking it and Clark who spent most of his life, doing nothing but taking it in one shape or another, either because of his secret, his responsibilities to the people he loved or his Kryptonian heritage, admired her for that.

Martha noticed of course, the shift in their relationship and had actually asked Clark if anything was the matter. Fearful at how she might react to him telling her that he may or may not have accused Lois about being promiscuous, Clark feigned ignorance on the subject and then proceeded to feel even worse. Not only about Lois but also about having to lie to Martha.

Sometimes, Clark wondered how he ended up hoisting his own petard from the highest frigging yardarm without even trying.

He let this go on for a week until it threatened to stretch into two before Clark came to the conclusion it had to end. The memory of that kiss was still livid in his mind and yet he couldn’t think of it, savor it or decide what to do about it until he dealt with the superimposed image of the hurt in her eyes when Lois walked out of his barn.

Clark was out of line that night and he knew it. Lois hadn’t said anything that wasn’t the truth and it was time he admitted it or at the very least, apologized. As far as Clark was concerned, she was still Ollie’s girl and he wasn’t apologizing to change that fact.

He was apologizing because she was his friend and he missed her.

~~~~~

Lois Lane appeared at the Kent farm to drop rewrites of Martha’s speech that morning before she made the drive to Metropolis for her job at the Inquisitor. The plan was to drop the pages off and get to the car before she ran into farm boy, whom she really didn’t want to see this morning. Her mood was lousy, her conundrum about Ollie nowhere solved and to top it all off, she hadn’t slept all that well lately.

So the last thing she needed was to deal with Mr. Judgmental as well.

Clark heard the car drive up the road and was grateful that Martha was out of the house visiting with one of the neighbors who had come down with a case of the flu. Martha Kent’s chicken soup was a thing of legends in these parts and it was testament to her kindness that even as a State Senator, Martha felt compelled to visit Mrs. Langstrom with some.

Running through all the things he wanted to say before she actually got to the door, Clark spied Lois emerging from the vehicle and pretended to make coffee in the kitchen while he waited for her arrival. This took place a few minutes later when she stepped inside the house. Knocking was still one of those social niceties that hadn’t caught on with Lois yet, Clark thought with a little smile as he heard her enter the house.

“Mrs. Kent?” she called out, not seeing him yet.

“She’s out,” Clark responded emerging from the kitchen with coffee mug in hand. “She went over to Mrs. Langstrom down the road with her chicken soup.”

Lois looked at Clark for a fraction of a second before she averted her gaze and headed towards the nearby dining table. “Well just tell her I got the rewrites for her speech at the Luthercorp fund raiser tonight.”

Like a mini twister, she moved fast across the floor with every intention of getting out before another exchange of conversation between them was required.

She didn’t look at him once as she spoke, Clark noticed.

“Lois,” he called out as she headed towards the door without saying anything else. “Lois, can we talk?”

“Nope,” she said abruptly and shut the door on her way out.

Cursing under his breath, Clark set down the cup and knew that this time, he was going to have to go after her. In a few easy strides he caught up with her in the middle of the front walk.

“Lois, please, hear me out.” He implored.

“Nope I don’t think so,” she said in typical Lois indifference.

“Lois…!” Clark growled with exasperation. “I’m sorry, okay? I was out of line that night.”

Lois paused and turned around to face him. Eyes narrowed, hands on her hips, in a stance Clark had come to recognize after two and half years with her as battle mode, Lois looked him in the eye and said, “oh you mean about implying that I was some kind of tramp?”

“I didn’t say that…” Clark started to protest but knew better. He didn’t say the words but the implication had been there. “I’m sorry.” He said helplessly.

“You know what hurt Clark?” Lois said taking another step towards him. “You and I haven’t had the best relationship and our finest moments seem to be how much we can piss each other off but I at least thought I rated a little more better than that in your eyes.”

Aw hell, Clark swore silently again.

“You do Lois,” Clark insisted. “Look you said it once, Lana took no prisoners and you’re right, she didn’t. I couldn’t be honest with her and now she’s gone to Lex and everything you said, was right on the money. I messed up and it hurts having my face rubbed in it. I lashed out at you and it wasn’t right or fair. I know what you’ve been going through since this whole thing with the Green Arrow, I know its not easy to shake off something that feels right.”

Tell me about it, he snorted inwardly.

The Lois thing to do would be to take his head off and tell him that he deserved her harsh words but the past two weeks, Lois too had felt the void of his absence. She couldn’t explain it but it was there and it was space neither Chloe or Ollie could fill. Sometimes, she didn’t know what to do with Clark, where he fit into her life. Not lover or best friend, he was just…just Clark.

And she missed him.

She was going to turn around and keep walking, Clark decided because she had that look on her face again, the one he couldn’t read, the one where she was about to surprise him with something ridiculous or worse yet, something totally unexpected.

She was so much work.

Thank God, he had the stamina.

However, Lois didn’t walk away but took a step forward and closed the distance between them. Clark wasn’t sure what she was going to do and for a brief second, just a brief second, he entertained the notion that she might kiss him. As always, his expectation was way off the mark from the reality.

She punched him in the shoulder.

“Ow…?” he grumbled looking at her with question. It didn’t hurt but hey, appearances right?

“You hurt me,” she stated with that infuriating pout on her full lips. “Don’t do it again.”

Looking down into those eyes, the ones that saw right through him at times, he nodded. “I’ll try.”

“Try Smallville?” She looked at him exasperated. “Try?”

“Yeah,” he smiled, guessing that he was somewhat forgiven. She hadn’t called him Smallville since this all began. That she was doing it now was a good sign. “Try. You’re pretty obnoxious you know…”

“Me?” Lois exclaimed as she pulled away, a small smile on her lips. “I’m not the one whose in trouble here Smallville.”

“So you keep saying,” Clark grinned, his eyes dancing with hers as she smiled back. “It’s not my fault you’re a high maintenance woman. How does Ollie put up with you anyway?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” she teased and turned back to the car. Climbing into it, Lois looked at him though the window. “What am I gonna do with you Smallville?”

As Clark looked at her, he honestly didn’t know but he was okay with waiting to find out.