Obsessed Chapter 3

Title:    Obsessed
Rating:    PG
Author:    SilverSnikle
Pairing:    Clois - Clark & Lois
Timeline:   Season 9
Warnings:   Season 9 spoilers
Disclaimer:   Borrowed characters and some dialogue... No affiliation to CW/WB, DC
Summary:   Lois never went to the future. Since The Blur cut off communication, she's has a new obsession.
Feedback:   Oh, yes please!
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~  Chapter 3  ~





Part of Chloe struggled to keep up the wall dividing her emotions and her motivation. This Clark in front of her couldn't be real. Clark had come back from his training with Jor-El sure of himself, proud. He held his head high and had an air about him that breathed superiority. This man in dress slacks and a dress shirt with his head in his hands sitting on the couch was not that Clark. This was the Clark she thought was long gone, the Clark that used to pout and brood over simple human desires. This certainly was not the Clark that kept humanity at arms length so as to be their savior.


She hesitated before going to sit beside her friend. Friend. Such a simple, yet meaningful word. They had never stopped being friends, not really, yet that word seemed foreign. Did watching his movements on monitors and conversing about the latest threats to Metropolis really constitute friendship? She shook the thought from her head and laid a gentle arm over his shoulders. Biting her lip she began to gently rub circles on his arm.


Clark felt ridiculous.  He was grown man; he needed to get a hold of himself.  The look in Chloe's eyes made him feel guilty.  She was stunned, scared, and confused.  And over what?  Because of his reaction to the four lettered word that had popped into his mind at the site of Lois coming back to her desk?


“Clark...”  Chloe's voice was soft, uncertain.


“I'm sorry.”  They were sitting on the couch in Watchtower.


“It's okay.  But just so we're on the same page.  What exactly are you sorry about?”


“I'm a grown man.  And if anyone knows that there are plenty of real, horrible problems in this world it's me.  But here I am.”  


Despite her deep relationship with Clark, Chloe was completely lost.  She'd seen him have break-downs before, but not since... Lana.  Chloe couldn't stop the shudder than ran through her.   She knew Clark could feel it.  His expression changed to concern.


“Clark, I have to be completely honest with you.  I am very lost right now.”


“At your wedding, I was dancing. Lois and I were dancing.  Before she showed up.”  Chloe knew who the 'she' in his sentence referred to, and shuddered again.  “I almost, we, our lips were so close, Chloe.”  His frown was so deep she wondered if a human's skin would have just held that crease forever.


“I remember.  Lois fled, and you got your dream girl.”  Chloe's chest was tightening up.  Where was he going with all this?


“I- she is amazing.  I tried to ignore it; I know where these feelings lead.  No where good, no where happy.”  He looked into Chloe's eyes.  “I love her.”


Chloe just stared back at him.  The whole world knew this, it was no revelation.  The confusing part was why he was having a meltdown now, two years after she had left?


“I know, Clark.  I miss her too.”  She put a hand on her friend's shoulder in an attempt to comfort him.  She watched as his expression changed.  It flashed confusion, and then clarity, and settled finally on amusement.  Chloe wasn't sure how to react.  Had her dearest friend finally lost it?  Had his fate caught up to him, become too much to handle?  She knew Clark, that wasn't possible.  And yet, here he was, his eyes, still wet from exhaustive pain, lit up with laughter, a smile dancing on his lips.


“Lois.” 


 Chloe blinked. Oh.  


“Oh.”


“Yeah.”  The two friends turned, facing forward.  They just sat there side-by-side and stared into the nothingness in front of them.


/


Lois frowned at her screen.  She had been writing and re-writing her intro for the past thirty minutes.  She just couldn't seem to get it out the way she wanted.  She would type up a paragraph and  proof it, then highlight the entire thing and press delete. She picked up her phone. Frowning, she sat it back down without pressing a single button.


/


“Clark.  Even you deserve to be happy.  Lois is not Lana.” She didn't mean to grunt out loud there. “Not even close.”


/


Lois left her desk to refill her coffee.  She needed to move around a bit and then start over fresh. 


/  


Clark put an arm around Chloe.  It was kind of awkward at first, but after a minute it felt natural.  He felt her lean into him, relax. He smiled, missing how easy things used to be between them.  This was exactly why his father worried about him.


“Jor-El wants me to be separate from my human self.  To let that part go, to be at one with my destiny and finally be able to protect you all.  And I quote, 'Just as your passions will be your greatest strength, so too will it be your greatest obstacle'.”


Chloe took a moment to get her mouth and her brain on the same page.  That was the most important lesson she'd learned in recent years.  Think before you speak, especially with Clark. Even though he was typically the first to forgive a slip of her tongue, he was usually the most hurt by them as well.


“Clark,” she took a deep breath and just let it out, “Your willingness to sacrifice yourself for others is a great strength, for sure, but when it comes to your own happiness, it is definitely a weakness. She was starting to get a better understanding for this whole melt down. “For once, try not to second-guess things.”


Chloe could see the internal struggle in his eyes as if watching a physical one on the big screen. “All you have to ask yourself is: what do you want?”


/  


Lois smiled at the screen, finally! She had said what she wanted to say, and in the voice she wanted to say it in. She leaned back in her chair and took in a deep breath of accomplishment. Her phone dinged and she immediately sat forward to grab it. She had a new email, but it wasn't from anyone on her contacts list. She raised an eyebrow and opened the file.


TO: Lois Lane (lois.lane@dailyplanet.com)
FROM: Speedy Gonzales (speedy@me.com)
I know it's been a long time since my last contact, and for that I apologize. It's been a busy couple of months.
I'm writing to inform you I have found something interesting regarding your latest story. It seems that once the tower is operational, it's going to transform our sun's color to red. I'm still researching what the effects of this might be, but I thought two heads may be better than one on this.
Your favorite Phone-booth Caller
Lois stared blankly at the words on her phone. She was ecstatic to have The Blur contact her again, but why through e-mail? And was this tower thing such a big deal that he would feel the need to enlist her help?


Clark came through the bullpen doors ready to talk to Lois about the things he'd discussed with Chloe (well maybe not all of it). He wasn't quite ready to reveal his biggest secret. He stopped before Lois saw him approaching. She was staring at her phone... again.


“Lois.”


She turned her head to him, the look of concern distorting her features slowly melting away.


“Clark. I have some new information.” Clark slowly moved forward.


“Lois, -” still walking.


“The tower's radiation, it may be more important than we had thought.”


“Lois, we need to talk.” He was now only three steps away.


“The radiation is going to turn our sun red.” Clark was directly in front of her now. “We need to find out how, and what this could do to our-” Lois's words were cut short against Clark's full lips.


Lois had been ranting about something, she knew it was important, but she couldn't for the life of her remember what it was. The only thing she knew for certain now was that Clark Kent had the softest, most gentle lips in the entire world. Sure, she hadn't any way of proving that, but she didn't need to, she knew it was simply a fact. And then, as the kiss deepened, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, she realized something else. She had felt these lip on hers before. In a dark alley, with Jimmy Olsen, she had kissed these very lips thinking they belonged to Oliver.


“Clark.”  Lois pushed against his pecs and opened her eyes to stare into his. “You know about Oliver?”


Clark just stared at her. He had just claimed her lips in the middle of their workplace, and that's what she wanted to know?


“I, well, yeah.”


Lois punched his shoulder. “You, scheming little...” Lois stopped herself. Wait. Had Clark Kent really just pulled her into a passionate kiss? She looked around her, dozens of heads jerking their eyes away. Yup. He sure had, right in front of all the Daily Plane staffers. This should be fun.


“I'm sorry.” Clark reached out to touch her arm, apologetically. Lois smiled down at the spot where he was touching her, before she could stop herself.


“No worries. I'm sure you remember my explanation of that night in the arms of The Green Arrow? You have nothing to apologize for.” She winked at Clark and mentally gave herself a point as his cheeks brightened up a little. “Except, maybe for holding out on me so long.” And there was the full blush. Lane two, Kent zero.


Clark forced a smile and slid his fingers further around her arm, gripping it slightly. “What do you say we go for a little walk, eh?”


“Ooh, good idea.” Her eyes lit up.


He didn’t let go of her until they were alone on the roof of the Planet.  Neither of them was sure exactly what to say. Sure, there had been feelings building up between them for a long time, but Lois wasn’t exactly sure how to deal with this turn of events.


“Look, Lois. I’m sorry if that was… I mean, I hope I didn’t over step.” He stopped and waited, not sure what else he could say, just hoping she would say something.


“No, Clark. But um, it was definitely out of left field. I mean, I know I talk a lot, but I’m sure there are easier ways to shut me up.” She winked at him playfully.


“I was planning to talk to you, but you weren’t really giving me a chance to say anything, I guess I just sort of got lost in the moment.” He was focused on the ground in front of him.


Lois stepped forward, placing a hand on his chest. He pulled his eyes up to meet hers, hopeful. Her smile was evident in her gaze and Clark exhaled.
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