By Kaytee Shultz (ILive4Dean)
Summary: Lois is miffed because Clark gets to go home for the Smallville Fall Fair while she's stuck in Metropolis entertaining her most annoying relative. Bored, Lois she drags her cousin to Smallville, where she hopes to surprise her fiance at his post in the kissing booth.
Edited by Meredith Baum (Meredith66)
I'd like to say thank you to Meredith, one of my e-mail penpals, who sorta nudged me to push this past the rough draft stage, and for her constant support and goofy input! Thanks! Comments are greatly appreciated at ILive4Dean@aol.com! Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
***
Lois Lane's mouth closed around the spoonful of double fudge chocolate ice cream, her eyes glued to the only light source in her apartment—her TV. The music of the suspense movie crescendoed, and Lois knew something awful was about to happen to the heroine.
The bright red phone on the end table beside her rang suddenly, causing Lois to let out a frightened shriek. She sat the pint container of ice cream and the spoon on the table, and reached for phone.
She picked up on the second ring. "Hello?" she said, laughing at her own jumpiness over a network movie.
"Hi, it's me. I'm leaving in the morning around six o'clock, and I don't think you want me to wake you up to say goodbye, do you?" Clark Kent's well-loved voice floated over the line.
All night, she'd been trying not to think that he'd be going away for two weeks.
She groaned. "I still can't believe that this Smallville Fall Fair is the same week my cousin, who hasn't visited me for two years, decides to visit for a few days. I wish I could go with you." she told him. "And to top it off, your mother signed you up for the kissing booth for a few days!"
"If it makes you feel any better, the next day I have to be the guy being dunked in the dunking booth." he told her, trying to make her feel better.
That won a small laugh from her. "That makes me feel a little better. Why are you going for the weekend, though?"
"Dad needs some help fixing things around the farm. Mom wants to grill me about a wedding date." he told her. "Then I'm going to help build the booths for the fair."
"You are such a boyscout." she sighed, smiling. "What am I going to do until next week? I'm going to be going out of my mind. Jessica Lane O'Brien is the cousin that drives me up the wall. She's thirty, married, and has a kid. She thinks I'm a failure because I'm twenty seven and just now getting engaged. When she was twenty-seven, she had already been married a year and was pregnant. And in her eyes, nobody can compete with her husband."
"So I'm doomed from the start, is that what you're telling me?" he said, amusement evident in his voice.
"Basically. At least she'll be in awe of my ring. She's a sucker for jewelry. Anyway, have a nice trip, okay? Bring me back something, and not a postcard that says "My Boyfriend Went To Smallville And All He Got Me Was This Stupid Postcard.' And don't tell me they don't have them because I saw them in the gift shop."
"I promise I won't. Bring you a postcard, that is. I love you, and I'll miss you, Lois. Don't have too much fun while I'm gone." he said.
"Oh, I'm sure I will. I love you and I'll miss you, too. Call me in a few days, okay? Maybe hearing your voice will keep me from strangling her with my bare hands. Bye." she said.
"Bye."
As soon as she hung up it seemed like a cloud of depression fell about her. Her boyfriend was going to fly to Smallville, and tomorrow, her cousin would be visiting. And the heroine was just killed.
***
"Jessica, hi!" Lois said, throwing her arms around the most annoying cousin in the history of cousins.
The taller, blonde woman hugged her back, lacking enthusiasm, asking, "So where's this famous Clark Kent?"
Lois pulled back and tried to keep a smile pasted on her face. "He's visiting his family in Kansas for a week and a few days. I would have gone with him, but I didn't want to cancel your visit." Lois lied, inviting her in and shutting the door.
The look on Jessica's face told her that she thought Lois was lying.
"No, really, Jess. He is."
"Oh, I believe you. Can I see the ring?" Jessica asked.
Lois held out her left hand, and Jessica took it, inspecting the engagement ring on her finger and comparing it to the one on her own. "It's beautiful, Lois." she breathed.
After chatting for awhile, Jessica got up and said, "I'm really rather tired, Lois. Mind if I take a nap for a little while?"
Jessica was afraid Lois would pick up on her bad vibes. She just wanted to go lie down and try not to think of her fight with her husband. She didn't realize that Lois was caught up missing her boyfriend and writing a story.
Welcoming the chance for some peace and quiet for an article she was working on from that day at the office, Lois said, "Sure. My room is just around the fish tank." Jessica had shown up practically the minute Lois shut the door. And that day at the newsroom was not the best in the world. She hadn't even taken her shoes off yet. Lois thought longingly of Clark's large, warm and gentle hands that gave the best foot and tummy rubs she'd ever had.
Lois turned on the radio halfway through the article. A few minutes later, Jessica yelled from her room, "Lois, turn it down! It's giving me a headache!"
Lois sighed and turned it down to where she could barely hear it.
When she was finished with her article, she saved it and turned her computer off.
She ordered out for pizza, and tip-toed around her apartment, trying to keep silent. "And he thinks I gripe … " she muttered
***
Six days later, Lois opened some cabinet doors, looking for something to munch.
Lois felt like her nerves were shot. She had been shopping with Jessica downtown all day, and was about to scream if Jessica said something, just one more thing, about Lois's taste.
Whenever she'd picked up anything in the little boutiques, Jessica had taken it out of her hands to see if perhaps she herself wanted it. She would comment in a not- very-soft-whisper, "This is so tacky, Lois. But, to each her own … " or something like that, on absolutely everything. The only thing Lois bought all day was lunch for both of them and a tube of lipstick, which she didn't think Jessica knew about.
Finally, Lois commented on Jason, Jessica's husband, saying, "I haven't heard much about him. What's he been up to?"
Jessica looked at her like she wanted to scream or cry at the same time, but the look passed, and Jessica said, "Oh, nothing much," and refused to say anything else. Lois thought this strange, Jessica usually couldn't shut up about him and if it wasn't him, it would be her son, Josh. But she didn't push it anymore because it was obvious Jessica didn't want to talk about it.
Turning on the television quietly, Lois sat down with a bag of chips, which, of course, crackled when she opened. Lois tried to open the bag slowly, but that only caused it to protest even louder than before. "Lois, quit it!"
The telephone rang, and Jessica yelled, "Lo-is!"
Lois made a stabbing action with her hand in the direction of the bedroom, and grabbed up the phone. "What?! And if your name isn't Clark you'd better have a good reason for calling me!" she snapped.
A warm, familiar laugh came over the line. "Is the wonderful cousin of yours getting on you nerves yet?"
Lois laughed. "Yes! I've gone six days Clark-less, and I'm not having a nice time here."
"Well, I'm having fun. Not as much fun as I could be having if you were here, of course … "
"Of course. I can't talk long or she's going to start yelling again. I love you, okay? I've got to go." Lois said when she heard Jessica start to get up.
"I miss you." he told her simply, seriously.
She smiled, wrapping the cord around her finger, her heart warming. "I miss you, too, Clark."
When she hung up, an idea formed in her head. "Jessica?"
"What?"
"Pack a bag-we're going to Smallville. Get up." Lois said, a big smile on her face.
Jessica tried to persuade Lois not to, following the small brunette around as she packed bags.
Finally, Lois turned on her heel, catching Jessica up short. "Jessica! If you don't want to go to Smallville, don't go, then! I'm not twisting your arm! You're welcome to stay here in my apartment while I'm gone, if that's what you want!"
"I'm going with you! I've already bought my plane ticket back and I don't want to stay here! Not that your apartment isn't nice and all." Jessica quickly backtracked.
Lois knew full well it would be no problem exchanging tickets, but she didn't push it. She had other things on her mind.
***
"I still can't believe you dragged me out here just because you miss your little boyfriend. I bet he looks like death warmed over. I bet he is just flabby and short … and … and … and I don't want to be here!" Jessica grumbled as they got into the taxi.
"Take us to the fair grounds, please." Lois told the taxi driver. To her cousin, she said with a delighted smile, "Yeah, you're probably right. Come on, Jess, lighten up! You're going to have fun. I promise."
Jessica said something under her breath that Lois couldn't quite catch and was sure she didn't want to.
Lois looked out the window, vaguely remembering the scenery. She was planning a way to surprise Clark when the cab driver said, "That'll be a buck and a quarter, ma'am."
"Keep the change. Have a nice day!" Lois exclaimed happily, getting out and getting her canvas bag out of the back, as did Jessica.
As they walked toward the fair that was quite busy, Jessica continued with her negative approach to Clark, and Lois just got more cheery.
Lois stopped a woman she recognized but didn't have a name for, and said, "Can you tell me where the kissing booth is?"
"Lois? Is that you? How've you been, hon?"
"I'm wonderful, I'm getting married, this is my cousin, direct me to the kissing booth!" Lois said, practically bouncing up and down.
The other woman laughed, saying, "Third booth down on the second row. But let me warn you, there's quite a line!"
Lois practically dragged Jessica to where the booth was. Sure enough, there was a long line of women ranging in age from giggling fourteen year olds who were whispering to each other and shoving each other forward, to women three times Clark's age.
Lois cut in line in front of a woman who knew who she was and understood that Clark didn't know she was there. Jessica didn't know that the man who was in the kissing booth was Clark.
Lois finally got near the front, but a group of five fourteen year-olds were still in front of her. She would have been annoyed, but their conversation was just so funny, she couldn't get impatient.
Lois knew she wouldn't be recognized by him because he was keeping his eyes closed for the most part. Lois was wearing snug jeans, a white bodysuit top, a colorful vest, a baseball cap turned backward, and small circular sunglasses. Plus she kept Jessica in front of her.
She adjusted the hastily packed canvas bag on her shoulder, and listened as she waited her turn.
"Sarah, I don't know if I can do this. I mean, he used to baby-sit me!"
"Yeah, Liz, I know. He baby-sat me, too. But that was when we were three years old! He probably won't even recognize us."
Another girl chimed in.
"But I don't remember him being that gorgeous!"
"Look at those arms … " another sighed dreamily.
"I would give my entire baby-sitting money to charity if only I could see him shirtless." a blonde girl said.
"So would I … "
"I think he has a girlfriend."
"I don't care." the blonde said. She was next in line.
When it was her turn, she dropped her dollar in the box and got a kiss on the cheek.
"Oh, my God." Sarah said, hesitating back. Clark opened his eyes and said with a smile, "Hi, Sarah! I haven't seen you in a while. How've you been?"
"F-f-fine."
Another girl pushed her forward, and her crunched dollar fell in the box. Her cheeks were flaming.
"Go on-kiss him!" she hissed at Sarah.
Clark smiled, took her hands, and pulled her down to him.
Clark didn't kiss her on the cheek like he did every other girl, he kissed her briefly on the lips.
When she pulled back, she breathed, "Oh, wow … "
When it was finally Lois' turn, she dropped a dollar in the box. Clark's eyes were closed, and he turned his head to kiss her cheek like he had everybody else.
But Lois put her hands on the sides of his face, and turned it forward and tilted it up. She leaned over the counter and planted a kiss on his lips.
She felt his shock at first because he recognized her touch instantaneously, but he soon relaxed into the kiss, kissing back. After a few moments, she pulled back, wiping her thumb across his lips to remove the lipstick that rubbed off.
."When we find Clark, I'm going to tell him you did that, just for dragging me down here!" Jess fumed
Lois slipped her glasses down her nose and winked over her shoulder, grinning wickedly, letting Jessica drag her off.
***
The Kents had been at the fair all day, they had gone home at lunch, planning to go back later. They had been surprised to see them on their doorstep, but delighted as well.
They sat around the kitchen table, drinking coffee, talking about different things going on in Metropolis. They were interested in Jess, too, which made her happy because they were putting the spotlight on her.
"Mrs. Kent, I know you didn't expect us, so we'll just get a hotel room tonight. I don't want to impose on you." Lois told her.
"Nonsense. You two are staying right here. Clark's bed is a king-size, and Jessica can sleep on the couch." Mrs. Kent said.
"Thank you. Are you sure we're not imposing? I should have called but I didn't want to warn Clark."
"Speaking of Clark, you still haven't told me what he looks like. I was only teasing when I said he was probably short and flabby." Jess said.
His parents laughed, and Lois said, "Clark is definitely not flabby. And he's annoyingly tall."
"How tall?"
"When I'm not wearing heels he can rest his chin on the top of my head."
Lois' fingers played with the brim of the hat in her hands, which was really Clark's hat, and she refused to describe him anymore.
A few hours later, Lois, Jessica, and Mrs. Kent were setting the dining room table when Lois heard the front door open. Clark's voice called out, "Mom, is Lois here?"
"I'm in the dining room!" she yelled back, laying a fork down beside a plate as Jessica brought in glasses of lemonade on a tray and sat them around each plate.
Her back was turned to the door to the living room, and she almost dropped the silverware in her hands as he grabbed her in a tight bear hug from behind, resting his head against hers and breathing in the cinnamon and roses smell of her hair.
Jess was surprised. Lois could practically see a light bulb snap on above her head. "Oh, I get it now! That's why you grabbed him and kissed him! Why didn't you tell me he's built like Arnold Schwarzenneger?"
Lois laughed and finished laying out the silverware, then turned in his arms. Both his mother and Jessica scooted back to the kitchen, and Clark planted a kiss full on her lips.
"Let's just say that the Clark Kent withdrawal symptoms became unbearable. So I told Jessica that either she could come with me, or she could stay in my apartment or she could go back home." she told him. "And by the way, you're very popular with teenage girls."
All through dinner, while everyone was telling jokes and laughing, Jessica kept watching Lois and Clark. She about cried when Clark reached out and brushed a stray lock of hair off her face and she looked at him fondly and then leaned forward and gently rubbed her nose against his in an affectionate Eskimo kiss, then went back to talking to Martha.
When Jessica thought she couldn't stand it anymore, Clark's mother got up and started taking the dishes to the kitchen, but Lois protested, saying, "I may not be able to cook, but I can clean. Clark will help me wash the dishes, right?" Lois looked at him pointedly.
"Sure." he said, swatting her gently on the rear as she leaned over to pick up Jonathan's plate, then her own. On her way to the kitchen, she commented, "It's not every man who can do that and live to revel in it." Clark got up and picked up his and his mother's plate, and followed Lois, letting the door swing shut behind him.
That got a laugh from everyone left at the table, Jessica included.
When all the dishes were in the sink, Lois sunk her hands in the warm and soapy suds and pulled up a dish. Clark was leaning back against the counter with a dish towel. She handed it to him and said, "I hope you don't mind me just barging in with my cousin. I just couldn't take it anymore."
"Believe me, Lois, I am overjoyed that you're here. But, am I missing something? Jessica seems, uh, a tad depressed."
"That's what I thought. I think something happened between her and Jason. Did you see how she kept watching us?"
"Yeah, like she was about to puke or something."
"I bet they had a fight. I'll try later to get her to talk to me."
When they finished with the dishes, Lois dried her hands and followed him outside to the porch. It was raining lightly, with a light breeze in the air. But the porch was covered, and so was the top steps. They sat down there.
Clark sat behind her, and she sat a step lower between his legs, leaning back against him. Her arms rested on his thighs, and his hands went lightly to her shoulders, and he commented, "Whoa! You're really tense!"
"Yeah, but I'm getting better." she said as his hands gently massaged her neck and shoulders. She watched the rain fall softly from the darkened sky. One of her hands absentmindedly caressed his knee, which drove him nuts.
Unable to take it anymore, Clark moved her soft, silky brown hair over, and she automatically rolled her head to the side, exposing the side of her throat and ear to the damp night air.
Seeing that ivory, porcelain-like skin, he felt drawn to that warm, soft flesh. She gasped out when she felt his mouth against the side of her throat, sucking gently. "Oooohhh … Clark … that feels so good … " she whimpered softly, her fingers digging into his thighs as desire swept over her.
As he nuzzled the nape of her neck, his lips moving slowly over the sensitive area, she knew in an instant that dropping everything and dragging a protesting cousin to Smallville just to be with him was the right thing to do. His name rolled off her tongue on a sigh, and Clark whispered hers back in her ear. Leaning back against him as she was, she felt his reaction against her, realizing it at the same moment he did. She was constantly amazed at how easily she could arouse him, and vice versa.
"Clark …" she gasped, running her hands up and down the inside of his thighs slowly now.
"Do you want me to stop?"
"No! Don't stop … just … just what if someone comes out here suddenly?" she asked, trying to ask her question without melting at his touch.
"There's this one little place I know … " he told her. He scooped her up in his arms, standing and heading for the huge tree in the corner of the Kent's back yard before the fields started while Lois kept herself busy with nibbling on his ear, oblivious to the falling rain.
When he laid her softly down on a beat up, but soft, old couch, she finally took notice of her surroundings. She giggled as he laid on top of her, unbuttoning her shirt and pulling the two flaps apart, his hands wandering over her, reveling in the softness of her body. "In a *tree house*?!"
The tree house was large, and it was well built. There were baseballs, bats, mitts, footballs, etc. all over the place. the house had a well used feel to it. As her fingers fumbled with his belt buckle, she thought how ironic it was that he hardly ever wore one and the day he did was the day she tried to get it off him.
He reached down and brushed her hands away and the belt was off before she knew it, and her hands returned to the fastening of his jeans.
"Why not? Nobody will come looking for us here." he told her, tugging on her shorts. She lifted her hips and off they came. Underneath all her clothes was a matching set of Mickey Mouse 'intimate apparel', that instead of appearing childish appeared very sexy and charming.
"What was this, a club house?" she asked, wondering why she did, because right now it didn't matter in the slightest to her.
"No, somewhere where I could be alone. But it could be a club house. Of sorts." he said between kisses.
She kicked off her shoes, and started unbuttoning his shirt. Slipping her hands inside as he started pulling off the cute Mickey Mouse articles of clothing, his lips scattering kisses across her face and throat, she grasped his bare shoulders and got ready for the ride.
***
About an hour and a half later, Lois and Clark were just sitting back down on the steps, Lois sitting beside him with her elbow on his thigh and her chin in her hand, looking up at him from a lower step, when Jessica came out and sat on the swing. "Hi, you guys. What've you been up to? Lois, you look like you just ran a marathon." she commented gloomily.
Lois did indeed look hot and sweaty and somewhat tired and out of breath, but she and Clark had a glow about them of love and happiness. Jessica didn't seem to pick up on this through her doom and gloom. She wouldn't have thought that they'd just gotten through expressing just how much they missed each other, twice, in a tree house, because Clark showed no sign of fatigue or of being hot at all.
"Clark just showed me where his old club used to meet. I had to go through a pretty vigorous initiation." Lois grinned at him wickedly.
"And she passed with flying colors, too. She's a very intense and thorough woman." Clark grinned back with a heart warming smile, wrapping her short's drawstrings around his finger.
"Oh." Jessica said, watching them with something akin to jealousy in her eyes. Then she said, "I just came out here to get a breath of fresh air. I think I'm going to go to bed now. Goodnight."
At the door, Jessica paused and said, "Lois, do you think we could talk about something tomorrow? It's kind of been bugging me all week."
Lois seemed surprised, but said, "Sure. Anytime." She stared at the closed door for a moment.
Clark asked, "Do you think she picked up on anything?"
Lois fanned her face with her hand, doing little to help cool herself off. "Nah. She's caught up in her own problems. I don't want to push her to tell me because she tends to shut people out when she has to deal with any kind of problem." she said. He was about to open his mouth with a teasing expression on his face, when she stilled her hand and shot him a look. "Don't you even say it."
"Okay. But I'm thinking it." he said. Glancing at the hand she was waving again, he said, "I can help you cool off."
"That's only fair."
He grinned, then blew cool air on her lightly from head to toe.
"Oh, thank you!" she exclaimed when she felt the coolness on her damp skin.
He stopped, and said, "I can't talk and do this at the same time. Which do you want?"
She pretended to think about it for a moment. Then she said, "Ah, I think I'll take a conversation over air conditioning, this time. What's the temperature?" she asked, knowing he could see the thermometer on the fence too far away for her to read.
He glanced at it, then said, "96. But then with the humidity, it probably feels like 108 on your skin. You probably shouldn't have, ah, expanded so much energy on me." he told her, but the irrepressible grin told her he was glad she had.
"I immensely enjoy 'expanding energy' on you, Mr. Kent, and if I'm not mistaken, you kind of like it, too." she smiled fondly, poking him in the stomach affectionately.
Lois reached up and pulled his head down to hers and kissed him, slow and sweetly, knowing this was expressing to him how she felt more than all the words on Earth could.
That night they talked about everything from Jimmy and Perry always watching them to they're upcoming wedding, the type of conversation that made them oblivious to everything but each other. They talked about little, everyday things to his powers and if their future children would inherit them or not. Sometimes they were silent and content to just sit and listen to the rain. Lois shifted position, moving to rest her head on his chest. She listened to the steady beat of his heart and got sleepier, his words starting to run together in her mind.
When he sensed that she was about to doze off, he scooped her gently up in his arms and took her upstairs to bed. She clung to him, wrapping her arms around his neck, barely conscious. He laid her on the bed, and then went to the dresser and pulled out one of his shirts. He gently pulled her clothes off, and slid the shirt over her head, folding her clothes and laying them in a chair. Then he got undressed and joined her, wrapping an arm around her and chuckling softly to himself as Lois unconsciously shifted closer to him and rested her head down on his chest, slinging an arm around his waist. Had he looked down at her face, he would have seen a small smile on her lips.
***
The next morning, Jessica came looking for Lois, to talk about things. Lois looked startled, but then remembered the request at the door the previous night. She got up from the breakfast she was having with Clark.
They had been the only ones eating, since they had woken a lot later than the rest. Lois had changed into shorts and a shirt that tied above her belly button, having asked Clark to get her canvas bag from just inside the front door. "Wearing only a shirt is okay if I'm just going to be around you, but I don't want to go downstairs wearing just *this*!" she'd told him.
On the porch, Jessica motioned to the seat beside her on the swing. As she sat, Jessica started.
"The fight was so stupid, and I don't even remember what it was about! I just know that I said a lot of things I didn't mean." she said, close to tears. "And watching you drop everything to run to your perfect boyfriend with your perfect relationship didn't help."
Lois laughed so hard she almost choked.
"I'm glad you find my life so amusing." Jessica sniffled.
"Jess … it's not that … you think our relationship is perfect?! Please! Think about it—me, a bona fide neurotic, is in this relationship!"
That cracked Jessica up after a minute. But when they calmed down again, she said soberly, "Lois … what should I do?"
"If you miss him this badly, chances are that he misses you just as much. Why don't you just go home?" Lois said gently.
Jessica nodded. "That's what I thought, but I didn't know if it was right thing to do. I'm so sorry for acting so stuck up all week."
"Oh? I hadn't noticed." Lois said, her face the picture of innocence.
***
Lois and Clark drove Jessica to the airport later that day, and she would land in Metropolis just in time to exchange her tickets for the next flight to Gotham.
They had driven to the fair, and were on the Ferris wheel after dark that evening, the fair lit up in many different colors.
"So, do you think things will turn out okay for her?" Clark asked.
"I'm sure of it." Lois told him. They had reached the top of the Ferris wheel and stopped, someone getting in at the bottom.
Lois was leaning over the side of the cart they were in to get a better view of the glittering lights and laughter and fun of the crowd below them, while Clark tucked his fingers into the waistband of her shorts to keep her from falling. Sitting all the way back down again, she grinned happily and took a bite of the cotton candy they were sharing.
Clark watched her, marveling at how different she was since he first met her. She sat back against him, smiling contentedly when he settled his arm around her shoulders.
"Life is good." he sighed contentedly, and she snuggled closer in his arms, giggling.
"Oh, Clark. I love you so much." she turned her head to look at him and smiled the smile that made his insides melt.
"Oh, so I guess you found the time for this farm boy?" he teased her gently, a glint of merriment evident in his eyes.
She narrowed her eyes and the smile turned into a threatening one. Human men would have melted. "Are you ever going to let that go? Haven't I learned my lesson yet?"
"Nope. Probably never. Lois, you're so much fun to tease, I just can't help myself!" he laughed, the heartwarming sound she loved to hear.
She grabbed him by the collar and pulled him down to her. Beating her at her own game, he bent his head to kiss her, but she stuck an indignant hand between their lips.
"Hey, no fair! I'm supposed to kiss you first!" she protested, not without a glitter in her eyes.
"Okay, then. Kiss me first. I don't mind if you win this round." he told her. "In fact, wasn't it you who said, "I win, you lose, we're both happy"?"
She sat up and punched his arm, hard. "You know, you're really good at turning my own words against me and shoving them in my face."
"Thank you, I try." he said.
She just *looked* at him until he held up his hands in surrender.
"I'm sorry." he said, obviously *not*.
She tried to glower, but it didn't work and she decided she would kiss him. Before her lips touched his, she whispered, "I knew there was a reason I was missing you. I just can't get made fun of and feel this wonderful with anybody else … "
THE END
Remember, comments are appreciated!
(missingu.txt)