Fic: Smallville - The Story of Us #11 - Promise Me
Title: Promise Me
Author: emerald_night
Claim: Smallville - Lois and Clark
Table: Buffet #1
Rating: PG-13
Prompt: #232 / Promise me
Word Count: 1,111
Summary: Lois isn't happy with Clark's meddling. An AU look at Harvest.
A/N: Written for the fc_smorgasbord challenge.
And it was in place. Especially now that he’d told her himself.
Except for one little thing. Only it wasn’t all that little to her.
Slamming the journal shut, she blew out a sharp breath in frustration. The heavy footfalls she then heard heading up the loft steps signaled to her she was about to come face to face with the object of said frustration. Tossing the journal next to her on the old sofa, she leaned back, arms folded - her battle pose.
Clark stopped briefly at the top of the stairs when he noticed her sitting there, letting the relief that they’d both made it out of that crazy town alive wash over him momentarily. His eyes flicked over her, noticing her stance. Not to be outdone, his own arms crossed in front of his broad chest.
He knew what was coming. And he was prepared.
She tilted her head slightly, her gaze wandering over him. She pursed her lips to the side, like he’d seen her do a thousand times before.
“So,” she began, after several moments of perusing him. “Here’s the thing. I know you’re used to damsels in distress. That’s not me.”
He opened his mouth to reply, but was stilled by her hand moving up to make a ‘stop’ motion in front of her.
“And if that’s what you want Clark? We need to talk about that now. Because that will never be me.”
“I don’t want that,” he said, quickly. “But…”
“But nothing.”
“It’s not nothing, Lois,” he said, an edge of exasperation to his voice. “You…you just jump into things. You don’t think about the consequences!”
“You say that like it’s a surprise, Clark. It’s not like you didn’t know that going in. Besides, I’m a journalist. This is what I do.”
“I know!” he exclaimed in response. “But do you have to be so…”
“So what?”
He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He could sense the argument about to spiral out of control, so he took a moment, trying to alleviate some of his anxiety.
And truthfully, he knew she was right. He’d been wrong to interfere with her story on the anti-hero rally. Even Tess had given him a look upon his request, a look that said he was utterly screwed when Lois found out.
Was it so wrong that he wanted to keep the woman he loved safe?
“I’m waiting, Smallville,” she said, tilting her head, the slightest of glints in her eye.
Oh, she was enjoying this. She loved that she had the ability to make this superpowered man squirm. Not that she wasn’t truly ticked off at him, she was. But she also knew that she’d be forgiving him. His heart was in the right place, as it always was, even if his methods left something to be desired.
This was just the hashing out process.
Finally, he simply looked into her eyes.
“I love you.”
She softened a bit, shaking her head slightly. “Not playing fair, Clark.”
“Maybe not, but it’s the truth. Lois, I just don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“I know you don’t, but you can’t do this. You can’t manipulate situations to keep me safe, especially when it involves my career. This story means a lot to me.”
“I know it does.”
“And it’s not only because of you, Clark. It’s because this affects all of the heroes, heroes that we need.”
He sighed, stepping closer to her. “Lois, I know all of that. In my head. But in my heart? I see all the people that I’ve lost in my life, that I couldn’t save. I don’t know what I would do if you were added to that list.”
“I’m not those people.”
A hint of a grin. “No, you have a much greater ability to find and get into trouble.”
“Maybe I do…”
“Maybe?”
“Maybe I do,” she repeated emphatically, “but Clark, as much as I love you, it’s who I am,” she finished quietly.
“I know it is,” he said, reaching out and intertwining his fingers with hers. “And if I’m being honest, I love that about you. You’re sense of right and wrong, and how passionately you want to defend that.”
“But?”
“I just wish you could do that without putting yourself in mortal danger.”
“The anti-hero rally was hardly mortally dangerous Clark.”
“No, it wasn’t. But, Lois, the people involved in it, the ones behind the scenes spearheading this? They are dangerous. You covering this story and taking a public stand for the heroes makes you a target.”
She squeezed his fingers. “I know you don’t want to hear this, but it’s a risk I’m willing to take.”
Placing her free hand on his chest, she gazed up at him. He leaned down, pressing his forehead to hers.
“Just promise me you’ll be careful.”
She could feel the worry in his words, and lifted her hand to graze against his cheek.
“I promise.”
He leaned down, intending to capture her lips in a kiss, but a soft finger pressed to his mouth thwarted his intentions.
“But,” she said, leaning back slightly, smirking slightly at his disappointed groan, “you have to make your own promise.”
“What?” he mumbled against her finger.
“Promise me that you won’t go behind my back to keep me from a story again. Clark, if you’re worried, you need to talk to me, not make backroom deals with Tess.”
He pulled her finger gently away from his lips.
“Okay.”
“Okay?”
He simply shook his head, a chuckle rumbling in his throat. “You’re gonna make me say it aren’t you?”
“Of course I am.”
Instead of answering immediately, he pulled her closer, swooping in for an insistent kiss. Her lips softened beneath his, he could feel her smile against his mouth.
Pulling back, he whispered, “I promise.”
“Good,” she said, tucking an errant lock of hair behind his ear.
“So,” he said, bumping his nose gently against hers. “I know you said you’re taking this stance to protect all the heroes, but, I’m your favorite, right?”
As if her couldn’t melt her heart anymore with the adorable puppy dog eyes directed at her, he flashed the most charming grin with those words. Tightening her arms around his neck, pressing herself closer to him, she smiled up at him.
“Always, Smallville. Always.”
Author: emerald_night
Claim: Smallville - Lois and Clark
Table: Buffet #1
Rating: PG-13
Prompt: #232 / Promise me
Word Count: 1,111
Summary: Lois isn't happy with Clark's meddling. An AU look at Harvest.
A/N: Written for the fc_smorgasbord challenge.
And it was in place. Especially now that he’d told her himself.
Except for one little thing. Only it wasn’t all that little to her.
Slamming the journal shut, she blew out a sharp breath in frustration. The heavy footfalls she then heard heading up the loft steps signaled to her she was about to come face to face with the object of said frustration. Tossing the journal next to her on the old sofa, she leaned back, arms folded - her battle pose.
Clark stopped briefly at the top of the stairs when he noticed her sitting there, letting the relief that they’d both made it out of that crazy town alive wash over him momentarily. His eyes flicked over her, noticing her stance. Not to be outdone, his own arms crossed in front of his broad chest.
He knew what was coming. And he was prepared.
She tilted her head slightly, her gaze wandering over him. She pursed her lips to the side, like he’d seen her do a thousand times before.
“So,” she began, after several moments of perusing him. “Here’s the thing. I know you’re used to damsels in distress. That’s not me.”
He opened his mouth to reply, but was stilled by her hand moving up to make a ‘stop’ motion in front of her.
“And if that’s what you want Clark? We need to talk about that now. Because that will never be me.”
“I don’t want that,” he said, quickly. “But…”
“But nothing.”
“It’s not nothing, Lois,” he said, an edge of exasperation to his voice. “You…you just jump into things. You don’t think about the consequences!”
“You say that like it’s a surprise, Clark. It’s not like you didn’t know that going in. Besides, I’m a journalist. This is what I do.”
“I know!” he exclaimed in response. “But do you have to be so…”
“So what?”
He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He could sense the argument about to spiral out of control, so he took a moment, trying to alleviate some of his anxiety.
And truthfully, he knew she was right. He’d been wrong to interfere with her story on the anti-hero rally. Even Tess had given him a look upon his request, a look that said he was utterly screwed when Lois found out.
Was it so wrong that he wanted to keep the woman he loved safe?
“I’m waiting, Smallville,” she said, tilting her head, the slightest of glints in her eye.
Oh, she was enjoying this. She loved that she had the ability to make this superpowered man squirm. Not that she wasn’t truly ticked off at him, she was. But she also knew that she’d be forgiving him. His heart was in the right place, as it always was, even if his methods left something to be desired.
This was just the hashing out process.
Finally, he simply looked into her eyes.
“I love you.”
She softened a bit, shaking her head slightly. “Not playing fair, Clark.”
“Maybe not, but it’s the truth. Lois, I just don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“I know you don’t, but you can’t do this. You can’t manipulate situations to keep me safe, especially when it involves my career. This story means a lot to me.”
“I know it does.”
“And it’s not only because of you, Clark. It’s because this affects all of the heroes, heroes that we need.”
He sighed, stepping closer to her. “Lois, I know all of that. In my head. But in my heart? I see all the people that I’ve lost in my life, that I couldn’t save. I don’t know what I would do if you were added to that list.”
“I’m not those people.”
A hint of a grin. “No, you have a much greater ability to find and get into trouble.”
“Maybe I do…”
“Maybe?”
“Maybe I do,” she repeated emphatically, “but Clark, as much as I love you, it’s who I am,” she finished quietly.
“I know it is,” he said, reaching out and intertwining his fingers with hers. “And if I’m being honest, I love that about you. You’re sense of right and wrong, and how passionately you want to defend that.”
“But?”
“I just wish you could do that without putting yourself in mortal danger.”
“The anti-hero rally was hardly mortally dangerous Clark.”
“No, it wasn’t. But, Lois, the people involved in it, the ones behind the scenes spearheading this? They are dangerous. You covering this story and taking a public stand for the heroes makes you a target.”
She squeezed his fingers. “I know you don’t want to hear this, but it’s a risk I’m willing to take.”
Placing her free hand on his chest, she gazed up at him. He leaned down, pressing his forehead to hers.
“Just promise me you’ll be careful.”
She could feel the worry in his words, and lifted her hand to graze against his cheek.
“I promise.”
He leaned down, intending to capture her lips in a kiss, but a soft finger pressed to his mouth thwarted his intentions.
“But,” she said, leaning back slightly, smirking slightly at his disappointed groan, “you have to make your own promise.”
“What?” he mumbled against her finger.
“Promise me that you won’t go behind my back to keep me from a story again. Clark, if you’re worried, you need to talk to me, not make backroom deals with Tess.”
He pulled her finger gently away from his lips.
“Okay.”
“Okay?”
He simply shook his head, a chuckle rumbling in his throat. “You’re gonna make me say it aren’t you?”
“Of course I am.”
Instead of answering immediately, he pulled her closer, swooping in for an insistent kiss. Her lips softened beneath his, he could feel her smile against his mouth.
Pulling back, he whispered, “I promise.”
“Good,” she said, tucking an errant lock of hair behind his ear.
“So,” he said, bumping his nose gently against hers. “I know you said you’re taking this stance to protect all the heroes, but, I’m your favorite, right?”
As if her couldn’t melt her heart anymore with the adorable puppy dog eyes directed at her, he flashed the most charming grin with those words. Tightening her arms around his neck, pressing herself closer to him, she smiled up at him.
“Always, Smallville. Always.”