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Lois was the only one to notice Clark slip out through the back door as she prattled on to Mrs. Kent about her investigation for her latest story at the Inquisitor. She tried to focus on her conversation, but her eyes kept flicking back to the door Clark had just disappeared behind.
Despite herself, it wasn’t the first time Lois’ eyes followed Clark around that Thanksgiving. She’d watched him so much that she’d felt a twinge of guilt that Oliver wasn’t her sole focus, especially when they’d just made up after Oliver’s affair with drugs.
Nonetheless, Lois couldn’t keep her eyes off Clark, not when she was almost sure that Clark had played a role in Oliver’s sobriety even though he didn’t owe anything to them (particularly when Lois had been so snippy with him lately).
But how could Lois be so surprised that Clark Kent went above and beyond for a (snippy) friend when that was the person he’d always been?
She couldn’t contain the warmth that burned in her heart when she looked at him throughout dinner. She was so thankful that Oliver’d overcome his substance abuse, but she almost wished that she’d found out a day later so that she hadn’t need to watch from the sidelines Clark (and his sad puppy eyes) be surrounded by couples left and right (Mrs. Kent may insist on friendship for now, but Lois saw the eyes she and Lionel were sending each other).
Lois had wished she could have put a smile on Clark’s face, turn that frown upside down and all, but she couldn’t have focused her energy on that with Oliver - her boyfriend who needed her - right beside her. Lois couldn’t help but mourn the lack of opportunity for a few selfish reasons as well, being on the receiving end of Clark’s radiant smile was like being bathed in sunlight after a long winter. Lois may have spent way too much time in the past trying to pry those smiles out of him.
“I’ll be right back, Mrs. K.” Lois smiled at Mrs. Kent, pulling her eyes away from the door, picking her cell out from her clutch. “I need to call the General to wish him Happy Thanksgiving.”
Mrs. Kent smiled right back at her, a knowing gleam in her eyes. “Of course, Lois. Give General Lane my wishes as well.” Lois promised to do that while she covertly made sure that Oliver was still talking with Lionel and Chloe was still canoodling with Jimmy.
Lois followed Clark out the back entrance, slipping her phone back into her clutch. She’d already called the General that morning (he hadn’t even realized it was Thanksgiving until Lois reminded him).
“There you are, Smallville.”
Clark’s head whipped towards her, he had been staring up at the night sky - Lois had noticed his obsession with the cosmos on more than one occasion.
“Lois. What are you doing out here?”
“I could ask you the same thing. Oliver’s in there eating your share of dessert and I know how territorial you are of your pie.”
Clark’s lips curved up, his eyes flicking over her. “I wasn’t the one who gave the other the silent treatment when they finished the last piece of blueberry pie.”
Lois furrowed her brow in concentration as if she was sifting through her own memory. “Well, that’s not how I remember it.”
Clark rolled his eyes in amusement, he shrugged. “Anyway, Oliver deserves it after the week he has had.”
Lois studied Clark’s face, she didn’t know the details of Oliver’s addiction - only that that was the root of disappearing acts - but she had a suspicion that Clark saw the worst of it first-hand (hence, him warning her off Oliver) and helped Oliver out of it.
“Thank you.” Clark raised his eyebrows in question at her, forcing Lois to elaborate. “You know, for helping Oliver and inviting him over.”
“He made a mistake, and I know you wouldn’t hold that against him.” Clark replied, looking almost embarrassed by her gratitude. “It’s just not who you are.”
Lois felt a pang in her heart at the almost wistfulness in his voice. She knew Lana and him had a sea of issues that Clark couldn’t bridge, something about a secret he was keeping. But Lois had learned the hard way that people kept secrets for a reason, and there had to be a reason Clark didn’t tell Lana the truth about whatever his secret was about, especially when Lois suspected he was open about it to Chloe. Perhaps he didn’t think that Lana would be as gracious about his secret as Lois was about Oliver’s.
She didn’t want to talk about Lana though. She did understand Lana - to a point. But the more Lana stayed with Lex, the more Lois thought Clark had been right to hide whatever he was hiding. How did Lana expect Clark to confide in her when she confided - even while Clark and her were together - in Clark’s friend-turned-foe?
“Circling back to my original question though, Smallville, what are you doing out here?”
Clark shrugged, his eyes straying to the heavens once more. “I don’t know. I just needed some air.”
“I bet it’s no fun being surrounded by loved-up couples.”
“My mom and Lionel aren’t a couple.” Clark grumbled, he clearly inherited Mr. Kent’s dislike of the older billionaire.
“Not yet.” Lois muttered under her breath, she smiled innocently when Clark glared at her. “You know what I mean though? I’ve been there, being the only single in a room of couples.”
Clark’s gaze strayed to the door behind her where said couples (minus Lois) were gathered. “I don’t even think I care too much about that, especially when I really think about it. It just distracts me from not having my dad here for Thanksgiving for the first time. He loved Thanksgiving.”
Lois felt that pang in her heart all over again, she was all too familiar with the loss of a parent - dealing with the ‘firsts’ without them. She imagined it was nothing short of devastating to deal with them without Mr. Kent.
She had obviously known Mr. Kent, him and his extraordinary personality for such a simple man. Lois had mourned him more than anyone knew; she had, on more than one occasion, wished that that he had been her father. After all, he had been one of the only people to truly believe in her and her potential when he had appointed her as his Campaign Manager.
Lois moved closer to Clark, standing beside him. She was close enough to feel the warmth from his body, but not enough to feel his skin. She didn’t know how to make it any better for Clark, other than to show him he wasn’t alone in his struggle.
“My mom loved Thanksgiving too, more so because it meant the start of the Christmas season which she was obsessed with. She would wake us up the next morning, already having had the General pull all of the decorations out of the attic to put up.” Lois smiled at the memory; Lois had been so young, but she could swear she could still hear the holiday music on the vinyl player. “Lucy and I used to fight on who got to put the angel on the tree.”
“I can imagine the little terror you were.” Clark said, Lois looked away from the way he was softly watching her as she narrated her favorite childhood memories.
“Ahem, I was a delight to raise, Smallville.” She ignored the skeptical eyebrow he raised at her.
Clark cleared his throat before he offered a bit of his own childhood. “My dad’s favorite part was choosing the tree. He had a gift for that, he always was able to spot the perfect one.”
“I’m sure hoping you inherited that gift because I promised Mrs. K I would help her decorate this year’s tree and I don’t want her to think I’m bad at decorating Christmas trees because you chose an ugly tree.”
Clark smiled, it stretching across his face. Lois basked in the lightness written across it, the familiar warmth washing over her. She didn’t know why, but very little measured up to the feeling of making Clark Kent smile - teeth out and all. “Well, something my mom used to say when my dad was too particular about a tree was that a true decorator could hide any imperfection.”
Well, then Lois wasn’t sure if her haphazard decorating skills were going to go under Mrs. Kent’s radar. She’d hoped to blame Clark in case of any ineptitude.
“Oh, my mom also used to have us all watch Die Hard after Thanksgiving dinner.”
Clark’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Isn’t that a R-rated movie?”
Lois shrugged. “It being a Christmas movie canceled out the R-rating.”
“Die Hard isn’t a Christmas movie.”
Lois gasped in outrage, punching Clark’s bicep. “You take that back right now, Smallville. I always knew you were a freak.”
Clark laughed, Lois’ stomach flipped at the sound. He had such a beautiful laugh. “It’s not, Lois. It just happened to take place during Christmas.”
“Well, I’m making you watch it with me, as many time as it takes, for you to admit it’s a Christmas Classic.” Lois declared, refusing to budge. “In fact, we’re adopting my mom’s tradition and doing it tonight after everyone leaves.”
Clark turned to look at her, an almost yearning on his face washing over his handsome features for a moment. Lois may act as though Clark drove her insane, and he did, but Lois enjoyed that particular brand of insanity. She suddenly wanted to spend the night on the couch in the farmhouse, munching on popcorn, watching Die Hard with Clark.
“You should celebrate tonight with Oliver.” Clark almost looked like he regretted the words.
“Oliver probably already knows Die Hard is a Christmas movie.” Lois argued weakly, she knew Clark was right. Lois enjoyed spending time with Oliver - she enjoyed it so much that sometimes she wondered if she was falling in love, but she wanted to watch Die Hard with Clark tonight. She was seized with the feeling, the feeling that it was where she was meant to be.
Clark opened his mouth in reply, but the door swung open before he could get a word out - Lois and Clark turned towards the intruder.
“You ready to go, Lois?” Oliver asked expectantly, his eyes flicking between the two of them.
Lois turned back to Clark, knowing she had no real excuse to stay behind. She should and would spend the night with Oliver as Clark said - they had just made up after their first serious fight, after all.
“Yes, ready to go.” She said as continued to look at Clark, his face shone in the moonlight and Lois was undone by a wave of warmth and tenderness. She balanced on her tippy toes and pressed a soft kiss on his cheek. “Happy Thanksgiving, Smallville. You better not pick out a tree without me or I’ll hunt you down.”
Clark chuckled as she pulled away; she was close enough to feel the reverberations, it sent a shiver through her. “I wouldn’t dream of it, warning received.”
Lois drew back from Clark and crossed to Oliver, placing her hand in his waiting one. Lois couldn’t contain her own smile at Oliver’s smile.
She loved Oliver’s smiles, maybe it didn’t feel like Clark’s, but she didn’t know why that mattered.
Lois didn’t look back as she went back inside. But Clark’s eyes followed Lois as she left hand-in-hand with Oliver, with an expression that could only be called longing, while his cheek burned where she marked him with her kiss, his focus diverted far from the stars in the sky.