Chapter 18:
Lois huffed angrily, performing a practical interpretive dance to express her intense displeasure. She crossed her arms, flipped her hair over her shoulder, slammed the call button for the elevator several times and even started tapping her foot. All in an effort to ignore him.
"Could you stop?" she finally exploded, giving in to his antics.
Clark struggled to keep his smug grin under control. "What?"
"You're fidgeting. It's annoying. So stop it."
His brow creased in amusement, and he nudged his glasses further up his nose. "I'm sorry. Did I do something wrong?"
He could practically feel the wave of inexplicable anger washing over her, and Lois didn’t do anything to contain it anymore. She whirled on him, displeasure radiating from every pore. "You know what? Yeah. You did. Why are you even here?"
"We found a dead body yesterday. Together. I'm in this as much as you are."
"You could leave me alone you know."
"To face a potential killer? Yeah. Sure."
Lois scowled darkly and turned back to face the elevator as it dinged. He didn’t expect her to agree with him, let alone say he was right, but she had to know he wasn’t wrong. It was reckless to go after this guy on her own. Not to say that she couldn't handle it. No, Clark got the distinct impression that Lois Lane could handle anything.
"Well, I don't want you getting in my way. You might be my boss here in the office, but out there on the street, you are low man, I am top banana. Got it?"
Her words flashed through his mind, striking him like a hot iron on a branded cow. He nodded, physically biting back a grin as he followed her into the elevator. "You like to be on top. Got it."
She managed to simultaneously roll her eyes and glare at him, which only widened his smile. The elevator was quiet from then on out, uncomfortably so. Clark cleared his throat, fidgeted again, then froze as he remembered her earlier admonition. She still wasn't talking to him. He sighed in defeat. "Look, Lois. I'm teasing. I don't really understand what's going on here. I thought we were finally coming to some sort of understanding yesterday. Why the sudden change?"
She didn't respond quickly, instead taking her time to think over her reply. She hefted a sigh of her own at him, visibly deflating. "It's nothing. It was just a long night, and I'd like to get this story over with before anything else happens."
Clark stayed quiet as he took another sip of his coffee. That he could understand. This was getting to be a bit taxing, trying to balance working with Lois and his other involvements. He had to be honest with her, but not too honest. Sure, it was exciting, toeing the line so carefully, but that didn't mean it was easy. He hoped it would get easier as time went on.
The doors opened and he followed her out and onto the street, watching with interest as she leaned out to call for a taxi. He had offered to call a car of his own earlier, but she'd insisted this would be the best way to not call attention to herself. And she was right, he was sure. Another point on the board for Lois Lane. She kept on proving her usefulness.
The ride over to EPRAD was not very thrilling. He was under the distinct impression that Lois was trying to stay as far away from him as possible— with her arms and legs crossed away from him, huddled as close to the door as she could be. On one of the sharper turns, she slid across the slick pleather and rammed into his side briefly, causing his entire form to go rigid. She'd quickly pulled herself away, almost too quickly, and took up her post at her door again. He would have laughed if it wasn't so unbelievable.
Lois Lane was being very careful not to touch him. Or interact with him at all in any way, shape or form. Which got Clark wondering what made her think she couldn't control herself around him. Which, in turn, made him grin like a cheshire cat, until he'd seen her glare at him again. If she wasn’t careful, her face would freeze in that look of disdain and disapproval.
They walked into EPRAD through the front doors, which had him confused at first. He thought they were going to explore a little bit of the facility before jumping right in and questioning the lead scientists. Apparently, Lois wanted to do things in the reverse. Which was fine, he told himself. She's top banana.
The blonde scientist they'd met with had immediately flirted with him. Clark smiled charmingly, flirted right back. She was cute, no doubt, but he already knew who Dr. Antoinette Baines was, way before they'd decided to come in here. Nigel had explained to him the whole elaborate set up last night, including how he'd been dealing strictly through Lex's people and himself. And it seemed Dr. Baines was running this little show for him. Something for which he'd be grateful to the day she died.
"Can we take a look at it?" Lois' voice cut through his thoughts and turned his attention back to the conversation at hand.
"Sorry, no press allowed." But the smug grin the doctor wore gave the impression that she was anything but sorry.
"No exceptions?" he chimed in, relishing in the way she blushed as he ran his gaze up and down her body.
"I'll see what I can do," she murmured, a bit husky.
Lois cleared her throat not-so-subtly. "Right. And on the subject of Samuel Platt..."
Dr. Baines brightened a bit and turned back to address Lois. "I have his file right here. Real waste of talent. Seems that the pressure of building the space station, along with his divorce, finally got to him. He started drinking and taking drugs. It went from bad to worse. We kept him on as long as we could. But, after he set fire to one of the laboratories, we had to let him go."
Her words seemed easy enough, not too rehearsed or forced or too blase either. But Lois narrowed her eyes still and gazed at her— not too threateningly or anything, but it was enough to get the message of I-don't-trust-you across. "Dr. Platt didn't happen to submit any reports to you, did he? Something about coolants freezing ion particles..?"
She frowned. "Coolants? No. But I could check my records."
It was amusing to Clark, in some small capacity. It was so easy to fake a cover up when the thing you were covering up didn't exist in the first place. Nothing was where it "should" be, because there was nothing to begin with. But it didn't matter: create enough doubt, plant the idea, and suddenly everything looked suspicious.
That was the scent of the story Lois was catching onto here. She was just slightly and intentionally misguided in the direction of the deceit.
Which wasn't her fault, of course. But the way she caught on to the subtleties was fascinating nonetheless. Clark watched Lois watching Dr. Baines, virtually obsessed with learning how she operates. For future knowledge, he rationalized. So he knew what to look out for if she started questioning him. Not because she was beautiful and intelligent and captivated him completely. She was the key he’d been missing all along, the weapon he’d needed to bring down Luthor. He had the evidence planted, the operations in place, all he needed was the means to deliver his head on a platter. Trial by media would be a delicious way to ruin Luthor, especially at the hands of his own girlfriend.
It wasn't like he really had a crush or anything. Did he?
He weighed the option. He liked Lois, a lot. More than he should. And she didn't appear to feel anything towards him. Was that a crush? He hadn't had one in such a long time, it was hard to know. Probably not since his brief time with Lana Lang when he was in foster care.
He sobered at the thought of her. That was a long time.
"Let me know if I can be of further assistance."
Dr. Baines' obvious attempt to catch his attention finally worked as Clark looked up to see the exchange coming to a close. He shot her a brief smile as Lois turned and walked past him. Clark picked up his pace in order to catch up with her. "So, what did you—"
"Shush."
He arched an eyebrow inquisitively. "Did you just shush me?"
"Shut up. Wait till we're outside," she stage whispered to him, glancing over her shoulder surreptitiously.
Oddly enough, he found himself obeying, lips sealed until they were out in front of the building and he didn't see anyone else around. "Well, she seemed cooperative."
A sigh of exasperation slipped past her lips, and somehow her irritation amused him. "I don't trust her."
"Well, of course."
Lois' hair whipped around her chin as she spun her head to look at him. "Of course? What do you mean, of course? What did you notice?"
Clark kept his face very neutral. "Pretty, blonde, intelligent woman, standing right next to you and overtly flirting with me? Gotta get on your nerves."
"Ha!" She scoffed at him, shoving him away from her forcefully. "In your dreams, Kansas."
He grinned as he simply shuffled back to her side, nudging her with his elbow. "Oh, believe me, you are."
She huffed out of irritation and picked up her pace. "Well, it doesn't matter, 'cause you're wrong. I'll prove it."
Clark shook his head in amusement as she hailed for a taxi once again.
*****LnC*****
The elevator doors to the Daily Planet bullpen opened and out spilled Lois and Clark, laughing with each other. His eyes narrowed. They were entirely too jovial for his liking.
Lois' footsteps faltered and Clark's slowed beside her as she suddenly saw him and her eyes went wide. "Lex!"
Lex raised his arms in an exaggerated shrugging motion. Her surprise at his presence didn't sit right with him, but he tried to paste a smile on his face anyway. At the very least for Clark Kent's benefit, who was shooting a wary but calculating look his way. "Who else?"
She suddenly seemed to realize where and who she was, and finished walking over to embrace him. "What are you doing here?"
"Can't a guy surprise his girlfriend at her office?" Lex pressed a quick peck to her cheek and wrapped his arm around her waist possessively, only sparing himself a second to glance at the other man's face as he did so. He took a small amount of pleasure from the way a muscle in Kent's jaw seemed to twitch and jump at the PDA, and his chest filled a little with pride. Ha.
Lois quietly cleared her throat to get his attention again, and Lex turned back to her with a smile. "I was hoping I could steal you away for a bite to eat. That is, assuming you haven't had lunch already?"
His question was directed to Lois, but his gaze went straight back to Clark's, who smiled tightly and planted his hands in his pants pockets. "Nope. We were just out doing a little investigating, weren't we Lois?" His eyes gleamed with something... something Lex couldn't quite name. But whatever it was burned him in his chest.
Lois spoke from his side, startling Lex as he remembered the reason he came here in the first place. "Yeah. But I am starved. You wouldn't mind if I head out a bit early for lunch, right?"
Clark gestured to the path behind him. "Be my guest."
Lois grabbed Lex's hand and led the way up to the elevators. "Thanks, Kansas. Come on, Lex. I've been craving some really good Thai food."
Lex smiled tightly at his opponent as he sauntered past, only dropping his grin when he and Lois had entered the elevator and the doors closed behind them. He sighed in relief, tired of keeping up pretenses. He shot a quick glance over at his girlfriend, the way she held herself so rigid and far away from him, and the pit in his stomach grew. Somehow, he was unable to beat away the feeling that he was standing on quicksand.
*****LnC*****
She was picking over her meal like a bird, pecking at little bites of chicken and moving the rice around her plate. Lex grew more irritated with each piece of onion she seemed to be setting aside.
He thought they were fine in the office. He knew she was surprised to see him, and irritated at his possessiveness, but altogether okay. Now he wasn't so sure.
"Lois?" he spoke softly, treading lightly. He didn't want to push her. Things had been on tentative ground with her of late, and there was no doubt in his mind that the reason for that was a certain billionaire who'd been spending more time with her than him.
The way she let her silverware clatter to her plate jolted him. His eyes snapped to hers, only to find her glaring at him as she finished chewing her food. "What?" he asked, genuinely confused.
She swallowed and took a long drink of her diet soda before responding. "Lex, can you honestly tell me that you came into work to see me at all?"
He frowned. "Of course I did. What do you mean?"
She sighed and picked up her fork again. "Nothing."
Lex felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickling. "Okay, fine. You want to hash this out right here, right now? Fine." He squared his position across her, more dominating. "You tell me last night that there's nothing there with Kent. Then I come and surprise you for lunch today as a sort of apology and I see you... cavorting with him?"
"Cavorting? Really."
"Yes, cavorting. I don't like the way he looks at you—"
"It's not like I do anything to encourage that."
"Well you sure as hell don't discourage it!"
"Lex!" she cried out loudly. "The man's my boss. Not only is he my boss, but he's trying to be a friend. You've built him up in your head that he's out to get you or something, but Kans— Kent's been nothing but nice to me. We found poor Samuel Platt yesterday, and he seemed really affected—"
"Wait a minute. What did you just say?"
Lois rolled her eyes. "He's a human, Lex. Don't act so surprised."
He furrowed his brow and shook his head. "No, you called him something."
Lois looked uncomfortable for a flash, before adopting an air of nonchalance again. "What, Kansas?"
"Yeah, Kansas. You called him that earlier too. You have a nickname for him?"
"It's hardly a nickname," she said on an eyeroll, tracking the path of a nearby waiter and signalling for the check. "He's from Kansas. I just thought it was funny. There's nothing serious about it."
Lex wasn't paying attention anymore. Something about Clark Kent in connection with Kansas struck upon a synapse in the darkest recess of his mind. He couldn't quite reach it yet, what the significance was, but he could feel it right there—
"If you're not even gonna listen anymore, I'm gonna go back to work now. And I'm going on a stakeout tonight, so probably won't see you later either, so... bye, I guess."
He startled and looked up at his girlfriend as she grabbed her purse and walked away from the table. "Wait, Lois! I'm sorry— don't-"
She turned the corner before he was able to even finish the sentence.
He sighed out of frustration, scrubbing a hand over his face. That was a disaster. He didn't know what was wrong with them lately. They'd spent the last year together peacefully, for the most part. Sure she'd turned down his marriage proposals, and they fought like any other couple, but not like this. Things had changed.
And as much as she would skin him for thinking it, it all began with Clark Kent's entry into their lives.
