It's Ficlet Friday and since someone decided this was v supposed to be an ongoing series, here you go. Follows
Late Encounter and
The Fallout Of Poor Decisions .
Hope you enjoy.
What Do I Say When It's All Over?I clear my throat before I return into Clark’s living room, feeling self-conscious in his baggy sweatpants and his oversize pullover. I readjust the belt, which is just barely keeping the pants from slipping down my waist.
Clark looks up, dropping a piece of paper that he's been studying. A tentative smile plays around his lips.
“Sorry, that's the smallest one I had left,” he mutters. “I lent a few to Jack and-”
I shrug. “That's fine. Thanks for giving me something to change into.”
He gives a brief nod and turns his attention back on the papers in front of him. I watch him, not quite sure if I should go ahead and sit down next to him. Ever since he's told me about his feelings for me, all we've done is argue.
I miss him so much, my best friend, the only partner I was ever able to tolerate. His embrace seemed like the most natural place to be, soothing me instantly.
He didn't say ‘I told you so’. For a moment there, it had seemed like this was just another night I would come to his apartment for support. As if the past few weeks hadn't happened.
But now he's sitting on his couch, his jaw working in concentration. He doesn't scoot over to make room for me, he barely even looks at me. While I don't sense any of the hostility and frustration he displayed during our fights, I realize that we're not going to just slip back into our comfortable friendship either.
Clark looks up, seeming finished with the papers. “Perry, Jimmy and Jack should return soon. I hope they have found the evidence we need. If they did, we should go to Henderson as soon as possible. If not…”
He chews on his bottom lip and shifts his position as if he doesn't quite know how to continue from here. Gosh, I would love for him to hold me right now and tell me that everything is going to be fine.
What I wouldn't give to see him beam at me again, tease me again, kiss me. I suck in a sharp breath, reeling with the sudden realization that I want him back, and perhaps not only as a friend.
But I turned him down and it's understandable that he's not exactly happy to see me, even if I apologized.
I swallow past the lump in my throat and do my best to hide my emotions behind a professional attitude. “Do you have a way of contacting Superman? We need to warn him.”
Clark clears his throat. “I let him know while you were in the shower.”
“Of course you did.”
I don't feel as relieved as I should. When did talking to Clark become so difficult? We managed longer conversations when we were arguing about Lex. Now that we're on the same page concerning him, I'm not sure what to say anymore. If only I could go back in time and handle his declaration of love differently, if only…
“It's not much.” Clark gestures toward the pile on his coffee table and I need a moment to get what he's talking about. “Most of what we have is circumstantial evidence. We’d need the statements of a few witnesses to back it up. Did you manage to gather evidence while you snooped through Luthor’s office?”
“I took a few pictures. It's not enough to get Lex convicted, I'm afraid.”
I try not to cry. I wish Clark weren't so matter-of-fact. Even the most tedious investigations used to be fun with him. But I have the distinct feeling this is going to be the last time we'll be working together.
The Daily Planet is destroyed and right now I can't imagine that he'd come to work with me for another newspaper. It seems my life is dangling by a bare thread. And once we've brought Luthor down, what keeps me from tumbling into a deep, dark abyss will be cut loose.
But much as I want to blame Clark for driving that wedge between us by telling me about his feelings, it's my own fault.
“Hey, don't worry, we’ll get him,” Clark says softly.
He gives me one of his brilliant smiles. I find it anything but reassuring, though. Not because I don't believe him. I do. Perhaps that's the problem.
“Clark…”
My heart is beating a mile a minute. What can I even say to win back his friendship, to make him give me another chance? And all in the brief time we have left before Perry, Jimmy and Jake will join us, before there's no time left to have a private talk.
He looks at me, full of a sympathy I don't think I deserve. “Yeah?”
I'm not sure I want to ask, I'm not sure I'm ready for his answer, but I have to know. “Do you think you can forgive me?”
There's a myriad of emotions rippling across his features. For a while he remains silent, pondering my question. I feel a huge lump in my throat and suddenly I want to tell him to forget I asked. It would be too painful to have him confirm that our friendship is lost.
When he finally opens his lips, there's a knock at the door saving us both.
“That should be the others,” he mutters.
He jumps to his feet and crosses the room.
I watch him, feeling the sudden urge to hold him back. If it were only the two of us working to bring Lex down, then maybe I could convince him to give me another chance.
But it's too late now. I've ruined it.
With trepidation, I stare after him. Agonizing seconds tick by, my last chance to talk to him alone going by. I want to say something, but I don't know what that could be.
And then Clark opens the door and the moment is over.
But it's not Perry or Jimmy or Jack, who's waiting outside.
I see the man who pushes past Clark and my heart stops.
It's Lex.
