Assignment V: Optional Assignment

By CarolM <carolmfolc@gmail.com>

Rated: PG-13

Submitted: September 2008

A/N: Thanks, as always, to Beth for her amazing beta skills and to Queenie for her title brainstorming help.

***** Optional Assignment *****

"I thought Perry said this was an *optional* assignment."

Clark smiled down at her as they flew. "He did."

"So why are we doing it?"

"Because he said if we wanted another week off, we had to."

"Right."

Lois looked at the profile of her husband as they flew. She was glad they were flying at night because it meant she could fly with *Clark* and not Superman.

Not that she didn't like flying with Superman, but now that she knew, she preferred Clark.

"And you already dropped our bags off?"

He nodded.

"And no one saw you?"

He nodded again. "I'm good."

"I know," she whispered as she played with the hair at the back of his neck.

"Stop that," he told her. "Unless you'd rather end up making love on Thomas Jefferson's nose."

She pulled away from him. "Excuse me?"

He stopped in mid-air. "We're so far off course already that I'd land down there on Mt. Rushmore and his nose is flatter than the others."

"Clark, there is something so inherently wrong with that."

He grinned at her. "Then stop torturing me."

She sighed and snuggled further down in his arms. "Fine." She rested her head on his shoulder. "Fly on."

He chuckled lightly. "Let's go."

Before long they landed and Lois turned to him with a wicked grin on her face. "Play along."

"With what?"

She just glared at him as she knocked on the door. "Play along or sleep on the couch."

He rolled his eyes. "Fine."

The door opened in front of them. "Hi, Martha," Lois said hugging the older woman.

"Lois! This is a surprise." Martha shot Clark a questioning look.

"Superman dropped us off."

"That was sweet of him," Martha said, putting her arm around Lois and giving Clark another look.

Clark just shrugged. "I'm not sure Superman likes being described as 'sweet', Lois."

Lois turned to smile at him. "He does when it's me doing the describing."

Clark rolled his eyes. "Perry sent us to cover the Corn Festival, Mom."

Martha led them into the kitchen, motioning to the table. "Have a seat. You missed the first night, but the big dance is tomorrow and so is the husk-off."

Clark stared at Lois with narrowed eyes as she gave him her best innocent look.

"I saw that article you two did on the Honeymoon High -- what was it they were putting in the food again?"

"It was a pheromone. Someone sprayed it all over the newsroom last year," Clark reminded her.

"I remember that." Martha set glasses of buttermilk on the table. "So Perry let you take a vacation in Hawaii?"

"Something like that," Lois said sweetly.

Clark glanced over at her again. "Yeah. Something like that."

"The article wasn't clear. Were either of you two affected by it?"

"It was in the food," Lois told her. "Superman detected it for us."

"He was there?" Martha asked, surprised.

Lois nodded. "Clark went downstairs to pick up some toiletries and while he was gone the food was delivered. Superman stopped by to see if there was anything we needed and he was able to detect the smells. And it doesn't affect Superman. At least not the 1% solution." She furrowed her brow. "The 100% solution sure did last time though." She sighed dreamily. "And he kissed me." A small smile crossed her face as she remembered that kiss. She felt her eyes start to narrow, but quickly fixed the smile in place.

That rat.

He hadn't been affected at the airport. He'd just wanted a chance to kiss her.

Although after the way she'd treated him the two days prior -- coming on to him, doing the dance of the seven veils like that -- it was amazing he'd held out that long.

"So, Mom," Clark started, changing the subject. "Where's Dad?"

"He's already asleep. He was up way before the chickens this morning." Martha pushed back from the table. "And I was up not long after him. It's time for me to go to bed, too, kids. Clark, you know where the blankets are."

Clark opened his mouth to respond, but a hand on his thigh stopped him. "Night, Mom."

"Night, sweetie." Martha kissed him on the cheek. "Night, Lois."

"Night, Martha."

Lois watched as she went up the stairs, before she stood. Clark pushed back from the table to follow suit but instead found Lois sitting on his lap -- one leg on either side of him.

"What are you doing, honey?"

"Getting ready to kiss my husband."

"Why didn't we tell Mom, exactly?"

Lois giggled. "I wanted to see if she noticed the rings."

"She noticed the rings."

"She did?"

"Trust me. She noticed the rings."

"Then why didn't she say anything?"

"She probably thinks they're still part of the undercover op."

Lois leaned in slightly to kiss him deeply. "Well, then. I guess you better go find the blankets so you can sleep on the couch."

"Not a chance," he whispered back.

She looked at him with her biggest, most innocent eyes. "Then where are you planning on sleeping?"

"In my bed."

"And you're going to make me sleep on the couch?"

"Oh, no, Mrs. Kent. You're sleeping with me."

"What on Krypton will your parents think?"

"That their son is finally getting lucky," Clark told her with a grin.

Lois pushed away from him and headed towards the stairs. "We'll see."

*****

Lois snuggled into Clark as he pulled the blanket around them. "Shouldn't we get dressed? Just in case?" she whispered.

Clark looked down at the floor where all of their clothes were strewn. Shoes were over by the door, socks next to them. Shirts were next, halfway between the door and the bed. Lois' bra was between the shirt and the bed. Clark's black jeans and boxers were bunched at the end of the bed and Lois' jeans and underwear were between the bed and the window.

"Do you really want to sleep in jeans?"

She shook her head and moved to lay underneath -- on top? -- of him, pushing him back into the ceiling. "Not yet." She kissed him lightly. "Now why, exactly, are we on the ceiling again?"

"Because my bed creaks and I didn't think you'd want to wake my parents up."

She giggled. "Good idea, then. But I figured you'd take me out to the hayloft."

He kissed her neck. "That's tomorrow night."

*****

Lois pulled one of Clark's old Smallville High T-shirts on and dug through the drawer until she found a pair of shorts that were probably from Jr. High.

Clark flew through the window with their bags and landed lightly on the floor, whistling softly. "My shirt and shorts have never looked so sexy."

She smiled at the sight of him in just his boxers. "Well, you've had enough for one night."

"I'll never get enough of you," he said, wrapping his arms around her.

"Well, for tonight, you've gotten all you're going to get. I'm ready for bed."

He grinned at her. "Really?"

"To sleep," she clarified.

"Spoilsport," he whispered as he floated them into a horizontal position and lowered them onto his bed.

He pulled the blanket up around them. "Good night, sweetheart."

"Good night, hot cakes."

*****

A knock on the door woke Lois up. "What?" she called grumpily.

"Sorry to wake you, Lois, but it's almost time to get ready for the Corn Festival."

"We... I'll be there in just a minute," Lois called with a smile, making the seeming misstatement on purpose.

"Okay."

"You're awful," Clark murmured into her hair.

"You love me," she reminded him, as one hand slid under her shirt to caress her stomach and he began to kiss the back and side of her neck.

"That I do." He sighed and stopped his movement. "Are we going to tell them today?"

Lois climbed out of bed and put a slight swing in her hips. "If they ask."

He rolled until he was propped on one elbow. "And that you know about the whole Kryptonian thing?"

She shrugged. "If it comes up, flyboy." She opened the door and headed to the bathroom.

Clark flopped back on the bed and groaned. He dressed quickly and headed down the stairs. A glance at the couch showed a pillow and rumpled blankets. That sneak. Lois had to have done that when he'd flown back to Metropolis for a quick patrol.

He shook his head. He was going to be in for it.

"Sleep well?" his dad asked innocently.

"Fine," he said, pouring two cups of coffee and fixing them the way he and Lois preferred.

"Couch comfortable?" This question came from his mom who was sipping her coffee.

"Ah..." He wasn't sure how to answer that without lying. "The couch is always comfortable." That was the truth.

"Morning." Lois came into the room, a smile on her face, still wearing Clark's clothes. "I hope you don't mind that I borrowed some clothes, Clark." She took the offered cup of coffee.

"No, it's fine."

"So when are you two going to tell us the whole story?" Martha asked.

"What?"

"Did you or did you not get married recently?"

Clark shrugged. "Told you she noticed," he said, taking a sip of his coffee and looking at his wife.

"You were right. Nothing gets by your mom."

"Nope."

"So, when was the big day?"

"Last week before Superman flew us to Hawaii," Lois told them.

Clark groaned. "Honey, if we're married, then you obviously know about my Kryptonian heritage."

Martha stood and moved to Lois' side. "Oh, Lois, welcome to the family."

Lois set her coffee down and hugged Martha back. "Thank you."

Jonathan slapped Clark on the back. "Congratulations, son."

"Thanks, Dad."

"So what are you two really doing here in Smallville instead of at home? Or still in Hawaii?" Martha asked as they all sat at the table.

"Well, we already spent a week in Hawaii," Lois told them. "But I told Perry we were taking another week off to get everything situated -- one of us moved, new bank accounts or whatever -- and he said that we had to come to the Festival if we wanted another week off. I think he was just getting us to spend a few days here with you two."

"Well, you're always welcome -- both of you," Jonathan said, smiling at his new daughter-in-law.

"Thanks."

Clark frowned. "You know, I probably should call Lana and break up with her."

Lois smacked his arm. "You're awful. Keep that up and you won't get a Tush Push tonight."

Clark just smiled at her and took another sip of his coffee. "I'm not too worried about it. I'm sure Lana will be there. And Rachel. And Jenny will be there, too. And maybe Lindsey. Victoria. Alisha. Beth. Nancy. Carolyn. I'm sure I won't be hurting for dance partners."

Lois' eyes narrowed. "I'm sure there's some Kryptonite around here somewhere. Your ship touched down not too far away, didn't it?"

Clark grimaced. "Don't even joke about that."

"Don't joke about cheating on me."

"Oh, honey, I know better. You'd manage to kill me eighteen ways using only a paper clip and leaving no forensic evidence, kryptonite or no kryptonite."

Lois smiled at him. "Got that right. Now, let's go get this assignment done so we can go break in the hayloft."

"Lo-is," Clark hissed, glancing at his parents.

Martha and Jonathan laughed. "Oh, Clark. You two won't be the first ones to break in that hayloft and I'd venture to say you won't be the last, either. I'd venture a guess that even your kids will be out here a time or two someday."

Clark sighed. "Fine. Let's go." He stood and took Lois' hand. "I need to introduce my *wife* to Smallville."