Blessings from Tipperary

By Saskia <saskiakooistra333@hotmail.com>

Rated: PG

Submitted: January 2004

Author's Note:

I feel like a little explanation for this story is in order. About four months ago, I was talking to Sara on IRC and we were discussing one of her favourite subjects: Tipperary and a certain wav file. At some point, the idea for this story was born. It was supposed to be short and funny, but instead, I think it got more waffy and way much longer. There are still some funny things in here, but you might not get them if you don't know Sara.

After having put the blame on her, I also have to thank Sara very much here. You're a fantastic BR and I don't know what I'd have done without you on this story! Thanks for explaining the same things over and over, for doing my research and for helping me with my Irish. ;) Also, thanks to Sara Kraft, who BR this story over and over in only a few days, made me change and add a lot and in general helped me improve this story as well as make me laugh a lot. You're the best! And a very big thank you to my GE, Tricia, for doing such a great job, for being so fast and catching some embarrassing mistakes I'd left in.

If you notice the use of both American English and British English, then it's entirely possible and my fault. When I started this story, I still wrote in AE, but for the last three months I've been living in the UK, so I now use BE. I've tried to fix most of it, but I'm sure there are still plenty in there.

The story takes place somewhere in early season 2. All Irish translations can be found at the end of the file as well as another disclaimer.

No copyright infringement is intended with this story.

Part 1

"Conas a cabhairim leat?"

"Well, you could start by speaking English since my partner here doesn't know any Irish," Clark told receptionist.

"Oh, of course! I'm sorry, but I thought you were from Ireland. We don't usually get tourists from abroad."

"That's okay."

"So how may I help ye?" the man asked in English.

"We just arrived here and we'd like to get a room."

"Let me check if we have anything available." The receptionist then proceeded to check his books.

"Clark," Lois warned under her breath, "We're *not* going to share a bed!" Her voice got steadily louder, though she did try to keep it low. "Come to think of it, not even a room! That wasn't part of the deal!"

It was one thing to go to Ireland with your partner from work; it was something else entirely to go spend it in the same hotel room. She didn't mind spending a weekend with her best friend in Ireland, but sharing a room? The last time they had to do so had been a disaster, she remembered. She didn't want that to happen this time, she just couldn't afford to have something happen and lose Clark as her best friend because of it. So why would she have to consider this now? Surely Clark would understand ...although, he had just said *a* room, so maybe...

No, she'd make sure nothing happened. Their current situation was easy to solve for a reporter like her.

The main question here was, *how* had she got herself in this situation? The more accurate question was how had she possibly managed to lose the bet? Yes, she, Lois Lane had lost a bet and now she was at Clark's mercy in some godforsaken place with three houses, a hotel and a lot of potholes in the middle of Ireland. What had she been thinking with that bet anyway?

Last Wednesday had been an unusually quiet day at work and there had been nothing, absolutely nothing to work with. At least, nothing worthy of Lois Lane, the reporter on it. So when Perry had handed them the press release of the dog show and the tactful message of expecting a story about it that day, she had first been speechless and then furious. At that stage Perry had been long gone, holed up in his office.

It had looked like they'd been really stuck with the most boring story she had ever been assigned. Clark hadn't been happy about it either, but he had thought they could make it interesting somehow. After all, they were Lane and Kent.

Nope, that one really hadn't worked on her, no matter how Clark said it. But she had seen a slightly interesting idea for competition in his words. And he had even agreed!

The deal - well okay, bet - was that they went to the dog show, stuck together so they had the same information, and back at the Planet they'd each write their own individual stories and submit them to Perry. He had to decide which one was better. The winner got to decide what they both were going to do during the whole weekend.

Mental note, Lane, do not bet with your gorgeous partner, she told herself for the umpteenth time.

Gorgeous? Where had that come from?

But going on vacation with him did mean something, she hoped. Maybe... well, she'd vowed to be honest with herself about her feelings for Clark and she was well on her way to falling in love with him. She'd probably been for a long time. Even though she'd denied and hidden it for most of the time she knew him, she no longer could. At least, not to herself. It was too obvious. First, it was him she had thought of during her near-wedding. Second, every time he walked into a room her heart did little flip-flops. Third, his smile made her melt inside. But most importantly, she missed him when he wasn't around.

So yes, she thought he was gorgeous. He was, of course. She couldn't remember a time when she hadn't been attracted to him. And she was jealous when other women noticed his attraction and good looks as well.

There was just one problem. He didn't return her feelings, he'd made that obvious long ago. She could never show her true feelings for him now, she was sure that would ruin even their friendship. If she couldn't have him the way she craved for, then she'd have him the way he wanted it. She just needed him in her life, and she could live with their current situation.

Well, back to the matter at hand.

Where was she? Oh right, the bet.

Needless to say, Clark had won the bet. She had to do everything he wanted this weekend... Of course, she should have expected he'd win with his talent for 'touchy-feel-good' stuff.

So they were in Ireland now, in some town called Tipperary, if she remembered it right. Superman had dropped them both off. That was something she had to ask Clark about later, just how had he managed to get Superman as his private airline?

But right now, Lois wondered more about what they were doing in Ireland, and more importantly, why Clark had refused to tell her until now.

She'd been a little lost in her thoughts and only now noticed a hand waving in front of her face. Right, Clark was still with her, and while she'd been thinking, she'd left him to talk with the clerk.

"Ireland to Lois! Hello! Anyone here?" Clark tried to catch her attention.

She rolled her eyes. "Ireland to Lois? Just what is that supposed to mean?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "You know, as opposed to 'Earth to Lois'."

She rolled her eyes again. Men. "Cute, Kent. Real cute."

"Come on, the clerk's waiting for us. He must have found an available room."

As they turned their attention back to the clerk, the man had already started to speak. "I've got a few rooms for you. Let's go over the options, shall we?" the receptionist told them.

They both nodded, hoping to get something decent. The first impression of The Green Fool, the hotel, was okay. Although Lois still wondered who had ever come up with such a silly name. Who was that fool and why was he green?

"Okay, so I've got a room with one bed, nice view, TV and bath and shower," the man started to tell them.

"What's the view up here?" Clark interfered.

"Fields with lots of cows - don't worry, you won't hear them at all - and some hills."

"Is that the only view?" Clark asked.

"No, rooms on the other side of the hotel look over the town."

"Okay, what about the other options?"

"There's a room with two single beds pushed together. One room has a bunk bed and is quite small. There's a family room and finally the honeymoon suite with a four-poster waterbed, a fireplace, Jacuzzi and minibar. All rooms come with a shower, some have a bath and TV. Every room has a cosy interior. So what will it be?"

Before Clark could open his mouth to reserve a room, Lois quickly interfered. "We'd like a moment to discuss the options, we'll be right back." She just had to make it clear to him that they needed a separate room, or that family room. Even the bunk bed room was discussable. But he just had to understand!

She couldn't share a room with him now! Not with her newfound feelings and his lack thereof, it would be disastrous!

"Take your time, missus," the man replied.

They both moved back to their earlier spot and Clark gave her a quizzical look.

"I know you get to choose the room, but you are going for the family room, right?"

"Lo-is!"

"Oh, please, Clark?" She tried to look as innocent and pleading as possible. She knew Clark liked her puppy dog look, so it was worth a shot, even if she had no idea how to create the look. It's not as if she actually used it a lot...

"What's it with you and sharing a room with a man?" Clark then asked, completely ignoring her attempt to persuade him.

"I... you know darn well what it is!" she blurted.

"Right, so the room with the view it is."

"Cla-ark!"

"Yes, Lois?"

"Maybe the bunk bed room then?" she tried again. She could live with sharing a room, but a bed as well? The prospect would normally make her heart accelerate, but those were just dreams. Faced with the real prospect, she wasn't sure if she could deal with sleeping in the same bed as her best friend while she loved him and he didn't return the feelings.

*****

Why was she so averse to sharing a room with him? He knew she trusted him not to try anything. Maybe she was just being stubborn as always. Well if that's the way she wanted to play, he could play too.

Clark rolled his eyes at her last comment. "You promised to do whatever I wanted to do this weekend, Lois. So I'm going to book the honeymoon suite."

A gasp was his only answer. "No funny business, I promise," he added for her reassurance. He booked the room, and ordered their dinner. All the while he heard Lois mutter about how unfair it was, that he was getting out of his league and somewhere in between something about it being fun as well as irritating. He knew she hated surprises, and she was up for one heck of a surprise this entire weekend. Hopefully, she'd like it all.

So far, he had been able to avoid telling her the reason for their brief visit to Ireland, but he'd do it over dinner. After all, they had stuff to do tomorrow before it happened tomorrow evening.

Clark hoped it was a good idea to bring Lois along. When they'd placed the bet, he had forgotten about his plans for the weekend. So when he'd won - Perry thought *his* approach on the dog show was very original - he just had to take Lois with him to Ireland. Well, it would be fun, that was for sure. With some luck, she would even let him take her to Limerick on Sunday before they flew back - Superman Express, of course.

He would have to find a way to take her back without letting her know his secret identity. He wasn't ready for her to know yet. They were just best friends. But he'd figure it out somehow. It was just going to be a bit more of a challenge on the way back.

He'd done it on the way here as well. He'd picked Lois up from her place in his disguise, claiming that he'd already dropped off Clark in Ireland. She'd believed him, and she had enjoyed the flight, but not as much as usual. She'd seemed very distracted, and she hadn't looked at him *once* with admiration in his suit. That had to be a good sign, at least, he hoped so.

He turned his head, and looked at the woman walking beside him. They were on their way to the honeymoon suite to freshen up and have some dinner. With the key in one hand, and his other hand on the small of Lois's back, he led the way to their room. In comfortable silence they rode the elevator to the highest level. There was a small hallway that led to their left and it ended at the door to their room. Lois took the keys from him and entered first.

He heard her sharp intake of breath when she looked at the room.

"Clark, look at it. It's beautiful! Who would've thought they'd have such a nice room out here?"

"I could have told you," Clark said with a huge grin on his face.

Before Lois could thwap him for that comment, there was a knock on the door and Clark went to answer it. A moment later, he reappeared with their luggage.

"Why don't you look around, while I put this away?"

*****

Lois headed off for the bathroom first. It was pretty big, and the shiny white walls greeted her the moment she opened the door. There was a large bath, a separated shower and a sink with two wash bowls. Behind another door, Lois found the toilet.

She moved on to the rest of the suite. There was the fireplace, and around it there were a lot of red pillows shaped as hearts. Next, she came to the window and all she could see were fields and cows. My, they really *were* in the country here. It reminded her of Smallville for some reason; Clark's parents also had a lot of fields and some cows.

Turning around, she stared at the huge four-poster. The bed had red spreads. Actually, everything around the room was shaped in little hearts and was coloured red. She had to admit, it wouldn't be all that uncomfortable. Next to either side of the bed was a minibar, and near the window stood a small table with their television.

So where was the Jacuzzi?

Lois was looking forward to using that. So where was it?

She looked around her and her eyes searched the room frantically. Bed - check. Fireplace - check. TV - check. Minibar - check. Jacuzzi - not found. Only then did she spot a door between the bed and the large window.

Quickly, she walked toward it and put her head around the door. The contents of the room surprised her and made her breath catch. The view that greeted her was a small room. In the centre was the Jacuzzi, surrounded by candles. The room had no window, so the candlelight would look perfect for some romance between newlyweds or whoever else stayed in the honeymoon suite. The wall opposite her was one large mirror.... she suspected that was for more effect of the light and the view for the lovers. Only then did she notice the shape of the Jacuzzi... another heart.

Yes, definitely a suite for honeymoons and lots of romance.

It didn't mean she would enjoy it any less!

Maybe she could even enjoy it with Clark...

Briskly, she turned around and went to test the bed. She carefully sat down on it and immediately felt the gulfs of the waterbed. Slowly, she started to move up and down a bit to test the mattress. If felt excellent, she figured she would sleep like a baby here. In one fluid moment, she let herself fall backwards and she could now see the ceiling. Behind her, she caught Clark's movements. As she turned around to lie on her stomach, she could see him smiling down at her.

"So, what do you think of it so far?" he asked as he sat down on his end of the bed.

She climbed up and sat beside him before she replied. "You know, this isn't as bad as I'd suspected. They've got some style here, and I like it. Maybe the weekend's gonna be fun after all."

"I'm sure we'll have fun." The big grin on his face told her she might not like his plans all that much.

"You mean you'll have fun on my expense, buster!"

"Oh, that's right, this is *my* weekend," he teased.

"Right. So are you going to tell me yet why we're in Ireland?" she asked eagerly.

"Not just yet."

"Cla-ark!"

"Lo-is!" he mimicked her.

"I'll tell you over dinner, all right?"

"Fine," she conceded, letting him know by her glare that it wasn't really, but she'd let him win for now. She'd let him have his fun. "So, when's dinner anyway?"

"It should arrive any minute now."

Right on cue, there were two short knocks on the door.

*****

A few minutes later they had settled themselves on the bed with their trays. The smells coming from the plates were excellent, and when Clark lifted the lid, she could see the delicious looking food. So that was bangers and mash. The guy who'd brought the dinner had mentioned the name and had explained it was real Irish food. To Lois, it looked liked ordinary mashed potatoes - even though the waiter had called it colcannon -with four sausages and a lot of gravy with onions.

Carefully, she took a few bites. "Hmmm, this is wonderful!" she exclaimed with widened eyes.

Clark just gave her a smile in return as he continued to eat the meal. He was irritatingly silent throughout dinner. She hated surprises and she hated the suspense, but she didn't want to give him the satisfaction of her begging, so she enjoyed her food in silence as well.

When they were both ready for the desert - chocolate mousse - Lois thought it was time her partner told his story. He'd been stalling long enough and it was only fair she knew why he'd taken her to Ireland. Of all the places and things she could have thought of, it had to be some far away island with a lot of rain and wind. He could have chosen Hawaii or something like that!

"Clark?"

"Yeah," he responded without looking up from his plate.

"It's time for you to fill me in."

"Sure," he said with a mischievous grin. "I was only waiting until you brought it up again."

She wanted to give him a smart retort back, but thought the better of it. She was more interested in that story of his. The only thing he received from her for now was a questioning look.

"Okay, you know how I've been travelling for some years?"

"Yeah."

"For a couple of weeks, I'd been to Ireland, mostly around Dublin. During those weeks, I met a young woman. She was a little older than me, but she treated me very nicely every time I visited the pub where she sang and played the piano. She had a beautiful voice, long red curly hair, grey eyes and a wonderful smile. Anyway, we became friends pretty fast and I've always stayed in touch with her."

At that point, Clark paused for a moment.

"What's this Irish woman got to do with us being here now?"

"Always the reporter, eh?" Clark teased her.

"Cla-ark!" her voice held a note of warning this time.

"Fine, fine! Tomorrow it's her birthday and I had promised her I'd drop by. She doesn't mind at all that I bring a friend along."

"So we're just here to go to a birthday party?"

"Not just any birthday party, but an *Irish* party."

"What's the difference?"

"She expects us to bring her a gift. And people who enter her house for the first time also have to bring her something typically Irish."

"What? You've *got* to be kidding me!"

"Nope, no joking," he told her with a sheepish grin.

"So this woman, does she have a name?"

"Sure."

"And that is..."

"Sara."

"So this Sara - a complete stranger - has her birthday tomorrow, and I'm going to her party with an Irish present, and I have no idea what that is, and I'm going to do this all because it's your idea of fun? A nice weekend away? Come on, Clark, what's the real deal here?"

"What do you mean?"

"You'd thought you could make fun of me? Fool me? But I know you, Kent! So tell me why we're really here."

"Lois, I just told you! We're going to Sara's birthday party since that was my plan for this weekend and I won the bet. I couldn't change it, that would be rude. And since she doesn't mind me taking you along, I thought it would be fun. The only catch is that we have to get an Irish present for you to give, but that can't be so hard. I honestly thought we'd have fun! And haven't you been to Ireland before?"

"Yeah, yeah, but that was Dublin and that's just different. You know how hung up on cities I am. This is a *small* town... or village. I'm not even sure it qualifies as a town. Sorta like Smallville." She gave him a challenging glare.

"I'm aware of the fact." Clark gave her a smile. "Come on, let's finish desert and then talk this through."

Several minutes later, they were both finished and had put the trays in the hallway for room service to pick up. Clark had already called them and had made the proper arrangements. He'd even ordered breakfast for the next morning.

"So here's the deal. Tomorrow morning, we'll go do some sight seeing. We'll have lunch in town before we go hunting for the Irish gift. And I have an idea for that, so don't worry. After that, dinner at the hotel and we can change then before we go to the party. As for Sunday, I was thinking we'd go to Limerick, the third largest *city* of this country, to do some shopping and after that, we'd head home by Superman Express again."

"Okay, sounds fair enough. I can live with that. Just two more questions," Lois responded.

"Yes?"

"Just what are the proper Irish gifts? And how is Superman going to find us?" she asked. "Oh, and what time does he pick us up? And does he *mind* that we're using him as our personal chauffer?" she added as an afterthought.

"That's four questions." He gave her a wink. "To answer the first one, it's best to leave that till tomorrow when we go hunting for the presents."

"Hunting?" Lois squeaked.

"You'll see. It'll be fun, just you and me and an afternoon in the country."

"I don't see the fun in that, but since it's your weekend, I'll let you get away with it, farmboy!" She tried to sound casual, but the few high pitches in her voice were too obvious.

"Thank you, Lois." Clark gave her another huge smile. "As for Superman, he doesn't mind at all since we're all friends and I have arranged to meet him Sunday around 4pm in front of Limerick's SuperMacs."

"You have?"

"Yup!"

"One of these days you have to tell me how you do that!"

"Do what?" he asked her innocently.

"How you... oh, never mind!" she threw her hands in the air in frustration. He could be such a lunkhead at times, and from experience, she knew it was best to ignore it. No matter how badly she wanted to know more about his relationship with Superman. She wasn't jealous of it, but it would make some things in her life a lot easier if she could have a little super help once in a while. It wasn't because of how she felt about the man in tights anymore. She was over that, she tried to tell herself. She had to be. She had deeper feelings for someone else...

"You're cute when you do that," Clark told her.

"Thank you," she blushed lightly. "But you changed the subject!"

"I know. Look, Lois, it's getting late, and I'm a bit tired after the travel and time change. I could use some sleep."

Lois glared at him for a moment before she conceded. "Yeah, I'm a bit tired too. I'll take the bathroom first."

Several minutes later, they were both ready to head for bed, but still stood at the head wondering about the sleeping arrangements.

"I know how I said we'd share the bed since it's my weekend, but if you feel uncomfortable about it as you made clear earlier, I can still sleep on the floor. On the cushions by the fire place," Clark said as he pointed to the red hearts on the floor.

"No, no, that's all right. If anyone should sleep on the floor it should be me," Lois responded.

"Oh no, I am not letting you sleep on the floor, Lois."

"So we're just going to share the bed. It's big enough," Lois stated matter of factly, though she felt anything but. A light blush crept on her face again and she had her stare directed to the bed, trying her best to avoid looking at the attractive man standing beside her. He was only wearing boxer shorts and his muscled chest looked amazing. She'd often wondered how it would feel under her hands...

Stop it, Lane! She scolded herself. Just because you might love him, didn't mean he returned the feelings and now was definitely not the time to think about such things.

Before she could think more about that, she returned her thoughts to the conversation.

Bed.

Sleeping arrangements.

Clark.

She really needed to focus on that one.

She'd just told him they were going to share a bed. Despite everything she'd said back in the lobby. She'd acted on instinct again.

That meant they'd be together in that bed for the entire night. So it was a large bed, and they could easily share it, but it still meant she'd sleep in that bed with Clark.

Was he a restless sleeper? Did he snore? Was he a sleep walker? Would he pull the blankets his way? Did he talk in his sleep?

There were just countless things to worry about.

Hold on!

For men, didn't sharing a bed and sleeping together mean the same thing as having sex?

She let out a groan as she thought about what she'd just said. Would he think that...

Surely not, right? This was *Clark* she was talking about. The last decent guy on Earth. Anyway, he didn't feel that way about her, so why was she worrying anyway? Or was it because she really wanted more? Just what was wrong with her?

She was overreacting. Clark wouldn't try anything. He didn't even love her so why would it cross his mind?

"Lois? What's the matter?" Clark's voice suddenly cut through to her.

"Nothing. It's nothing!" she hastened to reassure him.

"Are you really sure about sharing the bed? You don't look too happy right now. If you don't want to, I can still go sleep on those cushions."

"No, don't be silly! Look, Clark, the bed is big enough for both of us, so why wouldn't we share it?"

"Because for some reason it's troubling you?"

"Okay!" She threw her hands in the air. "I was just thinking... I mean, I don't even know if you snore."

"That's what's got you worried?" Clark asked.

"Yeah, and I just thought, you know, if maybe you'd expect more of me now." Had she really said that out loud? He wouldn't think she'd *want* it?

A pair of shocked eyes greeted her. "Lois, I told you before, and I'll say it again now. We're here to sleep. I promise you, no funny business. My parents raised me better than that. And my mom says I sleep like a baby, so you don't need to worry about the snoring."

"Yeah, but..."

"No strings attached, Lois. I don't want to throw our friendship away over such a thing. So let's just sleep. Do you trust me?"

"I've always trusted you, Clark," she admitted. "And I know you're different than other men. You're my boy scout, after all, so I don't know why I was worried."

"Lois, is there something else you want to tell me?"

She let out a yawn before she replied. "No, not really. I'm fine. Come on, let's get some sleep."

Clark kept eyeing her sceptically, so she gave him a smile before she walked to her side of the bed. Soon, Clark lay beside her, with his face turned to her. She could see his gorgeous features in the light cast by the small bed lamp above their heads. He'd taken off his glasses and his hair was tousled around his face. The dark brown eyes looked at her, and his lips were turned up in a smile before he reached over to turn off the lamp.

"Goodnight, Lois," he whispered.

"Goodnight, Clark."

*****

Clark awoke around 4am. He had no idea what had stirred him from his sleep. He couldn't hear any calls for help, so that wasn't it.

Just then, he became aware of a slight weight on his chest. He looked down on the sleeping form of his partner.

During the night, she must have rolled over and sought the warmth of his body. He wasn't complaining about it at all. Now that they finally were this close - yet he knew nothing would ever happen - he felt his body react. He was glowing and it made him feel better than ever. He knew it wasn't correct, but right now, the moment was just perfect.

This was how he pictured his future. Them, together, forever.

If only it could be really true, but he couldn't allow himself to even dream about it. He would only get hurt if he started to think she might finally return his feelings. She didn't, she'd made it clear often enough by now. Sure, she loved him, but only as a brother and her best friend.

Even now, while she was the one who'd rolled over to him, it was only because she'd been cold and had found him to keep her warm. That was the only reason.

What else could it be? She didn't love him like that, even if it was nice to think she did. But it was only foolish to go down that road again. He was thrilled they were best friends, and if that was all they'd ever be, than so be it. He'd rather have her in his life than not at all.

If she did return the feelings, than surely she'd have said so or the very least hinted at it. She *had* to know how he felt about her... and she clearly ignored it.

Friendship was all they had. And partnership, of course, at work.

But right now, he didn't care. They were here, together, and she lay rolled up on his side. It wouldn't hurt to sleep like that, even if it was only once. He'd treasure the memory and it would be enough for him.

She did look beautiful. One arm rested on his chest, her head lay on his shoulder and she'd curled up close to him. A few locks of hair fell over her face; the rest of her hair was sprawled over the pillows. Her lips were curled up in a smile and she breathed regularly. Clearly, she looked happy.

Clark gave her a kiss on top of her head and put an arm protectively around her back before returning to sleep.

His last thought before he was asleep again was that he'd sure have nice dreams.

*****

Part 2

The sun shone brightly through the windows and the room looked even better than it had the previous day, Lois thought as she slowly woke up early the next morning.

Her subconscious told her there was something lying on her left.

"Oh, God, Clark!" she whispered. As she opened her eyes, she indeed saw the form of her sleeping partner beside her. She figured he must have rolled over during the night. A more thorough look told her that Clark was still on his side. That could only mean one thing...

She had rolled over onto him!

Sweet Divine Mother Of All That Is Pure!!!

It must have been the attraction, she figured. But she'd never acted on it before!

On the other hand, she hadn't had to share a bed with him since she had figured out how much she loved him. She'd done her best to put her feelings away, but it was just impossible.

She'd tried to hide it from the people around her, especially Clark.

It looked like she'd done a poor job of it, though. Her subconscious had made her roll over and nestle in Clark's arms during her sleep. She could only hope he hadn't noticed what had happened.

He smelled good first thing in the morning, she suddenly noticed.

He looked good first thing in the morning as well.

For the first time in all the months that she had known her partner, she could study his face without having to look past his glasses. He was so handsome. And she was so in love with him.

And he wasn't with her, she reminded herself once again.

She had to try to roll away again so Clark wouldn't notice it when he woke up, if he hadn't already before. But she didn't want him to wake up like this. The situation would only be embarrassing for the both of them and she wasn't about to give him an explanation.

Lois had no idea how to get away from him without waking him up. Her right leg lay between his legs, her right arm lay on his chest and her head had nestled in the crook of his shoulder while Clark had put his right arm around her and his hand rested on her back.

Fifteen minutes later, Lois was back on her side and sighed in relief. She'd done it, and it looked as if Clark was still asleep.

She studied his face once more. The strong jaw line, his gorgeous chocolate brown eyes now covered by his eyelids, his hair slightly slicked backwards and a smile on his face.

He looked absolutely adorable.

It was the first time she had a chance to study his face that carefully without the glasses. It looked familiar somehow, as if she'd seen it before... But no matter how hard she thought about it, she couldn't remember. Maybe she'd figure it out after she had a shower and some coffee.

*****

Clark woke up slowly when he felt some movements. He quickly realised Lois had woken up and was now trying to do her best to untangle herself from him without waking him up. She hadn't succeeded with that, but what else was expected of Superman? He decided to play with her and let her move to her side of the bed without having her know she had woken him up after all. He'd have some fun with her anyhow later on the day.

Some time later, the warmth of Lois's body was gone and he heard her sigh. With slightly opened eyelids, Clark stared at her. Even now, early in the morning, with her hair uncombed and without make-up, she looked beautiful and perfect. Quickly, he turned around before he gave away that he was awake after all. He loved her, completely and irrevocably. If only she'd feel the same way... He knew she liked him, and sometimes he thought she might feel more, but those moments only lasted for a few seconds and he couldn't be sure she meant it that way. At least it was enough for him; there was still hope, and that was enough for now.

Maybe he'd find out more after the weekend. Or more precisely, after tonight.

In order to find that out, they'd better get started with the day. Slowly, he turned to lie on his back again and put his arms above his hand in a stretching motion while at the same time letting out a yawn.

*****

Later in the day, as they made their way towards the fields from the place they'd had lunch at, Lois had to admit the Irish country wasn't so bad after all. They'd spent all morning looking around at the Rock of Cashel, which, she'd learned, was a stone fort. Clark had told her about its history and he'd even pointed out some interesting landmarks. Having her own personal tour guide definitely had its advantages at times.

Right now, they were up for the more unpleasant part of the day. They had to find a gift for that Sara-person. And why they were going to do that on a field she still didn't know, but she trusted Clark. She did hope it wouldn't take so long; it was getting quite cold and it looked as if it would rain soon as well. She didn't mind spending time with Clark, in fact, she could easily get used to having him around her 24/7, but in a cosy, warm place. Like their hotel room.

The memory of how she'd woken up that morning still made her blush. It had made her feel good, warm, safe and just plain perfect. As if she was made to lie in his arms. She could easily repeat it tonight, if he let her.

That was just where the problem lay. What did Clark want? Because she had finally figured out what it was that she wanted from him. She was in love with her partner. She'd probably been in love with him for months already, but it was only in the last few weeks that she had actually dared to admit it. She was head over heels in love with him; she didn't know what do without him; his mere presence lightened up her day; her heart did flip-flops when he entered the room she was in.

She loved Clark.

But what about Clark? He had told her so many months ago that he loved her, that he'd do anything for her, including stopping her marriage to Lex. But then he'd taken back the declaration. It had left her so confused, and she still couldn't figure out when he'd been lying. Sometimes she thought he'd just taken back the declaration so he would have her back as a friend, back to what they both knew, what they both were comfortable with. She'd seen him stare at her, with a look that was hard to define. And then there were all the other small details that made her believe he was in love with her too. But he could act so distant as well, and there were all his excuses when he'd just run away, often in the middle of an important or intimate conversation. She just couldn't figure him out.

Most of all, she had no idea what to do. Should she confess? Risk her heart and possibly their friendship? Was she prepared to make that incredibly scary step? Clark was just too important to her, and she needed him in her life. If he didn't return her feelings, things would get awkward and surely their close friendship would suffer. And if he did return her feelings, what would happen if they later broke up?

See, it was better to not say anything to Clark. Maybe it would just grow naturally. Or better yet, she'd wait for him to make a move. That way, she would be sure about his feelings while at the same time not making a fool of herself.

Still, she couldn't help but think what could happen if they did get together. They were on vacation, after all. Even though they'd return home tomorrow, a lot could happen in a day.

She smiled as an image formed in her head. Them, lying on bed, in each other's arms, kissing. A shiver ran down her spine.

"Lois, are you all right?" Clark's voice cut through her thoughts.

"I'm fine, Clark," she assured him.

"Are you sure? You're not cold, are you? I mean... you just shivered."

Lois turned to him and put a hand on his arm. "I'm not cold, that shiver was caused by something different."

"Oh?" he asked, clearly interested in hearing more.

"Never mind. Are we nearly there yet?" she asked in order to change the subject.

He just raised his eyebrows and played along. "Yeah, I think so."

"You *think* so?" Lois asked sceptically. "I think it's time you tell me just what that gift is supposed to be, buster!"

"Okay."

"Well?" Lois demanded as she stood before him with her arms crossed.

"You know how I said the gift has to be authentically and typically Irish?"

"Yeah..."

"Well, that means there are two options," Clark obviously tried to stall again.

"And they are?" Lois prodded.

"Leprechauns or shamrocks," Clark replied as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

"What?" Lois stared at him in shock. She knew perfectly well what both were, and thus that it was practically impossible to obtain them.

"Leprechauns or shamrocks," he casually repeated.

"I heard you the first time, Clark," Lois sneered. "But you seriously think those are good presents?"

"Well, yeah."

"You do realise just what leprechauns are and where you can usually find them?"

A nod and stare were her only answer from him.

"So you expect us to find a gnome that is supposed to bring good luck once you're able to catch it? A dwarf that is hard to catch, only pulls pranks and is usually found on the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow?"

"Yup."

"So how on Earth did you expect us to find one?"

"Well... I still see the sun shining, and it's about to start raining so I figured there'd be a rainbow coming up soon..." Clark started.

"And you thought we'd just walk to the end of the rainbow? Come on, Clark, you know as well as I do that these tales are rubbish. There are no pots of gold at the ends of rainbows. And leprechauns? Don't make me laugh!"

"Lois, we're in *Ireland*."

"So?"

"Some people here do believe the stories."

"I don't, and that's the entire point of it."

"All right, how about shamrocks then?"

"And where did you expect to find those? This looks like a lot of grass to me..."

"We search?"

"Cla-ark!!"

"What?"

"I'm cold and you want us to search for a stupid flower?"

"Did you have any other suggestions then?"

"Go back to the hotel, skip the party and have some fun together sounds like a perfect deal to me."

"Lois, I can't do that!"

"Why not?"

"I promised Sara I'd go to her birthday party. I haven't seen her in a while, so at least *I* want to go there tonight."

"Fine, then you go."

"Without you?"

"Sure."

"I brought you here, so I won't leave you on your own. What would you do alone?"

"There is that bar in the hotel..."

"If you want to get drunk, than at least go to the party where you will have some fun as well."

"And that gift then?"

"Oh, yes, well... ehm... let's just have a look in that little shop back in town, I'm sure they sell *something* useful."

"Okay. But had you seriously wanted to go look for a leprechaun or shamrock, Clark?" she asked, still not believing the suggestion.

"Of course not! I thought we could just have a nice afternoon in the Irish country," he hastened to assure her.

"Oooh! I'm not ruining your plans now, am I?"

"Not at all, Lois, not at all! Come on, let's get back and warm up again."

"Fine with me!" she readily agreed.

"And Lois?" Clark asked tentatively.

"Yes?"

"Just what did you mean with we can have fun together in the hotel?"

"What?" What was he talking about now? She'd really lost him now.

"That's what you just said earlier," he clarified.

"I did?"

"Yup," he said as he eagerly nodded.

"Well, ehm... we still have to try that Jacuzzi..." she tried to cover up her embarrassment with that statement. In a way it was true, but that was not what she'd actually had in mind.

"True." He gave her a smile and suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled her along. "Come on, all the more reason to hurry now. If we're fast, we can try it before we have to go to that party."

*****

A few hours later, Lois sat in front of the mirror getting ready for the party. She was carefully applying a light layer of make up, Clark noticed as he walked out of the bathroom. With or without make up, she always looked gorgeous to him, but at the moment, she looked absolutely stunning, even though she wore nothing out of the ordinary. A pair of jeans, a simple black shirt and black boots with just a small heel. Just perfect for the occasion.

Next to Sara, she'd be the star of the party.

His little star, he hoped.

After last night, and the events of the day, Clark was almost certain that Lois's feelings for him had to be stronger than just friendship. As he knew she was the one for him, and that nothing would ever change that, he just had to find out what she felt. And tonight's party was the perfect opportunity.

They'd be in a room with mostly strangers, so they'd spend most of the evening together. He would lightly bring the topic up and see where it took them. If he just kept it casual, he figured that if he got yet another rejection, it wouldn't be so painful and clear and hopefully it wouldn't affect their friendship. Now, if she didn't reject him, it would be all the better and he thought all the signs... if he had interpreted them correctly... pointed into that direction.

There were plenty of hopeful signs.

Like how she had rolled over to him last night. Or the way she smiled at him all weekend. And the secret glances. He wasn't supposed to have seen or noticed them, but with his super senses, he had, and it had made his heart beat slightly faster.

They'd been walking close to each other all day, since it was cold. But Lois *had* sought the comfort of his body and his arm around her shoulder plenty of times. And they'd been talking and laughing all day long. Not once was there a sign of an argument; they just enjoyed each other's company.

But the biggest clue had been the events in the Jacuzzi. Clark smiled at the memory.

After they had returned from the field to the village, they'd bought some gifts in the local store. They'd also obtained some swimming gear so they could use the Jacuzzi. After a quick bite to eat in the hotel, they had taken two steaming mugs of tea up with them to drink in the bath.

It hadn't taken long for the water to get hot and bubbly, so they'd hopped right in. The first half hour they had just sipped their tea, enjoyed the bath and had hardly talked at all.

Clark had no idea what had suddenly changed. Maybe it was something with the tea... or just the environment... But all of a sudden, Lois had started to talk about romance and how wonderful that bath was. He'd played along with her, not knowing just what she was up to. A long talk had followed about the perfect date and the atmosphere of the room they were in. Slowly, they had moved closer to one another, until they were sitting side by side.

Her skin had felt smooth and soft under his touch. It had been on accident, so he'd removed his hand from her leg quickly again, but she hadn't even seemed to have minded. Their eyes had locked, and what Clark had seen in her eyes was hard to describe. It had looked like desire, and maybe a touch of love... If only that could be true.

He knew he must have looked like an idiot who was totally in love with her. Lois hadn't said a word about it, though, and they'd just been staring at each other. Slowly, their heads had come closer and their lips had been about to touch...

Clark wasn't sure anymore who had been the first to react, but almost simultaneously they'd jumped up and moved away from the other. The awkward moment had only lasted until he'd suggested Lois was the first to take a shower and get dressed for the party.

The mention of the party had made them both feel more relaxed again, and they hadn't talked about what had nearly happened.

Clark had felt the spark between them, and he only hoped she'd felt it too... or better yet, that she might finally love him after all.

He just couldn't imagine his life without her in it. The perfect picture would be to have her as his wife, in their house, with the kids running around in the garden. If only it would happen...

"I'm ready to go," Lois said as she turned around to face him.

He smiled at her. "So am I. Let's go, I'm starving!"

"I could use some food as well before we start drinking," Lois admitted.

Clark helped her into her coat, and they headed towards the hotel's restaurant.

*****

After dinner, they stepped inside the pub where the party was held. The smell of smoke was immediately noticeable, and Lois saw a lot of people crowded together in the main room, all drinking beer. Clark led the way inside, presumably towards that Sara- person. She caught a few bits of conversation on the way, and to her surprise, none of it was in English!

A slight feeling of panic overtook her. She was in a pub, in a strange country, where she knew nobody and she didn't even understand the language. What had she been thinking? Why had she let Clark talk her into coming after all? She'd have been happy to spend a few more hours in that Jacuzzi...

The bath had been wonderfully relaxing and she'd enjoyed it very much. Even if she still didn't know what had come over her to ask Clark all those questions, which could have lead to a lot of embarrassment. But it hadn't. On the contrary, it had made things a lot clearer to her.

He hadn't said as much, but she was fairly certain his feelings for her ran deeper than mere friendship after all. She'd just lacked the courage to tell him right there and then.

And then there had been that kiss... okay, so it was a near-kiss, but they'd both *wanted* it. They'd stared mesmerized into each other's eyes and both their heads had moved and lips had been parted, eagerly awaiting what was about to happen.

But then her conscience had interrupted, saying that she should only kiss him if she was one hundred percent certain of his feelings. She didn't know what had happened to Clark, but they'd both moved away at the same time and at the same speed.

It had been Clark who'd rescued the awkward moment by suggesting she'd take a shower and mentioning the party. It had kept them both distracted and busy getting ready.

But how she wished they *had* kissed after all. Her entire body longed for him, for his kisses, for his touch. They'd kissed before, but always for different reasons, none of which were romantic. So she knew he was an excellent kisser. She wanted him to kiss her now, to make her feel special... wanted. Loved.

Maybe they could talk about that later.

Suddenly, they stopped walking, and Lois saw Clark was talking to a tall woman with curly bright red hair. She was smiling from ear to ear and she seemed really happy. The conversation went on in Irish, so Lois didn't understand a single word of it, but it sounded very odd, nothing like English at all.

*****

It took some time, but finally they'd made it to the back of the pub where Clark knew Sara would receive all her guests. From afar, he'd caught a few glimpses of her. Her hair was still as red as he remembered it, and now that they were close, he could see she looked as great as always. She hadn't changed one bit.

As they approached her, she recognised him as well and she walked towards them.

"Dia dhuit, Clark! Taim go sona sasta go bhfuil tu anseo in eineacht liom."

"Dia's Mhuire duit, is Padraig, Sorcha," he greeted her back and gave her a hug. "Breithla sona duit!! Taim go sona sasta go bhfuil me anseo in eineacht leatsa, freisin."

"Conas ata tu?"

"Bhuel, taim ar mhuin na muice! Agus ortsa?"

"An-mhaith," she replied before changing the subject. "Ce hi in aice leat."

"Sorcha, is i Lois, ach nior aithinionn si aon focail Gaeilge." He then turned to Lois. "Sorry, I know you can't follow it, but I'd like you to meet my friend Sara."

"Hey Sara, happy birthday."

"Thank you, Lois. It's nice to finally meet you."

"Oh, has he been talking about me?"

"Don't worry, I've only heard good stuff," Sara told her with a wink.

"Come on, Lois, give her our gift," Clark interrupted. Ladies and gossip... when did they learn not to do that in front of their object?

"Oh, right. We got this for you."

Sara took the gift and quickly unwrapped it. "Oh, it's beautiful!" she exclaimed delighted. "How did you know I wanted that? Thank you both so much!" And before they knew it, she gave them both a hug.

"It's busy, and there are still more guests coming, so I'll see you two later." She then turned her attention to Clark. "Suigi sios. Ceannaim na deochanna go leir, agus bhaineann sibh taitneamh as an la! Beidh me ag caint leatsa tar eis tamaill."

"Come on, I see a free table over there," Clark said as he pointed to the place.

After some wrestling past other guests, they took a seat and ordered two pints of Guinness.

"So what do you think of Sara?" Clark asked anxiously.

"She seems nice, really open and friendly. I think I'd like her once I get to know her better," Lois told him.

"Yeah, I think you two would be great friends."

"I'm glad she also liked the gift."

"I told you she would. She loves shamrocks! No matter what way you give them. But she prefers the stone ones, since she likes to throw them at people. She gets pleasure out of hitting them and causing a bump on their heads..."

"She what?" Lois squeaked.

"I don't know why, but it's true. I'm sure you're safe, she's too busy tonight to think about such a thing."

"Is that another Irish tradition or something?"

"No, just something she loves to do. Compare it to you and... eating Double Fudge Crunch bars," he just couldn't help but tease her.

"Hey now!" She gave him a thwap on the arm. Hard.

"Ouch!" he faked. He couldn't let her know he hadn't even felt that!

"You deserved that, Kent! You don't make fun of my chocolate bars," she said and burst out laughing then. "Don't look so silly, Clark, you know how much I love those bars!"

Clark couldn't help but laugh as well. It was the entire atmosphere. Everyone around them laughed occasionally, and everyone was happy and cheerful.

Sara chose that moment to hit the stage, announcing that the dance floor was now open and the band would start to play. But first, she would sing a song to all her friends and guests. Clark quickly translated for Lois what she had said.

"She can actually sing?" Lois asked incredulous.

"Yeah, and very good at that too."

They listened for a while. Clark softly whispered the words along as he recognised the song.

"This is a nice song," Lois said. "What's it called?

"It's 'She Moved Thro' the Fair', Sara's favourite song. It's an old Irish song she loves to sing, and she has even won a few prizes with it," Clark responded.

"Wow! She must be really good then."

"Yeah, she is."

At that point, the song ended and the audience gave her a well- deserved round of applause.

"Thank you, thank you!" Sara literally beamed. "Now let's dance!" And the band started to play a fast tune.

"Do you mind if I go talk to Sara for a bit?" Clark suddenly asked.

"No, go ahead! I'll enjoy myself with the beer."

"Don't drink too much without me," he joked. "I'll be back soon!"

*****

Lois looked around the room. How different this pub was from what she had seen in Dublin years ago. This had to be how they lived on the countryside, and she had to admit she liked it. Everyone was so open and friendly. If this had been Metropolis, she'd have wondered what everyone was up to and what they were trying to hide from her, but here, she genuinely believed everyone meant it.

The people here could really drink as well, she concluded. She'd seen that some guys had had about three beers in fifteen minutes. They probably would have quite a hangover the next morning...

She took another sip from her beer. To her surprise, she liked the Irish beer. It was strong, but it tasted really good. Why hadn't Clark taken her here earlier? This was fantastic!

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw an older man approaching her. He looked a bit odd, and he surely already had too much to drink. Just her luck again!

"Dia dhuit, a mhil. Ca raibh tu ag deanamh ar do t-aonar?" he brawled.

"I'm sorry, but I don't speak Irish, and..." she started to explain but he cut her off roughly.

"Ceannionn me deochanna fut. Ca raibh tu ag ol?" And with that, he disappeared again.

So they had weirdoes here as well. He'd been easy to get rid of, Lois thought to herself. Right then, she saw him returning with two pints of beer.

"Anseo, mo stor. Cad is ainm duit?"

"Excuse me, but I don't want your beer and I'm just waiting for Clark to return." Somehow, she had to get rid of him. He unnerved her. Where was Clark when she needed him?

"Is bhean alainn tu! Ta mormheas agam ort!"

Lois wanted to yell for him to leave her alone. She didn't understand a single thing he was saying and the way he talked to her was creepy. She expected him to sit down next to her any minute now. If he did, she would leap up and run off. This was *not* her idea of fun!

"Stop ag caint uirthi!" A strong familiar voice suddenly warned.

"Clark!" she shrieked.

"Agus ce he tu?" The man said dangerously. But it didn't matter, Clark was there for her and he'd rescue her.

"Ta si in eineacht liom!" Clark replied. Couldn't he talk in English so she'd know what was going on?

"O, ta Daidi anseo!" Now the man sounded like he was making fun of someone, probably her.

"Is i mo leannani!" Clark said, making it sound like he was protecting her.

"Ta eagla orm anois! Cruthaigh e!" The guy took a challenging posture. Just what was going on? Lois didn't understand a single thing about it. Couldn't the guy just leave?

"Ceard?" There was some shock in Clark's voice.

"Cruthaigh e!"

"Fine, I'll show you," Clark finally said in English.

Show her what, though?

He moved to stand beside her. What was he doing? He lifted her chin with one and then he bent over her.

He was going to kiss her!

Oh, god! Clark was really going to kiss her!

But why... just a minute ago he was chasing that fellow away...

Just what was she doing? Clark was going to *kiss* her! Why did it matter what the reason was? She wanted him to kiss her and now he was going to...

She lifted her head a bit more and opened her lips in invitation. And then his lips were on hers and she lost all sense of thoughts. Her heart started to beat faster and faster, and she felt herself glow all over. She reached up with her hands and tugged his head closer to hers. His arms came around her back, and he pulled her up and hugged her close to him.

A soft moan escaped her as they deepened the kiss. She felt his hands gliding up and stroking her hair in gentle movements. She closed her eyes and let herself enjoy the kiss. All she wanted was for the moment to never end.

Suddenly, Clark let go of her lips, but he held her close to him. She smiled at him as she breathed heavily. That was too good to stop, so she pulled Clark down to her and kissed him again. He responded eagerly.

"Cain. Bhuaigh tu, amadan," she heard the guy mumble, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw him walking away.

After a while, they broke off the kiss, but they never lost contact. "Just what was all that about?" Lois asked, still panting a bit from the breath-taking kiss.

*****

My, what a kiss that had been. He'd totally lost himself and had got out of control. But Lois hadn't seemed to mind. In fact, she'd eagerly responded and it had been her who had initiated the second kiss...

She felt so wonderful under his touch... She made him feel very special. As if he was on fire. There were the sparks... had she noticed it too?

He gazed down at her, trying to think of something to say, to answer her question.

"Well, you know... it's just... a kiss?" he stuttered.

She stared at him, searching his face. "Just a kiss?"

"Well ehm..." What was he supposed to say? Should he admit?

"Clark Kent! That was no ordinary kiss!"

"I know, that was pretty terrific." He let out a sigh. "I guess we should talk..."

"Yeah," she kept staring at him with that look of total adoration. He actually had to pull her down with him so they could sit. She obviously had no intention of letting him go yet, as she settled herself on his lap. Her head rested on his shoulder and he put two arms around her.

If she was willing, then who was he to argue with her? The last thing he'd ever expected was for something like this to happen, but it had... and it felt good to hold her and kiss her...

"So why did you kiss me?" Lois whispered.

He smiled down on her. "I told that guy you were my girlfriend so he'd leave you alone. But he didn't believe me and wanted me to prove it... so I kissed you."

"Hmmm," she purred. "I like it when you protect me like that."

"I like doing it, Lois."

A silence followed, and he could feel her hand circling over his chest.

"How about kissing me again, then?" she finally said.

"But shouldn't we..." Clark objected, thinking they should talk first. He quickly thought the better of it, and he captured her lips in another sweet kiss.

One kiss was followed by several others, as they couldn't get enough of each other and moans and whispered sweet nothings were exchanged.

Clark stared down at the woman he loved. She was absolutely amazing... and he guessed it was about time he took the risk of telling her...

Taking a deep breath, he looked her in the eyes and then whispered, "Lois, I love you."

She smiled at him before replying. "I love you too, Clark."

Had she...

Did she...

She loved him too!

Clark didn't waste any time and pulled her close for yet another kiss. He had no idea how long they sat like that, just kissing, but after a while, he started to notice the people around them again, and also the music. A soft tune was playing. It was an English song he really liked.

"Lois, do you want to dance?"

"Oh, yes, I love this song!" she responded.

*****

As they danced, Lois couldn't believe what had just happened.

Clark had kissed her.

They'd kissed.

Plenty of times.

And he'd said he loved her!

And she'd said it as well!

She had no idea what was going to happen now, or where they'd go from here, but at the moment, she didn't quite care. She was where she wanted to be. In Clark's arms. With him. Dancing. They could always talk about this later... or tomorrow. Why ruin a perfect moment?

Not that she expected a disaster. Far from it. Knowing Clark, this would lead to just what she wanted. A boyfriend. Clark as her boyfriend...

While dancing, she lifted her head to him and kissed him again. She just couldn't get enough of kissing him and the feeling it created inside her. Like she was floating on air. She'd never felt more free.

Hold on!

What the...

Were they?

Yes, they were. Lois looked down and saw her feet no longer touched the ground. Nor did Clark's...

How was that possible? She knew being in love felt like walking on air, but she didn't know it was actually possible... and there was no way that she could fly or even float!

So... that left Clark. He was leading... he was flying. Or hovering or whatever... but how?

Suddenly she remembered his face as she'd studied it in the morning. She knew it had looked familiar... and now she knew why.

Superman.

Clark was Superman.

Her possible boyfriend was the Man of Steel.

Well, that at least solved one problem... she wasn't in love with two men at the same time, she'd simply loved both guises of one person.

It also meant he'd lied to her for as long as they knew each other... he'd deceived her...

But on the other hand, she loved him, and he loved her.

She should be mad, really mad, but somehow... here in Clark's arms... she didn't want to be mad. She could always get mad later. In Metropolis once they were back.

"Clark?"

"Yes, Lois?"

"Do you mind keeping us on the ground?"

"What?"

"We're floating," she simply stated.

"Oh, God." His eyes stared at her in shock, searching for her reaction. "I guess you know?" he then asked.

"Yup."

"And..."

"And it's fine."

"It is?"

"Sure."

"You're not mad?"

"Not today. But we need to talk when we get home! And I promise you I'll get mad then."

A sheepish grin appeared on his face. "I can live with that."

"Good. Now kiss me again."

Clark didn't need a second invitation like that and he lowered his head again to capture her lips in a kiss that quickly deepened.

The End :)

After word: The town Tipperary actually exists (although it's officially called Tipperary Town, Tipperary is the county), and so do the Rock of Cashel and The Green Fool. And the shamrock is the national emblem of Ireland. Everything else has been made up for the sake of the story. I've never been there, but I know I'll see it with my own eyes one day and I'll probably be pleasantly surprised with how great it will be. All the stories about leprechauns are just that... stories. No one believes them, not even the Irish. As for the custom at birthday parties, it's actually the other way around. I've just really played with the rules here just so it would fit my idea. <g> I haven't meant to offend anyone, so my apologies if you do feel that way. This story is just for fun, and possibly to irritate Sara a bit (you know what I mean anyway, sis :D).

Translation of the Irish, in order of appearance:

* How can I help you? [part 1] * Hello Clark, I'm so happy that you're here with me! * Hello, Sara! Happy Birthday! I'm very happy to be here with you! * How are you? * Great, thanks, and you? * Excellent! Who's that beside you? * Sara, this is Lois, but she doesn't understand a word of Irish * Sit down. I'm buying all the drinks, and enjoy the day! I'll be talking to you later. * Hello, honey. What are you doing on your own? * I'll buy you a drink. What are you drinking? * Here you go, darling. What's your name? * You're a beautiful woman. I fancy you. * Stop talking to her! * And who are you? * She's with me! * Oh, Daddy's here! * She's my lover/girlfriend * I'm scared now! Prove it! * What? * Prove it! * All right, you win, idiot.

Saskia (c) December 2004

Table of Contents

Blessings from Tipperary

Part 1

Part 2