Silence In The Heart

By Wendy Richards <wendy@lcfanfic.com> & Kaethel  <Kaethel@wanadoo.fr>

Rated: PG 13

Submitted: May 2003 ______________________

This one started out as most of our collaborations these  days. One of us writes the beginning of something and if it  inspires the other, we let our Muses run free with the  premise that results. With Silence in the Heart, we decided  to explore what would happen if our favourite characters  finally gave in to their mutual attraction in Season 2; we  hope you enjoy this fanfic as much as we enjoyed writing  it!

This story is dedicated to our very dear friend Annette  Ciotola, who had a birthday last month. We wanted to give  her a story as a testimony of our friendship for her, and  also as a thank you for the hard work she achieved to get  the new boards back up and running when they went down  after the server's hard drive crash. Thanks for being you,  Annette! You *are* wonderful! :)

Many thanks go to the readers who commented on the story  when we posted it to the boards and list. Your feedback  filled us with joy and enthusiasm to keep writing. :)  Thanks also to Jeanne Pare, who edited this fanfic for the  Archive.

Wendy and Kaethel :)

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~ Silence in the Heart ~  A Birthday Story for Annette By Wendy Richards and Kaethel

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I never knew love could be a silence in the heart A moment when the time is still And all I've been looking for is right here in my heart Just waiting for the chance to begin

I never knew love could be the sunlight in your eyes On a day that you may not have seen And all I've been searching for, well, words could never  say When a touch is more than anything

- From 'Here Is Your Paradise'; Chris de Burgh 1994

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Lois's breathing gradually returned to normal, and she  became aware of her surroundings again. She was lying on  the floor of Clark's apartment - well, almost on the floor.  In fact, Clark was between her and the floor. A couple of  decorative cushions lay nearby.

She was lying sprawled on his chest, his arms clamped  around her to steady her. Underneath her, she could feel  the rise and fall of his ribcage, expanding and contracting  with his own breathing - it was steady now, too.

In the background, the movie they'd been watching and had  got bored with still played. On the coffee-table were  scattered the remnants of the Chinese takeout Clark had  brought, reminding her that one of these days she had to  ask him where the restaurant was. The food was always  fantastic.

It had been one of those evenings they hadn't had in a  while, due in part to the fact that they'd both been  putting in a lot of overtime, but also due to her own  stupidity over Clark's Kerth nomination and her subsequent  petulance. Spending evenings at Clark's place vegetating  over a movie and takeout had helped to restore her sanity  and sense of self-worth after the disaster of her almost- wedding to the man who was now the most notorious criminal  since Al Capone.

These relaxing, fun evenings with her best friend were an  oasis of calm and sanity in a world which sometimes seemed  to have become inhospitable - a world in which, even after  a couple of months, Lois occasionally felt was still  judging her for her idiocy. She loved spending evenings  with Clark at his place; his apartment was so comfortable  and *homey* in a way that hers wasn't. There were  frequently evenings, too, when she just didn't feel like  going home at the end of them - and when she knew that if  she even hinted it to Clark, he'd offer her his bed in a  heartbeat, sleeping on the sofa himself.

Now, Lois raised her head and looked down at her partner,  noticing the slightly askew glasses and the faintly stunned  expression on his face. "What happened?" she asked, half- laughing.

"You tell me!" he exclaimed, grinning and shaking his head.  He made no attempt to move. "I'm not the one who suddenly  decided to prove that you're ticklish!"

Yeah, it all came back to her now. "Well, you claimed that  you're not! And *no-one's* not ticklish at least  somewhere!"

"Yeah, and you found my weak spot," he reminded her. She  had; on his side, just where his ribcage ended and gave way  to his waist, just above his hip-bone. He'd collapsed very  satisfyingly against the back of the sofa, begging for  mercy, when she'd finally discovered it.

Lois Lane didn't believe in being merciful.

And that had led to, of all things, a pillow-fight.  Grabbing one of the loose, decorative cushions from the  sofa, Clark had started to pound her with it. Not prepared  to remain defenceless, Lois had seized the other cushion  and had fought back. She couldn't remember when they'd  rolled off the sofa onto the floor, but she knew that the  fight hadn't let up. Lying flat on the floor, they'd  continued hitting each other with the cushions until, out  of breath and laughing so hard she couldn't see to attack  any more, Lois had collapsed on Clark's chest.

Which was where she was now.

And, all things considered, it wasn't that bad a place to  be, she thought with a smile.

Clark's chest was broad and muscular; she'd always known  that, right from the moment she'd seen him dressed in  nothing but a towel a couple of days after she'd met him.  She'd been held and hugged against that chest any number of  times, more than enough to confirm her first impression  that there wasn't an ounce of spare flesh there. What there  was, very obviously, was plenty of bone and solid muscle.

Without thinking, she shifted slightly and began to explore  his chest with her fingers, feeling his muscle tone through  the thin T-shirt he wore. His body felt warm and  reassuringly firm under her hand, and she yielded to the  temptation to investigate further.

He almost seemed to quiver under her touch. She stroked and  outlined the contours of his chest and pecs, moving down to  his abdomen and feeling the well-defined six-pack she was  sure must take hours in the gym to maintain. Again, his  body seemed to shudder slightly as she did so.

Then his hand came up to cover hers, his touch light. "You  know," he murmured, amusement as well as something else she  couldn't define in his voice, "not that I'm objecting in  the slightest, but if it was me doing that to you, I'd feel  the benefit of your martial arts training with your knee in  a painful place. Wouldn't I?"

Would he? Well, of course he would...

Lois halted her caresses as the implication of Clark's  point sank in. He was *exactly* right. If he'd presumed to  touch her the way she was currently touching him... he'd be  on his way to the ER right now.

She was taking liberties which she had no right to take.

And yet, she considered, biting her lip, Clark had made it  clear that he wasn't objecting to what she was doing.

He liked it.

Just as she would like it if...

She'd *like* it if he touched her like that, Lois admitted  slowly and with a sense of shock. She would enjoy having  Clark stroke her, trailing his fingers lightly over her  chest and stomach and all the areas in between. She knew  her best friend. He wouldn't grab or squeeze as a lot of  men would. He'd touch her gently, caressingly, anxious not  to hurt her or seem to presume. He'd want to give pleasure  as well as take it...

He was her best friend. The one thing Clark would never to  do her was hurt her. Nor would he try to take advantage.

And the thought of being touched by him, of enjoying just a  tiny degree of intimacy with her best friend, appealed a  whole lot right now.

She'd never really enjoyed being touched or kissed by Lex.  And that had put her off the idea of being in any way  intimate with a man. She should have known just from her  own reaction to him, her lack of desire to go to bed with  him, that Lex wasn't the man for her. It had been obvious  that she wasn't really attracted to him, let alone in love  with him.

Clark, now... She did find Clark attractive. And they did  have a very touchy-feely relationship in many respects. He  hugged her frequently, and held her to comfort her when she  needed it. He often rested his hand on her shoulder in the  newsroom and he sometimes looped his arm around her  shoulders when they were walking. He'd catch her arm to get  her attention. She tended to pat him on the chest to  reinforce a point, and she would slide her arm through his  sometimes when they walked. She'd willingly thrown herself  into his arms many times, and always found a welcoming  haven. They usually touched each other at least a dozen  times a day.

She loved being touched by Clark. And she wanted more...  She wanted to feel his sensitive fingers tracing the curves  and angles of her body, caressing her and making her feel  good - making her feel admired.

Maybe...

"Clark... if you want to reciprocate, I can promise that my  knee will stay well away from any vulnerable spots," she  said quickly, teasingly, before she could change her mind.

She knew she'd stepped over an invisible line as soon as  the words were out of her mouth. Clark's playful smile  disappeared, and his body tensed beneath hers. The hand  resting lightly over hers gripped her fingers and held them  for a moment. She swallowed, afraid to meet his eyes.

She was tempted to take back her careless words, or at  least apologise and get to her feet. She could be on her  way home within seconds, and knowing Clark, he would act as  if the embarrassing moment had never happened; he seemed to  have a sixth sense for the topics that made her feel  skittish, and whenever she showed him a glimpse of herself  that she didn't feel entirely at ease with, he did  everything he could to keep her from being awkward around  him.

It was the way he had acted after she had revealed the gist  of her humiliating experience with Claude, or after he had  figured out that she didn't have a perfect relationship  with her father, or... or after the Lex disaster.

And tonight again, if she decided that she had let things  go too far, she could go home now and be sure that Clark  would never mention the moment again. Even if - she was  certain of it - he would live with regrets and wonder what  would have happened if he had acted upon her request  without stopping to wonder if she really meant it.

She finally let herself look at his face. He looked pale,  but the longing in his eyes was unmistakable. And she knew  she should be scared, but she couldn't shake off the  feeling of safety that overcame her whenever she was near  this man. She knew that, as long as he held her close,  nothing could hurt her.

In fact, she felt even more secure with Clark than with  Superman, she realised with a start. Like Superman, Clark  was strong and caring. But unlike Superman, he knew her  like no-one had ever known her; he had seen her at her  worst and he was still around, as if nothing about her  could put him off.

But he was lying still, waiting for... something. Waiting  for her to scramble to her feet and run out the door, no  doubt. She glanced at her small hand, gripped in his large  one, and smiled her encouragement. She knew that her smile  was shaky, that her hands were cold with fear and her  muscles tense with anticipation, but Clark would  understand. He always knew her what she thought, no matter  how deeply she concealed her feelings.

At last, his hand left hers and encircled the back of her  neck, pulling her to him. For an awkward second, she  thought he was going to kiss her, and something in her  resisted against the finality of the gesture. If he kissed  her, their friendship would be altered forever. Even Clark  wouldn't be able to pretend that it hadn't happened; she  would never be able to look him in the eye again, let alone  think of him as her best friend.

She would probably never know if his move had been meant  for a kiss; he buried her head against the side of his neck  and wrapped his arms around her, enveloping her in a hug  where she immediately relaxed. They hadn't done that in a  while, she remembered absently as he lightly rubbed her  back. Actually, she thought with a chuckle, they had never  hugged *on the floor* before. It was a new and rather  pleasant experience, she decided.

She breathed in the faint fragrance of his aftershave and  snuggled closer to him. Her fingers, idle until now,  started to play with the hair at the back of his neck, and  she couldn't hold back a giggle when he squirmed.

"New ticklish spot?" she breathed close to his ear, then  pulled away to grin down at him.

The expression on his face stopped short all thought of  teasing him. There was no trace of the playful partner she  had spent the evening with; her best friend and the safety  of her relationship with him had disappeared completely, as  if they had been an illusion all along. The boundaries she  had spent so much time building between them had been torn  apart with one look, just one look from Clark.

This time, there was no resistance on her part when he  pulled her to his mouth.

*********

All his life. He had been waiting for this moment all his  life, and it was finally happening, Clark realised fuzzily  as Lois kissed him back with more enthusiasm than he had  ever hoped for. When temptation had run deeper than reason  and made him kiss her, he had known that he was about to  crush the trust that she had in him. She had always made it  clear that there could be nothing more than friendship  between them, and he had accepted that. Sort of. Or at  least, he answered his guilty conscience, he had tried to  understand. He was happy with Lois's friendship. After he  had come so close to losing her altogether, he wasn't about  to endanger their relationship by acting on a whim...

But that was exactly what he was doing right now.

He didn't really know how they had ended up in this  position in the first place. Or rather, he knew it too  well. As usual, a stupid bet had done the trick to make  Lois feel challenged; she wouldn't leave him alone until  she'd found one ticklish spot on him, and it had taken all  his willpower and concentration skills to hide his primal  reaction to her touch.

But when she had pursued him to the floor where he had  taken refuge, and collapsed onto him, breathless and  flushed, something had shifted between them. At first, he  had thought it was only his hormones talking, and he had  admonished the unwelcome feeling to go away. Her slow  exploration of his chest had promptly brought it back,  though. Only a joking comment about the way she would react  if their situations were reversed had stopped the torturing  caress of her hands.

Her answer had taken him aback; surely he had  misunderstood. She couldn't be saying that... she couldn't  be *inviting* him to... no. She couldn't, period. This  interpretation had confirmed itself when he had tugged her  down to him for a hug. There had been something about her  that spoke of fear, and he had known, instinctively, that  he was walking a tightrope again.

With no security net underneath to catch him if he made a  faux pas.

He should have expected that she would push him over the  edge. He didn't know what she had whispered in his ear, and  frankly, he didn't care. All he remembered was that her  lips had brushed against his skin, and it was more than he  could take. He hadn't felt able to conceal his reaction  this time, and her lack of obvious disgust towards the  desire clearly displayed on his face had been all he needed  to push his luck and act upon his wildest fantasy.

And now... now he was kissing her. And she was kissing him.  And it was the most exhilarating sensation he had ever  experienced.

She could have pulled away whenever she wanted. He wasn't  keeping her in a tight hold, and she was the one trapping  his body beneath hers. Instead, she was pressing every  delicious inch of her curves against him, and her hands  were exploring his shoulders, his arms, his chest...  everywhere she could reach without breaking off their kiss.

He let himself relax at last, and his hands, lying still at  her waist until now, slid up the sides of her ribcage. The  whimper that escaped her mouth in response to the gesture  was all the encouragement he needed, and he began a gentle  exploration of her body. His fingers kneaded at her  shoulder blades, brushed the skin of her neck at the collar  of her blouse, then trailed down her back, feeling every  nerve ending jolt into life.

He loved Lois Lane. And, since she was kissing him like  this, with such delightful abandon, didn't that mean that  she loved him too? Or at least that she had feelings for  him?

She certainly wanted him. The invitation in her words  earlier, even if she had got cold feet briefly, and the way  she'd looked back at him just before he'd claimed her  mouth, assured him that she'd gone into this with her eyes  open.

Her hands had been framing his face, but now one slid down,  burrowing under his arms to slide between their bodies. She  resumed her earlier caress of his chest, but then began to  pull insistently at his T-shirt, trying to yank the hem out  of his jeans.

Not wanting it to get torn - well, actually, he realised he  didn't care whether the T-shirt got torn, and since he  wasn't wearing his Suit under his clothes, he didn't have  anything to worry about, but he wanted to make things  easier for her - he used one hand to lift her slightly,  then pulled the T-shirt up his chest, letting it bunch just  below his shoulders.

Immediately, Lois's fingers were caressing his chest. And  then, before he'd even realised what she was doing, she'd  slid down his body and was starting to cover his chest with  wet kisses. He couldn't quite manage to stifle the groan  which emerged from his throat.

Lois raised her head just a little, giving him a clear view  of bright, happy eyes and moist lips. "You like that?"

"Yeah," he growled. "Are you kidding?"

"Good." She grinned at him before resuming her activity.

Clark desperately wanted just to be able to lie back and  enjoy what she was doing to him. To focus only on the  pleasure her kisses and caresses were giving him. To  delight in her uninhibited affection, and to find out just  how far she was prepared to go. Would he get the  opportunity to touch her some more? Perhaps without the  barrier of some of her clothing, as she was now doing with  him?

All that was so incredibly tempting... but one thing was  stopping him.

This was *Lois*. His best friend. She wasn't only the woman  he loved with all his being; she was a woman who, he knew,  didn't behave like this with men as a rule. Lois didn't  sleep around; he knew something of her sexual history, and  he knew that she'd been hurt badly. She'd also made a very  unwise decision not that long ago, to get involved with a  man had who turned out to be a criminal. It was only  understandable that she was now very cautious about  relationships.

Lois was *not* the kind of person to lose control and  stumble into intimacy. He was pretty sure that she'd  agonise for some time about whether or not to get involved  with a man, and that decision would only be made after  she'd considered all the pros and cons. Casual sex, or even  'buddy sex', was not for her.

She didn't give her trust easily either, and yet he had it.  That was a major responsibility for him.

Did she know what she was doing here?

<She's an adult. She knows what she's doing, and she's old  enough to take responsibility for her actions anyway> his  inner voice argued. But Clark dismissed that argument; he  couldn't abdicate his own obligations here, or his concern  for Lois.

Was she somehow relying on him not to take it too far,  because she trusted him? Or had she lost track of reality,  and was it therefore his responsibility to stop things  before they went any further?

Would she hate him if he didn't? Would she hate him anyway  because things had gone this far?

Her friendship mattered more to Clark than anything. If he  stopped her now, they could retrieve that. Unless, of  course, Lois was so embarrassed by what they'd already been  doing that she decided she could never speak to him  again...

"Lois?" he said cautiously, lifting his head a few inches  from its position on the floor.

"Yes?" She raised her head again and looked at him.

"Are you... I mean, do you know what you're doing?" he  asked hesitantly.

She stared at him. "Of course I know what I'm doing!  I'm..." She paused, then looked around her, and down at  him. "I'm... lying on top of you, and kissing your bare  chest," she said in a high-pitched, clearly incredulous  tone. "Clark, what happened?"

As he'd thought. She really hadn't intended this, and she  hadn't been in possession of her full senses. As  disappointment flooded through him, Clark told himself that  he should be grateful that he'd found out now that she  didn't want what they'd been doing. Things could have gone  further... Well, not that he'd have allowed it to go as far  as... well, *that*, but things could still have gone  further.

"Uhh... well, you were tickling me, remember?" he pointed  out, unable to stop himself getting just a tiny bit  defensive.

"Oh! Right!" Now Lois sounded embarrassed.

Clark really wanted to get up off the floor. Well, more  specifically, he wanted Lois to remove herself from on top  of him - it was reminding him too much of what they *had*  been doing until only a minute ago. And he wanted to be  able to pull his T-shirt back down; now, he felt exposed,  whereas before he'd been loving every second of her caress.

But, since Lois *was* still on top of him, he felt unable  to do anything other than lie there until she got up. He  wasn't going to hurt her, or embarrass her, by moving her  off him.

She scrambled awkwardly to her feet, standing with her back  to Clark. And, as he got up off the floor as well, tugging  his T-shirt down at the same time, somehow he knew that  this was going to be a pivotal moment for their friendship.

She was going to leave. He knew that without even looking  at her face; without hearing her say a word. She'd mutter  something about it being late and she'd walk straight out  of the door. And in the morning, at work, she'd avoid him.  She wouldn't look him in the eye, and she certainly  wouldn't drag him off to lunch, as they'd been doing a lot  with each other lately. And there'd be no more evenings at  his apartment with takeout and a video.

If he let her go now, he'd be letting go of the best  friendship he'd ever had. And he'd be kissing goodbye to  any hope of a closer relationship with the woman he loved  more than anything else in the world.

He had to persuade her to stay. But, with Lois, he couldn't  do it the obvious way. He couldn't laugh and say that they  clearly needed to talk. He couldn't just walk up to her and  put his arm around her shoulders in an affectionate hug. If  he did, she'd run.

So, as if there was nothing wrong at all, he strolled  carelessly in the direction of the kitchen. "Coffee?" he  suggested lightly. "I'll clear up that debris so we can sit  down - and hey, it's time for that news and analysis show  you like, isn't it?"

"Uh... actually, I think I need to be go -" Lois began.

Clark moved to the centre of the living area of the  apartment, looking at her but not directly at her face.  "Don't, Lois. Stay and have coffee with me. Otherwise I'll  think you hate me," he said softly, investing his words  with all the love he felt for her as his friend.

*********

Stay.

He wasn't asking much, was he?

Stay. She could stay. And sit and talk with her best friend  just as she was used to doing on a regular basis, even if  it had been some time since they had spent an evening  together.

Except... he wasn't her best friend any more. Well, he was  her best friend, but not just that. In truth, she didn't  know what he was to her. A few minutes ago, he had been the  one person she trusted most, the one person she turned to  when she needed to sort out a personal problem or simply  wanted to talk.

And now, he *was* the problem. The bare chest she'd  smothered with kisses a few seconds earlier, the lips that  had sought and merged with hers over and over, the hands  that had stroked her back and held her so tightly, belonged  to *him*.

A fierce blush rose to her cheeks, and she turned towards  the door again. She had to get out of here, breathe in the  fresh air and pretend that it had all been a dream, that  she would wake up with a smile on her face and a memory of  a pleasant but still unsettling fantasy.

"Please."

She stopped an inch short of the door. Clark had said he  was afraid she hated him. Didn't she owe him the  reassurance that it wasn't so? That it was herself she  hated for throwing herself at his body so shamelessly?

Part of her wished he would walk up to her, grasp her arm  and force her to turn to him. She wouldn't be able to  resist his touch. But she knew it wouldn't happen. Clark  was too much the gentleman to initiate physical contact  now.

Resolutely, she pivoted on her heels and faced him.

He was still looking at the floor. His hands were joined,  his fingers fiddling. He looked even more awkward than she  felt. His nervous attitude fuelled her with courage she  didn't know she possessed, and she took a careful step  towards him.

"Okay."

His head shot up sharply, and his astonished gaze betrayed  his surprise.

"Coffee it is, then," she added in a feeble attempt to ease  the tension between them.

She watched him as he set about the task, looking as if  there was nothing on his mind but the balance between water  and coffee to make the beverage. If she could steer them to  normal activities, they might be able to talk about the  sharp turn in their relationship in a more rational way.  Because she couldn't deny that tonight had marked a change  between them; nothing was simple any more. And if they  couldn't sort out the mess they were entangled in, their  friendship would no doubt evaporate too easily.

She'd almost let it slip out of her reach once, and living  with the fear that she had lost Clark forever had been more  than she could bear. It was probably what had influenced  her the most when the time had come to say "I do" to Lex.  She'd back-pedalled because the idea of life without Clark  was unconceivable.

And now, she was on the edge of another cliff. What had  taken place on the floor of his living room couldn't be  changed or erased from their memories. She knew that, if  she asked, Clark would pretend he had forgotten all about  it; but he wouldn't fool her, and even if he could, there  was no way she wouldn't be reliving the moment in her mind  for the next sixty years or so. And Clark would always  wonder if she hated him. It was no surprise to her that he  thought he would carry the blame alone; Clark had always  been so different from the other men in her life. Paul,  Claude or Lex would never have stopped things like Clark  did - in fact, Claude had pushed her beyond the limits she  had set for their relationship, throwing in some emotional  blackmail in the bargain. Clark had done nothing of the  kind: not only had he asked her if she was completely aware  of what she was doing, but he was also ready to carry the  full responsibility of what had almost happened between  them. And he meant it, she knew that without any doubt.

"I was a willing participant, you know?" she said before  she could think of the consequences.

Clark froze in mid-spoon.

Seizing what little courage she had left, she walked the  few steps to the kitchen area and stood next to the  counter, close enough to feel the physical appeal of her  best friend's strong body, but at a safe enough distance to  resist it. "What I mean is that I don't expect you to feel  at fault for what happened. Actually, I think I touched you  first."

There was a mumble, a growl, a heavenward roll of his eyes,  and he set the spoon onto the counter. He turned towards  her, cafetiere and mugs obviously forgotten. "I don't think  it matters much, Lois. Who touched who first, that is."

"Or kissed."

The words hung between them, heavy silence enveloping them.  For the first time since she had scrambled to her feet and  straightened her clothes, their eyes met. The air was  charged with what felt like unconsummated passion, and Lois  longed to close the distance between them and taste his  lips again.

"Or kissed," he agreed at last.

She took a shy step towards him, and he turned to her. Her  heartrate shot up as she realised their bodies were almost  touching. She had never been as aware of his physical  presence as she was now, and the sensation was both  frightening and exhilarating. His hand was resting on the  counter, an inch shy of her fingertips. His face was bent  towards hers. His eyes were a trap into which she fell only  too willingly.

She rose on her tiptoes and touched her mouth to his. Her  eyes closed; as lips continued to stroke at a leisurely  pace, sighs merged and hands joined. But their common  awareness that nothing was resolved forced them apart too  quickly, and she pulled away, her look of regret matched  his.

"Whatever it is, we will work it out."

He knew what she needed to hear, of course, but he couldn't  convince her that he believed in the words he spoke. After  all, this was Clark, her best friend; he would always try  to make her feel comfortable. He wouldn't want to let her  think that he thought she'd made a fool of herself, even  when she had.

Okay, he'd kissed her back just now. But was that because  he really wanted to? Or because he hadn't wanted to reject  her?

Grimacing, pain striking her heart, she stepped back, began  to move away from him. But just as she took a step, Clark  took her hands and drew her back to him again.

"Lois," he said softly, his mouth close - oh, so close - to  hers. "Lois, you didn't -" He kissed her. " - do anything - " Another kiss. "- I haven't dreamed about you doing -" A  longer, more lingering kiss. "- for as long as I've known  you."

He meant it. Every word. Lois knew it, even as she allowed  his kisses to drive her to a sensual heaven. Every touch of  his lips against hers, every caress of his hands as he held  her close to him, every soft murmur of his voice as he  loved her with his words.

He loved her.

And suddenly, she knew that that was the truth. Clark loved  her. He'd probably always loved her, despite his denial  that day months ago. He didn't just love her as a friend;  he wanted more, just as she knew that she did.

At this moment, they were standing on the threshold, on  that little area of no-man's land between friendship and  more. Being in love. Being lovers.

She could step back and things would go back to normal.  They would revert to being friends, and she knew that Clark  would never again refer to what had happened tonight. Even  though she knew that she'd never forget it... And she was  already in love with him. It was too late to pretend that  she wasn't; she had to be honest with herself over that.  But still - they could still go back, couldn't they?  Retreat into the safety of being best friends?

Or she could take the terrifying leap forward into  uncertainty, into what was certainly dangerous territory.  She'd be safe with Clark, she knew that; he'd never hurt  her. Not the way she'd been hurt in the past. But she could  still be hurt by this change in their relationship. If  something changed; if it didn't work out...

And yet, if she didn't try, she'd never know. And,  suddenly, she wanted very badly to know...

"Clark," she managed to say at last; the words came out in  a strangled voice. "Clark, I... I wanted you to touch me.  Did you know that?"

His hands on her waist tightened again momentarily. "I... I  thought you might. I hoped you did - but I didn't want to  take the chance in case you'd have second thoughts and take  fright."

Once again, he'd subordinated his own needs to her wishes.  If that didn't show her just how much Clark loved her...

Lois took a deep breath. This was it: if she went even one  half-step further, she'd be at the point of no return.

She took the step. "I'm not going to have second thoughts,  Clark."

********

Clark caught his breath and stared at her, barely able to  believe her words. Did she really mean it? She *wanted* him  to touch her? To kiss her?

She'd really wanted him to do it at the time; he'd sensed  that. But he'd been sure that it was just the intimacy of  the moment, that she'd been carried away - no more than  that. Perhaps he'd assumed that it had been a desire to  experiment on Lois's part, to fool around just a little  with someone she considered 'safe' - her best friend, whom  she could trust not to hurt her, not to take advantage.

Was she still thinking that?

What if this all had to do with the fact that she was still  feeling very vulnerable where men and romance were  concerned - as he knew very well - and that she just felt  very comfortable around him? What if she didn't remotely  feel about him the way he did about her?

"Lois," he said shakily, almost afraid to voice his fears  in case she guessed at his real feelings for her and  rejected him again. "I want to touch you. I want to kiss  you - you have to know that. And you have to know that  kissing is good between us. But... if this is just a game -  if all you want is to play at kissing and cuddling while  you get used to being close to a man again, you have to  tell me. I... I don't mind, if that's what you do want. But  at least if I know, I won't get hurt..."

She halted her movement, her hand, which had been reaching  for his face, poised in mid-air. "Clark, is that really  what you think?"

"I don't know what to think," he confessed. "I meant it -  I've been dreaming about something like this for a long  time, Lois. You and me, I mean. But do you want it too, or  are you just... well, looking for someone safe to play at  being involved with - I have to know, Lois."

"Clark." Her voice was soft. "You sound just as bad as me -  what a pair we are! Both scared of taking that final step!"

"Final step?" he queried.

"This step." She raised her hand again, caressing his cheek  gently. "The step which says that we're not just friends  any more. The step which says... we might be falling in  love."

Clark's breath caught at her words. He covered her hand  with his own, then bent his head to capture her lips again.  "No 'might' about it where I'm concerned, Lois," he  admitted after a long moment.

"No?" Her expression was hopeful, nervous, as she looked up  at him.

"I've been in love with you for so long that I can't even  remember a time when I wasn't," he confessed.

"Oh, Clark! I've been so blind!"

"Just a little distracted," he amended. "But that doesn't  matter. What matters is what's between us here and now, and  what we want to do about it."

"I know that I love you," she told him softly. "I think  I've loved you for ages too, but I wouldn't let myself  admit it. I finally had to admit it just now, when you  wouldn't let me walk away from you. But all I had to do was  listen to my heart - it showed me the way I really feel  about you."

Clark hugged her to him, loving the sensation of her slim  body against his and knowing that he didn't have to pretend  any more that all he felt for her was friendship. "I'm glad  you heard what it was telling you," he teased lightly.

"I don't think I'm often quiet enough to listen," Lois said  wryly. "But, Clark, I do love you. And... I am scared. But  I trust you enough to know you won't hurt me deliberately.  So I want to give it a try."

"That's all I'm asking - that we try," he agreed. "And,  Lois, I swear to you that I'll do all in my power never to  hurt you. I can't swear that I'll always succeed, but  that's one of the risks when you love someone. I can  promise that if I ever do hurt you, it'll hurt me far  more." He stroked her hair, running his fingers through the  dark strands. "I'll always love you. That I can promise.  The rest, we can work out together, if you'll let us."

And that included a confession he needed to make, Clark  reminded himself. But now wasn't the time for that; there'd  already been enough shifts in their relationship for one  evening. But he did intend to tell her, as soon as  possible. The very next day, he thought: dinner at his  apartment and an explanation. She might be angry - well,  knowing Lois, she would be angry. But he could deal with  it, in the knowledge that she also loved him.

As he loved her.

Lois shifted then, reaching up to kiss him; he returned her  kisses with equal fervour. Then she pulled back, eyes  bright, and looked at him quizzically.

"What's up?" he asked.

"Seems like there are more comfortable places we could be  doing this. Places not in the middle of your kitchen, with  lots of counters and furniture to bump into," she pointed  out.

"You want to go back to the living room? Make out on the  couch?" Clark wasn't at all averse to that idea.

"We could. Or..." she trailed off, a teasing note in her  voice.

"Or...?"

"Well, I do kind of remember being very comfortable with  you on the floor about a half-hour ago..." Lois suggested,  giving him a wink.

"Your wish is my command, partner." And with that, Clark  swept her up and into his arms, striding back to the living  room. Laying her gently on the floor, he came down to join  her.

"Still ticklish?" she enquired, her tone sultry.

Clark grinned. "I don't know. Maybe you need to find  out..."

And she did.

Within minutes, their screams and giggles died away, to be  replaced by the sound of soft kissing, interspersed with  murmurs of "I love you."

********

A long time later, Lois stirred and said quietly, "I never  knew."

"Knew what?"

"That love could be like this. I mean... peaceful and  loving and... well, safe. And *real*. Like nothing can  happen to me as long as I'm in your arms. Like I never,  ever want to move ever again." It wasn't like anything  she'd ever known before. With Claude, it had all been hero- worship and desperate - in the end unfulfilled - passion.  With Lex, it had been all about appearances. She'd never  actually felt she'd got to know the real person. And with  Superman... well, that was definitely infatuation with  someone way out of her reach; she didn't know the real man  under the costume at all.

With Clark, it felt real.

Clark laughed softly, his arms tightening around her.  "That's exactly how I've always imagined love should be.  Well, okay, it's also about fun and intimacy and passion,  but it's just being with the person you love most in the  world and not wanting or needing to be with anyone else."

Lois snuggled closer, taking advantage of the pillow  offered by his broad chest. "That's what I was always  looking for, only I never knew it. You were there all the  time, Clark - there in my heart, just waiting for me to see  it, to give you a chance."

"As you were always there in my heart," he murmured, and  she could feel the vibrations of his chest as he spoke.  "C'mere," he added. "Just lie here for a while and listen,  okay?"

"What am I supposed to be listening to?" Lois asked,  impatience tinged with amusement.

"The silence," he answered in a low whisper. "The sound of  our hearts. The stillness. The sense of peace - the love."

She wrapped her arms around him and listened. And she heard  it.

The sound of their hearts beating, in tune with each other.  The silence; the silent message her heart was sending her,  telling her that it had found its mate. That she had found  her soul's mate.

Love was there in that silence. Just as it was there in  every touch, every caress, every exchange of glances. She'd  listened to her heart, and she'd found what she hadn't even  realised she'd been looking for.

Peace. Understanding. And a very rare, very special kind of  love.

A love she never intended to let go.

~ The End ~

Wendy@lcfanfic.com Kaethel@wanadoo.fr April 2003

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