Characters/Pairings: Clark/Lois, Chloe/Jimmy, Oliver and Lana.
Warnings/Spoilers: Some spoilers for 8x10. Also it gets a bit angst-y in the middle too.
Disclaimer: I own nothing and have never claimed to do so.
Summary: It's Chloe's special day but it brings things to a head for Clark and Lois as well.
A/N1: A sort of fic version of 8x10 with obvious Clois, of course. :P Been sitting on my computer for a while and I just got around to finishing it.
A/N2:Title from I dare you to move by Switchfoot of which this fic was inspired by.
Dressing up wasn't something Clark did or did particularly well, he would somehow find a way to drop things on his dress shirt or some liquid would just happen to spill on his trousers. Dancing was something even worse all together. It wasn't that Clark couldn't move, he just couldn't move well.
"Tell me Smallville, is there anything you do well?" Lois called from the bathroom as she applied her make up for the day ahead.
"Saving your ass." Clark mumbled, agitated by how late they were going to be.
"What was that?" Lois called.
Clark shook his head, "Nothing, Lois, but if you don't hurry up we won't be leaving this century."
"Clark, it's not like we were off gallivanting around. We were on a mission." Clark heard the clack of Lois putting on her shoes and he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Yeah well you can explain to Chloe why we're late for…" Clark stopped as Lois opened the door. Lois' hair was pulled up in a sleek bun, her fringe falling softly against her face which seemed to glow from under her tanned skin. Her neck was a slender column graced with a simple silver chain with diamond pendant. Lois' dress. Her dress was a vibrant blue silk that hugged her body but slid over her skin like water and swished around her ankles.
"Smallville?" Lois looked at him exasperated, "How's about we actually leave?"
Clark gulped and nodded, "Yeah, sure Lois."
Sitting in the back of the car with Clark, Lois sighed and pulled her wrap tighter around her shoulders. Clark looked at her as if he was about to ask her if she was cold but she shook her head to say no.
And they say chivalry is dead, Lois scoffed as she tried to look anywhere but at the suited and booted Clark Kent. Lois had never denied the physical attractiveness of her friend, it was just everything else about him that had put her off. For starters, Lois would need a blackberry to keep up with the make ups and break ups Clark had with Lana, the amount of times he had ended up yanking on Chloe's chain and the general worship the female populace seemed to have for him. It was sickening really - because Lois could now understand why.
Working with Clark at the Planet had opened her eyes to how different Clark was. Sitting across from him, Lois had watched Clark battle with Metropolis PD over details of several bomb explosions and general be extremely pleasant when Lois would have thrown the phone at the wall. Lois had seen Clark grow from strange boy-man she had met in a cornfield to a strong, confident man who would not sacrifice his integrity for a story and he would never give up, it was something Lois admired most about Clark.
"Lois?" Clark turned to her, his fingers about to fiddle with his tie. Lois grabbed them before they could do any damage to her handiwork.
"Leave!" Lois commanded, Clark glared at her, "Hey, I stood there in my underwear fixing this so if at any point I see this undone - I'm going to hurt you. With pain - lots of pain."
"You weren't in your underwear Lois, you were wearing a robe." Clark threw back and Lois smiled sarcastically.
"Yeah? What colour is my underwear Smallville?"
"Red."
Red was the exact colour Clark turned as Lois raised her eyebrows and tilted her head. Clark stammered but Lois waved her hand, "Whatever. I don't see why I even let Chloe talk me into wearing it. Red doesn't go with this dress. No offence, Smallville."
Lois' talk did nothing to dissipate Clark's discomfort. Chloe for weeks had been pushing Clark in Lois' direction and vice versa, only she seemed to think she was being smart about it.
"It's not like anyone can see it Lois." Clark ventured and Lois nodded. "I mean what colour would you have picked?"
The car stopped at their destination and Lois waited as Clark offered his hand to Lois to help her up. Lois stopped as if she was thinking, "Oh, I don't know… pink. Tell me Clark, do you like pink?"
Clark looked down, Lois in front of him, hand on her hip. "I like pink a lot actually Lois."
"Really…" Lois took a step forward, invading Clark's personal space like she always did when she had a point to prove.
"It's very…" Clark stopped as he picked up footsteps on the gravel. Turning, dressed in an identical dress, Lana looked at them both uncomfortably. "Lana."
"Hey, Clark. Lois. Chloe needs you a minute." Both of them moved to take a step forward.
Lois rolled her tongue, "Go Kent, that way I can fix whatever damage you do."
"Me? How about when…" Clark took a deep breath and glared before walking off to the bridal suite of the church.
Lois nodded, watching Clark's retreating back, "So…?"
Lana offered her an awkward smile and Lois cocked her eyebrow, "Let's go, I'm pretty sure Jimmy is peeing his pants about now."
Chloe fiddled with her veil for the hundredth time as Clark knocked and walked inside the room. Dressed in a simple strapless white corseted, full skirted gown, Chloe glowed with happiness.
"Hey, Chlo." Clark smiled as Chloe turned.
"Clark!" Chloe smiled as she pulled him in for a hug. "Where were you? You and Lois were supposed to be here hours ago."
"Emphasis on me and Lois." Clark drawled.
Chloe laughed, "Yeah? Well you did offer to take her."
"That was before I remembered that she is a complete psycho about getting ready."
"Hmm, yeah. But how does she look?" Chloe asked as she turned back to the mirror and dabbed on a little lipgloss.
But before he could stop it Clark replied, "Beautiful."
"Uh huh." Chloe mused.
Clark shook his head, "Today is about you. You're getting married!"
"Clark, she chose to let you take her." Chloe told him but Clark looked at her more confused than before, "Yeah - call me when you figure it out."
Clark had to admit there was a lot about Lois Lane he needed to figure out. It was like every time he put her in a category, she would do something to make him reassess his assumption. She wasn't Chloe, she wasn't his best friend and keeper of the secret but she wasn't Lana, forever on the outside of his life and affection either.
She was just Lois. Lois, who ate the last bowl of cereal and didn't tell anyone, Lois who spent a week sticking post-it notes to his desk because they had fought over the stapler; Lois who had held him tight as he cried, Lois who offered encouragement more than sarcasm to his new found career choice.
Clark sighed, "Lois let me take her because she spent all of last night doing god knows what."
"What?" Chloe asked, as she turned, "You mean she wasn't with you last night?"
"Not all of it. We finished decorating around 10 so I left." Clark said.
Lana poked her head around the door as it opened, "Umm, Chloe, we have a problem. Lois is refusing to let anyone in to the main part of the church."
"But we need to seat everyone." Chloe said as she took a breath, Clark rested his hand on Chloe's shoulder, "Don't worry Chloe, I'll sort Lois out."
"Lois!" Clark hissed as Lois stood arms folded outside the main doors of the room.
"Yeah?" Lois replied calmly.
"What are you doing?! Chloe's freaking out because her cousin is officially insane."
Lois glared at him but Clark stood his ground. "My sanity is fine, Clark, I'm just…"
"Wrecking Chloe's wedding for fun?"
Lois folded her arms as her face set into a look of disgust, "Take that back Kent or you'll be hobbling
down the aisle at best."
"You did something! After I left, you did something and you can't fix it." Clark almost shouted as he used a little more force than was necessary to get Lois away from the door.
"Okay jerk." Lois threw back as she rubbed her arm and stuck her foot out. The two of them ended up stumbling through the door and as Lois tried to kick out from her landing place under Clark, kicked the heavy door shut. "I'm not letting you ruin Chloe's surprise." Lois grunted as she pushed Clark off of her.
Clark rolled so that he was flat on his back, his eyes were met with hanging glowing suns made of glass, glinting in the light. Yellow roses were intertwined in the pews as well as the altar. It was a sunny paradise, just like Chloe had asked for, one Lois had spent hours building on her own.
"You know what Clark, I thought you were one of the good guys - that you had finally grown up and see the light. But you're more childish than ever." Lois said as some of her hair fell from its sweeping up do.
"Lois…" Clark tried as they both got up.
"Not now Clark, I have to fix this mess and then fix everything else. Because it's my baby cousin's wedding day and it should've been perfect."
Nothing was more crushing than when Lois walked away wiping her face.
The wedding itself went off without a hitch, no one barring Lois, Clark and Lana had been aware of the tension and subsequent coldness that became apparent during the day.
Lana had even offered to walk down the aisle with Clark just so that Lois wouldn't be burning two holes of hatred through his tux when she looked at him but she had politely refused and said it was fine.
Indifference was worse than anger. Anger would subside but indifference had nowhere to go. So Clark stopped trying and watched as Oliver spun Lois around on the dance floor happily as Chloe and Jimmy ate cake.
"I knew there was a chance that you had moved on…" Lana sighed and offered him a small smile. "I'm actually glad it's Lois."
"Lana, there isn't anything between me and Lois, she's still…"
"Fiery, passionate and totally right for you?" Lana replied as she picked up two champagne flutes. "I hate to admit it Clark but the only two people who can't see you love each other is you and Lois."
Clark shook his head as his face reddened, "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Well, Oliver seemed to." Lana handed one of the glasses to Clark as she sipped one herself. "Clark, it hurts to let you go, believe me. But even when you're not looking at Lois, she's what you're thinking about. She's your world now."
"I made a mistake and I upset her, that's all." Clark replied, grasping at the last vestiges of his own denial.
"Then why do you look so upset?"
Lois wasn't angry as soon as she saw Chloe walking up the aisle and the happiness of Jimmy's face because of it. Love could soften a girl but pain could do the opposite. Lois had tried to ignore that forlorn look Clark had every time she looked at him throughout the day but in the deep dark secret place, she was aching to comfort him. But by the same token her pride wouldn't allow her to back down and apologise because at the end of it, she was still hurt by Clark's lack of trust in her.
"One two three; one two three." Oliver said as he spun Lois in a turn.
Lois chuckled as she said, "Ollie, what are you doing? You know how to dance."
"I know I do, but you've seemingly forgotten as you've stood on my toes 6 times." Oliver smiled as Lois blushed.
"Oh. Sorry."
"Maybe you should talk to him." Oliver said conversationally and Lois blinked with surprise.
"What?"
"The guy you're obviously thinking about." Oliver shook his head, "I know we decided to be friends but you're so in love with this guy you can't spare 3 minutes for me?"
Lois stammered and Oliver tried to catch her eye, "Wow, you really are in love aren't you."
"No, yes - maybe. I thought - I thought he was the one until he proved to be defective." Lois admitted.
"Defective? You make him sound like a toaster."
Lois tilted her head, "Most of the time a toaster is smarter than him."
"Ouch." Ollie laughed as he spun Lois out and back into his body.
"It's just - I can't be myself around him anymore and he can't even notice that." Lois frowned as she looked up at her former boyfriend, "Okay, stop this is weird."
"It's okay Lois, I'm a big boy."
"Yeah? Who is she?" Lois smirked as Ollie flushed.
"It's not like that."
"Not yet anyway." Lois gave Ollie a wink before her shoulder was bumped by something tall and bumbling. "Clark."
Oliver smiled at Lana, who returned it, "Dance?"
Lana nodded, "Love to."
"Hey! That's my billionaire." Lois growled as Clark offered her his hand.
"You don't have to speak to me Lois, just shuffle - for Chloe and Jimmy." Clark ventured.
When Lois made no move forward, Clark stepped closer but then Lois moved back, "Lois, we're not 5, it looks a little odd."
"I'm not 5, you might just be mentally." Lois scoffed as Clark pulled her to him, his fingers warm on the coolness of her dress.
"Lois, I'm sorry. I made a mistake, it happens." Clark tried but Lois refused to cave.
"Yeah, but it's always me who has to screw up though right? Never Chloe, never your beloved Lana. Lois is the odd one out so lets kick her for fun."
"Okay, that's never happened and you're blowing this way out of proportion." Clark said, his eyes wide with shock.
"Well, it sure feels like it." Lois let her hands drop from Clark's hand and shoulder before she stormed off in the direction of the bathroom.
"Lois?" Chloe called as Lois could see her white shoes peeping out from under the stall.
"I'm fine Chlo."
"Yeah? So why is everyone in Gotham wondering why you and Clark are in a fight?" Chloe reminded her and Lois finally unlocked the door.
It creaked as Lois swung it slowly, "Chloe… I'm wearing frickin' Victoria Secret and Clark knows it."
"Red panties?" Chloe asked as she pulled her cousin out from the stall.
"Goddamn red panties." Lois agreed. "I hate this, being the one who does the chasing."
"Chasing? Lois I doubt Clark even knows he's on your radar." Chloe sympathised with her cousin as she slicked on another coat of lip gloss.
"The man is an idiot!" Lois fumed as she blotted the gloss with a tissue.
"He's Clark Kent." Chloe deadpanned as Lois smiled back.
Lois sighed, "I'm sick. A sick puppy that likes pain…"
"Granted Clark did screw up today, he can be forgiven, right?" Chloe pointed out.
Lois rolled her eyes, "Fine, but how comes you're hiding in the bathroom?"
"Hiding? I'm not hiding."
Lois raised her eyebrows.
"Okay, Mrs Olsen keeps asking me where my something blue is." Chloe folded her arms, Lois frowned and then grinned.
"Oooh!" Lois winked as she made her way back into the other room, "Why don't you just get it over with and show her?"
"Because I'd like to be Mrs Olsen for longer than a day, Lois." Chloe said as she threw some patchouli in Lois' direction. Chloe muttered, "Last time I let Lois pick my underwear."
When the cousins finally emerged the last few were leaving the dancehall and the wedding party was already cleaning up the mess.
Chloe smiled, "Okay, stop. We've paid people to do that and I want to dance with my husband."
Jimmy flushed red as Chloe offered him her hand. "You know that's pretty hot." Jimmy said to Clark and Oliver, who chuckled and raised their eyebrows.
Oliver looked at Lois then back at Lana, "Sorry Lois but my feet are still hurting from before so…"
Lois rolled her tongue but didn't say anything. Clark shuffled slightly as he looked up at Lois, his hair slightly messed, his tie skewered and generally more Clark looking. Lois sighed as she stepped towards Clark and was rewarded with a smile.
"I don't know why I don't just lay on top of you. I mean that would shut everyone up." Lois said as Clark almost choked on a turn.
"You know Lois just because you say things like that, doesn't mean I'm going to leave. In fact you're stuck with me." Clark said confidently, "I see a long future of Lane and Kent."
"Lane-Kent." Lois repeated, "Best by-line there is."
Even out of the corner of her eye, Lois could see Chloe waving her hand as if to say move it. But Lois was just frozen there, unable to move forward. Lois looked up at Clark, who was looking at her expectantly.
So Lois Lane did what Lois Lane did best, she tackled it head on, "I'm wearing red underwear."
"Umm…" Clark coughed, his head turned as blushed, "We already covered that Lois."
Lois mentally slapped herself for her own bluntness and tried again, "Clark, I'm wearing red and blue. I'm wearing red and blue - for… for you."
To his credit, Clark stopped and looked at Lois, his eyes darkening with…something. Lois bit her lip as Clark's eyes narrowed as if he was assessing her intention. Lois almost jumped back a foot as Clark's hand slid over her neck, tilting her face up to his. His lips were a whisper across hers, only slightly more pressure applied when Lois' arms wound around Clark's neck.
But Lois could hear the distinct sound of whooping. Jimmy was in fact clapping, Chloe and Oliver were smiling at each other and Lana looked…pleased. She even stepped forward, "I'm happy for you guys."
Lois stood with her hands on her hips, trying to ignore the warm press of Clark's hand on her back as she replied, "Happy? What are you a pod person?"
Chloe looked at Lois, slightly gob smacked, Lana nodded, "It's fine Lois. I just want Clark to be happy."
"Okay, still are you a pod…?" Lois began but Clark grabbed Lois' hand and walked her over to the door.
"Bye Chloe, Jimmy - Congratulations." Clark said, smiling as he gave a little wave.
Clark watched as Lois eyed the limo as it pulled up, her hair was still mostly in it's confines but little wisps had escaped and surely had to be tickling her neck…
"Clark?" Lois asked as she opened the door, as if she wasn't sure if he'd really go with her.
"I don't get you Lois. You are the most infuriating person I know but I've never felt better than when I'm with you." Suddenly it was like a weight had been lifted from Clark's shoulders, if anything he could always be honest about how he felt with Lois.
"And you think I get the inner workings of a small town farm boy? You've got a lot to learn about women, Kent." Lois snarked back.
Clark felt a small smile twitch at his lips as he stopped Lois from getting into the limo. "So, teach me."
"Oh well that's going to take…time and…effort." Lois was trying not to smile but her eyes betrayed her. "Considering the mystery that is Clark Kent."
"But I'm sure all lessons will be most…informative." Clark agreed.
The limo driver had actually gotten out of the car to see what was happening, "Where are you two going? Or aren't you leaving?"
Clark helped Lois in, "We're going home, the Kent farm please."
End.

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