Title: From the Heart
Fandom: Smallville
Pairing/Characters: Clark/Lois, Chloe
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1174
Spoilers/Warnings: none/none
Disclaimer: all characters belong to the CW/DC Comics
Summary: Lois is having a bad day until she gets a surprise gift.
A/N: For
scifiabby for my
ABC meme, prompt: 'harley'
Lois Lane was having a terrible day. It seemed that everything that could possibly go wrong did. First, she missed her alarm in the morning, and then, when she had finally dragged herself out of bed, her hot water hadn’t worked, forcing her to take a cold shower.
To top it off, her car hadn’t started and she had to take a cab, delaying her further.
Worst of all, Clark wasn’t even there to cheer her up. While Lois considered herself an independent woman, she had fallen head over heels for one Clark Kent. Once upon a time, she had thought they were all wrong for one another, but now, they had been dating for over a year, and Lois had never been happier.
Clark was the best boyfriend she had ever had; he knew everything about her and loved her anyway. He was sweet, funny, and it didn’t hurt that he was drop-dead gorgeous. They were complete opposites, but it worked better that way.
He also had a way of making her feel better whenever she was having a bad day. However, her gorgeous, sweet boyfriend was also a superhero, who helped save the world on a daily basis. Clark had been out of town for the past couple of days doing just that.
While she understood and even admired him, it did nothing for her current bad mood.
Work usually managed to perk her up, as she loved her job. But even that was letting her down.
It was midday when her day made a turn for the better. Chloe came to visit her and claimed that she was taking her out to lunch.
“It’s been ages since we spent time together,” Chloe told her. “We’ll even go to that Thai place you like.”
Lois couldn’t argue with that. So, she agreed. A part of her was suspicious of Chloe’s timely visit, but she brushed it off. Besides, it really had been too long and Lois loved Thai food!
Lunch was nice; Chloe and Lois had a chance to catch up with each other’s lives, and Lois told Chloe all about her bad day.
“That sounds horrible,” Chloe said sympathetically.
“Yeah,” Lois agreed, taking a bite out of her food. “But I’m surviving ... with the help of lots of coffee.”
At that, Chloe laughed. She paused for a second and asked, “Have you talked to Clark?”
“I spoke to him yesterday,” Lois answered. “Not today though.”
“No word on when he’s coming back?” Chloe questioned.
“Nope,” Lois responded. “You hear anything?” Since Chloe was still Watchtower for the League, Lois figured that she would be the best person to get answers from.
“No, I talked to Oliver, but as far as I know, they’re not done yet,” Chloe informed her.
Lois nodded, taking in the information, and then changing the topic. It probably wasn’t a good idea to talk about this in public anyway.
Eventually, she had to go back to work, but Chloe promised her that they would hang out sometime soon … do a girls’ night out or something. Lois planned to hold her to that.
When she got to her desk, Lois was surprised to see a bouquet of purple lilies sitting there, along with a present. She glanced around the room, but nobody seemed to be watching her.
Seeing that there was a card, she picked it up. On the envelope, in her boyfriend’s all-too familiar handwriting, it simply said, “Open the present first”.
Well, who was she to argue with that?
Unwrapping the gift slowly, she was surprised to see a miniature Harley, engraved with the date September 22, 2004. Lois was confused for a moment, but then she suddenly remembered that she had come to Smallville in September of 2004 and that date was likely the day when she and Clark had met.
Smiling to herself at his sentimentality, she turned to the card. Yes, she got the date, but the actual gift still puzzled her.
Opening it, she read what he had written.
Lois,
A wise woman once told me that sometimes, you got to tuck your feelings away until it's the right time, kind of like stuffing dollars into a piggybank for a bike you can’t afford. When I expressed doubt that I could find someone else, she said that maybe when I crack open that bank, I’ll find out that I was not just saving for a bike, but a Harley.
And you know what? She was right. I was saving for a Harley … I was waiting for you and I didn’t even know it. You’re my Harley, and I hope that when you look at that, you’ll know how much I love you. Because I do.
I love you, and I miss you and I’ll be home as soon as I can.
Yours always,
Smallville (AKA Clark)
Lois sniffed, and though she wasn’t a woman who cried easily, she couldn’t stop the prickling in the back of her eyes. The way he finished it made her giggle though.
He remembered what she said … and that meant more to her than he would ever know. She eyed the Harley and knew that she would cherish it with all her heart.
The rest of the day went smoothly, and Lois couldn’t wipe the smile from her face if she tried.
When she finally went back to the apartment she shared with Clark, she was surprised when she heard low music coming from inside. Also, something smelled good.
Unlocking the door, she was taken aback to see a candlelight dinner set for two, but the biggest surprise of all was standing next to it.
“Clark? You’re back?”
“Surprise!” Clark exclaimed, a warm smile on his face.
Within seconds, she was in his arms, kissing him with everything she had, and he responded with equal passion. Pulling away only when the need for air became overwhelming, they exchanged smiles.
“I missed you,” Clark said softly.
“I missed you too,” Lois confessed. He had a way of bringing out her sappy side. “I got the present though.”
“Yeah?” Clark asked hopefully. “And?”
“It was … perfect,” she told him. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” he replied.
“And I see you cooked dinner,” she remarked. “Shouldn’t I be the one welcoming you home?”
“Lois, if you cooked, you’d be welcoming me home with a kitchen fire,” Clark teased.
“Ha, ha, very funny,” Lois said, punching him playfully. “You’re lucky I love you, Smallville.”
“Very lucky,” he agreed.
“I do, you know,” she said, turning serious for a moment. “Love you, I mean. Even though I don’t say it a lot …”
“Hey, Lois,” Clark interrupted, “I know.” He grinned; that smile always had a way of making her go weak in the knees. “I love you too.”
Instead of responding, she leaned up and captured the willing lips of her boyfriend.
Words could be overrated sometimes anyway, and besides, she had her own way of welcoming him home. One that they would both enjoy very much.