[Third Person Pov]
Lois was holding onto Clark's cheek, gently tugging him down toward her until their lips met again. The kiss was unhurried at first—warm, soft, and familiar in a way that neither of them had expected—but it quickly grew in intensity. Clark's hands, steady and powerful, rose to cradle Lois's face with a careful tenderness that contrasted the strength behind them. He tilted her head slightly, deepening the kiss, their bodies pressing instinctively closer as the heat between them built with every passing second.
Lois's fingers traced the sharp line of his jaw, lingering there as if memorizing every angle, before slipping into his hair. Her nails lightly scraped his scalp, and Clark inhaled sharply against her mouth. Her breathing became uneven, her chest rising and falling quickly as the moment overwhelmed her senses—this wasn't the simple, fleeting kiss she had imagined it would be. It was charged, alive, and frighteningly real.
Eventually, they broke apart, their lips parting with a soft, wet sound. Both of them lingered close, foreheads nearly touching as they tried to catch their breath. Their chests rose and fell in sync, each trying to ground themselves after a moment that had gone from impulsive to intimate in a heartbeat.
"So…" Lois finally murmured, still slightly breathless, "did you fall in love with me yet?"
"Of course not, you weirdo," Clark said, rolling his eyes as if the suggestion was outrageous. "Did you really think I'd fall in love after one kiss?"
Lois chuckled, though her cheeks and the tips of her ears flushed a brighter hue. "You're the one who said you didn't want to fall in love with me earlier, remember? Don't blame me for following your logic."
"Yeah, well… that was because I already knew there was an attraction between us," Clark muttered, voice low with embarrassment. "And I didn't want it becoming anything more." He said almost defensively, before adding, "And it's not like you're in love with me either."
Lois placed both hands on his chest—his ridiculously solid chest—and hummed thoughtfully. "Hmm, that's true. You're a hard boy to love after all, Ayase. But I also won't deny that something is definitely happening between us."
Then, just as quickly, she pushed herself away and shot him a glare. "But that doesn't mean I've forgiven you for ghosting me like that."
Clark let out a long, defeated sigh. He couldn't even argue—it had been immature. "...Yeah. I'm sorry. I suppose I acted a bit childish about the whole situation."
Lois nodded, satisfied for the moment, before reaching into her pocket. "I'll forgive you on one condition." She pulled out a folded piece of paper, snapped it open dramatically, and held it out toward him like a contract from the devil. "Join the club," she declared with a bright, almost maliciously hopeful smile.
"..." Clark stared at her with a flat and deadpan expression. Lois began fanning the paper at him, her grin widening like she already knew he'd cave.
"You are the bane of my existence," Clark muttered.
Lois burst into laughter, shrugging with exaggerated innocence. "Oh well, can't blame a girl for trying—and for taking advantage of the opportunity. I was certain I had you too. That's a real shame."
She began folding the paper back up, but peeked over at him, expression suddenly more serious. "So… what exactly are we now? Because there's no denying there's something going on. We can't pretend we don't have chemistry. But you're also engaged—wait, does that make me a homewrecker?!"
Clark blinked slowly as Lois slapped her hands over her head in despair.
"That's… a good question, honestly." He rubbed the back of his neck, equally frustrated and confused. "A really good question."
Lois gasped dramatically, hand flying to her mouth. "Am I your mistress? Your secret lover? Your friends-with-benefits situation?!"
"Huh?" Clark stared at her like she had sprouted a second head. "What are you even talking about?"
Lois pressed a hand to her forehead, dramatically defeated. "Why is getting involved with you turning out to be so complicated?"
"You don't know the half of it…" Clark muttered under his breath.
Lois exhaled, shaking her head as if physically forcing herself not to spiral further. "Just forget it. Thinking about it is giving me a headache. We'll just leave our relationship undefined for now."
Clark merely shrugged. He didn't care either way—mostly because he had absolutely no clue what to do moving forward, and undefined felt safer than wrong.
As the silence settled, Clark noticed Lois shifting her weight, glancing at him from the corner of her eye before quickly looking away. "What?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"...You're going to think I'm weird," Lois said softly, her voice losing its usual bravado. She looked genuinely hesitant, almost shy.
Clark gave her a blank, utterly unimpressed look. "I already think you're weird. That's not changing."
Lois pouted faintly, her lower lip jutting out in a way she clearly didn't intend to be cute—but absolutely was. "The kiss… it was nice," she admitted quietly. "Like… really, really nice." She pressed her index fingers together, fidgeting like she didn't know what to do with her hands or her face or her entire existence in that moment.
Seeing her uncharacteristically meek made something mischievous spark in Clark. "So what?" he asked, a teasing edge to his voice. "Are you saying you want another?"
Lois immediately grabbed a handful of her own hair and dragged it over her face like a curtain, her whole body radiating heat. She nodded—small, stiff, mortified. "It… it was my first kiss, after all."
Clark blinked. "You're joking, right?"
"Shut up," Lois snapped instantly, though her voice cracked around the edges. "I'm not a man-whore like you who seems to have… experience." The last word came out strangled, as if saying it alone gave her anxiety.
Clark sighed theatrically and rolled his eyes. Before she could react, he reached out, grabbed her gently by the waist, and pulled her closer. Lois let out a startled yelp, her hands flying to his chest. She stared up at him, wide-eyed, lashes fluttering in a way she probably didn't realize looked painfully adorable.
Clark brushed his thumb along her cheek, lowering his head. "For what it's worth," he murmured, "you're a great kisser… especially for your first time."
Lois's breath hitched, her expression melting into something soft and helpless. "If you say something like that…" she managed before he kissed her again. "Mmm… how am I supposed to stay mad at you…"
She gave up fighting it. She simply melted—body, breath, and all—into his arms.
…
After school, when the hallways were emptying and everyone was headed home, club activities were only beginning. Lois entered her club room with her bag slung over her shoulder and her laptop clutched to her chest. She didn't walk—she practically floated. There was a spring in her step, a glow on her face she couldn't suppress even if she tried.
Joichirou leaned back in his chair, balancing it precariously on two legs, one arm draped over the backrest with practiced ease. His own laptop was open in front of him, but his eyes drifted immediately to Lois. She stumbled in, placed her things on the table, and plopped down across from him, looking like someone had replaced her soul with sunshine.
Joichirou raised a brow, smirking. "Looks like something good happened. I'm guessing you and Clark managed to make up?"
"Huh?!" Lois nearly shot out of her seat, panic flooding her face. "Make-out? What? How do you know about that?! Did he tell you anything? What did he say?!"
The chair slammed back down onto all four legs with a loud thud as Joichirou stared at her, deadpan. "I said make up, not make out."
"Oh…" Lois muttered before her entire face detonated in a nuclear-level blush. She let out a choking laugh, "Hahaha—yeah, yeah, I heard you. I was just messing with you. You should've seen your face."
Joichirou closed his laptop slowly, folded his arms on top of it, and tilted his head with a foxlike grin. "Ms. Lane… do you perhaps have something you want to share?"
Lois slapped her hands over her face and let out the most defeated groan of her life.
"You certainly work fast," Joichirou added teasingly. "Next time I need relationship advice, I guess I'll come to you."
"Please stop talking…" Lois cried into her palms, voice muffled and drenched in humiliation.
His laughter only made her cheeks burn hotter. Lois eventually dragged her hands down her face, holding her warm cheeks between her fingers like she was trying to cool them. She peeked at him across the table and whispered, "Thank you…"
Joichirou raised a brow. "What for?"
"Clark told me you were the one who confronted him. He said… he only came to see me because you pushed him to." Lois looked away, embarrassed but genuinely grateful. "So… thank you."
Joichirou leaned back again, balancing on two chair legs like it was second nature. He raised two fingers in a casual salute and smirked. "What are friends for, right?"
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