Words in /slashes/ are spoken in Italian.

Chapter 8:

Lois blinked the sleep out of her eyes and checked her watch. 9:33 am. "Smallville?" She tried to wriggle out of his grasp, but he instinctively pulled her in closer, causing a small, amused smile to creep onto her face. "Clark, as much as I'd like to stay here, I've got a class in less than a half hour."

"Yeah? Then what's the rush?" he asked, the grin evident in his voice.

"You may be able to get ready at superspeed, Smallville, but I can't. C'mon, I don't want to be late."

"You don't have to be late."

"Tempting, Smallville, but I can't skip class."

"Since when does Lois Lane care about her attendance record?" he asked amused.

"Since she had to go back to high school for failing because of truancy."

Martha couldn't help the amused smile that overtook her as she listened to Lois and Clark arguing lightheartedly in the living room. They were perfect for each other. Clark had the tendency to bring out the side of Lois that people rarely saw, and Lois somehow had the ability to get Clark to relax. Martha, for one, was willing to turn a blind eye to Lois's sneaking downstairs to be with Clark- well, so long as they didn't do anything else.

A blur blew by Martha, and, a moment later, Jonathan came down the creaking stairs.

"I'm surprised the house is so quiet," he commented. When Martha shot him a confused look, he clarified. "Lois is awake. I wonder why there was a bucket on her bed though."

"Lois woke Clark up and they just left for Metropolis," Martha said, leaving out the fact that Lois and Clark both spent the night on the couch.

Clark came to a stop outside Lois's apartment and set her gently on her feet. Lois blinked twice as her surroundings became clear again. She shook her head to clear it and unlocked the door. "You gonna come in, or stand out there all day?" Lois asked as she moved through the apartment like a whirlwind, depositing her keys and cell phone on the table as she made her way into her room.

Clark walked in and closed the door behind him.

Twenty minutes later, Lois emerged from her room. "What time do you get out of class?" Clark asked.

"I have classes until two. Why?"

"Just wondering," he said with a slight smirk. "So, do you want me to bring your car here?"

Lois hesitated for a moment. "I don't normally let people drive my car… If I find a single scratch or dent…" Clark just grinned at her. Lois sighed and tossed him the keys. "Remember, Smallville, one scratch and I'll-"

"Lois, don't worry about it; the car will be in perfect condition when you get it back. Now, do you need a ride to the campus?"

"Sure, Smallville," she said as she grabbed her cell phone. Before she knew what had happened, Clark picked her up and superspeeded out of the apartment, closing the door behind them.

Clark ran through the crowded streets of Metropolis until he reached Metropolis University. He stopped in between two of the buildings.

"That's gonna take a lot of getting used to," Lois said.

"I'll have to see what I can do to help with that," he said with a small smile.

Lois noticed that people were staring at them as they passed by. "Uh, Smallville, can you put me down now," she asked awkwardly.

Clark gave her a blank look and blushed when he finally realized that he was still holding her. "Sorry," he said with awkward embarrassment as he set her down on the ground.

"Don't worry about it," she said, grinning up at him. "I've gotta get to class though, Smallville." She reached up and pulled his head down to hers, kissing him quickly. "Remember, Smallville, you've gotta be here to pick me up at two," she said as she started towards the entrance of the main building.

"Hey, Lois," Clark said, causing her to stop and turn to face him. "Who ever said I was picking you up later?" he teased with a slight grin.

Lois just smirked at him and continued walking towards her class.

Clark grinned as he watched Lois walk away, waiting a few moments before he bent his knees and jumped, rocketing into the air. Once he was a few thousand feet above the ground, he concentrated on remaining stationary as he floated in the air. After he was able to do that without very much effort, Clark started working on his technique and maneuverability.

A few hour later, Clark flew back to Smallville and picked up Lois's car before flying back towards Metropolis. He landed on a stretch of road a few miles outside of the city and drove the rest of the way to Lois's apartment.

As Lois left the building, she spotted Clark leaning against a tree watching her with a wide grin. She walked over to him unable to keep a grin off her own face.

"Hey, Smallville," she said as she wrapped her arms around him neck and leaned in to kiss him. A look of disappointment flashed across her face as he pulled back after a few moments.

"Your car doesn't have a scratch on it. I parked it outside your apartment."

"I was kidding about the car, Smallville," she said as reached up to continue their kiss.

When she pulled away to catch her breath, Clark said, "I know. I've got a surprise for you… if you want to go out with me and get something to eat? Any kind of food you want," he added with a mischievous smile.

Lois shot him a quizzical look that he simply grinned at. "Uhh… Italian sound good."

"Italian it is then," Clark said, beaming. Lois let him pull her back into the same alley they had been in earlier. "I'll be right back," he said before zipping off. A minute later he was back. "You ready?"

"Sure, Smallville."

Clark scooped her up into his arms and bent his knees slightly as he propelled himself up into the air. Once they were high enough above the city, Clark slowed down to let Lois take in the view. He couldn't keep the grin off his face as he watched Lois's astonished reaction.

"Wow," she breathed as she took in their surroundings. "This is amazing, Clark."

"Just like you," he said quietly.

Lois blushed slightly, and she reached up, drawing him into a passionate kiss. They immediately lost altitude, and Lois broke the kiss. "Clark! Focus on staying up in the air."

He concentrated, willing them up higher. He flushed with embarrassment, "I guess I need more practice."

"You think?" she asked with a raised brow. "So, where are we going?"

"You said you wanted Italian," Clark said simply, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

She looked at him in surprise. "Wait a second, are we going to Italy?"

"Well, I figured, why not get the authentic stuff."

"Do you even speak Italian?"

Clark nodded. "Lex taught me. I zipped into Met. U's library to brush up on it though."

"But you were only gone for a minute."

"I know. I can read at superspeed."

"You're amazing, Smallville."

He held her protectively against his chest as he descended through the clouds. He barely heard her voice muffled against his flannel shirt.

"I can't believe I never saw it before."

'Saw what?' Clark wondered as he landed in an empty alley and reluctantly set Lois on her feet.

"There's a small place about a block away," he said as they walked down the street together.

They walked into a small place called Antonio's and a waiter greeted them at the door.

/ "A table for two please?" / Clark asked politely.

/ "Right this way." / The waiter led hem to a table in the corner of the room and set two menus down on the table.

Clark pulled out Lois's chair for her and slid it in a bit once she was seated before he took his seat.

"Always the boy scout, huh, Smallville?" Lois asked with a lightly teasing grin.

He simply smiled in response. His small smile turned into a wide grin. "Uh, Lois?"

She looked at him curiously. "Yes?"

"You're reading the menu upside down."

"Ok, so I'm not fluent in Italian. Why don't you just order something while I used the restroom," Lois said as she rose from the table.

"Hey, Lois?" She turned back to him with a questioning look on her face. "Signore is the ladies room."

"I know that much, Smallville," Lois quipped before heading towards the bathroom once more. She smirked as she felt his gaze follow her until she was out of view.

Lois walked back to the table. "You said that the ladies room would say signore, Smallville."

Clark looked quizzically at her. A look of realization flashed across his face, and he tried to fight a grin. "You didn't?"

"I had to find out the hard way which one was which." She took a look at his face. "It's not very funny, Smallville," she said as she burst out into peals of laughter. They calmed down once they realized that they were earning odd looks from the restaurant's other patrons.