Rating: K+
Disclaimer: I don't own anything Smallville, etc.
Summary: How does one define a relationship? Especially a new one between well-loved superhero and an intrepid reporter? That's what Lois and Clark will have to figure out.

Note: I should have an update on Until You in the next few days, but couldn't resist posting this one. Hope you enjoy! Would love feedback!! R&R please!!

Pick Your Label

Things had changed between Lois and Clark.

Drastically.

Long gone were the days of ignoring the chemistry between them or pretending the other was just another annoyance on a very bad day. Since declaring their mutual attraction, and Lana's subsequent departure, there was no longer a need to tiptoe on eggshells.

Now, they lobbed them at each other with reckless abandon. They stomped on them. Scrambled them. Then fed them to each other for breakfast.

In bed.

Not that they'd done anything more than sleeping, mind you, but sometimes that was more than enough. Especially with the kissing.

Oh, God, the kissing.

It went on for hours. And hours. Intensely. Passionately. Dangerously close to pushing them over the point of no return. For Lois, if they hadn't made out twice by noon, it was not a good day. For Clark, the benchmark was three.

Oh, they still fought. Only, now their fights had taken on a whole new level of gamesmanship. They weren't always about who was right. Or if there was even a valid reason to find out who was right. It was about when they would make up. How…where…and who would say 'sorry' first.

Today was no different.

The bickering began that morning at the Kent farm and followed them to the Daily Planet. The cause: a certain mild-mannered reporter's wardrobe.

"Claaarrk…" Lois drew out his name like the whistle of a train.

"I already told you no, Lois. A million times." Clark's exasperated sigh entered the bullpen before he did. "I don't even know why we are still having this discussion."

Lois tossed her coat in the general direction of her desk, oblivious to where it landed, and followed the Man of Stubborn to his desk. Perching herself in her usual spot, she didn't even give him a chance to settle in. "We are having this discussion because it's important to me."

Clark bit back a groan. Great. Emotional blackmail.

Leaning back in his chair, he prepared for the onslaught. She did not disappoint. "Clark, this is the first award's ceremony I've been invited to. You do understand what that means, right? This is like the ultimate acceptance into the secret world of reporters."

His annoyance quickly turned to amused admiration as the wild wave of her hands only added to her ridiculously adorable attempt to make her case. "No sneaking in. No making up stories to sneak in. No reporting. Just dinner and dancing and…making fun of other people. And out of everyone in the entire universe I want to share it all…" She reached over and trailed her fingers down the side of his face as her expression softened to an imploring sigh. "…with you."

"Awww, Lois…" Clearly on to her game, Clark gently removed her hand. Kissed it. "…that's sweet." Then let it drop. "But no."

She rolled her eyes in response.

The pout that next appeared on her face prompted a further explanation. "As much as I love that you want me to be your date this evening, I hate wearing tuxes. With a passion. I don't think you really know just how much I loathe the things. Besides, I have a ton of work to do at the farm…"

"Would it help if I told you how gorgeous you look in a tux?" Lois tried another tactic: pure flattery.

"You've never seen me in a tux."

"I have too." Lois shot back. "Remember our prom?" Her gaze raked over him in a way that was clearly not intended for the crowded bullpen. The seductive tone that accompanied that look sent heat to face and shiver down his spine. "God, you looked so delicious it took everything in my power to resist ripping it off and having my way with you there on the dance floor."

Though his cheeks reddened with a sudden blush, his baby blues pinned her with the truth. "As I recall you were pushing me into someone else's arms that night."

"Like I said…" Her voice hardened slightly at the Lana slip up. But she pursued her target with her usual pit bull determination. "…everything within my power."

Clark chuckled. "This must really mean a lot to you to invoke Lana's memory."

"It means the world." For the first time since the discussion began, the sincerity in Lois' hazel eyes was not lost on Clark.

With a speed that left Lois breathless, Clark pushed his chair back, jumped up and invaded her personal space, taking no prisoners. Leaning down till their eyes met, he put both hands on the desk beneath her, effectively trapping her in a human cage from which she had no desire to escape.

Her eyes glazed over they way they always did when looking into his. It was in those moments, Clark Kent felt a surge of power that well exceeded any of his natural born gifts. It was the power to make her happy. And it meant the world to him.

"Ok."

The whisper against her lips was so soft she almost missed it. An eyebrow rose. "Ok?"

He succeeded in stopping the smile from moving across his lips, but the sparkle in his eyes was undeniable. "Ok."

Lois squealed her delight and threw her arms around his neck. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

His laughter joined hers as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into a hug. "I cannot believe you talked me into being your trained monkey for the evening."

Lois pulled back as an appropriate pout graced her lips. "Aww, baby. Don't be so hard on yourself. No one expects you to be trained…"

"Ha. Ha. Ha." Clark rolled his eyes and reluctantly released Lois as she gingerly jumped to the ground and out of his arms.

The bounce in her pony tail matched the grin on her face as she plopped into her chair and began booting her computer. She was so happy she was practically humming. In fact, she was. And if Clark wasn't mistaken, it was a White Snake power ballad.

The grin on his face was so wide he expected his face to break in two any second. As he turned his attention to his screen, he was finding it rather difficult to concentrate. That may have had something to do with the incredibly sexy reporter sitting at the desk across from him. But that was just a guess.

"Linda, please accept this as my…" Lois read out loud as her fingers flew across the keyboard. "…R.S.V.P. to the dinner tonight. Will be attending with my fabulous boyfriend, Clark Kent."

Clark's head snapped up. "What…what did you just say?"

Lois' head popped around the screen. "I said you were fabulous. But don't worry, I didn't really type it. We don't want to let that particular cat out of the bag, do we?"

Ignoring her playful wink, Clark began to stutter. "No…uh, I…I meant…what did you say…after that?"

Confused by Clark's question and sudden bumbling of the English language, Lois looked back at her screen and read. "Will be attending with my boyfriend, Clark Kent." She looked back around the screen at Clark. "Clark? Are you ok?"

"Uh…" The sudden paleness of his skin and the trouble he seemed to be having breathing catapulted Lois out of her chair and to his side.

"Clark?"

"B-boyfriend?"

"Yeah…" Lois's concern was growing by leaps and bounds. "Clark, what's wrong?"

"I uh…" He cleared his throat and forced himself to focus on steadying a heartbeat that had suddenly run off with his body's ability to function normally. "I guess…that's just not a…a term I would have…chosen. You know, to describe us."

"Oh." The concern in Lois' eyes turned first to confusion then to pain. "Oh, I see."

Their gazes locked for a moment.

Lois was the first to look away. Her forced smile, the way she blinked rapidly as if trying to dislodge the hurt so evident in her eyes was enough to break Clark's heart. He reached out to touch her, but she backed away at that precise moment, oblivious to his attempt.

In true Lois fashion, she began to ramble. "You know, you're right. I mean, labels like boyfriend and girlfriend, they're so prosaic, aren't they? And what do they mean anyway, right? Take us for instance. Though we are friends, you are certainly no boy. And I stopped being a girl when I was seven. Hence, the term would not fit. Besides, I'm not one to use labels anyway."

"Lois…" Clark came to stand in front of her, the plea in his voice was undeniable as he reached out and took her hands in his.

"Oh, God!" Immediately pulling her hands out of his, Lois flew to her desk in a flurry of activity that made Clark's super speed seem slow. "I just remembered. I have meeting with a…a source. I've gotta go."

"Lois." Clark blocked her way. "Listen to me. You misunderstood…"

"Seriously, I would love to stay here and thumb through the thesaurus with you, but gotta pay the bills, right?" She playfully knocked him on the arm with her fist and side stepped him with uncharacteristic speed. "Oh, and Smallville…" It was evident that hard-as-nails Lois was back and slipping that armor in place, right around her heart. "…its ok if you don't show tonight. I've flown solo before."

With that, she disappeared.

And with that, Clark Kent felt like an alien searching for his home.

Tbc…