Chapter Text
It was a hot summer's day in Smallville, and that meant almost everyone in the town's population all had the same idea.
Go swimming at Crater Lake.
Clark moved his gaze away from the rapidly growing crowd, re-focusing on rubbing the last of sun tan lotion onto Lana's back.
He brought his head up, however, when Lana said, "Think you missed a spot."
His brows briefly furrowed, before he saw the teasing smile on Lana's face as she tapped her lips, and felt a lopsided one form on his own as he pressed his lips to hers.
It felt so good to finally be with the girl of his dreams.
The good feeling wasn't to last, unfortunately, instantly evaporating at the sound of what he'd came to know as the bane of his existence.
"Well," Lois quipped, just how funny she found the situation clear in her voice. "I know what you did this summer."
Gritting his teeth, Clark reluctantly pulled away from the very nice kiss he was having with Lana to look up into Lois's bright eyes. "Lois?"
Her smug smile only widened at seeing how flustered he'd gotten, much to his annoyance. "Oh, don't look so guilty, Smallville," she said, wryly, standing shoulder to shoulder with Chloe. "It's about time the lovebirds flapped their wings."
His irritation flaring, as well as embarrassment, Clark all but demanded, "What are you doing back?"
He hated how easily she riled him up. Lois clearly enjoyed it, though.
"Yeah," Lana chimed in with a laugh, "we thought you were in Europe til' the end of the year."
"Hoping," Clark clarified, with a tight smile aimed in Lois's direction, his body stiff and awkward as it always was when she was around.
Why did she have that effect on him?
Despite his grumpiness, Lana smiled at Lois, her eyes darting between her and Chloe. "Will you stay with Chloe?"
"Actually..." Lois replied, and Clark felt his eyes narrow. "I just ran into Mrs. Kent at the Talon. And right out of nowhere, she asked if I would like to move back in at the farm."
Clark nearly rolled his eyes at that, holding back a laugh. Not in your dreams, he thought. "Yeah, right."
But to his horror, Lois's smile only widened in that overly sweet way, and he felt his jaw almost drop.
"Really?" Clark asked, incredulously. He was gonna have to have a talk with his mom.
Lois shared a smile with her cousin, taking way too much glee from this than he liked. "I know, isn't that sweet?"
She gestured to him and Lana, her eyes sweeping over them. "Oh, don't worry, you little snuggle bunnies can hop right on away. I'm a heavy sleeper. I'm gonna work on my tan."
His jaw grounded tightly, Clark watched as Lois happily trounced her way over to an empty spot, stretching out in the sun.
How she got under his skin...
"Do you think," Clark bit out, turning to Chloe and Lana, "she could sleep through me smothering her with a pillow?"
Chloe and Lana both smiled in amusement, both clearly finding it as funny as Lois, the latter patting his shoulder as she went with a small laugh.
"Don't stay in the sun too long. You're gonna get baked."
Of course, he wouldn't actually, but... Lana didn't exactly know that.
And she couldn't.
At that obvious sign, Chloe easily was able to figure out that Lana was yet to find out about his secret.
"So..." she started, and Clark held back a sigh, shifting his gaze to hers from where he'd watched Lana go. "I take it Lana hasn't gotten to peep into the confidential files of Clark Kent yet."
Clark turned his attention fully to her, trying his best to hold back his irritation. It wasn't that he was irritated with her, he was irritated and fed up with himself.
How was he ever supposed to be with anybody if he couldn't tell them about his secret, the most important thing about him?
It was a major roadblock, something you couldn't swerve around. No matter how much you wanted to.
How was he supposed to live out his destiny? Alone? Was that what his biological parents had expected of him?
Because he just didn't think he would be able to.
"Chloe," Clark finally said, holding back a sigh. "You think I'm happy about having my powers back, and lying about them?"
He dipped his head, his voice turning soft, almost bitter. "I didn't ask for this to happen."
But Chloe's voice had him looking up to find her staring up at him unflinchingly, her voice matter-of-fact. "We didn't ask for a world that needs heroes... but the truth is we do. Now, more than ever, Clark."
He didn't know what to say to that. It sounded like she had everything figured out a lot better than he did.
Clark shook his head, running a hand through his hair with a long-held sigh. "I think I'll go for a dip," he murmured, squinting his eyes against the sun. "Maybe it'll help clear my head."
It probably wouldn't, but it might at least be a bit relaxing.
With a nod to Chloe, and a wave to Lana where she now sat beside Lois, he walked out to the dock.
But even as he got closer to the water, the thoughts in his head were still going as fast as ever.
Clark would have to find a way to tell Lana one day, he'd have to. He didn't know how yet... or when... but it was something he'd have to do if he wanted to be with her.
And he did. More than anything.
Clark sighed for the second time, slowly stepping onto the diving board, and without another moment's wait, plunged into the water.
But instead of the ease of drifting through the water he'd expected, he found flashing pain bursting in his head as he impacted with something, green light illuminating the water.
Clark felt himself sinking, his vision blurring as he stared at the large hunk of rock right below where he'd jumped, glowing bright green.
In his confused mess of thoughts, he wondered why kryptonite would be down here of all places.
But Clark didn't have time to figure it out. As quick as a flipped switch, everything went black.
XXX
Chloe sighed contentedly, stretched out beside Lana and Lois as they watched people go in and out of the lake.
But... she soon began to realize, one person in particular hadn't came out for a very long time.
"Oh my God," Chloe inhaled sharply, instantly alerting the attention of the girls beside her as she got to her feet.
"What?" Lana asked, both her and Lois's wide eyes darting between Chloe and the lake. "What's wrong?"
"He's been gone way too long," the blonde replied, anxiously staring out at the water. "Clark hasn't came up yet. Something's wrong."
Her heart was hammering, her mind whirling as to why Clark hadn't resurfaced, as both Lana and Lois scrambled up, their eyes now scanning the water as well.
"What do we-" Lana started to say, her voice anxious, before Lois pushed past them both, running towards the lake without another second's hesitation.
"Out of the way, people!" her cousin shouted, causing more than just a ruckus as people jumped back. "Navy trained swimmer, here!"
Chloe and Lana watched her go, pumping as hard as she could across the sand. The blonde with a smile, despite the worry gnawing at her, and the other with a doubtful gaze.
"Can she really save Clark?" Lana asked her, never tearing her eyes from the water. "She can't possibly-"
"Like she said," Chloe replied with a shrug, trying to tamp down her own alarm. "She's a navy trained swimmer."
Just as she'd said the words, Lois dove into the water, disappearing into the depths just as Clark had.
She didn't doubt for a second that her cousin could rescue Clark, she just wanted to know why anyone needed to.
What could have happened down there to take down Krypton's fine and brightest?
She was about to find out, Chloe thought with rising dread, gathering around as did everyone else as Lois soon emerged from the water, pulling along an unconscious Clark.
Several guys came forward to take Clark's deadweight from her cousin, one in particular going so far as to grab Clark's arm.
But Lois shouted at all of them to stay back. "Navy trained, here!" she yelled, pushing back the guy holding Clark's arm. "Hey, buddy, I've got this!"
If the blonde wasn't so worried about Clark, she was sure her lips would have quirked at how protective Lois was being over Clark, how she'd dove into that water like there was no tomorrow.
She stowed that away to think over later, crashing to her knees beside Lana as Lois at last settled Clark's limp form out on the sand, his head lolling.
Lana hovered over Chloe's shoulder anxiously, taking in Clark's firmly shut eyes. "Is he breathing?" she cried, tears brimming in her eyes.
"He's about to be," Lois muttered, rolling her shoulders as she broke out of everyone's simultaneous stare-down, and gripping Clark's shoulders.
Again, a guy came over to offer to help her, and Lois shot him an exasperated glare. "Do I really need to say it again?"
Raising his hands, the guy stepped back, looking way too cocky for a guy wearing that bright of shorts.
Chloe couldn't help but give him her own look of exasperation. Did the guy just not know when to quit?
However, her attention was swiftly brought back to where Lois kneeled over Clark's unmoving body.
And felt her curiosity grow at how before she placed her hands on his chest, her cousin gently brushed back wet strands of black hair from his face, almost lovingly.
Strange.
Before giving anyone else the chance to ponder over this, Lois took a steadying breath. "Here we go," she whispered, then pressed her lips over Clark's, pumping his chest in time with the breaths.
For a terrifying few moments, Chloe watched in anxious silence, squeezing Lana's hand, as Clark simply lay there, not moving a muscle.
C'mon, the blonde thought, her heart pounding harder and harder as Clark kept not responding to Lois, you're stronger than this.
All the things he could do, the feats he could accomplish, and a little bit of water is what gets him?
Chloe didn't believe it for a second.
But then... who knows what happened down there?
The thought didn't do anything for her nerves, and Lois didn't seem to be doing any better, though only to Chloe's eyes.
Being her cousin, and seeing her through more than a few trials, the blonde knew when Lois was scared. And she was right now.
But then, with a loud gasp, Clark's eyes flew open. And with no small measure of obvious relief, Lois turned him over onto his side as he coughed up water, gulping for air.
"All right there, Clark?" Lois asked, obviously trying for a joking tone, but Chloe could hear the hesitancy in her voice.
"L-Lois?" Clark wheezed, wet coughs still rattling his frame as she turned him back over, his hazy blue eyes taking in her face. "You-You saved..."
Chloe watched, feeling her lips continue to curl as they both stared at each other, as if both Clark and Lois herself couldn't believe she'd went to such lengths.
Then as Lois plastered on a teasing smile, putting their usual banter firmly back into place. "No thanks needed, Smallville."
Clark blinked, seemingly having a tough time gaining his bearings as he reached out a hand. "Y-Yeah, but... Lois-"
And reluctantly, Chloe noted, she watched as Lois relinquished her spot at Clark's side as Lana rushed over, standing to the side as the other girl carefully helped Clark to sit up.
"Are you all right, Clark?" Lana asked, her eyes scanning his body as he clutched his head, squeezing his eyes shut.
"Head... hurts..." he said in a daze, his brow furrowing.
Chloe brought her apprehensive gaze from Clark over to where Lois still stood, taking in how her cousin's face fell at his words, fear spiking in her eyes.
"A-All right, folks!" Lois abruptly declared, waving people back, but unable to fully mask the worry in her eyes as she watched Clark. "Give him some room to breathe!"
Slowly, the crowd started to dissipate with a few grumblings, that one guy who'd tried to help Lois being the last to finally move away.
Chloe would have to keep her eye on him, and tell Clark about him... well, whenever she could.
"He must have hit his head on something," Chloe murmured, while Lana gently pried his hand away from the back of his head, before pressing her own there.
But hit it on what?
"I did see a pretty big rock down there," Lois piped up, kneeling beside Chloe. "It was kind of... glowing green? I guess it was just the sunlight reflecting off of it."
Of course! Chloe thought, how could she forget? Crater Lake was one of the most hit spots during the meteor shower, it made sense meteor rock would be down there.
If only she'd remembered, she could have warned him...
Guilt wormed its way into her heart as she stared at Clark, grimacing when Lana's hand came away bloody.
"Should I call an ambulance?" Lois cried, already moving to grab her phone, before Chloe quickly grabbed her arm.
"No! No, wait!" the blonde exclaimed, ignoring how Lana and her cousin gawked at her. "Head wounds always bleed more, remember? He's okay, aren't you, Clark?"
They all turned their gazes on Clark, the blonde inwardly praying that he wasn't that out of it.
Thankfully, he blinked his eyes open, his confusion filled gaze somehow finding its way to Chloe's. She saw as the gears started to turn in his head before he understood at last, his eyes widening slightly.
"Y-Yeah..." Clark stammered with a wince, starting to stagger to his feet.
They all jumped up to steady him, but Chloe wasn't too necessary between Lana and Lois holding onto both of his arms.
Clark was probably too focused on pushing past the pain to notice, but Chloe did with raised brows.
"I-I'm okay," he stammered, managing to pull away from them, albeit shakily. "I've had worse hits on the head."
He attempted a smile, helped by the alertness slowly coming back into his eyes, not looking quite as dulled as before.
"Okay..." Lana finally said after a tense moment, studying him closely, and Chloe felt her shoulders drop. "But I'm driving you home."
Clark started to shake his head, then quickly learned his lesson as he let out a hiss, his eyes briefly screwing shut. "B-Bad idea..." he mumbled, then gestured forward, tiredly, "let's go."
Without another word, he let Lana guide him along, her worried gaze resting on him, and her hand on his back, but stopped when Clark abruptly faced Lois.
"I-I just wanted to..." Clark said, his old, shy smile returning to its place on his face like it always had as long as Chloe had known him, even as it looked like he was bracing himself. "To say thank you, Lois. For saving me. You didn't have to."
And in one of her rare moments, Lois seemed to not know what to say for once. She simply stared at him, wide-eyed, as Clark then turned to resume on his way with Lana.
Lois stood beside her, watching them go. "Hey, Smallville!" her cousin called, and Clark stopped, turning back to look at her, Lana doing the same. "Stick to doggy-paddling in the future, okay?"
Huffing a laugh, Clark turned back with a slight roll of his eyes, he and Lana continuing on their way.
The two cousins watched until the couple had faded into the distance, then Chloe turned to Lois with a wry smile. "You weren't... worried about Clark, were you?"
Lois whipped her head around, stunned at the blonde's amused expression. "N-No!" she insisted, looking affronted. "I-I was just..."
"Just..." Chloe encouraged, her smile widening.
"Just mad that the jerk scared Lana so much!" her cousin exclaimed, at last, wrapping her arms around herself stubbornly. "I'll... really let him have it next time I see him."
Chloe shook her head, making an unimpressed face at that, looping her arm through her cousin's as they began to walk. "Sure, you will, Lois."
Maybe Lois felt a little different about Smallville's favorite flannel king than she'd thought.