The Obsession Connection

In our last installment, Perry has ordered Lois and Clark to take some time off, and Lois and Clark have decided to go on a vacation together (as friends).

Krazyworld (part 3)
by Molly (LoveLC/MPSL27@aol.com)

* * * * * * * * * *

"Lois, are you *sure* you need four suitcases?"

It was two days after Perry had given his two star reporters some time off, and Clark had just arrived at Lois's apartment. They were going to take a cab from there to the airport.

Clark set one suitcase and a small duffel bag on the floor of Lois's living room.

"Yes, I need four suitcases," Lois answered. "One for clothes, one for shoes and socks, one for hair accessories and make-up, and one for everything else: my camera, a notebook, some reading material, some Double Fudge Crunch Bars...wait a minute. Did I just say that out loud?"

"Yes you did. Do you have the tickets?"

"Yes!" Lois said happily. "At least I didn't lose those in all this mess. Here," she said, handing them to Clark. "They'll be safer with you. I've had a heck of a morning, Clark. You wouldn't believe how many vases I've broken."

"Vases?"

"Oh, you know, one thing always leads to another. When I started packing, I realized I didn't have nearly enough sun block. After all, we are going to Florida, and even in November, I think we're going to need sun block. Anyway, I figured I could just run to the store for some. So I did. But when I got back, I realized I also needed toothpaste. So instead of just charging back to the store, I decided to just start a list. That way, I could write down everything I need and just go shopping at once. A list is an amazing idea, Clark, someone should have thought of doing that sooner. Anyway, so then I got home and tripped over an open suitcase and broke the lavender vase, so adios lavender vase, and *then* when I was digging through my closet, looking for my flowered sundress, I saw what looked like an arm. An *arm*, Clark. I was so scared, I backed up really fast, bumped into my night table, and knocked the clear vase off. So, as you can see, I've had quite a morning."

"Breathe, Lois!" Clark begged. "Now what were you saying about an *arm*?"

"Oh, it turned out to be the hose to the vacuum cleaner."

"Those things can be deadly," he said.

She rolled her eyes. "Come on, let's get going. The plane leaves in two hours." She paused. "Two hours? Aren't we being just a little bit *too* prepared?"

"You can never be too early for a flight, Lois."

"Ah, ancient Smallville wisdom rears it's head. Thank you, Clark."

"Anytime," he said, picking up two of her suitcases. "Lois?"

"What?"

"We are *never* going to get all of these suitcases downstairs."

Twenty minutes later, after quite a bit of consolidating and leaving behind useless items ("An electric blanket? Lois, I think the hotel will be providing blankets."), Lois and Clark were lugging two suitcases apiece. Lois's purse was over her shoulder and Clark was struggling with his duffel bag. Down the elevator, out the front door of the building, and out onto the sidewalk they went.

They had a much easier time snagging a cab that day, and made it to the airport with plenty of time to spare before their flight.

"I'm so excited, Clark," Lois said, as they were waiting to board their plane.

Clark smiled. He was more than excited, but he wasn't going to admit that. Spending any time with Lois, even at work, was completely thrilling to him. Now they'd be vacationing together. Sitting next to each other on the plane. Staying in adjacent hotel rooms.

Could life get any better than this, he wondered?

Their flight was announced, and Lois and Clark boarded the plane with only the light load of their carry-ons (those pesky suitcases had been sent to the baggage department). Lois was elated to discover she had a window seat, and she made herself comfortable right away.

"Oh, look, Clark! Look at all these magazines!" Lois exclaimed, poking through the little pouch on the back of the seat in front of her. "The Wall Street Journal, Hamburger Helper Monthly, The Fisherman's Guide to Quilting..." She looked troubled. "Why on Earth would anyone want to read that?" she wondered. "Oh and look," Lois said, trying hard not to laugh. "The ever-handy air sickness bag. I've never, ever seen anyone use one of these things," she informed Clark.

"Believe me," Clark said, taking the barf bag from Lois and burying it behind the magazines. "That's not something you ever would *want* to see."

Lois shrugged.

When the fasten-your-seatbelts sign light turned off, Lois unbuckled her seatbelt and stretched her arms. "I'm thirsty," she announced.

"The beverage carts will be coming by shortly," said a tall, bony flight attendant, who was passing by and had happened to overhear Lois's comment.

"Thanks," Lois said, rolling her eyes when the flight attendant had left. Clark saw that and grinned. "You know, Clark, this feels like a dream."

A dream come true, Clark thought. But all he said was, "It does?"

"Yes. I've never been the kind of person to do this--I mean, just *decide* to go on a trip like this."

"I thought you went to the Burmuda Triangle in September," Clark said.

"No, that never worked out. It's a long story," she added with a sigh. "The last time I took a vacation was a little over a year ago. I went on this Daily Planet ski trip, and I ended up breaking my ankle. What a nightmare! Before that? The last time I took a vacation was when I was in college. You?"

Clark let out a deep breath. "I don't even remember," he said. "Before I came to the Planet, I traveled the world, but I wouldn't exactly call that a 'vacation'. Sure, I got to see the world, but I was working on stories for various newspapers the entire time."

"The 'Borneo Gazette'," Lois remembered, chuckling.

"Yeah." He grinned.

She looked at him strangely. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just can't...seem to get comfortable," Clark said, changing positions in his seat. "I guess I'm not used to flying," he said, not really aware of what he was saying.

"It's not for everyone," Lois said.

What's not for everyone? Clark wondered. Being so in love with someone, that you can't even sit still because every bone in your body wants you to get up and scream with joy because the woman you love is actually sitting next to you on a plane, something you never thought would happen, and you can't even get up the nerve to tell her how you really feel?

"I guess not," was all he said, and was relieved when the beverage cart came rolling by. He ordered coffee. Black. But what I really need, he thought, is a good smack upside the head. Lois ordered cream soda. Clark swore to remember that she loved cream soda. Someday, maybe, there would be a reason for her to come over to his apartment. Some reason other than "there's a madman out to get me!" And she would be thirsty, and he would offer her cream soda, cold from his refrigerator, and she would say "thanks, Clark. It was really sweet of you to remember that I liked cream soda." And he would smile and say, "That's what friends are for..." And then she'd...

"Clark?"

"Wha-huh?"

"If you're not going to finish that coffee, could I have it?"

He handed her the coffee. "It's all yours," he said.

She took the cup and sniffed it. He watched her, amused. "Clark, what's with the black coffee?" she asked. "If I know you, you're more of a gimme-all-the-cream-and-sugar-you've-got coffee drinker."

"People change, Lois," he said, the whole time thinking to himself--she knows what kind of coffee I like! And at the same time, wondering why the heck he had ordered black coffee, since airline coffee tended to taste like cardboard, anyway, and besides--he hated regular coffee.

"Yes, people change," she echoed, sipping the coffee.

The in-flight movie started just then, and Lois and Clark rented headphones. Lois eyed her headphones carefully before putting them on. "I hate these things," she confided in Clark. "You never know where they've been. Think of all the ears that have touched these. All those ears..."

"Well, you really should only worry about the ears of the person that touched the headphones the last," Clark said. "Here, put yours on."

She did. He did the same.

"Now switch," Clark said. He removed his headphones and handed them to Lois, and she removed her headphones and handed them to Clark. They put on their new sets of headphones.

"Still worried about the last pair of ears that touched your headphones?" Clark asked.

"Not anymore." She smiled. "You?"

"Not in the least," he said, and they settled back to watch the movie.