Title: History Lesson

Author: Nadia

Rated: G

Disclaimer: I own nothing

"Ugh!" Clark growled, crumpling another piece of paper and throwing it towards a pile at a faraway corner of his loft that would probably rival a miniature version of Mount Everest. His first term paper for the semester has him studying overtime.

"You know, you may try throwing it into the garbage rather than around it," Lois joked. While Clark took the desk, Lois took advantage of his sofa.

Since class has started, Clark and Lois has spent more time together now that Chloe is attending Metropolis University, and he and Lois at Smallville Community College. To his surprise, he and Lois had managed a pretty good friendship.

"This paper is killing me," he exclaimed, his mind exhausted.

"No more than your fashion sense. I think you'll be okay," she quipped.

"Funny! How's yours?"

"Moving along quite well actually"

"Uh huh," he responds in disbelief.

"You don't believe me"

"Considering you had to repeat every school year twice since I've known you, how can I?" he quipped right on back. He was getting very good at this. It's like a daily practice session between the two of them. The day wouldn't be normal if neither one of them can get a snarky word in.

Lois simply smiled a very proud smile.

"I'm challenged"

"Sure you are"

"What's your paper about anyway?" she wondered.

Clark sighed, remembering his assignment.

"The Spanish American War"

Lois rolled her eyes. "Could you have chosen a more broader topic, it's only your first year?" she remarked sarcastically. Of all the topics in the world, he had freely chosen one of the more complicated ones.

"It sounded interesting when I chose it"

Lois held her tongue. Sometimes, she just can't figure farm boy out.

"Well, what do you have so far?"

Clark looked at the pile of papers scattered in the corner, then looked back at Lois.

"Absolutely nothing"

Lois chuckles. "Okay, plaid boy..." she sat up from the couch and crossed her legs. "Spanish American War," she repeated, searching through her memory banks, trying to think back.

"You're honestly going to try to help me?"

She quirked an eyebrow. "Don't act so surprised"

"I didn't even know you've heard of the Spanish American War"

Lois snorted. "Please," she says. "The General was stationed in Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico when I was 17. The U.S. Army in the country dated back to the Spanish American War. Doesn't take a text book for me to remember."

Clark's mouth hung slightly in the air, much to Lois's amusement. She continued. "Army troops invaded the island on July 25, 1898 and defeated the Spanish army. Around the early 1900s, the first Puerto Rican U.S. Army unit was established under the command of LTC James A. Buchanan... ergo, Fort Buchanan"

"You remember all that?" he says trying to keep his astonishment at bay.

"I'm good with dates"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it to come out like that"

Lois shrugs it off. "No, don't worry about it. It's okay. Most people don't peg me as the academic type. I don't take it personally, so relax, Smallville. I'm not offended"

He relaxed. "So..." he dragged. "I could use the he..." he couldn't quite finish the sentence though.

Lois caught on and quickly shut her book closed and got up and grabbed a seat to sit by Clark. She smiles encouragingly. "Let's find a center and work our way around that," she recommended.

Clark smiles appreciatively. If there was one thing Clark can count on, it was Lois' ability to never make him feel like less than what he was. To be honest, he doesn't recall her ever belittling him on purpose. Moments like these were rare, and he often selfishly took advantage of it because Lois is always very guarded, more guarded than he was of himself. So when he learns something new about her, he would take it all in and add it to the ever growing list of Lois Lane's charming qualities.

Four hours and a dozen or so cups of caffeine later, Clark read and reread his paper with satisfaction. He looked to Lois with a grateful smile. To his surprise, he's beginning to realize that studying with her didn't turn out to be such a wreck. In fact, they actually gelled pretty well. Not that it was any surprise, they've worked together before for or with Chloe, and they always seemed liked the perfect pair.

"Thanks," he says.

"Anytime," she responded without looking up from her laptop.

It felt weird for Clark, seeing Lois looking so serious and in the zone. She was often always joking around and not taking everything too seriously, but since school has started, she had taken her studies to heart and made an actual effort to succeed. For the most part, it surprised him. She was a lot smarter than he realized, not that he thought she was dumb or anything, he always knew she was intelligent, he just hadn't realized how intelligent she was.

"How's your paper coming along?" he wondered. He felt a little guilty now that his paper is finished and she was just starting hers. Lois though didn't look like she was burdened. How does she do that?

"As straight as a curve," she remarked, getting a big laugh out of Clark.

"Need any help?" He momentarily wondered why she would need his help when she practically helped him write majority of his own paper.

"No, but thanks anyway"

Clark was a bit hurt. He realized for the last few weeks, Lois had rarely needed his help, and it was a situation that was oddly new to him.

"What's your paper about?"

"Totalitarianism"

Clark chuckles. "Wow. That sounds umm... long and complicated"

She smiles at him. "It was either that or the theory of a utopian society, but I honestly don't feel like subjecting myself to another round of Thomas Moore," she revealed.

Again, Clark had that out-of-this-world look again.

Lois sighed a bit. "What? Come on, Smallville, I can read you know"

"No, sorry, it's not that. It's just... you surprise me, that's all"

"It's all part of my master plan," she grinned.

"I kind of don't see you as the philosophical type," he admits.

"Don't get too excited, I'm not. Utopia was an interesting read, even in its overabundance of sentimentality. Although, a comparison piece between Moore and Orwell does sound appealing"

"Orwell? You mean George Orwell?"

"Yup"

"You've read 1984?"

"It's one of my favorite books"

"You have a favorite book?"

Lois slapped his shoulder with a light thud. She wasn't offended, not in the least. Actually, for most of the time, she found it quite comical how Clark Kent would react to certain things about her. Especially ones he had no idea about.

She got up again and began putting her stuff in her bag.

"You're leaving?" For a strange reason he couldn't figure out, he didn't want her to leave.

"Don't tear a ventricle on my hehalf," she wittedly replied. "I have a meeting with the card catalog at the library"

Clark laughed, Lois always had a way with words.

"Care for some company?" he found himself unconsciously asking.

"No, but thanks," she smiled genuinely.

As she packed her stuff and left, Clark watched her leave from from his loft window. It took him up until she physically left to realize he had been staring.

Thinking his actions through, he surmised that maybe there could be something between them, something he hadn't realized was there until this moment. She left and suddenly he felt pretty empty. He could deny it and say it was just him feeling lonely, but that's where the problem lies. Since the fall semester started, loneliness was the last thing he was feeling.

Smiling, he had a feeling his friend had something to do with.

It was a good thing his history class goes throughout the year. There would be plenty more history lesson's he is more than willing to learn about from one Lois Lane.

The End