IN THE MIDNIGHT HOUR

She roamed down the stairs tiptoeing quietly to the kitchen. The soft snore of a man in the distance gave her relief that she was indeed safe and alone, if only for the moment. Going to the refrigerator she quietly took out a bottle, and then walking over to the cabinet, she took out a wine glass. It was an unopened bottle, and looking around for a corkscrew in a drawer and then back around at a body laying on the couch, she quietly managed to open the bottle.

"Success!" she whispered to herself, and then pouring a glass she proceeded to polish it off.

Hearing noises in the kitchen he knew who it was. But he hesitated to go check on her.
The near miss hours ago left them both reeling.

He was enjoying himself. Then again he should have known he was playing with fire. Ever since the day he met her, he found himself developing a particular problem. Anytime they argued, bantered disagreed…anything…he started losing control of one particular part of his body.

It was one reason he asked Lex to break some rules…having a girlfriend realize someone else was having an affect on him wasn't a problem he needed- he had too many problems as it was. He didn't even like her then…not really, not much…

But today years had gone by and he had learned to ignore his reaction to her, to the point of being able to hide it very well.
But he was having fun. He needed to watch her, argue with her, and help her…touch her. It was innocent enough; surely she didn't know what he was doing.

But he thought he could just spend some time with her, show her she could cook, and enjoy the rhythm between them.
He was having fun…she was annoyed with him, but she still she let him annoy her.
He was completely happy.

And then she had told him in an altogether too quiet voice that "I've got this…really..." as if she was angry or disappointed in him…or worse rejecting him altogether.

He pulled away long enough for her to cut her finger. And then after bandaging her up there was this moment when he was sure she was about to try to kiss him. Instead, she just mumbled something and went back to cutting potatoes the wrong way.

At least he could stop her from injury…that was all he meant to do, but standing behind her taking her hands in his, the unthinkable happened; she leaned back into him and sighed. Not just any sigh but a purr. And then it happened, he rersponded by dipping his head next to hers and moaning.

A micro second she started pulling away from him and he backed up several steps. It was Martha's footsteps approaching the kitchen had propelled them apart.

She wouldn't even look at him.
The thing was, she had felt his reaction to her and not pulled away, and instead she sighed and sunk into him.

He had no idea what it meant, and he was willing to bet, neither did she.

The rest of the day was unusually quiet between them.

He was waiting for her to say something…do something…nothing.
Thus why he hesitated going in the kitchen, only to meet a cold stare and silence.

But after what seemed like an eternity to him, he decided she wasn't leaving the kitchen.
She was either finishing off the desert, or the wine…or both.

Slowly he walked over and saw her sitting her back to him.

Gathering up his courage, he slowly walked past her to the refrigerator and started taking out the milk.

"Whoa!"

A hand grabbed the milk out of his hand and placed it back in the refgrigerator, and then she pulled him over to a chair beside the one she had been sitting in.
Taking out another glass from the cabinet, a slightly intoxicated Lois, sat the glass down and poured some for him, and then she sat back down.

"You're going to help me celebrate…"

"Celebrate? Celebrate what?" He wondered if she was trying to ignore the whole incident.

"Not burning anything down, not starting any fires…"

She raised her glass and he couldn't stop himself…

"Well…"

Frowning at him she respondeed with an annoyed "What?"

"There was that one moment when we were…a ugh…."

Frowning, she waited, deciding she wasn't going to help him one bit. The whole thing was his fault after all…

"Lois…we should talk…"

"Look Smallville…"

"Are you…I mean…you're not mad at…"

Biting her lip, she took a breath and then interupted him, "I have this theory about guys and kitchens…"

Laughing nervously, He waited for her to continue, when she took a sip of wine instead, he finally asked.

"And what exactly is this theory?"

Smiling a tight smile, she seemed to blush when she answered, "I don't know if I should tell you…"

He smiled at her and waited patiently

"Do you really want me to continue?"

"Yes…" he answered her by drawing out the sound of the word, as if her question was a riduculas one

"Over time, I have observed that men like to test drive women when they're in the kitchen…but then lately I thought maybe I was wrong…because you've been…well...ugh..."

Grinning nervously at her he tried lightening the air with… "Just when have you had time to observe anything in a kitchen? In Lois you burn down everything within twenty feet of the kitchen…"

"Including you?"

A large blush grew quickly across his features, if she wasn't as embarrassed she would have found it amusing.

"Lois, I ugh…"

But before he could continue, she interrupted him again,

"I have a confession to make…" He nodded at her slowly, and her heart nearly exploded….nervously handling her glass, and looking around for some way to escape, and discovering none, she continued.

"I have always liked the feel of your arms around me…"

"Wha…ah…really?

"Even when we first met…"

"Lois, I…really??"

"I mean we argue all the time about everything…especially then I ignored it…I've tried ignoring it now…" looking at him and gauging his reaction, she decided to continue.

"The thing is....I don't think we can sweep this one under the rug…."

While she watched him watching her, silence hung in the air between them as the realization hit him…she liked him…she really liked him…

Unable to stand it any longer, she asked quietly after taking another sip of wine…
"So…do you have anything you want to confess?"

Smiling and blushing at the same time, he said quietly…"I wish we were never interrupted..."

Surprised she answered him quickly, with one word "oh…" as she made an exaggerated O with her mouth

"Sooo…"

"So…" and then smiling a knowing smile, he asked…."…what about your theory…"

"I think….I think I'll reserve my judgment for the next time I'm in your kitchen."

"You're in my kitchen now…"

She answered with a half worried, half hopeful…"I know…"

It was his move. She had basically cleared the way for him...nervously he got up and walked around and stood behind her. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he waited for her to get up.

When she did, she kept her back to him, he wrapped his arms around her and she leaned back into him.

As he dipped his head down to hers, she made a low noise, and they stayed like that for what seemed like an eternity, finally she whispered, "I should go up stairs…"

"Not yet…" She heard him say.

She wanted to stay with him,but taking him upstairs was a little too fast....too dangerous. Looking over at the couch she thought about asking for a corner of it, instead, she whispered ever so quietly,

"I want to stay with you…"

She did.