Title: Two Paths Diverged
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Warnings Apply
Fandom: Superman & Lois
Relationships: Clark Kent/Lois Lane
Tags: Alternate Universe, Canon Divergence, Getting Together
Summary: Like before, Clark had two paths in front of him, the safe and the not-so-safe. Which was he going to take?
Word Count: 1,919
Spoilers: Up Through Season 2
Beta: Grammarly



The sky was clear. It always was this far up. Clark crossed his legs as he got into a position to just think. He wasn't sure what to do with his life now. He felt drawn to too many places at the same time. His dad had all but pushed him out the door after he graduated high school. Clark felt like he should go to school but agreed that learning about what he could do was the best option, and then he could go to college. There was already a work history that his father had made up for him, things that would be impossible to research but was believable for someone like him.

Clark wasn't sure what he felt about it, but he would only use it in place if he wasn't able to find a job wherever he settled in. He did a little reporting in high school, but not as much as he would have liked. He had done it because he needed it on his resume to hopefully get into a good college.

At the edge of his hearing, Clark heard a plane, so he shot up even higher to where he was in space. Whatever it was with him, he didn't have to have an oxygen mask to breathe up here. He had never figured it out, but there was no one around to test which of his father's theories was correct on why he could do it. He looked down, testing the new range of sight, zeroing in on a beach with kids playing in California.

Clark watched them for a few minutes before a sound alerted him that someone needed him. He swooped in and found it was a kid, and it took only a few seconds for his hearing to zero in on the kid who had fallen over the cliff.

"I'm getting him."

Clark went up and then around as it sounded like the kid had fallen over when the ground gave way. It was a simple scoop and fly before he was heading to the ground above. He scooped up the other kid as the weight was enough to make it want to give more.

"Where are your parents?"

One of the kids looked around and then pointed. Clark headed that way. It was a small party, and it looked like the kids were allowed to run around. A firefighter for the LAFD was sitting there, or at least the shirt seemed like it.

Clark landed in the middle of them.

"Who are you?" the firefighter said.

"Dad, he saved Mikey! The ground just went away, and he fell, and this man saved him.

"Who are you?"

"Just a friendly neighborhood hero. I would call in someone to make sure the trail that leads out there is marked off. The cliff started to give away again as I was getting Mikey."

"Thank you," a woman said. She held her arms out, and the two boys ran at her.

"Can you show me?" The firefighter asked.

"Sure. Do you want me to fly you, or are we walking?"

"I think walking is best so I don't get lost on the way back."

Clark nodded his head. He looked down at his clothes, knowing he needed something else. He needed to look the part.

---

There was no other job he loved more than helping his dad with the farm. Considering how old his parents were, the farm was still doing well. He grabbed the newest stack of hay and tossed it over. He snagged the next and listened as his dad got closer to him. He turned to look at him with a smile before he laid one over so his dad could sit down.

"Son, sit down," Jonathan Kent said as he sat down on a hay bale.

"I have just a few minutes of work left. Give me time, and then I'm done for the day."

Jonathan nodded his head, and he settled in.

Clark finished his work for the day. He dropped down to the ground in front of his dad. He looked at him.

"Your mother talked to me about what you want to do. I never wanted it for you, but I can support it,"

"I was going to do it no matter what, Dad."

"I know you will, but as your mother said, I raised you to be this man. I have to support you in it. I wasn't too happy, but I understand it."

"I'm glad you are going t support me. I just want to be a man you can be proud of. I wouldn't want to diminish who you raised me to be. I can do something no one else can do."

"And what are you going to do about a job?"

"I don't know. I was debating getting a job as a newspaper reporter. Being a Firefighter also draws me in."

"And college?"

"I haven't really decided on that yet. I want to, but I have no clue what I want to go for."

"You can attend classes needed for almost any degree and do a class or two in reporting and another in fire science. You can do whatever you put your mind to."

Clark nodded. It was the same his father said to him. Yet, something was holding him back. Smallville was too small for him. He needed to go out and do this elsewhere. He needed his own life that he could control in some way. He wanted to see the world in a way he hadn't yet.

"You'll figure it out," Jonathan said.

Clark nodded and looked around, ensuring he had done everything he had to do.

"Your mother wants you inside and washed up for lunch, then I want you to go into town and meet up with some of your friends."

Clark wasn't as sure about that. He hadn't really gone into town since he had gotten home.

Looking toward town, Clark was worried about running into Lana and Kyle. Kyle had always been sweet on Lana, and he had made no balms about how much he thought Clark wasn't worth Lana. He could only imagine what Kyle thought of him when he took off after graduation, leaving Lana behind.

Outside of visits home to his parents, Clark hadn't come back to see Lana while he had been gone. He had been afraid that doing so would make it hard to go back to what he needed to do. He believed he was sent here to help, not just survive. He wanted a life, but he needed to have this part of his life settled before he did anything with his personal side.

---

Clark grabbed the hose and hauled it out toward the house where the fire was going. He turned his head to the side and listened to make sure that everyone in the house had gotten out. He heard a noise in an area that sounded like an animal.

"Do they have pets?"

"A cat that wasn't able to be found. The back door was left open, so unsure if it's inside the house or not."

Clark scanned the house and found the cat hiding in a closet. He would make sure he was the first one in once the hoses were hooked up and ready. He could get the cat out the door, and no one would think anything of it.

"Kent, get into the house!"

Clark didn't even question his captain's words. He got the rest of his gear on him and sealed it up before he went inside. He got the cat within seconds and dropped it by the door that was propped open. He started up the hose and doused the kitchen fire before it spread too much.

The rest of the team followed, some from the outside. The fire wasn't too bad off, but still, the kitchen was massively damaged, so the house might just be marked as unsavable. There was always that chance with any fire they worked.

Metropolis did its best to have enough firefighters given everything that happened there.

There was nothing to do once the fire was out.

"Kent!"

Clark rolled his eyes and turned to look at the reporter standing on the sidelines where the cops had a barrier set up so no one would cross over it. Clark looked at his captain, who shrugged before grinning at him. Clark thought his boss was an asshole, but at least he was likable. He waved to allow a cop to let Lois Lane through.

"Is this the same as the other fires?" Lane asked.

"I cannot comment on that. That's for the Arson Investigator to answer to."

"I've been told you are training to take on that job," Lane said.

Clark looked at Amy, who was leaning on the tanker brought to the area to make sure they had enough water. It was enough like the other fires that they hadn't relied on the hydrants, which was good since that had been destroyed. He would have been able to get the bolt off to get to the water but not with so many eyes on this being the fourth fire like this.

"You didn't hook up to the hydrant."

"No, we did not. There were enough signs that the tanker was rolled at the same time. Anything else, Miss Lane, and you'll have to talk to the Arson Investigator when she gets here."

"And if I did want more?" Lane asked.

Clark looked her in the eyes after she spoke. Clark had asked her out three weeks ago, and she had bailed for a news story. He hadn't been upset, but she also hadn't said anything to him even after he had texted her a time or two. He had given up after no answer.

"Personally?" Clark asked.

Lane nodded her head.

"And if you have to go again?"

"I won't ignore you. I promise. I'll answer you. I was just so upset at missing it. I was looking forward to it."

"We are both career driven. If we are out and someone is hurt or a fire starts, I will leave you where you are and take care of that. So don't worry about me getting upset, Lois. I'll be there for it all. I was upset at, well, even more when you ghosted me."

Lois reached up and tugged at his helmet, taking it off with a quirky little grin on his lips. He waited to see what she was going to do. Which was to give him a kiss.

A little cheer went up from the rest of the team and a few catcalls from them. Clark knew he was covered in soot and was all around grimy, but he didn't care. He pulled her in for a deeper kiss. Everyone at work had dealt with him being a kicked puppy, and while a few tried to tell him not to give her a second chance, he really wanted her.

"Okay, Kent, leave the lip-locking for at home. Let's get out of here since the fire is fully out now."

Clark pulled out of the kiss with reluctance, but he did it. Lois looked happy about the kiss. Clark headed over to the truck to get on. He grabbed the standing bar on the back, where he usually set himself up after calls.

"I'll call you!" Lois yelled as the truck started to pull away.

"You had better!"

The End