How To Love

Lofty Feelings

Lana walked into the loft and saw the guys lounging around the living room, absorbed in the most recent horror movie. They were so focused that they didn't even notice her walk in.

"The guys" consisted of Clark, Jimmy, Jason, and Evan.

Evan was the only one of them who seemed capable of keeping the loft remotely organized. He worked in entertainment production and somehow managed to keep track of everyone's constantly changing schedules without losing his mind. Lana had always joked that he wasn't their roommate so much as their unpaid manager.

He was also the only one who seemed completely unimpressed by everyone else's antics.

Lana had known him almost as long as she'd known Clark and Jason, and while they weren't as close as she was with the others, she liked him. Evan had a dry sense of humor and a habit of noticing things everyone else missed.

Which was probably why she always felt like she had to be on her best behavior around him.

Jimmy was an actor, but he was also secretly a writer with a pretty big following. He used a pseudonym, and no one would guess it was a bulky guy on the other end writing the most Rom-Com stories. Then there was Clark sitting on the right side of the couch, his arms crossed, long fingers tapping on his bicep. Jason and Clark had been friends the longest, hometown friends back in Kansas. They had moved out to New York together for college and added Jimmy to their group.

Clark was an IT genius. He had started a small tech company fresh out of college, and he was currently one of the most eligible bachelors in the city. The gathering would be bizarre to an outsider without context.

Lana made her way to the kitchen to set down the food she bought on the counter. Most of the time they never noticed when she showed up since she had a spare key to the place. Not to mention she was light on her feet. She practically moved like a ghost.

Lana walked quietly back into the living room and placed her hand on Jason's shoulder. She felt him tense under her fingers before he yelped and jumped off the couch.

"Ohh, Lana! When did you get here?" Jimmy asked, surprised to see her there.

"What happened?" Clark smirked, eyeing Jason as he clutched his chest.

"Jesus, baby, you scared the life out of me." Jason huffed, annoyed.

"Well, how else was I supposed to let you know I'm here?" Lana held up her hands innocently. I come bearing salty gifts."

After half an hour of everyone eating and joking around, it was time for Jason to leave for his studio session.

He said his goodbyes to the guys and walked hand in hand with Lana to his room. She lay on her stomach on his bed and rested her head on her arms. Watching him go back and forth to find what he needed to leave. He took off his shirt and changed into a new one. Looking in the mirror to make sure his hair looked ok.

"What time are you going to be done?" She asked as he messed with his hair.

"Around 2 AM..." He responded absentmindedly. Lana sighed heavily. They barely got to see each other. And he was always overworking himself. She wished he would just take a day off to just relax. Preferably with her. It was almost like she saw more of him when they were just friends.

He put on one of his hats and walked out of the room without saying anything else to her. Lana lay there for a few more minutes. Until she heard the front door slam shut. Signaling that he had left without saying goodbye. She sighed again and stood up to go back to the living room. Sometimes he really wasn't the best boyfriend.

Dragging her feet the whole way there, she sank next to Jason and crossed her arms, pouting at the TV. The boys had finished eating and were back to watching another movie. Blood splattered across the screen and a blond girl screamed dramatically.

Clark kept glancing sending her sideways glances. "What's wrong?" He asked, nudging her with his shoulder.

"Nothing..." She pouted, exaggerating her facial expression. She looked over at him with sad puppy eyes.

"Ok~ I'll get you ice cream. Come on." He groaned.

"Ohhh you're the best!" She jumped off the couch, clapping her hands happily. Lana practically skipped to the door, her mood having done a complete 180. This happened often when she was left alone. Clark would always take her to get ice cream to cheer her up. Not being able to bare a sad expression on her face.

They walked to an ice cream parlor that was two blocks away from the dorm. Before they left, Clark had made sure to wear a hat as a disguise. Even if it was dark outside, they never knew when some fan would recognize him. It was better to be on the safe side. Although they were just friends, she couldn't deny that he definitely deserved his place as this year's most eligible bachelor.

Lana also wore a hoodie. He kept stealing glances at her as they walked side by side. She was staring at the sky, barely paying attention to where she was walking. He remembered when he first saw her. His heart had stopped beating. When her eyes made contact with his, he swore he would make her his one day. He never thought Jason would beat him to it.

With a heavy sigh, he continued to walk next to her. Wondering when he would get his chance. They both got chocolate ice cream cones, his treat, and headed back to the dorm. They walked halfway in silence, just eating their ice cream. He couldn't help but look at her every few seconds. Her expression was always the best when eating ice cream.

"Can I ask you something?" She suddenly asked him as they reached the loft.

"What is it?" Clark stopped in front of the door and looked at her questioningly.

"Why don't you ever go on dates?" Lana tilted her head, looking at him with her forehead wrinkled. Like she was trying to figure out a hard math problem.

"I don't have time for that kind of thing." He sighed, reaching for the doorknob.

"Oh, come on. That's a lame reason." She huffed, crossing her arms. "If you just meet my friend Sora, I'm sure you'll change your mind."

"I told you before. I don't want you to set me up with your friends." He responded, annoyed.

"But..."

"Lana, just drop it. I'm not in the mood to have this conversation again." Jason sighed tiredly.

"Fine...I'll stop for now." She conceded.

"Great." He muttered, opening the door.

They walked inside and joined the others for movie night. Lana decided to spend the night. Not feeling like going back to her empty apartment in the middle of the night. Borrowing one of Jason's oversized shirts, she settled into his bed. Cuddling with his pillow.