I stood, and listened for a second. There was no squabbling that I could hear, no arguments, and no conversations. I was completely, totally, and blissfully alone. Robin, Batgirl, and Nightwing were with Batman in Gotham, doing the Batman and Co. hero thing, Zatanna was visiting with Zatara in the special time Nabu was giving him for his birthday (Zatara's, not Nabu's), Wally and Artemis were on a date somewhere, M'gann was with Manhunter, having family time, Bart and Wally were with Flash, probably eating the East Coast out of junk food, Kaldur and La'gaan were in Atlantis, helping Aquaman with something, and everyone else had gone to the mall. Red Tornado was in his room, doing whatever androids do in their free time, and I was in the kitchen. I grabbed the recipe book, and all the ingredients I'd need, and set to work. I pulled out the huge bowl, poured the ingredients in, and stirred. I grinned as I finished stirring and put the first cookie on the tray, dancing around to the music blasting from my iPod speakers. I had just slid a tray into the oven when a song came on that I'd forgotten I even had.

Don't get me wrong, I love who I am,
I don't want to be un grateful, it probably sounds strange,
I really love the role I play,
The songs I sing, but with all the fame

The things that seem so simple,
Are suddenly so far out of reach,
Wish that they could see that underneath,
I'm just an ordinary girl

I started dancing around more, using the spoon like a mic. How perfect was this song? It described me perfectly. The things that seem so simple, are suddenly so far out of reach. A face came into my mind, unbidden. Tousled black hair, blue eyes smouldering with intelligence and supressed anger.

Sometimes I'm lazy, I get bored,
I get scared, I feel ignored,
I feel happy, I get silly,
I choke on my own words

I make wishes, I have dreams,
And I still want to believe,
Anything could happen in this world,
For an ordinary girl

But I'm not an ordinary girl. I'm a hero, which makes a normal life impossible. What was the point in wanting something that would never come true?

Like you, like me
For an ordinary girl,
Like you, like me

How are you? Hello, goodbye,
One day here, one day there, and again it's time to go,
Ms. Popular, always on the roll,
Put my best foot forward, gotta get on with the show

One day here, one day home. Always back and forth, never getting a rest. When was the last time I did something because I wanted to? I'm always catering to Batman, Superman, Black Canary, the public image, everything's needs. Why couldn't I just be me for one day?

Strike a pose for the front cover of a magazine,
Everywhere I arrive, I get high fives,
They paint me larger than life,
I'm just an ordinary girl

Sometimes I'm lazy, I get bored,
I get scared, I feel ignored,
I feel happy, I get silly,
I choke on my own words

I make wishes, I have dreams
And I still want to believe,
Anything can happen in this world,
For an ordinary girl

These are the words I could never voice out loud on my own. Why couldn't I just have a normal life? Go to high school, hate homework, stress about getting a date for prom, and flirt with my crush in the halls. Instead, I go to training sessions, hate training sessions, stress about training sessions, and I don't get to flirt with my crush, in the halls or anywhere else. I had just started dancing around again when I heard the door open. I thought nothing of it, assuming it was just Tornado getting something. But when I heard distinctively fleshy footfalls on the tile, I froze. I slowly turned, and came face-to-chest with 6 feet 4 inches of perfection. I looked up slower, into the intense blue eyes I had been thinking about just a couple of verses ago.
"Oh, hey Connor," I said, nonchalantly. Inside though, I was chalant. Very, very chalant. "I thought you were shopping." I was suddenly very aware that I was in a tank top and black PJ bottoms, covered in red S-shields, with my hair up in a messy bun. Would he notice I was wearing his symbol all over my pants? I turned back to my cookies, taking the tray out of the oven and putting the next one in.
"No. Too many people," he muttered, grabbing a cookie and sitting down at the counter. I smiled and put three more cookies down in front of him. I was making almost three hundred (anything less than that wouldn't leave any for anyone after Wally and Bart), so I could spare a few. Besides, they were for the Team. I blushed as I turned back around.
"So, how much of that did you see?" I asked conversationally, scooping the fresh cookies onto a cooling rack.
"Enough," came his cryptic reply as he continued to munch on the cookies. I worked in silence for a bit, trying to ignore the powerful gaze I could feel burning into my back. It was a good thing he didn't have heat vision, or I'd be in a pile of ashes on the floor. I had just pulled a tray from the oven and set it down on the counter when I tripped over my own feet and pitched forward. Without thinking, I reached out to grab something to try and stop myself. My right hand connected with raised edge of the hot cookie sheet, and a searing pain shot through my palm.
"AHHHHH!" I screamed as I fell the rest of the way to the floor, clutching my hand to my chest. Connor was at my side in an instant, having been able to see exactly what had happened. He quickly, but gently, picked me up off the floor and carried me over to the sink. He set me down onto my own feet and turned on cold water, fingers wrapped around my wrist and thrusting my burned hand into the icy stream. The pressure of the water hurt for a second and I winced, but then my hand went numb and it began to feel good. Connor's hand never left my wrist as the cold liquid cascaded over our combined hands. His palm was extra warm on the skin of my wrist, compared to the water running over the skin surrounding it.
After a few minutes, I reached over and turned off the water, and he drew his hand back. I reached for a towel and gently patted my wrist and hand dry, looking at the straight burn that went all the way across the middle of my palm, almost exactly horizontal. It was already an angry red, and swelling. It hurt when I moved anything in my hand, and I winced as I tried to flex my fingers. Connor reached around me and grabbed the towel, drying off his own hand. I couldn't help the excited flutter my heart gave as his arms rested around my waist, muscles flexing as he rubbed his hands dry in the towel, arms still around me. When he put it down, I turned to get the First Aid kit, but found myself, again, face-to-chest with him. He was much closer than I'd thought; so close I could feel his warm breath moving the hair on the top of my head, and my nose was almost touching his chest. I could smell the chocolate from the cookies on his breath.
He took a step back, taking my hand and holding it up to his face, inspecting it closely. Then he turned and grabbed the First Aid kit from under the counter, setting it on top and opening it. He quickly selected what he would need, and pulled a stool around so I could sit. After I was perched and my hand laid out on the countertop, he took the caps off of the various tubes and containers of things, smearing one thing then another onto my burn. Every touch of his finger sent shockwaves of pain through my body, but he was gentle, never rubbing too hard or too fast. After he finished, Connor took a roll of gauze and wrapped my palm, making sure to never wrap too tight. When he was done and had taped it with medical tape, I looked down at my hand again. The bandaging was so neat and presice, I doubted any hospital could replicate it.
"Thank you," I whispered, knowing his super-hearing would be able to hear me. I held my hand up, trying all my fingers and seeing how they worked. All of a sudden I was facing Connor, who had spun me around on my stool. He inspected my hand again, but I caught him glancing at me several times. My heart rate was now about that of the average hummingbird, and I thought my head was going to explode. He held my hand up to his face, then gently kissed each knuckle before dropping it. I could feel a hot blush coming over my cheeks, and tried to hide it with my other hand.
"Why is your heart beating so fast?" Connor asked after a moment. I felt my face blanch, then my blush came back redder than ever.
"Umm...no reason. Why do you think it's beating fast?" I asked, and I could hear the nervousness in my own voice.
"I can hear it," he said, tapping his ear. Curse his super-hearing! "It sounds like you're nervous." He looked at me. "Are you nervous?" I'm sure by this time I was several shades past fire-engine red.
"No?" It came out more like a question than an answer. Why was he still standing so close to me?
"I can tell when you're lying," he said, taking a half-step forward. Why? What did I do to deserve this?
"Okay, yes, I'm nervous," I said, hating how my voice shook on the last word. Did he really not know what he was doing to me? What affect his brooding blue eyes and chiseled scowl had on me? He leaned slightly towards me.
"Why are you nervous?" he asked, his voice just above a whisper to not hurt my ears. My heart rate shot up even more. It was starting to get hard to breathe.
"No reason," I squeaked. He smirked; he knew exactly what he was doing to me.
"None at all?" he asked softer. My breath hitched. Screw him and his power over me! I had to end this wonderful torture, this painful bliss.
"No," I said, ducking past him and around the end of the island, putting a counter in between us. Just think cold thoughts, Jade. Think about snow, and ice, and your a**hole brother and father, and...I don't know, Alaska? I said inside my head, thankful that Connor wasn't a telepath. Think about sticking your head in a snow bank, come on, get a grip on yourself. You're going to overheat, and that's never good. I walked around the other end of the counter, over to the fridge, and used my good hand to open the freezer. I grabbed a handful of ice cubes, and, without a second thought, shoved them down the back of my tank top. The freezing cubes burned for a second, then felt really good, cooling me off. Of course, when I turned around, there was Connor.
"Liar," he whispered, bending so his mouth was right by my ear. "You know exactly why you're nervous." Why couldn't he act like most three-year-olds and go draw on the walls with markers or something! But noooooo, I had to fall for the only three-year-old who knew exactly what to do to make me react. Screw everything.
"Okay, yes, I know why I'm nervous. You know why I'm nervous too, so don't even ask," I said, putting my hand up to stop him before he could open his mouth again. He smirked down at me. Why did I have to be so short?
"What if I told you I don't know why you're nervous?" he asked, leaning closer again. I held up one hand in front of his face, not letting him get any closer.
"Then I'd say I'm not the only liar in this kitchen," I responded, and couldn't help the cheeky grin coming over my face as I ducked away from him again, just to annoy him. He gave chase, and I leapt over the island again, in a futile attempt to keep away. He easily followed, grabbing the countertop on either side of my waist, trapping me. The smile dropped from my face as he leaned closer and closer. Where was he going to stop this time? When? Wait. He was going to stop, right? Tease and tempt me some more?
"That is true," he whispered, so close that I could feel his breath on my lips, barely an inch from his. "But you're also not the only one who's nervous." My eyes widened at his words, but I didn't have time to think it over before his lips closed that small gap. He tasted like the cookies, and my eyes fluttered shut of their own accord as my arms came up around his neck. He pulled back after a moment, and smirked at me again.
"Still nervous?"

So, what do you think? This was part of a chapter for a story I haven't posted yet, but it kind of took on a life of its own, and became this. I'll probably (read: I might) post that story soon (at all). But, for now, just enjoy the Connor-ness of it! Oh, there is so much I can do with that big hunk of half-Superman-li-ness. Anyway, I hope you liked it! Review, please! Sorry if Connor is OoC, but this is pretty far along in the story. Sooo...yeah...I think that's it. Bye guys!
-IceQueen2196