"What if something happens now?"
Maddie wasn't exactly sure what she meant by that. Part of her was afraid of falling for someone who was so much greater than she; another part of her was afraid that she would let slip who he really was. Her very soul was reeling from the revelation from tonight, and she was unable to tie together a single coherent thought, let alone a verbal sentence.
As Clark pulled her in to the kiss, he was fighting his own mental battle. He could wipe her memory clean, just as he did with Lois, and he can walk away. It'd be half the hassle and he wouldn't have to worry about her telling someone. But a big part of him was desperate for someone to just be himself around...
"Maddie…" He broke off the kiss and lifted her chin. Her eyes, wide and shining, hesitated before meeting his. "I need to know what you're thinking."
"I…I don't know," she murmured, her voice shaking as much as her hands were. "I'm k-kind of overwhelmed by all of this. It's a big load t-to take on."
Clark's heart ached. He knew he should take the burden off her shoulders with a single kiss, but his own selfishness held him back. "I could take it away, Maddie. I can make you forget about all of this." He smiled weakly and dropped his arms, resting one on the back of the couch, the other across their laps. "I don't want you to feel like this is something you need to bear; it's my secret, not yours."
"No." Maddie surprised him with the intensity behind that one word. It was her turn to take his cheeks between her palms. "Now you listen to me, Clark… Superman… whoever you wanna be. I don't know what's gonna happen now—if anything is gonna happen—but I know one thing." Her eyes no longer shone, but glinted. "But somehow over the lil' time I've known you, you made me fall in love with you, both sides of you. And you can't… you can't just make that go away."
"Wait," Clark grinned. "Did you just say you loved me?"
Maddie's mouth opened as though she was about to say something, but she quickly shut it. Her face flushed as she nodded silently.
His hand found hers and pulled it from his cheek. He flipped her palm over and rubbed circles over it. He could feel the warmth spreading from his fingertips, up his arm and throughout his body. "Kal-El."
"What?"
Clark looked up at her, his eyes sad. "It's the name I was given when I was born, back on Krypton. Kal-El." He reversed direction with his fingers on her palm. "I guess he's both Clark and Superman."
"Kal-El." The name rolled off Maddie's tongue and made Clark involuntarily shiver. "I like that better than Superman."
"Me, too," he admitted. "But Clark's a pretty good guy, too."
"I really like Clark," Maddie giggled. It was weird saying his name as though he was a completely different person. "When I was born, Mama insisted on callin' me by my full name, Madeline June Brooks. I hated it, so did Daddy." She raised an eyebrow at Clark, faking a threatening glare. "Now that's somethin' I ain't told anyone around here, Kal-El. So I'll keep your secret if you keep mine."
Clark smiled softly. "It's been so hard, Maddie, keeping track of two different lives. If I didn't crave a normal life so much, it'd be easier." His eyes gazed off, unfocused somewhere on the wall behind her. "I've always been jealous of your kind."
"But you've got a gift, darlin'," Maddie exclaimed. "You're a savior, a hero. You've got this entire world wrapped 'round your little finger."
"It doesn't mean anything when you're alone." His voice was dull, and it surprised Maddie to hear that tone from someone who seemed so full of life.
"But, honey…" Maddie squeezed her hand, entrapping his in her palm. A jolt of electricity shot up her arm. "You aren't." Her free hand reached out to his chest, slipped under the cotton shirt and slid across the smooth blue fabric. Moving it up, she settled it over his heart. Feeling it beat under her hand, she smiled. "Not anymore."
Overcome with emotion, Clark leaned over and enveloped her lips in a kiss. She melted into him, wrapping her arms around the back of his neck. He pulled her into his lap as they forgot about who he was or who she was, knowing only that after this, there was no turning back.
Clark carefully maneuvered through the doorway, Maddie's head resting against his chest as he carried her into the bedroom. Effortlessly, he lay her down on the comforter. He reached down and brushed her hair out of her face, leaning down to kiss her cheek. All logic told him he needed to fly out of that room and leave her to live her life.
Instead, he knelt next to her and whispered in her ear. "I know all of this is crazy, but I love you, too." Standing, he couldn't take his eyes off of her. "It's gonna be hard, but we'll make it work."
Maddie woke up the next morning lying across her bed, over the blankets and still clad in the lace dress from the night before. Her head pounded a bit, and her first instinct was that she had drank a little too much the night before. She sat up and stretched, and everything that happened the night before rushed back. She pressed her hand to her stomach and took a deep breath, still feeling an uncomfortable twinge from a rib that didn't seem to want to heal completely.
"It's gonna be hard, but we'll make it work."
Maddie was in that area between sleep and consciousness when she heard him whisper those words. She could only imagine what sort of difficulties came with being a superhero's girlfriend. Weren't they always a damsel in distress? Didn't they spend lonely nights waiting for the safe return?
"Oh, hell, no," Maddie murmured as she reached behind her shoulder to unzip her dress. While most girls she grew up with were joining elite societies and posing on the arms of the nearest football player, she was racing horses and cliff jumping. She may have been raised in a warm home, but she was about as far from being a Southern belle as Alice Cooper.
She stood up and walked towards the bathroom, humming a song as she stepped out of her dress. Turning the shower on, she stepped in and let the hot water stream over her. It felt so different than the warmth she felt when their skin touched. "Kal-El," she purred his name, admiring the way it sounded.
Superman had been waiting on top of a building until she left the bar. He stood as he saw her stepping into the cool air, pulling her jacket tightly around her. He smiled; it'd been a few days since he'd been able to see her because of some conflict in Europe. He hoped she didn't think he'd left her, but judging from the sound of the news station she had on at all hours, she knew he was just busy.
After a quick scan to ensure no one would see him, he dove down to the street and came up behind her, reaching around her waist and lifting her up with him into the air.
"Son of a-" Maddie panicked for a moment before she realized what was happening. "Good Lord, darlin', are you tryin' to give me a heart attack?"
Superman chuckled. "Sorry. I've never been all that great with timing."
"Oh, your timin' was perfect," Maddie muttered, still uncomfortable with her feet off the ground. Before she could blink, he was gently letting her down on the roof he had just descended from. He held on to her waist, spinning her around and bringing her in for a deep kiss. She relaxed, resting her hands on his biceps.
"You ain't off the hook, mister," she said with false anger against his lips.
"Mhmm." He ignored her scolding, moving his lips over her cheek.
"Kal-El…" She warned.
Superman sighed, dropping his hands from her waist and taking a few steps back, looking at her with a raised eyebrow. A smirk wrapped around his face as he crossed his arms over his chest, striking an iconic pose.
Maddie whistled, feeling her heart thump loudly in her chest at the dramatic sight. It was she who stuttered instead of him. "I-I… wow. You're showin' off. Not fair."
Superman just shrugged; he wasn't over putting a show on his appearance, at least to her.
Maddie walked over to the Kryptonian and ran her fingertips over his collarbone. Superman swallowed, struggling to keep his awkward Clark Kent side stashed away for now.
"I know I usually walk you home," he cleared his throat. "But this is kind of a lot quicker. And I thought maybe we could take a little detour and I can show you Metropolis from a different point of view."
'Thank the Lord I'm wearin' pants and not a skirt,' Maddie thought. "Sounds kinda dangerous, darlin'."
He laughed and took her hands in his. "Are you afraid?" Maddie shot him a silent look. "I promise I won't drop you."
After a moment of hesitation, Maddie took back her hands and shortened the strap of her bag so it hung closer to her. "All right. Let's get goin'!" As soon as the words were out of her mouth, he had lifted her into his arms like a bride getting carried into the house.
"Uh-uh!" Maddie objected right away. Superman frowned, but dropped her back on her feet and held out his hands. She just shook her head and stepped behind him, placing her hands on his shoulders. Careful to not muss his lush cape, she jumped, throwing her legs around his stomach. Catching on, Superman reached under her thighs and pulled her up.
"Sorry, darlin'. I'm not one for the damsel in distress position."
Superman snickered as she wrapped her arms gently around his neck. "No, you're more of a spider monkey gal, huh?" Maddie silently rested her cheek against his in response. "Okay, just hold on tight, all right?"
He didn't have to tell her twice as they rose into the sky; her hands gripped her own wrists, crossing to give her a better hold on him. Her eyes widened as he sped up, moving horizontally as they ascended. Below them, people and cars grew smaller and smaller as the wind whipped her hair into her face. Cautiously, she let go of her wrist with one hand, pressing the other tightly to Superman's sternum. She tucked her hair behind her ear, holding it there as they darted over the city.
Superman held her gently, trying to not bruise her legs where he gripped him. He hadn't expected this way to fly to be as intimate as the times he had flown with Lois… in a way, it brought her closer to him, made him feel even more masculine. He dipped between two buildings, chuckling as he felt her hands clutch at his shoulders.
The two flew over the entire city; high above the buildings, and dipping low over the bay. Superman loved the feeling of flying, but when he had company, it was as though he was seeing it all through her eyes. Maddie was silent for the entire ride, overwhelmed by everything she was seeing and experiencing, but her heartbeat made the silence bearable; for once, he wasn't listening to his own thoughts.
They'd been flying for a while when Superman started hearing distance screams and cries for help. He tensed, trying to figure out where they were coming from.
Maddie noticed. "You okay, darlin'?"
Superman smiled weakly. "I am, but someone else isn't."
Maddie's face fell. "I guess it isn't all fun and games, huh?"
"No, it's not," he agreed. "Come on, let's get you home. I've got some work to do."
"Do you ever sleep?" She murmured, closing her eyes and resting her cheek against the soft red fabric of his cape.
"Hardly. Back in the day, I never had to. But lately, it's been a little harder to not press snooze on the alarm clock."
Maddie laughed. "And just when I thought you were immortal."
Superman choked out a laugh. "Yeah… almost."
He dropped her off on her balcony and hovered for a moment, his face crinkled in a frown. "I wish I didn't have to leave you so suddenly."
"Aw, you've got a job to do, darlin'," she soothed, holding onto his hand. "I understand; besides, I'm kinda tired. You showed me a whole world of amazing tonight." Maddie smiled gratefully. "Thank you."
He returned the smile. "Anytime." He paused before dropping down to kiss her deeply. Both were breathless as he pulled away, floating up. "Good night, Maddie."
"Good night, Kal-El…" She watched as his hand slipped through her fingers. With one final smile—more of a Clark smile than a Superman grin—he shot off into the night, leaving Maddie alone on the balcony.
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