Later that night, Emily sat on the balcony. Superman was out on a rescue, and she was using her time alone to contemplate what had happened earlier. She hoped that it wasn't just a rebound, 'I'm heartbroken, and need comfort' kiss. Things had been somewhat awkward after the kiss; instead of initiating conversation with each other after the kiss, they had remained silent. An awkward silence hung in the air between them, now.
That was not to say that she regretted the kiss. Far from it, truthfully. She had enjoyed their passionate embrace, feeling warm and protected in his arms.
As she mulled over the kiss, replaying it in her mind, she started thinking about her own motivations.
If she had not come to know Clark Kent, and still lived in her previous life, she would not have thought twice about ogling Superman, just for the sheer fact that he was. She couldn't deny that he was a physical masterpiece, but his personality far surpassed his looks. He was sweet, caring, sensitive, and intelligent. And that was only listing his most basic qualities.
She never would have known that she could have such a rapport with such an amazing person. Not alien. Person. To her, he was nothing more than a man. A man with feelings, thoughts, goals, emotions, and a purpose. But at the same time, he was so much more than that.
Emily saw a blur of blue and red come ever closer, and before she knew it, Superman was sitting opposite her.
"I think we should talk about earlier today." He spoke softly. It was as Emily suspected; her feelings of happiness were conflicted with his feelings of regret.
"Okay.." She responded, trying not to sound too upset.
"I know we've only known each other for a few days..but I was wondering..would you like to go on a date with me sometime?" He said, sounding slightly unsure of himself.
"I'd love to." Emily finally answered, when she'd recovered from the shock of his question. Superman smiled at her, and before things could get awkward, Emily stood up.
"Well, dinner should be ready by now, come on." She invited, and Superman stood up as well. Emily turned to open the glass door. Contemplating whether or not to take her hand for a moment, he decided to take a risk. He twined his hand gently with hers, and was rewarded with a smile. And they sat down to dinner, an awkward silence no longer bothering them.
\S/
In a small act of hope, Emily typed the url into the address bar.
Enter.
Page loading.
Welcome, Emily. You have 3 new private messages. Open new window?
Thank god.
Emily could still talk to her old friends!..But what reality were they in? What reality was she in, for that matter.
Emily counted the small blessing though, and loaded her thread. She went to the last page, finding reviews for her final chapter. She responded happily, grateful for some normalcy in her life.
She hoped to god that Clark was not interested in internet browsing. The story would be hard (and embarrassing) to explain!
After posting responses, Emily retired to bed.
\S/
The next morning, Emily hopped out of bed, feeling refreshed. She walked into the bathroom, making sure to lock both doors this time. Despite the fact that it was too late to avoid him seeing her naked, and he could anyway if he really wanted to (not that he would..without her permission), she wanted to save Clark and herself the embarrassment of a repeat performance.
Once showered and made up, Emily dressed in a black blouse and beige pencil skirt. She draped pearls around her neck, securing the necklace clasp into place. Her hair cascaded in natural waves down her back as she slid her pantyhose covered foot into her heeled shoe. There was a knock at the door.
"Come in!" Emily called out, almost tripping as she slid her other shoe on. She failed to navigate her way across the bedroom successfully, though, tripping over the towel that lay on the floor. The door opened, and she looked up. She was once again caught in an embarrassing situation. Bummer.
The sight of Emily sprawled out on the ground, feet tangled in her towel, was too much for Clark to take. He chuckled deeply, and walked to where Emily lay. He kneeled down to help her up, a smile still on his face.
"Now either you feel you have the responsibility to play the clumsy one now, or you're just naturally unco-ordinated." Clark quipped, once Emily was on her feet again. She shot him a mock-glare, dusting herself off.
"I tripped over the damn towel..I'm not clumsy, just...disadvantaged." She said, her pitiful excuse making Clark laugh again.
"Well, come on, breakfast is ready. We have to be at work by 8:00, for the staff meeting." He reminded her, leading her downstairs. Emily noticed her hand was still in his, and couldn't help but feel awkward, considering the previous days' events. Pushing her feelings aside, she continued walking to the kitchen, and quickly ate her breakfast. It was already 7:20, and the morning traffic could take hours.
After rushing upstairs to brush her teeth, she grabbed her jacket and made her way back downstairs, meeting Clark in the kitchen.
"You ready to leave?" She asked, grabbing her handbag from the countertop. Clark shrugged on his suit jacket, "yeah, let's go."
A Month Later
"Wake up, Clark. You have to meet Richard in an hour." Emily said as she walked into his room. A glance around the room confirmed that Clark was nowhere to be found.
"Of course." She laughed slightly, silently chiding herself for forgetting that Clark never slept in; he only needed about four hours sleep a night. He must have been out on a rescue. She went back downstairs to make herself some coffee while she waited for Lois, her sister Lucy, and her cousin Lienna to arrive. They were going shopping for bridesmaid dresses today, while Richard, Jimmy, Clark and Jason were getting their tuxedos fitted.
Tap, Tap.
Emily stood up, and set her coffee down. She walked out into the hallway, and opened the door. There stood Lois, Lucy and Lienna.
"Good morning." Emily said, opening the door further to let them in.
"Morning," Lois said, "Emily, this is my sister Lucy," she gestured to the petite woman to her left, "and my cousin Lienna," she nodded to her right.
"Nice to meet you both..could I offer any of you ladies a coffee?" She asked, as they walked back into the kitchen.
"Yes, please." Was the answer from all three. Emily was pouring the coffee when she heard Clark's voice.
"Emily, have you seen my-" His voice cut off, and he looked to the three Lane women in surprise. When Emily turned to see what Clark wanted, she saw Clark standing at the doorway, dripping wet, in only a towel. He looked mortified.
"Uh..nevermind." He said quickly, and hurried upstairs. Emily held back a laugh, and brought the coffee to the dining table, with the sugar tin and milk carton.
"Help yourselves...I'd better go see what he wanted." She offered, leaving the kitchen.
"Who was that, Lois?" Lucy asked, stirring the sugar into her coffee.
"That was Clark Kent..who knew he had such a great body underneath that suit." She replied, Lucy and Lienna nodded in agreement. The three proceeded to talk about possible colours for the bridesmaid dresses. Emily walked back into the room a few minutes later.
"What did Clark want?" Lois asked, as the four of them got ready to leave.
"He was looking for his..tie." Emily answered, shrugging her jacket on.