Maddie blinked against the bright sunlight as she slowly shook off sleep. She sat up slowly, taking note of her body aching and the sharp pain in her rib cage as she held the thick comforter to her bare chest. As her eyes adjusted and her min caught up with her, she remembered with a smile where she was.

Clark's bedroom was small, with the same dark hardwood floor and white walls. The room was well-lit, with plenty of windows letting in the sun. The bed took up most of the room, and its linens were all white. Her dress lay puddled on the floor near the door, along with Clark's khaki pants from the night before. A closet was built into the wall at the foot of the bed, and on one of the doors hung a floor length mirror. By the bed, there was a plain, dark side table with a small lamp, an alarm clock that read 10:36, and a neon post-it note. Maddie leaned over and picked up the paper square, pulling it closer so she could read it.

'Duty calls. I'll be back soon; make yourself comfortable.'

The corner of her lips curled into another smile as she turned back the covers and swung her legs slowly over the side of the bed. Maddie slid to the floor, standing up stiffly. She bent to pick up her underwear, shimmying into them carefully. As she reached behind her to fasten her bra, she glanced up at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was sticking up on one side of her head, and her eyes were dark with smeared eye shadow. Splotches of maroon bruises decorated her shoulders, breasts, wrists, hips, and thighs. Maddie's eyes widened as she gently rubbed the bruises on her hips; she remembered him saying he wasn't sure if he could control his strength, but she didn't remember him being over-the-top rough with her. In fact, it was probably the best night she ever spent with a man. She used her fingertips to wipe away the smudged make-up on her face and smooth her hair before turning away.

Maddie slowly walked out the bedroom door and into the living room. Clark's shirt from the night before was draped over the arm of the couch. She crossed the room and picked it up, holding it in the air in front of her. She slipped her arms through the shirt and pulled it over her shoulders; she rolled her eyes at how cliché the action seemed, but found comfort in the smell of his cologne. After buttoning the shirt, she neatly folded the sleeves up to her elbows, the hem of the shirt covering most of the bruises on her legs.

She wandered over to the kitchen, wondering how long Clark had been out, and how long it'd take for him to get back. Maddie lazily opened and closed cabinet doors, trying to kill time. Most of them were bare, with the exception of a few bowls and plates, some cans of food, and a box of pancake mix. She paused, pulling the box from the cabinet, the wheels turning in her head. She continued to rummage through the doors and drawers for pans, a spatula, and a mixing bowl. With a smile, she slipped her hair into a ponytail and got to work.

Clark could smell the pancakes and syrup the moment he touched the rooftop. He looked down through the roof and the floors as he pulled on sweatpants and a hoodie over his suit. He could see and hear Maddie in his kitchen, cleaning a pan and humming while a plate of pancakes sat on the counter next to her. He smiled and ran down the stairs to his door, slowing to a human pace as he entered the apartment.

"What's going on here?"

Maddie jumped at the sound of his voice; she hadn't heard him open the door or walk in. Her face lit up when she turned to face him, leaning back against the counter. "Hey darlin'." She gestured over to the pancakes. "Now don't expect me to be Betty Crocker all the time, but I had time to kill, and I thought you might be hungry after savin' the world."

Clark was quiet as he slowly walked over to her. He couldn't help but take note on how beautiful she looked, messed up hair and all. There was something about her wearing his shirt that made him feel possessive and protective of her. When he saw the bruises on her wrist, though, his heart sank. Maddie, confused at his silence, tried to get his eyes to meet hers. "Clark? Are you okay?"

Wordlessly, he reached down and gathered her hands in his, raising and rotating them so that they were both looking at the contusions. Maddie tried to pull her hands away, to get them out of his sight, but he held her hands in a superhuman vice. "Oh, that's nothin'! Just a lit—"

"What?" Clark snapped. "A little bruise?" His voice lowered, softened. "I've already seen the other ones, Maddie. I… I hurt you." His cerulean eyes dropped to the floor as he let go of her hands.

"Clark," Maddie said softly. "Honey, you didn't hurt me."

"I did, though," he moaned. "I told you, I didn't know if I could control it, especially with this… this effect you have on me." He had tried so hard last night to loosen his grip and slow down, but the mysterious glow made it difficult for him to even act superhuman rather than god-like. When he and Lois had conceived Jason, he didn't need to hold back; his desire didn't cause his strengths to flare. Then again, she was the one in control that night; he didn't have much of a chance to put his hands on her.

"I said it was okay." Maddie reached up to trace his jawline with her fingertips. "Besides, it's not like you broke any bones."

Clark's eyebrow shot up as he silently placed his hand over her ribs and gently pushed, his expression darkening as Maddie winced. "Yeah. No broken bones," he said sarcastically.

"Clark…" She wrapped her arms around his torso. "Kal-El. I'm okay. Last night," she sighed, "was probably the best night of my life."

Clark's heart fluttered when she called him by his real name. He softened and pulled her closer. "Just probably?"

She laughed, standing tiptoe to kiss his throat gently. "Definitely." Clark's cheeks flushed red at the flirtatious exchange. "Now, how about you help me eat these pancakes, darlin'?"

Clark nodded and let go of Maddie to pull plates and silverware from the drawers and cabinets. "Maddie, this isn't something to just ignore."

Maddie picked up the pancakes and the syrup and led the way to the table. "What are you talkin' about, Clark?"

"What if… what if next time something worse happens?" He quickly set the plates down, but held on to a fork. He gently elbowed her arm, holding his hand out to show her the utensil in his hand. As she watched, he closed his hand and gently squeezed it. When he uncurled his fingers, the fork had been crushed into an unrecognizable lump of metal. "That was without touching you, Maddie. You're like a catalyst; you make me stronger. I… I care too much about you to cause an accident

"You won't." Maddie stated confidently as she forked a few pancakes onto her plate and turned to heap some on Clark's.

"How do you know, Maddie?" He went back to the kitchen to grab another fork and ran back before she even realized he left.

"Because I trust you." Their eyes met, and Maddie smiled. "You couldn't hurt anyone if you wanted to."

'You're wrong,' Clark wanted to say, but he just smiled and sat down at the table. She slid her hand across the wood and wrapped it around his, squeezing gently. They devoured the pancakes, and slowly the tense atmosphere dissipated as Maddie asked about his morning activities and Clark cracked nerdy jokes. But the more Maddie laughed, the more Clark tensed; he couldn't stop himself from wondering if he was making a mistake.