13

Chloe was sitting on the balcony of their hotel room, watching the fireworks display below. Kal-El was sitting next to her, hovering above the ground with his legs crossed. He was watching the display below with rapt attention, his smile widening every time there was a new flash of lights. Chloe watched him watch the lights, enjoying the joy of his expression and the way the flashes highlighted his high cheekbones.

Her fearsome alien overlord was so much like a little kid.

"So, you're enjoying it?"

He turned to her, his chin held stiffly but his eyes twinkling. "There were always fireworks on the Fourth of July at ho...on the farm. This is not different."

"But I'd think the display over Epcot is a lot different from the modest display in Smallville, you know?"

He considered her statement and nodded. "It is a much larger display. I have enjoyed it."

She grinned. "You also enjoyed cotton candy at eight dollars a cone, the space mountain-no surprise there, It's a Small World-huge surprise there, and, of course, the tea cups."

"They spin. It amuses me," he replied.

"Kal-El, don't take this the wrong way, but you failed alien dictator 101, didn't you?"

He smiled. "I am glad that I have. I do love this world. Both Clark and I shared that much. I do not wish to bring harm to it. I can only see an overlord, in the end, as doing just that. I could have the best of intentions but with uncontested power, it would not matter. I would still be able to abuse that power."

"Is that the Kents?"

He shrugged and stiffened. "I learned some things from Jonathan Kent. I learned how to turn my back on others in need most thoroughly, not just Lex Luthor when he was being poisoned, but on my own son. I do not think I shall model that bit of parenting."

"You've never gotten over it."

"He is not my father."

"So he's not but Martha's your mother?"

"I do not cater to humans who are unhelpful. He, at his core, was not loyal to us. I recognize his sacrifices, but it is not sufficient. When the worst comes to pass, he will not side with us, not even with Clark."

"And you think I will?"

He reached out and took the hand on the arm with his wrist watch still swamping it. "You have saved the world with me. You have refused to murder me. I trust you with all that I have."

Chloe swallowed at the enormity of that responsibility. "Kal-El, as much as I love hugging Mickey Mouse and cavorting with pirates, we actually have to talk about what Jor-El said in the Fortress. What does it mean that it recognizes me as an El?"

He looked down and blushed. Clark had always been sensitive like that as well. It was so very odd to see in an alien. She never thought they'd blush. "It was a preventative measure. If the stones recognized you as part of a Kryptonian House, they'd respond to you primarily. I did it to insure that the Countess, or Genevieve, would not use them first. It was not meant to pressure you."

"Is it permanent?"

"The Fortress will always recognize it as such. It was traditional on Krypton to give the lifemate a bracelet and to consummate the union."

She gaped at him. "We didn't consummate anything."

He nodded. "I am aware, but there was an exchange of fluid."

"The blood."

"Yes, it is not the way I would have preferred. It was the spirit of the laws, although not the letter. There is a true bracelet, one set aside by my ancestors, that is worthy of you, but I was out of options."

"I understand," she replied. "Kal-El, I don't...I'm not ready to be married to anybody. I'm not even out of high school."

"I realize that. All that it means is that you have the access to the Fortress. It is for the best. I do not even trust myself completely, but I trust you. You care about justice and you are the most humane person I've ever met."

"I betrayed Clark."

"And you have more than made amends. I ask that you act as my counsel. It need not be more than what we have between us now. It is merely that I need someone to assist me. I am not so conceited that I do not see that. You have worked well with me so far. I...you and Clark were partners. Can we not be as well?" He asked, ducking his head.

She squeezed his hand. "I can help you. I can do whatever it is you think you need with the Fortress."

"I do not need it now. I have trained to an extent. I do intend to travel the world."

"Now?"

He frowned. "Why would I not?"

"Because you haven't even finished high school. Because the Kents would miss you."

"Do you think that they would. My mother does not care for me. Clark is the favored son."

"They'd still miss you too, believe me," Chloe hedged. "I'd miss you." This, apparently, was the wrong thing to say. Kal-El's expression darkened and he blurred into the bedroom. Rolling her eyes at drama queen intergalactic travelers, Chloe followed after him. "So what did I say now?"

He stormed up next to her and she remembered how much taller he was than she. "I know that you might miss me to a degree, but who you would miss most would still be Clark."

"And he was my best friend for four years. I miss him very much even now, but when I said you, I meant you, Kal-El."

He glared at her. "Can you even differentiate between the two of us?"

"Believe me. I can," she replied. "I never thought that I'd be able to, but I can't see him when I'm with you anymore. Ever since the pillow fort. I saw you that night. Sitting outside in New York City, I was joking with Kal-El. When Martha left the room, it was you I was trying to comfort."

"What are we to each other?"

She stepped even closer to him. "I'm not sure anymore. I loved Clark."

"That is not something I want to hear."

"No, I mean that I had this obsessive school girl crush on someone who couldn't love me back. But now I've met someone else."

"Who looks as Clark does, who shares your history."

"No, I met someone dynamic and clever and kind. I met someone who's proud of all that he is, who won't be bossed around by Lana. I met someone who'd run into certain death to save the world." She narrowed her eyes at him. "I don't think you should do that anymore. It was not a very good plan, by the way."

"It is duly noted."

"I'm serious, Kal-El, no more suicide missions. Next time a little caution would be the right thing."

"You were worried."

"Always," she said, reaching out to touch the side of his cheek. "I don't believe in love at first sight. Hallmark made that up. I like you very much. I'm attracted to you , and I don't want you to just leave on some world tour."

"I have to go."

"Wait. The world will still be there in nine months. Metropolis has ten million people in it. You can learn a lot about humans from Smallville and the mutants and from Metropolis and its crime rate. Seriously, Kal-El, do you want to be out in the world with an eighth grade education?"

He shook his head. "It is shameful to only be educated officially in human math and science. To be uneducated is an insult to my house of scientists."

"Exactly," she replied, stroking his cheek. "Please stay with me."

"But there is so much between you and him."

She smiled wryly. "Did you ever think that the things I loved best about Clark are also the things I enjoy about you. I meant it. You have all of Clark's kindness and integrity and none of his hang-ups and callousness. I'm not saying you're better. I'm just saying that there's a lot about you to like as well."

"Sull-I-Van, I-" That was when she leaned up and kissed him, her tongue skillfully massaging his own. She stood up on tip toe and wrapped one arm around his back and reached up with the other to stroke his hair. Leaning even closer, she pushed her side against his hips. She was amused by the bulge she found there. No, Kal-El definitely felt very many things.

Pulling back, she smirked at him. "Do you still have doubts?"

"You have only said that you like me," he admitted, panting a little, and she didn't know he'd do that.

"I do like you," she replied. "It's not love right now, Kal-El, but I like you very much. It's not about him, not anymore." He quirked his head and looked at her. She realized that he was listening for her heart's rhythm. "I'm not lying."

"Perhaps you are confused."

"I'm not," she answered, grinning and starting to unbutton his shirt. Despite Kal-El's hesitance, he allowed her to do it. She worked through the buttons and smiled when he let the black silk shirt drop to the floor. Sighing, she stared at his scar and reached out one palm to it. "I wish I could heal that."

He shook his head. "I doubt that you could. You can do many things but that was made by the AI itself. It's an alien wound."

"It looks so painful."

"It bothers me rarely," he conceded. "I only wish it did not distress you so."

"He shouldn't have done that."

He nodded, "No he should not have."

Gently, she brushed a kiss over the figure eight in the center, something soft and delicate to ensure that he would not flinch. "I can always try some day."

"Now is not that day, Sull-I-Van. I must not forget my heritage."

"I think your problem is that you think of it too much, like Clark. You can fit in here."

"I do not wish it."

"Yeah, you do," she said, kissing him on the lips. "Kal-El, can we move this to the bed?"

"I would like that very much."

"Of course," she laughed. "You're seventeen."

"I believe so," he said and then the world blurred around her. When she was back on the bed, Kal-El was laying naked beside her and her own clothes were neatly folded on the chair.

"You move fast."

He grinned at her and that was the expression of joy she loved so much. "I am deeply motivated, Sull-I-Van." He leaned over and began to kiss her throat, moving slowly to kiss her breasts, giving extra attention to the nipples. He sucked and flicked his tongue with such aplomb and she believed what he had said about his summer in Metropolis. Chloe moaned and dug her hands into his hair. Kal-El let out a low rumble and began to trace patterns with his tongue over her stomach, teasing down until he reached the swell of her hip bone.

Chloe clenched his hair then. "Uh-huh, big boy. I'm so not ready for that."

Kal-El picked his head up and grinned. "Are you not?"

"Oh, I don't see pillow talk being your strong point," she shifted a little and she realized that all the attention to her breasts had left her wet and ready for him. "Later, but I want you inside me."

"I shall conquer now, yes?"

She snorted. "That's so bad, E.T."

He smirked and straddled her. "I am never bad."

He began to ease his ease his way into her and she was surprised by the size of him. She'd had sex once before, but it definitely hadn't been with a Don Juan. It had been awkward and boring and over far too soon. Idly, Chloe wondered if Kal-El was endowed with a stamina that matched his other abilities. She clenched around him and bit her lip, breathing a little and waiting to accommodate him. He slid in slowly and she stretched, feeling him fill her.

"Sull-I-Van?"

She smiled back at him. "I'm okay. It's, uh, been a while."

Kal-El's eyes flared red. Her what was the right word? Boyfriend? Alien? Overprotective teacups fanatic? Her Kal-El was the jealous type. "You're not?"

"Hello? Is this the fifteenth century?" She asked, moving against him. She leaned up and kissed her lips and throat hungrily. "I don't wait forever."

"If I could have, things would have been so different."

"We're here now," she replied, slipping into a smooth rhythm with him. Back and forth, she felt him pounding into her, felt herself growing ever wetter, felt her inner core clench around him. Kal-El reached down with one hand to play skillfully with her clit and another loud moaned escaped her. "Kal-El."

"Oh Chloe," he said. It was the only thing he said as he continued to move with her. His fingers were fast and applied just the right amount of pressure and Chloe felt herself crescendoing. He ground his hips against her once more and she screamed out, spasming around him and climaxing. He came soon after, shooting his seed inside of her, and she'd never been more thankful for birth control. She'd never been the type to just fall into bed with anyone. But he wasn't anyone.

He was Kal-El.

And he was very dear to her.

Satiated, Kal-El rolled off of her and lay beside her again. He was smirking, the smug bastard.

"What?" she asked.

"You glow."

"You do too," she replied, laughing. "You have just the littlest flare of orange in your eyes."

Kal-El frowned. "Does that displease you?"

"I don't know," she said, looking down at the rosy glow of her skin. "Is this freaking you out?"

"Not in the least," he said, kissing her.

"Cool, then I'm excited by the glow-in-the-dark eyes," she said, snuggling into his arms and letting him stroke her hair. He was quiet for a long while, feeding into her suspicions that Kal was not much of a talker. "Kal-El?"

"I was thinking."

"Did it hurt?"

"No, I am still vastly smarter than any human."

"Ego much?"

"Oh, I do quite well in many things. I have satisfied you."

She shrugged. "And something with batteries can too. Don't get a swelled head."

"You live to insult me, do you not?"

"It'll keep you humble, E.T. What is it you were thinking about?"

"Do you remember the priest? The one who accosted us in the cathedral."

"You mean the one you almost choked?"

"I would not have killed him," he replied, blushing. "I merely considered maiming. I am sorry for that. I am learning to listen to what I feel."

"To be human?"

"Kryptonians feel. The AI does not, but Lara did. I know we are not heartless by nature."

She snuggled closer and kissed him. "I'm sorry it came out that way. You've become so much gentler since I met you."

"I believe that you may have a calming influence on me. I wish to be my best for you."

"So about the priest. Is this about him threatening to press charges or cursing us out in French?"

"It is about what he said," Kal-El replied, stroking her arm as the glow faded. "Do you think that it is true?"

"What's true?"

"About the demon and the angel?"

"I thought you didn't do superstition?" She asked. "You know me, Kal-El. I'm anything but an angel."

"That is true but I find it oddly fitting. You know what my ancestors did."

"You're not like them so don't stress about it. You're different, Kal-El."

"Maybe, but you will ensure it. If I am ever tempted...the green meteor rocks or your own abilities could temper me."

She turned over onto her side to face him. "I'll never need to do that. I have faith in you."

He smiled and kissed her. "Thank you, Sull-I-Van. I assure you that the feeling is mutual."