The limo took off trying to navigate incredibly packed traffic. Clark was sandwiched between an indignant Lois and deadly quiet Diana.
"The event was very well planned. Didn't you think Diana?" Jonathan offered desperately, disliking the heavy tension in the air.
For a split second Diana only offered solemn silence, but her persona kicked in and Clark saw her face morph into a disturbing mask made of a single bright smile. The ones who knew her like Clark would notice the dead eyes.
She talked over Clark as if he weren't there. "It was wonderful, stunning and beautiful."
After this sentence Clark was essentially deaf to the conversation. All he could see was the way Diana was turned slightly away from him; her wild eyes were determined to lock onto anything besides him. Her hands were folded neatly, her shoulders stiff and rigid. It was her flight response. Nice comments, perfect posture/grace, and a smile too big to be real.
"I think my favorite table piece was the lilies in the vase with pebbles." Diana regurgitated the words sounding overly excited to hide her indifference.
"Me too." Realizing the conversation was doing nothing for anyone's mood Jonathan decided to face the problem head on. "Now come on now Lois, don't be so down."
Lois took a deep breath and released her tension, "You're right dear. But if you want me to be in a better mood it's going to take a lot of food." She scowled comically.
Jonathan smiled at seeing Lois' opening up again. "That can be arranged." The two then started talking and joking about the other articles while Jonathan enjoyed the comforts of the limo.
Diana offered no such kind words to Clark, and within a few more painful minutes, they'd made it to the restaurant. Just as everyone stepped out of the limo, Clark got a phone call from the one and only Bruce Wayne.
"Hey guys, I have to take this really quick, I'll be right in." Clark spoke hastily fearing a league emergency.
Diana surmised the call was from Bruce from the tinge of rush in Clark's voice, but her face offered no acknowledgement of what Clark said. Clark'd seen her angry, broken, lost, but never this. He didn't know what this was. Tired maybe, just tired of going through the motions, having to hide truth behind smiles. Clark ran to the side of the restaurant where no one could hear him and picked the phone's pressing ring.
"Clark."
"Bruce?"
"How's the fancy dinner?"
"Not started, but how'd you hear?" Clark sighed at seeing the rest of the group go inside the restaurant.
"Always do. You sound upset Boy Scout. Don't let what happened get to you. It'll all work out in time." Bruce tried his best to use compassion in his voice. He worried Clark may have taken his award loss badly.
However, Clark's mind immediately assumed Bruce was referring to the kiss with Diana. With a mix of anger and confusion he blurted, "Alright, how the hell did you know about this?"
"I was there when you didn't get the award Clark." Bruce sighed, "Clark, you know I'm the one who needs to pretend to be drunk."
"Oh yeah the award. Yeah it'll work out."
"What were you talking about?" Bruce grew serious.
And now Clark was caught. There were seconds of silence as Clark tried to pull up something else but he knew no ruse would really work with Bruce.
He offered the first thing on the top of his head, "I was talking about the award too."
"You said, 'oh yeah the award' like it was an afterthought."
A sickening silence then, "Why'd you call Bruce?" Clark changed topics, concise and deliberate with the fact that he didn't want to talk about his problems anymore.
"How's Diana? You were acting weird with her at the table. She was acting weirder, if possible, after the fist fight."
Again a hesitant silence and finally, "Why'd you call Bruce?"
"Oh, so the problem has something to do with Diana?"
"I'm going to hang up if you don't tell me what the emergency is."
Now there was silence on Bruce's side, "I just wanted to make sure Superman hadn't gone on a crazy rampage; you know he doesn't need more bad press."
Clark knew this meant that Bruce was calling to see how Clark was holding up after the loss at the award ceremony.
"Seems like Bruce Wayne is always looking out for the public. It's okay to admit you care about your friends Bruce; thanks for caring."
Bruce just offered some guttural annoyed sound and then, "I'll see you around." The phone clicked as Bruce hung up.
By the time Clark turned to go back inside he saw Diana despondently stomping out of the restaurant.
"Diana! Where are you going?"
She turned to him finally deciding him worthy of words, "Home, I just have a really bad headache."
He laughed, "Right because headaches are your big weakness. Listen, can I just talk to you? I know everything is really complicated right now but I just need to talk to you."
"Just let me go home Clark."
"I'm not letting you go anywhere this upset."
Clark could be stubborn when he wanted and Diana knew this. She hesitantly offered, "I want to go home Clark."
There was an aspect of desperation he heard in her voice that almost broke Clark into tears. Instead he gently pulled her to the side where no one could hear the two; she offered little fight. He doubted that she was even present in this moment.
"Listen to me, Diana, you are one of the only things that matter to me in this world." The words set heavy in the air and Clark was afraid to tell her more. His hands trembled like leaves in the wind.
He'd waited so long; this moment was something he'd imagined in his head over and over again. Finally the words were out there in the world, floating in the air ready to do their damage.
For the first time since the patio she made eye contact with him.
"Clark." She had more words to offer but he cut her off.
His words were rushed yet powerful. "At the patio what happened was just me being scared. That's all it was. Diana you have to understand when we were fighting Zod, he pushed me into the ground. There was a kind of rage in his eyes I hope to never see again, and he screams, 'You love her, don't you? I ensure she will die in the most painful way imaginable, perhaps one limb at a time'. Diana, I wish I could get him saying that out of my head, I wish I could get all of their threats out of my head but I just imagine you getting hurt. I torture myself knowing I'd never be able to live with knowing you hurt because of me. If we were closer more people would know, more people would want to hurt you."
Clark's words were so frantic and from a place so real for him Diana was at a loss of words for a few seconds, "Clark, people like that are going to want to hurt anyone they can."
Both of their eyes were filling with emotion long restrained.
Clark sighs, "I know, but it's the fact they want to hurt you just because you know me that keeps me up at night. Zod's voice, it was so angry—it was one of the only times I was truly afraid in my life. Diana, I don't back down easy but when it comes to the thought of losing you just because I wanted a relationship—"
Diana snapped, "Do you think I don't have those moments Clark? When they send you off on those missions, I just never know if I'll actually see you again. I understand that a relationship with you makes it easier to lose you—"
She stops and caresses his face, offering a light smile, "Maybe we can steal moments. We give our entire lives to this cause. To helping people and fighting and speaking; we can steal moments all for ourselves."
Both of their faces were in tight smiles. Smiles stretched across their faces taut as if too keep their words inside. It was almost as if they feared that a small crack in their smiles would lead to an outpour of word's whose intensity they feared.
Inside they knew one thing; their relationship was too real, too intense to fit into stolen moments. And now it seemed they were back to step one. Their love was something to marvel in, it went past lust, it went past being best friends; it was a force all in its own.
"I'm sorry I didn't say this sooner. But I'm terrified of losing you Diana. If I lost you, I'd find a way to fix. I'd have to go back in time; I'd have to get you back."
Almost silently she offered, "I'm scared of losing you too." She laid her head against his chest and they shared an embrace, perhaps the first embrace of their lives where feelings floated in the air, open, heavy and explosive. "But our fear founded in love is the very thing that pushes us apart Clark."
More words didn't need to be spoken. They both were running through the same questions.
What is there to do when you love someone but can't act upon it? What is there to do when you fear losing the only good thing in your life? What is there to do when you fear you can't protect the one you love, when you fear not being enough?
But true to the lives of superheroes, their moment was ripped and soiled by the cacophony of destruction just a few blocks away.
"Let's just get this one over with." Clark rolled his neck and cracked his knuckles. "Do you think if we print out schedules, they'd be better about when they attack?" Diana gave a small laugh and Clark felt an odd sense of reassurance.
AN: Thank you guys for all the comments! I'd like to continue, and this chapter really just acts as a transition into the bigger story and sets where they are in their relationship. This is really just a piece for fun. I'm nowhere near a professional writer or even really know what I'm doing so thank you for your patience and kind words.