(no subject)

[dovelike]

Six months ago, Eirene became engaged to an alien.

Fix months ago, she returned to her own world for almost two months, to make arrangements with Time himself so that she could pass through the Bar into Clark's world without things falling apart in her homeland without her presence.

Three months ago, the goddess returned to Clark's world with an agreement to go home twice a month to keep abreast of things and never leave her realm without a symbol of peace, barring any childbearing in which it would not be safe to travel.

Two month ago, she met with Senator Kent (and her future mother in law) and agreed to take cooking lessons when Martha had time.

An hour ago, Eirene completed her first solo dinner preparations, an early Halloween meal for herself and Clark. Except he's not returned from the office yet. Being late is generally an assumed thing with her fiance, and she's used to it. Really, it would just be nice if he called.

So she doesn't start panicking.

Comments

[eirenikos]

They specialize in circular arguments. Luckily for Clark, he's saved by the arrival of the pizza, and Eirene slides off the couch to get some cash and pay for the meal before he can. Once two plates, the pizza and two cokes are settled on the coffee table, she might just crawl back into his lap for a few minutes and rub a palm across his chest.

"For richer, for poorer, in sickness, in health. In six months, we're going to say something similar like that to each other. I mean it now and I'll mean it then."

Beat.

"And yes I'll probably babble like this in one hundred years."

[hero_farmboy]

"I hope so," he teases softly, re-wrapping his arms around her. "I like your babble."

he kisses her cheek. "I can't believe how lucky I am to have found you."

[eirenikos]

"It wasn't luck, but a really bad drink." She snuggles against him, and mouths her way across his chin; feeling a little calmer, and willing to put all this behind her. Because she's insane like that.

"I'm the lucky one, Clark. I found someone who loves me for me, and accepts that I love him too."

[hero_farmboy]

Clark is not mollified so easily. Despite the training, the confidence he's fostered over the years, guilt is still an issue.

"We both are."

[eirenikos]

"Agreed." Eirene is a patient woman, most of the time, but living around so many alpha males for the majority of her life has given her a little insight into how a man thinks. At least the ones in her world. So she eases one of his hands away from her waist and settles it over a breast.

"Very lucky."

Because when you fall down, you have to get back up and keep going.

[hero_farmboy]

Yes, you do. Unless you're Clark. And then, you pull away almost immediately, frowning.

"Eirene, I can't... not after what I did."

[eirenikos]

"Yes, you can. If only to remind yourself that we have something very special. Which we do. If necessary, there will be seduction involving an old belly dance outfit."

Stern face.

[hero_farmboy]

"I know we have something special. That's why I don't want to ruin it." He's still inching away. "Let's just sleep on it tonight, okay?"

[eirenikos]

"Yes, of course. The last thing I want to do is make you even more uncomfortable." She sits up, trailing a finger across his jaw. "But first, we should eat pizza."

[hero_farmboy]

"Yeah. I guess we should." This probably isn't the best time to say he's not hungry, so he reluctantly takes a piece and eats it slowly.

[eirenikos]

Except that Eirene is pretty good at reading body language. "Why don't you go take a shower. We can have this for lunch tomorrow. It's Sunday."

[hero_farmboy]

"Okay." No matter that he took one earlier. Clark could use another one. Hesitantly, he gets up off the couch to do so.

[eirenikos]

Eirene is beginning to feel, and look, guilty because he obviously still feels awful and she has no idea what to do.

"Please let me help? I hate this, seeing you suffering."

[hero_farmboy]

"Don't worry about me. Please." Clark stops off in the kitchen to take his dishes in. "You're the one who doesn't deserve any of this."

[eirenikos]

"I'm your girlfriend. Your soon-to-be wife. It's my job to worry about you." She moves up behind him, reaching out to touch his shoulder. "Don't shut down, Clark. Please."

[hero_farmboy]

He doesn't flinch, but he doesn't look at her, either.

"I don't know what else to do."

[eirenikos]

Eirene gently turns him around, and steps forward to slip her arms around his chest. "But I do. Just put your arms around me, and hold on. Let me share myself with you."

[hero_farmboy]

He allows her to do this, but doesn't comply immediately. "You shouldn't need to do this. I'll be fine. It's you we should be worrying about, not me."

[eirenikos]

"No, I'm pretty good at bouncing back. You're the one that needs to be hugged and loved. You count as much as I do. Even if it's just getting you into bed and curling up next to you while you mope, please, please let me help."

[hero_farmboy]

"And you don't need to be hugged and loved and comforted when you're the one who's been hurt?" Clark isn't buying that, sorry.

[eirenikos]

"Yeah, but that would also involve cuddling in bed, or in a bath, which you aren't ready to do yet, so I'm going to concentrate on helping."

[hero_farmboy]

"I don't want to make you uncomfortable. Before you're ready."

[eirenikos]

She gives him a Look. "Do you really think I would inconvenience myself that much to make sure you felt better?"

[hero_farmboy]

"I don't know!" He really doesn't. "But we were in the middle of... and then you were upset and I don't want to trigger that again."

[eirenikos]

Softly, "Because you were ... it's hard to explain. There wasn't any tenderness, it felt like I was just being used so you could orgasm. And then you held my arms immobile ... and I don't handle that well. I'm sorry."