dovelike | [AU] SV Futureverse

"It is when Eirene Sullivan stays there," she mumbles quietly, remembering his initial reaction to the alias that she and Chloe had come up with on her first visit to the area. "But that's great. I'll have to come over sometime and have a cup of coffee there." Hopefully he'll get the hint.

The sandal withdraws after a moment when she remembers he wouldn't feel a slight nudge at all, and really, kicking someone you haven't seen in half a decade is kind of rude.

Softly, "I haven't slept in three days." Pause. "But! There are now three kids at the hospital who don't have cancer." Eirene looks rather proud of herself.

Edited 2008-04-11 06:41 (UTC)

"That's great," he replies, squeezing her hand a little. "It really is. But you're not going to anyone any favours wearing yourself out. Not sleeping for three days is only going to mean you're out of commission longer than you normally would be to recharge."

Pause.

"You know you're welcome over for coffee whenever you like."

"I know. But those kids were in the finals stages, and there's another one who only has a few weeks left, at best, than I should go talk to as well." Although, she might not have a chance to do so today, considering the faintly worried expression on Clark's face.

So she smiles.

"I was hoping that was the case. Okay, I have to ask, what's with the suit?" Because when they said goodbye last, he was still very much into the plaid.

Edited 2008-04-11 16:25 (UTC)

"Naps, Eirene. They're wonderful things. Besides," he continues, lowering his voice, despite them being in one of the back booths, "no one's expecting you to cure everyone. No one can do that. You do what you can while still making sure you're not jeopardizing your ability to help at all."

Then he sits back and shrugs, a tad sheepishly. "I had a job interview."

"I'm not allowed to nap. Shelby takes that as a cue to start slobbering all over me." Being attacked for attention by a dog getting on in years is actually one of the reasons she keeps stopping by the old farm to harass the new residents, but it also doesn't make for much sprawl-n-sleep, either. At least the new owners are tolerant.

But enough about her. "Oh? What sort of job?" Look, interested face.

Edited 2008-04-11 16:53 (UTC)

"Been annoying the Hubbards, have you?" It's teasing. Clark knows full well the farm's caretakers have a soft spot for the Kents and their friends, and made sure they all knew they were more than welcome to visit while Clark and Martha were away.

"I think we're going to be getting the paperwork done up for them to buy it outright from us." There's a small frown at that and he starts turning his still full coffee cup in a slow circle on the table.

"Hey, they keep telling me it's okay to come back. Somehow I believe them every time." Cough. They're nice and they treat the animals right, which is always good enough for her.

"Oh. I'm sorry, Clark." That's enough to put a small dampener on her joy about his return. "Did you talk it over with Mrs Kent?" Eirene might settle her other hand over the coffee-twirling one now.

Yeah," he nods, eyes still downcast to the table. "I mean, she's got her life in Washington and with me living in the city now," he shrugs, "just doesn't seem to make much sense keeping a farm, you know? It's small enough that Ben and his wife can retire there and still do some work, and his son take over theirs."

It's all very logical. In theory.

Uh-huh. "And it's your home. Have you told her how much it means to you?" Eirene is going to hazard a guess that he hasn't, because Clark tends to think of everyone but himself. Then again, Mrs Kent is a very astute woman, and might have figured it out already.

"If it makes you feel better, I could lug a bale of hay over as an apartment-warming present."

"We both know what it means, but," another shrug and his fingers nudge against hers gently, "it's time to move on. Doesn't make it easy, but it'll be well taken care of by people we trust. It's the best we could ask for."

Then his mouth quirks into a small smile. "You know, I was thinking I might go for actual furniture, budget aside."

Her own fingers tighten against his briefly in sympathy. "I know. Dad and Hera ended back up on the mountain as it's caretakers." Not that they'd ever left for more than a decade or two, and time is more mutable in her world.

"Dude, that's crazy talk. Real furniture. Next you'll be telling me that you intend to start working for Mister White as an ace reporter."

Someone may have been hanging out with AC a bit too much recently.

He nods and then there's that sheepish look again.

"I wouldn't say that's where I intend to start, but that was sort of what the job interview was about. I think it's more likely I'll be an ace file clerk before anything else."

She opens her mouth, stares at him, and the finally closes it. Hadn't Chloe and Lois made some sort of bet years back about this?

"Ace file clerk by day, saving the world by night. Like Batman. Oh, and I really missed you."

Eirene stretches across the booth at the point to plant a quick kiss on him.

Oh, probably. Chances are, Chloe won.

He doesn't have much of a chance to return the kiss before she sits back down on her side of the booth, but his smile is genuine enough to indicate he probably would have, had he not been taken by surprise.

"I missed you, too. Five years alone kind of sucks."

Yeah, Eirene'd place her money on Chloe too. The woman is more stubborn than a locomotive when she wants to be.

"Yes, yes it is." The rueful grin on her face, because, hey, she just kissed him for the firs time in years, suggests that Clark isn't the only one who's been celibate.

"How about I buy you lunch and you catch me up on ... everything?"

"Sure. Lunch sounds great. And you can do the same."

Beat.

"At least on things from your end. I think Chloe's about talked my ears off over the past few weeks making sure I knew every minute detail of every news event that's happened since I left."

Which would be why the Batman comment didn't get much of a reaction. Clark might even be tagging along with Lois next week when she skips off to Gotham to interview one Bruce Wayne for the society pages.

Aha. Which means Clark probably knows how many times she's visited her 'cousin' since he left to go meditate with polar bears. Could be why she's blushing. Probably. Also, if she knew Clark had a future chance to meet Batman, she'd be totally jealous.

"Groovy. Here or somewhere else? With tables." Since he's packed into the booth like a tuna in a sardine can ... and she really has been hanging out with AC too much. It's not her fault he's the closest thing she really has to family here.

Chloe, to no one's surprise, has been somewhat coy in talking about what Eirene has and hasn't been up to, or how many times. Probably because it's been often enough that she's lost count - five years is a long time, after all - but also because she feels it's up to Eirene to tell him. He can respect that.

It doesn't mean he hasn't asked Chloe about it regardless.

"Wherever you like. I'm not really up on what the good places to eat are around here anymore."

"Fair enough. How about we stay here and get a table, because you look like you're not trying to breath so the table doesn't break." Also, Eirene's starting to get hungry, now that the strain of her recent activities has begun to fade.

Lifting a hand into the air, she holds it up long enough to get the attention of the waitress. "There's an excellent steakery place a few blocks from here."

Clark chuckles softly, because while it's not quite that bad (he's lost a little weight being away from a home cooked meal every night) he would be more comfortable with a bit of extra breathing room.

The waitress arrives after a moment and leads them to a table, only to roll her eyes but silently acquiesce when Clark requests a table more out of the way.

When he and Eirene are re-seated he frowns looking at the menu. "I don't think our waitress likes me very much."

Clark, to no one's surprise, is big. Regardless if he's suffered through the loss of his mother's food or not. Also, unsurprisingly, Eirene is trying to further that comfort along. Sometimes it's a handy thing to date an empath.

At least their new table affords a nice measure of privacy; or, at least, as much as you can get inside a popular diner at lunchtime. She already knows what she wants, so the goddess ignores her menu in favor of the conversation.

"O, you she likes just fine. It's me she's not too happy with."

"What, did you two get off on the wrong foot before I got here?" He can't really imagine anyone not liking Eirene. Five years hasn't changed some of the obliviousness, it seems.

The menu is disregarded after only a few moments; Clark's known all along what he wants, it's just curiosity more than anything else that he flipped through from drinks to dessert. He can't shake the feeling that despite all of Chloe and his mothers reassurances, there's something majorly different about the world and he just hasn't cottoned on to it yet.

"Not exactly." She tilts her head, watching him for a few seconds, and then sighs - having come to the conclusion that she'll have to explain. "She thinks you're cute, Clark, and is therefore annoyed because I'm talking to you and she isn't." If he doesn't get that, then there may be a bit of interpretive dance involved to get the point across.

There is something different now, very dark and menacing. Luthor has become the supervillain he was meant to be. Through AC, Eirene has even met some of the others assembled to fight against him, and has played nurse a time or ten for injured heroes.

When the waitress finally decides to come back, though, she's quick with, "Could I have an ice tea and a cup of the chowder, please?"

Well. Lex is something Clark was almost expecting. Chloe's kept a file for him and when he hasn't been slowly trying to make his way back into society, he's been pouring over the clipping and reports she's saved over the years, detailing exactly what Lex has become, and how the world has responded.

This would be why it's taken weeks for him to finally decide a job might not be a bad idea. What he's more concerned about, oddly, is that it'll suddenly start raining fish or something equally strange and he'll be the only one confused because it just does that now.

He's lost count how many times his mom has told him it's natural to feel out of place after all this time and he tries to chalk the feeling up to just that, but some days are harder than others.

"Oh." He hazards a glance up at the waitress when she returns to take their order, asking for a burger, fries and a coke with another polite smile.

Eirene has a small idea of what Clark is going through, aside from the empathic thing, having been parted from the people on her world for a number of years as well, though the circumstances were vastly different. It allows her to reach over and lace her fingers in his without comment.

Or, several minutes without comment while the waitress jots down the orders and then flounces off again.

Shyly: "I'm here two more weeks," she always stays for a month and then re-invades the Bar, "so if you want help with that furniture stuff, I wouldn't mind lending a hand."

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