[AU] SV Futureverse

[dovelike]

Metropolis Children's Hospital

Days like today are what keep Eirene coming back to this small hospital in the middle of Kansas. Watching a thirteen year old with once-inoperable pancreatic cancer walk down the hallway to her parents, who are standing with the resident cancer specialist and trying to figure out what happened.

Eirene knows and she glances down at her hands with a faint smile.Miracles. One 'twenty year old' volunteer can do more in the weekend mornings she volunteers than the vicious decease still trying to kill a host of other kids on this floor. If she's lucky, she can save another life today, but her energy reserves haven't been replenished by rest in the last few days.

She's settled into a booth at the corner diner not half an hour later, sipping an herbal tea and flipping through the Planet for anything out of the ordinary. For the curious: she looks like any other college student; a Met U sweater, jeans and Birkenstocks.

Comments

[eirenikos]

"Well, it's not quite the ticker tape parade a returning hero should get," Her tone is lightly teasing, "but I figured it might be the second best thing." A hand reaches up after a moment, fingertips trailing across one side of his jaw.

"Silly alien. I told you I'd wait for you."

[hero_farmboy]

That gets a small smile out of him.

"I know, but five years is a long time."

Beat.

"Not that I'm not happy you did, because I really am, but I think at least part of me was, I don't know. Prepared, maybe? If you hadn't. It was a lot to ask of someone."

[eirenikos]

"Yep. Eighteen hundred and twenty six days. Give or take." Not that she's been counting or anything. Her lips curl into a smile after some silent consideration on her part. "I think most of our relationship has been caught up in waiting. But, you know, it's worth it. You're worth it."

Beat.

"Of course, that doesn't get you out of owing me a whole lot of kissing, Clark Kent. And a real, honest-to-Zeus date. Just one. Where I can dress up for you."

[hero_farmboy]

Caught up waiting sounds about right. Waiting for Clark to get over Lana. Waiting for training to start and then waiting for it to end.

There doesn't seem to be anything to wait for anymore, that he can think of.

"Well, if I have to," he mock sighs, long sufferingly. "And I work on the date thing. I mean, it's up to you, really, if you want to go black tie to a movie."

[eirenikos]

"Oh, poor baby." There might be a low giggle, before she presses her lips to his in a butterfly kiss. "I suppose I could go sit on the couch and sort through more colors if you're that reluctant about it."

Grin, grin.

"Mmmm, not getting out of it that easily. A movie consists of jeans and flannel shirts. Black tie means I treat you to dinner somewhere nice, future ace reporter. Which sounds like two dates to me."

[hero_farmboy]

"If you can get to the couch," he teases, nuzzling his nose against her cheek.

"Compromise?" He offers. "Dinner somewhere nice but not black tie and then a show or something. Like a play."

[eirenikos]

"I think," she murmurs between kisses, "that is a great idea. "

[hero_farmboy]

"Then it's a date," he responds in kind.

After a moment, he moves his arms around her waist, hands sliding up her back and leans his head on her shoulder, in a tight-ish hug. "I thought about you every day, you know that?" He murmurs into her hair.

[eirenikos]

"Groovy."

Eirene shifts to accomodate his arms, her own draping themselves loosely around his shoulders and neck, to where her fingertips idly drift through his hair and occasionally brush across the nape of his neck.

"No, but I hoped? I thought about you all the time, too."

[hero_farmboy]

"I think it was every day, anyway. Time gets a little bendy up there. It was an awful lot, at any rate," he continues, squeezing her just a little closer. "Thought about this a lot, too."

[eirenikos]

"You're taking the words right out of my mouth." There is a soft laugh, before she buries her face against Clark's shoulder and sighs, content to just sit there and hold him. And be held.

"This is perfect," Eirene mumbles after a while, and lifts her head to plant a kiss on his jaw.

[hero_farmboy]

"It's pretty close," he agrees quietly. Not that randomly bumping into her at a diner in Metropolis was on any list he ever came up with of how their first meeting would go, but he'll take it. So long as he has her here, it is, as she says, perfect.

[eirenikos]

Eirene would probably be interested to see that list, mainly because she's got one of her own, but most of the scenarios involved the Bar, and maybe being set up by Chloe. Or Riley. Or both. Maybe even AC, the goob.

It takes another minute or two before she plants a kiss on his nose this time, content to go slowly.

[hero_farmboy]

Slowly is probably the wisest course of action, given the situation. We'll see how long it actually lasts, though.

For now, he'll let her take her time getting back to his mouth.

[eirenikos]

She does eventually get there, after detours to his forehead and both cheeks, scooting just a little bit closer before nudging his lips open with hers.

Needless to say, if she's going to invade, it will be a thorough exploration of his tongue and mouth.

[hero_farmboy]

Clark doesn't seem to have a problem with that. In fact, he's going to be as helpful as possible for her exploration and when she's done, he may just start a subtle invasion of his own.

[eirenikos]

Eirene wouldn't even think of protesting his own incursion, tilting her head slightly to slant her mouth easier against his. It's her hands Clark has to watch out for.

They're making explorations of their own down his sides and pressing against the part of his back that isn't buttressed against the couch.

[hero_farmboy]

Clark has missed those hands, small and warm and stronger than they look. But he's not exactly used to them anymore, or to being touched at all really, beyond friendly hugs, so she'll have to forgive the small whimper that escapes him.

[eirenikos]

Predictably, they freeze, the pads of her fingers resting just an inch above the hem of his shirt. When Eirene has determined that she didn't hurt him, and he's not trying to get away from her, they finish moving down to graze against his skin.

"Let me know when you want me to stop," she whispers against his mouth.

[hero_farmboy]

"No, I'm okay." Despite the tensing of his muscles where her hands meet his skin. It barely lasts a few seconds and he relaxes again, his own hands starting to move slowly over her back in response.

[eirenikos]

They move away after a moment in silent apology for startling him, and slide back up his back until the cushions won't let them go further. It's an amusing things, perhaps, that her heartbeat has already quickened, and her breathing is shallowing out.

But such is the way Clark affects her, especially after five years.

[hero_farmboy]

It's a matter of body over mind, unfortunately. His mind is ready for this - hell, he's thought about it enough, especially recently being back among the living again, so to speak - but his body? Is still readjusting to not being surrounded by ice cold, sterile conditions, where he was the only living thing around for miles.

Clark is trying his best to get it to be mind over body, honestly.

To aid in that, maybe it's time to try this from another angle and he slips a hand under the hem of her shirt, tracing it flat along the skin of her back.

[eirenikos]

Eirene does understand, or would, if she was aware of his body's protestations. Maybe she is, subconciously, and that's why she isn't trying to rush things. As it is, her muscles contract under his palm, both pressing against Clark's hand and his chest simultaneously.

She's trying very hard not to wriggle, but that's a near impossible thing to ask when she's in her boyfriend's lap at it's only been a few weeks parting instead of as long as it's been.

"If you're not ready," Another break to inhale oxygen between kisses, "then I won't rush you." Now if she could just cajole her body into agreeing.

[hero_farmboy]

"I'm okay," he repeats, giving her what he hopes is a reassuring smile before he kisses her quickly again.

"I mean, this isn't exactly how I was planning on my day ending up when I got up this morning, but I'm not going to complain." His hand skates further up her back, while the other slides up to join it.

"Besides, how will I ever know if I am ready if I don't try?"

[eirenikos]

There a sharp inhale, lungs expanding at the added contact, "Clark..." Oh, well that just shorted out something. Hips twitch once, escaping her determination to keep still (which is unraveling rapidly just being near him).

"That sounds adventerous." Each word is punctuated by a kiss, the last moving away from Clark's mouth to travel along his jawline.