Loving the Man of Steel | Clark Kent

Chapter 16- Always

Rose-

It was still dark outside when my eyes suddenly popped open. Surprisingly enough, it wasn't a nightmare that had woken me, but rather the eerie peacefulness of my room. For a moment I began to panic, but then I remembered Diana had taken the babies so that I could get a few hours of undisturbed rest.

Rolling on to my other side, I shifted around uncomfortably as I tried to settle back into sleep. I could feel my eyes growing heavy, but I couldn't shake the feeling like I was being watched. There was nothing to worry about though, I told myself. No body would ever be able to get past Bruce and Diana-- right?

"Who's there?" I screamed at the large figure hovering in the shadows.

"Rose. It's me--"

My heart rate increased at the familiarity of the voice-- I hadn't actually expected the shadow to answer.

"It can't be," I whispered, disbelief evident in my voice as I flipped on one of the bedside lamps. This has to be a dream, I thought to myself. Or a nightmare.

But as the shadow shuffled forward and out of the darkness, I wasn't so sure anymore.

"Stay back!" I warned, hopping out of the bed and grabbing the only thing available to arm myself with.

"Rosie, please--"

"I said, stay back!" I yelled again, drawing the lamp behind my head.

Suddenly my bedroom door burst open, and the lamp flew forward from my hand. Clark instantly froze as it shattered against his chest, giving a slight grimace as the remnants crashed to the floor.

"I watched you take your last breath," Diana breathed as she charged into the room. "What sorcery is this?"

Clark made a move to step over the broken lamp, but froze-- an ugly frown quickly marring his handsome face.

"I would never hurt her," he growled, almost angrily, as Diana placed herself in front of me. "Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit 'em," he paused, just long enough for his cerulean colored eyes to bore holes through me. "But remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird."

"A mockingbird?"

Diana shot me a puzzled look as I repeated the words in an equally confused whisper-- Mockingbird.

My eyes widened in realization.

To Kill a Mockingbird. Of course, I thought to myself. Clark's favorite book!

Tears ran down my cheeks as my eyes flicked back up to his face. His dark curls were long and unruly and his beard was even longer now than when I had met him all those months ago. His cheeks were slightly sunken in, his blue eyes not as bright and I was certain he was a lot less burly than I remembered-- but this was Clark. Not a clone, or an evil cyborg-- somehow, it was really him.

"Oh Rosie," Clark murmured against my ear as I rushed into his arms. "My Rosie."

Diana quietly escaped out the door as I launched my arms around Clark's neck.

"You'll have to go easy on me," he smiled down at me feebly as he stumbled backwards a little. "I'm not as strong as I used to be."

Despite what he'd just said, he easily lifted me up to his own height, wasting no time at all in slanting his mouth over mine. As he adjusted me in his still incredibly strong arms, I was certain he was much smaller than he had been just eight months prior. Something else had drastically changed too. While his kisses in the past had sometimes been needy, this was altogether different-- almost aggressive, in the way his tongue ravaged my mouth.