Friends
Written by Amazonia V
Chapter 4:
Clark looked down at Diana with a warm smile. They had enjoyed their evening together and he had found himself talking about his life as Clark Kent. He had rarely shared that with anyone other than his parents. Strange how he had wanted to tell Diana. And he had asked for her advice on moving ahead in his relationship with Lois. Diana, being Diana, had been forthright with her advice and had even planned strategies with him. ‘Don’t waste time,” she had said. “Take what you want,” “Stop being patient, go for it.” Diana certainly was the best friend a man could have. He remembered asking her about Tom Tresser, and her own sadness as she told him that she had made a mistake and Tom had thought it was best to move on. Knowing how advanced their plans were, even her mother’s blessing, with Diana’s own hopes for a family, Clark felt extremely annoyed with Tresser. How could he treat such a wonderful, warm, compassionate woman so callously? Didn’t Tresser realize how lucky he was? Tresser was Diana’s choice over Bruce, and in Clark’s mind, there was no man better than Bruce. Maybe he needed to knock some sense into Tresser’s head. Especially if he brought that look of sadness to Diana’s face.
****
Connor glanced at Cassie by his side as they walked down a beach, after his birthday bash. She looked pensive. ‘Are you tired?’ he asked as they crossed a stretch of soft sand to sit in the shelter of large rocks, a man-made cliff to protect the fragile dunes from erosion.
‘A little,’ she said.
She flopped onto the sand, tucking her legs beneath her. Her shorts rode up as she did so, and he froze, staring at her smooth, shapely thighs, wanting to slide his hands—
He gave himself a mental slap. What was wrong with him? He’d controlled himself before and he could do it now. A grown man should have more self-control. Especially a grown man with super-control.
True, she was a grown woman too. Not the girl who’d made him feel protective. Was that the difference?
Whatever.
To distract himself, he said, “Nice of Superman and Diana to drop in.” Cassie nodded.
“What are you thinking about?”
“They’re so perfect together. They move as if they are one, as if each knows what the other is thinking and just responds.”
“Ah Cassie, they’ve been best friends for years.”
“Not just best friends. I think there’s more but Diana doesn’t want to reveal it.”
He tilted his head and studied her profile. ‘More specific?’
She turned back to face him. Mixed emotions flickered across her face, and he wanted to know what she was thinking. After several moments, she shrugged. ‘I think that Diana secretly loves, always has. And Superman is super-dumb not to see it.”
Connor was caught between supporting the man who was his mentor or supporting the woman he loved. “Uh-huh. May be he knows and wants to ignore it?”
Cassie narrowed her eyes at him. ‘I like the challenge of finding out. Lets do that. They may even thank us?”
He nodded. “You take Diana and I’ll take Kal?”
“No. Lets switch. You take Diana and I’ll take Kal.”
Connor thought about it for some time. He thought about Cassie. And his love for her. And how it made him vulnerable and strong at the same time. Love did that to you. They sat together companionably listening to the sound of the waves. He gently moved his arm to rest on her shoulders, and pulled her in closer to his body. Holding her, being so close, his nostrils picked up the faint scent drifting from her golden skin.
‘God, you smell good,’ he said before he could stop himself.
‘I’m not…wearing perfume.’ She looked up, her eyes wide. ‘Oh, it must be my bath oil. Lavender.’ She looked relieved.
‘I guess it must be. I remember that smell.’ It burrowed right down inside, reminding him of an earlier carefree time and the sheer joy of being with her.
She felt the warmth of his smile all the way to the soles of her feet.
He reached out, brushing a little sand from her cheek with his knuckles.
Her knees nearly buckled at his gentle touch.
Connor grabbed her wrist. "Hold on. One thing first."
"What's that?"
"This." He pulled her toward him, causing her to fall into him, wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her. She was expecting it and sighed. Her sigh gave him the opportunity to deepen the kiss. She was a little stiff in his arms until he licked the inside of her lower lip. She tasted sweet and felt just as hot and amazing against him as he remembered from that morning he'd woken up on top of her in the Kents’ barn. Before he died.
****
Superman flew back with Wonder Woman, over the beach, to her apartment after their appearance at the Teen Titans party. Seeing Cassie and Connor uninhibitedly demonstrate their affection for each other had affected each of them in their own way.
Superman was thinking about how much he was still attracted to Wonder Woman, only now, it was much better, with the bond of deep affection between them. He thought it was odd that he had enjoyed the evening with her so much, with out a threat to bring them closer. In fact, he had never once thought about Lois and what Lois was doing.
Wonder Woman looked sideways at Superman, thinking for the thousandth time how handsome he was. Thinking that she had enjoyed this evening very much. Jealous that Lois had snared his attention and did not know it. Filled with regret for having had that attention herself, not realizing the value of it and throwing it away.
Lost in thought, they paused now, outside her door. Superman turned to Wonder Woman and looked deep down into her eyes. Eyes that could bare the soul of a man should she wish. He could see the shadow of regret in her eyes. The reason for that intrigued him as much as her face. And brought with it a surge of pure love.
“There are some things that should be grabbed with both hands and taken,” Wonder Woman was saying.
Trying to focus on her words, Superman lifted her hand and brought the palm of her hand to his lips. “You may be right, waiting isn’t always the best answer.”
“Its getting late.” Diana pulled her hand free, then balled it into a fist. But that did not stop the heat from searing her arm.
“Are you going to ask me in?”
“No.”
“All right.” Unable to stop himself, he slipped his arms around her waist.
“Kal…”
“I’m just taking your advice,” he murmured as he skimmed his lips over her jaw. “Not being patient.” He brought her closer; his mouth brushed her earlobe. “Taking what I want.” His teeth scraped over her bottom lip. “Not wasting time.”
Then he was crushing his mouth against hers. He could smell the faintest fragrance of jasmine mixed with her own scent about her and knew he could get drunk on that alone. His heightened super senses took in her flavours – rich, exotic, intoxicating. Like the effect of red kryptonite on him. She made him think of smoldering fires, drifting polar winds, warm sunshine, monsoon rain…
And her body was pressed against his in an instantaneous acknowledgement.
Passion didn’t bloom, it didn’t whisper. It exploded so that even the air around them seemed to shudder with it.
She made him feel reckless. Unaware of what he murmured to her, he raced his lips over her face, coming back, always coming back to her heated, hungry mouth. In one rough stroke, he allowed his self control to slip, moving his hands over her luscious curves.
Her head was spinning. If only she could believe it was her foolishness. But she knew it was he, only Kal who made her dizzy and dazed and desperate. She wanted to be touched. By him. On a breathless moan, she let her head fall back, and the urgent trail of his lips streaked down her throat.
Feeling this way had to be wrong. Old fears and doubts swirled inside her, leaving empty holes that begged to be filled. And when they were filled, with incandescent pleasure, the fear only grew.
“Kal.”
Her fingers dug into his shoulders; Diana fought a war between the need to stop him and impossible desire to go on. “Please.”
He was as shaken as she and took a moment, burying his face in her hair. “Something happens to me every time I’m with you. I can’t explain it.”
She wanted badly to hold him against herself, but forced her arms to drop to her sides. “It can’t continue to happen.”