For Clark

[downsidedarling]

The cat lady who lives in the apartment just above Anna's is, by now, used to seeing funny lights outside the window

Comments

[hero_farmboy]

"It scares me, all right? I believed it with Lana. I thought she and I were meant to be together and we were going to be happy for the rest of our lives and that really, really didn't happen. And then there was Alicia and she," he stops briefly, not frowning completely, but his lips twitch in that direction. "That didn't work out either. I just... I don't want to go through that again unless I'm absolutely sure."

[downsidedarling]

She nods.

"Yeah, I hear you."

Tiny smile.

"I'm scared too, Clark. But I guess I'm just a risk-taker." Softly: "You can't ever be absolutely sure about things. It's just not how the world works. But sometimes it's worth a chance of fucking up, just to try it."

[hero_farmboy]

"Yeah, but I'm not a risk-taker. And when I screw up, it tends to put the world in danger," Clark sighs. "For once, I'd just like something to be easy."

[downsidedarling]

"At least," she says dryly, "it's fairly unlikely that screwing up in this context will cause the Apocalypse."

[hero_farmboy]

"You'd be surprised," he mutters bitterly and then sighs again.

"Maybe. I don't know. I'm just tired of things being complicated."

[downsidedarling]

"Now there's a sentiment I can get behind."

Anna sighs.

"Unfortunately, wishing for things to be simpler does not make it so."

[hero_farmboy]

"I know." Boy, does he know.

"Anna, I like you. A lot. I do. But I don't think I'm ready to... go there just yet."

[downsidedarling]

"Yeah."

Predictably, this does little to improve her mood.

"I think you can see why that might upset me."

[hero_farmboy]

"I guess I can. But I hope you understand it's because I don't want to rush into anything or lead you on when I'm not sure. I mean, I want it to be special and really mean something."

[downsidedarling]

She nods.

"I understand."

Look, he even gets a hug! Ain't that sweet.

[hero_farmboy]

Clark isn't convinced she does, but that likely has more to do with his inability to explain anything that goes on in his head than anything else.

The hug gets a brief, small smile.

[downsidedarling]

With her usual talent for reading people, Anna adds, "No really, Clark. I get it. You're not the rushing-into-things type."

[hero_farmboy]

He nods. "You know, if it weren't for how we first met, I doubt we'd even be sleeping together at this point."

[downsidedarling]

"I can't imagine what we would be doing, if it weren't for how we first met. I don't think..."

She trails off, frowning.

"I wouldn't be the same person I am now, if I hadn't spent that year stuck in a bubble with you."

[hero_farmboy]

"No, you wouldn't be. You wouldn't even be here at all if not for that."

[downsidedarling]

Anna snorts softly.

"So many bizarre things have come out of that."

With a grin, she ticks them off on her fingers. "I'm in a living world, working an actual job for actual money, in an actual relationship - with a liveling, if that wasn't weird enough - and a liveling who can't say the word 'sex' without blushing, at that." She kisses Clark on the cheek. "And I wouldn't give one bit of it up for the world."