Archive of Our Own ^beta

It was the pain that woke Clark up from a deep sleep. One moment he was in the middle of a peaceful dream and the next he was shooting up in his bed, clutching his arm, overwhelmed by how much it hurt. Delirious and half awake, he stumbled out of bed, his bare feet hitting the wooden floor, only for his knees to follow shortly after. Clark gritted his teeth, trying to focus, but his mind was too concentrated on the pain running through the top of his right arm.

As his eyesight quickly adjusted, he successfully found the light switch, and then began to tug off his shirt. Just when he was about to pull it off, the pain suddenly came to a halt. Frowning, he waited a few breaths to make sure it was gone and when it became clear that it had stopped, at least for now, his body relaxed and he sat back down on his bed. Clark finished the task of removing his shirt and then turned his head to the right and down so he could glance at the spot that was causing him so much discomfort. What he saw had his jaw dropping and he had to blink several times to make sure that he was seeing what he thought he was.

It was a tattoo, and not just any tattoo, but a crest that started right below his shoulder and covered about a quarter of his upper arm. And to his horror, it was a very familiar crest, one that he had seen many times before, the first being against a wall when he had entered a then unfamiliar apartment trying to find Lois and get answers on his mother's missing necklace.

The shield with a red border, three green arrows sticking up from the bottom and the three reindeer like figures on top, surrounded by green ribbons and topped with antlers looked exactly like he remembered it. Except there was an added addition: in a hunter green cursive scrawl on top of the tips of the arrow were the letters OJQ. As if he needed any more confirmation to whom exactly the crest belonged. But it just left him in a daze with more questions than answers.

What was Oliver Queen’s family crest doing on his arm? Who would put that mark on his arm and why would they do it? With his other hand, he rubbed his face, wondering if this was all just a weird dream, barely resisting the urge to pinch himself to check if it was.

After all, it wasn’t as if it would’ve been the first time the other man had played a role in his dreams, especially recently, much to his frustration and wishes to remain deep in denial about the meaning of said dreams. But this was something he could not ignore while awake. This was something he would have to deal with immediately, and his sleep-addled brain was having trouble processing what to do next. The alarm clock on the side table next to his bed flashed 3:30 AM, and he let out a deep breath, knowing that whatever he wanted to do could wait until a more normal hour.

Switching off the light, he slid back into bed and closed his eyes, drifting back to sleep with ease, hoping that his dreams would stay away from a certain blond haired, brown-eyed billionaire for once.

Bright sunlight streaming through the blinds was what caused him to wake up next, as he groaned, flipping over to press his face into the pillow, hoping to catch the lingering moments of sleep. Quickly realizing the futility, he reluctantly opened his eyes and glanced over to see the clock, which now read 7:30 am. Fortunately, it was a Saturday, and he didn’t have to be at the Planet, but as much as he wanted to stay in bed for a little while, there was still work on the farm for him to take care of.

Suddenly remembering what had happened just mere hours ago, he sat up, checking his arm. Clark dropped his head in frustration at the confirmation that no, it had not been a dream, and the tattoo was still there, clear as day. What now? Well, he wasn’t going to get anything done laying there, so sliding out of bed, he headed to the bathroom to freshen up and start the day.

It was only when he was in the middle of moving around a few barrels of hay in the barn did he take a chance glance toward the loft, and that was when an idea struck him. The fortress. Of course, that really should have been his first idea, but he was going to just blame his disturbed sleep for not being able to think as clearly as he should’ve been.

As much as he didn’t want to see Jor-El, he knew he had no other choice. This was something that he could not handle alone and no one in his life would be able to explain it. Finishing up his farm work, he showered quickly, and after grabbing a quick bite, he was off.

His Arctic Fortress was exactly how he remembered it to be, and with all the constant changes in his life, it was almost a relief.

“Jor-El,” he called out. “I need your help.”

“My son, I have been expecting you,” came the response.

“Why is that?” Clark asked, as he shrugged off his jacket and pushed up his sleeve. “And would you know anything about this?”

“That mark is exactly why I was expecting you,” Jor-El answered. “Had you gone on your training, you would know what that was, but as you do not possess the knowledge, I believed you would find your way here to seek the answers you needed.”

Ignoring the remark about the training, Clark continued, “What is it then? And how can I get rid of it?”

“You cannot get rid of it, my son,” Jor-El told him. “For it is a mark that every Kryptonian has; one to help guide them to their mate.”

“Their mate?” Clark repeated. “Wait, so this is supposed to represent the person I am meant to be with?”

And that idea was enough to send his head spinning.

“Yes, on Krypton, all families had a crest of their own,” Jor-El informed him. “That crest would form on a young man or young woman’s body when it was time for them to seek out their mate. The initials are there, so as to distinguish which member of the family that they were meant to be bound to.”

“What if they don’t want the person that they are bound to?” Clark tested.

There was a long pause before Jor-El replied. “While a rare situation, it is one that has risen, and dealt with accordingly. The presence of the bond does not always mean the success of a union, though the rate of failure is extremely low.”

Clark nodded, taking the information in, still unable to process the idea that not only was it what was essentially a soulmate bond, but that his soulmate was, of all people, Oliver Queen. His eyes suddenly widened as a new thought hit him.

“Wait, if I have his mark on me, does he have mine on him?” Clark demanded. Because holy hell, that would go sideways fast. Not only did he have to deal with the fact that his soulmate most likely did not have feelings for him, but if Oliver got stuck with Clark’s family crest, he knew the other man would be furious.

Oliver had never once shown any interest in his heritage, and he doubted the mark, and the reason why he had it, would be received well. Their friendship had been steady for the last few years, after going through many ups and downs, and it would be disappointing to have all that ruined over something neither of them could control.

“As your mate is human, that is unlikely at the moment,” Jor-El responded, causing Clark to breathe a sigh of relief. “However, once you consummate your bond, that may change.”

Clark choked on air, his face suddenly feeling very warm. That was a line of thought that he had no interest in pursuing. He was too old for some sort of Kryptonian birds and bees talk.

“You do intend to tell your mate about the status of your bond, do you not, Kal-El?” Jor-El continued, tone as steady as can be. “He is not what I would have pictured for you, but it has been done and perhaps he may be the best partner for you after all. It is said the darker the mark, the deeper the bond, and your bond appears to be very strong indeed.”

“But, what if I just don’t?” Clark wanted to know, tone hesitant. “Is there any chance it will just go away?”

“That would not be wise.” Clark could sense Jor-El’s disapproval even if his tone did not change.

“And what if he rejects me?” Clark questioned.

“With the strength of your bond, the consequences of a rejection are uncertain,” Jor-El explained. “Yet there have been no records of complications due to a rejected bond.”

Clark nodded slowly, before a thought struck him. “Wait, you said no recorded complications. But was there anything that happened that wasn’t on record?”

Another long pause followed his question and Jor-El’s ensuing answer seemed reluctant. “There have been tales of death and mental instability due to a rejected bond, but as the rejections alone are extremely rare, and since there is not a credible verification of these tales, the stories themselves cannot be given credence. Bonds have ended, occasionally before they have had a chance to begin, due to unforeseen circumstances, but there is support to guide the one left behind, and I am not in possession of any memories of severe reactions that could not be contained.”

That brought Clark little relief. The options that Jor-El spoke about would not be there for him, and it sounded as if not telling Oliver about the bond was safer than testing it and being inevitably rejected. Considering how strongly Jor-El seemed to feel about said bond, Clark realized that voicing those thoughts may only lead to an argument that he was not interested in having.

“Thank you, Jor-El,” he said instead.

“You are welcome, my son. Once you have manifested your bond, I ask that you bring your mate here,” Jor-El said. “I wish to meet him.”

And that definitely wasn’t happening, but Clark just nodded. “Okay, I will.”

Clark put his jacket back on, and after exchanging goodbyes, headed back to Smallville. He had a lot to think about.

Once in his loft, he sank into the couch, and rested his head back against the cushions. What now? There were only two options: tell Oliver, or don’t tell Oliver, and that latter was way more appealing than the former.

Out of all the people in the world, of course Oliver had to be the one for him. Not that there was anything wrong with Oliver; the exact opposite really. Their relationship had not been easy from the beginning, but he had been drawn to the other man early on, and had trouble staying away, even in their darkest moments.

Oliver challenged him, frustrated him, and at the same time, there was no one else he would rather have by his side in times of trouble. And there was unfortunately no denying the attraction either; he was a handsome man, and even Clark was not immune to his tall, lean, sculpted body, parts of which he had seen far too often, with Oliver being way too comfortable wandering around half naked, especially around the people he knew. The sparkling brown eyes and that smirk was always enough to throw him off his game, forcing him to be as outwardly tough as possible, let Oliver ever figure out his true weakness was not just a shiny green rock.

Yet if he could finally acknowledge what his feelings for Oliver were, he could also definitely recognize that those feelings were one sided. Oliver had never once shown any interest in him, and well, Clark couldn’t just jeopardize their solid relationship over his heritage. When he was a little younger, he was riskier with his emotions, but now, he couldn’t just take that leap. He didn’t have that many people in his life as it was and he could not afford to lose one, especially this one.

So he would stay quiet, make sure the mark was covered at all times, and just hope for the best. Besides, Jor-El might’ve claimed that it would not be wise to stay silent about his bond, but really, what was the worst that could happen?

Famous last words.

The rest of the weekend went as smoothly as possible, giving Clark hope that he could actually pull it off. If his thoughts wandered to Oliver more than usual, well, it was expected, wasn’t it? As he headed to work on Monday, he was grateful to have a job that involved wearing dress shirts and suit jackets. To be safe, he had made sure to find and put on a large enough bandage to cover the tattoo. Should it come to that, it was easier to come up with a reason for how he could have injured himself rather than explain away the tattoo. Especially in a newsroom.

His work day was busy from the get go; Lois and he were now working on the main floor, still partners, and things were as hectic at the Planet on a Monday as one would expect. People hustled, as they chased stories, and worked to meet deadlines, and Clark was not an exception to that.

It was a little after noon, and Clark was about to take his lunch break, when he felt a tingling in his arm, right at the spot of the tattoo. Lifting his head, he turned back in time to see none other than Oliver exit the elevator. His stomach dropped as he watched Oliver scan the newsroom. Much to his relief, Lois, who had gone to get coffee, put her hand on his arm, effectively getting his attention before Oliver could spot him.

Oliver had never shown up to see him at work before, so his presence was unusual, to say the least, and Clark was not ready to face him just yet, especially with the newfound knowledge that his tattoo might be alerting him to Oliver’s presence. So he slowly got up, keeping his head down, hoping that Lois would keep him distracted, and made his way to a different part of the office. Fortunately, he had almost perfected the disappearing into a crowd routine and as he watched Lois and Oliver walk toward her desk, he took the opportunity to get to the steps and he was out before they could notice he was ever there.

He sent a quick text message to Lois, telling her that he was gone for lunch, and pocketed his phone. Unable to resist, he used his superhearing to tune into their conversation.

“Yeah, he was here when I went to go get coffee. I don’t know where- oh wait,” Lois was saying. “Just got a text. Seems he went off to lunch. Must’ve just missed him. You might be able to catch him if you try.”

“True, I’ll give him a call,” Oliver replied. “Thanks, Lois.”

That’s when he stopped listening. So Oliver had come to have lunch with him? Clark pursed his lips as he made his way through the crowd, unsure what to think of it. As if on cue, his phone went off, and pulling it out of his pocket, he saw that it was indeed Oliver.

Well, now he needed a good excuse, especially since he was only a couple of blocks away from the Planet. Hearing a scream in the distance, he found it.

Quickening his steps, he ducked into an alley, Clark Kent fading away, and Superman flying out. He heard a few gasps from around him, but he was focused on stopping what turned out to be a mugging a mile away. After dealing with the assailant, he also managed to prevent a home invasion, handle a bank robbery, and help a woman trapped in her car after an accident.

Once he was back in his regular clothes, he stopped in the nearest deli to grab a sandwich. Clark checked with Lois if she wanted anything, but it turned out in lieu of missing him, Oliver had convinced her to go to lunch with him, so he just stuck to ordering for himself. Food in hand, he headed back to the office. Once seated at his desk, he took out his phone and upon seeing the missed call from Oliver, who hadn’t left a message, he sent him a quick text.

‘Hey, sorry I missed your call. Everything ok?’

He got a response a few minutes later. ‘All good. Just checking if you were free to grab some lunch.’

So just what Lois said then. He quickly typed, ‘Guess we just missed each other. Things got a little busy anyway.’

The response was almost immediate. ‘Yeah I noticed. Maybe another time. I stole your partner to keep me company.’

‘Sounds good,’ he typed. ‘Hope you and Lois are not getting into too much trouble.’

Clark got a smile and a winky face back and couldn’t help but grin as he ate his lunch. Once he got all of this under control, things could go back to normal and then he could be the one sitting across from Oliver and seeing that smile in person.

Honestly, he couldn’t wait.

For now though, he was relieved that Lois arrived back from lunch alone. She promptly teased him about disappearing on them.

“One moment you were there, and another you were gone, Smallville,” Lois remarked. “I swear, for someone so tall you certainly do blend into a crowd. You’re lucky that there was a TV at the restaurant, or you’d really be in trouble for ditching us.”

One of the better things that had happened to him was Lois finding out his secret. It was hard to keep her in the dark, and he was better off for her knowing. Of course he did end up having to buy her coffee and donuts for a week straight when she put two and two together and realized he was the one in the Green Arrow costume all those years ago when he was helping Oliver, but otherwise, she accepted it with ease, and now he had a cover if he ever had to disappear quickly.

“Is it really ditching if I didn’t know that I was supposed to be there in the first place?” he countered, with a grin. Just a tiny, inconsequential lie.

Lois shrugged. “By now, you should realize you are always supposed to be at my beck and call. And you’re not the one who had to deal with Oliver’s sad puppy eyes when we realized you were not around.”

Even though he knew she was exaggerating, his heart skipped a beat. “Well, I will keep that in mind in the future,” he told her, chuckling.

Her lips twitched and formed a smile. “Good. For now though, Perry wants to attend the mayor’s press conference.”

“All right, I’m ready to go,” Clark agreed. Grabbing the necessary materials, they headed out, and Clark added, “Try not to get caught by his security this time because you want to ask a few extra questions one on one.”

“The key words there are ‘getting caught’,” she retorted, smirking. “And I make no promises.”

Clark could only shake his head and laugh.

Fortunately, Lois was tame, by her standards anyway, and the rest of the day went by without any issues, as did his patrol that night. And if he seemed to be more aware of his tattoo at certain moments, well, he learned to ignore it.

It wasn’t until the following evening, when he was on monitor duty at Watchtower, listening to the police scanner and tracking any nearby criminal activity, that he had an encounter he could no longer avoid. The tattoo gave that familiar feeling, but there was nowhere to run, and Clark could only raise his head to see Oliver strolling through the doors.

Upon seeing Clark, Oliver grinned and Clark couldn’t help shooting a small smile back at him.

“Hey, seems I finally caught up with you,” Oliver remarked, walking to stand by him. “Not an easy task, may I add.”

Clark tried not to be visibly affected by his closeness and just nodded. “Well, figures we couldn’t miss each other for too long. Are you heading out for patrol?”

“Yes, hold back your tears for our reunion will be short lived,” Oliver teased, and Clark’s smile widened, causing Oliver’s own grin to grow.

“I will do my best to keep myself together,” Clark said dryly, drawing a chuckle out of Oliver, the sound making him feel warm and happy.

“All right, I will get changed and see you shortly,” Oliver told him, walking around him and casually patting his right arm, as he began to head off to put on his costume. It was a normal gesture, one Oliver had made countless times before and usually nothing to think more of, but with his luck, Oliver’s hand connected with the tattoo, and the foreign sensation had him sucking him a deep breath. Clark winced and hoped Oliver didn’t hear that, but it seemed he wasn’t so fortunate, with the way the other man spun around, eyes wide, immediately closing the short distance between them.

“Are you hurt?” were the first words out of Oliver’s mouth, and Clark immediately shook his head as Oliver grabbed his forearm, quick to reassure him.

“No, I’m fine,” he told him. But Oliver was glancing seriously at his arm, as if he were the one with x-ray vision, using the other one to feel out his upper arm, currently covered in a long white sleeved shirt, topped by a shorter gray t-shirt. Every time he brushed against his tattoo, it was all Clark could do not to react further.

Clark gently pulled his arm out of Oliver’s grasp. “Oliver, I’m fine.”

Oliver let him go and lifted his head to meet Clark’s gaze, a frown marring his handsome features. “Then why do you have some sort of patch on your arm?” he demanded. “Don’t lie to me, I can feel it. Also, I have seen you catch an airplane without so much as breaking a sweat so unless I’ve developed Kryptonian level strength from the time I left my office to right about now, that should not have caused a reaction.”

Biting his lower lip, he sighed, trying to come up with a proper excuse to get Oliver off his back. “I’m not hurt,” he started, which was the truth so he could say that with ease. “It’s just, well, it’s related to my biology and I’m dealing with it. Nothing for you to be worried about.”

History had given him enough reason to believe that should be enough information to get Oliver to back off, except this time, he seemed determined to prove Clark wrong, because he didn’t look the least bit convinced.

“Is there anything that can be done?” Oliver wanted to know, firing off questions in a manner that was almost uncharacteristic. “Are you in any pain? Should we call Emil or J’onn? Do you need to get in touch with Kara?”

“I’ve already gone to the Fortress and spoken with Jor-El,” Clark informed him. “It’s nothing to worry about and there isn’t anything that any of them could do. Besides, I’m really not in any pain.” Oliver’s tense posture seemed to slightly ease at that final assurance, and Clark let out an internal sigh of relief.

“All right,” he said, his tone still reluctant. “But you will let me know if anything worsens.”

Clark nodded, despite himself. “Yeah, I will.” It was not a promise he was sure he could keep, but he wasn’t able to deny Oliver at that moment.

Oliver accepted the answer, and with a curt nod of acknowledgment, headed to complete his prior task. Clark took a deep breath once he had disappeared, and rubbed the tattoo with his other hand.

Weird, he thought. He didn’t feel much at all, but then again, it was pretty obvious that Oliver being his “mate” meant more than he thought it did, and the tattoo was definitely more than just a mark.

He needed more answers and not just from a disembodied voice in the Arctic. Oliver bringing up Kara was actually a helpful suggestion. Their relationship had also been tumultuous in the beginning. Even as it improved, he hadn’t attempted to take advantage of her real world knowledge of their joint birthplace. Maybe it was time for a change.

Silently vowing to try and contact her in the morning, he returned his attention to what was in front of him. A now familiar feeling hit, and he glanced over, just as Oliver, now decked in his Green Arrow gear, appeared once more.

“Stay safe,” he told him firmly. “Yell if you need me.”

“With you a whisper usually seems to do,” Oliver replied. “But I have my communicator. I’ll be in touch.”

Clark agreed, and after exchanging goodbyes, Oliver was gone. He kept a close eye on the monitor, but aside from a few small incidents, which Oliver handled with ease, it seemed to be a quiet night. Oliver returned, not seeming too worse for the wear and they parted ways, with Oliver not asking any further questions about what he had previously shared.

If there was a tiny part of him that wished Oliver would ask, would insist on finding out what was wrong, he pushed it down. That part of him wanted to know what Oliver would think of all of this, even the idea of Clark having a mate, and of Oliver himself being that mate. However, the logical side of his brain knew that it would not, could not, end well, and he was better off not to risk it. After all, he needed Oliver in his life, and he could not lose him, or bring forward some awkwardness between them, which might happen if Oliver felt obliged to him in any way, or was forced to turn him down.

Besides, as he swallowed the lump in his throat, making his way back to the farm, Oliver had never asked for any of this. He didn’t ask to get tied to some old Kryptonian tradition or all that it would possibly entail.

As he ate dinner, made up of leftovers from the weekend, he again contemplated his choices, when he knew there was only one and that was again, to keep silent. And when he drifted off to sleep that night, he dreamed of a world where he could tell the truth, and be accepted completely.

Morning came too soon, and the day went on without much of a fuss. Chasing Lois on a lead that went nowhere, finishing his latest story, having to duck in and out for saves, and when the day ended, he headed over to Watchtower, before he was going out on patrol.

What he saw when he entered had him stopping in his tracks. Tess was by the main computers, and she was talking to none other than a very familiar tall blonde woman. They both turned at the sound of his entering, and her smile widened and Clark couldn’t help but grin too as he took in the sight of his cousin. Even though he meant to contact her at some point today, he had yet to get around to it, and he was amazed at how she had been on his mind only to show up out of nowhere.

“Kal-El!” she exclaimed, happily, as she headed toward him and he closed the remaining distance, and embraced her.

“Hey, Kara,” he said, as he slowly pulled away. “I didn’t know you were in town.”

“I had an inkling that you needed me,” she informed him, as they headed back toward Tess, who he greeted with a smile and nod.

“Do Kryptonians have psychic abilities?” Tess asked, an amused smile gracing her face.

“It would be a useful skill, but no, we do not,” Kara told her.

“Trust me, it is not as great as you would think,” Clark remarked, recalling his brief stint with the ability, how weird it felt, and while it was beneficial at moments, he was glad to see it go.

“I will take your word on it,” Kara replied, as Tess raised an eyebrow, clearly curious, but he was not willing to elaborate at the moment. “To answer your previous question, I was beckoned by Jor-El. He was under the impression that you could use my assistance.” Her blue eyes lit up. “Is it true that you have received your mate’s mark?”

“His what’s what?” Tess interrupted, curiosity finally getting the best of her and clearly unable to stick to her usual more composed demeanor.

Clark had to refrain from groaning out loud. As much as he was grateful that Jor-El, for once, seemed to have his better interests at heart, he wished that he could have run into Kara in a more private setting. She still sometimes lacked tact when she was discussing issues openly. At least he knew Oliver had a business meeting that night, so not only was he not around, there wasn’t a chance he would show up.

Before he could answer, Kara was explaining everything to Tess. “On Krypton, when the time is right, we get a mark on our bodies, identifying our mate. As each family has their own unique family emblem, it is of the other family’s and the initials or name of the member of the household.”

“So a soulmate?” Tess summarized. “Once you receive the mark, you just ... go find them?”

Kara nodded, expression solemn, her hand unconsciously grazing her right hip, eyes glazing briefly before returning to her explanation. Tess’s eyes drifted and followed the motion before meeting her eyes once more, but didn’t push. Clark’s breath caught for a moment, as he realized the significance of the gesture, and the realization that Kara’s soulmate had most likely died on Krypton caused his heart to ache for her.

Clark had forgotten that while he only missed what he didn’t know, she had full knowledge of their planet and remembered everything, which must’ve made the loss hurt even more. If he did pursue the knowledge that he seeked about their planet, he promised himself to approach it with care, and possibly lend an ear if she ever wished to unload her feelings.

“Yes,” Kara was saying. “After you decipher the mark, you will figure out where the bond will take you, and you seek out your mate.”

“And it’s always mutual?” Tess questioned.

“As far as I am aware,” Kara responded.

“Huh,” Tess murmured. In a louder tone, she added, “And is it a guaranteed success? I mean, I know arranged marriages are still a thing in parts of the world, and I guess you can say it is as hit or miss as the success rate in places where we are completely reliant on ourselves to pick our partner, but I don’t think I’ve heard of having one singular soulmate in anything other than fairytales.”

“Before you met us, I am sure that you would have said the same of life on other planets,” Kara pointed out, drawing a chuckle from Tess. “However, I do not believe what we have is not a soulmate as defined by your standards. The success rate was high, but there were the rare failures and it wasn’t meant to be romanticized. The bond would lead you to the person most compatible to you, but there was still effort involved by both parties.” She glanced over at Clark, “However, I am aware the concept is befuddling to those brought up in a land where it is not possible, especially here where the concept of choice is so prevalent, in even the most minuet of decisions. Which is why, I assume, Jor-El wished for me to come here and provide guidance as Kal-El, excuse me, Clark, goes through his own journey.”

Tess tilted her head slightly and addressed them both. “But wouldn’t his mate be Kryptonian too?”

“There have been cases in which the mate is not from our planet, and from what Jor-El told me, Clark’s mate is human.” She turned to him, her eyebrows furrowing. “Are they not?”

“They are,” Clark acknowledged, finally speaking.

She shot him a gentle smile. “So you do have a mark.”

“I do,” he admitted, sighing. “Got it only a few days ago. I was going to reach out to you, but it seems you got here first.”

“So Clark Kent has a soulmate?” Tess teased. “Do you know who it is and can we see your mark?” Her green eyes sparkled with mischief. “Of course, unless it is in a place that you can’t show us.”

A blush stained Clark’s cheeks and he ducked his head. “No, it’s, no, it is on my arm and I don’t, I’m not sure.”

Both Tess and Kara seemed to take his stammering to mean he was embarrassed, and not that he was blatantly lying to both of them. So at least Jor-El had kept quiet that he knew who his mate was. Small miracles.

“I suppose family seals are not as common here,” Kara pondered out loud. “So your mark may be more specific to a person. Do you at least have their initials?” Clark nodded. “Well, then at least we will have some sort of starting point.”

Just then, Tess’s cell phone went off. Her expression grew serious upon pulling it out and glancing at the screen. “I have to take this.” Giving them a quick nod, she picked it up, and moved to a different area for privacy.

“Now that we’re alone,” Kara said, after a moment of silence. “How are you handling this?”

“Honestly, I’m not,” Clark admitted, running a hand through his hair. “I may have a lot of questions.”

“Well I do not have anywhere else to be,” she told him. “So I can stay.”

“Thank you,” he told her. He looked pointedly at the spot he assumed her own mark was. “Will you be okay though? I know it may bring back some tough memories.”

She nodded, lips curving into a gentle smile. “I will, thank you.”

“Did they-?” he couldn’t bring himself to ask the question.

“Yes, he did,” she replied, her expression and tone mournful. “I received my mark months before Krypton’s destruction. We only managed to meet once. He was a kind man; his family were from a different part of the planet, but he searched for me.” Her gaze fell to her feet. “Unfortunately, with all the chaos surrounding the planet’s imminent destruction, there was not much that could be done. I wished to be with him, but my father had other plans.” She gave him a weak smile. “I am happy to be here with you, Kal-El, even though I do miss my home.”

He took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I’m sorry, Kara. If you ever want to talk more about it, I am always willing to listen.”

“I would be happy to,” she said. “I also have many stories that may interest you.”

“I’d be happy to hear them,” he replied. Glancing at the clock, he suddenly realized how much time has passed. “I do have to get going on patrol, but I will see you back at the farm?”

She nodded, and once they had exchanged goodbyes, he headed out for patrol, making sure to only get into costume far away from headquarters so no one could trace him back to it. Kara herself had donned a superhero persona as well, known to the world, much to her chagrin, as ‘Supergirl’, but she had chosen not to be a member of the League, though she would help at a moment’s notice if necessary. Her job as a freelance photojournalist allowed her the flexibility to travel at will, and he was impressed by the way she had changed her appearance, even her name, and come around to the concept and importance of blending in.

Perry White, current editor in chief of the Planet, had tried to hire her in the past, not even knowing “Linda Danver’s” connection to him, but she was uninterested in staying in one place. “Metropolis has you,” she had told him, “I need to see the world.”

And how could he argue with that?

He did miss her, as she was the only biological family he had, and other than his mom, who was still in Washington DC, she was the only family he had, period, so he was glad she was back, even for a little while.

It was hours later by the time he made it home, with take out from a Thai restaurant that was open late in Metropolis, which was a good instinct, as Kara had not eaten yet either. After he changed from his work clothes, he came down in a red t-shirt and jeans, leaving the patch off. Even with the short sleeves, only the bottom of the tattoo was visible so he made sure to push it up to his shoulder, leaving the mark completely exposed.

Kara was finding plates and utensils, about to distribute the food, when she saw him, her eyes going wide, instinctively drawn to the mark gracing his right arm.

“So that’s it,” she said softly, standing up and coming close, examining the mark. “That is quite the intricate design. It seems almost like a family crest, not unlike one of our people.”

“It is,” Clark admitted. Biting his lower lip, he took a plate, and after adding some rice, egg rolls and sweet and sour chicken, he handed it to Kara, who accepted it, before serving himself.

“Do you have any idea where you could find this person?” Kara asked, taking a seat at the table.

Sitting down on a chair next to her, he nodded. “Actually, I do know who it is.”

“Jor-El did not mention that part,” Kara said cautiously.

“No, I guess he didn’t,” he said, fiddling with his fork. “It’s, well, you know him.”

“Him?” Kara repeated.

“Him,” Clark confirmed. “Is that a problem?”

“Of course not,” Kara said immediately. “The bonds were not only between men and women back in Krypton either. So, who is it? You seem anxious.”

“It’s Oliver,” he said hurriedly.

“Oliver Queen?” she asked, looking surprised. “I can see why you did not wish to reveal your answer earlier, with Tess present. You are certain then?”

“It’s his family crest,” Clark told her, picking up an egg roll, dipping it into the slightly sweet sauce, and taking a bite. Chewing slowly, he enjoyed the mix of flavors and once he swallowed, went on. “I have seen it multiple times on his wall at his penthouse, and even the initials-“

“OJQ,” she read, as she delved into her own plate.

“Oliver Jonas Queen,” he finished, blowing out a deep breath.

“Wow,” she said, visibly stunned, leaning back in her chair. “And how do you feel about this?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know how to feel. Kind of avoiding dealing with it really, other than asking Jor-El what to do.”

“Do you plan to tell him?” she asked, as they both continued to eat. Clark looked at her, wrinkling his nose and just shook his head. She pursed her lips. “Why not?”

“He’s human, Kara,” Clark reminded her gently. “Jor-El wanted you to guide me through this because I grew up here, without any notion of such a thing, but at least since I’ve known that I am not from Earth, I've gotten used to adapting to situations like this. Even if he did have feelings for me, which, may I add, he doesn’t, who am I to bring him into something he never asked for?”

“Who are you to deny him information about himself?” she countered. “This bond works both ways, even if he does not have a mark. If he is about choice, should he not have one here?”

“But are rejections worse than staying silent?” he asked. “Jor-El claims they are rare, but that is on Krypton and I don’t want something weighing on his head should it go south.”

Kara ate slowly, clearly weighing her next words. “Your bond is strong, judging by the darkness of your mark.”

“Jor-El said something similar,” he noted, standing up to fill up two glasses with water and returning, setting one beside her plate and taking a sip of his.

“I spoke of bonds between Kryptonians and non Kryptonians earlier,” she mentioned. “Those bonds are that of myth, for their strength has connected worlds. While I have not encountered one myself, I do know that they are much more than what is a regular mating bond. Tread carefully, Kal-El. The consequences of avoiding a regular bond, which has been known to happen, for various reasons, has happened without consequences, I cannot say the same for you.”

“Did the mark alert you to your mate’s presence?” Clark had to know.

Both her eyebrows went up. “No, that was not- no, that is not common at all. Your bond is different.”

“Great.” Just what he needed. It was nice to finally tell someone though. He was tired of keeping his feelings to himself, especially while facing something that was driving him in circles.

“Would it be so bad to tell him?” Kara questioned. “From the few times I have met him, he seems to be an understanding person. He has never so much as blinked or reacted to our heritage.”

“Because he doesn’t want anything to do with it,” Clark interjected. “Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate that he isn’t scared, but he has never shown any interest in it either. I can’t imagine he wants to be caught up in any of it.”

“And his rejection worries you?” Kara asked.

“We have a good friendship, and we work together,” Clark said, anxiety etching into his voice. “I can’t lose him over something that neither of us really chose to be apart of.”

“Because you care for him,” Kara concluded.

“He’s my friend,” Clark repeated.

“But you care for him more than as a friend,” Kara pointed out.

There was no point in lying, after all that had already been said so he just nodded. “Yeah, I do.”

“Then perhaps it is worth exploring even more,” she suggested. “Are you sure he doesn’t feel the same?”

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure,” Clark said, the words hurting to even get out, even if he had gotten used to his unrequited feelings. “I’ve seen his type, and it’s not me.”

“He isn’t exactly Lana either,” she reminded him. “A previous pattern of behavior does not always dictate the future. Any man or woman would be fortunate to have your heart and he seems to hold you in high regard so I am sure he would share in my belief.”

He smiled. “Thank you, Kara.”

“Of course,” she replied warmly. “If you have any questions, you know that I am here.”

“I know, and I appreciate it,” he told her. Sensing he no longer wanted to pursue the topic, she gracefully changed the subject, as the two of them finished their meal.

It was extremely late by the time they headed to their separate rooms to get some sleep, but Clark really enjoyed the stories she told, and he could tell that she was grateful to have someone to tell them to. Krypton may not have been perfect, but it sounded so interesting and amazing, and he wished, not for the first time, he had a chance to experience it himself. At least he had the next best thing, he decided, as he fell asleep that night.

From there, they worked around one another. Kara was following a story that kept her in the area, and she told him some details about the progress of certain environmentally related bills she was looking into. As for him, his days went by with work and heroics, no real disturbances in the pattern, and managing to avoid his mark and everything it represented.

Until a few days later. It was Friday, and he was ready for the weekend. There was a carnival in town that Kara was excited about, and he invited Lois to join them, who had happily agreed. His last stop was at Watchtower, before he did a quick patrol and headed home.

When he entered, he found the main floor wasn’t empty. Instead Tess was there, with another blond this time, one that he may or may not have been both avoiding yet was always on his mind.

He had only a moment to observe Oliver and Tess before they noticed him, but the scene caused something inside him to ache. They made a beautiful pair, and a part of him had always wondered if they would find their way back to one another. Hadn’t happened yet, but with the friendship they had rebuilt and their seemingly natural chemistry, it was never out of the realm of possibilities and he was always inwardly steeling himself for that eventuality. They fit, he told himself. More than he ever could with Oliver.

“Evening, guys,” he said, as he approached, the two of them returning the sentiment with ease. “How’s everything?”

“Can’t complain,” Oliver replied, with a shrug. “You’re on patrol tonight?” Clark nodded. “Looks like it shouldn’t be too bad, from what we’ve seen.”

“Well, now that you have said it, I’ll make sure to prepare for chaos,” Clark joked, drawing a grin out of the other man. Glancing between the two of them, he added, ”Any big plans for the weekend?”

“A few appointments, but I should be free for most of it,” Tess answered. “How about you, Clark? Is Kara still in town?”

Oliver, who had turned his attention to a nearby monitor, looked back toward them. “Kara is in town?”

Clark nodded. “Yeah, she stopped by to see me, and she still is. Lois, she, and I are going to a carnival tomorrow actually.”

Tess’s expression turned slightly wicked, her green eyes glinting mischievously. “Not soulmate hunting?” she asked slyly.

Clark’s face heated and shook his head, wishing he were somewhere else. He should’ve known that Tess would bring it up, especially since he had taken off before she could pursue the topic further the last time.

“Wait, what?” Oliver’s attention was effectively back on the conversation, visibly puzzled, and Clark’s stomach felt as if it were full of butterflies.

Tess raised an eyebrow at him, clearly a little smug. “You didn’t hear? Our resident Superman seems to have a soulmate and a mark to prove it. Apparently it is a Kryptonian tradition.”

“A soulmate?” Oliver echoed, staring straight at Clark, his expression neutral. His eyes, which briefly went to Clark’s right arm, before meeting his gaze once more, seemed to be much more expressive, running through multiple emotions, too quickly before Clark could identify them all. “So this what you were referring to a few days ago, with whatever you were going through?”

“So you did know?” Tess questioned, a little disappointed, before Clark could answer.

Oliver finally broke the stare and looked over at her. “He mentioned he was going through something with his biology, but he didn’t elaborate. It was by chance I even got that much.”

“I’m surprised you let it go,” Tess remarked.

“I’m not,” Clark murmured. Oliver had never pushed for answers, when it came to his personal life, or his heritage. Even when he found out he was an alien, he never asked for information that Clark wasn’t willing to give, and he had always been grateful for the discretion. He didn’t think Oliver heard him but the way he turned back to him, his expression sharp, he realized he was wrong. But then the other man seemed to do an abrupt mood shift.

“It isn’t any of my business,” Oliver responded, the tone of his voice light. Nudging Tess lightly, expression clear and a smirk gracing his face, he continued, “I try not to nose into other people’s lives. Unlike some people over here.”

“I like answers,” Tess retorted, looking completely unapologetic.

“And you like them immediately,” Oliver finished.

“What is the point of waiting?” Tess countered. “It is not as if patience has ever been your strong suit, Ollie.”

“Some things are worth the wait,” Oliver responded, eyes darting to Clark. “So, a carnival, huh? You really have those?”

“They show up twice a year,” Clark said, surprised at the topic change, but quickly realizing, with appreciation, that Oliver was giving him an out. “It’s fun.” Hesitating for a moment, he added, “If you don’t have any plans and want to come to Smallville, you can join us and see it in person.” Addressing Tess, he said, “Both of you, really.”

Tess shook her head, smiling apologetically. “Can’t, but thanks for the invite. I have lunch plans tomorrow.”

Ollie’s eyes lit up. “Would that be a lunch date with a certain doctor?”

“That is none of your business,” Tess said haughtily.

“Oh, now the one who wants all the answers is suddenly not willing to give any,” Oliver joked. Clark couldn’t help but chuckle at their back and forth.

“I never said I wasn’t a complicated woman,” Tess shot back, causing Oliver to laugh.

“Well, we’ll miss you,” Clark told her. Looking at Oliver, he asked, “Are you interested?”

Pausing a moment, Oliver tilted his head. “Sure, but I don’t want to be in the way.”

“Are you ever?” Clark said, smiling. “Besides, if we go on the rides, it is nicer to have an even number.”

“Now that sounds dangerous,” Tess said. “I don’t know if I trust any ride that can be assembled and reassembled that quickly.”

“Understandable, but it has always been safe, and I have been going to the carnival since I was a kid,” Clark assured her.

“And,” Oliver added, “if anything happens, I am with Superman. Can’t get any safer than that.” Clark blushed and grinned.

“Also, you fight machine gun wielding criminals wearing tights and carrying a bow and arrow,” Tess pointed out dryly. “I suppose you wouldn’t be afraid of the potential of a broken ride.”

“They’re not tights,” Oliver protested, not for the first time. “You’ve seen them! They’re leather pants!”

Before they could get into a familiar argument, Clark cut them off.

“All right, I’m going to head out. You two have fun.”

“Stay safe, Clark,” Tess said, turning her attention back to him.

Clark nodded. “Oliver, you can come by tomorrow around eleven. I am going to make brunch for everyone, so just let me know if you have a request.”

“So you cook?” Tess asked.

“When I can,” Clark replied. “My mom taught me, and I’m pretty sure it’s part of the reason Lois agreed to go, along with the possibility of churros and candy apples.”

“Seems like your soulmate is going to be a lucky person,” Tess said, bringing the conversation full circle.

Clark just chuckled and shook his head. “Those are some low standards, if that is all it takes.”

“Trust me, Clark, I don’t think anyone who you end up with will have low standards,” Tess told him, genuine. Clark couldn’t help but be flattered.

“Thanks, Tess,” he said, smiling warmly.

“I still want to see the mark,” Tess said pointedly.

“Leave the poor guy alone,” Oliver interjected. “And you seem quite interested in the whole concept. Didn’t know you still had that romantic side of you.”

“It’s mostly dormant, but what can I say?” Tess said. “I am not sure if I would want it for me, but the whole concept is interesting, isn’t it? That there is someone guaranteed for you out in the world?”

“Maybe, seems a little restrictive to me,” Oliver commented, eyebrows furrowing in concentration. “I’d prefer to pick my partner, rather than have the universe or some external power force me in one direction.”

Clark bit his lip and tried not to react. After all, he knew that these would be Oliver’s thoughts on the whole thing, didn’t he? He shouldn’t be surprised, or disappointed, but the latter feeling did fill his heart regardless. After all, hadn’t he believed something similar in the idea of destiny? He would try to be grateful later about getting confirmation on Oliver’s thoughts on the matter for sure, instead of just assuming what he thought, but right now, he needed an escape.

“Yeah, I guess we will see where it goes,” Clark forced himself to say. “There is time for that. Pretty sure whatever is out there won’t wait though. I will see you tomorrow, Oliver. Bye, Tess.”

They both nodded, and Clark left as quickly as he could without drawing suspicion, not wanting to pursue the conversation further. At least he was kept busy enough that he wasn’t able to dwell for long that night, and when he made it home, he found Kara and Lois on the couch watching TV, popcorn, drinks, and candy littered between them.. Lois had chosen to spend the night there instead of driving over the next morning, and it seemed the two of them were making the most of their evening.

“Seems like I am missing quite the party,” he joked, effectively gaining their attention.

“That’s what happens when you are busy saving the world, Smallville,” Lois replied, smiling, picking up the remote to hit the pause button. “You miss some of the fun stuff.” Kara was watching Lois, her expression gentle and fond in a way Clark hadn’t seen since, oh. Well, that was interesting. He observed how close they were on the couch, Lois’s hand seemingly to purposefully brush Kara’s with every movement, and he couldn’t help but shake his head and smile.

Definitely interesting, he thought. Apparently bisexuality ran in the family. Clark remembered them being fairly close the first time Kara was in town, but this was a whole new level. Making a note to talk to Kara later, he responded to Lois. “I’ll make sure to check my priorities next time.”

Popping some chocolate in her mouth, Lois nodded playfully. “Good, there is still hope for you yet.”

“So what are we watching?” Clark asked.

“Can you believe Kara has never seen the Godfather trilogy?” Lois asked, shooting a smile Kara’s direction. “I mean, I don’t really want to eventually subject her to the third one, but it must be done. For now, we’re still on the first one.” And Clark had not seen someone make Lois’s eyes light up that way since Oliver so it seemed that, whatever feelings there might be, they were mutual.

“Apparently, she deemed it important to catch me up on pop culture,” Kara was saying. “Would you like to join us?”

Clark immediately shook his head. While he wasn’t completely sure what was going on there, he didn’t want to be the third wheel. “I’m actually going to turn in. Have fun with the movie. Oh, Oliver said that he would join us tomorrow, if that is okay.”

Kara raised her eyebrows but he shook his head quickly, when Lois wasn’t watching, and she just kept smiling. “Of course that is fine with me,” Kara assured him.

“Works for me too,” Lois said. “The more, the merrier.”

“See you guys in the morning then,” Clark said, heading upstairs, followed by an echo of “good nights” from Lois and Kara.

He’s not sure how long the two of them stayed up, but he wasn’t surprised when he was the first one up the next morning. Wanting to get some quick work done, he grabbed some toast, before starting his day.

After he finished his tasks, he took a shower, got dressed, relieved that the fall weather allowed him to wear a thin gray shirt, topped off with a blue v-neck sweater, without getting side eyed, and headed back downstairs, where he was greeted by the sight of Kara leaning against the kitchen island, drinking orange juice, still in her pajamas.

“Morning,” he told her. She returned the sentiment with an easy smile. “How was the rest of the night?”

“Good,” Kara replied, setting her glass down. “I liked the movie. For a movie that was made decades ago, it does get quoted often now. I certainly understand the references that I didn’t quite realize were references that have been made by the people around me.”

“Yeah, some movies just stand the test of time,” he agreed. “I probably should have shown you some of this stuff earlier. Seems trivial, but it might’ve helped you adjust.”

“There wasn’t the opportunity,” Kara assured him. “If the circumstances had been better, I am sure you would have.”

“Seems you have a pretty good teacher right now,” he said pointedly, as he moved to put on a pot of coffee. He didn’t know when Lois would be up, but he knew that she would immediately demand caffeine once she was, and he figured he should be prepared. Glancing over at his cousin, he was surprised to see an uncharacteristic blush color her features.

“Yes, she is well versed on many topics,” Kara acknowledged. “Though her taste in music is quite interesting.”

“Something tells me you are not just interested in her pop culture knowledge,” Clark pointed out.

Kara shook her head. “Was it that obvious?”

“Only to those who know you. So, do you want to talk about it?” Clark asked, turning completely and resting his hands on the counter. “Is there anything to talk about?”

Kara gave a small shrug. “I am not sure? On either of those questions. They may be though. She is quite a beautiful, vivacious woman, but there have not been many relationships in my life since I arrived on Earth. Only Jimmy, and there was a woman I met while I was on assignment in France, but that was never going to be anything lasting. Lois is one of a kind.” She watched Clark seriously. “How would you feel if there was something?”

“If she feels the same, and the two of you make each other happy, I would never stand in the way,” Clark was quick to reassure her. “You’re family, and she practically is too, and I just want you both to be happy.”

“Thank you,” she told him sincerely, and he nodded in response.

It was that moment Lois came bounding down into the kitchen, dressed in a pair of dark wash jeans and a yellow tank top, hair up in a ponytail. “What are we thanking Smallville for?” she asked immediately, and seeing the coffee pot, she bee-lined toward it. “Ooh, coffee!”

She was instantly distracted by pouring herself a cup, rummaging through the fridge and cabinets for milk, sugar, and a mug, a sight that Clark couldn’t help but laugh at. Once she had completed her task, she took a long sip and sighed happily, before turning her attention back to them.

“Morning to you too, Lois,” he said.

“Now it is a good morning,” Lois acknowledged, gesturing to her cup.

“Do you want any actual food now or can you wait until brunch?” Clark asked. “I have bread for French toast, but I have regular sandwich bread too, if you want toast.”

She shook her head. “Nah, I can wait. Not very hungry actually.”

“I’m going to run up and take a shower then,” Kara told them, and giving them a nod, she headed back upstairs. Clark glanced over at Lois, whose eyes were trained on Kara until she disappeared. Looking back at him, she realized she was caught. He raised an eyebrow and tilted his head in the direction Kara went in an unasked question that she seemed to understand, and she just shrugged in response.

“You know it is okay with me, right?” Clark asked, his tone gentle. “Want to talk about it?”

“Yeah, I did catch the tail end of that conversation Kara and you were having,” Lois admitted, finishing her coffee and heading back to the pot for a refill. “I do appreciate it, Smallville. I just, I don’t know. You know how I am with heroes, and she is not exactly staying in one place any time soon.”

“Kara isn’t exactly Oliver either,” Clark pointed out. “Or AC. Even if they are all blond and have ‘saving the world tendencies’.”

“Yeah, I do have a type, don’t I?” she agreed wryly, drinking from her now full cup. “Gender notwithstanding.”

“Nothing wrong with that,” he acknowledged, as he walked around to get over to grab his mom’s recipe book. He was baking muffins and scones, along with their meal, which meant he had to get started now. Plus, if he kept busy, it would probably relax Lois enough to talk, instead of focusing all his attention on her, which he knew would make her uncomfortable.

“It is if every relationship has ended badly,” Lois muttered.

“Has it?” Clark countered, flipping through the book to find the blueberry muffin recipe, and then moving to grab all the necessities. As he worked on measuring out the ingredients, he glanced over at her. “I don’t think you have had any actual bad breakups, even if the fact that they ended hurt. I don’t know how new this all is-”

“Fairly,” Lois admitted. “Not like I haven’t thought about it. We were close when she first moved here, kept in touch on and off over the years, had lunch a few months ago, last time she was in town, but like I said, she has never stayed long enough, and I didn’t think she felt the same. Last night was the first time I realized it was mutual, and well, nothing has really happened, and I’m not even sure if it will before she leaves again.”

“Maybe,” he advised, as he moved on to work on the streussel topping for the muffins, “she needs a reason to stay, and you need a relationship worth fighting for.” He chanced another look over, and watched her bite her lower lip thoughtfully. “As great as Oliver was and still is, I always wondered if you would’ve fought harder if you actually saw a future with him. Doesn’t mean you didn’t love him, just that he wasn’t the one.”

“Is that why you let Lana go?” Lois questioned carefully, causing him to pause. “Because she wasn’t ‘the one’?”

“When I wasn’t pushing her away, she usually chose to go,” Clark confessed. “But I guess I never did try to get her back as much as I could’ve. I didn’t seek out a cure, and even when she found a way to remove the kryptonite and reverse that aspect of her abilities, I didn’t exactly think to try for another chance. When she was here, we would fall back into familiar patterns, because I knew what it was like to be with her, and knew what the pain would be like when we parted ways. Better than being alone, especially after she knew all my secrets. It was something familiar, and not risky, but maybe not the healthiest relationship either towards the end.”

“It is easier to risk your life than your heart,” Lois remarked. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched her move and sit at the kitchen table.

“Seems that way,” Clark agreed, reflecting on his past relationship with his first love. Lana and he spoke now and then; she was doing her own thing as a superhero with her own costume and code name, as well as fulfilling her dreams in a career combined in art and charity, but while he was happy to call her a friend, anything more was something he was not willing or interested in revisiting. When they last spoke, she had mentioned someone she had been dating for a few months, so clearly they were on the same page, and he hadn’t felt any resentment or jealousy so he knew for certain that he had moved on, this time for good.

“Maybe it is time to take a risk,” Lois commented.

“Better than spending your entire life wondering ‘what if’,” he replied, while realizing the hypocrisy of those words.

“Good point, Smallville,” Lois said, now much more relaxed. “Do you need any help? As long I don’t have to do any of the actual baking or cooking. I can whisk and measure as well as anyone!”

He chuckled. “I got it covered, Lois, but thanks.”

“What are you making?” Lois asked.

“Blueberry muffins and cranberry orange scones,” Clark said absentmindedly, continuing to work. “Pancakes, French toast, and eggs later.” Before she could ask, he added, “And yes, I will make you bacon.”

“You are a good man, Clark Kent,” Lois replied, mock seriously, but he could hear the smile in her voice, and then was immediately distracted by the feeling in his arm.

“And we have Lois complimenting Clark,” a new third voice joined them, causing them both to dart toward the sound, seeing Oliver standing behind the screen door, dressed casually in fitted denim jeans, a green t-shirt, and a black leather jacket. He was carrying a white bag, contents unknown to the naked eye. “What world have I stepped into?”

Since Lois was closer, she got up, and moved to open the door, stepping aside so Oliver could enter.

“Well, it happens from time to time,” she told him, exchanging a quick hug in greeting with the other man.

“Especially when there is food involved,” Clark chimed in, greeting Oliver. “You’re early.”

“Yeah, I figured activity would be happening here anyway and I thought I would see if I could come and help,” Oliver explained. Gesturing to Lois, he said, “I texted you to see if you wanted a ride, but apparently you did not need my assistance.”

“Oh, yeah, I crashed here last night,” Lois informed him. “But my phone is upstairs. Must’ve missed it, sorry.”

“No harm done,” Oliver told her, but Clark noticed how Oliver's eyes quickly darted between Lois and him, a clear question there. “You two have fun?”

“More like Lois and Kara had a lot of fun,” Clark interrupted. “I wasn’t a part of their party for two.”

“You were invited,” Lois argued.

“I had no interest in being the third wheel,” Clark shot back and Lois just smirked in return, causing Oliver to look even more puzzled.

“Well, it is a good thing Oliver is here now,” Lois teased. “Speaking of which, what is that you got there?”

Oliver’s gaze went to his bag, as if he forgot he even had it. “Oh, right, well, I didn’t want to show up empty handed.” Setting the bag on the table, he pulled out a white box with an unfamiliar bakery logo, a few cartons of various types of berries, and a glass jar of what looked like syrup. “Brought some donuts, and on my way here, I noticed a farmer’s market, so I picked up fresh fruit and homemade maple syrup.”

“Donuts!” Lois exclaimed, opening the box and taking out a maple one.

“Thanks, Oliver,” Clark told him. “Unnecessary, but thoughtful of you.”

“That’s Ollie,” Lois said, munching on her maple donut. “Gotta give me the name of this place, by the way. This is great.”

“Will do,” Oliver promised. Hearing footsteps, the trio looked to see Kara entering the kitchen.

“Do I smell donuts?” she asked. Upon noticing the new face, she continued, “Oh, good morning, Oliver.”

“Hey, Kara,” Oliver replied. “Good to see you again. And yes, you do. I picked some on my way over here.”

“Good to see you too,” she responded, walking toward the table. Lois delved into the box again, and handed her a chocolate frosted donut, their fingers brushing during the exchange. “Oh, thanks, Lois, my favorite.”

She and Lois smiled warmly at each other, and if Oliver weren’t there too, Clark would’ve felt more like an intruder in that moment. Looking over at Oliver, he saw a thoughtful expression come over the other man’s face as he observed the scene in front of him. If Clark could pick up on what was happening, when he had a history of missing this sort of thing, no way Oliver wouldn’t see it.

Oliver turned his head, and meeting Clark’s gaze, raised an eyebrow, dropped it, and used his eyes to point toward the two women. Clark just gave him a tiny nod, and Oliver let out a chuckle of amazement, the noise drawing Lois and Kara’s joint attention.

“What are you making there?” Kara asked, and Clark repeated what he told Lois.

“Scones?” Oliver asked. “Wow, sounds like you are opening your own breakfast buffet.”

“Trust me, it is not as hard as it sounds,” Clark replied.

“Well, I’m not complaining,” Oliver responded jovially. “Orange and cranberry scones are a guilty pleasure of mine.”

As if Clark didn’t know that.

“If you have any requests for types of eggs, or if you want anything in your pancakes, let me know,” Clark said instead.

“Chocolate chips for me, if you have them,” Kara chirped.

“Of course I have them,” he replied, finishing up the topping for the muffins.

He heard Kara and Lois stand up. “Since you do not seem to need us, Smallville, we’re going to go take a walk,” Lois announced, and Clark gave her a nod of what hopefully was encouragement, and she seemed to understand because she gave him a tiny smile. And then they were gone.

Oliver, however, was suddenly by his side, so close their arms brushed. “Anything I can do to help?” Oliver asked. “I make an excellent sous chef.”

“Here I thought you preferred taking charge,” Clark countered.

“Exceptions can be made,” Oliver told him.

“Or you just can’t sit still and need to be involved in everything,” Clark pointed out.

“Am I that easy to read?” Oliver pouted.

“Only to those who observe you,” Clark replied, as he set aside the crumble topping.

Oliver’s smile turned wicked. “And do you like observing me, boyscout?”

“Oh, please, get over yourself,” Clark forced out, his heart rate speeding up, rolling his eyes. “I have better things to do with my time.”

“Well, break my heart and crush my self esteem at the same time, why don’t you?” Oliver joked, nudging him lightly. Clark enjoyed the close contact far too much for his own good.

“Like that could ever happen,” Clark responded. “It would take more than me to even put a dent in your ego.”

“My motto has always been ‘if you got it, flaunt it’,” Oliver offered, unapologetic. “Also you may look innocent, but I can see behind those green eyes is a clear heartbreaker. A real ‘love em and leave em’ type of guy-”

“I suppose I should put you to work,” Clark interjected, wryly, “Or you are just going to be a distraction.”

“Words hurt, Clark,” Oliver claimed, making Clark chuckle. “Yet I continue to offer my assistance.”

“You’re all heart,” Clark stated sarcastically and Ollie just grinned. Clark pointed to the section of the recipe they were at. “If you can crack some eggs, I need two of them. The muffin tins are in the bottom drawer, to the left of the door. Also I need blueberries. I have some stored in the fridge, but I think the ones you bought look a little better.”

Oliver gave him a mock salute, causing Clark to groan and shove him lightly, and then went off to complete said tasks, fulfilling them with ease. As he completed the tasks, Clark took the opportunity to really look at him. And what a sight it was, what it always really was, whether Oliver was in his Green Arrow gear, in a suit, or in casual clothes like he was now.

At some point, Oliver had ditched the jacket, the fitted green t-shirt he was wearing showing off his muscular arms, and the jeans he was wearing hugging his hips and ass just right, especially when he bent over to grab the muffin pans. Clark bit his lower lip, and averted his gaze before Oliver could catch him staring. The attraction was old, but the instinct to go and pull Oliver his feet and into his arms, the tug in his heart and maybe his arm, which almost had him moving toward the other man, well, that felt new. Maybe it was all in his head, and if so, he needed to get it together, and quickly.

Fortunately, he kept it together and to no surprise, Oliver and he worked well together, Oliver as useful an assistant as he promised he would be. Soon, the muffins were in the oven, and they had moved on to the scones, Oliver volunteering to make the orange glaze that would cover it once it was out of the oven.

“So all these are your mom’s recipes?” Oliver asked.

“Yeah, she didn’t come up with all of them,” Clark replied, “But she did like to do her own thing with recipes she found, and saved the combinations she liked.”

“Well, it is known that Mrs. Kent is a great cook,” Oliver remarked. “I didn’t know you were such an expert yourself though.”

“Wait till you try it before you praise my skills,” Clark said, smiling.

Oliver’s eyes met his. “I have faith in you.”

Clark had to look away, back at the dough that he was working with, before he could speak again. “Well, I’ll try not to let you down.”

“You never do,” came the response, and it was too sincere, too heartfelt, and Clark had to swallow the sudden lump in his throat.

“So,” Oliver said, realizing Clark was not going to respond. “How does the glaze look?”

Clark composed himself and looked at the aforementioned glaze thoughtfully. “Maybe add a little milk. Is it back in the fridge?” At Oliver’s nod, he added, “I’ll get it.”

“Grab the vanilla extract too,” Oliver requested.

Clark just nodded in response, and once he had pulled out the necessary items, he stood and was about to head over to Oliver, when he stopped in his tracks. Oliver was taking a spoon and testing the glaze, making a thoughtful face, before adding a bit of powdered sugar, and continuing to stir. In between, he took a couple of the leftover blueberries in the carton next to him, popping them in his mouth, as he continued to work.

Oliver Queen was a billionaire, born with a silver spoon in his mouth, been to and was used to the finest things in life, and yet, he looked completely comfortable in Clark’s kitchen, as if he belonged there. And God did Clark want him to belong there. Them working together, making brunch, casually bantering, brought him back to mornings with his parents, the way they used to be in this home, in this kitchen. How they used to cook brunch on the weekends, how they acted around one another, and the easy companionship and love that ran between them, and even though the idea of that life was no longer his whole focus, he still wanted it. As he watched Oliver, it really hit home how much he wanted it, and how much he wanted it with this man. It could be here, it could be at Oliver’s home, Clark was certain that he would be fine anywhere, as long as Oliver was there too.

And the whole idea was overwhelming enough that his throat tightened, and he couldn’t move; it felt as if his feet were cemented to the ground.

Oliver suddenly paused in his actions, and looked at Clark, and his friendly smile immediately filed with worry; whatever expression Clark was making was clearly cause for concern.

“Hey, you okay, there?” Oliver asked, taking a step toward him.

Clark forced himself to nod, and he struggled to come up with words, something other than blurting out his feelings right then and there. “Shelby!”

“Shelby?” Oliver repeated, wrinkling his nose.

“Yes, I, uh, Shelby, I just remembered I have to feed him,” Clark stammered, needing an escape and some air. Quickly handing over the milk and vanilla, he made a move for his dog’s food, and bowl. “I’ll be right back. Can you watch the muffins? The cake tester should be in the top drawer, the same area you found the muffin tins.”

“Clark-” Oliver began, but Clark was already spinning around, heading out the door.

“Don’t worry, it will be just a few minutes,” he called out, almost crashing into Kara and Lois, who had returned from their walk. The part of his brain that wasn’t focused on getting out of there noticed that they were now holding hands, but he couldn’t register it right now.

“You alright there, Smallville?” Lois asked, tilting her head, her eyebrows furrowing.

“Yeah, fine, just going out to feed Shelby,” he said, gesturing to the dog food in his hand. “See you guys in a few.”

He headed out before they could reply, making his way to the barn, and once inside, was he able to breathe. Leaning against the solid wooden wall, he took a few deep breaths.

What is wrong with me? He wasn’t one to lose his composure like that, but ever since this whole mate thing that entered his life, he hadn’t been the same. Hearing a whine, he snapped out of his thoughts, and saw Shelby approach him, nudging the bag hopefully.

Bending down to scratch the back of his ears, he smiled as Shelby barked, tail wagging, happy with the attention. His golden retriever was not as active as when he got him, which was expected with age, but having him around made Clark feel a little less lonely.

“Hey, bud, are you hungry?” he asked nonsensically. Setting the bowl down, he filled it with the food, and stepped back, as Shelby went for it immediately. Clark took a few steps back and sat at the bottom of the stairs, content to watch his dog. Once Shelby was done, he made his way to Clark, and once he was satisfied with the amount of attention Clark gave him, he barked again, and with new energy, ran out the barn door, leaving Clark alone once more, thoughts drifting back to his situation.

Rubbing his right arm, at the spot of the mark, he sighed. When would this get better? His fear was that it wouldn’t, and surprise, surprise, avoiding the problem didn’t make it go away. Instincts gave way and he turned toward the door, to see Oliver walk in, gaze serious, brown eyes briefly going to Clark’s hand, before meeting his gaze.

“Hey,” Clark said. “Everything okay?”

“I was just about to ask you that,” Oliver responded, closing the distance between them. In his hand, he had a sugar-glazed donut. His favorite. “You left suddenly, and I was worried.” Offering the donut, he added, “Figured maybe you could use something to eat.”

“I’m fine,” Clark assured him, accepting the donut. “Thank you.”

“I know donuts being a cure for everything is more Lois’s line of thinking, but a little sugar can boost your mood,” Oliver replied, leaning against the banister.

“Not a bad motto, to be fair,” Clark replied, chuckling, and taking a bite of the donut. Lois was right; it was good, the sweetness not overwhelming and texture the perfect balance between fluffy and cakey. Normally, he preferred other pastries to donuts, but he liked this one. “The muffins?”

“Took them out of the oven already,” Oliver assured him. He nodded, and Oliver went on, “Are you sure you’re okay? I saw you touching your arm just now. This whole mate thing isn’t going that well, is it?”

“I’m managing,” Clark said.

“You always manage,” Oliver accused him. “No matter how bad it gets, you manage, but you don’t have to just manage. You once told me that I don’t have to deal with my issues alone, and neither should you. I’m here; let me help you. Just tell me what I can do.”

Unless you want to be my mate, I don’t think you can help, was what Clark couldn’t say. He once again briefly wondered how Oliver would react, but then again, he couldn’t bear to take advantage of the other man’s willingness to help. The idea of Oliver feeling obligated to accept the bond just to ease Clark’s misery was too painful to even consider, and he was suddenly grateful for the donut, because eating it gave him an excuse to take longer to answer.

“I know, and I appreciate it, but this one is one me,” Clark said, voice fortunately steady, finishing the donut, and licking his lips to get the remainder of the sugar that coated it. Meeting Oliver’s gaze, he saw the other man’s eyes were focused on his mouth, but as if sensing Clark was watching him, raised his eyes once more to meet Clark’s.

“Sure, you need to find your mate, and deal with all of that by yourself,” Oliver said impatiently. “But I can help you find that person. Maybe we can decipher the mark together, or the initials, which hey, isn’t the biggest clue, because 6 billion people in the world, and we’d be lucky to narrow it down to a few million, but something is better than nothing. You don’t even have to show it to me, if that is what you are afraid of. It would help, of course, but it is not necessary.”

Now it seemed unfair not to tell him, when Oliver was so eager to help. At the very least, Oliver could stop wasting his time. But as he opened his mouth, he could not bring himself to reveal the truth.

“And then what?” Clark asked. “If I don’t find them naturally, well, this isn’t Krypton. There is so much to explain, and I don’t want-”

“You don’t want what?” Oliver interrupted.

“For them to feel like I am only going for them because of this mark, because I don’t love them for any other reason,” Clark explained. “And it sure will sound like that, won’t it? Also, you have already told me that you think it is weird, and you’re right, it is. How can I expect them to feel differently?”

What was he even doing? Well, he had to convince Oliver to move on, without revealing the truth, but right now, Oliver was being his usual stubborn self.

“Tess thought it was romantic,” Oliver countered. “Maybe they will feel the same way. Also, I doubt that you would really stick with this person if you weren’t fully into them. You may be more accepting of all of this, but you’ve never been the one to do what other people tell you to do.”

Wasn’t that the truth. He imagined if the mark had led him to someone else, anyone else, and he cringed at the idea. The only reason he fought was because Oliver would reject him, but if it had been another person, he would’ve fought the idea in general.

Taking Clark’s silence as acceptance, Oliver pursed his lips together. “Clark, come on, are you at least talking to Kara about this? I doubt she wants to see you suffer.”

“Yeah, she knows,” Clark said finally. “I don’t want her to help.” He sighed, staring at his feet. “Please, Oliver, I know you mean well, but I can’t do this right now.”

“All right,” Oliver relented. Clark lifted his head to see Oliver’s gaze narrow and then relax, lips curving into a smile. “Don’t look at me like that. I feel like I’m kicking a puppy. Just promise me that if it gets too bad, get some help, if not from me, from someone.”

Clark nodded, and stood up. “Yeah, okay.” Gesturing to the door, he cracked a smile. “We should go back though, before Lois gets desperate and finishes all the donuts.”

He was about to move toward the door and back to the house, when Oliver’s hand on his shoulder stopped him in his tracks. Facing him, Clark wasn’t able to get a word out, before Oliver’s hand slid up his neck, his thumb brushing Clark’s cheek, drifting to the corner of his mouth, and lingering there for a moment, before swiping downward, dropping his hand completely. It was all he could do not to shudder at the simple touch. Oliver was close, too close, and it would have been so easy for Clark to just lean forward, and capture those soft looking, pink lips.

Needing to put distance between them before he gave into the impulse, Clark took a step back. “Oliver?” he asked, trying not to sound as confused as he felt.

A shadow came over Oliver’s eyes and now his smile looked more forced. Bringing out a handkerchief from his back pocket, he wiped his fingers and shrugged. “You had sugar on your mouth.”

Clark refused to be disappointed. He wasn’t allowed to, especially where there shouldn’t be expectations in the first place. “Oh, well, thanks. Shall we?”

Oliver nodded. “Of course, I was promised scones after all.”

“Can’t let all your whisking go to waste,” Clark commented, trying to recapture the easy going camaraderie from earlier, as they walked out of the barn, and then entered back into the kitchen, where Lois and Kara were seated comfortably.

“Oh, good, you two are back,” Lois said, when she spotted them. “Those muffins smelled so good, and I was trying my best to be patient, but I will be honest, I wasn’t going to last more than another few minutes.”

“Help yourself, Lois,” Clark told her, laughing, as she immediately stood up, and did just that, and he quickly learned that he did indeed do justice to his mom’s recipes.

Her antics at least allowed Clark to relax, and the rest of the brunch went well. Nothing made Clark’s heart sing more than seeing Oliver enjoying the scones, and how much the three of them liked the food in general. There really was something warm and special about taking care of the ones you loved.

Once they had eaten, they headed out to the carnival. Since it had been in town for a few weeks already, it wasn’t as packed as it could have been, but the crowd had definitely built up by the time they got there.

The line for tickets wasn’t too bad though, but Clark quickly learned that letting Oliver go in front of him had been a mistake, because the other man not only bought his own ticket but Clark’s as well. Clark assumed if Lois and Kara had not been in front of him, he would’ve gotten their tickets too.

“Oliver,” he said, warily, as he accepted the ticket. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“You make breakfast,” Oliver pointed out, shrugging. “Least I could do.”

“You did help and I thought that was what the fruit and donuts were for,” Clark told him.

“Well, you did most of the work, and besides, you know I can afford it,” Oliver responded. “And before you say you’re not using me for my money, I’m well aware so don’t insult me that way. Besides, Kara bought Lois’s ticket and Lois didn’t complain.”

“Lois and Kara are also dating,” he reminded Oliver, as they headed toward the entrance, following the two women, who were seemingly oblivious to the conversation happening behind them. “And I’m not complaining. I just didn’t want you to feel obligated.”

“Oh, please, you know me better than that,” Oliver retorted. He grinned wickedly and added, “But if it makes you feel better, I can hold your hand too.”

Clark forced himself to scoff. “I think I’ll pass.”

Ollie shrugged. “Your loss.”

He rolled his eyes and then his features softened, grinning. “Thank you, though, for the ticket.”

“Any time, Clark,” Oliver replied, matching his smile. They made their way inside, and once they got past security, they met up with Kara and Lois, the latter having a map in her hand, studying it intently. Clark had one too, but he hadn’t taken a glance at it yet.

“This is bigger than I thought it would be, “ Lois remarked.

“That’s what she said,” Oliver joked, drawing a chuckle out of Clark. Lois rolled her eyes, smirking, and Kara just looked confused.

“Not something you’re used to hearing much, huh, Ollie?” Lois shot back.

“Well, people don’t have low expectations of me in the first place,” Oliver countered.

“Wait, I don’t get it. What did she say?” Kara interjected, and Clark had to press his lips firmly together to stop himself from laughing at the lost expression on her face.

“I’ll explain later,” Lois promised. “Ollie’s maturity level just dropped about a decade for a moment there.”

Oliver shrugged, completely unapologetic. “You set me up perfectly. Not my fault.”

“There are children around,” Clark was quick to remind them.

“And they’re not going to understand either,” Oliver assured him, as families made their way past them. “Besides, kids find out things earlier and earlier these days.” Clark couldn’t argue with that. “But Lois is right,” Oliver added, “I wasn’t sure what to expect, but there is a lot more going on here than I imagined.”

“It is a pretty big deal around here,” Clark informed them. “That’s why people from out of town show up and it can last as long as it does.”

“So where to first?” Kara asked, looking over Lois’s shoulder at the map.

“Rides,” Lois said definitively. “Then food, games, and more rides.”

“Well, you heard the lady,” Oliver said. “We should probably start moving inward.”

Upon agreement, they all started walking together, slowly exploring and commenting on the various attractions. They passed by food stands and game booths, as children and adults alike enjoyed the vast amount of options the carnival had to offer. Families used the opportunity to spend time together and entertain their children while couples and groups of friends, like them, seemed to be having just a relaxing time out and about.

With all the people, they blended into the crowd seamlessly, and Clark was happy that Oliver had the chance to be relaxed and just be himself. He saw a couple of people give him a second glance, but they seemed to be more interested in what he looked like than who he was. Still, Clark would make sure to keep an eye out, just in case.

But even he was able to take it easy, the whole atmosphere bringing back happy memories from his childhood. It made him nostalgic, and miss his parents, especially his dad, more than ever, but he was also happy to be reminded of the good times and that some things at least hadn’t changed.

They finally stopped in front of a ride, called “Giant Drop”, which was a vertical drop ride, taking passengers up over two hundred feet and dropping them, reaching speeds up to sixty five miles an hour. So of course Lois insisted they would go on that one first.

“This is definitely a pre-meal type ride,” she announced, and she didn’t get any disagreements from the three of them so off to the ride they went. Fortunately, the line wasn’t too bad, and it was fun.

Secretly, Clark’s favorite part was looking over and seeing Oliver, who had been seated next to him, laugh, truly laugh, the kind of laugh that had his nose crinkling in the cutest way. It was an image he would keep with him for quite some time.

From there, they went on a few more fast paced rides, ones that had them either spinning on the ground, or flying high and defying gravity. Between standing in line and the rides themselves, the time passed by quicker than they knew it, and all four came to an agreement that they could use a food break.

“Ooh, corn dogs,” Lois declared. “It has been a while since I’ve had those. And nachos!” Clark, Kara, and Oliver exchanged amused looks at Lois’s enthusiasm, but couldn’t deny her excitement was contagious. It had been a while since he had such a fun day.

They loaded up on food, Clark feeling pleased with himself about managing to pay for Ollie’s, much to the other man’s amusement,and found found a table, where they were able to relax and talk as they ate, sharing nachos and popcorn, while indulging in their own meals, consisting of pizza or hot dogs. The food wasn’t bad and once they had filled their stomachs, Lois insisting on them getting funnel cakes, they made their way back to start the second half of their afternoon.

“I want to go on the bumper cars,” Kara declared. Clark caught the glint in Lois’s eye at the idea, and chuckled, knowing what was to come.

“Sounds good,” he agreed.

But as they made their way in the direction that the map said the bumper cars were, they passed by a row of game booths, sidetracking the group.

“How do you play these?” Kara asked, eyeing the various games, challenging people to test their accuracy and skills, offering prizes of stuffed animals and other toys.

“We can try to play a few and see,” Oliver offered. “Though, fair warning: I’ve heard some of these games tend to be intentionally tricky.” Oliver looked over at Clark for verification.

“Yeah, he’s right, though the ones meant for kids are basically a “play till you win” so they are always guaranteed a prize,” Clark explained.

“Who is afraid of a little challenge anyway?” Lois asked. “I’m ready when you are.”

And they could do nothing but follow her lead. They tried a few games, Clark being extra careful to not cheat and use his abilities. Lois was the first one to win a prize, picking an adorable pink stuffed bunny, which she promptly gave to Kara, who seemed surprised to receive it.

“But you won it!” Kara protested.

“Yeah, but it’s the kind of thing you do, you know?” Lois said, suddenly seeming a little awkward. “Win a prize for you know, your … person. It’s supposed to be romantic.”

Kara’s expression went soft and knowing. Clark would swear he could see literal hearts in her eyes, and had to do his best to hide his smile.

“Thank you,” Kara said, finally accepting her bunny. “I love it.”

“You’re welcome,” Lois replied, looking pleased, previous awkwardness gone.

“Aww, aren’t you two just the cutest?” And there was Oliver, clearly unable to resist chiming in.

Lois just tossed her hair in response. “Oh, please, Ollie, you’re just jealous you don’t have someone to win stuffed animals for you.”

“Way to hit a man where it hurts, Lois,” Oliver said, pouting. He turned toward Clark and his eyes lit up. “Clark would win me a stuffed animal, wouldn’t you?”

“Have you watched me play at all just now?” Clark countered. “I think you should look for someone with better hand eye coordination.”

“I have full faith in you,” Oliver assured him, patting his shoulder. He glanced around and his whole face seemed to brighten, as he pointed toward a game booth. “And that one even has a Superman bear!”

Clark followed his gaze and found out, yes, indeed a game that involved throwing the football at the right targets did offer a medium sized brown bear dressed in a Superman costume as one of its options for a prize.

“You don’t want that,” Clark argued.

“Oh, I definitely want that,” Oliver insisted.

“I wonder what Superman would think about people using his likeness,” Lois offered thoughtfully, her own grin wicked as she stared at Clark.

“Well, it is a teddy bear,” Clark replied. “Not much likeness to use, unless you mean the costume. And I don’t think he’ll file a trademark over the symbol. I’m sure that as long as it is being used properly, it will be okay.”

“Yeah, I probably wouldn’t dig deep then on how people are using it,” Oliver remarked, and Clark cringed at the implications. “I can imagine several ways they are not being ‘proper’.”

“I generally don’t believe that ignorance is bliss, but I think that this time I might make an exception,” Clark commented, causing the other three to laugh.

“So about my bear,” Oliver tried again.

“I like that you’ve already claimed it even though I haven’t won anything,” Clark said, rolling his eyes, but he did make his way towards the game, and pretended he didn’t see Oliver making smug faces toward Lois, as the two of them taunted each other playfully.

Clark’s heart raced as he found himself actually wanting to win the bear for Oliver, but also refusing to cheat. He found that he easily remembered what it was like to be a quarterback, even though it had been years since he had done it, and had more success than he did with the other games.

The first attempt resulted in him hitting two out of the three targets, but the second time around, he got all three. As Lois, Oliver, and Kara cheered him on from behind, he requested and took the Superman bear.

Closing the short distance between Oliver and himself, he handed over the teddy bear. “Are you happy now?” Clark teased.

“Quite,” Oliver replied, holding the bear. “Admit it, he is cute. Not as cute as me, of course.”

“Of course not,” Clark chuckled. “Then again, is anything?” As he moved, he almost bumped into an older lady walking behind him. She looked to be a little over five feet, with curly gray hair and a kind smile and Clark immediately apologized.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you there,” he said. “Are you okay?”

“Oh, don’t worry,” she said jovially, holding the hand of a small boy, who was too busy concentrating on his ice cream to care about the adults around him. “Most people don’t.” He moved so she could continue on, but she paused and gestured between himself and Oliver. “I couldn’t help overhear, by the way. The two of you make quite the couple.”

Clark’s eyes immediately widened, and Oliver laughed, as she turned her attention toward him. “I would hold on to this one,” she said conspirately to Oliver. “He is a cutie. If I was a little younger …”

At that, Clark’s face went red as tomato; he could just feel it, as Lois and Kara completely lost their composure.

“Oh, trust me, I will definitely hold on,” Oliver assured her, wrapping his free arm around Clark’s waist as he struggled to find words. “And I’m sure you would’ve been quite the competition.”

She left, charmed as basically everyone who came into contact with Oliver were, and the man in question just looked pleased, though not dropping his arm. Clark wasn’t sure how to feel about that.

“She is right,” Lois noted, with a wicked grin. “You two would make a cute couple.”

Clark forced a laugh and avoided Kara’s sympathetic gaze. “Yeah, right. I mean, can you even imagine?”

He looked over at Oliver, hoping he would share in on the joke, but Oliver’s smile was stiffer around the edges, letting go. “I’m hurt, dearest. Don’t you think I’d make a great boyfriend?” Despite the lightness of his words, the way Oliver said it left Clark feeling off in a way he couldn’t place.

“Oh, the best,” Clark replied, more sincerely than he intended, taking Oliver's hand and squeezing it lightly, a move Oliver reciprocated and his smile seemed to turn genuine once more.

They wandered off towards more rides, Clark not letting go of Oliver’s hand and Oliver not dropping it either. It felt natural and more comfortable than Clark had ever imagined. And they didn’t even get as many looks as Clark would have assumed.

Their next stop ended up being the Ferris wheel. Lois and Kara had a car to themselves and Clark was with Oliver this time around.

“You know,” Clark said, once they were seated and moving. “I used to be scared of this.”

“The Ferris wheel?” Oliver asked, tilting his head. “Not the roller coasters?”

“That too, but this more than that,” Clark admitted. “I had an irrational fear of heights, and I was really scared when it stopped at the top.” Oliver looked incredulous. “I know, I know. It doesn’t make sense.”

"It is called an irrational fear for a reason," Oliver reasoned, as the ride completed one round. “So did you avoid it then?”

“No, my dad wouldn’t have made me, but I also didn’t want to be seen as a coward,” Clark explained. “Or look lame in front of my classmates.”

“Kids can be mean,” Oliver agreed, a flash of remorse coming across his face.

“Yeah,” Clark said, hoping that there wasn’t any judgment in his tone. “My dad got it though. He”- Clark smiled at the memory- “He even came up with solution for me.”

“Which was?”

“Well, when we got to the top, he had me close my eyes and make a wish,” Clark recalled. “He told me it was lucky. I eventually figured out that he was just trying to distract me from looking down, but as a kid, it worked well enough.”

Oliver’s expression was soft. “It’s nice to have those memories.”

“Yeah, and I don’t need to make any wishes these days,” Clark replied, as they exchanged grins. He may have taken longer than he had imagined to learn to fly but he did appreciate the power these days. It was almost nice, being in the sky, alone at night, watching the world below him. Though it would be nice to have someone (or a particular someone) but that daydream remained sadly out of reach. Yet he wasn't going to let those thoughts bring him down in a time where he felt happy.

And he definitely felt happy.

As they finally had their turn on the top, Clark gazed around and then his eyes fell on Oliver, who winked at him and then closed his eyes.

“What are you doing?” Clark asked quietly.

“Keeping up with tradition,” Oliver said, and Clark couldn’t help but feel touched. Oliver opened his eyes a few seconds later.

“What did you wish for?” he wondered.

“Can’t tell you,” Oliver said sincerely. “Then it won’t come true.”

“Pretty sure that’s only what they tell kids when they blow out their birthday candles,” Clark joked, to cover up for the real feelings he was having.

“Still not taking the risk,” Oliver proclaimed. The ride started to move again but Clark could only focus on Oliver’s face.

“Thank you,” he said finally.

“Thank you … for sharing with me,” Oliver responded. “Like I said, it’s good to have memories.”

“Yeah,” Clark agreed.

And this was one that he was definitely going to cherish.

They went on a couple of more rides and then they headed out, everyone ready to call it a day. Once they were back at the farm, Oliver left shortly after, thanking them for the fun time. Even after spending all those hours together, Clark found that he missed him almost immediately after he left.

As he watched the car disappear from sight, he turned to Lois, who was looking at him differently.

“Lois?”

She smiled fondly. “You know, Clark, I meant what I said before.”

“Which was?” Clark asked.

“You two would make a cute couple,” Lois said, and Clark’s stomach dropped. Was he that obvious? “Just think about it- you told me to take a risk. Maybe it’s time you take your own leap of faith. Something tells me that it’s a chance worth taking.”

Lois walked back inside the house before he could answer, and it was awhile before he was able to do the same, caught up in pondering her words. She was the second person to suggest it could be mutual and as she was one of Oliver's closest friends, it was hard to act as if she didn't know what she was talking about or that she was just being optimistic. Sure, even he noticed Oliver's flirty behavior now and then, but he had always dismissed it as him joking around, a way Oliver behaved around everyone.

But maybe he was wrong.

Maybe there was hope.

There was only one way to find out.

Unfortunately, that was easier said than done.

Oliver was in Star City for most of the week for a work conference, making it easier for Clark to procrastinate, and it wasn't as if he was accountable to anyone except himself (and the feelings that he had been pretending didn't exist for long enough). Especially since Kara had to take off again, even if she promised it would be temporary. While Oliver wasn't physically around, he was always on Clark's mind, in his thoughts. And Clark almost broke once or twice, even flying halfway to Star City before catching himself and going back. Because that would be weird. 

Even if Oliver hadn't reached out once he returned, Clark was certain he knew the second Oliver landed. But Oliver texting gave him the opportunity to ask whether he was free for dinner that night.

'Sorry,' came the response, 'I have plans. Another time?'

Clark replied in the affirmative, grateful that Oliver couldn't see his disappointment, and put it aside. Until a few hours later when he accidentally overheard Tess teasing Oliver about his date.

Date.

So those plans Oliver mentioned were in fact a date.

Which was fine. Totally fine. Oliver didn't have any idea that Clark had feelings or that he was his soulmate, so it wasn't like he had any claim. He was very much single and could see anyone he wanted.

The jealousy budding under his skin said differently though. 

And focus was mostly out the window, until he was on patrol that evening, pretending he wasn't paying attention to Oliver's date (with some tall, gorgeous woman with dark hair that received a bouquet of roses and he took to a nearby steak restaurant) and tried to keep himself busy. There always was something going on or someone who needed help, leaving Clark jumping from state to state, even there was a nagging pull back toward Metropolis every time he left.

Still, hours passed like minutes, and by the time he was back in the city, he noticed a new figure out and about. Green Arrow's familiar form was a few blocks, standing on top of a rooftop, alone. Clark slowly flew closer, and once he was certain Oliver had spotted him, he landed carefully next to him.

"Hey, you're out late," Oliver said, in lieu of a greeting, his voice remaining distorted. .

"I was about to say the same thing to you," Clark countered, at peace for the first time all week. "I thought you had plans?" Don't ask about his date. Don't ask about his date.

"Yeah," Oliver replied. A pause and, "I actually had a date."

Well if Oliver was just going to bring it up on his own ...

"How did it go?" Clark asked, pushing down the jealousy again. Neutral tone, neutral expression (hopefully).

"It was okay." With the distorter on, Oliver's voice was hard to read. "We met at the conference and got along pretty well so since she was also coming planning to come here, I figured I'd ask her out."

"Well, it was just one date," Clark said, unsure of what to say and not wanting to imagine them together more than he already had. "Maybe you can try again?"

"Maybe," Oliver agreed. He knew why Oliver was wearing his glasses, but he hated not being able to get a read on him. "Speaking of relationships, do I get an update on your soulmate situation?"

"Nothing new to report," Clark replied, as casually as he could. Oliver a 'hmm' noise, but didn't ask any follow up questions.

"It looks like things are quiet now so we can probably call it a night," Oliver observed and moved to take a step forward. Alarm bells rang in Clark's head, and he was reaching out before Oliver could even miss the step, pulling him close as the edge of the old, abandoned building they were standing on crumbled into dust, pieces hitting the floor harmlessly. Oliver gaped at the spot, and then stared at Clark, who was gripping his arms tightly, but not enough to bruise.

"How did you ..." he asked, once he saw how close he had come to falling off the edge (not that Clark wouldn't have caught him before he hit the ground).

"I don't know," Clark said honestly. "I just ...sensed trouble."

Oliver nodded slowly. "Well, lucky me then."

"Definitely a sign we should move on though," Clark said. "Don't want to risk going through the floor."

Oliver's lips twitched and he looked down pointedly. "I don't think we're currently in danger of that."

That's when Clark realized that they were both a few feet off the ground, floating in the air. "Oh." And adjusted his grip without actually letting Oliver go. "Is this okay?"

"It's fine," Oliver assured him, settling his hands on Clark's shoulders. "I have to admit, it's cool. I have always wondered what it would be like, to just be above it all. Even if we're not far up at all."

"We could," Clark offered. "If you want, I can take you up higher."

Oliver freed one hand to take off his glasses and tuck them away, expression shifting to one of intrigue. "Yeah?"

Clark nodded, trying not to reveal his eagerness. "Sure. I promise I won't drop you."

"Boyscout," Oliver laughed, "that is the least of my worries." 

"Shall we?" Clark said cheekily.

"You're in charge here," Oliver said. "Lead the way."

And Clark did, floating up and up, away from unseen eyes, thankful for the relatively warm night, until they were high up that they had a good view but also could not be easily spotted or were in the way of air traffic. He most enjoyed Oliver's changing expressions as he took in the sights. The other man had probably seen some incredible things in his life and Clark was secretly pleased at being able to give him a whole new experience.

"Wow," Oliver breathed. "It's beautiful."

"Yeah," Clark agreed, but he could only watch Oliver. "It is."

For a day that had started off as kind of a bummer, this was really the perfect way to end it.

But the clock in the back of his mind felt like it was ticking.

They stayed up there for a little bit before actually calling it a night, and went their separate ways. Clark still fell asleep with a smile on his face.

Yet every time he went away from Oliver and stayed away for more than a day, he felt worse. Their busy lives kept them apart longer than he intended and it made him feel as though there was an itch he just couldn't scratch. An almost burning under his skin.

Before it got unbearable, they ended up having a League meeting. Clark was the first one to show up, outwardly calm but inwardly antsy. Bart and AC came in next, chatting about something or the other. Clark caught the tail end of their conversation.

"I just think," AC said thoughtfully, "if it was me, I would want to know. And it would suck knowing I could've done something to make things better."

"Yeah," Bart groaned. "I guess."

Their conversation died when they saw Clark, both approaching to greet him, and while he stayed present in the conversation and wasn't aware of the context, their words lingered.

Because he hadn't thought about it like that. What if the shoe was on the other foot? Wouldn't he like to know? Clark hated the thought that someone he cared about, feelings notwithstanding, was hurting while he could've done anything to ease that pain. So why shouldn't Oliver get the chance too?

Those thoughts plagued him throughout the meeting, and if he was restrained and distracted, he only had a few glances from Oliver to show for it. Everyone else didn't notice. By the time it was over, he made some pleasant conversation and then a quick escape, finding solace on the top of Watchtower. He wasn't alone long.

"Hey. I was looking for you."

Clark's head jerked up at the sound and saw Oliver approaching. "Hey. I ... How did you know I was up here?"

"Just did," Oliver replied vaguely, closing the distance, and leaning against the wall. "Are you okay? You were a little distracted at the meeting."

"Guess so," Clark acknowledged, finding his courage. He peered at Oliver and for the first time, noticed how tired the other man looked. "Are you okay? You look a little worn out."

"Haven't been sleeping well," Oliver said, and Clark frowned. "It's fine. Just one of those weeks." 

"Yeah, just one of those weeks," Clark echoed. Finding the strength to speak, he continued, "Actually, Oliver, there's something I wanted to talk to you about ..."

"Oh?"

"Yes," Clark confirmed. "The thing is ..." Before he could even begin to format his thoughts and his confession into words, a scream threw him off. And another one, causing him to wince.

"I'm guessing we won't be having that conversation now," Oliver remarked and Clark smiled apologetically.

"No, there's trouble."

"Go save the day, Superman," Oliver said lightly, patting his arm. "I'll be here when you get back."

Nodding, Clark did just that. Maybe the time apart will help him remember how to form a sentence (and possibly an apology or two). 

One incident turned into two which turned into ten and he was gone longer than he imagined. Even still, as he was flying back, he listened and found that Oliver was at Watchtower. And he wasn't alone. Tess was right there with him. Not ideal, but he would work around it.

He hadn't meant to listen to their conversation, but at the first mention of his name, he couldn't help it.

"Do you think Zatanna could help Clark?" Tess was asking.

"I don't know," Oliver said thoughtfully. "But he's susceptible to magic, right?"

"And you think she could, what, help him find his soulmate?" Tess wondered. Oliver made a noise. "Or did you think she could help him break it?"

While he couldn't see Oliver's expression, his voice sounded guilty. "Look. He just doesn't seem into this bond! And who can blame him? If he can get out of it, he should."

"Ollie, that's what you would do," Tess reminded him. "This is Clark."

"If Clark was into it, wouldn't he have at least made some move?" Oliver argued. "He's done nothing. And anyone with working eyes can see that it's taking a toll."

"Oliver ..."

"I just think it's for the best," Oliver insisted.

"For you," Tess countered. "We all know if this was you ..."

"If this was me, I would've broken it already," Oliver agreed. "I would not want to get stuck in this kind of bond."

"Surprise, surprise," Tess said dryly. "But we are going to have to let Clark make his own choices here. If he wants our help, he'll ask."

"Yeah," Oliver said, blowing out a frustrated breath.

"Not that you're too good at picking out your dates either," Tess teased.

Oliver protested, only half serious, but it was clear that portion of the conversation was over.

Clark listened or a few more minutes to make sure, but he was already turning away from Watchtower, going back to the farm instead. Oliver's stance was clear and Clark couldn't bring himself to say what he had planned. He could only picture the horror on Oliver's face as he realized what he would be stuck with.

Unable to face the rejection in person, Clark sent a text, apologizing for not showing up and claiming he was busy and that they could catch up later. 

Oliver agreed quickly, and that was that.

Leaving Clark was alone, dealing with his aching heart.

Wondering if he should break it after all.

The answers he tried to find all resulted in dead ends.

Kara's look of disappointment as she told him that intentional bond breaking was almost impossible on Krypton itself, so here there wasn't a chance of it happening.

Zatanna's apologies as she explained that magic didn't go into bonds and if they did, his was too strong to destroy.

Jor-El's judgment and confirmation of what Kara had already explained.

There was no other option but to deal and stay silent. Perhaps if he went cold turkey, he could train himself to be okay around Oliver, to not need him like he did. The love wasn't going away on its own, but the rest could be contained.

Right?

So he tried, keeping his distance from Oliver, who definitely noticed Clark's absence eventually, their brief run ins at Watchtower growing awkward, and Clark giving excuses via text. The one time Oliver showed up at the Planet, Clark was thankfully gone on an interview, but it was enough that Oliver didn't come back.

And the itch grew stronger.

For a while, it worked though. He was able to keep to himself and handle his day to day life.

Until he couldn't.

Clark woke up one night, not in his bed but found himself in the air, unsure where he was. Sleep flying? That was worrisome. He never had that problem before, and he couldn't figure out where he was even headed.

He was home in seconds and back in his bed, and grateful the following few days when 1) it didn't happen again and 2) no one seemed to have spotted him.

It's just a one time thing, he decided. Nothing to worry about.

Then, it happened again.

This time, he was in Metropolis by the time he woke up.

The third time, he was at the base of the Clocktower, which was when he realized what was going on.

That's when he stopped sleeping completely.

It wasn't as if his body really needed sleep anyway, and he squeezed in short naps (less than an hour was all he could handle without panicking about what he would do unconsciously) but as the days and weeks passed by, he must've been giving off signs.

"Smallville, are you okay?" Lois asked one day at work.

"I'm fine," Clark said.

She didn't look like she believed him, but he convinced her to let it go.

"Clark, sweetie, you sound off," his mom would question, on his phone call with her. "Are you sure you're not doing too much?"

"I'm fine, mom," Clark assured her. The answer was practically automatic at this point. To Tess, to Emil, to Kara, and even Oliver, who he did run into again when having lunch. The sight of Oliver was like a healing sun ray. Immediately warming and making him feel better.

"Clark, what is wrong?" Oliver was always more direct. "You're not yourself."

"I'm fine, Oliver," Clark tried, but he wasn't fooling the man in front of him, who looked a little off himself. "Don't worry."

"Too late," Oliver told him. Dropping his voice, he asked, "Is this about the bond? Because, Clark, I swear ..."

"It's unbreakable," Clark interrupted, and Oliver stopped speaking. "Just let it go, Oliver." He finished his lunch, and left, without another look back, even as each step felt painful on its own.

Oliver didn't come after him. Not that he could've. Clark's powers worked just fine in getting him away fast.

He didn't see Oliver for the next week, and he pretended he was fine with it, just as he was fine with everything else. If he hit the rare stumble or felt the urge to sleep, he fought it. It wasn't affecting him overall, and Superman was still as effective as ever.

This would all be okay.

A rainy night soon proved him wrong, in the worst of ways. After an already long night, he stopped a mugger, who got an unfortunate shot off, the bullet being kryptonite of course, but Clark still took him down. Once he was sure the cops were taking care of it, he wandered off into another alley, knees giving in as he sank onto the cold ground.

He should get up, go to Watchtower or home, but he was so tired. And his shoulder hurt. Clark tried to reach for his communicator but instead, his head leaned back against the concrete wall.

Then his vision went black.

Clark couldn't tell anyone what happened next. He could've sworn he heard soothing voices, but he barely remembered what he dreamed of. Oliver, mostly likely.

It was always Oliver, and deep down, Clark knew it always would be.

But when he opened his eyes again, he felt more rested than he had in a long time, and his eyes automatically drifted shut again. He wasn't sure how long it took before he opened them once more and tried to piece together what happened. First things first, he was in a bed, a very soft bed, in an otherwise low lighted unfamiliar room that wasn't his bedroom. Pushing his head into the plush pillow, which was much more comfortable than anything he owned, he blinked a few times, eyes landing on what looked to be a  ... Superman teddy bear?

Not just any Superman teddy bear, but a very familiar looking one, sitting innocently on a side table. And it didn't take superhearing to know he wasn't alone, the light sound of computer keys and steady breathing that wasn't his own the only sounds in the otherwise silent room.

Clark frowned, and slowly shifted, bumping into an arm, one that he knew too well. And he stared at the other occupant.

Who turned out to be Oliver, sitting straight, laptop on his lap, concentrating on whatever was on the screen. He clearly hadn't realized Clark was up and he took the chance to observe him. His friend looked tired and determined at the same time. Meanwhile, Clark tried to piece together what happened. He recalled the rain, but as he looked at himself, it was clear that his Superman costume was gone, replaced with a pair of soft pajama pants and a t-shirt. Somehow, he still had a patch covering his mark, but it looked new.

Too new. And he wondered how much Oliver knew.

How much he had seen.

He moved again, and that caught Oliver's attention, looking slightly surprised, before going back to a more neutral expression, but the relief was evident in those brown eyes.

"Look who's up," Oliver remarked. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm not sure," Clark admitted. "Still tired but ... better."

"Considering you've been out for 48 hours, that's not surprising," Oliver pointed out.

"What happened?" he asked, confused about how he got to where he was then to now.

Oliver seemed wary. "Just get some rest. We'll talk about it later."

"Oliver ..."

Sensing his stubbornness, Oliver sighed and ran a hand through his hair and closed his laptop, setting it aside, on the ground. "What do you remember?"

"Being in the alley, the rain," Clark said slowly. "And then nothing."

"Because that's where we found you," Oliver explained, the memory making him frown. "Unconscious. With a kryptonite bullet in your shoulder. It took Emil an hour to extract it, because we were worried your skin would close up faster than we could get it out."

"Oliver ..."

"You were so still," Oliver went on, eyes glazed over as if caught in the memory and jaw clenched. "If you weren't breathing, I would've assumed you were dead." His eyes were shiny. "Don't do that to m- us again, Clark. You can't."

And Clark felt horrible about making Oliver sound and look that way. "I'll try not to. I'm sorry."

"Just ... call for help next time," Oliver replied, waving off his apology.

"How did you find me then?" Clark asked, tilting his head, as he became more awake. This closeness with Oliver was nice, even if it wasn't quite how he imagined getting into bed with him. The whole situation left him with more questions than answers, but he knew he would get them eventually. 

One step at a time.

Oliver's eyes dropped to his covered mark. "I just knew."

"You knew," Clark realized. He should've known. It must be why Oliver was so close now. Someone had to change Clark, had to change his patch. And it was clear why his body was so calm now, and why Oliver had stayed in bed with him. "I guess you ... saw."

"No, I haven't seen your mark," Oliver said.

"But my patch has been changed ..."

"I wasn't the one who did it, Clark," Oliver corrected. "Kara did that part, because I figured that is what you would've wanted. I only changed your clothes and took you to bed. I have to say, when I imagined getting you undressed and into my bed, I didn't exactly picture it playing out like that." His lips cracked into a smile and Clark felt an unspeakable amount of hope at the final admission.

"But you know," Clark said evenly. Weirdly, for all that he had been dreading it, he found he wasn't scared. What had been done was done.

"I haven't seen the visual proof, but I have a pretty safe guess," Oliver said dryly. "You were kind of ... clingy, even in your sleep."

Clark felt his face heat up. "Oliver ... I'm ..."

"Don't apologize," Oliver interrupted.

"Did I hurt you?" Clark forced himself to ask.

Oliver snorted and shook his head. "No, you never could. Actually, it was actually kind of cute. You just looked kind of sad and kept reaching for me when I left. Nice to feel wanted."

His face heated up further, embarrassed at what he couldn't control, but it was hard feel bad in the face of Oliver's undeniable fondness. There was one thing he was confused about and it was how well Oliver was taking all of this.

"I thought you'd be more upset."

Oliver raised an eyebrow. "Did you?"

"Yeah," Clark responded.

"To be honest, I was," Oliver admitted and Clark's face fell. "When I realized what was happening, I was furious actually. It was bad enough when I thought I didn't have any way to help but knowing that you had put your life at risk rather than tell me the truth? Especially after I begged you time and time again to let me in? That pissed me off."

"Oliver ..."

"Well, at first, it pissed me off anyway," Oliver added. "But I've had time to cool down and think and what do you know? I remembered who I was dealing with. You. The biggest martyr I've ever met." Clark wasn't sure whether to be insulted or not. "I've had a lot of time to think and while I wish you could've told me, I haven't been exactly the most open to the idea of soulmates myself and I can see why you were concerned."

"I didn't want you to feel forced," Clark muttered.

"I know," Oliver said patiently. "I remember. You know, I tried to respect your choices in the past, and give you room but then it really felt like you were going to tell me after the Justice League meeting. Suddenly, you changed your mind and started avoiding me and I just didn't get it."

"I overheard you talking to Tess," Clark confessed, knowing it was his time to fill a few gaps. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop but you seemed so against the whole thing ..."

"Great," Oliver groaned. "It crossed my mind but I was hoping that wasn't it." He let out a breath. "I didn't really mean it. I was just jealous and frustrated and it was easy to get caught up in the moment." Making sure to meet Clark's eyes, he said, "I know I haven't said it yet, so I'm saying it now: if you do want this, I want it too."

"You haven't even seen the mark," Clark said, but his heart felt like it could it burst with joy. He began to remove it, but Oliver put his hand over Clark's.

"I can wait," he told him seriously.

"I want to," Clark assured him and Oliver let his hand go and Clark unpeeled the cover and set it aside, leaving the mark in full view.

Oliver sucked in a breath, his fingers reaching over to trace the mark and the unexpected touch caused Clark to shudder lightly.

"I should've known," Oliver murmured. "You reacted the first time I touched it too."

"I've always reacted to you," Clark said, unable to be anything but honest now. "And I do want this, not just because you're my soulmate, but because you're you."

"I was hoping that was the case," Oliver said, eyes and expression revealing his own happiness. "If it isn't clear, I feel the same. I've felt the same for a long time now."

"Me too," Clark reiterated. "I really didn't think you could ... feel that way for me."

"Guess we're both a little oblivious then," Oliver commented. "Because I figured that you weren't interested either. I don't think I've ever been happier to be wrong."

Clark smiled and started to speak but when he opened his mouth, a yawn came out, cutting him off and making Oliver laugh.

"Maybe you should get some more sleep," Oliver suggested.

"Because I haven't been doing that enough?"

"It doesn't come close what you've missed out on," Oliver stated.

"We ..." Another yawn. "We have a lot to talk about."

"We also have time," Oliver said firmly, hand brushing a stray hair away from Clark's forehead. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Oliver," Clark tried but he just yawned once more.

"Let me take care of you, Clark," Oliver said quietly. 

And how could he turn down such a sincere offer? Especially considering who it was coming from.

So he didn't.

It was another twelve hours before he was back on his feet, feeling pretty much back to himself. And he let Oliver take care of him, something the other man seemed too happy to do. Seeing Oliver in caretaker mode made Clark's feelings only grow stronger, which he hadn't believed was possible.

They did do a lot of talking too, clearing up misconceptions and Oliver interested in learning more about his heritage and the bond.

"Jor-El wants to meet you by the way," Clark said, over lunch, only half joking.

"Meeting my AI father-in-law," Oliver joked. "Who knew that was even a possibility?"

"Wait, you'll do it?" Clark couldn't hide his surprise and trying not to dwell on the other part of the statement, lest he get off track and do something ridiculous, like propose before they even had their first date.

"Of course," Oliver answered without hesitation. "Haven't you figured it out by now? I'd do anything for you."

What could Clark do, other than lean forward and kiss him? And Oliver kissed him back, pulling him close. It was better than Clark could've ever imagined and or the first time in a long time (if ever), Clark felt complete.

"I do wonder why I don't get a mark, since it's been established I've felt the pull too," Oliver murmured, as they stayed in each other's arms after they parted. "Is it because I'm human?" Seeing Clark blush, he looked curious.

"That's why you don't have one now," Clark explained. "But you might in the future ... after we have sex."

Oliver's smile turned wicked and he leered. "Now that's something to look forward to."

"You don't mind?" Clark asked, not actually worried. With Oliver, he was learning he didn't have anything to be afraid about.

"No, like I said, it'll be fun," Oliver replied easily. "Come what may. I'm here for it all."

Clark was too.

And he was excited to see what the future would bring.