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In Which Cassie and Kon have Italian Food (From Italy) and There is Some Angst.
Kon flew towards Cassie's house with a bag of take-out from a great restaurant he knew in Italy. Tim would be patrolling right around now. Perfect time to see if Cassie wanted dinner with him.
It's been a quiet few days after the excitement of the road trip. Cassie has been occupying herself with plans (PLANS) in order to keep busy and not let herself think too much about anything else. She heard a familiar whoosh outside her window and looked up to see Kon hovering. With a small smile she opened it. "Hey."
Kon grinned at her and flew into the room. "Hey, beautiful." He kissed her. "I picked up food. You busy?"
She's always busy. "Not with anything that can't be set aside for a few." She cocked her head. "Make yourself at home...unless you want to go off somewhere?"
"Huh? I mean, here's fine." He held up the bag. "It might need microwaving. It's from Italy."
Cassie closed her lips over her teeth and swallowed a laugh. But her eyes twinkled as she took the bag from him and made her way to the kitchenette. "Italy? How come so far?"
Kon followed her and grinned a little, shrugging. "Wasn't actually on purpose. I was fighting this lame villain, Telly Portia or something, and right as the cops were taking her away, her thingy malfunctioned and boom, I was in India. So I stopped for takeout on the way back. Also, it's really delicious."
Cassie couldn't entirely swallow her amusement to that story. "...Telly Portia?" She was not entirely certain if he was making it up. But then, why would he make it up? "Um. Well. Good." She emptied the container into tow plates, one rather more generously full than the other, and set them to reheat. "I mean, thank you for dropping by with it." She grinned and leaned over for a kiss.
Kon laughed and kissed her back. "I know, it's a terrible name. But then again, she was a terrible villain." He leaned his head against hers for a second, then pulled away. "But Italian food is good! And it was my pleasure to drop by."
"Some people should reconsider the whole villain thing when they've sobered up." Of course, some heroes should maybe too. She shrugged. "Italian food is good, yeah. Most people don't go to Italy to get it. Well. Except the ones that are already there, but then they aren't going they're...there..." She stopped, realizing she was babbling, and turned quickly to get the food, unclear exactly why she would be at all nervous.
Kon bit his lip and smiled a little. He wasn't sure what Cassie was talking about, but she was adorably flustered for some reason. "Uh, yeah, pretty much. But yeah, most people can't fly."
It was endearing and annoying at once, his attitude toward flying. Cassie wondered, not for the first time, what it must be like to have always been...super. She turned back and handed him his overloaded plate and led him back into her room. "It's true. You are special that way, Conner."
"Thanks, I think." He followed her into the room, balancing the food carefully. "It's nice. Italy. I should go there more often."
"Have a seat, silly," she said, opting for the floor herself. "You are welcome." She lifted a bite to her lips and blew, softly. "You can, whenever you like." He was special that way. "You could even live there and still see us regularly!"
Kon sat next to her and grinned. "But there'd be a whole ocean between us! I like being close." He took a bite too, mindless of the heat.
"But you can fly!" She knocked him gently with her shoulder. "And aren't you considering moving back to Hawaii? It's the same distance." She looked at him slightly more seriously. "I'm just saying you have lots of options."
"I know. Hawaii's farther, actually. But I don't speak Italian very well. And I mean, Hawaii means a lot to me." He looked down at his food. "It'd still mean living like, an hour or more away instead of just a few minutes."
"But it means a lot to you," she repeated back to him, now completely serious. "And an hour is hardly long distance...." What can happen in an hour that can't in a minute? In their lives? She doesn't ask, however. This is more important than that at the moment, "Where would you choose if none of that mattered?" If none of us mattered.
Kon shrugged and looked up at the ceiling. "I don't know. Probably Hawaii. But then again, maybe not. I don't know if it'd be the same without my friends who used to live there, and I don't know if they still live there. So... maybe? And anyway, it does matter."
She nodded and looked at the floor; they were bookends in avoidance. "Maybe you could find out." It didn't matter to Cassie where he chose. It did matter that he choose. Not necessarily tonight. But. "Anyway. Just something you can think about."
Kon glanced at her and frowned a little. "I mean, I'm gonna be going to Hawaii for college next year, anyway. I might transfer once I got some kind of academic record, though. Since it's just a two year school even if I don't."
"And it would make more sense to live there?" she posited; she'd known of his plan but hadn't pressed for details. He'd always seemed a little bit wary of the topic. "What do you want to study? That helps narrow where you want to be looking at..."
"Yeah. Or at least to have a house there. The commute's a little far for mild mannered Conner Kent." He grinned at her. "But as for what I want to study... I don't know. I didn't do so well at anything in Smallville."
She smirked. "Conner Kent, I'll believe. Mild-mannered, not so much." She took a bite and chewed thoughtfully. "Okay, but you don't have to be exactly good at something to be interested in it. There's nothing you're considering?"
"I can totally pull off mild-mannered!" Kon laughed a little and looked down at his food, pushing it around on his plate a little. He took a bite, finally, and swallowed it before saying, "I don't know. I mean... I'm kinda interested in, like, astronomy."
That made some sense. She wondered if Earth astronomy would keep his interest. She wondered how it measured to (New) Kryptonian and then wondered if it mattered. Finally she nodded, encouragingly. "The University of Hawaii has their own observatory -- a nationally recognized one I mean. Used in the field."
"Yeah, it's cool. But... astronomy does take a lot of math." Kon had sort of sucked at math. Though that could have been because he never did the homework or paid attention in class. He hadn't been the best of students. But he was planning on trying harder in college.
"That's what friends are for, Kon. To help with math homework." She placed her plate aside and gave him her full attention. "You have time to think about this but....Don't sell yourself short. Promise?"
Kon looked over at her and smiled weakly. "Yeah I... yeah, okay. I can try. And I think I'll probably take you up on the homework help thing, definitely."
Her eyes narrowed slightly in concern though she tried to hide it. The lack of confidence would seem uncharacteristic to someone else. Cassie knew better. "We all help each other, right?"
"Yeah, of course. We're a family." He took another bite of his food and put it on the floor next to him so he could put an arm around her. "Dunno what I'd do without you."
Cassie succeeded in not cringing at the word family. Probably because they'd really felt like a family when they were all on vacation together. And she'd fit in. She also succeeded in not cringing at him not knowing what he'd do without her. It shouldn't bother her. None of what he said should make her cringe. But she only just succeeded. She leaned her head on his shoulder. "I'm here," she said softly and only barely in response.
Kon kissed her head and reached for her hand. Had he said the wrong thing? "I'm here too," he whispered back, squeezing her hand.
Now she wondered if this was meant to encourage her to talk about it (whatever it is) the way it would if Cissie had said it. "I know." She sat very still, wondering.
Kon rubbed her shoulder and simply sat with her for a little. Then he kissed her gently. "I dunno what's bothering you, and I don't really wanna push it, but I love you, Cass, and if you wanna talk about it, ever, you know I'm here, right?"
She raised her eyes to meet his. "I know. Of course, I know. I'm not...it's nothing." Cassie sighed; she realized that's not a good enough answer. "You'd be fine without me, Kon. You'd be different, but you'd be just as strong and fast and generous and good and...and you have so much to...you're you. You're you by yourself and I love that you. I'm proud to know that you. But. You don't need me." She blinked; no tears allowed.
Kon squeezed her tightly and leaned his head on hers. "I do need you. If I didn't have you... I don't wanna think about not having you. But whatever I'd be, if I could manage to live on and do good without you or not, I wouldn't be fine."
She blinked again but she couldn't really stop the tears. And yet she couldn't explain them either. "I'm sorry..." she began, but she didn't know what came next. "....I'm not...I'm sorry." More blinking and she laid a hand on his chest, over his ever-present S. And his heart.
Kon kissed her again and again and pulled her closer. "You've got nothing to be sorry for." He rubbed her back. "I love you."
"...I love you," she whispered, then opened her eyes wide. "Can we...pretend I'm not trying not to cry and do something fun?" She mustered a small grin. "Please?"
Kon chuckled a little and wiped her tears with his thumb. "If you want." He wasn't going to forget about this, though. He hugged her tightly, then let her go and picked up his food again. "Fun, I can do."
It's been a quiet few days after the excitement of the road trip. Cassie has been occupying herself with plans (PLANS) in order to keep busy and not let herself think too much about anything else. She heard a familiar whoosh outside her window and looked up to see Kon hovering. With a small smile she opened it. "Hey."
Kon grinned at her and flew into the room. "Hey, beautiful." He kissed her. "I picked up food. You busy?"
She's always busy. "Not with anything that can't be set aside for a few." She cocked her head. "Make yourself at home...unless you want to go off somewhere?"
"Huh? I mean, here's fine." He held up the bag. "It might need microwaving. It's from Italy."
Cassie closed her lips over her teeth and swallowed a laugh. But her eyes twinkled as she took the bag from him and made her way to the kitchenette. "Italy? How come so far?"
Kon followed her and grinned a little, shrugging. "Wasn't actually on purpose. I was fighting this lame villain, Telly Portia or something, and right as the cops were taking her away, her thingy malfunctioned and boom, I was in India. So I stopped for takeout on the way back. Also, it's really delicious."
Cassie couldn't entirely swallow her amusement to that story. "...Telly Portia?" She was not entirely certain if he was making it up. But then, why would he make it up? "Um. Well. Good." She emptied the container into tow plates, one rather more generously full than the other, and set them to reheat. "I mean, thank you for dropping by with it." She grinned and leaned over for a kiss.
Kon laughed and kissed her back. "I know, it's a terrible name. But then again, she was a terrible villain." He leaned his head against hers for a second, then pulled away. "But Italian food is good! And it was my pleasure to drop by."
"Some people should reconsider the whole villain thing when they've sobered up." Of course, some heroes should maybe too. She shrugged. "Italian food is good, yeah. Most people don't go to Italy to get it. Well. Except the ones that are already there, but then they aren't going they're...there..." She stopped, realizing she was babbling, and turned quickly to get the food, unclear exactly why she would be at all nervous.
Kon bit his lip and smiled a little. He wasn't sure what Cassie was talking about, but she was adorably flustered for some reason. "Uh, yeah, pretty much. But yeah, most people can't fly."
It was endearing and annoying at once, his attitude toward flying. Cassie wondered, not for the first time, what it must be like to have always been...super. She turned back and handed him his overloaded plate and led him back into her room. "It's true. You are special that way, Conner."
"Thanks, I think." He followed her into the room, balancing the food carefully. "It's nice. Italy. I should go there more often."
"Have a seat, silly," she said, opting for the floor herself. "You are welcome." She lifted a bite to her lips and blew, softly. "You can, whenever you like." He was special that way. "You could even live there and still see us regularly!"
Kon sat next to her and grinned. "But there'd be a whole ocean between us! I like being close." He took a bite too, mindless of the heat.
"But you can fly!" She knocked him gently with her shoulder. "And aren't you considering moving back to Hawaii? It's the same distance." She looked at him slightly more seriously. "I'm just saying you have lots of options."
"I know. Hawaii's farther, actually. But I don't speak Italian very well. And I mean, Hawaii means a lot to me." He looked down at his food. "It'd still mean living like, an hour or more away instead of just a few minutes."
"But it means a lot to you," she repeated back to him, now completely serious. "And an hour is hardly long distance...." What can happen in an hour that can't in a minute? In their lives? She doesn't ask, however. This is more important than that at the moment, "Where would you choose if none of that mattered?" If none of us mattered.
Kon shrugged and looked up at the ceiling. "I don't know. Probably Hawaii. But then again, maybe not. I don't know if it'd be the same without my friends who used to live there, and I don't know if they still live there. So... maybe? And anyway, it does matter."
She nodded and looked at the floor; they were bookends in avoidance. "Maybe you could find out." It didn't matter to Cassie where he chose. It did matter that he choose. Not necessarily tonight. But. "Anyway. Just something you can think about."
Kon glanced at her and frowned a little. "I mean, I'm gonna be going to Hawaii for college next year, anyway. I might transfer once I got some kind of academic record, though. Since it's just a two year school even if I don't."
"And it would make more sense to live there?" she posited; she'd known of his plan but hadn't pressed for details. He'd always seemed a little bit wary of the topic. "What do you want to study? That helps narrow where you want to be looking at..."
"Yeah. Or at least to have a house there. The commute's a little far for mild mannered Conner Kent." He grinned at her. "But as for what I want to study... I don't know. I didn't do so well at anything in Smallville."
She smirked. "Conner Kent, I'll believe. Mild-mannered, not so much." She took a bite and chewed thoughtfully. "Okay, but you don't have to be exactly good at something to be interested in it. There's nothing you're considering?"
"I can totally pull off mild-mannered!" Kon laughed a little and looked down at his food, pushing it around on his plate a little. He took a bite, finally, and swallowed it before saying, "I don't know. I mean... I'm kinda interested in, like, astronomy."
That made some sense. She wondered if Earth astronomy would keep his interest. She wondered how it measured to (New) Kryptonian and then wondered if it mattered. Finally she nodded, encouragingly. "The University of Hawaii has their own observatory -- a nationally recognized one I mean. Used in the field."
"Yeah, it's cool. But... astronomy does take a lot of math." Kon had sort of sucked at math. Though that could have been because he never did the homework or paid attention in class. He hadn't been the best of students. But he was planning on trying harder in college.
"That's what friends are for, Kon. To help with math homework." She placed her plate aside and gave him her full attention. "You have time to think about this but....Don't sell yourself short. Promise?"
Kon looked over at her and smiled weakly. "Yeah I... yeah, okay. I can try. And I think I'll probably take you up on the homework help thing, definitely."
Her eyes narrowed slightly in concern though she tried to hide it. The lack of confidence would seem uncharacteristic to someone else. Cassie knew better. "We all help each other, right?"
"Yeah, of course. We're a family." He took another bite of his food and put it on the floor next to him so he could put an arm around her. "Dunno what I'd do without you."
Cassie succeeded in not cringing at the word family. Probably because they'd really felt like a family when they were all on vacation together. And she'd fit in. She also succeeded in not cringing at him not knowing what he'd do without her. It shouldn't bother her. None of what he said should make her cringe. But she only just succeeded. She leaned her head on his shoulder. "I'm here," she said softly and only barely in response.
Kon kissed her head and reached for her hand. Had he said the wrong thing? "I'm here too," he whispered back, squeezing her hand.
Now she wondered if this was meant to encourage her to talk about it (whatever it is) the way it would if Cissie had said it. "I know." She sat very still, wondering.
Kon rubbed her shoulder and simply sat with her for a little. Then he kissed her gently. "I dunno what's bothering you, and I don't really wanna push it, but I love you, Cass, and if you wanna talk about it, ever, you know I'm here, right?"
She raised her eyes to meet his. "I know. Of course, I know. I'm not...it's nothing." Cassie sighed; she realized that's not a good enough answer. "You'd be fine without me, Kon. You'd be different, but you'd be just as strong and fast and generous and good and...and you have so much to...you're you. You're you by yourself and I love that you. I'm proud to know that you. But. You don't need me." She blinked; no tears allowed.
Kon squeezed her tightly and leaned his head on hers. "I do need you. If I didn't have you... I don't wanna think about not having you. But whatever I'd be, if I could manage to live on and do good without you or not, I wouldn't be fine."
She blinked again but she couldn't really stop the tears. And yet she couldn't explain them either. "I'm sorry..." she began, but she didn't know what came next. "....I'm not...I'm sorry." More blinking and she laid a hand on his chest, over his ever-present S. And his heart.
Kon kissed her again and again and pulled her closer. "You've got nothing to be sorry for." He rubbed her back. "I love you."
"...I love you," she whispered, then opened her eyes wide. "Can we...pretend I'm not trying not to cry and do something fun?" She mustered a small grin. "Please?"
Kon chuckled a little and wiped her tears with his thumb. "If you want." He wasn't going to forget about this, though. He hugged her tightly, then let her go and picked up his food again. "Fun, I can do."