"Tell me, do you still love me?"

The kiss that followed was nearly everything she'd been hoping for. It was warm, passionate and seemed to be trying to say something…speak directly to her still stuttering heart. But even with his lips against hers, her heart still couldn't find its proper rhythm and hadn't since he'd said those words that broke it nearly in half. This kiss should have been the restart that she needed…It should have been everything…but for some reason it simply tasted like ashes; empty as a sunless sky.

Goddess, it hurt.

Beneath her hand, his heart beat so steadily…almost as if she had no effect on him at all and that…that hurt more.

Pushing back, Diana pressed her hand to her aching chest and bit down on her sore lower lip. Did he think this was enough? That his actions were going to be enough of a salve. Demi-goddess or not, this man made her feel made of glass sometimes and she wasn't sure how that made her feel…

"Clark, I—I don't understand…" Her voice was soft and dare she say, sounded weak even to her own ears. "Did you not love me at all?"

"What? Diana no. Of course I loved you."

"So do you love me now? "

"I love you." "Of course you do…"

Outwardly Diana winced. Pushing her hands into her hair, she turned away from Clark and tried desperately to put her thoughts to right. Was this what he felt when she'd not returned his words? Was this the same? Why was this so confusing?

"I just…is it that easy for you?"

"What? Diana I don't understand." And to be truthful neither did she, but this…this made no sense.

"In man's world…this feeling," She wasn't even sure when the anger had seeped into her voice, but suddenly she was furious. "Can you just turn it off? Please, Clark, please help me understand how you could break my heart and then try to take it back as though it never happened."

Clark had the grace to look away and Diana was glad he did, because the pain in his eyes may have dissuaded her from continuing.

"Please…If I'm ever going to- to trust you again, I have to understand."

The silence was deafening.

"Diana…It wasn't you. You have to understand that it wasn't you. It was never you. It was me—" How was he supposed to explain to the love of his life that being depowered had shaken him more than anything…anything except the risk of losing her for real… Clark couldn't look up at her, couldn't seem to explain that the best thing he had ever had had fallen apart because he'd been insecure in who he was under his abilities.

It all sounded so simple in hindsight, at least in his mind it had. Even as he had been playing the scene out moment to moment it'd made perfect sense. He needed to figure himself out… but as she explained, to her it looked fickle; like a light switch, his love could be turned off and on.

And the bottom he'd thought he'd found dropped out. Apparently he still had a ways to fall. How was he supposed to explain this? That his pride had been to blame, that he couldn't take the idea of her needed to carry his weight for a little while, that what part of him felt worthy of her love had shrunk until he wasn't sure it'd existed at all…

How could he have been so stupid as to take her for granted like this? Had he really expected that after he'd told her that he didn't love her anymore that she would still be here, still be willing to offer him her heart knowing he was the one that was treating it as though it meant nothing to him? The fact that she was still here was nothing short of a miracle. Why would she wait for him?

After all he was just a man, there was nothing super about him. Especially then without his powers and especially now when he looked back on the way he treated the woman that he loved more than he could put into words.

Clark's entire posture changed. The man who's crest was supposed to mean hope appeared to not have a shred of it left and that hurt Diana more than his actions ever could.

"I believe I've been advised that when the words "It's not you, it's me" are uttered I am to be incredibly suspicious…" A soft sigh reached his ears and a small hand wrapped around his first finger and squeezed. "Actually, I believe Kara says I'm supposed to call foul in the manner of 'bullshit'."

Clark turned back and watched the smallest smile pull at the corner of her lips. Maybe…

"Diana, I—"

"Clark, it's Lois—and Jimmy—someone with powers claiming to be Superman made an appearance at the Planet. A.R.G.U.S. just took him away"

"Diana it's Steve. We've got a developing situation that needs your attention at A.R.G.U.S."

"Thanks for the heads up Lois. I'm heading there now."

"On the way Steve."

Her hand slipped away from his and for the briefest second Clark didn't want to move. He didn't want to heed the world's call; he just wanted to know what the woman standing next to him was thinking. He wanted to know if…well in short if he had broken the best thing he probably never really had. Shoving his hands into his hair, frustration the frustration was written all over his face. When he looked back to Diana she was smiling softly and moving closer toward him.

"Di…are we…I mean I don't know."

"I think," Diana's blue eyes fixed him with a gaze that seemed to see straight through him. "I think maybe we still need to talk." She grasped his hand and held it between her palms for a minute before pressing a single kiss to his knuckles and walking away.

"But make no mistake, you're still mine. This is by no means over."

For the first time since their conversation started, Clark smiled.

AN: So, I'm not sure where I'm going with this, but I know that I do not like what DC is up to…This takes place after SM/WW 28 and from there, I'm not sure. I think I'm going to go rogue….