Clueless Chapter 7 – Confessions

"Hal! What are you doing here?" Diana was trying to regain her composure after the Green Lantern's sudden appearance in the Medi-Lab.

Hal Jordan, Earth's current Green Lantern entered the room. Diana noted that he wasn't wearing his mask that matched his resplendent green and black uniform. She assumed that this was his idea of casual dress.

"Hi Diana. J'Onn and I have monitor duty and we noticed that the video and audio feeds to this room had been deactivated." He smiled as he shrugged his shoulders. "We just wanted to make sure that nothing was amiss here. Sorry to have startled you."

Diana relaxed a bit, having regained her composure. "That's quite all right, Hal. I, um, well you know how I hate to be monitored, so I cut the feeds. Everything is fine."

"Is everything fine? Are you okay, Diana?" The concern on his face made her uncomfortable. She did not know why this was so, but it was.

"Certainly. I had a chance to freshen up and feel just fine. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I know how you feel about—" He glanced at the prone figure of the Man of Steel before realizing what he had been about to blurt out. He recovered himself quickly. "I mean, I know it was a rough day and just, ah, wanted to make sure you were feeling okay."

Diana unaccountably felt a blush coming when she realized what Hal had been about to say. She was also aware that she was coming to understand why she felt this way. She needed more time alone to sort this out. Fortunately, the Green Lantern had no intention of staying.

"J'Onn and I will be in the monitoring station tonight if you need anything. And Diana, he'll be fine."

"Thank you, Hal." With that, he turned to go. At the door, however, he turned back to her.

"Oh, almost forgot. J'Onn will be coming over in about two hours to check on the patient again. Just thought I would let you know."

Diana merely smiled and nodded, watching as the doors closed behind him.

Once she was sure he was gone, she began to pace the room. Her emotions were jumbled again, but things were starting to make sense. As a matter-of-fact, she knew she had almost voiced the reason behind these confusing emotions, but Hal had come in at that very moment. She had questions she had to ask herself first.

Did she really feel for Kal what she was suspecting she did? Looking back at their years together, Diana always knew that there was something special between them. At first it was a kind of kinship. Two very strong beings with very strong characters and convictions who fought together and could count on each other in battle. As the years went by, though, it became something more. She always wanted to be with him whether it was combat or just talking in his room. They knew each other probably better than anyone else, she realized. They were both very private people yet she knew most of his deepest secrets and he knew most of hers. She felt comfortable with him no matter what the subject. She told him things she wouldn't dream of telling anyone else. When she looked at him years ago, she thought of friendship or so she thought. Now when she looked at him, she felt—passion. Yet it all happened so slowly that Diana was unaware of the change. Or perhaps it had always been there and she was just slow to realize it.

Did Kal have these same feelings for her? Casting her mind back again, she could see some of the strange looks he gave her at odd moments. She couldn't identify them at the time, but she thought now that maybe… But, how could she be sure?

She was sure of one thing, however. She had to express it out loud, but this was the one thing she wasn't sure she could talk to him about. Since he was unconscious now, she could say it to him and not worry about his reaction. It was the coward's way out, she knew, but at the moment she didn't really care.

Sitting down again, Diana picked up Kal's hand and held it against her cheek for emotional support. She yawned. It had been a busy day. Leaning over, she began to whisper in his ear as if he was awake.

"Kal, I don't know what to think anymore. I'm confused, and you know how I hate to be confused or uncertain." She smiled at that. "After some serious thought, I have come to the conclusion that I…I—" Why was this so hard? Normal humans did this every day. Was it this hard for them too? Diana decided that if she was to do this, she would have to stop thinking and keep talking or she would never finish. Looking at his closed eyes, "Kal, I think—No, I know that I love you. I don't know if you return my sentiments or not, but I needed to say it. I have no idea what, if anything, I should do, but I feel better just for having said it." There, that was done with.

That last came out in a drowsy whisper. It had truly had been a long day, then the stress, and then that hot shower. Before she knew it, she was asleep in the chair, his hand still held to her cheek. If anyone was watching, they would know that her sleep was a peaceful one.

One person was watching now. Careful not to disturb the sleeping woman, Superman slowly turned his head to get a better look. Despite the tiara, Diana's face was still partially obscured by locks of jet black hair. Beautiful hair, he thought. More importantly to him, though, was that she was beautiful on the inside. He'd known for a long time that he loved her, but hadn't wanted to say anything. Friendships were ruined when these kinds of feelings got in the way. He had no idea how she felt about him, so he had thought it best to keep silent. He wasn't sure he should say anything to her later either, but for now he just enjoyed watching her asleep against his hand. It wasn't exactly the way he'd dreamed about it, but it was fine anyway. He couldn't help but smile at the thought.

Without thinking, he let his thumb lightly trace the curve of her cheek. Diana's eyes flew open and immediately lit on those wondrous blue eyes that she had just been dreaming of. When she realized that she was still holding his hand, she let it go as if it were hot. It took an effort not to jump out of her chair.

"Kal, you're awake. Thank Hera! How are you feeling?" The words came out in a rush, and she studied his face for a moment. He had a very self-satisified smile on his face and a gleam in his eyes that she wasn't sure she wanted to identify. She was immediately suspicious.

"How long have you been awake, Kal?" It was more an accusation than a question but she waited for a response anyway.

"Um, I woke up just before you fell asleep" he said sheepishly, yet that gleam never left his eyes.

Diana didn't exactly know how to ask if he'd heard her confession or not. She was kicking herself for even bringing the subject up, but now that she had, perhaps right now was the best time to talk about it. She stopped for a moment to think.

"What's the matter, Diana?" Her countenance suggested either anger or deep thought, and he wasn't sure which.

"We need to talk, Kal, and it's long overdue."

"All right. What is it we need to discuss?" He already knew, of course. He wasn't super-dense—well, he was, but not 'dense' as in 'stupid'. She obviously had something to say, so it would be easier if he let her start.

"We almost lost you today."

He took her hand and held it. "This kind of thing happens to us from time to time. You know that--"

She held up her other hand to shush him. "Wait, please. Let me finish. What I meant to say is that I almost lost you today."

"A long time ago, you decided that you weren't good enough for me. And I let you believe that. Perhaps, at the time, I might have even believed it myself. I was wrong, Kal.

Even if it were true back then, do you believe it is true now?"

"Well, no, not really. I--" But she put up her hand again and he cut himself off.

"You've been courting a woman who doesn't even know who you really are. To this day, I don't understand that. In the meantime, I've been waiting for a tomorrow that I now see may never come. I didn't realize it until today, but I've been waiting for you—for that relationship of yours to be over. Somehow I always knew there would be a someday for us"

"Kal, What I'm trying to get across is that I'm tired of waiting. I've come to realize that there may not be a later for me, for you or for us. Nothing is guaranteed in life, as you've said yourself."

"I know you, Clark Kent. I know you, Kal-El from Krypton. I know you, Superman. I know them all as I know myself. And I love them all."

"Hera help me, I'm so tired of waiting." She whispered this as if to herself, and Clark gripped her hand more tightly. She lowered her head onto their clasped hands as if in joint prayer. And perhaps it was.

He turned to stare at the bright light above him as he thought about what she had just said. He was shocked, of course. He had no idea that the depth of her feelings for him could match the ones he had for her.

For years he had tried, unsuccessfully, to put her out of his mind. She was wrong about him not deserving her. How could he possibly deserve a princess—a goddess? She was the perfect woman, in form as well as personality, while he was merely a man. But, it certainly wasn't an issue for her, so why should it be for him?

What about Lois? He loved many things about her. She was beautiful, intelligent and determined. She couldn't seem to see the real Clark, however. She adored Superman, yet disdained Clark Kent. Could that ever work? Would she ever be able to reconcile the fact that mild-mannered Clark Kent was Superman? Having a relationship with someone who he would always have to worry about breaking? Don't hug too hard, don't kiss too hard...had he ever really thought this through?

Yet here was a woman who was a perfect partner for him. Physically, mentally, emotionally. She knew exactly who he was. And loved him anyway! His train of thought temporarily left him as he tried to grasp that. He knew that he loved her, but thought that it was a hopeless cause. Now, it was like a dream come true. There wasn't even a decision to make. He turned his head towards her...

She looked up, as if she knew he was watching her. He was, and he was smiling that radiant smile of his. She saw in his eyes what she had longed to see.

"I love you, Diana. I have loved you since I first got to know you. You are right that life is too short for waiting. We don't have to wait any longer."

He pulled her head down to his and kissed her. It wasn't a kiss of lust, or even passion. It was a kiss to seal a new covenant between them. An agreement long overdue.

A few hours later, Kara and PG were walking along the corridor near the observation deck, plotting their next move when they spotted a much healthier looking Superman standing with Wonder Woman. Both of them were staring out the window and into space. They were holding hands too.

They both stopped dead in their tracks, almost causing the Atom to bump into them. He rolled his eyes as he stepped around them.

Kara and PG both turned to each other and started talking at once.

"Did we--"

"It couldn't have happened so fast!"

A voice behind from behind made them jump. "Into the next conference room with you two. I want to have a word with you." The Batman did not sound pleased. The guilty looks passing between the girls was enough confirmation they had been up to something, if Batman had needed it, that is.

Heads bowed, the girls dutifully (and fretfully) made their way to the designated conference room. As they passed by the engrossed Super Couple, the Batman repressed a small smile. "About damn time", he muttered, as he escorted his errant charges to their newest lecture.

The End