The afternoon sun bathed Los Angeles in warm hues as I walked out of the dojo, my aching body echoing every blow Tory had landed on me, the solid ground beneath my feet a cruel contrast to the weakness I felt without my powers. I walked to my car, the weight of humanity—no magic, no supernatural strength—pressing down on me like a chain I couldn't break. "I don't really miss being a 'normal' human…" I muttered, my hoarse voice cutting through the silence as I rubbed my arm, the echo of defeat dancing through me like a bittersweet melody I wished I could forget. Then a swift blow to my side doubled me over, a firm elbow that tore a groan from my lips.
"ARRRG…" Tory appeared behind me, her blue eyes shining like the sky on fire at dusk, sparkling with a mixture of mockery and tenderness that disarmed me. The mischievous smile curved her lips like a flame I couldn't extinguish, and the love for her pulsed through me like a melody I couldn't silence. "What's wrong, big guy? Can't you even go a day of being a normal person without crying? Hahaha…"
"Tchi, that shit hurt, Tory…" I grumbled, my hand rubbing the spot where she'd hit me, the heat of the pain mixing with the burning flame she'd ignited in me with every look, every touch. "Want a ride?"
"Yes…" she replied, her blue eyes wide as they stared at my car, their metallic shine reflecting the sun like a mirror that captured her admiration, their blue shimmering with a light that pulled at me like a stormy sea. "This car is amazing…"
"At least you have good taste, Tigress…" I said, a slight smile curving my lips as I stared at her, the love for her dancing in me like a flame I wanted to keep burning, warming every corner of my being.
"I've always had good taste…" she replied, her smile softening as she looked at me, her blue eyes shining with a longing that cut like a cold breeze but warmed like the sun at the same time. "Besides, don't forget that you owe me a favor from our promise…"
"If I can do it, I will…" I replied, my voice firm as I opened the car door for her, the gesture filled with a tenderness I couldn't hide, the desire to protect her and love her pulsing through me like a river that couldn't be contained. "Besides, come in here right now… I'll give you your prize, you won the game…"
"!!!" Her eyes widened, shock flashing across her face like lightning, the deep blues sparkling with a confusion that made me want to hug her and erase all doubt. "Are you really going to do this, Clark? I don't want that money… You've done so much for me, charging you would be wrong…"
"Charge you? Wrong?" I retorted, my tone filled with passion that came from deep in my chest as I stared at her, my love for her burning like a bonfire that lit up the darkness I felt without my powers. "What are you talking about, little one? You earned all of this. Besides, money is no object for me… Just get in here." I opened the door with a firm gesture, and she hesitated for a moment before stepping in, the heat of her body against the leather of the seat rekindling a flame I didn't want to extinguish. I put my arm around her, pulling her close, her scent—a mix of sweat and something sweet—enveloping me like an embrace I never wanted to let go of.
"…" She was silent, her blue eyes fixed on me for a moment that seemed eternal, the weight of that touch dancing between us like a melody I could feel on my skin.
As I hugged her, the others filed out of the dojo, their eyes falling on us like soft shadows in the afternoon light. Demetri stopped, his glasses catching the sun as he stared at me. "Hey, man, look, it's Clark… Is it Tory?"
Eli frowned, confusion dancing across his face as he watched. "I thought he was with Sam, didn't you? Why does he have his arm around her?"
Roby's eyes widened, shock washing over his face like a wave, his heart clenching as he stared at Tory, the weight of what he felt for her echoing like a silent thunderclap I could almost hear.
I, oblivious to all this, grabbed my sunglasses, put them on with a calm gesture and started the car, the roar of the engine cutting through the air as I drove away from the dojo, the warmth of her arm against mine like a promise I wanted to keep. "So, what are you going to do with a million dollars, beautiful?" I asked, my tone full of a tenderness that came from deep in my chest as I looked at her, the love for her dancing in me like a flame I couldn't extinguish.
"I don't know…" she replied, her blue eyes shining with a mixture of uncertainty and wonder as she stared at me. "Are you really going to give me that much money, Clark? Even if I worked my whole life, I would never earn that much… Why are you giving me all this?"
"You won the game, didn't you?" I replied, my voice firm as I stared at her, the smile dancing on my lips as a reflection of the love I felt. "Besides, I keep my promises…"
"Hmph," she huffed, the sound echoing with a smile that hid the weight of what she felt, her blue eyes narrowed as they stared at me with an intensity that cut like a knife. "If that were true, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now, Clark…" There was a hurt in her tone that I could feel like an echo, the blue of her eyes shining like the sea in a storm.
"What do you mean by that?" I asked, confusion dancing across my face as I stared at her, my heart clenching under the weight of her words.
"Don't act confused, Clark…" she said, her voice shaking with a mixture of anger and longing as she stared at me, her blue eyes sparkling with a pain I didn't want to cause. "You abandoned me for a month… Back on that mountain, when we were together…"
"…" I fell silent, the weight of the truth falling over me like a curtain I couldn't push aside, the love for her mixed with the guilt I carried like a shadow. "I didn't abandon you, Tory… Some things happened…"
"Yes, you did…" she interrupted, her voice sharp as her blue eyes pierced me, their brightness like blades that cut deep. "You didn't explain anything to me. We talked, you said it was because you were a werewolf and that you had to leave, but I didn't know any of that… I thought you had abandoned me, my heart broke. I thought I had been used and thrown away like any other…"
"I'm sorry about this, Tory…" I murmured, my voice filled with a sadness I couldn't hide as I stared at her, my love for her burning inside me like a flame that I wanted to use to erase the pain. "But all of this happened because you ran to Sam's house, beat her up, and told her everything that happened between us like that…"
"…" She fell silent, her blue eyes wide as shock flashed across her face like lightning, the weight of those words dancing there like a melody she hadn't expected. She thought for a moment, her eyes darting away as a shadow of regret washed over her, before they returned to me, shining with a mixture of hurt and understanding.
"I would have fixed everything in the best way for us," I continued, my voice firm as I stared at her, the desire to protect her pulsing through me like a river I couldn't contain. "But you went there and ruined everything. I tried to fix things, but several things happened, and I had to leave… For something very important. I can't tell you what it is yet, but I assure you that it was essential and that I needed to go there to see it and confirm the truth of everything…"
"…" She fell silent, her blue eyes fixed on mine as she thought, the weight of my explanation dancing there like a flame she was trying to grasp. "Is this thing so important that you can't tell me what it is?" she asked, her voice shaking with a mixture of curiosity and frustration.
Thoughts: I can't tell her I had a baby with another girl… The weight of that truth danced over me like a shadow I couldn't reveal, my love for her mixed with the fear of losing her. "I can't tell you right now, Tory," I said, my voice softening as I stared at her, trying to erase the worry in her eyes. "But don't worry so much about it… After that talk we had that night, I thought you'd put it behind you, with me being gone for a month…"
"I thought I did too…" she murmured, her blue eyes dropping for a moment before rising to mine, shining with a hurt that cut like a knife. "But it still hurts… Back then, I didn't know anything. You said you were going to call me, but you never did or anything… I missed you, things started going wrong, then Roby came into my life and I started hanging out with him, trying to move on… But I ended up cheating on him with you… I don't even deserve him anymore. My life has become hell lately…"
"Do you want to be with him?" I asked, my voice filled with a tenderness that came from deep in my chest as I stared at her, the love for her dancing in me like a flame that I didn't want to extinguish, even if it hurt.
"…" She hesitated, her blue eyes fixed on mine for a moment that felt eternal, the conflict dancing there like a storm she couldn't control. "I don't know…"
"I see…" I murmured, the weight of that uncertainty falling over me like a curtain I couldn't push aside. I drove to the bank, the roar of the engine cutting through the silence as I parked, my love for her guiding me like a beacon in the darkness. I set up an account for her and transferred the million, the sound of the clicks on the keyboard echoing like a promise I wanted to keep.
Minutes later, I looked at her, a smile playing on my lips as the light from the bank reflected off her blue eyes. "You're officially a millionaire now, Tory…" I said, my love for her shining through every word.
"…" She fell silent, her blue eyes wide as she stared at the receipt, shock dancing there like a melody she couldn't quite play. "That's a lot of money… I don't feel right taking it from you, Clark…"
"I wanted to give you that money, Tory," I said, my voice firm as I stared at her, my love for her burning like a flame I couldn't extinguish. "I couldn't find a way to give it to you without you saying no, so I took this whole gamble… I wish I had won, but since I didn't, I'm happy too. From now on, you won't have to humiliate yourself for anyone in bars or in low-paying jobs with bosses who treat you like dirt…"
"Clark…" she murmured, her blue eyes shining with a tenderness that cut like a soft knife, the weight of gratitude dancing there like a flame I could feel. She leaned in, enveloping me in a hug that blotted out the world around me, the warmth of her body against mine like a home I didn't want to leave. "Thank you…"
I wrapped my arms around her, the warmth of her back beneath my hands like a promise I wanted to keep forever. I leaned down to her ear, my voice low as I whispered, "You don't have to thank me, Hothead…" The nickname slipped out like a caress, loaded with a longing I couldn't hide, the love for her dancing in every syllable.
"…" Her face flushed, the blue of her eyes shining with a mixture of surprise and tenderness as she stared at me, the weight of that nickname echoing like a melody from the past. "That nickname… It's been so long since you've used it… It reminds me of the days in school, when I first met you…"
Thoughts: Shit, she looks so beautiful looking at me like this… There's no way I can control myself… My heart raced, my love for her burning like a fire I couldn't put out as I brought my face closer to hers, my lips meeting hers in a kiss that was both urgent and soft, her heat against me like a flame I wanted to consume. I hugged her tighter, my arms tightening around her as if I could erase the months of distance, and she accepted, her eyes closing as she wrapped her arms around my waist, her touch against me like a melody I never wanted to forget.