Love is in the air.

9. How are my eyes bluer than the ocean?

Clark only smiled widely and wrapped her arms around him in a huge hug, feeling bubbles in her chest.

"And I swear to you all that and everything good I can offer."

As they lay there, holding each other Clark mused aloud,

"How are my eyes bluer than the ocean?"

Pierce gently stroked her hair, smiling to himself as he answered.

"Well your eyes glisten like jewels but in all lights your blue shifts to lighter and darker, it just is bluer."

"How do you know?"

He chuckled a little and explained how he had lived by the sea for quite a while, but mentioned how he missed quite a bit of things from Germany. Clark raised an eyebrow at that,

"You were born in Germany?"

"No, just lived there for a few years. My family and I moved around quite a while since they were in the military, they're retired now."

"Ohhh, that's really cool."

For about two hours they had small talk, learning about each other eagerly. While they were rather different they had very similar views on things mostly in the world and on topics, Pierce watched as Clark shared her interests expressively waving her hands about in the air as if she was creating it right in front of him.

It wasn't long before Pierce got up to go to the bathroom and as soon as he walked out that door the silence started to creep over her, memories threatened to break her down. Her breathing started to grow ragged as voices from the past filled her ears and she gripped the bed, a scream threatening to spill her throat when arms suddenly circled around her.

"Woah! Hey hey, it's okay, shhh, it's okay..."

Slowly Clark felt her heart slow in her chest as his hand stroked her hair soothingly, swallowing hard and clearing her sudden dry throat.

"S-sorry!"

"Hey, talk to me. Are you okay? What happened?"

It took a minute for her to gain her composure as fractured memories flashed in her eyes like broken glass, with a deep breath she dug her fingers into Pierce and finally spoke about her past properly.

"Last year, maybe two or three months before my birthday my friend set me up with her friend, Paul. He and I met and became a couple and I was serious about it and I had made him promise not to lie or hurt me, I knew he was close with my friend but he always seemed...more interested in her."

She took a deep breath as the heat built in her cheeks and her eyes flared,

"I tried to deny it for over a month but eventually I asked him if he was in love with her and he said he was, after having been with me. I waited and begged him to choose me but on my birthday I ended it because after I gave him the last kiss I could spare, I asked him and he still chose her. I didn't want to fall in love again, so I walled up my heart."

Pierce didn't say a word as she spoke but had to ask,

"And just now?"

Clark curled up instinctively and tried to push the voices away.

"I-I was plagued by nightmares for weeks, that wasn't the first time and the nightmares only stopped when I left this room. There are just too many memories here and the voices are so strong when it's silent, so when you left me alone it just...came flooding in."

He didn't fully understand but from the way her hands were shaking and she seemed to get smaller in his arms, Pierce knew that besides the Paul guy and all her other failed relationships her heart was scarred. It was so strong that she couldn't be in her own room alone and it made his blood boil that anyone could hurt her like that, he could never understand people.

"Do you want to leave the room?"

"No...just don't leave me on my own for too long."

Pierce nodded and wrapped his hand around hers, holding it to his chest.

"I promise I won't then, is there anything I can do to help?"

For a moment she didn't speak but then looked up at him and despite not wanting to seem weak she definitely felt it,

"Can you stay for a night or two? I haven't slept so comfortably in a year and last night was so peaceful..."

Pierce felt his eyebrows raise before chuckling and pressing his forehead against hers softly, agreeing when a sudden rumble erupted from her stomach. He grinned and holding her hand lead her to the kitchen, asking.

"What would you like to eat?"

Clark smiled shyly and rubbed her arm, watching him look around her little kitchen. She had never been a huge healthy eater, but since she had started eating things she enjoyed more than what was healthy she knew she was a little happier. She'd only gotten a little chubbier from her preferred foods but thankfully a little swimming and cycling kept it in check, she mumbled to him.

"You don't need to cook for me, if anything I should cook for you since you're...my guest?"

They hadn't actually put a label on themselves, they liked each other but they hadn't made anything official and it was rather quick. Clark was often too fast into it but right now it seemed so easy-going and peaceful she didn't really care if it was fast, but still, she had no idea about what she and Pierce was.

He didn't seem too concerned as he started grabbing a bowl of unopened cereal that had probably been there for a few months now when really Pierce was lost in his own mind at her questioning if he was a guest. It was heavy in the air around him even as he moved breezily, He for sure wanted them to be more and official but she had been so hurt before now, he didn't want to rush her and put any pressure on it so he waited for Clark to choose at her own pace.

"What...are we?"

He stopped pouring milk midway and placed it on the counter, facing her.

"I don't know for sure but I don't want to push you into anything, so eat and think about it. I don't mind waiting and whatever you choose I will support you even if we only stay as friends, okay?"

"Sounds perfect."