Love is in the air.

3. How much is too much?

Opening her email Clark found a list of questions but one specifically caught her eye, standing out among the questions about love.

'Did you get home safe?'

Instinctively she opened it, seeing the small picture of a familiar face. Pierce had left the email about six minutes ago and while she read it in his voice Clark couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions.

Of course, her email was completely public and she had never felt conflicted about that before now. Technically he hadn't done anything wrong by emailing a question but in her mind, she was split, many before had emailed her and it wasn't the most appropriate question but she had washed them all away by moving it to the trash and not sparing a second thought.

Mostly Clark felt a warm feeling at his email, it was sweet that he wanted to check on her and the other part wondered why he was going out of his way to do so. Just a small piece of her was creeped out that he had used her public email, but she let that feeling in and then started typing it away.

'I did, thank you.'

She wasn't really expecting a reply so she started to focus on writing her next piece of advice, making sure to have her music playing in the background so the tapping of her keyboard wasn't filling the flat. It was just as she was about to get up to make a cup of tea Clark heard a ping from her laptop and saw another email from Pierce, opening it shortly.

'I'm glad, I hope you don't mind I emailed you. I know it's a little much and I'm sorry if it makes you uncomfortable.'

An audible sigh made Edison lift his head from the sofa, Clark knew she shouldn't assume any malicious attempt after all, if he had wanted to do anything he could've had a hundred opportunities not just tonight but the whole last two weeks. Instead of replying she got up and started boiling the kettle and preparing her tea, asking Dr. Edison more than anything even if he just tilted his head whenever she spoke at him it was better than the silence of her mind.

"It doesn't make sense Edie, I am not beautiful by most standards and Pierce barely knows me so why is he so..."

The words filled her head but none seemed to fit, yes he was insistent but for what reason? He wasn't pushing it if anything he was trying to make sure Clark was more comfortable than anything. The nagging question was why?.

Clark sat back in her spot leaning in between the arm and the back cushion of the sofa with her tea steaming on the table and her laptop back on her lap, fingers itching over her keyboard as she thought about it.

All throughout her life, she had found the words out of people's mouths more confusing and twisted than anywhere else, she could never decipher the true meaning behind what people were saying and how much was true and what was a well-conceived lie.

In her mind when she read what people emailed her she could almost sense what they were feeling when they had typed it, she could read between the lines and find the real intent and that's why she loved to write.

'Why are you pursuing me?'

It was blunt and straightforward. Just how she liked it, hoping she would just receive the same sort of answer back. A yawn left her lips as she glanced over at the time on her laptop almost swearing when seeing it would be light out sooner rather than later, thankful that she wasn't on a strict timetable.

While sipping her tea another ping chimed from her laptop, grimacing as she was not the biggest fan of loud notifications.

'I will tell you but not yet, I know I haven't approached you in the best way and I'm sorry for that.'

Clark recalled he had mentioned he had no experience at the bar which made it dawn on her that everything she was finding odd and creepy was because he hadn't known how to do any of it, heck he was probably terrified half the time. He hadn't wanted to walk up to a random girl in a bar and start talking to her out of the blue, Clark pursed her lip as she thought about it.

He was probably waiting for her to throw a drink in his face or publicly humiliate him.

She also knew it wasn't all on Pierce, she could've told the bar at any time in the last two weeks. Clark hadn't rejected any of the drinks bought for her, if anything she was a little misleading as well.

The truth was Clark knew she couldn't blame him entirely because the whole time a small part of her enjoyed it, the idea that a stranger would buy her a drink without trying anything or had an ulterior motive felt nice. It had been a long time since she felt seen away from her writing and just in the world, and Pierce apologized.

'It's okay, no need to apologize.'

That was genuine, she really meant it and leaned her head back. Pierce hadn't even asked for her number, he didn't want to pressure her and instead asked her through email if she was okay, he didn't suddenly flirt or ask anything appropriate.

His first message was to make sure Clark was safe.

"Edie...I am a fool."

Clark knew why she had instantly suspected anything else except something good might be happening to her, the past was a reminder that nothing good happened for free. The universe would always take a price and everything good she had earned over the past nearly four years was through working, blood, sweat, and tears.

With a deep sigh, she heard another chime and saw another email from Pierce,

'Thank you, I'm heading to bed so goodnight, sleep well Clark.'

'Night Pierce, sweet dreams.'

She placed her laptop on her coffee table and finished the last of her tea with a yawn, laying on her side on the sofa. Her eyes grew heavy.

'Sweet dreams Clark.'