Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

            It happened very fast.

            The ship was smoothly easing its way through deep space, a pleasant hum filling the hull. Y/N was sat to the far-left side, her chin in her hand as she read more about the alien populations that called the sector they were in home. Many looked quite different from humankind – one planet had nothing but sentient plants – they kind of looked like tulips, but had long thorns. Y/N was sure she wouldn’t request their scientific/research mission to make a pit-stop there. Another planet had bird-like creatures, but they were not covered in feathers. They looked almost fish-like with beaks. Xudarians. Y/N wanted to do deeper research on them next.

            Y/N was an anthropologist that was the top of her field in Alien Cultures, especially those from the Andromeda Galaxy, which is why she was specially selected to go on this research mission. Thanks to the advances in technology, more and more research could be done for the humans back on earth – to learn who they shared the universe with. Y/N was passionate about learning the cultural ways of those from the closest galaxy to the Milky Way, and she was known as a blooming expert in the field. She was grateful for the 20-strong crew that had become like a family to her. They each brought their own strengths to the field, and many of them had made breakthroughs. Chemists, Engineers, Biologists, Astronauts – the whole nine yards.

            As the ship continued its path, Y/N kept her nose buried in her book. She smiled when she came upon the chapter on Krypton – she had written that chapter and contributed heavily to Kryptonian scholarship on earth. While she had never visited Krypton, and they weren’t going to stop there on this mission, many of her contacts in the Green Lantern Corps had visited there and relayed information to her. They were very human-like in appearance – if you put a Kryptonian next to a human, there would be virtually no way to tell them apart. However, Kryptonians were much more formidable – they were able to go into space without any protective equipment if they wished, and their bones had a higher density – it would be very hard to break a Kryptonian’s bones.

            They also had unique qualities that would come to the forefront if they were ever exposed to a yellow sun – their sun was a dull red – not a full red sun, but enough that the Kryptonians didn’t seem to have any special abilities on their home planet. Either way, they’d easily best a human in anything if a human was ever able to visit the planet. Y/N was about to pull out her field notes when a startling metal-crunching noise filled the ship.

            Before Y/N could ask the captain what had happened, the ship was thrown into chaos. Y/N was slammed into the left side of the control panel, tasting blood in her mouth. Many of her colleagues were thrown to the sides as well, smashing into scientific equipment. Sirens began to shriek at full volume, reverberating around in her skull. The lights flickered off and on, and emergency oxygen began to flow through the room.

            She could faintly hear her colleagues barking orders, struggling to keep their gravity centered since the gravity stabilizer on the ship had been smashed against the navigation panel. The control panel was now being manually operated by the captain, and the ship lurched forward violently, beginning its free fall.

            Red lights began to flash in dazzling hues, so bright that Y/N could see them in startling definition behind her eyelids. Flames appeared at the front of the craft – a sure sign that the ship had free-fallen into the atmosphere of a nearby planet. Gravity was no longer a concept in the ship, many clinging to their seats or control boards to stay grounded.

            “BRACE FOR IMPACT!” The captain barked.  

--

            A few months had passed since their violent crash, but whenever Y/N closed her eyes, she could still see all the panic and chaos like it was happening all over again. While their impact should’ve put her and her colleagues into dirt beds, they all survived – with very little injuries when they came-to.

            As fate would have it, the crew had crash-landed on Krypton. Upon their crash, the Kryptonians rushed to assist, taking the unconscious bodies to the closest medical facility. The Kryptonians believed that they were rescuing fellow Kryptonians – that illusion was suddenly crushed once X-rays and blood samples were taken.

            Humans.

            Primitive, weak, war-mongering humans.

            That was the belief of many Kryptonians – they knew about humans, and Y/N was positive that was the reason why nobody had received an invitation to visit Krypton from earth. Y/N was grateful for Krypton’s extremely advanced medicine for saving everyone’s lives, but she did wonder if the Kryptonians would’ve ever considered helping them if they knew from the start that they were human.

            King Jor-El, however, was very benevolent towards the humans – he allowed them to create their own colony/settlement – for the long term. Jor-El was a scientist at heart, just like many of her colleagues, and he found their purpose to be very noble. Jor-El had actually become King of Krypton not due to royal blood, but for his science saving the planet from destruction nearly 30 years ago, when the Prince was born.

            Since they had landed on Krypton, the planet that Y/N had extensively studied, she was usually the one that interacted with the “locals” at first. Y/N was not very fond of this job, since she’d usually be ignored or viciously insulted. When she finally met the King, they got along well, and he was sure to clear up some of her research and provide items that her colony needed. While many Kryptonians saw them as intruders, Jor-El saw them as dedicated individuals, wanting to bring the universe together. He’d provide as much as he could to the colony, which also wasn’t very good PR for the humans.

            Now that the settlement/colony was self-reliant, Jor-El did fewer visits, but some other like-minded Kryptonians would volunteer to help out and learn more about the humans. Nobody was more enthusiastic about this than a Kryptonian named Kal-El. He visited frequently, and usually sought out Y/N to learn about the humans while he shared information about Kryptonian life. He was also the one that delivered news from Jor-El. Y/N believed that there was no relation between Jor-El and Kal-El – he was just a member of the royal court, probably a messenger. Y/N never asked Kal-El what his involvement was in the kingdom, and he never really mentioned anything about it either.

            The last time he visited, he let them know that the GL for Krypton’s sector, Tomar-Re (a Xudarian – which excited Y/N very much) was putting together an convoy to take the humans on Krypton back to earth. This was met with great excitement – as much as Y/N loved learning about Krypton – she knew she didn’t belong here. The majority of Krypton had made that obvious.

            Kryptonians reminded her of that fact every single day.

            Protests occurred every once in a while, but they were usually held in the large capital city – not near the settlement. Humans were able to make their own clothing and retain their culture, which was nice – Jor-El could’ve easily demanded them to assimilate. Y/N was forever indebted to a higher power for not having to wear Kryptonian “fancy dress.” While the clothes were beautiful, she felt like it wouldn’t look right on her.

            Y/N was pulled out of her thoughts as a shadow loomed over her at her make-shift desk. She had worked on a water pump earlier that morning, and was writing about the bewilderment of the Kryptonians contracted to assist by Jor-El. When Y/N told the contractors that humans required water to survive, she was met with the following comment:

            “What weak-willed creatures...”

            If these damn Kryptonians weren’t as tough, she’d definitely kick their shins! At least the comment informed her that Kryptonians did not have to drink as much water as humans to stay alive.

            “Hi Y/N…am I disturbing you?” A deep voice spoke. The warm tone reverberated in Y/N’s chest.

            Y/N looked up to see Kal-El. He had his bottom lip between his teeth, and his wavy black hair fell slightly in his bright blue eyes – the bluest blue she had ever seen.

            “Oh, of course not!” Y/N exclaimed, closing her notebook, “just scrawling down some field notes. What brings you by?”

            Kal-El excitedly took the seat across from her, leaning close to her. She felt the butterflies in her tummy flutter, but she swatted them down. She had no business getting involved with an alien. (Well, she was technically the alien in this situation…) They were close in age and had many similarities, but they were better off as acquaintances, learning from each other.

            “I haven’t visited in a few days, and I wanted to see how you and the others were doing. I helped some of the contractors this morning in laying down pipework for you guys…I um,” Kal-El rubbed the back of his neck in regret, “I heard that one of them wasn’t very…pleasant to you.”

            Y/N grimaced. She always tried to put those interactions under the rug – while they did make her feel lower than dirt, she didn’t need any sympathy. These things happened – she and her colleagues had basically crash-landed and took up space that belonged to Kryptonians. Their reactions were understandable.

            “It’s okay, Kal-El, really. We got the water lines and pump set up, that’s all that really matters. Thank you for helping us, by the way. We’re forever grateful.” Y/N watched his cheeks turn pink, and she hid her laugh. He was too sweet.

            “It’s the least we can do. Did you want to work on your family life research? I stayed up late last night thinking of all our traditions. I’d be happy to tell you all about them.”

            Y/N sat up straighter, quickly grabbing her notebook and slamming it open, her eyes wide. She was a sucker for new knowledge, and Kal-El totally knew that. If she didn’t know better, she’d think that Kal-El only visited the settlement to see her.

            “That sounds great! And I can let you know about our family dynamics, at least the basics. There’s so many different cultures on my planet. It’s not as uniform as Krypton’s.” She held her pen in her hand, ready to fill her notebook up with Kal-El’s knowledge.

            “Okay, I’ll start with our family groups,” Kal-El cleared his throat, trying to keep his composure.

            He’d never admit it, but he had a crush on the anthropologist. She was very kind and truly allowed herself to be the “middleman” between the humans and Kryptonians – even though that truly put her in front of a firing squad. Instead of being upset and bitter about landing on the planet, she soaked up each moment, both good and bad, so she could use the research to help others understand. The way her face would light up and her eyes would sparkle when he’d tell her little facts about himself and his people would forever make him feel like he needed to stop and catch his breath.

            “I think it may be similar to humans?” Kal-El looked up at the ceiling in Y/N’s tent, “We usually have two parents that procreate. Most Kryptonians only have one child, but some do have two. No Kryptonian has more than two children…”

            “Oh,” Y/N hummed, writing down her notes as fast as she could, “why is that?”

            “Um,” Kal-El willed his cheeks to stop from turning pink, “Kryptonian women can only produce two children at the most. Not like human women, who can produce multiple children. I-I think it has to do with eggs…”

            “Would you believe it if I told you that there’s a family on earth that has over 19 biological children in it?” Y/N giggled when she saw Kal-El’s eyes widen to the size of dinner plates.

            “…What? H-How?”

            “I think the true question is ‘why’.” Y/N smirked, feeling her knees make contact with his.

            Neither of them pulled away.

--

            Kal-El was explaining the life cycle of a Kryptonian child when he saw the time. He quickly stood, nearly toppling over Y/N’s desk. Y/N was sure to keep it from falling over, and she heard Kal-El squeak an apology.

            “I-I’m so sorry, Y/N…but I have to go,” He let out a frustrated sigh, “I’m late to an event.” 

            Y/N titled her head as Kal-El pulled himself together, heading to the opening of her tent. The sun had set and the sky was a beautiful color, stars beginning to make themselves known in the sky.

            “It’s okay!” Y/N exclaimed, following him up to the exit. She played with her fingers as they stood there. She could tell that Kal-El didn’t really want to leave. “When do you think you’ll be back to visit?”

            “Soon,” Kal-El gave her that heart stopping smile, and she took the promise on his lips to heart.

            “What’s the event?” Y/N blurted, too curious for her own good. She saw Kal-El blanche a bit, unsure of what to say.

            “It’s something my father arranged,” Kal-El cleared his throat.

            He knew that this was a very obvious sign that he had deep feelings for the human in front of him. He didn’t mention to Y/N that around 30 was the time that Kryptonians married. His father and mother had been trying to get him to pick a mate, but he refused. He didn’t want to tell Y/N about it since he didn’t want her to know. He wanted to keep the wild fantasy alive that they’d be together.

            But that was ridiculous – it was a fantasy. He had to get it out of his mind sooner rather than later.

            “Oh,” Y/N nodded, feeling bad for trying to pry, “well, have fun! I hope that it goes well.”

            Kal-El smiled and waved goodbye to Y/N, muttering under his breath, “I hope that it doesn’t…”

--

            Jor-El let out a frustrated sigh when Kal-El rejected the sixteenth princess/royal that had come to offer her hand to him. Kal-El was a stubborn man, much like himself, and he would never force his son to marry someone he didn’t see himself loving. He adored Kal-El’s mother, Lara, and he wanted his son to have a similar experience with his betrothed. However, Jor-El could not avoid the raised eyebrows from his court, nor the mounting discontent with his people and the currently marooned humans. He wracked his brain to find a way to show that humans and Kryptonians could work together successfully, but he was coming up empty.

            Lara cleared her throat, quickly pulling Jor-El out of his frustrated stupor. Kal-El was stood in front of them, his arms crossed as he looked away. He hated disobeying his parents since he was very loyal, but he knew his heart, and he wasn’t going to compromise. Nobody was able to hold his interest.

            “Kal-El,” Jor-El spoke, letting out a sigh, “Can you give me a reason why you turned down the three ladies tonight?”

            His son looked down at his shoes, trying to avoid his father’s prying gaze. He could feel the sympathetic look from his mother, but he knew that he had to provide his reasoning. It was only logical and the right thing to do.

            “Lena Hul-Re was very nice,” Lara spoke up, tilting her head, “she had similar interests to you, and is soft-spoken. Your partnership with her seems like it would be peaceful…”

            “Well,” Kal-El sighed, “Lena Hul-Re was sweet, but she was more focused on what she was wearing, and how she’d decorate our wing of the palace once we married. She didn’t speak about unification efforts, or providing for the Kryptonians and humans. She was also quite prejudiced against them, mother.”

            “Ah,” Lara nodded in understanding.

            Jor-El nodded, clearing his throat.

            “And Vora Mel-Gul?” Jor-El inquired.

            “Vora was…a bit aggressive?” Kal-El winced, “Was very excited about the prospect of creating heirs, but insisted that war was a necessary thing to do when one’s rule is challenged. She was listing reasons why we should go to war with the humans.”

            “That absolutely won’t do,” Lara shook her head, surprised, “She’s out.”

            Jor-El began to see a pattern in his son’s line of thinking. Lena Hul-Re was not acceptable because she was against unification and her prejudice against humankind. Kal-El normally wouldn’t be too annoyed with someone who had an eye for interior decoration. Vora Mel-Gul was violent, it sounded – but only because she encouraged war against humankind. Providing heirs was a necessary duty when it came to running a kingdom, and Kal-El knew that. That shouldn’t have been his first red flag.

            Jor-El crossed his legs, ready to hear why the third princess that night was unacceptable. This would either confirm his hypothesis, or take him back to square one when it came to figuring out his heir.

            “And Zira Kol-Om? She was very fond of you, and has a wonderful mind. She supports education efforts for Kryptonian children, and much of her money goes towards charities. She certainly has your bleeding heart…”

            “Yes…what she does is very admirable, but what about human children? If the humans stay with us and the convoy that Tomar-Re is arranging does not work out, it’s only logical to assume that the humans will marry and create children of their own,” Kal-El swallowed the lump in his throat as he thought about Y/N doing such a thing with one of her colleagues, “when I brought that up, she looked at me like I grew an extra head. I asked why she didn’t volunteer to assist the humans and she said that we needed to focus on Krypton’s citizens first. That’s just ridiculous. The humans are part of us now, too.”

            Hook, line, and sinker.

            Kal-El was railing against these matches due to his attachment to a certain human. Jor-El knew that to anyone else on the court, this would be considered absolutely unacceptable, but Jor-El saw an opportunity here. Many times in history, royal families would marry their heir to a foreign nation or planet to create unity. These arrangements stopped wars, boosted morale, improved trading, or did all of the above.

            His son was pining after a human, and he was sure he knew which one it was. Kal-El had learned a lot about the humans, and he relied on his son to tell him and Lara about what he learned so they could be more harmonious with human tradition and social norms. He got that information from a very specific human – the cultural anthropologist.

            Jor-El was pleased by this – Y/N L/N could be a very fitting mate to his son. However, he knew that this would be met with serious resistance – from Kryptonians (especially those in the royal court) and Y/N – would she be open to marrying a Kryptonian? She seemed fond of his son and their culture, but Jor-El didn’t like to pry. (He totally did, but he didn’t like being obvious about it.)

            “Sweetheart,” Lara looked at Kal-El with a soft expression, “you will need to find a match soon. You know me and your father would never force you into anything, but for the kingdom, you will need to settle down soon.”

            “I…understand, mother.” Kal-El truly did understand, but he wished there was another way. How hard was it to find a Kryptonian that was like Y/N?

            Oops. Did he just think that?

            No. That wasn’t an option. Could never be an option!

            “I believe that Kal-El will find the other part of his soul very soon,” Jor-El commented, putting his fingers together, “Trust in the process, Lara.”

            Lara raised an eyebrow at her husband for his nonchalant response, and Kal-El nearly got whiplash with how fast he turned his head towards his father. What? Jor-El was the one that was breathing down his neck to find a spouse. Now he was just hands off?

            Kal-El wouldn’t complain, of course, but what was up with that whole 180 his father just did?

            “You’re dismissed, Kal-El. I’m going to visit the human settlement tomorrow—”

            “Can I come?” Kal-El blurted – Y/N’s smiling face filled his brain and his heart skyrocketed.

            “No, while I’m visiting, I need you to do something for me here at the palace.”

            Kal-El let out a disappointed sigh but nodded, “Of course, father.”

--

            “Okay, what is up with you?” Lara asked her husband, turning to face him in the throne room once their son had departed.

            “Lara, I think I’ve just solved our problem.”

            “…You will not force our son to just marry someone he does not see a future with. It is not fair, and—”

            “No, Lara, I think I know who our son wants to spend the rest of his life with. Did you notice that in each instance of him rejecting his Kryptonian matches, he mentioned humans?”

            Lara bit her lip before nodding, connecting the dots. Kal-El was very particular about his matches that day, and he had brought up humans to each of them – and it didn’t take a high IQ to know that the matches would react negatively to the settlers being brought up.

            “…It’s the anthropologist, isn’t it?” She asked, smiling.

            “He is extremely fond of her. In the times I’ve observed him there, he’s by her side. If he’s not at her side, he’s watching her from afar, or trying to find a way to get to her tent to talk to her. It kind of reminds me of me before I courted you…” Jor-El admitted.

            “Well, let’s hope our son courts faster than you did,” She muttered.

            “Oh, Kal-El will not court her. You and I know our son well. He doesn’t see it as a viable option. Even though we afford him with the freedom that anyone deserves, he has convinced himself that a human spouse is not in the cards. We’re going to have to orchestrate this very carefully.”

            “How do you suppose we do that? Does the human feel the same towards our son? I can’t imagine how crushed he would be if she didn’t…”

            “I think she is fond of him,” Jor-El thought back to the interactions he witnessed, “she’s very supportive of Kryptonian culture, and is very knowledgeable about it. She may have a steep learning curve, and she will be ostracized…but she has been the human envoy between us and her people. She’s strong, capable.”

            “But does she love him?” Lara asked her question again, putting her hands on her hips as she stood.

            “She could grow to, if she does not already, Lara. I’m going to the settlement tomorrow, and I’ll speak with her, gauge her interest.”

            “And what duty are you expecting Kal-El to do at the palace while you’re at the settlement?”

            Jor-El sucked in a breath. Whoops. He totally forgot about that little tidbit. He rubbed his chin with his hand as he thought before he looked back at his wife, “Landscaping?”

Chapter Text

Y/N splashed water on her face as she spoke to her colleagues, sitting next to Lois Lane, a reporter that was with the group to record the mission and provide her insight when they would return to earth.

            “So, I saw that the cute Kryptonian was in your tent for hours yesterday…and he only left after the sun set…” Lois teased, brushing her teeth.

            Y/N felt her cheeks heat and she pointedly looked down as she grabbed a towel to pat her face dry, “what are you implying?”

            “I think you know what I’m implying,” Lois wiggled her eyebrows, spitting out her toothpaste into a basin, “has he asked any questions about your anatomy? I’m sure he’d pick up on it very quickly…”

            “Lois!” Y/N hissed, shaking her head, “you know that Kal-El and I have not done anything like that. He’s very nice and interested in our culture, and he provides me information about his. That’s all.”

            “Sure.” Lois shrugged, taking a sip of water, “but I see the way he looks at you.”

            Y/N felt her face flush and she took a deep breath, “Drop it. Kryptonian culture is different from ours. The way he looks at me is probably super normal. We have different customs. We can’t gauge anything he does on our normal behavior. Everything’s relative, Lois.” 

            “You’re such a party pooper. Also, I’m pretty sure a love sick look is the same in all cultures.”  Lois groaned before she perked up, seeing a familiar figure at the front of the settlement, “Ooh, the King’s here.”

            Y/N sat up, seeing Jor-El greeting the captain of the ship. She stood as she saw them walking towards her and Lois. When the king arrived to her side, Y/N lowered her head slightly.

            “Hello, Your Highness.”

            “Hello, Ms. L/N. The settlement is coming along very nicely. Do you all have everything you need here?”

            “We’re very grateful for all your assistance, Your Highness. We got our updated water system put in yesterday. It’s so nice to have immediate access to water. It’s helped us a lot already.”

            “I’m glad to hear it,” Jor-El smiled, “would you mind if we spoke for a few minutes in your tent? I have some questions about culture and customs.”

            This wasn’t something new with Jor-El – he visited frequently in the beginning to learn more about human customs and how he should implement policies and assistance. She was hoping that he was there to discuss the rising tensions between Kryptonians and humans. If anyone could pull them together, she was sure Jor-El could.

            “Of course! Follow me.”

            Y/N was grateful that she cleaned up her tent that morning – she would’ve died if the King saw how messy her tent could get when she was up late going over her research notes. While Y/N and Jor-El made their way to her tent, Lois looked at the captain, crossing her arms.

            “She’s right at home on this planet, isn’t she?”

--

            “What would you like to know, Your Highness?” Y/N asked, offering the king a seat. Jor-El shook his head politely.

            “Please call me Jor-El, Ms. L/N. There’s no need for all the formalities. I just wanted to wrack your brain for a minute about similarities between Kryptonian and human culture and custom.”

            “Of course,” Y/N nodded, pulling out her various notebooks, “we do have many similarities, I think there’s more that unites us than divides us,”

            Jor-El pulled out the notebook he brought with him, but made sure to check that Y/N could not read what he was jotting down. She was already proving to be an exceptional match to Kal-El.

            “Such as?”

            “Both Kryptonians and humans value our family groups. Our families are very similar in their arrangement, and our morals align in many sectors. Our ideas of justice are very similar, although how we deal with conflict differs from person to person—”

            “How do you personally deal with conflict? Such as the conflict between my people and yours?”

            Y/N raised an eyebrow at Jor-El’s rushed question, but she decided not to question it. She was sure he was looking for ideas, and she’d be happy to provide him with some.

            “Oh, well,” Y/N tapped her pencil against her table in thought, “while it does frustrate me, I like to take a step back and put myself in a Kryptonian’s shoes. Humans would react very similarly if something crash-landed on our planet that wasn’t human. We’d probably prod at it, or react even more negatively to it. I can’t fully blame Kryptonians for their weariness, but I also believe that if we were to come together and share things with each other, such as our cultures and interests, there’s a chance we could be allies. Very close allies, at that.”

            “I see,” Jor-El jotted more information down in his notebook, “and more specifically – if you were able to…provide a perspective and voice in ruling the planet, what would you focus on?”

            Y/N was really thrown for a loop with that one. Ruling the planet? What the hell? She decided to just throw her questions to the wind. Jor-El was kind and friendly, and she would assist him.

            “I’d focus on the betterment of Kryptonians and humans. What are things that could benefit both of our populations? However, I’m aware that Tomar-Re is pulling together an convoy to help us return to earth, Jor-El. These issues may not need to be addressed in a few months to a year—”

            “Yes, but what if they were? What if a human decided to stay here and live amongst us?”

            “…That is a real possibility,” Y/N shrugged, “I think exposure to each other would help. In the settlement, we’re kind of put aside from the general population. I understand why this takes place – we don’t want any fights or major disagreements that halt the work on the planet. But by keeping us fully separate and leaving each other in shrouds of mystery, it’s no wonder why we’re kind of wary of each other.”

            “All great points, Ms. L/N. We are so grateful that you did much of your scholarship on Krypton. It has truly helped us all. I only have one more question.”

            Y/N nodded eagerly, “Of course.”

            “Has there been any Kryptonian that has assisted you the most? Besides myself, of course,” Jor-El teased, “I would like to thank them personally.”

            Jor-El ignored the urge to cross his fingers that Y/N would answer with his son’s name. He saw Y/N let out a laugh at his joke, and she sat up, her eyes brighter than the stars as she thought of a specific Kryptonian.

            “Kal-El has been just…amazing,” Y/N gushed, playing with her hands nervously, “he visits us often, and is always quick to offer his advice or assistance. He’s really interested in our culture, and we’re very humbled by that. I look forward to him visiting every day…” Y/N didn’t mean to gush, but she truly was grateful for the handsome Kryptonian, and she wanted to make sure the king knew that the member of his court was well-liked and adored.

            “So, if you were to choose a Kryptonian to help bridge the gap, you’d choose Kal-El?”

            “Absolutely. There’s nobody else. Except you, your highness,” Y/N laughed.

            “I will be sure to relay this to Kal-El. Those are all my questions for today, Ms. L/N. I am positive I will have more in the near future.”

            “It’s my pleasure, Jor-El. You’re always welcome here.”

--

            “Okay father, I finished the landscaping in the east corner of the garden. Our gardener had done it less than two days ago, but there were some leaves that had fallen from the—”

            “Oh,” Jor-El cleared his throat as he walked with his son through the corridors in the palace, “Thank you, son. But…I will admit, I may have given you a fake task so I could go to the settlement myself.”

            Kal-El stopped walking, raising a black eyebrow. He never took his father as the type to meddle or lie. He crossed his arms and stared at his father with stern blue eyes.

            “…Why did you not want me to accompany you to the settlement?”

            “I would not have gotten a moment alone with Ms. L/N otherwise!”

            Kal-El felt his soul leave his body. His father went to speak with Y/N? About what? His heart was in his throat as he waited for his father to continue. Jor-El smirked at his son’s visceral reaction.

            “Don’t worry, it was pleasant business, as it always is with her. I believe I have found the solution to our problem.”

            Kal-El didn’t follow, a bit frustrated by Jor-El’s cryptic hints. What problem? He cleared his throat and decided to voice his question, “what problem, father?”

            “The problem of your mate, son.”

            A loud silence filled the hall and Kal-El felt like he was having a fever dream. Was his father implying what he thought he was implying? He could court Y/N? He could feel fireworks going off in his veins, and his chest felt lighter than a feather. Did he want to court the human? Of course – but he never let himself think that far. He knew it was a non-starter. He shook his head, running a hand through his hair.

            “I’m…not following.”

            “Son,” Jor-El pinched the top of his nose, trying to maintain his patience, “I am trying to tell you that your perfect match is the anthropologist. You should court her. She would bring many advantages with her, such as her love and respect for our culture. She can bring a human perspective, and show the kingdom that humans are allies, and similar to us. Most importantly, you are in love with her. It is painfully obvious, son. I am shocked that the human has not picked up on it yet…”

            Kal-El couldn’t hide the huge smile on his face, caught up in the dream that he’d spend the rest of his life with Y/N. She was kind, smart, and dedicated. She’d make an excellent princess for the planet, and eventual queen. He was about to profusely thank his father, but reality began to sink in. Y/N was human, and Kryptonians were not that fond of humans. Some believed they should be killed, exiled, or locked up. How would this fare for her as princess?

            Also…did she agree to the idea of being courted?

            “…Hm…and what did Y/N say about this?”

            Jor-El looked to the side, putting his hands behind his back. How could he put this? He took a moment to collect his thoughts.

            “I did not ask her specifically on her thoughts of being betrothed—”

            “Father!”

            “She did mention you and praise you about your care and dedication to her people. She believes you are instrumental in bridging the gap if the humans are to stay on our planet…we could construe that into her being willing to work with you in an intimate capacity to do such a thing—”

            “Father. You did not ask Y/N if she’d be okay marrying me! This isn’t fair to her. As much as I love her, I’m not going to force her to love me.”

            “Kal-El, the last thing I want to do is force you into a loveless marriage, but I believe that Y/N holds affection for you. Think of the benefits that could be brought to our people and hers. People have engaged in these types of marriages for millennia. I ask you to think about your duty."

            Kal-El took a deep breath, closing his eyes, “I understand my place and duty. But I will not force Y/N to do anything she doesn’t want to do. I will not do that to her.”

            “I understand, son. But…you are content with the fact that you can pursue her?”

            “Of course,” Kal-El smiled behind his fingers, bashful, “I can’t think of anyone better to be my princess...”

            “I will be sure to send a message to the captain of the settlement with your intentions. Y/N should be at the palace this time tomorrow.”

--

            There was a big problem when Y/N was notified by the captain that Krypton’s Crown Prince was interested in marrying her and making her a princess.

            She had no idea who the FUCK the prince was.

She had never met him – as far as she was concerned, Jor-El’s son (which she knew existed) stayed in the palace and never once visited the settlement. The loud screech that left her mouth when she read the telegram that the captain handed her could probably be heard over three square miles. Her colleagues came running up to her after hearing the commotion, and many of them stared at her with their mouths wide open as she read the telegram over again for clarity.

            “I…why would he pick me? I’m a puny human!” Y/N exclaimed, beginning to pace. Lois put her hands on her hips, tapping her foot against the ground.

            “You’re a catch, Y/N—”

            “Cut the bullshit, Lois,” Y/N snapped.

            “Okay, I’ll cut it,” The woman replied, rolling her eyes, “it’s a political move – if you want me to be completely honest. We don’t know who this prince is, and he certainly hasn’t visited us. Jor-El seems to be fond of you, and has always treated you with respect and reverence. You’re an expert of Kryptonian customs and culture and human customs and culture. You’re a bridge. Didn’t Jor-El talk about that yesterday?”

            “Ugh!” Y/N put her hands in her hair, digging her fingers into her scalp as she thought. She knew that Jor-El’s line of questioning was very strange, but she didn’t think it was because he was sizing her up as a potential princess that would provide heirs to the El name! “Lois, what am I going to do? I love Krypton, and I admire Jor-El and all he has done for us. But I don’t know this prince. God,” She felt panic rise in her chest and she began to hyperventilate, “Oh my God, Kryptonians are much stronger than us. I know they look similar to us and you can’t tell us apart, but their bones don’t break. They have high stamina. They can go into the atmosphere and not choke from the lack of oxygen. If they were ever to land on earth, they’d be…they’d be GODS! The yellow sun would let them fly, lift heavy items with their pinky finger—”

            “Y/N, calm down, it’s going to be okay!” Lois made her friend stop rambling when she put her hands on her shoulders, soothing her, “they’re not going to hurt you. You’re a very valuable asset—”

            “Gee, thanks, Lois—”

            “I mean it. You’re an asset that is crucial to Krypton. If something happened to you, they’d lose their resident human expert that bridges the two species. Jor-El knows that if you were hurt or killed, we wouldn’t be as nice as we have been. Sure, we may not have a chance against them, but we wouldn’t go quietly…and Kal-El wouldn’t be quiet about it either.”

            Y/N felt her heart sink to her feet. Kal-El. She bit her wriggling bottom lip, trying to collect herself so she could make rational decisions. She adored Kal-El – if she was going to be wed to any Kryptonian, she’d like it to be him. But he wasn’t the prince – how the hell could he be? He was at the settlement almost all the time. If he was the prince, wouldn’t he be relegated to the palace? Wouldn’t he detest the “aliens” that are calling his planet home for the moment?

            She was sure the prince probably had the same values as Jor-El, but that wasn’t guaranteed. God, how would Kal-El react if he found out? Ugh, of course he’d find out – he’s a citizen of the kingdom.

            “But…Kal-El, Lois,” Y/N couldn’t hold back her tears, “I…”

            “I know you like him. And like I said, he really likes you too. Listen, just go to the palace and hear Jor-El out. Meet the prince. I’m sure that if you’re not into this whole thing, Jor-El would not force your hand. That would cause an uproar as well. Maybe you could bargain with Jor-El. You won’t marry the prince, but if he wants you to wed a Kryptonian, offer Kal-El. He’s part of the court as a messenger or something, right?”

            “He’s never told me what his role is,” Y/N wiped her eyes, “he delivers messages to us, so I’m sure that’s what he does. What else would he do, you know?”

            “Go to the palace, Y/N. Make your demands known.”

            “…I feel like you’re encouraging me to go to the palace because it’d be juicy content in your tell-all when we get back to earth…”        

            “…Well, it certainly will help the Daily Planet’s readership, but that’s beside the point. Come on, let’s tell the captain. Jor-El will be expecting you at the palace.”

--

            Y/N wished she could say that all her doubts and worries subsided when she was escorted into the palace, but they had amplified. She was sent dirty looks and could hear faint whispers about how a “degenerate” was allowed in the sacred royal halls. One of Lara’s handmaids was escorting Y/N to a room that held a bath and proper royal clothing. Y/N was dreading that, but it was the last thing on her mind as she took each step closer to the prep room.

            If she was a princess, she’d have to provide heirs. That was the whole name of the game. Kal-El said that Kryptonian babies were similarly developed and delivered like human babies, but there had never been a half Kryptonian half human baby before. How would that work? What if the baby would drain her energy from the inside? What if their blood was made of different properties? The baby would kill her – his immune system would most likely be stronger than hers. What if their parts didn’t fully match – as in a Kryptonian’s seed wouldn’t take to her human egg?

            And the Prince…what if he was as nasty and prejudiced as the others? She had the thought earlier, but it was really sinking into her mind now. Would she have to be wed to a nasty man who just wanted to create heirs and would kill her once she had served her purpose?

            What if she got killed because she was unable to serve her purpose? Jesus – what if she was going to be beheaded like King Henry VIII’s wives?  She felt faint but pushed on.

            The door to the prep room was swung open, and Y/N came face-to-face with a beautiful woman. She had long blonde hair, and bright blue eyes. They were lighter in color than Kal-El’s. She shook the thought out of her head. She couldn’t think about Kal-El right now. The tall woman in front of her smiled brightly and held her arms out in excitement.

            “Oh, you’re absolutely beautiful, Ms. L/N,” Lara spoke, coming closer to examine the human woman. Y/N blinked owlishly as the otherworldly woman stood face to face with her. “Oh, where are my manners? I’m Lara, the Queen of Krypton. My husband has told me a lot about you, and the service you have provided both us and your people. You are warmly welcomed into our household.”

            Y/N realized she’d have to squeak something out to be polite, so she nodded quickly, trying to find her voice, “t-thank you, your highness—”

            “Please, call me Lara. We’ll get to know each other very well…”

            “Do you require anything else of me, my Queen?” One of the handmaids asked from the corner of the room. Y/N could feel the woman’s disgusted gaze on her form, and she felt herself shrink underneath it.

            Lara picked up on it, and quickly sent a sharp look to the handmaid, crossing her arms tightly, “You are dismissed…and you would do well to remember to properly greet your future princess from now on.”

            The handmaid blanched a bit at Lara’s tone and quickly bowed low to the ground. Y/N shook her head and felt her anxiety spike.

            “N-No, it’s okay, you don’t have to greet me like—”

            “Nonsense. Everyone will greet you properly, Y/N. That will be all.” Lara nodded at the handmaiden who quickly took her leave.

            Great, more people that hated her. This was just great. She wanted to shrink and hide away – she was quite content living on the settlement, holed up in her large tent. She had no business being here, attracting attention to herself!  

            “Ms. L/N—”

            “Y-you can call me Y/N, Lara. T-thank you for looking out for me, but it’s really not necessary—”

            “You will be a Princess of Krypton, Y/N. It will not be easy,” Lara sighed, offering Y/N a soft robe to change into, “you will face challenges and many will have preconceived notions of you that couldn’t be farther from the truth. You deserve the reverence – as does your future husband.”

            Y/N put the robe over her clothes and began to undress underneath it, chewing her bottom lip harshly. She wanted to ask the Queen about her son, but didn’t want to pry too far. She’d meet him eventually.

            “I decided that I would help dress you myself,” Lara smiled, “I figured it’d be easier for you, and we could get to know each other more. I do sincerely apologize that I haven’t been able to visit the settlement. Jor-El tells me that it is coming along very well and looks great. Of course, with a team of scientists like yourself, that’s not hard to believe.”

            “We truly do owe it to the House of El’s kindness. I am a scholar of Alien Cultures, and my work has been mainly on Krypton. While I wish we did not have to meet like this – with a massive crash on your planet – I am grateful that we ended up here. I have learned so much.” Y/N quickly spoke, gently dropping her clothes to the floor, grateful that the large robe covered her up.

            “I look forward to sharing more about our culture with you, Y/N. I had the handmaidens prepare this bath for you. It’s just warm water – I did not add any oils because I am unsure how sensitive human skin is. I’ll be back to fetch you in a few minutes to get you into your dress.”

            Y/N swallowed the lump in her throat. Dress? Oof. She wanted to just dress in her normal clothes, but she figured that luxury was out the window now. She wasn’t fully convinced she was going to be wed to the prince – she still held her cards close to her chest, but she’d never tell the Queen that she was against this whole thing. Lois had a point – she had to meet the prince first, right?

            “Th-thanks, Lara.” Y/N squawked, realizing the woman was waiting for a response. She heard the queen laugh under her breath.

            “I will be back in fifteen minutes. Please enjoy.”

            As Y/N settled into the warm water, she took deep breaths. This wasn’t too bad, right? The Queen was very nice to her, and Jor-El was also sweet. The prince had to be like his parents, right? She was beginning to relax under the water when she got another intrusive thought. His parents could be nice, but then again, Jor-El and Lara were not King and Queen their whole lives. They were commoners before Jor-El saved the planet from destruction. This Prince had been royal since he was born, seeing as Jor-El saved the planet mere months after the prince’s birth. He didn’t know what it was like to be a commoner. She covered her face.

            How did she find herself in these crazy situations? Maybe Tomar-Re would arrive today with the convoy to take them all back to earth. She’d leap at the chance.

--

            When Lara returned to the room, Y/N was back in her robe and ready to be put in the Kryptonian garb. The fabric was soft and beautiful, and she liked how it felt on her bare skin. However, her dress had a lot of flowy material on the bottom of it, which caused her to watch her step very carefully – the fabric could get caught around her legs and cause her to fall. She was grateful for Lara’s support and her explanation of the outfit, but she wanted to get out of it. She was also grateful that Lara allowed her to style her own hair – she decided to keep it down, it gave her some extra security since she could hide her face if needed.

            “Come along, Y/N. The prince is finishing up a meeting with Jor-El, he’ll meet you in this foyer.”

            Y/N was floored by the gorgeous architecture in the palace. High ceilings, marble floors. She had never seen anything like this, and she itched for her field notebook. She’d have to keep all these traditions in her brain so she could write about them later. Lara departed from Y/N to go and check on other matters, and Y/N was alone in the foyer.

            But not for long.

            She heard footsteps coming towards her, and she took a deep breath. This had to be the prince. She slowly turned but instead of being greeted by a man, she saw three handmaidens walking through the foyer. She quickly turned back around, praying that they would just leave her be.

            Y/N didn’t have the best of luck.

            “Oh, it’s the human,” One of them announced, putting her hands on her hips, “Our clothes fit her like rags…”

            “It’s an insult to us for you to wear our clothing,” One of them supplemented, scoffing, “you’re out of place.”

            Y/N pointedly ignored the bait, getting sick of the petty bullying. Yes, she was human. She couldn’t do anything to change that, and she didn’t want to.

            “I have no idea what the King is thinking, but the prince deserves much better. Just think about it, human. We’re superior in every way. Your people almost died from broken bones and little contusions.”

            “Yeah, if we had known you weren’t Kryptonian, we would’ve left you there—”

            “That’s what we should’ve done.”

            “Look,” Y/N rolled her eyes, “I know that we're different and that I don't belong on this planet, but-”

            “Then leave,” the ringleader spat, shoving Y/N back.

            Y/N was able to keep herself from falling over, but she panicked. Kryptonians were stronger than her – they could do some serious damage to her if she didn’t get the hell out of dodge. At this point, she didn’t give a shit what the prince was like. She did not belong here, and she was being threatened.

            She couldn’t stand the damn stares. She couldn’t stand the aggressive behavior. She couldn’t stand to hear another venomous word spoken.  

            She bolted out of the foyer and right into the large garden. She was shocked she didn’t fall to the ground due to the fabric around her legs, but she ran until her lungs screamed at her. She was relieved when she saw that nobody had followed her. She was all alone. 

            She had run all the way to the back of the large garden, face-to-face with a large concrete wall. It was beautifully sculpted – as was the rest of the garden. Foreign bird songs entered her ears, and she looked closely at her surroundings. She heard slight humming and various harmonies coming from unique blue flowers in the corner. She tip toed over there and knelt down, careful not to get any dirt or grass stains on her dress. The flowers were the ones letting off the beautiful noises. As she looked closer, the sky-blue, nearly translucent flowers began to open up to her, revealing a breathtaking pink inside that was very fragrant. She cursed under her breath.

            She should’ve brought her field guide and hid it in her bra!

            She stood once again and saw a large tree with light purple leaves – they were nearly lavender in color, but did not smell like lavender. The smell was sweet and deep – almost like amber. It had small blooms on it that were a light yellow. She wished the garden had little placards that had the plant names on them. She may suggest that to Jor-El if she stuck around.

            She shook her head.

            If she stuck around?

            She was not going to stick around!

            She took a deep breath and began to synthesize the information available to her. Jor-El and Lara were very nice, yes. But their constituents and members of the royal court were polar opposites. She could feel eyes over every inch of her skin while she was inside the palace walls, and she had just been bullied by three handmaidens – handmaidens that would be working for her! She could just see them poisoning her oatmeal now. Bridging the gap wasn’t possible. Not with this much animosity. She was hurt by the reactions of the Kryptonians – it truly challenged her to her core – she had spent most of her professional life researching Krypton, dreaming of the day she’d be able to visit – and she wasn’t welcomed or treated well. She truly did try to think like them, but…some of this vitriol was just unimaginable.

            She was not going to produce an heir – not when that sweet baby would probably be ostracized too – if she could even make one! She stared at the concrete wall and decided on her plan.

            She was going to scale the wall, jump over it, and haul her ass back to the settlement where she’d lay low until the convoy came to get her and her colleagues. Taking a deep breath, Y/N leapt up, trying to get leverage on the concrete. Her hands nearly reached the top of the wall. She just needed to get a good grip and hoist herself up. She didn’t really have any upper body strength, but hey, the human body could do a lot of stuff with some motivation and a lot of adrenaline.

            Y/N leapt up again, letting out a whine when she scraped her palms. Damn it. She’d just have to try again. Third time was the charm – she was able to secure her hands to the top of the wall. She hoisted her hips up but found it extremely difficult to throw a leg up to get leverage – the fabric was all tangled around her legs. She’d have to rip the bottom half of the dress if she wanted any chance of escaping.

            “Shit,” Y/N huffed, continuing to wriggle her hips against the wall. She thanked God that nobody was around to see her weird gyrations. If she just kept wriggling, she’d have to release her legs, right?

            “…Y/N?”

            Y/N nearly fell from the wall, putting a stop to rolling her hips. She looked over to see a familiar face, and she nearly burst into song.

            “Kal-El!” She exclaimed, letting go of the wall and clumsily landing on the ground.

            “Oh, be careful!” He worried aloud, rushing up to her side. Y/N wiped her palms on her dress, ignoring the small amount of dirt she just smeared.

            “Oh, I’m so happy to see you,” Y/N breathed, looking up into his kind face. She saw him blush and look away, but he made no movement to get away from their close quarters contact, “I need your help.”

            Kal-El nodded, ready to do anything for her. If she ever asked for something, he’d give it to her with absolutely no hesitation. She was so precious to him—

            “I need you to hoist me up over this wall.”

            Except that!

            “W-what? Y/N, why do you—”

            “I can’t do this, Kal-El. I know you’re a member of the royal court and you’ve probably already heard, but Jor-El is trying to marry me to the prince. I have no idea who he is and what he believes! I just…Jor-El and Lara are so nice, but…that doesn’t mean their son is!” Y/N began to cry, upset that she was coming across as a damsel in distress.

            Kal-El took a step back in surprise. Y/N didn’t know he was the prince? He scoured his mind of their interactions – damn. He had never told her of his station. He figured she just knew – all the Kryptonians knew – he never had to introduce himself before. He winced as she continued. He could interrupt her, but she was ready to explode from the stress.

            "I can’t make heirs! Our biology is so different, Kal-El! I know we haven’t done a deep dive of human and Kryptonian anatomy, but we have to be made of different compounds. Like, I know we’re all made of the same kind of star stuff from the big bang, but that’s all we have in common, probably. He'd probably kick and I'd be thrown into the stratosphere!" 

            “Y/N—”

            “I can’t do this. What If the prince is mean and isn’t gentle? I am a scholar! I’ve dedicated years of my life to discovery and understanding others. I was not put in the universe to spread my legs whenever his royal highness demands!”

            Oh, Y/N. Kal-El shook his head, empathetic. He’d never put her through any of that, even though he was sure that Kryptonians and humans could produce heirs. If she wanted to study the rest of her life, he’d let her. He would never force her to do anything…and he’d keep her safe from the judgements of others.

            “And another thing! This is just a political move, isn’t it? This proves that the prince must be after power or something! I’m sure he wouldn’t ever love me or care for me. I can’t stand that. I…I deserve to be loved, right?”

            “Of course you do. Y/N, I understand your fear, truly, I do…but you’ve never met this prince. What if he’s gentle and kind? What if he supports you and protects you?”

            Y/N paused. She hadn’t really thought of that. While she wanted to take Kal-El’s words to heart, she couldn’t let herself wander down that path.

            “But what if he isn’t?”

            “But what if he is?” Kal-El emphasized, stepping closer to Y/N. Y/N allowed him to get closer, their chests touching. She’d normally bask in the closeness, but she was too frazzled now, “Y/N, I don’t mean to cause conflict, but…I think it’s unfair how Kryptonians judge humans. I know you hate it and think it’s unfair too. Aren’t you judging the prince in a similar way?”

            Y/N looked to the side stubbornly, not wanting to acknowledge that the Kryptonian was right. She gathered enough courage to look him in the eyes, and she drank him all in. He was tall, nearly looming over her as she had her back against the garden wall. His blue eyes were unreadable, and his adam’s apple bobbed as he waited for her response.

            “If they can do it…why can’t I?” She breathed, not proud of her reaction.

            “Because you aren’t like them, Y/N. You care. You’re not afraid of what’s different from you,” Kal-El daringly lifted her chin up so they could maintain eye contact, “you do belong here. I know you do.”

            Y/N shook her head and stepped back from Kal-El. He was torturing her. She truly adored him – she could see herself falling in love with him, which led to even more reluctancy to meet the prince and get married to him. She licked her lips.

            “Kal-El, please. I’m begging you. I just need you to hoist me over the wall so I can get back to the settlement. You can still visit me…we-we could…be together that way. Tomar-Re is going to bring a convoy eventually. I’d just go home in the long run.”

            The Kryptonian knew he couldn’t continue dancing around the elephant in the room. He took a deep, steadying breath and touched Y/N’s face with the gentlest of touches, shaking his head in response.   

            “Y/N…I’d love to help, but…um…” He put his free hand through his wavy black hair, his blue eyes full of nervous energy, “I don’t think that my father will be very happy with me if he finds out I let my future wife jump our garden wall."  

Chapter Text

Y/N stared at Kal-El, feeling her knees give out underneath her. He let out a little yelp of surprise, quickly supporting her weight in his arms. Her head spun in several different directions, and she was unable to let a single noise leave her throat. Kal-El watched her reaction closely, his heart beating out of his chest. He was sure she’d hate him, now. He continued to support her weight, holding her in his firm arms.

            “Y/N…” He whispered, his black eyebrows arched in genuine concern, “Please say something…”

            Y/N crashed down back to the planet and buried her face in her hands. Kal-El was the crown prince?! How could she not have known that! He told her about Kryptonian naming customs, but she figured that Kal-El was just a member of the royal court, or a distant relative! Not the DAMN PRINCE.

            “Shh, look, shh, it’s okay. I’m so sorry, Y/N! I thought you knew I was the prince…”

            “Oh, Kal-El,” Y/N spoke, muffled behind her hands, “I do like you; I truly do…” She dared to show her face to him, hot tears streaming down her cheeks, “but…oh, I don’t think I’m cut out for this…”

            Y/N was relieved that Kal-El was the prince – she knew Kal-El. He was sweet, considerate, passionate. He had a good head on his shoulders, and he would do anything for those he loved. He was enamored with human culture, and she knew that she’d be treated with respect and that he would love her properly – beyond her wildest imagination. She craved it – she knew she could fall in love with him. She had already begun falling for him before this revelation even came around. But she wasn’t meant to be a princess. Not on a planet that was hostile towards her and her kind. The court would eat her alive. This would not be good for Kal-El’s future rule either. His legitimacy would most likely be questioned, and this could lead to the El family being overthrown. So much was at risk.

            “Y/N. I know you can do it,” Kal-El was doing his best to reassure her, but he understood her reluctancy. Ugh. His father should’ve never suggested this. He’d do anything to just let everything return to how it was two days before.

            “I want to provide you what you and your kingdom need,” Y/N admitted, feeling his thumbs wipe away her tears, “I’m not sure I can do that.”

            “We want to bridge our people. I can promise you that this…potential marriage…is not political in my eyes. I adore you. I know this is a lot to take in, but I promise that I adore you and want to dedicate myself to you. Nobody else…nobody else that my mother and father have brought before me have made me feel like you do. And if you try this, even for a few weeks or months…”

            “I…”

            “We don’t have to consummate; I’ll make sure of it. There are ways that we can fake the consummation and nobody would be any wiser. I’ll keep you safe from members of the court, and I’ll let you do all the research you want. You can have total independence. Like I said, this marriage isn’t political to me, but it is political to the planet. We…we just have to show that we’re a couple to the planet at large and members of the court. This way we have a chance at improving the human-Kryptonian relationship. I…I’m so sorry, Y/N. But I promise…I will make this so easy on you…I don’t want you to be sad.” 

            Y/N pondered Kal-El’s words. She believed everything he said. The benefits were stronger than the hinderances. She wouldn’t have to provide heirs, and she’d be able to be independent. They’d just have to play it up in front of the court and public. She was comforted by the fact that Kal-El had feelings for her, and she knew she had them for him too.

            But she was sure neither of them had feelings that were strong enough to justify a marriage. Nonetheless, they had a duty, and they’d complete it. Anything to improve humanity and Krypton.

            “I’ll do it…on one condition,” Y/N took a steadying breath, “everything that you said…plus me being allowed to leave Krypton when Tomar-Re comes with the convoy.”

            Kal-El felt his heart shatter, but he wouldn’t allow himself to be selfish. He wanted Y/N to be happy…and if that meant returning to her home, he’d let her go. If he could only love her behind a ruse, he’d do it. He wouldn’t regret their time together, and he’d be sure that she’d enjoy it as well. He took a deep breath.

            “I promise. When Tomar-Re arrives with the convoy, I’ll let you go home. I won’t keep you here for selfish reasons. I wouldn’t do that to you.”

            “Then I accept your proposal, Kal-El.” Y/N breathed, lacing their hands together, “I trust you.”

            “I won’t let you down, Y/N. I swear it.”

--

            Y/N stared at the large bed with bright white sheets as her and Kal-El stood on opposite sides. They had just been married in a beautiful but elaborate ceremony. She followed the Kryptonian customs, since she was the princess of the House of El, but they did let her incorporate some human ceremonies, such as wearing a veil and a wedding dress. Y/N was relieved she wouldn’t have to wear Kryptonian wedding clothes, but she knew that from then on, she’d be dressed in the proper clothes that the palace required. The less she stood out, the higher the potential of her being eventually accepted by Krypton’s people.

            Speaking of Krypton’s people, widespread protests filled the capital the streets nearby. Kal-El refused to let Y/N look outside or read anything about the protests. He encouraged her and kept her head up, making her focus on him. How could she focus on anything else when he was so caring and so beautiful? She wanted to run a hand through his wavy locks and stare into his blue eyes until she drowned. She was enamored by Kal-El. She was sure that would never pass.

            Lara and Jor-El were thrilled about the marriage and were happy that their son and Y/N were content with this arrangement. They were even more excited for the duo to consummate their marriage, which would hopefully result in adorable grandchildren. Y/N and Kal-El didn’t have the heart to tell them that wouldn’t be occurring anytime soon (if at all,) but they needed to keep the façade up of their “legitimate” marriage.

            And the only way to legitimize a wedding in Kryptonian custom was to make love on the wedding night.

            Which was a non-starter for Kal-El and Y/N (even though Kal-El found it increasingly difficult to not caress the woman he loved with his lips and hands.)

            “What do you have in mind to fake this?” Y/N breathed to her husband, playing with her fingers. Kal-El cleared his throat, knowing that the high priest was outside of the room. Ugh, this made his skin crawl!

            “They’ll look for a soiled bedsheet,” Kal-El stiffly spoke, sure to keep his voice down. He saw Y/N wince from the vulgarity, “I…I can take care of that, at least from my end. It’s really archaic, but we could lie and say that…human women, e-even though you say they do, don’t…um…produce...any fluids?”

            “Good idea,” Y/N was sure to put Kal-El out of his misery, patting his shoulder, “but the priest is outside. Does he expect to hear—”

            “Yes, unfortunately. When I become king, this is the first custom I am ridding us of.”

            This was the worst moment of their lives (so far.)

            “So, he’s going to want to hear a bed moving…and…noises.” Y/N confirmed, seeing Kal-El hide his face, mortified as he nodded.

            “This disturbs me just as much as it disturbs you.” Kal-El let out an awkward giggle, and Y/N joined in.

            “We can do this. It’s our duty, isn’t it?” Y/N kept her voice measured even though she was panicked. She didn’t want to do anything embarrassing, or come on too strong. There wasn’t really a “operators manual” to faking believable sex with your betrothed. They just needed to get this pesky tradition out of their way, and they’d be home free.

            Y/N changed into something more comfortable that covered her body. Kal-El was already in comfortable clothing, since he had changed in his room right after the ceremony. Y/N stared at the bed before taking a deep breath and crawling onto it.

            “So, um,” Y/N spoke dryly, “I think our best bet…to fool the priest, is to mimic…the position, so that the bed noises sound…real.”

            Kal-El nodded in agreement, unable to trust his voice at the moment. He gently hovered himself over Y/N’s body and straddled her hips without making much contact. He put his lean arms up near her face, allowing one of his hands to touch the side of her cheek in reassurance. Y/N couldn’t help but smile, letting her lips caress his palm.

            He nearly lost it then and there.

            He kept his composure, looking down at his wife. Y/N looked back up at him, daring him to look away. He stared into her eyes and saw her pupils get larger. He felt himself relax slightly as he looked at her, and he decided that the quicker they got this over with, the better.

            “I’m going to...uh, start now. Is that okay?”

            “Yes…” Y/N managed to croak, the reality of their position beginning to sink into her brain. He was so…ethereal, leaning over her heaving body. His dark hair fell forward, and his bright blue eyes begged for her to look closer, to lose herself. His arms were lithe and strong, stationed up near her head. She felt herself leaning forward on instinct.

            Does he feel the way I do?

            “Y/N…” Kal-El whispered, running his thumb along her bottom lip. Y/N quickly crashed back to the present and reveled in the burning feeling his thumb left.

            “Y-Yes?”

            “Let me know if you want to stop. I don’t mind…”

            “I trust you,” Y/N sighed, sending him a reassuring look, “I know you won’t hurt me.”

            Kal-El looked down at Y/N, and he felt his heart melt. He didn’t want to focus on it, but he wished that maybe someday, they’d truly consummate this marriage.

            He took a deep breath and surged his hips forward, sure to avoid any contact with Y/N’s body. The bed rocked up against the wall, and it started them both.

            “Oops,” Kal-El winced, “That may have been too—”

            “I think the priest heard it,” Y/N swallowed, her throat drier than the desert, “I’m okay…are you okay?”

            “Mmhm…” He confirmed, noticing just how close his pelvis was to Y/N’s. He shifted slightly, his arms flexing to keep himself in a plank position so that Y/N would stay comfortable.

            “Alright, let-let’s keep going, then.”

            Kal-El dutifully repeated his action, the bed making noises once again. He dipped down lower, his pelvis brushing hers slightly. Her eyes flew open as she looked up at him, her heart nearly thumping out of her chest. His face was flushed, and his blue eyes had a look of determination in them. Her breath hitched in her throat as she looked at the space between them. She could see the outline of his desire, and she let out a shudder in desperation. Maybe it wouldn’t be too bad if he…brushed closer against her.

            When Y/N shuddered, Kal-El quickly made eye-contact with her, his eyebrows furrowing in concern. Y/N thought it was hard to breathe earlier – she felt like Kal-El had just sucked every bit of oxygen out of her lungs. His blue eyes shone, and his pupils were blown wide. She was everything to him. He searched her eyes for any sign of discomfort, and he dipped his head down so their noses brushed together in reassurance. He heard Y/N let out a light giggle, and he couldn’t help but giggle back at her.

            Y/N felt her anxieties begin to ebb, and she dared herself to brush her lips against his cheek. She saw Kal-El lift a hand to touch his cheek in disbelief, and she smiled at his bashfulness. He surged forward and left a light kiss on her cheek.

            They erupted into quiet giggles again, and Y/N prayed that she would be able to see Kal-El’s smile behind her eyelids forever. The bed creaked again, and Y/N realized that they needed to finish this up.

            “Oh, Kal-El,” Y/N wisped into the air, letting out a soft sound of pleasure.

            The man above her suddenly stopped, his face turning bright red. Y/N giggled behind her hand, nodding at the man to make his noise.

            Kal-El quickly caught on and cleared his throat. Her soft noise shot volts of electricity to him, bubbling at the bottom of his chest. He felt his hips jolt forward out of instinct, but it didn’t seem like Y/N noticed.

            “Y/N,” He huffed, “I love you,” He moaned.

            It was Y/N’s turn to feel the jolt. His voice was heavenly – she felt a rush run through her body, from the base of her spine to her fingertips. Even though she knew the noise was fake, her brain took some time to catch up.

            They stared at each other, raptured. Y/N let out a soft giggle, and as always, he joined in with her. This was absolutely ridiculous…but neither of them really wanted it to end.

            She daringly ran a hand through his waves and threw her head back, her moan echoing off the walls. Kal-El lunged forward, the bed smacking the wall violently. He winced --- that was completely out of instinct. He then noticed just how delicate Y/N’s body was compared to his. He’d never, ever get over it if he ever injured her. She seemed okay, biting her bottom lip as she waited for his response to her call.

            “Oh, Princess…” He groaned, grinding down lightly on Y/N’s hip bone, “You’re mine…please tell me you’re mine…”

            Y/N felt sweat begin to prickle on her forehead. This was beginning to get very, very intimate, and she had to remind herself that they were doing this to bring their people together. But oh, when he called her Princess, she nearly collapsed from the heat of it all. She could think of their terms and conditions later. Just one more statement should be good as gold to get the priest off their back.

            “I’m all yours, Kal-El.” She confirmed with a whiny sigh, quickly grabbing her husband’s hip bones to indicate that he no longer had to make the bed creak in a rhythm. She saw him nearly jump out of his skin from her delicate touch, but he got the message, his cheeks still a deep pink color. Y/N could feel heat cover her from head to toe – she didn’t want to even imagine what her face looked like.

            She watched Kal-El throw his head back and let out a blissful noise, and she couldn’t pull her eyes away from his throat. It wouldn’t be too bad if she kissed his throat, would it? To thank it for blessing her with something so intimate, so precious? Before she could give in to her impulsiveness, Kal-El looked back down at her, a bashful smile on his lips.

            “Was that okay?” He asked.

            It took several seconds for her to collect her brain and spit out words. She took a deep breath and nodded excitedly.

            “Y-yeah…I…I think we had a…convincing performance.”

            “Good,” Kal-El panted softly.

            They stayed in their positions for a few seconds longer, observing each other like they had just now seen each other for the first time. She felt their faces get closer and closer, and she was about to let her eyelashes kiss her cheeks when Kal-El suddenly rolled off her.

            “I…had better check with the high priest in the hall. I’ll ask him if he needs the bedsheet…”

            “Sure, yes,” Y/N swallowed harshly, “of course.”

--

            The priest, surprisingly, insisted that he didn’t need to see the “soiled” bedsheet. She figured that her and Kal-El’s little performance was enough to convince everyone that they had consummated on their wedding night. However, the other challenges that lay in front of them couldn’t be dealt with so easily.

            Several weeks had passed, and Y/N was settling into her “courtly” duties. She still had time to go and visit her friends in the settlement, which was a great relief, but she noticed that the more she did it, the more side-eyes she got from the court and Kryptonian citizens. She would invite her friends to the palace (Kal-El encouraged it,) but there were too many faux paus that could occur, and Y/N did not need that on her shoulders. She now had to limit her visits to once a week.

            Attending court was a debacle in of itself. While the things Jor-El discussed with his advisors were very interesting and gave her more information than she knew what to do with about Kryptonian society, she was acutely aware of the loud whispering and gesturing that was going on while the officials spoke. When Kal-El would talk to the court, Y/N felt all the stares on her body instead of his. However, along with the glares and sneers, she could also feel Kal-El’s gentle gaze on her. He would always look to his side to see her and make sure that she wasn’t looking too miserable. Each time his eyes met hers, she felt her heart skip beats. While she wasn’t very enthused with the pettiness of the court, she did enjoy Kal-El’s loving care. She continued to hold herself together with grace, but she really didn’t know how much longer she could stand the tension.

            “Are you okay?” Kal-El whispered, taking her hand in his.

            In the evenings, they would escape to the large garden in the back of the palace. It was like their own little paradise, completely unseen by others. Servants tended to stay out of the fray when her and Kal-El were in the garden, and she was sure that her husband hinted to them to just go about their other duties and not worry about their prince and princess. It was something to look forward to at the end of a long day.

            The sky was turning such a dreamy color as the red sun set, and stars began to appear above their heads. Y/N loved looking at the sky – the stars were all positioned so differently, and sometimes (which were Y/N’s favorite times,) Kal-El would pull her close and point out the different constellations. Other times, he’d point out the names of all the different plants in the garden, and would sit down next to her as she sketched out the petals and leaves in her field notes. His blue eyes always explored her face and body when she was working, and it made her feel all tingly.

            She was falling for him. Hard.

            She realized that he had asked her a question, and she quickly straightened up so she was no longer bending over the blue humming flowers, taking in their scent.

            “Hm? Oh, I’m doing just fine, Kal-El,” Y/N gave him a close-lipped smile, “you and your family have really looked after me.”

            “I know you’re being looked after, Y/N,” He spoke seriously, pushing the hair out of her eyes that obscured him from view, “but I want to know if you’re okay.”

            He was asking about her happiness and her mental state. She did miss her friends, but she did still get to see them. It was her decision to only go and visit once a week – she figured it would make the whole transition much easier. Kal-El had offered several times to sneak out of the palace with her to go visit, but she didn’t want the court to get a bad taste in their mouth (even more than they already had, with their future king marrying a human from a “backwater planet.”)

            “Well,” Y/N had learned quickly that if she wasn’t honest with Kal-El, he immediately knew. He’d stare her down with the most caring yet serious look, which would make her swoon in any other situation. She trusted him wholly, “this week has been kind of weird…and you know why,” Y/N nervously laughed, rubbing her arm.

            “Oh, yeah…” He spoke, biting his bottom lip as he felt heat fill his cheeks.

            At the beginning of the week, Lara came to Y/N and Kal-El’s bedroom (they totally slept in different bedrooms at night, but he would sneak in just before dawn, sit in one of the chairs and read until Y/N awoke so they were seen emerging from the same place) to check in on them and their “progress.”

            Y/N didn’t know that “checking on their progress” meant taking her and her husband to the palace doctor and getting an ultrasound done on her abdomen, though.

            Lara was obviously wondering if Kal-El’s “seed” had done its job inside of her. It was torture for her and Kal-El to beat around the bush since they didn’t exchange anything remotely like that on their wedding night, or any night afterwards. Her abdomen was obviously empty, and Lara was sure to reassure her daughter-in-law as the doctor shook his head in annoyance.

            “Oh, Y/N, these things take time, I’m sure. The doctor has told me and Jor-El that you should be able to get pregnant—”

            “It should be very easy for the human to get pregnant,” The doctor interjected, crossing his arms, “she should already be pregnant. Something must be wrong with her, the prince is very healthy.”

            Kal-El glared at the doctor who took a step back, realizing he was out of line. He cleared his throat.

            “But these things do take time.”

            “Just as I said, Doctor.” Lara enunciated, sending the doctor off, “I’ll come by next week and we can check again, how does that sound?”

            “Uh…”

            So, on Mondays, Lara would be back in “their” bedroom for another medical update. Word of her “empty womb” had already spread to the court, which made the week even more unbearable. The whispers were louder around her, and the handmaidens and members of the court were not as sympathetic as Lara and Jor-El.

            “It didn’t take! Can you believe it? I give it just a few more weeks before she’s disposed of. Then the prince can marry someone actually suitable.”

            “You would’ve thought they’d check her to see if all her parts worked, especially the one that matters. I’m sure all humans are just wretched—”

            “She’s too inferior to carry a Kryptonian child. If it ever does take, I’m sure it’ll make her sick and bed-ridden.”

            Y/N knew that these comments were stupid and unfounded – her and Kal-El hadn’t had sex, which would obviously result in nothing. But the words still made her blood boil. She nearly exposed her and Kal-El’s consummation ruse because she was getting so frustrated and wanted to attack.

            She was grateful she had the ability to bite her tongue.

            “The whispers have been pretty loud,” Y/N admitted, looking down at her feet, “I’m okay! Like, obviously nothing would be in there, but—”

            “The words still hurt,” Kal-El whispered, closing his eyes, “I should’ve never pulled you into this…”

            Y/N shook her head in protest, grasping both of his hands, intertwining their fingers, “Don’t say that. I’m happy to be here with you. I’m learning so much, and I think we are going to make progress on what we’ve set out to do. Some members of the court have already come around and have been nice to me…”

            Y/N was unsure if it was genuine niceness or if it was just to get on Jor-El’s good side. At least not everyone disliked her.

            “But Y/N—”

            “You bring me comfort,” Y/N breathed, smiling softly when he finally made eye contact with her, “and I enjoy being with you. It never feels like a chore, or fake…” 

            “I’m glad,” He smiled, their noses touching.

Y/N felt her face heat. She was falling deeply for him, but she knew better than to let herself drown underneath his waves. Tomar-Re could come any day with the convoy and…she’d have to go back home, right? She couldn’t just leave her friends and stay forever on Krypton…could she? This was all temporary. She closed her eyes as she chanted the word over and over in her head. Temporary.

Her feelings were anything but temporary, though.

He was on her mind all of the time, and even then, it didn’t feel like it was enough. When they would pass each other in the halls and make eye contact, she’d resist the urge to verge from her path and follow him around. When he stood close to her and spoke to his people, she could see just how amazing he was. He cared about everyone, and every little thing. If anyone needed help, no matter how small the problem, he did everything he could to serve. She let out a laugh and looked at Kal-El once again, the sky now dark.

“There were good moments this week, too…” Y/N was sure to bring up the positives, nudging him with her hip, “those kids we met on our school visit were so sweet!”

“They were very fond of you,” Kal-El grinned from ear to ear, pulling her closer into his side.

Y/N took a deep breath when his warm body touched hers and she looked up into his face, giddy, “Thank you for taking me with you.”

“Of course, you’re my Princess,” Kal-El breathed, his face coming closer, “I need you by my side.”

At the school, Y/N learned about what Kryptonian children were taught. They were taught various sciences and humanities, but it seemed like their favorite activity was listening to Kal-El read to them and engage them in conversation. He was a natural around them, and was sure to hug them back when they’d run up into his arms.

These children didn’t hold the same views as their parents. They were open and loving. They clung to her legs and begged her to tell them about earth. They asked some silly questions, like if she could breathe underwater since they learned that the “earth is covered by 71% water!” She was happy to indulge them, and her heart melted when one of the little boys came right up to her and gave her a painting he had been working on.

He had sloppily made a stick figure of her with her H/C hair, holding hands with a stick figure of the prince. She nearly teared up at how sweet the boy was – they weren’t ostracizing her, or viciously whispering behind her back like the members of the court did. She truly believed it was children who teach, and she had high hopes for Kryptonian-Human relations in the future…even if she would no longer be their princess in a matter of weeks or months.

That thought pained her, and she winced.  

Kal-El noticed.

“Am I hurting you?” He blurted, sure to give her space. Y/N nearly whined at the loss of contact but held it back.

“N-no,” Y/N stammered, “you could never hurt me.”

“Then what is it?”

He wanted to know every single inch of her – what made her happy, what made her sad. She was his everything. He knew how dangerous it was to feel this way. He still felt like he had forced Y/N’s hand in this situation. He hoped that someday she’d tell him she loved him. He was sure it would bring him to tears.

“Temporary,” she whispered under her breath, pointedly staring at the ground.

Kal-El felt his heart ache. She was right – this was temporary. If that convoy came, Y/N would be gone, and all she’d just be a beautiful memory. He hated it. Why couldn’t she have just been born on Krypton? Why did she have to be from another world? It was torture. To have her in his arms and realize that she couldn’t permanently stay in them. They’d have to say goodbye someday. He pulled her close and buried his face in her hair.

“I know,” He let out a sigh, “I know. But I will never regret the time we spend together.”

“Maybe the convoy will never come,” Y/N dared to suggest, still keeping her voice below a whisper.

Kal-El refused to accept that as fact. Y/N was going to go home someday. Tomar-Re was a dedicated Green Lantern – he’d deliver on his promise. He shook his head and left a soft kiss on the crown of her head.

“All we have are the moments that are gifted to us…so let’s spend them together, hm?”

Chapter Text

Y/N stared at her ceiling in the bedroom she was meant to be sharing with her husband. It had been a few months since her and Kal-El were married, and she found it increasingly hard to not share a bed with him. She knew it sounded desperate, but whenever he would say good night to her in their shared hallway, she’d want to grab his hand and beg him to join her. She missed his warmth, his whispers. She also knew their time was limited. Since months had now passed since their marriage, Tomar-Re could arrive with his ship at any second. She had dared to suggest that Tomar-Re wouldn’t come, but she felt guilty after she said it. She didn’t want to raise her husband’s expectations, and she knew that her friends wanted to get back to earth. While they did come to love Krypton, she knew that they were missing out on sharing their discoveries and continuing their mission through space. Y/N was sure that Lois was going to die if she wasn’t able to publish her whole story soon.

             Y/N enjoyed her and Kal-El’s time when visiting the settlement – she was more comfortable visiting more often now. The court was slowly coming around to the fact that Y/N was seemingly here to stay (they had no idea about Y/N and Kal-El’s arrangement, and neither did Lara or Jor-El. And it needed to stay that way.)

            Y/N let out a frustrated sigh as she turned over onto her stomach, her husband still spread across her thoughts. She couldn’t get their “consummation night” out of her head. She so desperately wanted to hear him keen and moan for her again – and actually mean it. Maybe she did want to provide him with an heir. It would bring her so much satisfaction to have Kal-El announce her pregnancy to the court, and see them all congratulate her and eat their damn words.

            But she couldn’t think like that, because it wasn’t going to happen. And having a kid for such a petty reason wasn’t right.

            The more she focused on the situation, the more she realized she had been in love with him this entire time. How could anybody not fall in love with someone who cared so much? Kal-El was honest, loving, and trustworthy. He made her a priority in his life when he didn’t have to. It would probably have been easier on him if he didn’t elevate her so high. There were other fine matches for him on the planet and he had the chance to live a comfortable and loving life. She knew that love made you do crazy things, but she still couldn’t…grasp the whole concept. What was a Kryptonian like Kal-El doing with someone like her?

            She tried to resist the negative thoughts, but with everything she had been through since she and her friends crash landed, it was getting harder to see the positives. She never felt…right. She felt guilty when she prayed that Tomar-Re’s convoy wouldn’t come through – that was selfish against her friends. She felt terrible when she would see Jor-El and Lara’s happy faces when her and Kal-El crossed paths with them in the palace. They had no idea that she and her husband were putting up a “front.” Anger and frustration embittered her as she sat on the cold doctor’s table, hearing him huff and smarmily write down that her womb was “not functioning the way it should.”  

            “Did you ever stop to consider that it may be me that isn’t functioning properly?” Kal-El snapped at the doctor one day.

            The look on the doctor’s face was priceless.

            She felt the most shame when she thought about the man she loved. He made a huge sacrifice. To better his planet and please his father’s vision for Krypton, he begged Y/N to marry him. He said that he had feelings for her, and Y/N did believe him – but she didn’t know how deeply they ran. She didn’t want to say that she loved him – she knew that she did, but what if it made Kal-El uncomfortable? What if his feelings didn’t run as deep as hers? Yes, she could be honest and ask him about it, but what was the point of that? She’d be leaving soon…right?

            The only time she ever felt good was when she and Kal-El would be doing something together. Away from the prying eyes of others, away from the people they were having to keep this ruse up to please. When it was just the two of them, Y/N knew there was no posturing or acting. No holding their tongues, biting back comments. She wished it could be like that all the time. But he was a prince, and she was his princess.

            Duty came first.

            She decided that she would try to get some sleep because she knew she’d need it for the next day – she was meeting with her handmaidens about something trivial, like the color scheme of her closet. She hoped it wouldn’t be too painful.

            Sadly though, Y/N’s brain didn’t get the memo that she wanted to sleep, and she began thinking about all the experiences she and Kal-El had together over the past couple of months. She felt her brain enter a dream-like state, and she let out a soft sigh.

            Last week, her and Kal-El were out in the garden again. It was their little sacred tradition, and she felt like every moment they spent there was in suspended animation – where time didn’t pass. They were planning on star gazing that night, but clouds filled the sky and obstructed the view that Y/N was so fond of. She pouted and let out a sigh, looking over to Kal-El who patted her back.

            “I’m sorry, Y/N. Maybe the clouds will pass…” He suggested, putting a hand through her hair. Y/N closed her eyes at the soft gesture and smiled.

            “Don’t apologize, it’s not your fault. Maybe we could—”

            Before Y/N was able to suggest another activity, the dark clouds opened up and pelted the pair with warm rain.

            They both let out little astonished noises, the rain soaking them to the bone. Before Y/N could even register the dramatic rainfall, she heard Kal-El let out a beautiful, loud laugh. She looked over to him – he looked so joyful, genuinely excited by the turn of events. While some people would run for cover or complain about their luck, he was happy. She couldn’t help but giggle, her laugh becoming louder when she saw how his black hair was plastered to his forehead from the harsh rain.

            She was sure to pull back his hair and Y/N saw just how close they were to each other. Their noses brushed together, and she could feel the flutter of his eyelashes. Y/N watched delicate rain droplets drip from his sharp jaw and she licked her bottom lip as she thought about kissing along his jaw. She felt his hands land on her lower back, and she saw him tilt his head to the side. Oh God, this was it…were they going to kiss—

            “Prince Kal-El! Princess Y/N!”

            Kal-El and Y/N jolted up in surprise, her forehead making contact with his chin. They both let out soft hisses of pain. The guard that saw them blanched a bit, wincing.

            “I-I’m sorry, but it’s pouring down rain! You must get back inside, the Princess could get sick.”

            Y/N nearly stomped her feet and shouted at the Kryptonian – she could stand in the rain and not get a cold! How sensitive did they think she was?!

            “Thank you,” Kal-El was gracious to the guard, pulling Y/N tight to his warm side and bringing her back into the foyer, "would you grab some towels? I want to wrap Y/N up and get her dry.”

            “Right away, your highness.”

            He held her so close in the warm towel, and he refused to let her go once she got dry. He wanted to make absolutely sure that she was warm and wouldn’t get sick. She could still feel his arms around her. It was bliss.

            Her mind then floated to the time they snuck into the palace kitchen after hours. It was nearing three in the morning, and Kal-El was desperate to see if Y/N could make something that was native to her home planet. It took Y/N almost forever to quiz her husband about all the different foods on Krypton, and she noticed that Krypton’s flour and butter were very similar to earth’s. They did not have chickens, but some other bird that could provide eggs. The eggs were a deep red color, which sent Y/N for a loop, but she was sure to remind herself that this was Krypton, not earth. Red eggs were super normal here.

            For whatever reason.

            She decided she’d be able to make earth cookies with the similar items. The kitchen staff were amazing and sweet, but they would refuse to let her and Kal cook anything – they felt it was their duty to serve the palace and that it was rude to even allow the royalty to work on something they should be able to do. Y/N noticed that a lot of things revolved around the concept of duty on Krypton…and she wondered if she was doing her duty the best she could.

            But she could think about that later.

            “How much…flour? You said it was called flour?” Kal-El asked, staring at the bowl in front of him. Y/N let out a giggle at how bewildered he was.

            “Yes! Flour. Um…let’s say about three cups.”

            “…How much is three cups, sweetheart?”

            Y/N’s heart soared when she heard the affectionate name pass his lips, and she came over closer to him – she should’ve known that measurements would be very different.

            “Let me just eyeball it,” Y/N looked at the flour and grabbed a random cup. She had made cookies from scratch a few times before – she should remember the flour content.

            Kal-El watched with large curious eyes as his wife did her measuring. He was so wrapped up in watching her work that he didn’t notice he was about to sneeze. Before he could stop himself, he let out a sneeze, sending the flour everywhere.

            The pair stood in the kitchen in a stunned silence as the powdery substance began to clear out of the air. They were covered head-to-toe, and there really wasn’t much flour they’d be able to recover since most of it was on their bodies or on the floor.

            “Oh…Oh, Y/N! I’m so sorry, I—”

            Y/N lowered her eyes at Kal-El and quickly grabbed a handful of flour from the floor. She ran up to him and covered all of his hair with it so there weren’t any streaks of black left.

            “White is a good color on you.”

            She watched the prince catch on and he quickly retaliated, taking a handful of flour and blowing it into her face.

            “Ah! Not fair!” She squealed, surging forward to grab his shoulders. She attempted to push him to the ground but he was much stronger, laughing as he kept avoiding her gentle attacks. Before she could get her footing corrected, she felt him lift her up off the ground.

            Y/N stared at Kal with big eyes, realizing just how strong he was. He spun her around and she left a shy kiss on his forehead, the flour now transferring to her lips. She began to splutter.

            He let out another laugh and placed her back on the ground, his lips pink and flourless. She got a sinful idea in her head – she could just wipe off the flour with a rag…or she could transfer it over to his lips for full revenge. His blue eyes challenged her, and she saw a smirk fall on his lips.

            Oh, she was so going to take her revenge—

            “What are you doing!” Jor-El exclaimed, walking into the palace kitchen.

            Y/N and Kal-El froze in place, staring wide-eyed at the king. Y/N was seriously getting so tired of people randomly interrupting her and her husband. Then again, she figured it may be an act of providence – she couldn’t fall deep. It was temporary. If they ever did lock their lips together…she’d probably never be able to let go.

            “Um…”

            “Actually…I do not wish to know. Be sure you clean up before going to bed,” The man let out a tired sigh, “if one of the chefs were to walk in and see this, we’d be nursing him for days.”

            Y/N felt like she was going to have to be nursed for days after this.

            Time and time again, she felt his love. Whether it was an encouraging gentle touch, a look, or a sassy remark to a petty member of the court or the palace doctor, Kal-El went above and beyond. He truly cemented his place as her “protector” when he saw one of Y/N’s favorite handmaidens coming down the palace hallway after a particularly tense debate. He didn’t hesitate, he saw one of the hall closets and quickly pulled Y/N into it. Y/N let out a sharp yelp at the sudden movement, her eyes trying to adjust to the darkness she was just plunged into.

            “Sorry,” He whispered, “we’ll just wait for her to pass. I don’t want to hear her grating voice again…”

            Y/N was acutely aware of how small this closet was. They were pressed tightly against the other, and she could feel his chest move up and down as he breathed. There was hardly any room to wiggle around, and if Y/N was even slightly claustrophobic, they would have a situation on their hands. She nodded against his chest, uncertain of where to put her hands. She decided she’d just lightly place them on his biceps.

            “Thanks,” She croaked, “yeah, I could’ve gone without her comments about the lack of legacy in my blood. I don’t even know what that means.”

            “It’s something that doesn’t matter to me or anyone else that truly matters. You are here, with me. I promised I’d take care of you. I intend to always deliver on that promise.”

            Kal-El’s voice was strong and firm. Y/N relaxed more in his arms, daring to lay her head on his shoulder. She felt him shift, wrapping his arms around her lower back. She pushed herself closer, biting her lip as she felt his hands politely slide about an inch down. His hands were right at her hips, and she quickly thought back to their wedding night. She felt like a woman starved. His sweet and friendly touches brought her immense happiness, but it also came with some emptiness and the desperate feeling of wanting to grip around something that wasn’t there.

            She didn’t want to clench around smoke and air. She wanted to clench around his warmth, his love. His desire.

            She really wished these thoughts weren’t going through her head as they were chest to chest, but the minute she heard his breathing hitch, she knew he was going through the same torture in his mind.

            She felt him move his hands to her neck and collarbone, allowing his slim fingers to caress over her bone structure. She let out a soft sigh, allowing her lips to brush against his jawline. He whispered her name, and she was frustrated that she couldn’t fully see him in the dark. Her eyes had adjusted, but she could only make out his outline. She only really knew it was him because of how his body felt.

            “Yes?”

            “Can I…” He stumbled over his words, “C-can I…um, touch?”

            “Touch me where?” Y/N murmured in his ear, putting a hand over his chest.

            The temperature was astronomical in the small closet, and she was happy to let herself melt if he melted with her.

            She felt his burning stare on her, and she bit her bottom lip so hard she could almost taste the metallic tang of blood. He adjusted his position and lowered his head. She nearly fainted when she felt his lips against her neck. Oh, God…please…!

            She waited with anticipation for his next movement, but it never came. Kal-El swiftly came to his senses, realizing that he was in a closet with Y/N…hiding from a particularly nasty handmaiden. They were married, yes, but…it wasn’t…real. She felt him let out a regretful sigh.

            The moment had passed.

            “I…I think she’s gone now…should we check?”

            They had so many moments that almost ended in the exact ways they wanted them to. Why hadn’t they taken the plunge? Why was she acting like everything was stagnant and plain? She should be in his arms, each second of each day. She should be memorizing how he felt under her fingertips, between her legs. This could all come crashing down in an instant.

            What the hell was she doing?! She had Kal-El right in front of her, and she was wasting all these precious, precious seconds being away from him. She pushed back her covers and got to her feet. She was going to go over to Kal-El’s bedroom and beg him to join her in what was supposed to be their marital bed. She wanted every minute of every day filled with him. She was going to be a proper princess, a proper wife – she didn’t want anything about their relationship to be fake, or for a grander purpose. She wrapped her robe around herself and was about to grab the doorknob when she heard a light knock at her door. Bewildered, she slowly opened it to see Kal-El on the other side.

            …Great minds think alike?

            She was about to greet him and yank him into her room when she noticed his expression. His blue eyes weren’t as bright, and he looked like he had been kicked in the stomach. He wasn’t in his night wear, but in his royal attire. It looked like he had been called to court. Alarms went off in her head and she quickly stepped forward, putting herself in his personal space.

            “Kal-El…are you okay? What’s wrong?” She whispered, her hands moving to touch his face. He harshly blinked back the tears that threatened to leak from his eyes. He had to be strong and supportive, just as he promised he would be. He cleared his throat.

            “Tomar-Re is here...with the convoy to take you and your friends back home.” 

Chapter Text

            Y/N walked with Kal-El to the throne room, completely and utterly numb. The day that she had both looked forward to and dreaded was finally here. She no longer had to guess how long it would take Tomar-Re to make it to Krypton with the convoy. She no longer had to pace in her room, thinking about the implications of all the different outcomes.

            The outcome was here. She was going home.

            Her and Kal-El spent the early morning hours whispering to each other in their shared room. He seemed hurt, disappointed. She was too. But he didn’t seem devastated, or strongly affected. There were no tears, no voice cracks. He sat next to her, rubbing her back as she let her thoughts run wild. She asked Kal-El how they should break the news, what this meant for Krypton in the long run. He told her that he would take care of it…and all that she should be thinking about was boarding that ship and heading home.

            Home.

            It was decided that Y/N and Kal-El would not tell Jor-El and Lara the sobering fact that Y/N was headed back home. Krypton would be without a princess, and he’d be alone…until Jor-El pulled out another match that he would have to settle with. He wanted Y/N. Only Y/N. But Kal-El was not selfish. It was back to a life filled with duty and rigidity. They were simply going to tell the king and queen that Y/N was going back to the settlement to say goodbye to her colleagues and make sure that everything was ready for them to have a smooth trip back home. Kal-El would accompany her to profusely thank Tomar-Re for his assistance.

            Even though Kal-El wanted to tell Tomar-Re to go back onto the ship and stick it back where it came from without Y/N on it.

            When they entered the room, Kal-El put a tender arm around his wife (who would be his wife for only a few more hours) and put on a brave face. He felt Y/N straighten out her posture, and only he could tell that the smile on her face was fake.

            “Ah, I trust Kal-El has told you the good news, Y/N?” Lara smiled, standing up quickly to greet her daughter-in-law. Y/N slightly bowed, nodding her head.

            “It’s bittersweet,” Y/N answered, sure to keep her voice steady, “On one hand I am so happy that my colleagues will be able to return home to their duties and tell their stories. On the other, I am sad to see them leave. I’ll soon be the only human on Krypton…”

            “You will never be alone, Y/N,” Jor-El consoled, looking between her and his son, “Kal-El is very fond of you, and so are we, members of the court, and Krypton as a whole. You have already taught us all so much. We look forward to the other lessons you will bestow upon us…”

            “Along with our future heir,” Lara beamed, ignoring the embarrassed look Kal-El sent her. He was getting real sick of hearing about Y/N’s womb every other day.

            He figured those conversations would end soon.

            Wow. He may even miss those awkward interactions.

            “Yes, I guess I won’t be alone,” Y/N let out a stiff chuckle, “our child will be half human.”

            Kal-El gazed into Y/N’s eyes and felt the urge to weep. He tightly shut his eyes and took another deep breath.

            “I look forward to the day that we begin our family,” He murmured.

            Y/N sniffled and turned her face to hide it in Kal-El’s firm shoulder. She needed to pull herself together. Why was she getting so worked up? She didn’t want to be making heirs for anyone! Why did she suddenly want to? Maybe she’d feel better once they made their way to the settlement. She was just dreading saying goodbye to the only man she’s ever loved. Once they did their goodbye…she’d be good to go…she had to be.

            “Do hurry back,” Lara began, sitting back down on her throne, “Jor-El and I have figured that you and Y/N have spent enough time in the palace working. We would like to send you two on an envoy trip to another city on Krypton for about a month. We suppose you two would benefit from the…alone time, and enjoy interacting with Kryptonians outside of the capital.”

            “Of course, mother,” Kal-El interjected, “We look forward to it.”

            “Thank you,” Y/N felt the lump in her throat thicken, “for everything. Truly, Jor-El and Lara. I will never forget it.”

            “Of course,” Jor-El said, “you are a part of our family.”

--

            Y/N and Kal-El arrived at the settlement in silence. It was obvious that neither of them knew where to start. She saw him obviously searching for the right words. Y/N figured she’d take the pressure off the prince.

            “You kept all your promises to me,” Y/N wrapped her pinkie finger around his as they walked, “you never faltered, or complained. You…you mean so much to me, Kal-El.”

            “It was the least I could do for you, Y/N. You taught our planet to think in new ways, challenged us. While there is still much for us to learn and practice, your impact will be felt for generations. I will make sure of it. You will always be my princess.”

            Y/N hastily wiped her eyes, unable to even look her husband in the eyes. She wanted to confess everything to him. She wanted to profess her love loudly for everyone to hear. She didn’t want to hold anything back. She wanted to tell him how he made her feel, how she adored every bit of him, even the bits he wanted to hide away or ignore.

            “I can’t believe that…” Y/N cleared her throat, “that this time has come.”

            “Yeah…me neither…”

            More silence.

            It was obvious to anyone with a brain and standard IQ that the two were dancing around their devotion. Y/N was discouraged by Kal-El’s brave face – he felt like he had to be supportive. He didn’t want to make her feel guilty or upset for how this was affecting him. He didn’t want her to know that her heart was broken. Not when this was a joyful occasion for her and the other humans that had called Krypton home for nearly a year.

            Y/N didn’t hint to her feelings either. She, of course, wasn’t singing in happiness about leaving, but she also wasn’t kicking and screaming, begging Kal-El to keep her in the palace, at his side. She wondered how’d she feel if she stayed and watched Tomar-Re’s convoy fly up into the sky and far away…to a planet she once called home.

            Time went too fast. Soon, Y/N was next to all of her colleagues, talking about their return home. Kal-El spoke with Tomar-Re about his efforts, and Y/N fell right into her princess duties, speaking with the Green Lantern about his selflessness and how much she appreciated his helping hand in getting her people back home. She could feel Lois’ stare on her, and she pointedly tried to ignore it.

            The operative word being “tried.”

            “So, wait…” The captain began, looking between Y/N and Kal-El, “you’re coming back with us, Y/N?”

            Y/N looked at Kal-El, her eyes begging him to show any sign that he wanted her to stay. She didn’t know what she was expecting. He was far too considerate and loving to ever guilt her into staying. But she wanted him to hold her close and refuse to let go. She knew she could do the same thing…but like Kal-El, she didn’t want to add any more pain and suffering to the fate that had been dealt to them.

            “Yes, Captain,” Y/N acknowledged, her bottom lip wriggling slightly, “I look forward to returning back to earth and sharing all that I have learned…thanks to Kal-El and his kingdom.”

            The captain raised an eyebrow but noticed how fragile Y/N’s state was. He wouldn’t question her…even though he firmly believed she should stay on the planet with the prince. Why would she return home when she had everything she needed on Krypton? She was a natural there. She belonged there.

            Krypton had become her home, right?

            No.

            Krypton was not her home.

            “We have gotten most things packed up and on the ship,” Tomar-Re brought Kal-El and Y/N up to speed, gesturing at Y/N’s colleagues that were starting to board, “so we should be on our way in a few minutes.”

            “Of course. We won’t delay your departure, Tomar-Re. I’m sure you’re on a very strict schedule.” Kal-El, as always, was thoughtful.

            “Yes. I will give you both some time to say goodbye.” Tomar-Re could read the situation well, and was sure to get out of dodge – he didn’t know how the two lovers weren’t on their knees. He made his way back onto the ship, and Y/N and Kal-El were left alone in the empty settlement.

            “When I first saw you,” Kal-El gathered the strength to speak, holding her hands delicately in his, “I could just tell that you’d be very important to me…and to my planet. I know that life for you on my planet has been very difficult. My people did not welcome you and your people with open arms. Still, there are people who reside in the palace that do not accept you as you are,” He stepped closer, “but there are many who do. Children have your name on the tips of their tongues. Schools teach about human customs and culture as electives. Little Kryptonians look up to you as a role model, and write book reports about you. You have been here…with me, for less than a year, and your impact…is something that Krypton may never see again in my lifetime.”

            Y/N was grateful for her husband’s praise. It humbled her to hear all the positives she had brought with her. But he didn’t mention anything about their relationship, the love they showed to the public. The adoration they showed in private.

            “You are my prince,” Y/N managed to croak, taking one of her hands out of his and putting it on his cheek, using her thumb to caress his smooth skin, “when you and I first met…and you stuck your hand out to greet me…a uniquely human thing to do, I felt tingly all over. I had met the one person that would truly understand me. Match my enthusiasm, my curiosity. You have brought me so much joy…and your memories will do the same. I wish I could take you with me,” Y/N admitted, fighting back the tears, “but we are bound to our duty. Yours is to your planet. Mine is to academics and my colleagues. The kindness…and the love you have shown me, Kal-El…I am certain I’ll never come across anything like it ever again.”

            “That’s nonsense,” Kal-El’s voice finally cracked – so quickly she almost missed it – “you are lovely. Anyone would be lucky to call you theirs. It was an honor and a privilege to call you mine for all these months. To be by your side. To hold you, to teach you. To learn from you.”

            “And you will have no problem finding someone who adores you. Someone who will make your parents happy and you happy. You’ll definitely find someone that will please the court a lot more,” Y/N let out a watery giggle, “that I can assure you.”

            But I don’t want that. Kal-El stubbornly thought.

            I want you, Y/N. You.

            “Y/N! T-minus 1 minute!” Lois yelled from the door of the spacecraft, “We’ve got a time schedule!”

            Y/N felt a chill creeping into her extremities, quickly making its way to her insides. No. It wasn’t time to say goodbye, was it? She couldn’t…she just couldn’t! She needed five more seconds. Five more minutes.

            Five more years.

            “We wouldn’t want to keep Tomar-Re waiting…would we?” The prince breathed, dipping his face so that their noses touched for the last time.

            “I think the person we don’t want to keep waiting is Lois. She runs a tight ship,” Y/N whispered, staring at his beautiful blue eyes. She couldn’t believe this would be the last time she’d look into them.

            But those eyes would haunt her dreams. Those blue eyes had replaced the scenes of the fiery crash on Krypton.

            She was grateful.

            “Until we meet again…” Kal-El didn’t want to say goodbye. It felt too final, too cold.

            Y/N spread out her hand that was in his hand, putting their palms together. His hand was slightly larger than hers, and she studied it for a few fleeting moments. Those were the hands that held her heart. The hands that held her heart, and shielded it from anything that would harm it.

            She slowly backed away towards the ship, their hands finally breaking contact.

            “Until we meet again…” Y/N echoed.

            She turned around and made her way to the ship, desperately begging herself not to turn around and look at the man she absolutely utterly adored. She walked up the steps to the ship and bit back her dry sob when she heard the door hiss shut behind her.

            It was silent as she took her seat near a window, staring at Kal-El’s figure. He stood there quietly; his blue eyes glued to the ship. He’d watch her depart, and then he’d make his way back to the palace…to take care of the chaos that would surely erupt.

            It wasn’t fair.

            Y/N finally allowed herself to cry. She buried her face into her hands and let her body heave with quiet sobs. Before she could catch her breath, she felt a gentle hand land on her shoulder. She looked up, eye to eye with Lois.

            “You love him, don’t you, Y/N?”

            Y/N sloppily tried to wipe her tears on her sleeve, taking a shaky breath, “We’re from two different worlds...I…it’s just…I don’t belong here. None of us do. We…we need to get home,” Y/N reasoned, wringing her hands together.

            Lois let out a sad sigh, squeezing her friend’s shoulder again. They both looked up when Tomar-Re sat in the captain chair, turning their way.

            “We’re ready for take-off. Buckle in – we’ll be hitting warp speed once we leave Krypton’s atmosphere.”

            Y/N looked out the window again at Kal-El. She could see his shoulders shaking slightly.

            He was crying.

            She shook her head. No. They had to leave and go back to earth. That was her home, where she rightfully belonged. She then tried to imagine her life back on earth. She’d go back to somewhere familiar, yes, but it would still be foreign. The yellow sun all of a sudden would seem too harsh. The once familiar constellations of earth would confuse her, and leave her hopeless if she ever needed to navigate with them. She’d be disappointed when the flowers planted in her garden wouldn’t hum a beautiful melody to her.

            She would wake up to a cold bed. She would walk into an apartment with the lights off after a long day of research and presentations. She’d close her eyes and see those otherworldly blue eyes over and over and over again. She’d walk out on the street and do a double take at every tall man with black hair that came her way.

            The ship began to hover off the ground, and Y/N quickly snapped back to reality. What the fuck was she doing?! She couldn’t go home! She belonged on Krypton.

            She belonged with Kal-El.

            “Wait!” She cried, unbuckling her belt, “No! Tomar-Re, I’m sorry…I’m so sorry, but I can’t leave Krypton…I belong here. I belong with my husband.”

            “It’s about time!” The captain of the human expedition exclaimed, “at least you came to this conclusion before we were lightyears away. That would’ve been a fun U-turn…”

            “Yes!” Lois exclaimed, clapping her hands together, “Now this is the perfect ending to my story.”

            Her colleagues all cheered and encouraged her, and Tomar-Re smiled at the heartwarming scene.

            “Who am I to deny that request?” He spoke.

            Tomar-Re landed the ship and the doors hissed open one more time to release Y/N.

            Kal-El had started to turn around and head back to the palace when he heard the ship stop in the air and come back down to the ground. Bewildered, he turned around and watched the door of the ship open.

            Y/N appeared, and she bolted down the steps, running towards Kal-El. He couldn’t believe his eyes, and he could hear her hiccupping sobs. He ran towards her, meeting her in the middle. Y/N didn’t slow her velocity, and she crashed into his arms, slamming her lips on his. Kal-El was swept away by the contact, quickly lifting her up the ground and pulling her closer into his body. He kissed her back with all the passion he could muster. He had waited so long to kiss her lips, and now he had her right where he needed her.

            In his arms.

            Tears fell down their cheeks as their kiss deepened. Y/N felt her entire body shiver in want as their tongues met, close to nearly collapsing into each other from how tight they were holding on. He spun her around as they kissed, and she tilted her head to get better purchase on his soft lips. It was everything she had ever dreamed of, and more. She would never get enough of this feeling.

            They separated their lips when Kal-El set her back on the ground, making sure that she was steady on her feet. As soon as her lips were released, Y/N fell forward, her lips pressed against his neck.

            “I love you, I love you, I love you…” She chanted over and over again, “I love you.”

            “I love you too, so much…” Kal-El whimpered, trying to wipe his tears so he could see her more clearly. He felt her catch her breath against him, her hands fisted into his shirt. The ship had already departed, and it was just the two of them on the former settlement. He cleared his throat and tried to get out the question that needed to be asked.

            “Y/N, your home…don’t you want to go back?” He delicately spoke, pushing the loose strands of her hair behind her ears.

            “You’re my home.”

            Normally, Y/N would gag and wince hearing anybody say that, since it was such a “Hallmark Christmas Movie” line, but she meant it. She had no better way of putting it. She knew that she would never live it down, but she couldn’t hide the way she felt. Not when she had been holding it back all those months. She felt so free, so open. Finally, Kal-El knew exactly how she felt.

            “Welcome home,” Kal-El whispered, pressing their lips together again. Her hands cupped the sides of his face as she passionately kissed back, wanting to make up on all their lost time.

            “I’m so happy to have my princess back,” He husked into her ear, kissing the shell, “and I’m sure Krypton is too.”

            Y/N tapped the tip of his nose with her pointer finger, laughing. He joined in with her, and laid a kiss on her forehead and her cheeks. He wanted to touch her all over – he was positive he wasn’t going to leave her side for anything during the next several weeks.

            “Speaking of being a princess,” Y/N fluttered her eyelashes, “I believe I’m done with my trial period.”

            “Are you?” Kal-El teased softly, allowing his lips to press against her jaw.

            “Mmhm. I intend on making my title official…in the eyes of Kryptonian tradition, at least.”

            Kal-El’s eyes widened when Y/N’s naughty words sunk into his brain. He looked at her, his jaw slack for a split second. She hid her giggle behind her fingers, and he lurched forward and captured her lips, nipping her bottom lip. She let out a little yip, her cheeks filling with as much heat as his were.

            “We won't ask for the high priest to bless us with his presence this time." He teased.

            Kal-El held her hand tightly in his as they made their way back to the palace, suddenly eternally grateful for his mother and father having the brilliant idea to surprise them with a visit to another area of Krypton for a month. Maybe if Y/N and him were really lucky, they’d return with a little surprise of their own.