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‘Krypto!’, was the only warning Clark got before a thundering crash reverberated throughout the Fortress. Shook snow now floating down made the place look like a snowglobe and he sighed, ruffling his now slightly damp hair.
“Welcome home, Kara!” He called over his shoulder as he finished up a few things on the newly repaired main console, now with triple the security thanks to Gary.
A snort and a few more crashes was her reply. Clark sighed again and straightened up. “Make sure you don't wreck too much of my stuff. The Superman Robots just got done with renovations!” Turning around at the sound of uneven footsteps, he saw his cousin dragging her feet through the tall crystal archway. He hid his cringe at the potent smell of alcohol wafting off her.
“Superman Robots? <T…really…calling them?>”
“Pardon?” Just based on her terribly slurred voice Clark could tell she was drunk as a skunk and it was hard enough for him to translate her fluent Kryptonian on a sober day, but now?
Kara blinked and burped in what sort of sounded like a ‘Huh?’ before nearly tripping on air.
“Nevermind.” He waved it off and instead turned their attention to the Fortress, “What do you think about the changes? I think the Superman Robots did an amazing job.”
Doing a quick and wobbly 360 that had Clark taking a step forward in case she fell, Kara surveyed the cavernous room. When she faced him again she spoke with an already more coherent voice, “<I don't see…changes>.”
Still Clark missed at least one word and he grimaced at himself and the situation that he found himself more often than ever lately. Really it was his own fault for not at least trying to learn enough Kryptonian to have a simple conversation with his own blood.
He gestured with more sincerity, “Maybe with just a brief look, but the new blueprints were really impressive. Gary put his all into it and I even helped tweak a few things.” If ‘tweaking a few things’ meant adding a simple side table on the centre raised platform and photos of his Ma and Pa as well as Lois all over. The rest of the design changes, like the new lighting system and a few tastefully done architecture modifications were entirely done by Gary. Kara didn't need to know that, though.
However, she just made a noncommittal sound and crouched down to a barking Krypto, “<...you say>.”
Clark fumbled with his hands for a second. “I made sure Gary wouldn’t change anything about your room,” At his oddly desperate words, Kara glanced up at him, “In case you were worried.”
With a scoff she rolled her eyes, “You mean the guest bedroom?” and her highly accented English made Clark relax guiltily.
“I already told you, it became your room the moment you got here, Kara.” He let his arms fall to his sides as he tipped his head, holding his eyes very resolutely to the side so he wouldn't copy her own eyeroll.
She was so weird about her bedroom being her bedroom and Clark, quite frankly, didn’t get it. Her room at Ma and Pa's, now that was actually a guest bedroom so he'd get if she was all whatever about that. Not like she used either of them anyways, but it wasn't like he was asking all that much-
“Why don't you ever speak <Kryptonian>?”
Clark startled at the abrupt change in topic and smiled uneasily. “Never really had anyone to speak it with growing up so…And I think I know the basic basics well enough.” He chanced letting his eyes fall to her and he immediately swung back around to the console.
She was just listening blankly and her silence soon echoed in between them. Clark only untensed enough to pat Krypto's head when the pupper skipped his way over.
“You can speak it with me now, though.” Klara said it in that way she always did when she thought something was so stupid that she couldn't fathom it. On the bright side she spoke it entirely without the effects of alcohol. The yellow sun really did work fast.
And besides her rude tone, Clark had also considered that. It was only a few days after he'd met her and they were having a tough time communicating. A shower thought that only lasted as long as it took for Kara to come to terms with the horrific fact that Krypton was no more and for her to learn to cope with that fact through drunkenness.
He breathed deeply, glaring down at his feet. “Wouldn't really work with you gone partying all the time, huh?”
Shoot. He really hadn't meant for that to slip out so harsh.
Again, her silence had his skin itching and, as it was just so unlike her, he was just about to turn around and apologize when Kara made a low crooing noise in her throat. His ears perked.
He had never been able to explain to his Ma and Pa why he made inhuman sounds when a certain emotion felt out of reach with words alone, or to Lois why he sometimes reacted to her affections with a rumbling in his chest. But when his parents had first met Kara - him trying to introduce them with words mumbled by impulsive sounds that he just couldn't seem to stop - they had understood it a little better then. He had been so excited.
They didn't communicate like that very often, didn't have the chance to. Either way, the noise she just made now was a new one. One that didn't need any explaining.
I'm sorry.
Clark shrugged, “No, it's okay. I didn't mean it like that, all I was trying-.”
“<Kal>. If I hung around a bit more, would you practice <Kryptonian> more?” She cut him off, and he was, honestly, thankful. He had not meant that apology in the slightest.
But her offer had him pinned. Obviously, there wasn’t much Clark wanted more than to spend time with his last remaining relative but at the same time actually spending time and really learning his native tongue sounded strangely…heavy.
But on the other hand, even if it is heavy, he would be connecting with his Krypton side. A side that wasn’t directly related to his new found parental trauma. And he would get to spend time with his, technically older, cousin and that in itself sent a childlike thrill down to his heart.
So he found himself letting out a very positive chirp and he turned back to her with a glisten in his eyes, “<Yes>.”
Kara's face split into a shit-eating grin, “Cool. But you gotta remember, I'm going to be the one teaching you. So first things first your dropping that American accent.”
Lifting himself off the floor and floating over to her, Clark feigned offense, “What’s wrong with my accent?”
“<Makes…Kryptonian sound…terrible>. I can hardly understand you.” She drawled at him and she evaded a light hearted punch to her shoulder, going over to the raised platform. The sun spilled over her from the open ceiling, “Now how much do you actually know?”
With a hopefully super non-chalant stride, Clark followed her and sat on the sun-bathing recliner, legs swinging, “<I not know you say big time>.”
She began belly laughing as soon as he started his sentence, and he chuckled with her, “Is it that bad?”
That seemed to set her off even more as she reignited into another round of obnoxious tipsy laughter, “<Yes. Very bad>.”
With a self-deprecating huff, Clark opened his palms to her, “Then get teaching, teach.”
He knew this probably wouldn't change Kara's seemingly bad opinions on Earth, but it hardly seemed to matter as she tried to instruct him through fits of humour.
Krypto, reading his mind, barked happily.
‘Krpyto!” was the only warning Clark got before a metallic crash rang through the Fortress. An ice crystal fell from the open ceiling and shattered to his left.
“Welcome back, Kara!” He called over his shoulder as he stood up from the new swivell chair, clicking a few buttons and shutting the console off.
A belch was her reply as she and a very hyperactive Krypto swept into the open chamber, “Sup, loser.” She sparked and nearly face-planted as the pupper decided it was time to weave through her legs.
The smell of alien alcohol still his nose no matter how many times he smelled it. Luckily the ceiling was open as pure usual when Kara was scheduled to come back. It helped with airing her out and getting the yellow sun on her as she refused to use the sun magnifier.
“You know you could just actually be nice and call me by my name.” Clark playfully bit. Her nicknames for him didn't actually bother him, but they did have the effect of annoying him sometimes. Its what he was sure she was going for.
Rolling her eyes good-naturedly, Kara ignored him, “Where are the Superbots?”
“Superbots?” Clark raised his eyebrows as he kneeled to give Krypto a bellyrub.
A little enhanced jump and Kara was seated crosslegged on the sun-bathing recliner. She shrugged, “You no like?”
Quickly shaking his head, he stood up and dusted off his hands as Krypto forgot about him and made his way over to his filled dog food bowl. “I think it's swell. You should just ask Gary first.”
That made her snort and look at him quizzically, “They're robots, dude. Pretty sure ‘Gary’ won't care.”
Clark rolled his eyes this time and whispered, “Pretty sure he will.”
“I heard that.” She spoke around a grin.
He sarcastically said an uncouth word in Kryptonian then quickly covered his mouth with his hand in shock.
“Clark!” Kara choked out after a loud gasp, then promptly fell back wheezing.
It was only later when Kara pointed out his better accent that Clark realized they'd spoken entirely in Kryptonian.