บท 148: Boundless Devotion
Clark's face lit up with a smile he didn't even realize he was wearing, dazed by a wave of pure happiness.
Floating in space, he looked at Soren, and for a brief moment, it felt just like when that golden-haired angel had descended the stairs all those years ago.
At that moment, his heart fluttered, and even now, it continued to beat wildly for this soul that captivated him.
...The heart he once used to love finally came back to life in that instant.
...
A few days later, Soren's wish was granted, and he moved from the Watchtower back to Earth, settling into the Justice League headquarters.
Clark didn't originally have a proper room at the Justice League HQ, only a simple office that doubled as a rest area.
He hadn't slept much in recent years, so there had never been a need for a bedroom.
But this time, he had them set up a room entirely to Soren's liking: light blue wallpaper, soft and comfortable furniture, with a thick carpet covering the floor.
Soren moved in, bringing along just two comic books.
That night, Clark had a special gift prepared for him—a transparent card with glowing circuits embedded within it.
"This will be your ID from now on," Clark explained, "You can use it to go anywhere in the world. Every citizen on this planet has equal residency rights."
Soren eagerly took the card, his eyes lighting up, "Does this mean I can also store credit points in it?"
"Its database is globally synchronized. Any credit points you earn, no matter where you are, will automatically be recorded," Clark explained.
"Great! Then I need to start working so I can save up a lot of credit points!" Soren said enthusiastically.
Clark blinked, confused, "Why do you need so many credit points?"
"To buy every <<Tintin>> comic and animated DVD! <<Tintin>> is amazing!" Soren declared, his excitement clear.
Clark paused, his eyebrows furrowed, "…I remember you didn't used to like detective comics."
Soren held the transparent ID card in his hands and smiled at Clark, "But <<Tintin>> really is amazing."
He looked up at the ceiling, as if envisioning the bright, shining future they would share together on this new Earth.
Soren was serious about getting a job.
Soon after, with Cyborg's help (?), he crafted a polished resume.
Though this new body had no previous work history, his extensive knowledge of various comics, novels, sci-fi movies, TV shows, and online games helped him land an offer within a week.
A bookstore in Washington eagerly invited him to become one of their staff members.
Thus, Soren—formerly a senior researcher at S.T.A.R. Labs and now an "uneducated societal freeloader"—finally found a job in this new society.
Clark, however, seemed a bit conflicted.
"I've saved up a lot of credit points, and I have nowhere to spend them. Can't you just use mine?" He was visibly concerned, hoping to nip Soren's newfound work ethic in the bud.
But Soren was resolute, "No, I want to work. The soul of a worker is the soul of the elite! I can't be a leech on society. I want to contribute, Clark."
Faced with Soren's firm determination, Clark had no choice but to relent, "Okay, but you have to promise me you won't wander around. After your shift, come straight back to the Justice League. It's not safe for you out there…"
Soren nodded enthusiastically, "Got it! I'll be punctual every day and work diligently like a cog in the machine."
Clark sighed in resignation, "I'm only worried about your safety."
"There's no place safer than Washington, Clark," Soren reminded him.
Clark fell silent.
He leaned in and kissed Soren gently, his Kryptonian blue eyes darkening with concern, "If anything happens, call me immediately. I'll be there in a heartbeat."
"Understood, Clark!" Soren threw his arms around Clark's neck and planted a big kiss on him with a playful "mwah," laughing as he collapsed into Clark's embrace.
Clark caught Soren, and Soren tugged on the edge of Clark's white cape, clutching the collar of his suit around Clark's neck.
He pulled him down and kissed Clark's firm, perfectly shaped lips.
… What followed was yet another round of chaos.
By the end of it, Soren's voice was hoarse from crying.
He lay curled up in the bedsheets, sobbing, "I can't anymore… I can't… my little butt is going to break!!"
"What little butt, hmm? Who's the one who pretended to be tough and said they couldn't come out first? Soren?" Clark teased as he gently scratched the palm of Soren's hand, playing with his fingers.
Soren cried even harder, hiccupping between sobs, "I'm sorry… Clark's I'm sorry… hic…"
Clark's heart practically melted.
Stroking Soren's back to soothe him, he leaned down for a deep kiss, then held his hand and whispered softly, "You're my little angel, my treasure, my fool, my love, my light, my darkness, my everything…"
His long, thick eyelashes fluttered lightly against Soren's cheek, warm and ticklish.
Soren sniffled, turning his head to place a shy kiss on Clark's strong nose, his voice still shaky from crying as he murmured, "...Then you're my Apollo…"
Clark suddenly fell silent.
He gently traced Soren's lips with his fingers, and after a moment, he whispered, "I don't want to be Apollo… because I won't let you become Hyacinthus, my love."
Hyacinthus, the beautiful youth pursued by the sun god, ultimately died in Apollo's arms.
His blood transformed into an entire field of fragrant hyacinths, while his soul went to a place the sun god could never reach.
—It was Apollo's love that pushed him toward death.
Clark bent down to kiss Soren's soft, rose-petal-pink lips, a sigh rising from the depths of his soul.
He would never let Soren leave his side again… Not even the gods could take him away.
…
A few days later, Soren happily bounded off to work.
He threw himself into the new job with boundless enthusiasm, spending his first day busily organizing bookshelves, helping the owner sort through old stock, and re-coding and rearranging the shelves.
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