Watching Clark come into the living room after changing clothes, Kara—who was cutting fruit in the kitchen—couldn't help teasing him.
"Oh? Clark, your combat suit hasn't even gathered dust yet? I thought it would be unusable by now."
Clark sat down somewhat awkwardly and said helplessly,
"Kara, I'm not like you. I need time to adjust my mindset before I can fully accept all these changes."
Placing the fruit platter on the coffee table, Kara wiped her hands and said,
"You were spoiled by Uncle Kent growing up. Otherwise, you wouldn't be this hesitant."
She sighed lightly.
"Still… it's also those scientists' fault. Krypton wouldn't have been destroyed otherwise."
Lucas reached out and covered Kara's hand gently.
"Painful things pass eventually."
Clark blinked at the scene, then quickly caught on. He glanced at Kara's expression, then at Lucas's face.
"What are you staring at?" Kara asked, clearly displeased by Clark's mischievous look.
"You two are… together now?" Clark asked, holding back a grin.
Then he answered himself,
"Honestly, I'm not surprised. You'd never look twice at an ordinary man. Only someone like Lucas would meet your standards."
Kara replied calmly,
"My dear cousin Clark, do you find teasing me that entertaining?"
Clark immediately raised his hands in surrender.
"Misunderstanding! Kara, I'm blessing you two!"
Lucas watched the scene with amusement. He didn't mind at all—dating Supergirl wasn't something that needed hiding.
"Oh—time already?"
A chime sounded. Kara glanced at the clock and quickly stood up.
"I need to pick up Carrie and Elaine from school."
(It was worth mentioning that Elaine had insisted on attending school herself. Lucas felt that, given her experience, she hardly needed it—but he respected her choice.)
After Kara left, Clark let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Then he suddenly turned to Lucas, his expression serious.
"Lucas, answer me honestly. Are you serious about Kara?"
Lucas shot him a sideways glance.
"What kind of question is that? If I said I was just fooling around, you'd probably jump up and fight me on the spot."
"She's my only family besides my mother," Clark said solemnly.
"We're extremely important to each other. I hope you understand that."
"I do," Lucas replied calmly.
"I'm serious about Kara. Satisfied?"
"Good."
Clark finally relaxed and patted Lucas hard on the shoulder.
"I never doubted your words, brother."
Then he asked bluntly,
"So—when's the wedding? I should bring my mom over early."
Lucas felt a headache coming on, but still answered seriously.
"We haven't even been together for six months. We're not rushing into marriage."
Clark nodded in agreement.
"That's fair. It's a lifetime decision—you shouldn't rush it. Just let me know ahead of time if you decide."
"Deal."
Lucas quickly changed the topic.
"So, Clark—where are you planning to go next?"
Clark answered without hesitation,
"Metropolis. I like the atmosphere there."
"And have you thought about what you'll do for work?" Lucas asked.
"With your physique, you could easily be a high-end fitness coach. Or football, or soccer—even if you held back, you'd still be world-class."
Clark frowned slightly, thought for a moment, then shook his head.
"No. That would be unfair. I'd rather choose something freer—like being a reporter."
"And in my spare time, I'll help out where I can. Make the city a better place."
That damned inertia…
Lucas complained internally.
'Couldn't you pick a different job for once?'
Outwardly, he just smiled.
"With your speed, no one's stealing the title of 'King of Reporters' from you."
"I won't abuse my power," Clark said seriously, taking a sip of water.
"Unless it's an emergency or something special."
Suddenly, Lucas's mischievous side kicked in.
"Oh, right—do you even have money? Rent in Metropolis isn't cheap."
For Clark—who'd been "borrowing" clothes throughout his travels—this was a lethal blow.
"…."
Clark went silent for a second.
"If necessary, I can borrow a little from my mom."
Lucas raised an eyebrow.
"Doesn't the farm still have a mortgage?"
Clark smiled.
"Right! My mistake—I almost forgot."
"I made some money recently," Lucas said casually.
"How about I help you out for now? Better than asking your mom, right?"
Clark hesitated for less than a second before nodding.
"Alright. I'll pay you back as soon as I can."
Lucas pulled a checkbook from a cabinet beside the sofa, scribbled something quickly, and handed it over.
"I think around two thousand dollars would be enough," Clark said—then froze after seeing the number.
He counted again, then stared at Lucas in shock.
"One million?"
"That's way too much! I could buy a house in Metropolis with this!"
Lucas shrugged.
"I'm not short on money."
"Lucas… a year ago, you didn't seem this rich," Clark said suspiciously.
"Don't tell me you robbed a bank using your powers?"
Lucas chuckled.
"Clark, if I told you I make more money in a single day than robbers do from a bank—would you believe me?"
Clark studied him for a moment, then nodded firmly.
"I believe you. But how did you make that much?"
"I'm a financial genius," Lucas said proudly.
He then briefly explained how he had shorted Stark Industries.
Clark listened, eyes widening in disbelief.
"That's… it? That easy?" Clark asked.
"Yep. That simple. There were other details, but they're not important," Lucas laughed.
"You're not worried Tony Stark will find out and turn against you?" Clark scratched his head.
"Please," Lucas replied casually.
"He made plenty of gains himself."
"…Fair enough," Clark said calmly.
"I was planning to repay you quickly, but now it seems you really don't need the money. No rush, then."
___
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