---
Eve stepped into the Fortress of Solitude. The first thing she saw were two large statues standing side by side.
'Who are they?' she asked, pointing at the statues. She was curious. The figures depicted a man and a woman dressed in Kryptonian clothing, both made of crystal.
Even after entering, she still felt cold and was huddled inside her coat. But as they walked further in, the temperature began to warm.
'Those?' he said, pointing to the statues. 'They're my parents. Replicas I made. Sadly, I never got to meet them in person.'
Henry told her a bit about his parents and his Kryptonian heritage.
'I'm so sorry…' she said quietly.
'It's not your fault. Besides, I already have a family that loves me.'
They kept walking together until they reached an open space filled with all kinds of things—Henry's collection of toys.
There were planes, cars, robots, and countless other objects he had picked up over the years. He'd go out into the city and find all sorts of creatures—and villains carrying weapons and gear. Most of the stuff he brought back here. The rest, he gave to the GDA.
'Wow, you have all this?' Eve said, clearly impressed. She stepped closer to something that caught her eye.
It was a jet—sleek, all-black, aerodynamic. Eve moved in for a better look, admiring it.
'Come on, Eve. I'll show you the rest later,' Henry said with a laugh, amused by her reaction.
As they walked, Eve asked, 'Will you teach me how to fly it sometime?'
'I will,' Henry replied, scratching his head.
Truth was, he hadn't even tested the jet yet. He had built it for fun, never flown it, didn't even know if it worked. It was inspired by Batman's jet.
Henry led her to a more casual area of the fortress—the bedrooms. In addition to labs and other rooms, the fortress had a living space too.
After showing Eve around, she asked where the bathroom was.
Eve was now in the shower. She was nervous. She wanted Henry to like her. She was in his home, using his shower—even wearing his cologne. Her heart raced. Her mind wandered.
'What if he doesn't like me? What if this is all just a lie?' she thought as the water ran down. She'd been in there for a while when she heard a voice.
'You okay in there, Eve?' Henry asked.
'I'm coming out! Don't look!' she answered quickly, scrubbing her wet hair.
Henry stayed silent for a moment, then said,
'Did I ever tell you I have x-ray vision? If I wanted to see, I could've done it already.'
Eve froze, blushing hard, even more anxious now.
'You idiot! That just made me more nervous! Promise you won't look!' she shouted.
Henry laughed on the other side of the door, leaning against the wall, holding something.
'I was just checking if you were okay. I brought something for you to wear in case you're cold.'
She had taken off her coat earlier and was now wearing lighter clothes.
'I didn't hear you promise, Henry!' she called out over the sound of the shower.
He hung a robe on the doorknob. It was white, warm, and beautiful—with the House of El symbol on it.
Then he walked away, whistling as if he hadn't heard her.
'I know you can hear me! Don't pretend you can't!' she said, grabbing the robe and putting it on.
She stepped out of the bathroom, hair still wet. Henry thought she looked even more beautiful than before. Seeing her in the El family crest made her glow.
Eve walked up to him, took his hand, and asked,
'Shall we? What else are you going to show me?'
Henry took her hand and led her to a room where he usually ate. Inside, a table was lit up with soft lights. Plates and glasses were already set.
They sat down, and the robots came to serve them. Over dinner, they talked about more personal things.
'What does the S on your chest mean?' Eve asked, curious.
'This? On my planet, it means hope,' Henry said, touching the symbol on his suit.
'You never told me what happened to your planet,' Eve said.
Henry's expression darkened slightly.
'My planet exploded thousands of years ago,' he said.
Eve, who had just taken a sip of her drink, choked and spit it out in surprise.
'Thousands of years?! Are you that old?!' she asked, worried.
'No… My parents sent me to Earth through a different dimension. Time works differently there, so even though many years passed, I didn't age.'
'I see…' Eve said, relieved to know they were roughly the same age and he wasn't a centuries-old man.
'Tell me about your family, Eve,' Henry said.
'My family…' She didn't have much to say. Her relationship with them wasn't great.
Henry noticed and changed the subject.
'What about your powers? Tell me how they work.'
'I haven't explained yet… okay, here's how they work—'
Eve explained her powers. They kept talking, asking each other questions, sharing stories, and laughing together late into the night.
Henry showed her everything—the armory, the musical instruments, even the place where he kept his failed experiments.
Eventually, Eve started to feel sleepy. Her mom and family were probably wondering where she was—it had been hours since they arrived. It was getting late.
Half-asleep, she asked,
'Henry… can we go back now? It's late…'
They were in a hallway near the bedrooms. Henry was tired too. To be honest, he didn't want to leave. The fortress was warm and had plenty of rooms.
'You want to go back?'
'I do…' Eve said softly, barely staying awake.
Henry walked over to her, wrapped her in his arms, and carried her to one of the rooms. She had taken off the robe and was only wearing a thin outfit.
He opened the door and carried her inside, gently placing her on the bed. After covering her with a blanket and getting ready to leave, he suddenly felt something tug on his cape.
It was Eve. She was still awake.
'Lie down with me,' she whispered, pulling on his cape.
Henry was exhausted and didn't hesitate. He was honestly happy to hear that. He laid beside her, pulling his cape over both of them.
Just as he was about to fall asleep, Eve kissed him—right on the lips. It caught him off guard. Her lips were soft and warm, and the kiss made him feel... good.
Then she rested her head on his chest and fell asleep.
Henry stayed awake for a bit, reflecting on what just happened. He smiled.
And after a little while, feeling the warmth of her body next to his, he finally drifted off to sleep.
---