Daughter of Superman

We Are Family

Of course once his head hit the pillow, Superboy couldn't sleep. He had problems sleeping at the Watchtower the day before, never having slept on a bed. It was weird, sleeping laying down and not up, but he had managed a couple of hours last night.

Now, however, he was too awake. The night with the Kents had left him with a lot to think – good things, fortunately. Madine was nothing like he imagined when he first heard about her. He thought she was going to be a little wary of him, maybe even ignore him like her father did at first, but that wasn't what had happened. Madine was nothing but warm, welcoming and happy that he was there – calling him 'little brother' and a lot of affectionate names, and also planning things to do with him.

The feeling of being wanted swarmed him and left him being glad that Robin, Aqualad and Kid Flash had disobeyed Batman's direct orders, no matter how much trouble they could get for that. He couldn't regret being freed, couldn't regret the choice of leaving Cadmus and its sterile labs and halls. He was no more a weapon, designed to end enemies of his creators; he was Superboy. He was his own; he was wanted by Madine, wanted by Clark now.

Of course, that also made him a little nervous. He had very little information about the world he was in. Cadmus' education had focused on history of Earth, and knowledge about the heroes of the Justice League, and a few other useful things, like driving, reading, writing and so on. But practical knowledge... Like the thing about 'secret identities' and other things he heard Clark and Madine talking at dinner... He had no clue.

And what if his lack of knowledge of these things made him unfit? What if those things were too much, and Clark and Madine ended up deciding they didn't want him for that? What if he wasn't enough?

That made him restless. He didn't know what to do, and his brain was going a thousand miles per minute trying to find answers he didn't have.

With his superior hearing, he heard when Madine turned off the light of her bedroom and went to bed. Heard when her heartbeat slowed and she fell into blissful sleep. He heard when Clark got out through the window again, his cape fluttering behind him. He also heard when he got back, something like thirty minutes later, locked the door and windows and went for another shower, and then slept. The house was silent, and Superboy was never more awake.

He decided he would get out for a little air. His bedroom was too new, too unfamiliar, and he was too awake to sleep now, anyway.

He got up, getting out of his bedroom as silently as possible. The fact that all the people in this place has super hearing was tricky, he knew he could wake them with the littlest of noises.

Fortunately, that didn't happen, and Superboy went to the kitchen for a glass of water. He wasn't really thirsty, but something in the back of his mind told him that usually when people had trouble sleeping, a glass of water or warm milk were useful. It wasn't, he realized as soon as he finished the glass.

"Trouble sleeping?" a female voice interrupted his thoughts about trying milk.

He turned to see Madine in her pajamas, smiling to him as she poured a glass of milk for herself.

"Actually, yes..." he admitted, deciding to be honest. "It's weird sleeping laying down."

"I see." she smiled. "I woke up with dad's snores, for some reason, and now I can't sleep either. We could watch a little TV, maybe? Or talk with each other. Maybe that'll help us."

He nodded, and they went to the living room after Madine served them both with a glass of warm milk, making Superboy smile a bit. At least he knew about that.

They sat in the couch, and he thought she was going to turn on the TV, but instead, she turned to look at him.

"I have to be honest with you."