Lilith jump nearly out of her skin when Tucker tapped her on her shoulder. She had been on her way to school alone.
"Goodmorning," Lilith muttered, Tucker, smiled and opened his mouth but closed it quickly when a boy came running past them. "It's okay," Lilith said, pulling out her phone Tucker got the clue rather quickly and sent her a text.
"Morning," Tucker messaged, after an awkward silence for a few minutes Lilith. "Sleep well?" Lilith blurted, Tucker gave her a 'really?' look as he snickered silently. "Sorry didn't know what to really say," Lilith sighed, "Don't worry it was cute," Tucker messaged and Just as Lilith's face started turning red another student came running by messing around with his friends. Half tripping over Tucker who was knocked into Lilith.
Lilith ended up falling onto the grass which she thought was rather cushy. Tucker gave her an apologetic look and held out his hand.
"Thanks, this is just not my week I guess," Lilith said taking his hand so he could help her up. Once standing she pulled her hand from his and brushed the dirt from her pants. Tucker bit his lip and waited. Lilith paused and pulled her back up on her shoulder before licking her lips and turning to him.
"Tucker?" Lilith asked he stood a little straighter and nodded, Lilith looked down and played with her gloves, twisting the fabric around her thumb. "Do you think we can just pretend the last few days didn't happen?" Lilith muttered, and Tucker put his hand on hers stopping her before she ripped her glove. She glanced up at him from behind her bangs as he pulled his hand away. He smiled and shrugged giving her a slight nod. Lilith's shoulders immediately relaxed.
"I'll take that as you'll try, do you think you can ask Lance for me?" Lilith giggled nervously as they started walking again. "Why can't you ask him?" Tucker messaged, "It's more complicated with him, at least I know for sure you're not a real bad guy or evil." Lilith breathed, "Lance isn't evil," Tucker laughed, "You sure?" Lilith giggled, "I promise his intentions are pure," Tucker said, and Lilith let out a breath she didn't know she was holding in.
"You think I'm not a bad guy?" Tucker messaged, "Of course not, you saved me." Lilith muttered messing with her gloves again. As she looked at him, his smile was so pure it was kind of blinding.
"I couldn't let them hurt you," Tucker messaged his face looking rather determined. Lilith giggled and didn't stop even when Tuckers face started turning red. "What's so funny?" Conner asked, Lilith, became rather stiff as she turned to Conner no longer laughing.
"Tucker-Tucker said something funny, well-messaged something funny." Lilith said quickly, "Really what was it?" Conner asked as he looked at Tucker, but Tucker's eyes were locked on where Conner's hand rested on Lilith's shoulder. Not that Conner noticed.
"I'm not telling you it's a private joke," Lilith sighed, trying not to smirk. "Okay," Conner smiled, Lilith shrugged off his hand and turned back towards the school not looking at Conner. His hand hovered where she had been standing as she turned to watch her walk away.
"Does Lilith seem upset?" Conner asked Tucker, Tucker nodded slightly but followed Lilith into the school.
"Conner?" Meg said, "Yes, Meg?" Conner sighed as he turned to her his face stone cold. "We still need to talk," Meg said softly, "Not now Meg," Conner said, "If not now when then?" Meg asked through her teeth, "Perhaps when I can start believing your words again," Conner muttered turning away from Meg, "I never-I didn't mean to lie to you." Meg said, Conner, didn't say anything as he walked away. Leaving Meg alone in the school garden.
***
"Okay, tell me what's wrong?" Conner asked as he leaned over Lilith's shoulder, in the garden of the school during club.
"Conner!" Lilith shouted as she turned to face him. The toe of her boot hitting her other caused her to trip and fall into the flower bed, Conner reached out to catch her but the rose bush caught her first. Though if anyone else had fallen into the bush their clothing would have been torn up and the bush would have been crushed. Lilith was caught by it making it look as if she had caught herself before completely falling.
"You okay there?" Conner asked helping Lilith up, "No, you scared me half to death." Lilith muttered, "I would have thought the grass would have told you," Conner said and Lilith's hands tightened around his not letting him pull away just yet.
"Conner, I was thinking," Lilith started to say, pausing to look over at Lance and Tucker who were working on the opposite side of the field. They were trimming the small trees in the flowers pots that were for the seniors' graduation.
"Care to share?" Conner asked, "Just how much trouble did you get into when you told them that I had found out you were you?" Lilith asked almost under her breath, looking up at him through her bangs.
"Um, they didn't really say anything. Though I'm pretty sure Batman increased the difficulty of my training," Conner said with a smile. Lilith giggled softly at the thought and Conner let go of her hand before stepping around her and over to the rose bush she had fallen into. Lilith turned watching him.
"Why did you want to know?" Conner asked, "Just wondering I never actually asked before," Lilith half-lied, "Was that all you were wondering you seemed rather lost in thought?" Conner asked looking at her again. Lilith looked away, "It kind of just hit me a few days ago when Batman said I'd need to learn from my mother." Lilith half lied, "What is it?" Conner asked, Lilith couldn't look at him as she talked so she knelt to the flower bed and played with the plants.
"Someone might find out about me someday, by accident or if I told them. I just wondered how badly Batman would punish me." Lilith said in an almost playful tone, trying to keep it as light as possible. "I understand," Conner said slowly thinking about it, and Lilith felt bad lying to him. Even if it was only slightly.
"I'm sure Batman would understand, I doubt you'd do it on purpose. I still don't get how you saw me as me," Conner said as he knelt next to her. Lilith paused and looked up at him only to find him watching her as well.
"How could I not?" Lilith shrugged, "Well I was told people didn't want to believe so they just didn't see, that's why no one figures out who Superman is." Conner said with a smile, "Conner I'm sure that no matter how you dressed I could always know it's you." Lilith smirked, her face turning slightly red.
"Are you sure? Because I have an almost twin brother you might be able to confuse me with." Conner said, "You mean Match?" Lilith asked, "Yeah I'm sure even Meg could confuse us," Conner shrugged, "I could never confuse anyone for you wonderboy? You're too..." Lilith trailed off trying to think of the right word.
"Amazing?" Conner joked, "I was going to say unique, but amazing works too." Lilith said with a smile. "Thanks, Lil-bear your pretty amazing too," Conner said patting her head. Liliths face turned red as he did this, not that he noticed. He had turned his attention to Musa who was currently being chased around the garden by Edwin who had the hose. As they vanished around the side of the school Conner sighed, as he watched them.
After a second he looked down at Lilith who had gone back to playing with the plants. Her knees were covered in mud her gloved hands were deep in the soil. He wondered how anyone could look so content, he knew how much she truly loved her plants. Out of all the people he knew Lilith was the only one who could surprise him again and again, without making him feel like an idiot. Though there were moments where he looked at her he felt as if he was missing something. Like she was holding back saying things to him and he couldn't understand why.
"Lilith do you-?" Conner started to say.
"Lilith!" Lance shouted from across the garden, Lilith turned. Tucker and Lance were carrying pots of flowers over to her and Conner. Conner stood and Lilith brushed off the dirt the best she could as she stood as well.
"Lance these are supposed to go inside the gym," Lilith sighed, as Tucker and Lance set the pots at her feet. "Oh," Lance sighed, Lilith only smirked and played with the plant Tucker had set in front of her plucking a few bad leaves from the bush.
"Would you help us?" Lance asked, "I'll help," Conner said picking up the biggest pot before Lilith could say a word.
"The graduation ceremony isn't for two days, we've still got time." Lilith said, "But the science fair is tomorrow." Lance reminded them, "I can stay late tomorrow and help set up," Conner suggested, "Me too," Lance said and Tucker even raised his hand, "You want to help too?" Lilith asked smiling at him, he nodded. She knew he wanted to speak but with Conner there he couldn't.
"Well-" Lilith started to say, "We should also probably meet early tomorrow to set up our project," Lance said quickly, "She can't, we have training in the morning," Conner blurted, and Lilith turned to look at him. "No, we don't," Lilith said looking up at him confused, "Really I thought we were going hiking in the morning," Conner said, Lilith tilted her head trying to think. She never forgot about a training thing with Conner.
"I can't Conner," Lilith said then looked to Lance as she said, "I also can't meet you early Lance, I need to pack."
Lilith avoided looking at any of them as they stared at her.
"Pack?" Lance asked, "Oh right," Conner sighed his shoulders falling, a leaf from the pot he was holding tickling his nose. "I didn't know how to tell you all that I'm moving to Gotham, after finals next week," Lilith muttered, "What?" Musa blurted and they all turned to see that she and Edwin had returned. Lilith was the only one not to jump at their sudden arrival, the plants having told her where everyone was.
"I'm sorry," Lilith said looking down as she grabbed a chunk of her hair and twirled it between her fingers. Not really caring that she was basically getting mud all over her hair.
"I found out a few days ago that I'm moving in with my uncle, while my father goes on a rather long expedition." Lilith half lied and Conner bit his cheek trying to keep a straight face about it as he set the pot down at his feet.
"When were you going to tell us?" Musa asked, stepping over and taking Lilith's muddy gloved hands. Lilith looked up to see Musa's eyes practically glinting from tears that were threatening to fall.
"After school ended," Lilith whispered, "You leave so soon?" Edwin asked, "I mean I don't know the exact dates yet so we can still hang out over the summer, but..." Lilith trailed off looking at them all.
Her heart hurt and it confused her so much. Meg and the team found out she was moving the same day she did, but with them, nothing changed. If anything Meg seemed relieved, knowing Lilith wasn't going to be spending a lot of time in the cave anymore. Lilith had never really cared where she lived before.
She missed most of her freshman year to go studying abroad and follow her father on some of his digs. Sure after that, she insisted that Batman let her stay in her cottage, but it was because she didn't really care where she stayed. She just hadn't wanted to be a bother to her father while he was working.
"It was nice while it lasted," Lilith sighed, "What lasted?" Lance asked, "Having friends," Lilith shrugged, giving them all a half-smile. "Just because you're moving doesn't mean we can't stay friends!" Musa shouted half tacking Lilith in a hug.
"Really? But we'll be so far apart," Lilith said, "Lilith distance won't change anything," Lance said sternly, and Lilith smiled hugging Musa back just before she let go. "That just means that we need to spend as much time as possible together before you go." Edwin said, "Right!" Musa shouted looking at Lilith determinedly, Lilith giggled a bit and looked around at them all.
"You guys are the best," Lilith said just as Conner put his hand on her shoulder. "You can't get rid of me-I mean, us that easily," Conner said and Lilith giggled, "Good," Lilith said, "We should get these back to the school," Conner said gesturing to the potted plants at their feet. "Right," Lance sighed, as he and Edwin each grabbed one. While Tucker was busy on his phone, and Conner didn't move to pick one up. Musa lead the way and they all moved to follow her.
Lance moved to walk on one side of her while Conner was on the other. She smiled a bit as they walked, pulling out her phone when it digging. She saw Tucker's name pop up and paused, turning to see he hadn't moved. Knowing he could really talk freely in front of Conner Lilith took a second to read the message.
'We'll come to visit you anytime all you have to do is ask.'
Lilith giggled and smiled back at Tucker then looked around at her rag-tag group of friends, Conner and Lance watching her having paused when she did. Musa and Edwin were at the door waiting for them. Lilith had a bad feeling forming in the pit of her stomach about how Conner didn't know that these friends that he had found for her were in fact villains. Nor did half of them know that Lilith was a hero, and none of them knew Conner was a hero.
She couldn't help but worry about what would happen when they all found out about each other. Wondered if she should at least tell Conner that she had been found out, would he understand.
"Come on Lilith!" Musa shouted, and Lilith sighed smiled running to the doors the three boys at her heels.