He glances around for a moment before nodding and putting his glass back on the bar. He'd liked being here, and it was a nice place. He might even be back. But having found someone who seems to share more than most people do... that feels like a sign. And he'd much rather talk than shout about this kind of stuff.

He uncurls from his seat at the bar, taking a moment to stretch as he stands since he'd been tucked against a wall. He's taller and broader than he'd looked before; M will almost certainly notice that he tends to 'make' himself smaller than he is. But when he's properly on his feet, he'll hold out a hand for M.

It's quaint, maybe, but genuine.

"Okay. I'm assuming you know someplace?"

His whole life. He's been hiding... pretty much forever. Which is why he finally laughs at the mugger comment. Yeah, not really something he worries about, other than a mugger maybe hurting themselves trying to hurt him.

And it's nice, not to have to pretend to worry about it.

"That sounds nice."

He tilts his head to the door.

"Lead the way?"

Clark watches the whole exchange and he can't help a mildly apologetic look at the bartender before they make their way out. The question gets a scrub to the back of his neck.

"Yeah, that's the plan." He looks over at M. "...is it that surprising?"

Clark shrugs, because, well-

"Animals need us. They can't help themselves. They need us. They can't tell us what hurts or how they feel. They're unpredictable, like you said.

"Someone's gotta look out for them."

"That's fair," because he doesn't mind if people don't agree. Some people just aren't animal people. He gets that. But-

"What's a 'normal life'?" Really. "I mean, whatever we are, that's the life we're gonna live, right? Even if I don't... flick a guy clear across a football field with my fingers every day, it's still something I can do. It's still a part of me."

He glances over at M.

"What's the alternative?"

He'd almost started to say something when M'd said 'most things on Earth' but his mouth closes again as he explains that he's from Earth. That's what he'd thought, but he'd hoped- maybe?

"I'm not," he says, on an impulse, inspired by M's... well, his outlook on life. "From Earth. I mean, I don't know anything but Earth because I came here as a baby. That's how my mom found me, in a little... capsule thing. But that's why I'm- no one did anything to me. Or anything. I've always been like this."

He glances at M as they keep walking.

"I guess for me, I don't... know what I'd be if I wasn't Clark the vet school kid. If that makes sense."

Clark actually smiles as he's pulled in. It's not what he expected, the easy acceptance, the way that M actually gets closer after hearing that. It's... nice. Really nice.

"No, it's not-" but that's not quite right. "It's pretending a little. But I don't know how to not pretend and still be me. I guess I haven't found the way to be totally, 100% myself yet."

He leans into the hold.

"It'd be nice to know. But you're right about it being worth it. There're good things about being me. The me people know."

Almost feeling like a man possessed, he leans over and presses a kiss to M's cheek. It's mostly affection. And a weird kind of punchdrunk feeling of spilling this all out to someone he's just met. He doesn't feel like they're strangers. But it's still so quick his head's spinning a little.

"But maybe there's nice things about being the me most people don't know too."

Clark wasn't exactly expecting that, mostly because his own little kiss had been such a spur of the moment thing, had been the sort of decision he hadn't wondered if it wasn't reaching or going to fast. But the way Midnighter says it, it's almost like he'd just been waiting for the right moment to do just that.

It's not his first kiss. That honor goes to Lana Lang, but it's his first guy kiss, and just like that first time, he dives right into it. He barely knows what he's doing, but he's enthusiastic and there's just a lot of feeling there. Maybe it's in-the-moment feeling, but it's all genuine and happy and good.

Clark could run a hundred mile race in a second and he wouldn't even break a sweat, but there's a rough edge to the breath he sucks in before he looks over at M, a wild and crooked smile on him in return.

"Do I get to kiss you now?"

He's... excited. Joyful, to be sharing this moment, this experience with someone, be with someone he wants to kiss who knows what he can do, who isn't afraid of him, who isn't offput by what he is. Someone who just accepts him, vet school and alien capsule and all and he doesn't want this to end.

Clark doesn't hesitate, leaning in to start kissing him, just as excited and enthusiastic as he'd been a moment ago. Enthusiastic enough, in fact, that the both of them lift up an inch or two off the ground as he gets his own hands around the back of M's neck and into his hair.

Clark blinks at the kick then looks down, and oh there's another one of those sheepish blushes on his face.

"Oh jeez, sorry!"

They hit the ground (it's a short trip) and then he's looking at M, so mortified, but also waiting. Waiting for the fear, waiting for even M to decide he's just too weird to be around, too weird to kiss. His hands, that had been gripping onto him, let go and he starts to pull back so he doesn't- he wasn't trying to-

"I'm sorry..."

God, this hasn't happened since he was little. Dammit dammit dammit.

There is very little on this planet that could move him against his will, but the fact is that he goes as willingly as if he was on an oiled track. Close, and then closer still, and as he looks at M, really looks, looks past his own projected fears, he swallows again before leaning in to kiss him.

If anything, it's just a little more desperate than before. Desperate with relief and renewed joy and around that, even, there's the beginnings of heat. Happiness translated into lust as he presses himself against Midnighter and gets his hands on him again.

Again, Clark's happy to go where M is leading, helped by the fact that neither of them really have to worry much about muggers or anyone else who might take exception to two men kissing by the lake. Er, making out by the lake. Well, more practically grinding against each other near the lake. Clark takes well to the hand on his ass, anyway.

Again, lots and lots of enthusiasm.