Hayley frowned at him, with the way he turned his head, knowing he didn't feel the hit at all. She felt exasperated, afraid, and relieved all at once. The fact that he apologized, otherwise unmoving, only served to frustrate her more. Because she knew he was sorry. But sorry didn't really matter to her. Either what he did was okay - and she should forgive him - or it wasn't - and they were done. Hayley didn't like the games in between, especially dealing with the feelings that accompanied them.

She slowly turned the thought over in her mind. Kon was a good friend. He was a powerful ally and one who would definitely look out for her and protect her. If she insisted he leave her alone, he might, but she would have to explain it to Bart and Clark and possibly others. It would mean another El with an awkward history, another one to avoid. She hated the petty games of avoidance almost as much as dealing with feelings.

"Okay." Hayley wanted Kon as a friend. She wanted that reassurance of her darker aspects, someone who would forgive her in spite of everything she had done and would accept her all the same. It made her angry that she couldn't seem to find a way to keep him from abandoning her, hated that he was hot and vaguely like both Clark and her father. But she wasn't ready to waste all that time and effort, not when he was such a good one to have on her side.

"There's this guy from back home? He was a total asshole pedophile creep in the worst way. You kind of look like him sometimes." She lifted a hand to scratch at her hair, then dropped it again as she moved to sit on the edge of her bed. Noticing he remained still, she waved a hand dismissively. "You can move or whatever."

A beat. "I don't want to lose my best friend."