stands_for_hope | for knightbynight: For now and hereafter...

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for knightbynight: For now and hereafter...

[some time after the events here]

Superman and Batman were partners in more than a work sense. Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent were an adorable (if mildly ridiculous) couple. Kal-El of Krypton and a man who defied any definition outside of the single letter 'B' made time on weekends, worked around world crises and teenage tempers, and occasionally fell into bed together when the stars aligned. Thankfully, they aligned relatively often.

Wayne Manor received a delivery of organic produce and baked goods once a week from a small, independent farm in the heartland. Lois Lane was a little less likely to agree with snide comments about the uselessness of Bruce Wayne, especially after seeing the utter madness that was Clark's desk after a few weeks. The texting habits of a certain blond teenager in Kansas rose sharply... and in parallel to that of a certain former street punk in Gotham.

Life was... well, it was good, even if it was also Life. Until it wasn't. Until everything changed.

They all had enemies, of course. But the problem with Superman's enemies was that they were coherent enough to decide to team up. And crazy enough to use the kind of weaponry that could make whole cars just vaporize into nothing.

Crazy enough to point that weapon at a somewhat-pinned Batman and a Wonder Woman who was digging him out from the rock. Crazy enough to point that weapon at Batman.

Bruce.

B.

Clark didn't even make the choice. His heart made it for him. The beam shot out of the Toyman's mechanical monstrosity and Clark flew, the pain of the beam itself nothing on the fact that he was leaving Bruce behind. That his vision of them as old men together would never happen. That he was leaving behind a world that needed him.

The guilt that, if it meant saving them, saving him, he didn't regret a thing.

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Clark looked over at Bruce with both eyebrows raised.

"Really?" he asked with obvious surprise.

"To visit." Just in case Clark was confusing him for someone who wanted to hang out in sunshine and bright shiny cities of happiness.

Not that Metropolis was, but it was no Gotham.

He paused a moment. "To visit with you."

No, that was Keystone. And Keystone was weird.

"So you're getting used to being with me?"

Wherever they were. That's what it felt like to Clark.

That was a very good, and very perceptive question.

Bruce stopped walking while he considered it and let go of Clark's hand.

"If," he said, very slowly. "My reaction to not having you with me is anything to go by, I'd say I'm more than used to being with you."

Was that the same as used to a relationship? Maybe, maybe not, but it was what he was completely sure of.

Clark looked down at the space between their hands for a moment. He didn't reach out for Bruce's hand, but his other hand reached up to lightly adjust the hat on his head. He didn't touch Bruce, not quite, but it was connection all the same.

"I missed you too."

And while the words were simple, Clark was doing anything but downplaying what he'd felt, what he knew Bruce had felt. That was just... what it boiled down to.

All the yelling and the sex, it was Clark adjusting his hat and saying that he'd been missed that made emotion bubble back up in Bruce in a way that turned his expression nearly angry. Darkened his eyes, made his jaw clench before he took a deep breath through his nose and swallowed it down.

"Food," he said, tensely, and after a moment. Tension in his voice was just in response to wrestling with his emotions and impulses on the street.

Clark didn't argue or even ask if Bruce was all right. Instead, he leaned in and started towards the cart in question. It wasn't far at all, honestly, but it might be long enough for Bruce to settle out if he kept himself quiet and focused on everything else.

He'd had a moment of feeling emotion. That didn't mean he was going to fall apart on the street if he didn't get some silence. "I should have asked Alfred about the kitchen, while he was on the phone." That was not said until they'd ordered, he'd paid, and they had their food.

"We'll be home soon enough," Clark pointed out before unpeeling his falafel and taking a bite on the walk back.

"If you think I'm sharing you with Alfred when we're home, you're so naive it's almost endearing."

No. No way. He was going to indulge his possessiveness for at least a while. "Maybe when I go out with Jason."

"My question on pie baking can stand to wait that long," he said amiably as he took another bite. Mmmm, the falafel was so good. He'd missed food he enjoyed eating.

"Though I'm curious what you're planning on doing with me. You mentioned some car repair?"

"I don't know," he admitted, because somehow just climbing all over Clark and biting and licking and fucking and sucking and licking was wrong right now, and not just because he was actually busy eating his own food with typical mechanical efficiency.

Mostly that, though. The taste of Clark and fafael just didn't go.

"There's a car upgrade to do, I've got a new piece of lab equipment that needs to be assembled, and if we really get desperate we have video games, model kits, and whatever other toys we can wrestle out of Jason's room."

He couldn't help the look of surprise as he glanced over at Bruce.

"You have video games?"

...and if Clark actually looked childishly excited at the idea, well... they'd never had the money for such things.

Sometimes, Bruce really wondered why he loved Clark.

Today wasn't one of those days, and this moment was not one of those moments.

Because that was fucking adorable.

"We have video games. We have a veritable library of video games."

"That..." and he tried, desperately tried, not to look as much like a thrilled 10 year old as he was right that moment but he failed somewhat miserably, "that could be fun. I mean, we should probably do the car upgrade first. Maybe the lab upgrade. But... that could be fun."

Yes, Clark had dignity. Somewhere. Possibly in a box somewhere.

"We'll start you with Mario and work you up." Bruce only knew this stuff because of Dick and Jason, but like hell he was going to let Clark go unpack his dignity.

"Which Mario?" came out before he could manage to make himself look less enthusiastic.

"Take your pick. I suggest you start at the beginning, but what do I know." He was smiling. He couldn't help it.

Of all the things he thought might help Clark...

"More than me," and there was definitely a bounce in his step. Clark was genuinely enthusiastic about the idea. Though not entirely honest. Just because he hadn't been able to get the game didn't mean he hadn't read about them. Imagined strategies. Pored through an issue or two of Nintendo Power at the library in town.

"Then I guess we've just opened up a whole new avenue to keep you entertained and to fill in a few gaps in your childhood." Bruce was delighted. Bruce was thrilled. Bruce was over the moon.

Bruce would find this whole thing very strange later, but maybe....

He could get Clark and Jason playing together. Or against each other, if that was necessary. It might, just might, help.

Clark was trying to eat his falafel but it was somewhat difficult when he kept randomly grinning. He'd ALWAYS wanted to play video games. Like his writing, it was one of the few places where his abilities didn't give him nearly the edge it did in other pursuits. Which meant he could play with people.

He wanted to play with Bruce.

He wanted to play with Jason.

He wanted to play with Alfred if the man would deign to lower himself to such silliness.

He started going over the games he remembered reading about since Bruce seemed to be indicating that he had an extensive collection spanning back some years to some of the original consoles and he couldn't help but ask--

"MarioKart?"

"As long as you realize I've never actually played most of those games." He played with the boys sometimes. Once in a very, very rare while when he'd let himself relax, but that was about it.

"or was that asking if I have it. Yes, we have it. Jason loves it." It's not new, at all, but it was Mario Kart and Jason was Jason. "Maybe see if you can rope him into playing."

"If he'll talk to me," which deflated him a little, but not entirely. He was still bouncing a little with every step.

"I could understand if he didn't want to."

"He'll talk to you." Bruce wasn't overly worried on that front. It was Clark and Jason and he was unreasonably certain things there would work out. He just couldn't wrap his head around Clark not being loved by everybody, and Jason and Clark had been doing okay before Clark had vanished. They'd get back to it.

Clark nodded, some of the enthusiasm returning as he took another bite of his food.

"How's yours?" And then, since he knew that Bruce would probably have a one word answer for that. "And what are we doing with the car? Other than the obvious..." And that came with a little smile.

for knightbynight: For now and hereafter...

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