for knightbynight: For now and hereafter...

[stands_for_hope]

[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.

Comments

[knightbynight]

They were very much on the same page. Bruce was - hopeful, a bit... excited by the prospect but force of habit or maybe just force of Clark had him second guessing himself and feeling warning signs that may or may not really be there.

It was. Uncomfortable but he didn't think he'd know which it was until they were there.

"Where are your lines, Clark?"

[stands_for_hope]

"Yours cover the major ones," Clark admitted as he considered the question. "Though..."

He was quiet for a moment before--

"I know these two things will be separate. But I may want-- if I can--" he swallowed "I may want to kiss you. Not on the mouth necessarily. Is that permissible?"

[knightbynight]

Bruce did not say that was the most ridiculous question he had ever heard, because he understood why Clark was having trouble with this better than he understood his own...caution.

"I don't think they're going to be entirely separate. Yes, you can kiss me."

[stands_for_hope]

That got a nod.

"Then that should do it."

He took a long sip of his own drink, letting it sit on his palette and then slide down his throat without interruption. Finally, after almost a full minute of silence.

"You don't like this portion of yourself, Bruce, but I hardly know this side of me. I let it out once and only once. And I don't trust it... me with anyone else. The kind of man who'd ask for kryptonite to be there."

The kind of man he could trust to use it.

"I don't know my darkness. At least, not like this. Not without being pushed so far it's life or death. I don't know how to... use it. It's like handing a swordsman a gun. They understand the basic concepts, but none of their training transfers."

[knightbynight]

"You said thought thought this would be good for us. I agree that it has the potential to be, but I also don't think it's going to come easily or natural for either one of us." Not as individuals, not as a couple. He expected back and forth and up and down and false starts and flinches - at best.

Then it's his turn to be silent, finish his water and then simply carry on. "I know what I want and I also know to some degree what I've been willing to engage in with other people - namely Selina." No apology there, he'd said that long ago. "She's impressive, but she weighs about half as much as I do, and I don't trust her." Not to kill him, yes, but real trust? No. "We're both going to have to feel our way through this, and hope like hell one of us at any given time has the good sense to recognize when and where to draw the lines."

[stands_for_hope]

He nodded.. then breathed in once and shifted his chair. He was no longer across from Bruce, no longer a side of the discussion. He was beside Bruce. He wanted to be beside Bruce. This back and forth was just... killing him.

He reached out a hand for his.

"There's just one thing I need to know. And it's important."

[knightbynight]

Bruce took Clark's hand immediately, because the... necessary negotiations were done, as far as he was concerned.

"All right." Ask.

[stands_for_hope]

He took Bruce's hand between both of his, slid under and over it and eventually, entwined their fingers. This was about so many things, but it was mostly about them. Them balancing one another in every way. It was just another facet of what had brought them together in the first place.

"What am I punishing you for?"

[knightbynight]

Bruce's eyes shuttered. He visibly shut down and closed off. He didn't want to be doing it, but it was a dramatic reaction, and it was a completely instant one. He tightened his hand on Clark's and equally visibly tried to fight that back at least some, but.

"I can't answer that."

[stands_for_hope]

There was one rule to his relationship, one that Clark had never even nudged at the edges of: when Bruce shut down, he did not push. He never pushed Bruce, because he knew how much trust was extended to him to see Bruce even that far.

But right now, he had to push.

"If I don't know, I'm not punishing you. I'm just hurting you."

It wasn't no. It wasn't a qualification or a boundary or even a wall. What it was was the truth. Bruce could do what he wanted but they couldn't proceed without acknowledging that.

[knightbynight]

He thought about casting Clark into the role of actually, actively, punishing him and he - Didn't like it.

"I think," he said, not snappish at all, just quiet and strained, "I'd rather you just hurt me."

He didn't like it because he didn't want to cast Clark into that role and it was stupid nad maybe contradicted what he'd said but Clark. Was his support and faith, in some ways. "I'm afraid I might believe you."

[stands_for_hope]

And with that, Clark's decision was made. He leaned over and pressed a kiss to Bruce's temple, and it was a benediction as much as anything else.

"Then I will never ask again."

Because he'd never believe Bruce deserved to be punished. Bruce deserved the opposite of punishment. And that was, in a way, what he was trying to give him. Bruce deserved to be given fulfillment. Something that made him feel right, if not good. As if justice was done.

[knightbynight]

Good, because even that much is the single hardest thing Bruce has ever tried to communicate to Clark.

He accepts the kiss, then angles his head to kiss Clark, properly albeit with just the faintest edge of teeth at Clark's lower lip.

"Do you want to see this penthouse?"

[stands_for_hope]

"I want to hold you and kiss you and lavish attention and affection on you," he said with a breath in before leaning back and giving Bruce's hand a squeeze.

"But I'll content myself with seeing the penthouse. Car or flight?"

[knightbynight]

"It's a penthouse. We're closer to the sky than the road." Which was to say flight, with a flimsy excuse for it. He gave Clark the address, stretched and stood without letting go of Clark's hand.

[stands_for_hope]

Clark couldn't help smiling at the flimsy excuse, nor at the fact that Bruce wouldn't let go of them. It was a small, tired sort of smile but... it all made him feel so much more like they were together on this. That this wasn't keeping the beasts at bay as the two of them taking care of each other.

He slipped his arms around Bruce.

[knightbynight]

Bruce wrapped his arms firmly around Clark's neck, protected his face, and after briefly giving the address, did nothing more but hold onto for the ride to the roof of a highrise, with a top floor that was made of about 80 percent (bulletproof) glass.

[stands_for_hope]

He can't help but soak in Bruce's presence in his arms as they travel, even as fast as they travel. It seems... important right now, like something he needed to horde inside of his own mind. He's got a decent amount stored even as they touch down on the roof.

"It's a beautiful location," Clark noted as they settled down. "What were you using this space for before?"

[knightbynight]

"The occasional party." He moved away from Clark to look out over the city. Then after a moment headed toward the access door to plug in the security code.

"Housing for traveling businessmen. It's never been in heavy use." If that was what Clark was worried about.

[stands_for_hope]

He shook his head just a little since he can hear the reassurance in his tone.

"I was just curious. I trust your choice."

[knightbynight]

Bruce accepted that readily enough, pushed open the door and headed down - twice. He didn't even bother trying to talk until they were in a wide open space, surrounded mostly by glass, with doors on the back wall for the bedrooms and bathrooms.

"You should."

The kitchen was still mostly glass, and barely deliniated from the sparsely furnished living area. Huge fireplace. Built in storage.

[stands_for_hope]

Clark didn't so much answer with words as slip closer to him, shadowing him as they went through the place and took in the various portions of it. After a moment, Clark frowned thoughtfully and turned his attention purely to Bruce.

"I might come here. Instead of the Fortress. If... if I need. For a while. Would that be all right?"

[knightbynight]

Bruce turned and looked at Clark, mildly quizzical and frankly more than mildly confused by the question. "Of course you can. You can do anything you want with it, just try not to blow out all of the glass. There are balconies you can use for easy access, though."

[stands_for_hope]

"You're not the only one who occasionally needs alone time," he pointed out, "and I'm afraid that if I run off to the Fortress..."

He let his hand gesture kind of explain. He wouldn't ever come out. And this is both still in the midst of humanity and much more easily accessible than the Fortress for Bruce or Diana or anyone else to pull him out of.

"It's still yours, Bruce. I'm going to ask."

[knightbynight]

The idea of Clark going into the Fortress right now scared the hell out of Bruce. It was secondary only to Clark leaving the planet entirely, and it was a nearly matched thing.

"I appreciate that you asked, as a formality, but the answer was never in question - I hope. Take it, use it, scrawl on the walls, turn it into an aviary. Whatever you need from it."