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

[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."

[stands_for_hope]

He stepped back over towards Bruce and reached down to take his hand.

"Thank you. I appreciate that."

He breathed in deep before glancing around.

"Though I'll more than likely just use the kitchen and sit on the couches to read."

When he was alone, anyway.

"Where did you want to--"

[knightbynight]

Bruce walked away from the Clark and to the fire place, which was handily ready to be lit - gas fireplace, which wasn't the same but still provided some ambiance and physical warmth. "All of the glass can be darkened. We can use either bedroom, we can use this room, though it's entirely possible that if we bring that here it's going to compromise your ability to relax. It might also do the opposite, but if it isn't something you want to risk, we don't have to."

[stands_for_hope]

"We'll use one of the bedrooms," he said, decisive mostly because he doesn't want to add any more complications to the situation. "After all, it's not as if I'll need much room. And having a bed will be useful."

[knightbynight]

"For all the complex implications, I don't foresee this being an equipment or space heavy endeavor."

And with that he got up from the fire and went and sat - then sprawled - on one of the over-stuffed, white sofas.

[stands_for_hope]

For all that there was a certain tension in the air, it was still just him and Bruce. There was always a certain amount of enjoyment in being just him and Bruce. That's why he walks over easily enough and leans over the back of the couch to press a kiss to his forehead.

[knightbynight]

Bruce smiles faintly, reaches up, grabs the back of Clark's neck and tilts back to kiss him briefly - and a bit harder. Then: "Sit down and relax. We don't have to do this at all, we don't have to do this now, and we've done all the talking about it that needs to be done. Enjoy the view."

[stands_for_hope]

He looked down at Bruce for a moment.

"But I am."

Before walking around the couch to flop out next to him with a soul-deep sigh of relief.

He wouldn't have been able to do this without him.

He wouldn't have been able to deal with any of this without Bruce.

He tried to think of how he would have handled it if he'd still been alone, if he'd still been in his half-way relationship with Lois. He more than likely would have pushed it all down, used every meditation technique to jam it to the farthest corner of his mind, and he would have pretended that everything was fine and gone on like everything was normal. Like he wasn't changed, like he didn't have these urges, that he wasn't as human as everyone else.

It would have been an unmitigated disaster, just one that came later down the pike.

[knightbynight]

Bruce snorted at the remark and stretched his legs out in front of him, leaned back and deliberately made slight contact with Clark. "I hate it when you say things like that." It wasn't really a casual complaint, it certainly wasn't a snap or irritation or correction. Just casually mentioning.

[stands_for_hope]

"I try not to, but it slips out occasionally. Side effect of--" that got a sideways look because he'd almost slipped again. "Feelings. About you. And your physical appearance."

Stop being gorgeous and wonderful and he'll stop looking at you like the sun itself, Bruce.

[knightbynight]

He snorted again, this time even more derisively. Not about feelings but the rest of it. "You're either biased or blind." He was going with biased. He leaned slightly against Clark, anyway, as a short-cut to showing he was joking.

"If you're going to spend time here - or I am, or we are - we should think about stocking it properly with food." And first aid supplies. "All that's here now is alcohol - and take-out menus."

[stands_for_hope]

He looked over at Bruce, gave him a good long look up and down, and flat out snorted. No, Bruce. Just no. You're gorgeous. Objectively gorgeous. Physical perfection with clear blue eyes and perfect hair (whether it's styled or not, he feels) and a face that has and should be painted for hanging on walls.

"Only if you are," was all he's got for a response. Then he breathed out.

"I could take a trip down to the supermarket, get a few essentials in here. If I come here to use the kitchen, I'll probably be fine to stop at the store on my way."

[knightbynight]

This was apparently something they weren't going to move on from because they were stubborn. "You're Superman. You are literally perfect, Clark, at least physically. I'm human, middle aged, and look exactly as though I've gone several rounds with a gun and flame torch wielding tiger."

He wasn't really heated about it, just... stubborn.

"I don't know how important it is tonight. Are we going back to the Manor or staying here?"

[stands_for_hope]

"And the one of us with super senses thinks you're objectively gorgeous," was Clark's business-tone answer. Because he was also stubborn. And also kind of a jerk sometimes to very select people in very select ways. It's a sign of love, Bruce. Really.

But the more important issue was what they were doing.

"I don't know. Did you want to start with things tonight, or were we content just... getting things set for the moment?"

[knightbynight]

"I think that if we intentionally go out of our way to schedule and plan," he could not believe he was saying this, "that we will block ourselves from accomplishing what we want, and will make things as stilted and awkward as lunch was."

Which wasn't to say he didn't have a plan, but Clark didn't need to know that.

[stands_for_hope]

Clark leaned back and scrubbed at his face for a moment before looking over at Bruce. Because he knew Bruce. Because he did do things spontaneously but something like this--

"So you've got a plan but I'll find out when we get there so I don't feel nervous?"

...really, Bruce. Really. He does know you.