exp1osives

Alfred thinks nothing of it. He’s happy that Bruce is going out into nature and not locking himself up in the cave, in his room, or at Wayne Industries. In fact, you could say that he’s delighted. He’s very glad that Clark came along and is treating his son employer right.

The emotional weight of carrying Bruce's mental health no longer rests squarely on his shoulders. He can take time to breathe and relax. Alfred feels as though this is a very good thing.

But it doesn’t last long.

Because the moment Bruce came back, all he would talk about for an entire week was how compassionate and gentle Ma and Pa Kent were. To make it even worse, the couple starts calling Bruce, even more than Clark calls Bruce, and he’s their son.

They call just to ask how’s his day has been, what he’s eaten, if he’s been alright, what they should name their new calf, should they do business with this one person, and on and on. Nothing too important, but it’s so important to Bruce to have this meaningful conversation that seems meaningless to everyone else.

Alfred has always been very militaristic in the way he raised young Bruce. The Kents are not. That much is evident by the way Clark graciously conducts himself.

This isn’t to say that Alfred didn’t show love in his own way with Bruce, the Kent’s are just more open with it. They give love like they’re breathing air. Bruce doesn’t have to second-guess if Alfred’s glance was one of judgment or approval; they’ll tell him without beating around the bush. Bruce enjoys the fact that they're very honest with him.

Of course, they were wary when Playboy Philanthropist Billionaire CEO Bruce Wayne started dating their humble farm-raised son, but once they got to know him, loving him was so easy. Which Bruce has never experienced before, unless it was with Clark.

Bruce knows Alfred loves him, but that love has always been stilted, unspoken, and held back under the pretense of Alfred simply being an employee. No matter how close they get, Alfred stops it. Bruce has learned throughout the years that if he doesn’t revise this affection, Alfred would do it for him, and it’ll hurt a lot more than if he did it himself.

Alfred has never told Bruce ‘I love you’ no matter the situation. He can’t do those words. Guilt crawls up his throat and stamps the words down before he could ever attempt to.

The Kent's say those three words as if they were the easiest thing in the world. As if his relationship and love with Clark were the easiest thing in the world. As if Bruce was the easiest thing to love.

Every time Bruce comes back from a weekend visit to the farm, his cheeks are nice and rosy and he has a more human complexion instead of his usual vampire pale skin. His eyes are bright with that certain spark that Alfred had sworn he had lost long ago.

He’s wearing comfortable and baggy clothes, most likely Clark’s, and hesitates to put on his suits for a while. He’s got a small bounce in his step as he moves, and he’s more inclined to smile. It puts everyone in a good mood to have Bruce in a good mood. He’s more eager to give out physical affection and loving words to his children.

He gushes about late-night conversations with Pa Kent and the delicious food Ma Kent makes, saying it’s the best food he’s ever tasted, even if he’s traveled the entire world. He takes their sweets home to share and even experiments with the recipes Ma Kent readily gives him.

It puts a bitter taste in Alfred’s mouth.

There is no possible way that Alfred is jealous, though. He understands his place. He was the one who drew a line in the sand and refused to step over it, bar the few times he found himself over the line without realizing it.