He'd worked on one damn case for nearly a month, and he's drained. Gone are the days where he'd push through, insisting Gotham needed him. Why else would he form an army of children if not the give them the keys and let them have a field day.
Bruce owns a 2-story lakehouse on one of Metropolis' many islands. Did he originally buy it so that Luthor couldn't? Yes. But now, it seems like the perfect vacation spot to settle and unwind for a week or two. He asked Alfred to accompany him, to which the butler reminded him of the hell that would break loose if he did.
It was the perfect time, truly. The sun was no too hot but warm enough for a good tan. The lakehouse didn't need much of a cleanup, and there were plenty of books to entertain. What's more is that the water was almost clear this time of year, enticing in every aspect.
Bruce tugs on his swimming briefs and, after a quick sunbathing session, walks down the dock. He sits at its edge, dipping his toes in the cool water with a sigh. This was the life. If he didn't have to do Batman stuff, this is where he'd be, 365 days a year.
He had to give it to Metropolis, their weather was-- what was that? Bruce scrambles to look over the dock's edge but is met with his own reflection is the clear water. Bruce swears he felt something brush against his foot, something solid.
Maybe that's enough of the water for today. He'd come back tomorrow, maybe go for a swim. He'd just answer emails for the rest of the day.
As he walked back to the house, he failed to turn and spot the pair of sky blue eyes watching him, the being's fins trilling softly, stirring the water, captivated by him.
Kal had always been attracted to pretty things. It is in his nature. He has observed it in humans too. When he'd been in that terrible aquarium, tight cage and stale food, he'd always been the center of attention : Metropolis' biggest merman. He'd spent his earliest days being cared for by a couple, who raised him to be nice to humans, but he was only ever nice with them. His fierce protectiveness over Martha and Jonathan Kent had resulted in 2 employees being hurt. That was when they decided Kal was too big to continue caring for.
With no preparation or easing into, they released Kal into the wild, inviting hundreds to view the programme. Kal had been excited to explore the new waters, yes, but when he returned to where they'd released him, he was alone.
He roamed the waters, made friends with beings in water, even other merman and mermaids, but he never truly belonged. Even Atlantis, as welcoming as they'd been, had not been the right fit.
He found a lovely island to stay close to. It was secluded but the shore was sandy, no rocks to cut himself against. He could shuffle onto it and relax for a few hours before dipping back into the water. That's become his new life.
Until he heard noises one day, from the house a small distance from his favorite resting place. His sensitive ears picked up on footsteps and words similar to what Martha and Jonathan spoke. He'd not learned much of the language; just enough to entertain.
It took a few hours of waiting before the human finally emerged. A beautiful human. Kal gaped in awe as the man laid down on the sand, right where Kal always did. Skin as pale as the moon, hair black as stones yet shining in the sun, hands smaller than Kal's splayed out at his sides. Kal felt his tail wiggle in excitement under the water.
When the man got up to walk down the dock, Kal hid under it. He could only resist for so long, and when the man dipped his feet into the water, Kal reached out. The skin looked so soft, Kal yearned to feel it. The moment he did, the feet disappeared. Soon after, so did the man.
Kal didn't dare follow. He watched from where he could, waiting. He wanted this man, as his mate. He yearned. He would not give up so easily.
