s o m n u s

“Extreme sports”, Bruce explains.

Clark runs his hands over a scar cutting down the back of his left shoulder where he saw Batman get hit by an unlucky piece of shrapnel that made its way between the armored plates a few months ago. He remembers pulling the sharp metal out of the meat of Batman’s back in the exact same shape of the scar he’s looking at now.

Clark’s gripping Bruce by his waist, he can feel the raised skin under his hand in the same spot he pressed his hand over Batman’s torso to stop him from bleeding out on one of their first joint missions.

Clark kisses down Bruce’s torso, following the smattering of faded scars along his side. A bullet graze from 2 years ago. A lucky slice from a Rogue’s knife just a few weeks ago. An alien laser from an invasion last year. All injuries that Superman witnessed over their partnership. All reminders that Batman — Bruce— was still only human.

so he only stays for a little bit, “borrowing” time from himself from different timelines, never settling down. he learns of every possibility of himself and viktor, at every point in their relationship.

he learns how to slow down viktors illness (though never cured). hes also learned what it feels like to watch him die. he learns when its TOO early to confess, and he knows what happens when he’s too late. he gets to experience versions of viktor through the shoes of versions of himself in all possibilities.

when he decides to leave, onto another timeline, into another jayce, he leaves himself words of advice. if jayce cant stay, he may as well try to make things better.

he leaves notes in that jayces journal.

“he likes his coffee way sweeter”

“offer to walk him home, he’ll refuse at first but eventually gives in”

“he will need a crutch soon, start drafting up something”

“stop wasting your time and tell him”

“DONT say that thing about people from the undercity”

he finds notes addressed to himself, written and signed in his handwriting, leaving clues or instructions that his other selves have left him. it seems like all jayces are destined to head into the arcane to find viktor, as is viktors destiny to eventually leave jayce one way or another.

its years of searching for jayce on this single minded hunt, essentially only conversing with himself through scraps of paper, old journals, and hastily written notes.