#superbatweek

"Alright, go off and play with the others." Clark puts Henry down and he runs straight towards the cows to annoy and nip at them. Bruce catches his breath slightly while Clark is distracted.

"Come on in and meet the family." Clark is very excited and Bruce is so nervous. As Clark leads Bruce to the porch door, Bruce takes a look at Clark's outfit. Overalls with a plaid button up on top, buttons open. Very farm-like, very casual. Bruce feels overdressed in his black slacks, black boots and grey turtle neck, sticking out like a sore thumb. But to him, this is his casual. They walk onto the porch, through the front door, as they walk in Clark's parents are right there waiting and he introduces, "Ma, Pa, this is Bruce."

"Hello, it's a pleasure to finally meet you." Bruce smiles and holds out his right hand as an offer to shake. Bruce is acting smooth and formal as Jonathon is the first to return Bruce's handshake offer.

"Hi there, Jonathon Kent." Jonathon is very friendly. Bruce smiles and nods.

Ma goes in to return Bruce's handshake. "Martha Kent, the pleasure's all mine." She wears a wide grin.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's later in the day, not yet dark and everyone is gathered in the kitchen, friendly and casual, sipping on some tea.

Jonathon is sharing a story about Clark when he was younger. "One time I was pushin Clark on an old tire swing out here in our yard and he kept yellin to push harder, he wanted to go higher. I'm pushin and I'm pushin and suddenly Clark's fallen out of the swing! I ran around the tire lookin for him assumin he crashed on the ground, but he didn't... he was floating!"

Clark turns to Bruce, "I couldn't get down."

Jonathon "He couldn't get down!"

Everyone is laughing, even Bruce. Although it's smaller than everyone else's laugh as he is stiff and uncomfortable from his nervousness. But he really is having a good time.

"How old were you?"

"Thirteen."

"How did you get down?"

"I asked Pa the same question."

~scene takes a shift here and now we're IN the memory. As Jonathon shares his story we weave from present to memory~

Little Clark suspended in the air shouts "Pa! How do I get down?"

"Imagine yourself landing!"

In the air trying not to panic more than he already is, he shuts his eyes tight doing what Pa told him to do. A few seconds later Clark opens his eyes to still be looking down at his Pa. "It didn't work!"

Present Jonathon explaining to Bruce, "I didn't know what to do! I thought maybe I could get a rope and try pulling him down? But I was panicking, I almost couldn't breathe. Then I looked up and saw Clark, he was in the same state. So I told him; back to the memory, "breathe son, in the stomach out the nose, just focus on your breathin son!"

Back to the present. The tone shifts a bit in the room.

"I just focused on my breathing, eyes closed, and next thing I knew, I was on the ground again."

Back to memory. Little Clark looks at his feet as they finally touch ground again. He looks up at his Pa and lets out a childlike "woah..."

"You say woah I say I feel a bit woozy." Younger Jonathon falls on his ass comically but he is fine.

Back to present. Jonathon adds, "But he eventually got the hang of floatin."

Clark "You could say that."

Martha chiming in now. "One time Clark and I went to our local market to sell our crops..."

We drop into the memory. Clark is 15 years old holding a crate of their farm grown crops, putting it down where they'll set up shop. After Clark sets down the crate, he very suddenly doesn't feel too good, something hurts.

Martha notices, "Clark?"

"Be right back Ma." Clark rushes out of there to the nearest open shop, a barber shop, he darts in not particularly minding the men in there.

"Hey Clark, How's it goin?" Barber folks being friendly but also noticing Clark's distress.

Hurriedly, "Hey Dennis. Can I use your bathroom?"

"Sure thing." Clark rushes into the single person bathroom, locks the door and accidentally slams himself against the wall opposite of door, feeling ill.

"What's happening?" Clark writhing in pain. Clark feels warm and warmer until he's dripping sweat very quickly. He stares at the door handle, a few seconds later the door knob is glowing red. Clark fumbles over to the door, he touches the handle and jerks his hand away. It's hot, really hot but it didn't burn him. He backs up against the wall again, "why won't this stop?" Clark asks to no one desperately. He gets up again, walks over the sink and looks at himself in the mirror. For a split second he sees something off in his eyes then CRACK! The mirror shatters, glass falling everywhere, he closes his eyes.

"Clark? Is everything alright in there?"

"Can you find my Ma... please Dennis?"

"Sure thing." Dennis nervously and quickly leaves to find Martha. A moment later and Clark hears the bell ringing on the shop's door.

"Clark? I'm here!"

"Ma, I'm in the bathroom!"

"I'll come in..."

"NO! Or at least let me open the door for you."

Clark opens the door carefully, avoiding being seen. Martha walks in noticing the glass all over the floor.

"Honey..."

"Ma, I feel warm, I feel sick. And when I looked in the mirror I saw something in my eyes just before it shattered."

"Show me your eyes."

"No!"

"Clark, how am I suppose to help if you don't let me?"

"I - I don't want to hurt you."

Martha gets up to the sink, grabs some paper towels and wets them under cold water. "I'm gonna put cold wet towels on your head, okay? Maybe this'll help." Clark nods avoiding her gaze, she bends down and places the towels on his forehead. A hand rubbing his shoulder endearingly to help Clark feel comforted enough to calm down.

Some time passes and tension has visibly left Clark's body. "Feel better?"

"A bit."

"Feel ready to walk out?" Clark nods. "Okay, we'll take it slow."

They get up, Martha trying to hold Clark who's very shaken up. The bathroom door opens and Dennis sees Martha with Clark clinging closely to her and Clark diverting his eyes from any person.

"What happened? Will he be alright?"

"He'll be just fine. I Just need to get him home. I'm sorry about your bathroom, the mirror is broken." Dennis walks in and sees glass all over the floor.

"I can pay..."

"Don't even worry about it Martha, you just worry about your boy."

"Thanks Dennis." This feels like a heartwarming exchange between Martha and Dennis as Dennis really does care about the well-being of Clark and the Kents.

Back in the present with Bruce and the Kents in the kitchen.

"That was one of the most difficult times with Clark. He was so afraid to look at anyone for a really long time."

"Sometimes I still am..."

Bruce reaches out to touch Clark's knee underneath the table. Clark softens and smiles into his cup of tea.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's even more later in the day, sunset, right before the sun goes down. Clark and Bruce are out on the porch sitting in chairs while Ma and Pa finish up some chores.

Finally, a moment to themselves. "They like you. I can tell." A cheeky smile from Clark to Bruce. Bruce's lips tug into a smile, shifting only his eyes to look at Clark from the side.

"I like them too."

"I knew you'd all get along."

"Ever the optimist?" A flirtation. "This place, it all makes sense."

"What makes sense?"

"You. The way you are."

"And how am I?" Flirting even more heavily as Clark leans in closer to Bruce. Bruce leans in as well, flirting back but with a hint of bashfulness.

"Strong, Kind, Giving, Happy."

Clark is slightly taken aback but only cause "you're beautiful when you're being sincere." Love eyes. Bruce's heart does a little leap.

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It's time to go to bed on the Kent farm.

Clark is bringing Bruce to his childhood bedroom where they'll both be sleeping for the night. Clark turns on the light as they walk in.

"Oh, a king sized bed. I always took you as a twin sized bed."

"Okay rich guy." Tease. "I actually did have a twin sized bed for a long time until I went through my, uh, growth spurt." Clark walks over to his dresser on the other side of the room, pulls out a matching top and bottom pair of pajamas for himself. He sets them on his bed nearby and starts to take off his shirt, back facing Bruce. Bruce quietly and curiously watches and enjoys the view. Clark puts on his pajama shirt then starts to take off his pants, Bruce gets flustered. He looks away, tries to to peak, catches a glimpse then looks away again. Clark now done turns around to look at Bruce who's just standing there.

"Aren'tcha gonna change?"

"I didn't bring anything."

"Oh, that's right. Why is that?"

"You didn't specify that I'd be staying the night. Didn't think I would be here this late."

"Here, wear these." Clark opens his dresser again and pulls out the next pair of pajamas, throwing them onto the bed for Bruce. Bruce walks over to the part of the bed with the pajamas.

He stares curiously, "Am I sleeping in here tonight? On your bed?"

"Actually you're sleeping on the floor, we have a sleeping bag." They stare at each other. Clark bursts into laughter. "Of course you're sleeping in this bed with me."

Bruce turns away from Clark and takes off his clothes, puts on Clark's clothes. When Bruce puts on the shirt, he lifts it up to his nose and gives it a smell. It smells nice, like sunshine and linen.

"Ready for bed?" Clark opens the covers on his bed inviting Bruce. Bruce starts to walk over but Clark asks real quick, "can you turn off the lights please?" Bruce walks over to where the light switch is, switches it off and carefully finds his way back to the bed. He crawls into bed to feel Clark already there. Clark's bedroom window is open and there's a breeze flowing in, blowing the thin curtains making them dance.

"I've never spent the night in someone else's bed before."

"Really?" Clark is teasing but trying not to take it too far. Bruce being this vulnerable needs to be taken gently and he knows that. Clark leans over and rests his head on Bruce's chest.

"Do you ever relax?"

"Not usually."

"What are you thinking about Bruce?"

"I'm thinking about how weird this all is. Me, dating, tea with family, sleeping in your bed... it's a whole different world."

"A nice world?"

"Your world is very nice. It's warm and sunny. You fool people quite well."

"What do you mean?"

"This 'I'm Superman and everything is easy for me'. "

"When have I ever claimed everything is easy for me?"

"It's on your face."

"Because I don't scowl?"

A fake laugh "Ha ha. But actually getting to know you, seeing the world through your eyes, I realized... I was wrong about you."

Shocked but playfully, "Wrong?"

"Don't let it get to your head."

"Too late." They giggle.

"But hearing the stories your family shared... and I thought I was alone."

"You're not as alone as you often think you are. You've got me, Diana, Wally, J'onn, the JL. And now Ma and Pa."

"Most times it's hard to let myself know that. Ever since my parents... died... it's been hard to feel close to anyone. To let anyone in."

"I can tell."

"There's trust on the battlefield, then there's this kind of trust."

"I know what you mean."

"You really do don't you?" Bruce sounding even more in love.

Clark adjusts himself to look at Bruce in his face and eyes. "I know what it feels like to not be able to fully give yourself to people, even when your body screams for it. I know what it feels like to be alone. And I think that's why we really understand each other. Two people who are different from the rest complement one another." Clark is getting lost in Bruce's face. He leans in closer and closer, Bruce mirroring his movements.

"I feel most myself when I'm around you." Bruce speaks low getting lost in Clark's eyes and lips.

"Me too." They kiss. The sweetest thickest kiss two people in love could share. Tender, delicate, passionate. Kissing each other's souls. The kissing deepens, tongues are introduced. Clark gets on top of Bruce, slips his hands under his shirt... Bruce breaks away.

"Not here... with your parents..."

Clark gives him a peck on the nose then gets off from on top of him.

"Can I lay my head on you?" Clark nods then Bruce adjusts himself to lay his head and hand on Clark's chest. Clark kisses Bruce's head and Bruce closes his eyes. He listens to Clark's heart and breathing. Both utterly lost in the moment and each other.

"What are you thinking about Clark?"

"I'm thinkin about how this feels like a dream come true."

"What do you mean?"

"Layin here, in my childhood bedroom with the love of my life, my parents like him too, no secrets. It all just feels so right."

Bruce's heart skips a beat when he heard Clark refer to him as 'the love of his life'. Bruce moves to be on top of Clark, leans in eyes closed for more kisses, taking Clark by happy surprise. Bruce's kisses are tenacious, hands on Clark's shoulders, then one on the side of his face holding him. Clark pulls away, "wait, I thought you said..."

"I changed my mind." Clark smiles so big and wide.

"Clark, darling, light of my life, I cannot kiss you when you're smiling like a fool."

Clark kisses Bruce back with just as much tenacity, bedroom filling with the noises of kissing and sheets moving around. Clark's hand running up and down Bruce's back.

"Man of steel... can a man made of steel feel this?" Bruce's hands drifts over Clark's pajamas then under his shirt, grazing his bare chest, then abs, then back over the clothes rubbing his thighs. Clark's head lifts in bliss, blushing a bit. Bruce pushes it when his fingers tips lightly brush Clark's groin.

Clark grabs Bruce's hand, "okay okay, that's enough for now."

"Getting shy?"

"Just for you."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Morning on the Kent farm. Bruce and Clark are asleep holding each other, entangled into one another, sheets messed up, sunshine pouring into the bedroom. Animals waking up and making their morning noises.

End

*A line "Darling, light of my life, I cannot kiss you when you're smiling like a fool comes from a drawing @gravygranola made. link to it here