Student Clark Kent accidentally meeting Bruce Wayne when he's on a business trip in Metropolis.
Somehow he didn't make a complete fool of himself while facing his gay awakening and the biggest crush since he was in middle school.
Unless you count asking Bruce Fucking Wayne out on a date, sure that he will say no, but he asked anyway, because what does he have to lose?
Bruce Wayne said yes.
Now Clark is panicking because he's just a poor student, he can't afford the type of restaurant Bruce Wayne eats at!
He should cancel!
Clark doesn't cancel because his mama didn't raise a quitter.
He invites Bruce to a small bistro affordable to a student and somehow Wayne is having fun? Smiling and laughing at Clark's jokes, listening to his stories about Smallville and university.
He likes the food and cheap beer too!
Clark doesn't want the night to end, but unfortunately, it does. Wayne needs to go back to Gotham. He has kids.
Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.
A car comes to pick him up and Clark waits with him to make sure nothing bad happens. And to spend a bit more time with him.
Eventually, the car arrives and they say their goodbyes.
Clark is sure this is the last time he's seeing Bruce Wayne with his own eyes, but then Bruce pulls out a card with his number - personal, not business one - and asks Clark to give him a call.
Clark is in too much shock to say anything so he just nods and takes the card.
Bruce catches his hand then and pulls him down to place a quick kiss on his lips.
Winking, Bruce gets into the car and drives away.
Clark stands in the same spot for a long while after Bruce left, with a dumbest smile on his face.
Bruce probably feels so young again.
Empty nester Bruce who's just seen Damien off to university. He doesn't really have anyone who comes around regularly or even calls.
He accepted the invitation on impulse. The poor kid looked so embarrassed. It was adorable.
He really wasn't expecting to have such a good time.
Clark is smart and very passionate about the journalism he's studying. And about his farm where he grew up. Bruce loves his voice just as much as those stories.
He knows it's just one date and then they'll never see each other again. To Clark it's probably just something from his bucket list. Plus he's so much younger, could be Bruce's son. Bruce shouldn't be interested in seeing him again.
Yet he can't help but give Clark his number, not getting his hopes up.
He feels so foolish staring at his phone constantly the next day. Especially when it keeps being silent.
Clark doesn't call.
Of course he doesn't, and when Bruce slowly begins to accept it at the end of the day when getting ready for bed, the phone calls.
He picks it up faster than he should.
"Hello?"
"Um, hi. It's me," the familiar voice reaches him. "Clark, that is."
"Clark," Bruce repeats, breathing out the name with relief. "I was starting to think you wouldn't call."
"The day was kind of hectic," the kid explains himself. "I finally got some free time, I hope I'm not interrupting anything? Or that you aren't getting ready to bed. It's kinda late."
"No, no, I wasn't doing anything important," Bruce lies, sitting down on the bed and playing with his robe. "How are you?"
They talk till 2am, and even then they're reluctant to hang up.
Bruce feels like a pervert when he first brings Clark home. He isn't intending to sleep with him that night, but his in home theater is so much better than the movie theater and Clark has to watch some old movie for a class anyway.
They fall asleep on the massive sofa together. Both of them ignore the others morning wood awkwardly.
Bruce invites Clark to stay for breakfast.
Clark agrees and at first, Bruce is the only one cooking, but Clark can't stand just sitting there and watching, so he offers to help.
Bruce protests for only a moment before he gives in.
It's fun to cook with someone else. They keep talking and joking, and at some point, they have a little food fight.
Nothing extreme, just a bit of flour in the hair and pancake mix on the cheeks.
Bruce doesn't remember ever feeling this young even when he was Clark's age.
It's a rare occasion where Dick calls. Clark is over taking a tour of the manor gardens. They aren't as grand as the glory days of the Wayne family, but they are of intense interest to the farm boy in Clark. They're having a picnic when Bruce's cell rings.
Hearing Bruce call someone son is a sobering reminder of their age difference. It makes the rest of the picnic awkward and stilted.
Son.
That one word haunts Clark for the whole trip back home.
Bruce is a father. A father of grown up children. His first is older than Clark! Hell, Bruce could be his father as well, that's how big of an age gap there is between them.
They have no business being together, not even for a one night stand.
Even if Bruce was childless, the age is still too big. They're at different stages in life, with different priorities. They would never grow old together and they would be judged constantly.
Sure, everything was perfectly legal, but that wouldn't stop people from calling Bruce a groomer, and Clark would rather not be called a gold digger.
Never calling and meeting each other again is the best decision they could make in their situation.
Only it hurts so much.
Branch attempt 1...
Clark wasn't a drinker....usually. But he drinks tonight. He had called Bruce and asked if they could talk. Bruce's eyes...he knew Clark had been spooked by something.
Clark looks at the prince of Gotham and lets the words fall on the table. "I don't know what we're doing, what I'm doing. You're old enough to be my father and even have adult children older than me. You were my first celebrity crush. I dream of making the world a more equal and less corrupt place in my own way because of you."
Clark weighs his words. "If we were to become something more serious...they would never let us have peace outside of Gotham. You would be labeled a pervert and a cradle snatcher and I would get labeled a gold digger. Any career I built would be called into question."
Clark wanted Bruce to understand, tears of frustration building in his eyes. "I like you, more than I should, and maybe I'm beginning to feel something more, but I don't know if I'm prepared for the consequences if things go further between us."
Clark finishes his drink and stares down at the empty glass, waiting for Bruce to respond.
All Bruce can do at first is nod.
"You're right," he finally answers, throat dry like it doesn't want Bruce to speak and end this while they still can. "This could never work. Not because of us but because of everyone else. I didn't even tell my kids about you but I can imagine they won't be happy."
He can already imagine all of them asking if he lost his mind or suspecting Clark of wanting to use his money.
Bruce is a little desperate, but he's not stupid. He wouldn't let that happen, and he knows Clark's intentions are pure.
But to Bruce's kids it wouldn't matter.
And even if Clark proved them wrong, they still won't accept him as part of the family. As Bruce's boyfriend.
Not when he was younger than Dick, Casa and Jason and could literally be their younger brother.
"I never should've agreed to this," Bruce admits painfully. "Get both of our hopes up. But for what it's worth, I don't regret it."
Clark looks at him with years in his eyes.
"Yeah, me neither."
Clark stands up, feeling lost. He has classes. Bruce has his company and family. But those things feel far away. "I..."
Clark kisses him. It's warm and soft. It's perfect. He forces himself to pull away. "Thank you for everything. I'm sorry."
Bruce pulls him into a hug. "There's nothing to be sorry for."
Bruce walks Clark to the door, fantasies and dreams of a future that wouldn't ever be falling away as they accept the reality of their situation.
The door clicks locked between them like the closing of a book, Clark ponders, Perhaps an apt metaphor for the end of their little story.
Bruce sighs. Music and mindless tv isn't enough. He scrolls through his rarely used contacts. "Jason...I was just calling to catch up. It's been a while since we talked."
Clark tries to return to normal life, but he can't.
He's constantly distracted, feels sick to his stomach and feels the need to cry at random.
He's a fucking mess and it shows so much his best friend Lois get concerned.
She knew since Clark came from Gotham that something was wrong, but she didn't push because she hoped he would talk with her on his own.
But Clark is getting worse each day and nothing suggests he's going to talk anytime soon. So Lois makes him talk.
At first Clark refuses, but after enough drilling, he spills the beans.
About everything.
Lois doesn't interrupt him, she just listens to Clark getting progressively more broken.
"I love him, Lois," Clark sobs eventually. "I shouldn't, but I love him."
Bruce wasn't doing well.
The house was too big, too quiet, too empty. The bi-weekly cleaning crew was efficient as always. Tim's reports indicated that everything was going well at WE. Jason was engrossed in running the Gotham focused Wayne charities.
Bruce finds himself at the graves. He talks for a long time, eventually hs words turn to Clark. He told them it was better for the boy to find someone his age.
Bruce reminiscences on the many relationships that never worked out as he goes to the empty manor. Harvey, Talia, Andrea, Selena...all leaving for one reason or another. He always dreamed of finding someone.
If he was a youn-
The buzzer rings. Bruce isn't expecting anyone. He opens the security feed and sees...
Clark.
Bruce lets him in.
It's an impulsive decision, because he should stay away like they agreed. But if Clark came to him...
They meet in the foyer. Clark is clearly nervous about something. So is Bruce, even if he doesn't know about what exactly.
"You came back," is the first thing Bruce says.
"My friend dropped me here," Clark explains. "She had enough of me moping around."
Bruce hates the idea of Clark being hurt by their "break up", but part of him is also happy the boy is missing Bruce as much as Bruce misses him.
But then he realizes something.
"You told her about us."
There's no "us", but it's hard not to call them that.
Clark nods. "I needed to tell someone."
"And her response was to bring you to me," Bruce says, feeling the sudden need to send that friend a bouquet of flowers.
"She said we're being idiots," Clark reveals with a small smile.
"We're being right," Bruce corrects.
"Right doesn't always mean smart," Clark counters. "Her words, not mine. But I agree with her."
Bruce's heart begins to race with hope when Clark steps closer, within arms reach.
They look at each other, and Bruce is afraid to move a muscle to not spook Clark. Or cause this beautiful dream to end.
"I missed you," Clark breathes out. Like a relief.
And before Bruce can say the same, Clark's lips are on his and he forgets about everything that isn't their desperate kiss.
