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aeranethwrites · 8 years

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To all the new followers and people who liked/read my superbat drabble: You are awesome <3

Anyway, have a continuation? I’m a sucker for reactions

“Clark Joseph Kent, I cannot believe you bothered to show up to work!!”

“Um. H-Hi, Lois.”

“Gah!! I could just-!” While Lois pantomimed strangling the soul right out of his body, Clark adjusted his glasses and tried to not listen too much to the whispering.

Who was he kidding, he was both ‘curious and obscenely nosy’, as Bruce liked to put it.

“Braver than he looks, if that’s real-”

“Actually sleeping with Batman, holy shit-”

“How did Batman pick that up? I’m surprised Clark didn’t faint at the sight of the Bat.”

“-cannot believe we spent all these years one cubicle from each other, and you have the audacity to keep something like this from me- hello? Clark?!” Lois snapped her fingers impatiently, and Clark blinked several times.

“Sorry. Spaced out.” Lois pinched the bridge of her nose. She breathed very slowly.

“Smallville,” she growled. “You have one- just one- chance to tell me that this was a hoax. That Jimmy saw something completely fake, that some other weirdo in a bat costume was hanging out on the rooftop, and you gave him the friendliest hug on this side of the Atlantic.” The whole floor was quiet, everyone holding their breaths. While also trying very hard to pretend they weren’t listening.

Clark sighed very quietly. “It’s my fault,” he admitted. Lois sucked in a breath- “If I was going to kiss my boyfriend, I probably shouldn’t have done it on a building full of photographers.” Her jaw hung slack, and the whispers exploded back in. Then Lois snapped out of it and began shaking him back and forth, spluttering incoherently.

“Enough!!” The floor quieted. “Kent!” Perry snapped. “Office! Now!”

“Yes, sir,” Clark said meekly, gingerly squirming out of Lois’ hold. She sputtered quietly as he shuffled into the open door, eyes still huge.

Perry walked stiffly to his desk, indicating Clark sit. Clark sat, watching him pace for a few moments. After a long while, he turned around, eyes sharp.

“I almost told Jimmy to hell with that picture,” he finally said. “If that kid wasn’t so damned positive that he was the real thing. If it were anyone else, Kent- anyone, I would have thrown them out on their asses.” Clark winced.

“I wouldn’t do something like that.”

“That’s just the thing. I know you wouldn’t. You never have before, and if you were about to start, it damn well wouldn’t be with Batman. He may not do PR, but he’s still the kind of person that gets the message across.” Clark nodded absently. He really was. “Still, all exclusives aside…” The editor sighed, rubbing at his forehead. “Seriously, kid? Batman?” Clark shrugged awkwardly. “How long has this been going on?”

“... Some years, now.”

“How the hell did that happen?” I met a man in Taiwanese prison, then followed him across Asia and fell in love. Clark coughed, adjusting his glasses.

“Through Superman.”

“That’s it?”

“It’s… a long story. Essentially, through Superman.” Perry eyeballed him for a long moment, then harrumphed.

“I guess asking for an interview is too much.”

“Batman wants his privacy, and I won’t break that.”

“Uh-huh. I don’t suppose you talked with him about this mess.”

“We did.” Clark grimaced. “I think he’s more upset with himself for not noticing Jimmy sooner. But he doesn’t want me to retract anything.” Perry raised an eyebrow. Clark sighed. “He… knows my career is important to me. He respects that. Said if nothing else, exposing him as a gay superhero will be beneficial.”

“I didn’t think he cared about that sort of thing.”

“He cares a lot more than you’d think, sir. Believe me, if you knew him, you’d wonder what he ever saw in me.” Perry scoffed, leaning against his desk.

“No, I wouldn’t.” He shook his head to himself. “You’re not allowed anywhere near this story. Neither is Lois, for that matter.”

“She’s going to strangle you.”

“Probably. It’s too late to take back either way.”

“I understand. Batman does, too.”

“Good. Go find Jimmy when you can escape the mob. He’s probably still hiding in a closet and having a crisis. Like you do sometimes, only more dramatic.” Clark snorted very quietly.

“I’ll find him.”

“And- Clark,” Perry called, before Clark could go out the door. “... Be careful, kid.”

“I’m always careful.” Perry’s expression bordered scathing.

“No, you’re not.” Clark could only shrug sheepishly. He went out the door anyway. “... Batman,” Clark heard him mutter to himself. “The goddamned Batman.”

Lois peered at him over the top of their shared cubicle wall as he returned to his desk. He sighed. “Neither of us is allowed near the story,” he recited.

“What?!”

“Sorry, Lois.”

“If I could just get five minutes alone with-”

“Lois.” Clark frowned. “Please respect his privacy. He’s not a story, he’s someone that’s important to me.”

“Clark-”

“Please,” Clark repeated, softening his voice. “As a friend.” The reporter faltered, visibly wavering. Clark almost felt bad, but there was very little else that would throw Lois Lane off the scent of a good story.

“... The second you break it off, he’s mine,” Lois finally growled.

“We’re not going to break it off.”

“Oh? Long-term, then?”

“Lois.”

“Fine, fine.” Lois waved him off. “Fine.” She still didn’t leave. “... So is your boyfriend a good kisser? Just out of friendly curiosity.”

Clark sighed.

Bruce was the center of attention the moment he stepped foot on the Watchtower. He expected it, but it didn’t make it any less irritating.

The main hall immediately went quiet as he walked through. Mostly because Flash had switched off the main monitor so quickly along with the conversation dying off. He ignored it, along with the stares that followed him. Everyone was gathered around the blank screen, watching him intensely.

“... Hey, Bats!” Flash attempted. “Hey! Buddy. Pal. W-What’s happening?”

“Probably crime,” Batman replied flatly. “Where’s my monitor view?”

“Oh, that’s- that’s a bit on the fritz. There’s, uh, some weird connection that keeps popping up, best to not mess with it-” Bruce pulled a remote from his pocket and switched it back on. The show continued playing.

“-right here in Smallville, where Clark Kent was raised. How did you two know each other, Miss Suzanne?”

“Oh, you know, we’ve been best friends throughout our childhoods. That’s just how small towns are, though, you know? He’s basically my brother.”

“You dumped milk in his lap in sixth grade and called him a stupid dork.”

“Shut up, Pete!”

“Annnd back to you, Jeff!”

“The Daily Planet reporter that’s been sweeping the headlines as a topic himself, Clark Kent, has so far declined comment on his relationship with the world-famous hero Batman-” Another click and the monitor switched back to his crime watch. Bruce rolled his eyes as he went up the walkway to his station. He settled in to get some actual work done.

The League followed him to the computer.

“Sooo… on the topic,” Lantern began. “Is it true?”

“Yes.” Bruce frowned at the screen. “There’s definitely crime happening.”

“... No, Batman. We mean-”

“We mean,” Hawkgirl cut in, “that we are only curious if this ‘Clark Kent’ is spreading false rumors in an attempt to damage your public image.” Batman paused. He’d been planning on ignoring them, but the question rankled.

“And just how would me having a boyfriend damage my public image?” he challenged, bristling.

“Whoa, whoa, that’s definitely not what she meant,” Flash insisted hastily. “Not what she meant at all. Look, we just know Kent is close to Superman, and he does a lot of coverage for the Justice League. She was just asking if he might be going rogue on us.”

“What else would I mean?” Hawkgirl muttered. Green Lantern raised an eyebrow. “... Oh.”

“... No,” Brucefinally grumbled, turning away his glare. “He’s not going ‘rogue’ on us.”

“So he’s not lying?” Wonder Woman confirmed. Bruce had the feeling of being tricked, though he couldn’t say why.

“... He’s not lying.”

“Oh-ho, Bats!” Flash cheered, clapping his shoulder. “Good on you! Rooftop makeout and everything!”

“Congratulations,” J’onn offered. “He seems very nice.”

“He’s pretty cute,” Hawkgirl acknowledged. “In a dorky way. I wouldn’t have guessed that was your type.”

“So how long have you been dating?” Flash asked eagerly, leaning into his space. “Is he dating Batman, or does he know your secret identity?? How’d you guys meet? Did Superman hook you up? Wait, does Superman know about you two? I mean, I guess he knows now, but did he before?” Bruce sighed harshly.

“All of you have better things to do.”

“Yeah, but we wanna talk about you and your cute boyfriend!”

“I have a question, too,” Lantern added. “If you two were a secret, why’d you end up making out on top of the Daily Planet? You know, the building full of reporters with cameras on hand?”

“Oh, let him live a little,” Hawkgirl scoffed. “Some people like showing off.”

“Yeah, sure, but not Batman.”

“What not Batman?” Kal wondered, entering the hall. Batman felt somewhat vengeful as Lantern turned around.

“We were just asking the Bat about his voyeurism.” Kal choked for a moment.

“Excuse me??”

“What else do you call him making out with his boyfriend on a building of reporters?” Hawkgirl returned.

“W-Well, that- I mean-”

“It’s your fault,” Bruce informed him. There was a moment of silence as everyone stared between them. Kal’s mouth moved silently for a moment.

“M-Me? What did I do?”

“Suddenly he’s upset about some Watchtower gossip you shared with him. Something about supervillains constantly flirting with me and other women.” Wonder Woman’s face twitched violently. Kal coughed awkwardly as Flash and Lantern looked busy studying anything else.

“Well, I just- You know how often we talk-”

“You know he’s sensitive.”

“Yes,” Kal ground out, groaning. “Yes, I- do.”

“He took risks he wouldn’t normally and we got caught.”

“And you’re mad at me for it, I get it.”

“I’m not mad, Superman,” Bruce replied patiently. “I don’t blame either of you. You’re a weak man for gossip and he’s prone to bouts of jealousy. Do you really blame him?” Kal rolled his eyes to the heavens while Flash muffled a snort.

“No, Batman,” he intoned. “I don’t blame him. You’re a wonderful man and anyone would be lucky to have you. How can he stand not having you to himself twenty-four hours a day?” Bruce waved him off, returning to his work.

“That’ll do.”

“So you’re done?”

“For today.”

“For the month.” Bruce hmmed.

“The week.”

“Fine.”

“Then I’m going back to work.”

“So am I.”

“Fine.”

“Fine.” There was a long silence. Kal cleared his throat, then finally left. Bruce shook his head to himself as the League quietly dispersed. Flash lingered, leaning against the console.

“... You two really are close, aren’t you?”

“We’ve known each other too long,” Bruce replied. Flash chuckled.

“I guess he really did introduce you two, then? How long ago was that, anyway?”

“Why do all of you care so much about me having a relationship?” Bruce frowned at him, baffled.

“Well, it’s- I don’t know. You’re just… You’re always such a hardass. John was in the Marines and even he thinks you’re over the top.” The speedster shrugged. “It’s just nice knowing you’re human, I guess. You never seemed to notice anyone or show how much you care about things. It’s nice to know there’s a soft, squishy heart under all those layers of darkness.”

“He’s the squishy one,” Bruce denied immediately. “He’s composed of eighty-seven percent sunlight and rainbows.” Flash grinned hugely.

“Awww. And you love him just like that, don’t you?” Bruce muttered some Kryptonian swears under his breath. He hoped Kal was enjoying himself.

“... I like my privacy,” he finally said, when Flash still wouldn’t go away. “And it’s for his safety. Along with his family’s.”

“Yeah, but everyone knows he’s Superman’s BFF.”

“People like the Joker didn’t have a reason to care about that before.”

“... Point. Hey, so did Superman introduce you? Can I at least get the footnotes on that story?” Bruce held back a sigh. Still, of the rest of the League, Flash was… least suspicious. Just overly friendly. (He seemed to attract the type.)

“Superman didn’t introduce us,” he admitted at length. “We met before him.”

“Whoa- seriously??”

“It was a long time ago, we were still teenagers.” He shook his head to himself. “We had a habit of getting into trouble together, diving headfirst into mysteries. He wanted to take on the world through writing, I wanted to take on Gotham with my fists. We were together long before Superman came into the picture.”

“... You’ve known Superman for a long time,” Flash finally said. “Wow. You don’t have to answer, but have you ever considered getting married?”

“You ever consider not gossiping about the number of people that want to get into my pants?” Bruce retorted. Flash coughed awkwardly, but didn’t retreat. Bruce sighed his troubles to himself, but leaned back in his chair. He pulled off his left glove to give a lazy wave with it, flashing gold in front of the speedster.

Flash choked. Bruce slipped his glove back on. So he’d been feeling a little sentimental that morning, was all.

“Tell Wonder Woman that no, we’re not breaking it off anytime soon,” he said. “Even so, she really isn’t my type.” With that, he returned to work. He could feel Flash staring.

“... So how did you guys meet Supes, anyway?”

“It’s a long story,” Bruce answered pointedly. Flash got the hint at least, holding up his hands. He left with that, probably to gossip more.

Bruce’s handheld buzzed a moment after, and he glanced down.

Fine. You’re not sleeping on the couch tonight.

“I love you, too,” Bruce muttered in Kryptonian, rolling his eyes. He still sighed softly after a long moment, absently rubbing at the hidden ring. So, maybe it wasn’t so bad, letting the world know that Clark Kent belonged to him.

They’d deal with the consequences together.

#superbat #drabble #definitely some version of animated verse #I'll probably post more of this verse later I have a lot of it written

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aeranethwrites · 8 years

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This is a short piece from an AU I have where Bruce and Clark met during Bruce’s Batman training. Years later, they’ve been married since before they were heroes, but no one knows. Until Batman is caught kissing Clark Kent.

“You knew Jimmy was there!”

“I- You know how much of a distraction you are, and it was on top of a building full of reporters-”

“You.” Bruce whirled around, jamming his finger into the man’s chest. “Are lying to me. And you are still bad at it.” Kal was quiet for a long moment, standing in place. At long length, his shoulders wilted.

“I… I didn’t plan it, but- but I did notice him,” he admitted, pained.

“Before or after you kissed me?” Bruce challenged. Kal’s silence said it all. “What the hell were you thinking?!”

“I-”

“What kind of PR can I spin about this?! Batman doesn’t do press!”

“Well-”

“Don’t you dare make a joke about him ‘doing’ the press right now.”

“... I wasn’t going to,” Kal lied, badly. He cleared his throat. “It was impulsive, okay? Very- Very stupid, and impulsive, and I just- I was-” He faltered, and Bruce sighed harshly, pinching the bridge of his nose. He lowered his tone a bit.

“Just walk me through what the hell was going through your head, Kal. What brought this on? You’ve been acting weird all week, and you know it. I scanned you for mind control, for God’s sake.”

“Wait- What?”

“It’s not mind control, if you’re curious.”

“N-No, I wasn’t!”

“Just answer the question.”

“You-” Kal huffed, then ran a hand through his hair. He sighed out harshly. “I… talked to Wonder Woman,” he confessed, wincing. “About- you.”

“... And?”

“And she was- She’d been talking with Flash about you, and they were talking about your supervillains. The female ones. About how they always… flirt with you.”

“If that’s their flirting, I’d hate to see their full-out romance.”

“And she said- She could… see why they did. Flirt with you. And she was… asking me for advice.” Bruce let that sink in. He squinted at his husband.

“... Wonder Woman was asking you for advice on asking me out.”

“She was implying it.”

“You don’t even know if she was-”

“She said the way you fight is poetry in motion, because you use your whole body to fight, and then asked what I thought about flirting with you-”

“Oh my God.”

“And I maybe sort of implied that you were already attached, and she said ‘well, maybe his girlfriend will dump him’ and I said ‘I really don’t think so’-”

“You were jealous of Wonder Woman??”

“No-”

“You were jealous when you know that I’m gay?!”

“Oh, come on!” Kal snapped, a hectic flush all over his face. “Don’t think I haven’t seen you conducting background checks on Lois Lane!”

“I did background checks on Perry White, and I’m not worried about him getting in your pants.”

“I wasn’t worried at all-”

“No, you got possessive. Of Batman. Bruce Wayne is touted all over the damned country as one of the hottest eligible billionaire bachelors, socialites practically fling themselves at his feet, and you got jealous over a handful of people sniffing around Batman-”

“But you’re not Bruce Wayne!” Kal retorted, voice raising. “You never were!” Bruce stopped. “Billionaire, devil-may-care attitude is not who you are, it’s- it’s just a mask. I don’t care if people want that. I don’t want that, and I know it’s not real. You’re Batman, you’re- you’re crazy stubborn, amazingly strong, grouchy, yes, but- but when you put on the mask, it’s you. It’s the closest people will ever get to the real you. And yes, not that many people get close enough, but there’s a reason that half of them want that. I don’t blame them for it, either. Poetry in motion isn’t even an exaggeration, it’s something I’ve thought for years, and I.” He wilted all the more, rubbing at his neck. “I got- jealous. Yes. And possessive. And then Jimmy was there, and I just- It all came rushing at me at once. Sometimes I just… I really hate not being able to tell people.”

“... We agreed it was the safest for our respective-”

“I know. I know we did. I still agree with our reasons. But the lizard brain in me still hates not being able to show off the fact that I’m married to you. That you’re mine.” He sat back on their bed, exhausted. “It’s- It’s so stupid, I know. I’m sorry, Bruce, I just- I impulsed.” He sighed heavily. “Look, I can- I can say something. To the press. I’ll say it was a hoax. Jimmy will understand, and- and Perry will kick my ass. It’ll blow over.” Bruce was quiet for a long moment, then sighed harshly. He settled on the bed as well, quiet.

“... You could have at least set it up with Superman,” he said. He looked at Kal’s face, then grimaced. “But that would defeat the purpose,” he finished. “Because you’re not Superman.”

“I hate when you do that.”

“No, you don’t.”

“No I don’t.” Kal sighed. “But that’s just the point! Would Bruce Wayne ever notice things like that about people?”

“... No. He wouldn’t. He’s an idiot.”

“And you hate playing him.”

“... I really do.” Bruce fell quiet, staring at the wall. Kal’s Metropolis apartment was sparsely decorated, but what was in here had history. Little trinkets, things that an outsider would never guess. Decorations from China. Postcards from Europe. A jade pendant of a dragon, hanging over the bed. “... I did investigations on Lana Lane,” he admitted.

“Lana? Seriously?”

“She still looks at you.”

“She’s married to Pete.”

“Believe me, Pete notices how she looks at you. He’s insecure about it, and it puts a strain on their relationship.”

“Lana knows I’m married. Granted, not to whom, but still.”

“That doesn’t take away from the fact that she’s one of the few people who understand just what kind of a person Clark Kent really is. He bumbles and blusters, but he’s kind, and stubborn, and inhumanly persistent. Raised country, you can tell, but it’s charming. And he’s incredibly intelligent, more than any outsider will really understand. He feels… real. More real than any other person in the world. And when you have his love and attention, it’s… it’s priceless.” He sighed very quietly. “It’s the best feeling in the universe.” Kal’s hand slipped over his after a moment, fingers intertwining. “... Calling this a hoax will damage your credibility.”

“It doesn’t matter. I shouldn’t have done it.”

“Credibility is important for a reporter.”

“It’s not more important to me than you. Than Batman is to you.” Bruce lifted their joined hands to kiss Kal’s knuckles.

“You love your job,” he murmured. “And that’s important to me.”

“It will blow over.”

“No, it won’t.” Bruce leaned into his side, watching their hands. “... On the other hand,” he murmured, “it would be nice. Other people realizing what a catch you are.” Kal did a doubletake.

“Wait, you’re not seriously-”

“I am.”

“That- Bruce! That’s crazy! People will ask me about Batman, the first thing they’ll ask for is an exclusive interview-”

“And Batman doesn’t do press. Well.” Bruce smirked. “He does, but that’s not their business.”

“... You stole my joke.”

“I was trying it out. I think I like it.”

“I can- I can say I’m respecting your privacy, but that’s- how am I supposed to say we even met- well.” He chewed on his lip. “Through Superman, I guess. And- And it would legitimize my connections with the League.”

“You could bargain favors through Perry. Get in on exclusive stories.” Bruce hummed. “And your ‘anonymous’ tips will have more weight.”

“You’re not a bargaining tool, you’re my husband.”

“And you’re sweet.” Bruce kissed the corner of his mouth. “It’s no wonder what Batman sees in you.”

“You’re a bigger sap than you let on.”

“I bet Batman can rescue you a few times. I’d like a few shots of you being the damsel in distress.”

“I bet you would.” Kal hesitated. “... Are we really doing this?”

“If nothing else, I’ll be publicly exposed as a gay superhero. I’d like to see anyone try to say something to my face.”

“They’d pee their pants just considering it.” Kal’s lips twitched. “... I guess I should probably call Lois back.”

“Definitely.”

“You’re still insane.”

“You love it.” Kal laughed, wrapping an arm around his waist.

“I do.” God, but Bruce loved him. No matter how dangerous it was.

And maybe he was also enjoying the idea of Kal’s coworkers looking at an interested new intern, who noticed his shoulders and sunshine smile, and whispering in terror no, no, his boyfriend is Batman.

It was just a nice mental image, was all.

#superbat #drabble #takes place in animated universe sort of

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