Fic: A Matter Of Time (3/4)
Nov. 2nd, 2007 08:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
starsandseaTitle: A Matter Of Time (3/4)
Rating: PG
Characters/Parings: Bruce/Clark, mentions of Tim/Kon, Dick, Alfred
Disclaimer: I own nothing
Author's Note: For![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
bradygirl_12's Halloween Challenge!. Previous parts can be found Here. Betaed by the wonderful arch_schatten.
Bruce felt his heart stop. So did the monitors. They started beeping frantically. Dick and Tim squeezed his hands tightly. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then slowly opened them again.
"Bruce?" Dick was gazing at him in concern.
"I'm fine. It was just a shock." Bruce looked at his family, at the concern on their faces. Clark, Clark... no.
"How about everyone else? Is everyone all right?" Dick nodded. Bruce tried to smile. "Well. That's good." Clark, his Clark, he had lost him forever now, forever... Tim was looking at him with shadowed eyes. Which was worse, having the person you love die, or having them live, happy, with no memory of your time together? They both hurt equally, he suspected. At least he would still get to see Clark again. Tim would never get that chance.
"When can I get out of here?" He had so many questions to ask, but a hospital wasn't the place for them.
"Leslie wants to run some tests, but soon, Master Bruce."
Bruce inwardly raised an eyebrow at 'Leslie', but didn't comment. She had always been 'Dr. Thompkins' before... "Well, it's good to see all of you again." Bruce smiled a real smile. Don't think about Clark, don't think... Bruce ruthlessly stomped all thoughts of him down.
"It's good to see you again too, Bruce." Dick's grin was dazzlingly bright, but worry still haunted his eyes.
"We missed you," Tim spoke quietly. Bruce squeezed his hand. Tim... what he had been through when he wasn't there... thank god for Dick and Alfred. Just don't think about Clark. Don't.
*****
Dick was grinning at him still, sitting on his right side. Bruce resisted the temptation to roll his eyes. They were in a car, on their way to a hotel, Alfred driving them. Leslie had finally, reluctantly, let him leave the hospital, knowing that he was in the best possible care. Tim was sitting quietly at his left side. Quieter than he used to be. Bruce sighed. Tim had suffered so much, so young... he couldn't help be feel partially responsible. If Tim had never become Robin, then he wouldn't be grieving for his lover and best friend. Maybe his parent's might still be alive. But wasn't it better than he had time with Kon and Bart, short though it may have been? Didn't he feel the same about Clark?
"How's Gotham?" He spoke to stop the train of thought. He didn't know if he would be able to crawl his way out of the pit of despair if he started thinking about Clark, Clark's amazing blue eyes...
Dick sighed slightly beside him. "The same. Batman hasn't been seen since that Halloween." Bruce nodded. He'd have to remedy that soon.
"I moved back to try and help. Babs and Cass are still active. Even Catwoman's gone good." Bruce nodded slowly, pleased that his city had been so well protected.
"Some of the rogues have gone quiet, but that's only to be expected."
Bruce nodded again. "Thank you. Both of you." Tim looked at him and smiled slightly. His poor, scared boy...
Dick cleared his throat. "Will you be going out when we get home?"
Bruce smiled. "Yes."
Tim's smile widened, and Dick's grin grew. "Gotham needs you, Bruce." Tim's words were quiet, but intense.
"And you two," Bruce replied softly, flickering his gaze at both of his sons.
"We'll have to contact the Justice League..." Tim mused, after some moments of silence.
Bruce nodded. "It might be best if you or Dick do that. Although it would be interesting to see their faces if I did..."
Dick snickered. Tim smirked. "Just call them up and casually ask for a status report."
It was Bruce's turn to smirk. "Why not? You have to keep them on their toes..."
Dick was laughing now. "Oh god. Please let me be there when you do that."
"And me. If you let him be there, you have to let me be there."
Bruce's smirk grew. "Of course."
"Ahem." All three of them adapted innocent looks as Alfred cleared his throat from the front of the car. "As amusing at it is to hear to hear you plotting to give the members of the Justice League heart attacks, sirs, we have arrived at our hotel."
*****
They were in the hotel room. Bruce was looking out the window at Metropolis. It looked the same. Still bright and clean. His missed Gotham, suddenly.
Dick came up behind him. "We, uh, brought your suit with us."
Bruce smiled. The blue sky almost matched Clark's eyes. Almost. There was nothing on Earth that could match their stunning beauty. How they looked, gazing down at his naked body, dark with lust...
He turned around. "I'm going to have to get fit again before I hit the streets, but I should be able go to the Watchtower at least. How much do they know?" He took the suit from Dick's arms, feeling the kevlar and the silken feel of the cape. It felt surprisingly heavy.
"Diana and J'onn know the full story, everyone else knows that you've been in a coma." Dick paused. "Clark's been told about you... it seems you're one of the few people he can't remember at all."
Bruce nodded unemotionally. "Did he remember Lois?" His voice was light, casual.
"No. After the fight where he lost his memories, he was confused and ran, stumbling across Lois who was on holiday. By the time the League found them, Clark had..." Dick stopped his gentle explanation.
"Clark had fallen in love with her." Bruce finished for him. Dick nodded slowly. Bruce closed his eyes, then opened them, everything bottled up inside of him.
"Did I hear Tim say they're meeting up there right now?"
"Yeah. You're not... you are!" Dick was gazing at him incredulously.
"Why not? There's no time like the present." Dick shook his head. "Dick," Bruce paused. "How is Tim? Really?"
Dick sighed. "He's not been doing well. But he's a fighter. Having you 'back' will help him."
Bruce nodded. "Tell him to suit up so he can see everyone's faces like he wanted." Dick grinned. "Yes, you can come along too, Dick." He cut him off before he could ask.
"Tim!" Dick yelled, running out the room. Bruce looked down at the suit in his arms, and clutched it to his chest.
Rating: PG
Characters/Parings: Bruce/Clark, mentions of Tim/Kon, Dick, Alfred
Disclaimer: I own nothing
Author's Note: For
bradygirl_12's Halloween Challenge!. Previous parts can be found Here. Betaed by the wonderful arch_schatten.Bruce felt his heart stop. So did the monitors. They started beeping frantically. Dick and Tim squeezed his hands tightly. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then slowly opened them again.
"Bruce?" Dick was gazing at him in concern.
"I'm fine. It was just a shock." Bruce looked at his family, at the concern on their faces. Clark, Clark... no.
"How about everyone else? Is everyone all right?" Dick nodded. Bruce tried to smile. "Well. That's good." Clark, his Clark, he had lost him forever now, forever... Tim was looking at him with shadowed eyes. Which was worse, having the person you love die, or having them live, happy, with no memory of your time together? They both hurt equally, he suspected. At least he would still get to see Clark again. Tim would never get that chance.
"When can I get out of here?" He had so many questions to ask, but a hospital wasn't the place for them.
"Leslie wants to run some tests, but soon, Master Bruce."
Bruce inwardly raised an eyebrow at 'Leslie', but didn't comment. She had always been 'Dr. Thompkins' before... "Well, it's good to see all of you again." Bruce smiled a real smile. Don't think about Clark, don't think... Bruce ruthlessly stomped all thoughts of him down.
"It's good to see you again too, Bruce." Dick's grin was dazzlingly bright, but worry still haunted his eyes.
"We missed you," Tim spoke quietly. Bruce squeezed his hand. Tim... what he had been through when he wasn't there... thank god for Dick and Alfred. Just don't think about Clark. Don't.
*****
Dick was grinning at him still, sitting on his right side. Bruce resisted the temptation to roll his eyes. They were in a car, on their way to a hotel, Alfred driving them. Leslie had finally, reluctantly, let him leave the hospital, knowing that he was in the best possible care. Tim was sitting quietly at his left side. Quieter than he used to be. Bruce sighed. Tim had suffered so much, so young... he couldn't help be feel partially responsible. If Tim had never become Robin, then he wouldn't be grieving for his lover and best friend. Maybe his parent's might still be alive. But wasn't it better than he had time with Kon and Bart, short though it may have been? Didn't he feel the same about Clark?
"How's Gotham?" He spoke to stop the train of thought. He didn't know if he would be able to crawl his way out of the pit of despair if he started thinking about Clark, Clark's amazing blue eyes...
Dick sighed slightly beside him. "The same. Batman hasn't been seen since that Halloween." Bruce nodded. He'd have to remedy that soon.
"I moved back to try and help. Babs and Cass are still active. Even Catwoman's gone good." Bruce nodded slowly, pleased that his city had been so well protected.
"Some of the rogues have gone quiet, but that's only to be expected."
Bruce nodded again. "Thank you. Both of you." Tim looked at him and smiled slightly. His poor, scared boy...
Dick cleared his throat. "Will you be going out when we get home?"
Bruce smiled. "Yes."
Tim's smile widened, and Dick's grin grew. "Gotham needs you, Bruce." Tim's words were quiet, but intense.
"And you two," Bruce replied softly, flickering his gaze at both of his sons.
"We'll have to contact the Justice League..." Tim mused, after some moments of silence.
Bruce nodded. "It might be best if you or Dick do that. Although it would be interesting to see their faces if I did..."
Dick snickered. Tim smirked. "Just call them up and casually ask for a status report."
It was Bruce's turn to smirk. "Why not? You have to keep them on their toes..."
Dick was laughing now. "Oh god. Please let me be there when you do that."
"And me. If you let him be there, you have to let me be there."
Bruce's smirk grew. "Of course."
"Ahem." All three of them adapted innocent looks as Alfred cleared his throat from the front of the car. "As amusing at it is to hear to hear you plotting to give the members of the Justice League heart attacks, sirs, we have arrived at our hotel."
*****
They were in the hotel room. Bruce was looking out the window at Metropolis. It looked the same. Still bright and clean. His missed Gotham, suddenly.
Dick came up behind him. "We, uh, brought your suit with us."
Bruce smiled. The blue sky almost matched Clark's eyes. Almost. There was nothing on Earth that could match their stunning beauty. How they looked, gazing down at his naked body, dark with lust...
He turned around. "I'm going to have to get fit again before I hit the streets, but I should be able go to the Watchtower at least. How much do they know?" He took the suit from Dick's arms, feeling the kevlar and the silken feel of the cape. It felt surprisingly heavy.
"Diana and J'onn know the full story, everyone else knows that you've been in a coma." Dick paused. "Clark's been told about you... it seems you're one of the few people he can't remember at all."
Bruce nodded unemotionally. "Did he remember Lois?" His voice was light, casual.
"No. After the fight where he lost his memories, he was confused and ran, stumbling across Lois who was on holiday. By the time the League found them, Clark had..." Dick stopped his gentle explanation.
"Clark had fallen in love with her." Bruce finished for him. Dick nodded slowly. Bruce closed his eyes, then opened them, everything bottled up inside of him.
"Did I hear Tim say they're meeting up there right now?"
"Yeah. You're not... you are!" Dick was gazing at him incredulously.
"Why not? There's no time like the present." Dick shook his head. "Dick," Bruce paused. "How is Tim? Really?"
Dick sighed. "He's not been doing well. But he's a fighter. Having you 'back' will help him."
Bruce nodded. "Tell him to suit up so he can see everyone's faces like he wanted." Dick grinned. "Yes, you can come along too, Dick." He cut him off before he could ask.
"Tim!" Dick yelled, running out the room. Bruce looked down at the suit in his arms, and clutched it to his chest.
