Fic: Tale as old as Time (4/6)
Oct. 5th, 2007 07:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
starsandseaTitle: Tale as old as Time (4/6)
Rating: PG
Pairings/Characters: Clark/Bruce, Alfred, Dick
Disclaimer: I own nothing
Author's Note: For![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
bradygirl_12's birthday. Previous parts can be found Here. Unbetaed, so point and I shall correct.
Clark was up early the next morning, exploring the castle. He had seen Alfred and Dick at breakfast, but now Dick was having 'lessons', being educated, at which the boy had rolled his eyes slightly to Clark. Clark smiled softly. He was very lucky that he could read and write and count. His parent's had thought him well. But, it seemed that Dick was being purposely groomed for something, as if it was important that he was well educated. Clark frowned slightly as he opened a door quietly, surprised at the darkness, only broken by a single source of light. He wondered again who the castle belonged to.
He made his way carefully towards the light, blinking at it's brightness. There seemed to be a red tinge to it somehow. He saw eyes out of the corner of his own, and gasped before he realized it was only a painting. He turned towards the picture now, away from the light, but still within it's sphere enough that he was able to see the painting clearly. He stared at the face of the most handsome man he had ever seen, beautiful blue eyes framed by longish strands of dark hair. He could almost feel how soft the man's hair was, the painting was so lifelike. And the eyes... they were so sad. Clark swallowed and glimpsed some writing on the frame of the painting. Prince Bruce of Gotham.
Clark frowned. He had heard of Gotham and it's prince, but that was only a fairy tale. Wasn't it? He turned away from the haunting blue eyes and back to the light, moving closer to it. He gasped again as he could suddenly see clearly what it was.
It was a rose.
A beautiful, red, luminous rose. He gazed at it, enthralled. It was in a sort of glass container, over a small table, hovering by itself. There were several petals lying on the table, but the rose didn't seem any less perfect for having lost them. Instead, it looked even brighter somehow. Spellbound, he reached a hand out to touch the glass... and suddenly a shadow fell upon him. Clark stumbled back in shock, feeling the painting's eyes on him, almost accusing.
Bat was glaring at him. "You will never come into this room again," he growled.
Clark swallowed, as overcome with fear as he had been when he had first seen him. "I'm sorry," he tried to say, but the words barely escaped his mouth.
Bat seemed to hear them clearly. "Get out." He whispered.
Clark quickly fled, unable to rid his memory of those haunting blue eyes...
*****
Clark ate his delicious dinner in silence. Dick was chattering away, but seemed to be used to talking for a long time without being acknowledged. Clark enjoyed his chatter, but he had his mind on other things.
"Alfred?" He said quietly, as dessert was brought in.
"Sir?"
Clark opened his mouth, but no words came out. He opened it for a second time. "I think I did something... foolish today."
"Indeed, sir?" Alfred placed his dessert of apple pie before him, after Dick, who was all ready digging in, but listening to the exchange.
"I was exploring the castle, and I came across a room with a rose in a glass case-" Clark stopped as Dick dropped his spoon abruptly, the silver clattering against the heavy wood table. Alfred moved closer slightly.
"Is there... something wrong? I mean... Bat was there, and," Clark looked down. "He banished me from the room."
Dick picked up his spoon and began eating again, eyeing him warily.
"That was the master's...study. The rose is..." Alfred hesitated again, and Clark frowned slightly. "It is very important to him. If you'll excuse me, sirs," Alfred quickly left the room.
Clark looked at Dick. "Did I say something wrong?" Something strange was going on. Dick smiled at him, but it was less bright than normal.
"No. Alfred's just protective of... Bat, that's all." Dick continued eating his dessert, casting him wary glances now and again. Clark slowly ate his own.
*****
They had gone to the 'living room' again after they finished eating. Once again, Bat had been in the shadows and Dick had curled under his wing while Bat read to him, eventually falling asleep. Clark had carried him to his bed, and Alfred had tucked him in, then disappeared. Clark went to the library, since he was left to his own devices, to find a book to take to bed himself. He wasn't used to being... idle. There was always some new job to do at the farm. He hoped his parents were all right, and not worrying about him. Clark started as he entered the library, not expecting to find Bat there. He slowly started to back out.
"There is no need for you to leave," Bat said, not turning to face him.
"I'm sorry for... what happened," Clark said softly. Bat stiffened. "For this morning..." Clark continued hesitantly.
Bat relaxed slightly. "It's... all right."
Clark nodded slowly. "May I borrow a book, please?" He eventually asked after several moments of silence.
"Of course. You can help yourself to whatever you want while you reside here."
Clark blinked. That must have been one of the longest sentences he had heard Bat utter. "Thank you," he said, softly. Bat nodded stiffly. His wings rustled slightly. There was silence again. Neither Clark nor Bat moved. Moonlight streamed in through the windows, drenching Bat in it's rays. He didn't look so fearsome now, Clark thought. The moonlight was illuminating his wings, making them almost translucent, like he didn't have them anymore, and was human instead, standing proud and strong, but alone, so alone... a cloud danced over the moon, at it was just Bat again, Bat who abruptly turned towards him.
"I bid you good night." He left the room before Clark could reply. Clark blinked again, then picked a book at random, retiring to his room. He opened the book and tried to read the words on the pages, but kept reading the same ones over and over, not noticing. All he could think about was Bat, how for a brief moment he had looked like a man, a man with dark hair and beautiful blue eyes...
Rating: PG
Pairings/Characters: Clark/Bruce, Alfred, Dick
Disclaimer: I own nothing
Author's Note: For
bradygirl_12's birthday. Previous parts can be found Here. Unbetaed, so point and I shall correct. Clark was up early the next morning, exploring the castle. He had seen Alfred and Dick at breakfast, but now Dick was having 'lessons', being educated, at which the boy had rolled his eyes slightly to Clark. Clark smiled softly. He was very lucky that he could read and write and count. His parent's had thought him well. But, it seemed that Dick was being purposely groomed for something, as if it was important that he was well educated. Clark frowned slightly as he opened a door quietly, surprised at the darkness, only broken by a single source of light. He wondered again who the castle belonged to.
He made his way carefully towards the light, blinking at it's brightness. There seemed to be a red tinge to it somehow. He saw eyes out of the corner of his own, and gasped before he realized it was only a painting. He turned towards the picture now, away from the light, but still within it's sphere enough that he was able to see the painting clearly. He stared at the face of the most handsome man he had ever seen, beautiful blue eyes framed by longish strands of dark hair. He could almost feel how soft the man's hair was, the painting was so lifelike. And the eyes... they were so sad. Clark swallowed and glimpsed some writing on the frame of the painting. Prince Bruce of Gotham.
Clark frowned. He had heard of Gotham and it's prince, but that was only a fairy tale. Wasn't it? He turned away from the haunting blue eyes and back to the light, moving closer to it. He gasped again as he could suddenly see clearly what it was.
It was a rose.
A beautiful, red, luminous rose. He gazed at it, enthralled. It was in a sort of glass container, over a small table, hovering by itself. There were several petals lying on the table, but the rose didn't seem any less perfect for having lost them. Instead, it looked even brighter somehow. Spellbound, he reached a hand out to touch the glass... and suddenly a shadow fell upon him. Clark stumbled back in shock, feeling the painting's eyes on him, almost accusing.
Bat was glaring at him. "You will never come into this room again," he growled.
Clark swallowed, as overcome with fear as he had been when he had first seen him. "I'm sorry," he tried to say, but the words barely escaped his mouth.
Bat seemed to hear them clearly. "Get out." He whispered.
Clark quickly fled, unable to rid his memory of those haunting blue eyes...
*****
Clark ate his delicious dinner in silence. Dick was chattering away, but seemed to be used to talking for a long time without being acknowledged. Clark enjoyed his chatter, but he had his mind on other things.
"Alfred?" He said quietly, as dessert was brought in.
"Sir?"
Clark opened his mouth, but no words came out. He opened it for a second time. "I think I did something... foolish today."
"Indeed, sir?" Alfred placed his dessert of apple pie before him, after Dick, who was all ready digging in, but listening to the exchange.
"I was exploring the castle, and I came across a room with a rose in a glass case-" Clark stopped as Dick dropped his spoon abruptly, the silver clattering against the heavy wood table. Alfred moved closer slightly.
"Is there... something wrong? I mean... Bat was there, and," Clark looked down. "He banished me from the room."
Dick picked up his spoon and began eating again, eyeing him warily.
"That was the master's...study. The rose is..." Alfred hesitated again, and Clark frowned slightly. "It is very important to him. If you'll excuse me, sirs," Alfred quickly left the room.
Clark looked at Dick. "Did I say something wrong?" Something strange was going on. Dick smiled at him, but it was less bright than normal.
"No. Alfred's just protective of... Bat, that's all." Dick continued eating his dessert, casting him wary glances now and again. Clark slowly ate his own.
*****
They had gone to the 'living room' again after they finished eating. Once again, Bat had been in the shadows and Dick had curled under his wing while Bat read to him, eventually falling asleep. Clark had carried him to his bed, and Alfred had tucked him in, then disappeared. Clark went to the library, since he was left to his own devices, to find a book to take to bed himself. He wasn't used to being... idle. There was always some new job to do at the farm. He hoped his parents were all right, and not worrying about him. Clark started as he entered the library, not expecting to find Bat there. He slowly started to back out.
"There is no need for you to leave," Bat said, not turning to face him.
"I'm sorry for... what happened," Clark said softly. Bat stiffened. "For this morning..." Clark continued hesitantly.
Bat relaxed slightly. "It's... all right."
Clark nodded slowly. "May I borrow a book, please?" He eventually asked after several moments of silence.
"Of course. You can help yourself to whatever you want while you reside here."
Clark blinked. That must have been one of the longest sentences he had heard Bat utter. "Thank you," he said, softly. Bat nodded stiffly. His wings rustled slightly. There was silence again. Neither Clark nor Bat moved. Moonlight streamed in through the windows, drenching Bat in it's rays. He didn't look so fearsome now, Clark thought. The moonlight was illuminating his wings, making them almost translucent, like he didn't have them anymore, and was human instead, standing proud and strong, but alone, so alone... a cloud danced over the moon, at it was just Bat again, Bat who abruptly turned towards him.
"I bid you good night." He left the room before Clark could reply. Clark blinked again, then picked a book at random, retiring to his room. He opened the book and tried to read the words on the pages, but kept reading the same ones over and over, not noticing. All he could think about was Bat, how for a brief moment he had looked like a man, a man with dark hair and beautiful blue eyes...
