Made to be Broken
Aug. 27th, 2011 09:19 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
trista_zevkiaTitle: Made to be Broken
Author: Trista_zevkia
Chapter: 4/5
Fandom: Batman/Superman
Characters/Pairing: Clark/Bruce
Rating: PG-17
Warnings: SLASH
Summary: When Batman says to stay out of his city, you really should listen!
Disclaimer: All monies made will be sent to the Wayne Enterprise approved Charities
Author's Notes:
Once upon a time, there was a flood in New Zealand. Many have moved on, but my lazy butt and broken wrist are just now getting around to fulfilling my part. For Darke_wulf kindness about the time, I’m tossing in a few extra words. It has nothing to do with my inability to follow guidelines
; )
Chapter 3
Bruce really, really hated waking up without knowing where he was. Even if he wasn’t in danger, he needed to know who he was when he woke up. If Brucie Wayne blacked out and Batman woke up, it might raise questions. Though if Batman was knocked unconscious and Brucie woke up, he’d probably get killed. So now he ran through the list of things he knew. The bed was a bed, it was large and comfortable, the sheets could have been silk. He’d been in the cave when Clark knocked him unconscious, with one of his own darts and don’t think he was going to let that go!
Um, right, so he could be in the master bedroom, Clark having carried him up and then stripped him to, yes, even his underwear was gone. Maybe Alfred had come home and was taking care of him? It didn’t smell like the manor, no furniture polish, history and responsibility seeping into his every pore. Sentimental nonsense that was his instincts telling him he wasn’t in the manor. And whatever he thought he deserved for hitting Alfred, the comfort told him he wasn’t in Arkham either.
“Don’t bother peeking Bruce, I know you’re awake.” Clark’s voice, speaking to Bruce and not Batman or Brucie. Bruce was as safe as he was likely to get.
Opening his eyes to blink against the ridiculously bright light, Bruce realized he was in the Fortress. The lack of personal objects said this was a guest bedroom, but Bruce didn’t see his clothes either. Clark’s room for naked guests? The man in question was wearing jeans and a tee shirt, sitting in midair why he played on his cell phone. He wasn’t looking at Bruce and Bruce was very comfortable with that. What he was not comfortable with was the lack of knowledge.
“You going to explain this?”
Clark kept his eyes on his phone as he responded. “You are not well. You are a danger to yourself and Alfred. I’m keeping you here until you’re safe to be around.”
“Faulty logic. You do not know what is wrong with me, so you cannot fix me. As the incident occurred in a different environment, it may be specific to that environment and won’t be replicated here.”
“That’s where you’re wrong Bruce. I do know what’s wrong with you.”
“What?” One word, but it held amusement at Clark’s expense and a challenge to his intellect.
Clark looked up from the phone to frown at Bruce and his mind games. “Do you not know or are you trying to hide the answer from me?”
“You really should have played 20 questions before you brought me here.”
“Bruce, I know you’re an independent cuss, you tried to diagnose and fix yourself rather than call for medical assistance. That also tells me you had an idea what was wrong and were too embarrassed to ask for help. While you were asleep, 64 minutes and 28 seconds by the way, I went over your test results. I have my own theories, so who’s going to explain first?”
Bruce sat up, piled the pillows behind his back, and settled back. He worked hard to look completely unconcerned with Clark’s analysis.
“Seriously, Bruce? Only you and me around for hundreds miles, no recording equipment, and you can’t talk to me?”
Bruce tried to look innocent, but he never been good at that look. Even Brucie had to add lust to it to make it passable.
Clark sighed heavily and pocketed his phone before he spoke again. “That test you were looking at when I showed up? I knew patient one didn’t match the baseline, but the results only made sense when I compare them to how you normally felt. On your medical computer I found your previous baseline response to the emotional stimulation test. Your normal emotional responses are so far away from the baseline that your exposure to PI &S has moved you closer to what you’re supposed to feel! God Bruce, how screwed up are you?”
“I’m not screwed up enough to kidnap friends in order to look at their private medical records.” More fake innocence to hide real irritation.
“Friends usually tell each other when they are so screwed up they hit their fathers!”
“Alfred’s not my father.” Clark should never push that button, and Bruce decided to remind him of that.
“Not biologically, but you still hit him and tried to fix everything yourself.”
“That’s what I do. I fix problems, like Gotham’s crime rate and the mistakes of the JL.”
“We never claimed to be perfect! You have impossible standards and, and you, you are attacking the JL to distract me from your problems. Any shrink you went to would need a shrink of his own within the hour!” Clark turned away, massaging at his temples.
The smirk on Bruce’s face was much more natural than a look of innocence. A few more emotional pushes, and Clark would kick him out of the Fortress! But Clark was such a nice guy, he’d have to give Bruce a ride home.
“On your new data, I noticed that the response changed to fear for several emotions. Lust, hope, faith, trust all changed to fear in your responses.” Clark turned back, his eyes sad. “Ivy and Scarecrow made you afraid of love.”
“Not that big a deal, I’ll just be careful around Alfred.” If Clark just left it there, things would be fine. Hoping for a distraction, Bruce pulled up the sheet to look at his body. “Where are my clothes?”
A scandalized Clark took a moment to process Bruce’s statement, and ignored the clothing question. “It’s a huge deal! What are you going to do when you fall in love?”
“I won’t, it’ll be too scary, save a lot of time.” Bruce could see Clark was startled and outraged. Adding a dose of anger would be an effective distraction, if Clark gave him an opening.
“You’re happy about this?”
“I’ll be more efficient.” Bruce allowed a genuine smile onto his features; life would be easier if he could get rid of the desire to have someone share his life.
“Are you sure that’s not just the fear talking?”
“Fear doesn’t talk, or don’t you remember all the years you were too tongue tied to ask Lois out? Speaking of which, are you still crying yourself to sleep over the way she dumped you? How many dates with Brucie would it take to get her out of those lacy panties?”
“Leave her alone!” Clark’s pointing finger was an inch from Bruce’s chest in a flash. The slow, deep, calming breath Clark took needed longer to emerge. He reached out and gently tapped Bruce’s chest. “You’re not going to get me so angry that I’ll stop worrying about you, so quit trying that.”
Bruce went back to his flawed innocent look, hoping Clark was unaware of the increased heartbeat under his finger. Why was Clark holding his finger on Bruce’s chest, if not to feel his blood pressure change?
“People get over fear by confronting it, especially you. I’m going to bring you food, clean up after you, and generally take care of you until you don’t fear Alfred’s love anymore.”
“Work better if I was around Alfred.”
“You’re in complete control now, right? So why is your heart doing a quick march?”
“Cause I normally turn jerks into a fine powder, and you’ve caught me without my grinder.”
“Your glowing, green grinder was in the cave, yet you didn’t go for it then. And your heart is beating faster, as if you didn’t want me asking these questions.”
“I don’t do interviews.”
“It’s a conversation!”
“You kidnapped me, so I think it qualifies as an interrogation!”
“Now you’re making yourself angry to confuse my perception of your physical cues!”
A quick move shoved the finger away as Bruce slid out the other side of the bed. “I’m mad because I’m mad! It’s not about you, so go get my pants.”
“I didn’t think it was about me! Unless it is?”
Holding the sheet around him, Bruce found the door. When it didn’t automatically open for him, Bruce had to turn back to Clark. “It’s about me and my flaws. Get over yourself.”
“I can’t get over you!” Clark began pacing, his body trying to keep up with his mind. “You claim getting rid of love would improve things! Don’t you love Gotham, and that’s why you’ve given it your life? What happens when you fear it more than love it?”
“Not going to find out with you serving me tea!”
“You want me to get Flash to do it?” This was said as Clark paced away from Bruce, an idle remark thrown into things.
Bruce considered it a serious suggestion. It would be a lot easier to escape from Flash, but a lot harder to put up with him until the escape. Maybe he could talk Clark into staying with Plastic Man? He’d be free one threatening glare after Clark left.
“You’re considering it!” Clark had come to a stop, facing Bruce with a hurt look. “Probably got someone in mind, someone you like better than me.” Clark gave a small laugh and tried for a joke. “Or are you afraid of me?”
Bruce forced a laugh, as he didn’t want Clark to follow this line of questioning! “So scary, a grown man afraid of a rock!”
“Actually, you’ve pushed me away since you woke up on the Watchtower.” Clark was studying him, piecing together the puzzle Bruce was trying to hide. “In the cave, you kept backing away from me, I thought it was a personal space issue.”
“It was! Invade my space and leave bleeding.” Batman’s growl thrummed in the crystals, but Clark ignored it. He kept looking at Bruce as he talked, so Bruce could see the disbelief on his face. Bruce figured the disgust and amusement would show up soon, when Clark realized Bruce was just as gullible as the rest of the human race!
“In the infirmary, you spoke to J’onn and argued with John. You even worked with Alfred to remove the dye, only reacting when he spoke of his concerns for you. But you’ve ignored, belittled and angered me ever since I found you.”
Bruce kept his mouth shut, not knowing how to distract Clark anymore. Keeping his hands from scrabbling at the closed door behind him was a lot harder.
“Your pulse is racing, you blood pressure is up, and I can almost smell the adrenaline pumping into your system. You’re terrified right now, and I’m the only one here.”
“It’s anger!”
“It’s flight or fight, Bruce. You’re not afraid of falling in love because you’ve already fallen. With me, you’ve fallen in love with me.” It was a statement of fact, Bruce’s soul laid out for a clinical examination.
It wasn’t as bad as Bruce expected, and he managed a deep breath before Clark beamed at him. There was an instant where Bruce thought pure sunlight was filling the room, and then Clark was in front of him, reaching for him, as if to squeeze the life out of him with affection, steal his breath with kisses, hold him back, separate him from the mission! The elbow to the side of Clarks head confused him, but the knee to the groin got his attention as Bruce fled to the other side of the room.
Bruce fought the terror in him, keeping an eye on Clark as he tried to breathe. Clark knelt on the sheet Bruce had dropped in the struggle, holding his crotch and looking thoughtful.
“I didn’t know that could hurt that much.” Clark said a little breathlessly.
“Vulnerable area, but the strength I used on you would have permanently injured a human.”
“How did you determine that?”
“I think a lot.”
“About my, uh, vulnerable areas?”
“About you, the body only just hidden in that bright suit, and your cock, Clark.”
Clark was grinning now, his discomfort forgotten.
“Do you taste as good as you smell? How would it feel to be inside you, to have you inside me?”
“Only one way to find out!” Clark said as he got to his feet, but his forward moment was stopped when Bruce held up his hands to ward him off. “Bruce?”
“Before, I had good reasons and a healthy dose of fear to keep me from telling you. Now I’m terrified of you! Every good reason is now a fact I can’t dispute. I planned to fix this without telling you, but you had to keep pushing!”
Clark shrugged at Bruce’s glare. “You taught me that. But Bruce, you can’t fix love.”
“Starve it out.” A shrug, to help the pieces of Bruce’s breaking heart settle. “The JL stays out of Gotham, and I stay out of the JL. All requests for my help will come through Diana, and you will never speak to me outside of a world destroying emergency.”
“Bruce?” Clark seemed to have more to say, but nothing came out.
“Get my clothes and take me home.”
Clark shook his head, but slipped out the door all the same.
Bruce could have waited on the bed, but instead he slid down the wall to sit. Wants were different than needs, and he knew that when he started training to be Batman. This was just an incredibly painful reminder that he didn’t need love, one that had him hiding his eyes from the cameras Clark had to have.
sBSbBs
Time could be a tricky thing. Bruce wasn’t sure how long it took him to get his emotions under control, and all that was before he started counting the seconds. Then came pushups, sit-ups, martial art kata’s, until Bruce was physically exhausted enough to sleep. Instead, he paced and tried to convince the Fortress to let him out. As much as Bruce hated the waiting, he dreaded finding out what Clark was up to. Clark was as stubborn as Bruce, one of the many reasons they wouldn’t work as a couple, but he had to be planning something.
Probably something romantic, like walks in the Fortress arboretum and a picnic for two at the North Pole. Romantic twaddle that Brucie would pull on dates he wanted information out of. Bruce could fake a change of heart if that was all he needed to get out of here. That was Brucie’s talent after all, fake an interest to serve a higher goal. Granted, it would be harder because he actually cared about Clark, but Bruce had never been one to take the easy route.
Trying to think up other Midwestern courtship rituals he’d have to endure, Bruce went to take a shower. The fortress was set up to automatically dry people after a shower, so Bruce didn’t even have a towel to add to his wardrobe. Once he was dry, the fortress automatically opened to shower stall for him. He was only startled to see Clark, but angry at the look on Clark’s face. It was the dopey look of a man in love with what he was seeing! Bruce put his right index finger directly in Clark’s line of sight, and then slowly trailed it down his skin to his cock. Once assured of Clark’s attention, Bruce gave him a one hand gesture that he was sure not to misinterpret.
Flushing, Clark made himself look at Bruce’s eyes. “Knock knock! Didn’t mean to interrupt your angry time, but I’ve come to tell you what I’ve done.”
“About time.”
“It’s your own fault! I told the fortress what I needed to do, and it didn’t understand. You’ve successfully confused the most advanced artificial intelligence on this side of the universe!”
Bruce’s only reaction was a hurry up gesture.
“You said you could starve it out, so it holds true I can feed it until it grows. Feed a fever, starve a cold, or at least that’s what will work for us. I’ve set it up so you can go anywhere you want in the Fortress, but you can’t leave. No matter where you go or where I am, the Fortress will project a real time image of me, to you. When I’m home or anywhere that I’m alone, I get to see you. I thought about setting it up so I can see you all the time too, but you’re very distracting when naked.”
“I suppose clothes never entered your mind?”
“Sure they did, but I liked this idea even more!”
“I’m in love with the idea of me going home!”
“You will, once you get over this silly fear.”
“I’m not afraid of your hologram, Clark.”
“Really? Then why haven’t you moved out of the shower?”
“Habit. I normally put clothes on once I get out of the shower.”
“I had a robot put clothing on the bed. Walk through me and you can wear it.”
A simple thing to do really, walk through a projection of light. It had no substance and could not harm him in any way, and yet Bruce’s feet remained in the shower. Fittingly, a creature of the night had to gather his courage to run through beam of light. But he had to, even though this was worse than facing the Joker unarmed. A gulp and a sprint, and Bruce was almost the wall farthest from the bathroom before he managed to stop. He was panting as if he had run for miles and he couldn’t turn a defiant snarl on the hologram.
“I lied about the clothes, you lied about not being afraid of me. Makes us even in that, that ‘not talking about our feelings’ thing.” Now Clark held up a hand to stop Bruce from speaking. “I know you don’t want to talk about feelings, no guy ever does. But I listened to you talking about me and what you wanted of me. Before you even let me speak you were planning to end it. I’m not giving up on you Bruce, because I love you.”
A few steps backward had Bruce slamming into the wall behind him.
“I’m sorry, I know it’s terrifying to you, but we love each other. You can’t cut me out of your heart and you can’t cut me out of your life, because each time you try I’ll sew it back together.” The hologram took a step closer, and Bruce had nowhere to run. “Immersion therapy that never ends, because I have been desperate to immerse myself in you forever.”
His mind wasn’t functioning, Bruce couldn’t think through the emotions Clark was bringing up in him. But in amidst that terror and confusion there was a spark of want. This was something Bruce had wanted for a long time and tried to deny. Holding Clark was no longer secret dream, but something achievable! The only thing in his way was the artificial emotion his enemies had planted there. It didn’t matter if he woke up as Bruce, Brucie, or Batman because none of them would allow their enemies to win.
“For you Clark, I will overcome this.”
Clark began to spin, rocketing himself upwards as he did so, the triumphant dance of one at home in the air. The Fortress had trouble keeping the image level with Bruce, and it was disorienting for Bruce to not have a background for the motion. When Clark finally stopped, it was to offer Bruce a goofy grin.
“Good thing the rest of the world is still asleep and can’t see me acting foolish!”
“Nobody except the naked me floating beside you.”
“Oh, right. I really did leave you something on the bed. Go get it, I can wait.”
Bruce knew Clark’s fake innocence when he heard it, knew he was being set up, but still made his way to the bed while keeping as much distance as possible between him and Clark’s hologram. The tiny blue patch of cloth didn’t grow much when it was unfolded, and once it was stretched across both index fingers Bruce turned the show to Clark.
“A thong?”
“Wouldn’t want anything important to get frozen off if the Fortress heating fails.”
“A thong with your house shield on it?”
“Possessive streak. Besides, the AI had a hard enough day without having me explain to it what assless chaps are.”
“Great! I’m in love with a sexual deviant.”
“Me? I’m not the one who would rather walk around naked than wear a perfectly good pair of underwear!”
Bruce slingshoted the thong into the hologram, and Clark laughed. A quick barrel roll and Clark talked as he flew into metropolis, the morning sun lighting his features. At his apartment Clark made a quick breakfast even as a robot brought Bruce his. Having breakfast together this way was strange, but enjoyable. Clark’s every movement startled Bruce, but Clark pretended not to notice. Clark said goodbye as he left the apartment, as he was about to be among people and he wouldn’t be able to see Bruce. Bruce settled on the bed, and watched Clark work. Reading e-mail and making telephone calls were not a spectator sport for a reason, and Bruce was soon asleep.
sBSbBs
Bruce woke up with Superman saving people from a burning building, then ate lunch with Clark. Later, Bruce joined him on patrol and shouted unheard commands at him. During supper, Clark was treated to an exacting description of what he could have done better. Then Clark was sent to Gotham, squeezed into a batsuit and told to protect Bruce’s City. The grudging respect Clark had for Poison Ivy and Scarecrow expanded exponentially. Three nights of patrol and Superman had a healthy fear of Gotham’s villains and an increased amount of respect for the human who dared to take them on. Still, it took a week to get back to the familiar footing of coworkers, teammates.
As Clark had to pull double duty to protect Gotham he didn’t have much time to spend in the Fortress, and yet they were closer than ever after spending all this time together. At long last they talked of more than work, of childhoods and wished for futures. Bruce saw all his objections falling away and got to where he could sit beside the hologram without breaking into a sweat. In fact, he got so comfortable that when he saw his chance to revenge that dart incident, he took it.
Lois and Clark were investigating a high class brothel. She got them into the corporate offices and stashed Clark in a broom closet to flirt her way into the president’s office. She was physically safe, as these people had no history of violent crimes and even if they had she had just shoved Superman in the closet. He could listen in on her from orbit, but now he was physically alone and Bruce was visible. While Clark made some notes, Bruce slipped on the thong.
“Hello, Clark.”
Clark smiled up at him from where he sat on a bucket but before he could respond, Bruce started dancing. It was hard to do strip dance with only one article of clothing so Bruce went for the bump and grind of a lap dancer. The bouncing of his house shield seemed to be hypnotizing Clark, until one enthusiastic pelvic thrust burst the side string. Clark’s hand grabbed for it, and disappeared into the hologram that Bruce was to him! A second later Clark realized what Bruce was doing.
“You tease!”
“You shouldn’t tranq a man with his own darts.”
“But, I’m at work!”
“I’ll tell the owner it was part of your immersion therapy.” Owning the Daily Planet had its perks, including keeping certain people employed. But now Bruce was grinding on lap that couldn’t feel it. Letting his head drop back to where the shoulder should have been Bruce whispered at Clark. “Or didn’t you say you wanted to be immersed in me?”
Even with only the image of a naked Bruce writhing on his lap, Clark was helpless. He barely got his pants open before his erection ripped through them. A few quick strokes that went through Bruce’s crotch as well, and Clark reached his organism. He sat back and panted until the doorknob rattled and Bruce disappeared. With his super speed he got back into his pants but still looked a mess when Lois entered the closet. She asked if Clark had claustrophobia, and dragged him where she wanted him. Clark went quietly, as he was planning his revenge.
Chapter 5
Author: Trista_zevkia
Chapter: 4/5
Fandom: Batman/Superman
Characters/Pairing: Clark/Bruce
Rating: PG-17
Warnings: SLASH
Summary: When Batman says to stay out of his city, you really should listen!
Disclaimer: All monies made will be sent to the Wayne Enterprise approved Charities
Author's Notes:
Once upon a time, there was a flood in New Zealand. Many have moved on, but my lazy butt and broken wrist are just now getting around to fulfilling my part. For Darke_wulf kindness about the time, I’m tossing in a few extra words. It has nothing to do with my inability to follow guidelines
; )
Chapter 3
Bruce really, really hated waking up without knowing where he was. Even if he wasn’t in danger, he needed to know who he was when he woke up. If Brucie Wayne blacked out and Batman woke up, it might raise questions. Though if Batman was knocked unconscious and Brucie woke up, he’d probably get killed. So now he ran through the list of things he knew. The bed was a bed, it was large and comfortable, the sheets could have been silk. He’d been in the cave when Clark knocked him unconscious, with one of his own darts and don’t think he was going to let that go!
Um, right, so he could be in the master bedroom, Clark having carried him up and then stripped him to, yes, even his underwear was gone. Maybe Alfred had come home and was taking care of him? It didn’t smell like the manor, no furniture polish, history and responsibility seeping into his every pore. Sentimental nonsense that was his instincts telling him he wasn’t in the manor. And whatever he thought he deserved for hitting Alfred, the comfort told him he wasn’t in Arkham either.
“Don’t bother peeking Bruce, I know you’re awake.” Clark’s voice, speaking to Bruce and not Batman or Brucie. Bruce was as safe as he was likely to get.
Opening his eyes to blink against the ridiculously bright light, Bruce realized he was in the Fortress. The lack of personal objects said this was a guest bedroom, but Bruce didn’t see his clothes either. Clark’s room for naked guests? The man in question was wearing jeans and a tee shirt, sitting in midair why he played on his cell phone. He wasn’t looking at Bruce and Bruce was very comfortable with that. What he was not comfortable with was the lack of knowledge.
“You going to explain this?”
Clark kept his eyes on his phone as he responded. “You are not well. You are a danger to yourself and Alfred. I’m keeping you here until you’re safe to be around.”
“Faulty logic. You do not know what is wrong with me, so you cannot fix me. As the incident occurred in a different environment, it may be specific to that environment and won’t be replicated here.”
“That’s where you’re wrong Bruce. I do know what’s wrong with you.”
“What?” One word, but it held amusement at Clark’s expense and a challenge to his intellect.
Clark looked up from the phone to frown at Bruce and his mind games. “Do you not know or are you trying to hide the answer from me?”
“You really should have played 20 questions before you brought me here.”
“Bruce, I know you’re an independent cuss, you tried to diagnose and fix yourself rather than call for medical assistance. That also tells me you had an idea what was wrong and were too embarrassed to ask for help. While you were asleep, 64 minutes and 28 seconds by the way, I went over your test results. I have my own theories, so who’s going to explain first?”
Bruce sat up, piled the pillows behind his back, and settled back. He worked hard to look completely unconcerned with Clark’s analysis.
“Seriously, Bruce? Only you and me around for hundreds miles, no recording equipment, and you can’t talk to me?”
Bruce tried to look innocent, but he never been good at that look. Even Brucie had to add lust to it to make it passable.
Clark sighed heavily and pocketed his phone before he spoke again. “That test you were looking at when I showed up? I knew patient one didn’t match the baseline, but the results only made sense when I compare them to how you normally felt. On your medical computer I found your previous baseline response to the emotional stimulation test. Your normal emotional responses are so far away from the baseline that your exposure to PI &S has moved you closer to what you’re supposed to feel! God Bruce, how screwed up are you?”
“I’m not screwed up enough to kidnap friends in order to look at their private medical records.” More fake innocence to hide real irritation.
“Friends usually tell each other when they are so screwed up they hit their fathers!”
“Alfred’s not my father.” Clark should never push that button, and Bruce decided to remind him of that.
“Not biologically, but you still hit him and tried to fix everything yourself.”
“That’s what I do. I fix problems, like Gotham’s crime rate and the mistakes of the JL.”
“We never claimed to be perfect! You have impossible standards and, and you, you are attacking the JL to distract me from your problems. Any shrink you went to would need a shrink of his own within the hour!” Clark turned away, massaging at his temples.
The smirk on Bruce’s face was much more natural than a look of innocence. A few more emotional pushes, and Clark would kick him out of the Fortress! But Clark was such a nice guy, he’d have to give Bruce a ride home.
“On your new data, I noticed that the response changed to fear for several emotions. Lust, hope, faith, trust all changed to fear in your responses.” Clark turned back, his eyes sad. “Ivy and Scarecrow made you afraid of love.”
“Not that big a deal, I’ll just be careful around Alfred.” If Clark just left it there, things would be fine. Hoping for a distraction, Bruce pulled up the sheet to look at his body. “Where are my clothes?”
A scandalized Clark took a moment to process Bruce’s statement, and ignored the clothing question. “It’s a huge deal! What are you going to do when you fall in love?”
“I won’t, it’ll be too scary, save a lot of time.” Bruce could see Clark was startled and outraged. Adding a dose of anger would be an effective distraction, if Clark gave him an opening.
“You’re happy about this?”
“I’ll be more efficient.” Bruce allowed a genuine smile onto his features; life would be easier if he could get rid of the desire to have someone share his life.
“Are you sure that’s not just the fear talking?”
“Fear doesn’t talk, or don’t you remember all the years you were too tongue tied to ask Lois out? Speaking of which, are you still crying yourself to sleep over the way she dumped you? How many dates with Brucie would it take to get her out of those lacy panties?”
“Leave her alone!” Clark’s pointing finger was an inch from Bruce’s chest in a flash. The slow, deep, calming breath Clark took needed longer to emerge. He reached out and gently tapped Bruce’s chest. “You’re not going to get me so angry that I’ll stop worrying about you, so quit trying that.”
Bruce went back to his flawed innocent look, hoping Clark was unaware of the increased heartbeat under his finger. Why was Clark holding his finger on Bruce’s chest, if not to feel his blood pressure change?
“People get over fear by confronting it, especially you. I’m going to bring you food, clean up after you, and generally take care of you until you don’t fear Alfred’s love anymore.”
“Work better if I was around Alfred.”
“You’re in complete control now, right? So why is your heart doing a quick march?”
“Cause I normally turn jerks into a fine powder, and you’ve caught me without my grinder.”
“Your glowing, green grinder was in the cave, yet you didn’t go for it then. And your heart is beating faster, as if you didn’t want me asking these questions.”
“I don’t do interviews.”
“It’s a conversation!”
“You kidnapped me, so I think it qualifies as an interrogation!”
“Now you’re making yourself angry to confuse my perception of your physical cues!”
A quick move shoved the finger away as Bruce slid out the other side of the bed. “I’m mad because I’m mad! It’s not about you, so go get my pants.”
“I didn’t think it was about me! Unless it is?”
Holding the sheet around him, Bruce found the door. When it didn’t automatically open for him, Bruce had to turn back to Clark. “It’s about me and my flaws. Get over yourself.”
“I can’t get over you!” Clark began pacing, his body trying to keep up with his mind. “You claim getting rid of love would improve things! Don’t you love Gotham, and that’s why you’ve given it your life? What happens when you fear it more than love it?”
“Not going to find out with you serving me tea!”
“You want me to get Flash to do it?” This was said as Clark paced away from Bruce, an idle remark thrown into things.
Bruce considered it a serious suggestion. It would be a lot easier to escape from Flash, but a lot harder to put up with him until the escape. Maybe he could talk Clark into staying with Plastic Man? He’d be free one threatening glare after Clark left.
“You’re considering it!” Clark had come to a stop, facing Bruce with a hurt look. “Probably got someone in mind, someone you like better than me.” Clark gave a small laugh and tried for a joke. “Or are you afraid of me?”
Bruce forced a laugh, as he didn’t want Clark to follow this line of questioning! “So scary, a grown man afraid of a rock!”
“Actually, you’ve pushed me away since you woke up on the Watchtower.” Clark was studying him, piecing together the puzzle Bruce was trying to hide. “In the cave, you kept backing away from me, I thought it was a personal space issue.”
“It was! Invade my space and leave bleeding.” Batman’s growl thrummed in the crystals, but Clark ignored it. He kept looking at Bruce as he talked, so Bruce could see the disbelief on his face. Bruce figured the disgust and amusement would show up soon, when Clark realized Bruce was just as gullible as the rest of the human race!
“In the infirmary, you spoke to J’onn and argued with John. You even worked with Alfred to remove the dye, only reacting when he spoke of his concerns for you. But you’ve ignored, belittled and angered me ever since I found you.”
Bruce kept his mouth shut, not knowing how to distract Clark anymore. Keeping his hands from scrabbling at the closed door behind him was a lot harder.
“Your pulse is racing, you blood pressure is up, and I can almost smell the adrenaline pumping into your system. You’re terrified right now, and I’m the only one here.”
“It’s anger!”
“It’s flight or fight, Bruce. You’re not afraid of falling in love because you’ve already fallen. With me, you’ve fallen in love with me.” It was a statement of fact, Bruce’s soul laid out for a clinical examination.
It wasn’t as bad as Bruce expected, and he managed a deep breath before Clark beamed at him. There was an instant where Bruce thought pure sunlight was filling the room, and then Clark was in front of him, reaching for him, as if to squeeze the life out of him with affection, steal his breath with kisses, hold him back, separate him from the mission! The elbow to the side of Clarks head confused him, but the knee to the groin got his attention as Bruce fled to the other side of the room.
Bruce fought the terror in him, keeping an eye on Clark as he tried to breathe. Clark knelt on the sheet Bruce had dropped in the struggle, holding his crotch and looking thoughtful.
“I didn’t know that could hurt that much.” Clark said a little breathlessly.
“Vulnerable area, but the strength I used on you would have permanently injured a human.”
“How did you determine that?”
“I think a lot.”
“About my, uh, vulnerable areas?”
“About you, the body only just hidden in that bright suit, and your cock, Clark.”
Clark was grinning now, his discomfort forgotten.
“Do you taste as good as you smell? How would it feel to be inside you, to have you inside me?”
“Only one way to find out!” Clark said as he got to his feet, but his forward moment was stopped when Bruce held up his hands to ward him off. “Bruce?”
“Before, I had good reasons and a healthy dose of fear to keep me from telling you. Now I’m terrified of you! Every good reason is now a fact I can’t dispute. I planned to fix this without telling you, but you had to keep pushing!”
Clark shrugged at Bruce’s glare. “You taught me that. But Bruce, you can’t fix love.”
“Starve it out.” A shrug, to help the pieces of Bruce’s breaking heart settle. “The JL stays out of Gotham, and I stay out of the JL. All requests for my help will come through Diana, and you will never speak to me outside of a world destroying emergency.”
“Bruce?” Clark seemed to have more to say, but nothing came out.
“Get my clothes and take me home.”
Clark shook his head, but slipped out the door all the same.
Bruce could have waited on the bed, but instead he slid down the wall to sit. Wants were different than needs, and he knew that when he started training to be Batman. This was just an incredibly painful reminder that he didn’t need love, one that had him hiding his eyes from the cameras Clark had to have.
sBSbBs
Time could be a tricky thing. Bruce wasn’t sure how long it took him to get his emotions under control, and all that was before he started counting the seconds. Then came pushups, sit-ups, martial art kata’s, until Bruce was physically exhausted enough to sleep. Instead, he paced and tried to convince the Fortress to let him out. As much as Bruce hated the waiting, he dreaded finding out what Clark was up to. Clark was as stubborn as Bruce, one of the many reasons they wouldn’t work as a couple, but he had to be planning something.
Probably something romantic, like walks in the Fortress arboretum and a picnic for two at the North Pole. Romantic twaddle that Brucie would pull on dates he wanted information out of. Bruce could fake a change of heart if that was all he needed to get out of here. That was Brucie’s talent after all, fake an interest to serve a higher goal. Granted, it would be harder because he actually cared about Clark, but Bruce had never been one to take the easy route.
Trying to think up other Midwestern courtship rituals he’d have to endure, Bruce went to take a shower. The fortress was set up to automatically dry people after a shower, so Bruce didn’t even have a towel to add to his wardrobe. Once he was dry, the fortress automatically opened to shower stall for him. He was only startled to see Clark, but angry at the look on Clark’s face. It was the dopey look of a man in love with what he was seeing! Bruce put his right index finger directly in Clark’s line of sight, and then slowly trailed it down his skin to his cock. Once assured of Clark’s attention, Bruce gave him a one hand gesture that he was sure not to misinterpret.
Flushing, Clark made himself look at Bruce’s eyes. “Knock knock! Didn’t mean to interrupt your angry time, but I’ve come to tell you what I’ve done.”
“About time.”
“It’s your own fault! I told the fortress what I needed to do, and it didn’t understand. You’ve successfully confused the most advanced artificial intelligence on this side of the universe!”
Bruce’s only reaction was a hurry up gesture.
“You said you could starve it out, so it holds true I can feed it until it grows. Feed a fever, starve a cold, or at least that’s what will work for us. I’ve set it up so you can go anywhere you want in the Fortress, but you can’t leave. No matter where you go or where I am, the Fortress will project a real time image of me, to you. When I’m home or anywhere that I’m alone, I get to see you. I thought about setting it up so I can see you all the time too, but you’re very distracting when naked.”
“I suppose clothes never entered your mind?”
“Sure they did, but I liked this idea even more!”
“I’m in love with the idea of me going home!”
“You will, once you get over this silly fear.”
“I’m not afraid of your hologram, Clark.”
“Really? Then why haven’t you moved out of the shower?”
“Habit. I normally put clothes on once I get out of the shower.”
“I had a robot put clothing on the bed. Walk through me and you can wear it.”
A simple thing to do really, walk through a projection of light. It had no substance and could not harm him in any way, and yet Bruce’s feet remained in the shower. Fittingly, a creature of the night had to gather his courage to run through beam of light. But he had to, even though this was worse than facing the Joker unarmed. A gulp and a sprint, and Bruce was almost the wall farthest from the bathroom before he managed to stop. He was panting as if he had run for miles and he couldn’t turn a defiant snarl on the hologram.
“I lied about the clothes, you lied about not being afraid of me. Makes us even in that, that ‘not talking about our feelings’ thing.” Now Clark held up a hand to stop Bruce from speaking. “I know you don’t want to talk about feelings, no guy ever does. But I listened to you talking about me and what you wanted of me. Before you even let me speak you were planning to end it. I’m not giving up on you Bruce, because I love you.”
A few steps backward had Bruce slamming into the wall behind him.
“I’m sorry, I know it’s terrifying to you, but we love each other. You can’t cut me out of your heart and you can’t cut me out of your life, because each time you try I’ll sew it back together.” The hologram took a step closer, and Bruce had nowhere to run. “Immersion therapy that never ends, because I have been desperate to immerse myself in you forever.”
His mind wasn’t functioning, Bruce couldn’t think through the emotions Clark was bringing up in him. But in amidst that terror and confusion there was a spark of want. This was something Bruce had wanted for a long time and tried to deny. Holding Clark was no longer secret dream, but something achievable! The only thing in his way was the artificial emotion his enemies had planted there. It didn’t matter if he woke up as Bruce, Brucie, or Batman because none of them would allow their enemies to win.
“For you Clark, I will overcome this.”
Clark began to spin, rocketing himself upwards as he did so, the triumphant dance of one at home in the air. The Fortress had trouble keeping the image level with Bruce, and it was disorienting for Bruce to not have a background for the motion. When Clark finally stopped, it was to offer Bruce a goofy grin.
“Good thing the rest of the world is still asleep and can’t see me acting foolish!”
“Nobody except the naked me floating beside you.”
“Oh, right. I really did leave you something on the bed. Go get it, I can wait.”
Bruce knew Clark’s fake innocence when he heard it, knew he was being set up, but still made his way to the bed while keeping as much distance as possible between him and Clark’s hologram. The tiny blue patch of cloth didn’t grow much when it was unfolded, and once it was stretched across both index fingers Bruce turned the show to Clark.
“A thong?”
“Wouldn’t want anything important to get frozen off if the Fortress heating fails.”
“A thong with your house shield on it?”
“Possessive streak. Besides, the AI had a hard enough day without having me explain to it what assless chaps are.”
“Great! I’m in love with a sexual deviant.”
“Me? I’m not the one who would rather walk around naked than wear a perfectly good pair of underwear!”
Bruce slingshoted the thong into the hologram, and Clark laughed. A quick barrel roll and Clark talked as he flew into metropolis, the morning sun lighting his features. At his apartment Clark made a quick breakfast even as a robot brought Bruce his. Having breakfast together this way was strange, but enjoyable. Clark’s every movement startled Bruce, but Clark pretended not to notice. Clark said goodbye as he left the apartment, as he was about to be among people and he wouldn’t be able to see Bruce. Bruce settled on the bed, and watched Clark work. Reading e-mail and making telephone calls were not a spectator sport for a reason, and Bruce was soon asleep.
sBSbBs
Bruce woke up with Superman saving people from a burning building, then ate lunch with Clark. Later, Bruce joined him on patrol and shouted unheard commands at him. During supper, Clark was treated to an exacting description of what he could have done better. Then Clark was sent to Gotham, squeezed into a batsuit and told to protect Bruce’s City. The grudging respect Clark had for Poison Ivy and Scarecrow expanded exponentially. Three nights of patrol and Superman had a healthy fear of Gotham’s villains and an increased amount of respect for the human who dared to take them on. Still, it took a week to get back to the familiar footing of coworkers, teammates.
As Clark had to pull double duty to protect Gotham he didn’t have much time to spend in the Fortress, and yet they were closer than ever after spending all this time together. At long last they talked of more than work, of childhoods and wished for futures. Bruce saw all his objections falling away and got to where he could sit beside the hologram without breaking into a sweat. In fact, he got so comfortable that when he saw his chance to revenge that dart incident, he took it.
Lois and Clark were investigating a high class brothel. She got them into the corporate offices and stashed Clark in a broom closet to flirt her way into the president’s office. She was physically safe, as these people had no history of violent crimes and even if they had she had just shoved Superman in the closet. He could listen in on her from orbit, but now he was physically alone and Bruce was visible. While Clark made some notes, Bruce slipped on the thong.
“Hello, Clark.”
Clark smiled up at him from where he sat on a bucket but before he could respond, Bruce started dancing. It was hard to do strip dance with only one article of clothing so Bruce went for the bump and grind of a lap dancer. The bouncing of his house shield seemed to be hypnotizing Clark, until one enthusiastic pelvic thrust burst the side string. Clark’s hand grabbed for it, and disappeared into the hologram that Bruce was to him! A second later Clark realized what Bruce was doing.
“You tease!”
“You shouldn’t tranq a man with his own darts.”
“But, I’m at work!”
“I’ll tell the owner it was part of your immersion therapy.” Owning the Daily Planet had its perks, including keeping certain people employed. But now Bruce was grinding on lap that couldn’t feel it. Letting his head drop back to where the shoulder should have been Bruce whispered at Clark. “Or didn’t you say you wanted to be immersed in me?”
Even with only the image of a naked Bruce writhing on his lap, Clark was helpless. He barely got his pants open before his erection ripped through them. A few quick strokes that went through Bruce’s crotch as well, and Clark reached his organism. He sat back and panted until the doorknob rattled and Bruce disappeared. With his super speed he got back into his pants but still looked a mess when Lois entered the closet. She asked if Clark had claustrophobia, and dragged him where she wanted him. Clark went quietly, as he was planning his revenge.
Chapter 5
