Bye-Bye
A/N: Part 6 of Sparks Series.
Ko's age: 1 year
"And how long is this trip for again?" Bruce asks as he watches Ko pick up a slice of the banana Clark had cut up for him.
Clark is currently tying his tie around his neck, suit jacket hanging off the back of a dining room chair and suitcase sitting next to the doorway to the kitchen. "It's only for a few days. Trust me, Bruce, I tried really hard to get Perry to send someone else with Lois to cover this story, but he wouldn't have any of it."
"Should I call him?"
"No!" Clark clears his throat. "I mean, no, no that's completely unnecessary."
Ko sticks another piece of the banana into his mouth and chews messily. "Why don't you wanting me calling Perry?"
"Because Sweetheart, I don't need the boss to call my other boss. I don't want people down there to start thinking I'm getting special treatment just because I'm married to one of them." Clark finally finishes tying his tie and then grabs himself a banana, sitting down in the chair that houses his jacket. Bruce takes a bite of his own cereal, wiping up some banana off Ko's chin. "Look, Bruce, I'll try to fly back here as much as possible but you know how Lois is, she won't let me out of her sight."
Bruce sighs. "I know, I know. Will you at least call us to say goodnight? I think Ko would like that."
Clark raises an eyebrow. "Just Ko?" he asks with a chuckle and Bruce grumbles under his breath. "I'll call, I promise." Clark gets up and throws his banana peel away. "Four days tops, Bruce."
Just then, Ko's hand comes slamming down onto the highchair, smooshing a slice of banana under his hand and making it splatter all over the place. The highchair's surface where the food is place goes crashing to the floor as the thing breaks off with the force. Ko begins to laugh. "Ko, no!" Bruce springs up out of his seat and picks up Ko, keeping his banana hand held out and away. "That is not okay," Bruce scolds and the baby only laughs some more as he forces his hand out of Bruce's grasp with his super strength and smears banana across Bruce's face.
It doesn't help the matter that Clark is now trying to hide his own laughter as he comes up to the two with a wipe in his hand. "Here." He starts to wipe up Ko's hand.
"And you think leaving me for four days to deal with a super powered baby alone is a good idea?" Bruce asks, agitated.
Clark sighs. "I already told you, I couldn't get out of it."
"Yes you can if you would just let me call Perry," Bruce complains as Clark starts to wipe the banana off Bruce's face.
"You'll be fine, Bruce," Clark says, trying to reassure his husband.
"That's what they always say and then they always end up being wrong."
"Whose they?"
"You know," Bruce gestures vaguely with his free hand. "They."
Clark is chuckling again as he bends over and starts to wipe up the floor, picking up the broken piece of the highchair as well. "While I'm on the trip I'll get another high chair."
"Don't bother, I have three more down in the basement." Clark looks at him weirdly and Bruce shrugs. "Hey, once he started getting his powers, I knew we would need backups of everything."
Clark smiles at him with a shake of his head. "Always a step ahead." He then cups Bruce's face. "I have to go so I'm not late picking up Lois. I'll see you in a few days and I'll talk to you tonight on the phone." Clark then leans closer and kisses Bruce on the lips. After, he turns to Ko and kisses the baby on the top of the head. "See you later little man."
As Clark turns to pick up his suit jacket, Ko reaches out with one hand, waves it, and says, "Bye-bye."
Both Clark and Bruce freeze. A second later, Clark turns, eyes wide and mouth hanging open. "Did he just-"
"Say his first word?" Bruce nods. "Yeah."
Then Clark's eyebrows scrunch. "But why bye-bye?"
"Bye-bye," Ko repeats with another wave of his hand. "Bye-bye."
Bruce shrugs. "Well, we are constantly saying bye to him. You say it when you leave for work and so do I, and when you speed out to save someone you say it to him while I say it to him before I go out on patrol. Not to mention when we have to leave for League business."
"So… what you're saying is we leave our kid an awful lot?"
Bruce nods, shifting his hold on Ko to the other hip. Ko only switches hands to wave while saying, "Bye-bye."
"We do, it seems."
"Well that just makes me feel like father of the year, especially now that I'm leaving for a business trip for a few days. Thanks, Bruce, for that guilt trip."
Bruce rolls his eyes but can tell Clark is being sarcastic. "Do you not want me to film him and his first word then?"
Clark's eyes grow wide as if he's been scandalized. "No! Of course, I want this documented. What kind of monster wouldn't?" he playfully teases, causing Bruce to chuckle.
Bruce pulls out his cellphone, going to the video feature and then presses record. Clark comes up and kisses Ko on the forehead again, saying, "Bye, Ko. I love you."
Ko, on cue, reaches out and waves. "Bye-bye. Bye-bye. Bye-bye. Bye-bye." Bruce makes sure to get Clark's proud, beaming smile in the video as he laughs along with Ko.
Bruce stops the recording and puts his cellphone back into his pocket. Clark turns and smiles at him. He pulls Bruce's head closer by the back of the head and plants a kiss on his forehead. "I love you both."
"Love you too," Bruce says, smiling back. "Be safe on this trip, okay Clark?"
"Always am." He ruffles Bruce's hair, messing it up. "And you be careful as well. I won't be close to save you so…"
Bruce bats him playfully on the arm. "Who says I'll need saving?" They both laugh, Ko joining in with his own laughter.
"I'll talk to you tonight." With one last wave, Clark picks up his suit jacket and his suitcase and then exits out of the room.
"Bye-bye," Ko calls after him, still waving his little hand.
Bruce waves as well, whispering, "Bye-bye."
A/N: Thanks for reading!