09/22/11
Sept 22: Everyday Thursday: Showing Brainy or Clark loving the everyday things the other does.
Love Bird Watching
Brainy didn't know that Superman was watching him work on Computo in the main common area of Legion headquarters. The Coluan was so absorbed in his task that Superman could just lie on his stomach upon the floating daybed Phantom Girl often lounged in when reading her holographic magazines with his head resting in his folded arms and simply watch Brainy without fear of being caught. The past hero was also pretty confident that the younger boy never even heard him float in and thought himself to be alone with Computo.
Without having his gaze hindered by pretending to do anything else Superman simply watched Brainy. He watched as Brainy worked, listened as he spoke instructions to Computo and when he mumbled things to himself. He smiled whenever Brainy took a moment to stretch or absently twirled around a tool that he left laying around as he waiting for something to load. And it was especially hard not to sigh wistfully whenever Brainy would tuck some hair behind his ear, run his fingers through his hair or scratched his scalp in boredom or irritation; Superman wishing he could walk forward and run his fingers through that golden hair himself.
Secretly Superman loved moments like this. Watching Brainy, seeing all the cute habits and keeping them to himself; his only regret was that he couldn't watch Brainy's face as well without revealing himself.
What Superman didn't know was that Brainy knew that Superman was watching him. He had noticed the man of steel float in and made himself comfortable for another round of Brainy watching which, even in the Coluan's mind, made him think of bird watching.
It brought up a strange image of Brainy being a small green bird in a bird bath with Clark in safari clothes watching him with binoculars from some near by bushes. Surely this was a sign that he was spending too much time around his fellow Legionnaires. It sounded like something Phantom Girl would come up with.
In any case Brainy altered between work and watching Superman in return through the reflection of one of the blank screens. It was entertaining and, admittedly, cute that Superman hadn't taken the possible reflection into consideration when he started this hobby of his but Brainy couldn't complain. In a way the silent companionship made the work more pleasant and made him more eager to finish in order to receive Superman's attention more directly.
Still, it almost seemed a shame to leave Superman in the dark about their two way observations about each other.
After finishing his work, Brainy brought up the security footage currently recording their present location. He smiled at Superman's expression when he pointed the footage out to him without turning around to face him.
Face hot, Superman stood went over to Brainy's chair, turning it around so they were facing each other.
"You can be so sneaky!"
"And you can't," Brainy countered.
"You can also be so smug," Superman rolled his eyes.
"And you couldn't be more humble," Brainy smiled.
"You're hard working to the point of obsession," Superman smiled back.
"And you're hard working in a different way to the point of obsessions," Brainy put his hand on Superman's arm. "And I fail to see how that's a fault."
"It's not," Superman admitted softly. "I just have to remind you to eat and sleep."
"And watch me like some sort of stalker," Brainy raised a hairless eyebrow.
"Like you're one to talk," Superman mirrored the expression. "Saturn Girl told me all about your surveillance on me when I went to the Superman Museum."
"Quite the pair we made," Brainy leaned back in his chair but kept his hand on Superman's arm.
"Yeah, quite the pair," Superman smiled and gently kissed him.
Phantom Girl knew that Superman and Brainy had no idea that she was watching them. If they did she doubted they would have let her record all of that to keep hidden away when the security video of this mysteriously vanished.