The Odd Couple

A superhero fanfic

ONE

Feeling the soft breeze blowing in from the open manor window, Bruce Wayne shifted the blankets on his large bed slightly and stretched, cracking the last few hours of precious sleep from his bones and groaning a little too loudly for comfort. The still unconscious figure at his side didn't stir at the noise and he debated whether or not to give the unusually large lump under the covers a playful poke awake. Before he could act however, a croaked voice whispered from deep under the pillow. "I know exactly what you're thinking dear... don't you even dare."

Bruce acted somewhat shocked, grinning broadly, "Super ESP now? My my, you're just full of surprises aren't you?" and poked anyway.

Pushing the pillow aside and tousling his deep black, almost blue hair, Clark Kent groggily opened his eyes to greet the morning. "Mmm, and so are you, anyone ever told you, you have incredible stamina for a simple human?"

"Simple human eh?…" The rest of his response was cut short with a loud yawn and he collapsed dramatically back onto the bed.

Clark purred gently and rested his head against the well muscled chest of his lover. Fingertips tracing the patchwork of scars that stood out on it. Each one a story in its own right. "Maybe not that much stamina then. Bet you can't tell what I'm thinking now?"

Bruce smirked and ran his hands down the Kryptonian's broad back slowly.

"Breakfast?"

"Breakfast."

Clark padded from the bathroom and ran the towel through his hair a little too quickly, steam rising as his hands moved at super-speed, the smell of cooking from the kitchen thankfully covering the odour of slightly singed hair. He winced as he remembered Lois, and what her reaction would have been. Not to mention the amount of times the smoke detectors in the apartment had picked up on it and threatened to drive them both crazy. Sighing and putting all thoughts of her out of his mind, he wrapped the towel around his waist and glided quietly down the stairs. Entering the kitchen he paused briefly at the door and shook his head at the meal being prepared on the stove.

"Bruce, you know curry is NOT a good breakfast, don't you have any oatmeal? Something healthier?"

Bruce just grinned and dropped heavily into the ornate chair at the table, a huge plateful of his vile creation in front of him. "Once a bachelor, always a bachelor..."

Settling for simple orange juice, Clark fussed for a clean glass and shot him a look, "Tsk, you know? Poor Alfred would be turning in his…" he stopped short and mentally kicked himself. But Bruce hadn't moved his eyes from the plate; he just ate a little quicker, the only sign that Clark's comment had touched a nerve.

"Gah, I'm sorry, I guess I'm super-dense too."

"It's fine." Bruce had finished eating and stood up, moving swiftly to the sink, his back to Clark.

"Bruce…"

"I said it's fine, I'm fine, you're fine, everything's just fine Clark, you know how to wash up don't you? Or would you rather…" The china plate crashed suddenly into the sink and broke into several pieces.

"Damn it!"

Moving close and putting his hand gently on Bruce's shoulder he whispered as comfortingly as he could. "It's okay sweetie. It's okay."

"How do people do it Clark? How do they manage? I can't even clean a dish or… or cook or…" His hands began to shake as he fumbled for the shards.

"You're doing just fine, and I'm here Bruce, I'm not leaving I promise." Clark picked the pieces out of the sink and closed his eyes slightly, bright red beams of heat fusing the plate together again.

Bruce Wayne stifled a giggle as the now white hot plate virtually melted in Clark's hands. "That's good to hear love, because I really don't know what I'd do without you." He gave in and laughed, wiping his eyes as the tears fell at last, good tears, tears of happiness.

Throwing the congealed mess of china into the trash, Clark put his large arms around him and pulled him close.

"Mmm Clark?"

"Yes Bruce?"

"You want to know what hurts the most?"

"Tell me…"

"…That was my only plate."