09/22/13
Song Sunday.
This has been one of my favorite songs for years but I was inspired to use it after laughing my butt off at "Impressionist sings 'Total Eclipse of the Heart' as 19 different divas". I saw it on Tumblr but I'm sure its on YouTube as well.
Total Eclipse of the Heart
Brainiac Five thought he was used to being alone. His childhood was isolated, raised by robotic guardians that were programmed to care for nothing but his welfare if one could even call it caring. To them it was nothing but ones and zeroes and monitoring him for a continued pulse. They weren't programmed to be parents or friends or even associates, simply caretakers.
These experiences greatly affected him when he first came to the Legion. They were way to loud, illogical, emotional and touchy feeling for his tastes. He tried to keep away from them as much as he could but they fought against his barriers tooth and nail until they became his friends. Eventually they were the closest thing to a family Brainy ever had.
Now Brainy was alone again, trapped in his self exile from the Legion after giving into his ancestor and nearly destroying everything he cared about. He knew the Legion had tried to make him think it wasn't his fault but he had seen the way Lightning Lad jumped when Brainy had inadvertently snuck up on him. The red head apologized but couldn't hide the uncertainty in his eyes, looking so unsure of Brainy even as he smiled at him.
There were also other members of the Legion, admittedly ones Brainy didn't know very well, that glared at him as he passed. They had lost their trust in him; some seemed to flat out despise him.
Luckily Brainy had enough funds from the patents of his inventions to leave and not worry where he was going, which he didn't even know that. He just had to leave and figure out who he was now.
The first few months Brainy spent traveling, for he had heard of people discovering themselves that way. Yet he couldn't connect with any of it. He looked at the same scenery he heard others call beautiful but it was just dull to him, as if the colors of around faded around him.
Eventually Brainy ended back in Metropolis but he avoided Legion Headquarters, instead going to work for the Time Institute. He made associates there but not friends, some of them avoiding him once they learned who he was.
Though Brainy wouldn't say he was miserable, he couldn't really call himself content either, let alone happy. And there were days everything felt so hollow and empty like he was living a life that wasn't his but was eternally trapped in it.
Brainy quickly learned to keep his emotional outbreaks private. He would find a closet or a bathroom stall where he could cry and yell and hit the wall until he got his blood pumping to the point where there was no doubt that he was alive. He had no idea why these sessions helped and if anyone knew about them they didn't comment, for which he was grateful.
Still it reminded him that he was alone. He was alone and no one cared. He was alone and no one would care if he was gone.
These thoughts kept Brainy up at night, even when he was desperate for sleep. He held onto his pillow and tried to imagine someone there with him, someone that cared.
Had the days when Brainy had been happy already passed him by? He remembered walking the Legion halls with Superman and his heart pounding with an excitement he couldn't name at the time. He remembered every conversation, every touch and every embrace even without the precision of his robotic mind. They all felt so long ago now.
One night Brainy found himself at the top of his building, looking down at the empty street below. It was then he found himself thinking how nice it would be to fly again, even though he had left his Legion ring behind. Maybe he could fly without it?
When he realized what he had just thought he ran back inside and locked himself in his room, wishing there was a way to keep his mind from having these thoughts. Still they kept coming and more frequently along with his break downs.
Despite leaving the Legion behind Brainy had taken his time bubble remote. He hadn't understood why at the time but now he knew he desperately needed to use it.
Without giving thoughts to the consequences Brainy traveled back in time to 21st century Metropolis, arriving in Clark's apartment.
Though the owner of the apartment wasn't there, Brainy found it a lot more homely then his own which had nothing but the bare essentials. He found himself wondering if Martha Kent decorated her son's home away from home or if Clark picked it out himself.
Absently, Brainy picked up a blanket from the couch and held it to him. Without a life of its own the blanket seemed warmer then Brainy's own body and it was tempting to wrap it around his shoulders.
"Brainy?" Superman had flown back to his apartment, coming in through the window and seen his friend there. He was surprised but smiling warmly. "What brings you here?"
The moment Superman asked, Brainy felt so stupid. Why had he come here? Why did he think for even a moment that seeing Superman would make everything better?
Despite his self control Brainy's body began to shake and he could feel his chest constricting and water forming in his eyes and he wanted to scream but he could barely speak.
"I-I don't know," Brainy stammered. "I just really needed to see you. I-I'm sorry-"
Before Brainy could speak further, Superman speed over and took the shorter boy into his arms, holding him tightly.
"It's okay Brainy, I'm happy you came," Superman gave Brainy a gentle squeeze, "I've missed you."
Though these words should have brought Brainy comfort he found himself clinging to Superman, crying fully now. He wished he could explain what was wrong with him and apologize to him but he couldn't. All he could do was hold onto Superman and cry.
Throughout it Superman was silent, holding Brainy close and stroking his back, wondering what he could do to help and feeling powerless. He wanted so much to see Brainy smile but he had the feeling Brainy hadn't had anything to smile about since the last time they spoke at Legion Headquarters shortly after Brainy had become human.
When Brainy calmed down, Superman pulled back just enough to wipe the tears from Brainy's face.
"S-sorry," Brainy apologized softly. "I got your suit all wet."
"It's alright," Superman assured him. "You could blow your nose on my cape and I wouldn't care."
For a moment Brainy just stared at Superman, trying to imagine such a thing. The he smiled and before he knew it he was laughing. His eyes, still sensitive from crying, were watering a little but it felt good.
The smile and laugh were just so beautiful, Superman couldn't help himself. He leaned in and kissed Brainy, ever so softly.
This caused the laughter to stop but the smile to change, Brainy holding onto Superman again as he imitated the movement of the other boy's lips to kiss him back.
Slowly Superman pulled back, just slightly, and whispered, "I love you" before kissing Brainy again.
Brainy woke up naked but warm, mind slowly catching up as he realized he was being spooned by an equally naked body and the source of the pleasant heat that surrounded him. His mind supplied that it was Clark and didn't feel the need to rouse completely just yet.
When Clark awoke he kissed the back of Brainy's neck and his shoulder, lightly caressing the side of the younger boy's arm. He felt Brainy stir and smiled as he requested for him to "turn around."
Still not fully awake, Brainy did as asked, back now chilled front the lost of Clark's body heat but made content when the older boy wrapped his arms around him. He wanted nothing more than to bury himself in those arms and sleep forever
Kissing Brainy's forehead, Clark's smile widened when Brainy sleepily looked up at him, Clark's eyes holding nothing but adoration and warmth.
It was a look that promised that forever was going to start tonight.