Just a Little Bad at Love

by gothraven89

A terrible misunderstanding leaves Clark and Bruce fractured. Hurt and shunned by almost everyone, help comes to Clark in the form of a certain Scarlet Speedster with a crazy idea. Warning: Slash, Bruce/Clark and Hal/Barry. Reviews and constructive criticism are loved!

Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to the Batman or Superman characters or comic book series. It is all property of DC and whoever else has legal authority. I am not making any kind of profit from this writing; it is all for fun and freedom of expression.

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Warning: Apologies in advance if anyone seems OOC

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Just a Little Bad at Love

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Clark Kent tugged at his tie, adjusting it for the millionth time. All around him the swanky party was in full swing with the champagne flowing and Gotham's upper echelons mingling.

Clark politely refused a young dark haired waiter who came up to him with a plate of some fancy finger food Clark was sure he would not be able to pronounce. He sent the young man away with a smile and didn't think much of it.

Clark hated being at these events, always feeling so very out of place and looking it too. This time around not even Lois was here to offer her special brand of sassy support. The sound of the photographers going nuts with their cameras and an excited muttering through the whole crowd had Clark turning away from the wall mirror he had been standing at in time to see just who was making their entrance.

Clark felt his heart skip a beat as Bruce Wayne "drunkenly" stumbled into the party with not one but four highly attractive young female models hanging from his arms. Clark felt a small smile tug at the corners of his lips as he watched Bruce live up to his persona of the billionaire playboy to a T. Clark knew that the whole thing was an act, a means of keeping his cover, hiding the truth of just how lethally intelligent he really was.

Bruce himself was a vision, his bright blue eyes sparkling, his hair stylishly quaffed, and wearing a black suit with a black undershirt and a bright silver tie that hugged him in all the right places. He literally put everyone else in the room to shame. Or maybe Clark was just a little bit biased.

After all, he had just recently come to the realization that somewhere in all their years of friendship, Clark's feelings had changed from simple fondness to pure, un-adultered love. Clark's heart gave a painful lurch at this.

He loved Bruce, the man behind the vapid persona he showed the the rest of the world. He loved the man who was Batman, who could strike terror into the hearts of any criminal and still be gentle enough to comfort a frightened child and put said child at ease until the police arrived.

Even now as Clark quietly observed Bruce's "drunken" antics, he found himself seeing past the veneer and watching as Bruce subtly took stock of the room, his blue eyes sharp and aware despite the debauched and vacant expression he was wearing.

Then Clark felt a jolt go through him when Bruce's eyes finally found him. For a fleeting moment everything else faded, the party, the hustle and bustle, even the rest of the world and there was only the two of them seeing each other from across the room. Then the moment ended and Bruce was suddenly there right in front of him, smiling that patented playboy grin and still looking a bit vacant as he held out his hand.

" Clement something, from that paper I own." Bruce said loudly with a pronounced drunken lilt.

" Uh, Clark Kent actually, Mr. Wayne." Clark corrected, hiding his own grin as he took Bruce's hand and felt a jolt of electricity go through him at the contact.

They quickly fell into their practiced routine of Bruce being the foolish billionaire and Clark being the harried, mild-mannered reporter who had to put up with him.

Inevitably the exchange ended when one of Bruce's four dates for the evenly, a willowing, big-chested blonde with a thick Russian accent promptly whisked Bruce away for some more drunken antics.

Clark watched him go, doing his utmost to keep the longing from showing on his face. With a sigh, Clark turned his attention to the other guests at the party, quietly starting to make his circuit around the large party hall. The night wore on and Clark actually did talk to a few interesting people who were working of the various projects to make Gotham better. But when Clark turned his attention back towards one particular billionaire, Clark frowned when he saw that Bruce was no where to be seen while his four "friends" were mingling with other people.

Wondering where his friend had wandered off too, Clark focused his incredible hearing on Bruce's familiar heartbeat. He found the steady beat and followed it. It led him out of the party room and down a long hallway. As he neared the door at the very end, other sounds filled Clark's ears.

With a jolt Clark realized that there was another heartbeat mingling with Bruce's steady beat, this one unfamiliar and very rapid. Next was the sounds of clothes shuffling, and muffled gasps. With sinking trepidation Clark realized that Bruce and this unknown person were most likely engaged in some private, carnal activity. Feeling his heart crumbling as it sank all the way to his feet, Clark turned to leave. But just as he was about to walk away, Clark's curiosity got the better of him. With a shaky breath, Clark turned his blue eyes to the closed door and used his x-ray vision to see right through it into the room.

What his eyes beheld had Clark's jaw dropping unashamedly. There inside the room, which was an office of some kind, Bruce was there with a body wrapped around him.

A clearly male body.

Bruce was currently in the process of trying to seemingly devour this other man whole, the two of them grinding against each other sensuously.

Clark's wide blue eyes grew over bright with the telling sheen of salt. While Bruce was clearly enjoying himself, Clark felt like he had stepped straight into a Goddamned nightmare.

The man Bruce was sharing such intimacy with was a young man with dark hair and broad shoulders with his white shirt and black vest already unbuttoned and falling open to reveal his heaving chest.

Clark felt a deep pain lance through him when he recognized this young man, it was the waiter from earlier who had offered him an appetizer.

Clark startled as he saw the young man throw his head back and moan in unashamed pleasure as Bruce buried his facing into the young man's neck and pulled him in even closer. Feeling like his insides were being mercilessly hacked to pieces, revulsion coursing through him, Clark wrenched himself away and all but ran.

He made sure his little pad with all of his notes were secure inside his jacket pocket before he made a swift exit, grabbing his coat from the coat check once he was in the lobby and then heading out into the brisk, Autumn night air. Clark was forever grateful that he had been able to find a hotel that was a twenty minute walk from tonight's party venue.

As he walked, Clark felt his eyes burn and his throat close up painfully, the exact opposite of what he had hoped the walk would do. Instead of calming him down, Clark felt himself grow more upset with each step he took, the images of what he had seen mercilessly assaulting him. Once he reached his moderately nice hotel, Clark forced himself to calmly walk to the elevator and take it up to his floor.

Once he was at the door to his room, he frantically fumbled his key out of his pocket, his face crumbling and his sight blurring with the oncoming tears. Once Clark fished out his key card and got the door open, he all but dove into his hotel room. With stumbling steps he made his way to his bed and all but collapsed onto it, sitting over the foot of the mattress and finally letting the tears fall free.

He didn't sob or wail, just sat there silently with the tears of absolute desolation streaming down his face. Letting out a shaky breath, Clark slumped forward and held his head in his hands.

" SUPERMAN HELP ME PLEASE!"

Clark sat bolt upright, immediately alert as his sensitive hearing caught the call for help. It was coming from far away, somewhere up North. Taking a deep breath and forcing away his desolation, Clark stood up and faced the window.

As he shed his suit jacket and reached for his shirt, Clark banished all thought of what he had seen tonight, banished his heartbreak.

With that he pulled open he shirt, revealing the crest of the House of El. A few minutes later Superman emerged from Clark Kent's hotel window and soared off towards the frantic call for aid.

Heartbreak would have to wait, Superman was needed.

A week later at the Watchtower...

Clark did his best to focus on the meeting, but with Batman being the one doing the presentation, it was next to impossible for him not be be hyperaware of the other man. Clark found himself just staring at Bruce in his full Batman regalia, looking so powerful, so menacing, so magnificent, and then remembering what he had witnessed a week earlier.

Clark felt hot under his collar, confused and still very upset by the revelation that his best friend, known for his reputation of being a serial womanizer, had had a tryst with a man right before his very eyes. It raised so many questions, and caused so many feelings to rise up inside Clark. This whole past week he had been distracted, and it had led to Perry and Lois both ripping him new one's for subpar articles and nearly missed deadlines.

Clark was shaken from his thoughts as Batman spoke.

" Any questions?" He asked as he looked around the conference table.

From Jonn to Barry, no one spoke. Batman nodded curtly and the meeting was adjourned. As everyone was in the various staged of getting out of their seats and going about their business, Batman turned his white-lensed gaze to Superman as he spoke.

" Superman, a word." He said curtly, not waiting for a reply as he headed out of the conference room with a swish of his long black cape.

Swallowing and feeling several eyes on him, Clark quickly got up from his seat and followed in Bruce's wake. He found Bruce waiting from him at the end of the corridor by a large window that gave a great view of Earth so far down below. The vigilante stood gazing out at the expanse of space, his profile hard and grim.

" What is it B?" Clark asked as he came to stand before Bruce.

" Let's cut to the chase Kal." Bruce said as he turned away from the window and pinned Clark with a single look.

" You saw me with that waiter at the party last week." Bruce said bluntly.

Clark felt his insides freeze and he did his best not to shrink under Bruce's harsh gaze as he spoke.

" Bruce I- How did you?" Clark began to ask when Bruce cut him off.

" I had cameras placed all over, that waiter was trying to steal secrets from the host of the party, who had just closed a deal with Wayne Enterprises." Bruce said curtly before he took a step forward, closing the distance between him and Clark as he continued.

" But more importantly, I saw you, you looked through that door and you saw what we were doing. I've been pouring over the footage for a whole week now, watching your reaction. It was quite, perturbing." Bruce said with false calmness.

" B-B I-" Clark tried to speak, but all he felt was deep anxiety. He didn't know what the right words, and Bruce just looked so dangerously angry at him.

" It disgusted you, didn't it? Seeing me fuck another man on a desk repulsed your Mid-Western sensitivities." Bruce sneered.

Clark's mouth fell open in absolute shock. He tried to speak but no words would come out, he stood there before the man he loved with all his heart completely paralyzed.

Bruce shoved off his cowl and then got right up into Clark's face.

" I never pegged you as a homophobe Kent, but I guess life's full of unpleasant surprises." Bruce snarled as he clenched his fists.

His insides felt like they were being torn to shreds. His best friend, the man he had secretly been in love with for years now, was revolted by him. It was the purest agony Bruce had felt in a very long time.

Clark shook his head and tried to reach out towards Bruce, to articulate that no, he wasn't repulse, he loved him, he loved Bruce so much, but he'd been overwhelmed by what he had seen, by the revelation that Bruce wasn't as straight as he had thought, by the very idea that they could be something more.

Bruce observed Clark's movement and his expression grew even more incensed.

" Don't you dare touch me." Bruce hissed.

" Bruce, please, if you would just listen to me, let me explain." Clark finally said desperately.

Bruce just glared at Clark, looking at him like he was the lowest life-form on the planet.

" We're done." Bruce said with finality before he turned away.

" What, no! Bruce wait!" Clark cried as he rushed after Bruce.

Bruce then turned back around sharply, his gloved hand going to one of the compartments on his belt. Clark froze, his eyes wide in horror and realization at Bruce's actions.

Stay away or the Kryptonite would come out.

With his eyes rapidly filling, Clark stood there and gawked as Bruce sent him one final look of hurt and betrayal before he wrenched himself away and disappeared down the corridor.

" Bruce you're wrong." Clark whispered as the tears began to stream down his face.

How could it all go down this way? Had he just lost his best friend in the span of mere seconds?

A whole, agonizing month later at the Watchtower...

Clark stood in the highest observation deck of the Watchtower, gazing down at the world in all its vast glory. But the beauty of the sight was lost to Superman as a single tear rolled down his cheek and he slumped in abject misery.

The answer to Clark's question of whether he had lost his best friend appeared to be a nightmarish, heart-rending yes. After that highly charged and rage-filled confrontation, Bruce had effectively cut off all ties. All of Clark's calls on the Justice League communicators went unanswered. All of the calls Clark made to Wayne Manor were either dropped, or Alfred had answered and in tellingly curt fashion told Clark that Bruce wouldn't be taking any calls from him and to please desist from engaging the phone-lines.

It was clear to Clark that Alfred got Bruce's version of what had happened and decided to end all warmth and respect towards him as well. It made something inside Clark die all over again, knowing that Alfred Pennyworth thought the same about him as Bruce did, the absolute wrong thing.

He was no longer Master Clark.

Dick on the other hand had tried to reach out to him, tried to talk to him over the phone only for Clark to clamp down on his own crumbling heart and tell the boy that for his own sake, not to contact him and risk Bruce's wrath. Clark did not want to cause discord between father and son.

As he reached up and wiped at his cheeks, Clark could scarcely believe that an entire month had gone by since that awful day in the corridor. He saw Bruce at the Justice League meetings, but every time he tried to approach, Batman would either glare or just give hims curt, cold response.

The rest of the League had been terribly confused by this. It was no secret that Superman and Batman often butted heads and had rows, but something had happened to cause them to cut off all communication entirely. When some like Diana and Barry had asked Clark what was going on, he had kept his mouth firmly shut and said nothing. Bruce on the other hand must had divulged something because soon, certain members of the team were treating Clark differently.

Hal Jordan, who would often joke with him and had always been friendly enough, now glowered at him whenever their paths crossed. He'd just send Clark this angry look and even exit the room along side Batman upon Clark's entrance.

Shayera no longer had that admiration for him in her eyes. When before she would always be there to talk to ask him for his advice or go flying with him, now she actively avoided him too.

Diana still spoke to him, but it was clear that there was disappointment in her eyes. It was no less crushing than Bruce's severing of their friendship.

The only members of the League who didn't treat him differently were Barry and Jonn. Clark had a feeling that in Jonn's case, a little mind reading had been involved, but with Barry it was either because he hadn't had his ear on the rumor mill, or because he actually hadn't jumped to conclusions like Batman and the others had.

Clark let out a profound breath as he composed himself. He still hadn't told either Jonn or Barry his side of the story. Despite all the hurt Bruce had piled onto him in his misguided anger, here Clark was still trying to have his back.

It was bad on both fronts of Clark's life. Batman was avoiding him, but so was Bruce Wayne. Clark had been hoping to maybe get assigned to another event in Gotham, but he had a sinking feeling that Bruce had intervened and asked Perry to send anyone but him to Gotham for stories from now on. The tip off had been when only he and Steve Lombard, who exclusively covered sports had been available to cover a charity Gala in Gotham and Perry had sent Steve despite the man's protests.

On top of this, Bruce seemed to want to add further salt to Clark's wounds. He would show up at the Daily Planet and exchange pleasantries with everyone and full on ignore him. The worst was that Clark had to sit there and watch Bruce flirt outrageously not only with the ladies in the office, but with a few of his male co-workers as well. He had even made Jimmy Olsen blush hard enough for the young man's face to nearly match his hair. Whenever their eyes met, Bruce would just send Clark a scathing, challenging look, as if daring Clark to say something negative. To just try and voice any kind of opposition.

Clark had simply clenched his jaw hard enough to hurt and looked away, focusing on his articles while his whole body felt like it was on fire with agony.

When Bruce wanted to be vindictive, he could go all out. Clark had seen it first hand, but being on the receiving end was an experience beyond words.

As he stood at the window it took all Clark had not to start bawling. He allowed himself a final tear before he wiped it away. He had come up here to have solitude, to clear his head and just think. Clark sniffled quietly before he turned away from the window with it in mind to head back to his quarters and finish up those reports he had been working on earlier.

He was just about to reach the door when the sound of another door opening down below caught his ear. The sound of the door on the lower level of the observation deck opening was immediately accompanied by a pair of loud, vehement voices.

Familiar voices. One Hal Jordan in loud debate with one Barry Allen. Clark's curiosity won out, so he made his way closer to the railing that overlooked the lower level but still keeping himself hidden.

" How can you still be friends with that asshole after what he did to Bruce?" Hal asked in outrage.

" Something just isn't right about all of this. Hal, this is Clark we're talking about here." Barry tried to reason.

Hal just snorted derisively.

" Well, bigots come in all shapes and sizes Barry, don't be so damn naive."

Barry gasped in shock, while Clark had to clamped a hand over his mouth to keep himself from crying out in stunned outrage of his own.

How could Hal say that? How could he say such a thing about him?

Clark felt his eyes fill with hot tears, his heart lurching inside his chest as he watched Barry level an angry look at Hal.

" I am telling you Jordan, I am liking you less and less every time you open your mouth." Barry vehemently.

Hal just shook his head and crossed his arms. He just didn't understand why Barry couldn't see what he did, the Superman, the world's golden boy, the scion of truth, justice, and the American way had shown his true colors and deeply hurt Batman.

" There is more to this Hal, you only know what you managed to pry out of Bats but Supes hasn't said a single word, not even to defend himself." Barry said firmly.

" Or maybe he knows what he is and he's just too much of a coward to admit it." Hal sneered.

From where he was hidden high up, Clark bowed his head and actually bit down on his knuckle hard to stay silent.

" That's it, there is no getting through that thick head of yours." Barry said exasperated as he turned and walked off.

Hal just threw his own hands up in the air before he shook his head and walked out of the observation deck in obvious frustration.

Barry kicked unhappily at the floor, feeling massively frustrated himself. Why couldn't Hal see that there was more to this entirely messed up situation between Batman and Superman than any of them currently knew. Well, almost everyone. Barry had a sinking feeling that Jonn knew more than he let on, and that the Martian Manhunter had been sworn to utmost secrecy by a certain pillar of the Justice League.

Barry was about to head out of the deck and maybe go drown his frustrations in a pile of veggie burritos when a soft sound from high up caught his ear.

It had been a soft, hitched breath. As Barry focused in on where the noise had come from, the speedster felt a jolt go through him when the sound of a soft groan from high-up caught his ears. It was coming from the upper deck.

Using his sped, Barry simply ran up the wall and the glass of the observation window and made it to the upper-deck. When he saw who was standing there looking utterly devastated, Barry came to a dead halt.

" Big Blue?" He asked softly.

Clark looked up at the stunned Speedster, his entire face crumbling.

" B-Barry I..." Clark tried to say, but his throat closed up. He wasn't crying, but he was dangerously close to losing all composure.

" You saw... you heard." Barry said quietly.

" Hal... how could he?" Clark began to say before he clamped down hard on his own voice. Then he just looked beseechingly at Barry, like a man barely treading water as he reached out to the Speedster with a trembling hand.

Barry stood frozen, not really believing what he was seeing. Superman was reaching out to him, and trembling.

Superman was trembling.

This startling realization was enough to snap Barry out of his paralysis. In the blink of an eye he was there with Clark, taking Clark's hand into his own before gently pulling the Kryptonian into a hug. Clark let out a shaky breath and promptly melted into Barry's embrace. He still took care not to crush the slighter man.

For what seemed a life-span, they simply stood there clinging to each other. Then finally it was Barry who spoke.

" Hal is wrong, you are not something so horrible Clark." Barry said vehemently.

" Thank you for not believing the worst of me." Clark gritted out before his breath hitched again.

" Of course, but Clark, Clark you have to tell me what happened between you and B. It's off, everything is so off. It doesn't make sense, B is your best friend, and you are the least prejudiced person I know. You'd never hurt him like this." Barry insisted.

" According to him I can." Clark said bitterly, feeling his own anger and hurt rising to the surface.

Then he finally let the wall he had been keeping up come crumbling down.

Like a great deluge, Clark finally unloaded everything he wanted to say. His truth. By the end of it, Barry was left completely god-smacked.

" I love him Barry, I love him so much. But I was so scared and I just didn't know what to do, or what to say when he confronted me head on like he did. Bruce was right when he said that seeing him with that other guy disgusted me, but not because he was with another man, but because I love him and it just hurt so bad seeing him with that stranger." Clark said with a groan.

"All my life I have tried to be normal, and I have only ever been attracted to women, but somehow, some way Bruce has become the center of my world... and now I've lost him for good." Then Clark shuddered brokenly.

" Hal is right, I am a coward." He said softly.

" The Hell you are." Barry shot back strongly before he continued.

" You just discovered something totally life-altering about yourself. You just realized that you are in love with your best friend, your male best friend after going your whole life identifying as straight. That by itself is enough to overwhelm anyone. There is nothing wrong with how you feel towards Bruce or any other man, woman, and everyone in between. You needed time to get comfortable with the idea, to make peace with your truth, and nobody gave that to you." Barry said, his expression growing bitter.

Clark just bowed his head sadly and shook his head.

" I still love him Barry." He said quietly, a fresh wave of pain washing over him.

" I just can't believe Bruce would be such an idiot. He's supposed to be the World's greatest detective so how could he jump to such a wrong conclusion?" Barry asked exasperatedly.

" He just took my reaction the wrong way, I mean look at it from his side, I was his best friend and I invaded his privacy when he was in a very intimate encounter and then I just hightailed it out of there." Clark said before he could stop himself.

" Well it would have been nice if he and everyone else took the time to see it from your side. Everyone's all twisted up about how you hurt Bruce, but what about how he hurt you? How he just steamrolled right over you without giving you a chance?" Barry asked in challenge.

Clark just shook his head and slumped his head in utter defeat.

" It's all just so screwed up now. I am persona non grata to him, and to Alfred for that matter. I've even stopped talking to Robin just to try and keep the peace." Clark explained.

" That's just not right." Barry said angrily.

" I don't know what to do to fix things." Clark said helplessly.

Barry sighed deeply and gave Clark's shoulders a firm squeeze before he spoke.

" How about we start with you coming over to my room. I can get us some totally awesome veggie burritos and we watch some mindless action flick. It's been ages since you and I hung out Big Blue." Barry said with a dazzling grin.

Feeling warm and safe for the first time in weeks, Clark wiped at the lingering trails of salt that clung to his cheeks and then smiled warmly at the Speedster.

" I'd like that Barry, I'd like that very much."

United, the Man of Steel and the Scarlet Speedster headed out of the observation deck and towards the elevator that would take them to the floor where Barry's personal quarters were located.

Barry left Clark in his quarters to pick out the aforementioned movie while he headed to the transporter room. He was pleased to see Jonn there stationed at the controls.

" Hey Jonn, would you mind beaming me down to Central City, just want to pick up some of those famous veggie burritos for me and Supes." Barry said with a smile.

" Very well." Jonn said monotonously, although he did send the Speedster his version of an approving look.

Barry grinned as he got on the platform and then disappeared in a flash of the zeta beam. Not five minutes later he was calling Jonn to be beamed back up. The Flash materialized with a shopping bag filled nearly to the brim with the epic meal he had promised Clark.

Barry stepped down from the platform and made his way towards the Martian Manhunter.

" Supes finally told me his side of the story, so rest easy, I will try to help him fix this." Barry said quietly.

" That is good to know." Jonn said monotonously just as the doors to the transporter opened.

Barry immediately felt the smile and good cheer evaporate from him as Batman stepped into the room. In the weeks since Batman and Superman's blow up, the vigilante had become glacial towards everyone. He had become especially glacial towards Barry, no doubt because the younger man had picked Clark's side and thus "betrayed" him. Barry had to admit that Bruce's cold attitude towards him had hurt something fierce.

Now that he knew Clark's side of things though, Barry found himself forgetting about his own hurt and growing angry towards the masked vigilante from the undeserving hurt he had piled onto an innocent Superman.

" Jonn, Flash." Batman said curtly, pausing when he saw that Barry was subtly glowering at him.

He met those dark blue eyes and tilted his head.

" Is there a problem Flash?" He asked casually, while internally curious.

Instead of saying anything, the Justice League's resident motormouth just walked right past Batman, leveling the most scathing look he had ever laid on anyone to date at the vigilante before he stepped through the sliding door of the transport room and then disappearing in a blur of red and gold and a light gust of air.

" Well that was odd. What's got him so pissy?" Bruce thought as his eyes lingered in Barry's wake. He then turned to Jonn.

Jonn for his part looked as neutral as ever as he stared blankly at Bruce.

" Where shall you be transporting Batman?" He asked flatly.

" Gotham, the Cave." Batman said simply before he made his way over to the platform. Jonn simply nodded before activating the zeta beam. Batman disappeared in a flash of white light.

" Soon you will learn just how incredibly wrong you are about him my friend." Jonn said quietly in Bruce's wake.

Meanwhile, back in Barry's quarters...

Clark bit into the piping hot burrito with gusto, savory the spices and sauces mixed with the grilled vegetables and rice. Beside him Barry was already polishing off his second one and reaching for a third. They were sitting on the couch Barry kept in the small living room area, a badly dubbed classic kung fu epic playing on the television.

These last few weeks without Bruce had left a yawning crater in his life, and with nearly everyone else giving him the wide-berth, Clark had keenly felt the bitterness of loneliness. Once he finished his burrito, Barry was all but shoving another into his hands and grinning widely.

They ate and watched the movie until the veritable mountain of burritos had been vastly diminished and the movie was reaching its climactic battle. With a sigh and feeling warmer than he had been in a long time, Clark sat back into Barry's couch and spoke.

" He doesn't even look at me anymore Barry. How am I supposed to fix things between us if I can't even get a single word out before he just up and leaves. And Hal is just acting like a guard dog these days." Clark said bitterly

He wasn't above admitting his was a little bit resentful of how after his and Bruce's relationship took such a drastically negative turn, Hal was suddenly right there defending Bruce against the rest of the world almost. The Green Lantern had made it his mission to be the barrier, that Bro, the bull-dog new best friend.

Barry just grumbled, setting down the half-eaten burrito in his hand and leaned back into the sofa like Clark.

" I just wish there was some way to show Bruce he's wrong about me. I mean I tried to call but he never answers and Alfred's asked me not to call again, and I am pretty sure any letter I write will be shredded and any video call will get deleted." Clark sighed.

Barry nodded and grew thoughtful. The pair shared a companionable silence while the movie played in the background, and then Barry sat up ramrod straight with his eyes wide as an idea finally struck him.

" What is it Barry?" Clark asked as he eyes his friend with concern.

" I just had this crazy idea." Barry said as he turned bright, calculating eyes towards Clark.

Clark wasn't afraid to admit the look along had him feeling very uneasy.

Another week later...

Hal Jordan made his way down the corridor, heading for monitor duty with Batman. He had just rounded a corner when he came to a dead halt. Hal immediately felt his heckles rise as he observed Superman and Flash standing by one of the Watchtower windows in deep conversation. Glowering, Hal did his best to hide as he listened in.

" So what time should I pick you up?" He heard Clark ask.

" See I was thinking about meeting you there at the restaurant, just speeding over from Central City once I get off work." Barry replied.

" We're supposed to meet at 8 sharp right?" Barry asked

" Okay no problem and yeah, 8 o'clock. The name of the Restaurant is Vincenzo's on 34th and Harding, they have the best calamari in all of Metropolis. And their desserts are just as great." Clark said with a chuckle.

From where he stood, Hal was confused as Hell. It was almost like Clark and Barry were planning a dinner date, but that couldn't be right. Barry was Barry and Clark was the homophobic hick. When the Hell would he ever go on a date with another man. It was probably just a friendly get together or something. Despite all of his attempts to dissuade Barry, the Speedster just wouldn't chuck Super Jerk to the side like he deserved. Barry's amused chuckle broke him from his confused musings as he listened intently.

" Well aren't you being fancy Mr. Modest Midwestern Mild Mannered Reporter Man." Barry teased.

" First of all, that was a whole bunch of 'M's. Second, what's wrong if I want to impress you? It's our first date after all." Clark said with a smile in his voice.

Hal felt his jaw drop unashamedly to the floor as Clark's words registered. He watched as Barry actually ducked his head and smiled shyly before he reached out and actually traced his finger along the "S" emblem emblazoned across the Kryptonian's chest. The gesture was flirtatious and intimate, and completely out of left field. Hal felt a painful lurch go through him at the way Barry was smiling at Clark, so warm and happy. Hal watched as Barry drew away from Clark and spoke.

" Hey listen, I gotta go, I have monitor duty with Jonn. I'll see you tonight alright?" Barry said with the barest husk to his voice.

Hal watched with his already wide eyes growing impossibly wider as Clark leaned in and pressed a sweet kiss to Barry's cheek, making Barry full on blush hard enough to nearly blend in with his bright uniform.

" See you tonight Barry." Clark said quietly, looking a little stunned by his own actions before he sent the Speedster one of his patented mega-watt grins, something Clark rarely did now a days.

While Hal was freaking out from his hiding spot, Barry and Clark were sharing a subtle look of triumph. It was no accident that Hal had stumbled upon them as they worked out the final details of their "First date." Clark was well aware of his and Barry's audience, having sought out Hal's heartbeat first before he and Barry had both used their super speed to get to that exact spot so they could put on their current show.

With a subtle wink, Barry was gone with a smile and a blur of red, leaving Clark alone in the corridor. Hal felt the bottom of his stomach drop out as he watched the expression on Clark's face, a look of such warm hope and joy.

Not wanting to be caught, and not realizing the Man of Steel had made him long before he stumbled upon them, Hal used the power of his ring to rise up into the air and fly back down the corridor as quietly as he could. As he flew, a specific destination came to his mind.

The labs near the Javelin hangar. He needed to get there, he needed to find Batman.

From where he stood in the corridor, Clark looked over his shoulder, hearing a door rapidly slid open and shut from way further back up the corridor. The smile on his face dimmed. Phase one of Barry's plan had gone off without a hitch, they talked loud enough for Hal to hear about their dinner plans, now he just hoped that Hal would do as they hoped he would.

They hoped that he would go running to a certain irritatingly stubborn masked vigilante and tell him about what he had witnessed.

The rest would happen later tonight.

Several hours later in Metropolis...

The Metropolis night life was in full swing in the silver city, people from all walks of life from residents to tourists, the young and the old all going about enjoying the pleasures of the city.

But for all of it's bright lights, the city cast plenty of dark shadows. It was in these dark shadows that a certain Dark Knight was currently using to hide his position on the rooftop as he observed the busy Italian restaurant in one of the nicer parts of Metropolis. He had a pair of high-powered binoculars to his eyes, watching out for a certain bespectacled reporter and a young forensic analyst from Central City.

" Hey Spooky, I am in position." Came a voice in Batman's ear.

" Good, stay where you are and don't move until I say so." Batman growled, never taking his eyes off the front of the restaurant.

" Alright alright." Hal Jordan grumbled from his hiding place in an alley just a few feet from the restaurant, dressed in a nice navy blue suit with a white shirt with a couple of the buttons left undone. Hal peered around the corner of the alley to gaze at the building both he and the grumpy Bat on the roof casing.

Vincenzo's on 34th and Harding and the time was now 7:45 PM.

When Hal had found Batman and told him of what he had witnessed between The Flash and Superman, Batman had stared at him blankly for a full minute before he had clenched his jaw tight enough for Hal to see his teeth grinding and then he had calmly explained that the two of them would be heading to Metropolis tonight. Now here they were waiting to see if what Hal had heard was the real deal or some strange fluke.

All Hal knew for sure was that Batman was pissed as hell. Hal suspected that it was because Bruce wanted to protect Barry from being taken for a ride by Clark, but another part of him couldn't help but wonder if maybe there was something else involved, an emotion other than anger or protectiveness.

Jealousy, plain and simple.

Hal quickly shook himself of his musings and hid himself in the shadows again, waiting for Batman's go ahead.

They didn't have to wait long as five minutes later, Bruce caught sight of his former best friend rounding the corner and making his way towards Vincenzo's.

Bruce felt his heart stutter for a moment as he observed Clark. Instead of the usual frumpy reporter's attire of a criminally ill-fitting suit made from rather cheap fabric, the Kryptonian looked like something out of a dream in a charcoal gray number that seemed tailor made just for him. A black button up shirt and striking silver tie finished out the ensemble. His dark black hair was nicely styled to almost look like his signature Superman hair, just without that famous curl that fell on his forehead. He was also still wearing his thick-framed glasses, though they actually added to his sophistication rather than made him look nerdy.

As Clark walked by the front of the restaurant where many patrons were enjoying their meals outside, he turned quite a few heads. Bruce felt his jaw involuntarily tighten with ire at the many hungry eyes leveled Clark's way, though the Kryptonian himself only smiled shyly and otherwise paid them little heed.

Bruce watched as Clark came to stand on the sidewalk in front of the entrance to the restaurant, no doubt to wait for his date to arrive.

" Damn he cleans up good." Bruce heard Hal mutter through the communication line, effectively snapping the vigilante from his musings.

" Just wait for my signal once Barry arrives." Bruce said curtly.

Bruce kept his gaze on Clark, who was standing causally on the sidewalk, smiling at the men and women for passed him by and sent him appreciative looks. He was holding himself in almost an amalgamation of Clark Kent and Superman. He wasn't using the overly confident stance of the Man of Steel but he wasn't slouching like a wet noodle either. Bruce had to cut his observations short as Clark suddenly grew alert and then a slow, blinding smile spread across his face. It transformed his entire face, making him look even more gorgeous.

Bruce stomped down on his own crumbling heart as he watched an ecstatic looking Barry Allen, dressed in a nice black suit with a red dress shirt come trotting into view. Bruce felt the breath leave his lungs as he watched the young Speedster seemingly float right into the Kryptonian's open arms. From where he stood down below, hidden in the shadows of the alley, Hal felt his own heart give a painful squeeze as he too watched Clark and Barry embrace. Barry had his arms around Clark's neck while Clark had his arms wrapped around Barry's narrow waist.

They seemed not to care at all that they were out in the open, embracing for all the world to see.

Hal felt his stomach slowly but surely sinking with realization.

Maybe, just maybe Bruce, and by extension, he had dropped the ball regarding Clark. But before Hal could dwell on it further, Clark and Barry were drawing away from each other and walking towards the doors of the restaurant, Clark being a gentleman and opening the door for Barry, who sent him a bright grin before stepping over the threshold with Clark following in his wake.

" Hal go, now!" Bruce barked sternly.

" Yeah, got it." Hal replied before he scrambled out of the alley and hurried towards Vincenzo's.

Hal slowed his pace and casually walked into the restaurant, his eyes searching for Clark and Barry. He frowned when he looked to the line and didn't see them there.

" B, I am in, but I don't see them anywhere. It's like they just vanished." Hal said quietly.

" Just keep looking." Bruce said grimly.

Hal once again looked around, and he was about to speak to Bruce through the com-link when a hand suddenly gripped him by the wrist and yanked him around.

" Hey What? B-Barry?" Hal asked as he found himself face to face with a smirking speedster.

Instead of saying anything, Barry turned to a petite, smiling young waitress and spoke.

" Thanks for waiting Nina, my date's finally here." He said with a grin as he began to pull a gobsmacked Hal Jordan with him as he followed Nina towards the private dining area, Clark Kent nowhere to be seen.

" Hal what's going on? Hal?" Bruce asked in concern as frustration at Hal having gone silent.

He was about to raise Hal on the com-link again when a large, warm and familiar hand clamped down firmly yet gently onto his shoulder. Bruce immediately grew rigid and didn't turn to see who it was, already knowing.

" How about we leave Barry and Hal to their first official date? It's time you and I talked." Clark Kent said quietly, now dressed in his full Superman attire.

Bruce felt burning hot humiliation wash over him as he realized that Clark and Barry had played both him and Hal. With a snarl, Bruce roughly dislodged Clark's hand from his shoulder.

" I have nothing to say to you Kent." He growled, making to walk away.

Bruce made it only a couple of steps before he was seized from behind, hand wrapping firmly around his wrists, holding his hands to his own chest while his back collided with a solid front as muscular arms wrapped around him like a steep trap.

Then the rooftop was disappearing from under his boots. Bruce put up a valiant struggle as he and Clark hurtled up into the air, but there was no dislodging the Kryptonian this time as they flew through the air, the Metropolis cityscape rapidly passing down below them. Bruce stayed stiff and unyielding in Clark's arms as the sphere adorned skyscraper of the Daily Planet came into view.

Clark did his best to ignore the elation he felt at being so close to Bruce after so long. Elation would have to fall by the wayside, because after all of the misery and hurt the man in his arms had caused him, it was time he let all of the anger and pain he had been holding in for weeks to finally be unleashed.

He soared down onto the roof and the moment their feet were on the concrete, Bruce turned in his arms and tried to elbow him in the face to get away. Clark anticipated the attempt and simply stood firm, taking the hit that would have rendered mortal men unconscious. Then with gritted teeth of his own, Clark seized Bruce by the front of his uniform and lifted the man clear off it his own feet. It was no small feat considering how tall and well-build the Dark Knight was. With a low growl of his own, Clark half-carried half-dragged a wildly struggling Bruce toward one of the thick support beams the held up the Daily's Planet's iconic metal globe. With hard eyes, Clark shoved Bruce against the steel and held him there. Bruce let out a grunt as the air was knocked out of his lungs. Clark could have sent him straight through the steel with no problem, but instead he was still being careful not to seriously injure him. As Bruce caught his breath, he became aware of Clark's other hand. It was reaching for his utility belt while he had the other splayed across the center of his chest over the bat emblem, effectively holding him in place like.

" Hey what the Hell are you-" Bruce barked angrily as he tried to stop Clark's hand when Clark was suddenly right there in his face, his eyes like two chips of ice and his expression looking down right murderous.

Clark managed to expertly bypass all of the security features Bruce had on his utility belt, undoing the clasp and roughly yanking it off him before tossing it away. It landed with a thunk a few feet away, leaving Bruce without his weapons, without the Kryptonite.

" Shut the fuck up. You are going to let me talk and you are going to listen for once you heartless prick." Clark growled.

Bruce actually felt his face grow slack for a moment at hearing such language come out of Clark's mouth. If he were to be honest, a part of him did tremble in fear for he had never seen the Kryptonian this angry, not even where Darkseid was involved. Taking in a deep, rattling breath, Clark's glare seemed to intensify without his heat-vision even activating as he spoke.

" You remember that day in the corridor? Where you asked me if seeing you with that waiter disgusted me? Well you're right it did, it did disgust me." Clark said firmly.

Bruce felt his guts come alight with fresh agony and with an inarticulate snarl he tried to shove Clark away, but Clark didn't budge as he continued.

" Yes it disgusted me, it fucking repulsed me. I come to the startling and terrifying realization that I might not be as straight as I always thought I was and then, before I get enough time to properly come to terms with this fact, I see my best friend, the man that is at the center of this seismic shift in my sexuality in the first place, the man that I have fallen irrevocably in love with, fucking some random man that thought it would be a good idea to try his hand at corporate espionage. Yeah it fucking disgusted me." Clark said through gritted teeth.

In an instant, Bruce felt like someone had dunked him in ice-cold water, his rage replaced with utter shock and disbelief as Clark's words registered in his mind.

Did Clark just say he loved him? Did Clark Kent just say that he loved him?

Clark let a humorless smile spread across his face as he continued.

" But wait, here is the best part. I run away overwhelmed and upset, and then the very next time I see my best friend, what does he do? He confronts me like I am a goddamn criminal, doesn't even let me open my mouth to speak, doesn't see that I was terrified and overwhelmed before he LABELS ME A GODDAMN HOMOPHOBE, THREATENS ME WITH FUCKING KRYPTONITE AND THEN THROWS AWAY ALL THOSE YEARS OF FRIENDSHIP LIKE THEY MEANT NOTHING!" Clark screamed.

Bruce's ears were left ringing and it took all he had in him not to cower in the face of such awesome rage. Then he watched with growing horror and guilt as Clark's enraged visage began to crumble.

" But that wasn't enough for you was it Bruce? It wasn't enough that you called me something so wrong, branded me as something so vile when I am neither a homophobe nor a bigot. You already ripped my heart out but needed to grind it into dust for good measure." Clark said as his eyes filled with tears.

" I already lost you, but now I don't get to see Little Bird's smile or give him a hug. I don't get to have Alfred's oatmeal raisin cookies and he...he doesn't call me Master Clark anymore. Shayera doesn't ask me to go flying with her anymore and she doesn't come to me when she's feeling overwhelmed by the responsibilities we all share. All I see when Diana looks at me is disappointment." Clark said quietly, his voice finally beginning to waver before he swallowed painfully around the lump in his throat and another humorless smile spread across his face once more.

It was one of the most nightmarish things Bruce had ever witnessed from Clark as the Kryptonian spoke again.

" And then there's Hal. He got to know of what happened between us and now I am this bigoted country hick in his eyes. I mean, have you seen the way he looks at me, like I am absolute scum? How he's made it a point to rub it in my face just how much he has your back? He's your best buddy now. Do you even know how many times I've heard him call me an asshole and a homophobic hick? How many times I've stumbled across him questioning Barry as to why he's still my friend?" Clark asked before he let out a shuddering breath and finished.

" Besides Jonn and Barry I have no one to turn to with this. I haven't even told Lois or my Ma and Pa because I didn't want to drag them into this too. You took my family from me."

Now Bruce was the one frozen and unable to get his throat to work as he gawked at Clark in abject horror.

" C-Clark?" Bruce whispered lamely, unable to say anything else as he stared at the Kryptonian.

Clark felt all of his earlier rage evaporate, replaced with gnawing emptiness like a black hole in his gut. With an enervated look spreading across his face and tears finally spilling from his eyes, Clark spoke.

" You want to know what the most pathetic thing about all of this is Bruce?" He asked with a light sniffle.

" What Clark?" Bruce whispered, his own chest feeling tight, like a vice was slowly clamping down around it and crushing his ribcage into his lungs and heart.

" Even after all of this I... I still love you." Clark confessed softly.

Bruce felt the breath leave his body as he stared at Clark uncomprehendingly.

" Y-You do?" He asked, awestruck and with the stirring of actual hope in his heart.

But that tiny spark quickly faded back into cold horror as Clark's expression grew even more crushed and defeated as he shook his head and reached out with his other hand so that both of them were now twisted in the front of Bruce's uniform. Clark suddenly yanked Bruce away from the steel beam he had been pressing the vigilante to, getting right into the billionaire's face as he expression broke.

" Yes, I still love you Bruce." He said before he slowly shook his head, sending the vigilante a look of raw, unbridled hurt as he continued.

" I still love you so much it hurts to the deepest parts of me Bruce." He said quietly as sobs began to wrack his frame. With a broken groan, Clark released Bruce, the vigilante blindly reaching behind him to grasp at the steel beam Clark had been pressing him against earlier, using it to keep himself from just collapsing to the floor in an undignified heap.

Bruce watched slack-jawed as Clark took a few steps away, hugging himself tightly and full on crying silently with his head bowed low as the harsh winds buffeted him, tossing his crimson cape every which way in the air. It was an image that would haunt Bruce for as long as he lived.

Letting out a shaky breath, Bruce forced himself to stand up straight. He then slowly walked across the skyscraper's roof, closing the distance between him and Clark. With a trembling hand, Bruce reached out and carefully placed it on Clark's hunched shoulder as he spoke.

" I wanted to hurt you, because I thought you were revolted by me, by this part of me Clark." Bruce began carefully, still trying to put together the right words and terrified of saying anything that would make Clark completely shatter.

" When I saw the way you reacted, the way you ran. I thought that you were sickened by me and it just made me so angry, it hurt me so much because I... Because for so many years I have been in love with you too Clark." Bruce said finally.

" What?" Clark croaked, his entire expression growing shocked.

" Why didn't you say anything?" Clark asked exasperated.

" Because I thought you were straight Clark. I was going to go the rest of my life keeping it to myself and then you saw me and you reacted that way and I thought the thing that I was always afraid of happened." Bruce said sadly.

" That I was rejecting you?" Clark asked knowingly as he shook his own head sadly.

Bruce nodded mutely.

" Bruce you know me, or at least... I thought you did." Clark said as his voice lurched painfully. Then his features hardened as he pinned Bruce with a look.

" I would never do something like that to you Bruce, never. You could have always come to me with this Bruce. I am... I was your best friend. I thought at the very least you trusted me Bruce." He said vehemently.

" I know, I just felt so hurt that I forgot this, I wasn't thinking straight. I am sorry Clark. I am so sorry." Bruce said, meaning it with every fiber of his being as his own eyes began to burn with bitter salt.

This fact did not go unnoticed by Clark, but he was no where near forgiving Bruce yet as he spoke.

" Where does this leave us Bruce? Because I love you, I love you in a way I have never loved anyone else, I don't think that's ever going to change, but I'm not sure I want to love you anymore Bruce." Clark said honestly.

"That's fair Clark, I know everything is screwed up between us, and that it's my fault, my own stupidity and insecurities that led us here." Bruce said while his heart crumbled in his chest.

" I needed you and you did this to me." Clark said softly as he gazed brokenly at Bruce.

Feeling hot shame coursing through him, Bruce reached out and cupped the side of Clark's neck, gladdened beyond words when Clark didn't flinch away. Clark reached up and gripped Bruce's wrist firmly as he spoke.

" When it comes to you there is nothing I can do to fight it, I have no defenses against you. If I had had just a little more time to come to terms with this new part of myself, I think I would have had the courage to tell you. There are so many people I care about, but you, you have become my whole world Bruce Wayne. Even after everything that has happened, I still want to belong to you... to be yours to do whatever you want with." Clark said with absolute certainty shining in his striking blue eyes.

Bruce gawked at Clark with wide eyes, a surge of hot protectiveness swelling inside his chest. This man, this extraordinary man he had so viscously torn apart and misjudged was still willing to want him, to love him. Swallowing thickly, Bruce spoke.

" I don't deserve you." He sighed guiltily.

" No, you don't." Clark said somberly, before he sent Bruce a small, hopeful smile as he leaned in and pressed his forehead to Bruce's, making the vigilante gasp softly at the contact as he continued.

" But you will." He whispered with conviction.

Barely keeping a sob from erupting from his throat, Bruce lightly stroked his thumbs against Clark's cheek bones, simply taking a moment to just revel in the closeness he was sharing with the man he loved before he took a deep breath and spoke.

" Come home with me?" He whispered.

Clark took in a deep breath, eying the pain and guilt swirling in Bruce's desperate blue eyes and feeling exhaustion slowly creeping into him, and spoke.

" Okay." Clark whispered with a nod.

About half an hour later...

Clark felt his guts twisting into tight knots as he flew alongside Bruce who was piloting the Batwing. It had taken them more time then either wanted to admit to get off the roof of the Daily Planet, mainly because neither had wanted to let go of the other. But eventually, Bruce had pressed a button on his gauntlet and the Batwing, on autopilot had descended from the night skies. Bruce had climbed inside and taken control, while Clark had gracefully rose into the air and waited patiently. Once Bruce was strapped into the aircraft, the pair had taken off into the air and flown straight out of Metropolis entirely.

The imposing spires and Gothic architecture or Gotham City had been a welcome sight to Clark, who had not seen the city in weeks due to his unofficial and undeserved banishment from Bruce's life. The city had been a welcome sight, but as they had flown past the cityscape towards the forest laden outskirts, Clark felt fear surely and steadily increasing its grip around his heart.

When Wayne Manor finally came into view, Clark felt his heart clench painfully. When before he could fly here and just duck into the Batcave like it was second nature, now Clark felt only apprehension and sadness.

He had no doubt that a certain British gentleman would not be too pleased to see him.

Steadying his nerve, Clark turned his head to the side to where Bruce flew beside him. They shared a look and then Bruce nodded somberly and held up his hand. As one, the two of them dived through the air towards the cliff-face where the secret entrance to the Batcave was located. Bruce expertly maneuvered the Batwing through the cavernous mouth of the cave while Clark came to a stop just short and floated in the air. He honed his hearing to Bruce and settled to wait.

The roar of the Batwing's engines disturbed the bats, but otherwise there was no incident as Bruce carefully landed the aircraft onto its special landing pad. Bruce smoothly climbed out of the Batwing once he had shut it off. As he too landed nimbly on his feet on the Batcave floor, and then made his way upstairs to the first level of the cave. Bruce felt his heart give a painful lurch when his eyes landed on the center of the cave where the Batcomputer stood.

There sitting at the computer was an unhappy looking Dick Grayson with Alfred Pennyworth ever faithfully beside him trying to cheer the boy up. When Bruce had gone out tonight, his foul mood had led him to sternly tell Dick that he was not to accompany him or follow, otherwise he would be grounded for an entire month. He had left Dick quietly fuming. Now though, now Bruce just wanted to apologize to his boy, another person who had been hurt by his stupid rush to judgment.

Bruce lightly cleared his throat as he made his way towards his adopted son and surrogate father.

" Master Bruce, you're home early." Alfred observed.

Dick just scowled at Bruce, who had to keep from smiling. The boy was learning from the best and grumpiness after all. Bruce quickly sobered as he pushed back his cowl and spoke.

" Yes Alfred, Gotham was quiet enough this evening. Have either of you had dinner yet?" He asked casually, all the while feeling his heart hammering against his sternum.

" Why no sir, Master Grayson insisted that he would eat upon your return." Alfred explained, sending Dick a warm look.

Bruce just felt his guilt increase tenfold. With a light swallow, Bruce put on an air of casualness as he spoke.

" Oh good then, because I needed to check something out in Metropolis and I unexpectedly ran into someone and invited him to dinner." Bruce said with a small smile, watching as Dick finally turned to look at him with wide eyes, Alfred growing alert as well as with a soft gust of air and a swish of crimson cape, a smiling Superman landed lightly beside Bruce.

Dick's eyes grew comically wide, while Alfred frown in confusion and looked to Clark with hard eyes. Clark's smile dimmed a little when he notice's Alfred's expression, but he focused his attention on the twelve year old boy gawking at him in wonder.

" Hey Little Bird, how have you been?" He asked, doing his best to keep his voice from wavering.

There was a beat of charged silence and then Dick seemed to snap out of his stupor.

" CLARK!" He cried before he all but leapt out of Bruce's custom made computer chair and raced across the distance that separated him from Superman.

Bruce watched with warmth in his heart as Clark simply lit up and leaned down with his arms open as a madly grinning Dick ran full speed into them. Clark straightened up and easily lifted the boy off the ground.

" I missed you so much!" Dick yelled as he wrapped his arms around Clark's neck and squeezed him with all his might.

" I missed you too buddy." Clark said quietly as he all but buried his own face into Dick's shoulder.

Alfred watched all of this, happy to see Master Dick looking so elated, but deeply confused as to what was going on. Had Master Bruce not cut Mr. Kent out of his life completely after it was revealed that the gentleman from Metropolis had hidden prejudices against homosexuality? Had he not seen with his own eyes how devastated and angry Bruce had been at finding out the man who was Superman had been repulsed by this true aspect of his nature? Had he himself not asked Mr. Kent to desist in making any further attempts at making contact with his surrogate son. Mr. Kent had lost all privilege of being in Master Bruce's life, of being considered family. He was Master Clark no longer.

So then why was he here at Master Wayne's specific invite to dinner?

Alfred turned his eyes to Bruce, who said nothing and simply made a placating gesture with his hand. Alfred nodded and did his best not to send Kent one of his rare, patented death glares.

When Clark and Dick finally broke apart, both of them were sporting over bright eyes, but no one commented on it. Dick began to bombard Clark with questions when Bruce stepped forward and placed a gentle hand on his ward's shoulder. Dick looked up and fell silent as he saw Bruce gazing down at him warmly, the warmest he had seen him in weeks.

" Dick, how about you take Clark upstairs and catch up with him properly? I need to speak with Alfred about something important." Bruce said lightly.

Dick wasn't fooled for a minute. Something happened tonight, something big. Dick looked like he wanted to protest, but then he deflated.

" Okay Bruce." He said with a nod.

Then Dick felt his eyes grow wide again in shock as Bruce pulled him into a hug.

" I'm sorry about earlier, I'll explain okay?" Bruce said quietly against Dick's raven-black hair.

"O-Okay." Dick whispered as he gave Bruce quick squeeze before letting go.

Something was definitely up.

With a lingering look of concern, Dick turned his attention back to a smiling though sad looking Clark.

" C'mon Clark." He said as he gestured for the Kryptonian to follow.

Clark's wan smile grew mischievous as he suddenly lunged forward and picked Dick up into his arms before gently taking flight. Bruce and Alfred watched as Clark, with an excitedly laughing Boy Wonder in his arms flew up the stairs leading down into the cave and disappeared into the house.

Alfred turned around to finally demand some answers, but all of his words died in his throat as he watched an utterly devastated looking Bruce stumble his way to the computer chair and all but collapse into it.

" A-Alfred." Bruce whispered before he buried his face into his hands in sheer misery.

" Alfred, oh my God Alfred." Bruce gritted out harshly.

Alfred slowly made his way over to his surrogate son, years and years worth of instinct taking over as he placed his hand on top of Bruce's bowed head and spoke.

" Tell me what's happened Master Bruce. Tell me everything this instant." He said firmly.

Bruce forced himself to look up at Alfred, his over-bright blue eyes meeting the butler's weathered brown ones. With a shaky breath, Bruce parted his lips and did as he was told.

Meanwhile, in a modest and slightly cluttered bachelor bad in Central City...

" Oh dear God, what have I done?" Hal said brokenly as he held his head in his hands, utterly devastated with tears gathering in his eyes.

" You helped turn an innocent man's coming out experience into a fucking nightmare." Barry said flatly.

The two of them were sitting on Barry's slightly ratty couch in his living room.

After Clark had made his subtle exit and gone to confront Bruce, Barry and Hal had sat down to dinner. Hal had tried to cause a stink, not wanting to partake knowing that Clark was the evenings benefactor, but Barry had cowed him with a single, scathing look.

After that, dinner had actually been good. There had still been this underlying tension, but for a little while things were almost normal, and the food had been fantastic. Clark had been right, the calamari was excellent and the chocolate raspberry mouse cake nearly transcended the physical world.

Once dinner had ended, Barry had told Hal in no uncertain terms to meet him at his place in Central City. Hal had obliged and used his ring to fly to Barry's home city. A stone faced and deathly serious Barry had been their to greet him when he had reached the former's apartment.

Once he had Hal inside, he sat the brash Air Force pilot down and got right to the chase. With Clark's earlier attained blessings, Barry unveiled Superman's side of the whole mess and basically read Hal the riot act for his awful behavior towards Clark due to his rush to judgment.

Now here they were sitting side by side with Hal feeling the full, unforgiving brunt of guilt and horror.

" I have to fix this!" Hal said as he shot to his feet, making to leave.

Barry was on him in a flash, pun intended, grabbing Hal by the wrist and yanking him back down onto the couch.

" Nope, you are not going to do anything. Not right now at least, tonight is for Clark and Bruce to finally talk and you are damn well going to stay out of it." Barry said sternly.

Hal deflated and let out a frustrated sigh.

" Well I can't just sit and do nothing." Hal grumbled, to which Barry just rolled his eyes.

" Alright then, here's what you're going to do. You are going to take off your suit jacket, settle down into my uber comfortable sofa and watch some mindless T.V. with me. We can have beer and chips, and I have a family-sized carton of rocky road in the fridge." Barry said with certainty, causing Hal to smile despite the guilt still burning in his gut.

Then Hal watched as Barry's expression suddenly became shy, even a little guarded as he spoke.

" And maybe, maybe you and I could talk about umm... what we should do for our second date." Barry said quietly, his cheeks beginning to turn pink.

Hal felt his jaw drop in shock. Had he heard Barry right just now? Hal blinked owlishly before he snapped himself out of his stupor.

Feeling a giddiness in his own gut, Hal swallowed thickly and felt a slight burning behind his eyes and he sent Barry a shaky smile and nodded.

" Y-Yeah, let's do that." He said quietly.

Barry looked up and a brilliant, relieved grin spreading across his face.

Back at the Batcave...

" Good lord." Alfred Pennyworth breathed, his hand going to his forehead as he stood before Bruce, who sat pale and dejected with his head bowed low.

" I misjudged him so badly Alfred, I made his life a living Hell and even after that he tells me he still loves me, that he wants to be with me." Bruce said softly, as though scarcely believing it still.

Alfred sighed sadly and then stood up straight, the look of absolute guilt on his weathered face morphing into a look of sheer determination as he spoke.

" Well then Master Bruce, I suggest you get out of that suit and shower. Make yourself presentable while I head upstairs and finish preparing dinner." Alfred said firmly.

Bruce sat up straighter and then nodded to Alfred, determination filling him as well.

Alfred reached out and clasped Bruce's shoulder firmly.

" He came home with you Master Bruce, he has given you the chance to be worthy of him." Alfred said quietly.

" You too Alfred." Bruce replied softly with a wan smile.

" Indeed sir." Alfred all but whispered, blinking his eyes and taking in a deep breath through his nostrils before he gave Bruce a curt nod and then stepped away, heading for the staircase that led up to the main house.

Bruce watched Alfred go before he dragged himself out of his chair and trudged towards the showers. Tiredly, he pulled off his uniform, leaving everything in a pile on the table inside the locker room area.

He stepped into the custom made shower and set the water to near scalding. The hot water against his skin was nothing compared to the burning shame course through his veins. With a shaky breath, Bruce leaned in and pressed his forehead against the shower wall. Within a few moments, bitter salt was mixing with the water as it swirled down the drain.

Upstairs, Alfred quietly stepped through the grandfather clock that hid the entrance to the Batcave and made his way out of Bruce's study.

As he entered the spacious living room area, Alfred paused and found himself growing fond at the sight that greeted him.

There sitting on the floor by the fire were Master Dick and Master Clark, sitting Indian style and deeply engrossed in conversation. Master Dick was animatedly describing some of Batman and Robin's recent escapades, while Master Clark listened on with rapt attention.

As he observed just how happy Clark looked, Alfred felt his heart clench tightly. He too was guilty of having rushed to judgment and he had been callous in how he had treated Clark. Before Alfred could make a swift b-line for the kitchen, Clark grew alert and looked his way. Dick turned too as they both became aware of the butler's presence.

"Hey Alfred." Dick said with a wave as both he and Clark rose to their feet and made their way over to Alfred.

" Is Bruce okay?" Clark asked quietly, a hint of wariness still shining in his blue eyes.

" Yes, Master Bruce is alright. He is just getting himself out of the suit and ready for dinner." Alfred explained.

" Which reminds me that I should be in the kitchen checking to make sure everything is in order." He added as he made to leave.

" Do you need any help Alfred?" Clark asked quietly.

Alfred paused and looked at Clark, doing his best to appear outwardly neutral, all the while feeling guilt clench his heart as he shook his head.

" No, I can manage... but thank you Master Clark." Alfred assured, calling Clark by the moniker he had earned in this house, and had been undeservedly stripped of.

Clark inhaled sharply at Alfred's words, and then had to blink rapidly as his eyes began to fill. Dick found himself smiling as he saw the quiet start to the reconciliation between Alfred and Clark. He knew that Alfred would never admit it out loud, but for the entire month that Clark was gone from their lives, Alfred had missed him just as greatly as he and Bruce had.

" Alright Alfred." Clark said shakily before he turned his attention to Dick.

" Hey Little Bird, how about you show me that project you've been working on?" He asked casually.

" Yeah sure, we can go upstairs to my room." Dick said eagerly.

Clark smiled warmly, seeing right through Dick. The kid just wanted to go flying again.

" Well alright then." Clark said with a grin as he smoothly picked Dick up and then had him in a piggyback style carry and rose into the air.

Alfred watched with an indulgent little smile as Dick whopped in exhilaration as he and Clark flew up the grand staircase and disappeared up into the second floor. Once they were gone, Alfred all but fled into the kitchen. Once the door swung shut behind him, Alfred went about checking the pot roast and making sure the rice was cooking properly. And if he happened to wipe a single tear trailing down his weathered cheek as he worked, no one was there to see it anyhow. They wouldn't have blamed him if they had been.

About ten minutes later, Bruce came up from the Batcave. Dressed casually in a black sweater and dark gray jeans. Feeling the tendrils of nervousness swirling around his heart, Bruce made his way out of his study and into the living room area.

When he stepped through the door his eyes immediately went to the plush sofas that were kept by the fireplace. He found himself smiling despite how crappy he felt as he saw that Dick and Clark were sitting on the floor with the glass coffee table between them, fully engrossed in one of those card games Dick loved playing. Gathering his courage, Bruce quietly made his way over to them.

" Hey Bruce." Clark greeted, Dick giving a fleeting wave before they both turned their attention back to the game.

Bruce smiled as he took a seat on the sofa behind Clark, observing the game.

The game involved trying to match up silly faces. So far, it looked like Clark was winning.

As he sat there, Bruce observed the Kryptonian. He was smiling and looking brighter than he had been in weeks, the golden light from the fireplace seeming to give him a glow.

He looked exquisite. Bruce felt his heart ache dully as he remembered how utterly devastated Clark had looked earlier tonight.

" You took my family from me."

Clark's heartbroken words kept mercilessly replaying through Bruce's mind, but they also filled him with determination as well. He would not stop until he gave Clark back everything he had ripped away, and if Clark would accept it, he would give the Kryptonian all of himself too.

A few minutes later Alfred came into the room and quietly announced that dinner was ready. Instead of going to the opulent dining room, they all headed into the more modest, family dining area where Bruce took a seat at the head of the wooden dining table while Dick and Clark took seats on either side of him.

Alfred proceeded to set out the dishes that had been prepared, politely declining Clark and Dick's offers to assist. Dinner consisted of pot roast, sage-laced rice, and grilled vegetables accompanied by salad and fresh baked dinner rolls. Dessert was a light chocolate pudding. Clark was only mildly disappointed at not having any of Alfred's world famous cookies, but he consoled himself with knowing that he would be allowed to enjoy them in the future.

" Everything looks amazing Alfred, won't you please join us?" Clark asked, sending the butler an honest to God puppy-eyed look.

" Yeah Alfred, please?" Dick agreed, sending Alfred his best puppy eyes as well.

" They've ganged up on you Alfred, you may as well." Bruce said with a warm, if sad smile.

Alfred had to clear his throat lightly against the tightness of emotion that had risen up, though he kept his featured schooled as he spoke.

" Very well sir." He said lightly as he took a seat at the table next to Dick.

After that, the Wayne family set about enjoying dinner, with their missing piece finally restored to them.

Dinner inevitably came to a close, and before Bruce could say anything, Alfred spoke to Clark.

" Master Kent, I would have your assistance." Alfred said.

" O-Of course Alfred." Clark said a little startled. He didn't question it much as he helped Alfred clear the table and left Bruce and Dick to each other, the former looking quietly pensive and the latter looking curious.

Clark did not envy Bruce, he had the tough task of explaining everything that had happened between them to Dick. Clark followed Alfred into the kitchen and set the dirty dishes and cutlery down on the kitchen counter. Alfred took charge of the cleaning and relegated Clark to drying. This was all pretense they both knew, the kitchen fully equipped with a state of the art dishwasher. Once the plates and cutlery were cleaned and put away on the drying rack, Alfred finally faced Clark.

" Master Clark, let me start by offering you my most sincerest apologies." He said gravely.

Clark nodded, his hands twisting nervously in his cape as he felt his eyes starting to burn again. Taking a deep breath, Clark spoke.

" He's your son no matter how often you both downplay how much you mean to each other, you thought I had hurt him so terribly, I get why you would be less than thrilled at me constantly trying to contact him after." He said quietly.

" You are innocent of all you stood accused of being Master Clark. I remember how difficult a time Bruce had coming to terms with his own bisexuality. For all of his confidence, he was terrified. It must have been terrifying for you and instead of receiving any love and support, all you received was misunderstanding, anger, shunning." Alfred said gravely.

Clark ducked his head and nodded mutely, pursing his lips to keep them from wobbling before he spoke.

" I talked to my Ma and Pa about this a little, they know I am bisexual but they don't know about my feelings for Bruce, or what happened between us. It's just been really hard. I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't had Jonn and Barry. I mean, don't get me wrong, I am glad that Bruce had so many people willing to protect him but I..." Clark trailed off as a sob threatened to come out.

A somber looking Alfred stepped closer and closed the distance between them, reaching out and gripping Clark's shoulder as he spoke.

" But it would have been nice to have such protection on your own behalf, especially since you have done nothing to deserve such ill-treatment." He said knowingly.

" Yeah." Clark whispered as he looked up at Alfred with sad eyes.

" Well, allow me to start remedying that now. You will never be that alone ever again. I was not there before and for that I shall never forgive myself, but rest assured, I will be here for you now, my dear boy." Alfred said with conviction.

With tears now streaming from his eyes, Clark let out a choked sound before he leaned in and wrapped Alfred in a hug.

" Thank you." He whispered simply against Alfred's shoulders.

" You're welcome, Master Clark." Alfred said, his own eyes growing misty as he gave Clark a quick pat on the back before drawing away. As they did, both Alfred and Clark could hear Dick's raised, but muffled voice coming from the dining room.

Sharing a look of understanding, the pair were quick to compose themselves as Alfred spoke.

" Now then, how about we have some tea and hot chocolate prepared." Alfred said simply.

" Yes, let's." Clark agreed, going to the cupboard to pull out some tea cups, casting a concerned look to the door that led back to the dining room. He dared not use his X-ray vision, for it had been part of what had caused this entire mess to begin with. He just hoped Dick and Bruce would be okay.

Back inside said dining room...

" How could you be so stupid Bruce?" Dick shouted in outrage.

Standing across from him, a pale and drawn Bruce just shook his head.

" I made a huge mistake Dick." He said softly in reply.

" He's your best friend and you treated him like dirt. And then you just stayed angry and had a sucky attitude for all this time!" Dick said as he crossed his arms and glared at Bruce, remembering all the times Bruce had been in a foul mood, all the times he had snapped at Dick and just been unbearable.

" I know, and I am sorry Dick. I just assumed the worst because that's how some people have reacted to me being myself." Bruce explained.

He watched as Dick deflated and sighed, now looking sad as he spoke.

" Are you going to fix it and stop being so mean now?" He asked quietly.

" Yes, of course." Bruce said just as quietly.

Then Dick was putting his agility to work as he all but leapt across the distance between them, all but tackling Bruce in a tight hug.

" I am sorry Dick, I am so sorry. It's going to be okay now, I promise." Bruce said as he held his adopted son in his arms.

If he heard Dick sniffle softly against his shoulder, Bruce didn't comment on it, his own eyes growing misty. It was again hitting him that he hadn't just hurt Clark in his stupidity.

Dick and Bruce held onto each other, letting the closeness be a balm to the many lingering hurts. By the time Clark and Alfred arrived back in the dining room with Clark holding two steaming cups of tea for him and Bruce and Alfred holding a mug of hot chocolate for Dick, father and son had composed themselves and accepted the hot drinks gratefully.

When it was time for Dick to head off to bed, the twelve year old gave Clark another long, lingering hug, as though afraid that this was all a fluke and that Clark would disappear from his life again. Clark hugged Dick back just as deeply, bidding Little Bird goodnight. Bruce and Dick shared a hug too before the boy headed off to bed.

Bruce also relieved Alfred for the rest of the evening, the British gentleman bidding them both a fond farewell for the evening, sending Bruce a pointedly look that seemed to say " Do not screw this up again sir." before he retired to his room, to think about what else he could do to make it up to Clark and behalf discreetly shed a few more tears at his own folly.

This left Bruce and Clark in each other's company again, the silence between the charged and uncertain. The pair migrated to the living room and sat before the fire that was still going in the fireplace. They sat side by side, Bruce in his civilian attire and Clark in his Superman uniform. It was Clark who broke the silence.

" What happens now Bruce?" He asked quietly as he looked away from the orange and yellow flames to gaze at the man he was in love with.

" What do you want to happen Clark?" Bruce asked in reply as he met those crystalline blue eyes he had missed terribly these last few weeks.

Clark swallowed and took a moment to think before he took a deep breath and answered Bruce.

" I want to be with you Bruce, but I know that I am not ready for that, and neither are you." Clark said softly.

Bruce nodded in agreement before he let out a shaky breath.

" You're right Clark, we're not ready for that. We have a lot to get past first. Maybe us being together can be the end game, but for now, will you..." Bruce needed a second to clear his throat, which had tightened painfully before he continued.

" Will you let me earn back the privilege of being your best friend Clark?" He asked with all seriousness.

Clark felt his face crumble for a second and emotions of pure joy and utter relief spread through him as he finally nodded.

" Y-Yeah, you can do that. I'd like that very much Bruce." He all but whispered.

" Okay." Bruce said with a shaky smile of his own.

In the quietness, both Bruce and Clark felt themselves begin to heal, the stirrings of hope in both of their chests. When Clark flew away about an hour later, it was with him feeling lighter and free than he had in weeks.

He had Bruce back.

Bruce for his part had watched Clark go until the Kryptonian had disappeared from view. Bruce went to bed, but sleep did not come as determination filled him. He would be sending out a call to the other League members tomorrow. He still had to clean up the mess he had made of the team's dynamic.

The next day up in the Watchtower...

" I wonder what this meeting is about?" Diana said as she and Shayera walked down the corridor towards the conference room.

" Beats me, the mandatory meeting's not until next week. Something is definitely up." Shayera said.

It had been a surprisingly uneventful weeks with only some minor grumblings from super villains here and there.

The two women made their way around a corner and then proceeded into the conference room. When they stepped inside, they found Jonn to be already inside waiting for them at the table.

" Hello Diana, Shayera." The Last Martian said monotonously with a nod to each lady.

" Hi Jonn." Diana said with a smile while Shayera smiled and nodded to him before the pair of ladies sat down in their designated seats.

All three of them were wondering about why Batman had called them to the meeting, though Jonn had his suspicions that it had something to do with Superman and the deterioration of his and Batman's relationship. Jonn kept his thoughts to himself though and engaged in casual conversation with Diana and Shayera until the sound of one of the other conference room doors opening caught all of their attention.

They looked to see a very serious and unsmiling Flash stepped inside with a nervous and contrite Green Lantern following in after him.

" Hey everyone." Barry said without any of his usual enthusiasm as he and Hal took their seats.

" Hey Barry. Hal." Shayera said with a slight frown of confusion.

What was going on here?

Before Shayera or Diana could perhaps pepper Barry and Hal with some of their burning questions, the door that they had used previously slid open and Batman stalked in with purpose, looking even grimmer that usual.

Bruce didn't say a word or look at anyone as he made his way around to the head of the table.

" Good, you're all here. There is an urgent matter we need to discuss." Batman said without any preamble.

" Shouldn't we wait for Superman?" Shayera asked confused, Diana nodding beside her.

" No, the matter I need to discuss with all of you concerns him, mainly how he has been treated by the majority of this team, myself included." Batman said grimly as he gestured between Hal, Diana, and Shayera.

Hal did his best to not flinch, while Diana and Shayera's confusion only grew as Diana spoke.

" After how he treated you, were we not supposed to show him that we do not share his prejudiced views?" She asked, genuinely bewildered.

It took all Barry had not to just snap at her, but he forced himself to understand that Diana and Shayera were still in the dark about what the truth was. Batman resisted the urge to sigh as he instead hardened himself and spoke.

" While I appreciate your shows of solidarity with me, the truth is that I made a horrible mistake and because of that an innocent person had to suffer needless for weeks." He said grimly.

When Shayera parted her lips to speak, Batman held up his hand, effectively silencing her.

" What I am about to tell you is going to be difficult to hear, but it is way past time all of us had both sides of this damned mess." Batman said.

With all eyes on him, Batman took a deep breath and began to explain just what really happened between him and Clark, making a note to keep out certain details, like how they had both declared their love for each other. That was private. He instead simply stated that Clark had confronted him and revealed his newly discovered bisexuality.

By the end of it, the conference room was deathly silent, safe for the sobs Shayera was trying in vain to muffle with her hand. Beside her a stunned Diana had tears streaming from her own eyes. Hal sat pale and shaking, while Barry's face was gray with quiet anger. Jonn for his part looked sad, he was still learning about the nuances of humanity and social interaction, but he knew enough to know that Superman had been put through something horrendous. Bruce for his part stood grim and silent, though internally his was burning with shame yet again. It was Barry who broke the silence.

" He's the Man of Steel, but that doesn't mean his heart is made from it." He said quietly.

Batman allowed his expression to grow into one of sadness, Hal bowed his head, Diana held her head in her hands, and Shayera didn't bother to hide her sobs now. There was another beat of silence, and then Jonn spoke.

" I may yet be learning the ways of humanity and much remains alien to me, but from what I can gather, since Batman has apologized to Kal-El and begun his path towards reconciliation, I believe it would be most beneficial for all of us to do the same. I may not have attacked Kal-El or shunned him as some of you did, but I did not protect him as I should have done either. Not like Flash did. We have much to atone for." He said gravely.

Barry ducked his head as several eyes settled on him with warmth. He didn't want praise, he didn't need it. What he wanted was for this team to be fixed, for Clark to smile again, and for all of the hate to just stop already.

As Diana, Shayera, and Hal all shared a look, they all had the same though going through their minds.

Where the ever loving hell were they supposed to even begin to reconcile themselves to the man they had all so horribly wronged?

Several months later, at the Daily Planet...

Clark Kent all but raced out of the elevator onto the newsroom floor. He glanced at his watch, sagging in relief when he saw that he had made it to the office on time with just under a minute to spare. Didn't matter though, Perry White would ream him and the rest of the floor out for something, there was no doubt about that.

As he rounded the cubicles and made his way towards his own desk, Lois Lane materialized by his side.

" Cutting it a little close there aren't you Smallville?" Lois said teasingly.

" Hey, I got here with forty-three seconds to spare." Clark quipped, grinning as Lois chuckled brightly.

They pair walked towards their respective desks, discussing the tasks set for the day when something on Clark's desk caught Lois' eye.

" Secret admirer Smallville?" She asked, pointing to Clark's desk when he only gazed at her in confusion.

Clark turned his blue eyes to his desk and felt his heart stutter at what he saw there.

There beside his keyboard was a small, light blue tin box, and resting on top of it was a single, striking red devotion rose. Lois smiled as she made her way to her own desk, pausing to watch as Clark slowly made his way over to his desk and picked up the rose first. He brought it to his nose and inhaled the fragrant scent as he sat down.

Clark then set the rose down and turned his attention to the tin box. He could easily have just looked right through it, but instead he kept his vision normal as he reached for the lid and gently pulled it off. When he saw what was inside, Clark felt his smile turn into a dazzling grin as the delicious scent filled his nostrils, mingling with the scent of the rose.

There inside the box were freshly baked, homemade oatmeal raisin cookies. His favorite.

Clark already guessed who it was that had sent him this impromptu gift, but seeing the cookies just confirmed it.

Bruce.

Clark felt a thrill go through him.

A great deal had happened in the months since the debacle their relationship suffered.

Hal, Diana, Shayera, and Jonn had each come to him in the weeks following the unofficial meeting Bruce had called.

Hal had been the first, and the meeting had understandably been tense. A contrite Hal had asked Clark to come up to the highest observatory in the tower so they could talk in private. Hal started off by apologizing for his behavior towards him, admitting that he had been wrong and expressing his deep regret for helping to cause Clark to have such an awful coming out experience. Clark for his part had wanted to know why, why the rush to judgement? Why the extra harsh treatment?

Hal had come clean and said it had a lot to do with his own experiences. He explained that while he still found women attractive, his true preference was exclusively men. He didn't broadcast this, but he didn't exactly hide it either. Clark came to know from Hal about how he had this really good friend in the Air Force, or at least, they had been good friends until this other man found out about Hal's sexual preference. The man had called Hal all manner of cruel and hurtful things before cutting all ties. The man had thankfully not blabbed to the whole base about it, but the terror of what could have happened had he done so still lingered with Hal. There was plenty of intolerance in the world, especially in the armed forces despite all the progress that had been made.

Hal explained that when he found out that Bruce was going through what he had, he had felt all of his long buried anger and hurt come to the surface. He had been so disappointed in finding out that Clark was a "bigot", that his stance of equality for everyone was just a "veneer", it had hurt him to his core. It had also made him uber-protective of Bruce, who was now in the same position as Hal himself had been, the person betrayed by their closest friend.

By the end of it, Clark and Hal had both poured their hearts out, laid themselves bare before each other in the figurative sense, and been able to lay down the foundation to rebuild their relationship.

Of course with him and Barry now dating exclusively, Hal had also been on the receiving end of a friendly, but warning talk from Clark. The Kryptonian had made it clear that in no uncertain terms was he to ever hurt Barry, or there would be no place in the whole galaxy that Clark wouldn't find Hal and make him pay the price. Clark also told Hal that he was lucky that he was so deeply in love with Bruce, and that Barry had similar feelings for Hal, otherwise he would have claimed Barry for himself. Hal's face had looked like he had eaten a lemon at those words, but Clark didn't regret it because it was the truth. Barry had been the one to set things on the path towards reconstruction for the whole team. Who wouldn't want to be with someone so absolutely wonderful?

Next had been Shayera. Like Hal, she too had sought Clark out. She had tearfully apologized for not giving him a chance, for thinking the worst of him. She may not have been outwardly hostile towards Clark, but she hadn't been the friend he needed during this difficult time in his life. Clark had listened and he had understood. But when she had asked if they could go flying together that week, he had been forced to decline. He wasn't ready yet, but he had assured a crestfallen Shayera that he would be, soon.

Now all these months later, he and Shayera were back to flying together, and she of course came to him with any problems from superhero responsibilities getting overwhelming, to venting about some of the more disastrous dates she had been on in recent times.

With Jonn, Clark had assured the Martian that he bore no ill-will towards him, that he understood. Jonn would have defended him more, and had indeed tried to talk to the others about there being more to the situation than just Bruce's side, but the Martian just literally hadn't known how to do so. He hadn't wanted to exacerbate the situation with any ungraceful attempt. In the months that had followed, Clark had done his level best to assuage the Martian's guilt, even joining him in meditation sessions and also helping in teaching him about the subtleties of human interaction. Jonn was learning.

This left Diana. Unlike the others, who had all sought him out to have heart to heart talks, Diana hadn't done much talking at all. She had simply materialized beside him one day and grabbed his wrist, pulling him off towards one of the training rooms where they had promptly begun sparring. Clark had seen the gesture for what it was, one warrior reaching out and making peace with another by practicing combat. If at the end of it the two of them had come together in a hug, Diana whispering that she was so very sorry and the two of them quietly shedding some tears, well no one was around to say anything.

Slowly but surely the Justice League's equilibrium returned and everyone from Bruce to Jonn was pleased to see that signature spark return to Clark's striking blue eyes.

As Clark reached in and pulled out one of the light brown discs of oatmeal and raisin goodness and promptly popped the whole thing in his mouth, Clark found himself smiling anew as he thought of his gift giver.

Like everyone else, Bruce wanted them to rebuild their friendship first before anything else. They started by sharing monitor duties and writing up reports together, like they used to before the whole debacle that had torn them from each other. The easiness they had with each other's company slowly returned, but now there was this subtle, underlying tension that had nothing to do with hurt feelings and perceived betrayals.

It had everything to do with being madly in love with each other but having to hold back.

Working together on League administrative duties soon led to them having lunch together again, and also just bantering with each other back and forth. Clark had taken up bringing Bruce a cup of coffee, black with two sugars just the way he liked it whenever the vigilante was working in the lab. Bruce for his part put in a call to Perry White, ensuring that the unofficial ban he had placed on Clark coming to Gotham in his capacity as a reporter had been lifted. It was a win win ,for now they got to see each other often at events, and Bruce made it a point to pass on some juicy insider tidbits to his best friend under the guise of his billionaire Brucie routine. To Bruce's ever lasting shame, another consequence of his not so subtle shunning of Clark had been that Perry had lost a great deal of confidence in Clark's abilities as well. The bits of information Bruce provided Clark helped Clark write some really good articles, and more importantly helped him regain Perry White's confidence.

Last week though, while they had been on monitor duty, Bruce had decided that they had rebuilt things enough for him to ask Clark out to dinner. Bruce though outwardly neutral as ever, had been nervous as Hell. Clark could tell because he had heard the spike in his best friend's heartbeat. He needn't have been as Clark had answered Bruce with an enthusiastic "yes". When Clark pressed Bruce about where and when, Bruce had simply told him to sit tight.

Now as he looked at the rose, and enjoyed one of Alfred's exquisite oatmeal raisin cookies, Clark decided to put his investigative skills to good use. He picked up the lid to the cookie tin and looked inside it, smiling when he saw that there was a piece of folded paper taped inside it. Pulling the note gentle from the lid, Clark unfolded it to reveal its message written is beautiful cursive.

Tomorrow night, I will pick you up at 7 o'clock sharp. Hope you like the cookies, and I know roses are your favorite too. Can't wait to see you.

At the very bottom, the note was simply signed "B."

Clark felt his eyes burn softly as he grinned, but blinked back the moisture that gathered. Not a a moment to soon as Perry White came bursting from his office, looking irate as usual. In an instant everyone was on alert, waiting from the hammer to fall.

" Wipe that grin of your face Kent, and get to work. And that goes for the rest of you too!" Perry boomed, sending people scrambling to do as he commanded.

" Yes Mr. White, cookie?" Clark asked, pulling back his grin but still smiling as he held out the tin to his boss.

" Oh thank you." Perry said, looking pleasant for a moment as he reached in and pulled out a cookie.

Clark and the others watched as Perry took a bite, nodded in approval before he was scowling once more.

" What did I just say?!" He shouted as he glared sternly around the room.

Clark quickly closed the lid on his box of cookies and promptly buried the whole thing in his desk drawer before he set about logging onto his computer and getting started on his newest batch of articles. But he looked up as Perry White passed by taking another bite of oatmeal cookie, sharing a fleeting, respectful look with the man. He then turned to see Lois just smiling indulgently at him. He smiled back at her before he set about getting to work.

The next evening, in Clark's apartment...

Clark ran his fingers through his hair for the umpteenth time and then adjusted his collar as he looked at himself in the standing mirror he kept in the corner of his bedroom by his bed.

He had done very little in styling his hair this time around, allowing his soft natural curls their freedom instead of the signature Superman quaff or the restrained Clark Kent comb back. He was dressed in a deep, striking Prussian blue suit with a crisp white dress shirt and a bold red tie. Peaking out from his breast pocket was the rose Bruce had gifted him with yesterday, still vibrant and bright red. It was a far cry from his normally off the wrack outfits and similar to the suit that he had worn for his "date" with Barry. Clark had actually allowed himself to splurge a little, buying this suit and the charcoal gray suit in preparation for his operation with Barry from one of the nice boutiques in town and putting in the extra to have them professionally tailored by this nice old man who owned a family shop near his apartment. He had almost worn the gray suit but then thought better of it, he had used that outfit to trick both Bruce and Hal after all.

Now here he was, dressed and waiting for Bruce's imminent arrival. In his nervousness starting from yesterday when he had received them, Clark had actually devoured the rest of Alfred's oatmeal cookies with the tin now resting empty on his kitchen counter. A look at his watch told Clark that it was five minutes to 7. Letting out a profound breath, Clark gave himself a final once over in the mirror before he turned away and headed down the hallway into the living room where he walked over to his sofa to sit down and wait with cellphone in hand.

He was clearing the junk from his mailbox when his ringtone finally sounded and Bruce's number popped up in the screen. He hadn't added a picture so as not to broadcast the fact that he had Bruce's personal cellphone number. Feeling his dissipated nervousness returning ten-fold, Clark quickly moved to answer.

" Hey Bruce." He said as casually as he could.

" Hey Clark, I'm downstairs in front of your building." Bruce said warmly and doing his best not to blush as Alfred just looked at him indulgently.

He would have liked nothing more than to have driven here all by himself, but he had thought better of it, both for Clark's sake and his own. Alfred was more than happy to be chauffeur for the evening.

" Yeah Bruce, I'll be right down." Clark said with a smile to himself.

" Okay good." Bruce said, good humor tinting his own voice before the line went silent between them.

Licking suddenly dry lips, Clark made for the door, pausing to smooth down his clothes despite there not being a need to and then he headed out of his apartment. He could have easily just used his super speed to get downstairs, but instead he waited for the elevator and used the ride down to steady his nerves.

He walked out of his building and into the pleasant night air, climbing up the steps that led to the sidewalk. When he was on the street, Clark's eyes immediately spotted a sleek, elegant black Jaguar where Alfred Pennyworth was standing by the driver's side door, dressed in a dark gray chauffeur's uniform.

Clark smiled warmly and waved as he made his way towards the car.

" Good evening Master Clark." Alfred said warmly as he made his way around the front of the car to get the door for Clark.

" Hello Alfred, you're looking sharp." Clark complemented.

" Not as much as you yourself are sir, if I may say so you look superb in that suit." Alfred replied.

" Thank you Alfred." Clark said shyly.

" Indeed sir." Alfred replied before he opened the car door. Clark would have protested but this was Alfred and there was no use.

Clark smoothly climbed in and Alfred shut the door in his wake.

" Bruce, you didn't have to pull out the Jag, I could have just..." Clark began to say, but his voice trailed off when he turned to actually face Bruce as saw the man for himself.

Bruce was dressed immaculately in a black and silver pinstriped suite with a matching silver tie. His hair was elegantly styled and his face smooth and clean shaven. He looked every bit the gentleman. But it was Bruce's face that had made Clark trail off.

Bruce's expression was one of quiet awe, his jaw actually having fallen open as he had finally beheld Clark.

If he had thought Clark had looked good during that night he wore the charcoal gray suit, he looked absolutely exquisite now with his natural curls and that wonderful Prussian blue suit bringing out those otherworldly blue eyes.

" Bruce what is it? What's wrong?" Clark asked in concern.

Bruce snapped out of his reverie and quickly moved to assure the other man.

" Oh no, nothing is wrong. Everything is alright, great even. It's just that... You look absolutely amazing." Bruce said, blurting out the last part before he could stop himself.

He watched as Clark averted his gaze, a shy expression overtaking his handsome features while a faint blush tinted is cheeks as he spoke.

" Thank you Bruce." Clark said before he made himself look up to meet Bruce's gaze as he continued.

" You look amazing too Bruce." He added quietly.

Bruce found himself relaxing, and actually feeling warmth spread through him at Clark's complement.

" Dick will be pleased, he helped me pick it out." Bruce said proudly, earning a happy chuckle from Clark.

" I take it you're ready to go sirs?" Alfred asked lightly from the driver's seat, effectively bringing Bruce and Clark back to the present.

Clark ducked his head, grinning quietly while Bruce just sent Alfred a smile before he spoke.

" Yes Alfred, let's." He said mildly.

Alfred nodded and started the car, and soon the sleek Jaguar was peeling away from the curb and all but gliding down the street.

" I hope you're in the mood for Thai." Bruce said casually as he relaxed into the leather seats, subtly continuing in his admiring of Clark.

" I am going to enjoy whatever you have planned for tonight Bruce, you know I am easy to please. I just hope you didn't go out of your way." Clark said with a smile.

" You've given me this chance, you better believe I am only going to treat you to the best." Bruce said with conviction, remembering all the hurt and undeserving misery he had caused the man he loved.

" Thank you for that Bruce, I really do appreciate it. Oh and thank you for the rose." Clark said with a dazzling smile as he gestured to his breast pocket where said rose was currently on display.

Bruce found himself smiling back, but also feeling a wave of possessiveness wash over him at seeing the quiet yet poignant gesture from Clark.

" And thank you for the cookies Alfred, they were delicious." Clark said as he sent another brilliant smile Alfred's way.

" I am most pleased that you liked them Master Clark, Master Bruce was most insistent that I make you a batch to go along with his instructions for this evening." Alfred said as he expertly drove through the moderate Metropolis traffic as they headed out of the city towards Gotham.

" You'll be happy to know that Perry to a shining to them as well." Clark said before he chuckled.

" They actually got him to stop shouting at us, for a couple of seconds at least."

Bruce found himself chuckling genuinely as well, knowing full well what a hard nosed man Perry White was. Bruce may have been the owner, but there was no doubt that Perry White was still the king of the roost.

Bruce and Clark settled into an easy conversation for the rest of the journey to Gotham. Once they were in the darker, more gothic city, Bruce explained that this Thai place was more towards the quiet area of Gotham, away from the hustle and bustle of the city's nightlife.

He wanted then to have date night to each other and each other alone, not hounded by the paparazzi, who would no doubt want to know every little detail about just who Bruce's date was.

Alfred dropped them off behind the building where the restaurant was located, the kindly manager of the establishment awaiting them at the back door. Clark understood that Bruce was not taking any chances, wanting to ensure their privacy. Clark knew that he and Bruce were taking a risk, on top of their responsibilities as Superman and Batman respectively, as owner of the Daily Planet, Bruce was technically Clark's boss. There was a clear conflict of interest there, but they both decided to cross that bridge when they got to it later.

Bruce and Clark were seated in a private, intimate booth away from the main dining area. Clark felt his nervousness spike but quickly quashed down on it. He was here to enjoy his first date with Bruce, not face off against some Alien threat of epic disaster. Or that least, that was what he hope.

As he stared at the menu, Clark felt eyes on him. He looked up to see Bruce gazing at him rather than staring at his own menu. At Clark's questioning look, Bruce sighed as he spoke.

" God you are gorgeous." Bruce stated boldly.

Clark felt his face heat up at the complement, and Bruce's unashamed admiring.

" I bet you say that to all your dates." Clark said in an effort to lighten the mode.

Bruce's expression grew into one that Clark could only describe as hungry as the billionaire leaned over the small, intimate table between them so that there faces were mere inches from each other as he spoke.

" I'll admit, I have said it when I'm playing the part of the vapid billionaire playboy, or when I have had to seduce marks for the information they hold. But I want you to know with absolute certainty that I am not being Brucie Billionaire right now, nor are you some target for seduction. In truth, I never wanted any of them, but rest assured, I want you Clark Kent. I want you with every fiber of my being." Bruce said, his voice lowering to almost a growl that had Clark barely suppressing a shudder.

Swallowing thickly, Clark spoke.

" I want you too Bruce." Clark all but whispered as he lost himself in those electric blue eyes.

" That pleases me in ways you can't even begin to imagine." Bruce said with a warm, if predatory grin that made Clark's stomach do flip-flops.

Then Bruce was abruptly drawing away, sitting down in his seat and looking nonchalant and composed as ever as he spoke.

" But first thing's first, let's pick out some appetizers. Just so you know, the veggie spring rolls here are to die for." Bruce said casually with a smirk as he made a show of looking at his menu.

Clark gawked at Bruce for a moment before he found himself smirking as well as he went back to reading his own menu.

What a tease. Well, two could play at that game. Just you wait Bruce Wayne.

The pair quietly made their selections, Clark asking Bruce for his input since he was most familiar with what was good. When the young waiter came to take their orders and collect their menus, Clark sent him a dazzling smile and lightly flirted with him, making the young man blush and Bruce fume.

When the waiter left, Clark turned to Bruce who was glowering at him. Clark just quirked his brow before sending Bruce a mega-watt grin as he spoke.

" You know full well I am yours for the evening." He said teasingly.

" You'll be mine for longer than that." Bruce muttered under his breath, but Clark heard it all the same, ducking his face as his cheeks heated up.

He looked up and met Bruce's eyes, a moment passing between them that was fraught with desire and longing. Then Bruce sighed and shook his head.

" I am sorry, I don't mean to be such a jealous imbecile." Bruce said contritely.

" No, it's fine Bruce and besides, your jealousy was what Barry was banking on when he came up with the "Date and switch" plan as he called it." Clark said with a chuckle.

" Did he now?" Bruce asked, feeling said jealousy at the mention of a certain Speedster and seeing the fondness on Clark's expression for the young hero.

He knew he had no right to feel this way, after all, he had been the stubborn idiot who had rushed to judgment while Barry had been a true friend and had not left Clark alone in his time of need. Bruce was startled from his self-flagellating thoughts when a large, warm hand quietly covered his own. He looked up sharply to see Clark reaching across the table, gazing at him with warm eyes as he spoke.

" Just so you know, Barry was mostly banking on Hal getting jealous and then dragging you along to see if our date was the real deal. I was skeptical, but Barry said that if this plan could help me get my best friend back, than it would be worth it. And if he finally got to go on a date with the man he had been pining after ever since the League was formed, well that was an added bonus." Clark said quietly.

Bruce swallowed as Clark's words registered, subtly reached up with his thumb to stroke along Clark's hand, the Kryptonian noticing the gesture and smiling.

" I was an utter fool for doing what I did, for not listening." Bruce said quietly.

" Well we're here now, so listen well. Even if I send a smile someone else's way, or banter, the only one who is in my mind, in my heart is you Bruce. The time apart, even though it hurt like crazy, made me realize just what an integral part of my life you've become, even without the romantic aspect. You have my word that I won't do anything to jeopardize that again." Clark said with all seriousness.

Bruce pursed his lips and felt a tell-tail burn behind his eyeballs. He tool a deep breath and then gave a jerky nod as he spoke.

" I promise I won't ever be that quick to judgment again, because you've become just as much of an integral part of my life as well. You remember how much we butted heads in the beginning, how I even sent you flying into a table." Bruce said with a self-depricating smile.

Clark remembered the Kryptonite shard that had come out too but wisely decided not to bring that up as he nodded and smiled at Bruce as the billionaire continued.

" Every day that we were estranged, I missed you terribly. I missed you more than I even wanted to admit. And now that I know our estrangement was needless, that it wouldn't have happened if I had just given you the chance to explain. Well, I can barely look at myself." Bruce said softly.

Clark deftly intwined his fingers with Bruce's and squeezed.

" We're okay now Bruce." Clark said, before mischief filled him.

" Besides, I get my Bat and Barry gets his Lantern."

That broke the melancholy that had settled over them as Bruce squeezed Clark's hand back and chuckled quietly along with the Kryptonian.

They fell into easy conversation after that everything from the happens of the Daily Planet and Wayne Enterprises newest projects, all the way to philosophy and travel. By the time the food finally arrived, Bruce and Clark had steadily shifted closer together till they were almost sitting right next to each other rather than across the table.

The food was absolutely superb, Bruce doing his best not to grow hot under his collar at some of the noises Clark made as he enjoyed his meal. With the ease of renewed familiarity, they even shared items from each others plates, commenting on how well things were seasoned and cooked. They laughed and bantered, simply enjoying each other's company.

For dessert they shared a Thai mango pudding with coconut sorbet that had both men moaning almost obscenely.

Before they knew it, the rest of the restaurant was silent as all of the other dinner patrons had long gone, leaving only the two of them with the restaurant itself outwardly closed for the night. The hours had simply flew by with the two of them enjoying each other.

Once dinner was wrapped up, Bruce and Clark thanked the staff whole heartedly, Bruce leaving them an insanely generous tip. When they exited the restaurant through the back, Alfred was there with the Jaguar. The pair climbed into the car and continued their warm and easy banter all the way through the drive to Wayne Manor. Once at the Manor, Bruce and Clark had both been greeted by a sleepy but smiling Dick Grayson, who had given them both knowing looks. He had hugged Clark and actually fist-bumped with Bruce, much to the Kryptonian's amusement before Bruce had sent him straight to bed.

Bruce led Clark to his personal study, where Alfred had supplied them both with steaming mugs of fresh coffee before he left them to each other. Now they were sitting side by side on the sofa Bruce kept in front of the fireplace, a brilliant fire still roaring. They sat in comfortable silence as they sipped their hot drinks. It was Clark who finally broke the silence.

" I had the most wonderful time tonight with you Bruce." He said quietly as he turned to look at the billionaire.

" 'm glad, it was wonderful for me too." Bruce said with a warm smile.

He frowned though as he watched Clark's expression become one of nervousness.

" What is it Clark? What's wrong?" Bruce asked in concern.

With a sigh, Clark set his mug down on the wooden coffee table and rose to his feet. He made his way around the coffee table and came to stand before the fire, nervously ringing his fingers and keeping his back to Bruce. Bruce set down his own cup and rose as well, coming to stand beside Clark. They both turned to face each other as Clark spoke.

" Barry would talk to me about being with another man, he would do his best to describe what it was like. He'd give me a hug or hold my hand when I was feeling overwhelmed. By the time it came for us to implement our plan, I was brave enough to even give Barry a kiss on the cheek, as Hal undoubtedly told you." Clark said as he sent Bruce a knowing looking.

Bruce nodded, only feeling a small spike of jealousy as he remembered Hal rushing into his lab and spilling the beans about what he had witnessed between Clark and Barry in the corridor that day.

" That was Barry, he's a friend, everything was platonic. But this, here and now, with you, it is the real thing and I am..." Clark let out a watery, self-depricating laugh.

" Scared out of your mind, because you feel like you don't know what to do." Bruce said knowingly.

" Y-Yeah." Clark whispered as he ducked his head.

Smiling softly, Bruce closed the distance between them and reached out to Clark, the Kryptonian looking up surprised as Bruce gently cupped the side of his neck. Bruce felt his smile widen a little as Clark unconsciously leaned into his touch as Bruce spoke.

" Clark it's okay for you to feel this way, to feel unsure. You've never been in a relationship with another man and I myself don't exactly have the best track record when it comes to relationships either." Bruce said, Clark grinning at him before shyly ducking his head and growing serious.

" I don't want to mess this up." He said softly.

" I don't either, and we already had a rough start. I hurt you so much." Bruce said quietly before he took the final step closer to Clark that left them just inches apart.

Clark looked up and gazed into those deep, almost electric blue eyes, seeing the regret, and more importantly the love and desire swirling within them as Bruce spoke.

" It's not going to be easy, because you know how complicated I can be, and no matter how many times you insist you're just a simple country man, there are nuances to you that I am going to have to learn now that we're together." Bruce said quietly.

Clark smiled lovingly at Bruce before he surprised the billionaire by reaching out and wrapping his arms around Bruce's waist, pulling the other man flush against him in a bold move. Bruce gazed at Clark with wide eyes before his own face broke out into a rare, honest grin as he reached up and cupped the other side of Clark's neck with his other hand.

" We'll learn as we go?" Clark asked hopefully.

Still smiling, Bruce pulled Clark's head towards his own and pressed their foreheads together, as he had done that fateful night on the roof of the Daily Planet. He took a moment to just reveal in Clark's warmth surrounding him before he nodded against the Kryptonian's forehead and spoke.

" Yes, we'll learn as we go, and maybe we'll get good at this thing called love." He said huskily.

Clark's happy chuckle was all the confirmation Bruce needed as they held each other, silhouetted by the warm fire beside them.

The End.