Author's Note: This my fist attempt at writing anything DC comic related, so please forgive me if the characterization isn't that great.

Warnings: Maybe some spoilers? Just to be safe.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. Just the story.

Prompt I was given: "Kara breaks into Clark's apartment and discovers Batman is there."

Beta: Eclst; I don't post up anything she doesn't approve. And you can follow her on . Check out her blog! :D She helped me with the ending a bit as well, and helped point out some awkward spots.

Missing
By EggDropSoup

Night had fallen over Metropolis, the city a beacon in the night. But the tall buildings had made it easy for Kara to fly from shadow to shadow, unnoticed and unseen as she found her way to her cousin's human home.

Clark's home wasn't a place that Kara visited often. If she wanted to see him, she could just visit the Watchtower or stop over at the Fortress of Solitude. That was what super speed and flight were for, right? But she didn't think that her pressing book report would warrant the use of the Tower's communications system to send a message to him in Space, and at the same time she didn't want to bother him when he was dealing with intergalactic negotiations with the Green Lantern Corps just to ask him for his copy of As You Like it.

There was a soft click as her red boots touched down on the pavement. This would just have to do.

Striding up to the front porch of the small apartment, she lifted the beige welcome mat and revealed the spare key Clark always left there. She grasped the bronze colored piece of metal and lifted it to the opening. Just as she was about to push the key inside, she heard a slight shuffle from somewhere beyond the door.

Her eyes narrowed automatically, her ears straining to pinpoint the source of the sound. She could hear the night air flowing through an open window. The brush of boots against the linoleum floor, a clink of dishes, and water running. The kitchen. Someone had broken in.

In a whirl of abrupt speed she unlocked the door and burst inside with her eyes glowing hot. Her long hair spiraled wildly around her as she flew in on the onslaught, navigating herself swiftly through the dark apartment with her enhanced vision picking up on the bioelectric aura that resided in the kitchen. She rounded the corner, her fist hoisted back, ready to punch-when she came face-to-face with the intruder.

Batman was standing in the kitchen-hands up reflexively— a pink sponge clenched in one hand.

Realization came too late, and while she tried to come to an abrupt halt— so she didn't bodily slam into him— she ended up fishtailing from the force of her speed, and collided into one of the kitchen's lower cabinets. A few pots and pans bounced out on impact and clattered to the floor.

"You're lucky you didn't wake the neighbors," Batman said, giving her a critical glance as she swiftly shoved everything back into the cabinets.

"Damn it, Bruce." Kara hauled herself to her feet just as her hot, red eyes cooled back to blue. "You know how close I was to zapping you? Breaking that pretty jaw of yours?" she asked, annoyance creasing the skin between her eyebrows as she smoothed back her blonde hair. "What are you doing here?"

"I told Kal that I would watch his apartment for him," Bruce answered, as if that explained everything.

"Okay…" she drawled, tapping a red boot once in annoyance. "But did you need to house-sit as Batman? And with all the lights off?" She gestured at the dark around them, knowing that the lenses in his mask were made for night vision. She quickly stomped over to the light switch, flipped it on-and the room lit up, illuminating the both of them in their suited glory. "Not that you aren't a vision in moonlight," she added sardonically, "but couldn't you try to be, I don't know…a little less creepy?"

"I have a city to patrol. Gotham isn't exactly close." He put the pink square sponge in the sink, ignored the soap foam that still stuck to his black gloves. "What about you? You're not lazing around when you should be patrolling Metropolis, are you?"

"I'm here to borrow a book for a report I have due in the next few days. Kon's patrolling in my place."

Bruce huffed, folding his arms across his chest. "Not with that horse and cat, I hope."

"Comet and Streaky have just as much merit as Ace and Krypto, you know." She gave a regal sniff as she examined the room around her, and when her blue eyes landed on him again— they shined with bright amusement. Bruce wasn't sure if he hated or appreciated the way that Kara resembled Kal so much when she did that. "Though, they can't hold a candle to your impeccable fashion sense."

Batman pointed fiercely to the black and white striped apron that adorned his front, "This, is Alfred's," he claimed— trying to ignore the smug way Kara kept eyeing him, desperately holding back giggles that threatened to spill past her sealed lips.

She gave an ungraceful cough, and took in a wheezing breath-voiceless snicker, causing her shoulders to tremble as she tried to pull herself together. "Okay, okay," she gasped, nearly falling into another fit when she saw the stern gaze on his face. "The apron is Alfred's," she acknowledged, waving her hand to mollify his annoyance as the corners of her eyes watered.

"It's not funny," he muttered, but that only made her struggle longer to compose herself.

"Sorry," she murmured when she finally calmed, but the wordless frown Bruce aimed at her told her he didn't think she was truly repentant.

"So- seriously this time," she backtracked, even though she knew he wouldn't be pleased by her persistence. "Explain to me why you're really here, Bruce. It can't just be to play home-maker at two in the morning. I mean, Kal said you were too busy to-"

"I said I would do it— so I am," he pressed, cutting her off with an annoyed movement of his shoulder. The smooth line of his mouth was the only thing visible under the dark cowl, not betraying much to anyone else on what he was feeling, but enough to give Kara a clue.

Her eyes caught something to the side, and she focused on brown grocery bags that were peeking out of the trash can. She craned her neck, studying them and then broke away-without a word to Bruce, stalking over and opened the single door refrigerator.

"You stocked his fridge?" she asked, scanning the shelves full of fresh fruit and organic vegetables. Tofu, R.C. Cola, almond milk. All the things that Clark liked.

"Only the basic necessities," Batman stated, deliberately leaving out the other meticulous details he had added to his house-sitting duties, like collecting Clark's mail.

"But he won't be back for at least two months," Kara reminded him— her face still turned away from him as she let the refrigerator door slip shut, quietly. "Aren't you being a little excessive?"

"It's fine." Then he grew silent for a second, presenting his back to her as he faced the sink again and said the next words so quietly-that if Kara hadn't been Kryptonian, she might not have caught them at all. "I can handle it — until he gets back."

He stiffened as soon as the words escaped him, the weakness that he'd just displayed disappearing back into hardened shell of Batman. He switched on the tap, as if nothing had just past between them. Dark gloves took up the sponge again and resumed washing the dishes that Clark had left there.

She continued to watch him work, listened to the shuffling of dishes -the scratch of the sponge against ceramic- until she stepped forward, placing a hand on his shoulder and rested her cheek on his broad shoulder. "I miss him, too," she confessed.

Bruce's hands stopped moving and they both stood in the kitchen, in silence as the water continued to run.

Superman had forgotten how long it had been since he had first arrived to work alongside the Green Lantern Corps. They had had several missions that the Guardians had submitted to them-and the Universe was marveling, vast, and always changing. But if asked, he would have to confess about missing the only planet that could ever be a home to him. He missed Earth. Conner, Kara, and his parents. He missed the mundane office work and his writing. Lois's calling him "Smallville" would be a god-send after having only heard himself be referred to as "Superman" and "Kal-El" for the last several weeks. He missed being the other part of himself. He missed "Clark". Missed the way that name sounded on the way a certain blue eyed, shaggy haired billionaire would say it when they-

He heard the steps coming down the hall and near his door before the knock. And the sharp scrape as the metal door opened, and the green-masked face of Hal Jordan peeked inside. "Hey Supes, you got a minute?"

"Sure," Clark said, hoisting himself up from the worn cot that was his bed for the remainder of his stay. He stepped forward, approaching the other JLA member, with his arms slack at his sides. "What's going on?"

There was a flash of light from the ring on his finger, forming a snake-like catapult that swarmed out the door and burst back in, snapping something into Hal's expectant hands. The Green Lantern gave a loud, boisterous "Ta-da!" revealing a black and green tablet.

"There's a transmission from Supergirl for you," he said, handing over the tablet, Supergirl's face now streaming live on it through the video feed. "I'm not sure how strong the signal will hold out with all the activity going on here in Space, but take as long as you need to talk to her with it."

"Thanks," Clark accepted the tablet, and Hal leaned his face in enough to aim a sly, farewell wave to Supergirl before excusing himself from the room. Kal shifted the tablet, careful to hold it securely-but not too tightly- in both of his hands. "Sorry about him."

Kara didn't look affronted, instead her eyes were shinning. "You have interesting coworkers. Does he always do that?"

"He always likes to show off that shiny ring of his," Clark admitted, with a roll of his eyes— then he set her with a playful glare-seeing as a stern one was impossible when confronted with her laughing face. "Next time you are around him, don't encourage him. His head is big enough as it is. If it gets any bigger, a black hole might suddenly burst out of nowhere-from the sheer strain of trying to accommodate the bulk of it."

The sound of her soft, tinkering laugh filled the room— causing a deep pain in his stomach— reinforcing just how much he missed home. How much he needed it to lift the spirits in his mundane heart. "We wouldn't want that."

"No, we wouldn't," he agreed, smiling.

She let out another laugh, then she sucked in her bottom lip, akin to something apologetic. "I'm sorry, I know you're busy. I shouldn't have-"

"No. Don't be sorry." Clark cut her off with a shake of his head, the stray curl that fell over his fore-head seemed to bob along with him. "It's good to hear from you. I'm glad you gave me a call."

Kara warmed at the words, but there was still something— a small hesitation in her expression that bothered him somehow.

"Is there something wrong, Kara?" Kal asked, his face seeming to fill up the monitor from how close he held it now— his azure eyes squinting at her. "Did something happen in Metropolis or with Conner?"

"No, no," she insisted, a bit too vehemently as she raised both hands in a calming motion. "Everything on Terra and in Metropolis is fine. Kon is fine too. Everything is under control."

"Good." The tense line at his shoulders eased as he took a breath. "Then what's the problem?"

"It's just..." she paused, her eyes flittering briefly to him before staring down-as if she wasn't sure she should confess the next thing. "It's about your apartment," she disclosed.

Still watching her, Clark tilted his head. "My apartment?"

"Yes, your apartment," Kara said decisively. "When I stopped by earlier to borrow a book, I noticed that there seems to be a lonely, little bat that keeps getting in through the window."

Clark digested this with a nod. "A bat, huh?" His face suddenly broke into a sweet, silly smile.

"You may want to come back home early to take care of it, Cousin." Kara grinned, pleased at the glimmer of understanding that flashed in those blue eyes of his. "I think it's what you want for yourself, too."

It had taken longer than he had hoped, but Kal had managed to find a way to rush his responsibilities to the Green Lantern Corps within the next two weeks. Being able to be finish so soon should have raised his spirits, but instead— his return to Earth left him feeling strangely tired and he couldn't decide on any reason for why he should be.

Clark was still dazed when he let himself into his apartment. Heavy steps carried him through the door, and he unceremoniously dropped the small duffle he carried to the floor as the door shut behind him. He took off his coat and, out of habit, went to the closet to hang it up. Through the entire process, he didn't stop to turn the lights on in his apartment. Moving in the dark was second nature for him now— having being used to sneaking in when back from patrol- but when he caught notice of shallow breathing in front of him, he stopped moving altogether.

"Bruce," he addressed-immediately knowing whom his unseen guest was. Casually— he hoped it was casually— he flicked on the lights, revealing Batman, sitting with his legs crossed on his living room couch.

"It took you long enough," the Dark Knight stated; then, uncurling his legs, he rose. Four long strides were all it took for the suited up hero to stand in front of him. Bruce, nearly as tall as he was, had his hand on his hip and was waiting expectantly. Though, if Clark hadn't been mistaken, his gruff register of voice had seemed off. Not as threatening or fear-inducing as it usually was. Instead, it seemed relieved.

"I'm sorry," Clark said, slowly pushing the glasses up the bridge of his nose. It was so unnerving when he was in civilian clothes, facing Bruce in uniform. It caused his knees to go weak and it did strange things to his heart. "I've kept you waiting."

"You have."

He couldn't see the other's eyes beneath the cowl, but that didn't stop his body from feeling the weight of their stare and responding to it. The pulse at his neck jumped, and it was all he could do to just stand there— pretending that he wasn't affected, that Batman staring at him didn't excite him. That he didn't imagine reaching up to pull off the cowl and lick away the sweat and oil on the skin there.

Clark drew back sharply— his stomach lurching-and attempted to distract himself by casting his gaze about the room. His apartment looked cleaner now than it did when he had left-all traces of scattered papers and haphazardly tossed clothes were gone.

"Ah…" Talk to him, he ordered himself. Say something. Anything. "Thanks for watching my apartment for me. You took good care of it," he finished lamely.

"Of course I did," Bruce visibly straightened, the length of his body a proud line, as if the very idea of him not doing it was absurd. "But don't you think you're out of line?"

Cark titled his head, eyes drawing together. "Pardon?"

"You being gone for so long…is annoying." A trickle of uncertainty came from that gruff voice only to be shoved down with reproach as he continued with: "I'm a very busy man. You can't just go off to play Space Negotiator and expect me to pick up your slack."

Clark ducked his head, his hands twisting wordlessly. "I know. I appreciate it, really. You've gone above and beyond."

Batman regarded his passive stance for a moment before crossing his arms, haughtily— his mouth thinning fractionally with some kind of resolve. "Humph. Don't expect to get off easy with a 'you're welcome' from me. I'm adding all the measures I've taken these past few weeks to your outstanding list of IOU's."

Clark had the decency to wince, his face turning down automatically as he recalled that he still hadn't paid Bruce back for the time Kara had destroyed that 500,000 dollar computer. "Can't you give me a pass on this one?" he asked weakly.

"No. I also think it's about time I start collecting on your tab."

He lifted his head, running a hand through his hair distractedly. "You're right. Okay, I'll take care of it as soon as I-"

"I'll need a deposit today," Batman cut him off, extending out a black, gloved hand.

"Today?" Clark asked, staring dumbly at it- his throat felt suddenly dry. "You mean, right now?"

"Yes, right now," the other calmly affirmed, his hand still out.

"Oh-okay, I— " The taller man panicked, his hands groping the pockets of his ill-fitting suit until they found his wallet. His fingers clumsily began slipping out his checkbook until Bruce's voice interrupted the action.

"A personal check is an invalid method of payment for this type of transaction."

"Huh?" Clark asked, pausing long enough to look down at it briefly and then back up at the other man. "Then, what am I supposed to use to pay you with?"

A gloved finger pressed under his chin, turning Clark's face to the side as if examining it before the Dark Knight spoke again.

"This," Bruce said, and leaned in, and kissed him.

Clark touched his hand to the other's wrist, his fingers enclosing around it as that hand drifted up to clutch at his neck, his hair. Pulling him down-closer-and for one mad moment, Bruce dragged him hard against him and let them both taste of what might be.

What they both would soon be.

Together.

Clark was fast asleep, lying naked and on his back in the dark room. A calloused hand slid along the length of his torso— glided up his shoulder to touch at his neck and caress at his hair. All with a sort of tenderness that would not dare be shown should the prone, young man have been awake.

The Kryptonian leaned into the hand, showing no other sign of stirring as deft fingers massaged at his scalp. Bruce's hand paused, resting atop the sweat-splattered curls of his forehead— taking in the peaceful way that Clark dreamed.

"Welcome home, Clark," he said, the only sound in the darkness.

End.