Cardboard Cake and Flames of Love
A/N: I wanted to post something for Clark's birthday (yes I know, I missed Bruce's but Clark's only comes around every four years so that's my excuse) and then almost missed it because of an essay I needed to type. Anyways, here is my last minute typed up story for Clark's birthday. I still have time, it's only 11:00pm here!
Happy birthday Clark!
Bruce is nervous. Not that he would ever admit such a thing out loud to anyone but he's not that emotionally withdrawn that he won't admit it to himself. The reason to why he is so nervous is an easy question to answer. Today is Clark's birthday and, of course, leave it up to Clark to be a leap year baby. Anyways, this day only comes every four years and, though the two have always celebrated Clark's birthday every year for the past three years since they've started dating, this is the first year they'll be able to celebrate his birthday on the actual day. Clark had told Bruce not to make a big deal out of it but seriously, he's freaking Batman and Clark should know he'll get obsessed about something like this. And so, Bruce has made it his duty to make this day special for his boyfriend.
That's how Bruce found himself somehow convincing Alfred to let him bake a cake. Alfred, instead of trusting him to make such a thing from scratch, drove to the store to buy him the box mix kind. That was basically Alfred's way of telling Bruce that he can't possibly ruin a box cake. Unfortunately for Bruce, apparently Alfred is very, terribly wrong.
"What's this?" Clark asks as soon as he walks into the kitchen and sees the cake sitting there on the island.
Bruce turns to him with a smile. "Well, since your birthday day only comes every four years, I thought we could celebrate it."
Clark smiles fondly at him and chuckles. "I should have known you would obsess over this. What was I thinking?"
Bruce takes one of Clark's hands and drags him over to the island and pushes him into a stool. "You weren't thinking and that is your downfall, Kent."
"Thanks Bruce and here I was thinking you were going to be extra sweet to me today," Clark says in a joking tone. Bruce just smirks at him and then opens a drawer to rummage through. He finds a lighter right off the bat but he can't seem to find any candles. He looks everywhere. "Bruce I don't need to blow out candles."
"Yes you do, it's tradition." Bruce opens another cabinet door. Where does Alfred keep them?
"Bruce," Clark sighs.
Bruce stands from his crouched position where he was moving some pots and pans around. "You're going to blow out some candles Clark," he says irritably.
Clark sighs. "Well they won't be in the pots and pans." Bruce just blinks at him and Clark sighs again, this time with a small loving smile playing at his lips. He reaches out and cups the sides of Bruce's face, leaning over the island and planting a chaste kiss to the tip of his nose. "You are hopeless in the kitchen." He pulls away and gets up to start helping Bruce to find the candles. "It's probably a good thing Alfred baked the cake," Clark says teasingly.
Bruce, feeling self conscious all of a sudden, clears his throat and says, "Yeah, good thing." He figures he'll be able to get away with the lie since the cake is made from the box stuff and there's no way he messed it up. He followed the directions to the tee.
"Ah, found them!" Clark turns around to face Bruce, triumphant smile lighting up his face. Clark sticks them into the cake and then allows Bruce to light them. "I suppose you want me to make a wish too?"
"Yes," he answers and then quickly adds, "and don't tell me or else it won't come true."
Clark chuckles and closes his eyes. There's a second of silence and then Clark blows lightly, the fire going out on each candle simultaneously. Clark throws his hands up in the air. "Victory!" He grabs a hold of Bruce's shoulders and answers Bruce's questioning look. "I didn't just blow the whole cake away." Shrugging, Clark lets go of him and pulls the candles out of the cake and then grabs a knife. "So many cakes ruined when I was a kid," he muses softly. "Are you having a piece?"
"Of course, I am," Bruce says.
Clark smiles at him again and cuts two slices, placing them on the plate that Bruce somehow managed to find. Then Clark grabs two forks, hands one to Bruce, and goes to sit in a stool again. Bruce decides to keep standing, taking a spot across from Clark. He waits while Clark takes a bite of the cake and chews. His chewing slows and then, to Bruce's confusion, his face screws up. Swallowing hard, Clark locks eyes with him. "You said Alfred baked this?"
Bruce nods. "Yeah."
"Are you sure?" Clark asks.
"What? Is it bad?" Bruce takes a forkful.
"No… it just… um…" Clark rubs the back of his neck and then sighs. "Bruce I know you made the cake."
Bruce closes his mouth just before he shoves the piece in. "How?"
Clark shrugs. "When I was looking for the candles, I saw the cake mix box where you hid it in the pantry." An amused smile breaks on his face. "Why did you hide the box in with the spices?"
"You were early." Bruce isn't looking at him, face heating up. Then, feeling a bit annoyed, he looks at his boyfriend who is chuckling. "It doesn't matter. Is the cake really that bad?" Clark motions to the piece of cake that is still situated on Bruce's fork, seeming to not be able to speak because he's laughing too hard. Bruce gives him one of his specialized petulant glares, and then sticks the piece of cake in his mouth. He chews slowly in order to get the full experience of how bad it really is. Scrunching up his face much like what Clark had done earlier, Bruce swallows the piece. "It tastes like cardboard." Clark snorts and one of his hands flies to his mouth to try and cover the laugh. It's not working and Clark's face is turning red with the effort. Bruce can see tears forming in his eyes. Bruce, giving him another glare, goes and grabs the box of cake mix and looks at the back with the directions. "But I followed all the directions."
"Awe, Honey." Clark gets up and ignores yet another glare from Bruce, this time for the pet name. Clark cups his face again like earlier and Bruce gives him his best petulant look. Clark pecks his nose. "That's alright. I mean, I didn't think you could mess something up that comes in a box and has such simple directions," Bruce growls at him in warning in which Clark promptly ignores, "but you should just be happy that Alfred let you in his kitchen." Clark breaks down then, leaning over to rest his forehead on Bruce's shoulder, his own shoulders shaking with his laughs.
Bruce crosses his arms and looks away from him. "Shut up Clark."
Clark, still laughing, lifts his head and wipes at his eyes. When Clark kisses him this time, it's on the lips and it's slow and sweet. Clark pulls away and, to Bruce's amazement, he looks happier than he has in a long time. "Thank you for the sentiment Bruce."
Bruce manages a small smile in return. "Happy birthday, Clark." Clark kisses him again.
A/N: Thanks for reading. :)