It was amazing how effortlessly Superman turned into Clark Kent. One moment the big man in red and blue would stand tall and confident, while the next he was slouched and looked meek. Bruce understood why it was necessary; Superman refused to wear a mask. He didn't think the people of Metropolis or the world could trust a man that hid his face behind a mask. If Bruce didn't know Clark better, he'd think he was making a jab at Batman when he said that.
But he had a point. The people of Gotham didn't trust the Batman and Bruce didn't really care either way. He didn't need them to trust him when he did most of his work under the cover of darkness. Clark once told him that he didn't like working with him in Gotham because the city was made of lead and there were too many dark corners, even with his x-ray vision. Bruce liked to think that Clark didn't like Gotham because the people were different. They didn't delude themselves into thinking that their city could be anything more than what it already was. They didn't believe too much in change. Metropolis was the City of Tomorrow; they were all about change.
Just as Clark had his misgivings about Gotham, Bruce had his misgivings about Metropolis. The city was too bright, the buildings too smooth. He could never make a quiet landing anywhere without being in some sort of spotlight and he was hard pressed to find a sour looking gargoyle to perch atop of when he needed to look over the city.
So when they walked into a brightly lit diner in the middle of the day in uptown Metropolis, Bruce wasn't really surprised to see where his good friend had brought him for lunch. It was such a Clark thing to do; such a Superman thing to do. The diner was aptly named the All American Eat & Greet and it was almost enough to get a chuckle out of him. Clark sat across the booth from him, fixing his glasses with one finger, fidgeting with his tie with his other hand, knocking over a glass of water purposefully to make it look accidental. It was all part of the act that would keep anyone from connecting the dots.
"Not my first choice for a quick bite, but when in Rome, right?' he commented to Clark.
"The patty melt is worth the trip from Gotham alone," he responded while looking at his oversized menu.
Bruce knew he wouldn't bait him with his sarcasm and he was fine with that. Clark was one of the few people that could take jabs without getting bent out of shape.
"So what's with the lunch meeting? I thought that's why we had a multibillion dollar space station. It has a conference table and everything."
"This isn't work related," Clark responded and Bruce noticed he wouldn't look at him.
"I see."
The silence dragged on for a few more minutes but Bruce wasn't going to ask what the meeting was about; he knew Clark would get to the point eventually. Before long, Clark finally looked up at him and the look in his eyes was enough to make Bruce regret asking.
"I was thinking about asking Lois to marry me and I needed someone's advice. And by that I don't mean that I need you to talk me out of it. I mean that I need you to help me with the logistics. How do I know what ring to get her? How will I even know if she'll like it? What if she says no? What if my double life is too much for her and she turns me down?"
Not what Bruce was expecting. Not what he was expecting at all. He'd known Clark for the better part of two years and he had never seen him so flustered before. He knew what Lois Lane did to the man but the rambling…it was a side of Clark Kent he was not prepared for.
"Clark," he tried to interject, but he was on a roll.
"It's not like she's been dropping hints or anything but I want to do this. I want to start a life with her. What do you think? Do you think it's too soon? Do you think it's a good idea?"
He waited until he was sure Clark was done before formulating a reply. Just because their meeting wasn't going as he expected didn't mean that the idea of Clark wanting to settle down with the woman he was in love with had come out of left field. Clark was traditional; that's just how he was raised.
"She'll want a nice ring but nothing too fancy. I have never seen her wear any jewelry aside from the few trinkets you've given her over the years and I don't see her wanting anything that will weigh her down. She'll say yes because it's you. She's been in love with you almost as long as you've been in love with her and she'd be crazy to use your double life as an excuse to say no. Ask her somewhere that means something to the two of you. Whether it is the farm or the Daily Planet building, it should have some significance in your lives."
Clark stared at him with a little bit of shock and a lot of relief. He knew what Clark was thinking. Bruce didn't like Lois too much and he would probably never understand how she and Clark were so good together. But it wasn't up to him to tell him how to lead his life. He learned pretty quickly that Lois Lane and Clark Kent were a package deal. As long she helped him keep his secret and their personal lives didn't interfere with anything else, he didn't have much to say on the matter.
"Okay. Alright," Clark finally said.
With those simple words, he sat up a little straighter and the line between Clark Kent and Superman became a little blurry. Bruce cleared his throat and raised an eyebrow at the man across from him and waited for the slouch to return and the goofy smile he was prone to displaying in public.
"Lunch is on me then, yeah?" Clark asked and Bruce rolled his eyes.
It really was amazing how quickly he turned it off and on.
