Clark was silent for a while. Then, he stood and walked towards Bruce. He stopped right in front of the other man, who was trying his best to keep breathing and not break down right then and there.
"I believe I do, yes," Clark finally answered. He gently took Bruce's gloved hands in his. "What of it?"
Bruce felt tears well up in his eyes. Never in his entire existence has he cried before. The fact that he was incapable of crying before is not relevant. He hated the feeling though. The horrible, stuffy feeling of his chest, as it rose up his throat, and a sob escaped his mouth, and tears were forced from his eyes.
Clark immediately squeezes his hands. "Hey, hey, don't cry. Why are you crying? Is that such a bad thing? I won't mention it again, if it is. I'm sorry, Bruce, I can't help it. I just-"
Bruce wanted to cry into Clark's shoulder, for Clark to hold him while he sobs quietly at the unfairness of life, and the irony of his situation.
"Bruce, let's go sit down and talk about this, okay?" Clark gently led Bruce to the couch and helped him down. He then grabbed a sweatshirt off of the other chair and pulled it on before giving Bruce a hug.
He held him until Bruce stopped crying.
"So," Clark said when Bruce finally pulled back. "What was that about?"
Bruce took a shaky breath before speaking. "I'm sorry, Clark," he said. "There's so many things I have not told you about myself. And you deserve the truth. But before I tell you, before you judge me for who I am, I need to tell you that I love you. So much, and I- I wish I did not, but I do, and I cannot do anything to change it."
Clark's face grew more and more confused. He opened his mouth, but he did know which part to respond to. "I'm listening," he finally went with.
Bruce closed his eyes. His breathing steadied drastically. Then he started talking. "I am not from Earth. I am not from any planet in fact. You may not believe me, but I am Death." Bruce paused, waiting for Clark's reaction.
Clark looked at him blankly. "You… what?"
"I am Death. I am a primordial being that is hundreds of billions of years old. And I will continue to exist long after this planet dies. I have a twin brother, Life, and an older sister Love, and a younger sister Fate. There are a few others, but they are not my immediate family."
"You're… Death. Like a grim reaper?" Bruce did not expect Clark to grasp the concept.
"No, not quite. I don't usually do the reaping of souls, and I have reapers to do that for me." Bruce took a deep breath. Clark seemed to be taking it quite well. "But even so, when I touch anything, I will take its life. Like- Like the rabbits."
"And you don't want to touch me for that reason as well?" Clark asked. "Wait, then why did you come to Earth? You said you had business here."
Bruce sighed heavily. "I do have business here. See, I have this list. It's a list of those who need to die."
"So everyone dies for a reason?"
"Yes, one way or another. Everything needs to be balanced out like that."
"And all those people I could not save in the past?" Clark asked.
"You were not meant to save them. It was their time to die." Bruce said. He noticed Clark's fist clenching. "But you have saved people in the past that were supposed to die."
"And what happened to them later?" Clark asked, his voice angry.
"They lived until it was their time again," Bruce said. "I do not choose who dies, Clark. My sister does that. I just collect the souls."
Clark was silent for a long time. Then, he asked, "You said you usually don't come to Earth. So what's the special occasion?"
Bruce's throat felt tight. How could he tell Clark this? He felt like a traitor just thinking about it. "You."
"You came for me? Am I supposed to die?" Clark asked. He sounded vaguely surprised.
"Yes."
"When?"
"I can't- I can't tell you. It's against my rules. But it is soon, Clark. Too soon in my opinion. I'm sorry." Bruce turned away. He could not face Clark right now.
"It's okay," Clark said. "I don't blame you. I just did not think it would be so soon."
"You were actually supposed to die twice before. But you didn't. So I came to oversee it that you did not thwart me a third time, but I wish… I wish I had not done so," Bruce said. "I should not have meddled. You might have gotten away and lived a long life with someone special until you are old and cranky."
Clark laughed. "I think I did have that one dream, once upon a time. But not anymore. And no, it's not because I know I'm going to die. In fact, it kind of puts my life into perspective."
"But Clark…"
"No, I really am not afraid of death, Bruce," Clark assured. "I knew it would come at some point. With what I do, it would have come sooner than later."
"Don't say that. You don't deserve this."
Clark raised his hand to stroke Bruce's tear-streaked face, but he stopped himself and put his hand down. "I wish I could touch you," he whispered wistfully.
Bruce looked away. "I wish I could touch you, too," he said. "But if I do, you die. And I am not about to make that sacrifice." He looked up and met Clark's blue eyes. "I would give anything to let you live, Clark."
"Don't," Clark said. He smiled gently. "You'll be tempting and playing dirty with your younger sister. I think Fate is the last thing you want on your bad side."
Bruce could not help but laugh a little. "No, my older sister is way worse." He immediately sobered up. "In fact, she was the reason for all this," he said with a broken voice again. "She made you fall in love with me. You were not supposed to. You were supposed to be in love with… with anybody!"
"You're saying your sister made me love you?"
Bruce nodded. "And she made me love you in return. So that when it came for your time to die, I would have to live with the inevitable heartbreak for, well, ever."
Clark frowned. "But it feel so real," he said.
Bruce let out another small, dry sob. "That's the thing," he said. "It is real. Which is why it will be all the harder to live with."
"Oh… I'm so sorry, Bruce," Clark said. "You don't deserve to be in pain forever. Can't you ask her to, I don't know, reverse it?"
Bruce squeezed Clark's hands. "I did," he said. "Twice now. She refuses to. Said she can't. And so I'm doomed to know you loved me for five weeks, only to take your life and live with the pain."
"Hey, everything will be okay. You'll see," Clark promised.
Bruce did not agree. He did not believe in other possibilities. Because in the end, Fate would fix everything, one way or another. But he nods. He gives Clark the lie. But even so, a couple tears escape.
