Title: Best Friends Forever...Literally

Fandom: Justice League

Characters: Wonder Woman, Superman, Batman

Prompt: 028. Children.

Word Count: 480

Rating: G

Summary: Bruce didn't have a childhood so being turned into a child for even a short amount of time, has taken its toll on him emotionally. Clark and Diana refuse to let him brood alone on this one.

A/N: Reading this story might require knowledge of the JLU episode "Kid's Stuff". If you haven't seen it you'll still get the gist of what happened from the story. Not really a spoiler, but I wouldn't read this if you don't want anything ruined as well.

"I'm fine, Superman. Back off." Bruce told him for the tenth time that day. After their interlude with Mordrid and being turned into kids, Bruce had made a comment that Clark simply wouldn't let go.

"Circumstances aside it was kind of...enjoyable to be a kid again." Wonder Woman remarks, a smile lighting her face.

"I haven't been a kid since I was eight years old." Batman replies as Wonder Woman's smile disappears and the heroes turn to go back to the watchtower.

Normally Clark would let him be to brood on his own for a couple days, but today he felt the need to pry.

"Listen Bruce—"

"It's Batman on the watchtower boy scout."

"Batman. We need to talk about this. It must have been really hard for you to be a kid again. I can't imagine what it must be like to—"

"No, you can't. Now leave."

"Bruce! I've been looking everywhere for you. Hello, Kal."

Batman sighed deeply as Diana turned the corner into the hallway he'd been trying to loose Clark in. He would soon be at his destination, but he wasn't sure that he could fight off both of the super powered beings. Clark alone would have been easy...Diana was significantly more stubborn.

"I'm sorry about what I said, Bruce. I didn't mean to bring up memories of—"

"Enough! First of all, it's BATMAN on the watchtower. Second, I don't need your sympathy, and that goes for both of you. Neither of you have any idea what my childhood was like and neither of you can empathize with me. I've been alone my entire life. I don't need either of you to be with me now or ever." Bruce seethed.

Both Diana and Clark mentally and visibly took a step back and winced. His words had stung them and he knew it.

After a few seconds of dead silence, Clark spoke up.

"You're right and wrong, Bruce. We don't know what your childhood was like, but you're wrong to say that you've been alone your entire life. You've had Alfred, your bat-clan, and now you have us."

Clark put his hand on his best friends shoulder before turning around and walking away. Diana looked at Bruce for a moment before quickly pecking him on the cheek and following Clark down the hall.

Bruce keyed into his room, secured the door, and sat down hard on his bed before taking off his mask. A tear ran down his face and he laughed bitterly, thinking that it must have been the first time he had cried since his parent's death.

He felt alone.

"No." He said out loud. Bruce touched the com-link in his ear and called Superman and Wonder Woman to the residential quarters for an emergency league meeting.

He wasn't alone.

He'd never be alone. He had two immortal best friends to talk to after all.