Ch.9- Male Bonding

Wayne Manor, Gotham, USA

"It was crazy, Bruce. It was like I was watching a movie and couldn't turn it off. Only thing is, I was the star." Clark lamented to his friend.

It would be an understatement to say that he was surprised when the enigmatic Bruce called and asked him to come over—as Clark, not Superman, no less. Clark obliged his friend, and here they sat…chatting? Clark could tell Bruce had something on his mind, as usual, he wouldn't freely divulge the information. He had suspicious feeling that this was the only way Bruce knew how to open up, by having someone drag it out of him.

Bruce sipped his scotch, listening to his friend detail the happenings of his and Diana's off-world mission."And that's when she kissed you, huh?"

Clark got a faraway, dreamy look in his eyes, "Yeah."

Bruce chuckled. "Man, can you say whipped?"

"What? A man can't be whipped unless he is actually involved with the woman. Diana and I are friends, Bruce. Nothing more." Clark defended.

Bruce gave a non-committal shrug, walking to floor to ceiling window in his library. He regarded the scotch in his hands, turning the class so that the sunlight brought out all the nuances of the warm, rich color. "Clark, what do her kisses taste like?" He shot, intending to catch his friend off guard with the question.

"Like fire and wild orchids." He replied without thinking, a smile kissing his lips.

Bruce turned and smiled at his friend, "Anyone who is 'just friends' with a woman wouldn't assign a taste to her kisses, Clark."

Thoroughly bested, Clark could say nothing. He simply shrank into the soft cushion of the chair, running his hands through his hair. "Damn."

"Damn?"

"Yes, damn. This is why I've tried so hard to keep Diana in the 'friends' zone. I give into these feelings and we start something only to have it ripped out of our hands by tragedy or worse, things don't work out. I can't risk our friendship, Bruce." He spoke with all the conviction he felt in his heart.

When he heard no immediate response from Bruce, Clark glanced up. Bruce stood rooted in his spot, looking at Clark as if he had grown a third head. "You, my friend, are an idiot." He deadpanned. Clark stared at him in utter shock.

"What?"

"In case you have forgotten, you're Superman and she is Wonder Woman—two of the universe's virtually indestructible beings. So, unless an entire planet crashes on top of you guys, I don't foresee any real harm coming to either one of you. Cut the crap, Clark." Bruce's words were colored by a hint of annoyance.

"Excuse me?"

"First of all, Clark, you and Diana have never just been in the friends 'friends' zone. From day one, you guys acted like two magnets, inextricably drawn together. Much to the chagrin of me and Lois—albeit for different reasons. In the early days of the league, I was afraid your personal dealings would affect the League. Now I see that it's that very bond that helps us succeed. Whether it how well you two work together in combat or the inspiration you give to the other league members or-"

Clark held up his hand, "Okay, Bruce, gotta stop you there. You lost me between special bond and inspiration."

Bruce regarded his friend with an expression that read, Really? "Clark, either you really are naïve or you're an asshole that just wants me to tell him how great he is."

Clark guffawed at the last comment, "No, really, Bruce, enlighten me."

Rolling his eyes and giving an exaggerated sigh, Bruce began. "You and Diana have a way of finding each other, even in the heart of battle. Once the two of you link up, the battle's pretty much over. You two effectively and efficiently get into the thick of things and end the threat ASAP and without much collateral damage. The others in the League see this as well as the easy going friendship you two share and I think it inspires them to work better together as a team."

"Well, if Diana and I do all of that for the league, what do we need you around for?" Clark joked.

"You only want me for my money." Bruce deadpanned.

"So, you really think I should go for it?"

"You both have 'been going for it' for the last ten years. Even after that pathetic attempt at a first date you had when Diana first arrived."

Clark blushed a deep shade of red, "I thought we agreed never to speak of that again, Bruce."

Bruce fought to keep the smile off his face, "I can't help it. Besides, I tease Diana with that little piece of history, too. Imagine, the always composed Superman jumping the first meta human female he saw."

"Well, in all fairness, she is extremely beautiful and practically a goddess."

Bruce couldn't argue with the man on that. "True. True. Honestly, though. I think you two would be really good together, but you already knew that. The question is, what're you going to do about it?"

"So, why did you really ask me to come here, Bruce? I doubt it's so that you can play matchmaker for Diana and I." Clark stated, effectively changing the subject while getting to the point, still fighting the blush that refused to wane.

"Ah, it's like magic how you switch from mild-mannered, bumbling Clark Kent to Superman."

"Yeah, and you're stalling, Bruce."

Bruce resumed gazing out the large expanse of tempered glass, his gaze finally resting on his mother's rose garden. She used to tell him how it soothed away all her troubles to be amongst such beauty. If only it were that easy.

"She knows my secret."

The revelation stretched the silence impossibly between the two. The weight of it sucking the air out of the room; Clark did not need him to divulge who 'she' was.

"How long?"

"I suspect a while."

"What's her angle?"

"I honestly have no idea."

"Okay, so we need a plan in the event she -"

"I love her, Clark."

Speechless. That was the most appropriate term for this moment. Bruce stood unmoving at the window, his hand relaxed around the glass. Clark waited the moment out, curious about his friend's admission.

"In a way, I'm glad she knows. With a doozey like that out of the way, kinda makes all other secrets seem petty, right?" Bruce joked.

"You're taking this way better than I imagined."

"Oh, you imagined this moment? 'Cause I never have, Clark. I never thought I'd have to contemplate that someone I wanted to be with in that way would learn my secret. I guess I always thought I'd wind up alone…and I thought I was okay with that." Clark nodded at his friend's words. He had felt the same way.

"Aren't all superheroes supposed to wind up alone, Bruce? You know, sacrificing love for duty?" They shared a moment of silence.

Bruce finished his glass of scotch, his second in the last hour. He set the glass on the table, tempted to drink another. He chose not to do so. "I know who she is, too. My suspicions were confirmed this morning when I concluded my investigation."

"How does that make you feel?"

"Like I'm out of control. Clark, she shocked the hell outta me on that rooftop. After that, I became obsessed with learning her secret, too. Last night, I decided I didn't want to know anymore. That I wanted to be with her and it didn't matter that she wouldn't share that information with me. Then, I got the confirmation from the Batcave's computers. Ironic,huh? 'The Batman', master manipulator, consummate detective, didn't want to solve one of the great mysteries of Gotham. And I haven't even tried to use that information to my advantage. That's when I realized I love her."

"Well, that's a lot to digest. I guess the question is what do you plan to do about it?"