Clark had finally arrived back at his apartment with Conner. He laid the him on the couch before turning to change in to his civilian cloths. At some point on the way home Conner had fallen asleep. As he finished changing he heard a soft mumble coming from the living room and hurried back out to see Conner was sitting up rubbing the sleep from his eye. He was looking around at his new surrounding. When he spotted Clark his eyes went wide and he looked as if he was about to start crying.
"Where daddy," he asked trying to hold back the tears that were starting to fill his eyes. His lip was starting to quiver as he searched desperately for the man of steel. Clark slightly confused by the question stare for a second. This pause only succeeded in sending Conner over the edge as he bursted into tears and started to cry. Without really thinking Clark crossed the room and attempted to comfort the boy. It came as a surprise when the he struggled and started to pull away.
"No, I wan my daddy!," Conner screamed. Then it hit him Conner had never seen him as Clark Kent. He had only ever known him as Superman.
"Its okay Conner it me, its daddy," Clark said as he took off his glasses and opened his shirt to reveal the shield on his chest. Conner's cries quieted as he saw the shield and looked up into his eyes.
"Daddy?" Conner asked not quite sure.
"Yes daddy," Clark confirmed with a reassuring smile. With tears still sliding down his cheek Conner climb into Clarks arms and clung to him as if he would disappear if he let go. Clark just sat there gently rubbing Conner's back as his and listened as the soft cries turn into sniffles. All the while mentally kicking himself for not bothering not remembering to tell Conner about his civilian identity. Then again how could he have known he'd react this way. Clark recall the look Conner had in his eyes when he had first seen him as Clark. Now that he thought about it that look was one of abandonment. Conner had thought he been left. Now he was really kicking himself. God he never wanted to see that look in his Conner again, but he could shake the fact that he was the reason for it.
"I'll never leave you Conner, not as long as I have a say in the matter," Clark finally said trying reassure him.
"Pwomis," Conner asked calming down just a little more.
"Promise," was Clark's immediate answer "and if I do have to leave you remember that I'll always come back." At this Conner looked up at him with his big blue eyes giving him huge smile before he buried his face once more into his shoulder. They sat together like that for several more long moments.
"Daddy," Conner said softly breaking the silence of the room.
"Yes Conner," Clark said looking down at the boy who had pulled his head from his shoulder.
"I hunwy," Clark couldn't help but laugh.
"Well then why don't we go make some dinner," Clark said as he stood still hold the little boy and head off to the kitchen.
It was nearing day break. The soft light case the room in heavy shadows. Clark stood in the doorway of his room watching as Conner slept. Conner laid curled up on his side both hands forming gentle fists. It had been two weeks since he had come to live with him and even now it still amazed Clark at how innocent he look especially when he slept. He took in a long breath as he began to think about what the day had in store for them. Over the last week he had given a lot more thought about who Conner was to him. In that time had come to the realization that despite how he had come to exist Conner was apart of him. Whether he was ready to call him his son yet or not he wasn't quite sure but what he was sure about was that he was family. For that reason he had decided to introduce him to his parent who would undoubtedly see him as their grandson. He had called his mother the night before and told them he was coming stay for the weekend and that he was bringing with him a surprise. She was thrilled with the idea of course of her son coming to stay the weekend, but she couldn't help but to be curious at what the surprise he had for them. Though despite her best effort of trying to find out what it was Clark had refused. Telling her that she would just have to be surprised. At the thought of how she and his father would react to Conner brought a smile to his face. He looked over at the alarm clock on the night stand to see it was a little after six in the morning.
Clark soared through the air with Conner held tightly in his arms and a bag filled with changes of cloths slung across his back. They had long since left the busy city of Metropolis behind and were now flying high about fields of crops. Conner had asked him where they were going, but had refused to tell him clamming that it was a surprise.
Clark could now see his family's home in the distance with his parents sitting and waiting on the porch. It wasn't more than a minute later he was landing at the steps leading up to the house and eager parents.
"Clark it it so good to see you," she says as rushes over to greet her son only to stop short when she notices Conner in his arms "and who is this," she asks gently noticing how shy he is towards her.
"Ma, Pa I'd like you to meet Conner, Conner," he saids as he gently lifts the boy's face from his shoulder turning it so the he is looking at his parents "I'd like you to meet your grandparents." He said as he set Conner down.
"Hey there," Clark's mother said bending down to greet the boy. Conner stared at her a moment before looking up at Clark. He gives him a reassuring smile before nudging him forward a little.
"Hi," was all that Conner could think to say. Clark's mother gives him a sweet smile that opens her arm inviting him in for a hug. Shyly Conner walks over into her arms and is quickly gather up into a hug.
"Hey there son," Clark's father greets the shy boy warmly.
"Hi," is all Conner says though this time he isn't as reluctant as before with the greeting. The smiles that he received from the older man and woman were enough to cause a smile to spread across his face.
The day was drawing to a close as Clark finished the last of his chores. Leaving the barn he caught sight of his dad and son. Yes that right son playing by the cornfield
"Daddy come pway," Conner's small voice calls out to him. He gives a small smile before jogging over to join them. When he reaches them Conner immediately runs over to him giving him a small hug before running away shouting back at him.
"Yous its," before running into the cornfields. He looks over to his dad and for the first time notice he is out of breath.
"You heard him your it," his dad tells him pointing towards the cornfield and letting out a laugh. Clark gives him a smirk before running after his son. He spent the next ten or fifteen minutes looking for him in the rows of corn without any luck. After about another five minutes searching Clark starts to get annoyed at the fact he can't find him.
"Conner it's getting late time to go in," he waits for an answer but get one "Conner this isn't funny anymore," this time he hears soft giggles coming from behind him. Just as he turns towards the direction of the giggles he hears the sound of small footsteps running away from him. He is about to go after them when he hears the sound go something falling followed by Conner's screams. At the second Clark takes off towards the sound of Conner crying only to find him a few moments later sobbing and holding his knee. In the dim light he can see that Conner had scraped his knee as he bent down and after using his x-ray vision saw that was the only part of him that was. hurt. He gathered him into his arm and flew off towards the house. They he was met by his parents concern faces.
"What happen," his mother asked having heard the boy scream.
"He fell and scraped his knee," Clark said as he set him down on a kitchen chair and trying his best to calm him "could you hand me the first aid kit," he asked examining it now in the better light.
"Sure thing son," his said handing him a small tin box.
"Thanks dad," Clark saids while taking out a few items "Conner this is going to sting a little but I have to get the dirt out all right," he looks at Conner who nods trying to blink away the tears. Clark takes a deep breath before using the alcohol wipe in his had to clean away the dirt. This action cause a renew round of tears to come from the boy before trying to squirm away from him.
"Daddy tat huwts," Conner wined as he tried to squirm away.
"Conner stay still, the more you struggle the more this is going to hurt," Clark tried not to sound too harsh but at the same time he couldn't let Conner's discomfort stop him from cleaning his knee.
After several more minutes of struggling Clark was finally able to finish cleaning and bandaging Conner's scraped knee. After which he pulled him into a hug to help calm him. As he sat holding Conner he recalled the conversation he had with Batman about him being more vulnerable. It had been so long since he had been in Conner's shoes, and until now had never seen Conner hurt.
"You've got to be more careful son," Clark said after another moment.
"I wiw twy," Conner said in between sniffles. When Clark finally pulled away he wiped a few stray tears from Conner's cheek.
"Now then why don't we get cleaned up for dinner, it smells like grandma almost got dinner ready." Conner nodded a smile replacing the frown that had exist only moments ago. He jumped down from his chair forgetting about his knee and looked up at him.
"Wac you," Conner said as he before running off to the bathroom. Clark just hung his head shaking it a little.
"Will he ever learn," Clark whispered to himself. Hearing a laugh coming from off to the side he turned to see his mother drying her hands with a dish towel "what."
"Nothing Clark dear, it just that I would have thought you'd know the answer to that on by now. He was about the say something in protest when.
"Daddy awe you comwin o not," Conner asked poking his head into the kitchen.
"Yes I'm coming," Clark said as he got up to follow his son who once again took off running.