09/25/14
A day late and a dollar short but it's the thought that counts, right?
Sept 24: Hurt/Comfort/Sickness Wednesday: Suggested by Storm137.
While under the rays of the yellow sun it was nearly impossible to hurt Superman. Clark hadn't even been sick since he was five years old. Still that didn't mean he didn't need comfort on occasion.
Pete patting Clark's back after Lana ditched him yet again. Chloe nearly attacking him with a hug after Whitney did what Whitney does. Ma brushing back Clark's hair at times Clark didn't even realized he needed it. Pa simply standing beside Clark and giving one of his shoulders a squeeze without saying a single word.
All of these things made Clark felt connected to a world he had to hide himself from. It let him know that he was cared for.
When taken to the future, Clark felt lost without these connections. He sunk, being thrown up onto a pedestal.
Over time the pedestal was still there but the Legion stood beside him. Bouncing Boy patting his back, learning early on not to do it too hard or he's just hurt his own hand. Triplicate Girl tackled him with hugs, three times as much as Chloe but, to be fair, Triplicate Girl had a slight advantage on that one. Saturn Girl straightened his hair when it was windswept but also yanked on his ear whenever Clark doubted himself. Lightning Lad was not the squeezing shoulders type; he was more of the bunching the shoulder and inviting you to shoot hoops type. Timber Wolf would stand or sit quietly with him and wait if he sensed Clark needed to talk and he was very patient. Phantom Girl, per usual, was the most random and spontaneous, Clark never knowing if she was going to sarcastically mock him, cheer him on with over enthusiasm or try to braid his bangs.
For a while it seemed like it was just Brainy still looking up at Superman on the pedestal. He seemed eager to spend time with Superman but it was usually some sort of activity you do with a friend of the family visiting town; showing him the sites rather than talking and just hanging out together.
It didn't take Clark to realize it wasn't that Brainy just thought of him as some celebrity. The famous historical figure aspect was there but it was more on the lines that Brainy didn't know how to be personable. Even though Brainy had known most of the Legionnaires for years he still shrugged off Lighting Lad throwing an arm around his shoulders, avoided Triplicate Girl's hug attacks and other things that Brainy did to put distance between himself and the others. The only one that managed to get close was Saturn Girl but Clark imagined it was hard to block out someone who could read your mind, even without telepathy.
Soon Clark found himself patting Brainy's back, throwing his arm around the shorter boy's shoulders, grabbing him by the hand and dragging him out of the lab to socialize more. For what good was Superman's strength if Clark couldn't comfort someone? Especially if that someone was as dear to him as Brainy was.