Chapter Text
Bruce opened his eyes slowly to take in a lush, green, and decidedly unfamiliar landscape. He had been hoping to see something familiar upon returning home. At least.. he hoped he was home.
A mere matter of seconds later, 31 to be exact, he felt a sharp gust from behind and knew exactly what that meant.
“B!” he heard the god-like man exclaim and turned to face him, finally spotting something familiar. It made his chest pang with several emotions and he hoped none of them were visible.
Relief.
Longing.
Sadness.
If anything showed, he hoped it was the first. Luckily, judging by Superman’s never faltering expression of concern instead of shock, he had maintained his mask.
“Where have you been?” Clark starts as he approaches “Are you okay?” The furrow of his brow tells Bruce that he’s already using x-ray vision in an attempt to answer one of his own questions. He looks relieved to see no grievous injuries. “We were all so worried,” he said, his voice clearly more relaxed and softer as his hand lifted to Bruce’s shoulder. The touch makes Bruce’s heart hurt as he loses himself in thought.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to see another world? Another universe? Well Bruce had wondered. Now he simply wished he never had, not that he had intended to in the first place. He barely even remembers how it happened. He remembers being in the midst of yet another alien invasion, fighting along side the rest of the Justice League. Basically their typical Tuesday, not literally, but it felt that way sometimes. The next thing he knew there was a blinding light and he found himself elsewhere, and what he saw there would haunt him.
He had seen a world where Superman had become everything Bruce had once feared. But it wasn’t his Superman. His Superman was just as powerful sure, but he was also kind and unmistakably good. He had been told the other Superman had been that way once too though. So what was the big difference?
In the other universe, Superman had been with Lois Lane just as in Bruce’s own. There was one difference however, in their relationship. They had been expecting. They were going to be parents. Bruce imagined any version of Clark would be a spectacular parent. Before that came to be, the worst-case scenario happened. The Joker happened.
Superman had been tricked into killing Lois and their unborn baby (and inadvertently, caused the destruction of Metropolis). It was all too much for him. It broke him. Bruce concluded to himself that it all boiled down to two things. Lois and Metropolis. They were what kept Kal going and good and fighting for justice. They were what kept Clark sane.
Bruce could live with that he decided, even if it made his heart hurt for some unknown reason. At least he would claim the reason was unknown to him. In reality he just didn’t want to admit to himself that over the years Kal had gotten closer and closer to his heart, despite his armor and emotional walls. It was easier to just pretend the feelings didn’t exist and keep their friendship uncomplicated. Yeah, he could live with Kal being with Lois because she made him happy. She kept him sane. She was the reason they could both fight for the same side of justice.
“B?” Clark snaps him back into focus. The look he had was concerning. How many times had Clark called his name to be unanswered?
“I’m fine” Bruce shrugs the hand off his shoulder hoping a brisk attitude might make him less approachable. He should have known better. This was Clark and he never seemed to care whether Bruce was being “approachable”.
“Where did you go?” Clark’s features were littered with concern. May as well get this over with.
“I went to another universe but I’m back. The end” Bruce ground out the last two words like pure gravel.
Definitive.
Final.
End of discussion.
He knew Clark would get the hint. Especially since it wasn’t subtle at all. Everything else regarding his trip would be unhelpful and unwise to share. It didn’t matter anyway. He would make sure the events of that other world would never happen in his. He would rather die than see his world, his Superman, broken like the other.
Clark got the hint. He opted for a perplexed look and silence, so Bruce spoke again changing the subject. “Where are we?”
“Somewhere in Ireland” Clark smiled for the first time since he had returned. “Do you want a lift back to Gotham or the tower?” His smile grew blinding.
Bruce did what he always did. He sighed in exasperation if only to keep from sighing longingly. “Gotham”