Chapter Text
The three of them sit around the table quietly for a while, mostly pushing food around on their plates.
“Bruce, I really… I can’t say thank you enough.” Clark looks Bruce straight in the eye as he searches for the words to convey how grateful he was. “I don’t think I can remember everything, I was pretty out of it for most of the time, but… I think… well, I think you got there at the last moment, didn’t you?”
Bruce glances at Lois, who is staring intently at Clark, looking like she’s trying hard not to react. “Yes, I think you were… out of time. You’re welcome, and I’m sure you would return the favor if I ever needed it. But really, you can stop saying thank you. Alfred will scold us both if he hears it again.”
“I probably owe him a few thank yous too, actually.”
Alfred enters the room just as Clark says that. “No further thanks required, Mr. Kent. Although, I must insist you retire, as you are clearly still weak. Bruce, you as well – I know very well you have not slept at all since the night before last. Mr. Kent, you may use the room in which you showered. Ms. Lane, you may use that room as well or, if I have misinterpreted the nature of your relationship with Mr. Kent, you may use the room across the hall.”
Lois smiles, a small, gentle expression. “Please, Alfred, call me Lois. And call him Clark. If Clark is okay with it, I think we will be happy sharing a room.”
“Very good. Breakfast will be provided when you awake, and we can make a new plan then.” He turned to Bruce. “I’ve turned down your bed for you, sir.” He then walks back out of the room.
Bruce smirks. “He only does that when he thinks I’m being particularly stubborn about sleep. He’s probably worried I’ll try to go on patrol tonight.” He stands up, pats Lois on the shoulder, then follows Alfred out of the room. He pauses briefly at the door and turns back. “Let us know if you need anything.”
Clark and Lois stand up from the table and walk slowly back to their guest room. Clark still feels weak and tired, and his powers definitely still are not fully back online, but he’s at least able to make the walk without any issues. He smiles at Lois as she pulls the covers back and motions for him to get into bed. Once she’s in bed next to him, she lays on her side, staring at him.
“Come here, Clark. Let me hold you.” Clark looks at her for a moment, then slowly scoots closer and curls into the fetal position with his head at her chest. She wraps her arms around him and holds him tight, leaning down to kiss the top of his head. “I was so scared for you, I’m so glad you’re back. I’m so sorry, Clark.”
Clark is glad she can’t see his face very well from this position, because his eyes immediately burn with the salt of the tears gathering in them. He takes a deep, shuddering breath. “I’m sorry I worried you, Lo. I should have been more careful.”
“Shut up, Smallville, it’s hardly your fault that Luthor is obsessed with beating Superman. I’m just glad you told me about the communicator Batman had given you – I… I don’t think I would have found you in time, without it. Without him.”
“Bruce seems like a good guy. Guess that Brucie persona that’s always in the gossip column is a cover.”
“Kind of like the bumbling, midwestern, softhearted reporter, huh?”
“Come on, Lois, you know that version of me is more real than the Superman façade!”
“Well, maybe the midwestern and softhearted parts, I’ve met your parents, after all. Let’s get some sleep, Clark. You need it, even if you spent most of the day unconscious in the sun.”
“Goodnight, Lois.”
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Bruce, as was usual for him, snapped between sleep and wakefulness in a moment. He sees the gray light of an early morning just before sunrise peaking through the barely open curtains to the balcony attached to his room. Despite it being quite early still, he decides to get out of bed and get ready for the day – he figures it’s best, considering he has guests. Sitting up, he scrubs his face, then lightly steps out of bed and walks to the bathroom. He only needs a few minutes to get ready, having showered off the stress of the rescue mission the night before.
He makes his way to the butler’s pantry and starts brewing coffee, leaning against the cupboards as the rich smell filled the room. His eyes were closed, but his mind was parsing through mental to-do lists and documents, already building theories on where the Kryptonite came from and circling around to plans for the Justice League and narrowing in on his memories of the Daily Planet articles he’d read before bed – it hadn’t taken long to remember that’s where he knew the name from.
Bruce pours a cup of coffee and steps out of the room, heading towards his study. Most of his non-Wayne Enterprises business is handled down in the Batcave, but he doesn’t want to leave his guests alone too long, not being sure when they’ll wake up. He sits at the overly grand desk and starts searching for any information he could garner on who exactly was involved in Superman’s takedown.
At some point, Alfred stopped in to give him a snack and let him know he would start preparing breakfast. He smiled at Alfred then, thanking him, and turned to look out the window. To his surprise, the sun is well and truly up now, though it is still relatively early. He is actually surprised that Lois and Superman – Clark, he should think of him as Clark – weren’t awake yet.
No sooner had he thought that, though, than he heard a loud shout, a crash, and a thunderous crack – seemingly all at once.