Chapter Text
TITLE: No Rest for the Powerless 5/5
PAIRING: Clark/Bruce
AUTHOR: Whiterose
RATING: PG-13
WORD COUNT: 3,083
DISCLAIMER: I only own the story.
SUMMARY: Clark and Bruce are enjoying a trip to Clark’s past.
Author’s note: Partly set during SV season 5, between episodes, Arrival and Mortal
~*~
After making love, there was comfortable silence, and then Bruce asked him, "You do realise that Danny Crozer's interest in you yesterday was because it was me, don't you?"
Clark nodded tiredly, "Huh-huh."
Bruce wondered aloud, "Do you have any idea if young Mr Crozer really bats for our team, or not?"
Clark swallowed and met his gaze, and admitted, "I have no idea. All I know is, he was a jock and he dated some of the cheerleaders but I can't remember him going steady with anyone in particular."
Bruce nodded, "So we don't know for sure." Clark shook his head, and then Bruce's face broke out into a wicked grin and he laughed, "God, you don't think we popped his cherry do you?"
Clark turned and frowned at him, "I don't even want to think about that. Besides, we don't know for sure this is actually happening, do we? Now, c'mon, my parents will be back soon."
~*~
Clark pulled his jeans up and then picked up and folded the blanket. They returned to the other end of the loft and Clark tossed the bottle of hand lotion back into the chest, closed it and then he draped the folded blanket back over the back of the couch were it belonged.
Bruce caught his gaze and smiled at him as Bruce fastened the button on his jeans and zipped up. He picked up his plaid shirt. He asked, "I'm starving after that. Can we make another sandwich?"
Clark chuckled, "Sure."
Bruce grinned, "Good." and then set off down the wooden stairs at a pace. Clark laughed and grabbed his t-shirt in his hand and set off after him. Bruce called, "C'mon, slowpoke!" as he ran out of the barn door.
Then as Clark cleared the stairs, he called again, "Clark!"
Clark rolled his eyes and came out after him, zipping up his jeans, and grinning, "I'll put you over my knee for being so cheeky."
Clark came to a halt when he saw that Bruce had come to a stop in the middle of the yard. Then he saw the familiar red VW Bug and then the blonde owner standing there looking wide eyed in surprise.
He uttered his old friend's name, "Chloe...?"
Chloe was looking between his and Bruce's shirtless bodies, at Clark's hands still at his fly. Clark cringed in dismay. Chloe swallowed nervously and asked, "Clark...?"
Bruce began putting his shirt on. He said normally, "Hi, Chloe."
Chloe's eyes darted to Bruce, she said with a straining tone of voice, "Hey, Danny."
Clark put his t-shirt on, and said, "Chloe, I didn't realise you were coming by."
Chloe frowned and asked, "Clark, what is going on here? I saw Lana. She said your parents told her you were here, but when she came over the place was all open but nobody was here. I came by because I was worried, I thought something might have happened to you..."
Bruce blatantly replied, "We were here. We were in the loft, and something definitely happened to him."
Clark gritted his teeth, and scolded, "Danny!"
Bruce turned towards him, and half shrugged, "She saw us, Clark, I don't think it will take Pharos long to figure it out, do you?"
It was true his friend Chloe Sullivan was very smart. After all, she had been an auxiliary member of the Justice League almost since its conception. She had been in charge of running the original Watchtower in Metropolis. But that was a few years into the future from this point in time, and he wasn't sure giving Chloe information about the future was a good idea, although she had always excelled at secret keeping.
Chloe stared at Bruce, she demanded, "Okay, number one I didn't know you and Clark were friends let alone this..." she motioned with her hands, "Number two what about Lana? Number three what the hell does Pharos mean?"
Bruce smirked and commented, "I told you so, Clark."
Clark sighed. She was not going to let this go now that her curiosity was piqued.
Chloe frowned. She moved closer to him, she tried to whisper, "Has something happened with you because you're..." she pinched her lips trying to convey the question without the words.
Bruce chuckled, "What we just did has nothing to do with him being Kryptonian, believe me."
Clark glared and pointed at Bruce, "You are definitely going to be in trouble later on."
Bruce grinned, "You're not fast enough to catch me without your powers, Kent."
Chloe Sullivan declared, "Oh, my god!"
~*~
They had gone inside the house for more privacy and Chloe was pacing, "Okay, let me get this straight. Your ice dad sent you back in time, somehow in your younger bodies. But why would he do that, why now?"
Bruce answered the question, "Jor-El sent us back, because Clark lost his powers and didn't want to get them back. The AI wanted to teach him a lesson."
Chloe's eyes brightened, "Just like now. So you do get them back, when, how long?"
Clark groaned, "I can't tell you too much, Chlo, but yes I do get my powers back."
Chloe bit her lip, "Okay, I can understand not revealing too much..." then she turned to Bruce, "So, who are you, are you really Danny Crozer because you don't seem like him, not really?"
Bruce glanced at Clark and admitted to Chloe, "No, I'm not Danny Crozer, but you and I know each other. We sometimes work together."
She asked, "Are you a journalist, do you work at the Daily Planet?"
Clark grinned at Chloe’s determination to be a journalist, and the idea that Bruce worked at the Planet and not Clark. Though of course, Chloe didn't know that. "No, Chloe, he doesn't work at the Planet."
She frowned, "So how?"
Bruce told her, "You have helped Clark and I save the world quite a few times now."
Chloe nodded smiling at Clark, “You’re a hero.”
Clark admitted, "At this moment in time I didn't want to face my destiny..." then he smiled brightly, "But I come around in the end."
Bruce reached out and squeezed his shoulder, "Yes, he does." Bruce continued, “And yes, he is. He’s the greatest hero the world as ever seen.”
Clark found himself blushing and Chloe exclaimed happily, "I knew it."
He told her, "He is a hero too. He’s my partner, Chlo."
Chloe's face broke out into a huge grin, "And I help you, and we’re still friends right?"
He nodded, "Yes, we’re still friends."
"Wow, um I guess from what I witnessed before you're not with Lana in the future either."
Clark shook his head, "No, it didn't work out with Lana. I meet him several years from now; and we fall in love with each other."
Bruce added, "As well as being best friends for years."
The smiled fell from Chloe's face and she swallowed, "You fell in love with your best friend?" she put on a brave face and asked, "I guess I must get replaced in the best friend department, huh?"
Clark bowed his head. He hadn't really understood at this age, it was only later that he had realised that Chloe not only had a crush on him but had been in love with him. He reached out and took her hand, "Chloe, you were never replaced. You mean so much more to me than just a friend, in my heart you are my sister."
Chloe pinched her lips. Clark knew that wasn't something you wanted to hear when you really wanted someone. However, Clark knew Chloe had eventually moved on from him, and gotten on with her life. That within this very same year she would take the first steps to do just that.
Chloe glanced between them, and Bruce nodded, "It is true, Chloe. You and Lois are the world's best and most annoying sister-in-laws ever."
Chloe's eyes widened, "You know my cousin Lois too?
Bruce grimaced, and said wearily, "Yeah, I know Lois."
Chloe chuckled in understanding and then she asked, "Wait a minute, oh my god, sister-in-laws?"
Clark chuckled, "I told you, Chlo, Bruce is my partner."
Chloe began grinning from ear to ear, "At least, a double L didn't get him in the end."
Bruce concurred, "No, he's definitely mine."
~B~
They spent the next while answering Chloe's enthusiastic questions and giving her tiny nuggets of information that would placate her, which they believed wouldn't hurt the future.
Chloe exclaimed, "Gosh, this is so cool. Are you sure I can't tell Clark, I mean eighteen-year-old Clark, any of this. I mean it could really help him."
Bruce glanced at Clark and saw the strain on his face. He knew Clark was dying to tell Chloe the momentous things, the good and the bad that had happened in the intervening years and that the urge to try to change things was tremendous, especially Jonathan Kent’s death. However, he and Clark had learnt over the years that changing the past didn't help, sometimes in made things worse, that you could only move on and try to make the right choices in the future.
Clark shook his head, "No, Chloe, just be there for him, and help him all you can, that's the only thing I can request of you."
Then Chloe asked, "So how long are you going to be here? Do you know what you have to do? Will Clark and Danny Crozer remember any of this?"
Bruce smirked, "You are just the same Chloe, just as inquisitive but slightly cuter." He and Clark shared a smile, and then Bruce admitted, "The hard truth is we really don't know the answers to those questions..."
Clark chuckled, "It's so hard for you to admit that isn't it, B. But no, Chloe, to tell the truth we've just been really enjoying ourselves."
Bruce grimaced. Clark was right, it did bug him, but ultimately it had been fun being here.
The red pickup truck pulled into the driveway and Chloe wondered, "Have you told your parents?"
Clark shook his head, "No, Chloe, I don't want to give them more to worry about."
Chloe swallowed and nodded in agreement, "Okay, I understand that. I better get going, but if you need anything call me."
"We will."
Chloe went to the door, turned and grinned, "I've got to start planning, and Clark, I'll see you in the future."
Chloe left, as Jonathan and Martha returned, saying hi and goodbye as they passed by. Clark's parents entered and Jonathan looked around at the work they had done, he smiled, "You boys have been hard at it, haven't you?"
Bruce saw Clark's eyes light up and he saw Clark was literally restraining himself from hugging his dad. Bruce couldn't blame him, if he was face-to-face with Thomas Wayne, Bruce would feel the same way.
Jonathan patted them both on the back, "Good work."
Martha smiled at them and asked, "Are you staying for dinner again, Danny?"
Bruce told her, "Thank you very much, Mrs Kent. It would be my pleasure."
Martha giggled and tossed her hair slightly, she told him, "Such manners, you could teach my husband and son some graces."
Jonathan Kent wrapped his arms around his wife, and kissed her cheek, "You know we appreciate you, Martha. I couldn't do without you, sweetheart."
Clark concurred, "We love you, Mom."
Martha beamed lovingly at her husband, and her son.
~*~
They sat down together and as they ate, Jonathan inquired, “So Danny, what are your plans after the summer?”
Bruce considered. He had no idea what Danny Crozer’s plans were, and there was something about the Kent’s that made Bruce want to open up to them, so he answered honestly. He told them what he would have told them when he was eighteen, “I’m planning on going to Princeton.”
Martha looked impressed and Jonathan stared at his son, and said, “Hear that, Clark, Princeton.”
Clark sighed loudly, and bowed his head; Bruce was intrigued, “What’s going on?”
Clark raised his head and shrugged, “I was supposed to be going to Princeton, but the interview didn’t go well.”
Bruce raised an eyebrow, “Really…?”
Jonathan grumbled, “Yeah, my smart son there decided to throw an out of control party the day of the interview and the guy from Princeton was not impressed when he arrived.”
Martha reprimanded, “You know that wasn’t entirely Clark’s fault, Jonathan.”
Bruce studied Clark and he explained simply, “Smallville craziness.”
Bruce nodded in understanding and asked, “So what are your plans now, Clark?”
Clark glanced at his dad, and said, “I’m going to attend Kansas State, so I can stay close to home.”
Jonathan sighed loudly obviously not happy with the plan. Bruce defended, “I’m sure Kansas is a good school.”
“It’s not that, Danny, I just wanted Clark to have the best start in life, so he could go out there and make his mark on the world.”
He glanced at Clark. He could see that Clark wanted to tell his dad about the future, that he wanted to make his dad proud. Clark couldn’t reveal anything, so Bruce said cheerily, “I bet there is a Pulitzer Prize in Clark’s future.”
Clark glanced at him, and smiled gratefully for his support. Jonathan reached out and squeezed Clark’s forearm, “If anyone can do it, it’s Clark Kent.”
Clark grinned at his dad’s confidence in him.
Martha smiled softly, and then asked, “So Danny, what are you going to study?”
“I was thinking of criminology.”
Martha inquired, “Oh, are you going into law enforcement?”
Bruce shrugged, “I’m thinking about it.”
She chuckled, “So you can catch the bad guys and Clark can report about it, you could make a great team.”
Clark and Bruce shared a knowing smile, “Maybe.”
~*~
After dinner, they walked out onto the porch. He shook Mr Kent’s hand, “It’s been an honour working alongside you, sir.”
Jonathan replied, “You tell your old man, he’s done a great job raising you, son.”
“Thank you, Mr Kent.”
Clark smiled with pride and then said goodnight to his parents, who went back in the house. Then they went over to the black pickup truck. They both got in and they drove to the end of the driveway. Then they sat there quietly. Bruce told him, "I am honoured that I actually got to meet your dad.”
Clark reached out and stroked his cheek, “I’m so pleased you got to meet each other, Bruce. He seems to have taken a shine to you.”
He smiled and told him, “He’s so proud of you, Clark. He loves you so much.”
Clark smiled softly, “I know that, and being here and seeing him, it has reminded me that my dad never gives up, when there was still work to do; he just got on with it. He found all that strength because my mom was always by his side.”
Bruce caressed the youthful, soft cheek of his lover, “And I will always be by your side.”
Clark smiled, “Partners always.”
“That’s right.”
“Do you think you are ready to go home now?”
Clark leaned in and kissed him, “Yeah, I think I am.”
Bruce returned the kiss passionately, pulling him closer. As they kissed, a light engulfed them. When they pulled apart, they were sitting on the bed in their bedroom.
They stared at each other, “We’re back.”
Bruce remembered them sitting in the pickup truck making out. He chuckled, “I bet Danny Crozer was in for a surprise, I surely hope he really did like you, Clark.”
Clark grinned, and then he studied the hexagonal disk in his palm. “I guess we’re taking a trip.”
~*~
They flew the Batwing up to the arctic, parked it outside, and entered the crystalline fortress. Batman stared at the familiar but still impressive structure. Clark walked over and stood in front of the console.
The authoritative voice echoed, “Welcome home, my Son.”
Clark called, “Hello, father, I have come to see if you can cure my Kryptonite poisoning and return my powers.”
“I see you have come to your senses, Kal El.”
Clark pursed his lips in annoyance but said, “Yes, Jor El, your trial succeeded.”
The voice answered, “I sent you on no trial, Kal El, only a journey of rediscovery. I have imparted to you the knowledge of the universe, my son, but it was Jonathan Kent who taught you your life lessons. I hoped he would do so again.”
Clark shared a look of perplexity with Bruce. He asked the AI, “You mean you were being nice?”
“As I said to you, Kal El, every champion on a crusade needs a respite now and again. Do you not agree, Bruce Wayne?”
Batman’s eyes widened in surprise, “Is that why you sent me back as well, Jor El?”
“You are my son’s companion, Bruce-Wayne, you share many trials. You should share the joys as well.”
It seemed strange getting advice from an alien AI, but it was right, he had enjoyed and learnt a lot from this adventure. Weirdly enough that knowledge had been imparted by both of Clark’s dead fathers.
He told Jor El, “Thank you.”
Then Clark was surrounded by a powerful light. He was raised into mid-air and cried out as his body jerked violently as the blue Kryptonite was removed.
~*~
As Bruce and Clark made their way into the Manor, from the cave, Alfred popped his head around the kitchen doorway. His eyes widened as he saw Clark’s neck injury was fully healed. He asked, “Am I to assume, sirs?”
Clark nodded, “I have my powers back.”
Alfred’s face lit up, “That is good news, Sir.”
Bruce observed Alfred with fondness. He walked forward, “Come here, old man.” and then he hugged him tightly.
Alfred was clearly apprehensive eventually returning the hug tentatively. “What is the meaning of this, Master Bruce?”
Bruce pulled back and smiled at him, “A very wise man told me to tell you, you did a great job raising me.”
Alfred became flustered, “Oh… thank you, my boy.”
He replied, “No, thank you, Alfred.”
Clark gave him a blinding smile, which he returned happily.
The end