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2024-05-30
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Velcro

Summary:

Batman had been limping- ever so slightly- the entire time since Clark had first greeted him entering the Watchtower. Even now, as he stood at the head of the table talking in that deep tone like nothing was wrong, he was lightly leaning his weight off of one foot. An ever so slight lean, one Clark might never have noticed if he wasn’t so familiar with the man.

//Batman is elusive about what’s bothering him, and Clark finally gets him to tell him.

Notes:

I randomly got inspired to write this and now my back hurts and it’s three ours past my planned bedtime so i hope you enjoy lmao

Let me know what you think- this is my first time writing Clark’s perspective and want to know what you think!

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

Clark never felt good about invading people’s privacy, especially when it came to his x-ray vision. Before he had been able to control the layers of it, Clark would worry that he would accidentally trigger it and see something he wasn’t supposed to. 

 

But usually anything he saw was bones, guts, hearts- you get the point. It still made him tear his eyes away, making him feel like he encroached on them because even if it was bones, they weren’t his bones to see. Though eventually, he did accidentally see through someone’s shirt. 

 

Luckily, he had been at school separated into a group with two of his friends, and when he looked up from where he was lettering the top of his poster, Clark could not see the blue band shirt his friend was wearing that day. Despite the fact that Clark had seen him shirtless plenty of times previously- it felt different, and Clark burned in shame for a whole week thinking about it- worried it would happen again.

 

But now that he could control it, he allowed himself to use it sparingly with people outside of Superman. When it was important. Like now- maybe?

 

Batman had been limping- ever so slightly- the entire time since Clark had first greeted him entering the Watchtower. Even now, as he stood at the head of the table talking in that deep tone like nothing was wrong, he was lightly leaning his weight off of one foot. An ever so slight tilt, one Clark might never have noticed if he wasn’t so familiar with the man- spending the most time with him than he did with any other Leaguer (save a few exceptions). 

 

Clark was distracted, listening as best as he could to the debrief as Batman shifted again off his left leg to adjust it. It must really be bothering him if he had to keep moving it around. Clark hoped that he was alright, he trusted him- but sometimes the Dark Knight made himself suffer more than he needed to. It wouldn’t surprise him if Batman had shown up for a meeting with a full leg cast while he could have just as easily gotten Clark or Diana to cover the meeting. 

 

Noticing the debrief was wrapping up, Clark caught enough of the tail end of what he was saying to engage with J’onn besides him about the discussion they had all just been prompted. 

 

Despite keeping up with the conversation, he couldn’t help but glance over to the other man occasionally- now turned slightly to be able to hold a conversation with Arthur at the end of the table with Barry besides him. 

 

Batman had moved a few steps, and his lean was gone now- standing just as straight and stiffly as he always did. His leg was more visible, and Clark guiltily focused for a moment to try and see through his cape to check on the injury. He was frustrated and a little relieved when the material remained opaque and impossible to see through. He should have expected that from the world’s most paranoid man.  

 

“You have a lot on your mind,” Clark snapped his head back to J’onn, who was watching and smiling at him as he was entirely pulled out of their chat. Clark felt his face heat up, and he chuckled a little in embarrassment at being caught. 

 

“Yeah, sorry J’onn.” J’onn didn’t look angry or upset, but Clark was still embarrassed to have been ignoring his friend. He valued J’onn’s insights and didn’t want to make him feel like he wasn’t being listened to. 

 

“No need to apologize, it is clear you worry about him.” Clark followed J’onn’s eyes back over to Batman. He was talking to Barry alone now, Arthur having disappeared at some point he hadn’t seen. Seeing the movement of the two of them turning their heads towards him, the white lenses on his cowl turned to look back at the both of them from across the room- probably wondering why he had attracted the attention of the two of them. 

 

Clark smiled, “I thought I had the x-ray vision,” standing and leading the two of them over a few steps farther from the table- not as close, and out of earshot to Captain Marvel who was still sitting- chatting Green Arrow’s ear off, though no longer about anything related to the Justice League. 

 

“I just noticed B’s been limping today. I don’t want him to push himself if it’s serious,” Clark admitted. J’onn hummed, and like always Clark didn’t know if it was in agreement, or thought.

 

“You should talk to him. Tell him to relax and take some time for himself, it will work,” he turned and looked at Clark with a warm knowing smile, “if it’s from a friend.” J’onn bowed his head once in acknowledgment, then excused himself to fall in line with Diana walking out of the hall. 

 

Clark turned and walked the distance across the room over to the only one left in the room, and Batman looked over his shoulder at him as he approached before resuming typing. 

 

He addressed Clark first. “Something’s on your mind.” He stated.

 

He spoke without wavering in his typing or turning as Clark leaned against the tall terminal next to the computer to partially face the other man.

 

“I just- noticed your limp earlier.” He started casual, hoping he wouldn’t close the lone-wolf off immediately, “I can handle your meeting tomorrow if you need bedrest.” There was a long moment of silence with no response from Batman.

 

Clark sighed. “You can take a day or two off without everything exploding.”

 

“Hn.” He got a slightly disapproving frown for his efforts, and Batman focused back to the computer to continue writing up his meeting notes, his typing returning to full speed from when it had slowed while Clark talked. “I can handle it.”

 

“That’s not the point and you know that,” he pointed out. He got a dismissive silence in return. 

 

“How bad is it?”

 

“I have to finish these meeting notes Clark.”  Clark didn’t have to see his eyes to know he was glaring at him, annoyed that Clark was trying to care for him while he was obviously busy muscling through life with unnecessary pain. 

 

“I don’t want you to overwork yourself- really, I can present tomorrow's debrief. Take some time off, B.”

 

“I don’t need time off.” The man was beyond stubborn, and Clark was just grateful patience came easy to him.

 

“Do you want time off?” He offered.

 

“I’m not injured.” It was like pulling teeth. 

 

“Then why are you limping?”

 

Bruce sighed in defeat, understanding the conversation was going in circles, and stared at Clark for several, long wearied seconds. Clark held his ground expectantly, at this point well accustomed to the variants of the bat-glare.

 

Bruce huffed before finally giving up. He turned away from the desk, bringing his gloved hands down to the seam of his cape and spread it open, the thick black fabric parting to reveal what the man had been hiding.

 

“HI Clark!” Clinging to his leg was the red and green suited bat-in-training, Robin.

 

Small, chubby and freckled pale arms and legs wrapped around Batman’s left shin as the young boy clung to the larger man. Clark stepped back so he could bend down a little, already returning his big toothy smile.  

 

This would be the fourth time he had met Robin, and Clark adored him. He wished Batman would bring the boy around the Watchtower more often, but he didn’t have to suggest it to know what the answer would be from the incredibly private, overprotective hermit. 

 

“Hey Robin! How long has he been chugging you around?” Robin turned to peel off of the large black boot, giving himself enough room that he could reach out his hand to shake Clark’s- a replication of the three other times they had met. For his father being such brick wall of a conversation partner, Robin was spirited and lively. 

 

“I’ve been here the whole time! You didn’t hear me huh? B’s teachin’ me stealth like how to hold my breath super long and quiet so I can come with him everywhere,” Clark made an impressed face.

 

“Everywhere?” Robin nodded enthusiastically. Above them, Batman huffed, his face no longer the dour expression it had been moments ago under Clark’s mother-henning.

 

“He wanted to go to space.” Clark had never heard someone say something so paternal with such a still poker face. 

 

Batman turned back to the desk, dragging his leg with a bit of strain from the extra weight from the boy. Robin didn’t bother holding back his laughter this time, giggling loudly as his mentor’s foot carried him through the air and then slowly back down to be just under the terminal. Batman went back to typing the mission report- his cape now pushed back over his shoulders so Robin could see around the room- like nothing had changed. 

 

Like this wasn’t the most adorable bring your kid to work day Clark had seen. 

 

“Can I borrow him for a bit? I wanna show him some of the really good views around here.” Batman had a face that told Clark he didn’t seem very impressed with the idea, but Robin was already crawling out from the desk and pleading at his father with big round eyes to let him go see more of the Watchtower.

 

The man’s resolve was visibly crumpling the more Robin hopped in place in front of him chanting ‘please’, and Clark knew he would agree with a little pushing. He had promised Robin to take him on a tour last time, but the both of them had been gone before Clark had returned from his last minute rescue mission.

 

“I’ll have him back in five minutes, promise.” There was a long tense moment of silence as both of them waited for permission. 

 

“Five minutes.” Batman relented. Robin cheered, squishing forward to give the side of his father’s legs a quick hug. He turned and skipped over to Clark, reaching his hand out eagerly and catching Clark’s as he tugged him towards the door they had all entered from. 

 

“C’mon! B told me you have a pool with a skylight and I wanna see it!”

Notes:

Bruce walks in as Batman, limping
Clark, worried: Bruce! Are you injured?
Bruce, pulling aside cloak to reveal Robin clinging to his leg: I will need to amputate, yes.
Dick: HI Clark :)

 

Had this prompt I wrote a bit ago hanging around :P so I decided to use it as a warmup