Chapter Text
The Daily Planet is livelier than usual when Clark arrives the following morning for his shift.
There is a excitable buzz of motion and chatter as people dart around the office, and he quickly realises that many of those conversations are focused on Superman and Bruce Wayne.
Crossing the room to his desk, Clark sees numerous photographs of himself and his partner across tables, pinned onto cork boards and scattered between articles and potential headlines.
Lois is hunched over her laptop, typing furiously as he approaches. She hears him drop his bag to the floor and looks up, a mirthful expression on her face as she raises her eyebrows with a grin.
“You’ve really done it this time, Smallville.” She says, holding up a photo of the pair walking out to Bruce’s car yesterday. Her voice is quiet as to not be overheard, but the amusement behind her words is unmissable. “I mean, Wayne of all people? I’m surprised, I thought you hated the guy.”
“Trust me, no one was more surprised that I was.” He replies, causing Lois to snort as he rolls a chair over so they can speak in hushed voices. He knew she’d see through the story considering her knowledge on both his and Bruce’s secret identities, and he was glad to have someone to joke with about the absurdity of the whole thing.
“I’m hurt, you know.”
“Hmm?”
“I mean, I thought we were at-least close enough for you to invite me to your wedding, but I see now, how it is.” She sniffs, turning her back to him dramatically.
“If I’d been made aware of my own wedding’s existence, you would have been the first person I’d invited.”
“Well in that case, I guess I can forgive.” she smirks, turning back to face him. She reaches out to touch a hand to his arm. “Seriously though, are you okay, Clark?”
Right, the hospital admittance.
Clark smiles at his friend’s concern. “Yeah, I’m all good now, thanks. And Bruce ran a few extra tests when we got back, just to make sure.”
“Oh did he now?” Lois winks knowingly, causing Clark to bury his face in his hands as warmth floods to his cheeks. Just how Lois had figured out about Superman, she’d also figured out about his massive crush on Batman.
“Don’t. I can’t believe this is happening to me.”
He’s spared of Lois’ teasing by a sudden shout from behind, and he spins round clumsily to be faced with a looming Perry.
“Kent!”
“Morning, Chief.” He greets nervously. Whatever Perry wants is most certainly going to be bad.
“Seen Superman lately?” Clark stares dumbly at the man, mouth ajar, as he weighs up his responses.
“Well it doesn’t matter, past is in the past,” Perry continues, “and right now, I need you to get an interview and information on his relationship with Wayne.”
“But- I mean, Superman doesn’t- I can’t just- sir-”
“Make it happen, Kent. I don’t know how you get his attention, go out to the roof and yell for all I care, but you’re apparently one of the only ones he’ll talk to.” He wafts his hand around as he speaks and shoots Clark a hard look void of any room for negotiation, before heading back to his office.
“I wonder what Superman will have to say about this?” Asks Lois’ gleeful voice, and Clark sighs once more.
“I guess I’ll just have to find out when I next see him.”
This is going to be along day.
—————
Bruce’s day is arguably longer.
He has no doubt that working at the Planet after a news story like this must be pretty terrible for Kal, but at least he has the separation from talk-of-the-town Superman and his civilian identity, Clark Kent.
Unfortunately, Bruce does not have this luxury. The story’s about him- playboy philanthropist Brucie Wayne, not Batman, and that’s really causing him some issues.
For starters, a crowd had formed around the entrance of Wayne Enterprises when he arrived this morning, overbearing and nosey as he pushed past them and their obnoxiously large microphones.
Inside wasn’t much better.
Despite the lack of direct questions from his employees, (no doubt too scared of getting fired) he still felt their watchful eyes on him throughout the day, and it put him on edge. Of course, it wasn’t unusual for him to be in the public eye- it was the norm, in fact- but with something like this; something so interlinked to his secret life and identity as a colleague and close friend of Superman, he couldn’t keep his nerves at bay and spent the better half of the day feeling snappy, tired and grouchy.
Luckily, his schedule opens up after midday, and the billionaire is quick to return home, and more specifically, to the Batcave. He’s been thinking about Clark’s trap all day, and so turns his attention to scanning through security camera footage for visuals on the attack. As suspected, facial scans on the men involved matches with previous scans of Luther’s goons taken through Batman’s cowl. He unfortunately loses track of the van due to camera blindspots, but the confirmation of Lex being behind things is better than nothing.
“Master Wayne, shall I lay the dining table for one extra moving forward?”
Alfred had greeted him at the front door that lunchtime with a playful twinkle in his eyes, and Bruce has just been waiting for the man to finally give in. Both him and Clark had omitted the small detail of their newly fledged marriage to Alfred when he’d picked them up from the hospital, and Bruce had been quick to slip out this morning before the man had gotten the chance to mention the headlines.
He doesn’t turn away from the screen, not wanting to rise to the obvious bait, and decides to go about the conversation in the pettiest way possible. “An extra? Why would that be, Alfred?”
A cup of tea and a plate of custard creams is placed to his right. “Well, for Master Clark, of course. I’m assuming that we’ll be seeing more of him?” Bruce can practically hear the smile pulling at Alfred’s lips. “That is- more than we already are, Sir.”
‘I’m sure I have no idea what you’re talking about, Alfred.” He sips his tea pointedly. “No, Clark will not be joining us for dinner.”
“Oh my apologies, Sir.” He busies himself with quietly clearing away a plate, which gives Bruce a moment of false hope that the man will drop it.
“I hadn’t realised the two of you were having a date night out.”
Bruce chokes on his tea.
“Alfred.”
“Yes, Sir?”
He shoots a Batman-esque glare that could very well incapacitate a weaker victim, but unsurprisingly, this does absolutely nothing to squander Alfred’s mirth.
“Clark and I aren’t together.”
“Of course not, Master Wayne.”
“I was merely strategising when I said we were.”
“Absolutely, Sir.”
“…You’re enjoying this.”
“I haven’t the foggiest what you mean, my boy.”
“What’s this about you and big blue getting married?”
Dick all but materialises at Alfred’s side, clad with an enormous grin which makes any sense of dignity shrivel up pathetically in Bruce’s chest. The only thing that could make things worse would be for Jas-
“Congrats on finally growing a pair and confessing, old man.”
Bruce is less than impressed as Jason joins the line, looking much too smug for his liking. The two men nod in greeting, and it’s obvious by their matching smirks that they’ve planned this ambush between themselves. Bruce wouldn’t put it past Alfred being involved as well, if the humoured crinkles around his eyes are anything to go on.
Mortifyingly, his family have somehow pieced together over the years that Bruce’s feelings towards Clark lean more on the not-so-platonic attraction side of things, and so this whole marriage spiel couldn’t be more of an open invitation for teasing.
Dick hums. “B, do you think Clark would rather me call him ‘dad’ or ‘father’?”
Snorting, Jason takes a seat in a desk chair, spinning slowly in a contemplative manner. “Hmm…or maybe ‘Pa?’”
“Neither. None.” Bruce snarls, causing the pair to bite back snickers. “I know you’re fully capable of working out the truth behind these rumours, and why they had to be made in the first place.” He pinches the bridge of his nose. “Clark and I are friends. That’s all.”
“Aw man, that’s a shame,” his eldest pouts wistfully. “It would have been pretty cool to have Superman as a step-dad.”
“Don’t worry, Dickiebird,” the chair squeaks mockingly under Jason’s spinning weight. “there’s still time.”
Bruce’s eye twitches almost imperceptible, and he curses the choice of having swivel chairs down here for no other reason than for this exact moment.
Alfred hasn’t looked this amused in years. “Are you staying for dinner, Young Masters?”
“That would be great, thanks Alfred!” Dick smiles.
After a few seconds of deliberation, and much to Bruce’s surprise, Jason gives in as well. “Sure, why not.”
He can see it coming a mile away when Alfred turns to look at Bruce now, eyes twinkling once more, and says, “Seems we’ll be needing extra dinner places, after all, Sir.”
————
When patrol rolls around, Bruce is glad to finally escape the persistent jests directed his way from the boys (and occasionally Alfred) which had ensued over dinner. Dick and Jason had mercifully left him to wander the streets alone, and he’s handled nothing more than a few muggings before the man of the hour pays him a visit.
After yesterday’s hospital encounter, the pair had discussed next steps whilst back at the manor, and from where Bruce was standing, they had three options- deny it, lean into it, or ignore it completely.
It was clear to them both that denial of the marriage claim, regardless of it being the truth, would likely fall on deaf’s ears. Once the public latch onto something, especially something as juicy as this, there was little to be done to get them to loosen their grip on it.
“Not to mention the trouble you’d probably get in by the hospital.” Clark noted. “With a lockdown like that, lying about your connections to me would be seen as a security breach.”
“Mmm. And if it came out that we aren’t married, my insistence at seeing you would be hard to explain.”
“Easier to explain Bruce Wayne needing to see Superman because they’re husbands, rather than the alternative.” Clark raises a brow and smiles, “unless you’d like to use this as a catalyst for revealing yourself as Batman?”
“Tempting, but I think I’ll pass.”
Leaning into the marriage sham was similarly off the table. There didn’t seem to be a reason for them to act in such a forward way- sure, Bruce had lied to the security, but that didn’t mean the pair had to start exchanging spit in public to avoid facing legal action. Plus, Bruce really wanted to avoid getting that physically close with Clark considering his unfortunate feelings towards the other man. The thought of kissing him; touching him, for no other reason but to keep up a fraudulent relationship sounded quite frankly, torturous.
“We might as well continue as normal.” Bruce had settled on, with Clark nodding in agreement. “The damage is already done- so long as we don’t fan the flames, people will eventually get bored.”
The two heros hadn’t spoken a word since then, and so as the Man of Steel plops down beside him on a rooftop, Bruce feels some of the day’s tension dissipate at being back in the man’s familiar company.
“Batman! It’s good to see you.”
“Mmh. You’re a long way from Metropolis, Superman.”
“You‘ve got me there, B.” Clark chuckles, holding up his hands. “It’s a quiet night, thought I’d swing by to check how things are with my favourite bat.”
“How considerate.” Bruce says sarcastically as he scans the skyline for anything of interest. Clark sits down to his left, swinging his legs over the rooftop to swing lazily from the building. “I have no doubt that Luther was behind yesterday’s events. Your assaulters were his men, and this wouldn’t be the first time he’s gotten someone else to do his dirty work.”
Clark’s lips are drawn into a thin line as he frowns. “Of course it was. Were you able to track the van?”
“It was last seen heading west on Stagg Street- I lost sight of it after that.”
“Darn, It could have gone anywhere.” He says, standing. ‘I’ll head back, see if I can’t find it and- Oh! How was your day? You know, with everything that’s going on.”
Bruce is briefly taken aback by the inquiry, but keeps his expression drawn. “Fine. I left work at lunch. The atmosphere was… somewhat distracting.” He decides that Clark doesn’t need to know of the relentless teasing he’d faced after work at the hands of his children and butler respectively- that would only make things awkward.
“Tell me about it.” Clark sighs, “I’m in the process of writing it up an interview with myself now.”
“Oh?” Bruce replies, light amusement playing on his voice. “A good interview, was it?”
The other man snorts.
“Hardly. Too revealing, and the public will have a field day, but too vague, and Perry will have my head. I’m just hoping for neutrally ambiguous.”
“I’ll be sure to catch it.”
Clark smiles wide before he steps off the ledge to hover in front of the bat. “Well, I best be off- talk soon, B.”
“Good night, Superman.”
He mentally scolds himself when he realises he’d been staring at the Kryptonian, all up until he flew out of sight. With a dramatic flourish of his cape, Bruce slips down from the roof and into the shadows of Gotham’s alleys below.
He will not succumb to this distraction.