Chapter Text
The center of town was abuzz with energy as the fair came to life. Clark enjoyed this time of year. The sun was starting to set and it made the lights of the festival start to glow against the sky.
His family didn’t have a booth this time around, so he was able to show Bruce around. He guided the way through the booths and rides. He warned Bruce that he wouldn’t want to eat until after they went on a few rides.
“Some of them will flip your stomach.” Clark cautioned. “If you fill up on cotton candy and fried food, it’s going to end up all over your shirt.”
“I don’t really like thrill rides,” Bruce admitted. “I’m not too good with heights.”
“So no Ferris Wheel.”
“Please.”
“We got Bumper Cars and The Spinner.”
“The Spinner?”
“You get in these little spaceship saucers and it spins you around.”
“Like the Teacups at Disneyland?” Bruce asked.
“Yeah.” Clark nodded even though he’d never been there to know. But amusement park rides were probably similar enough to what they have here.
“So we can get food first then?” Bruce clarified. He would be lying if he said that he hadn’t made sure to leave some room for food. Alfred almost never lets him have fried food. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to try first. “What is deep fried butter?” He asked looking at one of the signs.
“Exactly what it sounds like,” Clark smirked. “I take it you want to try it?”
It was delicious. Bruce had to stop himself from drooling after the first bite. How had he gone so long without this! He was tasting everything there was to offer. He had deep fried apples and Oreos. He had fresh popcorn and cotton candy. He drank the sweetest cream soda he ever had in his life.
“So good,” Bruce said through a mouthful of deep-fried corn-dogs. “You want some?” he offered the stick to Clark.
Clark smiled and took a bite. It wasn’t his first time eating one of these, but he was enjoying watching Bruce try everything. Bruce had this habit of stuffing his cheeks when he ate something he liked. It was like he couldn’t get enough and had to keep taking bites.
“You might want to slow down,” Clark cautioned. “We haven’t even gotten to every booth yet. There’s a lot more food here than this.”
“Everything is so good! I can only get nachos and stuff at the amusement parks.”
“Most of this is homemade,” Clark shrugged. “The fire department is the one who organizes the whole thing. Anyone can pay to get a booth set up. It’s why we have such a variety.”
“Homemade meals are the best,” Bruce said.
“You want to try out a few games?” Clark asked. “They have Ring Toss, and the Strong Man Competition up this year.”
“No Tractor Tug?” Bruce asked, regretting when the words left his mouth. He wasn’t sure he would be able to live through watching Clark take part in something like that. He already struggled with that one picture. He would jizz in his pants if he actually saw the real thing. Clark shirtless and sweaty and….
No. He wasn’t going to think about it.
“Not this year. Stuff to win equipment isn’t until the fall. The only similar thing they have to it is the Strong Man Competition. It’s that game where you hit the hammer on a target to see if you can make the bell ring. It's just as fun, if not better. Less of a strain on the back.”
“I’m game.” Bruce deposited the last of his trash in a nearby trashcan. “What first?”
There was a game where you shoot fake ducks. Not that Bruce minded. It’s not like it’s a real gun or real birds, but Clark was very good with a gun. Granted, these games come around frequently in this town from what he had been told. It was probably why it was so natural for Clark to aim and fire like the gun like it was a part of him. He simply had to turn the muzzle like pointing a finger to get the desired shot.
“You’re good.”
“Thanks,” Clark flashed him a smirk. “Ya gotta be around here. Once you get old enough you get to go out with the adults during hunting season.”
“You hunt?” Bruce wasn’t sure how he felt about that, and he could tell from the look on Clark’s face that it showed in his tone.
“We got to.” Clark shrugged before taking one last shot. “Deer and rabbit can overpopulate quicker than you can blink. Let them be for one season and they’ll eat all the crops.” He didn’t look at Bruce as he spoke. Instead, he acted like he was more focused on picking out a prize. “It’s not for sport or anything. At least not in my case.”
He chose the stuffed dog before turning to Bruce and adding. “My family uses everything from the fur to the bones.” He gave the toy to Bruce.
“I’m not put off by it. It just surprised me that you did. I don’t remember you mentioning it before.” Bruce reasoned. Clark raised an eyebrow like he could tell he was lying. Then he smiled and pat Bruce on the back, saying that he didn’t take it personally.
“What are you guys up to?” Lana was suddenly behind them with Pete alongside her.
“We’re playing some games,” Clark said. “What have you guys gotten into?”
“Pete failed at the Strong Man Competition. He managed to get one of the stuffed bears though.” Lana held it up for them to look at. “So I got him some firecrackers from the Ring Toss.”
“You can win firecrackers?” Bruce asked in amazement.
“And bottle rockets!” Pete added. “I figured we can set some of them off in the junkyard tomorrow.” He was grinning at Clark.
“Yeah,” Clark smiled back, his eyes were sparkling with mischief. He looked to Bruce for confirmation that he was also in on this. All he could do was smile back. It didn’t sound like anything too bad, and he never got to do stuff like this with his friends. He was more than open to trying it.
“We should check out the Balloon and Dart game,” Lana suggested. “I heard that they’re even more impossible to pop.”
“Really?” Pete asked as the group started to move.
“This one kid’s dart hit the balloon and bounced right off of it!” Lana went on.
“Then why are we going to play this game?” Bruce asked. It sounded like a scam. Why play if you know you’re just gonna lose and waste your money?
“Cause Clark always manages to beat it!” Pete boast. Clark blushed at the praise. “So he’s gotta at least try.”
It was comical watching the way Pete and Lana pushed Clark along. They looked so small compared to him, yet they maneuvered him like it was nothing. Bruce had to fight back a giggle.
“You again,” The guy running the booth scowled. “You don’t get to stand here all day and win all my prizes.”
“It was that one time,” Clark squeaked. He put money on the counter for his darts “And I paid for all my darts.”
“You get one prize, then you scat.” The man handed him three darts.
“We’re all playing.” Lana put money down.
“Sure, sure.” The guy handed them their darts as well then stepped back to let them play. Pete wasn’t much good with aim and was soon out of darts, grumbling about how the game was rigged. Lana was a little better, but the few that she threw that should have hit bounced right off. Bruce was having the same problem. He tried throwing them with a bit more force but he couldn’t get any of the damn balloons to pop.
Then there was Clark. He took his time to line up his dart and threw it so effortlessly, but managed to get the balloon to give. The next few came in rapid succession, each with accurate precision. It was like Clark’s arm was a machine.
The last dart hit the board making a rather loud crack noise. Clark winced when he saw the crack in the board.
“What the!” The man running the booth was upset, but he also didn’t seem surprised. “For that, you don’t get a prize.”
“I figured as much,” Clark sighed. “Sorry.”
“Uh huh. You guys had your fun now get going.” He shooed them away.
“That was rude,” Bruce said not caring how close they were or weren’t to the booth. “He still won fair and square, even though the game was rigged. He deserves something.”
“You know what,” the guy at the booth huffed. “Here.” He tossed a stuffed panda at them. Bruce caught it. “Now get lost.”
Bruce rolled his eyes as they walked away. He passed the panda to Clark in triumph.
“Thanks,” Clark gave a sheepish smile. His face flushed pink, and Bruce found himself doing the same in response.
Lana was looking between them with a small smirk. Bruce didn’t catch it before it was too late. He opened his mouth to say something. He wasn’t sure what, maybe change the subject. All he could remember was what Clark had said in the car about this being a small town. If something was said now, then he could only imagine what Clark’s life would be like from this point on.
“Pete, we didn’t stop at the cotton candy booth yet,” Lana turned to the other teen.
“I thought you didn’t want any since that time you found an ant in yours?” Pete was bewildered.
“It was just the one time. And I’m craving some right now.” Lana was pulling Pete with her yet again. “We’ll catch up to you for the fireworks.”
“Cool,” Clark waved as they left. “Guess it’s just us again.”
“Yeah,” Bruce smiled at him as they started to make their way through the crowd again. “Let’s do that Strong Man thing you mentioned before.”
It proved to be one of Bruce’s worst ideas ever. The hammer he had to lift was heavy and he couldn't lift it more than a few inches. His first try registered. Clark was giving him tips on the sidelines, but the second one was just as bad as the last.
“You gotta get it over your head.” Clark came closer. His hands were gentle as he helped Bruce lift the hammer over his head. He must be supporting all the weight because it suddenly felt like he was barely holding it.
“Tighten your core,” Clark instructed. “When I let go bring it down as hard as you can, alright?”
“I got this,” Bruce nodded. It was a little embarrassing to have to get help, but it was from Clark, so he didn’t care. Clark let go and Bruce swung with all his might. He’s sure gravity did most of the work now that he was the one taking the brunt of the weight. The hammer came down hard and he heard the bell ring a few seconds after.
“Yes!” He cheered. Picked out something small: a stuffed sheep.
Then it was Clark’s turn. He had expected him to do well. It didn’t take him much effort to lift the hammer over his head. His shirt rode up a little and Bruce got to get a peek at that tummy. His whole body became taut like a bowstring, muscles bulging right before he swung down. He just fell short of the mark and decided to pass on a prize.
“I wanted to see if I could do it,” Clark acted like it was no big deal. “You want a souvenir?” He jerked his thumb in the direction of a photo booth.
“Let’s do it!”
The crammed into the booth and pulled the curtain. They took a few minutes to decide on a border and other decoration but after a few minutes, they were finally ready. The first picture would be normal, the second picture would be silly, and the last one would be random.
The first one they leaned in close and smiled at the camera. Bruce tried his best not to laugh when Clark leaned in and squished his face until his cheeks puckered and his tongue stuck out. The action was playful, but also gentle, like he was restraining himself. It was sweet. So Bruce retaliated by putting his arm around Clark’s shoulders so he could give him bunny ears.
The last one was Brice’s favorite. He could hear the timer ticking down to give them time to re-position themselves. Clark turned to him and kissed him, giving him time to melt into it before the flash went off.
“Come on. Let’s see how they came out.” Clark bounced up leaving Bruce with his heart still pounding in his chest.
~.~.~.~.~
It may have been a little cruel to leave Bruce that quickly. But he wanted to grab those pictures before anyone else snatched them by "mistake". He couldn’t fight the grin when he got a good look at them. Bruce was soon behind him and Clark passed him his copy of the pictures.
The sun was already set now, and everyone was starting to gather in the empty field. The fireworks would be starting soon.
“We should grab some good seats,” Clark said. “The closer the better.”
Bruce was at his side as they maneuvered through the crowd of people. Families had already set out their blankets so they wouldn’t have to sit on the grass and dirt. Maybe he should have bought one as well? Nah, it would have been a hassle to carry a blanket plus the prizes they had won.
“There you guys are,” Pete waved them down. “We got a good spot this year.”
Bruce sat down not sure if this was a good spot. He didn’t see any water, just a field. Don’t fireworks usually need to be done by water to avoid fire? He shrugged it off. It was dark, maybe he just couldn’t see where the actual setup was. He wanted to ask Clark, but decided against it. It was a stupid question anyway.
Clark was lounging next to him. He was laying back on the grass looking up at the dark sky. He looked over a Bruce with a small smile on his face. Bruce smiled back at him.
“We’re right up front,” Clark told him. “You’re gonna be able to feel it in your core.”
“What?” Bruce didn’t get it.
“You’ll feel in your chest,” Lana said. “It rumbles.”
“If you haven’t felt it before, it’s like something else,” Pete assured him.
It wasn’t long until the Kents and Alfred found them. They weren’t too far away from them and waved. Bruce appreciated the space. He didn’t want to be the one kid who had his parents hovering.
“You’re gonna love it,” Lana assured him.
Then the lights in the field went out and Bruce jumped out of his skin. Everyone cheered. Clark sat up. He placed a hand on Bruce’s shoulder to steady him, and let him know that it meant the show was about to start.
Pete was right, each explosion rumbled through his chest. At first, it wasn’t that bad. There was a flash of light as the firework shot up, and then the sky lit up with color. The sound didn’t come until a few seconds afterward, it took him by surprise. His mind was scrambling to catch up the lag of time between the light and the sound. Even worse he realized that the fireworks were being shot up from the edge of the field. Sure, the area was taped off so no one could get too close, but with where they were, fire was raining down on them.
Everyone around them was cheering. Even Clark was enthralled, and Bruce had to fight back a squawk when each one went up. It was bright, it was loud, it was terrifying. He wanted to scream, but he couldn’t.
“Clark…” He managed to get his mouth to move enough and to get his voice to make his way past his lips.
Clark looked over at him grinning from ear to ear before he took in Bruce’s disposition. His smile dropped and he asked Bruce what was wrong. Bruce shook his head still unable to express himself. His hands were trembling now, and his breath was becoming shallow.
“Bruce,” Clark laid a hand on his shoulder. “You okay?”
“I can’t…” Bruce squeaked. His stomach was twisted in knots. Again, he was so terrified that he couldn’t move. But Clark seemed to know what was going on. The rest happened quickly. Clark’s warm arms wrapped around him so they were chest-to-chest, and lifted him off the ground. One arm supporting his bottom the other on the back of his head. He thinks there was a short conversation with his parents and Alfred, and then they were moving.
In a flash, they were at the edge of the festival. He was being placed in the back seat of a car and Clark was putting something over the front windshield to block out the flashing lights. Then he slid in next to him and asked if he was okay.
“I’m alright,” Bruce tried to calm down. “I’m alright.”
“First time seeing fireworks?” Clark asked. He wasn’t teasing, only curious.
“First time being that close.” He wasn’t going to explain more, and Clark didn’t ask.
“Well, at least we got some time with only the two of us.” Clark came a little closer and pulled him towards him. He was trying to be casual, but comforting at the same time.
“We left all our stuff on the hill.” Bruce reminded him.
“Ma will bring it back,” Clark assured him.
The thunderous boom was a dull noise in the background now. It made it easier for him to catch his breath and compose himself.
“How long until the show ends?” Bruce asked.
“It goes about a half hour. It’s only a few minutes in.”
“So we have a little while until everyone comes back?” Bruce sat up. The fireworks sounded like a roar in the distance. Far enough to not have to worry about them.
“Yeah,” Clark relaxed into the seat. He looked forward as if he was watching something. But that couldn’t be possible because of the sunshade over the window.
Bruce settled in next to Clark. They let the quiet continue for a second longer before he finally asked the question that had been on his mind for the past year.
“Do you want to be my boyfriend?” He somehow managed to ask without stuttering or straining. And to his relief, Clark didn’t tense or look strained. Instead, his cheeks tinted pink as he turned to face him.
“If you don’t mind the long distance,” Clark replied bashfully.
“Well, I own a jet. I can come down whenever we miss each other too much.” Bruce smiled. It was one of the perks of being rich.
“Or I could come up to see you once in awhile.”
“Winter break would be a good time.” Bruce came a little closer. “After the holidays. It would only be a few days, but Gotham looks pretty good in the colder seasons.”
“I’ll ask Ma about it. Visiting I mean. I’ll ask her if I can come up to visit.”
It took Bruce a second to realize what Clark was getting at.
“Your parents wouldn’t be okay with us dating.”
“I’m…not sure,” Clark shifted uncomfortably. “We’ve never talked about it before. But this town is pretty…well, I told you before.”
Bruce blinked trying to process everything that was being said to him. He had only heard of people who were “in the closet” he’d never experienced it himself. Alfred had accepted him the way he was. He never even had to “come out." After the incident with Harvey, Alfred had a short talk with him about appropriate behavior when he had someone over, and that had been it. There was an open invitation to ask more questions, but Bruce never felt the need to go to him at this point.
He couldn’t imagine what it must be like to keep something like that from the people closest to him. What it must be like to fear rejection from the only family that he had. He placed his hand over one of Clark’s and offered him a small smile.
“Don’t feel bad about it,” Clark gave a soft chuckle, trying to lighten the mood. “I’m sure they’ll be fine with it when I tell them.”
They may have only known each other face to face for a few days, but Bruce could easily tell that he was lying. It wasn’t like he could do anything about it, besides be supportive. He was going to say a few words of comfort, but Clark leaned up and kissed him.
“I thought you said…” Bruce backed away remembering what had happened at the drive-in movie.
“Everyone is watching the fireworks,” Clark was back in his personal space in an instant. “No one is going to catch us.”
Bruce blushed but was more than happy to indulge. He settled beside Clark in the back seat. Clark gave him a sly smirk before he pressed their lips together again. Bruce brought his hand up to cup Clark’s cheek and thread to his hair, pulling him closer. Clark made a noise in the back of his throat like last time and opened his mouth a little. Bruce took it as an invitation and slowly let his tongue slip inside.
Clark let out another moan, this one a pitch higher than the last. One of his hands were on Bruce’s hip. His fingers gingerly touch and pulled him a closer. Slowly and carefully, his hands went up Bruce’s back to rest on the middle of his spine. They were touching from chest to thigh as Bruce tipped them over, finally able to fully access Clark’s mouth. It was way more intimate than he had expected to get during this visit.
Not that he was complaining.
Clark let out a sigh. The breath that met Bruce’s was a bit colder than he expected… a lot colder than he expected. Everything happened at once. Clark pushed him off, his hands gentle but firm and closed his mouth so tight his lips pursed together. He looked up at Bruce with wide eyes like he was guilty of something and didn’t know what to say. And while it did puzzle Bruce, he wasn’t sure what had happened.
“That was…odd…” Bruce wasn’t sure what to say.
“I’m, I’m not sure how that happened.” Clark looked away nervously. “I don’t know how I did that. Maybe I breathed out weird.” His words were strained.
“It’s fine. It’s was weird, but not unpleasant.” Bruce wasn’t sure what else to say.
Clark let out a sigh of relief.
“It sounds like things are winding down,” Clark said. Which was ironic, because the fireworks sounded like they were going off faster than before. He must have made a face because Clark chuckled before explaining that what he was hearing was the finale.
It was a disappointment because it meant Clark was going to put some space between them once people started coming around. Just as expected, it wasn’t long until the adults came back.
“Are you okay Bruce?” Mrs. Kent asked as she slid into the back seat with them for the ride home.
“Yes,” He tried not to be embarrassed by what happened.
“Are you sure?” Alfred was turned around in the passenger seat.
“I’m positive. It startled me, but I’m okay now” He wanted the conversation to pass so they didn’t have to dwell on it. He’d never been scared of fireworks before, it was because of the proximity they were in that had made him ill at ease.
The drive home was filled with chit-chat. At some point, Clark closed his eyes and started to doze off. Bruce didn’t blame him. It was a long ride back and he would do the same, but all the bumps in the road left him unable to get comfortable enough to rest. He kept himself occupied looking out the window so his thoughts could drown out the adult conversation.
Clark slumped between them as he slept. His head lolled to his mother’s shoulders before it rested on Bruce. It made the ride more pleasant.
Sure the windows were down and it let the smell of manure in, and tomorrow was probably going to be unbearably hot. But he was still glad he came, and glad he got to see Clark in person. He couldn’t wait to see what else there was to do with him in this little town.