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When Clark arrived at the Watchtower, he was surprised to find that it was Damian at the computer, not Bruce.
Not that it was a bad thing, of course. Just uncommon.
He smiled as he approached the younger man, but let that smile fade when he took in Damian’s face. It was stern and focused, but clearly not on the machine in front of him. Almost worried.
And it was always a bad thing when Damian Wayne was worried.
“…Long day?” Clark asked softly. Was surprised again when Damian jumped, and spun around to stare at him. “…Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” Damian sighed, shaking his head. “Yeah, I…I’m fine. You just…snuck up on me.”
“Really?” Clark returned sarcastically. “Because if you were fine, I wouldn’t be able to sneak up on you.”
Damian kept his eyes lowered, shoulders tight. Stared at nothing for a second. A long second.
“…Do you know how much I love your son?”
Clark blinked, and was surprised for a third time in a minute.
“Because I…he changed my whole world.” Damian whispered incredulously, like he didn’t believe it himself. “He makes me laugh. He tells the worst jokes and I laugh at them. Not for his benefit, but for real. Like they’re actually funny.”
Damian looked at his hands.
“Before…training made me happy. Being better than everyone. Winning. I thought those were the only important things.” Damian breathed. “But now…he does. When he’s happy, I’m happy. When he says my name, I’m happy. When he exists, and I think about that…I’m happy.”
“You don’t look happy right now.” Clark quipped. “In fact, it looks like the fact you love him so much…bothers you.”
Damian looked at him. “I’ve just…never felt like this before. Ever, in my whole life.” Pause. “It’s terrifying.”
“That’s…” Clark smiled. “That’s not how most people look at falling in love.”
“What if me loving him gets him hurt?” Damian sounded like he was begging. “What if someone comes after him because I love him so much? Because I care about him, and openly let myself care about him?”
“…It’s a risk.” Clark admitted. “But one I think Jon can handle. Have you talked to him about this?”
“No, I…” Damian ran his fingers through his hair. “I think he’ll take talking about this as me pushing him away. And I.” Damian closed his eyes. “I don’t want to do that.”
Man, if Dick could see his protégé now.
What a change from the little boy, and even teenager, Damian used to be.
“I don’t think he’ll take it as that.” Clark promised. “I can talk about it with him instead, if you want me to.”
Damian shook his head.
“No, no. If it becomes dire enough, I can do it.” Damian sighed. Looked up at the computer. “…Clark, I’m not a good person.”
“Damian-”
“No, you know I’m not. Don’t deny it.” Damian pushed. The fact was, of course, that Damian was. He was as good as any of them. Maybe even better. But Clark knew it was a deep-seeded belief in Damian’s mind, and now was not a time Clark was going to be able to change that. “I’m not a good person, and yet the fates somewhere decided I was allowed to know your son anyway.”
“And I’m glad they did.” Clark smiled. Damian looked over at him timidly, and Clark smiled wider. “Speaking of…didn’t you two have a date tonight?”
Damian smiled, and it was tired. Tired but, as Damian kept reiterating…happy.
“We live together.” Damian hummed. “Every night is date night.”
And Clark wasn’t allowed to say anything. Jon had sworn him to secrecy. “Isn’t tonight supposed to be a special one?”
The smile warmed, if that was even possible. “The anniversary of the day we met, he says. Fifteen years.”
“Oof, don’t say that. Just reminds me of my own age.” Clark chuckled. “But get going, and don’t be so terrified about being in love, okay? Trust me – it’s good for you. I mean, look at me and Lois.”
Damian gave a little laugh as he turned towards the transporter. “He told me I was the Lois Lane to his Superman once.”
“That’s his way of saying you’re his better half, then.” Clark winked. “And that he may just worship the ground you walk on.”
Damian allowed himself to laugh as he walked away. And when he turned back, Clark saw the happy, embarrassed flush to his cheeks.
Clark gave him a wave as he disappeared back down to Earth.
~~
Bruce scowled as he descended into the cave, and found one Jonathan Kent standing among the memorial uniform cases. Not uncommon, especially when Damian was there. But Damian wasn’t, and Bruce hated when his son’s significant other wandered around his base alone.
Jon was looking at Damian’s own uniform. The one he’d died in as a ten-year-old. Face stoic and thoughtful. And that all just made it worse.
“Jon.” He hummed, making his annoyance clear as he walked by.
“Bruce.” Jon countered, immediately spinning around and trailing after Bruce like a lost puppy. “Can we talk?”
“If we must.” Bruce sighed, sitting at the computer. He used to say no, and ignore his teammate’s son. It was that or constantly fight about Damian, and sometimes Tim and Conner. But after realizing he and Damian’s relationship appeared to be lasting, and a stern talking to from Damian himself, he’d promised to…make an effort.
Jon made a pleased sound.
“Bruce.” He repeated. “Do you know how much I love your son?”
Bruce hesitated, quelled the churning in his gut.
(Not that he disapproved, or didn’t like that someone loved Damian as much as he deserved. It was just a…a…dad thing.)
“Because it’s a lot.” Jon snorted a laugh. “It’s a heck of a lot.”
“…I figured.” Bruce murmured, refusing to look at the other.
“I just. I want you to know, Bruce.” Jon whispered. “I will do anything for him. To make him happy, to keep him safe.” A pause. “I will kill to keep him safe, and not even hesitate.”
“I.” Bruce exhaled. “I know, Jonathan.”
“And I. Know about the threat of his grandfather.” Bruce froze. “I know about Ra’s. I know what he wants to do to Damian. And I just want you to know.”
Jon hesitated and Bruce finally glanced up at him.
“I will never let Ra’s touch him. I won’t let him look at him.” Jon sucked in a breath. “I know you want to protect him from Ra’s too, you and your family. And I know you all…try.” He emphasized the word, made it sound like he didn’t quite believe that they were. “But I swear on my life, and on the life of my parents. I will keep Ra’s away from him and stop any plan he has. No matter what.”
“I…I know.” Bruce repeated softly. “And no matter our differences, I appreciate that. Truly.” Jon gratefully nodded. “But, can I ask?”
Jon tilted his head.
“What brought this on?” Bruce questioned. “I mean, I know that. I always knew that about you. So why did you come here specifically to tell me?”
Jon blinked, and grinned brighter than the sun that recharged him.
“I just wanted to reiterate that before my date with Damian tonight.” Jon explained. “It’s a special one.”
“Oh?”
“Anniversary of the day we met. The day you and Dad forced us to team up.” Jon laughed. “In a way, I guess, this is all your fault, Batman.”
Bruce found himself narrowing his eyes in suspicion, knowing Jon didn’t just mean their friendship. The romantic turn it took. “…What is my fault?”
“Oh,” Jon hummed, shoving his hand into his pocket. Bruce could tell he was fiddling with whatever was in there as he walked away. “Damian will tell you later.”
~~
Bruce shifted to look into the window behind him, into the living room. Jon and Damian were on the sofa, Damian on his back, Jon flopped on top of him. The two were relaxing, Damian’s hands loose around Jon’s neck, resting on his back.
Their date had been emotionally exhausting, no doubt.
He sighed, took another swig of his beer, and turned back out to the yard.
“…You knew, right?” He asked gently, looking at the chair sitting next to him.
Clark snorted into his own sip. Lowered his bottle to stare up at the stars. “He told me a few weeks ago about his plan to propose. But even if he hadn’t, I knew it was going to happen. Eventually, anyway.”
Bruce grunted.
“What, don’t tell me you didn’t.” Clark chuckled incredulously.
“No, I…I assumed so.” Bruce muttered. “I’d just…hoped…”
“You hoped they wouldn’t?” Clark asked, his voice sad. “…Why?”
“It’s not…even that really.” Bruce sighed. Looked up at the stars too. “I know I’m bad at showing it, but. I worry about him. I’m scared for Damian every day.”
Clark glanced at him and waited.
“He’s had a hard life, and I know I’m partially to blame for that. As much as Talia or anyone.” Bruce whispered. “And Jon is…”
His face twisted.
“Jon is his greatest love. His greatest joy. He makes him happy and I’m glad for that.” Bruce decided on. “But Jon can so easily betray him – and without meaning to. Jon can hurt him the most. Damian could lose Jon, through…through divorce, injury, death. And…I fear that if that happens, Damian will break completely. Damian will figuratively die himself.”
A pause.
“And I can’t lose my son because he loses yours.” He looked at Clark, looking like the old father he never quite let himself be. “I can’t.”
And Clark just smiled.
“Jon knows that.” Clark offered. “And he’s ready to spend the rest of his life proving to you that he won’t do that. No matter what.”
“And…I understand that. I do.” Bruce sighed, ran his fingers through his hair. “I’m trying to trust Jon, and trust all of this, it’s just-”
“It’s just you’re Batman and you don’t trust anything, and you’re a protective father.” Clark finished. “A really, really – and really good – protective father.”
Bruce thought about it, then bowed his head and gave a little laugh.
“My kids might not agree with that.” Bruce hummed softly.
“And that’s the price we pay as dads.” Clark countered jovially. He took another drink of his alcohol, looked back to the stars. “…Can you believe you and I are going to be in-laws?”
Bruce groaned. “Don’t remind me.”
“We can spend holidays together, and call each other all the time.” Clark listed off. “Lois and I already decided you can be the monster-in-law. We’ll just be the kooky in-laws who live on the farm and embarrass the boys with just how nice and homely we are.”
“You’re forgetting Dick.” Bruce laughed. “He’s going to a worse in-law than you, me, Lois and Talia combined.”
Clark barked a laugh so loud, it echoed through the nearby trees. He turned to look into the window behind them, to make sure he didn’t bother the happy couple, but found that he hadn’t. In fact, Jon and Damian were asleep. Jon’s face in the crook of Damian’s neck, and Damian’s arms just slightly tighter around Jon’s back.
The engagement ring adorning Damian’s finger glinted in the low light of the television.
“…You ready for this?” Clark asked quietly.
“Absolutely not.” Bruce responded instantly.
Clark smiled, held out his bottle. “To our boys.”
Bruce glanced at the bottle, then sighed into a smile, clinking his own against it. “And their lasting happiness.”
They toasted, each took a drink, then settled in to watch the stars for a while longer.