Chapter Text
Bruce hadn’t meant for things between him and Clark to get to the point it did. Sometimes he just can’t help it. He hadn’t even realized he was feeling crabby because he needed Little time. He still couldn’t tell when he was getting to that point.
It had happened plenty of times before and Clark had simply realized the symptoms and dealt with him with ease. This time was completely different. Bruce had been crabby and that didn’t help when Darkseid had shown up through a boom tube on the Watchtower.
Bruce knew what had happened between the two, Clark had a major issue with him. As much as Bruce knew this, they needed to help Darkseid if Brainiac was involved. Clark didn’t agree easy but demanded to be in charge of the mission and sent Bruce and Diana to New Genisis to talk with Obrien and the Highfather.
Bruce swears… he’ll never let Clark lead another mission ever again. He even told Wonder Woman to hit him real hard if he ever tried to put Clark in charge again.
~~~
In the end, of course, Darkseid had crossed them. Bruce, Diana, and Obrien had shown up just in time to get everyone out. Hawkgirl was in rough shape and then Clark disappeared. Bruce went running after him, knowing that idiot was going after Darkseid. He commanded that J’onn and Diana take off as he ran back the way he came.
When he finally found Superman, he was getting a decent beating from Darkseid. He grabbed onto Clark’s arm tugging him backward and yelling that they need to leave. Clark had tried to tell Bruce to leave, but he wasn’t thinking straight. Bruce wasn’t the only one who needed to leave.
Clark didn’t seem to understand that, though because he shoved Bruce off and into the wall. Pain lanced through his shoulder as he landed and he instantly grabbed at it. His eyes teared up and that was when he realized that he was so snappish because he was in need of some Little time.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t be Little right now and he certainly didn’t want to be Little around Clark. He narrowed his tearing eyes and lept forward grabbing onto Clark as he took out his boom tube activator. One click and they were being pulled through the gateway as the asteroid started to explode. Thankfully Orien was pulled into the tube as well, his unconscious form sliding along the ground until it was lifted completely into the air and boom tube.
~~~
The boom tube landed them back onto New Genisis. Though there was still a problem. Bruce was staring face to face with a very angry Superman. No, this surely wasn’t Clark. Clark was in full force Superman mode.
Clark stomped off with an indignant “You know what Bruce? You’re not always right,”
Bruce just watched him go, feeling more Little by the second. He was far too nervous to be Little around Clark right now. He headed back to the Javelin 7, soon being joined by the rest of his team. J’onn took the controls, Batman being his co-pilot. It didn’t take long for Bruce to fall asleep though.
~~~
When Bruce woke up he was drifting. He also wasn’t in the Javelin but in what appeared to be J’onn’s private quarters on the Watchtower. He guessed that J’onn sensed he was awake because he appeared a moment later, walking through the automatic doors.
Bruce didn’t have to say much of anything for J’onn to know what was going on. Bruce took that as a plus because as soon as he realized who hadn’t walked through the doors he had been wailing far too hard to try any form of communication.
J’onn instantly set to calming the distressed Little, using his telepathy to express his calm nature in hopes that it would calm Bruce even the slightest. He knew the instant that Bruce had walked toward the Javelin alone what was going on.
He hadn’t had the chance to talk with Clark yet but he had known that Bruce had been drifting and cranky for days. It just so happened that this time he was far to stressed at the end of the fight to really be able to voice what was really happening.
He knew that if Bruce had even slightly shown to Clark that he had been drifting that any of Clark’s anger would have instantly melted away and his Caregiver mode would have taken over. Unfortunately, those two were often so stubborn that they got in the way of themselves. It only got worse when it was both of them together.
Instead of those two talking, J’onn had a handful of distressed Little and a still completely pissed Superman. He wasn’t sure if Superman would even respond to his calls and J’onn knew that Bruce was nowhere near comfortable with letting J’onn take care of him.
He set to getting Bruce into his clothes first. Superman would have to wait. J’onn wanted to accidents on his watch. Bruce was already hysterical, he wasn’t going to risk it getting worse.
Thankfully, the watchtower had been evacuated for the day, everyone out and roaming earth after a long away battle. J’onn flew freely up to the control tower where he then attempted to contact Superman, noticing that Bruce had somehow managed to fall asleep.
It took a while but he finally answered his comms. “Hey, J’onn what do you need?” He asked as politely as he could considering his stormy mood.
“When was the last time you and Bruce had scheduled Little time?” J’onn asked first, hoping that being blunt would pull Superman further away from his bad mood.
“How- you know what, nevermind I’m not even going to ask.” Superman started. “We have a Little session coming up next week, for the 12th, I think,” Clark said flatly.
“Clark the 12th was six days ago,” J’onn told him softly.
“No, that can’t be,” Clark stated. “Bruce wasn’t showing any signs of underexposure, he would have dropped if his Little time was late…” Clark told J’onn.
When J’onn remained silent over the line, Superman sighed. “He dropped on the flight home, didn’t he,” Superman asked. “Well, no wonder he was acting up about the mission.”
“You have no room to talk,” J’onn stated fairly. “You know that if it weren’t for him you wouldn’t still be here. And not just today either.”
“I know,” Superman said. “I’m on my way,”
“Good,” J’onn said. “It’s time we talk about this and besides, we need to talk about the last mission. Bruce wouldn’t have had to do this if you’d kept a level head,”
“Alright, J’onn I get it,” Superman conceded. “ Keep an eye on him for me, I’m almost there,”