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Clark lay in the sunlight streaming across the bed in what had quickly become his favourite position: stretched on his back, one hand tucked behind his head, and the other wrapped around Bruce as the other man slept draped across his chest. He watched the rise of the sun and was able in these brief, early hours to let himself lazily stoke his fingers up and down Bruce’s spine and pretend like they could stay here like this forever. Not that he didn’t love all the rest of their lives as well, injury and trauma excepted of course, or that he didn’t often wish to linger in other moments when they occurred, particularly in those soft and desperate first minutes of reunion after hard battles, or in the long and affirming nights when Clark moved within Bruce as they held onto each other and Clark felt as if they could continue for hours more.
At that thought, Clark let his stroking fingers slide further down to trace along Bruce’s crease before deviating to trail over and then lightly cup a cheek. Bruce sighed against him and slid his legs a little further apart, not waking. Clark grinned and turned his head to press a kiss to his lover’s hair and reluctantly returned his hand to it’s previous and more innocent task.
No, it wasn’t anything like that. It was just that he was already anxious about the coming day and knew it would only build as the day went on. Today was, after all, the day he proposed.
He took a deep, shaking breath and felt as Bruce’s arms instinctively tightened against him. He tried to match his breaths against Bruce’s to keep the other man from waking for at least a little while longer. They had spoken about marriage, of course, so Clark knew that Bruce wouldn’t be taken completely off guard and that it was unlikely that Bruce would say no. Still though, his nerves remained. What if something went wrong? What if Bruce had changed his mind?
Clark squeezed his eyes shut and then opened them again, resolute. That was the kind of downward spiral that led to his asking Bruce to keep their relationship a secret for so long. He remembered how necessary he had thought it was at the time, and he remembered when he realized how much it hurt the other man. Without realizing it, Clark brought his hand up to cradle the back of Bruce’s head and hold him securely against his chest, as if he could protect him from the inadvertent harm and uncertainty he’d caused him in the past. He took a deep breath and forced himself to relax. He gently rolled onto his side, bringing Bruce with him. Bruce hummed, still tucked against his chest, and raised a leg to hook over Clark’s hip.
When Clark had felt ready to propose, he knew there were a few things he needed to do first. Or rather, one thing several times. Asking Alfred for his blessing had been hard. Not only because of the magnitude of the situation, but also because it was so hard to find a reason to be where Alfred was when Bruce wasn’t there. Or maybe that was just his nerves talking because afterward Bruce had given him a small smile and said that he was glad they were getting more comfortable with each other. And Clark could relate to that; in recent weeks Bruce had gone to Kansas several times for one reason or another and had stopped in at the Kent farm each time. It brought a soft, warm feeling to his chest every time he thought of Bruce growing more familiar with his parents.
Getting Dick’s blessing had been a huge relief, though it had been touch and go when Clark referred to how it had been his idea to keep their relationship closeted for as long as they did and then immediately was confronted with the fact that Dick hadn’t known that. Clark did a lot of fast talking and reassuring then, and left still unsure if the younger man was satisfied even after giving his blessing.
Tim and Damian he had handled together. He knew that could have easily ended badly, but they’d been in the same room when he’d dropped by while Bruce was out and Clark had gotten the feeling that by now their rivalry was mostly down to show and habit. Damian had sneered and reminded Clark of the skills Ra’s al Ghul had seen fit to pass down to him. Since then, Damian had oscillated between frigid formality and a remarkable lack of hostility. Clark carefully didn’t mention it, and Bruce brought it up only once; smiling awkwardly and mentioning a conversation he had had with Damian being the cause. Clark didn’t buy it for a second, but wasn’t about to reveal himself prematurely.
Tim had only pressed his lips together and nodded once. “I’ve had to help put him back together, more than once. Make it necessary again, and I won’t kill you, but you’ll wish I did. Over and over.” Clark had swallowed, not sure what to say and nodded. Tim shrugged and gave him a message to pass on to Kon before, confusingly, knocking his fist against Clark’s arm and walking away.
Cassandra had found him before he’d found her. She’d led him by the arm to various parts of the cave and opened different compartments to reveal the lead boxes inside, saying, “This is not what you have to fear,” before she smiled widely and led him to another and revealed a framed candid photo of Clark and Bruce sitting closely and talking, Bruce’s arm slung over the back of the couch behind Clark and Clark’s hand resting on Bruce’s thigh. Clark smiled and held the photo. He knew that she hadn’t shown him all of the Kryptonite, but he hadn’t expected her to; she was a bat after all and bats kept their secrets. She had both threatened and welcomed him and he couldn’t help but think that it was a reflection of how she saw him; someone who could be dangerous to Bruce and her family but in the end wasn’t going to be. “I won’t hurt him.” He had assured her anyway.
She had wrapped her arms around him and rested her cheek against his chest, closing her eyes. “I know.”
Duke was an interesting experience. He’d waited one night when Clark was at the manor for dinner. All the rest of the kids had been elsewhere for various reasons and Clark had caught him after dinner had finished, Bruce having already headed down into the cave. Duke listened patiently to what Clark had to say. “I know you’re a good guy, Clark. Both in and out of the cape. And I believe you that you wouldn’t ever want to hurt Bruce. But I also talked a lot with my mom when she was still working and I know how easy it can be to hurt someone without meaning or wanting to. Without even knowing it. So just make sure you watch yourself. We will be. And I don’t doubt the others have said similar things, but you two told us about your relationship long after it started so we had to save the shovel talks. Sorry. Other than that, I’m sure he’ll say yes. He’s more in love with you than I’ve ever seen. Though, admittedly, I haven’t been around all that long.”
Jason was, probably unsurprisingly, the one who gave Clark the most anxiety. He was afraid of being seen as too presumptuous with him. Of approaching Jason and thereby assuming a closeness that he hadn’t earned. He was afraid that talking to Jason about this might even scare him further away from Bruce and then Bruce away from him. But he knew he couldn’t leave Jason out. Jason was as much Bruce’s son as the others and if he didn’t talk to Jason as he had the rest of the family, he would never forgive himself, never mind that both Jason and Bruce would never forget it. And then despite Clark’s hesitancy and the blatant initial hostility, Jason was the one who actually proved to be the most helpful. He was the one who helped Clark figure out a concrete plan for the proposal, though admittedly most of his help was through phrases that began with “You honestly think that’s a good idea?” or “Please tell me you’re not actually that stupid.”
There had been something odd in his smile when the boy had suggested a Kent-Wayne family weekend, but Clark couldn’t identify any mockery or hidden barbs in the suggestion so he took it on it’s own merit. Both Clark and Bruce were men who valued their families and the time they got to spend with them, though he knew that Bruce sometimes had a harder time doing that. And they hadn’t had that many times to all come together so purposefully.
When he’d asked if Jason would go, the boy only shrugged. “Maybe. Depends on what I’ve got going on. But if you tell Bruce I’m going then I won’t be.”
Thinking of it now, Clark smiled again. Jason hadn’t shown up with the others. In fact, Clark knew that Bruce had been expecting Jason to not show up at all, but then he did just after dinner last night.
Clark was nervous, still, of whatever unknown thing might happen. But he was confident that the day would unfold for the best. He closed his eyes again and let himself drift back to sleep.
***
Breakfast was quiet and slow as people trickled down a few at a time as they woke and the meal stretched so long it ought to have surrendered the name. The volume slowly ratcheted up as more people joined in conversations and Clark took advantage of their distraction to catch Bruce’s eye, keeping his volume low. “Come for a walk with me?”
Bruce looked at him oddly before sweeping his eyes over the rest of the room before nodding. “Let me get changed first.”
Bruce got up and slipped out of the room and Clark walked over to the front door. He didn’t think he could wait in the dining room with everyone else in there and knowing what he was about to do. Bruce’s heart rate upstairs seemed to have sped up dramatically, though not quite enough to warrant concern. To be honest, however, Clark’s own heart was thundering so it may have just been that he had lost his baseline. Bruce came back down the stairs in slacks and a light jacket against the autumn air, smiling when Clark looked up at him. Clark opened the door for Bruce and pointedly ignored the expression on Jason’s face, noting with a sliver of panic that Dick was leveling a similar expression at Bruce. Thankfully, Bruce only frowned slightly back at him and didn’t seem as if his curiosity had been piqued.
Clark shoved his hands in the pockets of his own coat and felt the box, heart leaping as he did. Short and squat, it was not a traditional ring box; he hadn’t wanted to risk Bruce becoming paranoid about something nefarious being slipped into their luggage or something and insisting on going through their belongings. He felt a grin pull at his lips unbidden and saw Bruce turn to look at him out of the corner of his eye, a small answering smile gracing his own face. “What’s so funny?”
“Nothing.” Clark shook his head, still smiling. “Just...nothing.”
Bruce cocked his head and then looked forward again. “Alright.” He reached out a hand and waited for Clark to take it before they started walking.
It was a beautiful day by the lake. The trees were all fully engulfed in autumn colours and the lake was near perfect stillness, only a gentle breeze rippling it slightly now and then they walked along the shore in silence. They were a half hour along when Clark realized that he was still waiting for some sort of sign. Some unknowable signal that would let him know that it was the ideal time to ask Bruce. He slowed to a stop, their linked hands stopping Bruce as well. Bruce looked at him curiously and Clark smiled again, leaning in to give him a quick kiss. “I love you.”
Bruce’s gaze softened. “I love you too, Clark.”
Clark felt a tightness in his throat and looked out over the lake to gather himself again. He felt Bruce squeeze his hand to bring his attention back to him and heard him take a deep breath. “Listen, Clark...there was something we were talking about earlier. I wasn’t going to say anything until later, but since we’re here -”
“Wait.” Clark met Bruce’s gaze and swallowed hard. “Before you say anything, there’s something I want to say. Something I brought you out here for.”
Bruce studied him for a moment, something almost cautious in his eyes, before nodding. “Alright.”
Clark swallowed again. “First, I wanted to thank you. For welcoming me not only into your life but into the lives and confidences of your family. Of making me a place in your home. And for inviting my family to be a part of yours whenever possible.”
Bruce furrowed his brow but said nothing, standing still and listening intently, hand tightening in Clark’s own.
“I love you so much Bruce,” and Clark’s voice was getting thicker with emotion and dammit he really didn’t want to mess this up. “I love you so much and there was something we talked about a few months ago. Something we both agreed on but left open ended.”
Bruce’s eyes widened and his breathing quickened, hand squeezing Clark’s. Clark didn’t let go. He lowered himself down to one knee and reached into his pocket, pulling out the box. Bruce made a choked noise and squeezed his eyes shut, pressing his free hand against his mouth.
Kryptonians exchanged rings as part of marriage ceremonies in the same way many people did on Earth. The rings were bands of gold, platinum, or other precious metal with words, phrases, or oaths cut out of the metal for all to see. But Clark wasn’t sure if Bruce would have been comfortable wearing something so intimate so blatantly, so he’d sought an alternative design. In the end, he’d had one custom made. The strong, solid band had been the design of Thomas Wayne’s wedding ring and was inlaid with the elegant curves and glittering diamonds that had been Martha Wayne’s.
“Bruce Thomas Wayne,” Clark began, watching Bruce gather himself and open his eyes, catching on the design of the ring as Clark opened the box one handed. “Will you marry me?”
Bruce squeezed his eyes shut and moved his hand up to cover them, breath hitching. He opened his mouth and made another choked sound before shutting it again. He moved his hand to wipe away the tears that had started falling, but it didn’t do any good. He took a breath and sank down to his knee, hand spasming in Clark’s. He opened and shut his mouth again before leaning forward and resting his forehead against Clark’s.
“Clark -” he swallowed and started again. “Clark, I...feel as if I’ve loved you forever. Everything about you makes my life better and I’m more grateful than you can ever imagine that you’re in it. Even when everything falls apart, even when things are going as wrong as they can be, all I have to do is look at you to know that there’s still hope. As long as you’re there, life is better than it might have been.”
Bruce leaned back and took a deep, bracing breath even as all of Clark’s escaped him. Bruce was reaching into his own packet and pulling out a distinctly shaped box. Clark’s eyes blurred, but not before he saw the ring as Bruce opened the box. A wide, gold band with symbols cut out of it; Kryptonian script with the words “From this day forevermore” was nestled in the fabric and catching the light of the sun. “Clark Joseph Kent, will you marry me?”
Whatever sound Clark might have made was lost as he let go of the other man’s hand to crash into him, knocking them both off their knees. “How?”
“Did I know?” Bruce finished, arms tight around Clark. “You were learning about Kryptonian culture and language because it was important to you. How could I not do the same thing for those same reasons? Of course I learned it.”
“You don’t mind? You don’t think it’s too risky?” He couldn’t help but look back at the ring, twisting to take the box from Bruce and relinquishing the one he had held out to Bruce when the other man tugged on it.
Bruce was quiet for a moment and then he shook his head. “If it’s you, it’s important. If it’s you, it’s worth it.” Bruce ran his gaze all over Clark’s face before coming to meet his eyes. “Yes. Clark Joseph Kent I would be honoured to be your husband.”
Clark grinned at him and leaned over to press one, two, and a third kisses on Bruce’s mouth. “Yes, Bruce Thomas Wayne, I look forward to falling more in love with you every day for the rest of our lives as your husband.”
They slipped their rings onto each other and sat together for a while before the chill in the ground grew to be too much for Bruce. Clark offered a hand to his fiance, grinning as they set off back to the lake house. “What are the odds that we both were going to propose here? Did you plan for this specifically?”
Bruce shrugged. “Sort of. I told everyone that I was planning to do it soon and when I went to get your parent’s blessing, your father suggested a family holiday. It seemed like a good idea.”
Clark stopped short. “Wait. Pa said you should propose here?”
Bruce raised a brow. “Yes. Why?”
“Because I asked for your family’s blessing to propose to you. And Jason suggested the family holiday. He’s where I got the idea.”
Bruce blinked. “So they all knew that we both wanted to propose to each other and engineered a way for us to do it at the same time?”
Clark snorted. “Kind of dastardly.”
Bruce grinned. “Yes. But I suppose we’ll have to let it go. It did work out rather well after all.”
Clark huffed a laugh and leaned in again before they resumed walking. He was sure that the others would likely be a little smug about the success of their little plot but Clark couldn’t help but think that he and Bruce had still come out on top.
He squeezed Bruce’s hand and pulled him to a stop. This time Bruce was the one who leaned in. At this rate, it would take them all afternoon to get back to the lakehouse. Clark found that he didn’t really mind.