Work Text:
Conner was laser-focused on the momentous task before him. He could not afford to mess up.
“Superboy, champion of Earth, who has faced his father Lex Luthor and the Light, fought the likes of Bane, and Black Beetle, survived the bombing of Mount Justice, and saved the Earth from the invading Reach, has finally met his match.” Lois narrated.
On cue to Lois' narration, Conner picked up a loaded white ‘bag’ by pinching the edge. His nose was turned slightly to the side away from the drifting odor as he disposed of the putrid object by dropping it into a nearby waste can.
“A dirty diaper.” Lois finished at the same time of a satisfying thud of the diaper hitting the ‘door’ of the waste can.
Conner turned his head in the direction of Lois, who was standing by the doorframe spectating.
“Are you writing a novel or making sure I don’t mess up?” Conner asked.
“I wish, and you are already doing a great job,” Lois answered respectively. “Uncle Conner.”
She grinned wryly.
Conner sighed as he returned his attention to the owner of the dirty diaper.
Jonathan “Johnny” Kent, the half kryptonian-half human son of Clark Kent and Lois Lane.
Conner smiled. He wiped his hands, reclothed his ‘nephew’, then carefully lifted him up into his arms and bounced him gently. Jonathan gurgled in delight.
“You’re going to be a great dad someday.” Lois commented leaning back.
Conner blushed. “Don’t tell M’gann. I don’t want to give her any more ideas. We aren’t even engaged, let alone married.”
Lois chuckled.
Per the request of Clark’s parents (and his by extension and unconditional acceptance), Conner is visiting the Kents along with his sister-in-law and nephew. They currently have the house to themselves with Martha and her husband, Jonathan out to get groceries from the local market. They also insisted Conner bring M’gann, however she had plans to hang out with Artemis, Zatanna and Raquel.
“But you have it don’t you?” She asked, raising an eyebrow as though she was wheedling a potential lead. “The ring Martha gave you?”
Conner gazed down at Johnny watching him reach his little arms up trying to touch his uncle’s face. He gently pried Johnny’s sticky fingers from his face and gently tapped a rhythm on the baby’s tiny squishy hands.
“It’s been burning a hole in my pocket for weeks.” Conner replied looking up at Lois while keeping his nephew occupied.
“Can’t find the time?” Lois asked.
“I don’t know when it is the time.” Conner replied. “Even back at Happy Harbor by ourselves or when we are free of work and the Team. It just never felt right. And planning a surprise for it doesn’t feel right, for me that is.”
Lois nodded solemnly. “Did Clark ever tell you how he proposed to me?”
“No.” Conner shook his head. “How did he do it?”
Johnny began reaching out to his mother in an uncoordinated and obvious gesture. Lois smiled. She walked up to Conner and reached out for her son as Conner handed him over. Once Johnny was secured against her hip, she began to recount how the Man of Steel proposed to her.
“We were enjoying some time together in the fortress just having a little lazy day before he and the other Leaguer left for space.” Lois recalled. “Clark was cooking on a grill only for the food to burn. He was really distracted for some reason.”
Conner’s eyes widened in mild concern. Lois chuckled.
“While he was busy ruminating I put out the fire.” She smiled.
Conner relaxed then raised an eyebrow. “Kal certainly knows how to be romantic.”
“You don’t know the half of it kiddo.” Lois shook her head in amusement, then smirked. “Then again you two are related and are alike in so many ways.”
Conner coughed. “So, he was ruminating.”
“Right, then he was tripping over his words.” Lois paused to fuss over her son. “Hard to believe the Man of Steel who is often good at public speaking and is the second best news reporter is bad at expressing his feelings.”
Conner shrugged nonchalantly. “Not really. I even had a hard time communicating my feelings for M’gann to her.”
“Even mentally?” Lois looked up.
“Even mentally.” Conner returned a little bashful.
“I didn’t get all of it, but he kept saying “I just wanted today to be perfect”. Then I told the big idiot that he should be direct.”
Johnny clapped.
“After what felt like ages Clark pulled a hot charcoal from the grill, crushed it, extracted a diamond from it, and put the diamond on a ring. Then, he got down on a knee and popped the question.” Lois paused dramatically “Will you marry me? And of course I said yes.”
Conner shook his head and huffed loudly. While the two heroes had become close, he still couldn’t believe how cheesy but sweet his older brother was.
“That’s a fun story. I’ll be sure to give Kal grief about it, but what was the point of it?” Conner posed.
“The point, kiddo, is this. You should do what you feel is right. It may not be fancy or be done perfectly but it means more that you propose in your own way and on your terms.” Lois shifted Jonathan to her unoccupied hip. “M’gann fell in love with you. You just act like yourself and she will have no reason to say ‘no’.”
“That’s what I’ve always been doing.” Conner remarked.
“Then you have nothing to worry about.” Lois laughed.
“Not exactly.” Conner drawled.
“What?” Lois ceased her laughter, concerned about what her brother-in-law could be implying.
“What’s going to happen when Johnny begins showing powers?” Conner bent down and offered his finger for Johnny to grab.
Lois huffed, briefly annoyed. “Well, I know his uncle will help train him to manage his superstrength when he gets older.”
“Martha and Jonathan raised Clark by themselves, they’ll know what to do.” Conner reasoned, not taking his eyes off his nephew.
“That doesn’t mean you can’t be a part of his life. Besides in a way you two are like brothers.” Lois returned warmly.
“Well, we both have Superman’s DNA, so I guess we are brothers.” Conner shrugged while Johnny giggled.
“I was thinking more along the lines of being half-Kryptonian and half-human.” Lois clarified. “He’ll wonder what it means to be part human and part alien. You’ll be his fellow halfie.”
Conner scoffed. “Hear that Johnny. I’m not just your uncle. I’m your fellow halfie. How do you feel about that?”
Johnny gurgled in delight, blissfully unaware of the full context.
“I take it that you like the idea.” Conner commented.
“He has your eyes, you know.” Lois shared.
“Johnny has Clark’s and your eyes.” Conner emphasized.
The two shared a laugh.
“Conner, Lois, we’re back!” Martha Kent called from the house entrance.
“It’s time for Johnny’s nap.” Lois took a moment to think. “Would you put him to bed for me?”
Conner looked up smiling. “Of course.”
Lois handed Johnny back to Conner who held him carefully, supporting his nephew’s head while Lois kissed her baby. She hurried to the front entrance to help her in-laws.
Alone together, Conner gingerly rocked Johnny in his burly arms.
“Fellow halfies for life. You like that?” Conner said softly as though he was confiding in a fellow partner in crime.
Johnny grunted.
Conner wasn't entirely sure what to make of it.
“I have more stimulating conversations with Wolf and Sphere, even Bioship.” Conner commented. “I’ll be sure to introduce you to them when you're older.”
Johnny yawned, blinking. Conner took it as his cue to gently put his nephew in the cradle, still swaying gently.
Johnny wasn’t his first baby, but he was the first baby related to him by blood. His brother’s son. He’ll grow up more conventionally than Conner who will remain the same in appearance. There will be a lot of stories to tell the next generation Kryptonian-human hybrid. Conner looked forward to it.
For now, Conner smiled as Johnny blinked one last time falling asleep.
“Sweet dreams Johnny.” Conner said softly before walking carefully out of the room and slowly closing the door.