Chapter Text
Bruce rolled his eyes, clearly done with the conversation. Clark’s self-satisfied little smirk had the dark knight purse his lips in exasperation.
“You know, just because I love you, doesn’t mean I won’t smother you in your sleep,” he said, trying for stern but falling a little short. He couldn’t keep the adoration out of his voice, no matter how desperately he tried. And boy, did he try.
Clark was silent and Bruce looked up to find him staring. The shocked expression on his — boyfriend never really sat well in Bruce’s mouth, but calling Clark his lover had his stomach do that weird twisty thing he wasn’t comfortable looking too closely at — partner’s face had Bruce frowning.
“What?” He demanded roughly. It wasn’t the first time he’d threatened violence towards Clark and they both knew he didn’t mean a damn word of it. “It’s not like I could physically kill you by asphyxiation, you don’t actually need to breathe—”
“You love me,” Clark interrupted, his shocked expression quickly turning into an awed one. It made Bruce acutely aware of the heat spreading over his neck.
“What?” He repeated weakly. Stalling, he knew, he was stalling. Trying to find the proper words to deflect, to make an excuse, to escape before he said anything else that would leave him vulnerable.
Clark just smiled that stupidly blinding smile of his. Bruce felt the heat travel from his neck up to his face.
“You just told me you love me.”
“I-I did not.” So much for finding the proper words.
Clark’s smile grew even larger as he took a few steps closer. He’d clearly heard the stutter in both Bruce’s words and his heart. Bruce had to fight the instinct to back up in response.
“You so did, and even if there was a death threat at the end of the sentence, you totally just confessed your love for me,” Clark told him, eyes crinkling at the edges with the force of his smile.
Deflect, deflect, deflect.
“Clark, we’re already dating.” Even as the words left his mouth Bruce felt the butterflies having taken permanent residence in his stomach flutter. He still couldn’t quite believe that it had worked out, this thing between them.
“But we haven’t said those words yet and oh my god, Bruce, you said I love you first.” Clark’s eyebrows did that thing where you could practically have a conversation with them, they were so expressive. And they were clearly trying to convey a myriad of warmth and adoration and love and Bruce didn’t know what to do with that in the midst of his own panic.
Abort mission, abort mission, about it now, damn it.
“That’s—”
“Oh my god,” Clark laughed breathlessly.
“Stop that,” Bruce said. “It doesn’t count.” He was well aware that he sounded like a petulant child, but he couldn't help it. He hadn’t meant to say those words, at least not like this.
“Why not?” And oh no, that was Clark’s disappointed voice.
“Be-because—” What was with him? He hadn’t stuttered since he learned how to speak. He spoke over twenty languages and yet here he was, stumbling over his mother tongue like a bumbling idiot.
“You take it back? You don’t love me?” And there were those damn puppy-dog eyes. Shit.
Bruce sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. In for a penny, he thought not nearly as bitter as he thought he’d be.
“Of course I do, you idiot.” There was no heat behind his words and they both knew it. He’d already said the words, it was too late to take them back. At least it was too late if he didn’t want to ruin yet another relationship. And he may not have meant to say it — not like this, not in the damn cave of all places — but he had. And he’d meant it. He did love Clark.
“I knew it,” Clark said quietly. His smile was back, but this time it was a gentle, soft thing gracing his features. It was that private smile he used for Bruce and Bruce alone. It was his ‘Bruce is mine’ smile.
Bruce rolled his eyes, trying hard to will away the blush in his cheeks, even as he felt a smile tug at his own lips. It was just three words. It wasn’t that big of a deal. But when he looked at Clark, he knew it was. He’d never realized how fragile this thing between them was and perhaps those three little words had calmed some of the anxiety in Clark’s heart.
"I love you too, you know,” Clark finally said, eyes warm and open.
“I know.”