Work Text:
“Beautiful, isn’t it?”
Clark stuck his head out of the window, watching the moon above. The bustle of Metropolis roared below him, but Clark didn’t seem to mind. Bruce sat at the edge of the bed, watching Clark with a keen interest.
“What is?” Bruce asked.
“It’s a clear night tonight,” Clark said. “You can see the moon without any clouds in the way.”
“Don’t you see the moon up close when you go out on your space missions?” Bruce joked.
“Yeah,” Clark said, “but seeing it from here has a certain charm to it.”
Bruce smiled and chuckled softly. Clark’s innocent wonder about everything around him always endeared Bruce to him.
“Most people have only seen the moon from this perspective,” Clark began, “but they still find-”
Bruce tilted his head at Clark’s sudden silence. He was about to ask if something was wrong when Clark said quietly, “Oh, hey there!”
Bruce got up from the edge of the bed and walked over to the window. A large, green winged moth fluttered around the window, hovering around Clark’s window boxes. Clark slowly stretched out his hand, and the moth landed on the back of his hand to rest.
“You finally hatched,” Clark whispered, slowly turning his hand to see the moth from different angles.
“What is that?” Bruce asked.
“It’s a luna moth,” Clark explained. “I saw a few caterpillars in Centennial Park, I was wondering when they’d hatch. This one’s a boy, you can tell by the big antennae.”
“I didn’t know you liked bugs,” Bruce commented.
“I like most animals,” Clark said. “Bugs included.”
The luna moth started crawling its way up Clark’s arm. Clark seemed completely unfazed by it; in fact, he seemed to be rather enjoying it, his whole face curious and delighted.
“Amazing little things, aren’t they?” Clark asked. “You know B, this species usually won’t live much longer than a week. They come out of the chrysalis without any digestive system, so they only have a week to find a mate. And yet in that short week, they’re some of the most beautiful little creatures a person can see. You just have to know where and when to find them.”
Bruce furrowed his brow and looked from Clark’s face, then to the moth. “I didn’t know that.”
“It’s kinda poetic,” Clark continued. “Just a week’s worth of life out of the chrysalis, and yet they’ve fascinated people for thousands of years. Kinda makes you think about our own lives, doesn’t it?”
The moth crawled up Clark’s forearm, up his neck, and then onto his cheek. Clark giggled as the moth’s furry feet tickled his face. Though Bruce wasn’t the biggest fan of insects, he had to admit, this little scene was kind of adorable.
With a flutter of its intricate wings, the moth flew away, spiraling back down towards the park. Bruce and Clark watched as its green wings disappeared into the night.
“A week, huh?” Bruce asked. “Kinda short.”
“To us, maybe,” Clark said. He looked as if he wanted to say something else, but stopped himself.
“You’re really cute when you ramble like that,” Bruce said.
“Oh hush,” Clark said, a smile crossing his lips. Bruce kissed his temple and hugged his side.
“I love you,” he murmured, leaning his head against Clark’s shoulder.
Clark’s blissful silence as he returned Bruce’s hug was all Bruce needed to hear.