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TITLE: The Senator’s Son and the Playboy 4 - Avow
PAIRING: Clark/Bruce
AUTHOR: Whiteroses77 (whiterose)
RATING: Adult
WORD COUNT: 2537
DISCLAIMER: I only own the story.
SUMMARY: After weeks of waiting for the scandal to go away Bruce makes an important decision.
Authors note: Part of The Senator’s Son and the Playboy series.
~*~
It had been a hard few weeks. Clark and he had never been inseparable. They both had their own lives their own cities after all. However, that had always been their own choice. It had always made their time together even more special and appealing. Now though they were being ‘advised’ to stay away from each other. It made Bruce want to tell everyone to piss off, to mind and their own business. But it didn’t just concern them. It was about Senator Kent’s reputation and then there was Wayne Enterprises that had to be considered, his employees including Lucius.
It was fine for him to lock himself away in the cave during the day and then go out to vent his frustration on the criminals stalking Gotham’s streets at night, other people couldn’t do that, Clark couldn’t do that. He had to go to work and face his workmates even his interviewees knew about the Inquisitor article.
Bruce knew how hard it was for Clark to tell lies to people to tell half-truths. Technically Clark should be a master at it and he was. He’d had to spend his entire life hiding one thing or another, except he didn’t want to lie so that slight tension always came through. Bruce wished Clark didn’t have to lie at all. The only positive was that Clark had done such a good job convincing everyone that butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth that nobody who knew him believed the article anyway.
Bruce’s frustration came to a head the day he received a call from Lucius Fox asking for another meeting. He entered the office and Lucius offered him a seat. “What can I do for you Lucius?” he asked.
Lucius gazed at him across the desk and then began, “The thing is Bruce I did my part with the board. I quietened their concerns but you haven’t done your part have you?”
Bruce chuckled humourlessly. “I’ve stayed away from Clark as you requested.”
Lucius sniffed. “Maybe you have maybe you haven’t but I asked you to do more than that I asked you to return to business as usual.”
He held Lucius’ gaze. He almost growled his reply. “That’s all I have been doing Lucius.”
Lucius shook his head as if he was speaking to a child. “Women, Bruce women you haven’t been on a date with a woman for weeks...”
Bruce pinched his lips and corrected him, “You mean months.”
“…since the article…” Lucius stopped and stared at him. He inquired, “Since you’ve been seeing that Kent boy?”
Bruce nodded then Lucius nodded shrewdly. He blew out a hard breath. “Damn… in that case you’re not going to like the rest of what I have to tell you.”
~*~
Bruce couldn’t believe they’d actually managed to get him to the podium. He looked out at the sea of reporters. The members of the board of Wayne Enterprises were still not satisfied and they called for him to attend this press conference to quash the remnants of gossip that was tainting their reputations.
He straightened his tie and then spoke into the microphone. He began smoothly. “Can I have everyone’s attention please? Thank you I have been requested to make a public statement concerning the article printed in the Inquisitor. As Senator Martha Kent is in the process of proving to the Senate Ethics Committee, no financial transactions have ever been made between Senator Kent and me. She is an infrequent acquaintance that is all. I hope that will be an end to that speculation. The rest of the allegations concerning a sordid liaison with her son Clark Kent...” He forced out a mocking laugh of scorn “…allegations suggesting that ‘I’ would be involved in a gay relationship are laughable. But that I would need to buy the favours of a ‘man’… like ‘that’… is absurd… why would I ever…” He swallowed the lump in his throat. Shit! He knew Clark worked hard to seem insignificant but… he felt like an eel.
He looked around the podium. He saw his employees urging him on. He saw a couple of female reporters that he’d slept with in the past, not even trying to control themselves laughing along with him at the ridiculousness of the idea.
The words stuck in his throat. He couldn’t let himself disavow him he took a fortifying breath and spoke in a clear strong voice. “I did not have a sordid liaison with Clark Kent. That’s not possible because nothing we could ever do is sordid. Clark Kent and I are in a committed relationship.”
There was a rumble of gasps of surprise from the crowd, some angry complaints from his employees, one of the female reporters was looking completely confused and the other sneered at him like he was a piece of shit and he saw Lucius shaking his head in dismay at what he’d admitted.
He stood tall he didn’t regret what he’d done. He just hoped to god that Clark supported his decision when he found out.
~*~
Clark hadn’t come to him afterwards, Bruce had expected it, he thought Clark was going to come to the Manor to see him or Superman was going just blur into the cave to confront him but he didn’t. Bruce didn’t know what Clark was thinking or feeling and it was tearing him up inside. He couldn’t go to Metropolis to see him. He didn’t want to be turned away by an angry Clark Kent. So he waited, he waited until the next JLA meeting which was a couple of days after the press conference.
He walked into the command centre at the Watchtower to find the place full of chattering heroes. Everyone was talking about Clark and Bruce Wayne. They were all shocked at the news. Batman skirted around the group and entered the conference room. As he entered, he saw the red caped figure standing by the window looking out over Metropolis. Superman turned at the sound of the door opening, his eyes widening as he saw it was Batman. They stood there staring at each other intensely for what seemed like an eternity
Before he could say anything, the crowd came bustling in behind him. Impulse saw Superman first. “Hey you’re already here.”
The rest of the team came to a halt briefly in surprise at seeing Superman had arrived before them and then they made their way to their appointed seats.
Yet Superman and Batman stayed motionless for another eternity.
“So is it true amigo?” Impulse asked quietly. “You and that Bruce Wayne guy?”
Cyborg shoved Impulse’s shoulder whilst shaking his head. “C’mon I doubt a guy with Bruce Wayne’s reputation would announce it at a press conference if it wasn’t true.”
Impulse frowned. “Yeah but I’d like to hear from Clark himself.”
Superman left the window, walked to the conference table and took his seat at the head of the table. Batman mirrored him and took his own seat. Superman held Batman’s gaze but answered Impulse. “It’s true we’ve been seeing each other.”
Black Canary broke in “Wayne says that you’re committed to each other that’s a bit more than seeing.”
Stargirl sighed, “The way he stood up all handsome and brave and announced it like that was so romantic.”
Something flittered through Superman’s eyes. Batman wasn’t sure what it meant. Aquaman then declared “It’s not romantic it is wrong it’s not natural, it’s not the way it’s supposed to be.”
Everyone turned and stared and Aquaman said, “What I can’t be the only one who thinks it. It should be one man and one woman.”
Green Arrow mocked, “Or two fish.”
Aquaman shot Green Arrow an angry look. Black Canary turned to Superman and asked, “What I want to know is why you lied to us. You let us believe it was all lies?”
Aquaman declared, “Because he was ashamed and who could blame him as if you would want to admit to something like that.”
Superman’s jaw tensed. “I wasn’t ashamed I kept it quiet because of my mom and because Bruce and I wanted to keep our relationship private.”
Aquaman sneered, “You might have done, but your ‘boyfriend’ obviously didn’t agree.”
Impulse cut in and announced, “Well I don’t care, if Clark is happy then I am. It’s just good to know someone’s getting some action around here.”
Aquaman was still shaking his head scornfully. He was starting to piss him off. Batman finally spoke up. He said lowly “What if someone told you that you couldn’t be with Mera just because ‘they’ decided it was wrong? Would you listen, would you care, or would you stand up and fight to be together?”
Everyone in the conference room turned and stared at him. Green Arrow gave him a wink of endorsement. Cyborg nodded. “Wow who knew there was a lover not a fighter behind that cowl.”
Aquaman grimaced then spoke ruefully, “Well I guess when you put it that way. I suppose it’s up to him.”
Batman returned his gaze to Superman opposite him. He was still watching him. He asked, “You never answered Canary’s first query. Are you and Bruce Wayne committed to each other Superman?”
Batman saw Superman’s chest rise and fall suddenly and then he licked his lips. “I haven’t talked to Bruce since before the press conference.”
Impulse exclaimed, “Aw man that’s not right. Dude makes a big deal of it like that and then he doesn’t follow through?”
Superman blinked and licked his lips again. “I thought he was going to come to Metropolis after the press conference but he never came.”
Damn why hadn’t he?
Impulse was right he was the one who started it and he should’ve finished it. Shit he wished this meeting were over and done with so he could talk to him alone. He said in a very Batman-like manner, “I think that’s enough personal stuff let’s get back to business.”
Superman’s brow creased minutely. However, he then started the meeting properly and they got down to work.
~*~
As the meeting ended, most of the members gave Superman wishes of good luck as they exited. Green Arrow gave Superman a pat on the back as he left and raised an eyebrow at Batman as he walked past him.
When they were alone, Batman and Superman locked gazes again. Superman said quietly “You didn’t tell me.”
Batman nodded and approached him. “I didn’t know about it until Lucius called me into his office, they’d already arranged it.”
Superman shook his head slowly. “No you didn’t tell me we were…”
Batman quirked his lips “…committed?” Superman nodded vigorously. Batman queried “What did you think we were doing all this time?”
Superman wet his lips again. He shrugged, “Having a good time…?”
Batman was bemused. He spoke softly, “A good time…? I thought you knew.” He got in closer. “I thought you understood how I feel about you. I’m …”
Superman was nodding already, his eyes bright “…committed to me.”
Batman leaned in even closer until their foreheads were almost touching. He whispered “…in love with you.”
A tentative smile came to Superman’s face. “Yeah…?”
Batman leaned in. “Yeah.”
Their lips met softly and then opened for each other. They moaned quietly into each other’s mouths. Superman made a small noise of need. Batman cupped Superman’s head with his hands and deepened the kiss and Superman pulled him closer and sucked his tongue. Batman groaned as his tongue played against Superman’s own.
The conference doors opened suddenly. “Hey amigo I’ve brought you a good luck burrito all the way from Mexico.” Impulse came to a sudden halt. He sounded startled. “Superman… Batman…?”
They broke the kiss slowly regretfully. Batman opened his eyes slowly to see Superman’s were still closed and then Superman sighed, licked his lips slowly, and then he opened his eyes. And they took a step apart and faced Impulse. He looked shocked. His gaze flickered between them. “Oh man oh man what’s going on? What about Bruce...” His gaze landed on Batman “…Wayne?”
Shit. This wasn’t how he imagined telling the rest of the team his real identity. He glanced at Superman and Superman tilted his head. Batman began “Impulse, are all the team members still here?” Impulse nodded gobsmacked for once in his life “Can you ask everyone to come back in here for a moment?”
When Impulse left, Superman said, “You don’t have to do this you don’t have to tell them.”
He told him resignedly, “Everything might as well be out in the open, fewer secrets to keep less stress.”
The rest of the team returned to the conference room. Impulse was still mute. Green Arrow asked, “What’s going on we couldn’t get him to tell us anything?”
Batman explained, “Impulse just saw something he shouldn’t have, something private so I’ve decided everyone else should know as well.”
Green Arrow cringed in recognition. “Are you sure, you’ve always wanted it kept a secret.”
Batman grimaced, “It’s been the time for revealing secrets lately Oliver.”
Everyone else was looking around confusedly. He couldn’t believe he was doing this but he released the clasps on the cowl and lifted it off. He smoothed his hair down. Everyone gasped while looking at him in astonishment. He smiled at Cyborg. “Your comment earlier was even more accurate than you realised.”
Stargirl uttered, “Bruce Wayne…wow.”
That seemed to wake everyone up. Everyone’s gaze started flickering back and forth taking in both Batman and Superman. Black Canary turned to Green Arrow, “You knew about them?”
Arrow shrugged, “Yeah but it wasn’t my secret to tell.”
He could tell the other guys didn’t know how to react, coming to terms with your fearless leader being in a relationship with another man was big enough for one day, to then find out that it was another of your teammates well that topped it off. They probably didn’t even know how to react to him now as Batman knowing everything they now knew.
As if he had just read his mind, Superman spoke, “Just so you know this team is still going to be professional as it always has been before and all through our relationship. Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent being together as a couple doesn’t change who we are when we’re on duty. What Impulse witnessed was a one off.”
Cyborg turned to Impulse. “What did you see?”
Impulse grinned and finally got the power of speech back. “It looked like the beginning of some smoking hot action.”
Bruce smirked. “If one kiss is the beginning of some hot action I think you need to get out more.”
Impulse’s eyes widened. “Shit you’re ‘the’ Bruce Wayne.” Impulse’s grin became lascivious “You can introduce me to some fine senoritas especially now you don’t want them.”
Bruce groaned inwardly. What had he just let himself in for?
The end of part 4