Chapter Text
Ma cried when Clark told her he planned on staying in Metropolis after graduation. He applied to a few journalist positions in the area. He was more than qualified to be a Junior Reporter by the time he was done with school. He was hoping to be accepted by the Daily Planet. But he also heard that Lois was working there now and worked her way up to Senior Reporter. He wasn’t sure he could handle working with her again.
He’d also heard good things about the Daily Star. They were a much smaller paper, but he’d always admired their work. They hadn’t changed their article titles to sound like clickbait and were focused on the real issues. The pay they were offering wasn’t the same, but it was just him and Daisy. With what they were offering he could keep his small apartment.
In the end, Daily Planet rejected him. It stung a bit but felt like a relief. Daily Star wanted to meet for an interview. He sat down with the Chief Editor for about a half hour. He walked out feeling confident. And a few days later he received an email saying he was accepted. He called Ma to give her the good news.
“I get two weeks paid time off, so I can come down and help out with the harvest when you need me,” Clark promised. Hiring farmhands could be expensive, and he was a one-man crew.
“Don’t worry about us,” Ma told him. “You focus on work, okay.”
“Okay,” He smiled.
“We’re so proud of you,” She said again. “Do they distribute print all the way out here? We’ll subscribe and support you.”
“Thanks, Ma.”
“I’ll let Pa know when he gets in. Or do you want to call him yourself?”
“You can call him. I actually have to go to my first high-profile event tonight.”
“Really!”
“Yes,” Clark sighed. He wasn’t excited about it, but he couldn’t tell his new boss he didn’t want to go to his ex-boyfriend’s gala. No one would believe him. Besides, he was an adult. He could get through this professionally. He already had his questions about the gala ready, as well as a few questions for a different article he was working on. He’d been talking with disgruntled employees of Wayne Enterprises. He was hoping to get more about that.
He had to rent a suit since he didn’t have one of his own. He grabbed his bag and double-checked to make sure he had his notebook and pens. He couldn’t forget his press pass. It was the only thing that would get him into the event.
Despite knowing that it was a gala. He wasn’t expecting the sheer amount of extravagance. Then again, he should have. He does still remember what Bruce’s home looked like. If he was out to impress his fellow elites then he would have to go above and beyond.
“Hey Smallville,” Lois spotted him across the room, “I didn’t expect to run into you here.”
“Hi,” Clark managed a smile. “I’m covering the event for the Daily Star.”
“Got anything good?”
“Not that I’m telling you,” He managed to sound playful, but he wasn’t joking. He was always careful with his notes regardless of who he was with.
“Good man,” She pat him on the back.
“Have you seen Wayne yet?” Clark asked. “I know he’s hardly seen at these events. But I’ve been here since the beginning and haven’t spotted him once.”
“He may have ditched,” Lois explained. “Sometimes he doesn’t show up at all. He’ll let whoever he partnered with for the event make all the public statements.”
“When will we know?”
“In another half hour. If he doesn’t give the speech, then he’s not here.”
“So blowing things off is a trend for him?”
“Basically. I don’t think he even cares about half of these causes. If you ask me, he uses them to deflect from what his company is doing.”
“Really now?” Clark already knew some of Wayne’s business practices seemed a little questionable. It was a bit disappointing for him. He always thought Bruce was an upstanding guy, even if he cut contact the way he did.
“You wouldn’t believe the stuff I figured out. But you’ll be reading it on the front page pretty soon.”
“I don’t doubt it,” Clark wasn’t going to bicker about who had the better story.
“They’re about to start their speech,” Lois noted the crowd starting to form by the stairway. The headmaster of the orphanage thanked everyone for coming. He told them how the money donated would benefit the children. Then he stepped aside for someone else to speak.
Clark felt his heart leap out of his chest when Bruce took the stage. He was dapper in his three-piece suit, his hair styled for the occasion. He stood in front of the crowd with confidence as he spoke. Clark was glad he was recording because he hadn’t heard anything the other man said.
He kept telling himself he could get through this event, but he wasn’t sure anymore. His stomach was in knots. He wanted to leave, but he also wanted to demand an explanation from Bruce. He couldn’t do that here. Or ever at this point. He would lose his job if he let his anger show.
“He actually made it,” Lois clicked her pen a few times. She was waiting, like the rest of the press, for a good moment to approach the billionaire for an official statement. Though Clark doubts he would say anything different from his speech.
He took his time making his way to Bruce. There was a rush to get to him before he left, but Clark didn’t want to muscle through and hurt anyone. He’d wait and then go. Or he could say that Bruce rushed off before he could get a statement. No, it wouldn’t look good if every other press had a statement but him.
When the crowd thinned, he sucked in a deep breath and approached his ex. He could do this. He could do this!
He stepped forward to introduce himself. Bruce locked eyes with him and he instantly knew who he was.
“Clark?”
“Hi,” he gave a sheepish wave, not sure how else to respond.
“What are you doing here?”
“I work for the Daily Star. I’m covering this event.”
“You should have told me you were coming. I-”
“You’re old number doesn’t work and I never heard back from you so-”
“When I called you some woman picked up-”
“I had to change my number after I broke my phone.”
“That explains it.” Bruce nodded as if he understood. “It’s good to see you again.”
“You know this baron, Smallville?” Lois jabbed her pen in Bruce’s direction to indicate who she was talking about.
“We’re best friends,” Bruce told her.
“Really?” Lois raised a brow.
“Mind your business, Lois,” Bruce rolled his eyes. So he didn’t like her either.
“Your business is my business,” Lois reminded him. “How long have you known each other?”
“We should catch up,” Bruce turned his attention back to Clark. “What’s your new number?”
~.~.~.~.~
Clark collapsed when he got home. His body was only heavy because of his mind.
He hadn’t expected things to go that way. He thought Bruce would ignore him, or at worse kick him out of the event. That would make headlines. He snickered to himself at the thought.
Daisy came up to him, nibbling the edge of his arm sleeve.
“It’s a rental girl. You can’t eat it,” Clark made himself get up and change. His heart was still hammering in his chest thinking back to how Bruce’s face lit up when he saw him. It was like when they first met. He even texted him the moment the gala was over.
“Want to go to breakfast tomorrow morning?”
Clark couldn't stop himself from grinning.
TBC