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Clark had sat through his fair share of boring meetings. He’d sat through more “could have been an email” meetings in his time at the Daily Planet than he’d like, and while he loved what he did for the world as Superman and loved the way he could help as a part of the Justice League, he could do with a lot less meetings on that front too.
He shifted in his chair, as Hal continued on talking, closing his hand into a fist before opening it again. He repeated the motion another few times to stop himself from reaching out to the man next to him the way he wanted to.
He was sat next to Bruce, and they were listening to Hal argue that the League needed to offer more support for space missions (at least, Clark was pretty sure that’s what he was arguing, he’d stopped listening quite early on). A quick glance to his right showed that Bruce was just as tuned out as he was.
The man might have looked, like he was paying attention, but Clark knew he wasn’t. He was typing something on the small keyboard integrated into his gauntlet- it was easy to assume he was taking notes. Clark knew Bruce, had known him longer than most others in this room if you counted the fact they’d first met as their civilian selves before the concept of the Justice League had even been put in motion. Clark knew the face Bruce was making. It was his “my children are arguing and I am feeling both fond about their squabbling and mildly exasperated because I’ll be expected to pick sides the moment, they realize I’ve read these messages” face.
It was a face Clark had gotten the joy of witnessing often, even more so after Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne had officially entered into a relationship. He’d seen Bruce make it at breakfast, whether he’d stayed with Clark in Metropolis instead of renting out a hotel room for a business trip or Clark had stayed the night at the manor. He’d gotten to see it right before an interview, even before they’d made anything official- Bruce had insisted Clark was the only staff reporter for the Daily Planet he’d talk to (with a rare exception for the Lois Lane on occasion but considering she didn’t often work the society or culture columns that wasn’t particularly relevant most of the time). And he got to see it most League meetings, even if those times the expression was partially obscured behind Batman’s ever-present cowl.
Their relationship, even three years in, still felt like a fragile thing sometimes. Not because Clark was uncertain of Bruce’s love for him or because he worried that the man would grow bored, it was fragile in a different sense.
Bruce’s paranoia had kept them hidden that first year all together. Their relationship at the time consisting of stolen kisses in bathrooms during society events, and private dates held at home with a movie and good food. There had been rumors, even then, that something was going on between Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne (had been even before they’d started dating), but they had kept it quiet. Then, following a narrow miss at a gala in Gotham that Clark had been sent to cover (it had been held hostage by the Riddler- he’d gotten most of the attendees out of the main hall leaving only a few hostages behind to complete some sort of puzzle and Bruce, acting as Brucie, had been one of the unlucky ones caught. And even with his life on the line, Bruce’s paranoia had prevailed and he’d been unable to interfere) where Clark hadn’t been able to hold back his relief when everyone had been freed safely following intervention by Nightwing and Red Hood and pulled Bruce into a searing kiss in view of three different news crews.
But even after it had become public knowledge that Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent were together, there had been secrecy. Other than Clark and Diana, no one knew who Batman was beneath the mask. Which could have been entirely irrelevant to the situation, they could have just waited some time before allowing a closeness between their caped identities to form and been together both in and out of the mask. The issue was Clark.
Because Clark was relatively open with his fellow leaguers. Not all of them knew that Clark Kent was Superman, that the Kryptonian had another identity hidden behind the protective layer of Kal-El, the “civilian” name the public knew, but there were enough. Enough people knew who he was that if Superman even so much as held Batman’s hand in a meeting, he would be risking Bruce’s biggest secret.
And that created a problem. Because right that moment all Clark could think about was holding Bruce’s hand. Running his finger soothingly over the back of it, maybe lifting it to his lips and leaving a gentle kiss of bruised knuckles. And he couldn’t.
Bruce’s secret was fragile- and Clark loved him too much to risk screwing that up. Their relationship was a fragile thing, that secrecy kept together.
So, there he was, trying to focus on whatever it was Hal wanted while flexing and curling his fingers, opening and closing his hand in a loose fist. He’d have to be strong, remain in control of his feelings so he didn’t shatter that last illusion keeping Batman a secret.
Barry was in the watchtower kitchen grabbing a snack before he had to head home following what had been both one of the most boring, and tragically comedic meetings he’d sat through that week.
He’d just shoved a pizza pocket in his mouth whole when Hal walked in and disturbed his quiet contemplation.
“Hey- what’d you think of my presentation?”
“S- great” He managed to mumble around the food in his mouth. Hal didn’t seem to be fooled by his platitudes though.
“Honestly, if Oa wasn’t so on my ass about these things I probably wouldn’t have bothered. I swear I’m boring myself half to death with those meetings- can’t imagine it’s any better if you have to sit and listen to it all.” He opened the fridge.
“Yeah, sorry dude, it’s boring and not fun to sit through if I’m honest.” Barry said when he finished chewing. “But it wasn’t all bad- did you see Bats?”
“What d’ ya mean?” Hal asked as he cracked open the can he’d gotten from the fridge.
“The way he was staring at Supes? Poor guy.” Barry responded.
“Ah, that. Yeah. I can’t imagine being that in love knowing the person you love is together with someone else. That’s gotta suck.”
“Never thought I’d say it, but poor Bats.”
“Poor Bats indeed. Anyways, you and Iris free to grab dinner sometime later this week?”
“With you? Always.”