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Clark and Bruce have been together for exactly 1,137 days.
Waking up together feels natural now, like there isn't anything else to do but for Clark to reach over and pull Bruce against him. Clark runs so warm, and Bruce is a cool contrast, and every touch of their skin feels like mortal equilibrium.
Then Clark has to leave the Manor and forget he knows what Bruce Wayne tastes like, and it consumes him.
"When do you think you two will make it public?" Lois asks, leaning against Clark's desk with a cup of coffee in hand. "It's been, what, three years?"
"Yeah," Clark nods, clearing his throat. "He has a persona to upkeep, because of you-know-what, and he doesn't think it's a good idea."
"You guys have been talking about it?" Lois tilts her head.
"Well," Clark pauses. "Kind of. He– he knows I'm ready, as ready as I'll ever be, but I keep telling him that it doesn't matter too much."
"You lied."
"It wasn't a lie," Clark huffs, rubbing his eyes with his palms. "I just don't want him to feel pressured."
"But you know you can't keep hiding," Lois finishes for him. "Clark. You have to talk to him about this."
"I know, I know," Clark sighs. "I will. But not tonight. He's been invited to the Pride for Metahumans event we're covering tonight."
"It's like the event was perfectly curated for you," Lois muses, a smile pulling at her lips. "Bisexual and Kryptonian. Was Superman invited?"
"Yes, but he's not showing up," Clark huffs. "I want to go as a reporter, to do the reporting we were invited to do."
"Fine by me," Lois shrugs. "You're decent company."
"Thanks," Clark drawls, but he's smiling, and she can see it, too. "Bruce bought me a suit last week."
"Oh, God," Lois covers her mouth with a hand. "Is it actually wearable?"
"It's designer," Clark smiles.
"So, no," Lois grins back. "He should know better by now."
"It's not for tonight," Clark replies. "I think I'm wearing it to a private event? I'm still gonna be wearing the usual one for tonight."
"Boy, that's exciting for Bruce," Lois quirks her lips.
"Stop it," Clark flushes, waving a hand. "Go do your work."
"Whatever you say, Smallville," Lois taps her mug to his shoulder, leaning off the desk. "Meet you outside the event at 7."
"Yup," Clark nods, hands stalling at his keyboard as she walks away.
Three years, and the only thing he has to show for his relationship is the stupidly expensive watch he wears, with custom Wayne communications, that everyone in the office thinks he got from some mysterious, wealthy admirer. It's almost a running joke that the only romance in Clark's life is that there's some rich 'businesswoman' paying him to get involved with her. He knows they aren't serious, but the jokes still make him a bit queasy.
And every week picking up groceries at his favorite Metropolis place, he sees magazines of Bruce Wayne posing with models, tabloid headlines plastered as far as the eye can see. To everyone, Bruce Wayne is a wealthy, stupidly attractive, eligible bachelor– the one man no one can seem to get their hands on for very long.
But to Clark, he's just Bruce. The Bruce who he comes home to, often finding him sleeping through the afternoon if he has no meetings for the day. The Bruce who set up a red sun room for Clark so they could spar among… other things. The Bruce whose eyes are so deeply saddened on October nights that his blue eyes look gray.
No one gets to know Bruce the way Clark does. No one sees every side of him, every persona in his endlessly complicated life, every child he's taken in, every tear he sheds when no one else is around but Clark himself.
That doesn't mean Clark doesn't still feel a knot in his chest every time a nameless elite flirts with Bruce right in front of him at an event. Or when he sees the kids going out with Bruce, not being able to join them, or when some ill-meaning ex spreads rumors that they've rekindled their romance with Bruce.
Clark wants to be able to love Bruce publicly more than anything, but he also wants Bruce to want to publicly love him back. If he forces Bruce to be out too soon, Bruce will withdraw. He knows this. He knows how Bruce works.
So, he waits. He yearns for a man he's already in a relationship with, and he spends his moments apart wondering if, when Clark asks Bruce to marry him, Bruce will wear the ring.
He feels the exhaustion weigh on his shoulders, waiting and waiting for his day to come around.
—
Bruce looks the way he always does, a picture of poised elegance. Clark knows what everyone else sees, a mindless man, the poster boy of sleeping around, but he knows better.
And Bruce is beautiful. Across the room, chatting with the organization shareholders, he looks incredible in a three-piece, deep blue navy tuxedo. His hair is gelled impeccably, eyes smudged the slightest with black eyeliner, and he looks every piece the untouchable billionaire prize.
"Distracted much?" Lois chuckles, handing him champagne that he won't drink. "Get your eyes off the guy, Smallville, before everyone figures you out."
Clark doesn't feel as scared by that as he should. He doesn't feel scared by that at all. "I want people to know."
Lois smiles softly, a look of understanding that Clark has seen far too many times. "I know, Clark. But you just have to wait until he's ready."
"I'm just–" Clark breathes out. "I'm not the puzzle piece he needs to be Brucie Wayne. I compromise him. Lois, what if he keeps me a secret forever?"
"That man," Lois nudges Clark, forcing him to look at her. "That man loves you more than anything in this world, forget some persona. Yeah, sure, it's relevant to his life, but you are– you are the whole world, in his eyes. Tell me you don't see that."
"He's so stubborn," Clark replies instead, swallowing. "I think it's easier for him this way, to pretend he doesn't have a weakness. To pretend like Bruce Wayne is untouchable."
"But you know he's not," Lois hums. "He's scared, Clark. And he doesn't love you any less, I doubt you're something he particularly wants to hide. But the man is who he is, and you knew that when you got with him."
"You're right," Clark nods, but the ache in his chest doesn't fully subside. "He'll be ready when he's ready."
"Yeah," Lois nods, nudging him again. "C'mon, let's go talk to Supergirl."
Kara had made her appearance at the gala as Supergirl, wearing her usual suit, with the small adjustment of a string blue, pink, and purple bracelet. It might not seem like a lot, but Clark knows that Kara knows what the impact is. He's sure Lena's around, her and Kara never straying too far from the other when they can manage.
"Hello, there," Kara waves at them, excusing herself from a group of assorted reporters to talk to her more familiar ones. "No Superman appearance tonight?"
"No, not tonight," Clark smiles. "Everyone here is happy to see you."
"I'm happy to be here," Kara smiles, eyes searching the crowd. "Have you guys seen–"
"Ms. Luthor is about five feet from Mr. Wayne over there," Lois smiles, holding a champagne glass out to Kara, who declines. "Probably talking about their next meeting for the L-Corp and Wayne Enterprises five-year collaboration anniversary."
"Clark," Kara whispers, a dopey smile on her face. "How did we manage to snatch the wealthiest man and woman in America?"
"We have superpowers," Clark teases back, adjusting his glasses. "And we clean up pretty nice in blue, red, and gold."
"Fair point," Kara smiles. "Would it be weird for me to go over and talk to them?"
"If you can keep the love-eyes to a minimum," Lois chuckles. "If anyone discovers your secret identity, it'll be based on how lovey you are with your wife while you're in the suit."
"Shh," Kara waves a hand. "I'm a champ at this."
"Right," Clark smiles, but he can feel the tension creeping in, the rigidness of his shoulders. Kara and Lena, married and so ridiculously adoring of each other, only having to hide their relationship when Kara is donning the 'S'. When they're just Kara and Lena, you would never be able to tell they were anything but in love with each other.
Clark is happy for them, truly. But it makes him feel a subtle jealousy that can be hard to conquer.
"Alright, I'm off," Kara salutes, nodding at them both. "Good luck on your investigating endeavors."
"Thanks, Supergirl," Clark and Lois reply in unison, saluting back before she zips off towards Lena.
Lois watches him for a moment, nudging his arm. "Hey."
"What?" Clark clears his throat, grabbing his notepad. "I'm gonna go talk to Dr. Idrissi."
"Wait, I said I wanted a quote from her," Lois frowns, stepping in front of him.
"We're co-writing the article, Lois," Clark raises his eyebrow. "It doesn't matter which one of us gets the quote."
"Okay, you caught me," Lois rolls her eyes, smirking. "I just want to talk to the founder myself."
Clark huffs, moving to walk past her.
"No, hold it, Smallville," Lois blocks him again. "What you're gonna go do is talk to your wealthy, bisexual boyfriend, while I go talk to Dr. Idrissi. And we both get what we want."
"I didn't say I–"
"You've been making googly eyes at him all night," Lois points a finger at Clark's chest, giving him a no-bullshit look. "Don't say you haven't. I know you want to talk to him."
Clark swallows, glancing over at Bruce, grabbing a pastry from the table that he'll probably pawn off to Dick. As predicted, he darts around the food table, walking over to where Dick is talking to Jason near the windows and handing them the plate. "Okay."
"Okay," Lois smiles. "Great. You go get a quote from the sponsor, talk to him like you don't already know everything he knows, and we'll meet back after I make a new contact."
"Sure, Lois," Clark huffs, pocketing his notepad. Whatever actual quote he needs, he can get from Bruce later. He walks around the people, careful not to bump into anyone, as he makes his way towards Bruce.
"Mr. Kent," Bruce smiles, loose and tipsy-like, even if Clark knows he hasn't had an ounce of liquor. "Good to see you."
Clark's chest hurts. "Mr. Wayne, good to see you as well. I was sent to talk about you and your connection to this organization."
Bruce smiles again, more genuine this time. "Well, between you and me, I have a soft spot for queer superheroes."
Clark chuckles, eyes instinctively glancing around to make sure no one heard. "So I hear. How long have you been donating to this organization?"
Bruce stares at him for a moment, smile faltering slightly. Like Clark doesn't already know. "Three years now."
"What made this organization stand out specifically?" Clark adjusts his glasses, swallowing. He knows these answers, all of them, but some desperate part of him wants to hear them out loud, even if they're filtered for the public. He does actually bring out his notepad for the quote, just to keep up the facade. "On the record."
"Metahumans are an increasingly prevalent part of our society," Bruce hums, eyes softening as they watch Clark. "Them, and aliens, which I believe should be included in our inclusion efforts. I want to help in every way I can to ensure that aliens and metahumans who identify as part of the queer community don't feel even more like outliers. Everyone is welcome, regardless of meta-identity, planet origin, or gender and sexuality label."
"Right," Clark nods, scribbling down the words. He clicks his pen closed, glancing towards the various Wayne children who are in attendance, spread out through the room.He lowers his voice, but doesn't lean in as close to Bruce as he wants to. "Are Tim and Kon here?"
"No," Bruce shakes his head, face passive, specifically to not draw attention to himself. "Will you be at Lois' late writing?"
Clark nods. "Probably. I'll most likely be home before you, though."
Bruce nods, a slight amused glint in his eye. "True. You two could come over to the Manor."
"Lois doesn't like the Manor," Clark snorts. "Too daunting, she says."
Bruce rolls his eyes, chuckling. "As if she's daunted by anything."
Clark shrugs. "She prefers her shitty Target coffee, anyway."
"That makes more sense," Bruce smiles. "Well, ping me when you're home. I don't know how long I'll be out."
"Or if you'll sleep," Clark adds, exasperated.
"I'm hoping not," Bruce raises an eyebrow, giving Clark a look that never fails to make him burn hot down his neck. "Later, Kent."
"Bye," Clark rasps, Bruce leaving him to clear his throat and hope no one saw him get completely disarmed.
The evening continues on peacefully, which surprises Clark. It's not often they have an event with this many high-profile celebrities and superheroes in the same room, and he half-expected Lex Luthor to blow up the building. Perhaps the rogues have an acception for celebratory queer events.
It's when Bruce steps up to make a speech that Clark feels truly nervous. He wasn't aware Bruce was going to be speaking, but it does make sense, with him being one of the most famous queer people in the room.
"Good evening, everybody," Bruce nods, holding up a champagne glass. He's acting surprisingly sober. "I am truly honored to be able to be here tonight.
"As a lot of you may know, I came out over ten years ago through a dramatic Vogue photoshoot, which did procure some of the best photos of me to be circulating the media. I've made a point to donate to many queer organizations, specifically in my home city of Gotham, but it wasn't until three years ago that I heard about, and fell in love with, this organization.
"Dr. Idrissi is an incredible woman, and she and her wife have changed the lives of thousands of metahumans and aliens living in the United States, many of them struggling with solitude as not just people who are genetically different, but as those who are queer. It's a difficult world to live in where you're judged and humiliated for your gender and sexuality, but when you add the struggle of being a metahuman or an alien on top of that, life and your environments can be impossible to even exist in. That's why Wayne Enterprises, and me personally, have donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to support this organization, and the lives of every queer metahuman and alien that this organization protects."
There's a pause for applause, Bruce smiling in his oh-so-elegant, room-commanding way. It makes Clark feel like jelly every time, and he knows he falls for Bruce over and over again, and he will be for the rest of his life. Bruce is his earth, his stars, his Krypton.
"And tonight," Bruce continues, clearing his throat. "Wayne Enterprises will be donating two million dollars to Pride for Metahumans. Two million dollars that I dedicate to the love of my life, the light of my world–"
Clark freezes, hand tearing apart the croissant he was halfway done with.
"Clark Kent," Bruce smiles, and the look on his face is more genuine than Clark has ever seen him express in public, full of adoration. "I love you, Clark. And I'm going to marry you."
The room reacts instantly, a mix of loud applause and an eruption of chatter as Bruce steps down from the podium. Other reporters are swarming him instantly to ask questions, but Clark stays, frozen in place, watching as Bruce ignores them all.
He walks towards Clark, fixing the cuffs of his sleeves as if he's casually getting a drink.
"Bruce," Clark stammers, staring at the love of his life as he stops across from him, eyes soft, as serious as Bruce is known to Clark to be. "You told everyone. In front of cameras. With over a dozen reporters in the room."
"I did," Bruce hums, and the bastard is smug. "I meant what I said."
"What?" Clark rasps, eyes searching his.
"I'm going to marry you, Clark," Bruce whispers. "And everyone's gonna know it."
"I have a ring," Clark blurts, head tumbling with joy and a million other feelings.
"I know," Bruce hums. "I'm the World's Greatest Detective."
"I had a whole plan," Clark murmurs, eyes wide. "And you just–"
Bruce takes Clark's hand, speaking softly. "Keep your plan, Kent. I just wanted the whole world to know how serious I am about you."
"I love you," Clark confesses, as if it's a confession at all. "I love you so much."
"You, too," Bruce smiles, kissing Clark so gently, for everyone around to see.
Clark is sick with happiness. With love.
"Hey, can all of you step back?" Dick exclaims from their left, and Clark already knows he's waving the reporters away. "Jeez, no sense of privacy. Hey, you, step the hell back."
Clark grins against and Bruce lips, and he doesn't know which one of them is laughing as they separate, but it might as well be both.
"Yo," Jason strides up to them. "Does that mean we're all taking the car back together?"
Clark laughs, a blurt of joy that he just can't contain. He's flown into the stars before, but he's never felt more on top of the world then right now.
"No, Clark's working on an article tonight," Bruce replies, lacing his fingers with Clark's with such mundane ease.
"No," Clark shakes his head, and Lois gives him a thumbs up from a few feet away. "There are more important things for me to be doing tonight."
Bruce smirks, and Jason gags, coughing. "Ew, what the fuck, Kent."
Clark flushes, clearing his throat. "I meant hang out with you guys. Jeez."
"Alright then," Bruce smiles. "I actually think it's about time we head out."
"Yeah," Clark hums, pulling him towards the door. "Me, too."
Back at the Manor, the stars are the most vivid they've been the whole year, and Clark has the best night of his life.