(FIC) A Star on Earth (Superman/Batman) G
Title: A Star on Earth
Fandom: DCU
Characters/Pairing: Superman/Batman
Rating: G
Word count: 720+
Requested by: rai_daydreamer 'Bruce/Clark h/c or Clark wondering why Bruce loves him'. Originally here.
"Forty-eight hours quarantine," Dr. Midnight had said, the words ringing like a death sentence in Batman's ears. Containment. Seclusion. No human contact; just solitude and time to think and heal.
A voice in his head told him that in any other situation, quarantine was the closest he would be to enjoying a holiday. Bruce quashed the thought, an angry frown taking over his features as he stared at the unmoving body of Superman in the next containment room.
An outer space mission. Bruce hated them so much. He always felt out of his depth, on the verge of disaster. And this time...
Clark was impervious to diseases born on Earth, as far as they could tell. Not a single cold or ache, food poisoning or allergy, virus or bacteria. Not Superman, of course not. But outer space was another story altogether, terra incognita, no matter what the Lantern's said. Bruce was going to punch Hal in the mouth when he got out of quarantine. "It's a safe atmosphere, Batman. The ring reports it can sustain human life." He was going to punch him in the mouth so hard he was going to be digesting his own teeth for the next two months.
:::
Clark stared at the ceiling. Not that he had much choice, since he couldn't move at all, but he tried to remain positive. Dr. Midnight had said the muscle atrophy he was suffering from was provoked by a form of bacteria that was feeding from the byproducts his body produced during the sunlight-to-energy conversions. He was going to be okay, he just needed to be away from the sun for a while so the bacteria would starve. Hal had apologized profusely, saying over and over that the bacteria only attacked plants; he hadn't thought it would jump species. Batman and Green Lantern were in containment units next to his, waiting to see if the bacteria had jumped species from Kyrptonians to humans.
Which was all really a very long trail of thought to keep himself from dwelling on the fact that he could feel Bruce's intense eyes on him from the other side of the window. Bruce never took Clark's injuries well, though Clark tried not to feel too special, since he also freaked out when Diana or J'onn were badly injured. It seemed to go against his understanding of the laws of nature, and Bruce had great faith in the laws of nature, if in nothing else. Clark felt a tickle in his lips as he smiled slightly, the muscles weak and unresponsive.
"I'm glad you can find the humor in this situation," Bruce said from his room, pressing the intercom. Clark felt his smile grow.
"I guess I should warn you I'm going to kill Hal when this is over," Bruce added, his voice laced with annoyance.
Clark rolled his eyes, his chest shaking a bit as he chuckled silently. He peeked at his partner from the corner of his eyes, seeing him standing by the window, gloved hands against the glass. His uncowled face was stern and worried. Clark made an effort to speak, and mumbled 'I'll be fine', hoping Bruce would understand him.
Apparently, he did. "Yes, I know you'll be fine." He paused, fists closing against the window. "If I thought you weren't going to be, I would punch you in the mouth too. Teach you not to give up on me."
'Thank you,' Clark mumbled.
"You're welcome." A long silence followed, and Clark thought Bruce had gone back to his bed. "I don't like to see you so still," Bruce whispered. "You shouldn't be still."
Clark did his best to shrug. He never thought that being silent would drive Bruce to open up. "I can't help but think... when you fly, when you fight... everything you do. You're coiled energy, just waiting to be unraveled." Another long pause. "A star among embers and coals."
Clark raised an eyebrow. Was Bruce delirious? He tried to peek at him again, but Bruce was gone from the window, retreated to the darkness of his room, though the intercom was still on.
After a while, a whisper came from the shadows. "Don't ever burn out."
Clark closed his eyes. It was a forty-eight hours quarantine. He had plenty of time to think how to make it up to his worried Bat.
Fandom: DCU
Characters/Pairing: Superman/Batman
Rating: G
Word count: 720+
Requested by: rai_daydreamer 'Bruce/Clark h/c or Clark wondering why Bruce loves him'. Originally here.
"Forty-eight hours quarantine," Dr. Midnight had said, the words ringing like a death sentence in Batman's ears. Containment. Seclusion. No human contact; just solitude and time to think and heal.
A voice in his head told him that in any other situation, quarantine was the closest he would be to enjoying a holiday. Bruce quashed the thought, an angry frown taking over his features as he stared at the unmoving body of Superman in the next containment room.
An outer space mission. Bruce hated them so much. He always felt out of his depth, on the verge of disaster. And this time...
Clark was impervious to diseases born on Earth, as far as they could tell. Not a single cold or ache, food poisoning or allergy, virus or bacteria. Not Superman, of course not. But outer space was another story altogether, terra incognita, no matter what the Lantern's said. Bruce was going to punch Hal in the mouth when he got out of quarantine. "It's a safe atmosphere, Batman. The ring reports it can sustain human life." He was going to punch him in the mouth so hard he was going to be digesting his own teeth for the next two months.
:::
Clark stared at the ceiling. Not that he had much choice, since he couldn't move at all, but he tried to remain positive. Dr. Midnight had said the muscle atrophy he was suffering from was provoked by a form of bacteria that was feeding from the byproducts his body produced during the sunlight-to-energy conversions. He was going to be okay, he just needed to be away from the sun for a while so the bacteria would starve. Hal had apologized profusely, saying over and over that the bacteria only attacked plants; he hadn't thought it would jump species. Batman and Green Lantern were in containment units next to his, waiting to see if the bacteria had jumped species from Kyrptonians to humans.
Which was all really a very long trail of thought to keep himself from dwelling on the fact that he could feel Bruce's intense eyes on him from the other side of the window. Bruce never took Clark's injuries well, though Clark tried not to feel too special, since he also freaked out when Diana or J'onn were badly injured. It seemed to go against his understanding of the laws of nature, and Bruce had great faith in the laws of nature, if in nothing else. Clark felt a tickle in his lips as he smiled slightly, the muscles weak and unresponsive.
"I'm glad you can find the humor in this situation," Bruce said from his room, pressing the intercom. Clark felt his smile grow.
"I guess I should warn you I'm going to kill Hal when this is over," Bruce added, his voice laced with annoyance.
Clark rolled his eyes, his chest shaking a bit as he chuckled silently. He peeked at his partner from the corner of his eyes, seeing him standing by the window, gloved hands against the glass. His uncowled face was stern and worried. Clark made an effort to speak, and mumbled 'I'll be fine', hoping Bruce would understand him.
Apparently, he did. "Yes, I know you'll be fine." He paused, fists closing against the window. "If I thought you weren't going to be, I would punch you in the mouth too. Teach you not to give up on me."
'Thank you,' Clark mumbled.
"You're welcome." A long silence followed, and Clark thought Bruce had gone back to his bed. "I don't like to see you so still," Bruce whispered. "You shouldn't be still."
Clark did his best to shrug. He never thought that being silent would drive Bruce to open up. "I can't help but think... when you fly, when you fight... everything you do. You're coiled energy, just waiting to be unraveled." Another long pause. "A star among embers and coals."
Clark raised an eyebrow. Was Bruce delirious? He tried to peek at him again, but Bruce was gone from the window, retreated to the darkness of his room, though the intercom was still on.
After a while, a whisper came from the shadows. "Don't ever burn out."
Clark closed his eyes. It was a forty-eight hours quarantine. He had plenty of time to think how to make it up to his worried Bat.