Fic: Rainbow’s Freedom (The Dark Knight Of The Soul Arc) (37/38)
Title: Rainbow’s Freedom (The Dark Knight Of The Soul Arc) (37/38)
Author: BradyGirl_12
Pairings/Characters: (this chapter): Clark/Bruce
Series Notes: In the 23rd century, Earth is a technologically-advanced society that practices the ancient institution of slavery. A Great Trial crashes down upon the House Of Wayne. Can Bruce and Clark’s relationship survive? Will the Family’s strength be enough to see them through this Time of Fear and Darkness? The entire series can be found here.
Genres: AU, Drama, Slavefic
Rating: (this chapter): PG-13
Warnings: Brief mention of rape
Spoilers: None
Summary: After the latest incident with Edmund, Clark and Bruce reveal some truths to each other.
Date Of Completion (First Draft): January 23, 2009
Date Of Posting: December 8, 2009
Disclaimer: I don’t own ‘em, DC does, more’s the pity.
Word Count: 831
Feedback welcome and appreciated.
"A slave’s good instincts will probably
save his emotional well-being, not to mention his life."
Dr. Hayley Quinzell
"Slave Psychology"
2246 C.E.
XXXVII
INSTINCTS
“How dare that old leche try and hurt you again! He’s insane, you know! Absolutely off-his-rocker! I’ll make sure he pays for what he did to you, Clark!”
Bruce had been ranting ever since they had arrived home from the hospital. Despite going to the hospital that the Wayne family had supported for years, Bruce had watched the emergency room physician like a hawk as he had set and fused the bones in Clark’s arm.
Clark was sitting on the bed, careful of his cast. He would have to wear it for a few days to protect the newly-fused bones.
“I won’t let Edmund terrorize you any longer! And I’ll keep Dick and Alfred safe from him, too. I’ve beefed up the security around here and I intend to make sure those kidnapping charges stick.”
“Bruce…”
“And I’m going to make sure that old man is branded a pariah! He’s insane! He shouldn’t be allowed to own slaves! Crazy old coot!”
“Bruce…”
“He’ll find he’s met his match in me. I swear he won’t hurt you ever again!”
“Bruce!”
Bruce stopped in mid-tirade. “What? Are you in pain? I knew I should have insisted on stronger meds…”
Clark grabbed his lover’s arm. “I’m fine.”
Bruce blinked, then sank down ruefully onto the bed. “I’m sorry.” He rubbed Clark’s good arm. “I…I just couldn’t believe it when Dick burst into my office, terrified and pleading with me to save you. He could have done it himself with his Robin training, but of course that was out of the question.”
“He’s a great kid.”
Bruce looked down. “He is.” He continued stroking Clark’s arm. “Clark, I’m so sorry.”
“None of this was your fault, Bruce.”
Bruce looked up and met Clark’s eyes. “I failed you.”
“Security let Edmund slip through…”
“I’m not talking about today.” Pain reflected in Bruce’s eyes. “I’m talking about the day you were kidnapped.”
“Bruce…”
“I won’t let you out of my sight, Clark.”
Clark smiled slightly. “That isn’t very practical.”
Bruce pushed the stubborn lock of hair back from Clark’s forehead. It always tried to loop into a curl.
“I can make it practical.”
“Ruling the world, huh?”
Bruce smiled slightly. “What good is being the Prince if you can’t shape the world the way you want?”
Clark laughed softly. “You do a good job if it.”
“Thank you,” Bruce said, allowing some smugness in his voice.
Clark squeezed his lover’s arm. “Please don’t feel so guilty.”
“Clark, he raped you.” Bruce nearly flinched at the word. “Though, of course, I’m guilty of the same.”
“No!” Clark shook his head vigorously. “I know technically, you could say that of all Masters and pleasure slaves, but I’ve been thinking about this lately.
“Bruce, I’ve never been afraid of you.”
Bruce tilted his head. Clark smiled at his puzzlement.
“I’ve felt safe with you from Day One. When I first came home to the Manor with you, I was a little nervous, of course, but it still felt safe. It was why I offered myself to you that first night.”
“That was the drugs and your training…” Bruce said, guilt in his eyes.
“No.” Clark took Bruce’s hands. “The drugs would have made me too woozy to think clearly, except for my instincts.”
Bruce tried to pull away. “Your training dictated you offer yourself.”
“That was part of it.” Clark’s grip was firm. “But I wanted to offer myself, Bruce.”
“Out of obligation.”
“No.” Clark squeezed Bruce’s hands. “Out of gratitude, and out of a sense that you’d never hurt me.”
“You didn’t even know me.”
“I have good instincts, Bruce. I knew you would never hurt me.”
“So slamming you into a wall didn’t hurt you?” Bruce said bitterly, thinking of a later incident.
“You were hurting and lost, trying to protect me. I never feared you hurting me in bed. I was only afraid of you sending me away.”
Bruce looked down at their clasped hands. “I’m sorry.”
“Please, Bruce.” Bruce met Clark’s eyes. “That’s over and done. I know you’d never hurt me.” His gaze was soft. “My first memories upon waking up in a new world to me were all harsh and humiliating and horrific, and then you took me in and I felt safe for the first time I could literally remember.”
Bruce swallowed. “I…”
“Bruce, why are you so hard on yourself? Do you know how happy you’ve made all of us? Haven’t you heard when Alfred hums in the kitchen, or when Dick laughs when he’s on the trapeze or playing in the garden?” Clark smiled his beautiful smile. “Or how I feel when I’m with you?”
Bruce blinked, then drew Clark into a fierce hug.
“How did I get so lucky getting you in my life?”
“I’m lucky, too, Bruce.”
Clark rubbed Bruce’s back, Bruce holding him tight.
Author: BradyGirl_12
Pairings/Characters: (this chapter): Clark/Bruce
Series Notes: In the 23rd century, Earth is a technologically-advanced society that practices the ancient institution of slavery. A Great Trial crashes down upon the House Of Wayne. Can Bruce and Clark’s relationship survive? Will the Family’s strength be enough to see them through this Time of Fear and Darkness? The entire series can be found here.
Genres: AU, Drama, Slavefic
Rating: (this chapter): PG-13
Warnings: Brief mention of rape
Spoilers: None
Summary: After the latest incident with Edmund, Clark and Bruce reveal some truths to each other.
Date Of Completion (First Draft): January 23, 2009
Date Of Posting: December 8, 2009
Disclaimer: I don’t own ‘em, DC does, more’s the pity.
Word Count: 831
Feedback welcome and appreciated.
"A slave’s good instincts will probably
save his emotional well-being, not to mention his life."
Dr. Hayley Quinzell
"Slave Psychology"
2246 C.E.
XXXVII
INSTINCTS
“How dare that old leche try and hurt you again! He’s insane, you know! Absolutely off-his-rocker! I’ll make sure he pays for what he did to you, Clark!”
Bruce had been ranting ever since they had arrived home from the hospital. Despite going to the hospital that the Wayne family had supported for years, Bruce had watched the emergency room physician like a hawk as he had set and fused the bones in Clark’s arm.
Clark was sitting on the bed, careful of his cast. He would have to wear it for a few days to protect the newly-fused bones.
“I won’t let Edmund terrorize you any longer! And I’ll keep Dick and Alfred safe from him, too. I’ve beefed up the security around here and I intend to make sure those kidnapping charges stick.”
“Bruce…”
“And I’m going to make sure that old man is branded a pariah! He’s insane! He shouldn’t be allowed to own slaves! Crazy old coot!”
“Bruce…”
“He’ll find he’s met his match in me. I swear he won’t hurt you ever again!”
“Bruce!”
Bruce stopped in mid-tirade. “What? Are you in pain? I knew I should have insisted on stronger meds…”
Clark grabbed his lover’s arm. “I’m fine.”
Bruce blinked, then sank down ruefully onto the bed. “I’m sorry.” He rubbed Clark’s good arm. “I…I just couldn’t believe it when Dick burst into my office, terrified and pleading with me to save you. He could have done it himself with his Robin training, but of course that was out of the question.”
“He’s a great kid.”
Bruce looked down. “He is.” He continued stroking Clark’s arm. “Clark, I’m so sorry.”
“None of this was your fault, Bruce.”
Bruce looked up and met Clark’s eyes. “I failed you.”
“Security let Edmund slip through…”
“I’m not talking about today.” Pain reflected in Bruce’s eyes. “I’m talking about the day you were kidnapped.”
“Bruce…”
“I won’t let you out of my sight, Clark.”
Clark smiled slightly. “That isn’t very practical.”
Bruce pushed the stubborn lock of hair back from Clark’s forehead. It always tried to loop into a curl.
“I can make it practical.”
“Ruling the world, huh?”
Bruce smiled slightly. “What good is being the Prince if you can’t shape the world the way you want?”
Clark laughed softly. “You do a good job if it.”
“Thank you,” Bruce said, allowing some smugness in his voice.
Clark squeezed his lover’s arm. “Please don’t feel so guilty.”
“Clark, he raped you.” Bruce nearly flinched at the word. “Though, of course, I’m guilty of the same.”
“No!” Clark shook his head vigorously. “I know technically, you could say that of all Masters and pleasure slaves, but I’ve been thinking about this lately.
“Bruce, I’ve never been afraid of you.”
Bruce tilted his head. Clark smiled at his puzzlement.
“I’ve felt safe with you from Day One. When I first came home to the Manor with you, I was a little nervous, of course, but it still felt safe. It was why I offered myself to you that first night.”
“That was the drugs and your training…” Bruce said, guilt in his eyes.
“No.” Clark took Bruce’s hands. “The drugs would have made me too woozy to think clearly, except for my instincts.”
Bruce tried to pull away. “Your training dictated you offer yourself.”
“That was part of it.” Clark’s grip was firm. “But I wanted to offer myself, Bruce.”
“Out of obligation.”
“No.” Clark squeezed Bruce’s hands. “Out of gratitude, and out of a sense that you’d never hurt me.”
“You didn’t even know me.”
“I have good instincts, Bruce. I knew you would never hurt me.”
“So slamming you into a wall didn’t hurt you?” Bruce said bitterly, thinking of a later incident.
“You were hurting and lost, trying to protect me. I never feared you hurting me in bed. I was only afraid of you sending me away.”
Bruce looked down at their clasped hands. “I’m sorry.”
“Please, Bruce.” Bruce met Clark’s eyes. “That’s over and done. I know you’d never hurt me.” His gaze was soft. “My first memories upon waking up in a new world to me were all harsh and humiliating and horrific, and then you took me in and I felt safe for the first time I could literally remember.”
Bruce swallowed. “I…”
“Bruce, why are you so hard on yourself? Do you know how happy you’ve made all of us? Haven’t you heard when Alfred hums in the kitchen, or when Dick laughs when he’s on the trapeze or playing in the garden?” Clark smiled his beautiful smile. “Or how I feel when I’m with you?”
Bruce blinked, then drew Clark into a fierce hug.
“How did I get so lucky getting you in my life?”
“I’m lucky, too, Bruce.”
Clark rubbed Bruce’s back, Bruce holding him tight.