WFGE Fic: Let Nothing You Dismay
Title: Let Nothing You Dismay
Pairing: Clark/Bruce, Martian Manhunter, rest of the League
Warnings/Spoilers: None
Rating: G
Word Count: 1400
Summary: Monitor Duty is actually quite relaxing on Christmas Eve. That camera focused on Smallville? Just a precaution.
Notes: Written for the World's Finest Gift Exchange! Prompt F2, for a story based on the Justice League Unlimited episode "Comfort and Joy," where Clark realizes Bruce might not have been perfectly happy spending Christmas alone.
Batman shoved aside a bit of gaudy tinsel garland to get a better look at the Keystone City monitor. Flash seemed to have the situation with the Ultra-Humanite well in hand. Hawkgirl and Green Lantern were off-planet, but they had checked in and reported they were fine (though the crashing and yelling in the background had made Batman raise his eyebrows and suspect otherwise). Batman's hands flickered across the keyboards and the monitors flurried through the major hotspots of the world. The few small flare-ups were being handled by local heroes, no need to call in the big guns. All was calm, all was bright.
It was a quiet Christmas Eve and Batman was relieved to be able to spend it alone and not having to put on his social face. Dick and Tim were both off with the Titans, Jim and Barbara snug at home, Alfred in England with his brother and niece. That left Bruce with some much-needed space in which to get some much-needed work done. Another quick scan through a few hundred feeds and he turned his attention to some long-delayed improvements on the Watchtower's security. He glanced up in annoyance at the ceiling, where Superman had hung a variety of ornaments that served no useful purpose except to interfere with the security cameras. At least soon they'd be gone and the garish season would be over.
The monitor on the furthest right (the only one he hadn't changed the view on) showed a farmhouse in a moonlit, snowy field, peaceful and still. Batman glanced at it, then away. A wisp of smoke was lifting from the chimney, indicating a fire burning in the living room, perhaps with cocoa and cookies before it.
Some might raise an eyebrow at having a camera dedicated to a farmhouse in Kansas, but Superman had specifically mentioned once that he liked to know Batman was watching the spot when he was on monitor duty. "You never know," he'd said, with a rueful smile. "I have a lot of enemies, and...well, it just makes me feel better."
Not that there was much need to keep an eye on the Kents when Superman was right there. And not just Superman--the Martian Manhunter as well. With two of the most powerful beings on the planet in the house, Batman would be superfluous should a crisis arise.
He left the monitor on anyway.
: : :
Hawkgirl tossed ornaments down to Flash, who zipped around catching them all as Superman vainly protested: "Hey, you might break--oh, never mind." Green Lantern was removing the tinsel garlands from around the monitors. It appeared the holiday season was finally over, and everyone had had a wonderful time, but none more than the Martian Manhunter.
"...the cookies were delicious," J'onn said, "And there was a kitty. She sat on my lap and let me pet her." His austere voice was shot through with delight, and Bruce felt a twinge of...well, of something indefinable go through him as the rest of the League smiled at J'onn and asked him for more details of his first Christmas on Earth. "And Clark's mother gave me--wait a moment, I'll show you," he said, vanishing through the floor and leaving Batman wondering just when he had moved from "Superman" to "Clark." No one else called him that: he was always "Big Guy" or "Kal" or just "Superman." No one but Bruce called him "Clark."
Well, until now.
Flash snagged the last ornament and grinned at Superman. "He seems to have had a good time."
"He was a perfect guest," said Superman, smiling fondly. "I think he really got the Christmas spirit, you know?" He looked down at the crystal star in his hand, his smile turning wistful. "I mean, he's lost so much. A whole planet. I'm just glad I could give him a happy day."
"Behold," J'onn intoned, rising up through the floor clad in a beige and brown knitted sweater, "Ma Kent's Christmas gift to me. She made it herself," he added, brushing long green fingers down the wool. "She has remarkable facility with textiles."
There was more laughing and shared stories, and then everyone went off to their respective duties elsewhere and Batman returned to checking the security systems. He was focused on a possible glitch in one subroutine, so he didn't turn around when a voice came from behind him:
"Did you have a good Christmas?"
He made a neutral sound and didn't look at Superman. "It was quiet. That's the best kind of holiday."
"I wish you'd come along. My parents would have loved to meet you. And hanging out with you and J'onn would have been fun."
"Someone had to do Monitor Duty," Batman reminded him. "And besides, it was probably more fun without me there anyway." He frowned and replayed that last line in his head: he had meant it to be matter-of-fact, but on reflection it could definitely be interpreted as having self-pitying overtones. He considered modifying it, but decided that would only call attention to it.
Superman snapped his fingers. Thankfully, he didn't seem to have noticed Batman's brief lurch into the maudlin. "That's right! Hold on, I'll be right back." He was gone in a blur of red and blue, and Batman shrugged and turned his attention back to the security systems. He was nearly done with a tricky bit of re-routing when something tightened around his neck like a garrote.
He whirled, ready to fight off any possible attack--and found himself looking into Clark's grinning face. Clark was holding an end of colored cloth in each hand, and Bruce realized that the material around his neck was knitted wool. He looked down at the black-and-yellow striped scarf, then back up at Superman.
"Ma made you a little something," Clark said. "I told her your favorite colors." He looped the scarf around Batman's neck one more time. "It might be a little long," he added, frowning.
"It's fine," said Batman. "I mean, it's...very soft. And warm. High quality wool. Good workmanship."
"I'm glad it meets your exacting standards," Superman said, but his smile took the sting out of the words.
Bruce extricated the ends of the scarf from Superman's hands. At the end of each scarf a small black-winged figure was knitted into the cloth. The image of Martha Kent assiduously knitting little bats into a scarf, Clark hovering nearby to check on her work, rose up in his mind.
"Ah," said Clark, sounding deeply satisfied, and Bruce realized he was smiling down at the scarf. He twitched the ends of the scarf over his shoulder and banished the traitorous expression from his face.
"Tell your mother thank you for me," he said.
"Will do," said Superman. He hesitated a moment, then said in a hurried tone, "Look, I was wondering if you were maybe free New Year's Eve?"
Batman looked as discouraging as possible (this turned out to be more difficult than usual, with a knitted bat-scarf around his neck). "My New Year's resolution is the same as it is every year: to avoid as many noisy, vapid parties as I possibly can."
"Oh, it's not a party," Superman said. "I was thinking just a quiet evening in the Fortress. The Northern Lights have been particularly spectacular this year and I'd...like to share them."
"So...just a small get-together," Batman nodded. "Maybe you, Diana, J'onn--"
"--Just us," Clark said. He reached out absently and took the end of the scarf in his hand, playing with the fringe a little, keeping his gaze on it rather than Bruce's face. "I was thinking maybe...just the two of us."
Batman cleared his throat. "I'll check to see if my schedule is free. But I'm pretty sure it is," he--blurted would be the wrong word, he thought, would imply something shy and eager. So he stated it with firm quickness. Then he blinked at Superman as a thought occurred to him. "But I didn't get you anything," he said, touching the scarf.
"Oh, that's okay," said Superman. "You already gave me the most precious Christmas present of all."
Batman frowned at the cryptic sentence, then nodded as understanding came to him. "Ah, uninterrupted time with your family, of course. It was my pleasure."
Superman smiled. "That too."
Pairing: Clark/Bruce, Martian Manhunter, rest of the League
Warnings/Spoilers: None
Rating: G
Word Count: 1400
Summary: Monitor Duty is actually quite relaxing on Christmas Eve. That camera focused on Smallville? Just a precaution.
Notes: Written for the World's Finest Gift Exchange! Prompt F2, for a story based on the Justice League Unlimited episode "Comfort and Joy," where Clark realizes Bruce might not have been perfectly happy spending Christmas alone.
Batman shoved aside a bit of gaudy tinsel garland to get a better look at the Keystone City monitor. Flash seemed to have the situation with the Ultra-Humanite well in hand. Hawkgirl and Green Lantern were off-planet, but they had checked in and reported they were fine (though the crashing and yelling in the background had made Batman raise his eyebrows and suspect otherwise). Batman's hands flickered across the keyboards and the monitors flurried through the major hotspots of the world. The few small flare-ups were being handled by local heroes, no need to call in the big guns. All was calm, all was bright.
It was a quiet Christmas Eve and Batman was relieved to be able to spend it alone and not having to put on his social face. Dick and Tim were both off with the Titans, Jim and Barbara snug at home, Alfred in England with his brother and niece. That left Bruce with some much-needed space in which to get some much-needed work done. Another quick scan through a few hundred feeds and he turned his attention to some long-delayed improvements on the Watchtower's security. He glanced up in annoyance at the ceiling, where Superman had hung a variety of ornaments that served no useful purpose except to interfere with the security cameras. At least soon they'd be gone and the garish season would be over.
The monitor on the furthest right (the only one he hadn't changed the view on) showed a farmhouse in a moonlit, snowy field, peaceful and still. Batman glanced at it, then away. A wisp of smoke was lifting from the chimney, indicating a fire burning in the living room, perhaps with cocoa and cookies before it.
Some might raise an eyebrow at having a camera dedicated to a farmhouse in Kansas, but Superman had specifically mentioned once that he liked to know Batman was watching the spot when he was on monitor duty. "You never know," he'd said, with a rueful smile. "I have a lot of enemies, and...well, it just makes me feel better."
Not that there was much need to keep an eye on the Kents when Superman was right there. And not just Superman--the Martian Manhunter as well. With two of the most powerful beings on the planet in the house, Batman would be superfluous should a crisis arise.
He left the monitor on anyway.
: : :
Hawkgirl tossed ornaments down to Flash, who zipped around catching them all as Superman vainly protested: "Hey, you might break--oh, never mind." Green Lantern was removing the tinsel garlands from around the monitors. It appeared the holiday season was finally over, and everyone had had a wonderful time, but none more than the Martian Manhunter.
"...the cookies were delicious," J'onn said, "And there was a kitty. She sat on my lap and let me pet her." His austere voice was shot through with delight, and Bruce felt a twinge of...well, of something indefinable go through him as the rest of the League smiled at J'onn and asked him for more details of his first Christmas on Earth. "And Clark's mother gave me--wait a moment, I'll show you," he said, vanishing through the floor and leaving Batman wondering just when he had moved from "Superman" to "Clark." No one else called him that: he was always "Big Guy" or "Kal" or just "Superman." No one but Bruce called him "Clark."
Well, until now.
Flash snagged the last ornament and grinned at Superman. "He seems to have had a good time."
"He was a perfect guest," said Superman, smiling fondly. "I think he really got the Christmas spirit, you know?" He looked down at the crystal star in his hand, his smile turning wistful. "I mean, he's lost so much. A whole planet. I'm just glad I could give him a happy day."
"Behold," J'onn intoned, rising up through the floor clad in a beige and brown knitted sweater, "Ma Kent's Christmas gift to me. She made it herself," he added, brushing long green fingers down the wool. "She has remarkable facility with textiles."
There was more laughing and shared stories, and then everyone went off to their respective duties elsewhere and Batman returned to checking the security systems. He was focused on a possible glitch in one subroutine, so he didn't turn around when a voice came from behind him:
"Did you have a good Christmas?"
He made a neutral sound and didn't look at Superman. "It was quiet. That's the best kind of holiday."
"I wish you'd come along. My parents would have loved to meet you. And hanging out with you and J'onn would have been fun."
"Someone had to do Monitor Duty," Batman reminded him. "And besides, it was probably more fun without me there anyway." He frowned and replayed that last line in his head: he had meant it to be matter-of-fact, but on reflection it could definitely be interpreted as having self-pitying overtones. He considered modifying it, but decided that would only call attention to it.
Superman snapped his fingers. Thankfully, he didn't seem to have noticed Batman's brief lurch into the maudlin. "That's right! Hold on, I'll be right back." He was gone in a blur of red and blue, and Batman shrugged and turned his attention back to the security systems. He was nearly done with a tricky bit of re-routing when something tightened around his neck like a garrote.
He whirled, ready to fight off any possible attack--and found himself looking into Clark's grinning face. Clark was holding an end of colored cloth in each hand, and Bruce realized that the material around his neck was knitted wool. He looked down at the black-and-yellow striped scarf, then back up at Superman.
"Ma made you a little something," Clark said. "I told her your favorite colors." He looped the scarf around Batman's neck one more time. "It might be a little long," he added, frowning.
"It's fine," said Batman. "I mean, it's...very soft. And warm. High quality wool. Good workmanship."
"I'm glad it meets your exacting standards," Superman said, but his smile took the sting out of the words.
Bruce extricated the ends of the scarf from Superman's hands. At the end of each scarf a small black-winged figure was knitted into the cloth. The image of Martha Kent assiduously knitting little bats into a scarf, Clark hovering nearby to check on her work, rose up in his mind.
"Ah," said Clark, sounding deeply satisfied, and Bruce realized he was smiling down at the scarf. He twitched the ends of the scarf over his shoulder and banished the traitorous expression from his face.
"Tell your mother thank you for me," he said.
"Will do," said Superman. He hesitated a moment, then said in a hurried tone, "Look, I was wondering if you were maybe free New Year's Eve?"
Batman looked as discouraging as possible (this turned out to be more difficult than usual, with a knitted bat-scarf around his neck). "My New Year's resolution is the same as it is every year: to avoid as many noisy, vapid parties as I possibly can."
"Oh, it's not a party," Superman said. "I was thinking just a quiet evening in the Fortress. The Northern Lights have been particularly spectacular this year and I'd...like to share them."
"So...just a small get-together," Batman nodded. "Maybe you, Diana, J'onn--"
"--Just us," Clark said. He reached out absently and took the end of the scarf in his hand, playing with the fringe a little, keeping his gaze on it rather than Bruce's face. "I was thinking maybe...just the two of us."
Batman cleared his throat. "I'll check to see if my schedule is free. But I'm pretty sure it is," he--blurted would be the wrong word, he thought, would imply something shy and eager. So he stated it with firm quickness. Then he blinked at Superman as a thought occurred to him. "But I didn't get you anything," he said, touching the scarf.
"Oh, that's okay," said Superman. "You already gave me the most precious Christmas present of all."
Batman frowned at the cryptic sentence, then nodded as understanding came to him. "Ah, uninterrupted time with your family, of course. It was my pleasure."
Superman smiled. "That too."