Clark watched from his terrace as the darkness of the night sky was slowly, but surely, chased away by the first whispers of sunrise. He smiled as he leaned his back against the cool brick of the building, cradling a hot cup of oolong tea in his hands. Inside his apartment, Lois slept soundly on his bed. She’d fallen asleep on his couch while he’d tended to a rescue, long after he’d told her everything he could think of about his life and answered the numerous questions she’d had. At first, he had wanted to ignore the cry for help, but Lois had shooed him away, assuring him that he didn’t need to feel guilty about tending to his Superman duties. It had been a shooting just a few blocks over, and even she had been able to hear the gunshots that had captured his attention. He’d been gone a little longer than he would have liked – the old man that had been wounded had been in too precarious a state for Clark to feel confident in moving him. So he’d waited with the man until the ambulance had arrived and the paramedics had begun to stabilize him.
When he’d arrived back home, Clark had found Lois curled up on one end of the couch. Carefully, he’d picked her up and laid her down on his bed. The night had turned surprisingly cool, so he’d gently and lovingly tucked her in under his blankets, then he’d changed out of his Superman attire and stretched out on the couch. He’d slept for a little while, but only in fits and starts. He was still too excited to have Lois speaking to him again. Not only speaking to him, but willing to forgive his transgressions against her. He was still too giddy from receiving the invaluable and rare gift of a second chance to make things right with her.
The night had been fairly quiet. The few calls for help that he heard hadn’t required Superman’s attention, having been well in hand by the proper authorities, though he had made one quick patrol over the sleepy city. He’d reveled in that flight, drinking in all of the little details of his home.
Home.
He hadn’t truly felt at home in Metropolis while Lois had been mad at him. The city had felt cold, alien, and hostile without Lois’ love and acceptance to welcome him and keep him grounded. He’d wondered – more than once – if he could bear to remain in the city if Lois chose to utterly reject him. But where he would have gone, he still didn’t know. Metropolis had been the first place since Smallville where he’d felt like he truly belonged. Gotham had been great, and it would always hold a piece of Clark’s heart. But he’d always known Gotham – and Wayne Manor by extension – would be temporary for him. He’d been restless, even on those glorious nights when he’d helped defend Gotham from would-be evildoers dressed in the attire of Nightwing. Metropolis, on the other hand, had felt so right, straight from the beginning, before he’d had a chance to meet Lois and be completely and helplessly under the city’s spell.
Lois.
She really was the most amazing person he’d ever met. Why she tolerated him after all he’d done mystified him. How she could admit to still loving him was beyond his comprehension. But she did and Clark was grateful for it. He knew he’d never take her merciful second chance for granted. He’d never taken her for granted – not her friendship, not her partnership at work, and certainly not her love. He was excruciatingly aware of just how lucky he was to have her in his life. And he was devoted to making sure he never jeopardized that that ever again.
He thought that maybe he was off to a good start. The conversation they’d had that night had gone well. They’d talked for a long time, with him telling her everything he possibly could about himself. Lois had asked a lot of questions and he’d been thrilled to answer them all. Only, there were a few he hadn’t been able to, simply because he didn’t know the answers – things like why Krypton had exploded and why Jor-El and Lara hadn’t accompanied their infant son to Earth. She’d appeared to be interested and fully invested in learning about him, rather than skeptical or accusing, so he’d been greatly encouraged. Plus, nothing in his life had ever felt so good as it had to confide every last secret to Lois. He was fully hers now, in a way. She held not only his heart, but every bit of knowledge about him that it was possible to have. She could destroy him in an instant, if she so chose to. But he didn’t care. He wasn’t afraid. His unburdened heart felt lighter than it ever had and he was more confident than he’d been in his entire life.
“Hey,” came Lois’ sleepy voice from behind him. It was almost more of a yawn than a word.
“Hey,” he responded in a hushed voice as he looked over at her. “How’d you sleep?”
“Better than I have in a while,” she admitted, rubbing her eyes. She moved to his side and wrapped her arms around herself. “I thought I’d toss and turn after learning everything I did last night but…it put me at peace. At least…in a way. It’s still a lot to come to grips with but…at least I’m not wondering why you’re dashing off in mid-sentence anymore, leaving me to think that maybe you’re…I don’t know. Afraid of committing to a serious conversation or to our relationship.”
“I’ll never forgive myself for giving you any reason to doubt my commitment to you, Lois,” Clark regretfully whispered.
“I know. After last night…I think I can maybe start to trust you a little bit again.” She snuggled into his side. “So…what’re you doing out here?”
He shifted his mug to one hand and used his free arm to hug Lois to himself. “I couldn’t sleep much, so I came out here to think.”
“About what?” she asked curiously, though she was battling another yawn.
“About how incredible you are and how idiotically lucky I am,” he said, giving her a smile.
“An idiotically lucky lunkhead,” Lois declared with a laugh. She nudged him playfully with her shoulder.
Clark chuckled, feeling perfectly at ease. “So, is that my new nickname? Lunkhead?”
Lois grinned impishly. “We’ll see.”
Clark laughed again. “Fair enough.” He hesitated a moment, then, “So…are we…going to be okay?”
She took a deep breath before answering. “Yeah, I think we’re going to be just fine. Sure, this isn’t exactly where I planned our relationship to be right now but…I want to put the past behind us. I want to look forward to the future.”
“A new dawn for us, just like the one we’re watching now,” Clark replied quietly, his face to the growing light in the east. The corners of his mouth quirked up into a smile.
Lois saw and gave him a questioning look. “What?”
He shook his head. “It just occurred to me…up until now, I was living in the dark, in a way. I was alone, lonely, and, for a time, I rarely let myself use my powers. When I did, it was under the cover of darkness, for the most part – flying back to Smallville to visit my parents’ grave, protecting Gotham as Nightwing. Then, when I decided to create Superman, I thought I was stepping into the light, especially once you agreed to go out with me, Clark, not the flashy guy in the cape. But I wasn’t standing in the sunlight, the way I thought I was. More like…I was standing in the gleam of a spotlight or a lamp or something. It wasn’t real sunlight. But now? Now that you know everything and I can finally be honest with you, without having to be afraid or hide things? I’m finally living in the light. It’s still soft and it’s only just begun, just like the dawning of an actual new day, but it’s growing by the second. And it’s ridiculously beautiful and so full of promise. It’s so full of hope, Lois. Not just hope for our future together. But hope for a better Superman too.”
Lois looked puzzled. “A better Superman? How so? I mean…he’s been pretty fantastic, for a guy who doesn’t really exist.” She grinned playfully.
Clark’s smile didn’t do justice to the love in his heart. She really did get it! She truly understood that Superman wasn’t who he was, but what he could do – that Clark was the real man and that Superman was the puppet. But he chose not to comment on that, and, instead, answer Lois’ question.
“Because,” he said, turning away from the golden shafts of light in the sky and the scattered puffy pink clouds, “Superman can be free to do what he needs to do, without having to worry about keeping his identity secret from the woman he loves.”
“He never had to in the first place, but I can see what you mean.”
“And,” he continued, circling back to his original train of thought, “it means there’s hope for me, as a regular man. Hope that I can be better and give you the world, because you deserve it.”
“I don’t want the world,” Lois said quietly, with a shake of her head. “I don’t need dinners in Paris or sunset walks on Grecian beaches. I don’t need gelato from Italy or pearls from Japan. I just want us to make a good life for ourselves. I just want us to keep making a difference in the world. I need us to work out as a couple. Before you…I was lonely and bitter and miserable. But, for some reason, you never gave up on me. I’m a better person, because you make me happy. Maybe you feel like this is the first real moment in the light for you, but…it’s not all that different for me. I’m learning to be in the light too, in a lot of ways.”
Clark looked at her, his heart nearly bursting with love. “So…if you don’t need the world…does that mean you don’t need all those chocolates I usually pick up for you from Switzerland?”
Lois laughed and wagged her finger at him. “Don’t even joke about that. I’ll always need those.”
Clark chuckled. “Fair enough. Do you want some coffee or something? I could whip up some breakfast too.”
Lois’ stomach answered for her with a loud rumble. She looked down at her waist for a moment, as though she was seeing a traitor. “Apparently, yes,” she said with a blush. “That’d be great.”
“Excellent,” Clark declared with a smile. “Come on in.”
They went back inside and Clark immediately got to work in the kitchen. He started the coffeemaker and dumped his now cold oolong tea out. It would have been nothing to reheat it with his heat vision, but there wasn’t much left in his mug. Then he set about making scrambled eggs, toast, bacon, sausage, and French Toast, all prepared in the way Martha had taught him once, long ago. It was ready within minutes, thanks, in no small part, to his super abilities. Lois sat at the table and looked on in what appeared to be amazement as he zipped about the kitchen.
“Voila!” he announced less than ten minutes later. “Breakfast is served, my lady.”
“Geez, eager to show off?” Lois teased softly.
“In a rush to tend to your needs,” he replied, grinning brightly. “Besides, what’s the point of having superpowers if you can’t use them to streamline things once in a while?”
Lois picked up a fork and speared a chunk of scrambled egg. She rolled her eyes blissfully at the first bite. “I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to having a man who can cook this well. Thank God! I’m such a disaster in the kitchen. I’d hate to starve both of us.”
“I can teach you, if you want,” Clark offered. “We can take it slow. A few simple recipes, like the eggs, for starters. We can work our way up from there. And I promise, no superpowers.” He quickly crossed his heart with his index finger.
Lois chuckled. “Now there’s a promise I never once imagined I’d ever hear coming from a normal man.”
A normal man.
Lois’ words rang in his ears. A normal man was all he’d ever wanted to be. She really saw him as nothing out of the ordinary, didn’t she? His heart leapt with joy. It didn’t mean she might not see him as someone special, but she wasn’t looking at him as the extraordinary being of Superman.
“So…deal?” he asked.
Lois regarded him skeptically for a few long heartbeats. “Only if we do it here. I’m afraid if I set off the fire alarms in my apartment one more time people are going to complain and get me kicked out of the building.” Her grin was as wide as the ocean.
Clark chuckled. “Deal,” he promised.
A companionable silence fell as they each focused on their breakfast. When they were finished, Clark cleaned at superspeed, then guided Lois to the couch. She sat reluctantly.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, seeing her checking the clock on the wall.
“I should probably get going,” she replied.
“Oh…” Clark said, feeling disappointed. Now that Lois knew the truth, he didn’t want to be parted from her, especially since they’d made so much progress in mending the once impassible chasm of mistrust and hurt his secret’s exposure had caused. “Uh, sure. I mean…” he stammered, looking for the right words. “Did I do something to…?”
“No, lunkhead,” Lois interrupted, caressing his cheek. “You didn’t do anything wrong. It’s just…we have to be at work in a couple of hours and I still need to shower and get dressed. While I’m sure Perry would love the vintage Planet shirt I’m wearing, it’s not exactly professional attire.”
Clark chuckled at his own insecurity. “I guess you’re right. Do you need a lift?” he offered.
She shook her head. “I drove over last night, but thanks. I’ll take the Jeep and meet you in the bullpen? I don’t want to hold you up in case I run late.”
“Sounds fine to me. Commuting has never been an issue for me,” he joked.
“I’ll bet,” Lois agreed, amused. She stood and went to retrieve her purse. “Oh, and one last thing? I meant to say it before but we got kind of sidetracked. Thanks, for letting me crash here last night. You didn’t need to give me the bed, you know. I would have been perfectly fine on the couch. But…I appreciate it.”
Clark dipped his head in acknowledgement. “Believe me, it was my pleasure. Before you showed up last night, I was convinced I’d never be permitted to talk to you ever again, let alone see you. I would have slept on a bed of razor sharp Kryptonite shards and been happy, knowing you were here.” A thought occurred to him. “Before you go, I have something for you.”
Lois’ eyebrow raised in curiosity. “What?”
“These,” Clark said, moving to his bookshelf. He knelt down and plucked several leather-bound tomes from the bottom shelf.
“Books?” Lois questioned.
“Not just any books,” Clark clarified. He dumped the contents of a heavy cardboard box onto the end of the couch. All his research on Lex Luthor’s criminal dealings spilled out over the cushions. Clark reverently placed the books into the box and held it out to Lois. “These are my personal journals. I started them back when I was a kid living in the halfway house. Grandma Tildy bought the first one for me, after I expressed my desire to use my writing as a way to help people. She’s the one who suggested journalism to me. She asked me to make a promise to her, that I would write something in the journal every day, no matter how long or short, no matter what the subject matter – how I was feeling, what I did or saw during the day, whatever I wanted. From that day until today, I’ve kept that promise.”
“Why do you want me to have them? It sounds…pretty private,” Lois asked. Clark could see she was touched by the gesture but reluctant to take the box.
“You should know everything about me,” he said with an easy shrug. “There’s a lot in there…things I’ve been able to express in writing that…that I was never comfortable saying out loud, not even to myself when I was living in that abandoned cabin in the middle of the woods. I know I’ve told you everything as best I can but…these journals might help. No one, other than myself, has ever read them. Not Grandma Tildy, not Chen, not even Alfred or Bruce. I hid the journals and their contents, the same as I hid my powers. I didn’t want anyone to ever see the thoughts that were crowding my head. But you? You’re different, Lois. I want you to know it all. My thoughts, my feelings, what my day to day life was like. You don’t have to read them if you don’t want to. But I want you to have that option. I trust you with the thoughts and memories contained within those pages. All of it is there, from that first night when I barely had any idea of what I should write, all the way through to tonight, and all the things I put into words when you were asleep.”
“You really want me to have them, huh?”
Clark nodded confidently. “Yes.”
“Okay, I’ll take them,” Lois said, putting her hand on the edge of the box. “Thank you, for entrusting them to me.”
“No, thank you, for being the first person I’ve ever felt comfortable sharing them with,” Clark said sincerely, reverence resounding in his voice.
“I’ll see you at work then?” Lois said a moment later, hefting the box and leaning it against her hip.
“Absolutely,” Clark replied. “And Lois? I love you.”
She smiled tenderly and gave him a swift, light kiss on his cheek. “And I love you. I promise, we’re going to be stronger after all of this, Clark.”
“I know we will. Lane and Kent, right? Unstoppable in every way.”
***
Two Years Later…
Candles twinkled in the warm evening breeze, beneath a canopy of white lights strung over the expansive, well-manicured lawn. A temporary dance floor had been set down before the sea of tables, each cloaked in a pristine white tablecloth. Pale pink carnations and white roses with white tapered candles commanded the center of each table, scenting the air pleasantly to Clark’s sensitive nose. To the left, the buffet station stood still serving a few people who were going back for more of the exquisite delicacies that the caterer had prepared. To the right, one of the bar stations that had been set up had a small line of laughing and chatting guests waiting their turn to taste the rare and vintage wines or the signature cocktails that had been created just for this one, perfect night. The orchestra played one lively tune after the other. On the dance floor, several couples danced the night away, with more joining them all the time.
Clark stood a little apart from the festivities, surveying the celebration like a benevolent king overseeing a festival in his kingdom. Once, not too long ago, this had been a foreign world to him – a world of wealthy people and extravagance, of decadent food and drink, of being the center of attention. He hadn’t been comfortable with it then – a recently homeless teen thrust into the lap of luxury and excess. But he’d grown since then, in every way. Huge events like this were now old hat to him. He was now very comfortable in this world; this world of celebration and custom-tailored tuxedos and polite conversation with everyone from his friends from work to billionaires. He’d thought, by moving to Metropolis and working for the Daily Planet, that he’d firmly put this world behind him, save for the rare occasion where he might need to turn up to support Bruce. He’d imagined going back to events like this would be awkward. But the truth was, there was a warm and comforting familiarity to it all. He hadn’t missed it, per se, but he found himself enjoying slipping back into that world, as brief as it would be. By morning, the impressive reception would be over and he would go back to being regular old Clark Kent, a humble reporter, a man who was firmly a part of the middle-class.
No, that’s not quite right, he mused happily. I’m much more than that now.
“CK! Congrats, my man!” Jimmy gleefully declared, slapping Clark on the back, hard, as he came up from behind, breaking Clark from his thoughts. “I am so proud of you!”
Clark shook his head tolerantly. “A little drunk, are we?” he playfully inquired, as the unmistakable smell of alcohol wafted into his nose.
“Not yet. Maybe a little tipsy,” Jimmy acquiesced. “How could I not be? Bruce has an amazing assortment of drinks! I’ve seen you tasting them. You’re probably as buzzed as I am,” his friend pointed out.
“I’ve been drinking, yes,” Clark agreed. “But I’m not drunk.” He patted his friend on the shoulder.
“Used to the expensive stuff?” Jimmy teased, his grin unbelievably huge.
“Nope. I just don’t get drunk.”
“Like it’s that easy,” Jimmy good-naturedly argued.
Clark shrugged. “It sure is. I’m not physically capable of getting drunk. I might as well be drinking water for all the effect alcohol has on me,” he explained, thankful for the loud music which covered his words.
Jimmy’s mouth opened as he pointed accusingly at Clark. He went to say something, then shook his head with a light chuckle. “That’s so not fair, you know.”
Clark laughed hard. “Maybe,” he agreed. “Maybe.” He patted Jimmy’s shoulder again. “Enjoying the party?”
“You bet I am!” Jimmy exclaimed. “Bruce sure does know how to throw an event!”
“Maybe a little too well,” Clark mused with a smile and a suppressed chuckle.
“What are you talking about?” Jimmy asked, exasperated.
“It a little bit more than the simple affair I’d imagined. But…between you and me, I’m kind of glad Bruce went overboard. Lois deserves this.”
“You both do, CK,” Jimmy reminded him. “You guys are a great couple. You deserve to have the wedding of the century. And, between you and me, our resident society columnist has been acting like it actually is the wedding of the century.”
Clark was a little surprised to hear that, since Cat was usually overly critical of even the fanciest of galas that she attended as the society page queen. And as for this wedding, she had expressed nothing short of extreme jealousy that Lois and Clark had continued to date and become engaged. And when they’d announced their wedding date and invited their coworkers to the ceremony and subsequent reception, Cat had avoided them for days before ultimately responding in the affirmative. He supposed it was just part of the weird game of a relationship she had with Lois that he still, to this day, didn’t understand or even want to understand.
Married.
Clark could scarcely believe it.
He and Lois were husband and wife.
It hadn’t been an easy road to the altar. After Lois had discovered his alter ego by accident that one, fateful afternoon, she’d chosen to give him a second chance – one he was still amazed she’d granted him. Though they’d both continued to profess their love for each other, they’d taken things very slowly, learning their relationship all over again, because this time, it included a third partner – Superman. Or, more accurately, this time, Superman was openly acknowledged as a third partner. It had taken time for Lois to fully build her trust back up in Clark, and he didn’t blame her one single bit. He knew her trust had been broken too many times before. He understood why she’d been so cautious.
But as the months had passed, he’d earned her trust back in full. It was only then that he felt like maybe, just maybe, theirs was a relationship that would allowed to endure forever. For the first time in what had felt like eternity, he could finally breathe easy and believe that he’d done something right. He hadn’t wanted to push things, so he’d let their relationship progress at a natural speed, though in his heart, he’d yearned to give Lois the ring he’d designed with his old friend, Maxwell, the jewelry designer Bruce had always used whenever he needed something ornate and elegant made up. For months, the ring had sat in the back of his sock drawer, buried beneath a pile of white cotton socks, where Lois wouldn’t find it when she came to his apartment.
It wasn’t until a year after he’d come clean to Lois about his powers that he’d finally screwed up the courage to ask her to marry him. He’d taken her for a moonlit outdoor dinner in Paris, at his favorite little bistro – one he’d discovered during his years traveling for the Gotham Gazette. Then they’d toured the city for a while before he’d eventually led her to a quiet little park where they’d talked for hours. Then, as the sun had begun to shyly peek over the horizon, he’d gone to one knee, told her how much he loved her, and asked her to marry him.
To his everlasting wonder, she’d said yes.
Later, when they’d flown to Wayne Manor to share their news with Bruce and Alfred, Bruce had immediately offered up his home to them as a place to have the ceremony and reception, if they wanted. Eventually, they’d gratefully accepted, thanks to several bad experiences with catering halls in Metropolis. Bruce had even go so far as to get ordained, so that he could perform the ceremony.
“I’m a lucky man, Jimmy,” Clark agreed, pulling his thoughts from the past. “I could have lost her forever but, somehow, she still loves me.”
“I hope, one day, I can find what you guys have together,” Jimmy said, looking out over the lawn, where wedding guests danced under the stars and white party lights alike.
“That reminds me,” Clark said with a cryptic grin. “I have someone I’d like you to meet.”
“Who?”
“Ah, there she is!” Clark said, ignoring Jimmy’s question. He waved over to someone in the crowd. “Barbara!”
A tall, slender, attractive strawberry blonde woman waved in turn and rushed over. “Hey, Clark! Congratulations!”
“Thank you,” Clark said, embracing the woman for a quick hug. “How was the flight out here?”
She shrugged. “The usual. How are you?”
“On top of the world,” Clark replied, smiling. “Tonight is a dream come true.” He gestured to Jimmy. “Barbara, I’d like to introduce Jimmy. He’s one of my closest friends. I think you two might find you have a lot in common. Jimmy, this is Barbara Wilson, Alfred’s niece.”
Jimmy’s face went scarlet in a blush. “Hi. Nice to meet you.”
“The pleasure’s all mine,” Barbara encouraged, shaking Jimmy’s hand. “Say…you want to get a drink?”
“Oh…sure!” Jimmy exclaimed. He shot Clark a thankful look as Barbara led him off to one of the bar stations that stood around the lawn.
“Ever the hero, looking out for everyone,” Lois said from behind Clark, making him jump just a little. He’d been focused on Jimmy and Barbara and hadn’t heard her approach.
He shrugged. “She might be really good for him. They share a lot of the same interests and she’s a really great person.”
Lois laughed as she stepped in front of him, threaded her arms around his neck, and kissed his lips. “I always did know you were a hopeless romantic.”
He smiled as he leaned in to kiss her again. “Is that such a bad thing?”
Lois stole another tiny peck on his lips. “Nope.”
“Hey, you two lovebirds?” Bruce interrupted a moment later. “Can I intrude for a moment? I’d like to give you your wedding gift now, if I can.”
“Bruce, haven’t you done enough?” Clark asked, dazed that Bruce had even more to give them. “You’ve paid for the entire wedding. That’s more than generous enough.”
“Are you kidding? This party was cheap, compared to what it could have been, if you’d let me pull out all the stops,” Bruce only half teased. “Besides, a party is just that. A party. It has no real value. I wanted to get you both something a little bit more…shall we say…practical.”
“Bruce…really, Clark is right,” Lois said. “You’ve already given us so much.”
“So one more thing won’t make a difference, will it?” Bruce countered with a grin. “Come on. I can’t return it so you may as well let me give it to you.”
Clark exchanged a look with Lois. She shrugged.
“All right, Bruce, you win,” Clark said with a nod of his head.
“Of course I did,” Bruce said with a smile. “Come on, let’s break away from the party for a couple of minutes. Trust me, it’s better if I give this to you in private.”
“Lead the way,” Clark said with a flourish of his arms.
Bruce took them a short distance away, by the pool. Lights around the area gave the placid water an ethereal aquamarine color. It was serene and much quieter than the section of the lawn that was besieged by the wedding reception. Bruce put his back to the peaceful pool, facing Lois and Clark. He reached into the inner breast pocket of his tuxedo and pulled out a slender envelope.
“Lois, Clark,” he began, still holding the envelope, “the two of you are like family to me. It’s always been my pleasure to know you both. Especially you, Clark, simply because of the way our lives have intertwined. The day I first met you, sitting on that park bench, I never suspected that we’d strike up a friendship, let alone become brothers. When I learned about your situation, it broke my heart. I’ve been so proud to share my home with you…and partner with you on our ‘other’ jobs. Seeing you succeed as a journalist and now, seeing you fulfill your dream of becoming Lois’ husband…I’ve never been so happy for you.”
“Thank you,” Clark said, truly touched.
“But the best is still to come,” Bruce continued. “You have your lives to build, new traditions to start, maybe even children in your future. I hope so, anyway. And all of that…it’s all putting down your roots. You should have a place to do that in. That’s why I want you to have this.” He handed Clark the envelope. “Go on, open it,” he encouraged when Clark didn’t immediately break the seal.
Clark nodded and eased the flap of the envelope open. He extracted some folded papers from within and opened them. He read the documents quickly and his mouth dropped open.
“You…you can’t be serious!” he exclaimed, his mind numb.
“Clark? What is it?” Lois prompted, worriedly curious.
“He…he…” Clark stammered in shock. He swallowed, blinked, and tried again. “He…bought us a house.”
“He…what?” Lois repeated. She grabbed the papers from Clark’s hands and her eyes zipped back and forth as she scanned them.
“Bruce…” Clark started, at a loss for words.
Bruce put his hand up to stop him. “It’s the least I could do, really.”
“Least you could do? It’s a house!” Clark stressed.
“It’s a great house,” Bruce insisted, grinning like the Cheshire Cat. “Close to work. Great school district, you know, just in case. Lots of room. Even a secret, hidden closet, perfect for stashing your ‘other’ work suits. Lots of charm. Move in ready. And it’s all yours.”
“Bruce,” Clark said, shaking his head. “I…I don’t know what to say. Thank you. This is beyond anything…I can’t believe you…”
Lois pressed a finger to his lips. “What my wordsmith husband means to say is, thank you, Bruce. We only wish would could repay your generosity.”
“You both already have. Lois, you’ve made my little brother the happiest I’ve ever seen him. And, Clark, you gave me back a sense of family, in a way that’s different from Alfred. Enjoy the house. Make all kinds of wonderful memories and traditions there.”
“We will. We promise,” Lois assured him. She threw her arms around Bruce in a hug, then kissed his cheek.
When she pulled away, Clark embraced his friend tightly, thanking him again.
“There’s one other thing,” Bruce said before Clark could suggest that they rejoin the reception. “I wondered if I should wait on it but now is as good a time as any. Here.” He produced another envelope from his inner breast pocket, this one much thicker than the previous one containing the deed to the house.
“Bruce, please, we don’t need a private jet to boot,” Clark joked. “Where would we park it?”
Bruce laughed. “Very funny. But this…this is serious business.”
Clark instantly wiped the grin off his face. “What is it, Bruce?”
“A copy of my will.”
“Your…will?” Clark questioned. “Bruce, is anything…”
He didn’t get to finish before Bruce spoke again. “No, everything’s fine. I had my will updated just before our fight with Jason Todd. I just didn’t say anything until now because…well, the timing never seemed right. But tonight? Tonight, you need to know the truth.”
“What truth?”
“I’m the last Wayne,” Bruce said, no hint of regret in his voice. “I have no heirs. I have no living blood-family left. I may never get married or sire children.”
“Bruce, there’s still plenty of time…” Clark argued.
“Maybe. But as it stands, right now, you and Alfred are my only family. That’s why, although I’ve ensured that Alfred will be well taken care of should he outlive me, I’ve officially named you as my heir. If something were to happen to me, you would be the one to inherit everything. The manor, my wealth, even the businesses, though, knowing you, you’d probably want to appoint someone to run things for you.”
“Bruce, you can’t be serious about this!” Clark exclaimed, flabbergasted.
Is this all a dream? Clark wondered, his mind hazy from how surreal it all felt.
“I am,” Bruce replied with cool casualness, as though he’d simply given them a pair of movie tickets to use. “You’ve more than earned it, Clark.”
“I really haven’t though.” Clark felt compelled to disagree.
“Of course you have! You’ve saved my life countless times, for starters.”
“And you’ve saved mine as well.”
Bruce put his hand up once more. “I won’t entertain any discussion on the matter. My will is final. If I have no children, you inherit it all. If, by some chance, I do have a child – or children – the estate is to be split equally.”
“You’re insane,” Clark said with an amused shake of his head. “You know that?”
Bruce laughed and shrugged. “I’ve been called a lot worse in my time.” He patted Clark’s shoulder.
“So…if I’m to inherit everything…does this mean I’ll finally get to drive the Batmobile?” Clark jested, grinning.
“No,” Bruce said in a flat deadpan.
“Eh you won’t know the difference,” Clark said mischievously. “You’ll be dead.”
“I left the car to Alfred,” Bruce replied smoothly, and it made Clark wonder if that was, indeed, the truth. “Come on. I’ve monopolized enough of your time. Your guests will be looking for you. Let’s get back to the party, shall we?”
“Oh, sure,” Clark said teasingly. “Just go back and pretend like everything’s normal and you didn’t just completely turn the world upside down for us.”
Bruce laughed. “Something like that. I thought one of your super powers was the hero’s Poker face.”
Clark chuckled. “You’re completely unhinged, Bruce. Seriously though, thank you. For everything. It’s not enough to say it, I know that. But it’s all I have to offer.” Once again, he drew Bruce in for a hug. He gently slapped the man on the back.
“Don’t mention it,” Bruce said reassuringly. “It’s what I want. For you to finally have a family home again. And for you to live in the utmost comfort if something ever happens to me, because I know you’ll be responsible with it all. Now, go. You have a lot of guests waiting for their chance to congratulate you on your marriage.”
“Bruce…Clark’s right. Saying ‘thank you’ isn’t really enough here. What you’ve just given him…given us…” She shook her head. “We can never repay you for this.”
“Just enjoy it and made a good life together. Maybe name a kid after me or let me be their godfather or something,” Bruce teased with a wink. He started to walk, leading them back to the thick of the reception. “I’ll catch up with you both later,” he informed them as Alfred approached to speak with Bruce. “Enjoy!”
Lois took Clark’s hand in hers and led him to the middle of the dance floor. She looped her arms around his neck and laid her head on his shoulder as his arms wrapped around her waist. He felt her sigh in contentment as they swayed to the soothingly slow music. He sighed in turn, feeling completely at peace in his soul.
He’d told Lois, on the night she’d come to him and told him that she’d chosen to give him a second chance, that he felt like they were stepping into the light of a new dawn. In his heart, back then, he’d anticipated that as time marched forward, he’d eventually feel like they were standing in the light of the noonday sun. But the truth was, each day with Lois was a new dawn all over again – a dawn full of the brightest sunshine. Not because he felt like he was leaving the embrace of the shadows still, but because each day was full of the hope and promise of making a life with the other half of his soul. Each day was a chance to fall unbelievably deeper in love with Lois and to show that love to her in a million tiny ways. Each day brought them new adventures, new challenges, new ways to strengthen their relationship. Each day was a miracle in and of itself.
“Bruce did an amazing job with the reception,” he commented as the song ended and a new one began.
“He did. He’s a pretty incredible man. I see it more and more each time we spend time with him, why the two of you hit it off immediately and became so close. You’re a lot like each other, in a lot of ways. And I’m not talking about your penchant for dressing up in silly costumes.”
“You think mine is silly?” Clark said in mock horror.
“It’s…certainly colorful,” was all Lois would say on the matter. “My point is, you’re both the two most generous men I’ve ever known. What Bruce did tonight…”
“I know,” Clark murmured. “In all my life…in all my wildest dreams…I never once imagined my life would turn out this way. Not just what Bruce gave the two of us tonight. But all of it. Growing up, I had no reason to believe I had a soulmate out there. I was too different and my life was too shattered. Meeting you, loving you, marrying you…this is beyond what I ever could have hoped for myself.”
“You aren’t the only one. I guess, in a way, we’re not so different. After constantly finding the wrong guys, I’d started to give up hope that I’d ever meet anyone decent and worthy of getting to know. And then, just when I’d begun to give up on the notion of love in general, you waltzed into my life. I resisted at first because I was scared. Scared to get my heart broken again. Scared to be taken advantage of again, even on the level of friendship. I’m glad you never gave up on me.”
“Never. I fell in love with you the moment we met,” Clark said, his voice a reverent vow. “But…are you sure you’re okay with the reception? I know we talked about having a much smaller, less extravagant affair. I’m okay with the change but you’re the one who suggested we keep it simpler, when we first started planning.”
Lois laughed, her smile lighting up the night like fireworks. “I’m fine, really. I used to dream about weddings like this, when I was a kid. My ‘keep it simple’ approach was based on living off a reporter’s salary.”
“Even having Bruce officiate?” Clark teased. “I mean, it was an off-handed joke I once made to him and…he ran with it.”
Lois’ grin grew wolfish and she leaned in to whisper in Clark’s ear. “That’s my favorite detail about all the work he put into this.”
“Really?” Clark arched an amused, but skeptical, eyebrow.
“Of course. It amuses me to no end, knowing that, technically speaking, Batman married Superman.”
The End.
