daemon au

[stands_for_hope]

So... daemons. Animal of a different gender from yours = your soul. Tag one of the characters on here with a starter, post your own with or without a request for one of mine or play here as you like.

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[stands_for_hope]

He realizes only after he'd said it what the connotations of that kind of statement could be. The first request gets a quick nod. He'll remember that.

"Wouldn't that be if we grew spinach?" he says back with a little grin, lifting an arm to do a Popeye-esque flex. Well, a partial one. He likes this shirt.

[frightening]

"Not like that," he huffs, and nudges Clark's foot with his. "You're so wholesome and all-American. And it's sincere. If I didn't like you so much I'd probably throw up."

Bruce is definitely a stereotype, too; rich upper class east coast. (Dictionary definition Gothamite, too, but seeing as he forged that particular type-cast, it's excused.) He pretends to be so many different people, but Clark ... Clark is genuine through and through, no matter if he's a journalist or Superman.

[stands_for_hope]

That gets a laugh out of him and he nudges back.

"Actually, I'm a very lucky immigrant who happened to end up in Kansas, where they grow corn." He turns his attention up to Bruce with a lopsided smile.

"If I'm sincere, it's because the people who raised me taught me the value of sincerity and believing in what you say and do. There's good, sincere people all over."

Another nudge.

"Including Gotham."

[frightening]

"Americans are immigrants." Bruce leans in, but just sways back after, an almost childlike movement. A lucky immigrant who happened to end up in Kansas where they grow corn is, as far as Bruce is concerned, as all-American as it gets. He's got the flashy boy scout uniform to prove it; House of El colors, sure, but they aimed pretty damn well all the way from Krypton to coordinate.

"Alfred's very sincere."

[stands_for_hope]

"Most of us are," he agrees, "of one stripe or another. But I try to remember both sides of that when I can."

Nudge.

"You're very sincere. You. The one I'm in love with. He's incredibly sincere."

[frightening]

"I'm not, though," he says with a nudge back, covering up the way his face tries to color at hearing Clark say the-l-word. "I lie to everyone, constantly. You know that."

Batman's tactics are manipulative and vicious, while Bruce Wayne's are honestly not all that much better. He has to make his good deeds seem accidental, he has to trick his board into working the way he wants to.

"Some things.." Bruce looks out across the grounds, towards the ocean - they can't see it from here, but he knows where it is. "How I feel about you. Dick. That's different. But it's not the norm."

[stands_for_hope]

He shakes his head, the action mild.

"The two aren't mutually exclusive. What you do and how you feel. About me. About Dick. About Gotham."

He leans in a little, just a little, and offers a smile.

"You call me sincere when I spend 90% of my day pretending I'm human. Your actions are sincere in intent, even if the methods involve subterfuge."

[frightening]

Bruce looks back over at him and leans in as well, but he moves all the way, and places a soft kiss against Clark's mouth before he straightens up again.

"You're too biased."

He appreciates it, though. It's obvious in how his proverbial feathers are un-ruffled. Bruce isn't accustomed to anyone being sweet with him, much less someone giving him credit for the work he does, and while it can be overwhelming... he does like it.

[stands_for_hope]

"Maybe," he admits, leaning in again. His lips are still warm from the kiss and he wants another one, but the part he likes the most is Bruce leaning over to give it to him.

"But I got that way watching you."

[frightening]

Bruce's blush is obvious this time and for a split-second he doesn't know what to do, and so he leans forward to kiss Clark again. That way Clark can't see his face, so there.

Up above, Caterin is amused at Bruce's reactions, and clearly happy. She goes back to playing with Neoma after a moment of observation; maybe there's a connecting thread here somewhere, with how she likes to be a sugar glider. Something soft and affectionate that struggles to survive without others.

[stands_for_hope]

It wasn't what he was aiming for, but it's never an answer that Clark will refuse. He reaches one hand up to stroke Bruce's cheek as they kiss. Yes, he can feel the warmth of that cheek, but he won't say anything or tease. There are all manner of things Clark will poke fun at him for; the strength and depth of his feelings isn't one of them.

[frightening]

Bruce wonders if he makes Clark feel like this - he hasn't caught the other man fumbling like he has, but then, Bruce has been busy berating himself every time he slips up. Not much of a detective in those moments. He hopes, though, that he'll be able to make Clark happy ... get him to feel this light, this touched.

Their kiss is sweet, and Bruce only deepens in for a short moment before pulling back, bumping his forehead gently against Clark's after. He's gotten his embarrassment back under control-- he really needs to work on that.

"Should we be worried about this?"

[stands_for_hope]

He blinks a little at the question, since he's not sure what exactly he should be worried about. But he likes being here, against Bruce, forehead to forehead.

"Worried about what?"

[frightening]

"How being together might affect our work," he says, sounding contemplative. "We argue plenty as it is. And.. do we tell anyone?"

He is so very out of his depth. His instinct is to not do this at all-- but he feels too strongly. He doesn't want to let it go.

[stands_for_hope]

"We argue," he agrees, "but we always come back to our equilibrium. And I can't imagine that changing, since a relationship doesn't change the trust and respect we share."

He scratches one ear.

"And I would think we should tell Diana, but I'm ambivalent about anyone else. Mostly, I think we should behave appropriately to any other workplace and whoever figures it out figures it out."

[frightening]

Bruce seems to consider this for a while, and then he nods before bringing his hands up to the sides of Clark's neck, forehead against his again. Just resting there.

After a little while, he speaks again quietly: "Alfred knows.. obviously. I want you to meet Dick, I just don't know when. Can you be patient with me while I work out what to do there?"

His boy, making sure he's comfortable and that he won't feel jealous or threatened, is the most important thing to him.

[stands_for_hope]

"Whatever you need," he says, and he says it easily, but his eyes are watching Bruce. He will give him what he needs, but it's because Bruce is important, not because he doesn't care. He won't enjoy waiting. But he'll do it for Bruce and for Dick.

[frightening]

"Thank you," he murmurs. It means a lot to him - he's out of his depth, with a child, and he wants to protect Dick as much as he can. The boy is so happy and warm, but he has nightmares, and he spends all the time he can with Bruce.

"We've skipped a few steps."

That's alright. Talking like this makes Bruce feels more secure, though; plans they both know.

[stands_for_hope]

"Oh?" he asks with just a bit of a smile. Not teasing. Just... content. Pleased with how they've done things, with the way they are, and the potential for what they're hoping to be.

"Which steps are those?"

[frightening]

"Don't people go on dates and get to know these kinds of things about each other first?" First, before admissions of love, before weaving lives together. Even though Bruce hasn't said it out loud-- he doesn't know why he's afraid to, he feels it, he's just floundering. He's shocked Clark wants to put up with him, honestly.

[stands_for_hope]

"We've gone on... work dates," he says, thoughtful, "and just because we're doing it a little different doesn't mean it's wrong."

He shrugs again.

"I know the important parts. I think you do too. Everything else is just an opportunity to know more."

[frightening]

"I'm not saying I think it's wrong." Bruce looks at him, unguarded, so rare in itself. He looks like he's considering something, and doesn't add anything for a while; he looks down and takes one of Clark's hands, splaying his fingers, running his own over the lines on his palm.

"That someone could know all of me and want to be with me anyway isn't something I've even fantasized about. I don't want to mess anything up."

But I'm very good at messing things up.

[stands_for_hope]

"There aren't very many ways that you can mess this up," Clark tells him honestly, looking down at their hands. "And most of them, well... my very first instinct would just be to ask you why you'd done it and if that means you don't want to be with me. And if you still do, well... I guess we'd get through it, like any of our disagreements."

His other hand reaches up to stroke the hair back behind Bruce's ear so very gently.

"So I suppose when it boils down to it, the only way you can really get rid of me is if you don't want me. Because I do know you, in peace and in... well, war's as good a word as any. And I trust that man down to my soul. With it too."

[frightening]

Bruce looks at him, his expression serious. These are tactics - protocols, plans - that he needs to know and understand. It feels vital to know what the rules are, even if they're working on a just eyeball it scale. After a while, he nods.

He doesn't want to say Me too, or something equally stupid. But he feels the same way and what Clark's telling him is reasonable, logical. Solid planning. He's grateful that Clark is practical about it because Bruce-- well, he has no fucking clue.

"I'm happy," he says quietly, after a moment.

[stands_for_hope]

"I am too," he admits, just as quiet. And, honestly, just as fragile. Clark is confident, comfortable, but that confidence and that comfort comes from his belief, firm as it is, in Bruce. But his heart is as fragile as anyone else's. And he knows that the world can do terrible things. He just chooses to believe, chooses to have faith, in what they've decided. What they're deciding. In the bond that they have and all it comes with.

"And I promise to you that I will always be honest to you about us. If there's something I'm upset about. IF there's something I'm unhappy with. I promise you, Bruce, that I will tell you. You'll be the first one to know."

A softer smile.

"No guessing games. That I can promise."