agoodyarn | for Dick: A different sort of meeting

for Dick: A different sort of meeting

It was an opportune moment, the circus coming to town. It didn't happen every year, but every year that it did, the school of veterinary sciences made sure that they got a chance to send their students in to deal with some of the more 'exotic' animals. Haley's Circus was good enough to cooperate, as much for the fine press it gave them as for the free medical care for their creatures.

Which was why third year Clark Kent was frowning at one of the elephants and, after looking around to make sure that no one was watching, reaching down to carefully lift one of her legs to get a glance at the bottom of her foot.

"Shhh, girl, I just want to see if that is what it looks like."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Gotham," and that's kind of some starry eyes right there. The idea of going to Gotham. He's never been and it just seemed like... well, too big a place for him. Maybe that joke about aliens wasn't entirely off.

"Which place do you like best? Of all the places you've been..."

Dick grins as he takes a bite of his pizza slice, leaning forward with his elbows on the table. It might not be good manners, but it reminds him not to talk with his hands at the moment. "Honestly, I feel a lot of affection for Gotham. There's a reason I went to school there, after all. Metropolis is nice, too. Good place to go into town when we're over that direction."

"Hopefully, I'll get to see them with you."

And he goes to eat a piece of pizza before realizing how that could be taken.

"Just... to make sure you know. I think you're really cool? But I don't want to join the circus because of you. If you were worried about it."

Dick gives him a grin. "I don't think most people would run off and join the circus for a pretty face." It wasn't that it couldn't happen, of course. Just that it was rare.

He holds up a hand.

"Hey, I know that, you know that, but I'm sure someone's said something ridiculous." He tips his head towards Dick.

"I mean, have you looked in a mirror lately?"

But he's teasing. Mostly. You can tell by how he goes back to his pizza.

"It's not a phase, I guess, is what I'm trying to say."

He blinks, pausing in the middle of a bite of pizza before raising an eyebrow. "What does my mirror have to do with anything?" Because...yeah. Dick doesn't really know what people think of him.

"That's good. Though I'd wait to decide that entirely until you've actually traveled with us for a bit." After all, everybody had their ideas of what being part of a circus was like.

That gets a blink right back before he breathes in low and leaves it where it is. Dick's gorgeous. He has to know he's gorgeous, right?

"And if the circus doesn't work out, I'm probably going to do something similar. Staying in one place... isn't really an option for me."

That's one of the problems with an insular group. Pretty much everybody in the circus has either watched Dick grow up or has grown up with him. And they don't really stay around long enough for other people to let him know things like that.

Dick hums and nods. "Some people are like that. Got the wandering gene, I suppose. Dad's always said that it's something I came by naturally."

Yeah, Clark'll figure that out himself. Eventually. Once some of the fairy dust has fluttered off.

"I think I come by it honestly. Not my dad so much. He never really wanted to leave Smallville. But my mom always talked about all kinds of places. It might be nice to send her pictures from some of them."

"I think that's common in small towns. At least, that's what I seem to see. A lot of starry-eyed kids who come to see us, who want to know about the places we go." Dick takes another bite, following it up with some water. "But I'm sure she'd love that."

"I hope so."

He scratches behind one ear.

"I haven't told her my idea yet. I mean, I think she'll be happy as long as I'm happy, my dad too. But you know how it is with parents."

Dick chuckles at that. "Very true. I mean, they definitely had a few moments of being taken aback when I told them I was going to go to Gotham University. But they supported me and were happy for me to follow my dreams." He gives Clark a half smile. "Though I think they were both happier that I decided to come back to the circus afterward."

"Gotham University?" And that's curious. "What'd you major in? If you don't mind me asking."

"Business, actually." Dick finished his piece of pizza, reaching for a napkin to clean his hand for a moment. "I never had any intention of totally leaving the circus behind. But I know that Mr. Haley won't be around forever and having somebody with more knowledge of business would be good for keeping us going."

He nods.

"My mom does the books for the farm ever since the one winter when things were rough. Unfortunately, I got my dad's talent for numbers. Hence vet school."

Which is vastly different but it's a little easier to explain than the truth.

"Well, obviously, you're playing to your strengths." Dick smiles, taking up another piece of pizza. "And you seem to be doing a really good job."

He shrugs.

"I just..." he glances out of the trailer for a moment and Dick won't know it, but he's checking in on the elephant he'd helped today.

"They're so helpless. Someone's got to look out for them."

"We do our best here. But as much as we love them, we don't know everything."

"Hopefully I can help with that," he says and that's... genuine hope, really. He's digging into another pizza slice but he really does just want to help.

Dick's responding smile is just as cheerful and hopeful as it's been since Clark met him. "If it's any help at all, I think you'll do a great job."

Clark can't help the blush at that before he nods in thanks and goes back to the pizza.

The evening continues in that vein, light chatter interspersed with the two of them finishing up the meal. Then there's a long period where they just talk, laid out in the trailer, sucking down a few bottles of water. By the end of the evening, Clark's more relieved than he can say that Dick wants his address and phone number. And the fact that he gets a goodnight kiss almost has him floating to his car in a very literal sense.

The intervening near-year or so before he finishes everything up, makes the arrangements, and sets up his life with the circus is filled with post cards and phonecalls and lots and lots of texts. Clark has to get a new phone in the interim if only to be able to save all the pictures that Dick actually sends him; he won't delete any of them, after all.

And when he finally gets there with his beat up old truck and his tiny trailer (it was the best his parents had been able to do and really, it wasn't so bad considering he had most of his 'things' on his laptop and his equipment was stored with the animals) well... it does, in a sense, feel like coming home. He goes to park his 'house' over next to Dick's, as Haley had instructed. Because the man wasn't stupid, after all.

Now it's a matter of finding Dick...

There's usually only a couple of places to look when trying to find Dick during the day. It's not entirely uncommon for him to go into the nearest town, but not usually on a performance day.

And, honestly, not on the day when they're all expecting Clark to be joining them.

So the choices, then, tend to be either his own trailer, his parents' trailer which is nearby or the big top itself. It turns out to be the latter this time, because there is a performance and a little bit more practice never hurts. Nothing too much, just a couple of passes, but it's nice to get a chance to fly.

His father is the one who sees Clark first, grinning and shouting something up to his son in a language that Clark probably doesn't know. Dick, having just finished his last pass, looks down and shouts something back before hugging his mother and scrambling down the ladder to the trapeze platforms. He grins at Clark. "Hey. You made it!"

Doesn't know yet, but fully intends to learn, if only to make things easier for everyone. It won't take him long, anyway.

But that's not his focus, not in the least. No, he's staring over at Dick as he makes his way down and, once he has, pulling him over for a kiss. It has been way too damn long.

It's just as well. If Clark hadn't pulled Dick in for a kiss, it would have happened the other way around.

After all, the ensuing year since their first, tentative kiss outside Dick's trailer has only led to certainty for Dick. Which is why he wraps his arms around Clark, holding him close as he tilts his head into the kiss.

Clark takes a good long moment enjoying himself before pulling back just far enough to rest his forehead against Dick's and he can hear, even without his abilities, a few snickers and giggles and awwwws as he leans in to peck a lighter kiss to Dick's lips.

"So. It's official. I'm a part of the circus. Got my own little trailer and everything. Should I leave you to your practice or do you have a few minutes for Dr. Kent?"

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject