Brothers And Heroes part 6
11/7/05 01:56 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
roxyUpdate night! :)
Parts Before
Zooming right along on this one of course. Because the shiny new ones always zip along, deluding you into thinking “this is the one that writes itself! Yeah, no struggling with this puppy—ow! Who put that wall there?”
But ignore the ranting of a bitter old woman and please to be enjoying this frosty tall mug o’ fic!
Brothers And Heroes
Later the boys were allowed to share a room—even the Luthors recognized that the boys needed to comfort each other the way only kids understood.
Bruce lay on his back in the crowded bed, and stared at the ceiling, tears that he’d kept in check all day running freely down his face. “And they want me to go with them—Mom and Dad had it arranged so they’d keep me if something happened and they never even said anything to me. Don’t you think they should have told me?”
Lex grunted, keeping quiet. Bruce just needed him to listen, not offer his opinion.
“Why not you, then you and me could have been brothers for real you know? I mean, we’re nearly the same age—now I got a snotty little brother who hardly can talk and…” he drew in a shuddery breath. “I’m never going to see my mom and dad again. Except…except I have these night mares and I do see them again, only they’re all bloody and, sometimes my mom tries to say my name but it’s all gooshy sounding, ‘cause there’s blood in her mouth.”
Bruce shivered hard and Lex jumped up from his place at the foot of the bed and sat next to Bruce, wrapped his arms around him. “It’s not real, Bruce, it’s just dreams.”
Bruce nodded “I know but…that guy that shot them--I’m going to find him one day Lex. I’m going to find him and make him hurt all over, hurt like he hurt me and my folks. I’m going to find him and—and--kill him!”
Lex nodded, rubbing Bruce’s back. “I’ll help you, okay? When you find him, I’ll help you do whatever you want to do to him, all right?”
Bruce sighed, deep and long. “Sure.” He looked at Lex. “Clark is my brother now. Clark. Snotty, bratty, eat all the Sugar-Pops and pee in the bed Clark.” He shuddered. “Why?”
Lex bristled. “Come on now, Clark’s not that bad, and he really likes you, you know. He thinks you’re a hero. He thinks you’re real brave. And he doesn’t pee in the bed anymore, or suck his thumb…much. He’s not a brat Bruce, he’s just.” Lex waved his hand, shrugged one-sided ”Unh, sensitive.”
‘Yeah,” Bruce muttered, “Like Bugs Bunny he’s sensitive. Listen, who’s his mom, you or Miss Martha? Stop sticking up for him. Or you’ll make him stay a baby. He’s got to toughen up. Learn life’s not fair, for cryin’ out loud. “
Lex grabbed Bruce’s arm hard enough to make him yelp. “Hey!”
“Don’t Bruce! Please don’t be like that with Clark. If you think being tough with him is going to toughen him up you’re wrong. It’ll just hurt him, and make him think you don’t like him. He’ll think he’s done something wrong and after a while, he’ll think he can’t ever do anything right, and that’s not the way a kid should live…”
Bruce watched Lex’s face and let the wave of frustration ebb and he knew Lex wasn’t just talking about Clark. “Okay, okay, don’t worry. I might not be as nice as you, Sister Bertrille, but I’ll be nice to Clark. Even though he can’t be bothered to learn my name. Lexer.”
Lex punched him. Clark refused to say Bruce’s name. No amount of coaxing would get him to attempt it. He spoke lots of words now, and made sentences that were understandable, but he wouldn’t say Bruce’s name. It was starting to be a sore point with Bruce. Silly, but it bugged him.
Later that evening, when everyone slept, Bruce crawled out of bed to use the bathroom. He stood over the bowl, peeing in the total silence of the night. It made a funny sound; he snorted, yawned sleepily and waited. Finished, he turned on the faucet to wash, Mom got really bent if he didn’t wash…a little sob broke out before he could catch it.
A tiny voice behind him said, “Don’t cry, Bruce.”
He whirled around in shock—he thought he was the only one up.
Clark stood in the doorway, puffy faced and drool-crusted from sleep. His hair stood all over and he squinted against the bright light. “Bruce?”
“You said my name!”
Clark shrugged. “Thirsty, Bruce.”
Bruce felt stupidly pleased and poured Clark a glass of water.
“Thank, Bruce.”
“Thanks.” Bruce corrected and Clark smiled.
“Yeah. Thank.” He handed the glass back to Bruce and yawned, a jaw-cracking impressive display, and wished Bruce goodnight. Bruce wished him goodnight back and Clark padded out of the bathroom in his footed pajamas. He stopped, turned around and his eyes got big for a moment. “Brother,” he said, his voice full of wonder and trotted off to his bedroom. Bruce stood in the bathroom, holding the empty glass and feeling alive for the first time since his parents died and Alfred abandoned him at the Kents.
A year had passed, a summer gone by and another one came before they returned to the Hotel.
The Kents stood on the wide porch that graced the Hotel, waving back to the boys as they waved to them. They were headed off to the beach, carrying blankets and baskets of snacks. Lex’s radio bounced against his side and the boys argued good-naturedly over who should control the radio. Bruce swore he’d drown himself if Clark was boss of the radio. Clark gave him a dirty look. “I’m going to tell Mom you’re picking on me.”
“Aww, shut up, before I give you something you can tell her.”
Lex looked at Bruce disapprovingly, his eyes narrowed and forehead wrinkled a little.
“What,” Bruce crabbed. “It’d take me all day long to beat him up. He gets stronger and stronger all the time. He’s like a tank already. It takes a whole lot to bruise Clark.” He grinned proudly at the boy, who looked at him strangely.
Later they were laying on the rocks, watching Clark play in the tide pools and Bruce elbowed Lex. “Look, that’s like you, hunh? All serious and being the scientist.’
Lex smiled fondly down at the little boy. “You’re lucky Bruce—you don’t ever have to be alone, now. And no matter what happens, you’ll always have someone who loves you.”
Bruce rolled to his back and let the sun warm his belly; spread his arms out on the warm rock so the sun could touch every part of him. “Hmmp.” He grunted. “Thought I already did.”
“Who…oh!” Lex grinned and flopped to his back like Bruce, spread his arms out too.
Bruce opened one eye and looked at him. He looked like a broiled starfish. “Yeah, you. And when are you going to remember the sun-block, like dad…like we always try to remind you?”
“Shut up.” he was quiet for a few minutes, and then said, “They love you, you know that right?” he looked over at Bruce whose eyes were shut. Bruce frowned. ”I know they do, and I do love them too, it’s just…” He sighed and flopped to his stomach, looking out across the rocks. “I’m glad it was them—if it had to be, I’m real glad it’s them.”
Well, Bruce Wayne–Kent, I’d say you’re lucky. Oh excuse me, I meant to say Bruce Spooky Wayne-Kent.” Lex laughed and Clark looked up at the rock for a second. He called out to Lex and Lex jumped up. “I’m coming kiddo,’ he called back and stuck his tongue out at Bruce when he snorted.
Lex met Clark by the little depression filled with water and readied himself to help Clark understand whatever he’d found.
‘Lex,” Clark started, “Lex, am I weird?”
‘What? Heck no. Why do you ask?”
“Because what Bruce said about me is true. I see other kids fall down and bleed—I haven’t had a knee bleed or anything for a long time. I can run faster than the whole first grade—and I can jump higher and lots of stuff doesn’t hurt me like falling off my bike.”
“Clark, you know you’re a little different but so am I. I don’t bleed for long and I don’t get sick. I used to have asthma but not anymore and you know why?”
Clark watched Lex, eyes big and fascinated, he shook his head no.
“The meteorites that are all over Smallville. They changed us, made us better. You know it, I know it, and Bruce and your mom and dad know it. But no one else should know. It’s not something you can talk about—except to me. We’re not weird, we’re just different. Okay?”
Clark nodded and hugged Lex, carefully.
Since the fall and Clark’s accidental killing of a robin fledgling, the Kents and Bruce had worked with him to control his strength. Lex thought it adorable and maybe just a little bit scary that when he was dropped off at the Kent’s farm, the yard was riddled with burst rubber balls and Clark had come running to him to make him watch as he carefully squeezed a little rubber ball without popping it. He did it with a look of total concentration and Lex’s heart warmed when Clark grinned at him in triumph.
“See! No broken balls anymore,” he sang out. He looked over at a copse of trees off to one side of the front yard. ‘No more broken birds,” he sighed. And Lex felt like crying for the poor kid.
tbc, so there!
Parts Before
Zooming right along on this one of course. Because the shiny new ones always zip along, deluding you into thinking “this is the one that writes itself! Yeah, no struggling with this puppy—ow! Who put that wall there?”
But ignore the ranting of a bitter old woman and please to be enjoying this frosty tall mug o’ fic!
Brothers And Heroes
Later the boys were allowed to share a room—even the Luthors recognized that the boys needed to comfort each other the way only kids understood.
Bruce lay on his back in the crowded bed, and stared at the ceiling, tears that he’d kept in check all day running freely down his face. “And they want me to go with them—Mom and Dad had it arranged so they’d keep me if something happened and they never even said anything to me. Don’t you think they should have told me?”
Lex grunted, keeping quiet. Bruce just needed him to listen, not offer his opinion.
“Why not you, then you and me could have been brothers for real you know? I mean, we’re nearly the same age—now I got a snotty little brother who hardly can talk and…” he drew in a shuddery breath. “I’m never going to see my mom and dad again. Except…except I have these night mares and I do see them again, only they’re all bloody and, sometimes my mom tries to say my name but it’s all gooshy sounding, ‘cause there’s blood in her mouth.”
Bruce shivered hard and Lex jumped up from his place at the foot of the bed and sat next to Bruce, wrapped his arms around him. “It’s not real, Bruce, it’s just dreams.”
Bruce nodded “I know but…that guy that shot them--I’m going to find him one day Lex. I’m going to find him and make him hurt all over, hurt like he hurt me and my folks. I’m going to find him and—and--kill him!”
Lex nodded, rubbing Bruce’s back. “I’ll help you, okay? When you find him, I’ll help you do whatever you want to do to him, all right?”
Bruce sighed, deep and long. “Sure.” He looked at Lex. “Clark is my brother now. Clark. Snotty, bratty, eat all the Sugar-Pops and pee in the bed Clark.” He shuddered. “Why?”
Lex bristled. “Come on now, Clark’s not that bad, and he really likes you, you know. He thinks you’re a hero. He thinks you’re real brave. And he doesn’t pee in the bed anymore, or suck his thumb…much. He’s not a brat Bruce, he’s just.” Lex waved his hand, shrugged one-sided ”Unh, sensitive.”
‘Yeah,” Bruce muttered, “Like Bugs Bunny he’s sensitive. Listen, who’s his mom, you or Miss Martha? Stop sticking up for him. Or you’ll make him stay a baby. He’s got to toughen up. Learn life’s not fair, for cryin’ out loud. “
Lex grabbed Bruce’s arm hard enough to make him yelp. “Hey!”
“Don’t Bruce! Please don’t be like that with Clark. If you think being tough with him is going to toughen him up you’re wrong. It’ll just hurt him, and make him think you don’t like him. He’ll think he’s done something wrong and after a while, he’ll think he can’t ever do anything right, and that’s not the way a kid should live…”
Bruce watched Lex’s face and let the wave of frustration ebb and he knew Lex wasn’t just talking about Clark. “Okay, okay, don’t worry. I might not be as nice as you, Sister Bertrille, but I’ll be nice to Clark. Even though he can’t be bothered to learn my name. Lexer.”
Lex punched him. Clark refused to say Bruce’s name. No amount of coaxing would get him to attempt it. He spoke lots of words now, and made sentences that were understandable, but he wouldn’t say Bruce’s name. It was starting to be a sore point with Bruce. Silly, but it bugged him.
Later that evening, when everyone slept, Bruce crawled out of bed to use the bathroom. He stood over the bowl, peeing in the total silence of the night. It made a funny sound; he snorted, yawned sleepily and waited. Finished, he turned on the faucet to wash, Mom got really bent if he didn’t wash…a little sob broke out before he could catch it.
A tiny voice behind him said, “Don’t cry, Bruce.”
He whirled around in shock—he thought he was the only one up.
Clark stood in the doorway, puffy faced and drool-crusted from sleep. His hair stood all over and he squinted against the bright light. “Bruce?”
“You said my name!”
Clark shrugged. “Thirsty, Bruce.”
Bruce felt stupidly pleased and poured Clark a glass of water.
“Thank, Bruce.”
“Thanks.” Bruce corrected and Clark smiled.
“Yeah. Thank.” He handed the glass back to Bruce and yawned, a jaw-cracking impressive display, and wished Bruce goodnight. Bruce wished him goodnight back and Clark padded out of the bathroom in his footed pajamas. He stopped, turned around and his eyes got big for a moment. “Brother,” he said, his voice full of wonder and trotted off to his bedroom. Bruce stood in the bathroom, holding the empty glass and feeling alive for the first time since his parents died and Alfred abandoned him at the Kents.
A year had passed, a summer gone by and another one came before they returned to the Hotel.
The Kents stood on the wide porch that graced the Hotel, waving back to the boys as they waved to them. They were headed off to the beach, carrying blankets and baskets of snacks. Lex’s radio bounced against his side and the boys argued good-naturedly over who should control the radio. Bruce swore he’d drown himself if Clark was boss of the radio. Clark gave him a dirty look. “I’m going to tell Mom you’re picking on me.”
“Aww, shut up, before I give you something you can tell her.”
Lex looked at Bruce disapprovingly, his eyes narrowed and forehead wrinkled a little.
“What,” Bruce crabbed. “It’d take me all day long to beat him up. He gets stronger and stronger all the time. He’s like a tank already. It takes a whole lot to bruise Clark.” He grinned proudly at the boy, who looked at him strangely.
Later they were laying on the rocks, watching Clark play in the tide pools and Bruce elbowed Lex. “Look, that’s like you, hunh? All serious and being the scientist.’
Lex smiled fondly down at the little boy. “You’re lucky Bruce—you don’t ever have to be alone, now. And no matter what happens, you’ll always have someone who loves you.”
Bruce rolled to his back and let the sun warm his belly; spread his arms out on the warm rock so the sun could touch every part of him. “Hmmp.” He grunted. “Thought I already did.”
“Who…oh!” Lex grinned and flopped to his back like Bruce, spread his arms out too.
Bruce opened one eye and looked at him. He looked like a broiled starfish. “Yeah, you. And when are you going to remember the sun-block, like dad…like we always try to remind you?”
“Shut up.” he was quiet for a few minutes, and then said, “They love you, you know that right?” he looked over at Bruce whose eyes were shut. Bruce frowned. ”I know they do, and I do love them too, it’s just…” He sighed and flopped to his stomach, looking out across the rocks. “I’m glad it was them—if it had to be, I’m real glad it’s them.”
Well, Bruce Wayne–Kent, I’d say you’re lucky. Oh excuse me, I meant to say Bruce Spooky Wayne-Kent.” Lex laughed and Clark looked up at the rock for a second. He called out to Lex and Lex jumped up. “I’m coming kiddo,’ he called back and stuck his tongue out at Bruce when he snorted.
Lex met Clark by the little depression filled with water and readied himself to help Clark understand whatever he’d found.
‘Lex,” Clark started, “Lex, am I weird?”
‘What? Heck no. Why do you ask?”
“Because what Bruce said about me is true. I see other kids fall down and bleed—I haven’t had a knee bleed or anything for a long time. I can run faster than the whole first grade—and I can jump higher and lots of stuff doesn’t hurt me like falling off my bike.”
“Clark, you know you’re a little different but so am I. I don’t bleed for long and I don’t get sick. I used to have asthma but not anymore and you know why?”
Clark watched Lex, eyes big and fascinated, he shook his head no.
“The meteorites that are all over Smallville. They changed us, made us better. You know it, I know it, and Bruce and your mom and dad know it. But no one else should know. It’s not something you can talk about—except to me. We’re not weird, we’re just different. Okay?”
Clark nodded and hugged Lex, carefully.
Since the fall and Clark’s accidental killing of a robin fledgling, the Kents and Bruce had worked with him to control his strength. Lex thought it adorable and maybe just a little bit scary that when he was dropped off at the Kent’s farm, the yard was riddled with burst rubber balls and Clark had come running to him to make him watch as he carefully squeezed a little rubber ball without popping it. He did it with a look of total concentration and Lex’s heart warmed when Clark grinned at him in triumph.
“See! No broken balls anymore,” he sang out. He looked over at a copse of trees off to one side of the front yard. ‘No more broken birds,” he sighed. And Lex felt like crying for the poor kid.
tbc, so there!
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1/14/07 06:49 am (UTC)