Tuesday morning.
Bruce would usually be sitting at his desk, sorting through unnecessary papers at the top floor of his building, completely bored out of his mind.
If he's honest with himself, he'd much rather be there right now.
He lays in the hospital bed, thin gown and a sheet draped over his body. Clark sits in a chair to his right, face buried in a book. Dick is nervously bouncing on the edge of the bed, tapping his fingers excessively. Any other day, it'd drive his father mad. Today, it's a relief. Surprisingly comforting.
Clark must have been listening to Bruce's heartbeat, as he often does when he's nervous, and sensed his unease, because he reaches over intertwines the Dark Knight's fingers with his own.
Bruce sends a knowing glance as his doctor walks in.
"Well, Mr. Wayne, the OR is prepped, and you're all set for your surgery. Any more questions before we begin?"
The trio shake their heads, and Dick hops off the bed as a few nurses come in to wheel the billionaire out.
Dick slumps back in his seat next to Clark's and hangs his head.
They wait in silence for the next two hours.
~~~
Dick's anxious behaviour only continues as the clock ticks on, a second at a time. It isn't until he starts pacing that Clark opens his mouth.
"He's going to be fine..... Just a little incision. They take the tumour and any nearby lymph nodes out, close him up, and he's back to normal after some radiation therapy to make sure they got everything. He's strong, Dick. He can make it through this, and so can you."
The nervous child shows a weak smile, and returns to his seat. An hour later, Bruce's surgeon returns, the nurses wheeling in a drowsy billionaire behind him.
Clark is out of his seat immediately, standing face to face with the doctor. "Well?" The Kryptonian wrings his hands worriedly.
"Everything came out just fine," Dr. Kozlowski smiles. "He's waking up now. You can try to talk to him, but you probably won't get much of a straight answer on anything." he chuckles. "If you have any questions, have a nurse page me." Dr. K smiles once again, and leaves without another word.
Dick is already by the bedside when Clark turns back around. The boy has Bruce's right hand in his own, gently squeezing it.
Pale blue eyes flutter open slowly, squinting at the brightness of the room. "Where'm I?" Bruce slurs, lifting a hand to wipe the grogginess from his eyes.
"You're at the hospital," Dick answers. "Do you remember why we're here?"
The Prince of Gotham shakes his head. He looks up to Clark and squints. "You're pretty...."
The alien smiles, probably wider than he ever has, and wipes away his tears. "Do you know who I am, Bruce?"
Bruce reaches a hand up, barely grazing Clark's face. He shakes his head slightly.
Clark chuckles and kneels next to the bed. "I'm your boyfriend, Bruce..."
The playboy's face twists into one of confusion. "You're too pretty...... did I pay you...?"
Dick erupts into a fit of laughter and lands on the ground behind him, clutching his stomach. "Maybe you should just go back to sleep, B." He pats the edge of the bed gently. "You're delusional."
Bruce nods and looks as if he's processing what his son has said. "Sleeep......" he repeats softly before closing his eyes.
Dick and Clark spare a quick glance at each other, trying to contain their giggling as to not wake the man between them. They take their seats again, each holding one of Bruce's hands until they slip into unconsciousness as well.
***
The next few weeks practically fly past, as Bruce recovers. He's on his feet again within hours of the surgery, and back to daily tasks not long after. Aside from the constant doctor visits, he's back to normal.
Dick on the other hand, is far from normal. He's constantly by the Dark Knight's side, practically glued to the man. A steady stream of "Do you need help?"s and "Are you sure you can do that?" fall out of the boy's mouth at every turn.
"Dick, I told you, I'm fine. If anyone were to hover, if expect Clark. Even Alfred, before you."
The boy smiles sheepishly and takes a step back. "I was just worried... You scared all of us."
A light chuckle from the man. "I'm sure I did..."
"Well, if you DO need something, promise I'll be the first to know?"
"I promise.... How's patrol been without me? Mind numbingly boring?"
"Oh absolutely." Dick sits, "I always miss your constant nagging and training when I'd love to be sleeping."
Bruce raises an eyebrow. "How's Clark's training going? Is he able to keep up with you?"
"Oh yeah, no he has no idea what he's doing. He's not exactly the most coordinated guy in the world."
"He relies too much on powers and brute strength. Hes bulky. Do you mind if I watch your session today?"
Dick thinks for a second. "Not at all. We're still mainly working on flexibility though."
"Fine with me..." Bruce smiles internally
So later that day, Clark emerges from his dark room away from any sunlight, created to weaken his powers for training, down the the equally dark, and more musty Batcave.
"Alright, Dick, I'm ready" he calls.
A light in the center of the training room turns on, emitting a pale green light.
"All set, old man?"
"Absolutely..." The Kryptonian removes his glasses and steps into the light.
"No more super strength?"
"Nothing."
"Perfect! Now sit, we've gotta stretch."
The Kryptonian groans and sits down on the gym mat across from Dick. The boy stretches his legs apart, and leans forward onto his elbows. "Just do the best you can"
"Ooookay, let's try this..." Clark stretches his legs out, only a fraction of the way Dick did, and leans forward, trying his best to connect his elbows to the ground.
"It's alright if you can't," Dick says calmly and stands up. "Most people can't. It's just good to practice."
Clark rolls his eyes and stands, eventually making his way to their final stretch, touching their toes. The second the alien bends over, Bruce is behind him, pinching one of the invincible cloth covered cheeks.
Clark stands up and yelps, which, he will of course deny later, and turns around to face his dark knight. The older man kisses his cheek with a smile. "I'm going to have to watch these sessions more often."
They smile and practically coo at each other like an old married couple, and although Dick is happy for them, he's in the back practically gagging at the cheesiness of it.
