The Downside of Being A Wayne

7 Realization

Clark resisted the urge to comment on what (YN) was wearing when she joined him in the small kitchen area adjacent to his living room. She had replaced her work attire with one of his t-shirts, like she always did when she spent the night with him. But this time it wasn't just any t-shirt she had picked out. Clark himself had worn that particular item only on one occasion so far, to humor her when she had bought it for him, but he recognized it at once. (YN) had purchased it at a gift shop in Metropolis one afternoon and excitedly thrown the garment at his face. It was blue and had the familiar symbol of his family printed on the front—a silly souvenir people would buy when visiting the city. Clark didn't mind. He was a hero to many people out there, and she had picked it up just to tease him. Although he found her choice a little peculiar, the oversized look on her smaller frame only added to his endearment for her, and he couldn't help but smile at the sight.

(YN) however had reached inside his closet without paying any mind to the shirt she was grabbing. She just wanted to get comfortable, but Clark's lingering gaze had the opposite effect on her. "What?" she snapped, meeting his eyes. Realizing her tone sounded a little too harsh to her own liking, she apologized quickly. "I'm sorry," she said meekly, running a hand through her hair, exasperated. She didn't want to get into an argument, and neither did he. "This day has just been...," (YN) struggled to find the word. "A lot?" Clark offered. "Yeah," she agreed, "and I really don't want to talk about it any more."

"That's fair. I understand," he replied patiently, and turning away, he opened the fridge. "Have you eaten yet?" Clark asked over his shoulder, quickly averting their attention elsewhere.

"No," (YN) answered truthfully as she leaned against the kitchen counter, watching Clark rummage around. She didn't have much of an appetite thanks to her brother. "I can make us dinner," he suggested as he turned around with a pack of chicken breast in his hands. She grimaced, shaking her head. "You go ahead. I'm not hungry." He frowned. "You've got to eat something. Come on, it'll make you feel better." (YN) let out a dry, humorless laugh. "I don't think food will help. I'd much rather have another drink to be honest," she admitted, rubbing her temples with both of her hands as if that would help erase Bruce's painful words that still resonated with her.

"All right, no dinner then." Clark gave in, surprising her. He didn't need to eat. He had meals out of habit, not because they gave him energy. "But no more drinks for you either," he added sternly, before returning the chicken to the fridge. (YN) feigned a pout, she didn't actually feel like drinking, she merely wanted to forget about her unpleasant exchange with Bruce all together. Not to mention the fact that Clark was possibly planning a scheme against him... But she would try and reason with Clark later. "Whatever, you're no fun," she answered, earning herself a chuckle. "You'll thank me in the morning."

"Ugh." The thought alone of dealing with Bruce the next day was enough to add to her exhaustion. "It's going to be another great day at the office," she stated sarcastically. 

Clark looked at her with a pained expression. "Sorry." He was aware that he was the reason for the animosity between Bruce and (YN). 

"Please stop apologizing. I knew it would come to this. It was just a matter of when, not if. It's fine, really," she lied, and he could tell from the slight pitch of her voice, something that would go unnoticed to the human ear, but not to Clark. "It's not," he disagreed, closing the distance between their bodies. He placed his right hand on the side of her neck, his thumb caressing her cheek delicately. She looked up at him with tired eyes. "No, I mean it. It's hard, but it's better this way. It'll take some time, but I'm sure Bruce will come around," (YN) told him, letting her head fall against his chest. She desperately wanted to believe her own words. Clark wrapped his arms around her back in a comforting embrace. He was conflicted. He was relieved they no longer had to hide their relationship from Bruce, but hated seeing her so hurt. "I hope so. It's my fault you're in this position. Maybe if I hadn't approached him last night..."