Chapter Text
“Hey I need your help?” Clark spoke onto the phone, his hand trembling a little.
“Is this an emergency?”
Clark gulped, “You could say that….How fast can you get here?”
The person on the other end of the line laughed, “You’re asking the wrong person that question.”
Clark was unamused, “Can you just come to my house?”
“Sure, be there in less than a minute…” and the line went dead.
Clark put his phone down and started walking towards his door. He needed advice, he needed to know how to approach telling his soulmate that he was a superhero. And the only person who could give him that was someone who’d already done it themselves.
The door bell rang in less than thirty seconds!
Clark smiled and opened the doll, “That was fast.”
“Of course it was..” Barry Allen walked inside the apartment, still wearing his Central City Police uniform. “So, what’s the emergency?”
Clark walked him to the kitchen and offered his friend a cup of coffee which Barry happily took. “I need some advice…”
Barry paused mid sip and placed his cut down, “Hold up! You want my advice?” He was in disbelief.
Clark tilted his head, “Is that a problem?”
Barry flared a hand in the air, “No it’s just…..normally you go to Batman or Wonder Woman for advice.” Sure he and Clark were friends but he rarely came to him for advice.
“Well I need help from someone who’s married.” He dropped the bomb.
Barry’s eyes were blown wide and he nearly spit out his coffee, “Married……are you getting married??!!”
“What no, I’m not” Clark back petaled.
“Then….”
“I found my soulmate!”
In the blink of an eye Barry was giving him a bone crushing hug, “Congrats man! That’s awesome, I know you’ve been looking for years. So we finally got Mrs Kent!”
Clark accepted the hug. He couldn’t even imagine how his parents or the rest of the league would react. “He’s a guy though..”
Barry nodded, “That’s cool too, Mr Kent then.” He pulled back from the hug and looked at him with a questioning look. “Wait, do your parents know?”
Clark shook his head, “No”. It was probably better to tell his soulmate first before telling his parents. His soulmate, his soulmate’s kids, his own kid.
“Do your reporter friends know?”
“No” again. Though he could already picture the kinds of articles they would write about the situation. He could practically hear Lois’ voice saying “From Smallville to Gotham Royalty, the life of Clark Kent”.
Barry’s jaw hit the floor, “I’m the first person you told!” His voice was incredibly loud.
“Yes”.
Barry bounced on his heels, “Oh my god, that’s awesome. Thank you….but I don’t get it, what’s the problem?”
Clark sat down on an armchair he kept in the living room, “How did Iris react when you told her about you being Flash?” He looked up at Barry.
Understanding dawned on Barry's face, “Ohhhh….we’re having the telling your soulmate you're a super hero talk.” He clicked his tongue and sat down on the couch across from Clark.
“Kind of…”
Barry clasped his hands together, “Okay, I can do that. So, tell me about him.”
Clark took in a deep breath, “He’s from Gotham….”
“He’s not a criminal right?” It would be a bit of a hassle if Superman’s soulmate was a criminal.
Clark chuckled, “No, he’s quite the opposite.”
Barry tilted his head, “You wanna tell me or am I gonna have to guess?”
“It’s Bruce Wayne…”
Barry jumped off his seat, “No freaking way! That’s insane, your soulmate is Gotham royalty!”
Clark wasn’t too startled by the reaction, he himself still couldn’t fully believe it. “I have no idea how to tell him….”
Barry sat back down to keep his composure, “Well he’s from Gotham, I’m sure he’s seen weirder stuff than a man flying around with laser eyes.”
Clark put his face in his hands, “That’s not the point Barry. If he’s my soulmate it could mean putting him in danger. And I don’t know how he’s gonna react to me being Superman.”
Barry put a reassuring hand on his friend’s shoulder, “Look, when I told Iris I was really scared of that too.”
Clark glanced up from behind his lashes, “You were?”
Barry nodded, “Of course, it’s hard to explain to coworkers why you always have to leave at random times, why you’re late, why you look so tired, why you’re injured…..having to explain that to a partner seemed like it would be even worse.”
“And was it?”
Barry bit his lip, “At first…..yeah it was. I was worried she would break it off with me.”
“But she didn't,” Clark pointed out.
His friend smiled, “No, she didn’t. She’s my soulmate, she accepted me….accelerated particles and all.”
Clark straightened his posture, “But don’t you worry for her safety?”
“I do. But I think she’s safer now.”
“How so?” How could anyone be safer knowing their identities, knowing justice league secrets.
“Because you all know who she is. I know that if she’s ever in danger you guys would save her. And if anything happened to me…” his voice cracked a little. “…you guys would tell her too.”
“Of course we would” Clark spoke with finality. If Iris, or the soulmate of any of the league’s members were ever in danger he would protect them. The league was a family, they protected one another, soulmates were no different.
“See. And we’d do the same for your soulmate Clark!”
“I have to tell him” he had run but it was time to face it. He owed it to himself and to Bruce, and together they would figure out what to do.
Barry smiled with pride. But a thought came to his mind, “So are you gonna move to Gotham?”
Clark blinked up at him, “What?”
“Move there…” Barry repeated, “I don’t know a lot about Wayne but I know the dude is obsessed with Gotham. Like on par with Batman and….Oh my god, please tell me when you plan to tell that to Batman. I have to see his face when you tell him.” The police officer started laughing at the thought.
Clark rolled his eyes, “Sure”. But he did want to speak with Batman. There had been theories that Bruce Wayne and Batman had some type of connection, and if Batman had taken Conner to Gotham and the boy got taken in by Bruce Wayne…..that was practically confirmation that Batman and Bruce Wayne were connected in some way.
Was it possible that Bruce Wayne knew who Batman was? Clark would feel incredibly hurt if Batman had trusted Bruce Wayne with his deepest secret but not his best friend. Clark had told Batman who he was not that long after they met, and before his death he had thought that him and Batman were getting closer and he expected the Bat to share his identity soon. But he died and six months later he learned that Batman hadn’t even attended his funeral, and the two of them had a fight over Superboy.
Barry finally stopped laughing, “But in all seriousness Clark, don’t be scared. If he really is your soulmate he’ll get it.”
“I hope so,” Clark pleaded.
“Iris was scared at first, for her, for me. But when she saw all the good I did, the lives we all save whenever Earth gets attacked….she knew I had to do it” Barry explained, “..Bruce will see it too.”
They needed their cups of coffee and Clark thanked Barry for the pep talk, he had needed to hear that his soulmate would be understanding, they could work things out.
He’d tell Bruce the next day that they were soulmates and share that he was Superman. Then he’d casually explain to Bruce that he had adopted his son. Clark was honestly confused as to how Conner was able to sneak out of Wayne Manor to go fight crime in Gotham. Did Bruce know he was Superboy? Well, he would find out soon.
Clark then led his friend out the door and Barry changed into his suit in a single second before he ran back to Central City. Once Flash was out of sight, Clark shut his door and took a shower.
Later that night, Clark lay on his bed thinking several things over. What would happen if Bruce accepted him? Would they start dating? Would they get married? Bruce already being a father figure to Conner was surely a step in the right direction. But it also meant that Clark would become a parental figure to Bruce’s four other sons. He hadn’t even figured things out with Conner yet, how would he parent four other kids?
And would he move to Gotham? He’d always dreamed of owning a little house in Smallville to raise his family near his parents, but Barry was right, Bruce was extremely attached to Gotham and he’d never want to move away. Though Bruce was a billionaire, surely he could afford to buy a house out in the county, maybe they could have a holiday home near the Kent’s farm…..
Clark turned in his bed and wanted to kick himself! He hadn’t even told the man that they were soulmates and was already picturing them buying a home! He had to take it down a notch, he didn’t want to scare Bruce away. So he did his best to relax and fall asleep.
—————————————————
-The Next Morning-
The Waynes had all returned to the manor after the gala. All the bat kids were extremely tired after a night of dancing. Everyone was sleeping peacefully…..or most of them at least. It was ten in the morning and Alfred was in the kitchen making breakfast for everyone. Typically breakfast would be served several hours prior, but on days after late night events Alfred knew the family would sleep in until later.
Dick and Kori had slept in Dick’s room like they always did when they were together. They had danced together for longer than either had released but that’s just what happened when they’d get lost in each other, when the world dissolved into just them.
Dick was the first one to wake up at ten in the morning, “Good morning Kori”he spoke in his groggy sleep voice.
“Morning Dick” came from behind him and Kori kissed his cheek.
Dick turned his body so he could face her, “Did you have fun last night?”
Kori giggled and ran a hand through his jet black hair, “You know I love dancing with you.”
“I know. It’s why I agreed to all those lessons…” he just stared at her, her morning smile, the way her hair was messy in the morning and she spent at least ten minutes fixing it in the mirror. He wanted this to be the first thing he saw every morning.
Kori giggled, “You liked them, admit it!”
Dick surrendered, “Fine, they weren’t so bad.”
Kori laughed again as she kept caressing his hair, “I like your messy morning hair.”
“And I like waking up next to you…” and can’t wait to do this every day, that last part didn’t come out. But his heart wanted it. And now that the gala was over, him and Bruce could finally go ring shopping! He had some ideas of the kind of ring Starfire would want… probably a golden band to match her other accessories. Maybe a purple stone since it was her favorite color….though selfishly he thought about getting her a sapphire, blue, blue like his eyes, blue like his suit, blue so she could think of him when she looked at it.
Kori smiled, “One day I hope that happens….” Because she knew she wanted to marry Dick one day too. She wasn’t sure when they’d be ready for that, but she wouldn’t propose to have such commitment with anyone else.
“Me too” Dick kissed her on the lips. They both had a little morning breath, but it’s not like he cared. And by gods did he love kissing Kori, every time their lips touched he’d think back to the first day they met. The day he got his first kiss, the day his heart beat faster for someone, the day his soul knew he’d found its other half.
They begrudgingly pulled apart, “Should we get up for breakfast?”
“Yes, I bet Alfred is already making pancakes.”
And so they both got off the bed and went into Dick’s bathroom, which was more like their bathroom since Kori often left things over at the Manor, and Alfred always made sure to have a spare set of towels and a toothbrush in the cabinet. And they started getting ready for the day.
—————————————————
Further down the hall was Jason’s room, currently occupied by Jason himself and his boyfriend. They had cuddled together during the night, though Jason would absolutely deny it if anyone asked.
Roy woke up first, with his boyfriend spooning him on the bed. He loved this, Jason wasn’t the greatest when it came to physical affection, so he treasured all the affection he got. Though after their little kiss on the dance floor, maybe Jason was getting more comfortable.
Roy wanted to look at his boyfriend’s sleeping face, but turning around was nearly impossible with Jason’s arm dripping over him. But after a few minutes of struggling, he was able to get off the bed without waking up the other. So he walked over to the curtains that Jason always kept shut and pulled them open to let some light in.
“Morning Jay!” He sang as the light entered the room.
Jason groaned when the light from outside hit his face, “Why would you do that?”
“To let some light in.”
“And why would you do that?” Jason threw a pillow at Roy, who quickly dodged it while laughing.
“Because I wanna see your stupid face!”
Jason smirked though his eyes weren’t even fully open, “You like my face.”
Roy blushed a little, “Your right I do.”
Jason plopped back down against the mattress, “It’s Saturday we don’t even have work today.”
Roy smiled, “The Red duo is on break.”
“The red what?”
Roy snorted, “Red Duo, Red Hood and Red Arrow, keep up.”
Jason groaned again, “If you close those stupid curtains and let me sleep I might forgive you for that good awful name” he stretched out his arms for Roy, though again, he would absolutely deny it.
Roy felt tempted but, “Uhh not gonna happen. Plus it’s time for breakfast.”
“It’s not, I haven’t even heard Damian run down the hall to get to the pancakes first” Jason protested.
Roy huffed, “Fine, but just ten more minutes.” And he placed himself once again into Jason’s arms.
“Sure…”
“Love you Jay” Roy snuggled closer. He liked listening to Jason’s heartbeat when they cuddled, it made it all feel real. Reminded him that he was in fact real, that they were both her.
Roy’s were already closing again when he heard a faint, “…love you too Roy.” And then both of them went back to sleep for a little bit longer.
—————————————————
Down another corridor, Tim’s room was unsurprisingly empty. Like it often was nowadays. As expected, Tim was sleeping in Conner’s room. Tim would even leave his pillow on Conner’s bed in the morning. Both had come home exhausted from dancing together on the dance floor, and Tim’s foot had a blister from where Conner had stepped on his foot too many times.
Now, Conner was awake, he’d already been for a little bit but he didn’t want to move. Moving would disturb Tim, and he didn’t want to do that.
After a few more minutes Tim stirred in Conner’s arm, “Good morning sunshine!” He didn’t even register what he’d said until he saw the increase in Tim’s heart rate. It’d come to him so naturally.
Tim rubbed his eye with his fist, “W-what did you just call me?” He was blinking rapidly, trying to decide whether or not he was still dreaming.
Conner blushed too, “S-sorry…you don’t like it?” Gods he hoped that he hadn’t gone too far…
“N-no…” Tim scrambled, “I uhhh….I like it.”
Conner started into Tim’s blue eyes filled with something he couldn’t quite name yet, “Good.” And Tim rested his head against Conner’s shoulder.
Tim smiled, “Hey Con.”
“Yes.”
“Thanks for coming to find me last night, I needed that” he looked up at the other through his lashes.
Conner laid his head over Tim’s hair, “Of course. And I meant it Tim! I like your scars…and you.”
Tim was glad Conner couldn’t see his face, though he probably felt how his heart beat violently against his chest, “Thank you.”
The moment was ruined by the growling of Tim’s stomach. Conner laughed, “Should we head down for breakfast?”
“Probably..” Tim laughed, “Alfred usually makes pancakes on Saturday.”
—————————————————
Damian was the first Wayne to leave his room. He walked through the doors of the other bar kids, all still inside with their partners. Damian didn’t mind, he thought romance was a waste of time anyways. It took away one’s focus. But he did feel envious of the connection…all the others had someone they could rely on, someone they could fight alongside. But he has no one. Sure he was part of the Teen Titans, but he was the closest to the other Robins than anyone else.
“Good morning Master Damian” Alfred greeted him when he got to the dining room.
“Morning Pennyworth” Damian sat at his usual chair at the table.
Alfred placed a plate filled with freshly made pancakes with whipped cream and berries on top. “Where are the others?”
Damian gritted his teeth, “Entangled with their soulmates.”
Alger hummed, “I’m sure they are.” Because even the butler knew what was going on between Tim and Conner.
Damian stabbed the pile of pancakes with his knife, “It’s not fair.”
Alfred’s eyes widened at the aggression this early in the morning. This usually happened around lunch time, “What is?”
Damian gave an irritated look, “That Grayson, Todd, and now Drake all have partners and I don’t.”
“Aren’t you too young for that Master Damian…”
“Don’t twist my words Pennyworth!” Damian spat. “I don’t seek a romantic partner, I believe soulmates are nothing but a thorn on one’s side and an irritation.”
The boy truly reminded him of Bruce, “Then I hope you find a sidekick that is to your liking.”
Damian nodded in silent agreement, “They must be skilled in combat to be able to keep up with me. And have other skills.”
Alfred went back to the kitchen to make the other plates, “I’m sure you’ll find someone suitable.”
Damian eats a bite of the pancakes, “Is that sarcasm I hear Pennyworth?”
“Of course not Master Damian” Alfre dismissed him.
Suddenly, the doors to the dining room swung open once again. This time Dick, Kori, Conner, Tim, Jason, and Roy came in, all dressed in their pajamas.
“Morning Alfred,” Jason said.
“Good morning” Dick greeted as he pulled a chair for Kori to sit on.
“Ah, I was starting to think I’d be only me and Master Damian for breakfast” Alfred joined them, carrying a tray full of pancakes.
“You think we’d miss pancakes” Roy spoke with sarcasm, he could only say that the food they cooked at Titan Tower tasted as good as Alfred’s.
“Where’s Bruce?” Jason asked as he took a plate for himself.
Dick rolled his eyes, “In his room probably.”
“So what’s on the schedule for today boys?” Alfred asked as he finished serving them breakfast.
Kori perked up and looked excitedly to Conner, who was sitting next to her. “Oh Conner I have compiled a list of earth activities we must try! A few of my favorites from when I arrived on Earth.” There were so many board games, video games, and word games. Oh she's going to have to take him to the arcade where Dick and Garfield had first taken her.
”Awesome, indoors hang out day!” Roy spoke with food in his mouth.
Damian grunted, “Great and afternoon inside with all of you…”
Tim kicked his leg under the table, “You're free to leave if you don’t want to stay.” He smirked when Damian glared at him but said nothing.
Conner loved mornings like this, “I’d love to learn some games. I never got to play anything in the lab..”
Kori clapped her hands together in excitement, “Oh I must show you the board games first, even if pausing against a family of detectives can get competitive.”
”Oh we should teach him UNO!” Jason commented.
Roy shook his head, “After Damian almost ran me through with this sword? Absolutely not!”
Damian scoffed, “You deserved it for skipping me.”
“It’s how you play the game!” The red head protested.
Conner leaned into Tim’s ear, “What is UNO? Some kind of fighting game?”
Tim chuckled, “No, it’s a card game…but it tends to get violent around here.”
”I noticed.”
So while everyone was happily discussing all the things they would show Conner today, Dick swallowed a large piece of pancake. He couldn’t stay in the manor all day playing games. No! He needed to be free this afternoon to go ring shopping with Bruce. But Kori would never let him leave without a good excuse, and he was awful at lying to her, she knew him too well. And where was Bruce anyway.
—————————————————
Bruce was in his room, lying on his bed. He’d barely slept at night, his mind racing with possibilities, why had Clark left early?
Was he scared to reveal he’s Superman? Was he contemplating telling Bruce Wayne that Conner was his biological child with Lex Luthor? Was he angry that Conner had picked a billionaire over his father? Was he mad at Bruce?
He didn’t know, the world's greatest detective truly didn’t know what to think. All he knew was that he had to find Clark, talk to him and explain everything. Maybe it would be easier to go as Batman?? Or maybe go to the Daily Planet as and for him??
But he’d have to decide later, today was a special day. Today, he was taking Dick to go ring shopping. So he got out of bed and went to get dressed for the occasion.
He couldn’t believe his eldest was going to get married, he was a man. But to Bruce he’d always be his son, and one of the most important people in his life. Because if Bruce hadn’t Dick then he wouldn’t have adopted Jason, he wouldn’t have adopted Tim, and he probably wouldn’t be a good father to Damian. He’d still be a lone bachelor if it wasn’t for Dick. Nothing would take him away from this moment.
He had finished dressing when his phone rang, his Bruce Wayne phone. It was his assistant, telling him that he hadn’t signed some paperwork due on Monday for a business deal. He’d been so busy with the gala and the kids that he’d completely forgotten.
He knew what that meant, he’d have to go to his office on a Saturday. Oh the cursed life of a responsible CEO. He didn’t know how he’d break the news to Dick. Maybe if he rushed they’d still be able to go, maybe after lunch.
So he left his room and headed downstairs. From the hall he could already hear the voices of his kids, mostly of Kori listing out the names of different games she’d learned once she came to Earth. That girl would be his daughter in law soon!
“Morning Bruce” Tim called out when he saw his father rush down the stairs.
“Good morning” Conner waved hello.
“Morning kids,” Bruce said as he reached the bottom floor.
“Where are you going?” Jason asked as Bruce started looking for his car keys.
Bruce groaned, “I have to make a trip to the office.”
“Do you ever stop working, old man?”
“Sadly no, even Bruce Wayne has a tight schedule.”
“Are you at least having breakfast before leaving?” Alfred asked with concern, Bruce hadn’t eaten anything since the gala.
“I’ll eat when I come back Alfred” Bruce promised, like he often did and ended up not eating.
“I insist you at least take a piece of fruit with you” Alfred scolded him, making the kids laugh. Bruce may be their parent, but Alfred was Bruce’s parent.
“Here you go old man!” Jason tossed him an apple.
Bruce caught it, “Thank you Jason.”
Kori quietly clung to Conner’s arm and started flying towards the game room, with Conner floating too. “Come Conner, I want to show you this earth game Dick and the others taught me!”
All the others followed after the pair, all except for Dick. Dick looked down a little disappointed, “Guess today isn’t gonna work out…” he had been looking forward to getting Kori’s ring.
Bruce sighed, since he’d also been looking forward to their outing. “I’ll be as fast as possible, maybe we can go after lunch. If not, I'll take you tomorrow, I promise.”
Dick gave a simple smile, “Thanks dad.”
Bruce smiled back and clutched his car keys, “Go have fun, I'll be back before lunch time.” And he opened the door to leave, he’d be quick and come back to the Manor in no time.
But he had no idea what was waiting for him at Wayne Enterprises…. because a certain reporter had the brilliant idea to go there too!