The House of the Earth Part 3: (5/8): Idyll

[mithen]

Title: Chapter Five:  Idyll
Pairing/Characters: Kal/Bruce, Barbara Gordon, Pete Ross, Ollie Queen, Martha Kent, Jonathan Kent
Notes: "The House of the Earth" is an AU in which a few thousand Kryptonians escaped the destruction of Krypton to flee to Earth and conquer its people.
Rating: G
Word Count: 2800
Summary: Jonathan and Martha welcome the travelers to Smallville, a major stop on the route west.

"Clark!"  A woman he had never seen before this moment threw her arms around him, hugging him.  "Oh Clark.  It's been so long."

"Ma," he said, finding his voice suddenly a bit thick at the undeserved welcome.  Obviously Martha and Jonathan had not been told he was anything more than a human working for the rebellion who needed a cover identity.  "I've missed you so much."

Behind the woman a man stood, beaming at Kal.  As Kal broke away from Martha's hug, Jonathan reached out and clapped him on the back.  "Son."

"Pa," Kal said, clearing his throat.  "Pete was telling me this year's pumpkin crop was coming along well."

Jonathan's face creased in a surprised smile.  "It is at that.  I'll show you later, if you like."

"Oh, I'd like that," Kal said.  Martha was hugging Pete now, much to Pete's delight and embarrassment.  Clark gestured toward the two other men.  "Ma, Pa, these are my friends Oliver and Bruce."  Oliver and Bruce nodded politely and Martha insisted on hugging them as well.  Behind them, Barbara had been hanging back a bit, and Clark put a hand on her shoulder, moving her forward.  "And this is Barbara.  We...met her on the road."

Martha's eyes took in Barbara's torn clothing and read something elusive in her face, then pulled her into an embrace that was gentler and longer than the others.  "Any friend of Clark's is a friend of ours," she said.  "And our home is your home for as long as you'd like to stay." 

Barbara pulled in a sharp breath, then put her arms around Martha and held her.  "Thank you," she said against the older woman's shoulder.

"Come in, all of you, come in," Martha said, keeping an arm around Barbara.  "Supper's just about done and we'd love to have you all."

Over a simple dinner of chicken and greens, Kal eyed the faces of his "parents."  They were an older couple, their faces lined with years of work, care, and sunlight.  The corners of Martha's pale eyes were webbed with signs of much laughter, while Jonathan's face looked more care-worn.  Martha caught him looking at her and smiled at him.  "You're just...a sight for sore eyes," Kal said, and she chuckled and blushed a little, waving an embarrassed hand in front of her face before passing him more milk.

Pete kept the conversation going smoothly, saving Kal from having to pretend he knew Smallville more than he did.  And Oliver was always glad to pick up the slack, although his conversation was much more family-friendly here. That left Kal free to take in the farmhouse:  the worn and well-scrubbed wood, the threadbare homemade rugs, the overall air of careful frugality that didn't obscure the homeliness of the place.  He found himself relaxing almost despite himself;  looking over he saw Bruce smiling slightly at a joke, the light warm on the planes of his face.

After the meal was over, Pete and Oliver said goodnight and left together, still bickering.  Martha caught Barbara in a yawn and suggested she show the girl her bedroom;  Barbara agreed sleepily.  Once they went upstairs, Jonathan leaned closer to Bruce and Clark, his posture all business now.  "We got the message that you two needed a place to stay for a bit before moving west?" 

Bruce nodded.  "Clark's...newly-joined."  Kal wondered briefly why he was still calling him by his false name, then realized that of course he couldn't call him "Kal-El" without making it obvious what he truly was.  "I wanted him to see some of what we're doing here.  Some of the progress we've made."

Jonathan nodded, refraining from asking what "Clark's" real name was, to Kal's relief.  "Well, our house is open to you."  He turned to Kal.  "You expressed an interest in my crops?  I could use an extra hand in the fields for a few days, if you don't mind getting up with the sun and getting your hands dirty."

Kal nodded, feeling a smile creeping onto his face.  "That would be great.  I'd like the chance to help."

They talked for a while longer about small things--Martha's cooking, the weather--and then Jonathan showed them to their rooms.

They were separate rooms, of course, Kal realized with a small jolt of surprise.  There was no reason for them to share a room;  they weren't a master and slave here, nor were they...well, anything else. 

The door closed behind him and he found himself alone, without Bruce in the room with him for the first time in weeks.  It was a strange feeling.  He had been looking forward, without even realizing it, to going over the day's events with Bruce.  He looked at the closed door, reached out to touch it lightly.  Two closed doors between them and some time free of his Kryptonian master for Bruce.

He went to bed, hearing the soft breathing of the many humans in the house all around him.

: : :

The next day was a blur of images, each a bright gem to be stored away for later:

In the fields with Jonathan, the first rays of sunrise starting to trickle over the horizon.  The hoe makes a quiet chunk, chunk noise as they turn the ground together.  Pulling weeds with his hands, the delicate tracery of roots coming free of the earth, releasing a scent of loam and dust.  Dirt, black under his fingernails.  He and Jonathan don't talk much.  Picking tomatoes, the small snap as the red globe comes free.  Zucchini.  Squash.

Jonathan takes him to a barn, shows him:  seed stores, a bewildering variety, stockpiled.  "Too many Terran varieties have been almost wiped out to make way for the iao," says Jonathan.  "We're saving them here."  Tiny black seeds like sand, gray ovals, bulbs stored in the cool dark.  A renaissance of plant life, waiting for a day of rebirth when the fields of red blossoms can be uprooted.  For this alone everyone on the plantation could be executed.

Lunch back at the farm.  The kitchen is hot with the scent of canning tomatoes.  It turns out Barbara can read, and she's been put to work in an archive.  She's alight with information, brimming over with it.  "They've asked me to come back and help categorize the poetry they salvaged," she says to Kal.  "They say I'm good at it."  She throws her arms around him in a hug.  "I'm going to stay here with your parents and help.  Thank you." 

Helping Martha dry meat into jerky in a smoker in the back.  "For people making the journey west," she says.  "It's not so easy on foot."  He still doesn't know what lies west and isn't sure if he should even ask.  "Jonathan says you've got a good hand for farming," she says.  "Says you know the soil and how to treat it right."  She pauses.  "If you ever wanted to stay here, not move on...you'd be welcome."  He doesn't know what to say but thank you, but that seems to be enough for now.

Pete gives him a tour of the rest of the plantation.  They stop to pick a couple of apples and eat them, crisp sharp sweetness punctuating the conversation.  Pete tells him stories about every corner, every field.  "Isn't this dangerous?" Kal asks.  "Keeping the archives, sheltering the runaways?  What if the plantation's owner--"

Pete laughs and tosses the core into a field.  "Gur-Ko?  He's never once visited this place.  I hear he's terrified of humans, thinks we're all infectious or something.  Can't bear any contact with us.  He had a radio installed decades ago to communicate with Jonathan and Martha, but I don't think he even uses that.  Like our voices might contaminate him."  He frowns.  "Wish I could."  Kal knows Gur-Ko--knows his name, at least.  He's an older Kryptonian, a historian, who didn't make the transition well.  Mostly he stays in his quarters and watches old holograms of Krypton's glories.

They walk by an archery range where Oliver is training a group of men and women in how to use a bow and arrow.  "What can that possibly do against a Kryptonian?" Kal asks. 

Oliver pulls the string taut and the arrow buries itself deep in the heart of the target.  "Low-tech solutions to high-tech problems," Pete says.  Kal remembers the burning green powder on the tip of Selina's whip and shudders briefly.

A game of some sort using a small white ball and a wooden stick breaks out as the sun sets.  Kal struggles both to understand the rules that everyone else seems to know and to keep his enhanced abilities under control.  As a result he's the clumsiest and least coordinated member of the team, prompting some good-natured jeers and catcalls from the other side.  Pete almost gets into a fistfight with one of the jeerers.  "Jerk," he says after Kal extricates him.  "Someone oughta teach him to be polite to guests."  Kal's team wins the game when Barbara steals home;  she's carried back to the farm and dinner on the shoulders of her teammates.

: : :

Bruce was at the kitchen table already when Kal and Barbara came in;  he looked up from a book and smiled at Barbara's flushed face.  "Hail the conquering hero," he said.

Barbara laughed.  "You've already heard?"

Bruce closed the book.  "I might have been watching."

She looked curious as they sat down.  "Why didn't you join us?"

A flicker of something passed over Bruce's face and he shrugged wordlessly.  Then Martha brought the biscuits to the table and the conversation veered away into discussions of the meal and Barbara's archiving duties.

There were crickets singing outside the window as Kal slipped between the sheets, and in the distance a chorus of frogs.  He was still listening when there was a tentative scratch at the door.

"Come in," he said, expecting Barbara, and was surprised when Bruce slipped into the room, another shadow among the shadows.  "What are you doing here?" he asked without thinking, and Bruce stopped.

"I wanted to...ask how your day was," Bruce said. 

"Not bad. I didn't slip up. Everyone still thinks I'm human," Kal said.

"That's not--" Bruce started, then fell silent again.

"Besides, you were keeping an eye on me from a distance, weren't you?"

"Maybe a little."  A short silence in the cricket-singing dark.  "You looked like you were having fun.  I felt my presence would be an...interruption."

Kal wasn't sure what to say to that so he said nothing at all.  The shadow that was Bruce sat down in an armchair next to the bed, a soft creak of wood in the dark.

"I could spend more time with you tomorrow, perhaps."  Bruce's voice was level, blank;  Kal couldn't tell if there was hope or dread or duty behind it.  He bit his lip and thought for a while before answering.

"You don't have to. You should do what you want to do."

Bruce chuckled, low and ironic. "What I want to do," he echoed.

Kal nodded even though Bruce probably couldn't see him. "It's your choice. Do what you want."

Another long pause.  Then Bruce got up and went to the door.  "I'll take your advice.  Good night, Clark," he said.

"Sleep well, Bruce."

The door clicked shut behind him, leaving Kal alone in the dark, cotton sheets cool under his hands.

: : :

Kal was sipping coffee in the kitchen, getting ready to go out into the fields with Jonathan again, when Bruce came into the room rubbing his eyes and yawning.  "Coffee?" he mumbled.

Jonathan handed him a mug.  "You're up early."

"Mm."  Bruce took a long sip of coffee, not looking at Kal.  "Anna just came by to say they need me at the archives to translate some material from Hindi to English.  I'll be there all morning."  Then he looked up at Kal over the rim of his mug.  "I'll be free from lunch on, though.  I was wondering if...you'd like to spend the afternoon together?  If Jonathan can spare you, of course."

Jonathan chuckled.  "If he promises to work extra-hard all morning I think I can give him the afternoon off.  If you'd like, of course," he added to Kal.

"Oh," said Kal.  "Yes."  He stared down at his coffee, afraid his blaze of delight and hope and yearning would be in his eyes for anyone to see.  "I'd like that."

: : :

They walked, the afternoon sun warm on their shoulders, walked without speaking, without purpose, just walking through the fields.  When they came to a little stream--no more than a rivulet, really, a tiny creek shaded by broad trees--Bruce stopped and washed his hands in the clear water.  Then he sat down on a smooth rock on the bank and tossed pebbles into the water.  Kal sat down on the other side of the stream and threw in a few pebbles as well; the rings and ripples touched and crossed each other.  After a while, Kal said "You didn't have to--"

"--I wanted to," said Bruce, a bit irritably.  "I'm not in the mood to second-guess myself today."  He examined one of his pebbles carefully, as if it were very important to determine if it were quartz or granite before throwing it into the creek.  "I'm tired. And I'm not very good at this," he said. "Talking to people.  You probably should be hanging out with Pete and Oliver if you want to learn about humans.  About friendship."

"I can't be friends with someone who doesn't know who I really am," Kal said.  He missed the water and his stone pinged off another rock.  "That's not friendship, that's a lie.  Clark is a lie."

Bruce made a non-committal humming noise.  "Clark's a good, decent man.  He likes plants and the earth and Martha's biscuits.  He hates slavery and he fights it.  Those aren't lies."  He tossed another rock into the water, not looking at Kal.  "Being friends with that person isn't a lie."

"I'm Kryptonian."

Bruce stood up suddenly, a sharp motion as if he couldn't sit still another moment.  He jumped over the creek in one fluid leap and landed next to Kal on the rock, crouching next to him, eyes intent on him.  "Is that the sum total of what you are?  Is that all you are?" he asked.  He was leaning close to Kal, very close.  "Because I see much more than that."  He reached out, his hand almost touching Kal's cheek;  Kal could feel the warmth of his fingertips, so close to his skin.  "Clark isn't a lie.  He's there, he's you, he's waiting for--"  One fingertip grazed Kal's cheek, infinitely light, and he pulled his hand back.  "--waiting for the right day."  Kal didn't think that had been what he was going to say.  But the moment was past;  Bruce was starting to move again, down the creek bank.  "Don't insult the people of Smallville by assuming they're such bad judges of character," Bruce said when Kal caught up to him.

Kal shrugged.  "I can't help it;  they seem to like you, so I have to have my doubts." 

Bruce stared at him.  "Did you just make a joke?"  He blinked.  "Wait, did you just insult me?"

Kal grinned.  "Human males seem to do that a lot to each other;  I thought I'd better practice.  What do you think?  Natural?"

Bruce shook his head sadly, disappointment etched on his features.  "Honestly.  I thought you were smarter than that."  He waved one arm in a despairing gesture, as if calling the universe's attention to trials he had to put up with.  "You've been all over the galaxy and you can't even get this right."

"What?  What did I get wrong?"

They were almost to Jonathan and Martha's porch when Bruce stopped and looked at Kal.  "It isn't something human males do to just any human males."  He started up the steps.  "They do it to their friends." 

He swung open the door.  "Idiot," he shot back over his shoulder as he went in.

Kal charged into the kitchen hot on his trail.  "Oh yeah?"  he retorted.  "Well...uh..."  He stopped, realizing suddenly he had no snappy comeback at all.  Martha and Barbara were washing a few dishes, pausing with dishcloths in hand to look at him.  Bruce had already snagged a biscuit and was eating it, looking smug.  "You're the idiot," Kal concluded lamely.

Barbara looked confused.  "What's the matter?"

Martha patted her hand.  "They're just teasing each other.  Boys are like that.  There's no problem, is there?" she asked, lifting an eyebrow at Bruce.

Bruce shook his head around a mouthful of biscuit, swallowed.  "No, ma'am."

Kal sat down next to Bruce, but not before stealing his biscuit.  "No problem at all," he said as Bruce sputtered and Barbara laughed at them.

And for a little while--for a few stolen hours--it almost seemed true.

Comments

[bradygirl_12]

I knew I was going to love this chapter! :)

So gentle and sweet and safe for now, Jonathan and Martha their usual wonderful selves, Barbara getting to archive, Ollie to teach the bow-and-arrow, and Clark getting to farm! He's a natural at it. :)

I hope that the farm stays safe, but it's worrisome that all that illegal activity is going on. *wibbles*

Bruce is sweet, wanting to be with Clark but hanging back, teaching him about friendship despite what he says.

And Clark is a very good observer of the Kents and the house.

Excellent chapter, Mithen! :)

[mithen.livejournal.com]

So gentle and sweet and safe for now, Jonathan and Martha their usual wonderful selves, Barbara getting to archive, Ollie to teach the bow-and-arrow, and Clark getting to farm! He's a natural at it. :)

He takes to it very well...getting him here and letting him see people being more or less free, experiencing the daily life and the earth, was really important.

Bruce is sweet, wanting to be with Clark but hanging back, teaching him about friendship despite what he says.

That's an interesting statement, because in some ways the hanging back is part of the friendship, wanting to give him the chance to connect to other people without being around to make him less comfortable.

And Clark is a very good observer of the Kents and the house.

In her comment on the last chapter, snake_easing pointed out it would be really hard for Kal to pass for long, which is very true. He gets by in this chapter at least by mostly letting others do most of the talking and take the lead. Baseball was almost too much for him, though, lol. Luckily there are probably other humans who've grown up away from human culture as companions and so people don't press him too much. If this stopover was longer than a chapter I'd definitely have to show him raising some suspicions...

*hugs* Thanks for the comment!

[premium-shaday.livejournal.com]

And for a little while--for a few stolen hours--it almost seemed true
WAT. D8
GEEZ, be ominous and foreboding, why don't you!? D:>

[mithen.livejournal.com]

Idylls can never last terribly long? *grin* Well, they'd have to move on in a few days in any case, whether something bad happens or not...

[fictionalknight.livejournal.com]

hee! OK, the next best thing to "fic with my morning coffee" is "fic just before I go to bed" ;) And this was such a fun, happy part of the story, too - I expect to see the boys smiling and teasing one another in my dreams later. ;)

Thanks for sharing! :D I know I totally sound like a broken record by now, but I have so much love for this AU. :happy sigh:

[mithen.livejournal.com]

Hey, I caught you before you went to bed, yay! I must have been on Early Posting Schedule. :)

Bruce teasing Kal in this world makes me all kinds of happy, maybe because Kal just has no real frame of reference for it and is baffled and delighted in equal measures. :)

[confusedkayt.livejournal.com]

Sigh. This chapter is lovely - the beautiful ache of almost. Although I echo another commenter in thinking there's kind of a "dun dun DUN!" at the end...

[mithen.livejournal.com]

"The beautiful ache of almost" is exactly the feeling I've been trying for, so thank you so much! And, uh...well, I didn't mean the ending to sound ominous since they'd have to move on eventually no matter what, but...yeah, there will be problems, I'm afraid!

[typicalteen29.livejournal.com]

*cautiously steps out of the shadows of Lurkerdom*

Okay, gotta say this is exactly what I needed tonight. Not only that but the entire chapter was all fluffy and cute. I thought for like thirty seconds those two were gonna open their eyes or pull their heads out of - Well, ya know! :)

I love the fast updates. Now I am going to shamelessly stalk your journal for further chapters, like most lurkers do.

So. Ahem. Back to my business! *darts off to hide*

[mithen.livejournal.com]

Aw, thanks! There's a special delight in getting a comment from a lurker. *grin*

I thought for like thirty seconds those two were gonna open their eyes or pull their heads out of - Well, ya know! :)

I might just be taking way too much pleasure in writing a story where the UST has good external reasons to exist beyond the characters being shy or reluctant. :)

I'm hoping to update again fairly soon! I've been tinkering with chapters a bit, but I think the next one is almost ready to go...

Thanks so much for the comment!

[skund.livejournal.com]

This was just wonderful, mithen! I love how you've depicted the quiet sanctuary of the farm. Bruce is an excellent friend, despite what he says.

Awww. It's like tranquility/chaos (that's presumably to come), instead of hurt/comfort. Can't wait for the next chapter! :D

[mithen.livejournal.com]

Bruce is an excellent friend, despite what he says.

Bruce never gives himself enough credit in relational things...part of what I love about him. :)

Hmmm...there is actually some hurt/comfort to come as well, now that you mention it! I'm hoping to have the next chapter up by this weekend, so... *runs off to tinker*

*runs back to thank you for the wonderful comment!*

[guani.livejournal.com]

*melts for joy*
Kal would be good at farming! I'm sure he found it soothing to be so connected with the earth, and the Kents love him already! Definitely hope to see more of Jonathan and Martha in the future.

Bruce and Kal are such sweet almost friends, and trying to fit back into the master-slave dynamic is going to be so much harder for Kal now.
But regardless, the two of them need to get their act together and start realizing where exactly their feelings are headed... :D

Ahh! The ending sounds so ominous!

...hmm, if that wasn't coherent, I blame it on the lack of sleep.

[mithen.livejournal.com]

Bruce and Kal are such sweet almost friends, and trying to fit back into the master-slave dynamic is going to be so much harder for Kal now.

It definitely is! When you've gotten used to casual snark, deference is just painful. But it's a good step in their relationship, I think/hope. :)

The ending is coming across more ominous then I meant it to, but...there definitely is some cause for worry. :) I hope to update by the end of the weekend at the latest!

[seiberwing.livejournal.com]

Aww! Smallville sounds wonderful, at least compared to everywhere else.

[mithen.livejournal.com]

I couldn't resist making Smallville about one of the only nice places for humans left in the world, lol! There usually are "boltholes" and such of a resistance, and Smallville works well for it symbolically...

[shiny-n-new.livejournal.com]

Ahhh, this is such a lovely chapter. I always love seeing Martha and Jonathan. The way Clark/Kal and Bruce both so clearly want to be closer and can't quite bridge the gap yet feels very real and natural.

Just a comment on the series in general, but I love all the little character details that make the people in the story so clearly *themselves*, regardless of the AU setting.

[mithen.livejournal.com]

The way Clark/Kal and Bruce both so clearly want to be closer and can't quite bridge the gap yet feels very real and natural.

It's frustrating to write, but I'm rather enjoying the results, so I'm glad to hear you like it! The AU-ness of this is fun as well, finding what makes characters still themselves in this world...

[wanderer-owl.livejournal.com]

In one day, they miss each other. So cute!

[mithen.livejournal.com]

*grin* Thank you! They're not very demonstrative in this, but the little things like wanting to recap the day together...they add up. :)

[(Anonymous)]

You are spoiling us updating twice in one week.

I love this chapter it really is an idylle.

Seems like with so many humans around Bruce introverted ( associal ? ) tendencies are becoming more aparent. Interesting that he feels insecure about it.

Between that and Kal feeling unworthy because he is kriptonian I have a feeling the relationship is going to take a while.

[mithen.livejournal.com]

You are spoiling us updating twice in one week.

I'm actually hoping to make it three by the weekend. :)

Seems like with so many humans around Bruce introverted ( associal ? ) tendencies are becoming more aparent. Interesting that he feels insecure about it.

I'm having a hard time reading Bruce in this story--in part because Kal is--but I do think he worries that he's not the kind of person who would be able to have a relationship with Kal once they're equals. If they're a master/slave, or at best comrades in a fight against slavery...what happens when the system is gone? I suspect he doesn't like his thoughts on the topic.

Between that and Kal feeling unworthy because he is kriptonian I have a feeling the relationship is going to take a while.

The romance part? Most certainly. I feel happy I was able to get them to tentative semi-friendship, lol. There's more there, but it's very constrained by external events...

[ibis-thoth.livejournal.com]

Lovely addition to the tale! I love Bruce and Clark hemming and hawing around what they feel because of the restrictions of their perceptions, by the way.

[mithen.livejournal.com]

I've found those conversations really difficult to write, but very rewarding as well, somehow! Though I've had to compensate by writing unabashed romantic fluff elsewhere to make up for it. :D

[ilovetobefree.livejournal.com]

WOW, that was such a wonderful surprise to find a new update today morning. You made my day Mithen. :)
Martha and Jonathan were totally adorable. I loved them. You described them so well! :)

Oliver pulls the string taut and the arrow buries itself deep in the heart of the target. "Low-tech solutions to high-tech problems," Pete says. Kal remembers the burning green powder on the tip of Selina's whip and shudders briefly.
Sentences like these always make me afraid for Kal – being Kryptonian – it can be danger for him in the future.

Kal nodded even though Bruce probably couldn't see him. "It's your choice. Do what you want."

Another long pause. Then Bruce got up and went to the door. "I'll take your advice. Good night, Clark," he said.

"Sleep well, Bruce."

The door clicked shut behind him, leaving Kal alone in the dark, cotton sheets cool under his hands.
Oh no! Boys! *Sigh*

Kal sat down next to Bruce, but not before stealing his biscuit. "No problem at all," he said as Bruce sputtered and Barbara laughed at them.
I loved, absolutely loved the ending. :)

Amazing Chapter!
Thanks for sharing.:)
Can’t wait for more.

[mithen.livejournal.com]

Martha and Jonathan were totally adorable. I loved them. You described them so well! :)

I've really enjoyed writing them and they've made it into a variety of stories recently, as have the Waynes, which is fun.

Sentences like these always make me afraid for Kal – being Kryptonian – it can be danger for him in the future.

Kal doesn't think about it much, but yeah...even if the rebellion succeeds, what will happen to him?

I'm glad you liked the ending! Clark attempting to master the subtle art of manly insult made me laugh, somehow. I'm terrible at writing it...I need to pay more attention to the way my male friends interact.

I'm glad you liked it! Thanks so much for the kind comment!

[zenithjolt.livejournal.com]

XDDDDDDDD

This was wonderful! Johnathan and Martha, always great. This chapter was excellent, update soon!

[mithen.livejournal.com]

Jonathan and Martha are so much fun to write! I'm definitely on a kick of writing the Waynes and Kents (I'm writing something from Martha Wayne's POV right now) and having fun. :)

And I hope to update before the weekend is out!

[starsandsea.livejournal.com]

Martha's eyes took in Barbara's torn clothing and read something elusive in her face, then pulled her into an embrace that was gentler and longer than the others. "Any friend of Clark's is a friend of ours," she said. "And our home is your home for as long as you'd like to stay."

*hugs Martha and Barbara*

The door closed behind him and he found himself alone, without Bruce in the room with him for the first time in weeks. It was a strange feeling. He had been looking forward, without even realizing it, to going over the day's events with Bruce. He looked at the closed door, reached out to touch it lightly. Two closed doors between them and some time free of his Kryptonian master for Bruce.

*huggles Kal*

Jonathan takes him to a barn, shows him: seed stores, a bewildering variety, stockpiled. "Too many Terran varieties have been almost wiped out to make way for the iao," says Jonathan. "We're saving them here." Tiny black seeds like sand, gray ovals, bulbs stored in the cool dark. A renaissance of plant life, waiting for a day of rebirth when the fields of red blossoms can be uprooted. For this alone everyone on the plantation could be executed.

*hearts Martha and Johnathan, and everyone in Smallville*

It turns out Barbara can read, and she's been put to work in an archive. She's alight with information, brimming over with it. "They've asked me to come back and help categorize the poetry they salvaged," she says to Kal. "They say I'm good at it." She throws her arms around him in a hug. "I'm going to stay here with your parents and help. Thank you."

Eeee! *hearts Babs*

"If you ever wanted to stay here, not move on...you'd be welcome." He doesn't know what to say but thank you, but that seems to be enough for now.

*wibbles a bit*

Oliver pulls the string taut and the arrow buries itself deep in the heart of the target. "Low-tech solutions to high-tech problems," Pete says. Kal remembers the burning green powder on the tip of Selina's whip and shudders briefly.

*pets Kal*

"You looked like you were having fun. I felt my presence would be an...interruption."

*huggles Bruce*

Kal was sipping coffee in the kitchen, getting ready to go out into the fields with Jonathan again, when Bruce came into the room rubbing his eyes and yawning. "Coffee?" he mumbled.

Awww, sleepy!Bruce! *glomps him*

"Oh," said Kal. "Yes." He stared down at his coffee, afraid his blaze of delight and hope and yearning would be in his eyes for anyone to see. "I'd like that."

*pets Kal*

Bruce made a non-committal humming noise. "Clark's a good, decent man. He likes plants and the earth and Martha's biscuits. He hates slavery and he fights it. Those aren't lies." He tossed another rock into the water, not looking at Kal. "Being friends with that person isn't a lie."

*cheers Bruce on*

He swung open the door. "Idiot," he shot back over his shoulder as he went in.

*giggles*

Kal sat down next to Bruce, but not before stealing his biscuit. "No problem at all," he said as Bruce sputtered and Barbara laughed at them.

*giggles again*

I love seeing Kal in Smallville, trying to fit in and become Clark... he's doing a really good job of it! *pets him and Bruce* I hope there's more soon! :)

[mithen.livejournal.com]

*hugs Martha and Barbara*

An AU in which Babs is raised by the Kents and becomes something like ORacle! That's a new one, lol. I totally didn't see it coming, either...

Awww, sleepy!Bruce! *glomps him*

LOL! He's fun to write when he's half-asleep, somehow...

I love seeing Kal in Smallville, trying to fit in and become Clark...

I think I've mentioned to you in email that was the whole driving force of the arc, finding "Clark" in Smallville. :) It was verrrrry satisfying to write! Now he's got to find Superman and he'll be whole...

*hhugs* I'm so glad you liked it!

[brushed-velvet.livejournal.com]

*argle*

So many things I love in this chapter:

Introspective!Bruce voicing his personality traits.
Kal missing sharing things with Bruce the first night apart.
Bruce wanting to spend time with Kal but wanting to give him space too.
The scene by the stream!
The teasing at the end plus all the little details with Martha and Johnathan and Barbara et all.

Just one little typo I think:

Everything still thinks I'm human

Should be 'Everyone'?

(Just to say, if the odd typo doesn't bother you, feel free to tell me so. Some authors aren't bothered by them and others hate them so I'm never quite sure whether to point the odd one out or not)

[mithen.livejournal.com]

Bruce wanting to spend time with Kal but wanting to give him space too.

I'm glad that came through--man, not being in Bruce's head gives me fits. If only he were less oblique! :)

The scene by the stream was one of my favorites. *grin*

And oh please, do point out typos when you see them! My typing's gotten wonky lately for some reason, usually I'm not so bad!

[batfan-sarah.livejournal.com]

yay! i love how clark just fits in so well on the farm, and how welcoming and wonderful the kents are...and clark and bruce's afternoon together is full of woobie and almosts.

i adore this story so much jen, and i'm beyond excited to see where it goes as you continue. i hope the farm stays safe, and i'm glad barbara seems to have found a place :)

[mithen.livejournal.com]

I loved how well Clark fit in...Jonathan and Martha have a lot to do with it, although so does Clark's character!

Aw, I'm so glad you're enjoying! I've enjoyed this arc a lot--getting them moving around and meeting people and doing stuff, yay!

Part 1

[(Anonymous)]

I hope you forgive me for being foolish enough to attempt this.

""Clark!" A woman he had never seen before this moment threw her arms around him, hugging him. "Oh Clark. It's been so long."

"Ma," he said, finding his voice suddenly a bit thick at the undeserved welcome."

Silly boy. Hugs him for his woobiness.

"After the meal was over, Pete and Oliver said goodnight and left together, still bickering."

So are those two going to end up together or is it just my inner slasher? I'll admit I've never slashed them together before.

"Bruce nodded. "Clark's...newly-joined." Kal wondered briefly why he was still calling him by his false name, then realized that of course he couldn't call him "Kal-El" without making it obvious what he truly was."

Eep. Hugs again.

"They were separate rooms, of course, Kal realized with a small jolt of surprise. There was no reason for them to share a room; they weren't a master and slave here, nor were they...well, anything else."

Poor dear. You must try to convince him that you're something else. I know you'll do it. But it must be him that chooses. Even though he has that fear of happiness. Hugs Bruce and Kal-El/Clark (then runs away 'cos of Bruce ;).

Obviously this house has more bedrooms than the "Smallville" one has 'cos at one stage Clark was sleeping on a couch when they had one guest over (Lois). Most tragic that they can't be together because of it. Although you know what they say about absence...

"The door closed behind him and he found himself alone, without Bruce in the room with him for the first time in weeks. It was a strange feeling. He had been looking forward, without even realizing it, to going over the day's events with Bruce."

Awww.

"He looked at the closed door, reached out to touch it lightly. Two closed doors between them and some time free of his Kryptonian master for Bruce."

You're making me wonder what Bruce was thinking at this time. That he'd let Kal-El/Clark get more comfortable in this house without him? Something else altruistic? I feel it'd be something nice as well as silly. Is it?

"Bruce closed the book. "I might have been watching.""

I wonder why he was... ;-)

""I wanted to...ask how your day was," Bruce said."

Hugs Bruce.

""Not bad. I didn't slip up. Every[one] still thinks I'm human," Kal said."

Kal, Kal, Kal. It was going so well until you freaked out in this room. Although since it is Bruce I can understand. He does tend to make one defensive. With that reaction you'd think Kal was the slave which perversely amuses me.

""You looked like you were having fun. I felt my presence would be an...interruption.""

Hugs Bruce for the sacrifice he made denying himself here. So Kal could be and feel like Clark. :-)

"Kal nodded even though Bruce probably couldn't see him. "It's your choice. Do what you want.""

Hugs Kal. Good choice here while the meeting started badly he ended it well.

"Another long pause. Then Bruce got up and went to the door. "I'll take your advice. Good night, Clark," he said."

Yay.

Angeloz

Re: Part 1

[mithen.livejournal.com]

I hope you forgive me for being foolish enough to attempt this.

Haa! Hey, I loooove comments like that, but I do understand they're a huge amount of work--I have to have two windows open and go back and forth between windows when I want to do it. :)

So are those two going to end up together or is it just my inner slasher? I'll admit I've never slashed them together before.

Huh, yeah, that's a pairing I've never thought of! In my mind, he's with Dinah (who's...somewhere she doesn't need papers right now). :) But he's never been the most monogamous of people...

Obviously this house has more bedrooms than the "Smallville" one has 'cos at one stage Clark was sleeping on a couch when they had one guest over (Lois).

A farmhouse with only two bedrooms? *falls over laughing* I've been in old farmhouses...they tend to be built for large, multi-generational families and have five or six bedrooms...maybe the one on "Smallville" is a lot more modern? COuld be...

You're making me wonder what Bruce was thinking at this time. That he'd let Kal-El/Clark get more comfortable in this house without him? Something else altruistic? I feel it'd be something nice as well as silly. Is it?

Oh yes, you're exactly right. In fact, I don't think he even thought about the fact he might seem to be rejecting Clark when he left (I know this because it didn't cross my mind when writing it!) I think he just wanted Kal to have his space to be "Clark"...

With that reaction you'd think Kal was the slave which perversely amuses me.

*cough* I have no idea why I like that dynamic, but I do. I'm hoping to write a story where they have to pose as master and slave on some distant planet and Clark is very rattled by finding himself the "master" and Bruce is pretty ready to turn the tables on him in private...

Part 2

[(Anonymous)]

Still more silly thoughts.

""Mm." Bruce took a long sip of coffee, not looking at Kal. "Anna just came by to say they need me at the archives to translate some material from Hindi to English. I'll be there all morning.""

Did he learn other languages mainly from Kryptonian computers? 'Cos I could understand learning some languages while free (if others knew them). But Hindi?

""I'll be free from lunch on, though. I was wondering if...you'd like to spend the afternoon together? If Jonathan can spare you, of course.""

Yay!

""Oh," said Kal. "Yes." He stared down at his coffee, afraid his blaze of delight and hope and yearning would be in his eyes for anyone to see."

Oh Kal. Kal you're meant to be Clark. There's nothing wrong with liking or wanting to be with Bruce. Poor dear. Even though it could get dangerous later as Kal-El. Enjoy his company while you can.

""I'd like that.""

Another yay!

""That's not friendship, that's a lie. Clark is a lie.""

Oh Kal.

""Clark's a good, decent man. He likes plants and the earth and Martha's biscuits. He hates slavery and he fights it. Those aren't lies." He tossed another rock into the water, not looking at Kal. "Being friends with that person isn't a lie.""

Hugs Bruce for his words.

""I'm Kryptonian.""

Hugs Kal.

""Because I see much more than that."" ... [Snip] ... ""Clark isn't a lie. He's there, he's you, he's waiting for--" One fingertip grazed Kal's cheek, infinitely light, and he pulled his hand back. "--waiting for the right day." Kal didn't think that had been what he was going to say."

Again well said. Though I'm feeling dense at the moment because what was he going to say? That he's waiting for Bruce? 'Cos they both are...

"Kal sat down next to Bruce, but not before stealing his biscuit. "No problem at all," he said as Bruce sputtered and Barbara laughed at them."

Hee. I love them teasing each other. I wanted to quote all of it but thought it a bit much already.

"And for a little while--for a few stolen hours--it almost seemed true."

Eep.

Doing this makes me appreciate how others do it even more than I did before. And I liked (still do) reading what people say in the first place.

Angeloz

Re: Part 2

[mithen.livejournal.com]

Did he learn other languages mainly from Kryptonian computers? 'Cos I could understand learning some languages while free (if others knew them). But Hindi?

He's been wandering the world, same as he does in canon--I think he spent some time in India. And I've always assumed Bruce is one of those people I hate who pick up languages like it's easy...I had a professor spend three weeks in New Zealand and come back able to understand jokes in Maori. I wanted to kill him...

Oh Kal. Kal you're meant to be Clark.

I think Clark suits him very well, and he was a joy to write that way. I hadn't really realized how much of his character he lost without it until this arc...

Again well said. Though I'm feeling dense at the moment because what was he going to say? That he's waiting for Bruce? 'Cos they both are...

I do think he was going to end with "...waiting for me," but decided at the last second it sounded too intimate and passionate. *sad face*

I enjoyed writing the teasing as well, although I'm terrible at it! My beta rolls his eyes and has to tinker with it every time, lol...

Doing this makes me appreciate how others do it even more than I did before. And I liked (still do) reading what people say in the first place.

It's a lot of work, isn't it? When I get a longer story I want to give a really full comment on I'll have to put aside a lot more time. And I also really love reading other peoples' comments and seeing what they pulled out of the story...and how the author responds to that as well! You learn a lot about what appeals to people and how the author sees her own story...

Also, *major hugs* for the feedback, by the way! It was a joy to read!

[snake-easing.livejournal.com]

It's cool to see Kal confused by baseball. "Let's see, there's a white sphere which I hit with a stick, and the sphere must be poison because if it touches me I have to go sit down..."

The best scene of course is where Kal wants to be around Bruce at night but realizes that he hasn't got the right to ask for that. And then he accidentally hurts Bruce's feelings when Bruce does come looking for him. Such a great dynamic.

[mithen.livejournal.com]

It's cool to see Kal confused by baseball. "Let's see, there's a white sphere which I hit with a stick, and the sphere must be poison because if it touches me I have to go sit down..."

Kal's bewilderment might be based a bit on an experience being on a casual softball team in which no one bothered to explain the rules to me because everyone knows them, right? ^-^

I usually write Kal and Bruce as understanding each other so well and so quickly that it's an interesting challenge to write them as consistently missing hints and connections and bumbling it up, even with the best of intentions. Glad to hear it's working for you!

[rjunkie.livejournal.com]

There was so much I liked about this chapter: Kal getting to know the farm, Bruce being a part of the shadows and wanting to spend time with Kal, Bruce's reassuring that Clark is just as true and worthy as Kal, and the teasing!

Hello sweetness.

[mithen.livejournal.com]

I rather liked stalky!Bruce making an appearance, lol. He hasn't had many chances to do that in this world, bound as he is to Kal. I enjoyed writing the teasing even though I'm, well, not very good at it, lol! I think my beta had to pick apart those scenes more than the others...

[saavikam77.livejournal.com]

Oh, boys! XD That last exchange was just so adorable.

I totally love Kal getting to experience life on the farm and life in Smallville. He definitely needed that. I was almost surprised he didn't blow his cover while helping with the crops. It would be so easy to do. :p

[mithen.livejournal.com]

He definitely needed that. I was almost surprised he didn't blow his cover while helping with the crops. It would be so easy to do. :p

*grin* You know now that Jonathan probably was cutting him slack if he made any stupid mistakes. :) Baseball was probably more of a risk!