Clark's shaking like a colt after its first breakneck sprint, every muscle quivering and liquid and at first, the words are just noise because he's shivering too much. Because he just kissed Bruce.

He just kissed Bruce.

Oh God, he just kissed Bruce.

They were fighting and then they were talking about dying and then he was kissing Bruce and there are a few seconds that are just a wall of white in his mind, utter blankness, until he remembers how to anything. Anything at all.

Language. Words. Bruce is talking.

Bruce is...

"O-of course."

He pulls back, hating every millimeter he's putting between them, hating it and knowing he may have just ruined the most important relationship in his life because now that he's thinking, now that that white space is filling in with color and sound and heat, he realizes that Bruce didn't kiss him back.

They were making a quiche.

They were making a fucking quiche and now the world is falling down. Is this how it happens for him? Is this how

"Of course."

I thought I knew.

He needs his glasses. Bruce has his glasses and he needs his glasses. Everything is in his eyes and he needs his glasses, please. Please, God, he needs his glasses.

This wasn't how it was supposed to go.

He ruined everything again. He didn't need his strength or his speed and he still

"You have--" swallow, hard, even Bruce can probably hear it, can Bruce hear his heart beating? Is his heart beating? Or is that just the pieces falling down

down

down

"I was making you dinner."

He was showing him how to make dinner.

"I was-- how to make dinner."

He was showing him how to make dinner.