CxB Week 2017: Fanfiction Friday

It was still summer when Clark returned to his home on the farm in his own time. A few more weeks to go before his internship at the Daily Planet in Metropolis even though he had been gone for months. No dust had accumulated in his room, his things were exactly as he left it but something was missing.

The feeling didn't go away the next day or the next as he adjusted to being back. Most days he didn't wear his super suit under his clothing. Other days he wore it to get used to the extra layer of skin, for when he would wear it every day, for the future he knew he would have. The Legion ring would stay in his room, usually in a drawer but he'd often fiddle with it when alone, even though he wouldn't put it on for more than a minute if the urge hit him.

Still the feeling of something missing lingered as he began to prepare for his move to the city. It lingered through planning and packing and every moment of silence and even when he was talking and laughing with his folks it continues to be present, nagging and almost twitching with longing for what was gone.

His glasses had wondered off again. Not on his nightstand or on his desk. Maybe he left them in the bathroom when he washed his face? Or in the kitchen when he had been digging around under the sink?

"Ma," Clark headed downstairs and to where he last saw his mother.

In the living room Clark could hear Martha talking, though it wasn't to him.

"And this is Clark on his first day of school," Martha had such a fondness in her voice that Clark couldn't help but smile. "We had to bribe Clark with the promise of apple pie after dinner to get him to let go of us; nearly made a hole in concrete with how stubbornly he was holding his ground."

More than likely was Mrs. Xiong who had moved into town a month ago and owned the new restaurant with her husband. Her kids were just starting high school and every time she and Ma ran into each other they said they would get together and talk about their kids.

Though he had simply meant to take a peek to confirm, Clark stumbled in when he saw who was in the living room with his mother. Sitting on the couch, holding the photo album that held several pictures of naked baby and toddler Clark was Brainy, as in Brainiac Five, as in never forgets anything, twelfth level intelligence super genius of the Legion of Superheroes.

The most ungodly of sounds erupted from Clark's mouth. It was incoherent and possibly only audible to dogs, still it embarrassingly continued as Clark zoomed over and snatched the album out of Brainy's hand so quickly it almost caught on fire.

"Ma!" was the only word that managed to come out of Clark's mouth and burning face for a moment. He stared at their falsely innocent faces, unable to believe this. "How could you show these to Brainy?" He turned to Brainy. "Why would you want to see these?"

"How could I not?" Brainy raised an eyebrow, "Besides your Mother made it sound like it was some sort of tradition."

"Tradition?" Clark hid the album behind him for safe keeping.

"It's a mother's right to embarrass their children by showing their baby pictures to their significant others," Martha stood.

"Significant others?!" Clark's voice almost went into high pitch again.

"I'm going to check on the roast," Martha went to the kitchen instead of answering.

Clark silently turned to Brainy.

"Your Mother is under the impression that we are dating," Brainy explained. "Apparently you talk almost non-stop about me."

"I talk about everyone in the Legion," said Clark, shifting the album around a bit behind him. "Speaking of which, is everything okay?"

"Not exactly," Brainy got to his feet. "I've been temporarily banished from Legion headquarters."

"Did you blow something up again?" asked Clark.

"If I did I'd be there rebuilding it," said Brainy. "Apparently Lightning Lad was sick of my inability to shut up about you."

Clark remained silent, suddenly aware that his feeling of missing something was gone. It had been the moment he saw Brainy sitting on the couch with his Ma.

"We'd be the first ones to know if we were dating, right?" Brainy tilted his head to the side as he looked up at Clark.

"I'm not so sure," said Clark.

Silence hung between them a moment. It wasn't uncomfortable feeling, just curious.

"Your Mother invited me to dinner," Brainy ventured, "And your Father asked if I would like to stay forever and then they both laughed. I'm not really sure as to the reason why."

"It's a reference," said Clark, "To a movie. Would you like to watch it?"

"It sounds like a good opportunity to better understand your time period."

"Is that a yes?"

"Yes."

"Okay, make yourself at home and I'll get the movie and hide this album."

"Okay, I'll find it later."

Clark smiled, "We'll see about that."