Contained feelings
Title: Contained feelings
Author: chauve_sourit
Characters: Bruce, Clark
Pairing: Bruce/Clark
Rating: G
Genre: angst
Warning: Not beta'ed - point and I'll rush to correct. Also, don't miss the notes at the bottom. This one is heavily music-laden. And a bit sad, too.
Disclaimer: The boys aren't mine, the story is. Copyright for the lyrics of "Here without you" is with 3 Doors Down.
Words: 1125 words
Summary: Bruce deals with a sad souvenir from the best relationship he's ever had
Brown and unsuspicious it stood in front of the master bedroom. Yet the view of it did not make Bruce frown in confusion as to why Alfred would leave an ordinary delivery here instead of just putting its contents away. The labelling on the box clearly indicated that it stemmed from the Daily Planet office supplies room, but there was no stamp, so he must have brought it by in person.
No, Bruce was really not surprised, nor should he be. Nevertheless he felt a little pain in his chest looking at the sad evidence of what he had kept his heart from acknowledging.
The break-up between Clark and him was only 3 days old and they hadn't seen or spoken to each other ever since. Bruce had switched off his phone and stayed in Gotham, immersing himself into crime fight as it seemed the only thing he knew he wouldn't fail at. It had worked for said 3 days, he was able to ignore the mere existence, past or present, of a private life for a while. Now, however, this box of belongings he had left in Metropolis clearly indicated that the break-up was real and final.
Carefully picking up the box, Bruce tried to prepare himself for what he would find, besides the odd t-shirt and probably some underwear, both of which were just convenient to have at your lover's house.
And sure enough, the top layer consisted of some clothing, washed and neatly folded, alongside with his aftershave some more toiletry.
Next there were a couple of DVDs they had meant to watch one night about a month ago. This movie night had quickly shifted from the living to the bedroom and instead of watching one of Shakespeare's plays come to life on TV, the two boys were busy living their own Midsummer Night's Dream between the sheets. Bruce couldn't help but chuckle at the memory.
On the bottom of the DVD pile Bruce found an unfamiliar jewel case, containing a CD labelled "Kansas OST". He frowned, not sure if he wanted to know what was on it. Curiosity won and with a trembling hand the Dark Knight fed the CD into his stereo. And he regretted his choice soon after hearing the first beats of the song his shuffle mode had picked. It hadn't needed Jason Wade's voice for Bruce to recognize Lifehouse's "Broken". And he instantly understood the cryptic name.
Their first vacation had led the boys to Kansas. He had rolled his eyes at Clark insisting that this was going to be a road trip. If you could travel across the country in a matter of minutes by Superman Express, what good was there in driving for days through the middle of nowhere? Seeing how Clark was rarely this adamant about anything, Bruce had eventually given in, promising that he would thoroughly complain if this was going to be as dreadful as he imagined it to be. He could not have been more wrong.
Yes, the 1100-mile-trip to Kansas had taken them 2 whole days but Bruce couldn't remember ever having had so much fun. Seemingly effortlessly they switched from endless talks to comfortable silence and back during the sheer endless ride. Clark had brought a couple of his alternative rock CDs, apparently shocked that Bruce had never heard of Sick Puppies, Daughtry and, yes, Lifehouse. After these two days, Bruce found himself lip-synching to Dishwalla's "Collide" and humming "Breathe me" with Sia.
"You know, if there were a soundtrack to my life... this would be it. I love this music.", he had grinned at Clark between two songs.
The other man had smiled, stroked Bruce's cheek and murmured "Our life." before focusing back on the street ahead of them.
Bruce distinctly remembered the feeling of total contentment and relaxed happiness.
Quickly the warmth that had taken over his body was replaced by a sudden cold pain. The pleasant memories shifted to make room for the fight that had led to their break-up. Things had been rocky for a couple of weeks lately, and the two men hadn't been able to see each other as often they would have liked to. Both their day-time jobs were demanding, let alone their night-time responsibilities. That very Monday, 3 days ago, Clark had spent the night at the mansion but Bruce had been out into the wee hours of the morning and they only saw each other, when one of the returned home as the other was about to fly back to Metropolis for work. They had discussed at length how to resolve the situation, never coming to a suitable solution - short of moving in together, that is, but of course they would never be able to agree on one city that would suit both their needs. Clark needed to be close to the Daily Planet, Bruce didn’t want to give up the house his parents had left him.
But this morning, with Bruce tired from a long sleepless night and Clark annoyed because he had been left alone in a huge mansion, frustration had boiled to an unbearable point.
“Maybe you shouldn’t be in a relationship if you can’t let go of the past in favor of the future.“, Clark had shouted in exasperation, regretting his words instantly.
Bruce’s eyes grew in shock. “Get out.“ was all he managed to say eventually, a calm and unemotional whisper that surprised both of them.
The pain he had felt that day was still fresh and made him feel raw. Clark, of all people, was supposed to understand what it felt like to have lost your parents, which made his reaction even more out of character. But Bruce missed him, there was no doubt about that. He felt that he would have given his friend the benefit of a doubt if he had apologized. There must have been something that had prompted this harsh reaction and they might have been able to work it out.
But it was too late now, wasn’t it? Bringing over this box of belongings, Clark had sent a clear sign that they were over. As Bruce walked towards the stereo, he winced as he heard Brad Arnold’s raspy voice.
“I’m here without you, baby,
but you’re still on my lonely mind,
I think about you, baby,
And I dream about you all the time”
How ironic. Bruce remembered finding this song incredibly beautiful when he had first heard it on their road trip, now it sent pangs of heartache through his chest.
Realizing that he couldn’t deal with the memories just yet, Bruce put the CD back with the DVDs, clothes and other clutter, calling for Alfred to put this box away.
And so he missed the small letter at the bottom of the box, containing a small sheet of paper that said:
"I didn't know how else to reach you. I'm sorry. Please call me."
---------------------------
Notes:
1) The 1100 miles distance is what wikianswers gave me as the distance from Metropolis New York to Kansas City.
2) This soundtrack I'm talking about, it exists (scroll down to the author's notes), though obviously not for a road trip but for Kansas by ADarkerKnight. Seriously good! The story I mean. And the soundtrack. And the author. :)
Author: chauve_sourit
Characters: Bruce, Clark
Pairing: Bruce/Clark
Rating: G
Genre: angst
Warning: Not beta'ed - point and I'll rush to correct. Also, don't miss the notes at the bottom. This one is heavily music-laden. And a bit sad, too.
Disclaimer: The boys aren't mine, the story is. Copyright for the lyrics of "Here without you" is with 3 Doors Down.
Words: 1125 words
Summary: Bruce deals with a sad souvenir from the best relationship he's ever had
Brown and unsuspicious it stood in front of the master bedroom. Yet the view of it did not make Bruce frown in confusion as to why Alfred would leave an ordinary delivery here instead of just putting its contents away. The labelling on the box clearly indicated that it stemmed from the Daily Planet office supplies room, but there was no stamp, so he must have brought it by in person.
No, Bruce was really not surprised, nor should he be. Nevertheless he felt a little pain in his chest looking at the sad evidence of what he had kept his heart from acknowledging.
The break-up between Clark and him was only 3 days old and they hadn't seen or spoken to each other ever since. Bruce had switched off his phone and stayed in Gotham, immersing himself into crime fight as it seemed the only thing he knew he wouldn't fail at. It had worked for said 3 days, he was able to ignore the mere existence, past or present, of a private life for a while. Now, however, this box of belongings he had left in Metropolis clearly indicated that the break-up was real and final.
Carefully picking up the box, Bruce tried to prepare himself for what he would find, besides the odd t-shirt and probably some underwear, both of which were just convenient to have at your lover's house.
And sure enough, the top layer consisted of some clothing, washed and neatly folded, alongside with his aftershave some more toiletry.
Next there were a couple of DVDs they had meant to watch one night about a month ago. This movie night had quickly shifted from the living to the bedroom and instead of watching one of Shakespeare's plays come to life on TV, the two boys were busy living their own Midsummer Night's Dream between the sheets. Bruce couldn't help but chuckle at the memory.
On the bottom of the DVD pile Bruce found an unfamiliar jewel case, containing a CD labelled "Kansas OST". He frowned, not sure if he wanted to know what was on it. Curiosity won and with a trembling hand the Dark Knight fed the CD into his stereo. And he regretted his choice soon after hearing the first beats of the song his shuffle mode had picked. It hadn't needed Jason Wade's voice for Bruce to recognize Lifehouse's "Broken". And he instantly understood the cryptic name.
Their first vacation had led the boys to Kansas. He had rolled his eyes at Clark insisting that this was going to be a road trip. If you could travel across the country in a matter of minutes by Superman Express, what good was there in driving for days through the middle of nowhere? Seeing how Clark was rarely this adamant about anything, Bruce had eventually given in, promising that he would thoroughly complain if this was going to be as dreadful as he imagined it to be. He could not have been more wrong.
Yes, the 1100-mile-trip to Kansas had taken them 2 whole days but Bruce couldn't remember ever having had so much fun. Seemingly effortlessly they switched from endless talks to comfortable silence and back during the sheer endless ride. Clark had brought a couple of his alternative rock CDs, apparently shocked that Bruce had never heard of Sick Puppies, Daughtry and, yes, Lifehouse. After these two days, Bruce found himself lip-synching to Dishwalla's "Collide" and humming "Breathe me" with Sia.
"You know, if there were a soundtrack to my life... this would be it. I love this music.", he had grinned at Clark between two songs.
The other man had smiled, stroked Bruce's cheek and murmured "Our life." before focusing back on the street ahead of them.
Bruce distinctly remembered the feeling of total contentment and relaxed happiness.
Quickly the warmth that had taken over his body was replaced by a sudden cold pain. The pleasant memories shifted to make room for the fight that had led to their break-up. Things had been rocky for a couple of weeks lately, and the two men hadn't been able to see each other as often they would have liked to. Both their day-time jobs were demanding, let alone their night-time responsibilities. That very Monday, 3 days ago, Clark had spent the night at the mansion but Bruce had been out into the wee hours of the morning and they only saw each other, when one of the returned home as the other was about to fly back to Metropolis for work. They had discussed at length how to resolve the situation, never coming to a suitable solution - short of moving in together, that is, but of course they would never be able to agree on one city that would suit both their needs. Clark needed to be close to the Daily Planet, Bruce didn’t want to give up the house his parents had left him.
But this morning, with Bruce tired from a long sleepless night and Clark annoyed because he had been left alone in a huge mansion, frustration had boiled to an unbearable point.
“Maybe you shouldn’t be in a relationship if you can’t let go of the past in favor of the future.“, Clark had shouted in exasperation, regretting his words instantly.
Bruce’s eyes grew in shock. “Get out.“ was all he managed to say eventually, a calm and unemotional whisper that surprised both of them.
The pain he had felt that day was still fresh and made him feel raw. Clark, of all people, was supposed to understand what it felt like to have lost your parents, which made his reaction even more out of character. But Bruce missed him, there was no doubt about that. He felt that he would have given his friend the benefit of a doubt if he had apologized. There must have been something that had prompted this harsh reaction and they might have been able to work it out.
But it was too late now, wasn’t it? Bringing over this box of belongings, Clark had sent a clear sign that they were over. As Bruce walked towards the stereo, he winced as he heard Brad Arnold’s raspy voice.
“I’m here without you, baby,
but you’re still on my lonely mind,
I think about you, baby,
And I dream about you all the time”
How ironic. Bruce remembered finding this song incredibly beautiful when he had first heard it on their road trip, now it sent pangs of heartache through his chest.
Realizing that he couldn’t deal with the memories just yet, Bruce put the CD back with the DVDs, clothes and other clutter, calling for Alfred to put this box away.
And so he missed the small letter at the bottom of the box, containing a small sheet of paper that said:
"I didn't know how else to reach you. I'm sorry. Please call me."
---------------------------
Notes:
1) The 1100 miles distance is what wikianswers gave me as the distance from Metropolis New York to Kansas City.
2) This soundtrack I'm talking about, it exists (scroll down to the author's notes), though obviously not for a road trip but for Kansas by ADarkerKnight. Seriously good! The story I mean. And the soundtrack. And the author. :)