Love and Heroes

Love and Heroes


Bruce woke the next morning to the sound he thought he would never be given the pleasure of hearing. The gentle and mischievous sound of his son and daughter’s giggling.

He remained perfectly still, with Chloe still wrapped securely in his arms, as he pretended to be asleep. He was interested to see what mischievous antics their children would get up to, thinking their parents were still asleep.

He listened as he heard a little voice, that he presumed was his daughter. “Al look. That man in mom’s bed holding mom, he looks almost exactly like you, except he’s older.” Bruce had to stifle the urge to chuckle at what his son said in reply. Only a six and half year-old going on seven could think in this way and with that kind of logic.

“Do you think he’s our daddy, he does look like me he must be? But why is he in mom’s bed?” Lucia replied “Yeah I guess. And he’s in mom’s bed dummy, because that’s what all moms’ and daddies do. Calvin said so.”

She frowned as she added “But why wasn’t he here before. Did he not love or like us or care about us, did we do something wrong?” Bruce stifled a chuckle before that chuckle turned to deep heart shattering sadness. His little girl thought he did not love her and her brother.

Oh how he loved them with his whole being. It was a given, regardless of the fact he was yet to have officially met them in person. He still loved them. How could he not? They were the most precious little beings known to man, they were created by his and Chloe’s undying love and devotion.

Suddenly he felt the bed dip, and felt a slight weight crawling towards him. He heard his son hiss “Luce, what are you doing, you're gonna wake them up?!” Lucia whined “No I won’t I just wanna get a closer look at him.”

Bruce sensed this had woken Chloe, and apparently she too was also waiting to see how they were going to react to the situation. He felt her squeeze his hand, letting him silently know that she remembered last night and knew he was there and that this was a special moment for him.

He sensed more then he felt Lucia leaning over him and Chloe. He could feel her eyes identical to his own boring into him, as she studied him with an intensity only a child could muster.

She looked at him closely and couldn’t resist the urge but to poke him in his right arm. She said in a small and inquisitive voice “Why are his arms so big. There just like Uncle Clark’s?”

Chloe couldn’t stifle the chuckle that escaped her as she slowly turned to face her daughter and pulled the covers up around her chin, to conceal her nakedness from her children.

Lucia gasped when she felt her father moving, and almost felt off the side of the bed. Luckily not only was Bruce strong, but his reflexes were impeccable. He quickly but gently sat up so the quilt pool around his waist, and took hold of the little girl, preventing her from falling over the side of the bed.

Lucia stared at him wide eyed, from her perch against his chest where her face rested. She noticed how warm he felt and couldn’t help but snuggle up closer to his chest. She mumbled “You’re all warm.”

Usually she wasn’t so forward or free with people she didn’t know, but this man was her daddy, he felt all warm and safe. He wouldn’t hurt her, he wasn’t a stranger, after all her mom had always insisted she and Alfred weren’t to ever talk to strangers, as there were bad people in the world.

Chloe watched as Bruce melted into his daughter. She then looked up to her son and noticed how shy and unsure he looked. She beckoned him over to the bed. She watched as he moved over to her. She sighed as she took him into her arms, making sure to not expose herself.

She felt her son snuggle into her like he hadn’t seen he was five. She heard him mumble “Is he really are daddy?” He looked up shyly from his mother’s chest and eyed Bruce from big and wide innocent looking green-blue eyes.

Alfred was not as out going as Lucia. Lucia had her mother’s larger then life personality. Whilst Alfred had Bruce’s more subdued and quite reserved presence. They had the same personality as the parent they resembled.

Lucia looked like she was in heaven, as she rested against the smooth and comforting warmth of her father’s chest. She opened her eyes and said “Al come here, this feels nice. Don’t be a dummy, he ain’t gonna hurt us, I can tell.”

Alfred pouted and glared at her “I’m not a dummy, stop calling me that.” Lucia raised her blond eye brows in a clear challenge. Alfred glared and stuck his tongue out at her, she did the same in return back at him.

Alfred then looked shyly at his father, who looked evidently amused, by his children’s antics. They fought like true siblings tended to. He didn’t have that, as an only child. At least Chloe got that with Lois and Lucy, then later on with Clark and Pete.

Alfred appeared as if he was deep in thought, before he let out a deep sigh, then shyly moved from his mother’s arms and cautiously moved towards his father. Once he was kneeling in front of his father and his sister, Bruce lifted his left arm and looked at his son gently but questioningly.

Alfred sighed again, thinking what harm could it do, Lucia seemed happy enough. So he slowly and shyly begun to crawl the rest of the way towards Bruce, before settling cautiously against his chest on his other side from Lucia.

Bruce lowered his arm and wrapped it gently but securely around his son. At first Bruce could feel how tense his son was. He gently lifted his hand and begun to soothingly smooth his fingers though his son’s dark and soft locks.

Soon Alfred sighed and relaxed into his fathers chest. Bruce felt himself melt even further. He had no idea how he was even doing this without panicking. He had no idea he was even capable. He supposed everyone had a hidden paternal instinct in them. He guess it took holding his own children to bring out that hidden and buried instinct to the surface.

He looked up and saw Chloe was beaming and had tears of joy welling up in her bright green-blue eyes. Chloe leaned forward and rested her head on his shoulder and sighed as he loving kissed her on her forehead.

Finally the little family of four had been reunited. The children had surprisingly and quickly taken to Bruce. Both he and Chloe were thankful for that. But they supposed children were always resilient and bounced back.

The family lay there for awhile before Bruce needed to use the bathroom. Chloe told the children to go and get dressed and to meet her and their father in the kitchen. She promised them chocolate chip and blueberry pan cakes with fresh whip cream and golden syrup. And coffee for her and Bruce.

The children cheered and happily bounded off the bed and out of the room. Once they were gone Chloe threw herself at Bruce and clung to him. She beamed into his chest. There were tears in her eyes. She looked up at him and he rubbed his nose affectionately against her own.

He leaned forwards and kissed gently and lovingly. Breathed against her mouth “Christ Chloe they’re so beautiful and loving. Thank you for giving me the chance to be their father, even if I have missed almost seven years of their lives.”

Chloe beamed against his mouth and pulled him into another kiss. After exchanging a few more kisses they both got up.