You're insane, Men do not have babies

At midnight Superman met Richard on the roof of the Daily Planet. Superman then quickly changed into Clark and put on Clark’s glasses. Richard was amazed at the transformation that he had just gone under in only a matter of seconds. Who knew that a pair of glasses, hair gel and a shy geeky persona could fool the world?

Each man took in the other and was more then a little disconcerted when both discovered they liked what they saw when they looked at each other.

Richard had never been attracted to other men, but there was just something about Clark Kent that caught his attention and was able to hold it for more then a few seconds and it had nothing what so ever do with the fact he was Superman.

He listened to Clark’s thoughts and had to stifle a grin when the man in question glared at him, actually glared at him. ‘Ok now this is extremely peculiar. Richard White is a man, a very beautiful man, with an unbelievable body. No bad Clark you can’t and mustn’t think that, he’s man, and I’ve never been attracted to a man before. But I am to him, what’s so special about him, besides the fact he’s beautiful. Bad Clark, get your mind out of the gutter. And get out of my head, didn’t anyone ever tell you it is rude to go snooping around inside someone else's head thank you very much?’

Richard let out a chuckle as Clark glared and flushed brightly. Clark commented indignantly “I really could grow to dislike the fact you have such freedom with peoples thoughts and emotions, it is highly unappreciated.”

Richard replied sarcastically “Good, then were even, as I know I really resent the fact I was lied to about the parentage of a certain little boy both you and I love, by a certain reporter who won an award for an article where the main title is ‘Why the world doesn’t need Superman’ then of course the man him self returns and as soon as he talks to her, she is making cow eyes at him.”

Clark grimaced knowing he had a fare point and had every right to be pissed. “To right I have every right to be pissed. She strung me along for five years. I had to listen to my co-workers as they asked me when we were setting the date for the wedding, only for her to get all prickly and bite the head off of the poor bastard who asked her” Richard spat.

He walked back inside the building and walked down the long winding stare case leading to the bottom floor. Clark followed quietly behind, allowing Richard to rant, seeing as he had a feeling the other man had bottled all this up for the last eight years and had allowed it to fester, until he was bitter as hell. He knew the other man needed to get it out of his system.

They walked to Richard’s old office, soon to be his again. He sat behind his desk as Clark sat in the chair facing his desk. Richard then grabbed a bottle of Scotch he had bought earlier on that night.

He found two glasses and proceeded to fill each glass half way full with the strong and bitter liquid. He then made one float over to Clark and took the other one for him self.

Clark watched amazed as the glass full of dark liquid floated over to him with such flawless ease. He marvelled at the display of skill and such ease that Richard controlled and commanded his powers, with only his mind.

Clark raised an eye brow, as he took hold of the glass out of midair. Richard waved him off and answered his silent question “Telekinesis. If you remember correctly I mentioned that I can move objects with my mind.” Clark shook his head in amazement.

Richard held up his glass in Clark’s direction and commented dryly “To the poison known as Lois Lane, how loving she can leave a man feeling less then adequate.” Clark winced at the bitter venom in Richard’s voice.

Clark sat back in the chair and sighed before saying “Ok I’ll tell you my end of the situation, just please resist the urge to look around inside of my head, it is more then a little disconcerting. Even with all my powers and strength, not even I can invade someone else’s mind like that.”

Richard sighed before giving in, he said “Ok fine. But if you lie, I’ll know. Wait a minute what am I saying here. Of course you’re not going to lie; you’re the man of steel, Superman, the Boy Scout dressed in primary coloured spandex, the super hero who wears his underwear on the outside. It goes against your ethical code, naturally you won’t lie.”

Clark had to resist the urge to not laugh or cringe, he felt no anger at what Richard had said. He knew the way Lois had placed him on a pedestal or refused to talk about him and that article that won her that award. Naturally Richard was going to feel bitter to say the least. And then there was the case of Jason, Clark wasn’t sure he even wanted to go there. Lois had no right to do what she did, it was wrong and cruel.

Clark took a sip of the strong alcohol and sighed at the burning sensation in the back of his throat. Richard would have expected Clark Kent to cough and splutter, but why bother, he knew exactly who Clark Kent was.

Clark sighed and began to speak, in a voice without the stutter or shyness. Richard realised he was talking to the man of steel, only wearing a pair of glasses and his hair flopping attractively across his fore head.

As he began to speak he removed his glasses, causing Richard to suck in a breath. The sight that met him, the obvious real Clark Kent, who didn’t need glasses, the man his mother more then likely got to see, was a sight for sore eyes, Clark Kent truly was beautiful.

“After I returned and ended up in hospital thanks to Luthor, Lois came to visit me, she had brought Jason with her.” Richard nodded and said “Yeah I know I was the one who gave her a lift to the hospital actually.”

Clark looked up startled he had not known this. Christ, the man had driven the woman he loved to see the one being who could be considered his love rival. And on top of that, the child he loved and had believed to be his own had been with her. How many men would do that? Clark shook his head and continued on.

“She had Jason with her; I remember her whispering in my ear that Jason was my son. I guess she didn’t want him knowing at the time that I was his father. I remember that I was starting to come around from the coma like state I had been in due to the Kryptonite. I remember feeling her kissing me on the mouth, and I guess as they were leaving, Jason must have climbed up on the bed, he then kissed me on the side of the head.”

He watched as Richard took a huge swallow of his Scotch, not even wincing once, as the strong liquid burned the back of his throat, he welcomed it. Clark felt really bad, he couldn’t believe something that he had been a part of and Lois had done, had drove this man to drink, to drink Scotch at that.

Clark continued “After I left the hospital, I made my way to the house you used to share with Jason and Lois. I flew into Jason’s room and just watched him sleeping, he looked so peaceful and angelic, and you could not help but fall hopelessly in love with him.”

Richard nodded and smiled bitter sweetly and said “I know the feeling; I’ve spent eight years constantly feeling it.” Clark felt a deep gut wrenching sympathy for the other man. He felt his heart breaking for the man in front of him.

Richard took another swallow of the Scotch and commented “I don’t need your pity and sympathy Clark. Such emotions are coming off of you in monstrous sized waves. I promised to not going rooting around inside of your head, I never made any promise about not reading your emotions, there is a difference.”

Clark froze before blinking. He then continued as if Richard hadn’t just admitted to the fact he could and was currently reading his emotions. “After I left his room, I encountered Lois smoking, something I wish she had never started doing. Thankfully she managed to quit the previous Christmas.”

He sighed and took another sip of his Scotch, before continuing on. “I told her I would always be around. I never should have encouraged her. I obviously couldn’t give her the relationship she wanted, for many reason. One being that she and Jason would be in constant danger from all kinds, Luthor proved that when he took Lois and Jason.”

He went on “Then there is the fact she refuses point blank to treat Clark with respect, it infuriates me the way she looks at me when I’m Clark Kent, as if I just vomited all over my self or her favourite high heels.”

Richard snorted and shook his head. Clark moaned “I’m serious Richard, that’s what the look she gives me makes me feel like.” Richard laughed and replied “Oh trust me I know the look, even been on the receiving end of it when I first met her in fact.”

Clark took a larger swallow of his Scotch before saying “I refuse to give up being Clark Kent. Clark Kent is what my parents who found me, named me. Seeing as I and my parents had no idea that my birth name, my Kryptonian parents gave to me, was in fact Kal-El, until much later on whilst I was in my late teens, before I left for college.”

He sighed as he watched the dark liquid swirling around inside of the glass. He said sadly “She does not see Clark Kent, she only see the man who flies around saving the world, the, man who wears spandex and his underwear on the outside” he smirked at Richard who returned it.

Richard swallowed the last of his drink before summoning the bottle and using his mind to tip the Scotch into the glass, then without spilling a single drop, he managed to replace the bottle up right and back on the table. Clark could not help but smile and admire his abilities. He could not help but be deeply impressed.

Richard grinned and commented dryly “At least if my career as a journalist falls thorough, I can always take up the profession of a magician at children’s birthday parties.” Clark didn’t no whether to laugh or smack him silly.

Clark suddenly asked “How did you find out?” Richard raised an eye brow and asked “How did I find out what?” Clark eyed him and smiled indulgently and said “Oh honestly, you know full well what I meant, and you didn’t need to read my mind either.”

Richard smirked into his glass and said “If you mean how I found out my supposed son, my pride and joy, was part alien instead of part mutant, then that’s easy enough to explain. Lois was just coming out of the hospital after seeing you. She had been thinking about how she had told Superman that Jason was his, not mine.”

He laughed mirthlessly and said dryly “Imagine my shock when I realised I could suddenly hear my supposed fiancée’s thoughts, that she hadn’t spoke out a loud? Imagine how it felt to find out your son is not really your son, that the woman you love is hopelessly in love with another man, a man you know you couldn’t compete with. And then there was the fact that you can hear other people’s thoughts?”

Clark was horrified, that had to be the worst possible way to find out, and when he had been at his most vulnerable as well. He should have never had to have found out in such an abrupt and cruel fashion.

Richard continued on emotionlessly “I was distraught, completely lost it. My teacher and mentor, Charles Xavier, he sensed me all the way in New York. He being one of the most powerful Telepaths and Empathic’s in the world, sensed that a mutant had been discovered, a distressed mutant. I was a compete and utter mess when Scott and Rogue came and got me in a jet like that one you saw earlier, only twice as big.”

He added “I had been at the mansion less then a month when I discovered not only was I telepathic, no I was also empathic and I had telekinesis. At first I had no idea how to control my powers or put up shields to protect my powers and other people. So for the first four months on and off I was constantly picking up everyone’s emotions and thoughts, as well as moving objects around by accident.”

He concluded “It wasn’t until Charles informed me of what I was capable of with the powers I had, that I was scared shitless, and quickly devoted all of my time to learning how to properly control my powers and create mental shields to keep others out of my head.”

Clark asked “Why what did he tell you, you were able to do?” Richard pinched the bridge of his nose and visibly trembled as he revealed “I now have the ability to control people’s minds; I can make them say and do whatever I tell them to do. I could also crush someone’s windpipe; give them an aneurism or permanent brain damage, or just kill them, all with just my mind alone, physical touch is not needed.”

Clark felt his eyes widen in horror. He was astounded at the amount of power this one man held and controlled. He realised the floating of glasses was just a party trick, innocent Childs play. For the first time since Clark Kent had met Richard white, then man of steel felt a cold shivered run down his spine. If this man ever turned out like Luthor, he could be worse and more dangerous then Luthor.

Richard who had briefly broke his promise, listened too Clark’s thoughts and he had heard him thinking of the damage he could cause, and how he could end up worse then Luthor.

He said “That is why I can never lose control. I would never be able to live with my self if I ever did lose control of my powers and inflicted those things I just told you about, on another person. It is just as well, that I have no intentions or future plans to turn into a psycho who wants to take over the world.”

Clark knew exactly how he felt. He couldn’t cause anyone any damage mentally, but he could physically. He was most likely the strongest most powerful being in the universe. He knew of the constant risks, that he had take care to prevent every day. He could crush someone to death with his bare hands, with the effort any normal human being would use to open a packet of crisps or a soda can. A man who could lift cars, aeroplanes and tankers as if they were children’s toys, he had to take extra measures insuring he was always in control.

Richard commented “It makes me appreciate the caution you have to exercise every time you save someone’s life. You could easily crush the life out of a human being. They are so fragile compared to you.”

Clark frowned and said “You refer to humans as if your not one of them.” Richard replied “That’s because I’m not considered a human, not like I was before my mutation manifested completely. Clark Humans don’t see us mutants as human. We have powers no human has or could ever have. We’re born like this and our mutation usually manifest whilst we are dealing with puberty. I on the other hand was a late bloomer.”

He added “I’m not entirely human Clark, my mutant DNA seen to that. You see a mutant’s powers usually manifest during puberty, especially when the mutant in question is involved in something emotionally dramatic. It triggers a kind of defensive reflex, with humans it would just cause them to become defensive and fight back. But with a mutant it can cause the dormant mutation to surface, in order for the mutant to protect him or her self.”

Clark nodded and said “My powers gradually manifested as I got older. My powers are powered by the sun. My father, my Kryptonian father to be more precise, explained to me, that because of the Earths sun being different compared to Krypton’s sun, I ended up gaining powers that I wouldn’t have had on my own planet if it still existed.”

Richard suddenly asked “Do you know what powers Jason will have if any?” Clark shook his head and sighed “No. I have no idea. He could inherit all of the same powers I have, or even gain different powers of his own, or none at all. It is unknown until he gets older. So far he has my super strength. I have no idea what he’ll get next, if he’ll even get anymore powers.”

Richard sighed and said “Super strength, he has super strength?” Clark smiled slightly and replied “Yes he does, but it isn’t fully developed yet, he won't show any true signs of his powers until he starts going though puberty. Currently whatever powers he accidentally shows, are due to stress or excitement."

He added "Lois mentioned to me, that when Luthor kidnapped her and Jason, that Jason threw a piano half way across the room.” Richard nearly choked as he said “A piano, he picked up and threw a piano half way across a room?”

Clark nodded and said “Yes, its unreal isn’t it, that at the age of five, such a small and fragile looking boy picked up something as large and heavy as a piano and threw it half way across a room.”

Richard asked “How old were you when you powers started to manifest?” Clark replied “By the age of five I could pick up a tractor as if it was merely a child’s toy. At the age of ten I discovered I could run at super speed. Age fifteen I got my x-ray vision, and discovered I could see thought anything except for led. At sixteen I learned that my skin was impenetrable, that nothing could harm me. I also gained my super hearing. And at seventeen my ice breath made an appearance as did my heat vision. And lastly when I was eighteen and due to leave for college, my ability to fly was revealed."

Clark added “It was also around about then I learned the truth about my heritage and my birth name and parents." He smiled slightly as he said "I had always wanted to know what people were thinking and feeling, Lois especially in the beginning.”

Richard shook his head and said “Trust me Clark; it isn’t as great as it sounds or you may think. It’s actually a pain in the arse in the extreme sense. Most of the time, you can accidentally end up hearing things that are private and you were never ever supposed to find out.”

He added after a brief pause and a sip of his Scotch “And as for emotions, it can be terribly overwhelming, considering when you pick up on someone else’s emotions, it feels like their your own, you can feel them as clearly as the person who’s emotions you are reading. It can be very painful and at times embarrassing and extremely inconvenient.”

Clark asked after taking a sip of his drink “How do you think Lois will react to your sudden return?” He added with a smile “I know for a fact Jason will be thrilled to see you, he misses you terribly. He knows and understands you’re not his biological father, but still he sees you as a second father. You were the only father he knew for the first five years of his life and that will never change for him, even though he knows I am his father as well.”

Richard sighed and replied “I miss him as well, to point that it was physically painful. I’ll be glad to see him again. I bet he’s really grown hasn’t he and I wasn’t here to see it?” He added “And as for Lois, I could care less, she hurt me more then I will ever admit too another. I was invited back by my uncle; I'm here to do my job as the assistant editor. I went to journalism school to learn how to be a reporter, nothing more and nothing less."

Clark smiled sympathetically and said “He’s a couple of inches taller then he had been when you last saw him. His hair his slightly longer, and he’s such a sweet and compassionate boy, always well behaved.”

He added “But as I’m sure you remember he resembled Lois when he was younger. But now it would seem the older he becomes the more it seems he is starting to look like me. At first I never saw it, but after Lois mentioned it, I really took a good look at Jason, and discovered she had been right.”

Richard nodded and smiled teasingly and more then a little appreciatively “Well, in that case he is going to be one hell of a looker when he reaches his teens, and especially when he grows up.”

Clark blushed and replied “Why Mr. White I do believe you are attracted to me.” Richard sighed and let out a chuckle as he replied “I am, and I can’t understand why. Up until a couple of hours ago I was under the impression I was strictly interested in only the fairer sex.”

It was now Clark’s to turn to sigh before saying “Yes I know what you mean. Up until to day, I had only been interested in Lois and of course my school sweet heart and first crush Lana Lang. She was the head cheerleader and believe it or not I was the captain of the foot ball team.”

Richard grinned and eyed the other man in front of him from over the rim of his glass as he took a sip of its contents. He commented amusedly “Yes, I can definitely she that you have the body build for it. But I would have never had you pegged as a foot ball fan. I would have figured you were one of those quite students who always got the perfect grades, and was a geek.”

Clark laughed and replied “I was that kind of student. I never became the captain of the foot ball team until my senior year. I was always in the library or in after school clubs or I was made to put away the foot ball equipment, whilst the jocks sneered and leered at me.”

Richard said “I was the quarter back and captain, and my high school girl friend was the head cheerleader. Her name was Allison Swanson. She was the most popular girl in school, whilst I being the quarter back automatically maintained the role as most popular guy. She and I were crowned king and queen at prom.”

Richard asked “Wait a second, you said your high school sweet heart and crush was Lana Lang, as Lana Lang the famous fashion designer?” Clark nodded, a small smile was tugging at the corners of his mouth, at the appreciative look on the other mans face.

It was then Clark’s turn to ask, as soon as he realised the name sounded more then a little familiar. “Richard your high school girl friend wouldn’t happen to now own a vast chain of jewellery stores all over American, Europe and England would she?”

Richard nodded. He smirked and said “I guess we are attracted to each other, the other being the exception and of course, our high school girl friends both ended up being rich and famous.”

After that they continued to talk and drink the Scotch until three in them morning, before each man left and went home.