So I actually filled this over on the LJ meme before I found the dw meme, and oh, look you already have a fill! Now you have two :) Hope you enjoy this one, too, though it's not as long, lol.

***

Bruce knows as soon as he looks into Clark's eyes what he's come to the cave for.

*

Sometimes, Clark’s tired of being the last one standing.

Sometimes, Clark just needs someone to make him fall to his knees, make him scream and cry and beg.

Sometimes, Clark just needs to bleed.

*

Bruce takes Clark’s hand, leads him deep into the cave – to the room he designed and built for nights like these.

“It’s okay,” he says to Clark, kissing him softly (the last soft thing that will happen to Clark for hours) as he flicks on the red solar lights.

*

Clark’s ready to shake out of his skin, but as his powers start to eb away – as Bruce’s hits get harder and harder and his own blood flows from his split lip and torn eye – the shaking stops.

Clark tries to hit back, but like this, so human, so weak, Bruce dodges him easily, always dancing just out of reach.

*

Bruce straddles Clark, a god reduced to a man trying to breathe around shattered ribs and a punctured lung.

Almost.

Clark was almost there.

Bruce pulls his fist back.

***

End