serendipity. [superbat]

choices.

a/n: sorry if there are any errors. i'll be editing this entire story once i have stable internet.

Bruce has made a lot errors in his time. It came with the territory of balancing life and death in the palm of his hand. He misstep-ped, misspoke, mistook enough to know that dreaded feeling that settles into the pit one's stomach when they've truly made a life-altering decision. He can feel the regrets swirling around in his head even as his mind drags itself into the waking world. He should've taken more precautions, put more distance between him and Clark, put more research into the birth control. 

He can also feel that nagging what-if settled at the very back of his mind. What if he got an abortion? It sounds simple enough, but considering the birth control didn't work, an abortion might not work either.  What if somewhere in the Kryptonian biology book he'd been studying for the past couple months, there was a form of abortion? No matter how much research and careful planning he put into it, he was dealing with alien biology. For all he knew, a Kryptonian abortion could kill him. He was out of his depth. 

Bruce is so caught up in his own head that it takes him a solid five minutes to realize where he is and that he's not alone. He's curled up in a ball on his bed in his room and there's a figure looming behind him. Judging by the dip in the bed that's pulling Bruce to the center, it's not Diana. 

He could go on forever like this, pretending that nothing's wrong and that he's alone in his bed. Though, if he thinks any longer, he thinks he might be sick again. So, he lurches up, back facing the figure before slowly pulling himself into a standing position. 

He's expecting to be summoned back to the bed with the reminder that he "should be resting", but instead he hears the sound of the bed creak as the figure follows him. He's trailed all the way to the cave before he finally catches sight of Clark taking a seat at a workbench. 

Bruce hits a couple of buttons and the excerpt he'd taken from the ship pops up. He finds himself staring up at the same model showing a male uterus. He presses a key to go to the next page and finds himself staring up at a new model. It's the same male from before, but he's being used to display the different phases of a male pregnancy. Bruce wants to scan it like he'd do anything else, completely detached from why he may need this particular information. Though, he finds himself staring off into the distance with every new sentence. 

How'd he end up here? 

He reads the page about four times before Clark finally says something.

"You should eat something." 

Bruce can feel himself about to lash out at the statement. He's not in the mood for whatever coddling Clark felt like doing. He needed answers. He needed a way out of this mess...or at least a way to deal with it. He doesn't get the chance as Alfred glides down the stairs, as if summoned, tray resting on his palm as he brings down something that doesn't smell like breakfast. Bruce had seemingly slept through the morning as he glances over at the time. Two in the afternoon.

 Bruce manages to hit a button on the keyboard, but it only changes the page to one where the Kryptonian male is seemingly holding his newborn. If you were only to briefly glance at it, the average person wouldn't find anything telling. Though, Bruce catches the terms "breast milk", "nipple tenderness" and "breast feeding". 

"Sir." Alfred addresses him before sitting the tray down on the workbench Clark was currently resting against. 

He's back up the stairs before Bruce can even turn in his chair. Bruce stands from his seat and makes his way over, plopping down on the opposite end of the workbench. As much as he wants to resist, there's a part of him that feels as if it needs to comply. Maybe it's his empty stomach. He pulls the plate over, distractedly nibbling on string beans before the food takes a front seat and he's inhaling it like he's going to starve to death if he doesn't. He doesn't even get to savor any of it before it's gone and he's missing it. Though, he's not sure if he's still hungry or if he just enjoyed the distraction.