Chapter Text
"Come on, Timmy. Over here." Dick waved his hands, animatedly encouraging the small pup to chase him.
It had now been a month since their first meeting and Timmy had progressed enough that he was now having his first swimming lesson in the lagoon without his floaty.
Tim wasn't near as agile or graceful as Dick, but he was very quickly proving to be competitive, and Dick wasn't one to back down from a playmate.
He'd dart to a boulder or low root, staying where he was and calling tips and cheering on Timmy as the pup chased him around the lagoon, splashing and using his arms to stay at the surface as much as he could. As soon as he reached Dick, the blue mer would swim to another perch to repeat the process over again.
"His colors darkening." Bruce commented.
He and Clark were seated side by side on the dock, watching the pair.
"Oh, thank God. I was wondering if I was just imagining that." Clark laughed.
"No, he's definitely regaining his color."
"It looks like you are, too." Clark nudged Bruce's tail. There was still some gray around his fin-tips, but that was all. The rest of his scales had regained their inky blackness, speckles and all.
Bruce frowned and looked down at the water. "I… was kind of hoping it wasn't that noticeable."
"What, that your scales had faded? Why?"
Bruce was silent for a bit, watching the ripples of the water as they headed for shore.
He then let out a heavy sigh and shook his head.
"I don't know. I just… I almost feel like I… I shouldn't be allowed to grieve."
"Bruce, no."
"I know. I know. I know it's stupid. It's just…"
Bruce trailed off and Clark pulled him in for a hug.
"He was our baby. Everything he went through before he got here, and he was still so… optimistic. Happy. We told him we'd protect him. That he'd be safe here. Clark, I failed. I let them kill him."
"Bruce, can I ask you something?"
"... Yeah."
"Do you blame me? For what happened?"
"What? No."
"I'm just as guilty as you."
Bruce pushed himself out of the hug. "Clark-,"
"Bruce, everyone could see how much you loved him. Blaming yourself won't bring him back."
Bruce stared at him for a while in silence before sinking back into Clark's arms, burying his face in the human's shoulder. "I lost my son the same way I lost my parents. I feel like I should have known better."
"Not a day goes by that I don't miss him, either. And I'll be the first to admit that I'm no expert on overcoming a tragedy like this. But blaming yourself isn't helping." He pressed a kiss to Bruce's forehead. "You've got me to lean on, as well as Ma, Pa, Leslie, and Alfred."
"I know." Bruce relaxed slightly in Clark's arms. "And-,"
"Hey, Clark?" Dick called from across the lagoon. "Timmy threw up."
"Uh, oh." Clark straightened up.
"I got him." Bruce lowered himself down into the water, swimming over to the pups. He approached them slowly and Clark could see his mouth moving as he told Timmy that he was going to carry him back to the dock.
It was the first time Timmy didn't protest against Bruce holding him.
The three of them reached the dock and Clark lifted Timmy out of the water.
The pup's cheeks were red, he didn't seem to be able to catch his breath, and as soon as he was set on the dock he splayed himself out against the wood like he was trying to cool himself off.
"Buddy, are you alright? Do you feel sick?"
Tim squeaked out a small whimper and buried his face in his arms.
"I- I saw that he was getting tired, but I just thought he was getting annoyed about not catching me." Dick pulled himself up so that he was hanging from the dock by his arms, worriedly watching as Clark checked out Tim.
"You think he pushed himself too far?" Bruce asked.
"Yeah, that's probably what happened. I completely forgot to keep an eye on him." Clark rubbed Tim's back. "He doesn't exactly know how to tell when enough is enough."
Yyyyy
Clark nodded his head in time to the soft music he had playing in the boathouse as he prepared Tim's dinner. The pup had been sleeping in his hammock for the past few hours, despite Clark continuously checking on him.
Tim had definitely made himself sick, complete with a fever, and Clark was doing his best to not panic.
Except, when he woke Tim up and handed him his food, the pup's response was to push it away and grumpily glare at Clark.
"Come on, buddy. Just a little bit?"
Tim just pushed the food away again.
"Tim, please?"
Tim angrily flicked his tail, splashing Clark and knocking the plate into the water.
"Tim!" He caught the plate before it lost much of the food. "Buddy, you need to eat."
Tim glared and sank back against his hammock, growling softly.
"Are you not hungry?"
Tim stopped growling, but didn't lighten his glare.
"Do you just want to go back to sleep?" Clark asked.
Tim didn't budge.
"Okay. I'll be right over here if you need anythi- oh?" Clark found his hand trapped in Tim's grip. "You want me to stay?"
Tim looked away, like he was suddenly uncertain, but then looked hopefully back up at Clark.
"Okay. Of course, buddy." He sat down on the edge of the floor and placed the plate behind him.
Tim settled back down, comfortably playing with Clark's hand. Clark watched him with a smile.
At one point, Tim blinked and paused, causing Clark to pause as well. Tim tugged his sleeve up and squinted, leaning closer like he was trying to figure out what he was seeing.
"That's a scar." Clark told him.
"Our son Jason bit me once, and that's how it healed."
Tim cocked his head to the side.
Clark took one of Timmy's hands and held it, rubbing his thumb over the back of it. "Jason… would have been your big brother. He passed away a few months before we met you."
Tim blinked, tilting his head to the other side.
Yyyyy
Clark woke up to a splash really early the next morning. He jolted up, and stopped when he saw Tim finish pulling himself up onto the floor.
He panted for a second, and then dragged himself slowly but determinedly over to Clark, where he proceeded to curl up otter-style.
Clark lay flat on his back, not daring to move and disturb his pup.
He was suddenly and very vividly reminded of another red-tailed pup curling up on him the same way.
'Yay! Cuddle time with Clark!'
Timmy settled down, nuzzled into his chest, and fell asleep.
Clark wrapped his arms around him and held him tight.
"You're going to be safe here. I promise."
Yyyyy
Clark and Tim woke up a few hours later to the sound of Clark's alarm.
Tim was set back on the submerged platform while Clark got ready to get to work.
"I'll be back in a little while. Will you be okay here on your own?" Clark really didn't want to leave him, but he also really didn't want to haul a sick pup all around the farm.
Tim whined and reached for the blanket.
"I'm sorry, buddy. I'll be back soon."
"... sheep..?"
Clark froze in the doorway.
What..?
"What… was that?"
Tim looked down at the water, but then seemed to gather his courage and looked back up at Clark. "Sh-sheep?"
Clark couldn't believe his ears. "You… you want to see the sheep?"
Timmy nodded.
Clark was so excited he didn't even waste time with the blanket, opting instead to just scoop Timmy up and carry him right out to the sheep barn.
Timmy's eyes went comically wide when Clark carried him right into the middle of the flock and knelt down, seating Timmy on his knee and letting him pet every sheep.
Timmy was smiling so wide and laughing so hard at all the sheep licking his face that he had tears in his eyes.
Clark felt so much pride well up in his chest looking at the scene in front of him.
My son.
He was surprised at how hard that feeling slammed into him, but he knew without a doubt that it felt right.
His son.
His son had just spoken.
And Clark couldn't have been happier.