jamjar

Title: Laugh and Lie Down
Fandom: DCU, containing Clark Kent, Lois Lane and Connor Hawke (Green Arrow)
Notes: DCU, mild sexual references. Title comes from the card game, Laugh and Lie Down As found by the terribly clever

petronelle. Based on a chat with

brown_betty, who therefore holds much of the responsibility for this.
Any feedback, including mistakes, always appreciated.

When Connor goes to Metropolis, the Lane-Kents put him up. Sleeping on someone else's couch is a time-honoured super-hero tradition, if not one they actually mention when you get the cape. It's something to do with cementing bonds and probably more to do with the territoriality Connor has
seen in most heroes.

Ollie had actually called for him. Connor's happy to be amused by the tendency to over-protectiveness Ollie demonstrates at random, not least when it leads to Ollie name-dropping in front of Mia, and then explaining who most of those names are.

He gets picked up at the station by Clark Kent, who is both like and unlike Superman. Connor would say he's easier to read, except saying that means it's not true. He's surprisingly easy to talk to. Connor finds himself telling Clark about Ollie, Mia, Star City, the commune he lived in when he was six and Clark seems to be genuinely interested in all of it. He's dangerously easy to talk to, really, and it's easy to see why he's such a good reporter.

Connor is not naturally talkative, but he realises when they arrive at Clark's apartment that Clark's barely said anything about himself, barely had the chance to. He's been drawing Connor out.

They barely get into the apartment when Clark's wife comes in. His wife is beautiful. Smokin', Connor thinks, with a mental voice that sounds like Roy smiling in approval. Scary, too, holding her mind out like a sharp knife when Clark at least keeps it covered with a smile and genuine warmth. Listening to them talk is a little like watching two fencers in training, that sense that it's part practise and part for the simple pleasure of facing off against someone with matching skill.

Lois is more than a little intimidating, but she has a nice smile, warm but a little tired. "So you're the new Green Arrow?" She shakes her head. "Hard to believe."

"Why?"

"We've been talking for almost thirty seconds and you haven't made a pass at me."

Connor smiles. "It's the distribution of assets. I inherited the costume and name, Arsenal has the persona and banter-rights."

"You're vegetarian, right?" Clark says.

"Yes. If it's a problem, I can--"

"It's not a problem, Connor."

"You're already putting me up," Connor says. "You don't need to feed me as well."

"Relax, Hawke. Let the man feed us," Lois says. "Makes him feel reassured of his place in the tribe." She smiles at Clark. "Go, man. Hunt, gather."

Clark kisses her, quickly and with his hand just on the side of her face and disappears. Lois shakes her head and smiles before turning to Connor. "Bathroom's on the left, tea's in that cupboard there, and I'm just going to collapse on the couch. Wake me up when food gets here, okay?"

The food, when it arrives, is spectacular and definitely not local. Clark talks about Andhra and coriander in different countries and the book he's writing. Connor is reminded, once again, just how good Clark and Lois must be at their job. He's not a talkative person, but he finds himself telling them everything, his favourite meals, his childhood, his taste in music, Ollie and Mia's battles for control of the remote.

In return, he hears about Clark's favourite valley in Tibet, the first time Lois visited his parents, the political machinations of the city council. He listens in when Clark phones Smallville ("Ma, I'm-- of course we're eating right. No, I don't know if it was organic, but-- Lois is eating right, too!") and is called upon to testify on their behalf ("No, it was very healthy. Yes, there were lots of vegetables and--")

He begins to think Lois isn't as scary as his first impression. And Clark... well, he's more than just Superman. It's all very comfortable, sitting on the sofa. Lois has her feet in Clark's lap and he's rubbing them and her legs are--

Well, she's not showing them, exactly, but they are kind of there. Her skirt is caught on the couch, and she and Clark and kind of flirting with each other, just lightly. He hadn't entirely realised married couples did that, though he freely admits that he hasn't known many. It's oddly pleasing, warming.

When she pushes up on her elbows to make a point, her sweater is tight, which Clark doesn't seem to be embarrassed by, so he tries not to be. They have some music playing and Connor tries to figure out if that's Lois' taste in music or Clark's or something they've put one because they think he'll like it

Which he does.

Connor is too used to patrolling to be tired at this time of night, but Clark is so relaxed that it's clear he doesn't need to.

"Do you want to play something?" Lois says. "Like cards or a board game or something." She kicks Clark a little and smiles at him. "Clark and I are so used to deadlines and interrupted sleep, if we get more than five ours straight we go a little nuts."

"Too many late nights," Clark says. "You know how that goes." He says it with that note of mutual recognition, that little note of *us*, and Connor's pretty used to Mia demanding that he go along with some mad scheme at one am, not to mention the things his father pulls him into, so he can hardly refuse this reasonable request.

They're both very-- very beautiful, which he can acknowledge without thinking about it. In themselves, in that surety, and the way the know each other. This pattern of behaviour, of sharing each other's body-space and filling in where the other isn't, and they open that up to him without thinking, physically and in their speech. Keeping up a steady stream of talk like another kind of background music as they get the cards out.

"It's like that time we were stuck in-- where was it, with the yellow--"

"Thailand, you remember, with the--"

"Oh, god, yes, and you couldn't get away, there were too many witnesses, so--"

"So Lois decides to distract them, except--"

"He said I looked familiar! And I was worried about getting shot if they found out I was a journalist, so I said I was--"

"A singer, like, in musicals, and she starts doing, I'm not joking--"

Connor's never had anyone finish his sentences like that, never been able to finish anyone's sentences like that. He's good at listening and waiting, and he can feel edges of that knowing, but he's never had that overlap. He knows they don't have to let him into that, but they do. He's used to-- to making space for the other to speak, and then speaking when he knows he has the right words, when he will be heard without weight or burden.

Just this assumption of affection, and this shared warmth and--

Connor's really not spent enough time around people like that. He's scared of lulls in the conversation, which will mean they're winding down, that this night will be over. And they'll go back to having each other and he'll... Well.

But they move over, a little, shift and make space for him. Clark goes to sit on the floor on the other side of the coffee table, cross-legged and Lois deals out the cards.

"Just so you know," she says. picking up her cards, "we both cheat."

She's got one ankle on her knee, and she leans forward over the coffee table. Connor can't stop looking at her calf. He picks up his own cards and they feel heavy. She reads his expression and grins. "Yeah, Batman gave us some that were lead-lined."

Connor absorbs that, and resigns himself to losing quickly.

Lois wriggles her toes as she arranges her cards in her hand.

"Lois," Clark says. "Sleeves."

"Don't you trust-- yeah, okay," she says, pushing her sleeves up her arms.

"You too," she insists, and Clark rolls his shirt sleeves up, and... Connor bets he could pull a 150 lb bow, even if he was human.

"It's not like you wouldn't have seen them anyway," she adds. They both look at Connor and Clark has the smallest frown, while Lois has one eyebrow raised and is looking at him, weighing him.

"Um," Clark starts to say. "It's not that we don't trust you, but..."

Connor blinks. This is the first time anyone has thought he was *capable* of cheating. He kind of likes it.

"Just think of it as house rules," Lois says. "We make Batman do it too. The mask can stay on, but the rest of it... Who knows what he's hiding in that cloak and utility belt? Plus, he tries to hide cards in the cape, otherwise."

Clark fidgets with his glasses. Lois occasionally bites a nail, in a way that has nothing to do with harassing cuticles. Connor isn't sure if these are tells or attempts at distractions. He's not entirely sure of the rules- they start out playing draw poker, shift to some variant of whist and then on to something Lois calls "Bastard" and Clark calls "non-casino blackjack." It seems to involve losing all your cards, and forcing others to pick up more, in as painful a way as possible Connor has only ever played poker with Kyle, and they mostly gave up on rules when it turned out that Ollie had shot the pips out of the aces in the deck.

"No, see, because I carried put the black two on top of the jack, then the red on top of that and the--" Lois cracks her neck and takes off her shirt and necklace. She's wearing a stretchy sleeveless top underneath, something that Mia would wear to school, maybe. He can see Clark's eyes flicker, just a little, as she leans forwards.

"That means she's getting serious," Clark warns with a sideways smile. "Before, it was just a game. Now it's out and out war."

"Shh, you'll give away my secrets," she says.

Clark rolls his eyes and pushes his glasses up a little. Connor has never had so much fun losing so badly. In the distance, Connor can hear a siren, blending oddly with the music. Clark isn't moving, so it can't be serious.

"I'm getting some water," Lois says. "Anyone want some?"

Connor nods and Clark shakes his head, pulling his cards against his chest when Lois walks past and leaning in to Connor. "She'll try to walk behind you when she brings it," he warns.

Connor nods and realises that Clark is next to him and he's warmer than most people -humans- are.

And also, that he's looking at Connor's hand.

Clark ducks his head and manages to look both embarrassed and unrepentant and goes back to his seat. Connor's still staring at him in some disbelief when Lois comes back with two glasses of water.

"Clark, what are you doing cuddling up to Connor?" asks Lois, coming back into the living room. "Connor, you didn't let him see your-- you did, didn't you?" She shakes her head and puts the glasses down with a sigh. "The moment my back's turned, Clark's besmirching the innocence of our guests. Does he have anything good?"

"No comment," Clark says

"And you won't even share your ill-gotten gains with your wife. This is why we always fight when we work together, Clark."

"I'll make it up to you," he says.

"You'd better." She picks up her own cards, looks at them for a second, and then at Connor.

"Did he look at mine?"

Connor opens his mouth, but isn't sure what his line is. He's not sure if he's supposed to take sides, and if so, whose.

"You don't trust me, Lois," Clark says, giving her a look of such hurt innocence that Connor blinks, twice.

"Not with this. Come on, Clark, share Connor with me."

"You only love me for my sources," Clark says. "Information is my dowry." Connor had thought , for a second... which shows he's not really used to these kind of nights. This kind of... social scene. He's been spending too much time with-- well, he knows that his family, his friends, are perhaps not the best sources of information on how relationships work.

"Did you want ice?" says Lois. "I forgot to ask."

Connor realizes he's been holding his glass without drinking for a while. Lois is sitting back down on the sofa, legs angled to avoid the table.

"No, thank you. I'm-- this is good," Connor says, taking a sip.

And Clark gives Lois a glance, which... Well, Clark can look at his wife like that, he has every right.

Clark smiles at him, and they resume play. The game is more complicated, and he suspects the rules change.

"Black jack, cover with a two to pass on, red two on that and hah! red king to reverse direction, Lois, pick up nine."

The coffee table gets pushed out of the way and they start playing directly on the carpet. Lois comes off the sofa, and kneels cross-legged, her knee touching Connor's. She seems to... wiggle a lot, in game play. Clark shifts, uncrossing his legs and stretching them out. The music's stopped and when Clark gets up to put another CD in, he leans over Connor.

Connor has learnt from experience and hides his cards quickly. Lois gives him an approving grin and reaches over quietly to pick up Clark's cards while his back is turned.

"Lois," Clark says. "I can hear you do that. You know the punishment if you cheat that badly."

"Honey, that hurts you as much as it does me," she says, but she puts the cards down without looking. Connor blinks and looks down at his cards. He's not-- this is a little--

The game play gets more tense. Well, for Lois and Clark. Connor just tries not to break too many rules, bemused. Clark tries to influence Connor's game play by lifting an eyebrow every time he reaches for a card. Lois, pretending to straighten out her skirt, manages to almost get behind Connor.

"Lois!" he says, pulling his cards to his chest.

"Aww... C'mon. I thought you were the help a girl in distress kind," she says, and sort of... leans against his shoulder. She smells of perfume, something heavy and unfamiliar.

"Stop pressuring Connor," Clark says, leaning against the other.

"I don't--" Connor stutters but swallows and finishes it, "-mind."

The smile Clark gives him is brilliant. "That's good to know. I wouldn't want you to feel uncomfortable or pressured, Connor. Not in anything."

Something is tickling Connor at the waist, and he's afraid to look down because he thinks it may be Lois' *hand*. He clutches his cards tighter. "I don't. I'm not." He takes a breath and looks at the pile of cards in the centre. "I'm very comfortable. Here. I think I--"

"Connor," Lois says. He looks up at her and she smiles, then kisses him and-- yes, that was her hand, but he thinks it might not have been alone.

And Connor wants, more than anything, to put his cards down, and let himself fall back against Clark's chest, and pull Lois into his lap... But he's afraid that if he does, Lois will pick up his hand and then restart the game.

It's awkward, holding the cards there, and he can feel Lois pressed against his arm, and then a tug, as the cards are taken away. He stops kissing, automatically going to follow the movement.

Clark takes the cards from his hand, puts them down and touches his face. It feels like a light touch, but Connor knows what the strength behind it would be, if Clark chose to use it.

And, because it's Clark, he can't say no, or... No, he could, if he wanted to, but he really doesn't want to. Instead, he can just turn into the touch and hope he doesn't have to say anything, because he's not sure he can without stuttering. Connor can see his reflection in Clark's glasses, the slight distortion from a concave lens.

"Come to bed with us," Clark says.

He shifts forwards slightly, hesitates and when Lois sighs, low and soft, he kisses him.

end.