More Young Justice Trash

Close Quarters (Part Three)

"Stop LOOKING AT ME!" The kid backed against the doorframe. He bumped against the wood, starting and dropping into a more aggressive stance, like a cornered animal.
Lois looked away, if he really was Clark's little brother, she doubted he'd have the bite to match his bark. Clark kept watching him, scared. She couldn't help feeling bad for him. "STOP IT!" Clark looked away too, locking eyes with her and giving a dejected look.

She heard scuffling footsteps, thundering across the room. In the corner on her eye, she saw him stop behind the sofa, watching them.

"Uhm," Clark lead the way into the bathroom, the one room the child had not yelled at them in. "Can we just...?"

"Yes." She grabbed his sleeve, hurrying them both inside. "Clark, I'm sorry. This is a tough position to be in."

"Yeah?" He asked, a little surprised. "Yeah. It's not... it's a lot."

"I can see." She kept lowering her voice, not wanting the boy to hear them. "Clark, is this why I've never heard of him?" The Kent family having some secret embarrassment seemed impossible, but any movie involving a neurodivergent or disabled child was enough to show that it was possible. "Did he have to leave Smallville?"

"He..." Clark stalled, stammering. "He's just staying for a week or so until things are fixed up and they're safe to house him again."

"Okay..." She thought for a second. "So, was Smallville not safe for him before?"

"I-- I don't know." He played with the doorknob uncomfortably.

"Clark, I've been to your house in Smallville." She said, throwing her mind back. There had been no Little brother, no photos of the brothers, no mention of a little brother from his parents, who had waited .5 seconds to tell her about drama at church and the electives Clark took in highschool. She couldn't see them just forgetting to mention that their second child existing.

"Uh, so..." Clark fumbled the latch, opening it. he backed out of the bathroom, Lois chasing him out into the living room staring at the boy. He was sitting halfway under the table, Lois' purse infront of him, digging through it determinedly. "Wh-- HEY!"

"CLARK!" She interrupted, stepping infront of him, buffering the Kents. She watched the kid ravage through it. "Hey, Whatcha looking for?"

The boy glanced up, aggressively. "It was buzzing."

"I probably got a text." She took the edge of the purse and tugged it away until he removed his hands. She slid out her phone, gathering up the things he'd strewn out on the floor. She put Clark's debit card on the table for him. Frusterated at the overcrowding in her bag, she removed a hunk of tinfoil. "You hungry, kid?"

He frowned. Suddenly holding her attention, he shrugged, scooting backwards away from her. Lois placed Clark's would-be lunch in front of the kid, who watched her suspiciously.

She gave a forced smile and backed up to give him space. She glanced over a few times, watching him carefully take the tinfoil wrapped sandwich and try to take a bite. She wondered if she should tell him to remove the foil. "Let's try this again, shall we?" He looked up at her, mouth full of metal. She held out a hand, but quickly changed it to a waved. "Lois Lane, good to meet you."

He relaxed ever so slightly and swallowed hard. "I'm not Lois Lane."

She couldn't help smiling slightly. He was either more of a smartass, or more of an air head than his brother. She wasn't even sure he was Clark's brother. This all felt a bit too much like a highschool-fling-nightmare-scenario to her.
Was it her place to pry? Yes.

"When's the last time you ate?" She asked, hearing Clark inhale sharply.

The kid looked up, confused, and continued exploring the food that had been offered. "twenty-two hours."