Close Quarters (A Young Justice/Superboy fanfiction)

Brought Inside

"Martha, this is Conner. I found him up in Clark's loft."

She took a couple deep breaths. "Well? Come in, we can't leave him out in the cold!"

Conner cradled the mug he'd been handed, watching the steam swirl wistfully. He could hear the old couple talking in the kitchen, but he wasn't listening. The woman had draped a blanket over his shoulders, he could barely feel the difference, but he appreciated it. No one had ever been so... nice. Except maybe ms. Lois.

The ceiling creaked above him.
There were footsteps on the stairs, and Superman stepped into view.

The two stared at each other for several long seconds.

"What are you doing in here?" Superman demanded under his breath, seeming as scared as Conner felt. "I told you to stay--"

"Don't raise your voice." Jonathan said, entering the living room. "I brought him in."

"...pa--"

"I don't want to hear it." The older man told him. "I just want an explanation."

"I... He... look..."

"Your mother's making tea. Sit down and start from the beginning."

"Wait until I'm done in here!" Martha called. "I want to hear this."

"Conner is my clone. A little over a month ago the sideki-- uh, the kids found him; Robin and Kid Flash and Aqualad."

"We aren't kids." Conner said. "Or sidekicks. We're teenagers."

"Right, sorry." Superman said. "He's been living in a league base since then."

"Why?" Jon asked. "Why not with you? Isn't there room in your apartment?"

"He... we aren't close." Clark explained. "At least, not until this past week. Something came up and he needed somewhere to stay."

The old couple turned to him, and feeling suddenly very shy, Conner just shrugged. "Batman told me to go stay with him."

"Oh, batman told you to." Martha repeated. 

Conner nodded, suddenly feeling like he was in trouble. "He said that if I went to Clark Kent's apartment, that he would house me until things were fixed. I didn't know that Clark Kent and Superman were the same person."

"So, just to be clear here, it wasn't Clark who offered to take care of you?"

"Well, I--" Superman started, but the woman gave him a look and he immediately shut up.

"It's because he didn't know." Conner said, feeling like Superman needed help. "We'd only talked twice before, so he didn't know I  needed somewhere to stay."
As soon as Conner said it, both older people turned to stare at Superman again. Conner got the feeling that his attempt to help might not have worked.

"We didn't... I thought he didn't like me." Clark said. "I don't know."

"I liked you at first." Conner said. "But then you..." He got quiet, memories of what happened on the bridge flashing before him. He couldn't bring it up now. If Mr. Jonathan and Mrs. Martha heard about what he'd done wrong, they'd stop liking him.

"But then what, sweetheart?" Martha asked.

Conner shook his head, refusing to speak.

"What's he on about, son?" Jonathan asked.

"I don't know." Superman lied. "Look, things have been difficult between us."

"I wonder who's fault that was..."

"Ma..."

"I'm not accusing, I'm just wondering." She turned to Conner. "And who has been watching you? who takes care of you normally?"

"I do." Conner said. "Sometimes I see Red Tornado, or Black Canary, or Batman, but it's mostly me and M'gann."

"Megan?"

"One of the leaguer's nieces." Clark explained. "She needed a place to live too."

"But who cooks your food?"

"There's food in boxes in the freezer." He said.
Conner felt overwhelmed. Everyone was looking at him and he didn't like it. He yawned, his eyes felt heavy. He reached up to rub them.

"Aw, poor baby." Martha cooed. "You've had a long day... Clark, go prepare the guest room."

"I offered him the loft."

"We can't have him sleeping out there, it's so drafty and cold, and the animals will keep him up all night!" She shook her head firmly. "He's sleeping in here."