Title: Family Vacation
Category: Smallville/Batman (Crossover)
Rating: K+
Genre: Romance/Family
Pairing: Chloe/Bruce
Prompt: Beach by ohocheese
Word Count: 541
Summary: Chloe grinned out at the picture in front of her...

Family Vacation
-Drabble-

Chloe grinned out at the picture in front of her. Hidden from the hot sun beneath the overhanging umbrella and sitting comfortably on a beach towel with her book in one hand, finger slid between the pages to keep her place, she watched as her husband and sun carefully built a sand castle together. Much larger in contrast to his son, Bruce appeared entirely free of any darkness, unlike his usual self which was plagued by shadows. He knelt in the white sand, black shorts dried now from earlier when he and their son swam around in the ocean for awhile.

He used the shovel to fill the blue bucket and then turned it upside down to make yet another tower to their castle.

"We need a moat, daddy!" Christopher exclaimed, staring up at him with wide eyes.

"You're right," Bruce agreed, handing him the shovel so he could start digging in the sand.

Years ago, she couldn't imagine Bruce anywhere near a beach. It was too sunny, to free, too lighthearted. But here he was, his shoulders sunburned and his hair filled with sand, building a castle with their son.

She smiled. He looked better here, refreshed. She almost regretted that they would eventually have to return to Gotham, but she understood that it was a necessity. Just like she and Christopher couldn't survive without Bruce, Gotham couldn't go on without Batman. She was willing to share; so long as Bruce returned home each night to his family, she'd accept the darkness that infiltrated the light.

He looked up at her, smiling crookedly, and she was sure then that it was worth it. She smiled back before standing up from the towel and grabbing the sunscreen out of her beach bag. She waddled her way over, one hand on the baby bump inflating her one-piece bathing suit. She slid to her knees next to him and grinned down at Christopher as he pointed at their creation with his shovel.

"Look momma, we're making a castle!"

"It's very pretty!" she told him.

He pouted. "Castles aren't pretty, they're manly!"

She rolled her eyes, but nodded agreeably before she squeezed the sunscreen into her palm and rubbed it into Bruce's shoulders as he leaned closer to her. She could feel the back of his hand absently rubbing her baby bump as his eyes watched Christopher proudly while he dug away in the sand, tossing it over his shoulder and making his moat just perfect. When he grabbed up his bucket and scurried toward the water to fill it so he could finish up his moat, she leaned against Bruce, kissing his cheek.

Vacations were few and far between but having him all to herself was something she relished in each time. She sighed, breathing in his scent, mingled with the sunscreen and the smell of the ocean. He rubbed her back slow and light, his large palm spread across her bare back soothingly. Just a few more days to themselves, she knew, but these moments made her forget all about what was waiting for them later. She was content just to forget and enjoy their family getaway. A day at the beach with her two favorite men, what more could she want?