A Charmed Life

A/N: This story is for renaimori on Tumblr. I filled in for their SuperBat Secret Santa. :)

Part One in the Charmed Prince series. Next is Dinner With a Prince and then Orange Juice.

Clark watches Bruce Wayne traverse across the room with a bunch of females hanging off his arms, dopey smile set in place as he hands each girl a glass of wine. Clark stares with more intensity than he probably should as he's certain he has already received quite a few looks himself but he can't keep his eyes off the man. Before today, he's only met Bruce Wayne once when he was offered a scholarship to Excelsior and had spent a week there to "see how it fits", as the Dean of the school had put it. He accepted the trial out of common courtesy but never accepted the scholarship. After that, he had started to make sure his grades were mostly B's with a few A's and even a couple C's scattered in just so he wouldn't be offered such a thing again. At that time of his life the last thing he needed was to draw attention to himself by going to a prestigious private school. While at the school, however, he did end up learning just how pompous and stuck up the rich can be and that included one Bruce Wayne and, as far as Clark can tell, nothing has changed.

He's been assigned to write an article on this charity event that Bruce is throwing by his boss, Perry White. Clark hasn't been working at the Daily Planet for long yet so he has no choice but to go where he's told if he wants to get on Perry's good graces. That doesn't mean Clark has to enjoy it though. He's been ordered to ask Bruce a few questions but Clark can't see how that will be possible with all the women clutching to Bruce's arms and looking as if they'll die if they lose contact. So Clark waits it out and just stares, wondering how a man like him can even make it big in the world, especially with how much of an ass he is. Of course, maybe that's the secret.

Clark sighs and takes a sip of his champagne and walks over to someone who looks like they might be able to answer a few questions for Clark. He's just finishing up with the man when he looks around the room and notices Bruce is gone. Pursing his lips, he wonders if he lost his opportunity to talk with Bruce and also wonders how mad Perry will be at him for not even asking the host of the charity party at least one question. Clark groans in annoyance and starts to make his way to the door to exit the party but halfway through the large room he notices someone standing out on the balcony. Groaning again, Clark knows what he must do.

He steps out onto the balcony and approaches the man. "Mr. Wayne, may I ask you a few questions?" Bruce turns around and makes eye contact with Clark, wine glass in hand and still completely full. "I'm Clark Kent from the Daily Planet."

Bruce blinks at him a few times before smiling and reaching out with a hand to shake Clark's. "It's nice to meet you." Bruce pulls his hand back and rubs his chin. "Kent, where have I heard that name before?"

"Well, like I said I'm a journalist from the Daily Planet," Clark answers.

Bruce waves a hand in front of him in a dismissive fashion. "No that's not it…" He snaps his fingers. "I got it; you're the scholarship kid from Excelsior."

Clark feels the blush forming on his cheeks before he has a chance to stop it. "I can't believe you remember me from then."

"I wasn't there very long before I finally convinced my butler to just home school me." Bruce brings the wine glass to his lips and takes a small sip of the wine or at least that's what Bruce wants Clark to see. With his enhanced senses, Clark can tell Bruce never even swallowed a drop of the red liquid. "You just happened to start when I started. We both stayed a week before leaving. You kind of stuck out not only because you were new like me but also because a school like that, it's not every day they get someone in there who needs a scholarship."

Clark crosses his arms. "Is that supposed to be a putdown Mr. Wayne because I really don't appreciate you making fun of my parents' money? Not all of us can be rich like you."

Bruce holds up his hand in defense. "No not at all. I always thought it took guts to go to such a prestigious school when there was always the possibility of being teased and bullied because of your circumstances."

Clark scoffs. "You could have fooled me. You were a jerk."

Bruce raises an eyebrow and genuinely looks confused. "How so?"

Clark looks away, keeping his arms crossed. "You were in one of my classes and we sat together. Whenever we needed to pair up I would always ask you and instead you would just say no in this plain depressing way and then proceed to work alone because somehow you always convinced the professor to let you." He looks back to Bruce. "I would then end up being forced to partner with this even bigger jerk that always made me do the work." Bruce's eyebrows are scrunched together. "On the off occasion that we did work together, you would never let me do any of the work and still proceeded to do all the work yourself."

"One would normally like not having to do any of the work," Bruce says absently but Clark feels the need to comment on it anyways.

"Not when it makes you feel below the rich kid. Not when it makes you feel like you mean less than them or is worth less than them." Clark stares at Bruce who has put his expression back to neutral.

Suddenly, an amused smile comes across Bruce's face. "And because of that you labeled me a jerk?" He chuckles and Clark doesn't say anything. "You have low standards of what a jerk is then."

Bruce takes another fake sip of his wine as Clark responds. "That's not the point, the point is, is that you treated me like I was nothing." At this Bruce's eyes grow wide. "And you still treat people that aren't rich as if they're nothing."

Bruce narrows his eyes in anger. "That's what you think?" Clark watches as Bruce's shoulders become tense. "Look, Mr. Kent, I'm sorry if I gave that impression and made you feel like that in high school, but I can assure you that I don't treat nor do I think of people with less money than I have as if they are nothing." He gets close to his face, scowling. "If you want people like that, go back inside. There are plenty of them in there for you to insult."

He walks past Clark and goes back inside. Clark turns and watches him go, leaving out the door and exiting his party all together. Clark looks to the balcony floor, feeling guilty for what he said. This is a charity event for the homeless and Clark didn't even give that a thought, getting too caught up in how Bruce made him feel when they were just kids. He's an idiot. Sighing, Clark leaves the party as well.

…

The next day, Clark allows his guilt to bring him to Bruce's office, hoping he's in. He doesn't have to leave Gotham for another three hours or so in order to catch the train and if it comes down to it then he'll just fly back to Metropolis. He checks in with the secretary at the desk and when she asks if he has an appointment, he says no but asks her if she can just tell Bruce that he's here. She eyes him skeptically, nods hesitantly, and then asks for his name. He gives it and waits while she calls Bruce's office phone. Clark doesn't have to wait long before the secretary is saying he may enter the office.

He opens the door warily and steps in. Bruce is sitting behind a large desk that has a computer and some papers neatly stacked. Bruce motions to one of the chairs that are placed in front of his desk. Clark shuts the door hastily and sits in the offered seat. "What can I do for you Mr. Kent?"

Clark tries not to squirm under the scrutiny but fails miserably. "Um… I wanted to apologize for last night. I was rude and being unreasonably mean. I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings." Clark gives him an apologetic smile as he pushes his glasses up his face more.

Bruce doesn't say anything at first and instead just watches him. After some time, he nods slowly. "Apology accepted. Is there anything else?"

"Yes… um… I would like to make it up to you somehow." Clark blushes and shrugs. "It was your party and for a good cause. I ended up ruining it for you."

Bruce looks down to his desk, breaking eye contact. "You don't need to do that," he says lowly, his own little blush forming on his cheeks.

Clark smiles at it. "I want to. I was thinking dinner maybe?" Bruce's eyes raise and he looks at Clark through his eyelashes that are definitely ridiculously long. Clark can feel his blush intensifying. "Um… you know nothing fancy as I will be paying and I just started this new job so pay is crap – uh, but I do love my job… um… just you know a simple dinner as a sorry." Clark looks away and pushes at his glasses again in order to have something to do with his hands.

There's a small smile on Bruce's lips and it's not like the fake ones Clark saw him doing at the party. "I don't mind a simple dinner. To be honest, I don't go out much. I normally eat at home."

"Oh," Clark exclaims, looking back at the man. "You'll probably want to go somewhere pretty remote in order to not be recognized too much huh?" Bruce shrugs. "That way at least the paparazzi can leave us alone while eating and we can enjoy it better."

Bruce shrugs again. "I'm used to the media following me around but if it will make you feel better and more relaxed…" he trails off.

"Is that a yes?" Clark asks hopefully, smiling wide.

Bruce looks back to his desk again and nods. Looking back up, he gives a verbal reply. "Yes, Mr. Kent, I'll take you up on your offer of an 'apology dinner.'" Bruce chuckles. "What time do you want me?"

"Uh…" Clark thinks. "Whatever time is best for you I guess."

"How about tonight at eight? I'll pick you up but you can choose the place to eat. I'm not that big of a picky eater as long as there's healthy stuff on the menu so where you pick is fine with me." Bruce smiles back at him, small and genuine. "I'm looking forward to it Mr. Kent."

Clark rises from his seat and shakes hands with Bruce, smiling back. "Me too Mr. Wayne. I'll, uh, see you later then I guess."

Bruce nods one more time and Clark turns to leave, exiting the room and trying to keep the bounce out of his step. Maybe he's got this older and more mature Bruce all wrong. Maybe he's not the jerk he shows at the party and certainly not the jerk he was at Excelsior. Though, now that Clark thinks about it after what Bruce said about his low standards on who are jerks, maybe Bruce wasn't a jerk then either. Maybe he was just as shy as Clark because it, too, was his first week there and by the sounds of it he didn't want to be there anymore than Clark did.

Clark sighs and exits the building. He won't be making the train tonight but that's okay. He's looking forward to his dinner with Bruce and that makes up for it, at least, in his eyes.

A/N: Thank you for reading!