Do I get some sort of award for attempting to combine my first ever AU soulmate fic and my first Superbat story?

I was inspired by a prompt that I found on Tumblr posted by deity-prompts. I hope everyone enjoys this AU where it's impossible to lie to your soulmate.

Thank you to my incredible beta rotasha! He encouraged me to write this story as soon as I shared the idea with them. He has some great Superbat stories, go check them out!

Disclaimer: I don't own Batman, Superman, or any other DC characters.

Sitting at a desk in his private office at Wayne Enterprises, Bruce was focused on the task at hand. Since arriving at work that morning, his main priority had been to get as much work done before his meeting at two o'clock. Lost in thought and concentration, he didn't notice the elevator doors ding and open. Therefore, he'd only realized it was time for his meeting when his executive assistant called his direct line.

"Mr. Wayne, there's a reporter from the Daily Planet here to see you? His name is Clark Kent," she said, her voice coming in through the speaker of his phone.

"Thank you, Eris. You can send him in," Bruce answered as he pressed one of the buttons on his phone. As soon as she hung up, he quickly put the papers he'd been reading into their respective folders.

He heard a soft knock before the door to his office opened. The reporter, Clark Kent, poked his head into the room.

"Come in," Bruce told him. He rolled back his chair and stood up. He then walked around to the front of his desk.

"Thank you," Clark replied. He stepped into the room and gently closed the door behind him. Bruce had never met Mr. Kent before, but he'd come highly recommended by another Daily Planet reporter, Lois Lane. Ms. Lane was normally the one who interviewed him for big stories, but she was unable to make it today and sent her colleague instead.

The first thing Bruce noticed was how tall Clark was. Built like a footballer, he looked strikingly different from the other reporters Bruce normally dealt with. Despite the tacky-looking glasses and somewhat ill-fitting suit, Bruce wasn't afraid to admit to himself that Clark was very handsome. If this hadn't been a professional interview, Bruce wouldn't have hesitated to flirt a little bit. But for now, unfortunately, duty called.

"Thank you for agreeing to meet with me," Clark said as he stood near the door. "I brought you a coffee, but I wasn't sure how you liked yours. My coworker Lois told me what to order. She insists that she knows exactly how you take your coffee, but I apologize if she was mistaken."

Bruce didn't normally find rambling cute, but it worked for Clark. There was such a distinct contrast between his appearance and the way he carried himself. He seemed very shy for an investigative reporter. He was the exact opposite of Lois.

"That's very kind of you," Bruce replied, as he graced Clark with a signature Wayne smile. "Knowing Ms. Lane, I'm sure it's exactly the way I drink it. Nothing gets past her."

"That's true," Clark chuckled softly.

"Why don't we sit down," Bruce suggested once he realized the reporter hadn't moved since entering the office. He gestured towards the two armchairs near the coffee table in the center of the room. He'd chosen ahead of time to conduct the interview there since it was much more comfortable, and casual compared to sitting at his desk.

"Right," Clark said, unfreezing from where he'd been standing. He walked to one of the armchairs. When Bruce took a seat in the chair opposite him, Clark handed him his drink.

Bruce grabbed it, remarking to himself that the logo on the cup matched his favorite coffee shop. Ms. Lane had indeed done her research. He took a small sip, savoring the taste of the warm beverage. He hummed in pleasant surprise; it was exactly how he liked to drink his coffee.

Clark smiled when he noticed that Bruce was enjoying his drink. He'd already taken a notepad and pen out of the messenger bag that had been slung around his shoulder. He also removed his cellphone from the bag and set it down on the coffee table. Finally, he placed the bag on the floor near his feet.

"I'll start recording now if that's okay?" Clark stated after he'd finished setting up all the gear he'd brought along with him.

Bruce nodded in confirmation.

"Thank you again for agreeing to do an exclusive interview with the Daily Planet," Clark said after he pressed the start button on the recording app on his phone. "From what I understand, this is a revolutionary and ambitious project that Wayne Enterprises is undertaking."

"Yes. It's a project that I'm personally excited about. It's going to help make Gotham more inclusive," he replied before taking another sip of his drink.

"Can you explain to our readers what exactly your company is undertaking?"

"With pleasure," Bruce answered as he winked at Clark. With a slight shock, he noted to himself that he needed to dial it back on the Brucie Wayne charm a bit; it was coming out naturally at this point. But it wasn't the right time because he did truly care about the new project. He placed his drink on the coffee table and sat up straight to better focus on the subject at hand. "Here at Wayne Enterprises, we're committed to making Gotham more accessible for all residents. That's why we're pledging to have all historical buildings in the city updated to comply with ADA Standards for Accessible Design."

"That's a big job to be undertaking," Clark remarked, but he looked happy to hear about the plans. "What is the expected timeline?"

"Well, seeing as we want to preserve the buildings, it will take a little bit of time," Bruce began to explain. "Right now, Gotham's oldest buildings are barely accessible. The public library, although beautiful, doesn't meet modern guidelines. Residents who want to access certain collections are unable to do so because of lack of permanent ramps or because the rows between the shelving units aren't wide enough."

"Is preserving the historical and cultural aspects of the buildings a big priority?" Clark queried after listening to Bruce's explanation.

"It's not our main priority, but it's something we hope to accomplish," Bruce replied professionally.

"Is there a reason behind that decision?" Clark pushed as he finally showed signs as to what made him a good investigative reporter.

"Gotham does have a certain charm. It has its own personality compared to other cities, like Metropolis," Bruce replied jokingly, eliciting a soft chuckle from Clark. "We want to find a unity between the gothic architecture and modern technology, but the overall goal has and always will be accessibility."

Bruce intended to leave it at that, feeling like he'd properly answered Clark's question. But a thought suddenly appeared in his head, and he wasn't quick enough to stop it from escaping.

"My mother always thought Gotham was a beautiful city; she honestly enjoyed the architecture. I'd like to honor her memory by making sure Gotham retains its unique charms." Bruce shut his mouth as soon as he finished his sentence. Although what he'd said was true, he hadn't planned on talking about his parents today. It wasn't easy to think about them, even after all these years, so he avoided doing so whenever he could. Bruce chalked up the strange occurrence to Clark's calm demeanor and inviting personality.

"I agree with your mother. Gotham City is very unique," Clark agreed. Bruce was surprised that Clark had replied in such a casual manner. Any time he mentioned his late parents, he got pitying looks and awkward silence. "How many buildings in Gotham is Wayne Enterprises updating?" Clark questioned, pulling Bruce out of his thoughts. Clark adjusted his glasses as he waited for a response.

"As of now, twenty buildings. After that, my team and I will meet again to discuss any problems we might have encountered and what can be done to make sure the next phase of the project runs more smoothly."

Although Clark's phone was recording, the reporter still wrote bits and pieces of what Bruce was saying. But Clark's eyes remained on Bruce; he hardly glanced down at what he was writing.

"Most renovation projects can take anywhere from a couple of weeks to several months to complete. This is sounding like it's a long-term project?"

"It is," Bruce confirmed. "But we hope to have the first twenty buildings done by the end of the year."

Clark nodded in response to what Bruce said. "Can you explain to me what the criteria were for choosing the twenty locations?"

"My team sent out surveys to all residents of Gotham. We asked people to give their opinion and share their stories about which buildings they found weren't accessible. Once the data was processed, we selected the most mentioned establishments and started planning what renovations needed to be completed," Bruce explained.

He'd been briefed by one of his publicists before this interview. It was standard procedure, just to make sure he used the right terms, didn't spill any company secrets, and was prepared for any questions that might be thrown at him. But Bruce found that he didn't need to rely on his publicist's prepared speech. Answering Clark's questions was easy, and he truly was proud of what Wayne Enterprises was doing. It would help Gotham.

Although he wasn't following word-for-word what his publicist had prepared him for, Bruce knew he shouldn't neglect to inform Clark about some of the other logistics of the project. "Throughout the entire planning process and during the renovation period, Wayne Enterprises will continue to consult with the Gotham Disability Institute to make sure everything is done properly."

"Is that a procedure that wasn't done when these buildings were originally built or when they got renovated throughout the years?" Clark questioned.

"No, it wasn't. And we need to do better. There have always been disabled residents in Gotham; it's nothing new. Wayne Enterprises has the money and the resources to help fix the city's wrongdoings and negligence," Bruce said.

"Speaking of resources. How much money is your company investing in this renovation project?" Clark asked. Bruce noticed how Clark slightly tilted his head to the side in a quizzical manner. It was cute.

"It's our biggest project yet," Bruce admitted. "And if we need additional money, I'm happy to donate more than the proposed budget."

"Really?" Clark replied. He didn't sound skeptical; Bruce classified his tone as being pleasantly surprised.

"Yes. Unfortunately, the Board of Directors was against the amount of money I decided to spend on the project since it meant slightly decreasing their yearly bonuses. But they already get paid very generously and this is an investment into the well-being of the city's residents. They only agreed to it, partially because my persistence was annoying them, but also because I agreed to attend this one meeting they've been begging me for weeks to go to," he said, pausing only to take a breath. "At the end of the day, I'll argue with them again if it means making sure everything is done properly and residents aren't getting the short end of the stick."

What had just happened? This was definitely something Bruce's publicist told him not to mention during the interview. And he knew that. He needed to keep the Board of Directors on his side if he ever wanted them to agree to finance the project again. There was no way they'd side with him now after finding out he'd thrown them under the bus for being a group of ableist, rich, old white men.

"Oh..." Clark replied hesitantly. He was clearly just as shocked as Bruce was that he revealed sensitive information to a reporter. "Well, I'm glad you managed to convince them."

Bruce and Clark sat in silence, unsure of how to continue the interview. Although Brucie Wayne was known for saying stupid things and not being able to keep a secret, Bruce had a better handle on things. Somehow, his Brucie persona slipped through without him being able to stop it. He needed to rectify this interview and soften the blow a bit so the Board wouldn't be as mad at him. But he was at a loss for what he could do or say.

"Mr. Wayne?" Clark started saying but Bruce quickly interrupted him, trying to maintain control of the conversation.

"Please, call me Bruce," he insisted as he flashed a nice and genuine smile.

"Right, of course," Clark said. "Bruce, would you like your previous statement to remain off the record? I'm not sure if it's the angle you were going for when you scheduled this interview."

No reporter had ever offered that option to Bruce before. They normally ate up anything sensational or shocking that he said. It then always ended up on the front page of their tabloid or newspaper within the hour. Bruce couldn't help but wonder if Clark had an ulterior motive.

"That's very kind of you, but I'm sure your boss wouldn't appreciate missing out on such a big scoop," Bruce observed, trying to see if he could figure out what Clark would want in exchange for his silence.

"Mr. White sent me here to find out about the project and how it's going to affect Gotham. I don't think he cares about what was discussed during a boring, executive meeting," Clark replied calmly. "And I'm being honest when I say he doesn't need to know."

Against all better judgment, Bruce believed him. Something about Clark made him feel trustworthy.

"Alright, thank you, Mr. Kent," Bruce answered. "I would appreciate it if you excluded my last statement."

"Of course," he said. "And you can call me Clark."

Bruce nodded in response. He was going to have to talk to his executive assistant about scheduling all future Daily Planet interviews with Clark Kent; it was much less stressful than having to deal with Ms. Lane and her expert interrogation skills.

"I had a couple more questions I was hoping you could answer for me?" Clark ventured as he glanced back down at his notebook.

"I'll try my best," Bruce replied honestly. He took another sip of his coffee as he waited for the interview to continue.

Thirty minutes after accidentally badmouthing his Board of Directors, Clark had gone through his list of questions and was now preparing to leave.

"Once again, thank you for your time. I know you're a busy man," Clark told Bruce. He was now standing, his messenger bag once again slung over his shoulder. He reached out for a handshake.

"You're not wrong about me being busy. Lucky for you, I quite enjoyed the interview and our time spent together. It was much more fun than working," Bruce replied as he shook Clark's outstretched hand.

Again with the Brucie act? He really needed to get a better hold on this. Even as he was scolding himself, Bruce didn't miss the way Clark reacted to his confession. Clark obviously thought Bruce was flirting with him, which wasn't an uncommon thing for him to do. By the faint blush that appeared on Clark's cheeks, at least Bruce knew he was somewhat open to the idea.

"I'm glad I could be of help," Clark answered. He awkwardly removed his hand from Bruce's. "I should get going. My editor wants me to have the first draft on his desk by tomorrow morning."

"I look forward to reading it," Bruce told him as he walked with Clark to the elevator.

"Thank you," he said as the elevator dinged and the doors opened. "Have a nice day, Bruce. Sorry to abandon you and leave you alone with your work."

Bruce couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped his lips. "You're forgiven."

He watched the doors of the elevator close before turning around and heading back into his office.

"Can I get you anything, Mr. Wayne?" his executive assistant asked when he walked past her desk.

"I'm fine. Thank you, Eris."

Bruce closed the door to his office behind him. He sat back down at his desk, taking the time to resituate himself with the piles of papers and folders littering his workspace.

He knew what he needed to work on. There were some budget reviews that he had to sign off on and send back to Lucius Fox before the end of the day. But as he read the papers, he couldn't stop his mind from wandering. He was stuck analyzing the entire conversation he'd had with Clark.

Specifically, he was trying to figure out how he had been so distracted to let it slip about the disagreements he'd had with his Board of Directors. He hadn't planned on mentioning it; he was used to them disagreeing with him. But in the end, he always managed to convince them to let him have his way. So why had he mentioned the discord between them? Clark hadn't even been asking about any internal disagreements.

Maybe that had been more than his Brucie Wayne persona slipping through? Looking at the facts, he could possibly chalk it up to being distracted by Clark's attractiveness; but even he knew he had better self-restraint than that. He also recognized that he was running on only two hours of sleep; it had been a long night of vigilantism. But in the past, he'd gone days without sleep and hadn't messed up as badly as he had today.

There was something more complex behind his interaction with Clark. He could hear the rational and analytical part of his brain telling him that he already knew the answer. That he knew what was actually going on with Clark wasn't simple attraction; it was fated. That Clark Kent was his soulmate because he couldn't lie to him. But the other part of him, the more paranoid and careful part, didn't want to jump to conclusions.

Bruce wasn't delusional; he knew he had a soulmate. As a child, watching his parents be madly and happily in love with each other, he'd dreamed about what circumstances would lead to him meeting his soulmate. After his parent's murder, he'd been too lost in depression to think about his future. He didn't want to find his soulmate. What if they died before him? He'd be left alone and that was another sadness he didn't know if he could handle.

After becoming Batman, he'd vowed to never actively search for his soulmate. Whoever they were, it was dangerous for them to be a part of his life. They would be a liability and be in danger if his secret identity was ever revealed. He would never allow his soulmate to be left in a relationship where they were constantly being lied to in order to protect their identity. On the other hand, a life of honesty but being in constant danger wasn't much better. His soulmate, whoever they were, deserved to be happy and safe. Bruce could never offer that in a relationship and his soulmate would be forever helpless to defend themselves.

Bruce knew he had to find a way to confirm if he'd finally met his soulmate. It was something he needed to investigate the next time he ran into Clark Kent.

Clark, forgive me if my journalism and interviewing skills are not up to par with yours.