superman weakened by kryptonite, trapped on his back in a crumbling building with batman braced above him, singlehandedly holding up the ceiling to prevent both of them being crushed. superman feels the strain in batman's body where his feet are planted on either side of kal's waist. he knows this cannot last forever.
superman understanding in real time what it must feel like to be a civilian in danger, scared and helpless, relying entirely on someone else to bring them to safety and always wondering, in the back of their mind, if this will be the day they die. superman stubbornly refusing to believe batman would ever let that happen, his faith providing a sliver of strength to keep himself conscious.
batman shaking beneath the weight of the collapsed ceiling, knowing he can either pack away the kryptonite on superman's chest or hold the building on his back—not both. batman understanding in real time that he has no choice but to watch his friend get sicker and sicker, unable to stop it because if he falters, both of them will die. he grits his teeth and holds the weight, panting against the pressure as superman's breathing gets shallow and laboured, his skin turning a sickly grey.
he could try to kick the kryptonite, to displace it enough that kal could breathe again. but moving a leg would destabilize his form and almost certainly result in failure; the whole floor would come crashing down on him. he can't spare the breath to offer even a few words. kal groans beneath him, writhing against the green glow on his chest, scrabbling at batman's calves in an attempt to get away.
after what feels like hours, they're found. diana digs her fingers into concrete and cinderblock and pries off the crushing weight of the building. the team hasn't reached them yet, but batman no longer has to hold enything up.
batman collapses immediately, right onto superman, who shouts in pain and squeezes his eyes shut. with shaking hands and seizing muscles, batman wraps the chunk of kryptonite in cloth. he tucks it into a lead-lined compartment in his belt, switching it out for the mini sun-ray tool that he immediately flicks on and presses directly over superman's heart.
"thank you," superman murmurs, reaching his own trembling hand to the side of batman's face. batman doesn't have the strength to pull way. superman isn't sure he would if he did. "you saved my life."
batman's mouth slants, self-deprecating. "it was touch-and-go for a while there."
"i knew you'd do it," superman says, the conviction in his voice clear. "i had no doubt."
batman sighs and shakes his head with a small smile. he lets himself slump into superman's hold, the sun-ray tool pressed between them. superman turns and kisses him, right at the corner of his cowl, and—that's...new.
batman sighs again. it wasn't entirely unpleasant, but— "if you're expecting reciprocation, you'll be disappointed. i can't even lift my head."
"sounds to me like your lips are moving just fine, though," superman says, an edge of humour in his tone.
"take me home, kal," batman says, his voice flat. "we can talk tomorrow. or however long it takes me to wake up."
superman smiles, pressing another kiss to the corner of batman's cowl. "gladly."
