All We Are, and All That We Will Be by JIJ (PG)

[stinglikeabee.livejournal.com]

Fandom: DC COMICS
Pairing: Superman/Batman
Length: 3500
Author on LJ: jij
Author Website: LJ
Why this must be read:

JIJ's remarkable Superman/Batman fics is what drew me to reading DC Comics fanfiction, and I have to thank her for the incredible output that makes it so hard for me to choose just one to rec :D But since I have to, my pick here is a story where Batman is visited by Superman from four different times in the future. Short and bittersweet, it's a tale that leaves one wondering about the passage of time and the effect on love.

"I'm sorry," he heard himself say.

The golden Superman made a small choking sound. "You're sorry? Why?"

"I'm sorry I'm trying to synthesize Kryptonite. I wish I could trust you. I can't." This was all a dream, so it was all right to confess. "I'm feeling...very guilty about it. Now, will you leave and let me get some real sleep?"

The impossibly beautiful eyes lit as if from within with some kind of laughter. "Oh. You think this is a dream?"

All We Are, and All That We Will Be