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smallest-of-smol · 9 days ago

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The Article | (2025 Superman)

Word Count: 4.9k

Summary: Clark’s coworker gets a Superman piece published on the front page of The Daily Planet. And Clark finds out what it was really about… and who…

Warnings: Brief mentions of abused ( nothing specific but better to be safe than sorry), gender neutral, no use of Y/N but also reader doesn’t have a name

I couldn’t stop the anxiety that held me as I sat at my desk with the most recent paper in front of me. The clicking of my pen was sure to have annoyed somebody, but my usual desk neighbor hadn’t shown up yet… running late… again.

“You know staring at it won’t make it go away.”

I froze as I slowly turned my head up to the voice standing next to me. “I don’t know what you’re talking about Jimmy.”

In front of me stood Jimmy and Lois.

Lois scoffed as she leaned against the corner of my desk. “Really? ‘Cause it looks like you’re hoping it will spontaneously combust if you glare at it any longer. If that happens you could start teaming up with Supes and let me interview you before Clark sinks his claws into you too.”

That got a small smile from me. Trust Lois to always find a way to make a dig at Clark's “weird” luck with getting interviews with Superman.

I had been working at The Daily Planet with them for a little over a year now, and in that time Lois had become like a sister to me. A sister that liked to drag me all over this planet to investigate whatever it was she was spiraling over for the week.

Jimmy too had been like a brother—

“Speaking of your loverboy, where’s Clark,” Jimmy asked you with a grin.

He was like a brother alright. An annoying one.

I could feel the heat creep up on my face at the mention of Jimmy’s nickname for Clark for me. I didn’t usually put much thought or hope into men. But meeting Clark… let’s just say it was a memorable one that involved coffee, a computer, and an erased article that hadn’t been saved.

Clark was such a sweetheart about it. Since he was old school, he still had the original draft tucked away in his briefcase. He was all gentle smiles and soft reassurance. While I had been nothing but stuttered apologies and anxiety that I was going to get fired on my first day. From then on it was hard not to notice him.

But it was sure easy to fall for him.

Clark was literal kindness and sunshine personified. He radiated happiness like it was second nature, and it was infectious. Seeing him bring coffee for everyone, remembering how each person liked their coffee, fixing the cabinet that had broken in the break room, or even the one time I saw him help an old lady cross the street… it was hard to not be inspired… or even hopeful that there was still good in the world.

I rolled my eyes at Jimmy, “How should I know?”

Jimmy took a seat in Clark’s empty one, scooting over to my side,

before acting like he was sharing some big secret, “Well with how obsessed you are with him, you would think you’d know where he is at all times.”

I took the newspaper, and whacked him across the arm. Earning myself a good, “Ow! Hey, no hitting for telling the truth!”

I went to hit him again before I heard the object of our conversations emerge into the room. He had a habit of saying hello to almost everyone in the office, and it was easy to pick up on especially after he and Steve called each other Loser every morning.

With his bright as always smile, he was carrying a tray of coffees over to us as a small green paper bag hung from his wrist.

I felt my face flush at the sight, and hid the paper under my notebook before he could make it over to us.

”Good morning everybody,” Clark said as he started handing each of us our daily coffees. I took mine with a small thank you, avoiding eye contact with him. “Also this is for you, Sweets.” He placed the green bag on my desk next to the notebook that I hid the newspaper under.

Ah. Sweets. The good ol’ nickname Clark had been calling me since he found out my sweet tooth was bigger than Lois’s, and that I had a knack for hiding sweets all over my desk in case I got a craving.

Without fail, the name always managed to get my heart racing.

My eyes went wide, “W-w-what’s this for?” I took a peak into the bag and noticed a chocolate muffin and a separately wrapped cake pop that was blue with a small Superman logo decorated on it.

My favorites.

I looked up at him up close for the first time, and it was like looking at the sun. Bright and warm. “Well I thought you deserved a special treat this morning to celebrate you getting the front page.”

I didn’t think I had ever been as flustered as I had in that moment. “Y-you r-re-read the article?”

At this point Jimmy and Lois had abandoned me to be to burn in the sunlight that was Clark Kent.

The man himself took his seat next to me as he pulled out the newspaper from his briefcase, “Of course! How could I not? The way you wrote about him and what he stood for was so touching. I’m not surprised Perry put this on the front page.”

I covered my face with my hands as I saw the title staring me in the face.

Superman: A Spark of Hope with a Touch of Kindness

It had been something I had written in my free time. Perry had caught me working on it a couple days ago on my break, and had asked to read it.

The only thing is that it didn’t have Superman in the title until after Perry had read it. When he asked me what I was working on, I had blurted out that it was a Superman piece… and not something about my work colleague.

It was just supposed to be a thought piece. Something I could write to get my thoughts out without having to verbalize them. Unlike the original paper version I had started it on, I didn’t put Clark’s name in it on the off chance anyone saw it, which was now good thinking on my part. The paper copy was also still at home sitting on my coffee table with all sorts of other word for thought pages I had written.

The article itself went on about how everyday kindness was what sparked hope in people. How it wasn’t just the big acts of kindness, but the small ones too that mattered. How meaningful it was to have somebody to look towards, and see hope that there was still good in the world with even the smallest good deed. I never specified anything specific, and it was broad enough that it did sound like I could have been talking about Superman.

But I wasn’t.

I was talking about Clark.

After Perry had read it, he said he wanted to publish it. That this kind of writing could do what Superman did. Inspire hope.

But now Clark had read the article. So there was really no use trying to hide it. With the way he wrote something Superman related almost every other week, there was no way he wasn’t going to have read it.

He just didn’t know the article was actually about him.

I felt a hand gently lay on my shoulder. “Hey, I’m sorry. I’m not trying to embarrass you over it. I just wanted you to know I’m proud of you, and that I really like what you wrote.”

Slowly, I brought my hands down, and grabbed his hand in reassurance, “Thank you, Clark. It really means a lot that you like what I wrote,” as I let go, and returned my attention back to the treats he brought me, “Also you’re the best for bringing me these. You’ve really made my day.”

He let go of my shoulder, and returned back to his own desk, “Of course! Anything for you, Sweets!”

By the end of the day I was exhausted. Staring at a screen all day had a tendency to make my head start hurting by the end of the day. I look over to my desk neighbor and see Clark still typing away. His glasses had started slipping down his nose, and the sun from the window behind him almost gave him a sort of glow around him that almost made him look unearthly.

Not in a weird way though.

Clark was unreasonably handsome, but now he looked like he had been sent down from the heavens to bless this Earth with good deeds and kindness. He looked like he belonged in the sun.

Rolling my chair over to his side, and I saw what looked like he had scored another interview with Superman.

“How do you keep getting interviews with Superman?”

Clark paused his typing, and pushed his glasses up before he turned his focus onto me. “Oh. You know, as always, the right place and right time.”

If there was one thing Clark wasn’t good at, it would be lying. Everytime he said the same thing. And every time I knew there was more to it. He had to know Superman personally. There was no way that he didn’t with how often he got interviews with him.

Leaning on the arm of my chair, I raised an eyebrow at him in disbelief. “Uh huh. Sure.”

I watched as he scratched the back of his neck, and I knew my gaze was making him nervous. Maybe he knew who Superman really was behind the cape, and he was worried I was going to try to pressure him into telling me.

I looked away from him, and instead focused my attention outside where the sun had begun to set. Clark’s typing had slowly picked back up again. This time there was a pause every now and then.

As he worked I let my thoughts wander back to the article. How would he feel if I told him that the article was really about him? Would he think it was weird? Would he get offended that I changed it to be about Superman?

I doubted anything could really offend that man, but the thought was still there. I didn’t want Clark to be uncomfortable if he ever found out that it was really about him. That I thought he was the kind of person that everyone should strive to be like.

“Do you think Superman read the article?”

At the sound of my voice I could hear Clark’s typing stop again. “Probably… I’d like to think so.”

I turned to look and my eyes already locked on to bright blue eyes staring at me.

His gaze had me entranced. Like I couldn’t look away even if I wanted to. It had such an intensity in it in that moment that I felt like I could melt under the heat of his gaze.

Luckily for me, I didn’t have to look away first.

Quickly, Clark turned around and started saving everything he had been working on. With a quick look back at me as he gathered up his belongings, “Can I walk you back home?”

I contemplated saying he didn’t need to worry about it, but knowing Clark he wouldn’t give up until I agreed.

“Sure, Clark. If you want I was planning on making spaghetti tonight if you’d like to stay for dinner. Think of it as a thank you for bringing me treats this morning.”

With a smile on my face I stood up, placing my chair back at my desk.

Before I could grab my bag, Clark had already beat me to it. “I can carry my own bag, you know.”

Clark just smiled as he raised an eyebrow, “And you know you don’t need to thank me for anything, right?”

I rolled my eyes, but couldn’t stop from smiling back, “Are you really going to say no to free food?”

Clark laughed as he spoke, “No, you got me there. Spaghetti tonight it is.”

The walk home was twenty minutes of easy conversation. Conversation that flowed naturally and didn’t pause or get awkward.

This wasn’t the first Clark had walked me home, or even came over for dinner. We had actually become really good friends over the last year, and would frequently indulge each other in cheesy movie nights, home cooked meals, and silly Lego nights.

So this was really nothing new to us…

But it felt different.

A little heavier.

More meaningful.

Like there was something between us waiting to happen.

Unlocking my front door, I pushed it open, and left it wide for Clark to come in behind me as I took my shoes off by the door. Clark was sweet and followed my lead. Setting both our bags and his jacket on the hooks by the door, and placed his shoes next to mine.

“I have a change of comfy clothes from the last movie night we had if you want to change. They’re in the top drawer in my dresser. I’ll get started on dinner while you change.”

Clark nodded his head, said a small thank you before making his way to my bedroom.

I made my way into the kitchen, and got to work getting the ingredients out and ready. The water was boiling when Clark came in, sporting some grey joggers and a red t-shirt that was a little snug on him… not that I was staring, but it was obvious that he had to have a serious workout routine to be able to look like that.

He took over, pushing me out of the kitchen, to get me to change as well. “If I get to be comfy, then you get to be comfy too.”

I didn’t argue, other than to slightly complain that I was suppose to be making the meal but made my way to my room anyways to change.

It didn’t take long for me to switch out of my work clothes into some comfy clothes consisting of some black sleep shorts and, as a joke, a Superman hoodie. Blue with the iconic S symbol across my chest.

I came back into the kitchen to see Clark putting the cheese bread into the oven. “I just put the noodles in as well and I was about to start on the sau—“ He looked up and froze as he took in the sight of me, “T-that’s new.”

I tried to calm down my nerves, as I made my way to help prepare the sauce. “Oh yeah… I saw it the other day and liked how soft it was… Plus I thought it was funny since the article was published today,” I looked over and noticed Clark staring down at the noodles. His face and neck were beat red. “Hey are you okay?”

”Y-yeah. I’m good.” I knew Clark was a fan boy, but I didn’t think wearing a Superman hoodie was anything special. Instead of teasing him, I just focused on the task at hand. Mainly cause I didn’t think I could handle him getting even more flustered right now. It had already taken a lot to not let the cuteness aggression kick in.

It was quite while we finished cooking dinner together. Nights like this with him were dangerous. It was so domestic as we cooked and plated the food. Again this man was giving me hope.

Hope that maybe my feelings weren’t one-sided after all. We worked perfectly together, and I wanted more nights like this. More nights where we came home together, cooked together, and did all the little things that came with domesticity.

But there would always be that doubt that Clark was just a nice guy and that he only saw this for what it was.

A friendship.

We each took our respective plates and drinks into the living room. My couch wasn’t overly huge, but Clark was so he always took up most of the space… not that I was complaining.

Clark had made it into the living room before me. Placing his plate and drink on the corner of the coffee table, before he started to move the papers I had left there from the night before…

Oh no.

I saw him pause as a look of confusion slowly turned into realization as to what he was reading.

Panic flooded my system with each word he read. I quickly turned back into the kitchen. Placing my stuff onto the counter before I put myself in front of the sink. I felt like I was going to throw up.

He knew.

Now he knew it was about him.

Not Superman.

Him.

My head started pounding as thoughts filtered through my head at a million miles an hour. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I had ruined everything. Why couldn’t I have just put that away? How did I forget that I had left that there? He’s going to be weirded out now. He’ll probably ask to switch desks at work.

I felt something wrap around my waist and pull me back.

Warm and secure.

“I need you to take deep breaths, Sweets.”

I leaned back into the embrace, my head just barely reaching the middle of his chest, and took a deep breath in.

Hold.

Exhale.

Repeat.

“That’s it, Sweets. You’re okay.”

I used my sleeve to reach up and rub the tears that had formed away. “Are we though,” I asked with a shaky breath.

Slowly, he turned me around, and pulled me into a hug. “I’m not sure why we wouldn’t be, but yes we are.”

My grip tightened on his shirt. “You’re not weirded out?”

Clark pulled back a little and lifted my chin up to get me to look at him. “I’m a little confused, but no, I’m not weirded out? Would you like to come sit, and explain it to me?”

Reluctantly I nodded, pulled myself away from him to make my way back into the living room. I tucked myself into my usual spot on the couch. Staring at the cursed paper that had been neatly placed on the shelf under the coffee table.

Clark made his way in with my food and drink in hand, “You still need to eat, Sweets.”

I took the plate from him, as he set the drink on the table in front of us. I slowly twirled my food on the plate as he sat down next to me.

The next few minutes were silent as we both ate our food. Clark inhaled his like he usually does, as I could only stomach half of mine in that moment. He asked carefully, “Can you eat more, or are you done?”

”Done.”

He nodded his head, and took both our plates to the kitchen. I could hear the sound of cabinets opening and closing, and then the fridge. Replaced quickly with the sound of running water.

Clark was too nice sometimes. What was supposed to be a nice night together quickly turned awkward due to me leaving out that stupid paper. Clark being Clark was taking it like a champ, and was still being his usual caring self as he took care of everything as usual because that’s who he was. Selfless, caring, and kind.

Like the article stated. The man wasn’t made to be anything other than kind.

The article.

I reached over and grabbed it from under the table.

The title made it the most obvious, that there was no getting around it. It was just like the printed version except for one difference.

Clark Kent: A Spark of Hope with a Touch of Kindness

If his name hadn’t been the first thing, then maybe this could have been avoided. I kept my gaze on the paper as Clark took his place back in his seat, except this time he was turned toward me.

He didn’t say anything. He waited for me to start the conversation when I was ready.

Clark was always so patient with me.

I took a deep breath as I began to explain myself. “It was never meant to be something that got published. I like writing stuff down when I start to feel overwhelmed. It started off with this paper copy, and then I had transferred it into a google doc so I could continue to work on it, because when I hyperfixate on a piece I like to work on it until it’s done. Perry caught me working on it, and thankfully I had taken your name out so that way no one would know it was you when I was working on it at work.”

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, leaning my head back to rest against the couch. “Perry asked what I was working on. I panicked, and lied and said it was an opinion piece about Superman. He believed me. Said maybe it could inspire people to have more hope like Superman. It was just easier to just go along with it.”

I opened my eyes to look at Clark. He had been listening to me so intently. Blue eyes once again locked onto me as I spoke, “You and him are just so alike…”

Clark’s attention on me never wavered even as he spoke, “You said you wrote it because you felt overwhelmed? What did you mean?”

I gave a bitter laugh as I turned my attention to the sleeves of my hoodie, giving my hand something to do other than shake. “I don’t think you understand how much your kindness means to someone like me. I’m used to guys taking advantage of me. I never really knew how to say no. I just accepted it was how all guys were. Greedy and selfish. Only wanting to do what they wanted to do, and never caring about if it’s what I wanted too. But you… you’re nothing like them. Not once have you ever made me feel less than I was… It was different… you’re different…”

My eyes flickered to his face, and for the first time since I met him he wasn’t smiling. “I used to be terrified of men… But you changed that. You made me see that there’s still good out there. You genuinely care about those around you, and it makes it so easy to want to be around you. You make me feel safe, because I know you’ll never do that to me. I don’t have to worry about walking on eggshells around you, cause I know that even if you’re mad about something you’ll want to talk it out instead of just—“

I took a shaky breath trying to calm myself. I watched Clark slowly take my hand in his. He held it so gently. Scared that any sudden movement would send me into another panic attack.

“I would never do what they did to you. You deserve so much better than that.”

I gripped his hand harder. It was like a lifeline for me. Something to hold me down and keep me grounded. With teary eyes I looked back up at him and smiled. “People say they feel safer nowadays with Superman watching over them. But me… I feel safest knowing I have you in my life, because you give me the hope that tomorrow will be better than the last… and it’s terrifying. To know there is someone out there I feel like I could depend on for anything, and want to be a better person for. You make me not want to give up, even when it feels so easy to… you make me want to keep trying. To live through it to see if the next day really will be better than the last...”

Clark stretched his other arm out and waved me over to him, and happily I did so. He leaned back against the armrest of the couch and moved my body to lay on top of him as he held me.

We sat there for a few minutes as he processed what I had told him, and I basked in the warmth that radiated from him.

”Do you think Superman would be offended that it was never supposed to be about him?”

Clark smiled brightly, “No, I don’t think he would.”

I felt his arms slightly squeeze around me, causing me to look up at him. Once again, his signature Clark Kent smile adoring his face. “You know, I like your article even better knowing that it was about Clark and not Superman.”

My brows furrowed in confusion, “What do you mean?”

He took the paper that had got slightly crinkled in our movement, and looked over it again. “I’ve always been worried that if I told someone they wouldn’t see me anymore. Just him. Now I see that I don’t have to worry about that with you.”

I sat up more on my hands to be able to watch his face as he read the article. His smile never faltered with each word. “I’m sorry Clark, but you’ve lost me. What haven’t you told me? And what’s that got to do with Super—“

The words got caught in my throat as Clark had reached up and pulled his glasses off, setting them on to the table with the article.

It was like the haze had been pulled away and I could finally see him more clearly.

He still looked like him, but his jawline was a little sharper and his eyes a brighter blue. It was small things one wouldn’t typically notice, but made a huge difference.

I jumped back to the other side of the couch once I realized who exactly I was laying on. “Wa-wait… s-so you’re,” I couldn’t even finish the question.

He looked more like Superman now, but the way flushed bright red and scratched at the back of his neck was all Clark Kent. “This wasn’t exactly how I wanted to tell you, but I don’t want to go another day without you knowing me the same way I know you. Like how I know you take your coffee with 6 pumps of liquid cane sugar. Or how you keep starburst in the top drawer of your filing cabinet and how you sort through all the red ones to give to Lois because you don’t like cherry and she does.”

Clark slowly leaned toward me the more he spoke, putting himself back into my personal space, “Or how you have to be the only person capable of making me jealous over a few sweet words thought to be written about my alter ego.”

My eyes widened at his small confession. Weakly I asked, “You were jealous?”

He reached up and brushed a stray loose hair behind my ear. “Of course I was. I thought Superman managed to do what I’ve been trying to do for the last year.”

I was still in disbelief at what he was implying. “W-what have you been trying to do?”

”Get you to love me the way I love you.”

My eyes widened at how easy he had said it. He said it with such confidence, like he had always meant to say those words.

And maybe he always had. Maybe it was in the little things he did for me. Like how he would pick my favorite movies on movie night even if it was his night to pick. Or the way he kept all the doodles I made at work on a little bulletin board at his desk. Maybe it was in the way he held me softly yet securely. Or maybe it was in the way he looked at me. Like he was right then in that moment.

“Oh… well you don’t have to worry about that,” I spoke softly and attempted to look away.

But he was smiling too brightly for me to really look away. It was a sight I could never get tired of, and honestly I didn’t want to.

He moved his hand to cup my cheek, “May I kiss you now, Sweets?”

The words got stuck in my throat, but the smile on my face and the nod of my head was all the confirmation he needed.

It wasn’t an explosion of fireworks when our lips finally touched. As any first kiss, it was sweet and simple. Most of all it just felt right. It felt like I was always meant to end up here in the arms of the world’s kindest man. Like every experience was worth it if it meant being here with him.

And I had that article to thank for it.

Bonus:

I pulled away, and looked him in his eyes, “Wait. You mean to tell me this whole time I was freaking out about telling you… You already kind of knew it was about you, and were content with thinking I was in love with just Superman?”

Clark laughed, “I knew, but I wasn’t content. I had been working on a six step plan before you rolled around to my side earlier, on how to steal you from Superman and get you to fall in love with Clark instead.”

My eyes widened before I had bursted out laughing. It took me a second to calm down as I wrapped my arms around his neck and placed a kiss on his lips, “Well now you don’t have to worry about that, since I get to have both now.”

Clark’s smile faltered as he began to pout, “Awww, but on step four I was going to finally buy us the Lego Millennium Falcon to build together.”

His smile returned as he saw my smile grow, “Well I won’t say no if you want to put your six step plan to good use.”

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