(18+) Addicted To Love (Part 2)
Jimmy Olsen x f!Reader
Part One
Word Count: ~8,714
Summary: You and Jimmy are friends with benefits. He was very insistent that there wouldn't be anything romantic between you. Of course, that doesn't stop him from falling for you.
Warnings: It’s possibly bad idk, nsfw, smut, unprotected piv (don't do that), oral (mostly f! receiving), thigh riding, vaginal fingering, Heavy yearning, jimmy is so horny for you all the time, Angst, it's smut off the bat and then it's all downhill from there, a little bit of fuckboy!jimmy, NOT proofread we die like henry cavill superman, i switch tenses a lot bc i just don't care, a lot of swearing, my grasp of grammar & punctuation is tenuous but in a sexy way
Story Notes: Reader is Perry's assistant but it's super vague what that actually entails lol. Jimmy knows that Clark is Superman for reasons that are not addressed. You and Jimmy have a very switchy sex relationship
A/N: I'm actually pretty excited about this one. I'm not certain it's going to live up to the hype, but I had a lot of fun writing this. I love writing angst, I love that I still pepper in fluff, I love writing good platonic relationships, I love yearning, etc. Whether it's "good or not I do feel pretty happy with it, or at least I certainly had a fun time writing it. I also really super leaned in to Clark&Jimmy's friendship and that was just really nice to get to do, I really enjoyed that. Anyway. As always, comments (even just in the tags) are always ultra appreciated!!!!! Thanks for reading <3
General Tag List (lmk if you'd like to be added! <3): @aphroditeascension @dilfza-discourse
Story Tag List (i only did people who explicitly said they wanted to be tagged but i've been known to also just send people my fics if I think they want to read them so uh. Yeah. The possibility exists. Or also if you just want to be added to the tag list for this story lmk and I'll tag you on part 3): @b1ue-banisters @greenjasperr @kittychic @heavensent222 @liberatedlev @tatilolz
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Jimmy tries so, so hard to just...be normal.
There's an itch under his skin, a burning desire that he can't quite seem to sate. It's always been there, but now it flares up, like he'll die if he doesn't get enough of you. And he’s starting to worry he’ll never get enough of you. When your alarm goes off, you turn it off with one hand, not bothering to open your eyes. Instead, still with one foot in that drifting dreamscape that you’re coming out of, you nuzzle into his neck for a moment. He freezes, certain that any sudden movement might cause you to dissolve into smoke, floating off into the air and permanently out of his grasp. So he waits, and a moment later you do open your eyes, prop yourself up on one arm to smile lazily at him. Jimmy smiles back, and tries to be normal. “Good morning,” You say, remnants of sleep leaving your voice a little crinkled at the edges. He shifts onto his side so he’s facing you, eases one of his legs in between yours, “Morning.”
“Wow, I feel great,” Hips shifting a little as you move against his leg, you look down like you’re embarrassed, “I always sleep better with you.” Jimmy lets that go to his head immediately, grinning as he flexes his thigh, rubs it back and forth, "You're so sweet when you first wake up. Best part of sleeping with you."
You roll your eyes at him, but your voice stays soft, a little shyer than usual, "Did you sleep okay?"
He kisses you to give himself a moment before he has to answer, drinking in the whimpers that roll off your tongue at the feeling of his flexed thigh dragging against you. He almost regrets the choice because once his lips meet yours he doesn't want to pull them away, thinks he would be content to stay in exactly this position, doing exactly this, for the rest of his life.
But he's trying to be normal, so he does pull himself away, trying to find something to say. He feels exhausted, to be honest, but he's trying to keep it between not lying and not being too honest, "The best sleep I have is always with you."
You don't say anything about the careful non-answer, and he misses the way your teeth catch your lip in disappointment. He's concentrated on shifting the angle of his leg, relishing in the wetness that's on his skin.
When you speak, the shyness has left your voice, back to normal, "So how do you want to do this? Am I riding you? Or do you feel like actually doing some work this morning?"
"Fuck off," He laughs, one of his hands coming to your hip to help guide your movements against him, "Like you weren't a total pillow princess last night."
"Hey, I wanted to suck your cock, you're the one who said no," Your hips start moving faster, really grinding into his thigh now.
His grip on you tightens, and he wonders if you might've been having a sex dream because you're already so wet, your skin gliding against his. Jimmy almost groans, trying to remember how many times he usually kisses you when you have sex, on average. Because he's being super normal.
He doesn't kiss you, and he does try to keep his voice as light as he can, but he braves a moment of real truthfulness, "Alright, and? Maybe I feel best when you're getting off."
Jimmy can't quite read the look on your face, but he feels the muscles in your thighs clench around him. Then you smile, playful in spite of your heavy breathing, “We can do both.”
“And how do you suggest we do that?”
“69?” You ask, voice light but goading.
“How busy of a morning are you going for? You know we still have to go to work after this, right?” He’s teasing you, and you both know it.
Normally, your position is flipped. You’re all about having plenty of energy to start the workday and unwinding after, which is part of why he doesn’t usually stay over on week nights. He can’t help but be excited by your eagerness.
You laugh, but it cuts off, breathy, as you grind a little harder against him, “I’m just…nervous for tonight. Could really use my favorite stress toy, y’know?”
He doesn’t think he’s ever felt so simultaneously heartbroken and horny in his life.
His grip on your hip tightens, his movements speeding up, and it only takes a few more moments for you to fall apart, full on humping his thigh as you reach a trembling orgasm. Then he steals a kiss (what could be a more normal time to kiss you than this, right?) and grins at you, “Whatever you need from me.”
You let out a breathless giggle, shifting up and pushing down on his chest, straddling him with a smile of your own, “Whatever I need?”
His hands are on your hips again as you grind yourself slowly against his cock, your folds so wet that you glide easily against his shaft. He swallows, hard, as he tells you, “Why are you asking me? Your choice. I mean, what’s the point in having a toy if you’re not going to play with it how you want?”
He means it, too. If you can’t be his, the next best thing is to let himself be yours.
You let out a moan as your pace picked up, really rutting against the hardness of his length now. He can feel his cock starting to leak, but he ignores the almost painful desire that’s welling up inside him, focuses instead on helping you get just the right amount of drag against him.
“You won’t be too worn out for work?” You asks, eyes glinting, hips rocking, breath catching, “I mean, I’ve got a lot of nerves to work out. Don’t want it be too much for you.”
“You could never be too much for me,” Jimmy can’t help but buck his own hips up, his body straining for whatever stimulation it can get, “Don’t stress. Just use me.”
You’re coming again with no warning, shivering as you bury your face against his neck, bite down on the thin skin over his collarbone. He shudders too, still thrusting against you even as you slow down, place a steadying hand on his chest.
“Alright, alright, stop distracting me,” You roll off of him, smirking at the whine he lets out at the loss of contact, pressing a long, slow kiss to his lips before you add, “I can’t decide what I want when you’re being all clingy.”
You’re teasing, and he knows it, knows you don’t mean anything by it, but a bolt of panic shoots through him anyway. He is being normal, right?
Sure, there’s a hollowness inside his chest that he’s trying to ignore, and it gets harder without you on top of him, but he thinks he’s keeping things the same as the usually are.
You grab one of his hands, bring it to your pussy, and he moves without hesitation, sliding two fingers inside you and brushing his thumb against your clit. Your eyes draw slowly over his body, and after a moment you lower your head, pink tongue sliding out from between your lips.
“You don’t have to-” He starts before he can help himself, even as his hips buck up once again at the feeling of your warm breath over his dick.
“I’m not,” You laugh, and then that tongue is on him, lapping up the glimmering pools of arousal that you had left on his shaft.
You’re thorough, slow and soft and calculated. He keeps fingering you, and when you moan he feels it as a vibration against the delicate skin on his cock. It leaks more precum, but you just laugh as you drag your tongue further down, cleaning that off of him too.
He can’t hold back another low whine, and he feels you clench around his fingers at the sound even as you’re pulling away from his cock, sitting up with a smile, “Don’t worry, since you’re so eager to please, I won’t suck your dick. Just wanted to clean you up. Instead, you can get me off on your fingers, and then I’m going to ride your face. Sound good?”
Jimmy can hear the effort that’s going in to keeping your tone casual, and his fingers speed up as he nods, repeats, “Whatever you want.”
You roll your eyes, but then you come all over his hand, so the faux irritation doesn’t really bother him. He allows you to pull his hand away from you, holds his breath when you take his fingers in your mouth and lick those clean, too.
You’re straddling his chest a moment later, about to shift up over his face when you pause, glancing guiltily back at his cock, tip an angry red and leaking once again, “Are you sure you don’t need me to-”
“You’re really struggling with the whole ‘use me’ concept, huh?” He wraps his hands around your thighs to start pulling you closer, trying to tease you even as he’s panting with desire, “Stop worrying about me. Please. Literally all I want right now is for you to be selfish.”
Your lips purse for half a second before you move, knees on either side of his head. Jimmy groans when you lower yourself on to him, tongue already coming out to greet your dripping pussy. The groan turns to a moan when he your juices hit his tongue, hips jerking up desperately at the thought that you’ve come three times and this is the first taste he’s gotten.
“Mmmm,” You start to rock against him immediately, one hand coming down to smooth his hair while the other grips your headboard, “Just keep your tongue out like that, alright? I’ve got the rest handled.
You’re grinding against his face, drenching his tongue again with every movement, working your clit against the long arch of his nose.
He can’t help himself, of course, he starts tongue fucking you within minutes, desperate to taste more of you, to hear more of your moans. Your hand tightens in his hair and he can’t hold back a whimper, vibrating through you in a way that has you working your hips even harder against him.
He loses track of how long you’re there, how many times you’ve come by the end of it. All he cares about is making you feel good, getting more of your pleased moans. The first time you come in his mouth your breath hitches, hard, your voice a little croaky as you tell him, “So fucking good…no one eats pussy like you do.”
He almost comes, his whole body tensing with the concentrated effort to hold it back.
However long it actually takes isn’t enough, and when you finally pull away from his mouth you watch his eyes go wide, goofy smile dropping as he scrambles to wrap his arms around your thighs again, hold you closer to him.
“How pussy drunk are you?” You laugh, push his arms away before shaking your head, “Doesn’t matter. Get up.”
“Up?” He’s licking his lips clean, like you’ve just cut him short on his favorite meal and he wants to get as much of the flavor as he can.
Still laughing, you clamber off the bed and tug him to his feet, then you kneel on it once again, wrapping your arms around his neck as you tell him, “You’re doing a great job, but I’m still having too many thoughts in my head. I need you to make them disappear.”
Jimmy blushes, pleased, “Did you have something in mind?”
You kiss him, hard, and then turn around and lower yourself on to all fours, telling him over your shoulder, “You’re going to pound me into this mattress. Hard as you can. I trust your instincts, but don’t worry, if I want something different I’ll tell you.”
“Yes ma’am,” He scrambles to close the distance between you. His cock was throbbing now, the tip shifted to a dark purple, and he knows that the second he’s inside you that hollow space in his chest will be filled, at least for a while.
Sure, there’s never a moment that he doesn’t enjoy you sitting on his face. But he doesn’t feel fully right again until he’s sliding inside you. Even though your heart isn’t his, at least for now, for a time, your pussy is.
And oh, does it feel right. Yeah, he has to hold back from busting the second his tip is inside you, your pussy greedily sucking him in, your hips pushing back against him. But he’s so glad that he hasn’t gotten any relief up until this point, so entranced with how perfectly you’re squeezing around him.
“Fucking milking my cock,” He tells you, voice raw in a way that it only gets when he’s really desperate, “Oh my god, thank you.”
“For what?” You ask, and he can hear that there’s a tease in your voice even as you bury it into your pillow.
You’re still sopping wet, his cock sliding in and out with incredible ease as he follows your instructions, tries to set a good rhythm as he pounds into you hard. His voice is ragged, as he tries to focus on forming coherent words and not coming yet, “I- fuck, for letting me make you feel good? For letting me have this perfect pussy? Whatever you want to be thanked for, I’m doing it.”
You moan, low and long and almost feral, before you order, “Keep fucking talking like that. And hold my hips tighter. Fuck, come on, don't hold back.”
His grip becomes iron-clad, letting his stream of consciousness flow as he thrusts harder, deeper, "Best way to wake up ever. Nothing feels better than, fuck, than being right where I belong. Wherever makes you feel good. Thank you for letting me make you feel so fucking good.”
It was probably too far, too intimate of a thing to say, but he hopes that that’s undercut by the fact that he's slamming into you, maybe more roughly than he ever has. If you do think it's too intimate you don't comment on it, overswept suddenly with what he thinks is one of the hardest orgasms he's ever seen. He may be a little biased, but he thinks that since he's being so normal about this, he's probably right.
The noise that comes out of you is going to end up in his dreams, he knows it. Halfway to a scream, so full of satisfaction that he almost comes as soon as you do. He would have, probably, if you hadn't choked out, muffled in the pillow, "Please, please don't stop yet."
He bites his lip as hard as he can, puts all of his concentration into keeping his rhythm going. He fucks you through a second orgasm, then a third, cock throbbing and twitching, tooth digging into his lip so sharply he tastes blood. The only thing that keeps him going through it all is the noises you let out. Both of you are panting, moaning, but you're so wracked with pleasure that you're almost sobbing. The thought that he's making you feel this good (the worry of not knowing the next time he'd get to make you feel this good), is enough to keep him going.
The fourth time that you come, your whole body tensing, your pussy clenching around him so tightly he can feel it pulsating, he feels something in him snap, "I can't- I've gotta- fucking perfect- please I'm gonna-"
"Please," You are sobbing now, no longer just trembling but actually shaking, all over, "Please, I want you to, so bad, please-"
The rhythm is gone, his hips stuttering as he practically shoves his cock into you. He keeps going, even as he comes, grip on you so tight that he actually thinks it might leave bruises. He can't hold in a feverish moan, but still he keeps going, sliding through you with even more ease as his own cum mixes with the sopping wetness of your pussy.
He's mindless, inelegant, more desperate than he thinks he's ever been. You start to squirm, your noises pushing whinier, starting to wriggle away. Jimmy doesn't even think about loosening his grip, just pulls you back against him, voice scraped thin and choked, "Not just yet. Not done with you yet."
You're coming again, or maybe still coming from the last time, he isn't certain. All he notices is the way you're still mindlessly grinding against him, even as your cries grow almost feral. All he cares about is that it pushes him to keep fucking you through one of the longest orgasms he's ever had.
He goes until he feels almost certain he has nothing left to give, and then he manages to go a little longer, goes until you're gasping and shuddering and finally bring a hand back to grab at his thigh, breath heavy, "Okay, fuck, okay, thank you."
He stills, slumps over your back, breathes hotly in your ear, "That okay?"
There's a long moment of silence before you sigh, "Perfect. Thank you."
"You think we could sleep just a little bit longer?" He asks, distracting himself from his urge to nuzzle into you by pressing languid kisses to the back of your neck.
"No, no," You pat his leg, a smile in your voice, "We've got to get up and seize the day. We've been lucky enough to have a good start."
It physically pains him to pull out of you, but he does it. Both of you hiss at the overstimulation, and you unconsciously shifted back to follow him as he pulled away. Jimmy is pretty sure he deserves a medal for managing to bring a hand to your lower back and still you, for forcing himself to actually leave your tight warmth and roll off of you.
"Seriously, thank you. You always know what I need, better than anyone else," You grinned, pressed a kiss to the bridge of his nose, "You really are the best friend."
You're clearly being a little teasing, but it's still sobering for Jimmy. A reminder that you're not really his, not in the way that he finally realizes he really wants you to be.
"Extra large coffee today," He says, taking a deep breath and then standing up.
"Oh, absolutely," Your laugh makes a tingle of warmth run through his body, "Don't get me wrong, you wore me out. But you know, a lot of people say that a morning workout is a secret to success."
"And that was a workout?" He catches your gaze with a smirk.
You're grinning, giggling at your own joke before you even make it, "Well, I'm certainly going to be sore."
He wants to put his arm around you. Instead, he smacks you lightly on the shoulder, knowing that's what's normal.
"It really was a fun way to start the morning, either way," Jimmy does allow himself to press a kiss to your forehead before he rubs his jaw, heads to the bathroom.
There's a softness in your voice that he misses, too caught up in himself, "Yeah. The best."
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The walk to work is pleasant, the morning air a little crisp, a sign of the impending autumn. Jimmy listens to you tell some funny story from your childhood that he’s heard at least twice before, laughing at your exaggerated expressions and hand motions. Because he’s being normal, he tries hard not to stare at you the entire time, although it’s difficult.
He does pick your favorite coffee shop to stop at, and you two get into an argument over who should pay. You say that you should because him staying over was a favor (he doesn’t tell you how wrong that is), he says that he should because…well he doesn’t really have a reason he can give. He just wants to. In the interest of being normal, he finally agrees to each pay for your own drink, although he can’t help but buy a pastry you’ve been eyeing, too.
“We’re splitting it,” You announce, tearing it in half before he can protest.
Normal or not, there’s no way for him to stop himself from staring as you lick the icing off of your fingers, humming delightedly.
When you look at him, oblivious to his thoughts, you pause, "I'm sorry, do you want some?"
The last sugar-encrusted finger is pressed against his lips before he can deny it, and he can't stop himself from taking it into his mouth, swirling his tongue around it. You beam (this is all very normal, he reminds himself as he gazes in to your smiling eyes), then tug on his sleeve, "Come on, let's get to work before your coffee gets cold."
"Yes ma'am," Jimmy gives a mock salute, and if his voice comes out a little hoarse you don't seem to notice it.
When you get to the Daily Planet, you reach down and squeeze his hand, and Jimmy can tell by your eyes that it's a silent thank you, although whether it's for this morning or last night or something else he isn't sure. All he knows is that his breath catches in his chest, and he pretends to trip on nothing to cover it up.
"Woah, buddy," Your hands fly to his shoulders, bracing him, which is almost worse, laughter in your voice even as your brows knit together in concern, "You okay there, clumsy?"
"Of course," He straightens up, feels actual pain in his chest when you pull away from him even as he winks, voice teasing, "What can I say? Something's got my legs a little tired."
"Jimmy!" You really laugh now, smack him on the chest playfully, "What am I going to do with you?"
(Anything, he thinks. Everything.)
You're already shifting into work mode as he rides the elevator up with you, muttering to yourself about your to-do list as you pull your planner out of your bag to check it. From the way that you're reciting it before you even have it out, Jimmy is pretty sure you already have it memorized, but he doesn't mention it. Or rather, he does start to tease you about it, but the words die in his throat when you flip to today's page and he sees "Date with J. Sneakers or heels?" scrawled in your frantic writing at the bottom of the page.
His breath catches again, and he takes a sip of his coffee to hide it. When the elevator dings open you give him a little wave before you're off to Perry's office to check in on any morning responsibilities. Jimmy breathes out slowly through his teeth, hoping his smile doesn't look as wary as it feels, and waves back. Normal.
He sees Clark look up at him as he trudges to his desk, wheeling his chair over to greet him as he sits down. Jimmy sinks into his own chair without acknowledgment, but his friend doesn't seem to mind.
"Are you okay?" Clark asks, voice low and concerned, "I heard your-well, you just seem a little off.
Jimmy sighs, scrubs his hand down over his face, considers telling Clark everything for a moment before he catches himself, "I'm fine. Hey, do you want to go out tonight?"
Clark's brow furrows, "Go out where?"
"I don't know, a bar? A movie? A restaurant? Whatever you want, man."
Clark's voice is apologetic, his glance toward Lois entirely unsubtle, "I'm sorry, I've got plans tonight. Is a raincheck okay?"
"Of course," Jimmy sighs, looks away from Clark's worried gaze, "Have fun."
"If something's going on, and you need me to cancel-"
Jimmy cuts him off, "No. Everything is fine. I just thought it might be fun."
Clark doesn't protest further, although Jimmy knows he wants to. Just pats his shoulder, hand big and heavy, and tells him, "Let me know if you change your mind. I'm here for you."
Jimmy doesn't need to tell his best friend how much that means to him, so he just nods, wishing he wasn't so tired.
Clark rolls back to his desk. An intern replaces him not even a minute later, shy and smiling and oblivious to the mood.
"Hi, Jimmy," Her voice falls squarely between friendly and coquettish.
"Hey," He turns in his chair a little, takes a long look at her. She's pretty, not as pretty as you, but certainly nothing to scoff at. He thinks for a moment, probably not long enough, before he asks, "Would you want to do something after work tonight?"
"Oh my god, really?" Her words come out in a rush, then she seems to catch herself, collect herself, "I mean, I would love to."
He hands her his phone, open to create a new contact, "If you want to give me your number, we can work out the details. I kind of have to get going on some work, but I should have time to text."
"That sounds great," She makes the contact, hands the phone back to him with a grin, "I can't wait."
Jimmy can't help but feel a little guilty at her excitement. He isn't so lacking in self-awareness that he doesn't know he's asking her out for the wrong reasons. But he does lack enough self-awareness that it's not too hard for him to reason his way out of the guilt. He goes out on dates all the time, even ones he knows probably won't work out. Everyone knows it, certainly all the interns know it with the way they're always watching him. She (he glances at the contact information), Lauren, has to know that it's not a big deal. He's certainly not going to make it a big deal.
He sighs as he gets to work, ignoring the disapproving look that he knows Clark is giving him. This, if nothing else, is normal, even if the thought isn't as comforting as he'd hoped it would be.
The day is busy, doesn’t give him a lot of time to think, and he’s grateful for that.
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The next day is slow, for the Planet. Not a lot going on. Not enough to distract him from staring at you whenever you walk by.
Lauren lingers at his desk for a while, thanking him for the fun night.
It had been fun, he had to admit to himself. She was sweet, a little awkward, but it was mostly endearing. When she invited him in to her apartment at the end of the evening he had hesitated, wondered if you were doing the same with your date, and then accepted.
That was fun too, all things considered. They’d made out for a while, hot and heavy on the couch, and after a little of Lauren’s not so subtle hinting he had fingered her. Her reactions, the sounds she made, fell short of yours by a mile, but he was still happy to do it, still liked that he was making her feel good. The evening had been nice, might have even prompted a second under normal circumstances, but he knew that wasn’t going to happen, so getting her off felt like the least he could do. It wasn’t until her hand had made its way to his crotch, started to fiddle with his zipper, that he had stood up, brushed himself off with a smile, and told her, “I probably need to head out. Thanks.”
Luckily, although her voice had been hopeful when she approached him, Lauren didn't seem too concerned either way. She was nice. He felt another pang of guilt hit him at the thought, but pushed it aside.
The day stretched on, on, on. Late morning, Clark leaned back in his chair, asked, "Do you want to get out of here for a little bit for lunch?"
"Desperately," Jimmy told him, grateful for the idea, for the break from how stifling the office suddenly seemed.
It got more stifling when Cat dragged you over to Lois's desk, asking, "How was the date with Mr. Museum?"
Lois kept working, but asked, "Mr. Museum?"
"They met at the art museum," Cat gushed, "Isn't that the cutest thing you've ever heard?"
Jimmy spun in his chair to watch the exchange, noticed that Clark did too.
“Jack,” You corrected, but then your face broke into a smile, “It was really good, actually. Best date I’ve been on in…I don’t know how long.”
“You’re going out with some guy you met at a museum?” Clark asks, his tone uncharacteristically judgmental.
Because he’s being totally normal, Jimmy responds before you can, “An art museum actually seems like a pretty good place to meet someone. It’s not like she picked him up at a sex shop.”
Shrugging, Clark has a tinge of a blush on his features when he looks first at Jimmy and then back at you, “Sorry. It’s just not what I would’ve pictured, that’s all.”
“I’m more surprised by his name,” Lois cuts in, although she still isn’t looking up from her computer, “I thought you said that men with ‘J’ names are secretly monsters.”
You laugh, “Okay, I did say that, and it is mostly true, but-”
“Hey!” Jimmy protests, pleased with the way you grin at his over dramatic pout.
“But the exceptions prove the rule!” You snicker, “You big baby.”
He sticks his tongue out at you, delighted again when you do it back. You really are his best friend, and he thinks that as long as he gets to keep having you as his best friend, as long as you’re happy, that’s all he really needs. That thought disappeared within a minute.
“More details, please,” Cat presses a hand to your arm, brings the conversation back around, “What did you guys do? Is he cute? Are you doing it again?”
“He took me to that new steakhouse on George Street,” You’re grinning, barely contained excitement on your features, “And he wants to pick me up for lunch today.”
Jimmy wants to throw up.
Lois finally drags her eyes away from her screen, an eyebrow raised as she looks at you, “That place is really nice, isn’t it?”
“So fancy they don’t even have the prices on the menu,” You lean down to her a little bit from where you’ve settled on her desk, “You know how I always split the costs on dates? Well, he wouldn’t let me. Said he was going to the bathroom and covered the whole tab.”
You look incredible, because of course you do. Your hair is neat, you’ve got your jewelry on, and your top is the perfect color, complimenting your features and making your eyes stand out. You’re even wearing a skirt again, modest in length but form fitting in all the best ways. It makes the other night flash in his brain, a comforting pleasantry as he remembers having his head buried under your skirt, of having you wrapped around his cock while you were still wearing it. Then it occurs to him that you might be dressing a little nicer today for your lunch date, and it hits like a punch to the gut.
“A gentleman! Always a lucky find these days,” Cat almost seems more excited than you do.
Clark has taken to playing with a pen, like he’s being casual, but he raises a finger in protest at that, “I don’t think it’s very gentlemanly to ignore a woman’s autonomy like that. He should’ve respected what she wanted to do.”
“You can chill a little,” Jimmy breathes out, voice so quiet that he’s more or less just mouthing the words, but he knows Clark can hear it.
You laugh, nod, “I won’t lie, I would’ve rather he just let me pay for mine, but I’m kind of glad I didn’t have to see how much it cost. And he was a gentleman at the end of the night. Didn’t even ask to come up to my apartment, just walked me to the building and asked if I’d want to go to lunch.”
“Oh, he didn’t try to pressure you into something just because he spent money on you? What a saint,” He grumbled.
“Clark,” Lois admonishes, voice sharp.
“I’m just saying,” He looks at you, still blushing a little as he says, “You should have high standards. Be with someone who really cares about you, listens to you. The best romantic relationships have a strong foundation in friendship.”
Jimmy, again too quiet for anyone without super hearing to pick up on it, sighs out, “You’re not being very chill.”
“I appreciate your concern, Clark,” Your brows are furrowed, voice more confused than annoyed, “But I can decide who I want to date. He was nice, he was cute, and he actually seems to like me. He’s like, the only guy who actually seems to like me.”
Clark opens his mouth, then closes it, ears tinged pink. Finally, he mumbles, “You’re right, sorry.”
There’s a sour pit welling up in Jimmy’s stomach, a bile that’s creeping up his throat. This guy, who you barely know, he’s the only guy who seems to like you? Jimmy doesn’t understand how you could think that. Then he realizes that there’s no reason for you to think otherwise, and the thought hits him like a brick to the forehead, guilty and jealous and guilty for the jealousy all at once, at the idea of this guy, this Jack, making you feel more cared for than he does.
He doesn’t realize that he’s zoned out, that you’ve left for your stupid lunch date, that Lois and Cat have walked away. Doesn’t realize until Clark’s hand is on his elbow, gesturing to the elevator with his head, “Come on, pal, let’s go get that lunch.”
Jimmy frowns, shakes his head, still feeling nauseous, “I’m not really hungry.”
Clark tugs him to a standing position, “Come with me anyway.”
When they step onto the elevator, when the doors close and it’s just the two of them alone, separate from the rest of the world, Jimmy feels the strongest urge to cry that he thinks he’s ever had. With no warning, Clark’s arm is thrown clumsily around him, pulling him in for a hug as he pats him awkwardly. He doesn’t see Clark hit the button to stop the elevator, but he feels it shudder to a standstill, and then that other giant arm is wrapped around him.
Jimmy manages to hold himself together, barely, although he can’t stop his voice from shaking, “I’m fine, I’ll be fine.”
"You don't have to be," Clark says, and the dam bursts.
Jimmy Olsen was not a crier. He tears up sometimes, sure. But he's always been far more likely to cry from laughing too hard than from truly feeling sad. So he's not prepared for the tears that pour down his face in waves, for the heat of the pressure headache that pricks behind his eyes immediately, certainly not for the low, almost wailing sob that comes out of him, unlike any sound he thinks he's ever made before. It's strange to him, that this might be the most he's ever cried, but it hits him starkly that he's never felt this simultaneously pent up and desolate in his life.
Then Clark speaks up again, clearly trying to keep his voice as light as he can, "Your teeth started grinding again as soon as Cat asked her about the date. You've been...sighing more. Groaning more. Not to mention the crazy things your heartbeat has been doing. At this point, I could practically hear your tears moving through the ducts."
It's not really funny, but Jimmy laughs anyway, and the sharp inhale he takes reminds him he needs to breathe in. It's awkward, shuddering and half snorted, but he takes a few heaving breaths.
He's getting Clark's shirt all wet, tears still streaming slick and salty down his face, the fabric dampening against the skin pressed against it. He considers feeling apologetic, but Clark's squeezing tightens around him, and Jimmy finally brings his arms around the bigger man's waist so he can squeeze back. Jimmy is vaguely aware of Clark speaking into the elevator phone, quiets enough to keep himself from being heard as Clark tells someone that there's something wrong with the elevator, then listens for a minute and hangs up with a sigh, tightening his grip around Jimmy again.
"They said it would take a couple hours for maintenance to get here," Clark's head rests on top of Jimmy's, which is still buried against his chest. One of his hands rubs soothingly between Jimmy's shoulder-blades, "So you've pretty much got as long as you need. If you need to talk. Or just...do this. Or whatever."
They stood like that for a long time, Jimmy sobbing into Clark’s shirt. He’s not sure how long it actually is, but when he finally pulls away he feels like he’s been wrung out, exhausted and dehydrated.
“I made this happen,” He tells Clark as he sinks to the ground, huddling himself into the corner of the elevator.
Clark sits next to him, close enough that the heat of his body presses against Jimmy, but he doesn’t reach out for him, holds his hands carefully in his lap like he doesn’t want to be too forward. The care he takes is so quintessentially Clark that it makes Jimmy snort, ugly and loud and ringing in his ear.
Then the bigger man asks, voice gentle, “How did you make this happen?”
Another set of floodgates open, word vomit that comes out thick and heavy. Jimmy tells him everything. He can’t help it. About being friends with you, and then realizing how hot you were. About your arrangement. About getting closer, until you managed to tie with Clark for the title of best friend. About how watching movies for background noise to make out had turned into just watching movies together. About nights spent at each other’s places, about how he felt having you in his arms. About how every date he went on had started being compared to you in his head, even if unconsciously. About never feeling less stressed than when he was with you. About you washing his hair. About staying up all night just at hearing you had a date. About the knife that had twisted in his chest when you said that guy was the only person who liked you.
“You kept calling me lovesick, said I was addicted to love, but I wasn’t, I really wasn’t,” He looks up at Clark with glassy eyes, “And then all of a sudden…I was.”
Clark’s lips are pursed, clearly thinking hard as he nods. Then he lets out a long suffering sigh, “You really did kind of set yourself up for failure here, huh?”
"I've been trying to be normal. Like everything is the way it's supposed to be. It's not a failure to have what I have. It's still better than anything I've had before, I'm still lucky to have it. But I don't know...I don't know what to do. I don't know how to be normal anymore."
"Have you considered telling her?" Clark asks, his tone gentle but almost admonishing, like this should be obvious but he doesn't want to make Jimmy feel bad.
"I can't just tell her," He shakes his head, feeling another batch of tears start streaming hot and insistent down his face, "I can't lose what we have. She doesn't see me like that. If I tell her I do, it'll freak her out, and that'll be the end of everything."
"So it's better to be miserable?"
"Than to lose my best friend?" Jimmy hesitates, laughs a little, "Present company notwithstanding, I mean. Yeah, it's better to be miserable and still have what I have than to be miserable all alone."
He means it, too. It comes out without a thought, but it's true all the same.
They sit in silence for a while. Clark stretches one arm out, an offering, and Jimmy can't help but tuck himself into his friend's side, the tears coming harder again. Clark pats his shoulder, awkward but comforting. He doesn't push, just waits, lets Jimmy cry.
"I'll pay for you to get this dry cleaned," Jimmy says when he can finally speak again, sniffling and croaky, fingers running over the tear stains on Clark’s jacket.
Clark laughs softly, "Not necessary. Listen, why don't we get out of here? We can play hooky this afternoon."
Jimmy's lip twitches, curls a little, and he jokes half-heartedly, "If this is you coming on to me, your timing is terrible."
This time Clark's chuckle is deeper, comes from his belly, "You can't blame a guy for trying. Seriously, come on. We can go do whatever you want."
"I want to day drink," Jimmy tells him, half serious and half joking.
"I'm not sure that's a healthy way to process the feelings you're having," Clark sighs, "But I guess I did say whatever you want."
He stands. Stretches, his giant frame taking up half the elevator as he bends to crack his back. Then he hits the button again, the elevator suddenly moving.
"Are we gonna get in trouble?" Jimmy asks, standing too.
Clark waves his hand more casually than he's ever seemed before about breaking work rules, "The elevator fixed itself. You got motion sick. I'm the dutiful friend. It's fine."
"You really are a good friend, you know that, right?" It comes out quiet, like it might be rejected. It's not something they usually say out loud.
"Oh, I'm the best, I know," Clark shoots him a grin, then softens, "You're my best friend too, Jimmy. I'm always here for you. Now let's go get you rehydrated so you can get dehydrated again."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They spend the rest of the day together. They end up at some rundown bar, not particularly nice, but it doesn't need to be. Clark does what he can to be uplifting, but mostly he's just there, and that's enough. He lets Jimmy borrow his handkerchief to wipe his face off, then lets him hold on to it, just in case he needs it again.
Jimmy wants more than anything to forget what's going on, but he can't stop mentioning you anyway, can't stop himself from bringing you up. Clark tries to make jokes sometimes, but mostly he just listens, patient and dutiful.
You start texting not long after they leave. At first just a "You okay?" that builds into more questions, little jokes, and it's obvious you're getting a little anxious. Jimmy does feel bad for not texting you back, but he can't bring himself to do it until he's several drinks deep, swaying a little in his seat, and you tell him that you were hoping to hang out tonight, even mention that you’re going to keep your work clothes on. The thought makes him hot and cold all at once. He ignores it though, knows that there’s certainly no way he can see you tonight, not in the state that he’s in.
I'm fine, don't worry about me. Busy tonight. Busy weekend. But I'll see you Monday
He debates adding a heart to the end. It's something you two do, especially when one of you can't hang out, it is normal. But it feels heavier, almost dangerous, now. He sends one separately, after the message has already gone through, and then he turns off his phone.
"She's so beautiful," He's a couple more drinks in, leaning heavily into Clark's side, words slurring, "Have you ever seen someone so beautiful?"
"Let's get you something to eat," Clark pats his shoulder, signals to the bartender, "You guys have food, right?"
The bartender gives an appraising look. They're not the only patrons in the bar, but there aren't many. He points at Jimmy, face blank, "What's his problem?"
“No, no, I’m not hungry,” Jimmy says, like he’s hearing the conversation on a delay. Then he blinks, hard, and lights up suddenly, “Do you think they have chicken tenders? She makes the best chicken tenders. I don’t know how she does it, but I’d marry her just for those.”
Raising an eyebrow, the bartender asks, “Woman troubles, huh?”
“The most beautiful woman in the world,” Jimmy’s voice is still excited, “Let me-oh, I turned my phone off. Clark, do you have a picture of her? Show him a picture of her. She’s so beautiful. The beautifulest.”
“I believe you, son. Let me go talk to our cook.”
He disappears into what must be the kitchen, reappears after a little bit. Jimmy’s drink is drained, and the bartender takes another long, appraising look at the situation before he asks, “Need another?”
“Please,” Jimmy says.
“And a glass of water,” Clark adds.
The gruff man returns with both, sets them in front of Jimmy, and asks, a little softer, “First heartbreak?”
“First love,” Clark nods, “He’s, uh, having a little bit of a rough time.”
“Most people aren’t here at 3:00 PM unless they’re having a rough time,” The bartender chuckles dryly, “She find another man?”
“How’d you know?” Jimmy asks, hiccuping.
“Before my wife was my wife, she was just some girl I couldn’t stop drooling over. I was too scared to tell her anything. First time she brought her new boyfriend to hang out with all our friends, I did the exact same thing you’re doing right now.”
Jimmy straightens up a little, something solemn in his eyes, “How’d she end up your wife?”
“Took a while. I cried a lot, I won’t lie. Got angry a lot. They got engaged, and I really thought it was gonna kill me. Then one day I just took a hard look at myself, told myself to grow up, and I went and told her that I loved her. Said that it didn’t have to change anything, if she was really happy with him, but that he’d never love her like I did.”
“And then she married you?”
“Well, then she slapped me,” He laughed, fondness in his eyes, “She’s a spitfire. But then a week later she called me up, told me that she’d broken things off. Asked me if I’d want to get dinner, have a talk. Best phone call I’ve ever gotten.”
“I’d do anything for this to end up like that,” Jimmy felt his lip start to tremble, rubbed at his eyes stubbornly, “She’s perfect, and I ruined everything, and now she’s gonna probably end up marrying this stupid rich asshole without ever even knowing how I feel about her.”
The bartender pauses, raises an eyebrow, “You haven’t told her?”
“I can’t,” He shook his head, dizzyingly hard, then had to steady himself against the bar.
“Well, I can’t guarantee anything for you. I got more lucky than I’ve ever been, ending up with my wife. But I’ll tell you two things, if you’ll hear them,” The older man looked so serious that Jimmy straightened up in his seat as he nodded, “First off, do you trust this woman? Is she smart? Got a good head on her shoulders?”
“More than I’ve ever trusted anyone,” Jimmy breathes, “Smartest woman in the world. Smartest, prettiest, perfectest.”
“Then it only seems fair that you let her decide what she wants, and she can’t fully know that if she doesn’t have all the information. It’s not right to hold her pick against her when she doesn’t even have all the options. If you really respect her, it should be enough to tell her the truth.”
“You don’t get it. I’ve told her before that I don’t want romance with her. Told her I’m not the kind of guy who falls in love. And she likes what we have! I can’t mess things up by switching everything around on her. If I ruin our friendship, I ruin my last chance to be happy.”
“There are always more chances to be happy, you just have to be willing to look for them,” The bartender shakes his head, “But that’s the second piece of advice. Tell her or don’t tell her, wait a day or ten years, whatever you want to do. But there’s a little piece of hurt inside you that’s never going to go away until you’re honest with her.”
He hands Jimmy another drink, although the one he has isn’t done yet, and walks away before he can respond, back to the kitchen. Jimmy is crying again, silent tears streaming down his face. He mops them up with Clark’s handkerchief, drains the rest of his drink previous, then half of the next one, and then turns out his big friend with an only slightly manic laugh, “Well that guy is weird, right? Anyway, did I tell you about how soft her hands are? Have you felt how soft her hands are? She’s so soft.”
Clark shakes his head as Jimmy tears off on another tangent about you, gesticulating wildly although his movements are all a beat behind his words. He loves Jimmy, he really does, but he can’t help but wonder if his friend will ever bother to try and help himself, or keep brushing that off as an impossibility, wallow in longing despair forever. He hopes it’s the former.
“Maybe I should tell her,” Jimmy says, suddenly.
Clark feels a flash of hope.
Then Jimmy scrambles to get his phone out, nodding to himself, “Yeah! I’ll call her right now!”
“Uh, maybe not right now,” Clark’s hope is replaced by panic. As much as he wants Jimmy to talk to you about this, right now definitely isn’t the time.
“Why not?” Jimmy stares, unblinking, at Clark, eyes glazed over in the way of someone so inebriated they should probably be laying down. Then he looks at his phone, frowns, “This stupid thing isn’t working. The screen is just black. Give me your phone so I can call her?”
Clark feels an incredible wave of relief that Jimmy had turned his phone off. He pats him on the shoulder, reassuring as he can be, “How about you wait and call her tomorrow? I still think you should tell her, just not right now.”
“She’s perfect,” Jimmy says, which isn’t really an answer.
“I know, pal. Why don’t you tell me a little more about why she’s so perfect, huh?”
It’s a conversational suicide bomb and Clark knows it, but the way Jimmy lights up at the opportunity is enough to make the next ten minutes of drunken rambling worth it.
He’s still waxing poetic about you when the bartender finally returns, sets a giant plate of chicken tenders and fries in front of him. He’s already reaching to grab one even as he says, “Did I order these? I’m not hungry.”
“Can we just add this to our tab?” Clark asks, pushing the plate a little closer to Jimmy.
The bartender grunts, replaces Jimmy’s now two empty glasses with a new drink, “Food is on the house.”
“Really? That’s very kind.”
“Just trying to get the kid to shut up for a little bit,” He says it matter-of-factly, but there’s a hint of a smile on his face all the same.
Clark watches Jimmy eagerly tear through his food, oblivious to the conversation happening around him, and he can’t help the chuckle that spills out of him, “I think maybe I should pay you extra for that.”
The bartender gives him a serious look, "Just keep an eye on him, huh? He seems like he's gonna need a good friend tonight."
"Of course," Clark smiles a little, patting Jimmy on the arm, "I always try to be."
At the end of the long night, with Jimmy stumbling and teary again, half walking and half being carried by Clark, they make their way back to Jimmy's apartment. Clark gets him into bed, props him up with a pillow, and sighs as he lays down on the couch. Just in case Jimmy needs him.













