Good Enough - Part 1
The Taste of Tomorrow - Part 2
Clark Kent x female reader
Synopsis: Clark Kent never thought Loisâs shy best friend would steal his attention more than Superman ever could. Between stolen glances, nervous laughs, and cupcakes shared at midnight, Clark finds himself caught between two identitiesâhero and reporterâand one girl who makes his heart stumble more than any villain ever could.
Warnings: fluff, slow burn, office teasing, shy!reader, Superman identity angst, awkward!Clark, light jealousy
WC: 4,500 words approx.
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Clark would never use Superman as an excuse to get close to someone. That was something he repeated to himself, because he was committed to his responsibility. And yet, he never thought that Loisâs best friendâthree years younger than him, in charge of taking photos for the newspaperâwould end up catching his attention more than he had imagined.
To him, you were one of the most peculiar people he had ever met: kind with him, with Lois, with Jimmy, but serious with everyone else. You werenât rude, not at all, it was just that your shyness was sometimes mistaken for disinterest. You tried to fit in during office gatherings, but in the end you usually failed and ended up staying behind, glued to Lois, watching the rest with that expression that seemed to say you didnât want to talk to anyone. Jimmy laughed at you, pointing out with a: âBut itâs my normal faceâ, and although you insisted it wasnât on purpose, the truth was that this distance made you different.
However, when your eyes met Clarkâs in the middle of the crowd, everything changed. Your lips curved into a shy, soft smile, one that seemed to hold an entire world only for him. And that alone was enough to make his heart race.
Clark had begun to notice the small details: the tremor in your leg when you were nervous, how you bit your nails in silence, the way you wet your lips while reading a document with full concentration. And your dimple⊠that one dimple that only appeared on the left side when you laughed for real, out loud, revealing that hidden part of you. It was such a simple gesture, yet it left him completely absorbed.
Of course, he never found the right moment to talk to you. It wasnât that you avoided him, it was more that he hadnât found the courage to come up with a convincing excuse. Until one random afternoon, he heard it.
You were at the printer area with Lois, chatting as you picked up your papers. Clark didnât mean to listen, but the mention of a certain name made him stop.
âSuperman? I didnât see that coming from you. You look like anything but a fangirl.â Loisâs mocking voice floated in the air.
You shook your head, smiling nervously.
âIâm not saying Iâm a huge fan⊠I donât read that much about him. Just the articles Clark writes.â
Clark, passing by with some papers in his hand, almost tripped.
Lois raised an amused eyebrow. âJust that? And what about the videos of his interviews? And your Pinterest searches? Because I havenât forgotten that Superman aesthetic board.â
Your cheeks burned instantly. âDonât blame me⊠most people are attracted to him.â
âAre you in love with a superhero?â Lois asked, with that mix of sarcasm and mischief only she could pull off.
You laughed, bringing a hand to your face to cover your blush. That nervous, fragile laughâone Clark had never heard beforeâhit him straight in the chest. He looked up and saw you like that: blushing, embarrassed, trying to deny it⊠for him? No, not for him. For Superman.
âI⊠no. Well⊠I donât know.â You stammered, laughing again as Lois burst into laughter, giving you a playful push on the shoulder.
Clark pressed his lips together, trying to hide it. But something inside him shifted. Not because you liked Superman, but because it was the first time he had ever heard you talk about that topic with such honesty, the first time he saw your unfiltered laugh. And in that moment, more than ever, he knew he wanted to hear you laugh again.
And that was how you came to know him: the hero you had only seen in headlines until then, the one you kept in a small improvised logic on your desk. A keychain hanging from your monitor, a notebook with the emblem you had bought at a second-hand bookstore, and a blue pen with the âSâ that stood out among your things.
One afternoon, Clark noticed it.
âWhere did you buy that notebook?â he asked in his soft, almost curious tone, pointing at the one you used for newsroom notes.
You looked up, slightly embarrassed. âUh⊠at the stationery shop on the corner. Why?â
Clark smiled, scratching the back of his neck as if trying to hide something. âI like it⊠maybe Iâll get one just like it.â
He did the very next day, without you knowing.
The first time Superman appeared in your life was on a cold night, at some random corner of Metropolis. You were leaving a store when a mugger tried to snatch your bag. You barely had time to scream before feeling a whirlwind of air and seeing him: the red cape, the steady eyes, and the certainty that radiated from him.
"You're safe now, miss," he said as he set you down, his voice deep and calm.
You looked at him wide-eyed, your heart racing. Your face flushed instantly, though all you managed was a clumsy nod.
"Are you all right?" he insisted, leaning slightly closer to get a better look. He thought you were in shock from the robbery, but the truth was you were nervous because of how close he was.
"Yes⊠I mean, yes. Thank you." You barely managed to get it out, in a thin voice, expressionless, without a smile.
Superman held your gaze for a few seconds before flying off again into the city lights. And although nothing more happened, the next day Lois was already teasing you at the office.
"Are you going to tell me you couldnât even say hello to him?" she laughed, while Jimmy whistled behind her. Clark, silent, smiled almost imperceptibly as he listened to you.
The second encounter happened unexpectedly. It was eleven at night, and the last bus had already left. The newsroom was empty, the lights of the Daily Planet were slowly going out, and you walked down a lonely street with your arms pressed tightly against your chest.
Then you saw him. The unmistakable silhouette descending from the sky, cape billowing.
This time you gathered your courage.
âThank you⊠for the other night.â Your voice trembled, but your lips curved into a shy smile.
He looked surprised, as if he hadnât expected you to speak. âThereâs no need to thank me. Iâm just doing my job.â
âNo. I really want to thank you.â You looked into his eyes, and for the first time he saw something different in you: sincere gratitude, tenderness, a glow that left him speechless.
From that moment on, Clark began arriving at the Daily Planet on time. He finished his notes promptly, left everything ready, and as soon as he could, he transformed into Superman to be there, in the place where he knew you might need him.
And so a silent routine was born.
Superman in your apartment, listening to you talk about your days. Superman walking you through dark streets up to your front door. Superman on the Daily Planet rooftop, with the cityâs wind surrounding you both while you shared your insecurities, your dreams, your timid laughter.
To you, he was the cityâs hero. To Clark, you were the only person capable of making him hesitate. Every conversation, every smile of yours, was a reminder of how easy it would be to confess everything. But fear held him back: what if you only had eyes for Superman? What if, by showing you he was also Clark, the clumsy reporter, he disappointed you?
Thatâs why he stayed silent.
That night was no exception. From the kitchen, with the warm lights brightening your small apartment, you lifted your gaze and saw him there, floating outside your window. His cape swayed softly in the wind, and as always, he greeted you with a raised hand.
âItâs open, come in,â you said without surprise, already used to his visits.
Superman entered awkwardly, as if, despite having been in your living room so many times, he still felt like an intruder. His boots made a faint sound against the floor. He adjusted his cape nervously and asked in a low voice:
âAre you busy? I can come back laterâŠâ
You quickly shook your head, wiping your hands on your apron. âNo, not at all. Iâm glad youâre here. I baked cupcakes for work and I want your opinion.â
You placed one on a small plate in front of him. Clark smiled when he saw you: you had flour on your cheek and didnât even realize it. That imageâso down-to-earth, so intimateâdisarmed him. To you, Superman was already almost like another friend. To him, it was the only way to be close to you without revealing what he was hiding.
He took the small spoon, cut a piece, and tasted the cupcake while you watched him expectantly. Your smile was nervous.
âSo? What do you think?â you asked, fiddling with your fingers behind the apron.
Clark savored it slowly, then let out a soft laugh.
âAmazing. You should open your own cupcake shop. Iâd even let you use my logo for advertising⊠or maybe I could star in your commercials.â
You couldnât help but laugh out loud, bringing a hand to your forehead. âPerfect, then I already have a sponsor.â
He watched you as you carefully packed more cupcakes into cardboard boxes, your movements almost delicate. And then he couldnât hold back the question burning in his throat.
âAre they for someone special?â
You didnât look up; you calmly kept wrapping. âYes. For the guy I like.â
Clarkâs heart stopped for an instant. Superman stared at you, shocked. The guy you liked? Wasnât it himâyouâwho you blushed about when people mentioned Superman? His chest tightened, confused, while he feigned composure.
âAnd⊠may I know who it is?â he murmured, trying to sound neutral, though his voice betrayed a hint of anxiety.
You turned toward him with an enigmatic smile. âI havenât even told my best friend. I donât want to rush my happiness. Maybe tomorrow⊠if things go well or badly, Iâll consider telling Superman.â
You teased lightly, and that simple joke was enough to pierce him. At the office you barely dared to laugh or greet him, and yet here you were: joking with him as if he were truly part of your daily life.
Clark wished he could celebrate that small triumph, laugh with you, feel he was closer. But he couldnât, because doubt consumed him: if it wasnât Superman you liked, it couldnât be Clark either⊠and heâd have to wait until tomorrow to know the truth.
âThen I wish you luck,â he said with a restrained smile.
You nodded without looking at him, still focused on the boxes. âThanks.â
You packed another small box and handed it to him. âHere, take some. I made too many. Maybe Iâll even give some to my bossâif Iâm lucky, heâll give me a raise.â
You joked lightly, and he accepted the box with clumsy hands.
âThank you,â he repeated, lowering his gaze so you wouldnât see the storm in his eyes. Then he cleared his throat. âGood night.â
He walked toward the window, turning just slightly to see you one last time. You waved, quickly returning to your task as if the scene had already become routine.
Clark, with the small box in his hands and his heart full of questions, launched himself into the night sky. And as the city stretched beneath him, he thought of only one thing: tomorrow.
The next morning, Clark had started his day like any other hero: helping a child recover his runaway puppy, the leash dragging wildly behind it. When he finally returned the little dog safe and sound to the boyâs arms, he sighed in relief and flew back, hurrying more than usual.
He entered the Daily Planet building almost stumbling, adjusting his tie and wiping the sweat from his forehead. The clock still gave him some margin; you hadnât arrived yet. He sat at his desk, staring anxiously at the elevator without even turning on his computer. He was only waiting.
And then, there you were. You walked in carrying a few small boxes in your hands and your bag hanging from your shoulder. The air caught in Clarkâs chest as he saw you walking toward him⊠until you turned and set your bag down on the desk across from his.
âGood morning, Clark.â
His smile was clumsy, just an insecure twitch of his lips. âGood morning,â he whispered, staring at you as you carefully took out one of the boxes.
He even set his pen down on the desk, as if nothing else mattered. But you walked right past him.
âDonât tell me you actually went back into a kitchen after five years⊠for me?â
Jimmyâs voice made him turn. There he was, receiving a box from you with a wide smile.
âShut up, Jimmy,â you teased, and Clark stopped listening. His eyes locked onto his computer screen, pretending to work, though all he could feel was the tightness in his chest.
âHere, Clark.â You placed another box on his desk. âI made some for everyone.â
He glanced up for a second, forcing a polite smile. âThank you, you shouldnât have gone to the trouble.â
âExactly, you shouldnât have made them for everyone,â Lois cut in, raising a brow. âThatâs too many.â
âTry them, I want your opinion,â you said, glancing from Jimmy to Lois, and then to Clark. âNow.â
Jimmy already had half a cupcake in his mouth, exaggerating his approval. âDelicious! Incredible! Not too sweet, but with fruit. Perfect.â
Your laughter filled the room, and Clark felt a pull in his stomach. Lois also took a bite, nodding enthusiastically. âI take it back, bring us some whenever you can.â
âYes⊠they taste good,â Clark finally said, lowering his gaze. The words came out neutral, but inside he recalled the night before, when he had already tasted those same cupcakes in your kitchen.
Routine returned. The noise of keyboards, calls, hurried footsteps. But Clark couldnât focus. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched your interactions. Jimmy spoke to you with ease, effortlessly, without stumbling. He made you laugh with silly jokes, walked with you to the coffee machine, leaned over your desk to show you a picture on his phone. You responded, smiling genuinely, leaning in too, letting yourself go.
Clark clenched his fists beneath his desk. Jimmy didnât stammer. Jimmy didnât trip. Jimmy didnât hide secrets. He was⊠normal. Maybe too normal. And maybe that was exactly what you liked.
All afternoon, between calls and notes, Clark confirmed it: your laughter, your steps in sync with Jimmyâs, the looks you exchanged.
As night fell, Clark convinced himself of something that weighed on him like lead: it wasnât Supermanâs powers that caught your attention. Nor was it his clumsy reporter persona. No. It was you laughing with Jimmy. And maybeâjust maybeâit was Jimmy you looked at with those eyes Clark had always dreamed youâd turn on him.
Even with his heart broken by what he had seen at the office, Clark kept his promise. That night, he returned to your apartment dressed as Superman.
The window was half-open, as usual, but even so, he tapped lightly on the frame before stepping in.
âItâs open, come in,â you answered from the living room.
Clark stepped inside, his cape flowing behind him, but he stumbled slightly on the rug. He shifted nervously, awkwardly, as if suddenly the suit didnât give him any confidence at all. Quietly, he moved toward the kitchen, obeying your gesture. The great Superman in a small kitchen, hunched over, his knees nearly bumping into the cabinets. He tried to sit down and adjust his cape, but nearly fell off the chair. If you had been paying closer attention at that moment, maybe you would have recognized the Clark who was always tripping at the office. But luckily, you didnât notice.
You finished mopping, set the broom and bucket aside, and wiped your hands. You looked at him calmly, as if he were just any other guest.
âDo you want something to drink?â you asked, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear.
He drew in a deep breath, trying to slip into Supermanâs role, but his nervous tone betrayed him. âHow⊠how was your day?â Then, almost in a whisper, he added, âWater, please.â
You smiled at seeing him so⊠human. You filled a glass, set it in front of him, and sat at the table, still drying your hands with a rag.
âIt went great,â you said with a touch of satisfaction.
Clark tried to smile as he drank, but every move looked more like Clark than Superman.
âAnd the man who has your heart⊠did he treat your pastries kindly?â he finally asked, locking his eyes on you.
The question caught you off guard, but you nodded. âYes, actually he told me thatâŠâ
âThat they werenât very sweet, but with fruit, right?â Clark blurted out, lowering his gaze the second he realized his mistake.
You frowned in confusion. He quickly drank more water, as if he could hide his slip that way.
âNo. He told me I shouldnât have bothered.â You whispered with flushed cheeks. âAnd he also said they tasted good. I was expecting more, honestly⊠but well, you know how Clark is.â
Superman nearly spat out the water. He coughed hard, bending to the side. Alarmed, you rushed to grab a napkin and handed it to him with concern.
âAre you okay? Did you hear something? Is there an intruder? Is something bad happening?â
He shook his head quickly, trying to compose himself, though his eyes watered from the coughing.
âClark Kent?â he finally asked in a broken voice, as if he couldnât hold it back.
âNo, Clark Lclerq,â you said sarcastically, rolling your eyes. âThereâs no one else in the newsroom with that name⊠at least that I know of. Hey, are you okay? You almost choked. Can you imagine dying from that? It would be ridiculous. Everyone would say I killed Superman. And worse⊠not because some super-strong villain defeated you, but because you died from a liquid that isnât even poisonous.â
Clark couldnât help but let out a quiet laugh, though he tried to hide it behind the glass. âI⊠Iâm sorry. I just didnât expect that.â
âI know. Iâm good at keeping secrets,â you replied, raising your eyebrows with pride. âBesides, I donât want him to think Iâm crazy. Jimmy said strawberries and mangoes were his favorite fruits⊠but he didnât even notice that.â Your smile faded slightly as you lowered your gaze. âI think⊠he didnât like them that much.â
âTheyâre excellent,â Superman said sincerely, almost tripping over the words. You blushed at his kindness, and he quickly corrected himself with a more neutral tone: âMaybe he was nervous because you gave them to him. Clark is⊠like that.â
âYou think so?â you sighed, shifting in your seat. âI feel like he doesnât even know I exist. I think itâs better to leave it alone. I donât want to bother him.â
âBut you donât even sp⊠talk to him,â he blurted out without thinking, quickly correcting himself with a soft note of reproach. âThatâs what he says.â
You looked at him, puzzled. âClark talks about me with you?â
Clark swallowed hard and nodded slowly.
âAnd why didnât you say anything before? What does he say?â
âWellâŠâ he searched carefully for words, lowering his gaze to the glass he still held. âHe thinks that⊠you like another reporter. Or a photographer. Heâs not sure. And⊠actually, he thought I was your ideal type.â
Your eyes widened and you let out a small nervous laugh. âYou? Well⊠I wonât deny it, youâre handsome.â He flushed even more when you admitted it. âBut Iâve never talked to Clark about anything beyond hello, or pass me the article, or did you see how bad the weather is today?⊠I donât understand why heâd think that.â
âHe doesnât know what to say to you either,â Superman murmured, so quietly it sounded more like a thought slipping out than an actual phrase. âHe probably doesnât know at allâŠâ
You sighed, resting your chin on your hand. âIf he doesnât know⊠then itâs better to let the matter go, right?â
âNo.â
Supermanâs firm tone made you look up. He blinked and quickly softened it. âI mean⊠what if he likes you, and thatâs why he doesnât know how to talk to you? My advice is⊠try talking to him tomorrow. Ask him if he liked your pastries. Just a simple conversation, nothing more.â
You couldnât help but laugh, amused. âI didnât think Superman also gave love advice.â
Clark raised an eyebrow, feigning solemnity, though a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. âI save lives⊠and also everyoneâs love life.â
Your laughter filled the kitchenâlight, sincere.
The next morning, you arrived early. You turned on your computer, placed your bag on the coat rack, and sighed when you saw the empty desk in front of you. Clark wasnât there.
You decided to focus on your emails, though your gaze kept wandering toward the elevator. There was no sign of him.
Until suddenly, a hand rested on your desk, leaving a steaming cup of coffee. You looked up, startled. There he wasâClark, with his glasses slightly crooked and his hair tousled from rushing.
âItâs⊠for the cupcakes,â he mumbled almost inaudibly, clumsily adjusting his glasses.
âThank you.â
You watched him sit at his desk, and although he tried to focus on the computer, the blush on his cheeks gave him away.
âDid you like them?â you asked, recalling the advice Superman had given you the night before.
âYes,â he replied quickly, as if he had rehearsed that single word. He cleared his throat and added, âI⊠ate them all. Almost gave myself a sugar rush.â
Your laughter slipped out, clear and light, making him lower his gaze but smile at the same time.
âI know how to bake cookies,â he suddenly said, and you looked at him in surprise. Clark fidgeted with the pen in his fingers, nervous, glancing down and then pushing his glasses up again in his usual clumsy way. âI could make some for you. I bought ingredients recently and⊠I havenât used them yet.â
Your heart skipped a beat. You barely managed to nod, with a timid smile.
âGood.â
âGood,â he echoed in a faint voice.
âGood,â you repeated, like an echo.
âGood,â Clark insisted, as if his brain had gotten stuck and didnât know what else to say.
âGood!â Lois suddenly exclaimed, snapping her notebook shut and raising her eyebrows with exaggerated drama. âAre you two going to keep playing this little âgood, good, goodâ game, or should I wait until Clark finishes his shy attempt at flirting?â
The silence broke with Jimmyâs loud laughter, nearly choking on his coffee. He coughed, giving Clark a thumbs-up as if cheering him on in the middle of a match.
Both you and Clark blushed at the same time. You quickly grabbed a stack of papers, walking over to Loisâs desk as if that could hide your nervous smile. Clark, on the other hand, hunched behind his computer, lifting the coffee cup to mask the redness on his cheeks.
And yet, the corners of his lips curved into a genuine smile. He didnât care about the teasing or Jimmyâs laughter echoing through the office. In his chest, only one certainty remained: you had accepted his cookies.
For the first time in a long while, embarrassment didnât weigh him down. On the contrary, it gave him a kind of clumsy happiness he couldnât control. Lois could call you lovebirds, Jimmy could laugh until he was breathless⊠none of that erased the image of your timid smile, nor the way you had accepted his offer with a simple âgood,â which for him meant everything.
Clark opened a blank document on the computer but didnât type a word. He pretended to be busy while his mind wandered too far away. He imagined the scene: you tasting his cookies, laughing with your mouth full, asking if he had really baked them himself. He imagined your surprise if one day he told you that, besides saving cities, he had also burned his fingers more than once while trying to cook with his mother in Kansas.
That thought made him smile even more, and he had to hide his face in the coffee cup so no one would notice.
Inside, Clark was already starting to plan the logistics: how to leave the office without raising suspicion, how to get to Smallville without Lois or Jimmy asking why he disappeared in the middle of the day, and most importantly, how to ask his mother for the recipe without admitting that he didnât want to impress all of Metropolis⊠only you.
It was funny, he thought, how he could face villains destroying buildings without flinching, but the idea of baking cookies for you made him feel more nervous than a battle in the sky.
And yet, there he was, happy. Because in the middle of all the awkwardness, you had looked at him differently.
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