#secrect identity

the offices' local radio came through scratchy croon of bing cosby singing a holiday tune, giving the room an oddly cozy, old-fashioned atmosphere. you leaned against the edge fo your desk, speaking animatedly to cat, lois, and even jimmy. "i mean... really he's been everywhere these past few days. toy drives, shelters, the fire station this morning... and even stopped by leo's diner before the city woke up, made sure the tip jar was full. it's like he's everywhere, spreading cheer!" jimmy grinned, leaning forward. "sounds like superman's trying to earn extra brownie points for the holidays. i mean, the guy's basically a saint." his own big ear to eat smile brushing across his freckled face.

cat smirked, adjusting her glasses and giving you a pointed look. "oh, so you like him that much, huh?" her voice was playful, teasing but sharp enough to make your cheeks warm. lois, perched on the edge of her own desk, leaned back with her arms crossed and a mischievous glint in her eyes. "careful, clark might get jealous if he hears you gushing like that." you laughed softly, brushing the comment off, though a subtle fluster of warmth spread through you. "i'm just... noticing the good he's done, that's all. i appreciate it." from across the room, steve's plaful voice chimed in with a teasing drawl. "oh yeah, if you like that sort of thing, miss princess."

your smile faltered for just a moment, and you felt the faintest twinge of fluster rise in you chest. clark, who had been standing nearby pretemding to sort through a stack of papers, froze mid-motion. his glasses perched just so on the bridge of his nose, he adjusted them with the tip of his finger, though his eyes never left you. the office around you became background noise—the chatter, the clacking of keyboards, ringing of phones, it all seemed to blur into a soft hum as clark's gaze sharpened, observing every tiny inflection in your expression. you swallowed, suddenly very aware of him and his presence.

three months in, you still felt the little jolt that came whenever clark's attention was fully on you. and today, there was something more. something careful, watchful, protective. "clark." you whispered softly, almost to yourself. "i'm fine." he stepped slightly closer, the air between you contracting in the smallest, unspoken way. "i know." he said, voice low, calm and measured. "i just-i noticed." his jaw tightened ever so slightly, a subtle flash of possesiveness crossing his expression, though he quickly masked it behind the familiar, mild-mannered calm of clark kent. you glanced back at your co-workers, trying to laugh it off.

even cat's knowing smirk couldn't distract you from the tension humming quietly between you and clark. "i think she's fine." jimmy said, his obliviousness to to the silent battle of attention and sublte energy happening right next to him. "she's more than fine." clark murmured under his breath, just loud enough for you to hear. his shoulder brushed yours slightly, a movement so sublte it could have been accidental, but you knew better. your hand brushed briefly against his as you shifted your papers. clark's thumb moved instinctively to trcae a light circle on your wrist,possesive protective, but impossibly gentle.

your stomach fluttered at the touch, warmth spreading through you like the first sip of hot cocoa on a cold day. "clark..." your voice softlu murmured, trying to tease, trying to keep your voice casual. "you don't have to hover." he smiled softly, not enough to reach his eyes. "i'm not hovering." he said softly, a corner of his mouth twitched ina ghost of a smile. "i'm making sure you're comfortable, safe." a blush crept over your cheeks, and you leaned just a little closer, letting your shoulder brush against his. he didn't move away, in fact, he adjusted slightly, draping his arms over the back of your chair in a protective cocoon. it was sublte but deliberate.

the office seemed to melt around you, leaving only the two of you in a quiet bubble amid the christmas office bustle. cat, not missing a beat, tilted her head and quipped. "careful, clark. you're giving off serious santa-with-the-cookies vibes, and it's boderline threatening in the best way." lois, stifled a laugh behind her hand, eyes flickering between you and clark with an unmistakable curiosity. "i get it now." she murmured, just loud enough to be annoying. "you talk about superman like that, and suddenly kent's hovering like a guard dog." steve, completely oblivious, leaned against your desk with a grin. "yeah, it's kinda adorable.

big superhero crush, huh?" before you could even form a response, clark's chair scraped back, loud, sudden. "that's enough." the bullpen quited in an instant. steve blinked, caught off guard. lois' brows lifted, surprise flickering across her face. clark stood there, broad shoulders squared, jaw tight in a way you'd only seen a handful of times, the way it got when someone crossed a line. "you don't get to comment to her like that." clark said, voice firm, no stutter, no awkward kent softness like usual. "not as a joke, not ever." lois opened her mouth, jimmy's comment trying to ease the tension here.

"clark buddy, relax." his eyes snapped up to jimmy. "no!" he snapped himself, sharper now, eyes flashing. "you relax, olsen." a beat of stunned silence followed. jimmy's grin falters, as cat watches with open interest, lips pursed like she was filing this away for later. steve muttered something under his breath and backed-off, auddenly very interested in his monitor. perry's office door cracked open enough for his voice to carry. "kent." he warned, "bullpen." clark exhaled slowly, visibly reigning himself in. "sorry, cheif." the words were polite, the edge beneath them not so much. he sat back down, the chair creaking underneath his weight, but he didn't dare move away from you.

if anything, clark shifted closer to you. your pulse was loud in your ears as you leaned toward him, voice low. "clark..." you murmured, "you didn't have to-" his voice in a low murmur alike yours cuts you off gently, "yes, i did." his hand finds yours under the desk, fingers warm, steady and possessive. his thumb brushed your knuckles once, in a slow grounding way. "it's... complicated." you said quietly, more to fill the space than anything else. clark's gaze softened immediately when he looked at you. the tension drained from his shoulders, replaces by something private. something only you ever got to see. "it's not complicated..." his said under his breath "just mine."

and your breath hitched then, ever so quietly so no one lese could hear his voice, it came. "you know." he murmured, lips barley moving, "i could hear his heartbeat spike from acorss the room." your eyes widened, a mix of shock and heat flooding to your chest. "clark." you warned. "i could hear yours too." he added softly, a dangerous hintog a smile tugging at his mouth. "son't pretend you weren't affected." you swallow, your cheeks pinked. "your using thst agaisnt me." you stated squeezing his fingers. "only a little." he said his thumb pressing more firmly into your hand. "and only because you're safe with me."

outside, the snow had came to a gentle still, snowflakes drifiting lazily past the windows, blanketing into the snow on metropolis' streets in a quiet white field. the office lights had glowed warm and golden, but the heat curling through you had nothing to do with them. "you know..." you whispered, leaning into him just enough for your hair to brush his shoulder, "you're doing a very good job. even without your cape, superman." clark's lips curved into a slow, knowing smile. "careful." he warned, teasingly. "you know i don't always leave it at home." you laughed softly, your cheek brushing his chest as you leaned closer.

he was solid, steady and unmistakably there. his arm shifted behind you, still protective without being obvious, his own version of restraint. cat smirked from her desk. "wow! someone's taking wprkplace loyalty very seriously." lois rolled her eyes, though there was a small smile tugging her lips there too. "she's glowing, kent. try not to scare the newsroom into thinking you've grown a backbone overnight." jimmy lifted a candy cane like a mircophone. "for the record, i', scared- but i'm also impressed." clark ignored them all, as his hand rose and brushed a strand of hair from your face. tucking it sweetly, behind your ear with deliberate care.

his breath was warm against your temple when he whispered, "i've got you." your fingers intertwined with his, natural as breathing. "for everything." he added quietly. "always, sweetheart." the bullpen noise faded once again, dissolving into a cozy background hum. foreheads brushed, with shared smiles passed between you two like secrects. snow silent as you looked into each other's eyes for the millionth time. bing crosby's voice crooned faintly still on the radio. clark adjusted your scarf once. his touch lingering just enough to make your heart stumble. "i've got you, sweetheart." he repeated, softer still. "and no one else needs to." you pressed into him closer, laughting warmly as a quiet glow formed inside your chest.

"i know." you whispered, "i wouldn't have it any other way, clark." and there, beneath twinking white and mutli coloured lights, surrounded by the smell of ink and stale coffee, with the printer wiring to life and cooling down. surrounded by the snow and frosty ice, with christmas warmth, you knew it was true. the world could be loud and dangerous but also unpredictable. but with your beau, clark kent. you were, protected, chosen, and most importantly his.

author's note cont.

thank you so much for reading this little cozy moment with clark. i had the softest time writing this, snow-outside-the-window energy and all, and i hope it felt like a gentle exhale for you too. thank you for being here, for supporting my writing, and for making this space feel so safe and special. thank you to my mutuals and readers and passer-byers who've been here, hyping me up, and making this whole kinkmas experience feel so warm and special. writing this felt like wrapping myself in a cpzy sweater and letting clark do what he does best: protect quietly but completely. all the love, lae 🍓

~*~ the strawberry patch ~*~