u + me = <3 | clark kent
୨ৎ masterlist
୨ৎ summary: you absolutely love your job at the daily planet without a question. you'll be the first to admit most of your friends are from work. especially clark. you just seem to click. you'd never really paid too much attention to your relationship with him, until a quip from jimmy olsen sends you spiraling.
୨ৎ pairing: clark kent x journalist!reader
୨ৎ warnings/tags: wingman!jimmy olsen AND wingwoman!lois, language, fluff, down bad clark and oblivious reader, and then reader is lwk avoidant :(
୨ৎ word count: 3.0k
୨ৎ a/n: ANNDDD another or3 inspired fic 😂😂😂😂 sorry guys I got busy building my daily bugle lego and forgot to write !! anyways first clark kent fic (so hyped for supergirl too) and enjoy! also if you are an actual journalist or educated in the field I deeply apologize because this is not accurate :( my only qualifications are two semesters of beginning journalism my bad 😞 don't mind any typos I finished this at 2 am and i'm tired
There simply never was (and probably never will be) a dull moment working at the Daily Planet. It seemed like every day, there was something new and novel to report on. In part, that’s why you loved your job. Stories cropped up all the time, and the city held endless treasures to investigate. As of late, the newest gem of Metropolis was their resident superhero, the affectionately named “Superman”. And even more recently, your dear friend Clark Kent had been getting quite a bit of recognition for his stories about Superman. After all, it was quite an impressive feat to score several interviews with the local superhero. Stories like that were headline-worthy, and you couldn’t be prouder of him.
Where exactly do you even begin with the character that is Clark Kent? To keep a long story short, he was one of your best friends. When you were first hired at the Daily Planet, Clark invited you to sit in the empty desk next to him. And with those kind eyes and even kinder smile, how could you refuse? He made easy conversation, shared bits of his lunch with you, and helped make the Daily Planet feel like home. From there, the two of you only grew closer. Quickly, there was nothing that the Daily Planet’s dynamic duo couldn’t handle. You and Clark were more or less joined at the hip. Jimmy even started referring to you as “Woodward and Bernstein” (a bit that Lois and some of the other writers picked up). It was a joke you’d smile and shrug off, and you’d never notice the pink flush that dusted Clark’s face as he awkwardly laughed.
Today, you came into the office and immediately noticed Clark’s dark curls peeking over the cubicle walls. He was engrossed in whatever article was pulled up on his screen, and then yanked out of his trance when you sat down at your desk.
“Morning!” Clark said, smiling. Like always, he seemed to be in good spirits. You were grateful for that, Clark was a breath of fresh air, somehow managing to make everyone’s day just a tad better.
“Good morning to you too! Congrats on your headliner Clark, I saw it this morning!” You said excitedly, swiveling in your chair to face him.
“Ah, it’s nothing,” he mumbled, adjusting his glasses, “How about your opinion piece that just got published? Now that was awesome,” he continued, finally meeting your gaze.
“Oh shut up and take the compliment, Clark,” You retorted, lightly smacking him on the arm as you got up to grab a coffee. You poured out two cups, one for you, and one for Clark. He took his coffee with three sugars, and a little bit of creamer. You kept that little tidbit of information tucked away in the back of your mind for whenever you needed it. Such as now. Turning back around, you almost slammed right into Jimmy Olsen.
“Woah! Hey, where’s my coffee?” Jimmy asked, peering down at the two cups in your hand, with that familiar sarcastic cadence shining through.
“I don’t even know how you like your coffee, Jimmy,” You shook your head, walking past him.
“My bad, I forgot you and Clark shared a brain,” Jimmy scoffed, glancing back at Clark. He was sitting at his desk, focused on whatever article he was looking through.
"Green's not your color Jimmy," you tease, "And besides, knowing how someone likes their coffee isn't really an impressive feat."
"Yeah, yeah. Excuses, excuses," Jimmy replied, shrugging before heading back to his desk. You didn't really mull over the implications of Jimmy's remark, it was Jimmy Olsen after all. He liked to joke. You walked over to Clark's desk and set down his coffee. The small thud of the cup onto the wood of the desk made his head crane towards you.
"Oh wow, thanks! You really didn't have to, I was going to grab a cup myself pretty soon actually-" Clark trailed off, as if he was rethinking his ramble, "Um, thank you, for the coffee." He smiled at you. For a second, you two stared at each other. You noticed the shimmer in his blue eyes, behind the frames of his glasses. Somewhere behind you guys, Jimmy coughed loudly. Clark's eyes widened, and he quickly swiveled back to his computer. For a split second, you could have sworn he was blushing. As the hours ticked by at work, you checked your emails, scheduled interviews, and were just about to continue working on another article when you heard the familiar noise of footsteps behind your chair.
"Hey! I, um, had a quick question about some of these sources I found. I just wasn't too sure if they were, well reliable?" Clark asked, a paper slip in hand.
"Yeah for sure! Here, let me see," You asked, taking the paper from Clark's hands. His fingers brushed up against yours, and Clark was eternally grateful you couldn't feel his heart jump. You scanned over the list of websites he had found. Behind you, Clark leaned closely over your shoulder. He smelled vaguely of coffee and wood, probably due to whatever cologne he was wearing. It was a comforting smell, one that you were plenty familiar with. After finishing reading through his list (a task that took way longer than you wanted to admit), you handed the paper back.
"Yeah, everything looks good!" You told Clark, running your hands over the fabric of your skirt. Something about him leaning over you with his hand on your chair, watching you so intently, made your pulse quicken.
"Perfect! Thanks a ton, uh, maybe I could repay the favor with a cup of coffee?" Clark asked, a nervous laugh escaping his throat.
"Oh it's ok, don't mention it Clark!" You replied, grabbing a stack of files off your desk, "I gotta go run these over upstairs but I'll see you soon!" You waved at Clark, a gesture that he returned with a smile on his face. Once you had disappeared into the elevator, he sat back down at his desk with a sigh.
"Damn, how many times has that gone over her head?" Jimmy's voice popped up behind him, making Clark jump, "You really suck at this, Clark."
"Jeez, I don't know what I'm doing wrong Jimmy. Y'know, maybe you were wrong, maybe she just doesn't like me?" Clark said dejectedly.
"Nah, I'm telling you, she likes you. You just gotta be more, up front about it," Jimmy reassured Clark, clapping him on the back.
"What does that mean?"
"Figure it out man," Jimmy waved his hand towards Clark, "Look, I can pick her brain about it later, alright? Have faith in me Clark."
"Yeah, I can do that…" Clark trailed off, like he barely believed what he was saying. Around a half-hour later—which felt closer to a couple of hours for Clark— you walked through the elevator doors and back into the Daily Planet. Quicker than you'd like to admit, your eyes sought out Clark's familiar face. From across the room, your eyes met his. You'd rather not think too hard about the fact that he was already looking your way. Maybe it was a coincidence? Lost in thought, you rounded the corner, where once again, you ran into Jimmy Olsen.
"Come on, we've got to stop running into each other like this," Jimmy said, falling into step next to you.
"What can I do for you now, Jimmy?" You asked, raising an eyebrow at whatever foolish remark was about to leave his mouth.
"Saw you and Clark earlier, you two looked pretty cozy. What's up with that?" Jimmy questioned innocently.
"What? I was helping him with some sources he found, it wasn't-"
"Oh please, you really think Clark needs help verifying sources? If you asked me, he just wanted to talk to you," Jimmy quipped. The smirk on his face could be classified as downright devilish.
"I mean seriously, he's like a lost dog until you come in the room-" Jimmy continued, unaware of the fact that your stomach twisted with every word.
"Jimmy! Shut up, please." You cut him off, stopping dead in your tracks, "Clark and I are friends, don't be dramatic."
"Tell him that. Just saying, you guys would be great together, maybe you should get on that-"
"Zip it Jimmy!"
You returned back to your seat, far more flustered and nervous than you should have been.
"How'd it go upstairs?" Clark asked. Your words caught in your throat when you remembered Jimmy's remark. Did he seriously like you?
"Uh, it went fine." You replied. It came out a bit more harsh than you intended, and you felt sick when Clark's face dropped slightly at your half-hearted answer.
"Oh, that's good!"
"Mhm…" The awkward silence that ensued spoke volumes. You pretended that it didn't bother you, that you were now seeing your best friend in a whole new light. Instead, you typed away at your computer, and tried your best to ignore that Clark's eyes were boring into the side of your head.
That night, you went home and couldn't sleep. Suddenly, your mind replayed every interaction with Clark, rethinking every casual touch, every totally-platonic conversation, and every last aspect of your relationship. Sometime into the night, you realized that nearly nothing about your friendship was normal. Staring at each other across rooms, always somehow sitting too close to each other, knowing each other like the backs of your hands, how could you have thought any of that was just friendly? It was actually laughable. The next morning, the only thing you could feel was a swirling pit of anxiety in your stomach at the thought of facing Clark. How could you face him?
When you walked into the Daily Planet, you made a beeline for your desk. The last thing you wanted was to have to deal with Jimmy's teasing, or worse, to have to make awkward small-talk with Clark. Ultimately, you decided it'd be easier to drown yourself in work rather than confront the unsettling reality; you were in love with Clark Kent.
Clark came in a couple minutes after you, greeting you with his bright smiles and kind words. It almost irritated you, how nice he was. It happened to be one of the reasons you liked him so much. Unfortunately, it made it way harder to stop liking him. He made every effort to be nothing but gracious towards you, and now, all you could do was respond with a frigid "mhm".
This routine dragged on through the week, and admittedly, it was the worst week of your life. One day, Clark had enough. He missed his best friend, and he felt ill at the idea that you might be upset with him.
"Are you ok?" Clark asked, concerned.
"I'm fine?" You replied, a hint of annoyance seeping through your voice.
"You sure? Because if you aren't, you can talk to me-"
"Jeez Clark I'm fine!" That time, the undertones of annoyance had become much more apparent. But the moment your words left your mouth, you regretted them. Clark hardly deserved your wrath, but here he was. You weren't, not in the slightest. However, explaining that your bad mood was a consequence of Jimmy Olsen’s dreadful commentary was absolutely not an option.
“Oh, well alright…” Clark said, almost seeming despondent. Seeing Clark so upset was rare, and there was a certain brand of guilt that crushed you, knowing that you were the one at fault. You needed air, quickly. The break-room door swung open as you ducked inside. It was empty, save for Lois drinking her coffee at the table.
“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Lois remarked, raising an eyebrow. You could always trust Lois to be honest, it was one of her many admirable qualities.
“That bad huh?” You sighed, sitting down at the table, “Some stuff on my mind I guess.”
“Does it have anything to do with the fact that Clark’s sulking at his desk?” Lois suggested.
“How did you-”
“Just a hunch.”
“Y’know, it’s all Jimmy’s fault,” You groaned, letting your head fall onto the table.
“Of course it is, what’d he do now?” Lois grinned playfully. She had the kind of smile where you always felt like she knew something you didn’t.
“He kept going on this stupid rant about how me and Clark would be good together, and then I freaked out about it, and now I was accidentally kind of mean to Clark, and now apparently he’s sulking and probably hates me?” You rambled. It was almost comedic, right down to Lois’s wry smile.
“If it’s any consolation, I highly doubt he hates you,”
“Come on Lois, you too?” You exclaimed, sighing in defeat.
“What’s so wrong with the idea of being with Clark anyways?” Lois asked.
“Nothing but-”
“But what?”
“I don’t know, I just don’t want to ruin a good thing y’know?” You conceded. You liked Clark, a lot, but you weren’t even totally sure if he liked you in that sense. Besides, if by some miracle he did, who knows what would happen if you guys broke up? After all, you two were coworkers. What an awkward situation that would be. By now, you’d simply come to the conclusion it was safer to not say anything. Even if it made part of your heart shrivel up just a tiny bit.
“What if something better comes out of it though?” Lois posed. You understood she was trying to be the voice of optimism, but you weren’t feeling too inclined to listen to that right now.
“I don’t know Lois, it’s not really worth it…” It physically hurt to say that part out loud, but it was still true. You sighed, throwing your cup in the trash and heading towards the door.
“You never know until you try,” Lois called out to you. She watched you leave, and stared at the spot where you sat. She’s known you and Clark for years, and all she wants is a shot at happiness for you both. Lois could only hope you listened to what she said.
Lois’s words echoed in your head as you walked back to your desk. They bounced around in your brain when you sat down, and while you worked. They still hadn’t left your mind even when you felt Clark’s eyes land on you again. You knew him well enough to know when he wanted to say something. You waited, and waited. But he never said a thing. The rest of the day ticked by, and Lois’s voice persisted. No matter how much you wanted to ignore it, no matter how much you wanted to ignore Clark, it was never that easy.
You packed up your stuff, and slung your bag over your shoulder. Clark was still sitting at his desk, and didn’t look up until you had pushed in your chair.
“Wait! Could I maybe, walk you downstairs?” Clark offered, the small glimmer of hope returning in his eyes. And against your better judgment, you felt persuaded to agree. You could never say no to Clark anyways.
The heavy quiet that fell over you two in the elevator was wholly unfamiliar. You found yourself reminiscing on times where it was impossible to get you and Clark to be quiet. But that was back before you were plagued with worries of ruining your friendship with three simple words; I love you.
Outside the Daily Planet, the scorching mornings had cooled down to more manageable nighttime temperatures. Next to you stood Clark, and once again, Lois’s advice blared inside your brain. Yet, it was Clark who spoke first.
“Did I do something wrong?”
“What? No!” You replied incredulously.
“Sorry, it’s just that you seem distant and I feel like I did something wrong…” Clark admitted, “Do you, not like me?”
That was the furthest possible thing from the truth. This all became an issue because you liked him too much. Because you were afraid of what would happen if you ever let slip just how much you liked him. It was right then and there that you could not stand it anymore.
“No Clark, not at all. Kind of the opposite actually,” You started, wringing your hands nervously, “Look, Jimmy made this dumb comment about how me and you should get together, and I freaked. Because it made me realize just how much I actually liked you, and that was really, really, scary.” There it was. Your true feelings, cast into the night air. Clark’s face changed. At first you thought it was confusion. But then his eyes softened, and you recognized it on his face. You’d seen it on his face so many times before you could sketch it from memory. Happiness.
“Y’know, I’ve been trying for years to get you to catch on how I felt about you. But nope, it takes Jimmy Olsen to get through to you,” Clark joked (only he could joke at a time like this), “I mean, I’ve been nuts about you since I’ve met you, and seriously, all I’ve ever wanted is for you to see me.”
“I see you Clark,” You said softly, looking up at him. You didn’t notice how close you were to him until you could see the flecks of gray in those beautiful blue eyes. Clark’s hand reached out for yours, tentatively, before you interlaced your fingers with his. The sounds of Metropolis surrounded you, before you felt Clark’s gentle lips on yours. You could smell his cologne again, that distinct smell of coffee and warmth, and it enveloped you as he pulled you closer. And for those precious moments, it was simply you and him.
Somewhere in the Daily Planet, Jimmy Olsen and Lois Lane sat in the break-room.
“You think they’re finally gonna cave tonight?” Jimmy asked, glancing over at Lois.
“I don’t know, I’m doubting it,” Lois mused, “Wanna bet on it?” she offered.
“20 bucks says it’s happening tonight.” Jimmy said confidently.
“Deal.”
The next morning, when you and Clark walked into the Daily Planet hand-in-hand, Lois Lane owed a very smug Jimmy Olsen 20 bucks.
