[Third Person POV]
Clark stood up after his interview with both Lois Lane and her father, Samuel Lane. The atmosphere in the office still carried the weight of their conversation, but also a faint sense of relief. Samuel rose and extended his hand toward the Man of Steel. His grip was firm and steady.
"I want to thank you for your time," Samuel said with a tone that balanced both sincerity and professionalism. "I understand how busy you are, so it's much appreciated."
Clark returned the handshake without hesitation, his own strength carefully restrained so as not to overwhelm. "No problem at all. After all, it's only thanks to the two of you that I was able to resolve the situation with the Kaiju. I was just repaying a debt I owed."
When he turned to Lois, his confidence wavered ever so slightly. He shook her hand, though his movements were a little more awkward, still remembering what had just happened to them at school not too long ago.
She tilted her head, a spark of amusement in her eyes. "Do you think there will be another chance where we could meet again?" she asked, her voice carrying a playful lilt, though she tried to pass it off as casual curiosity.
Clark scoffed before he realized how it might sound. "Let's hope not," he said too quickly, the remark slipping out with a bit of his real personality. Realizing his mistake, he quickly corrected himself with a faint, sheepish smile. "Since that would mean you'd be in quite a predicament. We wouldn't want that to happen, now would we?"
Lois laughed softly, brushing off the awkwardness with ease. "I suppose not…" she admitted, though the grin on her face betrayed her amusement.
Samuel placed a guiding hand on Clark's shoulder and led him toward the office door. As they opened it, the scene that greeted them nearly made Samuel roll his eyes. A handful of employees had been leaning against the door, clearly eavesdropping, and they all scrambled away as if they'd been caught stealing.
Suddenly, people were typing furiously at their keyboards, their screens blank. A few had gathered around the water jug, awkwardly holding empty cups as if they had been mid-conversation. One man even lifted his phone to his ear and began a fake conversation, nodding exaggeratedly as though it made him look busy.
"Sorry about them…" Samuel said, glancing around the hallway with a look that was half amusement, half reprimand. "It seems they've all forgotten how to behave."
Clark smirked knowingly, his tone teasing. "Don't worry. I was already aware."
That single comment made several staff members freeze mid-act. Faces flushed, embarrassed, as the rest openly stared at him, caught between awe and guilt. Samuel guided Clark outside, where the tension dissolved into the city's natural hum.
After saying his farewells once more, Clark raised his fist skyward and took off. A sudden gust of wind swept through the street, rattling papers and tugging at coats. Samuel instinctively raised a hand to shield his face, watching the white-and-red figure shrink against the horizon. "…That is so cool," he muttered under his breath in English, unable to suppress the childlike admiration in his voice.
High above the streets, Clark soared between the skyscrapers, the wind rushing past his ears. His voice carried a rare hint of humor as he mused aloud, "You know… if I had a nickel for every time I was interviewed by someone with the last name Lane, I'd have exactly three nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it's happened three times."
Sol's voice carried a hint of humor as he said "You do seem to possess some kind of strange fate with the Lane family. First it was the mother during your affairs with the military, then Ms. Lois under your identity as Clark, and now the father. I'm starting to believe more and more that there's some kind of special connection—"
Clark groaned, rubbing his temple as he flew. "I'm going to stop you right there, Sol. I really don't want to hear it. That sounds more like a nightmare more than anything else"
Moments later, he landed back at home. He undid his suit, slipping his glasses back into place. He walked toward the shrine, where Krypto was waiting eagerly outside. The loyal dog barked joyfully, jumping around in excitement at his master's return.
Clark crouched down, ruffling the fur on Krypto's head. "Good boy," he murmured before stepping inside.
Seiko was sitting in the living room, eyes fixed on the television. Without turning around, she said flatly, "Fix it."
Clark sighed, his shoulders slumping a little. "I was gonna. That's why I'm here," he grumbled as he made his way toward the stairs.
As he ascended, he passed Momo's room and stopped in front of a door adorned with a small sign bearing Lala's name. His hand lingered on the frame, hesitation weighing on him. Finally, he knocked gently.
"Come in…" came a quiet voice from the other side.
He entered to find Lala curled up on her bed, wrapped tightly in her blanket with her back turned toward him. The room was dimly lit, her silence speaking louder than words. Clark closed the door softly behind him and crossed the room, sitting on the edge of her bed.
For a moment, he didn't speak. He scratched his eyebrow, searching for the right words, then reached into his pocket. From it, he pulled out the small robot worm she had given him.
"Here," he said softly, setting it down in front of her. "I wanted to thank you for this. It was a big help—seriously. I would've been in real trouble without it. So… thanks."
Clark sat in silence for a while, his eyes flicking toward the girl bundled up beside him. He exhaled slowly, then ruffled his hair in frustration before speaking.
"I'm going to be honest with you," he said bluntly, his voice carrying a weight of sincerity. "I thought you looked absolutely ridiculous. I honestly have no idea what you were thinking."
Lala whipped around, her eyes wide as her pout formed instantly. "That's not what you're supposed to say!!" she cried, her cheeks heating up with a flustered blush. She twisted the blanket tighter around herself, glaring at him with indignation. "You're supposed to comfort me, and tell me you didn't mean it—that I actually looked really cute wearing that."
Clark raised an eyebrow, completely unshaken. "I cannot, in good conscience, lie to you like that." His dry scoff only made her puff out her cheeks even more, sulking like a child.
For a moment, Clark simply studied her expression. Then, his voice grew wary as he asked, "Did you wear that… to get my attention?"
The question froze Lala in place. Her eyes darted away, her pout faltering into something more vulnerable. After a moment of hesitation, she gave the faintest nod, her voice barely above a whisper. "Kinda… I thought if I dressed up like you did, then maybe you'd notice me more… that it would make us closer. But instead, you just laughed and said I looked ridiculous…"
Clark's gaze lingered on her, seeing the way she sat up with her blanket wrapped tightly around her small frame. She was still in that outfit, even now, her eyes lowered as if afraid to meet his. The usual brightness in her expression was gone, replaced with a downcast look that made guilt stir in his chest.
Running a hand down his face, Clark leaned closer and placed a large, gentle hand on top of her head. "Look," he began carefully, "I'm not going to apologize for saying you looked ridiculous—because that was the truth—"
"Hey—!!" she interrupted with a sharp glare, but his hand remained steady.
"But," Clark continued with a sigh, "what I will apologize for is hurting your feelings." He rubbed her head lightly, his voice softer now, almost weary. "I'm not exactly great when it comes to being mindful of other people's emotions. I try, sometimes. Especially now, being Superman, I have to… but it's still hard for me. I mess up."
Her pout weakened.
"I'm sorry I made you feel bad," he added, the words carrying a rare vulnerability. "You didn't deserve that. Especially after you were kind enough to help me as much as you did. Honestly, it was kind of a dick move on my part. So, for that, I really am sorry."
Lala's lips trembled before curving into a small smile. She leaned gently into his hand, closing her eyes as if savoring the warmth. The sincerity in his voice reached her, and she let herself relax against it. "Okay… you're forgiven," she whispered, she really couldn't stay mad at him. "I also feel like I kinda overreacted. I guess… I just wanted you to notice me. Which was selfish of me, considering how busy you are…"
Before Clark could respond, she peeked up at him again, her voice tentative. "But… did I really look that bad in it?"
"Absolutely," Clark answered immediately, his mouth quirking into the faintest smirk. Her pout returned in full force, but he continued before she could protest. "You know… If you want to get my attention you don't have to dress so elaborately."
Lala blinked, tilting her head. "Eh? What do you mean by that?"
For once, Clark hesitated. His hand drifted to scratch his cheek, and a faint flush crept across his face. "I'm a guy, you know. I don't usually make a big deal about it, but I can tell when a girl's objectively attractive."
Then, forcing himself to be direct, he steadied his gaze on hers, his tone casual and confident "If you want my attention, all you have to do is be yourself. There's no need for costumes or stunts. You're one of the most beautiful girls I met, Lala."
Her eyes widened, sparkling with shock before her entire face exploded into a crimson blush. Without warning, she launched forward and tackled him into a tight embrace. "Do you mean it?" she asked, her wide, expectant eyes searching his face.
Clark rolled his eyes, though the slight flinch betrayed his discomfort at the sudden closeness. He didn't push her away immediately. "You heard me say it, didn't you?"
Her giggles were muffled against his chest as she snuggled closer. "Hehehe… you really think I'm beautiful…"
Clark exhaled through his nose, placing his hands gently on her shoulders as if ready to create some space. But before he could, Lala looked up at him, her expression hopeful. "Can we… stay like this for a few moments?"
He studied her for a long beat, her vulnerability clear in her eyes. Finally, he sighed in resignation. "…Whatever."
"Yay!" she exclaimed, her joy bubbling over as she pushed him down onto the bed beside her, tightening her embrace. Clark's sigh was swallowed by her laughter as she nestled against him, the warmth of her presence filling the quiet room.
********************************************
Read More advance Chapters on: patreon.com/Shadow_D_Monarch3