*gets on a stool again, taps Superman's hand and hands him a paper before sitting down*
*The paper says < I defended my essay. Thank you for your help >*
- ✒️ ( @fountain-pen-anon )
Superman felt the little tap against his hand and looked down, his expression softening almost instantly. “Well, hello there.”
He lowered his hand carefully, palm open and steady, giving them room to pass the paper over without having to stretch too far from the stool. Once he had it, he unfolded it with the kind of care usually reserved for old letters and important documents, his eyes moving over the words once, then again.
A smile spread across his face before he could hide it. “You defended your essay?” he said, warm pride lifting his voice. “That’s wonderful.”
He crouched down a little so he wasn’t towering over them quite so much, the paper still held safely between his fingers. Not waving it around. Not treating it like something small just because the person who handed it to him was. His thumb brushed lightly over the edge, careful not to smudge the writing.
“I’m proud of you,” he said, simple and certain. “That takes work. Not just writing it, either. Standing by your own thoughts, explaining them, answering questions even when your nerves are trying to convince you to disappear—that’s a brave thing.”
His smile turned a touch sheepish, fond around the edges. “And for the record, I only helped a little. You’re the one who did the hard part.” He leaned his forearms lightly against his knees, still keeping himself low enough to meet them where they were. “Thank you for telling me. Really. I’m honored I got to hear how it went.”