Being married to Diluc Ragnvindr would mean learning all the different versions of him that the rest of Mondstadt never gets to see.
To everyone else, heâs intimidating. Quiet. Untouchable. The wealthy owner of Dawn Winery with sharp eyes and an even sharper tongue. But with you? He softens in tiny ways.
Heâll loosen his gloves after a long day and silently hold out a hand for you to take. Heâll linger in doorways just to watch you talk. Some nights he comes home exhausted from dealing with the winery or disappearing as the Darknight Hero, and the second you touch his face, all that tension melts right out of him.
Diluc is the kind of husband who remembers everything about you. How you take your tea. Which side of the bed you prefer. What expression means youâre upset even when you insist youâre âfine.â
He pretends not to notice little things, but he notices all of them and heâs protective in the quietest way possible. Youâd mention once that a merchant was rude to you, and somehow that merchant would never overcharge anyone at the winery again. Someone makes you uncomfortable during a social gathering? Diluc suddenly appears beside you with one hand resting at your waist, expression unreadable but unmistakably possessive.
He isnât overly clingy in public, but he is deeply affectionate in private. Forehead kisses while passing by. Pulling you into his lap while he finishes paperwork. Resting his head against your shoulder late at night when heâs too tired to keep up his composed facade.
The servants at Dawn Winery absolutely know when the two of you had a peaceful morning together because Diluc becomes noticeably gentler for the rest of the day. Adelinde especially finds it amusing and despite his serious reputation, Diluc secretly loves domestic moments with you more than anything else.
Late dinners together after midnight. Rain tapping against the winery windows while you sit beside the fireplace. Him wordlessly wrapping his coat around your shoulders because you forgot one again. Heâd never say it dramatically, but loving you becomes the safest part of his life.
After losing so much, having a home that includes you is the one thing he refuses to take for granted.
Izuku Midoriya wasâŚpathetic. He was whiny, needy, all of the above. And it was all for his wonderful goddess of a girlfriend. He was always clinging to her, his hands somewhere on her body at all times of the day. In public, his fingers would fidget with hers, his head just resting on her shoulder, messy green curls tickling her neck..but when it was just them? He was a complete mess. His hands would roam her body, gently, no hint of sexual need, it was like he was just trying to memorize her every dip and curve. And after awhile? He did. He knew her every weak spot. And now, after a long day of work, they both laid on their bed at their shared home, his head resting on her chest, face nuzzled between her breasts, having always loved to be in this same position, no matter the moment.
"baby..please?" Izuku muttered as he tightened his arms around his girlfriendâs waist, staring up at her through his lashes, his eyes half lidded and oh so soft. "hm?" she hummed out lazily in response, her head lolling to the side to meet his gaze, "whatâyou want?"
He frowned with a quiet whine. She always did make him say it out loud, what he wanted. "can i..?" he began, his eyes clearly flickering to her chest that was covered by his own hoodie. She hummed, her lips twitching at the corners, a faint smile forming. "say it, pretty boy." she immediately replied. "or just do it." she shrugged, already knowing what he wanted.
And goodness he didnât need to hear anymore. He immediately shifted, gently lifting the bottom of her hoodie and shoving his head under the soft fabric. He pressed his face against her stomach, his lips instantly pressing against her smooth skin, mapping out the familiar places he loved so much.
She let out a soft giggle at the ticklish feeling, rolling her eyes in faux annoyance as she let him do as he pleased. "youâre gonna stretch out your hoodie." she hummed out. Izuku grunted in response, clearly not caring in the slightest. And as if to further prove that he didnât care, he shoved his head further upwards, his lips grazing the roundness of her chest. "donâtttt careee." he muttered, grinning against her skin.
Rolling her eyes for what felt like the hundredth time today, she smiled softly as she tilted her head down, peeking through the collar of the hoodie to meet his gaze. "peekaboo." He grinned up at her, lightly nipping at her skin, making her yelp as she sent him a warning look, which he only smiled innocently in response.
"watch it." she grumbled, "or what?" he immediately shot back, nipping at that same spot once more, all while remaining eye contact. She huffed as she stared down at him, doing nothing. After a moment she shifted, tugging on the hoodie she wore, silently telling him to come back out of there. "come on.."
"yes maâam." he grinned as he did just that, sliding out from under her hoodie he moved up closer to her, his face hovering over hers as he smiled almost childishly, even at his grown age. "hi, angel." he whispered breathlessly as his hand rested on her left hip, his other hand resting by her head, keeping him from putting all his weight on her. He let out a breathy sigh, just the way she looked rendering him speechless, even after so long of being together.
"hi, baby." she sighed, her hand coming up to gently fix his messy green curls, smoothing them down. He hummed softly, his eyes closing as he leaned into the touch. Without looking he leaned down, his mouth finding hers, his lips slowly moving against hers. Her body relaxed entirely at the familiar feeling, the familiar taste, her fingers sliding out of his hair.
Once she began to pull away, he reached up, catching her wrist mid kiss, "..donât stop." he whispered quietly against her mouth. Pulling away he laid down on top of her, his cheek resting against her chest. And so she didnât, she continued to run her fingers through his curls, gently scratching at his scalp in that certain way she knew he loved. It wasnât even five minutes later he was on the verge of falling asleep right then and there. "mmh..angel." he whimpered out tiredly. "hm?" she hummed lazily in response, "you gonna fall asleep, baby?"
"..yeah." he sighed, another quiet whimper breaking out as he relaxed further into her touch, "yeah?" she grinned, watching as he nodded slowly. "love you.." He whispered just as his eyes fully closed, his hand continuing to gently rest on her left hip as he did.
Echoing his soft words of affection she shifted to get more comfortable, her body relaxing back into the comfort of their bed, his body immediately relaxing with hers. And soon enough, the couple were dead asleep, never once waking up throughout the night, and never once letting go of each other.
childhoodbestfriend!izuku who genuinely thinks your extremely strong and admires your quirk. dare i say more than bakugou?
childhoodbestfriend!izuku who used to go âi am here!â and pretend to be all might with just you. kacchan and the others also wanted to play as all might so he never got the chance to actually play the role.
childhoodbestfriend!izuku who is anxious about your reaction when he gets his new quirk. what if you think he faked it?
childhoodbestfriend!izuku who is grateful you donât ask any questions when he ends up in the same class as you and bakugou.
you donât question a thing. youâre just happy to have your friend in the same class as you. itâs almost like a streak now!
childhoodbestfriend!izuku who doesnât get all flustered when it comes to you (..most of the time). but it did take many years before he could physically have a conversation with you.
childhoodbestfriend!izuku who is still so thankful to you when you defend him from bakugou. he constantly defends others from him but they do nothing in return when the same is happening to him.
childhoodbestfriend!izuku who always wants to return the favor to you for defending him so many times in the past.
childhoodbestfriend!izuku who gives you long tutor sessions whenever you need just so you donât fail midterms.
childhoodbestfriend!izuku who grabs you and carries you to bed when you try to pull all-nighters. not on his watch!
childhoodbestfriend!izuku who jumps in front of blows for you.
âi am here for you. i always will beâ
childhoodbestfriend!izuku who immediately looks for your hand to squeeze when he wakes up from the nurses office. even if his muscles are completely torn, or he canât move his hand at all.
you comfort him when he feels like heâs about to lose the battle between life and death.
childhoodbestfriend!izuku who gets distracted during class staring at you. when and why did his heart start feeling so full just looking at you?
when aizawa asks him to pay attention, he starts mumbling apologies.
childhoodbestfriend!izuku who canât help but stare at you as you look through his notes on heroâs. his whole body feels like itâs on fire when you flip each page closer and closer to your own personal hero analysis page.
childhoodbestfriend!izuku who likes that you're not just skimming through his hero notebook. you take your time to admire his work.
childhoodbestfriend!izuku who suddenly needs his notebook back when you get to your page. you could barely get a glimpse but you do remember seeing a couple of hearts on the bottom right corner??
childhoodbestfriend!izuku whoâs heart beats extremely fast when you casually sit next to him, hoping you donât hear it.
childhoodbestfriend!izuku who knows everything about you, and isnât.. completely scared to hide it.
childhoodbestfriend!izuku who tries his best to make you âhomemade chocolatesâ annually on valentineâs day. all because he remembers you whining about not receiving any chocolate but all your friends did.
childhoodbestfriend!izuku who isn't aware but is the reason why you havenât dated anyone before. guys that rejected you in the past just say that âyour friends with dekuâ and just that much gets you picked on. but you couldn't care less and defended him your whole life.
childhoodbestfriend!izuku who is in shock when this valentines day you end up giving him something in return. a âthank youâ card with tons of words expressing âhow thankfulâ you are for him âalways saving my assâ and how he âdoesnât need to feel like returning the favor from all the years beforeâ.
childhoodbestfriend!izuku who rereads your letter before missions, exams, and before bed. itâs almost cringe on how much he blushes from reading the same thing.
childhoodbestfriend!izuku who completely goes back to how he used to be when he first met you. a blushing mess. all because yesterday he realized that he does like you, but never really thought too hard about it.
childhoodbestfriend!izuku who needed the girl's advice on how to handle this!
after teasing him the whole âstudy sessionâ, they end up telling him that heâs only this clueless because he already knows what to do. that he already knows the solution to his situation.
the answer was just at the tip of his tongue.
he didnât have to impress you.
he doesnât have to be brave.
âyou already act like you care about her so much,â they say. âjust stop running from it.â
childhoodbestfriend!izuku who thinks even harder after the girls told him that.
about the way he looks for you first. about how your voice steadies for him. about how heâs never once felt alone when youâre near. has he already been all lovey-dovey with you?
childhoodbestfriend!izuku realizes that heâs never once been afraid when it comes to you. his hands have been shaking, his heart pounding all for no reason.
heâs not afraid of failing, or getting hurt.
just of losing you.
he realizes that he never once imagined a future without you.
so when he finally runs to your dorm in the middle of the night and hugs you, heâs not thinking about anything or anyone other than you. when he finally looks at you, voice tired but certain all he says is:
âi am here. and i always have been, remember?â
and somehow, you understand exactly what he means. his muscles untense when you lean further into him, then retenses to squeeze you tighter.
âcan i stay with you? and hold you like this for a while?â
childhoodbestfriend!izuku who refuses to let go of you after youâve let him in.
âiâm not going anywhere.â
who says youâre complaining? though, it did make you laugh lightly when he quoted all might out of all words.
i had this sitting in my drafts and i didnât realize đ but here it is! i hope u guys like this one as much as u liked the bakugou one đĽšđđ
Midoriya asks it quietly, like if he says it any louder, the question itself might make things worse.
You donât look up from the essay youâre holding. You hum insteadâvery consciousâpen tapping once against the margin. Your legs are folded neatly to one side on the floor, posture perfect despite the chaos around them: half-graded papers spread like fallen leaves, empty ramen cups stacked a little crookedly, two unopened cans of soda sweating onto the low table.
âIâm not mad,â you tell him.
Midoriya exhales in reliefâtoo early.
âIâm just,â you continued, lips twitching, âdeeply, profoundly disappointed.â
His shoulders slump immediately. âAhâ!â
He scoots a little closer, knees brushing yours. The TV plays some dramatic background musicâtwo actors staring at each other tearfully over a hospital bedâbut Midoriya barely hears it over the sound of his own thoughts spiraling.
âI said I was sorry,â he says, wringing his hands. âI didnât realize you were saving the strawberry yogurt. I thought it was justâjust there.â
You finally look at him then. Your eyes are sharp with mock severity, brows drawn together in a way he knows too well. And, to be honest, Midoriya might as well get lost in them every single time.
âThat,â you say, âwas my yogurt.â
âI know!â He leans his head on your shoulder immediately, as if the contact would make your annoyance at him melt away. Like a cat. âAnd it was the last one. And you had a long day. And you even labeled it.â
ââŚYou also peeled the label off,â you added.
âIâthought it was a suggestion?â
You gasped, hand flying to your chest. âA suggestion.â
âIâm sorry!â He blurts it out again, louder this time. âIâll buy you more. A whole pack. Noâtwo packs. Iâll label them myself. Iâll put little warning signs. âDo Not Touch.â âProperty of [Name].â âMidoriya Izuku Will Be Very Sad If He Eats This.ââ
That gets a laugh out of you. A small one, quickly hidden behind your handâbut he noticed it. His heart is doing somersaults at the thought, warm and energetic and so familiar it almost hurts. My goodness, he was whipped.
You sigh dramatically and set another stack of papers aside. âYouâre weird.â
âBut you love me?â he asks softly, hopeful.
He feels you go stiff. Gotcha.
âThatâs not the point.â
Midoriya shuffles even closer until his hand is around your waist, his breathy whines close to your ear. âI donât like it when you pout,â he admits. âIt makes my chest feel⌠tight.â
âThat sounds like a you problem.â
âI think itâs an us problem.â
You snort despite yourself. âIzuku.â
He smiles at the way you say his nameâfond, resigned, and affectionate all at once. He feels rich, suddenly. Absurdly rich. Like this momentâthis messy living room, these essays, the cheap ramen and soda, and the melodrama on the TVâare treasures he somehow stumbled into and is terrified of losing.
You pick up another paper. âThis student argues well,â you noted, slipping easily back into grading mode. âBut their conclusion is weak.â
Midoriya leans over to read it, chin resting comfortably on your shoulder. âOh! Yeah, I see that. They didnât really tie it back to hero ethics.â
âMm-hm. Which you emphasized in class.â
âI did,â he nods. âThree times.â
You gave him a sideways look. âYou do tend to ramble. Not to say it was overkill.â
He laughs sheepishly. âI get excited.â
âI know.â
Thereâs no bite in it. Just knowing.
He reaches for a soda can and slides it toward you. âPeace offering?â
You eyed it with interest. âIs it the lemon one?â
âYes.â
âThe cold one?â
âI saved it for you.â
You raised a brow. âYou saved this, but not my yogurt.â
Midoriya wilts instantly against you. âThat was a mistake!â
You laughed again, this time freely, and popped the tab. The sound is crisp and satisfying. You took a sip, then nudged the can lightly against his arm. This, Midoriya knew this mannerism well, and so he took a sip as well, just a little, before giving it back to you.
âFine,â you sighed. âI forgive you.â
His whole face lights up. âReally?â
âYes, really.â
He beams, leaning in to press a quick kiss to your temple. Itâs gentle, reverent, like heâs still surprised youâre here. Still with him despite him being a yogurt-eating thief.
âThank you,â he murmurs.
âFor forgiving you?â
âFor being here,â he says. âWith me. Like this.â
You soften completely, setting the soda down. You reach out to cup his cheek, thumb brushing lightly over the freckles there.
âYouâre such a sap,â you tell him fondly.
âIâm engaged,â he counters. âI think Iâm allowed to be more than that.â
You smiled. âUh huh.â
They sit in comfortable silence for a moment, the TV drama reaching a tearful confession neither of them is really watching. Midoriya picks up another essay and clears his throat.
âOkay,â he says. âNext paper.â
You leaned against him, back pressed into his chest. âIf this one mentions âthe power of friendshipâ unironically, Iâm docking points.â
He laughs. âThatâs fair.â
âAnd,â you added, glancing at him, âyouâre buying yogurt tomorrow.â
âFirst thing in the morning.â
âTwo packs?â
âThree.â
You hum approvingly and rest your head lightly against his shoulder.
Midoriya smiles to himself, heart full, ramen forgotten, papers half-gradedâand thinks, not for the first time, that he has everything he could ever need right here.
SEUMYO Š 2025. PLEASE DO NOT REPOST, PLAGIARIZE, MODIFY OR TRANSLATE.
đ§đđ°đĽđ˛đ°đđ!đ˘đłđŽđ¤đŽ was so excited the entirety of the honeymoonâdamn near beaming every time he got the chance to introduce you as his wife, showing everyone your matching wedding bands.
đ§đđ°đĽđ˛đ°đđ!đ˘đłđŽđ¤đŽ was barely holding it together anytime someone congratulated you, fighting the desperate urge to tell everyone that he genuinely cried his eyes out when he saw you walking down the aisle.
đ§đđ°đĽđ˛đ°đđ!đ˘đłđŽđ¤đŽ carried you into your honeymoon suite, just to drop you unceremoniously, both of you sharing a short giggle fit as it dawned that yeah, you had the rest of your lives for a moment like this.
đ§đđ°đĽđ˛đ°đđ!đ˘đłđŽđ¤đŽ already knew you were drop-dead gorgeous but felt like he won the lottery when he first saw you in your wedding dressâyou looked so ethereal that he just knew he couldn't feel this way about anyone else.
đ§đđ°đĽđ˛đ°đđ!đ˘đłđŽđ¤đŽ wakes you up the morning after the ceremony with luxury morning service and a back rub, repeatedly calling you 'Mrs. Midoriya' in awe, reminding you that you chose this.
đ§đđ°đĽđ˛đ°đđ!đ˘đłđŽđ¤đŽ paid good money to figure out how to store your wedding dress properly where it could be out of the way, and remain undamaged
đ§đđ°đĽđ˛đ°đđ!đ˘đłđŽđ¤đŽ keeps the final slice of wedding cake carefully stowed away in the freezer, wanting to hold on to a little more than just memories foreverâthough sometimes you'll catch each other swiping a bit of icing & just laugh & laugh
đ§đđ°đĽđ˛đ°đđ!đ˘đłđŽđ¤đŽ who changed all of his profile pictures to different photos of you & him from the wedding the moment they got sent back, wanting to show each special moment its own little bit of love and pride
đ§đđ°đĽđ˛đ°đđ!đ˘đłđŽđ¤đŽ came back to his class & put a big frame with 'The Kiss' on his desk, making sure he & his students could all see it.
đ§đđ°đĽđ˛đ°đđ!đ˘đłđŽđ¤đŽ who comes up behind you while cooking and just rests his head on your shoulderâkeeping his 'tired voice' to a minimum while helping you make breakfast, liking the quiet mornings he gets to spend with you.
đ§đđ°đĽđ˛đ°đđ!đ˘đłđŽđ¤đŽ always calls you his wife, always. But still losing his mind, with literal heart eyes whenever you call him your husband
đ§đđ°đĽđ˛đ°đđ!đ˘đłđŽđ¤đŽ loves being a husband, and more than that, he adores that he gets to be your husband.
It's an innocent enough question but one that makes Jimmy hold back a sigh. Another young intern with an ill adivised crush on the most unavailable man on the planet. Not because Clark was some emotionally inept asshole, but because he was so painfully, irrevocably in love with you â his high school sweetheart turned wife.
"He's got plans." Lois snorts, raising an amused brow at Jimmy as if sharing some sort of inside joke.
"Every day?" The intern, Lindsay, a pretty young college student pouts and Jimmy does sigh this time.
"Yep, every day. He just has to rub it in us single losers faces that he's got a hot wife."
"He's married?!" She gasps and Jimmy loses the little bit of sympathy he'd had, because you'd have to be blind and deaf to miss Clark's absolute devotion to you.
"Coming on, what? Eleven years now?"
"Twelve." Lois chimed in, eyes never leaving her tablet screen, "remember, he was panicking about what to get for their anniversary. As if he couldn't have gotten her an apple and she'd think it was the greatest gift ever because Clark got it for her."
"Right, how could I forget?" Jimmy deadpans. Truly, Clark had been nearly insufferable in the weeks leading up to the event, probably some self induced amnesia to deal with the loneliness fuelled jealousy.
"They can't seriously have lunch together every day! They'd get sick of each other."
"Don't let Clark hear you say that." Jimmy grimaced, even if it was a bit of a moot point, "we'll never hear the end of it otherwise."
"Hi, honey!" As if on cue, Clark's holding his phone up to his ear, a lovesick grin plastered across his face as he unpacks a tupperware container, decorated undoubtedly with some cutesy note from you.
Jimmy can't hear your response, but Clark giggles. Giggles. Like a schoolgirl, and Jimmy decides it's time to hurry up and leave for lunch, before he was subjected any further to the one person love fest.
At least you'd decided to spare them all today by not coming in person. Even if it was sickeningly cute, there was only so many pick up lines Jimmy could watch Clark get flustered by.
"You'd think after twelve years of marriage and even longer being a couple they'd have well and truly worn out the honeymoon stage." Lois murmured as she grabbed her jacket, swinging it over her shoulders and heading for the door.
"You're kidding yourself if you think it's ever going to wear off. Not with those two." He replies as Lois sighs fondly.
summary: when you run into your childhood friend clark at a bar, the only question you want to ask him is 'when did you get hot?'
pairing: female reader x clark kent
notes: we collectively say thank you to ms sabrina carpenter for her new album which means a whole lot of new inspo for fics xx
likes, reblogs, comments are very much appreciated!
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You couldn't remember the last time you'd been properly touched by a guy.
Actually you could. But you had decided to expunge your shitty ex from your record. He was more cheating rat than human, so he wasn't really deserving of the status.
Besides, the emphasis was on properly touched.
After months of sulking at home your friends had finally convinced you that it was time to saddle up and get back on the horse.
Three bars in and you were wondering why you'd wasted so much time hermitting. Your feet were feeling gloriously numb in your new heels, your shoulders had finally stopped bunching around your ears and giggles were falling from your lips with ease as you and your friends walked arm in arm.
Your last stop was the Rodeo, a trendy bar that was apparently where all the suits of Metropolis flocked too after a long day of corporate grind.
You felt like you were at a prospect convention. Men were practically falling from the disco light flecked ceiling. You could feel them analysing every inch of you and your new dress that clung tightly to your body as you weaved through the crowd, sizing you up like you were a prized heffer up for auction.
Then again, you were doing the same thing in return.
He was hard to miss. His massive frame dwarfed the bar. A crisp white dress shirt rolled up to his elbows, grey suit pants that were barely containing thighs the size of your torso as he leant over to talk to the bartender.
You could barely hear your friends over the thumping bass as they chatted animately. You swore you heard one of them say something about a 'Jimmy' when your course to the bathroom was suddenly diverted.
Your eyes found him again as your friends corralled you towards the other end of the bar. Heâd turned ever so slightly, enough that you could see that thick glasses framed his face. A mass of black curls piled on top of his head.
Kind of nerdy. Just your type.
It was so dark that you couldnât make out his facial features. Not that you were complaining about the current view.
You let your eyes wonder over behind the bar, watching the bartenders make quick work of the drinks - lithe fingers cutting fruits and toned arms shaking cocktails in a flurry. Maybe you should quit your job and become a bartender, then you wouldn't have to worry about doing upper body weights.
He was facing you now. If the bar hadnât been so packed you would have sworn he was staring directly at you.
The sound of your name being called was like a sharp pin loudly popping your balloon of thoughts. A hand darted out to pull you forward.
âThis is Jimmy.â
You tore your gaze from the bar to be met with a freckled face grinning at you. His eyes lit up in recognition at the sound of your name.
"Oh don't you know Clark?"
Your eyes followed his hand gesturing towards the other end of the bar.
Your brow furrowed.
You only knew one Clark. And that Clark was a weedy salt of the earth farm boy. He stuck out like a sore thumb. Youâd have spotted him from a mile away in here.
âHuh?â
"Clark Kent. Arenât you both Kansas country bumpkins?â
You turned back to look down the bar.
âHeâs ordering us a round.â You followed Jimmyâs finger and froze as you realised who he was pointing at. There was no way. Youâd remember if he had a face like that.
As if heâd somehow heard his name over the thrum of the bass, the man turned in your direction again. A familiar smile spread across his lips. A hand raised in awkward greeting.
As if it had been orchestrated, the lights flickered just as he tilted his head, momentarily illuminating his face in a pale pink hue. His features finally on full display.
You blinked.
The strong cut of his jaw, the chisel of his chin, the astute slope of his nose. Someone could have told you that heâd been modelled after a statue of Zeus and you wouldnât question it.
"Jesus." You murmured.
"What was that?" Jimmy queried.
"Oh I just uh-" You forced yourself to look away. "I haven't seen Clark in years that's all."
You didn't hear Jimmy's response as you did a double take, then a triple take.
"Why don't you go help him bring the drinks over?" Your friend suggested. Even in the dark, you could see a familiar twinkle in her eye. She knew you too well.
"We'll go grab a table. Let you two catch up."
A tipsy chorus of agreement sounded out at the suggestion. Jimmy didn't seem to need any extra encouragement as he eagerly led your friends towards an empty booth before you even had a chance to argue.
"And if you don't take him home and play naked twister with him, I might have to." You smacked her playfully as she pulled away from your ear. Her loud laughter reverberated through you as she left you to go join the others.
Your dress was suddenly too tight, your heels too high as you started to make your way towards him, his eyes never leaving you as you did.
His features came more into focus. Once you were inches from him it was clear that it was definitely Clark. You remembered those eyes so vividly, the perfect shade of blue. The way the corners of his eyes crinkled when he smiled. He'd just doubled in height and width.
Your name left his lips as you reached him. Not a voice crack in sight. The deep reverb of it sent a shiver up your spine.
You were suddenly very grateful that you had some liquid courage flowing through your veins as you spoke.
"Hey stranger."
"Hi yourself."
He shot you that smile that used to lift you out of the foulest of moods.
Careful not to spill your drink, you lent up and wrapped your arms around him. His muscles rippled under your fingertips as he embraced you back. He smelt like a mixture of smoke, bourbon and vanilla.
"So what brings you here-"
"How are you-"
You both laughed as you cut each other off.
"Sorry, you go." Clark apologised, shoving his glasses back up to the bridge of his nose as he gestured for you to continue.
"How are you? I've been reading your articles you know. You're killing it."
Clark smiled shyly. "Thanks, yeah work has been good. Busy. You know Metropolis, always something to write about."
"Yeah never a dull day." You sighed. Your commute to work was interrupted at least once a week with some metahuman wreaking havoc. But you couldn't bring yourself to leave, the chaos was almost addictive.
"What about you?"
"Oh I'm actually working in the marketing department at LutherCorp." An unreadable emotion flashed across Clark's face.
"Marketing huh?"
"It's alright." You shrugged. "Pays the bills."
"I always thought your dream was to be a fashion designer."
You couldn't believe he'd remembered that.
"It was but....I don't know." Another shrug. "Isn't that every girl's dream growing up? No one actually ends up doing it. It's practically impossible."
Clark frowned as you sipped your drink.
"It's not impossible. I remember your designs in school, they were great. You could definitely do it, you just have to believe in yourself."
You looked up at him. If it was anyone else you would have brushed them off, that they were just saying whatever they could to make you feel better.
But this was Clark. The same Clark who had emphatically supported you when you declared that you wanted to be a mermaid at age 7. He believed everyone on this planet could achieve incredible things. He could convince you that you could fly if he really wanted to.
"I have been thinking about going back to school. Metropolis University has a pretty good fashion program." You admitted. You couldn't believe you were telling him this. You hadn't even told your friends yet.
"You totally should. The fashion world would be lucky to have you.â
This time it was your turn to blush. âThank you.â
"You keep in touch with anyone from school?"
"God no." You scoffed. "I only go back home to see my parents." You twirled your straw through your drink as you studied him.
"What about you?"
"Same." Clark nodded.
"Are your parents still up at the farm?"
His smile widened, "yeah they are. They still ask about you, you know."
Your heart warmed. "They were always so kind."
It only felt like yesterday that you were spending nearly every afternoon after school there, running around chasing the cows with Clark as his mum desperately tried to corral you inside for afternoon tea.
"Remember those scones your mum used to make? God they were good."
"She still makes them for me when I visit."
You groaned dramatically, "I'm jealous."
"I should try and visit them more." Clark sighed, dampening the mood slightly between you two.
"Yeah..." You trailed off, a wave of homesickness washing over you at the thought of your parents.
"They keep trying to get me to come back for the county fair."
Clark chuckled, "Me too."
"Mum rang me last week and told me that I simply had to come this year because they've added an apple bobbing stall."
"Well, how could you turn that down?"
You laughed into your drink at his response.
"True, as born and bred Kansas folk, apple bopping is literally in our DNA."
Clark's laughter dissipated as he studied you, a smile on his lips.
"You know." He began, taking a sip of his drink. He coughed as the liquid slid awkwardly down his throat. You watched him as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and shot you a sheepish grin before placing his glass down.
"We could always go together." He said it so casually you nearly missed the way a blush had begun to emerge on his cheeks.
You grinned. "Two city slickers crashing the Smallville county fair would be fun."
"Yeah and you know...it would make our parents happy. And I'd have good company." His eyes locked with yours. "It'd be fun."
You cocked your head slightly as you studied him. "It would be."
Before either of you could say anything further, the bartender plonked two cocktails in front of you.
You looked down at the little pink umbrellas sticking out of them.
"Are these....pina coladas?"
"They're delicious." Clark protested.
You threw your hands up in defence. "I didn't say they weren't!"
Clark shot you a look as he pushed one over to you. "It was meant to be Jimmy's, but I don't think he needs another one."
"Well I'm certainly not going to turn down a free drink." You picked it up and held it up to his.
"To making it out of Smallville."
"And to running into friendly faces." Clark added.
You smiled. "Cheers to that." You agreed as your glasses clinked together harmoniously.
Your eyes never left his as you pressed the glass to your lips, the eye contact too long to be casual. The reminiscing had made you momentarily forget just how gorgeous he was.
His adams apple bopped as he swallowed. His perfectly shaped lips glistened with the remnants of the liquor in his glass. His brow furrowed ever so slightly as he focused on not spilling his drink. You could stare at his face all day, you decided.
"Is there something on my face?"
Shit, you had actually been staring.
"No." You answered quickly.
"Are you sure?"
You frowned, "Yes. Why?"
"It's just- I don't know." He looked at you sheepishly. "You keep giving me this weird look. I thought maybe I had pineapple in my teeth or something."
The laugh slipped out before you could stop it at the sight of his puzzled, innocent face. You pressed your hand to your mouth to stifle your giggles. Your reaction made him look even more like a confused puppy.
"Sorry I'm not laughing at you it's just-" You cut yourself off as you tried to level out your voice. He looked at you expectantly. The assorted mixture of alcohols swirling around in your stomach helped you blurt out your next words.
"When did you get hot?"
Even the dark lighting couldn't conceal the violent crimson that bloomed across his face at your words. He couldn't be nervous at that, could he? Surely someone that looked like him didn't get shy. He'd have girls throwing themselves at him constantly.
"You- you think I'm... hot?"
A vision of young Clark flashed before you. Sweet, nervous, awkward, bumbling. He may look different, but he hadn't changed one bit.
It made you want to rip his clothes off even more.
"Are you kidding me? You look like Superman or something."
You took a sip of your drink, missing the way he flinched.
"S-superman? Why do you say that?"
You peered up at him over your cocktail glass. "Clark." You gestured to his body. "You look like you could lift my car up with your hand."
"Oh." His blush deepened.
"Seriously I cannot believe I didn't see the vision in school."
"Well, I was a pretty ugly kid."
"You were not!" You protested.
"Kids at school certainly thought so." He remarked.
Your mood faltered. Clark had gone through a rough time before puberty hit, especially with the other boys. Unfortunately, most country kids weren't raised to be accepting of people who were different. And in Smallville, being gentle, sensitive and selfless almost to a fault as a guy was practically unforgivable.
"Kids are jerks."
"You weren't." Clark countered. "You always stood up for me."
"You would have done the same." You brushed it off, trying to ignore the way your heart raced under his gaze.
"And you were never ugly you were just..." You trailed off as you studied him. "I don't know you were just Clark, kind and sweet Clark. But now you're..."
Clark's eyebrows shot up to his hairline.
âWell now you're kind and sweet and also really hot Clark.â
He laughed at your explanation, his nerves visibly dissipating as he studied you intently.
"And no one's going to look their best in school anyway." You gestured to yourself to illustrate your point.
Clark shook his head. "You don't count."
"Why not?"
"Because." He slung the rest of his drink down his throat. "You've never had an ugly phase."
You tried to hide the effect his words had on you. "I don't know about that. Remember my side ponytail phase in sixth grade?"
"I do. And your emo phase in year seven. And your Mighty Crabjoys phase in sophmore year."
"The Mighty Crabjoys were not a phase, thank you. They still rock."
Clark looked at you like you'd hung the moon in that moment.
"You're beautiful. You always have been." His words came out softly. Almost reverently, like he was saying a prayer.
You looked up at him, your lips slightly parted as you tried to rack your brain for a response. It was like you'd forgotten how to speak.
You couldn't believe out of all the bars in Metropolis, you'd ended up at the same one as him. That he was the one person who had made you feel more alive in the last twenty minutes than any guy had ever made you feel in your whole relationship. You were't religious by any means, but it almost felt like divine intervention.
"Oh sorry." The liquor swished dangerously close to the lip of our glass as someone accidentally bumped into you.
The moment between you two shattered, allowing you a brief respite to collect your senses off the floor.
"It's busy huh?" You observed lamely.
"Yeah it is." Clark cleared his throat, "you know, I know a pretty good pizza place down the road. It's usually not too busy, if you wanted to maybe go somewhere quieter to-"
"Yes." You answered, probably a little too eagerly. But you were too entranced to care. "I'd like that. Us hot country bumpkins have to stick together."
A knee-weakening smile split across Clark's face as he laughed. "We do."
He twisted around to look in Jimmy's direction. "I don't think our friends are going to miss us."
You followed his gaze. Jimmy was seated in the middle of the booth, your friends huddled up to him like nesting birds desperate for warmth. They were giggling and hanging on to his every word, like he was a messiah spouting gospel.
"What the..."
"It's best you don't ask." Clark sighed, "I gave up a long time ago."
You shook your head in disbelief, letting your eyes linger on the sight for a few moments before turning to look at him.
"Shall we?"
You glanced down to see his large palm extended out for you. An invitation that you were more than happy to take.
You nodded, letting your hand slide into his. It was warm, and ever so slightly clammy. It entwined perfectly with yours. In that moment, you knew.
Clark squeezed your hand and smiled down at you, like he knew it too.
This was what being properly touched felt like.
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SYNOPSIS : Izuku can handle villains, but a tie? Thatâs another story.
Heâs been staring at himself in the mirror for five minutes now, hands fumbling with the tie like itâs some impossible puzzle. The fabric keeps twisting the wrong way, his brow furrows deeper, and you can see the beginnings of panic in his reflection.
â...This shouldnât be this hard,â he mutters under his breath, tugging it into another uneven knot.
âBecause youâre overthinking it.â You step closer, catching his wrist before he can pull it apart again. âCâmere.â
Izuku blinks at you, cheeks already warm from frustration, but he tilts his chin down when you tug him closer.
His breath hitches a little when your hands brush his collar, fingers straightening the fabric with practiced ease.
You take your timeâfolding, looping, pulling the tie smoothâwhile he just watches, lips parted like heâs forgotten how to breathe.
âSee?â you tease softly, glancing up at him. âNot so hard.â
His throat works as he swallows, green eyes locked on yours. ââŚI think you just make it look easy.â His voice is low, rougher than usual, and when you pat the neat knot against his chest, he covers your hand with his own, holding it there a second too long.
Itâs quiet between you, the only sound his uneven breathing, and thenâhe smiles, sheepish but warm enough to melt you.
