Treat Me Mean And Cruel
Pairings: Clark Kent x Reader
Premise: clark kent situationship at work, he ignores the reader without reason and they get mad. very pathetic clark
Word Count:Â 2.6k
Warnings: mostly angst, no comfort. A bit of yelling. Abandonment issues. NOT PROOFREAD. Reader wears dresses and makeup
Notes: This is a break from the LOTR posts, they will resume soon, just had to get this idea out of my head. I listened to âLove Meâ by Elvis and immediately thought of Davidâs Clark. I might write a pt.2, i went through a breakup while writing this from a relationship of 4 years. Bare with me.
An empty chair stared back at you, the faint smell of coffee drifting across the desk. The rim of Clarkâs mug had left a perfect circle stain in the mess of papers that always seemed to cover his workspace. It had been weeks since heâd really been there, not just in the office, but there. Present with you, with that lopsided grin, those dimples, and the attentive eyes that caught every flicker of emotion on your face.
It wasnât a secret that Clark liked you. Anyone with eyes could see it, the way his gaze lit up whenever you spoke to him, the flush in his ears when you asked even the simplest question, the stutter that tripped up his words when you greeted him. You loved teasing him for it âaccidentallyâ brushing against him, dragging out while bending over when you dropped a pen. You loved catching his eyes dart away from the shape of your body before he stumbled through whatever heâd been trying to say.
Heâd always find an excuse to be near you, even going so far as to change desks, claiming his old one was too worn out and the chair too squeaky. Heâd ask questions he already knew the answers to, linger after hours under the pretence of finishing his draft. Although, you noticed that heâd spend more time taking glances at your face with that one specific look on his face. The way his shoulders relaxed when you laugh, and a pink tint rising to his face. Clark Kent, the man who looked at you like you were the only one in the entire office.
You didnât miss the way that Lois used to tease him, elbowing his side slowly when your name came up in a conversation. Jimmy wasnât any better, always smiling and giving him unwarranted advice whenever he saw Clark staring at you. Clark just ducked his head, smiled sheepishly and glanced your way.
But now, it was only silence, broken by Jimmyâs constant chatter and Loisâ muttered curses at her deadlines. Clark had started coming in late, later than usual, and leaving even earlier. Words between you were rare, ranging from a short âgood morningâ to a soft âthank youâ when he dropped your coffee on the desk with a slight smile. Nothing more, even though you tried to prolong your short conversations.
You tried to push the feelings away, telling yourself over and over that he didnât owe you anything. But every time you glanced at that empty chair, the lie grew heavier and more real. You swallowed your emotions and rubbed your blurry eyes with the back of your hand.
âDrinks tonight?â Jimmyâs voice cut through your thoughts and self-pity, dragging you back to the newsroom. He was leaning against your desk, camera strap slung carelessly over his shoulder. Lois looked up from her copy and smirked.
âYeah, come on. We all need it. Even Kent, if he decides to grace us with his presence.â
You froze at the mention of him potentially being there. You wanted nothing to do with him. Heâd been basically ignoring you for weeks, and now you were supposed to pretend nothing had happened for an entire night?
You forced a small laugh and ran a hand through your hair. âI donât know, guys. Iâm pretty worn out from this Gotham article, you know how it is.â You glanced back down at your computer. The editor had returned your draft covered in comments, but focusing on them had been impossible ever since Clark started giving you the cold shoulder.
âPlease,â Jimmy groaned, dragging out the word. âOne night wonât kill you. The article will still be here tomorrow, glaring at you with all those red marks.â You let out a small huff and put your head against the desk.
Lois grinned and leaned back in her chair. âI guess thatâs a yes?â She reached over and tousled your hair and you relaxed at her touch
You pressed your forehead against the mess of highlighted papers on your desk, mumbling a muffled âYeah, I guessâ into the stack.
Hell, maybe you did need the break. Maybe a little distraction from the constant thinking would help. And besides, knowing Clark lately, heâd probably be too busy to give you the time of day, let alone show up to a social event.
The newsroom blurred into the background, as you put all your effort into fixing the article that was due tomorrow. Before you knew it, the sun was already dipping below the Metropolis skyline. You packed up, let the chatter of the office fade behind you, and tried convincing yourself that tonight would be different.
Now, standing in front of your mirror, you were sure it would be different. Rejected clothes piled up on your bed. You smoothed the fabric of your red dress, staring at your reflection confidently. You were going to have fun. To hell with Clark. Fucking. Kent. Maybe-just maybe, youâd meet someone at the bar you were going for drinks, someone that was actually present for a while, instead of rushing to leave every time you wanted to start a conversation. You rolled your eyes at that thought.
The bar was already buzzing with people when you arrived. You were nervous, clutching your purse close to your side. Warm light was spilling out of the open door into the sidewalk, cheap booze and the smell of fried food wafted through the air.
You entered the bar, called âThe Red Lanternâ, you gave a small snort at the name. Your eyes scanned the room, spotting Jimmy waving at you. Lois raised her glass in greeting, sharp eyes already scanning you from head to toe. âWell, donât you look like trouble,â she teased, a smirk curling her lips. You laughed at her comment, Cat and Steve greeted you with a smile. You slid into the booth next to Jimmy, letting the noise and conversation drown out the heaviness of the weeks.
The red dress seemed to be doing its job, peopleâs eyes kept lingering on your body. Your makeup was just as deliberate, dark mascara sweeping across your lashes, a warm flush on your cheeks softened the edges. Your lipstick matched the deep red of your dress, contrasting with your jewellery.
Cat leaned towards you, âHalf of this bar canât keep their eyes off you, red is definitely your colour.â Jimmy chuckled at her comment, and he slid a drink towards you with a wink.
You nodded, flashing a wide smile. âFine, fine, you win. Iâll get the next round.â You poked your tongue out playfully, sliding out of the booth as their laughter followed you.
The music thudded in your chest as you crossed the floor, hips swaying in rhythm, the red fabric hugging every step. You leaned against the bar, flagging down the bartender, already rehearsing everyoneâs preferred things.
That was when a man slid into the empty space beside you, his cologne sharp and heavy in the air. He gave you a small smile and you returned it. You couldnât help but notice his brown hair and matching eyes. He was cute, youâd give him that.
âThatâs a dangerous smile you got going there.â He said, casually leaning against the bar. His eyes scanned your face while you laughed, shaking your head. âJust grabbing drinks for my friends, how about you?â You asked, turning back to see Jimmy waving at you to hurry back. The man nodded politely and struck up easy small talk with you after you ordered the drinks and waited for them. His grin was harmless, and it was finally nice to be noticed after weeks of fighting to even talk to Clark.
You barely registered the familiar weight of someone approaching the both of you, until the air seemed to shift. âEverything okay here?â Clarkâs low voice came from directly behind you. Your heart dropped in your chest at the sound. Fuck.
The stranger seemed taken aback, âUh, yeah, just talking.â He replied with a polite smile. He raised his hands in a small shrug and stepped back, clearly uninterested in causing trouble between the two of you. Clarkâs eyes lingered on him before turning towards you, worry etched into his face. The man you were talking to retreated back to the crowd, leaving Clarkâs looming presence where he had been. âAre you serious Clark?â You asked him, anger sweeping over the smile that was on your face. âWhat? He was-â He started speaking. âHe was talking Clark. Talking to me. Not everyone is out to hurt me.â You started, glaring at him and stood up to put some distance between you two.
His eyes looked sad, his hair messy and you could see the bags of his eyes were darker than usual. He didnât want to overstep the boundary that you set.
âIâm sorry, I just wanted to make sure youâre okay..â He said, you took a step closer to him and laughed bitterly. His eyes looked down at you, biting his lip.
Shaking your head, âReally Clark? After weeks of barely talking to me, now you want to fucking swoop in, like a wannabe hero, just because a guy talked to me?â You spat at him angrily. The words hang between you, heavier than the music that was being blasted. Clarkâs expression dropped further, regret flickering in his eyes.
He didnât speak, you didnât even want to give him a chance.
âI tried everything to get your attention, Clark. You didnât even respond to my fucking messages and you think you can waltz back into my life like you didnât ignore me. Fuck you, Clark Kent.â You started to storm off with the tray of drinks, weaving through the crowd without a backward glance.
Lois was already making their way toward you both, but you didnât care, you didnât want to look at Clark again.
Lois caught your wrist before you could brush past, eyes narrowing at the tray of drinks trembling in your grip. âHey. What the hell just happened?â
âNothing.â you muttered, yanking your arm free. âAbsolutely nothing.â You shoved the tray onto the table, ignoring how Jimmyâs chatter died instantly at the look on your face.
Lois slid in beside you, lowering her voice so only you could hear. âDoesnât look like nothing.â
You shook your head, staring down into your glass. âI donât want to talk about it.â
Across the room, Clark still stood frozen by the bar, shoulders heavy, gaze fixed on the floor. Jimmy glanced between you and him, shifting uncomfortably before leaning toward Lois. âUh⌠should we-?â
âNo. He can figure out his own mess.â You cut him off. You took a long slip of your drink, the burn of your throat, easing the hollowness of your chest.
After finishing your drink, you left without a word to anyone. The walk home was blurry, tears blurring the neon lights and people walking past you. Whatever. You didnât need Clark to talk to you anymore, he barely did anyways. By the time you reached the entrance of your apartment, the anger had settled into something heavier, like a pit in your stomach. You kicked your shoes aside, showered and changed into something comfortable, putting on your favourite shitty movie.
You slumped on the couch sadly, eyes fighting the sleep that was almost overpowering until a knock came at your door. You raised your eyebrow at the sound and got up. âWho is it?â You asked nervously. âUhm, itâs me. Y-you know Clark. Clark Kent. I just wanted to come and you know, uh apologise.â He mumbled, stumbling over his words once again. You scoffed at his pathetic attempt but didnât say anything. âPlease say something. Please let me in, I brought you food?â He pleaded, putting his forehead against the door as he bit his lip in nervousness, almost drawing blood. His hands trying to not tear the plastic bag that contained your favourite takeaway. Because of course he remembers everything you like, because heâs the same Clark Kent that hangs on every word that you say.
âOkay.â You said with no emotion in your voice and opened the door slowly. He walked in softly, as if he would scare you if he made any sudden or fast movements. He dropped the various bags of food on your table.
âI didnât know what to get you-I mean, I know your favourite of course, but I didnât know what you were craving.â He muttered, trying to search for any emotion in your eyes. Your eyes were red due to the lack of sleep. âWhat do you want Clark? Why are you here? Just to insert yourself in my life and leave immediately?â You asked, biting your lip glaring at him. Your hands were tight around the kitchen table. âGosh no, of course not, I r-realise what I did was wrong. I was such an idiot. I didnât mean to hurt you. I got carried away with work and personal things, I never intended to ignore you but that doesnât matter because thatâs how you felt but trust me okay, I never meant to hurt you.â You just stared at him, your shoulders slumped. A tension thickened the air between you, your lips curled into a deeper frown. âYou think you can come knocking in my door with food, trying to undo weeks-no-a month of you practically ignoring me without any specific reason. Do you really think you can repair our relationship like that?â You got closer to him, face twisted in anger. You swear you heard him let out a pathetic whine. You pressed a pointer finger to his chest, looking at his eyes that were now welling up in his eyes. âNo, Clark. Thatâs not how you treat anyone. I should have known. You were too nice to me in the beginning. Thereâs always a catch, isnât there?â You walked off and turned your back to him, tears welled up in your eyes but you didnât want him to see.
âJust why Clark? Why did you do it? What reason did you have to ignore me? You know I liked you and all you did was give me the cold shoulder. For weeks I have been trying to get your attention, but you never once acknowledged me.â You mumbled, hoping he wouldnât hear you. You couldnât hold it in anymore, sobs wrecked your body, you turned to face him.
âWell?â You continued, wanting a proper answer, hands attempting to catch the river of tears leaving your body. He couldnât look at you, he looked at the floor as his own tears slowly escaped his eyes, fighting with himself to decide if he should tell you the truth or not. His heart felt so heavy, but he couldnât bring himself to tell you. No, it could put you in danger, heâd rather break your heart than bring you any physical pain. What if Lex Luthor knew about you? He felt panic rising through his body, raising his head to look at you, he gave you a pathetic smile. He shook his head no, âIâm sorry, I canât.â His heart broke at the sound of the loud and broken sobs that escaped your throat at his answer. Â âLeave, Clark.â You managed to choke out. And he did leave.
Like he always did










