November 2nd, Monday 9:12 am.
• • •

I strolled into work with my head high and my shoulders back. Paparazzi have been following me since I left my apartment this morning. I knew that someone was going to say something today, I didn't expect it to be everyone.

A few men whistled at me from the photography section and a woman, I've only known in passing as Libby, told me I was lucky to have caught the eye and heart of Superman. As I sat at my desk working on the next piece I heard whispering.

Confused, I stilled my fingers and looked over my shoulder. In the break room was Libby and two other women, they saw I had caught their eyes and quickly moved further into the room. With a new emotion shooting to the surface I stood up and walked to confront them, but a large silhouette blocked my view.

"I was thinking for tonight we could get takeout and...what's wrong?" Clark asked standing in front of me a file in hand.

"What happened to stay away from each other at work, Clark," I bit back.

He scrunched his face at my tone, "You look angry. I know what I said-,"

I shoved past him but as I neared the gossiping women I sighed and turned back towards Clark, "Takeout sounds nice, Clark."

He cast me a small smile, and I sat back down.

"Westmore," Perry's voice boomed from across the room, "My office,"

• • •

"You want me to cover the Bat in Gotham, why?" I asked sitting back in the chair across from Perry.

"I need someone to do it that isn't Clark. He's a bit obsessive, and I think you'll be able to shine a better light on it," He explained quirking a salt and pepper brow at me.

"Why do I feel like that's not the only reason why you're giving this to me,"

"It's not, but I won't tell you since you already know," He replied and turned back to his computer screen.

• • •
November 2nd, Monday 5:33pm

I sat in my living room with a dozen articles and photos of "The Batman" as he's been called. He's been around for twenty years, but recently just came back in the past two years. Coincidentally after Superman's battle in Metropolis recently though he's been reported to be showing up more frequently and has been spotted over a dozen times in the past two months.

I hadn't told Clark yet that Perry had given me his assignment- even if it was never officially Clark's I feel like I'm stealing it. Today, we didn't speak much after our small conversation. It was mostly on my end since I was still so mad about how I was being gossiped about at work.

They weren't even doing it behind closed doors. If you're going to talk about somebody, don't make it so visible. Rolling my eyes, I stood up from the couch, kicking off my heels I ventured into the kitchen when a knock sounded.

"It's open!" I called pulling a pitcher of water from my fridge as Clark entered.

"You should lock that," He told me greeting me with a chaste kiss.

"Well when my boyfriend is Superman and the only one I ever leave it unlocked for, why would I?"

"It'll be safer if I had a key,"

A moment of silence happens after he said that and I looked up at him with a raised brow, but he was already in the leaving room looking at my display of Batman articles.

"Clark did you just-,"

"Why are you researching him?" He asked turning to me, his slender finger pushing up his glasses.

"I meant to tell you today. Perry gave me your assignment,"

"This is perfect," he said sitting down on my couch to read through some of the articles and to look at my notes.

I put the water pitcher back in my fridge and joined him, "How so?"

"I have a lot more notes I can give you to help, plus some insider information that will be more believable coming from you since you'll be getting it from Superman. Also, I've been so wrapped up in this that I think it's getting to me,"

"Perry called you obsessive,"

He nodded, his eyes skimming a page.

"Today at work, before you stopped me and asked me about Chinese, I was going to confront those girls in the break room,"

"I know that's why I stopped you,"

"I wished you hadn't,"

That caught his attention because he looked at me,"Annie, it wouldn't have been good for you to stoop to their level,"

"Why not? I'd rather they do it to my face then across the room where I can clearly see them,"

"Libby is apart of the tabloid section of our paper. All she does is gossip and she would have definitely published a smear page on you and dragged Superman through the mud as well," he explained.

"So you'd rather have them call me a slut then have another bad gossip column written about you because of Superman?" I frowned standing up, angry.

"Annie, that's not-,"

"Clark that's exactly what you said,"

He stood up too, walking towards me.

"Look, I get that you're stressed and that this whole ordeal with the trial is bothering you, but can you not see that this isn't good for me? That them smearing my names is only adding fuel to you?"

"Annie, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that-,"

A ring interrupted me and Clark pulled out his phone,"It's my mother,"

I sighed, rubbing my forehead. Was I really about to say what I thought I was going to say? It's not fair for me to act this way towards him, but it's also not fair that I just have to take this slander and not have him defend me. I knew last night that I was way in over my head when it came to him, but was this really enough to walk away. Nothing has even happened to warrant this emotion of betrayal.

Clark was on the phone with his mother still, and I noticed his shoulder rise and he cast a look at me.

"Yes, I'll tell her you said that," there were moments of small pauses between his replies, "Oh, you did?"

Clark set his eyes on me, "I'm sure she won't mind. Yeah, I love you too, mom,"

"Why are your shoulders up in that nervous way you do?" I asked him.

"My mom invited your mom to dinner,"

"Oh that's nice,"

"And wants us there too. The weekend after next,"

"What? Isn't it too early to meet the parents?" I balked.

"Technically you've already met my mother,"

"Clark!"

"Nothing about our relationship is conventional, Annie. I know this is a lot to take in. I understand your hesitation, but I do care about you, and I think we can do this," He told me.

I studied him for a moment, "Damn, Clark why aren't you an inspirational speaker? I believe you,"

A moment of serious silence passed, and I laughed, "I'm joking. I deflect with humor, Clark,"

"What am I going to do with you?" He laughed walking over to me, pulling me into a hug.

"Slow down and breath, okay? I can tell this is stressing you out. We'll go enjoy dinner with our mothers in a couple of weeks and have a nice break from work," I pulled back a bit to look up at him.

"I do need a break from all this," He rested his chin atop my head and rocked us side to side, "What do you want from Tops?"

"My usual," I told him as he pulled away and headed towards the door.

"Pepper steak and egg rolls coming right up," he stood in the doorway for a moment, "Lock the door behind me."

I nodded and held the doorknob ready to do just that. I watched Clark leave. Nerves fluttered in my stomach at the thought of the dinner in a few weekends. I hoped my mother didn't expect me to be engaged by Easter next year or heaven forbid Valentines Day.

• • •

Let me know what you think. I've also decided to keep the original timeline. Don't worry; I'm going to make it all believable.

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