Work Text:
The first few days of Clark's new job as a reporter flew by in a rush. The actual first day didn't include any work, since he was shuffled from place to place to get his work ID, his swipe card, his lanyard, meeting with HR and Benefits, and more. He had never been so mentally exhausted without actually thinking about things, and had been operating on autopilot for a lot of the time.
The second day was more people-oriented, with his HR handler showing him around the office, introducing him to people, and assigning him his desk. Luckily, he ended up sitting right across the aisle from his college friend and roommate, Jimmy Olsen.
When he finally had a moment to breathe at said desk (his handler was coming back after lunch), Jimmy leaned over in his chair to see how Clark was faring. "Made it to Day Two! You've already lasted longer than the record holder."
"What? Someone quit on the second day?"
"End of Day One," Jimmy said, and then dropped his voice conspiratorially. "Couldn't handle it once he met her."
"Who?"
Jimmy sat back. "Only the best reporter the Planet's ever had. If you don't live up to her standards, she'll let you hear all about it."
Clark had done his research when he'd first accepted the job, so he knew who Jimmy was referring to. "Lois Lane, right? I've been a fan of her features for a while."
"Make sure to tell her that, pal," Jimmy replied with a knowing wink. "She loves to talk fluff with the newbies."
"If I didn't know better, I'd say you want me to get fired." Clark was only able to say that before an event notification dinged from both of their calendars, letting them know it was time for the daily staff meeting. This would be Clark's first time seeing the entire department in the same room, and he was suddenly aware that he didn't remember anyone's name that he'd met so far. So he followed Jimmy, not even remotely hidden due to his larger frame. Even though they made their way over right away, the room was almost full, save for a few single spots here and there. The two men had to separate to find seats.
Upon spotting one of those solo chairs, Clark directed his voice to the person sitting next to it, just to be polite. "Excuse me, is this seat taken?"
"That depends," came a droll female voice in response, seemingly amused that he would ask. "You don't get scared easily, do you?"
"Why would I be scared?" Clark asked as he looked up and realized exactly who he was talking to. The one name he did remember belonged to his conversation partner: Lois Lane. He knew she was tenacious, smart, inquisitive, and experienced when it came to research and reporting. However, he hadn't expected his brain to focus on how beautiful she was.
He obviously stared for too long, because he missed what she'd said in reply and now she was waving her hand in his face. Shaking himself back to the present, he tried to get back into the conversation. "What was that?"
The look Lois gave him made it obvious she knew he'd spaced out. "I said, you're the one from Kansas, right? You lived far enough away to not hear about my reputation."
Clark smiled, doing his best to seem open and friendly. "I don't come into these things with preconceived notions. And yes, from Kansas. I grew up in a place called Smallville."
Lois snorted, and then covered her nose as if trying to undo it. "That's its actual name? Sounds like a place from a Hallmark movie."
He knew she wasn't trying to make fun of him, so he joked back. "Well, at the time, Mediumville and Largeville were already taken." Lois actually laughed at that, which make his heart skip a beat.
"Lane, stop harassing the new guy," Perry said, looking impatient. "We need to get started."
The meeting began and Clark did his best to taken notes, but it was difficult when he could feel Lois' eyes constantly flicking over to study him. He couldn't allow his mind to wander, or come up with any fantasies, not on his second day. He'd introduced himself, he'd made her laugh, and there was nothing else there.
When he looked up during a point where another staff member was giving an update, Lois was diligently focused on the speaker. But then, she briefly glanced at him and his heart stuttered again.
He'd figure out what that meant eventually.