#.sorry not sorry for the giant influx of content as i try to figure out what is on twitter/threads but is not on here

[buckyscrystalqueen]

Managed: Part 2

Pairings: Clark Kent x Reader (Henry Cavill Clark)

Warnings: Maybe swearing

Word Count: 2,411

A/N: Doesn’t have a completed end yet, but just giving you more content to try to get myself out of a writing funk.

Part 1

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~ 1 year later ~~~~~~

“So there’s a first for everything, I guess.” You sighed as you walked across the setting sun lit parking area toward the familiar black truck you had spent most nights sitting on, watching the sunset over the Blue Ridge mountains with your boyfriend.

“What, first time peeing in the woods?” Clark asked as you jumped up on the truck bed beside him with a sigh.

“First time taking a pregnancy test in the woods.” You breathed as you looked down at the napkin wrapped stick in your hand before setting it down beside you to wash your hands with hand sanitizer. He nodded his head in agreement, torn like you on what you wanted that stick to say. The two of you, the couple of love sick puppies, fresh out of a Disney movie, were dying to see the two pink lines. Both of your mothers, would absolutely support you if you were, but your jobs? You had some how managed to go an entire year without anyone at your job figuring out you were dating which, in and of itself was a complete miracle. But growing a child was bound to be noticeable at some point. There would be questions, and knowing Clark, there would be more concern for your well being than there already was…

“Baby…” Clark said softly as he reached over and gently touched the small of your back, knowing your ‘spiraling out’ expression better than anyone. “We’re going to figure it out.”

“It’s gunna be too late for me to switch departments…”

“Let me figure that out…”

“How are you going to just figure that out, Clark?” You snapped a little harshly with a slight glare. “You already do so much every day to try to make my work load as light as possible and it’ll just look like favoritism.”

“And I can forever spin that off as the way I was raised.” He countered quickly to try to cut off the full tail spin before you drowned in it. “I also know for a fact that Margret in windows is retiring at the end of the month. I know you’ve moon-lit in that department so much, that you’d know how to take over no problem and I know the pay is better than flooring because it’d just be you taking the commissions.”

“You’d still be my manager…”

“I’m only flooring’s department manager.” He said with a shake of his head. “Erica is the ASM of windows, and Paul is the supervisor. Windows doesn’t have a department manager because it’s always been just Margret.” You nodded your head slowly and looked out at the valley.

“Can you keep it a secret?” You asked him as you turned to look over at him. “Just at work I mean. Can you stop yourself from shouting from the roof tops that you’re going to be a dad to your friends…”

“Even if I don’t.” He countered with a shake of his head. “And I lose my job because of this, or even if for some stupid, totally illegal reason, we both do, I will find another one and I won’t let you or this baby go without. I love you, (Y/N). You are my world, and together, we will make it through anything, OK?”

“Promise?” You whispered with a small, teary catch in your throat. His smile grew as he nodded his head and moved his hand from your back to hold your hand.

“I swear.” With a nod back, you glanced down at your beeping watch, turned the timer off and picked up the pregnancy test from the truck bed. You pulled back the paper and held it out in front of both of you with slightly shaky hands.

“OK.” Clark said through a giant smile as you stared at the parallel lines. “We’re going to be OK. Sweetheart, don’t cry, come here.” He chuckled as he carefully tossed the stick into the trash bag from dinner and easily picked you up and into his lap. He shushed you softly, knowing exactly where your mind was taking you before you could even figure it out yourself, and nodded his head against your temple. “Small bites, (Y/N). Little bit at a time. We’re pregnant. That’s all we need to focus on today. Just being pregnant.”

“But what about…?”

“Just being pregnant.” He repeated with a smile as he scooted you both back in the truck bed so he could lean against the side. “One step at a time. We can do this, right?” You shook your head before a huffed laugh escaped through your tears.

“You’re counseling.”

“You need it.” He chuckled as he wrapped his arms around you with a content sigh.

“I love you.” You whispered softly as you laid your head down on his shoulder.

“I love you, too, baby. Both of you. Don’t you ever forget it.”

——

“Hey, (Y/N). How do you feel about home decor?” Erica asked before you had even clocked in to work the next day. You cocked your eyebrow at her and wondered briefly if Clark had said something to her when he came in, but he was off that morning so he wouldn’t have seen her since the day before.

“It’s pretty?” You said almost questioningly. “Why?”

“Well, you’ve been there most of the week.” She started as she showed you the stores list of details for the week. “And you have managed to keep all of your flooring and the window details you have active off my list of lates for the last four months, easily.”

“OK…”

“So if you’re OK with it, I’m gunna talk to Lauren and have you moved over to home decor because I know you will be able to handle the influx of details since Margret retired earlier than we expected and I know Dave can handle flooring by himself for a while. Does that sound like something you’d be interested in?” 

“Umm…”

“I can even try to get you a slight pay raise, too. Your track record this past year since you started with us shows you absolutely deserve it.”

“OK…”

“OK.” She said with a nod as she handed you the dailies for home decor. “Makes working with Clark a little less suspect…”

“Wait, I’m sorry?” You said as your head whipped up to look at her. She smirked and shook her head.

“Sweetie, I’ve known that man for almost ten years. He may be all midwest class, but he’s never taken a shine to someone the way he has you. I was just guessing that y’all were a couple, which is just another reason I wanted to move you out of flooring. You’re both great employees, and I didn’t want to lose either of you if you were and if this is how I can save you, then this is what I will do.” She shrugged her shoulder and leaned against the counter with her hip. “Honey, I may be old, but I’m not blind…”

“We didn’t…” You tried, but she shook her head again and held up her hand.

“I know nothing, and I ain’t sayin’ nothing.” She said as she pushed off the counter. “But you may wanna consider being a little more sneaky about getting rides to and from work. And those good bye kisses…” Your face turned bright red and your hands flew to cover your cheeks as she turned and walked away. “Go to work, (Y/N). The DSHR won’t do themselves. You’re back in windows again.” With a mortified nod, you turned and quickly walked toward the break room to grab your apron and a mobile phone. You shot Clark a text to call you in windows as soon as possible, and you grabbed the ringing phone as you made it to your new desk.

“Windows…”

“Everything OK?”

“Erica knows.” You hissed as you sat down at the only chair on the sales floor. “She’s moving me to home decor to keep us both and I guess she caught us kissing good bye when you drop me off when I stay over…”

“What’d she say?” You huffed and pulled up the DSHR app on your mobile and started answering the questions from what you could see of your small section while on the phone.

“That she may be old but she’s not blind. That she knows nothing and isn’t saying anything to anyone. That we need to be more sneaky.”

“Did you tell her you’re pregnant?”

“No, honestly, I actually forgot I was until just now. Kinda more concerned about losing our jobs…”

“OK, you’re not going to lose your job, sweetheart.” Clark interrupted gently. “Look, I know Erica. I’ve known her a long time. I’ll talk to her when I come in and explain the situation, OK? She’s an understanding woman. And if it was something we needed to be concerned about, I would have gotten talked to before you as your superior. They wouldn’t bother moving you first. So you gotta stop worrying, baby. That’s my job, remember? With the manly man muscles…”

“OK.” You breathed with a nod as a smile finally pulled at your cheeks.

“OK. Now get to work. I’ll see you later.”

“Bye sweets.” You said softly before hanging up the phone. You sighed to yourself and glanced down at your stomach before going over to finish the DSHR. Your morning flew by as you tried to catch all Margret’s details up to date along with making sure all of yours were still on track, and before you knew it, Clark was standing at your desk, waiting for you to get off the phone, with an unreadable look on his face.

“Lauren needs to see us.” He sighed when you hung up, making your stomach turn. “Apparently, Erica isn’t the only one who has noticed…”

“Oh, Jesus.” You groaned as you got out of your chair and flipped over your paperwork to keep your clients information concealed. You swallowed back bile and followed him toward the back where the store manager’s office was across from the break room. Lauren glanced up at you and gestured you both to sit as she ended the phone call she was on.

“So I have to commend both of you.” She started as Erica slipped into the room as well and closed the door behind herself. “Usually, when I have to talk to employees for partaking in romantic relationships, it’s because it’s become a disruption to their work output. Personally, I met my wife here at Blue Ridge, so I understand it happens and can work out for the best. And fortunately, there is wiggle room in the company policy.”

“Lauren…” Clark tried, but she shook her head with a smile.

“Clark, I’ve known for months.” She laughed. “The installed sales office has security cameras, remember.” Your face turned bright red and you quickly tried to hide behind your hands while Clark simply cleared his throat as both of you thought about the stolen kisses at the end of your shifts before one of you left for the day when the other still had work to do. “Now, I’ve bit my tongue, because it hasn’t affect the company yet. And as long as it continues to not affect the company or your jobs, I see no problem with it. But we will be moving you, (Y/N), over to windows so that you are not working under Clark so that you are actually abiding by the personal relationships policy, which both of you should have done months ago.”

“I’m sorry that’s…”

“That was my call.” Clark interrupted but you shook your head.

“Our call.” You said, meekly.

“It doesn’t matter.” Erica added with a shake of her head. “It really doesn’t. It’s out now, and it’s OK. Just don’t let it affect your jobs and it will keep being OK. OK?”

“Think you guys can do that?” Lauren asked as she sat back in her chair. You and Clark both nodded and exchanged a look, and you nodded your head to answer his unspoken question.

“We um…” He started as he looked back at the two women. “We actually found out last night that we are pregnant…”

“Awww!” Erica cooed as Lauren’s smile grew even more.

“It’s a good thing we’re moving you over to home decor, then. Heavy lifting when you’re pregnant isn’t good for the baby. Let Kate know when you have appointments as soon as you can and we can work your schedules out as best as we can so you both can go…”

“Kate knows?” Clark asked, incredulously.

“Kate was the one who saw you get dropped off a couple times for work.” Erica said as she ignored a call on her mobile phone. “Beth in outside garden did as well.” 

“And Mark and Sam in security as they brought the ISO footage to my attention.” Laura finished. “Look, this doesn’t need to be drawn out from here. You don’t need to tell anyone you don’t want to. The people who need to know, know. And moving forward, you no longer work in the same department so there’s no issue. Just don’t let this affect your jobs. I can’t say that enough. Please. You’re both hard workers, and you’re great fits here. I don’t wanna lose either of you.”

“Well…” Clark said with a relieved sigh. “Thank you. I’m sorry we didn’t come to you sooner…”

“Don’t worry about it.” Lauren said with a smile. “Now, I have a whole list of of phone calls I still have to make and I know you guys have work to do.”

“We’re going.” Clark said as he stood up and habitually pulled you up from your chair as well. “Don’t wanna push our luck too much.”

“Congratulations, you two.” Lauren said as she sat forward and hit the speaker button to make her next call. “A baby… I’m jealous.”

“Enjoy your sleep while you can.” Erica laughed as she hesitated in front of the training room door.

“Did that just happen?” You hissed as you and Clark headed back onto the floor to go back to work.

“Told you not to worry.” You scowled at him and stuck your tongue out as he stopped at the flooring desk.

“Pain.” You muttered as you headed almost directly across the center aisle to your desk to finish your last two calls before you went to lunch.

Part 3