Clark's alarm buzzes at 5 AM on Saturday morning. Usually, he would smash the snooze button. He's broken more than one clock doing that. But today was his favorite day of the month. It was the third Saturday of May. And the third Saturday of every month, Superman helped out at the Metropolis community center. Clark gets out of bed and quickly showers and gets himself ready. He puts on his Superman outfit and heads down to the center.
At the center, he sees Mr. and Mrs. Cartwright, the couple that own the center.
"Superman! It's great to see you." Mrs. Cartwright says.
"Great to see you too." Superman says back.
"I have something for you." Superman says holding a box.
Mrs. Cartwright opens it. Inside its full of ears of corn.
"I know of this great little farm in Kansas. They grow the best corn you'll find anywhere. There'll be a truck delivering a donation from them later today." Superman says.
"Oh Superman, that's wonderful." Mrs. Cartwright says.
Superman heads inside the center and sees his old friend Earnest Walker.
"Hey Mr. Superman!" Ernest says, joyfully.
"How are you today?" Superman asks.
"I'm good sir, I've got a new recipe I'm trying out." Ernest says.
"That's great!" Superman says back.
Ernest has come a long way in the time that Superman has known him. He was once a homeless man, but now has steady work and even an apartment to call home.
"Hey Supe's!" A jovial voice says from behind.
Superman turns around to see Bibbo Bibowski. Bibbo still runs his own diner, but since Superman started helping out at the center, Bibbo has been helping out more too.
"What's up Bibbo?" Superman asks with a smile.
"Just bringing down some meals I'm donating today." Bibbo says.
"That's so nice." Superman says with a smile.
"Just trying to do my part." Bibbo says.
Superman looks around at everyone pitching in. He knows that Metropolis has a high crime rate, higher than he'd like. But when he sees a community come together like this, it gives his hope for a better tomorrow.
Superman helps out at the center all morning. He takes pictures for a dollar apiece with all the proceeds going to the center. Every month it helps get the center an extra couple hundred bucks. At noon, Superman gets ready to leave. He says his goodbyes to the Cartwright's, Earnest, and the rest of the staff and heads off.
He flies high above the city. The citizens watch on as he flies above the world famous Fifth Street.
"Look up in the sky! It's a bird, it's a plane, it's Superman!" People on Fifth Street yell out. This had become a bit of a catch phrase as Superman flew over.
Superman is in a bit more of a hurry than usual today. He has a lot planned. His next stop is Smallville.
Clark Kent arrives at his mother's home in Smallville, Kansas, the Kent family farm.
"Ma." Clark calls out as he enters the house.
"Clark?!" Martha says in surprise.
"I didn't expect to see you here today." She continues.
"I just wanted to check in and see how you were doing." Clark says
"Oh, I'm fine Clark." Martha says.
"I uh, wanted to say, I'm sorry for how I reacted about Lana." Clark says.
"Clark no, I'm sorry. I should have told you about that a long time ago." Martha says.
"Have you talked to Lana since she got back to town?" Clark asks hesitantly.
"I have." Martha says.
"H-how is she?" Clark asks, remembering that their last interaction didn't end so well.
"She's fine Clark. If anything, I think she just need closure with you." Martha says.
Clark exhales a sigh of relief.
"How is Lois?" Martha asks.
S-she's fine." Clark says, still acting a little funny.
"Clark, what's wrong?" Martha asks.
"Nothing Ma." Clark says.
"Clark I am your mother; I know when something is wrong." Martha.
"Lois- she."
"What?" Martha asks.
"I'm going to ask her to marry me." Clark blurts out.
"Oh Clark that's wonderful!" Martha exclaims.
Clark pulls a box out of his pocket, inside of it is a ring he purchased. Martha picks it up and looks at it. The diamonds glisten in the light.
"It's beautiful Clark." Martha says.
"I'm having dinner with her at my place tonight." Clark says.
"Is that when you are going to ask her?" Martha asks.
"No." Clark says.
"No?" Martha responds in surprise.
"I'm going to invite her to my fortress in the arctic, that is where I'm going to ask her next weekend." Clark says.
"Why not just ask tonight?" Martha asks.
"Monday, Superman has to go to Washington and speak about enhanced individuals registering their powers with the government. I want my focus to be on that right now." Clark says.
"That scares me Clark. If we had to register you, the government would have surely taken you away from us." Martha says.
"I know Ma." Clark says.
"I can't tell you how many hours of sleep I lost, and especially your father lost, worrying that some night someone would show up at our front door and take you away." Martha says.
Clark didn't say anything. But when he was younger, he could hear his father pitter around late at night. And after he acquired his powers, he could hear his heart beat rapidly. Sometimes Clark wondered if that stress led to his father's heart attack.
"Can I help you out in the field?" Clark asks.
"I you want, but Jordan and I can take care of it." Martha says.
"I thought Jordan was leaving for school." Clark says.
"Not until the fall." Martha responds.
Clark heads out and spends the next couple of hours helping on the farm. Although he could do the work much faster, sometimes Clark liked to work at a slower pace. It helped him clear his head.
At three Clark prepared to leave.
"I have to get going Ma." Clark says.
"Got to get home and make your dinner for Lois?" Martha asks.
"Yes, but I have one more stop to make first." Clark says.
Clark hugs his mother goodbye and flies off.
Shortly after, Superman touches down in San Francisco. He heads to the island in the middle of the bay. An island that has recently been dubbed Titan Island. This is where the starship of the Tamaranean, Starfire, landed. The ship has been hollowed out and become a housing for Starfire, Nightwing, and who Superman is here to vist, Raven. Superman flies down to the island and is greeted by Nightwing.
"How's it hanging big blue?" Nightwing asks.
"I'm doing good." Superman says.
"Superman does good, you want to say I'm doing well." Nightwing jokes.
Superman grins. He looks over and sees Starfire with another boy. He looks young, maybe eleven or twelve. His skin is green.
"A new member to the team?" Superman asks.
"That's Garfield. We recently freed him from some people experimenting on him." Nightwing says.
"Experimenting how?" Superman asks, his tone getting more serious.
"They were splicing his DNA with that of animals." Nightwing says.
Superman is disgusted hearing this.
"He's just a boy." Superman says.
"Would you like to meet him?" Nightwing asks.
"Absolutely." Superman says.
Superman and Nightwing approach Starfire and Garfield. As they get close, Garfield hides behind Starfire.
"Hello Starfire." Superman says.
Superman then looks down at the green skinned boy hiding behind her. He kneels down and extends his hand.
"And who might this be?" Superman asks with a smile.
"This is Garfield." Starfire says, as she steps aside exposing Garfield to Superman.
"Hello Garfield." Superman says.
"H-hi, sir." Garfield shyly says.
"I understand you live here now Garfield." Superman says.
"Actually, I like to go by the name Beast Boy." Garfield says.
"Very well, then Beast Boy it is." Superman says.
"Let's go see what we're doing for dinner Beast Boy." Starfire says as the two walk off.
Superman looks over at Nightwing.
"Where's Raven?" Superman asks.
"The same place she always is when you come to visit." Nightwing says.
"In her room."
Superman heads up to Raven's room and knocks on the door. The door cracks open a little bit. When Raven see's that Superman is at the door, she opens it up fully. Raven hugs Superman.
"You've been away for a few weeks." Raven says.
"I know, but I'm here now." Superman says.
Raven felt safe around Superman, in a way she didn't feel safe around anyone else.
Superman walks in to Raven's room. It's dark with a gothic aesthetic. He sees' a collection of books Raven had been adding to since she came here.
"Are you doing okay?" Superman asks.
"I get lonely." Raven says.
"But Raven, you have other people here that care about you." Superman points out.
"I know, but when ever we go into town to fight off bad guys, I feel like everyone looks at me differently. Like I'm some sort of freak." Raven says.
"Believe it or not, I know what that's like." Superman says.
"You do?" Raven asks.
"Sure. For almost a year after I started wearing this costume, I tried to be Superman from the shadows. Just speed in and fix a situation, then speed out without being seen." Superman says.
"Then what happened?" Raven asks.
"One day I needed to help people and there was nowhere to hide. I was exposed to the public and there was no going back." Superman says.
"But you're Superman, everyone loves you." Raven says.
"And you're Raven, and everyone will learn to love you too." Superman says.
Superman puts his arm on Raven's shoulder and smiles. Raven smiles back.
"I think Starfire and Beast Boy are making dinner. Why don't you go help them." Superman says.
"I don't know much about cooking." Raven says.
"That's okay, neither do I. But I have a big dinner to plan myself tonight." Superman says.
Raven agrees and heads to the kitchen where Starfire and Beast Boy are. Superman gets ready to leave. Raven always hates it when he leaves.
"When will you be back?" Raven asks.
"I have a busy day on Monday, but I'll try to stop by on Tuesday." Superman says.
"Promise?" Raven asks.
"Promise." Superman says.
Superman heads out the bottom of the tower. He sees Nightwing training outside.
"You talk to Raven?" Nightwing asks.
"I did. She's helping with dinner." Superman says.
"That's good, she still keeps herself isolated." Nightwing says.
"I hope she comes around more. I understand she went through something truly traumatic, but the Toyman is behind bars now, and she's surrounded by people who care about her." Superman says.
"Starfire and I try to interact with her. Sometimes she'll respond, other times she makes us back off. People can be stubborn." Nightwing says.
"Have you talked to Bruce recently?" Superman asks, knowing that can be a sore topic.
"I don't have anything to say to him." Nightwing says.
"Right, people can be stubborn." Superman says, almost mockingly.
Nightwing's face straightens out.
"I have to be going." Superman says.
"Hot date?" Nightwing asks.
"Something like that." Superman says as he flies off.
He stops at a market in San Francisco and picks up some fresh caught fish. He had a very special dinner planned for Lois. He originally planned to make steaks, but then he remembered that Lois isn't much of a meat eater.
When Superman gets home, it's five o clock. He has two hours to prepare dinner. He gets the fish started and begins cooking some vegetables to go with it. He then begins to work on the salad. He had his mom make some of her special dressing, the one that Lois loved. Everything is prepared with about ten minutes to go until seven o clock. Clark sets the table and looks over to the kitchen. It's a mess. At super speed he tries to clean everything up. Just as he finishes, there's a knock at the door. Clark goes to answer it. He looks over and see's that he forgot to light the candles. He quickly uses his heat vision to light them. Then he opens the door.
"You know for a guy with super speed, you sure are slow to open a door." Lois says.
Lois walks in. She see's the table set. She wasn't expecting all this.
"W-what is this?" Lois asks.
"I wanted tonight to be special." Clark says.
"I thought we were just going out." Lois says.
"Well, now we can stay in." Clark says.
Clark goes over and pulls out Lois's chair.
"Take a seat." he says.
Lois does just that. She is blown away by this night Clark had planned.
"This fish is delicious." Lois says.
"It was just caught today." Clark says.
After dinner the two sit there, staring into each other's eyes.
"I have one more thing for you." Clark says.
"Oh?" Lois says in surprise.
Clark heads to his room and returns with a present. Lois is nervous. She has no idea what it could be. She unwraps the paper to reveal a blank white gift box. Her heart is pounding. She opens the box to reveal… a parka?
"Oh gee Clark, I really don't know what to say." Lois says. The enthusiasm in her voice drifting off.
"You don't like it?" Clark asks.
"It's just, most guys buy their girls revealing outfits, not something to cover them up." Lois says.
"Well, I'm not most guys." Clark says.
"You don't have to tell me twice." Lois says.
"Trust me. I've got an out-of-town trip planned for next weekend, and you'll want to stay warm." Clark says.
Lois's interest is peaked. What could he be planning? She wonders to herself.
"You're a fascinating man Clark Kent." Lois says.
"I know." Clark says.
Clark leans in and the two kiss.