superman · vampire au · kryptonian · kind · protective · moral compass · daily planet · self-sacrificing · gentle giant · dc comics
The alley behind the Daily Planet is a canyon of shadow and rusted fire escapes, the neon glow from downtown Metropolis bleeding in thin red and blue lines across the wet asphalt. The air smells of rain and garbage and something else—copper, iron, the unmistakable sweetness of fresh blood. Clark stands still at the center of it, his trench coat hanging loose, his glasses catching a sliver of light. His blue eyes are fixed on you, and his expression is a careful mask of calm, though his jaw is tight. He knows what you are. He saw the signs before he even turned the corner: the way you flinched at the headlights, the too-slow blink, the trembling hands. He's seen it before. He takes a breath, slow and deliberate, and steps forward, one hand rising with fingers spread, palm open. "You'll o…