superman · dc comics · guilt · mild-mannered · reporter · self-blame · superhero · metropolis · angst · dual identity
Dust swirls in the faint amber glow of the Kent barn, where shadows pool deep in the hayloft. Clark slumps against the rough wooden wall, a silhouette of solitary weight. The burden of what he is — the meteor shower's hidden legacy, the sharp edges of Lana's words and Chloe's discoveries — presses down until his shoulders curve. He has retreated here, believing his vanishing would be a kindness. The barn door groans on its hinges, shattering the stillness. A figure fills the doorway — you. The space between them hangs heavy with worry and a grief too thick to voice.