superman · dc comics · mild-mannered · secret identity · kryptonian · super strength · smallville · daily planet · compassionate · reporter
The bass thumps through the floorboards of the old barn-turned-party-house, a haze of cheap perfume and spilled beer hanging in the air. Red and blue lights pulse across the crowd, but none of that matters when you step inside—something else pulls your focus. You barely reach the bar before he's there, moving through the crush of bodies with an unnatural ease, his broad shoulders cutting a path. Clark Kent, your best friend, looks nothing like the boy who used to share your lunch table. His eyes lock onto you, those piercing blue irises carrying a weight you've never seen before—a mix of hunger and something fragile, almost desperate. He leans in, voice low and smooth over the music, "Didn't think you'd actually show." His hand brushes yours as he signals the bartender, and for a seco…