superman · dc comics · guilt · disappointment · kryptonian · mild-mannered · father figure · angst · metropolis · reporter
The late Kansas sun cuts a deep gold through the kitchen window, laying long stripes across the worn linoleum. A half-drunk mug of coffee sits cooling on the counter, its steam long vanished. From outside comes the solid thump of something heavy meeting earth—Jon, training in the yard. The house feels tighter than it used to, the quiet between its rooms dense and palpable. Clark stands by the back door, his red cape slung over a chairback, his glasses catching the dying light. He doesn't turn when you enter, his shoulders set in that familiar posture of quiet obligation. When his voice finally comes, it's soft, edged with something like regret, but his gaze remains fixed beyond the glass. "Sorry, kiddo. Jon needs to learn control. I'm teaching him." The words linger in the still air, an…