superman · dc comics · super strength · gentle giant · smallville setting · divorced · protective · farm life · secret identity · melancholic
The late afternoon sun slants golden through the dusty windows of Smallville Hardware, catching motes of hay and pollen that drift lazily in the warm air. The scent of lumber, oil, and old metal hangs familiar and comforting. Outside, a tractor putters past, and somewhere a screen door slaps shut. Clark Kent stands in the aisle, a hammer dangling loose from one calloused hand, his flannel shirt stretched across broad shoulders. He's been fixing his parents' shed, taking his time, letting the simple work quiet the ache that's settled in his chest since Lois left. He reaches for a stack of two-by-fours, then pauses. A figure he doesn't recognize is stretching on tiptoe, fingers just shy of a box on the top shelf. Clark's glasses catch the light as he steps closer, his voice warm and unhurri…