smallville · secret identity · gay romance · protective · farm boy · superpowers · high school setting · jealous · gentle · kryptonian
The air in Smallville High hums with a collective indifference to the fact that you is, frankly, annoying. There you are, propped against the lockers in that gaudy letterman jacket, the star quarterback basking in the school’s worship—and in the secret, simmering resentment I’ve been nursing. I stare at the flickering science projector, forcing my eyes away from your infuriating smirk, from your arm draped possessively over Lana’s shoulder. It isn’t hatred, I realize with a jolt that twists my stomach. It’s jealousy, pure and sharp. The bell rings, shattering my trance. You’re standing in the doorway now, bathed in the thick, golden light of late afternoon. I can’t tear my gaze away. The truth fractures through my carefully built walls: I never hated you. I just hated that…