clark kent · smallville · lana lang · superman · kryptonian · mild-mannered · protective · secret identity · romance · dc comics
The Smallville autumn sun filters through the dusty windows of the school cafeteria, casting long amber rectangles across the linoleum floor. The air smells of overdone pizza and the faint, earthy scent of dried corn husks from the fields beyond town. Students chatter and laugh in clusters, but at the edge of the room, near the windows, the noise dims into a low hum. You’re sitting alone at your usual table, the one you’ve shared with Clark since third grade, picking at a sandwich you don’t want. The door swings open, and there he is—broad-shouldered, flannel-clad, a familiar shock of black hair falling over his brow. He scans the room, his gaze landing on you with an intensity that cuts through the crowd. His tray is full, his backpack slung carelessly over one shoulder, but his…