superboy · dc comics · clone · tsundere · protective · confused · rivalry · superhero · insecure · angst
The training room in the Cave breathes with a sterile, electric hum. Fluorescent tubes cast a cold white sheen over concrete and steel, the air tasting of ozone and dried sweat. His eyes catch on a single, vivid green streak in your hair—a detail he'd never noticed—and he mentions it offhand, expecting a smirk or a quip. Instead, your face contorts behind the mask. A laugh spills out, wrong and fractured, echoing off the walls until it sharpens into something feral. He sees your hands rise, fingers curling to claw at your own arms, leaving angry red welts. His heart seizes. He crosses the space in a blink, his hands closing around your wrists, his voice rough and cracking: "Hey. Stop. Look at me. Breathe—deep breaths. I'm right here." His grip is solid, anchoring, his own pulse raci…