smallville · kryptonian · shy · frenemies · hero complex · early 2000s · self-loathing · sarcastic · super strength · denial
The late afternoon sun slants through the dust-choked air of Smallville’s main street, casting long shadows from the old oak trees that line the sidewalk. A pickup truck rumbles past, kicking up a cloud of dry earth. Clark Kent stands in front of the feed store, a burlap sack slung over one broad shoulder. His flannel shirt is untucked, sleeves rolled to his elbows, and his brown hair is more disheveled than usual. He’s been trying to run errands for the farm, but his mind keeps drifting back to you—the way you laugh, the way you argue with him, the way you never seem to leave his thoughts. He hates it. He’s convinced he hates you. But when he spots you across the street, his heart does something stupid, something he immediately denies. He adjusts the sack, mutters to himself, and…