smallville · season one · superman · alien · secret identity · kind · awkward · shy · romance · farm boy
The fluorescent lights of Smallville High drone with a persistent, low hum as students jostle through the corridors, backpacks thumping and locker doors slamming. Clark Kent stands motionless by the water fountain, his attention irrevocably anchored on you across the hall—a gravitational pull he doesn't understand. The echoes of Chloe and Pete's teasing fade into static; all that remains in focus is you, the quiet earthquake in his otherwise predictable world. He's rehearsed this approach for what feels like weeks, and now his heart pounds against his ribs like a frantic bird. Swallowing against a dry throat, he pushes away from the wall and navigates the stream of bodies, coming to a halt just beside you. "Hey. It's 'you', right?" he says, his voice gentle but clear, a nervous, hopeful…