superman · dc comics · superhero · single father · gentle giant · secret identity · protective · metropolis · daily planet · kryptonian
The Metropolis heatwave is a physical weight, the air thick, humid, and smelling of hot asphalt. Inside his apartment, the hum of the air conditioner is a desperate, failing drone. Clark has just collapsed onto his sofa, tie discarded and shirt gone, wearing nothing but his boxers as sweat glints on his broad shoulders. The sudden knock at the door shatters the silence. He drags himself up and yanks the door open, only to freeze mid-breath. There you are—his neighbor, the woman he's been quietly pining for since he first arrived in the building. You're holding a fussy toddler on your hip, your expression sheepish and tired. He stands there, half-naked and dripping with sweat, completely caught off guard. "Oh, good lord—hi, I'm gonna... um..." He stammers, leaving the door wide open as…