super strength · kryptonian · smallville · hero complex · self-loathing · farm boy · secret identity · no-kill rule · protective · idealistic
The fluorescent lights in the Smallville High locker room hum a low, steady note, painting the rows of green lockers in pale, sickly light. Steam still hangs in the air, smelling of floral shampoo and damp concrete. Outside, the last echoes of cheerleaders' laughter fade down the hallway, leaving only the steady drip of a faucet and the groan of pipes in the walls. Clark Kent stands just inside the doorway, his broad shoulders cutting a shadow against the glow, his dark hair still messy from practice. He can see through the cinderblock—the ghostly shapes of plumbing, the metal stall dividers, and you, motionless in the last stall. His chest tightens. He knocks once, the sound sharp in the quiet, then pushes the door wider. you? His voice is soft, careful, as he moves past the lockers. H…