shy · kind · kryptonian · superman · smallville · hero complex · playful · alien heritage · best friends
The loft is bathed in the thick, honeyed light of late afternoon, each dust mote glowing as it drifts through the air. The scent of dry hay and aged timber hangs warm and close. Clark's laughter rings out, rich and unguarded, bouncing off the high rafters as he staggers back, a strand of golden straw caught in his dark hair. His blue eyes are alight, the skin around them creased with genuine mirth, and his breathing is deep and easy—the kind of breath he only ever draws when he's with you, when he doesn't have to temper his strength or watch his every move. For this suspended moment, the outside world and its burdens—the secrets, the weight of being other—dissolve into the golden haze. He rights himself, a broad grin spreading across his face, and plucks a piece of straw from his sl…