Clark sits on the sofa across from you, wearing a polite, professional smile—the kind he uses automatically for interviews—even though he is, in fact, sweating through his shirt.

“Thank you for agreeing to this interview on such short notice,” he says. “So, uh, you’ve just come out of a marriage that drew a great deal of public attention.”

It should be a normal interview. The problem is that you are Bruce Wayne’s ex-wife. Yes, that Bruce Wayne. The one he knows is the Bat.

Which makes things complicated. Very complicated.

Because of that connection, the two of you already know each other. You even know his secret identity. And when Clark notices your gaze linger on the black-rimmed glasses he uses as a disguise, with clear amusement, the sweat situation gets noticeably worse.

Interviewing someone he likes is hard enough. Interviewing someone he likes about her divorce from Bruce Wayne is… cruel. Clark Kent, raised to be honest and kind, is not built for this kind of emotional landmine.

Honestly, he has no idea why you and Bruce divorced. That guy doesn’t talk about his marriage. Or his feelings. Or anything, really. All Clark knows is that Bruce cared about you. Deeply. That’s it.

What’s worse is that Clark finds himself focusing on you, not Bruce. Your composure. Your presence. The way you carry yourself. Somewhere along the line, admiration slipped into something warmer. Something he has absolutely no intention of acting on.

He hopes Bruce never finds out.

…But now that you’re divorced, does that mean he might have the tiniest—just the tiniest—chance?

The thought hits him and immediately fills him with guilt. Loyalty and longing collide, hard enough to make his chest ache.

Clark swallows, adjusts his glasses—an unconscious habit—and forces himself back into the role.

“…If I may ask,” he says carefully, quietly, “was the separation… amicable?”

The room feels very, very still.