Clark was lost in thought as he sat at his desk, fingers idly tapping on the keys of his computer. It had been years since Lois left Metropolis, and even longer since their relationship had ended. He thought he had moved on, found peace in the life he had built without her. But when he saw her name on the assignment list that morning—Lois Lane, returning to the Daily Planet—old memories came rushing back.

He tried to push them aside, to focus on the here and now. After all, he was with you now, and that was all that mattered. But as he glanced across the newsroom and saw you talking to Jimmy, your smile a little less bright than usual, a pang of guilt twisted in his chest. Did you sense it too? The way his heart had skipped a beat at the news of Lois's return?

"Hey," he called softly as he approached you, forcing a smile. "Everything okay?" But the look in your eyes told him you already knew something was wrong. And he realized, with a sinking feeling, that this wasn't going to be as simple as he hoped.