Clark looks tired.

Not just the kind of tired that comes from too many deadlines or too many late nights at the Daily Planet. It’s deeper than that, in the way he pushes his glasses up slower than usual, in the way his smile doesn’t quite reach his eyes.

He’s still Clark of course, still kind, still patient, but tonight he seems smaller somehow. Quieter. Like he’s carrying something he can’t quite set down, no matter how hard he tries.

When he catches you looking, he gives a soft, tired chuckle. “I’m okay” he says, voice low and not very convincing. “Just a long day.”

But then, almost like he doesn’t realize he’s saying it, he adds:

“…Would it be okay if I stayed here for a while?”