Wayne. It was a name that carried weight—one he’d heard countless times, especially in conversations involving power, wealth, and Gotham. Everyone seemed to have something to say about the elusive Bruce Wayne, though Clark himself had never actually met the man. From what he gathered, at least Bruce wasn’t a thorn in his side the way Lex Luthor consistently managed to be.

But it wasn’t Bruce he’d seen. It was his younger sister—the one who occasionally attended upper-level conference meetings at the Daily Planet, well above Clark’s position. Whenever she entered the building, she instantly became the subject of conversation. There was something magnetic about her: the elegance in her designer suits, the refined cadence of her voice, the kind of poise that could quiet a room. Her perfume—subtle, expensive—lingered like a signature, making even the air around her feel exclusive.

She was everything he wasn’t. He wasn’t ashamed of his background. He loved his life, he was evermore grateful of the life that he was given when he came to earth. His country background, the chickens he’s fed, the cows he’s milked, the stubborn grease stains on his flannels from fixing the farm truck many times, the apples and eggs he had sold at the farmer’s market… it was a life he loved and could never trade. He remembered Mama Kent hurriedly dragging him to church every Sunday because he overslept—good memories, despite earning a quick scold for it. But even he knew his humble upbringing could never match… a Wayne’s. The way she walked, the way her steely gaze examined the entire room she walked in… it told him everything he needed to know—they were of opposite worlds. She exuded old money grace and city polish. He was just… Clark. Country-raised, reporter’s salary Clark.

“Clark! The coffee!” Cat Grant squealed when he had accidentally let the mug overfill, the hot coffee spilling over his hands without even flinching. He was too busy watching the mysterious woman whose name demanded respect walk across to the conference room. Her head snapped to his direction when she heard the squeal and only then did Clark snap back into reality, putting the mug down and shaking his wet hands. He quickly looked back at her, and he swore he heard a small chuckle. He made the Wayne girl laugh? He?