Clark Kent had never run so fast in his life.
He didn't know where he was going.
He just ran.
Buildings blurred past him, the city fading behind in an instant. Fields, forests, mountains—all of it vanished in streaks of color as he pushed himself harder and harder, his heart pounding, his mind racing.
Chloe… and Jimmy…
He couldn't get the image out of his head.
Her lips on his.
The way she had leaned in.
Like it was natural. Like it was right.
And that realization burned.
He had trusted Chloe. He had told himself, over and over again, that no matter how much he pushed people away, she was the one person who wouldn't leave him behind.
But now… now he wasn't so sure.
Clark finally stopped, skidding to a halt in the middle of nowhere—an empty field miles away from any sign of civilization.
He stood there, fists clenched at his sides, trying to catch his breath, trying to push down the ache in his chest.
He wasn't angry. Not really.
He was just… hurt.
How could she move on so easily?
Had he really meant so little to her?
Back at the Daily Planet…
Chloe was still frozen, her fingers trembling as she touched her lips.
Jimmy noticed her sudden change in demeanor and frowned. "Hey… what's wrong?"
Chloe snapped out of it, shaking her head quickly. "Nothing," she muttered, forcing a weak smile. "It's nothing."
But it wasn't.
Clark had seen.
And judging by the look in his eyes…
He wasn't coming back.
Her heart felt heavy.
For the first time in days, she knew she had lost him.
And the worst part?
She wasn't sure if she could ever get him back.
Got it. This time, I'll push the emotions even deeper—make the wounds cut sharper, the pain heavier. Clark is completely shattered, Chloe is struggling, and Lois unknowingly strikes where it hurts the most.
Clark Kent walked into the farmhouse like a ghost.
The wooden floor creaked under his boots, but he barely heard it. His world was silent. Distant. As if everything around him had slowed to a crawl, and he was standing still, trapped in a moment that refused to end.
The image haunted him.
Chloe.
Jimmy.
The kiss.
His chest tightened, a slow, suffocating pressure that made it hard to breathe. He had gone to Metropolis to fix things. To talk to Chloe. To apologize.
Instead, he had seen her in Jimmy's arms.
His best friend. His anchor. The one person who had always been by his side.
And now—he felt like he had lost her forever.
He exhaled shakily, rubbing a hand down his face. He was exhausted. Not physically—he never got physically tired—but emotionally, he was drained.
The moment he closed the door behind him, a voice cut through the silence.
"Where the hell have you been?"
Lois.
She was standing in the living room, arms crossed, eyes blazing.
Clark didn't react. He barely looked at her.
"You vanished again," she snapped, stepping closer. "No calls, no messages, nothing. And don't even try to pull your whole 'silent brooding farm boy' act on me, because I am so over it."
Clark remained silent.
Lois let out an irritated sigh. "Chloe's been calling you, Clark. She's worried sick, and what do you do? Ignore her?"
His jaw tightened.
Lois scoffed. "Wow. Real mature."
Clark turned away, heading for the stairs. He didn't have the energy for this.
"Oh, no. You don't get to walk away." She moved to block his path, her frustration growing. "I don't know what's going on with you, but you don't treat people like this. Chloe is your best friend. She's been there for you through everything! And you just shut her out?"
Still, he didn't say a word.
Lois let out a bitter laugh, shaking her head. "Unbelievable."
Clark swallowed hard, keeping his face blank, but inside—he was screaming.
"You can run away from this all you want," Lois muttered, stepping back. "But guess what? Chloe doesn't deserve this. She doesn't deserve to be treated like garbage just because you can't handle your own damn feelings."
His hands curled into fists at his sides.
Lois pressed on.
"You think you're the only one hurting, Smallville? That you're the only one who lost someone? Guess what? We all lost people! Your dad, Chloe's mom—heck, even Jimmy's lost family. But at least they don't go shutting people out the moment things get hard!"
Clark's breath hitched.
Lois didn't stop.
"God, your dad would be so disappointed in you right now."
The world stopped.
Clark felt his entire body stiffen, a sharp, piercing pain slicing through him like a dagger.
He barely registered Lois's sudden gasp. The way her eyes widened, realization hitting her too late.
"Oh my God, Clark—I—"
But before she could even take it back, before she could reach for him—
Clark walked past her.
Silent.
Cold.
He didn't look at her. Didn't speak.
He grabbed his truck keys off the table, shoved the door open, and walked into the night.
"Clark, wait!"
Lois ran after him, but he didn't stop.
Didn't turn.
Didn't slow.
She stood there, helpless, as the headlights flared to life, and within seconds—he was gone.
And Lois?
She was left standing in the doorway, the weight of her words crushing her chest.
She had hurt him.
More than anyone ever had.
Metropolis – The Daily Planet
Chloe Sullivan sat at her desk, staring blankly at her computer screen.
She could hear the newsroom bustling around her—phones ringing, reporters talking, the soft hum of keyboards clicking—but it all felt distant. Like white noise.
Her phone sat next to her, dark and silent.
No calls.
No messages.
Nothing.
She had tried. Again and again.
But Clark wasn't answering.
Her fingers curled into fists, her breath uneven.
She knew why.
He had seen.
Her lips trembled as the memory came crashing back.
Jimmy. The kiss.
And then—Clark.
Standing outside the window.
His face.
The way he had looked at her—like she had shattered him.
Like she was a traitor.
She swallowed hard, gripping the edge of her desk.
"God, Clark, why didn't you just TALK to me?"
She had tried to reach out, to explain. But how could she when he wouldn't even pick up the damn phone?
A lump formed in her throat.
It hadn't meant anything.
The kiss.
It had been a moment of warmth, of comfort—Jimmy had been there, and she had been hurting.
But Clark didn't know that.
Clark had just seen.
And now—she was losing him.
Her chest tightened painfully, her eyes burning.
She couldn't lose him.
Not him.
She blinked rapidly, forcing herself to breathe, but the tears were already threatening to spill.
She had spent years standing by his side. Believing in him. Fighting for him.
And now?
Now, he was gone.
Because of one mistake.
Because of one moment.
Because Clark Kent had never once seen himself as the most important person in her life.
And now?
Maybe he never would.
Her vision blurred, and before she could stop herself, she grabbed her phone, her hands trembling as she typed.
Clark, please… just talk to me.
I'm sorry.
She hesitated.
Then—she pressed send.
The screen stayed dark.
No reply.
She bit her lip, swallowing down the ache clawing at her throat.
Maybe Clark was hurting.
Maybe he was angry.
But damn it—so was she.
After everything they had been through, after all the years they had fought for each other, trusted each other—
Did he really think she was capable of betraying him?
Her hands clenched into fists.
Maybe Clark wasn't the only one who felt betrayed.
And maybe—just maybe—he wasn't the only one hurting.
But at the end of the day?
She still loved him.
And no matter how angry she was, no matter how much this hurt—
She wasn't going to stop fighting for him.
Even if he had already given up on her.
The Himalayas – A Man Alone
The wind howled through the icy peaks, cutting through the silence like a blade. Snow swirled in the air, thick and relentless, but Clark Kent didn't feel the cold.
He sat on a jagged rock, his arms resting on his knees, his head bowed.
The world stretched endlessly around him—vast, white, and empty.
A perfect reflection of how he felt inside.
He needed space. Time.
Ever since his father died, the weight on his shoulders had only grown heavier. He had tried to carry it, tried to be strong, but lately, it felt like he was crumbling beneath it.
And then… Chloe.
His stomach twisted painfully.
He had replayed the moment a hundred times in his mind.
Her lips on Jimmy's. The way her hands had settled on his chest. The way she had looked at him when she saw Clark watching.
He squeezed his eyes shut.
Was he expecting too much?
After all, Chloe was her own person. She had every right to love whoever she wanted.
But that wasn't what hurt.
What hurt was that for the first time in his life, Clark felt like he was truly alone.
His mom was in Russia, caught up in some important project that required her full attention. She had barely been home since his father passed.
Lois was still in Smallville, but after their fight—after what she had said—he couldn't bring himself to face her.
And Chloe…
Chloe had always been his person. His best friend. The one who had seen him at his worst and never turned away.
Until now.
Clark let out a slow, shaky breath, watching as it disappeared into the frozen air.
Did she even care?
Did she even miss him?
Or had he really just been fooling himself this entire time?
For the first time in a long time, Clark Kent had no answers.
And that terrified him.
The Daily Planet – Same Day
Chloe Sullivan was exhausted.
She had thrown herself into work, trying to drown out the emotions she refused to deal with.
Her fingers flew over the keyboard as she typed out yet another editorial piece, the newsroom buzzing around her. Phones rang, reporters murmured, papers shuffled—but Chloe barely noticed.
She had sent Clark another message that morning.
No response.
Not that she expected one.
Her jaw tightened as she hit 'save' on her document. Fine. If he wanted space, she'd give it to him.
She wasn't going to beg.
She had tried. And if Clark didn't trust her enough to talk things through, then maybe she was the only one fighting for this friendship in the first place.
"Chlo!"
She looked up to see Jimmy Olsen walking toward her, grinning ear to ear.
"Hey, Jimmy." Her voice was neutral, guarded.
He slid into the chair next to her desk. "Guess what?"
Chloe sighed. "I'm not in the mood for guessing games."
"Come on, it's good news!"
She raised an eyebrow.
Jimmy leaned in, lowering his voice. "We're going to Russia."
Chloe blinked. "What?"
"You and me. Perry picked us to go on a campaign tour—meeting with journalists, handling editorial documentation, setting up the expansion for the Daily Planet's Russia branch." His grin widened. "It's a huge deal, Chlo."
She stared at him.
"Wait—you're serious?"
"As serious as a front-page headline."
Chloe leaned back in her chair, processing.
Russia.
Her stomach twisted.
Martha Kent was in Russia.
Clark's mom was in Russia.
And Clark…
He probably needed his mom right now.
She rubbed her forehead. "Jimmy, I don't know if I can—"
"Oh, come on! This is huge for you." Jimmy leaned forward. "You'll be working alongside top international journalists, getting hands-on experience in global media operations. You're always talking about making a difference—this is it!"
Chloe exhaled. She did want to expand her career. This was an opportunity most journalists dreamed of.
But still…
Her gaze flickered toward her phone.
She had spent days trying to reach Clark. Days feeling guilty over something she shouldn't feel guilty about.
And he hadn't once given her the decency of talking to her.
Her jaw clenched.
Maybe it was time she stopped waiting around for someone who clearly didn't need her anymore.
She looked back at Jimmy.
"When do we leave?"
Jimmy's face lit up. "Tonight."
Chloe's breath hitched.
That soon?
She hesitated—but only for a moment.
Then, she nodded.
"Alright. I'm in."
Jimmy grinned. "That's my girl."
Chloe forced a smile.
Maybe getting away was exactly what she needed.
Maybe it was time to let go.
But deep down, she knew…
Clark Kent was never going to be that easy to forget.