[Third Person Pov]
The wall shattered into splinters of wood as Clark and Krypto tumbled out of the living room and into the open space of the shrine, the impact sending bits of debris skittering across the ground.
"Oh for crying out loud!" Seiko exclaimed in exasperation. "You're fixing that, by the way!"
Seiko, Momo, and Lala stood by the jagged opening in the wall, now serving as a makeshift entrance, watching as Krypto continued to tussle with Clark on the shrine floor.
Krypto had Clark pinned beneath him, jumping up and down repeatedly with reckless excitement, each bounce heavy enough that the ground beneath Clark threatened to give way under the force.
"I can talk! I've always wanted to tell you so many things before, but I just never had the chance!" Krypto exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with excitement at his newfound ability to speak.
Clark let out a laugh as he pushed himself up into a seated position. The moment he did, Krypto darted away and began running in tight circles around him, caught in a burst of uncontrollable energy. What most dog owners would know as having the zoomies.
"What do I say first! What do I say first! What do I say first!" he repeated over and over, his voice overlapping with itself as he sped up, turning into a white blur that streaked around Clark like a living comet. "I have so many things to say, but I don't know where to start!"
Clark simply watched him, a small smile on his face, choosing not to interrupt as Krypto continued his frantic pacing. Eventually, Krypto skidded to a stop, claws scraping lightly against the ground.
"Wait, I got it…" he said, his voice suddenly calmer, the frantic edge gone as quickly as it had appeared.
He trotted over to Clark, who was still seated on the shrine floor, and placed his paws on Clark's lap to lift himself up slightly.
"Now this is something I've always wanted to tell you for as long as I can remember. You ready?" He asked, wagging his tail.
"What is it?" Clark asked, his expression warm and soft, gentler than the three girls had ever seen from him.
Without hesitation, Krypto leaned forward and began licking his face affectionately.
"I love you, Clark. Thank you for being my best friend," he said, his voice soft and sincere.
Clark's body froze for a moment, going completely still. His hands, which had been reaching up instinctively, began to tremble.
Momo's eyes widened, her mouth falling open, and beside her Lala and Seiko stared just as intently. Tears began to spill from Clark's eyes without restraint, trailing down his face as a choked sob escaped his throat.
He pulled Krypto into a tight embrace, holding him close as his body shook with each uneven breath.
"I love you too, Krypto! You're one heck of a best friend, buddy"
Momo stood there in stunned silence, completely at a loss. Never once had she seen Clark shed a single tear. At one point, she had even assumed that, because of his alien biology, he simply couldn't cry. And yet here he was, crying openly, without holding anything back. The sight left her frozen, unsure of how to even react.
Seiko, on the other hand, wore a soft, knowing smile. She understood how much Clark loved his dog, so while the moment still surprised her, it didn't shake her the way it did Momo. She simply watched, quietly appreciating what was happening.
Lala, meanwhile, held a look of quiet pride. She had accomplished exactly what she set out to do. The only other time she had ever seen Clark cry was for the little girl he had been unable to save that day. That memory had stayed with her, and from that point on, she made it her goal to change that. Now, seeing that his tears came from something warm instead of painful, she couldn't help but feel satisfied, giving herself a small, internal pat on the back.
Clark was quick to turn into a blur, disappearing from where he had been sitting.
Lala let out a loud shriek of surprise as she suddenly found herself lifted into the air, securely held in Clark's arms.
"Waaaah! Clark! Hahaha!" Lala laughed, her voice bright and unrestrained as Clark spun her around. He didn't hesitate to lean in and press an exaggerated kiss against her cheek.
"Mwach! Thank you, Lala. That was probably the best present I've ever gotten," Clark said with a wide smile, genuine gratitude clear in his eyes as he looked at the space princess.
Lala felt her face grow warm almost instantly. She wasn't used to that kind of open affection from him, and it made her heart flutter in a way she wasn't entirely prepared for. She shrank back slightly, though the smile on her face remained.
"Hehehe, you're welcome—Happy Birthday, Clark," Lala said as she wrapped her arms around his neck. One of her legs curled behind her as her tail swayed happily in the air, unable to stay still.
…
A moment later, Clark let out a quiet sniffle as he wiped the remaining wetness from his eyes with a single finger. His expression shifted, regaining its usual composure.
"Any one of you so much as mention anything—even a word—about what you saw today, and I'll rip your tongue out with my bare hands."
Seiko, Momo, and Lala all immediately made zipping motions across their mouths before tossing away an imaginary key, silently promising their compliance.
Clark turned away and began fixing the wall, moving at super speed as he worked. The broken wood and debris were quickly set back into place with precise, efficient movements, as if the damage had never happened.
Meanwhile, Seiko settled back down onto the floor, with Momo and Lala joining her as they distracted themselves by playing with Krypto, who was still full of energy from everything that had just happened.
"So what exactly was that important matter that came up that you mentioned earlier?" Seiko asked as she lit a cigarette between her lips, her tone casual despite the curiosity behind it.
"Oh right, I was attacked by an intergalactic assassin that destroyed the tracks of the train Komi and I were on. So she ended up figuring out my identity and now knows I'm Superman," Clark said nonchalantly, as if he were talking about something completely ordinary.
The three of them stared at him in disbelief, momentarily thrown off by just how casually he delivered that information.
Momo was the first to break, her voice rising as she zeroed in on one part of what he had just said.
"What?! Komi knows your secret identity now?!"
"You were targeted?" Seiko added, raising a brow as she focused on an entirely different concern.
"Yay!" Lala cheered, clapping her hands together. "Now I can finally tell Komi I'm an alien too!"
"No need, I already told her," Clark said as he finished repairing the wall, giving it a final check.
"Wha—Boo!" Lala immediately pouted, her cheeks puffing out. "I wanted to be the one to tell her."
"Sorry, should I not have? It seemed appropriate at the time," Clark replied with an apologetic, slightly awkward grin.
"It's fine…" Lala said, her lips still pursed as she crossed her arms lightly. "I don't really care as much about people knowing like you do. I just wanted to be the one to tell her. I bet her reaction was really funny."
Clark chuckled softly as he flipped the hammer in his hand with an easy motion.
"Yeah, it definitely was."
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