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Here’s the thing: when he’d been around your whole life, it wasn’t all that weird.
He was just part of growing up in Metropolis, along with skyscrapers and taxis and giant robots interrupting subway service. It’s not like he came up in conversation often. He was more of a background fixture, like the mayor or Cellino & Barnes. Old news.
The Lane-Kent household dealt in new news exclusively. They talked about him even less than their neighbors did. They didn’t watch his latest rescues on the news or compare overhead sightings. They didn’t discuss where he came from. They barely said his name.
The twins chalked it up to their parents’ job. Like, people who worked on the Ford assembly line probably didn’t talk about cars at the breakfast table. There just wasn’t that much to discuss.
Well. That’s what they thought, anyway.
***
In the harsh light of dawn in Smallville, Metropolis seemed like a thousand miles away, and the twins were awake earlier than usual. Jon found Jordan sitting on the porch, curled into himself. He handed his brother a steaming mug.
“Dad’s gonna be pissed about us drinking coffee,” Jordan said, eyes fixed on the field. The barn.
“Yeah, well, I actually don’t give a shit what Dad thinks right now.” Jon sat down next to Jordan and sipped his own cup. “Do you?”
“No.”
The twins sat in silence. Even if it was true, it was a cliché to say that people from the city get freaked out by the quiet of the country. Lois Lane hated clichés.
A rooster crowed in the distance. Another cliché.
“Have you ever read Mom’s first interview with him?” Jordan asked after a moment. Jon shook his head. “Yeah, I hadn’t either. But I couldn’t sleep last night.”
“And?”
“It was...” Jordan exhaled. His breath was visible.“It was a big fucking story. Proof of alien life.”
Jon set his coffee down on the porch and covered his face with his hands. “Fuck.”
“Yeah.”
“I mean, fuck.” Jon rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands. “How could he...why did he-“
“Yeah.”
“I mean, doesn’t he know this isn’t just about him? It’s not even just about him and Mom. It’s about who he is. Who...” Jordan finally turned his head and met Jon’s eyes. “Who we are.”
Jon saw that Jordan’s eyes were wet. “Yeah,” Jordan said again.
“Anyway,” Jon said, even though he didn’t know what to say next. He picked his coffee back up, but it wasn’t as hot anymore.
Images of heat vision crossed his mind before he shook them away.
“Anyway,” Jordan repeated. “It’s funny. The article. When you know.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. ‘Cause it’s so obvious she’s in love with him.”
Jon choked on his coffee and started coughing as quietly as he could, which just made him start laughing.
“Gross,” Jon said when he’d recovered enough. He was still laughing a little.
Jordan looked over his shoulder, craning his neck towards the second-story windows of the house. “I just realized,” he said, whispering, “he’s got super-hearing.”
For some reason that made Jon laugh more. “Ah, shit,” he sputtered. “Just our luck. Well, maybe he’s gone right now. Stopping a runaway train, or...or blowing out a fire or some shit.”
“Maybe,” Jordan said. “I can’t believe he actually wears the outfit.”
“Oh my god, why is this so embarrassing,” Jon whined. He leaned back and tilted his face to the sky. “I hope you heard that, you dick,” he whisper-called.
Jordan’s lips twitched a couple times before a giggle finally escaped. “Oh my god,” he said, holding his head in his hands as he laughed. “I can’t believe you just called Superman a dick.”
Jon lost it again at that. That was the thing about having a twin. Sometimes you just passed it back and forth.
It was at that moment their dad showed up. Or, that is. Superman landed in front of the house.
Jordan sobered instantly. Jon put his coffee mug down behind his back. Superman’s great red cape billowed in the early morning breeze.
The rooster crowed again.
Then, at almost the exact same time, the boys erupted into laughter all over again. Their dad’s quizzical, bemused expression showed up unmistakably on Superman’s face.
The screen door opened to reveal their mom in their grandma’s old robe, looking bleary-eyed. Their dad looked at her and shrugged, big and goofy, eyebrows raised.
The boys kept laughing even as Superman stepped past them and disappeared into the house.