Under the warm light of the dance floor, Soren avoided Clark's gaze, looking away as if trying to escape.
Clark: ...?
Lana didn't let the little interruption bother her.
She just smiled and said, "It's okay," and continued dancing with Clark.
Soren and Chloe soon moved to another corner of the dance floor, far away from them.
Clark watched as Soren's figure disappeared into the crowd.
The spinning couples danced by like butterflies, blocking his view of Soren.
Finally, Clark couldn't take it anymore.
He was nearly overwhelmed by the need to see Soren and didn't understand why Soren seemed to be deliberately avoiding him today.
He swallowed hard, trying to calm the turmoil inside him, and said to Lana, "Sorry… I need to step out for a moment."
Feeling very sorry for Lana, Clark couldn't help himself and followed the direction where Soren had gone.
He didn't find Soren on the dance floor.
Instead, he found Chloe chatting excitedly with her friends near the edge of the dance floor.
"Sorry—Chloe, could you please help me? Have you seen Soren?" Clark asked urgently.
Chloe turned around from chatting with Pete.
She gave him a half-smile, looking Clark up and down as if she knew exactly what was on his mind.
"He went up to the terrace," Chloe said, pointing upward.
"Thanks," Clark quickly replied, then hurriedly ran up the stairs to the upper floor.
Soren had been on the terrace for a long time.
The night was exceptionally clear, with no clouds in the sky and stars shining brightly.
He stood with his arms crossed, leaning on the railing, and gazed up at the stars, his mind feeling a bit foggy.
He didn't understand why he felt so unhappy today.
Soren's thoughts were jumbled, like a thick paste one moment and loose the next.
He couldn't figure out what was going through his mind.
Today should have been a happy day.
The graduation dance went smoothly, just as it should have.
Clark was dancing with Lana Lang, just as he wanted.
Soren thought he had fulfilled everything Dr. Manhattan hoped he would.
Clark wouldn't have a painful childhood anymore.
The Winter Soldier wouldn't be Hydra's secret weapon.
And even Tony wouldn't misunderstand the Captain in the future because of the Winter Soldier, leading to a long internal conflict.
Everything seemed to be going in the right direction.
But Soren still felt disappointed and down.
It was as if he had lost something incredibly precious.
But what could it be?
He pressed his hand against his chest while staring blankly at the stars.
The universe was vast and eternal.
He had once closed his eyes in the silence that spanned time and space, and he had crossed the universe to come to Earth.
Why?
Why did he agree to Dr. Manhattan's request?
Was it really just because he wanted a home?
Or did he have his own selfish motives?
"Soren."
A familiar voice sounded behind him.
Soren turned around.
He saw Clark standing right behind him.
Clark's tall figure was illuminated by the soft moonlight, like a giant from a myth that was holding up mountains, his outline blurred like a painting.
Soren quickly pulled his hands back and nervously tucking them behind his back.
He tried hard to appear calm like usual, but when he spoke, his voice came out with a hint of bitterness: "Clark, what's up? Why are you here? Shouldn't you be dancing with Lana?"
Clark hesitated, but his eyes shone brightly in the night.
He stepped closer to Soren, his gaze fixed on Soren's pale face under the dark blue sky.
"I... I want to invite you to dance," Clark said, sincere but struggling with the words.
Soren was startled and quickly took a few steps back, "Invite me to dance? Are you crazy, Clark? We can't..."
He spouted a bunch of nonsense, his eyes avoiding Clark like a guilty cat trying to hide in a clear plastic bag.
"Soren."
Clark softened his tone, calling his name gently.
It was like he understood Soren's tendency to run away.
He had found the exact spot where Soren was vulnerable, and with patience, Clark carefully tested the boundaries.
He asked again, "You're not dancing inside. Are you out here to watch the stars?"
Soren looked at him and slowly nodded his head.
Trying to give himself an excuse, he said, "Didn't you notice how bright the stars are tonight? Look, you can even see Antares from here."
Clark walked up next to him, and this time, Soren didn't move away.
"I can see them," Clark said, looking up at the sky, "You can see even more stars in the summer. When I was little, I had a kitten, and I used to watch the stars with him."
Soren stared at Clark's profile and asked, "Did you... did you like your kitten?"
As he waited for Clark's answer, his heart raced, like a prisoner waiting for a verdict.
Clark lowered his head, his gaze thoughtful.
He looked at Soren and said, "Of course. I loved it, just like it loved me. We are best friends. After it passed away, I buried it on the hill behind my house. It's the closest spot to the stars in all of Smallville. Now, it can always watch the stars, and I often go there to sit with it."
Soren's eyes widened.
"You... you buried it there? You still remember it?" he murmured, his voice trembling.
Clark nodded.
Soren quickly turned away, his light blue eyes shimmering with unshed tears, like ripples on a pond disturbed by a small stone.
"Then, do you still remember what its name was?" Soren asked, his voice barely audible.
Clark smiled softly, "Yeah, I remember. Its name was Fuzzball. When I found it, it looked like a messy little white ball of fur."
As Clark spoke, a look of nostalgia appeared on his face.
He still remembered how small Fuzzball was.
When he was only four, he could cradle Fuzzball in his hands, like a delicate ball of fur that might float away like a dandelion if he wasn't careful.