Clark had honestly wondered the same sometimes. He knew he had empathy, he knew he could feel what others felt… but sometimes it was far too easy to go in denial. Too easy pretend there was nothing wrong, that there wasn’t anything he couldn’t solve if he gave it enough time.

"Hayley-"

But then he turned around, actually looked at her- and left everything he was doing to almost run by her side. Hayley was strong, but maybe she’d been strong for so long she didn’t know what to do with her feelings in a moment of weakness.

“I’m going to hug you, okay? If you’re uncomfortable with it, you just have to tell me.” And he wrapped his arms around her as he said so, a hand right below her beck as he pulled her closer.