#honestly i was convinced for years that kelly would end up with bow

[raiiny-bay]

weird to think dhes & kel never got together in the early drafts of the story…

[cozy-the-overlord]

Until Tomorrow

Summary:  Quarantine by itself is lonely enough. Quarantine amidst a rainstorm of biblical proportions is downright depressing. Lucky for you, a visitor arrives just in time to keep you company.

Word Count:  2,463

Pairing: Loki x Reader

A/N: Sooo..... I did a thing. I’ve never written fanfiction or reader-inserts before, but it was pouring rain last night and I’ve been reading so many quarantine fics on Ao3 that I thought I’d give it a whirl. I’ve never been more nervous about posting a story before... I hope you like it!

Also, I got an Ao3 account now, so you can read it here if you’d like

              It was raining.

              Although raining didn’t seem to do the weather justice. You couldn’t remember the last time you had witnessed such a torrential downpour. The pattering of raindrops rushing down your slanted roof had been drowned out by the wooshing of the fast-moving river that a few hours ago had been your street. Between the dark storm clouds and fog so thick you could cut it with a knife, you couldn’t make out exactly how bad the road was, but the waves that crashed against your window every time a car came skidding past your house told you that you weren’t going anywhere anytime soon.

              Not that you currently had any great travel plans.

              You sat on the couch at your front window, a book lying open and ignored in your lap, watching water droplets race down the glass as a shiver raced down your spine. Usually, you loved the rain. You had grown where storms were a treasured rarity, where you’d insist your mother buy you rainboots for your birthday only for her to give them away a year later when they became too small, balls of paper still stuffed into their toes. Usually, when it poured, you’d run into your driveway with your head back and arms out, belting out “Singin’ in the Rain” as you attempted dance moves that would make Gene Kelly role in his grave, just because you could.

              But today, you didn’t feel like dancing. With everything going on right now, the rain seemed less like a cause for celebration and more like a sign of impending doom. It had been weeks since you left the sanctuary of your tiny suburban house. You were lucky, everything considered— your parents were safely quarantined in your childhood home on the other side of the country, from where they FaceTimed with you at least once a day.

              Your job was secure. That was one of the wonderful things about working for Tony Stark: the day everyone was sent home, the head man himself sent out an email swearing to keep everyone on the payroll through the quarantine, regardless of how long it lasted. He had even set up a system for delivering groceries to his employees: you texted a number with your order, and a few hours later a red and gold drone dumped a box of overflowing plastic bags on your doorstep. That was something your mom couldn’t get over—Iron Man bringing you milk!— and honestly the ridiculousness of it all made you want to giggle, too.

              Sometimes, though, it was all too much. It had been ages since you’d seen anybody, ages since you had heard another voice unfiltered by the garbled speaker of your cell phone. You had never considered yourself to be an overtly social person, but damn did you wish you had somebody here to talk to. Your mother had been trying for years to convince you to adopt a pet, insisting that it wasn’t healthy for you to be living completely alone, but you had always brushed her off, saying that you were working so often that you were rarely at home and it would be cruel to the animal. Now, you promised yourself that as soon as this was over, you were heading to the Humane Society.

              If this was ever over.

              Outside, the rain kept pouring. The trickling water seemed to be whispering to you—sinister promises of something worse yet to come. You curled tighter upon yourself, pressing your cheek to your knees.

              Let this end. Please, just let this end.

              A crash behind you startled you out of your thoughts. You shrieked, whipping around to see a figure standing in your living room, soaking bags sprawled about him, staining the carpet. He scowled.

              “Bloody rainstorm. You can’t see a damn thing out there.” He shook his head and began wringing out his hair, muttering in a language you didn’t understand.

              It was several moments before you could find your voice. Once you did, it slipped out cautiously. “Loki?”

              “At your service, my lady.” He gave a grand bow, his words dripping with sarcasm.

               You stared. You knew Loki, of course. You were familiar with all of the Avengers who lived in the tower—your office was located on one of the higher levels, and as a result it wasn’t uncommon to see celebrities like Dr. Banner or Captain Rodgers making their way across the floor to meet with one of your coworkers. Unlike the others, however, you had actually spoken with Loki.

              The two of you had a little run in a few months ago, when you were refilling your coffee mug at the break room. You were already on edge because Dr. Foster was visiting, Dr. Jane Foster, and word about the floor was that she would be stopping by with Thor to meet some of the higher-level workers at some point during the day. You felt silly for feeling so starstruck, but Dr. Foster’s work was on another level of world-shattering, and the thought that you might be shaking her hand by the end of the day had you all sorts of jittery.

              Then the coffee pot exploded.

              Exploded wasn’t exactly the right word. It was more like an eruption— all at once the pitcher just vomited its contents across the counter, up to the ceiling, all over the floor, writing like an animal and spitting out more coffee than it possibly could’ve been holding previously. With a scream, you threw the anthropomorphic pot to the floor, adding shattered glass to the absolute mess in the break room.

              There wasn’t time to comprehend what just happened before he was there, pulling you out of the puddle of lukewarm coffee.

              “Forgive me, that was not supposed to happen. Are you hurt?” Loki scanned your form with an anxious sort of urgency. There was a tinge of pink on his cheeks—if you hadn’t known better, you would’ve said he was blushing. “Are you hurt?” he asked again when you only gaped at him like a dead fish. “Burned? That was not meant—forgive me.”

              “No,” you finally said. The coffee hadn’t been warm enough to do any damage. “Just… my clothes—”

               He waved his hand, and the sticky moisture clinging to your front disappeared. You ran your hand over your shirt, now dry and stainless. That’s useful.

               “Are you certain you are uninjured?” he asked. “I swear, that was not what I intended—”

               “I’m fine.” Now that the shock had worn off, you found yourself stifling the urge to giggle. “What were you trying to do?”

               Loki looked embarrassed. “My brother has the tendency of laying claim to the refreshments of any floor he visits, without leaving anything for those working on said floors. I thought I’d teach him a lesson.” He cast a glance back at the mess behind him. “The charm was meant only to react to him. I suppose I made a mistake in casting it.” He turned back to you. “I am sorry.”

               You smiled. “It’s alright. I guess I could use a bit of excitement in my life.”

               He grinned. “Words to live by.”

               After that, you had been friendly. You’d greet each other when you walked by one another, you’d make small talk in the elevator if you were riding together, he’d hold the door for you if he had the chance. Nothing serious, nothing even that personal really, just office-friendly.

              Definitely not crashing-unannounced-into-your-living-room-during-a-rainstorm-in-the-middle-of-a-pandemic friendly.

              “What—?” you sputtered, springing off the couch. “What are you doing here?”

              Loki dramatically gestured to the bags on the floor. “It seems I have been relegated to the status of a delivery boy.”

              Craning your neck, you recognized the label of your local grocery market. You frowned. “Did—did you bring me groceries?”

              The Asgardian in your living room huffed irritably. “You had an order for today, did you not?”

              You nodded slowly. Yes, you were waiting on an order today, and now that you were looking you could see that it was sprawled across the floor at Loki’s feet: a carton of orange juice, a tub of ice cream, a bag of potato chips… but what was Loki doing dropping off food for you?

              He sighed. “Stark, in his infinite wisdom, failed to consider the effect of such the elements—” he gestured to the monsoon outside your window “—on his mechanical messengers. As I am the only individual he knows with means of instantaneous travel, I have been encouraged to assist with deliveries. I am—what is the phrase?—making the rounds, if you will. ”

              “Oh.” You found yourself at a loss for words, likely looking every bit as dumbfounded as when you first met in the break room. You mentally slapped yourself. “Um… thank you. Here,” you moved to collect to foodstuff off the carpet, “I can, uh, start putting things away—”

              With one swift motion, Loki scooped everything up. “Allow me. Just tell me where you want me to put it.” You glanced up at him cautiously. He raised his eyebrows.

              “Uh, okay.”

              He followed you into your kitchen, and you cringed as you realized how truly disgusting your sink was. It had been ages since you had the motivation to do the dishes, and they had been piling up in your sink like the leaning tower of cheap ceramics for at least a week now. Loki didn’t say anything though. At your direction, he placed the bags on the counter and watched as you silently put the contents away.

              Even amidst all the awkwardness, there was something soothing about his presence. For the first time in weeks, there was a living, breathing person in your house, someone real to talk to and laugh with. So when Loki said that he had to finish his deliveries, the question that popped out of your mouth was birthed by pure desperation.

“Do you want something to drink before you go?” you asked. “Like, a glass of water? Or… I have coffee, if you don’t mind it being reheated.”

              If Loki was surprised by your offer, he masked the emotion quickly with a smirk. “Do you really trust me with coffee?”

              You giggled. “I don’t know. Can I?”

              “You shouldn’t trust me with anything,” he said, slipping into one of the seats at your kitchen table. “But I think we can make an exception just this once.”

              You sat and talked for nearly an hour, sipping your microwaved coffee as the rain pounded on the roof. Loki had plenty of quarantine stories from the Tower, stories that always seemed to end with Thor accidentally blowing something up.

              “He is not used to staying in such a limited space for this long of a time period,” he said reflectively. “I think perhaps confinement is having a detrimental effect on his intellect. Stark has installed a ‘Days Without an Accident’ count at the kitchen table, and thus far my brother has managed to reset it every day.”

              You snorted. “That sounds hilarious. I wish I was there to see that.”

              “No, you don’t. Everyone is fed up with everyone else.” Loki stared into his mug absently. “They have been starting altercations over the minutest details. It’s quite chaotic.”

              You frowned. “Aren’t you supposed to like chaos?”

              “When it’s within my control. This is far beyond that.” He took another sip, emptying it. “You are lucky to live alone. I would gladly welcome the peace you have here.”

              “I don’t know. There’s not much to do in here.” You held in a sigh. “It gets kind of depressing after a while.”

              Loki cocked his head, brow furrowed. “You are lonely?”

              Your cheeks heated with embarrassment. It was such a menial complaint to have, especially when so many others were suffering. “Kind of,” you muttered. “It’s not so bad, though.”

              Loki continued pressing. “You have access to communication, yes?” he asked, leaning forward. “I thought all of you mortals were addicted to your cellular devices.”

              “Yeah,” you replied slowly. “But it’s not the same thing as, you know, actually talking to someone. Like, when they’re actually there.”

              “I understand.” He reached out to set his mug on the table. Somewhere hidden under your smile, your heart sank. He’d be leaving soon.

               Loki cleared his throat. “If you would like,” he said, “I could pay you a visit every so often, as we are doing now.”

              What?

              “Oh, you don’t have to do that,” you rushed to say, even though the thought of having a regular visitor sent your pulse thrumming.

              “No, but I think I would appreciate the respite. Today has been quite lovely, if I may say so.” He smiled— a genuine smile, not a smirk or a grin—and you felt rather silly for the way your heart seemed to soar. “Of course,” he added quickly, “if you don’t wish for my company, I completely—”

              “No!” The volume of your voice made you cringe. Jeez, he must think you haven’t spoken to anyone in months. “No, I—if you want to come over, then…” For a moment, you fumbled with your words, searching for an eloquent way to accept his offer. “I’d like that,” you finally said, giving up. “I’d like that a lot.”

              He laughed. “In that case, I’ll stop by tomorrow.” When he stood, you stood with him, following him back to your living room where he had left the groceries you hadn’t claimed. “I do need to be going now, though,” he said, scooping up the remaining bags. “The last thing I need is Stark having a fit over my failure to deliver his employees’ groceries on time.”  He nodded at you. “Thank you very much for the coffee.”

              “No problem,” you said. “Thanks for—thanks.”

              He chuckled. “Until tomorrow, my lady.”

              “Until tomorrow.”

              And just like that, he was gone. It was a noiseless disappearance: one moment he was there, the next, you were once again alone with the pouring rain. With a sigh, you made your way back to the couch, scooping up your book off the floor. Once again, however, you found your attention drifting to the water running down the window, the rushing waves of your street outside. Nothing had changed, and yet it seemed so much less frightening than it had an hour before. No, now, it was almost soothing. You had the sudden urge to run out on to your driveway and belt “Singin’ In the Rain.”

              I should’ve done that while Loki was here, you thought sleepily, pressing your cheek to the cushion. He would’ve gotten a kick out of that.

              Maybe you could, if it was still raining tomorrow.

              Tomorrow.

              You dozed off to the peaceful lullaby of the rainfall, smiling softly and thinking of tomorrow.

[anna-justice]

Lost or Found - 13

Summary: As Jay, Hailey, Kim, Adam and Kevin start their junior year in the wake of a tragic summer, the past year of their lives comes back to haunt them. If you enjoyed Pretty Little Liars, this is for you! *UPSTEAD/BURZEK High School AU

...

13 - Helpless ...

WARNING: this chapter contains an intense scene of domestic abuse, if that is not something you feel comfortable reading, skip all text in italics. 

The next few days went by in a blur.

Sunday was spent the same way Saturday was, with Jay at Hailey’s beside from the time that visiting hours began to when they ended. The only difference was that Kim was sent home that day, while Hailey was kept for observation.

Jay had a million questions for Hailey. The words medical history hadn’t left his mind since they were first uttered. He was dying to ask her to tell him everything, it was eating him alive. 

Hailey was sick and tired of being in a hospital bed, and it only got worse when Monday rolled around and Jay had to go to school. She was left alone with her thoughts, and they were all over the place. The mess that they were wound up in suddenly felt much more real, and when Hailey took the time to reflect, it hit her that it had been all too real from the beginning.

Erin was dead and no one knows what happened. They should have gone to the police, she shouldn’t have let Jay convince her to go this alone. She had always been the voice of reason, but with him, she had no problem following him blindly. They were in too deep, people were dead, reputations were ruined, all of their loved ones were in danger and all they had to show for it was a cellphone that they were never supposed to have in the first place.

Or maybe they were.... That was the problem, whoever the person that was tormenting them was, they were always two steps ahead. And Hailey couldn’t help but think that every step they made in the “right direction” was just another part of the game that they were set up to play. They were supposed to find the phone, they were supposed to think it was Nadia, Hailey was even considering that Kelly was too obvious. They had been given a suspect wrapped up with a bow on top, it was too easy. 

She couldn’t stop the endless stream. There was so much to think about, including how she even ended up in the hospital in the first place. Someone would have to have failed their challenge, that was the only explanation. The person threatening them was crazy, but they were also a control freak. If someone refused then they would be sure to retaliate. She knew it wasn’t Kim or her, neither of  them got a text. It could have been Jay, but he already got one and passed. Kevin’s “person” was his sister. That leaves Adam, Kim is Adam’s person. Adam failed, but it doesn’t explain why they both ended up in that garage. By the rules of the game, Hailey should have been safe…

Hailey’s head hurt, there were too many moving pieces to keep track of. And by Tuesday she had come to terms with the fact  that she wasn’t going to be able to crack the case by herself. She needed the scooby gang, whose name unfortunately stuck after her and Jay’s fight a few days after it all started. 

Wednesday was the day she was supposed to go home, much to Hailey’s approval. She had had her fair share of  soap operas, HGTV and bad hospital food. She wasn’t looking forward to the load of HW she was going to have, but thankfully Jay had picked up some things for her to do while she was bedridden. 

She was wearing a pair of leggings and an oversized t-shirt that she stole from her brother. She had discarded the horrid hospital gown a few days prior. The doctor told her that he would be back soon to do one final check up and explain some things before she was discharged. 

Jay rounded the corner, pizza box in hand. He thought he would surprise Hailey with dinner to celebrate her release. It was almost six and he had just come from fall workouts, their school was known for  their baseball team and the coach liked to start training and conditioning way too early. He leaned against the doorframe, watching her gather her things. He was about to announce himself when she grabbed the hem of her oversized t-shirt, pulling it to rest over her hips. Jay had every intention of averting his gaze, but as the material was lifted a pink and white gash was revealed near the small of her back. 

He knew her history, he shouldn’t have been surprised, but seeing the real life evidence on her body had him at a loss for words. He must’ve been staring, because the next thing he heard was Hailey’s teasing voice. “You see something you like Halstead?” 

Jay chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his neck. “Uh, pizza?” He asked, completely ignoring her.

Hailey took the box from his hands with a smirk and plopped herself down on the bed, motioning for him to sit in front of her. “You are my favorite person in the world right now.” She wasted no time pulling out a slice while Jay struggled to control his heart beat. He knew she was kidding and that it was the pizza talking, but he found himself hoping that she meant it. Hailey glanced up at him, nodding towards the box and trying to ignore the look on his face. 

“You ready to bust out of here?” Jay askes, once again changing the subject.

Hailey nodded, chewing her big bite of pizza. “Very, these places need to come with padded walls.”

Jay laughed, attempting to move on from whatever he saw earlier. It wasn’t working very well. “When do you get to leave?”

“The doctor said he would be back in a few hours for my final exam and then I’d be free to go. Aunt Trudy just told me to call her when they gave me the all clear and she would leave work.” Hailey explained.

Jay nodded, picking up a slice. Thoughts of Hailey’s dad still circled his head and he couldn’t help but want to tell her that he was there, not that it would do her any good. He just couldn’t shake the feeling of guilt that came with keeping something like this from her. He took a deep breath, “Can we talk?”

“Of course.” She said, “Are you ok?”

“Yeah,” Jay said sighing, “I just need to know Hailey, what happened…”

Hailey felt her breath catch in the back of her throat, she wasn’t prepared for that. “Jay--”

“I’m sorry, I know it isn’t my place, I just--” He paused, “I keep imaging it myself and I just need to know.”

Hailey nodded, running her hands through her hair. She wanted to say no, to tell him to leave and forget that that day never happened, but she couldn’t. Because he was sitting there in front of her looking like he was about to fall apart and it made her heart ache, literally. “Okay.”

“Thank you.” He said softly.

Hailey re-adjusted herself, trying to find the words to explain it all. Unfortunately, she remembered everything…

Hailey sat on the couch with her mom. It was a normal friday night for them, there was a movie playing and an abandoned pizza box on the counter. Ever since her brothers moved out, the two of them had made it a habit of spending the first night of the weekend together.

When they were about halfway through the front door slammed and Hailey pulled her knees to her chest. Undoubtedly her father was home. Anne tensed, watching her husband from her seat, hoping he would head straight for the stairs like he normally did. He didn’t, instead he opened the fridge, grabbing another beer. He glanced over the door and met Hailey’s gaze that had followed her mother’s, she quickly averted her eyes. 

The refrigerator door was slammed in the same fashion as the front door, causing the machine to shake. Hailey watched out of the corner of her eye as her father tipped the bottle up and downed the whole thing. No doubt he was a professional by now. He slammed the bottle down on the counter, and Hailey was shocked that it didn’t shatter. “Anne, do you have something you want to tell me?” He spat.

Anne looked up in shock, her daughter’s worried expression burning into the side of her head. “Pardon?”

“You know what I’m talking about…” He said, stalking forward. “Don’t play dumb you whore.” 

Anne gasped, taken aback. She had no clue what he was talking about and she honestly didn’t want to know. “I-I’m sorry, I don’t know what you are talking about.” She rushed out, defending herself.

Eldon grabbed her wrist tightly and pulled her up to face him, “Like hell.” He growled, squeezing until Anne whimpered in pain. “I know you’ve been whoring around.” 

Hailey stood in shock, there was no way that her mother would do that. She knew that Anne loved Eldon blinding. Anne’s heart rate speeds up and Hailey watches her father’s fists clench. In that moment she made a decision that would prove to be one of her worst: she grabbed her mother by the shoulders and pulled backwards, taking a protective stance in front of her. “Just go upstairs dad, you’re drunk.” She said gently, pleading with him. 

Eldon smirked and Hailey realized her mistake. “This doesn’t concern you, you ungrateful little bitch. Go upstairs. Now.” 

Hailey grimaced, she was already in too deep, there was no way either of them were getting out of this and she’d be damned if she let her mom suffer alone. “No.” 

Before she could even comprehend what was happening, a hand fell on her cheek. The echo rang throughout the room and Anne shrieked as Hailey brought her hand to her face, fighting back tears. She could feel the skin stinging,and she knew that her father was waiting for her to walk away, but she couldn’t. He was angry and she had made it worse, her mom didn’t deserve to feel his wrath when Hailey triggered it. She stood her ground, her blue eyes meeting his fiery ones. They stared at each other down for a few seconds, but suddenly, he snapped. 

His tight grip latched onto her forearms and Hailey felt herself thrown into the wall beside them. “Eldon!” Anne screamed. She hit it with such force that the wind was knocked completely out of her. Her back stung and she wheezed, trying to catch her breath. Eldon held her tight against the wall, blowing his hot breath in her face, Hailey gagged. 

“You think you’re so tough, huh?” He taunted, digging his nails into her bare arms. She was thrown again, but this time into the counter. She screamed in agony as she collided with the hard surface, a loud crack rang out and she fell to the floor, clutching her side. “You feel tough?” Hailey cried out as her father kicked her side, causing her curl into a ball on the floor. “Do you feel tough?” He screamed at her, muffling Anne’s sobs in the background. 

Eldon grabbed Hailey by the arm, yanking her up. There was a sharp pain in her shoulder and she screamed, the sound cut off by her father’s hand grabbing her throat. Hailey felt her back hit the fridge behind her, she clawed at his hand, her air cut off once again. “Never speak to me that way again.” He said in her face, before throwing her to the ground. Her wrist broke her fall, but Hailey was numb to the pain. She groaned, rolling onto her back as the tears fell. Her head was spinning and the last thing she saw was her mother hovering over her, then everything went black.

Hailey was shaking uncontrollably as she finished, tears rolling down her cheeks. Jay felt like he couldn’t breathe, the broken girl in front of him was someone he didn’t recognize and he hated himself for making her relive that. He placed a hand over hers, careful not to scare her this time. 

She felt his hand on hers and Hailey glanced up, finding the strength to face him. When their eyes met she began to sob, and Jay took it as an invitation to pull her to him. He wrapped his arms securely around her as she cried, Hailey fisted his shirt in her hand, holding on for dear life. 

They sat there for forever, Hailey soaking his shirt and Jay doing his best to comfort her. He wanted to make it all go away, but he couldn’t. He was powerless, all he could was hold her and for now that seemed to be enough. 

Finally, Hailey pulled away hiccuping, keeping her eyes trained on the bed. Jay reached out, brushing a hair behind her ear and letting his hand linger there. “Hailey Upton, you are the strongest person I know.” He said, looking her straight in the eye.

Hailey nodded, swallowing hard. She didn’t dare open her mouth, she knew her voice would betray her. 

She made the first move this time, settling into her side and laying her head on his shoulder. Jay smiled softly, welcoming her with open arms. He felt better, or at least better than before. Everything was out now, and Hailey trusted him enough to  tell him. However, there was a new pressure on his chest now. A different one. An equally beautiful and terrifying one, and it was all consuming. He couldn’t deny it, he was falling in love with Hailey Upton.

...

A/N: Finally!! You know everything! I hope that the scene was bearable to read, it was something that needed to happen, but I’m not very good at writing violence.  Thanks for reading! P. S. I actually remembered the tag list this time!

@lissethsrojas @fuckyeahkillianemma @puckluck28 @chilly7188 @thebigapocalypsewolf @karihighman

[walkerwords]

“A Silver Lining” Luke x F!Reader

IMAGE CREDIT: Gene Page/AMC

Request from anonymous: CAN YOU PLEASEEE DO A LUKE IMAGINE??? Maybe the reader lives at Hilltop or Oceanside and Luke finds her singing one day and he like falls for her but shes shy???

Word Count: 3426

Warning: None

Song I Wrote To: “I Choose You” by Sara Bareilles

Note: I didn’t make the reader that shy, but I like the little conversation they had. Thank you for requesting a Luke imagine. Note, this is very weird when it comes to timing. i made it so it was like Lukes group got to hilltop before the whole jesus graveyard debacle. *ALL ASL IS IN ITALICS*

----------

Luke stood under the bright Virginia sun watching the people of Hilltop begin their day.

He and the rest of his group had been at the community for a few days now and he was starting to feel at home. Although, any place that they stayed for more than a night tended to feel that way. However, he had a feeling that this time would be different.

Yumiko was finally feeling better and she and Magna had taken to assisting with guard duty, giving some of the resident Hilltop soldiers a few extra hours of sleep. Connie and Kelly had also offered to help by hunting and helping around the community with whatever was needed. Luke, however, hadn't found his place quite yet.

Tara was great and she assured him that for now all he needed to do was settle in and that soon enough, there would be something for him to do. Being on the road for so long, Luke wasn't very good at doing nothing. Ever since the Turn, he had been fighting, scavenging, running, and of course trying to look after his people. The fact that he now had what Connie called "leisure time", it felt unnatural and he wanted to fix that right away.

Enid had already kicked him out of her infirmary twice. Luke wasn't a doctor by any means but he had helped stitch up Magna multiple times and he knew his way around basic first aid, but Enid had assured him that she was fine. Eventually, he gave up and went to sit at one of the guard posts, giving a guard a break for a bit.

That’s where Alden found him.

Luke had liked the guy immediately. Alden was a blacksmith for Hilltop and also Enid's boyfriend. He had introduced himself when Luke and his people had ridden up to Hilltop with Michonne and the others and the two had become fast friends.

"You know, staring at nothing isn't exactly being on guard," Alden said, pulling Luke's attention back to the present.

"Right, sorry," Luke said, shaking his head slightly.

"Get any sleep?"

"If by ‘sleep’ you mean pure bliss, then yes, yes I did," Luke said with a grin. Alden understood immediately.

"I know the feeling. Nothing like those first few nights when you know you're safe and you don't have to sleep with one eye open."

"I guess that's the beauty of places like this," Luke said, gesturing around. "You been here long?"

"Just over seven years now," Alden said, "I was here during and after the War and then just sort of never left." Luke furrowed his brow.

"This war," he began, "I heard someone else mention something about it at breakfast. You guys really fought a whole other community?"

"Not just Hilltop," Alden explained, "It was us, Alexandria, and two other communities called The Kingdom and Oceanside. We fought against the Saviors, a massive group of people led by a man named Negan. Luckily we won, but there were casualties."

"Anyone you knew?" Alden nodded solemnly.

"Yeah. I was a part of the Saviors at first and we lost a lot of people at the start," he said awkwardly, "then, Jesus and Maggie, the leaders of Hilltop, took us hostage and eventually some of us convinced them to let us fight. Not everyone was as loyal to Negan as others." Luke nodded. He could imagine that none of what Alden was talking about was as simple as it seemed. 

"What happened to him? Negan?" Luke asked.

"Ah, well, he's still alive," Alden revealed, "yeah, he's locked up in Alexandria. Grimes family keeps him under lock and key."

"Grimes? Like Michonne and Judith?"

"Yeah and the smallest one, RJ," said Alden before his face fell a bit more, "There were two others. Carl, Judith's older brother who died near the end of the war and then Rick Grimes...he saved us all about six years ago. He sacrificed himself for everyone. He was a good man."

"I wish I could have met him," Luke said honestly.

"Yeah," Alden said with a crooked smile, "but those kids of his are gonna be just like him and something tells me they’ll be the last survivors of this world."

Luke and Alden continued talking about everything from the War to the latest drama that was going on within the communities. Apparently, the Kingdom, ruled by King Ezekiel and Queen Carol, was going to be hosting a fair that would promote trade between the communities.

Luke thought it was a great idea. Bring some normalcy back into the crazy world. He missed simple things like that, just interacting with other people and having conversations that weren't about the Dead or whether or not they'd get enough food for winter. 

Not that Hilltop had a food shortage. Luke was in awe at how much grain and vegetables they were producing. It was incredible to see how self-sustaining the Hilltop was and he especially enjoyed a particular view from where he stood next to Alden.

Luke had first seen you the day Michonne had brought him and his people in. You had been sitting in the shade of Barrington house adding feathers to arrows. You looked so relaxed as you did your task, your hands moving on autopilot. As Luke watched you, it was Connie who noticed his immediate interest. 

Connie has just winked at him with one of her famous smiles. In return, Luke had used some colorful signs that Kelly had taught him recently which only made Connie laugh. It was the first time in a while she had laughed and so Luke had let the teasing continue as long as it made his friend happy.

However, a few days later and Luke was eager to finally have a chance to talk to you. "Who is that?" Luke asked, pointing to you as you stood in the field speaking to Tara. Alden followed his eye line.

"(Y/N)," he said, "she's originally from Oceanside but moved here after the War. She became really close to Tara and moved to Hilltop to help build up the agricultural and resource farming."

"(Y/N)...," Luke said, testing your name on his tongue. Alden caught on just as quick as Connie had. 

"She's quiet, but once you get her talking, it's almost impossible to get her to stop," Alden said with a smile. "She's also a killer shot with a bow." When Luke looked back at his new friend, Alden was giving him a knowing look. 

“Oh, shut up,” Luke said as he pushed away from the wall and headed down the ladder. Alden’s laughter followed him as he headed back towards Barrington, looking for his friends. He found Connie first as she was heading out of the stables. He waved at her and she returned the greeting. 

The two of them settled at one of the tables in front of the colonial house and Luke immediately dropped his head to the table in defeat. He could hear Connie laugh slightly and then she was lightly touching his arm. He peeked up at her. “What’s up?” she signed. 

“Nothing,” he signed back and Connie narrowed her eyes. She then raised her right hand with her pointer finger and passed it across her chin. The sign for “lie”. Luke scoffed and sat up fully. 

“How’s Kelly?” Luke asked, trying to change the subject. Connie pursed her lips but answered him anyways. The two of them talked for a while and Luke finally began to relax. Connie was telling him everything that she had learned about the community and how nice the people were as they waited for her to write things down. 

Connie explained that Kelly was still a bit wary of the new place as were Yumiko and Magna, but Luke knew those three were like that with every new place they went. It was understandable and he knew that their instincts had saved them multiple times in the past. He did, however, wish Magna would give more people the benefit of the doubt. Luke only hoped that their relationship with Alexandria wouldn’t be affected due to Michonne and Magna’s clear dismissal of each other.

Since the start of everything, Luke had learned quickly how to judge new people he had met on the road. After meeting both docile and hostile individuals throughout the Apocalypse, it was almost as if he developed another sense for the intentions of others. It was clear to him that the people of Alexandria and Hilltop were good and for once, he didn’t feel on edge all the time. 

As Connie told him about a moment from earlier in the day, Luke became distracted as you strolled through the gates, wiping your hands on your jeans. Connie’s hands paused and followed Luke’s gaze as he followed you through Hilltop. You headed for the water tank, eager to cool down after working in the field all morning. Suddenly, Connie kicked Luke under the table. 

“Dude!” Luke exclaimed out loud. Connie pointed at you and then hooked her finger in a question. Luke rolled his eyes. “You and Alden are annoying,” he signed and Connie just grinned at him. Glancing over at you again, Connie winked at Luke and got up from the table. Luke tried to grab her arm, but Connie danced out of the way, still smiling. 

Luke ducked down and watched as she strolled over to you. Connie gently tapped you on the shoulder and you turned to her with a smile. Connie raised her notebook and introduced herself. Luke watched as you shook her hand and then wrote your name on the pad of paper as Connie offered it to you. 

He couldn’t help but smile as he watched you patiently wait for Connie to write and then how you made sure to keep eye contact while you spoke to her. It was such a small thing, but Luke felt warmth in his chest as he watched you and one of his best friends interact. Eventually, Connie asked if you needed any help and you gratefully accepted, handing her an empty crate for harvesting and gestured back out to the fields. As you and Connie passed Luke, Connie turned to look at her friend and sent him a wink. Luke’s forehead found the tabletop once again as embarrassment swelled in his chest. That woman never missed a thing. 

------

Later that night, Luke couldn’t sleep. 

His mind would not shut down and while he felt safe and comforted by the walls of Barrington House, he needed some fresh air to clear his head. He walked the perimeter of the community, lightly dragging his hands along the steel walls. The night air was warm and a slight breeze ruffled the nearby trees, drowning out any Walkers that loomed in the distance. 

As he walked towards the rear of Barrington House, he heard someone as they softly sang to themselves. Peering around the corner, he froze as he saw it was you. Luke watches as you carried crates of food towards the main storage area all while you sang in a low voice. Not wanting to disturb you, Luke waited in the shadows, listening to the melodies that escaped your lips. 

You worked with a rhythm as you sang, keeping as quiet as possible to not disturb the residents of Hilltop. It took him a moment, but soon Luke recognized the song as Fleetwood Mac’s “Songbird”. It was one of his favourites from the rock band. Your voice was like honey on a warm day. There was no effort behind every note you sang and you even added subtle nuances in the bridge and chorus. It was near mesmerizing to him as he listened. 

All-day, Luke had been trying to come up with an excuse to talk to you, and here you were locked in your own world as you swayed along to the music you created. When the song finished and the final note disappeared into the night, Luke finally got his courage back. 

“That’s nice,” he said, causing you to jump. The crate of lettuce fell to the ground and you tripped, falling along with it. Luke rushed forward, already grimacing. “I’m so sorry,” he said, reaching for you. You took his offered hands and let him pull you to your feet. 

“It’s fine,” you said, “I just didn’t expect anyone to be out here this late. You know, besides the guards.” Luke realized he was still holding your hands and quickly let go. 

“Still, I shouldn’t have scared you,” he said sheepishly. You smiled at him kindly and Luke felt his heart skip at the beauty of it. “I’m Luke,” he introduced.

“(Y/N),” you said. “You’re Connie’s friend, right?” Luke nodded. 

“Yeah we go way back,” he said awkwardly. 

“Way back, huh?” you asked, trying not to laugh. “As in before the Walkers showed up?”

“Okay, maybe not that far,” he said with a soft laugh. 

“It’s weird to think about time sometimes, don’t you think?” you asked as you bent down to start picking up the lettuce. Luke bent down and started to help.

“Here let me,” he said, grabbing more crates. “Least I can do for sneaking up on you.” You nodded and accepted his help, grabbing the food and the two of you began to finish your task together. As you carried food and supplies to storage, Luke would steal small glanced at you in the low light. If you noticed, you didn’t let him know. Although he thought at one point he saw you smile when you caught him looking at you.

As you worked, you talked about little things. He asked you about Oceanside and you asked him about living on the road. It was a normal conversation for the time. People were always wondering what others did before settling down somewhere. Your conversation with Luke was no different. Slowly, you began to open up a bit more. You weren’t sure why Luke was bringing so much out of you, but it felt nice to talk to someone other than Tara for once.

“What did you do before the Turn?” you asked him as you loaded the final crate of vegetables and locked up behind you. 

“I was a music teacher,” Luke told you as the two of you began walking towards the front of Barrington. “What about you?” he asked. 

“I worked on my family’s farm,” you said, stuffing your hands in the pockets of your jeans. “Then when I wasn’t taking care of the animals or tending to the crops, I used to sing at the local cafe. It wasn’t much, but they paid me enough to make a rainy day fund.” You leaned over and bumped his shoulder playfully, “Hey, maybe we can duet some time.” Luke smiled, looking down at his boots. 

“I’d like that,” he said with a grin. You mirrored his look as you found a spot in front of one of the smaller campfires. Luke joined you, warming his hands by the flames. Your presence alone was incredibly comforting and Luke realized Alden had been right about you. Once he got you talking, you began telling him anything that was on your mind. 

“You know what I miss?” you asked, fiddling with a piece of grass between your fingers. “Carnivals,” you said. 

“Carnivals?” Luke repeated. 

“Yeah, what’s wrong with that?” you asked with a laugh. Luke raised his hands in surrender. 

“Nothing! It’s just not what I expected you to say,” he admitted. 

“There was just something so weird and fun about them,” you said, looking off into the distance. “Sketchy rides, fried food, and rigged games, they were all a part of my childhood.”

“I can’t say I went to many as a kid,” Luke said, smiling over at you. 

“Well, If I find an abandoned one in this hellhole, I will let you know and I will take you to a carnival. It probably won’t be too interesting without, you know, people, but I think we can make it work.” 

“I’d like that,” Luke said. 

“Okay, what about you?” you asked, turning to him, bringing your knees up to your chest. “What do you miss?” 

“So much,” he said with a longing look. “I miss restaurants, cars, concerts, movie theaters, and especially just being able to walk outside without carrying a weapon.” Luke realized he was going on a bit of a tangent and quickly stopped talking, but you didn’t seem bothered by it all. It was rare when you got to talk to people like this, especially new people. 

“I get that,” you said, quietly. “There was this one time,” you began, “I was doing a theme night at the cafe where I sang at and it was 80’s night. I was doing all the old ballads and there was this one audience member who kept giving me a standing ovation after every song, no matter what. I thought he was some creepy guy who just wanted to get noticed, you know?”

“Absolutely,” Luke agreed.

“So, I finish my set and then head to get something to drink when the guy comes up to me. He starts talking to me like we know each other and it isn’t until about ten minutes into the conversation, that I realize I did know him after all. He and I had grown up together and I hadn’t even recognized him. We weren’t even in the same state from when we were kids and suddenly this guy I knew as a kid just happened to show up at my gig.”

“Small world,” Luke said. 

“That’s exactly my point,” you explained, “I used to think our world was so much bigger than this, but I guess it’s a lot smaller than I always thought. Like, what are the odds that I would meet you? A music teacher turned Walker-fighter?”

“Don’t tell me you’ve found a bright side to the Apocalypse?” Luke asked, amused. 

“Would that be so bad?” you asked with a grin. “This is our life now, I don’t see why we can’t find those silver linings.” Luke thought about your words then and he realized you were right. Being on the run for so long, he had forgotten to just take a second and enjoy the little things that peeked through the darkness of the new world. He never thought he would find a home like Hilltop or even have friends like Alden. And yet, here he was, sitting in front of a campfire with a beautiful girl talking about carnivals and music and it made him smile. 

“I guess it wouldn’t be bad at all,” Luke said, and then feeling bold, he reached out and gently brushed a leaf that had stuck to your shirt. Your eyes followed his movement and when he finally looked back at you, your eyes met. 

“Has anyone ever told you that you have a beautiful smile?” you asked. Luke hadn’t even noticed he was still smiling. 

“You would be the first,” he admitted. 

“I don’t believe that,” you whispered. Suddenly, a yawn took over you and Luke noticed immediately. “Guess my fatigue is going to win in the end after all.” You stood from your seat and Luke followed. 

“I should be getting to bed too,” Luke said, but it looked as if neither of you wanted to leave. 

“Maybe I’ll take you up on that offer for a duet soon,” you said. 

“Anytime,” Luke said, completely enamored by the way the fire lit up your features. 

“Goodnight, Luke,” you said softly. 

“Goodnight, (Y/N).” You stepped towards him and placed a soft kiss on his cheek quickly before turning and walking up to Barrington to get some sleep. Luke watched after you, his hand coming up to touch his cheek where you had kissed him. Slowly, he began to come out of the trance you had placed him in and then he noticed Connie as she walked back through the gates. Connie jogged up to his side and noticed his face. 

“What?” she signed. Luke smiled at her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. 

“I just really like it here,” he signed with his right hand. Connie grinned at him and leaned into him as they walked into Barrington to where the rest of their family were sleeping.

Luke may not have figured out his exact place or purpose in Hilltop, but one thing was for sure, he wanted it to be near you. 

TAGS: @thanossexual

[lost-your-memory]

For the supercat prompt, "wow, you look amazing."

I gave up, I can’t write anything short. So here comes 6K words and a weird ending because I never know how to end my prompts. Hope you like it!

---

“Do I really have to go? You know I hate those black-tie events …”

“Come on! You agreed to be my date for tonight, you’re not allowed to change your mind two hours before the gala starts!” Kara scowls at her sister still sprawled across the couch, her legs dangling from the armrest. “Beside, there will be alcohol, high quality alcohol.”

 “Fine, fine … But I’m not wearing a dress,” Alex lets out with a long-suffering sigh.

“That’s fine, I’m not either. Also, I had already picked up a tuxedo for you anyway,” Kara smiles, gesturing to the black garment cover hanging on the front of her rack of clothes. “I think you’ll like it.”

Alex eyes the item with curiosity but she doesn’t move from her spot on the couch.

“Is Nia coming?” 

“No, she’s still reeling from her breakup with Brainy,” Kara answers with a sad look in her eyes. “Lena still doesn’t speak to me when I’m just Kara Danvers and I didn’t want to bother Luce with this.”

“Luce’s back?!” Alex aks, sounding genuinely surprised. “How comes she didn’t tell me?”

“She’s not back back, she’s in between cities for now. I think she’s thinking of moving back here but some stuff are holding her back to Metropolis right now …”

Alex lets out a noncommittal hum that comes across a little sharp, almost hurt. 

“Don’t be mad, she’s going through a lot. We all are, after that crisis …” Kara trails of and the faraway look in her eyes is full of grief this time, loss and pain swirling in the blue of her irises. 

“I’m sorry,” Alex says, softly. “Alright, let’s see this suit you got me …”

She stands up and walks toward the garment cover. As she reaches for the zipper, her phone chimes in with a text. She pulls it out of her pocket and smiles when she notices it’s Kelly.

“Kelly just landed in Paris.”

“I hope she’ll have some time to enjoy the city, it’s such a magical one!” Kara smiles and moves to help herself to a glass of orange juice. “How long will she be gone?” 

“A week, maybe a little more,” Alex replies, already typing an answer to her girlfriend. “This Obsidian seminary seems to be very important.” 

“Yeah … I just wish my boss could have gone with her instead of throwing this charade of a gala,” Kara grumbles, finishing her glass before putting it in her sink. “Alright, we should start getting ready. A car will be picking up in an hour or so, to take us to National City’s science museum.”

“What happened to hosting the CatCo gala in the CatCo building?” Alex arches a surprised brow, turning around to face her sister.

“If I knew … In any case, maybe it’s for the best because the CatCo building has suffered a lot of changes lately and it feels all kind of wrong, I don’t like it anymore. At least the science museum is a place I actually love and if I ever need to escape my boss, there will be a lot of rooms to slip to …”

“It always amazes me that you somehow still think like a human …” Alex chuckles and puts her phone away. “It’s not like you could fly out of your boss’s reach … Oh wait! You can!” 

Kara punches her on the arm and Alex protests with a loud “Aoutch!” but it’s playful and light. 

“Come on. Unwrap your tuxedo, let me know if you like it,” Kara gestures to the garment cover, expectantly waiting for her sister to open it. 

“Alright alright, no need to be rude …” Alex groans but she’s smiling as she pulls down the zipper, uncovering a deep black tux with satin lapels and cuffs, a white shirt and  a crimson velvet bow tie to go with it. 

“Oh,” Alex breathes because it’s exactly her style and she likes it already. “Did you already plan the shoes or can I add my personal touch to the ensemble?” 

“All yours, I figured you wouldn’t like any of my suggestions anyway. You’re so picky when it comes to shoes …” Kara shrugs and then walks away to the bedroom part of her apartment. 

“I’m not picky!” Alex protests but when Kara pokes her head back around the curtain to throw a meaningful glare her way, she relents. “Alright, I can occasionally be a little bit difficult, I admit.” 

“Understatement of the century!” Kara laughs before disappearing again. 

---

“I have to admit, it’s not too bad,” Alex whistles as she takes a few steps in the middle of the museum’s hall, her heels hitting the marble flooring with a regular staccato sound. 

“What exactly did you expect?” Kara laughs, one hand in her pocket and the other one holding a glass of Champagne. 

“I don’t know, but certainly not something as classy as this,” Alex replies with a gesture of her hand, meaning to englobe their surroundings. 

The science museum was a modern building with refined architectural lines, a minimalist decorum and made of materials such as chromed metal, glass, hardened steel and waxed concrete. The men and women walking around in tuxedos and cocktail dresses, helping themselves to appetizers and alcohol, gave off a very strange yet elegant vibe. 

“Well, it might be a charity gala but Andrea wouldn’t spare any expense to maintain CatCo’s image …” Kara mumbles before sipping at her drink.

“In any case, I’m glad we decided not to wear dresses … It’s a little cold in there,” Alex notices, buttoning her jacket over her shirt.

Kara gives her an amused look and Alex rolls her eyes. “Right … I sometimes forget you’re …” 

A couple steps right past Alex and she catches herself at the last moment. “ … not able to sense temperatures like me.” 

Kara lets out a sound that’s half-snort, half-chuckle and Alex glares. 

“Nice save,” Kara sasses before gesturing to James on the other side of the museum’s hall. 

“James is back? I thought he had settled down in his hometown …” Alex asks, glancing at the former photograph with a frown upon her eyes.

“He’s in town for a few days and he’s been invited to the gala. I didn’t know he would show up though, that’s a surprise,” Kara explains, nodding back to a few people in the room. “I think he’s meeting with a few people to catch up on what happened during the crisis …”

Alex glares in the general direction of James Olsen. “So everyone is coming back to National City to deal with the crisis, but no one’s telling me …”

“Well to be fair, you’ve been holed up in the DEO’s headquarters for a while now and you’re not putting much effort into maintaining relationships …” Kara replies without missing a beat, earning herself an outraged look from Alex. “I’m surprised I still managed to drag you with me to this event …” 

“I am working!” Alex protests but Kara doesn’t seem convinced. “It’s true! I’ve been working a lot and trying to fix things with Kelly. Honestly, this crisis caused such a mess we’re all going to be dealing with it for years to come!”

Kara doesn’t reply but the look of sadness in her eyes is enough to make Alex backtrack again. The events of crisis has left everyone struggling to adjust but Kara, who lived through it all, is going through so much worse. Guilt and grief swirl in the baby blue irises and Alex sighs.

“I’m sorry Kara. You know that none of this is your fault, right?” Alex says, gently placing a hand on her sister’s forearm. “I’m glad I’m here with you tonight. It’s good Champagne.”

That earns her a laugh and an amused look, efficiently distracting the girl of steel from her memories. 

“They have Scotch, you know? A strangely exhaustive collection of it, if you want to go check it out. I know you prefer stronger stuff.”

Alex perks up at this. “Really? I’m going to go grab myself a real drink then, do you want anything?” 

Kara shakes her head no. “They don’t have anything that could be of interest for me, I’m going to stick with Champagne.” 

Alex nods and then walks off to the bar in a side of the room. Kara chuckles to herself when she sees a woman stop Alex in her way, seemingly starting a chat that has the DEO’s director make a barely concealed annoyed face. 

A minute later, she has to contains herself not to look annoyed at the few people that come to her and start a conversation. 

---

“I swear, if I have to listen to how Lex Luthor is the best man alive one more time …” Kara growls under her breath, teeth gritted behind the plastered fake smile she’s offering to the rest of the room. 

“I need more alcohol to endure the rest of this evening,” Alex groans her assentiment. “What’s this whole gala about again?” 

“It’s supposed to be a charity event for the orphans in National City’s hospital but it’s beginning to look a lot more like a fundraising ...” 

James stops next to them and nods, looking a little bored. “I’m no longer associated with CatCo but I can attest that this is a business event, not a charity one …”

Alex shrugs and announces that she’s going to grab another drink. 

“What’s with the cold shoulder?” James asks, looking at the older Danvers as she goes. 

“You didn’t tell anyone you were coming back for a few days. She’s a bit hurt, especially since Lucy did the same thing …” Kara answers, distractingly. 

She’s toying with her flute of Champagne, eyes narrowed on Andrea Rojas. The CEO is currently walking from group to group to charm people and unlock more funds, the echo of her laugh swirling in the air long after she’s stopped. 

“I can’t believe she turned a CatCo charity gala into a business event. I mean, I know it’s never just about doing good but still, when Cat did it, it was done with style and subtlety. Nothing as blatant as this…” 

“Speaking of the devil …” James says but Kara’s busy glaring at her boss and it takes a few moments for the words to reach her mind.

Eventually though, they do. Surprised, she turns her head to frown at him but he’s not looking in her direction. Instead, he’s smiling at something in the distance, across the hall, and so Kara follows his line of sigh. 

On the other side of the museum’s hall, the crow is slowly parting. People are whispering as they move and there’s a certain trepidation in the air, a feeling of anticipation and excitement. Kara catches a glimpse of a pale golden dress, a flash of blond hair and her heart skips a beat. 

It takes a moment but in the end, Cat Grant regally emerges from the crow, making her way towards Kara and James. 

The pale golden dress she’s wearing glints and gleams under the dim light of the museum’s hall. It’s subtle, the sparkles deeply embedded in the light fabric of the garment. The cut is bold and daring, with a V line that’s plunging deep in her cleavage. There’s also a slit along the side of her leg that unveil some smooth expense of skin with every step she takes and she’s perched atop a pair of stilettos that rhythms her progression as she strides closer and closer to them. She looks regal and she’s well aware of it because there’s just a touch of smugness in the way she sways her hips when she moves.   

Her hair is a little shorter than in Kara’s memory, lighter as well. It flows freely around the sharp features and there’s just a hint of red on her lips, it makes Kara’s mouth go dry.  

Eventually, Cat stops in front of her and Kara’s brain blanks. She smells like sunlight, sea salt and sand. Her usual fragrance, spices and wood, is barely noticeable because she just smells like summer.

“Wow. You look amazing,” Kara whispers, breathless, the words escaping her mouth before she can think. 

She suddenly realises she said it out loud and blushes furiously, heat reaching her ears and coloring her neck and cheeks. She drops her eyes and busies herself with her Champagne for a few seconds before she dares looking up again. 

Cat looks thrown off for just a second before a slow smile graces her lips.

“Why, thank you,” Cat says with a nod before glancing at Kara’s silhouette. “I’m very pleased to see you’ve outgrown your colorful cardigans and ridiculous teenager dresses … This suits you.” 

Kara glances down at her royal blue tuxedo. The black velvet lapels and cuffs are matching the stilettos but she’s decided to forgo the matching bow tie and instead, she’s unbuttoned a few buttons down the collar of her white shirt. 

Under Cat’s focused eyes, she blushes again but manages to reply “Uh, thank you.”

“Miss Grant, what an unexpected yet pleasant surprise,” James greets his former boss, extending a hand that Cat instantly shakes with a smile. 

“Mister Olsen … I thought you had left town, I was surprised to hear you were attending the gala.” Cat replies, her tone casual but her eyes intent, expectant even. 

“Call it a trip down memory lane, as twisted as it is since our memories are fake anyway, ever since crisis ...” James nods, looking distant. “I’m not staying though. Miss Grant, Kara … Say bye to Alex for me, I’ll call her to catch up with her, make it up for lost time.” 

Kara distractedly waves him goodbye as he bows his head before Cat and leaves. 

“I’m surprised you still go to the CatCo corporates events,” Cat muses once James is out of sight. “You never liked it.”

“You’re surprised to see me here?” Kara states, clear disbelief lining her voice. “What about you? What are you doing here? No one has seen you since you left, first to dive and then to play Madam Secretary for the president … Three years ago.” 

Kara can’t help but to sound bitter, resentful even. 

She’d tried to keep in touch with Cat, through emails and letters but eventually, that relationship stretched and stretched, until it dissolved into silence. After crisis, she’d gone out of her way to send J’onn to Washington so he could restore Cat’s and Carter’s memories but Kara still never heard back from Cat.

“I’m back in town for … business,” Cat says as if it was obvious. “I’ve been invited to the gala and I decided I’d show up.”

Kara stares at her former boss, still not satisfied with the barely there explanation. 

“Who invited you anyway? It’s a CatCo event and I know for a fact that when Lena bought the company, she made sure to remove you from the VIP list …”

“Yes well. I’m Cat Grant,” Cat replies without missing a beat, smiling at a man who bows his head at her in the distance. 

“Whatever that means anymore,” Kara mutters under her breath but still loud enough to be heard by her former boss.

She’s annoyed now so she purposely ignores the outraged look Cat throws her way. She moves and goes to stop a waiter, swapping her empty flute with a full one. The alcohol doesn’t affect her but it gives her an excuse to avoid her former boss.

---

“Did I just dream it or did Cat Grant made a surprise appearance tonight?” Alex starts, a little later, when Kara joins her near the bar. 

“She certainly did,” Kara groans, wishing she could drink alien alcohol and numb her feelings. 

She’s tired of avoiding Cat, of making polite conversation with perfect strangers and annoying politicien, of smiling and nodding at ideas and sums of money she can barely comprehend.

“Where’s a Supergirl emergency when you need one,” she grumbles again, emptying yet another flute of Champagne and asking for another one. 

Alex laughs and pats her on the shoulder, sympathetically. 

“How’s that hopeless crush of yours going, then?” 

Kara groans and turns a heated glare at her sister, who doesn’t seem bothered in the least. The arched brow and the expectant look give away the fact she’s waiting for an answer.

“Just, dandy, thank you for asking,” Kara mumbles, feeling tired all of a sudden. “She’s in town for business anyway, she’s probably not staying.” 

“Business?” Alex frowns, making the Stotch swirl in her glass. “What business? It’s National City, CatCo is Andrea’s business now and she’s also the CEO of Obsidian Tech, Lena’s returned to her position as CEO of L-Corp … What else is there?” 

“Dunno, don’t care,” Kara stubbornly mumbles but she thinks back on what her sister just said. “I really don’t know though, the only explanation I can think of is …”

Kara trails off when she sees Andrea moves to one side of the room, where a modern glass-lectern is located. She slowly steps behind it and then someone hands her a tablette Andrea puts down on the lectern before she adjust the double micros in front of her. 

The crow is already gathering in front of her, whispering quietly. All eyes are intent on Andrea but Kara catches a glimpse of Cat, on one side of the front row. She stands out, all gold in a sea of black. Even the few red, blue or green dresses don’t quite catch the eyes like she does. 

“My dear, fellow citizens. My friends,” Andrea starts and Alex snickers next to Kara. “We just went through a crisis, even though we can’t quite comprehend it. A crew of heroes, of super-heroes should I say, saved us from permanent erasure and allowed us all to live. Some of them didn’t make it through, like Oliver Queen, who gave his life so he could birth a whole new universe for us to call home.” 

Kara lets out a ragged breath and Alex’s hand closes around her forearm. She’s grateful for the support but she can’t help the helpless feeling of loss that creeps into her heart again. Oliver’s sacrifice is still too fresh, too close, to raw and hearing Andrea talks about it doesn’t help.

“This ultimate sacrifice, along with the events of this crisis, made me realise something,” Andrea continues and Alex mutters something about the woman being a selfish bitch. It makes Kara smiles, for a second. “I’m no journalist. I didn’t even think about reporting those facts to the public, which is what CatCo, as a company, is supposed to do. I’m a business woman, I’m a CEO and I can hold myself in a board meeting but when it comes to handling a media empire, I am like Jon Snow. I know nothing.”

“Seriously?” Alex snickers again and Kara relates, rolling her eyes. 

“Which is why I gathered this crow tonight,” Andrea gestures at the men and women standing in front of her. “A lot of you are investors from ventures that backed CatCo back then, when it was still a small company striving to make a name of itself. Most of you are just invested in the company, either financially or emotionally.”

Kara suddenly has a feeling as to where this is heading. Her heart squeezes in her chest and she narrows her eyes at her current boss, waiting for the rest of the speech.

“I decided it was time for me to come back to my true calling; handling a tech business. Obsidian Tech is thriving, growing and engrenging more money than I can count but it’s also an opportunity to do good, to heal and to shape the future.”

“Can she be done with this already? I have a feeling the end is much more interesting that this me, myself and I bit …” Alex snaps, trepidation clear in her tone. Kara shush her.

“I’m stepping down from CatCo,” Andrea announces and a wave of shock wafts through the assembly. Whispers rises and a few loud gasps echo here and there in the room. Andrea waits a moment before opening her mouth to continue “Earlier today, I sold back CatCo to its rightful owner, Cat Grant. So from now on, you can consider that the queen of all media is back. She’s here with us tonight and so, without further ado, ladies and gentlemen … Cat Grant!”

Andrea gestures for Cat to move forward and so Cat does, smiling politely and air-kissing Andrea’s cheeks before she slips behind the lectern. 

“Thank you, Andrea. I must say, it feels good to be back. I have missed National City and its most beloved hero, Supergirl …” Cat says with a smile, glancing at Kara across the room.

Kara holds her breath and barely registers her sister tightening her grip on her forearm.

“In any case, I have a lot of work to do to bring the company back to the top but with you help and your support, it’s nothing we can’t do,” Cat waves at the crow and smiles again. “Thank you all for coming tonight and enjoy your evening!”

Cat steps away under a thunderous round of applause and she politely smiles and bows her head. Kara knows she’s simply waiting to show her claws again. It’s a political game and tonight, she’s doesn’t have the upper hand so she makes do with what she has. 

“What was that?” Alex asks, hurriedly, in Kara’s ear.

“A surprise, I assume,” Kara retorts, still reeling from the announcement.

“Thank you, Captain Obvious,” Alex snaps. “I meant the glance at you when she talked about Supergirl.”

“Come on Alex. She’s worked for the white house, what do you expect? Of course she knows. I could bet she knew way before that,” Kara turns to her sister, who’s gulping Scotch at an alarming speed. “Like she so eloquently said herself, she’s Cat Grant.” 

“Whatever that means anymore,” says a voice behind her and Kara bites back a smile. 

She glares at her sister for a few seconds before turning around to face Cat. 

She looks as regal as before, just slightly less haughty. There’s a flicker of uncertainty in her hazel eyes, gleaming around in the golden freckles of the irises. 

“Aren’t you full of surprise, today,” Kara eventually says, the shadow of a smile floating on her lips. “Business, uh?”

Cat smiles at last and her eyes gleam with smugness. “Well, I didn’t lie. I did come back for business … and I intent to stay.” 

Kara narrows her eyes but doesn’t say anything for a moment. Cat doesn’t look away.

“I don’t know …” Kara muses, looking thoughtful. “Once upon a time, you promised you’d be back …”

“I am, am I not?” Cat defies, but it lacks her usual confidence. 

“Three years, Cat …” Kara shakes her head. “So much has happened since you left …”

Cat’s eyes soften, impossibly so. Kara already saw that look a few times but it’s usually reserved to Carter, no one else. 

“Will you tell me, about it all?” 

Kara blinks, taken aback. She has been expecting some half-reply, a diversion, anything but not this openness. She stares and Cat holds her eyes.

“I … maybe,” Kara whispers and she can almost hear Alex’s eye roll behind her. “I don’t know.”

Cat seems to understand. A flicker of hurt flashes in her eyes but it’s gone before Kara can make anything out of it. She looks away at the crow swaying to the rhythm of some distant music and then smiles, with just a hint of mischief.

“Do you dance, Supergirl?” 

“Uh, what?” Kara stammers, blinking and glancing back at her sister, wondering what’s happening. Alex only shrugs and raises her glass to her, a mock-toast Kara doesn’t know how to interpret. 

“Dancing. I assume it’s a piece of cake, for someone who knows how to fly …” Cat insists, tilting her head to the side and gesturing towards the dancing couple. She’s careful not to speak too loud but Kara still glances around, alarmed.

“You do know my alter-ego is supposed to be a secret, right?” Kara snaps, narrowing her eyes at her former boss, to no avail. Cat only extends a hand and Kara doesn’t know where to stand.

“For the love of God …” Alex mutters from behind. The next thing she knows, a hand is pressed against the small of her back, pushing her forward. “This is painful to just watch. Go dance with Cat and let me enjoy my drink in peace.” 

“Why thank you, Scully … or is it Mulder?” Cat wonders, glancing at Alex.

“Alex will do, Miss Grant,” Alex replies, curtly. “Very nice to see you again … now please go dance with my sister so I can stop holding my breath over whatever this is that’s happening between the two of you.” 

“How comes your sister isn’t as direct as you are?” Cat asks, not even arching a brow at Alex’s answer.

“Oh my god! Fine, let’s go,” Kara eventually jumps in the conversation, closing her fingers around Cat’s and dragging it toward the floor on which the other couples are dancing. She’s sporting a furious blush but her eyes are burning with a mixture of annoyance and anger.

“I had forgotten how unrelenting you can be,” she adds once they reach it, sliding one of her arms around Cat’s waist and holding her free hand for Cat to hold it. 

“One of my most obnoxious trait, I’m sure,” Cat sasses back, sounding amused. She reaches for Kara’s hand and then they’re swaying to the music. It’s slow and soft, simple.

“For sure it is,” Kara doesn’t back off. “I swear Alex was about to throw her glass at one of us and I didn’t want to put your dress at risk …”

“Who says it would have been me?” Cat asks, a smirk tugging at the corners of her lips.

“She likes my tuxedo to much to ruin it,” Kara says.

Cat looks down at Kara’s outfit and nods approvingly. “I can certainly see why. Fair enough then.” 

They dance together for a little while in silence. It’s not exactly comfortable but it’s peaceful enough and Kara slowly relaxes. From the corners of her eyes, she sees that Alex is alternating between watching them and typing on her smartphone, probably texting Kelly. 

“I know I am three years late,” Cat starts, drawing Kara’s eyes back to her. “I’ve been … fooling myself into thinking I didn’t need to come back, trying to convince myself that I was just fine being the secretary of state …”

Kara makes Cat spin around before catching her back, carefully, gently. Cat smiles and then continues.

“Truth is, I was, for a little while. It’s a demanding job, not too different from handling the board members of CatCo in the end. I loved it, for a year or so … but I was missing CatCo. It’s been … a journey, to build this company, and I couldn’t shake this feeling of having made a mistake by leaving it into the hands of James Olsen.”

Kara doesn’t say anything but she listens, carefully. 

“Not that I didn’t trust him, it’s just that I couldn’t stand to see the changes my company went through. James Olsen, Lena Luthor prying my baby from that Morgan Edge asshole only to sell it back to Andrea Rojas … Who ended up stripping CatCo from its very meaning.”

To that, Kara could only agree. She gives Cat a short nod but stays silent.

“See, I’m … some might say stubborn. Plagued with pride …” Cat explains, sighing as she goes on.

“You don’t say!” Kara snorts, because she can’t help herself. It’s a stick Cat is handling to be beaten with and the opportunity is too good to let it slide. 

“I know, I know,” Cat nods, not even batting an eye at Kara’s sassiness. “In any case, I was too proud and too stubborn to admit my mistake and to come back earlier. It took your friend J’onn to restore my memories after crisis to swallow back my pride and to come back. I knew then that I had to go back to being the queen of all media, to make CatCo great again so it could be the very thing I built it to do, which is broadcasting the unbiased truth to as many people as it can reach.”

Kara mulls over the words as she makes Cat swirl again. She circles back the woman’s waist and tilts her head.

“You never reached back, after the few last emails I’ve sent,” Kara accuses, glaring right into Cat’s hazel eyes. “You stayed silent, all those years, never acknowledging me, or my alter-ego, anymore.” 

Cat looks sad for a less than second. It’s barely there, just a fleeting look of wonder and longing dangle in the golden freckles of her irises, but it’s gone too soon. 

“It was … too painful,” Cat manages to say and it’s costing her. It’s like she’s forcing herself to out the words, it comes out a little strangled, restrained. “I … I thought of you a lot, over the years. One might say too much, for someone who should have been preoccupied with states business, diplomatics events, conflicts resolving schemings, avoiding wars talks and the likes.”

Kara listens, keeping Cat close this time. No swirling, no spinning, they’re swaying together as Cat talks. 

“Truth is … I have missed you, Kara,” Cat sighs, looking very small all of a sudden. “Your sunny, awe-shuck attitude, the ridiculous excuses you used to barely spring on me before taking off to God knew where, the blinding optimism and constant faith you had in me, the questions you used to ask that would made me want to be a better boss, a better friend, a better mother and overall, a better human. I have missed everything about you, the way you smile when you smells food, the way your brow furrows when you try to figure out some pop reference you don’t get, the gentleness you showed around Carter and around me, even if I pretended not to notice back then …”

It’s a wonder Kara doesn’t stop dancing after that. 

Cat’s eyes are gleaming with something very much akin to love but Kara, still struggling with the concept of reality, chalks it up to wishful thinking. She’s hoped for so long and she’s been through too much as of late to even think about this being any less than regrets. A late confession that only serves to alleviate Cat’s conscience. 

“I … didn’t expect you to even … acknowledge that there used to be something,” Kara eventually manages to say, voice quiet and full of melancholy. It feels like they are talking about a lifetime ago and, in some ways, it is. 

She’s recently spent time in the Vanishing Point, a location lost out of time and space that reminded her of the Phantom Zone. Time didn’t exist in there and she was trapped with her team of super-heroes and Lex Luthor, of all people. All she could think about, back there, was that she would probably never see the people she loved again. There was an order, unconsciously, to the people she thought about. Alex had come first, because Alex always comes first. Eliza, who she didn’t exactly consider her mother but who still came second and then … then came Cat. Of all the people that could have made it to the top three, Cat won. It told Kara a lot about her true feelings that, even after three years, after having dated a Daxamite Prince for a while, after having struggled to put a name on her feelings for Lena Luthor, it was Came she thought about when she thought about the multiverse ending. 

“Used to be?” Cat eventually asks in a whisper and this time, Kara sees the hint of hope in the hazel green eyes. The tiny, tiny flame of esperance flickering in the gold sparkles, muffled and almost extinct but still there. 

Kara’s heart skips a beat and then another one, and another one and it is as if it had stopped beating entirely. For a second, she lets herself dream about she then shakes her head. 

“You expect me to believe that, after three years, there’s still … feelings?” Kara breathes, eyes flashing with disbelief and distrust. “You cannot seriously think you can come back after all this time and what… resume this strange relationship we had.” 

“That’s not what I said,” Cat shakes her head too, tightening her hold on Kara’s fingers as they keep swaying. Her voice is low but clear enough for Kara to hear every single word. “That’s not even what I want. That relationship, that bond we had … It’s not enough. It wasn’t enough back then but I didn’t think … I didn’t think I had a chance and I didn’t want to believe I could have one so I ran away. I was a coward and I am truly, deeply, sincerely sorry.” 

Kara only stares, speechless. 

“I was a coward and I made a mistake. I’m not naïve as to think nothing has changed, I know it has but I … I was hoping we could try,” Cat insists and the look in her eyes is earnest, despite the fear and anxiety clouding her irises. 

“To try what, exactly?” Kara eventually asks, needing an answer. 

Cat swallows, hard. “You are going to make me say it, aren’t you?”

Kara just nods, not bothering with words. 

She’s still not convinced she isn’t dreaming but the feeling of Cat’s palm in hers, the intensity of the hazel glare and the scent of sand and sun ground her to the reality. She’s letting herself dream and hope, against her better judgment.

“Kara Danvers … will you go on a date with me?” Cat eventually asks, a little shyly. 

The music slowly stops and so do they but Kara doesn’t let go of Cat’s waist and hand. Golden sparkles are endlessly swirling, lost in all the green hues of Cat’s eyes and Kara finds it fascinating.

Eventually though, she smiles and leans forward to drop a kiss on Cat’s lips. It’s soft, sweet and entirely too brief but it makes the queen of all media gasps in surprise and then sighs with relief.

“Well, I thought you’d never ask,” Kara sasses as she steps back, a smirk on her lips as her sister raises both her thumbs in the background. “Seriously, what took you so long?”

Cat looks dumbstruck. The dreamy smiles, the quiet wonder in her eyes, the frantic drum of her heartbeat and the way she raises a few fingers to her lips makes her make Kara laugh.

“Speechless,” Kara muses. “That’s a new look on you, I kinda like it.” 

“Well, don’t get too used to it,” Cat snaps back to her usual witty-self but the dreamy smile doesn’t disappear. Instead, it morphes into a genuine, wide one that sends butterflies down Kara’s stomach. 

“Does that mean the answer is yes?” Cat asks, with just a hint of hesitancy in her voice to betray the fact she’s terrified Kara is going to reject her. 

Kara rolls her eyes and kisses her again, making it last a little longer this time. There’s whispers around them but she doesn’t care in the least.

“Yes, Miss Grant, I will go on a date with you,” Kara replies as she pulls back, smiling at Cat.

“Good,” Cat says and the relief in her voice is deafening, to Kara’s ears. She grabs Kara’s hand and tugs her along with her, imperiously. “Now let’s get out of here.”

Kara’s laugh still echoes in the air long after she’s gone.