#mon-el secret

[evilhorse]

Action Comics #1070

[userlaylivia]

I'm not including steroline because in my mind they are endgame same with jax/tara and merder because whenever meredith dies she'll be with derek!! I didn't include barchie or bhva because all were endgame imo and didn't include klamille or klayley or haylijah because I ship all three and didn't want competing ships lol and spuffy was endgame in the comic books lol in my mind karamel is endgame because she can go where he is anytime but I included them anyway lol and handon is endgame in my mind as well because they would've been!! I included brylan because even though I consider them endgame because they were supposed to be and now luke/shannen are gone I consider them to be but I needed to fill a space lol

@makeyouminemp3, @nikkiruncks, @bellamyblake, @okmcintyre, @stydixa

[jesncin]

Might I ask your thoughts on Mon-El and/or Kong Kenan?

I only know Mon-El from watching all of cw Supergirl (I consider myself something of a scholar of that show) so that's the only basis I know of him. My hot take is that he's not as annoying in that show as people kept hyping him up to be. He's a straightforwardly written "jerk guy learns to be a better person because model citizen girlfriend" character. He delivers. It's nothing groundbreaking but it isn't bad either. Just middling. Kara has had far more boring love interests in that show (Cat Grant's son cough). Sucks that the Jimmy romance was cut short for Mon-El of course, but Mon-El himself is okay.

Kong Kenan is great! He's a refreshing addition to Superfam in that we get to see a hero develop his ideals on the job and be a jerk who screws up a bunch. His origin story arc plays too closely to that "the villains are activists who are fighting for Democracy so they have a point, but oh no they went too far about it so we can feel good about teaming up with the system they're criticizing to beat them up" which results in the hero having to find some kind of respectable in-between to resolving the conflict. The uniqueness of the cast, setting and the story that follows still make it fun and add a twist to it though. I haven't read all of Kong's comics but I really enjoy them.

[natalievoncatte]

Lena knew her pulse was racing, but Kara was either pretending not to notice or too tired to care. They were curled together tightly under the blanket, Kara’s head resting on Lena’s chest, the pair of them curled into each other with a desperate intensity.

An outside observer would see no difference between the way that Nia was tucked and folded neatly into Brainy, his head lolling against hers as they slept on the other side of the couch. Nor would they see any discrepancy between the way Kelly and Alex were stuffed together in the armchair next to it, curled up in one another like a pair of cats tucked in against a cold night.

The outside observer would see three couples who���d begun with a game night and progressed to an unplanned movie marathon and started to crash out and fall asleep, full of wine and mirth and too tired to get home.

One couple wasn’t. One of these pairings was just friends, and the knowledge of it was like a ragged gaping hole in her chest, where something had crushed and torn through her and left a gap that would never be filled.

Lena was terrified.

Alex and Kelly were married now. Nia and Querl were getting very serious. They were going to start building lives.

Kara’s coming out had gone well. She was truly growing into herself in a way that frightened Lena as much as it warmed her heart. The Girl was growing to equal the Super, Kara becoming more and more herself even without the crutch that her suit provided. She was uninhibited, free.

In her secret heart, Lena hated it. In the end, Kara had been right, damn her. The Secret had meant something. They once had a space that was uniquely theirs, where Kara was a person only Lena knew, that not even Alex ever experienced. Yes, the Secret frequently intruded, but in those moments where it hadn’t, where their mutual pining to be normal met and they used it to build a space all their own, the real Kara came out.

That space had been shattered by their falling out but rebuilt stronger, its foundations laid the day that Kara came home from the hell outside the multiverse, the first brick laid when Kara had leaned in as Lena broke their hug and stared at Lena’s lips.

God damn me, Lena thought, why didn’t I make the move? Why didn’t I do it?

The moment was lost.

She looked down at Kara now, purring away on her chest. Kara had begun embracing her alien self, slowly stripping away all the ablative secrets that she’d layered onto herself to pass for human. Lena was delighted to discover that Kara could do that; that if she relaxed it would happen on its own. It made Lena contented and sleepy, especially when they were close in like this.

God, she was so beautiful. Lena had never laid eyes on Kara’s equal and never would, and when she walked tall and smiled and flashed her easy, invulnerable confidence, the sight of her was almost unbearable. Looking at Kara left marks on Lena’s heart the way that looking at the sun left burnt streaks in her vision.

Fear, cold and merciless, clenched in her chest. One day it would happen. Someone would succeed where James and William had failed and Mon-El had come so close. They’d snatch her away and Kara would throw herself into it with abandon and Lena would lose her.

Lena pressed her eyes shut to fight back tears. She willed herself not to mourn a loss before its time, to savor the soft weight propped on her chest and the tangy scent of Kara’s skin but she couldn’t help herself.

“Lena?” Kara whispered.

With all the guilt of a thief found red-handed, Lena froze, her mouth dry.

“What’s wrong?”

Lena glanced around the room. The others were all sleeping soundly, passed out in each others arms. Lena wondered what that was like, to sleep with the joyful comfort of assurance that they would not wake alone, that the others would stay.

“Nothing,” Lena lied.

Kara knew. In the dark, her blue eyes seemed to emit a faint light, another peculiarity of Kryptonian physiology that Lena honestly just hadn’t noticed before The Secret was revealed.

Kara turned slightly, shifted, and tucked the blanket in close, wrapped tightly round them. It was chilly in her loft and Kara was like a living furnace, warming Lena’s cold bones. When Kara slipped a hand free, her skin was fever hot on Lena’s cheek. She leaned into the touch, greedy for it.

“It’s okay,” Kara murmured. “Nobody’s gonna get you while I’m here.”

Lena smiled sadly. Kara knew about the night terrors, about her fears and how she sometimes hated the dark, because the barriers of their friendship, the walls that defined it, were so bent and strained that they’d never return to shape, even as they refused to yield.

“That’s not what I’m scared of. I’m scared of when someone gets you.”

Kara blinked.

“Sooner or later you won’t have as much time for your best friend. You’ll find someone else.”

“Why would I want someone else?” Kara said, almost too loud. “I want you.”

Oh God, that hurt so much. It made the frayed edges of that hole in her ache, at once raw and fresh and old and desiccated. She couldn’t go on like this. Why did Kara say things like that?”

“Were you going to kiss me the night we got you back?”

Kara flinched, and now she looked the thief.

They were both silent. Kara stared.

“I was scared to. We’d only just… I was afraid everything would break.”

Lena swallowed hard.

“Kara, what the hell are you waiting for?”

She blinked a few times more, a storm of emotions clouding her angelic features. She flushed, eyes wide, and was looking directly, openly at Lena’s lips.

She tasted like cherry lip balm and red wine. Kara’s kisses were like Kara herself, ardent and gentle in equal measure, the chaste softness of pressed lips smoldering with the same alien fire that burned under her lushly warm skin. Lena moaned softly, and that from little more than a soft peck on the lips.

She was an addict who’d just tasted the ambrosia of her dreams and her head was spinning. In an instant everything had changed, though Kara had barely moved. There was something new in the way Kara’s arms snaked around her. A slight shift and Kara touched her forehead to Lena’s before kissing her again, deeply this time. Lena let her eyes drift shut and savored it.

“I. Am not. Going. Anywhere.”

There was a heavy, almost oppressive silence. A sob of relief choked out of Lena and she hugged Kara fiercely, freely, joyfully free to crush herself against her unbreakable love.

“I mean,” Alex said, “you could move to the bedroom. I think we’d all prefer that.”

Lena almost jumped out of her skin. Kara let out an equally surprised yelp, as they both realized that everyone else was awake and watching them get lost in each other.

Lena cleared her throat. Kara sat up. She was beet red, and Lena was sure she was, too.

“Guys,” said Kara. “Get out.”

[dyns33]

Family language

We love a man who can use his tongue in a lot of different ways, even if he's pretty annoying.

It had become a habit.

Of course, sometimes they did it on purpose, to share information without being understood, but most of the time the Shelbys spoke Romani among themselves without even realizing it.

There were often a few words, and sometimes entire conversations. The first few times, Alfie hadn't said anything.

Sitting amidst the screams and noise that always accompanied his in-laws, he silently recited a prayer that they would quickly leave his house, before he lost his patience and killed one of them.

This would probably not please his wife, who was laughing happily with her brothers. Or her fratii, as she said.

He was starting to understand certain things. Alfie Solomons was gifted with languages. But he couldn't guess all the unfamiliar vocabulary, and so sometimes he got lost in very annoying gibberish.

“Cred it soțul tău se îmbufnește.” Finn whispered.

“Nu. E obosit, lasă-l în pace.”

“El simte că oamenii vorbesc despre el.” Tommy said smiling, his eyes landing on Alfie. “Domnul Solomons este deștept.”

No doubt, they were talking about him, under his own roof, purposely making fun of him in an unknown language so that he couldn't understand.

When he asked Y/N, she said he was imagining things. And even if he was right, he probably pleased his brothers by reacting like this. He just had to ignore them and act like an adult for once.

He could have listened to his wife's good advice.

Aside from the threats he had made if anyone misbehaved with her, the community had come to adore Y/N because it was obvious that she knew better than anyone how to control the King of Candem.

There were still fits of rage, because the man remained mad, but she always managed to calm him down. Undoubtedly, taming wild horses as a child helped to acquire this kind of gift.

In a way, Alfie listened.

The normal reaction he would have had would have been to attack the Shelbys directly, getting revenge in some way for their insult. But he let the night pass, thinking about the adult way to deal with this problem.

“DДоброе утро, любовь моя.” he said to Y/N, continuing to read his newspaper with his tea, as she entered the living room, still groggy from sleep.

This seemed to wake her immediately. She stared at him, with a look that showed which family she came from.

"What ?"

"I said 'DДоброе утро, любовь моя'."

"I heard. What does that mean ?"

“Nothing bad, don’t worry, клад.”

Y/N grimaced, visibly irritated, but she didn't insist, announcing that she was going to take a bath. Alfie didn't continue his game right away, because he wished he could join her.

The afternoon arrived, and his wife visited him at the Bakery to check that he had eaten, that he had not died under a pile of files or stabbed by a competitor, and to massage his back very carefully.

“Tes mains sont magiques, mon coeur”

This time, it was Ollie who made a funny face, looking at his boss, then at Y/N, as if silently asking if she understood what he had just said.

“Italian ?” she asked, continuing to massage him, looking detached.

"No. Questo è italiano, mia principessa."

"Prinţesă ? I'm not a princess, and you're becoming a pain."

As painful as her and her brothers speaking Romani in his presence, but he didn't say it. Alfie wanted her to understand it on her own, and no doubt she had understood from the moment he spoke Russian.

But even if she was Mrs. Solomons, Y/N would always remain a Shelby, proud and stubborn, refusing to admit her wrongs, and she would not apologize for having secrets with her family.

That wasn't even the problem. He respected secrets even if he didn't have any for her, and he liked it when she clearly gave him affectionate names that he didn't understand.

Obviously she liked names too. Amore mio, אהובי, mon amour. Their nights were much more passionate when he didn't speak English, the bedroom being the only place where she forgave him for this change.

But in front of others, when she didn't have the slightest way to decipher what he was saying, she didn't like it at all.

"היא הולכת לכעוס, בוס… זה לא מאוד נחמד." Ollie said, very embarrassed at being forced to participate in what seemed like a lovers' quarrel, and not knowing if he respected or was more afraid of Alfie or Y/N.

"אני מקסים עם אשתי. זה המשחק הקטן שלנו."

“I know you’re talking about me.”

“Not at all, милый.”

“Your employees look frantic, staring at me, I know you’re talking about me.”

The game lasted several weeks, before stopping completely, except for the little nicknames. This seemed to surprise Y/N, who wasn't used to seeing her husband give up so easily. She had grown up with the Shelbys, she knew these kinds of men.

Alfie didn't know whether he should be flattered or annoyed that she read him so well, because if he spent less time teasing her, it was to concentrate on another project in secret.

If he was good with languages ​​and didn't like not understanding, the solution was simple. He could learn Romani.

And it would be much more fun if his in-laws and his wife didn't know.

“Pare mai puțin enervat decגt de obicei.” John observed.

“Și mai puțin deranjant.” Arthur growled.

“El plדnuiește ceva.” sighed Y/N, observing Alfie, sitting quietly in his chair, looking at them and smiling. “Nu știu de ce מl iubesc atגt de mult pe idiotul דsta.”

“Cu toții ne מntrebדm asta, surioarד.” Tommy sighed, patting his sister on the back.

Although he had never played poker, Alfie was normally good at hiding his emotions when necessary. But hearing Y/N say she loved him to her brothers, he couldn't help but smile even more, which was noted.

And oh, how he loved his smart wife.

While the rest of the Shelbys were bickering about their future jobs, she came up to him, looking less angry than he expected.

“Ințelegi foarte bine ce spun.”

"Yes, treacle. A little surprise, which I thought I would keep secret for a little while longer. I'm not completely fluid yet."

"It's not fair. I don't understand anything when you speak in other languages."

"Je pourrais t'apprendre, chérie."

Most of the lessons were done in the bedroom, despite Y/N's protests that he was absolutely not focused enough to teach her anything useful.

When she threatened to make him sleep on the couch, Alfie found some time in his busy schedule to give her real lessons, or at least to give her real words.

"… You lied to me, again."

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, love.” he said while continuing to count his coins.

"I wanted to greet Ollie, like you taught me. I said to him 'אתה מטומטם עם זין קטן'."

“He must have been happy.”

"I've never seen him so upset in my entire life. You know my brothers never really made fun of you now, and I'd love to make fun of others with you, but don't make me say horrible things without let me know."

"Okay. You should also stop greeting Italians by calling them 'Stronzo' then."

"… I knew they weren't answering me politely."

"No. I had their balls cut off for that, אף אחד לא מדבר ככה ללב היקר שלי."

"Your 'dear heart' will sleep with Cyril tonight, while you are on the sofa."

"Think about my back, cruel woman ! I'm sorry, okay ? Mоя жизнь, mia vita, החיים שלי !"

“Canapeaua !”

"Does that mean 'I forgive you darling, come kiss me' ?"

He called Tommy to ask him, without explaining why, and even though he had an idea of ​​the answer. At least, the fucking Shleby had a good laugh.

Fine, I won't like you all in the dark like that :

“Cred it soțul tău se îmbufnește.” - "I believe your husband is sulking." (romani)

“Nu. E obosit, lasă-l în pace.” - "No. He's tired, leave him alone." (romani)

“El simte că oamenii vorbesc despre el. Domnul Solomons este deștept.” - "He feels that people are talking about him. Mr. Solomons is smart.” (romani)

“DДоброе утро, любовь моя.” - “Good morning, my love.” (russian) “клад.” - treasure (russian)

“Tes mains sont magiques, mon coeur” - "your hands are magical, my heart." (french)

"No. Questo è italiano, mia principessa." - "No, this is Italian, my princess" (italian)

Prinţesă - princess (romani)

Amore mio - my love (italian)

אהובי - my love (hebrew)

mon amour - my love (french)

"היא הולכת לכעוס, בוס… זה לא מאוד נחמד." - "She's going to be angry, boss… that's not very nice." (hebrew)

"אני מקסים עם אשתי. זה המשחק הקטן שלנו." - "I'm charming with my wife. It's our little game." (hebrew)

“милый.” - "Dear." (russian)

“Pare mai puțin enervat decגt de obicei.” -"He seems less annoying than usual." (romani)

“Și mai puțin deranjant.” - "And less mad." (romani)

“El plדnuiește ceva.” "He's planning something." (romani)

“Nu știu de ce מl iubesc atגt de mult pe idiotul דsta.” - "I don't know why I love this idiot so much." - (romani)

“Cu toții ne מntrebדm asta, surioarד.” - "We're all wondering that, little sister." (romani)

“Ințelegi foarte bine ce spun.” - "You understand very well what I'm saying." (romani)

"Je pourrais t'apprendre, chérie." - "I could teach you, darling" (french)

'אתה מטומטם עם זין קטן'. - 'You're a moron with a small dick'. (hebrew)

'Stronzo' - assholes (italian)

אף אחד לא מדבר ככה ללב היקר שלי - Nobody talk like that to my dear heart (hebrew)

Mоя жизнь - my life (russian)

mia vita - my life (italian)

החיים שלי !" - my life (hebrew)

“Canapeaua !” - "The couch !" (romani)

[lena-in-a-red-dress]

We've only just begun Pt 2 (mon-el introspective)

Being back on Earth, in this time specifically, feels strange. Like a hermit crab trying to crawl back into a shell that's a size too small. Not painful, just... odd.

Its odd to see his old friends-- long dead for centuries-- surprised at his shift in demeanor and authority. It's odd to see Kara look between him and Imra in the same way he once looked between her and Lena so long ago. And it's odd for Lena to approach him and Imra with no prompting whatsoever.

"Hello, Mon-el," she greets in a smooth voice.

Imra turns, looks at Lena, and pauses.

"You must be mistaken," she covers for Mon-el, before he can say a word. "His name is Mike."

The false identity feels comical, and even more so when directed at Lena. Lena must agree, because she lifts an arch brow with a light smirk.

"You think I don't know my own husband?"

Mon-el feels his wife-- his current wife-- no, his newest wife?-- bristle even as he himself bites back a laugh. "Imra..."

"Relax," Lena intones, letting her head tilt with a playful grin towards Imra. "It wasn't consensual."

Imra's glare snaps to Mon-el, who grimaces. "It's not like that--" he starts, only for Lena to continue.

"So, how is the flagrant adulterer?" This she addresses to Mon-el, who laughs even as Imra seems ready to snap back at the woman daring to impugn their honor.

The last time Mon-el had laid eyes on Lena, she had been so somber. Seeing her like this is like night and day, and Mon-el finds himself responding in kind.

"Widower, actually," he casually points out, wrapping an arm around Imra's waist. "And doing just fine, actually."

Lena nods, a genuine smile spreading her features. "Good." Finally, she turns to Imra and extends her hand for a shake. "Hi, I'm Lena."

Imra accepts the handshake stiffly, not quite willing to soften just yet. Lena sees her lingering suspicion, and shrugs apologetically.

"I'm sorry," she says lightly. "Last we saw each other, it wasn't exactly the time to make light of the ordeal. Seems only right to take advantage of the opportunity now."

Finally, Imra relaxes. "Of course," she says with a nod. "I've heard some of what happened."

It isn't a secret. Just shame. Shame that he hadn't stopped the wedding, shame that he had relied on Supergirl instead of his own strength-- which after seven years he knows that he has, even then. Lena had deserved better.

"Not much to tell," Lena agrees, shooting Mon-el a look. Mon-el blinks at her breezy fib, realizing belatedly that Lena had just moved herself squarely into the role of ally. She shoots him a wink before returning her gaze to Imra. "Just count yourself lucky you dodged the monster-in-law."

There's no bite to her words, which allows Mon-el to grin rather than grimace. Lena shifts her drink to her other hand, letting her fingers brush Mon-el's arm briefly as someone catches her eye.

"Please excuse me," she says magnanimously, as she moves on. "I'll catch up with you later."

In that moment, Mon-el isn't sure if she actually intends to return, but visit she does, hours later. The main crowd has melted away, leaving just the core group to linger with one last round of drinks. Mon-el has relocated to the roof of Kara's building to get some air, when a warm voice interrupts his solitude.

"May I join you?" Lena hums.

Mon-el turns. "Of course."

Lena closes the last few feet between them, coming to stand beside him. It reminds him of the last time they'd spoken, so soon after their fateful marriage. Then, the air around them had been thick with tension, implication, and a sort of grief. Now, it's lightened by Lena's surreptitious grin.

"Sorry for teasing earlier," she says. A slender shoulder lifts in a shrug. "Imra seems nice."

Mon-el nods. "She is. It's just not something we really talk about."

"I can imagine."

Lena gazes thoughtfully out over the city, and Mon-el turns to join her. National City has repaired itself well, Mon-el notes, and surmises that the woman next to him has played a large role in its recovery.

"Now that you're married again," Lena observes softly, "I find myself wondering what that means for me."

"What do you mean?"

"Am I still your wife?"

Mon-el's stomach lurches at the question, posed so simply. As though it were a mere matter of fact, and not the source of so much woe.

He takes a moment to steady himself, and then another to consider the query.

"Yes," he says grimly. "Its easier for Imra and I-- you've been dead for a few hundred years. But..."

"But," Lena surmises, "the same doesn't hold true for me."

Mon-el shakes his head. "No. It doesn't."

In the future, Mon-el has the benefit of a wife long passed, and a people so far dispersed that the personal lives of old monarchs no longer matter. But in this time, Lena doesn't have the luxury of pretending it never happened.

Should she take another partner, and should Earth become a galactic power in her lifetime, Lena's marital status could impact her planet's future in the eyes of other governing bodies throughout the universe. Those who received the transmission from his mother's ship, those who recognize Daxam's sovereignty would have certain expectations of a princess of Daxam-- even if she were a princess in name only.

Mon-el has heard Kara rail against the injustices of the american patriarchy that it's not lost on him that he, the husband, has gotten off scott free, while his wife is left to live with the burden of what had happened to them, and be forced to live her life bound by a marriage she'd had no way to refuse.

"I'm sorry," Mon-el says simply, though he knows the words do nothing to alleviate her burden.

Lena nods. "I know."

---

When all is said and done, when the worldkillers are vanquished and Lena's friend reunites with her daughter, Mon-el isnt surprised that Lena is the driving force behind their victory. Its becoming a regular occurrence, and from what he knows of what's to come, it won't change anytime soon.

It doesn't make it easier to say good-bye. Taking Winn with them helps, a little, but nothing assuages the way Kara looks at him, at Imra, and resigns herself to losing him again. When it comes time to offer his good-byes to Lena, it's a welcome distraction.

"Thank you for your help," Lena says. He accepts her handshake, which is neither firm nor soft, but somewhere pleasantly in between.

"You too," Mon-el returns. "The Legion couldn't have done this without you. Without all of you."

His gaze slides towards Kara, who quickly turns back to Winn to hide that she's been staring.

"Could you do something for me?" he asks tentatively.

Lena's gaze turns moderately suspicious. "Maybe."

He breathes a laugh, smiling in spite of himself. "Look out for Kara?"

Lifting her chin, Lena nods her assent. "Never stopped."

"I know. Thank you."

He gives her hand an affectionate squeeze before disengaging, turning towards the ship. Before he gets more than a foot, Mon-el turns back sharply.

"I almost forgot." He reaches into a hidden pocket and withdraws a small memory chip. "For you."

Lena accepts the gift with hesitant curiosity. "What's this?"

"The final distress call of the prince of daxam," he tells her, holding her surprised gaze meaningfully. "Recovered from a kryptonian escape pod found derelict in the sea of stars. It seems it was recorded as life support began to fail."

Realization dawns, and Lena's features slacken with shock. "Mon-el..."

"The traveler who delivered this hopes it might bring some closure to his grieving wife."

Lena's jaw hangs uncharacteristically open for a long moment, before her hand curls around the datachip. She looks up at him with eyes soft with gratitude.

"Thank you."

Mon-el smiles. "Thank you, Lena Luthor. For everything."

For everything she's done, and everything she's yet to do.

Thank you.

[maybequinnidk]

supercorp prompts/headcanons pt. 2

bc im not a writer but i have some ideas

• a lot of fics have lena calling kara darling, but i've never seen one about the first time it happened. same thing for kara calling lena baby and other pet names (though those are less rare)

• kara being smart with science (like she's supposed to be), lena being impressed and bragging about how smart her girlfriend is

• one where mon-el doesn't go to that gala, so it's just kara and lena. either lena just declines or he doesn't invite himself in the first place

• them calling each other girlfriend non-stop

• not jealousy, but lena gets insecure sometimes. like "i notice you always end the conversation with five heart eyes emojis but this time you only sent three, are you mad 🥺". it could get fluffy or turn into a real talk about insecurities, i can see this going either way

• kara realized she liked lena somewhere between s4 and 5 but didn't make a move because she hadn't told lena about being supergirl

• all the romantic-coded things lena has done (flowers, buying catco, even the flirting) were subconscious and it wasn't until the RIFT™ that she realized what she had done. thankfully (or not, depending on your point of view) kara is just as oblivious

• kara learns how to cook lena's favorite dishes. she still can't bake though

• the superfriends see them kiss and are like "aha i knew you two were together" and they're like "that was never a secret ???"

• they (friends at this point) are talking about their love lives and kara vents to lena about how so many of her friends have had a crush on her at some point (winn, james, william, probably someone else im forgetting) and says how she's relieved that's not the case anymore. lena doesn't want to be next on the list of Kara's partially unwanted attention so she goes on another day of keeping her feelings for herself

[mae-kent]

shapeshifter tracking:

a comprehensive collection of all of mae’s different forms throughout officially released dc media, in order of appearance

classic (1988) - this is the form we first meet her in. she takes on this form permanently in 1992 to honor draaga after panic in the sky. main notable elements are her belt loops, pointed sleeves and skirt, s curl, and fully red m boots.

lana lang (1988) - before lex's dying admission, everyone believed mae to be another version of lana.

base form (1988) - this is implied to be her in her true protomatter form. this form first appears in the fight against the kryptonian criminals in supergirl saga, her origin arc. the roger stern death of superman novelisation refers to her as looking reminiscent of burn scars. we see this form during supergirl saga, but then again during death of superman, supergirl (1994), during showcase ‘95 & new titans, and occasionally referenced during supergirl (1996). she’s in this form in the elseworlds story ‘superman: distant fires’.

recovery form (1988) - this is the form she takes on while recovering from the events of supergirl saga at the kent house in smallville, leading up to and during superman: exile.

clark kent (1989) - superman’s exile has coincided with someone being murdered in clark kent’s apartment— and clark kent is missing! people call the kents & threaten them if they cannot arrange for them to speak to clark to confirm he’s alive. mae, already psychologically not well, decides to take on clark’s identity to help the kents. she begins to have a delusional episode, fully believing that he is clark kent. she later shifts into clark again after return of superman (1993) so superman can save clark kent publically, avoiding any concerns about superman and clark kent coming back to life at the same time.

superman (1989) - during clark’s return from exile (1989), he brings with him an old kryptonian weapon called the Eradicator. a confused and curious matrix stumbles across it, psychically linking the already delusional matrix to clark. matrix begins copying clark’s behaviour, repeating his actions fighting against intergang secret society members, but against a local police station and lana instead. clark and the kents help bring her back to awareness, and to avoid hurting anyone any further, she leaves on her own exile.

draaga (1992) - after draaga gives his life in mae's stead to save earth, she takes on his form during the rest of the battle to honor him and bring glory to his name.

lex luthor ii (1992) - she took on this form while attempting to bring lar gand / mon el to lex luthor as per his orders.

gretchen kelley (1993) - she takes on this form to cheer up a despondent lex luthor in the supergirl/team luthor special.

the hellgrammite (1993) - she takes on this form as per lex luthor’s request in the supergirl/team luthor special.

revenge form (1994) - she takes on this form before going to texas to hunt down her ex-lover & betrayer, lex luthor. she later takes it on due to a nightmare sequence in warrior #31 and again in showcase ‘95.

alien warrior (1995) - she takes on the form of an alien warrior in green lantern #65 during the siege of zi charam arc!

total justice (1997) - this series of coloring books was made in conjunction with an action figure line. supergirl as well as oracle action figures were originally planned, but were never made. this is the design that likely would have been made!

earth angel of fire (1998) - we see some fire vision before this, but her fire wings properly sprout in supergirl (1996) #17! her fire wings become a major part of a lot of her appearances after this point.

emperor joker (2000) - i’m going to be honest, i haven’t read emperor joker in its entirety (it’s pretty far deep into the mae characterisation shift), so i’m not sure how to explain this one. it’s an event storyline, so she gets a fun new design.

elseworlds angel (2001) - j.m. dematteis brings us this lovely elseworlds story that’s part of every lindamae fan’s favourites list. mae is a guardian angel with a complex relationship with her human, linda, as she tries to help linda but struggles to maintain any boundaries at all

miscellaneous other looks: (left to right): supergirl (1994) #3, action comics #679, supergirl (1994) #2, action comics #706, adventures of superman #502, adventures of superman #499, action comics #706, superman: man of steel #27

[arayeee]

Season 2 finale, instead of Lillian telling Kara she knows her secret and is just waiting for Lena to figure it out in her own she, saves Lena with Kara and then tell Lena after they activate the lead dispersal. How does this change Lena’s reaction?

*cracks knuckles again* Here we go kids.

Okay, finally after what, a week or two I finally finished the answer.

When the Secrets Come Out

Lillian tells Lena, Kara is Supergirl. 

“You know my real identity, yet you’ve never told Lena.” Kara pauses, looking confused with a mixture of concern, “Why is that?”. Lillian gives her a once over, contemplating her reply. “Eventually she will find out on her own, find out you’ve been lying to her all this time” she hesitates to finish, giving a solemn look, she sighs. “When she does, she’ll hate you for it.” Her voice cracks a little and Kara isn’t sure why. “Well it’s good to know you’re consistent” Kara replies, arms crossed, distain in her voice. “Oh, don’t act so hurt” Lillian chastises her like a child, “Right now our interests are aligned, when this is over, we go back to being enemies.” She finishes. Kara releases out a heavy scoff, “I look forward to it”. 

Lillian offers a laugh, before turning fully towards the Super, “You can continue lying to my daughter about your real identity and the fact that you are in love with her.” She states matter of fact and turns back around, stepping away and leaving Kara dumbfounded. 

They follow through on the plan at play, Lillian’s comment still at the forefront of Kara’s mind when they’re beamed up to the Daxamite ship. They take out guards and continue down the hall to find Lena and Mon-El. When they come down the hall, Kara’s super-hearing picks up on a specific heartbeat, relief floods her. When she hears the conversation on the other side. “Break that” she hears Lena say, while Mon-El asks “This?” followed by glass shattering.  Lena’s small laugh of joy brings a slight smile to her face, when she hears Mon-El say “I can see why Kara loves you” I do, Rao I do. Lena’s quick “Likewise” reply reminds Kara that she is in fact dating Mon-El and not her best friend. 

Rounding the corner as a door opens, and guards stand in front of it. Kara hears an uptick in a heartbeat. Quickly she knocks the guards out and comes face to face with Mon-El. Her eyes quickly peak behind him, her face lights up in a huge relieved smile. Mon-El says a quick “hi” and steps forward. Train of thought lost first a second, Kara steals another glance at Lena who barely pays her any mind, when she remembers she is there as Supergirl. “Uh, Kara Danvers sent me to get you” she quickly blurts out. “She’s great isn’t she? Mon-El speaks, and Kara has to fight the urge to turn around and check on Lena. “Yeah, she will be thrilled that you think so” she replies instead. When Lena’s voice breaks the trance Kara was suddenly in, “You came, with her” Lena states. Lillian sighs, “I did. We really need to get going” she says as she leads them down the hall. Quickly Kara and Mon-El follow, but Lillian has already beamed Herself, Lena and Hank back down to the ground. 

We fast forward through the fight on the ship and Supergirl defeating Superman. The daxamites are still in NC wreaking havoc and Clark finds Kara at CatCo. 

“you’re never going to guess who wants to see us” Clark states, showing the phone to Kara. Quickly they change into their Supersuits and make their way to L-Corp. 

Landing on the balcony, Lena and Lillian step out to meet them. “Of course, you two would make an entrance” Lillian states with an eye roll. “Fortunately, this is her on her best behavior” Lena retorts with her own eye roll. Kara not here for the games, “What did you want” she asks. Lillian straight to business “My daughter has a way to save us” she replies, turning to head inside. Lena and Supers follow suit. “It’s a device my brother created to keep humans safe while he radiated the air with kryptonite. It would have made the planet inhabitable for both you” Lena says, picking up the device and turning to them both. “Well lucky my cousin put him jail before he had time to make it work” Kara’s quick reply came out a little harsher than she planned, but nonetheless it was the truth. Lillian steps out, “and lucky for you, I found it” a strong retort comes out. 

Lena ignores her mother and continues, “I’ve been studying it and I think the I can convert it to radiate the atmosphere with lead rather than kryptonite.” “Just a trace amount, harmless to humans. But the atmosphere would become toxic to Daxamites” Lillian finishes for her. The Supers share a look of concern, both knowing how this would end. “The aliens would be forced to leave or stay and die” Lillian adds on. “all of them?” Superman asks, Lillian nods. “And they could never return. Even Rhea’s son.” Lena replies. Kara’s throat feels tight, “Mon-El would have to leave Earth”. “Did you know he was dating Kara Danvers?” Lena asks, her voice hard and distant. Kara hesitates to reply, looking from Lena to Lillian who is looking at her like it’s a challenge. Instead of answering the question, Kara tenses and replies “Start working”, before her and Superman take off. 

When the battle between Kara and Rhea begins, the news outlets blare across televisions throughout NC. Lena is glued to it, her mother sitting idly by. Lillian is no longer tense from anger, but of fear. Rhea is winning, she’s injected herself with Kryptonite somehow and Kara keeps getting knocked down. Lena’s hands are toying with one another, the anxiety is palpable at best. “Lena” Lillian all but whispers. Lena drags her eyes from the tv and looks at her mother, who is now gnawing at her bottom lip. Luthor’s don’t show emotions. Is ringing through Lena’s head, something is terribly wrong. “What it is it, mother?” she asks, concern written all over her face. “I swore I wouldn’t tell you this, because the thought of you hating her fueled my hatred for her even more. But this isn’t right. Rhea is a snake and, and-“ “Spit it out mother” Lillian shuts her mouth quickly, she stands. “Kara is in danger, Rhea is going to kill her and even if she pushes that button, Lena. Kara will be sending her boyfriend off the planet forever.” Lillian rushes the information out and each word hits Lena like a freight train. Her brain is fighting to grasp at every word and put the pieces together, when Lillian finally says the three words she didn’t want to believe. “Kara is Supergirl”. Their eyes connect as the color drains from Lena’s face. “No” is all she says before she stands and starts rushing towards the door. Lillian grabs her arm and stops her, “What are you going to do?” she asks. 

“I need to stop this. If I can’t save Kara, I can at least be the one who pushes the button, that way she doesn’t blame herself. She’ll blame me”. Lena states, her breathing is ragged, and her adrenaline is spiking. Lillian nods, walks over and digs in her purse, pulling out a set of keys. Handing them over to Lena, who is just as confused as before. “The lexo suit is in the trunk of my car, take it. Go save the girl” Lillian says with a shaky voice. Lena rips the keys out of her mother’s hands and races off. 

The fight between Kara and Rhea continues. Another punch thrown and Kara is bleeding, she wipes the blood from her face and staggers to her feet. “You won’t win this Rhea” the words come out broken, Rhea just sneers at the girl of steel. Rhea goes to throw another punch when she’s launched backwards into the concrete. Kara’s eyes look up and sees the lexo suit. “wha-“ she cut off when the helmet is retracted, and she sees Lena floating above. “Miss Luthor, it’s not safe” Kara yells out, Lena ignores her and flies towards her, landing in front of the blonde. “Kara, give me the trigger” Lena says in that tone that means do what I say and ask questions later. Kara listens, handing over the device. They both turn when they hear laughter from behind. “So, you figured out Supergirl’s secret. Bravo, now you both can die” Rhea starts to run at the women but quickly halts as she starts to gasp for air. “You can either leave this planet or die at my feet, Rhea from Daxam. You will not bring harm to anyone else” Lena steps forward. Rhea hears the screams of her people below and looks up to see ships fleeing the atmosphere. 

“What did you do” Rhea falls to her knees, gasping and clutching at her throat. “You may know what harms the girl of steel, but don’t ever underestimate the power of a Luthor. I’ve dispersed lead into the air, you have a matter of seconds to leave or perish” Lena calmly states, twirling the device in between her fingers. Both Lena and Kara watch as Rhea refuses to leave and accepts her demise. 

Fast forward to after Kara helps Mon-El escape. Yada yada.

There’s a knock at the door and Kara closes the oven door and walks towards it. When she opens it she finds Lena standing there in her pajama’s. “Lena” she breathes out. Lena walks past the blonde into the apartment. “Are you.. Grief baking?” she asks. Kara shuts the door and walks back to the over, pulling out the freshly baked cake. Lena eyes Kara’s hands, no oven mitts. “I’m gonna have to get used to that” she murmurs, sitting down at the counter. Kara follows her eye line and sighs. “Lena, I’m sorry” she starts but Lena holds up a hand to stop her. “Kara, it’s okay” “No, Lena it’s not. I wanted to tell you, but I couldn’t and then things got complicated, and you became my best friend. And I just, I should have told you. You mean so much to me” she pauses, as she hears the uptick in Lena’s heart. “Lena, why did come to the rooftop? Why did you take the device from me?” she asks. 

Lena hesitates; she knew this question was going to come up. “I couldn’t let the woman I love; be the reason the man she loves disappears forever” 

THE END. Maybe one day I will turn this into an actual fic. Anyways, enjoy my delusion. 

[rustingcat]

Rewatching the last few episodes of S3 and the miscommunication there is going wild in every direction, bit by far the funniest part is Mon-El and Imra having drama queen her pushing him to come back to Kara and figure out his emotions.

So Mon-El is back by himself, there to help Kara but actually there to attempt to get her back since we know that he's in love with her, but Kara gives him ZERO attention! Every time he tries to talk to her, she starts talking about Lena, like literally every single time!

Through their talks she does figure out she wronged her and that she unfairly angry with her for what she feels like betraying their friendship but in reality Lena doesn't even know that it's her and how burdened she feels about the secret and finally manage to talk to her like a normal person and comes to the conclusion she needs to tell her the truth.

But Mon-El seemingly fed up with the Lena talk , after helping Kara apologise to Lena, now gives her the horrible advice of keep lying to her is the right thing to do and shows great self sacrifice and heroism.

So dude came back to get the girl, girl didn't shut up about her fight with her gal pal, boy bitterly subotaged their relationship even further and left to return to his wife.

[moistvonlipwig]

🔥 for Lena Luthor? :)

anon also asked for this, so here u go anon!

hm this is a tough one...i think i've already covered some of my unpopular opinions about her in other posts, such as - she did actually love james (is this an 'opinion'. it's canon lol), she's not a conservative (many rich libertarian-adjacent ppl still vote democrat, and also, if people tried to assassinate you every 3 months you'd have a different perspective on gun ownership too), and people exaggerate her 'one-strike policy' (the only people she actually cut off after only one strike were andrea, who betrayed her at a particularly bad time in her life, and eve, who spied on her for literal years and shot her boyfriend and tied her up, which, really, should count as multiple strikes).

so i guess what i'll say this time is that i think a huge part of the reason she works so well as a character is directly because she spent so much of the show separate from the superfriends. i definitely agree with other lena fans that the constant will-she-turn-evil teasing was deeply tiring, and that she should've gotten to spend more time with the other main characters individually -- nia and kelly especially -- and that from an in-universe perspective, kara & the superfriends keeping her at arms' length while still being happy to use her expertise was, shall we say, uncool. so i understand why some people would come to the conclusion that the show should've integrated her into the superfriends earlier and had her learn kara's secret earlier. but i think the truth is that on a storytelling level this would've hurt her character, at least in the context of how arrowverse shows and their characters tend to be written.

in most arrowverse shows (especially in the 'big 3' of arrow, supergirl, and the flash), there are a few broad character archetypes that basically all main characters have to fit into. let's take the flash and supergirl as our main examples. you have the hero (barry/kara). you have the love interest (iris/s1 james, s2&3 mon-el). you have the older mentor figure (joe/j'onn). you have the hero's sidekicks who are themselves superheroes of a kind but basically all follow the main hero's lead (caitlin, cisco, ralph, allegra, chester, cecile/winn, s2-4 james, alex, kelly, nia, brainy). and of course you have various villains. occasionally you may have people who don't quite fit these archetypes, like cat grant -- who is very much an archetypal character, but belongs more to the rom-com genre a la devil wears prada -- or some of the wellses like HR (the best wells) or nash, both of whom are a little more unpredictable and trickster-esque. but broadly speaking the characters are going to fit into these archetypes, and if they stop fitting into one archetype -- like james post-s1, when they abandoned the kara/james romance -- then they will be slotted into another, hence the guardian storyline. it didn't make a ton of sense for james's character, but what else do you do with an arrowverse love interest who is no longer a love interest? carve out a new niche for them? hell no, that's hard. just give 'em a suit and a vigilante name and maybe sprinkle in some powers and call it a day.

what made lena interesting right off the bat was that she did not fit neatly into any of these archetypes. she was kara's friend who helped her out, but she wasn't part of her superhero team; she had her own agenda and her own perspective on things. she was morally gray, and her trustworthiness was initially questionable, and even after it was clear she was trustworthy she still made errors in judgment, but she was not a villain. because she wasn't entirely integrated into kara's life -- or should i say subsumed by it -- she had her own line-up of characters to enhance her story: lex, lillian, andrea, sam, jack. because she was A Luthor, and the writers were (for all their faults) smart enough to know that capitalizing on the super/luthor tension like smallville did was a good idea, her scenes & storylines had more tension and subtext. yes, some of that tension was the frustrating teasing of 'will she go evil because of her Luthor Genes? ohoho! tune in to find out!' but the advantage of that is that she wasn't so often stuck in scenes where her only purpose was to give exposition.

the truth is that both team flash and the superfriends were kind of like black holes that sucked its members in and slowly made them more same-y. by the end of both shows, almost everyone had powers and/or an alter ego and was firmly in the main character's corner, and virtually no one seemed to have any kind of meaningful relationships outside of their little hero squadron. by keeping lena at a distance from the superfriends through kara's secret, supergirl spared lena this fate for many more seasons than everyone else.

yes, in s6 she did kind of become just another superfriend -- as evinced most clearly by them randomly making her a witch lmao sorry i just remembered they made her a witch. why'd they do that. someone free katie mcgrath from the making her be a witch industrial complex -- but even then she stood out as the character who most frequently challenged kara and told her not to do stuff like eat the sun. none of the other superfriends had a developed enough sense of morality (storytelling-wise, i mean) separate from kara's to be in that position. imo it is only because lena spent so long being developed as her own character that they were able to preserve her identity to the extent that they did in s6. and even then i would argue she is a less interesting character in that season than she was in s2-4. (we don't talk about s5 okay.)

but she still made it out of the show a more compelling character with a clearer character journey, backstory, and psychology than pretty much anyone else. and i do think that's because, for various reasons good and bad, they kept her away from the superfriend black hole event horizon for so many years, and that allowed them to develop her as a unique character in the arrowverse who couldn't be slotted easily into one of the typical, tired superhero-show archetypes. so yes, while i certainly understand why a lot of lena fans were frustrated with the show's insistence on keeping her in the dark and constantly teasing a villain arc for her and having everyone treat her Like That, i ultimately think that the choice to keep her as a character separate from the superfriends who was doing her own thing and having her own conflicts and making her own moral choices was hugely beneficial to her character's development, and is a major reason why she is such a popular, beloved, and enduring character.

[natalievoncatte]

Lena could feel the weight in her hand. A little extra swing in her fist as she walked, sending a jolt up her arm as she jogged up the steps to Kara’s apartment. She’d decided to walk today, to clear her head a little as she went to see her best friend. She had a lot on her mind lately- usual Luthor stuff like defusing random death traps that Lex left behind, fending off attempts to dethrone her as CEO and challenge her status as he brother’s heir, and cures for intractable diseases and solutions for the energy crisis and thorny ethical issues around the advance project department’s latest AI experiments… and Kara.

Kara was on her mind. She had a way of sneaking into Lena’s mind at the most inopportune moments, like a board meeting, or a symposium, or her TED talk. It was really a TEDx talk; the organization wasn’t *quite* ready to invite Lena to the real deal, no matter how many photo ops she did with Supergirl or cancer research facilities she paid for. That didn’t stop Kara from following her around saying “thanks for listening to my Ted talk” for three weeks after the fact.

She had been thinking about Kara so much that it had finally been noticed. Sam flew in from Metropolis earlier that week for a catch up lunch, and as usual, after business was handled they shared a bottle of wine and things grew informal.

“Lena,” Sam said. “I’ve been talking for five minutes and you’ve been holding that glass of rosé and staring at it for the entire time. What’s going on?”

Lena almost dropped the glass when she heard her name. “Oh, right. Yes. Wine.”

She took a sip, hoping Sam would drop her question, but she persisted.

“I know that look. You were miles away. What is it? Did the cure for cancer pop into your head?”

“No,” Lena said. “It’s nothing, I was just lost in thought.”

“Mmm,” said Sam. “I’m sure.”

“What?”

Sam smiled enigmatically and finished her wine. “I’d better get going. I’m taking a red eye back to Metropolis.”

“Sam, you’re flying on a Lexcorp charter. It doesn’t work that way.”

Sam snorted and left Lena sitting there, wondering what that was about. Of course she’d been daydreaming about Kara, about her hands specifically- she’d nodded off last weekend and woke to see Kara at her ease, brow furrowed and hands moving wildly as she painted something. Lena had remained still and watched, fascinated by Kara’s hands, the skill and dexterity she showed.

It was that day that Kara had passed her the key she now carried in her hand. A key to Kara’s apartment. Unfettered access. Lena didn’t have to knock (she would anyway) and could stop by when Kara wasn’t even there. She hadn’t said anything but she’d been holding back tears the entire ride home; Lena had no problems with *access*, but trust was another matter. That was what the key was. It was a talisman of trust, Kara’s confidence in her given form.

Lena did knock before she turned the key and swung the door open. She was expected, but part of her worried that Kara wouldn’t be alone. It seemed odd to Lena that Kara hadn’t started dating again- her best friend had taken the whole Mon-El thing very poorly, and it was bizarre to begin with, so Lena understood why she’d stay single for a while, but it had been years.

Years of kindling a soft, secret hope, a desire so fragile and so brittle that Lena rarely dared think of it, afraid that the tiniest brush of longing would crumble it and with it break something inside her permanently.

The apartment smelled like cookies. Burnt cookies. Kara was in the kitchen, brow furrowed, bent in concentration over a cookbook, eyes darting to a mixing bowl. Foul smelling attempted cookies practically filled the garbage can.

“Hey,” Kara said, cheerfully. She gave Lena a soft, gentle smile that seemed only for her, and brushed a loose gold curl from her eyes. “You’re early.”

“I wanted more Kara time,” said Lena. “I was hoping to get a few minutes alone with you before the few shows up. Just us.”

Kara looked at her curiously, then turned to her project.

“I can’t get this right. I cream the sugar like it says, but they keep coming out wrong.”

Lena moved closer, stopping her hand from seeking the small of Kara’s back. When she saw the carton of cream on the counter, she busted out laughing so hard she snorted.

“What?” said Kara.

“Darling, you don’t put actual cream in it. Here, let me help you.”

For the next half hour, Lena and Kara made cookie dough, laboriously, by hand. Every step brought them closer together, literally. By the time they were scooping out evenly sized blobs of it together, they were hip to hip, both floured and sugared, hands greasy with butter.

“I’ll pop them in the oven,” said Kara. “You go clean up and relax.”

“Alright,” Lena said.

She ended up on the couch. Game night would begin hours later, and Lena turned on a nature documentary. (She had her own distinct username on Kara’s Netflix.)

Lena must have dozed off, because the alarm on the oven, along with a warm, pleasant, homey smell, woke her up. She padded on her stocking feet into the kitchen to see how the cookies came out.

Kara had already taken them out and was holding the tray, hot from the oven. Something was off. It nagged at Lena’s mind.

Then it hit her. Kara seemed to realize at the same time.

She wasn’t wearing oven mitts. No heating pad. Not even a dish towel. Kara was holding the hot tray, fresh from the oven, in her bare hands.

Lena yelped. “Kara! You’ll burn yourself!”

Kara started to move. A cry rose on her lips, then died. She stared at Lena with such softness, her eyes full of hesitation, but more than that, a kind of longing that echoed Lena’s own soul.

“I’m tired of lying to you,” Kara said, still holding the tray. “It doesn’t hurt. I can barely feel it.”

They stood for a frozen moment that lasted an eternity, the truth just on the wrong side of revealing itself. Lena already knew, but she didn’t want to acknowledge it. Say it.

“You’re Supergirl,” Lena whispered, soft and breathy.

Kara nodded, starting to choke up. She put the tray down almost violently and stepped back.

“I’ll understand if you need time, if you’re angry, if you don’t want to continue our friendship-“

She didn’t finish her ramble. Lena crossed the space between them in three quick steps, firmly took Kara’s face between her palms, and kissed her.

Pure terror gripped her. What if she was wrong? What if this was a mistake? Why wasn’t Kara moving, responding, reacting?

That question responded when hands that could crush diamonds moved her her body with surpassing tenderness, turning the awkward kiss into something more, Kara guiding Lena as their bodies molded together and Kara kissed her back with hopeful desperation, drawing it out as if she was afraid to let it end for fear it might never be repeated.

It was, intimately and immediately. Lena was shocked but pleased when Kara let Lena push her back against the counter, bending her back lightly, almost climbing her. Kara almost shocked Lena when her hand slid up her side and found her breast even as Lena grabbed a double handful of steely buns and squeezed.

Then someone coughed and they jerked apart.

Alex stood by the door, arms folded.

“I’m going to go ahead and text the others so they know game night is cancelled,” she said, smirking. “Next time, hang a sock on the doorknob or something.”

“This is my house,” said Kara.

Alex rolled her eyes. “I’m leaving now.”

As the door slammed shut, and Alex could plainly be heard blurting, “Jesus Christ,” Lena turned back to Kara.

“Should we talk?” she said, her voice small. “What is this? What are we doing?”

Kara swallowed, hard. “What do you want it to be, Lena?”

Lena couldn’t answer. She just stared.

“I know what I want it to be,” said Kara. “I want us to be an us. I’m so tired of wanting you so bad it hurts, but being scared to touch you a certain way or look too long or too openly or be afraid I’ll say the wrong thing. I’m tired of hiding so much from you.”

Lena licked her lips.

“The truth is, I’ve wanted you for years.”

Kara’s gorgeous eyes lit up with unbridled delight, and with shocking quickness, Kara had Lena in a bridal carry. Lena instinctively curled up in her arms, practically wrapping herself around Kara’s body.

“What do you want to do now?” said Kara. “I don’t know how to do this part, Lena.”

Lena smiled. “I think what you do now is carry me back in the bedroom and cream your sugar.”

“You want to make more cookies? Why… oh.”

“Oh indeed,” said Lena.

Lena didn’t make a habit of it, but this one time, she let Kara talk her into cookies for breakfast.

[terrortwinunicorn]

Una dulce sorpresa (A sweet surprise)

Damian's POV

I drove to the restaurant y/n and I asked everyone that matters to us to meet us at. The kids in back happily chirping away in their own language.

We had asked my parents, step father, my brothers, my sister, my brother in law, my niece, my nephew, Demi, Matt, Charlie, Sam, Colby, Becky, their daughter Roux, y/n's last living maternal aunt, her aunt's boyfriend and a few other friends that mean a lot to us to join us at Chez Bacco, a restaurant that did and does mean a lot to y/n and myself. It had just reopened after the installation of new hardwood floors. I lace my fingers with y/n's bringing her hand to my lips and kissing the back of it. She turns to look at me a soft smile on her lips.

"Ready for tonight?" I asked as y/n and I were announcing that we are expecting our fourth baby.

"I am. Are you?" she asked her eyes meeting mine as we stopped at a red light.

I chuckled softly before a smile came across my lips "I am," I said "I can't wait to see everyone's reactions."

"Thank you for flying my aunt and her boyfriend in. They're my last connection to my mom, hell my parents," she said her eyes filling with tears. I reached up and wipe away her tears.

"Anything for you," I said leaning over and kissing her lips just before the light changed to green. I returned my eyes to the road before pressing on the gas and the car moved forward.

I reach over and took y/n's hand in mine placing our intertwined hands on the center consul of our SUV.

We arrived at Chez Bacco and we were proceed by my mom and step father. They walked over to our car to help us with the kids.

"ABUELA!!" squeaks Schuyler as my mom opened the back door. My step father opened the door for y/n helping her out. She looked beautiful in a red cocktail dress, her chocolate brown hair pulled into a bun showing off the neck that drew me to her four years ago. I smiled as I knew the secret that sat underneath the material of the dress.

"Hi Skye," said mom with a smile as she took Damian from his car seat and I was immediately there to take him as soon as he saw me he smiled.

"There's my little man," I said making him giggle as mom leaned in unbuckling Schuyler from her car seat as y/n opens the other backdoor and got the diaper bag which my step father immediately took.

"Here let me take Mia," said my sister, Tanya walking over to us.

"Hi sis," smiles y/n as Tanya leaned in and got Amelia who smiled at Tanya.

"Hi y/n," said Tanya as she kissed Amelia's cheek.

"Tía Tanya!" squeaks Schuyler as she stood by me.

"Hi Skye," she said with a smile.

"Boo!" said an Australian accent.

"TÍO MATTIE!!!" said Schuyler as she ran into his open arms and he picked her up and spun her.

"How did you know it was me? I could have been a mon- OUCH!" said Matt as Demi smacked the back of his head.

Y/N shot Matt a look as she took Damian who had reached for her.

"Tell my daughter about monsters I unleash my own. Okay?" said y/n as Matt swallowed hard and nodded.

"Babe. Never underestimate a mama bear when her cub is in danger," said Demi as Amelia reaches for her.

Tanya passed Amelia to her.

"DADA!!! " said Schuyler reaching for me as I took her from Matt.

"Let's go in and check in," I said as I placed Schuyler on my hip as y/n did the same with Damian as I took y/n's hand in mine.

🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷

Everyone that matter to y/n and I sat at the long table at the restaurant. Schuyler, Damian and Amelia in high chairs happily eating apple sauce. I stood at the head of the table with y/n. My arm protectively around y/n as everyone's attention was turned to us. My glass of wine in my other hand.

"Propongo un brindis por esta hermosa mujer que está a mi lado. Mi esposa. Corazón mío. El amor de mi vida. La madre de mis hermosos hijos. ¡Gracias por querernos," I said with a smile and raising the glass of wine. (I propose a toast to this beautiful woman who is at my side. My wife. My heart. The love of my life. The mother of my beautiful children. Thank you for loving us.)

"¡¡A MAMI!!" (TO MOMMY!!) squeals Schuyler as she raised her sippy cup making everyone laugh.

"To y/n!" the table said raising their glasses as Damian and Amelia raised their bottles.

"MAMA!!!!" they squeal.

Y/N looks up at me. Her eyes glassy from tears. As she looks at the table as she tries to regain her composure.

"Propongo un brindis propio. A mi marido. El amor de mi vida. El padre más increíble para nuestros hijos. Gracias por todo lo que hacen y por cuánto nos quieren infinitamente. Gracias por darme tu corazón hace cuatro años y gracias por hacerme mami cuatro veces," she said as her words settled in on the table. Matt looks at Demi as she quickly translated to him and his eyes went wide. (I propose a toast of my own. To my husband. The love of my life. The most incredible father to our children. Thank you for all you do and how much you love us endlessly. Thank you for giving me your heart four years ago and thank you for making me a mommy four times over.)

"Wait? You're pregnant?!" asked Charlie.

Y/N nods as the tears spilled down her cheeks "Yeah," she said.

"How far along?" asked Becky as she covered Roux's ears.

"Seventeen weeks and three days," said y/n putting a hand on her stomach and my hand instinctively went over it.

"When are you due?!" asked Demi her smile stretching across her face.

"May fifteenth two thousand and twenty-seven," I said.

"When did you conceive?!" asked Mamá.

Y/N looks up at me a small blush tinting her cheeks.

"Well mamá all I can say is thank you for taking the kids on August twenty second," I said.

"Your joint birthday party?!" asked Colby a smirk on his face.

Y/N bashfully buried her face into my side a small giggle leaving her lips.

"Well let's just say we continued the celebration well after the party was over," I chuckled as I took a drink of wine.

"Luis!" said y/n smacking my arm.

Mamá raised an eyebrow at me.

"Okay sorry," I said "But we gave each ot-" y/n covered my mouth.

"Don't finish that sentence mi amor," she said drinking her virgin margarita.

"Can we hug you now?!" asked Roux as Becky removed her hands from Roux's ears.

I chuckled as y/n nods. Roux was the first to slip off her chair and she ran to us. Next thing I know we are engulfed by everyone at the table.

"Mami, adiós, adiós?" asked Schuyler as she all but disappeared in the group hug. (Mommy, bye, bye)

"Ninguna mami está al lado de Dada," I said. (No mommy is next to Dada)

"Me uno al abrazo?" she asked. (Do I join the hug?)

Charlie chuckled before getting her out of her high chair and quickly passed Schuyler to me. Schuyler hugs me around my neck.

"Do you know why we are happy?" asked Roux.

"Me no no?!" said Schuyler shaking her head.

"Aunt y/n and Uncle Luis are having a baby. You're going to be a big sister again!" said Roux jumping up and down.

"¿Dame y Mia se despiden?" asked Schuyler her lower lip quivering. (Dame and Mia are saying goodbye?)

"No princesa. Dame y Mia se quedan. Este nuevo bebé acaba de unirse a nuestra familia," I said as the hug broke up. (No princess. Dame and Mia are staying. This new baby has just joined our family)

"Good. Te amo Dame y Mia," nods Schuyler making us all laugh.

Y/N took Schuyler from my arms kissing her cheek "Y ellos también te aman, Skye," (And they love you too, Skye) she said smiling up at me. I kissed y/n and then I got Damian and Amelia from their high chairs.

"That they do," I said with a smile as y/n took Damian as Schuyler kissed his cheek making Damian screech his happy screech.

"Me kiss Mia!" said Schuyler as I leaned down kissing y/n as Schuyler kissed Mia's cheek.

Mama smiled and summed this up "¡Qué dulce ¡Qué dulce sorpresa!" (What a sweet surprise!)

Yes this was definitely a sweet surprise. I didn't know what the next twenty three weeks would bring the kids, y/n and I but I knew I couldn't wait.

Tag List: @eringobragh420 @magicalbuttertarts @madhatterbri @keekee-23 @loki69zowens @caramara3 @bloodlinesbabe93 @miss-kuki-nz @surdelcielo

[lena-in-a-red-dress]

Astracorp AU - S2 Finale Thoughts

Lena has a soft spot for Rhea's story-- a revenant of a dying people, having lost their home planet, trying to find a new place to settle and begin rebuilding. I imagine Astra and Kara are both distracted by something other problem happening, but idk what.

Rhea and Lena meeting and working together would play out largely as it did in canon, but with maybe a Rhea manipulating Lena into keeping their collaboration secret from everyone. She slowly isolates Lena, with Astra and Kara being so distracted that they don't really notice. At least until they trace a mysterious signal back to where Lena and Rhea are doing their testing on the transmat portal.

To say Lena is confused during the eventual confrontation in the lab is an understatement. She has no idea who Rhea is in relation to Krypton, and honestly neither does Kara, but Astra does. Her rage flashes in a second, but Rhea's too quick. By the time Astra surges forward, even with her superspeed, Rhea transports back to her stateship with Lena and Mon-el in tow.

Lena awakens horrified to find herself a captive of Rhea as National City burns. Astra and Kara work together (with Lillian's help, which-- Astra vs Lillian is a can of worms all its own) to get onto the daxamite ship. Despite her relative impotence being about the same as it was on the show, I imagine that this Lena would be fucking *pissed*. This time, she has no doubt that she'll be rescued-- her lover is kryptonian, as is her best friend. They *will* come for her.

So I think she'll be far less docile, and actually aggressive in her resistance. Refusing to get dressed, 'fuck you', physically fighting back when they try to force her. Not necessarily in a particularly graceful or proficient way, just like a "kick you in the nuts way". Until Rhea loses patience and just drugs her.

Wait-- is it actually show canon that daxamite royalty used to drug their people into docility? Or is it fanon? I legitimately cannot remember. We'll just pretend its canon until confirmed.

Anyway, Lena gets herself drugged into compliance, and by the time Astra and Kara get to her, she's plenty loopy. Conscious and aware, but barely able to stand on her own without two guards holding her up on either side.

That's how Lena is dragged into the throne room as proof of life-- propped up and dragged between two massive armed guard, wrists in manacles. Rhea runs her fingers through Lena's hair, her touch gently until her hand suddenly tightens and twists in Lena's locks. Lena responds with a grunt of protest as Rhea wrenches her head back, lifting her features so Astra and Kara can confirm for themselves that she yet lives.

Despite her incapacitation, Lena manages to snarl her displeasure, even when Rhea thrusts her away by the chin.

"It's such a shame it's come to this," Rhea says. "I've so reveled our time together."

"Release her now," Astra demands.

Rhea smirks. "On the contrary." She smiles lasciviously. "I think I'll keep her."

Astra charges her, but Rhea pulls out a chunk of kryptonite. It could be silver, which would cause Astra to turn on Kara a la canon, but after some research I think amber kryptonite may also work? Which steals a kryptonian's power and gives it to whoever is holding the kryptonite.

If we go with the silver kryptonite, it would largely play out like canon, super v super style. But the amber kryptonite.... ooooooooh... Astra is de-powered and weakened, even sickly, leaving Kara with a difficult choice-- save Lena, or get Astra out of there.

She chooses Astra, because she deduces correctly that Lena has a better chance of survival if left in Rhea's hands, whereas leaving Astra there would be an instant death sentence. Not that Astra would care. She'll rant and rave against the choice, maybe even pull out the dreaded D-word ("I have never been disappointed in you, until now").

Back on the daxamite ship, we may get more of how canon played out, with the wedding to Mon-el and all, but in between those scenes, I think Rhea and Lena's interactions would be a little different solely because Rhea can now act on the jealousy she feels knowing that Lena is in love with her enemy. Do with that what you will.

In the end, Astra and Kara do get Kara back, probably with continued assistance from Lillian. But on her way out, Lena will most definitely steal the amber kryptonite, and return Astra's powers to her. Lena would stay focused on repelling the invasion, and won't actually process what happened until after the lead dispersal device succeeds in driving them away.

Only then will she pull into herself, rebuffing all attempts from Astra and Kara to reconnect. Her guilt is all-encompassing, let alone the trauma of being used as a political prisoner. She tries to deal with it all on her own, but without the support of those who love her, or a fucking therapist, Lena does not handle it well.

Astra and Kara are left standing helplessly on the outside, watching as the woman they love (romantically and platonically, respectively) slowly spirals into darkness.

[kuekyuuq]

Supercorp - Rehashing the Fallout once more

Today's menu: Kara Danvers' Double-Standards.

I am rewatching Supergirl, and it occurred to me why I am with Lena on the "you lied to me" point. (Not the brain-wash the planet or taking a year to get over herself and realize her own - horrible - mistakes parts, though.) Not because of the lie itself or its content, but its context with Kara's very own history!

Let's take a walk...

In the pilot Kara gets mad at Alex for her having kept her double-life as a DEO agent secret from her.

Kara is utterly disappointed and distraught at the secrets her parents kept from her (Medusa, Myriad), some of which affected her directly (Krypton's impending destruction).

Kara finds out that James is Guardian before he told her and she was pretty upset, explains it's because they are humans throwing themselves into danger.

When J'onn explains to Kara how bonded Martians share their minds, Kara expresses how she thinks the “no secrets, no lies” sounds “beautiful”.

Kara ends their relationship with Mon-El over him lying about his true identity (and him being the Prince of a cruel society), ignoring him when he said he tried several times to tell her. When Mon-El let himself into Kara's apartment to apologize, he BEGS for forgiveness

but Kara says she deserved better than being lied to… Yes, she secretly forgave him at this point but still breaks up with him (Rhea told her to do so) and cries over it.

Music Meister teaches Kara (and Barry): “Love is about letting yourself be saved, it's not just about saving other people.”

Trust.

Lillian tells Kara, she doesn't need to spill SG's identity, because when Lena FINDS OUT, it'll be so much worse.

(And Lillian was SO on point!)

When Kara and Clark spar and have a heart-to-heart, Kara wonders if she can have it all, Clark assures her about the most important people make keeping the secret worth it and how letting (only) those important people in IS enough. Later, asked the same questions, Cat tells Kara that women have the guts to be vulnerable, lists her accomplishments.

Kara does not take Lena possessing some of Lex's Kryptonite nor the whole Sam/Reign-secret kept from her well. Gets even angrier when Lena creates her own Kryptonite (in her quest to fight/cure Reign …and cancer and other human ailments).

Or Mon-El hesitating to tell and keeping from Kara about his time-travelling, marriage and his actual mission…

That is up until mid-s03 and not even counting the many times how the show also taught us through Alex', J'onns and Lena's lenses that lying and pretending to be someone one is not to those important/close to oneself, is harmful to their (romantic and platonic) relationships and themselves.

Do I need to go on?

...Kara is clearly fully aware at that point that secrets (even her own) do not bode well in any type of relationships she would like to have and keep.

And, yes, I am fully aware of the "point of no return" argument, in all its validity, that at some point the lies had stacked up so much, that the hurt was inevitable, the fear of rejection more and more founded, of Kara wanting to be "just Kara" with Lena… Every season, every in-show year that passed and Kara kept her secret(s), it became impossibly harder to come clean. But, re-watching the show, it just seems so… irresponsible? And the more often Kara makes a point herself being lied to is a bad thing, even …hypocritical.

I am not saying any of the people who lied to or kept things from Kara were in the right or wrong - a totally different discussion that would require individual assessment. But, Kara, making the same point over and over again? Several times about the very topic of hidden/fake identities and double-lives… But then proceeding to keep her proclaimed best friend in the dark about herself, still?

Yeah, that bugs me. A lot.

IMO, after the whole Mon-El returned thing Kara would or should have had an epiphany about telling Lena the truth about herself… but then Reign beat her into a coma and all kinds of hell broke loose.

But… Yeah. Not even for Supercorp reasons. But internal logic.

From a story-writing perspective; you have your (main) character face a (similar but slightly different) situation a couple times before they learn their lesson. You plant the seeds (in this case: identity reveal) and then have it play out, based on what the character had learned(!) this far. And you have them deal with the worst-case-scenario backlash, if you need any for drama's sake, but it should make some level of sense… Instead they had Kara learn nothing, had her lie to Lena for another two years, and turned Lena into a spiraling madwoman. And Kara… well, now in Mon-El's shoes, could not quite understand how Lena (in Kara's former shoes, but with much more tainted personal experiences) was deeply, intimately hurt, devastated, and struggling.

Kara saw this coming - but tbh, when Lillian spoke so (unintentionally) truthful, Kara should have focused on the implied "if someone ELSE but you tells her", and when talking to Kal, realized that he didn't keep his secret FROM his most important people (Lois, James…) to protect them. Taken Cat's advice to have the guts to be vulnerable to reap Lena's long-term trust instead of settling for "for now this works, right?".

Not to mention that the whole show over and over stressed, that Kara could "have it all" without revealing herself to the world (the 100th episode even making a point that telling the world WILL put her loved ones at risk) or deciding on one half of herself, but then the show ended, and… yeah… I guess, some sort of witness protection for everyone?

No more casual strolls for "just Kara" through the park…

I adore the show, but… continuity?

It's just a bit painful to re-watch the show and watch Kara fault and shame others over and over again, only to go ahead and do the thing herself... Aware, yet oblivious. And NOBODY calls her out on it. (The one time Alex asked her and Kara was all like "I had to take the dog to the vet" is too little too late.)

Thankfully the fandom is so amazingly creative <3

#Kue out.

[just-another-josh]

Maroon

“You ARE using Myriad.”

“Lena, what are you doing here?”

“Question is, what are you doing here, Supergirl? I thought it was forbidden to use Myriad but forbidden for anyone but you.”

“There are people missing, dozens of them stuck in Obsidian's VR. I have to find them.”

“There are other ways to find people than Myriad. I can think of four off the top of my head, but you, you do what you want.”

“What I'm doing is finding people your brother disappeared.”

“Do you have any proof that it was Lex…no, I didn't think so. You just return to your default position of blaming a Luthor. You did tell me you'd treat me like a villain.”

“If you acted like one, yeah, I did say that. And right now, you're trespassing, and I don't have time for this. You need to go.”

“I'll leave when you stop using Myriad.”

“That's not gonna happen.”

“To think that I was sincere with you yesterday. Then I guess you're used to being two-faced.”

Kara stared blankly at the ceiling. When she arrived home, she hadn’t even bothered to get out of her Super-suit. She skipped her fridge, her appetite nonexistent. Hell, she hadn’t even bothered to turn the lights on, instead opting to faceplant into her bed.

It had been a miserable day…. scratch that, an exceptionally miserable day.

Now, mind you, not the worst day of her life; that distinguished honor belonged solely to the day she watched her planet die. Today wasn’t worse than the day Astra died, or the day Reign beat her into a coma, or the day she watched an antimatter wave destroy Argo (yes, it was later restored, but she didn’t know that at the time). 

No, today’s suffering ranked somewhere between dating Mon-El and Alex having her memories of Kara’s secret identity removed, less about death and destruction and more about emotional damage.

It all started yesterday: Lena had come to her office and offered her condolences regarding Jeremiah’s death, even going so far as to provide her a copy of “Going On Being” to help her through the grieving process. It was an emotional albeit awkward exchange, but it was the first time since Lena had stolen Myriad that the two of them had spoken without any underlying hostility. It was the first time Kara had seen a glimmer of the old Lena; with all the warmth, kindness, and compassion that she knew her former best friend once felt toward her. There was no sign of hate or malice in her voice, just sympathy and understanding.

Rao, she even called her ‘Kara’.

It gave Kara hope. Hope that maybe this was Lena’s way of offering an olive branch. Hope that things weren’t so far gone between them that they couldn’t mend the bridge that had been razed by their lies. More importantly, hope that Kara could reveal to Lena all the other secrets that the CEO was still unaware of.

Unfortunately, today’s encounters with Lex, the Morae, the baby Sun-Eater, and Lena’s impromptu visit to the Fortress of Solitude had laid waste to Kara’s burgeoning hope.

If Kara was being honest with herself, the issues with Lex, the Morae, and Kal’s pet Sun-Eater (they were going to have a very long, unpleasant conversation about that the next time she saw him) were nothing exceptional, just an average Tuesday in the life of a Super. What kept her mind stuck in a cycle of self-flagellation was her argument with Lena. She continued to replay the conversation in her head and the more she dissected it, the angrier she became at herself.

To put it succinctly, she’d been stupid.

What she said was stupid.

What she did was stupid.

Stupid.

Stupid.

Stupid.

There were dozens of other things she could have said or done during their confrontation. Instead, she continued to throw more gasoline on the inferno their relationship had become. At this point, she’d lost count of how many asinine mistakes she’d made since Lena had entered her life.

The look on Lena’s face when she discovered she was using Myriad continued to haunt her. She could see anger, betrayal, and worst of all, disappointment written all over the CEO’s face. Kara continued to torture herself trying to figure out what Lena was most disappointed about. Was it Kara’s perceived hypocrisy regarding Myriad or was it her dismissive attitude towards Lena’s objections to her using it?

It occurred to her that maybe Lena put just as much value as she did in their conversation at CatCo the previous day. Maybe she was just as hopeful that they were on their way to repairing their tattered relationship, only to have the possibility utterly crushed.

All Kara knew at this point was that any chance of mending her broken heart had been ripped away and she had no one to blame but herself.

Compounding all of this was a nagging question that was quickly forcing its way into the forefront of Kara’s thoughts; something Lena had said during their brief tête-à-tête. It was a throwaway observation that Lena had made that, at the time, had been overshadowed by much more biting, cruel remarks. On the surface, it seemed completely benign, but as Kara often did, she pulled the statement apart piece by piece hoping to find if there was something she was missing. Some hidden clue that might provide her with a way to unfuck the situation.

Kara’s frustration was maxing out her patience. Under normal circumstances, if she was confused by something someone had said, she’d just ask them for clarification. But that wasn’t possible with Lena. She’d made it very clear that Kara was persona non grata at both her penthouse and L-Corp. She’d be pissed if Kara showed up unannounced at either location just to ask her to explain her comment. It would be reckless and stupid to just fly to wherever Lena was and confront her. She would have to be out of her mind to even contemplate being within a hundred yards of Lena after what transpired today.

Right?

Well…it would be if Kara didn’t have a plan.

A plan like the one she had just come up with.

Kara shut her eyes and tuned out the cacophony of sounds surrounding her to find a very specific heartbeat.

Kara sprung from her bed and made a mad dash to grab her cellphone off the kitchen counter; rapidly pulling up Alex’s contact.

*****

After a quick stop at the Tower to pick up the “package” that Alex had prepared for her, Kara continued on to her final destination.

Two hundred yards out from Lena’s penthouse, Kara’s super-hearing picked up the sound of proximity sensors alerting Lena to her approach. She heard Lena’s heartbeat spike at the automated notification accompanied shortly thereafter by a few sniffles. It sounded like the CEO was or had recently been crying. As much as Kara wanted to use her x-ray vision to confirm her suspicions, she didn’t want to violate Lena’s privacy any further than she already had by showing up unannounced.

Kara started getting nervous that Lena wasn’t going to come out, but before her anxiety could spiral any further, her former best friend emerged from the hallway; her gait as she approached the sliding glass door leading to the balcony indicated she was less than pleased with Kara’s impromptu visit. Kara was too distracted to notice Lena’s aggressive approach; her attention firmly focused on Lena’s attire. The CEO was clad in the same suit she wore when she confronted Kara in the Fortress earlier that day. Too distracted at the time to give it more than a passing glance, all the air escaped Kara’s lungs now that she was able to get a thorough view. She couldn’t help but admire the sharp, formfitting cut of the dark-hued suit, but her focus quickly shifted to the scintillating top that accompanied it. Kara licked her suddenly dry lips as she regarded the lace, floral print mock-neck top, and more importantly, the way it hugged Lena’s body like a second skin. She looked every bit the powerful, commanding, confident CEO. In Kara’s eyes, she looked like a goddess and, as far as Kara was concerned, she deserved to be worshipped like one.

Kara’s appreciation (appropriate or not, she couldn’t decide), was quickly tempered by the sobering thought that not too long ago, she would’ve been able to gush to Lena about how handsome she looked. Lena, as per usual, would try to take the compliment in stride, but her blushing cheeks and elevated heartbeat would give away how much she appreciated it.

But that was a lifetime ago, or what seemed like one. Until yesterday, Kara hadn’t been able to be in the same room as her without Lena’s resentment, pain, and feelings of betrayal enveloped them both, much less pay her a compliment about how stunning she looked.

Kara’s attention was quickly drawn back to reality as Lena stepped onto the balcony; the CEO was brandishing a very large blaster cannon. The cannon was clearly one of Lena’s custom jobs as it appeared to be constructed with an amalgam of alien parts.

“I don’t have time for any more of your bullshit, Supergirl!” Lena’s rage was on full display; her adrenaline infused heart thundered loudly. “You have five seconds to get the hell out of my airspace or I start shooting!” Lena furiously demanded.

So much for the warm welcome. Not that Kara expected one, but this…seemed a bit over the top.

Kara apparently wasn’t moving fast enough to comply with Lena’s command. The CEO activated the cannon and pointed it at Kara. “It’s not Kryptonite and it won’t kill you, but it’s got enough kick to knock you on your perfectly sculpted ass!”

Kara tilted her head to the side, confusion etched on her face from the off-hand comment. She decided to file it away for another day when she saw an orange glow coming from the cannon’s muzzle and Lena cocking her head to sight-in her target.

It was now or never.

“Would have helped me?” Kara yelled out.

“What?” Lena’s position remained unchanged.

“You said back at the Fortress that you knew at least four different ways to find the trapped Obsidian users, would you have helped me if I’d asked?” Kara did her best to keep her voice steady, hoping that Lena wouldn’t pick up on her anxiety.

Lena seemed taken aback by the question. Her brows furrowed, jaw clenched, and green eyes locked on Kara as she considered the question. Kara remained silent, floating quietly and not making any effort to get closer to the balcony. The quiet stand-off continued for another minute before Kara noticed Lena’s hands begin shaking from beneath the cannon. Kara could see the internal struggle going on inside Lena based on the conflicted look on the brunette’s face. Lena’s breathing intensified and her heartbeat became more rapid. Anyone who didn’t know the CEO’s facial tics would say she looked like she was in physical pain, but Kara knew better. She knew Lena’s logical side was currently warring with her emotions. She also knew that the best thing to do when Lena got into this type of headspace was to shut up and patiently wait for her to reengage.

With a flash of gnashed teeth and a frustrated growl, Lena powered down the cannon and lowered it to her side. Her eyes remained locked on Kara’s, but the tense look on her face softened into a resigned expression. She breathed out a long sigh, shut her eyes, and hesitantly nodded.

Kara let loose a relieved sigh and allowed herself a small grin. She regained Lena’s attention and motioned towards the balcony. “May I?”

Lena rolled her eyes and made an overdramatic wave signaling Kara to land. She unceremoniously dropped the laser cannon atop the smooth surface of the railing and turned back to face the slowly descending Kryptonian.

Kara’s boots lightly padded on the balcony as she landed; the hero made sure to allow Lena plenty of personal space. Despite the distance between them, Kara was able to confirm her theory when she first arrived: Lena had indeed been crying; evidenced by her puffy, red eyes.

Lena squared her shoulders and leveled Kara with a glare that fell somewhere between annoyed and homicidal; Kara was hoping it was closer to the former. “So what is it tonight, Supergirl? Begging for forgiveness or threatening me again?” Kara flinched from the blatant hostility. The scowl on Lena’s face drove a red-hot poker through Kara’s heart.

“No, nothing like that.” Kara reached into her belt and produced a flash drive. “I came to bring you this,” she said as she held up the pinky-sized device for Lena to view.

Lena cast a suspicious look towards Kara. “What is that?”

Kara contemplated pointing out that it was a flash drive but refrained; Lena was clearly not in a joking mood. “It’s a copy of the database from the Tower. Incident reports, field reports, surveillance footage, research, psych profiles, intelligence reports…basically everything we’ve compiled since the creation of Earth-Prime.”

Lena covered her surprise behind a loud throat clearing. “Intelligence reports on what exactly?”

Kara knew this would be the first thing Lena would focus on and had her response pre-loaded. “Obsidian, Andrea, Ben Lockwood, The DEO, Leviathan, Eve Teschmacher, Lex-”

“Of course,” Lena interrupted, practically sneering.

Kara ignored the comment. “And you,” she finished, locking eyes with Lena.

Lena’s mouth gaped open at Kara’s admission but she quickly regained her composure, her expressionless veneer now firmly in place. “Why are you giving this to me?”

Kara nervously chewed her bottom lip.  Her plan really didn’t involve a well thought out and rehearsed speech; Kara knew she would have forgotten every line once she faced Lena. Instead, she decided to let her words be guided by a singular directive:

Tell her the truth.

“I’m putting all my…our cards on the table so you can have an idea of what we’re up against. I want you to review the information and draw your own conclusions…then…maybe you can figure out where you fit into all this, instead of me telling you where you should be.” Lena remained silent; her face completely unreadable. Kara fought to mirror Lena’s stoicism but couldn’t hide her slight fidget. “And, selfishly, we could really use your help. The team hasn’t been the same since you…left.”

“Something tells me your sister would be less than thrilled if she found out you were giving me this.”

“Who do you think helped me put this together?” Kara said proudly, not even trying to hide her smile.

“You’ll have to excuse me if I don’t believe you,” Lena bit back.

Kara’s smile quickly disappeared, replaced by a crestfallen look. “That’s fair.” She forced herself to meet Lena’s icy glare head-on. “And why should you? All I’ve done is tell you that you should trust me and then shown you the complete opposite with my actions.”

“Is that why you’re giving that to me?” Lena nodded toward the flash drive still in Kara’s hand. “Is that your grand gesture to show your trustworthiness?”

Kara shrugged her shoulders, a sad smile on her face. “It would be great if you genuinely saw it that way but, no, there’s no strings attached.”

“Seems a bit risky to trust such sensitive information to a villain.” Lena’s voice was pure venom.

Kara involuntarily shuttered, a chill running through her spine at Lena’s brazen contempt. The hero ran a hand through her hair attempting to quell her feelings of shame and embarrassment that threatened to overwhelm her.

Tell her the truth.

Kara huffed out a sigh and placed the flash drive back into her belt. “I think we can both agree that me calling you a villain was one of the stupidest things I’ve ever said.” Kara dared to make eye contact with Lena only to receive a head tilt and raised brow from the CEO. “If you’re willing to humor me for a minute, I’d like to explain what happened that night,” Kara said with a hopeful look. Lena remained impassive; Kara took her lack of response as consent to continue. “You’re probably not going to believe me…no, I guarantee you won’t believe me, but earlier that evening I was visited by a fifth dimensional imp who showed me four different timelines where I told you I was Supergirl before Lex did.” Lena scoffed in disbelief, but Kara chose not to acknowledge her outburst. “All of them were a complete disaster no matter how early in our friendship I told you.” The memories of that night flooded back into her mind, forcing Kara to swallow the lump forming in her throat. “You ended up either dead or mutilated in three of the four timelines.” Kara’s eyes became glassy. “It scared the hell out of me, Lena, because even though none of those timelines were real, they reminded me of how vulnerable you are; especially now that you’re working with…” Kara trailed off and took a shaky breath. “It terrifies me that you’re working with Lex. I’m so scared that one day he’s going to decide he doesn’t need you anymore or he wants payback against you for shooting him and puts a bullet in the back of your head.” Kara began to choke up, her breath coming out in stuttering waves.

Lena watched on, her icy façade slowly melting as Kara endeavored to even out her breathing. Once she was able to compose herself, Kara’s watery blue eyes met with the CEO’s. “I can accept that you don’t want me in your life; I hate it, but I can accept it as long as I know you’re happy and thriving. But what I could never accept…could never live with…is a world without you in it.” Kara’s eyes began to glow; her face twisted with barely contained fury. “If Lex…if he took you from…if he killed you, I would track him down and tear him apart piece by piece until he begged me to kill him…and Rao help anyone who got in my way,” Kara choked out with a growl.

Lena’s brow furrowed and her mouth fell slightly open as she tried to process Kara’s chilling admission. Kara’s eyes cooled as she slowly composed herself. She took a step towards Lena. Much to her surprise, the CEO made no effort to step back. The two stood just out of arm’s length from each other. “So, when I landed here that night, I was so afraid that I decided to go the tough love route and give you some bullshit ultimatum that I knew was going to fail even before I finished saying it.” Kara’s entire body tensed, her balled up fists dug into her thighs as waves of shame rolled through her body. She took another step towards Lena. “I was so scared and desperate to get you away from him that I stupidly thought threats would be more effective than trying to reason with you.” Kara shook her head in disgust, jaw tightly clenched.

“You could have just talked to me,” Lena timidly admitted. “I might not have given you the warmest response, but I would have listened.”

Kara could see that Lena’s features had significantly softened. The hero thought she may have detected a hint of warmth and compassion in those hypnotic green eyes. Kara hesitantly grinned, not completely sure how to react to Lena’s changed demeanor, but it was short-lived. She was swiftly overcome with guilt; a forlorn look darkened her features.

“That would have been a kindness I didn’t…I don’t deserve.” Kara shook her head again, internally chastising herself. With a start, she realized that she was mere feet from Lena. As their eyes met for what seemed like the hundredth time that night, Kara was close enough to see the different shades in each of Lena’s irises. Kara could see that Lena’s hardened resolve had dissipated into a hesitant vulnerability.

Tell her the truth.

“Lena, I didn’t listen to you,” Kara said contritely. “You were right, what you said when you took Myriad. You told me about all the people you loved that betrayed you, but I didn’t listen. You begged me, in ways both said and unsaid, not to violate your trust, but I didn’t listen.” Kara could see Lena’s eyes become glassy with unshed tears, a slight tremble in her lip. Fighting back her own tears, Kara took another shaky breath. “Instead, I listened to my fears and the fears of others…people who, at first, couldn’t get passed your last name and wouldn’t even bother to try and get to know and understand you. I let those fears distract me from what you wanted, what you needed from me. I let those fears convince me that knowing my identity would put you in greater danger, which I know now is just ridiculous. I let those fears stop me from showing you my whole self because they told me you only wanted ‘Kara Danvers’, not ‘Kara Zor-El’. Worst of all, I let those fears convince me that you’d hate me, and that I’d lose you forever.”

Both women had tears streaming down their faces, so completely lost in each other’s eyes that they didn’t bother wiping them away. “I didn’t listen to you…to my heart, and if it costs me you, I will regret that decision for the rest of my life.”

Kara reflexively extended her hand towards Lena but quickly stopped herself when she realized what she was doing. Lena gave no indication that she saw Kara’s aborted attempt, the CEO simply continued to remain fixated on the hero’s eyes, conflicting emotions playing across her face. Kara shut her eyes and took a deep breath; her tightened eyelids unleashed a waterfall of unshed tears. They stood entranced with each other for an indeterminate amount of time before Kara, clearing her throat, snapped them out of it.

The two backed away from each other a few steps and began haphazardly wiping their tears away. Once her eyes were sufficiently cleared, Kara could see Lena’s features harden again, though with less intensity than when she first arrived at the CEO’s penthouse.

Kara could see that Lena was clearly debating with herself but before Kara could ask why, Lena held out her hand. “I’ll take the drive,” she said with calm certainty.

As she retrieved the flash drive from her belt, Kara fought to keep her enthusiasm contained, managing to limit her reaction to a tight grin.

Lena rolled her eyes and reached out for the proffered drive. As the device changed hands, their fingers brushed together. Kara’s super-hearing missed the flutter of Lena’s heartbeat, too distracted by her own thundering pulse that threatened to force her heart from her chest. “No strings?” Lena asked sternly, holding the flash drive at eye level.

“No strings.” Kara assured her with a smile.

“Okay,” Lena replied with hesitancy in her voice, placing the drive in her suit pocket. “I hope you know this doesn’t fix everything.”

Kara ruefully smiled. “I know.” The hero shifted uneasily. “But maybe this could be a start to repairing things…repairing us?” she said with a hopeful look.

Lena leveled Kara with a nervous glance before giving her a curt nod. “Um…so…if that’s all, I’m going to go to bed. It’s…been a long day,” Lena said awkwardly.

“Oh, yeah, right. Crazy day…uh…I’m sure you’re exhausted. Me too. Today’s been a real backbreaker…yeah, I should probably head home too…get some sleep…Oh! Maybe dinner first! Yeah, dinner first, then sleep.” Kara rambled through jittery hands, a slight dusting of pink on her cheeks.

Lena shook her head and turned to enter her penthouse, pulling the hair tie from her ponytail as she neared the backdoor.

Kara watched as Lena’s hair cascaded down her shoulders. She was suddenly struck by a wave of anxiety. Her conversation with Lena had gone better than expected, but Kara had so much more she wanted to say, and she feared she wouldn’t get the opportunity. She was afraid that somehow this tentative…well, whatever it was, would fall apart. She started to panic. Her chest felt like someone was sitting on it, an anxious knot formed in her stomach, and she could feel a lump forming in her throat.

Tell her the truth.

“Lena!” She blurted out without thinking.

The CEO was startled by the hero’s outburst and turned to face her, a yearning, drained look on her face.

“Lena I lo-” Kara’s entire body felt like it was on fire. Now confronted by the moment she so dearly wanted; she froze. She knew what she wanted to say. She wanted to tell her how much she missed her, how much she wanted to hold her, kiss her, and never let her go.

She wanted to tell Lena that she loved her more than anything in the multiverse.

But now wasn’t the time, she knew that deep in her heart. To tell Lena how she really felt about her would be too much, too soon. Their reconciliation was in its infancy, and Kara wasn’t going to jeopardize it by dropping a nuclear-sized emotion bomb on her. It wouldn’t be fair to either of them.

Tell her the truth…when it’s time.

“I love your suit. It’s a…I mean you look…really…” Kara was blushing so hard her cheeks were burning. “…maroon’s a good color on you,” she finally managed to stammer out.

It was apparent that Lena wasn’t expecting the compliment; the blush on her cheeks indicated as much. She averted her eyes from Kara’s gaze and timidly tucked some errant strands of hair behind her ear. Kara couldn’t help the satisfied smile that stretched across her lips; thrilled by Lena’s reaction. For a fleeting moment, it felt like old times, a hopeful reminder that not everything between them was irreparably broken.

Kara’s triumphant moment ended abruptly when Lena caught sight of the hero’s giddiness. Her shyness bled away and was replaced with an air of forced indifference. “Actually, it’s burgundy,” she pointed out haughtily.

“Oh,” Kara said bashfully; her embarrassment coloring her cheeks once again. “Well, you still look pretty handsome in it,” the hero responded sincerely, a look of reverence on her face.

Disarmed by Kara’s candidness, Lena’s regal stature quickly deflated. “Thank you,” she said sheepishly.

Kara’s smile became impossibly brighter. “Goodnight, Lena.” The hero lifted off from the balcony and leisurely coasted away.

Lena watched as her red cape disappeared into the night, a soft grin on her face. “Goodnight, Kara.”