#or maybe she's never actually interacted with the luthors herself

[lena-in-a-red-dress]

Twisters AU - meeting the in laws

Been thinking about Twisters and that iconic moment they recreated with the dude pressed up against the girl trying to protect her from the incoming tornado, practically wrapping himself around her as they both cling to the uprights for dear life....

I wouldn't mind seeing that happen with Kara and Lena, except in this version Lena would be the one promising she's got Kara, "I've got you, it's okay, I've got you", while Kara is one hundred percent being triggered by the past literally repeating itself around her.

Then afterwards, Kara is basically unresponsive, so once Lena passes the mom and the kid off to the paramedics, she returns to where Kara is sitting numb in the bottom of the pool, and just sits with her, holding her hands to ground Kara until Kara eventually comes round enough to move.

When she has the presence of mind to actually look at Lena and read the woman's expression, she realizes that Lena understands what's happening-- that Lena likely knows (has always known) who Kara is and her tragic backstory. But there's no judgement in it, only calm assurance.

They only part ways when their respective teams show up. Lena gives Kara's shoulder a reassuring rub before disengaging, shooting Mike (because of course Mon el would be the scummy stooge working for the Luthors under the radar) as she goes. When Mike fusses over Kara, Kara can't help but wish Lena was still with her, missing the woman's staid presence and the bubble of calm around her that had extended to envelop Kara as well.

When Kara eventually confronts Mike about his work for the Luthors and their predatory practices, and basically bites his head off about it, Lena watches from afar, and when Mike storms off to lick his wounds, Lena splits from her crew and approaches Kara once more. Kara can only try to pretend she isn't relieved by her return-- she isn't sure she's successful.

"Hey, ah--" Lena lifts one hand to scrub the back of her neck, plainly nervous in a way Kara's never seen her before. "I'm gonna let my guys handle things on the ground here. Can I-- would you like to come somewhere with me?"

Kara stares, and Lena realizes how weird she'd worded the request. She flushes.

"I mean-- I've got someone I think you should meet."

Kara ultimately-- inevitably-- agrees. Because it's Lena and she needs Lena right now. In the same way she'd needed Alex so desperately after her sister had died, but also... in a different way. A new way. She nods, and before she knows it they're heading to what Kara eventually realizes is Lena's hometown.

When they pull up to a quaint farmhouse standing amid acres of land, Lena throws the truck into park with a smile that Kara hasn't seen before. It carries the warmth of relief and familiarity, and Kara knows that they've arrived to where Lena has spent the majority of her life-- where her heart has always remained.

Lena hops out first, shutting the car door before reaching through the open window to beep out a "shave and a haircut" on the horn as Kara comes around the side to meet her. Lena snags her cowboy hat off the dash and settles it over her braids, shooting Kara a bright smile as the door opens and a lanky woman trots out wearing a grin not so different from Lena's.

"I wasn't expecting you til Labor Day!" the woman exclaims, throwing her arms around Lena in a fierce hug that Lena returns just as enthusiastically. "Ohhh, I've missed you!"

Kara hovers awkwardly, unwilling to interrupt the moment, but well. Clearly an interloper. When Lena and their host part, Lena cocks her head with her arm slung around the woman's shoulders.

"Kara, this is my mother, Jo." She doesn't really need to say it-- the similarities abound, from the bright glint in their eyes and the bright, keen smiles that crease their features, both warm and inviting. Lena glances sidelong at her mother, then slides her gaze to Kara.

"Mom, this is Kara."

[mamawasatesttube]

I don't know that much about superboy so forgive me if this is a silly question but what's the deal with Magdalene Visaggio?

not a silly question, dw!! if you haven't read many kon comics it probably doesn't look particularly noteworthy but OOF. OOF.

the tl;dr of it: despite being paid to write him once, she also hasn't read kon comics and it really, really, really shows. i'm talking geoff johns levels of flagrant disregard for the existing character - maybe even worse than geoff? which i say only because i know geoff did read sb94 even if he didn't act like it. but that's off topic; this isn't a geoff hatepost. this is a magdalene hate post.

under a cut for length, lets goooo!

so we start out with her canonizing supermartian. already off on the wrong foot - that's a ship out of yja the tv show which is a completely separate continuity from main comics and a completely different kon than main continuity kon. despite supposedly knowing that, she still shoves them into a relationship in main continuity, despite them never having actually interacted on page in main continuity.

she then goes on to characterize kon as angry and entitled and uncaring, and also in high school again. not only does she directly contradict all of his preboot existing characterization (which is important because kon-el never got reset during flashpoint - he was in another universe and thus dodged that bullet. current kon-el is canonically the same kon-el as pre-flashpoint/postcrisis kon-el.), but also she directly contradicts both young justice (2019) and superboy: man of tomorrow, which are in current continuity, leading one to really wonder if she has read a single comic kon appeared in at all. it's also worth noting that the asshole with anger issues characterization is, once again, much truer to the young justice animated tv show than any comic kon.

also worth noting is that the infamous red hair dye streak? well, uh...

yeah..............

on her twitter, she once said something about kon-el not being a good name because it's "still a name someone else gave him", called him "the jason todd of the superfamily", and insisted that the meaning of a trans narrative is "burning down your life and reevaluating your place within it":

kon-el is a name gifted to him to signify his acceptance into his family (superboy (1994) #59) and he was so overjoyed to receive it that he cried. overall, the superfam are very supportive and loving, and introducing strife just to make him run off and live with jinny hex instead of them just because she thinks one can't transition and retain previous relationships is... not it, lol.

her pitch also contained some outrageously egregious christianity bullshit, like villains named "saint", "shepherd", and "savior", as well as direct comparisons between clark and jesus christ. this is... sorry i really just have to say this is Fucking Cringe. i guess the more polite way to put it would be "incredible gauche" (considering the jewish origins of the superfam) but i just can't call it anything else. This Fucking Sucks Dude. i won't even get into the weirdness about genetic bullshit she leans into by introducing kon's "brother" who's also part luthor, part superman, but "luthor-dominant" (lol?) (do you know how genes work even a little bit).

she has quoted the one panel from reign of the supermen where kon says "don't ever call me superboy" a few times, claiming it's the first thing he ever said and no one listened. to me this essentially reads as her going "i've read one of his appearances and i would like to throw out the like 200 issues of character development he had since then in favor of making him my own self-insert to explore MY transition and religious trauma".

basically she doesn't seem to know how to write a story that's not about herself. as a trans person with a positive relationship with my given name (because as a first-gen kid of two diasporic immigrants, it provides an important tie to my family's cultures, to me) and with trans friends who involved their parents in picking new names and so on and so forth, i honestly find it very reductive and white to insist there's only one trans narrative and only one good way for trans characters to be named. i also find her putting her own christian religious trauma into a superfam story off-putting and . well. fucking cringe. i understand and respect that that is her story, but it sure ain't universal and i won't be able to respect her as a writer until it becomes clear she gets that.

[searidings]

In your opinion, what were Kara and Lena's individual gayest moments? 🤔🌈

oh bestie how long have you got? ok ok let's go lesbians let's go

lena:

filling kara's office with flowers. the bitch really said if my verbal language can't tell this woman how much i want to be railed by her maybe the language of flowers will do it for me

granting kara unrestricted office access on like their 3rd meeting

buying catco for kara. need i say more

whatever the fuck she was doing in every single s2 couch scene. bedroom eyes ass motherfucker

saving supergirl's life over her boyfriend's

apparently spending all her free time building lifesaving super tech without being asked even while she and supergirl were fighting

repeatedly risking her own life to save kara’s back when she still believed she was human

the inherent homoeroticism of continuing to pretend she didn’t know kara’s identity because it allowed her to remain close to her

“she broke my heart” yeah because that’s a normal thing platonic friends do

every time she’s ever gayzed at kara aka every time she’s ever looked at kara

the defining cultural moment that was “i killed my brother for you for our friends don’t you understand what you’ve done” aka the ultimate declaration of love: murder

her entire angsty s5 breakup spiral

programming the fortress’ lena lesbian luthor protocol aka no one touches my fucking WIFE

being quite happy to let the population of nc get turned into phantoms because she couldn’t put anything above her imperative of bringing kara home

“do you really not believe in magic?” “i believe in you”

the bickering spouses energy of their 6b interactions and lena’s overwhelming “ok i tried but you’re gonna make your own mistakes, i love you honey i’ll see you at home” energy

the worried wife vibes of her healing kara in the med bay

"hey, you” / “hey, hey, it’s okay”

kara:

how she absolutely peacocked around as supergirl in front of lena for the entirety of s2 l-corp gala im looking at you

biting the head off her boyfriend's mother when she thought lena was in danger because of her

crashing lena's date just to third wheel it with more manic jealous energy than any one person should contain

agreeing to come back to catco because lena batted her eyelashes

being prepared to save lena's life at the cost of poisoning the entire city's water

risking her civilian identity to save lena's life when she was poisoned

gazing tearfully at pictures of her and lena every time they have a lover's spat

every conversation she's had directly with lena's chest s3 gala im looking at you

“i’ll beat [james] up for you” aka kara choosing lena’s side over her best friend and first love

her whole "sure i can excuse murder if you're the one committing it babe" schtick throughout s3&4 aka nice grey gay morality

"i'm trying to catch lex FOR YOU that's why i'm doing this" never mind the fact that the man is kara's blood enemy noooo she's doing it for her gf

red daughter’s existence, period. honorary shoutout to her gay journal entries

flying around the world to bring lena her favourite things

“if i could be kara, just kara, then i could keep you as a friend” / “i was selfish and scared and i didn’t wanna lose you” aka kara canonically admitting that the idea of losing lena scared her more even than the potential fallout of her lies

volunteering to break the law for lena

volunteering to change all of history to get lena back

post-pz reunion hug. leaning in to kiss your bestie in front of god and everyone is something that can actually be so homosexual

every 6b interaction ie leaning into lena, mirroring her, finishing her sentences, “pot sticker me” etc

having lena be the one to ultimately inspire her to make some of the biggest decisions of her life ie becoming a reporter, revealing herself as kara zor-el

staring right at lena’s lips during her last most emotional scene of the series

[pigeonp0st]

Since I loved your one shot about Lena, I'm requesting another one! Reader is a single mom and is afraid to tell Lena about her child cause she thinks Lena isn't going to take it well, but in the end Lena loves her child.

Lena Luthor x Reader #2

Words: 1,590

Warnings: none?

Notes:

Thank you for requesting! If you’d like me to change the name of the kid (or the gender) feel free to say so. Also...sorry if you were expecting more of Lena. I realized at the end that there might not have been enough (Sorry for spelling mistakes too).

———

Miles, your eight year old son, has started to pretend he’s a psychologist. He’ll sit you down, with your head in his small lap (which isn’t very ethical), and ask you about your life problems.

Usually, you’ll make up funny nonsense that he’ll struggle to find the solution to...but today a very real problem has arrived, and you know you shouldn’t be trying to confide in your little boy about this, yet you decide to anyway.

He knows about you and Lena, though Lena doesn’t know about him. He saw her on TV once, was awestruck by her “smartness”, and you let slip that she’s the woman you’ve been dating.

Dating used as a loose term, because you and Lena haven’t actually become anything official. It’s...weird. Made even more so by the fact that she doesn’t know about the most important person in your life.

You tell Miles as much in today’s session. He beams down at you, happy that you’re finally starting to take his sessions seriously, and then taps his finger against his lip, thinking. “You should just tell her,” he finally concludes after a long pause.

You narrow your eyes up at him suspiciously, and wonder if you should just pretend to take his advice and move on. You don’t. “People usually don’t want to get involved with single moms.”

His eyes furrow at that, clearly upset, so you rush on. “If someone doesn’t want to be involved with you, none of me longs to be involved with them,” then, you pause, “I just want to want to be involved with Lena.”

“So this stems from past trauma?” Miles asks, and you gape at him, shocked.

“Where the f—when did you learn any of those words, honey?”

He grins at you again, clearly proud of himself, and then schools his face into an attempt of looking professional. It’s humorous. “Psy- Psych—”

“Psychology.”

“Yes, that. It says that our fears usually come for childhood trauma.”

“I’m not scared,” but even as you say that you know it’s not true. You make a mental note to watch over whatever the hell Miles is listening to, to make sure it’s age appropriate. “Even if I am, it’s definitely not from childhood trauma.”

“From relationship trauma then?”

You let out a shocked laugh, completely stumped. “Baby, your eight. If you keep saying smart things you’re going to start scaring me.”

“Let's talk about your fears,” He suggests. Clearly wanting to move on he gestures for you to sit up. Once you do, he hops up from the couch, grabs his clipboard from the coffee table, and starts scribbling down things you aren’t able to see.

“Okay,” you hesitantly agree. “I’m scared Lena will want nothing to do with me.”

“Why is that something you're scared of?”

You give him a confused look that he pays no attention to. “Obviously I like her...I also fear that you won’t.”

He nods, finally looking up from his clipboard. “And what happens if I hate her, and she hates me, so she leaves and you never speak to her again?”

You choke on absolutely nothing.

“What will you do then?” Miles asks, and you have no response for him. He doesn’t seem to want one. “You’ll deal with it, like you always have. So stop worrying until it comes. If it comes.”

You’re equal parts extremely proud of him, and extremely concerned as you think over what he’s said.

Then, as if he’s tired of being the smartest eight year old alive, he hands you the paper he was working on for half of your ‘session’. The paper is full of sharp lines that get more curvy and tangled the closer they get to what appears to be the middle.

“This,” he says, “is how you’re feeling.”

And you believe him.

———

It takes you a week to build up the courage to tell Lena about Miles. He surprisingly helped you come to the realization that holding off on telling Lena the truth won’t change the outcome.

In fact...it would probably make things more complicated. Even now, she deserved to know sooner than this.

It’s too late, of course. There’s no point in wishing you had done differently.

“Are you okay?” Lena asks through the phone, sounding so beautifully concerned over the fact that you haven’t spoken for awhile. God, you're whipped for this world-saving genius.

“Yeah,” you say, “just...you know how I said I had something to talk to you about?” You don’t wait for her to confirm, because of course she remembers, she’s looked scared because of it all day. “I sort of have to show you...so would you mind coming over?”

Yes, you’re a coward that’s hoping Lena seeing Miles for herself, instead of you telling her about him, will make her more accepting. Miles has a very convincing charm.

“You want me to go to your place?” Lena sputters, clearly shocked.

In an instant you regret the decision you were so sure about before. Maybe Lena isn’t ready. You should tell her before she comes, so she isn’t shocked out of her mind when she sees him.

You should—

“Okay,” Lena says, determined. You hadn’t even responded to her before. “I’ll be there soon.” And then she hangs up the phone before you manage to say anything, leaving you wondering what the fuck you’re doing.

You could call her back.

...you’re not going to. You’re too scared.

——

Miles waits by the door, dressed in his best suit. He knows how anxious you are about this, despite how hard you’ve been trying to hide it since your weird ‘session’, so he says he’s going to try and be the best him he can be.

You tell him that all he needs to be is his normal self and everything will be alright, but he admits to being nervous to meet Lena too, because she’s super smart. (He’s been watching anything he can find of her on the internet)

Thus, the two of you wait together impatiently, trying not to descend into madness.

——

At some point Miles starts making and handing you scribbles of how you feel, and you start making and handing them back.

It’s while you’re handing Miles your next piece that the doorbell rings.

He doesn’t look to be that nervous anymore, just excited, so he follows you on your track to answer the door, and with each step you contemplate your entire existence beyond Miles.

Then…Then you open the door.

Miles is hiding behind your leg, looking up at Lena with hesitant hopefulness and uncertainty, it’s the exact match of the way you’re looking at her, and Lena is looking at him with wide eyes.

Because you’re sure you’re about to die from the silence, you croak out a wobbly and quiet; “hi,” at the same time Mile’s sticks out his hands and says his own charming greeting.

“Hello, doctor Y/L/N here. Nice to meet you.”

“Lena Luthor.” As if on autopilot Lena shakes his hand. “You’re a doctor?” She asks, smiling the smallest of smiles at him.

He nods his head eagerly, glad she’s smiling. “Yeah! Of—of psy- psych...”

“Psychology,” You finish. Lena’s gaze switches to you. It’s the moment you think you’re gonna die, but her gaze is concerned instead of disappointed.

“He’s older than the photo on your wallpaper suggested,” Lena says.

Oh.

Oh…

You’re an idiot.

Then, Lena smiles—wider this time because of your dumbstruck expression—and looks at Miles. “To be a doctor you have to be pretty smart.”

He nods, his eyes practically full of stars.

“That’s how I know you and I are going to get along great.”

Miles grins madly, pushes you a bit to the side so Lena can come in, and says, eager, “can I show you my work, please?”

And Lena looks from you, to him, laughs a laugh full of amusement and endearment, and agrees gracefully. “I’d love it if you would.”

———

Lena adores Miles.

Around him she almost seems, impossibly, like a child herself. She so obviously and beautifully wants him to like her, and all the while Miles is almost exactly the same around her.

They’re both complete dorks trying to subtly get each other's attention and all you want to do is watch the two of them interact for ages.

They both were two separate parts of your life, and now they’re merged better than you ever expected them to.

It’s great. Absolutely great. But whenever they turn their twin gazes on you you’re sure you’re going to melt into a puddle of adoration.

Wow.

“What is it?” You ask them, after they’ve both looked at you for too long without saying anything.

Lena tilts her head, her smile concerned again, “you look like you’re about to cry.”

Miles nods his agreement. “What’s wrong mom? Does whatever bothering you stem from childhood trauma?” He asks, and at Lena’s ‘the fuck’ face you burst out into a fit of laughter, that quickly turns into tears of absolute love.

Both Miles and Lena looked at you with alarm because they don’t realize this is the happiest you’ve been in a while. It is though. It is.

“Not childhood trauma,” you assure them both, and before Miles can suggest it you add; “not past relationship trauma either, it’s happy tears.”

“Oh,” Lena stutters, “good.”

“Oh,” Miles repeats, sounding relieved and a tad bit disappointed. “I haven’t learned how to deal with those tears yet.”

[red-cape-morgana]

It’s on me

Based on this very cute fact shared by @inkedroplets

Ao3 version

Lena was simply doing her job. Kara simply wanted a coffee before work. The cashier simply did what he thought was polite. All in all, nothing out of the ordinary for a Tuesday morning. At least that was before Kara’s curiosity got the best of her.

Lena checks the address on her phone one more time before leaving. She had spotted the place when it was still being arranged and had decided to let it run a few weeks before checking it out.

Being a famous and rich Instagram influencer, showing her lifestyle to all her followers is what she does for a living. But it’s also because she knows that so many people don’t have the spare time needed to look through the city’s narrow streets and find small shops, even though they’d find more unique pieces and better services with those small commercants. For Lena, her Instagram is a way to help both parties.

That’s how Lena finds herself walking into that brand new coffee shop where they’ve set up lots of plants, books you can read while you enjoy your coffee and some art students’ pieces that you can buy if you like them. The place still has this air of brand new installation, but she can tell that the owner has put in a lot of effort to make it homey and personal.

Maybe I should promote some art pieces every once in a while. I’m sure the students could use the boost and the money that’d come with it, Lena thinks while stepping into the ordering line.

Her followers voted for her to review this new place and it will be her biggest post of the week. For this, she of course brought her co-host, Mochi, her ragdoll cat of 5 years. He has been her teammate ever since she started this page. At first she only saw it as a way to kill time,one that would drive her family insane. And taking pictures of an adorable kitten in many places around National City doesn’t hurt when you try getting an audience on social media. Now, this handsome man is quietly enjoying the adventure from the special backpack with the submarine bubble window Lena bought a couple years ago (this is so much more practical and comfortable when she brings him along, and he is very photogenic in it as well so she calls that a win-win).

She is standing in the line, looking at all the drinks the place offers, when she suddenly feels observed. Being the rebellious child of the Luthor family has gotten Lena to find pictures of herself on many mags covers. And to find a fuming Lillian waiting for her on many occasions as well.

So, when she turns a bit to take a discreet look at the expected paparazzi waiting to pounce on her, she is for the least surprised. There are no paps in sight, just a very cut, and very focused on Mochi, blonde girl.

Lena can’t really see her face since the woman is slightly crouching down to be at the same height as Mochi, but she can hear her cooing very softly at her cat “Aren’t you the softest cat ever? Yes, you are! Yes, you are!”

The girl must feel the weight of Lena’s gaze on her cause she suddenly freeze, before looking up at her like a deer caught in headlights.

Wow! Her eyes are such an intense blue! It’s like looking right at the sky, Lena thinks.

“I’m sorry. I just saw your cat and he was looking at me. And I love pets. I really love them. But I don’t have one, not yet at least. I’ve always wanted to though! It’s just that my sister is kinda allergic to them and…”

“There's no harm done, dear,” Lena interrupts the word vomit, sensing that if she doesn’t they could still be here in an hour talking about why this chick couldn’t have a pet when she was a kid. “I don’t mind at all the attention I mean, this backpack is kinda designed for showing the pet. And I know Mochi loves being the center of attention. So really, we’re good.”

The blonde seems to relax somewhat thanks to her reassurances that what she did is absolutely fine.

“I’m Kara, by the way. Nice to meet you and Mochi.” she says while offering a tentative hand for Lena to shake.

Lena is actually surprised that Kara doesn’t mention right away anything about her last name,or outrightly asks for a selfie with her. Most of her human interactions are based on that, people wanting to prove they’ve met Lena Luthor. Never caring to get to know the person behind the account.

Her thoughts are interrupted by a discreet cough from the cashier who’s trying to get her attention. The line had progressed while they were talking, and it’s Lena’s turn to order.

“Excuse me,” she says while turning away from Kara to tell him what she’d like to drink. “I’ll have a tall frozen matcha latte, but with almond milk. I’ll take an extra dose of vanilla syrup as well. And could I get some water for my cat please? I’ll keep him on my lap but I’d like him to drink a bit before we go on our way. Is it possible?”

“Sure, miss. No problem with that. What will your friend like to drink please?” he says, briefly glancing from his tablet to Kara.

Lena is about to protest that they’re not together, but for once, she’d like to enjoy a drink in a new place with a new person as well. Constantly looking at her phone to answer strangers' inquisitive questions and curiosity seems a lot less stressful if she gets to share this tiny moment with a new face that seems to not know her name at all.

She turns to a blushing and spluttering Kara before asking with a small smile tugging at her lips “So, Kara, what do you drink? It’s on me.”

[pl-panda]

The vines that bind us - Chapter 4

Chapter 1 || Previous || Next

She was now back in Gotham and it was time to start acting like it. 

The break came sooner than expected. Mari might have actually missed it if not for the text from Chloe that they are on their way. Mr. Drake locked the doors to his office from the inside to made sure nobody interrupted him unless Batman started skateboarding in the lobby (his words). She really didn’t know what to think about the young CEO. So far their interactions were limited to the brief moment of panic before meeting Luthor, followed by this brief moment when he locked the doors.

When she arrived in the cafeteria, Chloe was already waiting for her with Ethel. They took over a table in the corner and already littered it with various documents and folders.

“Um… Hi?” Mari greeted them.

“Oh, Mari-bear!” Chloe grabbed the girl by the wrist and dragged her to the table. When she was seated, several papers were put in front of her.

“So! Ethel and I read through the contract and we have good and bad news? Which first?”

“Let’s get the bad out of the way.” Mari nodded.

“You’re stuck in that job for half a year.”

“What!?”

“Don’t worry.” Ethel palaced her. “It’s not as bad as it looks. The whole deal was that you could be hired at any point of your internship for a period of six months, after which there would be a revision of your contract to either terminate it or make it more permanent.” 

“Who does that kind of thing?” The girl shouted a bit louder than necessary, but nobody paid them any mind. Alya and Lila were clearly visible at the other side of the cafeteria with a large crowd around them. 

“It’s practically never used. I mean now you have all the benefits of being Wayne Enterprises’ employee. Plus you will actually have a salary. And Sarah’s salary was nothing to scoff at.”

“But… What about school!? I know we were allowed to leave for two months, which by itself is crazy if you ask me…”

“Given that our headmaster is an idiot that bends under whoever throws money at him and our teacher should never be allowed to be in the same room as any child…” Chloe muttered in French. 

“Yeah. I get your point. But I can’t just leave school for six months!” 

“Puh-lease!” Chloe waved her hand dismissively. “We both know you could’ve graduated in the middle of last year if that Chienne and Connard allowed you. And you would have the perfect scores. Hey! I’m sure you can sit SATs in Gotham while you work here.” 

“And my commissions?” She looked at the blonde. “Marigold Désign et Création is only starting to get some popularity. I can’t just close the store! Oh no! What about my Flower Shop in Paris? The girl I hired was supposed to work there only for like… three months best! I can’t just suddenly… Oh no! You know Sang hates being away from me! And what if Bleue outgrows her pot? And don’t get me started on Rouge! He is…’

Mari suddenly felt two hands on her shoulders. “Goldie! You’re spiraling again.” Chloe stared in her eyes. “And your eyes are showing.” 

That finally calmed Mari. She usually tried to suppress her natural look in favor of how she used to appear. Her iridescent green eyes were kept blue and dark-blue hair muted to the point it seemed black. Plus her skin was not green unless she was using her powers. She was not sure where that skill came from and she was ninety percent certain her mother couldn’t just mute her green skin and fiery red hair. Still, she was glad that she did not have to look like an Akuma 24/7. 

“Thanks, Queeny. I’d probably have a breakdown if not for you.”

“You have a Flower Shop in Paris?” Ethel asked curiously.

“My… It used to be a bakery before I inherited it. Since I like plants more than bread, I turned it into my own greenhouse. I used to only have a small garden on the rooftop, but then I kinda… filled every room with plants.” Mari suddenly blushed.

“Whoa. You sure do love plants. Are you sure you’re not related to Poison Ivy?”

Chloe half-expected Mari to start trying to deny it or babble. 

“And what would make you think that?” The girl joked instead. “Just because my plants don’t wither at my touch, I am related to a villain?” It might have come harsher than she wanted, but her bright smile and pearly voice made it clear that she had no hard feelings. 

Ethel laughed. “True. I’m sorry about the commissions and the store. I really wish there was something WE could do, but our hands are tied.”

“How am I supposed to be a personal assistant? I have like zero experience or even theoretical knowledge!”

Ethel opened another folder and read something. “Well, you were class representative, ran your own small business, kept up with school work, met with clients, and babysat several kids. That’s pretty much what you have to do now. Just make sure that the baby is doing things on time and organize his time.”

“Ha ha ha.” Chloe deadpanned. “Why not ask Nathalie? She liked you well enough.”

“I can’t just call her and ask her to teach me!” Mari protested. “I mean she must be very busy!”

“We can go find the disaster boy. He can definitely convince her.”

“I can’t just use Adrien like that! And besides, we don’t need to look.” She pointed at where the Blond boy sat next to Lila. He was clearly very uncomfortable with his situation, but they both knew that he couldn’t go against his father’s orders. Apparently, ‘Lila was good for business’. 

“Then we can go now. Thank you, Ethel.” Chloe said as she grabbed Mari and started to drag her toward the group.

“Stop it! Queenie! You know…” 

“Hush! I will deal with the idiots if they try anything.” The blonde silenced all protests.

The two approached the group just as Lila was finishing a ridiculous tale about how she was on good terms with the bat-family. Alya was of course recording the whole thing and streaming live. When the class spotted girls approaching, Kim and Ivan quickly turned into bodyguards blocking them from joining. 

“What do you two want this time?” Sabrina asked with venom.

“Like I would lower myself to dealing with the common rabble. I came to speak with the only person here who doesn’t have a negative number of brain cells, so be kind enough to let us pass. Or just pry Adrien from Lila and we will leave you to your fantasy world.” Chloe stared down at her former follower (they were never really friends).

“Nobody asked you!” Rose shouted. 

“Sabrina did.” Mari pointed out. She was not sure why, but she felt much more confident in her dealing with the class now that they were in Gotham. Maybe it was because they were now on her own turf, maybe because there was no Akuma risk, or maybe she was just done. 

“Shut up you bully!” Alix shouted. “Adrien doesn’t want to go with you anywhere!”

Over half of the WE employees disperse, not wanting to be pulled into the drama. The ones that stayed were just looking between the two groups. 

“Actually,” Adrien started, surprising everyone, Lila included. Why was her boy talking? She didn’t order him to talk. “I’m curious about what they want. The break is almost over anyway so we should probably get going back to work.” He said diplomatically. 

“Whatever!” Alya put her phone down. 

When the class and the spectators dispersed, Adrien sighed in relief. “Kwami I hope Gerard gets here soon. He usually tries to at least limit the Liar somewhat. Then again, he won’t be coming to WE…”

“It’s a tall building. I’m sure that we could make it look like an accident.” Chloe grinned.

“We are not killing her!” Mari protested.

“Spoilsport.” The Blonde deadpanned. 

“Anyway, is that a social call or do we have some situation? Please tell me it’s not an Akuma.”

“Not that I know of.” Mari quickly checked her phone, but so far no messages. 

“Mari here got hired.” Chloe did not bother with subtlety.

“Congratulation!” The boy beamed. “I knew you would do great here. We should go to celebrate on Friday!”

“Except I have no idea how to be a personal assistant.” Mari moaned.

“Oh! That’s no problem. Let me just call Nathalie.” Before the girl could protest Adrien already had his phone out and dialed his Father’s PA. “Nathalie?” He asked when the face appeared on the screen.

“Adrien. I’m sorry but your father is not here. He left Paris and won’t be returning for some time. He will be supervising the acquisition of new resources in China.” She informed him.

“Oh. That’s no problem. I actually wanted to speak to you.” He smiled brightly.

“Huh?” She asked surprised.

“My friend Marinette found herself in a peculiar situation of being hired as a personal assistant. Would you mind giving her some pointers?”

“Sure. Please forward her my personal number so she can call me in an hour. I will be free by then.”

“Thank you, Nathalie. You’re the best.” He waved the woman goodbye and hanged up. “See? No problem at all.” 

“Um… Okay… Thank you so much!” She hugged him tightly. 

“Sure. That’s what friends are for. What about the Friday celebration?”

“Well, I can give you all a Marinette tour through Gotham…” Her smile grew a little mischievous “Or you can get Marigold style trip.” They all laughed before scrambling to do their respective works.

Mari got into the elevator and pressed the top-floor button. Slowly, the doors closed and it went up. When she arrived, she looked around to check if anyone was looking for her before walking to her desk. Out of nowhere, a blade pressed itself to her neck.

“Who are you and what are you doing here?” A low voice asked from her right, slightly to her back. Immediately, she tensed.

“I work here if you must know. Now I apologize for the delay if you needed something, but I was trying to sort out a certain problem. Do you have an appointment with Mr. Drake?”

“Tt. I’m not in a mood for games.” 

She smiled slightly. Acting faster than would be expected, she grabbed the blade in a monkey grip and pushed it away. The attacker then tried to swing it at her, but she managed to side-step. Doing a quick lunge she managed to punch his hand and make the blade move to the side while walking into the guard. She delivered a strong punch to his face, followed by a low-kick to the back of his knee, forcing him on one knee. The daze caused him to loosen the grip he had on the sword. Mari kneeled on his legs, pinning him down and at the same time stole the sword and threw it away. Before he even had a chance to explain anything, she delivered another punch to his head, making the boy see stars before everything turned black. 

She gathered herself and walked to the sword. It was rather simple ninjato that she stored under her desk. There was a tablet with the WE logo on it that she promised herself to check later. The intercom had at least two dozen buttons. They were all labeled with some shortcuts she did not understand, so instead, she picked the security number from her WE employee handbook and called. 

“Um… Hello?”

“Hello. What’s the problem miss?”

“Yes. My name’s Marinette. I’m the new PA to Mr. Drake. When I returned from break some boy attacked me with a ninajto. I managed to knock him out, but I would appreciate if someone came here to…” She didn’t get to finish because a burst of loud laughter came from the other side. She stayed silent for a few moments, baffled at the reaction. Finally, she had enough. “Good to know the fact that someone almost chopped me with a Ninjato is funny to you, sir, but personally I do not find the situation laughable and I would appreciate if you showed at least some concern over the terrible breach of security that is firstly bringing the sword to the building and secondly trying to kill an employee!” She screamed loud enough to make her cup of (now cold) coffee shake. Only now she realized that her hands were trembling. 

“Um… of course, madame. I will be sending someone up right away… madame.” He hanged up. She still heard that he was on the verge of laughing.

Mari collapse into her chair and stared angrily at the boy on the floor. She was afraid to walk to him. She was definitely getting some plants here tomorrow. That would make her feel safer. Nervously, she started to design. She didn’t even notice that she was using the boy that attacked her as the base. 

After a few minutes, the doors of the elevator opened and two guys in suits walked in. As soon as they saw the unconscious boy they broke into a fit of laugher. Mari stared at them before recognizing one of them as Grayson, who was giving them the tour earlier. 

“Oh! My! God! She actually knocked Demon Spawn unconscious!” The other one said through tears. Mari decided she didn’t like him either. They were supposed to be helping her, not laughing more. 

“Excusez-Moi! I was attacked here! During the tour, I was led to believe this is a respected company,” she made a jab at Grayson, who only laughed more. “In respected companies employees are not attacked with a sword when they come back from the break. So can someone explain to me what the actual fuck?!” She swore. 

“This is gold. I’m calling B. Wait! I need a picture or he won’t believe me!” The not-Grayson kept rambling, completely ignoring Mari. Angry, she picked a pencil from her desk. Taking a few seconds to aim, she threw it. The impromptu projectile sailed through the air until it hit the elevator button, making the doors open. This finally got their attention, especially since the pencil passed not-Grayson by an inch from his ear.

“What the…?” He was interrupted when the girl stormed past him and entered the elevator. She was now holding the ninjato through a tissue. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“To HR. Maybe they will help me.” She answered simply and sent them a glare. “It’s clear that you two dumbasses aren’t doing anything.”

Grayson held the button, stopping the doors from closing “Hey! Aren’t you supposed to be French?” Dick asked, confused by her strong Gothamite accent that showed itself.

“Aren’t you supposed to be helping?!” She shouted at him. 

“Ugh… My head…” A groan came from the floor.

“Aww… I didn’t get any pictures.” Not-Grayson grumbled.

“Tt. Shut up, Todd.”

“How is the view from down there Demon Spawn?”

“I don’t have time for games. There’s some intruder on this floor. She claimed to be Drake’s personal Assistant, but we all met Sarah.”

“Um… Baby D, did no one inform you about the french class coming for an internship starting today?”

There was suddenly a glimmer of realization in the boy’s eyes. “Oh…”

“Oh?” Mari screamed. “that’s all you have to say?!” 

Her would-be attacker jumped at the sound of her angry voice. When their eyes met, the two had a staring contest. It continued for a moment, neither wanting to leave it be. Dick and Jason observed with amazement how that little girl was able to rival Damian’s glare and not wither immediately as most would.

“While I enjoy seeing the two of you fight for dominance, can someone explain to me what exactly happened?” Todd finally broke the silence. Mari immediately turned her eyes at him. He briefly noted that her blue eyes had a green tint in them that he did not notice before. 

“What happened is like I said. I after I returned from break that imbécile attacked me with the sword. I had some self-defense classes, so I managed to disarm him.”

“Some? You had ‘some’ self-defense classes and you disarmed Demons Spawn?”

“Okay, I’ve been practicing since I was five. Happy? It doesn’t change the fact that he attacked me!”

“You’re the one that attacked me. I was merely ensuring you were no threat.” Damian tried to argue.

“By pressing a sword to my neck?” She asked/shouted. “Please! This is Gotham.”

“She has a point.” Dick decided to intervene. “Okay. We will make sure that Damian won’t bother you anymore… and maybe add some bonus to your next paycheck for the trouble he caused. Our father will definitely hear about this.”

“Your father…?”

“Bruce Wayne.” 

“Oh… Fine. But I’ll be keeping the ninjato for now.” She said in no-arguing tone. It was clear that Damian wanted to argue, but his brothers pushed him into the elevator while Mari walked to her desk. She put the sword under the desk and mentally added some hooks to her shopping list. If that rich idiot thought he would get away with attacking her with a sword, he was sorely mistaken. 

The tablet turned out to have a complete calendar with all planned meetings, a ready to-do list, and access to inter-department chatrooms. There were more apps that she decided to look up later. For now, she opened Mr. Drake’s schedule. He had quite a lot of office hours, but she also noticed that there was a press conference set on Friday, several meetings throughout the week, and a few other stuff. Definitely much cleaner than Adrien’s schedule that she already knew by heart.

As the hour was mostly up, she knocked on the office doors to see if her boss needed something done. He shouted a barely-audible ‘busy’ and she did not try to intrude. Probably some important stuff. She pulled her phone and called Nathalie’s number that Adrien sent her earlier. 

“Hello, Marinette.” The woman greeted her. 

The next several hours were spent on the crash course about everything that being Personal Assistant boiled down to. Ethel was right. Her work as Class Rep, babysitter, and the business owner gave her quite a few necessary skills. What nobody mentioned (because nobody knew) was that her obsessive Adrien stalking also came in very handy. Most of what she practiced with Nathalie was about dealing with people and applying her skills in the new job. By the time her work was ‘over’, she had a bit more confidence. Mari was still panicked over the amount of responsibility that befallen her and the additional work and reading that she would have to do after hours. It was a pure blessing that this day was empty. Nathalie also gave her an incredible amount of pointers about how to deal with situations when the Boss is absent most of the day. She could guess that Gabriel kept dumping more work on the poor woman as he locked himself away to design. The last thing before she entered the elevator was to pull out the drawers in her desk and hide the ninjato behind them. It fit perfectly and the drawers didn’t seem that out of place. She suspected the boy would try to take it back when she was gone.

As she was leaving the elevator to meet with her class, she spotted Chloe talking lively with Ethel. Madame Bustier came through the main entrance. Once the class gathered in one place, she gave some speech about how proud she was of them and thanked Lila for the opportunity. Mari used that time to check on the class. Some looked quite happy, others had sour moods. Adrian managed to sneak away from Lila and was hiding behind the girls.

Just as they turned to leave, the front doors burst open and several guys (and one woman) in green suits with purple question marks walked inside, followed by a man in a similar suit. He carried a cane with a question mark on top and a green bowler hat with a single question mark in the center. Mari resisted the urge to gag. The fashion disaster that was Riddler entered the house. Seriously! Who mixes deep green with neon purple? And not to even mention the Hawaiian shirt she could spot under his suit. Whoever dressed that guy deserved to be shot. And it had to be a custom job, because what store would dare to sell such monstrosity!? She also noted that people got on the ground so she did the same. Her senses tried to reach to nearest plants for some comfort, but all of them were fake. Why does no one keep real plants in this building? Then again, Mr. Drake had and they were almost dead.

“Well, hello Wayne Enterprises!” He greeted them. “Riddle me this: It belongs to you, but other people use it more than you do. What is it?”

“Name,” they heard a voice say from the back.

“Yes.” Riddler seethed. “And I really don’t like it when someone uses mine in their ridiculous stories. Now, which of you can tell me where I can find Lila Rossi?

NEXT

[thornedrose44]

Ends of the Earth (Part 2)

Part One or read on AO3

“Lena?” 

That was her first word, unsurprisingly, when she woke up after fending off the Children of the Earth. It was the only word she would ever speak as she drifted in and out of consciousness following her exposure to kryptonite over the course of three weeks. That in-and-out existence consisted of little more than fragmented memories of disjointed conversations and dodged questions overshadowed by the ever-present pain of her body healing itself after being pushed past its limits.

“Hey, hey, there… how are you feeling?” Alex soothed coming slowly into view as Kara’s eyes adjusted to the bright lights of the sunlamps for maybe the second or was it third… or maybe even fifth time...

“Thirsty…” Kara croaked out through dry lips. “And… pain…” Kara admitted, everything aching in a way it never had before.

“Here.” A straw was gently pressed against her lips, and she felt blissful water coat her mouth and throat. Kara was pretty sure it was the greatest drink of water she had ever had.

“Lena? Where’s Lena?” Kara repeated, her voice stronger now.

“Just rest for now, okay?” Alex requested, plumping the pillows behind Kara before ducking her head and fiddling with the machine at the side of the bed to increase Kara’s dose of analgesic which was effective at rapidly lulling the kryptonian back to dreamless, painless sleep.

The day eventually came where Kara was awake longer than a couple of minutes, where the ache was more of a residual hum than anything else and Kara’s mind was sharp enough to push for answers instead of being deterred by Alex and Eliza’s methods of dodging.

When the day came and Kara was given the truth, she would reflect back fleetingly on those three weeks of constant pain and recovery where she had little grasp of her own reality and wish, wish with everything she had, to go back to that state of being. Because this… the pain Kara felt on that day when she was presented with her new reality obliterated every other pain she had ever experienced, rendering them little more than stubbed toes in comparison.

*

“The portal wasn’t stable… you know that the power stabilisers weren’t in place yet; it required active management to prevent it going critical.”

“She stayed behind… she kept the portal open so that we… Kara, I’m so sorry...”

“It was unstable, it's… it’s very likely the portal exploded and… It would have been quick...”

“She said… she said… to tell you to be happy… Kara, she also… she also said something about looking forward to a sunset... Kara?”

“Kara? Say something, please…”

“Kara?”

“Kara?”

*

She stopped then. It was as if she ceased to exist. 

How could she exist when she no longer had a heart in her chest? 

Here she was on a whole new planet, and Kara couldn’t find the strength to get up and go see it.

She lived in her mind, going relentlessly over her memories of Lena, lost to a past she would do anything to change with absolutely no interest in building a future.

*

She would do things differently if she could. (So many things.) 

Kara sometimes wondered if she counted - her regrets versus the choices she would make again - which way the scales would tip…

There was a reason she never counted.

Kara knew that she was rather young to have so many regrets, so much weight on her shoulders and experiences that would scar her for the rest of her life. 

But, if she had to pick… if someone came to her and said there was one thing in her life she could change… it would be Lena. 

The problem, however, was that she didn’t know what specific choice or moment to change… there were too many options. So many of her snap decisions and cowardly actions had inflicted wounds on the youngest Luthor that would haunt Kara far worse than any of her own trauma could ever hope to.

She’d seen the story play out differently thanks to Mxyzptlk - but she doubted those versions, especially now after seeing how the future was more liquid than solid, able to change, fluctuate and bend around your fingers with only the smallest shift. Mxyzptlk had shown her some potential outcomes of different choices but that didn’t make them the only outcomes.

The obvious history rewrite would be to have told Lena her true identity far earlier but if Kara was honest with herself as she tried to be in all matters related to Lena - because Kara refused to sully a single memory or thought she had of Lena with falsehoods - telling Lena about Supergirl wasn’t what Kara thought about most whilst she laid there in bed rejecting her new reality. 

Her daydreams and fantasies didn’t centre around Supergirl. 

Kara refused to boil everything between her and Lena down to Lena’s relationship with only a single strand of her identity. It was Kara Zor-El and Lena that mattered, everything else was just decoration atop that foundation. 

The change Kara would enact, if given the chance, could have taken place at any time, during any one of her interactions with Lena.

If Kara could do everything again… she would make sure that this time around she told Lena that she loved her. (Explicitly stated it rather than hint around it with pretty words.)

Truly and deeply loved her. 

That Kara’s heart hadn’t been beating correctly in her chest, didn’t know what its actual purpose was other than to pump blood through her veins, until she met Lena. That there were parts of herself that only Lena could access, parts of herself that only Lena would ever see. 

*

She knew that declaring her love for Lena during their very first meeting would be too soon, too intense but she should have at least realised what the fluttering of her heart really meant, instead of presuming it was anxiety about meeting a Luthor. She should have known what was really happening and acted on it as her friendship with Lena blossomed, instead of assuming the butterflies in her stomach were nerves about lying. She should have seen Lena’s early romantic gestures (flowers and galas with potstickers) for what they really were, rather than running towards a man, that whilst good and kind, didn’t make her heart swell as it struggled to comprehend everything Lena made her feel.

By the time Kara actually realised what her heart had been screaming and begging for her to understand, she was trapped and tied up around a web of lies so thick and all consuming that she didn’t know how to get out from under them. 

But then, inevitably, came the truth, (far, far, far too late) and the subsequent loss of Lena.

That hurt. 

It wounded Kara in a way she’d never been wounded before. And with any injury you’d never experienced, Kara - likewise - didn't know how to treat it. Didn’t realise how she poked and prodded at it merely made it bleed even more fervently. She then tried to erase it, rid herself of the organ (her heart) in its entirety - the ‘villain’ serving as a scalpel designed to free herself of the wound that refused to heal. 

When her heart returned to her, it was beaten, withdrawn, and Kara didn’t know how to accept it back, how to fit it back inside of her chest. 

It was awkward between her and Lena now. In a way it had never been before.

It was Kelly that put it all into perspective, helped Kara see the damage wrought on her heart, helped slot it back into place, though it now had jagged edges that kept catching and digging with every movement. It was Kelly that explained abuse victims, how they sadly returned to their abusers, how Lena had done just that after finding out that her attempt at escape had merely led her back to the same pain the Luthors had inflicted over and over again. Lena’s second escape, second show of strength was incredible and should be admired, not punished.

Kara and the Superfriends had hung their heads in shame.

Brainy was the first to bridge the gap, him and Lena having always shared an understanding that no one else could touch. Two souls, told to fear themselves but constantly striving to prove themselves worthy.

Kara would hover nearby, struggling with the desire to reach out but the guilt of harm already inflicted keeping her away and then… then…

It was the end of the world and Kara told herself that everything else could wait.

That they could wait.

*

It never should have been soon, or later, or almost…

It should have been now…

This moment, right now!

Why did they keep fucking waiting?

All it did was result in missed opportunity after missed opportunity until there were no more ‘soon’s to come, and there would be no more ‘now’s to seize… all that was left was too late.

Too fucking late.

*

There were some memories that stood out more than others, the ones where they planned their future, the ones where Lena had bared herself to Kara in a way that made Kara feel so privileged, the ones where they had been so, so, so close to crossing that final gap between them and formally gifting each other their hearts wrapped lovingly and addressed solely to one another. It was those memories that Kara played on endless repeat as Alex shook her, screamed for her to come back, to snap out of her catatonic shell…

“On the coast.” Lena had replied when Kara had asked where she wanted to live when they arrived at their new home.

“I didn’t think you liked the beach?” Kara murmured, shuffling closer and closer until Lena’s back was pressed right against Kara’s front, Kara’s arms moving to wrap around Lena’s middle, just wanting to hold her close as she continued to work tirelessly.

“I didn’t say beach…” Lena hummed, glancing back over her shoulder with a teasing twinkle in her green eyes that had Kara bending her head down to bury her nose in long black hair that smelled of citrus - the generic shampoo that had been given out to everyone in the bunker. “I lived on the coast in Ireland…” Lena revealed, after a beat, her voice turning soft and sombre as it always did when she spoke of her mother and her life before the Luthors, causing Kara’s arms to gently squeeze Lena closer. “There were shingle beaches and cliffs… I just liked being able to hear the sound of the ocean. The waves hitting the shore… it was comforting.”

“Then a house on the coast you shall have.” Kara promised sincerely.

Lena laughed at that, “Oh, really? Are you going to build one for me?”

“No...” Kara replied, placing a quick kiss to the side of Lena’s head, “I’m going to build one for the both of us.” Lena stilled in her arms, her fingers moving away from the keyboard she had been typing on so that she could lay them over the top of Kara’s hands.

“Do you really want that?” Lena asked, quiet and disbelieving.

“Look at us, at this moment.” Kara requested, fingers flexing so that they interlaced with Lena’s easily. “I just want to be wherever you are.”

“Me too.” Lena replied, turning her head so that she could rest her forehead against Kara’s jaw, both of their eyes fluttering closed as they relished those rare few minutes that they could actually give solely to each other.

*

“It’s too much, sometimes…” Lena muttered, her hands shaking, after another long day, as she tried and failed to undo the buttons of her shirt so that she could finally slip into bed and sleep for a mere handful of hours before duty required her blood, sweat and tears all over again.

“I know.” Kara soothed, moving to kneel in front of Lena so that her own hands could reach out and gently take over the task. Kara’s fingers moved slowly, undoing each button with as much care as possible, her blue eyes politely averted as pale skin steadily became more and more visible. 

“It shouldn’t be me.” Lena whispered into the stillness, green eyes boring into blue as Kara tucked her fingers underneath the shoulders of Lena’s crisp white shirt to push it off and down her arms. “I get that they need my mind and my intelligence, I get that, I do… but they are looking at me to…” Lena trailed off, gaze going distant.

“To?” Kara prompted, folding the shirt with precise movements before retrieving her soft Midvale High School shirt that Lena had taken to sleeping in, holding it up for Lena to push her arms tiredly through.

“Inspire…” Lena huffed as she pushed her head through the neck-hole. “Me. The most cynical person alive.”

“That’s not true.” Kara asserted earning her a disbelieving eyebrow raise that had her shaking her head ruefully. “Okay, it’s somewhat true.” Kara admitted earning her a giggle of amusement that warmed Kara’s heart as she shifted to lay down on her side of the cot, opening her arms for Lena to fall into. 

“But it's not a bad thing. Not by a long shot.” Kara insisted seriously. “If it wasn’t for you, we would still be trying to fix the sun and billions of lives would have been lost whilst we accepted that we had to find another way. You’re not a cynic, though. I’ve watched you encounter stumbling block after stumbling block and you still…” Kara’s eyes roved over Lena’s fatigued, yet ever beautiful face, with wonder in her eyes. “Keep going… keep searching for a solution. A cynic wouldn’t do that. Couldn’t do that. You keep yourself grounded but you keep your eyes skywards. You inspire but you don’t lie. That’s what they did on Krypton, they liked sweet lies more than the harsh truth. You’re a balance of both.”

“Such tender words.” Lena remarked as a solitary index finger moved to tap affectionately against Kara’s lips.

“True words.” Kara corrected, puckering her lips to press something resembling a kiss to Lena’s finger, “If I was still leading... we would still be on the surface, my blind hope damning us all…”

Lena shook her head at that, harsh and firm, her hand moving to fully cup Kara’s face, “You’re wrong. So wrong.” 

“How so?”

“Firstly, that’s not what it is…” Lena explained, her legs tangling with Kara’s as Kara pulled the blanket over the both of them, “blind hope...”

“What is it, then?”

Lena pursed her lips thoughtfully as the hand on Kara’s cheek moved to comb through blonde hair, “Faith.”

“Faith?” Kara repeated, signature crease appearing between her brows at the term.

“Yes and it's a beautiful thing.” Lena breathed reverently, “It's probably the best thing about you.”

“I thought that was my blue eyes and handsome good looks.” Kara smirked, knowing if she leant into the moment they had created (sincere and loving), she wouldn’t be able to wait anymore… that soon wasn’t going to cut it.

“That’s second and third place, respectively.” Lena shot back immediately, fingers stilling for only a second before continuing their endless movement through Kara’s hair.

“It’s still blind.” Kara said, returning to the topic, now more confident that she could rein in her desire for the time being. “Just as likely to lead to a miracle as it would off a cliff.”

“Maybe.” Lena agreed, “But faith, in the face of insurmountable odds, is when the impossible happens.” Lena countered as she settled further into Kara’s warm embrace, cold nose pressed against a spot just underneath Kara’s jaw. “I would have given up if it wasn’t for you, a long time ago.”

“I’m glad my ability to make the perfect coffee has paid off in some way.” Kara joked.

“Don’t do that. Don’t minimise yourself.” Lena said, tone hard and serious, making Kara tense for a fleeting moment. “The only reason I keep going after each stumbling block is because of you. Because you believe that I can do it.” Lena revealed, her voice rising an octave to keep back the sting of tears. “Your unshakeable faith in me, gives me the strength to make the impossible happen. Don’t you dare ridicule it. Because I need it, Kara.” Lena declared, lifting her head so that Kara could see the watery sheen magnifying vibrant green eyes. “I need you to have faith in me because most days it's the only thing keeping me going.”

*

Kara sat up for the first time then, head ringing with the memory of Lena’s words.

Lena is alive and she is waiting.

Kara just had to have faith. And if there was one thing that Kara had more faith in than anything else in the universe, it was Lena. 

Lena is alive and she is waiting.

Kara whispered the mantra to herself over and over again as she staggered to her feet. Repeated it endlessly until it tattooed itself onto the walls of the empty chasm where her heart should be.

Lena is alive and she is waiting.

The words fuelled her faith and her faith fuelled the words like an endless repeating cycle as she walked out of her room and got to work.

*

“Lena is alive and she’s waiting.” Kara declared to Brainy, who blinked at her rapidly in surprise at the statement and her unexpected appearance after being unresponsive for over a month.

“How can you be sure?” Brainy questioned, choosing to ignore the multitude of questions related to Kara’s sudden revival.

“I can’t, but I am.” Kara replied, falling into the chair opposite humanity’s new chief scientist. “How do we save her?”

Brainy pursed his lips and remained silent for a long time, clearly trying to decide if he should push back against Kara’s assertion before nodding once in acceptance. “Short answer, I don’t know.” Brainy answered honestly. “Long answer, another transmat portal.”

“Okay, then let’s build one.” Kara demanded, banging a clenched fist against an open palm.

“If only it was that easy.” Brainy laughed drily, shaking his head in resignation.

Kara’s jaw clenched in determination, “Tell me what the problems are.”

“Kara, I don’t think-” Brainy started softly, beginning the gentle deterrence and refusal that Kara was now intimately familiar with, having come straight from meeting the leaders of humanity (which had now formed an official government - The Terran Coalition).

“Now, Brainy.” Kara ordered coldly, her expression darkening.

Brainy flinched in shock at the tone and command, but recovered quickly, getting to his feet to write on a nearby whiteboard. The first word he wrote in big block capitals was ‘MATERIALS’. 

“Firstly, we don’t have the materials to construct another transmat portal. We depleted our supply of a number of rare elements and compounds that were present on Earth but we don’t know if they are here on Terra Nova. If they’re not, we would need to fully re-design the portal from the ground up to take into consideration the impact of substitutions.” 

“Which brings us onto the next issue.” Brainy continued, adding another word just below the first one, ‘KNOWLEDGE’. “Lena knew the portals better than anyone, the rest of us understood the particular portal design that we used and different parts of the underlying theory but it was only Lena that truly understood the full picture. I, and the scientists that worked closely with Lena, have now been allocated to separate projects.” Brainy explained, gesturing around the lab they were currently sat in that had only one or two familiar faces that Kara recognised from all the time she spent at Lena’s side. “Projects to ensure we can safely make Terra Nova our home, projects that serve the whole of humanity.” Brainy grimaced as he stated a truth Kara was acutely aware of from her lengthy discussion with the Coalition that had resulted in neither her nor them walking away happy. “The leaders won’t allow time and resources to be pulled away to work on this. They just won’t. But let’s say you can create an entirely new portal from scratch with only a shoe-string budget and support… you then reach the biggest issue… One that even Lena never got around to solving.”

“What?” Kara prompted, blue eyes narrowing at this.

“Precision.” Brainy wrote it out in big, block letters adding it to the list. “For the portals we used, we were just aiming for a planet, even just the general vicinity of space around the planet. We didn’t have to ensure the portals adjusted to remain in a fixed location on the other side, we just had to make them not overlap. We shot the transports through and then let them finish off the journey. To get back to Lena and save her… you would need absolute precision. You would need to open it up within the bunker. You would need it to adjust to remain in that location, which would massively increase the amount of energy required to open it. Opening it anywhere else could put you and anyone that goes through in massive danger and there would be no way to get to Lena without putting her in danger either.” Brainy hung his head, capping his marker pen and moved forward to squeeze Kara’s shoulder comfortingly, “I’m sorry, Kara. But even if-”

“Materials. Knowledge. Precision.” Kara repeated firmly, gaze fixed with steely determination on the words scrawled across the board. Three words stopping her from getting Lena back. Three herculean tasks that Kara was ready to dedicate herself to mind, body and soul.

Lena had told her once that she could make Kara an expert in ten years.

Kara intended to prove that wrong - she would do it quicker than that, she had to.

Whilst she might not have Lena to teach her, she did have one hell of an incentive.

*

Terra Nova was without a doubt a beautiful planet. Lush forests, snow peaked mountains, tropical jungles and enticing black-sand beaches. It lacked a desert but the majority of people weren't too disappointed to find that particular biome missing.

The first city of Terra Nova was named after humanity's saviour, as it should be. The Coalition had approached Kara about it, wise enough to know that any slight, accidental or otherwise, against the (presumed deceased) youngest Luthor would provoke the retired hero. They were originally planning something like Luthorton but Kara had shot that down, point blank telling them that if they wanted to honour Lena it should be Lena's name that was remembered and not the family that had betrayed her.

Lenacity (pronounced like tenacity) would forever be known as the first city of Terra Nova, to forever serve as a beacon of hope to humanity. There was even a statue in Lena's honour erected in the very centre of the city.

Not that Kara had ever seen it, nor did she attend the dedication ceremony; she barely even read the announcement proclaiming the city's name.

Humanity built itself a new home, creating infrastructure and cities. Rebuilding themselves anew and making this planet truly theirs in a far more sustainable manner than on Earth - they now knew the pitfalls of industrialization and the Coalition made sure to avoid them this time around with scientists like Briany serving as their guide.

Kara, though, only had a vague awareness of the world being built up around her. She moved from her bed in the makeshift hospital to a back-room in Brainy’s lab to, eventually, her own lab inside Lenacity University - the Coalition arranging her a workspace and position as a thank you for her service during the end of the Earth.

Kara had a purpose, a purpose driven by seven words that Kara would mutter under her breath whenever her head began to ache as she struggled her way through textbooks and theorems…

Lena is alive and she is waiting.

Kara's life revolved around this one goal to the exclusion of all else. She barely ate and she only slept when her mind simply could not go on.

She was weaker here, on Terra Nova. And not just in the figurative sense (her soul and mind torn asunder at the loss of her heart). She still had her powers but they weren’t the same as they were on Earth. The atmosphere and Sun on Terra Nova was different to Earth so it wasn’t completely unexpected. 

She was still stronger than a human being, could still lift a car but not a bus.

She was faster than a human being, but not faster than a bullet.

Her hearing was still enhanced; she could hear the heartbeats of people in the room but it took considerable concentration now, and anything more than a street away was near impossible.

Heat vision was still there but attenuated; she could still heat up a coffee after it had gone cold but she wasn’t going to be destroying a space-ship anytime soon.

Flight was the biggest loss. It was still there but it was tiring now. It used to be easy, seamless but flying a considerable distance was like running a half-marathon after only minimal prep. 

There were other effects of her powers being diminished, her golden complexion and hair lost their sun-kissed experience - hair turning a darker blonde and skin slightly paler.

Whilst Kara never did anything physically demanding, nothing of interest on this planet to prompt her to move, at least in those early years (later years spent seeking the exact right materials for her plans exposed her to a number of wondrous sights that had little impact on the hero focused on her singular task), she was not taking care of herself.

She now understood what Lena went through during those two years, why it was so hard to get her to stop and just take care of herself.

Stopping to eat, sleep or relax in anyway required justification. Justifying time that could be spent helping someone else - saving someone else - on an activity that felt selfish. 

It was probably something Kara should have experienced more of during her time as Supergirl, but she had never struggled to put distance between herself and that role. Had never really hesitated to accept invitations to karaoke and sister nights. It was different now, though, now Kara was no longer justifying the time delay to some unknown randomer who may or may not need saving… now she was justifying it to Lena. 

Lena, who was trapped in a bleak bunker all alone.

Lena, who probably thought no one was coming to save her.

The weight fell off Kara, her muscles steadily eaten away, dark bags under her eyes becoming a permanent feature and her hair hastily cut short and jagged to minimise the care she had to give it.

The only thing that saved Kara from the damage she was slowly inflicting on herself was Alex.

*

That first year, Alex kept her distance - accepting Kara’s casual dismissals without push-back and her usual assertiveness. It wasn’t just Kara that had been changed by their permanent departure from Earth. The fire in Alex’s eyes had dimmed, her assertiveness tempered and her overall demeanour more quiet and withdrawn. Kara sympathised (distantly), knowing what it was like to leave her home behind but feeling that Kelly, Eliza and the other Superfriends would be a much more effective support system compared to anything Kara could offer at that time.

Alex would stop by every now and again, hands clasped behind her back, hovering timidly in the doorway, making her various pleas, “Kara, you need to eat.”

“I can’t right now, why don’t you go have lunch with Kelly?” That was Kara’s go to rejection, figuring it would at least encourage Alex to live her life, she deserved to. No point dragging Alex down with her.

Alex would nod once and hesitantly walk away, popping back up a week later with a plate of food in her hands that she would place in a rare empty space on Kara’s desk

“Hey-”, Alex would begin, seeking to break through Kara’s focus.

“Not now.” Kara would reply simply, no sharpness or venom to it, just a simple refusal. 

Kara couldn’t be what Alex needed. She had no heart in her chest and she didn’t want to expose Alex to the coldness that now resided in the space it once occupied. 

Kara had to get Lena back. Once she got Lena back, she could be herself again. Could feel and support like she always did before. 

“Alex, just… leave me alone.” Kara requested before Alex even had a chance to say a word.

It was a year of this. Kara retreating further and further into herself and her work; Alex on the outside, uncertain of how to reach her. Tentative and nervous when her relationship with Kara had been the one she was most certain of.

“I’m sorry.”

The apology was new and managed to get Kara to cast a curious glance over her shoulder to see Alex, head dropped, red hair forming a barrier to her expression and hands curled into painful fists at her sides as she trembled in the doorway.

“Alex, I don’t really have time for this-” Kara began, already turning away when...

“I know you blame me…” Alex whispered, her voice cracking in a way that Kara had never heard before.

That jerked Kara back, brought her momentarily back to her own body, out of her half-life existence as she turned back round to actually look at her sister for the first time in… months. She looked distraught. Brown eyes broken and crying, lips bitten and raw, her complexion pale and her entire being exuding exhaustion.

“Blame you? Blame you for what?” Kara questioned in total confusion, moving towards her sister without conscious thought.

“For Lena.” Alex gasped, wrapping her arms tightly around own body protectively, “I… I failed her and I failed you.”

Kara’s jaw dropped, her stomach sinking like lead through the floor as the realisation punched her squarely in the gut. Alex hadn’t been grieving for Earth, she had been punishing herself. Punishing herself for Lena and by extension what Kara had turned into. 

“Alex… no… I don’t…” Kara stammered, reaching out with shy fingers that had forgotten what it was like to make contact with another being. “Is that what you think?”

“You can barely look at me.” Alex cried, cringing in shame and guilt… and that… 

It’s awful to admit, but it was the first time Kara felt something other than hollow. After a year of deadened emotion, Kara remembered how to feel. Felt the barrier she had unknowingly crafted around herself cracking open just a slither. Just enough for her to remember her sister. Her solid ground and most trusted ally. The person who she could always depend on.  

“I can barely look at myself.” Alex continued, unaware how her own breakdown was reviving her sister back from her empty shell. “You love her so much and I... I couldn’t save her for you. You’ve lost so much and I now understand a fraction of that, just a tiny fraction and… I should have saved her. She was my friend, too. And she… she didn’t even… she gave so much and I couldn’t…”

“Alex, oh Rao, no… no… no…”  Kara murmured, finally stepping forward to wrap her arms around her sister that she had been hurting without realising. Everytime she had pushed Alex away in a bid to shield her from her emptiness, she had merely been reinforcing to Alex the misconception that she was to blame. “Come here. It wasn’t your fault, okay? It was mine. I left her side…”

“No! Kara!” Alex rejected loudly, even as her arms wrapped tightly around Kara in return. “No. You left her side because of me. Because I asked for Supergirl-”

“How long have you been carrying this?” Kara asked sadly, “How long?”

“Since we went through the portal.” Alex admitted, burying her face into Kara’s shoulder.

“Is that why… you thought I hated you?” Kara whispered as the sheer awfulness of it all threatened to overwhelm her.

“I would, if I was you…” Alex murmured.

“No, Alex never…” Kara refuted, not believing Alex’s statement in the slightest. She pulled back from the hug (the first hug Kara had since landing on Terra Nova), and wiped the tears off her sister’s cheeks with a brush of her thumb. “I love you, I just I… didn’t think… I didn’t think I could help you… I didn’t think I could give you what you needed…” Kara revealed, shaking her head dismally at her continued failures.

“I didn’t want you to give me anything… I just wanted my sister…” Alex confessed, causing the walls where Kara’s heart should be to clench reliving the phantom pain of being broken. “I’m sorry, too. You needed me as well.” Alex said softly, her gaze taking in Kara’s appearance.

“I’ve been busy,” Kara muttered, shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot under the scrutiny.

“Kara, you’re not doing well.” Alex stated bluntly.

Kara knew that she had let certain things slide about herself but they were meaningless in the grand scheme of things. “I need to do this. Lena is alive and she’s waiting.”

“Kara-” Alex began gently.

“Don’t! Don’t tell me I’m wrong!” Kara demanded, stepping back and lifting her chin in defiance. “If you’re not going to help me, fine. But don’t say she’s dead. At least not to my face.”

“I wasn’t.” Alex replied, jaw dropping in shock at Kara’s sudden emotional shift which instead of scaring Alex away only made her brown eyes sharpen with even deeper concern. “I wasn’t, Kara. But you need to look after yourself.” 

Kara’s gaze dropped to the floor, frowning harshly but holding her tongue, not wanting to inflict any further hurt on her sister.

“Listen… okay, listen to me.” Alex pleaded. It was her turn now to reach out to Kara, hands rubbing up and down Kara’s biceps to provide comfort, to bridge the gap between them. “You want to save Lena, right? How do you expect to do that if you’re not looking after yourself? You need to eat and sleep. You need to be at your best because that’s what she deserves.” Kara’s head tilted to the side at that, listening attentively. “You need to take time for yourself because… because when you save Lena… you should give her something strong and stable to lean onto, because she’ll need that. You need to look after yourself and your life so that when it's time... you can look after Lena.” Alex bent down catching clouded over blue eyes, deep in thought. “Okay?”

Kara didn’t reply for a long time, her mind whirring with this new perspective. She glanced at her hands that were trembling, remembered how Lena’s hands had shook under the insurmountable pressure and strain thrown on her. Lena deserved steady hands. Someone who didn’t swing from one emotional extreme to another. Someone who was ready for their heart to be returned.

“Okay… for Lena.” Kara breathed out.

Alex smiled at her, warm and tremulous, “Okay… Let’s get you something to eat.”

*

Kara became an oddity, something people whispered about with those pitiful gazes, like there was something wrong with her that could never be made right. She was a mascot, a joke, a piece of gossip shared and exaggerated, a tall tale told to children to warn them of the dangers of not letting go. 

The students at the university would creep to the edge of her lab to get a glimpse of her like it was a rite of passage. Every citizen knew her story. Knew Kara Danvers and Supergirl were one and the same, Kara Zor-El. Knew of the love she held for their Saviour, Lena Luthor. Knew that her sacrifice had destroyed Supergirl and left behind a changed woman that spent her days chasing fairytales.

The kind ones called her eccentric, felt she had more than earned her time away from the spotlight and didn’t judge her for not donning her cape again - Terra Nova didn’t need superheroes anyway.

The cruel ones, who had never suffered hardship or had suffered far too much of it (it was always one extreme or the other) called her delusional and callous for leaving humanity to rebuild on their own without their red-blue hero.  

She was no longer Supergirl. No longer Kara Danvers either. To everyone else, she was merely known as a woman trying to get back to Earth to save a ghost. A cautionary tale of a woman who had lost herself believing in something that was impossible.

The Tinman brought to life, seeking his heart that Dorothy had taken back to Kansas with her.

She left her lab now, after that first year of sheer self-destruction, understanding that in her pursuit of a ghost she couldn’t allow herself to become one either, because if Lena was there, waiting and Kara did manage to bring her home, then Kara wanted to have a home ready for her. She wanted to be ready for her.

So Kara leant into the support of her friends, ensured she was there for them, listened to them and gave them time and consideration. In turn, they didn’t pull her away from her work, planned around her experiments and happily came and sat in her lab, filling the air with conversation whilst Kara’s hands worked on pieces of equipment.

Kara’s years went by divided into three sectors, each uneven fraction dedicated to the tasks identified by Brainy at the very start. It took Kara two and a half years to get her knowledge to a decent enough level to truly comprehend the underpinning science and workings of the transmat portal technology. The largest chunk was next, five years on materials. 

Whilst Kara’s knowledge had reached a basic level that meant she could stand shoulder to shoulder with Lena’s previous team; re-designing the portal to account for materials no longer accessible required Kara to become an expert and pioneer. No longer memorising the work of others but forging her own path. 

Thankfully, her life wasn’t solely anchored by her scientific pursuits, in no small part due to Alex and the Superfriends. 

The years were also hallmarked by Kara’s loved ones own lives and their achievements.

Alex and Kelly were married during that second year post arrival on Terra Nova. Alex had been delaying the event until her and Kara were back on the same page. Kara stood as Alex’s maid of honour, the couple were wed on a black sand beach that was as close to Midvale-esque as they were ever going to get.

Following the wedding, Alex, after spending a couple of years providing tactical support to the Coalition, decided to return to medicine in a research-based capacity. The change provided a simpler routine that was more conducive to building a family and Alex (after the loss of her home planet) wanted to feel like she was putting something positive into the world and not just removing the negatives. 

The third year saw Brainy and Nia’s engagement. Yet again, Kara stood as maid of honour, for Nia this time - Brainy chose to stand alone, everyone knowing that it would have been Lena standing by his side in that moment and that any substitution would not have measured up to his best friend.

The fourth year was when Alex finally approached Kara about her living situation. There were plenty of houses now, people having settled into their own communities, having staked their claim on their own piece of land. Kara was rich, Lena having left her considerable wealth to Kara that had been translated into the Terra Novan Currency (TNC) - no one was going to deny the saviour their fortune. The Coalition had repeatedly made it clear that Kara would be granted approval for a residence more or less anywhere she pleased. She had yet to take them up on the offer. 

She was happy with the small, barely used apartment near the university that she only visited whenever Alex came to inform her she was well overdue a shower. 

“You need a home, Kara.” Alex had insisted, putting her foot down when Kara had yet again hosted sister’s night in her lab, having still not furnished her flat with anything resembling a couch. Kara had grumbled and groaned until Alex had pulled out her trump card. “Lena needs a home. When you bring her back, are you really going to make her crash in your lab?”

Kara applied for a piece of land near the coast, an hour’s journey from the city (only a twenty-five minute flight). Building a house there on the cliff where you could hear the water crashing against the rocks became a bonding activity amongst the Superfriends, an activity to bring them all together and away from their demanding jobs. It was the only time Kara felt something close to happiness… contentment. Sitting there on a bench, listening to the waves around a bonfire, sipping a beer with Alex, Kelly, Brainy and Nia (they were occasionally joined by Barry and Iris) talking about everything and nothing. 

Lena was a topic that could only be approached when they could tell Kara was settled and hopeful, it was never something to talk about when Kara started to grow morose and restless. They all spoke about the sights they wanted to show Lena, all the stories they would tell her.

 They would talk about what Lena might be upto in the bunker, how with all this time she had probably become fluent in nearly every language, mastered the violin, built herself a robot dog, finally got around to watching crappy reality television (that she had promised she would never watch). The suggestions were only ever light and happy. They were all aware that if Lena was alive down there, shut off from the light without hope of being saved, the psychological damage would be severe. 

That was the other thing… if…

Kara knew it was only her that truly believed Lena was still alive. Alex was the next most convinced purely because Kara needed her to believe. Brainy and Nia were doubtful but too kind to openly declare their doubts. Kelly played her cards close to her chest, it was hard to tell what she actually believed when it came to Lena’s fate. Her main concern, without a doubt, was Kara’s mental health.

Kara had put all of herself into saving Lena. The only thing keeping her going was saving the youngest Luthor, the only thing that could make Kara look after herself was by linking it to Lena in some way. 

Kara knew it wasn’t healthy, knew that if Lena wasn’t alive… she would most likely return to that catatonic state. It was just… she had lost so much… so, so, so much… and losing Lena was just the straw (entire barn of hay) that broke the camel’s back. 

It was Kelly that picked Kara up once a week and frog-marched her to see a psychiatrist who was attempting to get Kara to steadily start living for herself and not just for Lena. It was in vain but Kara took onboard the lessons as much as she could.

By the end of the fifth year, Kara’s house (built for her and Lena) was complete. Kara forced herself to fly back there every night, wanting the place to feel warm and lived in and a home.

By the sixth year, Kelly was pregnant and Kara was set to be an aunt any day now.

“I’ll be there, I promise.” Kara reassured her sister for the fourth time. Alex was on speakerphone providing company from afar as Kara ran an experiment with some of the new materials she had recently collected to assess their suitability. They were having a distanced sister’s night, what with Alex wanting to stay at home to look after Kelly, who was set to go into labour any day now. Alex’s nervousness was manifesting itself in her over-preparedness, regularly checking that the route to the hospital was free of traffic every fifteen minutes, that their to-go bag was prepped and that Kara wasn’t running off anywhere on another materials expedition anytime soon.

“Thanks, Kara.” Alex breathed in relief.

“Have you decided on a name yet?” Kara questioned.

“No,” Alex sighed defeatedly, “we keep going back and forth. I think we'll know when we meet her, you know? At least I hope so.”

“I’m sure you will.” Kara reassured, peering through a microscope, nimble fingers adjusting the magnification.

“Hey…” Alex said slowly, her tone shy and awkward enough that it earned Kara’s full attention. 

“What?”

“Did you and Lena ever…” Alex began softly, her voice trailing off as if the rest of the sentence wasn’t necessary. Kara stayed quiet, eyeing the phone warily, waiting her sister out. She heard the inhale of breath her sister took as if to suck in courage as well as air for what she was about to say next, “Did you and Lena ever talk about kids?”

Kara pursed her lips, and crossed her arms, gaze dropping to the floor, “Lena and I weren’t together.”

“I know…” Alex murmured back, there was a beat, before a whisper, “but did you?”

Kara swallowed thickly, blinking rapidly to dispel the tears and ease the phantom pain in her chest, “Yeah… yeah, we did.”

*

“Ugh… another five minutes.” Kara grumbled, pulling Lena, who was attempting to get up out of their small cot, closer into her body. 

“See, I knew your chirpy morning personality was a lie.” Lena chuckled, and Kara’s slumbering heart ached at how exhausted she sounded before the day had even begun.

“You caught me.” Kara whispered, smiling as she nuzzled into Lena’s back. “Sleep is glorious and there is nothing that should interrupt it.”

Kara didn’t need to look at the youngest Luthor’s face to know she was rolling her eyes. “And here I thought you wanted children at some point in the future...”

“Children that respect the sanctity of a good night’s sleep.” Kara replied, letting out a sleepy huff that caused Lena to shiver. 

“Good luck with that.” Lena teased, her hands moving to cover Kara’s that were wrapped around her waist. “Your children will be blue-eyed devils.”

“Luke and Lori.” Kara yawned without thinking.

“Hmm?”

“The blue-eyed devils.” Kara explained.

“You’ve already picked out the names?” Lena asked quietly, mildly surprised.

“Not hard, limited options.”

“How so?” Lena laughed, twisting round so that they were nose to nose.

Kara’s closed eyes fluttered upon feeling Lena’s warm breath against her face, she hid her reaction to it with a helpless shrug, “Had to both start with L.”

“L?” Lena scoffed, “Why would they-”

Lena’s voice cut out, realising the answer without needing to ask the question.

Kara opened one eye, catching sight of the shocked, awestruck expression on Lena’s face. “It’s tradition, isn’t it?” Kara murmured shyly.

“Yeah… yeah, it is.” Lena breathed, a tentative smile lighting up her face as she reached out to tuck a lock of golden hair behind Kara’s ear. “I like the names Lori and Luke.”

“You do?” Kara beamed, blue eyes opening fully and twinkling.

“Yeah, they’re the perfect names for our little blue-eyed devils.”

*

“I can do it.” Kara announced, landing hard and panting heavily causing her group of friends who were gathered around the bonfire outside Kara’s home to jump to their feet.

“Kara, what-” Alex began, holding little Amelia closer to her chest as the toddler reached out with grabby hands for her favourite aunt.

Kara ignored everyone and marched right up to Brainy, declaring wide-eyed and frantic, “I solved all three problems. I can save her.”

Brainy’s expression went slack, his eyes darting around the group which had fallen conspicuously silent. “Kara, I…” He began nervously.

“I know none of you believe me.” Kara said bluntly, finally pointing out the large elephant that was always in attendance whenever Kara interacted with them. “I know that.” Kara sighed, looking around her loved ones with a sad, understanding smile. “I especially know you’re afraid of what happens when that portal opens and I find out that Lena-” Kara shook her head - she had held onto her faith for over nine years now, she was not going to forsake it when she was in the final stretch. “I’m going, regardless. I can have the portal built in a month…” Kara revealed before looking back at Brainy pleadingly, “two weeks if you help me. I know you don’t believe me and I’m not going to ask you to. But I am going to ask you to help me.” Kara’s shoulders caved forwards, as she wrung her hands together on the precipice of actually begging. “Please, please help me…”

Brainy blinked once, let out a shuddering breath and then, “Okay…”

“We’ll all help…” Alex announced stepping forward to squeeze Kara’s shoulder. 

*

“Is that-” Kara started to ask as Brainy stepped forward holding out a familiar red and blue outfit Kara hadn’t laid eyes on for years, hadn’t worn for even longer.

The portal was ready, they were just waiting for the Coalition to divert the required power supply they needed. The Coalition had originally refused to give Kara the increased power she required since they, and the rest of humanity, fully believed Lena to be dead and that Kara’s obsession could only result in disaster - Brainy and Eliza had been the ones to convince them, leveraging their positions as Chief Scientist and Chief Medical Officer to gain their agreement.

“I figured… it was a special occasion.” Brainy murmured, smiling wanely at her. 

He and the rest of the Superfriends, including Eliza, had taken two weeks of holiday from their respective jobs so that they could help in whatever they could to get the portal active. 

“Thanks, Brainy.” Kara replied sincerely, accepting the familiar outfit and going to get changed.

It didn’t fit as well as it used to. 

She was thinner so it hung off in places, and the dark shadows to her face made the colours just that little bit less vibrant than Kara remembered them being. She was glad to be wearing it though. It was what she had worn the last day she had seen Lena over nine years ago. It felt right that she should be wearing it nine years later when they finally reunited.

“You have to promise me something.” Alex said as she stepped up to stand by Kara’s side as Brainy checked over the final calibrations Kara had made, before they turned the portal on. “If she’s… gone… you still need to come back, okay?” Alex demanded; Kara stared at her sister’s profile to see that her expression had hardened in an attempt to hold back a wave of emotion but the tremble to her bottom lip belied how futile the fight was. “I need my sister. I need you. So… no matter what you find… you come back and we’ll figure out the next step together.” Alex glanced over at Kara revealing watery brown eyes. “Promise me. I need you to say it.”

Kara hesitated for a long moment but the thought of inflicting the pain she had experienced after losing Lena on Alex… on little Amelia, gave her the strength to nod once, firm and sure. “I promise, no matter what I’ll come back through.”

“Okay,” Alex breathed out a shuddering breath before pulling Kara into a tight hug and muttering, “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” Kara replied, wrapping her arms tightly around her sister and knowing that in an hour or so, she would be different.

She would either have her heart back or know, without a doubt, that it had been lost forever.

When she stepped through the portal, a metal wire connecting her to her lab in Terra Nova, she waved once at her family and friends. None of them waved back, all just nodded mournfully.

They were all convinced that Kara would find nothing good on the other side. Convinced that they would lose this tinman version of Kara to something far worse. 

They didn’t wave because... who waves at a funeral?

Kara, though, gripped tighter onto her faith. 

Lena is alive and she is waiting.

And now… now… she was literally mere steps away.

Absence supposedly makes the heart grow fonder, but that wasn’t true in Kara’s case. Her heart had been in stasis, countless lightyears away. Her love was paused. Ready to unfurl and grow the second her heart was returned to her.

*

“Okay, I got the angle slightly wrong…” Kara admitted with a wince, nowhere near as invincible as she used to be - kryptonite no longer required to inflict damage that a particularly powerful gun or explosion could do.

“You fell face first, didn’t you?” Alex’s voice sassed over the comms line as Kara let out a pained groan.

“Yep, face planted…” Kara lifted her head, disappointed to find herself staring down a dim corridor. She had forgotten how cold the concrete walls of the bunker were after all this time (the bunker had always been warm to Kara, mostly because of how close she always stood to Lena). It was then that Kara noticed the tiny marks carved into the concrete wall; they filled nearly all of the available wall space and ran down the length of the corridor.

“You know you can fly, right?” Alex reminded her, trying far too hard to keep their conversation light, to keep Kara light...

“I know I can fly but I wasn’t thinking about flying and didn’t react in time…” Kara huffed struggling to her knees; turning her head to see if the marks continued down the other side of the corridor, “and-” 

The rest of her sentence died right there, turning to ash as she saw a figure at the other end of the corridor watching her.

“Kara, is everything okay? What’s happening?”

Kara knew the scenes in medical dramas where they shocked someone back to life were unrealistic and played for drama more than for accuracy, but… it was the closest description Kara could think of to explain what she went through in that moment. 

Her heart was thrown back into her chest and shocked to life. 

Lena was standing in front of her. 

Lena was alive and she had been waiting.

She looked… looked like a miracle to Kara. 

She was even paler now, no regular exposure to sunlight to keep a healthy complexion but other than that… she looked good. She was thinner but not in the same way as Kara. Her curves had receded to be replaced by muscles, her dark hair was still long but tied back in a practical ponytail, white hairs dotted here and there like stylish highlights rather than markers of growing old. 

Her green eyes, however, were dimmed and her fingers kept tapping away awkwardly and uncoordinated in a blatant display of a nervous tic. She was wearing a heavily faded Midvale High School shirt, doc martens, worn-out jeans with a heavy duty belt from which various random tools and pieces of machinery were clipped to. 

“You’re here… You’re really here…” Kara breathed out, her blue eyes drinking in the sight of Lena shifting shyly from foot to foot as she stroked the smooth metal surface of a piece of machinery standing as sentinel by her side for comfort. 

“Lena?! She’s alive!” 

Kara barely even registered the exclamation from her ear piece, her full focus entirely on the woman before her.

“Kara.” Lena murmured and oh, Rao… if hearing her name fall from Lena’s lips wasn’t the single greatest sound in the universe.

“Lena, you’re here…” Kara whispered totally awestruck, getting to her feet and taking slow, careful steps towards Lena, her fingers instinctively reaching out for the raven-haired woman.

“I don’t under-... this isn’t real… you’re not real… you can’t be real…” Lena stammered, shuffling backwards and away from Kara.

Kara couldn’t help the gasp of pain, her heart so close to being fully returned only to back away from her. It wasn’t even Lena putting space between them after so, so, so long apart… it was the fear and confusion in those green eyes that Kara had dreamt about every night that inflicted the true hurt.

The gasp of pain also came with the realisation that Lena wasn’t quite the same, that being alone and isolated had left its indelible mark… That Kara hadn’t saved all of her and that Lena hadn’t believed Kara would save her… and that… that broke Kara.

“Did I answer the knock? Is this a dream? Milo analyse the surroundings and conditions.” Lena ordered, dropping her gaze to her tablet as she tapped frantically against the screen, mumbling her every thought out loud. “Hallucination, most likely… potential causes… sleep deprivation? Unlikely, I have a set sleep schedule. Radioactivity has finally penetrated the bunker and has caused a multitude of health problems. Possible, though I take regular readings of-”

“Lena! Please, stop…” Kara cried, collapsing to her knees in front of Lena. “I’m here, okay? I’m really here!”

“No! No!” Lena shouted in return, “This isn’t real! Because… because… You’re meant to be married! You’re meant to be happy! You’re not meant to be here…” Lena’s breaths came out sharp and panicky, so obviously overwhelmed and Kara just wanted to soothe her.

If it was nine years ago Kara would know exactly how to do that. Back then Lena needed a grounding touch, needed to feel like she wasn’t alone, that someone was there to hold her and support her through it…

But would this Lena want that?

Would Lena jerk away from her touch? 

Barbed wire had curled around Kara’s heart making her wary of getting too close until she had tenderly uncoiled every piece of twisted metal that had been threaded through it.

Here’s the thing though… The barbed wire hurt Kara to touch but Lena, her heart, was living with it, had endured the wire being inserted and had learnt to survive its constant barbs, now here Kara was disturbing it all. Anything Kara did would inevitably hurt Lena in some small way - confusion, panic and uncertainty - the very least she could do is hold Lena closer, if that's what she wanted, and share the pain.

Kara’s fingers reached out, and made gentle contact. It was the softest that Kara had ever touched anything, because this… Lena… deserved everything to be soft and tender and beautiful….

She wanted to pull Lena’s hands away from her face but she didn’t want to force Lena in any way, she just wanted her to know that Kara was really there and was not going anywhere.  

Thankfully, miraculously… Lena leaned into her rather than away and Kara was gifted the scent of citrus with a hint of oil as Lena rested her forehead on Kara’s shoulder, accepting Kara’s support.

Her Lena was definitely still there and the barbed wire was not as copious as Kara had initially feared.

“Lena, how could I be happy without you?” Kara whispered, her fingers moving ever so carefully from Lena’s biceps, round to her back… so tenderly wrapping Lena up in her arms, finally, finally able to breathe after years of holding her breath. “Let me take you home, please, please Lena… let me take you away from here, please…” Kara begged, pressing featherlight lips against Lena’s forehead. “Let’s go see that sunset, yeah?”

Lena pulled away and before Kara had a chance to feel hurt about the distance, the kryptonian felt calloused, wonderful palms cupping her face and wiping away the tears that Kara hadn’t even realised she was shedding until Lena’s thumbs wiped them away. “You still want to? Even after all this time?”

Kara barely resisted the urge to laugh at the sheer preposterousness of the question. 

“It’s all I’ve thought about.” Kara confessed and she felt her face ache with the size of the smile trying to take over her face. 

And if Kara thought that seeing Lena, being reunited with her heart, couldn’t get any better she was about to be proven totally wrong because green eyes dipped down and honed in with intent. For the first time in nearly a decade Kara’s stomach swooped with that heady mixture of arousal and nerves that only Lena could evoke.

Kara breathed in sharply and leaned forward when-

“Sha-la-la-la-la-la, music play, do what the music say, you wanna kiss the girl.” Kara’s head whipped around to see a… a… robot dog singing????

Kara’s eyebrows shot up as the greyhound-shaped piece of metal with glowing green LED eyes, banged its tail excitedly on the floor as it moved its shiny head from Lena to Kara and back again.

“Thanks, Milo.” Lena chuckled wetly; Kara had forgotten what Lena’s throaty laugh sounded like and she could feel her whole body lighten up after hearing it that she had to will herself not to start hovering off the floor. “I have a robot dog, now.” Lena explained needlessly, cheeks turning an embarrassed pink that made Kara truly have faith that everything would be okay between them regardless of whatever came next.

“I can see that.” Kara replied with a laugh, her hand reaching out to brush through Lena’s dark hair, as she asked her voice brimming with hope, “Are you ready to go?”

“Yeah, yeah, I am…” Lena admitted with a fervent nod of her head before pressing a delicate kiss to Kara’s cheek. “I want to see that sunset.”

[queercapwriting]

To be honest I have a headcanon where Lena is like the baby gay and is trying so hard to flirt with Kara aka the oblivious bi mess we all know and love. Then like Lucy and Vasquez in the background and ending up helping the lil' luthor because while it's entertaining it's also mortifying to watch; with a heavy dose of good natured teasing from them towards both Lena and Kara.

“This is getting excruciating,” Vasquez muttered to Lucy, because really, it was.

Lena had been vouched for by a very protective Kara and a very defensive Supergirl and had been screened by a protective (of Kara) J’onn and given the all clear - so she’d been in the DEO about as much as Maggie had been of late.

But at least the older Danvers girl had finally figured out that those butterfly feelings were because she wanted to date Maggie, and when Maggie kissed her back, at least she finally understood that Maggie wanted to date her.

And so, they were dating.

But Kara and Lena?

Good Lord.

Lena was trying her damnedest. Wearing her hair in a high ponytail that made Kara gulp and splutter and go to adjust her glasses even when she wasn’t wearing them as Supergirl.

Leaning over Kara in the lab, Lucy and Vasquez not needing superhearing to know exactly how hard Lena’s heart was pounding as she tried to inch closer to Kara, tried to radiate to Kara that it was okay if Kara leaned in, too, that it was more than okay if Kara leaned in, too.

She was radiating it to everyone. Poor J’onn constantly looked like he had a headache. 

Lena was radiating it to everyone, it seemed, but Kara.

Kara, who kept gaping when Lena walked by and then snapping her head into a sharp shake, clearly telling herself that Lena wasn’t into her, that Lena wasn’t even into women, and Kara should just stop being such a bad friend already.

“I dunno, Vasquez,” Lucy shrugged, leaning back and putting her feet up on Winn’s desk, utterly unconcerned that he was trying to use his computer. “It’s kind of… amusing? Does that make me a terrible person?”

“Your utter disregard for my very advanced technology is what makes you a terrible person, Lane,” Winn muttered. Lucy ruffled his hair and begrudgingly took her feet down from his desk. She put them on his lap instead.

“Now you can use your very advanced technology,” she grinned. Winn glared for a moment before shrugging and continuing to program some complicated tech detector that Lucy only vaguely understood but deeply appreciated.

“And it is, by the way,” Winn added, not even needing to look up from his work to hear Lena’s extra breathy laugh at something utterly less than funny Kara had said. “Both excruciating and hilarious. We should do something to help, though. Because poor Lena. I’ve been there. Kara’s not gonna get it until Lena tattoos it onto her forehead.” He furrowed his brow. “You know what. Maybe not even then.”

He turned and sighed, shaking his head affectionately at Kara. “Seriously. You guys need to save Lena from… this. And J’onn. The man looks like he is suffering.”

“I am suffering, Mr. Schott,” J’onn murmured as he walked by behind them. “Don’t you all have things you need to be doing?”

“Like curing your headache? Sir?” Vasquez asked. J’onn covered his face with his hand, knowing when his children had defeated him. 

“Sure, Agent Vasquez. By all means, assist Ms. Luthor. Just… just don’t think so loudly about it.”

Lucy kicked her feet off Winn’s lap and snapped to attention with a grin. “Thank you, sir.”

“Good God,” J’onn just muttered as he walked away.

“Anything I can do, Papa Bear?” Winn asked.

“You can never call me that again,” J’onn said, but the smile in his eyes was obvious, and Winn didn’t stop grinning for the rest of the day.

+++

“Um, excuse me, Ms. Luthor. Ma’am. Can I borrow you?”

Lena turned away from Kara with raised eyebrows, raw and hopeless want still frozen in her eyes. “It’s Lena, really. Just Lena. I’d prefer it, truly.”

“Ms. Lena. Ma’am.”

Lena sighed and laughed, putting her hand on Kara’s arm. Lucy and Vasquez watched Kara’s heart beat out of her chest at the contact, and it was all either of them could do to not groan aloud.

“I’ll be back,” Lena told Kara, who looked like she was still trying to remember Earth languages. “Lead the way,” she told Vasquez gamely.

But she and Lucy didn’t lead Lena to the lab. They led her to the armory.

“Does J’onn think I need to learn how to defend myself better?” Lena asked, concern in her voice.

“No, actually, he knows exactly how well you can kick ass,” Lucy smirked, hopping up to sit casually on one of the old targets Winn was reprogramming to move in and out of the visible spectrum. 

Vasquez closed the door behind them. “We just needed someplace quiet to talk.’

Lena visibly stiffened. “Have I done something wrong?” Her voice lost all the softness it had been acquiring of late, leaning more toward the stern CEO her mother had trained her to be.

Defense after defense after defense.

Lucy softened and put her hands out to Lena. “No, God, sorry. Listen, I’m a military brat and Vasquez has been a secret agent since birth, I guess we don’t know how to do anything without being…”

“Extra?”

“Terrifying?”

“Extra terrifying?”

“I was going to say suspiciously secretive.”

Lena huffed, but her shoulders relaxed just slightly even as she hugged herself. “Well? What is it, then?”

Lucy Lane was straight - well, not straight, but it was just an expression, after all - out of the JAG Corps, so she didn’t really see much point in indirectness.

“You’re in love with Supergirl. Kara. Everyone knows she’s the same person, it’s not like the glasses exactly do much and it’s not like Alex doesn’t constantly call Supergirl her sister and it’s not like you’re exactly stupid.”

Lena was blinking like her contacts were acting up, and her shoulders were back to being tense.

“I… think she’s still hung up on that first part you said, Luce. The in love part.”

“Yes, I am,” Lena said, barely at a whisper. “I am… I’m not even ou… how did you -”

“Military training.”

“Spy stuff.”

“Also, we have eyes.”

“And ears.”

“And we’ve seen -”

“And heard -”

“You two interact once or twice.”

Lena blinked again. “Do you two ever -”

“Not finish each other’s sentences? Occasionally.” 

“Yeah, but you should see my friends Fitz-Simmons, we’re not nearly as bad as they are,” Vasquez shrugged. “But you’re changing the subject, Ms. Luthor. Ms. - Lena. Crap, okay. Lena. You’re changing the subject.”

“I… okay. Well.” Lena’s shoulders were tense again. Very much so. But there was also something that might have been hope with a dash of excitement in her eyes. Like she finally had people to talk to about… all this.

“Well, what if I were?” She lowered her voice. “In love with Kara?”

“Well then,” Lucy smiled from ear to ear, “we’re going to help you, because honey, Kara is not going to pick up on subtle cues.”

“The consummate disaster bisexual.”

“So she is into girls?”

“Oh yeah.”

“Most definitely.”

“100%.”

Lena visibly relaxed - this conversation really seemed to be wreaking havoc on her nervous system - and bit her lip. 

“Am I really being that pathetic?”

“Not at all,” Vasquez shook her head. “No, you’re just flirting your ass off. And it’s not bad - your flirting or your ass… um. Respectfully. Ma’am.”

“It’s Lena. And thank you.”

“Lena. You’re not being pathetic. It’s just that Kara…”

“Kara is one of the smartest women I’ve ever met,” Lucy said. “She’s also just as a big of a disaster as her sister.”

“Which means?”

“Which means you need our help.”

Lena sighed, her eyes nothing but vulnerable. “But do you think it even would be worth it? Do you think she even feels… anything for me?”

“Oh, she does,” Lucy nodded, her eyes glistening as plan after plan formed behind them. “She definitely does.”

+++

Two hours later, Lucy leaned back onto the desk Kara was standing at, looking over some surveillance footage with Winn. 

Lucy had, over course, fully briefed Winn over comms.

Alex also knew. As did Maggie.

As did J’onn, though much to his dismay, no one had to tell him with their words.

“Hey Kara,” Lucy said, her voice so deliberately casual that Alex rolled her eyes from all the way across the room. 

“Oh Rao, what could you possibly want?” Kara asked, because she might be oblivious when people liked her, but she certainly wasn’t stupid.

“Want? Me? I don’t want anything. World peace, maybe. Or, galactic peace, that would be nice.”

“Lucy.”

“Kara.”

“I’m busy. The whole Supergirl thing?”

“Right,” Lucy said, and Winn looked over his shoulder to exchange an exasperated glance with Alex, who was pretending very badly to be looking over a situation report. “That’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about. You’re so busy, all the time now, you know? Big promotion at CatCo, all the chaos here… Have you had any time, you know… for yourself?”

Kara frowned. “You know I do, Lucy. We have game nights once a week, and you know I have sisters’ nights with Alex -”

“I meant sex, Kara.”

“Oh my God.” Winn let his head bang down on his desk and Alex glared at Vasquez like this was all her fault. Lena, per their plan, was nowhere in ear shot.

“Are you making time for sex? Or, dating, if you don’t want to have sex, because that’s, you know, perfectly fine, if you’re not into that. Or either. That’s okay too, but I was just -”

“I am,” Kara grabbed at Lucy’s wrist and lowered it, like the gesture would also lower Lucy’s voice. “Into those things. Sometimes. With the right… person.”

“Okay, cool. And if I thought I found someone right for you… would you… be interested?”

“Are you setting me up, Lucy? Because for a military lawyer turned secret agent, you’re pretty un-subtle.”

Lucy waved her off. “I’m not going for subtly, Kara. You wouldn’t see subtly if it flirted with you right in the face. Which is exactly the problem.”

Kara went to adjust her glasses before realizing they weren’t on. “What are you talking about?”

“Lena,” Alex mouthed from across the room, and Vasquez hit her on the arm before springing to attention and mouthing an apology. Alex grinned, and Vasquez relaxed.

“It’s like when I liked you, Kara, remember?” Winn blurted. “It was years, you know, and you just really… couldn’t tell.”

“Oh, Winn, are you still - I’m so sorry, it -”

“No, no, James and I are doing great. I love you, Kara, but romantically you’re yesterday’s news -”

“And our incestuous dating pool keeps getting more and more mixed,” Lucy grinned, clapping Winn on the shoulder. “You have excellent taste, my friend.”

“As do you,” Winn gave a little bow from his seat.

“Where is this all going?” Kara asked, dropping her voice to Supergirl level, which was when Vasquez happened to be walking by.

“Supergirl. Ma’am. There’s a situation in the lab the requires your attention. Um. Urgently.”

“Smooth,” Alex whispered as Kara nodded efficiently and practically flew down to the lab.

“What’s the situation? Is everything - oh. Oh. This… doesn’t look like the lab.”

Because it really didn’t. Lucy and Vasquez - with more than a little help from Winn and Alex, while Maggie talked Lena through her excitement and terror in the adjacent room, and a bit of help from J’onn, who really just needed his children to stop thinking so loudly about all of this - had transformed the lab into a romantic dinner for two, complete with candles and a couple bottles of wine on ice (including a Kryptonian version for Kara) and a tablecloth Winn had handstitched for his first home date with James.

There were steaming potstickers and pancakes piled high on the table - because it was Kara Danvers, after all, and Lena had insisted on making sure she had her favorite things - and Lucy had insisted right back that Lena was one of them.

Lena had almost believed her when Alex vehemently agreed.

And then there was Lena. 

She wasn’t in a lab coat and - thank Rao - she wasn’t in any danger. Well, danger of passing out from excited nerves, maybe, but it wasn’t some type of emergency like Kara had thought.

“We had it redone. Just for the evening. Alex gave her consent, don’t worry.”

Kara didn’t look worried. No, that wasn’t the word.

Because Lena was in this red dress, subtle but tight and Rao, Kara had never… she wasn’t… words.

Words were failing her. Language was eluding her. Breath was completely escaping her.

“Lena, what…”

“I’ve been told that I’ve been too subtle in my attempts to flirt with you. So we decided - I decided - that it was time to just… tell you.” She straightened up, at once the woman her mother had trained her to be and every bit her own person. It was intoxicating. She was intoxicating.

“Tell me?”

“That I want you. Um. To date you. That you’re my best friend and you’re an enormous dork and your body is almost as beautiful as your heart and Maggie says we should kiss the girls we want to kiss and I -”

But Kara was already across the room, her hands were already on Lena’s waist, her forehead already pressed delicately against hers.

“You want me to kiss you?” Kara asked, in the most heady combination of her Supergirl and Kara voice she’d ever found.

“I do,” Lena whispered, so Kara… Kara did.

“Victory is mine!” Lucy made them both jump, until the combined force of Vasquez, Alex, and Winn dragged her away, leaving Kara and Lena to finally… admit some things to each other.

[marvelousimagines]

I Wish I Never

Lena Luthor x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 3,003

Summary:

Warnings: Angst

Note: I hope this is what you were looking for.

You close your eyes against the incessant pounding of your head. Trying to abate the oncoming migraine before it began. You know that you should just call her but you couldn’t bring yourself to. You couldn’t bring yourself to feel that heart break again. Even if it meant that you would feel better in the long run. You know that you should at least talk to someone, but every time you tried you retreated back into yourself. 

No one would be able to understand what happened. Not without someone being the bad guy and you refused to have her be the villain in this. Not when she was the villain in so many other narratives already. 

Though that didn’t stop your heart from breaking every time you remembered the green of her eyes. The almost childlike innocence that had appeared in those emerald orbs when you offered for her to spend the night. You had been working on a new proposal for her company and hadn’t even noticed the hours slip by; until it was almost midnight. She had been adamant that it was okay and that she could just call her driver, but you had refused. You didn’t want her going out at night when she was clearly tired, but you know that she would never care about her own personal welfare. So you had gone with the driver’s. 

You remember the moment she caved because she didn’t want to make the man get out of bed so late. 

You still remember the triumph that you had felt worm its way into your chest at the sight. 

You only wish that feeling could have lasted. 

I know that I'm better off on my own

I wish I never let you sleep in my room

Been thinking 'bout a way that I could take back

The night I lost myself in you

You know that your guest bedroom’s bed wasn’t the most comfortable so you had offered her yours. Knowing just how much she had worked that day, and not wanting her to sleep on something that could keep her up all night. She had refused, of course, because she was Lena Luthor, and she wouldn’t be a Luthor if she wasn’t stubborn. (Really the only thing that she had in common with that namesake.) 

You had made a compromise instead. You would share the bed, which shouldn’t be that awkward because she was one of your best friends even if she was your boss. So, slipping underneath the covers, you turned off the lights and got ready to fall asleep. Very much aware of the warm body that was laying next to you. The warm puffs of air that were hitting the side of your neck, because Lena had shifted closer to you. Wanting to conserve body heat in the middle of National City’s winter. 

You wish that it didn’t affect you that way that it had. Maybe none of this would have happened if it hadn’t.

You know that everytime I hear your name I replay

Your fingertips against my frame and lose faith

Been praying for a way that I could feel saved

But I'll never get over you

Wish that I had never let you love me although you said you never did

Closing your eyes you try to forget the feeling of Lena’s hands on your body. You try to forget the feeling of her lips working their way down. You try to forget the love and warmth you had felt in her embrace. 

You try to forget the pain that followed in the morning. Even though you know it was impossible because one does not simply forget Lena Luthor. You know that you will always remember the sight of her retreating into herself. Her walls coming back up and scathing words leaving her lips. 

“It was a fun time and that was it. Why do you have to make it so complicated? We shared a bed and a few good hours together, nothing more. All right?”

You remember the numbness that had spread through your body at those words. Only allowing yourself to nod before retreating back into your room. Closing the door and ignoring the sight of the normally neat and orderly bed in a state of disarray. Because, if it meant nothing to her why should it mean anything to you?

The answer to that question was simple. It meant everything to you because you love her.

I wish you would've slept in the guest room

'Cause maybe I'd still feel alive without you

I'm pretty sure that all of this was my fault

I'm the one who kissed you first and took my clothes off

You know how to make me feel all alone

Ever since that day you had done your best to avoid her. Desperately wanting things to return to the way they were, but you know that they never would. There was nothing you could that would change what happened. Not that you would change anything in the first place. Because, at least, you got Lena in some way, and even though you weren’t able to keep her you were still able to have her.  

Which probably made everything worse in the long run, because you just couldn’t let her go. No matter how much your brain pleaded with your heart. It was like a dog with its favorite toy, refusing to give it up for even a moment. With each beat of your it you’re constantly reminded of what you gained that night.

And everything that you lost. 

Pressing your head against the pane of glass in front of you, you try to ignore everything. Your brow crinkling with the effort of the act, but you know it would be for naught. Everything reminded you of her. Your apartment was riddled with the memories of her. The phantom of her presence haunting every inch of the place. 

And it’s not like I can go outside to forget all my troubles either, you think bitterly as you stare out across the expanse of National City. She’s tainted everything.

Every safe place that you used to have would remind you of her presence, and the subsequent heartbreak she had thrust upon you. You were truly all alone in a city of millions. A feat that only Lena Luthor could have ever accomplished. 

But when I'm underneath your teeth it feels just like home

You said that we shouldn't make love and just fucking

Find another way to heal

You know you drain me of myself 'til I can't see straight

Been thinking 'bout your body in the worst way

Wish that I could remove you from my veins

'Cause I'm sick of feeling so betrayed

You know that the healthy thing to do would be to forget about her. To stop moping about your apartment and actually do something productive, but every time you tried something withered in you even more. It was like your body didn’t want to get rid of Lena and the memories you shared. 

Every time you started to move on your mind started replaying memories of past events. When you were about to throw away the coffee maker Lena had given you. Your brain provided you the image of her large smile as she presented it to you. Her emerald green eyes shining with excitement that she was able to get something for you. The first of many gifts that now littered your apartment, and only served to worsen your heart ache. 

When you were about to take down the many pictures that hung on your walls. Your brain reminded you of the happy moments that had happened to create such beautiful images. The happy memory of the picnic you both had shared in the park. Lena wrapping herself in her coat trying not to show you how cold she actually was. The short laugh you had given as you pulled her into your side. Your words were filled with genuine exasperation and affection. “You Luthor’s truly are stubborn aren’t you?” The glare Lena had sent towards, no heat actually behind it, and feeling of warmth you had felt when she only snuggled further into your side.

Yes, your mind liked to play tricks with you. One moment it was trying to convince you to get rid of Lena, and everything that you had shared, but the next, when you were actually doing, it desperately clung on to her memory. Maybe it wasn’t ready to give her up either. Wasn’t able to give up the memories that you both had made, and the happiness that had always been a constant.  Just like your heart wasn’t willing to give up the love you had started to feel for her. Love that was never given the chance to grow. 

Sighing, you drop your head into your hands. Rubbing your temples in agitation at your inaction. It was driving you mad that you couldn’t do anything. You couldn’t go outside because everything reminded you of Lena. You couldn’t go into your bedroom for longer than a few minutes because that reminded you of Lena. You couldn’t sit still in your apartment because everything within it reminded you of Lena. No matter how hard you tried nothing you could ever do would make you forget her.

Lena Luthor was in your veins and there was nothing you could do to get her out. Every time your heartbeat it was with the song of her laugh. Causing your entire body to thrum with life, because Lena was everything you could ever want. 

It wasn’t a surprise that she didn’t want you in return. 

And I thought I'd mean something to you

More than skin to put your skin on

And I thought I'd mean something to you

Hearing a sudden rapping on your day causes your body to stiffen. Your eyes staring at the door with something akin to suspicion. You were half convinced it was either Kara or Alex coming to check on you, but you quickly rule them out. Kara would have announced her presence all ready, and Alex would have just waltzed in like she owned the place. Then who could it be? 

You don’t think any of your other friends would have noticed your sudden lack in social interaction. After all you had done it countless times before when you were working on a project. The only exceptions being the Danver sisters, because they were freakishly perceptive when they wanted to be. 

Another set of knocking rouses you from your thoughts and, not wanting to keep whoever’s on the other side waiting, you stand. Making your way to the door you try to think of anyone it could possibly be. Maybe Winn? 

However, when you open the door your eyes widen at the person you see. Your back stiffening and your arm tensing on the doorknob. Lena Luthor in all of her glory stood before you. Out of its usual updo her hair spills across her shoulders. The raven locks shining underneath the hallway lights of your building. Though none of that truly surprises you, not even the fact that Lena was in casual wear. Having become fairly familiarized with her in such attire. 

What does surprise you, and causes you to pause, were her eyes. Eyes that you could let yourself drown in if you were allowed to. Eyes that were normally so stoic with a hint of adoration and mischief, were now completely open. All of the emotions that would have previously been hidden were laid bare for you to see. In a beautiful display of heat break and agony, all standing out against the green of her eyes. The beautiful emerald color standing out against the red rim surrounding them. 

Finally, after a moment, you clear your throat to speak. “Lena? What are you doing here?” You don’t mean for your tone to come out harsh, but it does, and you wince slightly at it. Though it had no comparison when in regards to Lena’s reaction. You don’t think you’ve ever seen Lena Luthor look so defeated before. 

“I know I’m probably the last person you want to see,” a short scoff interrupts her words. Her eyes flashing with annoyance, but you know that it wasn’t directed at you. “No. I know I’m the last person you want to see, but you’re the first for me. And I need to apologize to you. I need to make things right between us.”

Shifting slightly you aren’t sure exactly what to do. You know what your heart wanted you to do, but it wasn’t that simple. You couldn’t just bring Lena into your arms and forgive her. She had hurt you more than anyone ever has, but that also doesn’t mean you would leave her out on your threshold. So you square your shoulders and step to the side, permeating the CEO entrance. 

You watch silently as Lena moves through your apartment. The door closes softly behind her, but you stay next to it. Keeping the distance between the both of you. You know that if you get any closer you’ll fold faster than Kara does when you’re playing poker. 

Lena, noticing the distance between your bodies, moves closer to you. Not stopping until she’s standing in front of you. Until she’s practically touching you, and you have to fight every urge in your body from reaching for her hand. 

“What do you have to say, Lena?” you ask, trying to keep your voice unaffected. She didn’t need to know how much power she still held over you. Her being this close was already painful enough. 

“Oh, darling, I have so much to say but I will never be able to say it all in this lifetime,” she responds, a brief smile flashing across her face. Before her face becomes serious again, and you automatically miss the smile. It had been so long since you had seen it. “But one of the most important things I have to tell you is how sorry I am. The way I treated you after our night together is inexcusable, and I don’t think I will ever forgive myself for it. I have never felt more like a villain than when you turned away from me. I have never felt more like a Luthor than when I let you walk away from me. I pushed you away because I thought that was best. I thought you would be better without me, because of my name and everything that it brings. But I forgot one innate thing that every Luthor shares.” There Lena pauses to catch her breath. Her eyes search your face as she does, but you can’t do anything but stare. Trying to process her words as best as you can. Taking your silence as your confirmation that you were still listening she begins to speak once more. Her words came out almost cynical. “Luthor’s are selfish beings, and I will be the first to admit that what I’m doing is selfish. I tried to do the honorable thing and let you go, but I can’t. I can’t let the one person who looks at me like I’m there whole world slip away. I can’t, and I won’t, let you go, and if that makes me selfish? Well then I don’t want to be anything else.” 

You were pretty sure your brain wasn’t working anymore, and that you were about to have a heart attack. “What was the other thing?” Lena’s confused look at your question prompts you to keep speaking. “You said that saying sorry was one of the things you came here to tell me. What is the other?”

You aren’t sure what you’re expecting but Lena stepping forward and taking your hands certainly wasn’t it. Her soft gaze leveled onto your own, and you feel like you can’t breathe. Not when she was looking at you like you were the most important thing in the world. You watch, with bated breath, as Lena seems to prepare herself for what she’s about to say. But, after a moment, her smile grows into a breathtaking grin. Her eyes shimmering in the light because of her happiness. “Something that I should have told you long ago, but I was never brave enough to. I’m so sorry these are the circumstances in which I’m telling you this, darling, but I do not regret saying these words,” she says, her voice unwavering with its conviction. “I love you. More than I have ever loved anything.”

You didn’t know what you were doing but soon your lips were on hers, and it was so much different than the last time you had kissed. This time it wasn’t hurried nor was it with a frenzied passion. It was slow and it was the feeling of coming after a hard journey back. It was reacquainting two beings that were never supposed to be apart to begin with. 

It was everything and more you could have ever hoped for, and you weren’t surprised that Lena Luthor was the one to give it to you. 

I'm pretty sure that all of this was my fault

I'm the one who kissed you first and took my clothes off

Yes, it may have been your fault that all the heartbreak had begun. Maybe, not necessarily for it to have continued in the first place, but your decision definitely did have a part in the entire thing. If you hadn’t offered Lena your bed you weren’t sure you would be currently sharing hers. If you hadn’t kissed her first you weren’t sure her lips would be on yours ever again. If you had let her sleep in the guest room you weren’t sure you would have the love of your life in your arms. 

So, yes, it may have been your fault, but you are more than happy to take the blame. After all you were the one that kissed her first. 

So it’s only fair. 

[coeurdastronaute]

Either/Or: Single 9

Previously on Single

Things were going well. Things were going outrageously well, and Lena didn’t know what to do about it. Sometimes, she didn’t even think about it, just kind of did it. As much as she wanted to overthink her way out of everything, it just didn’t happen, because Kara was easy, and Lena felt good, for the first time in such a long time. It was like waking up and realizing she hadn’t been aware of so many things. 

Most importantly, Lena was finding that she just fit well with Kara Danvers. She fit well enough to be comfortable, and she wasn’t sure that she’d ever been comfortable with another person, and as foreign as it was, Lena wasn’t running away, as she thought she might. Weirdly enough, she stuck around. 

“I’m sorry I’m late. I am so sorry. I got stuck on the phone. I’m so so sorry,” Lena chattered as she hurried to sit down at the table her girlfriend held. 

“Hey, take a breath,” Kara chuckled and waited until Lena actually took a breath. She smiled and waited. “I got your text. Don’t worry. It’s okay.” 

“I know, but I didn’t mean to be late.” 

“I’d hope not. I’m a great lunch companion.” 

“That’s true. My favorite.” 

Kara beamed, and Lena loved that smile. She loved the feeling of making Kara smile the most because she never imagined she was someone who was funny enough to make anyone, let alone Kara smile. 

“You look very pretty today,” Kara offered. “Even when you’re all frazzled.” 

“I’m never frazzled. I am a Luthor. We do not get frazzled.” 

“Tell that to the girl who just ran into Gio’s like her butt was on fire.” 

“You look beautiful, by the way.”

“There’s my girl.” 

Lunch dates were a fairly new invention to Lena who was used to dates late in the evening after work, usually with drinks, usually with sex after. That was the extent of the interactions she had in the dating world. But lunch dates were honestly the best. It meant Lena got out of the office, and it meant an hour of solid flirting and talking with Kara, uninterrupted by anything else. Sometimes, lunch dates were in one of their respective office, and sometimes it was in a new restaurant or an old favorite. Lena made sure to ask Kara at least once per week. She was doing her best to quantify being a girlfriend, and a great one. 

Most of the time they were successful in being uninterrupted. It was easy to do when even Jess was fond of letting Lena have those lunches. 

“Oh, I’m sorry, but I have to…” Kara trailed off as she looked at the number that appeared on her phone. 

“I’ll allow it, as the better girlfriend.” 

She rolled her eyes before picking up the call and excusing herself from the table to take it outside. Lena smiled into her glass and grabbed another slice of pizza from the shared tray between them. Even though she now had the moment to do it, Lena didn’t bother picking up her phone. 

“Can you take care of the check with this?” she smiled politely at the waitress and handed over her card. “And if you could, two orders of tiramisu, one for the table, and one to go.” 

“Of course, Ms. Luthor. How was everything?” 

“Gio is going to be responsible for my wardrobe not fitting.” 

“It’s worse working here. I have to work out twice as much.” 

“I can’t imagine. My girlfriend has the metabolism of a greyhound. I’ve never been more jealous.” 

“That’s a superpower I would want most of all. Eat all of the carbs and they didn’t count,” she chuckled and picked up a few plates and glasses. “I’ll be right back with that. And I’ll box up this up for you.” 

“Thanks.” 

It took a few more minutes, but Kara came back to the table, noticeably more sullen than when she walked outside. 

“That face doesn’t look like someone who has tiramisu on the way and another to take home for their afternoon snack.” 

“God, you’re the best,” the reporter sighed, though her mood didn’t improve. “That was a lead on my pollution story. I wasn’t sure I’d get the chance to interview a controller and purchaser for the state, but there was an opening through a friend of a friend. What?” 

“Nothing, you’re just… I like when you talk about work. Usually it’s me that does that. It’s refreshing. Tell me more.” 

The tiramisu was placed in front of them, and Kara picked up a fork immediately as she kept talking. 

“I’ve been waiting for a break, or at least a chance to ask some real questions. I mean, I’ve practically memorized the budget for waste management and funding for companies and their waste. But I haven’t been able to get anyone to go on record.”

“But you’ve found someone,” Lena reminded her, taking a bite of the shared dessert. She watched Kara watch her lips and gulp before going for more. 

“I, uh, yeah, I do. But I don’t have anyone to watch Katie. Alex is away on her anniversary trip, my mom is at a conference. And I can’t string together everyone else. It wouldn’t work.” 

“Ow long do you have to go for?” 

“Should just be like two days. I have to go the capitol. But I can fly back. You know. Like… fly, fly.” 

Things had been easy since Mon-El left. There was a peace that existed there, and Lena really didn’t mind spending time with Katie. It was easier to do when she knew everything, and even when she heard Kara’s stories of home and her mother. But somehow Kara’s ex made the couple feel closer together. Weirdly enough, it made Lena feel more comfortable to know that Kara was all in. 

“I’ll take her.” 

“Um, what?” Kara furrowed and debated before giving Lena the last bite. She was gunning for the best girlfriend slot again and that was the most selfless thing she could think of. 

“You didn’t ask me, but I can watch Katie.” 

“Well, yeah, but we’re going slow. And I didn’t-- I mean I wouldn’t--”

“It’ll be a good way to get to know her and I’m a responsible adult individual who can do that.” 

Across the table, Kara looked at her girlfriend and debated. Her daughter was a lot, and was even more for someone who didn’t have much experience. But Lena knew everything already and she was a capable adult individual. 

“Are you sure?” 

“Yes. I mean it. I am going to have to get good at kids… or at least one kid, and it’s this kid. So I should try. I mean, she’s indestructible, so who better to practice on.”

“That’s almost a good point,” Kara nodded and chuckled at Lena’s pragmatic explanation. “But are you sure you want to?” 

To her credit, Lena thought about it again, debating over her idea. And when she looked at Kara, she felt her heart grow and swell and her chest grew warm. It was a feeling she adored having, but she was afraid of getting used to it. If she fell in love with Kara, and if she couldn’t do the kid thing, then it would hurt. Better to find out sooner, rather than later. 

Plus, she was trying to be the best girlfriend, and Kara had given her the last bit of tiramisu. 

“I want to. I want you to be able to go do  your work stuff and not worry. You should be able to count on me.” 

“I do.” 

“Okay. Then it’s decided. I will be an expert babysitter and you will conquer the world.” 

“You’re amazing, did you know that?” 

“I did actually.” 

Kara smiled and let her girlfriend have it. Lena might not have known it, though Kara suspected she did, since her brain was always thinking things over-- but it was a big deal, and they knew what it meant. 

“So long as you knew,” Kara smiled. 

XXXXXXXXXX

Lena didn’t do anything without careful planning and extreme research. Babysitting was no different. For a few hours, she shirked work and looked up topical subjects to discuss with a five year old. She looked up all kinds of things, reading parenting blogs about how to handle things like tantrums and what foods were healthiest. Lena even learned basic life-saving techniques like the Heimlich and refreshed her CPR skills as best she could from a webpage. She had a wonderful pep talk and extensive list of instructions from her girlfriend. 

She was ready. Or as ready as anyone could hope to be. 

Somehow, in the grand scheme of things, Lena found herself standing outside of an elementary school, waiting for a child to appear.  

“Lena! I’m so ‘cited to see you!” Katie hopped down the steps and skipped toward her through the crowd of people. 

“Hey! I’m excited to see you too.” 

“Do you want to help me with my homework but can we play first?”

There was a lot of energy happening, but Lena smiled because Katie held her hand and persisted to tell her about her day at school. She truly was like her mother in so many ways. 

“We can definitely play first. I really want to go on the swings,” Lena decided. “And I was thinking maybe cheeseburgers for dinner?” 

“Oh, I love cheeseburgers!” 

“Me too!” 

The park was fairly busy with the bustle of the afternoon crowd, but still, they tossed the backpack in the car and took to the park joyfully. Lena came prepared, exchanging her heels for sneakers and work out clothes. The thing she kept reading was that the best practice with children was to get on their level and take part in their activities. That meant running around, and as much as she kind of dreaded pretending to have fun, Lena allowed herself the time to enjoy it. 

They stopped at the best burger place in the city and ordered their food when Kara called to check on them and say goodnight. Lena found it comical how big her phone was in comparison to Katie’s tiny hand. 

“How’s the investigating going, darling?” Lena smiled into her phone while Katie asked for help with her ketchup packet. 

“So far so good,” Kara breathed, somewhat relieved on the other side of the line. “You two seem to be having a good time.” 

“I don’t want to jinx it, but we are. We’re going to head back home and do homework, bath, and bed. Easy night.” 

“And I am across the country while you’re in my bed. It’s a travesty.” 

“I agree.” 

There was a tiny blush as Lena hurried to eat a fry and shut up before she said something stupid in front of a kid.

“Thank you for doing this. I mean it. It means so much to me, and--”

“Just admit I’m the best girlfriend.” 

“I admit it. I’ll sing it from the rooftops.” 

“Don’t worry about us here. Just go do what you gotta do, and we’ll see you on Sunday evening.” 

“It’s a date. Have a good night. I’ll try to call in the morning.” 

“Bye Mommy!” Katie sang towards the phone. 

“Bye, Kara,” Lena offered with just as much joy. 

“Bye ladies. Have fun!” 

With the phone hung up, and the two left at their small table, Lena looked at Katie who just looked back at her before taking a big bite of her burger. 

“Is this what it’s always like?” Lena asked. 

“Yeah except we don’t always eat burgers sometimes Mom makes me eat other foods.”

The CEO just smiled and ate another fry. 

XXXXXXXXXX

Maybe she was just overprepared or overconfident, but Lena found that following her schedule was a perfect way to pass the time with a kid. As she promised Kara, they worked on some homework and got a bath and shower respectively. Lena was only nervous half of the time of doing something wrong, and that was a win and a half for her. 

“And they lived happily ever after,” Lena finished reading the story and closed the book, satisfied by the book well enough. 

Part of what made her nervous about kids was that she honestly had no interest in how unintelligent they were. They just weren’t fully formed yet and found burps amusing and watched such droll and dull shows and read such easy books, and she couldn’t fake interest well at all. She’d been pleasantly surprised by how unannoyed she found herself with all of Katie’s childish things. 

“We can read another,” Katie offered, trying to get out of bed to find another book. 

“I think three was more than enough,” Lena shook her head, amused by the treachery that was attempted. “You should sleep now so I can work on my homework.” 

“Do you need some help? I’m good at homework, you saw mine. It was so good.” 

“Mine’s very boring. You wouldn’t like it,” she promised, pulling the blankets up. “But thank you for offering.”

“Is Mommy going to be home soon?” 

Her eyes were like Kara’s and her chin tilted in the same way. It was amazing to see in person, and genetics, though a simple enough concept, was magnificent. 

“She will be home in a couple of days. But for now, I’m going to stay here. I’ll sleep in your mom’s room.” 

“Like when you stay over sometimes.” 

“Yes, right, exactly,” Lena blushed slightly. 

“Where do you live?” 

“Oh, Well, I live downtown. My house is high up in a tall building

“Can I see it?” 

“There aren’t any toys or fun things for kids to do, you wouldn’t like it.” 

“But you live there and you’ve seen where I live.” 

That was fair Lena realized before being caught by the notion that a five year old was outsmarting her somewhat in the logic department. 

“Maybe we’ll go see it. But I can’t promise.” 

“Sounds good.”

“Good night, Katie. Sleep well. Sweet dreams.” 

“Night, Lena.”

Door finally closed behind her, Lena wasn’t aware of how exhausting Katie had been until she was left in the quiet. And she still had the kitchen to clean up and her work to get done. She wanted to tell Kara that she was amazing for getting it all done and still working on her career. Instead of calling her though, Lena decided she was going to be someone Kara could count on more often. 

XXXXXXXXXX

“Oh Christ!” Lena jolted awake when she saw two eyes staring back at her and felt a hand on her cheek. Her heart leaped and thumped until she realized where she was and who was touching her. 

Katie just giggled and climbed into the bed completely. 

“Good morning. I woke up and went potty and now I’m very hungry. Like I could eat a stack of pancakes.” 

“Let me catch my breath… for a minute…”

“You’re scared when you waked up.” 

“I don’t have kids at my house waking me up usually. I was just a little frightened.” 

Lena turned her head and looked at the little girl who made herself comfortable in the big bed, very close to her. Before she could say something, she felt her phone vibrating and reached for it quickly. 

Katie bounced a little and urged Lena to help with breakfast while the CEO tried to hear what was happening on the other end of the line. 

“Why don’t you go set the table for breakfast,” Lena tried, covering her phone while her assistant kept telling her about what happened with some deal. 

An instant later, little feet made their way down the hall and Lena was able to focus on the task at hand. In a matter of five minutes, she realized that she would have to go into the office to handle it, and now she was unsure of if babysitting was a good idea. 

But it was too late to second guess it. 

“George, hey, I’m so sorry to call-- yes,” Lena smiled as she made her way down the hall. “Could you pick me up at Kara’s…” Katie was already watching cartoons. “And stop and pick up a booster seat.”  

XXXXXXXXXX

“Wow… your office is very cool and awesome,” Katie observed as she sat behind the big desk, eyes wide and enjoying the seat. “I like the windows.” 

“Thanks. It’s alright, I guess,” Lena smiled to herself as she looked around her office. 

“That’s my mom.” 

Katie pointed at the picture frame that had the pair at a gala month ago. Kara had her arm around Lena’s waist and was smiling happily. Lena remembered when they got a little tipsy and stumbled back to her place and the dresses didn’t survive the needy hands and eagerness both exhibited. It was a good memory, and it took that for Lena to realize what useful things photographs were. 

“It is. We went to a party together.” 

“Why do you have it on your desk?” 

“Because I like to look at it and feel happy. Your mom makes me feel happy when I’m kind of bored or stressed. She makes me smile.” 

Katie thought about it and nodded, furrowing at the picture. 

“Yeah, she’s good at making people smile.” 

Her legs kicked and couldn’t reach the floor. Lena took a picture and sent it to Kara so she could see her daughter as CEO-in-training. And then Lena got to the task of running her company while entertaining a child. It was an extra level of difficulty she hadn’t anticipated, but Katie was well behaved, coloring a little and then watching a movie on the couch in the corner while Jess plied her with popcorn and juice. Every step of the way, she asked Lena what she was doing, and even though she didn’t understand anything at first, she listened intently and decided that Lena’s job really was boring. 

Lena had to agree. 

“So the other people didn’t like your… stipala-- stiplat-- what was it?” 

“Stipulations,” Lena explained again with a smile. “Right. So now I have to give them more money to accept those and my board doesn’t want to.” 

“You have lots of money?” 

“Yes. But do you want to know a secret?” Katie nodded eagerly as she leaned against the desk. “When you have a lot of money, you don’t tell people that you do.” 

“Why?” 

“It’s kind of boring to talk about.” 

“What does this company do?” 

“They kind of make new inventions.” 

“That’s pretty cool.” 

Lena type away for a second and waited for another call from her board. She knew the telltale signs of someone who was sick of being stuck in the office, as she’d once been that little girl dragged along when promised something else. She was really mucking up the whole babysitting thing, and she did, desperately, wanted Katie to like her. 

“I don’t think there’s much more I can do right now, they just need my signature,” Lena sat back. “Want to do a little experiment? I can show you what this new company does with magnets and electricity.” 

“An experiment?” Katie asked, perking up slightly. 

“Press that button,” Lena pointed toward her phone. “And you can ask Jess for our supplies.” 

Lena wasn’t sure she’d ever seen such excitement, and she was certain she’d never connected with a kid like she did right there with Katie, her entire life coming full circle. Katie slid into her lap and Lena thought she might have understood a little better.

[weekendwarriorblog]

Wonder Woman 1984 Review: How Does Gal Gadot and Patty Jenkins’ Sequel Stack Up?

There’s a saying that you don’t know what you have until it’s gone, a saying that could also best represent 2020, a year in which so much has been taken away from moviegoers… like getting to see movies in theaters, for instance. While you might not necessarily miss everything that’s been taken away this year, maybe the decrease in the surplus of superhero movies has given new and indie filmmakers a chance to be discovered by avid movie fans.

After two weaker comic book offerings this year in Bloodshot and The New Mutants, we’re finally getting a sequel to Patty Jenkins’ 2017 movie Wonder Woman, but if nothing else, Wonder Woman 1984 makes one realize that the lack of innovation when it comes to the “superhero genre” is not something we’re going to see very soon.

As you might guess from the title, it’s 1984 and Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) has a job at the Smithsonian Museum in D.C. as an expert on antiquities. Her new klutzy co-worker Dr. Barbara Minerva (Kristen Wigg) has just started and is immediately jealous of Diana’s beauty, her intelligence plus all the attention she gets from the men around her. One such man is oil magnate Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal), who is looking to invest in the Smithsonian. He’s particularly interested in an item that Minerva is studying that turns out to grant those who hold it a single wish. What could possibly go wrong?

I enjoyed Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman just fine, although I never really bothered to see it a second time, which would have been the case if I truly loved the movie rather than just liked it. Working from a script co-written with former DC head honcho Geoff Johns and David Callaham (writer of the 2014 Godzilla), Jenkins faces obstacles faced by every sequel when you’re working against having to raise the stakes from an original movie without losing everything that made the first movie so loved and special.

The general lack of action might not be so obvious right away, because it begins with a pretty pointless sequence on Themyscira with Diana as a young girl taking part in an American Ninja Warrior style obstacle course competition against older Amazons – just to reiterate that her mother Hyppolyta (Connie Nielsen) doesn’t want Diana training to be a warrior. Again. It makes for a semi-redundant opening scene that doesn’t really add much in the way of setting up what happens later in the movie.  We then get a scene of Wonder Woman in a DC mall taking on a bunch of burglars using all her powers, basically to remind us that she’s a superhero in “Man’s World” six decades after the events in Wonder Woman.

That’s all the action for almost an hour, because the movie then shirts to introduce the new villain characters, and we spend a good hour seeing how they interact, as well as seeing how their relationships are affected by a historical artifact, essentially a “wishing stone.” I won’t spoil how Chris Pine’s Steve Trevor, who seemed to die in the first movie, is back in the ‘80s to play Diana’s love interest again – I’m sure you can figure that out -- although he does get more into the action this time, rather than just being an Amazonian boy toy. Regardless, the scenes between Pine and Gadot tend to be the best parts of the movie.

I’ve generally been mixed on Wiig as an actor for a long time, and she doesn’t do that much as Minerva that changes my opinion, while Pascal tends to veer into the hammy acting we’ve seen from far too many actors playing DC villains. Sure, there have been exceptions, but Maxwell Lord hasn’t even really been handled very well in the comics other than his early appearance in the DeMatteis-Giffen-Maguire Justice League from from the ‘80s. I’m a little surprised by the attempts to turn him into a major DCU villain ala Superman’s Luthor, but Pascal plays Lord more like a sleazy oil magnate version of Luthor, which is what this version essentially is.

Jenkins tries so hard to instill the movie with a light, care-free tone but the humor feels forced and often feels flat. For instance, there’s only so many times you can make jokes about Trevor being a fish out of water before it gets tired even if it’s meant to be played off of Diana’s own adjustments in the first movie. The action is generally okay, a lot of awkward wirework combined with some of the Zack Snyder style of using time-control to make it seem more exciting. One of the better action setpieces takes place in Egypt that comes across a bit Indiana Jones but generally works better than all the action that comes before or afterwards.

Wonder Woman 1984 has the same general problem as movies like The Dark Knight Rises, Batman Returns, Spider-Man 3 and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 where Jenkins is once again adding too many villains to the mix and making the movie more about interconnecting their origins rather than keeping the spotlight on Diana. Fans of the comics might also be disappointed with how long it takes for Minerva to actually transform into the Cheetah and how little we actually get to see of her in that guise. It just adds to a superhero movie problem that we’ve seen countless times before.

As far as how Wonder Woman herself evolves, we do get to see her flying in the movie – both alone but also with a nod to her famous plane --  although the idea of having her use her lasso to wrangle onto lightning bolts for steering might not have been the most well thought-out idea. And yes, that golden armor with wings, something probably more appropriate for Hawkwoman, does show up and is put to use in one of the fights, but it’s also something that (like a lot in this movie) serves very little purpose.

Despite all the issues, where Wonder Woman 1984 excels is its ending which really pays off in a great way after turning what seemed like a simple premise into a full-on global crisis, and it almost makes you forget some of the sillier bits from earlier.

Wonder Woman 1984 is neither a terrible superhero movie nor necessarily a bad sequel – it’s not as bad as Suicide Squad or Justice League, for example. Saying that, Wonder Woman was the very first full Wonder Woman movie, so you can understand why expectations for a sequel might be high. Unfortunately, while good, this sequel might not live up to many of those expectations, although like everything else these days, mileage may vary.

Rating: 7/10

Note: There is a mid-credits sequence you might want to stick around for, though it feels like more pointless fan service than anything needed to enhance the movie or even set anything up for future films.

[fictorium]

I would literally love every single one of the prompt options but how about 9?

9. “You’re in love with her.” (set post s2 finale)

“My legal team will check all of this over, but I’ll get the signed papers back to you tomorrow.” Lena stood up from the onyx conference table, and Cat watched her approach. “But unlike other Luthors, I prefer to actually shake on a deal.”

“I need them by close of business,” Cat said, taking her time about standing up, considering Lena’s outstretched hand until she dropped it. “My flight is tonight.”

“And considering you own the jet and half of the airfield, I would think your flight times are flexible.”

Cat shook her head. She’d stayed too long already. Somewhere in National City, a heartbroken Supergirl was patrolling the skies. The thought of Kara in that state, wondering if she had people she could fully confide in, it had Cat more rattled than she cared to admit outside of a double therapy session. 

“You’re getting a fair price, having the shares in a blind trust wasn’t doing anything for me. This is the definition of mutually beneficial, Ms Luthor. You’d think you could speed things along at least.”

“What’s your hurry? The president can’t need you so badly, can she? Unless there’s something about to shake the Dow that you want to share so I can call my broker?”

Cat started toward the conference room door. She didn’t care for the way Lena looked at her, and so far they’d managed to avoid the only other topic they had in common beyond a fondness for couture. 

“I’m just tying up loose ends.”

“And Kara? Is she a loose end?”

Cat hesitated with her hand halfway to the door handle. A mistake. She’d done the full body equivalent of flinching. 

“Kara is a reporter, and one of my best. You’d do well to keep her at CatCo, and find her mentors who’ll bring out the talent in her.”

Lena approached, heels clicking in an inevitable rhythm. She watched Cat the whole time, like something under one of the microscopes in one of L-Corp’s endless labs. 

“I did my due diligence, you see. I might seem like a novice, but running this company is something I’ve been prepared for most of my life. I know how to run an acquisition, and the first rule is never, ever buy without knowing the real reason for the sale.”

“See, some of us have actually heard of ethics, and while in government service–”

“You’re in love with her, aren’t you?” Lena asked it with a certain amount of sympathy. It didn’t feel like much fun for Cat to speculate why. “Kara, I mean. She has a special effect on the people around her. And it must be one hell of an effect for Cat Grant to give up everything she put her name on, for less than market value at that. You’ve got it bad.”

“Is this the point where you leverage my perceived weakness against me to make more money for L-Corp and screw me in the buyout?”

“No. But I could.”

Cat reached for the door and opened it. “By the end of the day, Ms Luthor. At the price and with the conditions we’ve agreed.”

“For what it’s worth, you should tell her,” Lena replied, daring to grab Cat by the wrist, then thinking better of it when Cat recoiled. “She’s… I know she had that goofy boyfriend, but that was just killing time, for Kara. Anyone who knows her will tell you that there’s only one name she lights up at the mention of.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because I’m trying to be a better friend? Or maybe it’s just something to do on a boring day? I guess we’ll never know.”

Cat conjured up a sarcastic reply, but was interrupted by a flash of red. Kara, taking off from Lena’s tiny balcony. She must have heard every word. 

“I’ll take it under advisement,” Cat said, desperate to get out of there. She’d return to CatCo, one last time. If Kara came to find her, then she must have liked what she heard. If not? Well, Cat had the flight already scheduled. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d run after putting her heart on the line. 

The ride over was interminable, the worst of National City traffic coupled with every distraction and interaction possible en route to her office. Cat was so busy arguing coverage with James that she forgot to look up on entering her office, only noticing Kara waiting patiently on the couch by the time Cat had already seated herself at the desk. 

“I’ll go,” James said, and Cat dismissed him with a frivolous wave of her hand. She looked down at her desk for a moment, taking a steadying breath just like she’d been taught back in the yurt. Then slowly, carefully, she raised her head to meet Kara’s gaze.

And in her eyes, Cat found all the answer she needed. 

[foxx-queen]

thots on Lena & Lillian's daemons and them interacting? (you can throw in any additional Luthor or Danvers fam as u like)

i have many thots

lillian’s daemon is a white owl with very bright, gold eyes. from the moment she arrives, lena feels like it’s watching her, though it never says anything to her, and the gaze isn’t exactly hostile. but it’s always perched up high, often on lillian’s shoulder, and they’re so tall and far away that she can’t help but feel intimidated. by contrast, the snake curled around lionel’s wrist seems almost harmless. 

her first night there, lena wakes up from a nightmare to find lillian’s daemon perched up on her cupboard, still watching her. she doesn’t have time to panic, because lillian shows up a few moments later, and gives her what she’s needed since her mother disappeared under the water. a hug. it’s completely unexpected considering how aloof she seemed earlier, but lena’s daemon burrows in against her shoulder, and lena lets herself relax. 

lena’s daemon is the same sex as her. lex is fascinated by the concept, continuously talking about lena and her daemon like they’re test subjects, like they’re not really there. lionel acts like it’s not true, and gets a sour look whenever its mentioned. its not until almost a month into living with the luthors that lena hears lillian’s daemon speak, and realises that she’s a woman, too. it’s a connection lena’s never had with anyone before, and she somehow feels less alone after finding out. 

her daemon starts mimicking lillian’s, turning into an owl and often perching close to her, and it’s after lillian’s daemon extends a wing to drape it over the smaller owl that lillian herself starts to be more openly affectionate with lena. she’s never as open about it when lionel is around, and the older lena gets, the more she notices the way lionel’s daemon hisses whenever they’re close. 

lex starts to test how far his daemon can go from him, and lena soon begins to hate how it’ll often appear in whatever room she’s in. he says he’s just testing himself, that he’s just playing with her, but it makes her uneasy, as does the over bright look in his eyes, and the odd smell that often hangs around him afterwards. she starts to spend time in lillian’s presence, whether it’s simply sitting in her office or finding excuses to accompany her on outings. lillian never makes her ask twice, and never turns her away, and often her owl will perch on the back of the armchair lena curls up to read in. sometimes she falls asleep, and wakes up to a blanket draped over her, and lillian curled up in the other armchair, snoozing with her glasses sitting crooked on her nose. her owl is always awake, and that constant gaze that lena once found unnerving becomes what makes her feel safe. 

lionel always describes lex and lena’s relationship as a good one, because they’re constantly pushing each other to be better. it’s a healthy competitiveness he says will serve them well when they’re older. when lena is twelve, lex challenges her to go as far away from her daemon as she can. his daemon has settled by then into a tarantula. lena’s always wanted to impress her brother, so she tries to, walking away from her daemon until her legs shake and she feels sick to her stomach. lex keeps goading her on, telling her to be stronger and better, supporting her across the room until he’s almost carrying her, and she feels weak by the time lillian bursts in. lena’s never heard her yell until that day, and she’s never seen her look so frightened either. by the time she comes back to herself, she’s wrapped in lillian’s arms, shivering with her daemon tucked against her neck, lillian’s daemon sitting so close that it’s feather’s brush her cheek. lillian doesn’t leave her alone with lex again, and her daemon starts spending the nights in lena’s room again. 

lena’s daemon settles as a raven. lillian’s daemon can still wrap her wing around her, just as lillian can still tuck lena under her chin. 

when her father dies, lena is a little worried about how little she grieves, but she knew more about the man he was in this, and it’s so much easier to breathe after he’s gone. lillian’s daemon starts to speak more frequently, and lillian doesn’t hesitate whenever she reaches out to give lena a hug. 

when lena first meets kara, she thinks its a coincidence that both she and alex have same sex daemons, like the way it was for her and lillian. then she meets astra and alura, who also have same sex daemons. she visits her mother the same night, a little giddy from good food, good wine, and good company, and declares happily that she’s found where they both belong 

shfkjdsf these are a few maybe ill actually Write this at some point 

[tht-lesbian-fangirl]

I love when you go off about how shit supergirl has been this season and you even got me start watching batwoman! Last episodes were so different cause supergirl was annoying AGAIN and batwoman was so GOOD. Care to grant us another ted talk please? (obvi no pressure lol)

*Rolls up sleeves* Alright anon, you asked for it…

As someone who watched this week’s Supergirl and Batwoman episodes back to back, it was uncomfortably obvious how poorly written Supergirl season 5(b) is.

On Batwoman, while there are “villains of the week,” many characters from early on have resurfaced in an interesting way. Characters like Tommy Elliot, Magpie, and now Reagan continue to be intricately woven into the story. They aren’t used as plot devices, instead Alice is purposefully using them for her plot— which is something that had made sense and evolved naturally throughout the series—and they have their own personal motivations to boot.

Meanwhile on Supergirl…there’s no villain cohesion…whatsoever. I guess this one Lex-centric episode was supposed to tie the entire season together, as it did LAST season, but here it didn’t work as well. Last season there were two-ish plots floating around (Agent Liberty and Red Daughter), but this season is just a whole mess. The main villain is Leviathan but Supergirl is so focused on Lex that she’s had only two(?) actual interactions and fights, but solely with the old earthquake dude. Are we supposed to assume that Lex is a bigger bad than Leviathan? How will everything resolve in 2-3 episodes??

Now let’s talk representation in just these two episodes. Batwoman does not shy away from LGBT+ rep in the slightest. We have Kate openly out and proud, Sophie’s journey of acceptance, and a whole slew of others in between. There are blatant sapphic love scenes and there’s now so much dating, flirting, and f*cking that some serious gay drama is on the horizon for next week! This episode was basically three sapphic women teaming up with a black man and an asian woman, the mastermind villain was a woman, AND the two people that helped pull off Alice’s scheme outside of Arkham were (you guessed it) women!! And all of these female characters have been decently fleshed out and utilized throughout the season.

But oh Rao, the Supergirl rep this episode (and YEAR)…Can we even call it that? Dansen are sweet, but are basically used as plot devices for their 2min scene. Alex had her one episode, but other than that, liking guns and being anti-Lena are her only personality traits. Kelly had a few great episodes in 5a, but now? She “investigated” with Kara’s forced LI an episode ago I guess…isn’t she supposed to be a therapist though? Hmm. Nia (who’s actually a reporter) had one excellent episode for herself, but besides that, it’s mostly been crying over Brainy or popping up in a fight— for maybe 10 seconds per episode IF she’s even in it. And she wasn’t in this episode. 

Supercorp, whether y’all like it or not, is the most popular f/f ship on tv right now, and quite possibly the most passionate Arrowverse ship now that Olicity is off air. Yet, after continuing to use romantic coding and making the milestone 100th episode about Kara and Lena, a random man is shoved down our throats as Kara’s love interest while these two women pointlessly bicker for ~drama~. So William takes Nia’s reporting time, Alex’s crime scene time, and Lena’s partnering with Kara time. A man who Kara called a “toxic snake” in 5a. It’s insulting to say the least.

And who did this Supergirl episode feature? Lex Luthor. Everyone enjoys Jon’s excellent portrayal of this iconic SuperMAN villain. But we’re tired. There were only two full scenes where a man wasn’t on screen, and they were both briefly between Kara and Lena. (I would love to count the cute Dansen+Kara scene, but the Bechdel test swiftly failed when William showed up). At least M’gann was here...but for like 1.5 scenes? Where’d she go?? She’s so interesting, yet never utilized!

Before the pilot, my expectations for Batwoman were incredibly low, I’m not gonna lie. Yet it’s surprised me every week with how much I adore the writing, characters, cinematography, music, etc. And it seems as though the show is gathering the love and support it deserves as the season goes on. The show and the people behind it seem to really care about their fans. It’s such a contrast to Supergirl and airs only minutes apart.

What used to be a powerful, inspiring, female-driven show has been reduced to something that seems to piss off fans more with each episode. Supergirl used to be my favorite show, but now I feel anything but hope when I watch it. On Sundays I record Batwoman and watch it after I watch Supergirl live, so I can end my night on a good note. That shouldn’t be the case.

Anyway, that’s my TED Talk for tonight!

[murdershegoat]

(based on this art from the incomparable @battenthecrosshatches)

(also on ao3)

Visiting the childrens hospital was a good idea, her people had said, because then the public could see how the Luthor brand did immense good alongside the terrible evils caused by her brother. At the time, she had trusted them.

But now? Now she’s surrounded by very small people whose eyes are too sad and fingers too sticky. Lena isn’t heartless, not by any means. It’s just she’s never really been good with children. She was always the youngest in the family and nobody she knows had babies. Hell, she didn’t talk to Ruby Arias until she was four years old, and even that was too soon. One time she said good morning to a teenager who lived in her building and the teenager had just laughed in her face, and another time some hooligans had egged her front door because she ran out of candy on halloween. Now she makes a considerable effort to avoid the young school groups who visit LCorp and she interacts with the high school interns sparingly and she dreads the day her future partner brings up having kids in any way, shape or form. It’s not that she’s scared of them, per se, it’s just that she’s completely terrified to interact with somebody under the age of eighteen in any way, shape or form.

‘As you can see, Ms. Luthor, your foundation has changed this hospital immeasurably,’ the administrator-slash-tour-guide tells her. ‘We’re able to care for about double the amount of patients than before, not to mention our technology has put us on the map as leaders in pre- and neonatal care, paedeatric cardiology, oncology, neurology and mental health care.’

‘That’s quite the accomplishment,’ Lena says, trying her best not to sound nervous or scared around the children who potter around the rec room. ‘And how’re the research facilities doing?’

‘Better than we ever could have hoped,’ they reply. ‘We’re changing the world here, Ms. Luthor.’

At that, Lena smiles genuinely. ‘That’s what I like to hear.’

She allows the administrator to lead her around the other parts of the hospital, always staying a step behind them, always using them as a shield between her and the children. When they tell her they’re about to reach the nursery, Lena almost cancels the rest of the tour. Babies?? Tiny, crying, helpless babies?????? No, thank you.

But as they near the nursery, Lena doesn’t hear crying babies. She hears a melodic, angelic voice and the soft strumming of a ukelele or something. She shoots the administrator a look, her brow furrowed.

‘You’ll see,’ they smile. As they round the corner, Lena’s eyes fall on the angel in question. A woman around her own age with blonde hair in a shaggy bob sat in the nursery, playing her ukelele to the variety of babies stationed around her in their plastic bassinets, and singing with such care and joy in her voice, Lena felt as though if she stared directly at this wonderful stranger’s face, her own face would melt off like an Indiana Jones nazi.

‘Good morning, Kara!’ says the administrator, and Kara turns and faces them, her smile blinding Lena from across the room.

‘Hi, Ollie!’ she replies happily, gently placing the ukelele on the floor, before standing to greet them. 

‘Kara, this is--’

‘Gosh, you’re Lena Luthor!’ Kara exclaims, and Lena steels herself, ready for the torrent of vitriol she’s used to receiving from strangers. ‘Your work with both biotechnology and quantam physics is unparalleled! I’ve admired your work for years!’

Lena thinks she’s in love. In love with this woman in a tight white t-shirt and skinny jeans, in love with her glasses. Obsessed, obsessed, obsessed.

Stop thinking about the L word, Lena thinks.

‘I’m Kara Danvers,’ the angel continues, holding out a hand, which Lena takes much pleasure in shaking. 

‘Kara is our expert cuddler,’ Ollie explains. ‘She volunteers and gives skin to skin contact to some of our abandoned newborns, as well as some extra TLC to some of our other babies.’

‘The singing is a new thing,’ Kara says. ‘It seemed to calm a whole bunch of them down at once and made things easier on the nurses.’

‘Well you know what they say about efficiency!’ Lena says.

‘No, what do they say?’

Lena goes completely blank.

‘I... uh.... they say something, I’m sure.’

She’s flatlining in front of this gorgeous woman (a person who volunteers! to hug babies!) who expects her brain to be brilliant. And instead all it can do is yell Kiss her, bitch!!!!!!!!!!! 

‘We should get a move on, Ms. Luthor,’ Ollie says, and Lena should use it as an out, to save herself from more embarrassment. But instead, like the absolute fool she is, Lena finds herself saying,

‘Actually, I was hoping Ms. Danvers could show me exactly what it is she does as a volunteer?’ Ollie looks surprised; this is the first time Lena’s actually seemed interested in the children.

‘Well, it’s quite simple,’ Kara says, leading her towards the babies. ‘You just... cuddle them. Some of their parents can’t be around as much as they’d like, and some don’t have any parents, and there’s loads of studies about the impact touch has on infants and young children.’ Kara reaches into one of the bassinets and fishes out one of the tiniest babies Lena has ever seen. The baby fusses for a second at the disturbance, before settling into Kara’s warm (totally ripped, Lena notices) arms.

‘This is Daisy,’ Kara says, her voice softer. ‘Her biological mom left her on the doorsteps of the fire station over on Fifth and Ninth, and she almost didn’t make it. She just got her cannula taken out yesterday, so the fact she’s breathing by herself is a big deal.’

Lena watches Kara as she holds Daisy, at the love written all over Kara’s perfect face. She thinks maybe she feels jealous. She wishes she could be this sort of kind, the type that lets you love and care for the small and the helpless. The type that radiates from deep within you and brightens everything you come in contact with.

And then Lena remembers why she had refrained from visiting the hospital for so long. A siren sounds from deep in the building, and she watches in confusion as every pager in the vicinity goes off at the same time. Suddenly, her bodyguard appears out of nowhere.

‘We need to go, Ms. Luthor,’ he mutters in her ear. ‘There’s been an attack on the building; they’re targeting you.’

Lena’s heart sinks. She wonders who could be this evil, who could hate her enough to endanger the lives of thousands of children just to bring her down?

She makes a mental note to Lillian off the Christmas card list.

‘We can’t just leave,’ Lena says, feeling some residual goodness from Kara. ‘We can’t leave these babies here!’ She turns to Kara. ‘What can I do?’

Kara, who is now donning a yellow vest with three large pockets on the front and back, hands a matching one to Lena. 

‘What do I do with this?’ Lena asks, panic starting to seep in.

‘You fill it with babies,’ Kara instructs, already lifting babies from their cribs and putting them in her own vest. Ollie puts them in Kara’s back pockets. Lena thinks she’s getting punk’d.

‘Hurry!’ one of the nurses says as a large ‘boom’ shakes the building.

Lena puts on the damn vest.

She feels weighed down by the wiggly, squirmy, crying babies, but all she can really focus on is Kara’s hand in her own (Kara’s other hand holds Daisy against her chest like a pro) as she leads Lena down the fire escape. They’ve descended several flights of stairs and Lena is feeling thoroughly Puffed Out but she can see the light of outside just ahead of her. 

‘Luthor!’ she hears a booming voice say. She turns, finding a very nondescript bad guy standing with a wicked smile on his face, and some fancy weapon in his arms. ‘I have regards for you, from--’

‘From my mother, I know.’

His smile grows even more sinister than before.

‘She asked me to give you a little gift--’ he stops short, his smile slipping. ‘Are you wearing babies?’

She stands up a little straighter. ‘And what about it?’

‘I can’t- I can’t, like, shoot babies,’ he says, clearly uncomfortable.

‘Well then I suggest you leave here before somebody makes you leave,’ Kara growls, depositing Daisy into Lena’s arms, and stepping in between them and the mercenary. Lena ignores how turned on Kara’s voice makes her, more concerned at the baby she now holds in her arms. 

Before the mercenary can say anything else, he’s being punched in the side of the head by Lena’s bodyguard, who is also wearing a baby vest.

‘Right,’ Kara says matter-of-factly as she takes little Daisy back from a grateful, aroused Lena. She does a sort of weird, light bounce and jiggle, clearly trying to keep the babies in her vest calm. ‘Let’s get out of here.’

///

Hours later, after being questioned by the police, getting the babies back upstairs, and making sure everything was running properly again, Lena’s ready to go home and wash the smell of hospital off her. But she has one last thing to do.

She finds Kara where they first met, with Daisy in her arms.

‘You’re quite remarkable, you know?’ Lena says, and Kara’s head whips up as she hears her voice, a huge grin on her face.

‘Back atcha,’ Kara says, her gaze returning to Daisy.

‘What’s going to happen to her?’ Lena asks, approaching them both. She stands just behind Kara, peering down over her arms at the now-sleeping baby.

‘She’ll find a family who loves her very much and hopefully grow up to be a smart, independent, funny little girl.’

‘And what’s going to happen to you?’ Lena asks, looking up at Kara.

‘I’ll find another baby that needs a cuddle,’ she says. And she hesitates before adding, ‘And hopefully I’ll get to see you again. Maybe something a little less chaotic for our second date.’

Lena laughs loudly, and Daisy stirs momentarily, and Kara rocks her. 

For just a moment, Lena can see this for herself: Kara looking at her with sunshine smile, with her love and kindness. Kara holding very small things that inherit Lena’s brains and Kara’s bright blue eyes. For just a moment, her future seems incredibly, overwhelmingly clear.

She slips her card into Kara’s back pocket, and she kisses her on the cheek. Her hand hovers just above Daisy’s crown, her tiny tufts of hair brushing Lena’s palm.

‘I better be hearing from you,’ she tells Kara with a raised eyebrow. 

‘Promise,’ Kara says, breathless. 

As Lena leaves, she can feel Kara’s eyes on her.

Damn right.

-----------------

i started a ko-fi account a few months ago when somebody wanted to commission a story, and i feel really weird about posting it here but i guess if you want to help me with my coffee addiction you can lob me a couple bucks on ko-fi?

[superfem-imagines]

New Beginnings

Could I perchance ask you to write a Kara/Lena/Alex fic? I have absolutely no prompt for you lol just would like to see those 3 get together. (I do prefer getting together stories over established relationship). For @sugarampersandjoy

A/n: I'm sorry this took so long! I couldn't think of how to do it then boom! It popped in my head and here we are. I hope you like it! (I wasnt quite sure how to end it lol)

I also don't know shit about Krypton so if the information Alura gives Kara is wring let's ignore that lol

Alex sits and watches her sister and her best friend talk, not quite sure how to interact with the youngest Luthor. One moment Kara and her were having lunch, the next Lena was sitting with them complaining how Jess, her assistant, was making her leave the lab to eat.

Sitting back and observing their interaction, the agent notes how her sister lights up as Lena talks about her latest inventions, how she blushes when Lena looks at her through her dark lashes and when she touches Kara’s forearm as she laughs. 

With a sinking heart, she realizes the young CEO liked her sister and that Kara returned the feelings. Before she could dismiss herself, Alex was pulled into the conversation.

“Alex, you work with bio-engineering! I don’t understand what Lena’s saying but you should.” Kara, practically bouncing in her seat, grabs and holds onto Alex’s hand, excited for her two best friends to get along.

A long conversation and a possible breakthrough later, Lena is saying bye and rushing back to her lab to try the equation Alex wrote out for her.

Once Kara had her cheeks full of sticky buns, Alex turned to the Kryptonian with a shit eating grin. “You like Lena,” Alex taunted in a singsong voice, watching the blonde almost choke on the sweet bread. 

“No I do-don’t!” Kara protested, voice hoarse.

“You do, you can’t lie to me Kara.” Alex poked her sister in the sides, making the alien squirm. “Admit it, Kar!”

“May-maybe,” Kara stuttered, trying not to laugh too loud. When she finally choked the words out, Alex relented her attack and sat back smugly.

“See that wasn’t so hard, now you just have to ask her out.” Before Kara could protest, Alex sat forward and looked her in the eye. “I’m serious, Kara. Ask her out, I’m almost positive she likes you too.”

“No she doesn’t, Alex.” Kara sighed, picking at her sticky buns. Alex’s hand cupping her cheek drew her attention, blue eyes meeting soft brown ones.

“Trust me, Kar. As Cat would say, “Dive”. No risk, no reward right?” When Kara gave a hesitant nod and smile, Alex smiled back and moved away. “Now that’s decided, let's finish eating and head back to the DEO.” 

    --------

“Hey Lee,” Kara called out, walking into the lab with Big Belly Burger bags. She followed the sound of her name, being waved over by the raven haired CEO.

“Kara, your sister is a genius! You know the part I was stuck on?” Seeing the blondes nod, Lena turned back to the microscope. “Well the equation that your sister gave me worked! Thanks to her this project has been launched forward weeks.” Looking at the breathless CEO, Kara smiled softly and decided that she was going to ask Lena now.

Leading them to an empty lab table, Kara set down their orders while Lena took off her lab coat and wiped down the table with disinfecting wipes. Listening to Lena gush about her project and Alex, Kara took a deep breath. “Lena I-”

“You should ask her out you know.” Kara stopped talking, surprised by what the woman had said. Letting out a confused ‘what’, Kara stared at her best friend. “I saw how you guys looked at each other when we were having lunch, I know you like each other. And it wouldn’t be a big deal if you guys dated, you’re not even related- hell you’re not even human! I’m sure things were different on Krypton?”

Kara murmured a quiet confirmation, not even really thinking about it. “See? It wouldn’t be a big deal and I’m sure the Superfriends wouldn’t even care either- maybe Winn but that’s cause he likes you.”

Kara didn’t really hear the rest of the brunettes monologue, too distracted by the thoughts and feeling swirling around her head. Dismissing herself, Kara left Lena in the lab and flew off in a daze.

Sighing, the CEO watched her best friend leave with a heavy heart. The youngest Luthor was in love with the bubbly blonde but she would never get in the way of her best friends happiness.

Kara slumped heavily onto the ledge of Catco, eyes glazed over and mind dazed. Alex said I like Lena, and I do. But Lena thinks I like Alex. Is she right? Oh Rao, what do I do? Kara had these thoughts and more swirling. Lena had said things might be different on Krypton, could she be right? Determined, Kara took off to the DEO to talk to the one person who could help- her mother’s hologram.

Cracking the concrete with her arrival, Kara brushed past Winn, absently waving back to him. Putting in the code and powering up the hologram, Kara paced along the wall gathering her thoughts. “Is something wrong with me?”

Kara frowned at her blurted question, continuing before her mother could interrupt. “Was it normal on Krypton for someone to love two people romantically?”

“Yes,” the hologram answered in a monotone voice. “Although rarer in the years leading up to Krypton's destruction, it was common in the past.”

“How?” Kara sat down, preparing to learn all she could before she made a decision on where to go from here.

Couple hours later and Kara was leaving the room with a new outlook, ready to act on it.

    --------

Kara fixed her hair before opening the door, revealing Lena standing there with a bottle of wine in hand. Ushering Lena into the apartment, Kara took the wine and directed the woman to the bedroom where some sweats and a t-shirt were waiting for her.

Setting up the Netflix and all the snacks, Kara heard the elevator ding and Alex’s heartbeat approaching. Grabbing the wine glasses, Kara called for her sister to enter the apartment. The redhead entered the living room with boxes of pizza then headed to the kitchen to grab plates.

“Hey Alex,” Lena called as she pulled her hair into a bun, makeup gone and relaxing in Kara’s clothes. Calling back a greeting, Alex wiggled her eyebrows at Kara. Kara rolled her eyes in response, punching Alex and sending her to change in an effort to hide the blush lighting up her face.

Plopping onto the couch, Kara pulled Lena into a side hug. Grabbing some pizza, Kara called out to Alex to ask what movie she wanted to watch.

The responding “Nothing too romantic” sent Lena into a fit of laughter. “You know just as well as I do that’s not an option, Danvers.”

“Maybe, Luthor,” Alex jumped over the back of the couch, grabbing the wine. “But it was worth a shot.”

Quarter of the way through a random romance movie, Kara paused it. “Thank God, please tell me you changed your mind.” Alex groaned out, sending her sister a playful grin.

“Actually, there’s something I wanted to talk to you guys about.” Hearing Kara’s seriousness, both women sat up and gave the Kryptonian their full attention. “After the lunch we had together I realized some things.”

“Kara,” Alex said softly, slightly frowning. “I was just teasing you, if I was wrong then you can just say so.”

“No Alex, thing is you were right. But so was Lena.” Seeing the confused looks they shared, Kara took a deep breath and turned to Lena. “After that lunch, Alex had teased me about liking you- I denied it at first but then I realized I did. I went to your lab to ask you out,” Lena opened her mouth to say something but Kara rushed to continue.

“Lena had said I liked you, Alex.” Kara murmured lowly, scared to meet either of their gazes. “After thinking about it I realized that she was right, I did have feelings for you. And it scared me because you’re supposed to be my sister, and I can’t lose you.

“I left the lab and went to the DEO to talk to my mom's hologram. Turns out in the older days of Krypton, polyamorous relationships were common. I talked to her about how it worked, and about my feelings for you guys.” Another deep breath and Kara steeled herself, meeting the gazes of two of the most important people in her life. “I like both of you, and I’d like to be in a relationship with both of you.

“You don’t have to date each other, it can be me dating Lena and me dating Alex and you guys being friends, that parts up to you. I- if either of you are even interested in dating me, that is. If not then we can pretend this didn’t happen and we can go back to the movie. Rao this was a bad idea, let’s just watch the movie, yeah? Yeah, ok.” 

With the movie going again and Kara stubbornly staring at the screen, Lena and Alex talked, heads ducked low and voices quiet. Coming to a conclusion, Lena took the remote while Alex got up to sit on the table in front of Kara.

With each of them holding Kara’s hands, Alex stared at the blonde in front of her. “Lena and I talked, Kar. We both like you.”

“And,” Lena cut in, gaining Kara’s attention. “There is some attraction between Alex and I, so we are willing to try this out. But only if you really want this.”

All three women sat in silence, giving Kara time to think. When Kara slowly nodded, Alex beamed. “Yeah?” When Kara nodded again, Lena tapped her chin.

“We need you to say it outloud, Kara. Do you want this?” With a steeled gaze, Kara met the brunettes eyes.

“Yes,” meeting Alex’s gaze, Kara gave another nod. “Yeah, I want this.”

“Good,” Alex slid closer, kneeling by Kara’s feet. “Can I kiss you?” Not giving an answer, Kara dragged Alex into a kiss. Soft and hesitant, the kiss was short, the two women pulling back to rest their foreheads together. Pulling herself out of her trance, Alex pulled back for Lena to move closer.

With one more check in, Lena pulled Kara into her. Just as hesitant, Lena was more demanding in the kiss compared to Alex, but gentle nonetheless. When the blonde pulled back, Lena moved towards Alex, pulling her up onto the couch. The two women shared a heated kiss, pulling back breathless. Resituating on the couch, Kara played the movie, both women cuddled up on either side, fingers tangled together on Kara’s abdomen.

They’d figure out their date later, and how to break it to the group and later on Eliza, but for now they were content in the moment.