Work Text:
Alien Bar
National City
30 days until Christmas
The amalgamation of sounds in the bar was nearly deafening, as Alex sat nursing a drink at the table, while surrounded by friends both old and new. Upon arriving, everyone had seemingly paired up with others at the table, carrying on small conversations as they waited for the rest of the group to arrive. Winn was currently holding a polite conversation with Mon-El and his wife Imra, about what things were like in the 31st century, while James was having a lengthily conversation with Lena and Sam over Catco business. They continued an in-depth conversation about Catco's latest spread, despite Lena’s earlier assurances that she refused to talk about anything work related. The volume of the voices at the table had started out quietly enough, but over time grew in volume, until they had to nearly shout over one another in order to be heard. Alex blamed the music, which she would swear had increased dramatically in volume since they’d arrived about 40 minutes ago. There were too many competing noises in the small bar. And Alex knew that when she arrived, Kara would likely be overwhelmed by the noise in the bar. Even Alex, with her regular hearing, felt the beginnings of a headache building at the back of her head (as it always did when things were too loud).
Alex couldn’t help but look towards the door, as she wondered silently when Kara would be making her appearance. Kara was over a half-an-hour late, now, and it was getting harder and harder for Alex to shove down her feelings of worry. Unlike some of the others at the table, Alex had the benefit of knowing exactly why it was that Kara wasn’t there. She just hoped that wherever she was, that her sister was being safe. Sure, Alex was comforted by the fact that J’onn was with her, but she was also a little salty that she had been forced to sit this one out. And from what Winn told her, he wasn’t exactly thrilled at being left out either.
When Alex turned to back to her drink, her eyes lifted up from the table just enough to catch Lena looking at the door, too. In fact, the beautiful CEO seemed quite preoccupied with the noticeable absence of a particular Superhero. Lena had been directing glances at the door every few minutes, since her arrival over a half an hour ago. It was as if she was anxiously awaiting Kara's arrival. Now, there was a trace of impatience in Lena’s expression, as she glanced down at her watch for the tenth time in as many minutes. For every moment that went by without her sister's arrival, Lena became just a little more distressed. This didn’t escape Alex’s notice. Sure, Lena tried her very best to maintain her conversation with James, but Alex could tell that she was more than a little distracted. Alex could see that Lena wasn’t really there. Her mind was clearly with Kara. Alex watched with peaked interest as Lena worried her bottom lip with her teeth, as she always did when she was nervous or upset. Alex took a moment to truly take in the other woman's appearance for the first time since arriving at the bar.
Lena looked spectacular, as she always did at these kinds of functions, though she was significantly dressed down from what Alex was used to seeing. Lena was wearing a dark gray cashmere sweater, and black dress pants, with tall black heels. The gray sweater was so dark in color that Alex guessed that it was closer to charcoal than it was to gray. But what drew Alex's attention most, was Lena's hair. Lena's jet black hair was down, but swept to one side, forming soft waves against Lena's left shoulder. The diamond tear-drop earrings that she was wearing in both ears, captured the lights of the bar, causing prisms of color to dance across the table with each movement of Lena's head. The sight was positively mesmerizing. Alex had also briefly noticed that Lena was also wearing a deep shade of red lipstick, and eye shadow that brought out the green in her eyes. And upon deeper inspection, Alex could see why Kara was so in awe of her. Lena was gorgeous and ethereal. She looked like an angel, which was oddly fitting considering that Kara talked about Lena, as if she might very well be able to walk on water.
Over the many years that they'd been close, Alex had never thought to question Kara's sexuality before. She'd always assumed that Kara was strictly heterosexual. But as Kara talked about Lena more and more, she realized that maybe she should have questioned it sooner. Kara's feelings were indicative of someone who was crushing hard on their best friend (and believe me, Alex would know all about that! Must I really mention Vicky Donahue, or Maggie Sawyer?). I mean who actually comments on how good their best-friend smells? Or how appealing their lips look when they're wearing a particular shade of lipstick? Sure, Lena was gorgeous by anyone's standards, but Alex had always made an effort not to think about it too much, especially when she realized that Kara harbored deep feelings for her (whether Kara would willingly admit it to her or not). Alex had come to view Lena as a second sister, these last few months., and she would never stop seeing her as such.
Alex wasn’t exactly sure how she hadn’t noticed it sooner. But once she started seeing the signs that something more was going on between her and Kara, they were everywhere. Lena looked at Kara like Kara had hung the stars in the sky. The truth is, Alex had never seen someone look at another person the way that Lena looked at Kara. Even her parent’s glances and affections had seemed muted in comparison. And Alex envied them, because she would give anything to have that in her life again. It seriously hurt her to know that Lena and Kara were squandering something so rare and special. She wanted desperately to wake them up to what was right in front of them. But when she brought it up, Kara insisted that she and Lena were nothing more than friends. In fact, she could hear Kara’s words echoing around in her head.
‘Come on, Alex. There is absolutely nothing going on between us. You heard what Lena said the other night. She’s straight! Besides, what would someone like her want with someone like me? She could have anyone in the world that she wants – including world leaders and the like – so tell me, why would she ever want someone like me? I’m telling you, your gaydar needs some serious recalibration, if you think she has any feelings for me.’
‘You’re an idiot, Kara,’ Alex had told her, with a hint of frustration in her voice. But there was also love there, too. ‘Some day you’re going to realize just how right I am, and let me just say that I look forward to saying I told you so, when that day finally comes.’
‘It’s not gonna happen,’ Kara shook her head obdurately. 'You'll die of old age before that happens. Hell, I'll die of old age before that happens.'
‘Come on, Kara,’ Alex scoffed. ‘Don’t you think it’s a little suspicious of her to bring up nearly sleeping with a man, while looking at you as if she wants nothing more than to devour you? And god, when Sam brought up your personal life, she looked at you like she would give anything to be your paramour.’
‘You’re completely mistaken,’ Kara argued, ‘She knows how hard it is for me to talk about Mon-El. She was just trying to be supportive. That's all that was. It was a look that said, 'I've got your back.’'
‘Please! Her look gave me chills,‘ Alex informed her, ‘Fucking chills, Kara.’
‘Right,’ Kara told her with a hint of skepticism in her voice.
‘I’m being serious, Kara,’ Alex told her passionately. ‘I may be a baby-gay, as they call it, but I also know how to read someone. And the signals I was picking up that night were glaringly obvious. Maggie saw them too, you know.’
‘She was talking about a man, Alex,’ Kara practically growled, ‘So how is it that you can twist that around to mean the exact opposite?’
‘It’s in the things that she wasn’t saying,’ Alex disputed, ‘What’s the adage? A picture is worth a thousand words? Well, I’m telling you…her looks that night were worth a thousand words.’ Then, she thought to add, ’Plus, just because she’s in love with you, doesn’t mean that she’s comfortable in admitting it just yet. Some women aren’t comfortable in their sexuality. I know that I wasn’t. She’s probably just afraid that she’ll lose you.’
‘Alex,’ Kara sighed.
‘She wants you, Kara.’
‘Do you realize that she’s one of the smartest people on this entire planet?’ Kara informed her. ‘And you honestly think she’d want me?’ Kara scoffed, as if the idea were completely preposterous.
‘Is that seriously your argument?’ Alex laughed, ‘Kara, you were inducted into the Kryptonian Science Guild at the age of 12. 12! You’re a fucking genius by Earth’s standards. Hell, you have an in depth knowledge of Physics that the world’s best Theoretical Physicists could only dream about.’
‘But Lena doesn’t know that,’ Kara argued.
‘Then why keep it from her?’ Alex asked. ‘I’m sure she would love to talk about that kind of stuff with you.’
‘That’s her domain,’ Kara shrugged, ‘I don’t want to step on her toes.’
‘You wouldn’t be. You’d be talking about something you’re both passionate about,’ Alex said gently, ‘Something like that could only bring the two of you closer together.’
‘That’s exactly what I’m afraid of,’ Kara admitted finally. ‘Because in those situations, it’s so easy to forget that she’s completely out of my league. I don’t want to get my hopes up.’
‘Hah!’ Alex burst out victoriously. ‘So I was right. You do have feelings for her.’
‘Of course I do,’ Kara replied, “I mean, how could I not? She’s incredible, Alex. She’s smart, and she’s funny, and hell, she’s pretty much the best friend that anyone could ask for. Rao, she’s so beautiful that I honestly forget how to breathe when I’m looking at her. Seriously, it’s like the world just ceases to exist when I’m with her. Which is kind of dangerous, considering I’m a flipping Superhero. But I can’t really help it. She’s my whole universe.’ Then. ‘And yet, none of that matters, because she will never – in a million years – feel the same way about me.’
‘You’re wrong,’ Alex told her, ‘You’ve always been oblivious when it comes to that sort of thing. But she is in love with you, Kara. You just have to open your eyes and see it!’
Alex was shaken out of her reverie, as she saw Lena instantly straighten in her chair. She knew then, that it could only mean one thing. Alex took a quick sip of her drink, and stood up. She quickly turned to see J’onn walk in, with Kara close on his heels. Lena expression instantly brightened, as Kara gave everybody a beaming smile, and small wave, before making a beeline over to the table.
“Hey, guys,” Kara greeted everyone, with a twinkle of her bright blue eyes. “Sorry we’re late. Things got crazy for a little bit, there. But we're here now!”
“It’s no problem,” Mon-El responded, speaking up for everyone at the table, “We completely understand. Duty calls.”
“We hope you don’t mind, but we kind of got started without you,” Winn spoke up. “We weren’t sure how much longer you guys would be.” Kara’s eyes briefly met and held Winn’s gaze, before it drifted to Lena's. Kara swallowed over the sudden lump in her throat as she took in the way James’ arm was draped over the back of Lena’s chair. It looked oddly as if he was staking some sort of a claim. And for some reason the sight, and the feelings that it evoked, made Kara mildly sick. She tore her eyes away, meeting Sam's sympathetic gaze, instead.
“No…no,” Kara smiled amiably, “That’s fine. In fact, I’m glad that you are all having such a good time!” Kara’s smile was usually so bright, that this more demure version of it seemed almost out of place. Alex was pleased to see that she wasn’t the only who noticed something off.
“Is everything okay?” Lena asked worriedly, hoping that she wasn’t being too transparent, but Alex could see the concern lingering in Lena’s bright green eyes, from about a mile away. “You seem-”
“I’m just tired,” Kara assured her. “I don't think I even have to tell you that It's been a long day. I’m uh… I’m just going to get a drink. I’ve got a lot of catching up to do, it seems.” She spoke as she took in the number of empty glasses and bottles that adorned the surface of the table.
“I’ll join you,” J’onn piped up, as he started following Kara over to the bar. But he turned back, in order to mouth a quick, “She’ll be fine,” to the occupants of the table. Alex watched as Lena downed the rest of her drink in one go, and stood up, with the excuse of getting another (though Alex distinctly heard James offer to get her another).
“That's okay. I’ve got it,” Lena assured him, before she rushed off towards where Kara stood at the bar with J'onn.
“Are you ready for this?” J’onn asked Kara.
“I have a feeling that I'm about to regret this,” Kara shot back. "I am, aren't I?" she added.
“Oh, come on! As I recall, you insisted that you could handle your liquor,” J’onn teased.
“And of course you’re going to make me eat those words,” Kara shot back. “You know, now that I come to think of it, I’m a bit of a light-weight.”
“Come on, It'll be worth it in the end. Look, I’m not going to lie. It’s pretty nasty going down, but it’ll cheer you up in no time,” J’onn spoke in a hushed voice, “Trust me on this one, Supergirl.” Then, he clapped Kara on the back, and headed back towards the table.
Lena couldn’t help but wonder. Why did Kara need cheering up? What had happened to upset her?
Lena swallowed thickly, as she watched the bartender set down five shots in front of Kara. Her brows furrowed as she realized that all of them were for Kara. Lena knew for a fact that Kara didn’t particularly like alcohol. Sure, her best friend drank wine occasionally, but she only did so in a social setting and when everyone else was having some. They'd been friends for years now, and Lena had never seen Kara drink any hard liquor. Not once. And she would know – because she had tried to get Kara to drink her very old and very expensive scotch on several different celebratory occasions. Lena flinched as Kara lifted up the first shot glass, and cautiously sniffed it as if she weren’t quite sure what to make of it. It was filled with an iridescent purple liquid that Lena wouldn’t dare touch with a ten-foot pole.
“No guts, no glory,” Kara muttered to herself, before she threw back each of the shots in rapid succession, her face tightening a little in disgust as she tried to choke them all down. Lena could tell she wasn’t enjoying it at all. So why would Kara do it?
“Ugh,” Kara nearly gagged, as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and set the last glass back down on the counter with a soft clink.
“Not a fan of the hard stuff, huh?” Lena joked, causing Kara to startle a little as she became unsettled by the unexpected vocalization. She turned towards Lena with an expression of guilt on her face. But why would Kara be feeling guilty?
“Lena!” Kara tried to inject warmth and affection into her voice, but it fell mildly flat. “Uhh… hey. Sorry I didn’t see you there.”
“I just came to get a refill,” Lena explained as she held up her empty glass for inspection. Then, she set it down on the bar, and signaled the bartender to get her another. “So what was it that you just drank, anyways?”
“That would be liquor from Talkon IV,” Kara told her, “Something J’onn insisted I try. He said it was good.”
“Really? Cause it looked kind of gross. You know, I’m pretty sure that alcohol isn’t supposed to glow like that.” Lena said it, as if it were a joke.
“It’s not,” Kara laughed. “So please don’t try to drink any - cause I’m fairly certain that it would kill anyone human, and I really don’t want to lose you. The truth is that it’s pretty nasty, but whoa! It works really fast.” Lena became alarmed as Kara stumbled against the bar, grabbing hold of the countertop in her hand. She swayed just a little bit as the effects of the alcohol caught up with her, slamming into her full force. When Kara’s eyes opened in order to meet hers, Lena noticed that Kara’s eyes looked mildly unfocused. She also saw something lingering in Kara’s gaze that she couldn’t quite discern.
“You okay?” Lena asked worriedly, as she pressed a steadying hand to Kara’s shoulder.
“Yeah,” Kara gasped. “I think so. Only - that's a strange sensation. The room is spinning a little bit, and I feel warm all of a sudden.” Then, Lena watched as Kara tugged at the neck of her shirt. “Is it hot in here? Cause it feels kind of hot in here. In fact, it’s like really really hot in here.” Lena felt her cheeks warm exponentially as Kara tugged off her tie, and tossed it onto the bar, before she started undoing the buttons of her dress shirt one by one, revealing the dark blue undershirt she was wearing underneath it.
“Uh, Kara?” as much as she tried, Lena couldn’t keep her eyes from finding that dip between Kara’s collarbones. “Listen, I get that you’re feeling a bit warm, but maybe this isn’t the best place for you to be taking off your clothes?”
“Why?” Kara asked. Then her brows furrowed as she analyzed her own behavior and the look of discomfiture that was on Lena's face. "Oh, I'm sorry," Kara said as a blush birthed to life on her cheeks. "Am I making you uncomfortable?"
And, yes, Kara was definitely making Lena uncomfortable. But not in the way Kara probably surmised.
Lena felt her entire body warm underneath her clothes. She could feel her stomach do a strange swoop as she saw Kara taking off her clothes in such a way. The truth is, Lena was enjoying it all a little too much. -"Uh... Well, you see, I-" It was a rare thing for Lena to stutter or have an incomplete thought. But this time, she felt at a loss for words. This situation was so unique and unexpected, she found herself completely unprepared to handle it in a graceful way.
Lena couldn't help but imagine something like this happening in a different context. But in her mind, Lena was the one divesting Kara of her clothes. However, she couldn’t exactly tell Kara that, now could she.
“Or are you afraid that I’m going to give the other people in the bar a show?” Kara asked, while looking a little too full of herself. It was as if she knew exactly what she was doing to Lena, as she finished unbuttoning her shirt. Lena could see the outline of Kara’s abs through the tight fabric of Kara’s undershirt. The sight was mildly obscene, as the compression shirt hugged every one of Kara's ample muscles.
Lena blamed J’onn for all of this, and she turned to send a glare J’onn’s way. He looked bemused as Kara tugged off her dress shirt, and pushed it into Lena’s arms, as if it were a gift.
“I feel floaty,” Kara announced with a snicker. “Am I flying, cause it kind of feels like I’m flying. Come on, Lena, let’s go flying. I want to take you flying!” Kara quickly became distracted as she noticed the bar-nuts in a bowl next to Lena’s hand. “OoO! Snacks!”
Lena wanted to be angry with Kara, but the whole thing was so unbelievably adorable and hilarious that she couldn’t help but laugh out loud. She’d never seen Kara inebriated in such a way before. And she hates to admit it, but she loved Kara this way. Then again, it isn’t all that surprising considering she’s been in love with Kara Danvers for as long as she can remember. So of course she’d be in love with this version of Kara too.
“Okay, kiddo,” Alex laughed as she suddenly appeared, swooping in to Lena's rescue. She draped an arm around Kara’s shoulders, and started steering Kara back towards the table, “You are completely plastered, aren't you? You’re sticking to water and ginger ale for the rest of the night,” Lena heard Alex inform her sister. Then, she turned back to Lena, and mouthed an, “I’m sorry for that, Lena,” at her. Lena just gave her a grateful smile. Then, Lena looked down to the balled up shirt still clutched in her grasp, and let out another deep boisterous laugh. She still couldn't quite believe all that had transpired. But, my goodness, it would make a hilarious anecdote some day.
Minutes later, things were heating up. In fact, the bar very nearly erupted into chaos, as Kara and Lena attempted to play a game of darts. Lena, at the height of folly, claimed that she could beat Kara at anything. Kara had followed up this declaration with a challenge of her own. She told Lena to prepare to get her ass beaten and sauntered over to the dart board, with a dramatic sway of her hips. Lena will never admit this to another living soul, but the sight turned her on just a little bit. It wasn't fair - the things that Kara could do to her without even trying.
“Give me the dart!” Lena ordered Kara, as she pushed herself up onto her tiptoes, reaching over her best-friend’s shoulder in an effort to try and wrestle the offending item from Kara’s grasp, while her other arm wrapped itself around Kara’s waist from the other side, holding her flush to Lena’s front. “Kara, give it here!”
“No!” Kara giggled in defiance, as she tried to squirm away from Lena’s hold. Alex looked on in amusement, as the two continued to do battle over the dart, Boy, the two idiots were so in love, it was utterly ridiculous. Alex didn't know how much longer she could tolerate the two oblivious idiots. “It’s mine!”
One thing that not many people knew about Lena Luthor, is that she could be a bit of a sore loser. Sure, she was skilled at a good many things. She rarely lost at anything, but when she did, it was nothing short of an ordeal. “You’re not going to beat me this time!” Lena jumped onto Kara’s back, and the Superhero squeaked in alarm as she nearly lost her balance and toppled over. Lena’s arms curled around Kara’s neck, as she struggled to stay on Kara’s back. Kara was ridiculously drunk, so much so that Lena had her at a severe disadvantage. Still, Kara had her Super-strength. Kara started running around in circles, weaving back and forth between the tables, while the rest of the group looked on in appreciative awe.
“I fully intend to get my revenge for all those times you beat me on game night!” Kara shouted, as she shoved the dart so far down her shirt that it became lodged in her bra. Kara threw up her hands, assuming that this had won her the battle. Because surely Lena would never dare to go there!
Kara waited for Lena to admit defeat and climb off of her back, but in a rash movement, Lena plunged her hand deep into Kara’s shirt in an attempt to grab the dart. This caused Kara to let out a squeal of surprise. Kara quickly swatted at Lena's hands in an attempt to fight her off. From across the room, a less than amused James looked on from the bar. But he let it go, because he knew they were all friends. Kara and Lena were just having fun.
“Alex!” Kara called out her sister, “Hey! Are you really just going to sit there nursing that stupid scotch, or are you going to help me!? I'm your Sister!” Alex jumped up from her chair at the table, with a deep laugh, and joined in on the fun, pulling Lena away from Kara just long enough for Kara to pull the dart out of her own shirt and throw the dart for a game winning bull’s eye. Winn snapped a picture, in order to capture the moment, as a look of defeat swept across Lena’s face. She was really cute when she was pouting. In the other half of the picture, Alex was happily twirling Kara around in a victory celebration.
“Finally,” Kara breathed as she lifted a victorious fist into the air.
“Yeah, yeah,” Lena groused, “Gloat all you want. Your ass is mine on the next game night, Kara! We'll see who is laughing then!” Alex reluctantly set Kara back on the ground, when she sensed Kara wanted to do something to comfort her best friend.
“Aww,” Kara said as she wrapped Lena up in a hug from behind, “Come on, Lena. Don’t be like that.” Lena turned her head to look at Kara, and she felt the skin of her cheek burn furiously as Kara pressed a lingering kiss into the skin there. Lena felt her breath stutter in her lungs, and closed her eyes for a moment, as she was left reeling from it. “You know that I love you, right?” Kara reluctantly let go of Lena, missing the way that Lena swayed just a little bit after she let go.
“Yeah,” Lena told her, “I know.” This was true. She did know that Kara loved her like a friend, or a sister, but not necessarily in the way that Lena wanted Kara to love her.
Lena now owed the entire group drinks for losing the bet that she could beat Kara in a game of darts. How was Lena supposed to know that Kara was a master of the game?
“All right, everyone,” Alex piped up. “Now that we’ve all had our fun and games, it’s time to get on with the business-end of the evening. As you well know, we’ve all elected to do Secret Santa this year. This makes the most sense, since most of us have financial constraints and can’t afford to get a gift for everyone.” Everyone murmured his or her agreement, confirming this to be so. “So I’ve written everybody’s name down on a piece of paper, folded them up, and put them in my motorcycle helmet. We’ll all draw names, starting with the person whose birthday is closest to Christmas. If you get your own name, fold it back up, toss it back in, and draw another. The spending limit is set at 50 dollars, though if you’d like to make your own gift, then that’s technically allowed too. You guys can all decide how you’d like to deliver the gift to your recipient, so long as your identity remains a secret. Gifts must be given to the recipient before the day of the Christmas party. Then, on the night of the party, in order to add in a bit of fun, we will all guess who our Santa is. Any questions?”
“Can we swap names?” Lena asked.
“Hmm,” Alex hummed thoughtfully as she tapped her chin, “I suppose that would be allowed if you find someone who is willing to trade with you. But – I think it would be more fun if we just bought for the person we draw.” Then. “What do you guys think?”
“Let’s allow it,” James piped up. “I mean, what would happen if you drew Kara’s name? Or Kara, yours? You guys buy gifts for each other all of the time!”
“Good point,” Alex replied. “Okay, well, let’s get this underway, shall we? Whose birthday is closest to Christmas?”
“Well,” Kara laughed, “Not me.”
“I'm out, too,” J’onn laughed.
“Oh, shit,” Alex smacked her own forehead, “I didn’t even think about that.”
“Think about what?” Lena asked in confusion.
“Uh…Well, technically Kara doesn’t have a birthday,” Alex explained, “She has an Earth birthday, but we don’t actually know what day she was born. The cycles between Krypton’s calendar and Earth’s calendar don’t exactly line up.”
“Oh,” Lena swallowed. She suddenly realized she'd never given much thought to it before. She silently wonders if it would be possible to calculate. I mean, sure, the calendars didn't totally line up, but surely they could get close.
“It’s okay,” Kara promised. “I don’t need to go first. You guys can go first. J'onn and I will bring up the rear.”
After several minutes, they finally figured out whose birthday was closest to Christmas. James was the first to draw a name. He smiled when he saw the name scrawled on the piece of paper, and tucked it into his pocket. They continued on, until Sam drew a piece of paper and laughed. “What are the odds?” she asked before she folded it, tossed it back into the helmet, and drew another. This time, she had a name she could use.
Lena was the next to draw. She let out a tremulous breath, and slowly reached into the helmet. She knew whose name it is that she wanted, but the odds were somewhat stacked against her (believe me, she would know). The truth is, she would give just about anything for the chance to give Kara a meaningful gift. She already had something special planned. But she realized now, it had been stupid to count on it. The odds that she’d get Kara’s name, or finding someone who would be willing to trade her Kara’s name, were very slim. Lena’s hand closed around a single piece of paper, and pulled it from the helmet. With trembling hands, she slowly unfolded it, and looked down at the piece of paper. She let out a faint laugh as she saw the name waiting for her on the piece of paper, like an answer to her prayer. Lena stuffed it into her pocket, and let out a relieved breath.
Alex drew next, then Mon-El, Winn, Imra, J’onn, and finally Kara drew the last remaining slip from the helmet. Kara glanced at the slip of paper, and then stuffed it into her pocket.
“All right, everyone,” Alex said as she glanced to the clock. “It’s getting late, and most of us have work in the morning or kids at home, so I think we’ll leave it there.”
“Yeah,” Sam said, as she quickly gathered her things, “I gotta get going. Ruby is probably driving the sitter up a wall as we speak. I’ll see you all soon!”
“Night, Sam!” Kara and Lena supplied in unison.
“Night!” Sam said with a smile, before she headed out the door.
“Well, it’s been fun,” Winn announced, “Have a good night, everyone. And drive safely…err fly safely.”
“Oh, believe me, I won’t be flying anywhere tonight,” Kara said, earning a chortling laugh from others at the table.
“I’ll take you, Kar,” Alex told her with a squeeze of a shoulder. “That is, if you think you can stay on the bike this time.”
“Of course,” Kara promised, though she looked as if she wasn’t quite so sure.
"Wait a minute," James laughed, "You fell off of Alex's bike?"
"Oh, man," Mon-El laughed, "You don't know the half of it."
"Mon-El," Kara spoke warningly. He seemed completely undeterred by Kara's stern warning.
"So one night about nine months ago, Kara got drunk, and by that I mean super drunk," Alex began before turning to Mon-El, and adding, "Thanks for that, by the way."
Then Alex turned back to the rest of the group and continued, "She was too drunk to fly home, so I decided to take her home on my bike. Anyway - I was going down the freeway at about 75 mph, and the next thing I know, the bike starts handling a lot differently," Alex told James, while choking back laughter. "At first I thought it was because of some sort of a mechanical issue, but when I looked behind me, I realized why. Kara - Kara may look light, but she's deceptively heavy... so much so, that when she fell off the bike, the difference in weight was detectable. One thing you should know about Kara is she's a sleepy drunk. If you give my sister alcohol, she will crash. It's not really a matter of if, it's just a matter of when. And apparently, that night, Kara fell asleep in the middle of our ride through town, and took a dive off of the back of the bike, thereby causing a 30 car pile-up on the PCH. Let's just say that the highway, and some poor dude's Mustang, got it a lot worse than Kara did. She left a crater in the middle of the highway that it took the city weeks to fix!"
"Gosh darn it!" Kara burst out, "You promised me that you wouldn't tell anybody that story, Alex!" To which every one else's response was chortling laughter.
"Hey! I had to wipe a hundred people's phones that night, Kara," Alex groused, "I think that gives me a right to tell that story to our closest friends!"
"Oh my! Please tell me that you have a video of it on your phone," Lena joked, "Cause it would be nice thing to have, for the next time Kara's being a -"
"Go ahead and finish that sentence, Lena," Kara challenged, "I dare you."
"An asshole," Lena said with a pointed glance at her best friend, "I was going to say that you can be a stubborn asshole sometimes. Especially when you go rushing off into danger without thinking about the consequences, leaving the rest of us no choice but to worry about you."
"But you love me!" Kara said through a pout.
"Of course I love you, Darling," Lena replied, "Nobody's contesting that."
"Then why-"
"We're all just having a bit of fun!" James assured her. But for some reason, Kara didn't entirely believe him.
"Yeah," Kara huffed, before pouting dramatically and crossing her arms over her chest protectively, "At my expense!"
"I'm sorry," James told her. "We'll drop it, okay? It's - It's just nice to know that you're human like the rest of us... despite your Kryptonian DNA."
Everyone began straightening up the table and chairs, before slipping into their jackets. Kara felt her heart clench in pain, as James helped Lena into her jacket.
“I’ll walk you out?” James offered. Lena’s eyes found Kara’s for a fraction of a second, before Kara abruptly tore her eyes away. In that fraction of a moment, Lena could swear that she saw a storm lingering in Kara’s eyes that wasn’t normally there. It was as if she were jealous. But that was just Lena’s imagination, wasn’t it?
“Uh, sure,” Lena acquiesced, “That would be lovely, James. Thank you.”
Kara must have looked like someone kicked her puppy, because Alex quickly rushed to her rescue. She gently grasped her by the shoulder, and started steering her towards the door. “Come on, Kar,” Alex said in a quiet breath, “I know - I know it hurts. Come on, we’ll get some ice cream on the way home. I know that always makes you feel better.”
“I told you,” Kara said dejectedly, “She likes James.”
Lena glanced down for one moment, and by the time she looked up again, Alex was already ushering Kara out the door. Kara hadn’t even thought to say goodbye to her. It really stung.
The DEO
National City
28 Days Until Christmas
A couple of days later, Alex was elbow deep in work, when a knocked sounded at the door. She looked up from her microscope, in order to see an apprehensive Lena Luthor standing just outside of the glass room.
“Hey, Lena,” Alex greeted her, with a wave of her arm, “Come on in.” Lena pushed open the door and stepped inside. Her nose wrinkled adorably in distaste as she was treated to the rather revolting smell that now filled Alex’s office. Alex probably should have thought about that, before inviting Lena inside, but she had become desensitized to the pungent smell hours ago.
“Oh my God! What is that?” Lena asked as she pinched her nose with one hand, and pointed to the tentacle that Alex had spent the last several hours dissecting with the other.
“Oh, that? That’s from an alien that Kara fought yesterday. It seems to have lost one of its appendages,” Alex laughed. “How about we step outside, where the smell is a little less overpowering?”
“Yes, thank you,” Lena nodded as she fought back a gag, “That would be appreciated.” Alex led the way back outside. “Wow, I always thought you were one of those military types, but I guess it would seem that I was completely erroneous in my assumptions. I’m sorry for selling you short.”
“Nah. Don’t feel bad,” Alex told her, “After all, that’s pretty much my cover. That’s what I want people to think I am. But no, I’m a neurologist and xenobiologist. Kara is actually the reason I got into the field, to be honest. It started out as a curiosity, but then transformed into something else. As she and I got closer, I wanted to know how I could best help her – how I could keep her safe. She’s been a wonderful sister to me, and I would do anything I can to protect her.”
“You weren’t always so close?” Lena asked, picking up on Alex’s words.
“No,” Alex admitted, “I wish I could say that I always knew how incredible Kara was, but – but when she first got here, I was pretty awful to her. I hated her for ruining what I thought was my perfect family. God, that thought makes me feel ashamed whenever I think about it. She’d just lost her whole world, and I was a bitch to her for the first couple of years she was on this planet. I treated her like an inconvenience, because I didn't want anything to do with her. I actually called her a freak. Can you imagine? I - I didn’t realize until much later, how lucky I was to have her in my life. Fortunately for me, Kara is one of the kindest people on the planet. She forgave me. And she was willing to love me, despite all of my rather obvious shortcomings. We’ve only gotten closer as the years have gone on.”
“She is pretty incredible, isn’t she?” Lena smiled wistfully. "I've never had someone in my life like her before. I... I don't know what I'd ever do without her now."
“Yeah, she really is,” Alex agreed. “So, uh…” Alex hedged, “What can I do for you, Lena? Are you here looking for Kara, cause I’m afraid she’s not here.”
“No, I came here to see you, actually,” Lena told her, with a hint of apprehension, as she met Alex’s eyes. “I was hoping that you might be able to help me with something.”
“Uh... Sure,” Alex nodded, “I'd do anything to help out a friend. And we're friends, Lena.”
“You might want to hear what it is, first,” Lena laughed, “But I’m grateful that you’re so willing to help me.”
“What do you need?”
“Uh…I was wondering if you would be willing to let me look through the DEO’s archives. I’m looking for any information related to Krypton. I’ll need data about atmospheric conditions, geographical features, elevations, elemental compositions, images - anything that would allow me to construct a fully interactive holographic display.”
“I’m sorry,” Alex sputtered, as she struggled to catch Lena's meaning and grasp what Lena wanted to do. "You plan on doing what?"
"I plan on recreating Krypton for Kara," Lena told her. When she still received a blank look from Alex, she knew she would have to elaborate further.
“Imagine being able to walk on Krypton’s surface,” Lena explained. “Imagine smelling the salt in the air – feeling the grass beneath your feet as you walk. What if you could breathe in the atmosphere, without all of the toxic gases that tainted it before it’s demise? Picture it, Alex. Imagine what it would feel like to look up and see Krypton’s moons looming in the sky – what it would feel like to feel the heat of Rao upon your face. What if I told you it was possible? What if you could walk into a room and experience all of it?”
“Are you being straight with me?” Alex questioned. “You really think you can do that for Kara?”
“I’ve already designed the room in one of my warehouses,” Lena confirmed, “Now, I’ve just been trying to construct a computer with enough processing power to handle all of the functions that I need it to. I’m uh - I'm still working out how manipulate matter on a molecular level, but yes, I fully believe that something like this is possible.”
“That sounds like the stuff of Sci-fi shows, Lena,” Alex told her.
“It’s funny you should say that, because that’s actually where I got the idea,” Lena laughed. “Kara and I were watching Star Trek earlier this year, when she casually remarked about how cool it would be to have access to something like that. She mentioned that she would give anything to stand on Krypton again. And I fully intend to do this for her, or die trying. Only – I need complete access to everything you know about Krypton, if I’m going to make it seem realistic. And by that I mean everything.”
“You have her name, don’t you?” Alex asked. She finally understood. “You’re her Secret Santa.”
“I am,” Lena, replied in affirmation, “You did say that we could create something for them, if we wanted. Well, I might have cheated, because I’ve been preparing this for months. But as you might have guessed, I needed the extra time in order to try and make it work.”
“Shit, Lena,” Alex gasped, “You're really going to try and do this?”
“Yes,” Lena laughed. “So what do you say, Alex? How about we make this Christmas the best Christmas that Kara has ever had?”
“Fine. I’ll do it on one condition,” Alex replied, though she fully intended to help Lena either way. Because how could she not?
“Name it,” Lena said simply.
“Admit that you’re in love with her,” Alex ordered her, as she crossed her arms over her chest. “Admit that you’re head over heels in love with my sister, and I will do everything in my power to make this crazy dream of yours a reality.”
“Alex,” Lena sighed, “I don’t know if I can-“
“You can,” Alex told her sternly. “Here, where it’s just you and me? You can tell me, Lena. I – I promise that I won’t tell another living soul. But you need to say it. I promise that it’s for your benefit, just as much as it is for mine.”
“I’m in love with her,” Lena said, as tears built in her eyes. “God, I think that’s the first time I’ve ever said those words out loud," Lena admitted as she wiped her nose and sniffled, "But I have been in love with her for a very very long time, and I would give anything to be able to do this for her. Because it’s what she deserves. She deserves the whole world, Alex.”
“Hey, come here,” Alex said as she pulled Lena into a hug. “I’m proud of you, Lena, like really fucking proud of you. What a story this is going to make at your wedding.”
“Aren’t you getting a little ahead of yourself?” Lena asked with a laugh, “We don’t even know if Kara feels the same way.”
"Oh, come on, Lena,” Alex said with a shake of her head, “My sister has been in love with you forever.” Then. “Now let’s get to work. We’ve only got 28 days until Christmas, and I fully intend to make use of every second that we’ve got.”
“Thanks, Alex,” Lena said gratefully.
“I just have a quick question for you,” Alex told her. “How would you feel about recruiting Winn to our cause? Because Winn knows his way around a computer. In fact, he’s one of the most skilled computer programmers that I’ve ever met.”
“You think he’d really be willing to help?” Lena questioned.
“Oh, please,” Alex scoffed, “He practically idolizes you. I'm pretty sure that he'd jump at the chance to curry favor with you. And he loves Kara, too, you know. Trust me. He’ll want in on this.”
“Then let’s go ask him,” Lena said excitedly.
Sure enough, Winn jumped at the chance to help them. Lena hadn’t even finished her spiel, before Winn had cut in and told them that he was in. He seemed really excited for the chance to recreate Krypton for Kara.
They all agreed to meet at the warehouse after work, in order to get started on developing this dream of Lena’s. In the meantime, with J’onn’s approval, Alex showed Lena the archives. Lena gasped as she looked at the first images of Krypton. It was a beautiful planet, different from Earth in so many ways, but completely similar in other ways. Lena filed away things that she felt that she could use, but found herself getting distracted more often than not. She loved that she was finally seeing bits and pieces of Kara's home, when before she'd only had words to go on.
“Wow, this is beautiful,” Lena, gasped, as she reached out to touch the computer screen. “Does Kara look at these often?”
“No,” Alex swallowed. “Listen, Lena, there’s something that I feel like I should tell you.”
“What’s that?” Lena asked as she turned to look Alex straight in the eyes.
“There’s a chance that Kara won’t be ready for this thing that you have planned,” Alex told her quietly. “The truth is, she hasn't looked at a lot of these photos, because it’s too painful for her. She watched Krypton explode from her pod. She saw her parents, and every other person left on that planet, die. So as much as I want to believe that she’ll love this, I’m also afraid that it will break her.”
“Shit,” Lena swore, as she ran a hand over her face, “I didn’t realize… I mean, she never told me that she saw it explode.”
“Hey, it’s going to fine, Lena,” Alex reassured her with a squeeze of her shoulder, “I just felt like I should be completely honest with you.”
“Thank you for telling me, Alex,” Lena said gratefully, “I really appreciate it.”
"You're welcome," Alex nodded.
“This really is going to be the best Christmas present ever,” Alex promised her, as she pulled up another photo. “Did I ever tell you that I saw it? Krypton?”
“You did?” Lena asked. “But-How?”
“Kara became trapped in a fantasy world a couple of years ago,” Alex began, “She was incapacitated by a creature called a Black Mercy. It's this parasite that feeds on a host while trapping them in a fantasy of their choosing. I elected to go into Kara’s mind, in order to get her to reject the fantasy. However, when I did so, I didn't realize that she would choose her life on Krypton as her fantasy. That was - That was so painful for her. She finally had everything that she had ever wanted since seeing Krypton explode, and I was the one that had to get her to reject that. She lost Krypton and her parents all over again, that day. That's why part of me is so relieved that I can give her a piece of that back. Because I know how hard it was for her to reject that world and come back here with me.”
“Oh God,” Lena breathed. “I can’t imagine that. Losing someone once is bad enough, but to lose them twice?”
“I guess one good thing came out of it, though,” Alex told her. “Cause I can help recreate Kara’s home. I won’t remember every detail, of course, but at least I can remember the big stuff. I remember what it looked like. It’s kind of amazing, actually, that I got to see that piece of her life."
They spent the next three weeks, working night and day in order to make their dream a reality. But this was easier said than done. The technology that they were dealing in, was generations ahead of its time, and carried many difficulties with it. Lena and Winn were the brains of the operation, whereas Alex did a lot of the physical work. They were a lot closer to living the dream, but all of their hard work came with a consequence. They’d all had no social life for almost three weeks. Alex and Lena had been forced to cancel on Kara far too many times, leaving Kara to feel as if she were unwanted. Kara assumed that Lena was spending all of her time with James, and Lena let her believe that. After all, it was easier to throw Kara off their scent, if Kara believed that Lena was spending all of her time with James. This would backfire later, of course. But for now? It worked.
Every time that they thought that they had succeeded, something would go wrong. The system was glitching almost constantly, destroying the illusion. And Lena couldn’t seem to figure out why it was happening. Winn assured her that he could get it to work, but Lena was skeptical.
With Six days left until the Christmas party, Lena took the day off from work, in order to spend some much needed time ironing out the kinks.
Lena smiled as she stepped into the room she’d created for what she still hoped to accomplish. Every inch of the room was covered in reflective paneling that was capable of projecting an image of their choosing, turning the environment into a three dimensional interactive experience. Lena walked over to the panel by the door, and activated the program they'd spent the most time working on. She watched as her surroundings seemingly transformed before her very eyes. She let out a soft breath, as she looked up to see the yellowish-green sky of Krypton. The sight was absolutely dazzling, and she was extremely proud of it. In fact, Lena felt euphoric as she started walking forwards, and the environment adapted to her movements, transforming along with her. It was as if she were walking outside, and not trapped in a room. She could faintly see the horizon in the distance, and started walking towards it. Everything was going smoothly, so far. She could smell the salt in the air, as she walked over the rocky terrain on Krypton’s surface. And as Lena turned, she could see the spires in the distance. From this view, the city looked absolutely breathtaking. Lena was proud of what they had accomplished in such a short amount of time. It was like a tiny slice of Krypton. Lena turned back around and kept walking, watching as Rao started to set on Krypton. For a moment, she’d thought that they had accomplished the impossible, but then, everything started glitching, shattering the perfect illusion. With a final flicker of her environment, Lena was treated to the sight of the reflective paneling. She let out a frustrated growl, and threw up her hands.
Damn it! We were so close! Lena thought.
Winn came rushing in, carrying a tablet in his hands.
“Damn it,” Lena breathed. “It’s that same spot. Every. Freaking. Time.”
“That’s because the system isn’t resetting like it’s supposed to,” Winn told her. “The transition should be seamless, so you never feel like you’re running out of room in this very finite space. But for some reason, it’s not happening like it’s supposed to.” He let out a frustrated breath, and reached up to run a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry, Lena. I’m really doing everything that I can to fix it. I promise.”
“Are you kidding me, Winn?” Lena laughed. “Do you have any idea how incredible all of this is? You’ve done an amazing job with the programming. This has far surpassed all of my wildest expectations.”
“Really?” Winn looked mildly proud of himself.
“Yes, Really,” Lena told him. “When I said that I thought this was possible, I wasn’t sure that it was actually possible. This is better than I could have ever imagined. Though, I wish I could get the other stuff to work. I mean – having sight and smell is one thing, but to actually be able to reach out and touch something? To feel the rigidity of the rocks beneath your feet, or the coolness of the stone against your hand, is another. I want Kara to feel like she’s truly there.“
“You’ll get there, Lena,” Winn told her with confidence, “I know it.”
“I appreciate the confidence in me, but I’m not so sure,” Lena sighed, “Maybe I was a fool to think I could do this.”
“Lena,” Winn shook his head, “You are literally the smartest person that I have ever met. And you’re one of the smartest people on this entire planet. If anyone can do this, it's you! You’ve just got to believe in yourself. Now, let’s stop feeling sorry for ourselves and get back to work, shall we?”
“Has anyone ever told you that you’re good at giving pep talks?” Lena asked him.
“I am pretty good at it, aren’t I? Winn said, earning a laugh from Lena that lightened the mood significantly.
Five days later, Alex lured Kara from work under the pretense that there was an emergency. Alex slowly climbed out of the non-descript DEO SUV, just as Kara landed - with a small shake of the earth - outside of the main doors of the warehouse. Kara sauntered over, with her fists planted on her hips in her signature Supergirl pose.
“So what’s the emergency?” Kara asked. Her voice was all business, and Alex nearly laughed. Boy, Kara would not be happy when she told her that she'd been brought there under false pretenses.
“Okay, so I may have lured you here under false pretenses,” Alex said uneasily.
“You what?!" Kara looked displeased. “Alex, I left work for this! Lena is going to kill me if she finds out that I left Catco for no reason!”
"Actually, I don’t think she’ll be that upset,” Alex argued. “Come on - Come with me, Kara. I have something to show you.” Alex commanded her as she grabbed a hold of Kara’s arm.
“Fine, but I’m doing so under protest,” Kara huffed, as she let herself get pulled along.
Alex led the way inside of the warehouse, and brought Kara to the door that led to the inside of the holodeck – as they had aptly named it. Alex picked up the black burlap sack that was lined with lead. “Sorry for this,” she apologized as she threw it over Kara’s head.
“What in the hell?” Kara snapped as Alex cinched the bag, around her neck. "What on Earth are you doing? I'm going to kill you, Alex!"
“Just bear with me for one second,” Alex told her. “You don’t want to spoil the surprise now, do you?”
“You had better have a good reason for this!” Kara exclaimed.
“I do” Alex promised as she interacted with the touch screen, activating the computer program. With another flourish of her fingers, she opened the doors. They parted with a faint whine.
“Come on,” Alex spoke as she grabbed Kara by the hand and led her inside. As per the programing, the doors sealed themselves shut behind them. She led Kara a few steps into the room, and stood Kara on the precise spot that Lena wanted. “Okay, I’m going to take the blindfold off now,” Alex announced as she loosened the bag and pulled it off of Kara’s head. She laughed when she saw that Kara’s eyes were still squeezed shut.
“You can open them now,” Alex chuckled.
Kara eyelids slowly fluttered open. Alex could tell the precise moment that Kara’s took in her surroundings, because she gasped loudly. She was completely frozen for what seemed like a long time. Her jaw had fallen open in shock.
“Merry Christmas, Kara,” Alex told her with a smile, “From yours truly, and from your Secret Santa.”
“Oh my-“ Kara spoke breathlessly, as she slowly turned, and took in every detail of the room she was in. Kara was honestly speechless, as she took in the way that Rao’s light was cascading in through the windows. Kara let out a laugh as she walked further into her bedroom. “Rao. This is…” Kara felt like she was in shock, as she walked towards her bed. It was as if she were actually standing in her old bedroom on Krypton. “How?” Kara couldn’t help but ask, as she reached out and touched the table. She was shocked when she actually felt the coolness of its surface. It’s just how she remembered. Kara swallowed, as she realized she could even see the statue that she’d made for her father when she was nine, sitting on the bedside table.
“Alex,” Kara turned back to face her sister, with tears in her eyes. Kara’s eyes were glassy as she met Alex’s deep brown eyes. “How – How is this possible?”
“A lot of hard work,” Alex told her honestly. “I hope you realize, hundreds of hours – hell, thousands of hours - went into making this happen. You are loved, Kara. More than you could ever know. It was a bit of a cooperative effort, but there was one person at the forefront of it all.”
“I don’t even know what to say,” Kara admitted, with a wet laugh. “Alex,” Kara’s body erupted into sobs. “This is the best gift that I’ve ever been given.”
“Hey,” Alex breathed as she rushed forwards and wrapped Kara in a crushing embrace. Kara buried her face in the space between Alex’s neck and shoulder. “Hey, it’s okay. I knew that this wouldn’t be easy for you. But eventually, I hope that you’ll be able to enjoy this.”
“I love it,” Kara promised her, as she pulled away. "I really do. I'm sorry that I'm so emotional, but I never thought I'd see this place again."
“There’s more settings, you know,” Alex informed her. “You want to see the rest of Argo City?”
“I would love to see Argo City,” Kara replied. "It's been so long!"
“We’ll have to step out for a minute,” Alex spoke as she pulled the remote out of her pocket and hit a button. The doors appeared out of thin air, and Alex led Kara out. Kara watched as she interacted with the pad to the right of the doors, and hit the Run Program, button. They waited patiently as the computers loaded the simulation.
When they received a ready from the computer, Alex grabbed Kara’s hand and led her back inside. Kara gasped as she laid eyes on the Kryptonian City that was her birthplace, and her last place of residence. It was just as spectacular as she remembered. Kara was actually so overcome with emotion that she dropped to her knees.
“Kara?” Alex asked worriedly.
“I need a minute,” Kara spoke as she reached up to brush the tears from her cheeks.
“Take all of the time you need,” Alex told her patiently, as she knelt down in front of her sister.
“Did you know that this is where I was born?” Kara asked her.
“Yeah,” Alex nodded. “It was in the archives. I also remember you telling me all about it when we were kids.”
“This feels surreal,” Kara said with a shake of her head. “I thought I would never see these places again. I thought I would never be able to walk on Krypton, but all of this – this feels incredibly real.” Alex watched as Kara picked up a fistful of rocks and pebbles and let them fall between her fingers.
“I could spend the rest of my life in here,” Kara admitted, “That thought kind of scares me.”
“I won’t let you lose yourself in here, Kara,” Alex assured her, “I promise. But it can’t hurt to have a safe haven – somewhere where you can go to reconnect with your heritage when you want to. We've tried to include all of the places that you've mentioned - the Crystal Caves, the Fire-falls. This - This can be your fortress of solitude. I’ve already talked to the owner of this building, and they want it to be yours. We’re going to add all kinds of security, in order to make this one of the safest places on Earth. And then? This place will be yours.'
“Are you really saying that this place is mine?” Kara asked.
“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” Alex nodded. “I’ve got plans to renovate the rest of the building. I know it doesn’t feel much like a place of refuge to you now, but it will when we're done with it, I promise. We’ll make it yours.”
“Who did this for me, Alex?” Kara asked. “Who on earth would care enough about me to do something like this?”
“Do you really have to ask that, Kara?” Alex laughed. “Because there’s only one person on this planet who is smart enough to pull something like this off. And I’ll give you a clue. It’s not me - and it’s not Winn. Though he did help with some of the programming stuff.”
“Lena,” Kara gasped, as she realized that Alex was right. She already knew who had done this for her. Kara’s expression brightened as she met Alex’s gaze. “But – But why? This must have cost her so much money, and so much time. Why would she do this for me?”
“Kara,” Alex groaned. She silently hoped that she didn’t have to spell it out for her. "I've told you why." Then, "Are ready to finally listen to what I have to say?"
“I – I’ve got to go,” Kara announced as she pushed herself up to her feet. “I need to – I need to thank her. I know that we’re supposed to wait until the reveal at the party, but I - it can’t wait.”
“Then go to her, Kara,” Alex ordered, as Kara pulled her to her feet. Kara wrapped Alex in another quick hug, before Alex opened the doors. Kara rushed out, and stepped out into the sunlight. By the time that Alex exited the warehouse, Kara was already springing up and into the sky. Alex felt the breeze on her face, as Kara accelerated, breaking Mach 1 in no time at all. In the matter of a few seconds, Kara was just a speck in the sky.
Minutes later, Kara landed on Catco’s roof, and quickly changed back into her work clothes, which consisted of a light pink button up, and a pair of burgundy pants, complete with a brown belt and loafers. The sun was setting, and the workday was done, but Kara knew that Lena would be in her office. Kara took steadying breaths as she rushed down the stairs two at a time, and burst out of the stairwell on the top floor. She rushed for Lena and James' shared office, hoping that Lena would be in there. She was in such a rush that she didn’t stop to contemplate that Lena might not be alone. Kara pushed open the door, and froze as her eyes found Lena and James, mid-kiss. Kara’s hand slipped from the handle of the door, and went right through the glass. Kara flinched as the glass door shattered, and glass shards began raining down to the floor in a torrent. Kara looked at her hand as if it had done something traitorous.
Kara failed to notice the way that Lena pushed James away, or how Lena’s eyes instantly widened in horror at the way everything had transpired.
“I am so so sorry,” Kara apologized as if she was the one to have done something wrong. “Oh Rao, oh gosh. I will… I will get the janitor up here right away,” Kara rambled, as she looked down at the floor.
“Kara,” Lena’s voice was soft and apologetic.
“I'm sorry,” Kara spoke with a flush of her cheeks. “I – I will uh… I’ll get out of your way. I'm so sorry for interrupting,” Kara said as she rushed out of there as fast as she could.
“Kara, wait!” Lena called after her. She actually started chasing after her best friend, but Kara moved too quickly for her and Lena had no hope of catching up. “It’s not what it looks like,” Lena spoke to no one at all, before letting out a dejected sigh.
“Shit! I just bungled everything up majorly, didn’t I?” James asked from behind her. “I’m so sorry, Lena. I swear that I didn’t know. I had no idea that you had feelings for Kara.”
“I – I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Lena denied.
“Come on, Lena,” James laughed, a sadness in his eyes, “I’ve never had someone push me away so quickly before. I honestly don't know why it took me so long to figure it out. You’re in love with Kara!”
“What does it matter?” Lena sighed, as she lifted her hands to her face. “Cause I'm fairly sure that she’s never going to be able to look at me again!”
“I wouldn’t say that,” James told her. “Kara is one of the most forgiving souls I've ever met. Hey – Just tell her how you feel, Lena. Explain what happened, and I'm sure she'll understand!”
Later that night, Lena’s towncar pulled up outside of the warehouse - 45 minutes outside of the city. She climbed out of the car, and leaned inside of it for a moment, as she pulled the bundle of flowers from the backseat. She knew that Kara would most likely be here, making use of her Christmas gift. Alex had assured her that Kara had departed the DEO about an hour and a half before. Slowly, Lena walked inside. Sure enough, when she arrived at the panel, she could see that it was already running a program. Lena entered in the code to open the doors, and walked inside. Her heart leapt into her throat, as she laid eyes on Kara for the first time since the debacle in James’ office. The blonde was dressed in a sleeveless, deep blue compression shirt, and a tight pair of yoga pants. All of Kara’s muscles were on display as Kara free-climbed the sheer rock face of one of Krypton’s tallest mountains. As Lena looked down, she realized that she was standing in the sky, far above Krypton’s surface. Lena swallowed, noting that she probably shouldn’t look down again. The sight was more than a little dizzying.
Lena quietly walked closer to where Kara hung by her fingertips. Lena had never seen such a display of strength and power before, as she was now. Kara hung by one hand, dangling above the ground. Sure, she was only feet off the ground, but the program gave the illusion that they were thousands of feet in the air. Sweat dripped from Kara’s nose, and glistened on every exposed surface of Kara’s body. Lena gasped as she realized Kara had engaged the red sun lamps, so that her powers and strength were significantly diminished. Kara was weakening herself, why? Lena watched with rapt attention as Kara shook out the muscles in her dangling arm, before she prepared to switch off. With her other forearm, Kara tugged, and sprang up into the air, attempting to grab another handhold a few feet above her current position. Lena held her breath for the fraction of a moment that it took for Kara to reach for the outcrop. Lena let out the breath she was holding when Kara’s other hand finally closed around it, securing her to the rock face. Kara let out a groan of fatigue and reached up to wipe the sweat out of her eyes.
Lena silently wondered how long Kara had been at it. But judging by how high up in the air that they were, she supposed that it had been a while.
“That was impressive,” Lena spoke up, causing Kara to startle. Lena watched in horror as Kara’s slick hand slipped off of the rock and she tumbled the fifteen or so feet to the floor.
Kara let out a punctuated, “Umphf,” as she hit the floor hard, landing straight on her back. Lena offered her a soft, sympathetic smile, as she looked down on her. Kara just laid there on the floor for some time, staring up into Lena's bright green eyes, while she tried desperately to catch her breath. Her chest moved up and down rapidly in deep, rasping breaths. Lena could see every bead of sweat on her best friend’s body.
“Sorry,” Lena murmured sheepishly, “I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“It’s fine,” Kara spoke, as she choked back a groan, and slowly pushed herself upwards and into a seated position. Lena offered her a hand, and Kara hesitated a moment before grabbing it. Kara couldn’t help but look embarrassed as she realized just how sweaty her palms were. Lena watched as Kara quickly rubbed her hand on the fabric of her yoga pants in order to dry it, before she finally reached out and grasped Lena's hand with her own. Lena planted her feet accordingly and helped pull Kara to her feet.
“I didn't know that you were a rock-climber,” Lena attempted to spark some sort of conversation with Kara.
“I used to climb a lot back on Krypton,” Kara shrugged, “We had some geological features and mountains in the Southern hemisphere that were stunning. I still try and go climbing every so often, here on Earth. Because it grounds me in a weird way. But I... haven’t really been able to find much time to do it as of late. It’s also less challenging with my powers, so that took a lot of the joy out of it. it's really cool that I finally have an environment where I can feel that again.” Kara nervously fidgeted with the bag of chalk at her waist, before tugging it off. She zipped it closed and dropped it down onto the ground at her feet with a dull thud. Lena gulped as Kara lifted up the hem of her shirt in order to wipe the sweat from her face, revealing every single one of her spectacular abs.
“Oh,” Lena breathed. She quickly looked away as she tried to hide the flush and rush of feeling that this action evoked.
“So uh... what brings you here?” Kara asked, as she released her shirt, and reached up to paw at the back of her neck.
“Isn’t it obvious?” Lena laughed, “You kind of ran off before, at Catco.”
“Yeah,” Kara nodded. Lena could see all of the muscles in the blonde’s neck as she swallowed. “I uh…I’m sorry about that, Lena. I'm so embarrassed about it all. I really should have knocked.” Then. “I’m also really sorry about the door. I promise that I’ll pay to replace it.”
“Kara,” Lena sighed. “You don't have to be sorry. In fact, I’m the one who is sorry.” Lena let out a self-deprecating laugh. “I swear…you have to have the worst timing in the history of the world.”
“What are you talking about?” Kara asked as her brow furrowed in confusion.
“You just had to walk in at the precise moment that James tried to kiss me,” Lena said in frustration, as she met Kara’s brilliant blue gaze.
"Tried? It looked to me like he succeeded," Kara pointed out unhelpfully. "Sorry," Kara looked flustered as she looked away. "I'm being a jerk. I really shouldn't-"
"No," Lena cut back in. She cleared her throat, "No. You're right. I tried to push him away, but he was too strong. I'm sorry for what you saw. And James - James feels badly, too.”
"What are you saying?" Kara really needed Lena to spell it out for her, because she didn't understand. "You didn't want it?"
“That's exactly what I'm trying to say,” Lena assured her. “There’s only one person that I want to be with, Kara, and it is most certainly not James Olson.”
“Oh,” Kara swallowed, “But I mean... I thought-"
"What did you think?" Lena questioned.
"That night at the Alien Bar, it seemed like there was something going on between you,” Kara stuttered, refusing to make eye contract with Lena. "He had his arm over the back of your chair. He helped you into your jacket, and he took you home. You... You let him."
“Maybe there was something going on on his end, but not on mine,” Lena promised. “Kara-“
“Can I ask you something?” Kara questioned.
“Of course!” Lena burst out. “You can ask me anything you want, Kara. And I promise you that I’ll try and answer it, if I can.”
"You said that there is someone you want to be with, but that it's not him," Kara recalled, "Why haven't you told me who it is?"
Lena had to choke back a laugh at Kara's question. Because she wanted to scream, 'I'm trying to tell you who it is!'
“And, why -“ Kara hesitated at the last minute. She paused for a moment as she tried to summon up the courage to ask the question that had been lingering in her mind, ever since Alex led her into this room for the first time. “Why on Earth would you do something like this for me?” Then. “Do you realize what this means to me? You – You've given me back a piece of my home, today. One that I never thought I'd find again. I don’t – I can’t even begin to tell you how much I-“ Kara’s voice broke as she was suddenly overcome with emotion.
“Hey,” Lena spoke as she took a step closer, and reached up a hand to rub it soothingly over Kara's arm. “I wanted to do this for you. I mean – I can’t imagine what it would be like to lose everything, and I really wanted to give you back a little piece of what you’ve lost. It’s not everything, but hopefully it’ll be enough. And, if you want to help me design more programs, I would be happy to add to it. In time, maybe we can recreate Krypton as you knew it.”
“You’re incredible,” Kara told her. “I hope you know that. I just - I can’t believe that you would do all this for me.”
“Well, believe it. I love you so much, Kara,” Lena breathed. She gasped, as she realized what she’d just spoken. Kara’s eyes widened just a little bit in alarm. “That’s what I came here to tell you. I love you, and I don’t mean it in a loose sense. I’m in love with you, and I have been for a really long time. I know that you probably don’t feel the same way, but I-“
“Are you kidding?” Kara laughed, unintentionally interrupting Lena with her outburst.
“No,” Lena spoke, with her eyebrows knitting together, “I’m being completely serious right now, Kara. I love you. I’m in love with you.”
“Lee,” Kara laughed, her eyes lit up in elation, “Rao, I have been in love with you for as long as I can remember, but I never told you because I was so sure that you could never feel the same way. I mean – You can have anyone in the world that you want, so why would you want me?”
“Kara,” Lena’s eyes filled with tears as she heard Kara talk about herself as if she weren’t worth a second glance. “My beautiful, sweet, Kara. How could you possibly think that you weren't worth my time - my love? You're amazing. You’re one of a kind. You’re smart, kind, unfailingly loyal, brave, selfless, and so many other things. And in all of my years, I have never met anyone half as incredible as you. You leave me speechless most days. And I would be absolutely honored if you would be my Christmas present this year. So what do you say? Will you be my girlfriend, Kara Zor-El?”
“Yes,” Kara nodded, and Lena let out a laugh as she stepped forwards. “Of course I will. I'd love to be your girlfriend, Lena.”
“Good, cause I’m going to kiss you now,” Lena announced.
“Just a second,” Kara ordered as she took the Plumerias out of Lena’s hands and set them down upon the dirt. Then she straightened, and stepped closer. Her heart pounded away relentlessly in her chest, causing a thin sheen of sweat to form on her brow. She dared not move for a long time, and simply stared into Lena’s bright green eyes, in awe. She couldn’t believe that this was happening. She couldn’t believe that Lena actually loved her too. Man, Alex was going to be so cocky later, when she found out.
“Kara?” Lena asked. “Can I kiss you now?” Kara nodded, deciding that it would be best to let Lena to come to her. She didn’t want to break Lena’s nose.
Lena leant in slowly, sliding her hands up to the sides of Kara's neck, playing with the soft curls there. She pulled away after a long moment, just checking to make sure that Kara was still okay with everything that was happening. This time, when their eyes met, a soft smile pulled at Kara’s lips and Lena suddenly found Kara's lips irresistible. She leant into her, and slowly pulled Kara’s head down to meet hers. Lena felt sparks fly as Kara’s lips pressed against her own. The kiss was soft, gentle, and patient in a way that normally would have driven her crazy, but in this instance, Lena found it to be perfect. As far as first kisses go, this was one that they would both remember forever. Kara’s lips were undeniably soft against her own, and the blonde hero moaned softly as she felt Lena’s tongue skate across her bottom lip. Lena’s eyelids fluttered shut as she relished in the kiss. Kara tasted faintly like the mint from Kara’s chapstick, and Lena was in love with it. Lena felt Kara’s mouth begin to hungrily respond against her own. She was tentative, at first, but for every second that passed without certain disaster, Kara gained confidence. The Superhero began kissing her with certain urgency. Lena moaned, as Kara slowly ran her hands up her sides and placed her them softly on Lena’s chest, as she began to kiss her harder. Feeling a desperate need, Lena opened her mouth so that Kara’s tongue could slip inside. She was rewarded when it darted in to meet with hers and Kara moaned in pleasure. The kiss was heaven. And it seemed undeniably perfect that they were sharing their first kiss beneath the orange sky of Krypton.
"I'm pretty sure this is the best kiss I've ever had," Kara told her between kisses. "I feel like I'm finally home."
Years later, at their wedding, Kara would happily recount the story of how Lena had given her the best Christmas gift ever. That night, Lena had given her a piece of her heart - and of Krypton. That night, Kara had found a home, in more ways than one. And the kiss that they shared that they shared that night, was the moment that Kara knew for sure that she was going to marry Lena Luthor.
FIn.