Chapter Text
By all measures imaginable, Dr. Kal Danvers was not a typical professor of medicine at National City University.
Because she crashed to Earth in the early 1930s and grew from a teenager into an adult alien through the 1940s, Kal -- privately, Kara -- had to do everything possible to blend into her new, comparatively close-minded environment. She chose to try to “pass” as a human man in public because she had dreams to become a scientist in a world which did not welcome scientists assigned female at birth or otherwise appearing or identifying as female. That “passing” allowed her to go farther in her professional life and gave her the freedom to explore her non-binary identity, but having to look, think, speak, and otherwise seem like a typical human man meant anyone close to her would be in danger if she got outed.
Especially her adoptive sister, Alex (who knew about and supported the “passing” routine, but didn’t “pass” in that way as well because she resented how it was necessary for them to become publicly-supported and esteemed scientists).
Despite the ever-present dangers of being found out, Kara did what she had to do to transform into Kal every day. That routine included keeping her wavy blonde hair short enough to brush to one side of her head, binding her breasts in an ingenious material Alex made, and ordering dapper-looking yet typical professor outfits via relatively unknown tailors who were trying to make names for themselves. The adoptive siblings’ cover story for the tailors not doing the measurements and fittings themselves was that Kal -- secretly, Kara -- survived a horrible fire as a child and preferred to keep the scars and story private. Thus, none of the tailors questioned when Alex -- to their knowledge, Kal’s sister -- would handle most of each clothing appointment or shop for the blonde on her own using measurements she took at their modest yet charming countryside cottage.
Kara had many more secrets besides being assigned female at birth, identifying as non-binary, and being Alex’s adoptive sister rather than brother, though. For one, she had to keep her bisexual identity hidden from the world because, to continue “passing” as Kal in the big city, nobody could ever catch her looking at or otherwise with a man; however, to continue being Kara at home and in the countryside without issue, she couldn’t be with a woman, either. Dating a man or a woman could also mean the outing of her Kryptonian powers and parts, so dating was basically out of the question entirely. The situation could have been a recipe for disaster and depression, but it was an unintentionally perfect arrangement because Kara was secretly in love with her adoptive sister, too.
To the redhead’s supposed unawareness, Kara had been in love with her since the day they’d met, as cheesy and fairytale-like as it sounded. That love looked to be in no way requitable at first because Alex had become rather withdrawn and bitter about gaining an adoptive sibling, but the two eventually bonded over their mutual interests in astronomy, physics, medicine, art, feminism, comic books, and hunting. Kara deeply wished Alex could love her back, but had never made a move because the secret materials scientist was always going on dates with human men, only to break up with them shortly after because they couldn’t accept her brilliance or otherwise didn’t hold her heart. All of that heartbreak eventually led to the human deciding to stop dating altogether for awhile to heal and figure other things out (whatever that meant). Kara wanted to respect her wishes and do anything to stay in her life, as much as staying quiet pained her.
However, the stay-silent-and-love-her-anyway routine would come to a screeching halt after the adoptive siblings met a rather remarkable waitress at a diner in a city they hadn’t been to before, but were at for a medical conference.
A waitress who wanted to become the best openly female filmmaker in the area and, once she got famous, the country’s first bigtime award-winner.
A rather gorgeous young woman with alabaster skin which shone in the sunlight like she was the moon, one green eye, one blue eye, tides of raven hair rolled into a neat bun, and the name “Lena” sewn into her mostly white uniform in red, dotted cursive.
---
As the siblings were squabbling over the umpteenth invention they were hoping to build and patent when life was more fair, a deeply fascinated and engaged Lena interjected after a few minutes of waiting to take their orders, “Umm, hello there! My name is Lena, and I’ll be taking your orders this morning. May I start you both off with some drinks, maybe coffee, orange juice, apple juice, or some milk? I could listen to you both talking all day because I love science, but I’d probably lose my job, and I really need it, so . . . what, umm . . . what’ll you be having today?”
Kal -- Kara -- felt her mouth run dry and drop at the fact this beautiful woman in front of her loved science unabashedly and openly like that, a true rarity of their time. Just like when she was thinking of all the intimate things she could do with like-minded Alex if their stars aligned, she felt the human male-like part of her Kryptonian genitalia -- a dark purple-blue and moist tentacle with a mind of its own sometimes -- begin to come out of her clit, engorge, and grow erect as well as wet under the table. Thankfully, Lena couldn’t see it because a coat was covering it and she didn’t share the blonde’s X-ray vision. However, Alex started having mixed thoughts and feelings about the moment because she’d seen that look on Kara’s face before, but didn’t really understand what it meant (even after all these years).
“Thank you for asking, Lena, and it’s a pleasure to meet you. Please start us off with some black coffees with no sugar or cream, and bring me a plate of waffles with strawberry jam and sides of . . . scrambled eggs and country fruit. Thank you,” Alex warmly replied while smiling politely and trying to keep calm, nudging Kara under the table and ordering the blonde’s least favorite drink of all time to snap her out of whatever was going on inside her head.
Breathing out in relief because she finally got an answer and wasn’t being stared at any longer, Lena smiled shyly, nodded gratefully, and asked after fully turning to the other table member, “And, what would you like to eat this morning, sir? We have several different pancake, meat platter, sandwich, biscuit, and omelette specials for breakfast today, so please feel free to take your time and look through our menu while I start your breakfast mate’s order. I’ll be right back with your drinks.”
Feeling bad for staring at a woman who had probably been ogled at much of her life, Kara choked out before she could control herself, “For what it’s worth, Lena, I’m sorry!”
Affected just as much by the blonde’s voice as her table mate’s for the second time that day, Lena turned around in surprise and asked sincerely, “What for, Mister . . .?”
“Danvers,” Kara choked out again, this time with Alex staring at her with an eyebrow quirked with a bounty of questions. “I’m Kar- . . . I mean, Kal Danvers, and this is my sister, Alex.”
Given Lena was still softly staring back and patiently waiting for an answer to the other part of her question with her head cocked, Kara gave it to her and continued, “I’m sorry for staring at you and making you feel uncomfortable. Sorry that people . . . well, men, I guess . . . have probably stared at you and made you feel uncomfortable a lot, too. I’ve just never met a woman as deeply interested in science as my sister, given . . . you know, the times . . . and how feminism is still catching on. You’re just . . . well . . . remarkable. In every way, as I’m sure you know. I’m really glad we’ve met you.”
Glad Kal’s staring went beyond just physical admiration, Lena blushed a little and replied graciously, “I accept your apology, Mr. Danvers. Thank you for that and being so . . . honest. It’s rare for a man to fully appreciate a woman like me, and I’ve never met a man as supportive of women’s rights and interests as you. It’s a pleasure to meet you and Alex today, too.”
The duo exchanged soft smiles and nods before the unique brunette had to get back to filling orders and getting their drinks, but Kara stared in her general direction for a few beats longer, hoping not to get caught again. However, Alex definitely noticed, nudged her again under the table, and started giggling under her hand. Then, she shot her sister an “I figured you out” smile before whispering, “I know the feeling. I really like her, too. Perhaps all of us could be friends. I wonder what her life story is, though. Why is she working here when she has the makings to be in university like us, or even beyond one day?”
Kara shrugged while shooting a slightly strained smile at her sister, wishing she could be far more than friends with Lena if and when their romance never worked out.
However, to Kara’s unawareness, Alex was on the other side of the table covering up her true feelings. Specifically, trying to hide the resurfacing panic of being in love with her adoptive sister as well as the new panic of whatever post Lena could take in the blonde’s life.
Those feelings only grew when, after a customer dropped something, Lena bent over to pick it up, Kara noticed, and anatomy Alex had dreamt of but never seen made its prominent appearance known just milliseconds before Kara suavely covered it up with her jacket again.
Anatomy which made her more wet between her legs than any fantasy she’d had about her adoptive sister, including them sharing their first fumbling yet fun times in their beds as teenagers just before someone caught them.
---
Kara unintentionally ordered the dish which was Lena’s favorite when she came back, such that the more-than-meets-the-eye waitress was delighted to get the rather handsome-looking and progressive Kal fried chicken and waffles as well as bacon and orange slices. Listening to the blonde moaning in satisfaction over the dish made her feel all kinds of delicious discomfort, though, leading her to flit away to wrap up other customers’ orders or clean their tables.
Alex had strong feelings about Lena, too, but was battling between feeling afraid of or intimidated by the smart beauty and wanting to closely befriend or mentor her. There was another feeling there, too, but she wasn’t sure what to make of it, considering she, too, was feeling things going on in her mind and pants as Kara was eating her breakfast and making noises like that.
Things which made her want to jump into Kara’s lap and take her right there, most everybody else’s feelings and thoughts be damned.
Well, everybody’s but Lena’s, for some reason she couldn’t quite explain.
Before she could get into exploring that fantasy, though, the diner was starting to clear out for another reason which had nothing to do with sex: breakfast time was nearly over, and there would be about an hour between that period’s end and the lunch period’s beginning to give staff time for lunch, restocking, cleaning, and revenue checking. The diner had a policy of no customers being allowed to stay at a booth or table during the transition, but Lena decided not to enforce it just this once; instead of going on lunch break with the rest of her coworkers, she escorted the Danvers siblings outside and sat with them at a nice wooden park bench, curious to pick their brains about science and what they were in town for.
“So, what brings you both to Metropolis, if I may ask? I’m not used to seeing very many scientists in the diner or in general, either, despite how this city is more progressive than some. It’s still very much a man’s world, but at least more people here look the other way if you’re going to do something more . . . controversial. I would know. My late aunt was one of the leaders of the feminist movement, and I was the product of my father’s rather obvious affair with an Irishwoman,” Lena started, curious to see how the brother and sister would respond to some things she'd hoped to share with them.
Hanging onto every word Lena said for reasons which differed from Alex’s, Kara replied as Kal, but maintained her natural voice like before instead of using a deliberately deeper one.
“Well, in short . . . we’re here for a medical research conference. I’m a professor at National City University, and my sister attends all my lectures and laboratories to give feedback and assistance to nursing students while I handle the doctoral students. The university is progressive as far as putting male and female students as well as nursing and doctoral students in the same introductory classes goes, but really falls short as far as being progressive in the faculty ranks goes. Across all levels, though, no female doctors are allowed or made.”
Feeling a mix of angry and sad over the implications of what Kal was saying, Lena replied while softly clasping Alex’s arm in solidarity, “I’m really sorry the university is too backwards and stupid to let you fully be who you are, Alex. I hope that, with our generation’s help, female scientists will become the norm and be celebrated rather than forced to hide in broad daylight. You deserve better. Perhaps our children can help with that fight when they’re old enough, if we choose to have any one of these days.”
Smiling with a mix of gratitude and pain over her words, Alex nodded and replied while trying to quell the long-held desire for children and a more openly authentic life she’d had, “Thank you, Lena. If you ever need anything . . . well, I mean, if you ever want to explore what’s out there in this world for you . . . please let us know. You may write to or visit us at the university, if you wish. Thankfully, despite the sexist intent behind it, the medical school combining our boxes into one makes life easier. Kal or I can pick up all our mail without having to reach up so high for mine. Oddly enough, all the boxes are in order by first name, not last.”
The trio belly laughed at the utter ridiculousness of those words, given the world was so odd and nonsensical like that in many contexts (especially wherever women were). Then, appreciative of Alex’s offer, and wanting to know more about these intriguing science experts, Lena replied just before bidding them goodbye and departing for her next shift, “I’m really glad we got to talk more, and I definitely plan to take you up on that generous offer. I’m actually working here to just make my bills because I don’t have any family left and I’m on the hunt for a well-to-do-enough boyfriend, but, as you know, it’s hard to make it in a man’s world and find a kind man either way. I hope to change that -- my professional stars, at least -- by going to university and becoming a filmmaker, though. Likely a science fiction film director or documentary filmmaker focusing on the sciences, but a true and unapologetic artist regardless. I want to be like my aunt and disrupt history in all the right ways, but avoid becoming like my other family members. They didn’t turn out so great, as you might have picked up on earlier.”
Giving the well-rounded aspiring filmmaker a look with a mix of sympathy and hope, Kara replied as Kal before offering her sunkissed hand to take an alabaster one, “The feeling is mutual, Lena. I hope you’ll consider joining us at NCU one day, but, with your brains and willingness to do whatever it takes to succeed, the whole world is open to you. I’ll understand if we eventually fall off your radar once you’re famous, too. It happens with most students, once they are well on their way. It’s just part of life, really. People coming and going.”
Something about those words and the expressions on the Danvers siblings’ faces made Lena want to wrap them up in a big hug and just hold them indefinitely. However, before she could further explore what that feeling and the desires underneath it meant, the miniature Big Ben clock in the park next to them and the diner rang, indicating she really did have to go.
“I’m sorry I have to go, but I definitely plan on being on your radars, ideally for the long haul. It’s not every day I meet people who make me feel this alive. Ta ta for now, friends, and safe travels back home. I won’t keep you waiting long for my letters,” Lena spoke over her shoulder while waving goodbye and hurrying back inside, stomach all aflutter arguably because she forgot to eat, but really because she was full of things more powerful and filling than food in that moment. Specifically, she was filled with hope that her future really could come to pass and excitement to get to know those like-minded, supportive people better.
The siblings stared Lena’s way for several more beats, even after she went inside and started taking orders for customers who’d taken their previous seats. They hoped she meant what she said in terms of writing to them, but one sibling understood why far more than the other, and one was more sure about what she felt for both women than the other.
Which is exactly what led Alex to do what she did next.