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“She’s helping Alex with last minute decorations. Lena has an eye for this sort of thing,” Kara said casually. “Besides, she hates flying.”
“Well, I’ll be glad to catch up with her during Alex’s wedding,” Lois replied, as she bounced baby Jordan on her knee.
It was a peaceful day on the old Kent farm. Jon sat merrily on the floor, mashing a toy firetruck into a toy building in the way that distracted toddlers do. Jordan whined from Lois’s lap, as she laid him back and grasped the milk bottle nearby.
Kara gazed out toward the field ahead. Though Kal and Lois lived in Metropolis, the Kent farm had been in the family for generations - and it ended up being a nice getaway, when they wanted a relaxing vacation. “How does Kal do it?” Kara asked.
Lois looked up from Jordan, who was happily feeding from the bottle. “What do you mean?”
“I… Cat Grant asked me to go back to Catco. But I’m just so tired. Balancing my career with being Supergirl….” Kara paused for a moment, before shrugging. “It just doesn’t work, I don’t know if I can have a career while being Supergirl.”
“Well, it can’t have been too bad for your career, if Cat Grant wants you back,” Lois said warmly. “But it’s different for Clark. He travels to the stories, so he doesn’t need to spend much time in the office.”
“It’s just… sometimes I want to be Kara. Just Kara, you know?” Or even Kiera, came the unbidden thought in her mind. She wanted to accept Cat’s offer - even if Cat would always purposely mispronounce her name - but it just wasn’t possible. Not when being Supergirl was so important…
Kara sighed, glancing at Lois. “Being Supergirl, it almost cost me everything before.”
“Everything?” Lois said, her tone seemingly carefully neutral.
Kara paused again, her eyes shifting to the calm farmland in front of them, the endless sprawl of Smallville ahead. “Lena and I had a huge falling out,” she said quietly. “We’re okay now - but, Rao, it nearly destroyed our friendship.”
“Alex told me something about that,” Lois replied.
“I just… I just don’t know what I can and can’t have. Supergirl is too important. Maybe it’s okay that I can’t have everything else.”
“What would you have, if you could have everything?”
Kara looked up, but only found herself unsettled by the piercing hazel eyes staring back - kind, but a bit too knowing. “I guess… I guess I do have everything. My people are alive. Kal grew up in a happy home, I did too, I get to be Supergirl. Everything is okay in the end.”
Lois frowned in concern. “Kara-”
“I should get going,” Kara said, standing suddenly. “Alex asked me to pick up some chocolate from Belgium. See you at the wedding!”
Lois sighed as she watched the kryptonian leave, watching the blur as it ascended up and eventually passed over the horizon.
This is great, Kara thought to herself, as she watched the lit up dance floor - Alex and Kelly sneaking in another kiss, James giving Lena a twirl, Kal laughing at something Lois had whispered in his ear as they stepped off the floor for a breather. A beautiful wedding. Everyone I love is happy. Everything is great.
She swallowed hard, trying not to question why everything seemed to ache.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Winn asked gently, placing a small plate with an oversized slice of wedding cake next to Kara, as he took his seat next to her.
Kara’s eyes jarred away from where Alex and Kelly were dancing, turning to give Winn a smile. It had been a delight to see him again, to finally meet Ayla, and their beautiful daughter Mary. Apparently “retro” names were making a comeback in the future.
It made her heart twinge, the sort of twisted nostalgia of seeing so many loved ones happy, but the joy not quite reaching her. Alex and Kelly, Winn and Ayla, Nia and Brainy… Kara’s eyes wandered again to where Lena was, dancing with James, Kara swallowed hard while shaking her head. “Just happy that everything went well today.”
Winn gave a wry grin. “I know I’ve been gone a while, Kara. But I still know you.”
Kara tried to smile back, though it didn’t quite meet her eyes. “I don’t want to be a downer at a wedding,” she said, staring resolutely at her fingers.
“C’mon,” he said with a playful-yet-mellow nudge. “Let your good old friend Winn Schott help out.”
Kara’s eyes finally drifted back up to Winn’s. His easygoing smile, his soothing demeanor. Rao, I missed this guy, she thought affectionately. Winn always was a great listener. So why not? “I’m… I’m jealous, Winn. Everyone found someone special to them. And I’m just…”
“Alone,” Winn provided.
Kara nodded, eyes moving back to the dancing crowd, the laughter and the music making her feel so tired. “I always wanted… someone who saw me, and loved me. Someone who knew everything about me…” My perfect partner at a game night.
Kara’s eyes found Lena again, taking a breather from the dancing to chat with Lois. And Kara felt it again - the choking jealousy towards James, fighting to accept what she could not change. It had been a soft flame in the dark, a candle in the woods, Kara slowly realizing what she had been feeling. Because best friends don’t come back from hellscapes only to want to kiss their best friends and never let go.
But Rao, she wasn’t going to threaten her friendship over this.
Kara turned back to Winn again. “I just don’t think it’s in the cards.”
But Winn smiled back. “I meant what I said, Kara. You’ll figure it out someday.”
You're gonna know when it hits you, Kara. It'll be all, WA-POW!
“I wish I had the faith that you did.”
“Pshaw, faith. I’m from the future now, remember?”
Kara’s head shot up, a crease in her brow as she examined Winn. His expression was warm and friendly as always, but betrayed nothing about what he might know. Kara’s mouth twitched. He knows I found someone, she thought. But it’s probably not her.
Before Kara could say anything else, a single chime sounded from her bag. Kara curiously reached in for her cell, noting a text from Cat Grant. Her brows furrowed again. She wouldn’t have been surprised to find a long diatribe on her screen - she still hadn’t signed the paperwork to rejoin CatCo - but the text was as short as it was cryptic. 5°42'27" N, 77°16’18” W
Coordinates?
After a moment, her phone began to ring, Winn noticing Cat Grant’s name now written in large font. He gestured a wave to Kara as he stood, making a quick exit to give Kara privacy as she answered the phone.
“Hello?”
“Kiera. I need you to do me a favor.”
Well this is unexpected. “Okay?”
“Please reach out to Supergirl and pass on those coordinates. I would like to speak with her. In two hours, if possible,” Cat said hurriedly. Kara could hear the sound of waves in the background, and… something heavy hitting sand.
“Miss Grant, are you okay?”
“No, Kiera, I’m not okay. As we speak, there is a gorgeous sea turtle being strangled by a large abandoned ghost net, and I have to go rescue her with my bare hands.”
“You need Supergirl’s help with the turtle?”
“Of course not. I have something important I wish to discuss- Edgardo! Afila mi cuchillo! Por favor! -just let me know if she is available to meet me.”
“Miss Grant-”
But the sound at the other end went dead. Kara pulled back her phone. Not that it was unusual for Cat to abruptly cut off their calls, but… what on Earth was that about?
“Where’s Clark?” Lena said, half-crashing into the seat next to Lois.
“He forgot this one’s favorite toy,” Lois replied, gesturing to Jordan as he slept. “He’ll be back from Metropolis in a few minutes.”
Lena nodded, haphazardly removing her heels. “My feet are killing me,” Lena said.
“Mine too,” Lois said with a laugh. “Mr. Energizer Bunny forgets that us mere mortals need breaks.”
Lena nodded appreciatively, rubbing her sore feet as she glanced back at the dance floor.
Lois eyed her curiously. Lena’s look was stunning - the shimmering purple suit with a deep-cut neckline, the deep red lipstick, the smokey eye shadow. “You’re dressed to kill, Lena,” Lois said.
Lena gave a small laugh. “Well, I’m single at a wedding.”
“Trying to take someone home?” Lois said.
Lena bit at her lip, holding back a smile. “Not exactly.”
It really wasn’t hard to see. Alex and Lois had spoken a few times since the Crisis - with the first discussion catching Lois up on what exactly had happened, as well as in-depth discussions on what the Luthors may be up to. And then Kara had ended up in the phantom zone again, and Lois found herself catching up with Alex again, learning the summary of what had transpired to get them all there.
The details were sparse, but Lois Lane wasn’t some cub reporter - this had lovers’ spat written all over it. She knew that much, and she suspected Alex did too. She couldn’t tell where Kara was in all of this, other than she seemed to be fighting it. But Lena…
“So you’re targeting someone in particular?” Lois said innocently.
Lena’s lips twitched, glancing back over at Lois with a tired smile. “It doesn’t matter, I don’t think it’s going to work out today.”
Kara landed gently in the sand, still confused. It seemed that Cat’s adventure with the sea turtle had gone well, given that she was now sitting back in a cabana, paperwork scattered before her. “Supergirl,” Cat said distractedly, not looking up.
“Hello, Miss Grant,” Kara said, shifting on the sand with slight nervousness. “Kara Danvers said you wanted to talk?”
Cat pulled the reading glasses off her face, finally looking up to stare Kara in the eye. “I need your help, Supergirl.”
“Of course.”
“I need you to convince Kiera to work for me.”
Kara tilted her head. This is why she called me? “Ah, she uh, she did tell me about-” Kara cleared her throat nervously. “I’m not sure I’m the best person to, uh, convince her...”
“Oh please, Supergirl. You threw me off a building once. I think it’s fair to say I’m owed a favor?”
Kara’s stomach dropped. I guess that happened on this Earth, too, she thought as guilt started to eat at her. Rao, I wish I could explain. “I- I’m really sorry about that-”
Cat waved dismissively. “I can certainly forgive you being a tenth as bitchy as I am-”
“A tenth-”
“But Kiera hasn’t made her decision. This should be a no-brainer. Good pay, good benefits, doing what she loves. She’s willing to throw that all away. And for what?”
Kara swallowed hard.
Cat stood, rounding the small table to face Kara head on. “I know she’s a busy woman. Maybe that’s why she has her doubts. But she’ll be an investigative reporter. Plenty of time to work the field. If she needs to disappear for the occasional hair appointment, catch a falling plane, whatever nonsense she’s gotten herself into, she’ll have time for that.”
Kara stared at Cat, her brain briefly going haywire as she tried to fit catch a falling plane into the identity of Kara Danvers. Oh Rao. “You- you knew?” But Cat only sighed impatiently, as Kara’s jaw opened and closed, shocked into silence until opening again. “But how-”
“Kiera. If that is your real name-”
“It’s still Kara-”
“You have an immense talent for finding the truth,” Cat said, with a gravity and warmness that Kara had rarely seen. “Don’t let it go to waste just because you’re a superhero.”
Kara’s brows furrowed as she typed, indifferent to the rising sun. The editors had passed back her draft, and she had gotten her early start in CatCo that morning to do the final revisions before the article hit the press that night.
“Hey,” said a soft voice behind her, causing her to jump.
“Lena!” Kara said, glancing down at the coffee the brunette was setting on her desk. “Aww, thanks. You didn’t have to do that.”
Lena smiled as Kara rose for a hug. “Well, I’m no longer a CEO, now I have time to get you coffee for once.”
Kara smiled back. “I’ll meet you for lunch? Maybe that new Thai place? I’m just finishing up this revision, I’ll probably be done around noon.”
“I’ll meet you there, darling,” Lena said, brushing a light kiss on Kara’s cheek.
Kara remained standing as she watched Lena walk away, feeling the slight burn of her cheeks. It was just so hard to figure out… if something was going on between them. If Lena was hinting at wanting something more.
Wishful thinking, Kara said silently to herself. She wasn’t going to risk her entire friendship with Lena on these… feelings. How could she, after everything that had happened between them? After how badly she had hurt Lena? If it was all in her head, and she made things unbearably awkward for nothing… she couldn’t endure that.
“Kiera!”
Kara jumped at the sound, no longer as accustomed to Cat calling her. Kara tore her eyes away from where Lena had left, and glanced towards Cat’s office, clearing her throat as she headed over.
Cat reached down to a stack of papers on her desk, half-distracted as she shoved some envelopes aside. “How long have you been dating Lena Luthor?”
“What- I’m not dating Lena!”
Cat, ignoring Kara, reached to find the envelope she had apparently been looking for. “I imagine you’d have to date her as Kara Danvers. What a shame, a Super and a Luthor would be the story of the century.”
“But we’re not-”
“Alright, when are you asking her out?”
“I’m not!”
Cat raised a brow, causing Kara to squirm under the judgemental gaze. Kara cleared her throat. “Is there something you needed, Miss Grant?”
“You’re not my assistant anymore, Kiera,” Cat said, with a tone that suggested Kara had been moronic for asking. Cat raised her arm to hand Kara the small folded letter in her hand. Kara’s brows furrowed as she reached over, unfolding the paper to find that the letterhead was from… the National City Fire Department?
“The fire chief wants to honor you - Supergirl, of course - at a ceremony next month. I told him I would try to reach you.”
“Oh… okay. T-thank you,” Kara said, stuttering. A moment of silence fell between them, until Kara spoke again. “I- I’ll get back to my article revision.”
Kara turned, reading the letter as she headed out the door.
“Kiera?”
Kara paused, turning back to Cat.
“This is boring,” Cat said. “Worse than watching you fawn over Jimmy Olsen. Just get the girl, Supergirl.”
Kara felt her cheeks warm again, and scurried out.
Kara fidgeted slightly, smiling at the crowd. Award ceremonies were… always uncomfortable. But after Kelly had gently nudged her - something about the importance of societies to see their heroes - Kara had relented.
“And so it is our pleasure to make Supergirl an honorary firefighter for National City. Thank you, Supergirl, for all your help.”
Kara stepped forward, smiling as she shook the fire chief's hand, giving a courteous nod as she accepted the plaque. It was beautifully done - pink stone carved into a flat flame, mounted on beautiful mahogany - with a figurine of Supergirl hovering above in stainless steel, her ice breath raining down on the fire.
It made Kara feel oddly warm inside. She had been… so alien, so other, since she arrived on this planet. And during events like these, she always tried to be so formal, so distant from everyone. An untouchable hero, out of arm’s reach from the scared child she once was.
But she was once a scared child. “It is an honor,” Kara said to the crowd, “to help this city, this country, this world. Thank you for being my home, when I could not stay with my own.”
It had been a hectic day so far. California wildfire season was no joke, and Supergirl was frequently called out to family gatherings - barbecue season was at its peak - to put out minor brush fires before they became major ones. It wasn’t difficult work, but the disruptions made it really hard to write.
Kara landed back in the Tower, casting a brief glance at the firefighter plaque - it’s not as though she could keep it in the home of Kara “definitely a normal human citizen” Danvers - and headed straight for the showers to wash off the scent of ash and wood. Funny that they’d give me that award just at the start of fire season, she thought with a smile.
Kara took a deep calming breath as she stepped into the shower, feeling tension melt away as the smell of smoke was replaced with aloe and shea butter shampoo that Lena always made sure was there for her in the Tower. Someday I’ll live in a place with good water pressure, Kara thought idly, relaxing beneath the warm flow. Her rent-controlled apartment’s shower just didn’t compare.
“Kiera.”
Kara opened her eyes, alert again. Cat, true to her word, had given Kara plenty of flexibility to deal with her… hobbies. But Kara was long overdue on her next article. It was almost done.
But with the revelation that Cat knows Kara’s identity, Cat had no problem calling out to her from across the city when she wanted an update. Not all too frequent - and never higher priority than her Supergirl duties - but it was new and still a little unsettling.
And Rao, wasn’t it getting a little ridiculous at this point? Cat knew full well that she was Kara. Not that Kara minded, of course. It had never bothered her. It’s just the way it was with Cat Grant.
With a huff, Kara supersped her way out of the shower, changing into her human clothes and activating the nanobots of her suit before darting across town. With a quick suit deactivation on the roof, Kara made her way down to Cat’s office.
“Miss Grant?”
“I need your article on the peace treaty in the next two hours,” Cat said, staring down at another paper.
“Yes, Miss Grant.”
Kara turned to head back towards her desk - the article was the next thing on her mind anyway - but she found herself stopping. Call it bravery, or insanity, but she found herself considering doing something she had never thought too hard about before. “Miss Grant?”
“Yes, Kiera.”
“I-” Kara swallowed hard, resisting the urge to fidget. Or throw up. “I’d really appreciate it if you could call me Kara, not Kiera.”
Cat finally glanced up from her stack of papers, an eyebrow quirked in mild surprise. A moment passed before she answered. “The girl of steel finally grows a backbone,” she replied, biting back a hint of a smile. “Alright… Kara.”
“So you just… asked her?” Kelly said, surprised as she took her seat on Kara’s couch, pulling a pillow into her lap.
“Yeah, I… I mean, I tried not to let it bother me,” Kara replied, confused. “I don’t even know what came over me.”
“That’s great, Kara,” Kelly said, emphatic and soothing as always. But before she could say more, a loud thud sounded from the side of the two women, as Alex threw open the door to Kara’s apartment and strode in.
“Hey!” Kara said. “This isn’t your place anymore! You should really knock first!”
“I knew Kelly was here already,” Alex responded. “And maybe you should learn to lock your door.”
“Kara has some good news,” Kelly said, gesturing towards the kryptonian.
“Oh?” Alex asked.
“I asked Miss Grant to call me Kara from now on,” Kara replied, somewhat bashfully.
Alex rolled her eyes. “Finally. Are you going to start calling her Cat now?”
“Hey, this is big,” Kelly said, leaning across to give Kara’s shoulder a gentle squeeze. “It’s important to be yourself! And it’s important to tell people the things you’re feeling.”
“I- I am myself! I’m usually myself! She just scares me,” Kara said.
“You’ve thrown her off a building,” Alex said dryly.
“Why is everyone bringing this up? ”
She could ignore the ache.
There was so much to be done, after all. With Lex “missing” and Lillian dead, it seems that LuthorCorp was now falling back into Lena’s control. And now she was beginning the painstaking process of uncovering the tangled mess of embezzlement that Lex had left in his wake.
It was funny, really. It seemed that Earth Prime Lex was even smarter than her brother - and he had to have been, to pull off the tricks that made him an angel in the public’s eye, all the while accruing power and money. But Lena had found the loose threads, and was tugging at each one, the web beginning to unravel. It had been a hilarious meeting with the Attorney General, frankly - Lena handing over preliminary evidence of LuthorCorp’s bad doings, with assurance that she was set on putting the company right.
It would take up plenty of her time, her waking thoughts, her concentration - anything to distract her from Kara. Anything to force air into her lungs, when being around the kryptonian always took her breath away.
Because for all the things she wished to have that she eventually got, there was one thing she knew she would never have.
It was a calm evening over the city, the sky’s backdrop a deep blue with a smattering of purple clouds as day slowly shifted into night. Kara stood at the Tower’s balcony, watching, almost waiting, glancing up into the heavens to spot the earliest stars making their appearance.
Alex’s expression grew curious as she walked into the Tower, noticing Kara alone. Kara didn’t spend a lot of time staring at the night sky these days - it was more reminiscent of when the young strange alien had first come to Earth, during the weeks when she was trying to learn English, often spending her evenings scouring the skies as though there would be answers there. Maybe trying to find Krypton, or maybe just a sense of home. “Kara? Are you okay?” Alex asked.
“I’m fine,” Kara responded, her eyes slowly dropping to Alex, as Alex joined her on the balcony. A few moments of silence passed, before Kara’s gaze dropped to the floor. “I’m not fine.”
“Talk to me,” Alex said, throwing a comforting arm over her sister.
“Everyone I loved… died. My parents, my friends. Mon-El. They were dead, and it hurt so bad. And then…”
“And then?”
“They’re all alive!” Kara said, gesturing and stepping forward, as frustration overrode her despair. “And it’s amazing! My mother and my city, Mon-El, my father - they all found their way back! So why does it still hurt? Am I ungrateful?”
Finally, we’re talking about this, Alex thought. “You still lost them, Kara. You thought they were dead. You spent decades without them. You lost the life you would’ve had with them.”
Kara stared back, breath shaky, as she processed Alex’s words. “I love my life, Alex. I love you, and Eliza, and Lena, and my friends- I don’t want a different life!”
Alex stepped forward, putting her hands on Kara’s shoulders. “You don’t need to choose, Kara. You can mourn what you never got, while loving what you did. And that’s okay.”
Alex could feel Kara’s body tremble slightly beneath her hands, before Kara finally went in to give Alex a tight hug. “I don’t want you to think that you’re not important to me, Alex,” she said, her voice choking with tears she was trying to hold back.
“Kara,” Alex said soothingly. “I love you. You will always be my sister. And honestly? This conversation makes me feel relieved.”
“Relieved?” Kara said, still struggling not to cry.
“You can’t keep burying what happened to you,” Alex said, thinking back on endless conversations with Kelly. “When you first became Supergirl, you had to wrestle with being kryptonian - but then it’s like you put it in a box again. Kara, I want you to feel. I want you to deal with the loss that’s happened in your life.”
Kara shook slightly, losing her battle and starting to silently cry in Alex’s arms. Alex held her close, thinking back to all the things Kelly had said about trauma, cognitive dissonance, therapy - Kara was finally opening up, and that meant there were more conversations they could have.
After a few moments, Kara pulled back, straightening herself up and wiping the last tears on her face. “Thanks, Alex.” Then, a small wistful smile. “There are good things about this life, too.”
Gentle raindrops tapped lightly on the roof as Kara stepped into the Tower that morning, folding up her umbrella and setting it against a nearby wall.
It was oddly quiet in National City that Saturday, people lulled into sleeping in and staying home. Lena hadn’t stayed home, of course - she had experiments she had wanted to kick off that morning, set to run a few hours. And now Kara could hear the patter of her heart, just in the other lounge, where Lena had no doubt cozied up with a good book on that late morning.
The thought of it made Kara’s heart warm, the thought of Lena cozily dressed, maybe curled up with a throw blanket for warmth, her tennis shoes kicked off in some corner as she enjoyed a warm tea in the Tower. It was a Lena that Kara hadn’t seen often in the early days in National City, but whom she had seen more and more of since she had gotten back from the phantom zone.
Normally, Kara would blush, and wrestle to fight off the thoughts as she wandered to meet Lena. But as she approached the lounge, she couldn’t help but feel… warmth. Trust? Acceptance. Truth be told, it was something she had thought of for a while, telling Lena. But embracing the unknown was terrifying - the thought that Lena might balk, might want her distance from Kara in the aftermath.
Kara finally reached the doorway - apparently so quiet that, amidst the taps of rain, Lena didn’t hear Kara’s approach. Kara leaned onto the doorframe, examining the brunette for a moment, where she quietly read. Lena’s hair was loose, wavy from the bun she had no doubt had in the lab. She seemed content, well-rested, lost in thought as she read. It made Kara smile.
As Lena’s hands drifted down her book, preparing to turn the page, she glanced up slightly - noticing Kara in the doorway. “Kara!” Lena said, her face blooming with a smile as she reached for her bookmark instead, closing her book. “I didn’t hear you come in.”
And Kara gazed back, feeling even warmer with Lena’s smile. Maybe it’s time. Rao, I should’ve done this ages ago. Kara smiled back, taking steps forward to meet Lena with a gentle hug, before pulling away from her to speak.
“Are you alright?” Lena said curiously, wondering why Kara hadn’t spoke.
Kara shifted, attempting to quiet down the tinges of fear. Lena won’t leave, she told herself silently. She won’t hate me. She’ll still want to be my friend. “There’s something I need to tell you. One last thing that I’ve… been keeping from you.”
Is it too much to hope?, Kara wondered, as she heard the uptick of Lena’s heart. It was like Kara was seeing two different versions of them, all the things that they plausibly did as friends. But she couldn’t help but think of the shy glances and flowers and too-long hugs. Because when Kara wasn’t afraid, she could almost believe…
“What, are you Batwoman too?” Lena joked wryly. She knew Kara could hear the tightness in her voice, the twisting nerves of Lena trying to deflect. Lena took a deep, calming breath, trying to compose herself a bit.
Because she knew. She knew whatever secret this was, it couldn’t be like the last - that whatever it was, they could get through it, together. It didn’t mean she wasn’t nervous. But as she glanced back at Kara, taking in the blonde’s calmness… it soothed Lena’s panic. Lena gave an encouraging smile, pensive and curious.
“I’ve just…” Kara paused, glancing down at her fidgeting fingers for a moment. She took a slow breath, glancing up at Lena again, her mouth twitching with resolve. “I’ve just wanted you for ages, Lena.”
Wanted me? Lena thought, unable to hold the gasp from passing her lips, knowing her eyes were widening as Kara searched them. She wants me?
Lena’s eyes fell to Kara’s lips, losing the war within her to fight this. Kara wants this. Kara wants this! Lena glanced up again, taking in Kara’s vulnerable and hopeful smile, knowing that the kryptonian could hear the newfound pounding of her heart.
Kara breathed again. “And sometimes, I think you might want me too.”
“Kara…” Lena whispered, unmoving.
“Can I kiss you, Lena?” Kara asks, the gentle blues of her eyes piercing into Lena’s.
But that’s when Lena saw it. The flicker in Kara’s veins. Lena had seen - too many times - what it looked like when green kryptonite wove its way through Kara’s skin. She had heard stories, from Kara, from Clark, about the other colors and how they had influenced the supers over time. This color was light red - maybe a pink? But one thing was certain, Kara was under some sort of influence - god, she might be in danger. “No,” Lena whispered, as the horror washed over her.
Kara jolted back - a flash of pain in her eyes, as she tried to compose herself, giving Lena space. “I’m sorry, Lena, I-”
“Kara,” Lena said, grabbing at Kara’s wrist, “You’re infected.”
“What?” Kara followed as Lena half-dragged her to the bathroom, holding one of the few mirrors in the Tower. As Kara stood in front, she saw it too - the dancing pink beneath her skin.
Kara sat, flexing her hands nervously, unable to look Lena in the face. I should’ve known better, Kara thought, fidgeting. Of course she doesn’t want me like that. And now I’ve made things so awkward…
The elevator doors chimed open, as a very tense Alex sped into the Tower, Brainy in tow. Kara looked up, the pink veins still visible on her face - if anything, Lena thought, they seemed to be getting worse.
With a swift motion, Alex pulled at the power cuffs in her belt, and latched them around Kara’s wrists.
“Hey!” Kara startled, “What are these for?”
“Pink is a little too close to red for my comfort,” Alex said simply, before grabbing a small flashlight from her pocket and shining them into Kara’s eyes. “Lena, has she been acting weird?”
Lena’s eyes darted to Kara’s, Kara immediately glancing down. “She-,” Lena said, her voice a little tight. “She might be. Something has seemed off.” We can figure this out without me embarrassing her, Lena thought. They would cure Kara of the kryptonite poisoning. She’d be back to normal. They’d laugh off the awkward incident, and Lena would spend the rest of her life pretending that she wasn’t mending a shattered heart.
The usual.
“Her vein’s response strongly suggests kryptonite exposure was recent,” Brainy said.
“Or… current?” Alex murmured. “Kara, I want you to walk around the Tower.”
“Why?”
“Just checking a theory.”
Kara stood, confused, but began to amble her way around the Tower, while Alex and Brainy watched her every move. In a few minutes, they directed her towards the location that seemed to cause her veins to light up, until…
“The firefighter plaque?” Lena asked, eyeing the pink stone that made up the flame.
“I will find a lead container,” Brainy said.
Alex looked forward in curiosity. “I’m going to head to the fire department.”
“Captain Fawley isn’t in right now,” said the firefighter, as he walked Alex through Station 26. “I’m Morris, I can try to help ya.”
“I want to ask about the plaque that your station got Supergirl. How was it made?” Alex asked.
Morris gestured to a firefighter, who was working on scrubbing the side of the station's engine. “Herb did the woodwork himself.”
“And the pink stone?”
“We got it from one of the fires Supergirl helped put out. She was just getting started in those days,” Morris said, before turning back to the other firefighter, who had dropped his sponge and stood to face them. “Herb, ya remember that?”
“Yep, that tech guy’s place,” Herb said, stretching his back a bit. “Some fancy experiment gone wrong.”
Alex’s eyes widened. “Maxwell Lord?”
“That’s the one!”
“This isn’t like red kryptonite, Alex,” Kara whined.
“You realize I can’t really trust your word right now, right?” Alex said skeptically.
Kara leaned back in a huff. “Fine. But he created the cure for the red kryptonite. He may still have some in his lab-”
“I don’t want to get him involved unless we have to,” Alex said. “We can’t trust him, Kara.”
“He didn’t out me on Earth-38!”
“Because I threatened him.”
“You what-”
“Alex is right,” Lena said, cutting off the bickering sisters. “Even if he could cure red kryptonite, we have no guarantee that pink kryptonite will work the same way. The metamorphic process across the red-green spectrum clearly changes kryptonite’s effects, we just don’t understand how yet.”
Kara was still not quite able to look Lena in the eye. “Then what do we do?”
“Call your cousin?” Alex responded. “He warned us about gold and opal kryptonite. Maybe he’s run into pink too.”
“Way ahead of you, Alex,” Brainy said as he strode into the room. “Kal-El and Lois will be here shortly.”
“What did Kal say?” Kara asked anxiously.
“I only spoke to Lois,” Brainy said. “Her exact words were: ‘I gotta see this’. And then she said they’d be on their way.”
Lena turned, hearing a double-tap on the Tower balcony that was significantly heavier than Kara’s normal landings. She watched as Superman - Clark - gently lowered Lois to the floor. The pair glanced up, into the Tower, striding into where Lena, Kara, Brainy, and Kelly had gathered.
“You can take her out of the cuffs,” Lois said, gesturing to Kara. “She’s not dangerous.”
“Her skin is still showing traces of contamination - I want to hear what you guys have first,” Alex replied. “Clark’s been exposed before?”
“Ages ago, Jimmy was still in Metropolis then,” Lois said with a grin, as Clark began to turn red.
“And?” Alex said. Lois turned to Clark, giving him a nudge.
“I-” Clark cleared his throat. “I complimented Jimmy’s tie.”
Alex blinked, unimpressed. “And?”
“That’s mostly it.”
“Mostly?”
“I just… generally complimented him? His clothing that day, his face, his photography-”
“I believe the increased bloodflow on Kal-El’s face indicates that his feelings towards James Olsen may have been romantic in nature,” Brainy said plainly. “Many men on Earth in this century feel a certain amount of discomfort with homoerotic-”
“It’s not like that-” Clark said.
“It made him gay?” Alex said.
Lois didn’t miss the way Lena crossed her arms to stare at the ground. Or the way Kelly caught on to Kara staring resolutely at an empty wall to her right. So Kara did say something, Lois thought, feeling the itch to reach out and give the kryptonian a hug. But she refrained - this mess would be figured out soon enough. “That’s what we thought, at first,” Lois said.
“And then what happened?” Kelly asked curiously.
“I eventually went back to normal. But it wasn’t- it wasn’t a change in my sexuality. He’s my friend, I just wanted to compliment him!” Clark paused, somewhat flustered, collecting his thoughts. “He looks good in bow ties.”
“So you didn’t feel romantically attracted to him - you just felt warmer towards him?” Kelly asked.
“Not warmer. Just… less nervous to be affectionate. Look, guys don’t really do that, compliment each other. We just punch each other in the shoulder and move on with our day.”
“What you felt was real?” Lena asked, her voice unusually quiet as her eyes landed on Clark. Lois held back a smile. Now you’re starting to get it.
“Yeah. I mean, it was my internal thoughts, the normal monologue. Just not stuff I let out.”
“Oh,” Kelly said, her eyes going wide.
“Oh?” Alex said.
“The pink kryptonite is red kryptonite,” Kelly said.
“No, Kelly,” Kara said, a slight whine in her voice. “I swear, this is the real me-”
“Exactly,” Kelly said. “You’ve been acting odd.”
“How so?” Lois said.
“She asked Cat Grant to stop calling her Kiera,” Kelly answered immediately.
“She what?” Lois asked with a laugh.
“Oh,” Alex said. “She… she opened up to me recently, about dealing with loss.”
“Instead of trying to bury her trauma like usual?” Lois asked.
“I don’t bury my trauma,” Kara said defensively.
“Wait, so is this red kryptonite or not?” Alex asked, turning to Kelly again.
“It is. And it isn’t. I mean, what does red kryptonite do, other than remove inhibitions? At its peak, it removes all regulated thinking - all those intrusive thoughts that we normally push away start getting through instead.”
“And pink?” Alex asks.
“If pink is a weakened form of red, it reduces inhibition… somewhat. Kara, and Clark both retained their general ability to regulate. Red kryptonite digs up what’s buried deep, their worst insecurities without any ability to approach those thoughts rationally. But pink… seems to dig up what’s closer to the surface. Including stuff they should do, if they were a little less inhibited.”
“It… makes them… brave?” Alex asked.
Kelly paused thoughtfully. “I would say a little more authentic, but brave works.”
“Brave enough to compliment James’ outfit?” Alex asked skeptically.
“Men often have difficulty with expressing affection towards their male friends,” Kelly replied with a small shrug. “There’s a certain level of machismo expected in society - it’s not surprising that his form of emotional vulnerability would come out as affection towards a friend.”
“That’s the conclusion we came to,” Lois said.
“So Kara’s emotional vulnerability came out as requesting Cat Grant use her real name.” Brainy asked. “And talking through her trauma.”
“It would certainly make sense,” Kelly responded.
“How long will it take to resolve?” Alex said, turning to the Kents.
Lois glanced up at the ceiling in thought, then back at Clark. “About two hours after the most recent exposure, give or take. That’s when he started avoiding Jimmy, anyway.”
“In that case,” Kara said, voice shaking slightly as she rose to her feet, looking at the floor to avoid the Luthor in the room. “Can you get the power cuffs off me? I’d rather wait this out at home.”
Lena stood outside of Kara’s door, almost hearing the loud thuds hammering in her chest. Kara definitely knows I’m here, she thought to herself.
And yet Lena was reluctant to knock on the door, and Kara was seemingly reluctant to open it. Shame was a powerful motivator, and Kara would want her distance. Which Lena would normally want to give - but god, this was a problem she could fix.
Clearing her throat, Lena stepped forward to the door, tapping it lightly with her knuckles. A reluctant “come in” came from the other side, Lena twisting the knob and entering, wondering if Kara would ever get in a habit of locking the door.
Lena’s heart wrenched as she closed the door, making her way across to the couch where Kara sat despondently - curled up, knees hugged to her chest, eyes set on the floor.
I’ve just wanted you for ages, Lena.
“I’m sorry,” Kara whispered. “I know, I know this is just another thing I’ve hidden from you-”
“Kara-”
“If you’re angry, you can yell-”
“Kara, please-”
“I’ll understand if you want to walk away…”
And sometimes, I think you might want me too.
“You were right,” Lena said finally.
Kara turned her head upwards, eyes finally reaching Lena’s.
“I’m regretting interrupting us,” Lena said with a small laugh. “I mean, I didn’t know if you were okay, if what you were saying was real. I know now but all of this would’ve gone much faster…”
“Faster?” Kara said, confused.
Lena shifted shyly on her feet. “I want you to finish what you started, Kara.”
Kara’s brows crinkled in confusion for a moment, before her eyes widened again. She uncurled, standing slowly, glancing at Lena with hopeful awe. Lena took a tentative step forward, as Kara swallowed harshly, no doubt hearing the hammering of Lena’s heart.
“You… you want this? You want us?”
“Always,” Lena responded. “I’ve always wanted us.”
Kara smiled, raising a tentative hand to Lena’s cheek, as Lena’s hands drifted to Kara’s waist, tugging her closer. Kara leaned forward as Lena pulled, until finally came the feather-light kiss, the gentle press of plush lips against Lena’s own. Lena gasped softly, her eyes closing as she let herself fall into the sensation. Kara was warm and welcoming, her head tilting as Lena’s arms tightened, deepening the kiss.
Lena, unaccustomed to being passive in any facet of her life, began to press back more firmly, nudging for Kara to move towards the couch. Kara stepped backwards, stumbling slightly until she found herself landing on the cushions, their lips briefly parting as Lena moved to straddle the blonde. Kara grinned, pulling Lena down and meeting her lips again, nipping at her bottom lip before resuming kissing her in earnest-
“Hey Kara,” Alex said, the unlocked door swinging open suddenly, bag from Noonan’s in hand, “I just wanted to check- oh.”
The two snapped their heads up, eyes wide in Alex’s direction, Alex staring back at the unexpected view of Lena in Kara’s lap. Oh for fuck’s sake, Alex thought to herself. This is why Lois said to give her space.
“Sorry, Alex-” Kara began.
“Don’t, Kara. Don’t,” Alex said, as she gently dropped her bag of donuts on the floor. “God, just learn to lock your damn door.”
“You’re supposed to knock-”
“Goodbye,” Alex said, shutting the door again.
The two stared at the closed door, before turning back to each other, bursting out laughing as they noted the deep red colors on the other’s face. “Well that kind of changed the mood,” Kara said, smiling up at Lena.
“I’m happy to start again,” Lena said, her eyes dropping back to Kara’s lips, Kara responding in kind as she tilted her head up and pulled Lena down. As Lena’s hand wove its way into Kara’s hair, the other reaching to balance on Kara’s side, Lena had one last thought before losing herself in the kiss again. I’m glad it wasn’t just the pink kryptonite.