Chapter Text
Kara felt more wrung out than a dishrag. So much had happened in such a short time. Most importantly, she'd learned that Lena had not betrayed them after all (though maybe that should not be what she was happiest about right now). In fact...
"And I called the police," Lena said with smug satisfaction, as her mother glared.
Said police proceeded to clap Lillian in irons (and hopefully throw away the key...), and drive her away. Which left Kara, J'onn, and Lena. And somehow Lena looked so...small. Kara hated it. She wanted to give her a hug, but frankly, she didn't know if Lena would welcome a hug from Kara Danvers right now, much less Supergirl. So lost in her thoughts was Kara that she almost didn't notice J'onn speaking to her.
"Supergirl, are you coming back with me, or do you need a moment?" he asked, voice gentle.
"I, uh, I just need a sec. I need to talk to Lena," Kara said.
J'onn smiled.
"Yes, I do believe a thank you is in order. I might wait until a later time, however; speaking to one person will be difficult enough for her right now. I'll see you later, Kara," J'onn said.
With that, he flew off.
And now Kara just had to get up the courage to go over and talk to Lena (who was currently dialing a number on her phone). It was surprisingly difficult. It would have been easier, Kara reflected, if she felt differently about Lena. If she didn't have any feelings for her at all. Because the last time she'd had feelings for someone like Lena (and the only time, to be fair), it didn't go well. At all. She got hurt so badly...It probably wouldn't go well this time, either.
"...yes, at Dock 2A..."
But there was one difference.
"...Thank you..."
She wasn't Kara right now.
"You as well, Geoffrey..."
She was Supergirl.
"See you then," Lena said, ending the call.
Supergirl was invulnerable (mostly). And Supergirl had an idea. If the problem with her last (and only) relationship was that the other person had a power imbalance skewed in their favor, then how about one where Kara--that is to say, Supergirl--had a power imbalance skewed in her favor. Perfect. Totally. Nothing could go wrong. Shut up, suspiciously-Alex-sounding voice of reason. This could definitely work. Totally. Riiiiiight...
Lena looked up as Kara landed next to her (striking what she hoped was a cool pose).
"Supergirl? I wasn't sure you'd want to talk to me. Are you alright? Were you injured?" Lena said.
Kara was confused.
"Why wouldn't I want to talk to you? You saved everyone's lives! And what made you think that I'm injured?"
"Well, you're holding yourself oddly, its different to how you normally stand." Kara deflated. Odd. Lena thought she looked odd. The pose was supposed to be cool, not odd.She did her best to refrain from pouting as Lena continued.
"I am glad that my mother's missile-" here she paused, rolled her eyes, and then continued,"-sorry, rocket, didn't injure you. I was worried that it had, despite the virus being rendered inert."
"You mean despite you rendering it inert? The virus didn't fix itself, Lena, that was you."
"Yes, well..." Lena replied, looking flustered for the first time since Kara had known her.
It was cute.
"How are you holding up?" Kara said softly.
"With what? I'm perfectly fine. Or do you think that acts of good take a toll on a Luthor?"
"Maybe on your brother, they do. But, no, that's not why I'm asking. You just had to do something really hard--not talking about a general act of good!--you had to act against your family," Kara replied.
"Not today." Kara tilted her head, and Lena was kind enough to clarify.
"Lillian is not my family, not really. She didn't even want to adopt me. Lex said she broke every knick-knack in Lionel's study when she heard Lionel's decision. That attitude never changed. But Lex...he was family. My brother. He was the only one who loved me, the only one who I mattered to."
"And then something else mattered more," Kara added, almost talking to herself now.
Bitterness had crept into her nearly beneath her notice. Lena looked at her, suddenly appraising.
"Yes. His cause. Who do you no longer matter to? Or is that too forward of me to ask," Lena said, the last sentence almost a rush, one tinged with just a hint of shame.
Kara clenched her jaw and looked up, blinking rapidly.
"My aunt. In some respects, my adopted sister. And after what I've learned from my aunt and from Lillian...maybe my parents, too. I guess it doesn't matter. I can't ask most of them anyways, can I?"
It was really hard not to glare when she heard Lena clapping. When she looked at the other woman, though, she looked more sad than genuinely amused.
"Wow. I don't know that congratulations is the right word, but I have, for the first time, met someone who has more family baggage than I do."
Kara rolled her eyes, but smiled just slightly.
"Wait," Lena said, with sudden urgency, "have any of them tried to kill you? I win in at least that category, don't I?"
Kara snorted.
"Does it count if the relative is by marriage?," Kara asked.
They both ignored the way her voice shook a little.
"I suppose, given that Lex is only my brother on paper, and not by blood," Lena sighed.
"Then yes, my uncle tried to kill me. Twice. And the second time, he was trying to enslave the planet at the same time," Kara said.
"Lex has only attempted to kill me once. You win, f*ck you," Lena said with mock outrage.
Sometimes Kara speaks without thinking. This has never been more evident, horrifying, to her than now.
"Is that my prize, then?"
Kara wanted to sink into the ground. A Kara-ooze, seeping through the cracks of the dock and into the sea. She could feel her face burning. It would be really cool if maybe one isotope of Medusa magically worked, but on Kryptionians, and floated down to kill her.
"Maybe if you take me to dinner first," Lena replied.
Kara whipped around to look at her, jaw dropped slightly ajar.
"Huh?," Kara managed.
"Buy me dinner, and I'll think about it. I'm not deaf, or blind-"
Lena gave Kara a scorching once-over that made Kara's legs feel like jelly.
"-You have potential," Lena finished with a wink.
A car pulled up, then, sleek and black. Kara didn't know enough about cars to be able to tell what type of car it was. She also didn't care. Because Lena had stepped really, really, close. All of Kara's senses were flooded with Lena. Sight, sound, smell.
"Here," Lena said, and Kara looked down as she took Kara's hand in hers.
Lena pressed Kara's hand closed over a card.
"Let me know about dinner," she said, her smile the quickest flash of teeth, and she walked away.
Kara managed, through valiant effort, to keep her eyes up. Even though Lena was definitely swaying, and it was definitely on purpose.
"Bye," Kara said, and no, it didn't sound like squeaking, shut up voice-that-sounds-like-Alex.
Just as Lena sat in the car, she chuckled and whispered, "Goodbye, Supergirl."
And she was gone. Kara prepared to lift into flight, and then, realized she'd been floating for an indeterminate period of time. Well, that was embarrassing. She resolved never to tell Alex about this.
Oh Rao.
She could NEVER tell Alex about this!
