#lena actually drew a small heart on her own hand once because she wanted to feel included

[thermodynamic-comedian]

is it too early for irrelevant self-indulgent tmagp headcanons? if not,

celia wears glasses and once managed to lose the other nose pad on them

sam stretches like a cat when he wakes up

lena gets muscles twitches all the time, mostly in her left thumb

alice draws on her hands when she's bored at work. and also the others' hands. mostly little ":3"s on sam's. once managed to get a ">:3" on gwen's. stars and shapes on colin's. lena's just waiting for her to ask. she already has plans for what to draw on celia's.

[imagine-lcorp]

Call You Mine (One Shot)

Request

Yay you're taking requests! Lena x reader where reader is constantly being hit on by other men and women day after day. Lena doesn't think too much of it at first but slowly it'll start to irritate her. One day Lena is fuming with jealousy"I seriously can't take you anywhere! It doesn't matter where we go there are always some idiot flirting with you!" R jokes about putting a ring on her finger to make her invisible to other single people. Lena takes the idea and decides to propose to R.

A/N: Hello my dear beans, long time i know, I know, I just hope you’re doing good and that u are taking care of yourselves. I know these are hard and complicated times, things are uncertain and the world seem in utter chaos, just know that I’m here. Try your best and reach out if u need. You’re important and I’m here for u. I know this isn’t much but pls enjoy this little piece. Love u guys. 

Lena Luthor x Fem!R//Word Count: 1,729

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There was something about you, Lena knew, that drew people like moths to the flame. It was the energy that radiated from your body every time you met someone new. It was the warmth in each on your smiles that could disarm an entire army. It was the light that was instantly conjured inside every room you stepped in. Lena had experienced this and much more and she knew she couldn't blame the others for looking at you, or approaching you, in searching for that light.

She, unfortunately, didn't expect the kind of approach that involved lingering looks and flirtatious tones some strangers used when talking to you. Like that bartender you were talking to.

She could notice it from far away as you ordered your drinks. The way he smiled at you, the way he talked making jokes trying to coax a smile from you. The lingering touch of his hand on yours as he handed you the drinks over the table. In the grand scheme of things, that was nothing, a simple exchange and interaction that would lose all meaning once you left the beach in that marvelous summer day. Lena had tried to repeat herself as much as she observed you and the bartender, with her eyes hidden behind sunglasses.

She had tried not to think too much about it, but when you were being hit on by others, once or twice or more, day after day, Lena finally had to admit it was something she didn't enjoy. What frustrated her the most was the fact that, objectively speaking, she could say nothing about it. It was not as if she could put a sign over your head that could read 'Lena Luthor's Girlfriend. Do Not Tresspass' or stop people from even looking or talking to you. But she also couldn't help the sting of possessiveness that struck her every time she had to witness that.

This time, however, she couldn't seem to hold it anymore. She left her chair and walked towards the bar as the bartender kept trying to keep the small talk going between you two.

"There you are, darling. Are our drinks taking too long?"

"Hey, babe. Sorry, I'm the one who is taking too long." You innocently apologized, unaware of the hint of annoyance in Lena's voice.

"Johnny here was telling me about this surfing event the beach is gonna be having this week. It seems like a big thing."

"Yeah, it is. I'm gonna be there too so, if you wanna see a good show, you can just come and see me." The bartender replied with a grin.

"What a shame." Lena replied before you could. The mock clear in her words. "I mean, we are leaving tomorrow."

"Oh, that's right." You said nonchalant.

"I guess it will have to be another time. Now, we should go, (Y/N). He probably has a lot of work." The mention of your name finally made you realize something was off with Lena. That and the forced a smile she was trying to pull at the bartender. "Nice meeting you, Johnny."

"Likewise." Lena saw him wink at you unaltered by the interaction, and felt herself almost losing it.

Instead, she took her cocktail from your hand and, without another word, she strode back to where you had been taking your sunbath.

You had to blink a few times before muttering your own goodbye and catching up with Lena who, by the looks of it, wasn't having any more fun.

"I seriously can't take you anywhere!" Came the exasperated response.

"Hey, what has come over you?" You asked a bit worried this time. You had never seen Lena this irritated before.

"It doesn't matter where we go there are always some idiot flirting with you!" Lena stopped and turned to look at you. Even with the sunglasses, you could see the little frown in her face.

You were slightly surprised by it but now you understood what it all was about. "Wait, are you like... jealous?"

"No, I'm-" Lena turned around with a huff and walked towards your little spot on the beach, taking a seat again. "Never mind, it's nothing."

"Babe?" You called, taking a seat next to her. "Lena?"

"Mmh?" She was trying to hide her face by drinking from her cocktail.

"Look at me." You asked softly.

Lena left her drink on the little table beside her and took off her sunglasses. A bit reluctantly, she did as you said.

You had never known Lena to suffer from jealousy but, of course, there was still a lot of things you didn't know about Lena Luthor, and not for lack of trying.

You knew that from a young age, and ever since Lena had become part of the Luthor family, she had to learn to keep her true feelings to herself. Having a heart of your own was a dangerous thing to have among the Luthors, who prided themselves on being methodical, analytical, always in control. The image she gave to the world was that of an ever composed, always calm, collected prodigy and business woman. Everything that was expected from her to be.

It was hard some times to really know what Lena was feeling when most of her life she had been conditioned to compartmentalize her feelings. Putting them in tiny boxes and shoving them to the darkest corners of her mind so they would not affect her rational thinking. It was even harder for Lena to change that and relearn how to navigate and not to hide her emotions.

There were some occasions, like this one, when you were unaware of Lena's true feelings until you noticed she wouldn't talk much, or until you started to fight over trifles and trivialities. Only then you would realize there was something bothering her and try to talk to her about it. You knew it wasn't an easy feat, for either of you, but you were making progress.

"It doesn't matter how many idiots try to flirt with me because, hear me out, they got nothing on you." You assured her in a soft voice, pulling yourself closer to the edge of your seat, so you could reach her hand with yours. "I don't even think it is possible for me to care about anyone but you."

The frown in her face dissolved as she looked at you with a little pout.

"Do you trust me?"

"Yes, I do. I'm sorry." Lena said caressing your hand with her fingers.

"It's alright, just remember I love you and only you." You pulled yourself forward, planting a quick kiss on Lena's lips. "But if that keeps bothering you, I don't know, you can make me an invisible cape or ring to keep them at bay." You said smiling and winking at her.

Although Lena was still annoyed at the whole situation, she couldn't help but smile. Unaware of it, you had given her something to think about. "I love you too, (Y/N)."

Lena loved you with every fiber in her being and that was a matter of fact. There was no easy way for her to deal with all the attention you sometimes received. She didn't want to make you invisible to the world, as that would mean depriving it from your beauty and kindness, but she did want for it to know you were, somehow, off limits. If someone else wanted you, they would have to go through her first.

So, after your little vacation, Lena put her mind to work, to design a device that could be able to repel the people around you, particularly those who tried to make unsolicited advances on you. She knew it wasn't exactly a good idea. She wasn't sure you would agree to what she had in mind and she needed to talk to you about it, but she was already on the making.

It was almost a month before she could come up with a proper idea that was viable, practical, and with at least ninety percent changes of working. Unfortunately, she discovered this device wasn't something she could do by herself. But once she had it in her hands and was sure it was the thing to do, she didn't wait long to show it to you.

"Wait, are you serious?" You asked with raised eyebrows.

You had been in her office, seated in the couch and in conversation after lunch, when the conversation turned to the topic. When you had suggested Lena for an invisible cape, you had not expected her to actually pull it off or consider it as a real possibility.

"It's exactly an invisible cape but I'm sure it will do the work." Lena shrugged.

"But you have made, in fact, something to keep people away from me?" At that moment, you couldn't decide between being impressed or worried about it.

"Sort of. Also, I didn't make this one. I had to call someone to help me with it." She pulled a small black leathery box from the pocket of her coat, and you imagined it would be one of those nanotech devices she was very fond of lately. "Since I'm no goldsmith or jeweler, I had to leave it to the professionals."

Her words didn't make sense to you until she opened the tiny box, and even then your brain was slow trying to understand what was happening. The box held inside a silver ring with a small diamond at the center of it, accompanied by two other tiny diamonds at the sides of it, with an intricate design carved on the ring that made it look as if it was wrapped in vines.

"I know this wasn't in our plans yet, and it may seem a bit of an extreme measure from my part wanting to keep people away from you. But when people ask me, I want to tell them I'm yours." She took the ring out of the box and put it in front of you. "Will you do me the honor of calling you mine? (Y/N) (Y/L/N), will you marry me?"

"You're unbelievable, Lena Luthor." It took some time picking your jaw from the floor.

"Is that a yes?" Lena asked hopefully, she was getting nervous.

"Yes, it is. Yes!" You launched yourself towards her, wrapping your arms around her, almost falling from the couch.

[blkmxrvel]

Haven’t Forgotten My Way Home (24) - [CONVERTED]

Pairing: Kara Zor-El x Female!Reader

Summary: In the D/s society of National City, men and women abandoned by their Dom/mes or otherwise deemed unfit for life “outside” end up at the Mount Overland House for Orphaned Submissives. It is here that Kara Zor-El finds Y/N Hastings, broken and fearful from mistreatment at the hands of her former Dom. Can Kara coax Y/N back into the world that once so terrified her, and show her the true meaning of care and submission?

Warnings: Domestic Violence (Flashbacks, Mentions and Descriptions), Misogyny, Domination/Submission.

She had expected the courtroom to look… just like that, a courtroom. A vast expanse of rule and punishment, dark woods and a high bench in the center from which the judge would condemn them all.

She had probably watched way too much television, Kara decided, or it could be because only the major cases were tried in the main courtroom down the hall. Most, such as domestic disputes or “severed claims” (such a distasteful phrase, Kara thought) were heard in 203Left. It was little more than a boardroom, with 3 tables pushed together in an open-ended square, and the gallery was three or four rows of metal chairs sat towards the back of the room. Two members of the council sat in the very back row, a presence Kara noticed with a slight tinge of fear.

“Are you sure I can’t go up there with her?” she whispered to Lena, who was sat beside her in the first row.

She looked so vulnerable, Kara thought, flanked on either side by her lawyer and Sam… and him directly in front of her.

James Olsen didn’t look like a man capable of making a young girl’s life a living hell, and that, Kara knew, was because Alex had done a good job prepping him. Clean-shaven, hair cut short. His suit was dark, but not so dark as to give off the impression of “bad guy,” impeccably tailored and well-fitting. He sat ramrod straight in his chair, his fingers drumming lightly against the wood table the only indication that he was the accused.

He looked, Kara thought, like a little boy in a man’s clothes. And that, she knew, was what had started it all.

She shook her head and turned her attention back to the girl who mattered most, the girl who was staring at her with eyes wide and somewhat fearful. Kara smiled reassuringly, wishing with everything she had that she could go up there to her, to hold her in her arms and whisper that it was all going to turn out all right.

Except she didn’t know if it would.

Sam had helped Y/N dress for the trial as well, a move that Kara knew was just as calculated as Alex’s. She didn’t like it, because the white short-sleeve peasant shirt and black pants, along with a simple pair of black tennis shoes and Y/N’s hair held back on one side by a bow-shaped clip, made Y/N look even younger, smaller, more lost than what Kara knew she was.

Even if, just two nights ago, she’d been afraid Y/N had become lost to her forever.

Kara had known, from the moment she’d walked down the hall to her bedroom and found Y/N staring at her collection of punishment implements, hand held fast but shaking against the cabinet door, what the young woman had been thinking of. It had tempered Kara’s anger, somewhat, at her things having been gone through without permission, but it had been exacerbated, too, by the fact that Y/N still didn’t trust her.

It had made her irrationally frustrated, in those few short seconds standing there watching Y/N struggle with her own emotions, that after all this time, after all the care and devotion Kara had thought she’d provided, Y/N was still afraid of her. Hadn’t she done well? Kara thought to herself, after Y/N had gone to the living room and she was gathering up the paddle, the belt, the strap, the hairbrush, the crop in her hands and walking back down the hall herself, formulating the plan in her mind. Hadn’t she praised Y/N at every turn, hadn’t she made sure to call her good girl after every punishment, hadn’t she held her and loved her after every punishment, made sure that Y/N knew it was a clean slate, that everything was forgiven?

Hadn’t she been unlike James Olsen at every possible opportunity?

She’d wanted to call Lena, to call and ask what she should do, because why should she have to keep proving herself over and over again? But she knew what Lena would say, yet another lesson Kara had learned while kneeling at the woman’s feet.

A Dominant will prove herself worthy every day if her submissive needs it. Because the submissive deserves nothing less.

Kara hadn’t meant for things to be as intense as they were with Y/N’s punishment. She’d even momentarily forgotten the significance of the fire, until she’d taken the blindfold off Y/N and the poor girl had reacted to it with a heart-rending moan. Kara would have ended it right there, but she had to prove a point; she had to make Y/N see that Kara was determined never to be like him.

And then Y/N had safe worded.

Later that night, after dinner and as they lay together inside the blanket fort, Y/N had become uncharacteristically quiet. They had been talking and laughing together, making plans for the next day, but then Kara had lain down and taken Y/N into her arms. What she had thought was blissful, comfortable silence was apparently Y/N lost in her own thoughts, thoughts that she wasn’t inviting Kara to share. Kara had waited patiently, content to hold the girl close to her, rubbing her back gently and offering the occasional soft kiss, but still Y/N said nothing.

“Out with it,” Kara had finally ordered gently. “What’s bothering you?” Y/N shook her head.

“Y/N.” There was a note of warning, an edged reminder of the consequence of defiance.

“I’m sorry.”

“I know,” Kara said, tipping her chin up to kiss Y/N again. “And I said you were forgiven for going through my things.”

“No. Not about that.”

Kara tilted her head. “Then…?”

It hurt when Y/N rolled over on her side, away from Kara, drawing her knees up and curling in on herself as if she was remembering being asleep on the floor, with nothing but a thin sheet for comfort. And then Kara was alarmed, because the quiet sniffling even as she reached out for Y/N told her the girl was crying.

“For safe wording.”

She didn’t pull Y/N back around to her; instead, Kara wrapped her arms around the girl’s waist and scooted herself closer so they were pressed back to front. “Why,” she asked softly, nuzzling her chin onto the girl’s shoulder and breathing in the scent of the shampoo that still lingered, “Would you apologize for that?”

“Because i-it made you angry.”

Now Kara was even more confused, and she wanted to roll Y/N over so that she could see her face, search her eyes for something, anything that would be the reasoning behind the girl’s emotions. But she knew Y/N, knew her boundaries, and knew the girl was lost inside something that it would be dangerous to pull her out of too soon, so Kara simply held her.

“I couldn’t be more proud of you for safe wording,” she explained. “You finally understand that it’s okay to safe word, that you have that right, that you will always have that right. And that makes me so happy.”

“I wasn’t a good girl.”

“What?”

Y/N drew herself up further, so that her knees were practically at her chest. “You always say I’m a good girl… after. This time, you didn’t. Because I’m n-not a good girl.”

“Y/N, no-“

“I safe worded. I’m weak, I didn’t trust you. I’m a b-bad girl.”

“No.” This time, Kara did turn Y/N over in her arms; Y/N didn’t protest, her limbs slack like a rag doll’s, and Kara sighed inwardly. She moved up against the pillows so that Y/N was laid a little lower than she was, with her head against Kara’s chest; Kara tightened her arms. She took a deep breath, letting go of the thoughts of how could I have been so stupid? and allowing her nature to flow through her, to take control. The need to dominate and care, to protect and train. She ran her fingers through Y/N’s hair, loosely, lovingly.

“For a person who has never had a safe word,” she said firmly, “and who has always been afraid to use a safe word because she thought it might result in worse punishment, to actually use a safe word…” Kara shook her head; this was no time for a lecture with big words.

“You’re the bravest girl I know,” she whispered, lowering her lips to the top of Y/N’s head, holding her close as the girl shook with silent sobs. “You’re the bravest girl I know, and the strongest, and I am so proud of you.” She cupped Y/N’s face in her hands, raising it so the girl was looking at her. “Don’t ever let me hear you say you’re a bad girl again, is that clear? That is unacceptable. You may be naughty, you may make bad choices, but you are never bad. Do you understand me?”

Y/N swallowed, her eyes locked on Kara’s. “Yes, Miss Kara.”

“I am so sorry for forgetting to say it,” Kara said, regret coating her voice. “Even a Dominant can make mistakes, and forget things. I am so sorry. Can you forgive me?”

Y/N was looking at her with an expression of wonder; Kara knew it was because a Dominant actually apologizing was a foreign concept to her. Still, she nodded, slowly. “I forgive you, Miss Kara.”

Kara smiled, and kissed her. “What a strong, brave, good girl you are,” she affirmed, and kissed her again. Y/N offered her a watery smile in response, and Kara brushed the tears away from her cheeks with her thumbs. “Good girl,” she cooed, tucking Y/N’s head back against her chest. “My good girl. My good, good girl.”

“She’ll need you more after than during,” Lena said, watching Sam with no small amount of pride on her face. “You know, she’s so hot like this.”

Kara rolled her eyes. “Now is really not the time, horndog,” she said affectionately, then paled when Lena turned to her with a glare in her eyes. “Sorry, Miss Lena,” Kara squeaked.

Really, it was ridiculous that that woman could still make her feel like a 16 year old sometimes.

Lena smirked, and patted Kara’s knee.

Both women tensed when the door to the front of the courtroom opened, and The Honorable Judge Winston Schott entered to take his place at the head table.

Kara knew as soon as she saw him that all was lost.

It wasn’t that he was particularly menacing or intimidating; in fact, with his sweater vest and his unruly, curly hair he looked more like a high school teacher than a judge. But it was in the way he walked, in the way he smiled and greeted James Olsen hello while merely nodding at Y/N, in the way he seated himself and rustled through the papers but not even giving them so much as a glance that told Kara he had most likely made up his mind before he’d even walked in the door.

“Right then,” he said, settling back in his chair and uncapping his pen, tapping it annoyingly against the table. “This is case oh three four dash three two six. I’m Judge Winston Schott; let’s have the introductions, please.”

“Lucy Lane and Sam Luthor-Arias, representation and advocate for Y/N Hastings, plaintiff, Your Honor.”

Kara wasn’t too sure about Y/N’s lawyer; the woman had her hair up in pigtails and was wearing an outlandish jacket topped with a feather boa. But Sam insisted she was the best, and Lena insisted that Sam knew what she was talking about. So Kara pushed aside her nervousness and smiled when Y/N managed a glance and subtle wave at her, then she turned her attention to the men sitting on the opposite side.

“Iris West-Allen and Alex Danvers, representation and advocate for James Olsen, defendant, Your Honor.”

Kara fought back a giggle as she caught sight of Maggie, sat just behind Alex’s table, pointing at her Ma’am and mouthing “She is so hot.” She shook her head at her and she grinned, giving a thumbs up before quickly slipping into what she termed “behave mode.”

Her nerves were quickly getting the best of her though, as the introductions ceased and it was time for the trial of Y/N Hastings-Olsen v. James Olsen to get underway. They were going to lose, she was sure of it, and everything Y/N had to go through would have been for nothing, because James Olsen was going to get a slap on the wrist.

“Right,” Schott was saying, sounding bored. “James Olsen, defendant, Y/N Hastings-Olsen, plain—“

“Hastings, Your Honor,” Ms. Lane interrupted, her tone clipped and determined. “Her name is Y/N Hastings.”

“Mm,” Judge Schott hummed. “Hastings-Olsen, plaintiff. Let’s beg—“

“Objection!”

All eyes turned to her.

“Kara, what in the hell do you think you’re doing?” Lena hissed. “You can’t object; you’re not part of the trial!”

Alex looked as if she was about to come out of her seat at her; Kara sank down into hers, watching as Y/N raised a single eyebrow at her.

That eyebrow was really, really hot.

“There will be silence in the gallery,” Judge Schott reprimanded sternly, glaring at Kara. “Unless you are—“

“Oh I’m not a lawyer,” Kara explained hastily. “Though I have played one in a local theater production.”

Lena dropped her face into her palm as Sam snorted.

“There will be silence in the gallery,” Judge Schott said again with a sigh of exasperation. “Are we clear?”

Kara nodded, embarrassed that she’d let her nerves get the best of her so soon. “Yes, Your Honor, sorry.”

He looked at her for a long moment, and then nodded. “We will proceed. As is always the case, the defense shall be presented first.”

Kara managed not to groan; she hated that so far, efforts in court reform had been rejected by the government, and so trials nearly always ended up skewed towards the accused. Proponents of the current system said it actually worked in the plaintiff’s favor, because theirs was the last testimony heard, and would therefore remain fresher in the judge or jury’s mind, but Kara wasn’t so sure she bought that. She only hoped it would be true, for Y/N’s sake.

She noticed that James was leaned forward, his hands clasped on the table in front of him, and his eyes glued to Y/N. She for her part wasn’t looking at him; she was staring down at the table. Kara wondered if she’d ever been permitted to really look at James.

“Hold on, angel,” Kara whispered. “Just hold on.” Lena shot her a look, and Kara quieted so she could hear the questions from James’s lawyer.

“Will you tell us, please, James,” began West-Allen, “How you feel about your submissive?”

“She’s not yours,” Kara muttered. “She’s mi—“

“Kara, shut up,” Lena said softly. “Remember, everything has to go perfectly.”

“I didn’t—“ he paused, as if fumbling for the words. “I never meant to hurt he—“ James Olsen stopped again. “Y/N. Y/N, look at me. Look at me.”

She didn’t, and Kara felt her heart swell as instead, the girl looked at her. She nodded at Y/N, who reluctantly turned back to James.

“I never meant to hurt you,” he said, and Kara rolled her eyes, only to have her mouth drop open in shock at his next words.

“Y/N, I love you.”

Kara felt sick. She had to lean forward a little, her arms pressed against her stomach; Lena laid a reassuring hand on her back. The words were… everything Kara knew Y/N had wanted to hear from James. Kara knew the power behind those words, knew how much she wanted to hear them herself. But would it make everything okay, she wondered. Would Y/N… leave her and go back to James, forget everything he’d put her through, just because he said he loved her? She sniffed, unaware until then that she was crying; she swiped the back of her hand over her eyes.

“Easy,” Lena murmured. “It’s not going to change anything, Kara. Easy now.”

“Do you deny doing the things that you are accused of?”

James Olsen shook his head. “No,” he said, and Kara heard herself gasp. She’d never expected him to actually admit it.

“But I never meant to hurt her, I thought I was doing the right thing, I thought—“

“What did you think justified your treatment of someone you say you love?”

This was what Kara had been waiting to hear. The explanation, the reasoning behind it all. Not that it would change her opinion of him, or make it all right, but if she didn’t get to hear it she’d be wondering for the rest of her life what had led James to be so brutal to one of the sweetest creatures she had ever known in her life.

She still wanted him to suffer everything Y/N had suffered, but more than that, she wanted to know why.

“I—my dad was a sub,” James said with a shrug. Before Kara had a chance to blurt out what’s that got to do with anything? he continued. “My dad was a sub, and my mom was his Dominant. I mean yeah that’s how it works so of course she was but… and he was a good sub, when he was around. At least what I can remember, I was pretty young when he left.”

“He left?” Mrs. West-Allenpressed, one hand scratching notes onto the pad in front of her, the other playing with the tie at her neck.

“Yeah he… got into some stuff, drugs I guess? I don’t really know, I was just a kid. He’d… go out all the time, come home… different. And my mom, she tried, you know, she’d punish him. Spank him, make him do chores, not let him leave the house. But she was kind of soft, she didn’t like punishing him and he got away with a lot of stuff. So he’d leave anyway.”

“And one day…?”

James shrugged, twisting his hands together as he looked at Y/N. “I love you,” he said, the words sounding gentle. “I love you, and I’m sorry.”

Kara fought back the urge to retch; Lena’s hand was soothing against her back. He didn’t mean any of it. She knew he didn’t. Not after all this time, not after everything he’d done to her. Don’t believe him, she tried to send to Y/N. Please don’t believe him, I love you…

“James.”

“Right, sorry.” Olsen took another deep breath and went on with a glance at Alex, who smiled encouragingly at him.

For a split second, Kara hated her again.

“One day he… went somewhere. Told my mom he was going shopping. ‘I’ll be back with dinner, Mistress,’ he said. ‘Take care of Mom,’ he said.” Olsen struck the table with his fist and everyone jumped; Y/N let out a whimper and in a heartbeat Sam had her arm around the girl, whispering words into her ear. Kara clenched her hands to keep from jumping out of her seat; Lena slipped her arm around her shoulders.

“Be strong, that’s what she needs right now,” she soothed. Kara swallowed around the lump in her throat and nodded.

“We waited for hours,” James said through clenched teeth. “Mom paced back and forth, kept saying that this time he’d learn his lesson, this time he’d see that his place was at home with his family. And me, I just sat on the steps watching the door. Must’ve fallen asleep ‘cause when I woke up it was morning and I was still on the steps. Mom was on the couch crying and he never came back.”

West-Allen nodded, looking thoughtful; Judge Schott was staring as if he wanted to cuddle Olsen on his lap. “Can you explain,” James’s lawyer said, “How that affected your relationship with Y/N?”

“My mom… she was such a pushover, you know? She let him get away with everything. She’s the Domme, she’s supposed to be in control, show him who’s boss, but she kept letting him walk out. And I’m just 16, you know? I’m a 16 year old kid and my mom was so obsessed with finding him that… I didn’t know much. But I knew I wasn’t going to do that with you,” he said to Y/N, and she glanced away.

“I’m not weak. I’m the Dom, I control you and you’re going to do what I say. I love you, and I have to keep you safe. She didn’t keep him safe, and now he’s gone. We don’t even know if he’s still alive. You’re not safe out there, you belong to me and your place is at home, and if I have to beat and burn that into you every day then I’m going to fucking do it.”

She’d had enough. Kara jumped out of her chair and ran into the hall, with Lena right behind. She barely made it to the restroom, dropping to her knees in one of the stalls and emptying her stomach of all the contents from breakfast earlier that morning. Lena knelt behind her, holding Kara’s hair back with one hand, again rubbing her back with the other.

“How,” Kara croaked, shaking slightly, “How can any of that justify what he did to her?”

“It doesn’t,” Lena said matter-of-factly. “I don’t care how much of a scared, fatherless 16 year old boy he was, there comes a point when immaturity stops being an explanation and it becomes a get out of jail free card, an unfair justification for despicable behavior. Hey, I can imitate you pretty well, can’t I?”

Kara smiled weakly and stood up, brushing off her clothes and accepting the mint gum Lena held out to her, then allowing herself to be pulled into the other woman’s arms.

“We’re going to lose,” Kara said softly, leaning in.

Lena sighed and squeezed her. “I know.” She pushed back and looked directly into Kara’s eyes. “Which is why I said she’ll need you more after. Come on, it’s almost her turn to testify.”

“I don’t know if I can,” Kara admitted, tugging at the black skirt she wore and nervously adjusting the white top. It occurred to her that she and Y/N had somehow managed to color coordinate, though neither of them had discussed what they were going to wear.

It was… hopeful, she thought.

“Yes you can.” Lena had already turned away from Kara and was walking out the door, her heels sounding loudly on the floor. Kara shook her head slightly, recognizing that the encouragement was also an order, and she quickly followed her back into the courtroom.

Y/N looked worriedly at her as Kara settled back in her seat; Kara just winked at her and waved slightly before realizing that Schott was speaking to her.

“I trust there will be no more disturbances during these proceedings?” he said, once again sounding bored. “Honestly, if you were going to be this emotional you ought to have stayed home.”

Kara growled low in her throat, but managed to sound pleasant as she said, “No more disturbances, Your Honor, you can continue.”

“Well, thank you for your permission.” Judge Schott turned to Y/N’s lawyer. “Miss Lane, are you ready to cross-examine the defendant?”

“Ready, Your Honor.”

All doubts about Y/N’s lawyer’s qualifications disappeared as soon as Lucy Lane leaned forward in her seat, her eyes boring into James’s as she asked “Mr. Olsen… just who the hell do you think you are?” Kara smirked, and she even caught Y/N smiling slightly. Every question was on-point, every counter of his answers left the young man squirming in his seat, and Kara began to think that maybe, just maybe, they might have a shot at winning. By the time Lane said she had no further questions, James Olsen had been reduced to stuttering his answers.

“Miss Lane, are you and Miss Hastings-Olsen ready to present your own case?”

“Hastings, Your Honor.”

Kara’s head shot up at Y/N’s voice, even as a slow smile began to spread over her face.

Judge Schott regarded her coolly. “I’m sorry?”

“It’s Y/N Hastings,” she said, her voice low, but confident. “My name is Y/N Hastings.”

Lucy Lane was smiling; Kara caught Sam pumping her fist under the table and next to her, Lena chuckled.

“Very well, then,” he said, with a dismissing wave of his head. “Can we get on with this?”

“I believe we can,” Miss Lane said. “Y/N?”

Y/N hesitated, and Kara’s heart filled with pride as she looked at her, then nodded. “I’m ready.”

[thevoidfishsminstrel]

Supercorptober2020

Day 29 - Dinner

Lena paced the floor in her black skinny jeans, red flannel, and converse, wondering for the millionth time if she was underdressed. Kara had said dress comfortably and so she had. She was still panicking.

At least her converse made less noise than if she’d been pacing the hardwood floors of her apartment in heels, so there was less chance of Kara hearing her anxious pacing. Except that Kara was also Supergirl and had superhearing so she could probably hear her pacing anyway. She could probably hear her racing heartbeat. That thought only served to make her heart beat faster.

Lena almost jumped out of her skin when there was a knock at her door. She took a deep breath and wiped her clammy hands on her jeans, making her way to the door. The outfit would have to do.

Kara was standing there with a nervous smile, hands fiddling with the stems of a bouquet of deep red carnations. She was dressed in jeans and worn boots with a smart navy blue button down. It was a juxtaposition that was so perfectly Kara that she couldn’t help but smile.

Kara smiled softly in return. “Hi.”

“Hi.”

She pushed the flowers towards Lena in an awkward jerky movement. “I- um… I got you flowers.”

Lena smiled and took them, running her finger over the soft petals. “Thank you. They’re beautiful.” She stepped back and opened the door wider. “Would you like to come in while I put these in water?”

When Lena finished arranging them in a vase on her kitchen island, she turned around to see Kara still standing awkwardly just inside her door.

She made her way over to her and took her hands which she were twisting together.

“Nervous?”

Kara bit her lip and nodded.

Lena smiled softly. “Me too.”

Kara’s shoulders dropped and she sighed in relief. “Really?”

She laughed and nodded before linking their arms and turning them back to the front door. “So. What have you got planned for our first date?”

———

It turned out Kara had planned to take her somewhere on a motorcycle. She had apparently borrowed it from Alex and looked unfairly good as she donned a leather jacket and bike helmet, handing a second to Lena. It gave Lena an excuse to wrap her arms around Kara’s waist though, so she certainly wasn’t complaining.

Kara drove them a little way outside the city, replacing tall buildings and busy roads with greenery and uneven paths.

Lena got slightly worried when Kara drove straight into an empty field but she realised why as they stopped at the top of the hill.

Kara had laid out a picnic blanket with a basket and a cooler nearby, and a pile of extra blankets and pillows.

They got off the bike and Kara took the helmet back from Lena, making a small ‘ta da’ motion to the layout. She went over to the basket, kneeling down beside it and unpacking containers of chinese takeout.

She set them on the picnic blanket and rubbed the back of her neck. “I um… I’m not the best cook so I thought it would be safer to get chinese than accidentally poison you.”

Lena laughed and sat down beside her, kissing her cheek. “It’s perfect.”

Kara blushed and ducked her head. “I actually chose this place for the view.” She nodded in the direction they had come from and Lena turned to follow her gaze.

National City rose up before them, lights sparkling in the windows of skyscrapers like Christmas trees. L-corp was there in the middle of them, the light in her office off for once but the large L illuminated and visible even from there.

“It’s beautiful, Kara.”

“It’s even better once the stars come out.”

Lena looked up towards the dark sky. The first little lights were just beginning to appear.

Kara was already looking at her when she looked back down and they both blushed.

After a moment Kara cleared her throat. “Chinese?”

———

The stars were twinkling above them in their hordes by the time they finished eating. They lay back on the blanket, holding hands between them, and looked up at them, telling each other stories.

They were at a lull in the conversation when Kara shot up and looked excitedly down at Lena. “I almost forgot - I brought a firepit and marshmallows!”

Lena laughed and sat up too, leaning back on her hands as she watched Kara hop up and drag a metal firepit closer to them. She had already filled it with wood and just had to light it. She started digging through the basket and Lena looked back at the National City skyline while she waited.

Kara’s searching became more frantic as more time went on and Lena frowned as she began to pull every item out the basket, seemingly distressed.

“Is everything okay?”

“Yes… no.” She pushed a palm against her forehead. “No. I forgot the matches.”

Kara looked like she might cry and Lena’s eyes widened. She got up and knelt by Kara, putting a hand on her upper arm in an attempt to comfort her. “Hey, it’s okay. Can’t you just use your heatvision?”

Kara sniffed and looked down, not answering.

Lena cupped her cheek and gently turned her head back to look at her. “What’s going on?”

Kara bit her lip. “I’m scared you’ll like Supergirl more than Kara Danvers.”

Lena deflated at the confession and pulled Kara into her arms. After a moment she pulled back, tucking a strand of hair behind Kara’s ear. “Why would you think that?”

Kara shrugged and ducked her head. “You kissed me as Supergirl.”

Lena stood up, extending a hand down to Kara. She took it and let Lena help her up (or kindly pretended to) and Lena sat them back down on the picnic blanket. She took both of Kara’s hands in her own, rubbing her thumbs across her knuckles.

“Yes I kissed Supergirl. But only because I’d met Kara Danvers and I realised you were the same person. I promise I don’t just go around kissing superheroes.”

She smiled at the small laugh that drew from Kara.

“That interview I had with Kara Danvers? That was the longest interview I’ve ever done, simply because I was enjoying it so much I lost track of time. I have never enjoyed an interview before.”

Kara smiled down at their hands.

“And when we spent the whole night talking after I kissed you? That wasn’t Supergirl. You told me yourself - that was Kara Zor-El. So, yes, I like Supergirl. Of course I do because she is a part of you. But I like Kara Danvers more. And most of all, I like Kara Zor-El.”

Kara looked back up at her hopefully.

“When I agreed to this date, I didn’t just mean with one part of you. I want to get to know all of you.”

“Really?” Kara searched her face.

“Really.” She brought one hand back up to cup Kara’s cheek, stroking her thumb over it.

They both drifted closer, falling into each other’s orbit, until their noses brushed together.

Kara glanced down at her lips.

“Can I kiss you?”

She answered by pressing their lips together softly. It was sweet and imperfect and perfectly them. They eventually got back to the marshmallows, and they talked and laughed and kissed under a blanket of stars.

[uninspired--poet]

Lena would’ve been lying if she’d said she was feeling herself. She was still sore. She still had a lingering headache. 

But the aftermath of an assassination attempt was something she most certainly had to deal with. Even if her heart wasn’t in it. Even if her heart was down a few secret corridors where Kara still hadn’t regained consciousness. 

The worst part, maybe, was the fact that nobody knew. Nobody knew how terribly she was suffering. How much she hated every moment of every day that wasn’t spent in that room. Especially today.

Today, when she’d finally had to address the press - an all-day ordeal that left her more exhausted than she could’ve prepared herself for by the time she was back in her rooms. 

But it was important to present a brave face. An unwavering face. She had a country to lead. 

It didn’t matter that her heart was broken in a million different ways. 

She was so exhausted when she got back to her rooms that she almost forgot to thank her security detail. The agent that had trained so closely with her and Kara. Not the one that’d died in the attack, obviously. That was something Lena could scarcely bear to think about. 

She let out a shuddering breath when the doors shut, and she made a beeline for her bathroom. She was so lazer-focused on escaping she didn’t notice Alex sitting in one of the armchairs near the door until she’d almost walked past her. 

But god, when she did notice her - a look of anguish fell across her features. 

One that was so clear and so intense, Alex stood quickly and reached for Lena’s hand to give it a quick, reassuring squeeze. 

“Tell me this isn’t...Alex…” 

“No,” Alex responded with a weak, exhausted smile. “No, Lena, it isn’t. She’s awake. She’s been awake since this afternoon. She’s been debriefed and had higher-ups in and out of her room all day. At least, until I finally managed to chase them off. She’s fine, Lena. She’s going to be just fine. But she won’t stop asking for you - so I came to wait for you the minute I got word you’d be on your way back.” 

Lena nearly collapsed. In fact, her knees went weak enough for a moment that Alex had to grip her by the elbows to keep her upright. 

“I have to see her,” Lena murmured urgently, steeling herself against the shakiness threatening to take over her limbs and turning right back around for the door. 

“That’s the plan,” Alex said as she followed Lena quickly. “But I need you not to run. This is just supposed to be me giving you a checkup and taking you down for another scan.” 

Lena paused at the door and drew in as deep a breath as she could manage. Her wits. She needed her wits about her. She couldn’t risk running off, again. The concussion had been a decent enough excuse last time. She wouldn’t have one this time. 

“I understand,” Lena said evenly as Alex came to a stop beside her. “Will you give me a few moments alone with her?” 

“I can give you like an hour, actually. If that works,” Alex responded, reaching out to hold onto the handle of the door when it seemed Lena was about to attempt to open it. “Please don’t be too hard on her. She...she’s under so many restrictions. And she’s still in a bit of pain, though I’m sure she wouldn’t admit to it.” 

“She’s good at not admitting to things,” Lena responded quietly, her eyes trained on Alex’s beseeching expression. 

Alex nodded and slowly released her hold on the doorknob. “I get it. And it wasn’t my place to say anything.”

Lena bit her tongue, then. She held back any of the countless stinging retorts she might’ve had. Alex didn’t deserve them. Alex hadn’t done this. And besides, Lena wasn’t entirely sure exactly how she felt about it all. It was a lot to process. 

“Thank you, Alex. For arranging this. I’m sorry I’ve been so short with you. I know we all have our roles to play. Our secrets to keep. I understand that. I promise.” 

Alex sighed and nodded, and with that - she followed Lena out the door and walked beside her, both of them with one, singular goal in mind. Getting back to Kara. 

For different reasons, sure. Alex just wanted to get Lena to her sister, because that seemed to be what she needed more than anything, right then.

And Lena? Well. Lena wasn’t sure what her goal was. Her emotions were nothing short of roiling in the maelstrom of her mind. 

She did well on the walk. She really did. Yet, something about finally winding up on Kara’s hallway had her shaken to her very core to the point where she had to slide her hands into the pockets of her slacks so Alex wouldn’t notice how they were trembling. 

“An hour?” Lena asked once they were standing outside of Kara’s door. 

“An hour,” Alex reassured her - trying not to sound or look worried.

If she’d failed, Lena didn’t give it away. She just touched along the handle of the door for just a moment - unaware that Kara was staring at her through it. Watching her every move. Listening to her heartbeat, despite the fact that the use of her powers was still nothing short of excruciating. 

But Kara couldn’t do much aside from the looking. The listening. And the worrying. Oh, she’d worried. 

All day long, as she received bad news on top of bad news, she’d worried. Worried that Lena would be done with this. Worried that Lena wasn’t as okay, physically, as Alex had told her she was about a dozen times today - each and every time she’d asked in between unwanted, exhausting visits from fellow agents and higher-ups regarding what’d happened. 

Lena, on the other hand, didn’t look at her right away after she slipped inside and shut the door. Alex had assured Lena she had something else to do. Whether or not that was really the case, Lena didn’t much care. 

She was far too focused on the fact that when she finally looked across the room - her brows furrowed and her breath already catching in her throat - Kara was looking back at her. 

Lena was struck by just how scared she looked. Just how strangely, alarmingly small - swallowed up in a thick sweater and hospital blankets. 

“Lena?” Kara’s voice was hoarse. Quiet. Almost achingly unsure. 

Lena wasn’t frozen in place anymore, then. No, she was moving towards the bed in response to a sight and a sound that felt almost too good to be true. 

“I’m here,” Lena responded softly, her lower lip trembling as she reached for one of Kara’s hands and took it into her own. “I wanted so terribly to be here when you woke up.” Lena’s voice was a whisper, and it left her entirely when Kara tried to sit up and leaned back into the bed with a muffled noise that sounded almost like a whimper.

Lena’s eyes darted to the door, and she began to pull away. “I’ll get Alex, just-”

“No, no…” Kara sighed as she tightened her grip on Lena’s hand with what little strength she’d regained. “Stay. The pain stuff doesn’t work on me. I just want you here.” 

Lena was sorry to hear that for more than one reason. She absolutely didn’t want Kara to be in pain. She was also having an incredibly difficult time being here, considering this was all she’d wanted for days. 

Perhaps sensing that, Kara loosened her grip on Lena’s hand to give her a chance to let go. 

“I’m sorry, Lena,” Kara whispered, and it only reminded Lena of Kara’s last apology. An apology that had come when she’d had Kara’s blood slicking her skin and heard each breath the other woman took rattle in her chest. 

“I know you are,” Lena responded quickly, shifting her glassy-eyed gaze away from Kara. “You...I thought I was losing you. I just. I thought I was losing you, and then Alex told me what was going on, and then...and then you wouldn’t wake up. I just wanted you to be okay. And now that you are, I’ve never been more furious. If I’d known - I could’ve done something differently. I could’ve made sure you were more protected.”

“I was doing my job,” Kara explained quickly in an effort to bring this all to a halt. In an effort to stop this getting any worse. Maybe it was selfish. She didn’t care, right now, though. For once - she didn’t care. “In not telling you, and in all the things I did that day to keep you safe. I was doing my job.” 

Lena let Kara’s hand slip from her own, then, and she took a step back as she rolled her shoulders and crossed her arms over her stomach. “I can’t do this again, Kara. I can’t handle the fact that ‘just doing your job’ might entail my losing you because you had to sacrifice yourself for me.” 

Kara was quiet for a while as she ached to reach for Lena’s hand yet stopped herself. 

“What are you saying?” She asked in a whisper, and when Lena looked down at her the worry Kara was feeling was written all over her face. 

“I don’t know,” Lena breathed heavily. “I really don’t know.” 

“You said you loved me,” Kara said suddenly - the words spilling out of her mouth without thought before she could stop them. “When...when I was out. You said you loved me and I...I know it wasn’t a dream. I know it wasn’t. Did you mean it? Do you still?” 

Lena was frozen, then. Shocked for a million different reasons. Shocked that Kara had heard her. Shocked that that’s what Kara had chosen to bring up, right now. 

Mostly, she was shocked at the fact that she couldn’t seem to get her story straight enough in her head to answer her. 

There were so many things she could’ve said. She could’ve told Kara she was just hoping it would pull her out of it. She could’ve told Kara it was just instinctive. 

Yet, she just couldn’t. She didn’t have it in her to lie. Not about this. 

Kara had already started to turn her head away when Lena whispered a quick, breathless ‘yes’ under her breath. 

A yes that trembled slightly on its way out and drew Kara’s attention back to her so fast that Lena couldn’t do much about Kara seeing the tears that had slipped down her cheeks. 

This time, Kara didn’t stop herself from reaching out for Lena. And Lena didn’t pull away. On the contrary, she let Kara pull her in close until she was leaning over her and Kara’s arms were slipping around her back. 

“I won’t leave you,” Kara murmured against Lena’s shoulder. “I can’t leave you.” 

“How do you know that?” Lena asked as her fingers tangled in Kara’s hair so that Kara wouldn’t pull away - as though that were a thought that would’ve even crossed her mind, right then. 

“Because I just know,” Kara said simply, sliding one of her hands from Lena’s back to reach towards the little bandage on her cheek. Lena stopped her from touching it with a gentle grip of her hand and a shake of her head. 

“I’m fine,” Lena reassured quietly. “You nearly died and you’re worried about a little scrape…” 

“S’my job,” Kara murmured as Lena let out a long, shuddering sigh that was muffled where she’d pressed her face against Kara’s neck. “And...I know because we apprehended Lex this morning. He’s still being questioned, but...well. We were already all over him before this.”

Lena gasped and pulled back even while Kara was still explaining, and she looked so shocked and so hurt that Kara instantly regretted telling her. 

“Lena, it’s...I’m...I’m sorry I had to t-”

“Why didn’t I hear about this?” Lena demanded in a whisper that bordered on a hiss. “More secrets? More complete and utter bullshit about how things that <i>directly</i> involve me are being kept from me for my safety?” 

“Because the last thing we need is for any of this to make you look bad,” Kara responded with a beseeching furrow between her brows. “We don’t want you implicated. You <i>had</i> to not know.” 

“Did...did you know that this attack was going to occur?” Lena asked, balling her fists tightly without even realizing it. 

“No!” Kara almost shouted as she tried, again, to get up and failed with a breathy groan of discomfort and frustration. “No, of course not. I would never let anything happen to you...I...I mean, I tried. I tried not to let anything happen to you.” 

Lena felt guilt wash over her in a wave so high it threatened to drown her. She’d never heard Kara so upset - and it wasn’t the pain or the near-death experience that did it. It was Lena implying what she’d just implied. 

“I’m sorry,” Lena apologized almost inaudibly and then turned so she could sit on the edge of Kara’s bed. 

Her head was killing her again, and the fatigue hadn’t really gotten any better. 

Kara’s warm hand moving to stroke along her side was more of a comfort than it had any right to be. 

“I’m sorry, too,” Kara responded, and Lena knew they weren’t apologizing for the same things. 

“Okay. So. My brother tried to kill me and the woman I’ve just admitted to being in love with is an alien.” 

“Find out more next week on-”

“Kara, this isn’t funny,” Lena’s voice was chiding and sharp. 

“Then why are you smiling?” Kara asked with a little smile of her own as she moved her hand slowly from Lena’s side to her chest, pressing her palm over Lena’s heart gently. “Will you lay with me?” 

Lena couldn’t think of anything she wanted more right then despite everything, and she only nodded her response as she maneuvered herself onto the slightly cramped bed next to Kara, who did her best to make enough room for her. 

Lena felt a lot better once she was wrapped in the warmth of Kara’s arms. She didn’t much care if Alex walked in, and she trusted that no one else would come. She had no choice, really, but to trust that. 

“We’re going to figure this out,” Kara sounded half-asleep when she spoke. Lena wasn’t used to that. She was used to Kara always being about a dozen times more energized and awake than her. 

“Which part?” Lena asked with a weak, half-hearted laugh. 

“Every part,” Kara responded with a shrug that nudged Lena’s cheek against her shoulder. “The attack. Your brother. ...Us.” 

Lena appreciated Kara’s optimism. She really did. But she just couldn’t force her mind to work in a way that would encompass all of that right then. 

“Just rest,” Lena murmured, her jaw setting hard for a moment as she reached for Kara’s hand and twined their fingers together against the solid expanse of her stomach over the blankets. “We still have some time. Just rest with me.” 

“I just want you to forgive me,” Kara responded, ignoring the fact that Lena hadn’t at all asked her what she wanted. 

Lena’s eyes shut and she turned her face towards Kara’s inner arm to buy herself a little time. Kara might’ve been exhausted, but she was no less intuitive - much to Lena’s chagrin. 

“You don't have to right now. I understand.  Just...I just want to know that it’s a possibility some day.” 

Lena hated that Kara felt the need to backtrack the way she had. She was also tired of feeling guilty, as though the guilt of Kara winding up in a coma for her wasn’t enough to last her more than a lifetime or two. 

“Please just rest…” Lena murmured, also hating the way her voice broke when she spoke. “I need a little more time before we have that conversation. But before you ask again, yes. Yes, my goal is to work through this. I don’t think it could be argued that there’s a more suitable partner than someone who would...do what you did. And I have a strong, detestable feeling you’d do it regardless of whether or not it was your job-”

“I would.” 

Lena sighed heavily and rolled her eyes as she reached up to press a hand over Kara’s mouth. “That’s absolutely enough out of you. I’ve never been more serious in my life.” 

“I find that hard to believe,” Kara mumbled against Lena’s hand before she reached up to take it into her own. Lena was just about to think of some stinging retort when Kara pressed a kiss against her palm that felt almost hesitant. 

Lena had almost forgotten in the midst of all of this that kissing Kara was a thing that she could do. But the moment she remembered, she shifted her hand away from Kara’s mouth and turned her head with her fingertips against her jaw so that she could look into her eyes. 

“We’ll work this out?” Lena asked as she brushed her thumb across Kara’s lower lip. 

“I promise,” Kara responded, holding Lena’s gaze as she attempted to kiss the pad of her thumb when it passed by. 

Lena didn’t care that that was a ridiculous promise to make. Not when Kara was looking at her so earnestly. Not when she knew Kara believed what she was saying wholeheartedly. 

When she finally pressed their lips together, Lena meant for it to be shallow and soft. It became clear Kara didn’t share that goal when she wrapped an arm around her in an attempt to pull her closer. 

Lena gave in for a while. Until she finally exhaled sharply and pulled back to press a few light kisses against Kara’s cheek. 

“Easy,” Lena whispered as Kara loosened her grip. “I’m sure the light duty you’re probably on doesn’t entail hospital bed make-out sessions.” 

Kara murmured something inaudible. It might’ve been an argument, but it was a half-hearted one at best as Lena settled back down against her only to find Kara brushing her nose against her hair. 

“I love you, too, Lena.” 

Lena swallowed thickly at the sudden, unbidden lump that had formed in her throat. She hoped Kara wasn’t expecting an answer beyond a quiet hum of appreciation, because that was about all she could manage. 

Kara didn’t seem to mind, though. She was asleep long before Alex ever came back. 

Lena used that blissful span of silence to listen to the slow, steady sound of Kara’s breaths. 

She couldn’t remember ever having been so thankful to hear someone breathe. 

[kryptoniism]

#33-“Don’t be nervous, it’ll be fine.” After I read this, I pictured this situation in my head, but feel free to do with this as you please. Love your work :) Everyone has left after game night, but Lena has stuck around to get some alone time with Kara, as they’ve both been busy lately. Both are a little tipsy at this point and Lena suggests they play a game. Confessions and more ensue, making them both realize they may be more than friends.

drabble prompts

33. “Don’t be nervous, it’ll be fine.”

Kara lingered in the doorway to her apartment, watching the last of her guests trickle out her front door. She wished each one of them a safe trip home with a warm hug and a cheerful wave for good measure as they disappeared down the hall. Kara locked the door and turned around to survey the damage, espying her final guest that idled by her couch, drifting between the living room and kitchen, humming softly to herself. Lena.

Game night had once again been a resounding hit, as evidenced by the dishes and empty pizza boxes strewn over her counter. Lena weaved through the mess, scooping up discarded glasses and setting them in the sink.

“Oh, you don’t need to do that! I can get it.” Kara called, crossing the open floor space towards Lena who looked up from the armful of plates she was now loading into the dishwasher.

“I wanted to.” Lena offered a gentle smile in response and Kara felt her heart beat a little faster at the brief flash of her perfect teeth.

“Well, thank you. It makes cleaning up much easier.” Kara said, maneuvering around the island counter to fold up the massive stack of empty pizza boxes.

Game night turnouts had grown considerably in size, requiring an occasional drawing of straws to see who was in charge of bringing food. Tonight, the burden fell on Kara who threw in the towel on cooking for a party of 9 and just ordered pizza. In hindsight, it was definitely the lesser of two evils, and she was growing increasingly glad that her plates and wine glasses were the only dishes to be done tonight. With the rest of the trash that she had already collected, Kara figured it was well worth the mess.

-

By the time she had taken the garbage out, Lena was finishing wiping down the counters with a paper towel and a spray bottle of surface cleaner.

“Oh, Lena you really didn’t have to!” Kara said as she crossed the room to the kitchen sink to wash her hands. She already felt embarrassed for leaving her guest alone, but making her clean up in her absence?

Lena however, just crumpled the paper towel that she was holding and discarded it in the nearby trash can.

“It’s really no burden.” She said with a nonplussed shrug. “You can just pay me back by taking me to lunch this week.” Lena caught her eye and winked as she set the bottle of cleaner down.

Kara felt her face redden. She shut off the water and dried her hands on the towel that she had hung over the oven handle.

“Hey…” She spoke up as Lena was reaching for her coat.

“Hey yourself.” Lena turned to face her with a playful grin, and Kara could help but smile back.

“Why not stay a while longer?” She offered, hoping that she didn’t sound too eager. “I mean. We haven’t had a chance to spend time together, so why not catch up a bit now?” Kara could see the offer enticing Lena, the affection in her growing smile warming Kara from the inside out.

Truthfully, Kara had been elated to find out that Lena was coming to game night, partially because it meant that she’d be able to see Lena Luthor, billionaire CEO eating a slice of pizza. The two of them hadn’t spent time alone together in several weeks, and frankly, Kara was having withdrawals. She had missed the shared laughter and Lena’s nerdy science babble. She loved to hear her talk about what she had been working on down in her lab at L-Corp. It fascinated her to learn so much of this planet’s true capacities for discovery and exploration, and she knew that Lena loved having someone to talk to about it.

Won over, Lena set down her coat again and Kara cheered a silent victory for herself as she opened her cupboard for a clean pair of wine glasses. She filled one with the wine that had been opened earlier that evening, and the other with an alien equivalent made from a type of fermented pit fruit from the Antares System. She turned and handed the first to Lena and took a small sip, musing over the taste before topping her glass off and taking both bottles with them over to the couch.

-

The night drew on, and as the contents of their glasses decreased, the sounds of laughter and cordiality grew. By the time Lena had suggested they play a drinking game, they were both tipsy.

“Alright, how about Never Have I Ever?” Lena offered, placing her hand on Kara’s upper arm. Kara froze, there was something in the way Lena maneuvered her hand along the defined swell of her bicep and either she was more tipsy than she thought, or Lena had just given it a soft squeeze. Kara narrowed her eyes in trepidation.

“Mm… Are we sure that drinking more is a good idea?” She asked, only half expecting Lena to answer. Lena leaned closer.

“Aw c'mon, don’t be nervous, it’ll be fine!” She waved her hand nonchalantly, and Kara was beginning to wonder exactly how much they’d had to drink; but the alcohol was starting to envelop her in a buzz that nestled in between her shoulder blades, rippling all the way down to the small of her back and up through the base of her skull.

“Eh, alright.” She shrugged, throwing caution to the wind and picking up her wine glass. Lena grinned.

“Okay:” She began, “Never have I ever needed glasses.” She threw her eyebrow up, waiting for Kara to drink.

“I’ve never actually needed glasses to see.” Kara said with a cheeky grin. Lena, already prepared for her answer, replied tauntingly,

“But you still need them to suppress your heat and x-ray vision.”

Kara opened her mouth to argue but snapped it shut again, defeated.

“That’s dirty…” She gave Lena her best frown of disapproval.

“Bold if you to assume a Luthor would ever play fair.” Lena said as maliciously as she could. Kara pouted, but drank anyway.

“Ok fine then; never have I ever…” Kara paused to think of something Lena had done but she hadn’t without poking too hard at her family history, “Unironically enjoyed listening to Blink-182.” Kara grinned, knowing that she had struck gold and Lena’s jaw dropped.

“Oh, god. I regret having told you about my music taste in college.” Lena muttered as she drank. Kara laughed.

“You did this to yourself, you could’ve played fair.” She chastised.

“What? That play was totally reasonable!” Lena argued.

“Only because you were exploiting the technicality of people usually associating the term ‘needing glasses’ with needing to see!!” Kara countered.

“Okay, fine! I’ll try again: never have I ever fallen for a coworker.” Lena said, clearly trying to reference Kara’s crush on James from a year and a half ago but paused, “Oh wait, shit.” She murmured just as Kara was about to drink.

“What?” Kara asked, setting her glass down.

“I just realized that means I have to drink as well… I MEANー” Lena stopped herself before she could do any more damage. The excitement surrounding their game of Never Have I Ever diminished instantly in light of the words that had just escaped Lena’s mouth.

“What?!” Kara pulled a throw pillow into her lap, hoping she could pretend to be happy for Lena long enough to convince her that she wasn’t absolutely shattered by this news, “Okay now you have to tell me!”

Lena shuffled closer to her on the couch so that they were face to face. Kara felt the fluttering of her stomach twist into a sailors knot as Lena slid into her space, her hands exploring the tops of Kara’s thighs.

“How about I show you instead?” She whispered. Kara could feel Lena’s breath tickling her skin and was in the midst of asking what Lena had meant when their lips met.

Revelation sent a jagged bolt radiating through her, jumpstarting her muscles like she had been shot full of yellow sun energy. Kara felt her body tense and then immediately relax into Lena’s touch. She felt herself become dizzyingly light to the point where she had to open her eyes to ask herself if she was floating.

Whether that was the alcohol or the hungry press of Lena’s lips was beyond her and she found that she didn’t even have the capacity to care as Lena was now crawling into her lap to be held as her tongue lapped at Kara’s upper lip. With each touch of Lena’s lips against her own, Kara found that more and more oxygen was disappearing from her lungs. Kara leaned heavily up against the arm of her couch as Lena hovered over her, their bodies pressed together. They came apart gasping.

“Gosh…” Kara whispered as Lena laid soft kisses along the edge of her jaw down to her neck. “Lena…” She sighed and Lena hummed contentedly in response.

Lena sat back to look at Kara who appeared about as disheveled as she felt dazed. “I’m sure you know this by now, but… I like you. A lot.” Kara said sheepishly.

“And I’m sure you definitely know this by now, or at least I really hope you do, but I like you too.” Lena said in response, leaning down to kiss Kara again.

“Should we take this slow?” Kara murmured between the kisses that threatened to incapacitate her. Lena nodded.

“I’d love that… And we can start with lunch this week.” Kara laughed and pulled Lena’s face down to hers once more.

“Deal.”

[thecoddiwomplingnoeur]

19. Don’t Touch Me.

Fandom- Supergirl.

Pairing- Alex Danvers / Lena Luthor

Universe- Alternative Universe.

Work- One-Shot.

T/W- mentions of non-descript abuse.

A/N- Haven’t really posted any actual writing on Tumblr before, but theres always a time to start and that time is now.

    The starkly mottled skin was usually easily hidden. The near-black impressions of fingers usually covered by cuff or collar, scarf or concealer. But so many ‘usually’s didn’t apply here. Lena didn’t usually have laughs filling her apartment or warm bodies clustered on the sofa in front of the TV. She didn’t usually have the memories of the perfect date with a beautiful woman, memories of gentle kisses, and hard. Nor did she usually have hope for her future, one of domestic simplicity and bliss.

      Usually, the soft press of a body almost slack with sleep wasn’t a concern, nor the sharp elbow that pressed just wrong. Or the sleepy movement that rubbed a sleepshirt across her neck, taking the concealer with it, taking her shield. 

      But then ‘usually’ when Lena woke in the night, for once without the fresh ache of harsh words and cold, crippling fingers, she didn’t have sleepy brown eyes follow her retreat to the kitchen.

       She felt the cool counter under her palms, the slight sweat making her shirt cling to her back and shoulders. The kitchen hummed with the sound of the fridge, the slow drip of the broken tap and her own fractured sigh. She felt the chill set it, nipping at her forearms as she leant forward, forehead pressed to palms as she gazed blankly through the kitchen window into the depths of National City's night sky.

       For once, dreams hadn't woken her, nor memories. For once, it was simply her body waking as it had done for weeks- in the middle of the night. Usually, it would be waking to gasps and cut-off screams, not tonight. But even the safety of a (more than) friendly body in her bed couldn't force Lena's body to relax, to sleep through the night.

      A warm hand settled between her shoulders, and a presence settled behind her. She hadn't heard it come, not the soft creak of the door, or the pad of bare feet of carpet, then tile.

      “Hey,” A low, sleep-thick voice murmured and that hand on her back curled up to hold her shoulder. Lena looked behind her, small smile fighting to tug at her lips. The drowsy brown eyes and mussed reddish hair were endearing, to say the least.

      There were flashes of the previous evening, of candles and ice cream shared with one spoon, smiles that reached her eyes and soft kisses under door frames.

      “Hey,” She croaked. Those brown eyes blinked, awareness and awakeness coming back to them as sleep-chapped lips pulled down. Brown eyes trailed from one eye to the other, then down to her nose and lips and- and then they hardened. Then those once soft eyes grew hard and flinty, but her voice was calm. Too calm. A false calm.

      “Lena. Look at me, please, look at me.” She refused the near-demand, looking away and trying to hide from piercing eyes that suddenly seemed to see everything. But she was stood at the counter, she was trapped, and those eyes were steadfast. “Lena, Lena come with me.” That same low voice gently prompted. The hand on her shoulder pulled her steadily away, and around.

      She couldn’t look at those eyes, suddenly the fear of what they had seen was crawling up her throat. A soft finger nudged her chin, tapped it and urged it relentlessly up until their eyes could meet. Green and brown, a forest set amoung a storm.- Rain drenched leaves and wind-torn bark.

      “Lena," Alex's voice whispered, pleaded, begged ever so convincingly, "where did you get those bruises?” And oh the soft caring in that tone was almost enough to make Lena crumble. Those bruises. How was she supposed to explain ‘those bruises’? Lena couldn’t, that’s how. She couldn’t. She couldn’t. She couldn't. She shook her head, side to side with hair loose and flying. Lena's breath snagged in her throat as her hand came up and grabbed the opposite elbow.

       “I fell.” Came out in a tremulous tone, voice quiet and brow scrunched- pleading. Those muddied eyes tinged with scepticism, voice a tempered sarcasm.

       “Where, into a statute? ‘Cause that’s the only thing that could have put fingerprints on you like that. A statute or-”

       “Stop. Please stop. It’s nothing. I promise it’s nothing- just. Just, let’s go back to bed, okay? It’s nothing. It’s nothing .” She didn’t dwell on how desperate her voice was. She couldn’t, or she would see herself objectively. See the messy hair and crumpled clothes, the dark eyes and the even darker bruises, the broken spirit and the fightless slope of her shoulders.

       She couldn’t think about that, couldn’t see that .

       So she didn’t.

       So she tried to push past the concerned eyes and gentle hands.  And so she was caught by those tender hands, fingers soft and caressing against her skin, warm eyes imploring.

       “It’s not ‘nothing’, this is something. Lena, this is something. Are you…” And they were lost for words, brow furrowing. Alex almost seemed pained, almost-

       Lena pulled away from those searching, soft hands; lungs strained around a choked gasp. For a split second, those gentle hands felt cold, those eyes hard and unyielding, voice sneering and tongue heavy with harsh laughter. But only for a split second, because when she drew back, those hands didn’t follow, didn’t bruise. Those brown eyes grew sad; there was no anger starting there, not that same one that scorched Lena every time — scorched in the shape of fingers and hands, scrapes and cuts.

        “It’s-”

        “ No,”  Alex  said, soft but firm. Alex didn’t try to approach her, didn’t try to trap her, but also didn’t let her run . God, she wanted to run. “No, it isn’t 'nothing'. Lena please, please. Tell me who did this. Was it Lil-” Alex's mouth was covered as Lena pushed forward, fear of being held utterly overrun by the fear of that name.

        Soft eyes melted strong- A quiet strength, a steadfast one. Soft eyes told her it was okay, told her that it was okay to be afraid, but that she didn’t have to be. Not anymore.

        She moved her hand from clamping Alex’s lips shut, letting it drift, brushing along the sharp jaw, under Alex's ear, until Lena clung to a strong neck. Held that neck to keep her back, held it to keep herself standing. She looked up into those soft eyes, her own tired, drooping with wear. With a sigh she seemed to collapse, everything holding her up crumbling, everything but that hand on Alex's neck. Her forehead made its way onto a solid chest, breaths hitched and uneven.

        It was a second of calm, and then it was shattered.

        The agent moved slowly, hands rising to cup her hips gently. She almost startled back, almost. But she knew where that would end, trapped against the counter, caged. So she screwed her eyes shut, so she tensed her every muscle and twisted her hand into the fabric of their rumpled sleep shirt. So she opened her mouth, voice cracking, creaking like a time-worn chair with far too much weight placed upon it. Desperate and quiet.

        “Please. Please, don’t touch me. Please don’t. Please, please, please.” And She didn’t. And Alex's hands dropped without a touch. And Lena was respected, her words heard. And she was cradled in the silent support. And she felt the steady thrum of Alex's heart against her forehead, against her palm. And she was swaddled in everything that was Alex : the earnest fondness, fierce protectiveness, simmering strength, pliant softness, comforting warmth and untouchable steel that was so easily hidden behind a too big sleep-shirt.

        Lena wasn’t touched, but she slowly wrapped her arms around Alex's waist. She wasn’t touched, and timid tears stained cloth. She wasn’t touched and yet she was supported.

        Eventually, tears slowed, and inching movements had them both moving backwards, towards the bedroom. Their bodies never parting, the warmth that filled the air around them clinging pleasantly as they went. And as the tears fled, used up and dry, only sleep was left in their place. As Lena relaxed her body sagged, strength sapped. But she needn't worry, because strong arms caught her before the floor heaved up. Alex's soft scent carried her safely to the vast expanse of the bed, hummed words tucked her in, and a warm body slid in soon after, wrapping around cold shoulders and cradling Lena's hair-ruffed head to the crook of Alex's neck.

        Even on the brink of sleep, Lena knew the conversation wasn't over. But on the brink of sleep, she hardly cared.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Archive of Our Own- LachrymoseLake

Thank you for reading!

[raywritesthings]

It’s a Bird (Plot bunny/Preview)

My Writing Fandom: Arrow, Supergirl Characters: Laurel Lance, Kara Danvers, James Olsen, Alex Danvers, Winn Schott, J’onn J’onzz (Hank Henshaw), Eliza Danvers, Oliver Queen, John Diggle, Thea Queen, Quentin Lance, Damien Darhk, Cisco Ramon Summary: In a universe where another Kryptonian pod doesn't crash land to Earth, Supergirl and her friends receive a different otherworldly visitor; on a different world, Team Arrow loses one of their own, but not in a way that they can initially understand. Additional Notes: Hello everyone! Since this is a holiday weekend for me, I thought I'd treat you all to a plot bunny I had. I'm calling it a plot bunny because to continue it, I would need an interested beta reader who has actually seen seasons two of Supergirl and five of Arrow, which I have not. So, if this idea intrigues you, let me know and maybe we can work something out. I have a vague idea of certain plot points I want to move forward. The pairings as of now are listed as undecided because it could honestly go any direction at this point where I've left off in this first chapter. However, I will state that my interest in pairings that include characters I haven't actually watched anything of (i.e. Lena Luthor) would likely be small. Otherwise, feel free to weigh in. At any rate, I hope you enjoy this idea, and we'll see if anything else comes of it down the road. Thanks for reading, and let me know your thoughts! *Can also be read on my AO3*

It didn’t get much better than a night like this. Family and friends, along with the possibility of a new relationship she’d been longing for for months. Kara was still beaming ear to ear thanks to that.

But Supergirl didn’t get nights off for long. As she sat amongst the others, a distant sound caught her ear, rising in prominence until she couldn’t ignore it.

Kara looked up.

“Kara? What’s wrong?”

Everyone else had stopped talking, but she hardly noticed. She’d placed the sound. It was a scream, and of terror.

“Be right back.” She left James’ side and hurried out the door. There wasn’t time to change, so Kara took off straight into the sky.

It took her several precious minutes to find her target — judging by the volume of the scream, she had thought it closer. But at last Kara spotted it; a figure in black, falling fast. She put on a burst of speed to intercept, getting her arms around the person and continuing her flight at a gradually decreasing pace to ease out of the momentum of the fall.

Kara looked down at the woman, for it was a woman with long, blonde hair and a mask laid over her eyes. Her clothing was mostly leather, and there was some sort of stick or baton sitting in a holster on her thigh.

Kara’s brow furrowed. “Where did you come from?”

There was no answer; the woman must have passed out shortly before she had caught her.

She didn’t look injured otherwise, and Kara wasn’t sure what a hospital might think of the whole mask situation. More than that, though, if she turned this woman over to the authorities now, she might not find out just why she’d been plummeting through the air with no visible starting point or any plan at a landing.

Nothing for it then. Kara turned back for home, taking care to tuck the woman’s body in closer as she cleared the window. The others all turned around at her entrance, taking the sight in with varying degrees of surprise.

“Uh, Kara?” Winn took a half step forward. “Who’s your hot friend?”

“I’m not sure yet. She was falling through the air, but by the time I reached her, she’d fallen unconscious. I need somewhere to let her rest until she wakes up, and then we can ask.”

She shooed Alex and J’onn off the couch to make room, and the two of them exchanged a look.

“Kara, she’s wearing a mask,” her sister said.

“And she’s armed,” J’onn pointed out.

“Well, it’s not with kryptonite, so we should be fine.”

“Do we know who she is?” James motioned around his eyes. “Under the mask, I mean.”

Kara shrugged, then leaned over to lift the mask off the stranger — who was still a stranger. “Nope. Guess we’ll just have to ask her.”

“Kara, honey,” Eliza reached to touch her shoulder. “Are you sure you want that happening in your apartment?”

“Oh.” She looked around, then down at the sleeping stranger. Kara switched to her X-Ray vision for a moment. There was something puzzling about her throat, but otherwise… “Her physiology suggests human.”

Alex stepped up next to her and felt at the woman’s wrist and forehead. “Heart rate and temperature are consistent with one.”

“So the D.E.O. isn’t the right place for her, and she isn’t injured, so a hospital won’t take her.” Kara shrugged. “I don’t know where else this can happen.”

“Maybe if I have a look at her recent memories, it might give us a better idea of what we’re dealing with,” J’onn suggested.

Kara and Alex both moved back as he stepped forward, eyes glowing red. His brow furrowed, and a frown grew on his face.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Alex asked.

“Her mind. It’s not strictly inaccessible, but it isn’t as open as a human’s should be. I’m only getting flashes of images that keep cutting out.”

“What, like the signal’s bad?” Winn asked.

“She was somewhere like a jail, I think. There were people in prison uniforms. And a man with white hair. Then there’s the falling. I can’t get much else.” J’onn blinked and shook his head. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, J’onn,” She assures him. “So to all appearances she’s human, but something is interfering with your telepathy.”

“I can probably still use a psychic push to wake her up. It’ll get us those answers you want faster.”

Kara looked out at the others. She didn’t want to hand this woman over to an authority — there hadn’t even been a crime committed so far as she knew — but she also wanted her friends and family safe. Her eyes landed on James last, and he gave a single nod.

“It’s your call, Kara.” There was so much trust in his gaze, she nearly felt swept away.

But Kara collected herself and nodded. “Go ahead, J’onn.”

His eyes glowed once more, and on the couch the woman stirred. Her eyelids fluttered, and in the next instant she sat right up with a gasp, her arms flying out.

Kara caught them both.

“Easy, easy! You’re not in any danger.”

The woman looked up at her with green eyes. “Wha— Who are you?” Her eyes darted around the whole room, taking everyone in. “Where am I?”

“I’m Kara, and this is my apartment. Who are you?”

The woman stared at her like she’d asked something very odd despite repeating her own question. “The Black Canary?”

“Yeah, that’s not a name,” Winn remarked.

The Black Canary. Something about that name rang a bell, but Kara couldn’t seem to pin it down.

She was distracted as Black Canary tried to tug her arms from Kara’s grip, and she eased up to let her go.

“Wait. Am I not—?” She felt around her eyes where the mask had been sitting. “Oh no.”

“It’s cool, we still don’t know who you are,” Winn told her.

“Then this isn’t Star City?”

“Nope,” said James.

“I don’t think I know a Star City,” Eliza added. Everyone else shook their heads in agreement as well, leaving Black Canary looking very confused and distressed.

“If we’re going to help you, we need you to cooperate with us,” Alex said, her voice trending more toward the stern Agent Danvers than her big sister. “So who are you really?”

The woman drew in a breath. “My name is Dinah Laurel Lance, and I have no idea how I got here.”

—-

To say that Laurel felt lost was an understatement. She couldn’t even guess as to the sequence of events that had led her here.

She’d been at the prison with the others, fighting to get the riot under control. Then Andy had betrayed them. After she’d convinced John to give things a chance with his brother, she couldn’t think what he must be feeling — assuming he and the others were still out there, somewhere.

With his powers back, Darhk had frozen them all. He’d caught Oliver’s arrow and turned to her with it, and then—

The floor had vanished out from under her. That was the only way to explain it. She’d gone from standing in front of him to suddenly falling, and through air. How had that happened?

Laurel couldn’t remember much about that past the blind panic. She’d been screaming, and something about that... she cleared her throat. “Can I have some water?”

“Oh, yeah. Um, Eliza?” Kara asked. A woman who looked to be one of the two oldest in the group nodded and walked across the open floor of the room to a kitchenette area, getting a glass and filling it. Laurel accepted it with a nod of thanks and drank. One hand absently rubbed at her neck, but she froze as she realized something was missing.

Her Canary Cry choker was gone.

“Um, when I was found, was there a- a necklace on me? It had sort of a silver-colored piece on the front.”

Kara shook her head. “The only thing we touched was the mask.”

Laurel frowned. Maybe it had fallen off while she was falling? She couldn’t believe she’d lost it after all the effort Cisco had put into making and developing it. It also didn’t make her feel any better about being on her own amongst strangers in a totally different place from home.

And there was still the question of how she’d gotten from falling through the sky to a woman’s apartment. “How was I found?”

Kara’s eyes widened. “Oh. Uh, well…”

“It was Supergirl,” one of the men blurted. “She- she works with Alex and Hank, so I guess she thought they could help. So she dropped you off and took off just before you woke up.” He looked around at the others as if checking with them for confirmation.

“Supergirl?”

That got a lot of disbelieving looks.

“Well, yeah. Supergirl,” another man said. “National City’s resident hero? That’s where you are now, by the way.”

Laurel had never heard of a National City, much less the hero that protected it. “Is she new?”

“She’s been here a year,” Kara said. “Just about, anyway. No one’s counting. But, if you haven’t heard of her, you’ve probably heard of her cousin,” she added in a somewhat glum tone. “Superman?”

“Nope,” Laurel answered. “I don’t know any super-people. What do they do?” Were they metahumans like Barry and Cisco in Central or magic users like Mari?

“They save people,” the only unnamed woman in the room stated. Though maybe someone had called her Alex? “Supergirl also works with the D.E.O. The Department of Extranormal Operations, which handles extraterrestrials,” she added at Laurel’s raised eyebrow.

“Extraterrestrials.”

“Oh, come on, you have to have heard about aliens,” the first man said.

“The concept? Yes. Actual aliens? No.” As if it hadn’t been enough to learn that time travel was possible only a few short weeks ago. Laurel put her head in her hands.

“Um, well, Dinah—”

“It’s Laurel. I mean, I’m named after my mom, so everyone’s always used my middle name.”

“Okay, Laurel,” said Kara. “Maybe you just tell us everything you can remember up until your fall.”

“Well, it doesn’t make much sense. My team and I were trying to get a prison riot under control. Damien Darhk had orchestrated it, and he used a spy we had trusted to get his powers back. I thought he was going to kill me,” she admitted in a hushed tone. “But then, it was like the ground disappeared, and everything was really blue for a minute, and then I guess... I was here. Maybe Darhk did it? He, um, he has magic.”

“He does?” None of them seemed to look totally thrown by that.

Laurel nodded. “Yeah. Sorry, could I get all of your names?”

“Oh! Right,” Kara laughed. She gestured to the woman on her left. “Well, this is Alex. We’re sisters. That’s our mom, Eliza. And our friends Hank, Winn, and, um, James,” she said, her smile turning up just that bit brighter as she glanced at the last man.

“And you all know this Supergirl?”

There were various nods or sounds of assent.

“I mean, we’re not super close. Maybe Alex,” Winn said. “But she’s a hero, so, you know, we all love her.”

Kara was grinning quite widely at that, and if Laurel wasn’t mistaken, her chest had puffed out a little.

“You said you were part of a team fighting a prison riot,” Alex said. She looked at Laurel with her arms crossed over her chest. “But you wear a mask.”

“Yeah.” Laurel glanced down. “Some people, they call us heroes. There’s plenty of others who just see us as vigilantes. But we’re just people trying to help bring justice to a city that has trouble finding it on their own.”

“If you were in trouble back home, maybe we should lend you a phone so you can call your team,” James suggested.

“Yes, thank you.”

He passed her his, and she stood on just slightly unsteady feet to walk to the other end of the room as she dialed. She could see the others talking amongst themselves about her. Laurel didn’t know what to do about that. They’d helped rescue her, but they knew her identity.

An automated voice told her Thea’s number did not exist. Laurel frowned and tried again with the same result, then tried her father to get the same message again. The only other number she had memorized anymore was Ollie’s.

It rang and rang. Laurel held her breath, waiting for the familiar voice, something to ground herself, comfort her. Finally it was picked up. “Hello?”

It was a man’s voice, but not his. Laurel hesitated. “Hi. Um, could I speak to Oliver?”

“You must have the wrong number.”

She didn’t, but she also did not know this stranger. “Okay. Well, thank you.”

Laurel turned back to the group. “I couldn’t reach anyone.”

“They weren’t answering, or…” Winn began.

“Either their phones have been disconnected, or someone else has the number now.” Laurel shook her head. “I don’t know what to do.”

“I’m sure we can help you find them,” Eliza promised. Laurel tried to smile in gratitude, but she was still thrown by the lack of ability to contact her friends and family. What had happened? Where was she?

—-

He didn’t know what had happened. None of them did. He’d been forced to watch the whole thing, but Oliver couldn’t begin to explain it.

Darhk had had them all frozen once Andy had restored the last piece of the idol to him. Laurel had been the closest. Oliver’s last action had been firing an arrow, futilely, for Darhk had caught it. He’d turned back to Laurel.

“I want you to give your father a message from me. I want you to tell him—”

Yet just as he had moved to strike his blow, a...thing had opened up in the ground. A hole. A temporary one, but a hole.

Because Laurel had fallen through.

Her eyes had reflected a moment of shock and then terrible fear as she had dropped out of sight. Oliver had felt the yell of her name he could not voice rumble through his very bones.

The blue circle in the ground had disappeared, leaving the floor where she had once stood intact. Like she had never been there at all. Damien Darhk had paused, looking down at it.

“Well, that was odd.”

He didn’t know if it had been a break in Darhk’s concentration or just pure rage, but without any warning at all, Oliver had been able to move.

His fist had connected with Darhk’s face, and the man went tumbling to the ground. Oliver had hauled him back up and slammed him into the wall.

“What have you done? Where is she?”

“I’ve done nothing!” Darhk had claimed, one of his characteristic laughs on the end.

“Liar!”

Darhk’s eyes had glowed as he’d managed to get a hand raised up between them, yet Oliver’s arm had not stilled. His fist had connected. Again and again.

“How—” the man had coughed.

“Bring her back!”

“Oliver!”

John had caught his arm before he could land another blow, and Darhk had slowly slid to the ground, his eyes drooping shut and his breathing heavy.

“You’re gonna kill him if you keep that up,” John had muttered. “And whatever happened, it wasn’t him.”

But if it wasn’t… “She’s gone, John.” His voice had trembled. Oliver had looked around, his view and his standing unsteady. His eyes had landed on the idol sitting on the table, and with barely a second thought, he’d swept it off to smash on the floor.

Andy had gone when he’d looked around, and Malcolm had moved to check on Thea. “Get away from her, Malcolm,” he’d snarled, making great strides to cut him off from his sister. Oliver had scooped her up into his arms.

Malcolm has calmly raised both hands. “Oliver, I swear I didn’t—”

“I don’t care. You’ve chosen your side.” How many times had Malcolm used and betrayed his family and friends? How many times had Laurel warned him?

He’d left the prison with John once the authorities arrived, some in ARGUS attire to cart Darhk away as he knew their secret. Back at the base, they’d set Thea on a medical cot and Oliver had dropped into one of the chairs by the computers.

He was sitting there even now, his head in his hands. Laurel had disappeared in some blue light, not of Darhk’s origin. But how could it have been anything other than magic? And where was she now? He refused to consider the idea that she might simply be nowhere. No, Laurel still had to be alive.

The elevator opened and Quentin Lance hurried out. Oliver’s heart jumped into his throat.

“I got your call,” he said to John. “Is Darhk still in custody?”

“He is. ARGUS took over it,” John said. “But that’s not everything that happened.”

“What do you mean?”

A groan from Thea’s cot interrupted them, and Oliver went to her bedside. “Hey, it’s okay. Careful sitting up.”

“Did we get him?” His sister asked groggily. Under better circumstances, it might have pulled a smile from him. Right now, the best he could manage was a nod.

“We did, yeah.”

“Where’s Laurel?”

Of course Thea would notice because of course Laurel would be there on the other side of the bed, holding his sister’s arm to keep her steady and checking her head for any bruise. If she were here.

He swallowed down a lump in his throat and looked from her to Lance. “We don’t know.”

Lance almost scoffed. “You don’t — what do you mean, you don’t know?”

“She disappeared, straight through the floor,” John replied, and without his helmet on Oliver could see how disturbed he looked by just the memory. “There was this blue light, and she was gone.”

“Gone where?” Lance stared at him, expecting something more when Oliver had nothing. “What- what floor were you on?”

Oliver shook his head. “She wasn’t in the prison. I’m sorry, Quentin.”

“But she’s not dead. I mean, she can’t be, right?” Thea asked, her eyes wide and afraid.

“We don’t know, Thea.” Oliver turned away. “We don’t know anything.”

The only thing they did know was that Laurel wasn’t here.

—-

Cisco sat up, an arm outstretched and a wordless cry on his lips. He stayed there for a moment, waiting for the harsh breaths he took to slow his heart rate down.

The same. For the seventh night in a row he had had the same dream. On some level, he felt it could be called a nightmare, but he just didn’t know why.

Nothing especially bad happened in it. It was just, there was a bird. A dead bird. And for some reason he always got a terrible sense of dread at the sight of it, building worse and worse with each successive night. This was the first time he’d woken up seemingly reaching for something, though.

He searched around on the bedside table for his phone, checking the time. It was an ungodly hour, of course. Why couldn’t his powers be the kind that let him sleep?

Cisco checked his messages and emails, then scrolled through the news app. Nothing of note, except a prison riot outside Starling City that had been fought by Team Arrow. At least he wasn’t the only one keeping late hours.

He set his phone aside again and rolled over with a sigh, closing his eyes and willing himself back to sleep.

For the first time in a week, the nightmare did not find him.

[pizzahorse]

Replica

Title: Replica

Description: Who is the shadow and who is the caster?

[Read on AO3]

Lena stared at the face in the mirror. It was one she'd only actually seen a couple times before, during the eclipse, although her image was the last thing she'd seen before being banished to the shadow realm (twice), so it was deeply ingrained into her psyche. Magica De Spell.

Except it wasn't quite Magica. The curvature of the face and beak matched almost to a T, but white plumage revealed itself where green would normally be settled. There was a faint trace of purple eyeshadow from the day before (Lena had a habit of not wiping off her makeup before bed). The hair was different, too, although it had recently begun to take on a similar style to that of the witch. Her bangs were more or less the same, swooped to the side and colored, but still… There was a stripe down the edge of it where she'd grown it out, blue where Magica's was purple, but if she turned to the side at just the right angle, the resemblance was almost uncanny. The hair had been a subconscious decision on Lena's part, merely wanting to try something new, but one that led her to take a good hard look at herself when she finally noticed.

Half-awake, the face in the bathroom mirror startled her. So familiar, yet so foreign. She blinked, trying to find her way back to reality, but found nothing changed. She knew it was her own image, because she saw that same image just about every day. And yet, this morning, it felt like there was a little bit of her aunt staring back, too. The longer she stared, the more unsettled she became, until she finally pulled back her fist and slammed it into the glass.

It was hard enough to shatter it into hundreds of pieces and rattle it so much the medicine cabinet to bounced open, resulting in several bottles clattering into the sink or onto the floor. It was a wonder the thing stayed attached to the wall. Lena drew her hand away and without its support a few fragments broke off and fell into the sink with a clink.

For a moment, she stood, hands braced against the sink as her form quivered. Her chest felt like someone was squeezing it, like there was so much pressure she could barely breathe. The world felt far away, and only the coolness of the porcelain beneath her fingertips kept her grounded. She didn't bother examining her hand after her outburst. It stung, a little, and small red droplets were beginning to show on the surface, but they went unnoticed.

Lena finally backed away from the mess she'd made, not stopping until she felt the wall behind her, sliding against it down to the floor. She curled her knees up to her chest, burying her face in the space between and wrapping her arms around them. She choked out a sob, trying to muffle her whimpers in the hopes she wouldn't be discovered.

Of course, in a house with two ex-spies and an extra curious ex-spy's granddaughter, very little went unnoticed in this household. Webby had heard all the commotion from down the hall, and it was mere moments before a light knock came at the door.

"Lena? Are you okay? I heard a lot of noise."

If Lena answered now she'd definitely hear the thickness in her voice, and if she tried to get rid of it before speaking Webby would definitely hear the sniffle. Her keen senses were invaluable on adventures, but when it came to trying to hide things in the manor, they made it nearly impossible. Maybe if she was quiet, Webby would go away.

"Is this a prank? You know your traps hardly ever work on me."

Lena should have known better than to think she could get rid of her that easily.

"Lena?" she knocked again, louder this time. "I'm coming in. O-Okay? I just want to make sure you're alright."

If she'd thought about it, Lena could have gotten up and locked the door. Not that that would have stopped Webby. At most it would result in a minor delay in her entering, although it would really only take her a few seconds to completely rip the doorknob off. So perhaps it was for the best that she hadn't thought of it.

Webby entered slowly, the old door squeaking on its hinges and announcing she had made good on her statement. She was indeed entering the room in which Lena sat, curled into herself, and upon seeing her friend in such a state Webby closed the door behind her and rushed over.

"What happened?"

There was no way to hide the fact she was crying, but Lena looked up anyway, swiping a hand across her eyes. Unfortunately she'd momentarily forgotten about the cuts on her knuckles and ended up smudging some blood on her face. She realized her mistake when she looked down at her hand, then back up at Webby who was more than a little concerned.

"It's not a big deal," Lena spoke softly, trying to keep her voice level.

"You cut yourself! Let me see," Webby gently grasped the hand and examined it, turning it over so she could see both sides. It looked worse that it was, now that the red liquid had been smeared around. When she looked up, Lena had buried her face into her free arm, but her unabashed sniffling could clearly be heard.

"I don't think it's bad, but it definitely needs to be bandaged. "Let me-" Webby stood quickly, observing the cracked mirror on her ascent now that she was facing it, piecing together the clues around the room and speculating what may have occurred when she was absent. There would be time later to find out the actual story from Lena, but right now she had to focus on gathering a towel, an antiseptic, and something to wrap up the hand.

She wet one edge of the towel with warm water, crouching down onto her knees with all the supplies so she could get to work. The cuts were small and the bleeding had mostly stopped, but it would definitely bruise and be sore for awhile. Nothing to be too worried about. It had looked a lot worse than she let on when she'd first seen it, although Webby had initially lied about it not being bad, Lena's hand was in much better condition than she'd thought.

"This might sting," Webby warned as she poured some of the disinfectant on a dry part of the towel, before applying it to the still open wounds. She thought she saw Lena shrug an acknowledgement, but she wasn't sure. In any case, her friend had grown quiet while Webby went about her task, her breathing leveling out and her sniffling growing infrequent.

She was worried there might be some glass in the wound, but a thorough inspection indicated it was a fairly clean injury to begin with. That was good. Webby may not have been a doctor, but her grandma had taught her enough about first aid that even a doctor would be impressed with her training and knowledge.

"We should get that blood off your face, too," she stated, once she had finished wrapping the hand up with gauze and tape.

Lena glanced down at her knuckles, noticing Webby had finished her work, and curled it back over her other arm. She stared, expectant, until the other duck took the initiative and used a clean part of the wet cloth to wipe the red from her cheek. She also took the opportunity to dab at Lena's eyes, clearing away some of the salty dampness that had soaked into her feathers, along with dark traces of leftover eyeliner that had gotten horribly smudged amidst everything.

Blood in her feathers, runny makeup, hair all askew, Webby had to admit this was probably the most vulnerable she'd ever seen Lena. She had caught glimpses of this Lena when she sometimes woke up from nightmares, crying and shivering in her bed, but the light was always dim and the focus was on consoling her friend and helping her get comfortable again. Lena was always so confident and sure of herself, and it broke Webby's heart to see her pained like this.

When she was satisfied, Webby disposed of the towel into the hamper, and put everything back in its place before washing her hands. This included everything that had been knocked from the cabinet above the sink, and it gave her an opportunity to better examine just how damaged the bathroom mirror was. It would definitely need to be replaced, but what exactly had driven Lena to smash her fist directly into it? The cuts being on her fist indicated that it wasn't an accident, as if she'd slipped and tried to catch herself (badly). No, all the evidence indicated her actions had been deliberate.

Webby settled herself next to her friend, barely touching, but close enough they could feel each other's presence. They sat quietly for awhile, burning questions on the edge of Webby's beak, but she knew better than to try to pressure Lena into talking. She'd open up when she was ready. Patience was the best way to get her to explain.

Eventually, Lena leaned her head on Webby's shoulder, at the same time reaching out her hand to grasp the others, entwining their fingers as she peered down at the bandage.

"I don't want to grow up. I'm… afraid."

Webby waited for there to be more, but when Lena didn't elaborate she decided to take a gamble and offer a response. "I think everyone is a little afraid of growing up. You don't have to change just because you get older."

"But I am changing. Every day I feel like I'm morphing into her. I'm so terrified that one day I'll wake up and I AM her. I look so much like her, as if I'm some kind of a clone. I came from her shadow so I'm not exactly my own person. She might still have some kind of hold on me I don't know about. She could come back and control me again."

It was so rare for Lena to admit she was afraid of something, even it it was evident to those around her. So hearing her admit to being scared must have meant this was a fear far different from the norm.

"She won't. I won't let her get to you. I love you too much to let her do anything to you ever again."

"I look in the mirror and I just see- I just see-"

Well that more or less explained what had occurred. Webby turned to her friend, using her free hand to cup her face. "When I look at you, I see Lena. You are Lena. You always will be. That doesn't have anything to do with what you look like on the outside. It's the person I know who's on the inside that counts. If I went blind and I couldn't see you, I'd still know who you are. What you might look like on the outside does not define who you are on the inside. You chose to fight Magica at the bin, you chose to try to rise up against her before the eclipse. Even without a body, Lena still existed. You still existed. I know who you are. You're not Magica. You're my best friend. I've known who you really are since the day I met you. I never stopped believing in you. You ARE a real person. You'll always be real to me."

Lena swallowed back the lump in her throat, mirroring Webby's gesture and cupping her face as well. "How do you always know the right thing to say?" she grinned fondly down at her.

"I just speak from my heart. And you- you're in my heart. That makes it easier," the slightest bit of color appeared on her cheeks as Webby made her confession.

The other duck hmmm-ed lightly in response, leaning down so their foreheads were touching. She was still scared, a bit, but this felt so warm and safe she could almost forget her trouble. Lena always tried to be brave, and fearless, like she didn't have a care in the world. Maybe her desire to appear tough was a remnant from her time with Magica, and the need to keep any sort of emotional vulnerability hidden. That was all over now, and the truth was it was extremely comforting to have Webby pledging to protect her. For perhaps the first time, Lena felt secure. If Webby believed in her, believed she could be good and believed she could be better than her lineage, maybe it was true.

"I'm sorry about the mirror."

"Don't worry about that. It can be replaced. You can't be replaced."

Lena pulled away, sighing as she gazed affectionately into Webby's eyes. "I don't deserve you."

"Of course you do! You deserve everything. The world! You went through so much and you still came out of it all being the sweetest, kindest person I've ever met."

"Then you've got to get out more."

"Stop it! I'm serious. You are amazing and beautiful and nothing can stop me from being your friend. Not threats, not curses, not disasters, not even Magica. I'd like to see her try to get to you now!"

"Thank you for giving me a chance. I literally wouldn't exist without you. I'd be stuck as a part of Magica's shadow. Some days, it feels like I still am. But seeing your face every day, it helps me stay grounded. I can never forget it was you who brought me back, and it's you that constantly reminds me I don't live under Magica's rule anymore. I get to be free. There's no way I can repay that, but, if you ever think of anything comparable, I'll do it."

"Lena, you silly darling. Your friendship has paid me back enough. I've never met anyone like you, and I never will. There's only one you, and it'd be impossible to find a replacement that's just as amazing as you are."

Before things got too sappy, Lena came up with an excuse to change the topic. "This is kind of starting to hurt. I didn't think this through."

"Let me see," Webby lifted the hand to her beak, placing a gentle kiss on each knuckle. "You have to tell me if you need help with anything while it heals. I'll be right there to assist you."

"I think I can handle it."

But she had to admit to herself it felt nice to have someone around to care for her. Someone to pick her up if she got hurt, someone looking out for her. After so long of having to be guarded and having to face the world on her own, she could finally afford to let herself bask in the compassion allowed to her.

They lingered in each others company, quiet and still, until the smell of the housekeeper cooking breakfast drew them out. Despite the rough start to the morning, both were now in good spirits. Life was full of obstacles and adversity and bad memories, but maybe, if they had each other, they just might get through it all together.

Support this and other stories! https://ko-fi.com/gemology

Commissions? http://gaygemgoddess.tumblr.com/post/180466681766/

[spaceshipsarecool]

Belong

Happy Birthday @coop-writes!!! My attempt at supercorp for you came out a bit of a mess, but I hope you will enjoy it anyway <3

////////////////

“Ten more minutes,” Alex pressed, trying to grab Kara’s arm as she walked towards the DEO landing-pad, but Kara shrugged her off easily, too intent on her aim. “Kara, please!”

 “I’m fine, Alex. I just need some air.” It was only half true. Physically she hadn’t taken any damage in that last fight, but her emotions were still spinning and ‘air’ wasn’t what she was after.

 The alien himself hadn’t been anything special, just another remnant of Fort Rozz with a grudge against her mother, but he had clearly spent enough time with Kryptonians to perfect the language. His taunts in her native tongue had been painful, cutting in a way that his claws and teeth could not, and when he had spoken the name of her house, Kara’s control had cracked. Technically, there was nothing wrong with his pronunciation, but the disdain that had colored his words had been all his own, and it had been unacceptable.

She had gotten good at playing Kara Danvers over the years, at pretending to be an awkward, but mostly normal human from an average middle-class American family. But ever since she had started to embrace who she was as Supergirl, she had been finding it harder and harder to simply shrug off the confidence the suit lent her, to distance herself from the memories of walking through Argo City with that crest on her dress. She hadn’t been Supergirl in those days, but she also hadn’t been Kara Danvers, and there was still a part of her that recalled what it was to be royalty, to see people bow their heads as she passed and speak her house name with reverence.

 “Kara…” Alex tried again, and a twinge of guilt that she was causing Alex to worry made Kara pause at the door. Alex would calm her down if she stayed, soothing her and reigning her in until she was back to being the little sister, and most of the time that was what Kara wanted. The Kara that she was in Alex’s presence was the closest she ever came to feeling like she fit on this planet, but looking down at her clenched fists she had to admit that this fit as well; the anger at hearing her house insulted, the pride at defending it so completely. Maybe the emotions didn’t quite match the culture she had adopted, but they did fit her. They belonged to her by right, and she wasn’t ready to let go of them just yet.

 “I’ll come by your place later for a sisters’ night,” she offered without looking over her shoulder, hoping it would be enough.

 A moment later Alex let out a resigned sigh. “Just… be safe, Kara. I’ll be waiting whenever you’re ready.”

 It was all she needed, and she was through the door and leaping into the sky before Alex had finished speaking, her destination at the forefront of her mind.

 It probably wasn’t the smartest decision to seek Lena out right then, but the crush that had started simply enough had grown into so much more. Kara had seen the vulnerability behind Lena’s strength, the questions behind her confidence, and whenever Kara saved Lena, or held her in her arms to chase away the fear, it stirred the ancient oaths in her blood, promises of shelter and care. It was a pull she tried to suppress most of the time because the way it wanted to manifest did not fit with who Kara Danvers was supposed to be, and Supergirl wasn’t close enough to Lena to address it with any real depth, but Kara Zor-El...

 If she kept the visit short Lena would brush off any odd behavior, and just once Kara wanted to be around Lena when she wasn’t struggling to police her inner thoughts. Kara wanted to spend a few minutes with Lena where she didn’t stop herself from wondering what Lena’s lips would taste like, or from savoring that little blush that sometimes adorned Lena’s face. Most of all, Kara wanted to look at Lena and let herself imagine how beautiful she would appear if she were to wear Kara’s crest. How stunning Lena would be when proclaiming to all who would see that she was deserving of such a title, and that like the mark, she was precious, was Kara’s to protect.

 It only took a minute to reach L-Corp, another few to change and make her way through the building to the correct floor. Nodding to Jess as she passed, Kara proceeded to push open the office door. She was greeted with a pacing Lena, one who’s step faltered and hand jerked at the sudden entrance, sending the pencil she had been twirling in her fingers flying across the room.

 “Kara! I wasn’t expecting… this is a nice surprise,” Lena’s smile was warm, and Kara’s heart beat faster, her own smile rising in answer.

 “I missed you,” she said, flicking her eyes over Lena’s body too fast for a human to follow, biting her lip as she took in the tight black top and matching skirt. Lena looked good in anything, but there was something deliciously tantalizing about her in black, almost a pretense that she was fiercer than she was, and all Kara wanted to do was peel her out of it and uncover the woman underneath.

 But Kara still had a line. Maybe it was different from the one she typically drew, but as long as it was only her own temptation, her own desires at play, she would not cross it. Not unless there was more at stake.

 “It’s a good time for a break, actually,” Lena continued. “Just let me find my pencil, and then we can…” she trailed off, waving her hand expressively before walking past Kara and casting her eyes downward.

 ////////////////////

 “No.”

 Lena’s breath caught at the firmness of the tone, unexpected from the woman behind her, and instinctively she froze in place.

 She hadn’t thought anything of it, of hiking her skirt up and sinking to her knees in front of Kara, of placing her hands on the floor as she prepared to lower herself even more in search of the missing implement. With someone else the idea of them seeing her like this would have been untenable, but this was Kara. Just Kara, only Kara, who was all sunshine and smiles and warm hugs. Kara who had never judged her, who put her at ease in a way that people so rarely did. Except that now...

 “No,” it came again, and this time Lena shivered as the voice moved over her, slipping through the thin barrier of fabric to settle directly against her skin.

 Suddenly her position no longer seemed so innocent.

 She had imagined it, of course. Imagined kissing Kara, gliding her fingers through that hair to work it loose from whatever restraint Kara had placed on it for the day. Imagined her hands trailing lower as she pushed Kara back into a wall, or a desk, or a bed. It was always gentle in her dreams though, Kara staring at her with an open trust as Lena worshiped her, Lena’s thoughts never straying too far into the dark.

 But that darkness was still in there, and sometimes the phantom of Kara’s hand would grip her just a little too tight, or the look in Kara’s eyes would turn possessive for the briefest of seconds before Lena could lock that desire away. It was one thing to let herself picture Kara, but she wouldn’t allow herself to take that next step, to betray the person that Kara was by warping her into someone different, no matter how much harder she came against her own fingers on those nights when a hint of that other, not-Kara seeped in.

 The not-Kara who she was sure would sound exactly like this one, if only Lena had ever let herself get that far in her imaginings.

 Slowly, Lena forced her head to rotate, the rest of her body still unable to move, but she needed to see, needed to understand, even as at the same time she wanted to close her eyes and crawl away so that she wouldn’t have to face the disappointment when the image didn’t match what she had heard; the further disappointment in herself at how badly she wanted it to.

 “Kara’s enough,” she tried to remind herself, but it felt hollow. “Kara’s enough, Kara’s enough, Kara’s-”

 Kara was standing over her, having moved closer without Lena noticing, and Lena’s throat bobbed at the power in that pose. She looked like royalty, a Goddess of War with her stance wide and her shoulders proud as she stared at the back wall. The illusion was accentuated by the way Kara’s hand was resting on her glasses; not in that cute, nervous way she normally had of fiddling with them, but rather with an almost calculated finesse as she held them down to look over the rim.

 “Lena,” Kara’s eyes drifted to the woman at her feet, not bothering to resettle her glasses, and for the first time Lena found herself under the full, uninterrupted gaze of Kara Danvers.

 “No, not the first time,” the correction was immediate, all the little oddities about her friend falling into place. “The lenses must be tinted,” even with everything else the scientist in her couldn’t help but wonder what alloy had been used to dampen the brightness of those eyes. It was the only explanation—how the glasses worked so well—an added quality that reacted to the blue and nothing else, so that when someone viewed Kara’s eyes through the lenses they didn’t appear to be quite so alien. Quite so... consuming.

 They were consuming her now, boring into Lena with single-minded intensity, and she almost moaned under the attention. Whatever hurt she might feel later that this secret had been kept from her couldn’t even begin compare to the heat of the moment, to the surge of want as her image of Kara blurred and shifted to accommodate this new information.

 “Is this why you’ve never invited me to your home? Because you’ve been living here all this time?”

 It demanded an answer, and Lena opened her mouth to give it, but her response died in her throat as the implication of Kara’s question sunk in. When Lena had initially moved into the small, single room ‘apartment’ hidden behind a panel in her office wall, it had been a temporary measure until she had time to look for a real place. But then one thing after another had surfaced, and when she didn’t have anything to look forward to after a long workday other than a glass of wine and one-sided dreams about her best friend, continuing to live at the office had just seemed more convenient. She had told herself that it was practical, not sad, buying into the argument enough to let the situation drag on for months.

 Only now Kara had figured it out because when Lena had dropped her pencil, Kara’s automatic inclination had been to use her x-ray vision to locate it for her, seeing through the wall in the process.

 Which was why Lena couldn’t speak, because the Last Daughter of Krypton, Heir to the House of El, had offered her power freely for something so insignificant. Because she wasn’t even trying to hide her identity anymore as that would mean hiding what she knew, hiding her concern.

 And there was concern there, in the commanding tone, the sharp gaze, and Lena blinked as her image of Kara shifted yet again. For all that Lena was the one on the floor, the one that could be crushed in an instant, it was Kara’s power and energy that were being directed for her, because of her—Kara’s otherness doing nothing to mitigate the care and bond that had been forming since that first, fateful meeting.

 “Lena,” the name was gentler this time, still steady, but there was a hesitancy seeping in as Kara became uncertain of how Lena would react. And that… now that Lena had seen this Kara, been gifted with this Kara, was not something she ever wanted Kara to feel around her again.

 Tilting her head, Lena exposed her neck, not out of any fear but as a way to even the ground between them, to reveal herself back to Kara as Kara had just done for her. It was only fair, after all. Kara had taken them this far, and it was Lena’s turn to be brave, to unveil to extent of her emotion; the desire that had lingered behind every interaction.

 Kara’s eyes darkened, time stretching out before them as she recognized Lena’s gesture for what it was, as she wavered over whether or not to accept.

 “Don’t leave,” the prayer was silent, and Lena could only hope Kara would hear it anyway.

 “I asked you a question, Lena.” Kara’s hand left her face, hesitancy fading as she made her decision, and she tossed her glasses to the couch without breaking eye contact. Then those same fingers were skimming along Lena’s neck, settling under her chin to hold her in place.

 “I…” Lena’s voice was raspy, although from relief of arousal she wasn’t quite sure, and her tongue darted out to wet her lips before trying again. “I-I’ll find a real apartment soon. I prom-”

 “You have a week,” Kara cut her off, grip tightening slightly to punctuate her words, and Lena shivered again when Kara’s thumb smoothed over her mouth to soften the touch, eyes slipping closed when Kara leaned down so that her breath fell against the shell of Lena’s ear. “You’re more than this place, Lena. More than the shadow of your name, more than your work, even. So I’m giving you a week to find someplace suitable, and it better be worthy of you, because if I judge that it’s not…” she let the words hang, more potent for their lack of clarity, and Lena knew that over the next week her mind would be in overdrive, conjuring up different scenarios to fulfill that threat.

 But that wouldn’t be all, because there was also an implied reward, a promise of what would come if Lena obeyed Kara’s command. And that was something she wanted even more.

“It doesn’t have to be expensive, Lena, or opulent, if that’s what you’re thinking,” Kara drew back, but Lena kept her eyes closed, pressing her face into the hand that was now caressing her cheek. “Don’t just have Jess find the most upscale building she can and sign the lease sight unseen. Find a place that’s you, where you want to be, where…” Kara paused, and then in a whisper that Lena had to strain to hear, she added, “find a home, Lena. You belong here now, and I’m going to do whatever I can to convince you of that.”

“Please.” She hadn’t meant to say it out loud, but she couldn’t be embarrassed by the raw need in her voice, not when the answering tremor that passed through Kara’s fingers proved once and for all that the desire Lena had been warring with for months had never been just her own.

Before Lena could say anything else there was a whoosh of air and when she opened her eyes she was alone in her office, the missing pencil spinning on her desk as a reminder of what was to come. 

[theclaravoyant]

Sounds Like a Song [Bobbi Ann] - part 2

AN ~ Sounds like a Song was a surprisingly popular fic, even I fell in love with it more than I thought I would! so have some more of Bobbi Ann and her beautiful family :D Bobbi meets her Uncles & Daisy has a chat with Grandpa Phil

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Sounds Like a Song - Ch. 2

Daisy feels almost as bouncy as her daughter as they all pack into the SUV for the ride back to base. Fortunately, she has Bobbi Ann sitting (or often, not-so-sitting) on her lap to keep her still. The others try not to make a show of not asking her about the missing years, and she appreciates the effort, even if it’s just a bad coat of paint. She likes that to some extent, they can pick up where they left off. She hasn’t had that kind of permanency in her life very much and she feels a lump in her throat when she lingers on the thought of it for too long.

Fortunately, she has plenty to keep her occupied.

Bobbi Ann tries to climb onto Elena’s lap, but when Daisy restrains her, settles for an attempt at booping her nose instead.

“Who are you?” she asks.

“My name is Elena,” Elena says, and smiles, and glances at Daisy. “I can be your Aunty too, if you want.”

“Aunty Lena,” Bobbi Ann repeats (sort of). She prods Elena’s arm. “Why are you brown? Are you from Mexico?”

Daisy grimaces, and mouths ‘sorry’, but Elena shrugs it off.

“I’m from Colombia,” she explains, “which is a bit like Mexico, but it’s different.”

“Do you speak Mexican there then?”

“No,” Elena says. “We speak Spanish, which the same language as Mexico, but Mexican isn’t a language.”

“Oh. Cool. Can you say something in Spanish now?” “Si.”

Bobbi Ann stares, perplexed, and Elena laughs.

“It means ‘yes’,” she explains. “You can also say ‘me IIamo Bobbi’. It means ‘my name is Bobbi.’” She points at herself. “Me IIamo Elena.”

Bobbi, mimicking her, points to her own chest. “Me yah-mo Bobbi.”

“Very good! Now you can also say – ‘her name is Bobbi’. Ella es IIamada Bobbi.”

Bobbi-Ann points at her namesake. “Ella es yah-ma-da Bobbi.” She points at Daisy, too. “Ella es IIamada Daisy?”

“Bueno!” Elena beams, and then her expression turns smug. “And we even have another word for Daisy, too. Margarita.”

“Are you serious?” Daisy’s eyebrows shoot upwards.

“I told you, you should learn Spanish,” Elena teases.

“What’s a Margarita?” Bobbi Ann wonders.

“It’s an adult drink, sweetie,” Jemma explains, as if she’s sharing a secret. “You wouldn’t like it I don’t think.” She pulls a face like she’s just eaten a lemon, and Bobbi Ann giggles and mimics her.

The impromptu amateur Spanish lessons continue until they reach the hangar, and Daisy can smell it and see it and it’s like she’s fallen back into a dream she once had. Her fingers linger on the handle as she stares out at the expanse of grey, dotted with cars and cargo and personnel, because to most of the people in this place it is a day like any other day. But not to all. There are a special few waiting for her, and all of a sudden the promise of seeing them again makes her heart ache.

In the end, Bobbi Ann pushes the door open and climbs off her mother’s lap, and Daisy has no choice but to follow her and insist that she not wander too far. Elena and Jemma and Bobbi and May get out too, but they linger around the car for a while, and wait for Daisy to greet her welcome wagon.

Fitz. Coulson. Mack.

She can hardly breathe, can hardly believe they’re there in front of her. Tears rush to choke her up and she falls into Coulson’s arms first, and when she closes her eyes it’s like she’s the person she was before for a moment. Tougher in some ways, softer in others. Safer. Home.

“It’s a pleasure to have you, Daisy,” Coulson says as they finally part. “However long you stay.”

She nods and moves on, to where Fitz is standing, watching her with an expression so full of love and longing it’s almost painful to look at. It says I can’t find the words to tell you how glad I am you’re here, and when he hugs her, she can finally breathe again. It’s a solid, grounded, welcoming hug that says all the things Fitz can’t seem to find the words for.

“Missed you,” he manages at last, with tears on his face.

“Missed you too,” she replies, and she must be crying too by the time she turns to Mack. By now, Bobbi Ann has apparently made quite a comfortable home in his gigantic arms. They’re so different in size it’s almost comical.

“Welcome back, Tremors,” Mack greets with a smile. “I know you’re not back back, but it’s good enough for me.”

“It’s good to see you,” she assures him, and offers a fist-bump, which he meets with his free hand. “Where’s Hunter?”

“He drew the short straw. Errand run for the kid.” Mack’s soft smile says that he thought Hunter had volunteered himself. The gratitude of her near-weeping greeting party tells Daisy a similar story.

“What a softie,” she croons. “I hope he gets pop tarts.”

“I hope he manages to stop himself buying out an entire store,” Mack remarks, rolling his eyes at his friend’s good-natured but at times bizarre antics. “Now, this little critter tells me she belongs to you?”

“Bobbi Ann. And, yeah. She’s Lincoln’s.”

“Oh.”

Bobbi’s tapping Mack’s arm now, so he lets her down to the ground and she runs to meet her other new family members under the guidance of her swarm of aunts. They leave Mack and Daisy behind for a moment, and he watches her face fall a little.

“Hey, good on you,” he says. “It’s tough, trying to go it alone. Unless –“

“Nope.” Daisy sighs. “Still alone. Just me and her.”

“She loves you a lot.”

Daisy smiles softly, as Bobbi Ann looks back through the crowd as if to check on her.

“Yeah, she does.”

-

“So,” Daisy says, smiling as she scans the familiar contents of Coulson’s office. “How’s Grandpa Phil?”

“Getting old,” he says with a laugh. His shirtsleeves are rolled up and his collar askew from where he’s been sitting on the floor playing with Bobbi-Ann. She’s just disappeared with Aunty Jemma to go play with Uncle Fitz in the lab, and finally Daisy gets a chance to speak with Coulson alone.

“You did good with this kid, Daisy. She’s a promising little one. Bobbi Ann. For Antoine, right? What a name. Though I’m sure she’ll live up to it.”

“Yeah, alright, Mamma Hen,” Daisy cajoles. “In fairness, you’re kinda the one who taught me how to parent best so…some of the credit has to go to you, actually.”

Coulson shakes his head.

“You’re her mother,” he says, as though he still can’t quite believe it. “You’re her whole world.”

And maybe it’s because he’s already so far gone, so far in love with the role he’s adopted as everyone’s resident dad, but Daisy feels a pull she hasn’t got in three years. She takes out her phone and turns to that old photo, where her flushed and sweaty three-years-younger self is holding a tiny infant.

Look at this, it’s mine, I made it.  

“I’ll print you a copy, if you like,” she offers, and Coulson wordlessly takes the phone and finds a seat, staring in awe. In his eyes, Daisy suddenly sees every family he’s ever missed out on. Every child he never got to have. Every paternal instinct he’s bestowed upon her, extends to this child as if they are blood, even stronger than that.

“I’m proud of you, Daisy,” he says.

In all honesty, she has to go have a bit of a cry after that. So many feelings are piling up on her that she retreats to the plane, for want of a better place – for a place that’s hers – and lets some of the weight of them fall off her shoulders. When she’s ready, she heads to the lab and, just as she’d expected, it puts the smile back on her face.

Bobbi Ann is making her way between tables, her concentration intense, but torn between the controller in her hand and the model of Lola hovering in front of her. As she scampers up to Daisy, mini-Lola almost flies into a wall, but she weaves around her mother and scampers down the hall enthusiastically.

“Don’t get lost!” Daisy calls, twisting so that her gaze follows her daughter until she’s out of sight.

“She won’t, I gave her a watch,” Fitz explains. “Like Elena’s. Told her how it works and everything. Don’t worry, it’s one of the prototypes, before all the booby traps and what have you.”

He paused for a moment and leans back to check the bench-top.

“Yeah,” he repeats. “It’s a prototype. Definitely.”

Fitz blows air out of his cheeks and puts his hands on the small of his back. The image is only augmented by the screamingly eccentric three-layered glasses that sit atop his head, for seeing detail – or in this case, for furthering the amusement of a small child. Daisy laughs.

“You know, I had Hunter pegged for the crazy hermit uncle but nope, it’s you.” She doesn’t know why she’d ever expected anything different, to be honest.

“I’d be honoured to share the title,” Fitz says, taking off the glasses and running a hand through his hair. He sighs and takes a seat, as if Bobbi Ann’s knocked the wind out of him. “That child is remarkable.”

Daisy feels her chest physically inflate, and remembers what she’d called Coulson earlier. Mother hen. She’s more of a mother lion, most of the time, but then, people don’t often approach her with such ego-inflating praise.

“Speaking of remarkable,” she says, after a few seconds of silent gloating, “Jemma showed me a pretty remarkable rock earlier today.”

Fitz shrugs modestly. “It’s not that big.”

“I didn’t say big, I said, holy shit my best friends are engaged.” She bats his shoulder. “You popped the question?”

Fitz grins like he’s thinking of a memory as well as of her.

“Yeah. Although, Jemma hinted pretty strongly first. I think she thought I’d be better at it, I just needed a bit of a kick in the pants to actually get on with it.”

“And was she right?”

“Of course.” He grins even wider now, because in acknowledging Jemma’s correctness about him being better at something, he’s also calling himself the same. “Roses, chocolates, the whole kit and caboodle. Under the stars, of course.”

And then he snaps out of the memory, and all of his attention is on Daisy.

“Please come,” he says, his tone urgent all of a sudden. “We haven’t set a date yet, but we really want you there. Please come.”

She thinks of life and normalcy and super powers and living underground, and of setting foot on the Bus with a cardboard box full of everything she owned in the world, and she smiles.

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” she assures him.

A crashing sound outside the door alerts them to another presence – a presence soon identified by the voice that follows.

“Alright, I’m back!”

Daisy and Fitz share a glance. Hunter.

“Where is the mini-Johnson? Where is that little lightning bug?”

He sees Daisy through the glass of the lab doors, his head and – along with it – his attention turning like a distracted dog. He bursts into the lab, beaming, and a shopping bag swings from each arm as he embraces her tightly so tightly she yelps in surprise.

“I got pop tarts,” he says. “And popcorn. And a little birdie tells me you’re a Red Vines girl, but I got Twizzlers too, just in case.”

“Did you get any actual food?” Daisy wonders.

“Why? Do you care?”

Daisy laughs as Hunter checks the bags as if he can’t remember if indeed he did buy anything that Jemma wouldn’t pull a face at.

“Oh! There’s eggs in that one. And spinach. See?”

They’re barely visible under a heap of Little Debbie snack cakes and Daisy rolls her eyes, but feels her heart warm.

“I’ll take it,” she says, and takes the bag from him too, and the three of them head for the kitchen. Bobbi Ann appears, with Lola tucked under her arm, and runs up to Daisy enthusiastically. Daisy lifts her, kisses her on the nose and places her on the counter.

“We’ve summoned her,” Hunter whispers to Fitz dramatically as Bobbi investigates the bags, and finds the Little Debbie. “The Johnson family in their natural habitat.”

[devilxwithin]

all the kisses for any of our ships 😉

SEND A HEART FOR A SPECIFIC KISS.

❤️ for a romantic kiss.

Jaida & Tilly

They were currently sitting on a picnic blanket watching the sunset as they were on a cute little date in which Jaida had planned for her girlfriend since she was getting very bored of just being stuck inside doing the same thing every evening, so when she saw how lovely the weather was that afternoon, she jumped at the opportunity to do something different, instant happiness washed over her when Tilly agreed without hesitation. Every now and then her gaze would flutter over to the other woman and a small smile would be present on her face, but this time she was in absolute awe as the light from the sun bounced off her in the most beautiful way and she honestly still couldn’t believe how damn lucky she was to have Tilly in her life. Lingering her gaze for a little longer, she scooted closer. “Babe,” she whispered and waited for her to turn. And the minute she did, Jaida raised her hands to the other’s face, gently cupping it as she leaned forward and pulled her into a kiss that was full of complete love and honestly it was perfect. “Te Amo, Mucho.”

💝 for a platonic kiss.

Jules & Elodie

Visiting the bakery where Elodie worked started out as every now and then, but as their friendship grew, the more Jules found herself going there until it happened basically every afternoon after she’d get off work, today wasn’t any different. So, when she was finally finished, she made her way to the shop, entering it with a grin plastered across her features. “Hey, stranger,” she spoke with a chuckle as she moved over and pressed her lips against the woman’s cheek in a greeting, oh yeah, she had also started doing that, thinking it wasn’t that much of a big deal with how close they were now, but it didn’t stop her heart from racing ten times it’s speed in her chest or the butterflies to swarm viciously inside her stomach. It was only a small simple platonic kiss, but her feelings literally surfaced so damn fast every time she’d do it. “Those for me,” she then quickly spoke to change the subject inside her mind when she took note of the baked goods sitting on the counter. 

💞 for a awkward kiss 

Dakota & Dodie

Dakota’s lips instantly pressed together as she tried to stop the laugh that was threatening to slip through them as her eyes were practically glued to Dodie, absolute amusement shone through them as she slowly began to shake her head at the kiss that had just occurred. It all started with her wanting to give her girlfriend a random surprised kiss, but as she went in for it, Dodie had ducked her head a little and instead of getting her lips, her own came in contact with her eye and she instantly froze for a moment before she slowly pulled back to her current position. Now her eyebrows slowly started to raise upwards. “Remind me to never try to give you a random kiss, because that definitely wasn’t awkward at all,” she laughed.

💓 for a heated kiss.

Brett & Keziah

Lately it had seemed that the two of them just didn’t have enough time for each other, which when Brett actually stopped to think about it for a moment, it made her a little upset and it also made her miss the other girl quite a damn bit, so when the two of them both seemed to have some time to themselves, Brett wasted no time in asking her girlfriend over to hang out. Hearing the knock on her door, she quickly rushed over to it, swinging it open without hesitation as she grinned brightly. “Hey, you,” she voiced as she stepped to the side letting her in and once the door was closed, Brett immediately pulled her into a kiss in which started out gently, but took basically no time whatsoever to turn heated as she took hold on Keziah’s hips and drew their bodies closer together. “Mm, missed that so much,” she mumbled against her lips.

💟 for a delicate kiss.

Tegan & Isla

Tegan was currently in the kitchen fixing up dinner when her attention suddenly perked at the sound that had come from the front door and she couldn’t help the smile that took over her face at hearing her girlfriend’s voice call out to her. “In the kitchen,” she answered back to her and her gaze instantly fluttered to the door, the smile only growing bigger when she saw Isla walking through the door, putting down the utensil that was currently in her hand, she moved over to the other woman and leaned up to press a soft kiss to her lips before pulling back. “Hey, baby, how was work?” She asked curiously as she briefly turned her attention back to dinner to check on it. 

💔 for a interrupted kiss.

Ayda & Ryan

One minute they were watching a movie, but then the next Ayda’s hands had found Ryan’s face while her lips pressed softly against the other woman’s. It started out gentle at first, but then she shifted a little closer, her hands sliding to the back of Ryan’s neck as she deepened the kiss. She was basically lost in the moment that when Nova’s voice suddenly came bouncing into the room, she quickly pulled back, her heart began racing rapidly in her chest as she blew out a small breath. “Okay, wow,” she began with a laugh. “I definitely wasn’t expecting that,” her voice full of amusement as she ran a hand through her hair and then she looked into the direction of where Nova’s room was. “Looks like little miss cutie can’t sleep,” she spoke when the little girl’s voice once again called for Ryan. 

💘 for a static shock kiss.

Sasha & Neveah

The one thing that Sasha never expected was to get a small static shock with a kiss, but that’s exactly what had happened when she pulled Neveah into one and just as their lips touched, she was pulling back just as quickly, her brows raising for a moment from being caught off guard before complete amusement started to twitch it’s way across her features. Tilting her head, she let out a small chuckle. “Mm, have you been rubbing your feet against carpet?” She spoke playfully as she raised a hand up to brush the back of her neck, still trying her hardest to keep the laughter that was threatening to spill.

💗 for a repetitive lip peck kiss.

Lena & Kara

After putting their daughter to bed, Lena made her way back to the couch with a gentle smile spread across her lips, a small breath leaving her as she finally had some alone time to spend with her wife. “Hello, my hero,” she whispered quietly, but wasted no time in connecting their lips together. “Gosh,” she began. “I. Could. Never. Get. Tired. Of. This,” she spoke in between quick pecks as she finally pulled back to look at her. “I swear if you get called out tonight for anything, I am going to be extremely upset,” she said with a small pout, but the smile was back on her face just as fast as she moved to wrap her arm around the younger woman, pulling her closer so they could cuddle and watch the movie that she asked Kara to pick out while she wasn’t in the room.

[grizzbe]

A Mid-Winter’s Reprieve - Ch. 3

So, I suppose this’ll need a note beforehand, yeah? First off, I’m sorry this took so long! I was on track to have this finished before Christmas, but then the comic came out and I found myself unsure as to whether I should proceed or not. After receiving a few messages from people encouraging me to continue I decided to do so (thanks to those of you with the kind words!), but by then I was super busy with Christmas. Before I knew it, it was New Years and then I just got completely swamped with work. But I finally caught a break and got to finish this!

In regards to the comic and the canonicity of Tracer’s sexuality, I’d like to say that this fic (and any other fic I’ve written/will write) is not intended to be an attack on it in any way, shape or form. I wholeheartedly support Lenily, that comic was cuteness overload. I merely like this little ship of mine (I’ve been shipping it basically since McCree was announced as a character) and enjoy writing it.

Anyways, now that that’s out of the way, I hope you enjoy this! “A Mid-Spring’s Reprieve” will probably come around April or May. In the meantime, if you have any one-shot requests for “Shots In Time”, feel free to message me and let me know!

The Gunslinger put on his most charming smile as he held the British Sprite by her waist, “Well, that depends, what did you get me?”

“Nu-uh, that’s not gonna fly, Cowboy,” said Lena, smiling right back. Her hands began rubbing his back underneath his serape in a way that Jesse didn’t find unpleasurable before he realized she was searching for her gift. “I asked first! Now it’s time to put up or shut up!”

It wasn’t often that McCree found himself nervous but this whole situation was certainly trying its hardest to raise his heart rate. He had survived losing his family as a kid, survived being a part of a bike gang since his mid-teens, survived Gabriel as his boss for Chrissake. Now, faced with the prospect of giving a subpar gift to the woman that was quickly becoming the brightest part of his life, he found his palms getting sweaty.

Or maybe it’s because you still have your gloves on?

That might have something to do with it.

Jesse took his gloves off and slipped them into his back pocket before bringing the small gift bag out from under his serape. Lena’s eyes lit up as she gingerly plucked the gift from his hands, her smile growing into a beaming white grin as she opened the bag.

That right there made all this trouble worth it.

Hopefully you earned it, Cowboy.

Will you just enjoy the moment for once?

Lena’s smile wavered for a brief moment as she brought out her gift, the picture of the two of them playfully fighting over his hat that Ana had taken at the Halloween Festival resting nicely in the picture frame that Lena had mentioned she liked.

Oh yeah, she loves it.

Of course she does. Why did you ever doubt yourself?

“Why you little GIT!” exclaimed Lena, the look of mock consternation on her face.

Oh shit.

“I left my present for you on the table but you weren’t supposed to actually look at it!” said Lena, slapping McCree’s shoulder playfully. “It was supposed to inspire you! Not convince you to copy my gift!”

From behind Lena, she produced the fancy bag that Jesse had seen earlier that afternoon and quickly brought out the gift that she had gotten for Jesse, the photo of the two embracing each other on top of the hill in front of the airfield that Ana had taken just before she took the one he had.

Oh shit.

Is she mad or charmed? This is important.

Yeah, not sure, that slap on the shoulder was pretty hard.

But she’s smiling?

“See here, Darling, I didn’t look!” pleaded McCree, Lena’s smile mixing with her fiercely set eyebrows still thoroughly confusing Jesse. “I read your note and thought of my gift without peeking!”

“Is that so??” interrogated Lena who, at the very least, was enjoying putting the screws to an increasingly bewildered looking Jesse.

“Look, I swear! Gabe can back me up!” exclaimed Jesse, waving over the Blackwatch Commander.

Gabriel, holding a plate of Christmas cookies in one hand and a mug of black coffee in the other, made his way over to the couple.

Is Gabe wearing… reindeer antlers?

Focus, big guy. You need to clear this whole fiasco up if you ever want to take advantage of that mistletoe again.

Right. Present.

“Gabe, tell her that I didn’t look at the present she got me when we broke into her apartment,” said Jesse as Gabe pulled up next to the two.

Gabe finished his bite of snowman cookie, “Yeah, I didn’t really get it. He made us go through all that trouble and didn’t even bother looking. Especially after you left it out for him.”

“What? You expect me to trust the Cadbury thief??”

“Okay, about that, I have two replacement bars sitting in my fridge right now,” said Jesse. “But he’s telling the truth! I didn’t look! I read your letter, saw that you didn’t have any pictures of us anywhere and remembered you had said you liked this frame! That’s the God’s honest truth, right there.”

Lena bit her lip and pondered on McCree’s pleas of innocence before turning to Angela, “Whaddaya say, Mercy? You believe ‘im?”

Angela will have your back.

Are you kidding? Angela is one of Lena’s best friends.

You’re right. Bust out the puppy dog eyes.

McCree gave Angela the best pleading look he could muster as the Doctor looked from him to Lena, “I zink I believe him, Lena.”

McCree thrust his fists up in victory, “Thank you, Angela! I always knew you were the smartest woman I know.”

“Don’t push it, Cowboy,” said Angela, giving McCree a wry smile as she hugged Lena and went off to join the rest of the party.

“I suppose I believe you,” said Lena, holding the two frames in one hand as she grabbed his sweater with the other and drew him near. “I guess great minds think alike.”

Their faces were close enough that Jesse could feel her warm breath against his neck and he found that he couldn’t help himself, drawing her in close for another passionate kiss, only vaguely aware of the small voice in the back of his head wondering if this was her plan all along. The two enjoyed the taste of each other for a moment before separating, Lena looking contentedly at Jesse through half-lidded eyes and a wispy smile.

Lena leaned into McCree, putting her mouth next to his ear and whispered, “The rest of your gift will have to wait till later.”

She pulled back again and took in the blank slate that had become Jesse’s face and patted him delicately on the chin, “Now go enjoy the party a bit, love!”

Wha-what?

Oh, she’s devious. How are you supposed to just enjoy the party now?

Maybe sing a few Christmas carols?

Jesse watched Lena walk away before she turned her head back to him and gave him a devilish wink and grin.

And maybe some hot cocoa.

With some bourbon.

The Cowboy made his way to Jack’s kitchen where he found the hot chocolate and grabbed a mug. He took a sip while rooting through his cabinets looking for where the Overwatch commander had stashed his whiskey.

Angela must’ve made her Ovaltine again.

Or given the recipe to Morrison.

Either or, it’s delicious.

He finally found a bottle of the brown liquid hiding behind the flour, only briefly confused as to why the commander of Overwatch had a fully stocked kitchen in his house when he was almost always busy with work and poured a couple fingers into his Ovaltine.

“You know, you’re supposed to put schnapps in Ovaltine, McCree,” said Angela as she came up beside him with her own mug.

“I figured I’d make it a little more America s’all, darlin.”

“Uh-huh,” said the Doctor as she grabbed the bottle from his hands and poured some into her own drink. “You’d better put this away, Jack doesn’t take too kindly to ozzers sneaking some of his own supply.”

Jesse put the bottle back in its hiding place and the two turned around, leaning their elbows on the counter and taking in the rest of the party. Lena had managed to convince Winston to get on the impromptu stage with her to start an interesting rendition of Jingle Bell Rock. To his credit, Winston only looked slightly uncomfortable.

“So, did you look?”

“Oh come on, Angela. You don’t believe me?” asked Jesse, a mock-pained look on his face and his hand pleadingly pressed against his chest.

Angela gave the Cowboy a long appraising look before coming to her conclusion, “I suppose I do.”

The two stood in amiable silence, taking sips from their warm drinks and enjoying Lena and Winston make fools of themselves. As their song came to an end, Jack and Gabriel jumped up with them, motioning that they keep their place. Gabriel turned around and searched the crowd.

He’s still wearing those ridiculous antlers.

But he seems to be really enjoying himself!

Gabriel finally found who he was looking for, immediately making a face at Jesse and Angela, pointing at them both before rather aggressively motioning for them to join him and the rest for a carol.

Dammit.

“Dammit,” said Angela. The two put back the rest of their Ovaltine and started making their way to join the four others. When they got there, Jack and Gabriel motioned for the group to get into a huddle.

“Gabe, this is ridiculous,” said Jesse in a whisper.

Wait, why are you whispering?

I don’t know, it’s a huddle.

“Shush your mouth, McCree,” said Jack.

“Hey now, Jack, he’s Blackwatch. Only I get to talk to him like that,” said Gabriel. “Hush your mouth, McCree.”

Lena let out a little snicker at that and the others smiled before Gabriel brought their attention back into focus, “We’re going to sing Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”

“Does this have anything to do with your antlers, love?” asked Lena.

“What it has to do with is being an absolute Christmas classic, Miss Oxton,” responded Jack.

Jesse and Angela groaned a little bit, Winston, surprisingly, appeared to be totally on board. The Gorilla apparently had taken to caroling after singing with Lena.

The gang huddled for a moment, seemingly unsure on what to do next, “So, are we supposed to shout ‘Break!’ and clap our hands?” asked McCree

“Don’t be ridiculous, this isn’t football,” responded Morrison, before hitting a button on a remote that had seemingly materialized out of thin air. The opening beats of the song started coming through the house’s speakers and their huddle fanned out, the six of them lining up with their arms around each other’s shoulders.

They were surprisingly good, Winston and Gabriel providing a good bass for the others to work off of while Angela and Lena harmonized. The rest of the party quickly joined in and the house filled with Christmas Cheer.

The party moved seamlessly into another carol when Lena grabbed Jesse’s hand and pulled him to the side, “Well, I think we’ve had enough of this party, don’t you think?”

Yes.

Hell yes.

“I guess so, Darlin,” replied Jesse. “What’re ya in such a rush for?”

“Just thinking about that kiss earlier, is all,” said Lena in her worst Southern drawl as she batted her eyes. “Now come on, back to my place.

The couple stealthily made their way out the front door and raced through the snow back towards Lena’s quarters. Once inside, the two kicked the snow loose and made their way towards her couch. Lena took great care to ensure her newly framed picture of the two of them was placed perfectly before she turned the lights off and switched her monitor over to a crackling fire.

Lena climbed onto the couch and snuggled herself into the Cowboy, Jesse putting an arm around her. The two shared a lingering gaze before leaning into each other and sharing another passionate kiss. When their lips finally parted, Lena’s half-lidded look was back as she bit her lip.

No need to sneak off now, Cowboy.

Merry Christmas.