yourlocalmisthios

[yourlocalmisthios]

In 1938, two Jewish men created the world’s first superhero. Now here I am, 86 years later, reading about their superhero’s younger female cousin banging the fuck out of the younger sister of their superhero’s nemesis (who wasn’t intended to be his nemesis.)

Life is funny that way.

[yourlocalmisthios]

[yourlocalmisthios]

[yourlocalmisthios]

Kara Zor-El, Woman of Tomorrow!

[yourlocalmisthios]

I still can't believe they EVER implied that James might know Lena better than Kara. like on what planet?????

[yourlocalmisthios]

supercorp + tv tropes

[yourlocalmisthios]

thinking about how there's a good chance that kassandra left the adrestia only when barnabas died and i can't recover from that

[yourlocalmisthios]

Kassandra!

a long time since I've drawn her

[yourlocalmisthios]

“Supergirl!”

Kara was getting tired of hearing her name, sometimes. Well, tired of hearing that name. There had been a certain novelty at first. The first time it happened, her stomach dropped with dread. She went into a panic, wondering how she’d been found out and what this person’s intentions were. Then, she remembered that she’d spilled the secret herself, and it was the biggest news story of the year, and the person’s intentions were to get an autograph for her daughter, which Kara quietly obliged.

The first few weeks, she spent most of her time adjusting. Every time she went out in public, she had to deal with reactions. People tried to pay for her order at Noonan’s, tried to buy her beers, asked her bizarre and awkward questions. They could be really forward, too. She had more than one man tell her that the skirt suit was better, and one guy actually had the audacity to tell her that it’s a shame her cape covers her ass.

Then things settled, at least a little. Lena taught her how to handle it, how to deal with paparazzi and invasive questions or shouted epithets.

They were walking together when a young woman called Kara out by her other name and ran up to them. Kara tensed, but Lena was easy and relaxed. She’d been working on her own powers and was gone for weeks at a time, now and then, meeting with and learning from from strange people.

She’d reassured Kara. “I’m not putting on a skintight suit and calling myself Miss Magic or whatever, Kara. I’d rather keep things the way they are.”

Of course they both knew that Kara would never let anyone hurt her.

The girl ran up to them with the uninhibited boldness of a starstruck fan, practically bouncing on her heels.

“OhmygodyouresupergirlandshesLenaohmyGod!”

Kara was bemused.

Lena said, “Try to breathe, sweetheart. We’d rather you not pass out.”

The girl looked between them excitedly. Kara knew what was coming: a selfie request. It was confirmed when the girl pulled out her phone.

“Can you do this meme?”

Kara blinked. Do what now?

She held out the phone and showed Kara a drawing of two of two women she didn’t recognize. One had long dark hair while another with pink hair, heavily muscled, wrapped an arm around her from behind. The first woman had her face tucked into the elbow of the second.

“Uhhh,” Kara said, eloquently.

“Sure, we can,” said Lena.

Kara blinked. “Wait, what?”

Before she knew what was happening, Lena stepped in front of Kara, then backed into her, tucking her body back against Kara. Lena’s back pressed lightly against her and her butt settled against Kara’s hips. Awkwardly at first, Kara brought her arm up around Lena and tensed as she felt Lena’s breath tickle her arm.

There were just out for a casual walk and Kara was wearing a workout tank, enjoying the summer sun as it soaked her skin. Lena was wearing a dark green sun dress that left her shoulders bare.

Lena committed to the bit, as it were, burying her face in Kara’s bicep. She could feel Lena’s lips pressed to her skin and her heart began to race. Without thinking, she put her other arm protectively around Lena’s waist and pulled Lena in.

Kara went still as she felt, and heard, Lena’s heart pounding in her chest. A blush crept up her face, and she almost forgot why this was even happening until she heard the shutter noise from the kid’s phone.

The magic was broken. Kara let her arm fall. Lena broke contact with her.

“Oh my God you are so jacked,” the girl said.

“Make sure you share that to Kara’s socials,” said Lena.

“I will! Thank you!”

“So we just did a meme?” Kara said, as the girl ran off to show her friends. They must have dared her to ask.

“Yes, Kara,” Lena sighed.

They resumed their walk, headed nowhere in particular. Every time Kara looked over at Lena, Lena was already looking at her and quickly looked away, her pale cheeks tinting pink.

“Lena,” Kara said, furtive. “Am I… jacked?”

Lena stopped and raised an eyebrow. Gingerly, she reached over and ran her figertips over the blocky mass of Kara’s shoulder, prompting an involuntary flex that continued as her nails pulled a sharp track down the back of her arm.

“Are you serious?”

Kara swallowed, hard.

“Kara, I can see your abs through your shirt and you’re not even flexing.”

There was something in her voice, heavy and thick, that set Kara off, sending funny little tingles shooting down her limbs as warmth pooled in her belly. She bit her lip and then saw that Lena’s eyes were roaming over her.

Skin conductivity increased, heat bloom in pelvic region, increased pulse and breathing, flushing, dilated pupils, circulation increasing in-

Kara blinked.

“Do you, um, like it?” Kara asked.

Lena swallowed hard, looking slightly startled. Her eyes locked with Kara’s. There was a sudden silent storm of emotion in that gaze, hope and sorrow. It was like looking into the eyes of someone starving who just had a feast placed in front of them and knew it was about to be cruelly torn away. Lena waited and waited, the moment dragging on just a little too long to be glossed over, moved past, not this time.

“What do you think?” said Lena.

Kara’s pulse was racing so hard she could feel it in her tongue. She was growing lightheaded and had to stop herself from floating off the ground.

She turned to fully face Lena, ignoring the world around them. She wasn’t sure how to do this, where to put her hands, how to even start. She was so scared. What if she misread the situation? What if Lena was just admiring her physique? You know, platonically.

Fuck it.

In the end, all Kara had to do was put her hands on Lena’s hips. It was as easy as that. Lena dove into her, and before they made full contact, she had flashes of all the times she’d almost done this, from the time Lena, tearful and soft and precious, lay on Kara’s shoulder to that brief moment of bravery that swept Kara to lean in for it when she returned from the Phantom Zone.

Their lips met. Lena was as soft and warm as Kara dreamed she’d be, and they slotted together perfectly. Lena kissed her fiercely, without reservation, finally getting her feast. Kara’s head felt it like it was spinning, the world whirling around them. Without thinking she lifted Lena up and kissed her so deeply, so filthily, that the distant part of her brain that was still working screamed we’re in public!

Not that she much cared, especially when Lena grabbed her ass with both hands, fingers spread wide to get a nice big handful, and squeezed. Hard.

Kara squeaked in surprise and delight and finally put her down. Lena was grinning, her hair a mess, pure joy radiating from her eyes.

“I should have done that years ago,” Kara said, breathless.

“Yes,” Lena whispered. “You should have, but, uhh…”

Oh, right. They were in public. There had to be fifty people aiming phones at them. Kara looked around and swallowed.

“Get me out of here, Supergirl.”

In an easy, practiced motion, Kara scooped her up and lifted into the sky as Lena tucked against her with the same familiarity, but it was different now. Better somehow.

It only took a few moments for Kara to set down on the roof of her building and a few moments more for the pair to tumble into Kara’s loft. Once they were inside and Kara latched the door, Lena was on her, almost trying to climb her.

“I have another meme I want to try out,” said Lena. “The one about getting railed in a sundress.”

Kara stared at her, and then picked her up and carried her to the bed.

Later, when Lena was sleeping contentedly in a nest of blankets, Kara got over her sense of dread and checked her phone. The first pop up was Instagram; she’d been tagged and the meme pic had gone viral. Following that was an alert from basically every news service on Earth making some kind of a comment about Supergirl’s relationship with Lena Luthor.

And, of course, texts.

Nia: CONGRATS!!!!

Brainy: I calculated a 97% possibility of this occurrence, but the security of the timeline demanded I be discreet.

J’onn: That was unanticipated.

Alex: GOD DAMN IT KARA

[yourlocalmisthios]

Ok, let's go!!

Eggs: in any form except raw.

Steak: Medium rare.

Milk: another one in any form too.

Alcohol: whiskey, neat. I don't care if it's 45 ºC outside...

Warm drink: hot choco!!

Tagged by @mimbotomy

Eggs: Not a fan tbh, but when I do have them, they're scrambled

Steak: I don't eat a lot of meat. I don't think I've ever had a steak either, since I stopped eating most meats at like 10 years old

Milk: I'm a little child who loves me some good old chocolate milk or 2% milk

Alcohol: I actually haven't had any alcohol, so I have no idea. My best guess is that I'd like fruity things more

Warm drink: Not a big fan of warm drinks, but I do have a soft spot for frappucinos

Here's some people to do this if they want! @hartlesshart @kass-sassassin @yourlocalmisthios @spectres-n-knights

[yourlocalmisthios]

[yourlocalmisthios]

Katie McGrath + the eyebrow thing

[yourlocalmisthios]

Blue and Fire Engine Red, Pt 1

(The Firefighter/Cop AU)

-----

Kara knows her local fire station. How could she not? Being a field sergeant for NCPD, not a week goes by that she’s not at a scene with a ladder, engine or ambulance. Even so, when Engine 13 pulls up on the scene of an apartment fire, a new face comes to get a sit-rep. She’s sure the woman asks some very good questions, but only one word fires across Kara’s mind and out of her mouth.

“M-march?”

The firefighter’s brow furrows. “Sorry?”

God her voice is as beautiful as she is.

“Sorry, what was the question?” Kara stammers.

“I asked how many were still inside?” The woman is clearly still befuddled by Kara’s blurt, but she stays on topic.

Kara clears her throat. “We think three. One is a three year old on the third floor with her mother.”

The firefighter nods. “Thank you, Sergeant,” she says with that same throaty voice. She turns to her crew and begins issuing orders. Kara notes that the men– and all of them are indeed men– launch into motion without question. Huh. Kara files that information away for later.

Kara’s job is done. She steps back to help with crowd control, leaving the rescue team to do their job. She trusts they know what they’re doing, she knows they do. But she can’t help the way her jaw clenches when they file through the smoking door, Firefighter March in the lead.

She can’t believe she did that. March?! Absolutely no one needs to know her familiarity with the NCFD annual calendar. She’d purchased one for the charity of it all, but the moment she’d seen the portrait for March she’d been done for. Let’s just say it’s been March for the past four months.

She must be a transfer from another station, Kara figures. Her image in the calendar confirms that much, let alone the authority she carries within her station's crew. Kara can only hope March doesn’t make the connection between the calendar and Kara’s word vomit.

That hope is dashed after March re-emerges with a middle-aged woman slung over her shoulders (with her comrade carrying the three year old steps behind her) and the fire is reduced to little more than heat and smoke. After passing the mother over to the paramedics, March catches her gaze and approaches, lifting her helmet free of her head to reveal mussed dark hair.

March grins, tucking her helmet under her left arm. “Sergeant,” she greets. “I missed your name earlier.”

“Danvers,” Kara returns, accepting March’s extended hand in a handshake. “Kara Danvers. Welcome to the neighborhood.”

“I appreciate that,” comes the easy response. “I’m Lieutenant Reilly.” 

Kara arches her brow. “Lieutenant?”

“Lena,” she gets with a burst of laughter. “A pleasure.”

For a moment there’s a beat of silence as Kara finds herself tongue-tied. Lieutenant Reilly– Lena– is somehow even more gorgeous sweating with a smudged face and fuzzy hair. Luckily, Lena isn’t nearly so daunted.

“You know,” she says, “being new to the area, I could use a recommendation for a good bar.”

Ohhhhhh, jeezus. Kara recognizes the flirt for what it is, and it fills her belly with butterflies. But she wasn’t made sergeant yesterday. She knows how to give it back.

“I’m sure your guys could point you in a few directions.” She folds her arms over her chest with a teasing smile.

“Ah, but they’re not nearly so cute.”

Lena’s head tilts invitingly, and Kara has no intention of drawing this out.

“Well, then, when can I pick you up?”

Lena beams. “I’m on shift until Sunday. Why don’t you stop by the station tomorrow so we can compare calendars?”

Kara freezes. Oh no, oh no, oh–

“I might even sign yours if you ask nicely.”

Lena shoots her a parting wink before sauntering off. Kara’s cheeks flush as she watches her go. Only when she’s sure Lena is engrossed with packing up her team does Kara finally radio her status back to the dispatcher. Almost instantaneously, she gets back the report of a robbery nearby.

“This is Danvers, Unit 1P4 responding.”

[yourlocalmisthios]

Lena knew this was going to be a bad one. She was making dinner when she glanced up and saw that the Lakehawks game had been interrupted by a breaking news report. There was a fire on the south side hills, flames raking the side of the building as they reached hungrily for the sky, as if to consume the stars themselves.

Rushing to the balcony, she could see it, an angry red glow on the edge of the city. It was a bad place for a fire. It was out of control and the brush and vegetation nearby was dry; all of Southern California was under drought conditions and a fire watch. Everyone in the city would be glued to their televisions; a helicopter thumped overhead, sending a downblast over her as it thundered towards the fire.

Lena watched with her own eyes, briefly spotting the red and blue streak across the night sky. She couldn’t see the fire itself but she could imagine Kara slicing through the air at full speed, dousing or something the flames in some clever way. True to form, the glow died down quickly. Lena didn’t need to turn back to the tv to know the fire was was contained and would soon be out.

She waited patiently on the balcony, leaning over the railing and letting the crisp night air sweep through her hair. She looked up when she saw that familiar dash of red and blue slow and descend beside her, cape billowing out behind Kara as she landed.

Her face and hair and suit were streaked with soot and her eyes were downcast. Lena said nothing as she placed her hands on Kara’s big shoulders and led her inside. As soon as they were in, Lena closed the doors and pulled the curtains, then swiftly turned and undid the clasps that held Kara’s cape to her shoulders, sweeping it over the back of a chair. From the set of her back and the way her head hung, she knew at once that something as wrong.

She didn’t ask. Kara was never cruel to her, never snapped at her, but Lena had learned to read her and knew that she needed a little bit of silence to process after something happened.

A kind of ritual had been created between them. Lena parted the skintight suit to reveal the hidden zipper and pulled it down, exposing the honeyed skin of Kara’s broad back. She wore a crop top and boxers under the suit, and shimmied out of it, gathering it and the cape.

Kara turned to head towards the bedroom, and Lena caught her with a hand resting softly on her forearm.

“I wasn’t fast enough,” Kara whispered, as the tears began to fall.

Lena took the suit from her and the cape and laid them reverently across the chair.

“Don’t worry about me,” said Kara. “I’ll be fine.”

“You will be, but I’m going to worry all I want.”

Lena pressed into her and Kara wrapped her arms around her, nuzzling her nose into the crown of Lena’s head. Kryptonian super-senses. She was taking deep breaths of Lena’s pheromones and feeling the beat of her heart against her own chest. Kara smelled like sweat and burnt drywall, but Lena didn’t care.

“Eat your dinner. I’ll be okay.”

Lena let her go, but put away what she’d been making; the chicken could brine for up to a day anyway, and she wanted to share this meal for Kara. Lena wouldn’t admit that she enjoyed feeding Kara, whose body seemed so incapable of gaining any weight which was not muscle, but she knew she did. Not to mention the little thrill she got from introducing her to new tastes.

She had a protein shake instead, waiting for Kara to come out of the shower. Kara would wash her suit and cape herself, so Lena left it.

When she stepped into the bedroom, Kara had changed into a loose, threadbare t-shirt and was fluffing her hair with a towel. Eventually it would dry into flawless waves with loosely curled, salon perfect ends; apparently Kryptonians also had super styling amongst their repertoire of scientifically implausible abilities.

Kara flopped on her side on the bed, sighing.

Lena crawled aboard behind her and wrapped her arms around Kara, and Kara immediately sank back into her embrace with a soft sigh. The bed erased their height difference and Lena sheltered Kara with her body, tucking her head against her chest. After a while, she began slowly running her fingers through Kara’s damp hair, and her tuneless hum became a half-remembered lullaby her mother had sung as Kara let out a quiet sob and shuddered.

Sometimes, the biggest person needed to be small, and the strongest woman in the world needed someone to be stronger. Eventually, Kara told Lena what happened, yet another invisible scar she’d carry forever. Once again Lena bitterly thought that Kara didn’t deserve to live like this, bearing the guilt of two whole worlds on her shoulders.

But she did, so Lena would help her carry it.

[yourlocalmisthios]

CATCO Magazine - Lena Luthor Profile

Cover + Image layout.

[yourlocalmisthios]

Alt Assistant AU - Game Night

“Hey.”

Kara lets herself into Lena’s office, her greeting pulling her girlfriend’s attention to her.

“Hey,” Lena returns. At this hour, she should be tired, but there’s not a trace of exhaustion in the focused gaze that meets hers with a smile. “How’d it go?”

Kara grins. “I signed my contract with CatCo forty-three minutes ago.” 

Lena’s smile widens to beaming. “I knew you’d wow them.” She rises from her seat and leans in to press a kiss to Kara’s lips. “Congratulations, love.”

Lifting the bag of Big Belly in her hand, Kara shrugs her eyebrows invitingly. “Dinner to celebrate?”

Without a further word, Lena moves with her to the couch. Though she brings a stack of contracts with her, she holds off on reviewing them until after their burgers are devoured and the leftover fries long cold. Kara doesn’t mind Lena’s preoccupation– it gives her an opportunity to study Lena in profile, from the line of her jaw to the curve of her nose. 

“Hey,” Kara murmurs. 

“Hmmm?” Lena hums back, not quite looking away from the pages in her lap. Kara smiles.

“I’m hosting game night tomorrow.” Her declaration is met with a nod and another hum. “Wanna join?”

“Not really.” 

That’s another difference of this reality– this Lena declines invitations just as often as the old Lena used to, but not out of self-preservation. She simply feels no need to commit herself to something she’s not interested in. Most times, Kara admires her forthright, but tonight she can’t help the disappointment that courses through her.

Lena senses the change in her mood, and sets the contract down to look at her. “What’s wrong?”

“I want you to come,” Kara returns plainly. 

Lena’s brow furrows. “Why?”

It’s not an unreasonable question– Kara’s been hosting game not regularly since the reality reset, eager to reclaim one of the few things that helped her feel like nothing had changed. Lena has never expressed interest in attending, and Kara hasn’t extended the invite until now. But something has changed.

“My friends will be there,” Kara says. She lets her fingers trace the seam of the back couch cushion. She keeps her eyes on Lena’s. “I want you to meet them.”

Lena’s chin tilts to one side. “I see.”

“All of you are important to me,” Kara continues. “I want you all to know each other.”

She’s lived separate lives before– she has no interest in suffering similarly in this reality.

Lena’s pink lips twist into a smile. Her gaze teasingly turns askance, even as she gracefully scoots herself closer to Kara. “Well,” she purrs. “In that case…”

She leans in, and Kara closes the distance, capturing her lips– still tasting faintly of grease– in another kiss. 

“I suppose I can make the time.”

—

Game night is better than Kara could have imagined. In the previous reality, Lena’s first three game nights had seen her stiff and reticent, coiled tightly as though expecting a physical blow. But current Lena… Lena is on full display. All of her magnetism that draws investors in like moths to flame now brings Kara’s friends into easy conversation, her features bright and open.

She absolutely dominates at Monopoly, of course. And Trivial Pursuit. Kara cherishes every cheer of excitement when Lena succeeds, be it collecting rent or a correct, obscure answer. Lena’s clearly enjoying herself, which was Kara’s secondary goal for the night. Joining the two halves of her life will only work if both sides have fun.

The night ends when Lena heads out first. “Early meeting,” she explains, but Kara suspects she’s bowing out– at least in part– to give them time to report in and render judgement. 

When the door closes behind Lena, Kara takes a moment to deliver a load of dishes to the kitchen. She can’t help the grin that spreads her features– she can’t wait to hear her friends’ approval. But when she turns back to the line of solemn features lined up before her, her stomach drops.

“What? That– things went great! I thought—” She scans their faces. Alex, she can kind of understand. As her sister, she’s predisposed to being protective. Brainy, less so, but to Kara he seemed to be demurring to his own girlfriend, on whom Kara locks her gaze. 

“Nia?”

Nia at least, she expected to be receptive to Lena. They’d been friends in the previous reality, to Kara’s recollection, and her easy-going nature surely would have left her primed to adore Lena.

Except Nia’s grimace is widest of them all.

“I dunno…” She draws out the word, stretching it into an audible apology. “She’s nice, I guess, but… she’s also a little… intense?”

Kara blinks in surprise. “Intense? How do you mean?”

Lena can be intense. Kara knows this. She wouldn’t be a good executive if she wasn’t. Nor would she be able to go head-to-head in a male-dominated industry. But Kara hadn’t seen that intensity tonight. She’s genuinely confused, and waits for Nia to elaborate. 

“Well…” Nia seems at a loss for words, and she shoots a glance at the others for support. “She’s, uhh…”

“Obsessed with winning, for one,” Alex delivers bluntly.

Kara stares at her sister. “You’re mad because she… won?”

“It’s more than that,” Nia follows up quickly. “I don’t know how to really explain it, but she just doesn’t seem to… fit.”

“She has nothing in common,” Alex continues. “And I don’t like how she treats you.”

“Like what?”

“You waited on her hand and foot the entire night! Like you were her assistant!”

“It just felt like there wasn’t space for anyone else when you’re talking to her,” Nia says softly. “It might just be me, but…”

“It’s not.” Alex all but scowls. “All of us felt it, and the fact neither of you picked up on how uncomfortable we were says more than it doesn’t.”

Anger starts to build in Kara’s belly, but the hurt in her chest tamps it down. A lump lifts to her throat when she looks to the one person who hasn’t weighed in yet. 

“Brainy?”

His expression is pensive. “I too noticed the magnitude of Miss Luthor’s presence, which perhaps may not be well suited to such intimate evenings between friends.”

Kara presses her lips together. She takes a deep breath, then a second. Once she’s sure she can speak without her voice breaking, she swallows thickly. 

“I see.”

“Kara…” Nia trails off when Kara lifts her hand.

“I know you all must be tired. I’ll clean up,” she says. Nia opens her mouth to protest, but Alex places a hand on her shoulder. The younger woman slumps minutely as she quietly sighs. 

“Okay.” Nia rises from her seat, tugging Brainy towards the door. “I’m sorry, Kara. I just worry–”

“Thank you for your honesty,” Kara clips out. It effectively silences Nia, who glances sadly at her before she and Brainy slip out of the apartment. It leaves Kara alone with her sister, whose gaze she studiously avoids. 

“I’m not going to apologize,” Alex states. “She wasn’t the only one in the room tonight, and she was too full of herself to see that the rest of us weren’t gelling. And you deserve better than someone who treats you like the help.”

Kara doesn’t respond or look up from the knot of wood in her butcher block table. 

“I know it’s not what you want to hear–”

“I need to get up early tomorrow,” Kara grinds out. She’s heard enough. “Please leave.”

Alex doesn’t push any further. She nods, reaching for her jacket.

“Call if you need anything.”

Kara doesn’t breathe again until the door clicks shut. Only then does she release the pressure in her chest with a gasp, as the tears splash onto her cheeks.

—

Kara had lied about the early morning, but she finds herself sleepless regardless. She waits until the sun rises before she finally texts Lena.

What’re you up to? She sends, doing her best to sound casual and unaffected. She thinks she might have succeeded when Lena’s pending response immediately appears in the form of three pulsing dots.

Work, comes the quick reply. Seoul needs some cajoling.

Kara sends a sympathetic emoji back.

Should have everything handled in a few hours. Meet me at the office at 10? We can go to brunch.

Despite the gloom hanging heavy in her thoughts, Kara finds herself smiling. 

Absolutely.

She’s in front of LuthorCorp twenty minutes to ten, and sends a querying question mark to see if Lena’s already on her way down. Unsurprisingly, she gets a ‘ten more minutes’ in response. Kara decides to spend the wait inside, and makes her way up to Lena’s office. As the elevator lifts higher, Kara’s stomach sinks lower.

She won’t be able to hide this from Lena. Lena knows her too well, and besides that it wouldn’t be fair to let Lena believe something that wasn’t true. Still, Kara plasters on a smile before pushing the final door open.

Lena looks up, and her eyes spark with joy at the sight of her. She rises from her seat, meeting Kara halfway to the desk to greet her with a brief, sweet kiss. 

“Hey,” Lena says. “I just wrapped up the call. I just need to document what was discussed and then we can leave.  They were ornery, but I’m persistent, so they eventually came around.”

“I would expect nothing less,” Kara returns. She watches Lena return to her seat and soon the soft clicking of rapid typing filled the air.

“Last night was fun,” Lena says, glancing briefly up to catch Kara’s gaze. Her eyes are bright, betraying the honesty of her words. “And your friends are nice. I like them.”

“Yeah,” Kara breathes. Her fingers reflexively reach up to adjust her glasses. Lena’s typing pauses. She looks up at Kara for a poignant moment, and Kara can see the moment her walls shutter into place behind her eyes.

“Ah.”

Lena’s gaze returns to the computer screen, and her long fingers resume their typing. Her tone is even, but the neutrality in it is clue enough that she’s more affected than she wants Kara to know. 

“It… It’s not that they didn’t like you–”

“Don’t worry about it,” Lena says coolly. “I know I’m not everyone’s cup of tea.”

“What I mean is–”

“It’s fine, Kara,” Lena cuts her off, irritation leaking through her facade. “It doesn’t matter–”

“It does to me!” Kara blurts. Her vision wobbles through angry tears. Her throat aches, but with the truth hanging between them the dam has broken. “It matters to me.”

Lena’s fingers fall still. Her gaze softens as her eyes find Kara’s. After a moment, she pushes her chair back and rises. Crossing around her desk, she leans back against it, arms folding over her chest. Lena studies the ground at her feet for a long moment before lifting her chin.

“Is it something I can fix?”

The question is plain yet loaded with thinly veiled hurt, and it breaks Kara’s heart to hear it. Then in the next heartbeat, anger flares in Kara’s chest. The one thing she admired most about Lena in this reality, the one thing she was never forced to do here, was to remake herself into something she wasn’t. To change herself to be more palatable to others.

And here she is, offering to do just that.

For Kara.

“No,” Kara croaks. Then, stronger, “no.”

Lena takes a deep breath. “Kara, I can see how much it means to you, to live your life as a singular whole. And I get it– I do. But I’ve seen this before. I know if it comes down to a choice between them and me… I know I won’t be the one to keep you.”

Her voice cracks, and Kara’s heart stutters to see the sudden tears in Lena’s eyes. Her own cheeks are already damp, and her breath hitches in her chest. Lena pushes towards her at the sound of it. Her palms frame Kara’s cheeks so gently Kara only sobs again.

“I don’t want to lose you,” she whispers, lips quivering. “Kara...”

“You’re not.” Kara swallows, her hands coming to rest on Lena’s waist. The contact grounds her, lending her the strength that drained out of her the night before. It bolsters her, drying her tears even as Lena’s thumbs brush them from her cheeks. “You won’t.”

Kara leans in and kisses Lena firmly on the mouth. Then she wraps her arms around her, hugging her close enough to whisper low in Lena’s ear. 

“I love you, Lena.”

Lena’s arms tighten around her waist, burrowing her face against Kara’s neck.

“You will never lose me,” Kara vows. Her jaw tightens. “Never again.”

She pulls away with another fierce kiss. Lena lets her go, but her touch lingers as they disengage. Kara backs up, keeping her gaze on Lena for a long moment. 

“I have to go. But I’ll be back.” She smiles. “And brunch’ll be on me.”

Lena does her best to smirk, and it almost reaches her eyes. “Promise?”

Kara knows it’s meant to be a suggestive tease, but the nod she gives in return is as solemn as a vow.

“I promise.”

—

Kara issues only a short text to the group.

My place. Now.

If any of them had other plans, her tone plainly supercedes them, as fifteen minutes later her friends are all sitting on her couch watching her glare at them.

“I am angry,” she states, unnecessarily. “With all of you.”

Nia is the only one to quail at her tone. “Kara…”

“You are so indescribably selfish, each and every one of you. And you have the gall to say Lena is full of herself?”

Alex’s mouth opens in defiance, but Kara doesn’t give her the chance to speak. 

“But you’re right about one thing– last night was a test. Lena might have failed yours… but you failed mine.”

Nia and Brainy look at each other, but Alex’s features don’t soften a bit. It only rankles Kara further.

“So what if she wins at all the games? None of you can pretend you wouldn’t do the same in her place.” 

Brainy’s head tilts in concession, but her focus is caught once more by Alex once more drawing breath to protest.

“And the fact that I wait on her, as you so aptly put it?” she barks. “That I refilled her glass and kept her snacks topped up? What you conveniently failed to notice is that she didn’t ask me to do any of that!”

“No, she just expected it–!”

“I did it because I wanted to! Because I wanted her to be comfortable around my friends! Because I love her!”

Her voice rings out sharply in the sudden quiet. Kara hadn’t meant to admit it to them, not here, not now, but she refuses to take it back. She lets her scowl deepen.

“I love her,” she repeats, this time calmer. She looks at each of them. “I introduced you to the woman I love, and all you could think of were yourselves.”

Nia’s guilt visibly deepens, her shoulders bowing in on themselves. Brainy’s chin lifts, suffering the accusation stoically without denial. Only Alex remains unrepentant.

“Lena is kind and confident, and wonderful. She’s also stubborn, strong, and ruthless when she needs to be. I will not let her compromise any part of who she is just because you can’t handle who and what she is.”

A beat of silence follows, before Alex sighs.

“She was your boss, Kara,” she points out. Her tone, at least, has softened. “A boss you hated. And now she’s got you wrapped around her little finger? I don’t buy it. I don’t buy whatever she’s told you about how she’s changed, just to get you into bed–”

“Enough!” Kara shouts. Her hand slices through the air, silencing her sister, if only for a moment. She trembles with rage. “Don’t you dare say anything about something you know nothing about–”

“I’m your sister,” Alex fires back, “I know plenty–”

“She’s not the one who changed!” Kara cries, finally shocking Alex to a standstill. “You say you know me, but I’m the one who changed. For months, I’ve been different, and none of you have noticed.” She glares at her sister. “Not even you.”

None of them seem to know what to say. Even Brainy, astute and perceptive as he is, seems perplexed. She continues to glare at them, but ultimately reaches for her purse to leave. She’s done with this conversation. 

“Lock up after yourselves,” she snaps. “I’ve got brunch to get to.”

She leaves them all where they sit, gaping after her until she slams the door shut behind her.

[yourlocalmisthios]

:-“I was just getting my coffee, but then I fell in love with you” Coffee shop love prompts-:

By @me-writes-prompts

Going to order their usual order, but the other one puts their hand up and says, “Usual, right? I got it.”

Smiling and blushing even before they enter the coffee shop, because they were dying to see them again after seeing them for the first time yesterday.

“Hey! Can I have iced tea?” “Hmmm, I know you love tea. But, today, can I get you a coffee that I think you might like?” “Oh, yes!”

Accidentally spilling their coffee on the other on their way out

Ordering the same thing at the same time and then awkwardly laughing

^^”Guess I’m not the only one who likes my black coffee with a touch of vanilla syrup, huh?” “Yeah, weird but good.” “Agreed.”

Locking eyes across the room while they are both sipping their drinks

Having to sit at the same table because there is nowhere else to sit(there was only one table :)

Getting so used to meeting each other everyday for morning coffee that they miss them when they are not there.

^^"Where were you yesterday?" "Oh, I wasn't feeling well. A little under the weather, haha." "Yeah, it was quite cold yesterday. Are you doing better now?" "Yeah, yeah. Thanks for asking." "I…I missed you." "Oh."