Work Text:
Enough time had passed and all of Kara´s fears of possible retaliation were gone. No one came for them, no one tried to attack her family after the reveal.
The local crime rate went down after the events of Lex and Nxly´s attack. There were some supervillains from time to time, but the people of National City always trusted their local heroes to stop them and to keep the city safe.
Kara’s life was going great all in all; it had been a good couple of years in her book, though for a Kryptonian it might only be a couple of pages if Kal´s estimations were correct.
There was only one thing that was causing some problems for her.
WHO WILL WIN THE STEEL HEART OF OUR LOCAL SUPERHERO? – she read in the most recent edition of the National City Star, with a FrontPage picture of herself, Lena, and Lucy. She couldn’t figure out how they got a picture of all three of them, after all Lucy only came to visit for a couple of days last week.
Alex enters and sighs, she takes the paper from Kara and throws it away – “when will you stop reading this?”
“It’s for research” – lies Kara.
“Yeah, right” – says Alex ignoring her sister.
“I have donuts in case you want some” – says Alex walking to her office followed by Kara with a “give me give me” gesture.
Almost immediately after the reveal, a temporary frenzy followed them around; from news reports about Kara and Alex´s sisterhood and Eliza´s interview about raising a superhero, to reporters following Kara around trying to uncover her friends’ secret identities and daily routines.
For a while Kara felt trapped by this newfound fame but once the first wave of unhealthy curiosity died down, a new normal took root. She was still a celebrity, but she wasn´t constantly followed; from time-to-time people came up to thank her but usually nothing beyond that. Cat Grant´s well timed articles and relentless social media efforts helped to normalize her superhero life and gained her a sense of privacy.
There was just one aspect to Kara´s life that the public couldn´t stop speaking about: her love life. First came the reports about the exes and sensationalized stories about affairs; after that was the speculations about her sexuality, is she straight, bi, pan; and finally, the focus shifted to her not-so-secret relationship with the good Luthor. It didn´t help that both of them were single, happy, and constantly seen together.
Now, though, it looks like their new angle was to pair her up with any new person that came to visit her, but this one was the first article that suggested a love triangle.
At the beginning the Superfriends just laughed it off or made snarky suggestions, but with the passage of time reactions like the one Alex just had were becoming more frequent, followed by phrases like “fools”, “blind”, “super mess”; especially when she commented about an article saying things like “at least they know Lena is good”, “Lena looks good in this pictures”, or “new look, looking good Lena”.
She didn´t get it, she was just being a supportive friend. She also saw how happy Lena looked every time she said something like that and that´s what friends are for, to make each other smile and feel happy.
The rest of Kara´s day followed its usual pattern: work, food, texting Lena, replying to her friends with only stickers, more food, more work, and making plans to see Lena.
“Hi!”– says a happy Lena to Kara, who was carrying what it looks like ten pounds of food. – “Come in and tell me what we are eating today.”
“Hi!” – Kara’s smile couldn´t get any bigger. – “So today we have Thai food. I found this beautiful restaurant downtown run by the sweetest old lady.”
“Downtown? I thought the only Thai restaurant was owned by an immigrant family and it was run by a couple” – Lena questions her.
“Well, here yeah, but not in Bangkok. There are a lot of places, but everyone recommended the old lady´s restaurant. “– says Kara while arranging the different containers on Lena´s table.
“Kara! Did you fly to another country again? You know that is not…” - Lena starts but is quickly interrupted.
“I know, I know” – says Kara taking Lena´s hand and leading her to sit on her new and improved (for Kara´s taste) sofa. – “But… we have tried all the other places and I thought maybe it was time to try the food from the source of goodness. I thought you knew after Beijing and Italy.”
“Ok” – Lena smiles to her best friend, - “let´s see how good this Thai food is. Hopefully one of the dishes is veget…” - before Lena could finish Kara was already giving her the vegetable curry.
Friday nights were their favorite time. They would see each other during the week, but these nights were just for the two of them and most times it led to sleepovers full of stories, dreams, and plans.
Kara’s life was good, comfortable, and unsurprising. This version of her life was the one she wanted to keep forever.
----
“What’s got you so sad Mxy?” – asks the sweet voice of his lover.
“Nothing, love. Nothing” – says Mxy with a reassuring smile.
“We both know you´re lying” – the smile of his lover was too intoxicating for him not to tell them the truth.
“It’s the Kryptonian” – He didn´t miss the eyeroll in his lover’s eyes.
“It’s always her. Well… her inactivity.”
“Yeah…. It’s been over a year. Do you think I should intervene?” – he asks praying for a “yes”.
“Well, my love… It’s not like you´ll find peace until she is happy. So go” – says his lover with a smile. – “Go and give Kara the push she needs. The gods know we can´t take other six years of her pining over the Luthor girl. Sometimes I think she forgets that her time with Lena is limited.”
“Yeah, I think so, too” – says Mxy, as he kisses his lover and snaps his fingers.
-------
When Mxy arrived at Kara´s apartment he found her with the Luthor girl, as usual. They were having dinner, so he decided to wait and take the opportunity to get a sneak peek of how difficult his task would be.
“Ok, we see eye contact” – he writes in his magic notebook – “immense amount. Small touches, it is like she has no powers around the girl. Fast heartbeat, yes in both, guess her super hearing is gone. Stupid joke like that works, how blind is this girl.”
He kept watching, waiting for the inevitable goodbye at the door with longing looks and shy smiles. Once the Luthor girl was gone Mxy made his typical splashy, unannounced entrance.
“Hello Supergirl” – says Mxy moving his head fast enough to escape Kara´s freeze breath.
“Rao, Mxy don´t scare me like that.”
“Hello to you, too” – said the eternal imp. – “Happy to see you haven´t lost your touch.” – he says cleaning off a little bit of the ice left on his shoulder from the attack.
“Sorry. Hello, Mxy. What brings you here?” – said Kara assuming her Supergirl pose.
Mxy walked around the apartment taking the last popsticker, ignoring Kara´s pout. If Lena saw him, she probably would kill him and offer to buy more for Kara.
“I’ve had better” – said Mxy just to see Kara get upset.
“Mxy” – Kara sounds angry – “I´m tired and if you don´t tell …”
“If you needed to sleep why didn´t you send your best friend back home sooner?” – Mxy is having a blast seeing Kara struggle to answer.
“I… what…. look…she…time.”
Mxy sat on the couch imitating Lena´s pose just to trigger Kara a little bit more.
“Or maybe offer a sleepover? You know, two best friends cuddling each other through the night.”
“What do you want Mxy?” – Kara was losing it.
Seeing her anger reach new heights, Mxy decides to get directly to the point. – “Remember when I told you that magic can´t be forced, it has to be found.”
“Yes” – says Kara sitting next to him.
“Well, my dear Kara, I’m not sure you do. I think you forgot. Or you don´t want to see it.”
“What do you mean?”
Mxy makes Lena´s face appear in from of them, like a hologram with the word magic in bright letters and small fireworks around it. – “Ta da!!!!”
Mxy didn´t miss Kara´s happy puppy dog face when she saw the image.
“The magic I told you about that time was love. Honest love, true love. And you have found that but don´t seem to appreciate it.”
“What? I don´t…. I´m ….what?”
Mxy rolled his eyes, this one will be a difficult job to do. – “Maybe if we go for the videos“ – he suggests. – “Last time it... kind of work.”
“It actually di …” - everything moves around her living room and a movie theater appears instead. – “Is this really necessary?” – Kara asks.
“Maybe. Bigger screen, bigger impact... “
“Mxy!!”
“Just watch. This time we are not going in because we don’t need to change anything about this universe, this reality. The problem is you being blind and… well... you´ll find out.”
-------
The screen flickers on and shows her and Clark, she remembered this. This is the day she met Lena.
“So, Lena Luthor. What do you know about her?” – asked Kara.
“She moved here from Metropolis to run her family’s business” – Clark said.
“Yes, but why here? Luthor Corp has always been a Metropolis based company” – asked Kara.
“That I don´t know, but my guess is that it is easier, less Luthor enemies here.”
“Ok, let´s go talk to her.”
Kara remembers the moment. She and Clark were sitting outside waiting for Lena when a shorter and refined women passed them by.
“Miss Luthor. You have visitors” – her assistant said. – “Media” – she whispered but both of them heard it.
“Follow me” – Lena said without looking at them – “I guess you are here because of the Ventura. There´s a perfectly reasonable explanation why I wasn’t ….”
Kara remembered that moment. Lena was full of confidence and defiance. It was difficult to be completely coherent around her, but it was easy for her to see the person behind the posture, the hope and desire to do good. She trusted her almost immediately, a gut feeling.
“What do you think?” – asks Mxy.
“That’s the day I met my best friend.” – Mxy rolls his eyes again – “I cannot imagine a life without her, even with the problems we had.”
“Best friend? That´s what you got from it?” – Mxy was trying and failing to be patient.
“Yeah” – Kara´s answer is honest.
“Ok, let´s move on.”
----
The scene changed. This time Kara was talking with Cat outside Al´s bar.
“Miss Grant, what are you doing out here?” – asked Kara getting closer to her mentor.
“Just came out to look at the stars and to contemplate, but there is not much to look at tonight” – Kara wanted to laugh.
“Oh and I didn´t get the chance to say it before. Thank you for saving me.” – Cat looked at her with affection.
“Of course” – Kara remembered feeling destroyed by the idea that she could save her mentor, but not Lena and Mon-El. – “It has been nice having you around again” – that was true and she was happy that her mentor was back in National City, doing what they were meant to... change the world, one news article at the time.
“So, who is up there?” – Kara didn´t want to tell her then. – “Oh please, we both know that Winslow is not capable of keeping his mouth shut.”
“It is my boyfriend and my best friend.”
Kara didn´t need to see more. She knew how awful it felt, limited options, and having to trust her biggest enemy. In hindsight all the pain was worth it because both of them lived.
A part of her would always love Mon-El, even with the memories of Kenny. Mon-El felt more real. He taught her a lot about love and sacrifice, even if he wasn´t the one, even if he had grown to be a better person without her. She did the same. She would always love him, but it wasn´t romantic love; sometimes she wonders if it ever was that.
Clark told her about how he wouldn´t sacrifice Lois for the world, she didn´t get it then, not fully. She did, though, later when Lena´s life was on the line, she didn´t have to choose between the world and her; but she did choose her over herself, she did choose her over an entire city.
Deep down she also knows Lena wouldn´t let her cross that line, not back then, not ever. Kara hopes she will never be in that situation again, not like that. What does hurt most is she knows that someday she will lose her again and this time it will be forever, and that thought always devastates her.
“What are you thinking?” – Mxy is looking at her intently, but Kara isn´t ready to say what they both know.
“That moment was painful.”
Mxy doesn´t push. He only selects play to start the next memory.
---
She didn´t need to go back to the Edge-arranged plane disaster but guessed that Mxy was going through it all. She meant it, she did, and it took her too long to see that she wouldn´t sacrifice Lena the way she did Mon-El. She wouldn’t let her go no matter what. She didn´t have to think about it later because everything worked out fine, and the part of her that made her question herself just faded out with time and new problems.
God, how she hated Edge.
---
As much as she hated Edge for hurting Lena, she did the same. It had been so easy to let her fear of Kryptonite get to her. If only she had trusted Lena like she did when they first met, she probably could have been able to avoid non nocere altogether.
It all started there, when she decided to tell Lena that she was a Luthor above everything else. “That is not a great question for a Luthor to ask someone in my family.” The cruelty of that moment, her mind acting like she forgot everything they shared before the day they found Lena´s lab.
Part of her knows that it was all in the past, they had talk about it, about all of it. After Lex and Nyxly disappeared, they shared it all. All their thoughts, their fears, the anger and betrayal. She recognized her mistakes and Lena hers, but still seeing it all again brings back the ghost of the shame of her mistakes.
“How are you doing? Still in denial?”
“I get it, ok” – said Kara pouting. – “But I don´t think she feels the same. And time…” - Kara´s voice breaks but Mxy doesn´t notice.
“Oh my god!!! Look I was going to go to your fight in the fortress next because it is so obvious there, but you need something more…” - Mxy moves his hands like looking for the right word – “flashy.”
---
They jump again but this time she wasn´t in the picture.
Lena was smiling, she had this hopeful look in her eyes. Hope mixed with pain, small glimmers of it – “It took some work but it is finished. With this we´ll be able to find Kara in the Phantom Zone. We´ll finally be able to bring her home“– the excitement was noticeable in her last word.
“Yes, it was during your absence. Keep watching” – Mxy tried to calm Kara, he saw traces of the PTSD that Kara had had after her second experience in the Phantom Zone.
She watched her sister destroy Lena´s hope. Was it guilt that made Lena work with them or was that just an excuse? She wasn´t sure.
“Do you see now?” – he asks.
“No. It might just have been guilt. She is my best friend and her brother was an asshole.”
“Ok, let´s move on then.”
---
Ohhhh this one was embarrassing, she did lean in.
“Ok, that…. Doesn´t prove anything. I was… I did… I move, she didn´t.”
“Maybe she would have if your sister didn´t interrupt.”
“Maybe she wouldn´t” – replies Kara. – “Beside you told me you were gonna show me proof and this is not it. She even left after that.”
“Oh I know“– Mxy laughs – “But it is so funny to see you flustered.”
Kara´s look was enough to shut Mxy up.
“Ok. Ok. You can choose. Do you want to travel to memory land and go through every moment that Lena looked at you with ’more than friends ‘eyes or would you rather see something more recent?” – Mxy was so amused by Kara’s thinking face. It actually didn’t matter; he had the videos for both scenarios.
“Just the recent. I need to see that the feelings are still there.”
Kara knows she is being fearful; if she was brave, she would go to Lena and say she loves her, but fear is winning the battle right now. She couldn´t risk losing time with Lena if her best friend didn´t feel the same way as her.
Mxy choose his favorite mix of moments after the Phantom Zone. It was like a short romantic comedy seeing them talk about popsticker, articles, magic, and even his favorite line.
“Do you really not believe in magic?”
“I believe in you” – Lena responded so hopeful.
Her eyes were so magical. That´s all Kara could think about.
“Do you see it now Kara?”
“Wha… what?” – she said coming back from her dreams of green eyes and soft skin.
“Dear Kara Zor-El. All of this started because we talked about magic, and she literally just said you are the magic she BELIEVES IN. What more do you need?”
Kara moved around the room awkwardly laughing – “That´s just… a coincidence. She didn´t… she wasn´t there when we talked about the ’magic’.”
“You are so difficult Supergirl. Ok let´s try this.”
---
The scene changes again, but this time it was one of her Friday nights. Kara was sleeping in Lena´s lap.
Lena was looking at her with love and tenderness, she was playing with her hair and smiling. It was so captivating watching the scene unfold. Lena kissed her cheek, covered her with the blanket, and just closed her eyes letting the tiredness of the day take her.
Kara was speechless. She remembers that day, Lena told her that she fell asleep while watching the movie like Kara did.
“Let´s continue” – Mxy told her and he showed her several similar situations where Lena gave up comfort, food, dates, other plans, just to spend time with her.
How was she so blind to what has been there since day one. It was love; it has always been loved.
“Do you get it now?” – asks Mxy.
“Yeah” – says Kara with her cheeks red and a big smile on her face.
--- ----
The thing about knowing is that everything feels slow. Like she is missing time with Lena; but also, everything moves fast, especially her heart.
Kara isn´t sure how to tell Lena how she feels. It needs to be special, but she doesn´t know how to make it so.
“Alex” – Kara enters his sister´s office at the new DEO.
“Kara. Hi!” – Alex´s face goes from smiling to frowning. – “What´s the problem sis?”
“I… Lena… how do you?... uhmm” – Kara tries.
“Breathe Kara” – she does. – “Now from the beginning.”
It is like ripping off a band aid off – “I´m in love with Lena and I think she feels the same way but I don´t know how to tell her and I need ideas. And you have time and practice and all. Do you think it has to be a big gesture? Small one? I can write it in the sky you know. Maybe food or an ice sculpture. Taking her on a trip, maybe the fortress, maybe not.”
“Kara, Kara. Stop” – says Alex. - “Ok. So, are you in love then?”
“Yes.”
“Are you happy about it?”
“Really?”
“Yeah, you right. Stupid question.”
“Can you help me find the way to tell her?” – Kara’s puppy dog eyes were in full effect.
“Kara. I could, but I don´t know if I should.”
“Why????” – Kara´s pout only grows.
“Because you know her better than I do.”
“But...”
“No buts, you do.”
“I don’t know.”
“You do know, but you are so overwhelmed by your emotions that you can´t see it.”
“Overwhelmed? Since when do you use those kinds of words?”
“Since Kelly “– Alex couldn´t stop herself for smiling with the thought of her wife.
Kara is happy to see her sister like that. For months she’s wanted what her sister has with Kelly, and now she knows who she wants it with.
“So, Kara, think. You can do it and let me know what you need later. Also thank you” – her sister smiles at her with a mischievous look.
“Why?” – Kara asks a little bit afraid.
“We made a bet about how long will it take for you to realize your feelings and you just won me 100 bucks.”
“Did you really? How could you?”
Alex´s grins grow – “It was the easiest way to deal with both of your blindness. Well, your blindness and Lena´s flirting.”
Kara was nearly speechless – “WAS SHE FLIRTING WITH ME??” – Alex just laughs and leaves the office with a chuckle that sounded a lot like “baby gay alien”.
---
Kara had a plan; it was simple really. The rooftop of her building was perfect for it.
She just had to put up a ton of lights, build a sleepover type camping scene full of pillows (Esme´s idea, because if the grownups won’t help, her little niece would), Italian food (because Kara needs the calories), and wine (because Lena loves it).
Alex helps her by distracting Lena at the DEO with some sort of tech problem that needed her and Brainy.
Everything was ready, but she´s too nervous to function.
“Dear god! Can you just breathe Supergirl” – Mxy appears out of thin air.
This time Mxy doesn’t moves fast enough and ends up with his arms trapped in an ice shell. – “Sorry! But, never do that again!”
“Could you?” – Mxy asks and Kara uses her heat vision to free him. – “Thank you. Now to the reason I´m here again. So, tell me Supergirl, why are you so nervous when you are 100% certain that the night is going to go as you wish it.”
“I…. I… I´m scared of what comes after” - Mxy looks at her confused and Kara lets it all out – “I love her and I don´t want to lose her. I don´t know what is going to happen with the media and if she gets attack by any of my enemies… I can´t live in a world without her.” – Kara´s voice brakes.
Mxy took a moment to understand what she was really afraid of. If she didn´t die on a mission, which every time was less likely to happen, she would live longer than Lena, than all her family. The true horror behind her fear was forever. Her forever would be longer than anyone she cares for; she would lose her family all over again.
Even with Argo out there, it wasn´t the same. Argo was her past, a place to visit but not to live. Earth, National City was the future she wanted.
They were both so fixated on telling Lena how she feels that they forget the real reason Kara took so long to actually do something about her feelings.
“I can help you” – Mxy said.
“With what?”
“With what really is bothering you. Your ‘eternity’” – Kara eyes open big.
“I didn´t say…”
“But I’m right?”
“Yes” – Kara´s tears roll. – “I don’t want to lose my family again.”
“So, make a wish” – said Mxy.
“What?” – Kara´s still confused.
“Wish for yourself to grown old with your family, with Lena. Wish for a human life.”
“But…”
“You won´t lose your Kryptonian abilities. You could still be Supergirl, but in 20 years or so Supergirl will have gray hair and some wrinkles” – he says smiling and Kara´s eyes shine with hope.
“Is it safe?” – she asks.
“Yes, my dear Kara. It is. It is fifth dimensional energy and it is magic. It is an actual second chance.”
Kara’s smile grows – “So do it, please.”
And Mxy does. A blue energy covers Kara´s body for a few seconds. – "It is done.”
“I don´t feel different” – she says.
“Tell me that in a few years” – says Mxy smiling before disappearing.
------
Alex sends her a text - “I can´t distract Lena any longer”.
“On my way” - Kara replies while activating her suit.
It took her less than a minute to arrive – “Hello everyone.”
Kara felt lighter now. She had never realized the actual effect of her immortality. Every moment feels happier, feels slower. She had limited time, and now a minute felt like one; before a day was like the blink of an eye.
Lena´s smile at hearing Kara´s voice gives her the confidence that the heroine needed.
“Kara!” – says Lena with a smile on her face. – “what are you doing here?”
“I came for you” – says Kara with a matching smile. – “Care to go for a ride?”
Lena looks confused, but excited to be in her friend´s arms. She was so focus on the feeling of Kara´s arms, that she didn´t notice Alex and Brainy’s hopeful smiles.
-----
The trip to the rooftop took longer this time, Kara wanted to be gentle and also enjoy the feeling of having Lena in her arms.
When they landed, Kara waited to see Lena´s reaction.
Lena is speechless, this was not just two friends hanging out, this was a date.
“Wow Kara, this is beautiful” – Lena says looking at Kara with the brightest smile.
“I´m glad you like it” – says Kara deactivating her suit.
“What is this for?” – asks Lena a little bit hopeful.
“For you” – says Kara taking Lena´s hands.
This is it, the moment she has been waiting for. – “Lena, I… I needed to tell you something.”
Lena just looks at her with watery eyes – “I… I love you and not just like a friend. I´m in love with you, Lena. I´ve been for a long time, and I know it took me a long time to realize it, but once I knew I started trying to find the right moment to tell you.”
“Kara” – starts Lena.
“Wait, let me finish. And I just wanted you to know“ – Kara caresses Lena´s cheek. – “I hope you feel the same way, but if not I would love to still be the best friend you have ever had and be by your side, to support you“ – Kara finishes, looking at Lena and praying to Rao she feels the same way.
“I love you too, Kara. I´m in love with you too” – Lena didn´t have a doubt about her feeling. – “I´ve been for the longest time.”
“You are the dream I never thought would come true, you are my home, zhao “– says Kara smiling back at her love.
Kara’s arms circle Lena´s waist to bring her closer. Lena is so happy, she couldn´t stop smiling.
“What does this mean then?” – asks Lena.
“It means… that I need to ask you something” – Kara kisses Lena´s forehead. – “Lena Kieran Luthor, do you want to be my girlfriend?”
Kara has never seen a smile like the one now on Lena’s face, full of love and joy – “Yes, Kara Zor-El Danvers. I want to be your girlfriend.”
Lena brings her lips closer to Kara´s. Kara leans in, again, and this time kisses Lena softly.
Meanwhile in some part of the fifth dimension, Mxy is finally happy for his friend.
“You did it, my love” – says his lover.
“And they lived happily ever after” – closes Mxy.
“Are you not planning to check in on them again?” – his lover asks
Mxy smiles big like the Cheshire Cat – “It would be rude if we don’t.”
One year later
This time Lena was the one with nervous energy, she was pacing around their house. - “Oh my god.” - Lena’s thoughts were focused on their house, they bought it together a few months after starting their relationship.
When they bought it, the look on their faces was the same: hope for a better future, their future. So why on Earth was Lena so nervous about asking Kara to marry her?
She couldn’t explain why but she was, extremely nervous, and Kara was running late.
She had been pacing for a while, and finally realized that walking in circles watching her watch was not the best solution right now, so she decided to have a drink, a glass of high-end scotch.
She was about to pour it when the door opened, and her Kara entered as she usually did, in a rush saying sorry and putting her stuff on their small table near the entrance.
Startled out of her stupor, Lena was in shock seeing her and Kara was surprised seeing the décor in their living room, the familiar site of roses everywhere, and Lena so obviously flustered, mid pour. They both just look at each other wide-eyed, trying to articulate something, one with a bottle in her hand and the other in the midst of taking her jacket off.
“Do you think you should intervene now?”
“I don´t know. It´s so funny seeing them like that.”
“Ok, ok. Let´s see what happens next.”
“But this is the last part we watch today.”
“Of course, my love. Of course.”
Kara was the first to recover – “Lena, what?” – realization starting to creep in. – “Zhao.”
Those words did the trick and Lena starts moving and talking. – “As usual, my love. You’ve caught me off guard.” – Lena is in front of Kara now. – “You have turned my life upside down in the best way possible. You have made my days better, and brighter, and happier, and full of love.” – Lena opens a box that she had pulled from her pocket. The box contains a beautiful bracelet with the words “I believe in you” engrave on it. - “And I just hope I can make you feel the same way for the rest of our lives. Will you marry me, my love?” – says Lena with a hopeful look in her eyes.
“Yes” – says Kara with a dopy smile and tears running down her face. – “Always yes.”
They kiss, softly like their first kiss with full grins on their faces. They kiss again but this time the tenderness is replaced by desire. Kara gives Lena a look, a look that the green-eyed beauty knows so well. The next thing she feels is their mattress against her back and the weight of Kara´s body on top of her while the room fills with red light.
“I think this is our cue.”
“Yeah, it is.” – says Mxy turning off the projector.