Chapter Text
There are very few things that Lucy Lane cannot overcome.
(Very few things that she can’t move .)
The whispers and hushed conversations that she can’t quite catch as her mother’s hospital visits soon become visits home instead? She bears it with a quiet sort of dignity. Chin held high and back straight, she grips her father’s hand tightly as they pass too bright lights to her mother’s room. She has to wonder how much time her mother has left, because no one dares tell her. Instead, she leans into her mother’s hand as it shakingly holds her cheek.
("Hija”, her mother murmurs, reaching out and tapping her chest, “You’ve got a special kind of bravery. Use it well.”
It is not only her mother she loses that day, but a language, culture, and history that her father knows not of and her sister barely speaks of.)
Her father diving into his work to handle his frustration that her mother once tempered? She does her school work, stays out of trouble while her sister throws them both for a loop. What little time he has is spent trying to reign Lois in. It was fine.
(She was fine. She tells herself over and over as she comes home to a dark house that feels a little less like home everyday.)
Her father’s dismissive nature of aliens growing to full out hatred that she can’t help but find curious, because it occurs around the same time Lois takes a liking to their very own superhero? She joins the Army and is ready to help in any way.
This situation with James unbalanced her; she will admit that much. It was impulsive to move to National City all for one person especially when said person doesn’t seem to know what he wants. She doesn’t allow it to deter her though, because if he can’t find a reason to continue whatever is left between them, she can’t either. She finds a job at CatCo, even though the military is still in her bones, still in every staccato step she takes, and finds a few friends.
But Kara Danvers? She stops her right in her tracks. Literally.
She really should be paying attention, but she’s late and there’s a constant stream of emails keeping her attention glued to her phone. Cat had neglected just how badly she needed legal aid. Lawsuits appear faster on her desk than she’s ever seen.
(And honestly? She’s not sure if morally, she can argue Cat out of some of these, because deeming someone’s clothing as an atrocity to whatever deity that surely regrets creating that individual daily does seem to be verging on verbal abuse.)
It’s only right as she’s striding to the elevator does she run into a wall. Her coffee slips out her hands and splashes forward, burning as it crosses over her fingers.
“Oh! I am-I’m so sorry.”
Not a wall.
Kara spins around, hands outstretched and palms forward. She shuffles anxiously before jerking down to pick up the cup. She’s come to notice that Kara is always moving, almost incapable of merely staying still .
“No. It was completely my fault. I should’ve been paying attention to where I was go-”, Lucy blinks. “Kara”, she starts slowly, trying to say it like she’s heard James and Winn sometimes say Kara’s name but not anyone else, “that coffee was hot.”
Kara’s hands fold together, fingers twisting around, “I know. I’m sorry, but I have to get Ms. Grant another one later and can pick you one up too.”
“What? No.” She reaches forward, gripping Kara’s shoulder and urges her to turn around. She's surprised how difficult it is at first, but writes it off as anxiety that has Kara’s frame so tense. Coffee stains the back of what was once a happy pink. “It was hot . Like burning. I’m so sorry.”
Kara snorts, “I didn’t even feel it.” When she gives her a curious glance, Kara’s face flushes. She spins on her heel, head nodding towards the elevators, “I mean not that I didn’t feel it feel it- I felt it, but it wasn’t- I’m fine.”
Lucy reaches up and pinches at the fabric, “This isn’t too thick. Are you sure you’re all right?”
Kara nods, and she can barely see light freckles splashed on her cheeks, traveling over her nose. Lucy clears her throat when she realizes how close they are. She smoothes over the bunched fabric at Kara’s elbow, stepping back. She’s not one to invade someone’s space especially without realizing it. Her household wasn’t one of easy touches or hugs.
(After graduation, she comes home to an empty house. She gets a pat on the shoulder when her father finally comes home.
Sometimes she wished Lois still lived with them.)
“Sorry.”
Kara’s head tilts. She does it constantly, Lucy knows this even just from the brief time they’ve known each other. If it brings a smile to her face, she doesn’t acknowledge it. Kara taps both their floors in the elevator before grinning brightly at her and nudging her shoulder, “You’re fine.”
It about takes her off her damn feet.
(It was the elevator jolting up at the same time. Not the fact that she must already be getting soft enough for a civilian to knock her off her feet. Not any civilian. Kara Danvers. Who for a fact literally wouldn’t hurt a fly, because as Cat shouted for it to get out her office, Kara easily herded it out the window.
This is ridiculous.)
“I’ve got an extra shirt if you need to change.”
“Ah”, Kara picks at her collar, “I’ve actually got a few in my desk, but thank you. Ms. Grant always complains if I eat certain things. Says she can smell it on me.”
At first, she had taken the rumors of Cat Grant to be merely the backlash of a woman becoming powerful. She still believes to be the case, but she can't help but think that maybe Cat has a little too much fun playing into it.
Lucy groans and tilts her head back to rest against the wall, “You're not going to file anything against her, are you?”
“I . .wasn't planning on it?”
“Good.” She squints her eyes at Kara, “You'd tell me if you were?”
Kara laughs and nods once, twice. “Of course.” There's such conviction in her words, in her actions that Lucy can't help but smile.
(Everything is so confusing right now. With her father. With James.
She values honesty above all else, and Kara is the type of person who couldn't tell a lie to save her life.
It's refreshing.)
They stand in comfortable silence until the elevator dings at her floor. She steps off, returning the little wave Kara gives as a goodbye.
She stops.
“Hey Kara?”
Kara darts forward and holds out and hand to keep the doors from sliding shut, tilting her head as she waits.
“I think I owe you lunch-”
“What? No.”
“And”, she continues as if Kara's interruption had gone unnoticed, “I'll be pretty upset if I end up eating alone waiting for you.”
Kara rolls her eyes playfully, giving a mock salute as the doors shut. “Yes Major Lane!”
Laughing again, it's only once she gets to her office does she realize that she hadn't told Kara about the military.
Fingers tap out a fast pattern on her glass.
She just can't figure it out. She's never even mentioned the Army to Kara. And sure, James could have, but he hasn't pretended to know her ranking since they first started dating because she moved up so rapidly.
(Never let it be said that she isn't thorough. She asked James as she passed him on her way to Cat's office.
“Oh, um . .Captain, right?”
Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Kara startle and knock a stack of papers off her desk.)
It's not that she minds Kara knowing. It's just odd, because she has the feeling that Kara knows more about her than she knows about Kara. There are times when she feels eyes settle on her only to find Kara watching her with a calculating look. One that looks so out of place.
(One that she would swear she's seen before.)
“I'm not late, am I?”
Kara sounds hesitant, even her movements showing it as she hovers uncertainly beside the waiting chair.
“Not at all. Why?”
“Oh.” Kara fidgets for a moment, hand shoving her glasses up. “You just, um”, she gestures to her face, fingertips tracing a frown as if she can't bring herself to do anything but smile, “looked irritated?”
“Oh no, sorry. Just thinking.” Lucy smiles as Kara finally sits down, receiving an even bigger one back. It shouldn't be possible to smile that wide with so much happiness, but Kara does it as easily as breathing.
(She continues to do so while devouring enough food that makes Lucy wonder when her last meal was.)
The television in front of her has been playing a constant reel of Supergirl’s latest highlights. There’s a flash of irritation. Then guilt. She’s not sure now if it was actually Supergirl causing her anger of James’ need to be the president of every superhero club.
It doesn’t stop her from rolling her eyes though.
“Not a fan?” There’s no judgement in Kara’s voice as she asks, but she remembers a brief flicker of hurt passing over her face that game night when she voiced her opinion on the superhero. Earnest blue eyes find hers, and Lucy can’t lie.
“I just don’t think she’s that great.”
Kara nods, leans over the table towards her. Her eyes are impossibly bright behind thick glasses. Lucy clenches the fork in her hands and can’t understand why her face suddenly feels hot. Kara doesn’t seem to notice as she looks around before dropping her voice, “me neither.”
It catches her off guard. It’s clear that Kara thinks highly of the superhero or at least enough to be upset when someone doesn’t. There’s a telling grin on her face that says she knows her words aren’t true.
(When Kara leans back, her posture is perfect. Shoulders back and head high. She blinks and it’s gone.
Along with the familiarity of the pose.)
“So”, she stops for a moment to allow Kara to swallow the last bite of her, was that her third sandwich? “Did James tell you I was in the army?”
Kara freezes and then gives a slow nod. Lucy leans forward, watching closely. “It's just funny because he never gets my rank right.”
“O-oh well. He, um, said it once. I guess he just got it right that time.”
That's plausible.
(Because really, it is. She's constantly correcting people. She's earned it. Not because of her father. Because of her. Because she hadn't stopped proving herself through bloodied knuckles and broken bones.)
But Kara's reaction to her own words say otherwise. She's nervous.
(Not in the way she seems to be constantly. No matter how much Kara stutters or skitters about, she's still calm. Still confident in what she's doing and saying.)
Kara shuffles back and crosses her arms, fingers pressing into her skin. Her eyes dart across the restaurant, never staying in place for but a second. The table shudders for a moment when Kara knees it.
She has some of the worst tells Lucy has ever seen. She's lying .
She lets it slide.
(She will never agree with those who liken her to a bull, but even she knows that she has somewhat of a habit of facing things head on, so it’s difficult to not mention it.)
There are plenty of reasons Kara could have lied. She could've Googled her and then been too embarrassed to admit it.
(Typing her own name into google is something she had admittedly done on a few occasions.)
That leads to the question as of exactly why Kara was googling her. Her first thought is because of James. A guy she likes suddenly has a girl show up who he has history with definitely warrants some recon. Though after her initial prodding, Kara had dismissed any questions regarding her and James’ relationship and cited them as “just friends.”
Which isn't really a huge relief anymore.
She loves him. Of course. He's the family that she's never quite had. But she also just wants to be happy, and she doesn't think that means a romantic relationship with him.
James sees everything in a bigger picture just as he does in his profession. Sure, there are details he takes account of. The lighting here, stance there, but those are more because of his subjects. He snaps picture after picture and then chooses what appeals to him most.
(But he can't just blur the problems of their relationship away any more than he can enhance the good aspects.)
She sees everything in detail.
If one thing goes awry, there goes the case, the mission, the objective.
Their perspectives don't mesh as well as they do in theory.
But if Kara wasn't worried about her, hadn't researched her, how did she know? A friend they both know may have provided some insight, but she doubts they tread in the same social circles. Kara seems to center herself around the friends she has a work and whatever family she has. Even then that would leave the question as to why Kara wouldn't just say that either.
Not as many reasons as she thought.
It's the first time Kara's lied to her.
(It certainly isn't the last.)