Kara jolted suddenly out of her sleep, sitting straight up in bed. Alex grumbled behind her as Kara moved out of her grasp. Kara reached back and placed a placating hand on Alex's arm before clambering out of bed and taking a quick look around the room. She held her breath as she waited for whatever had woken her to happen again. A moment later, she heard it, a low rumble in the distance. Kara ran to her windows and pushed them open, stepping out onto the balcony. She tilted her head to the sky, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.
"Kar," Alex rasped, rolling over with a pillow cuddled to her chest, "come back to bed."
Kara opened her eyes and turned back to the bedroom. "Aleeeeeex," she cajoled, holding out a hand, "come here!"
Alex acceded with a grunt, rolling out of bed and stumbling over to the small balcony. Kara grasped Alex's arm when she got close enough and pulled her sister snug against her side, resting her arm low on Alex's hip. Alex yawned and snuggled closer to Kara. They were still for several minutes before Alex finally stirred. "What's up, stargirl?"
Kara shrugged, ducking her head and glancing sideways at Alex through her eyelashes. "I wanted to see how beautiful you were in the moonlight," she whispered.
Alex blushed. "Dork," she mumbled, turning her head and tucking it into Kara's neck. "You know you don't have to sweet-talk me," she murmured, her lips brushing against Kara's skin. Alex lifted her head and winked. "I mean, you already have me in your bed."
"Oh, I know," Kara said assuredly, making a fist and buffing her fingernails on her shoulder. She wiggled her eyebrows. "I've had you in my bed plenty of times."
"I've created a monster," Alex laughed, shoving Kara playfully with her shoulder.
Kara smiled back at her, eyes bright. "It's about to rain!" she said excitedly, spinning to face the city. Kara grabbed the railing of the balcony and tilted her face towards the sky. "Can you feel it?" she murmured.
Alex frowned as she looked in the direction Kara was facing. "It'll probably hit the mountains and turn back," she said, squinting into the distance.
Kara shook her head distractedly. "No, it's already past the mountains." She took a deep breath. "I can smell it now. It's getting close." She spun half around and looked at Alex hopefully. "Come fly with me?"
Alex glanced at her sister doubtfully. "In the rain?"
"Pleeease?" Kara wheedled. Receiving only a raised eyebrow in reply, Kara stepped forward and scooped Alex up, bridal-style.
"Hey!" Alex spluttered indignantly.
Kara gave Alex her best stern face. "If you don't, I'm carrying you around like this all day," she threatened.
The two stared at each other before Alex gave in and looked away. "Fine," she huffed, batting at Kara's shoulder and chest ineffectually. "Just put me down."
"Yay!" Kara squealed, gently lowering Alex down on the balcony. She quickly whirled back into her apartment and reappeared an instant later in her Supergirl attire.
Alex rolled her eyes and smiled as she stepped closer to Kara and wrapped her arms around Kara's neck. "All right, Supergirl," she murmured in Kara's ear. "Up, up, and away."
Kara shivered as she settled her hands on Alex's hips. She pressed a quick kiss to Alex's cheek before shooting straight up into the air at just less than her fastest speed. She felt, more than heard, Alex's shriek as Kara flew an elaborate, twisting loop, barrel-rolling through the sky before bringing them to an abrupt halt, floating upright miles above National City.
"You are. The. Worst." Alex loosened her grip on Kara enough to free one hand and punch her sister's shoulder.
Kara grinned. "I know. You love me anyway."
"Maybe," Alex grumbled, studiously looking away from her beaming sister.
"You do. You love me," Kara sing-songed. She poked Alex in the side.
Alex squirmed. Kara poked her again. "Kara Zor-El," Alex said in a low, threatening voice as she grabbed Kara's forearms, "if you try to tickle me while we're flying thousands of feet above the ground, you'll be sleeping on the couch for the rest of the week."
Kara shook her head playfully. "You fight dirty, Danvers."
Alex grinned, wrapping her arms back around Kara's neck. "Gotta stick to my strengths," Alex murmured in her sister's ear with a low laugh.
Kara shivered, pulling Alex more firmly against her body. Her ears perked as she caught the low rumble of thunder in the distance. Kara cleared her throat. "It's out over the desert now."
Alex nodded, one hand tangling in Kara's hair. "Let's go."
Kara took off, a little slower than before, arms wrapped tightly around Alex's shoulders and waist, Alex's face tucked into the crook of her neck. Kara flew as close to the storm as she dared, then gently came to a stop, rotating until they were upright once more, hovering above the roiling clouds. She loosened her hold and turned Alex in her embrace so that they were both facing in the same direction.
"Look," Kara whispered. With her arms wrapped around Alex's stomach, she could feel her sister's breath catch. Kara set her chin down on Alex's shoulder. "Isn't it beautiful?" she murmured, watching the flashes of lightning dance across Alex's eyes.
Alex nodded. Her right hand reached up and threaded through Kara's hair, tenderly turning the Kryptonian's face towards hers. "C'mere," she said roughly, tilting her face up and pressing her lips to Kara's.
Kara sighed happily, losing herself in the kiss. The two floated for several minutes above the storm like that, until a large crash of thunder jarred them apart. Kara blinked slowly, smiling contentedly at Alex. Alex smiled back, scratching Kara's scalp lightly before dropping her hand back down to tangle with one of Kara's around her waist. A great surge of love and happiness swelled in Kara. She squeezed her eyes shut and tucked her nose into the skin of Alex's neck, breathing deeply. She took several breaths, letting herself settle, before raising her head. "Remember the first time I saw it rain?"
Alex grinned. "Yeah, I woke up with a dead weight on my chest and three blankets covering my head." She stretched her left arm out in front of her and rotated it. Four small, half-moon-shaped scars shone silver in the moonlight. Kara reached for Alex's outstretched arm and tucked it back against her waist. "And when I tried to get up to go get Dad and Mom," Alex continued, her breath catching as Kara caressed the scars with her thumb, "you grabbed on and wouldn't let me go."
"I was so scared," Kara said softly, letting her fingers trace the silvery marks. "The thunder woke me up. It was so loud, and there was a strange smell, and it felt like the air in the room was closing in on me." Kara shivered a little as she remembered that night, waking suddenly with her senses on overload, and the only coherent thought she had was to get to Alex.
As if sensing her thoughts, Alex squeezed her hand. "And so you thought you'd let me join in on all the fun, huh?" she asked teasingly.
Kara smiled bashfully and buried her face back into Alex's neck. "I've always wanted to do this with you," she admitted, quietly, a few moments later.
Alex tightened her grip on Kara's hand. "Yeah?" she answered, just as softly. "Bring me out to see the storm?"
"Mmm," Kara nodded, her nose brushing against Alex's bare neck. She felt Alex press a brief kiss to her forehead.
"C'mon, then, Supergirl," Alex said, her lips brushing against Kara's cheek. "I believe I was promised flying in the rain."
Kara lifted her head. "Really?" she asked excitedly.
Alex shrugged. "Why not?"
Kara spun Alex in her arms so that they were once again facing each other. "Yay!" she squealed, twirling them in the air. She stopped abruptly, looking at Alex doubtfully. "Are you sure you won't mind getting wet?"
"Well," Alex drawled, looping her arms around Kara's neck, "it wouldn't be the first time you've gotten me wet."
Kara felt her neck redden. "You know that's not—"
"In fact," Alex continued, a wicked smile on her face, "it won't even be the first time tonight."
"Ugh," Kara groaned, dropping her face to Alex's shoulder as the blush spread over her body. "Now you're the worst," she mumbled into Alex's old t-shirt.
"C'mon, you set me up so perfectly. I had to," Alex laughed, slipping her hands down under the cape and rubbing Kara's back comfortingly.
"Just for that," Kara said threateningly, and then, without any more warning, she flipped and dove down, shooting past the clouds and hurtling towards the desert floor. She pulled out of the dive at the last moment, rolling and leveling out, close enough that her cape brushed the ground. Kara flew up into the leading edge of the storm and stopped, hovering several feet in the air as she twisted them back into an upright position. They were drenched within moments, the rain swirling around them.
"You!" Alex spluttered, trying to wipe the water out of her eyes. She gave up and instead poked Kara in the shoulder. "Did you just try to Wronski Feint me?"
Kara grinned unrepentantly. "You deserved it."
"Probably," Alex agreed with a small smirk. She laid her head on Kara's shoulder and sighed.
They floated along with the edge of the storm for several minutes, staying ahead of the lightning and the heaviest rains. Kara felt a small tremor run through Alex, and hugged her tighter. Moments later, Alex trembled again. "Are you okay?" Kara asked as she reached back and tugged her cape forward to wrap around Alex, cocooning the two of them snugly together.
"I'm fine," Alex assured her, snuggling closer as the gentle rain fell around them. "This is nice," she added as her body shook once again.
"Okay, that's it," Kara declared. She brushed a few wet strands of hair back from Alex's forehead and cupped her cheek. "We should really get you home and—"
"Get me out of these clothes?" Alex asked with a raised eyebrow and a grin.
Kara shook her head, then slowly smiled. "Well," she said thoughtfully, as she turned and flew them out of the storm and up into the clear night sky, "I have heard that sharing body heat is the quickest way to warm someone up."
"That is the theory," Alex agreed with a shudder as they reached the outskirts of the city. "Although," she added as they arrived at Kara's apartment and dropped lightly down on the balcony, "I don't think it's ever been proven."
"Well," Kara said, wringing her cape out over the edge of the balcony before gently unhooking it, "if you want to, I'm willing to test that theory out."
Alex grinned as Kara moved into the bedroom and stepped out of her boots and skirt. "For the good of mankind?" she smirked.
"And science," Kara nodded solemnly.
"Well, how can I say no to that?" Alex laughed, stepping into the room and pulling off her t-shirt and shorts.
Kara shrugged, peeling off the top half of her suit. "You can't," she answered smugly as she walked over to the bed and pulled the covers back, lying down and stretching out on her side. Kara looked up at Alex and waggled her eyebrows. "So," she said, patting the bed in front of her, "care to do some science with me, Dr. Danvers?"