The Art of the Possible (by Sexghosts)

Fandom: Supergirl
Author: Sexghosts (Archive of Our Own author, this work is merely copied to get more publicity for them)

Rating: M

"There's one secret to a good burger that's more important than all the others," Kara was saying as she banged around in front of Cat's stove. Cat had been watching her with interest, since Kara had claimed that, being from the Midwest, she knew how to do burgers like nobody's business. Kara picked up a small lid and placed it over the pan. "You cover it while it cooks. It stays juicy that way, even if you like it well done."

Cat raised a skeptical eyebrow, but she supposed it might be true.

She'd gotten home about fifteen minutes ago, just in time to see Carter shuffling out of the bathroom in his Star Wars pajamas, his teeth freshly brushed. The nanny had to leave early with a headache, and Cat had to, had to take this meeting with Patricia Baker's campaign people that she'd already put off twice. Kara had volunteered to watch Carter and, since it mainly involved feeding him dinner at home and making sure he got ready for bed, Cat decided it was fine. She was glad to have gotten home early enough to give him a tight hug goodnight. It didn't escape her notice that Kara got a goodnight hug too.

Once she'd tucked him in, she came back out to the kitchen and dropped a light kiss on Kara's cheek.

"How was it?" Kara asked.

Cat rolled her eyes. "I've already told them I'm planning to endorse her, they're trying to get me to play by their schedule when they know I can't do that."

Kara was already unbuttoning Cat's suit jacket, slipping it off her, and hanging it in the hall closet. "Well, you know that's one of the reasons I don't like Baker."

Cat opened the refrigerator and stared into it as if expecting a hot meal would summon itself from within its depths. "Kara, we've been over this. I know you love Goldman, but he can't win in this state. You have to be realistic that there are some very conservative parts of the state that he's simply not going to be able to carry."

Kara had slipped her arms around Cat's waist. "You're hungry?"

"Why is this refrigerator not producing the meal I want right now?" Cat complained.

"Because it's not a magic refrigerator," Kara teased.

But Cat was not in a joking mood "I need to find the Jerry's delivery menu. I need a burger. I burned a lot of calories arguing with those idiots."

"I don't think it works that way," Kara ventured, kissing the side of Cat's neck.

Cat had wheeled around on her and given her a stern look. "Kara? Are you trying to stand between me and a burger? Because nobody stands between me and a burger, not even Supergirl."

Kara had giggled at that, put her hands on Cat's shoulders and said, "So let me make you one."

Cat looked skeptical. "You can cook?"

Kara's self-righteousness about her burger-making skills was enough to convince Cat, or at least let her try. She had to admit that, standing here watching her go about the business of it was somewhat instructive. Garlic powder, salt and pepper, and the covering it thing… it certainly smelled good.

While Kara cooked, they bantered about the election, the way they did.

"Besides, Kara, you know this state has never had a female governor. Not one."

"I know," Kara replied, taking out a roll, splitting it open, and popping it into the toaster. "And I'm not saying that's not important. I don't want to sound unfeminist. I just think Goldman's record makes it clear that he stands for, you know… the little guy. People like the people I grew up with. Baker is beholden to corporate donors, and her voting record in the assembly reflects that."

Cat enjoyed debating politics with Kara. It had become something they did often; politics and feminism wove itself often into their conversations. Since they spent their days together, there was no need to really recount much of it to each other, and it freed them to talk about their other passions. Cat secretly loved when Kara would get very intense about what she was saying and that little flush would come into her cheeks. She was idealistic, which was appropriate for someone her age. She understood why Kara loved Sol Goldman; he represented a very liberal part of the state in the assembly and he had the luxury of voting his conscience most of the time. But this was a big state, and with his record, he'd lose a lot of it to more conservative quarters who preferred to keep taxes low and services for the poor minimal.

A pragmatist needed to back a horse that could win, and with her connections and her donors, that was Baker. The fact that she was a woman, was, in Cat's eyes, was a bonus.

"She's a centrist, darling."

"She's a sell-out," Kara retorted.

"Politics is the art of the possible," Cat replied, watching Kara set the burger in front of her on the marble-topped island in the kitchen. She picked up the bun and inspected the contents; the burger had just the right amount of char on it, and she'd sauteed some onions and doused it with some barbecue sauce. "This really looks good," she remarked, unable to keep herself from sounding impressed.

"Of course it does," Kara said proudly. "I told you, I know how to do this." She wore a pleased little smirk.

In between bites of what was one of the better burgers she could ever remember eating, Cat pursued the conversation. "It does us no good to send up a candidate we love who can't win. Then we end up with a crazy, stupid, racist, sexist in the governor's mansion."

"Do you want something to drink?"

"I'll get it. You don't need to serve me," Cat answered brusquely, and went to the fridge to pull out a bottle of Pellegrino.

"No, but I like to do things for you, you know." She paused and smirked a little. "Except shredding your junk mail. I'd really like to find an intern to take care of that."

Cat smirked back at her and continued eating in silence for a few minutes.

"Anyway, I think you're wrong. I think Goldman can win in those conservative districts, he's very gun-friendly," Kara persisted, watching Cat eat her burger.

"Yeah, but that's not what those people care about," Cat answered, licking the burger juice that had gotten on her fingers. "Anyway, your passionate defense of Goldman notwithstanding, The Trib is endorsing Baker."

Kara came up behind her and started nibbling on her ear. "Are you sure I can't change your mind?"

"Well," Cat sighed, enjoying the feel of Kara's lips, "you're welcome to try."

Kara started kissing the back of her neck. Cat gave out a little sigh. Her hand reached back to Kara's leg and started stroking encouragement against her thigh. "I'm sure that I could get you to see things my way," Kara went on, nipping at Cat's soft skin.

"Mmm, is that right?" Cat sighed back.

"Absolutely," Kara answered firmly.

Cat spun herself around on the stool and drew Kara closer, wrapping her legs around Kara's to hold her in place. "I think I need more convincing."

They kissed for a few minutes more. Cat got a hand into Kara's blouse and stroked at her firm little breast for a moment, eliciting happy noises.

"Want to take this inside?" she asked.

Kara paused and looked awkwardly at her. "Um, but...Carter's here…"

Cat sighed irritably. "Yes, Kara, that's what it means to have children. Sometimes you have sex when there's a child in the next room. Either that, or you just don't have sex for the better part of two decades. Guess which I prefer?"

Kara flushed and leaned down to kiss her again. "Are you sure?"

"Well, you don't make any noise," she replied, a little more pointedly than she meant to, "and I know how keep it down when I have to." She kissed Kara once more, slowly, and added, "Even with whatever new surprises you have planned as a result of your extracurricular studies."

Well, that seemed to be all Kara needed to hear. Cat sashayed down the hall to her bedroom and she could hear Kara's quiet footsteps behind her. The track lighting over Cat's bed was on when they walked into the room, which Kara extinguished with a quiet brush of her hand. Damn, Cat thought. She'd really wanted a little more lighting this time. What was the point of sleeping with a 24 year old if you couldn't enjoy the sight of her naked in your bed?

But she let it go. This was new for Kara, she reminded herself, she was still getting comfortable.

And besides, Kara kissed her with such sincere passion, the same passion that she showed in everything else, that she could hardly complain. The girl was open hearted to a fault, and Cat liked that. And she felt delicious. She felt strong and her skin was smooth and her mouth usually tasted like honey lip balm and she could tell that Kara sincerely enjoyed the physicality of being with her, that she loved and was aroused by Cat's body every bit as much as Cat enjoyed hers. It was a good deal, she reflected, so if she had tolerate lights off for a while, she supposed she could.

Cat was curious, too, wondering what Kara had learned from her independent exploration, and looking forward to finding out as they sat on the edge of the bed, undressing each other with slightly less urgency than the first time.

It turned out Karas's silky pink lips had indeed picked up a thing or two. They roved down the front of Cat's body, pausing to attend to each breast before continuing down. Cat enjoyed watching Kara kiss her body, though she found herself wishing at some point that her extreme tenderness would edge over into something a bit harder. She stroked Kara's hair as Kara went down and kissed between her legs, sighing a little sigh and enjoying the quick, sweet strokes of her tongue. And when she felt a finger slip inside, it sent a happy little shiver up her spine and down her legs. Well, that was pleasant. She was learning, and it would be wonderful at some point. It just required a little patience.

So when Kara made her come, and then made her come again, and then curled up beside her with her hand resting lightly, possessively over her sex, Cat relaxed into her embrace and considered what should happen next. She could feel Kara's anxious eyes on her, wanting to know but not daring to ask.

"Stop looking at me like that," she said grumpily. "Of course it was good. And yes, better than last time." She let her lips curl into a little smile.

Kara's face seemed to lighten at this, though Cat still could see in the dim that her brow was a little bit furrowed with worry.

"What?"

Kara shook her head. "Nothing."

Cat rolled onto her side and nudged Kara onto her back. She wanted to do what she'd been too tired to do last time. Their kisses were hot and Kara was sighing as Cat stroked her body. She worked down, nipping at her neck and then her shoulders in a way that ought to have stung a little, but Kara didn't seem bothered by it. And when she settled between Kara's legs and began to lick her, Kara stiffened. "Cat…" she began.

"Hush, Kara. It's your turn. You need to enjoy yourself."

Kara squirmed a little under her touch. "I do, it's just… I don't…."

Cat paused. "Don't tell me nobody's done this for you before."

Kara shook her head. "No, that's not the problem. They have. It just… it hasn't worked."

"Well, I'm not surprised. Men under 25 are worthless in bed, usually."

"That's not it," Kara said, and her voice sounded anxious. "I can't… I don't feel… It feels good, I like it but … I can't…."

"You can't come?" Cat finished impatiently.

"No," Kara finished miserably.

"With anyone, ever?"

She shook her head. "It's never happened. And I just … I love what it feels like when you do that but, it's just … I don't want you to get frustrated because I don't experience it the same way you do."

Cat paused and inspected what she could see of Kara's face. She was telling the truth. And yet, she couldn't help wondering whether she wasn't really what Kara wanted, that she didn't turn her on enough, that Kara was only doing this for the wrong reasons. The wetness of her pussy said otherwise, but still, you never could tell, and sometimes younger women liked to play around, try on people and identities without much consideration for the fallout.

"Well, do you want me to stop?" she asked after a minute.

"No!" Kara exclaimed. "I just… it's not like it is for you, that's all. That's why I like doing you so much, because I get to experience it that way, through you."

Cat paused. She felt a twisted kind of determination rise in her chest, that damnit, this girl just hadn't been fucked properly, and that she was determined to do what those idiot boys had not been able to do. "I'm going to try," she asserted.

Kara hesitated, as if considering this for a moment, before shaking her head. "Cat, look … I just … I know my own body. Do whatever, I love every way you touch me, kiss me, everything. But just, don't treat me like a problem that needs to be solved, okay? Don't think that my not getting off is about you." She ran her fingers through Cat's hair, traced them down her shoulders. "This, right here, this is everything I want. I feel more normal in bed with you than I do any other time."

More normal? That was a weird thing to say, Cat reflected. Sweet, she supposed, but weird. More normal than what? She knew there was a jumble of pain and damage in this ridiculously soft, gentle girl. But she wasn't about to go poking at it now.

She propped herself up on her elbows. "So what do I do with you, Kara?" she asked with a faintly bittersweet smile.

"Everything you want to. Just know it's not going to go the same way as it does for you." She couldn't see Kara's face, but her voice was soft and sincere. She wanted to give her body to Cat, and hoped against hope that Cat would appreciate the gift despite it being different than what she was accustomed to. Suddenly, Cat, thought wryly, I'm the one out of my element. How did that happen?

"So, how do I know when we're done?"

She heard Kara chuckle softly. "I don't know, we're done when you get tired, I guess."

They spent an hour lying together, while Cat explored Kara's body with her hands and lips and tongue, willing herself not to try to treat it like a mission. It was difficult to approach it without the goal of an orgasm in the front of her mind. But Kara's body was shapely and firm, and tasted sweet, and she made delicious little sighing sounds, and Cat found herself able to drift on the pleasures of that for a while. It felt strangely incomplete to her, but Kara seemed grateful that Cat hadn't tried to force an orgasm out of her, and they fell asleep kissing soft, deep kisses.

Kara awoke in the night, weeping.

Cat had been perfect. Again. This was no good.

How long was she going to be able to continue making love in the dark? How long was she going to be able to keep lying about who she really was? Cat was too smart. It wouldn't last long. She'd figure out that Kara had been lying to her.

Alex had been right, this was a terrible idea, though not for the reasons that she'd thought. She could envision no good outcome for this if Cat were to find out the truth, and no scenario in which maintaining the lie would last indefinitely. She had to stop sleeping with her.

She had to stop working for her.

She had to get as far away from this as she could.

She scrambled into her clothes and flew off into the night, leaving a note on the nightstand:

"Cat,

I quit.

I'm sorry.

-Kara"