Every night after patrolling the sparking lights of the city she had come to adopt as her own, Supergirl softly touched down on one balcony. Night after night, it called to her to offer comfort, succor, a sense of home that no place since her parents' home in Argo City presented to her as a young girl who thought she knew her place in the world.
And when she went to that balcony, that home away from the home that died in a blaze of fire and chaos as she slipped its surly bonds, it was not Supergirl who looked toward the space in the dark sky where Krypton should have been. It was Kara Zor-El, daughter of Alura In-Ze and Jor-El, who gazed up into the slick black velvet night.
She looked up and wondered.
Her science training in the academies on Krypton and even her schooling on Earth taught her that one day — one very sad day — the light that still shone from the sector of space which once held her planet in Rao's light would be gone. But nothing could prepare her for the reality of that day when the light years of her past would finally meet up with her.
"Kara?"
The voice was quiet, and was accompanied by the sound of stockinged feet padding through the open glass door and toward her. Cat, a glass tumbler of candy — M&M's? Maybe jelly beans today? — in hand.
Yes. Of course the multimedia magnate would know her secret. It seemed everyone in the Catco building did. Kara wondered why she maintained the charade of Supergirl.
Kara was not having a good day. There were only so many concrete pillars a Kryptonian could destroy, only so many hostile aliens to subdue before having to face your feelings. Rao, how Kara hated to face her feelings.
When she didn't answer, Cat set the glass down on a nearby ledge and moved toward her. When she looked at Kara, really looked, she could tell the young woman was crying. Kara made no sound, but the tears were there and didn't seem likely to stop any time soon.
"I've missed you, you know," Kara said. Her voice was rough.
Cat crossed over to lean against the ledge, shoulder brushing Kara's. "And I missed you, as well."
They were silent for awhile, Cat looking over the city she ruled as if it were a kingdom and Kara staring into the sky. The stars weren't visible to Cat, but she figured Kryptonians' eyesight wasn't impaired by light pollution.
Cat offered some of her candy to Kara, who took a few pieces. All blue.
"All blue, huh?"
"It's kind of my color," Kara said.
Cat smiles at that, and they fall into a companionable silence again. The magnate says nothing about the tears which continue to flow from Kara's blue eyes.
"I think you look better in red," Cat said, stroking the hero's cape with a finger.
Kara's eyes welled, and Cat's heart stuttered.
"What? Kara? What's the matter? Why does tonight feel different?"
Kara choked on her tears and let out a mournful wail. Cat through her arms around the young woman, pulling her close. She made the same comforting sounds she did when Carter had a meltdown.
"It's gone. Rao's light is gone!"
Cat stroked Kara's hair and whispered: "Rao? Please tell me."
"Rao … the god of light on Krypton, the name of our sun. It's gone."
Oh … oh, God, Cat thought.
"You know, I spent so long looking to it for reassurance every night. After I got to Earth, I calculated where it was in the night sky and looked at it for hours. I don't need sleep like humans do, so I just … I looked at Rao. I looked at Rao and remembered my father's laugh, my mother's scent, the sounds of their voices. My aunt Astra's hug. I could convince myself it was all still there, that they were happy. But … they're gone. And they've been gone for a long time."
Cat's heart broke for Kara. Kara, who was at the very least her former assistant and journalistic protege and, at the very most, her … almost something. There was something there, and Cat had accepted it long ago. The feelings would never been required, Cat accepted that. There were too many differences, too many societal taboos to conquer. She wouldn't ask Kara to fight that particular fight for her. Save her from Livewire and Silver Banshee, yes. Confront the manager of Noonan's when they refused to get her latte right? Definitely. Declare her feelings for a human of the same sex when she had never revealed herself as bisexual or lesbian? No. Cat couldn't make that request. It was too big an ask.
"Well … " Cat whispered, her arms still around Kara.
"If there's one thing I know about family, it's that yours would be proud of who you have become. You save lives on a daily basis, and I don't just mean mine," Cat said, bumping her head affectionately. against the hero's temple. "Ow."
Kara released a short laugh; it sounded like an amused puff of air. "Sorry."
"Hmm," Cat purred. "And if there's something else I know, it's that their love for you has reached across time and space, and it still lives. Inside you. In that bleeding millennial heart of yours."
Kara turned to face her, and their faces were centimeters apart. Kara's wet blue eyes slid down to Cat's lips. Those lips that had loosed the most cutting words, yet also the most beautiful words she had ever heard.
"Cat … Rao is gone. Krypton and everything," Kara choked, "Krypton and everything — everyone — on it is gone. But I have a few touchstones here on Earth. Eliza. J'onn. Alex, of course. And you."
Cat blinked slowly, her long eyelashes brushing Kara's cheek and brushing through the drying remnants of the Kryptonian's grief.
"I've loved you a long time, Cat Grant. When are you going to see me?"
Cat's eyes blasted open and all she saw were those blue eyes, half-lidded with their sadness.
"What? What did you use say?" Surely, it couldn't be …
"I know I'm not someone you would normally see, but just once — please see who I am. See through me. See how I feel for you," Kara begged.
Cat couldn't believe this. Kara had feelings for her? She never would have believed it.
"Oh, this is going to be trouble …" she whispered, then went in for the kill.
The kiss began softly, like angel wings beating against Kara's lips. Then, Cat increased the intensity. She pushed Kara across the balcony and into one of the softly upholstered chairs they rarely ever seemed to use during their philosophical interludes here. Cat straddled Kara's lap and gave the woman the kiss she had always promised herself she would if given the chance. Soft, sensual, long, and most of all, loving. She wanted Kara to understand this wasn't just a physical thing. It was about emotion, and Cat wanted to start feeling those again.
Kara had made her feel again.
When they broke apart, both a bit breathless, Kara's hands had slid up the back of Cat's silk button-down. Cat's hands were tangled in Kara's hair. They were two strong women who were tangled up in each other.
"There are other ways to feel Rao's light," Kara whispered into Cat's ear as she nuzzled the woman's disheveled golden curls.
"I love you, Kara. You are my touchstone; you have been since the moment I only knew you as 10:15. Your family is yours, as is mine. You are my family now, and we will feel Rao's light — and run CatCo — together."
They looked into the night sky together, cuddled there in the chair on the balcony. Together.