Kryptonians were known throughout the galaxy as cold and unemotional. They married based on the whims of a computer in search of genetic perfection.
Then why were they suddenly all about touch?
Kara sipped her drink and glared at the woman with her hand on Alex's arm. Alex, who was now the darling of Argo City after her fight with Tel-Em. There had been a lot of hands recently. On Alex's arm. Her shoulder. Her back. Men's hands. Women's hands.
None of them Kara's hands.
Alex was avoiding her. Oh, in public, Alex played the perfect wife. She'd never ruin the "lie" Kara had created to avoid her betrothal. In private, though…
Giving up on sobriety, Kara tossed back the rest of the delicate wine in her glass. Where was M'gann and her Alien Drink of the Week when you needed her? At this point, Kara would gladly have chugged even Mon-El's vile concoctions.
A passing servant replaced Kara's empty glass with a full one. Maybe sheer numbers would provide enough alcohol for a good drunk.
"Should I plan to explain another brawl to the Council?" Alura asked.
Kara shrugged as she finished off the new wine. There wasn't even a hint of buzz. Of course not. She looked for another servant.
Alura moved in closer, following Kara's line of sight. "You've changed so much." Rather than sounding disappointed, Alura seemed amused. "I see more and more of your Aunt Lara in you."
"Really?" Kara was momentarily distracted from Alex's latest sycophant. "Kal's mother?" Kara had only hazy memories of a beautiful woman with Kal's smile.
"Mmm. She had the same dangerous glower whenever anyone fawned over Jor-El's most recent rebellion. He drew people to him with his charisma and refusal to follow the Council's edicts. And Lara? Well, she stood in a corner, eyes promising a painful death to anyone daring enough to forget he belonged to her."
Belonged. That was exactly right. Alex belonged to Kara.
Straightening, Kara left Alura and strode toward Alex. She going to make sure everyone here knew Alex was hers. "Hey, beautiful." Kara slipped an arm around Alex and leaned against her.
As had become the norm since their "marriage" began, Alex pressed a kiss to Kara's temple. "Hey, yourself. Have you met Tana Lin-Re?"
"No." Kara channeled her inner Lena Luthor and lifted her lips in the smallest smile imaginable. "You two seemed quite intent on something."
"Alex Dan-Vers was inquiring about my work in selecting the proper gene sequencing to influence…" The words were a meaningless blur. Kara couldn't have cared less about Tana's project for the Science Guild.
Kara cared only for the hand that Tana had once again placed on Alex. It was second nature to pretend to stumble. More than thirteen years playing a klutz meant Kara's accidental lurch forward – spilling the drink in Tana's hand onto her robes – looked natural. "Oh, golly! I'm so sorry! I don't know how that happened!"
Waving frantically at a servant, Kara babbled. "I'm sure it won't stain." Of course, it would. Tana's robes were white. Everything left a stain.
"That's alright." Expression less than happy, Tana walked away.
"I'm sorry!" Kara called after her.
Alex poked Kara in the side. "What was all that about? And don't tell me it was an accident." She poked Kara again. "That's the same move you pulled the first time you met Maggie."
Busted. "I don't know what you're talking about." Kara didn't meet Alex's gaze. "It was an accident."
"Kar, I've known you since you were thirteen. You're not really a klutz." A slim finger tucked hair behind Kara's ear. "Did Tana Lin-Re's father insult Zor-El or something?" Alex asked. "You can't keep a secret from me. I'm a trained Federal agent."
"I'm afraid I can't help you, Agent." Kara stuck out her tongue.
Alex rolled her eyes. "Real mature. What are you, six?" She smiled as she said it, though, eyes dancing.
Kara melted at that smile. "We need to…"
"Good evening, Kara Dan-Vers, Alex Dan-Vers." Fabulous. Jul-Us. "The other Councilmembers and I were hoping to speak with you this evening." Then, proving Kara was living in a nightmare, Jul-Us took Alex's hand and held it in his own as he continued. "We have additional questions regarding your situation on Earth. While I still do not support allowing you the Harun-El, perhaps we can work toward another solution."
"Sure!" All of Alex's smiles were for Jul-Us after that. Kara buried her face in Alex's shoulder as the talk turned technical.
She understood all of it. Well, most of it. She hadn't been keeping up with scientific advances until recently. Lena loved to talk about her latest projects over lunch. Even advanced Kryptonian education faded after more than a decade of pretending to be a normal American student. It was fascinating to listen as Alex and the Councilmembers tossed around theories as if they were discussing Earth's elementary school lunch menu. She didn't take part, though. When it came to the Wordkillers, Kara was the muscle.
Alex, though. Alex provided the brains to their efforts.. Kara enjoyed seeing Alex in her element despite wanting to throat punch Jul-Us and his cronies. Each one of them made sure to move close enough to pat Alex on the shoulder.
The conversation felt like it lasted forever. When she and Alex were alone, Kara wanted to clap. "Oh, thank, Rao," she murmured as Jul-Us wandered away. He and the other Councilmembers were still talking animatedly.
"That's isn't nice, Kara," Alex said chidingly.
"You sound just like Eliza, Alex," Kara responded.
Alex gasped, one hand on her chest. "That's just mean!"
No, strangling the next person who laid a fingernail on Alex would be mean. Kara eyed the large room. There was nowhere to hide, and they couldn't leave since the party was to honor Kara's return to Krypton. Apparently coming back from the dead was worthy of celebration.
They couldn't avoid people and their hands if they remained in one place. Conversations were out, evidenced by Tana Lin-Re and Jul-Us. Desperate for escape, Kara did the one thing guaranteed to give her and Alex privacy.
Grabbing Alex's hand, Kara dragged Alex to a deserted section of the space designated for dancing.
"You know I don't know any Kryptonian dances, right?" Alex asked as she and Kara did a strange shuffle of arms and legs to determine which of them was supposed to lead.
"You do know that I don't really know any Kryptonian dances anymore, right?" Kara asked in return. They moved carefully together for a few minutes until Kara noticed someone moving purposefully in their direction.
That was it! No one was cutting in on this dance. No one else was holding Alex in their arms. Tilting her head, she kissed Alex's neck before dragging her tongue up the warm flesh below Alex's ear.
"Kara!" Alex yanked her head back. "What the hell was that for?"
Staring down the approaching man until he abruptly turned away, Kara said, "I licked you; now you're mine."