A/N. This fanfic is dedicated to my friend Sarah, aka the captain of S.S. Karolsen. I'm not sure how popular Winn is in the fandom, but he isn't necessarily portrayed in the best light here. It's an intentional choice, so if by any chance you happen to be a fan of his character, please don't take offense. Hope you enjoy this short oneshot and if you want to see more or just feel like giving me feedback, please review!
"Are you sure I look alright?" Kara halfheartedly struck a pose in the mirror. Alex gave her a quick once-over, admiring the way her laced lavender dress hugged her slender frame, lips painted a shade of crimson from their mother's makeup collection that contrasted the highlights in Kara's light brown hair. Alex beamed in approval at her handiwork. It was so different from her superhero attire with the red flowing cape and modest burgundy skirt, but she always remembered it was the same person underneath.
"Kara, of course you do. You look beautiful. Trust me on this." Alex said as reassuringly as she could before resting both hands on her sister's shoulders. Kara seemed to grow taller at this and stopped fiddling with her square-framed glasses; the ones she really didn't need but that forged her identity as the meek, frazzled personal assistant working for a woman who still couldn't get her name right after a full year of employment. Those glasses made her feel…normal. Almost. She could blend in with the crowd if she wanted to. Nobody spared her a second glance when she wore them. Except Jimmy.
Alex squinted at their reflections. As lovely a sight Kara was in her formal gown, it felt incomplete. "Actually, wait. There's something missing." Kara widened her eyes and tensed up again. She had to look her best. He was going to be there.
Alex left her side and rummaged around in a drawer, cursing every so often when she kept coming up empty. Finally, after endless minutes of searching and Kara staring anxiously at her through the mirror, Alex found what she was looking for. She came back holding what looked to be a necklace. It gleamed and shimmered in her palm, like the evening star in a lilac sky; the picture of elegance.
"Oh my god, Alex. I couldn't possibly—" Alex held a hand up in the air, traces of the no-nonsense expression she usually reserved for DEO protocol appearing on her face.
"Hush, little sis," she said as she placed the silver pendant around Kara's neck and fastened the clasp. It was a beloved family heirloom, belonging to well over three generations of the Danvers women. Kara basically grew up with Alex and she knew she'd always have a place in the family, no matter what planet she was on. But sometimes, she could use a little reminder. Like tonight.
"Technically, I'm way older than you. Like…a couple decades or so, give or take." Kara stuck out her chin, hands on her hips. "Excuse me, princess. We can't all be literally frozen in time. At least you get the dignity of aging with grace," Alex playfully teased her and crossed her arms. "I believe a simple thank-you would suffice."
Kara graced her with a sheepish smile. "Thanks, Alex. I'll give it back after the party, okay?"
"No, no. Keep it. It suits you. In fact, I couldn't think of anyone more deserving to wear it." Kara draped her arms over her sister and hugged her, careful not to underestimate her own strength. The last time she settled on hugging someone, he wound up with a shattered collarbone and had to take three workdays off. Winn gave her a wide berth ever since, although Kara could still feel his eyes ogling her whenever he thought she wasn't looking. But he was her friend, and the last thing she wanted to do was push him away. So she let him stare when he could and tried not to think too much of it, banishing any sense of discomfort she may have felt from the recesses of her mind.
"Hey, what time is it? Are we late?" Kara checked her watch. 7:42 pm. The launch party was officially starting at 8, but Cat took "high-maintenance" to a whole new dimension. She needed at least forty minutes beforehand for her third celebratory martini and lettuce wrap with fat-free ranch dressing. Kara wondered if she ever got sick of those things. They tasted like cardboard, and the thick, glue-white sauce looked like another substance entirely.
"Under Cat's terms, we pretty much are," she sighed, turning to her sister. This wasn't the first time she'd come under fire for being 'late', but Kara would not let her boss ruin this night for her. "You coming?"
Alex glanced dubiously at her plain navy blue shirt and black slacks. They were practical, not at all glamorous. Her uniform was meant for running covert operations, chasing down terrorists and protecting civilians from alien threats, not imitating Hollywood socialites. "Do you think she'll mind if I break the dress code?"
"Not if I have anything to say about it. Besides, as long as you're not associated with her, you're good. You're my date. Let's go!" Kara held out her arm in an exaggerated manner and Alex took it with pride. The two sisters strutted out the front door, Kara wobbling on three-inch heels and Alex steadily pacing in her penny loafers, giggling to themselves all the while.
"Where the fuck is my martini, people?" Cat snapped as she strode into the ballroom, her presence announced by the sound of her stilettos stabbing a staccato pattern on the floor. This was her party, goddammit, and she deserved to treat herself. The guards ushered Kara and Alex in a few steps behind her and Cat chose that moment to swivel around. Kara braced herself for the incoming blows to her ego.
"Oh, there you are, Keira. I've been waiting forever. I'm not getting any younger, you know." Kara adjusted her glasses back onto the bridge of her nose and bowed her head. "Sorry about that, ma'am. I'll get your drink in a second." Cat scoffed impatiently and turned back to face her guests, most of them making idle conversation with champagne flutes in hand. Alex leaned over to whisper in Kara's ear. "Wow, what an uptight bitch."
"Alex, don't be rude!" Alex smirked. "Well, a girl can't be afraid to tell the truth every now and then. I just call them like I see 'em."
"You got me there, big sis," Kara replied with a nonchalant shrug.
"You do know you could easily pulverize her ass with a flick of your wrist, right?"
Kara snorted. "Believe me, I've been tempted to. Anyways, I better stop by the bar. Otherwise, Cat will have my head on a platter." Alex nodded understandingly. She knew the feeling; the of slaving away for an employer who never seemed to appreciate anything she did.
"I'll just wait over here in the corner, then. Maybe scan the room for any shady people. This city is full of them."
"You do that. I'll be back in no time."
"Kara, wait."
"Hmm?"
"If you happen to see Jimmy tonight…don't be afraid to tell him how you feel." A beat passed as Alex's words lingered in the air.
"He already knows." Kara said earnestly. With that, she rushed over to the refreshments stand, accidentally interrupting the bartender from showing off his cosmopolitan-making skills in her haste. Alex grabbed a cocktail from a nearby server and stood next to the staircase, observing the rich men in tuxes make small talk with pretty wives and the pretty wives exchanging barely veiled insults to the mistresses in sequined, garish dresses. So many pretty people, living in a haze of ignorant bliss, their shallow minds unaware of anything that mattered aside from themselves. Alex could feel her eyes glazing over from boredom. "And these fools seriously think they're masters of the universe," Alex muttered under her breath before taking a swig. The liquid burned and seared her throat as she swallowed it down, but it was a welcome sensation. That is, until a decidedly unwelcome presence sidled up to her.
"How's it going, Alex?" Alex winced. She could recognize that voice anywhere and from what her sister told her about its owner, she was not impressed.
"That's Agent Danvers, for you." Winn raised his eyebrows in mock-surprise and held a hand to his chest. "Ouch. You wound me, 007." Alex rolled her eyes and took a more than generous sip of her drink. She resisted the oh-so-enticing urge to throw it in his smug meerkat face out of human decency, but her resolve was wavering by the minute.
"You never answered my question. I thought FBI officers were supposed to be polite." Winn crept closer to the visibly irritated woman who was quite literally seconds away from punching him in the groin. Patience is a virtue, Alex, she told herself.
"First of all, I don't work for the FBI. And as long as you keep your paws off my sister and leave her alone when you're not needed, I will be." Winn raised his hands in a "don't shoot me" gesture.
"Hey, I learned my lesson. Someone's feisty." Hearing that, Alex downed the rest of the vodka. She knew she could handle her liquor, even though most of the time she kept drinking to a minimum for professional conduct, but good lord, this guy was seriously grating on her nerves. And today was not one of those days.
"Listen, ferret. There are a handful of people in this world you do not want to fuck with. And I'm one of them. Capiche?" Alex uttered in a cool but lethal tone, calmly turning her head to maim him with a death glare she spent years of her life perfecting until it worked like a charm during interrogations at headquarters. They cracked just like eggs under the weight of her steely gaze. Winn gulped, silently reminding himself to never piss off this woman again.
"Okay…okay. I can respect that," Winn whimpered, trying to keep the peace.
Alex smiled sardonically at the effect she had on him. "Good." She relaxed and stepped over to a table carrying several buckets of champagne on ice. Winn backed away slowly, partially fearing for his life but nevertheless, intrigued. The Danvers sisters really were two separate people, although they did have their fair share of similarities despite not being related by blood. Winn thought he could see the resemblance if he just looked hard enough. Alex gave him a dismissive wave of her hand and went back to people-watching, this time nursing an entire bottle of alcohol.
'What exactly does Kara see in this asshole? She's really too nice for her own good sometimes. And speaking of, where the hell is she?'
After successfully placating a furious Cat with her favourite apple martini, Kara was about to return to her sister before the sight of familiar hands the colour of caramel stopped her in her tracks.
"J-jimmy." She stuttered. He waved at her almost shyly, with a sincere smile as deep and wide as the ocean. She could shoot lasers from her eyes, transform people into icicles, and soar across the sky at one with the elements, all through sheer force of will…and yet one look, one touch from him could make her weak at the knees, heart palpitating a mile a minute. Maybe this is why humans call it 'falling' in love, she mused.
"Hey, you." He approached Kara leisurely, as if he had all the time in the world and it was just the two of them in the room, alone and together at last. "Hi!" She greeted back, blinking a little too fast as he weaved his way past swarms of strangers to reach her.
"Wow, Kara. You look amazing." Kara knelt her head as she felt her cheeks redden. Blushing was an all too common reaction around Jimmy and for the life of her, she couldn't figure out how to control it.
"Thanks. My sister sort of gave me a makeover." Two long, smooth fingers gently lifted her chin, and she was met with warm chocolate eyes she could drown in if she wasn't careful.
"You're always beautiful to me." Kara swore her heart skipped a beat. Or several.
As if on cue, the Muzak in the background shifted into something orchestral, with a mellifluous melody of strings—a song practically ideal for slow dancing. They both watched as the married couples around them, young and old, gathered with their partners, preparing to waltz to music that was actually appropriate for the occasion. Kara saw the opportunity just beckoning for her on the horizon and took the plunge. If she could lift an airplane with her bare hands, she could do anything. And that included taking initiative with the man who had her heart.
"So...may I have this dance, good sir?" She grinned, lighting up with excitement.
"I was about to ask you the same question. Why, I'd be honoured." Jimmy bowed, half-serious and held out his hand. She grasped it firmly and with a newfound degree of certainty, relishing the feel of his fingers intertwining with hers.
They didn't say much as they swayed together, but then again, they didn't need to. They were in perfect sync, in both body and soul. Kara breathed Jimmy in, inhaling his scent of cinnamon and the slightest hint of cologne. This wasn't the first time they shared a dance, but it felt more intimate than ever now that he seemed to know the extent of her feelings, although Kara wasn't exactly being subtle. And for all her years spent trapped on another planet without a sentient being to talk to, or any semblance of understanding human behaviour, she could tell he felt the same way about her. The timing was just never right for them. But this moment was theirs, and for now, it was enough.
Kara knew she could demolish anyone that hurt other people, who could hurt her; she could be invincible in another life, in a world where Kryptonite didn't exist. But sometimes she just wanted to be held, embraced by a pair of loving arms. For someone to comfort her even if she wasn't – couldn't—be physically vulnerable to any earthly thing. Kara leaned into Jimmy, hoping beyond hope that he would follow her lead without having to embarrass herself. Fortunately, she wasn't disappointed. He wrapped his arms around her waist, snug and secure, like she was his lifeline and he never cherished anybody more.
"I don't ever want to let go," she whispered, listening to the sound of Jimmy's heartbeat, reverberating deep and strong and true in his chest.
"Neither do I." He brushed a stray strand of hair away and tucked it behind her ear, moving to rest his head on top of hers. Kara shut her eyes as a trickle of wetness threatened to escape them. But she wasn't sad; she was serene. At peace with herself and her heart. And despite the many risks she underwent to save the world from itself, she never felt safer.
"I love you." She whispered, soft and tender as a lullaby.
"I love you too." He says back like a prayer, with all the conviction in the world.