"What's love got to do with it, got to do with it?"
Kara had always enjoyed singing in the shower, ever since she was a kid. The little shower speaker that Lena had professionally affixed to the shower wall made all the difference, giving Kara the backup she needed to properly hold her daily mini-concerts. Not only that, but Lena's shower was nice and spacious, providing her with amazing acoustics.
"What's love but a second hand emotion?"
Kara reached for the shampoo as she sung, pressing down on the lid so that the spout opened up. After squirting some of the floral scented liquid in her hand, she placed the bottle back down and began to rub her hands together.
"What's love got to do with it, got to do with it?"
Kara ran her fingers through her hair, working the shampoo through her damp tresses. Small suds quickly began to form as she worked at distributing them evenly throughout her hair while enjoying the way it smelled. Kara had never heard of the brand of hair products Lena stocked her bathroom with, but they were heavenly.
"Who needs a heart if a heart can be broken?"
Kara's hands lowered, one wrapping around an imaginary microphone as she belted out that particular lyric, fully engrossed in the song.
It was at that moment her ears picked up a small chuckle, ripping her out of her reverie and swiftly bringing her back to the present.
A small gasp left her lips as she focused her hearing. Kara could tell that Lena was standing right outside of the shower. The song continued playing as Kara's cheeks turned bright red, embarrassment settling in as she realized that Lena had been privy to her private concert.
"Don't stop on my account," Lena said, another chuckle lacing its way through her words as she spoke.
Kara reached up and turned the volume down on the shower speaker before working up the courage to see what Lena was in there for.
Pulling the luxurious emerald green curtain aside slightly, Kara peeked her head out. She was quite a sight, with her sudsy hair sitting atop her head in a haphazardly formed bun held there purely by shampoo that she hadn't had the chance to rinse out yet.
Lena, on the other hand, was the epitome of perfection even though it wasn't even seven o'clock in the morning yet. Standing there in her steel gray satin pajamas, she had one arm resting across her body, her hand holding onto her elbow, propping that arm up. In her other hand was a toothbrush, leading Kara to wonder how long exactly Lena had been there.
A sheepish smile found Kara's lips as she looked at the woman in front of her, who was clearly very amused.
Curiosity getting the best of her, Kara asked, "Soooo… how long have you been standing there?"
Lena's shoulders shrugged. A grin was on her lips. "Not too long. Definitely not long enough. You have a beautiful voice."
Kara wasn't sure how it was possible, but she was certain she felt her cheeks get even redder. Between the heat from the shower and the way Lena made her feel, Kara wouldn't find it surprising if she were to pass out at any moment. Apparently Kryptonite wasn't the only thing that made her weak in the knees.
"I'll let you get back to it in a second, but… I have a question for you."
Kara's brow furrowed. She wondered what Lena could possibly have to ask her. "Yes?"
Lena's hand tipped forward slightly, the toothbrush pointing in Kara's direction. "Can you get me a meeting with Supergirl today?"
Kara blinked, surprised at the request. It wasn't the first time Lena had reached out to her for such a thing, but it didn't stop her from wondering what could have prompted the inquiry.
Taking a second to consider Lena's request, Kara quickly came to the realization that anything Lena wanted, she would make happen, regardless of the reasoning behind it.
Kara nodded. "I should be able to make that happen, but…probably not until later on in the day, if that's okay with you." Kara had a shift to get through at CatCo and since she was unsure how long this chat with Lena was going to take, she didn't want to head over there until she was obligation free.
"That's perfect, anytime works for me." Lena's head tilted, some of the hair tucked behind her ear coming loose and brushing against her cheek. It looked so soft and silky. Kara just wanted to touch it and was suddenly very disappointed that she was currently a wet, soapy mess.
That thought didn't last too long though. How she felt was pre-empted by the look Lena suddenly leveled at her. Although a grin still lingered on the brunette's lips, there was a look to her eyes that caught Kara off guard.
"I know that Supergirl has a very busy schedule and I am certainly okay with her fitting me in as she can."
There it was again. That feeling that Lena could see into her soul. But there was no way she could have known that Kara was indeed Supergirl. After all, she had been very careful to conceal that fact.
"Okay, I'll let her know," Kara promised, feeling slightly guilty as she made the assurance. There was a part of her that hated keeping anything from Lena but that part was at war with the voice in Kara's head that sounded distinctly like her sister Alex, warning her that she had to start being more careful with who she told about her other identity.
It wasn't so much that thought that kept Kara from telling Lena, but more so not wanting to put undue stress on her. If Lena knew what she did in her free time, then it would probably cause her to worry. Also, that knowledge could potentially put Lena at risk, which is the absolute last thing Kara wanted. It was better for all parties involved if that particular fact remained a secret. For now, at least.
"Thank you."
Lena's arms lowered. Reaching forward, she slipped her toothbrush back into its holder before walking over towards Kara.
Kara squirmed slightly, suddenly nervous. What was Lena doing? Was she about to get in? That idea was equally exhilarating and nerve-wracking. They hadn't even been out to a proper dinner yet and they were about to share a shower?
Except, they weren't. Lena stopped right in front of Kara, reaching up to cup one of her damp, warm cheeks. Leaning in, she kissed her.
After pulling her lips from Kara's, Lena whispered, "You're the best."
Leaving the blonde in a kiss-induced haze, Lena walked away, pausing at the threshold of the bathroom before exiting to turn and tell her, "You know, you could probably give Beyoncé a run for her money."
With a wink, Lena exited, leaving Kara with a goofy grin on her face.
Suddenly remembering that her hair was still full of shampoo, Kara ducked back under the flow of the water, wanting to finish up before it became cold.
~ooooooo~
"Kira!"
Kara's head snapped towards the sound of the voice, her eyes settling onto Cat Grant standing several feet away.
Unsure that she had heard Cat correctly, Kara pointed to herself and mouthed the word, "Me?"
Cat huffed. "Is there another Kira working here that I am unaware of? Chop chop." Her hands clapped together with each 'chop' before she turned on her heel, heading down back towards her office.
Kara hurried to get up from her desk and follow Cat, almost tripping over her own feet as she stumbled to catch up.
Hands brushing at her skirt, Kara smoothed it out as she walked into Cat's office right on the other woman's heels. There was a slight grumbling coming from Cat as they moved, which Kara's ears were able to pick up on easily.
"Have to go around, fetching my own employees, all because Yale has a horrendous vetting process and decided that Miss Teschmacher deserved to graduate."
Taking a deep, calming breath, Cat walked around her desk and lowered into her seat. Waving for Kara to sit as well, she pulled open a drawer to her right and pulled out a manila folder.
"Come on, sit Kira, there's something I need to discuss with you."
Sitting down into a seat across from the head of CatCo, Kara reached up and fidgeted with her glasses, adjusting them. Whatever this was, it didn't appear to be good.
Cat slid the folder across the expanse of her desk before sitting back. Her hands rested against the desk, fingers lacing together as she watched Kara stare at the folder.
"Go on, Kira, open it."
Completely baffled as to what the folder's contents could possibly be, Kara reached forward, sliding it the rest of the way before lifting it open.
A deep crease settled into Kara's forehead as she took in the sight before her. At the top of a stack of photographs was a picture of her and Lena from the previous night, sitting down on a bench with their apple cider. Picking the photos up, she began to sift through them one by one, watching the slow progression of one of the kisses they had shared that night. Kara's head was shaking as disbelief settled in.
Looking up, she locked eyes with a serious looking Cat Grant.
"How is this even possible?" Kara asked, her voice hardly above a whisper.
"It's 2017, Kara," she replied, using Kara's proper name for once. "There are cameras everywhere, all the time. With smartphones nowadays, everyone fancies themselves to be a paparazzo." Cat sighed, a hint of sympathy sneaking its way onto her otherwise calm, cool, and collected expression. "I would love to tell you who exactly snapped these, but they weren't ballsy enough to attach their name to the email I received first thing this morning."
Kara's head was still shaking as she struggled to process what this meant. Regardless, it felt like a complete invasion of her privacy.
"They… I…" Kara paused, taking a second to collect her thoughts. "We're just…" The word 'friends' got stuck in her throat. It felt like a lie, calling them friends. Kara wasn't sure what she and Lena were exactly, but what was happening between them didn't feel like friendship.
Even though she had no intentions of finishing that sentence, Cat Grant held a hand up.
"Do not even try and lie to me, Kira. No one has successfully lied to me since at least 2005."
Kara thought back to the time her and J'onn had worked together to convince Cat that she wasn't Supergirl, but she wasn't about to use that as a way to disprove Cat's statement.
"Now, I don't care that you two are dating, but…"
"We're not dating," Kara quickly corrected, hit by a sort of sadness over that fact. They really weren't dating or were anything official. Although it was disappointing to admit to that, Kara had felt it necessary to correct Cat. It felt wrong to claim to be Lena's girlfriend when she hadn't yet officially received that honor.
Cat's eyes rolled dramatically. "Riiight. Do you think I was born yesterday?"
Kara opened her mouth to proclaim she was being honest, but Cat held her hand up again, silencing her.
"Look, if you really aren't dating, you should be." Gesturing toward the photographs in Kara's hand, she continued. "I've only ever seen that dopey looking smile on your face before on Free Donut Day at the office. It's clear how you feel about her. Plus, the world would only benefit from two strong, independent women such as yourselves joining forces."
Kara looked at Cat, thoroughly surprised by her reaction. "You…don't care that she's a Luthor?"
Cat snorted. "Kira dear, it's not the fact that she's a Luthor that scares most people. It's the fact that she's a woman who isn't afraid to speak her mind and has brilliant instincts and ideas. That is what frightens people. It has nothing to do with her last name."
Kara remained quiet, considering that statement. Cat had a way of putting things into perspective for her. Although she knew that the concerns that Alex had about Lena had nothing to do with her gender, it was altogether possible that was a factor for other people.
Almost as if she could hear Kara's inner monologue, Cat continued. "Trust me, if Lex had a brother instead of a sister, nobody would bat an eye at the dealings of L-Corp."
Kara nodded, looking down at the photographs. Although she was certain to get flak from her friends and family over who she was associating with, deep down Kara didn't mind if the world knew her and Lena were getting close. However, she couldn't help but wonder if Lena would be bothered.
"I'm not going to publish them," Cat said suddenly, shifting gears.
"No?" Kara asked, genuinely surprised. "But…aren't you worried about getting scooped?"
Cat's head shook. "I find it to be decidedly uncouth to publish gossipy photos of one of my favorite reporters. I'm not doing anything with these other than deleting the attachment once we're done here. I simply wanted you to be aware of these because, while I am not publishing them, it's very possible that somebody else will."
Kara nodded, setting the photographs back down and closing up the folder. She moved to slide it back to Cat, but the woman shook her head again.
"You keep those. I'm guessing they're your first photographs as a couple."
Kara sighed, a small smile settling onto her lips.
Cat reached over and grabbed her glasses, putting them on. Taking out a pen, she slid a stack of papers towards herself and began to look them over. Halfway down the first page, she seemed to suddenly realize that Kara was still there. Looking up at her, she said simply, "Aren't we done here?"
"Yes," Kara said quickly, moving to stand. "Thank you for everything, Miss Grant." She grabbed the folder filled with photographs and went to leave the office, only stopping momentarily at the sound of Cat's voice.
"You know, life is short. If you want the girl, go get the girl."
~ooooooo~
On the flight over to L-Corp, Kara found herself replaying her earlier conversation with Cat Grant over and over. In particular, she found herself focusing on Cat's parting words to her.
"If you want the girl, go get the girl."
It sounded so easy when put that way and yet, the idea of asking Lena out officially made Kara more nervous than she ever remembered being before. Even facing Myriad had been less intimidating than the idea of asking out Lena Luthor.
But she didn't have to worry about that at the moment. Right now she wasn't Kara Danvers, the burgeoning CatCo reporter who was harboring the biggest crush on the girl whose bed she was currently sharing at night. Right now she was Supergirl, hero of National City.
Gently landing on the balcony she knew was attached to Lena's office, Kara was unsurprised to find that the glass doors were open.
Heading inside, she found the object of her affection currently seated on the couch, appearing to be deep in thought.
When she spotted Supergirl, a smile found Lena's lips.
"You came."
Kara nodded. "Of course. Kara Danvers told me you wanted to see me?"
Lena's hand slid out to the side, patting the space on the couch next to her. "Come and sit, I won't take up too much of your time. Promise."
Kara hesitated before joining Lena. The closer she got to her, the more exposed she felt. Since she was trying to keep her identity from Lena, it felt safer to stay further away.
But she couldn't seem to say no to Lena.
Walking forward, Kara took the seat adjacent to Lena, leaving more space in between them than she would have normally.
Looking over at Lena she asked, "Is everything okay?"
Lena nodded. "It is. I simply have a…favor to ask of you. One that I hope you aren't hesitant to help me out with."
Kara remained silent. Concern found her bright blue eyes as she waited to hear what Lena wanted to ask of her.
"I wanted to ask you to speak to Kara about something for me…" Lena trailed off, one leg crossing over the other as she shifted so that she was angled more towards Kara.
"Okay, so, as you know Kara Danvers is a brave woman. Not only that, but she's so…caring and compassionate. Always worried about those around her, but never worried about herself. You see, I need her to worry about herself sometimes."
Kara remained still, trying to keep a straight face even though on the inside she was melting.
"Kara's worried about me, but I'm not. I'm worried about her. I'm doing everything I can to ensure she's safe with me when we're together, but… Unfortunately, I can't always have her with me, as much as I would like to."
'Do not blush, do not blush…' Kara chanted in her head, hoping her face wasn't giving away how she was feeling at that moment.
Lena's hand reached out, settling on Kara's knee. Kara felt her breath catch in her throat.
"I figured that, while I'm sure she would listen to me, that…perhaps she would especially listen to you, with you being Supergirl and all."
Their eyes met and Kara swore for a second that Lena knew exactly who she was.
The feeling passed and Lena's hand moved, allowing Kara to breathe again.
"I can definitely pass along that message," she assured Lena, nodding and moving to stand. If she didn't get out of there soon, Kara was certain that she was going to accidentally blow her cover.
Lena stood as well.
Kara couldn't help herself. Standing there across from Lena, her protective side was screaming to be heard. "You know that it's very important that you stay safe, too, right?"
A slight grin found Lena's lips. "With all of the people you have to worry about, I'm surprised Supergirl has the time to worry about me."
"Oh, well… I… I care about all the residents of National City, yourself included. Plus…I have it on good authority that Kara would be devastated if anything happened to you."
The grin remained on Lena's lips, but she remained silent. Kara again told herself that it was time to get out of there.
"I…should get going."
"Yeah," Lena said simply, her gaze remaining locked onto Kara's as she spoke. "All of those residents of National City are counting on you to keep them safe."
Kara nodded, but before she turned to leave, one of her mantras from the day popped into her head.
"If you want the girl, go get the girl."
Before she could stop and think about what she was doing, a statement tumbled from her lips.
"By the way, Kara told me she has something to ask you later."
Shit.
Lena's brows lifted almost imperceptibly, the grin on her lips spreading as she mulled over what Supergirl had just proclaimed.
"Oh, really? I'll be sure to ask her what that is."
Before she could put her foot any farther into her mouth, Kara gave Lena a small wave and ducked out onto the balcony, flying off into the night sky.
"What did you just do Kara?" she murmured, so distracted by her own actions that she almost flew head first into a passing pigeon.
It was too late to take it back now. The most pressing question she had for Lena was going to have to be asked that night.
