Cat's top floor penthouse was clean with sleek lines and stark color contrasts. Kara carefully entered through the balcony's door and glanced around half expecting Cat to pop up from the shadows somewhere and ask her what she thought she was doing sneaking around her private residence. Instead, what she saw was the living room and stairs leading up to what she assumed was the master bedroom.
She swallowed thickly. Was this really a good idea? Her heart raced, and she felt weirdly nervous. Maybe this had been a bad idea? It wasn't too late for her to go back home, but, on the other hand, she was curious. What did the private bedroom of one of the most powerful women in the world look like?
Gingerly walking through the penthouse, Kara made her way up the stairs to the open door of the master bedroom and smiled as she looked in through the doorframe. It was perfectly Cat, a white and black room with bright shots of color and comfortable furniture. She stepped in and moved slowly around the room. Pictures of Carter were tastefully displayed throughout, and interspersed between those were framed articles and publications Cat was particularly proud of.
The whole room was like walking through Cat Grant's life. Carter's pictures were set in chronological order as were the publications, and, although most of Carter's photos were candid shots, it all had an oddly formal feel to it, which was very much Cat. Kara smiled fondly as she picked up the most recent picture of Carter. He had his mother's expressive eyes.
Glancing around one last time, she made her way to the master bath and finally flipped the lights on. It was the biggest bathroom she'd ever seen. A double sink lined one wall leading to a separate area for the toilet. A door leading to what was likely a closet set into another wall that it shared with a multi-head glass encased shower, and, on the far wall, was the biggest, most lavish looking sunken bathtub Kara had ever seen.
It was like looking at something out of one of Cat's home décor magazines, and Kara felt both impressed and uncertain. She really didn't belong in a place like this. Then again, that tub looked very inviting, and the bathroom was cozy feeling. It smelled like Cat, and, for some reason, that was comforting.
She dropped her bag on the counter and moved to the tub to turn on the tap. The voice in the back of her head screaming this was a bad idea was quickly fading away to leave room for the voice that said things like, "This is where she bathes," and "I bet she looks good enough to eat when she's soaking in this tub." That voice made Kara want to run, but she was doing her best to ignore it.
She opened the nearest cabinet and let out a relieved sigh to find bath salts and bubble bath stored there. Of course things would be in a logical place. This was Cat's bathroom, after all. Kara added them to the bath and breathed in deeply. It smelled like Cat always did on Monday mornings, fresh with a hint of lavender.
For a moment, Kara watched the water flow and allowed herself to not think before bending over to take off her boots. She carefully placed them in front of the double sinks before removing her cape and draping it over them. Next she pulled off her suit, laying it on the sink, and finally removed what was left leaving her standing fully nude in Cat Grant's personal bathroom in Cat Grant's private home, and Kara had a moment. This was definitely the weirdest thing she had ever done.
She glanced at herself in the large mirror behind the sinks. She knew, by human standards, she was attractive, but she had a leg up on humanity. Her body burned so many calories that it was practically impossible for her to maintain body fat, and very little to no body fat combined with the effort her muscles went through on a daily basis meant she looked well defined if not a bit muscular without much effort.
The joys of being an alien, she mused. Running her hand down her torso, she thought about how hard she'd been gut punched that day and even she had to admit that it was nothing short of miraculous that she didn't have a scratch on her.
Taking in a breath, she let it all go. That line of thinking would lead to something she wasn't ready to deal with again, so she pushed it away and made her way to the tub. Turning the tap off, she stepped into the murky, bubbly water and sank down until only her head was visible above the waterline.
This was nice. It was peaceful and warm and… safe. She felt wrapped up in Cat's presence, and she had no doubt in her mind that she would be fine here in this space.
Releasing a sigh, she closed her eyes and allowed her mind to drift. The fight flashed through it along with the tragic events at the end, but then her conversations with Cat came up, and she found herself being able to relax. Cat was right; Kara had done everything she could to save that man, and, although there would be mourning time, Kara felt able to forgive herself just a touch for not being able to do it all.
Dipping her head underneath the water, she pulled up, slicking it back and resettled to allow the quiet and peace to be her companion for the first time since Supergirl landed in National City.
Cat Grant wasn't one to share her private spaces. She preferred to be left alone when she wanted to be left alone, and she never shared. That wasn't her thing, unless it pertained to Carter, but Carter was the exception to many of her personal rules.
Needless to say, she surprised herself when she offered Supergirl a key to her place in order to invade her most private of sanctuaries and use her bathtub. Of course, she'd known she was going to do it. She'd had both her bedroom and living room's balcony doors recently rekeyed to use the same key, and she'd intentionally made an extra key.
She wasn't in such denial that she didn't realize who that key was for, but she had to admit that she thought she'd be giving it to the younger woman once they were closer. Still, there was no reason to dwell on it. What's done is done, and, now that she had Supergirl's interview up on her main site, it was time to go home. It was around 8, as predicted, by the time she arrived at her penthouse, and she walked in to find her living room's balcony doors open.
She rolled her eyes and closed them before turning to go up the stairs.
As she walked into her room, she immediately realized her bathroom light was on, and she snorted. Did this girl not leave anything the way she found it? She was going to shut the light off and head for bed when a pair of bright red boots covered in a long, flowing cape caught her eye. She breathed in quickly. Could it be that the other woman was still here? Her eyes moved up the counter to the blue and red suit that covered what looked like a small bag and then on to the tub where she found the woman in question fast asleep.
Despite herself, Cat smiled. The younger woman looked so peaceful. She almost hated to wake her up, but she couldn't stay in the tub forever. There was no reason. The guest bedroom was just down the hall. Besides, she was probably a prune by now. The thought gave Cat pause. Did Kryptonians prune in water? She supposed there was only one way to find out.
Cat quietly made her way over to the tub and found herself a bit disappointed yet relieved that the water was opaque enough to cover the other woman's body from view. She knelt down and carefully reached out to touch the younger woman's face. "Hey," she whispered tensely. She wasn't sure if this was good idea given how strong the Kryptonian was and how likely it was she might react violently in her sleep. "Supergirl, wake up."
Kara moaned in her sleep and scrunched her face up. "Don't wanna," she mumbled out, scooting around as if she were going to roll over. The feel of the cold water against her body pushed her to open her eyes, and she gasped in horror as she realized she'd fallen asleep in Cat's tub and the woman herself was now kneeling next to her trying to wake her up. "Ms. Grant!" Her eyes were wide, and she was starting to panic. What was she going to do? It's not like she could make a run for it. Wouldn't the papers love that? 'Supergirl Streaks Through the Sky…'
"Easy there, Supergirl. I don't want you making a mess in my bathroom." Cat shot her a teasing smile. "How do you feel?"
"I… I… better?" Kara honestly had no idea how she felt right now. There were hundreds of different emotions running through her head, and none of them was telling her what she should be doing. "I'm sorry I feel asleep. I didn't mean to."
"I think it's a lovely compliment, actually." Cat stood and turned to pull out a towel. "If you feel comfortable and safe enough to fall asleep in my home, then I must be doing something right." She didn't specify the something, and the younger woman didn't ask, too caught up in her turmoil of mixed emotions. Cat laid the towel near the tub and brushed herself off. "Have you eaten?"
"No," Kara replied slowly as her brain began to come back into focus. "I haven't had time yet."
"Well, then, you're eating here. I'm going to pull a few things out of my closet and then go into my bedroom to change. Did you bring something other than the suit?" At the slow shake in the negative she received, she nodded. Stepping into her closet, she came back out with a bundle of clothes in her hands. "You may borrow these. They belonged to an ex, and I usually sleep in them, but I think they'll probably fit you better than my clothes will." She set them on the counter and picked up the suit. "You're just slightly taller than I am," she commented as she held the suit up. Shaking her head, she stepped back into the closet and came out with two additional hangers. She placed the suit on one and hung it on a hook on the bedroom side of the bathroom door before picking up the cape.
"This feels different than I thought it would." She pulled the fabric closer so she could really look at it. "Is this Kryptonian fabric? I've never felt or seen anything like it."
"Yes," Kara croaked out from her spot in the tub. What was happening here? How could Cat be so nonchalant about everything while Kara was nude and in her tub? This whole thing was surreal. "My cousin gave it to me when…. When I decided to take on the family business." She cleared her throat uncomfortably. "It's made from the blankets he was wrapped in when he landed here on earth."
"Interesting," Cat replied while she carefully folded it and hung it over the hanger. She added that hanger to the other with the suit and then moved the boots to rest in her bedroom in front of her chest of drawers. "But your suit isn't made of the same thing?"
"Uh… no, and sometimes I forget that." Kara could feel herself blushing. "It can make things a little X-rated when I fight monsters that breathe fire or like to try to cut me to pieces. I don't cut to pieces, but…" She trailed off and glanced down at the water. "We're still looking for something that'll work for me," she mumbled, her cheeks burning red.
The older woman hummed. "I'm sure that's a sight," she commented dryly before reaching out to pluck a few articles of clothing from the sink. "I'm stepping out there to change and then I'm going downstairs to cook dinner. It shouldn't take long. Join me once you've dressed?"
Despite it being a request, Kara reacted to it as a demand. She couldn't help herself. She liked pleasing Cat. "Yes, Ms. Grant."
"You know, I think we've moved past that. Anyone who can sleep nude in my tub can also call me by my first name," Cat said with a smirk.
Kara glanced at her, eyes wide. "Okay… Cat."
"Good," the older woman said with a curt nod and turned to exit the room, closing the door behind her.
Kara threw her head back and moaned. What was she doing? What were they doing? What was Cat's angle? She closed her eyes, and the photos from James flashed through her mind. Maybe there wasn't actually a professional angle? Maybe this was actually personal?
She shook her head. What was she going to do?
