Chapter 2 - Sparks
Midvale - Summer 2012
The wind rustled slightly through the leaves, and birds chirped on trees. Lena looked up from her book and scanned her surrounding. Despite the number of people that had decided to take a break at the park, the place was rather peaceful. Which was something that was helping her to gain a sense of serenity that she lacked most of the time.
A calm that was quickly disrupted when someone she knew too well sat beside her, bumping into her at the same time.
Lena turned her gaze to the person who had taken place next to her on the wooden bench. "Andrea… You've been gone for a while." she said.
"I finally got the number of the hot guy I met on the street the other day!" She smiled broadly. "He even invited us to the party at the beach tonight."
Lena narrowed her eyes, "Us?"
"You need to let loose a bit, Lena. We've been here for three weeks and you still haven't gone to one party with me."
"Parties aren't my thing." Lena said, looking down at her book.
"Yeah, I know. You rather sit alone somewhere and reading a boring book about..." Andrea replied, abruptly taking the book from Lena's hands and reading the title. "The theory of the multiverse."
Lena snatched her precious book away from the careless hands of her best friend. "This is fascinating."
Andrea shrugged. "I think it's stupid. You know what would be fascinating?" She smiled widely.
"What?" Lena ran a hand through her long dark-hair.
"Creating our own virtual realities. Imagine being able to go where you want. Doing what you want, and being exactly who you wanna be. While doing all that from the safety of your couch." Andrea said with enthusiasm.
Lena frowned, rather skeptical at her best friend's idea. "Sounds a bit delusional. Nothing would be real."
"Except if there's a way to make people feel that it's really real. And I'm sure there is a way to do that. That's my goal actually."
Lena let out a laugh. "Really?"
"Yup! You're not the only one who's gonna change the world, Luthor." She smiled, poking Lena's shoulder with a finger.
"I'm far from being able to change the world right now." Lena muttered, looking down at her book.
"Don't devalue yourself. You are way smarter than anyone in the world. I'm sure you will breach the multiverse one day."
Lena looked up at her friend. "I thought it was stupid?"
"It is." Andrea said, standing up and putting a hand out to Lena. "But you're my best friend, and I will always support you."
Lena smiled slightly, taking Andrea's hand in hers and getting to her feet.
"Where do you wanna go?" Andrea asked.
"To that shop downtown I like." Lena replied.
Andrea quirked an eyebrow. "Are you sure it's only the shop that you like?"
A blush started coloring Lena's face. She cleared her throat and looked away from her best friend's piercing stare.
Andrea laughed, leading Lena by the hand as they made their way downtown.
At Danvers Baked Goods, Kara had been spending more than half of her day staring at the entrance of the shop, waiting for someone special to make their appearance. Something that didn't go unnoticed by her sister.
"Waiting for someone special to cross that door?" Alex teased with a smirk.
Kara forced herself to look away from the door and chose to look down at all the sweets that she would have eaten if her job wasn't to sell them.
"Maybe the beautiful brunette that makes you stumble over your words and with whom you constantly exchange goofy smiles with." Alex continued her teasing.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Kara said, still not looking at her sister.
"Of course, you don't." Alex chuckled. "Her name is Lena by the way."
Kara smiled, she could finally put a name on this perfect woman she was constantly thinking about since the first time she met her. She frowned, finally looking at her sister. "How do you know?"
"Her friend, Andrea has befriended a lot of people around here recently." Alex stepped closer. "You like her, do you?" she whispered.
"I don't even know her." Kara sighed.
"That's not what I asked."
Kara browsed quickly the shop to check that it was empty. "I don't know. She makes me feel stuff I've never felt before. Looking at her leaves me speechless, and I always have those weird flutters in my chest every time I lay my eyes on her."
"So, you do like her." Alex stated.
"Doesn't matter." Kara shook slightly her head. "She's way out of my league."
Alex frowned. "Why?"
Kara took a sharp intake of air, and didn't hear the door swinging open. "Well, for starters she's..."
"Here." Alex said.
Kara's eyes widened, and her entire body froze for a moment. "What?"
"Relax," Alex whispered.
Kara swallowed thickly, and turned very slowly to the customers that had entered the shop.
"Hello!" Kara said a bit too cheerful. "What can we do for you?"
Alex snorted and stifled a laugh as she stepped away, but Kara was too hypnotized by the dark-haired beauty that was making her way to the counter to worry about what her sister could think of the strongest crush she had ever had on anyone.
"Hi," Lena smiled brightly.
Kara's heart melted at the sight of that smile that made her pulse quicken.
Andrea cleared slightly her throat. "I, um, I will look around for a bit." she said, stepping away.
In a silence that didn't feel uncomfortable at all, the two young women stared at each other with a beaming smile on their faces.
How can someone be so beautiful? That was the question that couldn't stop echoing in Kara's mind as her gaze was captivated by the woman in front her. Her hair seems so smooth. Her eyes are so green. Her dimples are so cute. Her lips look so soft. I want to kiss her so bad. Gosh, Kara, stop!
Kara forced herself to break the silence, she cleared her throat, and pushed her glasses better onto her nose. "So, um, wha-what can I do for you today?"
Her smile not fading, Lena looked down at the sweets displayed in front of her. "I, uh, I wondered if I could have some of those cookies with vanilla frosting."
Kara fiddled with her glasses. "Anything for you." She beamed before internally cursing herself. "I… I mean, o-of course. How many?"
"Four."
"I'll be right back." Kara smiled, feeling her face flush.
Lena gave Kara a beaming smile and her emerald eyes twinkled in a way that made the blonde weak on her knees.
Trying not to embarrass herself any further, Kara quickly put four cookies into a white box.
As Lena was about to reach into her purse, Kara stopped her kindly. "It's on the house." She grinned, handing Lena the box over the counter.
An adorable blush made its way to Lena's cheeks. "Oh, um, thank you." She smiled, taking the box.
Their fingers brushed slightly in the action, sending a jolt of electricity through both of them.
Feeling suddenly very warm, Kara cleared her throat and stepped away. "Have a good day."
"You too." Lena beamed which caused Kara's heart to melt and flutter at the same time as her legs weakened slightly.
Andrea strolled closer to them. "You good, babe?" She smirked, taking Lena's hand in hers.
Kara's look hardened. She stiffened and swallowed thickly, feeling as if a knife had been plunged and twisted deep into her heart. Her breath hitched, and she felt as if she was suffocating.
That's not her friend. That's her girlfriend, she concluded as a lump made its way into her throat while she watched the two women leaving the shop with their hands linked.
Alex made her way over to her sister. "Kara, I know you have a huge crush on that girl, but you really gotta stop giving her free stuff. Seriously, Aunt Mary is going to..." She stopped in her track when she saw Kara's glistening eyes. "Kara?"
"I need to take a break."
Alex stepped closer to her sister and put a hand on her shoulder. "You okay?"
"I need to breathe outside."
Alex squeezed softly her sister shoulder. "Take all the time you need. I can handle everything here."
"Thank you," Kara smiled grateful.
Swiftly, Kara yanked off her blue apron and rushed outside to the backyard of the shop. She squeezed her eyes shut and exhaled heavily before leaning against the stone wall.
When she felt sure that her tears wouldn't spill out, Kara opened her eyes. She never had a real deep crush on anyone before Lena walked into the shop, and the least she could say was that she had never been prepared for how much it could hurt to see the one she was falling for with someone else.
"Get a grip on your feelings, Kara. You don't even know her." she said out loud, hoping that the logic of her brain would overtake the strength of the feelings that swirled in her heart.
"What the hell was that?" Lena asked.
"What?" Andrea shrugged nonchalantly.
"You calling me babe and taking my hand in a way that made us look more than friends?"
"Oh, that?" Andrea smirked. "I wanted to see if Miss Ponytail would've been jealous. And she totally was."
Lena shook slightly her head. "No, she wasn't."
"Are you kidding? If she could shoot laser beams with her eyes, I would've been burned in one second. Which would've been a such bummer 'cause I didn't get the chance to make out with my summer crush yet. And you need to make out with yours."
Lena shook slightly her head and looked down at the ground.
Andrea stepped closer to Lena and lifted her chin with her fingers. "Lena, for the sake of your happiness, and the sake of my mental health, ask this girl out."
"What makes you think I have a crush on her?"
"Well, for starters, you've been going to that shop every day since we're here. You almost cried the day she wasn't there. And she makes you blush. No one's ever made you blush before. No one's ever made smile so wide either."
"What makes you think she's even interested in me that way?"
"Out of her obvious jealousy every time I touch you. I'd say that the fact that she has never made you pay for anything is a pretty good clue."
Lena let out a laugh, knowing that her best friend was kind of right. But that didn't mean she felt brave enough to ask out someone she didn't even know. Lena wasn't used to ask anyone out. She never needed to, because she was always asked out first.
"You know you're gonna regret this if you don't do it." Andrea said, taking Lena out of her thoughts.
Lena sighed, knowing again that Andrea was right.
"You should invite her to the party at the beach tonight. You will have someone to keep you company, and I won't have to feel guilty for not spending time with you."
"How am I supposed to do that?"
"Easy. You turn your brain off, stop thinking, walk in there." she said, pointing at the doors of the shop. "And ask her if she wants to hang out with you tonight. Which she totally does, trust me."
Lena took a deep a breath. "Hold this." she said, handing the white box to her friend.
She straightened her shoulders and spun on her heels, tightening her grip on her purse as she made her way back to the shop.
Kara was still in the backyard of the shop when her super-hearing picked up the sounds of footsteps and heartbeat she had become familiar with these last weeks. Even though her brain was telling her not to get too close to Lena, her heart was stronger than her logic and made her unable to keep her distance.
Quickly she walked into the shop, and found Lena who looked even more breathtaking than she did fifteen minutes ago.
"Are you all right?" Kara asked, stepping closer to her. "Is there something wrong with your order?"
Lena shook slightly her head. "No, I, um... I'm here to see you actually." she said before tugging her bottom lip between her teeth and biting it slightly.
Kara's eyes widened in surprise. "You are?" She smiled.
Lena nodded as a slight blush spread on her face. "I wanted to talk to you, to ask you something." she said, giving a quick glance at Alex who was close to them.
Alex walked past them, she smirked slightly at her sister before making her exit and letting the two women in private.
Lena's blush deepened. She cleared her throat. "I, um... Are you free tonight?"
Is she about to ask me out? No, that's not possible, Kara. Be realistic. "Yeah," she breathed out.
Lena beamed and Kara could have sworn that she almost felt her heart beating out of her chest at this sight. Gosh, why is she so beautiful?
Why is her heart beating so fast? Kara silently asked herself with worry as she listened carefully Lena's heartbeat.
Lena nibbled slightly at her lips. She swallowed thickly and cleared her throat. "There's a party at the beach apparently tonight, and I... I wondered if you'd like to go with me, to hang out, getting to know each other..."
Kara's heart sped up. Don't squeal in delight Kara, not yet. She tried to calm herself down but couldn't stop the silly grin that made its way over her face. "Like a date?"
Lena breathed out in relief. "Yeah. Like a date. If you like. I understand that it might sound weird because we don't really know each other but I, um... I was hoping we could change that."
Kara's smile broadened. "I'd love that."
Lena's eyes widened in surprise. "Really?" She smiled.
Kara nodded. "Yeah. But I thought you had a girlfriend."
Lena frowned. "What?"
"The girl who's with you almost every time you come here?"
Lena let out a chuckle."No, Andrea's not my girlfriend. Not at all."
"Good." Kara nodded at bit too eagerly. "I mean, um, I'd love to go out with you."
"Good," Lena beamed.
"I finish work at 7 o'clock."
"I'll come pick you up here then." she said with a smile. "My name is Lena by the way."
"I know." Kara responded quickly. "I mean, I heard your friend call you the other day." She cleared her throat. "I'm Kara. Kara Danvers" she said, sticking out her arm to Lena.
Lena's smile widened as she put her arm out as well to take Kara's hand in hers and shaking it slightly, feeling her heart flutter. "Nice to meet you, Kara Danvers."
Kara felt shivers run up and down her spine at the contact of Lena's hand in hers. "Likewise, Lena... um, I don't think I got your last name."
Lena glanced down as she slowly let go of Kara's hand. She looked up. "I'd like to keep a bit of mystery for now if you don't mind."
"I don't mind at all." Kara smiled fondly.
"Thank you," Lena smiled. "See you tonight?"
"I wouldn't miss it for the world." Kara grinned from ear-to-ear.
Lena gave Kara another beaming that made Kara's heart flutter and melt at the same time.
Kara smiled back at her before Lena gracefully walked out of the store.
"Oh, Rao." Kara breathed out, still with that silly grin that wasn't fading.
"See, she's not out of your league." Alex said, stepping closer to her sister.
Kara beamed. "Pinch me. I'd like to make sure it's not a dream."
"I could punch you in the face that it wouldn't even make you flinch, Kara."
"Gosh! What am I gonna wear?" Kara asked herself, suddenly panicked. "I need to go home to pick something now!"
Alex couldn't help but laugh.
At the beach of Midvale, a lot of people were gathered, music played in the background. But under the night sky of this summer day, Kara Danvers and Lena Luthor only had eyes for each other.
Kara was completely hypnotized by Lena, and had been awestruck from the moment she came to pick her up at the store. As she was spending time with her, Kara realized that it wasn't only Lena's beauty that made her speechless. Kara felt as if there was a special light that was shining through Lena. Something that made her feel safe and warm. Something that made her feel that there was no one she would rather be with. Nowhere she wished she could be. For the first time in a long time, everything felt right in the world.
Lena on her side, hadn't stopped smiling since Kara had accepted to go out with her. She wasn't sure why, but with Kara, Lena knew she was safe. Although she barely knew her, she felt that Kara was someone with whom she could quickly let her guard down, and for the first time in her life, Lena wasn't bothered by that fact.
They talked easily with each other. Lena learned that Kara had grown up in Midvale and was working at her aunt's shop with her sister like they did every summer. Otherwise, Kara lived and studied in National City. Lena felt an ache in her heart when she realized that no matter what could eventually happen between them, they would inevitably have to part at the end of the summer. But for now, she refused to linger on that and focused on the moment.
Kara was amazed, but not really surprised when Lena told her that she was a student of the MIT. Although, Lena didn't seem comfortable to talk about her past or her family, and always redirected the conversation when it deviated to those topics, Kara felt that she could trust her.
"If you don't mind me asking," Kara started, "Why choosing to go here for the summer? I'm sure there's more interesting place to visit that a little town most people don't know about."
Lena let out a laugh. "I didn't really choose it actually."
Kara furrowed her brow.
Lena smiled. "Let's just say that I had a rough crazy stressful year, so Andrea suggested that I go to a small simple place to take my mind off everything for a while. So, I took a map, and I closed my eyes to point at somewhere on the map, and it led me here."
Kara chuckled softly as she shifted closer to her. "Well, I am very grateful that you're here." She beamed, taking Lena's hand in hers. "I'm sorry you had to go through a hard year though."
Lena looked down at their joined hands. She smiled, and for the first time in a while, her heart felt light and happy. She was peaceful, and didn't want to it to end. She looked up and gazed deeply into Kara's eyes. "Being here with you really make up for that." she said, stroking softly her thumb over the back of Kara's hand.
Kara's breath hitched. This sentence affected her more than she wanted to admit it. And somehow, with all the things she went through in her life, she related to that as well. Lena's smile didn't fade as she gazed at her in a manner no one had ever looked at her. In a way that made Kara want to reveal her secret. Even though she knew that telling it to someone could put her in danger, the same way it could put everyone she loved in danger. But somehow and without being able to explain why, she felt that Lena could be trusted with this. But the trust she had in Lena didn't spare Kara from feeling scared to reveal that she was an alien. Because she didn't want to risk that Lena might be afraid of her or could look at her differently.
"Lena, I..." Her voice got caught in her throat.
Lena slowly slid up her free hand to Kara's cheek and gazed at her fondly. "What is it?"
Not able to say the words she wanted to say, Kara swallowed thickly. She smiled and leaned into Lena's palm. She closed her eyes, basking into the softness of the hand that caressed her cheek.
Lena's heart fluttered as she admired each one of Kara's features. Kara Danvers was without a doubt the most beautiful person she had ever laid her eyes upon. That made Lena wonder how someone so magnificent could be on Earth. She lowered her gaze to Kara's lips, and never in her life she had felt a such strong desire to kiss someone. She wouldn't do anything before being absolutely certain that Kara wanted the same thing though.
Kara opened her eyes and locked her gaze with Lena's. Her smile widened. She looked down to Lena's lips, and tugged her own lips between her teeth as her breathing quickened.
Lena felt every fiber in her being melt at the effect she had on Kara. The way the blonde looked and smiled at her made her understand that Kara wanted to kiss her just as much as she did.
Slowly, Lena shifted closer to Kara and started leaning in with the intention to connect their lips in a soft kiss.
Their noses barely brushed together that Kara's heart sped up when she started to be overwhelmed by what was happening. She wanted to kiss Lena more than any words could have expressed it. But as the tip of her nose touched slightly Lena's, she remembered what happened the last time she tried to be that close to someone. If the last time she had been mortified, she was certain that this time she would be shattered inside if her super-strength that she still sometimes struggled to have control over caused her to hurt the woman she was slowly falling for.
Kara swallowed thickly and delicately stepped away from Lena. Their hands were still joined though, and Kara focused on that contact that felt so right, and looked down to stare at their hands.
"I'm sorry, Kara." Lena said.
Kara looked up, her gaze meeting Lena's green eyes that were slightly glistening. "For what?"
"I thought you were... I thought we were... I mean, I misread the cue. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable, that was not my intention." Lena said, stepping away from Kara and letting go of her hand.
Kara choked back her tears, and swallowed the lump in her throat. She already missed Lena's warmth. "It's not you, Lena. I just... I'm... It's... I mean." I'm an alien, and I'm afraid of hurting you, that was the sentence that Kara wanted to come out of her mouth, but the more she was trying to say it, the more she stammered and stumbled on her words.
"You don't have to explain yourself. It's fine. I should go though." Lena said, already walking away.
"Lena," Kara whispered.
Lena turned around to face Kara and smiled slightly. "Thank you for tonight. I really enjoyed spending time with you." she said before rushing away from Kara.
"Me too," Kara breathed out but Lena was already gone.
Kara sighed and did her best to keep her tears at bay as she internally cursed herself for not having been brave enough to tell Lena the truth and causing a such terrible ending to a date that had been the most perfect she ever had with the most wonderful human being she had ever met.