Cat didn't look up when Kara entered the apartment. And for a moment, Kara forgot all the weight she had been carrying from her altercation with Alex. Forgot everything but what she was currently seeing. Cat Grant, her cat-eye glasses on, sitting at the kitchen table with a sewing machine going, holding sewing pins in her mouth as she frowned in concentration. Kara couldn't help but let out a bubble of laughter, and Cat looked up, giving her a mock-glare.
"What? You didn't know I had sewing skills?" she looked back down at the thing she was sewing. "I used to make all my clothes, back in the day. It's like learning short-hand: no amount of whisky or schmoozing with dead-eyed glitterati will kill it."
Kara took it all in then, the material being stitched together was red and blue, and there were reams of it all over the table, on the floor near Cat's feet. Strings and scraps in Cat's hair.
"Oh, Cat…" she felt all her emotions welling up, all the hurt and tension. She let out a sob. Cat immediately stopped sewing, her eyes widened.
"I shouldn't have…assumed…" she said, looking instantly apologetic.
"No…it's…" Kara swallowed, trying not to cry harder. "Wonderful."
She felt Cat's arms as they wrapped around her, Cat's breath hot against her cheek.
"What happened?"
Kara managed to calm her breathing, pulling back. She shrugged at Cat's concerned expression.
"Alex."
Cat let out a slow breath.
"What did she say?" Kara knew that tone of voice so well, the softness that barely contained the underlying rage.
"It's ok."
"No, no it's not ok," Cat said, her tone growing a little shrill. "You're sobbing at the sight of a sewing machine, Kara. That is not ok."
"I guess she's still mad."
"I never knew someone who could be so pissed off at being alive," Cat said. "Well, maybe my mother. But her resentment extends to the world at large."
"She's being protective, that's all."
"No. No Kara, that is most definitely not all. What did she say to you?"
"I don't…" Kara let out a ragged breath. "Do I have to talk about it?"
Cat seemed to deflate suddenly, all the anger leaving her as she took in Kara's plea.
"Of course not," her voice was soft. "I shouldn't have—what?"
Kara was smiling at her, finally taking in the full sight of Cat.
"You have…" Kara reached up and pulled some stray threads from Cat's hair. Cat rolled her eyes.
"I may have gotten a little too…" she cleared her throat. "Enthusiastic."
Kara's attention was drawn again to the piles of material, and the project Cat had going on the table.
"You're…making me a suit."
Cat seemed to collect herself a little, as if afraid Kara might rebuff her efforts. She marched over to free the mostly-stitched garment and brought it over for Kara's inspection.
"Now, this is only a prototype, ok? Obviously you can tell me you hate it, and I can start over…"
"It looks amazing."
"Really? I mean….you're sure?"
Cat's eyes were wide as saucers, she looked so purely happy. Kara let out a laugh and pulled her into a kiss.
"Oh Rao, If everybody knew how cute you could be…"
Cat frowned, and muttered, her breath hot against Kara's shoulder.
"I'm not cute."
Kara raised her eyebrows.
"Adorable?"
Cat seemed to be considering it.
"It's better." She gave Kara a sly look then. "I prefer sexy though."
Kara let out a giggle, and laughed harder when she saw Cat pretending to be annoyed. She kissed her more fully then, drawing it out until she left Cat breathless.
"I've never known anyone this prone to giggling."
"You love it," Kara said. And Cat's answering smile didn't contradict her.
"Can I ask? Who is Rao?" Cat said, after a moment. Kara grinned widely then.
"Oh! Oh wow," she felt positively giddy. "I get to tell you all the things now. Oh this is awesome!"
"Rao is…"
"It's our sun," Kara said, before she slowed her enthusiasm a little, as she realized what she'd have to explain. "I mean, was. It was Krypton's sun."
"It's…gone?"
"Well, you know…" Kara sighed. "The reason they sent me here. The reason they sent my cousin and I to Earth."
"Yes," Cat's voice cracked a little. "Do you…remember much?"
"I was twelve," Kara said. "Sometimes I will smell something, or see something that just…it shouldn't bring everything back. But it does."
Cat was listening intently, almost reverently. Kara blinked a little, staring up at the ceiling, as if that might make the picture clearer. It didn't.
"Like, there's a certain light that hits the city sometimes, when everything's asleep. When the buildings are lit up from all the street lights and signs," she sighed. "There's this…glow. This pale, almost blue, light. I know it can't be the same. Can't truly be what I remember from the end. But for a moment, I'm back there. I can see Argo City in my mind's eye. Can hear the sound of the markets, the music filtering up to my bedroom. It's like…I think maybe if I turn my head quickly enough, I'll catch it—it will really be there. Somehow. That I will be. But then the moment is gone and everything…is as it always was."
"I'm…." Cat's eyes were glassy, her arms crossed against herself. "I'm so sorry, Kara."
"I also remember running, playing. Getting into trouble. The way my mother braided my hair. I remember learning the names of the plants, of the stars. Learning Kryptonian poetry. I'm glad I remember, Cat. My cousin? Rao help him, he doesn't even know what he's lost."
Cat furrowed her brow a little.
"You're…older than Superman?" she squinted. "But…I mean…how exactly?"
"Long story," Kara sighed. "Kal-El was only a baby. The explosion from…from my planet dying. It knocked me off course. I took too long, I mean I shouldn't have…But my cousin, he stayed on course. Got to Earth. I didn't."
"I still…I don't understand."
"I don't remember it. My pod, it got stuck in this place known as The Phantom Zone. It's like being trapped in one second, in one moment. There's nothing. No time, no existence. I don't even know how I broke free. I was there for nineteen years."
"Jesus Christ."
Kara smiled, then. Shrugging all of that off, pushing it into the background as best as she could.
"I really wanted to be telling you the funny stories—like when I reprogrammed our service robot to hover upside down and speak backwards. Or the time I embarrassed a foreign dignitary by farting at the dinner table. And ok, before you ask, not my fault—ceremonial dinners always had way too rich food."
"Kara," Cat said, unable to hide her smile. Her eyes were warm, full of affection. "I don't only want to hear the good things. I want to know. Anything you want to share, I want to know. If it's about you."
Kara felt like her voice might fail her, but she smiled.
"Thank you."
After a moment, she nodded towards the suit still gripped in Cat's hands.
"Hey, should I try it on?"
Cat bit her lip, shrugged.
"Well, we do have to see if it fits."
"Uh-huh," Kara walked towards her, taking the suit off her, letting their fingers brush. "And going all the way to the bedroom to change…bit of a waste of time."
"Mmmm," Cat said. "I have already seen you naked."
Kara gave her a sly look, but she held the suit up for a moment, having a thought. She used her super-speed to change into it. Cat stared at her, open-mouthed. But Kara was frowning at the seam in her shoulder.
"I…tore it."
"I don't know whether to be annoyed or turned on or…amazed…or…" Cat ran her eyes down Kara's body, clothed in the suit she had made. The skirt needed work. She needed to find something to cover those bare feet. And something, just over…
"You're not being very subtle, sweetheart."
"I'm not looking-looking," Cat said. At Kara's expression she rolled her eyes. "Ok, I am. But I'm also thinking…maybe a certain symbol? Over your chest."
"I like that." Kara said. "And a cape?"
"Of course. We have to respect the form, after all," Cat said. "I wish I could find stronger material, stronger thread."
"It fits," Kara said, doing a little spin in a circle, her arms out like she was playing helicopter. "I like it."
Cat laughed and Kara heard her mutter Millennial Puppy. But Cat was licking her lips, and the look in Cat's eyes took Kara's breath away. She started peeling the suit down, slowly, so as not to make the tear worse. Cat's heartbeat noticeably sped up.
"I better…" Cat cleared her throat. "Fix that."
"Yeah." But Kara wasn't thinking of her suit right now, wasn't thinking of anything but the feel of Cat as she pulled her into an embrace. Cat started peeling the suit further down as she kissed down Kara's throat, between her breasts. Hands cupping her, removing her bra roughly. Kara let out a gasp as Cat drew a nipple between her teeth before sucking it. "Oh…"
"Bedroom," Cat breathed. "Now."
"I could…oh," she squeaked as Cat moved to her other breast." …fly us…"
Cat stopped her attentions to stare back at her, eyes widening. Kara let out an annoyed moan, pulling her close. She wrapped her arms around Cat, and motioned for Cat to do the same before lifting them into the air.
"Oh God," Cat closed her eyes, her breaths raspy. "You're going to be the death of me, aren't you?"
