OH, For the Love of Rao!
CHAPTER 2:
Mon-El opened the door to the dark apartment as quietly as he could, knowing if he woke his roommate he'd never hear the end of it. Sometimes he swore she had super hearing… He already broke up three bar-fights tonight after a bachelor party got too rowdy, and he was in no mood to pick a fight with the irritable blonde he lived with too.
Letting out an audible sigh, the exhausted man threw his keys on the table before grabbing a beer from the refrigerator. He hadn't slept well the night prior thanks to Candy (or was it Cindy?) and her insatiable appetite for him, and he was called away twice today to his "other" job before his closing shift at the bar. First, it was for an armed robbery. Secondly, a factory fire. Not that he minded, really. Protecting the city as Valor with Supergirl by his side was the highlight of his day. Mike the "human", however, was quite tired.
Finishing his beer, Mon-El trudged towards his bedroom before thinking better of it and turning around to ensure the empty bottle made its way into the recycling bin. The garbage, along with the dishes, had been a recent topic of contention between his roommate and himself, and four arguments this week was more than enough to make him reevaluate his habits. It's not as though he intends to be a slob, but having spent most of his life surrounded by housekeepers who cleaned everything left him with a steep learning curve. It didn't help that his roommate took every opportunity possible to nag him, reminding him just how much he still had to learn about this planet and its inhabitants. Sure, Kara and her impossible standards are irritating to him, but, ultimately, it's her house and her rules. He knew he would be better off simply nodding and smiling and trying to respect them.
Mon-El felt lucky that he had even found someone to take him in, given the fact that he crash-landed on Earth with less than a dollar to his name. His name was an issue of its own, as he quickly realized that
"Mon-El" was a questionable name on this planet. If he wanted to blend in he needed to create a new identity. It took some time for him to acquire the proper documents and funding for them, but eventually "Mike Matthews" was born—with a Social Security Number and a 684 credit score. It was those days on the streets waiting for his paperwork with no sleep that led him to her door in the first place.
He had low expectations, but it seemed that she was equally as desperate as him when he showed up at her apartment with the "For Rent" flyer in hand. Not expecting to see a petite young woman open the door, he was taken aback, believing she must really be in need to allow a strange man to live with her. What if I had been a murderer? He felt a sudden surge of protectiveness for this blonde Earthling—until the moment she opened her mouth. This no-nonsense girl was clearly capable of taking care of herself, more so than he was on this strange new world. Immediately, she pushed the lengthy contract into his hands and began a long spiel of "Do's and Do Not's" that went in one ear and out his other. Wanting to bolt but knowing he had no other options, the former Prince of Daxam resigned himself to living under this bossy young human's reign. At least she was nice to look at, he reasoned, as he begrudgingly signed the pretty girl's paperwork.
Presently, he was moving in the dark as quietly as possible to avoid waking the aforementioned Beast, when he misjudged his distance from the side-table and sent a lamp crashing to the ground.
"Shit!" he whispered a curse, praying to Rao the noise wasn't as loud as it seemed. Turning towards the mess, Mon-El felt something behind him, but before he could respond he was hit by a blinding force and everything went black.
Kara relaxed as the warm water flowed down her body rinsing away the lingering smell of smoke from her hair. The scent made her smile, remembering the way Valor efficiently rescued the workers in the factory as she extinguished the billowing flames. He even managed to reinforce the building's structure, preventing further damage. Impressed by his initiative, Kara told him as much, but he shrugged it off with a wave of his hand saying, "You would have done the same." The out of character humbleness caught Kara off-guard, which is what she attributed to the sudden flutter in her stomach.
Reliving the rest of her day was boring by comparison, so she let her mind go blank as the steam pulled the tension away from her body. That is, until she heard a loud crash in her empty apartment. She knew Mike was working tonight, and he was never home this early after a shift. He usually found a whole-in-the-wall pub or some barely legal girl's place to stay for the night. Senses heightened, Kara sped to the scene to find a strange figure hunched over in the darkness. She wasted no time, incapacitating her burglar with a swift punch to the face. It wasn't until she rolled him over that she truly appreciated the situation.
"Shit," she cursed.
The first thing he saw when he awoke were legs—wet legs. Followed by a towel (a very short towel), followed by the angry face of his landlady.
"What the hell were you thinking?" yelled Kara, her wet hair dripping across his body.
"Did you? You—you just punched me in the nose!" Mike stated in shock. He was adjusting to the situation and shocked that she was able to knock him out at all. Perhaps he had unfairly underestimated her stature, but he excused his vulnerability because he was caught off-guard…
Kara was furious. She was surprised he had recovered so quickly from her hit but furious nonetheless.
"What were you doing skulking around this time of night?" she asked him, hands on her hips. "I thought you were working?"
"Well, mother," Mike said, pointedly, "I was working and now I am not." He rubbed his temple with exaggeration. "I didn't think it was a crime to enter my own apartment." He heaved himself up off the ground with a dramatic groan.
Kara huffed as she realized she may have overreacted, just slightly. It was then that she also realized she was wearing nothing but a towel. Clamping her arms tightly across her chest, she took a healthy step back and mumbled a half-hearted apology.
"Well, I—I'm sorry for hitting you," she stuttered, cheeks ablaze. "You owe me a new lamp though!"
Mike laughed sarcastically, "Yeah, just add it to my rent." He entered his room with a backhanded wave at Kara, leaning on his door as it closed behind him. Well, that was interesting…he thought as he rubbed his nose.
Kara wasted no time rushing back to her room, pulling on her bathrobe as a physical barrier. She smacked her hand against her forehead, cursing herself for being so careless with her powers. Thankfully, Mike hadn't acknowledged her super-strength and had recovered quickly. She silently hoped he had a concussion and would forget the whole exchange…No, no, no, that's wrong, she chastised herself. If he brings it up, she'll explain it was adrenaline.
Throwing herself on her bed, Kara pulled the covers over her head as if to hide from her embarrassment. She must've fallen asleep because the next thing she heard was someone whispering to her.
"Supergirl, wake up," the voice called from her balcony.
Opening her window, Kara was greeted by a familiar red suit and blue cape.
"Valor?" she questioned in surprise. "How did you find me?"
"That's not important," he brushed her off. "What's important is that you're OK." He came towards her, reaching out to grasp her arms.
Confused, Kara accepted his embrace. Seeing the concern in his eyes, she offered reassurance. "I'm fine. What's going on, Valor?"
He didn't answer. His deep blue eyes locked on to hers, sending a shiver down her body as the passion she saw in them was palpable.
"I just don't want to lose you," he whispered inches from her face. She didn't know who moved first, nor did she care, as lips crashed into each other. Fingers tangled in hair, they fell onto her bed. His suit ripped apart as she slinked out of her bathrobe. She gasped has his mouth traveled down her neck. "Oh, Val- "
"-LOR!" Kara sat up with a jolt, heart pounding, taking in her empty bedroom. She tugged at the bathrobe around her body feeling suddenly very, very warm. Taking a few deep breaths, Kara tried to reconcile her thoughts with what just happened.
Supergirl was falling for her partner.
With a loud groan, she threw herself facedown into her pillow.
"Shit."
