The warm light slipped through the blinds and landed across Kara's face, waking her up slowly, pleasantly. She stretched before opening her eyes, breathing in the morning air, the strength she drew from the sun, before feeling the heaviness of her uniform weighing against her skin, the tug of her cape caught underneath her pillow.
Her eyes shot open.
She looked up at the ceiling, taking a deep breath, before slowly turning on her side, expecting to see Ms. Grant lying next to her, still passed out, possibly with a hangover. But she was gone.
She sat up quickly, eyes scanning the room, noting that all her clothes were gone from the rack, finally spotting the luggage piled up far across the apartment next to the front door. Jumping out of bed, her heart clenched as she made it to the kitchen, finally exhaling again when she spotted Cat sitting on a stool.
"Thank god," she breathed, clutching her hand to her chest. "What are you doing?"
"I've booked a hotel down the block," Cat reported, looking at her phone through her sunglasses. "My car should be here any second, if my inept driver can manage to get the correct address in his miserable..."
"What?" Kara shook her head. "Why...why are you doing this?"
Cat continued to flip through her phone, refusing to look up.
"I crossed a line last night," she stated, as emotionlessly as she could muster. "I was rude, inappropriate, whatever you want to call it...I can't expect you to keep me here after the things I said and did."
Kara continued looking at her incredulously, standing in the middle of the room, light silhouetting her from behind against the rest of the bright kitchen.
"What did you do that was so wrong?" she argued, taking a step closer. "Open up about how you honestly feel?"
She could tell Cat was rolling her eyes beneath her thick shades.
"If that's how you excuse drunken behavior, Kara, I should be more worried about you than…"
"Cat, stop," Kara snatched her phone from her hands, placing it roughly on the table.
The older woman jumped, removing her glasses, trying to maintain her glare even as she looked more devastated than upset, lips pursed, breathing sharply through her nose.
"Nothing you said last night was nearly as mean as anything you've said to me before," Kara continued.
"Oh, well, that's a relief," Cat tried to get up from the stool, only to be stopped by Kara's hands holding her firmly in place.
"What the hell do you think you're…"
"If I took offense to anything you said, or did, last night, I would have left," Kara insisted, staring her down, voice steady even as she shook. "But I didn't. I stayed...because I want you to feel what it's like when you show your whole heart to someone...and they aren't afraid to show theirs back."
Cat's face was burning, throat working hard beneath her starched white collar.
"You aren't a monster," Kara shook her head. "You're learning...and you're going to make mistakes. Slip back into old patterns, old defenses. If that's all there was...if I didn't see you trying so hard...maybe I'd be more upset...but I know you, Cat Grant. I see you, beneath the mask you're trying so hard to hold onto. I see who you really are, and I won't let you pretend she's not in there anymore."
Cat was doing everything she could to feign apathy, but it was useless. Kara had made her senses sharper somehow, cracking her open, bringing her empathy, her fragility, everything she felt, to the surface. Slowly, she was pulled back towards her like gravity, letting her defenses crumble once again. Her emerald eyes smoldered, drifting back to Kara's as she allowed herself to see and be seen, lips moving as she bit them from inside.
Kara watched her carefully. She didn't have to be an empath to see the fear, the hesitation, but also the longing, the fight to keep her distance failing against the even stronger impulse to give in.
They were so close now. Kara stole a glance down at Cat's lips, dark, pink and pouted, open slightly, breath shallow as Kara held her in place, eyes softening every second.
Kara knew she could kiss her and it would quench the thirst she'd felt for far too long, longer than she'd care to admit. She could do it, finally let the tension between them melt into relief. But something in Cat's eyes, the way she was still fighting the urge to run, made her afraid of losing even this, the right to be this close, to keep her safe.
She forced herself to pull away, clearing her throat, letting go of Cat's shoulders.
Cat sighed deeply, straightening out her shirt, remaining soft and open and quiet as she watched Kara standing before her, still in her red boots and skirt, hands shaking as she looked away.
"Alright," Cat finally breathed. "If you insist I stay...I'll stay."
"Good," Kara sighed, clasping her hands in front of her, resting them on her hips, trying to figure out what to do besides not touch Cat again.
"But I can't go another day cooped up inside like this," Cat swallowed. "I have to get out...even for a short time."
"I guess we could try going somewhere," Kara shrugged. "As long as we stay together."
"Of course," Cat nodded.
"I can take us wherever you want," Kara offered. "In or out of National City, just name the place, and I…"
"No," Cat shook her head. "I know a place. I'll get us there."
"You…" Kara swallowed. "You mean...drive? Do you...when we the last time you…"
"I do have a driver's license," she rolled her eyes again. "Just because I don't use it often doesn't mean I've fallen off the bureaucratic grid. I'll have my driver take us to my car. I keep it stored in a garage across town."
"Okay," Kara smirked, feigning confidence, not sure what she was getting herself into. "But...where are we going?"
"You'll see," Cat finally smiled softly, invigorated by the idea of getting some fresh air.
About an hour and several questionable, high speed turns through the mountains at the outskirts of the city later, Cat finally pulled down a dirt road in the middle of the woods, parking in the gravel lot that appeared out of nowhere.
"What is this place?" Kara asked for the hundredth time. "You're not bringing me out here to kill me, are you?"
"Please," Cat shook her head as she closed the door to her black Maserati. "If I'm going to trust you, you're going to have to learn to trust me too."
"I already do," Kara smiled sweetly.
"Excellent," Cat huffed. "Let's go."
Cat had instructed Kara to change into workout clothes, and she was glad she'd gone for her best sneakers when she began following her up the steep, rugged path through the pines and large, stately oak trees. She refused to use her powers to make the hike any easier, letting Cat take the lead. Something told her this was therapeutic for her, making her feel a little more in control. She continued following, watching Cat easily stake out the trail in front of them, quads working exquisitely under her cobalt blue, spandex leggings, shoulder blades shown off beneath the tight, black tank she sported. After a while, Kara really did start to wonder where they were headed, but resisted asking, focused instead on enjoying the view.
Finally, they came to a clearing with the largest, most serene, crystal clear lake Kara had ever seen, perfectly still, appearing to swallow up the sound from around them, mountains reflected like a painting across the surface.
"Wow," Kara breathed. "This is gorgeous!"
"I used to come out here when I was pregnant with Carter," Cat told her, catching her breath as she rested her hands on her hips. "When I needed to escape the city and all it's noise."
"You came by yourself?"
Cat nodded.
"I knew I wasn't in love with his father, but I'd let things go too far before making my exit. Back then, I tried to occupy my life with people who were so full of themselves, so much ego, so willing to prioritize their own feelings that they didn't ask me about mine. It worked, for a while...until it didn't."
"Believe it or not, I...get that," Kara nodded.
They stood together in the stillness, looking out over the peaceful waters.
"I've brought Carter back a few times. Less than I probably should."
"What do you do when you're out here?" Kara asked.
"Oh you know...hike. Fish. The usual outdoor activities one does."
"You fish?" Kara looked at her skeptically.
"Okay, I watch Carter fish," she admitted. "But I do know how to string a rod. You can learn anything from Youtube these days."
Kara laughed, voice echoing across the lake. She crept towards the edge, bending down to feel the cool temperature of the water.
"It's beautiful," she smiled. "I've flown over these hills so many times, and I've never noticed this."
Cat bent down next to her, dipping her fingers in as well, watching the ripples pulse out from where her skin hit the surface.
"What's it like?" she asked the younger woman. "Knowing you could fly anywhere, around the world, multiple times a day if you wanted to?"
"I don't think I appreciate it enough," Kara sighed, standing, perching herself on a fallen, moss covered log. "But when I do...I feel limitless. Back on Krypton, we didn't have powers like this. The Earth's sun brings them out, makes us stronger. I had dreams of flying as a kid, but to actually experience it...it's better than any dream could ever capture."
"I didn't know you didn't have powers on Krypton," Cat shook her head, sitting next to her. "That explains a lot, actually."
"Such as…"
"Such as why you weren't very good at using them in the beginning," Cat smirked. "Well...that and, knowing now that you're Kara, neither of you are exactly known for your grace."
"Hey!" Kara scoffed. "Be nice."
"I'm not being mean, just stating facts," Cat defended. "You did get better...as Supergirl."
"I would punch you in the arm, but I'm afraid you'd bruise," Kara scowled playfully.
"Yes. Don't," Cat continued to tease. "So...what else can you do then, besides, let's see...flight, x-ray vision, super hearing, super speed. Just how fast can you go?"
"What? You want me to start doing tricks now?"
"Well when you put it like that," Cat rolled her eyes. "I'm not asking you to roll over and play dead, I'm just...curious."
Kara thought for a moment, torn between not knowing if they were alone in these woods and not caring who might see them.
"Okay," she sighed. "I'll show you."
Before Cat could say anything else, she was gone in a flash, only to return a split second later with the license plate from Cat's car.
"Don't worry," she breathed. "I'll fuse it back on when we leave."
"Gee, thanks," Cat couldn't help but laugh, even as she shook her head.
Next, Kara stood up from the log, removing her glasses, setting her sights on a large rock about thirty yards from where they were. She braced herself, lunging as she unleashed the full force of her heat vision, causing the rock to explode into smaller pebbles across the shore.
"Destructive...but...impressive," Cat sighed, wetting her lips as she watched the veins in Kara's face reside, light fading as her muscles relaxed and she shook off the excess energy.
"That's all you get," Kara chirped. "For now."
"I'll take it," Cat smirked.
"What about you?" Kara asked boldly. "Any hidden talents I should know about? Besides, you know, the obvious."
"Hmm," Cat mused. "Hidden talents, hidden talents...ah."
She lept to her feet. Kara was more than amused at how playful she was, watching her boss ponder the stones along the shoreline.
"Can you do this?" Cat asked as she expertly chucked a small, smooth stone across the lake, making it skip four times, echoing into the atmosphere before sinking into the depths.
"Wow," Kara laughed, shaking her head as she looked on in awe. "You really are full of surprises, aren't you?"
Cat continued smirking, picking up another rock and handing it over.
"Your turn."
"Ah, okay," Kara didn't sound too confident. She reeled back, letting her arm fling the rock as hard as she could, sending a small wave into the air before splashing down around them. Cat covered her hair as best she could.
"No," she shook it off. "See, it takes more skill than that. You can't just use brute force. There's nuance to it."
She picked up another stone and handed it to Kara.
"Try again, only this time, more like a frisbee and less like you're trying to take out a school of bass."
"Okay," Kara conceded, following instructions to the tee, or so she thought, sending the rock straight down into the water again with an embarrassing plop, no skip.
"I don't think you're holding it correctly," Cat critiqued. "You have to move like this."
She put another stone in Kara's hand, before stepping close behind her. Kara swallowed.
"Stick your arm out," Cat ordered.
Kara sighed, doing as she was told. She closed her eyes, resisting the urge to lean back against her body, taking in the sweet, subtle scent of perfume mingling with sweat.
Cat stretched her arm out next to hers, lacing her long fingers around her wrist, slowly pivoting back and forth until finally, she bent Kara's arm across her chest, then gingerly towards the lake again, watching the stone fly until it sank straight to the bottom.
"That was better!" Kara boasted enthusiastically. "I think it...almost...maybe?"
"I guess you can't be good at everything," Cat teased, picking up another rock and easily flinging it, creating five distinct ripples in the surface this time.
"I refuse to believe that," Kara scoffed, chucking another, then another, failing more miserably each time.
"Don't worry, Supergirl," Cat breathed. "I won't tell if you won't."
"Deal," Kara laughed. "Whoa, look out!"
"What!?" Cat flung her arms into her hair as a giant insect flew into it. "Help...get it...off…"
Kara tried to intervene but was afraid of getting swatted as Cat continued flailing her arms.
"Wait a sec! Hold still…" Kara told her. "You're only making it mad."
She zoomed in with her vision and pinpointed wear the creature was caught up in her locks, grabbing Cat's right shoulder with one hand, plucking the critter from her hair with the other, using her fingers like chopsticks, tossing it back into the air unharmed.
Cat continued to shudder.
"Is it out?!"
"Yes," Kara told her. "It was just a bee. They're the good bugs."
"Not if you're allergic," Cat winced, eyes closed, still shaking.
Kara wrapped her arms around her, bringing one hand to her hair, tracing her fingers through short, gold locks.
"See? It's gone," she breathed. "It's not gonna hurt you. I promise."
"Jesus," Cat rolled her eyes, tremors residing, replaced by a more subtle shiver as Kara continued to hold her. "You must think I'm so weak."
Kara continued holding on, not quite sure what she was doing, or why, just knowing she needed to do it.
"Weak is the last thing I think when I think of you," she whispered.
Cat's breathing slowed, hands wrapping behind Kara, fingers gripping on, like they had the first time she'd held her like this, on her balcony just weeks before, faced with another round of impending death, thankful that if anything, she'd at least gotten the chance to do this.
She moved closer, feeling their heartbeats syncing, breath heavy as Kara's strong arms held them in place. Cat closed her eyes, moving a hand to the back of Kara's neck, the soft sway of her ponytail brushing against her skin as she dared her fingers to move, tracing nails over delicate hair there.
Kara's breath caught, a wave of sensation flooding her from her knees all the way up to the base of her skull, like a shock. She held on tighter, not asking questions, afraid to move, until she felt the sharp tickle of vines growing up the side of her leg.
"I think we should get back!" she pulled away quickly, using her sneaker to scrape away the tall grass clinging to her calf before Cat could see. "It's getting dark. We should go."
"Right," Cat snapped herself from the daze she was in, shaking her head, bringing her fingers to her temples, trying to ignore the swarming siren of emotions coursing through her veins, hitting her all too clearly, even as she tried to make excuses.
Kara led them down this time, remembering the way along the clearly marked trail. Cat followed silently, unlocking the car when they arrived, letting Kara replace her license plate, before taking them back to National City without another word spoken. They'd sat in silence together many times, and it had always, strangely, been easy. But now, both wished the other would say something neither was willing or ready to say.