*New Heartbeat in Town*
Kara blinked against the onslaught of light, her eyes a battlefield where every photon was an invader. Each time her powers rebooted, it was as though the city unleashed a symphony of chaos aimed directly at her senses, the light slicing through her like a scalpel of pure luminescence. The noises of the city boomed like the echoes in a colossal cave, the light a relentless adversary. It was cacophonous. Blinding. She resorted to the meditative techniques Kal-El had imparted: a deep, measured breath, a silent count to five, followed by a forceful expulsion of air, another silent vigil to five, then a replenishing inhale. She repeated this ritual until the metropolitan pandemonium and the chorus of countless voices faded to a whisper. Fatigue draped over her like a dark velvet curtain, pulling her down into the depths of sleep, accompanied by a mysterious rhythmic beating, elusive like a shadow in fog.
Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Thump-thump.
xxx
When Kara awoke on the unyielding cot of the DEO, the relentless glare of sun lamps greeted her. She cautiously opened her eyes, stretching her limbs like a cat under the first warm rays of morning sun. Feeling rejuvenated, her powers fully restored, she dismissed the pulsating clamor of the city with the ease of an empress dismissing her court. Listening briefly, she discerned it was late afternoon, the city's arteries clogged with the rush-hour flood; only then did the streets orchestrate such a cacophony. Amidst the chaos, the gentle, rhythmic thumping that had once serenaded her to sleep murmured its soft lullaby.
Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Thump-thump.
It was slow, methodical, and strangely comforting. Kara focused on it, letting the tranquility it offered seep into her bones.
"Welcome back, sis," Alex greeted, her hand warm on Kara's shoulder, her smile a sunbreak in stormy weather. For a moment, Kara's muscles tightened—memories of Alex under Myriad's control flashed through her mind. But that was past; Alex was safe now. Kara breathed in deeply, letting the past dissolve like mist in the morning sun.
"How do you feel?" Alex asked, her expression painted with the strokes of guilt. Kara opened her arms in response, and Alex moved closer. "I'm sorry," Alex murmured into Kara's shoulder, and the hug they shared was a silent pact of forgiveness. "It's okay, Alex. You weren't yourself."
Alex stepped back, wiping away a stealthy tear.
Kara's attention returned to the enigmatic thumping, a soothing mantra in the chaos.
Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Thump-thump.
Her head tilted, pondering—was it a drumbeat, or perhaps the pulsating base of a distant song?
"Do you hear that too?" Kara suddenly asked Alex.
"Your growling stomach? How could I not!" Alex replied with a laugh, pulling Kara to her feet. "Let's eat; I've ordered dumplings."
Kara nodded, her thoughts momentarily drifting from the enigmatic sound. Hunger gnawed at her with the insistence of an unanswered question.
xxx
Tossing and turning in her bed, Kara found herself a prisoner to restlessness. It was the dead of night, and though days had passed since the restoration of her powers, sleep eluded her like a ghost in the shadows. She strained her ears for the city's call for Supergirl, yet the night draped its silent veil over the world. Amid the stillness, one sound persisted—a thumping, steadfast and nearly melodic.
Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Thump-thump.
The sound cradled her toward sleep, its rhythm a gentle tide pulling her into the embrace of dreams.
xxx
Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Thump-thump.
"Is everything okay?" Clark's voice cut through her reverie as they ascended in the glass-encased elevator of the L-Corp skyscraper. The lobby below them, a vast expanse of white marble, seemed to retreat with each passing floor. The mysterious thumping intensified, a heart growing louder with each beat. Kara had tried to dismiss this phantom sound for weeks. At times it had vanished, leaving an inexplicable void in her senses, her citywide searches fruitless. And when it returned, it was like the shadow of a faithful companion, unobtrusive yet ever-present.
Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Thump-thump.
"Kara?!?!" Clark's snap brought her back, her heart skipping a beat.
"Yeah... yeah, I'm here," she stammered, her voice a faint echo in the vast chamber of the elevator.
As the elevator doors slid open at the tower's apex, they stepped into a grand reception area. The minimalist elegance of the space, with its geometric purity and restrained palette, commanded a silent awe. The city sprawled beneath them, a tapestry of life and light, the clouds above like soft brushstrokes on the azure canvas of the sky. Kara resisted the temptation to reach out and touch the ethereal fluff, closing her eyes instead.
Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Thump-thump.
"Miss Luthor is ready for you, Mr. Kent."
Clark, ever impatient, tugged at Kara's sleeve. "Kara, are you coming?" His voice, barely a whisper, was meant only for her.
Her response was too swift, her movement too sharp, drawing an astonished glance from the assistant and a disapproving look from Kal-El. She muttered an apology and followed him through the large doors into an office flooded with sunlight.
"Miss Luthor. Clark Kent from the Daily Planet, and Kara Danvers from CatCo."
As Kara extended her hand towards Lena, their eyes locked, each gaze piercing into the other's world with an electrifying clarity. Lena's eyes were a compelling stormy gray, swirling with intelligence and a hint of mystery that seemed almost otherworldly.
Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Thump-thump.
Time appeared to fold in on itself, creating a pocket of suspended reality where only they existed. The soft murmur of the city below faded to a whisper, overshadowed by the loud, resonant beating that Kara had been tracking—now echoing like a drum in the quiet storm of their meeting.
Thump-thump-Thump-thump-Thump-thump
The air was charged, thick with an intensity that made Kara's breath catch in her throat. The heartbeat she had heard, that had led her here, throbbed with a new urgency, syncing perfectly with the rapid pace of her own. It was as though a tempest raged within her, a tumultuous sea stirred by the winds of realization and fate.
The rhythmic thumping that reverberated through her was unmistakably a heartbeat. HER heartbeat.
Clark's cough broke the spell, his nudge gentle but firm.
"Kara Danvers, from CatCo," she introduced herself, her smile a mask of charm.
"Lena Luthor, from... L-Corp... obviously," Lena's words stumbled out, accompanied by a timid smile, the moment hanging between them like a delicate promise yet to be fulfilled.
xxx
Lena had just snapped her laptop shut, a deep sigh escaping her lips as she pondered the perplexing chaos that seemed to engulf the world. The normality of life appeared to have taken a detour into the bizarre, with threats looming ominously as if scripted from a thriller. Restlessness was her unwanted companion tonight. Rising from the plush embrace of her large armchair, she wandered to the minibar and poured a measure of Scotch into a crystal glass, its clink a lonely sound in the quiet of her office. She tilted her head back, eyes closing, as the amber liquid traced a burning path down her throat, a fleeting escape from the madness.
A sudden knock jolted her from her reverie, causing her to spin around sharply.
"Miss Luthor," came the husky greeting from Supergirl. Her voice, rich and comforting, was a reminder of the Scotch's smoky trail.
Lena's gaze settled on the figure hesitating at the threshold of the open terrace door. Moonlight bathed her golden hair in a halo of light, a stark contrast to the shadows that played across her face. This was not the Supergirl known to the public, with her hands assertively on her hips and a confident grin. Instead, her smile was tentative, almost vulnerable, under the dim office lights. The royal blue of her eyes sparkled, drawing Lena in as she slightly tilted her head, trying to reconcile this image with the heroine she knew.
"Kara," she stated, an undercurrent of surprise mingling with certainty in her voice.
"How...?" Kara stepped forward, her presence filling the room, her questions hanging silently between them.
"The idea that the world is fooled by glasses and a ponytail is almost... embarrassing." Lena's tone could have been interpreted as scornful, but the slight curve of her lips and the twinkling mischief in her eyes softened the words.
Kara looked away briefly, a blush coloring her cheeks, before her lips parted in a radiant smile that seemed to light up the darker corners of Lena's office.
"What are you doing here, Kara?" Lena inquired, her curiosity piqued as she closed the distance between them. Kara hadn't noticed the subtle, almost seductive sway in Lena's walk earlier that day, a testament to her hidden depths. Lena exuded a quiet confidence, commanding yet vulnerable, an enigma that Kara found intriguing. If Kara hadn't been able to hear the rapid beat of Lena's heart, she might have been convinced by her calm exterior. But Kara knew better; the fast pace betrayed her nervousness, the slight dilation of her green-gray eyes revealing more than words could.
As they drew closer, their breath mingling, Lena's gaze inadvertently dropped to Kara's lips, and Kara responded with a playful, mischievous smile. Lena arched an eyebrow in response, intrigued by the boldness of Kara's stare on her vivid red lips.
Kara leaned in, their lips inches apart, then paused, pulling back slightly.
"I followed your heartbeat," she whispered, her breath a warm caress against Lena's skin.
Lena's breath hitched, the close proximity sending shivers down her spine. She tilted her head subconsciously, inviting more of Kara's gentle exploration. Kara's eyes fluttered closed as she breathed in deeply, almost intoxicated by the floral notes of Lena's perfume, its elegance laced with a hint of danger.
"My...heartbeat?" Lena's voice was husky, a whisper in the charged air.
"Mhm," Kara confirmed, her lips brushing against the sensitive skin of Lena's neck, each touch sending Lena's heart into a frenzied beat.
Lena's eyes drifted shut, a soft moan escaping her as she felt Kara's lips tracing a path along her neck. The touch was tender yet filled with a raw sensuality that seemed to bridge the distance between them, drawing them into a world where only they existed. Kara pulled back slightly, her fingers tracing Lena's cheek, compelling her to open her eyes and face the depth of what was unfolding between them. Their lips met in a slow, deliberate kiss, exploring each other with a growing urgency as their hands roamed, discovering the contours and strength hidden beneath fabric.
"Kara...we should..." Kara's nod was filled with understanding.
"I don't want a one-night stand, Kara," Lena breathed out, her forehead pressed against Kara's, "Not with you."
"Will you go out with me, Lena?" Kara's voice was low, hopeful, her breath mingling with Lena's.
Lena nodded, her heart affirming her consent.
Reluctantly, they parted, one final kiss sealing their unspoken promise. "Tomorrow night, 7 PM, I'll pick you up," Kara murmured before soaring into the night sky, leaving Lena to watch her departure, a sense of calm replacing the unease that had plagued her. She touched her lips, still tingling from their contact, and allowed herself a rare, genuine smile. Perhaps the world wasn't as mad as it seemed.
This is just a one-shot, at least for the moment - the story just wouldn't leave me alone, so I had to write it down. Let me know what you think in the Reviews:-)!