Chapter Text
They're at James's apartment, this time, when the call comes in from Alex that the DEO has managed to subdue and cure Supergirl.
"She's gonna be okay," Alex says, on speaker. She sounds like she's been crying. "Um, eventually, but it's going to take some time, you know?"
"Yeah," James says, quiet. He pushes at his shoulder, wincing. He's been doing that all day.
"Thanks, Alex," Winn says. "Let us know if there's anything we can do?"
"Will do," she says.
James stares dully at his phone as Alex ends the call, and Winn waits for a few moments, gives him the chance to say something, to react, but nothing. The TV continues to play footage of Supergirl fighting DEO soldiers on the streets of National City in the background. Winn reaches over, picks up the remote, switches it off completely.
"James?" Winn asks.
James looks up, slowly.
"What happened to your shoulder?"
"It's nothing," James says, shaking his head quickly. Winn gives him his patented Cut The Bullshit look, and James folds quickly. There are shadows under his eyes.
"Kara..." James says, "kind of, grabbed me? A few times, while we were dancing last night. I don't think she was paying attention to her strength."
"She hurt you?" Winn says, shocked all over again. He shouldn't be, not after Supergirl threw Cat off a building, not after she came so close to killing Alex tonight. "Let me see."
"Winn..." James says.
"Please, James," Winn says, and James sighs, but he takes off his shirt.
There are two blue-black bruises in the perfect shape of Kara's hand on James's left arm, one near his wrist and the other further up on his forearm. His shoulder, too, is bruised, more purple-colored there, but still painful looking. Winn inhales, looking up at James's face in consternation.
"Jesus," Winn says. James shrugs, and then winces when the movement pulls at his shoulder. "Have you iced that?" Winn asks, already getting up to move in James's kitchen before James can respond.
"Not today," James calls after him, and Winn huffs. He rummages around the freezer until he's found an ice pack, grabs a towel off the stove, brings them both back to James.
"Here."
James takes the towel-wrapped ice with a grunt of thanks and presses it to his shoulder with his right hand. Winn watches him anxiously.
"You know, she...started talking about Lucy as soon as she had me out on the dance floor," James says, staring down at his lap. "Saying how she finally had everything she wanted now that Lucy was gone, like she was trying to tell me she had feelings for me, but like, insulting Lucy to do it? It was weird, I've never heard that kind of anger coming from Kara, and it wasn't even that bad, you know? But it's Kara, so when she says anything so meanly, it sticks out."
"Yeah, like that thing with Siobhan? Getting her fired? I mean, she should have known better than to try and backstab Cat that way, but the way Kara ratted her out so Cat was like, guaranteed to ruin Siobhan's career, it was vicious," Winn says.
"I just..." James sits up sharply and hisses in pain, slumping back again.
"Hey, let me, okay?" Winn slides down the couch and turns so that he's facing James, one leg tucked up under himself. He takes the ice pack from James's hand and holds it to his shoulder himself.
James rolls his head to face Winn without lifting it from the back of the couch.
"Just to know she's got that kind of rage inside of her," he whispers. "It was terrifying, Winn. And then when Cat wanted us to guarantee her that Supergirl wouldn't hurt anyone, wasn't a danger, and I was standing there with my shoulder hurting like hell and I couldn't, I couldn't promise her that? God, I just..."
His voice trails off.
"I know," Winn says, softly, and it's not enough, really, but it's what he has to offer. What do you say when your best friend, the girl you're in love with, who is like the Kryptonian embodiment of a ray of sunshine, changes in front of your eyes? What do you say when you've never had cause to be scared of her before and now suddenly the raw strength of her is all you can think about? There's nothing. He and James, they're just humans, pitiful, fragile, weak humans. And so often that's so cool, that she has these gifts, these powers, but not tonight. Tonight it's just a reminder of how much in the universe is outside of their control.
"It's not her fault," James says.
And Winn says, "No."
"I don't know if that makes it any better though," James says. "For me."
"Hey." Winn shuffles around till he's sandwiched in the corner of the couch, between the back and the armrest. "Come here?"
James stares at him uncomprehendingly for a beat, and then seems to understand. He slides down the couch till he's between Winn's legs, his back to Winn's chest, slouching down carefully till his head can rest on Winn's shoulder. Winn wraps his arms around James's middle and then presses the ice pack back to James's shoulder.
"I got you," Winn murmurs, kissing the side of his head. "We're gonna be okay, all of us. Kara too."
James shudders against him.
"Yeah," he says. He reaches for Winn's hand with his right one, tangles their fingers together, holds their joined hands against his chest. "I'm glad you're here, Winn."