Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Kara’s eyes snapped open as her feet were shoved from their perch on the seat in front of her. “Hey! I was asleep.”

“Well, figure out another position, I don’t want your fucking feet in my face,” Alex shot back from the front seat.

“Where? There’s literally zero leg room back here!”

Eliza turned her head back to check for cars before merging into the right lane. “We’re fifteen minutes away. I don’t know how you girls think you’re going to live together again if you can’t even survive a two-hour car ride.”

“I don’t have to share a room with her for starters,” Alex said, ticking off one finger. “Lane really took one for the team there.”

“Lucy loves me.”

Ignoring Kara, Alex continued. “Two, I’ll be far too busy becoming a doctor for her to bother me, and three, Maggie.”

“And how’s Maggie going to help,” Eliza asked, exiting off the freeway.

“Kara’s terrified of her.”

“I am not!”

“You’re definitely less annoying around her.”

“You girls are both annoying,” Eliza contributed, turning up the music. It was driver’s choice, Dolores O’Riordan’s voice overpowering the bickering.

Kara slumped back in her seat, surrounded by all of her stuff. She really hated moving. Back at St. Cardiff’s, her dorm had been well-equipped and her roommate Lauren had insisted on bringing most other necessities. Plus she had been a short drive from home, moving was a piece of cake. But the stepping down of her favorite journalism professor, the absolutely dismal state of the university’s women’s athletic program and a few, other, things had led Kara to decide on a transfer halfway through college. She had liked St. Cardiff’s, she really had, the past tense being the key point. So she found herself moving, shoved in the backseat of the Danvers minivan among all of her belongings, on her way to start her junior year at National City University. Eliza had done her pre-med there, finishing off her schooling at Stanford. Alex had graduated the school year prior, opting to continue her own medical education at NCU. She had started classes the previous week, making the quick trip home so she could help pack Kara up and move her into their apartment.

Stopped at a stop sign near campus, Eliza lowered the volume. “Do we need to stop at the housing office first or can we head over to your building?”

“Nah, Maggie and Lane should be home, plus I have my key. You can just stop there on the way to the meeting tonight,” Alex said, flipping her sunglasses down.

Kara sighed as Eliza wove through campus to the apartment building. NCU was nice, not quite as picturesque as St. Cardiff’s, (it had bordered a river in the town over from Midvale.) NCU bordered a river as well, though the water was too polluted for it to be good for much, it just felt different. She swore she heard a squeal when she finally pulled the van door open, though no one was to be found when she looked up at the second story balcony. But she had heard correctly, the building entrance bursting open a minute later, the whirling dervish that was Lucy Lane barreling into her.

“Kara!”

Though short in stature, Lucy was all muscle and Kara stumbled backward at getting hit by a small brick wall. “Jesus Luce, missed you too.”

Lucy pulled back. “We usually spend the summer together and you visited what, fucking two times?” She shook her head. “Unacceptable. Oh and Alex, Mags spent all last night bitching about how it was super boring that you weren’t here so you need to go upstairs and kiss her or something because she’s been irritating as fuck.”

“Noted.” Alex started for the door, not bothering to grab any of Kara’s bags.

“Such a mouth on you Lucy Lane, should I be having second thoughts about leaving another daughter with you?” Eliza asked, wrapping Lucy in a hug herself.

“Mama Danvers, you know I am nothing but a good influence,” Lucy responded cheekily. “Can I help you guys bring anything in?”

Already rifling around in the open trunk, Kara tossed her a box full of bedding. “Heads up!”

After each woman loaded up with as much as they could carry, they made their way inside. Though putting no effort into helping, Alex had been kind enough to prop the door open. The unpacking and setting up didn’t take long, Maggie offering a hand as well. It was mostly clothing, strategic photo placements and finding the perfect spot for the giant Love Sac. Alex opted out, aiding in her own special way as she made a coffee/grocery run, fulfilling personalized drink orders and coming home armed with enough double-stuffed Oreos and Doritos to last at least the next few days.

Eliza took a seat on the futon next to Lucy. “Are your parents coming tonight? I know they’ve been busy, Ella didn’t even make it to Napa in July. Martha and I had more wine than we knew what to do with.”

Lucy shook her head, mouth full of cookie. She finished chewing before talking. “The General is on assignment in D.C., has been all summer. Mom’s case finally wrapped and she said she was going to try and come but Lois has a thing so…” she gave a shrug. “I’m not optimistic, it’s not like she hasn’t heard Diana’s spiel already.”

“I’m not going either,” Alex butt in. “My goal is to avoid all of you this week while you’re inevitably sore, tired, and cranky, and show up to kick your asses at the alumni game next weekend.”

“What about me?” Maggie was curled up in Alex’s side, the two sharing an armchair.

Alex let out a dramatic sigh. “Post showering only.”

Eliza’s brows lifted. “Glad I’ve raised such a caring and considerate daughter.” She reached to take an Oreo for herself. “So girls, any big aspirations for the season? I’m assuming back-to-back conference titles are in order.”

“Damn straight,” Maggie agreed. “And actually making it to NCAA. I’m so sick of winning conference and then losing the conference tournament.”

“And Luthor might break the scoring record,” Lucy added through a mouthful of chips. “Seeing that would be pretty cool.”

Kara wracked her brain to place the name to the team members she’d already met, coming up short. “Who?”

“Lena Luthor,” Alex reiterated. “Literally scores all of our goals. God Kara, it’s like you never even came to any of my games.”

“She’s the one who was just sixteen when she started here.” Eliza took a sip of coffee. “Bit of a prodigy I’d say.”

“I don’t think you’ve actually met her,” Alex said, Kara still looking lost. “She pretty much only talks to Lucy when we go out.”

Lucy gave a little, can’t-help-it-that-everybody-loves-me shrug. “I told her about you, Kara. Told her she’d finally have someone who could keep up with her at practice, stop making all of us look like idiots.”

Maggie scoffed. “She’s not that good.”

“Well…” Alex scrunched up her face.

Lucy stuck a hand on Maggie’s arm, patting gently. “Jealousy’s not a good look for you babe.”

/////

After stopping at the housing office to get Kara completely checked in and to get her keys, Maggie took lead towards the campus center building along the river. Parent-daughter groups were milling about, the anxiety and innocence of any freshman easy to pick out.

Maggie was immediately swept up into a bone-crushing hug by a tall girl Kara was 90% sure was named Sam, Maggie gasping out, “Don’t break my fucking ribs, Arias.”

Lucy had one hand on Kara’s elbow, practically bouncing on her toes as she scanned the area for a Zari. “She was my favorite freshman last year,” she told Kara. “She’s an outside-mid too and she’s such a little shit, you’ll love her.”

Everyone slowly but surely made their way inside, the announcement that two, six-foot submarine sandwiches had arrived and the promise of off-brand potato chips and veggies platters too good for anyone to pass up. Eliza had saved a table for the four of them, loaded paper plates soon taking up most of the space.

Head coach, Diana Prince, gave everyone a chance to dig in before she started talking. Diana was the biggest reason Kara had even humored the idea of playing soccer at NCU. She loved the game but would have been just as happy playing in a recreational league with Alex and not spending her nights and weekends running herself ragged. But one sitdown with Diana when she started the transferring process and Kara was convinced. Her qualifications were one thing, playing for the Israeli women’s national team when she was just fifteen and then moving to the United States to play for the Portland Thorns in her twenties. But after being out a season with a hamstring tear, she found a passion for coaching and had been at NCU for the past five years.

Diana launched into her backstory right away, listing her experiences and accomplishments for any apprehensive parents. She let her fiancé, and assistant coach, Steve Trevor, give himself a little shout out before moving into what the season and specifically, what the next week of training was going to look like.

Three-a-days. Bleacher running. Hill running. Distance running. Weight sessions. Ab workouts. Hot yoga. Scrimmages. Good old-fashioned soccer practice.

A schedule of the premeditated torture was to be handed out before they all left for the night.

A lull in Diana’s speech was punctuated by a crash, the campus center’s main door was thrown open and footsteps echoed down the steps. And in strode a twenty minute late, Lena Luthor.

Pale face contoured, lips stained red, dark hair in a severe ponytail, and an outfit better suited for a board meeting at Vogue magazine, she certainly did not look like a woman slated to break the DIII NCAA career scoring record. The only hint of athleticism was the bulge of quad muscles, accentuated nicely by her cropped, black slacks. Not that anyone was looking there. Definitely not Kara.

Lucy cupped her hands around her mouth. “Nice of you to show up Luthor!”

A chuckle spread across the room as Lena quirked a brow, all the attention on her. “Family function ran late,” she said, voice throaty. With a sigh, she placed a faux-remorseful hand to her chest. “My deepest apologies, Lane.”

“Okay, okay,” Diana regained control of the room, ushering Lena over to her table with Steve. “I was about to have us start player introductions anyways. I know most of you losers but we’ve got plenty of new faces in here. We’ll go around the room, let us know your name, the name of anyone you brought with you, your year in school and your position. We can start with Miss Tardy-to-the-Party here.”

Lena refrained from sitting, turning back to face the group. “Lena Luthor, attending solo... clearly.” She made a gesture to the lack of family around her. “I’m a senior and I play forward.” She was short with it, no frills, the same not to be said as the intros continued.

Iris West added she was a journalism major, starting the trend of including the mostly useless tidbit.

Sara Lance couldn’t decide what position to settle on, she could be a stopper, or a wing defender, but could be convinced into the sweeper spot now that it opened up this year. She was eventually halted by older sister, Laurel, with an, “Oh my god, no one cares, just say you play defense!”

A few names were familiar to Kara, girls she remembered from the games she had come to with Eliza and the few parties Alex took her to during occasional weekend visits. Their table was up next and Lucy nudged Kara up first.

She stood slowly, pushing her hair up and out of her face. “Hey, um, I’m Kara Danvers…”

“Another Danvers?” Steve called out. “Aye yi yi, I thought we were done with those,” he quipped.

Eliza threw up her hands, offering a, “Sorry.”

Lena had perked from the interruption, looking in Kara’s direction instead of down at her hands, picking at the thick layer of gel polish on her nails.

“Promise to be less of a pain in the ass than my sister,” Kara said with a smile, taking the joke in stride and earning herself a few laughs. “I’m here with my wonderful mother, Eliza, just transferred here, a junior, and I play outside-mid.”

As Kara sank back in her seat, Lucy sprang out of hers to go next, stepping up to stand on her chair and clearing her throat. “Hi everybody!”

/////

With player-dubbed, ‘Fat Camp’ starting the next day at 6:30 am, sleep was priority number one once Eliza left with the now, empty minivan for the drive back to Midvale. The apartment was dark and quiet by eleven.

Alex stumbled out of her and Maggie’s room just before three, empty water glass in hand to find Kara, awake in the plushy bean bag, reading a book. “What the hell are you still doing up?” she hissed.

Kara looked up, glasses sliding down her nose. “You’re up too.”

“I’m getting water.” Alex followed her statement by getting the filtered water pitcher out of the fridge to fill her cup. She took a satisfied gulp. “You nervous about tomorrow or something?”

Pushing her glasses back up, Kara set the book down on the coffee table, the worn copy of To Kill A Mockingbird, her go-to whenever insomnia struck. “Not particularly.”

Alex took another sip of water, motioning for Kara to move so she could sink in next to her. “Something’s keeping you up, you maybe want to talk about it with your favorite big sister?”

“I’m fine,” Kara said, curling into Alex’s side anyway. “I already know Maggie and Lucy, Diana’s great, I’m not worried about playing bad and I’m in good shape…”

“Yeah, yeah, you have abs, I know.” Alex jabbed a finger into Kara’s muscled side. “Give it two years and though the muscle will still be there, you’ll have a protective layer comprised of microwavable mac n cheese and Coors Light… oh,” she interrupted herself, “microwavable mac n cheese made with Coors Light instead of water.”

“Ew.”

“I’ve watched you eat Walmart queso with a spoon, don’t act so high and mighty.” Alex paused. “I digress, why are you really all worked up?”

Kara twisted her hood string around her index finger, tight enough to turn the tip dark red before letting it unravel. “Alex, it really is nothing. Mostly excitement about playing again.”

“It’s not about the thing, is it?”

“God, no. It has nothing to with that.” Kara’s voice tilted defensively.

Alex held her hands up in surrender. “Okay, forget I said anything, just trying to make sure you’re alright.”

Sighing, Kara wrapped her older sister up in a hug, squeezing tight. “I appreciate it, but it’s fine. I’m fine, okay? You know I’ll tell you if anything comes up.”

Alex paused, eyes narrowing. “You better.” Hoisting herself up, she offered Kara a hand. “Dude you really do need to go to bed though. I don’t care how superhuman you think you are, Diana is going to kick your ass tomorrow.”

Taking the help, Kara let Alex pull her to her feet. “I know, I know, I’m gonna try, Lucy’s just…”

As if on cue, a pointed snore sounded from the bedroom.

Alex went into the kitchen to pull a small pack of earplugs out of the junk drawer, tossing them Kara’s way. “Try rolling her on her side, but use these too. Ragweed is high right now and it’s fucking with her asthma. Now go sleep.” She started back to her room with her water before stopping and turning around. “And you guys better not wake me up before you leave, I will actually kill you all.”

/////

Lucy’s alarm went off first. A frequent snooze-button user, she needed at least six alarms to blare in her ear before she could even think about moving. She reached out a hand to slap her phone quiet, a groan escaping, small body nuzzling in deeper.

The noise was enough to rouse Kara, sitting up and pulling earplugs out. Ponytail having come out during the night, her blonde hair was a mess across her face and she swiped at it with one hand, the other fumbling for her glasses. She slipped out of the room, heading for the bathroom to replace the specs with contacts. The sun was just rising, forcing her to brave the glare of the bathroom lights, squinting eyes fighting to stay open.

Maggie pushed open the bathroom door just as Kara wrestled her second contact into place, heading straight to the toilet to pee, too tired to care about her audience. She managed words after flushing, shorts pulled back up. “It’s too early to be alive.”

“I know.” Kara moved over, making enough room at the sink for Maggie to wash her hands.

“Lucy up?”

“No.”

Maggie dried her hands, still blinking to get used to the light. “I’m gonna go get dressed. Do you want me to drive?”

The alternatives being Kara driving or the three of them walking the two and a half long blocks to the athletic center, Kara took the offer. “Please.” Left alone again, she scooted back in front of the mirror, grabbing a brush to start her braid. She was back in the room as Lucy’s fourth alarm went off, managing to catch the arm that darted out to stop it.

“Five minutes…” The arm fought back.

Taking a look at the time the phone was displaying, Kara sighed. “We’re leaving in ten.”

Successfully getting her arm back into the warmth of the covers, Lucy poked her head out just a bit. “I’ll be really fast.”

Kara left her to her sacred minutes of extra sleep, peeling off her sleep shirt to actually put a sports bra on. It was barely six am so she opted to throw a sweatshirt on over her tee, a navy crewneck that read, ‘Weekends are for waffles’. No such breakfast delicacies were to be enjoyed, Maggie tossing her a protein bar when she met her at the kitchen counter. “Thank you.” Kara ripped off the paper, chewing through a monster first bite. “How far do you think we’ll have to go this morning?”

Maggie held up a finger, making sure she swallowed before answering. “Three or four. Last year we did three, did a few sets of sprints and then did another mile for speed.”

It was a lot, nothing Kara couldn’t handle, but still a lot. “Yikes.”

“Diana always makes the first day hell, wants to weed out the freshman who aren’t willing to put in the work. It’s not so bad.”

“It’s fucking awful.” Lucy finally emerged from the bedroom, fully dressed. She stole Maggie’s water glass, throwing back an allergy pill. “I’m going to die.”

Maggie nudged the third protein bar on the counter Lucy’s way, ignoring her dramatics and reaching up to tie her dark hair into a ponytail

The next few minutes were spent silently lumbering through the last steps of getting ready, brushing teeth, lacing up pairs of colorful Nikes.

Kara had just opened the apartment door when Maggie stopped Lucy in her tracks. “Inhaler.”

A look of panic quickly spread across Lucy’s face and she darted back into the bedroom, coming back out seconds later, small lump weighing down the middle of her hoodie pocket. “I wasn’t going to forget it,” she tried, sandwiching herself between Maggie and Kara as they walked out.

“Uh-huh.”

/////

After the team gathered at the athletic center and were split into cars, (mostly without seatbelts, squeezing four to a backseat, a few girls climbing in trunks,) they were off to the running path about a mile up the road. Lena was already there, looking decidedly softer than the night before, swimming in an extra-large hoodie as she tied her shoes. She was chatting away with Steve, who looked about as excited as the rest of team to be awake and moving at the ass crack of dawn.

Steve let everyone settle, stretch out and attempt at waking themselves up before standing in front of the group. “Good morning ladies!” He did an awful job at stifling a yawn. “Welcome to training week, good to see you all so bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, how do you all feel about a little jog to start your day off right?”

“How many miles, Steve?” Dinah Drake, senior, center-mid, deadpanned.

“Four.” Steve held up defensive hands to the grumbles that followed. “I’m not asking you to run a marathon, relax. Put some music in, go at your own pace, Di is hanging out midway so you know when to turn around. Ready?”

Sweatshirts were off in a flurry, legs still free of the dreaded, soccer-tan dragging over to the path, the blow of a whistle from Steve sending them off.

Kara started with Lucy and Maggie, the entire group clumping together for the first hundred meters. Lena edged ahead almost immediately, no one looking keen on joining her. Sans headphones, Kara soon found it was harder to stick with her friends than to just go faster. (They had short legs, it really wasn’t their fault.) Squeezing between Sam Arias and Veronica Sinclair, she broke from the pack. Her breathing was steady and the cool morning air was just getting comfortable. She fell easily into her normal stride, the team falling behind, Lena just a few meters ahead. And that’s how they stayed, Lena leading the way through the woods, the path turning from paved to dirt, and then back to concrete again.

Diana was in sight soon enough, planted in a fold-out chair, baseball cap on her head, lazing in the early morning sun. She seemed unsurprised at her front-runner, holding out a hand for Lena to slap before she started the way back. “I’m going to start making you run extra, Luthor,” she teased, earning a smirk from the otherwise serious face.

Kara slowed as she neared Diana herself seconds later, getting the same offer for a high-five.

“A Danvers with stamina, what a shock,” Diana drawled with a smile. “Keep it up, Kara.”

“Thanks,” Kara breathed out, making her turnaround. She picked up her pace again, maintaining the same distance from Lena as before.

“Luthor, you’ve got competition!” Diana yelled from her chair.

This made Lena glance over her shoulder, locking short eye contact with Kara. Instead of taking off further down the path, she moved to her left, letting herself lag until she was side-by-side with Kara, matching her stride. “Hey, Kara right?”

“Yeah.”

“Lena,” Lena introduced, more because of pleasantries than anything else. It got quiet between the two of them for a moment, the sounds of their breathing and shoes hitting the pavement mixing the early morning chirps of the birds and the muffled sound of music coming through Lena’s headphones.

“You’re fast,” Kara finally said, her brain deciding it was too early and Lena too intimidating for a less awkward conversation starter.

“I like running.” Lena gave a small shrug, finger going to turn the volume down on her phone.

Reaching up to adjust her own headband, Kara tried to gauge if Lena was the talk-while-you-run type, she knew it wasn’t for everyone. “Me too, I mean, I used to hate it when I was little, thought it was super boring. I knew it was helpful in order to stay in shape, but it was for nothing. I needed a ball to run for, people to chase.”

“Has a way of clearing your head though,” Lena added.

Kara hummed in agreement. “I was just going to say that. You don’t have to focus on anything else while you’re running, it’s just you and your thoughts.”

They caught the first wave of their teammates, still on their way to Diana. A dragged out pack of around eight girls, Maggie bringing up the front, Lucy closer to the back.

Lena gave a quick wave as she had Kara blew past in the opposite direction. “I don’t usually have anyone to run with when we do these things,” she admitted once they were alone on the path again. “When I go my natural pace at least.”

“This your natural pace?”

“Um,” Lena looked down at her phone, gait going a bit off-kilter as she clicked on the app recording average mile time. “Just about.” She straightened out as her hand fell to her side again. “We’re around 6:58.”

Kara’s eyes wandered to the phone, the screen back to music, trying to make out what Lena was listening to.

It’s All Coming Back to Me Now
Celine Dion
The Essential Celine Dion

She could feel the corner of her lips turning up, stifling a laugh. Badass, genius, soccer prodigy Lena Luthor was not so intimidating after all. She decided against mentioning it, not until she knew Lena enough to properly make fun of her.

The natural pace they had been keeping fell into more of an unnatural pace as they moved into their fourth and final mile. Two stubborn, ultra-competitive athletes meant that if one picked up the pace, the other matched. And the opposite would do the same a minute later. Slowing down was not an option.

Both were breathing heavy and all conversation had ceased as they rounded the last curve, Steve in sight among all the discarded bags and clothing. Kara nudged her shoulder into Lena’s, getting her attention. “Race ya,” she gasped, breaking out into a full sprint before Lena answered, hearing her shoes scrape into action as well. Legs burning and eyes watering, she let herself fall to the grass when she reached their start/finish line, chest heaving with exertion. Lena collapsed next her seconds later.

Steve, sunglasses on, set up in a fold-out chair of his own, looked up from his newspaper. “You dummies know I’m going to make y’all do sprints when everyone gets back here?”

Lena sat up, looking rather immaculate for someone who had just run four, sub seven minutes miles. Cheeks only slightly pinked up and not a hair out of place, it really wasn’t fair. “Shut up Steve, don’t be jealous that Kara and I are in better shape than you’ll ever be.”

Kara let out a laugh, knowing Lena was joking. Though nothing close to Diana’s accomplishments, Steve was no slouch himself, having been all-American at Stanford for soccer and track before blowing out his knee.

Peering at the two through tinted lenses, Steve pointed a finger at Lena. “If it wasn’t seven in the morning and I wasn’t fighting off a wine hangover, I would challenge you right now Miss Luthor.”

Taking a swig from her stainless steel water bottle, Lena lay back in the grass beside Kara. “You keep telling yourself that.”

Lena was clearly a morning person as she continued the banter back and forth with Steve. Kara nursed her water bottle, taking the time to just catch her breath, staring up at the sky. The sun was finally getting hot and she was already sticky with sweat. The team trickled back within the next ten minutes, Diana rolling up to the parking lot once everyone had rehydrated.

Upon the announcement of sprints and the request to split into groups of two, Lucy rolled from her spot, head on Kara’s lap and feet across Lena’s. She stood up, breath still wheezing from the run. “No way I’m going anywhere near you two. Mags!” She grabbed at Maggie’s arm. “I need you to go at human-pace with me.”

Lena shook her head, getting to her feet as well, dusting off the seat of her shorts before offering Kara a hand. “Partners?”

Chapter Text

The hum of the air conditioner was soothing, Lena finding it hard to not let it lull her to sleep, cheek pressed against the cool leather of her couch. Lucy wasn’t faring much better, laying starfish on the floor.

“Everything hurts. Literally everything.”

Lena forced her eyes open at the grumble. She wanted to give Lucy shit, joke about how maybe if she had spent less of her summer trying to hook up with Sara Lance and more time staying in shape, she wouldn’t feel like that. But she was almost as bad, quads protesting every move, ab muscles aching whenever she sat up. Day one had been fine, she had been ready. Running was running, no different than her regular routine. What Lena hadn’t anticipated, was Kara.

She had been prepared for a peppier, blonder Danvers sister, that much Lucy had warned her about. Someone who could stop her in her tracks, run her off the ball without throwing a hip check or a well-placed elbow, she wasn’t used to. Sure, she wasn’t perfect, she had off days and off plays. Maggie had a few moves that would get past her, Sara could keep pace with her breakaways on occasion, and last year, Alex and Laurel had gotten quite good at anticipating her offensive moves, getting a foot in to skew the ball in a different direction, cutting off her shooting angles. Still, Lena usually found a way to tap the ball through legs, blow past defenders, hit well-placed shots in the back of the net without too much of an issue. She was confident in her skills, she was good at soccer, she knew that. But where she was quick and nimble, fast footwork, strategic and thoughtful with her movements, Kara was pure power. There was a brute force behind her kicking, ball ripping through the air, crosses always on target. Her throw-ins may as well have been kick-ins. The way she handled the ball, practically glued to her feet, stopping and starting, moving it with her fluidly down the sidelines in ways that would have most players rolling their ankles and falling flat on their faces. It was, admittedly, impressive.

And Lena was competitive, she could blame it on the family she grew up in, but soccer was far removed from the cutthroat academic achievement contest between her and her brother that her mother was always keeping tabs on. Soccer was her thing, an offhanded activity she had been stuck in to try and rid her of all the ‘god-awful fidgeting and pent-up energy’ that deterred private tutors from wanting to work with her. It was her outlet and Kara was a new challenge, a challenge that had her throwing everything into training and subsequently making her feel like she’d been hit by a truck.

“Hey, dipshit!” Lucy was sitting up, brow crinkled in annoyance after having called her name numerous times before settling on the less kind approach.

“Hm?”

Lucy let out a sigh that read more as a groan. “I said, I’m starving, what kind of food do you have?”

“Um, I don’t know. I haven’t gone grocery shopping in while. I literally had bagel chips with some gouda for breakfast this morning.”

“Do you have stuff to make smoothies?”

Squeezing her eyes shut, Lena had to think for a moment. She had meant to go to the store over the weekend, but Lillian had guilted her into going to the Children’s Hospital benefit, knowing she’d never say no to those types of social engagements. She may have despised spending time with her family, but she wasn’t a monster. If her presence helped raise just one extra dollar, it was worth it to her to suck it up. “Yes,” she said finally, eyes open again, having mentally run through the scarce provisions of her cabinets and refrigerator. “There’s a banana in the freezer and some kale and half a peach in the fridge.”

“Good enough for me.” Lucy was up and off the floor, heavy steps taking her into the kitchen. “Do you want me to go to Trader Joe’s with you after practice tonight? I can drive.”

It took a second of internal convincing, but Lena pulled herself up as well, going to fish her blender out of the pantry. “I thought you were going to movie night or whatever at the soccer house.”

“It’d be for an hour, tops, we wouldn’t be there all night.” Lucy set the ingredients on the counter. “You do know you’re invited to the movie night too, it’s for the team.”

Lena shrugged the invitation off. “Not really my thing.”

“Oh, so you’re just going to ghost everyone until we can properly drink and get fucked up?”

“Maybe.”

Rolling her eyes, Lucy halved the banana, trying to get the peel off, sucking intermittently on her fingertips when the freezer burn was too much. “Kara was asking if you were coming.”

“Is that supposed to make a difference?” Lena rinsed off a few kale leaves to toss in the blender.

“I just thought you guys were getting along, you’ve been pairing up all week,” Lucy said. “Thought you were finally making another friend besides me on the team, optimistic because that maybe-friend is my roommate and childhood ride-or-die.” She successfully got the banana out, adding it in before continuing. “What were your big plans tonight anyway? Ordering takeout, touching yourself and then watching Lord of the Rings for the nine-hundredth time?”

Lena’s opened her mouth to retaliate, snapping it shut without a word, feeling more than a little called out. She opted to cap the blender and set it to puree, drowning out any further Lucy commentary.

/////

Freshly showered and tucked into various versions of comfy clothes, joggers, tees, leggings, the team showed up to the aptly titled ‘soccer house’ just before eight. Only named as such because the Lance sisters, Iris and Dinah all lived there, it boasted the biggest living room, making it the perfect venue for a team movie night. A quick survey on pizza toppings was taken, Laurel moving into the next room with her phone tucked to her ear to place the order.

Kara had snagged a seat on one of the futons, Lucy sitting on the floor between her feet. Trying to ignore as Lucy ran her hands up and down her calves, she attempted a french braid in Lucy’s cropped hair per her request. “What are you doing?”

“They’re so soft,” Lucy complained. “You didn’t tell me we were shaving today.”

Sara snorted, lifting her head off a pillow on the ground near Lucy’s side. “Was it supposed to be a group activity?”

“Lucy relies on us to remind her of daily hygiene,” Maggie said, tearing into a bag of Twizzlers.

Flinging a leg in Sara’s direction, Lucy pulled up a pant leg. “Feel how prickly I am.”

Kara hooked her leg around Lucy’s pulling it away. “What did Sara do to deserve that? Put it away.”

“Thank you.”

“I bet I have Lane beat.” Zari wiggled her legs out from underneath a blanket, setting them for display.

It transpired from there, everyone chiming in an update on leg hair growth, Kara earning herself a few more ‘holy shit, you’re like dolphin-smooth,’ compliments. It should have been weird, but there was no awkward tension to be found. They had been eating, sleeping, and breathing soccer together for the last five days, something that kickstarted friendships and put up no boundaries, like a week at sleepaway camp. Eve Tessmacher had gotten her period during practice one night, eleven tampons immediately thrown in her direction as soon as she mentioned it. Everyone stayed on the field, forgoing a water break to encourage Felicity Smoak as she finished her set of sprints, (she was a keeper and running wasn’t really her thing.) When Maggie wiped out during a hill workout, she was met only with hands helping her up, and laughter because it was funny. No one batted an eye when Zari heaved up her breakfast after a grueling round of conditioning, simply offered water. It was camaraderie, unwavering support at its finest.

As the executive decision of watching She’s The Man over Bend It Like Beckham was made, Kara was content, squished in between Felicity and Lucy, the latter having squirreled her way up and off the floor. Sharing a blanket with three other girls, entire left leg tingling, well on its way to falling asleep, it was probably the happiest she had felt in a while. There was a pang of regret in her stomach that she hadn’t sought this out sooner, that she’d wasted her time going to a local school for two years when she could have had this. No use dwelling, she shook the feeling out of her mind. Her eyes were drooping at the first All-American Rejects song montage despite half the team reciting every line of the film, when she was hit with a sudden realization. She poked Lucy’s side, leaning closer to her ear once she got her attention. “Where’s Lena?”

/////

Thursday morning was the scheduled practice everyone had been looking forward to all week. It wasn’t a field practice, it wasn’t a run, they were just instructed to show up at Sage Studio at eight am.

“Have any of you guys been here before?” Kara asked, looking at the tired faces in her rearview mirror. She had decided to take one for the team, literally, and had volunteered to drive.

“Think it’s a yoga place,” Maggie mumbled, sprawled in the passenger seat, lips moving just enough to be coherent.

“It’s hot yoga,” Eve said, eyes glued to her phone. “Website says they do hot yoga, barre classes, and piloxing.”

Maggie groaned. “I’m gonna pilox Diana in the face if we are doing anything other than yoga.”

“Hey,” Lucy cut in, “Barre is great for your ass. Don’t be mad because you aren’t coordinated enough to do a sport that doesn’t involve running people over.”

“Not everyone’s mom put them in ballet when they were literal babies, Luce,” Kara reminded her.

“Can’t help that I was born to dance!”

Zari lifted a head off the back window. “How the fuck are you so chipper right now?”

A blush crept into Lucy’s cheeks before she could stop it. “We don’t have to run this morning, aren’t you excited?”

Unamused, Zari lay a cheek back against the glass. “Would rather be in my bed.”

“It might have something to do with the fact that Lucy didn’t come home after movie night.”

“Kara!”

“Lane you didn’t!” Maggie had been sluggish all morning but didn’t let the lack of energy stop her from leaping up and whirling around to train her eyes on Lucy in the backseat, a gasp on her lips. “You fucking didn’t!”

A shit eating grin crept onto Lucy’s face before she could stop it. “I can confirm nothing.”

Eve looked impossibly lost. “What?”

/////

The Sage Studio parking lot was sparse, save for two cars and Sam’s van, nearly half the team piling out of it like a clown car. Kara parked crooked the first time, having to reverse and do it again.

Laurel pushed out of the glass doors of the studio. “We should all wait outside until everyone gets here. They’re still setting up and it’s hot as balls in there.”

When it was a minute to eight, Maggie started the headcount, brow crinkling as she finished and started over. Coming up with the same conclusion, she turned to Sam. “Who are we missing?”

Sam scanned the group. “Luthor and Smoak.”

“We’re here.” Lena slammed the door of her Lexus Hybrid, dark shades slipping down her nose. “You morons left Felicity.”

Looking a little sheepish, Felicity shut the passenger door much more gently. “I was in the bathroom, I think I was supposed to be in Veronica’s car.”

“Sorry.”

“Sinclair, you dumbass. Why did you even drive, your car literally doesn’t have a backseat.” Laurel checked the time on her phone, hoisting herself off her spot on the curb and putting an arm around the freshmen. “There’s room in my car, I won’t forget you for the ride home.”

Laurel, Sam, and Maggie got to herding everyone into the small studio, the heat of the room hitting as soon as they stepped in.

Kara unrolled her mat at a spot near the back, closest to the drinking fountains. Sitting down as instructed, she watched as Lena plopped her things down to her right, already looking a little pink. “You done this before?”

“Yoga, yes,” Lena responded, face not turning Kara’s way, too focused on pulling off her socks and shoes, setting them neatly to the side. “This?” She shook her head no. “What about you?”

“Nope, yoga virgin.” Kara shook out her legs, bending over to touch her toes. “Alex used to do it, said it’s harder than it looks.”

“It is. You’re strong though, you’ll be okay.”

Kara bit the inside of her cheek, downplaying the smile the small compliment caused. “You think I’m strong?” she teased, no stranger to Lena’s competitiveness. She could tell that she had been frustrating her over the last few days. Lena didn’t seem like the type that was used to being so evenly matched with someone, she was used to winning.

“You’ve got visible muscles and can throw the ball into the middle of the field, come on Danvers.”

“So you’ve been checking me out?”

If Lena wasn’t pink before, she certainly was now. The usual stoic Luthor facade was fading, but before Kara could tease further, the instructor stepped to the front of the class.

/////

“And breathe into Warrior two, you’re looking fantastic ladies.” The instructor, appropriately named, Serenity, moved from her position to walk around the room. She sang praises to Lucy, Sam, and Laurel who were all easily hitting every pose. “Be sure to be cognizant of your foot placement,” she said, walking between Kara and Lena before going back to her mat.

Beads of sweat trickled down Lena’s temple and she really had some choice suggestions about where Serenity could place her foot. It was too fucking hot. The balls of her feet were slipping and every inch of her skin was on fire. Not the good, feel the burn, the sign of a successful workout, on fire. It was a suffocating heat, stuffy and thick. Sweat seemed to be dripping from every pore on Lena’s body, dark hairs plastering themselves to her neck and forehead. Her ears buzzed and blood rushed to her head and she couldn’t hear Serenity’s next instruction, more heat radiating in her cheeks. Balance swaying as she stood up fully, Lena took a deep breath and swallowed to collect herself, she was not about to pass out during hot yoga. Calmly as she could, she stepped over her shoes and towards the door.

Kara had gone into the hot yoga session with little optimism for herself. Yes, she was strong, (as Lena had so kindly pointed out,) and yes, she tended to have a natural flexibility, but she also had been voted most uncoordinated coordinated athlete by every coach that had worked with her. It also didn’t help that she sweat a lot already, the room temperature only exacerbating it all. She felt like she was swimming and was more than likely going to slip in her own perspiration and look like an idiot. Lena didn’t look like she was enjoying herself either, Kara turning her head to her right during downward dog, palms sliding disgustingly on the foam mat. Skin that was usually more akin to a live-action Snow White than a college soccer player who spent 3+ hours a day in the sun, was pink and splotchy, face well on its way to a beet red. Serenity called out the next position, and if looks could kill, Lena’s scowl would have been deadly. But despite her clear distaste, she mimicked the body movement perfectly, Kara having to pull her focus back to herself in order to stay upright during the shift. When she stole a glance again, Lena had gone from scarlet to all color draining from her face, eyes no longer trained to the front of the room. And then, heavy-footed and slightly off-kilter, she made a break to the exit.

/////

Outside was an instant relief, Lena holding onto the Handicap parking sign pole for support, gulping in the sweet, summer morning air. She brushed a hand across her face, unsticking hair, breathing pointedly through her nose, trying to clear the fog from her head. Her tank top was clinging to her midsection, so she let go of the pole to pull the fabric off and over her head, throwing it to the side and regretting the decision to wear spandex leggings. If the yoga studio hadn’t been situated along a busy street, they would have been off too.

“Are you okay?”

Lena startled at the voice, hand grabbing for the pole again, head turning enough to see Kara, lip caught between her teeth, bare feet shifting timidly on the pavement. The sudden movement, small as it was, set off a round of vertigo, Lena sinking into a squat and then fully down, forehead pressed to her knees. “Water. Please.”

The door jingled back open and shut with a dull thud, Kara coming back out a minute later with a flimsy plastic cup full of cold water. Gingerly placing fingertips on Lena’s back, she coaxed it into her hands. “Here.”

Lena wasted no time thinking of the embarrassment of the situation, thirstily slurping down half the cup, only stopping at a twist of nausea, her body signaling too much too fast. Skin still thrumming with unwanted heat, she leaned her head back and dumped the rest of the water over her face, the temperature shocking and the excess liquid splattering on the sidewalk behind her.

“Do you want more?”

“Yeah, thanks.” Lena’s hand shook as she gave the cup back, Kara looking rightfully concerned as she rushed back inside. She tugged the elastic from her wet hair, scraping it all up and securing it in a bun, before easing herself flat against the sidewalk. It was gritty and she could feel things sticking to her damp skin, but the shaded concrete was cool and not having to hold herself upright was a welcome reprieve, muscles she didn’t know she still had tensed, relaxing.

“I’m back,” Kara announced herself as if the banging of the door hadn’t already given that away. “Lady at the front desk said this can happen sometimes, people with heat sensitivity or if you haven’t properly hydrated or eaten enough. I got you an Rx bar, she tried to make me pay for it said water would be enough, but I insisted. Did you eat breakfast this morning?”

Cracking open an eye at the impressive ramble, met with Kara crouched at her side, Lena sighed. “Just had coffee, nice to know I did this to myself.”

Kara tore open the bar, broke off a piece, offering it close to Lena’s mouth. “I thought you were supposed to be a genius.”

“Academically yes.” Lena took the piece, taking a small bite of it. “Still not enough brain power to stop me from doing dumb shit.” She pressed the edge of the water cup to her bottom lip, waiting until she was done chewing before taking a sip. “You can go back and finish the class, you know. I’m not going to faint.”

“Yeah, no thanks.” Kara lay down beside Lena, handing over the bar and tucking her hands behind her head. “Feels a lot better out here. I don’t think humans are meant to sweat that much.” As if to make her point, Kara pulled up the bottom of her shirt to wipe her brow, giving Lena a full display of abs.

Lena suddenly became hyper-aware that the drastic change in temperature had made her nipples poke out the fabric of her sports bra, attempting a discrete arm rub down her front to fix the problem. She took another bite. “Do you find it funny that out of everything we’ve done this week, hot yoga is what did the two of us in?”

“It didn’t do me in, I just have no interest in becoming a sweat-soaked pretzel.”

Lena nearly moaned as the breeze picked up, the combination of the air, water, and food helping her break the haze of dehydration and overheating. “Okay fine, did me in.”

“I’ve been wondering what it was going to take for you to admit you’re like the rest of us mere mortals. I don’t think I’ve seen you look tired until now.”

“Years of practiced repression,” Lena admitted before she could think about how sad it sounded. “Just wait until I get a little food in me, I’ll be back kicking ass by afternoon practice.”

Kara passed the water over again. “Better drink up then.”

/////

Lucy shut the bedroom door as quietly as possible, the only noise coming from the click of the latch. Toeing off her shoes, she felt around the pillow for her sleep shirt.

“You’re home late.”

“Jesus fuck, Kara.” Lucy put a hand to her chest like a scorned southern belle. “Warn a girl you’re awake, oh my god.”

Kara sat up in bed. “Hello, I am awake.” She let herself fall back. “You with Sara?”

Pants off and comfy shirt on, Lucy slipped under her own covers. “Yeah. We were watching Game of Thrones. Laurel kicked me out, said I needed to rest up for tomorrow. She’s full of shit though because I know Diana’s going to pull the whole, ‘I’m going to murder you all with conditioning, jk you get the day off’ and we’re going to the Lance’s lake house.”

“We are?!”

“Mmhmm, training week tradition. We reasoned with Diana that it’s a team bonding activity, plus I think she likes having a day off.”

Kara’s fingers drummed against her stomach. “Is Lena going to come?”

“You’ve noticed her aversion to team activities?”

“Well.” Kara rolled to her side. “She seems like she gets along with everybody but she’s always driving alone, leaving right away, she didn’t go get ice cream with all of us the other day, it just seems weird, I don’t know.”

“It’s complicated.” Lucy stared up at the ceiling, figuring out the best way to explain. “I think people forget that she’s two years ahead in school. Freshmen year, she couldn’t do anything with us because her mom wouldn’t let her. The only reason we got so close was because we were lab partners in biology, study sessions and soccer were pretty much the only time she was allowed to be unsupervised.”

“Her parents were that strict?”

“Her mom’s a bitch.”

“But what’s stopping her now?” Kara asked. “She doesn’t still live with her mom, does she?”

Lucy snorted. “She literally moved out on her eighteenth birthday.”

“So?”

“I said it was complicated,” Lucy reiterated. “Lena doesn’t have a problem with anyone, I mean, there’s a little tension between her and Veronica because Lena doesn’t like how aggressive she gets and her and Maggie can bicker about dumb positioning things, but she just does her own thing. If you’re really so pressed, I bet she’d come tomorrow if you asked her. She seems to be warming up to you.”

It wasn’t as if Kara didn’t already know that, but it didn’t stop the corners of her lips from turning up at the remark. “Maybe I will.”