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As Kara, Alex, and Maggie stepped out of the interdimensional portal into STAR Labs, they caught sight of a small crowd casually standing around the control console. Present was Cisco, Barry, and Iris representing Team Flash, Oliver, and Felicity representing Team Arrow, and Mick, Ray, and Sara representing Team Legends.
Sara immediately made eye contact with Kara and let her eyes travel from head to toe. Her trademark smug, crooked grin graced her face as she noticed Kara blush and duck her head. Every time she has been around Sara Lance, from the moment they met, Kara was greeted by those roaming eyes. And they never failed to make her uncomfortable. Sure, she likes Sara and that makes her blush. Sara is charming, beautiful, and so caring underneath that rough and tough exterior. But the ways those eyes and the little pointed comments that followed suggested something deeper, something more intimate, that is what made Kara duck her head.
Sara wasn’t the only one to notice Kara’s reaction though. Maggie saw it and decided to file it away for a time when she and Kara were alone.
The crowd quickly split into groups, the ladies following Iris out to go talk somewhere with fewer men and the guys staying a little longer to chat about their superhero escapades. Mick wandered away on his own, searching for another beer.
As the group of women walked the short distance to Jitters, for warm drinks and conversation, Kara found herself walking next to Sara. She wasn’t sure what to do. Part of her wanted to get to know Sara better, in fact, she had a not so tiny crush on the small blonde. But the other part of her, the part that was wildly uncomfortable with sexually charged anything, was currently ruling over her thoughts. So, instead of casual conversation, she opted for silence.
The trip to Jitters felt like an eternity for Kara, but once they had ordered their drinks and settled at a table large enough for the seven of them, Caitlin met them at the shop, she started to relax a little.
She found herself sitting with Alex on her left, which was a blessing, and… Sara on her right. She sighed. She just couldn’t catch a break today, could she?
After each of the drinks found their way in front of the correct person and the pleasant, casual conversation started turning to the details of the wedding, the part of Kara’s mind that wanted to get to know Sara won control of her thoughts and she found herself smiling at the woman next to her.
After a few minutes of wedding talk, the conversation became smaller conversations amongst the people sitting closest to each other. Sara turned to Kara and smirking asked, “Have you been behaving yourself since I saw you last?”
Kara wasn’t sure what that meant, or how to respond to it. After a few seconds of trying to decode the tone and word combination, she found herself mumbling a reply. Something along the lines of, “I always behave”.
That, of course, made Sara smile and laugh quietly. Smirking again she quietly replied, “Of course you do, Supergirl.” after a short pause she added, “Though, I seem to remember you as more of a... trouble magnet.”
Kara felt herself tensing up. She still couldn’t place the tone of Sara’s voice and that made her, once again, uncomfortable.
Maggie, from her spot on the other side of Alex, noticed the shift in Kara’s body language. So when Kara quickly excused herself from the table and made her way outside, Maggie was right behind her.
“Hey! Kara, wait up”
Kara slowed and then stopped along the side of the building, out of sight of the people still inside the shop. “Maggie? Why did you follow me? Is Alex okay?”
“Nice try Little Danvers. You’re not going to change the subject that easily.”
“What do you mean?” Kara responded with a baffled look on her face.
“I mean that you just walked out on a group of people who you have spent days talking up to Alex and me and I can tell that you are uptight about something. So, out with it.”
Kara found herself avoiding eye contact as she processed what Maggie had said. She wanted to talk, but she wasn’t even sure how to express what was going on in her mind. So she just blurted out, “Sara is so cool and all, and I kinda think I might like her, but she makes me uncomfortable sometimes.”
Maggie gave her a look that said ‘Tell me something I don’t know’ and cocked her head to the side in her classic head tilt.
Kara rolled her eyes, of course, Maggie had figured that much out. Kara didn’t even bother to ask how, knowing that the response would be the classic, ‘I’m a detective Danvers, I detect.’ So, instead of trying to end the conversation or change the topic, Kara found herself actually processing her thoughts, trying to make some sense out of everything bouncing around up there.
After a minute or two, Kara finally started to speak. “I really enjoy being around Sara when she is showing off her kindness, her gentleness, her caring nature. But the moment she crosses over into flirty Sara, she starts looking at me differently and making these comments that are either directly suggestive or possibly innocent if not for the tone. And then there are some that I can’t decode; like I’m not sure if she means more by them than the initial interpretation. That is what makes me uncomfortable, the suggestiveness and the overt flirtation.”
Maggie wasn’t entirely surprised by this information. After all, she had seen Kara interacting with Mon-el and Alex had told her stories of Kara’s dating life when she was younger. Plus, she had noticed the way Kara reacted any time someone at the bars they went to made a comment like Sara’s. She was pretty sure this wasn’t just in relation to Sara. However, she was not going to be the one to assume anything. “Little Danvers, Have you felt like this before or is this the first time?”
Kara quickly responded, “I have felt this way for as long as I have been on Earth.” She paused for a moment before she continued, “Sex was not a topic that was talked about on Krypton. In fact, it was seen by some as something base and uncivilized, beneath us. It wasn’t necessary for procreation, so, over the generations, it faded from our culture. Due to that, it was extraordinarily rare for couples to have sex let alone for it be a topic of discussion. And then I land here and go straight into middle school. I’m sure you can remember the awkward hormone driven conversations that take place during that time in life. And, at that time, I didn’t have the best control of my hearing, so I overheard a lot.”
It took a few moments for Maggie to process what she was being told. She was so grateful that Kara was willing to talk about Krypton with her, and she was pretty sure she had an idea of what all this meant for Kara. How it affected her relationships at least.
“Kara, I have one more question, but you don’t have to answer it I you don’t want to.”
The crinkle appeared and the confusion shone through Kara’s eyes. Maggie never called her Kara. It was always Supergirl or Little Danvers. “Okaaay… go for it?”
“Do you ever feel like you want to have sex with anyone? Like, you see someone that you find attractive and you find yourself thinking, ‘I wouldn’t mind doing it with them.’?”
Kara thought about the question for a moment, “No… I don’t think I have. I mean I have definitely found people attractive, but that thought usually leads to wanting to get to know them, not sex.” She whispers the last word, as though just the thought makes her uncomfortable.
The next words out of her mouth struck Maggie in the heart.“Maggie, what is wrong with me? How will I ever find anyone who will stay with me if I don’t want to have sex with them? Am I doomed to always be alone, the last of a dying race?”
“Kara,” Maggie quickly replied, “There is nothing wrong with you. I know it sounds impossible to you, but there are actually a lot of people who feel the same way you do. You do still have a chance of finding someone who will love you and stay with you and respect you.”
Kara looked at her skeptically. How could Maggie possibly know that? Kara is an alien for Rao’s sake. How could anyone want to stay with her?
Maggie can read the disbelief on Kara’s face. She decides that now is as good a time as ever to pass on some knowledge she has attained over the years. “Kara, at least one percent of the population feels the same way you do. There have been official studies done. It may be because you are an alien, but that doesn’t mean that you are alone.
Kara’s look of disbelief melts into one of joy. She is not alone? There are others who feel the same way?
Maggie gives her a few moments to think about and process that information before speaking up. “Little Danvers, the people like you, the ones who don’t feel sexual attraction, they have a word they use. Do you want to know what it is?”
Kara immediately nods her head.
“Asexual.” Maggie watches as Kara relaxes.
There is a way for her to explain to others how she feels without bringing up the whole being an alien thing. There are others like her. She isn’t alone. Kara slowly starts to cry. Tears of joy that she is not alone, that there is still a chance that she can find someone to love who will be okay with her being this way, tears of relief that she has a chance at the happiness she sees all around her. She is not alone.
Kara and Maggie are too caught up in their conversation to notice that Alex has come looking for them. In spite of Kara’s super hearing, they don’t notice her until she is right behind Kara and directly in Maggie’s line of sight.
“Alex?”
Kara turns around, quickly trying to wipe the tears from her face. But she is not fast enough. Alex sees the tears and is immediately in protective mode.
“Kara, what happened? Are you okay? What is going on?”
Kara looks at Maggie, then looks at Alex, then back at Maggie. She draws comfort from the caring expression on Maggie’s face and decides that now is the right time. “Alex, I’m fine. Maggie and I were just talking. She was… helping me sort some stuff out.”
Alex looked back and forth between the two searching for any sign that they were withholding the truth. They both came up clean. “Okay… may I ask what you were talking about?”
Kara took a deep breath, “Alex, I’m asexual.”
Alex was only a little caught off guard. That was mostly due to the current surroundings. After a brief moment she replied, “Kara, I am so proud of you for telling me. I love you.”
*********
As they walked back to Jitters, Kara thought about how this might affect any chance she had with Sara. Granted, chances of her returning the feelings and being ok with Kara being asexual did seem slim. Sara struck Kara as a highly sexual person, so it didn’t make sense for her to be willing to give that up for Kara. The thoughts continued to roll for a little while before Kara shook her head and decided that now was not the time to be worrying about Sara’s response. Now was the time to try to get to know Sara as a friend before even thinking about anything more.
The three of them quickly took their seats and Maggie and Alex joined the conversation on their end of the table. Kara smiles shyly at Sara and says, “So… how have you been doing this past year?”
Sara looks at her, trying to determine the intentions behind the question. Coming up empty on anything sinister, she decides to answer honestly. “It has been difficult, but my team is pretty good at picking each other up after we fall.”
Kara smiles at that and they fall into easy conversation about their different ways of saving the world and the wonderful people they work with to do so.
*********
A few days have passed uneventfully, which for a band of heroes is strange. Kara and Sara have split the time between being actively involved in the last minute wedding arrangements and taking every other moment to talk. They tell stories about themselves when they were younger, though Kara doesn’t talk much about Krypton, sticking mostly to events that occurred after she arrived on Earth, and Sara leaves out most of the stories that involve Laurel and the time after the Gambit went down.
Kara tells her about learning English and attending school for the first time, Sara shares stories of the trouble she used to get into during her rebellious years and some of the funny moments between her and Nyssa. Throughout it all, Sara makes occasional comments that leave Kara a little on edge. She chooses to ignore them, deciding that she really wants to get to know Sara.
*********
The day of the wedding came, bright and clear.
Everything was going so well. People were showing up, being seated, everyone from the bridal party was present and ready to roll. Everything seemed to be falling into place.
Until the Nazis showed up.
*********
With heavy hearts after Professor Stein’s funeral, everyone prepares to head back to their respective homes.
As Maggie, Alex, and Kara prepare to go back to Earth-38, Sara approaches them. “Ladies,” she speaks with her classic smirk ever present on her face.
Maggie is the first to respond, “Hey Sara. Your team ready to head out?”
“Just about, the team is making the final preparations for taking off. Kara, can we talk for a minute?”
Smiling, Kara agrees. They walk to the side, where they can have a moment to themselves. Kara is the first to speak. “Sara, I have really enjoyed getting to know you these past two weeks. Do you think there is any way we can keep in touch in spite of being on different Earths and in different times?”
Surprised and relieved, Sara replies, “Absolutely. You already have a way to get in touch with and travel to this Earth, right?”
“Yeah, Cisco gave it to me last year. You were there when I tested it.”
“Just wanted to make sure you hadn’t lost it,” Sara smiled teasingly. “But for real, I had Gideon take a look at the schematics to see if there was any possible way to adjust or reconfigure it to also use the software Felicity has for contacting us throughout time. No surprise, she found a way. You just need to have Cisco update it.”
“That is amazing Sara!! Thank you so much!” Kara excitedly pulled Sara into a hug. Mid-hug Kara realized what she had just done and quickly released Sara. Stumbling over her words she managed to say, “Oh, I’m so sorry, I should have asked first, was that too tight? are you okay?”
Smiling broadly, Sara replied, “Chill out Supergirl. I’m fine. Go talk to Cisco,” with a wink, she added, “We can talk later.”
*********
Since the work for the device’s update had been done on such short notice, it was only capable of transmitting audio. So, whenever they talked it was like a phone call. Needless to say, the first few attempts were a little awkward. But the more they talked, the more comfortable they became with each other, the easier the conversation flowed.
For the first week or so, they talked every day. They continued telling stories that, while definitely part of their childhoods, didn’t touch on the topics that brought them the most pain.
Then Sara didn’t hear from Kara for four days. Four days of radio silence. Four days of wondering if Kara was tired of talking to her. Four days of concern turned to worry, wondering if something had happened. Four long days.
No, Sara didn’t spend the entire four days thinking about Kara. She and her team had their own mission to deal with after all. But she did find her mind drifting to the tall blonde who had captured her attention from the moment they met a year ago to take on the dominators.
Finally, Kara called her. That should have been enough to end Sara’s worrying, but during that call, Kara explained that she hadn’t called because she had been in a coma. A coma!! The nearly invulnerable, indestructible alien had been in a coma! Instead of easing Sara’s mind with the fact that Kara had been unable to call her, that information worried her even more.
After a long conversation, Sara was reassured that Kara was fine now and that she had people there helping her, and no, she wouldn’t try to take on Reign by herself again (lies told for the sole purpose of calming Sara down), the conversation moved to Sara’s misadventures over the past few days. Dealing with the Vikings, seeing Mallus, Jax going home, and Ava being there for the team.
The next few days were spent discussing their missions, sharing frustrations and offering suggestions.
*********
As days rolled into weeks, the topics of conversation grew more and more personal. Kara started sharing stories of Krypton and her struggles with Kal-el. Sara shared about her childhood with Laurel and the years spent with Ivo and the Leauge.
They talked and talked, offering condolences and insight, bringing a little bit of light to the terrors they had faced. Reminders that when you come through the fire, you are stronger than you were before. Reminders that you are not alone. Reminders that there is always, always someone who will listen.
*********
As weeks rolled into months, their bond grew stronger in spite of the distance between them. They started talking several times a day, instead of just every day. Their talks grew longer and their feelings grew stronger. They started flirting. Or, more accurately, Kara started flirting. Sara had been flirting since the day they met.
*********
After the defeats of Reign and Mallus, Kara had taken to carrying the device with her throughout her day. She always wanted to be ready, never knowing when Sara would have time to talk. Between missions and keeping the Legends from blowing the Waverider up, she was kept pretty busy. Coupled with Kara’s busy schedule of being Earth-38’s only hero, since Kal-el was visiting Argo, their schedules were rather incompatible. All the business aside, they did usually manage to talk a few times throughout the day. Little bursts of conversation here and there.
As Kara walked into her loft after a long day of dealing with Snapper, she heard the IDE ping. With her super speed, she pulled it out of her pocket and pressed the button to accept the incoming call.
“Hey, Kara! How’s your Earth behaving today?”
“So far, nothing terrible today. But who knows, that could change at the drop of a hat. How was your mission? I know you said it was going to be an interesting one.”
“Everything worked out perfectly by Legend’s standards. We showed up, made it worse, and then fixed it dramatically. So overall a win.”
“That sounds about right,” Kara said with a laugh. A few moments of silence passed before Kara gathered her courage and spoke again. “Sara, I know we have been talking a lot since the wedding, and I know we have both admitted that we like each other. Do you think it is actually possible for us to have a relationship? Like, taking in to account our livelihoods, and the whole multiverse time travel thing?”
Sara was quiet for a moment, as she considered what Kara was asking. “... I think it could be possible. If both parties are willing to put in the work and make sacrifices on occasion… and I know I am willing on both counts.”
It took a little while for Kara to process what Sara had said. When she did, she let out an excited squeal. “Wait, really?! You are okay with this? Like, it's not just m…”
“Kara, hey, calm down. Take a breath. Yes. I am more than okay with this. I was planning to say something to you before we hung up today.” With a laugh, she continued, “Seems you beat me to it.”
*********
Two days later, they meet up at Rare Find Steakhouse in Washington, DC on Earth-1. They had decided that they wanted to meet somewhere neither had ever been, they wanted to make sure there was a very small chance for any of their mutual friends to run into them, and Sara’s navigational knowledge of Earth-38 was nonexistent.
Kara arrived at the restaurant first. She wore a simple white sleeveless dress with a cutout on her lower right ribcage and black flats. As she sat waiting, she sipped her water with lemon. She had thought about getting a cocktail, but really what was the point? It’s not like the alcohol would help calm her nerves anyway. Even though she was doubly nervous. Not only was this her first date with the incredible Sara Lance, but she was planning to tell Sara about being asexual. She felt guilty for not telling her sooner, but it was a conversation she wanted to have in person.
A few minutes later Sara walked in, wearing a striking black off the shoulder dress with a slit in the skirt on the left side that went nearly to her hip. She had paired it with a pair of simple black heels.
As she walked up to the table, Kara stood to greet her. Seeing Sara in person was enough to distract Kara from her worries. Neither of them spoke as they took in the sight of each other. This was the first they had seen each other since the wedding and they were again reminded of just how beautiful the other was.
Sara was the first to speak. “You look lovely.”
Kara blushed and ducked her head. “Thank you. I was thinking the same thing about you.” Kara helped Sara take her seat.
“I hope you weren’t waiting too long. I had to assign someone to be in charge for the evening and then give them all specific instructions to keep themselves, the ship, and the jump ship parked in the Temporal Zone. Needless to say, they weren’t very happy with me.”
Laughing Kara replied, “You’re fine. I was only here for a few minutes.” She pointed at her nearly full drink in confirmation.
Seeing that the other party was present, the waiter appeared at the table. Sara ordered a vodka martini, extra dirty, stirred. A few moments later the drink arrived and they began their first date.
*********
They talked and laughed over appetizers. They were well into the main course before Kara remembered what she wanted to tell Sara.
Her smile immediately faltered and she found herself staring at her dinner. Sara, of course, noticed the change. With concern filling her voice she quickly asked, “Kara? Are you okay? What happened?”
Kara looked up, right into Sara’s kind eyes, their clear blue currently clouded with concern and something Kara couldn’t quite place. “Wh-, oh yeah, I’m- I’m fine,” she lied. She was nothing but nervous now, every part of her imagining that Sara would get mad at her for not telling her sooner, that she would accuse Kara of leading her on, that she would leave and never talk to Kara again.
Sara, unconvinced by Kara’s stammered assurance, repeated, “Kara, are you okay?”
Kara looked back down to her plate, taking a moment to think. This is Sara. Sara is kind and understanding. Sara likes her. The likelihood of her getting mad is not very high. The reality is that Sara will probably be totally okay with it. After all, she is bi, so she won’t be mad. Right?
Kara’s thoughts continue to race until she feels Sara take her hand from across the table. The physical pressure helps pull her back to reality, and she looks up and into Sara’s eyes once again. Their concern has grown into worry and, if the hand in hers is any indication, Sara is now totally focused on making sure Kara is okay.
Kara smiles nervously. “Yeah, I’m okay. Or, I guess more accurately, I will be.”
The worry in Sara’s eyes turns to confusion. “Okay… what’s up?”
Kara takes a deep breath and decides there is no time like the present. “I’ve been wanting to tell you something for a while now, but I wanted it to be in person, and this is the first I’ve seen you since we’ve gotten to know each other, so this is my first opportunity a-...”
“Babe,” Sara interrupts. Kara looks… scared? The concern is back in Sara’s eyes.
Kara blinks. She is caught off guard by the pet name, but it is enough to bring her out of her mind, to ground her in the present. She looks at Sara and just goes for it. “Sara, I’m asexual.”
There is a moment of silence and Kara is filled with dread. Sara is mad. This is it. Their relationship is over before it has even started.
Sara sees the shift in Kara’s demeanor. She shrinks down, almost as if she is folding in on herself, her eyes and head drop, her hands pull back into her lap. She looks so… sad, lost, alone. It is the sight of Kara looking so broken that snaps Sara out of the haze she is in. “Kara, that is okay. That is totally okay. I still like you. I still want to give us a shot.”
Kara’s head snaps up at a speed and with such force, it would give a human whiplash. She blinks a few times, as though trying to make sure this is real. And then she starts to cry gentle, quiet tears.
This all happens so quickly, that it takes Sara a minute to catch up. When she does she stands, takes Kara by the hand, and gently leads her to the ladies room.
*********
Safely inside, away from the prying eyes of others, Sara hands Kara a tissue. Kara dabs at her eyes, careful not to do any more damage to her makeup than had already been done. She stops crying almost as quickly as she had started and proceeded to touch up her eye makeup.
A few moments pass in silence, Kara working to make it look like she hadn’t been crying and Sara watching her work.
Sara finally breaks the silence. “Kara?” Kara hums in response. “I really like you and I definitely want to pursue this relationship. Part of that is that we are going to have to talk more about what you told me. Mostly so I know what all you are thinking and can make sure I don’t make you uncomfortable, but also so you can know what I am thinking. It doesn’t have to be tonight, just sometime in the not so distant future.”
Kara smiles at that. “Thank you.”
Sara looks confused as she questions, “For what?”
“For taking care of me and for just being you.” Kara smiles as she takes Sara’s hand and pulls her close, so they are face to face. They are both caught up in the moment, looking each other in the eye, breathing so close together.
Sara whispers, “May I kiss you?”
Kara’s response is to nod subtly and move closer, narrowing the distance between their lips. Sara closes the gap and their lips meet for the first time.
When Sara pulls back for air, they both laugh a little bit and rest their foreheads together. Instead of continuing the lovely kissing session they have started, the make the decision to go back to the table and finish the meal portion of their date.
Dessert comes and they continue as though nothing had happened, save for holding hands across the table as they eat.
*********
As they leave the restaurant and walk down the street, hand in hand, they both realize that they are reluctant for the night to end. Finally, Sara speaks up, “Do you want to go see a movie or something before you head back to your Earth?”
Kara nods and then pauses for a moment, in thought. “I have an idea.” Sara looks at her expectantly. “Where is the closest hotel?”
Sara’s expression was now one of confusion. Sure she had been on her fair share of dates that ended at a hotel, but Kara is asexual so that rules out her typical after date activity.
Sensing the confusion, Kara continues, “Movie or TV in comfy robes and a super soft bed. Cuddling is optional.”