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Seated in a private part of a rather exclusive restaurant were Cat, Kara, Alex, Astra, Alura, and Lucy - Cat’s pick of course. They’d wanted to go on a family dinner in a place where they wouldn’t have to worry so much about having to filter themselves for the sake of keeping up their respective covers, especially when this was the first time Lucy joined the table. This place was used to dealing with people that required discretion, so they had very little to worry about.
They shared stories back and forth of what’s kept them busy the past while - work only discussed minimally - until that topic shifted into stories of times past. Kara embarrassing Alex with early childhood stories she’d heard from Eliza, much to Astra’s delight, and Alura embarrassing Kara with hers, which both Cat and Alex took great pleasure in.
Cat’s amusement was short-lived when Lucy diverts her attention to her. “So how did you two get together? I never did hear that story, unlike probably everyone else at this table.”
“I don’t believe I’m familiar with this story either,” Alura chimes in, looking pointedly at Kara.
The tips of Kara’s ears turn pink even when she remains surprisingly composed, looking at Cat, who shakes her head. “Oh no, darling. It’s your mother asking, you get to tell the story.”
Exasperation crosses her features briefly, but then she starts the story. “Okay, okay, so. It all began when her car hit me at full speed while I was crossing the street.”
The sound of rain fills the dark streets Kara walks, soaking in the sensations of the raindrops hitting her skin. It’s a thing she likes to do sometimes, when she gets the opportunity to; Krypton didn’t have rain that was safe to play around in. It wouldn’t kill you upon impact, but it certainly wasn’t healthy to stay in the pouring rain for longer than about a minute. But on Earth it’s possible, and without the risk of catching a cold there really wasn’t anything stopping her going out for a stroll in such weather.
She’s currently in a more remote part of National City. It’s not quite the suburbs yet, but with how little people go through these streets it might as well be. It was relatively quiet here, which was nice. The lack of traffic even more so.
Typically, that is. As she crossed the road this time however, absorbed in the sensations the rain offered, she’d failed to take note of a singular speeding car that had gone straight in her direction.
And then crashed into her.
The metal of the front of the car had crumpled around her legs, and it had been too late for her to feign getting hurt when the impact hadn’t even knocked her off-balance. So instead she went into protective mode, using her x-ray vision to check up on those inside through the tinted windshield. As soon as she registered who was inside however, she froze up like a deer in headlights.
Cat, and she didn’t look to be in good shape.
She rushed then, barely remembering to switch into costume before opening the car door, confirming what she feared; Cat’s head was resting against the wheel, slightly bloodied from what had clearly been a harsh impact. The rest of her thankfully looked to be alright, but that was a small comfort when she didn’t look to be conscious.
She was alive though, Kara could hear the comforting beat of her heart.
“Miss Grant?” she tried, without getting a response. So she unbuckled her, picked her up - still not getting any sign of consciousness - and flew her straight to National City’s hospital, being careful not to jostle her head too much and fly gently.
It wasn’t long after take-off that Cat started to move.
“Miss Grant, careful, you hit your head. I’m taking you to the hospital.”
Eyes opened slowly, unfocused, but the corners of her lips quirked up, “Supergirl, just whose strong arms I was looking to find myself in.” She sounded rather out of it, but it had Kara’s cheeks flush nonetheless. Even more so when Cat continues, “I do hope it’s to carry me to your bed, I did wonder what benefits your superhuman abilities would have in the bedroom and I’d like to find out.”
Kara nearly choked and promptly lost some altitude, having had to force herself to refocus on flying properly; Cat Grant had thought about... Great Rao.
“Oh, but as your boss I shouldn’t ask that of you. Better not to bring that up.”
Before Kara could respond to any of it Cat passed out again, much to her concern. She tried to wake her again, but reached the hospital before she managed to do so, instead leaving her in the capable hands of the doctors there.
There was only one thing left to do: wait.
Lucy laughs. “That’s how this all began? Cat losing her filter? I don’t know what I expected.”
“How did you run into my daughter to begin with?” Alura follows, looking equal parts confused and horrified, even with the knowledge that Kara had sustained no injuries whatsoever. “You do not look like an irresponsible driver.”
Cat sighs. “It had been a long day, and I was running late for another last-minute meeting they must have set up to spite me. They were pestering me on the phone about a document and I looked away for a moment to make sure I had it with me. Not my wisest decision, I’ll admit.” A lip quirks up then. “Though it did spare me the agony of dealing with the walking embodiments of male privilege.”
“No, instead I had to deal with those.” Certainly not one of Kara’s fondest memories, neither was having to inform Carter his mom wouldn’t be home in time. He was a trooper about it, but still.
“Unnecessary, but appreciated nonetheless. Though knowing they spent a few hours chasing their tails would’ve provided some amusement to a trying day.” From the corner of her eyes she could see Astra and Alex grin, clearly as entertained by the idea as Cat was.
Alura seems placated by that answer, and so Lucy prompts them to continue. “So what then?”
Kara tosses Cat a look and, resisting a roll of her eyes, she complies with the unspoken question and picks up where Kara left off.
When Cat came to consciousness her head was stitched and bandaged up, something she wasn’t immediately aware of, neither was she immediately aware of her surroundings. She knew she was in a bed. She knew she had things to do. And so, logically, she tried to get up, used to pushing through the initial grogginess in the morning, except this time it wasn’t grogginess trying to keep her in bed. The room was spinning and a sharp pain shot through her head, making her groan, and there were hands at her shoulders guiding her back into bed.
It wasn’t the first time she woke up; she remembered now, scattered fragments of drifting in and out of consciousness, doctors checking her up and trying to keep her awake, testing her memory, etcetera. Especially the question of who the sitting president was had been particularly irksome - she vowed to answer Hillary Clinton if she had to answer that one more time, merely out of spite for that sore excuse of a human. Calling him a Cheeto would be an insult to the chips.
She accepted Kara’s wordless offer of water with its obligatory straw. Cat was grateful her assistant knew better than to comment on her current predicament; the only thing more demeaning than being bed-ridden was voluntarily drinking out of a plastic tube designed for children.
Not that she didn’t appreciate the tool in that instance; the thought of having to move her head was not a pleasant one.
“Thank you.”
“It’s no big deal, it’s just some water—“
“Not for that.”
“For staying with you? Of course, Miss Grant, I couldn’t just leave you alone after you were in an accident. And hospitals can be scary when you’re alone, especially with a concussion—”
“For taking me here as fast as you did.”
That particular interjection quieted her, but only for a moment. “Miss Grant, I’m not sure what you mean. You were pretty delirious on the way here, and the doctors say that can—“
Cat would have rolled her eyes if it wouldn’t be one of the most agonizing things she could do. “Kara, delirium can cause many things, but even delirious I could tell the difference between a car and being carried at high altitudes. Will you please do me the favor of dropping the act rather than trying to gaslight me as if you were some entitled old man? I distinctly remember seeing you just before I hit you, not some lamppost, and certainly not a costumed superhero.”
Alex snorts. “Hitting you, right before hitting on you, am I right?”
That earns her a high five from Lucy, and a smack with a shush from Astra. “She’s just getting to the good part.”
“Aww, you big sap,” Alex teases.
“Yes yes, your sap. Now let her continue.”
“Fine.”
Kara kept silent, the crinkle in her forehead indicating her inner conflict. Normally Cat wouldn’t pay any mind to it - it wasn’t her place, neither personally nor professionally - but this time was different. While she may still be her boss this setting was a personal one, and the situation did call for it.
She would later blame it on the concussion regardless.
“I understand it is a risk of revealing such a thing, so how about I make you a deal. You admit to me who you really are, and in turn I will reveal something about myself that has the capability of ruining my career, should you feel inclined to do so. Mutually assured destruction, as it were.”
“Mutual destruction or mutual trust then? Do you actually trust me that much, Miss Grant? Even if it turns out I’ve been lying about who I am?”
“Kara, you have been my assistant for over 2 years; there is very little I do not trust you with. And if you are who I think you are, despite the lies, that would only inspire more trust. She does not strike the type to intentionally ruin people’s lives.” Unintentionally due to oversights maybe, but that happens to the best of us; not even Cat was exempt from that. “The real question here is whether or not you trust me.”
“It’s... It’s not a lack of trust, I do trust you, I do, but... If I were her... Knowing who she is would endanger you, don’t you see that?” Desperation was clearly evident in both tone and expression. It would have grated on Cat if it weren’t for the fact that this was due to Kara caring about her as a person. “Ignorance isn’t just bliss, it’s safety. You remember what happened with Livewire, I don’t... I wouldn’t want to put you in more danger than necessary.”
“What happened to Leslie is on me. Without those powers she might as well have chased me down with a gun, or a knife. Or maybe she’s always had that affinity for electricity and would have gone after me with a taser, I wouldn’t put it past her. The point is I already have a target on my back with or without that knowledge, and I can trust her to rescue me when there is a need to.”
It didn’t make the desperation on her face disappear - had only increased it if nothing else, with an edge of helplessness. And then resignation. “You’re not gonna drop this, are you?”
“I’m not.” At this point it was nothing but a courtesy to admit it anyway; there was nothing Kara could do now to debunk her being Supergirl, not after she appeared completely unscathed after a car crash, and definitely not when it was Supergirl of all people flying her to the hospital.
Kara took a deep breath, and then seemed to resolve whatever inner conflict was left. “You’re right,” she admitted at long last, the words having more effect than either of them anticipated.
Cat felt herself relax at the confirmation; she wasn’t crazy.
On Kara’s part, she too felt a burden leave her shoulders. Keeping secrets had never been her strong suit, Cat knew; they made her look constipated, or something in that vein, either way it didn’t sit well with her.
“Good. So am I allowed to ask how you pulled off that little stunt with your double? That’s been bothering me for quite some time now.”
“That’s not my secret to tell, but without getting specific... I had help from a shapeshifter.”
Cat let that sink in for a moment, a memory nagging in the back of her brain, a college memory. It remained there however, her pushing it back down; now wasn’t the time for memory lane. And so she took it in stride. Of course Kara, the flying Kryptonian that could shoot lasers from her eyes and breathe frost from her lungs, would know a shapeshifter. “I presume it was this shapeshifter friend of yours too when you cried in my office during work hours?”
“... Yes.”
“Well, that certainly explains some things. Never let them cover for you again.”
Kara pulled a face. “Trust me, I wasn’t going to. I’m not sure they’d even do it again even if I begged them to, you left... quite an impression.”
Cat was unable to keep herself from grinning at that; she’d damn the concussion, but found she didn’t care that much in Kara’s lone presence. This time. “I’m sure. Now, a deal is a deal.”
“No, Miss Grant, it’s okay, you don’t have to—“
“Kara, if you want to go anywhere in life you will not only have to learn to stick to your word, you especially have to learn to keep others to theirs. It would be wise for you not to interrupt me.” When Kara didn’t speak again even after a brief silence she continued, her resolve set. “I have feelings for you. I have walked around with that in the office for quite some time now, and it’s certainly no secret I find your alter ego... appealing.”
Kara’s eyes grew wider as she spoke, before the same flush from a several hours ago overtook her, one Cat only vaguely recalled. “No, that uhm... certainly wasn’t a secret,” she muttered. “But feelings, for me?” She gestured towards herself, cardigan and all, as if there was something unappealing to see there.
Cat may not have been the biggest fan of her assistant’s pastel color palette, everything looking so young and innocent, but there had been glimpses to there being more to her. Hiding behind that innocent apparel was a girl of steel, with or without her alter ego; no one without a tough interior could last that long in her position after all. “Yes, Kara. For you. All of you, evidently. Or all that you’ve shown me; I’m sure there is more to you than the assistant and the hero.”
“Miss Grant, I... I don’t know what to say.”
“There’s nothing to say. You’ve shared your secret, I’ve shared mine. If you have any shred of professionalism this won’t change anything between us.” It wasn’t like she expected Kara to reciprocate those feelings, and she wasn’t naive enough to allow herself to hope.
A silence. “What if I want it to change things between us?”
That grabbed Cat’s full attention; she’d been detached before, to a degree that would keep her heart safe enough until she could work it out in therapy. It wouldn’t have been the first dubious thing she’d worked through with her therapist, likely still wouldn’t have been the last, but this changed things. “Then we’d have to find a way to make it work. You are still, as you may recall, my assistant.”
“But Supergirl isn’t.”
Cat scoffed. “And follow in Lois’ footsteps? Kara, I would rather be kicked out of office— no, scratch that. I would rather publicly broadcast I am sleeping with my assistant, then inevitably get kicked out of office, than being seen as Lois Lane the Second.”
Well, that did it: Kara was pouting. And damn it all, Cat wasn’t immune to it. Rather than irk her - as it very well should - she felt herself soften, in ways she was only familiar with when it came to Carter. (She could only imagine what it would be like to have the two of them team up against her; she’d never stand a chance.) But not quite like it was with Carter: she found she wanted to kiss that pout off Kara’s lips, more than anything in that moment.
And so she did.
She grabbed a hold of Kara’s hands from her position on the bed, pulled the malleable Kryptonian towards her until their heads were close together, and kissed her. No hesitation, no pause; if Kara didn’t want this it wouldn’t have been difficult for her to resist with all that strength in her body, something she later confirmed.
It wasn’t until after they parted that Cat began to face insecurities, which she promptly pushed down and ignored. “We’ll find a way,” she said, unsure who she was attempting to reassure, but feeling the resolute truth down to the fibers of her being nonetheless.
And it had been true; Cat hadn’t needed to step down, nor did Kara back out of CatCo, although both options were put on the table for consideration. They snuck around initially, much to both their dismay, but the truth had eventually come out as it always does. Their motives were questioned, of course, but in between CatCo’s policies and pointing out the hypocrisy when she knew for a fact she was not the only one in the room sleeping with their assistant promptly put those issues to rest.
But that’s the part of the story they were already familiar with.
“I still can’t believe you hit her with your car,” Lucy says, redirecting her gaze to Alex when she continues, “Remember when I said all they needed was a little push? So not what I meant.”
Alex grins around the rim of her glass, finishing her sip before responding, “It worked, though.”
Before Kara can cut in about how her sister hadn’t exactly been on board as much as she’s implying she was, Alura follows with the next question. “Is this a common courting ritual?”
“Oh no, definitely not!” Kara’s answer came quickly, but was followed by her frowning to herself for a moment. “At least... I don’t think so? It’s not meant to be at least, hospitals would not condone that, they’d be swamped, it wouldn’t be pretty.”
“Well, I think it makes for a sweet love story.”
Cat throws Astra a look. “Of course you would think so. You married the woman who stabbed you.”
She looks entirely unperturbed by that comment, perhaps even bordering on proud. Given their history it isn’t all that surprising, and she’s heard the reasoning more times than she could count, of how the former general was glad for the second chance it had given her.
Astra looks like she’s about to retort, but her wife is ahead of her: “It was the fastest way to her heart.”
She watches as the two stare at each other lovingly at that, a mirth dancing in their eyes, and it’s so sickeningly sweet Cat groans and turns to her own wife. “Remind me why I put up with the both of them?”
“Because they are my family and you love me?”
There’s a sheepish grin on Kara’s face, and her insides start to feel an awful lot like mush; Cat both hates and loves how easy it is for her to cause that. She sighs. But even as she does the corners of her mouth curl up, and before she knows it there’s an affectionate smile on her face. She reaches out to Kara, fingers caressing down a precious cheek to cup around that sharp jawline. Then she moves forward to kiss those soft lips, uncaring of their audience when she expresses just how much she loves Kara, especially ignoring someone’s - presumably Alex’s - noise of faux-disgust.
When they part, Cat finally responds with a smile that matches Kara’s. “That I do.”