Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Kara smirked at herself as she picked up the bowl of popcorn as Lena sat down next to her on the overstuffed couch.

"So shall we watch the movie or do you answer today's question?" Kara adjusted her glasses.

Lena gave her a friendly smile and took her glass of wine. "Why not both?"

Kara's eyebrows went up and down as she made a huge O with her mouth. "Are you sure you can do both, Miss Luthor?"

Lena gave her a small nod followed by a snort, “I'm more than capable of doing two or more things at once, Miss Danvers. Don't question my versatility."

Kara pouted before letting out a laugh. “Very good, good! Let's put your versatility to the test."
Lena's eyes sparkled at the blonde's last comment of hers.

Kara chose to ignore it, as did the sudden shudder that ran through her body at that…particular look from Lena. Kara was sure her mouth must be hanging open. She blinked several times.

Lena encouraged her with an inviting hand gesture from her. “Come on, shoot! Ask your question"

Kara nodded like a spring, then the blonde rubbed her neck after reaching the recorder, she sighed and pressed the record button "Green Arrow or Batman?"

"Really? Of all the questions you could have in your challenge, you had to ask me about vigilantes and vigilantes?"

Kara gave a shrug while pouting. "The fans have a lot of varied and assorted ideas, I'm just the spokesperson"

Lena cocked her head without missing the gleam of amusement in her magnetic eyes. “I am concerned about the emotional stability of Supergirl fans”

Kara cleared her throat briefly. "I feel the same."

Lena took a sip of her wine as she turned her attention back to the movie. "Well, I really have no preferences."

Kara huffed indignantly “Excuse me? You have to prefer one”

Lena looked at her again resting her elbow on the back of the sofa "I'm multiracial myself so I  don't really care."

Kara almost made up with her own words “What…? Lena, you have to pick one!”

Lena looked at her as if she had lost her mind “Why? How important is it?"

Kara stood up and started pacing back and forth huffing and puffing, “Are you kidding me? We're talking about two of the country's greatest heroes! What do I say country, of the world. They fight to keep their cities and the world safe."

Lena arched an eyebrow. "The greatest heroes are Superman, Wonderwoman... and Supergirl."

Kara stopped walking and looked at her. "Do you really believe that?"

Lena nodded after furrowing her brows “Of course! Based on scientific data they are above the others”

Kara nodded, putting a thoughtful hand to her chin. "Scientific data?"

Lena snorted, “I'm a scientist, okay? To make a decision, I analyze the situation, the variables, the data, the environment... all the components of the equation”

Kara crossed her arms with a horrified expression. "That's... the most... grotesque and disturbing thing I've ever heard."

"You have your ways, I have mine," Lena mused.

"I have an idea!" Kara snapped her fingers. "If you really need to base yourself on science, make a Green Arrow vs. Batman resolution."

Lena nodded and Kara turned off the TV to sit back down next to Lena. The CEO took a few minutes to accept.

"Well, I think I can give you a verdict."

Kara nodded anxiously, waiting for the answer.

"The Bat of Gotham."

Kara frowned and waved her hands in the air. “Why? That is, what are you basing that answer on?"

“Batman will always come prepared for any fight, and there is an easy way to take down the Green Arrow. It's very simple…” Lena moved her glass weighing the wine“ Break one of her arms.”

Kara's face wore an expression of horror. "Of course not! I mean… Green Arrow has legs you know? And he has all this knowledge of hand-to-hand combat that makes him one of the deadliest fighters in the world."

Lena gave him a pointed look. "Green Arrow relies heavily on his archery skill to take down enemies, though he has experience in close combat."

"On what do you base yourself to affirm such a thing?" Kara demanded crossing her arms.

Lena stared at her and replied simply "Batman is superior to Green Arrow in every way for hand-to-hand combat."

Kara huffed indignantly, she had to defend Oliver's honor. There was no way she could agree with Lena in this situation. “Oliver is better than the traumatized Batman! Oliver would beat him in a fight…”

Lena let out a laugh and finished her glass, without waiting any longer she refilled it "I'm not saying it's not a great fight, but Oliver better known as Arrow has little... if any chance against Bat."

"Of course not!" Kara barely stopped herself from saying "I was there, I saw it with my own eyes...I know how deadly Oliver is." But she didn't, she instead let Lena continue her argument.

“I'm just stating the facts, Kara, one is very good at martial arts, the other has mastered every martial art on the planet. Also, the Batsuit offers ample protection to most of Arrow's arrows, and if not, Batman is more than capable of using Batarangs to intercept the arrows."

Kara blinked, Lena had really imagined the whole scenario.

“Batman is a better fighter, he has a better tactical mind and he has better armor. I really don't see a way for the Arrow to win this one. I feel sorry for Oliver Queen, but the Dark Knight triumphs over the Emerald Archer.”

Kara blinked speechlessly. "Did you do your math and everything?"

Lena nodded.

Kara moaned. "I really thought Green Arrow was the best"

Lena squeezed her shoulder "I'm sorry, but I'm right... I could even simulate a confrontation between the two and show you"

Kara winced and whispered softly “Sorry Ollie, I guess there's nothing to be done against the power of great minds and science."

Chapter Text

Both women were walking while eating ice cream, Kara lightly nudged Lena with her shoulder. "It was okay, wasn't it?"

"What? Being stood up on my date?"

Kara rolled her eyes. "I mean what happened next?"

"Do you mean the Opera?" Lena looked at her. "Where did you get tickets to the Opera?"

Kara pouted happily and pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "A reporter who claims to be a reporter doesn't reveal her sources, Miss Luthor."

Lena patted her on the shoulder "Silly"

Kara sighed laughing. "So you enjoyed the Opera?"

Lena nodded and smoothed her hair before looking at Kara. "Pretty much actually."

Kara giggled as she looked at the satisfaction etched on the brunette's face. "Didn't you have trouble understanding all the mise-en-scenes?"

Lena shook her head and licked her ice cream "Not at all."

Kara fiddled with her glasses. "So do you know Italian?"

Lena nodded as she licked her ice cream again, Kara found herself opening and closing her mouth, she gasped noticing the movements of Lena's tongue on the ice cream.

"Of course I know Italian, Kara," Lena murmured as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Kara blinked puzzled "Hnm, yes... yes, of course" she giggled nervously "It's obvious that a Luthor knows other languages, like Italian..."

Lena frowned "Yes, yes"

Kara rubbed her neck as she watched Lena finish the ice cream, her blonde needed a break or she herself would melt like a puddle at Lena's feet. Damn self-control where do you go when I need you!

"And what other language do you know?" kara babble

Lena cocked her head briefly. "Do I have to name them all?"

Kara's eyes widened. "Is that a lot?"

Lena looked at Kara with pause and made a face "Not many..."

Kara crossed her arms. "How many are they?"

Lena pouted "A few..."

"Tell me which ones" Kara insisted

Lena sighed “Okay, I know Gaelic which is the native language of Ireland, I know Italian, French, Japanese, Cantonese, Mandarin, Portuguese, German…”

"German? Do you also speak German? Kara gasped between laughter.

Lena laughed too “What can I tell you? I had a very expensive education.

Kara started laughing "The rich and their things!"

Lena shrugged with a pout. "Totally guilty."

"Which one do you like the most?"

Lena looked at her boots "Gaelic is special to me"

Kara got a lump in her throat "I guess that's how it happens to me with the Kryptons"

Both women sighed looking at each other in each other's eyes, Kara reached out one of her hands, Lena looked at Kara's hand and then took it.

The contact was electric, magnetic and invigorating.

“Italian and French are the romantic languages. Which do you like the most?”

Lena frowned. "Between the French and the Italian?"

Kara nodded.

Lena sighed, they both followed the path "I master them both fluently"

“Some similarities can be identified in the two languages. But is this just a coincidence or are they really similar?" Kara asked cheerfully.

"The truth of the matter is that the French and Italian languages share approximately 89% lexical similarity."

Kara screwed up her face as if she had a hard time keeping up with him, Lena smiled slightly "This means that native Italians who have never heard French in their life could understand what they read in French and vice versa."

"And they are the tongues of love" Kara pointed out making signs with her fingers

Lena rolled her eyes. “Both French and Italian are known to be Romance languages. But no, it does not mean that they are used only to woo a loved one, but that they were derived from Latin.”

"But Latin is dead," Kara complained.

“Latin was the language used during the height of the Roman Empire. When the empire collapsed in the 5th century, various other dialects began to emerge.” Lena let go of Kara's hand briefly to gesture with her hands for emphasis in her explanation “Vulgar Latin was quite popular in the Roman territories. French and Italian share the same history, but come from different areas.”

Kara gasped. "That's what I remember from school."

“The Gauls initially conquered France before being occupied by the Romans. After the Germanic wars, the local languages began to change and Latin began to develop.”

“Lena, you are so cultured” Kara almost drooled over Lena “You know so many things…”

Lena smiled flirtatiously at the blonde "Yes, I know a lot... and this was without a doubt the coolest undate I've ever been on." Lena stood on tiptoe and gave the blonde a sweet kiss on the cheek.

Kara giggled "This Luke, he doesn't know what he's missing."

Lena sighed and looked up. "We have already arrived"

"Unfortunately," Kara muttered under her breath, "I guess we'll see each other tomorrow, then."
Lena smiled with a mischievous gleam and Kara couldn't help but flinch.

"My hero!" She wiped a hand across her forehead dramatically, then headed for the double doors, The bellboy opened the doors for her and Lena stopped and turned to look at Kara one more time. "Oh and for the record, you're the best hot date I've ever had."

Kara felt her heart jump out of her chest, she just raised a hand in farewell mode "You're my girl too!"

Lena started up the steps with a half smile "I knew you were spying on me!" she whispered

And Kara clenched her fists triumphantly, "Of course I did, I wouldn't let you go see Batwoman without me around!"

Chapter Text

when Kara made her entrance into Lena's lab she was shocked to see the mess.

"Lena? What?" Kara babbled foolishly.

Lena gasped pointing at the chaos on the site "I... uh... messed up everything?"

Kara put her hands on her hips and frowned, “Doing what exactly? You are a fanatical woman of order!”

Lena grimaced twisting her fingers "Kara...remember how I told you that she was working on an antidote for the Kryptonian?"

the blonde made a vague face "Yes, I know... and there's no rush, you don't have to go crazy about it, I already told you, I'll be fine"

Lena made a face “You see. The thing is…I experimented with Green Kryptonite trying to find an antidote to it.”

Kara turned serious and walked over to Lena. "What happened?"

"The results were not what we expected" Lena snorted

"Lena, calm down... you don't have to bother about that" Kara murmured trying to comfort the brunette.

Lena put a hand to her face in a gesture of defeat.

a loud noise followed by a huge impact that shook the place. Kara looked at Lena with her concern, she motioned for Lena to stay behind her.

"Wait..."

"Nope! Kara…wait” Lena tugged at the blonde's cape drawing her attention “About that…”

yet another crash shook the place. Kara looked at Lena "Do you know what that is?"

Lena put her hands on Kara's shoulders "It's not a threat, ok.. trust me"

Kara snorted, gesturing with her thumb, "What's going on over there?"

"Because of the unique combination of chemicals in X-Kryptonite, it has given Streaky superpowers!" Lena muttered exasperatedly

Kara screwed up her face, “What is X-Kryptonite? And why was my cat here?”

Lena rolled her eyes “The X-Kryptonite is the Kryptonite I modified” Lena sighed “Streaky wrapped around my legs while I was working, I almost fell and the end exposed to the X-Kryptonite, sorry sorry”

Kara screwed up her face and nodded. "Are you telling me my cat is now a mutant or something?"

Lena rolled her eyes and grimaced. "Streaky's powers consist of a smaller subset of Supergirl's."

"What does it mean?"

"That includes flight, super strength, oversight, super speed, heat vision, and human-level intelligence or higher." Lena continued her explanation.

Kara's mouth fell open like a very, very big one.

Lena felt very bad “I know that Streaky is very important to you... I'm sorry, I'm sorry” Lena was really bad for her mistake in the experiment.

“Is…is he going to be okay?” Kara looked up at the huge dent in the wall. "Is it temporary or long lasting?"

Lena made a sad face "I'm afraid I don't know"

Kara inhaled and went to the source of the noise. Lena followed her.

“Streky?”

the cat let out a pitiful meow after colliding with a couple of shelves and crushing them. "I fed it every night and learned to be nice to it despite my Kryptonian strength…" Kara whispered crouching down, "come here, friend…come."

the cat recoiled as it bristled "come..."

Lena felt sorry for the animal and slapped Kara "It's not a good idea to corner it"

Kara and Lena shared a look. “Will you leave me?”

Kara smiled nervously and nodded.

Lena sighed sitting down on the floor. The brunette raised her hands slowly letting the cat know that she did not represent any threat to hers.

she put one of her hands into a pocket of her robe and pulled out a cookie. Lena slowly unwrapped the cookie and put it on the floor for the cat.

Kara looked at Lena as anxiously as the brunette.

“He will not be able to resist the taste and smell of this type of food, which is a very attractive incentive for it.” Lena explained simply

the cat tentatively stretched out one of his paws while looking at both women, Kara smiled when the cat ventured forward and after sniffing the biscuit the cat began to eat.

shortly after the cat approached Lena in search of more. Lena smiled at the cat and then at Kara. After achieving the rapprochement, Lena caressed Streaky's face rubbing his tender nose with the help of her fingers without bothering it.

Kara sighed happily "Wow... you got it there..."

"I'm really sorry," Lena whispered to both the cat and Kara. "I didn't mean to hurt you, Streaky..."

"Did you know I felt like an alien on Earth until Streaky helped me feel like a human?" Kara commented sweetly stretching a hand over the cat's ears.

Lena placed the trembling cat on her lap, petting it a lot. "This is my fault. Now maybe you can help it get comfortable with his condition?"

Kara wiped away a tear from her cheek that she didn't know she had missed "give it a massage so he can relax and feel loved"

Lena nodded. "Cats are so special...they just want cuddles." Lena gave a light laugh as the cat curled up around her legs purring with satisfaction.

"They're lovely" Kara murmured smiling

"And demanding..." Lena looked at Kara "Almost as much as the Luthors"

Kara laughed and when the cat tensed showing her claws, she apologized.

"We'll get out of this Streaky," Kara promised.

"Aren't you mad at me?" Lena asked

Kara shook her head. "No, no...this isn't your fault." She squeezed one of Lena's hands.

the cat raised its head and sat on the clasped hands. Kara and Lena laughed. "He really looks like a Luthor" Lena assured smiling

Kara was smiling too. "Maybe one day it will be official, right?"

Lena gasped, after a moment she met the blonde's gaze. they both womens smiled silently.

"We'll see" Lena pursed her lips.

"I hope you didn't complain when Streaky started scratching your furniture," Kara muttered happily.

"My furniture is Krypto-proof, who says they can't handle a craving cat?" Lena commented self-satisfiedly

Kara laughed then she tensed “Lena! we haven't thought about Krypto!"

Lena's eyes widened. "How do you think he'll take it?"

Kara winced. "I guess we'll have to wait and find out."

Chapter Text

4. Why Do You Like Science?

The soft glow of the sunset painted Kara's loft orange and purple, creating long shadows that danced silently on the walls. The air was filled with the scents of pepperoni pizza and citronella candles.

Lena was there with her, just like many other Fridays. It had become their ritual, their anchor in the tempest of their respective and chaotic lives. They were sitting on the floor, leaning against the couch, Lena's boots tossed carelessly beside the rug and Kara's legs stretched out in front of her.

The conversation had flowed from trivial topics to deeper ones, swaying in the comfortable familiarity they shared. Kara swirled the glass of red wine in her hand, watching the light play with the garnet liquid. Her gaze then fell on Lena, who was absorbed in explaining a theoretical modification to L-Corp's clean energy generators.

Kara watched her, not for the first time, with a mixture of admiration and something more intense, something she usually kept locked away in the same place she hid her cape. She watched with emotion, the passion in Lena's green eyes, the way her hands moved with elegance and precision when explaining a complex concept.

The question emerged from a place of pure curiosity and affection.

"Lena?" Kara's voice was soft, almost a whisper that blended with the twilight.

Lena broke off her explanation, her full attention shifting to Kara. A small, curious smile played on her lips. "Yes, is something wrong?"

"Why?" Kara asked, leaning in a little closer. "Why do you like science? I don't mean the obvious answer of 'to help people' or 'because of the Luthor legacy.' I mean... for you? Why does it light you up like that?"

Lena blinked, a little surprised by the directness of the question. She was silent for a moment, looking into her own wine glass as if the answers might be at the bottom.

The tension wasn't awkward but expectant, charged. Kara could hear the slight increase in Lena's heart rate.

Finally, Lena looked up, and her gaze was so intense that Kara felt it take her breath away.

"Because of the silence," Lena said, her voice low but clear.

Kara frowned, confused. "The silence? But Lena... labs can be pretty noisy, with all the buzzing and clicking..."

"Not that kind of silence," Lena shook her head, her smile growing a little deeper, more intimate. "The internal silence. Kara, my mind... it never shuts up. It's a constant storm of corporate strategies, tactics, variables, of memories of my family, of anxieties, of to-do lists, of doubts. It's like... like having dozens of radios on at once, on different stations, all the time."

She paused, taking a sip of wine. Kara remained completely still, soaking in every word.

"But when I'm in the lab," Lena continued, her tone almost dreamy, "when I have a problem to solve, a hypothesis to prove... all those radios turn off. Suddenly, there's only one thing. The elegant simplicity of a mathematical formula... The raw beauty of a chemical reaction. The promise hidden in a strand of DNA. There's no Luthor past, no future expectations. Just... the moment. The data. The pure, naked truth waiting to be discovered." She sighed with pride. Her eyes met Kara's, and the fire of the sunset seemed to grow brighter in them.

"It's the only time all my inner chaos finds perfect, quiet order. It's peace, Kara. Science is my peace." Lena admitted, almost melancholically.

Kara looked at her, feeling those words resonate in a very deep place inside her. She understood chaos more than anyone. She understood the need for peace more than anyone. And seeing that vulnerability, that raw and beautifully expressed truth from Lena, made something ignite in her chest, a warm spark that spread quickly.

"I had no idea," Kara murmured, her voice filled with admiration.

Lena blushed slightly, as if only then realizing how much she had revealed. She shrugged, a gesture of rare shyness for her. "It's an intimate question. It deserved an honest answer."

"Thank you for giving it to me," Kara said, and her smile was as warm and bright as the setting sun. Her bare foot accidentally brushed against Lena's ankle under the coffee table, and neither woman moved it away.

The spark turned into a slow, constant ember, burning between them in the now-charged silence of the loft. It was only the beginning.

Chapter Text

5. Fencing?

The rain was gently tapping against the loft windows, a steady, soothing rhythm that had replaced the setting sun. The pizza boxes were folded and put away, and a second—or was it a third?—glass of wine sat between them.

Kara was reclining against the couch, sitting on the rug, her chin resting in her hands, watching Lena. Kara's curiosity, always on the verge of explosion when it came to the CEO, burned intensely.

The blonde frowned, remembering one of the DEO surveillance reports on Lena from the first months of her arrival in Central City, one that Alex had passed to her with an excuse that sounded like, "just so you're in the loop." It had been routine, boring even, except for one minor detail, almost lost between financial data and board meetings... Chess and sword acquisition.

"Hey, changing the subject a bit," Kara began.

Lena frowned and smiled as she only did with Kara. "Do you have another journalistic question, Danvers?"

Kara nodded after biting her lower lip for a moment. "This one might sound weird..."

Lena wrinkled her face and sighed. "Go on, ask your question."

"Are you..." Kara smiled slightly and pointed at her, "...a fencing champion?"

Lena, who was leaning against the couch with her legs crossed, raised an eyebrow with elegance. A playful smile, full of mystery, appeared on her lips. "Fencing? That's a very specific question, Kara Danvers."

"It's for an article! About... unusual hobbies of powerful women CEOs," Kara rushed to say, feeling her ears get hot. Lying to Lena always gave her a little pang of guilt, even with half-truths.

Lena laughed softly, a melodic sound that blended with the sound of the rain. "Of course it is." She placed her glass on the table. "Though you couldn't call it 'champion' in the strict sense. But yes, I won the national university foil title during my second year at Oxford." The brunette raised an eyebrow. "Does that satisfy your journalistic curiosity?"

Kara's eyes widened. "Seriously? That's incredible! Why have you never mentioned it?" She imagined Lena, with that air of unflappable elegance, dressed in pristine white fencing gear, the mask hiding her serious face. The image was terribly attractive to her.

"It's a bittersweet memory," Lena admitted, shrugging as a faint shadow momentarily darkened her gaze. "Lionel insisted. He said a Luthor should master the art of dueling, the elegance of strategic combat. It was just another thing to master, another expectation to meet." The bitterness in her tone was palpable.

But then, Lena's expression changed. The shadow dissipated, replaced by a spark of genuine mischief. Her green eyes swept Kara up and down with a calculating intensity that made Kara's throat go dry.

"However..." Lena continued, her voice dropping to a more intimate register, almost a conspiratorial whisper, "I must admit I came to enjoy it. The feeling of the foil as an extension of your arm, the mental game of anticipating your opponent's every move, the climax of the precise hit... there's a visceral beauty to it."

She leaned forward, closing the distance between them. The air suddenly felt heavier, charged with a new, electric energy.

"Why do you ask, Kara?" Lena challenged her softly. "Would you like to see my... skills?"

Kara swallowed, feeling her Kryptonian heart beating a little harder than necessary. "I... maybe. It could be a good photo op. You with the foil and all that."

A slow smile, full of promises and challenge, spread across Lena's face. "Oh, I think we can do something better than a simple photoshoot." Her gaze was direct, defiant, filled with a warmth that made Kara burn.

"How about we duel sometime?" Lena proposed, and her tone made it clear she wasn't talking about just any game.

"What?" Kara was dumbfounded.

Lena shrugged. "I'll teach you the basics. We can see who has better reflexes. Although," she added, with a look that could melt steel, "something tells me you might be a... natural student."

The suggestion dropped between them like a gauntlet thrown to the floor.

A duel.

The word floated in the air, charged with double meanings and palpable tension.

Kara couldn't help the goofy smile that spread across her face, nor the mental image of her and Lena, in a fencing hall, moving around each other in an elegant and potentially explosive dance.

"It's a date," Kara said, with more confidence than she felt. "Or, well, a duel. Whatever." She was blushing and stammering as she corrected herself.

"Excellent," Lena murmured, and her smile softened into something warmer, but no less intense. She picked up her glass again. "It'll be fun."

The rain was still falling outside, but inside the loft, the storm brewing between them was of a completely different kind, and Kara, against all logic, couldn't wait for it to arrive. The ember of attraction now blew with a promise of fire.

Chapter Text

6 Favorite dessert? ✓

Saturday morning was bright and crisp in National City. Kara had insisted that a little "light" exercise, which for her consisted of discreetly lifting weights that would make a professional powerlifter cry, was the best way to start the weekend. And, of course, she had dragged Lena along with her.

They were now leaving the gym building, the morning air feeling fresh against their heated skin. Lena, dressed in black leggings and a baggy hoodie that gave her an unusual air of vulnerability, was wiping the back of her neck with a small towel. Her face was flushed from the effort, and a few strands of her impeccable hair had escaped from her ponytail.

Kara, for her part, radiated energy like a miniature sun. She wore shorts and a form-fitting t-shirt, and not a single drop of sweat seemed to profane her forehead.

"Are you sure that was 'warming up'?" Lena asked, panting slightly but with a genuine smile on her lips. "I feel like I've run a marathon."

"That was just the basic routine!" Kara said, with an enthusiasm that made Lena roll her eyes, though her affection was evident. They walked towards a small nearby cafe, the promise of coffee and something sweet spurring their steps.

Kara watched Lena out of the corner of her eye. Seeing Lena like this, disheveled and without her usual armor of designer suits and flawless makeup, made her feel things. Warm, fluttery things in her stomach.

The conversation from the night before, the fencing duel challenge, still resonated in Kara's mind, adding a layer of electric tension to every shared look.

As they waited in line, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and baked pastries filled the air, Kara felt the next question on her personal list emerge almost on its own. It was lighter, sweeter, but no less important for that.

"Hey, Luthor," she said, gently bumping Lena's shoulder with her own. "I need to know something vital. Crucial to my understanding of your universe."

Lena turned to her, one eyebrow arched with amused skepticism. "Oh? And what cosmic mystery could that be, Danvers?"

"Your Favorite dessert," Kara declared, as if she were revealing the most profound question in humanity. "And none of that 'oh, a falsely modest berry soufflé' answer." She made funny faces. "The truth. The thing you'd have Jess commit a B-level misdemeanor to get."

Lena laughed, a clear, relaxed sound that Kara was loving to hear more often. She looked towards the pastry counter, but her gaze was lost in the distance, as if looking for the answer elsewhere.

"Barmbrack," Lena finally admitted, and the word sounded strange and musical coming from her lips, with that Irish hint that sometimes crept into her accent, especially on the softer syllables.

"Barn... brack?" Kara tried to repeat it, stumbling over the consonants. Was it even from this planet?

"Barmbrack," Lena corrected softly, and a nostalgic smile, much deeper than the one from the gym, lit up her face. "It's an Irish sweet bread. Full of candied fruits and raisins soaked in tea... and sometimes, a little whiskey for the adults." She winked at Kara, making the Kryptonian's heart skip a beat. "It's eaten around Halloween. It's... tradition." She added with a mischievous shrug.

Kara was fascinated. "Whiskey? Lena Luthor, are you saying your weakness is a boozy cake?"

Lena laughed, a genuine chuckle that made a couple of people in line turn to look. "Something like that. But it's more than that." Her voice softened. "I remember... God, it must have been during my first summer in Ireland. It was horribly cold in those stone walls. Emma, a classmate, was Irish, like me. One day, her mother came to visit and brought a homemade Barmbrack, still warm, wrapped in a dish towel." She paused, and Kara held her breath, completely absorbed in the story. It was rare for Lena to mention something so personal from her life before L-Corp, from her childhood or adolescence.

"We all sat in her trailer, the library, Gwen, and Andrea," Lena continued, with a tenderness in her voice that Kara rarely heard. "The steam came out of the bread, filling the space with the aroma of cinnamon and fruit. Emma told the tradition: that objects were baked inside, and what you found predicted your future. A ring for marriage, a coin for wealth... We were there, in our heavy coats, laughing like little girls, frantically searching our slices to see what destiny awaited us." Lena's gaze met Kara's, and it was so vulnerable and warm that it was almost painful.

"Emma found the ring. I... found the piece of cloth, which meant a life of poverty or something equally silly, which I can't even remember," Lena said, laughing at herself.

"Wao, Lena..." 

“But it didn't matter. In that moment, with that warm sweet bread in my hands and the laughter of those women around, I felt... a part of something. Something warm and real. I wasn't the daughter of the Luthors or Lex's sister. I was just Lena, eating an Irish dessert with her friends.”—She fell silent, and the weight of the confession hung in the air between them, as sweet and dense as the aroma of the Barmbrack she was describing.

"That's why," Lena concluded, her voice barely a whisper. "It's not just bread. It's the taste of feeling... at home. Wherever that is."

Kara didn't say anything for a long moment. She just looked at Lena, this incredibly complex woman who hid so much pain and so much nostalgia under a layer of steel and satin. She felt a wave of affection so overwhelming it burned her chest.

"So, Barmbrack," Kara finally said, her voice a little hoarse. "With whiskey. And... I promise not to look for the piece of cloth in my slice."

The smile that Lena gave her then was so bright and genuine that it eclipsed the morning sun. In that moment, in the space between them, filled with the aroma of coffee and Lena's nostalgia, Kara knew that she would fly to Ireland and get that dessert for Lena, every time it was needed, just to see her smile.

Chapter Text

The rhythm of their "interviews" had become natural. They no longer needed the excuse of pizza or a movie night. Most of them weren't even planned; sometimes, the question would pop into Kara's curious mind during a break between articles at CatCo, or while walking in the park, as they were today.

They were walking along a tree-lined path, enjoying the afternoon sun. Kara, with her hands in the pockets of her jeans, watched the breeze play with Lena's hair. Today's question had come to her out of the blue, inspired by a trivial conversation about the strange hobbies of billionaires.

"Hey, totally changing the subject," Kara began, hopping over a root. "Do you have a horse?"

Lena stopped dead in her tracks. Not in surprise, but with an instantly worried expression. "Why do you ask? Have you heard something?"

The reaction was so immediate and full of anxiety that Kara was alarmed. "Heard? No, no, not at all! It was just... a random question. Why? Is something wrong?"

Lena let out a long sigh, pressing a hand to her temple. "It's Solo. My... dressage horse. He's not mine, mine, he belongs to the Luthor Stables, but he's the one I always ride. He's at the family estate in Ireland. My groundskeeper just sent me a message. It seems he has a slight limp in his front left leg." Lena's voice had a tremor that Kara had rarely heard from her.

"Lena..."

Lena swallowed hard and shook her head. For a moment, Kara saw the green-eyed brunette put on her mask of coldness and feigned lack of feeling, and Kara's lips turned into a slight pout.

But Lena, even though she wasn't looking at her, confided another secret. "The vets are with him, but... I'm dying to be there."

Kara looked at her, astonished. She had seen Lena face corporate disasters, death threats, and the sensationalist press with an imperturbable cool. But a limping horse thousands of miles away had the brunette tied up in knots.

"Solo?" Kara asked, softly.

A small, nostalgic smile appeared on Lena's lips. "From Solomon, actually. I named him that for... well, for the wisdom he supposedly possessed. It seemed appropriate for an Irish thoroughbred. They're known for their intelligence and calm temperament, unlike English thoroughbreds, which are more high-strung." She realized she was rambling and blushed slightly. "I'm sorry."

"No, don't be sorry, Lena... Don't ever apologize to me," Kara said, smiling. "You like horses."

"Not horses; I like Solo," Lena corrected, and her gaze softened. "He was the only living being on that estate who didn't want anything from me. He just wanted apples and a scratch behind the ears."

Kara made a decision right then and there. "Then let's go."

Lena blinked. "Pardon?"

"To the estate. To Ireland... Let's go." Kara shrugged, as if suggesting a spontaneous transatlantic trip was the most normal thing in the world. "I'll take an express vacation. You can work from there..."

"Kara, no, what are you thinking?" Lena complained.

"Sure, it's a practical solution. And that way you can... scratch Solo behind the ears in person." Kara offered her.

The protest was on the tip of Lena's tongue, but the vehemence in Kara's blue eyes stopped her. The pure, simple offer of support, without judgment, left her speechless. She nodded, slowly. "Alright..."

Two days later, Kara was stepping onto the Luthor "family estate" in Ireland for the first time. It wasn't a house; it was a stately grey stone manor surrounded by endless green fields. The air smelled of damp earth and sea salt.

Lena, dressed in simple jeans and a sweatshirt, looked like a different version of herself here, more relaxed, although the worry for Solo still clouded her green eyes. She went straight toward the stables as soon as the butler welcomed them and took care of the light, very light, luggage, with Kara following closely behind.

The stable was spotless and smelled of clean hay and leather. And there, in a spacious box, was Solo—he was no ordinary horse. He was a magnificent animal, a dark chestnut with a white star on his forehead that gently widened toward his muzzle. Upon seeing Lena, he whinnied softly and brought his large head closer to the rails.

"Hello, darling," Lena murmured, her voice full of a affection that Kara had only guessed at. She reached out and stroked the horse's long, velvety muzzle. "I see you're better." She examined the bandaged leg with an expert glance before whispering something to him in Gaelic that Kara could barely catch.

Kara stood back, watching the scene. National City's most powerful CEO, the woman with steel defenses and laboratories, melted before a horse. It was the fluffiest, most adorable secret Kara had discovered so far.

Suddenly, the horse, perhaps curious about the new presence, turned and gently nudged his head against Kara's shoulder, looking for more strokes.

"Whoa!" Kara laughed, swaying a little under the powerful animal's push. "Helloooo, Solo... I'm Kara, nice to meet you... Lena was toll me about you..."

"He likes you," Lena said, with a radiant smile that made the trip worth every second. "It's his form of approval."

Kara stroked the horse's forehead, feeling the soft skin and the latent power beneath its surface. "He's incredible, Lena."

"He is," Lena whispered, and she was no longer looking at the horse. Her gaze was fixed on Kara, on how the stable light reflected in her blonde hair, on the way her hand, capable of stopping meteors, stroked her horse with such tenderness.

In that moment, surrounded by the smell of hay and the sound of soft whinnies, with Lena's fluffy secret revealed between them, Kara knew there was nothing in either universe that felt more like home than this. Than her. And by the way Lena was looking at her, with a mix of gratitude, affection, and something deeper and more ardent, she knew Lena felt the same way.

Lena smiled at her and for an instant, Kara was sure that instead of being called the Girl of Steel, from that day on she could be called butter-legged.

"Do you want to go horseback riding? Obviously, we won't be able to ride Solo, but we have other horses..." Lena commented without stopping stroking the precious horse.

Kara smiled, blushing behind her glasses. Lena shook her head. "Come on, let's find a pair of gloves and riding boots..." Lena commented, turning her back and heading toward the mansion, Kara stammered and ran after her.

Chapter Text

Why Do You Work So Late?

The night in National City was quiet. From high up, the skyscrapers looked like jewels set in black velvet. Supergirl hovered for a moment, enjoying the silence after a round without major incidents. A small fire on the outskirts, an attempted robbery thwarted in seconds. Routine.

She smiled; she loved saving people and helping others... She thought of Lena.

It was then that, almost out of inertia, Kara closed her eyes for a moment, her hearing sharpening, searching for a familiar rhythm among the city's heartbeat. She found it immediately.

Lena’s heart. It was beating fast, focused. And it was coming from L-Corp. At that hour.

Kara snapped her eyes open with a gasp of astonishment. A pang of worry shot through her chest.

It wasn't the first time, but something in the solitude of that heartbeat, in the stillness of the building around her, told her that tonight was different. Without a second thought, she changed her course and headed toward the skyscraper with the 'L'.

Kara landed softly on the main office's balcony. Through the glass, she saw Lena bent over blueprints, the light from the desk lamp caressing her face, highlighting the shadows under her eyes. She was completely alone.

Lena looked up, startled by the movement, but her expression softened—a mixture of fatigue and resignation—upon seeing the sway of the red cape and the letter S on the blonde's chest.

"Supergirl," she said, standing up and approaching to open the balcony door, unable to suppress a look of suspicion and an involuntary arch of one of her eyebrows, "Trouble in the city?"

"The city sleeps, for now," Supergirl replied, stepping inside. Her cape brushed the floor silently. "But you don't. It's late."

Lena scoffed and sat back down. "I have news for you: most people work, and I have a company to run."

Kara frowned and closed her mouth a couple of times to keep from babbling. "I understand that, but... Lena... Miss Luthor... Why do you work until these hours?" The question came out softer than she intended, tinged with a concern that wasn't just superhero-level. It was Kara, the friend, who was speaking.

Lena leaned against her desk, crossing her arms. It wasn't a defensive posture, but a thoughtful one.

"L-Corp doesn't guide itself toward a better future," she said, looking at the blueprints. They were prototypes for a new low-cost water filter. "Every project, every decision, passes through me. I want to make sure that when someone rises in this company, or when one of our initiatives reaches a community, it is because of merit and clean results. Not because of favors, or the shadow of my last name." Her voice was firm, convinced. "Meritocracy is not a concept, Supergirl. It's a practice. And sometimes it requires... overtime."

It was a noble, altruistic answer. The answer of the Lena whom Kara admired. But it wasn't the whole truth that Supergirl could feel in the air.

"That's a commendable reason," the Kryptonian nodded. "But working until you're exhausted and completely alone... is not sustainable, Miss Luthor."

It was then that Lena looked directly at her, with an intensity that seemed to pierce the cape and the mask.

"Why do you care?" The question wasn't hostile, but genuinely curious, loaded with the skepticism that always existed between them. "You and I... we are not friends, Supergirl. You distrust me because of my last name, and I... I don't know what to think of you half the time."

Supergirl felt the blow of the truth. Lena was right. Their relationship was a minefield of half-truths and secrets. She swallowed, the mask suddenly feeling very heavy.

"It's not about distrust," she lied, tasting the bitterness in her mouth. "It's about... a mutual friend."

Lena's interest was piqued. "A mutual friend?"

"Yes.... Hmm, Kara Danvers, Kara Danvers! She..." the name tumbled from the blonde's lips like a guilty, nervous freight train.

Lena leaned back against the chair, looking Supergirl in the face while toying with a pen. "Kara? Kara Danvers?"

Kara grimaced and nodded, tense and anxious. "She... cares about you a lot. And she worries about seeing you work so much. She asked me, if I saw you, to make sure you were okay."

The mention of her name completely altered the energy field of the room. The tension between Supergirl and Lena softened, replaced by something warmer and more complex. Lena’s eyes lit up with a softness that only appeared when she talked about Kara.

"Kara... worries about that?" she murmured, almost to herself.

"A lot," Supergirl confirmed, and this time her voice was completely sincere. "She says you are the most brilliant person she knows, but that even the brightest engines need to shut down to rest."

Lena lowered her gaze, a small, genuine smile playing on her lips. "That sounds exactly like her."

For a moment, only the distant hum of the city filled the space between them. Supergirl had created a fragile bridge with the name of her other self, a bridge that felt to her like an act of betrayal and devotion at the same time. An eternal and complex paradox for which she could find no solution.

"Then," Supergirl said, taking a step toward the balcony, "for Kara, do you promise to go home soon?"

Lena looked up again, and her gaze was clearer, less burdened. "I promise... For Kara, obviously."

Supergirl nodded and had to shake her head to hide the blush on her face. "Of course," and she took off, feeling the weight of the lie and the lightness of Lena's concern for Kara as two opposing forces pulling at her.

As she disappeared into the night sky, she knew that the question of that night hadn't just been about work. It had been about trust, friendship, and the cracks forming in the walls they had both built. And at the center of everything, always, was the name that both unitedand separated them: Kara Danvers.