blind without them

Kara couldn’t remember how many times she had changed back and forth between herself and Supergirl. Seven? Eight times? Too many to keep track of, honestly. Thank goodness the gala was dying down and many of the guests were on their way out.

Lena Luthor was hosting, yet another, charity gala. It’s like she wanted to pound it into the wealthy elite of National City that she is nothing like the rest of her family. With all of the galas and donations, the CEO had to have spent hundreds and thousands of dollars on the local community. Not that anyone is complaining. Many, however, are starting to question her motivations. Is it really for the good of the people or is it to win them over, gain their trust then cast them aside? The rumors were flowing. Fortunately, none had found their way to Lena’s ears.

What had caught Lena’s attention was the bright-eyed reporter who insisted on interviewing her every other week. Lena didn’t mind, not in the slightest. She looked forward to the weekly visits from Kara Danvers, she’d even picked out all of her quirky ticks. The way she constantly adjusted her glasses, how she twirled her pens between her fingers, the hands-in-the-pocket shuffle on the balls of her feet when she was thinking too hard. All of them. And Lena found each one adorable.

So she kept making excuses to see her. Kept planning galas so that she’d have a reason to see Kara outside of office hours. No desks to stand in their way or button-up shirts and up-dos, but elegant dresses and let-down hair, bright smiles loosened by the open bar. And it was working.

This particular event was for a local adoption agency. It hadn’t been Lena’s intent to choose an organization that hit so close to home, both for herself and Kara. And, as it turned out, for Supergirl.

Kara had just returned to her Supergirl outfit, coming to a soft landing next to a group of donors. They jumped slightly at her sudden appearance but welcomed her into the conversation. The talk was light. Mostly full of praise for Supergirl’s latest heroics, something that Kara was trying to diffuse. This night wasn’t about her, after all. She was merely a guest. Thankfully, a warm hand on the back of her shoulder drew her attention away from the group.

“Supergirl! I was just looking for you. Do you have a moment?” Lena’s hand stays firmly on Kara’s shoulder as she guides her towards a quieter corner of the rooftop venue.

Lena appears exhausted, but looking up at Supergirl, the tiredness leaves her eyes and a smile appears, “I wanted to thank you for coming! I know you have other priorities…people to save…fires to extinguish in a single breath…” Lena gestures vaguely off into the distance.

Kara laughs, “Of course I’d come! Superheroes enjoy a good party as much as anyone else. Besides, I was given the night off, the city is in safe hands.”

At this comment, Lena starts, slightly puzzled by its meaning. Kara gulps quickly, drawing in a large breath, preparing for some sort of rambling excuse that’ll cover for her slip.

Fortunately Lena breaks the silence first, “I was actually hoping you could do me a favor?? My friend, you know her I believe? Kara Danvers. She…she keeps disappearing, I just want to make sure she’s ok. I heard about the time she was kidnapped and when she was thrown from the 30th floor of CatCo…” Lena fumbles with her fingers, looking down at her hands then back up to Kara, “I just want to make sure she’s ok? Could you help me find her?”

Kara is taken aback by the request. She hadn’t realized that her numerous outfit changes had been so apparent to Lena. Neither did she realize that Lena had done extensive background work on Kara’s past. What else does she know? Had she hired someone? A private investigator? Rao, if anyone observed her too closely they’d discover everything in an instant…

“Supergirl?”

Lena’s voice drags Kara away from her thoughts.
“Yes! Yes. I can help! I’d love to help. I’ll…I’ll start looking right now!”

The worry in Lena’s face fades as she watches Kara fly off.

Kara. Kara. Kara. I’ve got to be Kara. I’m supposed to be missing…Where did I leave my clothes? Kara flies to a service entrance and makes her way to the empty janitor’s closet that she’s been using to store her “Kara” clothes. Next thing she knows she’s briskly making her way towards Lena.

“Lena! Hi! Supergirl told me you were looking for me!” Kara smiles widely as she makes her way through the last of the party-goers.

Lena lights up. Of course she does. Kara is the reason why she throws these events. To be with her. Yes, to help the organizations she donates to…but…ultimately….to see that smile. The head tilt. The laughter.
Kara reaches Lena, automatically wrapping her arm around the other’s, and turns to face the entirety of the event, the lights, the view of the city from the rooftop location.

“I’d say it was a success, wouldn’t you?” Kara asks.

Lena turns to Kara, surprised by the sudden amount of physical contact, “Yes. A huge success.” The words come out in nearly a whisper. Lena doesn’t take her eyes from Kara’s profile, watching her watch the city below them.

Kara turns to Lena suddenly and catches her gaze. Lena almost ducks away, taken aback by the moment that turned intimate so quickly. But Kara smiles, all warmth and goodness. She drops her eyes before resuming her study of National City’s skyline.

“Do you ever miss them?”

The question is out of the blue. Lena, once again, is thrown off by Kara’s actions.

She stumbles, “I..who?”

“Your birth parents.”

Silence settles between them. Lena lets the question consume her, her brain searching for memories of them that gave her away, that put her in the family that nearly destroyed her, that still wants to see her fail. She feels the tears coming, burning behind her eyes. They’re not there. The memories don’t come, no matter hard Lena tries.

“I can’t remember them to miss them.”

At this Kara removes her arm from Lena’s, instead wrapping it around her shoulders and pulling her into her side. Lena lets her head rest on Kara’s shoulder, grateful for the warmth she seems to radiate.
All too quickly the moment is ruined. Kara tenses. She’d heard a scream, the rapid patter of footsteps, an accelerated heartbeat. Lena feels the sudden change in Kara’s stance. Was it something she said? She shouldn’t have said anything at all…This was a mistake. Doing all of this for Kara. Opening up to Kara. It was too much.

“I have to go. I’m so sorry, Lena, but I have to go,” Kara is pulling away from Lena. The warmth is gone as quickly as it came and Lena wants it back. She quickly wipes the few tears and reaches out for Kara.

“Please, don’t leave, I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have…I’m sorry,” Lena doesn’t know what to stay to make her stay. And she watches helplessly as Kara rushes off towards the exit.

++++

The would-be mugger is completely knocked out, his head lolling to rest on his shoulder. The police are on their way to pick him up, the potential victim already home, safe and sound. Kara is flying as quickly as she can back to Lena’s gala. It’s all that she can think of: the intimate moment that had been ruined by this man’s greed. Lena. Finally opening up. Finally trusting her. Finally trusting someone. And she had fled.
Kara crash lands into the service doors and stumbles through the dark closet for her Kara clothes, quickly placing the glasses on her face. Did she change? Yes. She’s wearing the glasses. Obviously she’d changed. She rushes back to the rooftop only to find the remaining guests gone and Lena alone, right where Kara had left her.

She feels the weight of the cape however, and does what she’d naturally do while wearing it: she flies over to Lena and lands quickly beside her. The other woman jumps at the sudden movement and burst of wind.

“I’m sorry, Lena, there was an emergency…”

“Supergirl? I wasn’t…you weren’t…” Lena’s voice fades as she takes in the girl next to her, “Kara?”

She doesn’t see Supergirl.
She sees Kara.
In a billowing cape and black rimmed glasses.