First Touch, First Look
The air was colder than usual for a September evening. Kara Danvers never minded cooler weather. After all, she was a walking heater. Perhaps that was why Lena Luthor was gradually moving closer and closer to Kara’s side as they made their way down the sidewalk. Every now and then a brush of fingertips felt their way across the back of Kara’s hand. Each time it was an electric pulse, a sensation she craved with each accidental touch.
Kara stole quick glances at the CEO. Lena was tight-lipped and quiet. She had been ever since they had left the office building. L-Corp had experienced another attack, and though minor in comparison to the other attempts, it had still shaken Lena considerably. Kara had been with Lena at the time, a stroke of luck really, interviewing her about the post-Medusa outcome and her mother’s potential fate.
It had been a few weeks since the night Lillian Luthor had tried to eradicate aliens from National City. Unfortunately, it had also been a few weeks since Kara had seen Lena, either as a reporter or her alter-ego.
The reunion had not gone smoothly. Kara was barely able to make it past security on the first floor and even when she did, Jess refused to let her in to see her boss.
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“Miss Luthor has a full schedule today, Miss Danvers.”
The sentence was short and obviously a dismissal.
“Jess, please, it will only be a second…”
“Miss Luthor is not available, Miss Danvers. A future appointment won’t be necessary…”
Lena’s voice suddenly cuts through over the intercom, “Let her in, Jess. Miss Danvers is always to be shown in.”
Kara enters the office, initially finding it empty. Sweeping her gaze across the room she finds Lena outside on the balcony, leaning against the railing. Kara joins her in looking out at the city below them. The
silence is tense and uncomfortable. Kara moves to speak when Lena beats her to it.
“I’m not giving you an interview, Kara,” Lena turns to face her. The expression she gives the reporter is not what Kara was expecting. It’s full of sadness. Like too many nights crying yourself to sleep. Too many days merely going through the motions.
Kara looks down at her hands and quickly adjusts her glasses, “I know.” She looks back up to see Lena still staring at her. “I came to apologize… I was out of town…there was an emergency…”
Kara is interrupted by her phone vibrating loudly in her pocket. She attempts to ignore it, carrying on with her explanation, “I had to leave, I wanted to come see you…”
Again her phone buzzes. Lena raises an eyebrow as once again Kara silences the device and resumes her ramblings, “I had to see you because of what happened, not because of this article…I know what it’s like to be disappointed by your parents, I know….”
The cell phone comes to life once again in Kara’s hand and she’s tempted to throw it over the balcony, instead settling for a small crunch as the metal warps in her tightened grip.
Lena leans forward and quietly says, “Maybe you should answer it.”
“No! No, I don’t…I’m here now…” Kara stutters, turning the phone off all together.
Lena breathes in deeply, “Kara. I don’t want to talk about it. I know you mean well. But I don’t want to talk about it.” The words come out slowly. As though Lena is placing each syllable very carefully.
Kara’s eyes flitter back and forth between Lena’s own. The sadness is still there, she can see it. And it’s all Kara can do to hold herself back, to not take her hand or pull her into a hug. She bites her lip nervously and nods in understanding.
“Yeah. Yes. I. I get it. No talking. None at all. Just…”
“Kara.”
Kara blushes as she realizes her mistake and simply returns to looking out over the balcony. Lena smiles softly and shifts ever more closely to the girl next to her. The silence is no longer an uncomfortable one. It’s heavy, yes. There are words unspoken that need to be said and feelings that need to be addressed. But for now, the two stand in the fading light, comfortable in simply the presence of one another.
Kara hears the click of the safety before the assassin even strikes. In an instant, she is on top of Lena on the floor of the balcony, the glass windows shattering next to them. Lena’s eyes are wide as she looks from the damaged office to Kara, just inches from Lena’s face.
They’re green, she realizes. Lena’s eyes. Kara is suddenly overtaken by a strong desire to close the distance between them. To see the greenness up close. Closer than they currently are. Lena’s mouth opens slightly. She slowly blinks, “Kara…”
Jess suddenly enters the scene, followed by a group of heavily armed security guard and Kara quickly scrambles off of Lena, who sits up against the wall of the balcony. The guards start calling in reinforcements and before they know it DEO agents are swarming L-Corp. Lena still hasn’t moved. People are surrounding her, checking her for any sign of damage and removing stray pieces of glass from her clothes and hair, while Kara watches in a daze. How did this happen? Who could have done this? Lillian was gone. Lex. Gone. Alex appears by Kara’s side, leading her away, but not before she steals one last glance at Lena, a tear finding its way down the CEO’s cheek.
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“I’m sure, Alex. We’ll be fine. A car can’t get within a mile of L-Corp anyway to pick her up.”
Kara and Alex stand in the ruined mess of Lena’s office. The rest of the agents have left, the remaining crew picking up the last of the shards of glass. DEO vehicles and police cars had completely barricaded the city center, making it impossible to get a car in to take Lena home. Fortunately, the threat had been taken out. The would-be assassin currently found themselves in police custody, their attempt at taking the
Luthor’s life thwarted.
Lena sits out in the lobby. She’s clutching her things, silently waiting to leave. She had refused to speak to anyone following the attack. The only person who could get any response out of her was Kara, who even then, had had to wait a full hour before Lena would even acknowledge her presence.
Alex grudgingly gives in, “Fine. And answer your phone next time, will you? This could have been avoided if…”
“I know, Alex. I know. “
Kara’s guilt is evident on her face and Alex decides its best not to rub it in.
“Check in when you get there. I’ve got agents surrounding her apartment, plus her own security team.”
Kara nods, hugging her sister tightly before going to retrieve the waiting Lena, who silently follows Kara into the elevator.
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The pass at Kara’s fingers comes again as they round the corner away from L-Corp. Kara can’t stand it any longer and the next time it happens, she firmly grabs Lena’s hand, fully expecting her to pull away. Surprisingly, it never comes. The pair walks, hand in hand, for a few more blocks as a gentle rain starts to come down.
Kara has no idea how to get to Lena’s apartment and allows her to guide them through the darkened streets. It’s a side to National City Kara never gets to see. She’s always seen it from above, a big picture view of the place she loves. Now, from below, she sees it as everyone else does. And she loves it. Walking the streets, she finally has the time to take in her surroundings. Unfortunately, she finds herself distracted by the girl next to her. No architectural wonder or carefully crafted graffiti can draw Kara’s attention away long enough, as she keeps turning her eyes back to Lena.
Lena notices.
She sees how Kara is enraptured by the walk through downtown. How she fights the desire to stare at Lena yet yearns to observe the night life around them.
The rain comes quicker then. The drops getting larger, soaking into their clothes. Kara’s pace picks up and Lena matches the stride. It finally turns into a downpour and Lena shrieks at the sudden deluge of water. She pulls Kara into the doorway of a nearby building, laughing as she does so.
Kara is taken aback by the sudden change in Lena’s demeanor. Her lips are no longer tight and her posture is more relaxed. Her wet hair clings to the side of her face, the image of her blurred by the rain drops covering Kara’s lenses.
She reaches up and pulls the glasses off; going to wipe them on her shirt before realizing the material is just as soaked as the glasses, offering no relief. Kara looks to Lena, about to ask for any piece of dry material before she stops.
Lena’s face is one of surprise. She reaches out to move a strand of wet hair from Kara’s cheek.
Except she doesn’t see Kara.
She sees Supergirl.
Soaking wet in the doorway of 105 Hamilton Ave.