blind without them

Lena has her secrets, like most people.

Almost all of hers happen to revolve around her alien-hunting family members, but there are a few more personal ones that she holds close to her heart. Like the one currently residing in the gym bag she’s clutching to her person as she runs up the steps towards L-Corp’s lobby.

Damn the rec center for renovating their locker room.

It had been a safe haven, the locker room. It was where, on aisle 3 locker number 24, that Lena carefully stowed her cleats, shin guards, and socks. Her team jersey and her hair ties. Thanks to the washer and dryer located on the facility, Lena’s bi-weekly games and practice sessions were a world all of their own, completely separate from every other aspect of her life. They never mingled with work. They never even left the rec center building.

Until last night, when Paul from maintenance pulled out the caution tape and began closing off aisle 3.

“These puppies are nearing 30 years old, ladies. Big guy up top gave us a good sum o bills to fix ‘em up and that’s exactly what I plan on doin’. Sorry for the inconvenience.”

Lena had stormed off quickly, too upset to be angry, not bothering to say goodnight to her teammates. Besides, the other girls hadn’t minded at all. Shrugged shoulders and calls of “Thanks Paul!” followed the group out to the parking lot. For most of them, all of them really, the indoor soccer team was just that: an indoor soccer team. A facet of their lives that was just…there. For Lena, this team was an escape. It was more than just a game every Tuesday and Friday, it was a world within her world that no one could touch or tarnish. Especially not her family. Especially not Lillian.

Now here she was, arriving at work nearly two hours early in order to maintain the isolation of this part of her life, the gym bag hanging from her shoulder as she tries to sneak past security. In a building she owns.

“Morning Miss Luthor! You’re mighty early this morning!” the security guard smiles and waves as Lena nods quickly, shoving the gym bag behind her as much as possible, as she shuffles past him. “Good thing too, there’s a young miss…” but his words never reaches the CEO’s ears, she’s already throwing herself in the nearest elevator, too embarrassed to make casual conversation, her fingers jamming the button to close the door.

“…a young miss here to see you,” he shakes his head, eyebrows raised, then resumes his watch of the security monitors.

The elevator doors open and Lena breathes a sigh of relief that she’s beaten Jess to work. Of course she has, Lena reminds herself. It’s barely 6 am. The ease is short-lived, however, when Kara Danvers rises from one of the chairs in the waiting room.

Lena’s hand goes to her chest, the visitor completely unexpected, “Kara! Hi…Hello…what are you doing here?” she fidgets with the strap of the gym bag. Maybe if she rests her briefcase in front of it, Kara won’t notice. Invisible. She’ll never know. The briefcase moves in front of the bag, slowly obscuring the secret behind it.

It seems as though the plan is working because Kara doesn’t look towards the bag at all, opting instead for Lena’s eyes. Plus the usual quick flicker to her lips. Lena pretends not to notice this habit of Kara’s, but she does. Every time. It’s almost enough to make her forget the cleats and jersey stuffed inside the bag she’s trying to hide. Almost.

“Hi, I…I um…I came by to talk to you…I couldn’t sleep last night, I had to see you,” the reporter gestures her words in her nervousness. “I’ve been thinking a lot…and…and the flowers, and something Alex told me, it’s all kind of…kind of fallen into place in my mind…”

Lena is just now realizing where Kara is going with this. Her thoughts turn from the secret beside her to the woman standing before her. Lena finally notices Kara isn’t in her usual button-up and cardigan, but old jeans and an over-sized t-shirt. She looks tired. Like she’s been up all night. Right. Right. She just said that. Lena squeezes her eyes shut to force herself to pay attention to what’s going on. This is more important. Kara is more important.

She opens them to find that Kara has moved closer. She’s wringing her fingers together, the tips going white with the pressure.

“I…I think. I can’t stop thinking…what it would be like….” Kara takes another step closer and Lena’s hold on the briefcase loosens, her breathing quickens. Kara’s fingers untangle themselves from each other and move towards Lena’s hair, her cheek, pulling her closer.

It’s nothing like Lena had imagined, it’s better. All of those moments they’d shared in her office, the desire she’d felt for the young reporter sitting across from her. The brilliant smile playing across her face and the bright blue eyes behind black frames. Long conversations on her couch and the secrets shared. Except the one resting on Lena’s shoulder. But here they are, the secret forgotten and the kiss overpowering her. Lena finds her own hands slipping beneath the hem of Kara’s t-shirt, her cool fingers causing Kara to jump slightly at the touch.

The briefcase falls, the gym bag falls from Lena’s shoulder. She leaps back as her foot is hit hard by the briefcase, which springs open, papers everywhere, and the gym bag swings from her arm, hitting Kara neatly in the shins.

“Shit…Oh my God…Kara, are you alright?” Lena crouches down in pain, but manages to look up to check on Kara. Her foot throbs and all she can think of is if she’ll be able to play in tonight’s game. Those thoughts are dashed, however, as Kara joins her on the floor, her face mere inches from her own. The secret leaves her mind and Kara’s lips take their place.

“I’m fine, I’m fine. How’s your foot? I’m sorry about…this…” Lena can see the concern in her eyes.

“I’ll be ok, nothing I can’t handle,” Lena lingers on Kara’s gaze before beginning to gather the fallen papers. “We should…pick these up…”

“Right. Yes.”

Kara begins helping in the cleanup efforts. She reaches for one at the same moment Lena does, their fingers brushing, shoulders bumping.

Kara turns, “Oops, just…” her eyes make their way down, as they usually do. This time Lena doesn’t pretend not to notice and closes the distance between them. The second kiss is more hurried than the first. It’s full of wanting and desire, as though Lena can’t get enough of Kara Danvers, that the thirst will never be filled. It’s been building up this whole time and there’s nothing left to stop it. The throbbing in her foot is no longer there, all but forgotten. It’s been replaced by the need to get Kara on the floor, out of that t-shirt, out of those jeans.

And Kara let’s her.

It only stops when the elevator dings open followed by a sharp intake of air.

Kara, her breathing heavy, runs her fingers through her hair as Lena closes her eyes and bites her lip, the pair separating themselves from each other on the paper-covered floor.

“Miss Luthor…Miss Danvers….I’ll be in the restroom,” Jess stutters out before exiting as quickly as she entered, making her way down the hallway.

Lena begins re-buttoning her blouse as Kara pulls her t-shirt back on.

“Well, shall we resume in my office then?”

Kara pauses in her movements to adjust the remaining stray hairs of her ponytail, a cough overtaking her lungs, eyes wide and cheeks turning pink. Lena laughs and begins piling the stray papers into the
briefcase.

“Kara, I’m kidding,” she latches the briefcase shut, her eyes anything but joking as she stands and moves towards the office.

Kara catches her breath and grabs the gym bag, following Lena.

“But if I weren’t…”Lena turns to face Kara, both now safely within the privacy of Lena’s office, ready to flirt her way back into Kara’s arms, when her eyes rest upon the gym bag in Kara’s hands.

She stumbles across her words as the threat of the secret being released grows. But it’s just Kara. Only Kara. Maybe she won’t say anything. So I won’t say anything.

“…I’ll just take that. Thank you,” Lena reaches for the bag, ready to hide it away underneath her desk until the 6 pm start of the match.

“Do you go to a gym?”

The question is innocent enough. Still, Lena feels her face get hot, her hands get slicker.

“Umm…well…”

Kara waits, her eyebrows nearing the concerned crease they get when she’s full-blown worried. “I’ve always wanted to go to a gym! I don’t really work out, but…”

Lena listens as Kara rambles on about gyms and barbells, excuses for not running, and how many sit-ups Alex can do. One rake of her eyes over Kara’s figure debunks the statement. Clearly Kara is in the best shape of her life. Lena had just nearly seen for herself…

“…And so that’s why I’ve never been! Could I go with you sometime?”

She can’t lie. It wouldn’t hold. Of course she doesn’t go to a gym, L-Corp has one for all employees on the sixth floor. Even then, it’d be risky. The bag doesn’t have anything needed for lifting weights or jogs around a track. It has cleats and tube socks for crying out loud. Why couldn’t they resume what they’d been doing before Jess had interrupted? Why couldn’t Kara forget about working out and take her place on
Lena’s desk?

Lena sighs. There’s no fighting it. Kara is inching closer to Lena, an almost mischievous look in her eyes. If Lena didn’t know that the look was because of the prospect of throwing around medicine balls and not something else, she’d take her right then and there. Deep breath. Here it goes.

++++

“Ok, Ok. No. There’s only five on each side…Kara. Hey. Listen. The purpose is to get the ball…KARA!”

Lena rests her hands on her hips and looks down at the ground. She counts to ten, a calming mechanism she’d had to use when she’d get frustrated with Lillian or Lex. She never in her wildest dreams thought she’d be using it on Kara, a girl she…a girl she…Lena can’t bring herself to finish the sentence.

When she looks up she finds Kara laying spread eagle in the middle of the field. Lena pinches her nose. Dear God. Help me.

“I can’t believe you play indoor soccer. Lena! That is so cool!” Kara shouts from where she’s lying down, her arms and legs moving as though making a snow angel. With no snow. “Like. Every week! You’re here! I had no idea!” Kara sits up, a wide grin on her face.

That’s the idea, Lena thinks, but she can’t help but cave a little at Kara’s enthusiasm. Maybe introducing her to this world won’t be so bad.

“Lena! Lena! Hey!” one of Lena’s teammates, Hannah, comes running up towards her, drawing her attention from Kara and the snow angels, “So. We have a bit of an issue. Michelle sprained an ankle last night and can’t make it. So we’re down a person and we’ll have to forfeit the game unless we get a replacement.”

Lena’s eyes flicker over to where Kara is now attempting to juggle a few of the soccer balls, which goes decently well. She reverts her attention back to Hannah, already dreading what she’s about to ask.

“We noticed…you brought your friend? Do you think she could, you know, suit up?” Hannah pleads.

Lena grimaces as Kara’s juggling attempts go poorly, one catching her on the head, “I don’t know, Hannah. She’s never played before…”

“It doesn’t matter!! We just need a body on the field. I mean, we’re good enough we don’t even need to use her.”

Kara kicks one of the balls, which launches with surprising speed towards one of the nets.

“Or maybe we could,” Hannah acknowledges, impressed.

++++

“Ok, so you’re going to just be on the field. That’s all we need, is an extra player. DO NOT pass the center line. Please, for the love of God, just stay by the goal,” Lena tugs the jersey over Kara’s head, who can barely contain her excitement.

“Lena, oh my gosh. I’ve never played a team sport before! Alex and Eliza never let me! They said…well, they said it wasn’t my thing but this!” Kara looks down at the jersey, pulling it tight to make out the number in her chest, “This is too good to be true!”

Lena laughs. How easily pleased Kara is. It’s endearing. And a shame that she’s helping Kara put the jersey on when she’d most definitely rather be helping her take it off….

The prospect of participating in the match, however, has taken over Kara’s world. It’s as though the events of that morning never happened. She’s practically bouncing off the walls, testing out the cleats, tightening her ponytail, adjusting the pair of extra socks she’s borrowing from Lena, pushing her glasses further up her nose…
The glasses.

“Kara, how’s your vision?”

The excitement immediately dissipates and Lena can almost feel the energy being sucked from the room. Kara stops her erratic movements and her hands go unconsciously to the black frames.

“My vision? It’s fine. Well, not fine. It’s bad. Really bad. I can’t see without them, so…”

“Kara, I guarantee you will get hit in the face, and I don’t want you to break them! It’s a really physical sport.”

“But you said you just need a body, so I’ll, I’ll just stand in the corner, no one will even come near me.”

“The odds of that happening are pretty low, if we’re going to be honest, Kara. I’d feel better if you weren’t wearing them.”

“It’ll be more dangerous if I take them off! I won’t be able to see anyone coming! Or the ball!”

“The ball is bright orange.”

“Oh.”

“Just take them off.”

“No.”

“Kara, please.”

“Lena, no.”

Lena throws her hands up in resignation, “Fine. You’re not playing. I won't see you get hurt. I’m telling Hannah we forfeit.” She walks towards the bench where the rest of the team is stretching in preparation.

Kara struggles for a split second, then lunges forward, “No! Lena! Wait…” she takes Lena by the arm, turning her around to face her. “It’s not, it’s not because I can’t see.”

Lena says nothing, her arms crossed in front of her. Kara’s excuse better be good, after the fit she’s just thrown.

Kara reaches up, her hands shaking, the crease in her forehead coming back for the second time that day. Lena almost regrets forcing her take them off, she's making such a deal about it, but she still says nothing to stop her. Kara takes the glasses by the arms and pulls them off slowly, looking down as she does so. When she lifts her head to face Lena, she gives her a tentative smile.

“It’s just, I can see perfectly fine.”

And it's not Kara that Lena sees
But Supergirl
Clad in a soccer jersey and over-sized cleats