Karamel Hiatus Project.

The hiatus is finally over, but so is our project: I wanted to thank the anon that gave me the idea, @thoughtsfromaclutteredbrain for being my partner in this and helping me set everything up and most importantly, every single one of you for taking part in this project, for posting your thoughts, your edits, your au's, your headcanons, your gifsets, your fanfictions, your aesthetics, your metas, thank you, thank you so, so much for making this hiatus more fun and for distracting us from the lack of content we had in these two months. 🙄😂

Your creativity has blown me away, you're the very best! ❤️❤️

This fic was cowritten by both of the runners of the @karamelhiatus​ Project, @iminyourhandskara​ and @thoughtsfromaclutteredbrain​.

WORD COUNT: 3,493 words

SUMMARY:  Kara is forced to interview Mon-El for an article at CatCo, and it makes them both revisit old feelings that they had been trying to hide.

Now available on AO3!

[Feedback is welcome. Hate will be blocked. Thank you!]

The day started normally, well, as normal as it could get if your name is Kara Danvers. The reporters that weren't already busy writing their stories reunited in the office that used to be Ms. Grant’s, to pitch their ideas to James.

Christine Lee finally raised her hand and asked: “Have you noticed that Supergirl has got a new partner on the battlefield?”

Kara's blood froze and her eyes got wider. James looked back at her for one imperceptible moment to see her reaction, “Huh, yes, I've seen him.”

“Well, it's been a few months and I was wondering if we could get an exclusive interview with him. I've already written down a few questions. He doesn't even have a superhero name yet! A lot of people have been speculating about his identity, some believe that he's Supergirl’s bo-”

“Okay Miss Lee, I'll see what I can do to set it up. Everybody head back to work now!”

Kara’s face had become red. She approached James with a stern expression. “We're gonna talk about this later at the DEO, I'm not sure it's a good idea.”

“Okay.” James replied, a hint of terror in his tone.

This week would've definitely be a weird one for Kara.

“I really don't see the problem here.” Mon-El said after Supergirl explained the situation around the DEO table as Alex and J'onn payed attention.

“The problem is that if you say something wrong, people will start looking for your real identity and maybe they could find you and they could have bad intentions.”

“Okay, then I won't say anything that exposes me?”

“You don't understand!” Kara raised her hands in the air. “A reporter's job is to always read between the lines, find the scoop behind the words and Christine is really good, she's ver-”

“Kara, James is literally your boss! He will have to check the whole interview before it gets published, right?” His hands were on her shoulders, attempting to calm the girl down. “We'll talk to him about this and everything will be fine. Everyone will get what they want.”

Kara huffed. She had to admit she had been too busy thinking about the what ifs, instead of realizing that one of her best friends was actually in charge.

“Mon-El is right. James will help and it will be okay.” Alex winked and Mon-El smiled.

“So, do you know anything about this? What kind of questions she might ask? Any tips?” The man in the red suit seemed suddenly much more nervous than before. Kara felt like he was suddenly panicking.

“I don't know anything. I'm sorry, but hey, don't worry. You're good, you're smart, you're gonna get through this just fine.” She reassured him with a cheerful smile, Mon-El’s heart seemed to warm in his chest: Kara still had that effect on him.

As silence got a little heavier on the two, Kara broke it “I'm gonna call James and tell him to set the interview up for tomorrow, okay?”

“Sure.”

The time and place were set, the dreaded afternoon arrived, the team was currently at the DEO and Mon-El seemed ready for the interview, until Kara's phone rang.

“Hello?”

“Kara? It's Christine!”

“Hey Christine, is everything okay?”

“Actually no, I got some stomach virus and I can't stop throwing up, I can't do the interview!” She whined on the phone.

“Oh Gosh, I'm so sorry to hear that! So, are we gonna cancel it?” Mon-El raised an eyebrow and put his hands on his hips, listening carefully to what the women had to say on the phone.

“It's such an important article, not just for me, but for CatCo and our citizens, so I was wondering if you could do me the favor of interviewing him on my behalf. I'm gonna email you the questions I had written down. Is that okay for you?”

Kara gulped and her gaze shifted in Mon-El’s direction, who seemed pretty worried about Kara's sudden change of expression.

“Kara?” He whispered softly.

“Y-yeah, I guess I could do that.”

“That's perfect! I sent the email. I think I'm gonna run to the toilet again now. Bye!”

The call ended abruptly. As Kara looked back down at her phone, she saw that Christine had already sent her the questions. She slowly walked over to Mon-El, her dread increasing with every step she took.

"Is everything okay?" he asked, worry evident in his voice.

"Yeah..." she responded, fidgeting with the phone in her hand. "So Christine's sick... So she asked if I could do the interview instead."

Kara saw the way his body tensed up at her words. Obviously, he wasn't too happy with the idea either.

He let out an awkward chuckle, trying to relax his body and look calmer than he was. "Well, at least I won't have to worry about accidentally giving up my identity."

"Yeah," Kara responded halfheartedly. “Just wait a few minutes before flying into CatCo. I need to explain the situation to James.”

“Okay, okay. You suddenly seem more nervous than I am.”

“I'm not!”

“You're lying.”

“I'm not lying.”

“Crinkle.” His index touched the space in between her eyebrows. Kara rolled her eyes, but the brief touch made her feel some things she thought she had suppressed.

As soon as she walked out the elevator, Kara approached James. “Christine is sick. She can't do the interview."

“What?”

“Mh-mh.”

“So, no more exclusive interview?”

“Worse. She emailed me her questions and I have to interview him!”

“Oh.”

“Oh is an understatement," she told him, mentally preparing herself for the situation. "By the way, Mon-El is coming. I should go to the office now. Wish me good luck!”

“Good luck! Not that you need it, anyway.” She turned back to James with raised eyebrows.

“Yeah, who needs good luck when you are about to do a recorded interview to your ex boyfriend about his secret superhero life and his partnership with another superhero who - guess what? - is me! What could go wrong?”

Kara shrugged and James took a step back, when she was nervous she was even more terrifying.

“I should probably go now..”

Mon-El finally entered from the balcony, his red suit lit up by the sun rays. He looked unreal and even though he had worn that for a while now, it still looked like a heavenly vision to Kara.

They stood in awkward silence for a minute before Mon-El spoke. "Should we get started?" he asked.

"Of course," Kara responded, snapping out of her thoughts and going into reporter mode.

“This interview will be recorded, I hope you're okay with that.”

“Sure thing.”

Kara pressed the red button, starting the recording.

“It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Kara Danvers and I'll be doing this interview on Christine Lee’s behalf for CatCo magazine. So.. what's your name? Or superhero name if you prefer?" She chuckled.

"I've heard that Cat Grant is the one to do the honors of giving the superhero names around here, so let's say I don't have one at the moment. Try asking her when she comes back from Washington D.C!"

“Maybe we should give her a call. A lot of people have seen you working alongside Supergirl but just a few have noticed that you were her sidekick also months ago, but you didn't have this bright red suit."

"Yeah.."

"But you haven't always been there." Kara tensed up. "W-what happened?"

Mon-El laughed at the question, letting all the events of the past months run through his mind as he thinks.

"Well... a lot of things happened. These past months have been..." He looked down, avoiding Kara's eye contact as he continued. "These past months have been difficult for me. A lot of things have changed in my life... some good, some not so good. But I've grown and changed as a person, as a hero... so the suit changed as well."

He ended with a smile, trying to lighten the mood, but Kara saw the way that it didn't quite meet his eyes.

“How did you become a superhero?”

“Ah, where to start? I wasn't always inclined to save people... Actually, the opposite. I would run away and hide from danger. I would only care about my well-being and... that changed, when I met Supergirl.”

“How?” Kara managed to whisper, her emotions piercing her voice.

He took a deep breath, and Kara could see that he was trying to form an answer to her question in his head. "Well," he started. "It was all because of her."

He chuckled once, trying to ease the tension in the room before he continued. "I... I came to this world not too long ago. Supergirl... she was the one who found me, helped me get used to this planet. She made me into the person I am today."

Kara adjusted in her seat, trying not keep a poker face as he spoke. He sighed before continuing. "Where I'm from... It wasn't a good place. It was full of selfishness, and I thought I was one of the good people, until I came here and realized just how... how awful I was. How awful my planet was. Supergirl... she taught me everything I know... about morals and justice, about doing the right thing and standing up when others can't. She taught me what it meant to be a hero. And... I've just been trying to follow her example."

Kara felt overwhelmed by the sincerity of his answer. She tried to hide it, lowering her gaze to look at the questions paper in her lap. She read the following question but it certainly didn't help the situation, “I’m excluding you're related by now. So what's your relationship with Supergirl?”

He looked down at his hands; anything to avoid eye contact with her. He let out a shaky breath before he spoke. "Well, she's my friend, my mentor, my inspiration... the closest thing I've had to family since I landed on this planet."

His voice dropped in volume, and Kara wasn't sure if the recorder would pick up his last words. "She's everything."

Kara chose to ignore those last words and the lump forming in her throat. Silence took over the room as she read the notes below the previous question. If he gives a heartfelt answer, ask if there is something more than just a partnership on the battlefield.

“Damn it, Christine.” She muttered.

“What?” Mon-El picked that up and raised an eyebrow, thinking he said something inappropriate.

“Nothing.. nothing.”

Kara cleared her throat, trying to push her emotions aside. Just a few questions left, she reminded herself. You can get through this.

"Have you and Supergirl... has it always been just a partnership? Or is there... is there something more?"

Mon-El met her eyes, and she could see him searching them, trying to gauge her reaction to the question. She willed herself to remain stonefaced and not give anything away.

He looked away, and she couldn't miss the hurt that washed over his face. "No," he said quietly and simply, refusing to meet her eyes.

“Are you in love with someone else?” At that point Kara didn't even care anymore about what was written on the paper. The words didn't matter; their feelings were taking over, their eyes were communicating, almost yelling at each other.

There were a few seconds of quiet, “No.” Mon-El replied, as if it was the most obvious thing in the universe.

“No?” Kara fixed the glasses on the bridge of her nose.

“No.” He rested one hand on his lap, the other scratched his chin.

Truth be told, Kara expected an affirmation. Imra had gone away no longer than three months earlier, and she knew they had broken up amicably. But ever since that, she'd been walking on a tightrope for Mon-El's sake, trying to keep their relationship platonic, respecting the longevity of their marriage. But now, she was dangerously close to falling down.

“That sounds odd, being so handsome and alone at the same time," Kara attempted to make the sudden tension disappear and get back to the written questions.

“Maybe someday, I'll find someone. Maybe they're standing next to me already. Who knows? Fate is a tricky thing.”

Kara tried desperately to not read too much into his words. She adjusted her glasses as she sat up straighter, trying to forget what he said.

"Just two more questions," she told him instead, forcing a smile onto her face.

He nodded simply, looking a little disappointed in her lack of reaction. She could tell that he couldn't get a read on what she was thinking.

"The last two are less... personal," she continued, and she could see his relief.

"What's the worst part about being a superhero?" Kara asked, thankful for the switch from personal questions.

"Not being able to save everyone," he replied. "Sometimes, missions go sideways and... it's hard."

He paused for a moment, looking up to meet Kara's eyes. "There are a lot of sacrifices you have to make too, in the name of doing the right thing."

Kara couldn't help thinking that he was talking about the lead device, and how he had to leave Earth. It had been the right thing to do, but it had cost them so much. But she couldn't even imagine that he was actually talking about his arranged marriage to unite Imra’s planet to Earth.

“What's your favorite part about being a superhero, instead?”

Both of their minds flashed the night of their first, and technically, only, break up: Mon-El told her that he loved being a hero because he got to spend more time by her side, but after fighting enemies without Kara for 7 years, they knew that this reply would've been different.

"Knowing that I'm doing my part in keeping the city safe. I mean, we have these powers. We should use them to make a difference."

Kara thanked Rao that was the last question. She gave him a small smile before reaching to turn off the recorder.

"That's it," she told him, and then added "You did great."

Mon-El thanked her. She couldn't help but think he looked like he wanted to say something else, but she didn't want to hear it. Not right now.

"You should probably go," she told him, trying not to sound too eager. "Before the other reporters try to get a scoop."

He nodded, and flew out the balcony without another word.

Kara gathered her things, trying to get herself together and prevent her hands from shaking. She left the office, and was met with James. He had a bit of concern on his face.

"How did the interview go?" he asked her, but she pushed past him.

"I don't want to talk about it."

Kara stormed into the DEO training room. Right now, she needed to punch something.

She let herself get lost in training, keeping her attention on her punches and kicks instead of everything else whirling around in her head. The interview had been so much worse than she had imagined. She had to give Mon-El credit; he had managed to remain professional, despite the barrage of questions. She was just thankful the interview wasn't filmed. No way Christine would have been able to miss the tension between them.

She had to admit, from a reporter's standpoint, Christine's questions were really good. But having to sit there while he talked about Supergirl... it was painful in ways she hadn't imagined.

Mon-El walked inside the alien bar, visibly upset and needing to drink something strong. He had a deja vu to his first argument with Kara, after she found out he was working as a muscle for hire. Eight years earlier, he had done the exact same thing: avoiding thinking about whatever they had, pouring himself some shots instead.

The alcohol burned going down his throat, and he chose to focus on that instead of the lingering feelings from the interview.

Truth be told, he wasn't expecting those questions. He wasn't expecting to feel so exposed, so vulnerable. He hadn't been able to gauge Kara's reactions to his words either, just adding to the anxiety. She hadn't commented on anything he said, but she had basically kicked him out the door once the interview ended. He didn't know how to feel about it all, or how he should feel about it. So he decided to not feel at all.

Mon-El didn't know if it was the effect of the first three shots, but he came to a realization. He had never stopped loving Kara, and he always would, no matter what.

"Screw it." He pushed the alcohol aside and stood to his feet. His feelings were going to kill him, but he couldn't keep them inside anymore. Even if he couldn't define how great his love for her was, Mon-El needed to tell her everything.

He ran. He kept running to her, walking a road he hadn't done in eight years now, but somehow it still felt so familiar to his feet. He arrived breathless in front of Kara's door. Mon-El knocked, and he knew that it was either gonna end really badly or really well, but his expectations didn't matter at that point.

Kara walked to the door, her hair in a messy low bun and already wearing her pyjamas. When she opened it, she certainly wasn't expecting to see Mon-El.

“Hi.” His voice was barely above a whisper. He immediately noticed the pout on her lips, and her watery eyes.

“Hi..”

“Can I?”

Kara nodded hesitantly, but she just couldn't leave him standing there.

He inhaled a sharp breath. He hadn't been in that apartment in almost eight years; to think he once used to call this home. “This place hasn't changed at all.”

Until that moment, Kara didn't realize that it was the first time he walked into her loft since his return to the 21st century. “Yeah, I didn't move anything. I couldn't.”

"We have to talk... about what I said in the interview."

Kara stiffened, obviously not wanting to talk about it.

"Mon-El..." she started, but he cut her off.

“I need to say this, because it's literally eating me up inside. And you're probably gonna yell at me to leave, and if you do, I'm okay with that. But I just want you to know this. I need to say this.”

She nodded once. Mon-El took a deep breath, before letting all the words he had been holding back tumble out.

"I love you. And I know I had to leave, and it hurt you, but my love for you has been the only constant in my life. Even when I was married to Imra, I wore your necklace every day of my life, clinging to your memory. I've been in love with you and your memory for seven years, and... I simply have never fallen out of it. No matter what happens... no matter what time we're in or what planet we're on, my love for you won't ever change. What I feel for you isn't comparable to anything else I've ever felt in my life. You make me feel alive in a way I didn't know was possible. You're my light, Kara. And... I know everything that's happened in these months has hurt you, but that was never my intent. I would never want to hurt you. And I know we may be at a point where we can never get back to what we were before I left, but... I- I know that your heart has been shattered one too many times, but I wanna be the one who will put the pieces back together.”

He walked towards her as he spoke, and by the time he was done, he was right in front of her. Mon-El couldn't stop himself from reaching out and placing his hand on her cheek, and Kara leaned into his touch instinctively, closing her eyes at the feeling.

She didn't know if there was anything left to say, because he expressed exactly how she felt. This love killed her and gave her life at the same time. She hated how difficult it was to move on, she hated how much she still loved him, even if he had clearly changed with the heavy load of responsibility on his back.

Kara saw the loud love in his eyes, the love that been clouded for so long. It was now crystal clear. He rested his forehead on hers for just a second, breathing slowly, before leaning in to capture her lips in a sweet but hungry kiss. He could feel it now: home, this is how it tasted like.

Kara kissed him desperately, balling his shirt up in her hands, pulling him closer to her. She could feel it in their kiss; no matter how long it had been- months or years- what they had was something timeless.