âOkay,â Alex said, âlisten, prepare yourself. Sheâs acting⌠strange.â
Lena strode next to her, clenching her fists as if she could grip her own cold fury with them. The audacity of Danvers
(Alex)
to call her in like she was some employee after what Kara had done to her, was shocking. She would have told her to fuck right off if not for the desperation in her voice. She almost hung up on her when Alex said it was about Kryptonite, and they needed an expert.
Outside the exam room, Alex directed Lenaâs attention to a screen. Some two-bit âvillainâ (how she hated that word) was on the screen. She wasnât sure what he was going for with his outfit but he looked like a cross between a cable repairman and a wannabe Ghostbusters with a helmet that reminded her of the cap on a salt shaker. He was thrusting a wand device at Kara, spraying her with a fine pink mist.
Some of the substance had been gathered into a small vial, currently residing in a lead canister. Lena turned the vial in her hands, watching the tiny, powdery crystals flow over each other like sand.
Lena swallowed, hard.
âSheâs not on a rampage, so itâs not red kryptonite.â
âIt appears to be pink kryptonite,â said Lena.
âYour scientific skills of observation astound me,â said Alex. âMarie Curie would be so proud.â
Lena gave her a flat look.
âFuck you, Danvers. I havenât had a chance to say this to your face yet, but fuck you. Fuck all of you, playing your little games mocking me to my face when we were supposed to be friends.â
âWe were friends,â said Alex.
âNot friends enough for Kara to tell me the truth.â
âI told her not to,â Alex said, coldly, âand I was right. Maybe I kept at her too long about it, but she ended up keeping the secret because she was afraid youâd flip out and blow up your whole friendship over it, you fucking drama queen.â
Lena screwed the lead canister shut. It looks like it was meant to hold radioactive flour.
âDo you want my help or not?â
âPlease save her. Iâm prepared to deal with your sanctimonious bullshit if you save my sister.â
âIâll need to work on the sample, but I should examine her first. Is it safe?â
âShe would never hurt you.â
Lena rolled her eyes. Alex stared at her flatly.
âYou two, Jesus Christ. If you were anyone else Iâd just call it out, but fuck it, letâs keep this professional.â
Lena crossed her arms. âCall what out?â
Alex arched a brow. âShould I start with the office full of flowers or the literal billion dollars you spent on her?â
Lenaâs nostrils flared and she felt red creeping up her cheeks. âThat wasnât about her, that was about keeping Edge from owning his own media empire. Murdoch is bad enough.â
âItâs a fashion industry magazine,â said Alex, âand Edge could just start his own. The difference is Kara worked at CatCo, where you started working instead ofâŚâ
âDo you want my help or not?â
Lena huffed. âFine. Letâs go.â
Alex opened the door. Kara was seated sideways on the exam table, swinging her feet like a bored child. There was a faint pinkish tinge to sparking points on her pale skin and she looked up with a slight pink gloss to the whites of her eyes, visible at a distance.
âHeyyyyyyyyy~â, said Kara.
Lena blinked.
âKara? How are you feeling?â
Kara stared at her hands. âWhy are you here? I thought you hated me now.â
Lena felt a sharp sting of regret deep in her chest, but brushed it off, like crumbs from her sleeve. It was as meaningless as crumbs. Karaâs honeyed words were always to sweeten her lies.
Kara resumed staring at her hands. âHumans call them fingers, but Iâve never seen them fing. Oh,â she giggled, wriggling her fingers, âthere they go.â
âKara?â said Lena.
âOh, hi, I didnât see you come in,â said Kara. âSome dude sprayed me with glitter and now Iâm all funny.â
Alex leaned over. âWe only got her in her by convincing her the Backstreet Boys were waiting inside and she spent three hours singing those stupid songs with Nia before I called you.â
Lena licked her lips. âAh, I see. Kara?â
âYeah, babe?â
Lena flinched. Babe? What?
âHow are you feeling?â
âI feel great,â said Kara. âKinda⌠kinda relaxed but excited. Iâm excitalaxed! I made up a new word!â
âWould you excuse us a minute?â said Lena.
âSure,â said Kara.
Lena stepped out and closed the door after Alex joined her.
âAlex,â said Lena.
âLena,â said Alex.
âSheâs high,â said Lena.
âI know,â Alex sighed.
âThatâs incredibly dangerous. If she was just a dumb blonde we could let her sleep it off, but she can bench press an aircraft carrier. What if she gets some inane idea in her head and levels half the city?â
âShe isnât going to hurt anyone.â
âDidnât she throw Cat Grant off a building the last time she was under the influence of something? It was on TV, Alex.â
Alex scowled. âThat was different. Also she had it coming.â
Lenaâs brows shot up.
âWhat? She was a bitch to my sister. She made her cry like three times a week. I donât buy into that hardass girlboss mentor routine, I never liked Kara working for her. It was a relief when you bought the company, I had hopes someone would finally be looking out for her. Sheâs fragile, Lena.â
Lena blinked. âWhat?â
âYeah, turns out that having your planet explode and losing your entire culture, family, and way of life, then losing your foster father, and then having to kill your aunt who is your motherâs twin sister can do a number on you. Might make you a little bit clingy and weird and paranoid about losing everyone you love. Shit, Lena, out of that whole list I just lost my dad and it was not make me a drunk for six years and captain of the varsity slut team. And Iâm gay.â
Lena stared at her.
âWhy does everyone I know need therapy?â
Kara chose that moment to throw the door open, making them both jump. She was grinning ear to ear.
âI donât need therapy, I need rum,â said Kara. She turned to Lena and stage whispered, âalien rum that I can get drunk on.â
âI donât think thatâs a good idea, Kiddo. Why wonât we go sit down and try to rest.â
Kara snapped her fingers. âI know what we can do! We can go clubbing! Come on, Lena, letâs go clubbing. If I go clubbing with you itâll make Lena jealous.â
âWe are so fucked,â Alex muttered.
Kara started forward, but Lena stepped in her path and pressed a hand to her chest.
She froze, staring open-mouthed at Lena. Lena could feel the muscles flexing under her palm and fingers, the nearly infinite strength pressed against her simple touch and yet yielding to it.
âKara,â she said, softly, but firmly. âLetâs just go back in the room, okay? Youâre intoxicated by the altered Kryptonite youâve been exposed to and youâre not thinking straight.â
Kara looked her up and down, slowly. Lena felt a hot tingle pass through her and her legs quivered in her slacks. Karaâs eyes had gone dark and her chin dipped slightly and holy shit she was staring directly at Lenaâs mouth.
Alex looked at her nervously.
âLena,â Alex said, in warning.
âShe wonât hurt me,â said Lena.
Brainy walked into the lab. âI have good news,â he said. âThe half-life of this particular type of Kryptonite is very short, by my calculations it should only last a few⌠hoursâŚâ he trailed off, then added quickly. âI have business elsewhere, excuse me,â and fled the room.
Lena gave Kara a tentative push and the invincible Kryptonian stumbled back. Lena ended up guiding her into the room again and sat her down.
Alex began to follow.
âItâs fine,â said Lena.
âAre you sure?â
âShe wonât hurt me. Close the door.â
Kara sat down and stared between her feet, fiddling with her hands.
Lena waited for the door to close and sat down next to her.
âAre you mad at me?â Kara whispered.
âYes,â Lena murmured. âIâm so angry at you that it makes me want to scream.â
âOh,â Kara said, her voice small.
Lena sighed. âIâll never be mad enough to let anything happen to you, Kara.â
âBut youâre mad.â
âIâm mad. I let you in, you didnât do the same for me. I let you see who I am, good and bad, and you held back from me.â
âIâm sorry.â
âI know.â
âBut youâre still mad.â
âYeah,â Lena sighed.
Kara rubbed at her arms, sniffling.
Great, Lena thought, sheâs coming down.
âEverybody changes,â said Kara. âEverybody goes away and leaves me. Iâm so scared, Lena. Iâm so scared of being alone. I was alone forever and ever in my pod and it hurt so much,â she choked out a little sob. âEveryone goes away and I canât take it. I canât stand it. I didnât want you to go away so I lied to make you stay. Iâm sorry.â
Lena, haltingly, put an arm around her. Kara leaned her head on Lenaâs shoulder.
âCan I make it so youâre not mad at me anymore?â
Curious, Lena thought.
She wasnât mad at all right now.
Kara began to sob softly, and suddenly, all at once, being mad didnât make so much sense after all. She still felt it burning in her chest but it had gone from hot coals to dying embers, from raging magma to something bitter and sticky coating her lungs, making it hard to breathe.
âI think you can do anything if you try hard enough.â
Lean smoothed back her hair and curled the sleeve of her designer jacket around her hand and used it to dry the tears, and Kara hugged her, tightly but gently in her insistent way.
âIâm sorry.â
âI know, darling. Just relax and breathe, I promise itâll be better soon.â
It was a funny thing, when Kara kissed her. It happened so naturally, so easily, that once it began, Lena was hardly aware how it started. It was not a lustful kiss, though she could feel that was there in the hungry way that Karaâs lips tugged at her own, almost pleading. Nor was it sad. It was hopeful, and it made something flare in her chest.
No, more than that. A crushing blast of warm air snuffed the dying embers of fury in her chest and in their place a new bonfire blazed into being, a sudden explosive joyful warmth that would blaze in her forever until the sun went out and the sky went cold. It was as if Kara had given her some red sun fire.
On instinct she lunged into the embrace and suddenly they were on the table, Kara swinging one leg lazily off the side as Lena straddled and locked lips with her.
"Oh God," Lena blurted, yanking back.
"What's wrong, baby?"
Lena almost fell off onto the floor when Kara called her that. She was sitting on Kara, panting.
"We can't," said Lena. "Kara, please, you're high as a kite."
Kara let out a soft, sad sound. Lena brushed her cheek softly. "It's okay. Just let me lay with you."
Kara shifted so Lena could join her, and they lay facing each other.
"I love you," Kara whispered. "You are my red sun, my scarlet sky, my beacon calling me back from the void."
Lena's breath caught. She tucked in close and kissed Kara on her nose.
"I'm tired," said Kara.
"Go to sleep," Lena whispered. âIt'll be okay. I'll still love you tomorrow."
With a contented smile, Kara closed her eyes, looking so peaceful that Lena wanted nothing more than to watch over her.
When Alex came in and laid a blanket over them, she had the most frustrating grin on her face.
Lena decided she'd allow it.















