Lena didn’t say anything for a while, but Kara glanced behind her to see the humanoid figure of a lycan- a goddamn werewolf -lying still in the dirt. Its bloody fur just barely visible through what little light they had. Its claws were spread out, still stuck into the stone beneath its body, and Kara remembered the fight that happened only minutes prior.

Every hit Lena took was on purpose, and eventually, she had pulled the trigger of her weapon in its mouth when it had taken the bait, snarling at her. Lena’s face was still covered in its blood, and despite the corset- the leather- and jacket she maintained miraculously, the blood glistened and Kara knew it wasn’t good.

Lena wasn’t normal, but Kara’s brain didn’t comprehend that at first. She still bled, though mostly thick dark red, and it set off alarm bells in Kara’s brain. The nurse side of her took over, and she tried to move Lena to sit back against the wall.

Lena, however, went still, and immovable and her gaze snapped back to Kara confused.

“What are you doing?”

Kara’s let out a slow breath, “I’m trying to help- you’re bleeding I need to assess the damage. Please.”

Whether by shock, or how gentle Kara sounded, Lena let Kara move her and kept an almost completely impassive expression. Kara moved her carefully, mumbling an apology when Lena, out of reflex, sucked in a breath of air and sat her against the cold stone closest.

Kara pulled a small flashlight out of her pocket and stuck it between her teeth as she pulled off her beige work coat and tossed it aside for a second, pulling up the sleeves to her blue button-up shirt. She clicked the flashlight on and bent as close as she could to assess the wound.

Straight through Lena’s clothing, her skin was covered by blood, and the three holes in her clothing from the slash the lycan had given her prior, seemed bigger than the wounds were. They were still deep, but not nearly as long or open as the holes seemed.

And then Kara noticed. She blinked at first, uncertain, but the more she watched- the wounds themselves were slowly healing and likely had been since Lena had gotten this wound in particular. They were slowly stitching themselves back together, the skin and muscle weaving back and leaving no indication other than the blood that this had happened at all.

Kara pulled back with a gasp, though didn’t exactly move away from Lena, and stared.

And stared.

“Did you not believe me when I told you?” Lena finally broke the silence.

Kara didn’t look at her and didn’t answer.

“Oh Kara,” she whispered, and finally moved to stand up.

Lena struggled, swaying on her feet, and was caught by Kara who gripped her elbows and helped her stand up. Leaving only a few inches between them. Lena didn’t seem to notice or care, and if she did she didn’t breathe in like Kara did-

But that was it, wasn’t it? Lena didn’t need to breathe. She didn’t need to- she was a-

“Vampire.” It came out so softly Kara wasn’t sure she’d even said it at all.

Lena gripped her arms back, took a step forward, mouth opening enough to show her fangs slightly, blue eyes still there. (Kara was preferring their normal green if that was the true color of them.) and looked...almost angry at herself.

“I told you what I was.” And it was true, she had. “Are you afraid?”

Just as instantly as she asked, Kara replied, “No.”

Lena blinked in surprise and stood there for a second. Just a second, until she let go of Kara and stepped away albeit clumsily. Kara’s hands shot out when she swayed but kept them to herself when Lena found her balance.

Whatever had just happened- it felt like another wall had shifted lower, and Kara wasn’t entirely sure how to take it.

“I trust you, Lena,” Kara admitted into the silence.

Lena briefly glanced her way, uncertainty on her face. Kara couldn’t blame her. How often had Lena been trusted?

Lena didn’t reply, but there was conflict in her expression when she turned to Kara again. Kara didn’t comment on it.

“Come on, grab your coat, we need to leave before more come back.”

Lena didn’t get a chance to reply or retort. Her character on-screen went down in a blaze of explosions and Lena understood entirely.

Her hubris was her downfall.

The map was open, with sparse buildings, and Alex- well. She saved a score streak. For a fucking gunship, and when she called it in she took control. Alex wasn’t precise, but she didn’t have to be. She just had to hit close enough.

And Lena scrambled as she respawned and her team seemed to fall one by one. She can never make it far enough, and by the time she decided to rush for the last six kills- Alex targeted her. Killing her over, and over.

By the end of it, Lena is left glaring at her screen. 

She’d had so much fun teasing Alex. She was virtually untouchable with a long-range weapon in hand, but Alex, much like herself- learned quickly. She’d started staying back and ignoring Lena’s jabs about being scared. She’d racked up enough kills- and it had worked.

It worked. And Lena had to buy her a new car. Bets.

Fuck.

“See, Luthor?” Alex laughed. Reaching over to smack her arm, earning a glare from Lena. “Paying attention, it works. There’s a reason my tag is acti0nher0.”

Lena huffed, “Rematch.”

“No.” Alex laughed, standing up from her chair. “I know better. You can sit and suffer in your agony, that a normal person, with a normal job, could beat you.”

Lena sunk further into her chair, frowning as Alex moved towards the kitchen. Humming a victory song as she did.

Lena, however, was slowly plotting her murder in the next game.

--

“Lena?” Kara asked, waving a hand in front of her girlfriend’s face.

Lena’s eyes slowly shifted from Kara’s left bicep- and really it was kind of distracting -to her face. She blinked just as slowly and tilted her head just a little.

Kara still had Lena’s snapback on, with her team’s logo. It was simple, just a simple diamond with a metallic L running through the middle of it. It was old, so it wasn’t impressive, but Kara had wanted it. Lena dropped it onto her head, backward, and smiled when Kara bounced away excitedly.

Lena’s eyes shifted back to the bare bicep again, and she was aware Alex snorted across the park table at her. 

It wasn’t even- Lena had eyes, of course, she did. Kara was built well, but when they’d first met at a party Brainy hosted- and Lena didn’t know Kara was friends with Brainy’s girlfriends, Nia -she’d worn a sleeveless shirt like she was now, and Lena had walked into a sliding glass door. So the foolery had already gotten out of the way.

What was shocking, aside from how on earth, Kara had gotten a sunshine yellow and pink flannel shirt, with no sleeves, was- the almost crude drawing of a dinosaur on her bicep. It was drawn in different colors, like a rainbow, but it was big and sitting on her bicep. Its long tail extending a couple of inches across her bicep. The tip was red.

“You have a tattoo?” Lena asked, curiously.

Kara glanced down at her shoulder, before looking back up and smiling with an enthusiastic nod.

“Yeah! It’s really cool, actually,” Kara shifted to lean forward across the table, letting Lena see it properly with a grin. “I had a fan a few months ago, draw it! His mother sent it to me and told me he was really sick and asked if I could show it off. You know, to make him happy?”

“She meant, on your Instagram,” Alex interjected, amusedly.

“I did!” Kara argued, with s whispering, “eventually.”

Lena smiled then, leaning forward to rest her chin in one of her hands, and reach her free hand out to graze the dinosaur with her thumb. Kara’s grin turned into a soft smile as she did. 

“So you got it tattooed?” 

Kara shrugged, still smiling, “I thought it’d be cool.”

It was a sweet story and very Kara. Kara wasn’t one for tattoos on her person, personally, but she appreciated them. Of course, this would be one of the only ways she’d get one. 

“So are you going to keep creepily touching my sister in front of me or-”

Kara ducked her head as Alex spoke.

Lena, however, turned her head slowly and rose an eyebrow. 

“Do you want a real answer?” Lena challenged.

Alex snorted, again, however, smiled as she rose her water bottle and took a drink. It was nice, at least, to be sort of friends with Alex. 

Kara couldn’t look either of them in the eyes.

--

Kara squinted, hard at her screen. Leaning forward as she did, and Lena was almost concerned she’d fall out of her chair. 

Except- this time, she bent her head down to look over her glasses and sighed. Tiredly. It didn’t bode well for Lena either, because this was the fourth time that-

“Lena?” Kara questioned, turning her head.

Lena glanced at her, before looking back at her own screen for a moment as a team of four tried to rush them. Really, it was adorable, Kara was trying to protect her so seriously in a video game. 

She didn’t need it, but her death ratio had been down a lot since Kara had learned how to play an effective support player. Hilariously, better than the support players on her professional team, but she suspected that was because Alex was helping her learn so she wouldn’t be a hindrance.

No matter how many times Lena had told her, it didn’t matter as long as they had fun, Kara had been serious about learning it.

“Yes?” Lena answered.

“Could you move-” Kara paused, counting to herself before looking back at Lena’s screen, “-six steps to the right when I tell you to? And then hip-fire, I think is the right word, with your sniper at a direct forty-five-degree angle to your left?”

“Immediately after?”

“Yes- now!”

Lena didn’t question Kara. She did as asked, moving her character exactly six steps and then hip-firing as she turned twice.

In the top-right corner, a notification popped up informing the entire lobby that lzbnluthr and in fact killed acti0nher0. With a headshot, no less. It was impressive.

Not even a second later, a shot came from Alex’s room, “God damn it Luthor!”

Lena stared, impressed at her screen, and chuckled as Kara leaned back in her recliner, to yell back- “Stop using the same tactics! It’s predictable!”

“It’s not fair that you’re both geniuses!”

Lena laughed then, sitting her controller in her lap as the rest of their team rushed for the last few kills and won the game. 

Kara turned, in her seat to give Lena a grin. She was met, however, by lips pressing to her cheek gently. She sat in shock, as Lena sat back in her chair and smiled adoringly.

“Thank you, and Alex is right by the way.”

“About what?”

“You’re a genius.”

Kara smiled, ducking her head.

The only thing Kara could reply with was, “you’re a genius.”

The figure didn’t reply immediately. Instead, there was a soft sigh, and the figure moved closer. Part of Kara’s brain told her to run, leave. Do something. To not be a sitting duck, like she was currently. Instead, she was frozen, still holding her breath.

Even as the figure approached the doorway, never stepping into the light, Kara couldn’t move.

Then, a single set of lights flickered on. Kara blinked as the woman that had saved her, the one she found her eyes drawn to, standing in front of her. Hand holding the doorway next to her, near the closest set of switches for the lights.

The woman looked from Kara to the lights and flicked the rest on. She blinked for a moment as if the lights hurt for a moment. As her eyes adjusted, she turned back to Kara, her bright eyes now a normal green. It was enough to make Kara blink. Had she imagined that?

“My name,” the woman let out a soft sigh again, “is Lena. You offered me yours, is it now impolite to offer the same back?”

Kara swallowing as Lena crossed her arms. An amused twinkle in her eyes. 

Kara’s eyes dipped. She noticed- the leather, all of it, was gone. Lena’s corset, had been traded in for a baggy soft dark grey sweater, dark jeans, and- no shoes? There didn’t seem to be any gloves or weapons on her eyes. It still felt- like an odd choice to wear at a hospital.

“I’m Kara.” Was all she could imagine.

Lena rose an eyebrow, tilted her head, and shifted her weight so she was leaning against the doorway.

“I know.”

Kara took in a breath, letting it out slowly. She thought about begging for answers, to know what Lena was- but she didn’t really want those. Did she? 

She was aware that she’d been targeted. The train- she wasn’t a genius, not like some of her friends, but she was smart. She’d been grabbed when she could have been shot. This- Lena had been there. The very real terrifying thought, that yes, this was all connected was there. She didn’t have the nerve to ask about how deep it all was.

So- she asked the only thing she truly wanted to know.

“Are you alright?” Lena blinked at her in shock, “I- I- I mean- uh- sorry. It was...a lot, and you could have gotten hurt? Do you need help is that why you’re here?”

Lena’s mouth parted slightly, and Kara saw a peak of fangs. Something she truly didn’t want to think about, but they were there. Reminding her, this is not normal, that none of this was normal- and that Lena could-

“Why do you care?” Lena finally asked, accusatory, “I could have been someone who tried to hurt you too.”

“You’re good at reading people, Kara. You just trust them too much.” Alex had told her before. “Anyone, including myself, could hurt you.”

Kara took a step forward, and out of reaction, Lena took one back. Her eyes shooting to Kara’s feet as she did, but Kara only stepped forward enough to break into the room and shut the door. Kara had only ever been really good at three things, in her life, to such an extreme they had faults.

Reading people. Trusting them. And telling the truth.

“I don’t think you wanted to, or want to, now.”

Lena huffed a laugh, “What?”

“You would have if you wanted to by now. We’re alone, and you could leave before anyone knew-”

And in the blink of an eye, Lena was in front of her, eyes glowing blue as she snarled- fangs showing, fistfuls of her jacket. Oddly, her eyes lacked conviction or true anger, so Kara relaxed just as quickly as she tensed. 

Lena relaxed after a moment of searching her eyes for something. Probably fear, and Kara was afraid. She was terrified, but, not because of Lena. For whatever stupid reason, she wasn’t afraid of the woman in front of her. Lena’s fists relaxed until she was holding Kara’s jacket by her index and thumb, gently.

“You don’t see me as a monster, do you?” She asked softly.

Kara swallowed, and she didn’t.

She didn’t know why. Everything pointed to Lena not being right, not being human, being something more- but that didn’t mean monster did it? 

“No.” She answered.

Lena’s lips parted again, and she leaned back, stepping away from Kara without a sound. As if she could make no sound. Her head dipped towards the floor, and her arms crossed as she paced back and forth quietly. 

Like she couldn’t decide what she wanted to do. Like she was in conflict.

Kara wanted to help, but she didn’t know how to. She didn’t know Lena. Lena didn’t know her.

“You weren’t hurt, were you?” Lena finally asked, looking up at her. 

Kara blinked, at the suddenness of the question. Maybe she cares? She shook her head slowly, and Lena’s brows dipped in disbelief. 

“I’m okay! I promise!” Kara took a step forward, hands out in front of her to reassure Lena. “Just- just a little shaken still!”

Lena took a half step forward, before thinking about it. Instead, she let out a soft breath and nodded to herself. She unfolded her arms and let them fall beside her awkwardly. 

“Good.” 

“Why do you care?” Kara asked before she could stop herself, Lena looked at her confused, “You- asked why I did. Why do you care?”

Lena looked away for a long moment.

Kara let her stand there in silence. She did want to know. 

“I don’t know,” Lena told her truthfully. “Something about you is-” 

“Gravitating?” Kara finished for her. “I get that.”

Lena stared at her, impassively, and Kara worried for a moment that she’d crossed a boundary. That she’d guessed wrong. 

It was weird. This entire thing was weird.

“I have to go.” 

Kara blinked, “wait-”

And then Lena was gone. 

Kara was left blinking into the suddenly empty room, and it was like there was no trace left of Lena there. Not even a trace of wind left, like- like she hadn’t even existed.

Kara considered, for a moment, that maybe she had made Lena up. A figment of her imagination, except- there was a single small piece of paper on one of the benches. She bent down to pick it up.

There was a number.

Kara felt the corner of her mouth tick upwards.

Maybe she does care.

--

Jack shifted, beside her in the car. His hands clutching the steering wheel as they maneuvered back towards the highway. She loathed the idea they’d have to make their way back to the manor. To Morgan Edge.

“Lena.” Jack spoke, and Lena could hear the concern in his voice, “You can’t do this again.”

I know, she thought to herself, watching as the hospital became smaller in the rearview mirror. I know I shouldn’t.

“We have been friends a very long time.”

She’d thought of all the ways to justify herself to Edge, to Lillian. To- to everyone who questioned her, and yet- she didn’t have a single lie to tell herself and Jack. To justify her interest.

The easiest was simply, “the Lycans want her, and we can’t have that.” But even that didn’t feel like the truth, despite how close it may have been originally to the truth.

Leaving her interaction with Kara, there were no answers to the questions she wanted to ask. She hadn’t asked a single one. Instead, there was only something simmering in her veins she didn’t entirely understand, and a fascination she knew was dangerous.

“You- I can’t do this again.”

“I know.” She told him, still staring in the rearview mirror.

She understood. 

If anyone was to fall, to blame, it shouldn’t be him. It shouldn’t even be Kara. It should be herself. 

It should always be her.

The hospital disappeared out of sight. Lena felt herself tense. She’d been relaxed since leaving Kara. She only hoped Kara’s interest was strong enough to call or text the number she’d left. 

Part of her wasn’t entirely sure if she actually hoped that. Maybe Kara was smart enough to stay as far away as possible?

I hope she’s not foolish enough to give into this.

Give in to what?

Lena turned her head back to the door and listened again. After a few seconds of silence, Lena stood up and sighed, finally satisfied Alex was not there.

“Told you.”

Lena rolled her eyes, tugging her uniform shirt of dark blue and red with trims of white, off. Kara turned her head and waited until Lena gave a satisfied hum indicating she could look again. 

Danvers found herself staring a moment. Lena looked comfortable, at ease finally, and there was something about that, that constantly made her stop and stare. Maybe it just really-

“eSports is not an actual sport,” Lena scoffed, hands on her hips, “I’m just really good at making grown men cry and it gets broadcasted to the entire world. My choice of career is entirely selfish, I assure you.”

There was a pause.

“Also, Alex is terrified when she thinks I could possibly hurt you.”

Kara blinked, sitting forward, brows dipping. 

Alex thought what? Lena couldn’t hurt anyone!

“First off, snowboarding. Me. I play sports for a living too.” Kara pointed to herself proudly of her accomplishments. “I say it’s a sport. I don’t even play video games really- well. Tomb Raider every once in a while. Why does Alex think you could hurt me?”

Lena snorted, shaking her head, “She knew I wanted to ask you out.”

Kara blinked. What?

“Anyways,” Lena shrugged, “she corned me the other night and told me if I hurt you, she can make my body disappear. Normally I’m not intimidated but I think I was more scared by the idea that I could-”

“Wait.” Kara interrupted. “You want to ask me out? Me? Kara Danvers, me?”

Lena went silent for a moment, look of confusion. Kara almost thought she’d misheard.

“Yes?” Lena looked at her, a little concerned, “I haven’t really been subtle. I kept hinting I liked you in hopes you’d tell me to back off. So I wouldn’t have to confess and ruin our friendship.”

Kara blinked. 

It wasn’t unrequited! That was not what she’d expected.

“You really didn’t know?” Lena asked, breaking free of her thoughts.

Kara shook her head, “no- I mean I thought I’d silently suffer from my feelings-”

“Dinner? Tonight?” Lena spoke, in a hurry, hope on her face for the world to see.

Kara’s face scrunched. “No.” Lena’s face dropped. “You have that thing with your ice group.”

“Oh. Shit. Damn it.”

Kara laughed at the annoyance that appeared on Lena’s face. Lena rolled her eyes.

“I’ll date you though.” Kara finally said. “If that’s what you want.”

“I just said what I want.” Lena sighed half-heartedly. “But to make it easier for you, I want you in whatever capacity you’ll let me have you.”

Kara rose a brow, “what if I said I wanted you in the fullest capacity?”

Lena blinked, cheeks turning pink a little and let out a strained, “sure.”

Kara laughed. “Okay. I’m not kissing you though. You’re still sweaty from your game.” 

Lena pouted.

“You should get ready for your ice group thing. Brainy is expecting you.”

Lena grinned to herself, “I only have one more line to fill out. I’m not judging. Just curious.”

Alex huffed amusedly.

“Featuring Skrillex.” Was all Alex had to say.

How do you get her to talk more?

“So you like-”

“No.” Alex laughed. “It’s just an easy song to listen to, easy to learn, so when you play a game for the millionth time-” Alex gestured to her T.V. “-the boring parts aren’t as boring.”

Lena hummed in thought.

“What game are you playing?”

Alex paused the game, sitting up in her chair, turning enough to give Lena an incredulous expression. Like she couldn’t believe the audacity of the question. Lena blinked in return.

“What?”

“You’re a gamer for a living and you’ve never played Mass Effect 2?”

Lena scrunched her face, “I play First Person Shooters for a living, not- Role-Playing Games. I do it on a professional team.”

Alex rolled her eyes.

“Have you ever played a game to actually, play it? Or connect to the character you’re playing?”

“Not really. When I got into it, I focused on my career mostly. I’ve played MMO’s for streams, but not many single-player games.”

Alex cocked a brow, “so you’ve never played Tomb Raider? The games your girlfriend is obsessed with?”

Lena’s brows dipped, “she said she played it every once in a while.”

Alex laughed then. For a minute. Lena was not amused.

“Lena. She’s played old school Tomb Raider and-” Alex stood up then, to fully face her, “-up to current-gen. she was so obsessed we saw the movies like six times in theaters. Now she loves just about every Angelina Jolie movie.”

Lena blinked.

“Trust me,” Alex smiled, “she just doesn’t play as often with her career. I’ve tried to get her to buy her own set up instead of the tiny table she has in her room and PS4.”

Lena considered that.

“Anyways. Want to play something?” Alex asked, holding a controller out to her, “I bet I can beat your ass in at least one game we have.”

Lena grinned, standing up to accept the controller.

“You’re on. Loser has to buy dinner.”

“Deal.”

--

Lena rubbed her neck, sighing in discomfort as she did.

Blonde hair came into view, Lena smiled affectionately as she did. She took a step forward before pausing and watching with curiosity. Kara seemed to be talking to a woman. A woman in cosplay she’d only briefly seen before.

Was that Lara Croft?

Kara’s hands moved with excitement as she smiled. The other woman smiled back and answered her question before they seemed to dig themselves into a deeper conversation. Lena let her smile turn soft. 

Kara really did like those games, didn’t she?

Lena decided then, to at least approach. So she did, Moving slowly through the convention crowd as she did, only a few people recognizing her face or maybe her jacket. 

When she was close enough, she reached out, squeezing Kara’s elbow slightly. Kara’s head whipped up, eyes lighting up, and smiling at her before turning to squeeze her in a hug and kiss the side of her head. The cosplayer seemed confused at first but smiled all the same.

“You did so good!” Kara exclaimed. “Honestly? You carried your team.”

Lena laughed, keeping an arm around her waist when she pulled back to look at the cosplayer.

“Wait, are you Luthor?” The woman asked, Lena nodded. “A little bit of a fan.”

Lena smiled, “Thanks.”

“Oh!” Kara interjected. “I was telling her about your killstreak at the end-”

“-it was dope.” The woman finished.

Kara nodded, “it was. Then I might have gotten sidetracked.”

The woman laughed, Lena rose a brow.

“A little more than sidetracked. I thought I was a fan? Your girlfriend?” Lena nodded, the woman smiled, “-your girlfriend just schooled me. Half of that I didn’t even know.”

Kara coughed, cheeks pink, turning her head away for a moment. “It’s just wiki-”

“No it’s not! Like half of that was deep lore stuff! I’ve never read the books or comics.”

Lena grinned. “I’m dating a nerd.”

Kara rolled her eyes. “I’m not a gamer. I just only really play those and like two other games.”

The woman chuckled. “Well, I have to get back to work. You were great.”

Lena shook her hand, “Thanks.”

Kara turned then, to grab Lena’s attention, and smiled at her. Lena smiled back, reaching forward to grasp her hands.

“Ready?”

Lena rose a brow, “have you seen the Tomb Raider booth?”

Kara blushed again, shaking her head.

“Then let’s go.”

“Wait- why?”

Lena smiled, “I’ve just met a new side of you I haven’t seen before. I want to get to know it.”

Kara smiled back, “It’s really nerdy. You sure you can handle that?”

Lena snorted, “Of course. You might even be able to convince me to play a game or two.”

Lena stares at her again. Frowning.

“Lena he keeps looking over here. He’s just being nice.”

Lena sighs, clearly giving up, “Krypto! You cheater!”

At the sound of his name, the little white dog barks and rushes over to his other moms side. He lays down, wagging his tail and barks. Lena can’t even be mad. She snorts, reaching over to pet him and kiss the top of his head. As she stands, he does too and turns around in circles before sitting down. Tail still wagging.

As Lena pats her thighs, bending over, he floats up into her arms. Once he’s safe and secure he reaches up to lick her face. It takes Lena moving his head away and asking him to stop for him to actually listen. Then it’s Kara’s turn for attention. She can’t even be upset. He’s adorable, why wouldn’t he get the most attention?

“So what did you need?”

“Wha- oh,” Kara lets out, petting the puppy who continues to wag his tail, “I was wondering if you’d seen his leash. Then while you were trying to poorly hide from him, I remembered you taught him how to wake me up. He doesn’t deserve a walk.”

It’s a joke but Krypto still looks disappointed.

“He whacks you with his tail until you wake up,” Lena snorts, “you think he wouldn’t do that if I asked, even if you didn’t take him on a walk?”

Kara pretends to think for a moment.

“Good point, walkies!” Kara starts, Lena lets him go and he happily barks towards the door, “we’ll be back.”

“Of course,” Lena smiles, leaning over to give her a small kiss.

When they break apart, Kara grins and clips the leash she very clearly see’s at the door- and grumbles about when she see’s it in plain sight -and waves. Lena rolls her eyes but waves back all the same.

“Say bye bye to momma!” Krypto barks at Lena, “We’ll be back!” He barks twice.

“Bye bye,” she laughs, shaking her head as the door shuts behind them

“You always rush!” Kara starts, “we have the entire weekend! Lena! You have time to breathe and feel the rain! It’s so serene and lovely!”

Her face scrunches.

“It gets everything soaked, it ruins fabrics, and it floods parts of the world,” Lena starts cautiously, “how is that lovely?”

Kara does a twirl in the rain, dramatically flailing her hands around before coming to a stop she almost falls over from. The near fall is enough to get Lena to step out into the rain like she could possibly catch her. Once Kara has righted herself Lena steps back into the safety of cover.

“How is it not?! It doesn’t do just those things!” Kara is absolutely flabbergasted. Her shirt looks like it could weigh her down, there’s no way she can see through those glasses, and her hair- she looks like an upset, excited dog.

Only Kara.

“The storm-”

“Will pass! It doesn’t mean we have to jump from one moment to the next in a flash! It’s okay to breathe!”

Lena deflates. She has a habit of doing that. Of jumping and constantly moving even when she doesn’t have to. She’s been...trained by the Luthors to do that. That moving and constantly being one step ahead pays off. They never told her it also means you miss important things along the way. She hates the idea of that. Of missing things, not noticing as she passes them by, because she moved too fast.

“You’re right...I’m sorry.”

Kara shakes her head, water flying everywhere, and Lena can’t help but laugh at the sight.

“It’s okay, but you have to remember to slow down.”

Lena smiles, “I’ll try.”

“Good!” Kara claps her hands, smiles, then opens her arms for a hug, “hug?”

“Oh absolutely not!”

Kara takes another steps forward.

“Kara Danvers! Stop right there!” Kara does not.

This is uncomfortable territory. Maze has gotten so much better at being open with her feelings, but, she still- just- sometimes she’s not prepared for the conversations they should have. Linda is still patient almost to a fault but it’s infuriating. She’s a demon. Emotions shouldn’t be nearly as scary as they are.

Yet here they are.

She hates it too, she hates it because she already knows she’s going to change the subject. She, herself, cannot stand it enough yet to be open like that. Like Linda might deserve. So instead she sits up, turns on her stool, and picks up her nearly forgotten glass of alcohol.

“I can’t believe you talked me into this.” She says mostly to herself.

Linda slips a hand to touch the closest forearm, head turning to smile at her. She pauses, liquid in her mouth and stares. It’s stunning Linda still smiles so thankfully at her. Like nothing has changed. Like she doesn’t know how Maze feels, maybe she doesn’t.

“I’m glad you came,” Linda chuckles, reaching forward to rub away liquid that leaked from the corner of Maze’s mouth, “I would probably want to die, especially if I have to talk to another man and hear him talk down to me. Like I don’t know anything.”

Maze turns in a flash, swallowing her drink, and giving Linda the most serious looks she possibly can.

“I’ll cut their throats where they sleep.” She means it.

It should be so amusing or as endearing as it is, really, but Linda can’t help it. She chuckles, leaning forward to hide her face in the demon’s shoulder like no one else is around and just laughs. Maze doesn’t understand why she’s laughing but wraps an arm around her all the same. Frowns confusedly.

“I don’t understand why are you-”

“It’s just,” Linda starts, sitting up again and wiping tears from her eyes, “you’re still the first person who means that when they say it. Aside from Lucifer, but I feel like you’d beat him to the punch. Just because they slightly offended me.”

Maze’s frown deepens, “Why wouldn’t I? They don’t know what the fuck they’re talking about.”

Linda shakes her head, patting one of Maze’s cheeks and smiles. Her hand lingers for a moment.

“Thank you.”