#supernews

“Wow.”

“Excuse me?” The woman said, a hint of a smile on vulpine face.

“Um, uh, I said. How. Are you doing? How are you doing, uh…?” She dropped down to shuffle her papers, at the same time the foxy lady did. When Kara looked up, their faces were awfully close together.

“Iris. Iris West from Central City Picture News.” She held out her hand to shake, and Kara took it almost reverently.

“You’re the hot shot from CCPN,” she said as they stood.

“I am?” The smile widened, and it was perfect, and Kara thought she might faint.

“I mean, that what’s been said. By some. People have said that. That you’re this big hot shot.”

Iris laughed softly. “I don’t know about all that. I just really love my job.” Luckily James stepped in to stop the bleeding.

“Iris, why don’t I take you on a little tour to get you acclimated? I’ll let Kara take over when we’re done.”

While Iris grabbed some water from their nearby cooler, James jogged back to whisper in her ear. “Looks like somebody’s got a little crush.”

“I do not,” she said indignantly. Kara watched Iris tilt her head back and expose her graceful throat while she took a drink, flicking her movie-star locks over her shoulder. Kara folded her hands up in front of her, watching Iris move, so graceful in her gold pleated skirt and pink chiffon blouse and peach pumps which shouldn’t even be colors that go together but Iris knew what she was doing and made everything look so good. She whispered, “She is dreamy, though.”

“Dreamy? Is this a 1950’s soda fountain?”

“You weren’t supposed to hear that.” James was an excellent friend, so his laughter didn’t embarrass her the way it probably should have.

“I’ll talk you up during the tour.” James patted her shoulder and went back to where Iris was waiting.

“Really?” Kara called after him. He winked over his shoulder.

“So, this is what I’ve been able to dig up so far…” Iris summarized her findings, and Kara was blown away.

“You really are a hotshot.”

Like she was leveling with her, Iris laid a gentle hand on Kara’s arm. Kara’s nerves danced where Iris’ fingertips contacted her skin. “If you keep calling me a hotshot, I’m gonna start to believe you.”

Iris is touching me, this is not a drill. Kara’s mouth gaped open and closed like a fish, looking for some clever reply she didn’t find one. “That means I should keep saying it, right? I think I’m gonna keep saying it.”

Iris giggled. “James told me you were charming.”

“He did?” she asked with big eyes. Iris giggled some more.

Their work started in earnest, comparing notes and throwing out ideas for further research; who to interview, where they could poke their noses in legally (and not-quite-as legally), whose feathers they could rustle to get some answers.

When Iris leaned in close to point out a pertinent area on her map of the city, Kara could smell flowery perfume and soft skin. She didn’t know how skin can smell soft, but Iris’ just did. Kara shakes herself out of her trace when she realized the new object of her affections was talking.

She said, “If we can shine more light on this issue, we can get this town some help. Everyone deserves clean water. It’s a human right. It just bothers me that we have to shame our government into doing something about it.” A frustrated furrow appeared between Iris’ perfect brows, and Kara want to take her thumb and lovingly stroke it away for her. Ideally, it would be while lying in bed face-to-face, after a day full of lunch in the park and a night full of-

She stood up, a little too fast. “I’m going for water. I need water. Do you need water?”

“Sure,” Iris said, drawing the word out and narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

James caught up to her as she caught her breath.

“Why don’t you just ask her out?”

“Because I don’t know if she’s one of the straights.” James wrapped his arms around his middle to keep himself from busting a gut as he laughed.

“You’ll never know unless you try.”

“Look at her. She’s so cool and perfect and not awkward. Even if she swings my way, she’s totally out of my league.”

“Not possible. If she likes the ladies, she’ll like you.”

“I don’t want to make a fool of myself.” She shuffled off with her two cups of water before hearing James reply. She really, truly wasn’t prepared to get rejected, not by her.

The horizon was hiding the sun by the time they looked up- or rather, by the time Iris looked up. Kara knew evening was approaching, she’d just conveniently not pointed it out.

“Oh my gosh, look at the time!”

“It flies when you're having fun, right?”

“It’s a good feeling to have a profession you can be passionate about, that you can get swept up in. Add in great company, and you have everything you could hope for!” Iris’ hands were on her biceps, and she was almost sure Iris was going to spin her around, or maybe pull her in for a kiss, and she wanted that.

What the heck am I gonna do? Here she was, hopelessly lost on Iris West, all in the space of one afternoon. The operative word being hopeless. Again, Iris brought her out of her own head.

“Do you want to grab something to eat? Maybe a glass of wine? My treat.”

“No!” Kara shouted, clutching her trapper keeper to her chest. Kara was one of the few adults in existence who still owned and regularly used a trapper keeper.

“No?” Iris echoed, looking wounded.

“No, I mean, I’m not saying no because I don’t want to hang out, because I want to hang out, and I really want to hang out with you, I just can’t-“

“You can’t?”

“-Because if that happened then I would accidentally reveal that I have a crush on you, and then where would that leave me? I’d be-“ She slapped a hand over her mouth. “Oh my God.” Iris’ eyes widened.

“You have a crush on me?”

“What? No, that’s crazy talk. I don’t have a crush on you. I don’t have crushes on anybody, ever. Excuse me, She squeaked as she ran outta there.

She was sitting in the emergency stairwell, face buried in her hands, when Iris found her. Iris smoothed a hand up and down her back.

“Gosh, you- you don’t have to- please just forget that ever happened.”

“It’s okay. It’s good that you have verbal diarrhea, because otherwise I’d be too shy to tell you that I have a little bit of a crush on you, too.” Iris sat down beside her. Kara peeked at her from between her fingers.

“Nahhhhhh.” Kara waved a hand as if waving the thought away.

“I do.” Iris nodded.

“You do?”

Iris nodded again. “It’s just a little crush.” Kara couldn’t stop herself from singing the song. She realized she’d just had another nerd outburst and clamped her mouth shut, tucking her lips between her teeth to be extra sure.

“I didn’t know you sang. That’s lovely. ”

“I don’t. I-I can’t. Wait, how little is little?”

Iris held her fingers close enough for a pinch. Shrugged, then spread her arms out wide.

“I was kinda asking you out on a date, only I wasn’t sure if it could even be a date because I didn’t know if you were one of the straights.” Kara giggled until she snorted. “You’re so darn cute I just can’t resist doing this.”

“Doing what?”

Iris’ lips, as soft as Kara’s sweetest dreams, caught hers in a gentle but full kiss. When it was over Kara caught her breath and straightened her crooked glasses.

“Wow. I mean, wow.”

“Does this mean I get to take you on that date?”

“Space aliens couldn’t keep me away.” Iris looked at her a little funny, but at least it was with a smile. Kara just wanted to keep that smile on her face. “Think maybe we could kiss again, so I can stop making a butt of myself?”