That’s A Lot Of Links!

is it possible to fall in love with tiny wisps of hair on the back of a neck? or would it make more sense to say that she’s in love with the owner of the neck with the tiny wisps of hair swaying ever so slowly as the evening breeze waltzes through the open windows of her apartment. 

kara can’t seem to take her eyes off of them.

it’s as if they’re coaxing her to touch them — calling out to her in a tiny voice that says come here, come closer, touch us with your gentle fingers — and kara does, kara really wants to, but alex is here and sitting next to her is kelly. sam is on the other side of lena, engaged in a lively conversation with the only couple in the room, and kara is just… staring, facing lena, one arm propped on the back of the couch, elbow bent so her fist is resting against the side of her head, and chin resting on her bicep.

it can’t be the alien alcoholic beverage that sam brought along with her nor is it the fact that she’s just recently recovered from another solar flare. it just doesn’t make sense. it wouldn’t explain the one time she caught herself looking at the back of lena’s neck during their first game night with her; not the one where she’s standing behind lena, saying things about wanting to rebuild their trust, momentarily distracted by those tiny wisps of hair before lena inevitably turned to her with a curious frown. 

none of those moments had involved alcohol or… or solar flare. 

it just… is. it’s just because of lena and her slender neck, her soft-looking skin, those tiny—

“what?”

in her distracted state, kara misses the moment when lena finally feels the weight of her stare and turns to her with a small smile, bordering confused — her cheeks flushing a pretty shade of pink under kara’s gaze. 

she’s so close.

kara meets her eyes and… she doesn’t know what to say, so she doesn’t make a single sound. merely shrugs her shoulders, eyes searching lena’s green ones, dropping briefly on her red lips, slightly parted and wet from the red wine, then back up at her green eyes. 

“what’s wrong?” lena asks again, tilting her body towards her this time, but only just enough that it doesn’t rouse other guests. it brings her even closer to kara, effectively stealing the air from her lungs.

kara shakes her head again, incapable of words now that lena’s facing her; tiny, wispy, little hairs now gone but replaced by the mesmerizing sight her eyes. she sighs longingly, stretching her arm so her hand lands near lena’s neck, fingers brushing ever so lightly on those tiny, little strands of hair. lena shudders, a natural reaction, especially in that particular area, but it affects kara in a way that makes her want to do it again and again, and again, and again—

alex, kelly, and sam be damned.

she just wants to touch her there forever, caress her slowly and lull her to sleep. she wants to see those eyelashes fluttering shut, wants to be the reason why lena is comfortable and sleepy and—

kara’s heart aches.

“darling?”

kara breathes out, slowly but steady, and before she chickens out, she moves forward and presses her lips so, so lightly against lena’s. it’s the softest kiss she’s ever had and ever given someone; the bravest kiss she’s ever pursued, uncaring of the sudden silence in her living room, of the shuffling of feet and the crumpling of paper bags to be disposed of. kara barely hears alex’s goodbye before she pulls away, pressing her forehead against lena’s with a nervous sigh.

“was that okay?” kara asks, heart beating loud and fast against her ribs as she brushes her thumb across lena’s neck, urging — begging — her to open those beautiful eyes of hers. “lena?”

lena lets out a watery laugh, finally meeting kara’s gaze with so much love in those pools of green. 

“more than okay, my love.” 

—

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give her a keese

Korrasami Week Day Five

Okay, I’m super late. Plus, I have a busy working weekend so... I’ll do my best. But I want to finish these prompts, because it’s been super fun so far!

I wanted to write a meet cute between tennis player Asami and Korra walking Naga in the park, but... I ended up writing this, simply because I’m rewatching book one of Korra. Hope you enjoy :)

------------------

Prompt: au

Tarrlok waits for them at the end of the street, surrounded by a small group of soldiers. They are unnaturally still under the artificial lamplight, and Korra feels the urge to scratch her gray uniform. It''s the same they are wearing.

"Avatar Korra. Councilman Tenzin."

The urge to punch him rises violently. She settles for a nod instead.

"Councilman Tarrlok," Tenzin greets back and Korra imagines the clench of his jaw.

"Greetings," Tarrlok continues stiffly, "I apologize for requiring your presence this late in the day. I am aware of your wife's health, Tenzin, and I know how much you hate to depart from her when unnecessary."

Korra doesn't recognize the jab as one, but something in his sneer makes her prickle.

Tenzin folds his hands under his robes, the vibrant red of the air nomads humming in the night. "I have a duty to uphold to the citizens of Republic City," he says instead of answering directly.

Tarrlok breaks his posture to unfold his crossed hands. He tugs at the hem of his sleeve and a couple of men shift behind him. Korra's eyes divert to them, annoyed.

"Well? Are we going?" she snaps, mostly because she is quite horrible at standing still and waiting.

Tarrlok smiles a little, in a way that implies he's privy to the exact nature of the Avatar's thoughts, "Of course."

Korra turns and starts walking.

The guards arrange quickly in formation, a shield of human bodies built around them to separate and cover. They force a painfully slow pace that quickly grows insufferable.

After an unnoticeable number of turns and corners, Korra notices a purple streak of a non-bender band. It's a woman, kneeling on the ground with an half empty bowl of coins at her feet. One of Tarrlok's men kicks her, scattering her meager possession in the dirt.

Korra hides her fists and focuses on the fluttering of Tenzin's robe.

"Tarrlok," Tenzin motions at him but tilts his head in her direction, "What exactly is the nature of this... ambush?"

"I'd hardly call it an ambush," comes the airily reply, poorly camouflaged in the bubble of a chuckle, "More like a further assessment. A thorough evaluation."

It's nothing, Korra wishes to convey to Tenzin with the skip in her gait but the airbender keeps his gaze fixed in front of him.

"Is it really necessary? Mr. Sato is-"

"Mr. Sato is regularly detained at the station and is waiting to be tried in his cell right now, as dictated by our laws. Along with his fellow Equalists. Those non-benders," he spits the word like the foulest thing.

Korra shivers, thoughts swimming around the beggar woman.

"No," Tarrlok shakes his head, complacent smile scraping his features, "Our visit to the Sato residence concerns his daughter, Asami Sato."

Korra chokes on an angry huff. There's nothing she hates more than wasting time with practiced coquetry and luxurious cutlery.

"What about Miss Sato?" Tenzin's pitch lowers with curiosity. Korra wonders if Tarrlok can pick up the different inflection.

"She was summoned for her father's deposition at the central. She denied every involvement with him. She claimed she had no idea of his funding to the Equalist movement. And that he had been faking his bending all his life without her knowledge."

His cold scorn travels down through the cobblestones, "Living under the same roof, and she has no clue? Hardly believable. But Captain Beifong had the brilliant idea of letting her go right after the deposition. She said the girl passed that lying detection technique of her," he leans against an appeasing tone, "But you surely understand that I can't trust a judgment based on guesses and sensations. Especially when the safety of all citizens is involved."

Tenzin ruffles at the accusation, "Lin didn't become chief because of lucky guesses."

"Captain Beifong," Tenzin winces at the emphasized title, "Was a good chief. Probably one of the best. And she'll be dearly missed."

Korra's body jerks, "What do you mean?"

Tarrlok startles and the surprise on his face reeks of falseness, "Oh, nothing nefarious young Avatar. That was poor phrasing on my part. I apologize," he offers a dismissive gesture, "She presented her letter of resignation this morning. And her desk was empty by the end of the shift."

"Was it a voluntary gesture? Or did you force her hand, Tarrlok?"

Startled by her mentor's direct outburst, Korra feels the air turning tense with an unreleased tension.

"Mere semantics, Tenzin. You know better than most how important that is, especially in politics- Ah, here we are," he trails off to inspect the profile of the mansion unfurling from the cloak of darkness in front of them. Tarrlok crosses his arms and the group halts at the implicit command.

"What really matters here, Tenzin, isn't Lin Beifong. It's that her resignation came right after Miss Sato's interrogatory. That seems suspicious."

The formation of guards shatters as the cold gleam of Tarrlok's eyes reflects on the front gate.

+++

It's Asami Sato herself that greets them at the door. The absence of servants ruffles Korra's assuredness in a motion she can't comprehend. Nonetheless, Asami's lean figure withstands the rough profiles of Tarrlok's armed guards.

The marble of the foyer echoes under Korra's steps.

"Miss Sato," Tarrlok's voice diffuses, "I apologize for the intrusion. But we just have a few follow up questions for you."

"I'll lead you to my father's study, then. If you'd follow me."

The click of closing doors strikes like thunder.

Hiroshi's personal study is a mosaic of notebooks with torn pages and missing covers, a capsized sofa and decorated drawers emptied on the carpeted floor. A couple of guards linger in the hallway while the others pile in silently. When she counts them, Korra notices two more are missing, remained behind at the front gate.

"Don't mind the chaos, please," the heiress waves at the room, freeing a pinned lock from the top of her head, "I haven't found the time to clean yet. Otherwise, make yourself comfortable."

Tarrlok is the only one who picks up an upturned chair to sit. Korra remains standing beside Tenzin and when Asami circles back to her own seat, she has to drag one leg off the floor to move the chair.

"Then you don't mind if I let my men have another look? Just to be certain we had gained all intel the first time."

Asami's nod is so curt it might be a wince.

Korra feels words blurting from her mouth too late to stop them, "What about your servants? Can't they clean up the study?" she carefully avoids mentioning Hiroshi directly.

For the first time, the heiress green eyes pause on the Avatar, her gaze flickering up and down Korra almost casually. It's a moment before she gives her answer.

"Not many wishes to have the name of a criminal employer staining their resume. Especially one who faked his own bending for years."

A pool opens in Korra's stomach and she struggles to picture ornate dishes and perfected dance routines.

Tarrlok crosses his legs, lifting one foot, "And you?"

"Are you asking if I'm a criminal or a non-bender?" Asami's face is pale and drawn.

"Isn't it the same?" Tarrlok says and Korra watches him nod solemnly "Being a non-bender means having a tainted soul, since the gods didn't see fit of giving to those the natural gift of bending. If a soul is rejected by the flawless gods then how can they be accepted by the flailed society of mindless humans? An inner source of evil so great to be scorned by our deity..."

Korra hates the sound of those words, but no matter how much she wishes to spit, she's always forced to choke on them.

"The sins of a father aren't easily washed away."

Tarrlock's smiles dies on the ripple of his lips as he unfolds his legs.

A rueful smile dawns on the heiress, "Though I can assure you, I'm nor a criminal, nor a non-bender."

"We're here to determine that, Miss Sato," as Tarrlok's words cuts, a tearing sound pierces the air and Korra doesn't need to turn to see a guard slashing the cushions of the sofa.

Tenzin's hands remain hidden between the folds of his tunic, "Miss Sato," he speaks for the first time, "You already denied your affiliation with Hiroshi Sato to Chief Beifong. Do you still claim that to be true?"

Asami's eyes flickers to Korra for a brief moment, before turning back to meet Tenzin. She nods.

"Verbal confirmation is preferred, if you'd please," Tarrlok's voice loses tge dripping formality, the honeyed coat of false pleasantries fallen apart.

"Yes," Asami's timbre curls, "I had no idea of my father's involvement, nor about his nonexistent bending, even if him leaving Future Industries makes much more sense now. I never questioned his earthbending. It seemed pointless to use it in a house you didn't want to be destroyed," her eyes shoot around in the room, "So the only place he really displayed his abilities were the workshop or the fabric. I loved helping him with his inventions."

Korra gets the feeling Asami didn't want the last words to surface, but her opportunity is lost in her own flinch when another shelves gives under one man's searching with a loud thud. A cascade of books tumbles down to the floor.

Tarrlok motions over the desk and one of his men brings forward a bag.

"Then I suppose you would have never seen this before."

They all watch as Tarrlok subjects Asami to stumble through the tight bindings of the bag. After the last knot gives, a contraption of some sorts emerges from it, a match of split wires and twisted metal parts that cross in a sort of gauntlet. One end is blackened, resembling a burnt.

Once again, there's silence.

"What's that?" Korra twitches and feels at once all the weight of her impatience and inexperience in the flicker of Asami's eyes. She barrels through stubbornly, running head on as usual.

Tarrlok offers the same little smile as before, "That, young Avatar, is one of Hiroshi Sato's inventions. Apparently, it can grant the illusion of earthbending." he snatches the bag off the table, "Like bending could be lowered to a feeble and flimsy creation of a mortal who tries to play god."

The gauntlet gleams, harbouring hidden mysteries. Korra's gaze slowly trails down the wiry junctions, fractured design of a sinewy form. She tries to grasp the feeling of using it under her fingertips, if it buzzes with electricity. Her imagination circles back to the energy that flows and tingles in her body every time she bends.

How utterly amazing. "How does it work?" Tenzin asks and Korra basks in the inquisitiveness. No matter how resilient and traditional her master appears, Tenzin is surprisingly open minded faced with progress.

"My team of analysts were fascinated by the sheer genius behind this invention," Tarrlok palms the gauntlet, seduced despite his hate for the inventor, "Through carefully placed electrical charges planted in the ground, whoever wears this is able move entire sections of rocks. Something about repulsion and attraction between charges, I believe? It doesn't matter, engineer is a useless field of knowledge to benders."

Korra's uneasiness takes a tumble, "I disagree, Councilman," she struggles on the appellation, "It is important to draw and grow wisdom from different sources. If the knowledge has a single root, it inevitably withers and decays. Studying and understanding other elements and other disciplines, like in this case, is a key element to fairness and strength."

She smacks her lips together, feeling the tangy taste of stale on her tongue.

"A single discipline is doomed to failure, for its weaknesses will turn into cracks over time. Learning from others, even if criminals, will help us find the cracks in our society in time to heal them."

When she pauses, Tenzin clears his throat and it feels like a warm hand on her shoulder.

"Korra is right, Tarrlok. It's the same ideal Avatar Aang and Fire Lord Zuko followed when they decided to build Republic City. One we should respect, even in regards of non-benders."

Asami's stare burns, a trail of blazing emeralds. Korra dares a smile back at her, one so quiet that feels more intimate than a simple reassurance.

Tarrlok scoffs a dry breath, "Ah, this sounds like important Avatar talk. And who am I to disagree with the Avatar herself?" his voice intones like a disagreement, "I suppose, it's fair to give recognition where it's due. Now a criminal, but lest anyone forget this, Hiroshi Sato was one of the most brilliant minds of Republic City."

Alive and remembered as dead.

"And I bet genius isn't the only trait that runs in the family."

The broken leg of the chair grates dully on the carpeted floor, "Very well," Asami concedes and rises, circling around her desk. In the corner, the sofa bleeds white feathers.

Asami makes her way through the sea of debris without stumbling. She picks a fallen photo and puts it back on the mantelpiece of an extinguished fireplace. She turns the frame to face the wall and Korra notices a crack in the middle.

Korra shifts on her feet to accommodate a small circle around the Sato heiress. Tarrlok lounges in his chair, only half turned towards the middle of the room.

Inhaling deeply, Asami spreads her hands open in front of her, palms up. She flicks her wrist and a ball of fire ignites over her fingers.

It's one Korra has never seen before.

A streak of purple dances between the rings of fire, an intense colour that envelops the whole flame around his contours. The ball rustles for a moment before the heiress directs it into the hearth.

"Shall we go outside?" Asami says, "I'm not really keen on letting my house burn again."

Again? Korra wants to ask, but Tenzin waves away her questioning flinch.

The purple now burning deepens the creases of Tarrlok's displeasure, "I hope you don't mind if my men carry on with their research."

Korra watches a purple shadow stretching in the emerald of Asami's eyes.

+++

Tarrlok's examination is humiliatingly forceful.

The black sky is repeatedly stabbed by purple arches of fire until the roaring of the flames succumbs to a shiver. Asami lures fire into the world with a violent crackle as her limbs twist in graceful vaults. Fallen autumn leaves sizzle beneath her dance, but she doesn't slip once nor loses control of her flames.

Tenzin and Korra stiffen in the open air, avoiding Tarrlok's steely glare.

"Why firebending? Doesn't she have Earth Kingdom heritage?" Asami's green eyes vibrate in Korra's mind.

Her master's robes look coal among the violet flashes, "I have to guess it comes from her mother's side of the family. Yasuko was a firebender."

"She was?"

"She was." Tenzin's sigh is drawn and hidden, "Yasuko was a firebender, but maybe most importantly, she was a talented singer. Loved by many for her beautiful voice and soul. Her concerts used to fill each row of the theatre. It was quite difficult to find a ticket for one of her shows."

Asami claps her hands and a surge of purple arches over her body.

"She used to hold small parties at her home after these concerts. Small gatherings, with food, wine and music."

Asami's punch surges into a plume of fire as Korra tries to reconcile the heiress' defiant silence with the warmth of a mother figure.

"Then, one night, the Agni Kai Triad attacked the estate during one of these parties. Yasuko was killed by one member of the triad who sought money and power," glowing embers of ash billow the hem of Tenzin's robes, "Asami was barely a child when it happened. And now to be robbed of the last of her family..."

Korra's thoughts chase the bulky profile of her own father Tonraq, locked in an image of his arms hugging a petite figure made of warm smiles and cold hands. Her own mother was segregated to the realm of memories, alongside with Yasuko.

Her circle of thoughts is soon shattered.

The liquid sounds of the night are muted by a new sparkling, a crackling that follows a new faltered rhythm. Asami's hand sparks blue as her fingers draw a slow movement in the air.

And lightning strikes a distant star, a flickering point that blinks down at them.

"Is that all, Councilman?" as she wipes a bead of sweat from her forehead, Asami's voice sounds small, a ruffle of emotion that surfaces for the first time. Plaintive. Young.

Tarrlok grits his teeth and stares ahead, lips thin.

"Almost. Could you remove your gloves?"

Korra's eyes lowers to Asami's gloved hands, which she hadn't noticed.

The black looks smudged against the pale fingers that inch into view. A guard accepts the gloves with stony silence and at Tarrlok's nod, he burns the cloth on his palm. The smoke burns black with traces of grease.

"Please continue, Miss Sato. I apologize for the interruption."

Asami replies to his jab with another crackle and a purple shield of fire, hands waving in a circular motion. She extinguishes the flame with a tired heave but her next motion is still fluid, a shuffle of feet that burns with purple sparks in its wake.

Conceding to a sudden instinct, Korra's orange fire joins the next flash of purple, the flames fading next to each other.

Asami's gaze sharpens – Korra's mind muddles over the word that describes it, because it feels they could change colour suddenly, maybe turn into the green hue of the forest. But, she's not a poet.

The intrigue in Asami's eyes drowns Tarrlok's irked scoff, "I'm not here to assist to a display of your skills, Avatar. But if you insist, I could ask Miss Sato if she'd like to spar with you."

The idea shakes Korra's core.

"I believe that's enough, Tarrlok," Tenzin interrupts, "You wanted to verify the nature of Miss Sato's bending. I think this will suffice to quench your doubts, once for all."

He turns away from him, "Miss Sato. Thank you for your time. I appreciate it."

Asami bows deeply to him in reply.

Tarrlok stiffens his stance but accepts the idea of a retreat. He bows stiffly to Asami, "Thank you, Miss Sato. And please, in the unlikely event that damage has occurred, you may claim compensation from our police department."

"I'm sure everything's in perfect order," Asami says and Korra's knuckles pale. The Water Tribe Councilman turns on his feet and follows the cold stomping of his men.

"Let's go, Korra," Tenzin bows again and leaves the Avatar to follow him.

Korra lingers in the garden, not brave enough to leave. But not brave enough to speak, either.

Asami smiles a little for both of them, "Meeting you has been an honor, Avatar."

The words stir Korra and suddenly she finds herself wishing she didn't have to leave so soon, "Uh, me too Asami. I mean, Miss Sato, uh... I..." the smile that pulls at her lips doesn't feel reluctant anymore.

"Asami will do."

Korra sticks her hand out, "I'm Korra."

Despite the firebending, Asami's palm feels rough, and a little cold in the middle. It feels nice.

"Uh, I hope," Korra stumbles, falters, "I hope this isn't the last I see of you?"

Asami's smile doesn't dim, but Korra can tell something makes her sadder, uncomfortable. For some obscure reason, her voice, when it finally comes again, is thick and palpably sad.

"Have a good night, Korra."

"You too, Asami."

When she reaches Tenzin and glances back, Korra sees Asami hasn't moved from her spot in the garden. She raises a hand in the night.

On the dark side of the Sato estate, one window burns purple.

+++

Alone in her study, Asami slumps down in her chair, mindful of its broken leg.

She tugs at one palm, looking for the edge of the hard rock she had molded into a thin plate to follow the dips and the curves of her hand. They come loose with a satisfying click from both palms, and she shivers at the cold air that nicks at her skin. She inspects the flints with a careful eye, looking for imperfections or chinks on their surface.

She idly strikes the two plaques against each other and they resonate with a sizzling crackle. A purple flame surges alive between them.

uploaded a new zelink short! :D

happy holidays everyone!! 🎄💖

A mom helping her kids beat a hard level in Super Mario Land, 1990s.

I bought Spiritfarer last weekend and sent Gwen off… super incredible and beautiful game if you haven’t bought it you need to

Feeling stuck on my main fic, so decided to jump in on Supercorptober prompts (Day 15 — Coffee) despite having skipped the entire first half of the month. Just a little bit of college AU fluff. Up now on AO3, if you’d rather read it there. Hope you like it!

*********

“Coffee?”

“What? Oh, hi!”

Lena looked up from her theoretical physics assignment and smiled at the girl standing a few feet away. She was holding two coffees awkwardly at her sides, nervously shifting her weight from one foot to the other, but her sky blue eyes were fixed hopefully on Lena’s. Lena raised her hand up to shield her forehead, careful of the pencil still gripped tightly between her fingers, and squinted. It was unmistakably the same girl who had slammed into her three days ago in the middle of the quad, spilling both of their half-full coffees all over her favorite graphic tee and pristine white sneakers.

“Kara, right?”

The girl’s cautious smile widened so much it made her eyes crinkle. “Yeah! That’s right!” She nodded and Lena was about to reintroduce herself, but the girl continued. “Lena.”

Lena felt her heart pound an extra beat, hard against her ribs.

That was odd.

But the way her name sounded breathed out by those smiling pink lips — as though that wasn’t the first time they’d ever said them, as though maybe they’d spent the last few days rolling them around her mouth like a favorite candy — made her stomach do funny little flips. She let her tongue try its own new flavor again, “Kara,” and it sent a shiver down her spine and flush to her cheeks.

If Kara noticed, she was kind enough not to mention it. She just kept staring and smiled even wider. Smiled like some girl remembering her name three days after spilling coffee all over each other was the best thing that had ever happened to her.

They stayed like that for a few more seconds, already long enough to be embarrassing if anyone happened to be watching, before Lena’s smile crooked a bit and she lifted one perfect eyebrow in question.

“Oh, right, sorry! Um, I just, I saw you here on my way to the cafe…” Kara swung her arm over her shoulder, motioning toward the campus’s only source of decent fresh-brewed coffee, and the movement caused a few drops to escape the white travel lid and land hot on the girl’s wrist. “Oh shoot.” She mumbled, and Lena watched as a dark pink tongue licked across tanned skin before soft lips closed quickly around it. Lena thought she heard Kara mumble “hopeless” to herself, but she couldn’t be sure over the deafening sound of her own rushing blood pounding in her ears.

Well, shit.

A distracting crush on a straight girl was the last thing Lena needed right now. She should probably pretend to be busy [‘you are busy’ her useless queer brain supplied] and nip this in the bud. She opened her mouth for a friendly but firm brush-off, but Kara was already talking again.

“Anyway, um, you didn’t let me buy you a fresh coffee the other day, so I thought maybe I could make it up to you now. May I?” Kara motioned toward the empty half of the park bench on which Lena was now sitting completely frozen. Her mouth opened and closed a couple of times, trying to will dismissive words to come out.

They refused.

But the silence seemed to be doing the trick anyway. Kara’s smile faltered and her voice sounded higher and a little strained as she forced understanding words through a now-plastic looking grin. “Or, you’re probably busy. Sorry, that was stupid, I shouldn’t have interrupted you, you’re obviously working. I’ll let you—“

“Kara, wait. Please. I’ve been staring at this book for so long the words are swimming on the pages. I could use a little break.” It was a blatant lie. She’d barely made it through half of her assignment and would never finish before class if she didn’t get back to it immediately. But Kara’s smile had broken free of its plastic casing again and Lena could’ve sworn her eyes actually sparkled. She had never cared less about theoretical physics.

“Cool! Great. Nice. Thanks! Um… here.” Kara finally settled on the bench, messenger bag half-trapped under her leg. She was trying to blow a flyaway lock of hair out from between her face and her glasses, holding both arms awkwardly in front of her to keep from spilling either coffee again.

“Oh, thanks.” Lena helpfully took the offered cup then hesitated, not wanting to be rude, but… “I’m happy for the friendly distraction, but I’ll pass on the coffee. I only drink half-caf after 3pm or I’m up all night.”

Kara finally freed her messenger bag and wrangled her (gorgeous) unruly hair out of her eyes. Pushing her glasses back up the bridge of her nose, she grinned as she reached out to twist the cup in Lena’s hands. Lena looked down at the hastily scribbled “1/2 caf” and then back up at Kara with surprise and an unspoken question in her eyes.

Kara blushed a bit, but just shrugged her shoulders. “I maybe might have noticed you in the cafe before. It’s not like it’s a hard order to remember: black in the morning, half-caf black in the afternoon. Which, also, now that we’re on the subject: Gross. How can you drink that?!”

Lena scoffed in mock outrage. “If I’m drinking coffee, I’m going to drink coffee. You’re the one who should explain herself, 3 milks and 10 sugars? What kind of monster?”

Kara’s eyes widened and Lena’s face went scarlet.

“Oh, really?” It could’ve been in defense of her “coffee” preferences, but it was quite obviously more about Lena’s accidental confession.

Lena tried to keep her eyes appropriately, embarrassingly, focused on the ground. “I maybe might have noticed you before, too.” But she couldn’t help glance up sideways through her lashes to check for Kara’s reaction.

“Well, that’s encouraging.” Kara had one smug eyebrow lifted, but she failed to hold onto her attempted smirk. Her face seemed determined to break into the widest most uninhibited smile Lena had ever seen directed her way.

“Oh?” Now Lena was trying to be coy, but Kara’s was the kind of smile that tugged yours right along with it. Before she could stop herself, Lena’s cheeks were spread around double dimples and she giggled as she scrunched up her nose and shook her head a little at the strange, beautiful girl still beaming at her with unrestrained hope. [Maybe not so straight after all?]

“Want to grab coffee with me some time?” [Definitely not so straight after all.]

Lena laughed. “Aren’t we having coffee now?”

“Oh, so this is a date! Excellent.” Kara winked. “I kinda thought so, too.” She paused while Lena laughed again, still shaking her head and nervously playing with the lid to her drink. “And since the first date is going so swimmingly, I hope it’s not too forward to ask if I could maybe take you on a second date sometime soon?”

Lena stared at those earnest blue eyes and genuine smile. The last shake of her head was directed at no one but herself as she broke every rule she had carefully put in place to avoid the dangers of letting anyone close. She turned away from Kara and rifled in her backpack, quickly unlocking her phone and handing it over before she could change her mind.

“Go ahead, put your number in.”

Kara very nearly spilled her coffee again as she scrambled to set it down and take Lena’s phone from her hands. She quickly entered her info and passed it back to Lena, her hand slowing at the last minute as a brief shadow of doubt crossed her face. Before Kara could finish her sentence (“Is it okay if I get yours— too— oh, nice!”) Lena had tapped the little phone icon and smirked as Kara whipped around to the sound of her own ringer going off.

Kara turned back around. “Best first date ever.”

Lena laughed, “I can’t help but feel that was a pretty low bar then.”

“Nope.”

Lena’s cheeks were starting to hurt from smiling. Not a very Luthor problem, to say the least. Another thing she couldn’t care less about at the moment.

“I do actually have to finish a couple of sketches before my evening class though, do you mind if I…”

“Oh, no, of course! I, um, I should actually finish this physics reading, too.”

Kara smiled and reached into her bag for a sketch pad, two pencils, and a putty eraser. She brought her legs up to criss-cross on the bench and smiled one more time at Lena before diving right in on a blank page, tongue poking endearingly between her teeth. Lena settled back into her reading and was soon lost in her own work.

The silence that followed had absolutely no right to be as comfortable and productive as it was. Lena was nearing her last paragraph when her phone alarm cut through the ambient chirping of birds, murmuring of students, and crunching of autumn leaves under passing footsteps along the park paths.

Kara jerked her head up at the sound and clutched her sketchbook against her chest as Lena silenced her phone and started packing up.

“Sorry, I forgot I had that set. Good thing though, I guess, I was really off in my own world there.”

For some reason she couldn’t bring herself to meet Kara’s gaze. She kept rearranging things in her bag, trying counterproductively to both stretch and avoid the moment. “Um, I have to get to class though… I’ll, uh…” [Pull it together, Luthor.] She breathed out, stilled her hands, straightened her back, and looked down into Kara’s startling blue eyes. “I hope this isn’t the last time we talk?”

Kara’s smile was nothing if not a promise. “I hope not either.”

Metallo!Lena AU Pt 3

The air feels different.

The warehouse had been damp, perpetually chill, and echoed with emptiness. As Lena slowly wakes, the air around her presses warm and dry against her skin, enveloping her in gentle sounds.

Beeping monitors, now a fixture of her reality.

Muffled voices, urgent yet distant, as though muffled through a door.

Faint snores, from someone sleeping in the room next to her bed.

With considerable effort, Lena pries open her sleep crusted eyes. The ceiling overhead is too close, too white. She blinks against the disorientation, and when she tries again she can count the ceiling tiles between the air vents, and suddenly it doesn't feel like the room is caving in on her anymore.

More surprising, though, is when she turns and finds the snores are issuing from Supergirl herself.

Alarm sears against her senses, and Lena gasps when her heart starts to pound. Supergirl jolts awake at the sound, bolting upright even as Lena recoils.

"Get away!" Lena chokes out. "Get away from me, please--"

Supergirl lifts her hands placatingly. "I'm not going to hurt you--"

"I don't want to hurt YOU--"

"You won't," Supergirl promises gently. Lena pauses when the hero nods towards her chest, hands still aloft. "Look."

Lena reaches for the collar of her hospital gown, peeking beneath to see that the chunk of kryptonite is covered by a portion of her leaded apron, now secured by shoulder straps over each arm and a buckle around her ribs.

"We're both safe," Supergirl continues. "I promise."

Sagging, Lena sucks in a ragged breath. All she wants is to curl into a ball, close her eyes, and pretend none of this had happened at all, but she hasn't the strength. Tears start to come, burning hot against her eyes.

"I'm sorry," she says again, her voice cracking under the strain. "I'm sorry. I never wanted to hurt anyone."

Supergirl nods, slowly bending to perch on the seat she'd just been dozing in. "I know. But I'm okay. We're more concerned about you."

Lena blinks up at the ceiling. "You can't remove it, can you."

"No," Supergirl responds after a beat. "The kryptonite is fully grafted into all of your neurological and circulatory systems. It's... It's the only thing keeping you alive."

It comes as zero shock to Lena-- Lillian has made no effort to spare Lena the details of her condition, or the success of her work in resurrecting her. Lillian has never been one to sugar coat.

"I know you've been through a lot," Supergirl continues. Her eyebrows crinkle in the middle. Lena doesn't quite know what to do with the concern in the hero's gaze. Or the sympathy. "But we were hoping you could help us."

"How?"

"The people who did this to you... we think they're part of a group called Cadmus. We think the person behind is--"

"Her name is Lillian Luthor," Lena surrenders readily, bitterness rising in her throat. "She's my mother."

Lena's jaw tightens. She meets the hero's gaze.

"What do you want to know?"

As Korra once again consumed my life, I had to reach out to my bff @plastic-pipes for a commission. I always imagine Korra letting her hair grow out again. Also the betrothal necklace, cause Asami isn’t messing around lol.