Chapter Text
Kara Danvers, of earth-38, is a simple person. She likes to think she is. Underneath the complexity of being an alien on earth, she is an upcoming journalist dedicated to reporting truth and serving justice in her own way with words.
Then comes her Superhero persona, Supergirl, which she likes to consider pretty simple too. Save people, do good and be National City’s resident champion or if she isn’t being too conceited, earth’s champion.
Hey, she has saved the earth multiple times going so far as to other earths to save them too so she really is the earth’s-scratch that- she is the champion of the multiverse. Take that Kal-El.
Other than that, she isn’t too obtuse to ignore that she also has some licentious impulses if her interdimensional and multiverse activities ever collide but she’s definitely sure they wouldn’t.
Because Supergirl on earth-38 is modest despite the slew of powers at her disposal and everybody loves Supergirl.
Kara Zor-El though, the one that makes up Kara Danvers and Supergirl is a hidden gem of past tragedy and trauma, a broad inhabitation of survival’s guilt so deeply ingrained in her being that only three people in her life are privy to. Privy to in the sense that they know and have witnessed the effect the tragedy of her past had on her.
The rest isn’t known by anyone else but herself because underneath the bubbly hopefulness of Kara Danvers and the relentless optimism of Supergirl is a damaged and darkened soul of Kara Zor-El that hides itself from the world.
That is until she met one very infuriating green-eyed woman she’s already met on another earth except on her earth, she is supposed to be her enemy if familial enmity is inherited in a sense. But Kara doesn’t know that yet.
The difference between these two very same women is that the one on her earth has intensity to her green eyes the other didn’t have. These very green eyes in front of her shows Kara something she has seen before, known before, the very image of her own ocean blue eyes staring back at her through the looking glass of her own soul.
Kindred spirits.
Kryptonians believed in that because unlike her who uses hope, help and compassion to hide the darkness that lays restlessly inside her soul, the woman uses stoicism as her armour and oh how intensely enchanting those green eyes are.
Rao I’m so weak for those green eyes.
“Ms. Danvers?!” That ought to get her attention after the umpteenth time because she was certain that Greg, was that even his name? No, it might have been George. Yes George.
“Yes George. Sorry I spaced.” Kara finally dragged her eyes away from the woman who entered Noonan’s and snared the attention of the world around them as she took off her dark sunglasses to expose intense green eyes.
She seems to revel in the momentary attention her presence garners judging by the smirk tugging up the corners of her mouth. But then who wouldn’t when her presence is ever so commanding and her demeanour exudes nothing but power and grace.
“It’s Gregory.” Yes she should have gone with the first one although he had mentioned that he preferred Gregory in the beginning when Kara had asked if he would like to be called Greg.
“Apologies Gregory, I fear today has been a bit…” what word would constitute a description of the jaw-dropping, wide-eyed moment she just had staring at a stranger but not entirely a stranger. “…distracting.” Lacklustre but should be enough for Greg-fluff no, Gregory.
Gregory finally surrendered, the interview was over anyways. He was just hoping to score a date with National City’s resident justice reporter before he leaves but-well maybe Greg-Gregory saw the way she was completely besotted by the presence of the green-eyed woman he himself had also been entranced with. Temporarily because he preferred blondes.
“It’s alright.” Gregory is too kind and Kara smiles warmly at his understanding so he figures why not take a shot. “Would you like to have dinner? Maybe after you finish editing your article?” He doesn’t want to come on too strong, relinquishing control to Kara.
That snapped her right out of her green-eyes induced stupor. This is not her first Rodeo, she’s been asked out by people before but Kara doesn’t date on Earth-38. As much as she likes to think her disguise works, she’s not naïve to know that people could figure her out easily if she opens herself up.
Kenny Li did back in high school. She liked him and she dated him because he understood her and kept her secret but then he died and Kara didn’t think she would ever date anyone again until she entered the world of the multiverse and that gave her hope and anonymity.
It’s not mostly a long distance thing but a woman needs to get her adrenaline somewhere and from one experience with Sara Lance, a multitude of multiverse dalliances were born.
The only woman she ever had a long distance relationship with– how do you call a long distance relationship between two earths? Nothing comes to mind yet. A topic to be tackled later—was from earth-43.
She was the only woman Kara Danvers had a relationship with after Kenny. Where most of her dalliances after Kenny Li had been with both men and women of other earths, it was always as Supergirl until Lena Walsh caught her heart as Kara Danvers.
She shakes her head to perish the memory.
“I would love to Greg. Shit sorry, Gregory. But Miss Grant has me on a lot of follow-ups and I wouldn’t want to make promises I can’t keep.”
Gregory knows what rejection looks like but he also knows Cat Grant and since Kara works directly under the woman, he believes a part of Kara’s contrived excuse.
“I understand Kara.” Yet he still sounded utterly disappointment.
Kara starts packing her journal and pen into her bag, eyes darting to the queue in front of the counter, noticing the woman was next to be served at the counter. “Great. But I will give you a call when I find myself in Metropolis so we can catch dinner. Deal?”
Greg-Gregory perks up at the thought. Maybe there is hope after all. “Sure Kara I would love that.” They exchanged hugs and Greg- fuck, Gregory. Who doesn’t want to be called Greg and prefers Gregory?
Well he left, disappointed but hopeful and Kara turned her attention to the counter only to find the woman had vacated the space.
Kara sighs in disappointment and places her order for Cat Grant. She catches her boss’ broadcast playing on the wall-mounted television defending the recent actions of an impostor parading as Supergirl and blemishing the super’s name with her actions.
“Here you go, Kara.” Natalie hands Kara’s receipt to her after she had paid with a warm smile and gets a beaming one in return. She always says Kara’s smile makes her day. Natalie may have a crush or a thousand on Kara but Kara likes to consider her a friend.
If one can truly be friends with their crushes, it’s Kara Danvers.
“Thanks Nat.”
A familiar melodic cadence catches her ears and Kara turns to find two women, the one whose back faces her says something like;
“Well Sam, she named her so obviously, she might have some affection for her or probably know her personally.” It shouldn’t be surprising that they have the same features and voice yet still it astounds her the mechanics of the multiverse and doppelgangers.
The woman, Sam speaks next and Kara thinks she is attractive, her voice calm, measured and words succinct.
“She sounds like a really good person to get to know from the way Cat is passionately speaking about her.” Sam remarks, eyes still trained on the tv set zoomed in on Cat Grant defending Supergirl.
All at Noonan’s have their eyes and ears trained on the tv watching and listening just like the two friends having breakfast. Are they friends? Dating? Well they are dressed casually so- Kara perishes the thought.
This is not her and you have no right to be jealous. Pfft why would I even be jealous.
Green eyes peeked out from behind the coffee cup, placing focus on the Queen of all media and her words. Lena hums acknowledging her words.
“She is National City’s idol, of course they expect her to be flawless.” Sam catches Lena’s gaze, waits patiently for her friend to finish knowing there’s a ‘but’ coming. There’s always a pragmatic ‘but’ with Lena.
“but let her show them her dark side and they will cast her aside without question.”
Sam eyes her thoughtfully, nods in acknowledgement, “That’s the thing with superheroes. They don’t get to have a dark side.”
A croissant paused halfway to her mouth and a wistful smile, “It’s what makes it unfair, isn’t it? It’s not just the burden of responsibility but the burden of being consummate, no room for error or a single blemish.”
A melodic voice of agreement sounded behind them, “I agree.” And they turned to find woman, blonde, blue eyes in pastel cardigan and flower skirt, hugging her order to her chest. “Sorry, I just…” The woman stopped, she seems a bit flustered, “I mean hero or not, she is still a person and people are fallible.”
Sam eyes her contemplatively but the other woman drags her attention from her, quite rudely if Kara has anything to say about it. She is not used to people ignoring her even in her Kara Danvers persona.
“True.” Sam agreed with her and threw a warm smile her way, “I’m Samantha but you can call me Sam.” She rises and extends her hand in Kara’s direction but Kara’s hands are full with her order Nat just handed to her so she nods.
“I’m Kara.” She doesn’t know why but her eyes flitted to the woman sitting to her right ignoring them and sipping on her black coffee. “I actually work for Ms. Grant, I’m a reporter. Used to be her PA too until recently.”
“Oh.” Sam says in amused confoundment and looked down at the other woman still ignoring them. There’s an amusing tilt to her lips as she turns her eyes back to Kara. “This is Lena.” She might have missed it if she weren’t alien but Sam seemed to have stepped on the woman, Lena’s foot to grab her attention.
Lena finally turned to them, a fake smile Kara knows so well plastered on her face as she says, “Hi,” and then turns back to the tv which has finally switched to sports.
Other Lena didn’t like sports. Of course this one too is Lena.
For some reason, Kara wants to know her. She might still be nursing some resentments for the other Lena of earth-43 for breaking up with her and might have even gone on a multiverse exploration to find all Lena’s who looked exactly like her for some revenge scheme which involved writhing fleshes and a snarky note at the end.
It didn’t work out as she turned out rather flummoxed most of the time on those earths finding other versions of herself either married to the Lenas, dating them, having a friends with benefits agreements with them or trying to woo them.
It terrified her.
“Hi Lena.”
The woman hummed noncommittally and spared Kara no glance at all but Kara’s patience was wearing thin and had some sort of speech about being nice to people prepared until the ding of a bell and a familiar voice halted her.
“Kara?” She spun around so quickly she might have gotten whiplashed.
“Diana!” Kara rushed to place her order on Lena and Sam’s table and almost collided into Sam as she sped her way into Diana’s open arms. “Rao I missed you, when did you get into town? How come I didn’t know you were coming to NC? Does Clark know you’re here?” All of them tumbled out of her in superspeed.
Diana laughed when they broke from the hug and held Kara’s face in her hands, “Breathe Kara. Not all of us can…” She leaned down and whispered conspiratorially into Kara’s ear. “You were speeding your words sweety.” Diana lets go of her face with a chuckle.
Kara leaned into Diana’s ear and whispers, “It’s not my fault I have missed you and you know how I get when I’m excited.”
A throat cleared behind them. Kara turned around to find Lena had risen from her seat, arms crossed in some sort of defiant pose or she certainly looked annoyed.
Diana spoke, “Lena, Sam. Sorry I’m late but NC traffic is the worst, hence why I hate coming here.” The tall brunette woman built like a Greek goddess turned to Kara. “I didn’t know you guys knew Kara Danvers.”
“Oh they don’t.” Kara says the same time Sam says;
“Kara just introduced herself to us. She’s a reporter at Catco and she had an opinion about Supergirl’s recent blunder. We just met.” Kara almost winced from that, this impostor needs to be stopped.
“Oh Kara is more than just a reporter.” Diana winks at Kara and Kara’s ears caught a barely there indignant sound coming from Lena. “Kara these are my friends, Sam and Lena. Lena here doesn’t spend her time here but I had to lure her here with the promise of fun. Oh Kara you can join us.” Diana says excitedly.
Lena takes her seat again ignoring them and she looks mighty pissed than she had been before Diana came in. Kara always found the other Lena cute when she was pissed.
Kara doesn’t consider herself a confrontational person but this issue must be addressed, “Well your friend here is very rude Diana, Sam is amazing but I think my mood would be perpetually soured if I should spend even a second with her.”
“Excuse me! You don’t know me.” Lena retorted angrily.
“Well I wouldn’t want to. Not with that attitude.” Kara quipped and turned to Diana trying to drown out Lena’s exasperated mutterings. “It was nice to see you Diana. Call me when it’s just you and Sam and maybe we can have some fun…” she turned to Lena and added, “…unhinged by perpetual broodiness.”
Lena scoffed, huffed, grunted all in anger and Kara kissed Diana’s cheeks not waiting for an answer from the Greek goddess and left.
“What was that about?” Diana and Sam took a seat and levelled Lena with one of those reprehensive stares.
“Nothing.”
“It’s Lex.” Sam answers and then another reproving glare in Lena’s direction. “It doesn’t mean you have to be rude. And Kara is nice so you shouldn’t have done that.”
Diana readily agrees. “She is like the nicest person you’ll ever meet Lena. She didn’t deserve that.” Lena deflated, expression softening and mapping out remorse and resignation at her friends’ words.
“I know…I just. He wants me to come see him and the last time I did I had agents crawling all over me afterwards like I’m about to snap just like him and I don’t like how I feel when it happens.”
Diana takes her hand on the table and squeezes. “Is that why you’ve been spending more time on Earth-1?” Lena nods. “Honey, it’s not healthy and you need stability. Jumping between thirty-eight and one isn’t good. Pick one and stay there.”
Sam hums in agreement and yet there is hesitation in her eyes as those browns meet Lena’s saddened green ones.
“My home is here and the family company too. Lilian has been hounding me to take over for a while now and I think her patience is thinning on that front. Lex is here, he is still my brother but I have friends on Earth-1 and nobody there judges me. People actually like me and smile genuinely at me over there.”
She sighs and slumps into her seat, understanding enveloping her friends’ expression as they nod thoughtfully at her reason.
“Whatever you decide, I’m here for you.” Sam assures her.
“Me too.” Diana adds.
“Thank you guys.”
xxx
“Someone’s in a mood.” Alex remarks, plopping herself into the seat beside Kara at the command centre and then a frown as she looks at what her sister is doing on the computer. “Why are you recalibrating the extrapolator to earth-43?” Kara ignores her. “Kara?” She calls and Kara hums this time.
“Just going to see something.” She shrugs a shoulder.
“You have to let her go Kara.” Alex tries because she too knows of Lena Walsh of Earth-43 who sort of broke her sister’s heart. Well that’s still debatable considering Kara denied being in love with her. Alex had always thought there was something more left unsaid.
Kara scoffs as if the notion is bizarre, “Oh please I’m not going to see her. I have other friends on that earth and I need some time off after my encounter with some rude woman today.”
“People are rude all the time Kara, you don’t go to other earths just to escape them.” Kara finishes her calibration and presses the extrapolator which opens a shimmering blue portal. “Cat Grant is mean to you 24/7 literally and I don’t see you running from her.”
She presses a kiss to Alex’s cheek and steps toward the portal, “Cat is my boss, Lena isn’t.” She walked into the portal and it closes after her.
“Lena? Fuck she found one here too.” Alex groans.”