Work Text:
We're Flying
The sky was clear, and the sea breeze gave the night a slight chill to the air. Kerian sat on a bench, a thin jacket draped carelessly over their shoulders with a glass of whiskey propped up on their leg. They had bought her ticket with money they had taken out of her savings, which had come from money their mother had given to her to spend on dresses, jewellery and the like, to help them find a "suitable husband". They had snuck onto the ship with their long brown hair tied up under a dark grey flatcap, a white shirt that's a bit baggy to hide their chest that's underneath a black waistcoat, a loose pair of black slacks and a pair of black brogues; all of which she had stolen from her brother's wardrobe. The clothes are too big for their slender frame, but they hide the femininity of their body, and that's all that matters at the moment.
Normally Kerian wouldn't dare do anything this bold, but they had to escape her abusive and overbearing mother and the threat of being married off to a man that she would never love. So, one day they started saving and devised a plan to get as far away from their family as soon as they possibly could so they could start a new life, and be themselves; free of the judgement of their family.
As they took another sip of whiskey, taking in the stars shining above them in the night sky, they saw something odd. No one else was about, everyone had either retired for the evening or was playing cards in the belly of the boat. So, when a woman ran past, looking scared and upset with tears staining her face.
The mysterious woman approaches the edge of the ship and Kerian's eyes stayed glued to her, afraid of what she might do. The woman looks over her shoulder, as if looking for someone. Her movements are frantic and Kerian recognises the fear on the blonde woman's face.
Kerian lowers her drink from her lips, resting it on her lap as the woman peers over the railings of the back of the boat; staring into the water. She stays, fixated on the depths of the water below her, as if contemplating something, as Kerian stays on her seat wondering what's on her mind, and why she is upset.
Something inside the woman appears to snap, and she starts to climb up the railings, which is slippery from the sea spray. When the blonde woman's footing slips slightly, Kerian jumps up, glass still in hand, and rushes to her aid.
The woman recovers, and continues her climb over the railings until she is completely over the other side. Her legs are trembling and she clings to the railings behind her as she stares out over the almost black ocean waves.
As Kerian approaches her, she ensures that she is careful and slow so as to not startle the woman and cause her to slip and fall off the edge. Her footsteps tap lightly against the wooden deck and when the blonde slightly turns her head slightly at the noise, but in the end she remains staring over the edge, as if she doesn't care or is too wrapped up in her own head to properly register the person behind her.
"Hey!" Kerian calls out, "Are you okay?"
The woman turns around and Kerian the first thing she sees is just how striking this woman's eyes are in the moonlight.
She's always been a sucker for pretty eyes on a woman, something else that Lillian hated about her, and tried to beat out of her.
"Go away!" The blonde calls back, the distress clear in her voice although it sounds as if she is trying to fake confidence.
Kerian doesn't back away, but approaches with more caution. "Please don't jump. Do you need someone to talk to?"
"Please stay away" The blonde pleads, leaning further over the edge.
"I'm just going to put my drink down, okay? Just over there on that ledge." She points over at a ledge not far from where the woman is standing. The blonde nods in understanding, although not looking at the brunette.
Kerian creeps closer, close enough to grab the blonde if she were to jump as long as she reacts quickly. "I'm here to listen if you need someone to talk to, then I'm here. You don't know me and I don't know you, but I care. So, if you need to then just please, vent away because jumping is not the solution."
The blonde remains silent for a few moments, she takes a breath and goes to speak, then hesitates for a few moments more before speaking "I just can't do this any more. I'm being forced to marry someone that I don't love. I've done everything that I can to try to love him but nothing works. I just know that I cannot love a man, no matter how hard I try."
From her view of the woman and her side profile, Kerian can see a few tears start to form in the corner of her eyes and start their journey down her rosy cheek.
"As soon as we get to New York, we are expected to be married and I cannot marry him and live a lie. Michael is not a monster, but he is an unpleasant man and I cannot think of any fate worse than being forced to marry him. I cannot be his wife, his arm candy for events to show me off as some sort of prize that he has 'won'. That life would be unbearable so this is the only way that I can escape this nightmare."
"I know that things seem bleak, trust me. That's why I'm on this ship; to get away and start a new life away from everything which is something I never thought that I'd do but I promise you that no matter how awful things are, things find a way of working themselves out"
"The only way I can get out of this, is to jump. Then I can disappear and make all of this go away." The mysterious woman says, tears falling heavier down her face.
"That is not the only way, I can assure you. My name is Kerian, what's yours?" They ask, trying to distract the woman.
"My name is Kara. Soon it'll be Mrs Michael Matthews." she sighs.
"Who are you now? Who do you want to be?"
"Kara Danvers. My name is Kara Danvers."
"That's a lovely name. It's nice to meet you Kara Danvers, but I wish it was under better circumstances. Can you tell me something about yourself? Do you have a favourite animal? A favourite colour?" Kerian notices the woman begin to become less distressed; her shoulders becoming more relaxed as her breathing returns to a more normal pace. Her knuckles are white due to the tightness of her grip on the railings, but Kerian is just thankful that she hasn't jumped.
"Ummm…. I guess my favourite animals are dogs. I've always wanted one, but I've never been able, or allowed, to have one. But a friend had a couple, and every time I saw them I was filled with joy. One day I really want to have one. My favourite colour is green, like the grass on a meadow that has been rained on over night. Maybe that's just because of the way that it smells, all fresh and smelling of spring."
"That sounds lovely. I also love dogs and one day, I would love to have one. My favourite colour is blue, like the ocean when the sunset hits it. Something about that shade just fills me with peace."
They take a breath before reaching out to Kara, putting their hand on top of hers. Kara jumps slightly, thankfully not slipping or losing her footing. "Would you come back over the railings? So we can talk some more?" When Kara looks unsure, her brow furrows and Kerian lightly squeezes her hand, giving her a reassuring smile. "I'm not going anywhere whilst you're still standing on the other side of that railing though, and I'll stay here until the ship docks in New York if that's what it takes."
Kara, sensing that Kerian was not joking by the look on their face and nods in agreement. Kerian sighs a deep breath of relief, and holds onto one of Kara's hands as she slowly turns herself around on the edge of the boat. Just as Kara had safely, and cautiously climbed back over the railings, the ship hits a big wave and she comes tumbling into Kerian's arms as the pair slip on the deck and collapse onto the floor. Their faces are so close together; their noses almost touching. Kerian can hear their heart in their ears. Kara smells so nice, her hair is tousled from the ocean breeze.
"Sorry about that" The brunette stutters as Kara scrabbled off of their body. The blonde bends over, offering a hand to help Kerian up off the wooden deck. Once both are off the damp and cold floor, they head to under the coverings where Kerian had left a blanket. Kerian had picked up his whiskey glass before wrapping Kara in the blanket to help warm her up as her lips were tinged blue from the cold and sea air. They wrap themselves up in the left over blanket.
"I'm sorry" Kara says after they have sat next to each other for a few minutes. Kerian had been waiting for the blonde to speak first, as to not make her feel uncomfortable. "I hadn't expected anyone to be here. I had just planned to disappear."
"Don't appologise. I am so glad that I was here because although we haven't known each other for long, but you Kara Danvers, seem like a ray of sunshine." Their words make Kara blush and she tilts her head forwards to obscure her face behind her windswept hair.
They continue to sit in silence, with one the faint chattering of people far away and the crashing of the ocean to be heard.
"If I had my way, I'd be living in the countryside, where I can be surrounded by nature and the smell of grass and flowers, with a dog or two to keep me company."
"That sounds like a lovely dream. You never know though, it might be possible."
I honestly doubt it, but maybe Michael will die and I'll be free. Or, I could always run away? I don't know."
"When we dock, you could always stick with me in New York" Kerian blurts out. As soon as the words have left their mouth, they clamp a hand to their mouth, shocked that they said that. "Um. I mean. Um. I don't really have any plans when I get to New York, apart from to make a nice and peaceful life for myself. Um. Yeah. I know that we just met, but if you want to do a runner, then you can stick with me, Kara." Their cheeks are flushed a rosy red colour as they continue to ramble; unable to stop themselves from talking. "I promise you I'm not a creep or anything, I just-"
"Kerian, it's okay" Kara reassures them, putting a hand on Kerian's. Her hand has warmed up surprisingly quickly and feel nice against their cool skin. "That sounds nice. Not sure that I could escape Michael, but if I could then I definitely would. You seem like a nice man Kerian, and I trust you. There's just something about you."
Being called a man does something to Kerian, sending a warm fuzzy feeling through their body. But, also makes them nervous. They've never been perceived as a man before in a situation like this before, and honestly, it feels so much better than when everyone saw them as female. Although they'd booked their ticket on the ship as Kerian, and had been called Kerian by staff, this felt different.
Kerian knows one thing, that they are not a woman. Gender confuses them, and although they may not be a man, they would much rather be seen as one than to be seen as a woman. Their choice of dress to escape on the ship was not just for making an escape without being seen, it was also about being able to dress comfortably for the first time in their life.
He decides to bask in being seen as not a woman, and decides to talk to Kara about this another time, if they meet again that is.
They continue to talk, their hands still touching and their bodies pressed against each other. If Kerian knew any better, then they would assume that Kara was flirting, but that had to just be the shock right?
"Thank you for this evening," Kara says, snuggling up to Kerian. For warmth, they tell themselves. "I'm glad I met you, Kerian."
"Really, it's no problem. I'm glad I could be of assistance. For what it's worth, I'm glad you didn't jump" They reply softly, their emerald eyes locking onto Kara's ocean blue ones. They could swear that Kara is leaning towards their lips when a voice disrupts them, making the two jump apart.
"Kara!" A man's voice calls "Kara where are you?"
"Crap!" Kara says, hastily getting out from underneath the blanket. "That's Michael. I rushed away from dinner and now he is going to be so angry."
"Will you be okay?"
"I hope so. Can I see you again? It's nice to talk to someone who doesn't have their head rammed up their own arse!"
"Of course, my lady" Kerian says with a mock bow of the head, gently kissing Kara's hand. "All you have to do is come and find me. But maybe I'll see you first!"
"I'll see you, Kerian." Kara says before rushing off down the boat towards the voice, leaving Kerian alone on the bench, with a head filled with thoughts of Kara Danvers.
It was a couple of days until the two met again, but Kara had barely left Kerian's mind. They were wondering if she was okay, stuck with the mysterious man she was supposed to marry.
Kerian stands at the front of the ship, enjoying the salty wind against their face as the sun begins to set in the distance, producing shades of red and orange to be painted across the sky. There is no one around to see them, so they decide to take off their cap to feel the wind through their hair. One of the first things they had done when they had boarded the ship was to take the pair of scissors out of their suitcase and cut their hair. Where their hair had previously been halfway down their back, much to their disdain, it now fell just above their shoulders. Had they been able to properly cut their hair, without the slight swaying of the ship then they would have cut it shorter so it was short on the sides with their hair longer on the top so that if Kerian wanted to, then they could frame it around their face in a more femine fashion whilst still being able to give the more masculine appearance they desperately craved.
With their cap tucked into the back of their trousers for safe keeping so that it wouldn't drop into the dark depths of the ocean below, the wind blows through their hair and Kerian has never felt so liberated or free. They shut their eyes, enjoying the feeling and holding on to it for as long as they can.
"Kerian?" They hear from a distance, the voice soft in the wind.
Kerian recognises that voice to be Kara's. Their name has never sounded so good coming out of anyone's mouth before. Instead of turning around to face Kara, they raise their hand and signal to the blonde to come up and join her.
"What are you doing out here? Admiring the sunset?"
"In a way. Come here and stand in front of me. Shut your eyes and just feel the wind." Kerian and Kara shuffle around each other, which is a bit challenging as Kerian's eyes remain closed, but between the two of them they make it work. Kara is now stood in front of Kerian, pressed gently between the railing and Kerian.
"I can see why you have been here for a while" Kara says softly, as if not to disrupt the peace.
"You've been watching me?" Kerian asks curiously.
"I've seen you about, Kerian. I've just been waiting for a chance to see you again." Kerian's heart swells at Kara's words and a small smile spreads across their face.
They return to the comfortable silence, the wind gently caressing their faces and running through their hair. Moments pass before Kerian gains confidence, reaching out to touch Kara's hands, which are currently resting on the railings.
When their hands touch, Kerian feels a spark. Not just a spark of static electricity, it feels like something more which they hope that Kara can feel too.
Slowly, Kerian lifts Kara's hands up in theirs, holding them out to the side of their bodies. With their fingers intertwined, Kara leans back slightly against Kerian's frame.
"Open your eyes" Kerian whispers softly into Kara's ear.
When the blonde opens her eyes, she lets out a small gasp. Since shutting her eyes, the sun has set further; creating a beautiful sight of reds, pinks, oranges and yellows. "Wow"
When the blonde opens her eyes, she lets out a small gasp. Since shutting her eyes, the sun has set further; creating a beautiful sight of reds, pinks, oranges and yellows. "Wow" she breathes out, taking in the view in front of her.
"Beautiful, huh?"
"We're flying Kerian! We're flying!" Kara sounds like an excitable child.
"Not quite, darling." The darling slips out, but Kerian hopes that Kara doesn't notice. If she does, she doesn't acknowledge it.
"It's as if we're flying. I feel that we could step off and float through the air." She must feel Kerian tensing slightly behind her at those words, before continuing "Not that I'm going to actually step off. Do you know what I mean though?"
"Don't worry, I do. It's almost as if we're weightless. It's so freeing, as if nothing else matters."
Kara leans her head back, against Kerian's shoulder. Their eyes meet and Kerian feels butterflies in their stomach. Kara's lips are so close, so close they could kiss them. They have been thinking about Kara's soft looking lips since they met, something they aren't too proud of.
Without a warning, suddenly Kara's lifts are pressed against theirs. Whilst thinking about Kara's lips, the blonde had turned around slightly to kiss the brunette. She tastes sweet, like strawberries and sugar. The kiss was everything that Kerian could have dreamed of and more. The feeling of Kara's lips on theirs was electrifying in the best way possible and Kerian never wants this feeling to end.
Unfortunately, Kara's lips are not on theirs for nearly long enough, after a few seconds of bliss, Kerian's lips are once again, without Kara's.
The blonde looks embarrassed, her cheeks flushing a deep red which Kerian finds endearing. "Sorry" she murmurs, looking away from Kerian.
"Don't be" Kerian responds, bringing Kara's gaze back up to meet theirs by holding Kara's face gently with their hand.
"I'm technically still engaged... No matter how much I want to not be…"
The two start to walk towards a bench, walking side by side; so close their hands brush against each other's with each step they take.
"That doesn't matter. If you don't want to marry Michael, then you don't have to. You'll find a way out of this, I'm sure." Kara finds comfort in these words, smiling at them.
"Can I be honest with you?" The blonde asks timidly as the pair sit on a bench.
"Ask away" Kerian responds nervously as questions like this tend to be uncomfortable.
"I thought you were a guy, the first time we met, not a girl. Your hair was hidden by your cap and your name is Kerian." Kerian's heart drops and face falls at these words. Kara senses that she's said something wrong based on the brunette's change in facial expression. "Did I say something wrong?"
"It's not your fault. It's just…" Kerian looks away from Kara, scared of her reaction to their next words. "It's just, I'm not a girl. I mean, I was born as one but I'm not one. If that makes sense?"
"Sort of" Kara responds, taking in Kerian's words. "Can you explain it to me please though? I'm sorry I've upset you. I tend to speak without thinking. So, are you a guy then?"
"It's okay. I kind of am a guy? It's complicated. I guess I don't fit in the male or female categories, I'm more somewhere in between. I have heard of people using the term genderqueer or nonbinary but I think I just like the term queer. It encompases both my gender and sexuality, but honestly I don't know."
"I think I understand. So, do you use male pronouns? Because I've only seen you dress as a man?"
"This trip is my first time dressing like this, so I'm still figuring this stuff out. But male pronouns feel so much better than female ones. Those don't suit me at all. I heard of people who knew people who used neutral pronouns, which I think I like." Kerian relaxes as they talk. Kara hasn't reacted the way they thought she would, how they thought everyone would, which puts them at ease.
"Neutral pronouns? What are they?"
"Like they and them, instead of he and him or she and her"
Kara's face scrunches up with visible confusion. "Like more than one person? How does that work?"
"They do work for more than one person, but they can also be used for a single person. If someone had a name, like Jessie that can be a boys name or a girls name and I said I was with Jessie, you wouldn't know if I was talking about Jessie with an ie, or Jesse with just an e. Would you? So then, if you were to ask about them, then you would use neutral pronouns to enquire about them, would you not?
"I like girls" Kara blurts out into the silence. "I like girls, and guys." She breathes a sigh of relief, a weight lifted off her shoulders. "I've never told anyone that."
"I've never told anyone either, I do feel quite liberated. I also like girls, and guys. Sometimes anyway!"
"I guess so. I'm sorry, I have been rather sheltered life but I promise that I understand what you mean. I'm sorry if I offended you, I promise that wasn't my intention."
"I promise you didn't offend me. Truthfully, it did hurt, but I know that it is unlikely that I will be seen as not a girl. But it's okay."
The conversation between them peeters out, as they sit next to each other. Kerian reaches out to gently rub their thumb against Kara's hand which is something that Kara seems more than content with.
"I like girls" Kara blurts out into the silence. "I like girls, and guys." She breathes a sigh of relief, a weight lifted off her shoulders. "I've never told anyone that."
"I've never told anyone either, I do feel quite liberated. I also like girls, and guys. Sometimes anyway!" Both of them are smiling, feeling much more at peace than before. "Thank you, Kara. For being so understanding and kind. It really does mean a lot."
"Of course, Kerian. You're a great person, regardless of how you identify. Also, you're really cute so…"
Kerian blushes at Kara's words, not used to people complimenting them, unless for trying to woo them into dating or marriage, or to gain something from their family. It feels nice though, something they could get used to.
By the time the ship hits the iceberg, Kara and Kerian have spent time together at least once a day, hidden from the rest of the passengers on the ship on the deck of the ship at night. They talk about everything, from likes and dislikes to hopes and aspirations. The two had been flirting, growing bolder with their actions and words as they get to know each other better, both imagining a life with the other after they arrive in New York but not mentioning it to the other.
As the ship begins to sink, Kara sneaks away from Michael to find Kerian and when it is announced that women and children are to go first onto the lifeboats, Kara asks Kerian to do something that she knew they would not like to do.
"Kerian" Kara braves, scared of upsetting Kerian. "Kerian, you know I would never ask this of you unless it was absolutely necessary, but would you please pretend to be a woman? Just so that we can get off this ship together. I don't want you to be stuck on the ship because I care about you."
Kerian thinks about this, mulling it over in their mind; weighing up the pros and cons. "If I do this, will you never ask this of me again?" They ask slowly.
"Of course Kerian. I wouldn't ask this of you unless it was absolutely necessary. Honestly, and this is true, I would ask you to do this even if you were born as a boy. I just don't want you to be stuck on the ship."
"I'll do it, and we'll never speak of it again. Do I have to borrow some of your clothes? All of my clothes won't allow for me to pass as a woman." They shudder as soon as those words leave their mouth.
"I'm afraid so, but I'm sure if you throw one of your jackets on top that wouldn't seem out of the ordinary, especially in this situation."
"Let's just get this over and done with. Take me to your room then, Kara Danvers." Kerian says with a smirk and a wink, trying to mask how uncomfortable they are feeling, thinking that they would never have to present as a female as soon as they stepped on the ship. Reluctantly, they follow Kara, more afraid of putting on female clothes than the fact that the ship was literally sinking.
Kara's plan had worked. Once Kerian was dressed in some of Kara's clothes and covered by one of their jackets to try and cover how uncomfortable they are feeling. Underneath, they are wearing their trousers, and a vest to help make them feel more comfortable, their cap is tucked into their pocket because they can't bear to part with it. Wearing trousers under a dress isn't comfortable, but it helps to centre them and make them not want to completely lose their mind. The dress, thankfully, is long enough to hide the trousers and honestly, Kerian can use the extra warmth.
The two had made it onto one of the lifeboats, with four women and a couple of children. Kerian makes as little conversation as possible with the rest of the people, watching Kara try and keep the children entertained by telling them jokes and stories, even performing some magic tricks which they loved.
Kerian can feel their heart pounding in their chest so much that it might burst out of their chest. They are also freezing, so much so that their lips and fingers have gone blue and there are chunks of ice floating by in the water. The iceberg that the ship hit, looming in the distance.
Slowly, the ship slips into the ocean, disappearing completely from view. Everyone watches in horror as people attempt to jump from the ship to try and save themselves from going under the water. Everyone is silent, stunned as reality hits them, the only noise being the ship as it disappears beneath the surface of the ocean.
A huge wave appears as the front of the ship vanishes from view, which causes the lifeboats that made it off the ship to overturn. The lifeboat that Kara and Kerian are seated on is one of the first to go as they were one of the last small boats to make it off the ship. With one big wave, the boat flips over with every person being thrown into the water with the boat upside down floating on the water.
Kerian gets pulled under the water, by the force of the wave. No matter how hard they try, they cannot swim themself to the surface of the water. Slowly, as the oxygen runs out in their lungs, they feel themself get weaker. With one last effort, they try to scream out for help but no sound comes out. Their eyes start to close and their mind fogs over…
The next thing Kerian is aware of is Kara bringing them back to consciousness. They can hear her, but can't open their eyes just yet. "Kerian!" Kara calls out "Kerian! Wake up!" Her voice is thick with worry. "Please don't die on me. I've only just found you, I can't lose you again. Since we met, I've been picturing a future with you so don't you dare leave me."
Kerian doesn't think they're supposed to hear that last bit.
"Kara?" They murmur, before coughing up a load of water that had found its way into their lungs after they had tried to scream for help.
"It's okay Kerian, I'm here. Get it up, it's okay." Kara rubs comforting circles on their back as they cough up the rest of the water.
"How did we get here?" Kerian asks, looking down at the plank of wood that both they and Kara are now floating on.
"The boat tipped when the ship sank and we got flung out and I couldn't find you. I managed to help the children back onto the boat and I think everyone else made it. I couldn't find you and I was so scared, Kerian. So scared. But then I saw you a little bit of the way out and I dove down to get you. Thankfully this large plank of wood, I'm assuming from the ship was here and I could pull you up onto it." Kara's teeth begin to chatter. It had been cold already, but being in the water had seriously made it a lot colder. Kerian didn't want to think about how blue they would be when they make it out. If they make it out that is they think to themself.
"Where is the boat?"
"The others sailed off, I'm assuming they thought you'd… died… and maybe that I'd disappeared after I went to look for you? I don't know but honestly I can't blame them for wanting to get away...
"Yeah… How long was I under for? Was it really that long?" Some of Kerian's strength has returned, but they still feel weak.
"I'm not sure, but it felt like forever… We just have to hope that people come and rescue us from here… I can't see anyone else about… It's scary…"
"I'm sorry that I made you miss the boat… You could be out of here and on your way to warmth…" Not that Kerian wants Kara to leave them, but now she's stranded with them with no one nearby to help them…
"I wasn't going to leave you, Kerian. I wasn't going to give up on you. Never. Okay?"
Kerian doesn't feel up for an argument, because they know that the two of them will never agree on this.
As the minutes pass and turn into hours, Kerian and Kara do their best to keep warm. They're huddled together for warmth, trying to keep their bodies moving without falling into the icy water. To try and keep Kerian conscious, Kara talks about anything and everything. As time goes on, their responses get smaller as the cold takes over.
"What if we get separated?" Kara asks. This brings Kerian back to consciousness; the thought of spending time with Kara.
"Separated where?"
"When we make it to New York? What if they won't let us stay together?"
"I don't think they'll separate us, my dear Kara. But if we do end up separated, we should arrange a time and place to find each other again. Okay?"
Kara nods in agreement "But where? I don't know anywhere in New York City?"
"My friend who visited New York a while back said there was a big park, Central Park I think it is imaginatively called. She talked of a big tree that had a bench underneath it."
"That sounds good. So when shall we arrange for? I don't want to get separated, I just don't want to lose you, Kerian. I care about you a lot."
"If you still feel the same way, then meet me under that tree Kara Danvers." Kerian takes Kara's icy cold hands in theirs, pressing a soft kiss for comfort and to try and warm the blonde up, even if it is just the tiniest amount. "If we both make it out of here, then meet me on the next Saturday, at midday. Does that sound okay?"
"That sounds perfect. I'll be there regardless, don't you worry. I know my feelings won't change, and I hope that yours won't either, but I will respect them if they do; I do know I can come on a bit strong."
"Shhhhh" Kerian hushes, when all of a sudden they hear voices in the distance.
"Do you hear that?" Kara asks. Kerian just nods, not wanting to create more noise to ensure that they aren't going mad. "People!" Kara exclaims, pure joy in her voice. "Do you hear that Kerian? We're going to make it!" The smile that has spread itself across Kara's face warms Kerian's heart.
"I can hear, Kara. We'll have to shout to get their attention to help them come to us. Maybe one of us should sit up and wave. Do you think you'd be able to? I don't think I have the strength…"
Kara carefully sits up, doing her best not to sink the plank or get either of them more cold and wet than the two of them already are. "We're over here!" Kara calls out, waving one of her arms in the air. "We're over here!"
"We're over here!" Kerian calls out, hoping with everything that they have, that the other people can hear them.
"Please come over here!" Kara calls, waving more manically than before.
After a couple of minutes of calling out to the other boat, the boat comes close enough to them that they don't have to shout.
"Are you guys okay?" A voice asks.
"Do you have room for us on your boat? We're both so cold" Kara says, her teeth chattering.
"We've got room, don't worry. Have you seen anyone else out here?" The voice asks. Kerian thinks that the voice is comforting but maybe that's just the fact that they are going to rescue them from death's door.
"Not in the last couple of hours?"
Once the two are on the boat, the rescuers wrap them in three blankets each, and give them a hot coffee each from a thermos to drink. Kara and Kerian huddle next to each other, trying to share what warmth they have with each other.
When they make it to another ship, they are both apprehensive about stepping on board but they hold hands, determined to face it together. Kerian had taken off the dress on the small boat which had confused the other people, but they just claimed that it was too heavy and no one questioned it further, something both Kerian and Kara are thankful for.
They take a deep breath, squeezing their hands before stepping onto the rescue ship.
"If we get separated, we will meet at midday by that tree on Saturday. Agreed?" Kara asks.
"Agreed" Kerian confirms and they step into the chaos that awaits them.
"And the rest is history, I guess" Kara says, looking at Kerian with a smile and a loving gaze.
"Most of you don't know how we met, it's not really something that we talk about because honestly, we still get nightmares of being in the water but we've been thinking and talking, and queer stories need to be told and we want to share it with with the people we love most in the world."
"We've been together for over twenty five years now, and there's no one I would rather spend my life with."
Their friends and family awe at the pair.
"Although we've been married for over twenty years, and a few of you will remember our original ceremony, but as soon as same sex marriage was legalised in the United States, we knew we had to celebrate. As you all know" Kara continues, "Kerian's gender marker was able to be changed to male when we arrived in New York, because no one asked and we certainly weren't going to complain. So although we've been legally married all those years, it also felt right to have this ceremony, which also is a renewal of our vows." Kara says lovingly.
"For all those wondering" Kerian pipes up, "We did get separated in the bustle, but we did meet up in central park. And this is what happened."
Although Kara and Kerian had agreed to meet at midday, Kerian was an hour early. They'd been unable to sleep the night before and not just because the hotel bed was extremely uncomfortable, but because they were nervous about seeing Kara again. What if her feelings had changed, or she didn't even want to see Kerian again now that they were both not on the ship.
They had bought a book from a small bookshop; book title, which was one of their favourite stories and had been for years. Unfortunately, their copy that they had brought with them had gone down with the ship as there was no way they could have kept it safe. One of the only personal items they had managed to save was a ring that had belonged to their birth mother, their fountain pen and a small stuffed bear. The bear was something they had been given as a baby, and was only about the size of their hand. Thankfully it was smaller than their hand and rather flat due to all the years of love and hugs, so all three items had fit in their pockets. Other than that, they had no possessions left.
As time ticks by, Kerian becomes more worried that Kara won't show up. Their leg vibrates underneath them and they can barely focus on the words on the page; the words are becoming jumbled and are making absolutely no sense whatsoever. Deciding to give up, they put the book next to them and focus on the soft breeze on their skin, which makes them think of the time spent with Kara outside on the ship.
Kerian hears nearby church bells chime for midday and Kara has still not shown up. Kerian is beginning to lose hope, and feeling distressed but they decide to wait a little bit longer, just in case, they tell themself.
They continue to wait, their heart pounding in their chest. Another half an hour passes and they decide that Kara won't show and start to pack up their stuff.
Just as they stand up, they hear their name being called from a distance, sounding admittedly slightly out of breath. "Kerian!"
Kerian turns around, to see a panicked Kara running towards them. A smile spreads across their face at the sight of the blonde. They wave at her, putting their stuff back down on the bench just in time for Kara to throw her strong arms around their body, pulling them into a hug with so much force that the two of them land on the cold, hard and dirty ground with a hard thud, which Kerian is certain that they will end up with a bruise on their bottom as a result. However, they don't care as Kara is with them and that's all that matters.
"I'm so sorry I'm late. I was waiting by the bench over there under that tree" Kara points to a large tree in the distance. "I thought I was at the right tree, I even got here early but even though I have glasses, I swear I must be blind because this tree is much bigger than that one."
If Kara didn't have the cutest and largest puppy eyes that Kerian had ever seen, then they might have scolded Kara for making their nerves rocket sky high with the fear that they would never see the blonde woman who had captured their heart and saved their life. "I was so worried that you wouldn't show…"
"I'm so sorry. Maybe I need a new pair of glasses!"
"Maybe you do" Kerian chuckles, pulling Kara closer into their embrace. Her hair smells even better than Kerian remembers it and they twist one of the curls around their fingers which helps them to feel even closer to Kara.
The two stand up after a few minutes of hugging and enjoying each other's embrace, they stand up because other people in the park are giving weird looks so they sit on the bench where Kerian had waited nervously for over an hour and a half.
"How have you been?" Kerian asks, "Everything was so stressful on that ship so insane and I tried my best not to lose you, but I turned around for one second to write something, and you'd been swept off."
"I tried to explain that I was with you, but no one listened and I couldn't get your attention as it was so loud. But thankfully, you had the brilliant idea to plan to meet up somewhere, even if I was late… But let's not dwell on that now. What do we do now? Kara asks with a cheeky smile across her lips.
"I will say that Kara apologised profusely" Kerian says with a grin which makes the guests at the wedding laugh and smirk, causing Kara's sister Alex to hide her head.
"Not like that!" Kara says quickly, her cheeks flushed a deep red. "I may have just bought Kerian flowers or books or anything really that I thought would make them smile."
"That is true, so Alex you can be assured that your baby sister is a real sweetheart" Kerian reassures the redhead, "some of the time anyway." They mutter the last part under their breath so that only Kara can hear. Kara swats their hand playfully before taking their hand in hers and squeezing it lovingly.
Later that evening, when the two of them were alone, exhausted by a day of talking to their friends and family. Kerian had felt a twinge of jealousy when Kara's family had travelled for their wedding. The Danvers' still lived in England and regularly travelled to visit the both of them (as both Kara and Kerian were not fans of travelling, especially long distances), and had accepted Kerian into their family with open arms. They had been super accepting of their relationship with Kara, their gender identity and their pronouns. Kerian and Alex got on like a house on fire, sometimes too much Kara thought. Alex was an equal drinking buddy for Kerian and when Alex came over to visit, they would have nights out together, where Kara would stay home with Alex's partner, Kelly.
In Eliza Danvers, Kerian found the mother they had always wanted. Eliza was kind, funny and accepting. When Kara and Kerian had decided to get married, each of them had had similar ideas and had planned to propose four years into their relationship on the same night, which had been an enjoyable night for the both of them when they both realised what they had both planned to do that night.
When they had told Eliza that they were going to be married, she had been overjoyed. Keiran had taken Eliza aside one night and had asked her if it would be alright if they changed their surname to Danvers after they married; becoming Kerian Danvers. Eliza had been overjoyed at this, particularly when Kerian had expressed how much good the Danvers name stood for, and it's not even like their surname had any special meaning to them.
When they had arrived at the border and had been allowed into the United States, as they had no identification as it had gone down with the ship, Kerian had managed to register with Kerian, instead of their birth name, and had also changed their surname at the same time. It's not like the Luthor surname meant anything to them, and it would also help to stop Lex, or Lillian in particular, from tracking them down and dragging them back to England to a life that they didn't fit in to. They had chosen the surname Thorul, as it is an anagram and the first thing that came into their head when asked.
When registering at the border, Kerian had been assumed to be male. This gave them a sense of gender euphoria, finally not to be seen as a woman. So legally they were not seen as male and that was much better for their mental health and wellbeing.
Kara and Kerian had both found work, Kara working in a library which was something that she enjoyed very much. Kerian on the other hand found work for a small farm nearby. They enjoyed the manual labour and both they and Kara enjoyed the muscles that they gained from the physical activities.
After a few years of work, They had bought a small cottage in the countryside outside of New York. Kara got to get a dog. In fact, they got two; a golden labrador named Luna, and a dark brown dachshund called Moose, which they rescued from a local animal shelter.
Every day that they woke up after it rained, Kara could smell the smell of wet grass, trees and flowers through the window she opened every morning. It's just as she described her love of that scent to Kerian when they first met on the ship all those years ago.
So many years had passed since Kerian and Kara met, but it had hardly felt like any time at all. Each day was just as new and exciting as the last, with new adventures and new joys, no matter how simple they are. Together, they had been for the lowest of their moments, as well as their highs and they wouldn't change it for anything as together, they can face anything that life throws at them, as long as they can do it together as together, they can do anything.