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Language:
English
Series:
Part 3 of the adventures of an alien superhero and her cat witch girlfriend
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Published:
2021-11-22
Words:
1,754
Chapters:
1/1
Comments:
26
Kudos:
493
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21
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4,438

I will love you, always

Summary:

things you need to know if you haven’t read parts 1 or 2: Lena can turn into a cat (black with pink toe beans - she’s adorable). Kara loves her.

Lena’s fit inspired by Gary the Cat

Notes:

Dedicated to everyone who is stressed about the holidays, who doesn’t have anyone to celebrate with, or who dreams of making new traditions. I see you and I love you. Kara and Lena love you, too.

Writing these stories has been a fun adventure for me and I’m so so grateful for everyone who joined me along the way. Extra thanks to everyone who left kudos and/or comments because expressing gratitude for others is truly one of the greatest gifts we can share with each other. Please, never be afraid to share yourself with others, and don’t forget to show a little love and gratitude to yourself. Life is hard and beautiful and exciting and painful and a one-time experience (unless you are a cat). Take it all in, my friends.

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

“How did I let you talk me into this?”

Kara tugs the final strap of the blue puff vest and steps away from Lena, who sits irritated on the table.

“What?” Kara says and pouts. “This was your idea.”

“Flying, yes. Not this. This is humiliating.”

The look Lena throws at her might have been intimidating if Kara wasn’t so smitten. She cups Lena’s face with both hands, black fur poking out between her fingers, and draws their noses together. Several kisses and ear rubs later, she steps back and admires her work.

“This is to keep you safe,” she says, “and warm.”

Lena moves first, her back arching towards the ceiling and her legs stiffening when the door to Kara’s apartment opens. Kara’s shoulders slump in relief when Alex walks through, a duffle bag in hand.

“Hey, Kar, I came to drop off some of Esme’s things for the weekend. Thanks, again, for watching her. Kelly and I really need a,” her voice trails off and she drops the bag on the floor. “Do I want to know what’s happening here?”

“I’m taking Lena flying,” Kara says and scoops Lena into her arms. She drops a kiss on the top of her head. “I even have a harness so I can strap her on.”

“Oh my god. I’m never coming over here again without calling first.” Alex steps back over the duffle bag and through the open front door. “Kelly will bring Esme by after school. Please don’t repeat that to her. Bye!”

And, just like that, they’re alone again.

“Oh,” Kara says with a full-faced smile, “can’t forget your goggles!”

***

“Aunt Lena,” Esme says while petting Lena who sits next to her on the couch, “how come you’re still a cat?”

On the other side of the sofa, Kara crosses her arms and huffs.

“Oh, um,” Lena says and looks at Kara before ducking her head, “I put an extra protection spell on me before we went flying today. It’s preventing me from shifting back, but it’ll wear off soon.”

Esme perks up at the mention of flying. “Can I go flying with you, Aunt Kara?”

Unable to resist the smile Esme throws her way, Kara softens, but not without tossing another shady glare to Lena first. “Sorry, kiddo,” she says, “I promised your moms I’d keep your feet on the ground this weekend.”

The pop pop pop from the kitchen draws everyone’s attention and Kara stands from the sofa. “Looks like the popcorn’s almost ready. Who’s excited to make decorations?”

For her part, Lena does try to help. She plucks kernels from the bowl on the coffee table and drops them in front of Kara and Esme who thread them onto strings. It takes three slow head dips and tentative releases from her teeth for Kara to forget she’s upset at Lena for casting an extra protection spell before they went flying. Even if Lena worried Kara might collide with an unskilled bird or be attacked by a rogue storm cloud or crash into a misplaced billboard, she had to have known that Kara would never drop her. The jacket, goggles, and harness were supposed to be all the reassurance Lena needed that she’d always be safe in Kara’s arms. But looking at her girlfriend now, as she places another piece of popcorn on the table in front of her, looking up at her with her big, green eyes, Kara understands that sometimes life doesn’t go according to plan, no matter how much you prepare.

Lena steps back from the proffered kernel and sits on her hind legs, curling her tail around herself. It’s then Kara knows. She’s looking at the face, one of them, anyway, of the only being in any universe who’s ever been the easy choice for her. No matter what situation they found themselves in, Kara never doubted her decision to choose Lena. She chose her when she was the resident Luthor no one wanted to believe was good. She chose her when she was mad at Supergirl, but still creating anti-kryptonite suits and fighting side-by-side with her against world-killers. She chose her when she lost herself in a fog of hurt. And she chose her when there was nothing left between them, only raw exposure of who they each are.

And now, Kara loved her. Every version of her. Every form of her. And although human Lena is her preference, Kara can’t deny her heart grows a size every time she shifts into her feline form, especially not when she’s looking at her with those pleading eyes and her down-turned ears and her fur is extra fluffy from the static of the blanket and the tip of her tail flicks just so.

She’s wrapped in Kara’s arms and resting against her chest before her cat reflexes know what’s happening. Lena rubs her face against Kara’s chin and purrs into her with her whole body.

“Aunt Lena, you’re so silly,” Esme says with a laugh.

Kara freezes, worried their display of affection might have crossed some line Alex would surely have liked for them to go nowhere near, but Lena licks her cheek and reassures her that snuggling with a cat is perfectly appropriate to do in front of a child. Even still, Lena jumps down from Kara’s chest, returns to the table, and paws at the string of popcorn.

“Shall we put some of this on the tree and see how it looks?” she asks. Kara watches the pile of strung-up popcorn nudge closer to the edge of the table with each poke from Lena’s paw until she bats the whole thing off the table in one swoop. Lena looks so shocked she searches Kara and Esme’s faces to see if either of them witnessed what just happened.

“Yeah! Let’s hang the decorations.” There’s nothing like a child’s excitement to put ornaments on a tree to distract from the fact that Lena is stuck as a cat.

It doesn’t take long to realize just how inconvenient that state of being is for decorating. Or as distracting, counter-productive, and chaotic. Kara picks up another bulb ornament from the floor and looks around at the growing spread of fallen pine needles.

“Lena,” she says with a contented smile, “if you’re going to play in the tree, can you at least not swot the fancy ornaments.”

When Kara stands, she spots two glowing eyes hidden amongst the branches. There’s not a single speck of remorse in them. She shakes her head and bites back her smile.

“Can I put the star on top?” Esme holds up the Star of David tree topper and Kara picks her up to place it at the top of the haphazardly decorated tree.

Lena thumps onto the ground, weaves herself through Kara’s legs, and looks up at the finished product. “Exactly which holiday are we celebrating?”

Kara chuckles. “All of them. Perks of being a member of the Olsen-Danvers-Zor-El family, right kiddo?” She holds Esme against her hip. “Looks pretty darn good to me. How about a story before bed? We can read something from Lena’s collection: ‘Bedtime Stories for Cats.’”

Lena falls asleep before Esme, passed out against Kara’s chest.

***

“Hi, sweetheart,” Kelly says and crouches down to catch the child running towards her, “did you have fun with your aunts this weekend?” Kara observes their interaction and the thought crosses her mind that Alex meant what she said about not coming over again without calling ahead first. Kelly turns towards her, “where’s Lena?”

Esme lets out a laugh and Kara draws her finger to her lips. She nods towards the kitchen and watches as Kelly’s eyes follow to the dining table where a paw pokes out of the top of the glass vase followed by what can only be assumed are muffled curses.

Kara answers Kelly’s unasked question, “she wouldn’t let me help her.”

“Well,” Kelly says and checks her watch, “I’m sorry we can’t stay longer, but I’m meeting Alex at the clinic to get this one her checkup. Thank you so much for watching her. We’ll call you later to catch up.” They exchange hugs and Kelly slings the duffle over her shoulder. “Bye Lena,” she calls on her way out the door, “love you both.”

Kara meanders over to the dining table where she rests an elbow on the table and props her chin in her hand. By now, Lena managed to twist herself enough to get her head out of the top of the vase. She gives Kara a resigned look and slides to freedom when Kara tips the vase over.

Instead of the puffed-up chest and denial of embarrassment Kara expects, Lena turns away from her and sits at the edge of the table with her head ducked. Her words come out soft enough Kara strains to hear.

“It wasn’t because I don’t trust you,” Lena says. She curls her tail around herself and Kara wants nothing more than to scoop her up and cover her with kisses.

“I know,” is all she manages.

“Because I do trust you,” Lena turns towards her, “and I know you would do anything to keep me safe, but Kara.”

It’s too much. Kara moves around the table and brings their noses together. She runs a hand along Lena’s back which results in a wave of arches that brings Lena to a standing position. They lock eyes and Lena speaks again.

“I can’t have you sacrificing yourself for me,” she says with so much sincerity it stings Kara’s eyes with the swell of tears. “You’re going to be around for a long time, and I need to know that I can protect myself so I can stay around as long as possible without putting you in danger.” A tear escapes Kara’s eye and Lena tilts to lift a paw and pad it away. “El mayarah.”

***

It’s the best way to wake up, Kara decides, with Lena’s hair in her face. When her first conscious breath draws in the scent of her favorite creation. Every inhale tickles her chest and fills her with happiness. Lena vibrates against her as she hums in half-awake bliss.

Kara reciprocates the press of soft lips against hers, and when they’re free again they let slip the words she’s been thinking since Lena placed the last piece of popcorn in front of her.

“Marry me,” she says against Lena’s forehead. Lena’s full-body purr pulsates through her and the sensation is so great she almost misses Lena’s acceptance.

Notes:

Thank you all for joining me on this cat Lena adventure! I hope you enjoyed turning Lena into a cat as much as I did :)