After everything that happened in the last year, Lena was in desperate need of a break.

First she had to deal with Lex's death, then Kara's betrayal, the Crisis, the red wave killing everyone in the universe and destroying everything in sight, Lex's unexpected return, the creation of Earth Prime, the reset of the entire cosmos, the resurrection of all of the people killed during that short lived apocalypse, her own descent into madness after surviving all of this, followed by her attempts to make amends with Kara, and her unwanted trip to the Phantom Zone...

It was a lot.

Too much for any human to handle.

So she decided to go on a well deserved, and very much needed, vacation.

Now that Lex was defeated, LCorp was once again hers, her friendships were all in a good spot, and the city was safe, she needed to go. It was time.

So she booked her flight, grabbed her belongings, and got everything ready for her long overdue trip to Ireland.

She discovered her connection to the country after her last visit to Newfoundland. Besides learning that her own mother, Elizabeth Walsh, was a witch (and that, by default, magic ran through her veins as well —which was... a hard thing for her to understand, still—), Lena also found out that her grandparents were irish.

Since then, she'd been trying to find more information about the Walsh family, and maybe uncover the rest of their roots in the old country. The idea of traveling there in person had been occupying her thoughts for months now.

She needed to speak with people that knew more about her family's history, face to face.

One of them was a gentleman by the name of Connor Walsh —whom she had met at a genealogy website—.

After a few tests, they discovered that both shared about 12.4% DNA, which meant that, without a doubt, they were first degree cousins.

The website allowed them to meet —first through text and then through video calls—. Connor thankfully didn't care about her last name, and didn't ask too many awkward questions about her time living with the Luthors. All he wanted to know was if her friendship with Supergirl was real, and when was Lena coming over to his house in Ballina, to spend a few days exploring the county of Mayo alongside him and his family.

At the time she didn't have any plans to visit, but now that she did, she couldn't be more excited about it. If everything went well, she'd land in Dublin, stay in the city for a whole week —learning about Irish history through museums and tour guides—, and then meet up with Connor at his home, to delve deep into her own family's past.

The only thing that she'd miss while being away from National City was Kara, but the reporter had promised to fly by if she called, so Lena knew she'd be fine. Now that she knew the blonde's secret, she only needed to press a button on her watch and wait for Supergirl's outline to appear in the sky.

—I really hope that you enjoy your trip, and that you have fun —her best friend said, squeezing her tightly as they said their goodbyes at the airport. Because of course Kara and Alex insisted on driving her there—. And if you need anything...

—I'll call you. Promise.

Alex was the next one in line for a hug.

—Don't go too crazy with your magical shenanigans over there.

—What magical shenanigans? —Lena laughed.

—You know Ireland's kind of mystical and stuff —The redhead said as she pulled away—. Try not to blow something up overseas, please. I understand that you don't have your powers fully under control yet, but....

—I'll be fine, Alex —the businesswoman cut her off with a small chuckle.

—Alright, but do call me if you accidentally summon a banshee or something —Kara insisted, to Lena's amusement.

—You two really are something else. I'm not blowing anything up, I'm not summoning any creatures from Irish folklore, and I'll be okay... trust me. I'll be back in two weeks.

---

Thus far, she'd kept her word. There had been no accidental explosions, no encounters with mythological monsters, and no emergencies that demanded Supergirl's powers to deal with. Everything was going fine.

But to say that her trip to Ireland was fun... Well, that would be a lie.

Yes, she'd been laughing and drinking a lot. Meeting loads of new places, words, people, and customs. She was enjoying her break, even more than she thought she would.

However, Lena was also uncovering parts of her family's history that were breaking her heart, and crushing her soul. Her grandparents, great-grandparents, and nearly all of her ancestors, had lived really hard, cruel and unfair lives. And the more the Luthor learned about the troubles, the Irish civil war, and the seven centuries of imperial rule that wrecked the country and made it bleed, the more her trip became a deeply emotional and profound one.

When her feet touched the island's ground for the first time, Lena had no idea that she'd end up alone at a rocky, cold and rainy beach in Killala, silently crying as she stared into the gray and foggy sea ahead.

After a long day learning Gaeilge words and sentences  from Connor —who was a linguistics professor, and was currently working on a book about the history of the nealy forgotten language—, she couldn't help but break down as nighttime approached.

Because she couldn't help but compare her family's homeland to Kara's. Ireland to Argo, and to Krypton.

Lena had gone on that trip to learn more about herself, and yet, there she was, learning more about her best friend, who was miles and miles away from her.

Kara had seen her own planet explode. She had lost everyone that she loved in an instant, but that was not all. Her culture, her religion, her traditions, her language, everything she ever knew had vanished too. Argo, sometime during the crisis, had suffered the same fate. Which meant she lost her world twice.

Thankfully, the paragons and Lex were able to bring the latter back, but... the pain of such loss was still there. The leftover trauma, undoubtedly, was still lurking on the back of her mind.

Lena couldn't understand her plight before, but now she was able to. Fully. Because during that trip she'd found parts of her identity which she'd always thought were missing, and then lost them once again. To grief, to rage, and to disbelief.

Krypton was lost to greed, and to dangerous hunger of power. Ireland was lost to colonization, and imperialism. The context wasn't the same at all. But the feelings of sorrow, of anger... She imagined they were the same.

The businesswoman started to think about how lonely Kara must have felt throughout her life, being the only person on this earth that knew how to speak Kryptonese, that knew Rao's prayers, that knew all about her deceased planet's festivals, holidays and laws. And worst, how isolating it must have been for her to have to keep it all inside. For years.

—Uaigneas —Connor had said to her that morning—. That's the nearly untranslatable Irish concept of 'without-ness' or "away-ness"... Loneliness comes close to explaining it, but  it's not really that. It's...

Solitude. Neither he or Lena could remember the word in the moment, but she did now, staring into the stormy waves that covered the horizon.

A state of isolation, of alienation, of estrangement.

That's what Kara must have felt during her entire life on earth.

Uaigneas.

So right then and there, she made herself a promise. Besides learning Gaeilge —to honor her relatives and her ancestors, alive or dead—, Lena would also put in the extra effort of learning Kryptonese.

If she could keep at least a small part of Kara's culture alive, and make her feel less foreign on their shared earth, she would.

Lex had compiled information about the language in his notebooks, which she still had under her possession, so studying it shouldn't be excessively hard. Also, Lena knew how to get to Argo, and since the city had been restored to existence, she guessed her trip there was also overdue.

So she wiped her tears, and switched her sadness for determination. Went back to Connor's home.  And spent the last days she had on Ireland enjoying the company of her cousin and his family, until it was time to go back to National City.

Although to Kara's disappointment, upon arrival Lena announced to her that she'd be leaving again soon, to "Canada".

—It will only be three days, and then I'm back —the Luthor explained, as the blonde once again filled the role of her chauffeur, and drove her home from the airport—. It's a small business trip, I swear it won't take too long.

—But I just got you back! —the reporter groaned, even if she was smiling.

—I know... And I'm sorry. Truly.

—Then don't go.

—I wish I didn't have to, but I do —Lena replied, with a warm smile of her own—. Would you accept some potstickers as an official apology from me?

Kara raised her eyebrows.

—Maaaaybe...

Lena chuckled softly, then told Kara to switch lanes and drive them to their favorite chinese restaurant, instead of her penthouse. Her bed could wait.

Of course, this "business trip" to "Canada" was an absolute lie. But it wasn't a malicious one, so the Luthor didn't feel at all guilty about hiding her true destination from her friend. In fact, she was very much excited about the idea of surprising her with a few Kryptonese sentences, even if her pronunciation was all over the place, and she accidentally picked the wrong words to say, given her complete lack of knowledge.  She wanted to make Kara happy, and if that meant that she had to embarrass herself with her foolish mouth and awkward tongue, so be it. She'd call Argo "Canada" without feeling at all ashamed.

The two of them dined together, and while the superhero filled her in on all the gossip that she lost, all the news that missed, and ate her food at lightning speed, Lena couldn't help but think about her reasons for going to the alien city, once again. Reasons that could be summarized with the beautiful, bright and kind face that she was looking at, from her own side of the table.

How was Kara able to be so charming and optimistic after going through the hell that she did, at such a young age, fascinated Lena as much as it inspired her.

That little girl saw entire civilizations crumble to dust. She saw an entire planet split in half and fall apart. She watched as her family, friends and acquaintances died, swallowed by flames and magma. Then, her pod got knocked out of course and she spent twenty four years stuck in the phantom zone. Sometimes sleeping, sometimes awake. Sometimes stuck in the inbetween.

Kara had told her during one of their most recent movie nights, after everyone else left her home:

—The cryogenic sleep wasn't permanent.

—What?

—After my  pod got knocked away from Krypton... its inner circuits were damaged. So even though twenty four hours after my planet exploded my pod did start the protocol to put me to sleep, at times the suspended animation function would malfunction —the blonde explained, with her sad blue eyes still glued to the TV.

They had just finished watching a movie about a fictional world war II  superhero, whose aircraft landed on ice, rendering him unconscious for seventy years. The superfriends were so invested in the story that they didn't notice just how emotional Kara had become by the end of it. Only Alex and Lena did, and as the redhead left along with the group, she told the Luthor to "take good care of her". Which of course, Lena did. She listened to Kara carefully, and pulled her closer into her arms once she noticed her best friend was beginning to tear up.

—I'm so sorry. I didn't know that.

—Not a lot of people do.

But now Lena did. And ever since she found out, she couldn't stop thinking about it.

Besides losing everything she knew, Kara was also forced to stay awake during some of her years floating across the phantom zone, contemplating her losses while stuck inside a tiny glass casket.

A lot of her mental health issues were suddenly perfectly understandable.

Her hatred of small, closed off spaces. Her difficulty falling asleep. Her sudden panic attacks. Her deeply rooted fear of losing people.

And of course, her repulsion towards Kryptonite.

It wasn't only about the excruciating pain the hero felt every time she got near that cursed green rock. It was also about the memories that its eerie emerald glow brought up in her mind.

Krypton's core was made of Kryptonite.

Looking at that mineral was equal to watching her planet die, again, and again, and again...

Lena didn't understand any of this before they repaired their friendships, and set all their secrets, little and big, important and unimportant, aside.

She felt terrible about the way she had used that goddamn rock against her own best friend. First at the Fortress, then at Mount Norquay. She'd caged her, then almost shot her out of the sky with it...

But that was in the past.

They had made amends.

It was fine.

—Lena? —Kara brought her back to the present, by waving a half eaten potsticker in front of her face—. You okay? —she asked as she chewed, then swallowed, the other part of the dumpling—. You're zoning out a lot tonight, is everything alright?

—Yeah  —the scientist sighed—. I'm just... thinking about my trip to Ireland. And the things that I've learned over there. It was... a lot to take in.

—Did you learn any irish words? —the blonde asked, with her usual innocent curiosity.

Lena couldn't help but move away from her sadness, upon seeing her excited and bright face.

—It's called Gaeilge, actually.

—Oh.

—And I did learn some, but that wasn't really what was going through my mind... —Lena confessed, then lowered her chopsticks—. You know, Ireland has a really rich and beautiful culture, but it's history... it broke my heart, and angered me in ways I can't even begin to explain... The colonization process, the harm caused by said colonialism, all of it... was absolutely terrible. And the more I learned about it, the more furious I became. At the same time, I couldn't stop thinking about you.

—Me? —Kara, who was carefully listening to her, tilted her head to the side and furrowed her brow, like a confused puppy.

—I thought about your home. Your planet. And everything you lost when you were forced to leave it in that pod.

At the mention of Krypton, something changed something inside Kara's peaceful blue eyes. Suddenly, their shiny sparkle was lost. They became dull, full of sadness, and seemed to reflect a tiredness that didn't fit with her young age, at all.

Those were the eyes of a person who had lived a thousand lifetimes, and suffered unimaginable losses in each one of them.

—Lena...

—I don't want to ruin our night out, and I'm sorry if I did by bringing this up. But I didn't want to lie either. Because that trip, although it was fun, also made me reflect a lot about you, me, and everything that we've gone through to get here. To be who we are now.

—You didn't ruin our night, it's just... —Kara shook her head—. I'm surprised you were able to relate to my experience, somehow. That's rare. People either pity me, try to ignore what happened, or worse, try to make it seem as if Krypton's death was just... non-important. Which I get, to most people it is, but to me...

—It was devastating.

He hero lowered her gaze.

—Yeah.

And that tiny reply, so shy and broken, made Lena sigh.

—I think...

—What?

—That I'm starting to comprehend the true size of your grief —the scientist confessed—. And in the process of doing that, I have also begun to understand why...

—I am the way that I am?

—Why you lied to me for so long —she clarified, picking up her chopsticks again—. I didn't fully get it before, I'm not afraid to admit it. I thought you were being selfish, and that you were plotting something against me, but now... It's just so clear to me —right as she finished talking, Kara's eyes found hers again—. You lost so much, so quickly. And you must have felt so alone here on earth, for so long...

—It was tough... but I made it through. Alex, Eliza, Jeremiah... They helped.

—And I don't doubt it, but Kara... —Lena shook her head—. Losing your culture, your language... That's a different kind of pain altogether.

The hero remained silent for a while, and played with her food as she contemplated the brunette's words.

—It did hurt —she admitted eventually, and then, right after clearing her throat, continued:— And you're right. Not being able to share my experiences with anyone that understood them fully was hard.

—And what about not speaking your own language?

—That.... was torture — Kara said with a small, humorless laugh—. There's nothing wrong with English, but... it's just not the same as Kryptonese. English words aren't as specific as some of my own language were. They don't have the same beauty. The same ring to them...

—What was your favorite?

—Huh?

—Your favorite word in Kryptonese. Besides el mayarah, I mean. Although those are technically two words...

As her surprise settled in, because of the genuine curiosity Lena was displaying, Kara's pained and uncomfortable expression began to soften.

—Zhind... —A smile slowly started to make its way onto her face—. It means "to dream", or "to fantasize".

—It does sound beautiful. Can you repeat it, so I can try to pronounce it correctly?

—Zhind.

—Sind.

—No, no... Go harder on the "Z".

The Luthor smiled back, although sheepishly.

—Zhind?

—Yeah! Now you've got it! —Kara chuckled and Lena followed suit, trying to contain her urge to hide her face behind her hands out of embarrassment.

—I thought I'd take me longer, to be honest —The brunette grabbed her glass of wine instead, and drank a sip of it to push down her nerves.

—But what about yours? — By the way her voice sounded, Lena could tell that Kara's mood had fully shifted to happy again. She probably was repressing her sorrow, fearing the thought of ruining their night with her trauma. Although worried, the Luthor decided not to mention it—. What was your favorite word in... what was it again, Galigian?...

—Gaeilge —Lena chose to repliy with an amused laugh—. And I don't have one, I have many... Amongst them, Dóchas.

—What does that mean?

—Hope —She set down her glass and watched as Kara's eyes brightened with fondness—. It was one of the first words I learned over there, actually.

—Wow... It sounds so beautiful when you say it.

The comment took the brunette by surprise, but despite becoming more red than Rao's surface, she chose to keep her green eyes fixed on Kara's, trying to correctly interpret the meaning of her tone and cadence. It sounded warm, gentle, and honest. But it also seemed to be flirtatious. Openly, furiously so.

Lena thought that maybe she was reading the situation in the wrong way, until Kara took a deep breath in, as if to summon all her courage to do something wild, and then... She felt her thumb lightly graze her hand, laying on top of the table, next to her wine. And when she looked down, she saw the hero's fingers slither over her palm, before holding it with care.

Kara's confession made her blush, but Kara's actions nearly made her faint. And she was certain her heart skipped a beat, for a moment there. If the blonde noticed it, she couldn't tell. Most likely, given her powers, she did. But of course Kara made no comments about it, instead choosing to keep caressing Lena's skin, as she spoke:

—You haven't been the only one who's been thinking about us lately. I have been as well. In fact, ever since I went to the Phantom Zone, that's all I can think about —the reporter used her free hand to tuck a loose strand of her hair behind her ear, as she looked down, and kept going:— I never thought I'd go back to that place. I never wanted to... But even though doing so was horrible, it also helped realize something about myself. Something I'd never admit on my own, if I had stayed here, safe inside my own denial.

—What?

The blonde took a deep breath in.

—You're wrong, when you say I'm not selfish. I am.

—Kara...

—I didn't lie to you for all these years only because I wanted to protect you. I also wanted to protect myself, in a way. You knowing who I truly am, you being close to me... it puts you in danger. And if I were to lose you, like I've already lost so many people... —Her voice got incredibly thin, tugging at Lena's heartstrings with its vulnerability—. I'd break. I wouldn't be able to cope with it.

—Darling...

—I love you.

And there it was. The confession that made the Luthor's jaw drop, her green eyes drown amidst an ocean of tears, and her chest swell up with unriddled affection.

—You... do? —she asked softly, almost with a whisper, as if afraid of her own words.

—Yes —Kara nodded—. And if you don't like me back that's okay, but I needed you to know that I do.... Because I spent hours, days, weeks thinking about how much I missed you, how sorry I was for ever hurting you, and how much I just wanted to hold you in my arms again... And it was then that I realized that I wouldn't forgive myself if I died alone in that place, without ever telling you the truth about how I feel. I could excuse living like a coward, but dying like one?... No.

—You aren't a coward —Lena's grip on Kara's hand grew tighter, and she leaned forward on her chair—. Because if you are, then what does that make me?

The reporter was confused by her reply at first. But then, understanding settled in.

—Wait... Y-You?...

—I love you too —the brunette said, as her grin brightened—. I have for a really long time, I just thought that my feelings weren't reciprocated.

—They always were. I just hadn't accepted that yet —Kara admitted, and in yet another bold move from her part, grabbed Lena's hand and took it to her lips, kissing her skin as if at any moment now, the business woman would simply vanish from her grasp—. It took me going back to the place that I feared the most, and almost dying there, to realize that I didn't want to keep denying the truth any longer... I love you, Lena Luthor. With all that I am, and ever will be.

Hearing that sentence come out of Kara's mouth almost made the woman melt into a puddle, on the spot. And she was sure that, if she were standing up instead of sitting down, her knees would have failed her immediately, and she would have plummeted head first into the ground, kissing the checkered floor of the restaurant with her star-struck face.

—A chuisle mo chroí... —Lena's mouth whispered on its own, as if it were enchanted by the deep affection she felt.

—I'm sorry, what?

—Pulse of my heart... —She blinked, then stared with obvious desire at Kara's lips—. That's what you are to me. The only thing that keeps my heart beating.

The blonde kissed her palm again. Then looked at the table, and back at her.

—Let's leave? We can ask the waiter to pack all of this up, and then drive up to your place.

—No, let's go to yours.

—Why?

—It's closer —Lena replied, and it almost sounded like she was pleading—. And I really need privacy right now.

It was Kara's turn to grin and blush like a schoolgirl. But the hero, thankfully, agreed with her orders. And once they left the restaurant, carrying their leftovers, and sat down inside her car, her obedience was well rewarded.

The blonde barely touched her seat and Lena was already grabbing her by the collar of her shirt, kissing her harder than she'd ever had in Kara's most intimate dreams. The gesture was meaningful, and desperate, and so incredibly bewitching she almost moaned into the brunette's mouth.

—If you don't drive us to your apartment now,  I'm undressing you right here, inside your car —The Luthor pulled away from her lips, to whisper on her left ear.

—Rao...Lena...

—Hurry up, darling. Dinner was fine, but I really want to taste my dessert —she smiled and back off, as Kara chuckled nervously, clearly feeling very hot and bothered.

—If I'd known you'd be like this tonight I would have ordered take out...

—That would have been a good idea, but I also enjoyed this night out with you a lot, so... Don't regret it.

—I won't —The hero's smile became slightly sweeter—. Ever.

She turned the motor on, stepped on the gas with enthusiasm, and started to drive.

—

Once they arrived at the apartment, they couldn't keep their hands off of each other. Clothes were easily discarded, leaving a messy pathway on the cold wooden floor.

Lena was hungry, and wanted to taste every inch of Kara's skin. Kara was thirsty, and wanted to get drunk with Lena's kisses. It was a perfect combination for the both of them. Hands gripping thighs, teeth bruising the side of their necks, and breaths getting heavier; that's how they made their way to the bed.

Kara laid the Luthor beneath her and didn't waste any time in devouring her. She covered the brunette with kisses, leaving a trail of affection from her breasts to her upper thigh. As she moved, Lena's fingers found their way to her head, and buried their tips in her golden locks. With her hands guiding her head to wherever Lena wanted her to go, Kara just followed her silent instructions and allowed her to make good use of her tongue and her lips, eating her out until the scientist couldn't do anything else, but scream her name out loud.

—

Lena's secret trip to Argo became even more meaningful after that glorious night at Kara's apartment.

J'onn had agreed to take her there, knowing that her motivations were pure, and her intentions were good. The Martian didn't ask her any questions about the feelings regarding Kara that he certainly noticed as he read her mind, and for that the Luthor was thankful.

She trusted J'onn, but their romantic relationship was brand new, and therefore, delicate and special. She didn't want to share the news with anyone else yet. For now, she wanted Kara to be hers, and hers alone.

The trip itself wasn't at all troublesome. J'onn explained to her everything that she needed to know to behave adequately in the alien city, and gave her a basic rundown of Kryptonian customs and etiquette as his spaceship moved across the stars and the vast emptiness of space.

Lena was still surprised to learn that his blue 1952 Chevrolet Deluxe convertible was an actual aircraft.

She needed to investigate how that thing worked later.

Besides that very helpful conversation, however, she also learned quite a few things about the Martian. Amongst the most important ones, the fact that his past was equally as dark as Kara's.

His planet had been destroyed by war, his people forced into labor camps, and his wife and daughters slaughtered in front of him. J'onn had lost his entire family in the span of weeks. And he watched every single one of his relatives die, before his very eyes, without being able to do anything at all to save them.

—People were killed in furnaces —he revealed, as his sight got lost in the void ahead of them—. I still hear their screams everytime I close my eyes.

—I'm... terribly sorry —Lena said, and meant it—. Things like these... they should never happen. Not on earth, not on other planets... Anywhere.

They stayed quiet for a while. Until J'onn spoke up again:

—When you told me to read your mind, to see your reasons to travel to Argo for myself, I accidentally saw bits and pieces of your trip to Ireland, and of the things you learned there. I I had no idea that country suffered as much as it did. And some of the methods of torture that were employed during its colonization were strangely familiar to those used by white martians, back home. It brought me back to the past.

—I wouldn't have asked you to use your powers if I knew what I know now. I'm sorry, again.

—It's not your fault, Lena —He calmed her down—. I didn't mind doing it, and I wouldn't refuse to in the future either. But... can I ask you something?

—Of course.

—You're not going to Argo only to learn Kryptonese, is it? You're doing to preserve Kara's culture, and make her feel less alone on earth. That's the main goal.

—You answered your own question, but... yes —Lena admitted—. She lost everything she ever knew, at such an early age... It breaks my heart to think about it. And I want to give her a part of her home back, if I can.

—That's noble. And I'm sure she'll be thrilled by the surprise.

—I hope so, J'onn... I really do.

And with those words, their conversation came to an end. As they approached Argo's surface, the martian told her to brace for their descent and landing. Lena did so, and cringed when she felt her organs rise as her body fell.

God, she hated flying.

When they finally touched the green surface of Argo's outsides, and the aircraft stilled, Lena sighed with relief, and watched J'onn press a bunch of unknown buttons on the control panel, making the vehicle shift back into his regular shape.

Right as their doors opened, a handful of menacing Kryptonian robots approached them.

—Don't move. Identify yourselves —They repeated in unison, making both visitors hold their breaths.

—I'm Lena Luthor, and this is J'onn J'onzz... We're Kara Danvers' friends. Or... well, Kara Zor-El.

—Stay where you are. Do not move.

—Have no plans to —the Luthor whispered, between frightened and annoyed, making J'onn chuckle.

Soon enough, another female voice cut through the tension in the air:

—Stand down, caretakers! —Alura said, and almost immediately, the robots flew away, to search for other threats around the forest. Then, intertwining the fingers of her hands as she walked, the woman showed the foreigners the same bright and warm smile that her daughter possessed, and continued speaking:— These are friends of ours —The clarification was meant for  the living Kryptonian guards that walked right behind her, and who were understandably tense about the unannounced arrival of the strangers—. J'onn, Miss Luthor...Welcome to Argo.

The trio politely shook hands. Lena, too amazed by how little Alura had changed since the last time she saw her, couldn't really say anything back to her at first. J'onn did most of the talking, explaining why they were there, and apologizing for their sudden landing.

—We truly are sorry if we somehow disrupted your peace —The brunette at last was able to get some words out of her mouth, although they sounded uncertain and nervous.

—There's no need for apologies. Especially given the reason why you are both here —The Kryptonian continued to smile at Lena.— I'm so happy that my daughter found a friend as good as you on earth. She needed it.

The use of the term "friend" nearly made the businesswoman laugh. They hadn't officialy become a couple yet, but the idea of having anything "platonic" with Kara was lost the moment their lips first met. Still, she held her cackle in and nodded in appreciation, before moving her eyes to look at J'onn.

—I'll unload Lena's  suitcase and I'll be on my way. Thank you for your hospitality, Alura.

—No worries, and as I've said, you're both welcome here in Argo at any time.

—I'll make use of that promise once I have time for a vacation —He joked and walked to the back of his car, to pick up Lena's belongings from the trunk.

Once he came back, they said their goodbyes.

—I'll be back for you in three days —J'onn said, pointing at the brunette with his typical fatherly energy—. Learn all that you can, but try to sleep as well. I know this surprise will mean a lot to Kara, but she'll be more excited about the fact that you came here, and studied her culture for her, than about you knowing how to speak Kryptonese perfectly. The thought its' what matters to her. So take care of yourself.

—Thanks, J'onn. I will —Lena, although not so sure she'd be true to her word, replied—. Have a safe trip back to earth!

—Three days! —He reminded her one last time, before giving Alura a final gentle smile and getting inside his car.

As the martian flew away, both women lowered their eyes from the sky to once again stare at each other.

—Well, allow me to give you a small tour of the city, Miss Luthor. Before I take you to my home, that is. If you came to Argo to learn about Krypton, I think the best place for you to start is at the memorial for the fallen and the injured during its destruction.

—Lead the way. And please... —The human started to walk alongside the Kryptonian—. Call me Lena.

—

(Three days later)

Kara had a really bad, horrible, awful day at work.

Alex would downright call it shitty, and although the blonde didn't like the profanity, truly... it was.

It was very shitty.

Her hours spent at CatCo were stressful, and gave her an unusual headache. Three really important articles had to be rewritten after she fact-checked them, and one had to be fully discarded. Nia fell asleep in the middle of a meeting, and once she woke up from one of her alleged "Narcoleptic episodes", had to give Kara the awful news that she'd had a brand new vision.

A monster would be on the loose downtown, destroying buildings and killing civilians. The hero —forced to do what she had promised herself not to, once she became CatCo's editor in chief— removed her glasses from her face, allowed her suit to materialize, and jumped out of the window in the middle of her workday, to protect the citizens of National City.

She struggled during the fight with the giant fluffy monster that for no reason whatsoever showed up to ruin her peace.

According to Alex, the Legends had something to do with it.

Oh, how she loved Earth Prime.

Once the threat was neutralized, and these chaotic time travelers finally showed up to deal with the mess they had made, Kara left the scene. Out of breath, a little bruised, and annoyed at her own poor performance as a hero, she dressed up as her normal self once more and sat down at her chair...

Only to receive a distress call from Kate Kane.

Apparently the Joker was nearly setting Gotham on fire.

With a frustrated sigh, Supergirl was off to duty again.

Because of her constant trips back and forth from CatCo to some new and strange emergency that needed her immediate attention, she was forced to work until late to make up for her absence at the job.

She left her desk at 22:13 p.m., and didn't even care to catch the bus. She flew home, and landed on her living room with a loud thump. Kara was so tired, hungry and angry, that she didn't even notice that she wasn't alone in her apartment. Or that candles had been placed and lit up everywhere. Or that there was warm food on the table.

Kryptonian food.

Wait, she did notice that. The smell was too strong and too delicious to be human. Her head spun around as she took the scene in, at last.

Lena was sitting on the couch, with a glass of wine in her hands, dressed in a long red robe... Like the ones that were sold on Argo.

—You're back! And your... You didn't...

—Surprise —The Luthor stood up, after setting her glass on the table before her—. I'm sorry I lied to you, but as you probably can guess, I didn't go to Canada. In fact, I went to...

—Argo.

—Yes.

—But w-why? Is there something wrong there? Do they need anything?...

—Kara, love. Breathe —Lena grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her to look at her green eyes—. Nothing's wrong. I went there because I wanted to give you a small gift. A gift that could only be found there.

The blonde shook her head, confused.

—What do you mean?

—I mean...—the scientist smirked and moved her face closer to Kara's—. Khuhp rrosh ile vo gaolom Kryptonese.

The hero was so shocked about the fact that Lena was speaking her language, that she didn't even notice how strong her accent was, or the fact that her voice wavered slightly on some words.

—You... You're saying...

—That I went there to learn Kryptonese.

Kara's eyes watered, as she whispered back:

—Scriosann sé sin mo iontas.

And then it was Lena's turn to be amazed. Because the Kryptonian was speaking Gaeilge.

"That ruins my surprise", was more or less what she had just said.

And the Luthor was so amazed, so impressed, so completely and utterly in love with the fact that the both of them had thought of doing the exact same thing to cheer each other up, that she couldn't help herself any longer.

She kissed Kara with the same happiness, relief and desperation of a soldier, coming home from the war. With the same joy of a sailor, touching and after months away at sea. With the same pride of an astronaut, returning to his beloved earth. She tasted her tongue, and savored her lips, and pushed her into the couch, without caring about the hot food on the table getting cold, or the neighbors possibly watching them from their open window.

—I love you so much, Kara —she said and smiled, in between kisses.

—Chao shovuhodh khap w rrip...

Lena was barely beginning to understand her girlfriend's native tongue, but it wasn't hard for her to understand how she had replied to her own words.

She knew that Kara loved her too.

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Author's Note: Hopefully y'all enjoyed this one shot, that I wrote after listening to Hozier's Butchered Tongue. It's been years since I wrote a Supercorp fic, but I'm back on my BS again. ^^