storyiicharacter:

“I’m fine.”

She’s not. Alex can see it in the muscles of her jaw, the set of her shoulders. 

But those same taut lines tell Alex she’s not ready to be pushed. Not yet.

So she lets Kara walk out of the DEO, despite the story Imra tells- one of a powerless battle, a selfless sacrifice.

She lets Kara go, and she pretends not to see the careful way her sister holds herself. Because Alex knows, has returned from enough missions with fractured numbers, has walked those heavy steps.

Sometimes the pain is the only thing that keeps the loss from tearing you apart.

///

“It’s open!” comes the muffled call from within.

Lena lets herself in, juggling her purse and bags of ice cream and takeout. 

“I know you believe the good in people but you really ought to-” 

Lena cuts out when she spots the strained smile on Kara’s face. The bags slip to the floor and she’s suddenly on the couch, taking Kara’s hands in her own. “What happened?”

Keep reading