supercitycarnival:

Kara stared intently at the screen of her phone. Should she call, or not? After all, it was a holiday. There was nothing weird about calling a friend on a holiday. After releasing a deep breath, Kara tapped the call button and lifted the phone to her ear.

One ring. This is a bad idea, Kara thought.

Two rings. Just take another breath.

There rings. She’s not answering. Of course, she’s busy on New Year’s Eve. Kara sighed. Then, the line picked up.

“Kara?”

Kara closed her eyes at the sound of Cat’s voice saying her name, that soft and familiar voice. Kara tried to form words in her mind, but the simple sound of Cat speaking her name had rendered her silent. Then the sound came again.

“Kara, are you there?” The quiet inquiry stirred Kara from her trance.

She blinked her eyes and answered. “Yes, I’m here, Ms. Grant. Hi.”

“Hi,” Cat said back. There was a pause before Cat asked, “How, uh, how are you?”

“Good, I’m good. I, um…” Kara trailed off. She hadn’t come up with much of a plan when she called. She only wanted to talk to Cat. She didn’t care what about. Kara had missed her so much. “I just wanted to wish you a happy new year. I hope that’s not weird.” Kara closed her eyes tight at shook her head at herself. Idiot, don’t make it weird, Kara told herself.

Cat breathed out the smallest laugh on the other end. “No, it’s not weird. It’s uh,” she paused again and quietly finished, “It’s good to hear your voice.”

They fell into a lull, though if they had been in the same room, they would have been able to see that they were both smiling.

Finally, Kara asked her, “How have you been?”

“Good. I’ve been good.” It was a simple answer and Kara knew Cat well enough to know that there were a thousand unspoken words behind it. Her tone was subdued and the young woman could tell Cat was holding something back.

“I can hear a ‘but’ from all the way across the ocean.” Kara hoped she wasn’t being too forward. At the same time, that was how things had always been between them, Cat holding back, Kara calling her out.

“How do you know I’m across the ocean?”

Kara could practically hear the smile on Cat’s face and it encouraged her. “I’m a reporter, Ms. Grant, remember?”

Cat chuckled at that and it made Kara beam from ear to ear. “You are indeed.”

Kara soaked in the veiled affirmation from the person whose affirmation meant the most. Finally relaxing, she leaned back against her sofa. “So, you’re good, but…?”

Another pause and Kara heard wind blowing across the phone’s speaker. She must be outside. “I’m good,” Cat responded, “but I miss it. I miss CatCo, I miss my work, I miss…” She trailed off.

Kara pressed her lips together, hearing a hint of longing. Was it possible that Cat missed her like she missed Cat? They’d become so close before Cat left. There had been times when Kara swore that a look Cat gave her meant much more than it was intended to mean, or that a word of encouragement was really a declaration of some sort. Then there were the times when Kara couldn’t forget the warmth of Cat in her arms or the way they stood so close that last time on the balcony.

Kara asked, pushing, “What do you miss?”

She heard Cat breath out and say softly, “I have to admit I’m a little afraid to say it.”

There was an inflection of uncertainty in her tone, but to Kara it sounded like hope. She sat up straighter on the sofa. “What can I do to make you less afraid?”

Another pause. Cat said, “Maybe if there was a way I could say it face to face.” They lingered in silence for a few seconds.

Then the line went dead.

Kara’s brow furrowed together. She pulled the phone away from her ear and looked at it. The call had ended. “She hung up on me,” Kara whispered aloud. Slowly the realization dawned on Kara. Hanging up wasn’t a dismissal, it was an invitation.

All the pretense and all the secrecy, Cat was asking to end it. And maybe start something new at the same time.

Kara was on her feet and, with a whoosh, in her super suit and out the window. She called her sister from the air asking for a trace on Cat’s phone.

Paris. Cat was in Paris.

Kara flew as fast as she could, spurred by the cold air over the Atlantic ocean. The water gave way to land and soon Kara was over Paris, France. The lights guided her to the city’s center where she would find Cat. The wind that she had heard over the phone was no doubt from Cat being outside.

When she reached the coordinates of Cat’s phone, Kara eagerly looked around and around. There, a tall hotel, complete with a balconies in the highest suites. That has to be it, she thought.

She slowly flew around the place, making sure to stay out of sight. After too many minutes of scanning, Kara saw her. She stopped her movement, freezing in the air, hovering just out of Cat’s eyesight.

Kara took the opportunity to watch the woman. Cat’s elbows were propped on the balcony’s edge, like she was waiting. The breeze blew her loose curls. Her shoulders were relaxed and as Kara came closer she saw tiniest smile on Cat’s perfect lips.

Without looking in Kara’s direction, Cat’s smile grew and she closed her eyes. It was as if she sensed Kara’s proximity. When she opened her eyes, she turned to the young superhero.

Cat quietly said, “I knew you’d find me.”

Kara slowly touched down only inches away from Cat. Returning Cat’s soft smile, Kara lifted her hands to lightly cup Cat’s cheeks. Her confidence was boosted when small hands found their way to her waist.

“Tell me what you miss.” Kara echoed her question from earlier.

Green eyes searched pure blue ones, and Cat said, simply, “I miss you, Kara.”

Cat pulled on Kara’s waist until their fronts touched and, with Kara in her boots, she had to stand on her tiptoes to bring their lips together. Kara didn’t hesitate to press into Cat, threading her fingers into the shorter, softer hair.

The kiss deepened quickly after so many months of denying their feelings. Kara couldn’t keep herself from parting her lips and asking for more. Cat didn’t mind in the least. She matched Kara’s enthusiasm and opened her mouth, passing her tongue over Kara’s bottom lip and they began an intimate dance of wandering hands and exploring lips that lasted for long moments.

Finally, they pulled apart, only enough to look at each other. With shy smiles, they both laughed lightly. Soon, the sound of cheering across the city floated up to the balcony and they looked out to see the lights of the Eiffel Tower flashing. It was midnight.

They turned back to one another and Cat said, “Happy New Year, Kara.”

“Happy New Year, Cat.”

As Kara pulled Cat in for another searing kiss, they new that this year would be the best yet.