A/N: So I've had yet another idea pop into my head, and it has distracted me from my ongoing stories. Originally this was going to be a one-shot, but I got carried away... again. Right so there are some obvious Merlin references, well, maybe not obvious, but... well you'll see ;D. Enjoy the read, and, if you feel so inclined, let me know what you think!
Chapter One: Firestarter
Lena tapped her fingers restlessly on her desk as her eyes furiously scanned the financial reports that had been given to her earlier today. She'd be damned if she fell behind on her workload, and if she could just get through these statements, she could finally call it a day. Her gaze was intense as she flipped between statements, and before she knew it, the smell of smoke invaded her senses. Lena yelped as she realized the paper in her hand had somehow caught fire. She threw the paper and stomped on it before it could further ignite anything else. She glanced around her, in an attempt to figure out what had caused the flames to start. Her eyes darted to and fro, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. She checked her tablet to see if her security systems had detected anything, but again nothing was cause for concern.
"Jess," Lena paged her assistant.
"Yes, Ms. Luthor," Jess responded via intercom.
"You should head home; I'll be done soon."
"Of course, try and get some rest, see you tomorrow Ms. Luthor."
"Thanks, see you tomorrow Jess."
Lena sighed as she rubbed the temples of her forehead; at least Jess would be safe from whatever it was that seemed able to ignite Lena's financial statements. It seemed strange to the Luthor that, whoever had meant to cause her alarm, had aimed for her papers rather than her clothing or hair… she almost felt grateful to the arsonist for decreasing her workload. She stepped outside and searched the balcony for anything strange. Her usual set up lay spread out; the only new addition was a plant that Kara had given her. She smiled gently as she took one of the plant's leafs in her hand and thought of the sunny girl that had tried to explain how having a plant around was good for her health, "and that most people try taking care of a plant first, then a pet, then a baby…. Oh, not that this is a step towards our baby… a baby, a general baby." Hearing Kara's slip up had caused both women to heat up, and just thinking about it made Lena's heartbeat quicken. Not a moment later, lost in her thoughts of Kara, the plant burst into flames. Lena screamed as she reached out for the plant, but before she could grasp it, she felt two strong arms pull her back and a cloud of freeze breath shot out towards the plant. Lena shivered in Supergirl's arms and turned to face the superhero.
"Supergirl!" Lena exclaimed. "Did you just…" she glanced back at the plant that was frozen over. "This is going to sound crazy, but you have been setting my stuff on fire?" Perhaps the superhero liked playing pranks, and playing pranks on Luthors no less.
Kara's eyes widened. "M,m,me? No of course not!"
"It's just… you got here so fast. I assume you were nearby?
She had been watching Lena from a distance, and out of nowhere her plant had burst into flames. "I...I was flying around and heard you scream."
"Did you see what caused the fire?" Lena asked.
"Well… it kinda looked like you started the fire?" Kara spoke but lost confidence in her answer as she neared the end.
"Me? I would never set that plant on fire, it was a gift from Kara." Her lips turned down into a frown as she inspected the plant's brittle condition and sighed.
"I guess you won't be moving up to a pet anytime soon." Kara murmured lightly.
"What was that?" Lena raised a brow at the muttering Kryptonian.
"Nothing!" Kara tensed; she was sure she had said that in her head. "So are you saying the plant spontaneously combusted?"
"No, I'm not saying that at all," Lena's brows furrowed as she glared angrily at the Kryptonian. She liked Supergirl to some extent, but sometimes she was jealous of Kara's apparent closeness to the goddess of biceps and everything ethereal.
She zeroed in on the Kryptonian's crest, and she couldn't help but think the alien was lying. Perhaps she had in fact burnt Kara's plant and then froze it. Maybe she was also a contender for Kara's affections, and this was just her acting out of spite for Kara showing some initiative. As her thoughts boiled over, Kara thought she saw Lena's eyes flash yellow, and in an instant there were flames all over Kara's chest. Kara yelped before she blew out the flames and then looked back at Lena bewildered.
"I'm so sorry! I don't know what happened, I…" Lena looked at her shaking hands.
Kara stepped forward and placed her hand on Lena's shoulder. "Fireproof," was all she said with a grin. "Don't worry."
"I think it's me… when I focus on things… I set things on fire." Lena slowed down her speech and tried to be as logical as possible in this strange situation. "Before I set you and Kara's plant on fire, I set some papers on fire that I was working on."
"Hey, it'll be ok," Kara spoke softly and took Lena's hand in hers.
Lena's eyes flicked to hers and only then did Kara realize she was still in uniform. Lena was comfortable with her touch as Kara Danvers, but it was obvious to see that she was still wary of Supergirl. She moved to let go, but Lena grasped onto her hands.
"I need to figure this out, and at this point, you're the only fireproof person I know." Lena reasoned. "Please, I'm asking you for help."
"Of course, I'm all yours," Kara stated and then blushed. "Plus, I wouldn't want you to burn down your building by accident. So how can I help? I can take you to the DEO, maybe run some tests, or…"
Lena raised her hand, "no, not yet anyways. I'd like to run some tests of my own before I let anyone else tell me what's wrong with me."
"Miss Luthor, are you sure?"
"Positive… I wish Kara was here," Lena whispered more to herself than to the superhero before her. "But unlike you, she's not fireproof."
Kara chuckled at the reality of things, but Lena's glare subdued her into silence. She also wished that she was out of her super suit, and in her usual dress shirt and pants; Lena wasn't as scary when she was Kara Danvers.
"I'm sure Kara would want to be here too," she added in hopes of getting back on Lena's good side.
Kara. Lena noted how the superhero was on a first name basis with her best friend, and found herself rolling her eyes. If Supergirl was interested in Kara, she couldn't exactly blame the superhero for falling head over heels for the sunny girl. Kara was sweet, considerate… real-everything Lena had gone without, growing up in the Luthor family.
"What is your relationship with her exactly?" Lena asked aloud as they headed down to her personal lab.
"With who?" Kara asked, completely forgetting they had been talking about herself.
"Kara." Lena pursed her lips as they stood in the elevator together.
"Oh, we're...ummm, friends." Kara felt awkward talking about herself, and had a feeling it was about to get worse.
"And do you plan on staying her friend, or…" Lena glanced at Supergirl.
"Oh, you mean, would I ever... no, n,n,never, that's impossible," Kara's internal heat flushed; if only Lena understood the implications of what she was saying.
"Good," was all Lena said.
This caused Kara to flash her gaze at Lena, "why does it matter to you?"
Lena wanted to say how it was hardly any of her business, but she was the one that started the conversation.
She cleared her throat before saying, "I care greatly for her, and I'm not sure she's the safest with you."
"Excuse me?" Kara was getting mildly offended now.
"You're Kryptonian, Kara is human. You could bend a car with you fingers alone,"
"Yeah, so," Kara refuted as the elevator came to a halt.
"So you might hurt her unintentionally," Lena stated matter-of-factly.
She was being honest with the alien, but part of her knew she was also trying to make herself feel better. Competing with a goddess alien made Lena feel slightly out of her league. She hadn't felt this petty since her days in boarding school, and even then she might have been tamer.
"So you don't think aliens and humans should be together?" Kara's voice grew curt with each word.
"That's not what I said," Lena sighed.
"That's what you implied." Kara shot back, her arms crossed as she waited for Lena to open the door to the lab.
"I just want Kara to be safe… and happy," Lena added. "I also might be a bit jealous and insecure." The last thing she needed was a Super thinking she hated aliens.
"You?" Kara chuckled, "I thought you impervious to such things."
"Look I know you said you weren't interested in Kara, but… I still feel like I'm competing with you for her." Lena admitted. "And don't you dare tell her any of this, especially now that I'm setting things on fire."
"O,o,of course not!" Kara's ears felt red hot and she felt guilty about hiding the truth from Lena.
"Alright let's get started," Lena snapped latex gloves on and wore a wicked grin.
Kara whined internally to Rao over why she was so gay for Lena… almost too gay to function now that Lena was in full science mode. It would be so much better if she could just admit to Lena that 'hey, I'm Kara Danvers and Supergirl,' but that didn't seem like a wise idea. Lena still didn't trust Supergirl; not the way she trusted Kara, and she was afraid to break what they had already begun to build. Kara watched and aided as Lena ran diagnostics on herself and even managed to set a few other things on fire; except, this time, it was on purpose. After much frustration and inconclusive data, Lena threw her hands up and rested her head on a table. Her brain was throbbing as it searched for an answer to her strange predicament.
"You should get some rest," Kara sat by the exhausted woman.
"But I can still light things on fire…" Lena groaned.
"I could stay with you," Kara offered tentatively. "You know, so you won't burn down your apartment and turn to ashes in your sleep."
Lena glanced at the Kryptonian and found herself oddly comforted by the woman's words.
"I'd appreciate it." She smiled and stood. "Let's head out then."
Much to Lena's dismay, the Super insisted that she fly them to Lena's condo. It was the quickest choice, she said; it also made Lena's heart pound against her chest. It was a mixture of her fear of flying, and the strange, warm feelings she was getting from being in Supergirl's arms. Once on solid ground, she chastised herself for letting her mind wander as she raked over Supergirl's figure. She had Kara, and Kara was all she ever needed; she didn't need someone with decadent curls, toned thighs, and (Lena bit her bottom lip) the strength to hold her up against any wall. The last thought sent her over the edge and she excused herself to head to the bathroom. Hurriedly, she leaned over her sink and splashed cool water on her face. Maybe… if things worked out with Kara, she could get her to roleplay; she had no doubt that the reporter would look good in Supergirl's costume. Desperately, she splashed more water on her face until she was sure she might drown.
"Enough," she muttered and wiped her wet face with a hand towel. "I haven't even asked her out on a date, and now I'm entertaining kinky scenarios involving Supergirl… god I'm a mess."
Kara's jaw dropped as Lena's private mutterings made their way to her superb, alien ears. She felt the need to fly away, to give Lena the privacy she deserved, but curiosity was a finely crafted brew, and Kara wanted to drink in more of Lena's words. Her jaw tensed as the Luthor returned in a set of comfortable looking pajamas.
"I have a few other pairs, if you'd like one," Lena offered.
"No thanks, I have to be ready, just in case," Kara said with a yawn.
Lena raised her brow and curved the corner of her lips, "or is it that you don't want me seeing you in civilian clothing and discovering your secret identity?"
Kara kept a straight face, or what she thought was a straight face, but said nothing.
"Suit yourself, I'm going to head to bed; feel free to follow."
Kara nodded and followed the brunette to her bedroom. She had been here before, as Kara Danvers, but never as Supergirl. She had even slept under Lena's cool silk sheets before, but now she sat in an elegant, egg shaped hammock chair that hung in the corner. Lena had explained to her that she enjoyed reading in her free time, and this particular nook was one of her favorite places to do so. Lena's eyes followed as the Super made herself at home, and thought it such a strange sight to see the hero casually sitting in her reading space. She dimmed the lights and ducked under the covers.
"Goodnight," Lena whispered. "I've left the balcony unlocked for you, just in case there's something else that needs your attention."
"Thanks, Goodnight Le...Miss Luthor," Kara corrected herself as Lena's name almost slipped out.
Lena fell asleep quicker than most nights. Usually she had a hard time pacing her thoughts to a point where sleep could slip in. Either she was recalling a business meeting, scrutinizing her interactions with others, then her mind strolled on to a related topic, sometimes it went back to memories with her broken family, and other times she wondered what Kara was thinking. She doubted her feelings, the possibility of them ever reaching fruition, and often fretted over whether or not she should do something about it. But that night, she entered a dream that pushed all other thoughts out. She was standing in field of green grass and Kara was tugging at her hand. The blonde smiled at her and suddenly, without cause, her blouse burst into flames. Lena screamed as the flames grew brighter, and a sickening feeling began to twist in her gut as Kara's image faded.
"Lena!"
Lena bolted upright as Kara's voice echoed in her mind. Her breathing was haggard and her palms felt sweaty. She frantically looked around and found a pair of familiar blue eyes in the dark. She blinked as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, and could see that it was the Super who was holding her shoulders.
"Supergirl? I thought…" Lena cried as she recalled the image of Kara burning. "Did I… did I set anything on fire?"
"No, nothing," Kara spoke in a gentle tone as she rubbed Lena's shoulders.
"I thought I heard her call out my name," Lena shivered.
"You were having a bad dream, that's all."
"It felt real… like a warning." Lena concluded. "I have to keep away from Kara."
"What, why?" Kara asked completely dumbfounded by Lena's conclusion.
"I set her on fire… in my dream, I mean," Lena confessed, her eyes watery as her bottom lip quivered.
"Oh, Lena… it was just a dream." Kara comforted her friend, but Lena's guard was still up… she was still Supergirl after all. "I think there's something Kara needs to tell you…"
"No, I won't see her, not until I've got this thing under control." Lena clenched her sheets. "Can you take me to the DEO tomorrow morning?"
"Of course," Kara's voice was sad. If Lena knew the truth, she'd be able to lean on her for support...all of her. "Try and get some sleep until then."
And Lena did try, but the dreams kept coming, and the future seemed set on seeing the woman she had fallen for, in flames.
End Note: Well, what do you think?