Chapter Text
The winter sun barely crept through the blinds of Kara Danvers’ National City apartment, casting thin, pale stripes across her bed. She lay there, cocooned in her comforter, staring at the ceiling. The alarm on her phone blared its usual chipper tune, but Kara’s hand moved sluggishly to silence it. Mornings had grown heavier in the last month, each one a reminder of the ache that hadn’t quite faded.
A month ago, she’d been Kara—bright, optimistic, the woman who could find a silver lining in a thunderstorm. But that Kara had walked into Mike’s apartment after work, a surprise dinner in hand, only to find him tangled in the sheets with Eve, his assistant. The betrayal had gutted her, leaving a hollow space where her warmth used to be. Now, getting out of bed felt like climbing a mountain.
Rumors at work didn’t help. Cat Grant, her formidable boss at Catco, the software company Kara had poured her heart into as an assistant, was reportedly planning to sell the business and step away. The gossip swirled through the office like a cold draft, and Kara couldn’t shake the fear that her safe, predictable world was crumbling. Catco built websites for other companies, and Kara had always taken pride in organizing the chaos of Cat’s empire. But with Mike gone and her job in question, the spark that defined her felt dim.
Still, Kara was nothing if not stubborn. She forced herself upright, her blonde hair a messy halo as she shuffled to the bathroom. Her routine was her lifeline: shower, jeans, a cozy sweater, and out the door to Noonan’s, the coffee shop that anchored her mornings. The chill of the National City winter nipped at her cheeks as she walked, her breath puffing in the air. The familiarity of the route steadied her, even if her heart wasn’t in it.
Noonan’s was warm and bustling, the scent of roasted coffee beans wrapping around her like a hug. Kara ordered Cat’s usual—black, no sugar, scalding hot—and her own caramel latte, offering a small smile to the barista. The routine was safe, easy. She clung to it.
At Catco, Kara navigated the sleek office with practiced ease, delivering Cat’s coffee to her desk. Cat, as always, was a vision of sharp elegance, her eyes scanning a tablet as she muttered, “This coffee is an affront to taste buds everywhere.” She took a long sip anyway, her lips twitching in what might’ve been amusement. Kara bit back a grin, the closest she’d come to feeling like herself all morning.
Back at her desk, Kara pulled up Cat’s schedule, her fingers flying over the keyboard. She printed the day’s agenda and walked it to Cat’s office, her steps faltering when she glanced at the screen. There, nestled among client meetings and project deadlines, was a private Teams call marked only with “Confidential.” No details, no names. Kara’s stomach twisted. The rumors about Cat selling Catco flooded back, each whisper now a shout in her mind. Was this it? The meeting that would unravel everything?
She stood frozen, the schedule clutched in her hands, her heart racing. The safe, predictable world she’d built—her mornings at Noonan’s, her desk, her purpose—was it all about to slip away? Kara swallowed hard, forcing herself to knock on Cat’s door. But as she stepped inside, something shifted. Maybe it was the way the winter light caught the glass walls, or the faint hum of possibility in the air. Today, Kara sensed, was different. Today, something was waiting to pull her out of the dark.
Kara returned to her desk, settling into the rhythm of her day-to-day tasks—sorting emails, coordinating project deadlines, and fielding calls. But her eyes kept darting to her laptop, where the “Confidential” Teams call loomed on Cat’s calendar. Her curiosity gnawed at her, a quiet panic bubbling beneath the surface. What was Cat hiding? Was Catco really being sold? Halfway through the call time slot, as she hovered over the calendar to double-check a client meeting, her mouse slipped. Her heart stopped as she realized she’d clicked the Teams link.
The screen flickered, and suddenly, Kara was in the call. Her breath caught, her pulse hammering as she fumbled to mute her mic and turn off her camera. But before she could escape, her eyes locked onto the woman on the screen. She was stunning—sleek black hair framing a sharp jawline, and bright green eyes that seemed to pierce through the digital divide. There was a magnetic pull in her gaze, confident yet warm, and Kara felt her chest tighten in a way she hadn’t in months. She couldn’t look away, her panic melting into something else entirely—a spark, a curiosity, a longing she didn’t understand.
“Danvers!” Cat’s voice snapped through the call, sharp as a whip. “Get off this call. Now.”
Kara’s face burned as she scrambled to exit, her fingers clumsy on the keyboard. But not before stealing one last glance at the woman, whose lips curved into the faintest, knowing smile. The call vanished from her screen, leaving Kara staring at her desktop, her heart racing for reasons she couldn’t name. Cat stormed out of her office moments later, delivering a scalding lecture about professionalism and boundaries that left Kara’s ears ringing. Yet, even as she nodded and apologized, her mind was elsewhere—on the woman with the green eyes. Who was she? Why had she felt so… alive in that fleeting moment? All day, the question lingered, a quiet warmth flickering in the cold of her routine.
The days after that cryptic Teams call dragged on, each one blending into the next with no answers. Kara woke each morning in her National City apartment, the winter chill seeping through the windows, and followed her routine as if on autopilot. Shower, Dressed, Noonan’s for coffee, then off to Catco to manage Cat’s world. The rumors about Cat selling the company lingered, but no confirmation came. Kara tried to push the uncertainty aside, but it clung to her like damp cold, especially after Mike’s betrayal had already left her raw.
By Monday, Kara was determined to shake it off. She stepped into the Catco building, two coffees in hand—Cat’s black, her own caramel latte—her scarf still wrapped snugly against the winter air. She pressed the elevator button for the executive floor, her mind already mapping out Cat’s schedule. The doors slid open, and Kara stepped forward, only to stop dead.
There she was. The woman with the green eyes. She stood just outside the elevator, her tailored coat accentuating her elegance, her dark hair catching the light. Those eyes locked onto Kara’s, and a soft, knowing smile curved her lips. Kara’s mouth opened, but no words came. Her heart thudded, her grip tightening on the coffee cups. The woman stepped into the elevator as Kara stepped out, their shoulders brushing in the exchange. The doors closed with a soft ding, and Kara stood rooted to the spot, the image of that smile burned into her mind.
She shook herself, cheeks flushing as she hurried to her desk. What was wrong with her? She had a job to do, a routine to follow. But the encounter left her unsteady, a flicker of warmth breaking through her numbness.
Moments later, Cat summoned her. Kara entered the sleek office, setting the coffee on Cat’s desk as her boss gestured for her to sit. Cat’s usual sharp demeanor softened slightly, her eyes assessing Kara over the rim of her glasses.
“I’m selling Catco,” Cat said bluntly, cutting through the silence. Kara’s breath hitched, the confirmation landing like a stone. “I’m ready to step back, Kara. The business needs fresh blood, and I need… well, a life.”
Kara’s mind raced. Her job, her anchor—what would happen now? “Who’s taking over?” she asked, her voice quieter than she intended.
Cat waved a hand dismissively. “A capable buyer. The deal’s nearly done. Your and everyone’s job is safe for now, Kara—I made sure of that in the agreement. You’re too good to lose.”
Relief washed over her, but curiosity gnawed. Who was this new owner? And why did the thought of change suddenly feel less like a threat and more like a possibility? As she left Cat’s office, her gaze drifted to the elevator, half-hoping to catch another glimpse of those green eyes. Something was shifting in National City’s winter air, and Kara, for the first time in weeks, felt a stir of anticipation.