Chapter 1: I See You Just As You Are
Chapter Text
PAST
They never knew each other really well but they had noticed each in passing, learning through furtive glances and in Kara's case sneaking a super hearing here and there. Much to her own masochism really because that Irish lilt did things to her she never thought possible but then she just chucks it up to being a hormonal teenager.
While Lena was beyond pissed at her dad for cancelling their summer plans to host an uncharacteristic Luthor Corp Technology and Biochem Conference for the young and gifted, she is somewhat amenable—and surreptitiously giddy—to the compromise of being one of the judges of the program.
The conference came about as a PR stunt for the company and the Luthor family after Lillian's department was outed for performing illegal experiments on aliens and with alien tech. Well, Lillian being Lillian managed to weasel herself out of any indictment and her chief medical engineer took the fall in hopes the Luthor family will compensate him for his loyalty.
The head of PR suggested a Technology and Biochem conference for young minds will be a reprieve for the ignominy the family and company has suffered. The conference will give young minds the opportunity to present and exhibit their innovative inventions and ideas to earn a full scholarship to college and a spot in Luthor Corp after they graduate college and that is how Jeremiah Danvers and his two daughters Kara and Alex found themselves in Las Vegas for the three weeks conference, chaperoning Alex. Kara hadn't entered the programme but came to support her sister and also with a possible selfish agenda of not being alone for the summer.
The first time they met was at the strip in front of the Bellagio fountain where Lena stood, resplendent even for a seventeen-year-old wearing a floor-length black sequinned dress that hugged her figure, lips adorned in a cherry red lipstick and shoulders curtained by silky smooth brunette hair and her high heeled sandals taking resident in her hands, looking dazedly as the fountain sprung up in its golden glory.
As one of the judges and against every bone in her body that nudged her to sleep in that night, she could not excuse herself from the opening gala that introduced the judges and participants in the conference as well as the rudimentary Luthor family introduction—much to Lillian's chagrin because 'a Luthor needs no introduction, this is preposterous'—to the crowd occupying the event room at the Bellagio.
Lena could not successfully stifle her snorty chuckle and petulant remark. "Why would we, mother? You made us all popular with your extracurricular activities." The indignant glare her retort evoked from her mother made the evening all worth it for Lena.
After the handshakes and mundane conversations, she decided to take a walk around the strip, releasing her ankles from its current pointy jailer and chanced upon the timed spring of the colourful fountain. As she stood, Sandals in hand and feet oddly relaxed on the paved ground, she saw a blonde girl rush out in a sprint, almost inhumanly, before blinking she was a few feet beside her.
"Fluff I missed it!" The blonde girl sighed exasperatedly gesticulating wildly with her hands which evoked a small mockful chuckle from Lena. Of course, Lena wouldn't understand why someone will be upset at missing the fountains come to life in its scintillating glory, she has a private jet at her disposal and her family owns two or more hotels and casinos on the strip so really this stranger's frustration isn't really something to write home about.
Kara's astute ears caught the small chuckle and she turned to the direction of orchestrator of such mocking sound and lo and behold the sight before her—she might argue someday it was purely love at first sight—Though slightly shorter than her, the girl before her emanated power, so much that she could not utter a word and her earlier indignation crawled back into whatever sewer of emotions it emerged from, leaving her a gaping mess forgetting everything that happened in the last few seconds.
