As the sun continued its descent behind the hills, casting the field in the soft glow of twilight, Kara remained nestled in Kayn's arms as he hugged her, providing her a space to just be herself.
The quiet comfort they shared was a stark contrast to the heavy emotions she had just let out, and for the first time in a long while, she felt lighter, like she didn't have to carry her Kryptonian heritage on her own anymore.
After a long moment of silence, Kara shifted slightly, glancing up at Kayn. "So… what now?" she asked, her voice soft but steady. "Where do we go from here?"
Kayn tilted his head to look down at her, a slight smirk tugging at the corner of his lips, "Well," he began, his tone light, "First things first, you get to hold onto a secret that not even Superman knows." He gave her a playful look, as if daring her to grasp the gravity of it.
Kara blinked, then her eyes widened as she sat up a little straighter, "What? You haven't told Kal?" she asked, a mix of shock and amusement in her voice.
Kayn shook his head, leaning back on his hands as he chuckled softly. "Nope. He has no clue. And I'd prefer to keep it that way." He glanced at her with a teasing glint in his eye, "So, technically, you're ahead of Superman in one aspect. You can brag about it in the future."
Kara's mouth dropped open, and then she broke into a genuine laugh, the sound carrying in the still air around them.
The idea of knowing something that her cousin didn't, especially something this important, was hilarious to her.
Kayn grinned, his eyes sparkling as he leaned toward her, "Well, now you've got the edge. Use it wisely."
Kara chuckled, shaking her head. "Oh, I'm going to enjoy this way too much."
They both laughed, the tension from earlier dissipating into the air around them. With each-other, they could just relax and be theirselves, without all the daunting aspects of life confronting them.
After a while, their laughter faded into a comfortable silence, and Kara found herself staring out at the horizon again, watching as the last slivers of sunlight disappeared behind the hills. The world around them was quiet, peaceful. It felt like a fresh start.
Kara looked back at Kayn, her expression soft but determined, "Hey, Kayn?"
He glanced at her, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah?"
"I was thinking... do you think..." she hesitated, glancing back at him, "Do you think you could train me? You know, like... help me become a hero?"
Kayn blinked, momentarily surprised by her request, "Train you? You mean like... give you super-secret Harbinger lessons?"
Kara nodded, chuckling at his stupidly-cute description of training, her expression hopeful but serious, "Yeah. I mean, I don't want to just sit around and hide forever. I've been thinking about it a lot. After everything that's happened... I want to protect my family, my friends. I want to be able to do something, not just watch from the sidelines."
Kayn looked at Kara for a moment, seeing her serious and thoughtful expressions as she talked to him. He thought for a while and nodded before speaking, "You've already got the power to do a lot of good, Kara. But training is serious. It's not just about powers—it's about control, discipline, and responsibility."
"I know," Kara said quickly. "I'm ready for that. Or at least, I want to be ready. I've been... scared, I guess. Of messing up. Of hurting someone. But if I had someone to guide me, someone like you, I think I could actually do it. You could teach me how to be like you, how to protect people without losing control."
There was a long pause as Kayn considered her words. Then, with a playful smirk, he leaned back, his eyes glinting mischievously, "Are you sure you can handle it? My training regimen is pretty intense. I'm not sure you are cut out for it."
Kara's eyes narrowed, her lips curving into a smirk of her own, "Oh, *please*. I can handle anything you throw at me, Harbinger."
"Really?" Kayn leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a teasing whisper. "Because I don't take it easy on my students. You'll be up at dawn, running through obstacle courses, sparring until you drop. No breaks, no excuses. Still think you're up for it?"
Kara held his gaze, her smile unwavering. "I'm not scared of a little hard work. And besides..." She leaned in as well, her voice matching his teasing tone. "I think you'd go easy on me."
Kayn's smile widened, his eyes dancing with amusement. "Oh, you think so, huh? I wouldn't count on that."
Kayn said, flipping over and pinning Kara beneath him. The Kryptonian beneath him tried to get out of his grasp, but Kayn was definitely stronger than her, and held her beneath him as they both laughed with each-other.
Eventually, Kayn let her go, and Kara looked into his eyes, remembering her etiquette training from Krypton and giggling to see how Kayn would react to her actions from a different culture.
Without warning, she grasped his forearm, running her hands across it. She could feel every vein, her hand glided over every bit of skin, feeling his muscles that held such explosive power.
"You like them? I can let you touch them whenever you know." Kayn said with a smirk and looked into Kara's eyes, she hooker her arms around his neck and pulled him closer as their breaths tickled each-others skin.
Although they didn't kiss, the romantic tension was certainly very high. They stayed like that for a couple seconds before Kayn finally pulled away, but continued to hold Kara in his arms.
They both laughed, playful banter lightening the mood once again. But after a moment, Kayn's expression grew a little more serious, "In all honesty, though, Kara, it's not just about the physical stuff. Being a hero means making tough choices. Sometimes you have to do things that aren't easy. You have to be willing to put yourself on the line, even when it's scary. Are you sure you're ready for that?"
Kara's smile faded as she considered his words, "I don't know if I'm ready," she admitted quietly, "but I know I don't want to be afraid anymore. I've spent so long hiding who I am, hiding from what I can do. But that's not who I want to be. I want to help people. I want to protect the ones I care about. And I think... I think I need to start being brave enough to try."
Kayn watched her for a long moment, then nodded slowly. "Alright," he said, his voice soft but firm. "I'll train you. But it's not going to be easy."
Kara's face lit up with a mixture of relief and excitement. "Thank you," she said, her voice filled with gratitude.
"But," Kayn added, his smirk returning, "you'd better be ready to work harder than you ever have before. Because once we start, there's no backing out. Got it?"
Kara grinned, her competitive spirit flaring up. "Got it. I'll keep up, don't worry."
Kayn chuckled. "We'll see about that."
Kayn laughed again, shaking his head, "You're going to regret saying that, I promise."
But there was a lightness in his tone, and Kara knew he was looking forward to it just as much as she was.