#nb!kara

[thebreakfastgod]

very self indulgent doodle of kara

[elwhyart]

hello dont mind me just co-opting @sexybread-png ‘s superenby.

[mssirey]

Self-Love (and How It Measures Against Doubt)

a little gift for @sexybread-png!

Kar had joined her workout—gone through the same motions—mimicked her in all but the strain that forced her lungs to demand relief. As she ran a towel over her body, ridding it of the sweat that had collected, her partner shedded their t-shirt—one entirely free of the dark stains on her own that mapped the heat on her skin. 

Lena approached just as Kar’s shirt lifted over their head, and when their arms lowered, the fabric falling to reveal a comfortably dry chest, she was in reach. She gave into the urge to touch, her slightly damp fingers catching as they slipped along the faded red of the softly jagged outline beneath their pectorals. 

The scars were ones Kar had chosen, a procedure they had opted into, for themself. Some days, they were like any other scars—the remnants of hurt—but most days they were a source of healing, of self-love, painted proudly on otherwise flawless skin. 

Kar’s gaze was gentle, patient, but there were twitches of confusion in their brow. Their teeth played with the inner edge of their lower lip, toyed with the idea of giving voice to their curiosity, but as that crinkle she found so adorable began to show between eyebrows, she knew what was coming. 

Kar’s shirt dropped to their feet, in favor of hands settling on Lena’s waist, a simple tug enough to encourage her final stride into their space. “What’s happening?”

Lena’s hands flattened against their chest, maintaining that last inch between them—the boundary that kept Kar from the spiral of thoughts that dragged at her. Time would leave its mark on her and life would take its toll, her body taxed more each year, while Kar would not see such struggles in her lifetime. 

“Nothing.” Lena recognized the bitterness that coated her tongue, the venom that she did not want to direct at Kar, so rather than open the floodgates, she denied the need. 

“Are you sure?” When Lena’s gaze lifted, she caught the way their eyes flitted between hers, searching for the truth she hid away. She returned to the sprinkle of hair along their collar bones. “Your heart is— well, it’s doing that thing,” they tapped the erratic beat with a finger, “and I don’t think it’s cause of the knee lift thingies.”

Lena was no longer panting, but her breath was still heavy. “How am I supposed to compete?” A sardonic chuckle hollowed out the rest of her chest. 

Her question was met with a deep inhale, her hands rising with the fill of Kar’s chest, where they held still for a stretched beat. Whatever lightness she’d hoped to return to was forfeit then. 

“You’re not.” 

Lena recoiled from the sting of judgment she’d never escaped, echoed back through her past to rebound with a multitude of voices singing the same cruel chorus. 

“You don’t have to measure yourself against me.” 

There was a sincerity she wasn’t expecting, driving through the shell of humor she used to guard those little seeds she harbored—the doubts about what her future held, what more it would strip from her, and whether what was left would be desirable. 

“You’re allowed to love yourself…”

It wasn’t permission, not in a way that could be given with any true authority, but more the shared fruit of a lesson clawed from blood-thick soil, found in the raw tracks left by tears, and beyond silent screams that haunted nights. And just as it was etched into flesh, it also cropped up in tufts of hair allowed to grow freely. 

It was joy, when all that was taught was loathing and guilt and a sickening sense that escape from all of that wasn’t deserved, wasn’t earned—because somehow it had to be. But there it was, a happiness nurtured in the cracks, sprouting along those ridges, fed by a tender radiance. 

That smile. Crooked, with the barest show of teeth. It’s warmth was offered without demand for compensation.

“You’re enough,” they said, their words driving directly into the tenderness of her heart, “always.” 

Lena heard it, then. Her hands slipped around Kar, held tight in the hope that if she squeezed, it would sink in easier. 

“Thank you,” she breathed as she sank into their embrace, into their cultivated warmth, nestled into the safety there.

[olliebaptista]

punk!lena, gnc!kara, and horny!supercorp, my three favourite headcanons together 😌

[kendrene]

I think it's time for more NB Kara

[drfitzmonster]

how do you think Eliza would react if Kara came out as non-binary?

Kara is scared when they show up on their mother’s doorstep unannounced one evening. They're so scared they forget to use their key and knock instead.

Eliza is confused at first, when she answers the door. “What happened to your key?” she asks, as she beckons Kara inside.

“Oh, I um, forgot,” Kara replies, stiffly.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I just... Do you have anything to eat?”

“Come sit with me in the kitchen and I’ll make you a sandwich.”

Eliza doesn’t ask them any more questions. She just brings Kara into the kitchen and makes them a turkey sandwich and a glass of iced tea. When Kara’s done eating Eliza puts their dishes in the sink and leans back against the counter.

“Are you going to tell me what’s wrong?”

“Mom, nothing’s wrong, I just wanted to see you.”

“Honey, I know you did not come by this late on a weeknight just so I could make you a sandwich.” She sits down and takes Kara’s hand. “You don’t have to say anything to me, but whatever it is, you should talk to someone about it. It’s eating you up inside.”

“I’m afraid to tell you. I’m afraid it will change the way you think of me. I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed in me.”

“Impossible. I could never be disappointed in you.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because I know you.”

“Mom...”

“What? Did you commit a crime?”

“No.”

“Did you hurt someone?”

“No.”

“Did you hurt yourself?”

“Mom. No.”

“Then what, Kara. What could be so terrible that you can’t tell me?”

“I-- For a long time, I...” Kara sighs in frustration and stands from the table. They begin to pace while they're talking. “Ever since I was little, I’ve felt...” Kara groans.

“Take a deep breath, Honey. Just tell me what you’re thinking. Don’t try to edit yourself, just talk.”

Kara takes a couple of deep breaths. They look at their mother, and they start to cry. “Everyone thinks I’m a woman, but I’m not, Mom. I’m not. That doesn’t fit me. But I’m not a man, either. I’m, um... I’m nonbinary.” Kara winces, bracing themself for whatever their mother’s response would be.

Eliza just smiles. “Thank you for telling me, sweetheart. Is it ok if I call you sweetheart?”

Kara sniffles. “Yeah, mom, that’s fine. You’re not mad?”

“No, I'm not mad."

"Are you surprised?"

"You've never been very good at keeping a secret."

"Oh." Kara sighs heavily. They'd been so scared for no reason. They are relieved, but they still feel bad for trying to keep it from their mom for so long. "You're sure you're not disappointed that I'm not the daughter you wanted me to be?"

"No, not disappointed." She gives Kara a great big hug. "You have grown into a wonderful, kind, caring, thoughtful person, and I could not be more proud."

[witchpieceoftoast]

well, it seems i’ve met my match, because kara and i are both rambling messes and this is not helping my tendency to overwrite. which means that the first chapter (in lena’s pov and covering over a year) and the second chapter (in kara’s pov and covering less than 24 hours) will possibly be vastly different in length.

on the plus side, i feel like there’s this tendency in fiction for butch characters to be stoic, quiet types, and kara being butch in this is certainly doing nothing to take down the rambling, giddy quality i’ve always enjoyed.

[queercapwriting]

Hi cap! I've never sent one of these before, but I just wanted to let you know that your nonbinary Supergirl fics helped me to figure out that I'm nonbinary! So thank you!! Also I would love to see more nonbinary Kara/ them dealing with trying to be a nonbinary superhero in the public eye. Thanks again cap!!!

Oh wow I’ve done a smol handfull of these who knew. You’re amazing, Anon, and I’m so proud of you for being you! <3 <3 <3 

https://queercapwriting.tumblr.com/post/179330938049/hey-so-can-you-maybe-write-a-nonbinary-kara-fic

https://queercapwriting.tumblr.com/post/177978287459/hi-cap-ive-had-kind-of-a-rough-bout-of

https://queercapwriting.tumblr.com/post/168699105394/nbkara-au-where-kara-is-using-ace-bandages-and

https://queercapwriting.tumblr.com/post/161589180944/hi-ive-been-struggling-with-my-nb-identity-for-a

Kara flopped over on Barry Allen’s couch, their stomach full– but not nearly full enough – of a combination of potstickers and Big BellyBurger that had made Cisco jealous and made Iris laugh, gentle and adoring,into Barry’s shoulder.

“How do you do it,Barry?” they asked, groaning slightly as they let their glasses slip down theirnose and off their nearly upside-down face.

Iris reached over Barry’s lap to squeeze Kara’s hand,because she knew what they were asking, one superhero to another.

Barry swiped the last of Cisco’s fries through a swath of ketchupand barbeque sauce, but Cisco knew what Kara was asking, too, so he waitedquietly for Barry’s answer, not interrupting.

“It was hard, at first,” Barry chewed slowly, nodding to himselfas he remembered. “I kept thinking what would happen, right, if someone thoughtmy voice was supposedly too high, or if Cisco’s brilliant binder didn’t workright somehow.”

“Pfft, of course it’s flawless,” Cisco muttered softly,reaching for Kara’s hand. They squeezed it, feeling his support even as Caitlinshoved his shoulder gently with her own. Barry and Iris chuckled before Barryswallowed and kept talking.

“Or if anyone figured out who the Flash was… it wouldn’tjust be the typical superhero risk to everyone in my life, you know? It wouldsuddenly be a huge thing, right, because I wouldn’t get to just be a superhero.I’d be the trans superhero, and I wasbarely ready to be the Flash. Let alone all the rest. And now…” Barry sighed,puffing his cheeks with air and blowing it all out slowly. He ran his hand overthe back of his hair, still reveling – even after all these years – in howshort it was, how crisp and clean, under his hand. “It feels like aresponsibility, you know? To be out about being trans. But I can’t imagine whatyou’re going through, Kara. The Flash isn’t gendered, you know?”

“And Supergirl sure is,” Kara sighed, despair threatening toflood their voice. Iris passed them one of the extra burgers she’d ordered Karaand Barry, and Kara rolled over gratefully to take it. “And I don’t want totell people to stop calling me that. Ms. Grant said it, you know? The power ofclaiming girlhood, and being a girl, and… it’s not that I don’t love mygirl-ness. It’s just… it’s not complete.So incomplete that it feels wrong. And Alex says I should just say exactly thatif I want to, that Lena would help me make this great and beautifulannouncement if that’s what I wanted, and they’re both absolutely the best, andI know they’d move the world to make sure I feel good about all this, but…”

They chuckled as they chewed, shaking their head. “As Kara,I’ve made sure that all the media outlets are finally using the proper pronounsfor Supergirl. Imagine that?”

Iris saluted Kara with her beer bottle, from one journalistto another. Kara returned the salute with their burger.

“But I don’t know. Supergirl means so much to people. Togirls, and to women. I don’t want to take that from anyone.”

“It wouldn’t be taking from people,” Cisco shook his head.

“It would be giving to yourself,” Caitlin agreed as Irisnodded and Barry passed Kara a napkin.

“No, I know. Just. Do I have room to be Kara, a nonbinaryKryptonian superhero, who’s also Kara, a nonbinary Earth journalist? Can I beboth?”

“You can,” Barry promised. “You absolutely can. And with thetitle, we can figure that out. And your family on your Earth. We can all figureit out together. And whatever you decide – keeping it, changing it, adding toit, whatever – you know you have all of our unconditional support. Right?”

Kara smiled, reveling in their time with their family fromanother Earth, another trans superhero who understood, who loved them, as hesaid, unconditionally.

“When Kid Flash gets back from whatever Earth they’re on,”Iris added, a smirk growing on her face, “we know Wally’s going to have fivehundred different superhero title suggestions for you.”

“Ugh,” Kara laughed, genuine levity returning to their face.Which is exactly what they’d come here for. “They’re probably going to name meafter them.”

A yellow blur passed through the front door just then,fluttering all the napkins and spilling beer bottles in their wake. Ketchupwound up on Cisco’s face, and Barry’s hair suddenly stuck up in all directions.

“Somebody call for Kid Flash?” Wally grinned, their eyessparkling as Kara leaped up to hug them.

They would definitely figure this out together. Right afteranother massive order from Big Belly Burger.