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Lena looks up as Kara enters her office, Jess long since letting her in without announcing her arrival.
“Hey! Are you ready for tonight?”
“Actually, I’m so sorry to do this to you last minute but something’s come up.”
She has to avoid looking at Kara as she speaks, but as soon as she looks up, she knows she’s been caught.
“Lena Kieran Luthor, I’m not letting you out of karaoke night again.”
Last time she’d managed to get out of it, claimed she’d had a conference call which she just could not postpone. The conference call part was true, but she’d set it up on karaoke night on purpose. It’s not that she doesn’t like spending time with Kara and her friends, she does, and they do it often enough the missing one night isn’t a big deal, but it’s the karaoke part she doesn’t like.
There’s a rule, everyone at karaoke night has to sing, and it’s just a fact, Lena can’t sing. She knows this, they all know this, yet they still insist she gets up and sings at least one song per evening. The only saving grace is that karaoke night isn’t too often and she’d managed to get out of the last one, and hopefully this one too.
“Kara…”
“Please, I haven’t seen you properly in two days. I miss you,” Kara says, eyes wide and a pout on her lips.
That’s all it takes, a few words from Kara plus her signature ‘kicked puppy’ look and Lena melts.
“Fine,” Lena sighs. “But only because I miss you too.”
“Yes!”
By the time they arrive at Kara’s apartment, and despite the fact that Kara isn’t even there, the party is in full swing. Alex, Maggie, James and Winn are already there, a pile of pizzas on the table, and Winn has already set up the karaoke machine for once they’ve eaten.
Kara snags a whole pizza for herself after they’ve said their hellos, Lena taking her own piece of the vegan pizza Maggie has that’s just for them.
Winn doesn’t even wait until everyone has finished eating before he’s up and singing his first song. There’s cheers around the room, Kara’s being muffled by pizza, as he finishes his first song and starts his second.
Alex is up next, and she drags a reluctant Maggie with her. Lena’s not sure why Maggie gets away with only doing a duet and she doesn’t, but Maggie only ever sings with Alex.
(It’s probably something to do with the puppy eyes Kara gives her when she says she won’t sing, Maggie can resist them but Lena has never been able to).
(Also the fact that if Lena asks if she can do a duet instead, Kara would insist on being the one to sing with her and Lena’s not sure she could handle the reality of singing what would no doubt be a love song with Kara).
Alex stays up and sings a second song once Maggie has returned to her seat and Lena knows why she hates karaoke so much as she listens to Alex sing. Well, it’s not that she hates it, but of all their friends, she’s the only one who really can’t sing. James isn’t great, but he’s not bad either, while everyone else really does sound amazing. It’s not fair that they can all sing so well, of course they all enjoy karaoke.
She must admit she does like listening to the other sings though, or perform, as Kara puts it.
Kara takes her turn next, having finally finished her dinner and of course she sounds wonderful, just like she always does. Lena gets lost in the sound like usual, following Kara’s movements as she dances along.
Once she’s done, Kara retakes her seat next to Lena, a wide smile on her face, and Lena actually regrets missing the last night because she didn’t get to see Kara sing. Maybe Lena having to sing herself is worth it just to see Kara like this, so happy, relaxed and carefree.
James sings next, Winn’s shouts and cheers the loudest as he dances around the living room looking rather ridiculous but he gets points for effort.
Alex joins him for another duet afterwards then she takes another song on her own and Lena thinks just maybe they’ve forgotten about her, maybe tonight they won’t put themselves through having to listen to her sing.
“You’re up, Luthor,” Alex says when she’s finished, Maggie cheering for her the loudest this time.
Dammit, she’d let herself relax too soon.
“You’re really going to make me sing? Even though you know how terrible I am?”
“You’re not that bad,” Alex says, waving the microphone in her direction. “Just one song.”
A glance in Kara’s direction shows pleading eyes looking her way and there’s really no point in resisting. Lena huffs out a breath. “Fine, one song.”
She stands, intent on just getting it over with. She’ll pick an easy to sing song, a short song, one that’ll cause the least amount trouble for her and then it’ll be done.
Alex beats her to it. “Nope, I’m picking yours.”
“That’s not fair.”
“I don’t care,” Alex says with a look Lena knows she should be wary of. Alex is up to something and she’s sure she’s not going to like.
“Do I Wanna Know? I don’t know that song,” Lena says when Alex shows her the song she’s chosen.
“Yes you do,” Alex insists and as the song starts to play, Lena realises she has heard it before.
The song starts slow and she has to read the lyrics as she sings. But as she does, she can’t help but think of Kara and by the end of the first chorus, Lena thinks she knows why Alex picked this song.
I’m sorry to interrupt, it’s just I’m constantly on the cusp of trying to kiss you.
I don’t know if you feel the same as I do, we could be together if you wanted to.
That is pretty much describes exactly how Lena is feeling right now, how Lena always feels.
A glance up during the second chorus gives Lena exactly the answer she’d expected, the smirk on Alex’s face showing clearly what her intentions were.
But even knowing it was Alex’s idea doesn’t make it any easier to get Kara out of her mind.
During the final lines, Lena can’t help but look up at Kara, can’t keep her eyes from her any longer.
All the words she’s singing for Kara. She wonders if she knows.
The intensity of the look in Kara’s eyes when their eyes meet almost throws Lena from the song, sets her heart off pounding in her chest and she’s glad she’s almost finished the song because she’s not sure how much longer she could concentrate on it. Even as she forces herself to look away, the image is seared in her mind.
She’s never seen Kara look like that before.
There are loud cheers as she finishes the song and does a half-hearted bow, waving Winn off when he insists she sing another song.
“I think I’ve subjected you to my bad singing long enough for one night,” Lena says, handing over the microphone to Winn and trying to avoid both Alex and Kara’s gaze. She does catch the knowing look on Maggie’s face and she can’t help but wonder if everyone in the room knows about her feelings for Kara.
Does Kara know?
Lena retakes her seat next to Kara, feels the warm press of her shoulder and instantly relaxes at the touch.
“That was really good.”
Lena relaxes even more, feels familiarity settle around her. Kara always says that, after every song she sings, a teasing yet still genuine smile on her face.
She turns to Kara, the words that she usually responds with on the tip of her tongue, it wasn’t but thank you anyway, but she stops short as she catches the look on Kara’s face, the same intense expression from before where she’d expected her light smile.
Lena’s heart skips in her chest, the expression so much more yet even harder to decipher from this close. Her tongue darts out to wet her lips, nerves taking over as she tries to think of what Kara’s look means, tries to think of what to say.
Kara’s eyes drop, shifting to Lena’s lips.
And…
Oh.
Lena’s caught with that look, that is not how one friend looks at another.
Then Kara’s leaning in, her eyes still locked on her lips and Lena knows that look, sees the intent in Kara’s eyes, she knows what’s coming.
Except they’re surrounded by their friends and it’s not exactly where they should be sharing their first kiss.
As hard as it is, because it is definitely hard, and even as she does it Lena wonders if she should’ve just leaned in and met her halfway, who cares about the teasing they’d get from their friends, she leans away.
The hurt flashes across Kara’s face instantly, and that is not what Lena wanted at all. Dammit, she’s doing this all wrong.
Kara sits back, adjusts herself on the couch so they’re no longer touching, her eyes on Winn who’s still singing.
Kara thinks she’s rejected her and she can’t have that, not even for a minute.
Summoning whatever courage she can find, courage from the way Kara always lingers in their hugs, from her soft smiles, gentle touches, and from the way she’d definitely just lent in to kiss her, Lena stands.
“I need to talk to you,” Lena says, hand reaching for Kara’s to pull her up too. “In private.”
Kara looks confused, and rather worried, but she follows Lena as she leads them out the front door, to the only place they’d get real privacy at Kara’s place.
“I’m so sorry if I read things wrong-“
Lena can’t even let her get the sentence out, doesn’t want her to think for any longer that she’d rejected her.
“Go on a date with me.”
That gets Kara to stop talking.
“What?”
“Before, you were going to kiss me, weren’t you?”
Kara frowns. “But you pulled away?”
“Only because I didn’t want our first kiss to be in front of everyone.”
Kara’s eyes drop but Lena can see the blush as it spreads across her cheeks. She has a sheepish smile when she looks back up. “I’d kind of forgotten we weren’t alone.”
Lena laughs as Kara’s smile gets wider. “Is that a yes to a date then?”
“That’s definitely a yes.”
And now Lena is grinning too.
“Can I…could we…” Kara shifts her glasses on her face while Lena waits patiently for Kara to get out whatever’s on her mind. “Can I kiss you?”
Lena nods and this time, as Kara leans in, so does Lena, and they meet halfway. Kara presses her lips ever so gently, ever so softly, against Lena’s and she can feel the curve of Kara’s lips as she smiles and her own lips turn up into the kiss.
“Wow,” Kara breathes as she pulls slightly away, her smile absolutely radiant.
Wow, indeed.
Kara’s eyes shift back to the door. “They’re wondering where we are.”
Lena reaches down, threads her fingers through Kara’s. God, it feels so good just to do that. “Maybe we should get back inside then.”
“Or…” Kara says, halting Lena’s movements.
Lena raises an eyebrow. “Or?”
“We could stay out here for a bit longer?” Kara steps forward, back into Lena’s space and suddenly going back inside is the last thing on Lena’s mind.
But instead of the kiss Lena is expecting, Kara’s head falls forwards to knock gently against her shoulder. “Alex,” Kara groans, answering the question on Lena’s mind. “She’s coming to look through the peephole to check on us.”
Lena misses the contact immediately as Kara steps back and she would be annoyed at Alex but it was kind of her push that got them here, to them standing in the hallway with the taste of Kara still on her lips, so Lena can’t really complain.
They open the door to find Alex halfway across the room and four sets of eyes find them.
It takes them all of two seconds to work out what has happened between them, their tangled hands and matching grins easily giving them away.
“Really?” Alex asks, an excited grin on her face as she steps towards them, eyes flashing between the two and their joined hands.
After a quick glance towards her to which Lena nods at, Kara turns back to Alex. “Really.”
Excited shouts sound from around the room as Alex reaches out to pull them both into a hug.
“It’s about time!”
Lena laughs as Kara shifts closer, squeezing their joined hands. It has taken them a while to get here, and they may have needed a push from Alex and the lyrics to a song, but Lena wouldn’t change a thing.