Work Text:
Kara presses herself into the hug as Lena’s arms wrap around her. How is one person so warm? Kara runs hotter than most humans and yet Lena’s touch always feels like fire.
They linger for a moment and Kara hopes that Lena doesn’t feel her press even closer.
“I’ll glad you could make it,” Lena says softly, into Kara’s neck, before she pulls away and gestures Kara into her apartment.
It takes Kara a moment to recover.
“Thanks for inviting me,” Kara answers, her smile mirroring Lena’s as she steps inside. “Oh, Rao, something smells good.”
Lena laughs. “I thought you might like it.”
“What is it?” Kara’s mouth is actually watering from the delicious smells.
“I made a few things for dinner. There’s some pasta, a quiche,” and then Kara can only stare as the list goes on. “Stir fry, a roast chicken, plus a few other things I thought you might like then a surprise for dessert.”
“Lena!”
“What?”
“You shouldn’t have gone to all this trouble.”
Lena waves her off with a smile. “I wanted to do something special for you, to show you how much this, us, means to me. And it was no trouble, I enjoy cooking.”
Kara feels her heart flutter, she really does have the best, best friend ever. “Thank you.”
“Anytime.”
They arrive in the kitchen and Kara sees the true amount of food Lena has made as it litters the counters.
“You really are my favourite.”
“The way to your heart is food? That’s good to know,” Lena says with a grin as she holds up a bottle of wine. “Drink?”
Lena is already in her heart, if only she knew.
“Please.”
Lena pours them both a glass and slides one across the counter to Kara. But Kara’s not even paying attention as she watches Lena bring her own glass to her mouth, taking a sip. Her tongue darts out to catch a drop of wine on her bottom lip and Kara is mesmerised.
Rao, she wants to kiss those lips.
Said lips curve into a smile and Kara feels her cheeks heat up as she realises she’s been caught.
I want a girlfriend, Kara thinks, or a boyfriend, she quickly amends in her mind. At least then maybe she could stop thinking these kinds of thoughts about her best friend.
It’s really not appropriate to wonder what your best friend’s lips taste like.
But in her mind she knows what she really wants, and it’s not a boyfriend. She wants a girlfriend, and she wants one girl in particular.
“You want a girlfriend?” Lena asks, eyebrow raised, a smirk on her lips. “Well, I’m a girl,” she says with a wink.
Oh, Rao, did she really say that out loud? Lena is really messing with her mind tonight. At least it seems she only said the one part of her thought at least.
But then the rest of Lena’s words catch up to her and what? What did Lena mean by that? She’s a girl? Kara is well and truly aware of that and Rao, that wink? Is she trying to kill her?
Lena laughs and shakes her head at Kara’s silence and she supposes that’s a good thing. Thankfully Lena’s phone rings before Kara has to think of something to say.
What do you even say to that?
“Darling, do you mind if I take this? It’s Jess.”
Kara can only nod, not sure if she can properly form words right now. She watches her leave the room and then she pulls out her own phone. She needs to talk to Alex, now.
Kara doesn’t even give Alex a chance to speak once she’s answered.
“I need your help.”
“Are you okay? Where are you?”
“At Lena’s.”
“Is she okay? Should I call J’onn?”
“No!” Kara says, realising her sister is thinking this is another kind of emergency. “I need your advice.” When Alex stays silent, Kara continues. “If, hypothetically, someone was to say ‘I want a girlfriend’ and someone else were to respond with a wink and an ‘I’m a girl’, what exactly would that mean?”
“…did you tell Lena you wanted a girlfriend and that’s how she responded?”
“Maybe,” Kara mumbles, embarrassed at herself for even having said it in the first place. But what does Lena’s response mean?
Alex laughs. “Oh my God, Kara, what do you think it means?”
“I don’t know!” She says, realising she’s raised her voice and lowering it before adding. “That’s why I’m calling.”
“You’re at Lena’s for dinner tonight, right?”
“Yeah and she’s made all this really nice food and,” Kara catches sight of the set dining room table, complete with a flower and candle in the middle. Gosh, Lena is so sweet. “And she’s set the table all nice and she’s being as wonderful as always and I can’t even form two words around her right now because of my stupid crush on her so I need you to tell me what she could’ve meant.”
“Uhh are you sure you two aren’t on a date right now?”
Kara scoffs. “Don’t be ridiculous, we’re just friends. And friends don’t think about what it would be like to kiss the other so I need your help, and fast, before she comes back.”
Kara listens for Lena’s voice and finds her talking to Jess which means she still has time.
“Do you want me to be completely honest with you?”
“Yes.”
“She wants to be your girlfriend.”
Kara laughs. “No she doesn’t.” Of course Lena doesn’t want that, she could have anyone, why would she settle for her?
“Yes she does. You asked me what she meant and I’m telling you.”
“Is Maggie there? Since you’re being no help can I talk to her?”
Alex doesn’t have a chance to respond before Kara continues. “Shoot, she’s coming back. Tell Maggie I’ll call her later.” She hastily hangs up her phone and shoves it into her purse as she hears Lena enter the kitchen behind her.
She didn’t even get an answer from Alex, what is she going to do now?
Kara goes still as arms wrap around her waist and she feels a soft body press into her back. “Did I hear you talking?”
“Al-lex was on the phone,” Kara manages to say but her whole mind is screaming that Lena is pressed up against her, and she’s trying so hard not to just sink into the contact.
What is going on?
“She’s fine,” Kara gets out, her conversation with Alex quickly slipping from her mind. Why did she even call her again?
“Good,” Lena says and then the only warning she gets is a brush of hair before warm lips press against her neck.
Kara’s ashamed to say she actually squeaks at the contact, jumping away from the touch. Her eyes are wide and she turns around to find Lena smiling at her.
“Are you okay?”
“I…” And now she’s back to not being able to form words. “You…you kissed me.”
“I did.”
She needs to talk to Alex again, she needs more advice. What do you do when your crush kisses you?
Lena laughs. “You usually don’t jump away from the touch.”
Oh, Rao, she did it again, didn’t she?
Kara swallows past the lump in her throat. Lena doesn’t look mad, maybe a bit confused, but she doesn’t look upset at the fact that Kara has a crush on her so Kara’s going to roll with that. Plus, Lena did just kiss her, maybe she’s not the only one who’s developed feelings in what was meant to be a friendship. “You don’t mind that I have a crush on you?”
Lena laughs again. “I’d be worried if I was on a fifth date with someone who didn’t have a crush on me.”
Kara’s eyes widen. “Fifth date?”
“This is our fifth, isn’t it? There was dinner at Martino’s, then the art gallery. We had brunch on Sunday and then movie night earlier this week, so that’s five. Unless you’re counting lunch at my office then it’s more.”
“Those were dates.”
“Lunch?”
“No, the rest of them.”
Lena frowns and she really does look confused now. “Yes?”
“Oh, Rao,” Kara says, head falling to hide in her hands. Suddenly the flowers, the handholding, Lena’s shy smile when she’d accepted the dinner invitation, make a lot more sense. After the art gallery, Lena had even kissed her on the cheek! How had she not realised those were all dates!
“You didn’t know,” Lena says and for the first time tonight she’s not smiling, she’s not confused, she just looks sad. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I guess we hadn’t really spoken about it but I thought we were just taking things slow and then you made that comment earlier and…” She trails off, shakes her head at herself. “Of course you don’t like me like that. Can we just forget all about this and enjoy dinner like normal, as friends?”
“No,” Kara says, shaking her own head. She may have been oblivious before to Lena’s interest but she’s not now. And she’s not going to let Lena think for a moment longer that she’s not interested either. Did she forget that she’d just admitted to having a crush on her?
“You don’t want dinner?”
Rao, she’s still frowning.
“I do. I just don’t want this to be a normal dinner. I want this to be our fifth date.”
Lena studies her for a moment. “You didn’t even realise I intended those to be dates.”
“Of course I did,” Kara says with a smile. “I had a great time, just like I’m having a great time tonight.”
Lena looks hopeful as she laughs with a fond shake of her head. “Really?”
“Really.” Kara takes a breath, drawing confidence from Lena’s earlier actions. “I especially liked the part where you kissed me.”
“Even if you jumped?”
Kara laughs, settling into their usual teasing. It feels good, it feels normal, it feels like them and she’s glad Lena is smiling again. “Yes.”
Lena bites her lip. “Me too.”
The movement draws Kara’s attention and this time when she sees Lena’s lips turn up in a smile she doesn’t look away (but she does blush again).
“Are you sure this is what you want?” Lena asks, even as she leans closer.
Kara nods. “I want you.”
Lena’s touch is electric as their lips press together, as she feels a hand trail along her jaw and settle against her cheek.
Rao, kissing her is amazing, why weren’t they doing this all along?
Lena laughs into the kiss and it takes Kara a moment to realise she’s said that thought out loud too and even if the words were mumbled against Lena’s lips, she still heard it.
“We could’ve been doing this weeks ago if you’d realised we were dating.”
Kara laughs, pressing her forehead against Lena’s as her own hand rises to cup Lena’s jaw. “You’re not going to let me forget that, are you?”
“Never,” Lena says with a quick peck to Kara’s lips.
“Alex and Maggie won’t either,” Kara groans as realisation dawns on her. “Alex told me tonight was a date but I didn’t believe her.”
Lena laughs. “I’m not sure how you missed it. A homemade meal, wine, candles, flowers…”
“I know, I know,” Kara says as her cheeks burn. She’s been an idiot, a blind idiot. But Lena likes her, which is amazing and totally unexpected, and she’s definitely going to make the most of the fact that the woman she’s in love with likes her back. “Can I plan our next date? Since you got to plan our first five?”
“And whose fault is that?” Lena asks with a smirk.
Kara huffs out a breath, tries to look annoyed but the smile on her face just won’t go away. “It’s mine, okay?”
Lena laughs as she wraps her arms around Kara’s neck. “You can plan our next date on one condition.”
“What condition?
“Kiss me?”
Kara grins and answers her with a kiss.