Chapter Text
Lena had worked quite hard throughout her first 2 years of teaching at National City University to keep all of her relationships purely professional. She was aware that some students called her Profesor Brick Wall, but she didn’t find it nearly as insulting as some thought she would. She didn’t want everyone knowing about her life, so what?
Kara had worked quite hard on her powerpoint about her life to share with her students at the beginning of the year. She knew that several of them would just use the information to get her off track from class, but she had done it plenty as a kid so she couldn’t be mad at them. Some people called her Profesor Overshare, which bugged her at first but she got over it.
It was the first day of a new school year, which was almost as hectic for the students as it was for the professors. That’s a lie. The professors had it way worse. They were all trying to print out syllabuses at once, several were trying to figure out what happened to the nameplauke that was supposed to be outside their new room, and even more were trying to figure out why they didn’t seem to have any chairs in their classroom. One was even trying to patch a huge hole in his classroom wall that maintenance had never gotten to.
In all of this hubabalue, Lena and Kara were having trouble sorting out their new classrooms - or, rather, classroom. Kara had been assigned to room 348, but that was the same room that Lena had been moved to. There had been rumors going around that with the construction being done on some of the buildings a few teachers would have to share a room, but Kara - mainly a journalism professor - and Lena - most famous for her physics and chem classes - were hardly a sensible pair.
“With all due respect Dean Grant, I don’t see how this could work out,” Lena was explaining, “Labs and journalism hardly go hand in hand.”
“You’re thinking too small Luthor,” Cat Grant countered, rising from her chair to lean against the front of her desk with her arms crossed. “For Keira’s journalism students it could be an exceptional research possibility, where as your students could practice the skill of giving interviews about their projects.” She pushed herself off the desk to shoo the pair out of her office, saying “Now go do something useful with your time or at least let me do so.”
As the door shut behind them, the two professors looked at eachother, Kara’s face clearly showing nerves while Lena’s was unreadable as always. (Both found the other’s position incredibly irritating.)
“That didn’t work,” Kara finally said.
“I suppose we’ll be sharing a classroom for the foreseeable future Professor Danvers,” Lena said, straightening her already perfect blazer.
Kara couldn’t come up with a response fast enough and the Luthor turned to walk down the hall back to her - their class.
☓☓☓
Five minutes. Five. That’s how long it took for Kara to start testing Lena’s unbreakable professionalism.
How, you may ask? All it took was one student coming in a few minutes early to talk to Kara and Lena was gone. The blonde beamed at the girl, talking about not only journalism but also offering to help her with the physics class she had to take.
“You know physics?” Lena couldn’t help but interject.
Kara shrugged nonchalauntly, honestly surprised that Lena had said anything to her at all. “I prefer Quantum, but you’ve gotta start somewhere.”
“Quantum physics?” Lena sputtered softly as the other professor turned back to her student. She really, really wanted to know why a lit professor known for journalism also happened to be versed in the sciences.
As for Kara, 10 minutes was all it took for her to be reduced to a gay mess - not that she’d admit it. Lena was just perfect in every way - the wide smile she’d give when her students showed interest in the sciences, the soft but not demeaning voice she used to explain topics to them, the way her eyes would light up as she taught… every second Kara watched her teach she became more entranced.
“You love it,” Kara commented in amazement as their respective classes filed out. At the other professor’s look of confusion, she elaborated. “Teaching them. You love it.”
Lena cocked her head slightly. “Don’t you?”
“Well, yeah, it’s just…” Kara paused, debating if the end of her thought was rude or not. “I didn’t know brick walls could love things.”
That earned a small, bitter smile. “Brick walls can love whatever they want. Luthor’s can’t.”
The blonde was momentarially stuned that she had gotten any response from the other woman, let alone one that bordered on emotional. Once she recovered however, she tilted her head in a similar way Lena had moments ago. “I suppose we’d better fix that then, huh?”
☓☓☓
It had been two weeks of sharing a classroom 348, and let's just say that first day did not set the tone for the rest. Lena insisted on some kind of lab or demo every class, making the room reak of chemicals. Kara's endless piles of reading material were scattered everywhere, the often precarious piles known to fall suddenly and loudly. There was no way that this situation was sustainable, but even the Luthor in Lena was scared of going against Cat Grant.
Lena was working on a lesson plan when the blonde came barging in carrying a stack of books that barely cleared the doorway. She tried to ignore the noise, but the poor girl couldn’t see were she was going and ended up ramming into a table that Lena had moved for her last class. The Luthor winced at the sound of the 30 or so books falling along side the professor, knowing it was her fault.
“Are you okay?” she called as she rushed over to help.
The blonde didn’t respond, ignoring Lena’s offered hand to instead pull herself up. Lena stepped back, confused. Kara Danvers was known to be the nicest professor on campus, but she was starting to be somewhat cold around Lena and she wasn’t sure how she felt about it.
“Thanks” was all Kara mumbled when Lena helped her get the books to her desk.
“No problem,” Lena responded before heading back to her own desk.
They worked in silence for a while, before Kara broke it by announcing that Lena should choose a class to do a collaboration with.
“Pardon?”
“My Public Relations class always does an interview for their mid-term, I’m not going to make their first interview be for a huge test.” Her tone sounded almost board, as if the answer was obvious.
“Yeah, that makes sense. But why do I have to choose a class?” Lena asked.
“A lot of the kids in my class are also interested in business, the sciences, or both. Figured a engineering class or something would be a fun start,” Kara shrugged.
Lena wanted to disagree, but then she realized that if she fought this she'd just be proving Sam right and God did she hate it when that woman was right. “Fine,” she tried her best to appear entirely ambivalent. “I have a physics class is the block right after your class, or there's my engineering one right before. They're both working on projects so take your pick.”
Kara half expected herself to beam as she usually did when she got what she wanted, but rather she gave a professional nod paired with a small smile and a “thank you, I'll take a look at them.” She 100% planned to use this in her argument next time Alex tried to say she liked Lena.
☓☓☓
“Kara that is not proof that you don't like her,” Maggie spoke flatly, leaving no room for argument - a rare tone for the detective outside of interrogations but one Kara was beginning to know very well.
“What do you mean?!?” the blonde sputtered. “I got what I wanted and I ended the conversation! I didn't even smile that much!”
“Kara, I love you, but you're an idiot,” Alex interjected. “You’ve been using Winn's intro to engineering class for this project for the past 2 years, why switch?”
“This class is closer!” Kara insisted.
“Winslow’s class is bigger, better for a collaboration.”
“All the students will already be used to the room, they'll be more at ease.”
“Why Lena?” Alex asked, finally giving up and going for the direct route.
“I just told you-” Kara began, but Maggie cut her off.
“Little Danvers, we all know that's why Professor Brick Wall agreed, but why'd you propose it?”
Kara huffed. “Why do I even talk to you guys.”
“Cuz you love me and we're always right,” Alex answered cheekily, earning a shove from her sister.
☓☓☓
“Auntie Lena?” called a soft voice from the room she was currently trying very hard to tiptoe past. The Luthor decided to continue her quest, hoping the toddler would go back to sleep and Sam wouldn't be mad. Another soft, “Auntie?” crushed her resolve though, and Lena slipped into the little girl's room to see what the problem was.
“What's up Ruby? Did I wake you?” Ruby shook her head, so Lena continued her prompting as she picked the girl up. “Well, something must've because Mommy texted me 10 minutes ago saying you were sound asleep.”
“I twicked her!” the toddler stated proudly.
“Oh yeah?” Lena said, trying her best not to laugh at the proud grin of the 3 year old in her lap. “Why’d you go and do that?”
“Cuz I missed you.”
“I missed you too Rubes, but you need your sleep,” Lena chided before deciding it wouldn't hurt to cave just a little. “How about this: you go to sleep, and I'll make sure I can take you to daycare tomorrow, okay?”
This seemed to satisfy the little one, as she quickly scrambled back into her bed and tucked herself in. Lena laughed at the antics before kissing her head and leaving the room.
“Sure you can postpone your ogling that long?” asked a voice from behind her as she turned to the kitchen.
Lena jumped at the unexpected noise, giving a quiet “Jesus Sam!” before turning to face the source. “First of all, Luthor's don't ogle.”
“We both know you only claim that family when you're gonna lose an argument,” Sam stated matter-of-factly.
“Shut it.” Lena rolled her eyes and resumed her walk to the kitchen to avoid acknowledging her best friend's point.
Sam sighed, hopping that Kara Danvers decides to make a move someday, because there's no way in hell Lena will.