Work Text:
11pm
There’s been six months since Lena left National City. She had a plan. Make a good life far away from all of the things that remember her last name. L-Corp is being guided by the board. Yeah… Most of her research were made there. That company is seventy percent of her patrimony. Seventy percent isn’t all and even if it were, money wasn’t what could make her happy. Probably, nothing in this world could.
She found out the truth. Her dying brother told that she was a fool. A pathetic person. With his words, loneliness came back. A Luthor is always destined to be alone. Lena always chose this path. At least she thinks she did. The moment she blamed herself for that terrific drowning when had only four years old, was the moment loneliness became her best friend. She learned with that. Had the taste of a good glass of wine. Harmonic. Calm. Safe.
After a journey crossing Paris, England and Germany, she’s in this loud restaurant back in NC. Signatures bring her back every month. The place has a good ambience and she is kind of sick of been on an apartment. She seats on the back with a glass of wine, a sketchbook, a pen and ideas regarding a new project about cosmology. She was on every conference that involved the subject. Lena could be lonely and without the support of a company, but the mind of a human is never empty. Nothing with kryptonite this time. She is studying colors and magnetic field now. Not heroes, not lies. The little girl that lives on her, wants to see the cosmos by herself. Maybe I’m a fool, brother.
The skies are empty of nature in the cities. Full of smokes and artificial lights. She is tired of artificiality. She doesn’t want to see behind a glass either.
Lena wants to see the real one. World's peak. Maybe rest on a camp, climb a mountain, drink a great harm coffee. Something excited and different of what she's been doing her whole life. Six months were enough for Lena fall in love with the idea. Kids look to the stars, in a camp fire, surrounding by friends or family, but that didn’t happened on her childhood and she deserved it now.
After a lot of notes on her sketchbook, Lena realizes the conversation around her is gone now. When she looks up, realizes that the place is almost empty. She grabs her backpack and leaves the money on the table. This restaurant is good because it wasn’t on a grand avenue and it's still close of her apartment. The streets are louder than inside. Places are closing and when Lena looks to the lights, sees drops of rain. She puts the hoodie on and keeps her hands in a jeans's pocket. A casual look is important when you don’t want nobody recognize you. That one - specifically - she recovered from her closet. It was Sam’s sweatshirt.
There’s only three blocks until her house but in the middle of that, there’s some crowd. She sees some lights shining. Police lights. Fuck. Supergirl is there. Fighting some alien from where she can see. What were the odds?!
Lena is rich. She could turn around and spend a night in a hotel, but that’s sounds ridiculous. She is not a coward. After everything, she couldn’t be.
The path to her building is overflowing with cars and people. News channels are already there too. A perimeter is already closed. But she looks to the ground and moves foward.
Luthor family back in town?
Lena Luthor: The CEO returns
Super vs. Luthor again?!
What crimes will we have now?
Her mind was so full of probable headlines that she came to find a wall. Something she can't cross. Well… Not exactly a wall. “Hey, look where you are going”
She lifts her head “I’m so sorr-.” And freezes
“Lena?!” There’s no time to answer of even words. I'm kind of a coward.
There's a voice coming from behind of the redhead woman, but they don’t care. Not until it's besides them “Director Danvers, we have some issue here”
“Wha-Why?” they’re still looking for each other. Almost like there isn’t a fight with powerful beings happening around. Lena is the first one to leave the gaze and step away from Alex. She puts her backpack close, swallow and stare the other agent. Making every effort not to look at Alex.
“They’re calling you”
Alex realize Lena is talking to her but spend a few more seconds looking to the pale face in front of her. “We tough you were gone” she grumbles
“Director?”
Alex turns to the agent “Give me a second”
“You should go.” Lena looks to the battle and catches Supergirl falling to the ground and returning for more punches right after. “She needs you” Alex follows her eyes.
“Yeah…I should go”
“Alex…” The Diretor is already steps ahead, but turns to Lena with questioning eyes “Don’t tell her” There's only a nod and then Alex runs to the middle of a now ended fight. Supergirl is standing and the villain is defeated.
…
…
Next morning, Lena is making coffee. She’s not used to sleep too much, but last night was hard. Every month she comes back to the city, and no one notices, no one knows. Her assistant is the only one that makes contact with her. Yet, just for papers.
When she entered the apartment right after midnight, there was only silence. The place was too high to hear sirens or people joy about their hero. Not so high to erase the look on Alex eyes when they meet.
Confusion.
Last night, she called L-Corp, searching for information about the last deal she has to firm. She almost asked for a plane, for the last goodbye. I shouldn’t have come. But the papers would be ready just today. She could leave tomorrow and pretend that nothing had happened.
The heat and smell coming from the coffee is comforting. When the brunette goes to the living room and looks to the window, the sky is full of light. Sunlight. It’s beautiful, warm and… yellow. It’s not the color she wants. The night sky and that coffee could be a greater combination. Warmer lights are gone for now. She needs a break. Her radiant best friend lied and she is trying to be okay with that. She really is. But it's still too brilliant for her.
When her phone rings, Lena knows is time to get ready for long reunions. She puts the business armor. Pencil skirt, expensive shirt, high heels and hair pulled in a tight bun. Minutes later, her car is moving.
…
…
8pm
The deal is closed. L-Corp is opening another laboratory for applied research and she is getting free time. She had a headache all day and the moment she steps back on the apartment, relieves comes with a deep breath.
Lena goes to her room and change to comfortable clothes. When she comes out, there’s a slight knock on the door. No one is allowed to be there. It's strange. She moves closer and looks through the camera. Alex.
The brunette thinks in not to respond. She will give up and leave.
“Lena, I know you are there.” Silence “Please” Alex pleads and from inside, Lena can see she is with her forehead on the door.
Lena feels something screaming inside her. Someone looking so needy to see her is unusual. When someone is Alex Danvers is a question. A question she wants to answer. Lena holds her breath for a few minutes and opens the door.
“What are you doing here?”
“I-I thought we should talk”
“Alex… it’s not the time”
“I know you don’t have anything to do right now. Your plain lives tomorrow.”
“Ho-How do you know that?”
“Director, remember?” Lena closes her eyes and step aside giving space for Alex to enter. The CEO goes to the fridge - she really needs alcohol for this – and the redhead is left looking the apartment. “Everything is the same”
“Not everything” two glasses and a bottle of wine are on Lena’s hands. “Well…”
…
…
They didn’t talk first. They avoid each other eyes. Just sat on the couch and searched around the furniture for things that weren’t there. They drink wine in completely silence. When Lena is full of that, she look back to Alex. Her short red hair was darker, but her clothes looked the same. T-shirt, jeans and jacket. Her outside didn’t change.
“You didn’t tell her, did you?” Lena start with a small voice
Alex looks back “No. I didn’t. I know why you ran”
Lena takes a sip of wine “What do you mean?”
“You know who she is. Kara”
Lena looks away. She thinks of deny. Doesn’t need to open up for Alex. They previous relationship was just because of Kara. They never talked about life, feelings. Although, the brunette realizes she needs this. A closed chapter.
“Supergirl.” She tightens her hand around the glass. Never before these words were spoken by her “Kara is Supergirl”
“How do you figure it out?” Lena can feel Alex’s eyes on her.
“Lex told me.” She didn’t feel the need of saying more than that - the moment he told her. The shots. When I killed him.
“You ran because she lied… We lied” Alex's words are full of pain. It's visible for Lena. The whole situation is difficult. They were becaming friends back then. When Lex told her, Lena was so angry with Kara that the others involved were not a big thing to her. Yeah, everyone lied. But the secret was Kara's.
“Yes.” The silence falls again. Unpleasant. Lena looks to Alex wanting to see her. Trying to read her expressions. “But not just for that. I felt broken. I wasn’t a Luthor, but I wasn’t just Lena either. Lena had friends. Friends that she trusted with her life. Luthors are full of hatred. I had hate but I not feel only that.”
“Had?”
“I don’t hate Kara anymore. Nor any of you. I spent a lot of time trying to understand my feelings. I’m still trying.”
“Lena-” something rings on Lena’s room.
“Wait a minute”
Alex is left alone. She gets up from the couch and walks to the window, close to where’s a table full of papers and photographs. She is not trying to pry, but one image gets her attention. She moves away the pile of papers and gets the photo. The woman doesn’t know exactly what that picture reminds her, but it does.
Lena enters the room apologizing and explain the motive of the call. Work, apparently. Yet, Alex doesn’t move. Only when the brunette comes and sneaks from behind her, the director notices and faces Lena with the picture on hand.
“What is this?”
“Northern Lighs” The CEO looks straight to Alex and sees how excited her eyes are. They’re illuminated with sparks. It's like Lena's reaction when she saw the photo for the first time. It’s dangerous. It’s beautiful. Lena grabs the paper and puts back on the table. “Let’s go outside. Bring the wine”
…
…
Lena’s balcony has two comfortable chairs and she brought some blankets and pillows for more comfort. They talked about Nia, Brainy – that are dating - and even James. He is gone. Lena doens't need to know more. She doesn’t care. They avoid Kara for a time, but when the wine starts to kick in, she turns a subject. Kara realized that Lena knew the truth after few weeks. She was sad and cried for the first months after Lena’s disappearance. Alex took care of her and she was better. Still missing her best friend, but accepting the fact that Lena was not ready. They needed time.
“What about Kelly? How are you two doing?”
“Oh…we split” Alex is still looking to the sky
“I’m sorry. You looked cute together.”
“Yeah... something was missing. We didn’t have the spark, you know?”
“Seems like we’re not made for that family.”
“What you mean?”
“Something was missing with James too... Sex.”
“Lena!” Alex looks to Lena with an outrageous funny look on her face.
“Come on, I’m still a Luthor” And the two laugh. Hard.
When silence appeared again it was not discomfortable. They are too focus on the feeling of air filling the lungs and the black sky almost without stars. The wine is gone, but they’re still there even when don’t know why.
“Northern Lights.”
Lena turns her body to be facing Alex’s “Yes?”
“Why you have pictures of that?”
Lena thinks for a moment before answering “I want to go. I spend months going on speeches about the phenomenon. In the last weeks, I’ve been working in something to see the particles. Something that I can carry and capture atoms in the atmosphere. I want to measure, see... the electricity of the moment. Seems like a storm, but more intriguing than that. It looks... beautiful”
Alex change position and they’re staring now “Yeah, it does. Where are you going?”
“Iceland. I came here to sign papers before my extended vacation”
“I’m trying to have some days too. Have some time to myself before adopting, you know.”
“That’s great. Any kid will be very lucky to having you as her mother.”
“It’s hard… When I think everything is going to work, something goes wrong”
“You can get through everything, Alex. I already told you that.” Lena moves to pad her pillow.
“That green on the photo…” Lena’s eyes come up to faces Alex again “It’s the color of your eyes.” The last words are almost a whisper, but Lena hears.
“ 'You think?”
“I’m sure” Lena smirk at Alex and realizes that she is almost sleeping. Her sheets are almost on the ground, so the brunette gets up and puts them back on Alex's body. After one admiring look, Lena catches and carries the empty glasses to the kitchen. When she returns, Alex is holding the blanket tight.
Lena decides to sleep there, on the balcony. She gets back to the chair and wraps herself until be comfortable. On a city that she didn’t want to come back, but - surprisingly - it was good to be here now, with a last look to her side, Lena smile before she sleeps and dreams about a sky full of lights and a woman that’s also by her side in real life.
We could leave the world behind