Work Text:
The sun beats scorching hot as it pours in to the open window of Kara's studio apartment. The brightness claws behind her eyelids and jolts her awake, propelling her forward in her chair. With a groan she flexes, her neck protesting against the horrible angle it's been forced to stay in for several consecutive hours. She adjusts her crooked glasses from their awkward perch over one of her ears. She must have fallen asleep with them on, which she only does when she's too exhausted to function. She paws at her head next, frowning as her fingers get stuck in a tangled, disheveled mess of hair. She isn't sure how she got here, or why she slept in her chair of all places, but none of that compares to the jackhammer of a headache pulsing behind her eyes. She grits her teeth and shifts around to try to find her phone, only to hear the disappointing clunk of something dropping to the floor.
"Oof--" she exhales, the effort of movement more than she really prepared for. Did she get into a fight last night? It feels like she was dragged up and down an alley before being thrown into her old, rickety recliner to sleep it off. She slowly reaches under her chair and pulls out her phone, where she's greeted by a barrage of notifications and missed calls.
"Well that can't be great," she mumbles, scrolling down to try to put the pieces together. She feels weirdly disoriented, the details of last night swirling in a haze of liquid that she can't make sense of right now. Her foot knocks against an open can on the ground, and when she glances at the discarded beer, her stomach heaves.
"Why do I have--" she mutters, pushing the empty can aside and smacking her lips together, grimacing at the horrible taste in her mouth. "I don't even like this beer."
"CALL ME IMMEDIATELY!!!!!!" Alex's text message screams. There are ten more vaguely threatening messages waiting for her that vary in number of exclamation points and level of profanity. Kara sighs and ignores them. Not before coffee.
The Instagram tags grab her attention next. She opens the app and squints, hard, as she realizes there's a picture of some blonde girl on a bar, her shirt wide open, stomach glistening, as she flexes every muscle in her body. Her eyes are closed as she screams into a microphone.
"Oh, no."
She immediately calls Nia, whose texts were a little more gentle and concerned than Alex's.
"Kara!!" Nia exclaims loudly, so loud, that Kara has to pull the phone from her ear. Her hearing is suddenly hyper sensitive, like everything has been magnified purely to torture her. Nia's voice, for example, is enough to send her brain into cyberspace. "Kara?" Nia asks, a little softer this time. Kara puts the phone back to her ear.
"Hi," Kara croaks, clearing her throat as she heads to her kitchen, desperate for water. "I um--" she stumbles, not entirely wanting to know how she ended up like this. She pours the water and takes a long sip, grateful for the coolness against her parched tongue. She swallows. "What happened last night?"
"Oh honey," Nia croons, and Kara's stomach instantly drops. "You don't remember?"
"I remember a lot of alcohol." The bile rises in her throat at just the mention of it and she clenches the counter, swallowing heavily. Her eyes squeeze closed as it passes. "I feel like I went through a juice press."
"That's fair," Nia says with a chuckle. "You drank like a champ."
Kara stares at her knuckles, noticing the spider web of scratches all along her skin. She recalls clutching a glass, and soon after, cleaning up broken shards from the top of a table. "And uh, I think I broke a glass at one point?"
"Mhmm," Nia says slowly. She's treading lightly, and Kara somehow feels worse. "Anything else?"
"I think there might have been karaoke."
She switches Nia to speaker and returns her attention to Instagram. The picture is, unfortunately, still there, the evidence as clear as day. It's definitely her, or some alternate universe variation, where suddenly she's the type of person to strip off her clothes and perform. She just can't understand what could have possibly gotten her to be up on the bar all by herself, half-naked, belting into a microphone like she's performing at Madison Square Garden.
"Oh, please tell me this picture is photoshopped."
"Er...," Nia replies, non-committal which is all the affirmation Kara needs. She pauses. "On the bright side, your voice was incredible."
"So I just... sang?"
"I mean, there were moves," Nia giggles. "Clearly."
This is why she never drinks. Well, not never. But she never gets drunk. She's always the friend helping everyone else out of their drunken shenanigans, assuring them and comforting them and tucking them in. She's not the one getting sloppy and causing a scene. It's way more fun to watch everyone else act silly and answer their phone calls the next morning to help fill in the missing pieces. She much prefers to be the Nia in this scenario. But for whatever reason, last night she decided to break her responsible streak and go absolutely wild.
Kara closes her eyes. She tries to parse through the disjointed memories but it's still a frustrating puzzle. The only things that seem to stand out are a lot of shots, and a pair of achingly familiar, painfully sharp green eyes staring at her from across the bar.
"Lena." Kara swallows just as her throat closes. "Lena was there. Lena--" Kara cups a hand over her mouth and drops the phone as she races to the bathroom.
It's violently upsetting, to spill the contents of her stomach while her mind is reeling, but that's exactly what happens. She clutches the toilet and simply hangs on for dear life until the horrendous wave of nausea passes. After a few minutes, she returns back to her phone, where Nia is somehow still waiting for her.
"Hi."
"Where were we?" Nia asks, unfazed. A blender whirs on her side, and Kara knows its some sort of post-workout concoction because her friend seems completely immune from hangovers. Damn her. "Oh, right, you remembered that you saw Lena last night."
Lena. The name hangs heavily in the air around her, and Kara feels another wave of something else roll her stomach. Longing, mostly, with a voracious side of sadness. Lena, her gorgeously stunning ex-girlfriend, who she is not still painfully hung up on, decided to show up last night for some inexplicable reason. They haven't spoken in weeks, though not for lack of trying on Kara's part. She still calls and texts as often as appropriate, dipping into probably inappropriate territory, but she's trying.
The frustrating thing is their break up wasn't epic or awful -- it was painful, slow, and debilitating, something that sent Kara into a complete state of...unraveling. That's really the only way she can describe it. Her life feels torn at the edges, falling apart in ways she can't even quite understand.
It ended because life got in the way, allegedly, though Kara doesn't know what that means. She just knows Lena runs a high powered company with high powered people and she can't be distracted. And Kara was categorized as a distraction, somewhat, so now everything simply aches.
(Deep down she knows it's more than that. They were getting to be too much, too grand, something words haven't even been invented to describe, and it broke them. It broke Lena, which in turn broke everything.)
But they promised to remain friends. They were friends before they dated, and so it should be easy to fall back into that. At least, that's how Kara tries to spin it. She knows they belong together, but for now, she'll take Lena in any form she can get. So she texts, and she calls, and she tries to set up lunch meetings, and she acts like everything about it is fine, even if her heart breaks a little more every time Lena doesn't call her back.
So it hits in a new kind of awful way now that she realizes what she's done, because Lena absolutely did not need to see her like that: drunk, wild and out of control. A distraction. That's not Kara. She can't even fathom why she would have allowed it to get so far, why she would allow herself to act like such a fool, when all she's been trying to do is impress Lena. She's been waiting for a chance to convince her they belong together, even if life has other plans. But dancing on a bar with her shirt ripped open is the exact opposite of that.
"Niaaaa..." Kara whines. "Did I totally blow it?"
"Well, she took you home, so, I don't think so."
"She-- what?"
Kara chokes on her water just as a piece of paper on her counter catches her attention. There's a note there, written in Lena's elegant, looping script. She always had the fanciest penmanship, so expected when you look at her face, and so startling when you consider her propensity to wear a lab coat and write complicated math formulas. Kara's chest aches, as she recalls sweetly written reminders in that same handwriting, or birthday cards with quiet sentiments thoughtfully penned just for her. This note, in comparison, is very direct, like Lena was standing in her lab writing a prescription. It comes paired, naturally, with two aspirin.
"Take these in the morning."
No fluff, no cute 'xoxo'. Just ... take the pills.
Kara's heart twists as she reaches for the medicine.
12 hours earlier
The bar is comfortably full and not overly crowded, which is everything Kara loves about it. She looks around, pleased that everyone seems to be finding their nook and getting settled. Despite all her friends' attempts at excuses -- her sister easily the worst offender -- everyone finally came together to take a break from their chaotic lives and have one night of fun. Kara only had to beg a little, but it was worth it. Alex and Kelly are off at a high top table by the bar, cozily sipping beers and sharing chuckles over inside jokes. Brainy and Winn are yelling at an arcade game in the corner, and J'onn and James are engaged in a spirited dart competition. Kara feels lucky, despite everything, to have all her friends around. It's where she feels safest, even if things aren't completely alright.
Work has been brutal. Her new boss, Andrea, is a total tyrant in a super model's body, which doesn't do anything for Kara's mood. Somehow, her boss being hot makes everything worse, not better, because it just reminds her of everything she doesn't have, but that's an unavoidable problem for the foreseeable future. She can't even really enjoy being in her presence, because whenever she comes around, it's another deadline, another story for Kara to chase, another article to write at midnight. She doesn't think Andrea really even knows much about the industry, but rumor has it she's loaded and she bought CatCo outright, so Kara has little room for argument. Thankfully, Nia's desk is right around the corner from Kara's, so they can exchange pained looks whenever Andrea makes another ridiculous request through her sparkling smile.
"What do you think she's doing right now?" Nia asks as she selects her pool stick from the wall and tosses Kara a wry grin. She knows Kara gets comically uncomfortable when they talk about Andrea, so of course that means she has to bring her up at all times.
"Ughhhh come on, I don't want to think about her right now," Kara groans, rolling her eyes. "I need one night of peace."
"I bet she's on some fancy yacht eating caviar and sipping champagne, fluttering her eye lashes and pouting her lips," Nia says, blinking hard and twisting her face to mock Andrea. "Talking about clickbait articles and how low she can go."
"You're the worst," Kara says, chalking her stick. "Rack 'em up, let's go!"
Nia gets the balls racked and positions herself on the opposite side in order to break. She lines up and takes her shot, watching as two of the solids fall into pockets. She grins in triumph and Kara rolls her eyes.
They take turns shooting a few rounds until Nia does a double take over Kara' shoulder. Her jaw hangs open as she gazes back at Kara with wide eyes.
"Uh, don't look now but--" Nia nudges her head forward. "Lena Luthor just walked in."
Kara turns around so fast she basically gives herself whiplash as she knocks her hip against the table. The entire thing shakes.
"Cool, so, subtlety is not your super power, got it," Nia confirms, nodding.
Kara doesn't hear her.
There are three things she notices immediately.
One, Lena is so painfully hot, that she instantly stands out from the crowd as if she's from another world, where she's drawn in technicolor, and everyone else fades back to gray. Two, Kara's heart doesn't beat for a solid three seconds, before going into overdrive and fluttering over itself to catch up, as if it can somehow pump enough blood through her body to get to all her nerve endings at once. In other words, her entire body drowns in a rushing flood of adrenaline and she feels like she might be having a heart attack.
And three, Lena is on the arm of another woman, a hot woman, and suddenly everything explodes into chaos.
Kara blinks away the red, but all she can hear is noise.
Lena walks in slowly, her expensive designer coat hugging her frame, and her heels high enough to practically reach the ceiling. She's leaning against a slightly taller brunette, their heads angled close together, whispering. Her arm is on the woman's forearm, as she points to a back corner table. The woman turns to face the bar and Kara immediately recognizes her. She inhales sharply and drops the drink she completely forgot she was holding.
"Woah!" Nia exclaims next to her, jumping back as the tumbler rolls to the side. Fortunately it doesn't shatter, as the last of the beer puddles near their feet. Nia glances up and then back at Kara. "Is that--" she points and Kara quietly nods. "Holy shit."
"You wanted to know what she was doing tonight."
"I--" Nia stutters, her mouth hanging open. She turns to Kara, frazzled. "Are they dating?"
"HA--" Kara barks. "Dating? I don't--they couldn't-- she's--" she stumbles, choking slightly. She frowns, studying the two of them. Lena Luthor and Andrea Rojas, together, in Kara's favorite bar. How perfect.
She notes how close they are, and the way Andrea's hand ghosts over the small of Lena's back as they walk through the bar. She watches Lena's smile sparkle and Andrea's eyes flutter and she realizes she actually doesn't know the answer to Nia's question and she hates it.
"They aren't dating." Kara says definitively. "They're just--" Kara gestures vaguely, searching for a word that defines close friends who seem to be whispering into each other's ears and hanging all over each other while remaining oblivious to everything...
"Drinks!" Kara announces abruptly. "We need more drinks. All the drinks. Do you want a drink? I'm getting a drink."
"Kara," Nia reaches out and touches her forearm gently. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Kara insists. "I'm fantastic. Why wouldn't I be? I just need a drink. We're at a bar! It's what you do! This is gonna be great. I'm getting drinks. What do you want? Never mind! I'll surprise you."
"Kara--"
She turns away briskly, forcing her brain to only think about one thing: alcohol. Get the drinks, get back to Nia. Drink the drinks, forget everything else.
She comes back a few minutes later with whiskey and coke, because it's all she could think to get where she could insist on making them doubles. She takes several long, burning sips while Nia just watches.
"I can't believe she brought Andrea," Nia says. "I knew they were friends but wow--"
"You did?"
"You didn't?"
Kara thinks about that. She remembers Lena mentioning it, maybe, in passing. It's not that she doesn't listen when Lena talks. It's what when Lena talks it's magic, and sometimes Kara can't always catch everything she says because her voice, and her face, and her lips-- it's all just too much for a girl to handle. But now that she thinks about it, she definitely remembers Lena talking about an old friend coming to town that Kara would "absolutely adore". But did she mean Andrea? Her new boss with the stupid perfect hair, and the stupid perfect face, and the stupid pouty lips? The one who wouldn't know hard-hitting journalism if it slapped over her perfectly coiffed head? What could they possibly have in common? Kara eyes the two of them across the bar again and it dawns on her: they have Lena in common. And apparently, a very shared interest at that. Her stomach becomes an angry combination of famished and also vehemently against food, which is strange and awful. She sips her drink like it personally offended her while she continues to glower at perfect Andrea doting all over her Lena.
Whatever. Maybe they would be friends if things were different. Like if Andrea wasn't obnoxious, and Kara didn't have to worry about losing Lena. She slams her empty glass down on the pool table. But as it stands, Andrea is obnoxious, and Lena isn't hers, so, that's that. Basically, Lena was wrong and Kara does NOT adore her good friend Andrea, is all she's saying. The whole thing is annoying, actually, and she's getting a headache.
"I didn't think you guys were even speaking," Nia tries, and it's the exact wrong thing to say, because Kara reaches for her glass, only to find it empty.
"We're not," Kara says, shrugging. "I mean, we're not not speaking, but it's just been awhile since we've talked."
"So... how did she know about tonight?"
"I mean, I always tell her when things are going on, I just didn't think she'd actually come," Kara insists, glancing again at Lena and Andrea all cozy in their corner. Andrea has just tucked a strand of Lena's hair behind her ear and Kara feels like she's about to rip her own clothes off in pure rage. "And definitely not with company," she finishes with a huff.
"Well, you should go talk to her," Nia suggests, taking another sip of her drink and grimacing. "And you should also never get me another drink again. This is awful."
"What? No! Why would I do that?" Kara asks, incredulous. She looks over again. "She's obviously busy."
"She didn't just come for fun, Kara," Nia says seriously. "She came because she knew you'd be here."
"It's a bar, she probably didn't even see my text," Kara mumbles, staring at the floor. She's tired of looking at the back corner, even though the image of Lena being wrapped around Andrea's body seems to be burned into her brain no matter what she does.
"Right, because Lena comes into this dive bar all the time. She's a karaoke queen."
Kara scoffs. "Maybe Andrea is."
"I'll buy your coffee for an entire month if Andrea Rojas turns out to be a secret karaoke aficionado," Nia says, extending her hand. "I swear."
Kara rolls her eyes, but shakes Nia's hand anyway. Deep down, she knows Nia is probably right. Expensive, fancy, gorgeous Andrea Rojas is not coming to this bar because she enjoys it. There has to be a reason. But Lena? Kara's chest aches. It feels deliberate, like Lena has come in here for the express purpose of flaunting her new girlfriend in Kara's face. And how dare she? Wasn't she the one all hung up on distractions?
She clenches her jaw. She's happy that Lena's happy. Or at least, she's trying to be. But this is Kara's night, this was Kara's idea. Her friends are everywhere. If Lena wants to come in here with new arm candy, then she has to expect to face Kara at some point. And if Andrea thinks she can get away with stealing Lena from right in front of her, well. She's got another thing coming.
With a flex of her neck and a straightening of her shoulders, she nods at Nia and begins to saunter over, summoning all the confidence she can muster. As she gets close, a guy walks into her and she knocks unceremoniously into Lena's table.
"Oh!" Kara backs into it, wincing. Her face is on fire as she turns to face the table. "So sorry about that. Lena! Hi."
"Kara," Lena looks up, surprised, her cheeks flushing. Andrea eyes her with a bemused smile. "Are you okay?"
"I'm amazing!" Kara steadies the table. "I was just passing by, you know. Coming to say hi, since you're here. And I'm here--" she catches herself getting lost in Lena's eyes and then remembers they aren't hers to get lost in. She switches to Andrea, which is immediately worse. "My boss is even here. So that's great..."
"Kara," Andrea nods, sipping her drink delicately. "We're off the clock, so it's okay."
"I haven't had a chance to personally introduce you," Lena says, her professional smile in place. "Outside of work, of course. But you know Andrea and I go way back."
Andrea's eyes are stunningly blue, and she sips her drink like it's going out of style, and Kara hates her. She doesn't usually hate anyone, and she's sure it's not even really hate that she's feeling. But right now she takes particular joy in picturing a way to drag Andrea out of the bar by her expensive hair and tossing her into the street.
Or at least sending her on her way in the back of a gross cab that charges double. She's not a monster.
Kara's cheeks flush as she realizes she's been standing in front of them in awkward silence. "Great, well, it's nice to officially meet you, again," Kara offers, and Andrea winks. Kara's stomach turns. "I won't interrupt. I just wanted to come say hi. You look great," she adds without thinking, staring right at Lena. "I mean, you both do. You're both lovely. You're lovely together."
Andrea glances at Lena with a wry smile, before nodding. "Thank you, Kara. That's sweet."
Lena simply avoids eye contact as she sips her wine.
Whatever.
"I'll uh -- catch you guys later then --" Kara swiftly turns on her heel.
That went well, she thinks dismally, as she makes her way toward the bar. Before she can make it too far, she feels a tug on her arm.
"Kara? Wait." Lena hurries to catch up after her. Kara whips around, then looks over Lena's shoulder. Lena winces, glancing back at Andrea with a pout. "Is it okay that I brought her? I just thought she could use the time away from the office, you know? And it's a chance to meet everyone. It's been so long since we've lived in the same city, you know. I just thought it would be nice."
"Pshh--" Kara waves her off, shaking her head. Inside, she's boiling. Somehow National City has become the size of a thimble, and once again, she wishes she could put Andrea in a pod and send her to outer space. That would be the type of distance she'd be comfortable with. Instead she says, "Of course! The more the merrier, obviously! I'm thrilled. And it brings you here, so that's.....something."
There's an uncomfortable pause as Kara notices Lena glance again at Andrea.
"She's definitely amazing, isn't she? Amazing Andrea," Kara says, grinning, because apparently she hates herself. "That goes together perfectly. She's just..."
"Amazing?" Lena guesses, eying her. Kara smiles, because Lena's face is just so painfully pretty. Where were they talking about? Kara doesn't know, so she nods dumbly.
"So how are you?" Lena asks, softer this time. Her voice is so low, so unbearably sexy, that all Kara can focus on is her lips. She crosses her arms and Kara's eyes are drawn lower, which is dangerous.
"Uh," Kara says, trying to force herself to focus. How is she? Not great, but she can't necessarily admit it. I miss you, she wants to say. I hate your girlfriend, is another option. Instead it comes out as, "Busy! Always busy. Good though. How are you doing?"
Lena purses her lips and nods. "More of the same," she says, a small, sad smile on her face.
"Would you like another drink? I'm getting more drinks," Kara says, since that's all she can seem to think of. Her hands are empty, and she needs something to occupy them before she does something stupid, like slap Andrea -- her boss -- across the face. She also still has a lot of feelings, and that absolutely needs to change. And fast.
"I think I'm all set," Lena says, nodding at her table where she has a very full glass of wine.
"Okay, great!" Kara says, faking enthusiasm that she absolutely doesn't feel. "I guess I'll--" she gestures toward the bar.
"Of course," Lena nods. "It's good to see you."
"You too!" Kara exclaims loudly, forcing herself to turn away before she says something she'll regret. She doesn't want Lena to know she's got a problem with Andrea, or that she has ten thousand questions, most of them beginning with 'why'. She wants to get as far away from them as possible. Going over there was a mistake, and she hopes she can forget about it in the next five minutes.
She orders another double and glares across the bar. Andrea is talking and Lena's laughing, because whatever Andrea is saying is probably fascinating. Andrea's hand is on Lena's forearm, her fingers stroking along the fabric of Lena's shirt and Kara grinds her teeth. Andrea's nose crinkles when Lena says something, and the two of them make very direct eye contact with each other as if no one else exists. Which makes no sense, considering Lena brought her to "meet everyone". So far, all they've done is curl up against each other and ignore the world. So that's great.
She doesn't realize she's staring until a voice in her ear rattles her concentration.
"You seem to be rather focused, Kara," Brainy observes as he nods at the bartender for another beer.
Andrea's lips graze along Lena's ear and the glass Kara is holding explodes in her hand.
"Ah!" Kara jolts, pulling her attention from their gross displays of affection in order to fully process that she just crushed a glass in her bare hand. "What are these made of, paper?" she complains as the bartender eyes her with suspicion. She asks for another through profuse apologies.
"They're actually bar-grade glass," Brainy explains. "Very hard to break with your bare hand. You have impressive grip strength."
"Yeah, well," Kara says, brushing him off. "I'm just a girl of many talents, clearly."
Not enough to keep Lena Luthor interested, though, she wants to say. She chuckles angrily to herself, which prompts Brainy to shuffle away quietly with his eyebrows raised skyward. She takes her make-up drink and gulps it as fast as she can. Soon, her head feels warm and floaty, and she doesn't even taste the alcohol anymore. A good sign.
"Kara, what's happening here?" Alex asks by her elbow, leaning against the bar next to her. "Are you bleeding?"
She turns and sways a little, bumping into her sister as she turns to face her. "I get why you like alcohol s'much," she says. Her tongue feels funny in her mouth, like it's suddenly too big to talk around. "Makes everything disappear!"
She's starting to forget why she was so upset, because everything is warm and wonderful, and her friends are so fun, and they're here. Kelly and Alex exchange a glance. Kara raises her near-empty glass and points for another. The bartender frowns, but nods.
Alex nudges her chin toward her. "Doubles? Kara, you've been drinking those all night."
"This seems healthy," Kelly quips, nodding at her. Alex's frown deepens.
"Who gave her all these drinks?" Alex asks as she reaches to try to take the new one away. Kara guards it viciously. If she could snarl, she would, but the thought is so amusing that she ends up giggling instead.
"Let's get your hand fixed up," Kelly suggests, wrapping a gentle arm around Kara's shoulders. She shoots a calming stare in Alex's direction. "Come to the bathroom real quick? I think I've got bandaids in my purse."
"You're always prepared!" Kara exclaims, allowing herself to be guided to the bathroom. Kelly smiles and doesn't say anything.
"Are you having a good time?" Kelly asks quietly once they're alone. The bathroom is small, but fortunately empty, as Kara rests her hand on the counter.
"Mmhmm," Kara says. She's distracted by all the things in Kelly's purse. She rummages through it absentmindedly, fiddling with mints and tissues and an entire bottle of Advil that makes a pleasant rattle as she takes it out.
"Kara," Kelly says. Her eyes are deep and warm, and so kind, that Kara feels immediately relaxed. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," Kara says, shrugging. "Of course."
"It's okay if you're not," Kelly offers, as she rinses the blood off Kara's hand. "I saw her walk in."
Kara swallows heavily. She feels the tears build behind her eyes, but she simply clenches her jaw and forces a smile. "It's okay," she says, her voice shaky.
"She doesn't know what she's giving up," Kelly says, fixing the band-aid in place. She taps it once and then looks up, her hand still holding Kara's. "But she'll realize it soon enough."
"Thanks," Kara says, an airy half-hearted chuckle escaping her lips. "I hope you're right."
"Let's get back out there and forget about all that," Kelly says, her smile big. "We're not gonna let her ruin your night."
Kara feels a resurgence of energy as she flexes her newly wrapped hand. She smiles and nods, overwhelmed and thankful for Kelly's kindness.
They approach the bar arm in arm, and even though Lena and Andrea are standing a few feet away, Kara decides to take Kelly's advice. Her friends are all around and Kara shouts for the bartender's attention.
"Another round for all my friends!" Kara announces. "On me!"
They all cheer. The shots are passed around and Alex swats Nia for participating. Kara's face heats as she watches Lena decline, but Andrea takes one with a smile. She raises it in Kara's direction and winks.
"What?" Andrea asks, shrugging off Lena's judgmental gaze. "I'm here for the show." She nods in Kara's direction, where she's just downed another shot. "She's shooting doubles. You sure can pick 'em."
Lena blanches and immediately orders a water. Kara watches her lean toward the bartender, slipping her credit card across the bar. She frowns, wondering if she's opening a new tab. But in the same breath, she decides it isn't her problem. She saunters over to Alex and Kelly.
"Doing okay?" Kelly asks, placing her arm over Kara's shoulder.
"You betcha!"
A few moments later, a DJ starts pumping up the crowd. He's playing old 90's hits, and everyone heads to the middle of the bar to dance awkwardly around their drinks. The lights dim and the music is loud, but all Kara can see is Andrea dancing up on Lena, her arms around her waist, their faces too close to be coincidence. She feels on the verge of frenzy, and all she can think to do is distract herself. Maybe Lena was on to something with that.
After a few songs, Kara doesn't even feel in control of her body anymore. She just knows she wants to do something, anything, to get Lena's attention away from Andrea. She walks up to the bar and grabs a microphone while the tinny beat of 'Another Night' blasts through the speakers.
"Alex--" Lena points after a moment, eyes wide as Kara climbs on the bar. She detangles herself from Andrea. "Is that--"
"Kara?" they both look at each other, slack jawed.
They all turn and stare up on the bar, where Kara has become a spectacle of glistening abs and loud, emotional performing.
Present
"So, you know, that's about when you got a little wobbly and Alex and I helped you off the bar."
"Why did you let me drink so much?!"
"You told me if I didn't let you have another shot you would-- and I quote -- 'send me to space'," Nia says casually. "You told me you've dreamed of doing that."
"So I'm the worst," Kara says, sighing.
Nia chuckles. "You're fine."
"But how did I end up with Lena? Why did she take me home? She was with Andrea the whole night--" she emphasizes Andrea's name for dramatic effect, but really it just burns. She starts to remember Andrea's hands sliding down Lena's hips, and Lena's hands in Andrea's hair and...
"Andrea didn't seem phased," Nia replies. "It was kind of weird. Lena went to you, and I lost track of where Andrea went. But Lena insisted on taking you home, and wouldn't hear otherwise. I thought Alex was going to fight her over it, but she must have said something to convince her. She grabbed you by the hand and you sort of hung around her neck and told her she smelled good and that's about all I got."
"Great, super mortifying."
"Kara..." Nia starts, and Kara knows exactly what's coming. "Do we want to unpack why you went a little crazy when she walked in or--?"
"I didn't go crazy." Kara sighs. "I just-- I saw her with Andrea, and everything just felt like so much, you know? This city is too small."
"I get it."
"And Andrea is just--" Kara bites her lip. "She's perfect."
"She's terrifyingly pretty," Nia agrees with a small chuckle. "And also just terrifying, period."
"You know what I mean," Kara says. "She's everything Lena should have. She left me for a reason."
"Kara--"
Kara feels the lump in her throat which appears due to her feelings and not her hangover. She can't decide if that's better or not. "It's fine," Kara forces herself to smile. "I'll be fine. But I do think I owe her an apology. I can't even imagine the stupid stuff I said last night."
"Well that's a good start," Nia encourages. "But I don't think you did anything wrong. If anything, Lena owes you a bit of an explanation too, ya know? Why did she come at all, and why on Earth did she bring Andrea?"
There's a stretch of silence where Kara tries to imagine the answers to those questions, but she turns up empty. There's really no scenario where Lena's explanations will work in her favor.
"Do you--" Kara doesn't even want to say it, doesn't want to think about it but she asks anyway, "Do you think they're like, together together?"
Nia sighs. "I don't know, Kara. And I wish I could close my eyes and see the truth and tell you, but I can't. You need to talk to her yourself."
"I know," Kara says. "You're right."
"Let me know how it goes," Nia says, her voice stubbornly optimistic. "You'll do great."
After a long shower, a hot cup of coffee, and two huge bagels, Kara feels more like herself again. Caffeinated and carbed and ready. Enough that she feels like she can face Lena-- sort of. There's really no preparing for Lena Luthor, but she knows she's as ready as she's ever going to be.
As she stands outside of Lena's door, she pauses to give herself a pep talk. "She's going to be nice. You didn't do anything terrible. It's okay. You got this."
"I can hear you, you know." Lena's voice rings out from the other side of the door. The sound sends Kara jumping out of her skin.
Lena opens the door slowly. Her face is soft without make up, and she's tucked in a cozy sweater with her hair loose and wavy. She's a vision of domestic bliss, and Kara feels her heart trip over itself. Lena hesitates and doesn't open the door widely, but instead hovers around the edge with her arms crossed over her chest. She's so stunning that Kara forgets how to breathe altogether.
"Uh--Hi," Kara finally exhales. She suddenly feels so incredibly stupid, she can't believe she's standing in front of Lena after her embarrassing display last night. What was she thinking?
"Kara." Lena's voice is warm for a second, and the vowels in Kara's name roll around her tongue like they belong there. "How are you feeling?"
"Like garbage, if I'm honest," Kara chuckles, running her hand over the back of her neck. It feels hot to the touch, since she's embarrassed and nervous. Fantastic. Maybe she can play the sympathy card. Lena can't kick her out if she's this pathetic, right?
"You don't look it, for what it's worth."
"Thanks."
"Would you like to come in?"
Kara nods, feeling grateful that Lena is at least willing to allow her into the apartment. That means she wasn't too horrible last night. She trails after her slowly and smiles at paced intervals as Lena gets her some water and offers her a seat on the couch.
"You didn't have to take me home last night," Kara begins once they're settled. Her fingers trace nervously over her glass. "I was a mess."
"You did put on quite the show," Lena teases, but it's friendly enough that Kara's stomach flutters. "It was impressive."
"So I heard," Kara grimaces. "That bad, huh?"
"You have a beautiful voice," Lena says, and Kara feels like she can lift an entire building with the jolt of adrenaline it gives her. Lena's cheeks flush as she clears her throat. "But I've never seen you drink like that," she admits, shrugging her shoulder. "Making sure you got home safe was the least I could do."
"Yeah I--" Kara chuckles, staring hard at the floor. If she can avoid Lena's eyes for a few more seconds, that'd be ideal. She doesn't think she can face judgment at the moment. "I'm sorry about that."
Lena waves her off. "Don't be," she grins. "We all have those nights, even you. It seems you're human after all."
Kara shrugs, her face warm with that sick, jealous heat as she remembers Andrea. "I just wasn't expecting you to be there," she explains half-heartedly. "I was caught off guard."
"Ah," Lena places her glass down. "And is dancing on the bar a common reaction to seeing me?"
"Apparently," Kara replies, hoping she doesn't have to expand beyond that.
"I'll keep that in mind," Lena says, her lips upturned into a playful smirk.
Kara is immediately flustered. She hates how Lena can spin innocent words to seem like so much more than they are, without giving any hints about how she really feels. It's charming and endearing, and it's what always keeps her wanting. And she's so tired of longing.
"I didn't mean to interrupt your date," Kara says, turning serious. The word gets stuck on her lips and she clears her throat.
"My date," Lena repeats.
"You came with Andrea," Kara states, frowning.
"I did," Lena confirms. "You didn't interrupt."
"Oh," Kara says, her stomach dropping. "Well that's--Good, that's good."
There's a heavy, awkward silence as Lena sips her drink, refusing to give Kara any more information. It's like she's just waiting for Kara to ask, to try to pry before she'll divulge. It's exactly how she plays her more difficult business meetings, and Kara only takes minimal comfort in knowing exactly how she operates.
"So are you guys like--" Kara gestures, which should be enough, but Lena simply watches her. She doesn't offer anything so Kara's shoulders droop in resignation. "You guys look good together."
"We aren't together," Lena says quickly.
"But you seemed so--" Kara fumbles, "close."
"And you didn't like that."
"I hated that."
"Well, I owe you an apology too, Kara," Lena says, placing her glass on the table. She glances up with a sheepish smile. "I wasn't being fair."
"What do you mean?"
Yesterday
"I can't go alone," Lena laments, dropping herself onto the couch in her office. She isn't particularly graceful, but she's too upset to care. This is the couch she used to reserve for....well. Not exactly this. Friendly visits are wonderful, but they aren't Kara.
Andrea watches her with a skeptical expression as she follows, sitting next to her carefully.
"So bring a date."
"What?"
"Bring a date," Andrea repeats. "There's nothing like a little jealousy to really light a fire under your ex-girlfriend."
"I don't want her to be jealous," Lena corrects, frowning. "I just want her to notice me."
"Notice?" Andrea scoffs, pointing to Lena and gesturing over her figure, clothed in an Armani dress. "Right, because you never stand out."
Lena pouts and Andrea shakes her head. "Lena, you're impossible," she says, rolling her eyes. "All these years and you still don't know you're a knock out?" Lena looks away, but can still feel Andrea's eyes on her. She glances back, feeling like she's under a microscope. Andrea always had a way of seeing everything. "You don't need help for Kara to notice you. If she keeps you informed about what she's doing, she clearly wants you around."
"As a friend," Lena explains, smoothing her dress and avoiding Andrea's know-it-all stare. "When we broke up she seemed... relieved," Lena says, wringing her fingers as she recalls the way Kara seems so unbothered by the whole thing. "It's like I gave her the excuse she needed to go back to being friends. I feel like I did her a favor." Lena sighs, as the dull ache behind her eyes begins to throb. "The very next day, she was back to inviting me to game night and asking me my thoughts on a new piece of furniture for her apartment. It was like nothing happened."
"Maybe that's how she copes," Andrea suggests. "It's what I would do. Act nonchalant, and internally, be a disaster. But then again, I'm diabolical. I'd have ulterior motives for sure."
"Naturally," Lena scoffs. "Fortunately not everyone is as vengeful as you."
"A shame," Andrea says, checking her phone. She's unbothered by the dig. "Bring a date," she says again, returning her attention to Lena. "Trust me. It will stir the pot."
"I don't have a date," Lena says. "Unless you can conjure someone who doesn't expect anything in return--"
She pauses, studying Andrea's quirked eyebrow and smug expression before shaking her head.
"No."
"Lena, who else is going to do it?"
"No, absolutely not."
"It'll be fun," Andrea chuckles, running her fingers through her hair. "Remember that time back in school?"
"That was a disaster!" Lena recalls the memory, and the way Andrea laid it on thick. It got them in more emotional trouble than she would ever admit out loud, but she laughs in spite of herself. "We aren't kids anymore!"
"Come on," Andrea says, scooting closer and placing an arm around Lena's shoulders. "We're so much wiser now. And who knows you better than me?"
"Andy--"
"Let me get this straight," Andrea leans back, placing her arm over the back of the couch and fixing a smug smile on her lips. "You have a plan, and you have a perfectly willing participant. The variables are in your control. Think of it like...an experiment."
"An experiment," Lena replies, unconvinced. "You're really going to compare my love life to my work?"
"Is there a difference?" Andrea sneers, and Lena hates that she's right. "You want her back, right? How do you expect that to happen if you don't do something?"
"I don't know--"
"I'll go with you," Andrea affirms studying her nails. "You know I'm fun. And--" she eyes Lena with a knowing grin, "you know we look devastatingly good together." Lena purses her lips, but she doesn't argue. They always did complement each other with their exceedingly good aesthetics. It's the way Andrea carries herself, so deliberate and put together, and the way Lena knows how to fold into her like their bodies are sculpted to fit. They don't even have to try, it just works. "I'll let you drag me to this dive bar with you so you can make your ex-girlfriend jealous. No strings attached. It's a total win-win."
"For a price, I'm assuming."
"Of course, but I'll get back to you on that," Andrea says through the huge cheshire cat grin on her face. She reaches over and pats Lena's knee. "This is going to be fantastic."
Somehow, against all her better judgement, she lets Andrea accompany her that night. She recognizes the bar as Kara's go-to hang out, the spot she always invites her friends when trying to get everyone to unwind after a long week. Friends. The word sits heavily on Lena's mind as she pushes open the door. That's what they are now. She wonders, not for the first time, just what exactly she thinks she's doing. Kara is here, and she's going to be nothing but charming -- asking Lena about work and trying to politely navigate their new dynamic as best as she can. And Lena is going to let her. They'll dance around their new normal and Lena will pretend it's fine, and it will be so far from fine, and they'll go round and round. By the end, she'll be lucky if she can get out of this without falling more in love with Kara Danvers than before. But she's always been a glutton for punishment.
So with that, she pulls Andrea along and leads her into the bar to let the night unfold.
She spots Kara right away and nudges Andrea, who instinctively takes over. She's thankful for that, at least. Andrea has always been great on a mission. She appreciates the way she doesn't make a scene, but slips into a casual possessiveness -- her hand on Lena's back, her attention direct and focused. It's like she flips a switch and it pulls Lena right along with her.
Lena's gaze eventually drifts back across the bar toward the blonde with the adorable laugh. Kara is soft and beautiful, talking to Nia and smiling without a care in the world. Her hair is long and curled at the ends, windblown and natural, just the way Lena loves it. Her shirt is just tight enough to stretch whenever she curls her arm to take a drink, and it's almost enough to send Lena into a total frenzy. Her heart is pounding in her ears, and she wants to call the whole thing off. She doesn't want to ruin Kara's night, or cause any ripples. Normally, she lives to cause a disturbance, to assert herself in situations where she should be recognized. But with Kara, none of the rules ever apply. She simply wants her to be happy. She wants to be the reason she smiles, but if she can't, then she doesn't want to be the reason she isn't.
"I could have her fired," Andrea suggests later while they're sitting in the corner surveying the scene. She leans in toward Lena with a conspiratorial grin. "Just say the word."
"Stop it," Lena swats her arm. "You wouldn't dare."
"For you, I'd compromise ethics," Andrea says seriously. "It wouldn't be the first time."
"You're so bad," Lena smirks, shaking her head and taking a sip of her wine. She pauses to consider, but only briefly. "I don't want her fired," Lena says, glancing back across the bar and watching Kara enthusiastically down another shot. "Against my better judgement, I just want.... her."
Andrea places her hand gently over Lena's and squeezes lightly. "Then we'll get her."
Lena looks at the sincerity in Andrea's eyes and feels taken care of for the first time in a long time. At least, since Kara. It's different, she knows, but she'll take any bit of generosity she can get right now. She almost dissolves into a mess of teary thank-yous and a whole speech of oversharing, but Andrea simply hands her a napkin.
"Don't screw up your mascara," she warns, and Lena pulls herself together. "I know you're thankful I'm here. You can send me flowers later."
She keeps tabs on Kara for the remainder of the evening, frowning with every drink she orders and losing count after four. She wonders how Kara could possibly still be standing. She doesn't want to worry, but she can't help it.
"She never does this," Lena tries to assure Andrea, as if she has to convince her of something. "I don't know what's gotten into her."
"You have," Andrea says as if its obvious while she flags the bartender over for another drink. Lena looks at her, wide-eyed. Kara had just left them a few minutes earlier, racing back over to the bar without much of a conversation. It's so out of character that Lena is still trying to process it. "You haven't noticed? She looks over here every five minutes."
"She does?"
"Mmhmm," Andrea says, holding out her glass. Lena responds with her own. "I'd say our little plan is working." She takes a sip and gives Lena a cursory once over like she's deciding something. Her eyes narrow. "Watch this."
She reaches for Lena's arm, maintaining eye contact as her fingers stroke slowly, painfully slowly, across the fabric of her shirt. Lena watches her skeptically, smiling in spite of herself as Andrea leans forward slightly. "Look to your left - carefully."
Lena obeys, glancing out of the corner of her eye and catching Kara staring directly at them. She forces her attention back to Andrea and feels herself relax. Maybe they are on to something, after all.
They go on like that for most of the night, playing up their relationship and taking turns at checking in on Kara. She knows it's wrong, but the rush she feels knowing she has her attention is addicting. If she can't have her back, at least she has tonight.
Eventually, Andrea convinces her to go over to the bar, just as Kara is returning from the bathroom. When Kara announces another round of shots, Lena searches around, panicked.
"She's so drunk, she doesn't know what she's saying," she hisses in Andrea's ear. She swats her hand down. "Don't you dare take a shot."
"So pay for it," Andrea grins, ignoring Lena's order. She downs the shot and winks. "You can play the hero."
"Why did I let you talk me into this?" Lena asks, but she doesn't wait for the answer. She immediately makes eye contact with the bartender and swaps out her credit card for Kara's.
"Put all her drinks on my tab," she orders. The bartender looks at her like she's got three heads, and truly, maybe she does. But she simply stares him down until he shrugs.
"You know, I've gotta admit, this bar isn't half bad," Andrea says a few minutes later, as the DJ is getting started. "It's charming, in a honky tonk sort of way."
Andrea is always great at complimenting something while she's insulting it. Lena knows she's being genuine, she just doesn't know what she genuinely means. But before she can respond, Andrea is stepping into her space.
"I'm going to dance with you," she whispers in Lena's ear. "Go with it."
"What are you doing--"
"It's all or nothing," Andrea hisses, her hands running down Lena's hips as the music pumps loudly around them.
It isn't until Lena's hands are in Andrea's hair, and Andrea's lips are on her ear that she realizes Kara is on the bar. Lena detangles herself from Andrea and stares hard, her arms crossed so tight against her chest that she's afraid to allow herself an inch of space. She's afraid what she might do with it.
As Kara rips open her shirt, a woman towards the front cheers and throws several dollars in her direction.
"Can I order a hit? I'm going to order a hit," Lena snarls, and Andrea quietly tuts in her ears.
"She's got a great body," Andrea says, raising her glass. "Even I have to drink to that."
Lena glares at Andrea with enough venom behind her eyes that Andrea immediately stops and raises her hands. She looks back at Kara with a thoughtful expression before returning her attention to Lena.
"Not a care in the world," Lena insists, pointing at the bar. "I told you."
"For fuck's sake, Lena. The girl is drunk off her ass stripping on the bar and singing to Real McCoy," Andrea points out. "She's heartbroken."
"I--"
Lena turns back just as Kara moves in her direction Their eyes meet and Kara faces her directly. She keeps singing -- 'another night, another dream, but always you...'
And suddenly Lena feels like she's falling, falling, falling...
"Now's your chance," Andrea urges, pushing Lena toward where Kara is being helped off the stage. She looks bewildered while Alex tries to pull her away from the crowd. Lena blinks at Andrea, dumbfounded, until she pushes her again.
"Go get her!" she says, chuckling as she nods in encouragement.
Lena's body moves on autopilot before her brain can really keep up. She doesn't have a plan, doesn't have any idea what she's going to do until--
"Lena!" Kara wobbles, throwing her arm over Lena's neck. Her weight is heavy against Lena's body as she tries to straighten herself. "Was I any good?"
"You were fabulous," Lena promises, feeling the heat of Kara's breath against her neck as she rests her head against her shoulder. She tries to keep her eyes trained straight ahead, instead of wandering dangerously low to Kara's abdomen, where her shirt is still fucking open.
"You smell so good," Kara mumbles, her lips painfully close to Lena's jaw. "You always smell so good. Like warm blankets and something fancy."
"Something fancy?" Lena grins, her heart pounding in her chest. "That's the highest praise, Kara."
"Mmhmm."
"How are you getting home?" Lena asks, conscious of the way Kara's eyes are closing and her feet aren't quite matching the pace of her legs.
"I'm not," Kara says, pulling back enough and trying to smile at Lena. Her eyes glisten as she tries to focus.
"Oh, you're not?"
"Nope," Kara emphasizes, shaking her head. "'Cause if I don't go home, the night won't end."
"Ah," Lena says, nodding. "Can't argue with that logic."
"And if the night doesn't end--" Kara gestures, pointing at Lena. "You won't leave."
"I see," Lena says as her breath hitches.
Kara points to her head, tapping several times. "You're not the only genius."
"What if I take you home?"
"What if you--" Kara hiccups, shaking her head like she doesn't believe it. She grins, before her mouth turns down, back to serious. She pauses, as if to consider, before her eyes widen. "Hey! What if you took me home?"
"Kara, let's go," Alex steps up, searching between Lena and Kara before grabbing Kara's wrist.
"I can take her," Lena says. Alex gives her a cold once over, but Lena simply waits her out. Alex narrows her eyes before sighing in dramatic exasperation. She drops Kara's hand.
"I literally can't keep up with you two," she says, throwing her hands in the air. "Can you please just get her back home in one piece?"
"Of course," Lena says. "I promise."
"She's the best!" Kara announces and Alex rolls her eyes.
The drive home is uneventful, as Kara spends most of the time falling in and out of drunken consciousness, her head heavy in Lena's lap. She slurs a few times, repeating herself each time Lena reminds her that they're going back to her apartment.
"You're coming with me?" Kara asks, for the third time.
"Yes, darling," Lena sighs, the endearment slipping out before she can really control it. It's second nature, feeling affectionate with Kara in her lap, but she doesn't want to dwell on it right now.
She manages to get Kara up to her apartment and positioned in her chair, despite her argument that the bed would be more comfortable.
"Want to stay up with you," Kara complains, and Lena doesn't have the heart to argue.
"We'll get you a blanket, at least," Lena tries, reaching for the fuzzy one she always liked to curl up in during movie nights, when that was a thing she allowed herself to indulge in. It smells like Kara -- like lavender and sunshine and something sweet, and Lena's heart aches.
"Why did you come tonight?" Kara eventually asks. Her voice is small, and Lena's heart pounds in her ears.
"I think you know why," she says quietly. Her voice still feels too loud for the moment, and she winces.
"You don't belong with her," Kara pouts. Only half her face is visible as she contorts herself in her chair, like she doesn't want to face Lena directly.
"Oh Kara--"
"I can't tell you what to do but you shouldn't be with her," Kara repeats. Her eyes droop as she fights sleep. They both close, and Lena is sure she's fallen under until she finishes, "...not good enough for you."
A warmth blooms across her chest as she watches over Kara. Her Kara. She knows it isn't fair, nor something she can really lay claim over, but as Kara's breathing starts to even out, Lena places a gentle hand on her shoulder. She misses her so much that her entire body feels rooted to the spot, drawn to her like a magnet.
"She's not you," Lena whispers weakly, surprised at the small lump in her throat.
They should be together, she aches for them to be together, but she doesn't want Kara to be pulled into everything she is. Everything she comes with.
It's better this way, she knows.
"You shouldn't stay," Kara mumbles, shrugging out from under Lena's touch. Lena pulls her hand away in response. "Not mine...hurts too much."
"No, I shouldn't," Lena agrees softly. "I'm so sorry, Kara."
Present
Lena chuckles to herself. "I wanted you to notice me. I wanted..." Lena shakes her head, biting her lip. "I guess I wanted you to be jealous."
"You did?" Kara inhales sharply. "But you broke up with me--"
Lena rolls her eyes, coming to rest under fluttering eyelashes that make Kara's heart skip a beat. "Please don't make me spell it out for you, Kara."
"So you and Andrea are really just--"
"She's my oldest friend," Lena finishes for her. "She did me a very expensive favor."
"But you could have just told me--" Kara complains, not entirely believing what she's hearing. Lena shrugs. "I always notice you, Lena," Kara says seriously. "Even when you aren't trying."
"We left things so up in the air, I didn't even know how to begin," Lena explains slowly. "And it seemed so easy for you to go back to being friends. I thought it was what you wanted."
"You thought breaking up with me was what I wanted?!" Kara exclaims. She feels like she's going to explode out of her skin. "Lena-- how could you think that?"
Lena doesn't say anything, which only prompts Kara to want to say everything. It's absurd, preposterous, absolutely crazy that Lena would think even for one second that Kara wouldn't want all of her. She shifts uncomfortably where she's sitting, every muscle in her body vibrating with intensity.
"I tried so hard to be your friend because it was the only way you'd let me in," Kara says, speaking louder. "And I was so desperate to be close to you, I'd take whatever you gave. I'm so desperate for you..."
Kara's face immediately blazes at the way the words just seem to fall out of her mouth, but she can't help it. Lena's sitting in front of her, and she's beautiful, and kind, and perfect, and she might not only want to be friends, and God. It's everything Kara's been longing to hear, so she doesn't care how stupid she has to sound to get it.
"I thought being friends would help with missing you," Lena admits softly. "But it turns out, I don't have much of a choice in that department. I'm always going to miss you. You're part of me."
Kara stares at the ground. "It's why I distract you."
"Oh Kara," Lena chuckles, twisting her lips into a disappointed smile. "It was never about that. It was--we were--"
"--everything," Kara finishes.
Lena nods once.
"I thought I was doing so well," Kara says, shaking her head. "I was convinced I was getting over you. I was getting so over you."
She thinks back on Nia's explanation of the events of last night, the way she couldn't even handle being in the same room as Lena without acting completely out of control. She's never been one to fly off the handle, to act so out of character, but seeing Lena with someone else was so devastating that she didn't even want to be Kara anymore.
"So over me, hm?" Lena's eyebrow quirks.
"The most over you," Kara insists, jutting out her chin. She loses her resolve as soon as their eyes meet again. "I miss you, too, you know," she admits softly. Lena's eyes flutter up, focusing patiently on Kara. She always had such pretty eyes. "So much," Kara finishes with a whisper.
Lena breathes out a quiet chuckle. "We're not the brightest, are we?"
"Only one of us danced on the bar half naked though, so," Kara shrugs, delighting in the way Lena's eyes soften as she smiles.
"This is true," Lena concedes, her nose scrunching in that adorable way she has when Kara does something particularly silly.
They sit in an awkward silence, but it isn't uncomfortable. Kara feels nervous all over, like she doesn't know what to do or say, but not in a bad way. Just in the way she always feels when she's really aware of Lena's proximity. As if she could read her mind, Lena shifts closer.
"Would it be wrong to try again?" Lena asks, reaching out for Kara's hand.
"I think it would be wrong if we didn't," Kara breathes, her fingers interlocking with Lena's. Finally, finally.
Kara waits for a second before pulling her forward. Their lips slot together perfectly, like missing pieces finally coming together. Everything stills to a content calm, and Kara hums against Lena's mouth.
"We'll do it right this time," Kara whispers as she pulls back, their foreheads touching. She feels the way Lena relaxes in her grip, and she smiles against her. "I promise."