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Kara knows she’s in trouble as soon as she catches the look in Alex’s eyes. It’s not that Kara’s actually done anything (Alex would say that’s the problem) but she knows she’s not going to like the next words out of Alex’s mouth.
“How was dinner with Lena last night?”
An innocent enough question, but Kara already knows where it’s going.
“Good.”
“And?” Alex prompts.
“We went to that new Italian place across the city,” Kara replies, even though Alex already knows this, not looking at her sister as she does.
“And?”
“They have really nice garlic bread?” Kara tries again.
Alex is silent for too long after Kara answers, so she sneaks a peek at her sister and regrets it immediately when she sees the teasing grin on Alex’s face.
“I’ve heard that’s a really romantic spot for a date.”
Kara’s cheeks heat instantly. She knows that, and had kind of freaked out when Lena had asked her out for dinner, but it had just been a normal dinner with her best friend, nothing romantic about it at all.
(Kara’s slightly disappointed by that fact).
“Is it?” Kara replies. “I didn’t know that.”
“Liar. But are you going to tell me you and Lena went out on yet another date and you still haven’t kissed her?”
Kara huffs out a breath, pushes the image of kissing Lena from her mind. “It wasn’t a date, and she’s my best friend, I don’t want to kiss her.”
Alex rolls her eyes. “And I’m one hundred percent straight. What?” She continues when Kara gives her a look. “I thought we were telling huge lies.”
Kara slumps further into her chair. Sister’s nights used to be more fun than this. “Is this going to be a thing now? You teasing me about Lena?”
“Yes, because I want you two to finally admit you’re in love so you can be happy, and also because it’s so funny when you go red like this,” Alex says, proving her point by poking Kara’s still red cheek.
Kara swats her hand away. “If you keep being mean, I’m going to eat all the ice cream.”
“If you eat all the ice cream, I’m going to tell Lena about that time you flew into a building because you were distracted by her wearing glasses, which is totally gay by the way.”
That shuts Kara up, she should’ve known better to challenge Alex when she’s in this sort of mood.
“We’ve made a new policy, hugs aren’t allowed to last for more than three seconds!”
Kara groans, taking an extra second anyway to press her face into Lena’s shoulder before she pulls away, cheeks red. She turns to find all their friends watching them, with varying degrees of amusement etched on their faces. Alex’s grin is the widest, her words having broken the hug between Kara and Lena that had definitely been longer than three seconds.
So, what? Lena gives really good hugs, and she hasn’t seen her friend all day, so she should be able to hug Lena as long as she wants.
(As long as she wants would be forever, which isn’t exactly practical but that’s besides the point).
“Hi,” Kara smiles, momentarily forgetting that they have an audience as green eyes find hers, close from the hug they’re still half in. Lena’s cheeks are red too.
“Hi,” Lena says softly, her thumb stroking a soft path across Kara’s bicep where her hand is still resting.
It’s distracting and Kara never wants her to stop.
“If you two are done staring lovingly into each other’s eyes, can we order dinner? I’m starving.”
It’s Nia this time that breaks Kara’s concentration and reminds her that they’re not alone.
“We weren’t staring lovingly into each other’s eyes,” Kara grumbles towards Nia as she steps away from Lena, which she regrets immediately because now Lena is no longer touching her, and she very much likes Lena touching her.
Except she looks back at Lena, and maybe they were staring lovingly at each other a little because Lena’s smile is soft, her eyes crinkled in amusement and Kara knows her smile slips back into something that’s nothing short of affectionate as she watches Lena.
“Get a room,” Alex coughs, pulling Kara’s attention away from Lena again, the red colour spreading down her neck at the implication in her words.
This teasing is getting a little out of hand.
Kara pokes her tongue out at her sister, but she orders dinner, which serves as a good distraction for everyone, but the teasing doesn’t get put on hold for long.
“If you two lovebirds are done, can we start charades now?”
Kara groans, even Winn is in on it, and who even says that anymore? They weren’t even doing anything this time either, no touching or staring at all, they just happen to be getting drinks in the kitchen at the same time, and that still prompts a comment. It’s like they’ve collectively decided to up the teasing and Kara doesn’t like it, her cheeks permanently red at the point.
She knows she’s pretty obvious about her crush on Lena, even if she’s never really admitted it out loud, but that doesn’t mean she wants Lena to know either. I mean, with how obvious she is, and all the superfriend’s teasing, she most likely already does, but what’s a little harmless crush between best friends?
(It’s the fact that Kara’s hopelessly in love with Lena that Kara doesn’t want her to find out).
“I have an idea,” Lena says, stepping in close to Kara’s side and now they are touching because Lena’s hand settles against her lower back, Kara’s heart leaping in her chest at the contact.
“Hmmm?” Kara hums, afraid if she says anything more, something stupid will fall from her mouth like “kiss me” or “I love you” or “I want to have your babies.”
And now Kara is staring again, but can you really blame her? Because Lena is close and looks stunning in her soft sweater, hair loose around her shoulders.
“We both know they’re teasing us just to get a rise out of us, to embarrass us, so instead of getting defensive and embarrassed, what if we just go with whatever they’re saying? They’ll eventually get sick of teasing us if we don’t react anymore,“ Lena says, bringing Kara back to the conversation, and away from the image that had popped into her mind of herself, carding her fingers through Lena’s wavy hair.
Lena has a point, Alex had literally said she’d been teasing her because it was funny to see Kara’s cheeks go red (and because she said they were in love, which is irrelevant right now). Kara grins, she likes the idea of annoying Alex.
They make their way back over to the group, Kara ignoring Alex’s smirk for the moment. She’s not sure exactly what Lena meant by “just go with whatever they’re saying” but Kara is sure there’ll be more teasing tonight so she’ll find out soon.
It doesn’t take long, Winn is shuffling and dealing out another game of Uno (a game which always ends in fighting but it’s fun for the moment) when Nia speaks up, her tone of voice saying she’s up to something.
“I just realised something,” Nia says, glancing around the room. “There are two couples here tonight but looking around, I’d assume there are three.”
Kara immediately knows where this is going.
“One,” Nia continues, leaning over to quickly kiss Brainy on the cheek. He blushes, it’s cute. “Two,” she says, nodding her head to where Alex and Maggie are sitting, joined hands resting in Alex’s lap. “And three,” Nia says, shit-eating grin on her face as she looks at Lena and Kara. “You two are sitting awfully close for two people who claim they’re not dating.”
The usual “we’re not together” almost falls from Kara’s lips on a groan, but then she remembers Lena’s idea, and immediately knows what to do instead. Lena is tucked against her side, knees curled on the couch, half resting over Kara’s thighs. Kara slides her hands under Lena’s legs, lifts her with ease, pressing her lips together to stop from laughing at the little squeak in surprise Lena lets out at the move, depositing Lena on top of her, so she’s fully sitting in her lap now.
She doesn’t need to ask if she’s crossed a line because Lena relaxes immediately into the embrace.
Everyone looks surprised by the move, and honestly, Kara kind of loves Lena’s idea, because now her best friend is nestled in her lap, and she can feel Lena’s lips brush against her neck as she presses her face into Kara’s neck to stop herself from laughing.
“Is this close enough for you?” Kara addresses Nia, enjoying the confusion on her face now.
There are more looks for the rest of the evening, but they’re not amused now, they’re all of surprise and confusion (and a knowing one from Maggie she ignores) but it seems like Lena’s plan is working.
Once Kara would think is an accident, twice even, three times if she’s being generous, but the forth time Lena’s hand bumps into the back of hers, Kara knows it must be on purpose.
It makes her wonder, not for the first time, if Lena might just have a little crush on her too. But that’s something to think about, and then overthink about, later, when she convinces herself she’s reading way too much into a simple accident and of course Lena would never feel the same.
“Thanks for stopping by, I know Winn will really appreciate it,” Kara smiles, spotting Winn and Alex talking in the distance as they cross the DEO floor together.
“I’m always happy to help,” Lena smiles, stupid butterflies doing flips in her stomach at Lena’s soft smile and the way her hand brushes against hers again.
“Hey, thanks for coming to help, we’re a little lost, we can’t figure out what this device does,” Winn greets. Kara expects a similar greeting to Lena from Alex, but Alex’s eyes fall with a mischievous smile on her face and Kara already knows what’s coming, especially when Lena’s hand bumps into hers again.
“Do you really think Lena’s here just to help us?” Alex whispers conspiratorially to Winn, though of course loud enough for them all to hear. “Or do you think she’s just here because she misses her girlfriend?”
Winn looks between them, like he’s really thinking about the answer. “Definitely to see her girlfriend.”
Kara’s in the middle of rolling her eyes at the comment when a warm hand slips into hers, squeezes gently as she nudges Kara’s shoulder. “Well, I wouldn’t drop all my work at L-Corp for just anyone,” Lena winks and Kara knows she’s joking, knows she would in fact drop her work for any one of the superfriends, but that doesn’t mean her heart doesn’t skip multiple beats in her chest.
She looks back to Alex and Winn, sees matching frowns on their faces and she has to try really hard not to laugh.
“Lunch when you’re done?” Kara asks, turning back to Lena. Kara’s cheeks are red but at least she’s not embarrassed like usual. It’s because Lena’s hand is still in hers and it sounds cliché, but it feels like it fits perfectly in her own, feels like maybe she’s crossed the universe just to be able to hold Lena’s hand.
“Can’t wait,” Lena smiles, giving her hand a squeeze before she drops it, following after a still confused-looking Winn and Alex.
If anyone asks, Kara definitely does not watch Lena walk away, or think about how she very much enjoys the skirt and blazer combo Lena has on today.
The “ are you and Lena dating?? ” text Kara gets from her sister not long later makes her laugh, even as she responds saying they’re just friends. They’re probably just fueling the fire and giving the superfriends even more ammunition to tease them with, but it’s fun.
As soon as Kara sees Lena walk into the bar, she shuffles over in her seat, pushing into Alex to make space for Lena on her other side.
“Hey,” Alex shoves back, much harder than Kara was pushing her, though Alex’s shove does nothing against her super strength. “If you wanted to sit with Lena so badly, you could’ve just asked.”
Kara knows Alex is expecting her to splutter, or maybe ramble a little about how Lena’s just her friend and she doesn’t want to sit with her, she’s just being nice, wants to make Lena feel included, or something like that.
She does none of that.
She’s proud that her face doesn’t even heat up.
“I want to sit next to Lena,” Kara says. “So can you move over?”
Alex’s eyebrow raises, she can feel the surprise from Nia across the table and she hears Maggie stifle a laugh.
“Come here, babe,” Maggie says, shuffling over in her own seat to make more space for Alex beside her.
Alex makes the move with minimal grumbling, and then the grumbling stops when Maggie kisses her.
It hits Kara right in the chest when she turns back to Lena as she arrives at the table. She wants that, Kara wants what Maggie and Alex have, and she wants it with Lena, she wants it with Lena so badly it hurts sometimes.
The hurt soothes now, turns into a different sort of fire as Lena slides into the booth beside her, settles with her thigh pressed against Kara’s even though there’s more space now that Alex has moved. Lena’s quiet “hey,” her soft smile, the way said smile changes into something different as she greets the rest of the group, no less genuine but not as soft, sets off the butterflies in Kara’s stomach again.
Kara leans back and rests her arm on the back of Lena’s seat, ignoring the look Alex is shooting her in favour of chatting with Maggie.
They’ve just gotten their third round of drinks when Kara hears a particular song playing from the dancefloor and she doesn’t hesitate in dragging Lena up from her seat to dance with her.
“Did you ask them to play Taylor Swift?” Lena asks with an amused smile, catching Kara’s other hand, pulling them closer as they dance.
“I didn’t,” Kara grins, but she assumes someone did, because this is an unusual song choice for this particular bar. She’s not going to complain though, not about the song or the fact that she gets to dance with Lena.
The song comes to a close, something slower taking its place and Kara thinks that’s it, they’ll head back to their table, but then hands are on her hips, burning even through fabric, as Lena pulls her closer.
“They’re talking about us, aren’t they?” Lena asks, head nodding in the direction of their friends, who are all now huddled together, casting quick glances their way every so often.
Kara listens, just for a moment. “They are, but they’re not talking about how they want us to start dating like they usually do, they’re now wondering if we’re already together.”
Lena laughs. “Do you think we should just tell them the truth? That we’re not dating, that we’ve just been messing with them to stop the teasing?”
Kara glances back over at them, the superfriends all looking away, pretending they weren’t watching. She wraps her arms around Lena’s neck, pulling her closer still. “No, I think they deserve to be messed with just a little more for all their meddling and embarrassing us.”
And maybe she selfishly wants Lena like this just a little bit longer.
Kara’s making breakfast, blueberry pancakes, Lena’s favourite, when her front door clicks and her sister walks through the door.
“Something smells delicious, I hope there’s enough for me,” Alex says by way of greeting, and just for that, Kara considers saying no but then Alex kisses Kara on the side of the head in actual greeting before she takes a seat at the table so Kara rethinks her answer.
‘What brings you by so early on a Sunday?” Kara asks. She knows Sundays are usually ‘Alex and Maggie’ days because they don’t get a lot of free time, just the two of them.
“Maggie had to work today and I was bored at home so I thought I’d visit my favourite sister.”
“Would I still be your favourite if I wasn’t your only sister?”
A noise draws Alex’s attention away before she can answer, a door opening on the other side of the apartment as Lena walks from the bathroom and into Kara’s bedroom. Kara braces herself for the teasing, but then she reminds herself that she doesn’t have to worry about the teasing anymore. Not because it’s stopped, but because their way of handling it seems to be working.
“Kara Danvers, did someone stay over last night?” Alex grins. “Maybe a certain green-eyed brunette?”
“Yeah,” Kara nods, hoping she’s not blushing. She might be, not because of the teasing, but because of the memory of waking up with Lena lying half on top of her, head tucked under her chin.
Alex’s grin only gets bigger. “Did something happen?” She asks, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.
“No,” Kara replies, flipping the last pancake onto the plate and turning off the stove. “We had a movie night last night but it got pretty late so I offered to let her stay here instead.”
Alex huffs, slumping against the table. “It used to be more fun teasing you, you barely even go red anymore and you have not spluttered once all week, I’m disappointed.”
Kara pokes out her tongue, making a mental note to tell Lena her plan really is working. “Serves you right for being mean.”
“And you and Lena really aren’t dating?” Alex asks.
“No,” Kara says again, and Alex really does look disappointed with the answer this time.
It’s only been two weeks since their last games night, but the teasing has considerably died down since then, and Kara’s glad, but also a little disappointed because it means she has less excuses to do things like hold Lena’s hand again.
Kara does reach out right now, not for Lena’s hand, but to wipe the smear of sauce Lena has trapped in the corner of her mouth. She doesn’t even really think about it, just lifts her hand to Lena’s chin, swipes the sauce away with her thumb.
Surprise lights green eyes that turn softer when Lena realises what Kara is doing.
Lena laughs, following the moment with a wipe to her own lip, with a napkin instead. “Thank you, usually you’re the one getting food all over your face.”
“At least now I can return the favour,” Kara laughs.
“Are you kidding me, just kiss already!”
The comment from Alex catches Kara off guard, she may or may not have forgotten they weren’t alone and she had definitely glanced down at Lena’s lips once or twice more than necessary. She’d blame it on making sure Lena has no more food on her face but that’s definitely a lie, she’d been distracted by red lips that had felt so soft under the skin of her thumb.
Kara feels her cheeks heat, but she’s not going to let Alex win, and to do that, she’s going to kiss Lena just like Alex said.
She turns, intent on kissing Lena on the cheek, because that’s something that friends can do, except apparently Lena has the exact same idea as Kara because where Kara expects to find the soft skin of Lena’s cheek, she finds softer lips instead.
The contact only last for a moment, but heat shoots through Kara at the touch, almost like a shock, leaving tingling in its wake when she abruptly pulls away.
“I’m so sorry,” Kara starts, just as Lena says something similar, followed by, “I was going to kiss your cheek.”
“It’s fine,” Kara laughs, even if her heart is beating rapidly in her chest and she wills herself not to glance down at Lena’s lips again. “I was going to do the same.”
Kara’s still a little bit in shock because her lips just touched Lena’s lips and that’s something she’s honestly been dreaming about for the past three years (and it’s something she’s going to think about a lot once everyone has gone home) but for now, she’s just glad that she hasn’t permanently done anything to hurt her friendship with Lena.
“Are you kidding me!”
Kara turns to find six pairs of eyes on them, most in different stages of shock, but Alex just looks annoyed.
Kara frowns. “What?”
“You two just kissed, and all you can say is sorry?”
Lena glances over at her before replying. “What are we supposed to say?”
“I don’t know,” Alex says. “But something more than that. I…it’s just you two…help me?”
“I think what my girlfriend is ineloquently trying to say,” Maggie jumps in, a soothing hand on Alex’s arm. “Is that we’ve all been expecting a bit more of a reaction for your first kiss.” Maggie looks them over for a moment. “This is your first kiss, right?”
“Of course, this is our first kiss!” Kara says, really not following where this conversation is going. She knows they’ve all been teasing, and okay, she knows that they all know about her feelings for Lena, but she’s still not sure why they’re making a big deal about this. “Why would we have kissed before?”
“Because you’re in love, duh.”
It’s Nia who speaks this time, but it’s her words that make Kara’s brain truly stop working.
“Pfft, we’re not in… I mean I’m not in…we don’t…” Kara looks to Lena for help, but finds her steadfastly looking at the ground. “Lena?”
“I mean, everyone knows.” Green eyes look up to meet blue.” I thought you might too.”
Kara swallows. “What?”
“Oh my God, it’s happening!”
It’s Nia that cuts in again, this time with way too much excitement in her voice.
“And that’s our cue to leave,” Maggie says, tugging Alex’s arm, catching Nia’s too as she walks by.
“What, no!” Alex protests but Maggie doesn’t let her stop as she ushers everyone from the apartment. Nia gives them a ‘thumbs up’ while Maggie mouths “good luck” and then suddenly, they’re alone in the apartment.
“What?” Kara repeats, not entirely sure how they’ve gone from almost starting a game with their friends, to Lena standing in front of her alone, possibly saying she’s in love with her if Kara is reading the situation correctly.
Kara can hear how fast Lena’s heart is beating before she sucks in a breath, and then words are tumbling from Lena’s lips that she never thought she’d hear. “I’m in love with you.”
Kara’s mouth drops open.
“You really didn’t know?” Lena asks into the silence. “I thought it was obvious, especially with everyone teasing us like that.”
“I thought they were teasing us because they all know that I’m in love with you .”
Lena presses her lips together, clearly trying not to smile. “You love me?”
Kara nods. “And you love me?” she asks, she has to be sure, be sure this is real because this is a dream she's had far too often.
Lena’s properly smiling now, all soft in the corners, eyes bright as she reaches out and takes Kara's hand. “I do.”
Kara grins, Lena's touch grounding her, warm and real. “Are we idiots, should we have figured this out sooner?”
“Maybe,” Lena says. “I guess everyone else knew but us. Are they still here?” She asks, nodding her head towards the door.
“They just left,” Kara replies. She can hear them in the elevator now, and she’s glad they left, as much as she loves them, she wants to talk about this with Lena. And maybe kiss her again, if Lena wants that too. “Alex, Nia and Winn wanted to listen through the door but Maggie made them leave.”
Lena squeezes their joined hands. “We’ll have to thank Maggie.”
Lena’s smiling and her cheeks are red and her heart is still beating at a ridiculous speed in her chest and Rao , she’s beautiful.
Kara uses their joined hands to tug Lena closer. “Can we talk about our friends later?”
“What do you want to talk about now?” Lena asks, and Kara’s heart nearly stops when she sees Lena’s eyes drop to her lips before they flicker up to meet hers again.
“Can we talk about how I’m sorry our first kiss was an accident? Because that’s not how I imagined it going.”
“You thought about what our first kiss would be like?” Lena asks. Even after the turn of events this evening, Lena still sounds surprised.
“All the time,” Kara nods, there’s no point in hiding her feelings now, not that she was very good at that in the first place. “I didn’t think it would be in front of our friends either.”
“Maybe we could pretend that didn’t happen then?” Lena asks, fingers reaching up to curl in the collar of Kara’s shirt. Warm fingers brush against the skin of her neck for a moment and Kara shivers at the contact.
“What about our first kiss then, if that one doesn’t count?”
Lena’s leaning closer, and Kara has to use a considerable amount of self control not the close the rest of the distance.
“This one could count as our first kiss?”
“This one?” Kara starts to ask, even though she knows what’s about to happen, eyes on red lips moving ever closer. But before she can fully get the words out, they’re cut off as warm lips press against her own.
The same shock goes through Kara as before, but at least this time the kiss is expected. Even if she was a little more prepared, it doesn’t stop the warmth spreading from the contact, it doesn’t stop the rush of feelings that shoot through her at just how gently Lena is kissing her.
The kiss is over before it’s really begun, both a little hesitant, both a little unsure.
“Was that okay?” Lena asks, looking uncharacteristically nervous as she tucks a strand of hair behind her ear.
“That was definitely the best first kiss I’ve ever had,” Kara grins, Lena relaxing at her words.
“Was it the best second kiss you’ve had too?” Lena smiles.
“It was the best kiss I’ve ever had,” Kara amends and at the skeptical tilt of Lena’s eyebrow, Kara continues. “It’s true, you have very nice lips.” As soon as the words are out of Kara’s mouth, she cringes. She’s meant to be a writer and this is the best she can come up with?
“I have very nice lips?” Lena asks, clearly trying not to laugh now.
Kara’s cheeks are red. “I can’t believe you’re teasing me now too, I thought we were a team?” Kara says, hand clutched to her chest like she’s actually in pain.
“You’re right, I’m sure we’re going to get plenty more teasing now from everyone else after how this evening has gone.”
Kara thinks about it for a moment. “You know what? They can tease us all they want, we might have been a little slow but I am certainly not going to complain about how this evening has turned out.”
“So, it’s been a good evening, then?” Lena asks, fingers tangling in Kara’s shirt, tugging her forward gently.
“The best,” Kara nods, her eyes dropping to Lena’s lips as she moves closer.
“Does that mean I can kiss you again?”
Instead of answering, Kara just kisses her.