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“...and this time we’re going to crush Kelly and Alex!” Kara continued excitedly, shoveling fries into her mouth as she gesticulated wildly. It should have been gross and unattractive to Lena, but -- well -- it was Kara. And pretty much anything she did was attractive. Even talking with her mouth full. It just reminded Lena how vibrant and alive she was -- a fate that didn’t seem so certain only a few short weeks ago when they had faced Lex and Nyxly for the fate of the world.
“With you back on my team, they don’t stand a chance!” She finished excitedly, punctuating her point with a stab of her french fry. Lena laughed softly. What a dork.
“And when is this supposed epic comeback meant to take place?”
“Next Saturday night,” Kara answered around a mouthful of half-masticated Big Belly Burger.
Lena’s heart sank. She had her very first charity function for her new foundation on that night. She would have to disappoint Kara. She hated that.
“Oh god, that’s -- that’s the first function for my Foundation. I’m not going to be able to come,” she replied apologetically, trying to mentally prepare herself for the pout she knew was coming.
Aaaaaaand there it was. Kara’s mouth twisted into a frown, her brows pulling together to reveal the crinkle that Lena both loved and hated to see.
“I’m sorry! I didn’t know you had scheduled game night for that night -- if I could change it I would --” Lena began to ramble apologetically, saying anything that might wipe the pout from her face.
Kara smiled, but she could still see the disappointment in her eyes. “That’s okay. The Foundation is important, and anyway there will be plenty of other game nights. Surprised you didn’t make me go with you to this one, though.”
She said it nonchalantly, but Lena could have sworn she heard a little bit of insecurity in the words.
“Well, if I’m being honest,” she twisted her fingers together nervously, trying to find the right way to phrase this. Why was she so nervous? It was Kara! Kara would understand. “I’m sort of taking Andrea as my date.”
The look on Kara’s face made her want to curl up and hide, so she rushed to explain. “Just as, like, a fake date! It’s just -- with the world knowing you’re Supergirl now, and with Lex having dragged the Luthor name through the mud yet again , it wouldn’t look good for you to be seen as my date. And I’m going into the lion’s den with this event. It’s not L-Corp, it’s a public gala for the elite who all judge me on the very basis of my name. Having Andrea with me will give me some much-needed cred without tarnishing anyone’s reputation -- since everyone already knows we’re friends -- and being an openly LGBTQ Director of a charitable foundation will help with my image. It’s all just politics, darling.”
Kara did not look satisfied with that explanation.
“But Andrea? Lena, please, imagine having to hold her clammy hand all night! It’s fall, it’s starting to get cold out -- you always say my hands are so warm! Wouldn’t you rather hold my hand all night?”
Lena blushed. God, of course she would. There were so many things she wanted to do with Kara. But this was the real world, and in the real world, a Super and a Luthor could be partners -- friends, even -- but they couldn’t be together. They were too different, Kara was too good for her.
Lena tried to turn it all around and laugh it off. She rolled her eyes. “Well obviously, but you have a game night to attend, so I can’t very well take you now, can I?”
Kara huffed in annoyance. “Still should have asked me first,” she grumbled under her breath.
Lena laughed. Okay, the worst was over and they could get back to their lunch. That was that.
Or so she thought.
“Have I told you yet today how stunning you look in that suit?” Kara asked for the third time that day.
Lena blushed. “Yes. Three times,” she replied with a shy smile. “Why all the compliments?”
Kara shrugged. “No reason. You just look great and deserve to be told. I like complimenting you.”
She leaned over the bar in Lena’s kitchen as the younger woman stirred her tea.
“I bet Andrea doesn’t compliment you as much as I do.”
Her voice was husky and low and Lena felt the tenor of it shoot straight to her nether regions. Her hands trembled, clinking her teaspoon against the side of her mug.
“Wh--what?”
Kara grinned smugly. “I said, I bet Andrea doesn’t compliment you as much as I do. You’d think your girlfriend would compliment you.”
Lena flushed red, she could feel it spreading to her chest.
“She’s not my girlfriend, Kara. She’s just -- it’s just a fake -- it’s not real!”
Kara just shrugged again. “I just think if you’re going to pick a fake girlfriend, you should pick one that you know will commit to it.”
Lena laughed nervously, anxious to end this conversation before she revealed how close she was to spilling her secrets to the object of her affection.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Not many people knew this -- in fact, no one but Kara knew this -- but Lena was a sucker for a pumpkin spice latte. She wasn’t into sweets -- kale was her favourite food, for Rao’s sake -- but she loved when the seasons changed, when fall arrived, the weather got a little more crisp, and every item became pumpkin flavoured. She turned into the most basic white girl to ever exist, but she only trusted Kara with that kind of information.
Which is why it wasn’t surprising when Kara flew into her open office door and deposited a steaming hot latte right on her desk, beaming with pride.
“It’s pumpkin season again!” She said delightedly, tucking her cape to the side as she sat down in a chair opposite Lena’s desk. Her new office was in a much older building downtown, but she had still had a contractor in to add an exterior balcony to the level outside her office for Kara’s ease of access.
Lena smiled as she took a sip, letting out a soft hum at the sweet creamy drink as it warmed her up.
“Mmmm, thank you. You spoil me,” she murmured, sipping her treat.
Kara grinned. “I know I usually get you the coffee from Pave, but I figured with the seasons changing and all the stress lately, you’d want your guilty pleasure.”
Lena leaned back in her chair and smiled at the hero, content with her coffee and her company, happy for the first time in so long.
“You were right,” she murmured, gently tapping on the cardboard cup.
Kara’s twinkling smile turned mischievous and she stared down at her own cup and said, “You look lovely today.”
Lena looked down at the blouse and pencil skirt she had chosen and frowned. She looked fine. It was low effort. Not really worthy of ‘lovely’.
“Really? I thought it looked kind of low effort.”
Kara grinned, rising from her seat, their coffee break already over. “Well, that’s the thing about effortless beauty. It doesn’t take much to make it shine.”
Lena’s cheeks went hot and she opened her mouth to refute, but only half-formed stutters came out. God, why did Kara turn her into such a useless mess?
The blonde walked around Lena’s desk and motioned for her to stand up to give her a hug. Lena complied without a word. She would do anything Kara wanted her to. If she asked her to get on her knees and crawl over broken glass and hot coals, Lena would do it in a heartbeat.
(Her legs went a little jelly at the thought of being on her knees for Kara, but she tried to ignore that.)
As Kara pulled her in for a warm, encompassing hug, her lips brushed the shell of her ear as she whispered:
“Does Andrea know what you like like I do?”
A garbled half moan ripped itself unapproved from Lena’s throat and she had to steady herself with a hand on her desk to keep her knees from giving out.
“What?” She gasped.
Kara fixed her face into a picture of innocence.
“The pumpkin spice latte. Does Andrea know you like them? Does she bring you coffee from Milan, or anywhere for that matter?”
Lena could feel the heat rising up in her chest again. Kara needed to go now . She could already feel her panties sticking to herself and she knew she was going to have to go home and take a long lunch.
“No -- no I don’t think so, uh-uh,” she gabbled, urging Kara back toward the balcony anxiously. “Nope, that’s -- that’s just you. Only you know what I like.”
Kara grinned smugly.
Fuck. Why did she say it like that?
“Sure seems weird that your girlfriend doesn’t even know your favourite coffee, much less bring it to you.”
Lena arched an exasperated eyebrow and Kara raised her hands in a conciliatory manner.
“But what do I know? I’m just the friend.”
Without another backwards glance, she leapt off the balcony and shot into the sky, leaving an exasperated and utterly ruined Lena in her wake.
It didn’t stop there. Flowers arrived nearly every day -- bouquets of lilies, sunflowers, plumerias -- every day something new and gorgeous -- and always accompanied with a little card.
Just thinking of you!, came with a dozen white roses.
These reminded me of your eyes, accompanied a bouquet of Bells of Ireland.
These flowers are almost as rare as a beauty like yours!, came with the arrangement of plumerias.
Lena would come out of meetings and find her favourite scones from Dublin on her desk, still steaming and warm. A precious kafer gem from the planet Ulsteria when Kara helped her cousin Carol on a quick mission there, so that Lena could study it. Any little trinket or gadget that she found along her way that made her think of Lena, she’d leave gift-wrapped on the younger woman’s desk.
It warmed Lena’s heart to know that the hero was thinking of her so much, but she also knew why she was doing it. She was still trying to set herself up as the better date alternative to Andrea. But of course Lena knew that already. It just wasn’t going to work out. Besides, Kara had game night that night, so what did it matter?
The Friday night before the gala was Kara and Lena’s regular “date” night. They always did something together, whether it was going to the Museum of Science and Technology, staying in for a movie night, or a dinner date in between Supergirl missions, they always made sure they spent Friday nights together.
This particular evening, Kara insisted on taking Lena to dinner, and Lena should have known at that point that Kara was going to be insufferable.
(Also known as the epitome of the perfect girlfriend.)
It started the second Lena arrived at Kara’s door to pick her up. Kara opened the door and immediately Lena knew that she was going to die tonight. The blonde hero looked absolutely stunning in tight dark wash blue jeans, a light blue button up, and black blazer with her hair down in soft golden curls.
Lena felt her mouth go dry.
“Lena! You look incredible! Are you ready? Do you need anything?”
Lena still couldn’t form words so she just shook her head. Those jeans were sinful, she thought as she watched Kara turn and lock the door behind her. The way they perfectly cupped her tight --
No, Lena reprimanded herself. She was not going to ogle her best friend. She had more self-control. She was better than that!
But God did she want to.
She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply as they started down the hallway towards the lift. The gate clanged open and Lena nearly melted when she felt Kara’s hand on the small of her back and heard her murmur, “After you.”
It didn’t stop there. Kara opened the car door for her as she got in, and when they arrived at the restaurant, she beat Frank to Lena’s door so that she could help her out of the car with a strong, warm hand.
As they walked to the door of the restaurant, the hand returned to the small of her back and Lena shivered.
“Are you cold?” Kara asked, eyes full of concern.
Lena swallowed thickly. “No, I’m -- I’m okay.”
Kara stepped around her and grabbed the door handle.
“Here, let me get that for you, babe.”
Babe.
Kara had called her babe. Why the fuck would she call her that? Sure, they had pet names for each other, but they mostly consisted of Lena calling Kara ‘darling’ or something. Babe was not in their repertoire, of that she was sure. What the fuck was going on?
And it wasn’t the only time it happened that night.
When Lena’s glass got low, Kara asked: “Can I get you another drink, babe?”
When they stood in front of the restaurant, waiting for Frank to pull the car around and Lena shivered in the chill of the fall air: “You’re cold, babe. Here, take my jacket.”
When they got back to Kara’s place, and Lena curled up on her couch while Kara grabbed her some comfy clothes to change into: “Here you go, babe. I’ll pour you a drink while you change.”
As Lena sat back down on the couch and Kara curled her arm around her shoulder, Lena felt like she might burn up like a supernova. As the movie they were watching began -- some French period film that Kara insisted she had to see about a woman on fire or something -- she couldn’t pay attention to a damn thing that was happening on the screen due to the fact that Kara’s thumb was stroking her arm where it was wrapped around her. She cupped her glass of scotch and brought it to her lips just to have something to do with her hands and tried to ignore the thrumming of her pulse beneath her skin.
“So, what is this film about again?” She asked, not quite able to keep the tremor out of her voice.
“The one girl is a painter and the other doesn’t like sitting for portraits,” Kara whispered against the side of her head, her breath ghosting across Lena’s ear. “So she has to try to paint her without her knowing, and...well...it gets interesting from there.”
Lena murmured in acknowledgment, but she wasn’t really following. She was more concerned with the way Kara’s lips were brushing against her skin with every word, how she held her so possessively, how she was stroking her arm, how she had called her babe multiple times that evening. She shivered again, this time not from the cold at all.
“You okay, babe?”
Lena looked up at her and frowned slightly. There it was again.
“You keep calling me that,” she said quietly.
Kara tilted her head. “Does it make you uncomfortable?”
Lena gazed up into earnest blue eyes and shook her head, swallowing slowly.
“No. No, it makes me feel…” Loved. Cared for. Soft. Yours. She couldn’t say any of that though, so she just let the sentence trail off into silence.
Kara leaned her head against hers and whispered into her ear:
“Does Andrea make you feel like this?”
And suddenly, Lena understood. This was all just a game to Kara. Some kind of challenge. Some weird need to prove that she was Lena’s best friend and knew her better than Andrea, and not the show of non-platonic affection that Lena so desperately wanted from her.
She could have burst into tears in that moment, but she was a Luthor, and Luthors were nothing if not stoic and strong-willed.
“You don’t get to do that!” She cried, pushing away from Kara and moving over to the other end of the couch.
Kara gave her a bewildered look and raised her hands in defense.
“What do you mean?”
Lena could feel the tears burning her eyes. So much for stoic and strong-willed.
“Kara, this may just be some fun little game for you, but it’s not a joke to me!”
Kara’s brow furrowed, putting that blessed, cursed crinkle on full display as she reached across the couch for Lena.
“Lena, I --”
Lena jerked away from her grasp. “No, you don’t understand!”
She closed her eyes to take a deep breath and felt the hot tears fall down her face. There was no going back now. She couldn’t take this anymore. The truth had to come out, come what may.
“I didn’t ask you to be my fake date because -- because --”
She took another deep breath and forced the words out.
“Because I don’t want it to be fake! I don’t want to pretend. Not with you.”
The tears were pouring down her cheeks now, and she covered her face with her hands to try to preserve what little dignity she had left. She didn’t even try to fight it when Kara slid over to her and wrapped her arms tight around her, holding her close and murmuring sweet nothings.
“Hey, hey, it’s okay, come here, look at me, baby.”
Lena felt warm hands pulling her own away from her face and she tried to avoid looking at the clear blue eyes filled with concern that she knew she would find there.
A gentle hand on her chin turned her face up and she had no choice but to make eye contact with the object of her unrequited desire.
“Hey,” Kara whispered quietly, stroking her hands with her thumbs. “Who said anything about pretending?”
Lena’s eyes went wide and she looked up properly to see Kara smiling down at her. Could it be true? Did Kara really...
“What?”
Kara smiled wider, wiping her tears away with gentle fingers, long and dexterous.
“I cancelled game night awhile ago, baby. I don’t want to pretend with you either.”
Lena’s heart started beating double time and she thought she might vibrate with the force of her elation.
“But -- but what about Supergirl? Your reputation? I don’t want your name to be sullied because of me.”
Kara shook her head in exasperation.
“I don’t care. I don’t care about any of that. I want you. I love you. You’re a hero. Whether or not people are smart enough to see that is not my problem. I would love to be your date to the Foundation gala...if you’ll have me.”
Lena wanted to answer yes. She wanted to tell Kara how much she wanted her there. But her brain was stuck on something far more important.
With eyes wide, she gazed up into Kara’s crystal blue eyes.
“You love me?” Her voice was barely above a whisper, as if speaking any louder would break the moment. Maybe it would. She couldn’t risk it.
Kara smiled softly, raising a hand to cup her cheek.
“Of course I do,” she said softly, matching Lena’s volume. Maybe she understood how fragile the moment was. She was smart like that. It was one of the reasons Lena loved her. “If I think about it, I probably always have.”
Lena’s eyes filled with tears again, but for a very different reason this time.
“I love you too,” she replied, her voice thick with emotion, but firm in her intention. “And I’d love for you to be my date. There’s literally no one else in the multiverse I would rather be with.”
Kara smiled and tilted her head. “I don’t know,” she teased, her eyes dancing in the dim light of her living room, “You were pretty certain you wanted to take Andrea.”
Lena rolled her eyes and pulled Kara down to her level.
“Shut up and kiss me,” she ordered.
So that’s exactly what Kara did.