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Kara leans forward, her hand delicately placed as if to steady herself, as a crystal-clear laugh echoes through the barely filled bar.
If you ask Lena, it was certainly the most beautiful sound this planet has ever known, soft yet powerful, infectious and captivating. How could she have lived so long so far from this radiant, devoted, selfless woman? She has no shortage of adjectives, no time to list them all certainly.
-"You didn't really say that?" the blonde asks, her laughter fading, but the corners of her eyes remain crinkled and bright, the only sign of the captivating sound she had just produced.
-"What else could I do?" Lena asks slowly, unable to keep her gaze steady, her hands tightening around her glass of Scotch. Tonight, she has two options: either drown in alcohol or drowning in the depth of her friend's eyes.
-“I mean, yeah, you did the right thing, but that guy won't dare leave his house for ages,” Kara said, leaning back in her seat, her face still expressing her amusement. “I'm surprised no one wanted to throw you out.”
-“They're probably scared.”
Kara shakes her head negatively. It's been several months since she took the initiative to invite her best friend to the little party she's organizing with Alex at the alien bar Maggie introduced them to. Months during which the Luthor has been the most polite, helpful, and generous, without ever raising her voice, without uttering the slightest criticism—quite the opposite, in fact. She's learned about the bar's history, taken an interest in several people's lives, taken care to remember the names of each of the employees and even some of the regulars; none of them were afraid of her.
-”Oh no, they don’t, you may have a big mouth but you rarely take action” Kara mocks, grabbing her soda to take a sip without taking her eyes off the other woman “Maybe some non-regulars made a comment, but everyone knows you’re not mean” the blonde put down her glass to take her phone out of her pocket and put it on the table between them. “But don’t threaten aliens with your Luthor stuff, like, imagine if that gets to Clark’s ears, he’ll make my life hell.”
-"You mean he doesn't already?"
And Kara laughed again, but in a much softer and lighter way. It was true, her cousin never gave up on this story. He had trusted Lex and had been betrayed. He was afraid the same thing would happen to her and Lena, but that was without taking into account the fact that the two women had nothing in common with their male counterparts. Since the blonde had revealed to him that she was Supergirl, everything had gone wonderfully well, because the two had agreed on one important thing: communication, and above all, no secrets.
-"He does, and I don't think he'll ever truly trust you."
-"It doesn't matter, I have yours, that's the only thing that matters."
Kara's smile brightened as she reached out her hands toward her friend's, starting by pushing the glasses of alcohol away. Slowly but surely, Lena's hands found their way between hers.
-”And I have yours” her expression became much more serious as her eyes fell on the pale hands she held, moving her thumbs gently as a gesture of comfort. “Nothing will be able to separate us, I will never let anyone come between us”
Time seems to offer them a break, Lena can only focus on the softness of the soothing circles against her skin, the emotional and sincere voice that reaches her ears, the foot that almost caresses her leg when the blonde straightens to regain a little presence. It's slow, but her heart beating the all speed reminds her that time always passes always, she's just too obsessed with the tenderness of her best friend to pay attention to the outside world.
-"Hey girls, didn't you wait too long?"
The blonde quickly slid her hands under the table, looking for something to stare at for a few seconds when Lena answered.
-"Barely, just enough time to drink half a glass."
-"I'll get us one," Maggie announced, her hands sliding around Alex's waist as she walked away.
The DEO agent sat down next to her little sister, who pushed her glasses up her nose, a little uncomfortable, feeling as if she'd been caught red-handed, even though she knew no one here knew about her almost inappropriate attraction to Lena.
-"Do you know if the boys are coming?"
-"Huh?" Her eyebrows furrowed as her mind regained awareness and processed the question: "Yes, of course, why won't they see it?"
-”You usually arrive at the same time as them or very late, so I thought…” In reality, Alex hadn’t thought much, but now that she thought about it, it was pretty obvious before Maggie interrupted that Kara and Lena were having a serious conversation. “Whatever,” although she gave the impression that she didn’t care, she made a mental note to ask her sister if everything was okay. “How was today for you?"
-”LONG!” Kara’s response was so quick that Lena stepped back with an amused smile before the blonde came and sprawled on the table. “I had to rewrite my article 9 times, NINE TIMES” a long sigh was heard before being followed by giggles, Lena had spent her morning receiving multiple text messages from Kara who seemed literally on the edge of the abyss, although one could believe that it was an obstacle for her management of L-corp it was far from being the case, this stupid blonde had made her personal life as much as her professional life pleasant, and her employees as well as her collaborators had not missed the lightness and serenity that emanated from her no one who knew him would like these exchanges to stop “Apparently I was not objective enough”.
-"On what topic?"
-"The L-corps inclusion and alien anti-discrimination system."
Lena knew how enthusiastic her friend was about this idea. Supers are appreciated just as much because they have a human appearance, are white, and provide enormous help, but what about the others who can't fit into the social norm? Who don't have the right appearance, or who aren't lucky enough to have arrived young and had a family who taught them the language, the culture, and life on Earth?
After coming up with the idea of an alien detector, Lena quickly realized, mainly thanks to her friends, to the surprise of absolutely no one, one in particular, that revealing the identity of aliens literally condemned people to discrimination and, in the worst case, death.
Two glass bottles were placed on the table, the sound of them hitting the table making all three heads turn toward the policewoman who sat down next to Lena.
- "What is this maggot doing on our table?"
The blonde's moan and sigh amused her friends.
-”Sometimes I miss Cat Grant” and Alex was certainly the one who knew best that that meant a lot, the brunette patted her sister on the back, a gesture that was supposed to be comforting. Lena’s eyes narrowed, convinced that she could have done much better. However, the Kryptonian gave her big sister a small smile before straightening up and looking at Lena again. “The good side is that in view of L-corp’s multiple investments, some of which are controversial, and that all articles concerning you have to go through me, I will see you more often!” This optimist really melted the Luthor’s heart on the spot, she had always seen the world in black, complicated to do otherwise with the family she has, then Kara had arrived in her office alongside Clark Kent and for the first time she began to see a little light at the end of the tunnel, and life was finally worth it.
- "Maybe I should add an extra desk and computer to save you the hassle of going back and forth." Obviously, it was a joke, but judging by the blonde's cheerful expression, she seemed to have taken it seriously.
-”I would love to, but Snapper will never let me.” It was dramatic, everyone knew that Kara loved working at Catco magazine with all her heart, being a journalist, writing articles, talking with each of her colleagues, they all knew at least that for the moment, it was her favorite workspace. “Although technically Catco belongs to you so…”
Lena smiled, of course. No matter what happens, she'll always have the last word, all it takes is for Kara to say a word to her. But before they could reply, Alex intervened.
-"Come on, you'll definitely miss William." The blonde's face immediately transformed into a mixture of amusement, disgust, surprise, and incomprehension. "Huh?"
-"What? You're not going to tell me you haven't seen him hovering around you since he arrived?" Her eyes widened behind her glasses, which she pushed up to hide her disgust.
-"How could I miss him? He's not even a little subtle." And Kara seemed genuinely exasperated by the man, so Maggie laughed a little too loudly.
-"Alex, your view of men is horrible. No one in their right mind would encourage something between William and his own sister."
Lena nods, while Kara gives her older sister a sorry smile.
-"He's rather selfish, even self-centered," Lena begins. Alex's girlfriend, of course, nods her head.
-"He's not even really good-looking." Alex would have liked to be able to tell Maggie she wasn't being objective, like, "Dude, are you a lesbian?" But those eyes shifted from the Hispanic to the billionaire, each seeming ready to outbid each time the other finished a sentence.
-"Yes. And he dares to be disdainful and haughty. As if we were just waiting for him."
-"He thinks he can get away with anything, he snoops around, thinking he's a detective when he's just a drag."
-"I can't deny it. I had to put a security guard in front of my office for a week because of him. He has no manners."
-"And his perfume!" exclaimed the policewoman, as if she had only just remembered this information. "Even bathroom air freshener smells better."
-"Those wrinkled shirts, lucky for him, he never wore them under Cat orders."
-"He's so boring."
-"Incredibly bland."
-"Mediocre as hell."
-"OK! Okay, I get it."
The two women looked at each other before bursting into laughter at the DEO agent's dismay.
The Luthor turned her attention to Kara, not having heard her for a while now. When her gaze fell on the blonde's calm face, two clear pupils were already fixed on her.
-"Are you okay? Was that too much?"
-"Absolutely not, not enough actually. I'd add 'forcers' and 'dramatic' to that list," and Maggie gives Alex's surprised expression an amused look. "William reminds me oddly of Mon-El, and you know, how that ended." There's a slight shrug, and suddenly Lena realizes she's missing part of the story.
-"How?"
-"It was awful, we yelled at each other, and he insisted for several weeks that I come back because, according to him, we would complement each other. Yes, he understood me to a certain extent, as we had "suffered" the same losses, but that's no reason to go out with someone else," he sighed, this time focusing his full attention on Lena. "You're not even from a destroyed planet like Mon-el, and you're interested in and understand me much more than he does; that says a lot about how little we had in common."
-"You should have told me he wouldn't leave you alone."
-"I had to handle this alone, and honestly, he wasn't worth your time."
-"It's not a waste of time if it concerns you, Kara."
And honestly, what's stopping Maggie from abruptly standing up, grabbing their heads, and forcing them to kiss?
-"You're worrying for nothing, Lena. Have you forgotten that this girl is as tough as a rock?" If Maggie had been sitting next to the blonde, she would undoubtedly have punched the Kryptonian in the arm.
-"Oh no, I can't forget her."
-”Lena!” Alex reacts quickly, indignant at the Luthor’s gaze that left the blonde’s face for the upper part of her chest, and if Kara leaned back slightly against the back of the chair to give a better angle of view, it was obviously not intentional on her part. “I’m going to get another beer” Alex mumbles, finishing the rest of her beer in one go, the two “friends” didn’t seem to care, Kara grabbing her glass to bring it to her lips, she tensed her bicep too much for the weight as light as a glass, but Lena didn’t care, too focused on the contraction of the blonde’s muscle.
They are finally interrupted by an amused Maggie: "You're going to traumatize Alex."
This remark of theirs catches the attention of the two women; Lena's gaze barely leaves Kara's sight, looking at the girl sitting next to her.
-"And she's supposed to be a super secret agent who saves us from alien attacks?" the CEO asks amusedly. She has never hidden her interest in Kara, whether in a friendly or less friendly way.
-"She can handle anything, except when it concerns her sister," Maggie explained, watching her friend chat with the bartender from afar.
-"What did I do?" The question only made both women laugh, Maggie openly mocking them, and Lena, more gentle, was simply amused and touched. She was used to it; this ignorance even had a certain charm in her eyes.
-"Oh, you're going to have your work cut out for you, Lena."
-”Nothing I’m not used to,” the businesswoman said softly, without taking her eyes off Kara. The carefree attitude, the innocence, the sincerity, that side of him that she could almost call childish or simple was one of the things that really made her fall for him. “Anyway,” Lena continued, regaining a more whole look, diverting her attention from the blonde. “You heard about this vintage motorcycle exhibition, I thought it might interest you.”
-"I think I saw the poster, but I didn't really pay attention. I'll find out. Alex and I haven't been out for a while, so it could be a good date."
-"Of course you'd make a motor show a date," Lena joked. "I only know it's Saturday, but I forgot where it's taking place."
-"Alex and I love motor, so it's the most logical date idea!"
-“But it's not very romantic,” adds Kara, surprising the two women.
-“It depends on your definition of romantic, Kara,” replies Lena, rather perplexed. Coming from a journalist, it was quite strange.
-“Well, is it giving flowers, eating in a nice restaurant, writing poems, things like that?”
-“That's very cliché.”
-“What is cliché?”
-"Well, you took your time," Maggie jokes without insisting, knowing full well that Alex must have checked on Megan at the same time. "Kara has a very clichéd view of romance."
-"She learned about love from that lousy Christmas movies, so of course she lives in a cliché," Alex mocks. "Romance is about displays of love, and I'm pretty sure you know better than chocolates and flowers, Kara."
-"If romance isn't specific, how do people differentiate between friendly and romantic displays of love?"
-"It's the attention and the way it's done that's different," Alex begins, and she'd never realized how lost Kara seemed, but maybe that explained these successive relationships that didn't even work a little
-”I don’t know how to explain this to you, but generally friends are able to keep their eyes high enough, don’t give gifts to attract the other’s attention or grumble because exceptionally her best friend decided to have dinner with someone else, jealousy is a bad fault, you know?…if that can help you move forward.” Maggie really tried to say it in the easiest and most indirect way so as not to make Kara too uncomfortable, but she didn’t want to be too vague, because although she admired Lena’s patience, she didn’t have.
And yes, there was a realization on Kara's face, her eyes widened on Lena, before quickly looking away towards the couple with a blush on her cheeks, an almost accusing look that shot Alex who literally shouted "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME BEFORE?".
It wasn't hard to guess that Alex was just silently telling her that it wasn't her fault.
-"I'll go, I have a meeting early tomorrow." Lena hesitated for a moment before addressing Kara directly. "See you tomorrow at noon?"
She only received a nod in return. She bit her lip to hold back a smile, but the attempt failed.
-“Well, I hope you've found your voice again,” she said. A smirk tugged at the corner of her lips as she added, “because I don't know of many activities I'd like to do with you that don't require talking.”
Alex almost chokes in indignation, Maggie laughs out loud without even making the slightest effort, while Kara's blush deepens.
Lena turned away without adding anything else, making a detour to the bar to pay for the orders already served and a tip large enough to buy a round for the entire bar at least three times.
And finally, she left, holding the door for the boys who arrived, giving them a simple smile and an apology.
-"What happened? We just ran into Lena, is there a problem at L-corps?" James asks, borrowing a chair from a nearby table.
-"If only," Maggie mocks, pointing at the blonde, her head buried in her arms to hide her embarrassment.
-"Lena's flirting with me," the alien mutters, still unable to comprehend what had just happened.
-"I'm not sure I understand the problem," Winn hesitates, and this sentence doesn't help the youngest Danvers feel any better. Is she the only one who was blind?
-"Kara didn't realize it before," Maggie explained, answering for her. The alien moaned in her arms before lifting her head slightly, revealing her eyes.
-"Oh," the computer technician didn't really know what to say. At one point, he almost thought Lena and Kara were having a secret relationship, but in reality, he was very far from it.
-"You didn't realize that?" James asks. He'd assumed it when he and Lena still hadn't broken up. Dating Lena was almost like dating Kara at the same time. Most of the time, the journalist was the Luthor's priority.
-"Of course not! Or maybe it was, I don't really know anymore." Her voice trailed off at the end, completely lost. She loved Lena with all her heart, she always had, and she always made sure to be the nicest and give Lena everything she deserved, but she never felt like she was flirting ; her way of acting always seemed natural to her.
-"Oh my god, Kara, you are definitely the most oblivious person I've ever met." Although Maggie was amused by the situation, she was very serious now that she saw that this situation was bothering her girlfriend's sister.
-"How was I supposed to know? Mike just kissing me? With James, it was just... awkward? Sorry, James," she apologized with a grimace, remembering all the times she spent trying to get closer to him.
-"No worries," and she wasn't lying. He had tried because Kara is as kind as she is beautiful and intelligent, but in the first place, there were never any feelings, just a "what if" that came to nothing.
-"Then William just keeps asking me out on dates. There was this guy in high school who texted me to ask if I wanted to go out with him, there was never any "flirting." I didn't even know what that actually meant. Wait!" Kara sits up abruptly, watching each of her friends to see their reactions when she dares to ask the question slowly. "Am I flirting with Lena?"
She always thought she was the loving friend who managed to hide those feelings perfectly, but apparently the truth was quite different.
-"Yeah," Winn doesn't even hesitate.
-"Definitely," James adds with a sympathetic smile.
-"It almost hurts," Maggie agrees, lips tightly closed, nodding gently.
Alex has been doing her best not to participate in this discussion since it started, yet she complies by placing a comforting hand on her sister's arm.
-"Damn"