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Lena Luthor did not get jealous.
She was a CEO. She had negotiated hostile takeovers with a smile and stared down boardrooms full of men who thought she didn't belong. Jealousy was an inefficient emotion, a waste of mental energy that could be better spent on, say, world-changing biotechnology or figuring out how to keep her superhero best friend alive.
So when Alex Danvers walked into the penthouse with Maggie Sawyer in tow, Lena did not get jealous.
"Lena, you remember Maggie?" Alex asked, her voice carrying that particular warmth it always did when she was around her ex. "She was just at the Alien Bar and I ran into her, so I invited her up for a drink. Hope that's okay."
"Of course," Lena said smoothly, rising from her armchair. Her smile was perfectly calibrated—friendly, welcoming, utterly unbothered. "Maggie, it's lovely to see you. Can I get you a drink? Alex, I know you prefer the usual."
Alex's face lit up. "You have my beer?"
"I may have asked Kara to pick some up on her way home from work. That brand you like, from the little brewery near the DEO." Lena waved a hand casually, as if she hadn't spent twenty minutes on the phone with three different stores tracking down a six-pack of some obscure IPA Alex had mentioned once, three months ago.
"Oh." Alex blinked, a soft smile tugging at her lips. "That's... really sweet, Lena."
Maggie watched the exchange with sharp, knowing eyes. "Looks like you've got it good, Danvers."
Lena retrieved the beer and poured Maggie a glass of wine, all while maintaining perfect composure. She settled back into her chair as Alex and Maggie caught up, laughing about old cases, trading stories about the DEO, reminiscing about their time together.
It was fine. Everything was fine.
Then Maggie touched Alex's knee.
It was the lightest brush, just a brief contact as Maggie leaned forward to emphasize a point. Alex didn't even seem to notice. But Lena noticed. Lena noticed — the pressure, the angle, the fraction of a second too long.
Lena took a slow sip of her wine. She was not jealous.
"And remember that time we tried to teach you to play pool?" Maggie was saying, her eyes crinkling with amusement. "You were so competitive about it. Kept insisting you just needed 'one more game.'"
Alex groaned, covering her face. "I lost eleven games in a row. It was humiliating."
"You got better." Maggie's voice softened. "You got better at a lot of things."
The air in the room shifted, just slightly. Lena’s jaw tightened almost imperceptibly before she forced it to relax.
"Alex is remarkably dedicated," Lena interjected, her tone light and conversational. "I've seen her spend hours mastering a new combat technique. Once she sets her mind to something, she doesn't stop until she's excelled at it."
She paused, letting her eyes drift to Alex with unmistakable warmth.
"It's one of the things I admire most about her."
Alex's cheeks flushed slightly. "Lena."
"What? It's true." Lena shrugged, the picture of innocent sincerity.
Maggie's eyebrows rose a fraction. She looked between them, and a small, amused smile played at her lips. "Wow. You two are really... yeah. Okay." She drained her glass and stood.
"You know what, I should probably head out. Early shift tomorrow."
"So soon?" Alex asked, standing as well.
"Yeah. Another time." Maggie squeezed Alex's shoulder—another touch Lena filed away for later analysis. "It's really good to see you happy, Danvers." She glanced at Lena, and there was no malice in her eyes, only genuine warmth. "Take care of her."
"Always," Lena said.
The moment the door closed behind Maggie, Alex turned to Lena with a curious expression. "That was... nice. I'm glad you two get along."
"Oh, we do." Lena picked up her wine glass and walked toward the window, looking out at the city lights. "She seems lovely. Very... familiar with you."
Alex followed her, brow furrowed. "We dated for almost two years. I'd hope we're familiar."
"Mmm." Lena took another sip. "She touched your knee."
"What?"
"Your knee. She touched it. Three times during the conversation. And your shoulder just now. And she looked at you a specific way when she mentioned teaching you pool that suggested there might be more to that story than you're telling."
Alex stared at her. Then, slowly, a grin spread across her face. "Lena Luthor. Are you jealous?"
Lena turned, her expression utterly serene. "I don't get jealous, Alex. It's an inefficient emotion."
"Uh-huh." Alex stepped closer, clearly fighting laughter. "So you tracking the number of times my ex-girlfriend touched me is just... what? Data collection for a study?"
"I'm a scientist. I observe patterns."
"And the part where you deliberately reminded me, in front of her, that you admire me? With that specific look you gave me?" Alex was close now, close enough that Lena could feel the warmth radiating from her. "Was that for the study too?"
Lena's composure wavered, just slightly. "I may have been... highlighting certain aspects of our relationship."
"Highlighting." Alex's hands settled on Lena's hips. "You mean staking a claim."
"I don't stake claims. I'm not a vampire."
Alex laughed, full and bright, and Lena felt the tension in her chest finally start to ease. "You're jealous. It's okay. You're allowed to be jealous. It's actually kind of adorable."
"I am not—" Lena's protest was cut off by Alex's kiss, soft and warm and tasting slightly of that ridiculous beer. When they broke apart, Lena was smiling despite herself. "Fine. Perhaps there was a little bit of jealousy. A microscopic amount."
"Microscopic." Alex's forehead rested against hers. "Good to know. Because for a second there, I thought the great Lena Luthor might actually be human."
"I'm human enough to want you to myself," Lena admitted quietly. "Even if it's irrational. Even if I know Maggie means nothing. The thought of someone else having what I have with you..."
"Hey." Alex's voice softened.
"No one else has this. No one else has ever had this. Maggie and I, we were good for a while. But what I feel for you?" She shook her head. "It's different. It's everything."
Lena closed her eyes, letting the words wash over her. "I know. I do know that. It's just... you're so easy to love, Alex. It's hard to believe I'm the only one who sees it."
"You're the only one who matters." Alex kissed her forehead.
"Now, how about we stop worrying about my ex and you show me what else you've been tracking? I'm genuinely curious what other 'data' you've collected about me."
Lena pulled back, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Well, for starters, I've noticed you smile more on Tuesdays. I haven't figured out why yet."
"It's because Tuesday is the day Kara brings donuts to the DEO."
"Ah. Note to self: acquire donut shop." Lena tugged Alex toward the couch. "Come on. I believe I owe you a proper welcome home, free of any jealousy, microscopic or otherwise."
Later, curled against Alex's side, Lena listened to her girlfriend's steady heartbeat and admitted to herself that maybe—just maybe—she did get jealous. But only because what she had was worth being jealous of.
---
Three Weeks Later
Lena was not jealous.
She repeated this to herself like a mantra as she stood in the middle of Noonan's, watching Alex laugh at something Andrea Rojas had just said. Andrea Rojas. Her former rival, current business associate, and apparently someone who had just "randomly" shown up at the same coffee shop where Lena and Alex had a standing Saturday date.
"Lena, darling." Andrea's smile was all polished confidence. "I didn't realize you and Danvers here were... acquainted."
"We're dating," Lena said, before Alex could respond. She felt Alex's surprised glance but didn't meet it. "Exclusively. For eight months now."
"Eight months and two weeks," Alex corrected softly, and Lena felt a tiny warm bloom in her chest that did nothing to diminish her sudden intense focus on Andrea's perfectly manicured fingernails.
"Is that so?" Andrea's gaze traveled between them with obvious interest. "Alex and I actually met at a charity event last year. Before you two were together, of course. She was very... helpful when my car wouldn't start."
"You're a mechanic now?" Lena asked Alex, her tone light.
"I know how to jump a battery, Lena. It's not exactly a superpower." Alex was watching her with that look again—the one that said she was finding this whole situation deeply entertaining. "Andrea was just telling me about Obsidian's new VR platform. It's fascinating stuff."
"It is," Lena agreed smoothly. "In fact, I believe L-Corp is in talks to acquire a competing technology. But please, continue. I'm sure Andrea's presentation skills are as impressive as ever."
Andrea's eyes narrowed slightly, just a flicker of recognition that she was being subtly challenged.
"Speaking of breakfast, I haven't eaten yet either." She casually picked up the menu and smiled at them both. "Why don't we eat together? I can tell you more about the project while we eat. Lena, I'm sure you'd be interested."
The air went still for just a beat.
Almost instinctively, Alex glanced at Lena. She knew her too well—knew the subtle shift behind that perfect composure, the calculations already underway. And she knew, without a doubt, that Lena absolutely did not want to sit here and share a casual breakfast with Andrea.
"That sounds great," Alex said, jumping in before Lena could respond, her voice light and easy. "But it just reminded me – there’s another place nearby I’ve been wanting to try. What do you think, Lena?" Her eyes caught her girlfriend’s, carrying a gentle signal that only Lena could read. "That place you've been wanting to take me to?"
Lena blinked, the tension at the corners of her eyes softened slightly. "Oh, right. That... little diner. I nearly forgot. Sure, whatever you prefer." Lena said, her fingers brushing lightly against Alex’s hand.
"We’ll head out then, but it was lovely seeing you." Alex offered Andrea a friendly but non-ambiguous smile. "Good luck with your project."
Andrea's gaze flickered between them, then she graciously set the menu down. "Of course. I won't interrupt your weekend, then." Rising, she gave Alex’s arm a light pat as she passed. "Take care, Alex. Lena."
"Goodbye, Andrea." Lena's voice was smooth, elegant, and cool.
Once outside Noonan’s, Lena turned to Alex, a faint question in her brow. "So, what other plans do we suddenly have today?"
Alex slipped an arm around her waist with a casual shrug. "We do now. There's a new breakfast place nearby that Kara mentioned last week. She said their pancakes are huge and the coffee's good." She looked up at Lena with a playful wink. "And I can guarantee Andrea Rojas won't be there."
Lena didn't say anything, but the corner of her mouth twitched upward, and that faint chill in her eyes had completely melted into warmth.
Later, walking hand in hand toward Lena's car, sunlight spilling across their shoulders.
"Thank you," Lena said quietly.
"For what?" Alex asked, glancing at her with a soft smile.
"For... seeing that." Lena’s voice was smooth but carried a hint of vulnerability.
Alex stopped, turning to face her, arms looping around Lena's waist. "I don't need you to say it out loud to know what you're thinking." Her voice was soft and steady. "Besides, I'm not actually that interested in Obsidian's VR platform. I'm more interested in you."
Lena laughed, resting her forehead against Alex's. "You're impossible."
"And you're stuck with me." Alex grinned, then tilted her head, giving Lena that playful look she could never resist. "But seriously, Lena? Your reaction back there? It was really cute."
Lena raised an eyebrow. "What reaction?"
"'We're dating. Exclusively. For eight months now.'" Alex mimicked her slightly tense delivery, then laughed out loud. "You said that faster than Kara goes for the last slice of pizza."
"I did not—" Lena tried to protest, but the smile on Alex's face made it impossible.
"You did." Alex brushed a quick kiss against her lips.
"And that line about 'acquiring competing technology'? Absolute genius. Andrea's probably still trying to figure out when L-Corp suddenly got an R&D project she didn't know about."
Lena's ears went slightly pink, but she fought to maintain her composure. "That was... strategic positioning."
"It was jealousy." Alex's smile widened as her hands came up to link behind Lena's neck. "Adorable, undeniable jealousy."
"I was not jealous."
"You were, and I love it." Alex looked at her seriously now, eyes full of warmth. "I love that you get like this over me. I love seeing that you care. And even though you have nothing to worry about, knowing you get a little jealous sometimes—" She brushed her thumb along Lena's cheekbone.
"It lets me know that you're also the one afraid of losing something. And that makes you even more real to me."
Lena was quiet for a moment, then let out a soft sigh, her head resting on Alex's shoulder. "You're really good with words."
"I'm really good at observing." Alex laughed, stepping back and taking Lena's hand again. "Especially observing my girlfriend, who thinks she's hiding it, but I can see right through her."
Lena squeezed her hand gently, unable to hide the smile at the corner of her mouth. "Come on. Let's go get your pancakes."
"Our pancakes," Alex corrected.
"Fine. Our pancakes."
Lena opened the car door, but just as she was about to get in, she felt it—a prickle of awareness that made her look back toward Noonan's window.
Andrea was still seated, coffee cup in hand, her gaze fixed directly on them.
For one second, their eyes met through the glass.
Lena didn't look away. She simply closed the car door she'd just opened, turned, and looped her arm through Alex's. The motion was casual, fluid, but the subtle tightening of her fingers sent a message Andrea couldn’t miss.
Alex looked down at the arm now linked through hers, then followed Lena's gaze toward the restaurant window. A soft laugh escaped her.
"See something?" she asked quietly.
"Mm-hmm."
Alex pressed a kiss to Lena's cheek, her voice warm with amusement. "And you're sure this isn't jealousy?"
Lena finally looked away from the window, meeting Alex's warm gaze, a genuine smile curving her lips. "This is... relationship visibility enhancement."
“Visibility enhancement, huh?” Alex burst out laughing. "I love you."
"Love you too." Lena said softly, then let Alex link their arms as they walked toward the driver's side.
The sunlight was perfect, the breeze gentle, and the weight of that watching gaze behind them no longer mattered at all.
Alex Danvers was hers.
And Lena Luthor was finally learning to believe it.