Chapter Text
Revealing herself to the public had been a long yet ultimately fulfilling decision. People who had looked up to her as Supergirl now saw her as Kara. There had been naysayers, and harassers, but being a global hero had given her plenty of support as well. And the ones who went too far? Well, police appreciated the bows she wrapped on her assailants.
There had been some legal backlash as well, but Lena had pulled a few strings. Not many, and none that were actually objectionable. After the announcement of Kara's assistance in her new enterprise repurposing alien technology for gradual integration into human designs, there had been a noticeable dip in L-Corp stock price. That had swiftly changed when Lena announced a new phone chip - four times the processing power of anything else on the market, and using a third less of the power. Companies were lining up around the block for bidding rights only to learn that Lena was unwilling to entertain business with anyone involved with, or supporting, lawsuits against her partner in SuperCorp. After a few blankly fuming letters using phrases such as "due diligence", cases trying to sue Kara for past acts as Supergirl dried up overnight. It wasn't perfect, but seeing the giants back away convinced the public to follow suit.
As for her personal relationships, little changed for Kara. J'onn was gradually building a network of informants and allies, the first step toward his new D.E.O. Nia and Brainy were joined at the hip, constantly balancing logic and intuition. Alex and Kelly celebrated their first anniversary together, completely outdoing the event with Esme's first birthday with them. It was hard to underwhelm a kid when nearly everyone in her family were superheroes but being told that she wasn't allowed to fly the car had resulted in pouting right up until she saw the fireworks going off over National City.
In fact, there was only one relationship that had backslid, and it was the one on the other side of a desk, staunchly refusing to finish work. "The Noslir upgrades you reverse-engineered went live today," Kara reminded her. "We agreed, I'd treat you to dinner out."
"Kara," Lena crossed her arms and leaned on her desk. "The last time I tried being unobtrusive in public, it involved casting a perception spell that had my own staff call security on me," She pointed out. "I think that I can live with eating in my office." Kara went a very particular brand of quiet. "What?" Lena glared.
"Nothing," Kara waved the concern aside. "It's nothing… probably."
"What?" Lena demanded.
"Did you get the spell from Constantine?"
Lena leaned back in her chair. "What makes you think that I went to Constantine for a spell?" How Kara had ever managed to hide her secret identity, because seeing her try to pretend innocence was actively painful.
"Remember how I said that Kryptonians were vulnerable to magic?" She awkwardly tapped along the edge of the table. Lena didn't offer her the escape of interaction. "Well, my cousin was tangling with an imp who wanted to prank him with a minor curse, nothing harmful, they just thought it funny. Kal asked Constantine to remove the curse, and he mentioned something about giving a spell to Lex. One-time use, but he tampered with the effects - made it stronger, and longer-lasting."
Lena's glare faltered slightly as her lips quirked. "It explains why my brother knew so much about magic, for a scientist." She sighed. "I was surprised to find the spell in his notes, but figured it worth the risk."
"Well, lucky for you that I," Reaching into a pocket, Kara pulled out a familiar container. "Have these." She smiled as she slide the glasses case onto the desk.
Lena smiled, picking up the case to examine the contents for herself. "Much as I admire your ability to remain hidden for years, we both know that it took a little more than some glasses." They were chunkier frames than Kara's usual fare, larger lenses as well.
"I was the child of one of the most prominent scientists on my planet," Kara haughtily raised her nose. "I was raised with some self-control." Lena gave a cough that sounded oddly like 'raspberry ripple', which Kara duly ignored. "Clark had to work harder than I did to hide who he was. The Fortress made him those glasses out of a Kryptonian metamaterial with perception-altering properties."
"Perception altering?" Lena frowned. "How does it work?"
"It makes you seem unimportant when looked at," Kara explained. "Like a leaflet for community theatre."
Lena paused, frames suspended on the edge of her nose. "What was the curse? The one put on your cousin?"
Kara shifted through a variety of colours. "To have his underwear on the outside." She admitted.
"Oh," Lena paused. "You mean, the red,"
"That's the ones!" Kara strangled out.
Lena laughed, slipping the glasses fully onto her face. "So?" She smiled. "How do I look?"
Honestly? Seeing Lena in glasses like that was generating confusing emotions for Kara. "I, er," She cleared her throat. "I know that it's you already, so the glasses won't work on me."
Lena's doubtful frown did nothing to assay Kara's feelings as she strode around the desk. "Well then, Miss Danvers," She smiled, holding out an arm. "Shall we go to dinner?"
Those uncomfortable, bubbly feelings were soothed away by a gentle hum of warmth and friendship. "Of course, Miss Luthor," She interlinked her arms with an exaggeratedly formal tone as she donned a matching pair of glasses for herself. "Our reservation awaits."
Being editor-in-chief for CatCo came with a few subtle perks. For example, reading the restaurant reviews a week ahead of time as the final credential checks were carried out. In a fortnight, this small Italian restaurant would be overrun with new patrons. Tonight, it was barely staffed, and the pair could walk right up to the podium where a flustered maître d' welcomed them.
"Table for two," Kara smiled politely. "The reservation is under Alex Olsen."
"Ah, yes, well," On second brush, 'welcomed' might have been the wrong term. "We have a conflict of bookings."
"I don't understand," Kara frowned. "I booked three weeks ago."
"Yes, we, er, have been overbooked." Lena stared silently at her companion, telepathically pleading for permission to remove the glasses and glare the glorified receptionist into surrender. Kara glanced her way, before returning to the conversation.
"I placed a deposit," She argued. "And confirmed the booking last week."
"Look, we had a large party booking at last minute," The maître d' confessed in a hushed whisper. "We've had to cancel a number of bookings to accommodate them. We tried to contact everyone, but there was no number associated with your booking."
"Then it's not because of our orientation?" Lena gasped, forcibly interlinking her arm with Kara's.
"Wuh, uh, no! No no no, of course not!" They stammered. "Since you're here anyway, why don't I see if we can squeeze you in?" The maître d' scurried away before Kara could argue.
"That wasn't funny." Kara scolded.
"Advice from Ryan Wilder," Lena shrugged. "Plus, it's not the sort of thing that I would normally say - better to keep with the perception spell."
"It's not a spell." Kara rolled her eyes.
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." Quoting Clarke's Laws at women rarely resulted in smiles, but Kara accepted her for what she was - corny lines and all.
The nervous man appeared once again, stumbling over apologies as her gestured them to follow. Lena stoically ignored the table of scowling businessmen as she and Kara were guided through rearranged furniture to a dimly lit corner. It was clearly a table designed for a single person, hurriedly rearranged for two with a pair of settings either side of the tablecloth, a solitary candle seated in a red holder between them.
"This is a lot more… intimate than I expected." Kara frowned.
"Yes, ideal for a lovely couple such as yourselves!" Which was the moment that Kara realised she was holding Lena's hand. She'd grabbed it on instinct as they wove through the shuffled tables to get here, and it was tenderly warm.
"It's perfect," Lena smiled pointedly. "Right, sweetie?" Her fingers squeezed between Kara's.
"Let me get your chairs," He anxiously went to pull one out.
Lena gave Kara's fingers a light tug, drawing her in the opposite direction, and disentangling them long enough to pull out her chair. "Sweetie?" Kara awkwardly slid into the chair, shivering as Lena casually brushed her hair back.
Only then did Lena take the offered seat. "Thank you." She smiled politely as the waiter handed them menus and scurried off.
"You didn't have to do that." Kara rebuked when they were alone.
"Kara, you put a lot of effort into this," Lena retorted. "I'm not going to let a business meeting kick us out of the restaurant, especially when it's not even one of mine."
"The restaurant doesn't matter," Kara smiled at the barbed reminder. "I'd be as happy taking you to a Big Belly Burger as I would here."
"Big Belly Burger?" Lena quirked an eyebrow as she picked up the menu. "You know, they offer takeaway and I happen to know an exclusive loc"
"We're not eating in your office." Kara shut the idea down before it could fully blossom. "The whole point was to get you out of there for once."
"I get out plenty." Lena scowled.
"Work doesn't count." The blonde shuffled in her seat.
"Says the woman who only leaves National City when there's an emergency." She countered.
"Says the woman who only goes out for dinner when she's dragged." Kara adjusted her posture yet again. They were close enough that Kara kept awkwardly repositioning her feet in vain attempts to avoid penning Lena's legs in. It was frustrating to an extreme, and Lena was rapidly losing patience.
"What are you thinking?" Kara glanced up from the menu.
"I'm thinking," Lena whispered in a duplicitous tone. "That this restaurant tried to force our booking out for another party, the chicken I saw in the way in was undercooked, and the most annoying part of it," Moving like a flowing river, she slid her ankles behind one of Kara's and locked them into place. "Is that you keep kicking me under the table."
Colour suffused her face, masquerading as illumination from the crimson candle set between them. "I'm trying not to crowd you too much." She explained, tugging her leg free.
"It's a single table, dumped in the corner, with barely enough room to fit our plates," Lena reminded her. One of her pumps had come loose when Kara fought for her freedom, and she gently lowered it to the floor, freeing her foot from the confines. "If the food is as good as the service, then I suppose the only upshot to this place might be the company." Lena wasn't sure that she believed in a god, but she silently thanked whoever was listening that she got to see Kara's expression twist and squirm as she gently stroked along the muscular surface of her calf. "Is something wrong?" She asked, eyes flicking up from the listed mains.
"Your foot?" Kara swallowed, shifting her leg away. Lena smiled like a shark, allowing the new expanse to let her shift her toes higher. Calf. Shin. Knee.
Kara's knees banged together with a noticeable jolt to her frame as Lena retreated, perusing the wine list.
Beside the chatter of prattling business talk in the background, they sat in quiet silence until the waiter returned to collect their orders. "I'll have the ravioli gamberi, and a glass of the chianti. Kara?"
"I'll have the papa… pappyr…" She stumbled over the unfamiliar pronunciation. Lena casually leaned over the table, placing a finger on Kara's menu to tilt it down until she could see where she was helplessly pointing.
"Pappardella alla bolognese," Lena fluently translated.
"Yes, that," Kara flushed slightly. "And a glass of water."
The waiter would have looked less displeased if she had simply spat on him. "Forgive her," Lena apologised. "Pinot grigio, noir if you think it would be more appropriate."
"Madam." He nodded at Lena, wordlessly taking Kara's menu without acknowledging her presence.
"But low alcohol!" Kara called after his retreating back.
"Why?" Lena raised an eyebrow. "It's not as if you're driving."
In answer, Kara slowly pulled out the silver chain around her neck. Hung at the end was a glittering sapphire jewel that seemed to faintly glow in the candlelight. "J'onn's on patrol tonight," She revealed. "I'm not letting you out of my sight until we've had a lovely dinner to celebrate your achievement."
"Hmm," Kara leaned her chin onto one palm as she stared at Kara. "My hero." Her foot gently bumped against Kara's ankle. "Why don't we ever celebrate your big events?"
"We do," Supergirl protested. "Remember, after that Neski hive we rounded up last month?"
"That was Esme's first play." Esme's godmother corrected.
"My first quarter as editor," The reporter growled. "We went out then!"
"Trivia night at Al's bar is hardly a celebration when it's a standing arrangement." She watched Kara stew over it for a long moment.
"My birthday?" Kara tried vainly. Lena patiently waited for her to realise how weak an excuse it was.
"Face it," Lena tapped her ankle gently. "You celebrate yourself about as much as I do me."
Kara sighed, slouching in her seat. "It feels wrong," She admitted. "Eliza always said that everyone had a responsibility to help where they can. It's not like people get parties for helping friends move."
"As I understand, they usually get rewarded with pizza." Lena smirked.
"I can't ask for pizza for every time I save a city." Kara seemed aghast by the idea.
"Why not?" She shrugged. "I treat you to dinner every time you stop a city-ending event, and I'll let you take me to dinner every time SuperCorp releases a major breakthrough."
"We'd basically never stop eating out." Kara laughed.
"Fine," Lena threw her hands up. "I'll make you dinner, you can make me dinner!"
"Oh, suddenly ashamed to be seen out in public with me?" They stared at each other, eyes flicking to the perception-filtering Kryptonian glasses. Then they burst out into shared laughter, Kara having to clutch at Lena's hand for stability as they rocked, pointing between their faces.
"Hey," A brusque tone cut across their laughter. "This is a private party - piss off." An expensive suit was looming over their table, tie loose, face red with drink.
"Actually, we had a booking first," Kara corrected with a dopey smile. "But we're willing to share."
"Mike," Another businessman came up behind. "Maybe we should," A placating hand slid onto his arm.
"No!" Mike shook his arm free. "We rented the restaurant, these bitches,"
"Excuse me?" Lena snapped, moment of joy fading fast.
"Mike!" His friend warned.
"I think you should go back to your table." Kara glared. Only a chunk of blue Kryptonite from an extinct Earth was keeping her stable.
"And I think you should," Mike's finger jabbed Kara's shoulder exactly once. Then, with movement that could have bested Kryptonian speeds, Lena was out of her seat, grabbing it, kicking behind one knee, and twisting him into a powerful hold that had his head resting on the edge of the table.
"Firstly, you don't ever touch someone without their consent," Lena twisted her hold until the blubbering began. "And, secondly, this is a public venue - you'd do well not to discuss business while there are unknowns around."
"What's going on?!" A chubby women came bustling out of the kitchen.
"Your patron," Lena strained Mike's finger until he was screaming. "Felt it appropriate to put his hands on my friend."
The chubby cheeks went from rosy to crimson. "Is that so?" She snapped. "Do you want to press charges?"
"You fucking bet I," Lena twisted his finger again, to fresh shrieks.
"I think that we'll be leaving." Shunting the attacker to one side, she let his colleague pick up the blubbering mess, and physically drag him back towards the gawking onlookers.
The chubby woman watched Lena slide into her chair to slip her shoes back on. "Xander!" She screamed to the kitchen. "Box 'em up! And bring one of the good bottles!"
"You really don't have to," Kara explained too late, as a happily bumbling figure came stumbling from the kitchens with an overburdened tray barely clutched both hands.
"Here," Thrusting the containers into one set of hands, she forced a bottle of wine into Lena's. "I'm not having you miss out because those animals can't behave. Don't worry about the money," She smacked Kara's hand as it inched towards her pocket. "It's going in their bill, and they'll be providing a nice tip if they know what's good for them."
"Won't you get in trouble for this?" Kara asked anxiously.
"Bah," She flapped away the concern. "Perks of being owner is in not having to take shit from anyone."
"Don't worry," Lena promised. "We'll find some way to pay you back."
"You two having a nice meal together is all that I need." The bossy owner declared, chivvying them to the door.
The pair soon found themselves skulking down the street, Kara avoiding looking at Lena. "Don't say it," She warned. "Just tell me that it wasn't your plan all along."
Lena stopped, touching Kara on the shoulder to bring her to a halt as well. "What I did, I would do for anyone," She softly admitted. "You went out of your way for me, and I'm sad that he tried to ruin it."
The boxes in Kara's hands were warming her fingers but Lena's words flooded through her chest.
"Say it." She sighed resignedly.
"My office does have the best views of the city." Lena interlinked their arms with a wry grin. "And I think you'll find the company much better."
It was not often that Lena was forced to admit she was wrong, but she was gracious when she did. "That might have been the best Italian food I've had this side of the Atlantic," Lena wiped a contented thumb over her lips. "And maybe the other side too."
"Come on." Kara scoffed. She knew that Lena's connections could get her a booking at the finest restaurant in Italy if she truly wanted one.
"Must be the company." The billionaire shrugged. "I'm glad we did this." It was certainly more relaxing than Big Belly Burger and something trashy on the television.
"Me too," Kara smiled. "Ugh, you were right." She relaxed against the couch. "We don't celebrate enough. Looks like I'll have to take you up on that deal."
"What deal?" Lena asked curiously.
"I cook you dinner for every major breakthrough, you cook me dinner for every major villain I face." Kara shrugged.
"We might as well set up a schedule," Lena smiled. "Considering how busy we both are."
"Well, I know what I want for my first meal," Kara grinned. "More of the paradonna aloe,"
"Stop, stop!" Lena cackled. "Pappardella alla bolognese."
"Pappardella alla bolognese," Kara echoed. "Rao, why are there so many languages on this planet?"
"Earth is younger than Krypton was," Lena pointed out. "We still have language diversity."
"I know," Kara groaned, leaning in on the couch. "But dialects? Why do you still have dialects?"
"Perché no?" Lena teased, setting her glass aside and leaning on the back of the couch. "Dimostra individualità, bellezza, i talenti della lingua umana."
"Pappardella alla bolognese." Kara retorted, narrowing her eyes.
"Ha!" Lena snorted. "Nice try."
"Maybe I'll fly to Italy and learn how to speak it there," The hero taunted, depositing her wine glass beside Lena's before joining her against the back of the couch.
"How are you going to learn how to speak it without knowing what they're saying?" Her friend countered, laughing gently across her cheeks.
"I'll take you with me," Kara caught her by the wrist. "And make you translate until I have a better understanding of what they're saying."
"Maybe I'll escape," She taunted. "Slip on these glasses," The Kryptonian spectacles that had been resting on her head were dropped down to hide her face. "And disappear."
Knowing the illusion was in place made it easier to fight, but it didn't do away with it entirely unless she was also using the glasses. Kara carefully slid the glasses up Lena's face, fingers gently splaying across her cheeks. "I don't like it when we hide from each other." She confessed.
"I don't want to hide from you either." Lena affirmed. She was breathlessly aware of Kara's hands still on her face.
"Then don't."
Lena surged forward, lips impacting Kara's, the rush of motion forcing fingers higher in her hair, and knocking the glasses to the floor. "Oops," She laughed breathlessly. "I hope I didn't damage them."
"Don't worry," Kara breathed against her mouth. "Indestructible, remember?" Her lips closed in again, and Lena knew exactly what she meant. Kissing Kara made her feel indestructible. And she never wanted to stop.