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uselesseaweedbrain · 2 months ago

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Supercorptober - 3. Dress

Lena's dress exposed her collarbones, and Kara looked around her suspiciously to prevent horny corporate business men from staring.

Oh, who was she kidding. She was the worst of them all.

When Lena had invited her to her private gala, she'd intended for it to be strictly friendly (mostly). Kara knew Lena was not interested in her, and was, to make matters worse, in desperate need of a friend that she felt Kara could be.

Therefore, under no circumstances was Kara planning on taking advantage of Lena's friendship to turn it into more.

Not that asking Lena out would have been possible even if she'd wanted to, considering the amount of people surrounding the CEO, and the very annoying alien trailing behind Kara with his incessant questions.

Both women made eye contact a few times, but Lena's attention was hogged by her guests, and Kara's by Mon-El's increasingly absurd inquiries.

By the end of the night, Kara had finally sent Mon-El away to Al’s, the dwindling buffet and drab company - exception made of Kara - persuading him to seek attention elsewhere, and Lena's high profile guests were dispersing slowly.

Lena made her way to a socially exhausted Kara with an ease that betrayed her high-society upbringing. Her steps were smooth despite her Louboutin stilettos, her dress impeccable still, her makeup flawless - undoubtedly touched up during the course of the evening.

"Kara!" She smiled easily.

Kara beamed in return. "Hi, Lena!”

Lena conspicuously looked around, then back at her date. "Has your friend Mike abandoned you?"

Kara chuckled uneasily. Mike. Right.

"Yes, he got bored at some point, went out to the bar instead. It seems socialite parties are not his thing."

Lena bit her lip worriedly. "I'm sorry, Kara, I've been a terrible host. I invited you both and I could barely keep you company at all. I hope you didn't feel compelled to stay for me?”

"No! No, Lena, not at all. Of course you had other obligations. I'm quite happy to get to talk to you like this, to be honest. I would go through this whole party again if I had to.”

Lena flashed her a sincere smile.

“Flatterer,”she whispered.

Kara's heartbeat stuttered and resumed, blood rushing to her cheeks.

"Um, Lena?"

Lena looked at her questioningly, seemingly unaware of the effect she'd just had on the blonde. "Yes?"

"Would you like to watch a movie, at my place, when this wraps up?"

Lena smiled again, dimpled cheeks and all.

Kara gripped her own dress with both hands, overcome with the sudden urge to wrap her arms around the ethereal being who called herself her best friend, plant a kiss on the smooth skin of her cheek, and never let go.

"It would be my pleasure, Kara." Lena frowned again. "If you don't mind waiting another half hour, that is? I really need to bid everyone farewell before I take my leave."

Kara lay a gentle hand on Lena's elbow. "Of course, Lena, don't mind me! I'll be here next to the few remaining potstickers." Kara winked and Lena almost snorted, catching herself at the last second.

Her smile was blinding still, eclipsing her exceptional dress and bare back as she strode back confidently towards the remainder of her guests.

Barely forty minutes later, the two women were riding in the backseat of Lena's car, towards Kara's apartment.

The drive from the venue took less than twenty minutes, providing both women the opportunity to breathe and relax from their exhausting evening. Talk was scarce, their companionship already allowing long stretches of comfortable silence.

When they reached Kara's apartment, Kara immediately rushed to her room to fetch Lena a change of attire.

"Here, Lena. Take these, you'll be much more comfortable."

Lena smiled gratefully as she accepted the bundle of clothes, heading to the bathroom after Kara's directions.

Kara super-sped into her pyjamas with jittery hands, both excited and nervous at the prospect of an evening with one of her favourite friends.

Kara was setting up food in the living room when Lena came out in Kara's casual clothes.

The CEO was pulling at the sleeves of Kara's National City University sweatshirt, self-consciously avoiding eye contact as she stepped into the room.

Kara's first and only thought for a few seconds was that Lena looked transformed, stripped bare and exposed without her corporate armour in a way that made her all the more stunning.

Kara's late second thought was that Lena seemed visibly anxious, shyly awaiting Kara's judgement like a jury sentence.

"You look amazing, Lena," she exhaled shakily.

Lena appeared to let go of a crushing weight, her half smile timid as she looked up hesitantly.

"Really? Even in these clothes?"

Kara frowned, hurt at the implications for Lena's self-worth.

"You looked stunning tonight, don't get me wrong, but here, relaxed, with me, I- you look like you, and it makes you glow."

Lena blushed and averted her gaze as she murmured a thank you.

They fell asleep together, Lena first, then Kara, who woke up soon after to gently carry Lena to her bed, electing to sleep on the couch.

Kara woke up first this time and all the times after, her powers warning her before Lena could spot her without her glasses, and uncover the secret Kara has dedicated so much of her life to hide.

But as careful as Kara is, Lena has always been her exception. She's not on such high alert when Lena is around, her senses barely triggered by Lena's presence anymore.

Kara lets herself slip more and more after Lillian's arrest.

When Kara solar flares after fighting a decidedly over powered alien, it's Lena who brings her soup.

Kara smiles tiredly at her best friend while she drinks the liquid at the bottom of the bowl, setting it back on the table and letting her head drop on Lena's shoulder.

As opposed to her powered self, solar-flared-Kara is extremely prone to falling asleep, and when her eyelids start to droop, she doesn't fight it, simply drawing closer to Lena to make herself more comfortable.

To Lena's endeared surprise, it takes less than a minute for the blonde to fall unconscious on her shoulder.

Lena smiles to herself while she fights a blush. It shouldn't be possible for someone to be so adorable, and yet- here they are.

Incapable of carrying Kara to her bed, Lena simply unfolds her legs and stands from the couch, setting up a pillow under Kara's head, and tenderly covering her up with a blanket.

A second trip allows her to clean up the soup on the table, and a last cursory glance reveals Kara's glasses precariously perched on her nose, adorably slipping as she falls into deeper sleep.

Lena chuckles quietly as she slips them off her face, folding them carefully and setting them up on the TV table.

She wants to stay and watch, but she knows how creepy it would be, so she only allows herself a handful of seconds to gaze longingly at the blonde's tired face.

In the beginning, Lena doesn't notice anything.

It's only after getting a glass of water that she steps back in the living room and does a double take, the perspective from the kitchen door jarring in its clarity.

Lena is gazing at the sleeping shape of Supergirl.

Lena Luthor has uncovered one of National City's best kept secrets, and, all along, that secret was her best friend.

Her heart starts beating erratically, her energy suddenly drained at the enormity of the find.

Lena lets herself drop into a seated position on the floor, gracelessly sliding against the wall to slow the fall.

She puts her head into her hands and takes a few deep breaths, centering herself before she starts thinking.

What she knows: Kara Danvers is Supergirl. Kara Danvers, her best friend, - no - Kara Danvers, the person she's spent all of her free time with, is Supergirl.

Kara Danvers has lied to her, if not directly, then by omission, for months.

The familiar sting of betrayal rises with the bile in her constricting throat, but Lena pushes it down.

Not the time, she admonishes herself. Not the time, not the time, not the time.

She can deal with her feelings later - or never, hopefully, if she shoves them in a box and closes it tight enough.

She will have to avoid Kara, for sure, but that should be easy enough, right?

Kara, Lena's best friend.

Kara, Supergirl, Lena's rescuer and hero.

Kara, who has conveniently failed to inform Lena of her secret. Kara, who - despite being the most important person by far in Lena's life - has not deemed Lena important or trustworthy enough to reveal her entire self.

Kara - Supergirl, Supergirl, Supergirl -, Kara who is sleeping peacefully at a Luthor's mercy in what seems like a frightening display of unintentional vulnerability.

Supergirl is there, asleep and helpless, defenceless and exposed, in front of Lena Luthor.

Either the hero is recklessly careless, or she trusts Lena besides any shadow of a doubt, despite her last name (somehow Lena doubts Kara would have fallen asleep anywhere within Lex's reach).

The puzzle seems easy enough to solve but Lena's logical mind is unable to see past that point, past the now glaringly obvious lies that Kara has fed her and the looming spectre of her forever tainted family name.

So Lena does what she always does when she feels scared, hurt or betrayed. She runs.

She takes the precaution of calling Alex first, informing her of her sister's state before departing like a thief.

The thought of Alex has Lena down another rabbit hole of raging self-doubt. Does she even know Kara at this point?

Thoughts of Alex lead to Winn, to James and Brainy, all friends of Kara, all colleagues of Supergirl, and Lena wonders if they know.

And then, immediately, wonders how she could have ever been so blind. So stupid. Fooled by a pair of glasses and a demure smile, by pastel sweaters and affected warmth that she now knows could only have been a play, a ploy to gain her trust and seize her heart.

*******

Kara hasn't heard from Lena since she fell asleep on her shoulder, and found Alex in her place.

She has sent Lena her thanks by message, apologising for using her as a pillow, and then-

She reaches for her glasses to fidget, and almost pokes herself in the eye.

She finds them quickly, neatly folded on the clean TV table, but if Lena's gone, and her glasses are there, does it mean-

"Alex?" Kara calls out.

"Hm?"

"Did you remove my glasses and put them on the table?"

"No, I didn't."

"Then- if it wasn't you, then-" Kara looks at her sister desperately, begging her to alleviate her fear and tell her she's assuming wrong.

But Alex doesn't say anything, and Kara knows, and her world crumbles around her.

It wasn't supposed to happen like this, I was supposed to tell her, she shouldn't have found out like this- and oh-

"What if she hates me, Alex?"

"Give her space, Kara", Alex had advised.

Kara had itched to fly to Lena, to explain, to apologise, but as always, she'd heeded her sister's advice and stayed put, only sending a short message to say she would be there whenever Lena wanted to talk.

Lena, apparently, didn't want to talk.

Two days passed, then three, then a week, and after two weeks Kara couldn't hold it in anymore. She couldn't help but believe that staying away had been a mistake. She should have gone to explain herself immediately, she shouldn't have let Lena's doubts fester, she knew her best friend...

She flies to L-Corp after work at CatCo, holding a paper bag of doughnuts, even though she doubts the bribe would suffice, this time.

Surprisingly, Jess lets her in Lena's office as usual.

Lena is seated at her desk, regal in a maroon suit tailored to her curves, her expression focused and cold.

The CEO slowly lifts her head and Kara stops breathing.

"You can leave us, Jess," she waves her secretary away, and Jess quietly closes the door behind her on her way out.

"Kara", Lena greets calmly. Only the slight hitch in her heartbeat indicates anything is amiss.

"Lena," Kara breathes out. "I- came here to apologise."

"Oh? What for?"

"For not telling you sooner. For waiting like a coward until you found out yourself. For not coming to see you."

"Well, now, I know, and I accept your apology, so- you can go."

"Wh- what? What do you mean, I can go?"

"Exactly what I said. You can go. Now that you've made sure that the Luthor will be kept in line, that she won't go berserk like the rest of her family, what other business do you have here?"

"That's not what I was doing, Lena. That was never-"

Kara pauses as she remembers her first visit, with Clark, whose only goal was to spy on Lena. She recalls, too, the invasive questions she'd asked Lena, under false and ridiculous pretences, about Lillian. Then the white lies, the missed dates- the way it must have seemed, from Lena's perspective.

"In the beginning, I was wary of you, but I swear, I swear to you that I stopped seeing you as a Luthor as soon as we became friends."

"Then why not tell me? If I'm really your best friend, why keep me in the dark, while everybody else is in the know?"

Kara swallows.

"I was selfish," she murmurs. "Selfish and scared. I thought- no, I knew, that once you discovered who I was, everything would change, and I delayed it as much as possible, but also- as long as you weren't aware I could pretend that you were mine, I could keep you to myself and be sure that you loved the part of me that no one ever sees, and I just- I wasn't ready to lose this, Lena. I wasn't ready to lose you to a symbol that takes takes takes and never gives back, to sacrifice yet another part of my life to the desperate superhero crusade. I wasn't ready for you to become friends with Supergirl, because Supergirl, as opposed to me, is actually on your level, and I- once she comes in, there isn't ever space for me anymore."

A single tear rolls down Kara's cheek.

"And if this is too big, if you can't forgive me- I will leave, and stop bothering you, and you can move on."

The silence stretches on, and Kara doesn't dare look up, disturb the fragile peace with her gaze or her clumsy presence.

"What if I can't?" Lena finally breathes.

"What?"

"What if I can't move on? What, then?"

"Then I will stay."

"Until when? Until you get bored? Until you find someone, like James, or Mike? Someone you trust with your secrets, with your life, with your heart?"

Kara shakes her head, slowly.

"No."

"What do you mean, no?"

"The person, that I trust with all of this?"

"Yes?"

"I've already found her."

Despite her super senses, Kara doesn't register movement until Lena's in front of her, her face dangerously close, getting closer still, and-

"Tell me I am reading this wrong, and I will stop", she whispers.

Kara stays silent, as if frozen, and Lena halts.

"Tell me, Kara", she repeats.

"N-no, you're- you're not reading this wrong," Kara squeaks, and Lena's mouth is on hers, soft and pliant and dripping with passion, and Kara's toes curl as she reciprocates greedily.

The kiss lasts as their tongues dance together, and Kara wants to hold Lena and never let go, to explore every inch of her and keep her close, but she's still holding that stupid bag of doughnuts-

Kara feels a tug on the bag and she lets it go, hears it drop unceremoniously to the floor.

"Your hands", Lena purrs against her lips. "On me."

And on Lena they are - for most of that night, and many nights after.

*********************************************************************

Edits: Tense consistency, and inability to leave well enough alone.

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