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When Samantha moved to National City to take over as L-Corp's CFO a few years ago, Lena thought it would be the perfect opportunity for their relationship to return to where it had stopped. But Reign happened. Lena made a promise to keep Ruby safe while using all the available hours in her day to find a way to separate her friend from the cruel worldkiller. Lena Luthor’s wishes to bring back the time that was left out ended up being replaced by the need to save the life of that person who was always important to her.
What Lena didn't realize was that the same thought had been hanging over Sam's head since she got the call with this seemingly compelling job offer. Irrefutable for two reasons: it was a unique opportunity to take her career to the next level, while at the same time she could envision a future for her love life that had stagnated since Lena Luthor moved to National City to save her family's reputation.
After a lot of trying, Lena finally managed to get rid of Reign and save Sam's life. Was that the moment? Apparently, no. Reign made Sam's life hell. She couldn't walk the streets of the city without remembering all the terror that the kryptonian had caused when she was in control of her body. Even if it hadn't been her, Sam couldn't stop thinking that she should have been stronger, fought harder to control her own wills and neutralize the worldkiller. That city only brought horrible sensations and she, like Lena, had to put her desires aside again to take care of another need, her mental health.
Sam decided to return to Metropolis and did so without saying goodbye to anyone. Not even to Lena. She could not bear to see the pitying looks of her new friends, because even if they had no intention, these were the looks that were directed at her. Sam did not blame any of them, Alex, Kara and even Maggie, who had returned to the city because, in her words, no child will take away from me the desire to call Alex Danvers my wife . They were not to blame because they had no other way of looking at her. But Lena... With Lena it was different. In her case, Sam would not be able to say goodbye without wanting to hear a request for her to stay, which she knew would not come. Lena would never put her will above Sam's health. She also couldn't ask Lena to go with her. They were nothing but friends, since that was what they decided when the youngest left Metropolis and that was all they managed to be when Sam moved to National City.
On the same day that Sam left , she got a call from a Lena completely irritated by what she had done .
“I can't believe you left without saying goodbye.” It had only been a few hours that Sam had arrived in Metropolis. Ruby had gone to sleep because she was going to have another first day of school at the new school the other day. Sam wanted to do the same, rest her body and mind, which insisted on not hanging up. She couldn't stop thinking that leaving National City had been a mistake. And the main reason of why she thought that had long dark hair, green eyes and was yelling at her on the phone.
“Lena...” Sam tried to speak but Lena didn’t give space.
“I always knew I wasn't that important to you but that was cruel, Samantha...” She could hear the Luthor's heels as she paced.
“Lena... “Sam spoke louder making Lena stop talking for a second. “Could you let me speak?”
“Oh, now you want to talk?” Sam also heard the noise that Lena made when she sat on the couch. With the silence on both calls, even the noise of traffic outside where they were standing could be heard. “What excuse are you going to make up?”
Sam didn’t respond immediately. Lena didn't say anything else either, just waiting for what the other had to say. Except she didn't know what to say, she had no other words to express other than an apology. “I’m sorry.”
“For what, exactly?” Lena asked more calmly this time.
“For making you think you’re not important to me.” Sam replied and paused before continuing. “And for not saying goodbye.”
“Why did you do that?” Lena’s voice continued calm. The anger she felt had not yet passed, but being angry with Sam was something she had no experience with.
“Were you going to ask me to stay?” Sam asked the question but received no answer. “I imagined...”
“You know I wouldn't do that.”
“I know... But I still wanted to hear.”
When Sam told Lena about her plans to move again, the only thing she asked was if she was sure of that decision. She wasn’t but it was something she needed to do. Together they thought of some possibilities. Sam wanted to go back to her previous job or to resign from L-Corp but Lena said that both options were unacceptable, she would continue as the company's CFO and the function would be exercised in Metropolis’ office. Sam didn’t want to accept, for her it was unacceptable that L- Corp changed a whole structure of work to meet her needs but Lena, as CEO, said that she had no choice. Sam was a wonderful leader in the very short time she had as interim CEO, and Lena wouldn't dare lose an employee like her because of details.
Sam also had Lena's help with a few more things before the move. She had to choose another house , since the one she lived in earlier had been sold when she thought the move would be permanent . She had also thought about putting Ruby in the same school , but now she was going to high school and the CFO salary brought some benefits like the opportunity to invest in a better education for her daughter .
So many things they ended up deciding together and in no time Lena opened her mouth to try to prevent her from leaving. As much as it was something she wanted...
“Would you stay if I asked?” Lena asked after a few minutes of silence.
“I don’t know?” Sam replied uncertainly. She had thought of the possibilities, but for each situation there was a different answer. “But I think that coming from you, that request would have a bearing on my decision.”
“That's what I didn't want to happen.” The older brunette thought about asking the reason but Lena continued before she could open her mouth. “I didn't want you to stay just because it was my request if it didn't do you good. I want what's best for you, Sam.”
“I know... And I think I'm still not used to living away from you again.” Sam sighed. “But I needed to get out of there. Starting over.”
“I know.” Lena spoke softly. “We'll be fine. We always find a way to be.” Sam knew she had spoken the last sentence with a weak smile.
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
It was the last thing they said on the phone that day, but the call didn't end there. They were silent, listening to each other's breathing at the sound of cars coming from the huge windows of Lena's room as a background sound, until Sam surrendered to tiredness and fell asleep. The brunette with green eyes did not hang up the phone right away, she still spent time listening to her beloved sleep while remembering how it felt to have her sleeping so close to her. And it was with that thought that Lena also fell asleep.
After that, not a day went by without them talking. Usually the calls came late at night, when Sam, after several text messages, managed to convince Lena that it was past time to leave the L-Corp building and go home for a good, and short, night of sleep. Lena called her whenever she was ready to sleep and when that didn't happen, the text messages sent and received during the course of the day met the need they had to keep even the slightest contact.
This went on for about a year. Sometimes calls were replaced by facetimes, sometimes on weekends and other times when Lena allowed herself to get home early. Lena's secretary lost count of how many meetings she had to cancel because Ruby had a soccer game and she insisted on being present even for a few minutes and even if it was virtually. Lena also lost count of the times she argued with Sam because Ruby wanted her help on a science project or had some doubts when she was studying and Sam didn't want to "bother" her. During that time, they didn't have a name to give to that relationship. None of them wanted to ask what they were for fear that the answer was just friends, or best friends, because it was too little and they wanted more.
Lena visited constantly, at least once a month. But they always agreed on what would be the best weekend for Lena to go to Metropolis. It would always involve a Ruby school event or a weekend that the girl would be at a friend's house. Lena also always stayed in a hotel. She didn’t want to impose something that was not in their relationship. Sam also never asked Lena to stay at her house for the same reason. Things changed when, on a Saturday night, Lena appeared at the door of Samantha's house without warning.
The Luthor's life had changed dramatically after Lex got out of jail and came to her claiming he was dying and needed help. Of course Sam knew all of this, Lena never intended to hide anything from her, especially something that had such an impact on her life. But since Lex showed up, they've gone weeks without communicating on a daily basis. In fact, the daily messages asking how the other was doing and saying that they were fine were always sent and arrived at the destination, but the answers never came on the same day. The problem was that Lena didn't have that much time to talk. Sam was concerned about her emotional state. The Lex Luthor subject, after all the disaster happened, never did her any good. She always said she was fine, but, deep down, Samantha knew it wasn't quite what she was feeling.
That day, Sam had just gone to bed when she got a call from Lena asking if she was still awake. When she answered yes, the call went silent, indicating that Lena had hung up. Less than a second later the doorbell rang. Sam hurried down the stairs. Had Lena sent her something this late in the night? However, when she opened the door, it was Lena Luthor herself who was standing outside, her back to the door. Sam called her name and she turned, but with her head down. When she raised her head, the older brunette saw how swollen her eyes were, a sign that she had been crying for a long time. Lena's first reaction was to throw herself into her arms and cry. Sam pulled her into the house since it was a very cold night and let her cry without interrupting at any time. She needed that space, needed to feel comfortable and, when she was calmer, she would tell what had made her leave National City to seek solace in Samantha's arms.
They sat on the couch, Lena with her head against Sam's neck as she ran her hand through her hair, for about 30 minutes. When Lena stopped crying, Sam started to get up to go to the kitchen to get her a glass of water, but she asked her to stay. A few more minutes passed before she started to tell what had happened. Holding Sam's hands and not raising her head in a single minute, she said that she had been deceived not only by her brother, but by all the people she considered friends. She said she had worked with Supergirl to find a way to unmask Lex Luthor. She said that she had shot her brother and that, even dying, he had the ability to throw in her face how naïve she had been to blindly trust those people. At no time Sam let go of her hands, not even when she said she had killed her brother, but she didn't understand what she meant by being betrayed.
Inside, Lena fought a battle with herself. She didn't know if she could share a person's secret that way, even if that person had blatantly lied for so many years. She pondered it before deciding to tell Sam everything. If she wanted Sam to be entirely with her in this situation, she would have to tell everything, and she would never hide anything from her, just as Sam never hid anything from her, even if it involved someone else's secret. So, she told... She said that Lex had thrown in her face several proofs that Kara was Supergirl. And that was not all. She recounted all the times that Kara lied to her, all the times that Kara made her think she was in danger when she was literally indestructible. Lena spoke of how she felt tiny and insignificant when she realized that everyone around her knew the whole truth and made her pass like an idiot. And then she cried again...
Sam didn't know what to do other than to say that she hadn't been naïve, that she had only done the least thing that was to trust the people she loved. She did not need to say that those people did not deserve her friendship because that has been implied since this whole situation came to light. She just needed to be there for her.
It was almost three in the morning when Lena lifted her head from Sam's lap, where she had been for the last few hours with the comfort of her hand strolling through her dark locks of hair, and said that she should go to a hotel. They even had a brief fight because Sam would not allow her to leave in that state, much less that early in the morning. They went up to the bedroom and, as Lena had arrived without any bags, Sam grabbed the NCU sweatshirt for her to wear to sleep. They lay down and remained silent until the day began to dawn. Neither managed to sleep. There was a moment when, without realizing it, they intertwined their legs under the covers and Lena used Sam's shoulder as a pillow. Each was lost in they own world. Sam thought of all the trials Lena had gone through in her life, all the turmoil she underwent without deserving. Lena was thinking about her, what that not-so-conventional relationship meant and about her fear of losing Sam just as she lost all those people who went through her life.
“Sam?” Lena spoke softly. “Are you awake?”
“Yep.” Samantha only answered and waited for Lena to continue, but only the sound of their breathing could be heard.
“I have wanted to ask you a question for a while.” She took a deep breath before continuing. “But I'm afraid of the answer.”
“Lena...” Sam stopped with the caresses in her hair because the subject seemed serious. “You know you can ask me anything.”
Lena sat on the bed and took a deep breath again. Sam took one of her hands and realized how nervous she was. “What are we?” She asked, but chose not to look at Sam.
“How so?” The question was a little confusing and Sam didn't know exactly what she was talking about.
“Our relationship... Since you moved again, our friendship has changed levels. We talk every night until one of us falls asleep. I come to spend the weekend here at least every month. We have fun together when I'm here, but it never went beyond that and it makes me so confused. I want to ask what it means, but I'm afraid to be seeing things where there isn't and to end up ruining everything.”
Sam also sat on the bed and used her free hand to bring Lena's chin and make their eyes meet. “What do you want it to mean?”
Lena looked at the ceiling and snorted, dropping a tear. “I want to be with you.” Another tear fell and she started to raise her hand to dry it, but Sam did it for her. “I want to share my life with you, but I don't know how to make it work if we live miles away from each other. I feel that we work even if at a distance because I don't want to be with anyone but you. I never denied that I love you. We had to distance ourselves years ago, but it never lessened how I feel about you. The only problem is that I don't know how you feel about it and I was afraid to ask. I'm still scared to death right now...”
She saw Sam smile and it made her roll her eyes. How could Sam smile while she was almost running out of hair to get all her feelings out? “Lena Luthor, are you asking me to be your girlfriend?”
"I didn't think I was going to need..." Lena gave an embarrassed laugh. “But sometimes I don't know what's going on in your head and I can't take it anymore not being able to kiss you every time I see you.”
Sam smiled even bigger than before connecting her lips against Lena's. It had been so long since they had exchanged kisses, but the feeling of being at home remained the same. Their lips fit perfectly even in their desperation to make the most of that contact. The kiss was not interrupted even when Sam laid Lena on the bed and stood on top of her. Lena was so afraid of losing Sam because of a simple question that she spent a year postponing that feeling.
They resolved so many terms about the relationship on Saturday morning, taking advantage of the fact that Ruby had soccer training and left home early. They went out for breakfast at a coffee shop near Sam's house. Amid cafes and croissants, they decided what to do to make the relationship work. Lena couldn't leave National City and Sam wasn't ready to move yet again and she didn't even know if she wanted to do that until Ruby went to college. The girl's life had already undergone so many twists and turns in such a short space of time.
After a lot of conversation, laughter and a lot of drama coming from Lena Luthor, they decided that they would adapt to the long-distance relationship. It wouldn't change much about how they had spent the last year, the difference was that, from that moment on, the homesickness would have a much greater weight when they were separated. Lena also decided that she would travel to Metropolis every weekend, in addition to special dates and whenever there was something important at Ruby school she would also be there. Sam tried to change her mind, but gave up when she joked that all those trips were not going to make any difference to her pocket.
The drive back to Sam's house was made around lunchtime. Ruby was already home when they arrived telling the news. The girl just rolled her eyes saying that they had been dating for a long time and only they didn't know and also said that she was happy that they finally took that step forward. The three of them spent the entire Saturday lying on the couch watching movies. Lena took advantage of the fact that she hadn't taken clothes on this last-minute trip and abused the use of the NCU baby blue sweatshirt that she had always wanted to steal from Sam since when they dated years ago. She spent the whole day with the biggest smile they had ever seen taking over her face, it didn't even look like she had arrived crying the night before. But that smile didn't last long. She had to go back to National City later that night.
The consequences of Lex's death were still beginning to unfold and she could not escape that chaos for too long. Sam even asked if she wanted her to go along, but she said she needed to face this alone or it wouldn't be more difficult for her when Sam had to return. She left with the promise to come back next weekend and to let Sam know when she was safe and sound in her own apartment.
And that's what happened. During the following months she traveled almost every weekend, except when it was Sam and Ruby's turn. Lena's friendship with Kara and the others who called themselves "Superfriends" was slowly getting back on track. Kara had told Lena the whole truth days after she returned to National City, Lena also said that she had already found out through Lex and each had the opportunity to express all the feelings that were bothering them. Kara understood that Lena needed time to deal with all the information that had been thrown at her in such a short time. Eventually they started talking again, like the other friends who were not to blame for anything, they just kept a secret that wasn't theirs to tell. But the truth is that it would be difficult for their friendship to return to what it was before so quickly.
Lena had spent three weeks in Metropolis during late December and early January. She had gone for the Christmas holiday and refused to return until after the new year. This prevented her from traveling again for a month because she ended up leaving a lot of accumulated work. One day Jess came to her with an ultimatum that she should do all the meetings she had postponed and make visits to L-Corp laboratories around the world that had to be canceled due to the end of the year festivities.
The Coronavirus crisis broke out in Italy just the week that she was visiting a laboratory in Palermo and had a meeting with a possible investor in Venice . She had to return quickly to the United States if she didn't want to be stuck in the country until the crisis passed . Because of that trip , she had to be quarantined for 14 days before she could get back to work again . Having to stay locked inside the house for so long , without being able to put the projects ahead , almost made Lena go crazy . She cursed herself several times for not having built a secret laboratory in the basement of the building where she lived . The building was already hers . But what irritated Lena most was not being able to travel to see her girlfriend .
When the 14-day period ended and Lena was finally able to leave the house, after taking another exam that again had a negative result, the first thing she did was to take the private plane and travel to Metropolis. The isolation process was still being initiated in some states in the country. In California, for example, no cases had yet been registered, so she thought she would have no problem. And it really didn't. She was able to go quietly and came back earlier in the week. The only problem was that Samantha was extremely irritated that Lena had put her own life and of other people at risk just so that they could kill their homesickness.
The other days went smoothly for them and without Lena committing any more madness . The same could not be said about the rest of the world. The virus spread rapidly everywhere . The entire country went on alert and isolation was initiated in all 50 states . The president had taken drastic action from the start, thankfully, but still some places were suffering more, like the state of New York that was very close to where Sam lived.
Now imagine if the President of the United States was a crazy genocide like the current President of Brazil who prefers to save the economy other than the population? The entire trade had to be closed, as were the schools. Companies that were not essential had to suspend or limit the hours of work. So that no employee would be harmed, Lena allowed everyone to work from home.
The problem was that there wasn't much to do at home and it wasn't just Lena. Sam also had to work hard not to succumb to boredom even though Ruby was at home and she arranged time for herself to work. Except that Lena didn't have that, the only company she had was Sam when they hung on a phone call for hours. The brunette with green eyes knew that she should have adopted a cat when she complained that she couldn't stand the silence of the apartment anymore and Sam made that suggestion.
“I was on Twitter today...” Lena started talking, but was soon interrupted by Sam.
“Since when do you have a Twitter account?”
“Since today...” She replied as if it was obvious. “I had nothing to do and decided to create one to see what other people are doing in this quarantine.”
“And...?”
“I saw some ideas that I found interesting.” Lena spoke and at the same moment heard a loud noise coming from the other end of the call. “Did you just fall?”
“No, but Ruby did.” Sam said laughing. “She is watching some dance videos on the TV in the living room and ended up tripping over the carpet, but everything is fine. What were the interesting ideas you saw?”
“We should watch a movie later.” She said simply. “We date at a distance for a while and we never agreed to do something like that. Usually we talk when we’re watching something until I hear you snoring.”
“Hey, I don't snore.” Sam spoke and Lena started to laugh. Of course, what Lena said was not true, but it was always funny when she brought it up because there was no way Sam could know if she was lying. “But how do you intend to do that?”
“So...” When Lena started with this Sam knew that some crazy idea would follow, she was a genius after all. “I took the liberty of remotely configuring a software on your bedroom television that I developed this afternoon, which has the same purpose of that app that Ruby has on her cellphone to watch videos with her friends. It will allow us to watch whatever we want and when any command is triggered on one television, like the pause, it will also be triggered on the other.” She kept talking as if Sam had really paid attention to the subject while, in fact, her focus was totally on the animated voice of the beloved who left Sam with butterflies on her stomach just because she was sharing a subject she loved. “As for the rest, we can continue with the calls, but you have to promise to pay attention to the film.”
“Wow, what a hacker. Will I have to ask for a restraining order against you?” Sam asked laughing. “It's like the movie matters when what I want most is to spend time with you.” Sam spoke in the calmest voice in the world.
“You haven't seen anything yet. With this software I can also see you sleeping.” Lena didn’t want to join in the fun but soon started laughing too. “When did you get so soft?”
“I don’t know?” She replied uncertainly. “I'm just missing you. How much time passed since you committed the madness of coming to see me at the beginning of the quarantine.”
“It's a few days left to complete a month.”
They were unsuccessful in the task of watching a film on the first attempt. Sam was the one who chose the film and herself spent the entire time complaining that the film was boring. Halfway through, the brunette with the honey-colored eyes decided to turn off the television and just talk. Lena didn't think it was bad. Although they agreed to watch the movie, talking to her girlfriend was what she most enjoyed doing.
The next few days followed normally. Sam worked in the morning and used the afternoon to read a book or do any other activity. The last time she left the house to go to the supermarket, she stopped by a place that sold seeds and decided that she would start planting a small vegetable garden at home. She always wanted a garden in the backyard, but since she moved, she hasn't had time to start this project. When she was finished, she went upstairs to take a shower and when she passed her daughter's bedroom she heard a laughter.
“Leave it with me.” Ruby said.
“Do you think she'll like it?” It was Lena's voice. What would Ruby be talking to her when she should be studying?
Sam opened the bedroom door and saw that Ruby was lying on the floor with the laptop next to her and some books around. Maybe she was really studying, but what did Lena have to do with it?
“Rubes.” She said. “I thought you were on your study schedule. Who are you talking to?”
“Hi, mom.” Ruby replied, already getting up to be able to sit. “I'm talking to Aunt Lena. She was helping me with some chemistry questions that I was unable to answer.” She continued to laugh and turned her phone over to show Sam that she was on a video call.
“Hi, honey.” Lena was absurdly beautiful wearing gym clothes and no makeup. “Is that dirt on your face?”
“Hey, babe.” Sam replied taking the phone from her daughter's hand and turning to leave the room.
“Mom!” Ruby protested.
“Go to study, Ruby. I’ll return your cell phone later.” Sam closed the door of her daughter's room and went to her own bedroom, throwing herself on the bed next.
“I wanted to be throwing myself in that bed with you.” Lena said, this time she was already lying on the sofa at home. “What were you doing? I tried to call you.”
“Oh, I was doing gardening in the yard.”
“Really? This I only believe when I see.”
“I'll send you a picture later.” Sam rubbed a hand over her face and removed the remnants of soil that were still there. “What were you talking about me with Ruby?”
“Hearing behind the door at this age, Samantha?” Lena started to laugh. She loved the fact that Sam was absurdly curious. She always used it to her advantage when she wanted to annoy her girlfriend. “ It's a surprise. You will know later.”
“What are you hiding, Lena Luthor?”
“Nothing much. I just want to have a special night with you.”
“I can't wait for all this to end and be able to see you again.” Sam sighed and closed her eyes. “It was never that difficult for us to live away from each other, but now that we are being forced to stay away it is turning into hell.”
“I know, love.” Lena also sighed.
That night, Ruby said she was going to eat in the bedroom and Sam didn't complain, maybe it had to do with what she and Lena were talking on the phone. A little earlier, Sam received a message from her girlfriend asking her to dress comfortably and that when she finished showering, she should call her. When she finished showering and went downstairs to prepare something to eat, she realized that the doors leading to the yard were open. Outside, on the covered deck, the small gas fireplace was on. Beside the fireplace, a small table was set with crockery for two, two glasses and a bottle of the best wine that Lena had left at her house dipped in an ice bucket. Sam thought about calling Ruby, but at the same moment she heard the phone ring. A video call from Lena.
She had planned all of this. It would be okay to have a candlelight dinner, but the darkness would prevent them from seeing each other on the call, Ruby gave the idea to do it outside and start the fire instead of the candles. Lena said that she asked to deliver her favorite food for dinner. While Sam was taking a shower, the food arrived and Ruby prepared everything. Then she went up to her bedroom to give them privacy.
“Are we celebrating some special date and I forgot?” Sam asked.
“No, I just wanted to do something different. We haven't had a dinner like this in a while.” Lena was perfect. Again, she wore another sweatshirt from Sam that had been stolen on one of her trips to Metropolis. She was without makeup and, honestly, Samantha preferred it that way.
“Yes, considering the fact that we never had a dinner like this.” Sam laughed and placed the cell phone on the table supported by a small vase with a rose that she had never seen before. “Is that also your work?” She just took the flower and put it on display.
“What do you think?” She showed a guilty smile.
They ate , talked and drank for hours. A while after they finished eating , Sam lay on the hammock on the deck and Lena on the bed in her room and they continued talking . They only hung up when the younger brunette started showing signs that she was sleepy . They said goodbye , promised to dream about the other and hung up .
Samantha cleaned up and closed all the doors before going up to the bedroom. When she passed the door of her daughter's room, she saw a light, indicating that she was still awake. She came in and Ruby, who was watching a movie, stopped what she was doing to talk to her mother. Sam thanked her for what her daughter had done and she just smiled.
“How do you manage to do that?” Ruby asked when Sam was leaving the room.
“Do what?”
“Date being so far from each other?” She answered.
“Sincerely?” Ruby waved. “I don’t know.” The two laughed. “I think we love each other so much that we force ourselves to make it work. It's difficult...” Sam sighed. “But I can't see myself with anyone other than Lena Luthor.”
“Mom...” Ruby shook her head. “You in love is such a cliché.” And started laughing. Sam threw a pillow at her and told her to shut up before going to the bedroom.
A couple of days later, Sam had decided to take an afternoon nap. In the middle of the nap she had the misfortune to be woken up with a loud sound and laughter from her daughter. She went downstairs and saw Ruby dancing while watching some videos on television. She thought about calling for her, but saw that she was wearing the wireless earphones Lena gave to her on Christmas. Sam sat at the bottom of the stairs and continued to watch what her daughter was doing. Only a few moments later did she realize that Ruby was actually talking to Lena on the phone. One thing she couldn't complain about as her daughter and girlfriend got along, but sometimes she was a little jealous because Ruby was more creative than she was to have fun during quarantine. They danced together, played sometimes, Lena helped Ruby with her studies and the most different thing they had done was that failed attempt to watch a movie and dinner. And both had been Lena's idea. Sam was always more creative in organizing out-of-home dates or surprise dinners. She had already taken Lena to watch the stars, to see the sunrise on a cliff overlooking the sea. Visits to museums and art galleries were her favorite activities. Lena was passionate about art and Sam was passionate about Lena's passions, in addition to being passionate about her.
That night she went to sleep thinking about it, after the daily call with her girlfriend and had an idea of what to do the next day .
The other day she woke up with a message from Lena, which had been sent during the night, saying: “ Quarantine day: 39. I can't take any more sleep away from you. ” Sam laughed at the message. Lena was so dramatic sometimes. Anyone who saw it could imagine that they slept together every day. But she was not wrong. Sam then decided to call to wake up her girlfriend. She made a video call.
Lena was really still asleep when she answered the phone . She was all disheveled lost in the immensity that was her king size bed full of pillows . Sam said good morning and could barely hear her answer . She was not a person who had the best mood in the morning . That was another thing Sam missed from the days they were together . Lena was very tricky in the early hours of the morning . Numerous kisses were always needed on her face, shoulders and neck so she could wake up in a good mood . And Sam made a point of doing exactly what she wanted .
“Babe, wake up.” Sam said.
“Why are you calling me so early?” Lena spoke with her head stuck in one of the pillows making it almost impossible for Sam to hear what she was talking about.
“I thought we could skip work...” Sam laughed, talking about the home office that occupied the morning hours of both of them. “And have breakfast together.”
“Mmm…" The brunette answered something incomprehensible.
“C’mon, babe, wake up.” Sam spoke louder. “I bet it's a beautiful day in National City. We could make a nice breakfast and you eat on the balcony.”
“Why would I wake up early to make breakfast when I can sleep and order delivery later” Lena pulled her head away from the pillow to speak.
“Because your wonderful girlfriend is asking you nicely.” Sam spoke smiling which made Lena also put a beautiful smile on her face.
“You're lucky that I love you.” Lena sat down, put her cell phone on a pillow on the bed and stretched. She heard a delicious laugh from the other end of the call.
“How many hours did you sleep, love?” Sam continued to laugh. “Look at your hair...”
“You didn't call to make fun of the way I wake up, did you?” Lena yawned and stood up to brush her teeth.
“Of course not. Even because you are perfect anyway, especially when you wake up.”
Since it was still very early, Ruby was still sleeping. While Lena brushed her teeth, Sam got up to do the same and went down to the kitchen. Together, the two decided that they would make pancakes, eggs and bacon for breakfast. Besides Sam and Ruby's favorite coffee, which only Lena knew how to make. So much so that Sam's attempt went wrong, but at least they could drink it. Breakfast took longer than usual to get ready because at different times Lena would lay her head on the bench on the big island and close her eyes. When Ruby woke up, the food was almost ready and she stole her mother's cell phone to talk to Lena in the living room, without Sam being able to hear.
“Ruby, give me back my cell phone.” She said while stirring the eggs on the stove.
“See how good it is to steal others people’s phones.” Ruby shouted from the living room laughing.
Samantha had been graced with so many good things throughout her life, the main one being her daughter. But Lena and Ruby's complicity was something she wanted to thank every day. She had already heard her daughter refer to Lena as “my other mother” when she was talking to some friends at school. This had happened a short time ago and since then, Sam kept thinking about going back to National City for good, even though she promised her daughter that they wouldn't move out until she finished high school.
In the living room, out of Samantha’s earshot, Ruby hung up on the video call with Lena so she wouldn't end up being distracted and her mother arrived without her noticing and continued talking to her with just an audio call.
“Did you think about what I told you that day?” Ruby asked, throwing herself on the couch.
“Good morning to you too, Ruby Arias.” Lena replied. “I'll start doing my part later, but you'll also have to do yours.”
“I don't really know how to talk about it with her.” The girl sighed. “I don't know if she's ready, but I'll try to talk at breakfast.”
“If you show that this is what you want it will be easier for her to accept. She will have two reasons.”
“Not that it was necessary.” Ruby rolled her eyes, as if Lena could see, and got up from the couch because Sam was calling her. “She would do it just for you.”
The girl walked towards the kitchen and turned on the cell phone camera again. She placed the phone on the table and went to help her mother set the dishes for breakfast.
“You two are full of secrets. What were they talking about that I couldn't hear?” They finished and sat down to eat, accompanied by the Luthor who was doing the same from miles away.
“Nothing much.” Lena said.
“Just stepmother and stepdaughter talk.” Ruby replied as if it was nothing at the same time they heard Lena choke.
“Babe, are you okay?” Sam asked and Lena coughed a bit before answering she was okay.
Ruby laughed cautiously while her mother worried about her girlfriend. She had already called Lena that way a few other times but it was still funny because she always had a different reaction. That was the first one she choked on, the others she blushed, started to stutter or tried to change the subject.
The three were silent just eating for a while until Ruby interrupted .
“Mom, when are we going to National City?” She asked without looking at her mother.
“Good question, sweetie, considering that we are in quarantine.”
“I'm talking about moving back there.” She got up to get the milk from the fridge. “Your coffee is not as good as Lena's.”
Sam rolled her eyes when she looked at her phone and saw that Lena had winked at her in a clear sign of provocation.
“Do you want to move back to National City?” She asked when Ruby returned to the table. “And your school?”
“I don't want to wait for high school to end. First because it will take time and second because I don't even know which college I'm going to. What if I’m not accepted at NCU?” She was going to start citing some other reasons but decided for just one more. “Besides... Lena lives in National City; you can't continue dating from a distance for that long. It's sad.
“Ruby...”
“And Alex said she was going to teach me how to ride a motorcycle when I turned 16...”
Lena saw that this was the cue she was needing to leave the conversation and let the two of them discuss this matter alone .
“No way...” Sam said raising her voice and standing.
“Babe... Ruby... I'll put my phone on to charge because I'm going to have an important meeting in a few minutes. I'll call later. Love you.” And got off the call.
Sam, who was already on her feet, started to get the things off the table with Ruby's help. They did it in silence, the older one pondering the reasons that led her daughter to talk about it that morning and the girl wondering if it had not been the best time for this and that the mother was not yet ready to return. Ruby, who had done nothing for breakfast, chose to wash the dishes while Sam finished cleaning the kitchen.
“Do you really want to go back?” Sam asked after much thought.
“Yes.” Ruby stated nodding her head. “I understand if you're not ready, but I also think it won't be that bad.” She used a dish towel to dry her hands and went to her mother. “You won't be alone. I will be by your side and Lena will be too.” The girl held her hand. “And I also can't stand to see you sad every time she leaves after visiting us at the weekend.” She rolled her eyes.
“I promise that I'll think about it.” Sam said and gave a kiss on the daughter's face before the girl went up to the room saying she would study.
Samantha didn't have to think too much about going back to National City because the excuse that she didn't want Ruby to change schools again was just fooling herself . A year ago it even worked because she was afraid to come back and not be able to adapt. There was also the Lena Luthor factor . A year ago they weren't dating , and after having so many things preventing them from being together , Sam didn't think it would happen again . This time was different , she had no excuse for not coming back .
She thought it was best not to spend too much time thinking and waited for Lena to call and talk to her about it. Not that she didn't know what her opinion was, but it was always great to hear. Sam waited almost the entire afternoon and was unable to speak to her even by message, maybe she was really busy with work. Sam went back to reading a book she started to read, watched with Ruby, took a nap and, when it was getting dark, that she had just gotten out of the bath, Lena made a video call.
“Hi, love.” She spoke before even looking at the camera. She was lying in bed since she left the bathroom too lazy to get dressed.
“Samantha Arias, are you naked?” Lena asked with a surprised expression, but at the same time with a malicious smile on her face. “Aren't you going to get dressed?” She asked when Sam made no move to get out of bed.
“There's nothing here that you haven't seen.” She winked at the camera and smiled.
“I can't deny that, but it will end up taking my concentration and I need your opinion.”
Sam just rolled her eyes and stood up, placing her phone on the bed and asking Lena to wait while she dressed.
On the other side of the country, Lena Luthor spent the whole day getting in touch with some real estate agents in search of a house that was located in a quiet neighborhood and not far from downtown. The house was part of her and Ruby's plan to convince Sam to return to National City. She already had a great excuse if Sam became suspicious of the reason for the purchase, since, as she lived alone, she had always preferred to live in an apartment than in a house. And she had to ask Sam for her opinion because she was the real reason for the purchase.
When Sam finished dressing and picked up her cell phone again, Lena asked her to turn on the laptop because she was going to send some photos for her to evaluate. Sam had already started to suspect, but she did as she asked. The Luthor sent several photos of five houses, also accompanied by photos of the surroundings and important information about the neighborhood in which each one was located.
“Lena... Sam said after looking at everything she had received. “What's that for?”
“Well...” Lena took a deep breath before starting the performance. “You always said that I should have a laboratory at home. I had a conversation with some engineers that I know and they told me that the type of laboratory I want could not be built in the basement of the building I currently live in because there is no necessary structure. They suggested houses to me with some specifications and the agent found those.”
“Okay... And you need my help because...”
“You understand the concept of cozy much better than I do...”
“Okay, give me a minute.” Sam definitely took more than a minute to look at the pictures again and make some notes. “The latter suits you more because it is much smaller, but it has a very divided space. I think the second is the best option. The space is more open, it has three bedrooms besides the suite, which is huge and I don't even have to talk about the bathroom. It is also on a very large lot; you can even build a pool if you want in a few years. And there is the attached house near the garage, which is big enough to build a laboratory. It is perfect if you also want to live in the place.”
“Would that be your choice?”
“Yes... Because of the suite and the yard.”
“Hm...” Lena made some notes and said she would talk to the agent and call her again at night.
Sam, seeing that it was dark, thought it best to go down to start preparing dinner if they didn't want to eat pizza for the third time that week. As she passed through Ruby's bedroom door, she overheard her again talking to someone on the phone. This time she didn't give it much importance because it could be a schoolmate or even Alex, who had been in more contact with the girl since she and Maggie adopted a dog and promised to let Ruby walk him (or she, she didn't know) when she went to National City. But when Sam was near the stairs, she heard Ruby say something that puzzled her.
“I knew she was going to choose the same one as me. I can't believe she also talked about the pool. I don't know if it will help much, but I'm sure we are much closer to convincing her.”
That stayed on her mind for the rest of the night. She and Ruby had pizza for dinner again as she had forgotten she should have gone to the supermarket that afternoon. Sam thought it was best not to ask Ruby about what she had heard and decided to talk to Lena again later.
That same night, when Lena called, they started talking about other things before touching on the subject that had taken up much of Sam's thoughts all day. Lena talked about the meeting she had after breakfast, one that should have happened the week before, but had been postponed and Sam had forgotten. The Luthor also talked about other things she did during the day, like reorganizing the “small” library she had in her home office.
“What are you wearing?” The younger brunette asked in a very low tone of voice that almost made Sam ask her to repeat.
“Are we really going to do that?” The way Sam turned red could not be seen by Lena because the room was dark and they were not making a video call.
“Didn't you see that the state of New York is suggesting virtual sex to pass the time?” Lena replied laughing. “And it's not like we've never done that before...”
“Yeah, but the other times Ruby wasn't in the room next to mine.”
“I can't take this anymore, you know?” Lena snorted on the phone. Sam could know that she was impatient. “It will be two months since I had you near me...”
“It's boring, but there's nothing we can do.” Sam said, hearing a noise coming from Lena's call that indicated that she was lying in bed. “And by the way...” She lowered her voice. “I'm not wearing anything but the sweatshirt you left here.”
Samantha stopped herself from laughing when she heard that Lena had held her breath .
“My GOD...” She spoke loudly. “I'll have to find a cure for this coronavirus myself.”
“I thought you had already started the research.” Sam replied laughing.
“And what do you think the new laboratory is for?” Lena replied and Sam saw the perfect opportunity to resume the topic that had started that afternoon.
She considered the words well and spoke what she had heard Ruby say on the phone after she ended the call with Lena.
“Tell me the truth...” Sam paused before continuing. “Does the house you said you are going to buy have anything to do with what Ruby asked me today over breakfast?”
“Yes...” Lena just answered.
“Why didn't you tell me sooner? What was your plan?”
“Ruby told me a few days ago that you miss living here and that she didn't talk to you because she didn't know if you were ready to talk about it, because of what happened here.” Lena did not intend to say anything to Sam, it was the agreement she and Ruby had, but she could not lie with Sam asking like that. “She thought that if you denied it, maybe if I showed you that I wanted you to come and live with me it would be easier. I swear to you that I wouldn't buy the house before I had this conversation, Ruby just thought I'd better show you a few options first.”
“Do you want me to move in with you?”
“Of course I do, Sam.” Lena replied. “It's everything I want to happen after all this crisis is over. We managed to adapt very well at a distance, but I'm starting to go crazy without you here.” She continued and they both laughed. “I thought about moving to Metropolis and asked what Ruby thought, she said she thought the opposite was better because she has friends here and because it's not just her who hates living there. ”
“She said that?” Sam asked and Lena stated. “I don’t hate living here because the problem is not the city. I could also hate National City if I lived there and you didn't. I just hate living away from you.”
“Does that mean you're ready to go back?” Lena asked hopefully.
“I can't know if I don't try.”
After talking a little more, Sam asked for some time to have a conversation with Ruby and said she would send a message when she was finished not to call without knowing if Lena would still be awake.
She knocked on her daughter's bedroom door and went in soon after, before she answered. Ruby was lying with her laptop on and the earphones on, probably talking to someone on the phone. She explained that she was playing with some friends she made when she lived in National City and that she was still in contact with them even after the move. Sam asked her to hang up a little so they could talk. Ruby figured it would be because of the same breakfast topic so she didn't complain and told her friends that she would be back in a few minutes. Sam started by saying that Lena had already told her all about their plan and that Ruby didn't need to have talked to her in secret and that she could have talked to her directly. Ruby said that she was afraid that her attitude of wanting to return would hurt Sam, because, in a way, the reason she wanted to leave town was an important factor in her health.
“So, are we going?” Ruby asked while hugging her mother.
“When all this crisis is over, yes.” Sam returned the hug and placed a kiss on the top of the daughter's head. “Just know that the main reason is that you want to return.
“Sure it's not because of your girlfriend?” Ruby asked laughing and received a pat on the arm.
“Lena also has a bearing on my decision, but your agreement is what matters the most.”
Ruby hugged her mom again. “I just want to see you happy, mom, and this city is not the place that makes you happy... Nor to stay away from my stepmother.” She laughed when she spoke the last sentence and as a consequence she was knocked over in bed and attacked by several tickles from her mother.
Later, on that 40th day of the quarantine , since it was past midnight . Lena Luthor was changing the TV channels , not knowing what to watch , just waiting for another call from Sam to be able to sleep . She gave up on the TV and took out her cell phone to look at Twitter and see if she could find any other ideas to have fun with her girlfriend during the isolation . That's when she received a message from Sam with the following words :
“Tell me now what YOU are wearing..."
Lena almost dropped the phone on her face when she read the message. It had been a long time since she had known what it was like to have Sam's body next to hers, to feel her warm hands running over her body. The brunette shivered just to imagine the sensation. She played with Sam earlier when she asked the same question. They had had sex on the phone before, sometimes when Ruby wasn't home and Lena was traveling. Of course, the sensation was not the same as the hand-to-hand contact, but little could be enough when you have nothing.
“I hope these wireless earphones are also water resistant."
Another message, this time followed by a photo that showed part of Sam's body immersed in the bathtub while her legs were out of the water, but still wet. Lena was looking for words to answer when she received a video call. When she answered, she saw that Sam had a malicious smile on her lips and her hair was wet.
“If you didn’t understand, I'm calling you to have a bath with me...” And hung up before Lena could answer.
A few seconds later, her cell phone received another notification. Another picture. Sam had her whole body in the water. Lena knew she was naked, but she couldn't see it because of the foam. Finally, after getting a reaction, Lena ran to the bathroom to fill the bathtub and undressed while running back to the bedroom to get the cell phone and the earphones. When the bathtub finished filling, she put on the earphones and called her girlfriend.
“I thought you didn't understand the idea you suggested earlier.” Sam said laughing while answering the phone.
“I'm going to exterminate this virus or I'm not Lena Kieran Luthor...”