Chapter Text
“I need to get in touch with Supergirl.”
Kara was always happy to do Lena a favour. Still, she always felt a little worried when going to meet someone who knew her as Kara, but didn’t know she was Supergirl.
She knew Lena didn’t ask for help lightly. If Kara was honest, she was a little worried about what it was that would make Lena need Supergirl’s help again.
Well, there was one way to find out.
Lena always worked late. As night fell, Kara quickly switched costumes, and flew to the L-Corp building. She scanned it with her x-ray vision, making sure Lena was still in her office and was alone, before ascending.
She knocked on the window. Lena stood, and turned around. Nodding gratefully, Lena went over, opening the door to her balcony.
“Kara Danvers said you wanted my help,” Kara said.
She tried to make her voice at least vaguely imperious. It was the kind of thing people expected from superheroes.
“Yes,” Lena said. “Well, no. It’s… complicated. Will you sit down?”
Slightly mystified, Kara took a chair. Lena sat down just opposite, fidgeting a little.
She hadn’t seen Lena like this before. Lena was always so self-assured, so confident; it was one of the things Kara admired about her.
“You know Kara Danvers?” Lena said.
“I guess,” Kara said.
“She’s interviewed you, and she always seems to be able to find you,” Lena said. “I was hoping it was like Olsen, and Superman. You’re friends.”
“Sort of.”
“I was hoping you could… help me,” Lena said. “I know there are other people I could ask, but of everyone you seem to be the best at keeping a secret, and I know you a little more than I do them.”
“Lena, what is it?”
“Do you know if she’s single?” Lena said, suddenly.
Why was Lena interested in that? Kara hesitated, briefly.
It wasn’t the simplest question, anyway. There were always complications, and people she might be interested in. Something had felt off after her romance with James, but there was something odd between them, and Mon-El seemed to want something.
Then there had been something unspoken with Cat. There was nothing concrete going on, with anyone, but Kara still didn’t feel sure how to answer that question.
“It’s complicated,” Kara said.
“That’s a no,” Lena said.
“Not exactly,” Kara said. “There are people in her life, but there isn’t any real, uh, relationship.”
Lena regarded her, contemplatively.
“So she’s interested in people?” Lena said.
“Yes,” Kara said, relieved at the easier question.
“Who?”
Kara faltered.
“None of my business, sorry,” Lena said. “But, uh, what kind of people are they?”
Kara remained just as silent.
There was an odd vulnerability in Lena; something she hadn’t really seen. She wanted to take her time with answers, to be careful because of Lena’s expression.
Still, she couldn’t help but feel she was missing something; like there was a switch on the verge of clicking, a light bulb on the verge of coming on, but not quite.
“Could you be more… specific?” Kara said, uncertainly.
“Are they human?”
“Oh! Oh, yes,” Kara said. “Mostly.”
“Are any, um, women?”
“That doesn’t really bother m- her,” Kara said.
Lena breathed a sigh of relief. Kara watched her, trying to hide her confusion.
“Has she- mentioned me?” Lena said, looking up.
“Now and again.”
“What does she say?” Lena said.
Kara took a moment to respond. Why the sudden topic change? Lena was watching her, hanging onto every syllable.
“She thinks you’re, um, smart,” Kara said.
“Smart?” Lena echoed.
“Like, uh, clever,” Kara said. “And kind, she said that a few times, when we talk, together. Which we can do. A lot. She trusts you.”
Lena started smiling, and it made Kara feel light. She always liked to make people happy, it was why she did what she did, but it meant more to elicit a smile from certain people.
Her eyes lingered for a few moments on Lena’s face. This was an evening for new sights, it seemed. First, she’d seen Lena for once less than near-completely assured, and now she was seeing a joy more genuine than she’d ever seen on Lena’s face.
“She’s glad to be your friend,” Kara said.
She expected more of a smile. Instead, Lena’s face fell.
“What is it?” Kara said.
“A friend?” Lena said, “She said that?”
“Yep,” Kara said, in an attempt to be cheerful. “Those exact words.”
Lena’s expression didn’t perk up in the slightest. Kara watched her, baffled.
“Thank you,” Lena said, after a moment. “I suppose it was easier to find out like this.”
“Find out what?” Kara said.
“That she sees me as a friend,” Lena said.
“But that’s good, isn’t it?” Kara said. “You said she’s your friend, so you see her like that, unless you… don’t.”
Something clicked in that instant.
Kara blinked, suddenly looking at Lena with new eyes. Oh. Ok, that would start to make sense out of this conversation.
“It’s something,” Lena said. “It’s not all I’d like, but, I suppose, at least she’s in my life.”
Sure, she admired Lena. It was hard not to; someone that was smart, resourceful, brave; who had that fierce streak of independence. Someone who was good and, let’s face it, gorgeous.
Kara quickly found herself re-evaluating a few things. It was too immediate to say anything for sure, but maybe she could…
“Don’t listen to me,” Kara said, hurriedly. “I mean, she doesn’t tell me everything. We’re not that close, really. There are a lot of things that she might not have said.”
Lena paused. She looked across to Supergirl, expression unreadable.
“I appreciate it, really,” Lena said. “But you don’t have to try and make me feel better. I’m used to it.”
“Just saying, you shouldn’t give up hope,” Kara said.
Lena shook her head.
“That was why I asked you,” Lena said. “I don’t want to ruin what I have with her, but if she felt like she could… If she just sees me as a friend, then I won’t be anything more.”
“You can’t really know until you ask her,” Kara said.
“But if I ask her and she doesn’t like me, then that can hurt a friendship,” Lena said.
“I’m sure it won’t-”
“It happens, even if no one wants it to,” Lena said. “One person sees meaning where there isn’t any, and the other will either be seen as overaffectionate or, if they’re trying to avoid that, too cold.”
It did figure Lena Luthor might not have the best experiences when it came to relationships. Kara nodded, uncertainly.
There was no way a conversation could do away with years of experience, no matter what. If Lena didn’t want to directly talk to Kara, then she wouldn’t, which meant…
“But if she asked you,” Kara said, “Would you-”
“You can’t tell her,” Lena said, sharply.
“I just-”
“Please, Supergirl,” Lena said. “Promise you won’t tell Kara about any of this. That’d be the same as if I told her.”
Kara hesitated.
“Promise me, please,” Lena said.
“I promise,” Kara said, by instinct.
Ok, so Lena wouldn’t talk to her. And she couldn’t go and approach Lena, because then Lena would just think Supergirl had told Kara, and even if she ended up dating Lena, Lena would hate her for breaking the promise, and-
Kara’s head started spinning. She shook it off, blinking.
And, truth be told, she needed a bit more time to sort out what she felt for Lena.
It wasn’t too hard to see her thoughts of Lena in a new light, but it still wasn’t easy to figure out exactly what the meaning was.
“There has to be another way for Kara to talk to you,” Kara said.
Maybe Lena could give her an idea.
“I don’t think so,” Lena said. “If she hasn’t said anything before, then it’d take something, and I don’t know what that could be.”
Well, Lena saying she liked her seemed to do just fine.
“Maybe Kara will just figure it out on her own,” Kara said. “Without being told by, uh, anyone.”
“I know you mean well,” Lena said. “But don’t. She can’t be forced into it, it has to be her choice.”
“There has to be another, uh, trigger I guess,” Kara said. “Something that’ll make her want to talk to you. I don’t have to be involved.”
“Like what?” Lena said. “She’d have to be jealous or something.”
Lena paused for a moment. Meanwhile, Kara frowned, speculatively looking out of the window.
It was frustrating to find out something like this, and then immediately be prevented from acting on it. Because, the more she thought about it, the more she realized she did want to act on it.
At the very least, she could give it a go. A Super and a Luthor, it was an interesting combination.
“Date me,” Lena said, suddenly.
Kara’s brain paused. Mentally she went over the last few seconds, trying to figure out if she’d missed something while distracted by her thoughts.
There didn’t seem to be anything. Slowly, Kara turned back to Lena. Ok, she knew that expression, that intent gaze; apparently Lena was serious.
“What?” Kara said.
“Jealousy,” Lena said. “If Kara likes me, and is too shy to say, then she needs an incentive, like seeing me with someone else. If she doesn’t like me, then we’ll give it a go, then part ways, and nothing will change.”
“You want to make Kara jealous, by dating me?” Kara said, slowly.
“It’s perfect,” Lena said. “You already know, so I don’t have to tell anyone else, and Kara knows you, so she’ll have to notice. You can tell her about us, and tell me how she reacts.”
Kara’s head was still spinning.
“Will you?” Lena said.
Lena was looking at her, hopefully. It was a hard face to say no to.
How, exactly, had she gotten here? Kara tried not to look too taken aback, working out what it was she was meant to do.
If she said no, Lena wouldn’t be happy. She might understand, but if she couldn’t think of any other way she would never approach Kara, and wouldn’t trust Kara approaching her.
She didn’t want that for Lena. Besides, Kara would admit, she had more than an academic interest in the idea.
Whereas, if she said yes, what was the worse that could happen? Play-act a few days, the minimum amount of time for Lena to believe Kara was jealous rather than guided, ensure what she felt was real, and approach Lena. Or, failing that, play-act a few weeks finding out it wasn’t quite the real thing, and that’d be the end, with no awkwardness.
Well, very little awkwardness.
“Ok,” Kara said.
Lena paused, for a moment.
“You will?” she said.
“Sure,” Kara said. “I’d love to help you.”
“Thank you,” Lena said.
“So, how should we start?”
Lena paused for a moment. It didn’t take her long to come up with a plan, though.
“There are always photographers outside my home,” Lena said. “Curse of being a Luthor. Would you fly me back, when I’m done here?”
“Absolutely,” Kara said.
Lena had a little work to wrap up; she’d been in the middle of something when Kara had arrived.
Kara made her excuses to temporarily leave, going off for a quick flight around the building, and stopping an overheard mugging. She also made a quick phone call to James.
Well, if there were photographers around Lena’s house, there wasn’t any harm in adding another. He might be doing more than just taking photos these days, but he liked the chance for a good one.
When Kara went back to Lena’s office, Lena was ready.
They went out via the balcony, and Kara carried Lena in her arms, bridal-style. It was the easiest position for first time flyers.
Kara went slowly, giving Lena time to relax. The human body always protested when being held aloft at skyscraper-heights. People always adjusted sooner or later, though.
Lena held onto her tightly; she couldn’t really hurt Supergirl, anyway. Kara tried to ignore just how nice it felt to have Lena so near her.
Even at the more leisurely pace, Kara quickly made it to Lena’s home. She landed softly on the ground just outside, ignoring the sudden click of cameras that her super-hearing picked up.
Lena moved carefully from Kara’s arms. Her feet were slightly unsteady, to begin with. As she reacquainted herself with the ground, Lena straightened, adjusting her clothes and hair with one hand.
“That was… an experience,” Lena said, breathlessly.
“Thank you,” Kara said. “Same time tomorrow?”
“Earlier,” Lena said.
“Ok,” Kara said. She smiled-
And hesitated. That was all they’d planned; put in an appearance, drop a few implications, and then Kara would leave.
The silence dragged on for a couple of seconds longer than she’d meant, however; too long to just suddenly say ‘goodbye,’ and vanish. That, and she was suddenly aware of just how close she was to Lena.
Kara shifted, uncertainly. She leaned her head, just a little nearer.
This wasn’t what either of them had planned. All things considered, it felt too soon. Then again, if this was just fake-dating, then as far as anyone was concerned they could have been seeing each other months.
She hesitated, just centimetres away-
Lena’s eyes darted sideways. Then, quickly, she gave a small, nearly imperceptible nod. Kara leant closer and kissed her.
That, more than anything, confirmed to Kara that this was definitely real. It wasn’t curiosity, it wasn’t speculation brought on by Lena’s words. This was something she definitely wanted to try.
Fireworks went off inside her chest.
Reluctantly, Kara moved back. Lena wasn’t blinking; she did, however, offer a small smile.
Click. Kara nearly jumped at the sound of a camera. Normally her super-hearing didn’t catch her by surprise like that, but then again normally she wasn’t so distracted.
Ok. Wow.
“That’ll give them something to write about,” Lena said, softly.
“Yeah,” Kara said.
She hesitated.
“Goodbye?” Kara said.
“Goodbye, Supergirl,” Lena said.
She lifted her voice to more normal tones, then, to be heard. Kara nodded to her.
Then Kara took off, flying up from that spot, aware of Lena’s eyes watching her leave. It would be part of Lena’s act, but still, it meant something.
A silly grin on her face, Kara flew two laps of National City, before heading home.