Kara was absolutely terrible at baking.
That was unfortunate, because Kara had always considered baked goods as the number one solution to any problem. Whether to welcome a new neighbor, cheer up a saddened friend, or just because they always looked delicious and begging to be shared, Kara counted baked goods as one of her top ten favorite ways to express love and affection.
So after Lena's devastating loss with Jack Spheer, Kara knew that she had to do something to make her friend feel better - and she knew exactly what that something would be. After all, who wouldn't be cheered by a surprise visit from a close friend, bearing delicious, homemade, baked goods?
It was a perfect plan - or, almost perfect. The one tiny flaw, inconspicuous and yet surprisingly crippling, made itself known to Kara after three ruined pies, two burnt batches of cookies, and one absolutely shameful attempt at pastries.
Homemade.
For the life of her, Kara could not successfully bake a batch of - well, anything.
After changing out of two ruined shirts and nearly setting her oven on fire, Kara was forced to admit defeat. She jumped into the shower to wash the flour out of her hair - how did it even get in there anyway? - and found a fresh set of clothes so that she could trudge defeatedly to Shemo's Baked Goods; the best bakery that she knew of in National City. If she couldn't succeed in baking Lena something special, at the very least she could buy her friend the best that National City had to offer.
It was only once Kara was standing in line at the bakery that she realized she didn't really know Lena's taste. She was so healthy - all kale and quinoa salads, that Kara wasn't actually sure if she'd ever seen the CEO put something in her mouth that wasn't a superfood. The last time Kara had brought donuts, she was pretty sure Lena had only picked at it to be polite.
Oh well. These were comfort baked goods, and Kara was certain that once Lena tasted them, she'd be hooked. Just to be sure, she stayed on the safe side, ordering a box of freshly-made chocolate chip cookies. The ultimate classic.
As Kara stepped out on the street, clutching the box of cookies, she was met by a cold gust of wind and the sight of thickly falling snow. People rushed by, bundled up in winter coats and boots, and she was halfway down the street before she realized that - in her haste to get to the bakery - Kara had forgotten to check the weather. She was wearing simple jeans and a t-shirt, an outfit that was looking increasingly conspicuous as the flakes began to fall faster, painting the street in white. She would have to change before she headed to Lena's, and so with a sigh Kara turned back towards the direction of her apartment.
As if to add to her annoyance, she arrived to her apartment only to it discover that the box her cookies had come in was torn, and slowly breaking apart. Kara huffed in annoyance and used her super speed to switch into new clothes, before zipping to the kitchen to switch out the box for a plate and plastic wrap. She was already running late, so with a whoosh she was out the window, the curtains fluttering in her wake, and the useless bakery box in the trash.
Kara arrived just in time and was quickly buzzed in by Jess, who greeted her warmly, smiling when she saw the cookies.
"You can head right on up Ms. Danvers," She said. "I think she'll like the cookies."
As soon as Kara entered it was clear to her that Lena had not been having a good past few days. Her desk, normally immaculate, was cluttered with papers, and the rims of Lena's eyes were puffy and red, as if she'd been crying recently.
Still, she smiled - only somewhat forced - when she saw Kara, which Kara returned with plenty of enthusiasm and an outstretched hand offering the plate of cookies.
"For you!" She said, and then faltered, unsure what exactly to say next. "I mean, because baked goods - especially cookies - always make me feel better when I'm sad, and I know you've been having a hard time, which I'm awfully sorry about, so I thought I'd bring you something nice, and well, homemade baked goods are always my favorite way to feel better - "
"Kara - thank you," Lena said softly, and there was something in her voice that made Kara feel the weight of those words, that her action - the simplest way she could think of to show Lena she cared - was received more warmly than she'd expected. Kara blinked, and then laughed awkwardly, a blush coloring her cheeks.
"Oh, it's nothing!" She chuckled nervously, and reached up to adjust her glasses. "That's, um, what friends are for, you know. So - want to try them?"
Lena smiled at her again, and this time there was nothing forced about it. "I'd love to."
They found themselves sitting on Lena's couch as Kara tore the plastic wrap off the plate and began regaling Lena with the tales of her multiple baking disasters as she tried to come up with a suitable - successful - recipe to bring to her friend. Kara passed one of the cookies to Lena, who was nearly in tears of laughter as Kara explained how she had almost set the oven on fire, thus runing her second batch of cookies.
"So this must be the successful batch then?" Lena interrupted, as she reached for another.
"I - what?" Kara broke off, confused.
"Kara, these are amazing," Lena said, eyebrow raised, through a mouthful of crumbs and chocolate. "And I can't believe you cared enough to go through all that effort to make me cookies!"
"Well - uh, that's actually - " Kara flailed, trying to remember what she'd meant to say before Lena's compliment. "No, of course I cared enough! You're worth it, Lena."
Not what she'd meant to say, but true all the same. Only now it appeared that Lena was under the impression that Kara had managed to bake a professional-level batch of cookies.
Lena flushed at the compliment, and Kara decided to let it go. After all, it wasn't far from the truth - she had put all that effort in, though not as successfully as Lena assumed. And what was a little white lie to letting Lena know just how much she was valued and loved as a person - and as Kara's friend?
So Kara just smiled and nodded, and reached for another cookie - after all, they were pretty damn good.
The problems started a couple weeks later.
Lena's invitation to Kara for the L-Corp holiday party had been unexpected, to say the least. Kara was a little hesitant, unsure of how much she would fit in as a lowly reporter among all those high-nosed business types, but her friend had practically begged.
"Please, it's not a fancy thing Kara - just your run-of-the-mill office party! I host it for the people who work with me, like Jess and some of my other advisors."
"Please," She asked again, her eyes boring into Kara's with such pleading intensity that Kara knew in that moment she wasn't going to refuse.
"Of course, Lena," She said, and was rewarded with a big smile.
"Great!" Lena's face lit up. "Oh, and could you please bring those cookies you made? I told everyone at the office about them and now they're all dying to try them."
"Try...my cookies?" Kara said in a strangled sort of voice. "Um...I guess...:"
"Yes! Thank you!" With that Lena engulfed her in such a tight hug that every other thought was chased from Kara's head. "You're amazing."
So it was with that hug still lingering in Kara's head that she found herself at Shemo's again, standing in line for their chocolate chip cookies, and it was only when she was at home trashing the cardboard 'Shemo's' box and placing the cookies on one of her own plates that the thought 'What am I doing?' came wandering through her head.
She shook it off. It was just a little thing - she'd bring the cookies to the office party, everyone would enjoy them, and she'd forget about it again. Far easier - and less awkward - to just go with the flow rather than reveal to Lena now that she'd bought the cookies.
Anyway, she didn't want Lena to be disappointed in her - or her cookies.
The holiday party was funner than Kara had expected, and the cookies were just as popular as Lena predicted. Kara found herself sticking with Lena most of the night, since the only other person she really knew was Jess, and had a good time in spite of her reservations. The guests, despite all being high-nosed business and tech tycoons as Kara expected, were much the same as any other office workers after a few drinks. Jess in particular happened to be a bit rowdy in particular after a few cups of punch - giggling and holding mistletoe over the heads of Kara and Lena, leading to an awkward kiss on the cheek which made both women blush and Jess laugh uproariously.
By the end of the night the cookies were gone and Kara, flushed from her and Lena's friendly kiss, had all but forgotten about the whole awkward situation.
Only apparently Lena hadn't.
The requests came filtering in, slowly but surely. First one of Lena's head engineers had just lost her beloved dog to old age, and could Kara please, if it wasn't too much trouble, whip up a batch of those amazing cookies as a feel-better gift?
Then it was Jess's birthday and she'd so loved the cookies at the party and Lena would love to bring her some to work only she was terrible at baking and if Kara could bring them Jess would surely be through the roof -
And so on and on it went, and with every request Kara found herself sinking deeper into the web of lies that she'd started with that fateful disaster of a baking session. She had lost count of the number of times she'd stood in line at Shemo's, kicking herself for lying in the first place as she desperately tried to think of a way to extract herself from the situation without ruining her and Lena's friendship.
As far as she could think of, there was no way out, except for that which involved Kara admitting to Lena that she'd been lying about the cookies since day one.
And Kara was pretty sure that if it came to that fateful day, she would sink through the floor from embarrassment before she even managed to get the words out.
So as time went on, with every request, Kara simply gave in and nodded her affirmation, as a small part of her brain idly - and rather tiredly - tried to add up just how much of her monthly paycheck was spent on Shemo's Bakery.
She was considered a regular by this time, to the point that the employees knew her order and offered her to call ahead anytime she wanted, and they would have her order waiting and ready to go. Kara accepted this apparent benefit defeatedly as the final silken thread in the web of white lies she had spun.
When would it end? She wondered. Would it ever end?
As it was, the fib unraveled on one particularly unassuming Tuesday game night at Kara's apartment, something to which Lena had long since had a standing invitation. Along with Lena's consistent attendance Kara had found that her infamous cookies had wormed a permanent place into the rotating menu of game night snacks. Lena hadn't requested it, per say, but Kara knew that she loved them - and in any case, it was one of the few things Kara knew that Lena indulged in, and she was loathe to take it away.
On the first game night that Lena had been invited to, Alex had caught Kara moving the cookies from the bakery box to a plate, and forced the entire story out of her. Once she'd heard the story, her sister hadn't stopped laughing until Kara threatened to melt her new designer boots. That had shut her up, but it hadn't stopped Alex from making underhanded comments the whole evening and then laughing uproariously at Kara's red-faced glare and Lena's confused expression. She'd dropped it for the most part after the first game night, but occasionally Kara caught Alex glancing between her and Lena with a knowing look in her eye - though knowing about what, she couldn't say.
On the tuesday that Lena found out the truth, Kara knew immediately that something was off. Game night always started around seven, but it was barely six-thirty when Kara heard the first knock on the door, and a quick scan through the wood confirmed that it was Lena. Alex - who always came over early to help set up - shot her a confused look as Kara mouthed 'Lena' and went to open the door.
Lena never came early. Due to the demands of her position, she often bustled into game night anywhere from five minutes late to an hour; however, she never missed it.
As Kara opened the door and took in the sight of Lena before her, she knew immediately that something was off. Whereas Lena always lit up with a smile when she saw Kara, now her face was closed off, and she stood shifting her weight uneasily. Nerves radiated off of her.
"Hi Lena!" Kara said trying not to sound overly surprised. "You're here super early! Wanna come in? Alex and I were just setting up."
"Um, actually Kara," Lena swallowed, looking uncharacteristically uncomfortable. "Actually, I was wondering if I could talk to you about something. Alone."
"Oh…" Kara felt her stomach flutter nervously. Was this it? Had Lena figured it out? "Yeah, of course." She stepped out into the hallway, closing the door behind her. "What's up?"
Lena took a deep breath, and Kara had the sudden impression that whatever it was Lena wanted to say, it was as awkward for her as it was for Kara. So Kara reached out and took her friend's hand in hers, squeezing her palm in reassurance.
"Hey Lena, you know you can always be honest with me." Kara said. "What's wrong?"
"Well, Kara...I don't know how to say this." Lena bit her lip, uncertain green eyes studying Kara intensely.
"Say what?"
"I…" Another intake of breath. "I know."
Oh no. Kara's stomach dropped. She forced herself to meet Lena's gaze, her mind spinning. How did she know? Had had she found out? She had been so careful...
Kara realized that Lena was still watching her, waiting for a response, and suddenly she felt a wave of shame wash over her. Lena must feel so betrayed, knowing her best friend had lied to her for no reason other than to save herself the embarrassment of an awkward misunderstanding. Some friend she was.
"Lena, I'm so sorry." It was all she could think of to say. "I should have told you, I - "
"No, Kara, it's okay." Lena interrupted, and Kara stopped short, her mind still filled with explanations and apologies.
"Huh?" She said.
"I said, it's okay." Lena's eyes were no longer filled with nervousness, but rather warm acceptance. "I get it. You don't have to make explanations to me."
"What?" Kara exclaimed in shock. "No, Lena it's not! I lied to you! For a whole year! You're my best friend, you don't deserve that and I'm so, so, sorry! It's just - the first time I brought you cookies you were so happy and I meant to tell you but then you thought I made them and it was an awkward misunderstanding but then I let it go but then you really liked them and I didn't know what to….what?"
She trailed off at Lena's expression, which had grown more and more confused with every rambling word.
"Kara, what are you talking about?" She asked.
Kara, staring at her, found that her mouth was hanging open and closed it hurriedly as she tried to collect her thoughts.
"What are you talking about?" She managed at last.
Lena looked at her strangely with something between confusion and concern on her face, as if she'd lost the turn of the conversation and wasn't quite sure how to get it back.
"I'm talking about the fact that I know you're Supergirl." She answered with a defiant look on her face, almost as if she expected Kara to deny it.
"Oh. Oh!...OH!" The implication of Lena's words finally got through to Kara, at last tearing her away from the problem of the cookies. "Me, Supergirl? No! Um, I mean, uh, are you sure?"
Shoot. That wasn't what she was supposed to say. Kara had never been good at lying, and somehow being around Lena always made her triple-tongue-tied.
Alex was going to kill her. Especially now that Kara's response had hardened Lena's look of skepticism into one of firm resolve.
"Yes, I think I am." With one quick, determined movement, she reached up and removed Kara's glasses. Kara blinked in shock, and then, as she realized her last defense was gone, she gave up, shoulders sinking in defeat.
"You're right." She mumbled, eyes glued to the floor, unable to make herself meet her best friend's gaze. "I'm so sorry I haven't told you, Lena."
"Kara," A hand tucked one of Kara's flyaway locks behind her ear, and Kara looked up to meet her friend's green eyes. Her voice was warm and understanding. "I told you it's okay. I know you had reasons that you had to keep your secret under wraps - and I know it's your secret to tell. I just didn't feel right pretending that I didn't know."
There was something sticking in Kara's throat that she couldn't quite name - but it felt like relief. Lena knew she was Supergirl, and she was okay with it. Their friendship was still strong. And Lena was looking at her intently, her eyes glowing with affection. Suddenly Kara became aware that she was still gripping Lena's hand tightly, and found that she didn't want to let go. The other thing she had been worrying about seemed like a distant concern.
"Thank you," She said softly. "You don't know how much I wanted to tell you - I hate lying."
"Me too," Lena said, and Kara abruptly became aware that they were standing quite close together, practically touching. As if Lena was thinking the same thing, she began to lean in towards Kara, their intertwined hands pulling them together, and -
BANG! The door slammed open and Lena and Kara drew apart rapidly, cheeks flushing. Alex was standing in the doorway, and as she took in the scene her expression morphed from annoyance to that of a smug smile.
"Oh, hi there Lena," Alex said, leaning against the doorway and studiously ignored the murderous looks Kara was throwing at her. "Not to interrupt, but the others are gonna be here in a few minutes. Did Kara finally tell you about the cookies?"
"The cookies?" Lena asked, baffled. "What cookies?"
Alex assumed a look of such horrendously faked innocence that Kara immediately began rethinking just how unbreakable their sisterly bond was. "Oh, the fact that Kara can't bake to save her life and because of some stupid misunderstanding you apparently think that she can so she's been buying cookies from Shemo's Bakery for the past year or so just because she didn't want to admit it. Or wait, is that not what you guys were talking about?"
Lena simply stared at Alex for a long moment, nonplussed. Then, slowly, she turned to Kara.
"You've been lying about being able to bake cookies?"
"Um...yes."
"For the past year?"
"...yes."
"So every time I've asked you to bake for me you've simply gone to a bakery and bought them, and pretended that you made them?"
"Well...yes."
Lena looked at Kara for a long moment, an unreadable expression on her face.
"If it helps, they're from the best bakery in National City," Kara said meekly.
At this Lena's composure caved. She turned away quickly, collapsing into laughter. Kara looked at Alex helplessly, but her sister simply shook her head.
"Maybe next time don't lie to your girlfriend."
"Alex!"
"Hey, somebody had to tell her."