Notes: In order not to confuse anyone, I'd like to say that this chapter takes you through what happened before Lena got home. (I'm sure ya'll would have figured it out, though. You're smart!) Enjoy!
It was early morning, and Lena was doing her best to look at the graphs and numbers before her first meeting of the day. She wanted to immerse herself in work, distracting her mind from Cadmus.
Lena knew her mother didn't love her, that was no surprise, but she never would've thought Lillian would leave her to die in a kryptonite explosion in the mountainside. She supposed she really should have known better. All the times her mother emotionally manipulated her, telling her she loved her just to get what she wanted.
Revealing her father's affair, pinning him as the reason she kept her distance and wasn't a better mother. Telling Lena she really was a Luthor by blood, and being the only two left, they needed to stick together. It was all just a ploy to set Lena up, to use her once more.
Lex made Lena proud to be a Luthor, but once he went on his rampage on Metropolis and Superman, she no longer wanted anything to do with the name. She cherished that she only associated with it through legal documents, but knowing now that the same evil DNA coursed through her veins, Lena would be lying if she said she wasn't completely terrified.
So Lena thought of something else, or rather someone else. The only person who cared enough to stand up and fight for her throughout the whole debacle. The only person who didn't make her feel afraid.
She thought of Kara, and how she stood up to her friends and family even when they were all convinced Lena was guilty. How Supergirl burst into Lex's lair, even though a man filled with kryptonite, her biggest weakness, was waiting for her.
Lena was astonished when Supergirl showed up to save her, telling her, "Kara Danvers believes in you," as her reasoning. It meant everything to Lena, and she would've happily died in that explosion knowing even one person was on her side.
Lena had to do something to show Kara her indebtedness. That the magnitude of all Kara (and Supergirl) had done was not lost on her. She owed Kara her life, and she was ready to spend the rest of that life paying the woman back. But how would she even begin?
She wanted to offer Kara the world. Shower her in gifts, get her everything money could buy, but she knew the hero would never accept. She didn't care about material things.
What Lena needed was something small but meaningful, as soft and beautiful as Kara's heart.
Flowers.
She remembered when Kara saw the flowers on her coffee table and instantly took to them, commenting on their beauty.
There was a small knock on the door then, Jess' head popping in through the opening.
"Ms. Luthor, your meeting is about to begin," the secretary informed. Jess opened the door completely, leaning her back against it.
"Yes, thank you, Jess," Lena nodded, lifting off her chair and walking towards the open door. "While I'm away, could you do me a favor?"
"Of course, Ms. Luthor, what is it?"
Lena smiled impossibly wide, "I'd like you to order a dozen bouquets of plumerias and have them sent to Kara Danvers' office immediately. I want them waiting for her the moment she arrives at work. Perhaps throw in some roses for good measure."
Jess gave Lena a knowing look. "Right away, Ms. Luthor. Anything else?"
"No, thank you, that'll be all."
Lena's giddiness grew as she headed off to her meeting.
Kara stood in absolute awe as she took in the sight in front of her. Every inch of her desk, even parts of the floor, were covered in flowers.
The magnificence of them made her heart flutter. The plumerias were a bright white, with a soft hint of yellow adorning each of their centers. Mixed in were pink roses, not much, but just enough and expertly placed to bring a lovely contrast.
There was a small note attached with a "thank you" typed in an elegant font. There wasn't a name indicating who they were from, but Kara didn't need one to know exactly who sent them. These were the same flowers she had seen in Lena's office weeks before, commenting on how they reminded her of her mother.
It amazed Kara that Lena would even remember something like that about her. Surely the CEO had more important things on her list, she was still in the process of changing the direction of her company, and in turn had countless business proposals lined up with the board. Yet somehow, Lena still managed to retain something so trivial, making it mean that much more.
She had to thank Lena in person for the thoughtful gift. She brought one of the bouquets up to her nose and inhaled gently, taking in the subtle scent as she pondered. She placed the vase back down her desk, took out her phone, and began going through the contacts. Her finger landed on Lena's name. She tried not to read too much into how many hearts were placed by it.
K: Hey, sorry to bother you, I'm sure you're swamped at work… It's just, I was thinking about you and was wondering if I could see you later?
Oh, shoot. Did that come off too strong? Did that sound too "date-y"?
K: I mean, my article on you was just printed and I was hoping to bring you a copy before it hit the shelves tomorrow?
Kara couldn't understand why she was so anxious as she waited on Lena's reply. She was Supergirl. An other-worldly being with godlike powers, who fought off rogue aliens and saved the entire planet in her spare time, yet a simple text to Lena set her whole nervous system into overdrive.
The ticking minutes felt like hours, and Kara was beginning to worry she may have scared off her friend, until finally-
L: Hello, Kara. You would be right to assume that I am currently swamped at work, but you are always a welcome distraction. I would be delighted to see you and read your article, come by L-Corp after work?
"It's a good article," she smiled at the woman next to her, "you flatter me." She placed the CatCo magazine down, a white "Innocent" splayed across the cover, and turned to face the writer who sat with her on the couch.
They sat closely, their knees barely an inch from touching, their bodies turning in towards each other.
"I only wrote the truth," Kara quickly replied, throwing up her hand, smiling softly, feigning as if she hadn't single-handedly proved Lena's innocence.
Kara wiped her palm against her knee, swallowing subtly. It made Lena wonder if Kara was as nervous as she was. The last time they were in this office together, Lena was being arrested for a crime she didn't commit. But Kara had defended her, even when everything pointed against her.
"I'm learning to keep digging, even when all the evidence points one way," Kara confided, blue eyes boring into Lena's. "There's always another side."
"Even when it's hard to find."
"Especially when it's hard to find."
A small pause.
Lena's heart was pounding, her mind racing. She stole a quick glance at Kara's lips. They had a shimmer to them, and Lena wondered what flavored lip gloss she was wearing. The thought of stealing a quick taste entering her mind, but thought better of it, it was dangerous territory, so she darted her eyes downwards.
That was a mistake when she took notice of Kara's skirt, realizing just how much leg was showing. She let her eyes soak in the expanse of smooth skin, almost forgetting she was having a conversation.
"So my office is overflowing with flowers," Kara cut in playfully.
"Really?" she flirted back, scrunching her brows and opening her mouth, faking a shocked gasp.
The teasing made Kara giggle, the sound delighting Lena's ears. It was quickly becoming her favorite sound, and she allowed herself to imagine making Kara laugh every day.
A small smile played at soft pink lips, "You didn't have to do that."
"Yeah, I did," Lena defended. "Supergirl told me it was you who sent her, I don't know how to thank you."
She knew how she wanted to thank Kara. She wanted to kiss Kara with such conviction it would shatter her entire world. She wanted to give Kara every part of her until she had nothing left. She wanted to love Kara so fiercely it would set them both ablaze.
She wanted Kara.
"Well, that's what friends are for," Kara sighed deeply, like the words themselves were weighted, like they hurt.
Maybe it was all in her head, but Lena could've swore it bothered Kara using the word "friend". Maybe it burned her lips coming out the same way it burned Lena's. Maybe, just maybe, she wanted something more, too.
"I've never had friends like you before," she confessed, moving herself closer, daring herself to be brave. "Come to think of it, I've never had family like you…" She swallowed the lump forming in her throat. "No one's ever stood up for me like that."
"Now you have someone who will stand up for you, always," Kara promised.
And those were the words that broke her and healed her all at once. The words chipped away at Lena's walls brick by brick, but she had never felt more safe. All the cracks that threatened to break Lena suddenly filling in. Her eyes locked onto Kara's then. Her resolve absolute.
"Well, Supergirl may have saved me but, Kara Danvers, you are my hero."
Lena reached her hand out, brushing Kara's hair behind her ear, twisting her fingers into golden locks at the nape of the blonde's neck. She pulled Kara into a hug, feeling strong arms snake around her waist, enveloping her in a steadying warmth. Lena's pulse quickened, her mouth going dry thinking about what she was going to do next.
She pulled back slightly, her green eyes searching Kara's face for any hesitance, but instead received a tender smile. And then her mouth was on Kara's, her breath hitching, light-headed with the feeling of incredibly supple lips against hers.
She was kissing Kara Danvers.
The kiss was slow and chaste, the taste of strawberries filling her senses. She tightened her hold on Kara's hair, and she felt steady hands grip her waist in kind. Lena moaned as Kara began to lean back on the couch, pulling their bodies together, the heat rising between them. She could feel Kara's stomach ripple under the sweater she wore.
This was happening. This was real.
Lena deepened the kiss, her tongue running across Kara's bottom lip, begging for entrance. She felt Kara whimper, nails digging, granting Lena access. Her mouth was hot, and it set Lena's soul on fire.
She wanted more.
And then Kara was pushing Lena away, like she had just been burned. The look on Kara's face was absolute terror. Lena inwardly panicking as she took in the expression. Kara quickly lifted herself off the couch, pulling down her skirt that had ridden up, fumbling and petrified.
"I'm so sorry, Lena. I just… I have to go."
Kara raced out the door, she couldn't get out fast enough, leaving Lena in her office- dazed, confused, alone.
And just like that, Lena's entire world shattered.