late update, again, for a chapter i really hate but hopefully it gets better after this? here's hoping at least lmao. thank you all for sticking with this fic still, i think i replied to all comments last chapter but let me know if i didn't!
this chapter is only bearable because of my beta katie, plz go follow her on tumblr at theycallmetablemama. she's the real MVP.
note: mike's six months, now? i think. don't ask me about the specifics of the timeline.
"I've been thinking that I should get a pet," Lena says, and when Kara looks up from painstakingly stirring her sugar into her coffee she finds Lena tilting her head pensively. She is even gazing out of the window, as if just now entertaining the thought.
(Kara knows that's not true, though, because Lena plans everything in advance. And undoubtedly worries about things days in advance, too.)
"Like a puppy?" Kara asks, sipping from her cup when she's added enough sugar and trying not to smile at the horror that washes over Lena's face.
"Not a puppy," Lena immediately negates. "Something much simpler."
Kara feigns disappointment. "But puppies are so cute."
"So are other animals. Like fish, objectively."
"Fish?" Kara echoes, crinkling her nose dramatically. "I guess so. But you can't pet a fish."
Lena rolls her eyes. Good-naturedly, but still. "That doesn't matter," she says. "They're practical pets."
"Sure," Kara says, "they're just not as fun as puppies. You can't play with a fish."
"I didn't come to you to be judged, Kara. You're supposed to be on my side."
"Ooh, there's a side I have to be on? That sounds serious," Kara teases, and before Lena can roll her eyes again, the waitress comes up with their plates.
"Thank you," Lena tells her, and to Kara she says, "Well, Veronica thinks it's a terrible idea. She says I'm always caught up at work."
"But you're not," Kara says, focusing on pouring syrup over her waffles, but then the silence on Lena's part gets suspiciously long; Kara looks up just in time to catch Lena's guilty wince. "Wait. Lena!"
"It's not my fault Lex has been piling a ton of work on me lately," Lena protests weakly. "I've had to work just a bit of overtime."
"You said you were trying not to do that," Kara says, pointedly, and Lena sighs.
"Lex is a brilliant man," she says. "I have no doubt about that. But he's so far away lately. I don't know what else I can do. I tried bringing it up to the board, but they don't seem to care. Maybe they can't see it like I can."
"So you're just...picking up his slack?" Kara asks.
"I've tried talking to him about it, but he always avoids me," Lena says, forlornly stirring her own coffee cup. "He's taken to screening my calls sometimes. I just hope he hasn't gotten himself into any trouble."
"Maybe he's on the run from the government and doesn't want to drag you down with him."
"Yes, I'm sure that's exactly it," Lena says, and she rolls her eyes again, but she's almost laughing and that's enough for Kara.
"Well, if Lex is going underground, it means he can't be here to take your side on the fish war," Kara says. "Don't worry, I have your back. I support you getting a fish even if it's lame."
"No, I'm pretty sure Veronica's right." Lena starts to poke at her plate with a resigned shrug. "I would probably never have time to feed it."
"She's forgetting that you have me, who can feed your fish when you can't," Kara interjects, because stupid jealousy has managed to make her say things she can't even follow through on. For a second she panics, thinking that the offer is just going to remind Lena of the glaringly obvious space between them lately.
Luckily, Lena doesn't seem to catch on; she just snorts, disbelievingly, "What, are you going to break into my apartment to do it?"
"Why not?" Kara says, trying her best to grin. "Payback, right?"
"Oh, I see. You break into your neighbor's apartment once and suddenly she feels the need to get revenge." Lena's eyes are sparkling with amusement as she looks back up, the corner of her mouth tugging up into a half-smile. "You're not as innocent and sweet as you seem, Kara Danvers."
"And you're not as scary as you try to be, Lena Luthor," Kara says, with a pointed tilt of her head that makes Lena's smile grow.
"I've never tried to be scary," Lena counters. "Intimidating, maybe. But more like a badass."
"You cry when you drunk-watch The Notebook, how are you a badass?"
"I told you that in secrecy so I wouldn't be judged, Kara! You can't use it against me," Lena says, affronted, and Kara laughs.
"You're totally a badass, Lena," she promises, nudging Lena's leg beneath the table. "And you're going to be the best—er, fish-owner. For the record."
"It's just a thought," Lena corrects her. "I'm not sure yet. I don't want to make any rash decisions."
Kara has half a mind to tug Lena out of her seat and go on an impulsive fish-buying trip now, but she remembers that she has work-related plans with Winn. And Lena probably has work to do, too.
She takes a minute to regard Lena quietly, as Lena takes out her phone and frowns at whatever text she's just received. Momentary annoyance aside, Lena seems happier now. She's more open, more relaxed, definitely more affectionate; when she catches Kara watching her, she smiles warmly.
Kara returns the smile as best she can, flushed cheeks tinging pink. "Bad news?" she asks, more to distract herself than to get an answer.
"Nothing I can't fix," Lena replies with a shrug, tucking her phone back into her bag.
"If you need to deal with it right now—"
"Work can wait," Lena assures her. "I already had Jess clear my entire morning. I've cancelled on you too many times now, and besides, I figure you're worth the extra effort."
She means it in a friendly way, surely, but it still makes Kara's heart skip a beat. "Careful," Kara jokes, "people might start to think I'm a bad influence on you."
"Jess might already, actually," Lena teases, knocking her cup against the edge of Kara's plate. "But I think she likes you a lot more than she lets on."
"Or she just likes Mike."
Lena pauses, as if the thought's just dawned on her. "Yeah, that makes more sense."
"Wow, rude."
Lena just smirks and lets Kara kick her playfully, barely even a tap against her leg. "Enough about my work," she says. "What's going on with you? Any developments in the Cat Grant case?"
"Oh, that!" Kara lights up; she hadn't had a chance to tell Lena about it yet. "I'm going to scope out the law firm suing her. Like an undercover agent, almost! Only cooler, because I get to treat it like I'm a reporter."
"Kara, that's great! You'd be a wonderful reporter," Lena says.
"Speaking of..." Kara trails off as inconspicuously as she can manage. Which is not at all, really, because Lena tilts her head expectantly at the questioning lilt to Kara's voice.
"What?" Lena says, obviously amused at the lack of subtlety.
Kara doesn't let herself get too distracted by the crinkles of Lena's eyes; she has a goal in mind. "Can I interview you? For practice?" she pleads. "I really want to do a good job."
"Of course you can interview me," Lena answers, and she pushes Kara's glasses up her nose with a gentle touch. "I can even do you one better."
"Like what?" says Kara, momentarily preoccupied with the sudden proximity of Lena.
"I can go with you," Lena offers. "If you want, that is. I imagine I have some sway of my own that can help."
The plan had been to take Winn along, but Kara doesn't even think about him. "You'd do that?" she says, thrown for a loop. "Really?"
Something in Lena's expression falters. "If you want," she repeats hastily, and Kara doesn't even have to think about it.
"That would be...awesome," Kara says, blinking. "If you can make it, wow, that would be great! Ms. Grant wouldn't object."
Lena brightens, noticeably relieved. "Yeah?"
"Yeah! We can make a day of it," Kara says. "Unless you're too busy, or—I know you and Veronica might—"
She isn't sure if it's wishful thinking on her part, but at the mention of Veronica, Kara swears she sees Lena's smile drop. Just the slightest, a blink-or-miss-it thing, before it comes back full force.
"No, let's do it," Lena assures her. "I think we deserve a day off, right?"
"I mean, technically I'll be working..."
"Then I deserve a day off. Don't be so selfish, Kara," Lena mock-admonishes, any trace of hesitation gone, and Kara is unable to do anything but laugh.
"Alright, you've convinced me," Kara says, stealing a bit of french toast off of Lena's plate. "On one condition."
That seems to make Lena curious. "Okay," she says, angling her plate closer to Kara's. "Name it."
"I'm paying for brunch," Kara declares. "And you can't pull the rich person card, okay? I mean it!"
"Fine. But for the record—"
"Nope, you can't talk your way out of this one, I'm paying!"
And Lena lets her, eventually, but only because Kara won't let her touch the bill; they end up overstaying their brunch date, and Kara's late to get back to the office and Lena has at least three missed calls from Jess before they make themselves go.
Even then they linger outside on the sidewalk, and before Kara can apologize and run down the street to get to CatCo, she feels Lena's hand brush her wrist.
"Sorry I kept you too long," Lena says, though she doesn't look too sorry at all. Just reserved, maybe, like she isn't sure what emotion to show.
"You can apologize to Cat for me," Kara says, and smiles when Lena laughs; she loves Lena's laugh, that display of uninhibited joy she never sees enough. "Call me later, if you're free?"
"Sure," Lena agrees, corners of her mouth twitching into a shyer smile than Kara's used to, and before she can think about it too much, Lena loops her arms around Kara's neck and hugs her.
Lena doesn't initiate hugs often, and never quite like this, almost a desperate squeeze; her nose brushes Kara's neck, the sensation as cold as it is ticklish, but Kara doesn't say anything about that.
She squeezes back just as tightly instead, and wonders if Lena can feel the happy smile she's pressing into Lena's hair.
.
.
.
It feels weird, after being so used to living in Adam's building, to go back.
The hallways are starting to fade from her memory; Kara knocks on Lena's door by habit before she remembers that she's here to pick up Mike, not for a social call. Luckily, Lena doesn't seem to be home, and Kara very quickly turns on her heel and knocks on Adam's door the instant realization hits her.
He looks half-asleep when he answers it, certainly more undone than usual. "Hey, Kara," he says, running his fingers through his messy hair. "You're here early."
"It's noon," Kara says patiently, and Adam nods.
"Noon, right," he echoes. "Let me go and get him—he's sleeping."
Kara remains outside the door, aiming to remain as unaffected as possible even though Adam's indifference towards her is worrying. She worries for him, even if he wouldn't want that. But he never seems to look her in the eye anymore, as if time's only worked to draw him away instead of repair whatever it is they had.
Mike is awake when Adam carries him out, and at the sight of Kara he gets excited, kicking his legs and shrieking so loud Adam noticeably winces.
Kara is just as glad to have him back in her arms. "Hi, baby!" she says, kissing his cheek giddily before she remembers Adam. "Oh, wait, did he eat yet?"
"He ate before he fell asleep, like three hours ago," Adam says. "Let me get his car seat, actually."
He disappears back inside and Kara watches him go, half tempted to ask if he's okay. But Adam's always been the type to shrug things off, and she's not sure if an empty answer would make it worth it.
So instead she lovingly thumbs over Mike's cheek as he drops his head onto her shoulder, soft hair tickling her neck. And when Adam comes back, she gives him another polite smile and pretends everything's okay.
"I'll bring him back tomorrow?" she says.
"Actually, I wanted to, uh, talk to you about that," Adam says, sheepish now. "I started work again." That in itself is news—news Kara is taken aback by—but there's more: "And I'm going on another business trip starting tomorrow. It was last minute, or else I would've told you sooner..."
"Oh, no, that's fine," Kara says quickly, trying to mask the disappointment heavy in the pit of her stomach. "I can keep him tomorrow then."
"Thanks," Adam says, and they relapse into awkward silence until he tries, "I can probably ask my mom to help you, you know, if you wanted. While I'm gone."
Ms. Grant would rather hire a nurse herself, but Kara doesn't say so. "No, really, we'll be fine," she assures him. "I can ask my mom to watch him while I'm at work."
"Okay, cool." Adam sticks his hands into his pockets and smiles, about as false as anyone can do so, and it does nothing to help the uneasy feeling in Kara's gut. "So how have you been?"
The question is unexpected, and Kara has to digest it for a minute before she remembers to answer. "Okay," she says. "How about you?"
"Okay," he echoes. Kara gets the feeling they're both not as okay as they say, but it's easier to ignore.
Adam knows a lot about her life, by now—they'd almost been friends, and Kara almost wants to tell him about James and Winn's engagement, about the new assignment Cat's put her on, about Lena's reluctance to get a pet. But she doesn't know if he'll want to hear it, doesn't know how much of their friendship was really Adam's feelings taking over, doesn't know if he'll even care.
"I'm glad you're okay," is what Kara settles on, finally, and this time when Adam smiles it's almost sincere.
"I'm glad you're okay, too," he says, and that's it.
It feels like a brush off of a goodbye, as well-intentioned as it may be, so Kara takes that as her cue to go, balancing Mike in one arm and the car seat in the other as she makes her way to the elevator.
She's never felt like she has belonged here, of course; the elevator has always been too spacious, too shiny; the carpet has always been the most expensive thing she's ever stepped foot on; even the other people living here have showed, time and time again, just how much better off than Kara they are.
(But she also kind of misses it, and she pushes back the feeling as far back as she possibly can on the ride down to the lobby.)
.
.
.
The invite to Lena's New Year's Eve party is neatly set atop Alex's welcome mat, silver envelope catching Kara's eye before she steps on it. She bends down to pick it up, unable to keep from grinning as she reads it.
There's even a little R.S.V.P box with a smiley face on the yes box. (It's the cutest thing Kara has ever seen.)
She calls Lena as she locks the door behind her, taking note of the empty apartment; Alex must be over at Maggie's again tonight. She straps Mike into his baby swing as she waits, and by the time she's done and relaxing on the couch Lena answers, sounding preoccupied as she says,
"Hello?"
"Hey," Kara says, propping her feet up on the coffee table to get more comfortable. "Bad time?"'
"Kara, hey," Lena says, voice softening. "Sorry, I didn't check the caller ID. I've been waiting on...well. Lex's call."
"I can call back?"
"No, no," Lena says. "I've missed your voice. Really, I'm glad you called."
"Just my voice?" Kara jokes, biting her lip to keep from grinning too wide.
"I missed you too, obviously," Lena laughs, probably doing that thing where she pretends she's annoyed by Kara's ribbing but smiles anyway. "Are you coming tonight? Please say you will. I need you to keep me sane."
"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Kara promises. "And I won't even wear jeans this time."
"Ugh, right," Lena groans. "I really don't get why Veronica is so insistent on a formal theme. I'd much rather wear pajamas and watch the countdown on TV with some ice cream, not entertain all of her snooty friends."
That sounds much nicer, actually; Kara doesn't even want to think about squeezing into heels later tonight. "Did you tell her that?" Kara asks. "I'm sure she'd understand."
"She likes parties, so I doubt it," Lena counters. "And she's really into...being social."
"Your worst nightmare, basically."
"Exactly," Lena says, and it sounds like she's smiling again. "I don't mind it, honestly. If she likes it, I'm more than happy to indulge her."
Kara pushes back the twinge of jealousy she feels at the obviously fond way Lena speaks about Veronica, surprise taking over briefly. For the most part, Lena doesn't talk about Veronica. At least, not so much to Kara, so it's always unexpected to hear her pop up unless Kara asks.
"That's...romantic," Kara tries, not quite sure how to reply.
On the other line, Lena clears her throat. "Not really," she brushes it off. "Um, you know what, I should get going. I still have a lot to prepare for tonight."
"Oh, I don't mean to keep you," Kara says, unsure if she's said something wrong. "See you tonight?"
"See you tonight," Lena promises, and she doesn't sound off, but she hangs up before Kara can get in another word.
Kara sets her phone aside and looks at Mike, who is busy trying to figure out how to yank the toys off the baby swing mobile and into his mouth. "What do you think, Mike?" she says. "I didn't sound that jealous, did I?"
He whines as he loses grasp of one of the toys, and Kara sighs.
"Of course I did, didn't I," she mutters, crouching down by his swing and guiding the toy back into his chubby hand. "You're lucky you don't have to deal with all of this."
He blinks up at her, then grins, drooling over his chin in that way he does when he's happy. Kara kisses the top of his head, fondly brushing the soft hair off his forehead, and warmly says,
"Come on, let's see if there's anything cute you can wear for tonight."
It occurs to her that maybe she should've asked Lena if it was okay to bring Mike, but she figures it is; she's taken Mike over there plenty of times before. Never to any parties, sure, but what's a few hours? He'll likely sleep through it.
(Of course, nothing ever goes quite to plan.)
As it turns out, Veronica's gone all out for this party. Last time it had been a quiet affair, much more formal than anything else, and this time the music's more upbeat, more people packed into any space they can; it's much more a proper party, and it feels like a bad thing. Kara hugs Mike's portable car seat to her chest and tries, with no avail, to look for Lena.
She's surrounded by unfamiliar faces, people dressed in gold and silver and black, people holding champagne glasses and laughing and dancing, rowdy but at the same time refined, if there is such a thing.
Kara feels instantly out of place; she casts a desperate glance towards the door and wishes she'd brought Alex and Maggie again. But they're having their own New Year's celebration, and the least she can do is give them that.
Mike starts to cry, barely audible over the music, and Kara's heart drops to her stomach. She can't do this. She doesn't even know why she thought she could do this. She doesn't belong here, among people wearing clothes that cost more than her rent, among people who eye her with thinly-veiled scrutiny.
Kara makes her way to the door, face uncomfortably warm, when she hears a shout:
"Kara! Kara, wait!"
Lena's tentative touch to her shoulder is what makes her stop, and when she whirls around to face the bewilderment in Lena's eyes she feels a lump form in her throat.
"Hey," Kara tries, offering a watery half-smile, but Lena doesn't let her get another word in.
"Were you leaving?" Lena says first, eyes darting over every inch of Kara's face before they drop to the car seat in her hands. Then with a pinched, defensive frown, she asks, "Did someone say something? About Mike?"
"No, no, it's—it's just a little loud in here, for him," Kara assures her.
"Oh." The protectiveness fades, leaving behind a slightly sheepish expression on Lena's face. "It is pretty overwhelming. I understand if you need to go, unless..."
"Unless—?"
Lena takes Kara's arm. "Come with me," she says, and Kara lets herself be led.
She's never been in Lena's bedroom before. Just like every other room in the house, it was pre-furnished; it lacks a personal touch, but at the same time, there are signs that make it looked lived in, like the untucked sheets and the papers scattered across the desk.
Kara sets Mike's car seat on the bed and hurriedly unstraps him. He quiets to a displeased, low whine when lifted out, and Lena looks noticeably relieved.
"I'm sorry," Kara says. "I shouldn't have brought him, I know."
Lena's gaze snaps back up to Kara, eyes widening just a fraction. "Kara, no, I'm sorry," she says. "I didn't think to ask you if you were going to bring him."
"No one else brings kids to parties," Kara says, and she swallows, hard; in the low lighting of her room, Lena seems to almost glow. "It's not your fault."
"Well, you're not no one," Lena says firmly. "And I, for one, am glad you brought him."
"Because you get a chance to hide out in your room now?"
That makes Lena almost smile, lipsticked mouth twitching in an effort to keep it at bay. "Of course, why else?" she jokes. "I needed a reason to escape that party."
"We're honored to be your excuse," Kara promises, and this time Lena doesn't hide her smile, so unwaveringly bright that it makes her eyes crinkle.
"I'm really glad you're here," Lena says after a beat, and she rests her hand on Kara's arm, uncharacteristically hesitant. "I'm sorry you have to hide out here. If you want, I can watch Mike for a bit, if you'd like to mingle."
"No, we'll be fine here," Kara says, decidedly not mentioning the part where she'd rather die than do that. "You go! It's your party, you need to be out there."
"Not while you're not there," Lena says, perching on the edge of the bed and patting the spot next to her expectantly. "We can have our own party. Just the three of us."
The way she looks at Kara, stubbornly expectant, really does nothing to help the way Kara goes a little weak in the knees.
"Okay," Kara relents, and she takes a seat, sitting Mike up in her lap. "If you're sure."
"Oh, absolutely. At least three people have asked me about Lex, and I'm taking a page out of your book—no work talk tonight."
"You make me sound like a slacker," Kara accuses, and Lena leans against her, silky material of her dress brushing against Kara's bare arm.
"I would never," she says, feigning shock. "Hold on, we're missing a crucial part of New Year's." She pulls away, leaving Kara's skin tingling with goosebumps, to produce a bottle of cider from—somewhere. Under the bed, possibly.
"Isn't that meant for midnight?"
"You're getting your traditions mixed up, kissing's at midnight," Lena says offhandedly, and the word kissing instantly makes Kara's heart skip a beat. Lena seems to realizes what she's just said, freezing briefly before hurriedly turning away to grab a bottle opener.
"Do you even have any glasses?" Kara asks. "Or, um, anything?"
"I can go and sneak some," Lena says, and it's adorable how excited she gets at the prospect of sneaking into her own kitchen.
"You'd be caught," Kara says. "You know, you are the hostess."
Lena raises an eyebrow, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "Then I guess the job falls to you," she says.
Who is Kara to argue with that logic? She goes.
It's much easier to blend in once she leaves Mike in Lena's care; no one gives her a second glance, and she squeezes past a group of women chatting in the doorway of the kitchen without any odd looks directed at her. She snags two plastic cups out of the cabinet and debates whether or not Lena would let her take some of the buffet with her when the sound of a throat clearing distracts her.
"You again," says Siobhan curiously, taking a slow sip from a glass in her hand. "Kara, right?"
"Yes, hi," Kara says, caught, rearranging her glasses even though they're not slipping; she feels as if it's necessary to give her free hand something to do.
"Is there a reason you're here," Siobhan gestures loosely around, with her glass, "raiding Lena Luthor's kitchen?"
"It's...I wanted something to drink," Kara says lamely.
"There's champagne at the tables," Siobhan says. "It seems premature to offer it now, in my opinion, but Veronica has never been a stickler for tradition."
"Yeah, she's," Kara pauses, and tries to think of something neutral to say. "She's interesting. Well, um, I might go try some champagne then! If it's out there." She doesn't know if she's supposed to let anyone know where Lena is, and figures a hasty getaway is the only way she'll ever get back to her and Mike.
"I can show you were it is," Siobhan offers, but Kara shakes her head.
"No, that's okay, I need to go find Lena," she says. "You know how she is, she...hates glasses."
Siobhan looks mildly confused. "Does she?"
"Yes, that's why I got these," Kara says, cradling the cups to her chest. "So I'm not really raiding the kitchen, see. Since Lena knows."
"Ah," Siobhan says, and there's no mistaking the curious quirk of her lips. "My mistake, then." Before Kara can nod and blurt out a halfhearted goodbye, Siobhan goes on: "Do you know her well?"
"Lena? Oh, yes, we're good friends," Kara says, briefly wondering how Lena and Mike are doing alone. "I used to live next door."
"But not anymore?"
"No," Kara blurts out. At Siobhan's questioning look, she says, "It's complicated. Sorry, I should," and she sheepishly gestures back to the bustle of the party outside, "I should get back to Lena."
"Right," Siobhan says, corners of her mouth twisting into an almost apologetic smile. "It's a shame, I...I would've liked some more engaging company."
Kara isn't quite sure what to make of that, but the way Siobhan stares at her, open and unassuming yet at the same time so carefully reserved, makes Kara drag her feet a little. "Next time," she says, an offer that she realizes she means, and Siobhan perks up.
"It's a small party," she says. "Maybe I'll see you later?"
"Maybe," Kara agrees, and Siobhan's smile grows.
"See you around, Kara," she says, and just like that, she turns and goes.
(Later, when Kara recounts it to Lena, Lena says, with an awkward press of her lips together, "Sounds like she was flirting."
"She wasn't," Kara retorts. "I'd know."
Lena laughs, the sound weaker than a genuine laugh would be, and says, "I wouldn't be so sure about that.")
.
.
.
It's Alex's idea to finally put together the crib.
Kara maintains that Mike's still young enough not to need it, but she has to admit he's growing quicker than she would like, so she lets Alex take over.
She and Mike lay down on their stomachs, only half-watching Alex work. It's a good thing Mike is too young to start crawling, because when screws start getting lost in the carpet, he eyes them with astonishment, probably itching to shove one of them in his mouth.
He substitutes them with a stuffed giraffe instead, mouthing at the cloth as if he hasn't just eaten while Kara unsuccessfully tries to interest him in the book she's trying to read to him.
"Look, Mike," she says, pointing to the bright blue fish on the page. "Look at the fishy! Isn't he so cute? One day we need to take you to an aquarium, so you can see the cute little—"
He smacks the book with his palm when it gets too close, nearly tearing the page off entirely before Kara quickly pulls it away.
"I don't think he cares," Alex offers unhelpfully.
Kara ignores her. "Mike," she huffs. "That was a present from Lena!"
He looks over at her, brown eyes wide and expectant when he hears Lena's name, and Kara can't help but crack a smile.
"You're telling her you ripped it," Kara tells him, an empty threat really, because he looks so cute she can't ever be annoyed. "Once you can talk."
"When can he start talking? You know, so we can make sure not to cuss around him and stuff then."
"You shouldn't...cuss around him now," Kara says, giving Alex a questioning glance she quickly turns away from.
Alex also changes the subject, suspiciously enough. "So are you going to help me or what?" she asks. "This is for your son."
"It also wasn't my idea," Kara says, but she helps Alex poke through the carpet for the spilled screws anyway.
They're about as hopeless as expected, but they do make progress. Slight progress, but progress nonetheless. And while they work, they just talk, something they seem to do less even though they live together again.
"So," Alex says, concentrating very hard on situating the bars of the crib, "Lena tells me you've made a new friend."
"What?" At that moment, a splinter makes its way into Kara's thumb; she hisses in pain, cradling her finger in her other hand before she fully realizes what Alex's just said. "Wait, since when do you and Lena talk?"
"I stole her number from your phone," Alex says. "We text."
"She does need more friends," Kara says. "But you do know that's kind of weird, right?"
"Stop deflecting," Alex says, reaching for a hammer Kara's pretty sure they're not even supposed to use. "Is it true or not?"
"I don't even know who you're talking about," Kara says, picking at her skin with a pained grimace. She's so distracted she almost misses the disbelieving look Alex throws her.
"She asked if you'd been hanging out with some friend of Veronica's, or something," Alex says. "You know?"
"Veronica has friends?"
"Kara."
"I'm sorry, I really don't know who you're talking about!" Kara holds up her hands defensively. "I only spend time with you guys or Lena. Or my friends from the office, but no one Veronica would know."
"You sure about that? It sounds like Lena's friend jealous," Alex says. "Here, let me see if she sent me the name."
(While Alex starts to scroll through her text messages, Kara steals the hammer away and replaces it with a screwdriver for good measure.)
The crib is starting to lean a little, lopsided as it is, and Kara picks up the instruction manual again to see what they're doing wrong now. Mike starts to whine the instant she does, and she momentarily sets the packet aside to pick him up.
She stands up and tries to rock him to sleep, even if it's a little earlier than he's used to, but before she can even get a good rhythm going Alex seemingly reaches a breakthrough; she exclaims, rather loudly,
"Siobhan!"
"Alex!" Kara whisper-shouts. "Shhh!"
"Siobhan, that's her name," Alex says, again, though this time much lower. "Do you know her?"
"Yeah, I've met Siobhan a few times," Kara says, still slightly confused what she has to do with anything. "Don't you remember her? She's Winn's ex."
"That Siobhan? Wow. Small world," Alex says, brow furrowing almost imperceptibly. "What does she want with you?"
"We've only talked a few times," Kara says. "We're not even friends."
"Lena's obviously jealous of her though," Alex points out, and Kara scoffs.
"I doubt it," she says. "She thought Siobhan was flirting with me."
Alex pauses halfway into raising another of the crib's legs, expression twisted between curiosity and disbelief. "Was she?"
"I don't think so."
"So...yes," Alex says, satisfied, and she goes right back to work at putting together the crib again.
Kara wonders if she's missed something, here. "Wait, but why would Lena be jealous of her then? Did she," she swallows nervously, an odd spark of hope tightening in her chest, "did she say anything?"
"It's more of a deduction," Alex says, and Kara's hope deflates just as quickly as it rose. "You have to see it."
"She has a girlfriend," Kara counters, and tries to leave it at that. "Here, I think you missed this weird...X-shaped thing."
"I'm pretty sure that's a packing peanut," Alex says, and doesn't let Kara drop the subject so quickly. "So aren't Siobhan and Lena friends?"
"I don't think so?" Kara scrunches her nose pensively, then shrugs. "You should ask her, if you two talk so much."
"Now you sound jealous," Alex says, but she's smirking like she's just figured out a complicated problem that has flown over Kara's head. "How's Veronica, by the way? Do you two talk?"
"Shut up," Kara says, and she would throw something in Alex's direction if she weren't holding Mike. He seems to have fallen asleep, at least; it looks like something good has come out of Alex's crib-building after all. "I'm going to put Mike in your bed."
"Just until we get this up, right?"
"Sure, until then," Kara says, not meaning one word. Before she can actually leave, Alex speaks once more:
"You know I'm team Kara no matter what, right?" she says. "No matter who you're dating."
"I know," Kara says, but Alex isn't done yet.
"But for the record...you're better than Veronica."
"Alex, you don't even know Veronica."
"I know she's not you," Alex says, like that's reason enough, and she even rises to her feet to give Kara a playful nudge at her shoulder.
Kara gives her an exasperated look. "You're terrible," she says, but all Alex does is shrug and make her way into the kitchen.
"Want some popcorn? You can tell me all about this Siobhan."
"I don't even...fine, yes, make some popcorn."
.
.
.
There's not really a need for anyone to help Winn formally move into James's apartment, but for old time's sake, everyone shows up anyway.
Any belongings of Winn's that were brought over gets shoved into the living room, the only empty space left the couch; Maggie claims it immediately, bouncing Mike on the edge of it as he shrieks in laughter. Winn and Alex do try to sort through some stuff as best they can, but mostly they get weirdly sentimental like they usually don't, leaning shoulder-to-shoulder on the carpet in mutual excitement.
Kara helps James plate cheap finger foods like it's a party, and Lena pours glasses of expensive champagne she swears was the cheapest option she could find.
"No way this costs less than a thousand dollars," James swears when he sneaks a sip. "We agreed on lowkey."
"Lowkey, not low quality," Lena says, topping off his glass. She's always a bit shyer around everyone else than she is with Kara, but she's definitely warmed up enough to tease. "And it's not like it broke the bank."
James raises his eyebrows in Kara's direction, as if to exasperatedly say rich people, and Kara giggles.
"Forgive her, she's not used to being in the rent controlled side of town," Kara says, offering Lena a buffalo chicken wing in apology (that Lena only wrinkles her nose at in disgust).
"I live in an apartment, of course I pay rent," Lena mutters, stealing a carrot stick off the tray instead.
"That's oddly defensive," James remarks, and Lena frowns at him too.
"What James means," Kara interjects, "is that he appreciates your gift very much, Lena."
James agrees, not so much in words; he gives Lena a warm smile to show he's teasing, and to Kara, a squeeze on the shoulder before he takes his tray outside to the others.
Lena relaxes ever so slightly, posture loosening in a way it only ever does around Kara, and Kara wipes her hands off on her jeans to cross the room and give Lena a one-armed hug. She can't resist smiling as she presses her cheek against Lena's, and she feels the vibration of Lena's laugh before she hears it.
"What's this for?" Lena murmurs, though she hugs back the brief instance she can before Kara lets go.
"Just because," Kara says, lingering by Lena's side. "And I'm glad you're here. It seems like we never get a chance to hang out anymore."
"We hang out all the time," Lena retorts. "You're literally the only person I see outside of work."
Besides Veronica, Kara thinks, and she really has to stop bringing Veronica up. Every time she manages to make herself jealous, because—again—Lena never does so.
This time, she refrains. "Then I need to see you more," she teases, instead. "Because that's kind of sad."
"That would probably be sadder, actually," Lena deadpans, and feigns a disapproving glare. "It's all your fault I'm not at the office tonight."
"Well, that's good enough to celebrate," Kara says, cheerfully, and snags two of the champagne glasses so she can hand one to Lena. "See? I'm a good influence after all."
"Good is a relative term, Kara," Lena counters, but she takes a sip from the glass anyway.
A crash from the living room is what drags them back out to rejoin everyone else; otherwise, Kara would be perfectly content spending the rest of the night with Lena alone. But concern (and curiosity) over whatever Winn's done this time wins out.
The answer: he's somehow managed to balance on the very top of the couch.
The real answer: he has also fallen off the couch.
"I see you're really breaking in the place," Kara says, and Winn's response is a weak groan.
She crouches beside him where he remains sprawled out on the carpet, everyone else already returning to whatever they'd been doing beforehand (except James, who worriedly drops down beside him too).
"Are you okay?" he fusses, and Winn gives him a shaky thumbs-up.
"Good news," Winn says with a visible wince, propping himself up on his elbows, "the couch is very sturdy."
"You literally fell off it, though."
"Thank you, Kara, you're so perceptive," Winn says, and he waves James away when he tries to help him sit up. "James, light of my life—can you get me some ice?"
James sighs in that you're-going-to-be-the-death-of-me way and goes, but not without a pointed, "Don't let him do that again."
Kara scoots so she's sitting by Winn now, the two of them quietly observing the others move about. Lena has taken a seat by Maggie, smiling that reserved, cautious smile she gets when Mike grins at her; Alex takes the other seat by Maggie's side, smiling much more easily.
"So," Kara says, "what was the purpose of the couch stunt?"
"I was trying to hang something up," Winn grumbles.
"...was it your lightsaber?"
"No," Winn says, which means yes.
"At this rate you're going to break your hip before your wedding," Kara says, and she pats Winn's head in a mock-sympathetic matter for good measure. "Or at the very least break something in this apartment."
"Which is now my apartment, too," Winn says, breaking into a dreamy smile, and Kara can't help but mirror it.
She loves seeing him so happy, and can't stop herself from voicing it. "And you're engaged now," she says. "I'm so happy for you, Winn."
"Who would've thought, huh?" Winn says softly.
"Yeah," Kara says, taking Winn's hand and giving him a smile just as soft. "Who would've thought."
.
.
.
One obvious downside of moving back in with her sister: Maggie.
Kara's walked in on them too many times to count, never in any compromising position or anything (okay, there was once, but she tries not to think about it, ever). Honestly, she always wanders in on their most tender moments, and ends up feeling like she's somehow interrupted each time. She's sort of the perpetual third wheel, now that she thinks about it.
It's inconvenient, she has to admit; there are only so many times she can take Mike for a walk around the block while she waits for Maggie to leave, or for their moment to end. But at the same time it makes her glad, to see Alex so beautifully vulnerable, to see hints of a type of smile she's never seen on Alex's face before.
So when she and Mike get back from the grocery store to find Alex and Maggie embracing each other in the kitchen, obviously lost in their own world, Kara does what she usually does: she retreats as quietly as possible, preparing to hide away in Alex's room.
"Kara?" says Alex suddenly, stopping Kara mid-turn. Her voice sounds bashful, which it usually never is, and when Kara gives her a curious once-over she sees that Alex almost looks like she's...blushing.
"Hey," Kara says, giving them both an awkward nod as she sets the groceries down onto the center island. "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."
There's something odd about them today, and she eyes them both especially hard, trying to figure out why Alex keeps flushing pink and why Maggie looks almost pleased.
"It's fine, we were just—"
Any explanation Alex is about to give is stopped when it clicks, finally, and Kara gasps and says, "Wait, don't tell me—did you finally ask Maggie to move in?!"
Alex's mouth opens like she's about to deny it, then quickly closes as an almost pained embarrassment takes over her face. Maggie, on the other hand, lights up.
"Actually, I asked her to move in with me," Maggie replies, shooting Alex an amused glance. "I didn't know you were planning on asking too, Danvers."
"That's—I was going to," Alex says. "Soon!"
"Yeah, okay," Maggie says, and it's clear she doesn't believe it, but she looks charmed nonetheless, unable to quit grinning from ear-to-ear.
"This is amazing, oh my gosh!" Kara says, and Mike coos in what must be obvious agreement. She gives them each an one-armed hug, and Mike offers his own form of interest: yanking at any hair within grasp, which unfortunately ends in Kara exclaiming, "Mike! No! Let go of Maggie's hair!"
Alex has a giddy, almost disbelieving air around her; even though she's trying to play it cool Kara can tell she's thrumming with nervous, excited energy, and a part of her wants nothing more than to hug Alex senseless and talk for hours about this.
But again: third wheel.
"We need to celebrate, okay," Kara tells them both. "But maybe later. Lena's expecting me today." It's not true, of course, but they don't know that.
She leaves them behind and texts Lena on the cab ride over: hey, are you busy?
No, comes the quick reply. I'm at home.
can i come over?
always, Lena replies, and she even throws in a red heart emoji.
Kara is still beaming at the screen when she arrives, and she's so enlivened by the thought of Maggie and Alex taking the next step in their relationship (and obviously, at the thought of seeing Lena) that she forgets about being the third wheel for a while.
Plus, it's always easy to forget about anything when Lena is there, dressed in an oversized sweater and shorts, pulling her hair up into a makeshift bun and assuring Kara over the hair band in her mouth that she's totally okay with the intrusion.
"You're just in time to watch Cake Wars," Lena says, giving Kara a quick hug as she lets her in. "It's a guilty pleasure night."
"Are you eating cake while watching Cake Wars?" Kara says, eyeing the expanse of cake slices lining the living room table. "And you didn't invite me?"
"So you can see me at my lowest point? Of course not," Lena says, curling up against the leg of the couch so she's level with the low table. "But since you're here, you need to help me eat all of this."
"Don't have to tell me twice," Kara says, immediately taking a seat by Lena. Mike reaches forward to grasp at a cake slice the instant she does, and Kara catches his hand; he's become very fond of grasping things now.
Lena turns up the volume on the TV and digs into a slice of what looks like chocolate raspberry cake, and Kara follows suit, taking a swirl of frosting off the top of a vanilla-flavored slice and letting Mike suck at her finger. She's been giving him a few soft solid foods, tentatively, nothing like actual meals or anything, but tastes of foods here and there. Admittedly, cake is sure to be something Dr. Vasquez would frown at, but even Mike needs a cheat day.
"Where'd you even get so much cake?" Kara asks after a moment.
"Impulsive shopping trip," Lena admits. "Don't laugh."
"You rich people," Kara mocks. "I'm surprised you didn't buy a bakery while you were at it." A suspicious beat of silence follows, and Kara frowns. "Lena. Tell me you didn't buy a bakery."
"I...it's an investment. I have to think of the company, Kara."
"Well in that case," Kara quips, "I can't wait to see Luthor Corp branded cupcakes in stores. I'm sure Lex is thrilled at the idea."
"I can't tell you anything," Lena sighs, obviously not miffed one bit; she buries a quiet laugh into her arm, and steals a bite of the cake on Kara's plate. "Hey, is Mike sitting up by himself?"
"Hmm?" Kara, mid-bite, looks down at the one arm loosely draped around Mike's stomach. The thought almost makes her choke, and she tests it out, letting go of Mike's torso to see that Lena is right; he's sitting up without any support. "Oh my God, he is! He is!"
"When did he start doing that?"
"Um, right now?!"
Lena's mouth falls open. "Really? Oh, wait, let me—" she fishes her phone out of her pocket and snaps a picture, the flash making Mike jerk his head towards her in confusion. He almost face-plants into the table because of it, and Lena, horrified, gasps, "Oh my gosh I'm so sorry!"
Kara manages to catch him, and she shakes her head, biting her lip to keep from laugh-crying. "It's okay, it's okay," she says. "I can't believe it, he's...he's just so big." When she looks at Lena again she sees her watching Mike fondly, just as much in awe as Kara is, and her heart swells.
"He is," Lena agrees, and she hesitates for a second before she leans over to plant a kiss at the top of Mike's head. "It's kind of scary how fast he's growing."
"Soon he's going to be crawling and walking and…" Kara stops, getting misty-eyed at the thought. "You're so big, Mike," she whispers into his hair, and he takes advantage of her distraction to smack her slice of cake.
Kara can't find it in herself to reprimand him for it, even though he smears cake over Lena's hand when he grasps at her fingers, immediately trying to drag them into his mouth instead of the cake he's just squished.
"Mike, I'm not food," Lena says, gently untangling her fingers. "You little troublemaker."
"Sorry," Kara says on his behalf, standing up to clean off his hands. "Agh, he got cake all over your carpet!"
"It's fine, it's just carpet," Lena says. "Better that than you."
(Mike, as if on cue, grabs a handful of Kara's hair with his cake-covered hand.)
Kara leads him into the bathroom with a groan. "Mike," she says as she runs his hand under warm water, "that was rude."
He kicks his legs and shrieks, excitedly, and Kara can't be mad at that either.
"You're going to be a little menace," Kara tells him, and she smooths over his cheek with her hand to wipe the frosting at the edge of his mouth. She wonders what Alex would say if she saw him now; she'd probably laugh, and Maggie would think it was adorable. They're going to be the worst influences, she thinks, and she sighs to herself when she thinks about how much she and Mike are intruding on their lives.
A knock sounds on the bathroom door, and Lena carefully pushes her way inside. "Hey," she says. "How's the damage?"
"I'll live," Kara assures her. "At least it's not throw up."
"Don't jinx that one too," Lena jokes, leaning against the doorframe. Because she's Lena, she immediately notices that Kara's mood has shifted, however slight. "Is everything okay? You look a little...lost."
"Yeah, yeah, of course," Kara says quickly. "I was just thinking about Maggie and Alex. They're moving in together! Isn't that great?"
"It sounds great," Lena agrees, but her gaze is searching when she says, next, "You don't seem too thrilled about it though."
"I am! I am," Kara says. "I just don't know where that leaves me, that's all. Which is pretty selfish, because obviously this isn't about me." When Lena doesn't reply right away, she feels the need to clarify, "I'm thrilled for Alex, don't get me wrong, it's just that since I moved back in with her I'm sort of always—"
"Kara," Lena cuts her off. "I need to ask you something, if that's okay."
"Sure it is," Kara says, thrown for a loop, and if she could get whiplash from words alone she'd certainly get it from what Lena says next:
"You should move in with me."
Lena is firm when she says it, but there is an obvious hesitance to her voice as it comes out, a delayed waver in the way her stance stiffens.
And Kara stares, and stares, and—"That's not a question."
Lena's lips press into a thin, worried line. "It's up to you," she's quick to add. "I'm not trying to make you do anything you don't want to. I know you and Adam might not be in a good place, and that you just moved into Alex's apartment and it might be a waste of time, but if you need somewhere else to go I just—I'd like to help. If you'll let me."
"I," Kara starts, then pauses, forcing herself to form a coherent thought before she blurts out something random. Moving in with Lena would be a terrible idea, she's sure. She'd be confronted with her crush every day. She'd have to move in next door to Adam. She'd have to pay a ridiculous amount of money just to stay.
But it's also Lena, and her racing heart already knows the answer.
Lena clears her throat. "Really," she says, "it's up to you, you can talk to Alex first and see—"
"You won't buy me a house if I say no, will you?" Kara interrupts, and Lena's face softens.
"Well," she says diffidently, "if that's what it takes…"
Kara swallows. "No need," she says, heart thumping so hard it's making her dizzy, and she lets her hope take over. "I'm in."