Rapture

Notes: Find me on Tumblr at spoopercorp and on AO3 as Local_Asshole.

I have nothing to say for myself.

"You must be Alyssa!" Kara greeted, crookedly mustering her lips up into what she thought was a polite smile. She was impressed with herself—she felt her blood boiling, catching her best friend's significant other flirting openly despite the couple being publicized as an exclusive relationship. Alyssa was not even trying to be discreet with all the shameless touching—and Lena would be thrust into yet another scandal, albeit with less of the "Evil Luthor Strikes Again" headlines twisting public opinion and more of "Lena Luthor, the Gala Affair".

But the last thing Lena would want was pity, she would much rather have the general audience hate her.

Kara analyzed the way the two women looked at each other, the overwhelming suggestiveness in their expressions should have been enough cause to arrest them for public indecency.

Hello, 911. Two women are having intense eye sex in public, please put a stop to them.

Alyssa even had the gall to sigh at Kara's greeting, taking a sip from her wine glass and leaning against the beverage table, not bothering to hide her annoyance at the interruption. If she noticed the antagonism radiating off the bubbly reporter she certainly did not mention it.

Kara refrained from narrowing her eyes at the woman, she could scrutinize perfectly fine without looking too hostile. Alyssa was beautiful no doubt, with herlong strawberry blonde hair, her brown eyes that glinted hazel in perfect lighting, her scandalously red lipstick that rivalled Lena's… And she was in a dress so tight that she might as well have gone to the gala naked instead with all the skin and gratuitous cleavage she was showing.

Normally, Kara would not have cared what someone was wearing if not for the fact that this was a professional charity event. Over-the-top formal wear was not required, but the line was made very clear between business and clubbing.

Eventually, Alyssa's potential one-night stand left, and with no other option but to acknowledge the person speaking, she pivoted sharply around to face Kara with a devilish grin.

"And you must be…" she glanced up and down a the blonde in the modest outfit. "A reporter. Danvers."

Kara felt the hairs at the back of her neck stand.

What had Lena told her?

"How do you know my name?"

"Am I reading your CatCo badge wrong, blondie?" Alyssa chuckled at the embarrassment that shaded Kara's cheeks, whose hands fumbled with the lanyard around her neck. Then the woman released a contemplative hum, "Hmmm… I'm not usually into the airheaded goody-two-shoes look, but you look like you're hiding a lot of interesting things under those clothes."

Kara felt her heart speed up.

Did Alyssa know about her identity?

"I don't know what you're ta—"

"You're probably very vanilla under those muscles though, aren't you?" Alyssa pouted. She squeezed a stone bicep and let out a low, smooth whistle. "Color me impressed."

Kara cleared her throat and backed away from the hand grasped around her arm, from the sight of the woman's playful smirk.

"It's too bad really," Alyssa purred, "I like my women a little more...freaky. But you know what they say, it's always the quiet ones."

Kara felt her eye twitch with unrestrained anger at the wink that was thrown her way. It probably would have made her face red for a whole other reason had she not known the woman to have such a wildly rude personality.

"Aren't you with Lena Luthor?" Kara inquired.

Alyssa shrugged, swirling her wine, eyes lazily focused on the spirals the liquid was making. "And? It's not my problem people believe gossip magazines with their ridiculously false rumors."

"Except this wouldn't be a rumor," Kara grumbled.

Alyssa tilted her head, the sensual tone in her voice absent, now filled with curiosity and mischievous eyes to complement. "And what's it to you? People don't really give a rat's ass about her and her family, but you seem quite a bit invested judging from the articles you wrote about her; alien device, lead poisoning, alien invasion, single-handedly arresting her own mother...just to name a few."

She arched a seductive brow. "Got a little crush on the Luthor heiress?"

"No," Kara denied instantly, folding her arms. "I'm just curious like any other reporter about celebrities behind closed doors. And since you're so…"

"Promiscuous?" Alyssa finished, fluttering her eyes.

"Sure," Kara nearly growled, "What exactly made you choose Lena Luthor?"

She knew she was being nosy, but since her best friend had refused all her attempts at communication, she desperately needed an update, even if it was from a person she wanted to throw into space.

"Isn't it obvious?" Alyssa chuckled, "The Lena Kieran Luthor. She's got an impressive resume. CEO of one of the most famous fortune five-hundred companies worldwide. Graduated MIT at twenty two and became the youngest CEO in the world at twenty-four. Multiple magazine covers and issues with Forbes. Global entrepreneur. Genius. Scientist. Inventor. Famous celebrity. Multi-billionaire. Hot—I mean, have you seen her? She's the personification of sex on heels and she's a great fuck." Alyssa scoffed, "Of course she's not the ultimate package, but she's a great catch that provides me with even greater opportunities. The best part of her is that she's the biggest pushover—I pity the woman honestly."

Kara felt the frame of her own body start to tremble with an overflowing amount of anger. She barely had the strength to keep her voice somewhat level. "So you'd drop her the moment you find someone you think is better?"

Alyssa rolled her eyes, amusement coloring her features when she noticed the tense reaction. "Obviously."

"You're not painting a very positive picture for yourself right now."

"Who said I was?" she laughed, "What made you think I was trying to? The public doesn't give a shit how Luthors are treated, and just because Lena hasn't gone insane doesn't mean she's exempt. Truthfully, I'd prefer an actual psycho bitch instead of her any day; sometimes she's just so needy and emotional it's so exhausting."

Kara took a deep breath. It was clear the woman was trying to get on her nerves, and if this conversation went on any longer Alyssa was going to get the reaction she wanted to provoke.

"She cries a lot too—well, not in public," she drawled, "It's so annoying though. And she always wants to cuddle after a fuck—it's pathetic really. But it's kind of fun to play around with her. She wants intimacy. I want new cars and purses..." She chugged down the entirety of her wine glass and the older patrons gawked at her 'unladylike' manners. "It's a great trade-off don't you agree, Miss Danvers? And Lena actually gave me a card, like, she's loaded. I can't believe she thinks love will make her happy, that's so stupid." Alyssa burst out a mocking laugh, "And here I thought she was a genius—she can buy her goddamn happiness with the money she has."

Alyssa paused, boredom seeping into her attitude as she was not successfully riling up her target. "You know, this doesn't seem like a topic a CatCo reporter with a knack for the crime section would be interested in."

"How would you know? Maybe I'm investigating something."

"Sure," Alyssa smirked, "Well, if that was the case, wouldn't you want to write it down, blondie?"

"Aren't you worried I'll tell Lena?"

"Hmmm. No actually. Go ahead. Knock yourself out," she chuckled, "I find that you'll be surprised with her answer."

Kara felt the woman's body just barely brush past her shoulder, and then she felt the fuse light up. She turned around, snapping her head in the direction of the offender, but before she could instigate a confrontation her eye caught a familiar sight—a dulled jade green, once lively and vivid, were grimacing.

Kara was already in a sour mood all thanks to Alyssa, and she felt herself stalk towards Lena, a storm brewing in her mind.

Her upset was abundantly clear, openly written on her face, and Lena could definitely see the telling crinkle between her brows judging by the twinkle of concern in her eyes.

When Kara settled in front of Lena, her lips were parted yet nothing came out. She stood there, frozen.

Her tunnel vision ebbed when Lena was the one to break the potent silence, her green eyes trailing after her partner, who was striding away with swaying hips.

"I see you've met Alys—"

"I don't like her."

"Excuse me?" Lena's eyes widened and her mouth gaped open in shock before clearing her throat and regaining her composure.

"I realize Alyssa isn't exactly the most...well-behaved—"

"Well-behaved?" Kara spluttered, "That's a severe understatement. She's cheating on you!"

"I know."

"Not only that, but she's also using you f—what do you mean 'I know'?" Kara breathed.

"I know," she repeated.

"She's cheating on you, Lena," Kara explained desperately, "She's manipulating you, using you—"

"Of course I know who Alyssa really is. I'm a Luthor, I'm no fool." Lena straightened her posture and crossed her arms, frame rigid and sturdy.

Kara felt the fire inside her reignite. "So you're just letting her treat you like that?"

"Let's take this somewhere else. The guests are starting to stare."

There was a part of Kara that wanted to insist on staying in front of the entire gala, where she could reprimand Lena for the pain she was causing herself.

"Fine," she heaved out instead.

The walk to L-Corp was silent, the tension thick and potent between the women. In the corner of Kara's vision she quietly observed Lena, who was walking alongside, but her shoulder was brushing up against the wall at the end of a narrow hallway. She seemed like she just wanted to disappear and get as far away from the cause of all her heartache.

Kara felt a dreadful force constrict her heart and torturously squeeze her lungs at the thought, her breaths becoming momentarily erratic. Her mind had so much to ask, but her jaw just hung open and her lips had nothing to say—it was a constant cycle of overthinking, closing and opening her mouth here and there thinking that her voice would finally come out.

Then Kara felt her body heat up, a blush in her cheeks that suddenly flushed to the ends of her limbs.

She was severely underdressed in one of her many reporter outfits: khakis, slip-on flats, and a long-sleeved yellow shirt with a coat covering a bit past her torso.

And Lena?

Her hair was tied up into a bun, the updo stylish yet simple. Her outfit was even more meticulous and detail-oriented with a sleek off-shoulder black dress that comfortably hugged her curves.

Kara blinked at a rapid speed and furiously shook her head once they entered L-Corp and occupied the nearest meeting room.

To Kara's unsurprised upset, it did not take long for their conflict to rise once more.

Lena sighed, shaking her head, "Do you know how difficult it is to encounter people willing to stand ten feet in front of me?"

Kara's brows scrunched together curiously at the rhetorical question and waited for her friend to continue.

"Do you know how much more difficult it is to get people to hold a conversation with me for more than ten seconds?" Lena raised her voice, "No, you don't, do you? Because people want to be all over Supergirl, and people think Kara is the simple, dorky girl next door that doesn't come from a family of psychopaths who enjoy committing genocide as a pastime!"

Lena took a shaky breath and gave herself a moment to level herself. "You're not stuck with one or the other, Kara; you have people who adore you and you have people who treat you like a normal person. I don't have a goddamn beloved alter ego I can switch to if I feel like I want to be worshipped."

Then Lena pointed at herself so aggressively it might have even bruised her sternum. "And me? I don't have that! It's just me! It's just Lena fucking Luthor, CEO bitch, heir to madness and insanity, poisoner of children—"

"But you were framed, we even found evidence that it wasn't you!" came the counter.

"The damage had already been done by then! And you know it! No one believed in me when I defended myself with solid evidence—they had to hear it from someone else! Don't be naive, Kara!"

Lena watched as her friend's lips froze open, as if in the midst of conjuring an argument, but it never came. So she pivoted, fully intending to storm off back to the gala and tell her security guards to kick all reporters from the premises.

"I did…"

Lena halted and turned around, her ears perked up at the near-silent whisper.

"What?"

Kara's frame was shrunken, shoulders closed in, but then she cleared her throat and straightened herself up to stand confidently.

"I believed in you," she stated, "I still do."

Lena's posture slackened, she just wanted to slump onto the nearest comfy chair, but she could not allow herself to show any signs of weakness. Although, she was sure the defeated expression on her face was awfully hidden.

She had a wall large enough to block spears of all kinds of questions being hurtled at her, but what Kara muttered next caught her so off guard she felt the foundations of her walls crumble in one fell swoop.

"What do you even see in her?" Kara's head was hung slightly, her eyes lowered.

"Alyssa…" Lena breathed when she realized who was being mentioned, the sharp intake indicative of her surprise.

"She's willing to stand next to me, she's willing to talk to me despite all of…" she gestured weakly at nothing. "...what being with someone like me entails—she chose me while knowing what she was signing up for, however manipulative her intentions are."

Kara felt her heart throb, the beat was painful, crying for her friend's fatal desire for companionship—to be with and not to be just, to have an extension of herself, a half that she does not detest.

Kara's voice trembled into a sorrowful lilt, "A relationship like this won't last—it can't. It's not healthy. Something—" she cut off abruptly and shook her head as if something was not quite right.

"Someone—will break, Lena," she finished, a crack finally piercing her cadence.

To Kara's dismay her friend lowered her chin slightly and sighed, the expulsion of breath so full of exhaustion and defeat.

"I don't want it to be you..."

Lena raised her head, the movement snappy and sluggish all at once the moment she heard the frightened whisper.

A stillness swallowed the situation, the stalemate chilling them both into an uncomfortable silence. One torturous moment of them avoiding eye contact passed, of them shifting in place, no single position quite right in the confrontation.

Lena stared ahead at fidgeting hands across from her vision, eyes blank, expression hollow, voice monotonous. "I know it's temporary, Kara. I've learned to deal with it, to settle. It's fi—"

"No! It's not fine! You're not fine! Rao, I hate it when you say that! You shouldn't settle, Lena, because you deserve so much more than…" she threw her hands up in exasperation, "...than whatever Alyssa is dragging you around for."

"Please!" Lena scoffed, "I'm a Luthor, Kara! Good things don't last for someone like me. And whatever is going on with her and I right now…that's as good as it gets for someone like me romantically and I'm okay with that, I'm f—"

Kara shot her a hard glare, curling her hands into fists by her sides. "I dare you to finish that sentence."

Lena's shoulders sagged, her whole posture dropping with it as she hung her head low.

"I don't want to do this anymore—the arguing—that's all we ever do now." She lifted her hand, rubbed her temples with her fingers, sore from the mental challenges that continued to be hurled at her. She sluggishly dragged her palm down her melancholic, solemn expression and blinked owlishly.

"I don't know what this is. It certainly isn't…" Lena trailed off into silence.

Kara strained her ears' superior hearing abilities and heard statement that barely was a breath.

"This isn't friendship anymore…"

We're strangers.

Kara could not stop herself, the despair and sorrow bled out into an excruciating expression, unable to hide her pain any longer.

There was a shaky breath that her suffocated lungs wheezed out, "You shouldn't stay in a relationship like that; she's not... There's no support, no love, no—"

"I don't need someone else's support, Kara," Lena interrupted, her head held high and the frame of her jaw stony. "I'm perfectly fine holding myself up. And Alyssa...she wants me, Kara. I don't give shit about how she wants me, whether it's for sex or for money—whatever it is, I don't fucking care. But she wants me. Me," she reiterated, "In her own way...and that's all that matters."

Kara knew this too well in Lena, rationalizing, forgiving, justifying, and excusing heinous acts against her. Lillian Luthor, an abusive mother that manipulated her own daughter with lethal lies of comfort and 'I love you's. Alyssa in all her glory; whispers of sweet nothings in miserable ears; ghostly pleasures uttered against deprived lips; tender touches brushed against unloved flesh; seductive eyes exploiting an empty heart; a demon possessing the spirit of a Samaritan; manipulative fingers controlling a helpless puppet…

"I'm never first, Kara…"

Kara broke from her pitiful reverie, locking eyes with a sad sea of green.

"...for anything," Lena continued, "Not second either. I'm always last, and honestly, that's fine with me. I mean, at least I am a choice, right?"

"That...that isn't love, Lena," Kara pleaded, begging her to see the truth. "You realize that, don't you?"

Lena folded her arms, hugging and sinking into herself further. A huff escaped her lips, a small little exhale, and with a breathless voice.

"I wouldn't know…"

Kara's stiff posture suddenly slumped, mouth parted slightly in shock at the statement. But even with her muscles loose, she remained still and felt paralyzed on the spot.

She could only stare at Lena's back in disbelief, watching her friend walk away without a second glance.

…

"Not your cup of tea, Miss Luthor?"

Lena felt her shoulders scrunch up at the sudden company, the tension of her body matching her cadence.

"Um—" she started, snapping her head around to regard the source of the deep timbre. "—oh."

James's eyebrows raised.

"'Oh'?" he repeated, noticing how taught her stance was.

Lena visibly deflated, although her posture still had a careful firmness to it.

"You sound relieved," James observed.

Despite his intimidating, towering demeanor, everything about him was amicable—friendly eyes, friendly smile, friendly face, friendly voice…

Although there was a cautious curiosity that piqued Lena's attention.

"I am, Mr. Olsen," she responded, returning her gaze out over the crowd, gripping the metal rails with whitened knuckles. "Spoiled socialites aren't really my thing."

James sat himself against the railing, hands shoved into his suit pockets as he leaned in, closer.

"You know," he started with a whisper, "we can drop the formalities, Lena. The guests are over there and we aren't in a meeting with cranky old white stakeholders."

She took a second to respond, and in that moment James considered the idea that he overstepped. As he was about to disclose his deepest apologies, Lena smiled and gave a single, amused chuckle.

"Of course. I think that's the first time I've laughed in a month, errr…"

"James," he supplied, nodding his head politely. "Or Jimmy. But mostly James."

"A true gentleman among a vast sea of haughty brats," Lena hummed.

He beamed, flashing pearly white teeth as he held a hand out.

"I believe we weren't ever formally introduced," he stated.

Lena returned the handshake gesture with a small smile, "I don't believe so. I find it baffling actually."

"Well, other than company meetings..." James laughed, "...you weren't exactly a social butterfly during game night—"

He cut himself off with a cough, just remembering how sour a topic he was unintentionally gearing towards. If Kara expressed intense despair over her fallout with Lena, then Lena would be feeling the same way.

"Ahem. I'm sorry, that was insensitive of me."

Lena eventually shook her head, her smile taken down a notch at the reminder.

Eventually, after a moment's quiet, she mumbled, "I wasn't exactly a wallflower either."

Another second of silence.

James rested a hand under his chin, as if he was contemplating. "Hmmm...debatable. But you tried. That's what matters."

Lena had the urge to playfully roll her eyes. He was easy to get along with, and she saw the initial caution ebb slightly; it was shocking, to see someone let their guard down so fast in front of a Luthor, only rivaled by Kara.

"You should come over," he blurted out.

Lena arched a brow. "Being quite forward already, Mr. Olsen? One would think you'd first have the audacity to ask for drinks and then the suggestive proposition."

James laughed sheepishly, "No! No, not like that. I meant come over for game night again. With more of the social butterfly-ing than the wallflower-ing."

Lena felt her mood darken. "Why? Because everyone misses my presence?" she muttered to herself sharply.

Although, it seemed James had overheard the snide remark, but his eyes remained kind, his expression open in sympathy.

"We can't exactly miss someone we don't know very well," he admitted, a slow nod complementing his voice. "But it'd be a lie to not admit that game night doesn't feel quite...right without you. Especially for Kara. And as you can imagine, she's the life of the group—what affects her often affects us."

He continued, his tone taking on something more disappointed. "Despite our prejudices against, well, you and your family, I think we'd all like to get to know you. You're well aware, some of us might not trust you immediately, and might not ever do so fully, but I don't think anyone is unwilling to get to know you. We trust Kara, and Kara trusts you, so we respect her judgement, because she hasn't been wrong about good people before."

Lena analyzed him, somewhat suspicious, skeptical of his altruism. She could not quite shut down the part of her brain that convinced her people always had ulterior motives, always were underhanded, always were plotting.

But it was clear that James's disappointed tone was directed at himself and the rest of Kara's friends.

"'Good' is not often a word associated with me," Lena replied, "I wouldn't even use that term to describe myself either."

"I understand that," James said, kicking at the floor. "But your intentions are always well—"

"—Hitler thought he was doing good deeds during the Holocaust," she interrupted with a dark smirk.

James chuckled, "Let me finish. You're not responsible for your family's actions. We all know this, but we still treated you unfairly. Yes, it was out of worry for others, it's just—"

"—Lex," Lena cut in, "Lillian. Lionel. I understand. They've ruined so many lives. I'd feel the same as all of you. I'm even wary of myself."

"The Luthors impacted all of us in one way or another, and most of all you. They've come too close to home too many times, but we all know you deserve the benefit of the doubt," he declared. "Your intentions are always well-meaning, and even if they're absolutely a hundred percent good, you always find yourself second-guessing and debating yourself in circles. Good people have to make the hardest decisions."

"Have you been stalking me, James Olsen?" Lena gasped mockingly.

"Ha, no nothing that dramatic," a moment, "I get a lot of nonstop word vomit from a third party; Kara talks about you a lot."

Lena froze.

James treaded carefully, realizing the danger of the territory he was encroaching upon.

"She misses you, you know? I think we're all getting sick of her moping around and sulking."

Lena frowned.

"Sorry!" James apologized, "I don't mean to make you feel guilty—"

"—Does everyone know?"

Lena studied him, and noticed confusion slowly painted his face.

"About?" he asked, waiting for elaboration.

"About what happened," she mumbled.

"Your and Kara's fallout?" He shook his head. "No. Only Alex knows, they're sisters after all. And despite Supergirl being a lifesaving angelic hero...she's not immune to mistakes. Everyone knows that; me, Alex, Winn, J'onn… I mean Mon-El was always on her case before they got together, and even after that, for the most ridiculously wrong reasons. He learned though, before he had to leave."

"I'm digressing," James shook his head and shrugged. "What I'm saying is that maybe it's on her, maybe it's on you, maybe it's on both, or maybe even neither. She thinks you're worth it. It's just a matter of you deciding that as well."

"Kara is worth it," Lena declared resolutely.

"I wasn't talking about her," James informed, a soft, low lilt from deep within his chest.

She felt herself falter a bit.

"Our worst enemy is ourselves," he added.

Lena chuckled disbelievingly, "You're probably the only CEO that's a man I'd willingly sit down to discuss business opportunities with over a glass of wine. Congratulations. You've just made the impossible possible."

"I'm honored," he grinned, but a groan followed swiftly after. "Ugh. I just remembered, I have to meet up with some potential stockholders in a bit."

"I know the feeling. It's absolutely dreadful."

They both snickered.

Then James gave a solemn smile. "You and Kara will figure things out. You always have in the past. Kara's never been able to stay away from you for too long, no matter how angry."

Lena was unable to fully process the sentiment, a ridiculously high-pitched squeal disrupting nearby patrons.

She and James shot their heads toward the direction, expecting some sort of assault on the partygoers.

"The chocolate fountain attacked me!" a voice yelped in comedic agony.

James cringed, palming his face and shaking his head, an embarrassed and muffled sigh escaping his lungs. "Why is he like this?"

Lena held in a snort at the visual she was presented.

"Oh, I think I'm going to help Mr. Schott get cleaned up. It was a nice conversation we had. Good luck with the stockholders!"

She gave a genuine grin before walking off in haste, toward the victim of the chocolate fiasco.

"This was my favorite tie too!" Winn muttered loudly to himself as he dabbed a wet napkin over the sticky, damp cloth. He jutted his lips out into a disappointed pout. "This is gonna stain real bad…"

"Challenge accepted."

Winn jumped at the proximity of the voice, a soft and slightly amused lilt in the tone. He jerked his head up, grinning sheepishly at the sight of Lena Luthor with a care package.

He gasped excitedly, "You're a lifesaver! Bless your soul!"

Winn eagerly took the stack of napkins and soap from the woman's hands, who then placed an extra glass of water on the table next to them.

Lena could not help but snicker at the way Winn's expression puckered up, his tongue poking in and out between his lips as he concentrated on the current bane of his existence.

He pouted when he noticed the smirk thrown at him.

"It's not funny," he muttered grumpily.

"On the contrary, Mr. Schott, I find it very funny," Lena chuckled, covering her mouth with her palm to muffle the sound.

Winn rolled his eyes, fighting the laugh that was pulling at the corners of his lips. "Ha. Ha. Ha. Yeah, my pain and suffering is so entertaining."

Lena shrugged, "Well, I am a Luthor after all, aren't I?"

Winn choked, clearing his throat and releasing a series of awkward squeaks. "W-Well, I didn't mean it like that," he flapped his hands about, gesturing wildly in some sort of apologetic ritual. "I just—I mean, I was jok—"

"Relax," Lena smiled, "I was joking too."

Winn deflated a little, breathing out a sigh of relief, his shoulders relaxing. "Oh. Okay then. You were being sarcastic. Good. Got it. I really thought I crossed the line for a second there."

A shrug.

"With what I go through from the public daily, that line has become quite a high bar to cross. No worries."

Winn visibly cringed, "Oh yeah. I know the feeling."

It was then Lena remembered the name.

Toyman.

"Oh my God," she sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose in exasperation. "I apologize, that was very insensitive of me—"

"Psssh," Winn flicked his wrist, as if to wave the concern away. "Nah, it's fine. I mean, it's kinda nice to know that one of my folks aren't the only insane criminal parents in the Superfriends."

He sighed, "You know, it'd be nice if you came back to hang out with us. I know you weren't officially," he bounced his fingers as quotations marks, "inaugurated as a fellow Superfriend, but—"

"But you want to take advantage of me during trivia games."

Winn gasped, "I am offended you would think so lowly of me."

A moment of silence.

"But also yes. I mean, could you imagine how many games we'd win if we partnered up? The Danvers's reigns of terror would be over at the hands of the—uh—Dalek Duos!"

Lena arched a brow and folded her arms, "I could consider an alliance, but it depends on the name, because we are absolutely not calling ourselves whatever you just said."

Winn gaped, "Okay. Not a Doctor Who fan—"

"I'm sorry, Doctor Who—"

"Then maybe the Bad Eggs."

"No."

"The Architects?"

"Less worse, but still no."

"The Goofy Goobers."

"Okay, now we're back to square one because that was awful."

"The Geeky Gurus."

Lena's expression remained impassive and deadpanned, and that was enough of an answer.

"The Neo Nerds?"

Nothing.

"The Ingenious Inventors?"

More silence.

The man sighed impatiently, "Well, why don't you come up with a name?"

Lena parted her lips, but no ideas came to mind. "Point taken, Mr. Schott."

"I thought so," he glared playfully. "Well then, how about the Hihackers? Like 'hijackers', but like, because we're tech nerds and…"

He drifted off, uncertain.

"I guess that's a little more tolerable than the rest of the names you came up with," Lena shrugged.

"Hey! The Goofy Goobers was a great homage to the one and only Spongebob Squarepants!"

A moment later Winn's eyes widened at the perplexed and intensely confused look the woman had on her face.

"Wait," he raised his hands in a stopping gesture. "You don't—you haven't even seen Spongebob Sq—"

A loud series of beeps interrupted the two.

Lena groaned, pulling out her phone.

"Hold that thought," she mumbled to him before pressing the answer button.

"Hello, Jess," came the polite greeting, "What is it?"

Winn watched with concern as Lena's conversation with her secretary devolved into them both lamenting over some contract and a revoked business proposition.

Lena pinched the bridge of her nose and groaned, "I can't believe that asshole dropped the deal the when I already hired contractors to scope out the land and—you know what, it's all right, Jess. I'll give him a call later this week, I have more pressing matters to attend to at the moment."

She hung up.

"Pressing matters such as discussing team names for game nights with a dashing young gentleman?" Winn joked.

Lena rolled her eyes, feigning annoyance. "You were always the easiest to get along with."

"After the one and only Kara Danvers of course."

The two basked in another moment of silence, casually watching the guests around them converse and consume the fancy hors d'oeuvres.

Lena almost giggled at Winn's disgusted expression when one guest ate a particularly...peculiar appetizer.

"Put your tongue back in your mouth, Mr. Schott, this is a professional formal event."

Winn muttered to himself, repeating the statement with a mocking tone and finishing with a hard 'meh'.

He shook his head.

"So what was the phone call about?"

Lena mirrored his actions, sighing in frustration while doing so, "Some real estate mogul refused to follow through with his contract to sell L-Corp some land for new research laboratories. Needless to say it has put an inconvenient wrench in my plans."

"Like super duper evil genius mastermind kind of plans?"

"If a new lab with an educational branch that both explicitly focuses on women and their progress in the STEM field is considered that, then yes, I am indeed participating in criminal activity."

Winn put a hand over his heart, "Ugh, all the misogynists will be gravely wounded if you follow through."

The pair laughed.

More silence. More Winn watching in disdain at all the diverse foods being served while Lena observed him with great amusement.

Then...

"We're gonna fix that."

"Fix what?" Lena inquired, tilting her head in confusion.

"Uh, you not watching Spongebob Squarepants, only the most popular children's show in the world. Duh."

"The closest thing to that type of entertainment I grew up with was watching chess tournaments. And quite frankly I actually loved those."

Winn scoffed, "Ugh. Bor-ing. That isn't real fun. That isn't a real childhood. Us kids can't all have an IQ of two-hundred at the age of six, okay?"

Lena raised a finger, opening her mouth to correct him, but she was beat to it.

Winn waved a hand, cutting her off. "Oh, my apologies, Miss Luthor—an IQ of three-hundred at the age of six, I can't believe I'd be so rude as to presume your brilliance is at a level of two-hundred."

"I roll my eyes a lot more when you make those jokes than when Kara does; they already feel like they're going to fall out of their sockets."

"I'm sure you'll li—"

A high-pitched bell rang.

Winn jerked minutely, slightly startled by the alert and its concurrent vibration on his wrist. He lifted his hand and checked his watch for notifications. Then his jesterly demeanor fell along with his head and shoulders, sagging towards the ground as he gave into gravity's pull.

Lena arched a brow.

"The DEO calls," Winn whined without straightening his posture.

"Go on. I'm sure I can manage to entertain myself without the designated dork of the Super Friends."

Notes: Constructive criticism is appreciated.