Eliza is here!
As always thank you for all your support and comments, they are definitely fueling the way through this. As always thank you to my amazing Beta, AyakaSpencer. The theme this week is; "frowns."
Enjoy.
Eliza Danvers arrives a day after Alex came crashing into the apartment, and Lena has never been so on edge. Her nerves are shot as she tidies things in the apartment she knows she's already been over twice before. She had given up on work hours ago because she knew Eliza Danvers was going to be critical of a Luthor; she has to be. Lena's rearranging a pile of Catco magazines for the third time when Kara drops onto the balcony, sopping wet from the February rain.
"Don't!" Lena shouts as the blonde is about to step into the apartment. A deep frown graces Kara's face in question. "I just cleaned, I don't need your footprints everywhere."
Lena doesn't see Kara's look of confusion at the CEO's behaviour but simply floats into the apartment, trying to avoid any stray water from dropping. Lena finishes sorting the magazines in order by date before she turns back to the kitchen, fixing herself a scotch because it's all that's going to help her get through an evening with Kara's adoptive mother. They had met before at Thanksgiving, but that was a different universe, in a different time when she dated James, and even then it wasn't the most amicable of discussions. Kara emerges in jeans and a crew sweater that shows off strong shoulders far too well.
"You know I can hear how erratic your heartbeat is from across the city. Are you ok?" Kara's concern is evident as she leans against the counter.
"I'm fine," Lena lies, sipping her scotch. The obvious tilt and knowing look that covers Kara's face makes her groan. "It's just- She's your mom, Kara, she's the second most important person in your life."
"And she loves you," Kara reassures.
"She's never met me," Lena protests.
"Eliza is no different from the Eliza you've met on our earth. The only difference is well..."
"We're married," Lena finishes and Kara nods, pushing her glasses up awkwardly and Lena sees the glint of the silver ring. Lena tries to hide the sharp intake of breath at the sight. They were going to have to pretend to be continuously in love for three days without a break under Eliza's ever knowing gaze. "You're putting a lot of faith in your assumption that Eliza's the same," Lena criticises.
"Why wouldn't she be?" Kara asks with a raised eyebrow. Lena can think of a thousand reasons why Eliza would not be who she was on Earth 38.
There's a soft knock on the door before Lena can answer, and doesn't miss Kara's frown that gets thrown her way as Lena's heart picks up.
Opening the door, Eliza's face lights up at the sight of Kara who grins just as brightly. After a tight hug between the two, Eliza smiles at Lena warmly before stepping close and holding her tightly. Lena manages to plaster a smile on her face as she tentatively hugs Eliza back. It's warm, and Lena imagines it must be what a mother's hug should feel like. She recalls something similar in a distant memory before going to live with the Luthors, but she shakes it away before it can take root.
"It's so good to see you," Eliza grins at them both as she accepts a glass of wine from Kara who has an uncommon knowing smile on her face that Lena hasn't seen for a long time, not since Mon-El.
"So, fill me in? What's been going on in the crazy lives of the Luthor-Danvers?" Eliza asks as she sits on the couch across from Kara and Lena. The movements of the matriarch are familiar and it throws Lena off in her questioning.
"Nothing worth noting," Kara shrugs and Lena can see how terrible a liar she is to Eliza, Kara fidgets and she has that crinkle that Lena is noticing appears when she lies or is uncomfortable. Eliza glances between them with a small smile, a light crinkle forming at the corner of her eyes.
"It's been so long since Christmas, I thought you would have come up to visit more." Lena feels a pang of guilt as she connects with Eliza's knowing gaze and finds herself shifting under the silent scolding.
"Work just got away from us," Lena excuses, resting a hand on Kara's shoulder and the Kryptonian turns with a soft smile.
"Tell me what you've been working on, Lena." Eliza requests acknowledging the deflection. "I see Kara's achievements every day on the news and with every new Catco issue, but L-Corps has been a bit quiet," Eliza states softly, spreading her hands expectantly. Lena glances quickly at Kara who gives her a small smile inviting her to begin.
Lena hides her unease behind her sip of scotch before stating, "Well we are developing a prototype for a radio controlled wheelchair that is controlled by a subdermal sensor that will be surgically attached at the base of the skull so that patients can get around without assistance." Lena watches as Kara's eyes widen slightly as she listens intently to her. It relaxes Lena as she continues. "Then we have an electric car that has a self-sustaining automatic rechargeable ion battery. But it's proving more difficult to get the copper wiring correct so that it doesn't overheat."
"If you lower the conductivity panel within the motherboard it might work," Kara supplies with a shrug making Lena frown at her. The Kryptonian isn't wrong in her theories but Lena wonders if she did in fact know about quantum entanglement.
"Yeah I might-" Lena's caught off guard by the knock on the door and neither miss the look of disbelief Eliza sends Kara.
"Really, Kara? Take out?"
"What?" Kara immediately defends, glancing back at Lena who simply sends a mock glare down at her and she can't help but chuckle as Kara is bouncing off to answer the door.
"You didn't tell me you ordered take-out," Lena calls irritably and Kara shrugs.
"Was I supposed to tell you?" Kara asks with more bite than Lena expects as she shuts the apartment door and sets the two large bags on the counter. "Cuz I got you some," Kara informs her with a grin and Lena sips her scotch as Eliza watches her plate the food and sets it on the island.
"Honestly grocery bills are one thing I do not miss about having you at home," Eliza muses and Kara blushes. Kara hands Eliza and Lena plates before emptying the rest of the containers onto her own plate. "Kara, you have to eat some vegetables," Eliza scolds before looking at Lena, "Honestly how you let her get away with it I don't know."
"I'm not in charge of her," Lena bristles before taking a long drink to calm her frazzled nerves. She doesn't miss the small frown before Eliza's features soften.
"I'm sorry Lena, you're right. Kara is a grown woman and should know that vegetables are part of a balanced plate," Eliza states pointedly and Kara wrinkles her nose in disgust.
"Oh Lena, I saw the press release from Maxwell Lord. I'm surprised you haven't responded," Eliza says in concern changing the course of the conversation.
"It's nothing my PR team can't handle," Lena shrugs, but she doesn't miss the frown as Kara looks up at her from the floor. It had started off as small jibes after Lena wouldn't work with him, but his attacks were becoming more prominently focused on L-Corp stock and products. They sit for a long time discussing Eliza's work on genetic variations between humans and humanoid aliens.
"I think I'm going to head to bed, girls, thank you for ordering dinner, Kara," Eliza smiles softly before grabbing her bag.
"Oh, I'll help," Kara offers, standing quickly to help Eliza and Lena's sure it borders on super speed. She manages to clean up and drains her glass of scotch that's been getting her through the evening.
"Careful, I don't want to carry you to bed," Kara teases and Lena almost chokes on the liquor burning down her throat. Lena turns to Kara clearing the remaining dishes from the living room and operates in a peaceful silence until Kara yawns.
"We should probably go to bed," Lena comments, rubbing her hands. Kara fidgets with her glasses giving a sharp nod.
"Yeah, yeah, we probably should."
Lena walks up the stairs, trying not to look at Kara, trying not to think about the strong body she'd soon be close enough to touch. She could do this, Lena tells herself, she had spent nights in Kara's bed before, when they were best friends, and this was no different. Lena knew Kara was taking a long time turning everything off while Lena got ready for bed. She goes through most of her nightly routine until she starts looking for pyjamas. So far she has managed to sleep in her underwear to get by or a baggy National City hoodie she had found in her drawer, but now realising, she can't wear lace underwear in bed with her best friend and she certainly can't wear a national city hoodie that she knows is Kara's. She opens her underwear drawer and immediately sighs, apparently her other self put a lot of effort into her nightwear. There was a lot of lace and a lot of silk. Lena huffs as she finds a short, silk nightdress that once on falls high up on her thighs. Pushing her hair from her face, Lena moves back into the bedroom to find Kara staring at her with a frown.
"What are you wearing?" Kara asks without thinking and Lena immediately hisses for her to keep her voice down.
"Apparently, this is the clothing with the most coverage that I wear to bed," Lena whispers with a sigh and Kara's eyes go wide.
"Really?" Kara asks without thinking and Lena glares.
Kara swallows thickly moving into the closet and a familiar whoosh before Kara reappears dressed in cotton sweats and a t-shirt. Lena tries to remain calm as she slips into the bed soothing the covers multiple times. Kara turns the lights off and slips into the bed. The tension crackles between them as they lay side by side. There was a deafening silence where Lena's heart seems to be the only noise that resounds around the room. Lena swallows nervously as she glances at Kara who is staring at the ceiling. Lena turns back mirroring the action. It shouldn't be this hard Lena thinks as she stares at the white drywall. It shouldn't be, they had slept in the same bed as friends multiple times when Lena didn't want to be alone in her apartment, taking comfort in the old memories. It had become less when she was with James. He had called it weird and Kara had respected it, but now it felt awkward and off.
"This is weird," Kara gives voice to what Lena is thinking. Kara's tone sounds like a gunshot through the quiet room. Lena turns to her, watching Kara closely. Her blue eyes staring at the ceiling intently, a crinkle between her brows. It makes Lena want to know what's going on inside the blonde's mind.
"It's never been weird," Kara states, seeming to read Lena thoughts. Lena nods, not trusting her voice. "It shouldn't be weird now, even... Even after everything, you know?" Kara babbles and Lena hums noncommittally hoping the ground would swallow her whole and make her disappear from this moment. "I mean, it's not like we haven't done this before. I mean I know we've, like, kissed or whatever, but we can be adults and-and..."
"Kara," Lena warns, squeezing her eyes shut as her face heats up.
"Well, what I mean is you know we've kissed and-and seen each other, um, you know-"
"Kara. Stop," Lena orders fiercely, her voice at the point of shouting as she sits up. She really doesn't want to be talking about this now. "What are we going to do about tomorrow?" Lena asks, pointedly changing the subject. Kara turns, propped up on her elbow as her blonde hair slips from her shoulder. Lena's breath hitches at Kara's beauty even in a situation as uncomfortable as this.
"What do you mean tomorrow?" Kara asks, pulling Lena's attention back to the conversation. "We're going to go to the party and, well, be us." Kara shrugs.
Lena can't help but glare up at her, "Do you remember two days ago when I called you an idiot?" Lena asks and Kara nods. "And I said this is what you get for jumping in without a scrap of a plan?" Kara nods again. "It's the same principle, Kara." Lena stresses.
"It's not. That was a completely different situation," Kara dismisses off-handedly.
"We need a plan," Lena states with a pointed look. "Eliza is going to be watching everything we do not to mention James and all our other friends we don't know off."
"We just need to be like we were at James's party," Kara shrugs with an easy smile.
"Where everyone thought we were fighting?" Lena asks.
"Well, what's your plan?" Kara pouts.
"United front," Lena states after a moment. "People thought we were fighting before because we weren't close, so let's just stick together this time?"
Kara nods with a small frown before lying back down. The ceiling is interesting once again.
"Hey Lena," Kara mutters as Lena moves to turn the lamp off. The CEO pauses and looks back over at Kara who's now curled on her side. "Thank you for this."
Lena can't help the small smile that forms on her face as she lies on her side, the weight of the week exhausting her and sleep overcomes her.
Blinking sleep from her eyes Lena wakes. She expects, as usual, to be wrapped up in Kara's embrace, strong arms holding her as she sleeps. Instead, she's vaguely aware of a warm tan shoulder under her cheek, her body draped over the soft skin of Kara's back, her legs entwined with strong legs wrapped in cotton. Lena blinks sleep from her eyes as she stretches cramped limbs. Lena turns and she can smell the faint scent of Kara's shampoo. Feel the firm muscle of Kara's back as she realises her hand is under the Kryptonians shirt. The shoulder beneath her cheek tenses and Lena realises Kara's awake. Lena rolls away facing her own side of the room, her heart beating rapidly as she wonders if she was caught. Lena silently hopes Kara's fallen back asleep as she lies staring at the bedside table.
"You know I can hear you're awake," Kara's sleep laced voice states and Lena turns looking back to see Kara laying on her back staring at her.
"I-Um I'm sorry I didn't-" Lena stammers and Kara shrugs.
"It's fine, Lena," Kara chuckles as she stretches causing her shirt to ride up, and showing off the faint v of muscles framed between her hips. Impulsively, Lena wants to run her hand over them. Clearing her throat sitting up as Kara smirks catching where Lena was looking.
"We should, um. Get ready. I don't imagine your sister will take kindly to us being late," Lena states as she pushes her hair from her face and she misses Kara's glance to her chest before darting back to the window.
"Right yeah, I'm going to go make coffee, Eliza's pretty chipper in the morning and she's already up," Kara informs her before slipping from the bed.
"Kara, wait," Lena calls panic filling her. Kara turns with a small questioning smile, "What if we muck it all up?"
"We'll be fine, el mayarah," Kara replies flippantly before slipping from the room. Lena frowns at the phrase and realises it's the first time she's heard Kara utter Kryptonese to her. Lena moves to the shower and the hot spray relaxes her mildly.
Downstairs Kara spends time making coffee from the ridiculous machine that resembles one of Lena's prototypes. Eliza appears dressed carrying three large grocery bags.
"What is all that?" Kara asks curiously, making Eliza chuckle.
"It's supplies for the games at the shower. Alex asked for tasteful yet entertaining so I've done my fair share of googling," Eliza raises the bags in emphasis. "Now remember you have to be at Alex's by twelve, don't be late, and don't forget the cake," Eliza warns and Kara simply rolls her eyes shaking her head. She was never late.
"Wait, what cake?" Kara asks as Eliza's half out the door.
Eliza shakes her head and sighs, "I'll text you the details." Eliza states with a motherly huff ."And Kara," Eliza pulls her daughter's attention back to her. "Let Lena drive."
"I'm an excellent driver," Kara protests as Eliza waves placatingly, slipping from the apartment.
Lena appears twenty minutes later in a simple blouse and black skinny jeans and Kara's almost convinced she's casual until she sees the red soled Louboutins on her feet.
"You better hope Ruby doesn't make you play soccer," Kara warns, setting the coffee down in front of her and Lena sends her a wry smile.
"You seem to underestimate me in a pair of heels," Lena teases, making Kara chuckle and she hates how the heat in her abdomen soars as Lena bites a red painted lip.
"I should, um, get ready," Kara states, excusing herself as Lena nods, picking up her discarded tablet from the night before. Kara takes longer than she'd like to, but after waking up with Lena's barely clothed body draped over her, she's been a mess trying to avoid thinking too deeply on it. Kara spends at least twenty minutes deciding what to wear until she settles on burgundy slacks she recognises and a navy shirt. She stops staring at the box holding the marriage bracelet Lena gave her, smiling gently, she slips the bracelet on to her wrist before tugging her shirt sleeves to conceal it. She stares tenderly at the simple ring on her left hand. Aware that it shouldn't mean anything to her, after all, it was a human tradition, but it held more weight than Kara thought. Her mind straying to what it must have been like to exchange both human and Kryptonian vows with Lena. Had they done that? She questioned. What other odd mixes of traditions had they gone through?
"Kara?" Lena calls from below and it pulls her from her thoughts. Kara moves from the room as she quickly ties her hair up in a practised ponytail. "Kara, we need to leave or we'll be late."
"Sorry, I'm here," Kara calls as she descends the stairs and she looks up to find Lena staring at her. Her mouth slightly parted and her eyes wide. Kara clears her throat, snapping Lena from her trance.
"Ugh, right we should, um, we should, we should go," Lena states, turning to lift her bag and Kara frowns.
"Hey, are you ok?" Kara asks and Lena shakes her head before turning back, twisting the ring on her hand.
"You forgot your glasses and all I could think was how blind I'd been," Lena admits. Her jaw clenches as she purses her lips at the floor.
"Lena, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," Kara tries rubbing the back of her neck.
"It's alright, Kara, it's my own self-disappointment. Not your fault," Lena dismisses with a shake of her head before picking up her bag and car keys. Kara nods before slipping her glasses on and following the CEO from the apartment.
The drive is silent for the first five minutes until Kara asks, "Does it- do you feel uncomfortable when I'm Supergirl?"
Kara sees Lena's fist clench tighter on the wheel and she hears her take a sharp breath, but Lena simply shakes her head. "I don't feel uncomfortable. I just don't like admitting when I'm wrong."
"Wrong?"
Lena sighs at Kara's question, "After I started running Catco, back on our earth, I questioned where you would go; what was so urgent and why were you constantly running out the office? And then when Sam got taken over by Reign, you were so defensive. You were so irritated by that cult following, and you wrote that article on the Cult of Rao. I should have known. Then Kaznia happened, and I just pushed it all away. Supergirl was conniving and manipulative, and that wasn't my friend. My best friend wouldn't do that to me, I thought, and then Lex showed me everything and I knew he was right. That my suspicions were correct, that I should have listened to my gut and called you out. So I was wrong, Kara, I was wrong that you were different. Now, I don't know what to believe." Lena watches the road intently and Kara unconsciously fiddles with the bracelet.
"I meant everything I said as Kara," She admits. "But I can see why you wouldn't trust me. I've been a terrible friend to you. I should have told you a long time ago. I should have told you before Jack." Kara states, her lips pulling into a tight line as she looks up and watches as Lena's jaw clenches. "I should have told you so you would have known I wasn't trying to stop you being with him, but so you could have seen what I had seen. I should have told you so many times that I trusted you, especially with Reign and Sam." Kara stares at her lap chewing her lip. "I wish I could take it all back," She whispers. Kara looks up as the car stops in front of the house.
"What does El Marayah mean?" Lena asks quietly, her eyes trained ahead.
"Stronger Together," Kara translates and Lena nods before unclipping her seatbelt and turning to the blonde.
"We can't go back, but we can go forward," Lena decides, and Kara is surprised to be met with the soft green eyes of her best friend. She had prepared for Lena to leave, as Kara had admitted her deepest regret.
"Together?" Kara asks with a lopsided smile, and Lena can't stop the light laugh that spills from her.
"Together."
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