I started writing this story years ago and it's been hanging out ever since so it takes place a few seasons back. I'm not sure if there is much of a demand for Alex/Lena stories but I love them. I'd love any feedback as this is my first Supergirl fanfic. Thanks in advance for reading!
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It had been three months since Maggie had left for Gotham City and Alex was starting to wonder if they would engrave her name on this barstool. It had become her regular hangout now that she found her life and apartment so wide open and empty.
She looked down at the drink in her hand and debated on ordering another. She checked her phone. Another missed message from Kara. Alex knew Kara was trying to make sure Alex didn't go crazy drowning herself in sorrow but Alex didn't have the energy to pretend that her world wasn't shattered.
She set the phone back down. She began to flag down the bartender for a refill when someone sat down beside her. She turned, expecting to have to turn down yet another drunken idiot, but when she saw the woman sitting next to her she froze.
"Alex?" Lena Luthor settled herself on the barstool next to Alex and crossed her legs delicately.
"Miss Luthor?" Alex knew Kara was friends with the businesswoman but Alex was a little surprised to see her in this setting. Lena Luthor seemed way too sophisticated for a place like this.
Lena looked around, one eyebrow raised. "Nice place. And, please, call me Lena."
Alex half laughed and finished what was left of her drink. She eyed the Luthor a moment before turning back toward the bar. "I'm getting another one of these," she pointed at her empty glass. "Can I get you one?" She realized she may be slurring her words just a little.
Lena leaned in and gently took the glass from Alex's hand. "Actually," Lena slid the glass off to the side, "I'm here because of Kara."
Alex was instantly on alert, "Kara? What's wrong? Is she okay?"
"She's fine!" Lena hastily assured her, "she's just worried about you. And she doesn't know how to help."
Alex deflated, relieved. She smirked down at her hands. "There's not really anything she can do." Alex could feel Lena's intense gaze on her.
"She figured you'd say that." Lena studied her a moment. "So I thought maybe I could help," her voice was less formal now.
Alex didn't look at her.
"Look, I've lost plenty of people I loved. I know how it feels… and how lonely it can be." Lena paused, "And I know how easy it is to fall into vices." Lena explained, looking pointedly toward Alex's empty glass.
Alex finally looked into Lena's eyes and was surprised to find complete sincerity in them. Maybe she'd misjudged Lena Luthor.
"Care to talk about it?" Lena offered.
"Look, Miss..Lena, no offense but I actually came here to forget about it all. So...thanks, but I'm okay." she trailed off and turned away from the other woman.
She could almost feel Lena's eyebrow lifting beside her. "Okay…" Lena said slowly. She plastered on a smile and turned to face the bartender. "Can we have two more of…" Lena looked skeptically at Alex's empty glass. "..whatever that was."
This time it was Alex's turn to raise an eyebrow at Lena. Lena looked at her and bit her lower lip to stop a smile which Alex found surprisingly unsettling. "I can at least keep you company."
"You really don't have to," Alex protested.
"I know." Their drinks arrived and Alex watched as Lena took a careful sip. "Wow," Lena placed the glass back down. Alex was impressed that Lena didn't flinch at the strength of the cocktail. Alex noticed a faint half-moon of bright red lipstick left on the glass. "How many of these have you had?"
Alex took a long gulp of her own drink and felt the warm fuzziness she'd been nursing spread exponentially through her. She tried to count in her head but for some reason the drinks keep blurring together. "Five… maybe? This might be six," she grinned, a little too giddy.
"Okay," Lena raised both eyebrows and stood up, "well then, we should probably get you some food or something." Lena again carefully pried the glass out of Alex's hand. "Have you eaten anything?"
With her alcohol-infused bravery Alex finally let herself fully examine the Luthor. Her pale skin and bright red lips. Her impeccable button up shirt and trousers, hair pulled up severely from her face. Then the pale eyes were looking back at her. Alex felt a rush of something that terrified her but intrigued her at the same time.
"What, are you my mother now?" Alex mumbled, knowing she was being ornery. "I'm not really hungry," Alex finally answered when Lena didn't respond. "I'll just go home," she rolled her eyes, annoyed at the interruption.
"I can call Kara if you'd like?" Lena offered as she pulled out some cash from her wallet and laid it on the counter.
"No!" Alex said adamantly. She really couldn't handle another lecture right now. "I mean, I'll call a cab." She pulled out a few bills and dropped them on the counter. "I can also pay for myself." She said, a little too testily.
Alex saw Lena roll her eyes as she picked up most of the money. "Don't be ridiculous. I'll drop you off."
Alex looked skeptically at Lena.
"I'm not going to kidnap you or anything," Lena said, exasperated at Alex's stubbornness. Alex knew she was regretting coming to 'help' her.
"No, I know that," Alex said. "You would never do anything to hurt Kara." In that instant Alex realized she maybe was beginning to trust a Luthor.
Lena blinked at Alex's sincerity and lack of attitude and a small smile played on her lips. "No, I wouldn't."
"You're a good friend to her." Alex stood up, a little shakily.
Lena quickly reached to steady her. "Easy there." Lena placed a hand behind Alex's back to guide her.
The contact reminded Alex of how Maggie used to place her hand on her back like this. Alex shrugged Lena off probably more aggressively than she needed to.
Lena didn't comment at the rebuff. "My car is right over here," she indicated once they got out the doors. "Do you need me to have someone drive your car to your place?"
Alex wanted to say no but she had no better option. "That would be great actually." She admitted and dug out her keys. She handed them to Lena as they arrived at Lena's car.
"Okay, I will make the call now. What's your address?"
Alex gave her the address to her apartment and then slid into the passenger seat of Lena's car to wait while the brunette called her assistant to deal with Alex's car.
Alex closed her eyes, suddenly tired, and not just from the alcohol. She was tired of feeling sad and angry and all the other myriad of feelings she'd been dealing with for the past few months. She was tired of people feeling sorry for her and of Kara always stopping over to make sure she wasn't drinking herself into a coma. And she was tired of feeling so helpless in her own life. How did she get from having the most amazing woman who she thought she would marry and spend the rest of her life with to here, drunk and sitting in Lena Luthor's car like a sad charity project? And she'd been pushing Kara away when she knew the younger Danvers was only trying to help her and be there for her. She'd been a crappy sister lately and she silently vowed to do better.
The driver's side door opened and startled Alex out of her thoughts. Lena got in the car and looked over at Alex. "Your keys are with the bartender. My assistant will be here to get your car in a few minutes. It's in good hands. Also," she handed over a jacket that Alex recognized as her own, "you forgot this."
Alex took the jacket and held it in her lap. "Thanks."
"No problem." Lena started the car and headed toward Alex's apartment. "I think I know how to get to your place. It's near Kara's, correct?"
"Yeah, I can give you directions from there." Alex settled further back into the seat.
They sat in silence for a few moments.
"So…" Lena started, "I know that you said you didn't want to talk but just know that you can if you want to," Lena said. "I know I'm probably not exactly the person you'd have picked to confide in, but I promise I'm a good listener."
Alex turned away from Lena, toward the window. "There's not much to talk about." She absentmindedly played with the sleeve of her jacket. "We ended it, she moved away. End of story." Alex knew she sounded bitter.
"Maggie, right?" Lena asked, and then, to lighten the mood, "I remember from the time she arrested me."
But Alex didn't seem to find it funny. "Yeah," she answered. "She was just doing her job, it was nothing personal." She had no idea why she felt the need to defend Maggie.
"Of course," Lena said quickly. There was a pause. "Anyway, it's her loss."
Alex remembered telling that same thing to Maggie when she'd broken up with her ex. An angry sadness bubbled up inside her and her words came out harsher than she'd have let them if she were a little less drunk. "Listen, I know you're just trying to help, but I really don't feel like talking about this with you." Alex didn't mean with Lena personally but she knew it came out that way.
Lena didn't answer and Alex knew she'd hurt the Luthor. For all her power and money Lena was still so vulnerable, unlike the rest of her family. Anyone could see that.
"Lena, I'm sorry." Alex looked over at her.
But this time Lena didn't look back at her. "It's fine, really. I understand."
Alex knew Lena was still hurt and she hated herself for it, but she was too drunk and too exhausted to do much about it. She let her head fall against the window.
They drove the rest of the way in silence with Alex only breaking it to give directions.
••••••
Alex awoke the next morning to bright sunlight streaming through her window. She blinked and rubbed her eyes. A jolt of panic shot through her, "Shit!" Alex shot up and threw back the covers. She grabbed her cellphone off the end table beside the bed. Crap. She had 20 minutes to get ready and get to work or she'd be late. Again. Thank God the DEO was just down the street.
She jumped out of bed and was halfway to the bathroom when she noticed something move out of the corner of her eye. Instantly on alert she turned to see a sleeping form on her couch. Her eyes widened. "Hello?" She mentally went through what she could remember from last night as she slowly crept toward her gun. She swore Lena had gone and she'd passed out soon after.
Kara's head popped up. "Morning."
"Kara! What are you doing here?" Alex felt relief wash through her as her heart slowly resumed a normal pace. "Also, I really don't have time to talk. I need to get going. I can't be late for work, again."
"Lena called me last night after she brought you home. She said you were in pretty rough shape." Alex could see Kara's worry on her face.
"So you came over to sleep on my couch?" Alex said a little dubiously.
"Alex, I'm worried about you. You're going out all the time, you're late for work, you won't answer my calls." Kara had gotten up and approached Alex. "I know it hurts losing Maggie but you've still got your friends and family. We love you and we're here for you."
Alex looked down, not meeting Kara's gaze. "I know. I'm sorry I've been pushing you away lately." She paused, trying to blink back the wetness in her eyes. "Thank you, Kara, for sticking with me even when I've been a jerk lately." She smiled up at her younger sister. "Although, you really didn't need to send Lena Luthor to babysit me."
"I didn't!" Kara protested. "She volunteered."
Alex raised her eyebrows.
"She did," Kara insisted. "Don't look so surprised. She's a really great person, people just don't give her a chance."
"Yeah," Alex felt guilty remembering the night before, "I probably could have been nicer to her last night."
"I'm sure she understands, Alex." Kara reached and touched Alex's arm. "Now, you need to take a shower and change quick. I'll fly you to work."
Alex grinned at Kara. "You're the best."
"Of course." Kara grinned back. "Now hurry," Kara shoved her toward the bathroom.
••••••
Alex followed behind Lena's assistant as she showed her into the CEO's office. Alex had decided to stop over after work to apologize. She'd been going over last night in her head and the more she thought about it the worse she felt. She carried a bag of donuts that she'd picked up on the way after Kara had suggested she bring a peace offering.
The assistant shut the door behind her as she left and Alex looked at Lena who sat behind her desk, radiating power.
"Agent Danvers," her tone was polite and the fact that she'd reverted to calling her Agent Danvers wasn't lost on Alex. "This is a surprise."
"Alex," Alex corrected her weakly. "And I'm here to apologize for last night." She winced and held up the paper bag. "I brought donuts. Kara said these were your favorite."
Lena looked at her coolly a moment before getting up to walk towards her. Alex couldn't help but notice again how striking and composed Lena was. Lena took the bag from her and then leaned back against the desk.
"I feel horrible about what I said yesterday. I had too much to drink, and I was angry at Maggie - and myself, if I'm being really honest." Alex nervously clutched her hands together.
"Don't worry about it," Lena said, setting the bag of donuts beside her on the desk. "It's fine." Her voice said otherwise.
"No, it's not. I was a jerk and I'm sorry." Alex looked into Lena's eyes trying to see any tiny indication that Lena was truly accepting her apology. "I've kind of been a hot mess lately, and, as you probably noticed, not the most fun to be around."
Lena studied her a moment and Alex felt herself internally squirming at the attention. "We're okay," Lena said at last. "Besides, I should know better anyway - nobody would trust their problems to someone they barely know, especially if that someone has Luthor as a last name."
Alex put up a hand to stop her, "No, that's not it. At all." She tried to hold Lena's gaze but the other woman looked away. "It's me and all my dysfunctional ways of dealing. I haven't been handling this well. I guess that's pretty obvious." Alex paused. "Actually, Lena, I was wondering if you'd like to get a drink with me sometime?"
Lena cocked her head to the side intrigued, a small smile playing on her lips."Uh…"
"Not, like, a date or anything!" Alex added hastily. Her cheeks flamed. It sure felt like she was asking her on a date. "Because, well, you were right. I could use someone to talk to."
Lena grinned, amused. "Okay." She studied Alex a moment. How about tomorrow night?"
"Perfect!" Alex felt relieved and oddly giddy. "Do you want to meet at Noonan's?"
Lena bit her lip and again Alex couldn't help but be transfixed. "I think you need a change of scenery." Her eyes flashed as she stood up from the desk. "Why don't I pick you up tomorrow and we'll go to this place I know?"
"Sure, I'll have to run home and change after work," Alex lied, "do you want to pick me up at my place?" She obviously couldn't have Lena Luthor driving up to the DEO headquarters.
"That sounds perfect, it's right on the way."
"It's a date," Alex said without thinking. Horror washed through her as she realized what she said. "Not like a date date." There was a pause, very smooth, Alex. She was making a fool of herself. She checked her watch. "I should actually get going."
"Okay, well, I will see you tomorrow then for our not-date," Lena teased. Alex knew her face would be bright red.
"I'll see you then," Alex couldn't wait to get out of there.
