"Where are you going?" Maggie reached an arm out and touched Alex's back. The other woman was bent over, digging in her purse, her phone interrupting their evening cuddling session.
Alex turned, kissing the cop's sleepy grin. "Where's Roscoe?" The domestic casual nature of the kiss warmed her chest, filling a spot that Sam had created in her, and she forgot about her phone for a moment, relishing the taste of Maggie in her mouth
"Sleeping. Like I was, until you woke me up." Maggie grinned. "Thanks for taking the chew toy out of his stomach."
"Your dog is as dumb as you are," Alex said against her lips. In her hand, the phone stopped ringing, then picked right back up.
With a groan, Maggie pushed her away. "Answer it," she said with a glance at the screen. "It's your sister."
Her face twisting with concern, Alex stood up, putting the phone to her ear. "Kara?"
"Hey, sis!"
Alex immediately narrowed her eyes at the hitch in Kara's voice. "What did you do." Maggie shot her accusing tone a sleepy look, lying on her back and stretching along the bed.
"What makes you think I did anything?" Kara said defensively, pacing back an forth.
"Kara."
Staring at the massive windows, the sounds of engines and a PA system all around, Kara hesitated. "I'm at the airport," she started, her feet pausing their frenetic pacing.
"Okay." Alex drew out the word, not sure what to say.
"I just got off the phone with Lena. She's, well, I think I should go see her. Should I go see her?"
Alex rolled her eyes. Kara always turned into a loved up schoolgirl when she talked about Lena—or worse, wouldn't shut up about how amazing she was. Something had happened on her birthday that her sister wouldn't tell her, but she had noticed the shift the day Kara came back from the city. "What are you trying to say?"
"You know how I drove out here with Mike?" Kara bit a nail, trying to psych herself up.
"Just tell me what you did," Alex sighed.
"I'm about to fly to New York city."
Alex nearly dropped the phone. "You hate planes," she said blankly. Kara didn't fly. She didn't voluntarily lock herself in a tin can for hours on end, forfeiting her carefully culled control and waiting for the plane to land.
"Flight 2721 is boarding in ten minutes."
"That's me!" Kara said with nervous excitement in her voice. Alex heard the trepidation in it and tried to think of something to say. "I'll call you when I land?"
"Kara, wait. I know you like—I know she's your best friend, but is this a good idea?"
"Not sure yet," Kara said nervously, walking towards the gate. Anxiety was coiling and uncoiling in her stomach and the fierce sense of justice that had urged her on to buying the ticket and driving to the airport—leaving Mike to drive back to the ski resort in a huff, thinking it was Alex that needed her to fly back—was dissipating the longer she watched planes take off through the window. "I'll call you if I need anything." She hung up, leaving Alex staring at Maggie, dumbfounded.
Lena had always been a light sleeper. Ever since being adopted by the Luthors, her sleep had been uneasy and broken, so she thought it was the rain, driving into the Victorian-style windows with the force of hail in the cold weather, that woke her up. It wasn't until the intercom buzzed again, forcing her into unwelcome consciousness, that she opened her eyes reluctantly.
She used to hate sleeping in her old room and the nightmares that came with it, but she had been dreaming of Kara. Dreaming of Kara, and that kiss. She had dreamt of it almost every night since it had happened, waking up frustrated and unsatisfied, her cheeks flushed at everything it implied.
Hitting the button that linked the mansion's intercom system, she stifled a groan. That was one of the things she liked about not living at home. Lillian rarely called and she didn't have to worry about her temper—the temper that would send her storming into Lena's room at 2, 3 in the morning, screaming her awake or buzzing the intercom to deliver her verbal abuse without leaving the comfort of her bedroom.
"Yes?"
"Lena. You weren't busy, were you?" Her mother's tone was snide, almost vindictive, and alarmed Lena enough that she got out of bed, expecting Lillian to be at her door with a conniving smirk on her face.
"No. What is it?"
"You have a...friend calling on you." Lillian said the word like she couldn't believe Lena had any friends. "She says she needs to talk to you."
Who would call at such an odd time of night?
"I'll call them back," she said warily.
Lillian's condescension oozed through the small speaker. "You're welcome to, but she's sitting here with me."
With her brow furrowed in confusion, Lena tried to think of who would be at her home. She had no idea who it could be, no idea who would know the location of the Luthor mansion.
"You said it was a friend?"
"Yes. I don't know why you're giving out our address like it's a country club," Lillian echoed her thoughts in a disparaging tone, "But she says she's here to see you."
"I didn't tell anyone..." Lena trailed off, remembering the 'yes' she'd seen on her phone right before crying herself to sleep. Kara must have sent Alex after her again, to check on her.
This is getting embarrassing. Alex must be tired of running her sister's errands, and I'm sure mother is being her usual horrible self.
The next words over the intercom made her heart leap out of her chest.
"She says her name is Kara Danvers."
What the fuck.
Lena threw a jumper over her nightgown and was running down the hall in a matter of minutes. Turning the corner at a dangerous speed, she skidded to a halt, her mind a blank.
Lillian sat in one of the family rooms dressed like she was going on a business trip, Kara sitting across from her. A butler stood behind them, dripping from going out to fetch Kara in the downpour. The blonde had a slightly nervous expression on her face but the smile that broke out when she caught sight of Lena brightened the entire room.
"Hey!" Kara waved at her like she wasn't soaking wet, like she hadn't miraculously shown up at her doorstep, like Lillian wasn't towering beside her like a grotesque gargoyle. "Just thought I'd drop by," she joked.
"What are you doing here?" Lena blurted out, her brain trying to catch up to what her eyes were telling her. Kara Danvers was in New York. Kara Danvers was sitting in the family room of the Luthor mansion. Kara Danvers was here to see her. It made her heart race more than it should've, the gloom and doom of the house melting away to make room for Kara's cheery personality.
"I was in the neighborhood," Kara grinned, oblivious to the sly look Lillian fixed on the side of her face. "Had a bit of a schedule mishap and your mother was kind enough to let me in."
All of Lena's attention was on Kara, but when she spoke, she addressed her mother.
"And why did you let her in?"
Lillian's simpering smile made her immediately suspicious. "Because, darling, she said she was a friend of yours. And anyone with such a nice taste in watches is a welcome guest in my home."
The watch glinting on Kara's wrist, shiny with rain, was the one Lena had gotten her. She had put it on when they'd gotten back to school, and as far as Lena knew, she hadn't taken it off.
Lillian knew exactly who had bought that watch. Lillian had insulted that watch.
"Your mom's been really nice," Kara said, smiling at Lillian's stone-faced expression. Lena felt like a fish out of water, no idea what to say, sensing the tide turning against her. Had Lillian already gotten her claws that deep into Kara?
"Where are your manners, Lena? Why don't you take Kara upstairs," Lillian suggested, her green eyes glinting. "Help her dry off, give her a change of clothes? Let me know if you need anything." She got up and left them alone, and still Lena didn't say anything.
Kara's smile wavered into uncertainty and after the door closed behind Lillian, she was up and reaching for Lena's arm. Her hands were wet and cold and Lena shivered, but not because of the temperature.
"Lena? Are you okay?"
A closer look at Kara showed that besides the rain water soaking her, she looked disheveled, like she had just run a marathon or gotten off a plane. Rivulets of water ran down the sides of her face and her hair was almost brown from the soaking it had taken, but she didn't seem to mind.
"Lena?"
With a surreptitious glance at the butler, who was no doubt acting as Lillian's eyes and ears, Lena took a definitive step back.
"You can leave your shoes and jacket by the door. Follow me, and please don't touch anything." She hated the way Kara's eyebrows crinkled at her standoffish tone, the tension in the air as she removed her soaked boots, shooting Lena concerned glances the other girl pretended not to see.
The plush carpet drunk up the water eagerly, and Lena winced out of habit. Not dirtying the carpet had been another lesson learned too harshly, at too young an age.
"Sorry!" Kara apologized with a sheepish smile. "I tried to stamp it out at the door, but it's pouring."
Lena shot the butler another glance and pursed her lips. "Just follow me," she said tersely, and Kara did so without asking any more questions.
It took all of her acting skills and all of her self-control to lead Kara through the mansion. Kara kept letting out little sighs that pulled at her heart, and she felt like Orpheus, leading his wife up from the underworld. If she turned around, maybe Kara would disappear and she would wake up alone in her bed with nothing but wishful thinking to keep her company.
She made it to her room and kept her eyes on the floor as Kara walked past her cautiously, holding her breath when the vanilla smell entered her room.
Kara couldn't believe that she was here, in Lena's house, in her room. The legendary Luthor mansion. The plane ride there had been a nightmare, and she had taken Dramamine, but it didn't help much—her anxiety at being stuffed in the plane meant her nausea came back every half hour.
Then the tram to Roosevelt Island. She hadn't thought it through, that it was an island, that she would somehow have to get across the water. When the tram had bumped along the cables, the dark water splashing visibly beneath her, she had had to shut her eyes and think of Lena on the other side to keep herself from breaking down. Thankfully, no one else was stupid enough to ride the tram at 3 in the morning, and she had stumbled out, gasping and on the verge of tears but with no one staring at her.
Lillian had been a shock as well. The way Lena described her and the very little Kara knew about her, she had almost expected a withered old woman, the evil witch from Snow White or a villain out of a movie. Lena's mother was cold and beautiful and elegant, and the moment she opened her mouth Kara knew where Lena got her formalities from. Still, she had welcomed her in through the gates the second Kara had told her her name, and she acted like she knew Kara.
Maybe Lena had told her mother about her. Maybe Lillian knew they were best friends.
No, that wasn't right. Lena had told her just last week that Lillian thought she had no friends at all.
Shaking her head, Kara set her backpack by the door and rubbed her arms, trying to warm up, and her lips twitched up in a grin when she took in the large bedroom.
Lena's room was messy and cluttered and filled with books. They cascaded in teetering piles along the side walls, some were propped open with other books, and a tower that was on the verge of collapsing stood by her bed. Nothing else was in the room besides books that she could see, and she turned to say something to Lena about it but her friend had disappeared from the doorway.
Not sure what to do, Kara sat down on the floor and waited patiently for her to come back, waited for her to explain herself. She knew Lena well enough to know that her detached act was just that—an act. If Lena got tense just being in New York, being in her house must be even worse. Not that you could even call it a house. More like a castle. She tried to imagine Lena's childhood, growing up in an empty mansion with empty people and the thought made her heart hurt.
Lena had walked to her mother's room and was standing at her door, her hand raised, teeth worrying at her lip. She needed to talk to her mother, needed to make sure her secret was safe, but to do that she had to do something she hadn't done since she was five. She needed to go to Lillian's bedroom and knock on the door.
Three minutes passed and her arm was getting tired, but she still didn't knock, not until she thought of Kara, alone in her room. Her heart in her throat, she drew her hand back and did something she hadn't done in over a decade.
"It's open."
Lena stepped just inside the door. Lillian had clearly been waiting for her, sitting at her boudoir and staring at herself.
"Why did you let her in?" She couldn't explain her anger, just that she was beyond unprepared for Kara to meet her mother, to see how much Lena was like the woman who'd raised her.
Lillian assumed an innocent expression and stared at Lena in the mirror. "Well, darling, I thought you wanted to see her. You spend enough time with her at school, holding hands and sneaking around all day, not studying. I figured you must think she's worth your time."
Lena swallowed. Her mother was too close to the truth, she knew too much. Perhaps she already knew how Lena felt about the blonde girl waiting for her in her room. She tried to keep her voice even and not give herself away, but she suspected Lillian saw right through her. "Tell the truth. You never let me take friends to my room. What's your ploy?" When Lillian stood, Lena had to force herself not to flinch away and met her cold stare.
"Occam's razor, dear. Perhaps I simply wanted to help your friend get out of the rain. Now go tend to her, I'm sure she's waiting for you."
Lillian's smile didn't reach her eyes and Lena walked back to her room on unfeeling legs, absolutely positive that her mother knew she was gay.
That information in her mother's hands was damning. She could so easily burn Lena's world to the ground, turn her few acquaintances against her, out her to the entire world. Lena didn't even know if she was ready to accept that part of herself; she knew it would be easy to cling to the idea of loving men, the idea of marrying a man—as depressing as that was to her. They didn't excite her the way girls did, she didn't obsess over their personal lives, the details, like she did with girls.
Like she did with Kara.
"Lena! Hey, where'd you go?"
She had just walked past her room and Kara called out to her, standing quickly.
"You should shower. It's late, we can talk tomorrow." Lena wouldn't meet her gaze and Kara's features shifted into a frown.
"But I came to see—"
"Tomorrow, Kara. Please." She knew she couldn't handle this right now, Kara looking at her like she was a fragile doll, like she was worth attention and care and someone coming from Colorado to New York in one day. "There's the bathroom, I'll get you some clothes while you're in there."
Kara looked like she was about to argue, then she shivered and gave her a weak smile. "I guess that's not a bad idea."
Lena stared out the window as Kara took a hot shower, steam coming out of the open door. The pounding of the rain and the pounding of the shower was echoed in her chest; uneven, pattering beats that kept her eyes on the glass even as she heard Kara turn the water off and walk back into the bedroom. Closing the drapes, she didn't turn around until the other girl was in her pajamas, her hair washed and in a bun, and it was a mistake. It was just clean joggers and one of the only tee shirts she owned, but the sight of Kara in her clothes was so cute and so close to what Lena wanted, that she turned her back to the middle of the bed and pulled the covers up.
"Lena, what's going on with you? I know you fought with your mom, but I came all this way for you." As usual, Kara had no idea the effect her words were having on Lena. The bed dipped as she slid under the covers, reaching out to touch Lena's back.
It was so surreal, having Kara in her childhood bed. The bed had always seemed so big, and Lena had taken to curling up at the side so she couldn't feel the empty mattress around her, but she tried to put as much space between her and the blonde as she possibly could on the queen-sized mattress. She didn't answer Kara, trying to turn her brain off and worry about all of this tomorrow, but the brief contact sent shivers up her spine.
Kara had just closed her eyes and started to pull her hand away when the mattress shifted and she felt Lena's fingers wrap around her wrist.
"Don't," the brunette whispered hoarsely. "Don't give up on me."
Kara's heart leaped at the begging tone in Lena's voice. "What? I'm not giving up on you," she whispered. "You just said you wanted to sleep, so I was going to let—"
And just like that, they were kissing again.
Like the first time in the back of the car, Lena initiated it. She rolled over so her front was pressed against Kara's and their lips met, warm and sweet and slow. Kara's skin, still hot from the shower, burned through her nightgown and something bloomed in her chest. Something that Lillian had stamped out the day Lionel had walked her into this mansion at 4 years old, an orphan without really knowing it. The weeks of careful control between her and Kara didn't matter anymore, the 'friendship' they had kept up dissolved like ice under hot water as she kissed her.
Kara was so taken aback that she didn't respond at first, frozen in shock. A second later her muscles unlocked and she pushed forward, sliding a hand up Lena's side under the nightgown and onto the soft skin of her ribs. Lena tasted like salt and tears and she wiped the wetness from her cheek, whispering her name.
"Lena, it's okay. I'm here, Lena. I'm here now."
And just like each time before, the rest of the world disappeared. Her mother could've been standing over her bed, but with Kara's skin so close to hers, she wouldn't have cared. Kara, also, seemed to forget that she had told Lena not to chase her, that it was a mistake, that she had a boyfriend.
They fell asleep twisted together in the sheets, Kara's arms around her waist, her chest pressed against Lena's back.
"Rise and shine!"
Sunlight hit her like a truck and Lena was up and on her feet, her eyes wide with fear. Lillian almost never came in to wake her up, so there must be something wrong.
It wasn't her mother, but Kara, who was standing by the window and grinning ear to ear. The smile dropped from her face at Lena's frightened expression and she practically leaped forward, her hands stopping inches away from Lena's arm. "Are you okay?"
Lena blinked a few times, then gave her a halfhearted sort of smile. "I thought you were someone else."
Kara's expression darkened, her features shifting into an almost angry countenance. "Your mother." Despite the way Lillian had treated her the night before, she had decided she had very little respect for the woman. Anyone who was capable of cruelty towards someone like Lena didn't rank very high in her book. The way Lillian had spoken through the intercom, subtly degrading her daughter through casual conversation, wasn't something Kara wanted to associate with. She was already forming an escape plan, planning the best way to get Lena to spend the rest of the break at her house.
After a moment's hesitation, Lena nodded, her body relaxing. "Sorry," she breathed, sitting back down on the bed.
"You have nothing to apologize for," Kara insisted, joining her on the mattress. She put her arms around her friend and kissed her cheek, and started rubbing the knots out of Lena's shoulders. In the light of day, with a good night's sleep in her, everything was clear to Kara. Lena's mother was, without a doubt, abusive in every sense of the word, and it explained a lot of Lena's personality.
It had also awoken a quiet sort of rage somewhere deep inside her.
"You should spend the next week at my house," Kara suggested suddenly. "Do you think she'll let you? It's not as far as Aspen, and now that she knows who I am, maybe she'll be okay with it!" Her unbridled optimism was so at ends with the house that the walls seemed to groan, but it was just the wind.
Lena's head was spinning. Seemingly out of nowhere, Kara had shown up, met her mother, kissed her (well, Lena had kissed her) and woken up in her bed. And now she was inviting her over, like it was all perfectly normal.
"I still can't believe you're here," Lena said softly, turning, her eyes meeting Kara's full on for the first time since last night. "What are you doing here?"
The crinkle formed between Kara's eyebrows even as she nudged Lena with a light shoulder. "I was worried about you, you dork." She said it like it was obvious, like Lena should've expected her to show up.
If she was being honest, she was relieved that Kara was there, but she had no idea what to do. She had resigned herself to a long vacation of Lillian's mocking and was counting down the days til she returned to school, but now Kara was here and battering down the defenses she had spent the drive home building up.
"Kara, what are you doing here?" She said again with a hint of hysteria. "You were just in Colorado, for crying out loud—"
The blonde's eyes sparkled. "Crying out loud?"
"It's not funny! You can't be here, this is insane, my mother will—"
She stopped talking abruptly at the glaze of anger that covered Kara's features. "Never mind. You should just go home, I'm sorry you cut your vacation short for this."
"Lena, come on." Kara curled her legs underneath her, making it clear she wasn't going to leave until Lena at least heard her out. "There's a few things we need to talk about, so don't run away again." She had that determined look in her eye, the one Lena recognized from when she tried to teach Kara chemistry and she couldn't grasp it, and would keep trying until they were both laughing out of frustration and had to take a break.
"Fine," she sighed, crossing her arms, ignoring the tightness in her chest. She didn't want to talk to Kara, not about the things Kara wanted to talk about.
"Okay. Okay," Kara started. "I know you and your mom fight a lot."
"Understatement of the year," Lena muttered.
"And I know the fights can get...ugly." She was skirting the topic, waiting for Lena to loosen up before she voiced her concerns—that someone had to report Lillian, that she needed to get out of the house.
Lena didn't say anything, her jaw flexing as she stared at a spot below Kara's chest.
"And I talked to your mom last night about it," Kara said quickly, taking Lena's silence as a green light. "She told me—"
"You what?" The words were harsh, barked out in a sudden explosion of irritation that caught Kara off guard.
"Yeah, she told me a little bit about why she sent you away. She...she told me you tried to kill yourself, Lena."
"That's not what happened," Lena refuted her immediately but her excuse sounded weak. "I wasn't—it was an accident." Shame burned through her and her voice cracked.
"Lee, she said you jumped off the Brooklyn bridge. You and I both know it wasn't an accident." Kara shook her head, apology in her eyes. "Look, I'm not here to drag up your past. Just, your mom said she sent you away to protect you, and honestly? I think it did."
Lena's throat felt suddenly dry and she swallowed, sitting on the edge of the mattress. She could hear a maid and butler moving around down the hall and no doubt Lillian was already awake. She hated her mother with a sudden, fierce passion that almost knocked her over—not for the years of belittling her, not for the years of locking her away and holding her at an arm's length, not even for the scars she had inflicted with a riding crop when Lena, in a fit of childish desperation, had tried to run away on horseback at the age of 8.
She hated her mother for trying to come between her and Kara, and apparently succeeding. Hated her for painting herself in a good light and Lena as a girl in need of guidance and a firm hand, sent away for her own good.
"So, you're on her side, then?" Lena said faintly, feeling her sanity start to slip away.
"God, no!" Kara was vehement, her hands moving in a frantic manner as she explained herself. "no, I'm not 'on her side', how could you even think that when you know I—how could you think that? I flew here to see you! I only meant it protected you from her."
Relief washed through her and she processed that Kara was, indeed, just here to help. "How was the flight?" The innocuous question was so out of place that Kara let out a startled laugh before answering, sensing that Lena was pulling away from the conversation.
"The flight was horrible. Not as bad as that tram though, holy shit. But I survived and I got to see you, so it's all good." She gave Lena a thumbs up and accidentally dove right back into their heavy conversation with her next question. "Why else do you think I suffered through that trip?"
"I don't know," Lena rolled her eyes, trying to lighten the mood. "I'm nothing special, I'm just..."
Kara's phone started ringing. Their eyes flicked to it as Kara hastily sent the call to voicemail.
"You are special, Lee. I know you have trouble seeing it, and I know you have trouble expressing your emotions, but I'm here for you. I—"
The phone started ringing again and Kara let out an annoyed grunt, checking the caller ID. She normally wasn't one to ignore calls, but Lena always took all her attention, to make sure she didn't overstep or say the wrong thing.
"It's Mike," Kara mumbled. "Can I just—"
"Go, go," Lena insisted, waving Kara to her bathroom. "I'll be here."
Looking her directly in the eye, Kara stayed in her spot on the bed and answered the call.
"Mike!" She said his name with fake enthusiasm, her eyes trained on Lena's face. "What's up, babe?"
"What's up? What's up? What the fuck is going on, Kara?" Lena could hear every word through the phone and Mike did not sound pleased.
"What do you mean?" Kara said innocently, shooting a careful glance at Lena.
"You said your sister needed you to come home."
"I called Alex at the airport," Kara dodged the question, playing with Lena's fingers on the duvet. The space between them closed as Lena inched closer, wanting to be nearer to Kara.
"Yeah, well I just called your house. Eliza said Alex was staying in the city and you weren't at home. What is your deal?"
"Calm down, Mike. I'm a big girl, I can handle myself."
"That's the problem. I know exactly how you handle yourself," Mike argued, the sounds of cars coming through the phone. "Get out of the lane, jackass!" He honked the horn, his voice rising into a yell.
"Mike, call me when you're off the road." Kara's voice dropped in contrast, the concern she felt for him showing through even as Mike complained. Lena squeezed her hand tighter, biting her tongue at Mike's angry words.
"I'm not texting and driving, don't tell me what to do."
"I'm not telling you what to do, I'm just saying it's not a good idea to drive when you're distracted."
Mike honked the horn again. "Just because your dad was a shitty driver doesn't mean I am."
Kara blanched. Lena's stomach swooped then took a sickening swan dive, making her feel like someone had just torn out her insides. Kara stammered, but she had clearly lost her train of thought, and Lena's heart stopped in her chest.
"Mike, what...I don't..."
"Yeah, can you believe it took me 2 fuckin' years to find an article about my own girlfriend?"
"I—"
"What, Kara? What reason are you gonna give me for not telling me?"
Kara didn't say anything, just looked at Lena with wide eyes, and Lena ground her teeth together. She was a second away from hanging up the call for her friend, and her anger was building, slowly but surely.
"Who else have you told?" Mike said harshly. "Don't tell me you told the Luthor girl."
Kara wordlessly handed the phone to Lena, her mouth a thin line. It was apparent that she had never planned on telling Mike about her family, and didn't know what to say to him under his attack.
"What are you giving me this for?" Lena hissed, and Mike caught her voice over the speaker.
"Who is that? Is that Lena?!"
Lena cleared her throat and put the phone to her ear. "This is Lena Luthor, may I help you?" Her voice was flat, and she fell back on her mother's training.
"Fucking hell. What are you doing with her?"
"Not making her feel horrible," Lena said in complete seriousness. Kara's head perked up at her cold tone and her blue eyes were cloudy, which hurt Lena's heart. A car door slammed over the phone and Kara twitched, and Lena ran her fingers across her palm. The blonde was too focused on the sensation to listen to Mike or see Lena clenching her jaw, but the words building in her throat were screaming to be let out.
"I'm sure she told you, though I don't know why. Tell her I'm home and I'm waiting for her," Mike demanded, his breath huffing through the speaker.
With a crazed look in her eyes, Kara grabbed the phone out of Lena's hand. "I'm not coming over, Mike. I'm never coming over again. And I told Lena, because I love her."
She hung up the call and stared at the phone, feeling Lena's gaze boring into the side of her head. Their hands lay still, twined together on the bed, and neither of them were breathing. Lena tried to think of several things to say but her brain felt slow, lopsided, like a car with three wheels stuttering along the road.
Because I love her.
She had only ever heard Kara say those words to her with any feeling behind them. Lillian often hinted at affection, but it was always to fuel her own ulterior motives, always for the wrong reasons. She changed schools so often, was such an outcast, that it was never worth starting a relationship—not that anyone wanted to be in one with her—so the situation never arose where anyone would have said it to her.
Kara, meanwhile, looked nervous, but not that surprised. As intentionally oblivious as she had been, even she'd had to admit when she woke up in Lena's bedroom that it was all a bit ridiculous, flying halfway across the country. She told herself she was just worried about Lena's well being, but in reality she was tired of Mike's crass humor and snide comments about her friends, her family, her sister. She slid her hand down Lena's cheek, along her jaw, and her breath caught at the look in Lena's eyes.
"Can I kiss you?" Her voice was hoarse, Mike already gone from her mind. The only thing she could think of was Lena, and her immediate urge to kiss her. "I really want to."
"But—you told me—"
Kara cut her off, and suddenly Lena was lying down, Kara's hair falling into her face and her hands on Lena's stomach. The pull that Lena had been feeling hadn't weakened with Kara's body pressing against hers, if anything, it got stronger. She pushed off the bed and Kara groaned, her mouth opening, and then she was straddling Kara, feeling those rock-hard abs through her shirt, wondering how she could feel so full and so, devastatingly like a vacuum was sucking at her insides at the same time, and Kara's breath was mixing with hers—
"Well, well, well. What have we here?"
i know i've been horrible w updating, I'm busy at work! also just wanted to say i rly support chris, it's not his fault Mon-El's character had flaws, and I'm sorry i had to make mike the bad guy :/ but of course, it won't be a clean break up because then where would the angst be?